Adele and I (Pamela) attended the Computerworld Excellence Awards at Sky City on Friday night and were quietly stoked when we didn't win the Youth ICT Award as neither of us had prepared speeches...(pathetic I know). The two that did win it (Shane and Craig Smith for Language Perfect) spoke so well that it was pretty much destined to be that way for the sake of the audience.
So I kicked off my shoes, relaxed at my table and chilled out a little. The couple next to me were from Meridian Energy and it was interesting to hear about the sustainable ICT project they have just implemented. The food was served and it was amazing. Adele and I always order one of each of the mains and then eat half and swap.
But no sooner had I wiped the beef jus from my chin, Frankie Stevens (MC) was announcing yMedia as one of the finalists for an award not on the programme. Gasp. Sure enough, the winners of the Judge's Choice for Best Value was yMedia. Lights flashing. Music *pumping*. Cameras on our table. I'm scurrying to find my shoes under the table and pick the meat out of my teeth and straighten my hair and flatten my dress and arghhh so we are on stage. And we thank everyone we can think of. And I do a plug for our blog and our competition. And they laugh us off. And it's over. And we are holding a 2.5kg solid metal trophy that looks like a famous award of some sort.
Awesome. Thanks Computerworld :)
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Saturday, July 5, 2008
every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.
Sam and Tessa left on Thursday.
This is Sam and Tessa, on Muriwai Beach.
Last Anzac Day Weekend.
I met Sam in 2006 whilst studying at Media Design School.
We both drank coffee (well, he drank mochas at the time... he has since upgraded to flat whites) and during a photography project, we bonded at a Gravity Coffee bar in downtown Auckland. That was the beginning of copious amounts of caffeine consumed in the company of Sam O'Leary. And the beginning of a life-long friendship.
Sam is one of the most talented people that I know personally. I owe a lot of my good grades to the hours of help that Sam gave me in the late hours of the day, in the dim, lonely and insistently too hot or too cold computer lab on level 11.
I met Tessa at the food court in the IMAX complex, a few months after I had gotten to know Sam. I was nervous to meet her. Because I was associated with the work that was keeping Sam from returning home for dinner at a sensible hour - I was sure she would hate me.
Alas! Our brilliant minds collaborated on a cryptic crossword that I was struggling to solve when she arrived to meet me, and before long it was undeniable that we were two souls destined to be mates for life.
Tessa is one of the most beautiful people I have ever met. Ever. She has a way of being that makes me and everyone who knows her fall in love with her over and over again. She looks stunning in a dress. She has a contagious and delightful laugh. She has the eyes and lips of a 50's fashion model. And she has the most inclusive and unconditional love for her friends that I have ever known.
And that is my story of Sam and Tessa.
Through Sam & Tessa I have also come to meet many other amazing people.
An inclusive but not exhaustive list:
We managed to see each other at least every few months. Wellington is only really a $120 return flight from Auckland. Or a very long bus ride.
For the past year or so, they have been longing to get out of NZ. And now, after copious amounts of money, drama, anticipation, tests, medicals, forms, anxiety, tears, discussions and excitement... Sam and Tessa are 3 weeks away from being in their country of destination: Montreal, Canada.
I farewelled them at the international airport on Thursday. I haven't cried in a long time. A long time. And just when I was beginning to think perhaps I was an emotional mute - incapable of feeling love, hurt, happiness or anger - my eyes erupted tears onto Tessa's shoulder as I hugged her bon voyage.
Upon reflection, the tears were not just tears of sadness. My tears were of happiness and excitement and anticipation for them and their long journey ahead. My tears were for the end of the last leg of their life journey and the beginning of their next. My tears were of pride and love for all they had achieved and made happen in order to be boarding this plane.
Enough of the cheese.. I'll save it for my pizza.. but just one last quote:
The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.
This is Sam and Tessa, on Muriwai Beach.Last Anzac Day Weekend.
I met Sam in 2006 whilst studying at Media Design School.
We both drank coffee (well, he drank mochas at the time... he has since upgraded to flat whites) and during a photography project, we bonded at a Gravity Coffee bar in downtown Auckland. That was the beginning of copious amounts of caffeine consumed in the company of Sam O'Leary. And the beginning of a life-long friendship.
Sam is one of the most talented people that I know personally. I owe a lot of my good grades to the hours of help that Sam gave me in the late hours of the day, in the dim, lonely and insistently too hot or too cold computer lab on level 11.
I met Tessa at the food court in the IMAX complex, a few months after I had gotten to know Sam. I was nervous to meet her. Because I was associated with the work that was keeping Sam from returning home for dinner at a sensible hour - I was sure she would hate me.
Alas! Our brilliant minds collaborated on a cryptic crossword that I was struggling to solve when she arrived to meet me, and before long it was undeniable that we were two souls destined to be mates for life.
Tessa is one of the most beautiful people I have ever met. Ever. She has a way of being that makes me and everyone who knows her fall in love with her over and over again. She looks stunning in a dress. She has a contagious and delightful laugh. She has the eyes and lips of a 50's fashion model. And she has the most inclusive and unconditional love for her friends that I have ever known.
And that is my story of Sam and Tessa.
Through Sam & Tessa I have also come to meet many other amazing people.
An inclusive but not exhaustive list:
- Sam's mother Clare O'Leary - an incredibly well-connected master of all things social and women in tech/media/film/web - who played a crucial role in the early development stages of yMedia.
- Andrew Mackay (and his gf Shannon)
- Joseph Bryce
- Robin Kerr
We managed to see each other at least every few months. Wellington is only really a $120 return flight from Auckland. Or a very long bus ride.
For the past year or so, they have been longing to get out of NZ. And now, after copious amounts of money, drama, anticipation, tests, medicals, forms, anxiety, tears, discussions and excitement... Sam and Tessa are 3 weeks away from being in their country of destination: Montreal, Canada.
I farewelled them at the international airport on Thursday. I haven't cried in a long time. A long time. And just when I was beginning to think perhaps I was an emotional mute - incapable of feeling love, hurt, happiness or anger - my eyes erupted tears onto Tessa's shoulder as I hugged her bon voyage.
Upon reflection, the tears were not just tears of sadness. My tears were of happiness and excitement and anticipation for them and their long journey ahead. My tears were for the end of the last leg of their life journey and the beginning of their next. My tears were of pride and love for all they had achieved and made happen in order to be boarding this plane.
Enough of the cheese.. I'll save it for my pizza.. but just one last quote:
The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.
Sam & Tessa Explain their Idea
The following movie is of Tessa explaining the cool travel idea that we are going to do (one day).
The gist of it:
3 couples (or more).
Start in a country in Europe (for example).
They then must creatively make their way (in pairs) to their next destination.
Everyone meets there. Shares stories, adventures etc. Hang out in the new country for a while. Then change partners to travel to the next country.
Like the amazing race. But without the millions of viewers. Or the competition element. Or the 'same partner' thing for the whole time.
Let Tessa explain:
The gist of it:
3 couples (or more).
Start in a country in Europe (for example).
They then must creatively make their way (in pairs) to their next destination.
Everyone meets there. Shares stories, adventures etc. Hang out in the new country for a while. Then change partners to travel to the next country.
Like the amazing race. But without the millions of viewers. Or the competition element. Or the 'same partner' thing for the whole time.
Let Tessa explain:
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