I’ve been trying to set up a shared drive for me and my flatmates, since we tend to share photos, music, movies and TV shows. It’d be kind-of nifty to be able to put it all on a central drive we can all access, and cut out the tedious running around with USB keys… but I think the conclusion I’m coming to is that one or all of us needs more computer memory!

I really need a Bluetooth headset so that I can use the phone and drive safely. Speakerphone just doesn’t cut it anymore! And no-one seems to know whether no-phones-when-driving is an actual enforced law here, either - though from the amount of people I see driving around like maniacs while talking on the phone, I’d guess not. Very strange. But better to be safe than risk it, I reckon.

Driving here can be quite unsettling at times, heh, because people do such unpredictable things. I’ve never seen anything like it, anywhere else. You end up going on the assumption that everyone’s going to do something stupid, and learn to allow for it, I suppose. Madness.

It’s been an intense work-week. It’s funny how, after one simple (though scary) event, you’re so much more conscious about the difference the little details make when it comes to caring for people. Even down to wearing accurate medical jewelry. When it comes to another human being’s life, and the possibility of something putting it at risk or something making a difference in its being preserved, there’s nothing more valuable, so nothing should be so trivial that it’s overlooked!

I’m actually car-hunting at the moment. I’m not entirely sure what I want - just how much I (don’t) want to pay. :P Cars over here just seem so ridiculously big. And there never seems to be more than one person in a car at a time! I swear, I’ve stood at bus stops for 20 minutes, and been able to count on one hand the number of cars that have 2 or more people.

I just want something small, preferably a manual, reliable, easy to park (like my old car) and cute. I’m definitely excited to be able to drive places, it’ll make getting around so much easier and quicker (this country seems to be made for drivers - which, of course, it is). And hey, there’s always that feeling of loyalty and alliance to whatever make/model of car you go for (everything from keyrings to online resources and forums/social networking sites like ItsMyNissan.com).

I miss just the simple procedure of driving. Thate state-of-mind you get into, when you’re not concentrating on anything but driving. The utter procedural motions you go through - the way you can switch off to everything else.

I actually found driving an automatic scarier than a manual, because I think not having control over the gears, and not having the possibility of having to change gear at any moment, lets you switch off in a way that’s not safe. That’s my new theory on why drivers in America are so notorious. Also, the automatic I drove was very strange on any kind of an incline… and it felt exactly like a manual would if you were in a gear too high(/not powerful enough) for the situation. Very strange!

I’ll stick to my good ol’ clutch and handbrake, I think!

I think people in my field - human services - should be paid twice what they are. This work is so vital, so worthwhile - and yet people doing things like personal shopping and TV presenters earn infinitely more. We seriously need to redress this balance, as a society. :P Our perception of what’s worthy of being paid the big bucks, as it were, is just a bit distorted.

Of course, there are lots of ways to supplement your income. Starting an on-the-side online business, selling things with ecommerce software, is easier than ever now. People have their whole careers online now, selling anything with online shopping cart software. It’s a bit of a foreign concept to me, because I thrive on the person-to-person contact and the raw interactions I have every day, but in terms of simply earning money by any means, if definitely makes sense.

And let’s face it - any simple and effortless way to help make ends meet is a plus!