Decade by Decade

So last month I turned 50. Yep, an old bastard now. I was lying in bed this morning and pondered what life was like at each decade milestone in my life so far. It seemed to provide the makings for an interesting reflective post, so here we are!

1982 - 10 years old:

I have vague notions, rather than specific memories of being 10. I remember feeling the milestone of growing up at the time. I was in Grade 4 or 5 in Kowloon Junior School in Hong Kong. I was hanging out with one of my very best childhood friends, Martin Gill, a lot in those days. A real memory of the time was our adventures into the hospital up on the hill behind my apartment building. We tended to be ignored, but occasionally would stray into areas we clearly shouldn't have, and draw the ire of some locals. I remember exploring KGV (the high school up the hill from KJS) with Martin, and finding all sorts of stuff in old storerooms - some of which (the Commando comics) I kept for years afterwards.

I remember vaguely, things like going to the KCC for a swim, or a Sunday buffet. I remember my dad, sometimes for being an angry old man (mirror on standby) and sometimes for being funny and telling good stories. I remember thinking Hong Kong was an awesome place to live and explore - it still is, and I hope to have another opportunity to do so sometime. Explore anyway, if not live. The photo below is also in an older post, and was of us having a Japanese meal with the family upstairs.

1992 - 20 years old:

Wow, a lot can happen in 10 years. 1992 was probably the height of my academic prowess. I was in my second year at university then, still staying with my cousin Mark, but this time in Pascoe Vale South. Apparently I used the phone a fair bit then! This year was when I won the Student Of The Year award at the annual John Saunders Lecture. After second year I still did ok, and finished with honours, but I was as much about having fun as I was about studying then. All good experiences though. I was still very naïve and innocent when I was 20, well, when I turned 20 anyway. 

The whole 10 years included a few more in HK, three in Singapore, two in Cobram to finish high school and then my first two years of uni. So many experiences - UWCSEA, Four Friends, Krakatau, petty crime, all sorts. Yeah I had a couple of moments in my teens I am not proud of. It is part of growing up though I think, and I believe I came out the other end a better person for it.

2002 - 30 years old:

I remember one thing about turning 30, on the day at least anyway. And that was having a beer in the wet mess at Murrin Murrin with my work colleagues. Crikey, amazing again how much can change in 10 years. Finishing uni, moving to Southern Cross, then to Kalgoorlie, and finally doing FIFO to Perth. In the meantime losing Dad, having my heart broken a couple of times, pushing all sorts of limits with my lifestyle, doing well in my career, and doing some travelling. It was a busy decade!

The above photo is me at Hillary's Boat Harbour in Perth. That day I am pretty sure I was with an old girlfriend Sandii, who I found out by accident was spending some time in Perth. We had a kind of thing when I was in uni, but it never went anywhere. I haven't been in touch with her since the day after this photo was taken.

2012 - 40 years old:

I also remember specifically my 40th birthday, because that was the day Wifey, Lala and I drove that shitty Mahindra ute from the motel in Brisbane to Texas. 

That's me with her there, around that time. What a roller-coaster that six months was. Wow, I have made a few stupid career decisions in my life, and this certainly was up there with the best (worst). Still, it was an ok life experience to reflect on, but I am glad I had ASN to turn to again afterwards. 

The ten years leading up to that point had SO much in them it is unreal. After Murrin, I decided to take the chance to break the cycle and get out of W.A. I got a job managing a gold mine in Queensland, with Cement Australia. Lasted a year before getting bored and heading to NSW and Barrick. That 8-9 months has all sorts of negative connotations for me. But it eventually led me back to QLD and JMS, where I spend two years flying all over the place looking for mining contract jobs for them. Then Penjom in Malaysia, where I was at work Mon-Fri and home only on weekends. Can you see the trend there? Spend as much time away from home as possible. Such was life with my ex. Still, I don't believe in fate, but I am ever so glad my life took me in these directions, because that's how I met wifey, and that's how my amazing kids came into being (Lala being the first, in this decade). Four years at Penjom, then a quick stint in the Philippines, then back to ASN, then to Texas, and the following year, back to ASN again. During that time wifey and I travelling around the world, did a couple of other trips in Oz, and I also did a fair bit of travelling before I met her too.

That was a lot to cram into a decade just quietly.

2022 - 50 years old:

50. Well, here we are. Not much different so far, other than knowing I am closer to the end than the beginning. That's not being morbid, it's just the truth. But looking back, more and more happens with each 10 year period, and I anticipate this next one may well be the same. Possibly not so much with travelling, as it is a lot more expensive now - both in general and because there are five of us.

Speaking of travelling, here is a recent family photo, from our December trip to Tassie.

It was an enjoyable trip, but to be honest I think future trips need to be in the tropics. I truly only feel like I'm on holidays when I am swimming, and apart from the last motel pool, it was just too cold, even in summer, to swim here. Plus every time I took out my wallet I felt like I was spending $150-$200. 

As for the 10 years leading up to this point, well, after Texas, as I said, ASN Mark 3 was our next port of call. That did me, along with some consulting to Dean again in Indo on Wetar Island for four months, until mid-2016. ASN did their usual trick and ran out of money again - this time in a big way, and because of the 1-MDB scandal, struggled to garner any more interest in the project. Alas I had been living the high life, and despite hanging on for six months, eventually we ran out of money and had to go. This time to the shop. OMG. Look it was what it was, and to be fair was probably an ok investment to begin with. But not only could it not sustain two families, the cold, hard truth is average takings went from $6k per day to $3.5k in 2018. It was no longer competitive, or viable.

We jumped before it got too bad though, poor V and Paul had to deal with the sale. It happened eventually. Kupang was my next destination. That was interesting, as I never though I would be back after Wetar. Never say never. That is a good and true saying. I did largely enjoy the experience, although once again, a start-up running out of cash? Far out really? MD was a megalomaniac and a compulsive liar, which didn't help. Anyway, it happened. When the cash ran dry there we left and went back to Malaysia to hang out at Sungai Pelek for four months. With the cash we had, we could have done it for two years really, maybe more. I wonder what kind of life we could have made in those circumstances? Still, Covid happened soon after we left to come back to Oz, and I suspect life was easier to deal with here than there.

Of course what happened next, and where we are as I turned 50, was for me to realise my career goal - I became General Manager. But of a quarrying company, rather than a mining one. It is hard, challenging, makes me take a good look at myself regularly, and stresses me. Equally, it gives me freedom, stability, regular and decent pay, and the opportunity for my family to put roots down. That has been a goal since I gave up on FIFO in the Philippines, and I need to reflect on that from time to time. Itchy feet became a bit of a regular thing for me over the years, especially when I was not in Asia. I think I'll go back to Asia to live again, just not sure when and how. For now, we'll play each card as they come, and try to make the most of life. I have a lovely wife, super kids, a steady job and no real reason to need to move. Take a deep breath and enjoy it Dave.