Stanmore Phoenix hits Mongolia

Buggershitpoohdamnshithshit

Remember how I was trying to decide if I wanted to work as a geology recruitment-er? I decided to take one step at a time and actually just go overseas again, play around and get to the real decision making when I had formal offers on the table.

I was contacted this morning by the recruitment guy I met. I was waiting for a formal offer from them so didn't harass them. Turns out they were waiting for me to decide if I wanted to take the step into recruitment. And I don't know what to say!

If I work in recruitment, can I still call myself a geologist or do I have to say I work in Human Resources or something boring like that?

I know if anyone else was asking me the same question, I would say do it! Take it! Do something different!

It's always tricky though. Working where I was in CSG was something of a dream for me - I never imagined to work in the Oil and Gas as it was reserved for the very smart and very employable and dedicated people. I weasled my way in and I love it! CSG is very contentious at the moment and I guess that's what makes it fun. Most people seem to hate the idea of CSG but I see it as an alternative to the terrible-ness that is open cut coal mining. It's not the best alternative, but it's a shift in the right direction. To be a part of that is cool. I got to collect data that we analysed to make the science of CSG make more sense. And to make it safer, and more efficient. It was a pretty crap job when you roll it all into a ball. I worked all hours, all days, nursing multiple babies (rigs) that never grew up and stopped crying (calling at all hours). It was really exciting to be making on the fly decisions - big, expensive decisions.

It's really tricky to explain, but having been in Mongolia, albeit for only 5months thus far, I just can't imagine going back. It was a great job. A great lifestyle once I figured out how to work it around work. It was a great location, awesome colleagues. The only bad thing was my job, but that will never be the same as we drilled enough wells to collect enough data to analyse for the next six million years. So I wouldn't even be going back to a similar job.

So it's not my job that I hate. I just can't imagine going back to that place. And while I love that place and everything that goes with it (oh man, money is so nice!), I just don't feel it. Going back to that same place would mean that what I've done here in Mongolia is obsolete. Whilst I admit I haven't done much actual work, I have learnt a lot. It's not that, either.

I don't think I'll ever be able to explain it. There's lots of 'reasons' and rationalisations that make it sense for me to not go back to the same company in a similar position. But it's not those either. It's a feeling of going backwards, of not accepting and recognising what I've done in Mongolia. Of not being challenged again. I love a challenge. They usually come with tears but it's really boring to go back to something easy. Somewhere I know everyone and people have already pigeon-holed me in to something I believe wasn't truly me. It would be going back to a situation where people will think I have just been on a holiday. I recognise that most of my time in Mongolia was spent in the countryside and in Russia on holidays, but there is nothing about my time in Mongolia that spells holiday to me. It's been this amazing eye opening, heart wrenching, gut wrenching experience of a culture that isn't given the credit it deserves and suffers at the wrath of being located in between massive political superpowers.

SO, if I'm making the easy options, I would say YES. YES, take that recruitment job. Give it a go! It won't hurt and if everything stuffs up, go back to uni.

I can't imagine spending the rest of my life as a technical geologist. I could be the person that tells you about geology. The person that explains the science of CSG and how we're working with so many stakeholders to make it work. How CSG is an industry that will only work if we work with the people and the science - so there's no point pissing off one of the major stakeholders. I could be the person that organises events and speaks publicly about things. That inspires people to be a part of the change of the energy industry.

I don't think there is an all encompassing role that I could actually get paid for. Which therefore means I should quit while I'm ahead and do something different. I'm so reluctant to do that though.

Bah.

Yesterday I tried to do more of my project proposal. I had a friend look at it and she's told me about what needs to be added. There's a lot of technical jargon involved and I'm not so sure I want to do it, can do it, or have the time to do it.

My cousin was also playing on Bondi FM. At 8pm Australian time, which is 6pm Mongolia time. I tuned in to their livestream and had to suffer through poetry reading that didn't do much for me before Ryan finally popped on. I was so excited! Technology has helped me so much over here, but it never ceases to amaze me. I was listening to my cousin play his guitar on the radio, over the internet in my friend's loungeroom in Ulaanbaatar. I was glued next to the speaker so I could hear properly. And then when he said HI to me I jumped up and down like a little kid and clapped my hands. It was the coolest thing ever. His stage name is Stanmore Phoenix and you can see him here:

http://www.facebook.com/stanmorephoenixmusic

And then I walked home, had Japanese for dinner because I was too lazy to cook, watched some Glee (it's the only thing left on my laptop), took some portrait photos of my neighbour for a job application and went to bed.