Why Pick Me? pt. 2

I've put together a blooper reel of all the mistakes and outtakes that managed to sneak in the making of my application video.

Bottom line:
If you haven't had the time to peruse this blog and the only things you really know about me are from my official application video (linked here when it gets put up on the Tourism Queensland contest site) or my bullet list of why TQ should pick me for the best job in the world, then hopefully this reel will show you the lighter side of Claire Marie.
Because though I took this project and the making of this video very seriously, I am silly too and had a lot of fun doing it, and I thought you should see a bit of that as well :)

Why Should You and Tourism Queensland Pick Me? I Shall Be Delighted To Tell You!

If my "about me" posts are too much to go through, let me go bullet style for a moment...

I AM A(n):

• Very strong swimmer. Volunteer swim coach.


• Would jump at an opportunity to become SCUBA certified.


• Avid traveler. (13 countries and counting!)


• Strong believer in that which is different is not wrong.


• Open to new experiences (I'll try almost anything once!)


• Descriptive Blogger since 2003.


• Forever student at heart (I delight in learning new things).
• Independent and Self-Sufficient. Ready to pick up and move!
  
• Thespian (thats theatre, thank you). Theatre minor in college.


• Photography hobbyist.


• Have had pets my entire life and always enjoy interacting with new ones, domesticated or not (though I have a healthy appreciation for boundaries).
  
• Hard worker. Seeing every project through to the end with as close to perfection as is practically possible.


• Creative. always looking through different "lenses" so to say.


• Outgoing and always involved. (would you like to see my resume??!)
  
• Now know more about the Great Barrier Reef region and Australia as a whole than I ever would have imagined. I was more than ready to share my newly found wealth on my video but 60 secs. is in no way long enough. Especially if I need to talk about me too! :-P


• Seriously considered flying to Jamaica to film a segment of my application video so I could jump off a cliff in Negril to show that "I'll jump right in!". Half of everyone I know thought that was insane, and the nice half said (and I quote): "No, you're just dedicated. You'll go to extreme lengths to get a job done". Darn tootin'!


• Adventurous and fully physically capable of actively accomplishing all of the "including but not limited to" activities expected of the winning applicant.
• Soo looking forward to participating in all of the "including but not limited to" activities and expanding my world and breadth of experiences even further. And then blogging about it! Not much could make me happier.

You need me because:

• The hired applicant should be looking at the Reef and its Islands through fresh eyes. Their posts should not read "Spent the day on Lady Elliot Island, it is just as beautiful as I remember it." No. The world needs to hear how beautiful it is the first time around. Because as much as an applicant will try, their posts and videos just will not have the same sparkle as the person who is being capitvated by the beauty for the very first time.

• I have put countless hours into this project, and have enjoyed every second, even the ones that made me want to pull out my hair because a program wasn't working right or the wind was drowning me out. Even though I've been fiercely dedicated to this project, I did it all while still handling my responsibilities of my last few months of law school and working two jobs. No class or obligation has suffered. I can do many things at once and get them all done on time and with the Claire-Flair ;)

--

if you're a new visitor and have no idea why this entire post was even written, check here for reference :)

Facebook

Since I'm not linking to my personal facebook just yet, I thought I'd import my parts of my "info" page here:

Activities:
I do bit of nothing and little of everything.

Interests:
Traveling (CONTIKI 2006 and the bridge of sighs to be more specific, and of course those family vacas to Mexico), politics (in a 'I can't stand it anymore, but owe it so much' kind of way), music, theater, singing, sexy cars (I have my picture with a smokin' Ferrari), watching boys soccer, playing volleyball (just for fun), sleeping.
Dreaming.

Favorite Music:
----I've fallen back in love with music.I miss making it.Anything Classical. Fall Out Boy. My Chemical Romance. Cobra Starship. Plain White Ts. Bing Crosby. The Doors. Frank Sinatra. Dean Martin. Ben Harper. My Dad. It is impossible for me to even scratch the surface here.
I'm in love.----

Favorite Movies:
Gone in 60 Seconds, Holiday Inn, Mr. and Mrs. Smith (in an AWESOME guilty pleasure kind of way).

Favorite Books:
----Simple Sampling: The Fountainhead, The DaVinci Code, Catcher in the Rye, Great ExpectationsWhats you're favorite?

----"We call them dumb animals, and so they are, for they cannot tell us how they feel, but they do not suffer less because they have no words."--From Black Beauty---

Favorite Quotations:

"I liked where I thought it was going but I don't like how it ended"--Meg

"Worst case senario, grab your purse and run"--Meghan and I on starting new jobs, and what keeps me sane here

"Borrowing against a heavy heart and a credit line of prayer"

"I'm feeling like a Monday but someday I'll be Saturday Night"--Bon Jovi

"Did you notice how you fell un-human last year? We happily ripped your hearts from you. But, here, we're happy to give them back this year"--Law Prof"
Yeah, but now its all bruised"--My Grandma

"And remember, also," added the Princess of Sweet Rhyme, "that many places you would like to see are just off the map and many things you want to know are just out of sight or a little beyond your reach. But someday you'll reach them all, for what you learn today, for no reason at all, will help you discover all the wonderful secrets of tomorrow."

"Failure is not reaching your goal, but in having no goal to reach."--B. Mayes

"A chronic lack of pleasure, of any enjoyable, rewarding or stimulating experiences, produces a slow, gradual, day-by-day erosion of man's emotional vitality, which he may ignore or repress, but which is recorded by the relentless computer of his subconscious mechanism that registers an ebbing flow, then a trickle, then a few last drops of fuel--until the day when his inner motor stops and he wonders desperately why he has no desire to go on, unable to find any definable cause of his hopeless, chronic sense of exhaustion." --A.Rand
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" Frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me."
------------------------------------------
JME: Having trouble with those boxes? You never could have worked in pizza
ME: Look, I work at Hallmark. We break down boxes, we aren't in the buisness of building them...Wait... I don't build bridges, I burn them. Thats a good one.
JME: Facebook it.
--------------------------
"That that which don't kill me, can only make me stronger. I'm gonna need you to hurry up now, 'cause I can't wait much longer"
------------------

About Me:

"On the stage he was natural, simple, affecting 'Twas only that when he was off, he was acting."--Oliver Goldsmith"It was the roar of the crowd that gave me heartache to sing"
----
Legum servi sumus ut liberi esse possimus. ~ We are slaves of the laws in order that we may be able to be free.----Cicero
--------------------------"
I'm good to go, and I'm going nowhere fast. I'm good to go for something golden, though the motions I've been going through have failed. And I'm coasting on potential towards the wall at a 100 miles an hour. I can't sleep in the wake of Saturday"--fob
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I was in the "small group of the hard core" and yeah, its something important I hold on to
----------------------------------
"Everyone i know Is in the fight of their life"--b.harper
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"To the dull mind all nature is leaden. To the illumined mind the whole world sparkles with light"."Be. Do not seem".--Emerson
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I'm no Neil Simon.
I write tragedies but I'm still fun/ny in person.
I'm the devils advocate just to play your chord. It drives me crazy too.
--------------------
Lovely. Fiasco's August.
----
I've spent entirely too much time pushing 40.
--------
I don't want your "musts" and "shalls", you can keep your "mays" as well.
All this money, and all these books, and all those "poor you" dirty looks. The lump in my throat came dangerously close to screaming. And in the wake of Saturday is where the tailspin begins, and where it ends no one knows. The breath I catch is stale with manufactured regret. So keep your "musts" and I'll just keep praying for Saturday.
----------
I'm cryptic because I can talk too much.
I hold my breath when I type.
Im tired of humouring everyone, including myself.
But its an addiction. The worst I've come across yet.
"If only"s are a crap shoot and a sand trap.I can sleep all day and sit here awake each night.
Theres nothing like a fight to the death.
so dramatic. but I only speak the truth. trust me.welcome.
-----
(8/7) was my birthday.
I'm turning 23 again. That is all you need to know.
Accept it as fact.

"Be generous, be delicate, and always pursue the prize"-H.James
-----



as you can see, I am quite the quote collector and there is so much more where that came from.

Keep the Coincidences Coming

And by coincidences, I mean this.

Allow me to break it down:

1) These are my favorite shoes. They are KangaROOS "Burn". (also see the wear pattern and scuffs. I've had them for years and they are still my fav-or-ites).



2) Please note the name. KangaRoos.

3) I know its implied in the name, but do notice the symbol. The one and only national symbol of Australia.

4) See how the pocket (their signature, if you will) also has a Kangaroo pull. Nice little touch, isn't it?

5) But here is the real KICKER: I didn't know this before just now, but they were founded in St. Louis, MO. St. Louis! My hometown!

So let's summarize:

My favorite shoes. Are of the brand that adopted their brand symbol which also happens to be national symbol of Australia. And the company was founded in St. Louis, Missouri. My hometown.

I think its pretty clear. I was meant for Australia. At least for a steady 6 months or so ;)

BONUS: wikipedia puts the brand into several categories, one of which being "Australian-themed retailers". I know wikipedia isn't the end all-be all, but give me this one.

Sad note: I don't think they make the "burn" shoe anymore. I'm hanging onto these puppies for dear life.

The One and Only

The Claire Marie

Hello again! I know you've probably read the introductory post that appears at the top of every page, but in an attempt to keep that brief (have you read it? even I might have to disagree) I thought I'd use my first official post at this blog to elaborate.

My name is Claire Marie. I am currently a law student down here in Miami, Florida, but I originally hail from St. Louis, Missouri (well, let's not get technical...the greater STL area at least should suffice).

I graduated from a college in Missouri in 2006 at 21, embarked on a trip of a lifetime (but who says we only need to have one of those??) shortly thereafter (3 days after graduation to be exact), had to decide while I was hiding in a stone doorway to escape the rain in Switzerland whether or not I would be attending lawschool in the fall, and in the late summer of 2006 my dad and brothers moved me down here to Miami. And here is where I sit writing this post for you, in my overpriced apartment in the suburbs and shadows of South Beach.

I adore traveling. Its more than adoration, it is so important to my sustance that it is ingrained in my being.
Okay, thats a bit strong, but let me elaborate.
I am the eldest child of three. Growing up, there were the obligatory trips to Disney World and visiting extended family in Colorado (I was only 7 or 8 at the time, but I still remember the name of a resturant that impresssed me so much as a little girl that should I ever visit Denver again, I'd have to look it up). But my world finally opened up when my parents took us on our first vacation outside of the United States. I was in middle school (11 yrs. old or so) when the five of us embarked on our first ever journey outside the country. It was shocking. I remember sitting in silence, feeling mute. Not knowing how to feel about the things I was seeing---the poverty and the military presence versus the sheer beauty of our resort and the jungle that surrounded it, both unlike any other I had experienced. All I knew was that I was hooked. The food, the music, the architecture and its harmony with its ocean border, the people: their religion and their language. The way of life. My family and I returned to Mexico twice more to vacation.
At 16 and a junior in high school, I was presented by my choir teacher with a double opportunity: to travel to New York City for spring break and to Rome, Paris, and London shortly after the school year ended. I had to go. I had to. So I lined up the materials and approached my parents about Europe first. The three of us sat together at the kitchen table and I presented my case. In a family where a "yes" is never handed out without much deliberation, the permission to go was almost instant. I was astounded and estatic. Not wanting to push my luck, I left NYC tucked in my back pocket for a while. Eventually I approached them both at the kitchen table again, and the immediate answer was "no". There were a myriad of excuses, none of which I was ready to settle for. I was working as a telemarketer for an insurance agent at the time, and although I was only paying for 1/3 of the Europe trip, I decided that if I worked enough hours I could live up to that deal and pay for the spring break excursion entirely on my own. That still wasn't enough to change their minds. I had to resort to leaving my dad voicemail messages singing "give my regards to broadway" (I knew that I could win him over with emotional tactics much easier than my mother) and giving him constant, but gentle, reminders and notes of how much I wanted to go every single day for a couple of weeks. Finally I broke through. I worked my butt off to get the money to go, but I went on both of those trips and felt like the luckiest girl in the world. I had experienced and seen more than I had ever anticipated. As a child I was constantly reading about far away places and wonderous things, and when those things began to happen to me, I knew I would never be the same again without them.
In between that Europe trip in 2001 and my most recent visit in 2006, there was only one more trip (our last family vacation, to Jamaica), but I never lost the need. Even now, both here in Miami and at home in Missouri, I am constantly seeking out the ethnic groceries and Turkish coffee bars, Greek trattorias and French bakeries. I'll happily try anything once, enjoying the opportunity to soak up as much of a culture as possible during my stays; I am proud of my so-called-eclectic tastes.

But I'm not done yet. I'm not done learning, I'm not done exploring...experiencing. I haven't conquered all yet, and I know I never can. But I won't give up trying. I need to make it to the far east and feel the cold of a Russian winter. I need to venture down under and see that which is visible from space and our eyes alike. I need to continue to see the world as we were meant to see it. And I need to share it.

I think I've explained as well as can be done in one sitting my love affair with travel and culture. It was silly of me to think I could sum myself up in one post. So consider this the first of what I am sure will be several; I'll label/tag them as "about me" when I decide to give it another go.

For now, goodnight sweet someones.

Hello There!

I put this particular blog together to compliment my video submission for "The Best Job In The World", which does sound mighty terrific (thus, my reason for applying, obviously darlings). What you'll see underneath this welcome bit (and what are labeled/tagged as "imported" to distinguish them from new posts) are choice selections from my personal blog from waaaaay across the other side of the internet (much much farther than it is from the United States to Australia, trust me).Make sure you also check out the rest of the labels/tags (located in the right side bar) like the fun facts, pictures, places, about me, and more as I add them. I hope they make navigating the blog a little easier so you can get more juice out of the fruit so to say.

To the right (and above the labels) you'll find some links I hope you'll visit. The Europe Pictures from my 2006 Adventure are accompanied by what I'd like to consider a detailed but delightful commentary I did shortly upon my return, though the jury (well, you) is still out on the proper adjectives. The video link is to my vimeo page where you'll find various things I might happen to capture with my new camera. When my video application for "TBJITW" is up, I'll make sure to let everyone know when and where it is.

I'm still in the process of putting everything together (which I am working diligently on, trust me), but as you can see on the side a few bars down, I'm also on twitter, so check me out and follow me if you'd like (and I'd really appreciate!!)

Enjoy. Stick around. Read for a while or just take a peek. Scan me for a bit. My name is Claire Marie and as always, it's a pleasure :-)