Everything on my mind (Sophie)
Happy Easter everyone!
I hope everyone has managed to find some time over this break to relax a bit and for a moment, leave the excessively busy routine that university life forces you into.
On Thursday I wasn’t feeling 100% and when more than one of my friends commented that I looked tired (They meant it in a caring way!), I decided to postpone the social events I had planned for the coming days until next week. I did that afternoon manage to briefly catch up with one of my closest friends, M, whose company I have very much missed over the last few weeks. I met her in her familiar haunt – Borders, and just being around her made me feel better from the apprehension towards the inevitable cold I felt coming on. I am looking forward next week to meeting a friend of hers which should be rather interesting. We are possible combining this meeting with a dinner featuring two of my friends I want her to meet. If we can organise it, it should be a great night
Yesterday I enjoyed a very lazy day mainly consumed of research for my management essay and calling up old friends whom I owed time to.
I decided to write this entry tonight as my schedule after tomorrow becomes very busy again. I have a lot of assignments coming up that I need to start/continue/finish, so though I have the week off university, it is anything but a vacation.
Last night I was going through my calendar after promising an old friend we would catch up. I found out the weekend we had tentatively decided to do something would in fact not suit at all due to university assessments -it made me upset to realise this. So much of the time it seems that when I am free she isn’t and vice versa which causes frustration on both sides. It is difficult as well because she doesn’t get along with any of my other friends, so I can’t invite her out in group situations either or it would be awkward. 🙁
I know I must work something out to suit both of us but I hope she can understand if it isn’t her ideal scenario…nowadays we seem to enter into conflict about everything. I only now just realised we have in fact been friends for 5 years….I really hope we can somehow work things out.
Tuesday morning I felt annoyed during my morning classes to realise I had left my printed out slides and overhead notes at home (all of which I had diligently prepared the Monday before!). This meant I had to revert to the old-fashioned way of taking all notes by hand in lectures! Still, this is always a good experience to practice now and again so you always have the ability to be a fast writer when the time calls. My QM 1 tutorial was yet again, an amusing experience. My tutor does the most amusing things on occasion (from jamming the whiteboards together, to falling over the projector), and this class was no exception. A mistake he’d made in writing a formula on the board, and his subsequent response to my quiet and polite questioning of what he’d written, led to the class being doubled over in fits of laughter. He then made it even more hilarious when he made a statement in reference to our laughter along the lines of “I hope you all don’t think I’m an idiot but the fact everyone one of you is laughing at me right now probably means you do”. I will always hold a significant fondness for his tutorials!
Tuesday afternoon I met up with a dear friend, L, who was down from ANU in Canberra for two weeks. We always have an amazing time in each other’s company discussing the most deeply intellectual, to the most trivial, matters! We share a very similar sense of humour which extends our mutual adoration. She is a true friend in every sense. I immediately feel so relaxed in her company and it was the first time in a few weeks where I had felt that way. We shared a delightful meal at a Café at QV- the name has escaped me for the time being, but it is across from the chocolate place and thoroughly recommended! The waiters there are very honest and charming – one told me he hates vegetables and because of this wouldn’t reccomend the Mediterranean vegetable dish! Lol. I love vegetables so I ended up getting this, so throughly appreciated his ‘non reccomendation!’. After ice-cream at Trampoline (which no proper meal is without!), we checked out a stunning exhibition at the Ian Potter Gallery featuring the designer, Martin Grant. I have a fairly wide knowledge of designers, but for some reason his presence had slipped by my view. I am thrilled I had the opportunity to learn about him and some of his designs as they are very much ‘my style’ – very tailored, elegant and sophisticated. Some day I would love to purchase from his Paris store. After the exhibition we decided to walk along the Federation Square side of the Yarra. I find this side to be much more relaxing and peaceful than the constant noise and excitement of the Southgate/Crown side. We contemplated the existence of the monarchy in Australia, whether or not Australia should become a Republic, then finally – what if instead of a President, Australia had a King?! (All in jest of course!)
Wednesday was what could only be called an ‘insane’ day at Uni, where I barely had time to eat. Every hour I was at one thing or another because due to no classes on Friday I had to attend some substitute classes. I attended a wonderful Microeconomic tutorial with a tutor who was very easy-going yet knew his subject so well. I really appreciated his teaching style and he explained to me a question I had been struggling to understand with my usual Micro tutor. He was so thoughtful to even give the class (and his non-regulars) little Easter eggs at the end of the class. I left feeling disappointed that my usual Microeconomics tutor (though intelligent and of around the same age and experience) was not up to his caliber. My usual Microeconomics tutor speaks so fast that most of the class has trouble understanding her, and she goes so quickly over things not realising that for us first years we haven’t done the concepts a million times before. Perhaps it is easy but we have no comprehension of the subject when we can’t grasp what she is even saying! I find her quite stand-offish and unapproachable as well. Maybe I am the only one who feels this way? I am not sure. I guess you can’t be lucky in having all your tutors being amazing.
My favorite part of Wednesday was of course, my Political Interest Society meeting! The main discussion was over Iran and the US (unavoidably with the latest reports) and it was fascinating to see the variety of views in the room. I find it interesting in particular to see how some people have much more of a short term focus where as others seem to base their opinions on a longer-term strategic focus. It is a great feeling to meet other people who have opinions which challenge your thinking, or at other times provide you with a feeling of: “This person gets exactly how I see the world!” It was quite amusing while waiting for the meeting to start, to have a discussion with a few guys in regards to the lack of female attendance! Plenty of times I have been the only woman there, or at most maybe one of 3 or 4 females compared to 20 males! Does anyone know why this lack of female attendance exists?! SURELY men cannot care about politics more than women?!
Well, I will leave it on that note for now,
I must sleep – tomorrow I will no doubt be awoken at the crack of dawn by my younger brothers gorging themselves on chocolate!
Take care everyone,
Enjoy this weekend with your family and friends.
Sophie