Medley Ball and Richard Berry’s cats. (Rick)

Last week brought the Medley Hall Masquerade ball. At the great venue of San-Remo Ball room in Carlton. My mask was green in a V shape with these shiny round things. A bit over half of people had masks, and about half were made by the person wearing it. One of the most interesting included one that was a leaf from a tree with two holes poked out for the eyes. When I was there I had people telling me to slow down with the drinks after only sitting down for five minutes. But my attitude changed as I decided to not act like an idiot as I found there was someone I had a first level interest in. We had some major things in common, but once I dived into more of the details I found it impossible to really elaborate on what was being said and in the end was unable to sustain conversation, and that she was not for me. Worth a try though. When I realised this I decided to get a drink from the bar, like some raspberry and vodka, but got there after it was closed. (No-one told me that was going to happen!) I was looking forward to that.

In terms of dancing for the night, I dance more wild when I drink less. I was having dance offs with other guys and skidding across the great dance floor. I enjoy dancing, and often get complements. My favourite would be that I just let myself go, and not afraid to bring out my emotions. Then again at another performance I was dubbed ‘the headless chicken’. (Note these are both at different events.) Anyway, after the ball I went to the after party somewhere on Brunswick Street. I had a Carlton Draught, (nice beer), and just chatted both to a fellow college student friend and also asking some people I knew how they enjoyed the night. The atmosphere was good, but I had to go home at 1:30am morning as to be ready for the 9 O’clock later that day. (Had to go, 2% easy marks would’ve been lost.) I stayed up until 12:30 on Thursday night for another nine o’clock start, and then on Saturday night at 2am for a big sleep in until 12:40, almost missing lunch. (Nooooooooooo!)

Now that I’m one of the people who have said to have there name down to help with the MUMS (Melbourne University Mathematics and Statistics Society) (think about the University of Sydney version…), I’m now also getting department e-mails from Mathematics and Statistics. This involved many exciting things about when certain rooms are not available for staff, when the heating is not working in the building, and many seminars for the teaching staff.

Also, at the Richard Berry Building (home of the practically dynamic subjects), I have noticed two cats living on the west side. I was there with Jim just this Wednesday and we were talking about them, and also as we were discussing exactly what we were planning this lunch time, as there were activities we were both planning to go to, but were enjoying the conversation.

I have also found that the last two weeks I have exceeded my internet quota limit of a puny 50MB. I don’t understand why not before though, as I’m sure that other weeks I’ve been much more wild. I might just ask a school friend if they could be so kind as to tell me their unimelb password so I could check e-mails on weekends! They are less likely to need it by the time the weekend comes as they have access where they live.

Next semester I will be playing with the IC MUSO (Intercollegiate Council Melbourne University Symphony Orchestra), which should be fun and allow me to meet people doing quite a different degree. (Most at the meeting were music students.)

Sunday I went to see my grandmother and great grandmother. First my grandmother and her partner went to a brilliant Chinese restaurant near Dandenong. I had chopped fish with mushrooms, and ate all of it, along with some vegetarian noodles. After we went to see my great grandmother (95) where she now lives. They talked about some of the times of old back during the war, and how at one point she was jailed for not wearing a ‘P’ when going into town to indicate she was Polish. It was interesting but I have shamefully under slept and concentration was hard. I came back on the train, just in time for dinner that night.

I had my last physics prac this Wednesday, and am reflecting on my partners. I think working with others like this can make you dislike them. I’m quite friendly with my first partner now, but I found her harder to work with, although she did get better, which was great. My current partner seems to like to get stressed and seems to want to take over the experiment. Once again something that can be annoying, but feel quite ok to talk to him at other times. Then again physics labs are also made awful by the small amount of time you have to not only do the experiment, but ensure you cover everything that’s required in your log book. And even then it’s not clear what they want as the lab tutors seem to want something different from what the lab manuals say they want and web resources. It’s definitely been a very mixed experience, and looking and not looking forward to it next semester.

On Wednesday night I first went to a talk on the Australian Synchrotron being built at the moment, and the synchrotron ‘light’ it will produce. (They say ‘light’ because people associate radiation with radio-activity, of which this has nothing to do with.) It was interesting, but I had to leave early as I had won tickets from Triple J for preview tickets of the upcoming film ‘Candy’. It is about a couple (Candy and Dan) who are hooked on drugs, and neither has any proper jobs. They get their money from thievery, prostitution, and often find themselves having to borrow money as to fund their addiction. Money tensions affect their relationship and also get Candy’s parents worried that Dan has no real job. (They don’t know about the drugs and how they fund it.) I did enjoy the movie, and might consider watching it again, and would give it 3.5 stars.

This upcoming Wednesday brings a debate between the Labour club and Socialist Alternative titled ‘Reform or Revolution’ as to whether we should try to modify our current social system (‘Capitalism’) or scrap it altogether, as to give us one that is fair and just. (Similar goals, different tactics)

I was looking forward to a surprise birthday party this Saturday, but got cancelled, as the person planning to be surprised was going home for the weekend. (Problem with surprise) I’m instead going out with high school friends either to a club or to see some music in Brunswick Street. (So I’m seeing some of the people I was going to see anyway.) It’s also the last week of classes – my ego is telling me to do something crazy. (In a funny way)