Ok, time for a very quick post, or else my test for physics will suffer on Wednesday.
Last weekend I went home and went to a house selling party (if that's what you call it) of one of my mum's friends. There were about as many children as adults, which was kinda scary, and everybody else was somewhat older than me. The best bit of the night was when we all got to smash a box of plates - Greek style. Later when I got home, when putting a bowl into the sink, I held it too low, hitting the side of the sink and dropping to the floor. Smashed the bowl as well.
On Tuesday I went to a feedback session run by the Transistion Program. We got to say what we liked about first year, (live bands on Tuesday's for me) and what we didn't really like so much (the fact that study groups were all at times that did not suit). Now I've got two free movie tickets. (Although I think I would've done it anyway even without that incentive, just so I could say what I wanted to say.) Straight after I had to go off to a mathematics/statistics infomation session to help with future subject selection. (And I don't think it's really changed what I wanted to do (Statistics), and figured that I'd prefer it over Operations Research, ("The science of decision making"), which is what I'd do if statistics didn't exist.
Garr!!! - still don't know when Angry Man will be screened at Federation Square - late October or Early November. Something else that is making me angry right now is that the printer at Medley Hall is not working, just to make the Maths B Advanced assignment harder. (lecture notes)
Last night (Saturday) I was planning on going to a Samba meets Salsa music gig in North Melbourne, but couldn't get my school friends to come along, just wasn't a good weekend for them. Instead I headed over to The Night Cat once again in Fitzroy, and got to groove out to the music. I only noticed last night that on Thursday and Sunday nights they have Salsa lessons at 7:30pm, so I'm thinking I might try to get there after exams. Once again I feel there is too much homework to go to the Locking lesson this Tuesday, and will put it off until next Tuesday. Here's a clip of two famous Lockers Hilty and Bosch.
This upcoming Saturday the 21st of October, I'll be playing double bass for a performance for the first time this year! (Not including casual perfomances in my room.) It'll be at 8pm to about 10pm at the Chapel of the Holy Spirit at Newman College. (887 Swanston Street.) This is completely FREE. They'll be four chamber groups, the Trio Reginae, The Intercollegiate String Orchestra (this is what I'm performing in), The Intercollegiate Choir and The Dome Quintet.
Housemate A lives downstairs. Her fridge is full, yet she has an excess of product which will rot if not consumed. She tells Housemate B that she has left him a bag of fruit in his kitchen. Housemate B lives upstairs. Housemate B puts the fruit in his fridge, and over the course of a week, eats three of the oranges and two of the apples. Housemate B thanks Housemate A for her generosity. After one week, Housemate C enquires about missing fruit that she left on the counter in the kitchen. Housemate B realises that something has gone wrong.
What happens next? If you want a happy ending, try 1.
1.
Housemate B tells Housemate C that he has accidentally taken her food. Housemate C is compassionate and understanding. She believes that it was an honest mistake, and recognises the confusion that could potentially arise when food is not placed in provided storage places. Housemates D and E laugh about the situation. Housemate B, Housemate C and Housemate A start laughing too. Housemate B offers to replace the taken fruit. Within five minutes, a happy, stable household is restored. They all go on to lead successful lives, with handfuls of children and moderate wealth from fullfilling, stimulating careers. They remain friends long after they move their separate ways. They continue to have dinner together once a week, until each of them dies. This is the end of the story.
2.
Housemate B tells Housemate C that he has accidentally taken her food. Housemate C shouts and swears. Housemates D and E watch on in bemusement. Housemate C angrily insists that she will now need to make another trip to the market to replace the taken fruit. Housemate B is insulted and gives back the fruit. He attempts to diffuse the situation by walking away. Housemate C slams her door. Housemate B tells Housemate A about what happened by SMS. Housemate A finds it funny, but Housemate B does not know how much longer he can hold his tongue.
3.
Housemate B tells Housemate C that he has accidentally taken her food. Housemate C shouts and swears, and Housemate B yells just as loudly. Housemate B calls Housemate C self-indulgent and melodramatic and Housemate C calls Housemate B oblivious. Housemate B starts listing all the things Housemate C has done wrong and never complained about for the sake of civility and compromise. Housemate C pushes Housemate B aside and storms off, and Housemate B tries to go after her but he is restrained by Housemates D and E. Housemate C slams her door.
4.
Housemate B makes the connection but doesn't say anything. Housemate C is confused, but walks off back to her room. Housemates D and E continue to stand in the kitchen and flirt.
Which do you believe?
I'm a bit stressed right now.
I don't know what to do. I have this Xmas Casual position lined up at David Jones...but I just realised the training days I'm meant to attend are SMACK BANG IN MY MOST IMPORTANT LAST LECTURES for subjects.
The only other option is training SMACK BANG in the middle of exams
I COULD listen to the audio stream of 3 out of 4 of those lectures...but then it is only 3 out of 4...so I'll still miss one, PLUS you never know how reliable the audio stream system is. Even if I go then I also have to miss at least 2 other lectures on the tuesday beforehand when i go to 'fill out important documents' for them.
I just don't feel comfortable about missing such crucial lectures...and yes I could rely on my friends, but you never know what they might miss.
So those are the options - miss the lectures and do 2 days training, or take 2 days off during exam period to do training.
None of them sound particularly inviting...
BUT I REALLY NEED A JOB FOR SUMMER.
And by now I've probably missed the boat for everything else on offer.
I'm feeling in a state of panic.
Reccomendations for what I do?
Yes, I admit, it's kind of sad that I took a photo of my own dinner. BUT I WAS SO PROUD OF IT!
It was also very tasty. Mmm. Garlic & Soy Chicken Stir Fry with Hokkien Noodles. Without the aid of Kan-Tong or any other bottled "flavour enhancer".
Bam!
It's an interesting concept, friendship; mateship, if you will (though all mateship tends to imply to me is two friends who are both too manly to admit that they love each other). It's certainly a difficult concept to pin down. I remember back when we had the Republican Referendum and Howard tried to write a preamble for Australia's constitution involving the term "mateship" that was shot down in flames for its ambiguity, and so he has since replaced that proposal with something even more ambiguous; "Australian Values" (which presumably involve knowing all the words to Khe Sahn, farting, speeding, and not talking during the footy). Myself, I think that I've finally worked out what friendship really means.
Friendship is, in reality, just like any other relationship, except you're not related and you're not having sex (or, come to think of it, both at once). The reasoning is simple; that, in your best friendships, when you strip away the frills, you no longer look for someone who shares your tragic love for your football club, or someone who you can have coffee with, or someone who is trustworthy or interesting and funny. In the finish, in the best friendships, as in the best relationships and the best relations, all you look for is to love and be loved. The rest just falls into place.
Over the weekend, Kim and I were fortunate to suffer the Tomato Sauce bottle law (ie that nothing comes for a while and then everything comes at once, "everything" in this case being party invitations), recieving no less than four invitations in the one weekend after a fairly barren month. Naturally we could only restrict ourselves to two, and so it was off to Emma's Oriental-Themed 21st followed by Liam's Scary-Themed 21st birthday bash.
First up, on the Friday, was Emma's celebration and it is fair to say that Emma's family are either (a) well-heeled, (b) have pimped the cat and sold a cousin into slavery or (c) spending themselves both emotionally and financially to the bone, because every effort was made to make Em's party a resounding success; and it worked. The drinks was good, the sushi was fantastic, the setup worked a treat and Kim and my outfits looked even better. (Modesty is wasted on the talented). Most of all, Em seemed to have a fantastic time and this was all capped off by two wonderful speeches in particular from her friends.
At around 11 o'clock Emma brought out some bai-jiu (rice wine) from China, a substance which is best used for stripping paint, stripping stomach linings, advocating for teetotolarism (sp?) and drinking (in that order). One young man in particular thought he'd be a he-man and drank a whole shot at once; following that, he immediately deposited his dinner on the driveway. Another amusing person (drunk people can be lots of fun when you yourself are sober) was a young man who had an air-mail envelope crumpled and hanging halfway out of his pocket. What's that? we enquired. "Oh yeh", he replied, as, tottering slightly, he took it out of his pocket and gave it a thorough inspection. "I luuurve French... Damo luurves French, don'tcha Damo?". (We quickly moved out of the 'line of fire' as he swayed towards said Damo).
Turns out the envelope contained his tickets to France.
Still, to dwell on drunk people and the fun that they create is to paint a completely wrong and misleading representation of Friday night. Despite the fact that I knew roughly four other people there - and I sincerely wished to dig myself a six-foot hole after forgetting one of them - Emma's friends made us feel welcomed wherever we turned. We both - like everyone else - had a great time. Happy Birthday, Em.
When it came to Liam's bash for the next night ('Scary' theme), we were flat out of ideas for scary things to do that didn't involve dressing up in the bedsheets and subsequently bringing to mind allusions of the Ku Klux Klan. We hadn't really had time to hit Saver's to make the most of any reasonable idea and we were basically lacking that final touch of inspiration to truly justify the effort. In the finish, we went as ourselves (which, in my own case, can sometimes be a truly scary thing).
Wouldn't you know it; the one party that we don't go 'in-theme' to, and everybody has not only gone in costume, but spared no detail in the effort for it. Particularly notable were the set of witches who had made their own broomsticks, Liam's housemate 'Squish' who had made a notable appearance as Wolverine (we're talking a jacket and pants that had been attacked by a Stanley knife, sideburns, glued-on (I hope) hand hair, the works), his two brother's appearance in contrasting white and black suits as Good and Evil Conscience, a Snowman, Marcel Marceau, the Incredible Hulk (trust Nick to find the only costume that allows you to arrive half-naked) and a couple of zombies. My personal favourite was Sharif, who came dressed all in white, with mascara on one eye and a cricket protector strapped around the outside ("A Clockwork Orange", 1971). Naturally, as soon as I walked in the room I had a few fantastic - if not quite workable ideas - for scary things. John Howard. The Dentist. Will Ferrell. Or, best of all, strap a vacuum cleaner each over our backs and go as Ghostbusters. To top off the night, a China friend of mine, Kirsty, who was also at Emma's party, arrived at Liam's halfway through, with no idea that we were here; sheer and utter coincidence.
The weekend was, I suppose, for seeing some old (and not-so-old) friends, catching up together and simply having some raucous fun in each other's company. Many of the people - even old school friends - at Liam's party I have dropped out of contact with, and that's ok. It's the way life goes. But, in the finish, it makes the friendships that you do hold all the more special. Friendship; mateship; love, call it whatever you want; for me, it's best enjoyed on each other's back, belting out the words to Working Class Man at 2'oclock in the morning and that's good enough for me. Dancing the Moondance with Kim and Khe Sahn with mates; how good can life possibly ever get?
Enjoy your study, all (sigh)
jez.
Things have been worse in the history of the world.. there has been disaster, genocide, tragedy. One girl feeling like she's held together with sticky tape is not going to affect the entire world. Therefore, everything will be alright.
Things aren't great right now. Everything is sort of coming together in a mighty cacophony of badness, but hopefully it will be alright. I have three overdue assignments, but they're getting done... they will be late, but they will be done at least. Anything Goes is happening next week - it will indeed be the week from hell. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday are the last rehearsals in theatre, then opening night on Friday. I'll be expected to party after that. Then a matinee and an evening show on Saturday and more expected partying. Sunday will be spent entirely sleeping, and I'll have to gear up for another week of such antics.
Such hectic running around sounds bad enough but I'm not even really letting myself think of what each show will involve. Slathering on several inches of makeup and curling my hair until I look like a doll, prancing around in costumes that will eventually stink horribly, dancing on stage in stilettos, running up and down stairs between the Green Room and the stage, climbing ladders in a rush, then running on to smile until my face hurts and bow. Wipe off makeup, hang up costume, collapse and then repeat several times.
Musical theatre is meant to be something that makes me happy, and usually it does, but this show has been hell.
Anyway, moving on to nicer things. Are there any? Not really. I suppose I wanted to congratulate fellow blogger Chris on his recent review of 2:37 in Farrago. It was really well written and interesting.. instead of being a blow-by-blow synopsis of the film, it delved into the context, criticisms and other intriguing things. Very nice, I want to see the film now! Oh, and also congratulations to him getting Arts Sub-Editor for Farrago! Thank you for serving the student community with interesting journalism!
I would love to write for Farrago, but I'm not sure I could really cope with trying to come up with something to write. I'm having the worst brain fog ever at the moment, and the result is all of my essays being badly written and extremely late. Thoughts either race so fast that I can't keep up with them and they don't make sense, or my mind feels like it has been frozen. Not nice, but I think trying to write articles for someone else to read would just compound the associated feelings of not being able to write, etc.
I thought of a nicer thing - walking through the university on Wednesday and Thursday. The heat was the glorious breezy type that lifts your hair, drifts around you and feels like absolute lazy-happiness. It was sunny and the air was filled with beautiful gauzy little seed-pods that had fallen off the trees on campus, floating around and getting caught in little whirlwinds. It was so lovely.. I didn't want to leave it. I wish that winter never came.
*sigh*
I haven't been as dedicated to this blog as I probably should be, and Sophie and Jez are positively blazing ahead of me. My next post will be a long one because I want to explain something fairly big and fairly revealing.. I suppose part of the point of this blog was for 'jaffies' to chronicle everything about their experience, even the problems that befall them, and next post will be the time for that. But don't worry until then.. I'm off - my puppy is looking at me adoringly and it seems time for some huggles, it's just too difficult to sing to the Supremes and write at the same time, and there is some lunch-hunting to be done. Wish me luck!
Oh, the recent speight of creativity (i.e. poems) on the blog has left me feeling terribly inadequate. Here is something I wrote a long time ago when I was particularly lonely. I wrote it on my windows in lipstick so that it cast a light shadow across my room. I then stuck a glow in the dark star next to it.. this was years and years ago, and somehow personifying this little star into what seemed like my only friend made me feel better.
Little star
Stay with me all through the night
Keep me warm and hold me tight
I can’t be lonely when I’m alone with you
Little star
You’re a lovable fiend, elusive and small
To reach and touch you, I’d need to be tall
But I’m little
Little star
You’re a friend when the world is asleep
A part of my heart you can always keep
Forever and ever
Little star
I don’t want you to go away
Even if you will come back another day
Or night
Little star
Although we must part
It always hurts my heart
And I’ll wait for you
Tomorrow night
Well, the long delay of posting probably indicates some laziness of me, or the intensity of law in this sem or how wondeful my family is ( i talked about my problems with them, so u guys are left out :) ).
Well it is all of them (this blog is not going to be high quality, i dont have enough time to do one, but i will give u some genearl tips from my exp. sorry)
:) But more to blame on my laziness. I felt behind in all my subjects (2 law sub, then 2 art subjects--anthropology(quite fun except i haven't done enough reading to engage with the theme more deeply, which is why i only said it is quite fun)
Critical thinking in philosphy is pretty simple, though useful, (i can't recommend it to people, because the content is very easy, no need to teach it in uni, i found it is a waste of time to learn it) Though i am bias, it is useful to hear these contents.
My solution: I can't give up. The only way to conquer the difficulty of uni is to put in work. Not wasting making excuses for not studying.
(That is my solution agains down time, also go to lib to borrow some mental health book/ eg chicken soup for the soul, or some life motivation books.)
Law
my lecturer for Tort, Hayden is really a super teacher. He stays after class, which is afte 6pm to answer students' questions. He is so down to earth and patience to students. I can't complaint any more. The subject content is also so interesting, dealing with people's miseries (let's say accidents) :P
can't complaint. It is a must to have good lecturer, just give u the motivation to study, go to class. It is entertaining to listen in class.
Tip: I am starting to think maybe the coordinnator of the subject is in the category of excellent teachers. Get into their classes.
my other law subject is quite good too. Tania is dedicated. She is friendly. I need to spend more time to prepare classes. I underwent some mental "breakdown", which was why i did not study hard as usual. So i did not read before hand.
Tip: Got to read!!! otherwise i am not going enjoy classes. I felt miserable in some classes when i did not understand some points. Got to prepare. U'd get what u put in.
Anyway, i still have no regret studying law. The teachers are magnificient. law classes are similar to fun high school english classes.
the problem of Jealousy?
Yes, in uni, i have face countless smart and wonderful ppl. I do envy (ok sometimes jealous) them, but solution is to say to myself, great for the world, these ppl would contribute, use their talents to help the whole world.
Hey Hey!
Did those holidays ever go so fast! I spent the first week trying to catch up on sleep, going for an all-nighter at Dark Zone Box Hill with the Young Scientists of Australia on the Wednesday. (Dark Zone is a laser tag game for those that don't know.) Because I'm not really a day sleeper, that fact I had to wake up at almost my normal time on Friday meant it wasn't until Sunday I felt like finally starting a huge applied maths assignment I had.
I caught up with some uni friends on the second Wednesday as to go over the maths assignment. As I was coming from my hometown, I caught the Vline train. It was a very busy day, largely due to the amount of people going to the Royal Melbourne Show. Call me boring and an old man, but I'm not really overly enthused by the show. I think it's the large amount of cheap stuff (quality wise), overpriced rides, and just being way too much to see. The exhaustion from all the walking around all day doesn't seem to be worth it. Also seeing the animals isn't that thrilling when you live in the country and see them everyday. In the past, I think I've enjoyed the Bendigo show more than the Melbourne one, probably just because it is much smaller.
This week I had to put in assignments for Maths B and Applied Mathematics. For the maths B I spent just as much time working out answers as doing a good copy. After staying up until 2:30am in the morning finishing it off, I've decided for my next assignment I will do the good copy straight away, partly by trying to do a few questions in the book first so it will be easy just to go straight into doing it.
We've only got weeks to go until our exams, scary times. I'm lucky/unlucky enough to have all my exams early, being on the 10th, 13th and 15th. It will give me chance to work on an animation that I'd like to try out for Sony Tropfest next year. (Not expecting to get to the finals, but at least I think I have a chance.) For anyone interested, Angry Man is meant to be screening around late October or early November at the U-Film Fest state final, up against four other films from other Victorian universities.
On Thursday, when walking under a tree near the Physics Podium a bird gave me a nice small present right on top of my head... >:( !!!
It came to my attention at 1:16AM this Thursday morning that I am apparently a creative person. Despite this, I have not actually posted anything particularly creative on this blog. Perhaps inspired by Jez's delicious ode to Trampoline, I've decided to post to this blog a poem which I recently submitted for assessment. While I am not entirely happy with how the poem turned out, I was happy enough with the mark.
year 7
untucked shirts
and nicotine smiles
classrooms thick with
chalk and talk of
boys
girls
weekends
red wet kisses, lines
of chairs kick their
brittle legs against the
tatty carpet, swing into
the air, shut up sit
down at cheap laminate
desks in well-considered
formation, biro scribbles
stretch from page
to hand to arm
across the face, scattered
bits and pencils
on the floor slamming
doors humming phones and
homework
bullies
tears
push outside and tumble
into the sun, stand in circles
closed to anyone else
and the rest of the world.
I'm really tired but it's a little too hot to comfortably sleep at the moment. Perhaps I'll procrastinate about starting my assignment for a few more days. Night.
I think I've found the best way to win the hearts of middle-aged women everywhere short of actually being Kerry O'Brien; before I did this, I was a typical male, 18-25, brash, uncouth and insensitive; suddenly, when I was carrying a bunch of flowers, I transformed into the nicest young man ever seen. A bouquet of assorted red roses, wrapped in green paper, if you will; I have never been so adored by the Radio National set in all my life. The first sign that the world was spinning backwards was a nice lady who turned to me and said, "That's lovely, dear. She'll love those!". The second was a woman who reprimanded her husband for teasing me about wasting my time, and I really knew that the world had begun to spin upside down when a third woman stopped her car in the middle of Mitcham Road for me to cross. As a cyclist, I can safely say that this has never happened to me before. It was actually quite a nice change to share the road with someone who didn't wish to turn me into roadkill.
Actually, this brings me to the subject of death which is naturally very closely linked to the subject of Mathematics mid-semester assignments. Last night and the night before - the closer the due date, the worse it gets - it almost had me in tears, bashing the desk and trying to search around for a set of numbers and a flash of inspiration that simply wasn't coming. The project itself is best described by a simple acronym, SOS; my reaction to the project (Save our Souls), my chances of passing this subject (Sink or Swim), the actual project itself (Spawn of Satan, a phrase equally applicable to any Eagle who didn't shake a kid's hand as they accepted their medal), the two ways to deal with this project (Speed or Suicide) and of course the answer that I will be handing in tomorrow (Sheets of Scribble). A massive thanks goes out to the people who worked with me on this thing; you know who you are and I am hugely in your debt. If any hitmen read my blog, I may well be interested in putting out a contract on the lecturers who wrote it.
One of the things that I have finally found difficult about Maths this year is - and this is difficult to put into words - being behind the average. All through the vast majority of my life I have been amongst - without wishing to sound egotistical - the more naturally gifted students in my class, and never too far away from the top mark in any of my classes. It happened through Junior School, and I was moved up a grade (a time advantage which I have since lost and then some by going to China) and still proved to be the class smartarse. It happened through Middle School, whereas I would "get" and remember concepts before others could even understand the basics of them, and I coasted. Through Senior School the work wasn't necessarily easy, but again, I found that I was better than most in my class at it. In some of my classes, that still applies at University and I haven't forgotten that. But suddenly, in Advanced Maths, especially after quite a few failed to clear the first hurdle in Semester One and could not continue on with the subject, that is no longer the case.
I am now amongst the students who are working hard to stay afloat, and it's a different experience. There are some truly extraordinary people in that class and they can do things that I never will; and that's fine, because it works the other way too, but that doesn't mean that sometimes it's not a bitter pill to swallow when I have such a burning desire to do well and succeed. Finally, for once in my life, I can see the other side; I can see how unfair it feels that some can coast by on sheer natural talent, cram before exams, and still pick up an H1 whilst I have to study till my hand drops off in order to scrape a pass; and I can also see the hypocrisy of it, because I have been that person so often, earlier on, in my life as well. Above all, it is also my pride which is letting me down. I know it's illogical, but as I frantically screened through my nonsensical, hysterical, and above all, wrong, scrawling that I am trying to rescue in time to lodge it in for tomorrow, the feeling of being inadequate and inferior pervaded me. It's not necessarily a bad thing. I think it makes you appreciate the talents that you have even more. Which reminds me to get the whammy bar on my guitar fixed sometime.
I'd like to end this post on a happy note, and so I'll go back to the end of the night when I met up with Kim and gave her flowers. After a fantastic dinner for one of Soph's friends where I managed to break the record for most dirty jokes in a single hours' worth of public conversation (a record most probably previously held by Messr. Billy Connolly), Kim and I walked down Brunswick St to Trampoline, the ice creamery which seems to germinated itself across various parts of Melbourne as though attached to various pedestrian's shoes. Five minutes later, Kim and I stood beside the tramspot making various unintelligible noises such as "llll" and "mmmm". The tram trip back into the city proved something I have known all my life; there is nothing more frustrating than watching somebody still eating chocolate when you've finished all yours. For the uneducated, my Easter two years ago lasted roughly thirty-four minutes and twenty-three seconds. My little sister's ran for three-hundred-and-sixty-four-and-a-half days. When it came to the next Easter morning, she turned, looked at me, stuffed her pitiful morsel of chocolate into her mouth, and turned to unwrap her egg for the next year.
The family staggered my egg-recieving so as to try and make it last at least a few hours.
Anyway, before I go, when I was on the bus yesterday dreaming of icecream and eating a salad sandwich a few words started flowing through my head. They're written below.
Best of luck with all your assignments guys;
jez
ODE TO TRAMPOLINE
I think I have fallen in love, and it's with Trampoline
A place where people go in skinny, and leave far from lean
A double scoop (vanilla) puts your art'ries to the test
A single bite of chocolate provokes cardiac arrest
So were I to become rich, or win the lottery,
Would it be a brand new house, or private yacht for me?
Would I go and buy myself a new Merc, or a Lexus?
No! I say. I'd buy myself an arse the size of Texas.
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