I also have two assignments due on Thursday, both of which I haven't started. Lordy, what a depressing thought.
If you didn't see MM:TM, you seriously missed out. A few items of band trivia:
1. The band, being behind the screen and invisible to the audience, is actually in funny dress backstage. On Wednesday we had crazy hats. Friday was in school uniform. Saturday we did a performance in pyjamas.
2. At the end of every performance, a bunny silhouette may be seen hopping across the screen. That's the guitarist.
3. The music that is on when you enter the theatre, before the show starts, is the band improvising on a Mixolydian mode in D in an attempt to make a meditative CD.
4. A different person plays Kevin Rudd every night. Usually it's an under-appreciated crew member. One of the K-Rudds was the original Wally, though.
5. The musical accompaniment to Peter McPhee's part of the rap-off is improvised by the musical director.
6. The blue balloons on the Rudd float have little world maps printed on them.
7. The pianist, being a Melbourne Model kid, is actually taking the subject 'Asia!'. It is not, however, taught by Geoffrey Blainey.
8. Glyn Davis (the real one) was invited to the musical. As far as is known, he did not attend. UPDATED: But apparently Peter McPhee (the real one) did!
...is it only me who hates this theatre? SALP Welcome Day was done there today, and I was again reminded of my aversion for this theatre. Sure, it's a nice place - just the perfect size - for gathering 160 people. But getting people in and out of this venue is just way too horrid. The placement of the doors, lecture theatre, and foyer is quite awkward - the result of which is always people blocking each others' paths, especially if there's a crowd in the foyer who ends up 'barricading' the main doors somewhat. No wonder those doors had to be designed so that they can be opened in both directions rather than be the typical push/pull ones.
Anyways, hmm.. this could be habit forming - that is, examining other designers' design of structures. Someone had told me before of one architect who examined (and usually criticised) the stairs or even just the steps of whichever building he's in (even a lecture hall!) - I wonder if I'll turn out like that... not a very welcome thought.
Back to Elisabeth Murdoch Theatre A (I do wonder who Elisabeth Murdoch is..) - predictably enough, there was a long queue in the women's toilet during the midday break of the said Welcome Day, which made me wonder - Is there ever a queue in men's toilets? Not just in Uni, but in other places as well like footy stadiums, concert halls, the office, etc. I'm really, really curious about this - as I can't really imagine what the scene would look like if ever it were so. Or are men just generally less prone to the need to, er, relieve themselves ? (which makes me curious even more, as I just remember a couple of guys I saw today who were downing a 1.5L bottle of softdrinks each. Surely, that much liquid has to require an immediate trip to the toilet?)
p.s. I've just discovered the 'self reserve' DVD section of the ERC this week. Wonder of wonders - there were pretty good DVDs there, like Hannibal and Pan's Labyrinth! It even had the Ring and Ring 2 movies. The Japanese version. Really. I even saw a DVD of a film from my dear old Philippines. Oh, and even of a Korean romcom that got shown in the Phils just before my family left for Australia. Ah... nostalgia.
I really had to write a whole new post for this...
You know the time when you discovered that your teacher was actually a person? For me it was in grade 1 when I saw my teacher at the supermarket. That was weird. Teachers don't have a life outside of school... they just exist at school and then, well, I don't know.
I had a similar enlightenment last Friday when I met someone who turned out being in the top 1-2% of her course, Actuary studies. To be perfectly honest, I didn't think I'd meet anyone who was that smart. An average of 96, who does intensive summer school subjects at Standford University - for fun. One of the most humble, unassuming people I know.
Thats it though... of course the top 1% exist... I just didn't think I'd see someone in flesh and blood, ya know? Like prep teachers existing after school hours. Perhaps the warped vision of a hunchback at the corner of the basement of the biomed library, who was severely lacking in vitamin D, clouded my view.
Week 5 - I am still alive; a bit deprived of sleep, but hey, that's part and parcel of being a Uni student, especially one who's taking architecture subjects. Anyways, I have just found out that I've been accepted for SALP! For a while there, I thought they weren't able to receive my application or that I wasn't chosen to be one of the new 160 student ambassadors for this year. I kept on checking my email from the start of this week up until today, as I wanted to know asap that I didn't clear my entire Saturday in vain (the SALP welcome day is on this Saturday - a day when I usually do chores, go to work, attempt to do homework/projects, etc. - MUCS camp is also on this weekend). I have already sent in my acceptance email saying which weekly seminar (Tuesday or Wednesday) I want to go to - which made me wonder if we are supposed to go to the same assigned day until Semester 2. This, in turn, caused me to go check the possible timetable for my sem 2 subjects. No problem until semester 2 for the day I chose. I discovered such a shocker though- that I would have 18 contact hours per week for next sem! That's quite a lot, considering the amount of design/analysis projects that Design students are suppose to do at home. Oh, and I would apparently end up with only a 1-hour class for Friday again (most probably a 9am one again) and one day free. Going back to the subject of SALP, I might just treat myself to a nice gelati at Lygon St. tomorrow. Or a great lunch. Or a movie. Strangely enough, I might have just been accepted to SALP because there aren't many Environments students who applied. I don't know that for sure, but I suspect that that is the case. Even so, anything's a good excuse to eat gelati so nevermind why I got accepted.
This week I had another excursion again - this time, it was in the Shrine of Remembrance. It's really inconvenient to have just 2 consecutive classes, which take place on the opposite sides of the CBD (i.e. Parkville campus and the Shrine), in one day. I can't imagine now how it will be in about 3 weeks' time, when I would have an excursion in East Melbourne immediately after a class in Parkville. Add to that the fact that I usually drown in all the architectural jargon we're supposed to know for these excursions - all the acroterion, architrave, peristyle, etc. Moreover, it seems to me that labelling all the parts of a great building like it's some sort of dissected frog (or cadaver... shivers) somehow lessens the experience of being there (the building NOT the cadaver). In contrast to this, my excursion for my Landscape Architecture subject made me appreciate the inner workings, especially the politics involved in management, in landscaped places. My class went to 2 contrasting landscaped areas last week and wonder of wonders! we were actually provided with a bus! That's quite refreshing considering that I had to take the public transport to all my past excursions and site visits - be it near the CBD or up in the Dandenongs.
Apart from all of that, it would be in my best interests to find a new job. I don't know how difficult/easy that would be considering the imminent 'negative growth' of the economy, which makes me glad I'm not graduating this year.
p.s. I was just checking out some movies at my local cinema's website, and discovered Emmy Rossum will be starring in a Dragonball movie... it seems to me that her choice of films to star in had just gone downhill from the time she played Christine in The Phantom of the Opera. Oh, and apparently, there is a Pink Panther 2 already out - I wonder if it would be just as hilarious as the first one...
Well, whatdoyaknow there is a Magician's Society at uni. Having been asked by a friend of mine to attend one of their meetings, I entered a lecture theatre today in attempts to gather some secret secrets and left with an ability to separate two impossibly inseparable rubber bands and the ability to make a balloon dog and rabbit (although the balloons weren't so magical) - how interesting.
Of course, all in the attempt to procrastinate with a research paper (worth 40%!!! due on Friday). It is about wine regions, it is 4000 words and it is not looking so good at the moment. But it will - before Friday.
Onto other happenings, currently applying for all vacation work over the summer right now, and shall probably try again in august if unsuccessful the first time round... yet in two minds about that, because I'm now considering doing exchange at McGill Uni in Montreal which starts in Jan - so if no vac work, then I'll hit the ski slopes in an effort to make some money before uni-ing it up.
Despite the back-log of work, this week has been quite fantastic (only Wednesday!) On Monday, I asked God whether He could make sure that when I take the 401 bus that the train I have to take on the other end will arrive in about 4 or 5mins (I figured that is a good amount of time to waltz over to the platform, find a spot and then board the train). When I got there? 5mins to go! (and it changed to 4mins whilst looking at the screen). So it got me thinking, God is a good God, why not again today? Except 5 mins was too long, so 2mins was the go, and yay. 2 mins. Also, happened on Wednesday, and expecting on Thursday. Any other week and it would have me waiting for 25mins or so, having just missed it - how long does this have to keep on happening before it stops being coincidence?
Talking of trains, the mX today had an article on parkour and the stupid things that teenagers do when copying the pros. Which is exactly what my brother has been doing for the past few weeks - and can now vault a picnic table lengthways!
Ciao.
Oh, does anyone know how to construct a graph and then differentiate that graph and then graph that graph on excel? (try sayin that really fast) Since when did botany included math and computers?! (evil..evil..) but it does.
Quick housekeeping question: Kathryn, now that the Wordpress displays our usernames under the posts automatically, is it really necessary to still be including our names in brackets in the title?
ANYWAY. All prospective and current students wanting to get a brief understanding of the brouhaha surrounding the recent curriculum changes should go watch Melbourne Model: The Musical. It is a very witty, not very politically correct, and uproariously fun take on the first year of implementation of the Melbourne Model. It also has yours truly playing in the pit for Saturday matinees and certain other performances. And it has songs like the We Love this Uni, the Subject Cut Can-Can, the Student Union Tango, You Cut Viking Studies, and Dreamlarge. Also, it is written by Creative Arts students who will be completely taught out by next year, so the least you could do is watch their musical satire before they cease to exist.
Buy tickets now. It's only $10 for union members, and it's $15 for concession tickets otherwise. It runs on the 26th, 27th, 28th of March, and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th of April, at 8 pm on all dates, plus matinees at 2 pm on the 28th and the 4th.
For prospective students who are completely turned off Melbourne Uni after watching -- don't worry, only heritage students really get screwed over in the manner described in the musical. :)
And I know it seems like I only ever use this blog to advertise to a captive audience, but I swear I will put up a substantive post this weekend, before the Melbourne Journal of International Law starts requiring my unwavering and devoted attention for the rest of semester.
To SALP or not to SALP, that is the question...
I have about 2 days to really decide whether I want to do SALP or not, as the applications are due this Sunday. I originally aimed to get my application submitted by today, as we were advised during the information session to get it done by business hours so that we can contact someone from the program just in case we experience some technical difficulties. So here I am, with just a draft of my possible answers, and still having second thoughts about the student ambassador leadership program. I can see the benefits and all, but I'm just scared that I end up over-committing myself time-wise. I am already hard-pressed to make time for everything now as I am in Uni for five days (surprisingly, this has caused me to make full use of my lunch breaks for reading, research, revision, etc.) and at work during the weekends. Oh, and did I mention that it takes me at least an hour-and-a-half to get to Uni? And the new train line and bus routes(because I've moved to a further away suburb last December) that I am taking nowadays happen to have quite a bit of 'malfunctioning' such that it's not at all unusual to take 2 hours for me to travel from my home to Uni and vice versa. Case in point: this week I've finished classes from Burney Campus a little after 5pm during the one day that I was there and it was already half past 7 by the time I got home! It's a total nightmare... but hey, I could just move out of home and move closer to Uni if I have that big a problem with it- except that I'm not eligible for Youth Allowance, I find it hellish enough to work even 3-4 hours a week (so it'll be worse if I have to pay for my own rent, among everything else), and it's way too much to ask my parents to shoulder a portion of my potential moving-out-expenses when they are already the ones who are paying for my tuition fees (sure I am a bit of a freeloader, but even asking that of them is just so wrong). Scholarship-wise - I am not really financially-needy enough, brilliant enough or even leadership material so I really won't qualify for, oh, the majority of scholarships out there. Add to that the fact that a lot of scholarships are targeted for just Australian citizens (well... fair enough, as this country happens to be named Australia after all). Anyways, pardon all my venting - it's just the result of frustration for Melbourne's public transport system. The free Pepsi max cans that were given out in Melbourne Central this morning were some sort of 'light at the end of the tunnel' (figuratively, and to some extent, literally even) and all, although those were from the Fashion Festival organisers rather than Connex (erm.. I reckon so at least, why else would the distributors be in that fishnet-stocking get-up?).
Oh well. I should really go and do something useful now - like start with my scaled model for architecture studio, or write something for Foundation of Archi's visual report, or go over my plant list for my Burnley class (I'm supposed to familiarise myself with 120 plant species for this semester - my rusty memory will get severely tested to say the least), or start with my German 'essay'(=150 words, basically negligible for an Arts student), or study for next week's German vocab test or AT LEAST, make up my mind regarding SALP. Being a top-class procrastinator, I would probably do none of those, and instead, try to find a clip of Brahms' Schicksalied in Youtube. That's the piece that we just started rehearsing for MUCS, and I must say, I like it better than the Mozart one - most probably because the words for this piece are in German (!) , so I end up getting a much needed exercise for German pronunciation outside of class. That being said, we actually didn't pronounce every single word in the correct High German way (or at least, in the way my tutors do in class), so I hope I won't be confused later on on which is the correct way.
Well, that's all for now. Oh, and my tute's site visit to the cemetery this week was a bit of a let-down - almost entirely because of the fact that only about 2 or 3 of us were on time - so by the time that there were already a few students present, we didn't have enough time anymore to go through every tomb on the list. Quite a pity really. Of course, we couldn't really have done a proper tomb tour with just an hour of tute at our disposal. So I guess it wasn't meant to be.
Anyways, have a good weekend to everyone :) Be good and remember that the Easter break is just 3 weeks away, so keep soldiering on!
Edit: I decided to have a go at the SALP application tonight. Originally I was stuck at the number 1 question, as I am horribly unaware of what's happening in the 'community', leadership-wise. Now I'm stuck with question number 6, as I am not really sure how a mediocre Environments student like me could possibly countribute anything significant as a student ambassador. Since my brain feels like overcooked mashed potato now, I'll probably finish the said application tomorrow.
After two weeks back to uni, I have successfully re-immersed myself in the dynamic flow of school life. I missed it. With the subject selection this year, I enjoy my ultimate year even more. The prospect of graduating in nine months time is indeed exciting but also leaves an enormous question mark on my diary - that is: what comes next? Having surveyed my cohorts who more or less gave me identical responses, I think I'll wait for my GPA and then make up my mind.
So how has everyone been?
This year, I'm taking up all the health sciences: Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology major. So far, it's been fanastic. The two 8 o'clock lectures are no longer a problem for me - for some reason, I'm ok with waking up early and all this year. It's true that the workload has decided to trace along the exponential curve. It's not a welcoming change but it was expected:
- a prac report of approx. 1000 words
- a research project of 3000 - 3500 words
Both are due in early April. What's even better is that I have to read journals and use them as references for my report and project. It's comforting to know that I have to inspect at least five journals for each... ok, maybe not that comforting...
Perhaps I should resume essay writing. If you haven't read my last novel, you can find it here. I can still write coherently (to some extent...) but the lack of training for over two years has reduced my capacity to form nicer-than-I-can-do-now expressions.
If you've read the story, feel free to post feedback here. I'm planning to write another one soon, just for practice. =)
Have a nice day.
Till next time.
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Picture: image courtesy of ICanHasCheezburger.com.
You know, I am really going to have to work on making more concise posts. I did a word count on several recent ones. 1500 words. That's more than many of our new first years are writing for their essays. But I am the kind of person who likes gory details. And there must be people like me out there. So, I am going to be as concise as possible in dumping every single thing that has been going on in my life this semester into one post, under some lovely easy to navigate headings:
Academics
This semester, I am taking:
Art Music and Postmodernism
Musicological Research Method
Practical Study 3-1 (clarinet)
Administrative Law
Property Law
I have six hours of classes on Monday and Thursday, two hours on Wednesday and Friday Tuesday [EDITED: thanks, Vincent!], and a one hour clarinet lesson on Friday. Which is 17 hours, higher than an arts student, lower than a science or engineering student, and about the same as a med student which really puzzles me because all the other sciences have way more contact hours and surely med students should be worked harder than any of them.
I had 140 pages of reading for administrative law, 80 pages of reading for property, and 30 pages of reading for Art Music and Postmodernism this week. I also have a chapter of a book to read for Musicological Research Method, but I read the whole book a few years ago so I think I'll just go off my memory of what the introductory chapter says. For the uninitiated, that is a lot of work. It is also very dense reading. It is mildly interesting (cases about ownership disputes over pickled two-headed fetuses [you can't own dead bodies, but apparently you can own a pickled two-headed fetus that you are displaying as an art exhibit, go figure], the Haneef case, and cases on possessory title, better known by its layman name of "finders keepers, losers weepers") but since the focus of the cases is on interpreting legislation and/or property theory, it is very much technical, nitty gritty stuff that you have to read either slowly or twice. I can read the fifth Harry Potter book (~700 pages) in about half the time that it would take me to do my readings for the week (~250 pages - although these are usually closer to 400 pages because many consist of two pages reduced onto one side). I also have about 12,000 words worth of essays to write this semester, but spread across my four essay-based subjects that's actually pretty light (it consists of 9 little assignments, two big ones, and a take-home exam).
Older law students will tell you to not put Admin Law and Property in the same semester because the two are the hardest subjects in the curriculum and have awful workloads. Guess who can't do that due to Melbourne Model curriculum changes?
Yep.
So basically I am drowning in work, but then there are no surprises there.
Also, for any shocked prospective first years out there, remember that not only am I a third year, but half my course is now postgrad-only. In fact, the postgrad course is identical to my current course except with 25% more work and the bludge introductory subject cut out. And presumably, smarter and more mature peers. But really, I can't tell the difference between the JDs and the LLBs, other than the fact that the JDs actually want to be here.
As for music classes, they're really interesting and intellectually stimulating but after two years of law I find that music history lectures run way too slowly and have too many explanations of concepts that the students in the subject really should look up themselves. Oh well. It's nice to have a class where I'm not surrounded by furious typing noises and hushed whispers of 'what did she say about adverse possession?'.
Music
Still going strong with that practice. Admittedly I now only practice 2-3 and not 4 hours, because I am not on the performance track any more, and also because I have 200 freaking pages of law to read. Also, I have a new clarinet. It is pretty.
I may be playing in the pit of Melbourne Model: The Musical too, if I can get the rehearsal schedule to work with everything else I'm doing.
My advanced age
A few of my law friends are applying for clerkships. Several of my music friends are gone and graduated. Everyone and their dog is turning 21. I feel old. But not too old to attend all those 21st birthday parties!
My other activities
Music O-week, mentioned last post, went pretty well. We have 400 new members. Unfortunately we had to cancel Music Camp because our Activities Officer was in a car accident (she's OK) and her car was basically written off, so we don't have enough transportation to run it because VSU means we can't afford a bus. In other MSS news, we have lots of new members, which is great!
The Melbourne Journal of International Law is currently recruiting law students. I encourage any law students to join it. We give free food and we have more reasonable hours and more interesting articles than the Law Review. Applications due uh... tomorrow. But we'll be recruiting again next semester.
Money, Employment
If you know anyone looking for a clarinet teacher, I'm looking for work. I am also for hire as a freelance musician.
I also have a couple of research assistant applications going in the event that I don't find work as a clarinet teacher.
Life (I do have one!)
The house is going swimmingly, we've been doing lots of elaborate cooking. I've made buttermilk pancakes with homemade blueberry jam, pasta with red wine sauce, Provencal-style vegetable stew with fennel and olives, beetroot and goat's cheese risotto, spinach and feta omelette, chocolate mousse, chocolate cake, and blue cheese and candied walnut salad. I've also been going to many housewarmings and birthdays because all my college friends have been moving out and I know lots of people who are born in March. I'm also making an attempt to go to more guest lectures and concerts, especially if they're free, because there are so many of them and lots of them give away free food as well as intellectual enlightenment (I am a massive foodie). Also, I renewed my swimming pass so I've been swimming a lot.
Anyway, other than all the work, all is well. And if it pleases my readers, that concludes my 1000 word submission.
So hello! It is now the end of my second week of semester, and it is going quite well I think.
I thought since I have only five contact hours (yes, thank you for asking, I am a genius and it is a full load) I would get a bit bored, but I've been pretty busy of late.
I was worried about getting a job, but at the moment I'm doing a couple of shifts in the city Angus and Robertson stores, which has been good, I just hop it lasts. As I'm only a casual and not located at one store they just give me a ring when they need someone to fill a shift, normally a day or two beforehand. But working again is nice. I'm wondering if I should start properly looking for another job or whether just to see if I get a permanent shift at the bookshop.
I've decided to do SALP this semester, which I reckon looks great. Has everyone heard of it? Any tips if you've done it? Hopefully they'll accept my application.
I've also applied to do the generate program for the Oaktree foundation, which is just a bunch of leadership and volunteering stuff. I went to the launch last Thursday, which was conveniently at uni, and it was great! Really inspiring.
And in some final news, I've been accepted into the World Creative Youth Forum in May in the Philippines! I am so excited, now I just have to work out who will sponsor me (if anyone) for the airfare over.
On a final quick note as I am just about to head off to work, how hilarious are first years! Not in a let's-point-and-laugh way, just a 'hey, was I really like that in first year?' way. Like, did I talk so much about high school and VCE marks? Did I turn up 10 minutes early to lectures? In fact I did, I remember on my first day I actually went to all of my lecture theatres to see where they were and how to get from one another because I'd gotten in like 3 hours early to uni I was so excited. Anyway, good luck first years! I hope you're first weeks have been great.
Cheers,
Georgie
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