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Friday, December 9th, 2005
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11:20 pm - Let it will Be
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Ok. So, I am running out of time to do this properly, but perhaps in the near future I will have time to spend hours in an internet cafe to finally get reacquainted with LJ and HPG (yes yes, how many times ahve you heard this before?).
Very briefly then:
~ I passed all my papers (B+ and A+), so I'll be graducating with my BSc in April, yay!
~ We've sold our family home (hence the reason I haven't requested Xmas cards this year). We move out on the 20th (well, my Mum at any rate), and so we officially have no home to call our own for Xmas (don't fret, Mum is staying with her sister).
~ Amanda (youngest sister) is now flatting with two friends.....so even though I'm the eldest sibling, I am the last to leave home. A bit shameful, really, but I'm making up for it in a big way, becaaaaause:
~ I've been accepted for a voluntary position this summer! I'll be teaching english and some cultural activites, from the 19th of this month till 28th February 2006. Yay me!
Oh yeah, and I'll be leaving New Zealand on the 15th.
Because this position is in Istanbul.
No, really.
*sprinches for all* So maybe my next update will be from some internet cafe as I try to hear myself think over the loud call to prayer ;)
current mood:  thrilled to bits (my bits) ;-)
current music: Some band I don't know
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| Tuesday, December 14th, 2004
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10:41 pm - Proof of life
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So, despite having the internet back at home again, I still don't appear to be any more successful at keeping in touch with you all :-/ And next week, I'll be house sitting again, so that means even less computer time, if you can believe it....
*glances at clock* Right. It's 10.45 pm, I've worked 11 hours today, and I have sooooooo many things I want to say, and not really enough time to say it in....time for bullet points!
~Beccy! I didn't forget your birthday, I just didn't have time to come online and greet you properly...forgive me!
~Everyone! Who would like a Xmas card? I know I've left it horribly late, and that any mail I send will probably arrive in the new year, but still, if you want mail from NZ, just let me know, either here or at the HPG.
~Bus guy! He's back in the country....and now he knows my name....and has my number...and, well, there's too much to explain just at the moment, but I'll leave you with two words: Balinese massage.
~Work! I'm not at Travis Wetland this summer.....( Come here )
.....wah! How disjointed was this entry?! I'll try again tomorrow night, I hope.
current mood:  tired
current music: Hunter - Bjork
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| Saturday, November 27th, 2004
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11:24 pm - Mail
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Right children.
Back in early September, I sent four postcards to various HPGers and friends from Dunedin....to the best of my knowledge, only one has arrived to date :-/ Then in late September, I sent another 4 postcards and one letter to various people, and to date only one of those postcards has arrived *is confoozed and annoyed* What’s going on NZ Post? Why aren’t all my messages getting to their final destination?!!!
*after some calming breathes*
Once again, I must apologise for my non-existence online over the past week or two. Uni has know finished for the year, and despite my best efforts, we are *still* without internet access at home *kicks stupid unco-operative machine* One I get payed at the end of the week, I think I’ll have to fork out some $$ to have some hot burly sexy competent repairman out to fix it. - and once that happens, I shall finally be able to share with you some pics from Auckland, plus fill you in on my new job, the weirdness of having someone come out to me (rather than the otherway around), the international comings and goings of various friends, wig wearing and being the only person dressed as an Arab at a friend’s 21st.
Hope all is well with you *hugs flist plus any lurkers*
All that ^ above was typed out last Sunday, saved to disk, and then taken to an internet cafe, with the intention of me putting it here in my LJ. Naturally however, the computer at the cafe didn't want to open my word document, so it languished on my disk, until tonight, when I was finally able to use my home computer again *rejoices* That's right children - daddy's got the internetmathingle back!!!....but *cough* It's 11.30 pm now, and I'm tired, so, until tomorrow.....*falls asleep at keyboard*
current mood: cold
current music: Evil - Interpol
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| Thursday, November 4th, 2004
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5:41 pm - :-/
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*regards flist* Well, I really don't need to add my voice to the subject weighing heavily on all our minds at the moment, but....*le sigh*
I really, really hope that I am wrong about how the next four years are going to be....really hope I'm wrong.
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| Thursday, October 7th, 2004
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4:57 pm - MY PLAN WORKeD
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We spiiiiies, we slow hands....
Actually, my plan did not work - I forgot to mention something in my cultural roundup the other day:
And it wasn't even Harry Potter!
That's right people, last term I *sharp intake of breath from audience*....read two books. But wait! One fiction, the other non-fiction. But wait! The fiction wasn't penned by J.K. Rowling!!! I read....*waits for the spontaneous applause to die down*...I read "Blackwood Farm" by Anne Rice, and "Eden" by Tim Smit.
After finishing BWF, I decided something very important: I am never reading another Anne Rice novel as long as I live (oops, did I say "important" before? Slight overstatement, my bad). I have read 10 or so books of hers, mostly to appease my vampire-loving friend of many years - it just isn't my thing, stop lending me the books.....erm, but the point is! I finished it :), I finished after having it sit in my room, gathering dust for 14 months. Go me!
Neeeeext! Oh, gosh, "Eden" was sitting unread in my room for a good deal longer than BWF - and what's more, I actually purchased this book *blushes*. It's the story of the creation of The Eden Project in Cornwall, England. It was at times a bit dry, especially during discussions regarding the sourcing of funding and construction proceedures, but the author made no apologies for this - afterall, this was a mammoth undertaking (construction of the largest conservatories on the world, just in case you didn't click on the link), and he felt it was his duty to share the stories of the many, varied people involved in all aspects of the project, from financing to building, to curating to navigating legal red tape. It was a tremedously inspiring read, and I was filled with a sort of grim optimism for at least a week after reading it :) Still, don't go reading it if you don't actually care about the project - it's just I've been following the project for a few years (plus the book spine looks rather elegant on my bookshelf).
Now, as I told ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) myf in the comments section of the last entry, I took some photos last night to share with you (me jumping round the living room in a scarf....*cough*) but then I left the camera at home. So, to tide you over till then (and till I share my Auckland pics):
( Mentally prepare your retinas now )
Ummm......*whistles*
current mood:  contemplative
current music: Reoffender - Travis
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| Tuesday, October 5th, 2004
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4:22 pm - Mystery bus guy secrets revealed!
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*consults calendar* Aah….quite. Another month, another update – daylight savings hasn’t effected my natural rhythm too much, then.
So, it’s probably about time I brought you up to speed on this whole mystery bus guy/Kadek issue…..but first!
Simon’s Cultural Activities Roundup July – September 2004
Le Cinema
The International Film Festival came to Christchurch in late July (and ran to mid August), and I managed to scrape enough money together to see four rather different films (click on the names to see more info).
Hero: Omigawd I want you to see this movie. Now. No really – leave your computer this instant, and don’t come back until you have….witnessed this most phenomenally beautiful and graceful movie cinematic event. Oh! And the chemistry between Tony *slobber* Leung and Maggie Cheung ….*melts*. Just loved it (PS: Click on the link to learn about the plot and such….not that you need to read it – just do as you’re damned told and see it already).
I’m not scared (Io non ho paura): An Italian film about a young boy growing up in the countryside in the late 1970s, who discovers something disturbing being kept hidden underground. I had gone in expecting something more sinister in tone, and was disappointed when, after several promising moments of something darker to come, the movie ended with a rather “movie-of-the-week” feel.
The Story of the Weeping Camel (Die Geschichte vom Weinenden Kamel): A film partly backed by the National Geographic channel. This documentary-style story follows a family of Mongolian herders, who try to re-establish the bond between a female Bactrian camel and the all-white colt she initially abandons at birth. A very simplistic plot, but the climatic reuniting scene was surprisingly moving – and yes, the camel does actually cry. Two thumbs up.
Coffee and Cigarettes: I saw this film for one reason: Cate Blanchett. The woman can do no wrong in my book – just a class act all the way.
This movie consists of 11 short stories, all of which involve people sitting and talking over coffee and cigarettes. In the Cate Blanchett story, she plays both herself (‘Cate Blanchett, film actor’), and her cousin (‘Shelly’). Other stories teamed up Steve Coogan and Alfred Molina meeting up in Los Angles; Bill Murray and two members of the Wu-Tang Clan in New York; and two men with an ambiguous past in….France? Francophone Africa? It was hard to tell. Some stories dragged, but overall I was very happy to have seen it.
More recently, the Date Palm Film Festival (formerly the Middle Eastern Film Festival) showed here, and I saw just one entry, an Iranian film called ”The Fifth Reaction”. It tells the story of a young widower who defies the traditional wishes of her father-in-law by fleeing cross-country with her two young sons, and the overriding theme is the rising of women against the male oppressors in their lives. Whilst the prospects for the young Mum seldom look bright during the course of the film, there were still many flashes of humour and joy, and the different locations used have given me a new appreciation for Central Asia and the Middle East. I shall eagerly be scouring video rental shops for a copy of this DVD, so as to enforce viewing share it with my family.
Music (touches everything I’m in, got to have it everyday)
My fave kiwi group, GoldenHorse, teamed up with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra (CSO) back in August to perform both old and new works that had been rejigged to create a larger sound (GoldenHorse are a five-piece guitar-driven band, but frequently make use of strings and brass in their songs). It was Brilliant. Songs like “Spice Islands” and “Dark Forest” will never sound the same to me again. They were….heh. I guess if you haven’t heard any GoldenHorse music, me prattling on for several paragraphs about it is fairly pointless, so for now just be content in the knowledge that GoldenHorse + CSO = aural orgasm.
[random insert] I am so loving the song “Slow Hands” by Interpol right now [/random insert].
I’ve also seen the CSO twice since the GoldenHorse concert – the first time because I was offered a free ticket (to the “Don Quixote Series”), and then the second time (this past Saturday) because I foolishly believed that a performance entitled “Arabian Nights” might feature works from the Disney movie ‘Aladdin’. (just kidding people…kinda). Turns out the evening was more Rimsky-Korsakov than Alan Menken, but oh well, at least the percussionist kept me well entertained – honestly, if you could have seen the masterful way he handled his oversized gong ….
Both nights were thoroughly enjoyable, although on each occasion I was filled with a sort of ruefulness that I didn’t pursue playing the flute for longer.
Hit me with a rhythm stick….Stat!
My friend Steph and I started up dance lessons at the start of the term (have I mentioned this already?). Each Thursday evening we spend three hours learning samba, salsa and modern jive. Since attending these classes I have made the following discoveries:
1) I sweat entirely too much *shakes fist at whoever invented the samba*
2) For a gay man of colour, I seem to lack an extraordinary amount of hand-foot co-ordination (le sigh)
3) Being male, and therefore having to take the lead, is a pain in the ar$e when you don’t actually know how to lead in the first place
4) Dipping is not for everyone.
Through the eyes of Shirin Neshat
Whilst in Auckland (more on that in the next update…with photos!) I went to an exhibition of work by Iranian artist Shirin Neshat. Using photography and video, she explores her sense of detachment from two cultures (she grew up in Iran, and was forced to stay in the USA after Iran under went a regime change whilst she was abroad on holiday in the 1970s), and looks at the roles of women and men in Iran.
I especially liked the photography series "Women of Allah”, most of which had four features in common: a woman’s body, a veil, Arabic writing, and a gun.
And now for the bit you actually want to read…..
Alright already, I’ll tell you about the bus guy.
Back in late July, I went to a ‘welcome back’ party for my friend Elizabeth who had just returned from seven weeks in Europe, that beeyotch. The theme was ‘Tropicana’, so I turned up at about 11.30 pm, dressed in a Hawaiian shirt I borrowed off my neighbour. I made my way down the hallway, and entered the lounge/dance floor to discover….
Me: *softly* Oh.
Mystery bus guy: *makes ‘oh’ face of recognition*
I had walked in on him mid dance move.
Seeing as how I had just arrived, I quickly sort out the various people I knew and started socialising, with the vague plan of cornering Him later. But “later”, unfortunately, was not to be – at some point I saw him dancing rather intensely with some guy, so I figured he was attached. What’s more, he left an hour or so after I arrived, and he went into a bedroom with a whole lot of people I didn’t know for the most of that time anyway (…oh people really! It wasn’t what you think, they were all just talking…..or at least, that’s how it appeared from the crack under the doorway).
Fast forward to late August, when I went to a friend’s house for a catch-up. We started looking at some photos of various events during the year, and as we were going through pics from the uni dance group trip into the mountains back in May…..
Elizabeth (the same one who had the welcome back party):…..and that’s Hillary, and that’s Ben.
Me: Nice….hey, Ben’s kinda cute.
Elizabeth: *laughs* Yeah, he’s very….
Me: Masculine.
Elizabeth: Yeah, masculine *turns to our friend Raphael, whose house we were in* It’s easy to see why Kadek liked him eh.
Me: I’m sorry, who?
Raphael: Kadek. He’s not in there photos, and he’s not in the country anymore either.
Me: *looks at photo of Ben* Hang on…is this Kadek person from Bali?
Elizabeth and Raffy: Yeah.
Me: And did he work in somewhere in the city, and live out in Sumner?
Elizabeth and Raffy: Yeah. Did you know him?
Me: *looking at Ben’s pic, and recognising him as the guy who was dancing with mysterious bus guy at the party* ….kinda. Was he, uh, dirty dancing with Ben at your party last month?
Elizabeth: That sounds about right. Actually, Kadek and I were supposed to be going out, but I don’t know….we think Kadek took a shine to Ben, but Ben is straight, and we thought Kadek was too but…dunno, maybe he’s bisexual.
Me: *flashback to bus* Oh, I’d say he’s definitely not 100% straight.
Elizabeth and Raffy: What?
Me: Let me explain how we met……
It turns out that Kadek wasn’t studying at our uni, but went to the dance classes anyway. He was a good mover, and he and Elizabeth moved well together, and so people tried to set them up – but nothing really happened *coughwonderwhycough*.
He returned to Bali back in August, but he is due back again in November *dun dun dunnnnnnnn!!!!!* Elizabeth is supposed to be going to a hangi with him when he gets back, so our plan is for me to go along too, and for each of us to position ourselves on either side of the fire, and see which side he gravitates towards. Oh, not really, but I think I’ll be seeing him again in the near future. Perhaps he’ll even get to learn my name this time.
Right. This has been an obscenely large update, and I haven’t even shown you some new photos, or told you about my time in Auckland properly yet. That’ll have to wait till the next update I think, which I promise will come before November.
Love to you all,
Simon.
current mood: pleased
current music: Coin-operated boy - The Dresden Dolls
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| Wednesday, September 8th, 2004
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4:38 pm - Linen. Do my laundry.
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Hello.
Um…..quite. It’s been a while since my last update, I know. And now I’m sitting here, thinking of all the things that I could type about (or more specifically, all the things I can type about that won’t require me having to explain large bits of back story first). I think subheadings will work best….
Coming out: the aftermath
*big grin* There has been no aftermath….everything is fine :D
Olympics:
Male gymnasts. That is all. *slobbers*
Oh, and well done to all kiwi medallists, especially Sarah Ulmer *two thumbs up*
University:
*eye roll* Oh, whatever.
Nah, it’s ok *thumbs up* Term ended on the 19th August, and the day after I went on a compulsory 5-day field trip to Kaikoura, as part of my Aquatic Ecology course. And yes, Kaikoura is the same place I went to at Easter for my Terrestrial Ecology field trip (my university has a research station there you see). Now, believe it or not, Kaikoura, which is right next to the sea and thisfar away from the mountains, is very, very cold in the middle of winter (I know, who knew?!). But that’s ok, I had been wanting to experience hypothermia at some stage in my life, so at least that’s off my list now [/sarcasm]. Alright alright, it wasn’t that cold…..but my gumboots did have holes in them, and I did have to wade in freezing mountain streams that had turned into torrents due to snow melt…I think I had wet feet for 4 of the 5 days *grimaces at memory*
Oh! And the food – atrocious! We had the worst_cook_ever! Luckily there was a Subway shop in town, so on the third day people lucky enough to be working in the mountain streams were able to eat lunch there, lucky bastards *suddenly remembered it snowed in the mountains that day* Muwahahaha *also remembers that was the day he had to enter the sea with his leaky gumboots, standing directly in the path of oncoming waves powered by a biting southerly wind, and eventually lost the use of his fingers for 3 hours* Le hmph.
But I’m back on dry land now, so yay. Plus, the people on the field trip were just wonderful, and I did have a good time.
Birthday:
I’m officially an adult….*runs screaming into the hills*
As you all noted over at the HPG, I turned 21 back in August. Now, some of you may find this hard to believe but, in real life, I don’t actually like that much attention focused on me…..*claps loudly to startle everyone out of the shock they just entered* No really, it’s true. So much so that I actually can’t stand my own birthday *involuntary shudder* - don’t get me wrong, I loved all the sweet messages you left me on my birthday thread, but face to face, I don’t handle the professions of love as well as I could. Anyway, the long story made short is that three of my oldest friends organised a party for me because I refused to acknowledge my birthday in any significant way myself. So, in the first week of the holidays they threw me a lovely, low key affair, and shocked me by pooling there money together and getting me a digital camera (!)…..it was truly such a thoughtful, wonderful thing for them to do, and I shall be eternally grateful to them *huggles Steph, Amanda, Jennie, Blake, Sharon, Rob, Tash, Kelly, Rochelle, Doug, Erin (no, not that Erin), Dan, Andrea….EVERYONE!) Of course, none of them know this LJ exists, but that’s beside the point *cough*. So in summary, my friends are tremendously wonderful human beings, and I have a new toy :D
Holiday:
For the last 5 days of my two-week holiday, I went to Dunedin to see my sister. As luck would have it, my body decided to crap out on me for that exact period of time, so I spent most of my “holiday” lying on her bed. *le sigh* It wasn’t a total waste though – I did get to see my sister in her new flat, and go to the museum and art gallery. And I suppose it was better for me to be sick during the holidays rather than during the term, when I have a 20 page report due on the 20th (the field trip write up, oh goody *twirls finger*). Plus, at least I’ve seen Dunedin plenty of times before, so I wasn’t really missing out on anything new.
Le future destination:
I’ll be in Auckland (do I have to provide a map? I’m sure you’ve all heard of it) for 5 days later in the month….my friend Thomas is having a combined 21st birthday with one of his uni friends, and invited me up. It’s been a while since I was up there, so I jumped at the chance (plus, I had the necessary funds available, due to generous relatives during my birthday week *blows kisses*).
Oh, and the fact that the Auckland Zoo is in Auckland did not influence my decision to go at all, so don’t look at me like that.
The dance connection:
Does anyone remember my encounter with a certain mysterious someone on a bus, earlier in the year? No? Oh, alright then, never mind….
*coughhisnameisKadekanditturnsoutwearemoreconnectedthanwerealisedendcough*
Tales of the Arabian Nights:
*looks at Myf* Letter to follow *keeps face neutral*.
My duh moment:
It’s my uncle’s 50 birthday this year, and to celebrate he and his wife have flown to Ireland, via Singapore, Germany and Japan. Now, I have known about this since June, and I know people in most of those countries *waves at icklebeccy, lesley_82 and citizenbee*, but did I think of that before my aunt left? Of course not. It wasn’t till I was ill in my sister’s bed in Dunedin last week that I suddenly realised “Huh – I could have got them to take over some stuff that I wouldn’t want to sent through the post normally (and no, I don’t mean explosives by that statement), or else thought up something clever for them to do for my friends whilst they were over there” *facepalm* It’s always the way with me.
That’s probably enough to be going on with. And now children, if you are good (and promise not to make fun of my skin – it was blotchy that night), I shall share some photos with you ;D
( Into the cut )
Now, I am sorry I have been so absent online these past few weeks *cough*….erm, months. I have fallen way behind in reading everyone’s LJs, so please be patient with me and I’ll try and catch up on all your news over the next few days too.
current mood: mischievous
current music: Wire - Strawpeople
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| Friday, July 16th, 2004
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3:19 pm - A New Beginning
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So.
I got my exam results back yesterday...I didn't pass Terrestrial Ecology. It didn't suprise me, to see the 'D' when I opened the envelope, I had been expecting it even. And in the way, it was the best thing that could have happened.
You see, if I'm being completely honest, I haven't been very happy this year, at least not since February. Everything was getting to me at some point, and my uni work and other things in my life started to go awol. When I told Mum my results last night, she started asking me if there was anything bothering me - she said I had lost my enthuisiasm this year, and she noticed I was sleeping for longer and longer, and not eating as much as I should. She jokingly asked if I was doing drugs......and eventually I told her I was gay. She just said "Thought so" and drew me into a huggle.
She was really cool with the news....she said she had thought I was gay for some time now, and didn't want to push me into saying anything before I was ready. She wasn't angry or indignant or any of the other things I had feared she might be. What's more, she even offered to tell Dad for me, but I told her I owe it to him to tell him myself.
After that we talked about ways I can get my life back on track. I then left to have a bath, and whilst I was in there she rang her two sisters and told them. They both were happy for me, and said it didn't change anything. My aunt Sally even told my younger cousins, and they had no problems either :)
So that's it really. Next step will be to tell my Dad....I'm not sure when I'll be able to see him again, but hopefully it'll be in the next week.
current mood: relieved
current music: Breathe - Michelle Branch
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| Monday, July 12th, 2004
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3:26 pm - A quick one
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Back at uni today *twirls finger*
On Friday evening, after I had finished spending several hours updating my journal, reading through other people's LJs, and posting and PMing at HPG, I walked to my uni bus stop and waited. I was the only one there for several minutes, until 3 women came along and stood next to me. As the bus pulled up to the curb, I hopped on first and greeted the driver with "Good Evening" and a smile.
Driver: "You know in this country, it's customary to let ladies go first....but you'll soon get the hang of these things".
Me: *am shocked speechless for a second, then* "....I was born here!"
Driver: "Oh, well then, you know..."
Me: *turn and walk to my seat, not listening to what the driver is now saying*
I fumed about this for the journey into town, and had even written down the bus registration number, in case I wanted to make an official complaint or something. I could tell that he was thinking about our exchange though, as he appeared to be thinking hard for the rest of the trip. At the bus exchange in town, I stood up with everyone else, and was about to exit the back door, then changed my mind and went up to the driver. I told him how uncomfortable his comment had made me, and pointed out that I had been waiting for the bus the longest out of the 3 women and myself. The driver was actually immediately apologetic, and said that he was so used to people cutting infront of others waiting in a cue (which I didn't, by the way), and that he didn't think about what he was saying. I told him I wasn't angry anymore, and that I realised how stressful driving a bus must be, and that at 6 pm on a Friday evening all either one of us wanted to do was get home. I offered my hand and said "No hard feelings", and we shook on it.
The thing is - and I don't want to sound arrogant here - but I try and be a really considerate passenger/member of the public. I offer my seat to the elderly on buses, I hold doors open for anyone behind me, I say "Hello" and "Thank you" to cashiers, I smile at people as I walk by...I really really try to be polite and friendly. Even at the bus exchange, I am normally the last person off the bus, because I let everyone else go first. That's why what the driver said stung so much - because I'm not the sort of person who just pushes in.
However...I really do believe that the driver was truely sorry about what he had said, and I'm not angry about it anymore. It's nothing really, but it did manage to ruin the nice day I had been having till that point. Ho hum.
In other news....meh.
current mood: over it.
current music: Pass that Dutch - Missy Elliot
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| Friday, July 9th, 2004
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2:00 pm - No one reads this bit anyway....stoat!
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Ahem....*looks at spelling of that word* o.O. Anyway...ahem:
I’m feeling much better today, and am ready to give you a proper update :)
Birthday times 3
On Saturday I had two 21st s and a 20th birthday celebrations to go to (honestly, I’ll be so happy next year, when most of my friends will be turning 22, not 21...it’s getting expensive). My friend Steph knew all these people too, so we spent most of the night together (ooer!) To start off with, we travelled to the other side of town to meet up with Nicola D, who was having a bus trip for her 21st. We journeyed to various rural pubs, and I managed to loose my voice fairly early on (due to shouting over the music). Heh - Steph and I, even though we were some of the few people not drinking, managed to be the only people to do damage to pub property....we smashed a glass when we were trying to, erm, keep our hands off each other *blushes* It’s not as dodgy as it sounds, we were just, ummm......actually, let’s just put it down as a ‘private joke’, and leave it at that. Moving along....
So yes, I had a good time, meeting new people, and getting to know some friends from uni outside of the lecture theatres and labs. Eventually the bus dropped us off into town, and the group split more or less into two and went in separate directions (of course, we kept running into each other throughout the night, because the centre of Christchurch is just Not That Big). Now, Steph and I had promised our other friends that we would meet up with them, so about 1.30 am we headed off to our friends flat (also in town). I was hoping to meet up with two friends from high school, but they had been and gone hours ago (and my cellphone kept turning itself off, so I hadn’t been able to keep in touch during the evening). Steph however did find her flatmate and friend there, plus our mutual friend Blake. After trying to locate the birthday boy (Aidan) unsuccessfully, the five of us decided to turn our attention to the person celebrating their 20th (Nicola W)....
...and what an eye-opening experience that turned out to be. Now, I try very hard not to pigeon-hole people as being one thing or another in life, but I do admit to having preconceived ideas on what a certain acquaintance of mine would and would not do. And I wasn’t alone in making this judgement - Steph and Blake had also (wrongly) made this assumption. *reads back the last few sentences* Oops. Sorry if I’ve made this lead up make what happened sound more dramatic/exciting/mundane than it actually is...nothing seriously shocking happened really...it was just shocking to see this particular person doing...that. Oh, and to clarify, I’m not talking about Nicola W. [/vagueness]
"Yes yes," I hear you say, "enough about people we don’t know already - tell us why you kissed a girl!" Well, like I said I didn’t plan on doing it.....once my friends and I had said goodbye to Nicola W. and her friends, we ran into Nicola D. and some of her bus trip people outside a bar. One of these bus trip people (who I had spoken to for some length earlier in the evening), decided that I was the perfect person to snuggle up next to while Nicola W. went inside a bar to locate another friend (to be fair though, I was the only person she knew who was standing outside....plus, she was from Alexandra, which is a hick erm, small town in the south of the country, and this was her first time on the town in Chch....plus, she was drunk and couldn’t stand up properly). So there we were, snuggling together for warmth, whilst my friend’s Blake and Aaron watched on, smirking in an irritating fashion. Still, I think they would have been doing more than smirking if they could have seen what this person was doing to my butt (I didn’t want to cause a scene by telling her to stop....plus I was cold, and it was 3 am on a freezing July morning in Christchurch, so don’t judge me). Eventually, Nicola D. emerged from the bar, and her friend decided that a hug was not a sufficient enough way to say goodbye, and insisted on a kiss *cue more smirking from Blake and Aaron* And there you have it people - an innocent enough affair (aside from the inappropriate butt sprinching), and at least I have somewhere warm to stay if I ever visit Alex(andra).
After all that, Blake, Aaron and I returned to Aidan’s place, where we were finally able to locate said birthday boy (his band had just finished playing). We talked for a bit, then Blake called up a family friend who was giving him and myself a ride home (Blake had been drinking that evening). Some guy started playing an accordion whilst we were waiting on the street. I gave him $2 - not because he was talented (though he was), but because he had a nice arse he had a nice smile and arse *cough* At any rate, our ride pulled up, and I had possibly the most unsettling car ride home ever (made all the more unsettling because this friend of Blake was a former taxi driver). I’m just glad there was such little oncoming traffic on the roads....
All in all, a mostly pleasant, if rather long, evening (the bus trip started at 7-ish, but I left home to pick up Steph at 5.30 pm....and after getting home at 4 am, I was Really Rather Tired - yes yes, I’ll freely admit, I make a pathetic student. Thank gawd I don’t live in Dunedin (student/party capital of the country - I’d be eaten alive)).
Why the publics distrust science so much
That’s right, publics. On Monday evening I went to a public lecture at my uni, hosted by Robert Winston (he’s the man who hosted the ‘Human Body’ docos for the BBC, you know the guy - 50-something, large moustache, glasses...hang on, did I just describe every prominent British scientist who has ever appeared on tv?) Hmm (Note to self: the inclusion of ‘(‘ and ‘)’ does not make a run-on sentence any less tiresome to read...) Sorry people. Ooh! Found a piccy!
My point (and yes I do have one) is that Professor Winston was giving a talk on why the various publics distrust science and scientists so much, and what can be done to combat this. It was a very informative (if general) talk, I wish I had taken notes. Basically, he said that scientists must learn to be better communicators, and realise that science isn’t just theirs, it belongs to all human kind. He also encouraged the audience to think in a more rational, scientific way in regards to controversial issues such as nuclear power and genetic engineering. He was careful to state that he wasn’t saying that (for example, nuclear power) was the solution to the world’s energy problems, but having a knee-jerk “Ewh yuck! No!” reaction to it, without thinking the issue through, is just silly. There is potential for so much good to come out of new technologies, if only scientists would be allowed to conduct research (only after a full investigation has taken place, of course of course) *le sigh* Well, the professor managed to explain this in a very convincing manner, I wish you could have been there.
Something Else
Grrrr....I just *know* there was something else I had been hanging out to tell you all....*frustrated noises* Ah well, it’s always the way.
Bah - uni starts back next week. And I as really starting to get into holiday mode too....*cough* Yes well, technically I have been in holiday mode since the last holiday period at Easter, but still.
*some time later* A-ha! Just remembered! My Mum, sister Amanda and I went to see PoA together on Tuesday night :D This was truly a rare treat, because my Mum can’t stand to sit in a movie theatre (her neck won’t allow sitting still for very long). But, she decided (probably after listening to me rave on and on and on and on and on and on and on and -) that she could bear to sit through this, and she is glad she did :) Amanda loved it too, and 30 seconds after we left the theatre she started apologising profusely for not having come with me to see it earlier (as I knew she would, bless ‘er). Now Amanda has plans to physically force persuade Natalie to go see it with her again when she stays with her next week *rubs hands together With Glee* *Yes - ‘Glee’ with a capital ‘G’*
*squee* And I loved the movie just as much on viewing it for the third time....only thing is, I think I now have a crush on Stan Shunpike (the actor and the character) :wub: There was just something about the way he delicately scratched his pimples *swoons* And um...I think tater_belly , lesley_82 and I are going to have to come to some agreement over who can visit which Weasley male and when *is feeling very naughty* Where’d I put that impenetrable bubble again?
Oh, one more thing: When I wrote “Behave, children” on Wednesday, please note that I was not referring to anyone here who reads this LJ - on the contrary, I expect all of you to Misbehave As You See Fit *huggles everyone, but especially myf and citizenbee for all the level-headed, diplomatic talking they did :D*
(Further note to self: Smaller updates in future please.
From, Upper Management).
EDIT: Yes, I know I shouldn't make this entry any longer, but I wanted to tell you that I took that fanfic Mary Sure meme, and even though I typed in 'Simon', 'Si', 'Archi', 'Archie' and 'Architextured (yes, that last one was a long shot), only 'Simon' turned up any results - and most of those were for fan fics based on a Simon and Garfunkle song (mostly "I Am A Rock", but "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" also got a look in). I'll post two summaries though:
Cruel by Simon
Harry slowely goes insane... and Simon sucks at typing summaries ^^;;
Pure genius, I think you'll agree. And finally:
Diese Welt braucht mich by aLeX23
Simon ist elf, als er den Brief aus Hogwarts erhält. Doch der Junge ist alles andere als glücklich darüber, denn er glaubt nicht, dass ihn ein Aufenthalt dort seinem Ziel näherbringt. Nichts geringerem als der Eroberung der Welt. 2.Kptl. komplett
....o.O I understand the first sentence of that.
Oh, and believe it or not, I found no search results when I tried "Simone"! Honestly, what is wrong with the universe?!!
current mood: hopeful
current music: More Than This - 10000 Maniacs
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| Wednesday, July 7th, 2004
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5:24 pm - What the...?!!?!@?!
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*sigh* So, it's that time of the year again over at the HPG huh? The time when people become overly emotional and threaten to leave the community? *glares darkly in the direction of everybody* Behave, children *cracks wip meanacingly*.
Right. I'm feeling a little too angry to update properly now. Which is a shame, seeing as how I've had an intersting couple of days(meet new people, broke a glass in some rural pub, kissed a woman (it wasn't that I wanted to, though), got unexpected money, attended a public lecture by Robert Lord Winston), but all that will have to wait till I've settled down again.
*checks watch* And now I've missed my bus....*kicks a small puppy that was lying nearby*
NB: Oh, of course I would never kick a puppy, I was just trying to illustrate my feelings
current mood:  pissed off
current music: Still Standing - Kylie Minogue
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| Friday, July 2nd, 2004
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4:54 pm - Why do I always update on a Friday? *ponders this*
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First of all, I want to apologise to the majority of you for whom I did not post a comment in your journal last week - the uni computer was being tempermental, and I either couldn't view the journal at all (eg Beccy's) or else I couldn't access the comment's page. Plus, heh, I kinda spent a large portion of last Friday arvo catching up with the 4th board at the HPG (you probbaly noticed all the topics I had posted in), so I had even less time to read everyone's LJs. Sorry.
At any rate, I don't have much time online today either, so I'll probably just update my journal, and catch up with you all on Sunday or Monday.
Yesterday I had my last test for the first semester exam period *rejoices* It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be either :) That's not to say I'm going to have a great mark, but it was still better than I had anticipated *prepares to burn all his first semester Biological Data Analysis notes* *remembers he will need them again in the second semester* *curses*
Like I mentioned last week, my sister's flatmate from Dunedin has been staying with us for the past week - her name is Sarah, and she's a good sort. It's been a lot like having Natalie back in the house with her around actually :)
Speaking of Natalie...I was at my Grandma's new nursing home today (more on that soon) and happened upon a collection of photos of all her grandchildren. There was one shot of my sisters, Mum and me on Xmas morning (by the looks of it when I was 9 or 10) - and Natalie had the most perfect Hermione hair! Seriously, it was all bushy and thick, plus she was wearing a dorky sort of jersey which made me immediately look for Ron ^_^ Maybe I'll scan it at some stage and share it with you....that is, if Mum will consent to her image being online *le sigh*
This afternoon, my cousin, aunt, Mum and I went with Grandma back to her old nursing home, to have a farewell afternoon tea. I didn't really count on people getting overly emotional till the end, but almost as soon as we arrived Grandma was being hugged by the nursing home owner, and they both started crying. As Mum pointed out in her thank you speech later on, Gran had been there for over 10 years now, and in that time had made some marvellous friendships. For the record, I managed not to cry, but I did get a little weepy. I was official photographer for the afternoon, so I tried to balance the crying-and-hugging-goodbye pics with the laughing-and-reminiscing-about-old-times pics (although I have the nagging feeling that both types of photos will be of the poorly-arranged-and-executed style, sigh).
Erm, what else? I've now finished re-reading PS and CoS, and plan to gallop through PoA over the weekend. I also have friend's 21st to go to, so I suppose that should take priority over reading, maybe. Ooh, and I promised to send a friend a letter didn't I...hmm. Perhaps I should go write list now...
Whoops! Almost forgot! An update from me just wouldn't be the same if I didn't provide details on some family member's medical mishaps. This week it was my uncle's turn - he went to have a small operation (they only used a local...erm, knock-out drug thingy - sorry, I've forgotten the correct term....it was only a local drug thingy anyway) on his hand, and was released after a few hours. Unfortunately, he was then admitted to the coronary (sp?) unit of the main city hospital a few hours later. His family has a history of heart problems, and it was a very unsettling night, thinking that my aunt could be widowed and my cousins left without a father (those cousins are still high school and primary school aged). This story ends happily however - he was released the next day, and is recovering at home :)
Gosh, I wonder who it will be next week?!
current mood: amused
current music: Fool's Love - Misfits of Science (cool vid too)
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| Friday, June 25th, 2004
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2:47 pm - The English Language.
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Ok. So I found the following poster displayed on the 4th floor of the central library at my uni:
"At this moment in time, to be honest, this is, with all due respect, like, absolutely the most irritating sentence I could write. Basically, I hear what you are saying but at the end of the day, going forward, let's touch base and apply some blue sky thinking to this language thingy."
There! Within a single paragraph, you have the 10 most annoying phrases in the English language, grouped together for your displeasure. There are a couple of also-rans lobbed in for good measure.
(Identified by the Plain English Campaign, which has struggled for a quater of a century against a tide of gobbledygook, hackneyed phraseology, impenetrable jargon and clargorous cliches.)
*clutches sides* Aah, it did make me laugh *sniff*
My exam on Monday was, to quote Newguise over at the HPG, "total arse". But meh - I'm sort of beyond caring at the moment. If I have to come back part time for the first semister next year and do one or more third year papers, so be it.
Let's see, what else....one of my sister's flatmates in Dunedin is staying with us for a week from tomorrow, while she does work experience at a raido network here in Chch. My sister is doing her placement down in Dunedin, but come September she'll go up to Auckland for two weeks to do some stuff with a cable TV network and wait a minute I think I may have mentioned that before *thinks* Actually, when I orginally mentioned it I probably said she would be in Auckland in June, but then it was postponed till September [/minor unimportant detail].
Heh - speaking of my sister (Natalie, by the way), we had a really fun phone conversation last night . See, we are both fans of this new NZ drama called 'The Insider's Guide to Happiness' (@Australians: Think of a surreal 'The Secret Life of Us', and you'll get the picture), and after last night's episode, which ended in a bizarre manner, I rang her up to rave about it, and she informs me she was about to do the same thing! Anyway, we talked for about 40 minutes, just the two of us....it was just, really, really nice *huggles Natalie*
I've been meaning to re-read the HP series for a while now, and after reading NG's thread at the HPG I thought it would be a great idea to jump on the bandwagon and re-read OotP along with everyone else. But, I decided that I still want to read the books right from the beginning, so I'm currently re-reading PS/SS at night, and trying to quickly make my way through the first 4 books. This is Probably Not A Good Idea, seeing as how I have a test on Thursday, but *waves hands irritably over this minor detail* it'll make me happy...so there.
Grandma is going to move to a different rest home - one that can accommodate her and her new electric wheelchair. Actually, it's a bit closer to us than her previous home, and it's on one of the bus routes I take, so I'll be able to see her more.
...I really didn't think I'd see her leaving that hospital, and I guess anything could still happen, she won't be leaving for a few weeks, but still....it just goes to show you that you can never tell how things are going to play out.
In other medical news, my youngest sister, Amanda, stayed home from school a couple of days this week, and has seen a doctor about her symptoms. Mum would like her to go back on steriods, but we'll see. Amanda is due to go to Dunedin in a week, for a winter school course (the same thing Natalie did when she was Amanda's age - it's what made her decide to take the course she's on now), so Mum is trying to plan a way for Amanda to stay healthy while she is down there.
*changes topic completely* Men are so confusing! Hmph! Or rather, one man in particular is so confusing. I mean.....gah! *throws him off a bridge* Uh-oh *has a change of heart* *jumps off bridge too, and rescues him* Le sigh.
So, how are you? *skips off to read other people's LJs...and this time, I'm leaving comments! Stop laughing, I mean it, this time*
current mood:  determined
current music: Need One - Martina Topley Bird (in my head)
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| Wednesday, June 16th, 2004
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4:18 pm - Fuel stupid fires with these feelings of mine...
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*apparates to his LJ, for his bi-montly progress report*
Well,
My first semister for the year has finally come to an end *twirls an exhausted finger in the air* Now I just have to get through an exam on the 21st, and a test on the 3rd. After that, I'll have one glorious commitment free week before the second semister starts.
Omph. Life has been busy. For the sake of brevity, I'll just give you the edited highlights:
~Gave an oral submission to Environment Canterbury (on its Regional Pest Management Strategy) on behalf of the wetland trust I'm involved with. It was my first ever submission of any kind, and although I'm not sure I persuaded the councillors to amend any of the decisions they had made on our original submissions, I've since heard that my presentation made an impact, and has been referred to during other submissions :) At least I've had the experience now, so I'll be in a much better position to give a more convincing talk in the future.
~Had the Worst Stats Test in the History of All Time - Ever! 'Nuff said.
~Presented a group seminar for my terrestrial ecology paper. My partner and I had to review a scientific paper ("Multiple effects of shrubs on annual plant communitires in arid lands of South Australia"), and relate it to lecture topics covered and important ecological themes. It was a lot of hard work, but we got an A *hurrah*
~Spent two nights house sitting for the same people I house sat for over the Xmas break. They had a family funeral to attend up north, and needed someone to guard their house and cats.
~Went to my former high school with some other former pupils, to act as ambassadors for our university. Managed to embarrass my younger sister who was present at the assembly *is evil*
~Had a suprise visit from my sister studying in Dunedin. During the long weekend (due to Queen's Birthday), she hopped on a bus and arrived at our house on Saturday afternoon - with her video camera out and ready to record our shocked faces. Heh - she had stopped off in town to see our Grandma in the central hospital first, only to find that she had been moved to another hospital. Her video footage showed her as excited before she entered the hospital, and highly pissed off as she remerged in the carpark a few minutes later ;P We had a nice few days together,and it was important for her to see our Grandma again.
~Mum and I have been painting our elderly neighbour's living room over the past few weekends. This past weekend it was time to put on the first coat of the final colour....and whilst it looked like the pale light apricot-dust colour our neighbour had purchased when it was sitting in its bucket, on the walls it resembled a soft marshmallowy pink. We all had cravings for Pinky bars after a few hours.
~And, most importantly of all, I got to see the PoA movie :D Twice :D First time on Sunday, second time last night (had to go with two different groups of friends, poor me *eye roll*). I've yet to have a chance to rave about it on HPG, and I don't want to go into it here too much, so all I'll say on the matter is: Loved it. All of it. I am now officially a Lupin fanboy. And how cool was Buckbeak?! Magnificent. And Michael Gambon as Dumbledore *sigh* a superior creature to Richard Harris' interpretation. And the twins! And the acting by the trio! Emma Watson! And how cute are Dan and Rupert now (my friend Steph and I were beginning to feel quite pervy after a while)! Ooh and the lighting! Camera angles! Dawn French! Messy PoA hair! The opening scene ("lumos maximus")! And did I mention Buckbeak?! *moves to Mexico; marrys Alfonso*
Grandma update: Still no use of her legs. She was transfered to another hospital a few weeks ago, and may be moving to a hospice later in the week. She's still in reasonably good spirits :)
Oh, and while I'm mentioning medical stuff, did I ever tell you that my youngest sister has ongoing medical complaints? Well, she has. When she was 6-7, she was actually quite sick, and spent a lot of time in hospital. Recently she has been symptomatic again, but nothing serious :) Just have to keep an eye on her for a bit.
And now a word about my last update: Sorry I was so mean and left you hanging for so long *holds out some flowers and chocolates* Forgiven me yet?
Basically, I met spent some time with a guy I like a few Friday evenings ago (no, not like that!). I've know him for over 6 months now, and this time we spent together sort of....changed things. With have spoken to each other many times since in the past few weeks, but due to upcoming exams, things are going to continue to progress at slow degrees, if at all. Heh - anticlimatic, huh? *blows raspberry*
So yes. Lots of things have been keeping me away from the internet lately for any decent length of time, and I'm sorry for my lack of comments on everyone's LJs and HPG :( Please know that I think of you all everyday, and I really do value your presence in my life *huggles all round*
A very big phat happy belated birthday to Myf! *huggles* *confetti* *adoration* Hope your day was everything it should have been and more :D *puts on camouflage gear; attempts to stalk and capture David Thewlis for an appropriate belated B-day gift* Ooh, and speaking of which - this past Sunday they showed the episode of 'Rove' with Thewlicious. I was pleasantly impressed :)
Ummm...I'm sure there's more, but I guess that's what the edit button is for.
current mood:  anxious
current music: Young, Fresh and New - Kelis
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| Sunday, May 30th, 2004
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6:45 pm - It's universal.
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Hello all!
Well, Grandma is stable in hospital, and comfortable, which is more important. I visit her every other day after uni, and she is in good spirits.
Hmm....I'm kinda in good spirits too: The school term is nearly over, and most of my assessments are done; I got to sleep in yesterday; I also got to get some CDs I had been wanting (Opshop, Minuit and Outkast...."Ghettomusick"). And on Friday, I had a, well, a very pleasant experience *stares grinning into space*
Heh - it's not what you are thinking (probably), but I kinda don't want to put the experience into words just yet. But just so you aren't left hanging for details, it involved a sunset on a stormy night, Harry Potter, net send and an umbrella.
Confused? Good *wicked grin*
current mood: rejuvenated
current music: Ghettomusick - Outkast (in my head)
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| Friday, May 21st, 2004
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5:23 pm - Post Script:
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Oh yes, and I would like people to post what they would like to do with me please :D Never let it be said that I am too afraid to jump on the meme bandwagon ;D
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3:45 pm - Let's stay up all niiiight.....Let's stay up all niiiight....Let's...
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Kia Ora ;D
I appear to be falling back into my "only update every few weeks!"habits, damn it. So I'll attempt to make this update a decent length, so you shall all be sated till my next appearance. And no, that last sentence didn't sound quite so dodgy in my head.
First up....the Bic Runga concert. What can I say? She is the premiere musical artist in our country (he typed, conviently forgetting the likes of the Finn brothers *cough*). At least, I really enjoyed her preformance, I think everyone else in the cathedral did too.
It was an acoustic concert, with just a few different guitars, a keyboard (it has a proper name, but I can't remember it) and a harmonica (just for two songs). Mostly Bic sang her own songs, including my absolute favourites "Gravity", "When I see you smile", "Ne Me Quitte Pas" (a cover, obviously), "Bursting Through", "Sway", "Beautiful Collision", "She left on a Monday" and "Get Some Sleep". Actually, after the concert I think my two new favourite songs are "Honest Goodbyes" and "The Be All and End All" - her performances for both of these were just utterly brillant and beautiful.
My friend Steph and I hung around the cathedral for a while afterwards, hoping to see her emerge so we could pounce on her and lavish her with praise and perhaps a request for an autograph/hand in marriage. Alas, I am not engaged to be Mr Bic Runga, as we didn't see her leave. But that's cool, I still have the memories, and I'm sure I'll get another chance to stalk erm, see her in concert *tries to whistle in a non-suspicious manner* Here's a pic (or two):
In other, less joyful news, my Grandma is back in hospital. Last Friday night Mum got a call from my aunt, asking her to come to the nursing home. I went with her, and after looking her over for a bit, Mum called an ambulance. She was having chest and back pain, but more importantly, she couldn't move her legs. She was admitted into the main city hospital that night, before being moved to Princess Margeret hospital on Tuesday.
The pain was angina (which she is still having), the back pain was due to the fact one of her discs has crumbled, and she still can't move her legs. What's more, the doctors have found a clot in her aorta, which could move at any time....Mum thinks this is a good thing, because it should mean that her passing will be sudden, with no lingering in pain for hours or days. As it is, she is conscious, alert, awake and managing to smile at present, so we can't ask for anything more.
She has a had a pretty crap way of life for the past 20 years - so in a way, it will be a relief for everyone including heself when she goes. But, she will be the first significant family member of mine to die, and I'm still coming to terms with it. It's sad she has to be in hospital for it, but then, if she can't use her legs (and mobility is everything to my Grandma, you have no idea), then there really is no other place she should be.
Uni is very busy at the moment too, which doesn't help matters. In the next two weeks, I'll have three lots of public speaking to do (only two of them for uni though), which is not my most favourite thing in the world, but then, in some ways it is preferable to doing an essay, so I'll grin and bear it.
Hehe...I'm not sure what the person in the row of computers over from me is doing, but I have listened to her and her friend constantly refer to their "orifice" for the last 40 minutes o.O I think they may be engineering students, and the "orifice" in question is some sort of technical jargon (and yes, the fact that I am currently in the engineering department computer played a large part in my coming to that conclusion).
In other vaguely amusing news, I got the following forwarded text from a friend today, and it did delight me so very much, that I feel compelled to share it with you all now:
A FWD 4U!:
Friendship is like pissing in your pants. Everyone can see it but only you can feel its true warmth. Thanks for being the piss in my pants
*wipes away a Tear of Happiness* Bless.
I'm still inwardly fighting the desire to throw in my uni studies and fly to Ecuador :/ On Monday I went to the airport to see off a friend, who will be spending the northern summer with her Mum in Michigan. Don't worry, I was well behaved and only once did I attempt to knock my friend out, hide her body behind a duty free liquor display, steal her accessories and assume her identity before boarding the aircraft and flying to the US *is proud of his self restraint* Anyway, when we arrived at the airport, there was this huge non-passenger plane on the runway. It must have just landed and was in the process of taxing off, but the thing that caught my eye was the fact that the name "Uzbekistan" was written in large print on the side. I mean...Uzbekistan?! However, when I arrived home I was still thinking about it, and so I got out an atlas, gazed longingly at central Asia, flicked to the page giving me a few paragraphs on Uzbekistan, and got rather emotion really. I spent about 20 minutes looking at all the maps and info pages in the atlas, and dreamt of all the places I would love to go.
*le sigh* Well, dreams are free at least. And it's not like I have been deprived of international travel so far in my life, and I know I'll go again one day :) I just, wish it was tomorrow....
current mood: contemplative
current music: Come Here - Dimmer (featuring the gorgeous Anika Moa)
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| Thursday, May 6th, 2004
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2:44 pm - How strange the sound
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Only two more nights, then I'll get to see Bic Runga in concert with my friend Steph :D Much yayness!
*wipes forehead* Phew! Long week of uni, and I still have one more day to go. Plus, I have another lab report due on the 17th, I should probably get on to that at some stage, perhaps.
*thinks* I know I had stuff that I wanted to tell you all...but I've forgotten it all now. Blast. Ah well, that's what the edit button is for, right?
*some time later* I've remembered one thing: I partook in an experiment for a pyschology PhD student on Tuesday. He was looking at 'positive emotion', and all I had to do was answer some questions on how I would be likely to react in a given situation, then solve some picture puzzles while he observed me through a one-way glass. I had to wear a device that measured my heart beat as I did the puzzle....hehe: the weird thing was that after the puzzle solving he took a reading, then spoke to me for a few minutes, trying to make me feel more relaxed. When he took a reading again, my heart rate had actually increased - probably because I was conscious of the one-way glass, and was wondering if there was anyone watching us. As well, we we sitting opposite each other in an oddly formal situation, and I was a bit tense. And, oh yes, he had nice biceps, we didn't really help ;P
current mood:  okay
current music: Gravity - Bic Runga (in my head)
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| Sunday, May 2nd, 2004
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2:56 pm - Fleeting....always fleeting
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Hello possums!
Thought I should attempt to write something new this week, least I fall into my old habits of only updating monthly *irons hands*
Erm, ummmm what to say? I'm back at uni *twirls finger in a sarcastic manner* Nah, it actually is pretty interesting so far :) The only reason I'm feeling snarky is because I have a lab report worth 20% of my mark due in *checks watch* 26 hours. I should really not be posting at all....meh.
*huggles to all who need huggles*
*huggles to everyone who may not need a huggle, but Would Quite Like One Anyway*
*huggles to everyone who doens't want a huggle but damnit you're gonna get one anyway because this is my LJ and besides you're eyeballs have already read this over long sentence, effectively meaning you have been huggled anyway - so there*
[/sugar-fuelled weirdness]
*remembers he hasn't had any sugar today* Oh dear....
current mood: weird
current music: Except You - Minuit (but only in my head, le sigh)
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| Friday, April 23rd, 2004
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4:18 pm - No laughing!
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Okay....I have finally uploaded a recent pic of me up onto Photobucket, and thought you all might like to see it.
Firstly though, I think it needs a little explanation....Myf has aready seen it, so I will just copy and paste the email I gave her:
This past Sunday (the 8th April), there was a family BBQ at my
family's house, to celebrate the 3 birthdays that
occur this month - my sister (19), cousin (24) and
aunt (40). We chose this weekend because my sister
Natalie was only up for 4 days over Easter.
Anyway, my aunt used to love op-shopping when she and
my mum were growing up, and mum thought it would be
nice if we all dressed up like she used to do. So,
most everyone was wearing something op-shoppy...except
for me. See, I didn't have time to go shopping, and
wound up pulling some stuff out of my wardrobe. So,
let me talk you through my, er, creation:
~A santa hat (because my aunt loves Xmas - last year,
she had 7 Xmas trees o.O)
~A crimson tie with gold detail (the closest thing I
had to a gryffindor tie - my aunt also loves HP
*hurrah* her sons actualy came as Hogwarts students)
~A green/black/white/patterned hawaiian-esque shirt (just
because), which is mostly hidden (except for the
collar) underneath...
~...the thing you will have noticed first no doubt, my
red work overalls from my time in a wetland over the
summer. Stunning shade of red, no? My logic had been
that it looked a bit like a jumpsuit, and there were
jumpsuits in the 1970s, right? *cough* erm, quite.
Needless to say, I got a lot of gasps when people
first saw me ;)
Oh - this pic was taken when I was searching for
something in the garage (and yes, it is always that
messy), and the photographer snuck up on me, so that
is why I'm in such an idiotic pose *blushes*
So...hope this was worth the wait. Don't laugh too
hard, will you ;D
*huggles*
current mood:  accomplished
current music: The quiet drone of a campus computer lab
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