Here's a photo of the BonnerBox and cards that we made.
While I was in my room, a gecko crawled on my window and it had a double tail!! Eww.. Photo:
Sunday, October 31, 2010
October 30
A little hung over, we went to breakfast at Pando's. Then went to run a couple errands (bug spray for our trip and hardware store). We bought a mailbox for Michael as his Christmas present, because the one outside is a piece of crap, and some paint to try out on the walls! =) In the afternoon, I used some of the paint to paint the mailbox roof red and I put the numbers and Michael's name on the box. It looks pretty good. We are PRETTY sure that Michael's nickname is Box, so we also put that on the mailbox. It's now called the "BonnerBox"!! haha Hopefully he will like it. Then Lina and I went out to a fancy dinner on Park Road, and Jillian went off to Joe's house. Lina and I made some cards to go with our gift and then Lina passed out. I went to pack for Thailand and USA!!! Ahhh..
Here's a photo of the BonnerBox and cards that we made.
While I was in my room, a gecko crawled on my window and it had a double tail!! Eww.. Photo:
Here's a photo of the BonnerBox and cards that we made.
While I was in my room, a gecko crawled on my window and it had a double tail!! Eww.. Photo:
October 29
I had to go turn in my papers today, so I went to campus, printed out a bunch of stuff, turned them in, stopped by my professor's office to see if she was there to chat about her recent trip to LA, but she wasn't. Then I went to Oktoberfest and ate an expensive burrito. I didn't know anyone there, so I left and went home to rest before going out. I met Jane and Andy and Hans, etc downtown and we had a Korean BBQ at Andy's house. I poured strong drinks and got Jane and Hans pretty smashed. Whoops. We played some fun drinking games like 3,6,9 and Baskin Robbins and another one with numbers. Then headed downtown to the Victory. Around 1:30, I cabbed home.
Here's a bunch of the people from my program that we went out with:
Here's a bunch of the people from my program that we went out with:
October 28
Thursday, I had class, so I went to campus and not that many people showed up. Noel, the professor is quite funny and his lecture today was pretty interesting. So we all just kind of joked around a bunch. One of my classmates said they are looking for a secretary to be involved in the TSA (Tourism Student Association). I was a little interested, so I talked to the guy after class about it. It seems like only about 1-2 hours per week, and it will look decent on my resume, so I'm thinking about doing it. Secretary role is pretty minor, too, so shouldn't be too much out of my league. Then I bussed home and finished up my papers! DONE WITH MY PROJECTS!! Yesss...
Saturday, October 30, 2010
October 27
Wednesday, stayed in all day writing papers, and editing our group project. Since it was the last time we would see Michael for a long time, we had dinner upstairs with him. Pepe's Mexican food (surprisingly good!!) and beer. Good to have some "family time". Then we continued working on papers until late. I finished mine and just left conclusions and editing for the day before they were due. Whoo!
October 26
On Tuesday, even though we didn't have class, our regular group met for our project on the MS Walk to compare notes and finalize stuff. Because I stayed up late the night before, writing my paper, I was soo tired. Got home at 3pm and made some breakfast, then finished up my part for the group project, made dinner at 11pm, wrote 1,000 words for another paper and did the dishes at 4am and went to sleep.
At 4am, I was the first in the house to get to bed. Jillian and Lina continued studying at home and at the library, respectively, finishing projects that were due the next day. Grad School sucks!
At 4am, I was the first in the house to get to bed. Jillian and Lina continued studying at home and at the library, respectively, finishing projects that were due the next day. Grad School sucks!
October 25
Didn't leave the house, studied all day!
One interesting thing is that I got a text from Pancakes, randomly. Last I talked to him was our 2nd date and I was kind-of over it, so I never really texted him after that. And he didn't text me, so I assumed the feeling was mutual. So, out of the blue, months later, I get a text. He wants to see me. I told him I'm leaving on Sunday and have no time. He doesn't really take no for an answer, but he has pretty much zero chance, so I tell him that it's weird that I don't talk to him for months and now suddenly he's desperate to see me. He tells me I'm one of the top 3 coolest people he's met in Brisbane and since he's leaving in Jan, he just wants to say goodbye. I don't believe any of that for a second. So I didn't respond. Oh well. At least after January, I'll be able to go back to the TinBilly bar again! Good luck to him and his future playing Hockey for a Euro team...
One interesting thing is that I got a text from Pancakes, randomly. Last I talked to him was our 2nd date and I was kind-of over it, so I never really texted him after that. And he didn't text me, so I assumed the feeling was mutual. So, out of the blue, months later, I get a text. He wants to see me. I told him I'm leaving on Sunday and have no time. He doesn't really take no for an answer, but he has pretty much zero chance, so I tell him that it's weird that I don't talk to him for months and now suddenly he's desperate to see me. He tells me I'm one of the top 3 coolest people he's met in Brisbane and since he's leaving in Jan, he just wants to say goodbye. I don't believe any of that for a second. So I didn't respond. Oh well. At least after January, I'll be able to go back to the TinBilly bar again! Good luck to him and his future playing Hockey for a Euro team...
Sunday, October 24, 2010
October 24
On Sunday, I slept til noon (Don't know why I've been staying up til 3-4am and then sleeping til noon lately). Worked on my paper for the afternoon. Flea bombed the house because of Jasper, and washed my sheets, cleaned my room. Then, Gabrielle came over, drank some wine and we discussed Thailand and booked some hotels!
October 23
Saturday, ummm woke up late, studied all day. That is all. Jillian went out and Lina was studying late at the library. I stayed home.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
October 22
Friday, woke up and spent the morning organizing my itineraries for upcoming trips! Thailand, USA, Cambodia, Vietnam! Ahh
I realized that I will be on 15 flights in the next four months! What a jetsetter!! I'm beginning to think this is an addiction. Can someone be addicted to travel? Oh well. Then, I didn't really do much until I had to go to the MS Moonlight Walk. It was for a group assignment on Sponsorship at events. So, I went to scope out the sponsors at the event and take pictures, etc. Came home, watched a movie with Jillian and now it's already bedtime!
Photo of the walk, playing around with a slow shutter speed:
I realized that I will be on 15 flights in the next four months! What a jetsetter!! I'm beginning to think this is an addiction. Can someone be addicted to travel? Oh well. Then, I didn't really do much until I had to go to the MS Moonlight Walk. It was for a group assignment on Sponsorship at events. So, I went to scope out the sponsors at the event and take pictures, etc. Came home, watched a movie with Jillian and now it's already bedtime!
Photo of the walk, playing around with a slow shutter speed:
Thursday, October 21, 2010
October 21
In the states, today is October 20th and GLAAD created a "Spirit Day", asking people to wear purple in support of anti-bullying for Gay/Lesbian people. Even though it is already the 21st in Australia, I wore purple to show my support. I went to campus, picked up some prescriptions at the Pharmacy and then took them to the nurse at the health center so she could inject me with multiple viruses. She said she could only do 4 at a time, so she gave me Tetanus/Diphtheria and FluVax in one arm, Hep A and Typhoid in the other. ugh. I didn't get Polio, so I'll have to go back for that one. Then I went to eat and searched for flights to Cambodia on the computer. Class was pretty boring, but glad I went. Jane was sick so she sat really far away from everyone - good thing, because I don't need her flu with all the other things my immune system is trying to handle right now. Jillian called in class, having a little freak out moment, so I met up with her after class ended and had some coffee. She's been working so hard, holed up in a room for days and days, working on her papers, that she was missing some human interaction. Lina met us, too and we all kinda just stared at each other, blankly, all so tired and stressed and not really talking about much. Finally, Lina and I went home, my arm was hurting like a BITCH from the typhoid, but I stretched it a little which seemed to make it feel a bit better after a while. Lina and I went to the store and got ingredients for salsa and guacamole, then came home and she made those while I searched for cheap flights to Cambodia and Vietnam. We found some, so as soon as Jillian got home from class, we booked them! YAY! We're officially going. Lina says I don't need to get a Polio booster since I've had it as a kid. I looked it up on the internet, and confirmed that it is unnecessary to get it twice in your life! So, I'm not going back for that. Done with shots!! After dinner, we drove up to the top of Mt. Coot-tha to see the beautiful view of the city at night, under a full moon! Nice to have a little distraction for all of us!
October 20
Well, Because I didn't sleep until 3am, I couldn't wake up for class. Surprise, Surprise! Luckily it was bullshit, so I don't care. I had to go to campus anyway, though because I had a doctor appointment to get medicines for my trip to South East Asia! I arrived almost an hour early, but luckily was seen right away! Unfortunately, I didn't bring any money with me, so I couldn't get the medicines. I'll have to go back tomorrow after I pick up the prescriptions from the pharmacy to get the actual injections! OUCH. She scared me quite a bit with all of the things I can contract in Cambodia, etc!! Mosquitoes that carry fatal diseases, etc!! WTF. Also, I'm getting tons of vaccines! Malaria pills, flu shot, MMR shot for measles and mumps, Japanese encephalitis, Hep A and Hep B, rabies, mengecoccus or something, and typhoid. Lina said typhoid is the WORST because it makes you sore all over your muscles! So I'm pretty nervous about that. I just boosted up on some vitamins so I can hopefully fight off the fluvax! ugh. ANNDD it's expensive!! $110 for all of that shit. We better be going to Cambodia (still need to plan that trip) because I'm not getting all this shit for nothing!
Also, today was the 19th anniversary of the fire that destroyed my home. I can't believe it's been so long. It feels like such a big part of my life and it doesn't seem possible that it was 20 years ago. It still feels like 10 years ago. What a difference 19 years makes, I guess! hah (Family joke)
Also, today was the 19th anniversary of the fire that destroyed my home. I can't believe it's been so long. It feels like such a big part of my life and it doesn't seem possible that it was 20 years ago. It still feels like 10 years ago. What a difference 19 years makes, I guess! hah (Family joke)
October 19
I couldn't go to sleep until late, so I slept in and then went to my weekly group meeting to discuss our topic - the Moonlight Walk for MS. Fun stuff. Boring class with freezing cold A/C as always. Then picked up my assignment on MLB, which I did pretty well on, but there were no comments to say what I could have done better! UGH. Oh well. Not gonna complain. I needed that because the other assignment in that class is the group video which I don't think I did so hot on. Came home and worked on my sponsorship proposal (for the MS group project) and didn't go to sleep until very late again.
October 18
Monday, NO CLASS! Whoooo... But I had to go to campus anyway to attend a meeting about a field study course that I might take during my break in July 2011. It goes to Italy! Whooo. What a great excuse to go back to Italy... And get rid of some credits before my final semester in which I will be dying with my thesis! It seemed like there were a lot of undergrads in the room (it's an undergrad and post-grad course), so who knows if I will go. It is also expensive, and I'm not sure I want to go back and see all of the same sights again. It also takes up a good chunk of my break, which means less time (and $$) to go back home or travel elsewhere! We'll see, though. I put my name on the list, so at least I have a spot and can decline later. The girls and I borrowed Michael's car and did a big grocery store run, then came home to find the entire street blocked off because they are doing construction. It continued into the night, until about 4am. UGHHH
October 17
More study all day. Took a break to take the dogs to the park and throw the Frisbee around for a bit. That's it. No more fun life stories in Australia!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
October 16
Saturday,
Oh remember the days when we used to go out and do things!? Nope, not anymore. We were studying all day. Lina decided to take the stitches out of Jasper, because no one was taking him to the vet. So, she got some tweezers and scissors and I held Jasper down. In the process of this, I saw that he had fleas all over. Like ALLL OVER.. Very disgusting. Anyway, we pulled the stitches out and then I immediately stripped and showered. Halfway through the day, we walked to Rosalie with the dogs and got a snack and a couple grocery store things. Lina went to a BBQ at a friend's house and Jillian and I ordered pizza and stayed in studying for the rest of the night, until about 2am.
Oh remember the days when we used to go out and do things!? Nope, not anymore. We were studying all day. Lina decided to take the stitches out of Jasper, because no one was taking him to the vet. So, she got some tweezers and scissors and I held Jasper down. In the process of this, I saw that he had fleas all over. Like ALLL OVER.. Very disgusting. Anyway, we pulled the stitches out and then I immediately stripped and showered. Halfway through the day, we walked to Rosalie with the dogs and got a snack and a couple grocery store things. Lina went to a BBQ at a friend's house and Jillian and I ordered pizza and stayed in studying for the rest of the night, until about 2am.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
October 15
studied all day. jasper ran away, had an interesting conversation with Joe about feminism where I took a surprising stance. That's it.
October 14
Thursday I slept in and then went to class, where there was a guest lecturer. He immediately saw that I was the only white person in class and asked if I was Australian. I said NO! I'm from the US! He told me he lived in San Jose and Oregon for a while. And then during the entire class, kept referring to me and "American culture". UGH! At one point he asked if anyone liked shopping. Most girls raised their hands and he made some sexist comment. Then he asked if we liked shopping for food! Jane and I thought about it and raised our hands. He saw us and told us if we liked shopping for food, we must have no life and must really need a boyfriend!! The entire class laughed at us! GREAT... He was pretty lively, which kept people engaged, but the material he went over was soo basic and boring. Then I walked with some of my classmates over to the Business School building so he could upload a photo from my camera. Then I walked to find Lina studying in the Law library and bought her a Monster drink and headed back home. Made some dinner and then worked on my paper.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
October 13
On Wednesday, I headed off to class and saw a father and daughter on the bus. I'd seen them before. The girl is about 4 years old and looks EXACTLY like my cousin's daughter; she's adorable. The father has piercings and paint all over his clothes and a crazy punk hairdo. The first time I saw them, I thought how cute - this punkrock dad is taking care of his daughter. What a cool little crazy pair they are. So, I was delighted to see them again. But this time, it was pretty clear he was out of his mind, high! And like on something bad. Where you zone in and out for a sec. She asked him about the goats that used to be in the park and he said something in response, but it made absolutely no sense, and I saw his head roll back in the middle of his speech. It was scary. At one point on the bus, he stumbled up to the front to ask the busdriver if this bus was still going to go to the valley (he lives around me, surely he knows the bus route by now). And he took a phone call from a friend whom he told to save it for tomorrow and shouted "you're my savior!" to. Very weird. I felt very bad for the little girl, who was dressed in over-sized boy clothes. I hate being one of those bystanders. I hate seeing something you know is wrong and not doing something about it. But what am I supposed to do? A. Am I 100% sure he's high? B. Even if I did want to turn him in, what would happen? The girl gets taken by child services - is that really better for her?! C. I don't have much information to tell authorities (I've only seen him on my bus, I don't know his name or where he lives). It's just frustrating. Anyway, it put me in a bad mood for a while, because I felt like there was something that should be done.
Class was very boring, and then I went to the library to pick up a book for my paper, but ended up staying in the high-use section, writing notes on two books. 2 hours later and 5 pages of hand-written notes, I stumbled out of the library and back home. Lina and Jillian were heading to campus to study, so I had the house to myself. I made some dinner, drank some port, took a relaxing bath, and wrote a letter. More study tomorrow!!
Class was very boring, and then I went to the library to pick up a book for my paper, but ended up staying in the high-use section, writing notes on two books. 2 hours later and 5 pages of hand-written notes, I stumbled out of the library and back home. Lina and Jillian were heading to campus to study, so I had the house to myself. I made some dinner, drank some port, took a relaxing bath, and wrote a letter. More study tomorrow!!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
October 12
Tuesday, back to our regularly scheduled group meetings. We discussed the next assignment, divvied up the work and decided on some questions to ask the Walk organizers... Then class, where I found out we could pick up two of our assignments! Ahh. So, after class everyone went to the Learning Center and got our assignments back. On my Audi Sponsorship case study, I didn't do so well. But I passed, so whatever. The other people in my group did better, but only a little bit better. Then we got our group assignment back and got pretty good (Like a B+)... It's so hard to look at the grades here and figure them out. It's on a 7 point scale. Here's the breakdown:
So, when I look at my paper, and see that I got a 77%, I'm like Oh what! C?!?!? UGHH.. But really, that's a 6 (or B equivalent!).. So, I always end up thinking I did worse than I actually did. It's a little confusing. And then there's the whole pass or pass with credit. Ahhh... Anyway, so far I'm passing my classes, but still not doing as great as I had expected. Oh well. Grad School is tougher than I thought! Spent the rest of the evening reading journal articles for an upcoming paper!
| UQ Grade | Equivalent | Raw mark range |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | High Distinction (HD) | 85-100% |
| 6 | Distinction (D) | 75-84% |
| 5 | Credit (CR) | 65-74% |
| 4 | Pass (P) | 50-64% |
| 3,2,1 | Fail (F) | < 50% |
So, when I look at my paper, and see that I got a 77%, I'm like Oh what! C?!?!? UGHH.. But really, that's a 6 (or B equivalent!).. So, I always end up thinking I did worse than I actually did. It's a little confusing. And then there's the whole pass or pass with credit. Ahhh... Anyway, so far I'm passing my classes, but still not doing as great as I had expected. Oh well. Grad School is tougher than I thought! Spent the rest of the evening reading journal articles for an upcoming paper!
October 11
Mondayy, I woke up to POURING rain. Like, monsoon. And it was also very cold. I did NOT want to go to class, but I dragged myself out the door. Lina made me put on her light, water-proof jacket, because it was dumping bucketfuls outside and it's a good thing she did because on the 1 1/2 block walk to the busstop, I was SOAKED. Made it to class and was happy that I made it because she talked a bit about the assignment topic that I'm doing. It was also the last class. She isn't having any more lectures!! Yay, I get Mondays off now! So, we filled out the evaluation. Then I headed to the library to download some resources for my two papers... Ate lunch by myself, and bumped into Andy and Hans. Then, I went to meet my group so we could re-do the video! UGH. Everything seems to be a wild goose chase with this group. We said, OK, let's film Kate's part. But then walked around for almost an hour searching for a place to do it! UGH. Finally we found the perfect spot and it took me a couple of tries to calm down and remember all of my lines!
We finished filming the rest of the parts, and it seems a little bit better now, because it's broken up into parts and is filmed in a few different locations, etc. Then, we couldn't load it onto the computer, so finally, I just gave one of the girls my SD card, which I should get back on Thurs! Hopefully, it will be OK. Came home, starving and ate, then made some questions for my other group assignment.
Michael came downstairs and told us he is keeping the girl's puppy (roommate moved out, she didn't work out), Jasper and thought about renaming him Henry. We said he doesn't look like a Henry, but were thrilled to have him!
We finished filming the rest of the parts, and it seems a little bit better now, because it's broken up into parts and is filmed in a few different locations, etc. Then, we couldn't load it onto the computer, so finally, I just gave one of the girls my SD card, which I should get back on Thurs! Hopefully, it will be OK. Came home, starving and ate, then made some questions for my other group assignment.
Michael came downstairs and told us he is keeping the girl's puppy (roommate moved out, she didn't work out), Jasper and thought about renaming him Henry. We said he doesn't look like a Henry, but were thrilled to have him!
October 10
It rained all day Sunday. Didn't do much except relax from all these group projects and panic about my next couple weeks of school. I have to write like 3 papers in less than 3 weeks. It's pretty intense. Jillian has even more papers to write. She planned out each hour of her day, so she could get the impossible done. We know she has good intentions, but that it's hard for a procrastinator to break the habit, so we told her to stick to her new schedule. We might've said it a few too many times, in a condescending way, so she got a little frustrated with us, ganging up on her. So, she told us to shut up, in Yiddish. It takes a lot for Jillian to snap, and I realized we were kinda coming down on her, making her defensive. But Lina did not like being told to shut it. She thought it was pretty rude. So, she went running and was quite mad for the rest of the day. Thailand is looking sweeter and sweeter. Speaking of which, we tried to research a couple hotels for our trip. We'll see, though.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
October 9
Ate cereal and then the girls decided to go to Pando's for breakfast, so I went and had an OK breakfast. I feel like I'm getting pretty good at making it at home, so why would I pay for something that is about the same quality I could make?? Anyway, then we went to the grocery store for a quick run and I came home, rushed to get ready and headed off to campus on a Saturday for more work on my group project.
The room we rented was very small and crappy and looked awful, so we used an empty classroom that I found. Luckily we didn't get kicked out by security or anything. We worked from about 2-6:30, and after a few problems, finally cranked out a decent enough video to turn in. I am very worried that our video is not good enough and will look pretty shoddy compared to other groups. We don't know video editing, so ours is super plain and boring. If I'm bored watching it, why would I expect others to be interested?? Oh well. I can only do so much. I just hope our teacher is an easy grader.
Came home, made some dinner, then Jillian came home with Joe from a Rotary Scholar dinner and we had some great conversations about all kinds of stuff. Everything from in-vitro fertilization for gay couples to old people around the world to naming your kid Hitler/Jesus to the ethics of WalMart!! I really like my roommates and am glad we talk so easily. I hope even when we finish this, we can have dinner parties with these kinds of great discussions...
The room we rented was very small and crappy and looked awful, so we used an empty classroom that I found. Luckily we didn't get kicked out by security or anything. We worked from about 2-6:30, and after a few problems, finally cranked out a decent enough video to turn in. I am very worried that our video is not good enough and will look pretty shoddy compared to other groups. We don't know video editing, so ours is super plain and boring. If I'm bored watching it, why would I expect others to be interested?? Oh well. I can only do so much. I just hope our teacher is an easy grader.
Came home, made some dinner, then Jillian came home with Joe from a Rotary Scholar dinner and we had some great conversations about all kinds of stuff. Everything from in-vitro fertilization for gay couples to old people around the world to naming your kid Hitler/Jesus to the ethics of WalMart!! I really like my roommates and am glad we talk so easily. I hope even when we finish this, we can have dinner parties with these kinds of great discussions...
Saturday, October 9, 2010
October 8
Since I went to sleep so early, I woke up at like 6:30 and stayed in bed for a while. Then finally came out and talked to Jillian and Lina who gave me some roommate updates. And somehow we got on the topic of the moment that Lina changed as a person, became less selfish. She told us about when she was in Turkey, working where injured soldiers from Afghanistan were taken and all of the crazy shit she saw that made her think - shit, my life is nothing, Look at these young guys all shot up. Somehow all they care about is each other, and making sure they have their photos and mementos of their families. Of course, I cannot explain it the way she did, but I thought the most interesting point she made was that they were lying there, shot up, and the only thing they wanted, the only thing worth living for in those moments (I guess you could say) was a sense of human connection. To find their photos that would remind them why they needed to fight for life, etc. It was pretty intense. I think she should write it down, I mean I guess there are other people who have similar experiences or stories, but probably most of them never write this shit down. So she should. I think that's why I love Into the Wild so much, because in the end, he realizes that connection is the most important thing. He wanders alone, removing himself from all connections only to realize that's the one thing necessary for life. I guess I like it, because I have loner tendencies, I tend to push people away and have a desire to be so independent, so it helps remind me that this might not be right/good for me.
I made some brekkie and headed to campus to meet for a group project. We met from 12:30-8pm with zero breaks. I didn't even move to go to the bathroom! It was insane. And we still aren't done. Part of me just wants to do the project myself because it's so tedious to do it with a group. Trying to get input is like pulling teeth and then when I do, sometimes it's just wrong and weird. And I get so tired of correcting improper english! UGH. Anyway, we finished up around 8pm and I bussed back to town, in the rain, with flipflops. =( Lina texted me and told me they were at Joe's bar. I said I felt and looked like shit and should probably just go home, but she convinced me to meet up with them for like a bit. So I went and scarfed down some food and had a couple drinks. Jillian and Joe couldn't keep their hands off each other. Wondering when they will realize they can have each other anytime they want and cool it down in public... I guess it's hard not to be jealous because they look pretty darn cute together and are obviously so into each other. Lina was getting hit on pretty hard core by a drunk guy, who smelled awful, so finally, we had to leave to get away from him. We caught the bus, tried to train Jasper (mini-banjo) and then I headed to bed.
Today was the anniversary of my sister's death, but I was so busy that I almost didn't think of it. It wasn't until Lina showed me something on her phone and I saw the date that I was suddenly swept up with an "Oh shit" feeling. But because of the time change, I don't know whether it's appropriate to be sad today or tomorrow or what. I got home and cried about it for a while, missing her and again trying to understand how her mind could be so different from mine, until I exhausted myself and fell asleep. Oh well...
I made some brekkie and headed to campus to meet for a group project. We met from 12:30-8pm with zero breaks. I didn't even move to go to the bathroom! It was insane. And we still aren't done. Part of me just wants to do the project myself because it's so tedious to do it with a group. Trying to get input is like pulling teeth and then when I do, sometimes it's just wrong and weird. And I get so tired of correcting improper english! UGH. Anyway, we finished up around 8pm and I bussed back to town, in the rain, with flipflops. =( Lina texted me and told me they were at Joe's bar. I said I felt and looked like shit and should probably just go home, but she convinced me to meet up with them for like a bit. So I went and scarfed down some food and had a couple drinks. Jillian and Joe couldn't keep their hands off each other. Wondering when they will realize they can have each other anytime they want and cool it down in public... I guess it's hard not to be jealous because they look pretty darn cute together and are obviously so into each other. Lina was getting hit on pretty hard core by a drunk guy, who smelled awful, so finally, we had to leave to get away from him. We caught the bus, tried to train Jasper (mini-banjo) and then I headed to bed.
Today was the anniversary of my sister's death, but I was so busy that I almost didn't think of it. It wasn't until Lina showed me something on her phone and I saw the date that I was suddenly swept up with an "Oh shit" feeling. But because of the time change, I don't know whether it's appropriate to be sad today or tomorrow or what. I got home and cried about it for a while, missing her and again trying to understand how her mind could be so different from mine, until I exhausted myself and fell asleep. Oh well...
Friday, October 8, 2010
October 7
Slept in for a while after the raucous night and woke up with a slight hang over, despite not drinking very much! UGH. The mysterious man who fell asleep in our red room was gone, and the hole is still there. =( I made the mistake of telling half-stories again which got me into trouble and so I dealt with the fallout from that for the morning, while making a delicious breakfast. Went back to my room brooding about all of this, and then heard some screams from the girls and them call out for Michael! What on earth?! I thought there must be another large spider or something inside. So I came out and asked what the matter was, half expecting to run into something I didn't want to see. But when I got to the main room, I saw it POURING water from the ceiling!! Lina was already in action putting trashcans and towels down. I took the computers out of the room, and then Jillian and I ran upstairs to find out where it was coming from (we already knew it was the laundry machine). We found Michael soaking up a giant puddle of water in the hallway, spilling from the laundry machine!!! We came back downstairs and most of it had stopped, but it was bad! Michael came down to inspect the damage and told us what happened - the groom spewed in the laundry machine and took the hose out of the back, so water just went all over the floor. UGH. Anyway, then I took a shower, but turned around and saw Michael and Ryan walk past the window and I screamed, then quickly finished up.
Already a pretty crazy day, I decided to head to campus early because I needed to do a fantasy draft and get ready for class. I thought the draft was at 1:30, so I thought getting on the noon bus would be extra early! But on the bus, I realized the draft starts at 12:30 instead!! There's no way I could make it to campus sooner than 1pm. So I missed 30 minutes of the draft, 4 draft rounds, and got some pretty shitty players because I had stacked my picks in some crazy order... UGH. I didn't really make up for it, because I was so flustered and not ready, but whatever. I'm not too concerned with winning this year because I know I'll be incommunicado during November and Jan/Feb while in South East Asia. Soo, basically I'm screwed anyway. Oh well.
Then I had class, but was highly distracted and flustered the entire time because my mind was reeling from events of the day. Manuel even asked me what was wrong, because he could tell I was so out of it. After class, I had a group project and we met to discuss our presentation. This group seems a lot more disorganized than my other group. I wish I had the same group, but oh well. After an hour orso, we were hungry and couldn't think straight, so we decided to meet again the next day to finish it up.
I tried to turn my day around on the way home... Some lady asked if I had change and only had a 5, I checked and only had 85 cents. So, I just gave it to her. She was so shocked and I was like, whatever, don't worry about it, it's only 85 cents. Then at the busstop, I helped a guy from Holland who had just arrived in Brisbane and told him what to do here and helped him get off at Rosalie. Two good deeds and I felt a little better about myself. Jillian made chicken and then I fell asleep at like 8pm! Whoops.
Already a pretty crazy day, I decided to head to campus early because I needed to do a fantasy draft and get ready for class. I thought the draft was at 1:30, so I thought getting on the noon bus would be extra early! But on the bus, I realized the draft starts at 12:30 instead!! There's no way I could make it to campus sooner than 1pm. So I missed 30 minutes of the draft, 4 draft rounds, and got some pretty shitty players because I had stacked my picks in some crazy order... UGH. I didn't really make up for it, because I was so flustered and not ready, but whatever. I'm not too concerned with winning this year because I know I'll be incommunicado during November and Jan/Feb while in South East Asia. Soo, basically I'm screwed anyway. Oh well.
Then I had class, but was highly distracted and flustered the entire time because my mind was reeling from events of the day. Manuel even asked me what was wrong, because he could tell I was so out of it. After class, I had a group project and we met to discuss our presentation. This group seems a lot more disorganized than my other group. I wish I had the same group, but oh well. After an hour orso, we were hungry and couldn't think straight, so we decided to meet again the next day to finish it up.
I tried to turn my day around on the way home... Some lady asked if I had change and only had a 5, I checked and only had 85 cents. So, I just gave it to her. She was so shocked and I was like, whatever, don't worry about it, it's only 85 cents. Then at the busstop, I helped a guy from Holland who had just arrived in Brisbane and told him what to do here and helped him get off at Rosalie. Two good deeds and I felt a little better about myself. Jillian made chicken and then I fell asleep at like 8pm! Whoops.
October 6
Woke up really early, at like 6:30am, and decided to exercise. I did some crunches and sit-ups and push-ups for like 30 min, then showered and made breakfast. I ate so early that by the time I went to class, I was already hungry again. =( Oh well. Class was a guest lecture on the 1988 Brisbane World Expo, which I am thinking about doing my large thesis paper on, so I took lots of notes. I came home and made myself a snack and read some articles for my group project... Michael came downstairs and gave us two bottles of Passion Pop and $50 "for more rounds or movies or something" because he is having a Buck's party upstairs tonight (read: bachelor party). So, I guess the money was to hint that we should get lost. He told us that the "entertainment" is coming at 9:30. I assured him we would be gone by then. When Lina came home, she introduced me to the new roommate upstairs (Francesca) and her little dog, Jasper. Jasper looks like a small version of Banjo. He's black and white and soft and has a big head. haha. Anyway, then we sat around and tried to figure out what to do on a Wednesday night. We finally decided to keep it mellow and go bowling! So, we headed to Queen Street Mall and ate some nasty dinner at the Coffee Club and then met up with Jillian. We went bowling at Strike with some old school style nike wannabes instead of cheesy old bowling shoes. I guess Jillian has only bowled a couple times in her life and Lina was part of a bowling league in the Air Force, but luckily was sucking tonight. I wasn't doing much better than Jillian. hah. Anyway, after one round, we were tired and ready to go home, so we caught the last bus home and then tried to sneak into our house.
This proved to be much harder than anticipated. The boys were outside in the Jacuzzi, so we quietly walked up the sidewalk. We saw someone get into a white car to go home, so we literally DOVE behind a neighbor's wall and crouched until they drove by! haha Then of course, we were cracking up at the ridiculousness of it all. We tried once again and made it almost to the top of the hill, and to our driveway, but then someone exited about 20 feet in front of us. No where to hide, we just turned around and started walking back down the hill. I don't think he saw us. Anyway, so a THIRD time, I made use of a large truck that was going by to gain lots of ground and we made it! We snuck past the driveway and down to our house. Almost immediately, we found a giant hole in our wall, foot-sized, like someone had fallen down the stairs and put their foot through the wall. But nothing else was awry. Jillian said, "They better not have gone into my room and taken any underwear or anything!" Lina and I looked at each other and said, "What? Why would they do that?!" Anyway, we tried to be quiet so they didn't know we were here. But we can hear EVERYTHING they do. So we just sat quietly for a while listening to them call at the stripper and her laugh, etc. Around midnight, it sounded like people were dispersing so I headed for bed.
Then Michael came down drunkenly and told us that most people were gone, but there were still a few left and we showed him the hole in the wall. He read an article Jillian was reading and thought she had written it, so proceeded to debate with her about arms control. Then the culprit, Benjamin came downstairs and explained how he thought he was walking into a bathroom, but fell down the stairs. He talked to us for a while. Lina remembered meeting him at the farm. Then he asked if any of us had any love interest in any of Michael's acquaintances. We pretended to not know what he was talking about, until he mentioned a name and then all of us looked at each other with a little bit of panic! Ahhh. Michael!! Anyway, Ben came downstairs, with his pants undone and then laid on our red-room couch and passed out for the rest of the night. Michael explained that there was lots of water displaced in the jacuzzi after people had left, so they needed replacements (us). We reluctantly agreed and 10 min later, we were drinking in the jacuzzi with Michael's friends again. UGH. Luckily this time most of the guys were married or in serious relationships, so no threat.
Around 3am, we crawled out of the jacuzzi and off to bed. However, we scrubbed ourselves in the shower first after learning that their stripper lady couldn't touch the water because she had thrush. But she did stick her legs in. Ew.
This proved to be much harder than anticipated. The boys were outside in the Jacuzzi, so we quietly walked up the sidewalk. We saw someone get into a white car to go home, so we literally DOVE behind a neighbor's wall and crouched until they drove by! haha Then of course, we were cracking up at the ridiculousness of it all. We tried once again and made it almost to the top of the hill, and to our driveway, but then someone exited about 20 feet in front of us. No where to hide, we just turned around and started walking back down the hill. I don't think he saw us. Anyway, so a THIRD time, I made use of a large truck that was going by to gain lots of ground and we made it! We snuck past the driveway and down to our house. Almost immediately, we found a giant hole in our wall, foot-sized, like someone had fallen down the stairs and put their foot through the wall. But nothing else was awry. Jillian said, "They better not have gone into my room and taken any underwear or anything!" Lina and I looked at each other and said, "What? Why would they do that?!" Anyway, we tried to be quiet so they didn't know we were here. But we can hear EVERYTHING they do. So we just sat quietly for a while listening to them call at the stripper and her laugh, etc. Around midnight, it sounded like people were dispersing so I headed for bed.
Then Michael came down drunkenly and told us that most people were gone, but there were still a few left and we showed him the hole in the wall. He read an article Jillian was reading and thought she had written it, so proceeded to debate with her about arms control. Then the culprit, Benjamin came downstairs and explained how he thought he was walking into a bathroom, but fell down the stairs. He talked to us for a while. Lina remembered meeting him at the farm. Then he asked if any of us had any love interest in any of Michael's acquaintances. We pretended to not know what he was talking about, until he mentioned a name and then all of us looked at each other with a little bit of panic! Ahhh. Michael!! Anyway, Ben came downstairs, with his pants undone and then laid on our red-room couch and passed out for the rest of the night. Michael explained that there was lots of water displaced in the jacuzzi after people had left, so they needed replacements (us). We reluctantly agreed and 10 min later, we were drinking in the jacuzzi with Michael's friends again. UGH. Luckily this time most of the guys were married or in serious relationships, so no threat.
Around 3am, we crawled out of the jacuzzi and off to bed. However, we scrubbed ourselves in the shower first after learning that their stripper lady couldn't touch the water because she had thrush. But she did stick her legs in. Ew.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
October 5
Flew into Melbourne at 5am, it was still dark so I couldn't see the city from the plane. Then waiting in the airport for 4 hours for my transfer flight to Brisbane. I got stopped at security for 15 min, while they searched my entire bag for cuticle clippers. Then sat at the gate, charging my phone. On the way out of Melbourne, I got the one seat on the plane with no window, so I couldn't see the city again! Flew into Brisbane, and caught the train into Roma Station and then the bus home. Showered, missed my group discussion, but made it to my lecture. I forgot that classroom is always freezing, so I was shivering the entire time. I thought a bunch about leaving early, but my group wanted to talk about stuff, so I stayed. Then we sat outside on the grass and maybe chose our topic for our next assignment. Met Jillian on the bus ride home, and made an early dinner because I was starving! Then I made the mistake of sitting in my bed, so of course I fell asleep around 7pm! Whoops. So much for fighting off the jetlag. I'm really not looking forward to the next few assignments I have, and already feel a little behind on them. These next few days I need to concentrate to get a good start on them.
Friday Sept 24 - Monday Oct 04
Mid Semester Break!!!
Friday, Michael took me to the airport and I flew back to LA. Highlights of the week included:
Joy's housewarming party, Glow in Santa Monica, Muse Concert with Andrew and Steven, de Young Museum with my dad, kart racing with my dad, happy hour cocktails with my mom, Dinner with Mike and Patricija and my parents, Dinner out with Linh and Ryan, Linh's Homemade Mac and Cheese, and a day trip to Vegas for a hockey game with Steven (including my first time riding the NY/NY roller coaster and seeing the Bellagio Fountain show).
I flew back on Sunday evening, changed planes in Melbourne at 5am, and made it back just in time for my Tuesday classes. I already miss Mexican food and In-N-Out.
Friday, Michael took me to the airport and I flew back to LA. Highlights of the week included:
Joy's housewarming party, Glow in Santa Monica, Muse Concert with Andrew and Steven, de Young Museum with my dad, kart racing with my dad, happy hour cocktails with my mom, Dinner with Mike and Patricija and my parents, Dinner out with Linh and Ryan, Linh's Homemade Mac and Cheese, and a day trip to Vegas for a hockey game with Steven (including my first time riding the NY/NY roller coaster and seeing the Bellagio Fountain show).
I flew back on Sunday evening, changed planes in Melbourne at 5am, and made it back just in time for my Tuesday classes. I already miss Mexican food and In-N-Out.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
September 23
Thursday, did laundry for most of the day and went to class. It was incredibly boring, but maybe that's just because it was the last class before mid-semester break and everyone was a little antsy. We got our grade for our first paper back from another class, so most of us were online checking our scores and discussing via notes in class. I didn't do as well as I had hoped, but I passed so whatever. It'll be interesting to get the paper back and see what I did wrong. Hopefully it's stupid errors that can easily be fixed. She said most people did formatting and referencing wrong, but I don't know. Anyway, then I went to turn in my paper on MLB, now feeling a bit more nervous about it. But oh well!! I met Lina at the grocery store and we did some shopping, then headed home. We were supposed to go out because it's my last night in town, except I still had to pack, so I packed and we drank at home instead. We discussed whether guys should pay for stuff and how guys should treat ladies and booked tickets for Jillian's break in December, etc. Good times laughing with the girls. I'm gonna miss them over my break.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
September 22
I woke up around 11, which is the precise time I'm supposed to be on the bus going to class. Whoops! Oh well. I checked and it didn't seem too important. So, I made myself some breakfast and then headed downtown to go to the Vodafone store and the bank. I took the bus up to Paddington and tried to schedule a beauty appointment, but they didn't take walk-ins, so I walked home, in the rain! UGH Watched movies with Lina for the rest of the evening. It feels good to be free!!! Welcome to my mid-semester break!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
September 21
Slept in very late because I didn't get to sleep until 4am again last night. This is the first Tuesday in a while that I haven't had to meet for a group project. Although that will be changing again because we have another group project due in ~1 month!
Class was SUPER boring. Kimi even fell asleep in class. So I took a photo and posted it to facebook.
Then, I came home, took a nap, ate some snacks and finished my paper on baseball! Wheee!!! I finished even earlier than the original due date! Go me!
Class was SUPER boring. Kimi even fell asleep in class. So I took a photo and posted it to facebook.
Then, I came home, took a nap, ate some snacks and finished my paper on baseball! Wheee!!! I finished even earlier than the original due date! Go me!
September 20
I tossed and turned all night until 4am. I think because I'm excited for my mid-semester break that's coming up!! So, I dragged myself out of bed in the morning and went to class. It was pouring rain so not many people showed up. I had to because of a group meeting. So, after class I met with my new group and we divided up the research work. Then I went to the library for a hot second to download a few last articles for my baseball paper. On the way home, I decided to stop in Rosalie to pick up some lunch and a few things from the little grocery store. I scoped out the pastry shop and, feeling particularly happy and thankful to be here with such great roommates, before I knew it, I had bought 3 cookies for us.
Then, time to finish my paper. I have currently written 3,500 words and am still missing a conclusion! I'll have to reduce by about 500+ words tomorrow and edit the thing. I feel pretty good about this paper and thought it was a fairly interesting topic. I guess my procrastinating days are really over if I can finish a paper this early!!
Then, time to finish my paper. I have currently written 3,500 words and am still missing a conclusion! I'll have to reduce by about 500+ words tomorrow and edit the thing. I feel pretty good about this paper and thought it was a fairly interesting topic. I guess my procrastinating days are really over if I can finish a paper this early!!
September 19
Repeat of yesterday (Grad School sucks!)
Slept in, cleaned the house, worked on paper ALL day/night. 2000 words down, almost done! Somewhere in there, I had a good conversation with Jillian about whether love is enough.
Slept in, cleaned the house, worked on paper ALL day/night. 2000 words down, almost done! Somewhere in there, I had a good conversation with Jillian about whether love is enough.
September 18
Slept in late, then worked on my baseball paper ALL day. Read 500+ pages of articles and wrote about 700 words...
September 17
Friday, my group project was due. Luckily I did not have to turn it in, my part was done! Whew... But I went to campus on my day off anyway, because I needed to download some more journal articles for my next assignment on Major League Baseball. I went with Jillian to campus, but halfway there she realized she wanted to go see her boy at the bar he works at, so I quickly went to campus and on my way back, ran into her coming back from the bar! haha. OH well. Then I read a bunch of articles for my paper and we got ready to go out to where else? Our new favorite spot - Fridays! We ate some dinner at Hog's Breath Cafe (Steak and Burger Joint), then headed down for a night of fun. We met some Canadians, flicked a straw in someone's face, thumb-wrestled and then shared a cab home with a new friend, Lauren with whom we discussed how lame Aussie guys are.
September 16
My group-mate, Jane, texted me late on Wednesday night and said there were some problems with our group paper (due on Friday). She asked to meet in the morning, and of course I agreed. So, on Thursday I woke up and headed to campus expecting to have to re-write half the paper over the course of 3 hours. Instead, it wasn't as bad as she had made it seem and just needed us to come together for a little discussion. She finished up referencing and I turned in my paper for my other class that was due today! I had just enough time to grab a bite to eat with Andy and Hans before class!
Here is where we sit to discuss group projects:
Our Monday lecturer was a guest lecturer for our Thursday class, which was kinda cool because we were already familiar with her. She discussed aboriginal tourism in Australia and the class seemed pretty interested in the discrimination of Aboriginals. After class, I met with another group for a different project and went to the library for an hour or so to download a few articles on baseball (for another assignment that is due in just 7 days!) Then I went home and read some of those articles while I waited to get the finished group paper for editing. I received it at 9pm and it took me 4 hours to edit because many of the sentences did not make sense in English and because the paper was TWICE as long as it needed to be. So I had to discriminate what should be cut out from the paper! I couldn't get it under the word limit, so it ended up being 200 words over. Hopefully we don't get punished for this!
Here is where we sit to discuss group projects:
Our Monday lecturer was a guest lecturer for our Thursday class, which was kinda cool because we were already familiar with her. She discussed aboriginal tourism in Australia and the class seemed pretty interested in the discrimination of Aboriginals. After class, I met with another group for a different project and went to the library for an hour or so to download a few articles on baseball (for another assignment that is due in just 7 days!) Then I went home and read some of those articles while I waited to get the finished group paper for editing. I received it at 9pm and it took me 4 hours to edit because many of the sentences did not make sense in English and because the paper was TWICE as long as it needed to be. So I had to discriminate what should be cut out from the paper! I couldn't get it under the word limit, so it ended up being 200 words over. Hopefully we don't get punished for this!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
September 15
Made myself a delicious breakfast, then went to class. When I transferred buses, I hurried across the street at mu usual power-walk. I saw a guy on a bike, looked at him through my shades, and just as I passed him, I realized why he looked a little familiar. I'm not sure, but I think it was Pancakes!! Ahh!! He was looking at me the entire time. But I just walked by, neither of us said anything to each other. Awkward. haha. At least I looked pretty hot today!
Then to class, which was boring as usual. I'm the only one that talks in class. After saying things twice, I decided not to offer up anything the third time she asked something and the entire room was dead. During the break, the teacher came up and asked me when the assignment was due. I said, Friday, RIGHT??? Why on earth would she be asking ME?! Jane said I should've told her a different date! haha Oh well.
Anyway, then home to work on my paper except I was VERY distracted, so it took a long time. But I finished just as the girls came home from the market with some fresh veggies. Then we watched a movie and lounged around for the evening.
Then to class, which was boring as usual. I'm the only one that talks in class. After saying things twice, I decided not to offer up anything the third time she asked something and the entire room was dead. During the break, the teacher came up and asked me when the assignment was due. I said, Friday, RIGHT??? Why on earth would she be asking ME?! Jane said I should've told her a different date! haha Oh well.
Anyway, then home to work on my paper except I was VERY distracted, so it took a long time. But I finished just as the girls came home from the market with some fresh veggies. Then we watched a movie and lounged around for the evening.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
September 13
Slept in as late as I could, then rolled out of bed for a writing workshop class...
Then came home, talked to my mom, napped, ate lunch and worked on my paper. Jillian made a delicious steak and potatoes and worked on her paper.
Then came home, talked to my mom, napped, ate lunch and worked on my paper. Jillian made a delicious steak and potatoes and worked on her paper.
Monday, September 13, 2010
September 12
Sunday, I procrastinated for most of the day and then got some work done in the afternoon and evening. Almost done with my 2nd assignment about Audi Sponsorship. Ugh. I have to write the conclusion and maybe a few hundred more words. Then I'll have to focus on my group assignment due at the end of this week! Ahhh. TOO MUCH
Lina was very lethargic today, spent the whole day in her room, which is SOO unlike her. I was worried. I called the Poison Information line, but then didn't seem to think it was anything to concern about. The really deadly spiders produce more serious symptoms and the non-threatening ones usually have the symptoms subside after a couple hours. Oh well.
Lina was very lethargic today, spent the whole day in her room, which is SOO unlike her. I was worried. I called the Poison Information line, but then didn't seem to think it was anything to concern about. The really deadly spiders produce more serious symptoms and the non-threatening ones usually have the symptoms subside after a couple hours. Oh well.
September 11
Supposed to work on my other two papers today, but ended up procrastinating all day with Lina. We sat around in our pjs and napped and watched movies, etc. Didn't even leave the house! Pretty sad.
Lina got bitten by a spider and it was kind of painful. She said she felt a little nauseous and had a pounding headache later, but neither of us thought it was serious enough. Probably a mild spider, not one of the super deadly ones.
Lina got bitten by a spider and it was kind of painful. She said she felt a little nauseous and had a pounding headache later, but neither of us thought it was serious enough. Probably a mild spider, not one of the super deadly ones.
September 10
Friday, the day that my first paper is due! I read through it once in the morning for edits and then headed off to campus to print and turn it in. 2,645 words (not including exec summary, ToC, Tables or references). 12 pages. $3.32 to print the whole thing in color. UGH. What a rip-off. Anyway, I walked it over and proudly deposited it into the little slot. I should've taken a photo of this slot. It felt a little weird to submit it to a slot. Are you sure that's gonna make it? And it's not just gonna disappear into some mysterious place, never to be seen again? Oh well. I worked my ass off on this paper, hopefully I get a good grade. I have two more due next week, but I decided to take the night off.
Jillian and Lina and I got all dressed up and went to Sutra, at the Performing Arts Center. It was very cool and I thought halfway through it, MAN I'm soo lucky to be here with two amazing girls that enjoy similar things and what a blessed experience I am having. Here's a video of what it's like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_cMBDeIGAE
Before the show, we went to an Irish Pub to hang out with this guy Jillian's kinda been seeing. He's really cute and very smart, but the best thing I like about him is that we can tell he's crazy about her. He couldn't take his eyes off her, asked us all about her, what her flaws are, etc. And was even willing to let us grill him for a bit. He seems to treat her well, so I am very happy that she has something good in her life right now. She deserves it and I wish she saw that more. But I guess we all have doubts about ourselves sometimes.
Then after the show, Jillian went back to the Irish Pub and Lina and I went to Fridays. We ended up hanging out with an entire Rugby team. We also found a pretty cute bartender who poured extra alcohol and didn't charge as much!! Whoo. He was from Columbia. I got all excited when he said this because Lina is too. Haha, anyway.. After a couple of slightly embarrassing moments, we ended up talking to a semi-pro footie team (AFL). One of them was quite possibly the hottest guy I've ever seen in real life. He told me some little white lies, some shit about being a Lord from Portugal. I was gullible (read: drunk). Anyway, too bad they were 23 and kind of boring to talk to. Lina and I got bored enough to head home around 2am.
Jillian and Lina and I got all dressed up and went to Sutra, at the Performing Arts Center. It was very cool and I thought halfway through it, MAN I'm soo lucky to be here with two amazing girls that enjoy similar things and what a blessed experience I am having. Here's a video of what it's like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_cMBDeIGAE
Before the show, we went to an Irish Pub to hang out with this guy Jillian's kinda been seeing. He's really cute and very smart, but the best thing I like about him is that we can tell he's crazy about her. He couldn't take his eyes off her, asked us all about her, what her flaws are, etc. And was even willing to let us grill him for a bit. He seems to treat her well, so I am very happy that she has something good in her life right now. She deserves it and I wish she saw that more. But I guess we all have doubts about ourselves sometimes.
Then after the show, Jillian went back to the Irish Pub and Lina and I went to Fridays. We ended up hanging out with an entire Rugby team. We also found a pretty cute bartender who poured extra alcohol and didn't charge as much!! Whoo. He was from Columbia. I got all excited when he said this because Lina is too. Haha, anyway.. After a couple of slightly embarrassing moments, we ended up talking to a semi-pro footie team (AFL). One of them was quite possibly the hottest guy I've ever seen in real life. He told me some little white lies, some shit about being a Lord from Portugal. I was gullible (read: drunk). Anyway, too bad they were 23 and kind of boring to talk to. Lina and I got bored enough to head home around 2am.
September 9
Another day of class and studying in the library. This time I ate lunch in class and then straight to the library until 8pm. But finally finished my first big assignment! Phew! I know so much about Dubai now.. Also, I curiously found this in the bathroom, posted on the door of the stall:
I mean, should I be worried that people here don't know how to go to the bathroom properly?! Is it really necessary to have step by step instruction?
September 8
Another guest lecturer! Do my professors just get another people to do their job for them?! Sometimes I wonder. Anyway, after class I ate a quick lunch and then went straight to the Library to study. I usually go to the Bio Library because it's open late. I went to the 4th floor (silent floor) and found a lounge for Postgraduates Only. I felt like the big man on campus with such exclusivity! I finally know why there are such things. It's because we have so much work to do that they want to guarantee that we have a quiet, computer space to work. Unfortunately, there is no enforcement, so half the people in there are probably undergrads. Anyway, I stayed there for 6.5 hours, until 9pm then staggered home on one of the last buses.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
September 7
Woke up feeling like shit because I stayed up until 1am working on a group project. My morning only got worse. Lots of discussion with a friend, and reading a long email from my mom put me in a pretty bad mood. Luckily Jillian was there with breakfast and a friendly ear. =) Thank goodness my roommates are so good to me! I don't know what I would do without them. Then, headed to a group meeting where my input was crap because my brain was so fried. Then class with lame guest lecturer again. At least he's better than our monotonous regular professor. Then library for an hour or so to study and make up for lost time the other day when my USB broke temporarily. Then home and off to a movie with the girls. Much needed girl time. The movie theater (like all of them here) serves alcohol and food in the theater, so we got a bottle of wine. The theater had really plush seats, so swanky!! The movie was pretty bad, though. Oh well. At least it was a distraction for a while. Which is all I needed. I'm freaking out a little bit about my upcoming papers that are all due very soon!! I don't know how I can work if I'm studying ALL the time. =(
September 6
My class had a field trip today! We went to MovieWorld on the Gold Coast. It's called "Hollywood of the Gold Coast". Very cheesy. And like a miniature version of Universal Studios. With like 6 roller coasters. Lame. So I had to wake up early, go to the bus, called a few classmates to make sure everyone made it to the bus on time, and then we traveled for an hour. Once there, we were split and half the people went into a lecture, the 2nd half had a later lecture. I was in the 2nd group, so we immediately ran for the first ride! It was a Batman ride (like Drop Zone). Quite fun, but we immediately paired off into groups. I hung out with Manuel, Antonella, and Willy (the WINNING team for our awesome water bottles!) After we went on the Batman 2 ride, which was like a really janky version of Star Tours. We all laughed at it and were disappointed we wasted 20 minutes in line!
Then we had our lecture, which lasted an hour and a half!! It sounds like the company who owns the theme park really has their shit together and are great managers, but what was the point!? Anyway, by the time we got out, it was already almost 1pm and we only had until 3pm!! So we decided to forgo lunch to squeeze in some rides! We went to their version of Splash Mountain and got SOAKING wet. Then went over to Lethal Weapon (read: Top Gun!) That one was great, but hurt my head a little bit. Then over to Scooby Doo's Scary Coaster, but after waiting in line for 5 minutes, they were having technical difficulties, so we left. We tried to go to Superman, but they closed it, too! Very annoying. Then, we went back to Scooby Doo and found some other friends in line and cut with them. It was in the dark and kinda fun for being so silly. We got out just in time to head back to the bus, so I got a sandwich because I was starving and ate it on the way to the bus!
Had a good conversation with Andy and Willy on the way back to Brisbane about colleges in their own countries (Korea and Spain) and why they came here. When I got back to campus, I studied in the library for a bit, but my USB drive broke and needed to be reformatted and then refused to reformat, so I basically wasted my time. It sucked. Went home feeling a little defeated. Made some dinner and then worked on a group project until 1am. =(
Here are some photos from MovieWorld:
I love that I have met so many people of different nationalities. My favorite people are in the photo above: Jane (Thailand), Antonella (Italy), Willy (Spain), Andy (Korea), me (USA) and Manuel (Mexico). Not pictured is Hans from Taiwan!
Then we had our lecture, which lasted an hour and a half!! It sounds like the company who owns the theme park really has their shit together and are great managers, but what was the point!? Anyway, by the time we got out, it was already almost 1pm and we only had until 3pm!! So we decided to forgo lunch to squeeze in some rides! We went to their version of Splash Mountain and got SOAKING wet. Then went over to Lethal Weapon (read: Top Gun!) That one was great, but hurt my head a little bit. Then over to Scooby Doo's Scary Coaster, but after waiting in line for 5 minutes, they were having technical difficulties, so we left. We tried to go to Superman, but they closed it, too! Very annoying. Then, we went back to Scooby Doo and found some other friends in line and cut with them. It was in the dark and kinda fun for being so silly. We got out just in time to head back to the bus, so I got a sandwich because I was starving and ate it on the way to the bus!
Had a good conversation with Andy and Willy on the way back to Brisbane about colleges in their own countries (Korea and Spain) and why they came here. When I got back to campus, I studied in the library for a bit, but my USB drive broke and needed to be reformatted and then refused to reformat, so I basically wasted my time. It sucked. Went home feeling a little defeated. Made some dinner and then worked on a group project until 1am. =(
Here are some photos from MovieWorld:
Sunday, September 5, 2010
September 5
I woke up with the worst hangover of my life this morning. Took a bath, drank lots of water and napped it off in the morning. During my nap, I was awakened by Lina's scream! She moved a dish in the sink and a spider jumped at her. It was about 3 inches in diameter, the biggest spider she and I had ever seen!!
Together, we just stared at it and screamed for a while. Then I got a glass and tried to trap it, but got scared, so Lina did it. And it was jumping all over the glass! Pretty scary. Then we agreed to let it outside. It seemed too big to kill. It was hairy and had teeth! UGH. But most importantly, we have NO idea how it got inside!! Gross. Luckily Jillian wasn't home or she would've freaked out and might have decided to move. Supposedly, they come inside when it rains, so maybe that's why.I looked it up and I'm pretty sure that it was a Huntsman Spider, they eat cockroaches! Crazy.
Then we worked on our papers for the rest of the afternoon and evening! I'm getting pretty sick of spending all my days studying! And I'm no where close to being done with all of the reports I have to write. Complete with graphs, charts, etc, my 2,500 word paper just turned into 10 pages!! It's a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. Oh well. Summer break is getting sweeter by the minute. I just don't know how I'll be able to have a job during this.
Together, we just stared at it and screamed for a while. Then I got a glass and tried to trap it, but got scared, so Lina did it. And it was jumping all over the glass! Pretty scary. Then we agreed to let it outside. It seemed too big to kill. It was hairy and had teeth! UGH. But most importantly, we have NO idea how it got inside!! Gross. Luckily Jillian wasn't home or she would've freaked out and might have decided to move. Supposedly, they come inside when it rains, so maybe that's why.I looked it up and I'm pretty sure that it was a Huntsman Spider, they eat cockroaches! Crazy.
Then we worked on our papers for the rest of the afternoon and evening! I'm getting pretty sick of spending all my days studying! And I'm no where close to being done with all of the reports I have to write. Complete with graphs, charts, etc, my 2,500 word paper just turned into 10 pages!! It's a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. Oh well. Summer break is getting sweeter by the minute. I just don't know how I'll be able to have a job during this.
September 4
On Saturday, we studied for most of the day, writing papers. Lina got invited to a classmate's house for dinner and Jillian got invited to watch fireworks at her friend's place. I went with Jillian so we could see RiverFire. RiverFire is the kick-off ceremony of the Brisbane Festival. They shoot fireworks from the buildings and bridges along the river and F111's fly overhead and do a dump and burn. They said this year was the last year they were going to do the dump and burn, but they also said that last year, so who knows. We watched from a rooftop along Coronation Drive, and then played poker $5 buy in. I was one of the last 3, but down pretty much the whole time. Jillian and I bought a bottle of Smirnoff and finished it between the two of us!! Lina met us at the party and then we took a taxi home.
Here's a cheesy video that shows what RiverFire is all about:
Here's a cheesy video that shows what RiverFire is all about:
Friday, September 3, 2010
September 3
Stayed up late talking on the phone, so I slept in this morning. By the time we got around to doing anything, we decided to figure out our Thailand trip. Something like FIVE hours later, we finally booked tickets. Some stuff got all fucked up, suffice to say Jillian and I are going to Phuket on Oct. 31 and Lina is coming on Nov. 3rd. Then we'll go to some islands and relax for a week, head up to Bangkok, then Chiang Mai. Lina will leave on Nov. 21st and Jillian and I will depart on Nov. 23rd.
The other thing I booked was my flight back to the states. I will have a crazy November 23rd and 24th. Flying from Bangkok to Brisbane on the 24th, get to Brisbane at 8:35am, switch luggage with Lina who will meet me at the airport, then get on the noon flight to LA, arrive in LA at 7am on the 24th... Then I think I'll be flying out that night for Philadelphia! Wow, what a day...
Since we used up our whole day booking reservations, we did not go out tonight. We are staying in and writing papers and laughing about squeaky barstools and Banjo running into glass doors. We do crack ourselves up pretty frequently and I am happy to have these girls in my life!
The other thing I booked was my flight back to the states. I will have a crazy November 23rd and 24th. Flying from Bangkok to Brisbane on the 24th, get to Brisbane at 8:35am, switch luggage with Lina who will meet me at the airport, then get on the noon flight to LA, arrive in LA at 7am on the 24th... Then I think I'll be flying out that night for Philadelphia! Wow, what a day...
Since we used up our whole day booking reservations, we did not go out tonight. We are staying in and writing papers and laughing about squeaky barstools and Banjo running into glass doors. We do crack ourselves up pretty frequently and I am happy to have these girls in my life!
September 2
Felt kinda blue this morning (don't know why), so I moped around the house for a while. Then made some breakfast and headed to Paddington to pick up a package. It was my sweatshirt! Yay. I talked to the woman at the post office. She was from Glasgow, Scotland! I asked her when and why she moved here. She said she moved here 28 years ago and her husband and her were deciding between South Africa and here, but chose here because they didn't like the apartheid. They thought the discrimination and segregation was wrong. I challenged her and asked how she felt about the treatment of aboriginals here in Australia. She said that it's a shame what the government did, some have been able to overcome it, some deserve the treatment because they are not trying to overcome it.. She raised her son to treat everyone equally, but ultimately it's up to the individual if they rise above discrimination.
By then, she was getting a line, so I went on my merry way and waited for the next bus. Just then I saw a little toddler run into the middle of the street. At first I was in shock, then I took action and ran after her. I could hear her mom running and calling her, but she was already IN the street. Luckily no cars were around, but I reached her and then the mom came right after me. Pretty scary!!
On campus, I went to the library and returned some books, then headed to class. We learned about how tourism can decrease poverty in places like Cambodia. It was pretty boring. Then I went straight to the library and tried to study for a few hours. I say tried because I was distracted by a couple of friends and then wasn't very successful in my search for statistics. I left around 6pm, as it was getting dark, but then realized I had left my purse in class!!! So, I went back to the lecture hall and luckily there was no lecture going on, and my purse was right where I had left it! Phew!! I lucked out big time. Went home and cooked some dinner and then discussed our Thailand trip with the girls until late. We are still undecided about it, but are currently thinking of splitting it up so we don't have to try to cram everything in at once. That means less time in the states, though, which makes a few of my friends unhappy.
By then, she was getting a line, so I went on my merry way and waited for the next bus. Just then I saw a little toddler run into the middle of the street. At first I was in shock, then I took action and ran after her. I could hear her mom running and calling her, but she was already IN the street. Luckily no cars were around, but I reached her and then the mom came right after me. Pretty scary!!
On campus, I went to the library and returned some books, then headed to class. We learned about how tourism can decrease poverty in places like Cambodia. It was pretty boring. Then I went straight to the library and tried to study for a few hours. I say tried because I was distracted by a couple of friends and then wasn't very successful in my search for statistics. I left around 6pm, as it was getting dark, but then realized I had left my purse in class!!! So, I went back to the lecture hall and luckily there was no lecture going on, and my purse was right where I had left it! Phew!! I lucked out big time. Went home and cooked some dinner and then discussed our Thailand trip with the girls until late. We are still undecided about it, but are currently thinking of splitting it up so we don't have to try to cram everything in at once. That means less time in the states, though, which makes a few of my friends unhappy.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
September 1
Had a good morning, made breakfast and chatted with Jillian while I waited for the bus. Then I lost track of time and realized that the bus departed 1 minute ago!! I rushed out of the house hoping that the bus was late (as usual), ran across the dangerous street and saw the bus in the circle. I chased it down and it started to leave, but saw me and the nice lady driver stopped to let me on. Thank goodness. Here's a photo I accidentally took of the street while I was running:
Then I met Jane in the library and we asked some EndNote questions about referencing websites using Harvard style. It's a good thing we talked to her, because she told us that we should download the updated Harvard referencing style that UQ uses. We could've been using the wrong style for our papers! Then we went to class and the guest lecturer was really boring. He kept going off on tangent stories that the regular professor was just eating up. They were all about how tough the events industry is. Thanks, already knew that it's hard work!! I checked out a couple of books from the library, got my library late fee waived by acting like a dumb blonde "Oh, I was supposed to turn it in over there??" and then decided to study at home for the evening. This was a dumb idea. I'm never as productive at home as I am in the library. But oh well.
As I was heading to bed, I DROPPED my laptop!! Jillian saw the computer chips on the floor and her eyes got big, but I knew it was just the USB drive that was broken. I spent the next 30 minutes trying to hold the chip and USB plug in the computer so that I could get files off it, but it didn't work. I even tried to make connections using tin foil! But it's dead. Luckily my papers were not on the USB drive. It was only my EndNote Library. Which is still pretty big, because I had about 70 references on there. It's gonna take a bit of time to try to replace them. =( Oh well. Could've been worse... My computer is OK and my papers are OK.
Here's the broken pieces:
Then I met Jane in the library and we asked some EndNote questions about referencing websites using Harvard style. It's a good thing we talked to her, because she told us that we should download the updated Harvard referencing style that UQ uses. We could've been using the wrong style for our papers! Then we went to class and the guest lecturer was really boring. He kept going off on tangent stories that the regular professor was just eating up. They were all about how tough the events industry is. Thanks, already knew that it's hard work!! I checked out a couple of books from the library, got my library late fee waived by acting like a dumb blonde "Oh, I was supposed to turn it in over there??" and then decided to study at home for the evening. This was a dumb idea. I'm never as productive at home as I am in the library. But oh well.
As I was heading to bed, I DROPPED my laptop!! Jillian saw the computer chips on the floor and her eyes got big, but I knew it was just the USB drive that was broken. I spent the next 30 minutes trying to hold the chip and USB plug in the computer so that I could get files off it, but it didn't work. I even tried to make connections using tin foil! But it's dead. Luckily my papers were not on the USB drive. It was only my EndNote Library. Which is still pretty big, because I had about 70 references on there. It's gonna take a bit of time to try to replace them. =( Oh well. Could've been worse... My computer is OK and my papers are OK.
Here's the broken pieces:
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
August 31
Made delicious breakfast, then headed to campus to meet with my group. Manuel was very late, so we started without him and when he finally showed, he was really dressed up. I said to him, "Uhh, you know the Meet the Industry Leaders thing is tomorrow, right?" He said, Dammit!! I guess he thought today was Sept 1st and I had to tell him it wasn't. We met in the School of Journalism and there happened to be free sandwiches from some of the faculty. Surprise! Free Lunch. I love it.
Anyway, then we went to class which was boring as usual because our lecturer has this monotone voice. After class, I decided to get some good studying in, so I went over to the graduate business and law library and studied for a few hours until it was dark. Then I headed home on the bus, just in time to meet Lina to take the 7:30pm bus home. We sat down next to her bus crush, who had avoided her in the morning! Hah. Little did he know, we also catch the same bus home. We made small talk and hoped to smooth things over with him so that he wouldn't ignore us and have it be awkward if we see him again.
Here's a scene from campus, near my class, in the late afternoon sun:
Making lots of progress on my assignments that are due soon!
Anyway, then we went to class which was boring as usual because our lecturer has this monotone voice. After class, I decided to get some good studying in, so I went over to the graduate business and law library and studied for a few hours until it was dark. Then I headed home on the bus, just in time to meet Lina to take the 7:30pm bus home. We sat down next to her bus crush, who had avoided her in the morning! Hah. Little did he know, we also catch the same bus home. We made small talk and hoped to smooth things over with him so that he wouldn't ignore us and have it be awkward if we see him again.
Here's a scene from campus, near my class, in the late afternoon sun:
Making lots of progress on my assignments that are due soon!
Monday, August 30, 2010
August 30
Ok, so I had a little freak out this morning because I realized my first big paper is due in 10 days! Ahh! I need to focus because I have one due on Sept 10, another on Sept 14, and another on Sept 15th...Class was good, but I realized I am becoming the teacher's pet. I sent her a list of things to do in LA, and she came up and personally thanked me before class. Then, because we had a group thing in class last week, there was a little prize and my group won! I got a UQ water bottle, which is actually just what I needed.. Then I must've raised my hand like 5 times in class. UGH. The rest of the students must hate me because I'm becoming THAT person.
Anyway, then I had a mini freak out about some personal issues that took my focus for about 40 minutes of prime library study time. Luckily, my brain's spin cycle was interrupted and I realized it is best to just leave some things alone and not cause unnecessary drama. So, I studied in the library for a bit, decided on the topic for my assignment due on Sept 24th, and then went home. Instead of studying there, I talked to friends and family for a long time and then power-napped. Tried to study, ate dinner, etc. Michael left for Cambodia today, so we have the house to ourselves (and dog-sitting duties) for the next few weeks.
I saw a movie preview for a chick flick that I want to see, although I already know it's gonna remind me a little too much of my current situation. Last night, I watched Breakfast at Tiffany's for the first time in a while and realized with sadness that it's not my favorite movie anymore. I no longer believe that people can't belong to each other, and I don't feel as flighty as she does anymore. I am sad that I don't relate to her character anymore, because it is such a romantic idea, but then again, maybe this is a sign that I'm actually growing up. I'm not a scared, helpless little girl anymore. Don't worry. Taming of the Shrew still applies to me. I am still waiting for someone to force me out of my stubborn pride. Haha
Anyway, then I had a mini freak out about some personal issues that took my focus for about 40 minutes of prime library study time. Luckily, my brain's spin cycle was interrupted and I realized it is best to just leave some things alone and not cause unnecessary drama. So, I studied in the library for a bit, decided on the topic for my assignment due on Sept 24th, and then went home. Instead of studying there, I talked to friends and family for a long time and then power-napped. Tried to study, ate dinner, etc. Michael left for Cambodia today, so we have the house to ourselves (and dog-sitting duties) for the next few weeks.
I saw a movie preview for a chick flick that I want to see, although I already know it's gonna remind me a little too much of my current situation. Last night, I watched Breakfast at Tiffany's for the first time in a while and realized with sadness that it's not my favorite movie anymore. I no longer believe that people can't belong to each other, and I don't feel as flighty as she does anymore. I am sad that I don't relate to her character anymore, because it is such a romantic idea, but then again, maybe this is a sign that I'm actually growing up. I'm not a scared, helpless little girl anymore. Don't worry. Taming of the Shrew still applies to me. I am still waiting for someone to force me out of my stubborn pride. Haha
August 29
I was really hoping to go lay out on the beach, but it was windy, so instead we went to the swap meet. Then headed to the mall for a bit of shopping and lunch, and to some Outlet stores. Then decided we should head back to Brisbane. I drove for most of it. Quite a different experience on the other side of the road, especially in a stick shift. It's especially weird trying to shift with your other hand, and turn signals, and looking up at the mirrors on your other side, etc. It's hard not to drift to the left of your lane out of habit. So the whole time I was concentrating on staying in the right part of the lane. When we got to the city, it was a bit of a different story. I was OK if I knew where I was going, but it's easy to get flustered when you are trying to figure out where to turn, shift, turn signals, but instead hit the windshield wipers, etc. Oh well, we made it, unscathed.
Then we planned out our Thailand trip a bit, so hopefully we can book tickets soon!!
Then we planned out our Thailand trip a bit, so hopefully we can book tickets soon!!
August 28
Slept in as much as we could, then asked Michael if we could borrow his car to go to the Gold Coast. He said yes, and after a nerve-wracking test drive with Lina, he handed over the keys! We got there around 4pm and sat on the beach for a second before the sun went down. Then ate some dinner, dyed Lina's hair, and watched The Notebook. We were passed out by 10pm on a Saturday night! Amazing..
August 27
Studied all day and then we went out to Fridays with Michael. Fridays on Fri is MUCH better than Fridays on a Wed!!! It was PACKED. We had a few happy hour drinks and then went to dinner nearby at an Asian restaurant. Then back to Fridays, without Michael, for the rest of the night. Lina has been telling us about this guy she sees everyday on the bus, and we saw him in the club. We started laughing because it was such a small world, so then they started laughing. We thought, he must recognize her too! So, we went over there and struck up a conversation, but he did NOT know her from the bus, so instead it was a pretty rocky ice breaker. Oh well, it ended up working out because we chatted with them for the rest of the night and he had some pretty good looking friends. They bought us drinks so many drinks that we lost count, we danced, exchanged shoes, etc. And finally shared a cab home (since he lives close to us)! But, he had a roommate, so we ended up walking to our house (because I invited them over without thinking). It was already 4am! So, then they just crashed on our couches and we went to sleep sometime around 5:30am. Lina did not get ANY sleep because they were snoring so loudly by her room. We will definitely be going back to Fridays. It was better than the West End and better than the Valley!
Photos of the housemates and me with this guy Mitch, who we got to trade shoes with Jillian!
Photos of the housemates and me with this guy Mitch, who we got to trade shoes with Jillian!
August 26
Woke up and my computer wasn't working. Apparently, it was blocked from the internet. I spent two hours in the morning trying to fix it. Finally gave up because I was freaking out so much that I decided to take it to a repair shop. Jillian, Lina and I went to brunch at Pando's in Paddington and I gave the computer guys my computer. They happened to be from Minnesota and Canada. I have no idea how I manage to run into every single hockey fan on this continent, but somehow I do! Anyway, brunch at Pando's, then I rushed off to class feeling like the day was already going badly. I made it just in time for class and the professor was discussing how our paper's have to be written by a membership organization. I had wanted to write about Dubai, but all tourist organizations there are government-owned, therefore I cannot write from the standpoint of a private org!! Ugh. So, went home and studied for the rest of the evening!
While waiting for the bus at dusk, I took this photo of the 4X brewery across the street. I could smell the hops or brewery or whatever.
While waiting for the bus at dusk, I took this photo of the 4X brewery across the street. I could smell the hops or brewery or whatever.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
August 25
Received an email from someone I interviewed with at the beginning of the year. Apparently the new concert venue in Long Beach had some fights in court and now won't be opening up after all. Too bad because the guy was hand-picking me for job as General Manager. Sigh. I guess it wasn't meant to be because now I'm here, in Australia. Maybe one day our paths will cross again and something will come of it. He seemed like a pretty cool guy. I didn't get much sleep on Tuesday night, so I slept in late on Wednesday and then trotted off to class. Came home and Lina wanted to celebrate finishing her big paper, so we headed out to drinks downtown at Fridays. Because it was a Wednesday, it was dead. But we had happy hour drinks and a delicious steak!
Then we decided to go to Casablanca because it was Salsa night. But it was a class with like a dozen 35-40 year olds... We watched anyway, then watched a Merengue class, then it was "social dance". A bunch of people tried to dance with me, and I finally got off the wall enough to try a few moves, but it's so hard because I am still so new to it. I was very nervous and kept making squeals when being turned. Like "I know I'm gonna mess up!!" Anyway, I still had a lot of fun, so maybe I'll go WAY outside my element and start salsa lessons... We took the last bus home and passed out.
Then we decided to go to Casablanca because it was Salsa night. But it was a class with like a dozen 35-40 year olds... We watched anyway, then watched a Merengue class, then it was "social dance". A bunch of people tried to dance with me, and I finally got off the wall enough to try a few moves, but it's so hard because I am still so new to it. I was very nervous and kept making squeals when being turned. Like "I know I'm gonna mess up!!" Anyway, I still had a lot of fun, so maybe I'll go WAY outside my element and start salsa lessons... We took the last bus home and passed out.
August 24
Met with my group for our group project on Edinburgh. We really work well together and seem to be so on top of this project. I'm very lucky to have such good group members. Manuel, our Mexican contingent, loaded his computer and had a mess of photos on his desktop. We asked them what they were and he told us sheepishly that it was his Vision Board. We then made him explain what a Vision Board is and he said it's basically a visualization of all his life goals. We all thought it was pretty cool and decided to make one for ourselves! Here is mine:
Another guest lecture in class today. Sometimes I feel like everything I've done in my life so far (studying marketing, work experience in events) has led me to Event Sponsorship Management. Too bad I dislike doing that, because it's the perfect mix of marketing and events. I just have to remember how much I didn't like ignition, when I worked for them. Maybe they aren't all like that, though.
Another guest lecture in class today. Sometimes I feel like everything I've done in my life so far (studying marketing, work experience in events) has led me to Event Sponsorship Management. Too bad I dislike doing that, because it's the perfect mix of marketing and events. I just have to remember how much I didn't like ignition, when I worked for them. Maybe they aren't all like that, though.
Monday, August 23, 2010
August 23
Rainy day, went to class, then studied for 4 hours in the library with no lunch break. Met Lina on my way back from class and we went to the store with our new friend, Andrea. Andrea is a waiter at our favorite Greek restaurant. He is from Italia and calls me Katarina. His accent is so beautiful Italian, it sounds like he sings every sentence. He offered to come cook an Italian dinner for us and how could we resist. He told us about all of his travels and different jobs from DJ to scuba instructor to rent-a-chef. We were just enamored with everything he said and gobbled up his words that were as delicious as his dinner. 3 bottles of vino, lots of cheese, and several hours later, we ate Linguine Ragu, Smashed Potatoes, and Pork with a cream sauce that was still pink and juicy. Lina and Jillian walked him to the train station and I read some journal articles for a group assignment.
I am so happy that once I am finished with this, we will have great friends from all over the world! Andrea is so sweet and we are excited to go visit him in Cairns when he moves there to do teach scuba!
I am so happy that once I am finished with this, we will have great friends from all over the world! Andrea is so sweet and we are excited to go visit him in Cairns when he moves there to do teach scuba!
August 22
Not much to say on Sunday. All three of us studied ALL day and didn't leave the house. Grad School is a lot more researching than I have ever done before. Jillian had a minor breakdown about one of her papers. Lina had one the 2nd week. I'm sure my breakdown is imminent!!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
August 21
Saturdays are turning into study days. I spent the morning researching flights for our Thailand trip in November, and then doing quite a bit of studying to try to get on top of my 4 reports due in September. We ordered pizza and Lina and I took a break from studying to get some Baskin Robbins. FINALLY I got my milkshake (thickshake) that I've been craving so much!! It was worth it. Then we came back and Michael had brought over the coordinator in Cambodia that we will probably go volunteer with when we go over there. And Michael's dad and dad's wife came by and checked out our digs, so I was VERY relieved that we had cleaned yesterday! Phew.
I can't tell you how relieved I am that the three of us get along so well. I don't think we could've planned it any better if we had tried! We joked before we left that with our majors (Public Health, International Relations, and Event Management) that we had a healer, peace-maker, and planner. But as time goes on, it couldn't be more accurate. There are times when I feel like two of us get along better than others, but that two-some always seems to change. Sometimes Lina and I get a little too overbearing and boisterous for Jillian, sometimes Jillian and I are too picky and need help with fashion/hair/etc, sometimes Jillian and Lina discuss friends I don't know because they have a longer history together, sometimes Jillian and I discuss Philanthro, sometimes Lina and I go nuts and start rearranging the furniture! Somehow, it works out well. Lina is a Leo, I'm a Sagittarius, Jillian's a Scorpio. That means Lina and I are both fire signs and get along very well because we think alike and are assertive. Jillian keeps cool, stays back and let's us take over. Today, I also looked up our Chinese horoscopes. Jillian and I are both pigs, Lina is a sheep; compatibly the best match for each other! Of course, we knew this already. Anyway, superstitions and horoscopes aside, we get along very well and haven't had many issues with each other. Sure there are minor annoyances here and there, but generally it is working out better than I could've hoped!
I can't tell you how relieved I am that the three of us get along so well. I don't think we could've planned it any better if we had tried! We joked before we left that with our majors (Public Health, International Relations, and Event Management) that we had a healer, peace-maker, and planner. But as time goes on, it couldn't be more accurate. There are times when I feel like two of us get along better than others, but that two-some always seems to change. Sometimes Lina and I get a little too overbearing and boisterous for Jillian, sometimes Jillian and I are too picky and need help with fashion/hair/etc, sometimes Jillian and Lina discuss friends I don't know because they have a longer history together, sometimes Jillian and I discuss Philanthro, sometimes Lina and I go nuts and start rearranging the furniture! Somehow, it works out well. Lina is a Leo, I'm a Sagittarius, Jillian's a Scorpio. That means Lina and I are both fire signs and get along very well because we think alike and are assertive. Jillian keeps cool, stays back and let's us take over. Today, I also looked up our Chinese horoscopes. Jillian and I are both pigs, Lina is a sheep; compatibly the best match for each other! Of course, we knew this already. Anyway, superstitions and horoscopes aside, we get along very well and haven't had many issues with each other. Sure there are minor annoyances here and there, but generally it is working out better than I could've hoped!
August 20
On Friday, we slept in late and made some breakfast, then spent the early afternoon cleaning our house. I took on the bathrooms, Jillian did the kitchen and floors, Lina dusted and cleaned surfaces. We felt much happier with a clean house. It was raining, so we studied for the afternoon and then headed to the West End for Jillian's favorite Greek restaurant with our favorite Italian waiter, Andrea. Then we hit up a couple bars, but since we were just kinda standing in a group of 3, it wasn't that fun. So, we got home before midnight! haha. I guess this is what it feels like to be old. As we got into the cab, one of the bartenders came rushing out to give me my camera, I had left it on the arm of a chair! I couldn't believe it. That would not have happened in LA! Thank goodness, I'm tired of losing my camera...
Thursday, August 19, 2010
August 19
Woke up dreading the day, but knowing it was the right thing, I pushed myself to get up on-time. I was so used to not having enough time that I left the house a whole hour early. It ended up being a blessing in disguise because it meant that when I got to the pool, it was less crowded, so I could share a lane with someone I could actually keep pace with. Phew! Feeling better after having gotten my exercise out of the way, I went to the computer lab for a very productive 1.5 hours of researching for my paper. I think I found too many journal articles - a first! I am now in love with both Google Scholar and EndNote, a referencing and citation program. Got a quick lunch, checked out a book from the library, and then off to class. I actually enjoyed the topics in class this week (maybe because they were all guest lectures)! Met with my group for a minute and decided on our presentation topic - Volunteer Tourism. Caught the bus downtown and jumped right on the next bus (everything seemed to be going well today!). Then I studied hard for the rest of the evening, engulfing myself in the world of Dubai Tourism for two of my papers. I made a delicious pasta for Lina and I and then back to studying for another hour or so before bed. Whew! What a day.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
August 18
Woke up and made myself the most delicious breakfast sandwich ever: English Muffin, Ham, Tomato, Poached Egg, and Cheese! Yum. I showered and then made some breakfast for Jillian, washed the dishes and decided it was going to be a good day! Bussed to school, in a happy mood and stopped to take some photos by the lake. I met a very curious duck:
And I finally paused to read a bench placed in memory of one "J.J." by a very beautiful tree overlooking the lake:
Class was another guest lecturer, this time a Kiwi who discussed the ROI and Opportunity Cost of hosting an international event, like the Olympics. I thought it was pretty interesting. Anyway, then I headed downtown to go to the bank, buy a Frisbee (!) and shop in the Farmer's Market with Jillian. Home and our internet that was supposed to be fixed today is still slow, so I can't do much research for my papers. Ugh.
And I finally paused to read a bench placed in memory of one "J.J." by a very beautiful tree overlooking the lake:
Class was another guest lecturer, this time a Kiwi who discussed the ROI and Opportunity Cost of hosting an international event, like the Olympics. I thought it was pretty interesting. Anyway, then I headed downtown to go to the bank, buy a Frisbee (!) and shop in the Farmer's Market with Jillian. Home and our internet that was supposed to be fixed today is still slow, so I can't do much research for my papers. Ugh.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
August 17
Woke up because Michael was measuring our windows for curtains, yay! And then Jillian made me some breakfast before I rushed off to school. I met my group to discuss our project on the big quad, in the beaming sun! Then, class time. My classmate from Barcelona asked how to say that you don't want to go to class. I told her it was called skipping, and she wanted to know if there was a more slang way of saying it. So I said, it's called playing hooky. She said, "Well I feel like hooking right now!" I had to tell her that sort of thing is illegal, and means a very different thing than what she wanted. Oh well.
Class was a guest lecturer instead of our usual mono-tone professor. The guest speaker talked very fast and kind of shouted at us. She didn't mean to, but it was a little intense. I'm starting to think I'm the one kid in class who raises their hand every time, because I asked two questions today which I'm sure the lecturer hated.
Class was a guest lecturer instead of our usual mono-tone professor. The guest speaker talked very fast and kind of shouted at us. She didn't mean to, but it was a little intense. I'm starting to think I'm the one kid in class who raises their hand every time, because I asked two questions today which I'm sure the lecturer hated.
August 16
Went to class, which was boring. Sometimes I wonder if I'm really in grad school during my Monday and Thursday classes. We talked about what a system is and then got into a group to draw a diagram of a tourism system. It felt a little rudimentary. Then, I ate lunch and browsed the internet for a bit before I went to meet Lina over at a hospital for a class on EndNote. It's a referencing software program that allows you to automatically insert correct citations and list of references according to the style required. Amazing! Bibliographies used to take 1/2 a day, but now, it's all quick! Took us forever to get home because the buses sucked. I did some homework while Lina tried to make tortillas from scratch. They tasted a lot more like pancakes. Haha Oh well. I read and went to bed early.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
August 15
On Sunday, we all slept in and then worked for the morning. In the late afternoon, we got out of the house and went to lunch and the grocery store for some other essentials. Then back home and helped Jillian with her paper, cooked a lamb roast, and I started planning for our Thailand trip in November.
August 14
On Saturday, we vowed to wake up early and go to the Farmer's Market. Jillian worked on her paper, and Lina and I went to the Market to buy some fresh fruits and veggies. But first, we discovered our ATM cards weren't working. We ate some breakfast downtown while we waited for the bank to open then asked them why our cards were failing. He explained the accounts to us and we understood, so we moved along to the market in the West End. We bought lots of fresh veggies, then headed home to meet up with Jillian. I had some studying to do, so I holed up in my room for the rest of the day. At one point, Michael invited us to walk to the park with him for a study break, so we played on the swings for a bit. Then Lina went to an Aboriginal Film Festival. We called it an early night and that was that.
Here's a photo of Lina and I on this bicycle thing. Michael told us if we both pedaled hard enough, it would move. This was a lie. Jillian had to push us...
Here's a photo of Lina and I on this bicycle thing. Michael told us if we both pedaled hard enough, it would move. This was a lie. Jillian had to push us...
August 13
On Friday, Jillian started working on her paper and I went to go meet up with Pancakes for a 2nd date. We just ended up walking around downtown and napping on some grass in a park. It was pretty cute. But, I wasn't really feeling it as much this time. Maybe it was all the crude jokes and bigotry that started to get to me. It was alright, but I'm not really looking for much more.
I got home and helped Michael and Lina move our new sofa bed into the guest room. Now we can have guests!!! Then, Lina and I rearranged the room to our liking...
Then we discussed going out to Jillian's classmate's barbeque, but by the time we got motivated to go there, it was pretty late. We caught the bus over to Caxton and then another bus to Paddington. All of us were starving, so we took a detour and ate at an Indian place called Punjabi. It was pretty good, but expensive. Then we walked to the friend's place and there wasn't much of a party there. Everyone smoked and I was fading fast. It wasn't my scene at all. So, we caught a cab home.
I got home and helped Michael and Lina move our new sofa bed into the guest room. Now we can have guests!!! Then, Lina and I rearranged the room to our liking...
Then we discussed going out to Jillian's classmate's barbeque, but by the time we got motivated to go there, it was pretty late. We caught the bus over to Caxton and then another bus to Paddington. All of us were starving, so we took a detour and ate at an Indian place called Punjabi. It was pretty good, but expensive. Then we walked to the friend's place and there wasn't much of a party there. Everyone smoked and I was fading fast. It wasn't my scene at all. So, we caught a cab home.
August 12
Thursday, back to classes, but first I signed up for a doctor's appointment to refill my birth control. They didn't have the same one I've been using, so I'm going on a new one. Hopefully it doesn't make me crazed. I warned the girls. Between the appt and class, I did some research in the library and checked out a book! Class was very boring, so I read my book for most of the time. Thursdays are nice, because I get home before the other two girls, so I have some good study time. I received a package from my friend back in the states and felt pretty darn special. That was about it.
August 11
No classes on Wednesday because of Ekka (a public holiday festival in Brisbane).
As I said in the previous post, this morning started out with me waking up in the shower. I cleaned up my room, slept on Lina's floor and made toast while we recapped the horrors of the night with Michael. Then, around noon, we decided to get on with our day's plans and head to the races. Lina was sick and needed to study, so she stayed in. Jillian and I rushed to get clothes on and we took van out to the racetrack for Ekka. Everyone here dresses up for the races and it was a spectacular fashion show of dresses, shoes and hats!! And all the guys looked pretty spiffy, too. Michael won his first race with I Luv Queenslanduh, but then lost the rest. I was feeling pretty shaky the whole time, so I didn't drink and actually ended up getting sick for a bit. Fun Times. On our way back, I parted from the rest of the crew and took the bus home. Jillian continued on for dinner and more drinks to see the Irish off.
As I said in the previous post, this morning started out with me waking up in the shower. I cleaned up my room, slept on Lina's floor and made toast while we recapped the horrors of the night with Michael. Then, around noon, we decided to get on with our day's plans and head to the races. Lina was sick and needed to study, so she stayed in. Jillian and I rushed to get clothes on and we took van out to the racetrack for Ekka. Everyone here dresses up for the races and it was a spectacular fashion show of dresses, shoes and hats!! And all the guys looked pretty spiffy, too. Michael won his first race with I Luv Queenslanduh, but then lost the rest. I was feeling pretty shaky the whole time, so I didn't drink and actually ended up getting sick for a bit. Fun Times. On our way back, I parted from the rest of the crew and took the bus home. Jillian continued on for dinner and more drinks to see the Irish off.
August 10
It was rainy, I was sick and so I went to campus early for a group project meeting. We met in some science building and discussed our project and decided to write about Festivals in Edinburgh. I am very thankful that everyone in my group is so diverse (Mexican, Spanish and Thai) and everyone seems to be a very good student, so I don't think we'll have any slackers. Then, because it was my mom's birthday in the states, I called her and talked her for a while before class. After class, I went downtown in search of a flask and ended up buying some clothes, too. I bought the flask and then realized that I didn't know what time the bus came. If I missed it, I would probably have to wait an hour and I wouldn't be able to afford that and get ready for dinner. Luckily, the bus came 2 minutes after I got to the stop. I went home, showered because I was soaked from the rain, and got ready for the Irish girls' goodbye dinner.
We went to Kings in Chinatown and drank wine that we brought. We played some sort of game to finish all of the wine that was spinning a spoon on the lazy susan. Whoever it landed on had to down their glass of wine. It landed on us several times, so by the time we left, we were feeling pretty good. We went to Jubilee, a bar in the Valley and drank more. This is when things start getting a little hazy for me. I remember talking to a group of guys in tuxes who immediately started making fun of our California accents. I'd had enough of the conversation, so I impolitely pointed out that his fly was down and walked away. Lina laughed in his face and his friends all laughed too. It was the best exit I could've hope for in such a situation. There were other details that I remember less. Suffice to say, I pissed one guy off a lot, left my jacket, and stole an umbrella. Back home, we went into Michael's jacuzzi. I don't remember much after that, just that I woke up in the shower.
I now have a nickname for some of my more aggressive actions of the night, which I will not share, but get teased for just about everyday. I will continue to blame embarrassing things on this said alter-ego for the entirety of my stay down under.
We went to Kings in Chinatown and drank wine that we brought. We played some sort of game to finish all of the wine that was spinning a spoon on the lazy susan. Whoever it landed on had to down their glass of wine. It landed on us several times, so by the time we left, we were feeling pretty good. We went to Jubilee, a bar in the Valley and drank more. This is when things start getting a little hazy for me. I remember talking to a group of guys in tuxes who immediately started making fun of our California accents. I'd had enough of the conversation, so I impolitely pointed out that his fly was down and walked away. Lina laughed in his face and his friends all laughed too. It was the best exit I could've hope for in such a situation. There were other details that I remember less. Suffice to say, I pissed one guy off a lot, left my jacket, and stole an umbrella. Back home, we went into Michael's jacuzzi. I don't remember much after that, just that I woke up in the shower.
I now have a nickname for some of my more aggressive actions of the night, which I will not share, but get teased for just about everyday. I will continue to blame embarrassing things on this said alter-ego for the entirety of my stay down under.
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