Initial Enthusiasm Dampened

So my ''bursting with excitement!!!'' moment is over. And I'm back to reality - which for me lately consists of being depressed about where my life is going. (Seriously - I have such first world troubles!)

I have completed an undergraduate degree, an honours degree, and a post-graduate certificate. And I work part-time in a reception. And what else? Oh, well I play World of Warcraft, and I work on my family tree, but is that what I want to be doing with my life?

I am not studying anymore, so I can no longer get away with the excuse that "I'm waiting for real life to begin" because this is it, folks... This is real life. Me, sitting at my computer lamenting the fact that the people who I apply to for jobs don't get that I actually want to do something more with my life.

This is despite the fact that this is actually all ok - I'm saving up for my big trip OS. I couldn't exactly get a job now and say at the outset "Oh, and I'll need a full month off in July because I'm going to a Harry Potter conference, and then a brief jaunt to the UK and Hong Kong... ok?" That'd be rude. (I know - I could...)

So really I should be making the most of this time of only working 15 hours a week, and filling my life with hobbies, and baking and self-improvement. But unfortunately all these things only have their appeal if you don't have time for them... Such is life.

My suggestions for myself:

Do a short course - you love study, do more of it!

Volunteer work - you'll feel useful!

PAINT - You lazy artist, you.

Write and research - When will you have the time for your brain-crack ideas if you get a full-time job, huh?

Good point self. Good point. Now to attempt to pull self out of funk...

Oh my how time flies.

Wow ... long time no blog eh?

What has happened since... (!!!) October 2010?

• I turned 24 years old.
• I got a brand spankin' new iMac! This was a birthday present from my lovely man... Thank goodness my parents were there or I would have probably done something to show my gratitude right then and there in the living room (with sheer curtains).
• I bought my plane tickets for my Overseas trip this year (I actually can't remember when this happened - but OMG still so excited!)
• I went back to SA in November for the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 - Can I just say, so AMAZING. That movie is the only one where I can say that I absolutely loved it with no reservations. Even the bits that they missed were not important, and the things that they changed actually made it better! Unbelievable!
• I went back to SA again in December for Christmas. It was lovely actually - But made me realise how very different my cousins and I are! All except 2 would barely even make eye contact with me, and I find that very bizarre. Those few hours where all the cousins were there were probably some of the most uncomfortable I've had in a long time!
• I finished my degree - that's number three folks. Yes I am now Amanda Claire Wells B.A., Hons. (Anth.), Grad. Cert. (Crim & Crim. Jus.). Just watch the letters grow!

Then it was new years, then people visited, then ... well, I've done little else but play World of Warcraft and find even more branches to my family tree.

Then there were floods - we were fine. We are just far enough back from the river to have been unaffected, even though we are literally 15 metres from the rivers edge - it is ever so slightly uphill. We watched the boardwalk go under, streets go under, debris (including a restaurant) float past all the while feeling very odd. Everything that you saw on the news just didn't add up with what we could see simply because we were soooo lucky! The whole experience was dream-like.

Which pretty much leads me to now...

Lately I have been feeling very ... lacklustre. Actually downright lost! Having a part-time job is not conducive to feeling productive. And when I have exhausted my enthusiasm for my hobbies (Genealogy and WoW), I really don't have anything left to do.

I have been seriously contemplating doing further study just to occupy my mind and make me feel useful again...

Then today, while listening to a literary analysis of the Harry Potter series via Podcasts various, it hit me - why the hell can't I write a book or even article about Harry Potter from my own perspective? Why can't I apply anthropological theory and concepts to Harry Potter? Sure, the time for this sort of book is past - 2 or 3 years ago would have been perfect. But lets be honest here, I would not be doing this for money or fame. I would be doing this because I need to do this.

I am defined by many things in my mind. One of those things is my love of study and academia. Another of those things is my passion for Harry Potter. So many people do not understand this - but Harry Potter is so very much more than just a children's book series. Yes, it is that. But it is also an epic narrative about love, death, change and choice - how universal is that?

The world created in these novels is so intricate that I could use that as a way of illuminating western Culture in general - but even better, the popularity of the books and particularly the fandom (which has its strongest foothold on the internet) makes for a wonderful application of anthropological theory and themes...

BURSTING WITH EXCITEMENT.

I've already started to brainstorm, and I've even sourced several books I can read (apart from the canon of course!) to help me on my way.

That's my life in a nutshell! I live in an apartment that I rarely leave with Nathaniel, my iMac and the internet. Doesn't sound too exciting does it? Just you wait!

Nice Surprise

Well its a nice day Brisbane today, as opposed to the last week where its been pretty rainy and overcast. Of course, on a nice day like this I find out that I have a 4000 word case study to write by next Monday - yes, that's seven days away - which is worth SIXTY PERCENT of my mark for this subject. My god. I won't be going outside for a little while I think.

So why am I blogging? Well it isn't as bad as it looks. I'm not REALLY procrastinating, because this is part of my plan. I haven't written anything in a while, so I have kind of lost the "roll", if you will. You know when you are on a roll when you are writing - you feel the words flowing, you feel inspired, and you don't go "Oooooh GROAN... can't someone else do this for me?" I'd like to avoid that as much as possible. So in a sense I'm flexing my writing muscles. See? Its not so bad.

Anyway - I'm off to figure out what theory I'm going to use, research it, and understand it enough to make it look like I know what I'm talking about to other people :-P FUN!

Whatcha doooooiin?

So living in Brisbane is nice. The weather is mostly quite lovely, the city is nice and city-like. I have good company at home, and most of the people at work are nice. I have boss issues, but that's ok cos I'm job hunting ...

The thing is that I really quite miss the ability to just go and visit people. I'm also scared that when I go back, things won't be the same - new friends might have turned into aquaintances etc. I guess that's the compromise I've made.

The funny thing is, I think I'd one day like to move to Wales. How much more impossible will it be to spontaneously visit my friends, or sister, or parents? I think I may be crazy. I think the thought of moving away, and the thought of my friends and family are just kept in crazy seperate parts of my mind, and I refuse to accept that by moving away, I'll lose the ability to see everyone I want: why can't I have my cake, and eat it too? Mmm... cake.

Speaking of cake - did you know its very hard to lose weight when the only person you are really accountable to is your boyfriend who would eat everything in Woolworths every day if he had the chance? True story.

Anyways. There isn't much more to update on. I've got nothing to rant about - nothing I want on the internet anyway, so I think that's it for now.

In summary:

• Miss my friends and family
• Want to move to Wales
• Want to eat cake
• Have skinny boyfriend

Much love,

Manda

In the Brisbane

So I've moved to Brisbane with the Nannal. We live in an awesome apartment in the city centre, pretty close to Queen Street mall, and closer to Brunswick Street in Fortitude Valley (the Valley, as its apparently known).

I've even got a job in the reception downstairs... That's right - my commute to work has turned from 2 1/2 hours when I was working at Haigh's, to 2 minutes (and that's only if the lifts are being slow)! Mental...

The city is lovely - right on a river, lots of nice buildings, and friendly people (although they are terrible at walking in a straight line!). I don't want to compare it to Adelaide, because they are so different in my mind. I love Adelaide so much - I can picture the streets, the skyline, and the little lanes so well - so I won't compare the two because it might make me sad. Not that Brisbane isn't great, but its like comparing a new friend to your mother - its just not the same! Not bad, but not the same!

The funniest thing about my life at the moment is that I never ever planned this. From all my lists and dreams over the years, I never once thought that I'd move to Brisbane because my boyfriend got a job up here. Especially getting a job in maintenance... not exactly the line of work that you associate with moving up in the world! But its certainly worked out that way. And he's got prospects, he enjoys his work (although never as much as his free time), and he has a shiny new car to dote on.

I suppose its just funny that no matter how much you plan and worry and all that, things will have a way of just happening. I like to picture an all knowing me sitting above me looking down and just laughing, shaking her head knowingly as I plan and plot my future. She knows what's going to happen, but hey, why spoil the fun of list making and dreaming?

Not that I don't believe that if I set my mind to something I can't make it happen, just that sometimes the unexpected is just as good as anything I plan, and that I have to admit that I DO NOT KNOW EVERYTHING!

But ssh. I'd like to keep the impression that I do, in fact, know everything. Lol... That's a whole other issue.




Anyway I'm going to go clean my very uncluttered and clean house - YAY! (New places that you brought 10% of your belongings to are very easy to clean by the way, just so you know).



xx

Brisvegas

I'm moving to Brisbane.




Oh my god.




I'm moving to BRISBANE. Next month...




Oh my god.

Working and Studying

The other day I had a little bit of an argument with Nannal. From his perspective it was probably nothing - just him teasing me. But for me it was a bit of a sting. See, he complained about the amount of money that he's been putting in the bills account relative to how much I contribute. Since he earns about 90% of our combined income I thought that was fair, but he said that I should be doing more around here... I wanted to slap, but I didn't.

Here are my go-to excuses.

1) I am studying at the moment. Granted, this argument is not very persuasive if I've just finished a solid day procrastinating ... but I think its a valid reason.

2) He spent a whole year mooching off me. He wasn't earning any money, he wasn't studying, and he didn't do that much cleaning. Ok, he did the dishes most of the time. But still. All he really did was play world of warcraft.

3) I DO a lot around here. The only time anything is ever cleaned is if I do it. The only time the random scattered booze bottles are ever cleared away (despite the fact that they are never mine) is when I do it. The only time the bathroom is cleaned (granted, that's not that often... bathrooms are smelly) is when I do it. The only time the clothes are picked up and sorted is when I do it. I could go on... So I DO a lot. He does very little - so nyeh.

4) Nyeh.


Ok the last one is probably not a very effective argument, but still.

I think I'm justified. Besides, it isn't like I haven't tried to get a better job. I have been applying for all manner of work since I finished my first degree. I've tried in all three levels of government. I've tried for big companies. I've tried for work interstate. I've tried in other retail positions. I've tried and tried and am sick of being knocked back. I'm the most qualified chocolate seller you can find.

But right now I think I'm pretty happy to be working in a chocolate shop a few times a week (although this coming week I only have ONE shift! Gah), while studying criminology - an area of study that is probably more likely to get me work than plain old anthropology (although I still love you Anthro!)


Le sigh. If only I could get paid for study (not by centrelink) and for doing genealogy. If only I could just paint stuff and have it sold for $300 a pop. If only I could go to sleep, and let my fingers write a brilliant piece of prose and then get published and rich. Sadly, I think I am going to have to work a bit harder for these things.



Now I might go off and analyse my life in terms of the criminal opportunities available to me and the social controls that prevent me from taking these opportunities... Or, I could study...