Recently we (as in Nathaniel and I) have been offered an opportunity to move interstate. And this time it isn't a "maybe possibly" but a "probably" kind of a deal. Which means that I'll be up and moving (probably) before the middle of the year. Crazy!
I always wanted to move somewhere other than Adelaide, but in my imaginings as teenager I always thought I'd move to Europe somewhere and meet an indie-rock-philosopher and fall in love, while getting paid shitloads to write books or analyse things/people.
Instead I may be moving to somewhere else in Australia, living in an awesome place (can't give too much away yet) with a gamer-nerd who is super good at fixing stuff. Life does not like the plans I lay out does it?
Oh and I'm certainly not getting paid shitloads to write books or philosophize about anything... But that's ok. I'll get there... and I'm sure the picture will look just as good. Whatever I end up doing, as long as it fits with me, I'll make it work.
Oooh... optimism on the horizon! That means I must have had enough coffee today... that's nice.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Moving Away
I've been living up here in the Barossa for over a year now. Its been really nice actually. I had reservations about moving to the town where I went to highschool, but I've enjoyed rediscovering the Barossa. I like the community (what little of it I'm involved in), the views and the lack of traffic (coming from PortRush road, its a dream).
But the one thing that I miss is the proximity to my friends. It is difficult not to be offended when people you used to see (at the very least) once a month, sometimes once a week, have not been to see you once, except for my birthday party. I know it is an hour drive from Adelaide, but I know that because I drive it all the time. An hour drive isn't actually that long - listen to one CD and you are there.
I guess if we all made the effort to make clear when we were home and open to visitors we'd have more success. As for myself I always make the mistake of assuming that people are too busy to see me. And I suppose we really need to make an effort to catch up outside of birthday situations. The fringe should be the perfect opportunity because there is so much to do, and its in Adelaide (so no pesky driving aaaallll the way to Tanunda). But I've not heard any enthusiasm from anyone. Perhaps I should make the effort, and try to organise something... But it really feels like an uphill battle, and I find it hard to believe that friendship should feel like that.
Maybe its just one of those growing up things. Maybe... But I can't help but pine for the days when I would see people every weekend. I guess I'm just a failed, old social butterfly/moth.
But the one thing that I miss is the proximity to my friends. It is difficult not to be offended when people you used to see (at the very least) once a month, sometimes once a week, have not been to see you once, except for my birthday party. I know it is an hour drive from Adelaide, but I know that because I drive it all the time. An hour drive isn't actually that long - listen to one CD and you are there.
I guess if we all made the effort to make clear when we were home and open to visitors we'd have more success. As for myself I always make the mistake of assuming that people are too busy to see me. And I suppose we really need to make an effort to catch up outside of birthday situations. The fringe should be the perfect opportunity because there is so much to do, and its in Adelaide (so no pesky driving aaaallll the way to Tanunda). But I've not heard any enthusiasm from anyone. Perhaps I should make the effort, and try to organise something... But it really feels like an uphill battle, and I find it hard to believe that friendship should feel like that.
Maybe its just one of those growing up things. Maybe... But I can't help but pine for the days when I would see people every weekend. I guess I'm just a failed, old social butterfly/moth.
Monday, February 22, 2010
In defence of Good Education
There have been a few things that I've wanted to blog about since I last opened this site... but I always seem to get distracted, and then justify my distraction by telling myself to think about it for a while before blogging so my argument is more convincing. Unfortunately, as you might guess, I tend to forget what I was going to write about.
But one thing that sparked in me the urge to put fingers to keyboard (which is connected to a computer, connected to the internet and accessing blogger... gee that catchphrase is a bit longer than pen to paper...) is Dan Brown's YouTube video "An Open Letter To Educators" (see it here).
In this video Dan argues that education systems need to evolve past the point where they are now in order to retain their importance in society. This isn't because us Generation-Y-ers can't be bothered to sit in a classroom for more than 5 minutes when we aren't obliged to by law, but because the nature of information has changed drastically since the educational institution was designed.
In the past knowledge and information were valuable things. Starting way back when the only people with access to total information were the kings and his advisors, then moving forward to most aristocracy, and then to a broader class of the wealthy. If you wanted information you had to either be born into a position that granted you access to it, or have the capital to purchase it. Now I won't get into the whole concept of capital and knowledge and power as espoused by the likes of Foucault and Bourdieu, but you get the general idea. If you did not have the power (through whatever means) to access knowledge, you could not have it.
Now knowledge is virtually free. All you need is access to the internet, and you can find out anything. Sure, there are very small pockets of information that have yet to be uploaded to the internet, but for all intents and purposes, anything and everything is accessible for no cost on the internet.
"So why then do we persist in making people pay to learn facts, when they are so freely available?" is the question that Dan Brown basically asks.
I think that he definately has a point. Education institutions do have a habit of believing that the best way to teach their students is to teach them facts, and then test them on their ability to remember those facts. If that is the sole basis for a degree, I would certainly agree that there is not much point in paying for the privelige.
But I do think that there is more to most degrees than just fact-learning. I don't know if it is just because I went to the University that I went to, or that I did a Humanities degree, but to me a degree does much more than just teach you facts. A degree teaches you how to use those facts, talk about those facts, disagree with those facts, and critically analyse them. A degree should teach you how to be a critical problem solver who has the sufficient background knowledge in their area to effectively argue points, make plans, offer theories and succeed in their chosen area of specialty.
I guess a small part of that is memorising facts to the extent that you have to know what has been said and done in a discipline in order to move forward. We can't all discover everything from scratch. But I think that is the unimportant bit. Its like when you learn how to drive - you need to memorise all the basic rules and movements before you can go anywhere exciting... Or you will fail badly or die at worst.
So I think while Dan has a valid point, and many institutions do need to evolve the way that they teach their subjects and treat their students, the value of higher education is not entirely diminished.
Of course I'm biased... I have a Bachelor of Arts, and a First Class Honours Degree of Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, and I am about to start my Graduate Certificate in Criminology and Criminal Justice. If I didn't believe in the education system, then I would certainly not be going back for my third degree, and not piling my HECS debt so high that I don't want to think about it... So I guess I'm somewhat invested in the argument.
But as I've said, Dan makes good points. He is a big ideas person, and I can see how a traditional learning environment would not suit him at all. He is so creative, he could probably design his own educational system and series of degrees to suit him before most of us could decide on which direction to take our lives after school... But I just had to argue the point from another perspective.
In life news, my sister turned 21! It was a pretty fun triad of happenings. First I went to the parent's place for dinner on the eve of her birthday. We had lasagne and wine and cake - a good night in my books. Then we went out on the town on the Saturday after her birthday and had a good time. Naturally I didn't last very long into the night as I'm a nana... and Nannal, in the middle of having an asthma attack, crashed my car into a pole that night. ... but overall it was a good night. And then finally we had the family dinner on the 20th at my parents' place. We invited all of the aunts and uncles and grandparentals and cousins... but who turned up? Mum and Dad and Teeni, of course. And Me and Nannal. And then just my Aunty Ce and Uncle Roly with their eldest Megan and her boyfriend Pat. That's right, out of all my parents siblings, their partners and children (that is 2 aunts 2 uncles all with partners and most with kids) only one sibling could be bothered to come. One didn't even reply that they weren't coming. They just didn't come...
Oh well, all the more for us I say.
Oh and I started Weight Watchers with a friend from work. Its actually pretty great. The first week I lost 2.7 kilograms, which was very encouraging. I'm not sure about this week, since I went over my points quite significantly on the weekend... damn birthday dinners! But I'm sure it will be ok.
Right this entry is quite long enough!
Aufwiedersehen!
But one thing that sparked in me the urge to put fingers to keyboard (which is connected to a computer, connected to the internet and accessing blogger... gee that catchphrase is a bit longer than pen to paper...) is Dan Brown's YouTube video "An Open Letter To Educators" (see it here).
In this video Dan argues that education systems need to evolve past the point where they are now in order to retain their importance in society. This isn't because us Generation-Y-ers can't be bothered to sit in a classroom for more than 5 minutes when we aren't obliged to by law, but because the nature of information has changed drastically since the educational institution was designed.
In the past knowledge and information were valuable things. Starting way back when the only people with access to total information were the kings and his advisors, then moving forward to most aristocracy, and then to a broader class of the wealthy. If you wanted information you had to either be born into a position that granted you access to it, or have the capital to purchase it. Now I won't get into the whole concept of capital and knowledge and power as espoused by the likes of Foucault and Bourdieu, but you get the general idea. If you did not have the power (through whatever means) to access knowledge, you could not have it.
Now knowledge is virtually free. All you need is access to the internet, and you can find out anything. Sure, there are very small pockets of information that have yet to be uploaded to the internet, but for all intents and purposes, anything and everything is accessible for no cost on the internet.
"So why then do we persist in making people pay to learn facts, when they are so freely available?" is the question that Dan Brown basically asks.
I think that he definately has a point. Education institutions do have a habit of believing that the best way to teach their students is to teach them facts, and then test them on their ability to remember those facts. If that is the sole basis for a degree, I would certainly agree that there is not much point in paying for the privelige.
But I do think that there is more to most degrees than just fact-learning. I don't know if it is just because I went to the University that I went to, or that I did a Humanities degree, but to me a degree does much more than just teach you facts. A degree teaches you how to use those facts, talk about those facts, disagree with those facts, and critically analyse them. A degree should teach you how to be a critical problem solver who has the sufficient background knowledge in their area to effectively argue points, make plans, offer theories and succeed in their chosen area of specialty.
I guess a small part of that is memorising facts to the extent that you have to know what has been said and done in a discipline in order to move forward. We can't all discover everything from scratch. But I think that is the unimportant bit. Its like when you learn how to drive - you need to memorise all the basic rules and movements before you can go anywhere exciting... Or you will fail badly or die at worst.
So I think while Dan has a valid point, and many institutions do need to evolve the way that they teach their subjects and treat their students, the value of higher education is not entirely diminished.
Of course I'm biased... I have a Bachelor of Arts, and a First Class Honours Degree of Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, and I am about to start my Graduate Certificate in Criminology and Criminal Justice. If I didn't believe in the education system, then I would certainly not be going back for my third degree, and not piling my HECS debt so high that I don't want to think about it... So I guess I'm somewhat invested in the argument.
But as I've said, Dan makes good points. He is a big ideas person, and I can see how a traditional learning environment would not suit him at all. He is so creative, he could probably design his own educational system and series of degrees to suit him before most of us could decide on which direction to take our lives after school... But I just had to argue the point from another perspective.
In life news, my sister turned 21! It was a pretty fun triad of happenings. First I went to the parent's place for dinner on the eve of her birthday. We had lasagne and wine and cake - a good night in my books. Then we went out on the town on the Saturday after her birthday and had a good time. Naturally I didn't last very long into the night as I'm a nana... and Nannal, in the middle of having an asthma attack, crashed my car into a pole that night. ... but overall it was a good night. And then finally we had the family dinner on the 20th at my parents' place. We invited all of the aunts and uncles and grandparentals and cousins... but who turned up? Mum and Dad and Teeni, of course. And Me and Nannal. And then just my Aunty Ce and Uncle Roly with their eldest Megan and her boyfriend Pat. That's right, out of all my parents siblings, their partners and children (that is 2 aunts 2 uncles all with partners and most with kids) only one sibling could be bothered to come. One didn't even reply that they weren't coming. They just didn't come...
Oh well, all the more for us I say.
Oh and I started Weight Watchers with a friend from work. Its actually pretty great. The first week I lost 2.7 kilograms, which was very encouraging. I'm not sure about this week, since I went over my points quite significantly on the weekend... damn birthday dinners! But I'm sure it will be ok.
Right this entry is quite long enough!
Aufwiedersehen!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Favourite Poems
I'm trying to think of things to get tattooed on my back... I already have one tattoo, but I want more. But at the same time I kind of want to limit it to my back so a) it won't effect me at work; and b) I won't get sick of it quickly.
So this desire lead me to think about a few possibilities
1. "There's no end to the love you can give when you change your point of view" This is the first line of the song "Delilah" by the Dresden Dolls. As I'm sure you will already know if you know me, I LOVE Amanda Palmer and the Dresden Dolls. This would mean so much to me on that level alone. Add to that the fact that philosophically it reflects one of my major beliefs and you are on a winner. Plus I think I will get my Grandmother to write it for me so it can have that extra sentimental value.
2. Runes. I talked about this with my friend Lils ages ago. 2008 actually, that shit of a year. I wanted to get the Futhark to show the circle of life, and that all things have meaning and will lead you to higher things if you allow yourself to believe that possibility. I was thinking of maybe just getting the ones that specifically referred to overcoming trials, but the whole first cycle seemed more appropriate.
3. The eternity symbol. You know, the three swirls heading in the same direction... I have loved this symbol since I first saw it in a carving in an Irish tomb.
And thinking about all this lead me to remember that phase I went through where I believed that all my art should have if not all, at least some writing, because language and words were just as beautiful if not more than abstract forms. I still believe that language and words are beautiful and so very, very important, but I don't believe that they are more so than visual art. I still like the combination of words and images, but I think that they mostly serve different purposes... And blahblahblah I could go on about it but that'd be one massive tangent.
Anyway - the point is, I remembered that I own 3 poetry books by my favourite poets: Judith Wright, Emily Dickinson, Sylvia Plath.
I can't find Emily and Sylvia (although I've a sneaking sensation they are in the boot of my car for some reason...), so I will just reproduce firstly the only poem I have ever remembered in its entirety, and then two of my favourite Judith poems.
I felt a Cleaving in my Mind -
As if my Brain had split -
I tried to match it - Seam by Seam -
But could not make it fit.
The thought behind, I strove to join
Unto the thought before -
But Sequence ravelled out of Sound
Like Balls - upon a Floor.
-Emily Dickinson
The Flame Tree
How to live, I said, as the flame-tree lives?
- to know what the flame-tree knows; to be
prodigal of my life as that wild tree
and wear my passion so?
That lover's know of water and earth and sun,
that easy answer to the question of baffling reason,
branches out of my heart this sudden season.
I know what I would know.
How shall I thank you, who teach me how to wait
in quietness for the hour to ask or give:
to take and in taking bestow, in bestowing live:
in the loss of myself, to find?
This is the flame-tree; look how gloriously
that careless blossomer scatters, and more and more.
What the earth takes of her, it will restore.
These are the thanks of lovers who share one mind.
- Judith Wright.
South of my Days
South of my days' circle, part of my blood's country,
rises that tableland, high delicate outline
of bony slopes wincing under the winter,
low trees blue-leaved and olive, outcropping granite -
clean, lean, hungry country. The creek's leaf-silenced,
willow-chocked, the slope a tangle of medlar and crabapple
branching over and under, blotched with a green lichen;
and the old cottage lurches in for shelter.
O cold the black-frost night. The walls draw in to the warmth
and the old roof cracks its joints; the slung kettle
hisses a leak on the fire. Hardly to be believed that summer
will turn up again some day in a wave of rambler roses,
thrust its hot face in here to tell another yarn -
a story old Dan can spin into a blanket against the winter.
Seventy years of stories he clutches round his bones.
Seventy summers are hived in him like old honey.
Droving that year, Charleville to the Hunter,
nineteen-one it was, and the drought beginning;
sixty head left at the McIntyre, the mud round them
hardened like iron; and the yellow boy died
in the sulky ahead with the gear, but the horse went on,
stopped at the Sandy Camp and waited in the evening.
It was the flies we seen first, swarming like bees.
Came to Hunter, three hundred head of a thousand -
cruel to keep them alive - and the river was dust.
Or mustering up in the Bogongs in the autumn
when the blizzards came early. Brough them down; we brought them
down, what aren't there yet. Or driving for Cobb's on the run
up from Tamworth - Thunderbolt at the top of Hungry Hill,
and I give him a wink. I wouldn't wait long, Fred,
not if I was you; the troopers are jut behind,
coming for that job at the Hillgrove. He went like a luny,
him on his big black horse
Oh, they slide and they vanish
as he shuffles the years like a pack of conjuror's cards.
True or not, it's all the same; and the frost on the roof
cracks like a whip, and the back-log breaks into ash.
Wake, old man. This is winter, and the yarns are over.
No one is listening.
South of my days' circle
I know its dark against the stars, the high lean country
full of old stories that still go walking in my sleep.
- Judith Wright.
So this desire lead me to think about a few possibilities
1. "There's no end to the love you can give when you change your point of view" This is the first line of the song "Delilah" by the Dresden Dolls. As I'm sure you will already know if you know me, I LOVE Amanda Palmer and the Dresden Dolls. This would mean so much to me on that level alone. Add to that the fact that philosophically it reflects one of my major beliefs and you are on a winner. Plus I think I will get my Grandmother to write it for me so it can have that extra sentimental value.
2. Runes. I talked about this with my friend Lils ages ago. 2008 actually, that shit of a year. I wanted to get the Futhark to show the circle of life, and that all things have meaning and will lead you to higher things if you allow yourself to believe that possibility. I was thinking of maybe just getting the ones that specifically referred to overcoming trials, but the whole first cycle seemed more appropriate.
3. The eternity symbol. You know, the three swirls heading in the same direction... I have loved this symbol since I first saw it in a carving in an Irish tomb.
And thinking about all this lead me to remember that phase I went through where I believed that all my art should have if not all, at least some writing, because language and words were just as beautiful if not more than abstract forms. I still believe that language and words are beautiful and so very, very important, but I don't believe that they are more so than visual art. I still like the combination of words and images, but I think that they mostly serve different purposes... And blahblahblah I could go on about it but that'd be one massive tangent.
Anyway - the point is, I remembered that I own 3 poetry books by my favourite poets: Judith Wright, Emily Dickinson, Sylvia Plath.
I can't find Emily and Sylvia (although I've a sneaking sensation they are in the boot of my car for some reason...), so I will just reproduce firstly the only poem I have ever remembered in its entirety, and then two of my favourite Judith poems.
I felt a Cleaving in my Mind -
As if my Brain had split -
I tried to match it - Seam by Seam -
But could not make it fit.
The thought behind, I strove to join
Unto the thought before -
But Sequence ravelled out of Sound
Like Balls - upon a Floor.
-Emily Dickinson
The Flame Tree
How to live, I said, as the flame-tree lives?
- to know what the flame-tree knows; to be
prodigal of my life as that wild tree
and wear my passion so?
That lover's know of water and earth and sun,
that easy answer to the question of baffling reason,
branches out of my heart this sudden season.
I know what I would know.
How shall I thank you, who teach me how to wait
in quietness for the hour to ask or give:
to take and in taking bestow, in bestowing live:
in the loss of myself, to find?
This is the flame-tree; look how gloriously
that careless blossomer scatters, and more and more.
What the earth takes of her, it will restore.
These are the thanks of lovers who share one mind.
- Judith Wright.
South of my Days
South of my days' circle, part of my blood's country,
rises that tableland, high delicate outline
of bony slopes wincing under the winter,
low trees blue-leaved and olive, outcropping granite -
clean, lean, hungry country. The creek's leaf-silenced,
willow-chocked, the slope a tangle of medlar and crabapple
branching over and under, blotched with a green lichen;
and the old cottage lurches in for shelter.
O cold the black-frost night. The walls draw in to the warmth
and the old roof cracks its joints; the slung kettle
hisses a leak on the fire. Hardly to be believed that summer
will turn up again some day in a wave of rambler roses,
thrust its hot face in here to tell another yarn -
a story old Dan can spin into a blanket against the winter.
Seventy years of stories he clutches round his bones.
Seventy summers are hived in him like old honey.
Droving that year, Charleville to the Hunter,
nineteen-one it was, and the drought beginning;
sixty head left at the McIntyre, the mud round them
hardened like iron; and the yellow boy died
in the sulky ahead with the gear, but the horse went on,
stopped at the Sandy Camp and waited in the evening.
It was the flies we seen first, swarming like bees.
Came to Hunter, three hundred head of a thousand -
cruel to keep them alive - and the river was dust.
Or mustering up in the Bogongs in the autumn
when the blizzards came early. Brough them down; we brought them
down, what aren't there yet. Or driving for Cobb's on the run
up from Tamworth - Thunderbolt at the top of Hungry Hill,
and I give him a wink. I wouldn't wait long, Fred,
not if I was you; the troopers are jut behind,
coming for that job at the Hillgrove. He went like a luny,
him on his big black horse
Oh, they slide and they vanish
as he shuffles the years like a pack of conjuror's cards.
True or not, it's all the same; and the frost on the roof
cracks like a whip, and the back-log breaks into ash.
Wake, old man. This is winter, and the yarns are over.
No one is listening.
South of my days' circle
I know its dark against the stars, the high lean country
full of old stories that still go walking in my sleep.
- Judith Wright.
The Meaning of Squeals
This year so far has contained 2 distinct "Eeeeeeeee!" moments. You know, moments that make you squeal uncontrollably due to an explosion of awesome.
1) Finding out the Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman are engaged. And are planning to follow through and actually get married. That's awesome on its own, but imagining the awesomeness at the actual event? My God. Its good that I'm not their IRL friend, because if I were invited I would be a mess of squeals and sobs of happiness/awesome overload.
2) Seeing the new ALLCAPS video (here) ... and at about 3:00 seeing Kristina and Luke kiss. Omg. Lol. I'm such a fan girl... But when I figured out that they'd finally got together I was super excited, so seeing evidence and seeing such happiness made me squeal like a tool. Again, its a good thing I'm not friends with them in real life. They would most likely back away from me as if I were a zombie.
Now all this squealing leads me to the following conclusion: I'm becoming a softy girly girl in my old age. Well, in my 23-years-old-age, which doesn't really count as old age to most, but if you ask my past teenaged self, she would say that if I'm getting mushy I must be old.
I don't really care though. I'm much more comfortable in myself now than I was then. I tried so hard when I was younger, to present a certain image of myself to others that would simultaneously make me look cool, a bit scary and intelligent. This was mostly so that people wouldn't judge me in any way inferior. I guess that's probably because I'm secretly rather judgemental, and I assume everyone else is as well.
Anywho. I don't care that much about what people think of me anymore. I mean, yes I still care a little bit - that's normal and healthy I think. And yes I still try to pull off a certain image to people who I don't know at all, or don't know that well, but nowadays I'm more happy to explore all aspects of my personality, whether they contradict what I'd like to think about myself or not.
Righto. Now I'm just going to get all fangirly about AllCaps again, and watch all their videos because they are awesome.
<3
1) Finding out the Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman are engaged. And are planning to follow through and actually get married. That's awesome on its own, but imagining the awesomeness at the actual event? My God. Its good that I'm not their IRL friend, because if I were invited I would be a mess of squeals and sobs of happiness/awesome overload.
2) Seeing the new ALLCAPS video (here) ... and at about 3:00 seeing Kristina and Luke kiss. Omg. Lol. I'm such a fan girl... But when I figured out that they'd finally got together I was super excited, so seeing evidence and seeing such happiness made me squeal like a tool. Again, its a good thing I'm not friends with them in real life. They would most likely back away from me as if I were a zombie.
Now all this squealing leads me to the following conclusion: I'm becoming a softy girly girl in my old age. Well, in my 23-years-old-age, which doesn't really count as old age to most, but if you ask my past teenaged self, she would say that if I'm getting mushy I must be old.
I don't really care though. I'm much more comfortable in myself now than I was then. I tried so hard when I was younger, to present a certain image of myself to others that would simultaneously make me look cool, a bit scary and intelligent. This was mostly so that people wouldn't judge me in any way inferior. I guess that's probably because I'm secretly rather judgemental, and I assume everyone else is as well.
Anywho. I don't care that much about what people think of me anymore. I mean, yes I still care a little bit - that's normal and healthy I think. And yes I still try to pull off a certain image to people who I don't know at all, or don't know that well, but nowadays I'm more happy to explore all aspects of my personality, whether they contradict what I'd like to think about myself or not.
Righto. Now I'm just going to get all fangirly about AllCaps again, and watch all their videos because they are awesome.
<3
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
2010 on the horizon
The end of 2009 kind of shocks me. I mean, is it really the end of December? Really? Or is it some big joke and its still July or something. I guess it is a bit too warm to be July. 37C today... eew.
I suppose the reason that it doesn't feel like its been a whole year yet is that 2008 was such a huge year for me. So much happened! This year there have been a few things, but it was no 08, that's for sure. And really, that's a relief.
What happened this year? Well... most importantly I got a beautiful nephew. Charlie Jay Schunke is the best person in the world. I love his gummy little grin, his little open mouthed stare and the way he hoons around the living room in his little walker. He does no walking - only racing.
Mum told me that the other day Dad and Charlie were chasing eachother around the counter with Charlie in his walker, and Dad on the computer wheelie chair. How cute!
This year I also got back into painting, and I wrote a novel. A shitty novel to be sure, and something that will never see the light of day. But goddamn it felt good to do it. I wrote 50,000 words in a month! And next year will be better, because - well, it can't get worse! Onward and upward!
Goals for the new year? Well... They come under a few headings I guess.
Money:
I want to continue my savings so that by the end of 2010 I'll have at least $5000 for my trip to America in July 2011 for Leakycon. If I have more - even better! I might be able to travel elsewhere in America, maybe go visit Lils in Canada, or even go over to the UK and visit my heimat.
Me:
I want to be healthier. I know I say it too often, but seriously Amanda! You're 23 now - get a grip! I need to get into some kind of routine of walking more, and eating more healthy foods in smaller portions.
I also need to continue to be creative. I feel so accomplished when I get a painting out, and when I write poetry or stories. The big one in 2010 will be to write a novel in November that isn't as crappy as the last one, and that I can maybe work on to get published one day. But apart from that, I also want to produce at least 6 major paintings.
Us:
I need to keep my relationship with Nannal as honest as possible. I find the times when I get the most disillusioned with our relationship are when I let things happen in my head. I mean, when I have dialogue and play through situations without actually talking to Nannal about it. Reality checks are needed! I know are relationship is not perfect. But I also know I want it to keep going... which will be tough since we've been together for a little over 4 years now. We will celebrate (hopefully) our 5 year anniversary in November 2010.
For 2 people who at the start were afraid of commitment, we're doing pretty well.
Career:
This one is trickier. I want to get a job that will lead somewhere and will employ my mind as much as my physical labour. That is not as easily done as said.
To that end though I will be studying my Graduate Certificate of Criminology and Criminal Justice, so that I will be more qualified to work in a field that both interests me and employs more regularly than plain old anthropology or online anthropology (even rarer me thinks).
And I think that's it! Baby steps really. I need to identify the things that make me happy, and the things that will make me happy to achieve and break them down into doable baby steps. Life is for living, and I really want to feel that I've lived.
I suppose the reason that it doesn't feel like its been a whole year yet is that 2008 was such a huge year for me. So much happened! This year there have been a few things, but it was no 08, that's for sure. And really, that's a relief.
What happened this year? Well... most importantly I got a beautiful nephew. Charlie Jay Schunke is the best person in the world. I love his gummy little grin, his little open mouthed stare and the way he hoons around the living room in his little walker. He does no walking - only racing.
Mum told me that the other day Dad and Charlie were chasing eachother around the counter with Charlie in his walker, and Dad on the computer wheelie chair. How cute!
This year I also got back into painting, and I wrote a novel. A shitty novel to be sure, and something that will never see the light of day. But goddamn it felt good to do it. I wrote 50,000 words in a month! And next year will be better, because - well, it can't get worse! Onward and upward!
Goals for the new year? Well... They come under a few headings I guess.
Money:
I want to continue my savings so that by the end of 2010 I'll have at least $5000 for my trip to America in July 2011 for Leakycon. If I have more - even better! I might be able to travel elsewhere in America, maybe go visit Lils in Canada, or even go over to the UK and visit my heimat.
Me:
I want to be healthier. I know I say it too often, but seriously Amanda! You're 23 now - get a grip! I need to get into some kind of routine of walking more, and eating more healthy foods in smaller portions.
I also need to continue to be creative. I feel so accomplished when I get a painting out, and when I write poetry or stories. The big one in 2010 will be to write a novel in November that isn't as crappy as the last one, and that I can maybe work on to get published one day. But apart from that, I also want to produce at least 6 major paintings.
Us:
I need to keep my relationship with Nannal as honest as possible. I find the times when I get the most disillusioned with our relationship are when I let things happen in my head. I mean, when I have dialogue and play through situations without actually talking to Nannal about it. Reality checks are needed! I know are relationship is not perfect. But I also know I want it to keep going... which will be tough since we've been together for a little over 4 years now. We will celebrate (hopefully) our 5 year anniversary in November 2010.
For 2 people who at the start were afraid of commitment, we're doing pretty well.
Career:
This one is trickier. I want to get a job that will lead somewhere and will employ my mind as much as my physical labour. That is not as easily done as said.
To that end though I will be studying my Graduate Certificate of Criminology and Criminal Justice, so that I will be more qualified to work in a field that both interests me and employs more regularly than plain old anthropology or online anthropology (even rarer me thinks).
And I think that's it! Baby steps really. I need to identify the things that make me happy, and the things that will make me happy to achieve and break them down into doable baby steps. Life is for living, and I really want to feel that I've lived.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Me So Slack
So... its been a long long time since I blogged. I could blame it on something, but I won't. Instead I will briefly run through the major things that have happened between October and now.
1. I'm older!
Yes I had a birthday. I'm now 23 years old, and starting to feel old. Mainly because at the shops you generally round 23 up to 25 and that means I'm in my mid 20s and that means I'm like the age of most people on TV series, and that means .... I'm no longer a teen-ish young person! Not that I've acted that way for a very long time, but I liked to cling to the "old soul in a young body" thing. Now I'm catching up body wise.... Yeesh - Imagine how I'll feel when I get over the 30 line! Lol.
2. Job interview
I made to the first round of selection for a job in Canberra! I was so excited. All year I have been sporadically applying for jobs - jobs that I've really wanted, and jobs that I've only wanted because I needed the money. And all I seem to get is Dear John letters... "We regret to inform you..." But with this job I got one step further! So even if I don't get a phone call in a couple of weeks, I won't be so sad, because I at least got a bit further with this one.
3. Wedding
On the actual date of my birthday my cousin Samantha got married! It was down in Victor Harbour, which was exciting because it meant we had to drive from the Barossa down there. We decided to take the most direct route, which meant taking the way through the hills. It was.... interesting. Lol. And somewhat scary... But we got there! Nannal got me a laptop for my birthday, so we were able to navigate with confidence ... kinda.
Anyway the wedding was lovely. Even though it was over 36C in the Barossa when we left, it was only 23C in Victor, so the weather was perfect for a wedding. We were in this awesome garden, and it was just all very ideal.
After the ceremony we (by we I mean Nannal, Teeni, Jay, Mum, Dad, Aunty Ce, Uncle Roly, Megan, Emma, Pat and I) went back to the caravan park where we were staying, and Mum pulled out a birthday cake for me. It was very sweet. But it would have looked very odd to any one else - we were all dressed up in our wedding clothes (high heels and all), gathered around a small card table, eating cake off plastic plates. Add to that it gradually got quite cold, and I got a blanket to drape on my cousin Megan ... lol. But I enjoyed it.
The reception was interesting to say the least... It was all the normal stuff... Food, speeches (which stopped us getting food ...grr), wine and dancing. My cousin Peter got really drunk and had a spazz that Grumps "didn't love him" because he is gruff. Seriously... Grumps is the kind of man who will NOT express affection willingly to another male. That's how he was brought up. That's just how he is. Get OVER it. Peter's Dad got over it...
Anyway then the real drama started. My sister and Jay got drunk. Drama happened. Jay got offended and decided to come back to the site, take the swag and drive home. Yes, 4 hours home. He got about 1/2 an hour away before he crashed into someone else and wrote off the car. And he was 3 times over the limit.
But we didn't know this at the time though. I got a call at about 2am from Jay saying his phone was about to die, and that he needed to speak to my sister. He couldn't though because she was passed out... but he told me he'd written the car off.
So the next morning was a bit of sleuthing... Trying to find out where he was. Eventually we found out that he'd got a lift a bit of a way up the road from the station he was processed at to a BP where he caught a taxi all the way to Gepps Cross which cost over $250. Then he walked to Elizabeth shopping centre from there and bought a phone to call us to tell us what was going on. MENTAL!
4. NaNoWriMo
I did NaNoWriMo 09! And I freaking won! That's right bitches, I wrote a novel. I mean, its a shit novel, but its a novel nonetheless. And the point isn't to write something that is publishable straight away, but to just actually write 50,000 words in one month. It taught me what works for me in writing, and what doesnt'. It taught me what I like to write, and what I don't. And it taught me that I can actually write a lot of words if I need to. It was a wonderful experience. I already know I won't do anything with the story I wrote, but I learnt a lot for next year. Hopefully I can put a lot more planning into next years event and come out with something that I can use as a foundation to becoming published one day.
5. Lots of working
And finally - its Christmas! Which means people buy a shit load of chocolate... which means I'm going to be working pretty much non stop til December 25. But that's ok! Cos I need the money!
I am going to a) Pay off my credit card; b) Have at least $5000 to go to America in 2011; and c) Save to invest after 2011.
That's why!
Anyway, after a break as long as I had from blogging, this has exhausted my brain!
I'm going to go and make dinner!
x
1. I'm older!
Yes I had a birthday. I'm now 23 years old, and starting to feel old. Mainly because at the shops you generally round 23 up to 25 and that means I'm in my mid 20s and that means I'm like the age of most people on TV series, and that means .... I'm no longer a teen-ish young person! Not that I've acted that way for a very long time, but I liked to cling to the "old soul in a young body" thing. Now I'm catching up body wise.... Yeesh - Imagine how I'll feel when I get over the 30 line! Lol.
2. Job interview
I made to the first round of selection for a job in Canberra! I was so excited. All year I have been sporadically applying for jobs - jobs that I've really wanted, and jobs that I've only wanted because I needed the money. And all I seem to get is Dear John letters... "We regret to inform you..." But with this job I got one step further! So even if I don't get a phone call in a couple of weeks, I won't be so sad, because I at least got a bit further with this one.
3. Wedding
On the actual date of my birthday my cousin Samantha got married! It was down in Victor Harbour, which was exciting because it meant we had to drive from the Barossa down there. We decided to take the most direct route, which meant taking the way through the hills. It was.... interesting. Lol. And somewhat scary... But we got there! Nannal got me a laptop for my birthday, so we were able to navigate with confidence ... kinda.
Anyway the wedding was lovely. Even though it was over 36C in the Barossa when we left, it was only 23C in Victor, so the weather was perfect for a wedding. We were in this awesome garden, and it was just all very ideal.
After the ceremony we (by we I mean Nannal, Teeni, Jay, Mum, Dad, Aunty Ce, Uncle Roly, Megan, Emma, Pat and I) went back to the caravan park where we were staying, and Mum pulled out a birthday cake for me. It was very sweet. But it would have looked very odd to any one else - we were all dressed up in our wedding clothes (high heels and all), gathered around a small card table, eating cake off plastic plates. Add to that it gradually got quite cold, and I got a blanket to drape on my cousin Megan ... lol. But I enjoyed it.
The reception was interesting to say the least... It was all the normal stuff... Food, speeches (which stopped us getting food ...grr), wine and dancing. My cousin Peter got really drunk and had a spazz that Grumps "didn't love him" because he is gruff. Seriously... Grumps is the kind of man who will NOT express affection willingly to another male. That's how he was brought up. That's just how he is. Get OVER it. Peter's Dad got over it...
Anyway then the real drama started. My sister and Jay got drunk. Drama happened. Jay got offended and decided to come back to the site, take the swag and drive home. Yes, 4 hours home. He got about 1/2 an hour away before he crashed into someone else and wrote off the car. And he was 3 times over the limit.
But we didn't know this at the time though. I got a call at about 2am from Jay saying his phone was about to die, and that he needed to speak to my sister. He couldn't though because she was passed out... but he told me he'd written the car off.
So the next morning was a bit of sleuthing... Trying to find out where he was. Eventually we found out that he'd got a lift a bit of a way up the road from the station he was processed at to a BP where he caught a taxi all the way to Gepps Cross which cost over $250. Then he walked to Elizabeth shopping centre from there and bought a phone to call us to tell us what was going on. MENTAL!
4. NaNoWriMo
I did NaNoWriMo 09! And I freaking won! That's right bitches, I wrote a novel. I mean, its a shit novel, but its a novel nonetheless. And the point isn't to write something that is publishable straight away, but to just actually write 50,000 words in one month. It taught me what works for me in writing, and what doesnt'. It taught me what I like to write, and what I don't. And it taught me that I can actually write a lot of words if I need to. It was a wonderful experience. I already know I won't do anything with the story I wrote, but I learnt a lot for next year. Hopefully I can put a lot more planning into next years event and come out with something that I can use as a foundation to becoming published one day.
5. Lots of working
And finally - its Christmas! Which means people buy a shit load of chocolate... which means I'm going to be working pretty much non stop til December 25. But that's ok! Cos I need the money!
I am going to a) Pay off my credit card; b) Have at least $5000 to go to America in 2011; and c) Save to invest after 2011.
That's why!
Anyway, after a break as long as I had from blogging, this has exhausted my brain!
I'm going to go and make dinner!
x
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