exam study procrastination + korea pt 2

Hi all,

Its the middle of the exam period at the moment, with exams having started on the 8th for me and finishing on the 19th.  I'm in the middle of a semi break as my next exam is on the 14th.  Given the lack of study I have done during the entire semester, I should probably be using this time to study, but I just seem to be struggling for concentration.  The alternative to me writing up this post would be youtube, web surfing and some nonsensical gaming, so I figured I might as well finish off my recount of korea.

Picking up from where I finished in the last post, we spent the second day at Everland, which is Seoul's equivalent of Disneyland.  We were in a rush to make the bus to the resort- a friend of ours strategically decided that since me and another guy should theoretically be able to run faster than the rest of them, I would give my bag to her so we could run ahead and tell the bus driver that we were there and could delay their takeoff.  Despite the massiveness of the subway station, we all made it on the bus.


I had foolishly left my phone at the hotel, which is why I have no photos of my own of Everland.  I shall be using those of my friends!  There is not a great deal to say about the theme park, apart from the fact that they had an epic wooden rollercoaster, and the people were all very friendly.  The cup down the bottom is Dippin' Dots- flash frozen little pellets of ice cream!

The third day we went on a tour to the De-Militarized Zone (DMZ), which extends 2km north and south of the border between (you guessed it) North and South Korea.   We wanted to go not because of the scenery or anything like that; it was more the novelty factor of being able to say 'I've seen North Korea!'  Sounds pretty childish in hindsight :p  Here was my first glimpse: 

There was some pretty serious security, with a soldier checking our passports:

We were allowed into an underground infiltration tunnel dug by North Korea towards Seoul, no photos allowed though :(


We were then taken to an observatory where we could see the DMZ.  They had a photo line, beyond which no photos are allowed.  This was so only the North Korean side of the DMZ could be photographed.  The photo below is typical human nature!

After the tour we had a late lunch of bibimbap- a traditional korean meal of rice and vegies in a hot stone pot.  Usually I'm not a big fan of vegetarian meals, but this meal was great!

We then headed towards the Seoul Tower.  Some in the group were tired so took the cable car up Namsan mountain (where the tower is located), while the other half wanted to hike/take the trail up because the trail was apparently very scenic.  We decided to split up; I'm sure if you know me and aren't some random stalker/passerby you'd be able to guess which group I was in! xD

It was definitely worth taking the hike up, as the scenery with all its beautiful reds, yellows, oranges and greens was quite breathtaking.  It was quite a walk though- the sun was setting quickly, so I ran/jogged/walked up as fast as possible to the point where I went from wearing four layers of clothing to two.  Fortunately I made it to the top in time for me to see Seoul during daylight!  The view from the top of the mountain was fairly impressive too, despite lacking in eye catching landmarks:

Inside the tower complex there was also a teddy bear museum, where past and present Korean ways of life were enacted with little bears.  Some of the bears were very cute :p

We had dinner nearby, then it was back to the warmth of our hotel- it was freezing outside in Seoul!

korea recap pt1

Hey everyone!

I just had lunch after my second last lecture at hku, and I've got nothing to do for an hour or so.  I don't exactly have much work (or not that I know of) so I thought I might as well create a new blog post.

As you probably already know, I went with four good friends to Korea about a week ago.  We went for four days, and what a good four days it was!  We left Hong Kong on Thursday evening, and got to Incheon International Airport that night.  It was quite similar to Hong Kong International Airport in the sense that it was very clean and modern:

  They had a rent-a-phone service there which was quite brilliant- much easier than buying a sim card and all that!  From there we took an "airport limousine", which was actually just a bus, into the city centre and near where our hotel was.

From what I could see from my seat, Seoul was pretty much what you would expect- clean, modern and high tech, with people for the most part being impeccably fashionable.  This feeling would persist for the entire trip; indeed I can't recall seeing a single badly dressed Korean!  At a bus stop there was a hilarious scene where there was a young couple.  The guy was being very nice, getting on his knees to adjust the woman's scarf while she was sitting.  However, she was unhappy about something and was hitting him on the shoulder, albeit not very hard.  The whole scene looked like something from a TV drama!

We got off the bus and eventually found our bearings.  Having google mapped where the location was we were fairly confident of locating the hotel.  After making our way towards the place indicated on the map, we found nothing at all- it was all a small residential area!  The place was dark (it was around 1am) and incredibly sketchy looking.  When walking into the alleyway where the hotel was meant to be, I was very nervous and on edge- I had my fist clenched ready to punch anyone who might think about jumping me.  When I heard a bicycle rolling in and I was scared out of my wits!

We eventually took a taxi to the hotel after a nice young couple helped us locate where the hotel actually was (never trust google maps too much, folks).  The plan was to sleep in two rooms, 3 people in one and 2 in the other, but the other room smelt strongly of cigarette smoke.  The solution? Take a mattress from the room, drag it into the tiny lift, go down two floors to the other room and dump it on the ground :D  The triple room could actually sleep four people so that meant that now we could all sleep in the same room which was nice.

The next day, we went to Gyeongbokgung Palace, which in some respects was similar to the Forbidden City in Beijing, but smaller and with a less ridiculous amount of rooms.  It was a really nice place, more so because they seemed to spend a lot of effort into creating a good experience.  The paint detail looked incredibly sharp and fresh, and at the main gate they had authentic looking guards, in complete attire and various weapons and flags.  The palace gardens were very beautiful, with a mix of green, yellow and red trees.

We got chicken soup at what was reportedly the best place in Seoul.  One of my friends knew a local, who recommended us the place.  The soup was full of goodies, like chicken (obviously), rice, ginseng and various herbs.  I also got my first taste of kimchi, the fermented cabbage.  Having heard others in Hong Kong talk about kimchi, I had some trepidation about it, but I was pleasantly surprised!  The taste is quite difficult to describe- it was sour, but also sweet and spicy too.

Afterwards we met up with my friend's Korean friend, who took us around the Hongdae area, which is popular with the youth of Seoul for its entertainment, clubs and karaoke.  There was plenty of street food around, but we ate only a little.  This was because we knew there was a Korean barbecue around the corner!  We went to a pretty famous place, where numerous celebrities have eaten; among the names were Park Ji Sung, Patrice Evra (Manchester United players) and Jason Mraz.


The food itself was great- juicy pork belly combined with vege leaves and various sauces, as well as korean style egg, which is very light and fluffy.  After wandering around the streets and listening to a very good busker (who smoked, like a lot of Korean youth), we decided to head to a Karaoke.  It was my first time at a proper karaoke place, but the combination of good friends and good music put me not only at ease but made me a keen, off key participant.  

The Cheonggyecheon stream which runs through Seoul is quite unique in that it is about 5 metres below street level.  There was a Lantern festival at the stream, which despite the rain was a nice spectacle.  After this we split up: those who wanted to go clubbing and those that didn't.  I was in the latter group, thus maintaining my no-club record, but it is one I slightly regret after hearing about how fun it was!

Alright, its time to go and you're all probably sick of listening to me ramble on.  I'll try to fill in the rest of the Korea trip in another post!

mid-exchange update

So according to the records, this is only the third post of the year from me.  I have been intending/hoping to post some more because of this whole exchange experience, but I guess I have been busy/lazy (pick a word).  Eventually the pressing need to post became so much that I couldn’t sleep, which explains why I am writing this at 11:55pm hk time :p

In case you were wondering how I am, I am good :)  I have settled in to life at hong kong uni, and hong kong in general I think.  I can’t say exactly how different it all feels, because I think I’m just one of those people who for the most part accept my surroundings.  However, for the most part it isn’t too different to Melbourne: uni five days a week, roughly 1 hour commute to and from, taking subjects different to most of my friends, and having dinner cooked by a family member.

There are distinct differences though, with food being the primary point of difference.  As I have said before, it is, by Melbourne standards, ridiculously cheap.  Now instead of bringing sandwiches from home, I buy lunch for about $20HKD ($3 aussie?), which can get you a decent char siu (pork) and soy sauce chicken with rice.  Pearl milk tea is only about $12HKD.  

As you probably know, I went with a group of friends to mainland China during reading week (mid sem break).  In short, it was incredible.  There were the classical tourist attractions, like the Bund in Shanghai, West lake in Hangzhou, Yellow Mountain in Tunxi, and the Forbidden City and Great Wall in Beijing.  Then there are the more…unorthodox experiences, such as getting surrounded by about 30 taxi drivers upon entering Hangzhou, the 28.5 hour train ride from Beijing to Shenzhen (was half an hour ahead of schedule!!), watching all the local girls go crazy over a certain Australian friend, storming out of the snack bar of the most famous peking duck restaurant in Beijing and the best one of all, the three hour train ride from Shanghai to Hangzhou with no seats.  Hopefully I will have the time to elaborate more on these in later posts!

If you asked me a week or two back whether I miss Melbourne, I probably would have answered ‘not really’ or perhaps the more polite ‘a little’.  To be honest I haven’t given it a massive amount of thought.  Not that I do not think about you individuals; you can be assured I think of a lot of you a fair bit!  I’m talking about the whole ‘Melbourne in general’ thing.  However, last week, Wednesday afternoon to be exact, when I was studying for a test I just found out was that evening, I did something I had not done in two months: I listened to Australian radio.

I was streaming it from the internet, and while enjoying the new music, it really hit me how far away from Melbourne I was.  I remember looking up and around, at the HKU library with its massive numbers of HK locals speaking Cantonese, and a smattering of international exchange students and thinking of how different to home everything was.  All the while, Fifi was swooning over her dates with Jules’ mates and I heard distinctly Australian advertisements, transporting me across Asia back to  drives to and from work, soccer training, futsal matches and weekend trips to box hill with the family.  Even just writing that sentence stirred up some nostalgia.  I suspect when the time approaches for my return to Melbourne the feeling will be much stronger.

It is probably the same for me with regards to soccer.  At the moment I’m not too fussed about not playing regularly, but last week when I organised a casual 5v5 session I was ridiculously excited from the day I booked to the day we played.  Admittedly this only spanned one day, but I do not remember having that kind of excitement since…the last time I played a proper match.  When I return to competitive matches I’m sure that excitement will return again.

For now though, I’ll just enjoy life as it is.  While occasionally I wish or dream of having this or that, if you asked me if I could become/live the life of whoever I want, I would pick myself.  Every single time.  As some would say, ‘surely someone has a better life than you’.  However, these things are subjective, and in my opinion, the overall combination of what I have is pretty good.  The above also applies more specifically to my exchange.  I am not getting the experience as advertised in the brochure.  I am not living in a country I have never/rarely been before, or living by myself, or learning a completely new language.  I have not been racking up local and international friends, or getting completely new cultural experiences every day, or partying and getting wasted every weekend.  Do I care?  Not one bit.  I came to get my own experience, to write another chapter in my own story.  I don’t think the brochure will argue with that.

hong kong exchange

"You're going on exchange to Hong Kong?  That's AMAZING!"

That was a pretty regular response from family and friends back home in Aus when I told them about it.  When they ask whether I was excited, I'd usually say that since I hadn't packed, the magnitude of the whole 'going away for four months going to a new university' has not sunk in yet.

More than two weeks in, for me it's still a bit of a mixed bag.  Yes, I have met a lot of people; more than I can remember.  Most have been exchange students, with the largest proportion from the US.  The thing is though, quantity does not equal quality, although I have met some great people who are immense fun to be around.  I'm not saying that the people I've met aren't good people-  they most likely are;  I'm just saying that most of the time our conversations do not amount to much more than whats your name/whereabouts are you from/what are you studying.  


Having said that though, all of my new friends have been exchange students or international students.  They just seem so much more...approachable, easy to talk to, and most importantly, want to start a conversation.  Contrast that with this morning, where I asked this guy (local, I think) a question: a one word answer and then put some distance between us. 


Sorry if I sound like a massive whiner, but I'm just trying to write about my experiences so far here in HK, good and bad.


There has been plenty of upside in Hong Kong though!  For a start, I've got to catch up with my grandparents and extended family.  As a result of this, and regular watching of tv shows (mainly the Chinese dubbed Korean show 'you are my destiny' that my grandma watches), I believe my canto has improved noticeably;  now i can talk to people like mtr and university administrative staff without them asking me to speak in english.  Shopping here is obviously fantastic, and I have already filled most of my luggage space!  Highlights include (in AUD, assuming exchange rate of 8):  real adidas futsal shoes for $40, a fake arsenal kit (shirt and shorts with name and numbers) for $9,  bossini jeans for $20, and a Samsung Galaxy sII for $550.

Food here is also incredibly cheap, with a good meal coming for no more than $4.  Yumcha breakfast for three people costs roughly $10 total!

Hong Kong University is quite different to Melbourne.  For a start, it is built on a steep hill, so stairs and lifts are everywhere.  Often, you can enter the ground floor of a building, go up to 4th floor,  walk out to the south and can then enter the next building on ground floor.  Food on campus is also cheap, but since everyone has lunch at 12:30, the queue can be massive!  So far, the best thing about it is the gym:  Its completely free!  True, its not massive and obviously doesn't have the flash machines of places like genesis in Melbourne,  but it's still pretty good.  Its not that crowded either, although I did go at lunchtime.


During orientation, they said that it was common for exchange students' experience to drop down and feel sad and lonely;  in a perverse sort of way, I found it reassuring in the sense that I wasn't expected to have the time of my life and have an amazing life changing experience and be elated every singe day of my stay here. 

Okay, think its time to wrap it up and stop scabbing the free wifi in the library; its nearly dinner time and I don't want grandma to get angry at me!  Thanks to everyone who read this, and thanks to everyone who has talked to me while I've been 7000km away- your conversations are most definitely appreciated :)

Thought blogs

First of all I'd like to apologize to anyone who has been eagerly anticipating my new blog entry since my last one nearly 5 months ago.  I always have 'thought blogs', whereby when there is something I deem interesting or important enough to be blogged about, I would compose in my mind the framework of the new entry and try to figure out how to make it seem interesting enough for someone to read beyond the first paragraph.  I would always get excited about these; then by the next week I'd have shelved this imaginary blog because I was 'busy' with so many other things.  Actually, you might want to replace 'next week' in the previous sentence with 'next day'.  Or perhaps even 'next hour'.

I had a thought blog entitled 'Salvos', in which I would fascinate you with my bold decision in late September to enter volunteer work with the Salvation Army store in Camberwell after my continual failures to find paid work.  In it would be thrilling details about how much of people's donations would have to be thrown in the bin because they didn't fit the 'can be sold at a price which justifies the space in the store used'.  Ever thought it would be fun smashing cups and throwing plates like frisbees?  Give volunteering a go.  I did gain some interesting experiences though.

This thought blog was quickly replaced with a new one which I called 'Woolworths', in which I would regale you with the jubilation I felt when I received the email from woolworths offering me employment after nearly a year of job hunting. 

Next came imaginary blogs which were probably more the size of a tweet than a proper article-length piece, talking about the upcoming exams and my hurried preparation for them, then about the freedom of having finished first year uni.

Somewhere in the above time frame there were undoubtedly other thought blogs about futsal; how along with some good friends we made a team, creatively dubbed 'Team Aadi' (after the creator of the team).  In these blogs I would talk about how excited I was about these matches, which recreated the anticipation, tension, and general rollercoaster of emotions which I felt about Saturday sport, taking to the soccer pitch or badminton court wearing the (in soccer's case oversized) school crest with pride. 

Others who have also played school sport may laugh at how dramatised I have made those saturday mornings; I remember in some teams how happy some people were when they didn't have to wake up early at the start of the weekend.  For me though, there was nothing more exciting; I felt like a gladiator fighting against the enemy determined to do well.  In the case of some soccer matches, doing well encompassed a respectable scoreline, or perhaps even a draw; for often lopsided badminton matches, I would be happy if I managed an 11-0 set.

For me, nothing else can possibly give me the rush that I got from scoring the winning goal against trinity in year 11; the smile was plastered on my face until at least dinnertime.  Conversely, losing the badminton final against the same school in our team's final competitive match was crushing. 

From the end of school until the creation of 'Team Aadi', I really missed those competitive games.  Sure, we would have casual futsal and badminton sessions which were undoubtedly fun, but they lacked that extra grit and determination from those involved because the result ultimately didn't mean that much.  So you could understand how excited I was about joining a competitive league!

During the semester, those matches were undoubtedly the highlight of the week, conveniently on Wednesday nights.  Post match analyses were self-continued long after the team has gone home, and I would become hyped up about the next match already by the end of the weekend.  After poor performances I would be desperate to atone next time; after good performances I would be excited about continuing my form into the next fixture.

In the first few matches, all the excitement and tension of the match would sometimes boil over and I would bluntly express displeasure at our team's performance.  As the season progressed, this improved as I learnt to control myself, although a semi-final loss late in the season showed my angry side again.

Late in a cup final match which we won, I crashed into the wall past the end line.  I was chasing an opponent who was dribbling down the left wing, and I was determined to stop him.  He tried crossing as he neared the end line, but he was unsuccessful.  As I slowed down, he slid and took out my legs.  With no way to slow down and no time to think, I crashed into the wall with my body angled around 30 degrees from the horizontal, slowing myself down with my elbow, wrist and cheek/forehead.  As I lay down in moderate pain, people rushed to see if I was okay, then as I went off the pitch the last few minutes were played. 

Although to our team captain (he had the kindness of heart to think I was faking my pain to get a freekick/sympathy) said I was stupid to chase that hard with the game in the bag and it being so late in the match, I think it showed just how much these games meant to me.  I remember a similar incident in school where I hit a goal post trying to prevent an opposition goal.  Don't get me wrong, if I had my time again I'd rather not have had these incidents, but perhaps during the match I follow the game and sometimes miss the danger.

So there you have it: the two-paragraph, extended answer to people who ask(ed) 'what happened to your face?'.  No, I didn't 'get into a fight', my preferred first response which always elicits a laugh from the questioner.  Maybe I just don't seem like that kind of person.

Wow this is a long piece; I must admit when this blog was just another thought blog about how I have these thought blogs, I had no idea what the main body of it would be about.  Then when I started typing about my futsal thought blogs, I just kept typing and typing and typing...

Congratulations if you managed to get to the end!  Let me know if you did :p

square zero

I was going to post something after being rejected for my job interview (no call back), entitled square one.  I knew that the chances of getting the job were slim, but it still sucks when you're implicitly told you aren't good enough. 

I don't really know why the blow was so disappointing.  Maybe it was because the interview seemed so close to the actual job.  Maybe it was coupled with the fact that my new tutoring student in fact didn't really want me tutoring him despite what he said.  I think I'll take a bit of a break from job hunting though.  The endless online applications and emails and phone calls can get kinda draining.

So I was basically where I was seven months ago when I got the walking job, thinking I'd be upgrading soon. 

Little did I know it'd get worse, and I'd get kicked out of Engineering Mathematics, and in doing so throwing my course plans off course.

It started innocuously enough.  I wasn't on my tutorial roll, so my tutor told me to see the head tutor to fix it up.  I couldn't find her, so I emailed.  Instead of fixing it, she went through my student record and claimed I had not done the proper prereq of calc 2.  No worries, I thought.  I had the subject approved at the start of the year, hence my enrolment. 

Apparently not.  I had to go see the head lecturer for approval.  I couldn't find him either, so more emails.  He was not impressed.  He was adamant that I hadn't seen too much of the prereq subject so he 'didn't want me' doing eng maths. 

I got some calc 2 tute sheets off a friend (thanks jacky!) and looked through it. 

Limits. surfaces. complex numbers.  All stuff I had covered already.  The only thing i hadn't done was differential equations, which didn't look too hard.  I told the lecturer I'd be happy to sit a test on calc 2 material.

The problem with email is the lack of 'channel richness'.  You can respond to an email after an age or conveniently ignore it.  The lecturer, decided to contact student admin to remove me from the subject without even replying to me.

wow that sounded like a mega rant.  Lucky I didn't write this right after my enrolment got cancelled or it would've sounded even worse.  I'm surprisingly feeling okay now though.  It's amazing what meeting up with friends at the start of a weekend can do.

new times

It's been a couple of pretty big weeks for me!  I got my Ps, found a new tutoring student, got my uni overload approved and had my first job interview.  With luck and if everything goes perfectly to plan, I'll have a new job and play in a regular futsal team with some friends too.

The licence wasn't quite as straightforward as I had hoped.  The combination of light rain and cold surrounds required demisting skills which I didn't have.  However, my mum got all the settings right so the car was all ready to go. 

The paperwork was fairly straightforward.  I was attended to by this guy who looked like he was 70 and bore a resemblance to Mr Perry (cgs teacher).  He had a wierd accent and could be a little hard to listen to.  Later, my mum told me he was my examiner.  Great.

We got out and went through the regular check up things, like lights, indicators etc.  He then called for the high beam.  *panic*  I didn't know/forgot how to do it!  quickly pulled the stalk for a prolonged flash, and he moved on. 

"fraannt demister" *point*
"reaah demister" *point*
"horn"                *honk*

twenty seconds later:

"fraannt demister"
"reah demister"
"horn"

Awesome.  I've got an examiner who struggles with short term memory.  On the plus side, perhaps when I make a critical error he would've forgotten by the time he goes to write it down!

We roll out and immediately he goes around adjusting all of my mum's carefully calibrated settings.  Temperature? ramped up to 24 degrees.  Fan? full blast.  Air con? on. 

Immediately the front windscreen began fogging up.  In fact, every window fogged up.  We prepare to enter Burwood Highway, and its so bad I have to wind down the window to see outside.  I drive us to a side road where we try to fix it up. 

"maaasstt cleeahh", the examiner claims.  So we fix up the settings and wipe the side windows. 

Thankfully the rest of the test wasn't as eventful and I passed!  A huge relief and the freedom is great :D


My first job interview was a big deal for me.  Once I was told to have an interview, I prepared questions and answers in my head.  Friends and family gave me extensive and sometimes amusing tips.  I listened to Eminem's classic song 'Lose yourself' about 3 times in two days.  The lyrics described my mood perfectly:

'if you had one shot, one opportunity...would you capture it, or just let it slip?'
would I be the person who 'keeps on forgetting what he wrote down', and
'opens his mouth but the words won't come out'?

When it came to the actual interview though, it was reasonably straightforward.  I was shaking a bit (probably not visibly), but my voice didn't completely give out on me which was a relief.  Ultimately though, the interviewer said there were about '50 applications' for two positions.  Mathematically, I have a 4% chance of nabbing one of them.  Realistically?  probably about the same with my lack of experience.  I'm preparing myself for likely disappointment when they ring back on Wednesday. 

However, that 4% is not nothing.  There is no reason why I can't be that tiny percentage and defy the odds. 
For now at least, there is hope.

Pizza!

made a pizza pretty much from scratch the other day :D

It was only my bro and I having dinner at home, so I thought it was the perfect time for experimenting with some cooking. I had never tried it before, and to be honest both my bro and I were worried it wouldn't turn out properly, so we had two pre-made pizza doughs just in case.

The initial mixture kept sticking to my hands when I tried kneading it, but after a while it stuck to itself better and so I could roll it into a nice ball:

I had to leave it in a warm place for it to rest and expand.  Two hours later, it had expanded nicely:

After cooking, the final pizza looked like this:

Ended up tasting alright too! 

always good to know I can cook something edible :p

interpersonal relations

I've realised recently when talking with my little brother about 'immaterial benefits' that what I really value are family and friendships.  Basically, spending time with people.  Its not really that I didn't value them in the past; more that I've clarified in my mind what is important to me.  

When I think back to my best memories, they don't include moments like when I won a soccer game (a 'cup final') on computer coming back from 3-0 down at half time. However exciting that might have been at the time, it just doesn't fill me with a buzz that lasts hours or even days that comes from real interaction with real people.  My favourite times inevitably include having a good time with friends or with family; shopping/movie/hanging out last friday with cgs friends and the kununurra family trip being recent examples. 

This might come across as strange to people who know me and don't see me as the most social type, but trust me, it's true. 

This is why recent weeks have boosted my happiness; lunch at uni with new and old friends instead of newspapers, and nights out with friends instead of with a computer screen.  Stuff which probably sounds quite standard to a lot of you, but more a privilege than a routine for me.

Thanks to these people who brighten up my day :)

mistakes

I've made a lot of mistakes recently.

 Stupid things said to friends.  Silly things done.  Bad decision making.  Terrible time management.

Take yesterday for example.  I went into a 3 hour engineering workshop unprepared without practice with the computer program matlab.  No problem, I thought; my other two work partners would be able to help me out  and we could accomplish it together.

Neither one of them rocked up.

There I was stuck there with a program I couldn't get to work for me and I was at the mercy of a computer screen which made no sense to me and questions which I could not answer.  It was me against matlab, and matlab was owning me left, right and centre.

I've rarely felt so helpless in my life; only chinese exams which I hadn't prepared for could possibly compare with yesterday.

I ended up answering two of the five questions, with one of the questions requiring only excel.

The culmination of all these mistakes was today when a friend told me an assignment was due yesterday and I hadn't handed it in yet because I thought it was due next week. I was hoping he was wrong, but the assignment boxes were taped over with paper saying
'LATE ASSIGNMENTS TO MICHAEL BRAK ROOM 195'

He's the lecturer in case you were wondering.  It actually wasn't that bad; he wasn't terribly intimidating and said matter-of-factly that I would get a 0 for the assignment, unless if i scored a 48 or 49 overall, upon which it would be counted and I would pass.  No sermon or rhetorical questions designed to force you into a corner of shame, which I was immensely grateful for.  I do wonder why late assignments have to be handed to him to deal with personally though- so he can remember our faces and be less forgiving towards us during his lectures perhaps?

I'm not posting this in a grab for sympathy, for indeed I deserve none; my mistakes have been my own and mine only.  I just feel a compulsion to post this as a record of my waywardness, and hopefully with a combination of willpower and perhaps some luck this will never happen again.

On a more positive note, thanks to adhi and edi for a fantastic party!  happy 18th birthdays to you both :)

walking

Apparently someone in my neighbourhood complained about not getting the melbourne weekly magazine last week because I was on holiday.  The manager had sent someone to replace me but it seems like they didn't do their job.

It's nice to know that my work actually has a positive impact on other people's lives, no matter how trivial that may be.

pancakes

Since I haven't blogged in a while so don't really know what to talk about, I have taken viv's advice and will try to blog about...pancakes.

Truth be told I have no idea how to make pancakes, or for that matter have much knowledge about them in general, except for the fact that they are nice to eat when combined with nice toppings like icecream and syrup.

...and that is pretty much all i have to say about this topic.

I also got chased by a dog at work which was kinda freaky.  It was making a racket when I was delivering junk mail on its side of the street, then when I was delivering on the other side I see a white dog bounding across the street right towards me barking the whole way.

 Okay in truth it probably didn't look as aggro as that but it was still pretty freaking having a free dog rush at me like that.  It didn't exactly chase me all the way down the street but it was enough to make me ditch my trolley once i realised it wasn't just going to stay near the house.

From that point on I kept seeing/imagining wierd things in the darkness, like a rat or some kind of wierd creature, to the point where my yelp actually scared some girl who screamed inside their front yard or something.

Uni is draining.

Orientation

Orientation was...interesting.


In terms of actual information intake, I'd rate today a failure.  All I really got was another vague tour of patches of the campus, some more info on union/club pricing, and a few random flyers promoting anything from non-atheism to same sex marriage.  The only lecture I went to was a new low: about 'academic expectations', it had just about every study cliche you could think of- active learning, get enough sleep and exercise, and some other random stuff.  In truth, the most beneficial information I got today was where I'd get newspapers from.


On the whole though, today was a good day.  I caught up with a few old friends from school days and saw other classmates around the place, and heard about science O-week camp 'events' which were shocking and funny in equal measure. People said that I should've been there, but I think listening to the stories I was better off at home, and besides if I went I would've missed an awesome party on Saturday night. 

Finally sorted out my uni timetable, which is looking good despite having to go in 5 days a week and having straight lessons from 11-4 on monday. 


Work is also getting better; I've finally figured out how to stack my papers in the trolley so I don't have to wrench out magazines, and with a consistent route i've minimized time wasted pushing an empty trolley home.  It also seems far less strenuous than it used to, so perhaps it has increased my fitness!


not a bad day at all.

jobs

Been pretty lazy with blogging lately.
and job hunting
and dealing with holiday photos


Come to think of it I've been pretty lazy since coming back from Egypt/UAE about 20 days ago.  True, I've been sick, sometimes a fever so bad I wear three layers of clothing when others are in T-shirts.  But I can't shrug the fact that I have been lazy.


I couldn't find a proper job after some insipid searching (google) and decided to cop out and try for a walking job.  No interview, no resume required; just a name and address, then account details so they could pay you.  The real thing started last monday, collecting and sorting junk mail and local magazines.   


I stacked them on this child's play pram, on top of which I tied a massive box and metal frame stuffed full of papers.  'the more the better', I thought.  


I start wheeling it, feeling its weight.  
I roll it slowly down the slope, backwards so it wouldn't run away
I change it's angle so it rolls out to the driveway instead of the roses
....and the whole thing just completely collapses and folds away in front of me.
The papers are everywhere on the driveway and garden.  I've trashed the pram and have not even delivered a single one of the 354 i've been given.


I had to completely rethink how I was going to do the job and resorted to carrying some in a luggage wheelie roller thing which didn't carry many more than 30 copies.  I feel like i spent a lot of time wheeling the thing and carrying some more in my arms going past houses i had already done.  Then even more time wheeling the thing back empty because it ran out.


Childishly, I thought getting a job was like pokemon; they're hard to get sometimes, but once you get it it's good fun because even though it's hard work that pain is tempered by knowledge of money flowing in.


I was so very wrong.  It is quite simply hard work which left me exhausted for hours afterwards.  When I tell my mum about it, she replies with a knowing smile.  She know's i'm soft from years of not having to work.


This job isn't the best.  As a friend said, a job as a cashier or something like that would be much better.  As the old saying goes though, 'beggars can't be choosers'.  In the professional world, I am not much more than a beggar.  For now.

sunday service

Recently, a friend invited me to church.


Having considered myself an atheist since at least year 6, I had misgivings and was naturally doubtful about attending a religious service devoted to something I do not believe in.  However, having not much better to do I decided to give it a try and tag along with my sister who is a regular there.

I think the first thing that struck me was the niceness of the people.  It wasn't a fake 'paste on the smiles and act happy' nice; they seemed genuinely compassionate, welcoming and willing to talk to me.  As a person generally uncomfortable in 'meet new people' situations, I was quickly engaged in a relaxed conversation with a guy my sister only introduced to me moments ago.


The official service began in a casual manner, with a fair amount of singing.  Everyone sang with gusto, and even I couldn't help but contribute my wobbly tones while reading off the projector.  The songs were Christian, but not all that different from the hymns sung at school.

The youths conducted amusing skits which often had the audience in stitches, partially tongue-in-cheek while also delivering a subtle but clear message: believe and trust in God.  The sermon (not sure if its called that) by a pastor enforced this in no unclear terms by providing biblical and anecdotal evidence

After a few more songs it was off to lunch, where the members of the church once again showed their kindness and generosity.  Many would introduce themselves in a friendly manner; others went further, coming up and chatting with me when I was too shy to approach anyone.  


By the end of the whole thing, it was as my friend said: no one there tried convincing me to 'convert' and instead simply tried making my stay as comfortable as possible.  I left feeling a mixture of happiness and relief; I was terrified of the thought of being in a room full of people I never met and leaving it after having hid in the corner for most of the time.  The reality was far more pleasant and rewarding, making me glad I went on that sunday, and experiencing an aspect of church life.



Many of these people said they hoped to see me later, but for now, I think not.  The service reinforced my view of church- it's welcoming, it's friendly, it's inclusive, but it is ultimately built on a religious foundation.  There was absolutely nothing wrong with the people there; had it been a non-religious group I would've joined in a heartbeat.  The fact that it is based on Christianity, something I do not believe in, makes it all but impossible for me to attend these services regularly.  At the moment, I do not believe in the bible and its teachings and thus it makes no sense for me to go to church.  As my sister would say,


'I am not ready for it yet'

Model Cars

I bought a model Nissan GT-R in hk at the start of the year,
but havent got around to building it until after the
exams had finished.

After several days of concentration, patience and occasional frustration, here it is!
The finished product is hardly perfect, with smears of paint and cement everywhere, but the whole process gave me a consistent message: If it isn't that bad, don't try and fix it; you may end up making it worse than it was before.

It's my fourth model car, after a Porsche Carrera GT, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, and a Ferrari Enzo. Its interesting how even though the failings of each car reminded me not to rush, I still tried to get through as much as I could in one go; I'd often start working on something even though the paint or cement had not dried.

Overall though, I'm pretty happy with this result, which I think is the most polished yet: it lacks the glaring blunders of the previous 3.

Hope you like it!

Any comments are welcome :)

aftermath

Well, the exams are finally over for those of us who did uni maths. Hopefully all the intense cramming (50 pages) has paid off, although judging from the fact a lot of us got different answers I can't get too confident.

Its only been a few days since exams have finished, but I'm starting to get bored already. Too much time at home not doing too much. In the past, gaming seemed like the awesomest thing to do, but now the prospect of playing doesn't seem to have the insatiable appeal it used to back in those heady days of year 9 and 10.

It's strange how my mood seems to swing significantly. Yesterday, for example, I was sorting out all my year 12 handouts and practice exams on the table to the positive beats on '101.9 the Fox' feeling motivated and purposeful, and today I'm moping about the same house not knowing what to do, just refreshing the facebook page (live feed and news feed) hoping for something interesting to pop up.

I'm hoping that getting a part time job will help with this...stagnation? and give me a bit more of a purpose in my day to day routine. I think its just that I'm not yet used to this freedom so instead of feeling free I feel unsupported, like a young bird free to fly for the first time but unsure quite how to do it properly.

Please feel free to post a comment or write something in the chat box!

UMEP

It is now about 34 hours away from the first uni maths exam, and I've got no clue how I'm going to go.

With all of my other exams I've felt fairly confident about my knowledge of the course and that nothing much can throw me too off guard; its like the cliche about having a solid foundation, a deep knowledge of what is happening.

With uni maths, that foundation is more like the thin ice that forms across the lake- a strangely worded problem, or a slight mental blank, and I have as much of a chance of working out the problem as most of you who haven't done the subject.

Its funny how I always thought it was slightly disappointing how I didn't really have a clean 'cut' which signified the end of my VCE exams, because this subject isn't really a proper VCAA subject. I always thought that after chemistry it would be a kinda-not-really end to VCE while after uni maths its another sort-of-in-a-way ending too, so there wouldn't be a clear point where I can celebrate the end of my secondary schooling.

The disappointment stemmed from my belief that I could bludge my way through the subject and scrape through with some last minute cramming.


How wrong I was.


I've heard that the brain is one of the highest energy users out of all the organs in the body. Whether or not this is true, I wish there was a way I could measure my brain activity over the last week or so, or calculate how much content i've tried to force into it. I've been relearning the course, one intense, painful 'problem sheet' at a time.

I think I express myself pretty reservedly when I work; its usually only in the desperation of sporting arenas that I physically release my emotions. At most, I would clench my fists in quiet celebration at the end of a particularly hard english or chem exam, or possibly even after solving an annoying problem.

With umep, I can do full half minute celebrations after completing a single problem without getting it wrong, and slump my head into my hands when it is incorrect. That is how draining it can be.

It's funny because I always thought that a week and a bit would have been plenty of time, but the reality is I've been working far harder than I did for the vce exams and have desperately needed every minute of the break. People who did uni bio or accounting crammed their study in the day before the exam due to timetabling, and if it was anything like this, they must been absolutely BEAST.

To any fellow uni maths students reading this, hang in there. It's only a few more days left, and judging from just about everyone else, the light at the end of this long, dark, slippery and frustrating tunnel is very bright indeed.

Good Luck,
Loz