Dougie the devil

Dougie the tassie devil and his victory lap of wallaby - this one is for you Pteph since gmail is being a tard

Who was I kidding...

Yeah, clearly I can't keep a blog. I blame Stepher for trying to convince me I could.
Maybe I will try again at some point, but for now there is too much that went on in my life to try to explain it all. Plus, I have an issue with not being able to share my feelings, let alone type them without being able to specify who gets to read them.

Anyway, for now. I shall leave you with my top 10 favourite pictures from my travels since my last post...


10. My first glimpse into the natural beauty all around the South Island.

(Christchurch, New Zealand)

9. My first, and DEFINITELY not last, scuba dive... and I had forgotten about how clear and blue the water was

(Great Barrier Reef, Australia)

8. It was serene.

(Lake Tekapo looking towards Mt. Cook, New Zealand)

7. Not only was it ridiculously beautiful, but I bungy jumped down to the stream... there is a tree way down there to show you with 134+ meters looks like.

(from top of Nevis Bungy - Queenstown, New Zealand)

6. Driving past massive waterfalls made the bus journey pass quickly

( Southern Alps, New Zealand)

5. Cleddau River into 'the Chasm' - amazing

(Fiordland, New Zealand)

4. I never though water could be as beautiful as it was in Fiordland.

(Millford Sound, New Zealand)

3. Heaps of sheeps

(High Country, New Zealand)

(OKAY, #2 is TIED - one from Australia, one from New Zealand)

2.1 It really captured the blustery day and my emotions at the time.

(sailing around the Whitsunday Islands, Australia)

2.2 Somewhere on the way to nowhere

(Southern Alps, New Zealand)

1. I think I can honestly say this was the most beautiful beach I have ever been to.

(Whitsunday Island, Australia)

quick note of blaahhhhhhhhhh

soo... yeah, it's been a while.

I've been going through some issues, dealing with things I didn't think I would have to deal with, and debating whether to quit the program - long story to be explained later - or stay and work for a little bit in the research lab here. I thought I knew what I wanted, turns out I didn't and still don't. I shall explain when I figure out what is best for me; everything aside.

Because of my gradual revelation to quit the program, I have not done any work for my research thesis or classes in 4 weeks.... now, as typical as ever, I sit here having to write an article response that was due almost exactly 1o hours ago. But again, as typical as ever, I am instead procrastinating and trying to get myself "in the mood" to read boring theoretical papers on 'computational theory of mind' (haha... I originally wrote conceptual, but then checked and it was, in fact, computational - which is even more pointless and shows my interest and commitment to the topic I haven't yet researched... awesome!) by listening to music and drinking a coffee mug filled with delicious 2006 australian shiraz...

...see :)

Alright, I suppose I shall attempt to be a good student. Considering the Uni still hasn't received my payment that I sent and got taken out of my bank account over two months ago, I am technically not a student so, I haven't really let anyone down... right?





I don't know what to do, what is the right decision, or whether I deserve to have my heart broken.

What I learned...

I had orientation crap all yesterday - it was horrible. Basically 18 year old idiots running around not yet realising that they aren't as cool as they think they are. Plus I had to sit through all the talks about what Uni is like and how you should go to class and blah blah blah....

When I got home, made some delicious tacos for the roomies and then went out and about downtown with my Colombian roommate Bernardo. It was good to get out and do something for once and he and his mates were all really nice. Drank some beer, listened to horrible club music and avoiding dancing as usual :)

It was also quite the learning day too. Listed in no particular order of acquisition or importance:

1. Jesus is coming and he doesn't pull out (according to a fantastic t-shirt I saw)
   
2. Aussies didn't get the message that not everyone should be allowed to wear spandex. (They should really only make sizes up to a medium or so... oh so horrible)
3. Aussies DO embrace the mullet though - well more so, the rat tail. (It's like they're saying, "look ladies, I can grow my hair long too... but I'll let you guys feel important so I won't grow it all, just a little taste to tantalize your minds")
4. All psychology buildings must be designed by social psychologists to tempt and annoy. (So, anyone who thought that only Elliott Hall was built in the most confusing manner, meet building 41. Building 41 not only has two sides unreachable to each other past the 2nd floor, but it also has doors on the third floor leading to outside but no balcony or anything. So, if you want to commit suicide they give you an easy option; just open a door and take a step. )
5. Taco sauce in Oz is only about a 6/10 on the tasty index versus the 10/10 I give its American counter-part. (But 'tomato sauce' is heaps more delicious than ketchup so I guess its draw)
6. Despite only having two numbers in your phone, it is still somehow possible to be the dick whose phone goes off in the middle of a talk. (...and it was one of the annoying polyphonic rings worse than what my original nokia in 1997 came with)
   

Overall, I'd say, productive day.
(haha that rhymes... right??)


Ohh and to all those interested parties
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I found my mouth guard

It's a mystery

sooooo...
I went to bed with my mouth guard in last night and now I can not find it - like seriously, searched for a couple hours today and could not find it. Where the hell did it go?????????

(so yeah to all those who are like wtf mate, I totally am suppose to wear a mouth guard to bed. Apparently I have been grinding my teeth in my sleep and as Mike John my MN oral surgeon recommended, mouth guard is in order. But.... I've only worn it twice and lost it already. 50% win/lose. That's chance percent that perhaps it's not meant for me. -- that stat is for you stepher.)



Oh, finally had good weather and went down to the beach today - 45 minute walk perhaps a little too long as my foot is sore, but now I have some colour and feel better about not missing the snow and boarding :)

Week One

Sorry Pteph, I shall try to update my blog more often according to your request, but maybe you should get skype like the rest of the family and people who care enough to spend 3 minutes hitting' download' and picking a user name....


Anyway, my first week - pretty good.

I had a wonderful date on Tuesday afternoon (his Monday night) with Brent. We both downloaded the new Underworld movie so we sat and watched it together while on Skype and drinking. Which, by the way, I think that the dude at the liquor store thinks I'm a drunk because I bought two bottles of wine Monday and then on Tuesday I bought a bottle of shiraz, three biggies of delicious czech beer and a caramelized onion and goat cheese quiche.... oh well, it all made me super happy.

I took a trek up to Cronulla Thursday night to hang out with Bry and friends. Took me a while to get up there due to rail track work, which in turn, made me have to ride a bus for an hour (vomit). It was great to catch up with old friends and to be around Cronulla again - it's such a beautiful beach town. Just sat outside, drank lots of beer, ate some pizza; it was great to have friends to talk to again.

As for Uni, my 'purpose' of being here - things are going well. Slow, but well. I met with my advisor and she is super nice and driven. Sounds like I am going to be crazy busy this next year with classes and research and everything. Which, I guess is good so maybe I won't miss home and everyone there as much. We talked about the project and discussed how upset she was that not enough kids smoke pot anymore, not even drink. She was complaining that most of the kids in the study are too straight edge and there is a group they are following, hoping they start to become regular users. I was quite taken back by this, but found it absolutely fantastic. I mean, how often do you get to talk to to professionals who are actually LIVID about the fact that kids aren't using substances... I love it.
Also, in the discussion of things, I slid in the fact that I was looking for a job and she offered me one! It will be basically working on the project more in the admin and general sense, on top of my research goals. This should be nice because then I will continue to be focused on the project work, and not completely involved in something else. But, it also means that I will have 'community program specialist' duties again I think, which DAMNIT! I thought I escaped all that in MN... oh well, CPS for life - word.

The clouds have finally lifted so I've seen some fantastic Oz sun, which is WONDERFUL. In fact, I was walking around trying to get enrolled and oriented at the Uni yesterday and acquired a nice little red outline of my tank top. I think I might try to go to the beach today if it clears up. It was suppose to be all sunny and warm, but now I just woke up to hardcore rain, boo to that.

Other than this all, there aren't too many updates yet. Just kind of been hanging around, exploring, and trying to get my barrings. I had a spout of missing home yesterday/ not sure if it was worth everything to come. I think that has passed, but its hard when I don't get to talk to everyone as much as I like. My dad did send me a picture of carnations with a post-it saying "Meg, Happy V Day Love Dad" sitting on the kitchen table back home, yesterday (the 20th)- which he then proceeded to mention in the email that email must be slow down here. I laughed :) Oh, MarieHot made me a wonderful silent movie with post-its and he trying not to get caught by her coworkers... it was the first thing I saw this morning when I woke up and it definitely brightened my day!! Yay.

For now, its probably back to watching Arrested Development on my computer and waiting for the sun to come out and play!

New Beginnings

So.... it appears the documentation of my life begins.

I'm not quite sure what exactly one is suppose to put on a blog or what the exact point of it is with all the other technologies around now a days, but what the hell. Here I am. And here are my stories. (This first one will probably be lengthy, sorry kids)

*So I had an extremely disappointing flight on United Airlines:

• Why? 1) No leg room 2) No free booze 3) No personalised movie screen in the seat in front of me 4) Not so good snacks or food 5) No good movies 6) No free booze.
  
• But there were a few good things. 1) I had an empty seat next to me to lie down 2) Twice I drank a mini bottle of wine, took a percoset and passed out 3) nope... only two good things.

*My new digs:

• The house is pretty sweet. Big, nice leafy surroundings, good size bedroom/kitchen/living space. It is completely hollow though; you can hear EVERYTHING and EVERYONE ... which brings me to
  
• I am living with Asians: One chick, Jolie, from China and one Australian dude, Dennis. Both are SUPER nice and welcoming so it is hard for me to be judgmental, as I am, but come on... you all know me. I'M A JUDGER!! I guess it's just different and I'll get used to it. There is a new dude moving in today too, I think he is from Colombia; and I think another person, maybe Japanese moving into the last bedroom.
  
• I have spent most of my time thus far in my room watching movies and Arrested Development, sleeping, or talking on Skype to Brent. Good thing I like my room :)
• I hate birds. They are everywhere.
  

* Surroundings:

• It'd been raining so I haven't had much time to explore down to the beach or anything, but I went for a walk to the Uni yesterday. It only took me like 15 minutes to get there and its heaps hilly and pretty so that will be good for me once I start class. The campus is gorgeous, got approached by a creepy dude. So basically, like the UofM but with palm trees, streams, crazy looking birds and warm. As I was walking back, it started into a torrential downpour, so that was fun. Well, actually it was. I love running around in the rain :) It makes me happy.
• Beach is like a 45 minute walk, which is father than I thought, but oh well. I hope to make it over there soon, just to check it out even if its not 'lay out' weather. I just don't want to get stuck in the rain again. It is suppose to clear up by Thursday though.
• It's weird to be in a place where you have no idea where you are. No sense of direction for streets, businesses, etc. Hopefully I will figure it all out soon because it's quite the bother to my self-esteem. haha. Well crap, I was still lost in Minneapolis after living there for 6 years so perhaps I will be hopeless here too. No good.

* What I am missing:

• Brent. Yeah, a lot. It sucks that finally we got to a stage in our relationship where we were both ready to be with each other and then I ditched out and postponed that a year. I am really excited for everything that is to come in this year away, and I am not regretting coming I guess, but it still doesn't mean it's not hard.
• All my friends. I've had a quick chance to Gchat with MarieHot, hear a crazy sparklz story from SKK IV and I skyped a bit with Melej, but it's just not the same knowing I can't say hello face-to-face.
  
• Pteph. Haven't talked to her yet.
  
• Texting.

*Things I forgot I love about Oz:

• The vernacular - it's fantastic.
  
• Lift - it is the most delicious sparkling lemon soda you will ever taste.
• Everything is ridiculously beautiful.

* RANDOM TIDBITS:

• I packed my weight in luggage - seriously, like within a few pounds.
• Double beds are not the same size as full-size beds in America. Thus, fitted bottom sheet, you do not fit.... dick
• I went to a movie Valentines day with Jolie and her Chinese friend - wow, I have never been IN the car with that horrible Chinese driver you always see and bitch at on the road - there was a brief moment where I feared for me life...
• I bought unlimited calling via skype to the US, so that means that I can call you all for free through my computer. sooooooo, if you get a call from an 'unavailable' number or 000-1234, its me! And you best answer or else you are off my call list.

YEAH, PRETTY SURE YOU ARE ALL SICK OF READING THIS BY NOW, SO I SHALL STOP. UPDATES TO COME SOON. BUT FOR NOW, ENJOY SOME LOVELY PHOTOS I TOOK WHILE WALKING AROUND THE UNI YESTERDAY......

..... uuuhhhh nope, apparently when I tried to upload them, I deleted them all. $!@%#&!#$

yeah, its going to be a good day.

I did come across this photo on BBC's 'Day in Pictures' - I hope it brings you as much joy as it brought me :)




"A man was arrested for an alleged breach of quarantine rules after getting off a flight to Australia with two live pigeons in his trousers."