This Girl

In response to the wonderful Julie's blog post, here is a bit about this girl:

This girl:

:: is an intrepid introvert

:: chooses freedom over security

:: trained for the Sydney Olympics

:: has a weird habit which she'll tell you if you tell her one

:: is a cynical believer, a continuum of contradictions

:: is a mac girl. Doesn't touch PCs unless held at gunpoint

:: is happy with life but asking at what's next

:: is a water baby

:: hates eating things with bones in them. Or meat which is mushed up

:: once considered becoming a mathematician. Then realised how uncool that was

:: has loved but never been in love

:: doesn't get crocs

:: believes writing is the new praying

:: can't for the life of her think of anymore

:: thinks this makes her quite dull

:: maybe will add more later to make self sound more exciting

Jobs

I was talking with a friend the other day about the jobs we had to do during university, and honestly, my job kicks arse in pretty much all the categories you tend to base these jobs on.

I want to know... what is the worst and best job you've ever had? What did you have to do while at university to feed yourself?

Let me tell you mine...

I mentioned in a few posts ago that I studied english and theatre, and the theatre part is the important one here. I was employed as an actor for the med school for the entire duration of my university study... the job rocked, I was paid about three times minimum wage and sometimes I did oscar winning performances while drunk. Yes you read that right, let me explain:

So the university I went to is well known for its med school, and they have a 'clinic' set up which was basically a room with dividers which made about 12 little cubicles that the doctors would see the 'patients' in.

We actors would be given a folder with our character notes, symptoms and if need be photographs and would rotate around the cubicles giving the doctors practice on diagnosing different ailments. Good fun.

If you were lucky you were asked to do exams which meant you earned about six times minimum wage and got a massive feed. I did a few of these, and one Saturday morning after I had stumbled in from a hard night out at 7 am, got a phone call at 8am.

Could I please come in, so and so is sick and can't make it.

I did my best slurry can't make it talking to my boss babble which didn't work and 20 minutes later I found myself walking back down the street to the hospital, which just so happened to be on the same block as the bar I had just left an hour before. To say I was concerned would be lying, I was drunk. And needed aspirin and sleep. Not acting and bosses. And especially not medical professionals tsk tsking.

I dragged my arse up the stairs and my boss found me, giving me the folder with my patient notes in it and pushing me into the exam room, as we were 1/2 an hour behind the rest of the exam. I climbed onto the bed and opened my notes. My character was brought into ED in a coma. God bless.

My Weekend Proofing Project

 You have no idea how cool this is!

Possibly the best multi-purpose protest sign ever?

Back in the good old days

Heading back to university next week. Sucker for punishment. Brings with it not only crippling back aches from all the books, but memories of my last stint at university... let me explain:

Me in highschool =

Itching to get out of the country with no thought of university, or how I was actually going to get out of the country. Took these subjects, and only these subjects, none of which were in any way academic: music, drama, design, classical studies, psychology and geography.

(Just in case you were worrying, geography had two class trips, hence the semi-serious subject choice.)

Not a photo of me in highschool, but there i am at about six.

Ten points if you guess which on I am.

So I kind of stumbled into university after working for the summer and missing the first semester. I visited a friend who was studying and saw that she was having much more fun than I was, so talked my way onto the 2nd semester classes.

I began studying psychology, mainly because I had really enjoyed it at highschool (read cute teacher) and mostly because it sounded flash to me then. I also decided to major in theatre studies mainly because I had enjoyed it in highschool, but mostly because it sounded easy.

A semester in I realised the 8am labs with psychology didn't suit my lifestyle, and I clearly couldn't get a degree majoring in theatre studies, so I began looking for another major.

This picture pretty much sums me and university up.

To do this I looked through the prospectus and found the course whose classes began the latest.

This was english. No class started before 2pm. Perfect. I would do an english degree.

Never mind that in the last two years of highschool I actually hadn't taken english, it seemed like an achievable goal. And it was. I graduated in 2 1/2 years, before people who started university before me even graduated.

So here I am again, older and I like to think a bit wiser...? I am certain that this course will be a lot more challenging than my previous stint at university. And I welcome it. But am a bit scared all the same...

Actually I set out to write a completely different blog post about the job I had while at university. It's a great yarn, and I'll tell it in the next post.

My new addiction

I've been practicing a bit of escapism lately, and I'm now hooked. I can't help it.

I-tunes movies has me in its firm grasp. I'm addicted to it.

I have watched many many movies lately, sadly most are mind-numbing ones, the kind you watch when you don't have to think about anything, they were pretty average.

Here's my list:

Twilight: Bad very bad. Don't start. I had to read the books after watching the movie, and I tell you, I think a piece of me died while reading them which I'll never get back.

Revolutionary Road: Quite good. Love Kate and Leo together, and the story is enthralling. One of the better ones.

He's Just Not That Into You: I got this one because everyone talks about it, and its blurb said it was the next Love Actually. It's NOT! Just watch Love Actually again if you want the romantic comedy fix. I think I only laughed a couple of times and spent the rest of the movie cringing.

Australia: Bad, very bad, don't go there. Made in the epic style, but not enough emotion to pull it off, the characters are superficial, and the story could be great if more was invested in it.

Yes Man: Read the book and was a bit disappointed by the movie, could have been so much better. But also I hate Jim Carey, so that could have clouded my judgement.

Confessions of a Shopaholic: Again. Bad, but easy to watch, but bad on an intelligent level. The two main female characters are quite lovable though.

Pride & Prejudice: One of my all time favourite movies, good old faithful came through again. Another viewing scheduled for tonight.

I hope this list saves you from making the same mistakes as me. Don't get involved with i-tunes movies. It is a slippery slope...

I've got my eye on The Changling, is it worth watching? Any other suggestions? Anybody prepared to execute some tough love?

My Thoughts and Love

Am in a bit of shock at the moment. I don't know if it has reached the other side of the world yet, but Samoa had a massive tsunami yesterday.

The beachside village we stayed at for four nights is completely gone. Most of the Taufua's (the host family) are dead, and the place has been completely flattened. This:

Now looks like this:

Bit surreal really, I'm bloody glad to not be there now, but can't stop thinking of the lovely people who made our time there so special.