So Britney Spears is coming to Perth next week, and I wasn't going. The newspaper is telling me how Perth is heating up because Britney lands next week. My facebook was going nuts with my friends posting status updates about going to see her next weekend. And theres me... heartbroken because I was broke when her tickets were released and sold out. But today, that changed.
I got an e-mail from Ticketek around about 2:00 today saying I could get Britney tickets for $50. FIFTY DOLLARS!!!! Yesterday I worked 14 hours so I'm confident that I can now afford to see Britney Spears. I ran around the house screaming "Oh My God! Oh My God! MUM!!!!". I rang my cousin asking if she wanted to come and soon after I had a confirmation e-mail from Ticketek congratulating me on my latest purchase. My eyes had tears welling.
My mum asked "Why are you so excited?!" after I had just spent 10 minutes jumping up and down talking veryveryvery fast. I was like "What?!". Britney Spear's firt release was the first album I ever owned. She was my first favourite artist EVER! So many childhood memories feature Britney Spears in the background, and I bet this is the same for many girls born in the 90s.
So Folks, I'm going to Britney next Saturday the 7th of november. Thanks for letting me share the excitement. =D
Friday, October 30, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Murdoch through my eyes. (10 things I've found and Love!)
Oh Assignment three, you couldn't have come at a better time. Actually I lie, you've come at the worst time I could possibly think of! Its week 12 and you want to know 10 things I love about the institution I study at that has imposed several assignments on me and expects me to complete them in two weeks!?! (I assure you if you read that sentence several times it will soon make a lot of sense) Well assignment three, despite the misery associated with Murdoch at this time of the year (last minute assignments and exams etc.) I have managed to come up with a list of ten things I like about my university. But I think it’s a little unfair to just give you my opinion so here’s a little video of what other students like about Murdoch:
So what do I love? Before I stated that this was going to be hard... but I lied. Every day I go to uni with a smile on my face and if I come home upset it’s usually due to motion sickness from the train ride home. Here are the ten things that make my day three days a week (I go to uni Monday through to Wednesday, best semester ever!).
- Farm Animals – Students who were at uni on Thursday would have noticed baby farm animals in bush court for Stamp Out Stress Week. But these are not the animals I am talking about. I am referring to the horses and sheep once hidden away from us only to be discovered when the bus route was moved. I bet vet students knew that there were animals at Murdoch but if you’re a media student like me then you were none the wiser. Now every morning on my way to uni I get see sheep and horses. It really does make my day. Animals are just so content with life, you know lying around and eating grass all day... they help make Murdoch a stress free environment.
- The Bookshop – Those who know me would understand that I am a stationary-a-holic. I love pens, pencils, highlighters with post it notes attached, fancy paper, awesome note books and basically anything you will find in a stationary store. To accentuate my point I spent $120 at office works the year I started uni (I just couldn’t walk past that $10 highlighter with post it notes... absolute genius!). So you could imagine my excitement when I found an actual book store with actual stationary at university. When I get bored on my breaks, sometimes I like to go to the bookstore and browse... it has become a favourite past time of mine.
- Exercise – When I get home from uni my mum will usually be like what are you eating? You should go for a walk tomorrow! You don’t do enough exercise! Oh but mother... I’ve just climbed over 4 flights of stairs today, and my classes are on opposite sides of the campus. Therefore mum I actually do a lot of exercise. To demonstrate the walk from the bus stop to bush court, which I walk every day I attend uni, here is a quick video:
I would also like to add that the route from the bus stop to uni used to be a lot easier. It was moved this year to be behind the university creating a longer walk route.
- The Guild Shop – There are several reasons why you will fall in love the guild shop. Firstly, it stocks a wide range of chocolate, lollies, and assorted drinks. Secondly, it sells Murdoch University merchandise such as jumpers and mugs. Thirdly and most importantly it has second hand books. The second hand books sold here are priced according to how well kept they are. If you don’t mind a bit of wear and tear then you will pick up a bargain, these ones are usually the first to go as their the cheapest. Take it from me, before you head off to buy a brand new book check out the guild shop first. I have found a ton of cheap second hand books and saved a lot of money in the past two years, it’s totally worth it.
Oh and I should add you can buy phone credit, remedies (for headaches etc), non overpriced chewing gum, use your ATM card, apply for a smart rider, and many more student essentials.
- The Asian Food Van – Oh man this one is obvious. Trust me, as soon as you get to Murdoch all you will hear is how awesome the Asian food van is. I had heard so much about the Asian food van but I had never been before. I tried it for the first time last week and you can see a slide show of the experience below. I’m not much of an Asian food fan but I do like honey chicken and know how to appreciated nice honey chicken, and oh boy was the honey chicken at the Asian food van good! It was so totally awesome that as soon as I left the place I was asking anyone I talked to “have you been to the Asian food van? Isn’t the Asian food van awesome?” I now have plans to take a group of three of my friends there next week.
This is a slide show of my first visit to the Asian Food Van.
- Hands On – I love that at Murdoch we can get hands on with our degrees. Last semester I did a radio unit where we were placed into groups of three and required to put on a live radio show once a week. This unit was so challenging and presented problems we would encounter in real life. For those studying Journalism there is a unit which requires you to put together news stories as if you were in a real life newsroom. There are also several degrees that offer work placement units. I do okay at theory work but I feel more confident when I’m able to practice something as opposed to talking about it, and Murdoch allows me to do this.
- Library Cafes – The cafes in the library are the best meeting places and I guarantee you will spend a majority of your free time here. Sometimes I will go to the cafes by myself and study, and I actually get stuff done! There are other times when I will meet with a study group I have an assignment with, and then there are times (usually the best) when I will meet some friends and talk. Sir Walters is my favourite as you can always find a table to sit at, unless its winter and then it’s pretty busy. It also has a TV and I’m usually in the cafe when Ellen DeGeneres is on, who I love. The other cafe is on the first level as you walk in and is called Kadjininy Cafe, otherwise known as the one you can’t pronounce. In both cafes there are outlets for your laptop and you can get a $2 small coffee if you have guild discount, both of which are very handy.
- The students – Living so far from Perth I was a little unsure how I would go with making friends so far away, but I did just fine. I made friends in my first week that I still see in my classes today. I’ve also met a ton of students studying different degrees through the friends I took to uni with me. Another thing about Murdoch students is that a lot of them are from around the world. We have a high number of international students, and these are the most interesting people you will meet. They give you insights into the world that you don’t see on the news or read about in the papers.
- Easy access – I live in Mandurah and every time anyone from Murdoch hears that I get the whole “OMG! How do you get here every day?!” spiel. And I always reply with, “well... it’s not that hard really”. Thanks to the train line I have a 5 minute car ride to Mandurah station, a 40min train ride to Murdoch station and then a 15 min walk or 5 min bus ride to Murdoch University. In fact, I bet I have an easier time getting to Murdoch than some of the students that live in Perth!
- The Secret Garden (or Peace Garden) – There is a neat little Chinese style garden basically in the middle of nowhere, well maybe not the middle of nowhere... but it is right next to classrooms and it’s kind of secretive. You can’t really see it from the walk way and have to go down some stairs to get a clear view. In fact it’s so secretive that the other day my friend said to me “Murdoch has a waterfall!” I was like err? Really? Where? And then we went to the secret garden, and I was like oh yeah I know this place!! My favourite part about this place is the waterfall. It’s so pretty and magical... I could just watch the water flow all day. I have plans to grab lunch from the Asian food van and go sit by the waterfall... that day is going to be awesome.
P.S.
While I was uploading my video on youtube I came across this one filmed at Murdoch. It made me laugh so I thought I’d share it with you.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
We danced till the sun went down. Part 2.
I would officially like to give myself the title "Worlds Greatest Procrastinator". I have an assignment due this Sunday, an assignment due next Monday, two shifts in my brand new job next week and two assignments due Friday two weeks from now. Despite all of these commitments piling up, what do i decide to do on one of my last free days for the next two weeks? Nothing. Well not exactly nothing, I'm actually addicted to this game site that lets you play strategy games for free. It's running in the background as i type this actually... (check it out here: http://www.twomoregames.com/strategygames.html, BEWARE however as it is highly addictive) I figured that instead of just playing a game I could update part 2 of my epic weekend which concluded 4 days ago, I really am slack aren't i?
Anyway, Sunday was the best day of One Movement. Probably the most fun I had on Saturday was dancing away in the silent disco and discovering Melbourne band Wagons. Sunday, however, was epic fun all day long. There were several awesome bands playing on day number 2, and the crowd numbers proved just how popular they were. The crowd was noticeably bigger on Sunday it might be due to the day being a bit cooler than Saturday, but i also think more people were attracted to the bands playing that day. Here's a quick run down of the bands I watched that day.
I Heart Hiroshima - If you haven't heard of them their a three piece from Brisbane and totally rock. I had heard their music before, but their energy live brings a whole new experience to the ears.
The Queen of the Kimberly Mary G - This was the first time I had heard of Mary G, and she (he?) was brilliant! If you've ever heard of the laughing Samoans then you may be familiar with Mary G's style of comedy. Shes a dame Edna type of performer and knows how to make you laugh. I would pay to see her again, she was great.
Meiko - Her voice is so unique, she could sing absolutely anything and it would sound good. She was also pretty funny as well, pulling out some awesome one liners.
Art vs Science and Tigarah - the two joined forces for an unforgettable set. They combined perfectly together to make an awesome one time duo.
Little Red - when they hit the stage, I swear I fell in love. I already knew I liked their music but their live set was amazing. Dominic Byrne of Little Red is my new found musical crush, and I'm not afraid to admit it. I'm actually counting down the days till I see them again.
Dappled Cities - I will admit that I only wanted to hear "The Price" but they're whole set was actually brilliant.
Wolf & Cub - We were up the front for these guys as we were waiting for Kate Miller Heidke to play on the same stage. There were two drummers, an energetic lead, and a bassist with epic headbanging skills. Definitely not you're average rock band.
Art Vs Science - We only saw them on the big screen as we were waiting for Kate Miller Heidke, but I think if I had been in a crowd for Flippers I would have gone crazy. Its safe to say I was a little too excited when I heard flippers live. Maybe it was because I was the only one dancing in the Kate miller Heidke crowd, either way I attracted a fair bit of attention and I'm not proud of it.
Kate Miller-Heidke - She was as magical as always. Her songs sound just like they do on record and she even threw in her fabulous song about facebook friend requests. If you haven't heard it check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7MuwPlOiNQ
Hilltop Hoods - We watched about two songs before we decided we had to leave if we wanted to be back in Mandurah at a reasonable time, but that was enough to pick up an awesome vibe from the crowd and leave with smiles on our faces.
After we decided we were going to leave, as designated driver i thought i should have a V energy drink to keep myself awake. My friend Emma and I headed to the V bar while our other friends Missy and Brodie went for a bathroom stop before the trip home. When we got our V I heard Miami Horror start to play "Make you mine" and I couldn't help but move my feet. "Baby, you got me feeling it in my feet you got me dancing" man I took that lyric literally. I then initiated a dance party with Emma in between the silent disco and the tent Miami Horror were playing in, or in other words the most unlikely place to dance to the band currently on stage. We continued to dance together along with a few passer byers until the other half of our pose came back from the bathroom and joined in with us. I took a break from the dancing and went to the bin to throw out my empty V can. When I came back I noticed someone taking photos and that some of the punters watching Miami Horror had turned around to watch us dance. We then danced our way to the front gates and to the train station.
When on the train we heard a man behind us break up with his girlfriend on the phone. It was a little intense... he started yelling at his girlfriend and told her he didn't want to use anymore. I should point out the train was very full as well, I don't think he noticed though. After he hung up on her he started to cry... then he rang her back and laid out all their dirty laundry for the train to hear. Safe to say it was pretty awkward...
After that it was a safe trip home and straight to bed to rest for uni the next day =]
(Don’t forget to vote!)
Anyway, Sunday was the best day of One Movement. Probably the most fun I had on Saturday was dancing away in the silent disco and discovering Melbourne band Wagons. Sunday, however, was epic fun all day long. There were several awesome bands playing on day number 2, and the crowd numbers proved just how popular they were. The crowd was noticeably bigger on Sunday it might be due to the day being a bit cooler than Saturday, but i also think more people were attracted to the bands playing that day. Here's a quick run down of the bands I watched that day.
I Heart Hiroshima - If you haven't heard of them their a three piece from Brisbane and totally rock. I had heard their music before, but their energy live brings a whole new experience to the ears.
The Queen of the Kimberly Mary G - This was the first time I had heard of Mary G, and she (he?) was brilliant! If you've ever heard of the laughing Samoans then you may be familiar with Mary G's style of comedy. Shes a dame Edna type of performer and knows how to make you laugh. I would pay to see her again, she was great.
Meiko - Her voice is so unique, she could sing absolutely anything and it would sound good. She was also pretty funny as well, pulling out some awesome one liners.
Art vs Science and Tigarah - the two joined forces for an unforgettable set. They combined perfectly together to make an awesome one time duo.
Little Red - when they hit the stage, I swear I fell in love. I already knew I liked their music but their live set was amazing. Dominic Byrne of Little Red is my new found musical crush, and I'm not afraid to admit it. I'm actually counting down the days till I see them again.
Dappled Cities - I will admit that I only wanted to hear "The Price" but they're whole set was actually brilliant.
Wolf & Cub - We were up the front for these guys as we were waiting for Kate Miller Heidke to play on the same stage. There were two drummers, an energetic lead, and a bassist with epic headbanging skills. Definitely not you're average rock band.
Art Vs Science - We only saw them on the big screen as we were waiting for Kate Miller Heidke, but I think if I had been in a crowd for Flippers I would have gone crazy. Its safe to say I was a little too excited when I heard flippers live. Maybe it was because I was the only one dancing in the Kate miller Heidke crowd, either way I attracted a fair bit of attention and I'm not proud of it.
Kate Miller-Heidke - She was as magical as always. Her songs sound just like they do on record and she even threw in her fabulous song about facebook friend requests. If you haven't heard it check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7MuwPlOiNQ
Hilltop Hoods - We watched about two songs before we decided we had to leave if we wanted to be back in Mandurah at a reasonable time, but that was enough to pick up an awesome vibe from the crowd and leave with smiles on our faces.
After we decided we were going to leave, as designated driver i thought i should have a V energy drink to keep myself awake. My friend Emma and I headed to the V bar while our other friends Missy and Brodie went for a bathroom stop before the trip home. When we got our V I heard Miami Horror start to play "Make you mine" and I couldn't help but move my feet. "Baby, you got me feeling it in my feet you got me dancing" man I took that lyric literally. I then initiated a dance party with Emma in between the silent disco and the tent Miami Horror were playing in, or in other words the most unlikely place to dance to the band currently on stage. We continued to dance together along with a few passer byers until the other half of our pose came back from the bathroom and joined in with us. I took a break from the dancing and went to the bin to throw out my empty V can. When I came back I noticed someone taking photos and that some of the punters watching Miami Horror had turned around to watch us dance. We then danced our way to the front gates and to the train station.
When on the train we heard a man behind us break up with his girlfriend on the phone. It was a little intense... he started yelling at his girlfriend and told her he didn't want to use anymore. I should point out the train was very full as well, I don't think he noticed though. After he hung up on her he started to cry... then he rang her back and laid out all their dirty laundry for the train to hear. Safe to say it was pretty awkward...
After that it was a safe trip home and straight to bed to rest for uni the next day =]
(Don’t forget to vote!)
Sunday, October 18, 2009
We danced till the sun went down. Part 1.
So I'm meant to be completing an assignment due tomorrow... but I feel a great need to discuss the past weekends events. It was indeed the weekend of the One Movement Festival. Oh how glad I am to have attended this little beauty.
I must begin with one topic EVERYONE was discussing over the weekend, and that is Murdoch University. We all just guessed that Murdoch's partnership with Sunset Events was the reason we received free tickets to the festival, but we are yet to be given a formal explanation (as far as I am aware anyway). Due to being unemployed for the past 4 months I couldn't even fork out $99 to buy a ticket to One Movement, so I was understandably quite excited when I found out we had access to free tickets. I was even more pleased when I rocked up on Saturday and discovered the venue was half empty.
I've only attended a few festivals and concerts before, and none of them have ever been less than half full on arrival. Another thing I noticed was how chilled everyone was. There was no pushing or shoving, and I could comfortably be at the front of the action and dance till my hearts content. Unlike Southbound this year when I received bruised ribs from being at the front of the crowd during The Kooks set, worth it though... oh so totally worth it.
Saturday at One Movement was okay... I wish I could say it was great, but I can't... and here are several reasons why.
1. Its hay fever season - Anyone slightly close to me knows I am a hay fever sufferer. Mostly because since the first hot day in October I can't go 2 minutes without sneezing. Saturday was especially bad due to the heat, flies, and a blood nose with terrible timing.
2. It was hot! - Almost everyone that walked on stage on Saturday payed note to the heat. When I read the Sunday Times on Sunday morning I discovered it had been 36.9 degrees, which the paper described as a 'heat wave'. Yeah... not exactly ideal festival weather.
3. Sweat - This kind of tees with the fact it was hot, but sweat needs its on sub category. Sweat + sunblock + dirt = sticky dirty sweat. All I could think about at the end of the day was how good a shower would be right now.
4. The music - Now there will always be highs and lows to the musical selection at festivals, and if you don't like one band its more than likely someone else will. However, Sundays line-up was noticeably more impressive than Saturdays, just saying...
Thankfully I can stop there. 4 reasons why Saturday wasn't great, that's enough. Here are some reasons Saturday was great:
This little post is long enough so I shall return later with a Part 2 featuring Sunday. I must finish my report due tomorrow like a good Uni student =]
Peace and love y'all!
(Don’t forget to vote!)
I must begin with one topic EVERYONE was discussing over the weekend, and that is Murdoch University. We all just guessed that Murdoch's partnership with Sunset Events was the reason we received free tickets to the festival, but we are yet to be given a formal explanation (as far as I am aware anyway). Due to being unemployed for the past 4 months I couldn't even fork out $99 to buy a ticket to One Movement, so I was understandably quite excited when I found out we had access to free tickets. I was even more pleased when I rocked up on Saturday and discovered the venue was half empty.
I've only attended a few festivals and concerts before, and none of them have ever been less than half full on arrival. Another thing I noticed was how chilled everyone was. There was no pushing or shoving, and I could comfortably be at the front of the action and dance till my hearts content. Unlike Southbound this year when I received bruised ribs from being at the front of the crowd during The Kooks set, worth it though... oh so totally worth it.
Saturday at One Movement was okay... I wish I could say it was great, but I can't... and here are several reasons why.
1. Its hay fever season - Anyone slightly close to me knows I am a hay fever sufferer. Mostly because since the first hot day in October I can't go 2 minutes without sneezing. Saturday was especially bad due to the heat, flies, and a blood nose with terrible timing.
2. It was hot! - Almost everyone that walked on stage on Saturday payed note to the heat. When I read the Sunday Times on Sunday morning I discovered it had been 36.9 degrees, which the paper described as a 'heat wave'. Yeah... not exactly ideal festival weather.
3. Sweat - This kind of tees with the fact it was hot, but sweat needs its on sub category. Sweat + sunblock + dirt = sticky dirty sweat. All I could think about at the end of the day was how good a shower would be right now.
4. The music - Now there will always be highs and lows to the musical selection at festivals, and if you don't like one band its more than likely someone else will. However, Sundays line-up was noticeably more impressive than Saturdays, just saying...
Thankfully I can stop there. 4 reasons why Saturday wasn't great, that's enough. Here are some reasons Saturday was great:
- The Silent Disco - which I spent an hour in
- The People
- Dippin' Dots - the worlds coldest and yummiest ice cream
- Sarah Blasko
- Wagons (if you missed them please check them out here: http://www.myspace.com/wagonsmusic)
- Free Murdoch T-Shirts
This little post is long enough so I shall return later with a Part 2 featuring Sunday. I must finish my report due tomorrow like a good Uni student =]
Peace and love y'all!
(Don’t forget to vote!)
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Hired!
No more scouring the papers, no more agonising over lack of funds, no more staying up late applying for billions of jobs that all turn me down. Yes, that's right I GOT HIRED!!
Today I decided enough is enough, I am going to get a job. So I printed out a bunch of resumes, placed them in a plastic sleeve and went to the Mandurah Forum. I gave one to Telstra, which is where a friend of mine works. The same friend also used to work at the jewellery store 'Michael Hill', which she said had a sign out the front saying they were hiring casuals. I walked over to 'Michael Hill' and sure enough there was a sign!
I walked in and waited around for a while for some people to be served. After about 5 minutes the manager came out and greeted me. She looked at my resume and said, tell me about yourself. So I told her about myself, I said I was keen to get back into work and in three weeks I'm available full time. She seemed impressed, I was confused as to why because I had no retail experience what so ever. Maybe it was because I smiled heaps. When i went for my first job at 15 all my dad said was "remember to smile". I guess he was right. I was introduced to the staff working at the time, and they all seemed really nice. After shaking the managers hand and walking away with papers concerning tax and Superfund along with a roster, it was clear... i was no longer unemployed.
I felt like jumping in the air and clicking me heels together. I wanted to tell the whole entire world I had a job again! For 5 months I've been unemployed, and it has been the most challenging time for me. I hadn't been unemployed for three years before June, and well... to be honest it felt great at first. But then... I just got bored... even with uni I missed having the extra challenge of fitting in a work shift in between study. And although its been easier for me to achieve at Uni when I would look around and see my friends talking about work on top of their study, I felt kind of lazy. Not to mention not having any money! That's probably the hardest thing. I was living off my parents for a while until I got a measly $140 back from the tax department (i say measly because the year before i received $1100), so being back on the pay roll is such a good feeling.
I'm glad I have a blog to tell this good news too, otherwise I'd be calling everyone in my phone book and explaining how happy I am. That is how good this news is. =D
Today I decided enough is enough, I am going to get a job. So I printed out a bunch of resumes, placed them in a plastic sleeve and went to the Mandurah Forum. I gave one to Telstra, which is where a friend of mine works. The same friend also used to work at the jewellery store 'Michael Hill', which she said had a sign out the front saying they were hiring casuals. I walked over to 'Michael Hill' and sure enough there was a sign!
I walked in and waited around for a while for some people to be served. After about 5 minutes the manager came out and greeted me. She looked at my resume and said, tell me about yourself. So I told her about myself, I said I was keen to get back into work and in three weeks I'm available full time. She seemed impressed, I was confused as to why because I had no retail experience what so ever. Maybe it was because I smiled heaps. When i went for my first job at 15 all my dad said was "remember to smile". I guess he was right. I was introduced to the staff working at the time, and they all seemed really nice. After shaking the managers hand and walking away with papers concerning tax and Superfund along with a roster, it was clear... i was no longer unemployed.
I felt like jumping in the air and clicking me heels together. I wanted to tell the whole entire world I had a job again! For 5 months I've been unemployed, and it has been the most challenging time for me. I hadn't been unemployed for three years before June, and well... to be honest it felt great at first. But then... I just got bored... even with uni I missed having the extra challenge of fitting in a work shift in between study. And although its been easier for me to achieve at Uni when I would look around and see my friends talking about work on top of their study, I felt kind of lazy. Not to mention not having any money! That's probably the hardest thing. I was living off my parents for a while until I got a measly $140 back from the tax department (i say measly because the year before i received $1100), so being back on the pay roll is such a good feeling.
I'm glad I have a blog to tell this good news too, otherwise I'd be calling everyone in my phone book and explaining how happy I am. That is how good this news is. =D
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The fun Theory
A friend just posted this video on Facebook...
Usually I don't watch many videos that people post, unless i am extremely bored, but this link caught my eye. The description read "We believe that the easiest way to change people's behaviour for the better is by making it fun to do. We call it The fun theory." I thought it was a brilliant idea! And calling it "The fun theory"!? Ingenious!
The video shows how they use the "fun theory" to change peoples minds about taking the escalator, otherwise known as moving stairs. They turn it into a piano so people want to walk up the stairs instead of standing on the moving stairs. Really its doing two things now. Firstly everyone is getting fitter, secondly everyone is getting happier! No more sad faces in class or grumpy old people complaining about the way you dress, because the "fun theory" has changed their behaviour by making life fun again. And everyday while passing through the subway people are going to actually look forward to walking up the stairs! They're not even thinking of the fact that its actually exercise. Its like when you try to get a baby to eat their vegetables and you say "here comes the aeroplane! nomnomnom" and the baby either eats it or looks at you like you're the two year old, not them.
I think the whole idea of having fun can make anything seem well... funner? For example, your task is to write a journal every single week for the rest of the 14 week semester. In your journal you include lecture summaries, class summaries, sample materials, writing exercises and a weekly reflection. This is the unfortunate task that I find myself doing once a week. Actually I lie, I don't do it once a week. But I should and this is how I know I am going to have a sleepless week 14 while trying to catch up on it all. Note to self: STAY ON TOP OF JOURNALS! Anyhow back to the point. You must keep a weekly journal. Now, as i have discovered, it is a pretty boring and daunting task. But! we can liven it up a little by using colour, cool paper, awesome font, or writing as if it were a blog! All these things would make the task a little more inviting, because.. yerp you guessed it, we're having fun!!
The message here people is, have fun! Its like when you were 5 years old and everything was a game. Institutions like school, university, and work places can take the fun out of life. It can steal our imagination. We need to fight back I say! Let you're creative juices flow. If you want to learn a musical instrument, learn it! If you work 9-5 in a dead end job and want something more, go find it! The fun is there, it just needs to be rediscovered.
Usually I don't watch many videos that people post, unless i am extremely bored, but this link caught my eye. The description read "We believe that the easiest way to change people's behaviour for the better is by making it fun to do. We call it The fun theory." I thought it was a brilliant idea! And calling it "The fun theory"!? Ingenious!
The video shows how they use the "fun theory" to change peoples minds about taking the escalator, otherwise known as moving stairs. They turn it into a piano so people want to walk up the stairs instead of standing on the moving stairs. Really its doing two things now. Firstly everyone is getting fitter, secondly everyone is getting happier! No more sad faces in class or grumpy old people complaining about the way you dress, because the "fun theory" has changed their behaviour by making life fun again. And everyday while passing through the subway people are going to actually look forward to walking up the stairs! They're not even thinking of the fact that its actually exercise. Its like when you try to get a baby to eat their vegetables and you say "here comes the aeroplane! nomnomnom" and the baby either eats it or looks at you like you're the two year old, not them.
I think the whole idea of having fun can make anything seem well... funner? For example, your task is to write a journal every single week for the rest of the 14 week semester. In your journal you include lecture summaries, class summaries, sample materials, writing exercises and a weekly reflection. This is the unfortunate task that I find myself doing once a week. Actually I lie, I don't do it once a week. But I should and this is how I know I am going to have a sleepless week 14 while trying to catch up on it all. Note to self: STAY ON TOP OF JOURNALS! Anyhow back to the point. You must keep a weekly journal. Now, as i have discovered, it is a pretty boring and daunting task. But! we can liven it up a little by using colour, cool paper, awesome font, or writing as if it were a blog! All these things would make the task a little more inviting, because.. yerp you guessed it, we're having fun!!
The message here people is, have fun! Its like when you were 5 years old and everything was a game. Institutions like school, university, and work places can take the fun out of life. It can steal our imagination. We need to fight back I say! Let you're creative juices flow. If you want to learn a musical instrument, learn it! If you work 9-5 in a dead end job and want something more, go find it! The fun is there, it just needs to be rediscovered.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
What is truth?
Today was an eventful day. I feel back in primary school writing a journal with a statement like that, but I really can't put it any other way.
Firstly my friend messages me this morning asking if I want a lift to uni. I gladly accept as I haven't had a good run with public transport this week. Monday, a woman vomited and I was given the utmost attention by a four year old who found it fun to annoy me. Tuesday, a man in desperate need of deodorant shared the same cabin as me. Safe to say I didn't really want to catch the train by Wednesday.
Thanks to the new highway it only took 40 minutes to get to Murdoch from Mandurah - the first noteworthy event. I also made it to class early, and making it to class early when you think you're going to be late is always a good feeling.
My first tutorial was okay. The beginning of spring is always a difficult time for my sinuses and I. We're coping okay but thinking too much can give me a headache, not to mention the constant sneezing. Actually, I think trying to suppress sneezes during class time is giving me headaches, oh well. Anyway, today in class our tutor says "alright class, what is truth?” What? Are you serious? That’s like asking where the universe ends! What is truth? We decided that what is true and what is real differs from person to person. While that wasn't the easiest question to answer I was glad to not be discussing the elaborate theories of Sigmund Freud.
After class I met up with a friend for lunch. Both of us didn't have urgent assignments so we decided to just get lunch and sit down. I went to get money out of the ANZ ATM and lo and behold! There are no 20 dollar notes. Big surprise there! So seeing as I’m broke I decided not to get money out. We then sat in Sir Walters’s cafe for an hour discussing random things. This brings me to noteworthy event number three. My friend asks "where is the esplanade in Perth". I just kind of looked at her blankly until I realised she wasn’t joking. I couldn’t believe that of all people to ask me this it would be her asking me. We have been catching the bus to esplanade station for years, as it was the only way to get to Perth without a car before the train line was built. I then explained that it was where esplanade station was, she understood.
After this we went to class. I decided to leave my class early my ride home was also leaving at 3:30. The ride home featured many interesting things including, me singing very loudly to Powderfingers new single, 2/3 of us having a sing along to Taylor Swift, an argument of why Farmville is fantastic and why my friend should hurry up and get facebook, and people flashing their headlights at us. The flashing headlights part is event number four.
We were driving down lakes rd and several people flicked their lights at us. I was like, what is happening? My friends both go maybe there is a speed camera up ahead. And sure enough the Ute in front of us got caught. I say it was their own fault for not listening to the people. I was so happy that people flashed us. It reinstated my faith in humanity. You could argue that they are condoning speeding, but I think the fact that they are looking out for others is a greater good that overweighs condoning speeding. (That actually makes sense but you may have to read it several times)
When I get home I realise that my brother has invited his friends around for a LAN. If you’re unaware of a LAN’s it’s when a bunch of people join together in one place, connect their computers together and play games. There is probably a lot more to it than that, but that’s a simple way to describe it. So currently my internet is being chewed up by the boys outside who are using it to fuel their counter strike addiction.
I now sit at home not wanting to eat dinner thanks to the apple muffin I bought at 3:30 this afternoon from aroma cafe, thinking about what to watch on TV, and pondering over whether or not I should attempt to do some study.
Firstly my friend messages me this morning asking if I want a lift to uni. I gladly accept as I haven't had a good run with public transport this week. Monday, a woman vomited and I was given the utmost attention by a four year old who found it fun to annoy me. Tuesday, a man in desperate need of deodorant shared the same cabin as me. Safe to say I didn't really want to catch the train by Wednesday.
Thanks to the new highway it only took 40 minutes to get to Murdoch from Mandurah - the first noteworthy event. I also made it to class early, and making it to class early when you think you're going to be late is always a good feeling.
My first tutorial was okay. The beginning of spring is always a difficult time for my sinuses and I. We're coping okay but thinking too much can give me a headache, not to mention the constant sneezing. Actually, I think trying to suppress sneezes during class time is giving me headaches, oh well. Anyway, today in class our tutor says "alright class, what is truth?” What? Are you serious? That’s like asking where the universe ends! What is truth? We decided that what is true and what is real differs from person to person. While that wasn't the easiest question to answer I was glad to not be discussing the elaborate theories of Sigmund Freud.
After class I met up with a friend for lunch. Both of us didn't have urgent assignments so we decided to just get lunch and sit down. I went to get money out of the ANZ ATM and lo and behold! There are no 20 dollar notes. Big surprise there! So seeing as I’m broke I decided not to get money out. We then sat in Sir Walters’s cafe for an hour discussing random things. This brings me to noteworthy event number three. My friend asks "where is the esplanade in Perth". I just kind of looked at her blankly until I realised she wasn’t joking. I couldn’t believe that of all people to ask me this it would be her asking me. We have been catching the bus to esplanade station for years, as it was the only way to get to Perth without a car before the train line was built. I then explained that it was where esplanade station was, she understood.
After this we went to class. I decided to leave my class early my ride home was also leaving at 3:30. The ride home featured many interesting things including, me singing very loudly to Powderfingers new single, 2/3 of us having a sing along to Taylor Swift, an argument of why Farmville is fantastic and why my friend should hurry up and get facebook, and people flashing their headlights at us. The flashing headlights part is event number four.
We were driving down lakes rd and several people flicked their lights at us. I was like, what is happening? My friends both go maybe there is a speed camera up ahead. And sure enough the Ute in front of us got caught. I say it was their own fault for not listening to the people. I was so happy that people flashed us. It reinstated my faith in humanity. You could argue that they are condoning speeding, but I think the fact that they are looking out for others is a greater good that overweighs condoning speeding. (That actually makes sense but you may have to read it several times)
When I get home I realise that my brother has invited his friends around for a LAN. If you’re unaware of a LAN’s it’s when a bunch of people join together in one place, connect their computers together and play games. There is probably a lot more to it than that, but that’s a simple way to describe it. So currently my internet is being chewed up by the boys outside who are using it to fuel their counter strike addiction.
I now sit at home not wanting to eat dinner thanks to the apple muffin I bought at 3:30 this afternoon from aroma cafe, thinking about what to watch on TV, and pondering over whether or not I should attempt to do some study.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Need some encouragement?
When it came to deciding what to study at UNI I was fairly lucky in that I had a good idea of what I wanted to do. At the time I had been involved with the local music organisation for about 10 months and when it came to choosing a career I decided that events management was the right one for me. I liked being busy and organising an event can be pretty full on. And while stress levels got pretty high, the end result was totally worth it. At the time, however, there were some fairly negative views towards my choice.
Probably the most negative was my dad and while now he supports my decision; at the time he wanted me to do more. I picked up a double major in Public Relations, reassuring him that if my plans for a media career fell through than PR would be a back up. Little did he know, however, that the PR degree was getting me even more experience and knowledge about the events industry. He was happy with the fact that maybe one day I might be the PR consultant for a politician.
Before choosing Public Relations as a double major, however, I had considered both journalism and radio. After writing a couple of freelance articles for a Perth website I decided journalism would be a fun hobby rather than a career. And after watching "state of play" last night, I’m glad I changed my mind. After doing an intro to radio unit in first year I fell in love with radio. I took up a radio production unit last semester and although I loved it I didn't change my mind and stuck with my media & public relations degree. This was mainly because my dad put down the idea of being a radio journalist until one day he changed his mind. Now every day I hear him telling me about all the radio presenters on the ABC and how I should get a job like that. Yeah dad, not gonna happen anymore!
Sometimes I wish I didn't listen to him. But in a way I'm kind of glad I did. I still have a clear direction of where I’m going in terms of uni and I do still love what I'm studying, although sometimes over analysing films can get the better of me. Looking back, however, at my first year of uni when I was at a cross roads in a study path to follow I wish someone said "go for it". Which brings me to the banner of encouragement which is pictured below.
It's probably the simplest piece of advice out there but it really gets the message across. To give it a bit of relevance I have applied it to my younger brother who is currently finishing year 12. The banner is across his most prized possession in the world (maybe second to his computer), his music equipment. He's in a band, he tears up the guitar on a daily basis (driving me, my family, and the neighbours insane), and his favourite movie is a Parkway Drive DVD. Basically when he leaves school he wants to get a record deal, tour Europe, and become the next big thing in Australia. Now that’s all good and I think why the hell not, but our parents don't agree.
They want him to have a backup in case his music dream takes a massive dive and he ends up belly flopping on home where he will live until his late 30s. Yes I agree with them, he must have a backup plan because the career he’s chosen is a little risky. But in a way I think he’s too stubborn to listen to anyone and maybe he needs to make his mistakes to realise he needs to rethink his plan. Yet then again everything may go well and his musical talents will get him somewhere. The point is he needs to try and see. It’s like the old saying "you never ever know if you never ever go!" At least that’s what I recall it being...
Either way, if you have a passion follow it. You don't need to map out your life, just follow what you love or what you're good at. In the end everything (we hope!) will fall into place.
Jess
(Don’t forget to vote!)
Probably the most negative was my dad and while now he supports my decision; at the time he wanted me to do more. I picked up a double major in Public Relations, reassuring him that if my plans for a media career fell through than PR would be a back up. Little did he know, however, that the PR degree was getting me even more experience and knowledge about the events industry. He was happy with the fact that maybe one day I might be the PR consultant for a politician.
Before choosing Public Relations as a double major, however, I had considered both journalism and radio. After writing a couple of freelance articles for a Perth website I decided journalism would be a fun hobby rather than a career. And after watching "state of play" last night, I’m glad I changed my mind. After doing an intro to radio unit in first year I fell in love with radio. I took up a radio production unit last semester and although I loved it I didn't change my mind and stuck with my media & public relations degree. This was mainly because my dad put down the idea of being a radio journalist until one day he changed his mind. Now every day I hear him telling me about all the radio presenters on the ABC and how I should get a job like that. Yeah dad, not gonna happen anymore!
Sometimes I wish I didn't listen to him. But in a way I'm kind of glad I did. I still have a clear direction of where I’m going in terms of uni and I do still love what I'm studying, although sometimes over analysing films can get the better of me. Looking back, however, at my first year of uni when I was at a cross roads in a study path to follow I wish someone said "go for it". Which brings me to the banner of encouragement which is pictured below.
It's probably the simplest piece of advice out there but it really gets the message across. To give it a bit of relevance I have applied it to my younger brother who is currently finishing year 12. The banner is across his most prized possession in the world (maybe second to his computer), his music equipment. He's in a band, he tears up the guitar on a daily basis (driving me, my family, and the neighbours insane), and his favourite movie is a Parkway Drive DVD. Basically when he leaves school he wants to get a record deal, tour Europe, and become the next big thing in Australia. Now that’s all good and I think why the hell not, but our parents don't agree.
They want him to have a backup in case his music dream takes a massive dive and he ends up belly flopping on home where he will live until his late 30s. Yes I agree with them, he must have a backup plan because the career he’s chosen is a little risky. But in a way I think he’s too stubborn to listen to anyone and maybe he needs to make his mistakes to realise he needs to rethink his plan. Yet then again everything may go well and his musical talents will get him somewhere. The point is he needs to try and see. It’s like the old saying "you never ever know if you never ever go!" At least that’s what I recall it being...
Either way, if you have a passion follow it. You don't need to map out your life, just follow what you love or what you're good at. In the end everything (we hope!) will fall into place.
Jess
(Don’t forget to vote!)
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