Oranges

I've been sitting here for a little while (read: quite a while) doing important things like checking out what people are wearing to the Oscars (thanks dlisted) and having realised my first uni lecture ever is in an hour I've decided I should actually write something. My weekend was pretty boring - I worked all Saturday and then went to a friends place for dinner. Then made an attempt at going out but didn't really feel like drinking. We went to a cool bar where they were playing live funk which was cool - had a bit of a dance. I miss dancing with the Vinaway girls, seems like everyone here goes off into their own little world while dancing and there's very little interaction. The only guy interested in interacting was very sleazy and no one I was with would save me from him like we used to for each other. On Sunday I had lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant, I had com bo luc lac (rice with oniony, garlicky beef) which was ok but tasted quite different to the stuff I had in 'Nam. I also had a da chanh (lemon juice) which tasted just right. I said cam on (thank you) on the way out and my waiter did a double take which was quite amusing.

Yesterday night I got really hungry after talking to Angie (i'm not sure the two events are connected) and since I didn't have any chocolate I decided to dash out to the supermarket. It was after 10 and there were still 3 bookshops open and helpfully the supermarket (need I say - that would never happen in Tassie). So I bought: one chocolate orange, one packet of chocolate biscuits, one packet of tampons and one packet of paracetamol. I might as well have had a flashing sign above my head saying "I'm currently menstruating - leave me alone". I found the whole thing rather funny.

Eek. There are people waiting to use the computers and here I am doing very unimportant things. Oh - that's another thing, my grand plan for using my neighbours’ internet has fallen through and I don't know what to do. Very annoying. So what should I do? What’s the cheapest way to get broadband wireless internet?

Chocolate Sundaes

I went out last night with a girl I met a few days ago, Caitlin. T and I are getting very good at collecting people's phone numbers between us. Caitlin is cool; she's from Tassie - Launceston (boo-hiss). We seem to be spending a lot of time with Tas people given we're 'on the mainland'. So first we went to the Uni magazine party, but it was a bit rubbish cause everyone knew each other and we bought expensive beer (no beer hoi, that's for sure). So then we toddled off to the Law party (neither of us are doing law) which was kinda cool because everyone was dancing and there weren't that many people there and very few were actually law students. Next we went to the Arts party which was average. I should have been tipped off by the fact the place advertised itself as playing the best in house and commercial rnb. Commercial is nothing to brag about. There were hardly any actual uni people there. It was very much a poor man's New Century but lacking in hookers, boys who think you're cool coz you're western and sadly, Vinaway Girls. Then we had ice creams from McDonalds and toddled off home, it was a fun night.

I'm very excited about uni starting (I know, I'll get over it in the first week) but I have my Readers and reinforced lined paper ready to go. I signed up for a few clubs yesterday: UNICEF, Arts and the Debating society. I was going to sign up for Greens on Campus but I couldn't find them. I wasn’t sure about whether to sign up for Amnesty or UNICEF but as I heart the UN UNICEF won out, even though I would have got a bag from Amnesty. The ALP club had these really cool bags with pictures of Kevin Rudd that looked like Tintin. They were very cute, but a) I didn't want to join the ALP and b) I don't even like Rudd that much (he is however better than the alternative). Speaking of the alternative, there were Liberals there too which was quite disturbing. They actually looked like normal, happy people but were holding large posters with John Howard’s face of them which was obviously greatly disturbing. The other alternative appears to be the Socialist Alternative and they have about a thousand stalls. They really annoy me because they say things that anyone could agree with, for example: "Troops out of Iraq", "Free David Hicks" and my favourite "End Slow Trains" and ignore the fact they're SOCIALISTS, which is really very different, I can easily agree with those statements and not be a socialist. No offence to the lovely socialist I know.

So, you want to know about my date? It was a bit average. I mean, it was fine - I just don't think we have much in common. I'm not sure though maybe it's just because both of us were a bit nervous? Or maybe I set my standards too high? He hasn't messaged me again yet and I'm kind of hoping he won’t. We ended up seeing Music and Lyrics which was greatly amusing but, you know, crap. Hugh Grant's jokes are sounding more and more like dad jokes. Drew Barrymore was lovely though.

The in-betweens I never understood.

I'm really enjoying uni so far - sure, it hasn't technically even started yet but it’s never too early to be positive, right? O week is very different to I thought it would be, very low key and much less drunkenness. I suppose that happens on Societies Day though, which is tomorrow. Today I went to info sessions about my subjects. I'm a bit undecided about whether I've picked the right subject for Sociology, the lecturer for the other one seems a bit better. However, I was flicking through the reader for the one I'm enrolled in (Media, Politics and Society) and it had a bit about "Blogs of War" which sounds seriously cool and current. I've met some nice people too. it's much easier to meet people when you have real incentive, for example when you really don't know anyone in the room. I ended up going to the Linguistics session even though I'm not doing it because I was with a new friend from a few days ago. So I hung out with T there (once I explained why I was there) and then stayed for her Italian one. When they started dividing the class into skill groups I had a wussy change of heart and left.

I keep seeing things that remind me of Viet Nam. There are quite a few Vietnamese Restaurants here and on my tram home from work last night I glanced through the window of one and saw a lady serving wearing the traditional hot weather clothing - pyjamas. It's been hot here for what seems like week, people keep saying it's humid but it really isn't (yes, I did go on a gap year so I am legally better than you!). I also keep seeing red-headed girls riding bikes in sundresses and thinking their Hannah, which is bizarre. The other day I went into STA Travel and Flight Centre to see how much flights to Nam would cost, for winter (southern hemisphere) time and sadly they were as I expected. It was fun to pretend I was actually thinking about it. I highly recommend travel agent visiting as a cheap alternative to actual travel.

So tonight I have a date (well no one's called it that but what else is it?) which is a bit exciting. We’re going to see Dream Girls... The obvious problem with this is there are lots of beautiful girls in it but it's my own fault, I told him to pick. I wanted to suggest Music and Lyrics but I didn't want him to think I was a dork. And I have nothing to wear... obviously. And no idea what to say. Or...

No time for a groovy title.

It seems like forever since I've been on the internet (haven't got the shakes yet but any longer and I would have). I worked a double shift on Saturday, which sounds impressive but it was just 8 hours - for most people that is just a shift. On Sunday I did very little, apart from buy the next season of One Tree Hill (for Angie, really!) and possible Season Two of Queer as Folk. Sunday night I went out and that was kind of exciting. (I only have about 20 mins til I have to go meet up with my 'buddy group' for O week shenanigans so this is going to be quick).

I went out with a whole lot of Model UN (UNYA) girls which was cool. Some of them I knew quite well from going to Europe with them, a few I vaguely kew and some I've never met. I'm going to avoid giving a running tally of the alcohol i consumed because I hate Those People (even if I sometimes am one). First we went to a dodgy old persons bar, because it started to rain and we couldn't find anywhere else so we sat and talked and waited for the others to show up. Then we went to a really cool bar called... Madame Brussels, I think. They had plastic grass on the floor, lattice and rose flavoured cocktails. Apparently going out with 9 girls is a good way to attract favourable treatment from bar staff because when the place closed we got to hang out in the crezy-cool back room. And get more drinks. Of course, given there were UNYA people there we could just sit and talk like normal people, there had to be games. So we played I Never, I really don't like that game, but luckily i was tipsy enough by this stage to think of things to say easily. Then Claire's friends showed up, I think one of them was her ex housemate. Anyway, three guys who looked a bit scared by the extreme drunkardness and amount of girls. When we got kicked out of there we went back to Claire and Henny's hotel. And watched... Question Time... There was quite a bit of heckling, and I thought the whole thing was a bit absurd. We also drank vanilla flavoured vodka, which i found disgusting (I'd be interested to know if anyone likes it).

So by this stage I was v.v. drunk and there were only a few of us left. I was sitting next to this guy called Sam (you know this is going to end badly don't you...). We started talking which was cool, he asked me stuff about Vietnam (always very dangerous to encourage my Vietnam talk) and other random things. He's a fifth year (fifth!!!) electrical engineer. So things progressed and we kissed. It was quite nice. But embarrassing as we were sitting in Henny and Claire's well lit hotel room and there were other people there. Then I walked home which was quite stupid, but I didn't want to pay for a taxi. Yesterday I was horribly hung-over and I had and O week bbq followed by trivia (urgh, but we came second!) and then work.

And apparently I'm going to a movie with Sam on Wednesday. Eek! This is such a not me situation.

I Promise the next entry will be deep and meaningful.

I think that the computers in the student IT lab are anti-blogger, either that or I'm going mad. They wouldn't let me log in, even though I could log on to gmail fine. Stupid. Also, I think it should be easier to move between Google, gmail and Blogger, they're all owned by the same company right? Other things that should happen include people paying me. What kind of employee doesn't pay you until three weeks after you start? I also did some work at uni and they don't seem that inclined to pay me either. Plus I have a cheque that hasn't cleared yet. I'm fine, not living in the gutter yet, but it's very annoying.

I'm going back to Tassie over Easter. I'm not really sure why, it'll be nice to see my friends (all four of them :P) and... Well, I'm not sure what else. I'll be home for my birthday (the big 20 ugh) which I suppose will be nice plus the cheaper flights kind of dicatated it. My family doesn't really make a big thing of birthdays; well not since I was little. In primary school I always had a birthday party and a new bike (yes I was a spoilt little only child). So Taswegians, I'll be home from April 7th to 13th.

Today didn't get off to a fantastic start as I'd forgotten that they were turning the water off on our street (again!) at 9 and therefore couldn't have a shower. So I decided to go to the pool at uni and get exercise plus a shower, bonus! I'm trying to work out how to phrase the next bit so it doesn't descend into me basically detailing what I'm wearing. No one wants that. Basically it's just that when I wear some clothes (eg: shortshorts with high pony tail and head band) I feel like I'm wearing a PreppyActiveGirl costume that anyone can see through. Hmm, this writing thing isn't working so well for me right now... This entry has taken an emo turn, oups. I'm actually having a good day. Swimming always makes me feel self righteous! Also, I just found out that I'm not working tonight. Obviously money is good but I'm really just happy about it. I'm going to have Tacos for dinner!!!

I promise the next entry won’t be so meta.

Take out the trash day.

The level to which I am not excited about Valentines Day is phenomenal. This is because I am sad, single and alone. Woe is me. I was tempted to title this entry with some reference to the Good Charlotte song My Bloody Valentine but I would worry that people (well, person really) would think I was actually serious. Irony is dangerous like that. I'm not sure what Good Charlotte are, faux punk? Or not even attempting to be unknown emo? An important question clearly.

So I'm not sure why so much VDay negativity. I suppose it's partly because in the past it was such a rubbish holiday, there was general stress from people in 'relationships' about what to buy the other and you couldn't really 'do' anything romantic anyway because it generally involved parental transport or a bus. Now days it seems that my friends in relationships are actually doing that stuff you read about in Girlfriend. Going out for dinner, seeing a move - nothing all that incredible but unmistakably Grown Up. Which is part of why not being in a relationship gets to me - don't get me wrong I miss the snuggling (I'm not sure I can even remember how to kiss) - but it also seems another sign of how I’m actually only a kid. A kid who's going to turn 20 in less than two months.

It's not like I haven't had relationships, they're just all in the dim and distant past. The only time I ever got anything for VDay was when I was 14 and my first boyfriend sent me one of those Yahoo Greetings with loveydovey music. And I'm not entirely sure that virtual cards even count. This really is exactly what the internet doesn't need more of. I apologise to the internet gods.

So, moving on. Erm. To...

A few days ago it was a year since I went to Vietnam with GAP to teach English, which is a bit crazy. I didn't even realise because Angie was here but I go some nice messages from my friends about it. I particularly enjoyed the phrase Namaversary. Cute, huh? I feel like I've changed a lot since then. Not in ways that would be obvious to other people, but when I think about my thoughts then compared with now the change is obvious. I had a few big revelations while I was away. Firstly that I actually wasn't an incredibly bad person because of a few things I did while drunk. I think it's easy to lose perspective when you hang around with the same people. They were just silly things that my Tas friends had probably long forgotten abut but which I hadn't forgiven myself for. Of course I then managed to do other stupid drunken things.

The other thing was realising that my friends really were snobs, and me too. I think that's because we were the ‘smart’ kids who caught a bit of stupid bullying in high school and kind of responded to that by only hanging around with people 'the same' as us so a) they didn't have a go at us and b) we could feel superior. Although I’ve realised this it really hasn't made me change - I’m just as much as a snob as I was before. Not sure what to do about that. The other thing that changed was just independence stuff. I doubt I'd be here - away from home, if it wasn't for going to Vietnam.

Ok, that'll do.

West Wing viewers will know that take out the trash day is actually Friday but not on Keppel Street.

The black will be grey and the white will be grey

So this is my... 6th blog. Only several of those lasted beyond the first few entries and only one of those had any sort of longevity. And a dedicated readership of... three people? However, I liked that blog and keeping up with the three people who read it. You can type things in a blog that you wouldn't just tell someone, and I know it's all has a strong smell of narcissism and self importance but I probably possess that already.

To get the boring stuff out of the way, the title's from a Belle and Sebastian song. Whenever I hear about it I think about dodgy Vietnamese laundry services (that in all honestly rarely kept even the blues blue after sustained use). I'm not sure who's going to get to read this yet, but I have some people lined up.

Today has been somewhat of a nothing day. I watched a lot of Gilmore Girls (damn you JB Hi Fi, you'll be the end of me), enjoying the witty banter and Adam Brody before he was famous. My housemate and I (who I shall call T, partly for the subterfuge value and partly because I'm lazy) had arranged for some furniture to be delivered this morning but the guy didn't show when he was supposed to so I got up for nothing. T is going home to Tassie to be with her boyfriend for Valentines Day so the house is quiet. Even our next door neighbour, the Ballerina (no, really), is away.

I suppose I'm just a bit lonely because I've been doing lots with Angie while she was visiting and now it's kind of back to reality (which I coped with by watching about five GG episodes in a row, hmm). it was lovely to see her, even though I was a bit worried I dragged her 'round the place a bit much. We watched a lot of One Tree Hill which was quality viewing. I could go on about Chad Murray's beautifulness, squinty eye movement cute shaped nose but I feel the internet has probably got that under control. I will mention how incredibly implausible his character is however, as if guys who play basketball, clearly work out, read a lot of books, talk to other guys about reading a lot of books, are nice to their mothers, interrupt make out sessions to say they want the girl's heart actually exist. They just don't.

I also talked to my friend K on the phone which was good. She's got a few dramas going on the moment but they're under control I think. It's weird how sometimes Tassie seems so far away but talking to someone makes it seem really close. It's also bizarre to hear about my separate Tassie worlds getting further intermeshed.

Well I'm going to jazz up my interests. Thanks for reading!