Happiness isn't happiness without a violin-playing goat

So I'm trying to be good and post more regularly. Also T's away and I'm bored. I watched Secretary tonight, it was actually quite good. Not one to watch with the parents though. It was funny though, because the packaging was all "RAWR!!! SEX!!!" (which was clearly what attracted me to it! Actually T has it and I was as I said, bored) but the movie was really quite deep. The picture they used for the front of the DVD never even took place in the movie. There was spanking though, and a dead worm in an envelope, and typewriters. What more would one want? It has that guy from Boston Legal and Maggie, sister of Jake with the annoying last name, in it. I also rewatched Notting Hill which just made me feel sad. Mostly the whole single and alone thing but it's so English. I miss Englishness.

So, Anzac Day tomorrow. I actually heard someone saying that it was great because it meant they could go out tonight. There are times I feel like I'm so incredibly different to other people my age... I mean, I'm not a big war fan but you've got to admire someone willing to die for their country, surely? Sometimes I worry that I'm just anti war because I wouldn't what myself or anyone I know to have to do that. Anyway, what's so great about going out on a Tuesday? My exciting plans involve writing my philosophy essay tomorrow. I am going to see some comedy on Saturday and then to a birthday party so you mustn't give up hope for my social life and "normal ness".

So yes, ANZACness got me thinking about random stuff. On a similar random note, I got into a strange train of thought in the supermarket (while looking for TVP of all things) about the whole concept of International Food. It's funny cause there's also an Asian section and well, surely only bush tucker and such isn't International Food in Australia. Yes quite a random thought, I know, and I didn't find the TVP. The other thought was about how in Primary School we were always told that if the French had settled Tasmania first we'd all be speaking French. the way the teacher said it made me think that this would be a really Bad Thing. The same thing was said about World War Two. That if we hadn't held off the Japanese on The Kokoda Trail we'd all be speaking Japanese. As if the problem was the language we'd be speaking never mind the fact that you really didn't want to have anything to do with WWII Japan. I realise now that these concepts made me think that Japanese, French and German (always an easy enemy) were in somehow languages to avoid. Bizare really.

I can't believe they never wrote a folk song about that...

Last night, when I was trying to get to sleep I had a great idea for a blog title. I remember thinking it was just perfect. Of course now I can't remember it. It's incredibly frustrating. It was probably musical... Anyway. I was really looking forward to today because I've been doing Uni work (that is admin stuff at uni, not assignments) and actual work pretty much all day Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Yesterday I did a double shift and it was just horrid. I was on an incredibly boring survey. I've done it so many times my brain kind of disconnects from the proccess and I enter a weird mental state. So I was really looking forward to having a 'day off', even though I had an assignment to start. So first I slept in til ten thirty, which was great because I haven't had enough sleep in a while. Then I did shower stuff and breakfast stuff. I listened to Insiders because I'm that kind of a girl, and read the paper. I started doing my assignment (philosophy) but was mostly listening to the radio. Then T came back (that's right she had finished her shift at work) and I felt incredibly lazy. She needed to take something to her boss at work and I came along (lured by the promise of a free coffee). So we did that, defrauding the Vistorian Government of tram revenue along the way. I then started the assignment. I've written six hundred words fairly painlessly but I think I need to use some sources and stop with the "many people have argued" and "some liberal philosophers have contended". I also should stop over using the word contend. My soc. lecturer needs to stop saying "critiqued" and "problematize" and "unpack", I mean, is the second actually a word at all? I'm unconvinced. But yes, assignment. I'm basically trashing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which is new for me being the UN lover that I am. I'm feeling quite fired up about it, which I think is half the battle with Philosophy. Yay for a narrower definition of human rights!!! Ok, I remembered the Perfect Blog Title. It's from the West Wing, when Sam explains he's working to stop multinational companies getting sued when their oil carrying ships break and pollute the water. Then Josh says, well, you can read the title. I actually thought about it yesterday when I was doing that damn survey for "a major financial institution". It also works for arguing for a narrower definition of human rights, I suppose. But really that is actually I igood idea, but John Butler probably wouldn't get it. While I remember, can someone explain what a split infinitive is? So after typing for a while I got bored. I played a bit of solitaire. I'm really no good at it at all. Then I resorted to the TV (T had gone out) and watched an episode of Gilmore Girls which only served to make me disgusted at my self for watching daytime TV. So now I am here. Next I think I will have a shower and formulate an essay plan. I always have such high aims for my showers but when I get out I've forgotten to think about whatever and to shave my legs.

You Can't Fool Old Friends With Limousines

Oups. So I took an easter break from blogging. Also from work which means I am really conforming to stereotype - poor uni student. I didn't blog mostly due to laziness and being occaisonally busy back in Tas. Very ocaisonally. Obviously I didn't work because I was at home and also too lazy to ring up and ask for shifts when I got home. I'm ringing tomorrow, promise. Don't tell my mum. So easter was ok. Going home kind of gave me that in between two places feeling. You know? Just not quite belonging anywhere. It was nice to see my parents though. Of course we got on each others nerves a bit, like families do. We really do have a much better relationship when we don't live together. It was good to see my friends, the ones I can completely relax around. I actually had a proper talk with my friend C (the one who was in Italy last year and now has an ItalianBoy {a voice in my head is saying that in bogan Aussie "Eyetalian"}). We havent really talked properly in... more than a year. Mostly due to the boy. Because when she got back he was always around. It wasn't a particularly deep and meaningful talk we just shared stuff about our lives, silly things and Plans For The Future until we ran out of things to say about that. Then we giggled about our parents' friends. You see, C was my childhood friend. Our parents as well as several others in the area actually had a Baby Sitters Club, they had tokens and everything. It was all very local community. So when we'd wrapped up the gossip she left. It's kind of bizare not knowing when I'll be back in Tas. I will probably go in the winter for a week. In July the parental units are going on holiday to Malaysia and Cambodia. I really hope they have a good time. Although clearly, one doesn't want to dwell on such thoughts, the trip is a bit romantic because they met in Malaysia. I freaked my self out a bit abouut the fact that when they're gone I wont be related to anyone in Australia. Haha. I have no idea why that matters but for about ten seconds it did. On a similiar vain, three of my really good friends (K, C and Angie P) are going to be away this Christmas. Given I'll probably spend most of the summer here I'm not sure why that matters. I have decided I should work lots in the holidays in order to save up for travel, to get youth allowance or possibly just so I can afford to buy clothes without them being practical. As you've heard, this plan is off to a cracking start. I am such a nerd. I'm realy happy to be going back to uni tomorrow. Hopefully history assignment of doom will be well and truelly finished tonight. In other history news I am officially great at using the microfilm machines. I helped two people yesterday. One of whom was a kinda cute boy from my philosophy tut. I totally lurked in the background when I saw him sit down. Yes, I'm that kind of stalkygirl. I'd like to point out that I initiated the contact though which was quite good of me I thought. He may have thought otherwise. I should go start cooking soon... See, T's boyfriend was visiting and he just left, with T to catch a train to the airport. So we're going to watch some One Tree. If you're reading this Hannah K, you know I lovelovelove you, but, I'm really no good at the comforting about faraway boyfriends thing. It makes me feel extremely inadequate. Luckily I have One Tree so I feel like I have something to bring to the emotional distressing situation. (Thanks AP!) I am going to have stir fry. I believe it will be tops. Also, paragraphs are for wimps.

Id.

I have been having interesting thoughts lately. This of course means that now when I try to convey them all I'll end up with is dodgy punctuation and to many "However"s and "Therefore"s. This has been the trouble lately with my assignments. It hasn't reached crisis point yet - give it til Sunday night. I think I've actually forgot how to sustain an argument. I'm working on it though, although not tonight despite telling mum I was when she rang. Naughty. I freaked out when I looked in the mirror tonight (cue joke re: mirror breaking) because I was wearing short shorts, a polar fleece and my hair was out and is actually quite long now. I looked like a sporty person. How horrifying.

My fear of blank paper (real or www) is setting in. I'm slightly concerned that I can agree with this and this. I really need to decide if I'm a real lefty or a cynic. And if I'm the latter I really need a new wardrobe... I need buttons and rainbow accessories and t-shirts with slogans (sorry. Mark Morford always ruins my grammar). Also a new playlist: John Butler, Blue King Brown and whta? Joni Mitchell? Or is that too old school? Maybe I should be an indie rock kid? Apart from I don't want asymmetrical hair... Sometimes I get the impression I was born in the wrong decade. I actually wrote that in my notes for History the other day. See: I think I look best in 60s clothes, I like the music, the politics. of course this is all the rose tinted version of it. I possibly wouldn't be so into the drugs... (only in Cambodia :P) and it's a disturbing thought given that it's my parents thing. Also, I love the internet, and cheap international flights and... other modern things.

See this is why I'm so drawn to stupid things like this...

One Week

So, life continues. I've had a good week. I suppose, much less working on assignments than I had hoped. Also spent way too much money on cockails. Oups. I think this entry will be stream of conciousness style (even more than normal, I blame Joyce) as I have to get moving. I'm hoing to T's work ( a french bakery) to get cheap pastries and walk home with her. Then I'm going to work. Not sure how that'll go because there was a big accident (3 people killed last I heard) in a tunnel quite near my work. Well I think it's quite near, not really sure. I worked last night and it's horrid because we're asking people about the Gran Prix. The only good the thing is getting to say Grand Prix. I'm SO not a car person. I simply don't understand people who go there! I have interviewed a lot of high flyers who got free tics from work, which I suppose makes some sense. I am verry sick of giggling insipidly when they talk about the "Grid Girls" - as Summer would say "eww". A guy asked for my number. A 17 year old motorsports enthusiast. Double "eww". But also funny.

I'm looking forawrd to Easter. Both because I'm going home and because it will mean I've done my first two assignments. Anyone want to chat about Joyce's Dubliners? Or media effects? Or indeed the American suburbs in the 1950s (you know I picked that last topic so I can cite Betty Friedan (sp?). Haven't done any uni work today! Very bad. Probably working tomorrow 10 -2 (stupidest chift ever) and have big plans for working the rest of the day and all Sunday.

Also: One Week by Barenaked Ladies is currently my favourite song. Did you know it's in both 10 Things I Hate About You and The West Wing? You know what else is? The achtor who plays CJ. Allison Janney (?). How cool is that? Ok, not that cool. Enough Trivia. Gotta run.

The Escape

Yes, I know. I’ve been really rubbish with updating. Much longer than a week. And now I’m updating while watching The OC. Well. I’m typing in a word document ‘coz our living room has no wiresless-ness. Which is annoying, and a bit random. I’m watching the episode where they go to Tijuana, Seth’s just said “chivalry’s dead sugar” to Summer - while looking really cute. Does anyone really buy the idea that Seth would ever really be the uncool kid. He needs to be far less normal. Liking comic books? Sailing? I mean, he can ride a skateboard. Although, perhaps that says something about Orange County v. Kingston when it comes to what makes you cool. Not a whole lot of water polo played at Kingston High School.

In my soc. Lecture today we were talking about media effects and the different theories (my favourite being Hypodermic, clearly just for the name). One idea is that nowadays media (particularly soap opera type TV shows) plays an important part in teaching people how to act in their own lives. Apparently there’s a guy who used to work at the uni who did a whole lot of research into young people and their ideas of socially acceptable conduct based on Dawson’s Creek and The OC (omg Jimmy and Kirsten just kissed!). That is so why I’m doing an arts degree! Pop culture + academia = LUV. My lecturer made some comment about how not everyone joins and underground boxing circuit because their girlfriends died. Then everyone started talking for ages due to the excitement of the lecturer talking about The OC.

The other thing that happened in my lecture (really I should have taken minutes, I’m sure you’re dying to know) was that we all got talked at by a Socialist Alternative guy. There is a “bring the troops home/save David Hicks” rally on Saturday at 12pm. In Melbourne, so unhelpful to anyone reading this. This knowledge is ingrained in my head due to having SA people tell me on numerous occasions. Including at BOTH my soc lectures this week. I don’t want to sound like a horrible conservative but it really annoys me. I’m not 100% sure we should bring the troops home. (boohoo, Marissa just overdosed. Boring). We shouldn’t have gone to war in the first place - I think that’s obvious. However we did, and now I really don’t think us leaving would help anyone. I mean, chances are, no one would really notice. I’m not really comfortable with that though: just because “no one would really notice” doesn’t seem like a very good reason to leave. Leaving it to the US isn’t really fair, given that we were part of the damn coalition of the willing. Most of the work that I know of that Aussie troops are doing over there seems pretty worthwhile. I definitely think David Hicks should be brought home though. I can’t believe how Howard’s pretending he’s done so much to help grrr.

In other news: My birthday may well be more celebrated this year than ever before! We’re having a party here on the Thursday. This is a shallow excuse to cement friendships with people we kind of know from uni by getting drunk with them (isn’t that basically the best way to become good friends?) and showing off our cool house. Then I’m going to see Ross Noble on Friday, flying home on Saturday. And apparently K is going to have a party at her place, basically just ‘coz her parents are going away. So that’s all quite cool.

Aplying scientific principles to the art of capturing the modern world

So, my second week of uni is going swimmingly. I had lunch with Alice today which was lovely. I think it's going to take me a while to get used to the hours, or lack thereof. Only having 12 contact hours is a bit bizarre. Apart from Wednesday I don't really have anything approaching a full day at uni. Before you starts with the "Arts Students, pfft", I have loads of reading to do. About 50 pages a week for each subject plus a novel a week for Modern Lit. I’d be interested to know how the contact hour/work loads differs from overseas. Emily? Hannah?

Excitingly, I actually talked to a boy in my modern lit class today - a real live boy. The lecturers (because we don't have one for Modern Lit, we have an army of them) were trying to set up the projector and the screen. I do think the systems here are a bit to complex, especially for the lecturers. Any the screen was actually made up of whiteboards, on slidy things and the kept sliding back up and disfiguring the picture. It was really quite funny, one lecturer would pull the whiteboard down then turn away to talk to another and up it went again, then a different lecturer would pull it down again. It took them forever to work out that it was happening. So blondeboy and I had a bit of a laugh about it and lecturers generally. Exciting story. The thing is, if I'm sitting next to a girl I usually strike up conversation and it's fine. But when it's a guy I find it awkward, because I don't want him to think I'm cracking onto him or anything... blah.

Sorry if this is terribly disjointed, I'm listening to Restoring the Balance. It's quite amusing I think. I heart the ABC.

Other thoughts from modern lit: I'm really glad my parents took me to art galleries. at the time, of course I was not that bothered. The first thing I really remember going to see was Picasso's museum in Paris. I was 8 or 10 so I doubt I really 'got' it but I did enjoy it. Actually perhaps kids get more out of Picasso's stuff than adults? I don't remember being so utterly confused by it as I am now. I've seen quite a lot of impressionism (both at the Louvre and in Melbourne) because my mum really likes it. I think I prefer it too. Anyway, I feel like i have a bit more to work with when one of my many modern lit lectures starts throwing such terms around (usually managing to turn the lights off at the same time as trying to show us the painting). However there's a bit of me that just thinks "but that's a painting and we're talking about a play', I know, that's an incredibly uncivilized thing to say... I just find it hard to see the similarities between this and A Doll's House. However, throw in a few words about Ibsen's realistic aesthetic and you're away.

Well that was astonishingly boring. Sorry.