Sydneysiders wear a lot of perfume / cologne.
[I think it's because everyone sweats a lot here...esp in hot weather, but even in this cool fall weather, I find myself bundling up quite a bit at home (where it's f-ing cold because we have no heat, single pane glass, and lots of thermal bridging going on)...I walk a short distance to uni, and then once I get to my destination I'm already sweaty. Delayering helps...but with this natural deoderant I bought...only so much!]
Aussies love to start sentences with "Look, ..."
They say "maths". Plural. Weird.
When someone asks 'how are you going?' (odd enough in itself), the typical response is, 'not too bad'. It's never 'Great!' 'Good!' 'Crap!' (another word they like to use alone...def. usurping that one)
Generally, I find Australians really amusing. Even their cheesy TV commercials (and believe me, they are pretty cheesy!).
much love from Sydney, mates,
bk
PS- former roomies, the law&order tradition continues...caught some SVU tonight! (only b/c one roomie watches it religiously...even though he's aethiest ;)
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Bachelorette
I am sadly excited to watch the first episode of the Bachelorette, with Ali (though of course I really wish it was Tenley!). It's Monday here and I really wish it was something I could look forward to tonight...but alas...I have to wait at least one more day.
I'm also missing Chelsea Lately...and the Colbert Report. And lots of junk on Bravo that I don't really need in my life ;) I'm sure they will all be there for me when I return...
My roommates have introduced me to a few decent Aussie shows here...a funny newsweek quiz show...a really good Q&A show where they discuss current events with political leaders and such. But there are also a surprising number of American shows on TV here...CSI, Law & Order, Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters, Two and a Half Men (what is it w/that show?!?).
I'm bummed because I only caught one episode of Flight of the Conchords before it took a break for the season...love those guys! I want to marry both Jermaine & Brett!
I'm also missing Chelsea Lately...and the Colbert Report. And lots of junk on Bravo that I don't really need in my life ;) I'm sure they will all be there for me when I return...
My roommates have introduced me to a few decent Aussie shows here...a funny newsweek quiz show...a really good Q&A show where they discuss current events with political leaders and such. But there are also a surprising number of American shows on TV here...CSI, Law & Order, Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters, Two and a Half Men (what is it w/that show?!?).
I'm bummed because I only caught one episode of Flight of the Conchords before it took a break for the season...love those guys! I want to marry both Jermaine & Brett!
kids are so frickin cute...
I hung out with lil tikes for the first time since being here...Michael invited a family of friends over, and they have 3 kids, Charlie (10), Jasmine (Jazzy, 8) and Trinity (Trinny, 4). They were pretty much the cutest things ever. Trinny was carrying around an old school film camera (with no film) and a fairly sizable purse given her size...so...a girl after my own heart. She made a 'documentary' of us talking at the table.
Michael cooked this fantastic feast for lunch (including roasted kangaroo! had it for the first time and liked it...plus the kids did a drumroll as I took my first bit), and afterwards the kids were sent off to the living room to play Monopoly. I went with them to set up the table and lamp, and they asked me, are you an adult or a kid? I said, I don't know, kind of both! And they said, will you please play Monopoly with us? So of course I did...totally fun. They made fun of my American accent and Trinny was my financial/risk advisor.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=66555&id=1195387275&l=77811010d6
(see the last 5 pics in the album)
Later one of them asked to see my room, so we all ended up in my room, and I have a lofted area you can only get to by ladder, so we all went up there. Jazzy said, okay, let's all tell an embarassing secret now! I was thinking...oh Lord, what I can I possibly tell them that's PC!??! Luckily my tripping-on-the-sidewalk story was a perfect fill-in, though it didn't phase them that much. Charlie said one girl asked him to marry her, twice. Jazzy said she sang the wrong words into a microphone at a school choir concert.
And Trinity was selling her drawings for money. So I bought one of a blue kangaroo for $1.25. A steal!
Kids can be so refreshing...they just want to play and have fun. Need to keep that in mind more often (esp now as I feel a bit bogged down by school + work).
cheers,
B
Michael cooked this fantastic feast for lunch (including roasted kangaroo! had it for the first time and liked it...plus the kids did a drumroll as I took my first bit), and afterwards the kids were sent off to the living room to play Monopoly. I went with them to set up the table and lamp, and they asked me, are you an adult or a kid? I said, I don't know, kind of both! And they said, will you please play Monopoly with us? So of course I did...totally fun. They made fun of my American accent and Trinny was my financial/risk advisor.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=66555&id=1195387275&l=77811010d6
(see the last 5 pics in the album)
Later one of them asked to see my room, so we all ended up in my room, and I have a lofted area you can only get to by ladder, so we all went up there. Jazzy said, okay, let's all tell an embarassing secret now! I was thinking...oh Lord, what I can I possibly tell them that's PC!??! Luckily my tripping-on-the-sidewalk story was a perfect fill-in, though it didn't phase them that much. Charlie said one girl asked him to marry her, twice. Jazzy said she sang the wrong words into a microphone at a school choir concert.
And Trinity was selling her drawings for money. So I bought one of a blue kangaroo for $1.25. A steal!
Kids can be so refreshing...they just want to play and have fun. Need to keep that in mind more often (esp now as I feel a bit bogged down by school + work).
cheers,
B
Thursday, May 20, 2010
more facebook pics...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=67624&id=1195387275&l=fad990df03
My landlord (and boss, and friend, and surrogate dad, kind of), Michael, informed Nathan & I he was going out of town last weekend. My first response was...can we have a party? He immediately said, of course!
So we did! Nathan sent a text to his friends saying his American roommate wanted to throw an international frat party. I said...hmm...not quite. (There's no keg - they're wicked expensive here - like $330!!)
But it did turn into something almost like that...it was amazing!! Super fun. Unfortunately, the alcohol ran out a bit early (which was actually fine...I really didn't it want to go until 3 or something)...but people lingered on. And there were almost Ipod wars. Nathan has speakers that hook up to an Ipod...so people kept taking turns being DJ. I like Nathan's selection of music quite a bit...he actually left the party about midnight because all of his alcohol had been drunk and this one (quite bossy, mind you) chic took over...and was literally playing Bon Jovi. I almost barfed, too...but still, wouldn't leave my own party! It went from electronica...to salsa and bachata..to Bollywood...to Bon Jovi. International indeed!
Enjoy ;)
My landlord (and boss, and friend, and surrogate dad, kind of), Michael, informed Nathan & I he was going out of town last weekend. My first response was...can we have a party? He immediately said, of course!
So we did! Nathan sent a text to his friends saying his American roommate wanted to throw an international frat party. I said...hmm...not quite. (There's no keg - they're wicked expensive here - like $330!!)
But it did turn into something almost like that...it was amazing!! Super fun. Unfortunately, the alcohol ran out a bit early (which was actually fine...I really didn't it want to go until 3 or something)...but people lingered on. And there were almost Ipod wars. Nathan has speakers that hook up to an Ipod...so people kept taking turns being DJ. I like Nathan's selection of music quite a bit...he actually left the party about midnight because all of his alcohol had been drunk and this one (quite bossy, mind you) chic took over...and was literally playing Bon Jovi. I almost barfed, too...but still, wouldn't leave my own party! It went from electronica...to salsa and bachata..to Bollywood...to Bon Jovi. International indeed!
Enjoy ;)
pics from my salsa amigas album on facebook...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=65664&id=1195387275&l=a2827d706d
meet Carrie and Anne - my new salsa amigas!
Carrie is a lovely Dutch girl who is unfortunately leaving me in just about a month...
She's danced w/Nederlands Dance Theatre (amazing! hope I spelled that right)...
She just turned 22...and hasn't seen Sliding Doors (Gwenyth Paltrow fave) or Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (we're already planning to see Sex in the City 2 here - think this is a pre-show must).
Anne is a lovely German girl who is at least staying the whole year ;)
Very fun friends to go out with!
meet Carrie and Anne - my new salsa amigas!
Carrie is a lovely Dutch girl who is unfortunately leaving me in just about a month...
She's danced w/Nederlands Dance Theatre (amazing! hope I spelled that right)...
She just turned 22...and hasn't seen Sliding Doors (Gwenyth Paltrow fave) or Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (we're already planning to see Sex in the City 2 here - think this is a pre-show must).
Anne is a lovely German girl who is at least staying the whole year ;)
Very fun friends to go out with!
trying to juggle the balls...
...not those kind of balls! get your mind out of the gutter ;p
Trying (in my most zen-like manner) to find a good balance between school, social life and work. Challenging at times...it's kind of a cruel irony that you start to make good friends so that by this point in school when things are kind of peaking, my social calendar also has the most opportunity as well. But very happy to have this 'problem' ;)
I'm having all kinds of interesting stress dreams, too. Have dreamt about somewhat stress-inducing people from my past...dreamt about caterpillars and other bugs (hopefully eventually they will turn into butterflies!)...and just this week dreamt about being pregnant and in labor. Mama mia! I think that in particular was a reminder to check in on my two very pregnant girlfriends, who have both since had very beautiful, healthy baby boys. Welcome to the world Derrick & Lucas!
In some ways I wish I could be stressing about pregnancy...which would infer that I had a very active love life...not really a possible stress at this moment in time. Had a funny thought that maybe I meant to live the life of some kind of sustainable nun. Please God, don't let that be my fate!
My parents think I am crazy. I had a talk with my mom the other day...just saying how I'm really concerned about food security and potential outcomes of the next oil crisis. She tried to point out potential silver linings. At this point, having soaked up all kinds of environmental issues and concerns for the last few months, I'm quite concerned and skeptical that ingenuity or technology will provide for a smooth transition from a society based entirely on oil to one that's weened itself off oil. I talked about how this could potentially be the most prosperous time of humankind. My mom was quick to point out that the people in the roaring 20s probably also felt that way...to which I said, yeah, but they still had oil after the stock market crash, and now we have 6 billion people to feed. (Eventually), without dependency on oil for industrial farming and transportation (and probably other factors I'm forgetting). It's not a fun thing to think about, and not going to get anyone voted into office...
She asked me if I'm depressed.
Then I got an email from my dad. Showing concern and support...saying in 1970 he had a physics teacher that got him all freaked out about ocean pollution and increasing red tides...and that his father told him it was all hogwash.
It's pretty frustrating to feel like a crazy person, too! I mean...I know I'm kind of out in left field here...but someone needs to be. Maybe other people are, and I just need to find them. Band together. Safety in numbers :)
Anywho, all in all school is good. Tonight I need to work on a group presentation all about climate design (we selected zone Af, tropical rainforest, hot/humid - we were asked to select a zone no one had lived in). Also need to crank out some drawings for work. I'm getting a little frustrated with work...I would really love to work on it full time, but it's just not possible right now. And I live with my boss. So last night, for example, I kind of felt like I couldn't go home for dinner unless I had new drawings in hand. So I didn't eat dinner until 1am (though I had a very late lunch and had armed myself with lots of snacks). He liked the drawings, and apparently the client has already responded well to them, too...but I hate that it keeps turning into that. Late night work (where I'm bound to forget something or glance over a typo).
And in my graphic design class today...I felt quite underprepared. At least I had something to talk about and show...but just did not have my ideas organized. And that's probably my favorite class!
Deep breath in...
Need more yoga!
On to it...
cheers!
Trying (in my most zen-like manner) to find a good balance between school, social life and work. Challenging at times...it's kind of a cruel irony that you start to make good friends so that by this point in school when things are kind of peaking, my social calendar also has the most opportunity as well. But very happy to have this 'problem' ;)
I'm having all kinds of interesting stress dreams, too. Have dreamt about somewhat stress-inducing people from my past...dreamt about caterpillars and other bugs (hopefully eventually they will turn into butterflies!)...and just this week dreamt about being pregnant and in labor. Mama mia! I think that in particular was a reminder to check in on my two very pregnant girlfriends, who have both since had very beautiful, healthy baby boys. Welcome to the world Derrick & Lucas!
In some ways I wish I could be stressing about pregnancy...which would infer that I had a very active love life...not really a possible stress at this moment in time. Had a funny thought that maybe I meant to live the life of some kind of sustainable nun. Please God, don't let that be my fate!
My parents think I am crazy. I had a talk with my mom the other day...just saying how I'm really concerned about food security and potential outcomes of the next oil crisis. She tried to point out potential silver linings. At this point, having soaked up all kinds of environmental issues and concerns for the last few months, I'm quite concerned and skeptical that ingenuity or technology will provide for a smooth transition from a society based entirely on oil to one that's weened itself off oil. I talked about how this could potentially be the most prosperous time of humankind. My mom was quick to point out that the people in the roaring 20s probably also felt that way...to which I said, yeah, but they still had oil after the stock market crash, and now we have 6 billion people to feed. (Eventually), without dependency on oil for industrial farming and transportation (and probably other factors I'm forgetting). It's not a fun thing to think about, and not going to get anyone voted into office...
She asked me if I'm depressed.
Then I got an email from my dad. Showing concern and support...saying in 1970 he had a physics teacher that got him all freaked out about ocean pollution and increasing red tides...and that his father told him it was all hogwash.
It's pretty frustrating to feel like a crazy person, too! I mean...I know I'm kind of out in left field here...but someone needs to be. Maybe other people are, and I just need to find them. Band together. Safety in numbers :)
Anywho, all in all school is good. Tonight I need to work on a group presentation all about climate design (we selected zone Af, tropical rainforest, hot/humid - we were asked to select a zone no one had lived in). Also need to crank out some drawings for work. I'm getting a little frustrated with work...I would really love to work on it full time, but it's just not possible right now. And I live with my boss. So last night, for example, I kind of felt like I couldn't go home for dinner unless I had new drawings in hand. So I didn't eat dinner until 1am (though I had a very late lunch and had armed myself with lots of snacks). He liked the drawings, and apparently the client has already responded well to them, too...but I hate that it keeps turning into that. Late night work (where I'm bound to forget something or glance over a typo).
And in my graphic design class today...I felt quite underprepared. At least I had something to talk about and show...but just did not have my ideas organized. And that's probably my favorite class!
Deep breath in...
Need more yoga!
On to it...
cheers!
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