Volunteering

Lately I've been thinking of undertaking an overseas volunteering trip over the summer holidays. I know a couple of people who've already done so and all of them say the same thing: it's a life changing experience. (And nobody's life needs a good ol' shaking up more than mine.) Obviously, I'd need to go through application processes to see if anyone will even take me and after that, figure out who's going to take my tutoring classes for FOUR FREAKIN' WEEKS but after thinking it over, I realised that there would be no better time to do something like this.

I've only got one year left before I go to China. In the mid-year break next year, I'm going to be doing my last peer-networking gig and then the period from November onwards will be spent preparing for my exile overseas. Logically, the upcoming summer holidays is my only time to volunteer.

To be honest, I don't know what else I'd be doing if I just stayed in Sydney. I guess I could find another internship but I feel like I should get a break before I spend another 6 months locked in an office working for free. I'm not in a relationship so again there's no commitment there and my friends could probably live without my existence for a month. Wow. Why does it sound like I lead such a lonesome existence?

The only thing is that the particular volunteering trip I'm looking at coincides with Jess' beach house event. Specifically, it'll go from mid Jan to mid Feb so that's a bit of a bummer, especially since the beach house was going to be the highlight of my break. I've also never been away from friends and family for that long but then again, you could probably say this was my trial period for China.

I'm probably just getting ahead of myself though. For all I know, they won't even accept my application and I could be spending the summer bumming around in Sydney.

Let's have a bit of a photo interlude before I go on to the second half of my post. Here are some pics of more fastBREAK food. God I'm going to miss Vibewire.

"Edible Terrariums": chocolate mouse with pistachio sprinkles and flower garnish. Yes you could eat the flowers. Yes they tasted exactly like... flowers.

- End Photo Interlude -

The other thing I wanted to talk about was Facebook. Kind of random but recently I've noticed that my Facebook only shows content from a specific circle of acquaintances (specifically updates from uni mates). I no longer see anything from my high school friends and I don't know whether that's a) because they just aren't posting anything or b) the Facebook metrics have decided that I no longer interact enough with these people. Whatever the case, it does make me feel a bit sad because I don't think I'm ready to just cut off all my ties with people from the past. I don't want to cut off any ties actually. But with Facebook being the monopolizing social media monster that it is, I doubt I'd even get a choice. 

Finally, in order to hype myself up for Korea, I've been getting back into good ol' kdramas. I forgot how fucking addictive these shows are and half-regret starting High School King of Savvy when I'm supposed to be doing extra work in preparation for the trip. I say "half-regret" though because it's very hard to feel remorseful when you're too busy watching beautiful Koreans do beautiful Korean things. 

  

Like please. 

STAP. 

Learning To Be Like Cultured and Stuff

Just remembered I'd uploaded a couple of photos from the last week (or two) onto my blog but never got around to actually publishing them because I'm a busy gal. Okay not really...I just had too many movies and YouTube videos to watch. Anyway, here they are:

A friend (Othilia) and I spent an evening at the Opera House listening to fancy schmancy symphony music. As expected, there were a lot of old people there. Old, posh people. We were sitting next to two women who, intermittently, would interject with snide comments about the orchestra, singer etc.

Film Escapism: From Hayao Miyazaki to the Marvel Universe

I've been watching a lot of movies recently because:

a) I technically study an Arts (Communication) degree and am thus entitled to extended periods of bludging,
b) Fiction is so much more seductive than my actual life at the moment, and
c) I am determined to live in a perpetual haze of denial and escapism until Summer comes round and takes me out on a date.

So because it's Sunday night and I've just returned from seven hours of migraine-inducing, throat-destroying tutoring work, I'm just going to sit here in bed and blog about films. Hope y'all don't mind.

Adventures in Glebe, Paddington and Coogee

You know how sometimes you just don't see someone for months at a time but when you do get the chance to catch up, it's like no time has passed? I'm lucky enough to have friends like that. Despite the fact that we all go to different universities, graduated from different high schools and have had barely any in-person contact with one another in the last few years, it was like we'd never left that grassy recess area at our old primary school.

Oh sorry, I forgot to introduce you guys. Blog, meet Cecilia (photographer and fashionista extraordinaire behind the crazy-popular http://lightsguiding.blogspot.com.au/) and Fiona (film and literature connoisseur / soon to be exchange student in England for one year(!!) - http://in-creases.blogspot.com.au/). It's the ultimate irony that once we've finally gotten a hold of each other again, one of us has decided to run off into the arms of some British dandy. But I am willing to forgive her - on the condition that she brings me back a bit of accented eye-candy as well. I know. It's very magnanimous of me.

We met up at Central on Saturday morning to walk together to Glebe. I was late because fucking Sydney Trains decided to fucking close off every possible train line in the South-West. I had to take a bus. And we all know that buses give me anxiety because my poor directionless brain does not know when to press the button. (Side Note: I don't remember telling you guys this story but the last time I took a bus, I witnessed a punch-up which led to a 1 hour delay as the cops did a thorough witness interrogation. Lookee me, livin' life on da wild side.) But yeah, basically buses and I get along like two drunk white girls.

Anyhow, we got to Glebe and had lunch at a random cafe. Food was great, although for some weird reason, we also decided to order a large bowl of fries on top of our normal meals. We obviously overestimated our eating abilities.

After a quick detour into one of those strange, independent how-are-you-even-still-in-business book stores, we finally hit the Glebe markets where everything was awesome but terribly overpriced. I did buy a pair of cheap sunnies though and the old Italian guy who owned the stall thought he was real smooth. I was in the middle of paying for the glasses when he kind of beckoned me closer with this shifty look and said, "You know what the condition for buying these glasses is?". So I was like, "Er...no?" and then he goes, "You can't wear them inside the market, because then you'll look too beautiful and all the guys will try to talk to you."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

That made me laugh. But then I sobered up after realising that in the uncommon instance I am paid a compliment by someone of the opposite sex, it had to be from a short, hairy stall owner (who, let's be honest, was probably angling for a second purchase).    

The entire market only took about 40  minutes to get through so we decided to head over to Paddington to check out the stalls there. We took the bus and it was only a short trip before we arrived.

Again, there's only so much you can do at the markets (besides spend exorbitant amounts of money on shit you don't need) so we decided to go for a little walk around Paddington. Which is how we came across this hidden gem:

They call it the Paddington Reservoir and it's basically a little hidden oasis of a garden. Actually I probably shouldn't call it hidden since you can see if from the main street but once you're in it, it does feel like you've moved into a different realm of a sort. There were a couple of architecture students sitting around sketching and the whole place reminded me of an ancient Italian city. It looked like Pompeii...but with living things and not as many asphyxiated, dead people.

Shortly after, we all had to part ways. CC headed home, Fiona went off to meet another friend at the city and I had to somehow make my way to South Coogee where a friend was going to cook me dinner. We said our goodbyes and it was strange knowing that this was probably the last time I'd see Fiona in twelve months. Can you imagine? In one and half years time, I will be in the exact same situation as her and I wonder if people will miss me either...

So I left the city and took the bus to South Coogee (miraculously without any incident I might add) where it was just a short five minute walk to my friend's house. (By the way, her name is Veronica and she is an AMAZING cook. Don't tell anyone but I plan to kidnap her and bring her to China with me in 2016.) She made us paella and tiramisu and I helped by reading the instructions off her laptop. Hey, if you don't want the kitchen to burn down around your ears, that's probably the only task you should assign me.

Food was good, company was great and all in all, it was the perfect ending to a pretty chill day of catching up with people important to me.

Thanks for reading! Peace xx

The Most Epic of Road Trips: Part 2

After a 1 month delay, I hereby give you Part II of my blog "series" for The Big Lift. I honestly didn't think this post was ever going to happen. Every time I thought about how much I had to say about the trip, I'd freak out and put off writing it. But I was looking through the photos recently and it seemed like such a waste to just leave them there. If I wasn't going to blog properly, I could at least upload the snaps, right?  

10 Things To Do If You Are Super Bored and Want to Procrastinate

Because now that spring semester's started, we suddenly want to do all the things that we could've done but chose not to do in the holidays.

Procrasti-Item No. 1: Watch some sWooZie on YouTube

I YouTube a lot. And I mean, a lot ('cause who needs a social life when ya got internet). So I'm surprised it took me so long to come across sWooZie - an Orlando-based vlogger/filmmaker/gamer and cartoonist. His videos are HILARIOUS as he often takes personal experiences (such as clubbing, relationships and work), turns them into quirky animations and adds a dash of sarcastic narration over it. You might have heard of his previous videos, Confessions of a Disney Employee and My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, both of which went viral. His newest vid "Admit it: Clubbing is Lame" got almost 700,000 views in 5 days!

Procrasti-Item 2: Waste a couple of hours on Hyperbole and a Half

(Source)

www.hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com 

Like sWooZie, Allie Brosh draws upon personal experiences to churn out entertaining comics that serve as efficient time wasters. The childlike quality of her drawings is deceiving. This lady has remarkable skill in storytelling via images and her sense of humour is incomparable. INCOMPARABLE I TELL YOU. I first came across her blog during one of my international studies tutorials and basically spent the whole lesson holding back snorts and guffaws while my tutor chucked me the nastiest dirties.

Procrasti-Item 3: Listen to 'Only Love Can Hurt Like This' by Paloma Faith on Repeat

(Source)

Because this song is the shiz and why not. 

Procrasti-Item 4: Give Yourself a Hypothetical Tattoo

(Source)

If you could get a tattoo what would you get and where would you put it? Perhaps a troll doll for your bicep? Or an onion on your armpit? (THESE EXIST Y'ALL). Try pinterest or tumblr for inspiration. 

Procrasti-Item 5: Watch some spoken word poetry

(Source)

I'm too stupid and uncultured for normal poetry (and therein lies my English Extension 1 downfall). I'm sure Keats was fantabulous at his art but personally, I couldn't get over the fact that he was writing verses to pottery and glorified seagulls. Spoken word poetry though, is right up my alley. I think it's got something to do with the passion in the delivery and the conviction that comes through speakers drawing upon personal experiences. My favourite poets are Shane Koyczan (above), Sarah Kay and Suli Breaks

Procrasti-Item 6: Learn a lame party trick

(Source)

Learn a lame party trick...that will mostly likely never be performed due to the public humiliation you will be forced to endure if you ever whip out said trick. You can't get any more dorky than good ol' coin knuckle rolling (above) and advanced pen twirling.

Procrasti-Item 7: Rediscover Fanfiction.net

www.fanfiction.net - click it...if you dare

I have not gone on this site since high school. No really, I haven't. But I'm glad (and somewhat fearful) of the fact that it is very much alive and thriving with more rampant eroticism and grammatical taboos that you can poke a wand at.

Procrasti-Item 8: Be amazed at how many terrible romance novel covers there are out there

www.wtfbadromancecovers.tumblr.com

If fanfiction.net was not traumatic enough, this site would probably do the job. (Glistening Scotsmen and plunging necklines alert!). Methinks some people need to go back to Photoshop school.

Procrasti-Item 9: Be a voyeur of other people's angst on PostSecret.com

(Source)

www.postsecret.com

Another blast from the past; PostSecret.com is a collection of anonymously mailed Postcards, each containing some sort of confession or guilty admission for the internet public to titter over. Stories range from adultery to childhood grudges.

Procrasti-Item 10: Humans of New York

(Source)

www.humansofnewyork.com

No explanation needed for HONY since everyone's probably heard of it. Just good ol' fashioned photos of New Yorkers in their natural environment.. 

******

So that's my list for those who strive to procrastinate in style. I'm really interested to see what other people come up with. (No Nanc, I will not watch Honey Boo Boo, sorry).

My Student's Response

A few weeks ago, I set the students that I tutor a writing task. I'd been easing them into the Area of Study and had gotten them to write a short reflective piece on an experience of Belonging / Not Belonging in their past. (Yes, I am aware that the future AOS will be Discovery but it's too early to start them on it.)

I was expecting a whole slew of responses on adolescent cliques and alienation within high schools and to be honest, the majority I received fell into these categories. But there was one student who wrote me something that was painfully introspective and honest. He literally just came into class, handed it to me and said, "Miss after you've read it, I don't want it back." 

I'm not going to abuse his privacy and trust by uploading the response but the general gist of it was that he felt alienated from his family due to his lack of "great academic achievement". It's something he felt keenly in his younger years after seeing cousin after cousin achieve HSC marks over 95. As a junior student, he hadn't given much thought to it but now that he's entering senior years, the anxiety is slowly creeping up on him and he's worried about his future and lack of direction. 

"The thing that's holding me back is my indecisive nature. I really want to know what I am doing with myself. I want to know where I am headed. I want to find a place or to be part of something where I can belong" (Excerpt)

Each test marks a further loss of confidence for him as despite picking up his work ethic and spending more time in the library studying, there doesn't seem to be much change in results. 

The response hit me like an emotional ton of bricks. Obviously, I was humbled by the fact that a student felt comfortable enough to open up about his insecurities in an assigned class task. But even more than that, it took me right back to high school and reminded me of the crushing pressure one puts upon themselves during those years. 

I wish I could've said something to help him out, to let him know that the HSC is not the be all end all. But the truth is that teachers and ex-students used to tell me that all the time and god knows I didn't listen. Plus how do you give life advice to a student when you yourself am barely sure of your own direction? It's so much harder for him too as he feels like he's living in the shadow of his cousins, siblings and parents. My cousins were high achievers as well (doctors, dentists, radiographers) but since I knew from an early age that the science path was not for me, I never felt the need to live up to their accomplishments. 

Academic achievement is important but there is definitely an unhealthy emphasis on it, especially for people of my background and area. I felt it so acutely a couple of night ago when I was asked to give a presentation to parents at my ex-high school. Basically the purpose of it was to inform parents of the merits of the school and the various opportunities it offered. 

It didn't matter how much you talked about the school's leadership opportunities, student initiatives or acceleration programs, all the parents wanted to hear about was atar, atar, ATAR. They visibly perked up when I mentioned that four digit number and all the questions at the end consisted of things like the school's ranking and percentage of students who achieved +95 marks. It was beyond frustrating and a little bit sad - especially since I can understand why parents would be worried. 

I just wish there was a way to get parents and students to understand that academic achievement does not make a person. Rather, too much focus on this leads to undue stress and a destruction of a student's self-esteem. And what you end up with are young people who are confused, torn and a little bit lost.