Friday, 3 November 2006
Light Sounds & Flowery Bursts
Once again it's the time of the year when fireworks are legal thanks to good old Guy Fawkes. Every night now one can hear the sound of fireworks going off and see an impressive array of colours exploding in flowery bursts. Unfortunately, much as I'd like to spend all my time staring out of the window, I still have one exam to go 8(. Ah well, it's kinda hard concentrating with all the noise of fireworks going off too. Maybe I should go get myself some just to get it out of the system...
Tuesday, 31 October 2006
Paintings of the Day
Paintings of the day...by Giovanni Paolo Pannini (1691-1765)
I suppose this is a rather random post but these are 2 of my favourite paintings in the Louvre...probably coz after viewing so many paintings in the Louvre and all around Italy and France (which is pretty much everywhere or in every church at least) they all start to look the same (not to mention your eyes start crossing...). And these, well they're different. Too bad photography wasn't allowed in the room. I liked these way better than the Mona Lisa. I find it amusing that the view of modern Rome as it was back in the 1700s included the Fontana di Trevi which is really old, Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona. Still, I suppose since they appeared in the 1600s they were kinda modern...
Galerie de vues de la Rome antique (1758)
Galerie de vues de la Rome moderne (1759)I suppose this is a rather random post but these are 2 of my favourite paintings in the Louvre...probably coz after viewing so many paintings in the Louvre and all around Italy and France (which is pretty much everywhere or in every church at least) they all start to look the same (not to mention your eyes start crossing...). And these, well they're different. Too bad photography wasn't allowed in the room. I liked these way better than the Mona Lisa. I find it amusing that the view of modern Rome as it was back in the 1700s included the Fontana di Trevi which is really old, Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona. Still, I suppose since they appeared in the 1600s they were kinda modern...
Saturday, 28 October 2006
Moving Woes
I hate moving. Yet I seem to be doing it pretty much every year now and will have to move again next year. Even though I love travelling, moving is something else entirely. With travelling you live out of a suitcase. Not much to pack, easy to pack. It's just a couple of belongings after all. Moving on the other hand is essentially packing up your life into cardboard boxes and shifting said life somewhere else. There's furniture to dismantle, glassware to pack, removers to call and settle with, working out shifting schedules... It's a nightmare. Presently the flat looks like a tornado has been through it. My room has certainly seen better times, and I still have 2 exams to go.
It'll be worse next year I reckon coz I probably wouldn't be in Dunedin the year after. I shudder at the thought of having to deal with issues like storage and selling off furniture. Plus I've grown rather attached to my furniture. Nope I'm not looking forward to next year at all. 8( I wish someone would hurry up and invent a teleportation machine or something that can easily transfer stuff from one place to another in a blink. Think of all the logistical problems that could solve, not to mention making my life infinitely easier. Now where's a genie when you need one?
It'll be worse next year I reckon coz I probably wouldn't be in Dunedin the year after. I shudder at the thought of having to deal with issues like storage and selling off furniture. Plus I've grown rather attached to my furniture. Nope I'm not looking forward to next year at all. 8( I wish someone would hurry up and invent a teleportation machine or something that can easily transfer stuff from one place to another in a blink. Think of all the logistical problems that could solve, not to mention making my life infinitely easier. Now where's a genie when you need one?
Saturday, 21 October 2006
Bubbly Times
Yesterday we had a mini champagne, cheese and cracker party at our flat. The champagne was good stuff...courtesy of my flatmate's boyfriend who would never touch cheap wines. So we proceeded to get high on bubbly...and I wound up giving my flatmate's boyfriend's friend a makeover...think smokey eyes and blood red lips. All with his cooperation of course. In fact I recall that after the makeover he declared himself prettier than us chicks lol.
A couple more glasses of bubbly (encouraged by my flatmate) and he was out cold. Totally out cold. My flatmate being drunk spend half an hour screaming in his ear for him to wake up so she could drive him home. That was despite my sister and I telling her she was in no condition to drive and we wouldn't be able to move him anyway. So we left him on the couch and went off to slp.
Except that my sister hear a loud thump some time later and the guy had fallen onto the floor and hit his head on the table leg and he was shivering. So my sister got some blankets to throw over him and turned on the electric heater. For some reason he kept moving under the table (still completely unconscious) until his toe went into the heater and might have caught fire if my sister hadn't noticed and moved the heater away. I doubt that catching fire would have woken him really coz to stick a body part into the heater right onto the heating coil and not feel anything...well WWIII wouldn't have got him up. If that wasn't enough, he then proceeded to throw up while still unconscious, sending my sister into a panic coz he could choke to death. Despite her best attempts to get him to chuck in the bin he ended up chucking every where else except the bin. Ugh! Our lounge still smells a little odd currently...
Moral of the story: if ur guests are gonna get drunk and pass out, make sure they sleep over a bucket!
A couple more glasses of bubbly (encouraged by my flatmate) and he was out cold. Totally out cold. My flatmate being drunk spend half an hour screaming in his ear for him to wake up so she could drive him home. That was despite my sister and I telling her she was in no condition to drive and we wouldn't be able to move him anyway. So we left him on the couch and went off to slp.
Except that my sister hear a loud thump some time later and the guy had fallen onto the floor and hit his head on the table leg and he was shivering. So my sister got some blankets to throw over him and turned on the electric heater. For some reason he kept moving under the table (still completely unconscious) until his toe went into the heater and might have caught fire if my sister hadn't noticed and moved the heater away. I doubt that catching fire would have woken him really coz to stick a body part into the heater right onto the heating coil and not feel anything...well WWIII wouldn't have got him up. If that wasn't enough, he then proceeded to throw up while still unconscious, sending my sister into a panic coz he could choke to death. Despite her best attempts to get him to chuck in the bin he ended up chucking every where else except the bin. Ugh! Our lounge still smells a little odd currently...
Moral of the story: if ur guests are gonna get drunk and pass out, make sure they sleep over a bucket!
Tuesday, 17 October 2006
Blog Revamp II: All's Good
Yay now it works in all browsers...although it appears best in Firefox. It's a minor problem of spacing in IE & Opera though so all's good (it was a layout disaster before...) 
Right now that I've run outta excuse to procrastinate I suppose I should do some study...bother.
Right now that I've run outta excuse to procrastinate I suppose I should do some study...bother.
Blog Revamp: Warning Only Works in Firefox
I've just spent the last 6 hours giving my blog a new look...(talk about procrastination what am I doing? I've an exam in 3 days!!!) Anyway I thought the old colour scheme was pretty bad. I've no idea what I was thinking when I picked those colours the last time!! Ugh! Now my blog looks much better...I mean the colours aren't as random as they were the last time...and I like my header. I used photos from my days in Europe 8). I must say I'm getting the hang of css since it took me less time to design the blog than it did de last time.
Oh fantastic...argh!!! My new design only works on In Firefox. It doesn't display correctly in IE or Opera! *sob* Bother...anyone have any ideas on how to fix it?
Oh fantastic...argh!!! My new design only works on In Firefox. It doesn't display correctly in IE or Opera! *sob* Bother...anyone have any ideas on how to fix it?
Tuesday, 10 October 2006
Strange Weather
Honestly I dun think I've ever come across stranger weather than here in Dunedin. I woke up this morning to heavy snowfall. Hey it's spring you aren't supposed to have snow in the middle of spring! If that wasn't weird enough, after about an hour or so of snow, the weather realised it was spring and poof! It became sunny again. Then as if the weather couldn't make up its mind, a quarter of an hour later it decided to snow again...heavily (think overcast sky, strong wind and swirling snow). Then sun (blue sky, a few white fluffy clouds here and there)...and barely half an hour later sleet, then rain, then sun, then hail....well you get the idea.
Basically we've been alternating between snow, sun, rain and hail and it's kinda driving me nuts. I realise though that this may also perhaps be due to the fact that I'm supposed to be studying for upcoming exams and somehow have barely gotten a start on that. Still you've gotta admit...it's some pretty crazy weather...and it's pretty obvious I'm procrastinating again. *sigh*
Basically we've been alternating between snow, sun, rain and hail and it's kinda driving me nuts. I realise though that this may also perhaps be due to the fact that I'm supposed to be studying for upcoming exams and somehow have barely gotten a start on that. Still you've gotta admit...it's some pretty crazy weather...and it's pretty obvious I'm procrastinating again. *sigh*
Thursday, 5 October 2006
Psyc BBQ
To commemorate the end of a year's worth of PSYC 300 level honours seminars, one of the professors threw a BBQ at his place. His place is quite well-known in the department...mostly coz a murder was committed in one of the bedrooms. And the murderer wasn't just anyone...he happened to be the department head of psychiatric medicine who murdered his wife by poisoning her and being really stupid about it. For example, he actually lectured his students on how to murder someone by administering drugs that give the symptoms of natural diseases. In any case the place was massive, and my professor runs it as a B&B...he puts the guests in the bedroom where the murder happened but naturally doesn't tell the guests that. The bathroom is fantastic though...it's totally carpeted with a jaccuzi.
It was certainly a night of learning...all the gossip in the psyc department and stories of past events. According to the head of the psyc department (as one professor told us) said that the staff of the psyc department are so much more fun when they're bad.
For instance the lecturers used to form a band and had annual concerts. It's kinda hard to picture some of them in a band, but apparently they did actually make large profits from concerts. Unfortunately the band broke up after a disastrous concert where few people turned up...which was expected given that for some reason the organisers decided to hold it around the end of the year on the same night a big rugby game was on. Well nothing gets between a kiwi and his rugby.
Our other professor told us of the costume party the psyc department used to hold and who liked to wear what. Apparently she used to dress as a pregnant nun and another lecturer used to go in mini-skirts, fishnet stockings and thigh high boots (think skanky). We spent quite some time trying to convince them they should revive these traditions....it's much more fun than trying to pay attention to a lecture on attention!
Speaking of paying attention, the professors confess that the lecturer who organises department seminars falls asleep in every one of them. He said the guy sits beside him everytime and falls asleep on his shoulder and drools...lol Really unfair I reckon, since they make us go and we don't get to fall asleep since we're required to summit a report on it. 8(
Anyway I'm gonna be looking at the psyc department thru new eyes from now on...
It was certainly a night of learning...all the gossip in the psyc department and stories of past events. According to the head of the psyc department (as one professor told us) said that the staff of the psyc department are so much more fun when they're bad.
For instance the lecturers used to form a band and had annual concerts. It's kinda hard to picture some of them in a band, but apparently they did actually make large profits from concerts. Unfortunately the band broke up after a disastrous concert where few people turned up...which was expected given that for some reason the organisers decided to hold it around the end of the year on the same night a big rugby game was on. Well nothing gets between a kiwi and his rugby.
Our other professor told us of the costume party the psyc department used to hold and who liked to wear what. Apparently she used to dress as a pregnant nun and another lecturer used to go in mini-skirts, fishnet stockings and thigh high boots (think skanky). We spent quite some time trying to convince them they should revive these traditions....it's much more fun than trying to pay attention to a lecture on attention!
Speaking of paying attention, the professors confess that the lecturer who organises department seminars falls asleep in every one of them. He said the guy sits beside him everytime and falls asleep on his shoulder and drools...lol Really unfair I reckon, since they make us go and we don't get to fall asleep since we're required to summit a report on it. 8(
Anyway I'm gonna be looking at the psyc department thru new eyes from now on...
Thursday, 21 September 2006
When Do the Birds Sing?
Dunedin is now evidently in Spring. I love Spring, I really do.
We've got:
1. warmer weather (strangely warm today)
2. fresh green leaves on previously bald trees
3. cherry blossom petals showering down when the wind blows
4. colourful flowers everywhere
5. more daylight hours
But this is really paltry evidence to mark Spring's presence, what really brings home the fact that Spring is here is:
1. Hay Fever
2. Allergies
3. Everyone getting sick
4. Pollen covered car
(washing it is redundant coz it remains clean for less than a day)
Oh and this may or may not have something to do with Spring, but I've noticed the birds start singing at 3am now and sing straight all the way to 6am at least. Why do I know this? (I also know that the street sweepers start work at 5.30am and the waste management truck goes round campus at around that time too, also at that hour traffic on the road consists of taxis and huge trucks that like to speed...but that's besides the point) Coz recently I've been finding myself spending the night in campus working once again on those never ending assignments.
Oh yeah I'm really enjoying Spring...
We've got:
1. warmer weather (strangely warm today)
2. fresh green leaves on previously bald trees
3. cherry blossom petals showering down when the wind blows
4. colourful flowers everywhere
5. more daylight hours
But this is really paltry evidence to mark Spring's presence, what really brings home the fact that Spring is here is:
1. Hay Fever
2. Allergies
3. Everyone getting sick
4. Pollen covered car
(washing it is redundant coz it remains clean for less than a day)
Oh and this may or may not have something to do with Spring, but I've noticed the birds start singing at 3am now and sing straight all the way to 6am at least. Why do I know this? (I also know that the street sweepers start work at 5.30am and the waste management truck goes round campus at around that time too, also at that hour traffic on the road consists of taxis and huge trucks that like to speed...but that's besides the point) Coz recently I've been finding myself spending the night in campus working once again on those never ending assignments.
Oh yeah I'm really enjoying Spring...
Thursday, 14 September 2006
Broken Tail Light
Some idiot hit my parked car and broke my tail light the other day and then just drove off without leaving a note or something to offer to pay for damages. Luckily for me, some other nice random person saw it happen while sitting in the library and actually wrote down the license number.
The problem here is that even with the license number, a driver can be pretty hard to track down...you have to pay to get the name and address of the owner from the post shop. There isn't even a phone number you can call or an email address...funny how used to technology one can get. The amount of trouble one has to go through to get compensation makes me one very irate owner-of-a-car-with-a-broken-tail-light. I now have to write a note to this jerk...threatening a police complaint if he/she refuses to pay *evil laugh*.
Hopefully the jerk will call me soon. Moral of the story: If you hit someone have the courtesy to leave a contact number!
The problem here is that even with the license number, a driver can be pretty hard to track down...you have to pay to get the name and address of the owner from the post shop. There isn't even a phone number you can call or an email address...funny how used to technology one can get. The amount of trouble one has to go through to get compensation makes me one very irate owner-of-a-car-with-a-broken-tail-light. I now have to write a note to this jerk...threatening a police complaint if he/she refuses to pay *evil laugh*.
Hopefully the jerk will call me soon. Moral of the story: If you hit someone have the courtesy to leave a contact number!
Friday, 25 August 2006
Where Has The Year Gone?
Mid-sem break has begun...and it seems like it was just yesterday that the semester started. Where has all the time gone? I reckon I oughta quit pausing to think about it coz it's getting too scary how fast time flies. Before I know it I'll be tossed out in the big bad world to struggle for a living...
Workload is presently at high-stress level (3 assignments due soon), together with other stuff like working on the marketing campaign for Arthritis NZ's Appeal Week, dance exam, finding a new flat for next year (have I mentioned how much I hate moving?) and even throwing a party is stressful. How much can one fit into a week of holidays? Plus I'm going skiing for 3 days as well, although on hindsight perhaps I shouldn't have agreed to go...on the other hand winter is once a year... To accomplish everything I need to do by the end of the holidays, I figure I'm gonna have to work from 7am to 12am for the rest of the break. Some break huh?
On a happier note, fuel prices have gone down, spring is round the corner and the weather is getting warmer. I'm already beginning to daydream of summer...haven't had a summer in 2 years...
Workload is presently at high-stress level (3 assignments due soon), together with other stuff like working on the marketing campaign for Arthritis NZ's Appeal Week, dance exam, finding a new flat for next year (have I mentioned how much I hate moving?) and even throwing a party is stressful. How much can one fit into a week of holidays? Plus I'm going skiing for 3 days as well, although on hindsight perhaps I shouldn't have agreed to go...on the other hand winter is once a year... To accomplish everything I need to do by the end of the holidays, I figure I'm gonna have to work from 7am to 12am for the rest of the break. Some break huh?
On a happier note, fuel prices have gone down, spring is round the corner and the weather is getting warmer. I'm already beginning to daydream of summer...haven't had a summer in 2 years...
Wednesday, 16 August 2006
Logic
Parental logic is something I don't get. What's wrong with walking to and fro every Wednesday night to dance class which is just down the hill from the house? Especially when one's been doing that for the past 6 months? According to parental logic, now that I own a car it is not safe to walk down...drive down, that's what the car is for. Excuse me? We're talking just down the hill here...a 6 min brisk walk down and 10 min walk back up. It's not even in another suburb! Apparently, buying a car has rendered me incapable of walking and turned walking on a Wednesday at 8pm in a residential area unsafe ("because your sister said it's dark and scary"). Is it me or has logic been completely warped here? If you consider the astronomical fuel prices nowadays and the fact that I no longer climb hills (which used to be my best source of exercise), really walking is more economical and healthier.
Try telling my mum that... Naturally I gave up trying to explain that
a) it's just downhill not even as far as town or campus
b) it's not a Friday or Saturday night where people get drunk and violent
c) it's a residential area with no bars around for people to get drunk in and very few uni students
d) it's only 8pm
e) my sister starts claiming it's dark and scary the moment the sun sets which varies according to season
f) I've been walking for the last 6 months with no problems
g) it's a waste of fuel to drive down when I can easily walk
h) I get exercise
How do you argue logically with someone who has a totally different kind of logic altogether? Answer: You can't. The most logical thing is to give up. That's not to say I'm gonna start driving down...it just means well ignorance is bliss! 8p
Try telling my mum that... Naturally I gave up trying to explain that
a) it's just downhill not even as far as town or campus
b) it's not a Friday or Saturday night where people get drunk and violent
c) it's a residential area with no bars around for people to get drunk in and very few uni students
d) it's only 8pm
e) my sister starts claiming it's dark and scary the moment the sun sets which varies according to season
f) I've been walking for the last 6 months with no problems
g) it's a waste of fuel to drive down when I can easily walk
h) I get exercise
How do you argue logically with someone who has a totally different kind of logic altogether? Answer: You can't. The most logical thing is to give up. That's not to say I'm gonna start driving down...it just means well ignorance is bliss! 8p
Saturday, 5 August 2006
The Lies They Tell You
If anyone tells you...
1. Workload at 400/postgrad level is heavier than 300 level
2. A professor helps you become less confused
They are lying.
Why?
1. Postgrad students seem to have more free time and a lighter workload than undergrads...and they do admit so too. This postgrad German student I know is free all the time and has 5 day weekends. Hello? Does that even qualify as studying full-time? Also, I did a 400 level paper last semester and didn't need to work as hard as I have this semester!
2. Went to see my psyc lecturer for my honours seminar paper regarding clarifying feedback on my essay. Instead I came out more confused than ever. It probably didn't help much that he told me his job was to make students confused. Well, if that was his job, he earned himself a nice fat bonus...
Just brightens up a poor stressed out undergrad's day aye?
1. Workload at 400/postgrad level is heavier than 300 level
2. A professor helps you become less confused
They are lying.
Why?
1. Postgrad students seem to have more free time and a lighter workload than undergrads...and they do admit so too. This postgrad German student I know is free all the time and has 5 day weekends. Hello? Does that even qualify as studying full-time? Also, I did a 400 level paper last semester and didn't need to work as hard as I have this semester!
2. Went to see my psyc lecturer for my honours seminar paper regarding clarifying feedback on my essay. Instead I came out more confused than ever. It probably didn't help much that he told me his job was to make students confused. Well, if that was his job, he earned himself a nice fat bonus...
Just brightens up a poor stressed out undergrad's day aye?
Monday, 24 July 2006
Expanding Household
It seems that we're to have yet another addition to the household. My flatmate announced yesterday that she's getting a dog. Our flat muz be in a growing phase...first a parent, now a dog... I wonder what's next? I like dogs though so I'm not complaining about new household members...yet. Let's hope the dog will be house trained and well, we do have a rather large garden.
The presence of a dog might also help break up the weekly cat convention in our garden. Cats courtesy of our neighbour Barbeque Bill (no it's not a nickname really...BBQ Bill owns the house next door and a food business named Barbeque Bill's...no surprises there), who breeds rats and hedgehogs (off the unsightly garbage dump in his driveway), hence the numerous stray cats who love hanging around his place. Since we're his neighbours, the cats have assumed our garden as theirs and gather as a group weekly...rather annoying when they keep walking around you while you're trying to hang up the washing.
BBQ Bill is not a very pleasant neighbour. He blasts Phantom of the Opera early in the morning all through the afternoon on Saturdays and has numerous vehicles (some labelled with Barbeque Bill's and some not) all strategically parked to hide the entrance to our driveway and make reversing out a challenge. I've taken to parking on the street amongst BBQ Bill's vehicles except that BBQ Bill's daughter enjoys stealing my parking spot outside our flat! Evidently, taking up both sides of the street at his place isn't enough. Now if he made a move to clear that huge pile of junk in his driveway maybe some vehicle could park there instead of encoaching on our bit of street!!
Out of sheer viciousness I do hope BBQ Bill does not like dogs. 8p
The presence of a dog might also help break up the weekly cat convention in our garden. Cats courtesy of our neighbour Barbeque Bill (no it's not a nickname really...BBQ Bill owns the house next door and a food business named Barbeque Bill's...no surprises there), who breeds rats and hedgehogs (off the unsightly garbage dump in his driveway), hence the numerous stray cats who love hanging around his place. Since we're his neighbours, the cats have assumed our garden as theirs and gather as a group weekly...rather annoying when they keep walking around you while you're trying to hang up the washing.
BBQ Bill is not a very pleasant neighbour. He blasts Phantom of the Opera early in the morning all through the afternoon on Saturdays and has numerous vehicles (some labelled with Barbeque Bill's and some not) all strategically parked to hide the entrance to our driveway and make reversing out a challenge. I've taken to parking on the street amongst BBQ Bill's vehicles except that BBQ Bill's daughter enjoys stealing my parking spot outside our flat! Evidently, taking up both sides of the street at his place isn't enough. Now if he made a move to clear that huge pile of junk in his driveway maybe some vehicle could park there instead of encoaching on our bit of street!!
Out of sheer viciousness I do hope BBQ Bill does not like dogs. 8p
Friday, 21 July 2006
Housekeeping
My flatmate's mum moved in with us this week...for the rest of the semester. It's weird having a parent around. For starters, our flat is very very neat...owing to the fact that since her mum has nothing to do all day she cleans and tidies. Her mum even arranges the many many pairs of shoes that used to clutter our doorway in these neat rows everyday. The kitchen is sparkling clean and any occasional dishes left in the sink miraculously disappear. I reckon we probably won't have to do housecleaning aside from our rooms ever...8p
On the downside, partying is definitely outta the question so I've lost my clubbing buddy and will have to hunt for a new one. Plus her mum sleeps really early so we've sorta got quiet hours now...seems like I'm back in a residence hall again. Quiet hours aren't too bad though...the worse is that her mum wakes up early in the morning...early being around half past 7. Then she putters around doing stuff (I have not idea wat) in the living room and u can hear her, or she turns on the tv. Either way, the end result is the same: I wake up. Not cool...coz I'm not quite a morning person. 8(
I guess it'll take some getting used to having a parent around...not tt we do much that provokes disapproval haha. I could get used to a really clean flat...we prob have the cleanest student flat in Dunedin. Now if only her mum could make the bills disappear...
On the downside, partying is definitely outta the question so I've lost my clubbing buddy and will have to hunt for a new one. Plus her mum sleeps really early so we've sorta got quiet hours now...seems like I'm back in a residence hall again. Quiet hours aren't too bad though...the worse is that her mum wakes up early in the morning...early being around half past 7. Then she putters around doing stuff (I have not idea wat) in the living room and u can hear her, or she turns on the tv. Either way, the end result is the same: I wake up. Not cool...coz I'm not quite a morning person. 8(
I guess it'll take some getting used to having a parent around...not tt we do much that provokes disapproval haha. I could get used to a really clean flat...we prob have the cleanest student flat in Dunedin. Now if only her mum could make the bills disappear...
Thursday, 13 July 2006
Up the Hills
Having recently bought a car after shopping for weeks for one, I have achieved total mobility lol. Living up in the hills certainly hampers my desire to go where the distance is far too great to walk and a 40 min walk to town isn't the most fun thing to do if the weather is awful (as it usually is).
Up the hills, we get frost and ice a lot more often. We had ice for 2 weeks straight a while ago...during the coldest June in 34 years. Walking down to campus on icy ground is certainly an adrenaline rushing experience where you're slipping and sliding down a very steep hill with high chances of falling over. It's really like skiing without skis and no way of stopping (except by falling over or if you're lucky, by grabbing an available lamp post). Even on flat ground, if it's icy, your feet won't stay in one spot. Snow isn't bad...ice is horrible.
I suppose driving would be pretty dangerous, but it seems that the roads where the cars run dun ice over as much...and if there was ice, it would have been gone relatively quickly, unlike the sidewalk where ice can happily stay the entire week.
But, it's pretty up the hills...and quiet...like you'd only notice the neighbours are having a party if there are more cars parked around than usual. Wish it would be a little warmer though!
Up the hills, we get frost and ice a lot more often. We had ice for 2 weeks straight a while ago...during the coldest June in 34 years. Walking down to campus on icy ground is certainly an adrenaline rushing experience where you're slipping and sliding down a very steep hill with high chances of falling over. It's really like skiing without skis and no way of stopping (except by falling over or if you're lucky, by grabbing an available lamp post). Even on flat ground, if it's icy, your feet won't stay in one spot. Snow isn't bad...ice is horrible.
I suppose driving would be pretty dangerous, but it seems that the roads where the cars run dun ice over as much...and if there was ice, it would have been gone relatively quickly, unlike the sidewalk where ice can happily stay the entire week.
But, it's pretty up the hills...and quiet...like you'd only notice the neighbours are having a party if there are more cars parked around than usual. Wish it would be a little warmer though!
Thursday, 8 June 2006
Friendster Messages
After a year my Friendster account is active again coz it really is the best way of still staying in touch with friends from Singapore.
I've gotten messages now and then from various people...well guys actually...over the time I've been a member on Friendster. Recently though, the messages all tend to be guys from the Phillipines. I'm guessing maybe they juz caught on or something. Anyway, from all the messages I've received, a pattern is noticeable:
Their online profile says practically nothing. Almost all of them send the first message saying "Can I be your friend" or "I hope to be your good friend", which I find a rather dumb thing to ask since the last time I checked 'friend' meant that you actually knew something about the other person. Now with empty profiles...sorry but you can't even be filed under 'acquaintances'.
Ok so I try to be nice to get to know these wanna-be friends and ask them about themselves (when I'm in a nice mood that is). Almost all of them would introduce themselves saying "I'm quite handsome actually" or "I'm good-looking"...without saying much else about themselves. So essentially all I learn about them is that they're ego-maniacs who'd probably spend more time in front of a mirror than I do. Then there are some who have the audacity to ask if they can be my boyfriend... Excuse me? I most certainly don't date someone I know absolutely nothing about, have never met before and who introduces himself as "I am handsome".
I am now thinking of putting a note in my profile that says:
"If you have nothing in your profile and introduce yourself as handsome, congratulations you have already pissed me off. Please stay away from me."
I've gotten messages now and then from various people...well guys actually...over the time I've been a member on Friendster. Recently though, the messages all tend to be guys from the Phillipines. I'm guessing maybe they juz caught on or something. Anyway, from all the messages I've received, a pattern is noticeable:
Their online profile says practically nothing. Almost all of them send the first message saying "Can I be your friend" or "I hope to be your good friend", which I find a rather dumb thing to ask since the last time I checked 'friend' meant that you actually knew something about the other person. Now with empty profiles...sorry but you can't even be filed under 'acquaintances'.
Ok so I try to be nice to get to know these wanna-be friends and ask them about themselves (when I'm in a nice mood that is). Almost all of them would introduce themselves saying "I'm quite handsome actually" or "I'm good-looking"...without saying much else about themselves. So essentially all I learn about them is that they're ego-maniacs who'd probably spend more time in front of a mirror than I do. Then there are some who have the audacity to ask if they can be my boyfriend... Excuse me? I most certainly don't date someone I know absolutely nothing about, have never met before and who introduces himself as "I am handsome".
I am now thinking of putting a note in my profile that says:
"If you have nothing in your profile and introduce yourself as handsome, congratulations you have already pissed me off. Please stay away from me."
Wednesday, 31 May 2006
Post-grad Flexibility
It's finally almost the end of semester and the end of my pile of assignments. I'm currently working on my last one for the semester which is for my post grad marketing paper. I would actually have 2 due on the same day for that same paper, but the beauty of post grad papers as I discovered last week is the flexibility. 8)
The lecturers having deemed that we have had learnt what they set out to teach through the assignments, decided to be nice and remove the need to do one of the assignments. That assignment would have carried 20% of the grade which is now redistributed over the other 2 assignments. On one hand this is great coz I've one assignment less to do, on the other hand I didn't do too fantastic for the other assignment so with the percentage raised to 50% on that I've lost even more. Despite the lecturers saying we've satisfied their objectives, I feel as though I've not actually learnt whatever it is they say we're supposed to have learnt... Ah well, I suppose most of business is more of common sense and analysing stuff anyway. I wish all my other papers were as flexible as this post grad one though...then my workload would be so much lighter!
The lecturers having deemed that we have had learnt what they set out to teach through the assignments, decided to be nice and remove the need to do one of the assignments. That assignment would have carried 20% of the grade which is now redistributed over the other 2 assignments. On one hand this is great coz I've one assignment less to do, on the other hand I didn't do too fantastic for the other assignment so with the percentage raised to 50% on that I've lost even more. Despite the lecturers saying we've satisfied their objectives, I feel as though I've not actually learnt whatever it is they say we're supposed to have learnt... Ah well, I suppose most of business is more of common sense and analysing stuff anyway. I wish all my other papers were as flexible as this post grad one though...then my workload would be so much lighter!
Saturday, 27 May 2006
Radical Action
Every now and then I get this compulsion to do something radical and the radical stuff have a range of magnitudes. Well this one is not a big shaker I guess, just radical for me... Anyway I've always been kinda curious about matchmaking services. You see plenty of ads for them on the net. I was clicking around on Trade Me and clicked on the personals section just coz I was bored. Then I found myself signing up with NZ's online matchmaking network thing (whatever you call it).
Don't get me wrong, I'm quite happy being single with all the freedom that comes with such a status, but I guess I was curious to see if it works and I dun understand why people sign up (unless they do it outta boredom comme moi). I mean quite a few of the younger people listed are good looking, with attractive personalities (if they are speaking the truth of themselves)...it doesn't quite make sense that they'd be lacking for partners. It makes one think there has to be something wrong with them...lol or perhaps I'm just pretty cynical about all this. In any case I should be able to find out having signed up myself! Still, I really would like to ask each and every one why they signed up which is the most effective way to satisfy my curiousity but I doubt people will be too comfortable with some random asking a kinda personal question.
I've had a couple of messages so far. I feel bad for replying selectively though, although it seems I have this tendency to attract really old guys (and it's not just in this case either!!). There are people whom I'd like to get to know just coz they have interesting jobs...but if I contact them I'm afraid they might get the wrong idea which is more likely to happen with an older guy as I suspect that these guys are in it for real. In any case, it's a form of entertainment for me (yes I know tt's kinda sad...) and it's something new. It's amazing what boredom and procrastination will drive you to do! If I do make a couple of friends outta this, I wouldn't mind either!
Don't get me wrong, I'm quite happy being single with all the freedom that comes with such a status, but I guess I was curious to see if it works and I dun understand why people sign up (unless they do it outta boredom comme moi). I mean quite a few of the younger people listed are good looking, with attractive personalities (if they are speaking the truth of themselves)...it doesn't quite make sense that they'd be lacking for partners. It makes one think there has to be something wrong with them...lol or perhaps I'm just pretty cynical about all this. In any case I should be able to find out having signed up myself! Still, I really would like to ask each and every one why they signed up which is the most effective way to satisfy my curiousity but I doubt people will be too comfortable with some random asking a kinda personal question.
I've had a couple of messages so far. I feel bad for replying selectively though, although it seems I have this tendency to attract really old guys (and it's not just in this case either!!). There are people whom I'd like to get to know just coz they have interesting jobs...but if I contact them I'm afraid they might get the wrong idea which is more likely to happen with an older guy as I suspect that these guys are in it for real. In any case, it's a form of entertainment for me (yes I know tt's kinda sad...) and it's something new. It's amazing what boredom and procrastination will drive you to do! If I do make a couple of friends outta this, I wouldn't mind either!
Monday, 15 May 2006
Spark of Technological Advancement
It never fails to amaze me what people think of selling. On Trade Me, NZ's version of eBay, you can pretty much find people selling everything from smiles to diamonds. In case you are rubbing your eyes and thinking you've read incorrectly, yes, there is actually some idiot/smart aleck listing smiles for $0.50, in hopes that a bigger idiot will come along and actually bid for it. The description of this listing is as follows:
1 smile.
If you win this auction you will receive nothing but the guarantee that I will smile at you through my computer. Thanks :)
And if you think there hasn't been anyone who has bid for this. Well one person actually did. Just goes to show that some people really have nothing better to do or no better way to spend their money. The jury is still out on whether the seller is smart or an idiot with nothing better to do. Still if he's making money off idiots...
Other interesting stuff you can now purchase or auction for on Trade Me include horse manure, firewood, bricks and landfill. Oh kittens are also up for grabs too. I've not looked to see if they've started selling livestock online but I suppose when it does come to that, the economy has crashed. However, I must say that for a technologically backwards country, we seem to be amazingly advanced when it comes to online shopping/selling!!
1 smile.
If you win this auction you will receive nothing but the guarantee that I will smile at you through my computer. Thanks :)
And if you think there hasn't been anyone who has bid for this. Well one person actually did. Just goes to show that some people really have nothing better to do or no better way to spend their money. The jury is still out on whether the seller is smart or an idiot with nothing better to do. Still if he's making money off idiots...
Other interesting stuff you can now purchase or auction for on Trade Me include horse manure, firewood, bricks and landfill. Oh kittens are also up for grabs too. I've not looked to see if they've started selling livestock online but I suppose when it does come to that, the economy has crashed. However, I must say that for a technologically backwards country, we seem to be amazingly advanced when it comes to online shopping/selling!!
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