Have you ever floated a leaf down a creek in the country, or watched a gum wrapper meander along the rain? it's peaceful. sometimes watching students can be like that. better when you can't hear them.
Students en masse are like water. slow moving water... they will find the path of least resistance. not always the fastest way, but without fail, the easiest. so if you want a pleasent stroll stick with the students. if you want to get somewhere quickly, maybe find another way..
I haven't caught a train consistently since i left high school. i have recently started catching the train to work three days a week, on the smae line that i used to catch in school. this morning, now that school is back, i was surrounded by fortians (Fort St students - once a fortian, always a fortain) as i got off the train. the scary thing is that they were instantly recognisable by their uniforms. in my day (when we had to walk up hill 5 miles both ways in the snow just to get to school...) Fortians were conspicuous for their lack of uniform... how times have changed....
that is all. just a little trp down my memory lane..
20100129
20100124
huge. massive.
Big. Day. Out!
for the second time i have been privileged enough to get to do volunteer work at the BDO, which means free entry. a more then fair trade if you ask me!
Yesterday was the day. woke up early than i wanted to but later than i should have, after being awake for about an hour in the middle of the night... on the "track work" bus, into Olympic Park, breakfast with some friends and then in to do my 4hr shift. Wristbanding over 18's. Not strenuous, but busy and monotonous. this year we shared the wristbanding space with "the wormhole" a dance space that was basically dark and had strobes and laser lights. great music. the other bonus about wristbanding is that you get to sit in the cool for the hottest hours of the day!
out of there and off to see Esky mojo (eskimo joe...). I always forget how much i love live music till i am there in it and can feel the beat reverberating in my chest. it's better than any drug. anyway. the blue stage and orange stage are right next to each other and bands alternate one side to the other so there is no lag time for set up between acts. I stayed in front of the stage Hilltop Hoods were about to be on, so i couldn't see esky mojo, but i did hear them sing "i don't understand the point of fingers".
Hilltop hoods were awesome, but the mosh pit was hectic. i am very thankful i made it out with all my limbs attached. i have a few random bruises and scratches, but no major injury. there were people being taken out over the top because they just couldn't handle it. within about 2 mins of them starting i was soaking wet, filthy dirty, and covered in other peoples sweat... LOVED IT!
Next was Dizzee Rascal, so i went to the loo and to get some water, then came back for Lily Allen. i was thinking about getting to the front but after the hoods i wasn't so sure. looking at the lily crowd on the big screen though, it was very calm... oh well. she was amazing. she has a huge power for someone so small!
I finally found my friends, which i had been trying to do for 4hrs, and we wandered around for the rest of the day fairly aimlessly. we handed around my worker wrist band so they could use the Staff loo's as the lines to use the others were horrendous!
for the rest of the day i saw a little bit of calvin harris, a little lady hawke, went on an awesome ride, bought 1/4 of a watermellon for a dollar, bought glow sticks and danced like a raver to muse, heard a little bit of grinspoon, went to the worm hole but it was closed down (news this morning says man in critical condition after drug overdose - that was probs why the worm hole was closed), went dancing in the jager cube - had my first jager bomb - an experience i plan on repeating!, then went to groove armada. they were awesome!
got back to my house at 1am, realised i had picked up the wrong spare key in the morning... drove to my mothers only to find that the screen door was locked so i couldn't break in to get my other spare key, so i slept in my car outside her house until she came out at 7:30 this morning and gave me my key!!! came home, finally showered!!!!! and now i want to sleep some more. my plans today are maybe hang out with some friends. if i nap now, that will work out really well... so i'm gonna take my dizzy little exhausted head for some time in lala land...
that is all.
for the second time i have been privileged enough to get to do volunteer work at the BDO, which means free entry. a more then fair trade if you ask me!
Yesterday was the day. woke up early than i wanted to but later than i should have, after being awake for about an hour in the middle of the night... on the "track work" bus, into Olympic Park, breakfast with some friends and then in to do my 4hr shift. Wristbanding over 18's. Not strenuous, but busy and monotonous. this year we shared the wristbanding space with "the wormhole" a dance space that was basically dark and had strobes and laser lights. great music. the other bonus about wristbanding is that you get to sit in the cool for the hottest hours of the day!
out of there and off to see Esky mojo (eskimo joe...). I always forget how much i love live music till i am there in it and can feel the beat reverberating in my chest. it's better than any drug. anyway. the blue stage and orange stage are right next to each other and bands alternate one side to the other so there is no lag time for set up between acts. I stayed in front of the stage Hilltop Hoods were about to be on, so i couldn't see esky mojo, but i did hear them sing "i don't understand the point of fingers".
Hilltop hoods were awesome, but the mosh pit was hectic. i am very thankful i made it out with all my limbs attached. i have a few random bruises and scratches, but no major injury. there were people being taken out over the top because they just couldn't handle it. within about 2 mins of them starting i was soaking wet, filthy dirty, and covered in other peoples sweat... LOVED IT!
Next was Dizzee Rascal, so i went to the loo and to get some water, then came back for Lily Allen. i was thinking about getting to the front but after the hoods i wasn't so sure. looking at the lily crowd on the big screen though, it was very calm... oh well. she was amazing. she has a huge power for someone so small!
I finally found my friends, which i had been trying to do for 4hrs, and we wandered around for the rest of the day fairly aimlessly. we handed around my worker wrist band so they could use the Staff loo's as the lines to use the others were horrendous!
for the rest of the day i saw a little bit of calvin harris, a little lady hawke, went on an awesome ride, bought 1/4 of a watermellon for a dollar, bought glow sticks and danced like a raver to muse, heard a little bit of grinspoon, went to the worm hole but it was closed down (news this morning says man in critical condition after drug overdose - that was probs why the worm hole was closed), went dancing in the jager cube - had my first jager bomb - an experience i plan on repeating!, then went to groove armada. they were awesome!
got back to my house at 1am, realised i had picked up the wrong spare key in the morning... drove to my mothers only to find that the screen door was locked so i couldn't break in to get my other spare key, so i slept in my car outside her house until she came out at 7:30 this morning and gave me my key!!! came home, finally showered!!!!! and now i want to sleep some more. my plans today are maybe hang out with some friends. if i nap now, that will work out really well... so i'm gonna take my dizzy little exhausted head for some time in lala land...
that is all.
20100118
fame! i'm gonna live forever...
i'm gonna learn how to fly..
well no, not really. i'm reading Lady Chatterley's Lover (can anyone tell me if it's worth persisting, this is my second try. so far it's less interesting that chaucers canterbury tales, which are a great read).
"Connie wondered a little over Clifford's blind, imperious necessity to become known: known, that is, to the vast amphorus world he did not himslef know, and of which he was uneasily afraid:"
this made me think of fame, being known in a world you may not even know yourself, especially child stars, so insulated for their own sake, so they can have a chance at normalcy. But what is normal about being cloistered. would famous kids be better off going to main stream schools in the public eye? they would have to be of good character though, because the media would burn them for the slightest indiscretion.
but what of adults? 'hard work and years of perserverance' kind of thing. the effort to BE known. then the small look into what it's really like - great popularity in a specific arena, still able to walk down the street, but unable to get across a room of gathered fans, everyone knowing who you are but forever wanting to know more - what do you keep for yourself? what do you keep OF yourself? do you remain the open book of the child star? do you let the media, the fans, see it all and hope that your character is good enough? or do you follow the P!nk school of thought - if they are going to hear it i want them to hear it from me. I think by being less enigmatic you become less interesting, less of a senstaion, but do you also lose part of yourself?
that is all...
well no, not really. i'm reading Lady Chatterley's Lover (can anyone tell me if it's worth persisting, this is my second try. so far it's less interesting that chaucers canterbury tales, which are a great read).
"Connie wondered a little over Clifford's blind, imperious necessity to become known: known, that is, to the vast amphorus world he did not himslef know, and of which he was uneasily afraid:"
this made me think of fame, being known in a world you may not even know yourself, especially child stars, so insulated for their own sake, so they can have a chance at normalcy. But what is normal about being cloistered. would famous kids be better off going to main stream schools in the public eye? they would have to be of good character though, because the media would burn them for the slightest indiscretion.
but what of adults? 'hard work and years of perserverance' kind of thing. the effort to BE known. then the small look into what it's really like - great popularity in a specific arena, still able to walk down the street, but unable to get across a room of gathered fans, everyone knowing who you are but forever wanting to know more - what do you keep for yourself? what do you keep OF yourself? do you remain the open book of the child star? do you let the media, the fans, see it all and hope that your character is good enough? or do you follow the P!nk school of thought - if they are going to hear it i want them to hear it from me. I think by being less enigmatic you become less interesting, less of a senstaion, but do you also lose part of yourself?
that is all...
20100105
remind me.
every now and then we all need reminding of what we mean. to people, to one person, to the world.
as i've been unpacking my life (yay!) i've found a few little bits and pieces that i have missed seeing day to day. this one i thought i would share with you. it is a note written to me, not by me, by an intelligent and independent young woman who i had the pleasure to lead. She was a natural outcast, considered by many to be snobbish or difficullt, and as a teenager, that hurt her. i didn't try to pigeon hole her, i just took each meeting and each emotion as it came. I was myself with her, more than many others i lead that year, because i trusted her to be able to handle me. whilst others found her hard to discipline, i found no need to discipline her at all.
"We can all be angels to one another. We can choose to obey the small stirring within, the little whispers that say 'go. ask. reach out. be an answer to someone's plea. you have a part to play. have faith.' we can decide to risk that he is indeed there, watching, caring, and cherishing us as we love and accept love. the world will be a better place for it and wherever they are the angels will dance" ~ Joan Wester Anderson ++ "Acept the things to which fate binds you and love the people with whom fate brings you together with but do so with all your heart." ~ Marcus Aelius Aurelius ++ I don't think you really need to be told that quote becoz you are the emodiment of the meaning as expressed through these words. Throughout gang show YOU have been MY angel showing me unconditional love and acceptance when everything seemed so dim. Through your spirit and light it gave me the permission, nay the comfortable arena, in which i could freely just be myself. A, I cannot express to you what you have done for me, nor can i explain what you mean to me. You showed me your whole heart, no questions asked. U are amazing, beautiful and more. You reached out to me and my time at gangshow was made better for it. Aye for an old fart you're pretty cool. and i guess angels must be dancing. <3 E.
that is all.
as i've been unpacking my life (yay!) i've found a few little bits and pieces that i have missed seeing day to day. this one i thought i would share with you. it is a note written to me, not by me, by an intelligent and independent young woman who i had the pleasure to lead. She was a natural outcast, considered by many to be snobbish or difficullt, and as a teenager, that hurt her. i didn't try to pigeon hole her, i just took each meeting and each emotion as it came. I was myself with her, more than many others i lead that year, because i trusted her to be able to handle me. whilst others found her hard to discipline, i found no need to discipline her at all.
"We can all be angels to one another. We can choose to obey the small stirring within, the little whispers that say 'go. ask. reach out. be an answer to someone's plea. you have a part to play. have faith.' we can decide to risk that he is indeed there, watching, caring, and cherishing us as we love and accept love. the world will be a better place for it and wherever they are the angels will dance" ~ Joan Wester Anderson ++ "Acept the things to which fate binds you and love the people with whom fate brings you together with but do so with all your heart." ~ Marcus Aelius Aurelius ++ I don't think you really need to be told that quote becoz you are the emodiment of the meaning as expressed through these words. Throughout gang show YOU have been MY angel showing me unconditional love and acceptance when everything seemed so dim. Through your spirit and light it gave me the permission, nay the comfortable arena, in which i could freely just be myself. A, I cannot express to you what you have done for me, nor can i explain what you mean to me. You showed me your whole heart, no questions asked. U are amazing, beautiful and more. You reached out to me and my time at gangshow was made better for it. Aye for an old fart you're pretty cool. and i guess angels must be dancing. <3 E.
that is all.
20100101
things to meet, people to do.
Dr Suess said it. Oh, the places you'll go! go read it, it's amazing how much deeper it is without the pictures, and with an adult mind in your head. it should be given to all high school students to read as a serious text. but i digress...
i have been saying "things to meet, people to do" for ages. in my head i always connect it with the above mentioned Dr Suess, and also, going places to meet people. recently i have found an entire community of friends online, and i have had to go nowhere to meet them. admittedly i have gone places and met a few, but they are not any more special to me than those i have not met. but there are some who stand out in my day, they know who they are. but just coz sometimes it helps... Jen, and Jen (one slightly more famous than the other) Chrystal (don't forget the H) Corx, Dax, Evil, hope and hope (again, one better known than the other) Abigail, Nat, RENEE!!!, bec and moni and a cindy or two (equally infamous in this case). if ur name isn't here, it doesn't mean i don't care, or i don't think ur funny, but these peeps, these friends stand out above the rest. these friends bring a smile to my day, a shoulder to my tears, and ear to my troubles and a laugh to my (sometimes lame) jokes. My life is richer because of you.
that is all.
i have been saying "things to meet, people to do" for ages. in my head i always connect it with the above mentioned Dr Suess, and also, going places to meet people. recently i have found an entire community of friends online, and i have had to go nowhere to meet them. admittedly i have gone places and met a few, but they are not any more special to me than those i have not met. but there are some who stand out in my day, they know who they are. but just coz sometimes it helps... Jen, and Jen (one slightly more famous than the other) Chrystal (don't forget the H) Corx, Dax, Evil, hope and hope (again, one better known than the other) Abigail, Nat, RENEE!!!, bec and moni and a cindy or two (equally infamous in this case). if ur name isn't here, it doesn't mean i don't care, or i don't think ur funny, but these peeps, these friends stand out above the rest. these friends bring a smile to my day, a shoulder to my tears, and ear to my troubles and a laugh to my (sometimes lame) jokes. My life is richer because of you.
that is all.
i have a hip hugging laundry basket
and a slight headache. let me take something for it and get right back to you.
so, where was i. oh yeah, headache. brought on in no small part by dehydration and probably from a bit of exhaustion, but i can guarantee it's not a hangover. or if it is it's a day late...
yesterday was NYE. Sydney is an amazing place to be on NYE because we have a beautiful harbour to sit around, and an amazing bridge, and we have some of the best fireworks i have ever seen, and i have seen plenty of fireworks, including NYC on NYE 2003.
i left home at 8am on NYE to head to the city to stake out my plot of land for maximum viewing pleasure. i was saving space for what would eventually be 7 of us, but was planned for a fluctuating 5. picture a harbour, now make it prettier, add friends and friendly strangers, some sun, some fun and you have NYE to a tee. in the 19 hours i was out i peed once, which is a skill well worth having when it's a 20min queue for port-a-loo's. i ate almost consistently, but no real meals were had, i went from being stretched out and spacious to sitting upright and perhaps just a little cramped. by the time the 9pm fireworks started i had my family and friends with me, and i had also met two lovely random strangers who became part of our party. Sydney does countdown fireworks, a couple of red bursts with 10 mins to go, then a little red shower from the bridge at 5 mins, and even a count down projected on the bridge. the 9pm (family) fireworks were good, but showed nothing of the spectacular that was to come. 10pm, one cracker. 11pm, another cracker, 11:30, a couple. then 15 mins, 10 mins, 5 mins, and an awesome gold pulsing explosion from one of the buildings across the harbour for the countdown. then about 15 mins of fire works, choreographed to music, ebbing and flowing, pulsing and growing, from the top of the bridge, the middle of the bridge, falling from the road base of the bridge, all along the full length, in canon and all at once, from 4 barges in the harbour (there were more, but i could see 4).
then the half an hour sit around and wait for the crowd to thin a little, the 30 odd min walk to the nearest train that we won't have to wait an hour to get onto, then the 15 train home. finally got home at 3am, having been out of the house for 19 hours. i had a shower and fell into bed. i have so many photo's and one story that ran all day to share.
i was sitting on a sandstone wall of a little bay that has been enclosed as a swimming hole. when i arrived in the morning the tide was high, the pool was full. the tide spent about the next 4 hours going down, leaving the pool as an enclosed sand pit essentially. high tide was due again at 9pm. people kept going to sit on the sand... we warned every single person that walked past us to get onto the beach that the tide would come up and they would get wet. most didn't listen, and from about 6pm we laughed as we watched them all creap further and further away from the rising water. it was just too funny, there were floating shoes, wet tripods, expensive camera's held aloft. we laughed every time a wave crashed over the break. we had warned them all and they hadn't listened. it was higlhy entertaining for those of us who had arrived at9am or earlier to get good spots with a clear view.
Happy New Year
that is all.
so, where was i. oh yeah, headache. brought on in no small part by dehydration and probably from a bit of exhaustion, but i can guarantee it's not a hangover. or if it is it's a day late...
yesterday was NYE. Sydney is an amazing place to be on NYE because we have a beautiful harbour to sit around, and an amazing bridge, and we have some of the best fireworks i have ever seen, and i have seen plenty of fireworks, including NYC on NYE 2003.
i left home at 8am on NYE to head to the city to stake out my plot of land for maximum viewing pleasure. i was saving space for what would eventually be 7 of us, but was planned for a fluctuating 5. picture a harbour, now make it prettier, add friends and friendly strangers, some sun, some fun and you have NYE to a tee. in the 19 hours i was out i peed once, which is a skill well worth having when it's a 20min queue for port-a-loo's. i ate almost consistently, but no real meals were had, i went from being stretched out and spacious to sitting upright and perhaps just a little cramped. by the time the 9pm fireworks started i had my family and friends with me, and i had also met two lovely random strangers who became part of our party. Sydney does countdown fireworks, a couple of red bursts with 10 mins to go, then a little red shower from the bridge at 5 mins, and even a count down projected on the bridge. the 9pm (family) fireworks were good, but showed nothing of the spectacular that was to come. 10pm, one cracker. 11pm, another cracker, 11:30, a couple. then 15 mins, 10 mins, 5 mins, and an awesome gold pulsing explosion from one of the buildings across the harbour for the countdown. then about 15 mins of fire works, choreographed to music, ebbing and flowing, pulsing and growing, from the top of the bridge, the middle of the bridge, falling from the road base of the bridge, all along the full length, in canon and all at once, from 4 barges in the harbour (there were more, but i could see 4).
then the half an hour sit around and wait for the crowd to thin a little, the 30 odd min walk to the nearest train that we won't have to wait an hour to get onto, then the 15 train home. finally got home at 3am, having been out of the house for 19 hours. i had a shower and fell into bed. i have so many photo's and one story that ran all day to share.
i was sitting on a sandstone wall of a little bay that has been enclosed as a swimming hole. when i arrived in the morning the tide was high, the pool was full. the tide spent about the next 4 hours going down, leaving the pool as an enclosed sand pit essentially. high tide was due again at 9pm. people kept going to sit on the sand... we warned every single person that walked past us to get onto the beach that the tide would come up and they would get wet. most didn't listen, and from about 6pm we laughed as we watched them all creap further and further away from the rising water. it was just too funny, there were floating shoes, wet tripods, expensive camera's held aloft. we laughed every time a wave crashed over the break. we had warned them all and they hadn't listened. it was higlhy entertaining for those of us who had arrived at9am or earlier to get good spots with a clear view.
Happy New Year
that is all.
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