Extremely busy day today, strangely enough, going in and out of town about four times but... WE PICKED UP OUR TICKETS!!! It's done, finished, all paid for -- we're ready. Now I just have to save up for spending/food money and... survive the eight weeks left of the school year. Seven nights in London, five nights in Edinburgh, four nights in Dublin, five days travel time circling the world. Literally.
I'm. So. Excited.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Thursday, September 6, 2007
all the world's a stage...
As the end of the week, and consequently the end of my mid-semester break fast approaches, I'm happy with how I ended up spending my time. No where near did I get to my original plan of 'eat-and-breathe-studying,' but I did the least of what I had to. At least it was really relaxing. That's a good thing, right? Plus, I got all that driving practice in which was awesome. I'm enjoying myself now -- doesn't feel quite so death-defying anymore.
Good news: today I cured myself of my senioritis. I'm back to normal and hopefully it'll last till the end of the year. Now the countdown begins: seven weeks till exams. Yikes. I should probably come up with some sort of study schedule eventually to keep me on track...
I've been reading Shakespeare, surprisingly enough. The only other time was Romeo and Juliet in ninth grade English, but I could never really get into it because I knew the plot so well. Plus, I've always been at odds with how they could be willing to die for each other after only meeting like... once. Yet after my five-year Shakespeare sabbatical I thought I'd give it another go and I was right to do so - As You Like It is GREAT. Extremely funny and so sweet. But you have to read it out loud. It makes you want to start acting it out!
"All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players."
Good news: today I cured myself of my senioritis. I'm back to normal and hopefully it'll last till the end of the year. Now the countdown begins: seven weeks till exams. Yikes. I should probably come up with some sort of study schedule eventually to keep me on track...
I've been reading Shakespeare, surprisingly enough. The only other time was Romeo and Juliet in ninth grade English, but I could never really get into it because I knew the plot so well. Plus, I've always been at odds with how they could be willing to die for each other after only meeting like... once. Yet after my five-year Shakespeare sabbatical I thought I'd give it another go and I was right to do so - As You Like It is GREAT. Extremely funny and so sweet. But you have to read it out loud. It makes you want to start acting it out!
"All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players."
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
sadie or jen?
Don't ask me why but I just spent the past hour watching The Bachelor, Rome (yes, we're quite behind in NZ, TV-wise). I think I kept watching because they made it seem like it was the finale... but it wasn't. I feel strangely bitter about their, most likely, intentional misleading structure. But I guess it's my fault for forgetting that reality shows stretch things out for as long as they can. Yet I still feel robbed of an hour of my life. Hahaha... serves me right though. The Bachelor? Come on!
the measure of a sister
More breakfast banter, topic in question of increasing "seriousness" as of late:
Mum: Anna, you've really got to talk to your sister about getting a boyfriend. She's got to start thinking about marriage soon, you know! She really has to.
Me: Mum, please, just leave it alone. PLEASE.
Mum: Well, I guess it's not her fault, really. I mean, there are no guys at her work, her university friends are all spread around the country, and there's no young people at church... how is she supposed to meet anyone if there's no one around??
Me: I dunno, mum. Don't worry. You should just leave her alone.
Mum: You know, if you were truly a good sister you would talk to her about it more.
Me: Why don't you? Why do you always have to talk about it to me instead of her?? Just cos you know you'll make her angry... I don't want to be on the receiving end of this conversation all the time.
Mum: (utterly unresponsive to anything I say, as per usual) A good sister would get her to go to places where she can meet new people. You know I can't talk to her about it myself. But if it comes from you at least she'll hear you... what about _______ up in Auckland? He's so kind and good-looking and --
Me: You just love his parents and want to be parents-in-law! She doesn't like him... JUST LEAVE HER ALONE.
Mum: I can't see why she won't even consider _______.
Me: (inner monologue) maybe cos she doesn't like him like that!!!!!! AHHHHH!!!!
And the conversation continues... around and around in circles we go. It's enough to make the most patient of people go crazy, and trust me, I'm not nearly patient enough, especially, it seems, when it comes to my mother. I love her but she can be a persistent woman when she wants to be. Parental Lecture Series starting post-Kirsty's graduation: first it was "the future," then money, adult responsibilites, and now marriage. Poor Kirsty. She always seems to be at the recieving end of all their 'parental advice' -- they usually manage to exhaust all their energy with my sister so by the time they come around to me, they have little to say. (Thankfully.)
Despite my apparent annoyance, I'd rather have my parents overly involved with their plethora of wisdom than not involved at all. I'm not stupid enough to think they're not right most of the time.
Although they can push it every once in a while. Really, I don't need my mum's "love is a commitment" speech when I'm balling my eyes out watching Becoming Jane. Scary how Jane's mum reminds me so much of mine: "Affection is desirable... money is in-dis-pensable."
Mum: Anna, you've really got to talk to your sister about getting a boyfriend. She's got to start thinking about marriage soon, you know! She really has to.
Me: Mum, please, just leave it alone. PLEASE.
Mum: Well, I guess it's not her fault, really. I mean, there are no guys at her work, her university friends are all spread around the country, and there's no young people at church... how is she supposed to meet anyone if there's no one around??
Me: I dunno, mum. Don't worry. You should just leave her alone.
Mum: You know, if you were truly a good sister you would talk to her about it more.
Me: Why don't you? Why do you always have to talk about it to me instead of her?? Just cos you know you'll make her angry... I don't want to be on the receiving end of this conversation all the time.
Mum: (utterly unresponsive to anything I say, as per usual) A good sister would get her to go to places where she can meet new people. You know I can't talk to her about it myself. But if it comes from you at least she'll hear you... what about _______ up in Auckland? He's so kind and good-looking and --
Me: You just love his parents and want to be parents-in-law! She doesn't like him... JUST LEAVE HER ALONE.
Mum: I can't see why she won't even consider _______.
Me: (inner monologue) maybe cos she doesn't like him like that!!!!!! AHHHHH!!!!
And the conversation continues... around and around in circles we go. It's enough to make the most patient of people go crazy, and trust me, I'm not nearly patient enough, especially, it seems, when it comes to my mother. I love her but she can be a persistent woman when she wants to be. Parental Lecture Series starting post-Kirsty's graduation: first it was "the future," then money, adult responsibilites, and now marriage. Poor Kirsty. She always seems to be at the recieving end of all their 'parental advice' -- they usually manage to exhaust all their energy with my sister so by the time they come around to me, they have little to say. (Thankfully.)
Despite my apparent annoyance, I'd rather have my parents overly involved with their plethora of wisdom than not involved at all. I'm not stupid enough to think they're not right most of the time.
Although they can push it every once in a while. Really, I don't need my mum's "love is a commitment" speech when I'm balling my eyes out watching Becoming Jane. Scary how Jane's mum reminds me so much of mine: "Affection is desirable... money is in-dis-pensable."
too little too late
Alas, I find myself once again procrastinating for hours on end reading about things that have absolutely no relevance whatsoever to my immediate future. And what's worse, detracting from what is 'important.'
After watching yet another presidential debate on YouTube and reading up on more candidates (even though I have no vote as a NZ citizen so it doesn't really matter what I think!), I came across an extremely interesting article in Vanity Fair. Which goes to show you, it doesn't matter what's going on at a particular moment in time or what people may think of you -- as long as you stick to what you truly believe in, to who you are, when History reveals the truth at least you'll be able to wake up each morning with a humble dignity.
After watching yet another presidential debate on YouTube and reading up on more candidates (even though I have no vote as a NZ citizen so it doesn't really matter what I think!), I came across an extremely interesting article in Vanity Fair. Which goes to show you, it doesn't matter what's going on at a particular moment in time or what people may think of you -- as long as you stick to what you truly believe in, to who you are, when History reveals the truth at least you'll be able to wake up each morning with a humble dignity.
Monday, September 3, 2007
new york, new york
Just got off the phone with a friend of mine back in the US and it was so great catching up with her. I hadn't talked to her in quite a while so it was nice hearing about all her adventures and whatnot (not that she'd see them as adventures, but I digress). It's so amazing what she's doing, being in New York and trying to figure out how she's going to manage, money-wise. But I'm happy for her because I think she made the right choice in the end. New York suits her, more than she realises.
I have to admit my touch of envy at just the fact that she gets to live in Manhattan. I will visit her eventually, I will! I have to!
She always manages to update me on all our friends back from Junior High as well, and it's so interesting hearing about their lives - the good, the bad and the ugly. It's funny how even though they live half way across the world, it's not so different from here -- the lives of twenty year old college students in developed, Western societies are not so dissimilar if you really think about it.
I miss them a lot, to be honest. I know Kirsty would shake her head in disbelief thinking I'm just holding on to some silly notion of the 'American life' but it's not like that at all. They were my closest friends and they still are. Okay, so I'm not the same person I used to be in Junior High, but neither are they. We've grown and changed, but we'll always be connected by the people we used to be and the people we've become... if that makes any sense at all.
Although I'm totally broke after paying off my trip to the UK/Ireland this summer, I'm seriously considering adding on a pit-stop in NY. I shouldn't say 'pit-stop' cos that makes it sound insignificant and therefore cheap (of which it is neither), but it really would be great to see her again. I could visit my cousin and his wife as well. Not to mention, I've been dying to go to New York for the past five years!! Who knows...
I have to admit my touch of envy at just the fact that she gets to live in Manhattan. I will visit her eventually, I will! I have to!
She always manages to update me on all our friends back from Junior High as well, and it's so interesting hearing about their lives - the good, the bad and the ugly. It's funny how even though they live half way across the world, it's not so different from here -- the lives of twenty year old college students in developed, Western societies are not so dissimilar if you really think about it.
I miss them a lot, to be honest. I know Kirsty would shake her head in disbelief thinking I'm just holding on to some silly notion of the 'American life' but it's not like that at all. They were my closest friends and they still are. Okay, so I'm not the same person I used to be in Junior High, but neither are they. We've grown and changed, but we'll always be connected by the people we used to be and the people we've become... if that makes any sense at all.
Although I'm totally broke after paying off my trip to the UK/Ireland this summer, I'm seriously considering adding on a pit-stop in NY. I shouldn't say 'pit-stop' cos that makes it sound insignificant and therefore cheap (of which it is neither), but it really would be great to see her again. I could visit my cousin and his wife as well. Not to mention, I've been dying to go to New York for the past five years!! Who knows...
Sunday, September 2, 2007
chips and passionfruit ice-cream???
I can't believe what some people can eat. Fries dunked in passionfruit ice-cream? Just doesn't seem right. I guess I'm more of a 'traditional' gal when it comes to desserts - I'll stick to my banoffie pie, thank you very much.
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