I'm in Love!

I already knew I was in love.  But this festive season has solidified my adoration for this.

I love New Zealand!

It's just so beautiful here, I keep running into it wherever I go...

Glorious skies, beautiful rivers, lush trees, green paddocks, fluffy clouds... Sigh.

I'm so glad I live here!!  You should all come see it someday! :)

These pictures doesn't do it justice, but really, it's beautiful.

Change of Heart?

2011.  

University.

Bachelor of Arts Degree.

Majors: Social Anthropology & Religious Studies.

Minor: French.

Duration: 3 Years.

Career All That Will Lead To:  NOT A CLUE.  Hopefully something overseas?

HELP I'm possibly having a change of heart?!?!

So if you know me, you know I love photography.  As a hobby.  Nothing more.  Or so I thought.

Now all of a sudden, my dad says my photos are good and I should look up some photography competitions to enter.  There are two problems with that.

1. I am no way near good enough to compete with people whose full time profession it is to capture the daily goings on of this world, and who know what they're doing when it comes to technical jargon and things like editing on Photoshop (I tried to use that once, I gave up) and light and stuff.

2. I do not have a decent camera.  Yes, it's a Nikon Coolpix L20, 10megapixels... but that's about all the specifications I can roll off my tongue (to be honest I don't even really know what megapixels are, all I know is the more you have, the better the photo).  Other than that, I just point, shoot, and hope for the best.  

So, what does this have to do with my university studies in 2011?

Well.  That is the problem.

Social Anthropology sounds good on paper.  But there is no guarantee I will enjoy it.

I love taking photos.  But I know nothing on the topic, except you need a camera, and you point and shoot.

What do I do?!  I'm already enrolled for University in 2011, student loan is applied for and everything, so I can't pull out now, not that I would, I do want to study Cultural Anth and Religious Studies, but I'm just thinking about other options...

But if that doesn't work out, maybe I can take a course in photography and see how that pans out?  Maybe I should look up some of the adult classes you can take at the local high school, I think they do a photography course.

Either way, if I'm serious about my photography, I need to do something!!  I can't flounder in ignorance of the topic that is supposedly my hobby...

Dreams Are Free

Last night, I had too much caffeine, and didn't fall asleep until 2 hours after I went to bed.  I slept fitfully, but when I did, I had the most amazing dream.  

I dreamed that I was back in Paris (I went there in 2009 as part of a 46 day Contiki tour of Europe, so my dream was pretty accurate - see below!) and actually had time to walk around and soak up the culture.  And luckily for me, dreams are free.

This is me at Notre Dame Cathedral. :)

But, right now, I'm pretty poor, and for the next 3+ years it's not looking any brighter.  I'm going to be studying, so that means no money for anything except essentials.

So what is my point in this blog post?  Well, that dream, combined with a conversation with my mum yesterday, got me to thinking.  What would I do if I won the lottery.  I mean, of course, it's never going to happen, I never win anything, but I like to plan how I would spend the money given the chance.  Because, as I said, dreams are free.

So here's what I would like to do, if I did in fact win.

I'd pay off my parents mortgage, and then give them some more money so they can build their dream house, with land for my mum to have a horse.

I'd buy myself a house (not too big, a modest size).

I'd buy a car - VW Beetle, yellow convertible of course.

I'd pay for my study, no loan!  Woohoo!

I'd put some into savings, and live off the interest it earns.

I'd also travel a lot. :)  PARIS.  Say no more.

I'd help out some family and friends.

I'd give a lot to charities.

There's so much more I could do, but it would depend on how much I won haha :D

Anyway, thats just dreaming.  But if you won the lottery, what would you do?! :)  It's just fun to think about.

I'm A Nerd & Proud of It!

What comes to mind when I say "nerd" or "geek"?  Bad fashion sense?  Glasses?  Acne?  Obsessions with role playing computer games perhaps (no offense to my friends who enjoy this pastime)?  Or someone being put up a few years in school because they were too smart for their own age group?  Someone who lacks social skills, has few friends, reads too much, is very quiet, spends lunch breaks in a library, works at a university... help me out here... I'm leaning towards stereotypes and characters off The Big Bang Theory (which, by the way, ROCKS).

Well anyway, there are many types of nerd out there, and I'm not talking the sweet crunchy kind, because whilst those are delightfully tangy and tasty, they are not relevant to this subject.  What I'm really talking about is the latest trend, that it's becoming fashionable to be considered nerdy.  

And while that isn't what I'm going for, I find my self releasing my inner nerd, and reverting back to the people-pleasing-note-taking-dictionary-reading geek of my youth (I know I'm still young, but I'm talking even younger!).  

I got very excited when I received a book in the post today, which I ordered online (of course, how else do you do it?!  Ha.)  It is "Anthropology for Dummies".  Now that may sound brilliantly boring to the average Joe Blogs (pardon the pun), it is so cool for me!!

Yes, that is my duvet cover, and no, I couldn't decide what colour nail polish I wanted. :)

  

In case you didn't know, next year, I'm starting my first year of university.  I'm going to be doing a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in (you guessed it!) Cultural Anthropology & Religious Studies, minoring in French.  So I figured I should do a bit of background reading on the subject, so I know what I'm getting myself in for when I start class next year.

Everything is coming together in terms of university for me now.  I have a rough timetable.  I'm essentially fully enrolled now, and have almost finished applying for a loan to pay for it all.  I know when I will be able to fit in work, I've looked at transport costs, and I've even got some stationery ready to go.

I'm READY.  And waiting.  So thinking I would use this time wisely, I bought this book.  I can't wait to begin reading, to see if it really is my cup of tea.  If not, uni is flexi, I can just change classes. :)

I'm kind of enjoying being nerdy again.

Organised Freak

I think I might be that freak who is organised for Christmas well in advance... I mean, it's not even December yet but I've got all but one present, my Christmas cards are sitting on my desk already waiting to be written, the Christmas tree is down from the attic, plans are already made for Christmas day itself... I'm ready!

This may be because I hate leaving things til the last minute, I can't stand going shopping when every other man and his dog is shopping, and I like to enjoy the build up to the festive season without having to battle for a parking space to spend exorbitant amounts of money on presents for people who won't remember what I even gave them in a few years time anyway.

So I'm having none of this panicky crap in my life.  Organisation is where it's at!!  Come join me on the other side, where there is light at the end of the tunnel, where you can look forward to festivities rather than dread the Christmas shopping. :)

PS if you need a shopping maniac, please, take me.  I'm good at weeding out the crap. :D

Mirror

Since I've started walking home from work, killing 5 birds with one stone so to speak, people have (of course) found out.  They see me in my lycra-type pants, baggy shirt, iPod ear buds hanging out my shirt and water bottle in hand, leaving the building into the (often) brilliant sunshine.

However.  I'm disappointed to find that the first thing they ask me, instead of something like "Do you enjoy your walking?" or "How far do you walk?", is more like something along the lines of "Have you lost weight?".

Now I know we live in a society where body image is everything.  But why do people assume that the only reason I've taken up walking is to lose weight?  I feel like I'm seeing myself in a mirror, but instead of reflecting the person I see myself to be, I see the person others perceive me to be.  Apparently that person is only as deep as the flesh on her body.  And that disappoints me.

Is it inconceivable that I may have other reasons for wanting to walk?  For me, it's about fitness, filling in time until my mum finishes work, fresh air, my good music, and fitness.  But above all, it's my stubbornness.  I'm too bloody stubborn to let my faulty legs dictate my life.  I will walk.  And I will fight them.  If I lose weight in the process, it's a bonus.

I guess I'm just disappointed that all people see me as is a girl who needs to lose weight in their eyes.

As a side note, today in New Zealand we have suffered a tragedy the likes of which has not been seen in at least 30 years.  On Friday there was an explosion at a mine on our South Islands West Coast.  It trapped 29 miners, and for the last 6 days, our whole population has held out hope that they survived and were waiting for us to rescue them.  Today there was a 2nd explosion, stronger than the first by far, and it burst through our remaining hope in finding these brave men alive.  There is no way anyone could have survived the 2nd explosion.  My heart goes out to the West Coast community who have been hit hard, losing 29 of their members, and NZ as a whole is grieving.

RIP Pike River Miners, 29 men who didn't deserve to have their lives snatched from them like this.

Baaaa

I may be from the country with the most sheep per capita in the world, but this in no way means I'm like a sheep.  Right now, you probably think I'm a bit mental, but I have a point.

Since when did it become cool to say awful things about someone, just because other people do?  And to relate this to current pop culture, I'm talking about people like Miley Cyrus, Nickelback and Justin Beiber.  (And no, they aren't the ones making those comments!)  I'm talking about TV shows like Glee.  I'm talking about things that people pretend to hate, to make themselves look cooler.

It has become fashionable to dislike them.  And that's just it.  The celebs, they are people.  They have feelings.  Don't hate for the sake of hating, to seem cool to other people.

It's okay to like something that others don't.  I mean heck, where would we be if we ALL liked the same things?!  It's what we like, what we immerse ourselves in, what we surround ourselves with, that make us who we are, and we certainly aren't all the same.

It's okay to say "FU. I'm going to like this band/TV show/movie/*insert anything else that gets hated on here* anyway, I don't care what you say"

So I'm just saying, I'm not a sheep.  In spite of people "hating", I am proud to say I like Miley Cyrus and her music, Nickelback is awesome, and no, I personally don't like Justin Bieber, but to each their own ae?

Oh.  And I LOVE Glee.