Just when I was starting to look forward to starting work, I got a phone call from the potential new owner of Jesters' tonight who told me she had trouble changing the ownership of the shop to her, and so she decided against buying the business. Therefore she wasn't able to offer me a job anymore! Now as well as trying to complete this Year 13 Leavers' DVD before Monday with Aonghas, I've got to try apply for jobs before all these high school students take them all (which they probably already have)!
I've been spending the last couple of days back at Rutherford College which isn't a good sign. I stress, and I mean it STRESS that I've been going back for business and not for pleasure!!! Mrs Thorogood, this English teacher at the school asked me if I had created the 'RutherThugs' Bebo page, some profile dedicated to the year 13 students. She had a bet going on with other teachers for $10 that it was me because whoever established it was so formal. I told her that I wasn't that obsessed with the school! Sorry to disappoint you Mrs T!
It's been really tough getting this DVD sorted by Monday. It was originally dead in the water but in the last week Aonghas and I decided we'd try get it sorted and so we've been having to try hunt students and staff to film there around school, having to get around exams and everything. For the first couple of days the staff have been easy to find, and easy to get them to talk to the camera. For some reason though the PE teachers haven't been as open and laid-back as we first thought they would! The students though haven't been as willing as the staff to make fools of themselves in front of the camera. Today was different though. It was the other way round today! We couldn't stop some of the students singing for us, while some of the staff blew us off!
I've had to sign in (just like any other visitor) before I do any filming around school and so now I've got several of those visitor stickers. I probably should just save one and reuse it. I've come in to the office several times now though that I'm sure I'm annoying the office staff! Now they just tell me to go straight ahead which makes things a bit easier. I'll probably still have to go back to school on Thursday and Friday to do a bit more filming before Aonghas and I pull off a few all-nighters to get it done by Monday. Hopefully it's worth it in the end, but if it isn't then I haven't really lost much. I wasn't going to do anything useful this week anyway! Oh yeah...besides trying to find a job...
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
Sunday, 25 November 2007
Not Another One!
Apparently another one of my good friends Jacqueline and her family might be leaving for
I don't know if you're supposed to look at it this way but sometimes when you think of forming a close and strong friendship with someone as an investment (does that even make any sense at all??) it seems like a waste when everything you've built up with someone just goes to waste when they leave you and you're left to try get to know some more new people from scratch and try build a close relationship/friendship with another person once again. Then again that's life. Friends come and go, and we've just got to keep on going!
New Beginnings
First of all, congratulations to the ALP for winning the Australian elections and Mr (ear wax-picking) Rudd upon becoming Australian Prime Minister. I haven't really been following Australian politics too closely, but hopefully the change is good for
The movie The Green Mile was on tonight and I have to say that is one of the best movies out there! So sad! I don't know if this theory means anything but does John that big Black guy symbolize anything that is at the least bit mildly related to Christianity? Was his ability to heal and to punish, along with his undeserved execution (due to his innocence) in any way a representation of Jesus and his powers and him being nailed to the cross? Or maybe I'm just looking at it completely wrongly!
Cheap
On Friday my mum, Hamish and I went to this Progressive Enterprises (owner of Foodtown, Countdown and Woolworths) open day where they were interviewing all these people for jobs at their supermarkets. We were going to try get Hamish to get a job interview and with some luck, a job. There were all these people sitting and waiting in one of the conference rooms at Lincoln Green Hotel while in the adjacent room interviews were being conducted. Hamish finally managed to get his application form completed, and was given a little slip of paper saying he was number 93.
We ended up waiting there for over an hour and a half until it was Hamish's interview. During that time, my mum and I had been trying to prep him by giving him advice on how to answer possible questions, and to make sure he doesn't sound like a robot but sounds genuine and actually try to SMILE!
Hamish went in for his interview with some lady from Countdown which seemed to last about five minutes. We didn't hear any of it, but when Hamish came out it sounded as though he managed to answer all the questions asked (even though he probably over-glorified Countdown!). He was a little concerned that his interview was too short though! Oh well at least he got a bit of interview experience!
Later that night us Anderson brothers had to go to church for some carol rehearsal with a fellowship group. It was the first time we were there so we mainly listened to the group singing instead of playing music. It lasted for at least three hours, and by the time we got out it was 10pm! The Muse concert was going on at the Trusts Stadium across the road, so we thought we'd go and check it out...from the outside. We're a bit cheap. The last concert we went to was the Bee Gees when they performed at Western Springs, and even then our whole family just sat outside the fence all night listening to their music for free!
We didn't get too close to the stadium as we would probably look a little dodgy to the security guards. I've got a YouTube video of me enjoying the concert up. I had it up before but I got someone calling me a LOSER! haha so I decided I better remove my name just in case someone who actually knows me watches that!
We ended up waiting there for over an hour and a half until it was Hamish's interview. During that time, my mum and I had been trying to prep him by giving him advice on how to answer possible questions, and to make sure he doesn't sound like a robot but sounds genuine and actually try to SMILE!
Hamish went in for his interview with some lady from Countdown which seemed to last about five minutes. We didn't hear any of it, but when Hamish came out it sounded as though he managed to answer all the questions asked (even though he probably over-glorified Countdown!). He was a little concerned that his interview was too short though! Oh well at least he got a bit of interview experience!
Later that night us Anderson brothers had to go to church for some carol rehearsal with a fellowship group. It was the first time we were there so we mainly listened to the group singing instead of playing music. It lasted for at least three hours, and by the time we got out it was 10pm! The Muse concert was going on at the Trusts Stadium across the road, so we thought we'd go and check it out...from the outside. We're a bit cheap. The last concert we went to was the Bee Gees when they performed at Western Springs, and even then our whole family just sat outside the fence all night listening to their music for free!
We didn't get too close to the stadium as we would probably look a little dodgy to the security guards. I've got a YouTube video of me enjoying the concert up. I had it up before but I got someone calling me a LOSER! haha so I decided I better remove my name just in case someone who actually knows me watches that!
Friday, 23 November 2007
Time To Plan Ahead
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX AND RUBY (for yesterday!!)
Looks like exam results are available online now! I've been logging in to nDeva, the University of Auckland website to check my results on an extremely regular basis, and finally got one mark back yesterday for MEDSCI, probably my hardest paper and exam! Surprisingly I didn't do too badly and did better than I would have expected! According to an email sent by Mr Colin Quilter, the course co-ordinator, the course lecturers got together and decided that the exam was too difficult and so they added 5 marks to each of our totals!
That got me looking at what I should be doing for next year. So far I've come up with the following possible paths I could take:
- Bachelor of Health Science (and just aim for getting honours so I can go straight to PhD)
- Bachelor of Health Science/Arts (Major in psychology and Chinese)
- Bachelor of Health Science/Commerce (and cross-credit my economics paper)
- Bachelor of Health Science/Law (although I may not get into law and then end up wasting another year!)
- Bachelor of Science (either in Physiology, Pharmacology, Psychology)/Bachelor of Law
- Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Commerce
OK that hasn't really narrowed it down too much has it? (Any help would be greatly appreciated!!) I've also been considering which General Education paper I should take. So far there are only a few that I'm interested in. I've been thinking about possibly taking an education paper on how people learn, or a paper on beginning Chinese (which I probably won't be allowed to do!) or Korean. I once tried learning Korean during one of my school holidays but only got as far as learning how to pronounce those signs and circles, and then I forgot it all once school started up again! Oh the decisions...
Thursday, 22 November 2007
Attractiveness: A Psychological Perspective
A little soppy but did anyone see the ending of Scrubs last night? Wouldn't you just hate being in that position where your best friend, and the one you possibly still love dedicates her life to someone else and you realise it should've been you but it's too late? Man I hope that's not me in a few years time!
Anyway I've been reading the $108 psychology book I bought for one paper (stupid stupid me...but it's an interesting, albeit expensive read!) and there's this chapter on attractiveness and love which is interesting. I'll try summarise the part on attractiveness.
Apparently there are several factors in interpersonal attraction:
- Proximity: Many studies have shown that people tend to choose their friends and lovers from people nearby. Proximity also plays an important part in romantic relationships, in that it allows people to get to know one another better. However, increased proximity with a person who you initially dislike may lead you to dislike them even more! Environmental spoiling is when you gradually dislike someone over time despite initially liking them.
- Interpersonal Rewards: The second factor is how rewarding we find interacting with another person to be. The more people associate a relationship with reward, the more likely they are to affiliate (behaviourist point of view). According to social exchange theories, people try to maximise the value they can obtain with their resources. In other words, choosing a relationship is like trying to maximise the return from your investment. In romantic relationships, people tend to choose others of similar value because both partners are trying to maximise the value of their mate.
- Similarity: People tend to choose friends, acquaintances, mates and best friends who share similar attitudes, values and beliefs. As for 'opposites attract', while people tend to like those who have similar attitudes and values, they prefer people whose resources, needs or behavioural styles complement their own, e.g. a dominant person would prefer a submissive person and vice versa.
- Physical Attractiveness: Probably the most important factor. Even in non-sexual relationships, physically attractive people are magnets. Physically attractive people tend to be more popular than others, receive more cooperation and assistance from others, better job recommendations and higher pay than less attractive people.
Why does physical attractiveness play a part in interpersonal attraction?
Research suggests that there is an area in the brain called the ventral striatum that is activated whenever one makes eye contact with a physically attractive individual. When eye contact is broken, the activity in that area of the brain decreases. This particular area of the brain is associated with reward. Therefore, making eye contact with a physically attractive person stimulates activity in the reward centre of the brain, while loss of eye contact with an attractive person decreases activity and also reward.
Because only a small portion of people find themselves in the best part of the bell-curve of attractiveness, how do the rest of us find dates?
In reality, people follow the matching hypothesis. We choose partners who we perceive to be equally attractive to ourselves, not necessarily the most beautiful or handsome. One set of studies demonstrated that men tend to choose partners who they perceive to be equally attracted to themselves in order to decrease the likelihood of being rejected.
I'll post up the psychological perspective on love next time!
Anyway I've been reading the $108 psychology book I bought for one paper (stupid stupid me...but it's an interesting, albeit expensive read!) and there's this chapter on attractiveness and love which is interesting. I'll try summarise the part on attractiveness.
Apparently there are several factors in interpersonal attraction:
- Proximity: Many studies have shown that people tend to choose their friends and lovers from people nearby. Proximity also plays an important part in romantic relationships, in that it allows people to get to know one another better. However, increased proximity with a person who you initially dislike may lead you to dislike them even more! Environmental spoiling is when you gradually dislike someone over time despite initially liking them.
- Interpersonal Rewards: The second factor is how rewarding we find interacting with another person to be. The more people associate a relationship with reward, the more likely they are to affiliate (behaviourist point of view). According to social exchange theories, people try to maximise the value they can obtain with their resources. In other words, choosing a relationship is like trying to maximise the return from your investment. In romantic relationships, people tend to choose others of similar value because both partners are trying to maximise the value of their mate.
- Similarity: People tend to choose friends, acquaintances, mates and best friends who share similar attitudes, values and beliefs. As for 'opposites attract', while people tend to like those who have similar attitudes and values, they prefer people whose resources, needs or behavioural styles complement their own, e.g. a dominant person would prefer a submissive person and vice versa.
- Physical Attractiveness: Probably the most important factor. Even in non-sexual relationships, physically attractive people are magnets. Physically attractive people tend to be more popular than others, receive more cooperation and assistance from others, better job recommendations and higher pay than less attractive people.
Why does physical attractiveness play a part in interpersonal attraction?
Research suggests that there is an area in the brain called the ventral striatum that is activated whenever one makes eye contact with a physically attractive individual. When eye contact is broken, the activity in that area of the brain decreases. This particular area of the brain is associated with reward. Therefore, making eye contact with a physically attractive person stimulates activity in the reward centre of the brain, while loss of eye contact with an attractive person decreases activity and also reward.
Because only a small portion of people find themselves in the best part of the bell-curve of attractiveness, how do the rest of us find dates?
In reality, people follow the matching hypothesis. We choose partners who we perceive to be equally attractive to ourselves, not necessarily the most beautiful or handsome. One set of studies demonstrated that men tend to choose partners who they perceive to be equally attracted to themselves in order to decrease the likelihood of being rejected.
I'll post up the psychological perspective on love next time!
Lending a Helping Hand
On Tuesday I went in to school with Aonghas at about midday to try catch all the year 13's who had just finished their Classics exam so we could do a bit of filming for the Year 13 Leavers' DVD. Chen had originally asked Aonghas if he could put it together, but only managed to provide one tape of footage for him before the school video camera he had borrowed got stolen <insert gasp here>. The project was on the verge of being abandoned but after I discussed some ways of keeping it going with Aonghas, we told them we could try get it done. I'll probably be doing the rough video editing and let Aonghas tidy things up once he finishes his exams. I'm probably going to have to go in to school to do some additional filming.
On Tuesday we went around to as many teachers as we could find, getting them each to read out one line of a particular song that we'll end up putting together for the DVD. A few of the lines were a bit risqué though so fortunately there were some PE and performing arts staff who were game enough to do them! You won't believe which teachers we managed to get to read a line though! They had no idea what the lines meant or what we were doing though so I suppose we kinda took advantage of their trust in us! We're still evaluating whether we should continue with the particular song we chose to do, as we had a threat from one teacher that if it ain't clean then we're dead!
Yesterday I went with Hamish to West City to try help him apply for a job at various places. All the banks and Whitcoulls told him to apply online, while Simply Two (formerly $2 Shop) told him they'd be employing more people closer to Christmas. He eventually managed to get an application form from Countdown and also tried the library. While there wasn't much success, at least more had been accomplished by him in a couple hours than the couple weeks of holiday up till then put together!
I promised Rhea, this girl who used to go to Rutherford, that I'd come to her Youth Group last night as well, but I ended up falling asleep when I got home from West City and completely missed it! I'm going to have to do a lot of apologising in the morning!
On Tuesday we went around to as many teachers as we could find, getting them each to read out one line of a particular song that we'll end up putting together for the DVD. A few of the lines were a bit risqué though so fortunately there were some PE and performing arts staff who were game enough to do them! You won't believe which teachers we managed to get to read a line though! They had no idea what the lines meant or what we were doing though so I suppose we kinda took advantage of their trust in us! We're still evaluating whether we should continue with the particular song we chose to do, as we had a threat from one teacher that if it ain't clean then we're dead!
Yesterday I went with Hamish to West City to try help him apply for a job at various places. All the banks and Whitcoulls told him to apply online, while Simply Two (formerly $2 Shop) told him they'd be employing more people closer to Christmas. He eventually managed to get an application form from Countdown and also tried the library. While there wasn't much success, at least more had been accomplished by him in a couple hours than the couple weeks of holiday up till then put together!
I promised Rhea, this girl who used to go to Rutherford, that I'd come to her Youth Group last night as well, but I ended up falling asleep when I got home from West City and completely missed it! I'm going to have to do a lot of apologising in the morning!
Tuesday, 20 November 2007
Just Call me the Pie Guy!
Yesterday while my mum was in the middle of cutting my hair (yes I took ALL of your opinions on my hair - most of them negative!), I got a phone call from the lady who is taking over Jester's Pies who wanted to give me an update on the situation and said she should have control of the business by the end of next week and she still definitely wants me, so she was relieved when I told her I hadn't found any other jobs yet! She said she was going to ring me sometime in the next week to sort out the roster and other paper work. So these holidays you might just see me behind the counter at Jester's (in West City)!
Hamish, my mum and I went to West City today after dropping Aonghas off at his first NCEA [chemistry] exam to help Hamish apply for jobs at various places. Guess who I saw at Wendy's - Angie! She told me a while ago she had got a job at Wendy's but I didn't realise she would be starting soon - she beat me! She's a TRAINEE right now though. Hopefully she'll give me some discounts on ice-cream while (if I get any at all!) I can give her discounts on pies and Aonghas can give us discounts on clothes!
Hamish ended up applying at Dunkin' Donuts, and they said they'll contact him soon. Fingers crossed he might get the job so he can give us all discounts on doughnuts!
Later that night us three Anderson brothers had to go to church for a music rehearsal as we have to play some Christmas music for the Christmas service. The lady in charge has made us constantly switch music instruments throughout songs so it feels like we're playing musical chairs! I guess it's fun in a sorta way though. This time we didn't need our mum taking us. Aonghas with his full license was able to drive all of us there and back!
Aonghas got his full license on Sunday morning but not before having a nasty encounter with the driving test guy named Veejay Kumar who criticised him for starting off too slowly, driving too slowly in open road and blablabla yadayadayada despite Aonghas's driving instructor telling him he had been doing the right things. Fortunately Aonghas just got his full license, so now he'll be able to drive me around the place!
Hamish, my mum and I went to West City today after dropping Aonghas off at his first NCEA [chemistry] exam to help Hamish apply for jobs at various places. Guess who I saw at Wendy's - Angie! She told me a while ago she had got a job at Wendy's but I didn't realise she would be starting soon - she beat me! She's a TRAINEE right now though. Hopefully she'll give me some discounts on ice-cream while (if I get any at all!) I can give her discounts on pies and Aonghas can give us discounts on clothes!
Hamish ended up applying at Dunkin' Donuts, and they said they'll contact him soon. Fingers crossed he might get the job so he can give us all discounts on doughnuts!
Later that night us three Anderson brothers had to go to church for a music rehearsal as we have to play some Christmas music for the Christmas service. The lady in charge has made us constantly switch music instruments throughout songs so it feels like we're playing musical chairs! I guess it's fun in a sorta way though. This time we didn't need our mum taking us. Aonghas with his full license was able to drive all of us there and back!
Aonghas got his full license on Sunday morning but not before having a nasty encounter with the driving test guy named Veejay Kumar who criticised him for starting off too slowly, driving too slowly in open road and blablabla yadayadayada despite Aonghas's driving instructor telling him he had been doing the right things. Fortunately Aonghas just got his full license, so now he'll be able to drive me around the place!
Warmth
The Sunday morning church service went by and finished at the regular time for the first time in a while, which meant we would have to have Sunday school for the full hour! It was just lucky that we brought a cake that wasn't eaten the night before at Hamish's birthday party to Sunday school to share with the rest of the class.
Sherman our Sunday school teacher saw me with the cake and went off to get some cups, tea and knives n spoons. When the others arrived they saw the cake and once class had started we all sang Happy Birthday to Hamish before he cut the cake and distributed it to everyone. We then spent the next half hour eating and talking about 21st birtrhdays! Phew!!
I was starting to feel a little guilty that we weren't learning to be honest! That's why I was slightly relieved when we started getting into regular activity after half an hour. It was a shame Jennifer and Angie couldn't make it to Sunday school! Jennifer was too busy studying as she has ten exams over the next couple of weeks(!!!!!!!!) while Angie..well she texted me the night before to tell me she wouldn't be coming which was a bit unusual...
After church Hamish, my dad and I went into the city to watch the Auckland Symphony Orchestra perform in the Auckland Town Hall. The theme of the concert was 'Going Places', in other words music from around the world. Jason Bae, some young Korean guy from Westlake performed a piece on the piano with the orchestra, and the orchestra also performed pieces such as Barber of Seville, Pirates of the Carribean, Miss Saigon, New York New York, and An American in Paris. I got mixed up with An American in Paris with another of Gershwin's pieces Rhapsody in Blue and so was getting excited. When I found out it was a different tune I was a little disappointed but An American in Paris was just as good!
Sherman our Sunday school teacher saw me with the cake and went off to get some cups, tea and knives n spoons. When the others arrived they saw the cake and once class had started we all sang Happy Birthday to Hamish before he cut the cake and distributed it to everyone. We then spent the next half hour eating and talking about 21st birtrhdays! Phew!!
I was starting to feel a little guilty that we weren't learning to be honest! That's why I was slightly relieved when we started getting into regular activity after half an hour. It was a shame Jennifer and Angie couldn't make it to Sunday school! Jennifer was too busy studying as she has ten exams over the next couple of weeks(!!!!!!!!) while Angie..well she texted me the night before to tell me she wouldn't be coming which was a bit unusual...
After church Hamish, my dad and I went into the city to watch the Auckland Symphony Orchestra perform in the Auckland Town Hall. The theme of the concert was 'Going Places', in other words music from around the world. Jason Bae, some young Korean guy from Westlake performed a piece on the piano with the orchestra, and the orchestra also performed pieces such as Barber of Seville, Pirates of the Carribean, Miss Saigon, New York New York, and An American in Paris. I got mixed up with An American in Paris with another of Gershwin's pieces Rhapsody in Blue and so was getting excited. When I found out it was a different tune I was a little disappointed but An American in Paris was just as good!
Sunday, 18 November 2007
By Golly How Time Flies!
HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY TO HAMISH (for yesterday!)
Yesterday we celebrated Hamish's 21st birthday. It started in an eventful way too. We decided to have a small get-together at our cousins' house as ours was too small, and so as soon as music lessons were finished in the morning I went with my dad over to their place to drop off some food and then try to cover these three boards with photos. That took a lot longer than I thought it would! We had heaps of photos and ended up spending more than a couple hours choosing which photos to put up.
Finally when it was all done, my dad and I were about to leave, only to discover that there was a bit of a car crash at the bottom of our cousins' extremely steep driveway. This car with my aunty's friends had stopped to turn into the driveway, but the guy in the car behind bent down to pick something up and didn't see that the car in front had stopped. He then rammed into the car and smashed up his bonnet. His car just happened to stop right at the front of the driveway of my aunty's house! The police had come along as well as an ambulance to deal with a passenger in the front car who had suffered from whiplash. She had to be taken away to hospital for some minor injuries. The guy in the car behind was a nice guy but he hadn't renewed the registration of his car and didn't have car insurance! What's more is that it was his girlfriend's birthday that day and they had just been returning from some birthday shopping!
The car was soon moved and we were able to get out and return home. When we got home Aonghas was putting the finishing touches to our tribute video to Hamish, entitled 'Hamish Anderson: 21 Years in 210 Seconds'. My mum was doing the cooking and I was...
Anyway it was bordering on 6pm when the party was supposed to be starting so we quickly got to our cousins' house. The first guest to arrive was Chen, followed by our music teacher Mrs Green. Then along came Mr and Mrs See, Mrs Simpson our old neighbour and the other Andersons. We were all hanging around talking before it was time for dinner. There was salad, sausages, meat and other stuff. We had dinner and then it was time for Hamish to blow the candles! Uncle Peter brought over the cake for the second time after the candles went out the first time. We all sang Happy Birthday and then Hamish blew out all the candles with one blow! Hamish pulled out a piece of paper with some words he had typed up, but in the end didn't bother reading them but instead gave a bit of a thank-you speech to everyone which I thought was good of him and I'm sure he was sincere. Sometimes it's hard to tell with Hamish! He started cutting the cake into eighth's and took a huge slice which was really funny! No one said anything as it was his birthday! Dessert was stomach-filling, as there was chocolate cake, pavlova, truffle, ice-cream and jelly!
It was then time to settle down and watch some riveting netball - the World Championship Grand Finals! Yeah only to see New Zealand lose yet another World Cup! That wasn't entirely unexpected...
One funny thing was that our Uncle David asked Hamish if he liked the mug. Hamish then looked at him with a confused look. Our uncle then looked over at the presents to see it hadn't been unwrapped yet! Good one Uncle David!!
Megan, one of Hamish's childhood friends soon came over and we had a bit of a catch-up as we haven't done so in such a long time.
After the loss sank in, we decided to watch the video Aonghas and I had come up with. We'll put it up on YouTube soon! By now it was about 10pm, which was hard to believe! Time flew by pretty quickly but hopefully Hamish had a great time and felt and saw how much the people around him love and care about him! All the best for the next 21 years Mr Seamus Hamish Campbell Bobeyes Aonghas Tian-En Anderson!
Finally when it was all done, my dad and I were about to leave, only to discover that there was a bit of a car crash at the bottom of our cousins' extremely steep driveway. This car with my aunty's friends had stopped to turn into the driveway, but the guy in the car behind bent down to pick something up and didn't see that the car in front had stopped. He then rammed into the car and smashed up his bonnet. His car just happened to stop right at the front of the driveway of my aunty's house! The police had come along as well as an ambulance to deal with a passenger in the front car who had suffered from whiplash. She had to be taken away to hospital for some minor injuries. The guy in the car behind was a nice guy but he hadn't renewed the registration of his car and didn't have car insurance! What's more is that it was his girlfriend's birthday that day and they had just been returning from some birthday shopping!
The car was soon moved and we were able to get out and return home. When we got home Aonghas was putting the finishing touches to our tribute video to Hamish, entitled 'Hamish Anderson: 21 Years in 210 Seconds'. My mum was doing the cooking and I was...
Anyway it was bordering on 6pm when the party was supposed to be starting so we quickly got to our cousins' house. The first guest to arrive was Chen, followed by our music teacher Mrs Green. Then along came Mr and Mrs See, Mrs Simpson our old neighbour and the other Andersons. We were all hanging around talking before it was time for dinner. There was salad, sausages, meat and other stuff. We had dinner and then it was time for Hamish to blow the candles! Uncle Peter brought over the cake for the second time after the candles went out the first time. We all sang Happy Birthday and then Hamish blew out all the candles with one blow! Hamish pulled out a piece of paper with some words he had typed up, but in the end didn't bother reading them but instead gave a bit of a thank-you speech to everyone which I thought was good of him and I'm sure he was sincere. Sometimes it's hard to tell with Hamish! He started cutting the cake into eighth's and took a huge slice which was really funny! No one said anything as it was his birthday! Dessert was stomach-filling, as there was chocolate cake, pavlova, truffle, ice-cream and jelly!
It was then time to settle down and watch some riveting netball - the World Championship Grand Finals! Yeah only to see New Zealand lose yet another World Cup! That wasn't entirely unexpected...
One funny thing was that our Uncle David asked Hamish if he liked the mug. Hamish then looked at him with a confused look. Our uncle then looked over at the presents to see it hadn't been unwrapped yet! Good one Uncle David!!
Megan, one of Hamish's childhood friends soon came over and we had a bit of a catch-up as we haven't done so in such a long time.
After the loss sank in, we decided to watch the video Aonghas and I had come up with. We'll put it up on YouTube soon! By now it was about 10pm, which was hard to believe! Time flew by pretty quickly but hopefully Hamish had a great time and felt and saw how much the people around him love and care about him! All the best for the next 21 years Mr Seamus Hamish Campbell Bobeyes Aonghas Tian-En Anderson!
Saturday, 17 November 2007
Preparation for the Big Two One
It's now about 3.30am and I'm still up late for the second night in a row trying to scan hundreds of photos from years ago when my brothers and I were young and small for a video Aonghas and I are putting together for Hamish's 21st birthday party, which will just be a small get-together of family and a few friends. It's all been a little rushed, as my mum's still up baking the cake and other food too!
We're holding Hamish's 21st birthday party at our cousins' place as our house is a bit too messy and cramped to be able to fit that many people in it. As my dad says,
"You can swing a cat in your cousins' kitchen, but you can only swing a flea in ours"
Going through all the baby photos and videos has helped me see what I looked like back then as I can't seem to remember much of my early childhood! Back then I certainly looked more Asian, with a round head. Actually I was a pretty fat baby! I might put up a few photos...although I should probably save them for my 21st ;) I was watching baby videos of me and I can't believe how high-pitched my voice was back then! I got to see my very first steps which was cool, as well as the tantrums I threw at my birthday party! (That part is a bit embarrassing! At one of my birthday parties I was singing Happy birthday to HAMISH, happy birthday to HAMISH, happy birthday to HAMISH, happy birthday to HAMISH, happy birthday to HAMISH. Hamish then jumped in front of me and blew out the birthday candles on my cake and I thew a hissy!)
I looked a lot better as a kid though, as my cross-bite didn't stand out as much as it did before, my skin was better and I didn't have to wear glasses! What it has motivated me to do is to join a gym and get working on my body which I have neglected for too long! I really haven't made much of an effort to improve my look, such as I hardly put on gel and just chuck on whatever clothes are available, not bothering what they are, but maybe it's about time I put a little more effort in...
Aonghas is going to sit his full license test on Sunday. I'm not too shamed about my little brother getting his full license before I've even gotten my restricted license as he'll be able to drive me around places! :D OK well maybe I'm a little ashamed that I still have to drive around with a parent sitting next to me shouting at me not to drive too fast or to turn the corner too sharply. I'm aiming to try go for my restricted by the end of these holidays though!
Recently I've been doing a bit of thinking in the shower (as you do, although my friend says that's why people sing, so they don't think too much!) and in all my spare time and have made some realisations, but I'll leave that for another post as I better get off to bed or else I might fall asleep while trying to teach my students in the morning!
We're holding Hamish's 21st birthday party at our cousins' place as our house is a bit too messy and cramped to be able to fit that many people in it. As my dad says,
"You can swing a cat in your cousins' kitchen, but you can only swing a flea in ours"
Going through all the baby photos and videos has helped me see what I looked like back then as I can't seem to remember much of my early childhood! Back then I certainly looked more Asian, with a round head. Actually I was a pretty fat baby! I might put up a few photos...although I should probably save them for my 21st ;) I was watching baby videos of me and I can't believe how high-pitched my voice was back then! I got to see my very first steps which was cool, as well as the tantrums I threw at my birthday party! (That part is a bit embarrassing! At one of my birthday parties I was singing Happy birthday to HAMISH, happy birthday to HAMISH, happy birthday to HAMISH, happy birthday to HAMISH, happy birthday to HAMISH. Hamish then jumped in front of me and blew out the birthday candles on my cake and I thew a hissy!)
I looked a lot better as a kid though, as my cross-bite didn't stand out as much as it did before, my skin was better and I didn't have to wear glasses! What it has motivated me to do is to join a gym and get working on my body which I have neglected for too long! I really haven't made much of an effort to improve my look, such as I hardly put on gel and just chuck on whatever clothes are available, not bothering what they are, but maybe it's about time I put a little more effort in...
Aonghas is going to sit his full license test on Sunday. I'm not too shamed about my little brother getting his full license before I've even gotten my restricted license as he'll be able to drive me around places! :D OK well maybe I'm a little ashamed that I still have to drive around with a parent sitting next to me shouting at me not to drive too fast or to turn the corner too sharply. I'm aiming to try go for my restricted by the end of these holidays though!
Recently I've been doing a bit of thinking in the shower (as you do, although my friend says that's why people sing, so they don't think too much!) and in all my spare time and have made some realisations, but I'll leave that for another post as I better get off to bed or else I might fall asleep while trying to teach my students in the morning!
Thursday, 15 November 2007
A Day of Celebration and Farewells
Not for me but for all the seniors and year 13's in particular at Rutherford College. Yesterday was the school's Senior Prize-Giving. Originally we weren't going to bother going as Aonghas didn't get any award. It was not till a couple weeks ago that Mrs Martell, Aonghas' dean rang up and told me that Aonghas was to get a special award that was supposed to be a surprise and so he didn't know about it and we weren't to tell to him. Along with this, Chen was strongly twisting my arm to come and support him and the school. That then made the perfect cover! My mum and I told Aonghas we were only going to attend the prize-giving because Chen wanted me to, and my mum would be coming just so I wouldn't feel weird being by myself.
We weren't too clear on the actual starting time of the prize-giving though, as I thought it was 1.10pm while my mum thought it was 1.30pm! We ended up getting there at 1pm to find that the proceedings had just started, and so we had to walk up the aisle amongst the teachers so we could go join the other parents and family at the front of the hall. There was just one seat left so I let my mum take it while I stood up and just filmed the whole thing!
NB. The following order events may be incorrect, but they did happen!
The prize-giving started off as usual with an opening by principal Mr Moore, followed by the year 11, 12 and 13 awards. The school choir and the 2007 and 2008 prefects groups then got up and sang The Rutherford Way song. That was interesting as I've never seen some of those guys (such as Chen, Gwen and Angie!) sing in front of a crowd before! I heard...that some of the people were quite tone deaf! You couldn't tell by their performance though as it sounded quite good.
Chen and Yvia then got up to do their farewell speeches. Yvia's was quite good and was well received. I can't really summarise it but I'm sure that if you really really want to watch it you can watch it when it gets uploaded to the internet. She pretty much talked about her time at Rutherford and how she had grown and so on (I think??). Chen then did his speech which apparently lasted longer than 10 minutes! That must be a record for Head Student farewell speeches! His speech was quite well-received as well.
Now it was down to the serious stuff - the big awards. There was over $100,000 worth of scholarships awarded.
First of all, congratulations to Miss Gwen Tay! She was awarded the Cliff Edmeades Scholarship!
Congratulations too to Aone, Melissa, Micaela and Angie (I'm sure I've missed someone out!) on being recipients of the Waitakere Licensing Trust Scholarships! I actually kinda knew Angie would probably get it as she told me a couple days ago that her parents were coming to prize-giving for no reason. That's when I thought to myself...she's got it!!
John Kim wiped the floor clean with firsts in year 12 subjects, however Luke Sizer got Top Year 12 Student as he came first in three year 13 subjects. That was a bit sad for John as he had worked quite hard and did quite well this year. Craig was awarded Top Year 11 Student.
My brother was awarded some new award called the Rutherford Values Award. At first when Ms Heath, the school's deputy principal was talking about the award and about the Rutherford Way song, I thought Aonghas had only won it for singing that song as part of the choir! It turns out he has the Rutherford Values instilled in him,,,or something like that...
Then down to the top awards - the Dux awards. Micaela Cole received Dux Artium, Samantha Roebeck got Dux Ludorum, while Proximae Accessit went to Cameron Fraser who also won this Price-Waterhouse Coopers Scholarship. Finally Dux Litterarum went to..no guesses needed here...Mr Chen Liu. It was his day to shine.
After the prize-giving I went around the hall towards the tuck shop and came across Shirley, a friend who I haven't texted in a while. Fortunately she doesn't have any texts! I met this adult student (who's not actually that old!) who told me his mum knew me! He said his mum was one of those exam supervisors.
I was now on the hunt for Aonghas to try find the bag for the camera and tripod while coming across all these other people. I met Cathy, this girl who was in the same year as me until she left for Avondale College in year 13. She came back to Rutherford College this year to do year 12! She said it was because she went back to Korea and was a bit behind. Fair enough!
I also caught up with the accounting teacher and the chemistry teacher which was cool, and met Angie's mum who was also looking for Angie. I then spotted some of the old Village crew - Alex and Zahir! I tried to persuade Zahir to take up Health Science at uni next year, but he just could see right through me! I was trying my best to promote the degree!!! I received another comment on my bad hairdo, that I looked like a mad scientist! I WILL get a haircut soon!!!
AND then, there was Gwen with Isma! She was the first person I had seen at the school who was in tears which was (not meant to be in an evil way) kinda cool to see because you don't often see people show much emotion these days! I don't think I've seen any of these guys in ages so it was cool to see them again. Not too sure when I'll see them again though!
Esther and her mum, a maths teacher at the school were trying to persuade my mum, Aonghas and me to come to afternoon tea but my mum was too ashamed to come until her mum dragged her along. I didn't actually talk to too many people at the afternoon tea! It was a bit sad. I would have liked to have talked to Mrs Britten the old deputy principal who announced she wouldn't be coming back, as well as Mr Edmeades, the old principal.
Aonghas wanted to go off to his form class's shared lunch so my mum followed Esther's mum to her classroom for a chat while I went to look for Mrs Taylor, my old dean, for a catch up. There I spent some time talking to her about my dilemma and not knowing what I was going to do next year. Actually Chen told me last night the careers advisor told him that it was good dealing with someone who knew what they wanted to do for once, as in the year before it was HELL sorting Calum out. I must be a careers advisor's worst nightmare!
I went to Esther's mum's classroom to join my mum who was badmouthing me to Esther's mum in Cantonese. What a shame I could understand it all! One of Esther's mum's students who had just received a bit of help from her had to wait a while for her mum and so Esther's mum told her to talk to me, which put me on the spot a bit as I had never talked to her before! She said she knew me though so that was a good start! Her name's Annette and for some reason I already knew...She's in Aonghas' year though so I suppose I may have heard it somewhere. Anyway we had a good long talk with each other and she was telling me about this stuff (I like listening! lol) and I forgot to check my phone, as Aonghas had been trying to text me asking me where we were! He had tried searching all over the school looking for us!
So it was finally a break from being stuck in the house and it was so good to see some of the guys at school again. It's going to be weird seeing them around uni next year, as I admit that I'm used to wandering around uni and the city during the day thinking
"Poor sods, locked at school HAHAHAHAHAHA"
Nah nah I'm not that evil! It'll be cool seeing them more often next year and possibly hanging out with them. I don't know why I was feeling slightly sad at the prize-giving today when I've already left this school! Either someone infected me with the sadness bug and I was just feeling sad for those year 13 students who were feeling sad, or maybe the prize-giving just reminded me of everything I didn't achieve at the school and my failures! But it was really encouraging and enlightening to see all of the students who achieved so much and how all the students had reacted positively throughout the ceremony towards academic achievement and towards each other. If only they could be like that all the time!
I've just attached a few random photos that Aonghas took of the last day of school at Rutherford (hey there's one with me in it!!!!)
We weren't too clear on the actual starting time of the prize-giving though, as I thought it was 1.10pm while my mum thought it was 1.30pm! We ended up getting there at 1pm to find that the proceedings had just started, and so we had to walk up the aisle amongst the teachers so we could go join the other parents and family at the front of the hall. There was just one seat left so I let my mum take it while I stood up and just filmed the whole thing!
NB. The following order events may be incorrect, but they did happen!
The prize-giving started off as usual with an opening by principal Mr Moore, followed by the year 11, 12 and 13 awards. The school choir and the 2007 and 2008 prefects groups then got up and sang The Rutherford Way song. That was interesting as I've never seen some of those guys (such as Chen, Gwen and Angie!) sing in front of a crowd before! I heard...that some of the people were quite tone deaf! You couldn't tell by their performance though as it sounded quite good.
Chen and Yvia then got up to do their farewell speeches. Yvia's was quite good and was well received. I can't really summarise it but I'm sure that if you really really want to watch it you can watch it when it gets uploaded to the internet. She pretty much talked about her time at Rutherford and how she had grown and so on (I think??). Chen then did his speech which apparently lasted longer than 10 minutes! That must be a record for Head Student farewell speeches! His speech was quite well-received as well.
Now it was down to the serious stuff - the big awards. There was over $100,000 worth of scholarships awarded.
First of all, congratulations to Miss Gwen Tay! She was awarded the Cliff Edmeades Scholarship!
Congratulations too to Aone, Melissa, Micaela and Angie (I'm sure I've missed someone out!) on being recipients of the Waitakere Licensing Trust Scholarships! I actually kinda knew Angie would probably get it as she told me a couple days ago that her parents were coming to prize-giving for no reason. That's when I thought to myself...she's got it!!
John Kim wiped the floor clean with firsts in year 12 subjects, however Luke Sizer got Top Year 12 Student as he came first in three year 13 subjects. That was a bit sad for John as he had worked quite hard and did quite well this year. Craig was awarded Top Year 11 Student.
My brother was awarded some new award called the Rutherford Values Award. At first when Ms Heath, the school's deputy principal was talking about the award and about the Rutherford Way song, I thought Aonghas had only won it for singing that song as part of the choir! It turns out he has the Rutherford Values instilled in him,,,or something like that...
Then down to the top awards - the Dux awards. Micaela Cole received Dux Artium, Samantha Roebeck got Dux Ludorum, while Proximae Accessit went to Cameron Fraser who also won this Price-Waterhouse Coopers Scholarship. Finally Dux Litterarum went to..no guesses needed here...Mr Chen Liu. It was his day to shine.
After the prize-giving I went around the hall towards the tuck shop and came across Shirley, a friend who I haven't texted in a while. Fortunately she doesn't have any texts! I met this adult student (who's not actually that old!) who told me his mum knew me! He said his mum was one of those exam supervisors.
I was now on the hunt for Aonghas to try find the bag for the camera and tripod while coming across all these other people. I met Cathy, this girl who was in the same year as me until she left for Avondale College in year 13. She came back to Rutherford College this year to do year 12! She said it was because she went back to Korea and was a bit behind. Fair enough!
I also caught up with the accounting teacher and the chemistry teacher which was cool, and met Angie's mum who was also looking for Angie. I then spotted some of the old Village crew - Alex and Zahir! I tried to persuade Zahir to take up Health Science at uni next year, but he just could see right through me! I was trying my best to promote the degree!!! I received another comment on my bad hairdo, that I looked like a mad scientist! I WILL get a haircut soon!!!
AND then, there was Gwen with Isma! She was the first person I had seen at the school who was in tears which was (not meant to be in an evil way) kinda cool to see because you don't often see people show much emotion these days! I don't think I've seen any of these guys in ages so it was cool to see them again. Not too sure when I'll see them again though!
Esther and her mum, a maths teacher at the school were trying to persuade my mum, Aonghas and me to come to afternoon tea but my mum was too ashamed to come until her mum dragged her along. I didn't actually talk to too many people at the afternoon tea! It was a bit sad. I would have liked to have talked to Mrs Britten the old deputy principal who announced she wouldn't be coming back, as well as Mr Edmeades, the old principal.
Aonghas wanted to go off to his form class's shared lunch so my mum followed Esther's mum to her classroom for a chat while I went to look for Mrs Taylor, my old dean, for a catch up. There I spent some time talking to her about my dilemma and not knowing what I was going to do next year. Actually Chen told me last night the careers advisor told him that it was good dealing with someone who knew what they wanted to do for once, as in the year before it was HELL sorting Calum out. I must be a careers advisor's worst nightmare!
I went to Esther's mum's classroom to join my mum who was badmouthing me to Esther's mum in Cantonese. What a shame I could understand it all! One of Esther's mum's students who had just received a bit of help from her had to wait a while for her mum and so Esther's mum told her to talk to me, which put me on the spot a bit as I had never talked to her before! She said she knew me though so that was a good start! Her name's Annette and for some reason I already knew...She's in Aonghas' year though so I suppose I may have heard it somewhere. Anyway we had a good long talk with each other and she was telling me about this stuff (I like listening! lol) and I forgot to check my phone, as Aonghas had been trying to text me asking me where we were! He had tried searching all over the school looking for us!
So it was finally a break from being stuck in the house and it was so good to see some of the guys at school again. It's going to be weird seeing them around uni next year, as I admit that I'm used to wandering around uni and the city during the day thinking
"Poor sods, locked at school HAHAHAHAHAHA"
Nah nah I'm not that evil! It'll be cool seeing them more often next year and possibly hanging out with them. I don't know why I was feeling slightly sad at the prize-giving today when I've already left this school! Either someone infected me with the sadness bug and I was just feeling sad for those year 13 students who were feeling sad, or maybe the prize-giving just reminded me of everything I didn't achieve at the school and my failures! But it was really encouraging and enlightening to see all of the students who achieved so much and how all the students had reacted positively throughout the ceremony towards academic achievement and towards each other. If only they could be like that all the time!
I've just attached a few random photos that Aonghas took of the last day of school at Rutherford (hey there's one with me in it!!!!)
Tuesday, 13 November 2007
Now it's Just Crazy Talk!
First it was lolly-chucking that was banned from Christmas parades. Now Santa Claus' saying "Ho ho ho" is too scary for children? Have a look at this:
- Newstalk ZB
Children may be nervous or frightened of a shopping mall Santa but I'm sure a little "Ho ho ho" wouldn't give a child some sort of on-going trauma that terrorizes their life and sends them off the rails. Usually once the lollipop is handed out then all is good! Then again you can correct me if I'm wrong..
Shopping centre Santas are being urged to go on strike, if they are banned from saying "Ho Ho Ho."
Recruitment company Westaff has instructed its Santas at Australian malls to tone it down, or say "Ha Ha Ha" instead. It believes "Ho Ho Ho" might scare the children, and it is now feared the same New Zealand company will follow suit.
Associate Professor John Kirkland of Massey University has studied the effects Christmas has on children.
He says it is normal for a child to be nervous or even frightened of a shopping mall Santa... but ditching "Ho Ho Ho" is over-the-top. He believes the recruitment company has lost the plot, and hopes Westaff New Zealand does not follow in the footsteps of its Australian division.
John Kirkland says when the real Santa finds out about this - he is going to be mad.
- Newstalk ZB
Children may be nervous or frightened of a shopping mall Santa but I'm sure a little "Ho ho ho" wouldn't give a child some sort of on-going trauma that terrorizes their life and sends them off the rails. Usually once the lollipop is handed out then all is good! Then again you can correct me if I'm wrong..
No Surgery just Domestication
If my surgery wasn't postponed I would've had it yesterday. By now I would have been lying in a hospital bed with a swelled-up jaw. Instead I was stuck at home, slowly being transformed into a housewife.
A friend of mine asked me why I'm not freaked out at having bits of my jaw sliced and being in the hands of the doctors. I probably will get freaked out closer to the surgery date! Right now though to me it just presents itself as an opportunity to correct one of my many imperfections and have a second chance. Don't you hate thinking about just how many imperfections you have? I wish I wasn't as short and didn't have a cross bite, glasses and curly hair when it grows long. My cross bite probably stands out the most. I remember back at intermediate school when we had a lesson on disabilities or differences or something like that, and I stupidly pointed out my cross bite. I then had the naughty kids imitating it, albeit trying to do it in a friendly, teasing way (I think...sorta hard to read those guys!) I also look really weird in photos which isn't..good either!
We're all different though and we probably should accept our differences and the things that make us unique. When you're one of a few with the difference though the feeling of abnormality and inferiority sets in leaving you feeling vulnerable and weaker than the others, as you constantly ask yourself whether your difference affected your chances in whatever you were pursuing. This probably isn't making any sense and is a sad, shoddy attempt at scratching the surface of being something meaningful but oh well!
Anyway, another transformation of sorts has been taking place. Yesterday saw me hang out the clothes, try tidy up the lounge once again, wash the dishes and drive to pick Aonghas up from school (with my mum beside me of course!). I'm being domesticated, and am slowly transforming into a housewife (just no husband)! All I need to make it complete is to learn how to cook! I'm going to give baking a cake a go today though and Szelin my neighbour has offered to teach me how to cook some vegetarian dishes once she has finished her exams.
Tonight at church we had a little gathering to sort out what musical instruments would be required for the Christmas concert. For the past day and a bit I've been trying to learn the clarinet in anticipation of it being needed. I managed to get half way through learning all the notes. It turned out it wasn't needed though.
One of the problems with the small little group playing music for the Christmas service is that it is an assortment of random musical instruments. It would've been far better if we had a group made up of musicians who were all playing instruments from the same family to at least give a similar sound. Instead we've got a flute, violin, occasional trumpet, accordion and recorders in three sizes. It'll nonetheless be an interesting experience..
One of the church guys tonight asked me as soon as I came in
"Hey Calum. Did you change your hairstyle?"
I told him I didn't and that I hadn't had a haircut in several months. My hair is kinda straight when it's not too long but when it gets longer it gets curlier, so he must've thought I had done something with my hair!
A friend of mine asked me why I'm not freaked out at having bits of my jaw sliced and being in the hands of the doctors. I probably will get freaked out closer to the surgery date! Right now though to me it just presents itself as an opportunity to correct one of my many imperfections and have a second chance. Don't you hate thinking about just how many imperfections you have? I wish I wasn't as short and didn't have a cross bite, glasses and curly hair when it grows long. My cross bite probably stands out the most. I remember back at intermediate school when we had a lesson on disabilities or differences or something like that, and I stupidly pointed out my cross bite. I then had the naughty kids imitating it, albeit trying to do it in a friendly, teasing way (I think...sorta hard to read those guys!) I also look really weird in photos which isn't..good either!
We're all different though and we probably should accept our differences and the things that make us unique. When you're one of a few with the difference though the feeling of abnormality and inferiority sets in leaving you feeling vulnerable and weaker than the others, as you constantly ask yourself whether your difference affected your chances in whatever you were pursuing. This probably isn't making any sense and is a sad, shoddy attempt at scratching the surface of being something meaningful but oh well!
Anyway, another transformation of sorts has been taking place. Yesterday saw me hang out the clothes, try tidy up the lounge once again, wash the dishes and drive to pick Aonghas up from school (with my mum beside me of course!). I'm being domesticated, and am slowly transforming into a housewife (just no husband)! All I need to make it complete is to learn how to cook! I'm going to give baking a cake a go today though and Szelin my neighbour has offered to teach me how to cook some vegetarian dishes once she has finished her exams.
Tonight at church we had a little gathering to sort out what musical instruments would be required for the Christmas concert. For the past day and a bit I've been trying to learn the clarinet in anticipation of it being needed. I managed to get half way through learning all the notes. It turned out it wasn't needed though.
One of the problems with the small little group playing music for the Christmas service is that it is an assortment of random musical instruments. It would've been far better if we had a group made up of musicians who were all playing instruments from the same family to at least give a similar sound. Instead we've got a flute, violin, occasional trumpet, accordion and recorders in three sizes. It'll nonetheless be an interesting experience..
One of the church guys tonight asked me as soon as I came in
"Hey Calum. Did you change your hairstyle?"
I told him I didn't and that I hadn't had a haircut in several months. My hair is kinda straight when it's not too long but when it gets longer it gets curlier, so he must've thought I had done something with my hair!
Monday, 12 November 2007
Back in Town
Yesterday morning we had church but there were several key differences this time. First of all, because Aonghas had to start work at 9.30am, we had to drop him off early before going off to church. Also because of the Netball World Championships, some of the Bible College's car parks that we usually use park in were being offered for $5 each! That saw us arrive at church twenty minutes earlier than usual. We got some funny looks from the pastor and associate pastor and, actually, everyone else! They were quite surprised to see us arrive at church so early!
The other difference was the presence of Angie! She actually came to church this time! I didn't get to catch up with her till after Sunday School as after the service my mum, Hamish and I were discussing with this lady what musical instruments we could play for the Christmas concert. Hamish and I arrived late to Sunday School class and were a little surprised to find the class full for a change!
Sunday School came and went, and for my prayer request I asked them to pray that I would do something productive this week and maybe learn how to cook. That's when Jennifer and her mum probably thought I wasn't being serious as Jennifer joked about me making sure I didn't burn the house down and Jennifer's mum suggested I cook something for Sunday School class next week. That actually gave me an idea....maybe I should cook something for Sunday School class next week and try and impress them!
After Sunday School I was going to go hang out with Angie a bit more but then I had to go meet up with that lady about the Christmas concert for a bit longer so I ended up having to ditch Angie. Hopefully she comes back to church next week though, or maybe we might have to try hang out sometime during the holidays! For some reason we've been texting each other a little bit more lately once again which is kinda cool. The last time we texted this regularly was probably at the beginning of the year before school started.
Another person I'll have to catch up with over the holidays is Diane who just came back up to Auckland on Saturday. It feels so weird how she is so close now compared to when she was down in Palmerston North! Hmmm..maybe I'm just weird!
Patrick, Jacqueline and I were also originally planning on catching up with Rebecca, the AUT lady who worked with our prefects group last year, for a bit of a chat and a catch-up. I was thinking it may not happen anymore till Jacqueline texted me the other night to get me to ask all the other ex-prefects if they'd like a little get-together, so if any of you ex-prefects do read this, let me or Jacqueline know if you'd be interested! No date has been set yet though. The school is considering (or may possibly already have) ditching AUT's involvement in the prefects group next year as apparently when the 2006 prefects group took part in the AUT Prefects programme, there were only five schools. This year, there have been twenty schools and they kinda feel neglected. That's a bit of a shame then, as we found AUT really helpful, friendly and cool! (A bit of shameful promotion of AUT despite it not being a real uni!!!! Nah jk I got nothing against AUT!)
The other difference was the presence of Angie! She actually came to church this time! I didn't get to catch up with her till after Sunday School as after the service my mum, Hamish and I were discussing with this lady what musical instruments we could play for the Christmas concert. Hamish and I arrived late to Sunday School class and were a little surprised to find the class full for a change!
Sunday School came and went, and for my prayer request I asked them to pray that I would do something productive this week and maybe learn how to cook. That's when Jennifer and her mum probably thought I wasn't being serious as Jennifer joked about me making sure I didn't burn the house down and Jennifer's mum suggested I cook something for Sunday School class next week. That actually gave me an idea....maybe I should cook something for Sunday School class next week and try and impress them!
After Sunday School I was going to go hang out with Angie a bit more but then I had to go meet up with that lady about the Christmas concert for a bit longer so I ended up having to ditch Angie. Hopefully she comes back to church next week though, or maybe we might have to try hang out sometime during the holidays! For some reason we've been texting each other a little bit more lately once again which is kinda cool. The last time we texted this regularly was probably at the beginning of the year before school started.
Another person I'll have to catch up with over the holidays is Diane who just came back up to Auckland on Saturday. It feels so weird how she is so close now compared to when she was down in Palmerston North! Hmmm..maybe I'm just weird!
Patrick, Jacqueline and I were also originally planning on catching up with Rebecca, the AUT lady who worked with our prefects group last year, for a bit of a chat and a catch-up. I was thinking it may not happen anymore till Jacqueline texted me the other night to get me to ask all the other ex-prefects if they'd like a little get-together, so if any of you ex-prefects do read this, let me or Jacqueline know if you'd be interested! No date has been set yet though. The school is considering (or may possibly already have) ditching AUT's involvement in the prefects group next year as apparently when the 2006 prefects group took part in the AUT Prefects programme, there were only five schools. This year, there have been twenty schools and they kinda feel neglected. That's a bit of a shame then, as we found AUT really helpful, friendly and cool! (A bit of shameful promotion of AUT despite it not being a real uni!!!! Nah jk I got nothing against AUT!)
Sunday, 11 November 2007
Beginning of Holiday Boredom
The end of the year has been creeping up on me and I never noticed how close it is till yesterday morning when during my recorder classes I tried working out how many weeks it was till the final end of year concert. It turns out to be only about four weeks! Now I've got to really push my students to ensure they're ready for the concert so I don't lose my job! I ended up being picky with my advanced class, but in a nice way! We went through the second page of this Scarlatti trio and just repeated certain several bars over and over until it was correct.
We then had accordion lessons which were the first for us in probably six weeks because of exams and everything else. I used Hamish only finishing exams yesterday as an excuse for why we hadn't practiced much ;)
When I got home, I was just DEAD bored, just like in the previous few days! I've had absolutely nothing to do! It's Hamish's 21st birthday in a week and I'm meant to scan photos of him and create some video or montage or something, but whaddaya know our scanner isn't compatible with Windows Vista! Hopefully we can get a new scanner pretty soon.
The other day the new owner from Jester's Pies rang me to let me know I made a good first impression on her and despite the current owner not having any position for me, she was still willing to offer me a job in a couple weeks time when she took over, so I might have a job after all! I'll probably keep searching though just in case.
Tonight we watched this movie Out of the Blue, which is based on a true story - the Aramoana Massacre which happened on 13 November 1990. The killings started only half an hour into the movie and I thought it was not going to be a very long movie if people would continue dying at the rate he was shooting when only thirteen people got killed, but the movie managed to last for about two and a half hours (with ads included)! Despite there not being much dialogue it was a pretty gripping movie, especially when you know it really happened and it happened in your own backyard.
Only in New Zealand: the way the murderer David Gray went into someone's house, ate a can of some sort of fish and then slept in their bed for the night before resuming his killing spree the next morning!
We then had accordion lessons which were the first for us in probably six weeks because of exams and everything else. I used Hamish only finishing exams yesterday as an excuse for why we hadn't practiced much ;)
When I got home, I was just DEAD bored, just like in the previous few days! I've had absolutely nothing to do! It's Hamish's 21st birthday in a week and I'm meant to scan photos of him and create some video or montage or something, but whaddaya know our scanner isn't compatible with Windows Vista! Hopefully we can get a new scanner pretty soon.
The other day the new owner from Jester's Pies rang me to let me know I made a good first impression on her and despite the current owner not having any position for me, she was still willing to offer me a job in a couple weeks time when she took over, so I might have a job after all! I'll probably keep searching though just in case.
Tonight we watched this movie Out of the Blue, which is based on a true story - the Aramoana Massacre which happened on 13 November 1990. The killings started only half an hour into the movie and I thought it was not going to be a very long movie if people would continue dying at the rate he was shooting when only thirteen people got killed, but the movie managed to last for about two and a half hours (with ads included)! Despite there not being much dialogue it was a pretty gripping movie, especially when you know it really happened and it happened in your own backyard.
Only in New Zealand: the way the murderer David Gray went into someone's house, ate a can of some sort of fish and then slept in their bed for the night before resuming his killing spree the next morning!
Friday, 9 November 2007
NZ's Best Fish and Chips
It has been announced!
The Crisco Oils Best Chip Shop Competition winners were:
Region: Northland to North Shore Region
Shop: Oceanz Albany, Greville Road, Albany
Owner: Anton Howell
Region: Rest of Auckland Region
Shop: The Fishmonger, 182 Jervois Road, Herne Bay
Owner: Patrick Chandulal
Region: Waikato to Hawkes Bay Region
Shop: Seafood on the Beach, 43 Ocean View Parade, New Plymouth
Owner: Grant Schwieters
Region: Manawatu to Wellington Region
Shop: So Fine Seafoods, 2 Tennyson Avenue, Avalon, Lower Hutt
Owner: Anthony (Charlie) Cho
Region: Nelson to Christchurch Region & Grand National Winner
Shop: Lyttelton Fisheries, 38 London Street, Lyttelton
Owner: Caroline Otene
Region: Timaru to Southland Region
Shop: Waihola Fresh Fish, Main Road, Waihola
Owner: Dallas Leebody
Herne Bay and Albany are just a little too far away for me. Personally I think the best fish and chips (both quality and value!) are from this takeaways shop down Great North Road in Henderson!
Thursday, 8 November 2007
Another Hit
If losing the number one ranking in NZ wasn't bad enough for University of Auckland (despite still getting a larger portion of the funding than any other university), they've slipped in the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings, dropping from 46th to 50th! They're still well ahead of any other NZ university though, with University of Otago ranked one hundred and ... and University of Canterbury at one hundred and ...(they just aren't worth remembering ;) )
You may be asking, why waste time posting about a non-issue? Because Calum has too much time to waste! So he decided to waste a bit of that time on looking into these rankings create a beat-up over nothing.
Do they really mean anything? Well, for a start UoA is further down the list in the Shanghai Jiao Tong University "Academic Ranking of World Universities" where UoA is ranked somewhere between 203-304. This then causes some inconsistencies between the two ranking systems as you may notice that in the Times Higher Education rankings, UoA is ranked higher than Seoul National University (for want of a better example), but in the Shanghai Jiao Tong Univeristy rankings, Seoul National University is ranked higher than UoA! How absurd! So which university is really better? (of course that could well be subjective..)
If you look at the methodology of the two ranking systems though you could definitely question their validity. To determine the Times Higher Education rankings, a survey is sent out to thousands of lecturers and researchers etc asking them to rank the top thirty universities in their research field. With a response rate of 1%, there could be some degree of bias in there. The Shanghai Jiao Tong University rankings determines excellence by the number of Nobel and other award winning research. Many of the awards were gained by staff when they were at other institutions though, so it may give an indication of the ability of the university to attract top staff but it doesn't indicate the number of award-winning scientists/researchers etc. it can produce.
(If you seriously want more, here's the reference:
BioMed Central (2007, October 26). University Ranking Systems Seriously Flawed, Study Says. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 8,)
---
Calum's Favourite The Young and the Restless Quotes for Today
(I swear I don't watch this regularly...only the beginning after the news!):
"I couldn't give a ffffffffflying............FIG about Brad!"
-
Dodgy man: "I understand you got loaned a sum of money"
Lady on treadmill: "Yeah...so what?"
Dodgy man: "Why'd you flush it down the toilet?"
You may be asking, why waste time posting about a non-issue? Because Calum has too much time to waste! So he decided to waste a bit of that time on looking into these rankings create a beat-up over nothing.
Do they really mean anything? Well, for a start UoA is further down the list in the Shanghai Jiao Tong University "Academic Ranking of World Universities" where UoA is ranked somewhere between 203-304. This then causes some inconsistencies between the two ranking systems as you may notice that in the Times Higher Education rankings, UoA is ranked higher than Seoul National University (for want of a better example), but in the Shanghai Jiao Tong Univeristy rankings, Seoul National University is ranked higher than UoA! How absurd! So which university is really better? (of course that could well be subjective..)
If you look at the methodology of the two ranking systems though you could definitely question their validity. To determine the Times Higher Education rankings, a survey is sent out to thousands of lecturers and researchers etc asking them to rank the top thirty universities in their research field. With a response rate of 1%, there could be some degree of bias in there. The Shanghai Jiao Tong University rankings determines excellence by the number of Nobel and other award winning research. Many of the awards were gained by staff when they were at other institutions though, so it may give an indication of the ability of the university to attract top staff but it doesn't indicate the number of award-winning scientists/researchers etc. it can produce.
(If you seriously want more, here's the reference:
BioMed Central (2007, October 26). University Ranking Systems Seriously Flawed, Study Says. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 8,)
---
Calum's Favourite The Young and the Restless Quotes for Today
(I swear I don't watch this regularly...only the beginning after the news!):
"I couldn't give a ffffffffflying............FIG about Brad!"
-
Dodgy man: "I understand you got loaned a sum of money"
Lady on treadmill: "Yeah...so what?"
Dodgy man: "Why'd you flush it down the toilet?"
Wednesday, 7 November 2007
Oh so Close!
Well the Rutherford College Head Students for 2008 have been announced:
Head Boy: Luke Sizer
Deputy Head Boy: Aonghas Anderson
Head Girl: Rose He
Head Girl: Allie (I will find out her surname later!)
There goes my hopes of having Aonghas as Head Boy! I guess at least as deputy he still has some sort of input, and really it could've been worse! Congratulations to you guys.
Head Boy: Luke Sizer
Deputy Head Boy: Aonghas Anderson
Head Girl: Rose He
Head Girl: Allie (I will find out her surname later!)
There goes my hopes of having Aonghas as Head Boy! I guess at least as deputy he still has some sort of input, and really it could've been worse! Congratulations to you guys.
Tuesday, 6 November 2007
Rejections!
Yesterday I got a phone call from someone from Farmers. Several weeks after submitting my job application to them, they finally got back to me. They lett me know that they had already completed their recruitment process for Christmas casuals and so didn't have any positions left, but were willing to forward my application to Westgate Farmers, where they hadn't started recruitment yet. I had to turn them down on that though as Westgate would be a little too far away for me if I didn't have a ride.
Tonight I got another phone call. This time it was from the lady from Jester's. She rang to tell me that they had employed someone else for the job. She said the reason I missed out was that I wasn't able to work on Sundays. Apparently though, the new owner of Jester's was really impressed with me and would like to offer me a job some time later when a few others left after she had taken over. So we'll have to see if I'm still unemployed then!
Today I had to travel all the way to Middlemore Hospital for my orthodontist appointment. FINALLY I'd have that wire poking me in the mouth removed! First of all I'd have to navigate my own way there by train. Catching the first train to Newmarket/Britomart was no problem. The ticket guy told me I'd have to either get off at Newmarket or Britomart to catch the next train on the Southern line. He recommended I get off at Britomart as the conditions would be better there. However, when I saw a train on the opposite side of the Newmarket platform, after asking another ticket guy if that train was going to Middlemore (to which he said 'yeah'), stupid me got off the train and went to the other train. I asked the ticket lady if the train was going to Middlemore and she said the next one would be. Thinking the next train would be coming soon, I sat down and waited. I didn't realise it would take another twenty minutes for the next train to come! I finally caught that train and got to Middlemore. I thought I'd arrive late, but I managed to get there ten
I was a little worried what the orthodontist would think about my wire moving around, but they weren't too fussed about it. This time I chose light blue rubber rings for my braces. I didn't know that they would be using purple wire though! Now I've got a combination of purple and baby blue in my mouth! The orthodontist had to ask me
"So Calum...do you have a girlfrie
Her hands were still in my mouth so I sorta replied with
"GGHGGTRRGHHGHGHG"
My orthodontist also always seems to be interested in whether I've gotten a job yet. This time I was able to tell her that I got rejected by Farmers and still awaiting a reply from a pie shop!
On the way back I was watching this movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind on my phone and I have to say it's probably the first movie I've seen Jim Carrey doing 'serious' acting in! It's an interesting movie where this guy and a girl aren't doing so well in a relationship and decide to erase each other from their minds. It all goes wrong though and so on and so on and so on.
The train got into Britomart and I went outside to ask one of the ticket guys if the train was going on to Henderson but was told another train would be. It was then that I realised I had forgotten my umbrella! I dashed inside the train checking the area where I sat only to find my umbrella gone. Oh well...
I finally got into Henderson and on my way home I decided to go into Toy World to visit Zippo (my neighbour) who works there. She's now third-in-charge there now! It was pretty cool catching up as we haven't seen each other in a while. She has got a pretty cool job working around toys, and so we were just wandering around pushing buttons on toys and playing with stuff. I asked her about my hair (she likes to give me constructive criticism on my hair) and whether she liked it as long as it is at the moment or if I should cut it. She told me:
"Yeah you should cut it. It looks *#(U$&*&" (can't exactly remember which word she used to describe it)
I asked what if I straighten my hair and she said:
"That'd only make you look more like a geek"
OK I'm getting my hair cut then!
Tonight I got another phone call. This time it was from the lady from Jester's. She rang to tell me that they had employed someone else for the job. She said the reason I missed out was that I wasn't able to work on Sundays. Apparently though, the new owner of Jester's was really impressed with me and would like to offer me a job some time later when a few others left after she had taken over. So we'll have to see if I'm still unemployed then!
Today I had to travel all the way to Middlemore Hospital for my orthodontist appointment. FINALLY I'd have that wire poking me in the mouth removed! First of all I'd have to navigate my own way there by train. Catching the first train to Newmarket/Britomart was no problem. The ticket guy told me I'd have to either get off at Newmarket or Britomart to catch the next train on the Southern line. He recommended I get off at Britomart as the conditions would be better there. However, when I saw a train on the opposite side of the Newmarket platform, after asking another ticket guy if that train was going to Middlemore (to which he said 'yeah'), stupid me got off the train and went to the other train. I asked the ticket lady if the train was going to Middlemore and she said the next one would be. Thinking the next train would be coming soon, I sat down and waited. I didn't realise it would take another twenty minutes for the next train to come! I finally caught that train and got to Middlemore. I thought I'd arrive late, but I managed to get there ten
I was a little worried what the orthodontist would think about my wire moving around, but they weren't too fussed about it. This time I chose light blue rubber rings for my braces. I didn't know that they would be using purple wire though! Now I've got a combination of purple and baby blue in my mouth! The orthodontist had to ask me
"So Calum...do you have a girlfrie
Her hands were still in my mouth so I sorta replied with
"GGHGGTRRGHHGHGHG"
My orthodontist also always seems to be interested in whether I've gotten a job yet. This time I was able to tell her that I got rejected by Farmers and still awaiting a reply from a pie shop!
On the way back I was watching this movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind on my phone and I have to say it's probably the first movie I've seen Jim Carrey doing 'serious' acting in! It's an interesting movie where this guy and a girl aren't doing so well in a relationship and decide to erase each other from their minds. It all goes wrong though and so on and so on and so on.
The train got into Britomart and I went outside to ask one of the ticket guys if the train was going on to Henderson but was told another train would be. It was then that I realised I had forgotten my umbrella! I dashed inside the train checking the area where I sat only to find my umbrella gone. Oh well...
I finally got into Henderson and on my way home I decided to go into Toy World to visit Zippo (my neighbour) who works there. She's now third-in-charge there now! It was pretty cool catching up as we haven't seen each other in a while. She has got a pretty cool job working around toys, and so we were just wandering around pushing buttons on toys and playing with stuff. I asked her about my hair (she likes to give me constructive criticism on my hair) and whether she liked it as long as it is at the moment or if I should cut it. She told me:
"Yeah you should cut it. It looks *#(U$&*&" (can't exactly remember which word she used to describe it)
I asked what if I straighten my hair and she said:
"That'd only make you look more like a geek"
OK I'm getting my hair cut then!
Monday, 5 November 2007
Job Interview #1
After church today we went to West City to pick Aonghas up, but as usual he didn't finish on time, so my mum told me to wander around the mall seeing if there were any part time jobs available. Just as I was about to go, Aonghas finished! Despite that we ended up walking around West City, and we came across the Jester's Pies stand with a sign saying 'Part-Time Position Available', so I asked the girl at the counter about it and she directed me to these two women who were sitting at a nearby table. They introduced themselves to me and asked me if I could come back in half an hour as they were just about to interview someone. They'd tell me about the position then.
Half an hour later, I met up with them again, expecting them to just be telling me about the position, but it ended up turning out to be somewhat of a job interview! One of the women was the current owner and the other woman was the lady who had just purchased the stand. Now I'm a bit out of shape when it comes to job interviews as I've only had one before and that was about four years ago now! They asked me these questions about if I could do some cooking. I was caught a little off-guard as when I asked the girl at the stand if I needed to know how to cook pies, she said no. I ended up replying that I knew how to cook rice and noodles, and when they mentioned doing dishes and cleaning, I jumped and said I WAS CAPABLE OF THAT!!!
They did ask me how I felt about working with women, as currently all their staff members were women and I'd be the only guy. At first I thought they meant whether I'd feel out of place and feel like the job was too feminine for me, and said I didn't think Jester's had any reputation for being a female store. That's when they told me they meant as in making the girls do all the work and just slacking off, as had happened with a previous guy. I told them of course I wouldn't! That's no way to treat a woman!
They also asked me how confident I was with dealing with customers and whether I'd be able to cope with demanding customers (i.e. the customer is always right). I told them that I had a high tolerance level, and was very tempted to tell them that I've coped with dealing with very very difficult teachers (I won't mention names here but...Hyun and Joon will probably know who I'm talking about!)
I'm not too sure how the job interview went overall. I just acted like I normally would. They'll get back to me some time soon. As I was walking to the car I met my neighbour Szelin who happened to be looking for a job as well! I pointed out some stores looking for people to work for them. I just happened to forget to mention Jesters...
--
Once again someone just had to point out how single I am and how they can't believe I'm STILL single (thanks I think it's becoming a regular conversation topic now!) and challenged me to actually ask someone if they wanted to hang out these holidays, as usually other people are the first to ask me. So I guess I'll be adding that to my list - ask someone to hang out with me! Boy does that sound desperate...
Half an hour later, I met up with them again, expecting them to just be telling me about the position, but it ended up turning out to be somewhat of a job interview! One of the women was the current owner and the other woman was the lady who had just purchased the stand. Now I'm a bit out of shape when it comes to job interviews as I've only had one before and that was about four years ago now! They asked me these questions about if I could do some cooking. I was caught a little off-guard as when I asked the girl at the stand if I needed to know how to cook pies, she said no. I ended up replying that I knew how to cook rice and noodles, and when they mentioned doing dishes and cleaning, I jumped and said I WAS CAPABLE OF THAT!!!
They did ask me how I felt about working with women, as currently all their staff members were women and I'd be the only guy. At first I thought they meant whether I'd feel out of place and feel like the job was too feminine for me, and said I didn't think Jester's had any reputation for being a female store. That's when they told me they meant as in making the girls do all the work and just slacking off, as had happened with a previous guy. I told them of course I wouldn't! That's no way to treat a woman!
They also asked me how confident I was with dealing with customers and whether I'd be able to cope with demanding customers (i.e. the customer is always right). I told them that I had a high tolerance level, and was very tempted to tell them that I've coped with dealing with very very difficult teachers (I won't mention names here but...Hyun and Joon will probably know who I'm talking about!)
I'm not too sure how the job interview went overall. I just acted like I normally would. They'll get back to me some time soon. As I was walking to the car I met my neighbour Szelin who happened to be looking for a job as well! I pointed out some stores looking for people to work for them. I just happened to forget to mention Jesters...
--
Once again someone just had to point out how single I am and how they can't believe I'm STILL single (thanks I think it's becoming a regular conversation topic now!) and challenged me to actually ask someone if they wanted to hang out these holidays, as usually other people are the first to ask me. So I guess I'll be adding that to my list - ask someone to hang out with me! Boy does that sound desperate...
Sunday, 4 November 2007
When No one Knows Your Name
After my regular Saturday morning recorder teaching, I went to the library with my brothers this time to sleep while they had to study (hehehe) before going to West City to watch the Trash to Fashion Schools Show, in which a few of the Rutherford students were participating, including Christine Stucki! We tried getting there ten minutes early, but as usual a large audience had already crowded around the stage, so we were relegated to watching it from behind taller people. Aonghas found his friends and so he watched it from the other side of the stage while I was trying to film the show from the other side. It was a little tiring holding up my arm to get a shot above this tall woman's head. I just hope people weren't getting the wrong impression of me filming the thing as well, especially with schoolgirls on stage! (For the record I was filming it for Aonghas for his school video work!)
Later last night just before the big fireworks display was about to start at the Trusts Stadium, my brothers and I all jumped in the car and our dad dropped us off by the gate. We were expecting to pay $5 each to get in, but instead they charged us $5 for three people! There was a bit of a delay before the fireworks got started as the firemen had to wet the athletics track to prevent it from getting damaged by the fireworks.
The fireworks was great, lasting for over twenty minutes and creating heaps of noise and light. A bit of ash did fall on me though and I got blinded a few times by the laser light, but all good all good! I'm as blind as before so no harm done (or so I think...)! We were making our way back up the steps to the gate when we came across a few people from Rutherford. The really weird thing is how some people who used to talk to you last year at school just seem to ignore you now probably just because you don't go to school with them anymore! That didn't wreck the evening though as it was a good way to celebrate/commemorate/mark Guy Fawkes Day.
---
What a fascinating Labour Party Conference...well from the outside anyway! I wonder how hard it was for the police standing in the line facing the protesters not to laugh at their antics. While we don't have all the information, the people arrested were supposedly found to be in possession of illegal firearms. Even if having terrorism charges laid against them isn't justified, releasing them despite being in possession of illegal firearms isn't justified either. Doesn't it seem as though the protesters seem to be over-reacting just a teeny weeny bit, and maybe jumping the gun a teeny weeny bit?
However, a swing at someone's head with a megaphone isn't physical assault? That Labour party delegate probably needs to have a look at that tape again a few more times...
Later last night just before the big fireworks display was about to start at the Trusts Stadium, my brothers and I all jumped in the car and our dad dropped us off by the gate. We were expecting to pay $5 each to get in, but instead they charged us $5 for three people! There was a bit of a delay before the fireworks got started as the firemen had to wet the athletics track to prevent it from getting damaged by the fireworks.
The fireworks was great, lasting for over twenty minutes and creating heaps of noise and light. A bit of ash did fall on me though and I got blinded a few times by the laser light, but all good all good! I'm as blind as before so no harm done (or so I think...)! We were making our way back up the steps to the gate when we came across a few people from Rutherford. The really weird thing is how some people who used to talk to you last year at school just seem to ignore you now probably just because you don't go to school with them anymore! That didn't wreck the evening though as it was a good way to celebrate/commemorate/mark Guy Fawkes Day.
---
What a fascinating Labour Party Conference...well from the outside anyway! I wonder how hard it was for the police standing in the line facing the protesters not to laugh at their antics. While we don't have all the information, the people arrested were supposedly found to be in possession of illegal firearms. Even if having terrorism charges laid against them isn't justified, releasing them despite being in possession of illegal firearms isn't justified either. Doesn't it seem as though the protesters seem to be over-reacting just a teeny weeny bit, and maybe jumping the gun a teeny weeny bit?
However, a swing at someone's head with a megaphone isn't physical assault? That Labour party delegate probably needs to have a look at that tape again a few more times...
Holiday Plan
OK so now I've got all the time in the world for the next few months I'm starting to come up with a list of what I need to try accomplish by the time uni starts up again next year, such as:
- Find a job
- Tidy the house
- Studying grade six theory (which I should have done a long time ago!)
- Learn how to play the clarinet by Christmas just in case the church needs a clarinetist
- Get passport applications sorted
and probably most important - decide what I'm going to do at uni next year!
So far I've been in pain for most of the days off I've had since exams, as the wire from the braces on my top teeth seem to have slid to the right and is stabbing me in the gums. Initially I thought the orthodontist just didn't cut the wire short enough, but when I felt the extra wire getting longer, I knew something was wrong, and when I checked on the other side, the wire was gone! Now I have to wait till this Tuesday for my orthodontist appointment before I can be relieved of the pain! I thought I'd be able to escape it while asleep, but for some reason last night I kept dreaming about having this wire poking me in the gum! I have to try apply my Health Psychology knowledge to this situation and try preoccupy myself with other things, such as cleaning up the backyard!
---
What is the meaning of a hug? I got shunned by yet another female friend after an attempt to share a hug (It's all good we're still friends haha) yet my guy friends and I had no trouble in indulging in a group hug orgy (maybe a slightly over-exaggerated description)! You get people who hug everyone they know every time they seem and you get those who back away from you the instant you get too close! One of my friends' opinion is that a hug is to show someone you think of them as more than a friend...
- Find a job
- Tidy the house
- Studying grade six theory (which I should have done a long time ago!)
- Learn how to play the clarinet by Christmas just in case the church needs a clarinetist
- Get passport applications sorted
and probably most important - decide what I'm going to do at uni next year!
So far I've been in pain for most of the days off I've had since exams, as the wire from the braces on my top teeth seem to have slid to the right and is stabbing me in the gums. Initially I thought the orthodontist just didn't cut the wire short enough, but when I felt the extra wire getting longer, I knew something was wrong, and when I checked on the other side, the wire was gone! Now I have to wait till this Tuesday for my orthodontist appointment before I can be relieved of the pain! I thought I'd be able to escape it while asleep, but for some reason last night I kept dreaming about having this wire poking me in the gum! I have to try apply my Health Psychology knowledge to this situation and try preoccupy myself with other things, such as cleaning up the backyard!
---
What is the meaning of a hug? I got shunned by yet another female friend after an attempt to share a hug (It's all good we're still friends haha) yet my guy friends and I had no trouble in indulging in a group hug orgy (maybe a slightly over-exaggerated description)! You get people who hug everyone they know every time they seem and you get those who back away from you the instant you get too close! One of my friends' opinion is that a hug is to show someone you think of them as more than a friend...
Bye-bye First Year!
I finally finished my first year of uni on Thursday, marking it with an exam in the morning and one in the afternoon! Once again I spent the days prior to the exam at the Henderson Library, trying to cram as much into my brain. I even spent Halloween in the library! That night was the night before my exam and I caught up with Joanne who came by the library and saw me through the window. Angie also texted me, telling me how she was having to look after her sister and her sister's friends as they went trick o' treating! We might be BCom buddies if I decide to switch next year! That's something I still have to think about over the holidays.
Thursday came along, and I had to get into the city early so I could catch the 8.30 bus to Tamaki. I got in slightly early but only JUST managed to get on the bus, ending up having to stand right beside the driver at the front. Usually there is more than one Tamaki bus and so I asked the driver if there'd be another bus coming, but he told me he wasn't sure and that I better stay on board. As the bus left there were still well over thirty (probably heaps more!) Health Science students standing there hoping for the next bus!
The bus got to the Tamaki campus about fifteen minutes before our exam, and I caught up with Henry. We were waiting and waiting to see what would happen, and if another bus would turn up. 9.15 rolled on by, and still the bus hadn't come and we were still waiting outside. Finally the second load of Health Science students arrived and so our first exam for the day - Population Health 102, got delayed!
Population Health turned out to be a killer. I'm sure I wrote a lot of generalised stuff that made absolutely no sense. After the exam, I went to the Resource Centre to collect my essay on differences in cardiovascular disease statistics between ethnicities in New Zealand. I wasn't too surprised to find the marking schedule filled with comments butchering my essay (it sounded like it was a female marker for some reason...not being sexist or anything!). I got told I didn't put the idea that Maori didn't have control over their health in the right way...
Henry, Kevin and I then spent the next hour (we missed the earliest bus because of the exam delay) having lunch in the cafeteria. I went to the toilet and while washing my hands, turned to the guy next to me doing the same thing and, thinking he was someone I knew, asked him how the exam went. He started talking to me and that's when I realised I had no idea who this guy was! Well it wasn't too bad in the end. At least we got to know each other a little bit...in the toilet!
Us guys decided we'd try get to the bus stop fifteen minutes earlier just in case there was only one bus back, but when we got there we found the bus completely full! Originally one of Henry's friends had offered to drive us back into the city, but then some guy said another bus would come in five minutes time so we ended up catching that one.
As soon as I got back into the city it was all study study study for Health Psychology! I was nowhere near confident, knowing I was probably going to fail this exam. When I got into the exam room and looked at the paper it didn't look as bad as I thought it would be. For a start, we only had to choose three out of five questions for each of sections B, C and D to answer instead of four out of six as we were told at our tutorials. Time seemed to go really slowly during that exam though. Almost three quarters of the people in the exam room left early. I just decided to stay till the end or else I'd feel guilty afterwards.
Once the exam was over I went over to discuss it with my friends as well as farewell them and do group hugs and the whole shebang. Kevin, with nothing better to do, decided to join me, who missed his bus and equally had nothing better to do. We ended up wandering along Queen St. As we took the shortcut through Albert Park, Kevin caught up with a couple of friends. One of the girls, Anna, instantly asked me if I was a half-cast! Wow someone got it right!
I finally redeemed my voucher at Starbucks for a free green tea latte which didn't taste too bad, although its green, slimy appearance does it no favours. That's probably why Starbucks were giving away vouchers for free green tea lattes! We also went over to Wendy's for a feed, sitting at the same place where we ate the last time we went to Wendy's! It must be turning into a tradition! We then wandered around that massive arcade, where they seem to have simulation games for nearly everything - from Japanese drums, to dancing, to drums, to guitars, to tambourine playing, to pottery-making! We only had a look around before we had to head back to uni so that Kevin could get a ride home from his dad.
And that was the last day of uni for me in 2007. Bye-bye first year Health Science!
Thursday came along, and I had to get into the city early so I could catch the 8.30 bus to Tamaki. I got in slightly early but only JUST managed to get on the bus, ending up having to stand right beside the driver at the front. Usually there is more than one Tamaki bus and so I asked the driver if there'd be another bus coming, but he told me he wasn't sure and that I better stay on board. As the bus left there were still well over thirty (probably heaps more!) Health Science students standing there hoping for the next bus!
The bus got to the Tamaki campus about fifteen minutes before our exam, and I caught up with Henry. We were waiting and waiting to see what would happen, and if another bus would turn up. 9.15 rolled on by, and still the bus hadn't come and we were still waiting outside. Finally the second load of Health Science students arrived and so our first exam for the day - Population Health 102, got delayed!
Population Health turned out to be a killer. I'm sure I wrote a lot of generalised stuff that made absolutely no sense. After the exam, I went to the Resource Centre to collect my essay on differences in cardiovascular disease statistics between ethnicities in New Zealand. I wasn't too surprised to find the marking schedule filled with comments butchering my essay (it sounded like it was a female marker for some reason...not being sexist or anything!). I got told I didn't put the idea that Maori didn't have control over their health in the right way...
Henry, Kevin and I then spent the next hour (we missed the earliest bus because of the exam delay) having lunch in the cafeteria. I went to the toilet and while washing my hands, turned to the guy next to me doing the same thing and, thinking he was someone I knew, asked him how the exam went. He started talking to me and that's when I realised I had no idea who this guy was! Well it wasn't too bad in the end. At least we got to know each other a little bit...in the toilet!
Us guys decided we'd try get to the bus stop fifteen minutes earlier just in case there was only one bus back, but when we got there we found the bus completely full! Originally one of Henry's friends had offered to drive us back into the city, but then some guy said another bus would come in five minutes time so we ended up catching that one.
As soon as I got back into the city it was all study study study for Health Psychology! I was nowhere near confident, knowing I was probably going to fail this exam. When I got into the exam room and looked at the paper it didn't look as bad as I thought it would be. For a start, we only had to choose three out of five questions for each of sections B, C and D to answer instead of four out of six as we were told at our tutorials. Time seemed to go really slowly during that exam though. Almost three quarters of the people in the exam room left early. I just decided to stay till the end or else I'd feel guilty afterwards.
Once the exam was over I went over to discuss it with my friends as well as farewell them and do group hugs and the whole shebang. Kevin, with nothing better to do, decided to join me, who missed his bus and equally had nothing better to do. We ended up wandering along Queen St. As we took the shortcut through Albert Park, Kevin caught up with a couple of friends. One of the girls, Anna, instantly asked me if I was a half-cast! Wow someone got it right!
I finally redeemed my voucher at Starbucks for a free green tea latte which didn't taste too bad, although its green, slimy appearance does it no favours. That's probably why Starbucks were giving away vouchers for free green tea lattes! We also went over to Wendy's for a feed, sitting at the same place where we ate the last time we went to Wendy's! It must be turning into a tradition! We then wandered around that massive arcade, where they seem to have simulation games for nearly everything - from Japanese drums, to dancing, to drums, to guitars, to tambourine playing, to pottery-making! We only had a look around before we had to head back to uni so that Kevin could get a ride home from his dad.
And that was the last day of uni for me in 2007. Bye-bye first year Health Science!
Friday, 2 November 2007
Mnemonicky!
Just before I chuck out my notes here's a few of the mnemonics I came up with to try help me in remembering the stack loads of information for the exams! It worked to some extent, except for that time during my Health Psychology exam I was sitting there thinking... WHAT DOES P STAND FOR??!!!
Remembering causes of forgetting:
Feeling Dogs Is Really Mad
Remembering the key points of the 'Let's Beat Diabetes' programme:
Constantly Bob Undermines His Housewife Wrecking Precariously Sentimental Stuff (I know I know..doesn't make any sense at all!)
Remembering the symptoms of schizophrenia:
Simon Found Prawns Down the Sink
Remembering the seven criterion for mental illness:
Subtly Michael Indicates Louis is Urinating Over the Volkswagen
Remembering the psychological effects of chronic illness:
Dennis and Deepak are Possies
Remembering the parts of the respiratory system (descending):
Try Making Lasagne. Soon She'll Break That Right Awful Arm
Remembering the demands of chronic illness:
Please Stop Vomiting!
Remembering the cognitive, behavioural and biological challenges to adolescents with a chronic illness:
Tell Vampire Uncle is Ticklish
Remembering the dimensions of attitude:
Simon Is Always Claiming Indians Are Cool
Remembering the dimensions of persuasion:
Someone Might Cook Calum's Rice
Remembering the effects of social support on stress and health:
Always Talk In English
Remembering the aspects of perceptual organisation:
Free Domino's Meat Pizza!
Remembering aspects of monocular cues:
I Like To Shoot At Family And Relatives
Remembering the circumstances in which observational learning is more likely to occur:
model is Highly Likely to Attract Similar Rewards
Remembering the four basic requirements of observational learning:
At bRett's Moe Reproduced
Remembering causes of forgetting:
Feeling Dogs Is Really Mad
Remembering the key points of the 'Let's Beat Diabetes' programme:
Constantly Bob Undermines His Housewife Wrecking Precariously Sentimental Stuff (I know I know..doesn't make any sense at all!)
Remembering the symptoms of schizophrenia:
Simon Found Prawns Down the Sink
Remembering the seven criterion for mental illness:
Subtly Michael Indicates Louis is Urinating Over the Volkswagen
Remembering the psychological effects of chronic illness:
Dennis and Deepak are Possies
Remembering the parts of the respiratory system (descending):
Try Making Lasagne. Soon She'll Break That Right Awful Arm
Remembering the demands of chronic illness:
Please Stop Vomiting!
Remembering the cognitive, behavioural and biological challenges to adolescents with a chronic illness:
Tell Vampire Uncle is Ticklish
Remembering the dimensions of attitude:
Simon Is Always Claiming Indians Are Cool
Remembering the dimensions of persuasion:
Someone Might Cook Calum's Rice
Remembering the effects of social support on stress and health:
Always Talk In English
Remembering the aspects of perceptual organisation:
Free Domino's Meat Pizza!
Remembering aspects of monocular cues:
I Like To Shoot At Family And Relatives
Remembering the circumstances in which observational learning is more likely to occur:
model is Highly Likely to Attract Similar Rewards
Remembering the four basic requirements of observational learning:
At bRett's Moe Reproduced
Brief...YouTube Glory
A few days ago a video of Aonghas and I performing an accordion duet at the Rutherford College Luv Musik Concert a couple weeks ago posted by one of Aonghas's friends managed to reach number 1 in the Top Rating You Tube videos for that week! Woohoo for our very brief moment of You Tube glory! I say brief because it only lasted three days. The video only had four five-star ratings and 11 views (yeah we refreshed the page eleven times...) yet it shot to number one! Oh all right it happened at midnight at the beginning of a new week and You Tube NZ just started. So maybe it wasn't so glorious after all, but what the hey!
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