list of things to do in the summer

Seeing as this place is where I'm going to be storing some of my thoughts during the summer, might give a bit of a preview of what I intend to do during the summer.

1. Get fit again. I know, this is a task common to many - so common that it might be deemed boring. Gosh, if I asked someone what their main aim for the summer is and they answered with "get fit" I'd tell them to get a life. The sun is out, you are young, go have fun. But seriously, I've been feeling like quite the old lady recently. My back aches for no apparent reason. My board writing arm is not in a very good condition and even though I've lost about 4 kilos since the exam period started, I really don't think it's healthy. Need to eat right gosh darnit.

2. Read. I've kept a book list since the demise of the HSC...and I've only read about 2 books from this said list. Which reminds me, Bhavya still has Perfume, I must take back this beautiful book soon. Blog, remind me later. I started reading about 2 pages of In Cold Blood a week before uni officially began this year...haven't touched it since. Middlesex and Everything is Illuminated are also on standby for book-reading time. I need to learn how to form proper sentences again and books will help me do it.

3. Get a tan. Go on, make the joke, you're dying to I'm sure. "Oh Helene, you already have a Tan! LOLOL. Sine over cos!" It really just translates to heading to the beach. I literally turn into a different person over the summer - my skin tone becomes 50 shades darker than my usual winter paleness. I just want the carefree feeling that comes with going to the beach. It's always been my perfect day out. I always have fun at the beach.

4. Get to know Hannah again. She's turned 13 and she feels like a stranger now. So many boyfriends, so little time. I'll try to be less annoying when I'm talking to her and maybe hear her out some of the time. Gosh they turn into teenagers and all of a sudden this big wall just comes up around them.

5. Catch up with old friends. I haven't seen Spaz, Ann, Sarah, Susanna, Andrea, Kimmy Luu, etc. etc. (if you're included in the etc. I still love you) in an absolute age. Wonder what they're all up to now. Really can't wait to be filled in with all the hot goss that's been going on in their lives.

6. Go to the ice-cream joint with my Duckie. There's this gelato place in our neighbourhood and it's absolutely our little secret.

That's it for now! Maybe put some more things to do up soon...gosh I should really plan my blog entries out before I leap into them half-heartedly at weird hours of the night.

Helene

beautiful holidays

So I finished my exams on Thursday 11th November. I'm actually quite glad I came out of this exam period alive. There were times where I just needed a really big and warm big, but alas, we pulled through and now we have the whole summer ahead of us!

I'm not one to talk about exams after they're finished (I mean, why relive the pain?) so I'll just say that I'm glad I finished my first year of uni, hopefully unscathed.

Uni itself had its ups and its downs. It did offer greater freedom and an "I do what I want" kind of attitude, but the hours of my degree aren't exactly ideal. First semester was a really big smack in the face. I left my physics study pretty much to the three days before the exam and yes, that kind of backfired. I thought I had renewed motivation for second semester, but turns out uni likes to just screw you over the majority of the time.

I have to admit I kind of like the stuff we're studying though, I can actually give a bit of insight into the workings of the eye. The other day I explained to amanda pants how polaroid sunglasses work. Obviously everybody wants to be my friend now.

Enough about uni. I've had a pretty glorious last couple of days. After the omnom peeps and I finished our exams on the thursday, the weather was looking mighty fine and, because every uni bus seemed to pass us at the bus stop where we waited, we really contemplated just walking to central. Of course, we got on the next public bus that came. Haha, I think it would've been a little bit of an adventure if we had walked to central. Either that or we would've complained a fair bit of the way because it was stinking hot. Everybody was just exhausted from the two exams in a row (vision science and optics! the killer two!) so we just decided to each go our separate ways and head home. I'm not exactly sure what I did that night. I think I just watched really bad television and ate a lot of icecream.

On the Friday my Duckie finished his exams and he waddled on over after I finished work. It was a really nice catch up considering our only contact during exam period was via very mushy emails, text messages and fleeting msn convos. We watched Harry Potter and he propositioned the idea of playing the part of Harry himself. There are many, many ambiguous lines which should have been exploited in that movie. And seeing Harry played as an apathetic, annoyed and kind of stupid persona is something I would really like to see. The fact that JK Rowling was able to come up with such 'magic' and 'make believe' has also brought up the question of whether or not she is a 'user'. Many stupid trains of thought were acted out and it was a very nice night, bar some other things that really don't deserve a mention.

On Saturday Duckie had an official 'End of Exams' party for the third year omnometry cohort. Lots of food was swallowed into our bellies and lots of fun was had. I really do enjoy hanging around Duckie's friends. I'm usually very shy when I'm around new people but I guess these guys have just seen me around enough to no longer refer to me as 'Tan's girlfriend'. I can have a nice conversation with his friends without the presence of Duckie, even though the presence of Duckie is something I really like. Duckie brought the gee-tar out and we had lots of sing-a-longs to many Crowded House favourites. I did a bit of rapping, which I will not elaborate on. Father Duck drove me home and, not to sound arrogant or anything, but I really do think they like a Swan in the family.

Sunday saw some more action-packed goodness with a trip to Newtown with Panda. Because there was trackwork we met at Cabra station at around 10:30 and took the first train that came. The whole trip was pretty much improvised, because we really didn't know how the buses were working to compensate for the trains. In the end, "everything came up Milhouse!" (we used that phrase too many times during that day) and we got to Newtown very efficiently. Again, it was a very hot day and the streets of Newtown were buzzing with activity. It was a really nice atmosphere to be around, everyone was chill but there was just a greater amount of chill people there on that day. We checked out a couple of stalls before deciding that we wanted something 'light' to fill our bellies. I suggested some nachos and we went straight to Corelli's for some nacho action. We ordered fruit smoothies and bacon nachos and it was a very nice meal coupled with a very nice conversation. I find myself comfortable when she watches me eat. That is very rare and the signal for a true friendship I think.

Bloated and very limited in our movements, we trekked down to the park where the Newtown festival was actually held. We made it just in time to see Guineafowl belt out some tunes and I can say that the more I see and listen to this band, the more I like them. They are just so cheery and down to Earth and their music is beautiful and poppy. It was simply perfect for that sunny day. There was this kid who was very much like Occar and he stood right in front of Sam (the lead singer of the band) and simply smiled, too embarrassed to bust out some moves. That kid was just adorable.

Then we decided to explore all the stalls. We tried on many hats and accessories, obligatorily asking each other, "Are we cool yet?" after the said thing was tried on. Amanda bought a little accordion and that instrument is totally rockin'. We quickly met up with some of her friends at a cafe afterwards for some chill time and headed home. Thanks to Steeeeve for a ride to the station!

Got up and had a bit of a day yesterday as well. Woke up fairly late and was contemplating going to the basketball courts (it was kind of sprinkling). I had decided that I might join later on for lunch seeing that I had missed the buses to cabra, but Darren texted and said that he was around my area anyway, and that he'd probably be at my place in 5 minutes. I was actually in the middle of a shower when he, minhchau and michael got to my place and it was a very hurried rush out of the shower, into my clothes and into the car. We decided to bum at Lynda's place (which is huuuuge) for a bit before we headed out to Cooks Hill. Played some mario kart on the Wii and all those facebook pages are right. If I fall off a cliff, that's pretty much the end of my campaign on that game.

Cooks Hill failed to disappoint. It's the 'old dependable' in my books. Duckie came over for a bit later on in the night. He reformatted his computer so all his 30 day trial games are back up. We spent a fair bit of time playing 'Wheel of Fortune'. Very enjoyable watching a little Duckie win some big money in that game.

Went to bed early and now I'm here, still in my PJs and so really basking in the nothingness of holidays. I'm really excited about going to see Neil Finn tomorrow!

Wow that was a long entry,

Helene

i subscribe to a lot of fashion blogs, and usually this blog is about ya know, real shit, but just figured i'd be a bit materialistic today and post up some things i've had my eye on for a while now...

1. sportsgirl 'peaches' maxi

i just really want a pretty dress i can wear throughout summer and i've had my eye on this one for a very long time. it's a bit pricey, but hopefully it'll be a good investment :)

2. Kimchi Blue Pleated Suede T-Strap Skimmer

I'm in the market for some new shoes for the summer and these just seem to be perfect and bright and lovely. I've always wanted red shoes as well so yes, i get giddy at the thought of one day owning these.

3. The Accessory Company Tribal Print Cotton Kaftan

I just want a kaftan I can wear over my swimming cosi at the beach! i really like this one from the accessory company. it's so warm and summery now i can't wait to get my hands on something like this so i can wear it every day.

so that ends my material needs list. i will post more meaningful stuff soon.

hey all,

so it's 11pm on a friday night and i'm (or moreso, i was) enlightening my mind with a bit of optics (such is life for an optometry student). guess i figured i had enough of the day and decided to do something therapeutic - blog entry-ing.

i had my psychology exam today and i suppose it wasn't as bad as i thought it would be. i heard from sources (who will remain unnamed for really no particular reason, i just wanted to use the phrase 'who will remain unnamed') that it would consist of ultra-mega-jaw-droppingly-difficult questions. i distinctly remember the source saying, "oh last semester they asked what this disease was called and had alternate spellings in their multiple choice answers!" there was really nothing of the sort in the exam and i guess they just wanted to 'PSYCH' me out (geddit?)

moving on from boring exam stories and horrid puns, a train of thought that has been plaguing my mind of recent is 'change'. no, not change as in the coins you find in your jean pockets after taking them out of the wash (i'm not hatin' on them either, i find them a very nice type of change) but change as in changing of oneself, or, more specifically, myself.

maybe doing psychology as a subject has spurred this sudden introspection, but i really do question whether i've changed in the past couple of years of my life. hey, maybe i've come a long way away from the narrow-minded, needy and very very insecure self i was in the past, but has my way of looking at things changed at all? i've always been a person who has lived by a clear set of morals - something i think is mainly due to the big T-man - but it's hard to tell whether or not i've really grown into myself as a person. i guess i'll sort this out by the end of this blog.

something a wise dude has always told me is that, in all the years that he's known me (he's known me since i was 12), i haven't changed one bit. sure, there were the awkward haircuts and the hormones and the growing up and the whatnot...but my personality, my outlook, seemingly, has never changed. i recall wanting so badly to break free and totally become a gangster dawg yippity yo, but even though i was exposed to all this shizznizz (heck, i pretty much live in the ghetto) i never really turned to it. why so? maybe it's the way i look? i never see any tall gangsters around... or maybe i've just been predisposed, since the beginning of my life, to be this way; shy by nature and heartbreakingly optimistic sometimes.

i've always wanted to change little nit bits of myself as a person. and not the girly, "ooo i want bigger boobs" sort of change (although they would be nice, they're also a nice type of change). i've always wanted to be more confident, funnier, easier to get along with...you know, come to self-actualisation at some point in life. it has been a desire of mine to come into a room and make friends with all the people with a story to tell and just...be fun.

i'm such an awkward person. and i'm so sleepy, i'll continue this soon perhaps?

Well that was a complete lie

So I thought that, at the start of this year, I would make a greater contribution to this ol' blog of mine because, well, I thought I'd have more time. Trying to juggle everything was very hard during the first year of uni but I think I've (nearly) come out of it a little wiser. I mean 'nearly' because I'm actually smack bang in the middle of my exams as I am typing this out. On a different train of thought, maybe the sole thing spurring blog entries is my need to procrastinate...but I digress.

So I've come to a very early new year's resolution. I will aim to blog at least once a week, every week, for as long as I see it fit to keep a blog. I used to have a diary in the form of a word document I kept under wraps with a very technologically profound 'password'. I was 10 when I started this said diary and, due to lack of posting, I have forgotten my password. The thought that my 10 year old self knew how to put passwords on word documents is also quite off-putting for my old and technologically inept present self. That diary, however, did not hold much worth in terms of opinion or actual substance; it was actually a place where I would write about my present crushes and how my day went at school. So I'm hoping that the revamp of this blog (note the blue background and new font) will bring about a new chapter in my memory-recording life. I really do want something I will be able to look back on to maybe cringe at, but also to help me relive many moments I deem important in my life.

So this is a new beginning, and by the end of exams maybe I'll have something more interesting to say.

Helene

wassup, gangsters!

Reading over past entries is like reliving embarrassing moments of my life. I am so glad I did not know what a blog was when I was 12/13.

I've been reading because I've been looking for inspiration on what to write (i'm an old dog that cannot learn new tricks). Turns out all my prior blogs have been about how much of a bitch the HSC is or how annoyed I am at Hannah for distracting me from studying.

So I've decided to blog about something new, different, exciting. After all, I AM THE FUCCHAAA.

Lol nah, I'm just gonna blog about uni.

Uni life is alright so far. It hasn't reached the "OH MY GAH I GOTTA STUDY" point yet, although I'm pretty sure that chapter is coming up very soon. The timetable is okay, bar the fact that I do two times the hours of some other kids. Though having said that, my timetable actually looks pretty cruisy compared to quite a few others. Poor Michelle Yam has 9-5 Thursdays WITHOUT ANY BREAKS. I pity the poor child. Jason Ford has 9am-9pm Wednesdays. I've named them so you can send them your love and sympathy.

UNSW is a nice place to be...though I've been to Usyd and it does seem much more relaxed and less...like asia... Meh, I kinda like the fact that UNSW is a little messed up in its own little way. We have signs on the back of toilet doors that recommend not squatting on the toilet seat. We are saving the international student from himself. Oh God, I am so not pee cee.

I have all my classes with Sharon (or shazzy dawg as I like to call her) and I've come to realise how efficient we are as a team. We get shit done quickly man! It's like we share one mind. Oh dude, if I had a dollar for every time one of us has said, "Oh, I was just thinking the same thing!" I'd be one very rich woman. So rich in fact that I wouldn't need Tan's pin number.

Ah, I should go back to doing some chemistry,

i'll continue this later dawgz,

Hope to bump into some of you guys soon!

well look who's come crawling back

whenever i have work i procrastinate like hell, so i decided today that i would do something semi-productive during this time.

gosh man i haven't posted since the hsc ended.

uni began two weeks ago and it's been a-okay so far, but i sure do miss high school. whenever i see a hurlstonian on campus i latch on like a little parasite and feed off their hurlstonian goodness. nobody else understands what we represent.

aw man it's late. i'll continue this blog later dawgz.

helene