Sorry, I know it's a smidge late, but I have been super busy!!!
So this will only be a brief outline :)
Monday 14th, we headed off on our first field trip, leaving our highland homes in the Andes to descend back down to sea level. We had had a bit of a kerfuffle that morning trying to get our passports back from the foreigners office, as once in the country you are required to go and register your visa - it's all rather tedious but a necessity if you want to stay in the country - which I most certainly do!
So we headed off after all of that kerfuffle at around 10 am. We arrived in Playa Escondida at around 7pm, it was a pretty long trip! But we had a few stops for snacks, food, and loo facilities, as well as petrol. The country here is so beautiful! I love driving through it and seeing this amazing landscape!!
Tuesday we put together out quadrats and field kits, and had a short briefing before waiting for the tide to go out enough for us to begin our surveys. I started out with Taylah to hunt for whelks, which we then weighed and measured. We had only been going about 45 minutes when the weather decided to turn on us. But we didn't mind :) it was great to be out in the field. We sampled whelks for a couple of hours, before the rain really started to take its toll on the scales, and they began to malfunction. So we retreated back to the hotel, where we put our data into the computer and dried off. We had a great afternoon chilling on the beach which was topped off by the appearance of a boa constrictor - naturally all the Aussies jumped right in and with Daniel's assistance (he's one of our tutors) we caught the boa. He wasn't overly please about that, but we all enjoyed having a good look. We then returned him to the other end of the beach where he promptly hopped into the water of a small pool and disappeared. I think I could even hear him grumbling as he left. Admittedly, if some random was to come and grab me, I think I may be slightly disgruntled as well!
Wednesday we headed to another beach to complete another set of surveys, this time being on transect lines and quadrats. We had a good group and got through it all quickly, and then chilled on the beach for a while. We had an interesting encounter with the local fisherman, as they had caught a green sea turtle. They removed the fins, the heart and some of the belly meat before tossing the remains back into the water. It was interesting to talk with the fisherman and to learn about how they lived their lives and what they fished and how often. But it was rather brutal to see the turtle.
Thursday we packed up and jumped on the bus, returning to our mountain lairs back in Cumbaya. It was a wonderful first field trip, and I am thoroughly looking forward to our second one!!
Friday, January 25, 2013
Friday, January 18, 2013
Banos
So, after a short week of class and orientation, we decided to head off for the weekend to a lovely small valley called Banos. Unfortunately, from Friday, my stomach had decided to revolt against me. My stomach had been quite uneasy and unsettled for Friday and very early Saturday morning saw even worse results from my upset stomach. I was very prepared not to head off to Banos and had all but decided not to go - the taxi had gone. But I decided I didn't want to miss out, and so at the very last minute I picked up my previously packed bags and jumped in the cab. It was a good drive to the bus station and then a 3.5 hour bus ride from Quito to Banos. It went very slowly for me, with my stomach performing various gymnastic routines. but it was a good time for some reflection on some of the things I have seen so far
Ecuador is a truly beautiful place, there is a lot of cultural pride as well as a lot of shame from some people, with many people apparently preferring to refer to themselves as white, or as a mix. They are a welcoming and inviting people, who have a passion for life. While some areas remind me often of Tanzania, the same sort of beautiful spirit exists in these people. They are pushing forward for excellence, their cities have beautiful parks and wonderful areas for recreation. Of course, there are the darker sides as our security officer discussed in great length during our orientation, but I could very easily be mugged and robbed in Sydney. You just have to keep your wits about you and be savvy. I love living in a country that has not fully embraced the English language. As difficult as it is for me fumbling in broken Spanglish with some people, I love that there is not this overriding need to have English. In Tanzania, the only way someone could hope for a good job was if they spoke very good English. In fact there were some people there who I had met on the street who spoke better English than I do sometimes. I love having my Spanish conversations with my host parents. And while I still have a lot to learn, I am so eager to become a more fluent speaker so I can better communicate with other people here. After all, this is their country, it is not for me to come here and expect them to speak my language. I love the challenge :D and the opportunity to broaden my language skills.
So, back to the trip to Banos. We arrive in Banos, stomach is in the middle of a bar work routine but Banos is stunning! A friend of Taylah's met us and took us to our hostel, which had a beautiful view of the valley and of a waterfall. We then went off to lunch where I nibbled at the food and enjoyed the good company of our large group. That afternoon we split off into our different activities, and I, naturally, chose riding. While the horses were on the skinny side and not as healthy as I would usually like to see, were sometimes handled a little rougher than what I am used to and had rather harsh bits, they were very sweet and had kind eyes and I could tell that their owner was quite fond of them. They had good pasture to graze on. My horse was named Gringo, which I found to be quite ironic. He was the horse of the guide who took us on our trip. The trip was realy lovely - Gringo had a very soft mouth, so I was very content to just sit back and let him be as he was, as I knew he was confident with the path. We travelled through the towns and up the side onto a small road leading into the farmland areas. We stopped to have a look around and then returned to the stables. After our ride, we wandered through the markets, eventually making our way back to the hostel to head out and find some dinner. And the most wonderful thing had happened while returning to our hostel - without any warning, and no gradual decrease, the nausea and pain in my stomach simply vanished. It was wonderful to have it all finished.
Later that evening, we chilled at the hostel for a while, then headed out to a bar where we did a bit of salsa dancing. It's definitely a different experience to back here in Australia. The people here actually dance, rather than what is often done back in Australia, which simply looks like jumping around.
The next morning, we woke to have breakfast, and another wander around the town. I found a lovely passenger as we were walking around - a little butterfly had decided to hitch a ride on my leg, so i moved him to my shoulder, where he sat quite pleasantly for about 15 minutes before he seemed to gather his strength and head off again. We checked out of our hostel and grabbed some lunch before heading back to Quito on the bus. That afternoon, we came home and were greeted by our host family, and had a lovely catch up over dinner before we headed off to pack for our field trip the next day.
Ecuador is a truly beautiful place, there is a lot of cultural pride as well as a lot of shame from some people, with many people apparently preferring to refer to themselves as white, or as a mix. They are a welcoming and inviting people, who have a passion for life. While some areas remind me often of Tanzania, the same sort of beautiful spirit exists in these people. They are pushing forward for excellence, their cities have beautiful parks and wonderful areas for recreation. Of course, there are the darker sides as our security officer discussed in great length during our orientation, but I could very easily be mugged and robbed in Sydney. You just have to keep your wits about you and be savvy. I love living in a country that has not fully embraced the English language. As difficult as it is for me fumbling in broken Spanglish with some people, I love that there is not this overriding need to have English. In Tanzania, the only way someone could hope for a good job was if they spoke very good English. In fact there were some people there who I had met on the street who spoke better English than I do sometimes. I love having my Spanish conversations with my host parents. And while I still have a lot to learn, I am so eager to become a more fluent speaker so I can better communicate with other people here. After all, this is their country, it is not for me to come here and expect them to speak my language. I love the challenge :D and the opportunity to broaden my language skills.
So, back to the trip to Banos. We arrive in Banos, stomach is in the middle of a bar work routine but Banos is stunning! A friend of Taylah's met us and took us to our hostel, which had a beautiful view of the valley and of a waterfall. We then went off to lunch where I nibbled at the food and enjoyed the good company of our large group. That afternoon we split off into our different activities, and I, naturally, chose riding. While the horses were on the skinny side and not as healthy as I would usually like to see, were sometimes handled a little rougher than what I am used to and had rather harsh bits, they were very sweet and had kind eyes and I could tell that their owner was quite fond of them. They had good pasture to graze on. My horse was named Gringo, which I found to be quite ironic. He was the horse of the guide who took us on our trip. The trip was realy lovely - Gringo had a very soft mouth, so I was very content to just sit back and let him be as he was, as I knew he was confident with the path. We travelled through the towns and up the side onto a small road leading into the farmland areas. We stopped to have a look around and then returned to the stables. After our ride, we wandered through the markets, eventually making our way back to the hostel to head out and find some dinner. And the most wonderful thing had happened while returning to our hostel - without any warning, and no gradual decrease, the nausea and pain in my stomach simply vanished. It was wonderful to have it all finished.
Later that evening, we chilled at the hostel for a while, then headed out to a bar where we did a bit of salsa dancing. It's definitely a different experience to back here in Australia. The people here actually dance, rather than what is often done back in Australia, which simply looks like jumping around.
The next morning, we woke to have breakfast, and another wander around the town. I found a lovely passenger as we were walking around - a little butterfly had decided to hitch a ride on my leg, so i moved him to my shoulder, where he sat quite pleasantly for about 15 minutes before he seemed to gather his strength and head off again. We checked out of our hostel and grabbed some lunch before heading back to Quito on the bus. That afternoon, we came home and were greeted by our host family, and had a lovely catch up over dinner before we headed off to pack for our field trip the next day.
Orientation and class
Well, Monday and Tuesday of last week were our orientation days. Universidad San Francisco de Quito - USFQ. WOW!! All I can say is what a beautiful university! The campus is really lovely, the people are amazing and I have already settled here very well! The buildings are all named after famous scientists and other influential people - there is the Darwin building, the Newton building, and my personal favourite, the building in which all the GAIAS offices are located, Casa de tomate - the tomato house, as it is a red building :D We had the GAIAS program orientation on Monday which involved only the students involved in this program. We went over a lot of the logistics, met all the really important people, learnt all the really important information and all in all had a blast of a day! They took us on a city tour of Quito which I really enjoyed, as even though I had seen most of the places they had taken us, it was wonderful to meet all the new faces, and to get to know some of the people with whom I would be sharing this experience.
The Tuesday was the full international student orientation. With over 200 students, we were a formidable force making our way across the campus, and we had another day of inspiring, precautionary, safety and health talks and then adjourned for the day.
Wednesday through to Friday saw our first lectures, 1-4pm everyday, though all three days we were given very generous early marks. Naturally, we had no idea where our classes where being held and so enjoyed being led around to a few of the different places and can now confidently find our way :D
Our professor is a really lovely man and the policy at USFQ, much like at JCU, is that you do not speak with titles, but with first names, which I really really like :D
The Tuesday was the full international student orientation. With over 200 students, we were a formidable force making our way across the campus, and we had another day of inspiring, precautionary, safety and health talks and then adjourned for the day.
Wednesday through to Friday saw our first lectures, 1-4pm everyday, though all three days we were given very generous early marks. Naturally, we had no idea where our classes where being held and so enjoyed being led around to a few of the different places and can now confidently find our way :D
Our professor is a really lovely man and the policy at USFQ, much like at JCU, is that you do not speak with titles, but with first names, which I really really like :D
Apologies
Sorry for my lack of blogging for so long, we have been darting all over the place with uni and I haven't had a spare moment to site down and blog. So, for each of the major happenings in the last week, I will make a new post, so that there is not one massive and boring one. So, firstly, Orientation -
Monday, January 7, 2013
Buenos Noches!
Well, here I am again, my apologies for the delay in writing another post since the first one, upon arriving in Ecuador, Internet was tricky to get. My flight from Los Angeles to Costa Rica was really lovely, I met a wonderful Colombian woman who sat across the aisle from me, who noticed me ready my Spanish dictionary and phrasebook and offered to help me. We traded words for about an hour, until we were too exhausted to continue. She was so lovely to help, and I am so grateful for the little tips she gave me.
After landing in Costa Rica, we hung around in the airport for about an hour before embarking on our final flight that would take us into Quito. After getting through immigrations and customs, Taylah and I parted ways, as her host family picked her up, and I headed off to my hostel, the Secret Garden. Quito reminded me, in parts, of Tanzania, and I was soaking up the atmosphere eagerly. It may have also been the fact that at 2800m above sea level, I was literally soaking up as much of the oxygen as I could. I arrived at the hostel, which was quaint and wonderful, but certainly a workout - Ecuadorian stairs are nearly as large, if not more so, than Tanzanian stairs!!! My legs are not that long! The reception sits at the top of 4 stories, on the terrace, so they really make you work for the check in - but the view from the terrace is certainly worth the effort!
As both my normal and travel sim failed to allow me to connect to a network in Ecuador, I set off to explore the streets in search of a sim card - Internet was down and so I needed some way to let everyone know I had arrived and was in fact still alive. Fumbling my way through with very poor Spanish, I finally came across a small store that looked promising - and turned out to be very promising as when remarking to the man that my Spanish was no es beuno, and that I sort of wished I was in a French speaking country, he proceeded to rattle off in French. I very gladly joined in, and so rather cheated on my first day, getting by with French. He set my phone up with one of the Ecuadorian network sims, and I was able to call home. Unfortunately, as it would turn out, that was all I could do - texting was not able to happen from this network. But that can come later.
So, extremely jet lagged as I was, and attempting to adjust to being at a high altitude, I settle in for the evening, only to find that 16 hours time difference really does throw your sleeping patterns. I managed to get a few hours between tossing and turning. In the morning, I was still exhausted, and woke to have breakfast, a quick chat with my mum and then returned to the cocoon of my room for some shut eye, as at that point, it was midnight at home - and boy, did my body know that! But prior to turning in, I met a lovely American woman who was leaving to go back home and she gave me her antibiotic ointment - long story short, I had a small wound alongside one of my fingernails, which while clean at home, had become infected and pussy along the trip - and of course, the only thing missing from my mobile pharmacy was antiseptic cream. So, I used the cream that this lady gave me, all hunky dorey, went to sleep - to be woken with Taylah and two new friends, Jordan and Ian at my door. Without Internet, I had not been able to tell Taylah I was safely at my hostel, and believing I was either out of Internet reach or dead, she came to the hostel to cllect me for a day of exploration. Rather groggily, I got dressed and we embarked on our quest, which took us to Parque la Carolina, the largest park in Quito, with and assortment of attractions. The first stop was the botanical gardens, which provided some remarkably beautiful specimens of flora, some even from Australia :) Afterwards, we headed over to El Jardin, the large shopping centre across from the park, to get lunch - boy was I in for a surprise! I had realised that Quito was more cosmopolitan than Moshi, and even Arusha and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania - but I was yet to realise just how much. Walking into El Jardin, I could have been walking into any large shopping centre in Australia - I was stunned! They even had pizza hut! and baskin robbins!!!! After picking my jaw up from the floor, we headed up to the food court, which was massive! I had a lasagna and salad.
After lunch, we returned to the park to visit the reptile house, which had some amazing snakes, including a large variety of vipers! And I got to cuddle a boa constrictor, who was very amiable.
Needless to say, exhausted, I returned to my hostel, and the others left for Cumbaya to return to their host home. Upon returning to my room, I took off my shirt - to find my entire right shoulder, all the way down to my elbow covered in a bright red rash - and I rather thought that was not good. Checking for bites, and realising I had none, I retraced my steps to what may have caused this reaction... and found myself looking at the tube of antibiotic cream. Sure enough, written in the directions was a warning that if allergic to the active ingredients, one may find a rash appear....hhmm.
So, more than likely setting a record for the earliest call to the International SOS that we have been subscribed to through the university, I called and requested some medical advice, which was readily given by a very nice doctor. Anyway, the rash cleared up over night, and the cream went away, after making a very bold note in my notebook of the active ingredients and highlighting the fact I had an allergic reaction to those ingredients. Not going there again!
Unfortunately, another rather sleepless and jet lagged night followed. The next morning (Saturday) I comically stumbled on the other Australian student who would be studying the marine biology track with me, and we introduced ourselves, had breakfast, and headed off to the shops to grab a few things, before meeting the others in the Historical Centre of Quito - which, in a word, is stunning!!! After a wonderful morning there, Merric and I returned to the hostel, stopping for lunch on the way, to wait for our host families. My host parents arrived first, and needless to say, they were amazing! Such lovely welcoming people. I am so blessed to be staying with them, and their son and his wife. They are all really lovely people, and I could not have asked for a kinder host family. They took me to their home and introduced me to where I would be spending the next month, fed me and showed me to my room, which is really lovely. Later that evening, my lovely American housemate Ashleigh arrived. I was so excited when we were all together, as I was a tad nervous that perhaps my host family, or my housemate, or even all of the above would not like me. But we all get on really well!!!
Today (Sunday) our Spanish mother and father took us to Mitad del Mundo - the Middle of the World - where I stood on the Equator, and in both the Southern and Northern Hemispheres at the same time :) It was ridiculously awesome! We then came home and had lunch, which was cooked by Antonio and Susana's lovely son Ricardo, who, by the by, is an AMAZING chef!!!! The food was wonderful, and we had a lovely chat. I am really enjoying our chats with Antonio and Susana, they are teaching us so much Spanish and being so kind with our fumbling, especially mine, as Ashleigh has much better Spanish than mine. But I am really looking forward to improving. I just keep swapping into French, as there are so many words that are either similar, or exactly the same!!
Well, that is about all for now, if you have managed to stay with me this entire post, then wow, that's amazing and I appreciate your interest in my happenings - if you couldn't do the whole thing, I really really don't blame you, it's a rather long rambling!! Tomorrow, we have our first day of orientation, and it is rather late here, though my body is still on Aussie time. So I should head off
Buenos noches!! Hasta pronto!
Ciao!
After landing in Costa Rica, we hung around in the airport for about an hour before embarking on our final flight that would take us into Quito. After getting through immigrations and customs, Taylah and I parted ways, as her host family picked her up, and I headed off to my hostel, the Secret Garden. Quito reminded me, in parts, of Tanzania, and I was soaking up the atmosphere eagerly. It may have also been the fact that at 2800m above sea level, I was literally soaking up as much of the oxygen as I could. I arrived at the hostel, which was quaint and wonderful, but certainly a workout - Ecuadorian stairs are nearly as large, if not more so, than Tanzanian stairs!!! My legs are not that long! The reception sits at the top of 4 stories, on the terrace, so they really make you work for the check in - but the view from the terrace is certainly worth the effort!
As both my normal and travel sim failed to allow me to connect to a network in Ecuador, I set off to explore the streets in search of a sim card - Internet was down and so I needed some way to let everyone know I had arrived and was in fact still alive. Fumbling my way through with very poor Spanish, I finally came across a small store that looked promising - and turned out to be very promising as when remarking to the man that my Spanish was no es beuno, and that I sort of wished I was in a French speaking country, he proceeded to rattle off in French. I very gladly joined in, and so rather cheated on my first day, getting by with French. He set my phone up with one of the Ecuadorian network sims, and I was able to call home. Unfortunately, as it would turn out, that was all I could do - texting was not able to happen from this network. But that can come later.
So, extremely jet lagged as I was, and attempting to adjust to being at a high altitude, I settle in for the evening, only to find that 16 hours time difference really does throw your sleeping patterns. I managed to get a few hours between tossing and turning. In the morning, I was still exhausted, and woke to have breakfast, a quick chat with my mum and then returned to the cocoon of my room for some shut eye, as at that point, it was midnight at home - and boy, did my body know that! But prior to turning in, I met a lovely American woman who was leaving to go back home and she gave me her antibiotic ointment - long story short, I had a small wound alongside one of my fingernails, which while clean at home, had become infected and pussy along the trip - and of course, the only thing missing from my mobile pharmacy was antiseptic cream. So, I used the cream that this lady gave me, all hunky dorey, went to sleep - to be woken with Taylah and two new friends, Jordan and Ian at my door. Without Internet, I had not been able to tell Taylah I was safely at my hostel, and believing I was either out of Internet reach or dead, she came to the hostel to cllect me for a day of exploration. Rather groggily, I got dressed and we embarked on our quest, which took us to Parque la Carolina, the largest park in Quito, with and assortment of attractions. The first stop was the botanical gardens, which provided some remarkably beautiful specimens of flora, some even from Australia :) Afterwards, we headed over to El Jardin, the large shopping centre across from the park, to get lunch - boy was I in for a surprise! I had realised that Quito was more cosmopolitan than Moshi, and even Arusha and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania - but I was yet to realise just how much. Walking into El Jardin, I could have been walking into any large shopping centre in Australia - I was stunned! They even had pizza hut! and baskin robbins!!!! After picking my jaw up from the floor, we headed up to the food court, which was massive! I had a lasagna and salad.
After lunch, we returned to the park to visit the reptile house, which had some amazing snakes, including a large variety of vipers! And I got to cuddle a boa constrictor, who was very amiable.
Needless to say, exhausted, I returned to my hostel, and the others left for Cumbaya to return to their host home. Upon returning to my room, I took off my shirt - to find my entire right shoulder, all the way down to my elbow covered in a bright red rash - and I rather thought that was not good. Checking for bites, and realising I had none, I retraced my steps to what may have caused this reaction... and found myself looking at the tube of antibiotic cream. Sure enough, written in the directions was a warning that if allergic to the active ingredients, one may find a rash appear....hhmm.
So, more than likely setting a record for the earliest call to the International SOS that we have been subscribed to through the university, I called and requested some medical advice, which was readily given by a very nice doctor. Anyway, the rash cleared up over night, and the cream went away, after making a very bold note in my notebook of the active ingredients and highlighting the fact I had an allergic reaction to those ingredients. Not going there again!
Unfortunately, another rather sleepless and jet lagged night followed. The next morning (Saturday) I comically stumbled on the other Australian student who would be studying the marine biology track with me, and we introduced ourselves, had breakfast, and headed off to the shops to grab a few things, before meeting the others in the Historical Centre of Quito - which, in a word, is stunning!!! After a wonderful morning there, Merric and I returned to the hostel, stopping for lunch on the way, to wait for our host families. My host parents arrived first, and needless to say, they were amazing! Such lovely welcoming people. I am so blessed to be staying with them, and their son and his wife. They are all really lovely people, and I could not have asked for a kinder host family. They took me to their home and introduced me to where I would be spending the next month, fed me and showed me to my room, which is really lovely. Later that evening, my lovely American housemate Ashleigh arrived. I was so excited when we were all together, as I was a tad nervous that perhaps my host family, or my housemate, or even all of the above would not like me. But we all get on really well!!!
Today (Sunday) our Spanish mother and father took us to Mitad del Mundo - the Middle of the World - where I stood on the Equator, and in both the Southern and Northern Hemispheres at the same time :) It was ridiculously awesome! We then came home and had lunch, which was cooked by Antonio and Susana's lovely son Ricardo, who, by the by, is an AMAZING chef!!!! The food was wonderful, and we had a lovely chat. I am really enjoying our chats with Antonio and Susana, they are teaching us so much Spanish and being so kind with our fumbling, especially mine, as Ashleigh has much better Spanish than mine. But I am really looking forward to improving. I just keep swapping into French, as there are so many words that are either similar, or exactly the same!!
Well, that is about all for now, if you have managed to stay with me this entire post, then wow, that's amazing and I appreciate your interest in my happenings - if you couldn't do the whole thing, I really really don't blame you, it's a rather long rambling!! Tomorrow, we have our first day of orientation, and it is rather late here, though my body is still on Aussie time. So I should head off
Buenos noches!! Hasta pronto!
Ciao!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Los Angeles pit stop
Well, we meet once again on the field of blogging. This time, my blog will play host to the updates from my trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos, and then the UK. My friend and I are embarking on an epic adventure in the name of scientific study - well, university scientific study :P we're off on exchange for marine biology/zoology!
We had a pretty comfy flight over, the A380 planes are very comfortable and qantas definitely spoiled us in terms of food, that is for sure! There were plenty of good movies and tv shows to watch and keep us occupied for the 14 hour haul. And there were many moments of yoga at the back of the plane, trying to stretch out and loosen our tight muscles. All in all, the flight went smoothly, except for a smidge of turbulence, which is always good fun.
We have now made it to our accommodation and are comfortably plopped on the beds enjoying the feeling of spreading out after a long flight, and a long wait in customs and immigration. So this is phase one of the trip over! Our next phase is in a day or so, when we head off for another two flights to take us down to Ecuador.
So for the moment, we'll figure out what to see and do while in LA, and definitely catch up on some sleep!! And it was pretty awesome as we got to go back in time, so you can call me the time lord :P
Hope everyone back home is well!!! I will update again soon
God bless!
Annie
We had a pretty comfy flight over, the A380 planes are very comfortable and qantas definitely spoiled us in terms of food, that is for sure! There were plenty of good movies and tv shows to watch and keep us occupied for the 14 hour haul. And there were many moments of yoga at the back of the plane, trying to stretch out and loosen our tight muscles. All in all, the flight went smoothly, except for a smidge of turbulence, which is always good fun.
We have now made it to our accommodation and are comfortably plopped on the beds enjoying the feeling of spreading out after a long flight, and a long wait in customs and immigration. So this is phase one of the trip over! Our next phase is in a day or so, when we head off for another two flights to take us down to Ecuador.
So for the moment, we'll figure out what to see and do while in LA, and definitely catch up on some sleep!! And it was pretty awesome as we got to go back in time, so you can call me the time lord :P
Hope everyone back home is well!!! I will update again soon
God bless!
Annie
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Another ending, another beginning
Wowzers - I cannot believe it is the end of another year of uni! My gosh, I am now 2/3 of the way through my degree. It has been a crazy semester, with ups - and lots of downs.....but quite a few ups... it's been hectic to say the least. But I have really enjoyed my subjects this semester, and have loved the learning process! Marine conservation biology was by far the best subject I have ever taken! Loved it sooooo much! Assignments were crazy this semester, there was lots to hand in and only a few times to take a breath, but it is all over and done with now. All over red rover. Still trying to get my head around the fact that another year has pretty much flown by.
My last exam was last Saturday, so I have been enjoying the bliss of no study, and the slight boredom - but I think it's just adjusting to not having to be running off to lectures, or finishing assignments and all that jazz. Sure I will get over the boredom shortly :D especially with so much to organise for next year, which brings me to my next big announcement.....
I'M OFF TO THE GALAPAGOS OFFICIALLY!!!!! Today I got my official acceptance into the exchange program from my host uni in Ecuador - so it is all official, I am off for a semester of awesome adventures and most excellent study and experiences. I am so excited to be off again, it has been over two years since I was overseas, and I was definitely getting itchy feet to head off again and explore more of this awesome world!!!
So, once again, this blog will become privy to the exciting (here's hoping :P) tales of overseas travels! *pauses for applause*
So anyway, that's a quick update from me, keep an eye out as the posts will be coming more frequently now that semester has finished, especially once I am overseas!!!
Cheers to all! God bless!
My last exam was last Saturday, so I have been enjoying the bliss of no study, and the slight boredom - but I think it's just adjusting to not having to be running off to lectures, or finishing assignments and all that jazz. Sure I will get over the boredom shortly :D especially with so much to organise for next year, which brings me to my next big announcement.....
I'M OFF TO THE GALAPAGOS OFFICIALLY!!!!! Today I got my official acceptance into the exchange program from my host uni in Ecuador - so it is all official, I am off for a semester of awesome adventures and most excellent study and experiences. I am so excited to be off again, it has been over two years since I was overseas, and I was definitely getting itchy feet to head off again and explore more of this awesome world!!!
So, once again, this blog will become privy to the exciting (here's hoping :P) tales of overseas travels! *pauses for applause*
So anyway, that's a quick update from me, keep an eye out as the posts will be coming more frequently now that semester has finished, especially once I am overseas!!!
Cheers to all! God bless!
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Arting around
On another note, are any of you out in the weird and wacky cyber-verse at all artistically inclined? Perhaps you may share my view as to how wonderful it is to be able to create from your imagination, and to just have a release :D this week, I have had a few dabbles, as uni has not been overly condusive to artistic endeavours, but even then, I try to sneak a few drawings or paintings in every now and again :D
Funny how tastes change
Well, I never would have guessed it - but I have become a bit of a doctor who fan - now before you send me for a CT scan, it is only the David Tennant Doctor that I enjoy, the new guy....ugh, just not really doing it for me.
But yes, for many years, I was adamant, that it was a silly little show and lacking in any sort of decent acting....well, admittedly some of the acting is still pretty lacking, and I seriously cannot look at the Daleks without laughing my head off....but....I may....or may not.....but at the moment, more than likely.....be quite fond of the three seasons in which the doctor is played by David Tennant - he's very cute, naturally, but he plays the character so well! I mean, it's hysterical to watch the doctor when played by him.
Yes, my week has been such that the most exciting thing to happen was my conversion to liking - key word liking, not in love with like Sherlock, cause that's just awesome! - Doctor Who.
Next weekend I shan't be blogging until Sunday, as I am off diving - woohoo! love getting out into the water, shall be remarkably wonderful!!!
So, on that note, cheerio!!!
I hope you all have a wonderful week
And some thoughtful words for the week ahead:
But yes, for many years, I was adamant, that it was a silly little show and lacking in any sort of decent acting....well, admittedly some of the acting is still pretty lacking, and I seriously cannot look at the Daleks without laughing my head off....but....I may....or may not.....but at the moment, more than likely.....be quite fond of the three seasons in which the doctor is played by David Tennant - he's very cute, naturally, but he plays the character so well! I mean, it's hysterical to watch the doctor when played by him.
Yes, my week has been such that the most exciting thing to happen was my conversion to liking - key word liking, not in love with like Sherlock, cause that's just awesome! - Doctor Who.
Next weekend I shan't be blogging until Sunday, as I am off diving - woohoo! love getting out into the water, shall be remarkably wonderful!!!
So, on that note, cheerio!!!
I hope you all have a wonderful week
And some thoughtful words for the week ahead:
God bless :)
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Commitment
I have decided, I shall commit to blogging at least once a week, I shall make Saaturday my mandatory 'must write a random blog about something' day. I was always terrible at keeping a diary, but I do really want to seriously give blogging a go. So, if you are an avid reader......if there are any....Saturday afternoon shall bring forth at least one new blog post from yours truly....
Yes, that shall work nicely :)
Yes, that shall work nicely :)
A ramble on life
I can honestly say I am a terrible blogger. I mean, not that I have an avid fan base or any such, but I am rather slack at updating my blog. So I though, what the hell, I shall write a rambling piece about life lately.
It has been rather crazy, but a little crazy in life is good, it keeps things interesting and exciting. I still have my amazing family and friends. And I am still happily walking that winding path of life, with its dips and dives and its weaves and soaring moments.
I have found myself recently quite reflective upon the funny state we sometimes find ourselves in - those moments of pure self doubt, where you wonder of your worth, and you retreat inside for a while, not really thinking you're 'all that' and quiet happy to slide through without being seen. We all go through such stages, I am sure, it's a part of finding yourself - trying to really be ok with yourself, no matter your insecurities - I should know, I am the queen of insecurities, if there was a little isle named insecure-ville, I would reign supreme over it. But it is a part of the journey. I mean, think about it - you can't say that it is only the good experiences in life that mould you and shape you - it is the negative experiences, the bullying in school, or the snide remarks someone may make, the judgements passed without getting to properly know you - believe me, I have had these. And I think, at some point, you have to be able to push past them, and believe that regardless of what anyone else thinks, God made you, to be you, not what society or some group of people believe you should be.
I know it is easy to say and hard to act upon, I was often on the receiving end of quick judgements based on things I believed in. But God made me a strong, independent thinker, and gave me the ability to make my own choices, and to choose my path in life. He gave me obstacles, and helped me through them. And He graced me with wonderful soaring moments of life, which are ever abundant and continue. He gifted me with a beautiful family, parents that I love dearly, and with an amazing bunch of friends that continue to bless my life every day that I know them.
I recently thought back to my time in Tanzania, the amazing faith of those who many would think had little to be thankful for, as they experience things that many will never understand. And to think of their faith, their smiles - it really helps to put things in perspective. We are each graced with this amazing thing called life - and some of us do have it tougher. But I think we are just as strong for things challenges. If you can meet these challenges head on, take it with a smile, then they never seem so difficult. As cliche as it may seem, there is always something to smile about and there is always a reason for everything. I personally do not believe we are simply specks of matter that just happened to form together - I believe there is a greater purpose to everything, and that there are no simple coincidences. Some think this stupid - others question how a Christian could possibly become a scientist. But, everyone must make their own decisions, and draw their own conclusions. I will happily bring anyone to the word of God, but I will not inflict it upon anyone who does not choose to hear it, nor will I pass any sort of judgement. It is not for me to do. I sometimes wish we could have more people that could feel this way, and that we could see past silly prejudices.
On another note, I am thoroughly excited to see where life takes me next year on my exchange to the Galapagos - another whirlwind adventure I am blessed to undertake!
Once again, an exceptionally random rambling (I hold true to my blogs name) that I have no idea if anyone will ever read - but I think in a way, it is a touch more therapeutic for me to get my thoughts out and in some sort of sensible order.
Yeah
Well
Til next time we should meet :)
God bless to all - and keep believing in yourselves, as God does. And as I do to all people. There is something worthwhile in everyone, if only you take the time to look :)
Cheerio
It has been rather crazy, but a little crazy in life is good, it keeps things interesting and exciting. I still have my amazing family and friends. And I am still happily walking that winding path of life, with its dips and dives and its weaves and soaring moments.
I have found myself recently quite reflective upon the funny state we sometimes find ourselves in - those moments of pure self doubt, where you wonder of your worth, and you retreat inside for a while, not really thinking you're 'all that' and quiet happy to slide through without being seen. We all go through such stages, I am sure, it's a part of finding yourself - trying to really be ok with yourself, no matter your insecurities - I should know, I am the queen of insecurities, if there was a little isle named insecure-ville, I would reign supreme over it. But it is a part of the journey. I mean, think about it - you can't say that it is only the good experiences in life that mould you and shape you - it is the negative experiences, the bullying in school, or the snide remarks someone may make, the judgements passed without getting to properly know you - believe me, I have had these. And I think, at some point, you have to be able to push past them, and believe that regardless of what anyone else thinks, God made you, to be you, not what society or some group of people believe you should be.
I know it is easy to say and hard to act upon, I was often on the receiving end of quick judgements based on things I believed in. But God made me a strong, independent thinker, and gave me the ability to make my own choices, and to choose my path in life. He gave me obstacles, and helped me through them. And He graced me with wonderful soaring moments of life, which are ever abundant and continue. He gifted me with a beautiful family, parents that I love dearly, and with an amazing bunch of friends that continue to bless my life every day that I know them.
I recently thought back to my time in Tanzania, the amazing faith of those who many would think had little to be thankful for, as they experience things that many will never understand. And to think of their faith, their smiles - it really helps to put things in perspective. We are each graced with this amazing thing called life - and some of us do have it tougher. But I think we are just as strong for things challenges. If you can meet these challenges head on, take it with a smile, then they never seem so difficult. As cliche as it may seem, there is always something to smile about and there is always a reason for everything. I personally do not believe we are simply specks of matter that just happened to form together - I believe there is a greater purpose to everything, and that there are no simple coincidences. Some think this stupid - others question how a Christian could possibly become a scientist. But, everyone must make their own decisions, and draw their own conclusions. I will happily bring anyone to the word of God, but I will not inflict it upon anyone who does not choose to hear it, nor will I pass any sort of judgement. It is not for me to do. I sometimes wish we could have more people that could feel this way, and that we could see past silly prejudices.
On another note, I am thoroughly excited to see where life takes me next year on my exchange to the Galapagos - another whirlwind adventure I am blessed to undertake!
Once again, an exceptionally random rambling (I hold true to my blogs name) that I have no idea if anyone will ever read - but I think in a way, it is a touch more therapeutic for me to get my thoughts out and in some sort of sensible order.
Yeah
Well
Til next time we should meet :)
God bless to all - and keep believing in yourselves, as God does. And as I do to all people. There is something worthwhile in everyone, if only you take the time to look :)
Cheerio
Friday, May 25, 2012
The voices of those that want change
Well, the winner has been announced! Congratulations to Brittany from New Zealand, and to all of those who put themselves out there, and decided to make a change, and share the future we all want, and the future we need :) This is a compilation of all of the finalists, as well as the winner - I hope that Rio+ Earth Summit is finally where we stop promising to make change, and actually make change!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Having a say
Well, it has been a while since I updated my blog, I do apologise for my more avid followers - cough. To be honest, I have no idea if anyone reads my ramblings, most of the time I believe I am monologuing into cyber space, but hey, it is an awesome form of procrastination!
So, recently, I tried my hand at enterring a competition, for a chance to attend the UN Rio+20 Earth Summit in June. I was very lucky to be selected as a finalist, and while I didn't win, it was an awesome experience, and sort of got me mostly over the fear of embarassing myself over the internet (for those that may feel the need, above is the video I submitted). But this got me really thinking - how amazing it would be to inspire people and even possibly have the opportuniy to inspire some sort of change. Everyone I am sure at some point dreams about being able to make change, to create something for a bigger purpose, I certainly know I still have that dream. It got me very much thinking about the power we all possess. Everyone has power, the ability to make change, inspire, to uplift and to empower others. I think sometimes we need to flex these muscles a bit more, and encourage those around us. If we can remember that there is a bigger purpose in life, and live not only for our own personal gain for the benefit of others, and of our world - well what a place that would be :)
Maybe I am being an idealist, as some would say, and being completely unrealistic - that sort of thinking is ilogical and crazy. But I challenge you - wasn't it idealism that put man on the moon? That inspired us to dream and act on our dreams, to create and invent - how many people I wonder said that the thought of people flying in the air was unrealistic, a complete fantasy. And yet here we are, using planes everyday! It is never wrong to be an idealist and to dream big :) Let nothing hold you down! And use your amazing voice to empower, not to degrade!! Don't focus on what you don't have, but what amazing gifts and blessings you DO have! Don't focus on the latest trends, or keeping up with the kardashians, or who is holding hands with whom, or the fact that someone was wearing a coat more than once - in the end, does this better ourselves??? The Power is Yours, to quote one of my all time favourite TV shows, Captain Planet.
Well, I hope my little rambling has potentially given you all something to think about. Until my next outburst,
Annie
So, recently, I tried my hand at enterring a competition, for a chance to attend the UN Rio+20 Earth Summit in June. I was very lucky to be selected as a finalist, and while I didn't win, it was an awesome experience, and sort of got me mostly over the fear of embarassing myself over the internet (for those that may feel the need, above is the video I submitted). But this got me really thinking - how amazing it would be to inspire people and even possibly have the opportuniy to inspire some sort of change. Everyone I am sure at some point dreams about being able to make change, to create something for a bigger purpose, I certainly know I still have that dream. It got me very much thinking about the power we all possess. Everyone has power, the ability to make change, inspire, to uplift and to empower others. I think sometimes we need to flex these muscles a bit more, and encourage those around us. If we can remember that there is a bigger purpose in life, and live not only for our own personal gain for the benefit of others, and of our world - well what a place that would be :)
Maybe I am being an idealist, as some would say, and being completely unrealistic - that sort of thinking is ilogical and crazy. But I challenge you - wasn't it idealism that put man on the moon? That inspired us to dream and act on our dreams, to create and invent - how many people I wonder said that the thought of people flying in the air was unrealistic, a complete fantasy. And yet here we are, using planes everyday! It is never wrong to be an idealist and to dream big :) Let nothing hold you down! And use your amazing voice to empower, not to degrade!! Don't focus on what you don't have, but what amazing gifts and blessings you DO have! Don't focus on the latest trends, or keeping up with the kardashians, or who is holding hands with whom, or the fact that someone was wearing a coat more than once - in the end, does this better ourselves??? The Power is Yours, to quote one of my all time favourite TV shows, Captain Planet.
Well, I hope my little rambling has potentially given you all something to think about. Until my next outburst,
Annie
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Galapagos!
Now, although it is a while off, I am just too excited about this - at JCU you can choose to study abroad for one or two semesters. As a marine biologist in the making, naturally, I was going to take advantage of this opportunity (and the fact I am addicted to travel and adventure may also have something to do with it :P). One of the Universities that students can exchange with, is San Francisco De Quito, in Ecuador. And the majority of the exchange is spent - you guessed it - on the Galapagos Islands!!!! I have already submitted my application and have been accepted! So while it is still a fair way off, as I am not going on exchange until first semester of my third year, I am just too excited!!! Following in the footsteps of Darwin, I will be privileged to live there for a few months and see one of the true, and slowly disappearing, wonders of the natural world!!! Does the dance!
So then, I am happy to announce that my blog will once again be privy to the travel adventures that are sure to come, and that once again I will be off, to see another little corner of the Earth :D
On another note, exams and assignments SUCK!
that is all
So then, I am happy to announce that my blog will once again be privy to the travel adventures that are sure to come, and that once again I will be off, to see another little corner of the Earth :D
On another note, exams and assignments SUCK!
that is all
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
further ramblings
On an exceptionally happy note, I come off the crutches this week, which brings me great happiness! I am so excited, I am practically bouncing around on my crutches - very ready to come off them and start walking again, I am pretty sure the fracture has healed well and I am on the final stretch on the road of recovery - so party at my place! not really, I was joking
Uni is so hectic at the moment, everywhere I look I either have an essay, a report, a practical test, an exam or just general study and catching up on notes - there are not enough hours in the day. That being said, you may say why am I blogging if I am so busy. Well, I need a break. so there. But it has definitely hit that part of the semester where it's all hell breaking loose. And exams are not that far away at all, about a month now until the carnage begins, so brace yourselves as I am positive that I will be ranting an raving about exams.
Apart from that, life is good. I haven't had any mind blowing epiphanies lately, so i am afraid I am lacking in any sort of wisdom-giving this fine evening. Except to say that we humans are an interesting and complicated species. I mean, take a moment to look around you - watch interactions, observe people around you. I am not saying, "go forth and stalk", that is definitely not cool. But take a moment to look at the way we interact in our world, with each other and with other things that inhabit this crazy but beautiful place. And then look at our potential, both for creation and destruction. Sometimes I think, while we have both, we're tipping a little more towards the destruction side. that being said, we must be careful in our pursuit of creation and fixing our wrongs, for if they are done in the wrong way, it could cause even further destruction. There are many things going on around the world, such as the plans to place 60 dams along the Amazon river - it's in situations like those where I get upset with our species. Our greed can sometimes be seen to drive some of us more than others, and without any thought for consequence, we do things to benefit us. We don't think of the repercussions further down the line, whateve works here and now, we choose. Now I am not all doom and gloom, there are many who do not show these characteristics, but unfortunately the majority of people that do, are in some sort of position of influence and power. It has been said that the world will be a much better plae when the love of power is replaced by the power of love. We all have goodness within us, I am not one to believe that some people are inherently evil - everyone has some spark, not matter how small of crushed it may be - and people need to make sure that they keep stoking the flames, not allowing these sparks of goodness to be smothered by the muck of greed. Now, I am a realist, but at the same time an idealist. I know that we will never all agree - there are 6 billion of us here - for everyone of us to agree would be nothing short of a miracle. But it is our diversity, our opinions, that give such joy to life, the joy of pursuing knowledge, our curiousity - all of these things make the world that much more interesting. I mean, let's face it, if we were all the same, well, it would be pretty boring! God was wise in His plans and has given us all wonderful minds that are inquisitive and seeking.
Not sure where I was going with that. but there is my little philosophical squirt for the evening, even though I said I didn't have anything - my bad. Well, it's not really much, just ramblings. But if you've been reading my blog from the beginning, well, then you'll definitely be used to the bizarre things I blurt out.
Cheerio
Uni is so hectic at the moment, everywhere I look I either have an essay, a report, a practical test, an exam or just general study and catching up on notes - there are not enough hours in the day. That being said, you may say why am I blogging if I am so busy. Well, I need a break. so there. But it has definitely hit that part of the semester where it's all hell breaking loose. And exams are not that far away at all, about a month now until the carnage begins, so brace yourselves as I am positive that I will be ranting an raving about exams.
Apart from that, life is good. I haven't had any mind blowing epiphanies lately, so i am afraid I am lacking in any sort of wisdom-giving this fine evening. Except to say that we humans are an interesting and complicated species. I mean, take a moment to look around you - watch interactions, observe people around you. I am not saying, "go forth and stalk", that is definitely not cool. But take a moment to look at the way we interact in our world, with each other and with other things that inhabit this crazy but beautiful place. And then look at our potential, both for creation and destruction. Sometimes I think, while we have both, we're tipping a little more towards the destruction side. that being said, we must be careful in our pursuit of creation and fixing our wrongs, for if they are done in the wrong way, it could cause even further destruction. There are many things going on around the world, such as the plans to place 60 dams along the Amazon river - it's in situations like those where I get upset with our species. Our greed can sometimes be seen to drive some of us more than others, and without any thought for consequence, we do things to benefit us. We don't think of the repercussions further down the line, whateve works here and now, we choose. Now I am not all doom and gloom, there are many who do not show these characteristics, but unfortunately the majority of people that do, are in some sort of position of influence and power. It has been said that the world will be a much better plae when the love of power is replaced by the power of love. We all have goodness within us, I am not one to believe that some people are inherently evil - everyone has some spark, not matter how small of crushed it may be - and people need to make sure that they keep stoking the flames, not allowing these sparks of goodness to be smothered by the muck of greed. Now, I am a realist, but at the same time an idealist. I know that we will never all agree - there are 6 billion of us here - for everyone of us to agree would be nothing short of a miracle. But it is our diversity, our opinions, that give such joy to life, the joy of pursuing knowledge, our curiousity - all of these things make the world that much more interesting. I mean, let's face it, if we were all the same, well, it would be pretty boring! God was wise in His plans and has given us all wonderful minds that are inquisitive and seeking.
Not sure where I was going with that. but there is my little philosophical squirt for the evening, even though I said I didn't have anything - my bad. Well, it's not really much, just ramblings. But if you've been reading my blog from the beginning, well, then you'll definitely be used to the bizarre things I blurt out.
Cheerio
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
grades
What is it that drives people to excellence? What is it that drives a uni student to the brink of insanity in pursuit of those elusive grades of D and HD? Why is it so many of us need to be the best? I am one of these students, who is not happy unless the marks are phenomenal. A wise woman - my mother - told me to not put so much pressure on myself, and yet here I am, after receiving one bad mark, and feeling so down about it. And I started thinking about what it is that gets us here in the first place. So many other people I know are like me....I'm not saying it's bad, but maybe we do put too much pressure on ourselves?
But even as I make this admission (shock horror) I know I can be fairly hypocritical and while telling people that it is ok to not get amazing marks all the time, I will die a little inside when it happens. And I know I will go right back to expecting amazing marks from myself, even if I have had time off uni, or for any other reason.
So it begs the question - why? Where does this insufferable need for excellence come from? You might think I wasn't hugged enough as a child or something like that, but I was, and I was always encouraged and had a very supporting family - so where does this psycopathic need for a good mark come from???
Are we trying to show that we are the best, that we can handle anything thrown at us?
Is it some attempt to prove ourselves to others? Or is it trying to prove ourselves - to us?
And even when we say "it's ok, there is only improving from here on, and the only place we can go from here is up.." well.....do we ever end up believing it? I am not so sure.
We'll help our friends, tell them it is ok, it is just onebad grade, but do they, and do we, even believe it in our heads? Are we to the point in our society where being the best, getting the best grades is the be-all-and-end-all of university?
Now, I am not trying to sound like some depressed bum, but today it just really got me thinking about why so many of us are like this, and desperately desire what we term the be 'the good marks'.
Food for thought.
But even as I make this admission (shock horror) I know I can be fairly hypocritical and while telling people that it is ok to not get amazing marks all the time, I will die a little inside when it happens. And I know I will go right back to expecting amazing marks from myself, even if I have had time off uni, or for any other reason.
So it begs the question - why? Where does this insufferable need for excellence come from? You might think I wasn't hugged enough as a child or something like that, but I was, and I was always encouraged and had a very supporting family - so where does this psycopathic need for a good mark come from???
Are we trying to show that we are the best, that we can handle anything thrown at us?
Is it some attempt to prove ourselves to others? Or is it trying to prove ourselves - to us?
And even when we say "it's ok, there is only improving from here on, and the only place we can go from here is up.." well.....do we ever end up believing it? I am not so sure.
We'll help our friends, tell them it is ok, it is just onebad grade, but do they, and do we, even believe it in our heads? Are we to the point in our society where being the best, getting the best grades is the be-all-and-end-all of university?
Now, I am not trying to sound like some depressed bum, but today it just really got me thinking about why so many of us are like this, and desperately desire what we term the be 'the good marks'.
Food for thought.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
One of my friends shared this image with me - well, needless to say, such logic must be passed around. It sometimes reminds me of being a student, how we're always expected to think outside the quadrilateral parallelogram in which we live our lives - well, I would love to see the face of a professor if you answered with something along these lines :P
Nah, my professors are awesome .. but still......I wonder if such a smart alec comment would work well in an exam...... kidding
tales from the North
well well well.....we meet again, on the field of blogging. It has been a rather long time since I have done this - so forgive me, I am a tad rusty. It has been over a year now since my trip to Tanzania - this time last year, I was wandering around France and about to head off to Finland.....sometimes I look back on that trip and wonder how on earth I actually managed it. but it was an awesome experience. I have now enterred the new awesome experience of my life - university!
ENTER DRAMATIC MUSIC
Now now, no need to be so melodramatic- currently, it is not that different to my senior years at school....IB......shudders.....
Moving on - so, I successfully manouvered myself through first semester and am currently enjoying my second semester at uni. This year has been full of surprises for me - I think karma was after me from last year - because I had such amazing luck with my travels last year, this year was time for a bit of change. At the end of last year, in a foolhardy move, I managed to (what we believed at the time) sprain my ankle...quite severely....ending with me on crutches for 9 weeks, seeing doctors and a surgeon and then extensive physio. So, i though, sweet, road to recovery......wrong! lady luck had another idea. While down for the mid year break, I decided to have it looked at again as it was still sore and stiff and just alround annoying. So after multiple scans, and once I am back at uni, I receive a call.. on a monday morning....something like this
hello is this annie?
*looks at watch, 8:30 am....do I want to be Annie at this time of morning?* Yes, it is?
jolly good. yeah, look, the doctor has seen your scans, you need surgery... can you come in on wednesday?
.....I'm in Queensland.....
...Oh
*awkward turtle moment*
so anyway, after some very quick planning, I managed to get myself down for the surgery and all was hunky dory. surgery.....such a strange word.....and the gassy stuff, knocks you right out - literally! and keeps you rather out of it after the surgery...especially when they give you morphine...... :P
So currently still on crutches and hobbling around, i will be able to start to learn to walk again in just under a month, which is very exciting for me
On another note, uni in general - awesome :D college is amazing, I have made some of the most wonderfully awesome friends here - even found my doppleganger, it is insane!!!! she is awesome and every day I am reminded how lucky I am to have so many wonderful people that comprise my college/uni family. Life is truly good!
Uni work is pretty good, and I am enjoying my subjects - especially because I only had to do chemistry in first semester...now, don't go all hatin on me, it is a very interesting subject and I am sure if....certain things were different, I would have enjoyed it and appreciated it a lot more, but as I did not to chem in highschool, and only did prepchem for a few weeks before uni, being thrown in the deep end in a subject you have only just started understanding ... well, it can suck and potentially lead to a deteste of said subject. That being said, i did enjoy knowing about how things work - just not the whole "I'm assessing you so you better do well or else" sort of ..... pressure. But i had my awesome doppleganger and a plethora of other friends to help me through.
What else....what else......we have had a cat explosion at home, have I mentioned this? well, we went from one cat to three last year, and then this year y father found another abandoned kitten. so now, we're part way to becoming the crazy old cat people with 4 cats in the house. but it is fun.
Living away from home has its perks but it also has its cons. I do miss home quite a bit, and the comforts of home, like a hug from mum, or cuddling the cats. but again, I am really enjoying the uni experience.
And considering I have uni tomorrow, I suppose I should be a responsible student and go sleep....or should I????? my sleep patterns suck right now, not going to lie :P
anywho, that is a short update from me, hopefully I will be back on my blog more often, so expect some very random ramblings in the coming months :D
cheers!
Annie
ENTER DRAMATIC MUSIC
Now now, no need to be so melodramatic- currently, it is not that different to my senior years at school....IB......shudders.....
Moving on - so, I successfully manouvered myself through first semester and am currently enjoying my second semester at uni. This year has been full of surprises for me - I think karma was after me from last year - because I had such amazing luck with my travels last year, this year was time for a bit of change. At the end of last year, in a foolhardy move, I managed to (what we believed at the time) sprain my ankle...quite severely....ending with me on crutches for 9 weeks, seeing doctors and a surgeon and then extensive physio. So, i though, sweet, road to recovery......wrong! lady luck had another idea. While down for the mid year break, I decided to have it looked at again as it was still sore and stiff and just alround annoying. So after multiple scans, and once I am back at uni, I receive a call.. on a monday morning....something like this
hello is this annie?
*looks at watch, 8:30 am....do I want to be Annie at this time of morning?* Yes, it is?
jolly good. yeah, look, the doctor has seen your scans, you need surgery... can you come in on wednesday?
.....I'm in Queensland.....
...Oh
*awkward turtle moment*
so anyway, after some very quick planning, I managed to get myself down for the surgery and all was hunky dory. surgery.....such a strange word.....and the gassy stuff, knocks you right out - literally! and keeps you rather out of it after the surgery...especially when they give you morphine...... :P
So currently still on crutches and hobbling around, i will be able to start to learn to walk again in just under a month, which is very exciting for me
On another note, uni in general - awesome :D college is amazing, I have made some of the most wonderfully awesome friends here - even found my doppleganger, it is insane!!!! she is awesome and every day I am reminded how lucky I am to have so many wonderful people that comprise my college/uni family. Life is truly good!
Uni work is pretty good, and I am enjoying my subjects - especially because I only had to do chemistry in first semester...now, don't go all hatin on me, it is a very interesting subject and I am sure if....certain things were different, I would have enjoyed it and appreciated it a lot more, but as I did not to chem in highschool, and only did prepchem for a few weeks before uni, being thrown in the deep end in a subject you have only just started understanding ... well, it can suck and potentially lead to a deteste of said subject. That being said, i did enjoy knowing about how things work - just not the whole "I'm assessing you so you better do well or else" sort of ..... pressure. But i had my awesome doppleganger and a plethora of other friends to help me through.
What else....what else......we have had a cat explosion at home, have I mentioned this? well, we went from one cat to three last year, and then this year y father found another abandoned kitten. so now, we're part way to becoming the crazy old cat people with 4 cats in the house. but it is fun.
Living away from home has its perks but it also has its cons. I do miss home quite a bit, and the comforts of home, like a hug from mum, or cuddling the cats. but again, I am really enjoying the uni experience.
And considering I have uni tomorrow, I suppose I should be a responsible student and go sleep....or should I????? my sleep patterns suck right now, not going to lie :P
anywho, that is a short update from me, hopefully I will be back on my blog more often, so expect some very random ramblings in the coming months :D
cheers!
Annie
Thursday, October 14, 2010
the return
sorry for not blogging during england, i have been on the go all the time - all i can say is that I have had such an incredible time but I am exhausted after running around the UK for nearly a month - it has all been fantastic and wonderful, I have felt so independent and just all round, has been one of the best experiences of my life - this whole trip has really, I have had so many varying experiences and it has been wonderful. I am looking forward to going home, but I think I ma going to miss living out of my tortoise shell (Backpack) and being in a new place every couple of days or having a new adventure every day. But there are plenty of adventures waiting at home for me, I have uni next year and have so many things to look forward to - life is amazing.
if this trip has taught me anything, it is to always laugh, cry, explore, dream and do. I have learnt so much these past months. It has been great
my final blog from overseas, see you all back home.
Annie xx
if this trip has taught me anything, it is to always laugh, cry, explore, dream and do. I have learnt so much these past months. It has been great
my final blog from overseas, see you all back home.
Annie xx
Friday, September 24, 2010
'ello guvna! it's England!
Greetings and salutations
Sorry for the lack of blogging during Finland - I was having too much fun for the computer :P Basically, I had one of the best weeks of my life in Finland, a beautiful country spending heaps of time with an awesome friend - good times, good times. Hiking in the forest was really good fun, I got to learn some Finnish sign language which was very very good fun, I went horse riding on Finnish horses in the forest *chorus of Heavenly angels descend and start singing while Annie looks dramatically off into the distance remember the ride* and scene.
But in all seriousness, it was such an amazing week - sauna in Finland, as well as milk, is very big, and I braved the 75-80 degree wood rooms and actually found that for the cold weather outside, sitting in the sauna was very very nice. When I left Finland a week later, it didn't feel like a week, it had gone much too quickly for my liking - next time i shall have to come in the winter as I would imagine that it would look quite different than what I saw.
So, the jetsetter I am, I hoped on more planes and made my way over to England, or as my British friends say, the 'motherland' - landed in London and got myself through all ok - I need a UK passport though, the immigration line for all other nations was ridiculously long. Then you get up to the desk and realise that it is an exceptionally small world when talking with your immigration officer, you reveal you are going to university in Townsville and lo and behold, he knows Townsville. Very small world. So once I was through Immigration, finally, I could grab my bags, and quite literally it was the quickest baggage retrieval I have ever had, as just as I walked through the door it went past me, so I grabbed it and was off to customs. Now I went into the hallway that said things to declare, and as I walked through, thinking surely England would be like Australia in terms of customs and quarantine - the customs was closed. what the?......
This nice lady popped out of a door and was just like
.....oh, do you have things to declare??
....wood, seeds, food, knives
...do you have any meat?
...no
...do you have any animals?
...no
any jewellry or gifts worth over 390 pounds?
....no
...off you go then
....
So off I went, now understanding that Australia is in a league of its own in terms of customs and quarantine. I must admit though, when I get back to Australia, I am going to be so desperate to get out of the airport to see my family, I think I may just have to make a run for it as the process is sooooooooooo long
Anyway, got myself to the underground, got a ticket on the tube which for being underground has a surprisingly large amount of above ground sections - then i jumped off at Earl's Court, walked to my hostel and voila, hey presto, I had a bed and a locker and practically collapsed on my bed - I was exhausted.
I went out in search of food, did a little exploring and then crashed for the night. The next day, I walked towards Tottenham Court Station from Earl's Court, passing through Hyde Park, walking past the hard rock cafe, the ritz hotel, west end theatres, ending up at the British Museum where I got to see - guess - the Rosetta Stone! woot, it was sooo cool!! I as in full geek mode then. :D
after I finished at the museum I went and met my friend James who showed me all over the rest of London, taking me to Buckingham Palace, to see the guards, to Big Ben, the Westminster Abbey, Parliament House, the Thames - it was a very busy day. I then went into the Tower of London and saw the tower bridge before returning to my hostel, packing and then crashing - a girl needs her sleep.
Next morning, I checked out of the hostel, realising that the next time I check out of this hostel it will be to go home. Now there is a weird thought. Home. Home has meant so many different things these past few months. Home has been camp in Tanzania for a very long time. Home has been where my friends have been. And soon, home will once again be home, with my family.
:)
I got to Waterloo Station and sat waiting for my train to Weymouth and finally it was time to head off and begin the England hop. I was met at the station in Weymouth, after my 3 hour train ride by my cousin Dave and he showed me around Weymouth and took me to their house, where I met other relatives - I was then treated to my first English pub meal and then went and met Dave's brother. Yesterday, I went to Corfe Castle, to Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door, and was driven all over and shown the beautiful county that is Dorset. I really love it here, the landscape is divine and it is very much what I had imagined England to be - and it is COLD! eep!
Today I wandered around the town of Weymouth and just took it all in, seeing the streets and wandering along the beach - I went to Nothe Fort and Brewers Quay and just had a very good morning before retreating back to the house as I was losing sensation to my ears and nose. Shortly I will be heading back out again to track down some old books stores :) life is very good. Heading to Exeter tomorrow and then on Sunday i head to Bath, after which I will keep you all informed of my adventures. 3 weeks and 2 days to go.
Kwaheri!
Annie
Sorry for the lack of blogging during Finland - I was having too much fun for the computer :P Basically, I had one of the best weeks of my life in Finland, a beautiful country spending heaps of time with an awesome friend - good times, good times. Hiking in the forest was really good fun, I got to learn some Finnish sign language which was very very good fun, I went horse riding on Finnish horses in the forest *chorus of Heavenly angels descend and start singing while Annie looks dramatically off into the distance remember the ride* and scene.
But in all seriousness, it was such an amazing week - sauna in Finland, as well as milk, is very big, and I braved the 75-80 degree wood rooms and actually found that for the cold weather outside, sitting in the sauna was very very nice. When I left Finland a week later, it didn't feel like a week, it had gone much too quickly for my liking - next time i shall have to come in the winter as I would imagine that it would look quite different than what I saw.
So, the jetsetter I am, I hoped on more planes and made my way over to England, or as my British friends say, the 'motherland' - landed in London and got myself through all ok - I need a UK passport though, the immigration line for all other nations was ridiculously long. Then you get up to the desk and realise that it is an exceptionally small world when talking with your immigration officer, you reveal you are going to university in Townsville and lo and behold, he knows Townsville. Very small world. So once I was through Immigration, finally, I could grab my bags, and quite literally it was the quickest baggage retrieval I have ever had, as just as I walked through the door it went past me, so I grabbed it and was off to customs. Now I went into the hallway that said things to declare, and as I walked through, thinking surely England would be like Australia in terms of customs and quarantine - the customs was closed. what the?......
This nice lady popped out of a door and was just like
.....oh, do you have things to declare??
....wood, seeds, food, knives
...do you have any meat?
...no
...do you have any animals?
...no
any jewellry or gifts worth over 390 pounds?
....no
...off you go then
....
So off I went, now understanding that Australia is in a league of its own in terms of customs and quarantine. I must admit though, when I get back to Australia, I am going to be so desperate to get out of the airport to see my family, I think I may just have to make a run for it as the process is sooooooooooo long
Anyway, got myself to the underground, got a ticket on the tube which for being underground has a surprisingly large amount of above ground sections - then i jumped off at Earl's Court, walked to my hostel and voila, hey presto, I had a bed and a locker and practically collapsed on my bed - I was exhausted.
I went out in search of food, did a little exploring and then crashed for the night. The next day, I walked towards Tottenham Court Station from Earl's Court, passing through Hyde Park, walking past the hard rock cafe, the ritz hotel, west end theatres, ending up at the British Museum where I got to see - guess - the Rosetta Stone! woot, it was sooo cool!! I as in full geek mode then. :D
after I finished at the museum I went and met my friend James who showed me all over the rest of London, taking me to Buckingham Palace, to see the guards, to Big Ben, the Westminster Abbey, Parliament House, the Thames - it was a very busy day. I then went into the Tower of London and saw the tower bridge before returning to my hostel, packing and then crashing - a girl needs her sleep.
Next morning, I checked out of the hostel, realising that the next time I check out of this hostel it will be to go home. Now there is a weird thought. Home. Home has meant so many different things these past few months. Home has been camp in Tanzania for a very long time. Home has been where my friends have been. And soon, home will once again be home, with my family.
:)
I got to Waterloo Station and sat waiting for my train to Weymouth and finally it was time to head off and begin the England hop. I was met at the station in Weymouth, after my 3 hour train ride by my cousin Dave and he showed me around Weymouth and took me to their house, where I met other relatives - I was then treated to my first English pub meal and then went and met Dave's brother. Yesterday, I went to Corfe Castle, to Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door, and was driven all over and shown the beautiful county that is Dorset. I really love it here, the landscape is divine and it is very much what I had imagined England to be - and it is COLD! eep!
Today I wandered around the town of Weymouth and just took it all in, seeing the streets and wandering along the beach - I went to Nothe Fort and Brewers Quay and just had a very good morning before retreating back to the house as I was losing sensation to my ears and nose. Shortly I will be heading back out again to track down some old books stores :) life is very good. Heading to Exeter tomorrow and then on Sunday i head to Bath, after which I will keep you all informed of my adventures. 3 weeks and 2 days to go.
Kwaheri!
Annie
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