Reflection

History.  It's everywhere around us, history in the making.  We each have it in our own lives - things done or not done, decisions made for good or bad.  I've been thinking quite a bit about this recently, and I keep coming back to the well known conclusion - while our history is a part of who we are, it doesn't need to define our future.  For example just because you always did something a particular way or maybe didn't do it at all (like me with singing in front of people), doesn't mean that what you do all your life will follow that same method.  In fact its almost certain that at some stage there will be at least one thing you'll decide to do differently for a time.  I guess what this has once again brought to my attention, is how important it is not to judge people by their history, either known or probable, whether they're friends, family, acquaintances or a person you've never seen before.  Decisions made in the past unfortunately sometimes do effect the present, but if admitted they should have no bearing on the way we think or react towards those people in the future.  Likewise the impact of decisions of those around us, including decisions over which we have no control, should have no bearing on the way others think or react towards us in the present, or in time yet to come.  

From the prequel to the O'malley series, Sara says - 'It always came back to that.  Her past.  Would her future forever be held prisoner because of it?'  While this is fictional, this is what can and does happen to people in real life.  It can often lead to a life of distrust, with those people having no idea who they can turn to in times of trouble.

Personally, I'm glad that I know the friends I have are friends, not because of whats happened in the past for any of us, but rather because we care about one another, which is I think one of the keys to true friendship.  I can only imagine how demoralising it must be to those who have friends eventually admit their only basis of friendship was feeling sorry for what that person or others had done in the past.  

I'm not trying to say that history is of no importance, in fact history can be really interesting.  What I'm trying to say rather, is that we shouldn't be held/holding people prisoner to it.  I'm glad that I can talk with my friends about our lives knowing that no-one will be judged and it won't effect our friendship.  

Week in review

This past week has actually been relatively good.  Had the assessement on monday which went better than expected (ok so I probably said one sentence for every 6 that the person I was with for this assignment did, but at least the person marking said it was fine) just have to wait for the results now. 

Healthwise I appear to be back to normal too, with the final heart rate checks showing its at normal speed (rather than racing as much as it was just over a week ago) so I should be able to get a full week of Uni this week :)  really glad about that cause I hate being behind. Honestly this semester is just going so fast!  we're only bout 2 weeks away from mid semester break already.

Got to talk to Rapture Ruckus on Facebook yesterday so that was really awesome.  He's a really nice person, and has awesome music as a few people I can think of will agree :D.  Even though I have talked to him a few times before at a few of his concerts, it was still cool.

Today was definitely interesting.  Was leading the kids at church as normal but for a change I was playing the keyboard for them for music...and trying to teach them a few new songs at the same time.  Not much of a problem...til a few minutes before the start a microphone gets set up.  Now just in case you didn't know or have forgotten, its only since bout October last year that I haven't minded singing in front of people so much...but I've never had to with this group before, so that was definitely interesting.  As well as that I had an interesting time with the small group I was leading...particularly when one of the group asked - very seriously 'What was Abraham's surname?' as well as a few other similar questions.  I guess I should have expected it sooner or later - they're only young.

Anyway so overall it's been a really good week.  Hopefully this next week will be as good if not better :)

Back in time

The last few days have been....interesting,  particularly in that a small project from back at the beginning of year 11 has reappeared.  Thought I'd never see it again.  Don't know whether I really wanted to or not, but either way, its back.  That project is the ad our 'enrichment group' made for the ad awards (enrichment groups were the top 25 of each year level at the school).  Looking back, it really is kinda cliche, kinda overdone in terms of what we did, compared to what sorta things most ad companies use nowadays.   Anyway the topic of the year was about not getting involved in alcohol and/or drugs, and this was our entry.  The basic idea was a person is walking along a corridor, representing them going through life, and then revisiting what has changed years later, as a result of choices involving either or both alcohol and drugs.

 

There's tons of things we could've done better, tho I guess it was ok considering the limited time and resources we had to complete it.  The crazy thing was that over 6 hours of filming went into making those 40 seconds.  I guess the good thing is at least I can't be seen in it.  I was the director for the project so didn't appear on the other side of the camera in the finished product.  I am in the making of video, however, which a majority of those who took part seem to be wanting to watch again.  I'm trying to decide if I really should post it online or not.  Its hard to believe that I was doing such a role for it - I mean I'd never usually do something like that.  I'm not exactly the impatient, bossy, director type.  Oh well, I'll only have to worry about that if I can find it anyway.

The silence is broken

I finally managed to get back on the keyboard today, even if it wasn't for the length of time I normally would.  I know I'll never be really good at it, but at least its passable.  Checked 5 songs today and put the final few chords to 3 others. Favourite ones to play at the moment include Mighty to Save, Awesome God, Free, Every Day, and one of the ones from years ago, from an event NZ used to have called March for Jesus.  I have no idea why I still remember the last one, or any of the other songs from that event for that matter cause the time it was held was just over 7 years ago, but I just haven't forgotten them.  Hope they bring it back sometime cause it really was an awesome event. 

Anyways I've also been learning a few other ones (like 'From the Inside Out' and 'Tell the World' by Hillsong and Hillsong United respectively, and I'm still working on 'Beetroot Stain' by The Lads (well I do lead in the kids church remember, I have to learn at least ONE fun one that they might like). Now I just need to think of some others to learn.  I've got more for the kids, but I want some from other bands I know too.  (Any suggestions are welcome.) 

This is the one thing I DO like about playing by ear -  no need for sheet music :).  It can get rather annoying tho when you start learning songs simply cause you've 'heard them too much' (and yes unfortunately I have had that happen before - thats how I know some of the ads off TV.) I guess the written music has its place too.  Still, I'm always going to stick to playing by ear.

Newzild

Thats the way the majority of Kiwis are said to pronounce the name of our home country.  While I wouldn't always agree with that, it has made an excellent name for all our kiwi phrases and words that are not so widely known.  

A few which I tend to hear used quite a bit are:

 'choice' 'corker' or 'mint' which all mean something's great/fantastic,

 'shot' which is often used here to mean 'good job' or 'well done', 

 'cherio' which means goodbye, 

'cheerios' which are small sausages (which I do not like), and

 'yonks' which means ages.  

Also over here 'tea' can mean 'dinner' as well as being a drink, and dinner can mean either lunch or tea depending on who you are talking to. 

Biscuits are cookies, brekky is breakfast, milo is a drink, cereal or energy bar, a jersey is a jumper or a sweater, and a yack is another name for an informal conversation.   

If you were way out in the country you'd be in the wop wops, 

things that are as 'right as rain' are perfect, and

to go to the 'dairy' is to go to the corner store 

Not eveything is different about the way we kiwis speak, these are just a few interesting words that you might hear if you were ever to come visit our country. 

Frustration and annoyance

This is definitely NOT the best day of the year.  

The first hour was good....in fact it was really enjoyable...but things quickly went downhill from there.  

In fact, from then on, almost everything that could go wrong, did.  All due to one thing - this stupid illness.  I thought I might actually make it into uni for an hour today.  After feeling a bit better over the past 3 days, I thought I'd finally get there.  Needless to say it didn't turn out quite the way I planned.  I made it through the 10-15 minute walk to the bus stop before getting so tired and dizzy and feeling so sick that I had to abandon the idea.  I've GOT to get in sometime soon tho or I won't be able to change my course and I'll either have to forego about $1500 or else I'll have to do the papers I'd previously chosen, having missed 2 weeks out of 12.  Neither option is very appealing.  

On top of that another of my papers (which I am still doing) has just had to get into partners for an assignment coming up soon - so I have the frustration of 

a) having no choice as to who I work with unlike the rest of the people who were there

b) the fact that I'm going to have to email the lecturer to say I missed the class and who am I with? and

c) the assignment is soon, yet I haven't managed to get to the class yet due to this stupid illness

I did manage to chat to a few people for a short time this afternoon, for which I am grateful (one other highlight in an otherwise awful day) 

Now I just need to work out where to from here? The only positive is surely things can't get worse...can they???

Recovery

I should have known better than to mention what the doctor said to my Grandparents.  Of course my Grandfather is thrilled by it - he's been trying to convince us that the doctor had told him to have lots of salt for years (which is completely untrue) but now here I've been told that I need more salty foods/drinks to help with rehydration.  Course no-one needs the amount of salt that HRH puts on his meal....in fact it often appears he has his meal with his salt rather than the other way around.  My uncle and I have often taken great delight in hiding the sugar shakers while we're there (yes he actually uses a sugar shaker for his salt - the salt shakers both don't hold enough and release far too little at one time for him to be satisfied)  as well as the main salt container.  He won't stop it now tho.  You'd think it were him that had just been to the doctor and given that advice.  Anyway at least it appears to be working and I'm actually feeling a little better now.  Hopefully won't be too long before I can go back to proper meals and get my strength back - I think been about a week now since I last had a full meal. 

Sposed to start at Uni soon too.  Will have to go in for a few extra days at some point to get my subjects finalised but that shouldn't take too long.  Have started on the Law readings so hopefully won't be too far behind AND I GOT THE TUTORIAL TIMES I WANTED!!!!!!! so that means my timetable should be relatively good all year.  

Chaos and Confusion

Even the most carefully laid plans don't always work out as you expect them to.  Thats the main thing I've realised even more than usual recently.  No matter how many things you cover, there's always just one more that could go wrong and waste all the preparation.  It won't happen all the time, but it will right when you least expect it and at just the right time to be a nuisance.  And it usually effects the things you want to do the most.  Still, hopefully I'll be back on track soon.  Will be at Uni from the end of this week onwards, but will be going in before then to see if I can switch a few classes around (which hopefully shouldn't be a problem) and, if so, then it'll be full steam ahead towards both the degrees and the other things I'd like to be doing.  The 'rents seem to think I'm doing the right thing in switching them so I think that means it'll be a positive outcome all round.

Now I just have to hope that my carefully laid plans for tutorial times don't go wrong too - particularly since they're compulsory.  I know exactly what ones I want, I just have to hope that I get in before everyone else cause theres only limited places in each and I don't want to miss out on those particular times.  T'would be so annoying to have to go in to Uni just for one 1 hour tutorial. I'm hoping I can get them directly after my classes, so they won't interfere too much.  I mean they are useful....but most of the times are just so inconvenient.  Oh well - hopefully this won't be a plan gone wrong, but rather a plan gone right.

Take Two

There's a few things I've had for a little while now, but I've been waiting for just the right moment to talk about them.  There are a few reasons for that, not the least of which is the similarity of them to a few other things which have just arrived and been mentioned by someone else I know :).  I definitely agree that they are exciting - it was incredible getting to meet a number of the bands at Parachute this year - the lineup was AWESOME as it always is, with FF5, Kutless, Rapture Ruckus and Mumsdollar some of the headline acts.  I managed to meet at least 6 if not more of the bands there this year and have some really neat memories, photographs and signed items to remember them by - some of which might look/sound vaguely familiar....

I managed to be first in line for Rapture Ruckus' first signing (they were the only band to have more than one - they had 3) anyway so there I got my Rapture Ruckus cap signed as well as their CD/DVD combo - Live at World's End, as well as another of each item to send away.  It was really neat cause since I got there so early I got to talk to them for a reasonable length of time, rather than being forced to hurry through as the time runs out

The next signing I went to was FF5, where I got my Parachute 09 poster signed. I had bought their Business Up Front/Party In The Back Diamond Edition CD before going to Parachute but I decided the signatures in black marker pen wouldn't show on the black cover, so I chose to get the poster signed instead

Once again I was near the front of the line - 4th in fact - which was really good cause they ended up cutting the line off as well as imposing a limit of one item per person

Immediately after the FF5 signing ended, the Kutless one began, so I got my Kutless CD signed. I also got 2 T-shirts - one for myself and one to be included in the package sent to America, but like FF5 there was a limit as to how many things you could have signed, so in the end I only got the CD signed for myself, along with the T-shirt to be sent.  Was able to talk to them for a reasonable length of time still tho which was cool.  One of the band members liked my Left Behind T-shirt for some reason, which led to a short discussion on how I had obtained it as, as well as the books themselves

And for anyone who does like Casting Crowns, I got a CD signed, however this one will not be staying in my posession, but rather will be headed over to Aussie soon

As well as these bands, I also got to meet Mumsdollar and David Crowder Band.  I would have also gone to meet All Left Out, but their signing was only added at the last minute - still maybe next time.

Now the only questions that remain are - Who is coming to Parachute 2010? and WHEN ARE THE NEWSBOYS COMING BACK?????