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Previously, on Dawson's Creek...
Pacey to Audrey: "The only thing that matters is this, just this. I have totally and completely fallen for you. You move me. All over the place."
Cheesy but so sweet. You know, one of the few reasons why I still watch Dawson's Creek is because of Pacey. I want a Pacey! I swear, he has had some of the best lines on the show.
Shopping
Yesterday Kathryn and I were meant to start our Christmas shopping, but we got a little side tracked and instead of buying presents for our family and friends we ended up buying a couple of things for ourselves.
Well, a lot of things for ourselves…
Okay, okay, everything we bought was for ourselves and we didn’t end up buying any Christmas presents at all. We're hopeless. Pitt Street Mall is such a bad bad place to go when you’ve just gotten paid and in the mood to shop. So much for trying to save but places like here, here, here, here, here, here, and here had stuff in it that we both couldn’t walk away from! It also didn’t help that GBs was having pre Christmas sales in the shoe and underwear departments where when you bought two things the second thing was only half price.
I can already see my mum bitching at me when she gets home and sees my newly acquired purchases. I don’t think my ‘Oh, I bought it ages ago but I just haven’t gotten the chance to wear/use/watch/listen to it yet’ excuse is going to work this time.
Amongst my purchases was the new David Gray and Matchbox Twenty CD’s, with the new MB20 disc coming with a free DVD containing 5 of their music videos when you buy it from HMV. More Than You Think You Are is quality stuff, the music these guys bring out is always so catchy and Rob Thomas has such a sexy voice. (Is it just me or has his voice changed since their previous album? There are a couple of songs where his voice sounds really different). It kinda reminds me of their sound on Yourself or Someone Like You, hopefully they’ll come and tour again next year. David Gray’s A New Day At Midnight is growing on me, but I think I prefer his previous album better.
I also bought the book White Oleander by Janet Fitch, a lot of people have recommended it to me but I hadn't gotten around to reading it. Last night I read it cover to cover because I couldn't sleep. I found it a little depressing, but it had some really powerful parts in it. One quote I liked in particular, "Love is a bedtime story, a teddy bear, familiar, one eye missing...Love is a toy, a token, a scented handkerchief...Love is a check, that can be forged, that can be cashed. Love is a payment that comes due". I'm really interested what the movie is going to be like, whether or not it'll be able to pull of the storyline with the same sincerity. Movies that show a progression of the character through their life always interest me, Angela's Ashes did this quite well I thought. (Now that is one depressing book and movie).
Next time I go out I think I should leave my wallet at home and only bring $10 with me. Although there is a place in the city that sells $10 CD's...
Ear Candy: 'Disease' -- Matchbox Twenty
7 days...
HOLY. FUCKING. SHIZNIT. I just got home from seeing The Ring, and I am so not going to sleep tonight. I have never been so freaked out over (and during) a movie before. Hell, I even moved my television out of my bedroom because it was seriously freaking me out! Yes, I am being a wuss, but I'm also home alone since my parents are holidaying in the Philippines and so all this silence is making me even more jumpy. (Y'all can stop laughing at how pathetically skittish I am).
I spent the majority of the movie with my hands over my eyes, curled up in the foetal position, cowering into Kandace's shoulder and wondering what the hell possessed us to go with the guys to watch the movie late at night. Never. Again. It didn't help that our group had split up into two rows with the boys conveniently sitting behind us and during one suspensful point in the movie they decided to grab our shoulders, effectively scaring the shit out of us. The bastards. I think I should prank call them all at about 2am just to get them back.
Nevertheless, it is a good movie to see if you're in the mood for a bit of a scare. I liked the plot, nothing too fancy and filled with just enough twists to make it interesting. I wonder what the original Japanese version is like, but I think it will take me a while to pysch myself up to watch the complete trilogy. Oh god, I can still picture that girl in my head. Ack.
Ear Candy: 'I Want You to Want Me' -- Train
(This is a great cover of Cheap Trick's song, I think I like it better than the cover Letters to Cleo did on the '10 Things I Hate About You' OST)
Beautiful Collision
Mark and I went to see the lovely Bic Runga in concert at The Metro tonight, and whoa, she just blew me away. She has an absolutely beautiful voice, and anyone who can play the harmonica and keyboard at the same time is definitely uber spiffy. It's after seeing performances like hers that make me wish I could sing instead of dance.
The Metro is a great venue, unlike the John Mayer concert there was actually seating. We didn’t quite get the desired front row, centre position right in front of Bic, but third row was good enough.
Neither of us had heard of the support act, Pete Murray, and when he walked onto the stage I initially thought he was just one of the sound crew or something. As Mark pointed out, he looked like he just stumbled out from the pub. Not that there’s anything wrong with that look, whatever works for them…although I’m fairly certain that this was a definite no in the style that ‘Standing Room’ is going to be taking up. His songs were actually pretty good, a nice mix of mellow tunes with some strong guitar driven parts, but it was his band that proved to be even more entertaining to watch. The bass player was off in his own little world, prancing around the back bobbing his head like a turkey; the lead was going nuts with his guitar that looked like he stole it from some little kid it was that small, and the keyboard player…bwhaha, the keyboard player was in a league of his own. The facials he was pulling, as well as the Footloose inspired moves his feet were doing distracted me from whatever Pete Murray was singing about.
I had no idea that Bic Runga was so tiny, she looked like she could break in half. She looked stunning in the simple skirt and shirt combo, and from the moment she started singing Precious Things you could tell we were in for a great performance. Her band was awesome too, they all seemed to be really into the music and did a little dancing of their own which was cute.
She played the majority of the songs from her latest album (Beautiful Collision, which I highly suggest you check out if you haven’t already), with a couple of covers thrown in there which further showed off her talent. During Sway, I couldn’t get the stupid grin off my face, great song. For her encore she appeared on stage to perform a couple of solo songs, and I know I’m probably sounding like a broken record when I talk about her voice, but I can’t say it enough, it is just mesmerising. The song I really wanted to hear her play was When I See You Smile, it was the last song she played and it has to be one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. One of those songs that make you want to tell someone how spastically you’re in love with them, nice.
Check out Mark’s blog for some pics and also for the setlist.
Ear Candy: 'Drive' -- Bic Runga
Melting
I probably sweated off about 5 kilos during my ballet class. Ballet tights are not what you want to be prancing around in for 3 hours when it's 40 degrees celcius outside. My ballet teacher is pure evil for making us have class in this heat. Gah.
Study break rambling...
We made our own mailing list for everyone doing my degree, well, the 32 of us (we originally had 45 people in our year but numbers have shrunk considerably over the last four years), and the list has seen more action today than ever. We have our last ever tourism exam tomorrow afternoon but, in true Hospo spirit, instead of swapping notes our messages are more concerned with plans for tomorrow night after the exam. Gotta love the dedication to our studies.
Standard day before exams, nothing better to do than send out annoying emails crap re: plans for tomorrow arvo/night. I mean really, what’s more important, the exam that could throw our WAM/GPA up .000005 marks or the night of drunkenness, debauchery and hilarity that will ensue???
Note: we have a crack anti-piking military squad who have been training around the clock at such manoeuvres as tyre puncturing and phone vandalism, and are determined to cause serious distress and harm to anybody that might attempt to idle away and introduce fraudulent excuses to warrant not coming tomorrow night!
Words of wisdom from Jamie, our fearless ‘social’ director. Looks like we’ll be heading to Bondi tomorrow night. Nice. *** While I patiently wait for the new seasons of my favourite shows The West Wing, Buffy, Sex and the City, and Gilmore Girls to start, Smallville has become the show I’m currently engrossed in. As the first season comes to a close here I just have to say that I hate how the show’s producers have decided to play the love triangle card. I hate the love triangle card! But I’m not surprised since this is a WB show and no teen show on that network would be complete without a triangle thrown in there. Felicity, Roswell, and the show with the most annoying triangle of all time- Dawson’s Creek. (And for the record I am a Pacey and Joey shipper all the way! C’mon, let’s go make out some more. Hee, I miss my P/J lovin’)
The whole Lana/Clark/Chloe thing on Smallville doesn’t sit too well with me.
Why?
Because I don’t like how it seems that Clark is settling for Chloe. After being witness to Clark’s Lana Lang obsession, how can Chloe not feel like she’s the consolation prize? I know I’m probably taking this way too seriously (I have a habit of doing this with shows that I like), but that sucks ass. In reality I don’t think anyone would want to start something serious with someone where they know that the other person is still hung up on someone else. You wouldn’t want to feel like you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop, and as Jill pointed out the other day, no matter what reassurances are made it would still be in the back of your mind that hey, I’m sloppy seconds. (Random comment: my friend Andrew wants to name his band’s first CD either Sloppy Seconds or Sniffing Undies, I’m thinking Sloppy Seconds is the better option…)
Anyway. Chloe rocks, and after being stuck in pal purgatory for so long she deserves better than that. And in line with the whole love triangle thing, they need to add another character to the show (preferably played by someone equally as cute as Tom Welling) so that Chloe can finally get some, make Clark jealous and let him realise that while he had his Lana blinders on he missed out on something good.
Ear candy: 'Time After Time' -- Eva Cassidy
(This version of the song absolutely kills the original. Beautiful. It actually plays on Smallville in tonight's episode)
Take two
In Year 12 I didn’t know what I wanted to do after I finished school. My university preferences were a smorgasbord of different degrees- psychology, media and communications, computer science, dance and commerce. Indecisive much? Luckily for me my UAI was high enough to give me the chance to do all the courses I had selected. But my final decision was made even harder when I found out I also got through the interview for Commerce and Tourism Hospitality at UNSW, and that I was also successful in my auditions to do dance at UNSW and also at WAAPA (Western Australian Performing Arts Academy).
To follow a childhood dream or do something that was deemed more ‘proper’ and ‘safe’? I chose the safe option. I still remember a lot of my friends and family members telling me that I would be wasting my UAI on a dance degree...Four years later, do I regret my decision? I would be lying if I said I didn’t.
So in August I applied to do this degree at QUT. I don’t know why, I just felt like keeping my options open. I didn’t tell anyone about it, not even my parents, because I didn’t want to hear the ‘what are you wasting your time for’ spiel again. Trying never hurt anyone. A bit of trivia, on the application form they asked when I first got my period. What the?!? I thought that was amusing, yeah anyway.
I had my audition and interview last month. The audition was really intensive, much more challenging than the other ones I did when I was in year 12. We did a ballet class (which was my weakest because I have uneven turn out) and then a contemporary class, as well as an interpretative piece, an improvisation dance (mine was so crap, I was all kinds of embarrassed) and then a solo in the style of our choice. I chose to do a contemporary solo since it’s my strongest style.
They only take 12 people, and this week I found out I was one of the 12 they wanted. A second chance had fallen into my lap. I didn’t think they would have made their decision this soon, because they told us they’d make the offers in December, but they were early!
These last couple of weeks waiting to see what their decision would be has gave me the opportunity to really think about what I wanted. And this time round I can safely say thanks, but no thanks without any regrets.
I know that while I might have the passion and abilities, I don’t have the dedication or discipline to dedicate my life to something like that. And you do really need to throw yourself into it, half heartedly just won’t cut it…But still, it’s a really nice feeling knowing that people think I do have something in me to let that childhood dream of come true. *** Random pictures: this was the first time I ever performed on stage. They crack me up, especially the one with the Paddle Pop Lion, hee. 
*** A dollar under water keeps on dreaming for me…
Wishes can come true. Jimmy Eat World ARE doing a side gig!!! January 26th at the UNSW Roundhouse. Rock.
I hope they play more of their old stuff, as much as I love the songs off 'Bleed America/Jimmy Eat World' I like their earlier songs more. I really want to hear Goodbye Sky Harbor- 16 minutes of absolute music goodness.
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!
I could pee my pants. I’m more excited than Big Kev on crack.
Ear candy: 'Believe in What You Want' -- Jimmy Eat World
Riss = Lazy
 Sigh... been reminiscing some more, with all these old stories come back to mind and I guess I should tell some of them but if I get caught up in too much nostalgia, you'll never get me out to the present again. A present with finals stress written all over it. Bleh.
Last Monday Ben and I went around taking pictures of campus since it was our last week at uni. I think I was slightly more excited than he was at the prospect of finishing, but as the afternoon progressed (with Ben struggling to finish that bottle of Vanilla Coke, hee) it started to sink in just how much I would miss it. Not so much the university itself, the stressful assignments or exams, but the sense of security it offered. I guess because after all this time of waking up every morning and having something to do the finality of finishing and being given a new form of independence hit home.
The idea of growing up, graduating and getting a career is no longer wishful thinking. I’ve adjusted to the idea that these three things are necessary and can be dealt with. Delaying or stressing over any is only going to sour this moment, so I’ve stopped doing both. I’ve been waiting, and working, toward this for years and now that it’s finally here, I’m going to enjoy it. *** I’ve been visiting a couple of Jimmy Eat World message boards lately, and on one of the boards I came across a song meanings thread. I’ve always thought that ‘For Me this is Heaven’ was a song about love, not about breaking up. I know the interpretation of a song is up to the listener, but I mean, hello, just look at the title of the song- heaven. Not ‘For Me this Fucked Up Hell’.
Heaven has happy connotations to it. When I see the word heaven I think happy thoughts and happy feelings, warm fuzzies and positive things like that, not feelings of sadness, loss, depression and/or anger one has after going through a break up.
Eh, perhaps my interpretation of the song stems from my belief in feeling those butterflies...and the fact that I'm such a sap.
Can you still feel the butterflies?
Can you still hear the last goodnight? *** Internet = bad
Study = good
Diet Coke with lemon = addictive
I’ve drunken an entire 1.25L bottle of this stuff today, that can’t be healthy.
Music to my ears: 'Standing on the Edge' -- Michelle Branch
JIMMY EAT WORLD ARE GOING TO BE AT THE BIG DAY OUT!!!
HOLY CRAP!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! ~~~~
*ahem*
Jimmy Eat World! Jimmy For Me This is Heaven Eat World! Like Counting Crows, JEW also belong to my Holy Trinity of bands. I highly recommend their CD Clarity- it didn't leave my CD player for a month when I first got it. And no, it wasn't because I was too lazy to get up and change it.
I really hope they do their own show on the side because as excited as I am that they're coming back, I'm not sure that I want to spend $93 to be squashed in a mass of sweaty bodies whilst craning my neck to get a glimpse of them while they play a short set for people who probably only know that one song. Yeah I know I sound like an elitist snob, but it irks me when people say "oh, I so love < insert band/artist name here >" and when you try and talk to them about their other songs they have no idea.
To go or not to go?
Music to my ears: "If You Don't, Don't" -- Jimmy Eat World
(Such a great song. Even if your heart would listen, doubt I could explain. I love that line)
Good morning
You know your day is going be craptacular when you mistake hairspray for deodorant.
And why the hell am I suddenly finding Justin Timberlake attractive?! He is such a Michael Jackson wannabe. I have never been an N'Sync fan but phwoar! He is all kinds of hot in the video for Like I Love You. It's a classic example of still being interested even if you turn the volume down on the television. I think it's the whole dancing thing. Niceeee...
Randomness...
I'll never let your head hit the bed
Without my hand behind it...
"Why do chicks like that song so much?!?"
Luke was getting so annoyed with us at work this afternoon after we repeated it...three times, heh.
Granted, it’s not his best song and the lyrics aren’t spectacular, but there is something inexplicably beautiful about the song. It must have been hard to make a video to such a song without it turning into something sickeningly sentimental or soft porn. I’m glad he took the happy medium because the music video is just awww. Well I thought it was nice, other people may think it's sickeningly sentimental. But seriously, who is sweet enough to play someone the guitar when they’re having a bubble bath? Do guys like that even exist?!? I think the song is sexy, in the fumbling, young love kind of way.
(Okay, okay. I know. Enough with the John Mayer talk. That is the last time I'll mention him for a while. I promise) *** I saw My Big Fat Greek Wedding last night. A sweet movie to see if you want to laugh and de-stress yourself, it’s kinda of like a female version of The Wog Boy. Even though it has nothing on Four Weddings and a Funeral or My Best Friend’s Wedding, there are still some classic scenes. And not to give anything away, but after watching it you’ll have the sudden urge to buy some of this stuff. Plus it's got the sexy John Corbett in it so what's not to like? Hee.
An interesting issue that the movie brought up though was cross-cultural dating. It’s kind of funny because I’ve never dated an Asian guy before, and not because I’ve purposely tried to avoid them- it just worked out that way. Actually before I went to uni I could count the number of Asian guys I knew on one hand. But things have changed...
Anyway, the movie got me thinking about how my parents would react if I came home and told them I wanted to spend the rest of my life with a white, non-Catholic (or even non-Christian) guy (which probably won't happen, but you never know). I know they wouldn’t be too fussed about their race, but they definitely would have issues if he wasn’t Catholic. I know everyone has a different attitude on this issue, but personally it wouldn’t matter to me. You love who you love. That just is. As long as he respects my faith then it’s all good. *** DJ Shadow is playing at the Horden on Saturday 7th December (!!!) but damn it, I can’t go because it’s the same night as our ‘unofficial’ Christmas Party- the GJ Party Bus pub crawl. We’re hiring a bus to take us from Cronulla to the City, where (as the invite states) we’ll hop on our way around Sydney until we can’t walk and then be chauffer driven home. It was going to be fancy dress, with things from Wonder Woman, a Pimp and his prostitute, to Fred and Wilma, and Romeo and Juliet, but we figured that we might not be allowed into some places due to dress codes. To compensate, the guys have made up certain rules with stuff like everyone having to drink at least 2 drinks at every stop, a scavenger hunt getting items such as shot glasses, condoms and tampons from the toilets, a random person’s sock etc. I think it’s kind of stupid to go out and purposely get wasted, but we might as well let our immature selves out to play since it is the 'silly season' (man, I hate that phrase) after all. It should be an interesting night... *** I really want to go and see this, but no one wants to come since it’s on in the middle of exams :(
Music to my ears: "66" -- Afghan Wigs
(What movie is this song from? It's bugging me that I can't figure it out!)
The end is near
I had my last ever lecture at uni today and handed in my last ever assignment. YAY! The assignment was probably the worse thing I’ve ever submitted because I was so past caring. I don’t think I even proof read it. But do you think I give a crap about the importance of transport infrastructure on tourism development and sustainability? Hell no. It doesn’t even cause a blip on the Riss Care Factor scale. Give me a pass and I’ll be on my merry way.
Now would be a good time to start reading my textbooks and studying for finals. Starting tomorrow I’m hitting the books…Okay, well, we all know that it’s just not possible for me to study any earlier than a day before an exam but I’m going to try. Really. I have to head into uni tomorrow anyway to hand in Jasmine’s assignment since she’s working all day tomorrow and couldn’t hand it in today because she forgot to bring her appendix along with her. I'm such a nice friend ;) But I owe her for all the lifts home she’s given me from uni. Ah, how I’ll miss those gossip sessions in her car…
Jas and I have actually embarked on a little song project. The bright (or not so bright) ideas we come up with when we’re bored in class. I write the lyrics and she writes the music. We’ve done one song, problem is neither of us can sing so the song sounds kinda retarded when we try and sing it.
…Can I stop myself from bleeding into you?
And that’s all that I’m going to post.
My parents are off to the Philippines again on November 20th for two weeks, their frequent flyer points expire in December and so they’re abandoning me again. Fourteen days of freedom. Nice. Perhaps I should start writing a shopping list of stuff I want them to buy me. Almond M&M's are a must, along with as many pirated DVD's and VCD's they can fit in the suitcase. My uncle owns the CD Warehouse chain in Manila, so I’m also going to make the most of that! Time to cash in on all the birthday’s he’s missed, heh.
Music to my ears: 'Nothing at All' -- Santana feat. Musiq
Music lust
Aww man, there are so many concerts happening over summer that I want to go to.
Jack Johnson! Black Eyed Peas! Foo Fighters! PJ Harvey! Norah Jones! Pearl Jam!
Here I was complaining that hardly anyone tours Australia and now we’re getting inundated. Yay. All I need now is for the rumoured Counting Crows tour to push through. They belong to my Holy Trinity of bands, and for them I would travel to whatever state in Australia they were playing in. Seriously.
There are also so many new CD’s out that I want to buy.
Pearl Jam- Riot Act, Matchbox Twenty- More Than You Think You Are, Santana- Shaman, Tori Amos- A Scarlet's Walk and Badly Drawn Boy- Have You Fed the Fish?...to name a few…
But most importantly, DAVID GRAY HAS A NEW CD!!!! A New Day at Midnight. Rock on. Finally, I’ve been waiting 4 years for a new album from him. The songs I’ve heard so far are divine, and it looks like this album is just as beautiful as White Ladder. I wonder what song is going to be this album's This Years Love. I want. I want. I waaaaaaanttttttttttt.
Perhaps I should stay as far away as possible from any music store or else I could do all sorts of damage with my credit card.
More coherent post later, I’ve got an essay (my last one EVER) to finish…
Music to my ears : 'This Years Love' by David Gray
(Good Lord, I love this song. I know I say that with a lot of songs, but this is really one song that I think everyone MUST have)
Sydney has a sidewalk, Sydney has a sandbox...
 I went down to Fox Studios on Friday afternoon to see John Mayer at live at Channel [V]. He played two songs (Your Body is A Wonderland and My Stupid Mouth), did a short interview and even sang a chick ‘Happy Birthday’ before he went to the airport to catch his flight to New Zealand that was leaving in an hour.
Damn, I should have said it was my birthday too. Why don’t I think of these things earlier?!?
Jack Johnson is playing at The Falls Festival over New Years. Road Trip anyone?
Bombs and stuff...
The last couple of days has seen my inbox jammed with concerned emails and I’ve gotten phone calls and SMS’s from friends about the bomb threat at Westfield Miranda, with everyone telling me not to turn up for work. It’s nice that they care, even funnier when some friends start to lay claim to my possessions, “If you die, can I get all your clothes?”
I was surprised that people were actually taking this seriously, but with everything that has happened recently I guess everyone is a little more edgy. The police have been all over the place in the last couple of days, even blocking the entrances in the morning to monitor who went through.
It is quite daunting, but what can you do? If it happens, it happens.
Our bosses decided it would be best if we didn’t open today, a lot of other stores are closing and will probably get fined by Westfield Management for doing so. Personally I think that it’s fucked up that Westfield would even consider giving stores penalties for not opening, surely the safety of staff is worth foregoing one day of business. Would they want to send their kids off to work if they were in the same situation? I’m sensing no.
Ah well, it’s a glorious day outside. The kind of day that deserves a pool party, with pool volleyball, childish games of Marco Polo and wrestling matches against your buds whilst on the shoulders of one of the guys. The kind of thing that Aaron Spelling soap operas are made of, complete with the latest top 40 tunes pumping in the background. I’m off to enjoy my afternoon, uni work can wait...
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