Days 63-68

It is now effectively Sunday (yes, I did just pass the midnight mark) and I have spent my whole Saturday catching up on Biology notes/making a study guide for my midterm coming up on Tuesday. I've been caught in a huge limbo all day between two thoughts.

On one hand, I want to do the best I can do in these classes because I took them specifically because I was interested in the material as opposed to the classes being obligatory. But on the other hand, the thought keeps creeping into the back of my mind that these classes are Pass/Fail and that I should blow off all my work and do whatever I feel like doing.

Something tells me the first notion is more proper...

I'll probably end up compromising because I've spent the whole day mindlessly reviewing the ins and outs of Aussie Flora and Fauna and I'm only on lecture 7 out of 18. Yes. Compromise it will be.

Daniel was nice enough to make dinner for us and a few friends tonight, so we went down to 10th floor and hung out while eating beef stew. It wasn't bad. When the conversation turned to what state was better and why by the little group of Americans sitting at the table, I decided it was time to get back to being productive.

I really liked the bark on this tree...

I'm trying to reflect on my week, but I'm afraid it's all become a blur. I've been writing so much for my creative writing classes that I haven't even been keeping up my journal. You know when Jordan doesn't journal OR blog that it's bad. 

Let's see... Wednesday, I mindlessly attended another biology lecture. Though, I have to say the lecturer is quite entertaining. The zoologist, that is. Maybe it's the fact that she uses the word "beasties" to refer to any creature she finds fascinating.

I ended up (pre)preparing my meals half way through the week so I wouldn't have to mess with cooking when I was cramming for deadlines. Wednesday night, though, Wendy was kind enough to invite me over for dinner. She lives about 10 minutes away by tram. However, since it was night, I was a little discombobulated on which stop to get off at. I ended getting off too early and having to walk down the street a little further. However, after passing a few sketch looking places I found my landmark (Birdie O'Rileys) and quickly found my way past the railroad tracks and into Wendy's apartment.

When I got there, I saw Nanna was there, too. It made me so happy, just to see them both again since we haven't really gotten together since the Great Ocean Road Trip. Dinner was couscous with a delicious tomato based vegetable spread to go on top. I also tried a new type of hot tea that turns red when the bag dilutes in the water. I felt special.

We ended up catching up for a few hours and discussed spring break. It ends up everyone is going somewhere different. Nanna is trucking it West and making it out to Alice Springs and Uluru. (So jealous.) Wendy is going North and spending some quality time in Darwin.

A random bird on campus.

Ah, I wish I could do it all! Who would've known Australia would be SO BIG? It's not like that's covered in the 'continent' description...

I've thought it out. Though I would love to lie out under the great expanse of stars in the desert with no civilization within a 4 hours drive under the presence of something with as much spiritual significance as Uluru, I simply can't afford it. With the money I would spend just in travel to get out there and back, I can go to three separate cities on the East Coast.

It's pretty neat, though, when you think about it. How every individual's experience, even if in the same place, can be so different. Can be so unique. No one will ever experience Australia the same way I have. Wow.

But don't worry. I can tell you from this end, that this experience has been completely worth it. I've really thought about it, and there hasn't been one negative experience. Even being sick led to my acquaintances showing that they were in fact friends.

I must be tired. I'm getting so off track. Thursday. Thursday was long. Our writing workshops for short fiction extended to two and a half hours as opposed to one and a half hours. Long story short, I'm in class until 8 at night. I don't mind the workshops, I really don't. You just get hungry, ha.

In my screen writing class, my Australian friend and I made up a screen play about drop bears and how an American biologist couldn't garner enough support for her campaign to keep them from going extinct because no one believed they existed. It was pretty hilarious.

Graffitti on the streets of Melbourne

I took most of Friday to work on my synopsis for my screen writing class. Basically, we have to summarize a movie in three acts in under three pages. I chose "No Country for Old Men." The synopsis wasn't hard in the respect that I didn't know what to write, but in the fact that you have to fit such a long film (almost 2 hours) into three pages. What's more, is that the script is so brilliantly written that it strays away from the traditional three act structure. It's completely devoid of the usual emotional payoffs that usually accompany the third act. In fact, it's because of its deviations that the film was so amazing. And probably the reason it won the "Best Picture Academy Award in 2008." (I still can't believe I just now got around to watching it.)

Anyway, I finished that Friday and realized I was 750 words over. I still have around 200 more words to cut, but I couldn't look at it anymore after working on it so long. I figure I'll just come back to it next week right before it's due and set to cutting. Again.

Friday night was Suey's party downstairs in Unilodge. Geez, it was a mess. From a slushy machine mixed with tequila to a broken karaoke machines, it was what was to be expected, I guess. I ended up playing pool with Tom, Rhi, Flo and Shayna for most of it. I'm just happy the sticks aren't broken. For now.

When I shook hands with a guy who fell off his chair while introducing himself, I decided it was time to go and called it a night. (Meaning I curled up in bed and watched "The Sunset Limited.") If you have not watched that movie, YOU HAVE TO WATCH IT. Superb performances by Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel Jackson. I was completely awe struck.



Cormac McCarthy strikes again.