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I've discovered a new obsession! I'm completely addicted to this store! Totally my type of store ... full of funky stationery and fabulous organisational types of necessities. I love it! Ridiculously addictive, and dangerous ... I spend way too much every time I go into a store. But it's all so cute! And so useful!
Today I bought this fabulous tear-off pad of A4 sized weekly planners. Love it! I can see my week at a glance, complete with a handy to do list and a space for 
shopping needs as well. And to go with it .... a fabulous little To Do List sticky note pad. Brilliant! How handy is that!?
Last visit, I bought this cute hippo/zoo animals tin of writing paper ... partly because of the cute tin, and partly because of the cute paper and envelopes inside. And today, to go with it ... a couple of different styles of zoo animals sticky notes. Some giraffe and monkey square ones, and a set of three little bookmark-type 
ones. So cute!
And just in case I get bored of all the sticky notes I've already bought, I picked up a few others as well! My favourite are these cute red and white animal ones - a set of three bookmark style. I'm leaving the cutest notes at work now!! So many choices!! Love it so much!
I'm lying awake in the middle of the night desperately homesick for London! I never lie awake at night. It just doesn't happen. I sleep! Very easily. Anywhere, anytime I get the chance. But right now, I'm lying awake aching to be back in London. Reminiscing all the wonderful things that made up my life in London. I miss it! So much at times that it hurts.
It's a strange thing though, as it's not like I'm unhappy with my life here. In fact, quite the opposite. I love my life. Even more so now as the pressure of assessment is currently non-existent given that I'm on uni holidays. Simply put, life is good. I survived a rather stressful and difficult semester, and I begin the final semester of my degree next week. All things going well, I'll be finished inside four months ... and then I can celebrate the culmination of four years of hard work. Then I can call myself a teacher!
And life isn't just about studying. I enjoy so many wonderful experiences along the way. As crazy as it sounds, I love my job! Or rather, my jobs ... as I'm now working on three very different research projects and I'm thoroughly enjoying the challenges involved in all three. I practically live at uni (even on the holidays!), but I love being there ... I love the atmosphere and social side of being at uni. I love sitting at the cafe and catching up with friends. I love knowing so many people that there's always someone to talk to. I love that there are opportunities for me to return to uni at some point in the future, if and when the desire leads me back.
Away from uni, I love that I can still keep active. I treasure the experiences I've had with CanTeen this year, and all the young people I've met along the way - I'm so excited about doing more now that my time is a little more flexible. I love that I've managed to step back enough at Guides that I'm enjoying it again! It was such a valuable step to take. I appreciate the opportunities I have in SES to do something real for the community, and all the training and knowledge I'm picking up along the way. I love that I still find myself wanting to do more ... there are so many other organisations and activities I could be involved with ... but even more so, that I know now when to say no and when to save things for another time.
Above everything else, I love my family and friends. I love being at home. I love being so close to my family. Having family nearby, with their unfailing love and support, makes everything in life so much easier. I love that I'm only a relatively short flight from my sister and my new (as of last weekend) brother-in-law ... and even more so, that I'll be close enough to visit when their baby arrives! I can't wait to be an Auntie!
I treasure my friends far more than they'll ever know. They add so much to my life, and make it so much more special than it would ever be without them. My friends nearby add the fun and constant friendship ... a reason to go out regularly, to relax, to unwind, to catch up and forget about or at times pull to pieces all the stresses of life. Without my friends at uni, I would never have made it this far ... we really are all in it together, and I can't imagine trying to make it through without them. Work has provided me with an unexpected supply of new friends and support as well ... one in particular who I'm so thankful to have met.
And on top of all that, the internet conveniently keeps me in touch with friends far away. I love that I can chat to a friend in Melbourne as though we practically live together ... the constancy of that availability is priceless. I love that the only barrier in catching up with friends overseas is juggling the time differences ... I can email, chat, talk or video call as often as suits. Keeping in touch is so simple! Although as always, I do wish there was more time for it ... I wish I could keep in touch with all friends as well as I do with some.
Overall though, I'm enjoying life. I'm doing exactly what I want. I'm achieving everything I set out to achieve. I'm heading in the direction I chose to travel. I'm enjoying myself along the way. I'm building a rich, colourful, adventure-filled life full of wonderful memories. I have enough struggles to appreciate the high points. I have enough thrills to make up for the struggles. I really have nothing to complain about!
And all the same, I'm lying awake in the middle of the night desperately homesick for London.
I guess life would be terribly ordinary if there were no wonderful memories to reminisce over.
It's not too often I find myself posting with the simple purpose of gloating about my own achievements ... but please indulge me on this occurrence, as I feel the need to share my excitement.
Last month I received an email from the editor of Australian Traveller magazine ... he had noticed some of my photos on my flickr site, and wrote to ask permission to use them.
Last week, the "Ultimate Guide to the Outback" issue was released in newsagents across the country. This issue includes "Australia's 10 Greatest Outback Journeys", and at #4 - the Canning Stock Route, featuring four of my photos!
They appear in beautiful glossy colour on pages 82 to 85 ... three roughly half a page each, and one full page. And if you look carefully near the spine (perhaps with the assistance of a magnifying glass), you should be able to spot my name!
For those of you in Australia who are interested in seeing this for yourself ... the magazine is on sale this month for $7.95. Otherwise, the article and photos (while not quite as attractive as in a glossy colour mag) can also be seen on the website.
Unfortunately this magazine doesn't pay for photos, so I am financially no richer ... but I can at least say my photos have been published in the same publication as photographer Ken Duncan!
Anyway, gloating over! Thanks for humouring me!
New music is such a wonderful thing. I think music is my biggest weakness. I just can't help myself. And iTunes Music Store is responsible for a lot of impulse buying. I would be a far richer girl if iTunes Music Store didn't exist. Financially at least ... but emotionally, undoubtedly less so. I very rarely regret music 
purchases. They lead to instant enjoyment, and then provide long term enjoyment for the days, weeks and months to come. Certainly a wonderful thing.
I love that I can browse the store, find something I like the sound of, and own it instantly. No need to get in the car and go to the shops, or wait for it to be delivered, or shop around trying to find the cheapest price. Enjoyment is instantaneous. I have no need for the physical CD or booklet ... I'd never use or look at it anyway. Music goes straight on to my computer and from there on to my iPod, and these two sources meet all my musical needs. I listen at home via the computer, I listen on the go via my iPod, and I listen in the car via my iPod and iTrip. All needs met.
Oooh, and speaking of listening in the car ... how fabulous is that!? I LOVE driving alone with the windows up and music cranked up so high I'm potentially damaging my ears. I sing along for all I'm 
worth, without any consideration to how ridiculous or awful I may sound. It's such a brilliant release. I've been travelling to and from prac with my supervising teacher for the last few weeks, and we don't even have the radio on. It's almost unsettling.
I think I was getting close to forgetting how much I love listening to music in the car. It's usually a big part of my day. I spend a good one and a half to two hours a day in my car most days of the week. It's my time off ... time when I can't be studying, can't be working, can't be catching up on other jobs ... I have to drive. That is all I'm doing. Driving, and listening to music. Or sometimes podcasts. But more often than not, music.
There is nothing like music to improve a mood too. To settle nerves, to relax, to cheer up, to dwell, to 
celebrate, to dance, to forget dramas, to reminisce, to dream, to think, to remember, to switch off, to wake up, to consider life ... music is such a wonderful thing. And new music ... even better!
I've just purchased the new Jason Mraz album "We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things." ... loving it already! Which is no surprise, as I'm hopelessly addicted to the last two of his albums that I purchased. I can't recommend him highly enough ... love his style so much. Bring on an Aussie tour!!
I also bought Pete Murray's latest ... still a fan, ever since seeing in London back in 2004. And of course, I'm loving Gabriella Cilmi's album ... fabulous to see her doing so well! Funny seeing her all grown up though ... I still remember her as the little girl on stage at the Good Friday Appeal six years ago. Always knew she'd make it though. She's definitely got the voice.
There is something inexplicably cool about recognising locations in films. Particularly the big budget ones. I still love seeing London on screen. Any part of London. On any type of screen ... be it film, or tv. I don't think it will ever get old. I get all squee-ish and homesick inside ... I just can't help it. Being able to recognise a far away location, and for it to be so innately familiar - it's a fabulous thing. Especially when you come from somewhere like Brisbane - a city which barely ever makes it into any form of tv or film.
Even more exciting than recognising London though, is recognising somewhere else. Somewhere that wasn't home for a year and a half. Somewhere that I 
visited while travelling ... somewhere familiar purely from a tourist perspective. Because let's face it ... London is hardly an unfamiliar sight on tv or film. As much as I love seeing it, it's not an entirely uncommon occurrence.
Last night however, I saw the much anticipated "Made of Honor" ... a fun, light hearted, romantic comedy starring the ever-fabulous McDreamy and set for the most part in New York - somewhere I'm yet to have the opportunity to visit. Little did I know though, the amusing story line eventually takes the lead characters on a journey across the atlantic to Scotland ... and somewhere entirely familiar and recognisable.
By now, you may have recognised that the photos here displayed are of the very locations in Scotland that are visited in the film. I was so excited while watching ... my poor friends must have been entirely sick of me squealing in recognition. Eileen Doonan castle has been a favourite of mine for years though ... since well before I visited in 2004. I had a photo print of the castle on the wall of my room at uni in Melbourne. I have ancestors who once worked at the stunning place. The connection is a special one for me.
And seeing the familiar locations on a massive screen during a relatively big budget film ... all the more exciting as a result! Surely I'm not the only one to find such familiar film locations so thrilling?
I just bought the DVD of 27 Dresses, which of course reminded me of this scene ... one of the best in the movie. Love it!! I rather like her top in this scene too. Ooh, but I bought the cutest black boots today! So no fashion envy allowed at the moment.
Meanwhile, since I'm in the mood for sharing YouTube videos, I feel the need to share this one as well ... the Umbilical Brothers' tribute to Sally Fletcher from the Logies on the weekend. I didn't watch the entire ceremony, but flicked during ad breaks and managed to catch this bit. Brilliantly done!
How exactly are you supposed to dress for temperatures ranging from 5 to 28 Celsius?? Seriously ... I need to know! I imagine layers are the key, but still, it's not an easy task. Yet this is something I'm being faced with all this week.
I started my third prac on Tuesday (with Monday being a public holiday ... more on that in a moment), and I'm doing this one at a little school in Ipswich. This involves travelling west about an hour and a quarter each day, ending up a fair way inland ... with slightly wider temperature ranges than are usual here by the coast.
This morning, I believe it got down to around 5 degrees. We had a late start today, and I didn't get to school until around 8am ... but even then, it was COLD. I wore a skirt in anticipation of forecast highs, and at around 8am, I nearly froze! It was soooo uncomfortably cold. I really needed long pants and closed in shoes.
But then, by lunch time it had warmed up and apparently reached 28! That's not just warm, that's approaching uncomfortable up here with the added humidity. At least I was dressed suitably for the heat - the teacher I was with was in tights and a long sleeved top.
Such crazy weather to try to dress for! I just can't work out how best to approach it. Why can't Mother Nature just pick a season and stick with it?? My wardrobe would really appreciate the simplicity.
Meanwhile, Monday's public holiday. It was Labour Day in Queensland. Same holiday every year. Not a "real" public holiday ... one of those convenient ones usually only recognised by banks, schools, government departments and offices. A fabulous excuse to go shopping or catch up on any number of tasks.
Not this year though! Suddenly, someone, somewhere, decided that it's a fabulous year to stop opening on Labour Day. And suddenly, with no warning or announcements, everything remained closed. Not even the supermarkets were open! How ridiculous is that!?
It's not like it's a serious public holiday. There's no religion attached to the holiday, no national celebrations or time for remembering past heroes. It's just an excuse for a day off, like the Queen's Birthday holiday or the Ekka holiday. For those in relevant industries, it's a great opportunity for making a bit more money thanks to penalty rates. For the rest of us, it's a long weekend.
Except for this year, when we received no notice that nothing would be open!!! I drove around in circles trying to find somewhere to buy a notebook ... and ended up at the local IGA with the entire population of my local area. Insanity!!
In more convenient news ... tomorrow is a public holiday in Ipswich! So I can at least have my convenient catch up holiday tomorrow, with everything near home being open as usual. Got to love that!
I've just spent the entire day working on an entirely uninspiring assignment which is due later this week. I didn't even manage to finish it, although I think perhaps I'm over the hump. Two more events or observations to reflect on ... anyone interested in contributing? It's worth 70% ... so this isn't really one I want to bomb out on. I could do with a little inspiration before finishing it off as I've completely lost interest. Not good. Oh well. I'm counting on the assumption that I'm too intelligent to accidently fail. Hopefully the assumption pays off.
Meanwhile, I went to Phantom of the Opera on Friday night!! And I've been meaning to post about it ever since. It was such an incredible show ... loved it to bits, as expected of course. In bizarre news though, we had two Phantoms! So confusing. I immediately checked the cast board on arriving at the theatre, and I was thrilled to see Anthony Warlow's name listed next to the Phantom. Given his recent medical concerns, I certainly wasn't expecting to see him ... just hoping.
But he was on, and I was so excited to finally see him performing the role. I guess he was still trying to save his voice though (for the closing weekend matinees perhaps?), as he didn't do the entire show. They kept subbing another guy in and out. It messed with my head so much! I know Anthony Warlow's voice, and I know his face, and this other guy certainly wasn't him. He was brilliant, don't get me wrong ... his voice was amazing, and he certainly looked the part. He made an incredible Phantom. He just wasn't Anthony Warlow. He wasn't even the same height ... biggest give away was when the Phantom suddenly became shorter.
I kept doubting myself though ... I've never heard of them continually changing the lead character. It was bizarre! I've seen them change a character once when one actor falls ill, but not this continual changing. I started questioning my sanity, and what I was seeing. First I started to think it wasn't him, and that the cast board was wrong, and clearly we had the understudy. But then he'd come out or even just sing and I'd be utterly convinced it was him, so then when they changed again I started to doubt my ability to recognise someone I really ought to be able to recognise. And then he'd return and I'd wonder what the problem was. It was so, so confusing!
And the most amusing part of the entire experience is that I'm fairly sure at least half the audience realised nothing. Even when the understudy came out for curtain call immediately after Anthony Warlow performed the final scene, people seemed to be completely ignorant. Such a bizarre experience. But it was Phantom, and Anthony Warlow was in the role for the majority of the show - at least, for all the most important scenes. And it was incredible!
To be nobody but yourself -
In a world which is doing its best, night and day,
To make you like everybody else -
Means to fight the hardest battle
Which any human being can fight,
And never stop fighting.- E.E. Cummings -
American Poet, 1894-1963
I'm so in love with my gorgeous new MacBook! It's just beautiful. So pretty and stylish! And so little ... so light and portable. And the battery lasts beautifully. And the cute little case I got for it is so handy and small. I love carrying it around with me.
I'm finding my way around it far more quickly than I anticipated too. I knew Macs were user-friendly, so I shouldn't really be surprised. It's just so easy though ... I love it!! Things just work. No hassles. No dramas. Just simple fun.
One of my highlights so far ... a fabulous little widget that finds and displays the lyrics of the song currently playing in iTunes. It's soooo handy! One keystroke, and there on my screen are the lyrics to the song I'm currently listening to. I love it!!
And speaking of music ... I have a new addiction! Jason Mraz ... love him! His music is incredibly addictive. I bought his most recent live album a week or so ago, and have been playing it almost non-stop since. Tonight, I bought another album ... Mr A-Z. So far, loving it easily as much as expected. Looking forward to the new album. New music is such fun!
Hmm, and it's supposed to be inspiring me to continue studying, but instead seems to be distracting me far too easily. Oops! A Saturday night in really must be used productively in order to justify not being out having fun. I better get back to it.