Thus far

So I have an exam in two days - my last - and I decided to write up a blog post.

Priorities.

Did I ever comment on your blog with a whiny little plea for you to blog more often, because, you know, I totally understood that you had a life, but I really did miss you and would it really be too hard for you to write a blog every now and again to lettuce know you're alive?

...

I lied. I never understood. Now I understand.

I tried to write a post much before - I really did want to keep you guys updated. This is what it was:

There aren't enough hours in a day.

This post, right here? It's going to be written in the gaps. In little moments that I can steal. Because this is what university life is coming down to. Fleeting conversations with would-be friends between huge chunks of lectures. Hurrying to catch the bus, hurrying to get home. On the bus, trying to fit as many songs in as I can, make that always short period of respite last forever. Those bus rides - the only moments where there isn't something I have to do, pay attention to, or go somewhere, the only place I can just be. And there are assignments that seem so far in the distant, and suddenly they loom up before you. Devoting hours to taking notes on one unit, to pass a weekly quiz that takes 15min. Brief meetings with old friends on a uni campus I don't even attend, only to discuss when we can we can next catch up for a proper conversation. Will it ever happen? I want it to happen. I don't know if they do. But I think we both have to accept that the chances are slimming down, rapidly.

Why do I always come across as depressed?

I am not depressed. I am tired. So tired, always.

How depressing, non?

And it ahbviously failed, because I absolutely could not find the time to write up all the little moments I wanted to. It's been a long, hard road, guys, but I'm happy to say I love where it took me.

So. UNIVERSITY.

I really donno how to condense this, and even though I am going to condense this, it's still not going to be so condensed. Oh well.

Let's start with the course. In summary, I FREAKING LOVE IT. SO. SO. SO. MUCH.

Paramedics and Nursing. One of the best decisions I've ever made.

So this semester, I had to do four units. One was Anatomy and Physiology, which is kinda the overlap between Paramedics and Nursing. You can imagine the grief this unit caused me; I've always been an Arts/Humanities girl - science is not my thing. The funny thing is, I think the coordinators of the unit knew what a pain their unit was, so even though it was still my hardest unit, it was the easiest to study for, and the assignment was really straightforward too - they made everything so clear cut and everything, and therefore, ironically, I ended up liking the unit.

I also had two nursing units. I call one Real Nursing, and the other one Boring Nursing, because it was stupid. Boring Nursing is something to do with 'scholarly communication', and I can see how it might have been relevant in second or third year, but as a first year, I think it was stupid to teach us about research and all that jazz when none of us knew anything anyway. The only good thing, really, was Boring Nursing had no exam, just three assignments. I had one of my First Bad Experiences with this stupid unit, and for the sake of important university memories, I'm gonna write it out for you, but I'm so over it. But feel free to call me out if I'm being bratty ^_^

Bad Experience Uno

So for this first assignment, it was only an online submission. As a typically studious, terrified first year student, I put in my all to get the assignment done on time, and went over it pedantically only a billion and one times. I have this thing where I can't submit an assignment or leave an exam early, because I would just die if I realised a second after that there was something I did wrong/could have done better. It's one thing where you had no time to fix something, but when you have plenty and you can't fix it... agajhdgkaj, you know?

So it was due on a Friday at 2pm. I uploaded my assignment on Thursday night after much fretting, and then phew, sweet relief.

Five days later, at the Boring Nursing lecture, our lecturer told us that she was concerned because about 100 of 300 students had yet to submit their assignment.

"Can you all just make sure you pressed the submit button, instead of just uploading?"

You can imagine the mini-freakout. So in that lecture, I submitted the assignment, but I wasn't really anxious, because a) the lecturer/unit coordinator didn't sound too fussed, and b) I think I just assumed if 100 students made the same mistake, they wouldn't penalize us.

But y'all know this is a Bad Experience, and hence you know there ain't no happy ending. When I got my assignment, I was initially elated to see that I had received a High Distinction. And then, right next to that, it said my mark had been halved because it was 5 days late.

And by halving my mark, it had essentially become a fail.

Like a backhanded compliment.

I didn't really break down immediately; I was just stunned, I guess. As I was with a whole bunch of friends at the time, they were all really calm and insisted that it was no big deal.

"Email her [the lecturer/unit coordinator]," every single person in the universe said. "You're just a first year, heaps of people made the same mistake, and it was just a genuine silly little mistake, she'll change it." I don't mean just other students; the people at the nursing office said it too. So I emailed her. And she basically said no.

Cue the water works. It wasn't so much the fact that she refused. It was the way her email implied I was slack. I've never been that student, so it burned. That, and the fact it was a fail. I rarely (if ever) fail. I don't always do well, but a fail?!

Moral: Uni staff have no mercy. When fretting over assignment, fret until you're 6000% sure you've submitted it.

As for Real Nursing, I love it because it's the practical side, and it was also about all those fluffy ideals I think of when I think of nurses. Love the lecturers, love the tutors. They're such stereotypes, it's adorable.

And then there's Paramedics.

Gosh. Okay. So how do I explain this?

For all my lectures, tutorials and labs, all the staff have a standard way of introducing themselves: name, qualifications, years of experience, yada yada yada. Nothing spectacular.

Jaime - the paramedics lecturer/unit coordinator - started our first lecture by pulling up a photo of a baby girl on the powerpoint.

"This is Indie," she said. "She's my world."

She went on to say all this random stuff about her, you know, like she doesn't like wearing shoes, and she loves photography, and she's a family person...

Love at first sight, people.

She's just so AWESOME. Everyone loves her. I'm not even exaggerating. For First Years, the university has this program where they have senior students call you up at certain intervals to see how you're doing. A few weeks in, this guy calls me up and asks me how things are, and I was telling him how much I love my lecturer, and he's like: "Is this Jaime?"

And I'm like why yes, who else?!

In this one lecture, she wanted us to do this quick group activity, and she told us to write our answers on a paper, make a plane, and fly it down to her. It was a fail, but still. In this other lecture, she wanted us to do a survey (andnevermindeveryonewouldclimbmountainsforher) and she felt she had to bribe us, so she brought in this massive container of chocolates, and literally strolled around the theatre throwing them at us. Mind you, that's a couple of hundred students. Just saying. Another day, she thought it was a beautiful day, so she made us all go outside to practise practical stuff. Also, she refuses to record lectures, because she says she loves us so much and she wants to be able to see our faces every week, even if she has to force us to get there.

I love her so much. I want to be just like her. She's such a hippy... such a pocketful of sunshine. I'm just a little obsessed with her. We all are.

And that's just her. The Paramedic aspect in itself is just...everythingIthoughtitwouldbeandmore. The practicals, the jumpsuit, the placements - I've had four so far - it's just... amazing.

I'm gonna end this on a picture of the promised jumpsuit photo, and my precious kitties who have, alas, since left the nest... but I've still much to add, so To Be Continued...

ROUND #1:

Kiko

Doughnut

Socks

Princess Fluffy

Salem

ROUND #2:

Fred & George

Odette

Sylvie

Rafaella

Peace in,
Laila

"It's okay," she said.

 

"Don't worry. Go study. I won't distract you by my cuteness."

"I'll let my babies do it instead."

There are five.

 

 Hahahaha, Laila. Look at you. Exam in four days, and you're blogging about cats. Amazing.

Yeah, I know. Shut up.

Peace in, 

Laila

These Are My Favourite Things #2

I did one of these ages ago... and it's kind of fun and therepeutic, so I think I'll do another. Here is where I will share random stuff and promote things that I love and hope and hope and hope that you'll go away with something new and awesome ^_^ Although a lot of the stuff that I do like isn't very... well, unheard of.

Okay, so firstly, I like stories. So here's a story:

A Cup of Tea

A group of students, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old teacher. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. 

Offering his guests tea, the teacher went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of tea and an assortment of cups – porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite – telling them to help themselves to the tea. 

When all the students had a cup of tea in hand, the professor said: ‘If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. 

Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the tea. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was tea, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups… And then you began eyeing each other’s cups too. 

Now consider this: Life is the tea; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live. 

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the tea Allah has provided us.’ Allah brews the tea, not the cups. Enjoy your tea.

And I think this is the sort of advice/kick-in-the-butt I need every now and again...

And this picture makes me happy:

 Ok. Let's do books. 

Recently, I finished The Lumatere Chronicles, by Melina Marchetta.

 Oh. My. God.

It's pure awesomeness. Every single thing is perfect. I don't really throw that around easily (I think) but, I mean, she wrote it so well. You'll love the characters, the setting is amazing, every intricate detail is mindblowing, the plot is intriguing and tragic and twisty and - well, okay, here is my review, it's under Quintana but I was reviewing the trilogy as a whole, I guess. Some words of advice: 

1. Finnikin of the Rock you can read as a standalone novel, I think, but once you read Froi, rest assured you must read the rest. What's more, unless you have the best of the best memory, I highly recommend reading them consecutively, without a huge gap inbetween. Especially after Froi - there are so many details in it that are relevant to Quintana and if you leave a huge gap inbetween readings (like me), you'll sort of lose the quarter of the novel before you really start understanding everything.

2. Also, hm, from Froi onwards it get's very... adult ='_'= I mean, she doesn't detail stuff, but it's all there in plenty of references. So I guess Arvie, you should stay away ^_^

Okay, now another: The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak.

... hold up, forget me throwing about perfection not easily... o.o This novel is perfect too. But... but... in my defense, I'm recommending from my favourites shelf. So everything on the favourites is always perfect. Mostly.

Anyway, I actually read The Book Thief yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeears ago but I feel the need to recommend now, because, last Thursday, I learnt that...

OkayI'mhavingdifficultybreathingagain

THEY'RE MAKING A MOVIE. THEY'REMAKINGAMOVIEFORTHEBOOKTHIEFOHMYGOD.

Now there is something Very Important that you must understand. When I read this book, when Markus Zusak ripped out my heart and fed it through a meat shredder, when I finished it, it didn't occur to me once that this should be a movie. Ever. On the one hand, the story itself is perfectly amazing, but on the other hand, it's just the way he writes. It's so poetic and pretty and perfect. I wouldn't even have the right words to do justice to how he writes, and I guess my subconscious figured a movie needn't, couldn't, do it justice either.

But as soon as I saw the news, I stopped breathing for a while anyway. See, last week, I had been watching a French movie (my way of studying for French), and when I watch these movies, if they turn out okay, I look up the actors/actresses, particularly if they're little, because the younger they are, the more likely the movies they're in don't have naked people getting up to things (as is common with the French). The movie I was watching was Monsieur Lazhar, with a little Canadian-French girl called Sophie Nélisse in one of the minor starring roles...

Yup, Sophie Nélisse is LIESEL. DHFLJADHLFKJADSHFKJA.

 In case you didn't get that, I think she's perfect. Really.

I think I can give you a run down on The Book Thief without spoiling anything - basically, it's set in Nazi Germany, it's the story of Liesel Meminger... oh, I read some of the blurb, and to finish:

It’s just a small story, really, about, among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . 

And the fun bit? It's told through the voice of Death. You gotta love Death.

Oh, one more thing. What really always gets me about The Book Thief is that Zusak tells you what's going to happen at the end at the start, and it still has the same profound effect when you get to the end, even though you knew it was coming. Gosh. Gosh.

So The Book Thief. January 2014, guys. *dies* (Go read the book though, if you haven't. Or I'll hit you. The movie is NOT a substitute, I don't think it ever is.)

Btw, the soundtrack for Monsieur Lazhar is really nice...

Oh yeah, Monsieur Lazhar is a movie I'd recommend. It's not very climatic, but there's something very... pleasantly melancholic. I'm not sure I can call it that... it basically involves this teacher - Monsieur Lazhar - going to a school where a teacher recently committed suicide in a classroom. While he observes them coping, he... happens to be coping with his own issues. It's just... nice.

So, because my charming French teacher is absolutely useless as a teacher, I've taken to watching French movies as part of my study, besides the tuition I take. As I mentioned before, it's a bit hard to find French movies that don't have random naked people turn up, but... well, okay, if the following movies have random naked people, I'll tell you.

There's Amelie. In one word, it's quirky. It does have ... some naked people. Brief glimpses, and oh God, there's this one scene where you don't see anything but the sound effects are positively scarring.... but they're not the centre of the movie and they're VERY brief, and the overall movie is fantastic x) I've watched it twice.

Les Intouchables. NO naked people. It's ... hm... the unconventional tale of a paraplegic and a young man who sort of accidentally ends up being his caretakerishperson. Based on a true story :)

Ummm... I can't remember any others that were ... exceptional. What else? Well, I absolutely love this post I saw on Linchy's tumblr, but I can't make myself repost all the swearwords and... I'm too lazy to link every single gif. But Harry Potter fans, it's for you. J'adore ♥ 

Oh, just found this awesome quote:
catalyse:

To people who believe long skirts/concealing clothes/burqas restricts and oppresses a woman’s sexuality: I can enjoy my body without you enjoying my body. 

Going back to JKRowling, though, I love this quote by her. So much, I wrote it up and stuck it in my school x)

“Fat’ is usually the first insult a girl throws at another girl when she wants to hurt her.

I mean, is ‘fat’ really the worst thing a human being can be? Is ‘fat’ worse than ‘vindictive’, ‘jealous’, ‘shallow’, ‘vain’, ‘boring’ or ‘cruel’? Not to me; but then, you might retort, what do I know about the pressure to be skinny? I’m not in the business of being judged on my looks, what with being a writer and earning my living by using my brain…

I went to the British Book Awards that evening. After the award ceremony I bumped into a woman I hadn’t seen for nearly three years. The first thing she said to me? ‘You’ve lost a lot of weight since the last time I saw you!’

‘Well,’ I said, slightly nonplussed, ‘the last time you saw me I’d just had a baby.’

What I felt like saying was, ‘I’ve produced my third child and my sixth novel since I last saw you. Aren’t either of those things more important, more interesting, than my size?’ But no – my waist looked smaller! Forget the kid and the book: finally, something to celebrate!

I’ve got two daughters who will have to make their way in this skinny-obsessed world, and it worries me, because I don’t want them to be empty-headed, self-obsessed, emaciated clones; I’d rather they were independent, interesting, idealistic, kind, opinionated, original, funny – a thousand things, before ‘thin’. And frankly, I’d rather they didn’t give a gust of stinking chihuahua flatulence whether the woman standing next to them has fleshier knees than they do. Let my girls be Hermiones, rather than Pansy Parkinsons.” 

 I think I'll finish this with some songs...

ALEXANDER RYBAK. I love him.

Ingrid Michaelson. So cute (:

Cimorelli. I just love that they're all sisters and they're so nice.

 & of course, Lindsey. Because it's Lindsey.

No, wait, before I go, you need some Kiko ^_^

Peace in,
Laila