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Browsing category: Uncategorized

  • November 14, 2008

    I finally got around to watching Obama’s speech on youtube!

    it was amazing.

    in no way do i wish i was american but in this case i would not have minded being there… i’ve always thought that the american fervour.spirit is scary! pep rallies, football matches, the presidential ralllies and protests – but this one was different for me.

    YES, WE CAN.

    our little elections just so didn’t measure up, i was super excited to vote for the first time ever and somehow found it really anticlimactic. why don’t we have touch screen voting machines in street laundromats? huh? huh??!

    but at the same time i wonder, what happens to those avid campaigners and supporters now he’s in the white house? now that he will be spending his time running the country and will no longer have time to engage with his youngest and most passionate followers

  • November 11, 2008

    Disappointment and frustration

    The hunt for glasses has become rather depressing.

    Mainstream chain places – zilch.

    Ugly, half-rimmed glasses – all the rage.
    There’s not much choice between the trendy chunky frames (too thick and overpowering for my face) and the nanna wire-frame type ones.

    And I’m really not liking the new plastic craze – I like the lightweightness but I want something sturdy to last a few years, and HATE that the new plastic ones don’t have actual nosepieces. How can you adjust them to fit your face properly? They only have small plastic ridges, which might work fine if you are almost any ethnicity but Chinese. I HAVE NO NOSE. I have nothing to perch these plastic frames on; pushed up my nose, they sit millimetres away from my eyeballs. I look like a goldfish. Each time I blink my eyelashes touch the lens. It’s very, very uncool.

    However, I  succeeded in finding a pair at Beale and Beale in town, and plan to buy them online from lessforspecs. The frames are something like $60-70 less and lenses up to $200 less. Hurray!

    I also had a rather unpleasant experience at Auckland Uni’s Grafton optometry clinic. First I signed in at reception and asked if they had a range of frames I could look through. She said I’d need a student to help me out (WTF? Since when does trying on frames mean you need supervision?) and asked when I last had my eyes checked. She then disappeared into the back for ages and came out saying she couldn’t find my file anywhere. At this point I patiently explained I had not had my eyes tested there.

    She said “WELL THEN, I’M SORRY I CAN’T HELP YOU. WE’RE AN OPTICAL CLINIC, WE’RE NOT A SHOP FULL OF FRAMES”

    What the hell. They were all happy as Larry, until it turned out I hadn’t had my eye test there? I told a friend had recommended the clinic for eye tests and frames to which she told me that they must have it all wrong.

    I asked her, “So where did they (my friend) get their frames from then?”

    Her response: “Oh, they must have gone to their own optometrist.”

    Huh. And yet she had been willing to oblige right up till then, when I explained I hadn’t had my eye test there.

    So my friends are stupid, and liars, and so is their own website?

    I walked out puzzled and frustrated that I’d wasted all that time and energy walking to Grafton over the bridge and then missioning it all around that particular building trying to find the bloody place. Worst waste of time ever.

    I was going to email in and complain, and suggest to them to remove the following: “Spectacle Dispensing – a selection of quality frames available” from their webpage, but can’t find an email address on their site.

  • November 7, 2008

    On becoming a better person

    I was thinking the other day about how odd it is that there are some people I
    just can never be jealous of. Whether it’s getting generous gifts from
    parents/family/significant others, getting paid ridiculous amounts, getting
    straight As, whatever. I might sound like a witch saying this, but when I hear
    about great things happening to some (a few – not very many) I can’t help but
    begrudge them a little. Don’t I work hard enough? Don’t I deserve good luck? AM
    I not a good person? But for most of my friends I really am happy for their good
    fortune; I might wish for a second that I was as lucky or blessed, but in no way
    do I want to detract from their achievements.

    What is it that makes the difference? How close we are? How often we see each
    other? How genuinely nice they are as a person? Whether they’ve worked really
    hard to get to where they are?

    The biggest surprise for me was the last time I saw my family. My brother,
    though he doesn’t have everything he wants (I don’t think) gets a hell of a lot
    from my parents. iPod, camera, special edition Strat which cost over a grand (or
    was it two grand? Does it make a difference when the numbers are that high?) My
    guitar and amp cost less than that combined, and I paid for it all myself
    working two jobs in fifth form. I never got given anything like what he gets
    now.

    And yet I really do not care. I’m glad for him, I’m glad my parents are
    loosening up a little and maybe learning to appreciate what they have. I don’t
    even feel a little pang that I missed out on all that stuff. Everything I have
    now I earned myself.

    Maybe I’m not as selfish as I thought I was.

    Being the oldest and the guinea pig for growing up in a new country, and female,
    and the “smart” one who was pushed to excel was kinda hard. It was never good
    enough – didn’t matter how many people I was beating, I was still supposed to
    look up to the freaky top 1%ers and strive to be just like them. Unfortunately
    what my parents wanted was vastly different from what I wanted. And neither of
    us dealt with that in the best possible way, hence the whole leaving home in
    sixth form thing.

    Since then I think I’ve received more from the folks than in my whole life. We
    never really did Christmas. I never believed in Santa. I probably didn’t even
    hear of him till I was about seven. We went shopping for our presents on
    Boxing Day, occasionally. We didn’t get birthday presents (though granted we
    didn’t really give them either). Sometimes I feel like I missed out on a lot
    but I have to remind myself they’re just material things. Now I get birthday
    and Christmas gifts, which although is nice I find it ironic, and a little sad.

    I see in my brother a lot of what I was like at that age. He lives a little bit
    in his own world, like I did, but in a different way. I lost myself in books,
    where he spends his time on the computer/watching Tv and now playing guitar, I
    guess. He’s gawky, awkward and a little socially inept, a bit defensive, a bit
    aggro, and sometimes the way he talks phases me a bit because that’s exactly
    something I would’ve said when I was 13. I’ve come a long way from there, and I
    can only hope that in time he’ll grow into himself too.

  • November 6, 2008

    Whatever happened to the good old days? When I was in school the BDO was a paragon of A list bands. One year (fourth form?) there was Metallica, the Chilis, The Darkness, Kings of Leon, the Dandy Warhols and many more). Since then it’s steadily gone downhill. I don’t even remember who headlined last year. Neil young is headlining this year. No disrespect to him, but he’s really not what the BDO is about.

    Yeah, it’s going to the dogs. I thought last year’s was pretty lame – I worked there and Muse and Tool were fab, but that was about it. 2009 looks set to be crap. I perked up when I heard SOAD were coming, but turns out it’s just Serj Tankian on his own (WTF?)

    If Southern Amp wasn’t so southern, I would so be there…

  • November 5, 2008

    corporate whores

    Me and the boy were discussing starting up a business one day (well, him , I personally have no interest in running one myself ever). Except what sort of business? I told him to start with thinking about what interests him. To which he responded:wrestling and Naruto.

    Bloody Sky TV. Sky has brainwashed him. Sunday afternoon wrestling and regular Naruto marathons are now the central points of his week. Sad sad sad.

    * * *

    I’ve been wanting to change our home phone and net over to Vodafone for awhile, but kept putting it off. Last week i heard telecom were pulling out of Fly Buys, the main reason I’ve stuck with them past the initial 12 month contract, so I got my ass into gear and went into the Vodafone shop. (Incidentally, speaking to an actual staff member at the big Queen St store is almost impossible. After two tries I ended up going to the tiny one by JB HIfi). I found out how to go about switching and told them I’m be back tomorrow.

    Then I got a letter from Telecom this afternoon offering me 6gigs for the price of 3 for 12 months. Although it would cost me $5 more than with Vodafone, and mobile calls would be 1c more, I’d get one gig more than Vodafone would give me and I wouldn’t have to go through the hassle of changing providers.

    So I’ll ring Telecom tomorrow and organise the new plan – but if it’s too much of a mission, well, Vodafone here I come for good.

  • November 5, 2008

    mappy maps!

    Watching the US election from time to time…especially the colour coded maps.

    I don’t know why I’m so taken by those maps, maybe it’s my love of colour and seeing things visually? Because we live in a tiny country where similar maps showing how each city voted just wouldn’t be as cool?

    Whatever, I’m fascinated by the MSN map and can’t wait till the outcome.

  • November 4, 2008

    Product of the year!

    Frozen mashed potato.

    who would ever have thought?

    normally i’d turn my nose up and scoff at such a thing. BUT, i’ve found a little gem in the freezer aisle of countdown. it’s frozen mashed potato by select (the woolworths brand). not that powdered crap, it’s real mashed potato cut into little chip/spring roll size bits. still skeptical? don’t be. you pop it in the microwave, it melts, and melts into cheesy, creamy heavenly bliss.

    such goodness should be illegal.

    it is the perfect softness, richness and consistency. always. you don’t add anything to it – it’s all been done for you. for some reason it has a hint of cheesiness – it’s just like the mashed potato you get on fresh potato top pies from the bakery.

    i love mashed potato, but it’s such a time consuming thing to make. which is why this stuff has endeared itself even more to me.

    it’s fantabuloustic. go out and get yourself some.

  • November 4, 2008

    I don’t think I’ve bought one single thing this year without going back, looking at it and trying it on at least twice this year.

    It’s not just I want to get the best deal, but I don’t want to make the wrong choice – I don’t trust my memory and I’m getting increasingly more indecisive. My coat, my boots, a couple of tops, bathrobe, my shoes… and most recently glasses. That was somewhat ridiculous, I must have made three trips back and forth between the same two shops. On different days, of course.

    So my indecision’s increased along with my fear of making the right choice… But on the bright side, I haven’t regretted a single purchase. Which is proof my way is working, right?

  • November 4, 2008

    You can do it. No, really.

    Red sofa

    Couches are nice – not a necessity. Image via Wikipedia

    Some of my friends seem amazed at how I’m managing to get by being fully independent. They say there’s no way they could do it, it would be way too hard, they just wouldn’t be able to manage.

    I think that’s a load of bull.

    They would manage just fine, they just wouldn’t be able to live life the way they do now. It’s not like I make more than them – I get more student allowance, but that’s because I don’t live at home. Most of my friends work and most of them make around what I do. And few to none have any debt, where I still do (a little, which’ll be paid off by end of summer).

    It’s about priorities. They say they don’t have any household stuff. Well, you don’t need coffee tables, sofas, desks and chairs. Odds are you’re going to join an established flat as a flatmate – I don’t know why you would take on a tenancy straight out of home, or what the odds are of that happening without prior housing references. You won’t need all that stuff. And even if you sign on for a small unit or apartment, you won’t have room for most of that stuff. Living in our old apartment, the only furniture we had was a two seater couch – that’s all the space allowed for.

    Sure, you won’t get to buy clothes or shoes whenever you want. A couple of times a year, maybe. But that’s life, and if you want to move out bad enough you’ll learn to get by. You might not get to go to concerts or go on holidays or to RnV for New Year’s, but you really can’t have everything, not this early on in life (unless you’re a trust funder or crazy millionaire entrepreneur). You might have to watch your coffees or lunches and dinners out, eat beans and noodles every so often, let your sheets and towels get a bit ragged before replacing them. You might not be able to save much, if at all.

    But the point I’m trying to make it, it’s possible. Almost anyone can do it. It’s a matter of rethinking what’s important to you and simplifying things. You just won’t be able to live the life you got used to while living at home. Whether or not your parents support you in any way (apart from providing a roof and food) there are so many things you take for granted, and those are the things that change when you’re on your own.

  • November 3, 2008

    I’ve really started to detest going to the bank. I invariably get harassed about Kiwisaver – am I in it, if not why not, these are the benefits, blah blah blah.
    It’s my freakin’ money, what little there is, and it’s my choice what I do with it.
    I was super keen to join, but I figured I would put it off till next year (or possibly after graduation). Definitely at least until my taxes and student loan are paid for. (although with what National wants to do to KS it’s lost a bit of its lustre, though I’m sure it will encourage more people to join which is good). But I am super, super glad I waited. With everything the way it is, all my income is going to be needed to pull us through the summer. If work continues being this sporadic for the boy. If the company doesn’t get their act together and start the apprenticeship next year it will definitely be time to look elsewhere – although how easy that may be remains to be seen.

     

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