11 Jan 2014

2013 Retrospective: Part 1

Happy (Late) New Year everyone! It's been busy here already... On the first day of the new year, Trinity single-handedly (its a word, I checked) wiped Europe an most of America off the map. In a game called 'Pandemic'. It's really fun, although to win you have to cooperate, and Trin just decided to hang out in Asia.
Trin has had guests over or going out herself every second day. I've been trying to write and draw, but thanks several things I am never able to. Mum has been busy with work. Dad had been, well, Dad. And Mum, Trin and I just had a boxing lesson yesterday. Mum almost collapsed trying to pick up a water bottle, I became light-headed, and Trin fell to the ground after half a push-up (in the first 10 minutes). And today, our muscles are killing us.
Yay.

Anyway, I'm not sure what to post, since I haven't done anything. And I'm trying to do something with Mum, so instead here is some things I've been to.

1 - The EKKA 
The Ekka is a major agricultural event in Brisbane and goes for around 10 days. I went once when I was really little (before I could really make any memories) and had never been again. Until last year. As luck would have it, the University was closed for the public day and I bought myself a ticket.



A breakdown of the main events...
  • I embarrassed myself by first off, going by myself. Usually not that bothered, until I got to the flying swings and was placed with a group of three because I bought a single ticket. The group were very nice about the whole thing
  • Dagwood Dogs!! I don't think anyone could really understand what's so good about them (calourie-wise it's nothing), but I like them. I was fairly obsessed with eating them there mostly because it would be another year before I eat them again.
  • Animals!! Lots and lots and lots. And somewhere in the petting area a virus mutated and infected all the little kids and their parents. It's a good thing I stayed away from that area (it was very crowded). I did go see the dogs and play with the Greyhounds. I totally blame Mum for my love of them (and all animals).
  • Rides! I love rides. Here are some videos of them.



 *Cough* Moving on
  • I got a Kewpie doll! Ok, it's plastic, but I love them! It also reminds me of a favourite Australian play of mine - 'The Summer of the Seventeenth Doll' (Don't watch the English movie, they screw up the ending).
  • The events, there was an Livestock show, which I didn't see because I was busy watching a Horseshoe Making competition. And eating my lunch. In the shade. 'Cause I was badly sunburnt an hour and half into the day. *Sigh*
  • Ok, so lots of things happened, but at the end...

The show went for 20-30 minutes. I recorded all of it. It was AWESOME!
Unfortunately I can't upload big files, so here's the start of it!


2 - Volunteering at the Anthropology Museum
  • The Antiques Museum has a list running out the door on people who want to volunteer but can't due to numbers. On the floor below, is the hardly visited Anthropology Museum. All 5 volunteers are girls. We work under Kiri (who is from Papua New Guinea if I remember correctly)  in cataloging and checking all the wonderful items. I normally work with Janine, a journalist student from Germany (apparently I'm the first person to say her name correctly). However the last time I was in there which was just after Uni finished, it was just me and Kiri. And there was something really interesting in that area...
"Hey Kiri, why are there shoes in the list?"
"Ah, those are black magic shoes. A group that wanted someone dead would call the Kurdaitcha - magic men. They were avoided by people and because of what they do, their shoes are made out of emu feathers so they don't make a sound and are considered taboo, filled with black magic."
I was told to avoid that shelf, but mark it for Kiri to do (and there is a really cool reason for that, but this post is already too long so I'll save it for another time). I have seen many wondrous things from musical instruments, art, decorative masks, stone tools, shell jewellery to - uh... - pubic covers. It really is a lot of fun.
3 - Passed my first year of University
  • So I must be doing something right. Albeit I have suffered several huge blows to self-confidence and have yet to recover completely from them. I had fun though. I got lots of ideas and knowledge and I'm loving it. Most of it anyway...

OK, so, yeah. Part 1. Sorry about this. I just really don't have anything ready to post.

Anyway, have a fantastic day everyone! Hope the firework brought a smile to your face (or maybe the thought of me staring a pubic covers having no idea what they were or what gender they were for - That thought worries Dad). Haha!