JOURNAL: Amizadai (Lee Amizadai )

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  • So many angles! I... can't... take it! 2002-07-23 13:46:12 I just reread my entry, and the casual way I mentioned the use of crystal methane made it sound like I condone drug abuse.

    Um, I just thought I should clarify that I do NOT take speed. And you shouldn't either because drugs are bad for you... and it will make your peepee drop off. Stick to Menthos. Because they're a lot more life affirming... and um... they have a nice minty flavour. Yeah.  
  • Sport: Suicide and self-maiming has never been so fun! 2002-07-23 13:21:58 So now I'm back from the ski slopes. Wow. WOW. I never thought I'd like skiing so much.

    I went to Falls Creek, which was a tad bit more expensive than the more popular but less exciting Mt. Buller. Stayed there for three days, two days of which I spent skiing. On the second day, I went down the trail almost ten times right up till the ski lifts closed.

    It. Was. So. Good. I put it down to my being a speed junkie ('speed' as in velocity, not the crystal meth).

    Anyway, this trail I went down is called the Wombat Trail. It's a beginner's run, but to someone who's only had two lessons, the steep slopes, sprinkled liberally with fallen skiiers and sharp bends that hide said obstacles from view make the run quite a challenging one.

    My first run down that trail was particularly hair-raising because I *forgot* that making turns down a steep slope will slow you down. I went down so fast I heard the material of my ski jacket snap and rustle in the windslip. When I got to the bottom my eyes were as huge as saucers and my mouth was clamped tight shut from trying not to shriek everytime I thought I was going to die.

    At one point I bent my knees so low I was practically squatting in what my friends dubbed quite crudely the "going-for-a-shit" position. (Some toilets in Singapore are squat toilets, which are basically a ceramic bowl in the floor.) From that low level, the way the trail unwound in front of me made me think "Wow, this is JUST like a ski simulator computer game!"

    The next few times I practiced my turns, which was infinitely slower, safer and insanely boring, so I went back to streaking the trail and going "shitshitshit,ohcrap,I'mgoingtodieeee" everytime I nearly missed a corner and launched myself down the mountain. I got better after a couple of near-death experiences, one of which I had to Ski practically on the edge to prevent from skewering some fallen kid on the tip of my skis.

    The last few times after the slopes cleared because everybody was going home, Colin, Sebas and myself went absolutely mad and streaked down the mountain like maniacs. We all crouched low, copied Colin in the way he held his skis under his arms and sped down in what Colin says was almost perfect coordination. Wish I'd been right behind to see it.

    Wally says that this is the closest I'll ever get to the Nausicaa experience, because of the speed, altitude and the scenery that skiing involves. But I personally think hang-gliding will beat skiing in that respect, because it involves having to actually RUN OFF a cliff instead of preventing from flying off it, like skiing does. Mm, maybe my next trip will be to New Zealand.

    Pity that Wally only got to ski on the first day, because he sprained his knee after the first day. He was getting really good at skiing, and I'm sure he would have enjoyed going down the Wombat Trail. Too bad.

    Anyway, in the 9 or 10 times I went down the trail, I didn't fall at all until the very last run, right at the end. It was quite a nasty fall, because SOMEHOW, I managed to sock myself in the jaw with my knee. I was lying on my back in the snow, arms spread as if to embrace the sky, seeing black, thinking, "Wow, I think I've knocked myself out", which of course, was nonsense, because if I was out cold I wouldn't have been able to think that. My jaw was numb, and I thought I might have broken it or dislocated it, and I was just waiting for the pain to hit and thinking it was going to be HELL. When a couple of ladies came running up to ask if I was OK, I could only grit out "Nnnng... NgOw. 'm OK, 'm OK". And then I started giggling manically, because it was such a shock. I may have given those well-meaning ladies the impression that I'd knocked myself stupid.

    So anyway, I finally gingerly opened my mouth and realised that my jaw was not broken. I asked them if it looked like a nasty fall to them. They said they gave me an 8. I told them I'd practice more, and they laughed, and went off. When I looked up, my friend Colin was waving at me in what he swears was a CONCERNED manner, instead of what I thought was a 'hurry up!' gesture. I would have liked a little more sympathy, but ah well, I wasn't all that hurt. Now I'm none the worse for wear except for a sore jaw and knee. Kinda wish I'd been able to record my fall. I'd replay it in slow mo over and over again.

    Normal speed: "Whoa, shit! Urrgh, *crack*!"

    Slow mo: "Whoooaaaaa.... sssshhhhiiiitttt....... uuuurrrrghhhhh.... *craaaack*."

    I did get a couple of pictures, so hopefully tomorrow I'll download them and see if they work out. I especially want to see the one of Colin crouched on his skis, with his poles under his arms and a look of intensity on his face... crawling past at a snail's pace so that I wouldn't miss taking his picture.

    I should stop here now... It's amost 3.30 am! Gah.  
  • say hello to my abyss 2002-07-20 04:06:17 So I finally bought/rented everything I need for the ski trip. It's set me back a bit more than I expected, but ah well, I have never been skiing. I'm sure it'll be fun though I think the only thing I'll be good at is falling down and thrashing about in the snow. If anybody asks, I'm making snow angels.

    I'll be bringing my Super Sampler Lomo, which lets me take 4 shots in quick succession everytime I snap a picture. It's great for action shots, but seeing how hardly anybody in the group I'm going with knows how to ski, I'll be getting a lot of falling down shots instead of freeze frames of cool snow-boarding aerials Lomo users have been submitting to the Lomo wesbite.

    I just got the grade for my documentary studies essay back. I got an OK grade - considering I was 5 days late, which snips off a hefty 10% off my essay mark. It's a bit of a trade-off... I wouldn't have been able to present as good an argument I did if I hadn't taken those five extra days, so I guess that would have meant a low grade for my unsnipped grade anyway. But I am a perfectionist, so I have a thing about handing in my best work... even if it means late work and the lecturer having to minus marks. So stupid, so stupid. And this is my last term, so I don't get anymore chances to redeem myself and prove that I can do good essays without being late. Overall I scored 70%, which I think is horribly mediocre for a subject I enjoyed so much during the term. I would have liked to get a distinction, but what the heck. I have only myself to blame. Let the chest beating begin.

    My rest of my results will be released on Monday, but I only get back on Tuesday night. I am going to psyche myself into enjoying myself and not give in to the dread those last two days when my grades will be sitting on the school server, UNCHECKED, UNKNOWN. I keep telling myself that I will probably be unable to see my grades on Monday even if I had internet acess wheer I am going, because the server will most likely crash with the amount of people trying to get to the results the first two days.  
  • And you dreamed it all and this is your story ~ Talking Heads 2002-07-18 02:09:48 I've been without internet for more than a week now. Frankly I am surprised that the withdrawal symptoms are not as bad as I thought they'd be. Sure, I miss checking my email and writing in the journal, but I have not been incapacitated by the cold turkey symptoms that usually accompany my going without the internet for any length of time.

    I think it's because I've been going out a lot these days - I've been bringing Eelin out around town in the last week or so; in bringing her around I am also bringing MYSELF out. I haven't done anything enjoyable for SO long. It's been all about catching up with assignments and racing against deadlines and worrying about money. I know how to get to places around Melbourne, but I haven't spent time in them to enjoy them. Which is really quite sad because I've been here for close to a year.

    We went shopping, and to the park to have a late lunch, where we had to keep chasing a patch of sunlight on the grass because the sun was setting. Today we went to the market to satisfy a craving for donuts... it's so good to walk around with Ee-lin (Wally's sister) enjoying the sun and winter air. Little things make me so happy. I've been cooped up way too long.

    Anyway, Ee-lin returns to Perth tomorrow. I'll be sad to see her go, but at least we had some good conversations and a couple of good going-out days.

    On Sunday I go on a skiing trip. I have never been skiing before, and I forsee myself flailing and falling down a lot, but what the heck. The only thing that bothers me is that I'm going to have to get HUGE goggles that cover almost my entire face because of my prescription glasses. I would wear my contact lenses, but I lost one of them down the drain a couple of months back. I looked at myself in the mirror yesterday with the goggles I was trying on at the sports shop, and all I could see of my face was my chin, and VERY little of it at that. So depressing.

    Talking about depressing things, it turns out I may be unable to bring my rats back to Singapore with me... way too expensive. I was prepared to pay quite a hefty sum for their trip back, but now it turns out I will have to pay ANOTHER ludicruous amount to have them placed in quarantine. I don't think I can afford it. I really dread the possibility of having to leave them behind, but I may just have to.

    But if I do have to make that dreaded decision, at least Stephanie is willing to adopt them. She and her brother Christopher love them to bits and spoil them even worse than I do. I am still amazed at how they didn't get angry with the rats even when they chewed up the brand new quilt covers.

    I really would like to pay whatever it takes to bring them back with me, but their lives are so short (approx. 2 years) that it just doesn't make sense to go into such a debt that will see me working to pay off for the rest of their natural lives.

    Steph has promised that she will send me photos of them every month. And I really hope she does. I'm going to miss them so much. I will send money so Steph can get them a bigger cage, and rattie hammocks and all sorts of fun stuff.

    I know this journal entry is terribly disjointed, but I don't think I should spend too much time writing. I'm using the school conmputers, and I don't think I should leave Ee-lin sitting in a corner reading for too long. I've been here an hour as it is.

    By the way, the title is from a song(?) that Milo quoted in an email he sent. I think it's a wonderful line.  
  • the art of nothing 2002-07-10 23:12:43 I don't believe it. I finished my essay. Did it in one night. Wow.

    Now I just have to wait to find out whether I graduate. Scary. But in the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the few days I have left here in Australia. Even if it's without internet access.

    Ah well. I guess it'll encourage me to get out more. The weather's really nice now, cold and sunny. Too bad we didn't go for the day trip today. It's been postponed to next Tuesday.

    I'm in the school library using the computer, because the 54 k modem at home is so slow. Its been ages since I've seen internet images dither while downloading. It's quite novel seeing it again. It brings back memories of the time I was in secondary school and surfing on my trust 166 MHz computer. Whee.

    Anyway, I can't stay in the library too long because I have to go grab a couple of carton boxes that someone threw out of the Union shop downstairs. I just know I'll look really glamorous raiding the dustbins in my oversized jacket and today's hag hair and eyebags. But hey, they're free and I'm Singaporean. I asked how much the new ones cost and they're exorbitant. Anyway, the boxes are for sending my stuff back to Singapore.

    Well, I should go. I hope nobody's stolen my boxes.  
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