Farthers day

So, in the end I went to bed like a loser but woke up like a winner: to a breakfast of crumpets and an episode of Doctor Who.

MAS-TIC-ATE!
(Having watched last night's episode, I realise this looks less like a Dalek eye-stalk  than I thought. Alack.)

This was a very good start to the day, by anyone's standards. 'Cept maybe Manthy's- chick's allergic to wheat. *cough*loser*cough*

I then went on to complete an assignment which had been looming over me like a particularly academic albatross. I had Aspen proof-read before submitting it for assessment, and I feel we grew closer as friends because of it.

Your days are numbered, Logie Bear.

I then went for a delightful traipse around the park in the sunshine while discussing what I should do for my 21st; the top suggestion was the beach and a bush walk, and maybe camping- you know, true Aussie stuff.

This was the runner-up suggestion.

Don't worry, Dan, the brothel is still under consideration as well. Especially if it's an aussie-themed brothel.

I just wanted to use this picture again. Sorry for the implication, Patten.

Also, happy father's day, dad- apparently it happens in September here.

A bridge too far

The 'rents have landed, and I did not need to contact them, meaning I win.
The war.
Against...prodigality.
Or summat.

Anyway, this'll be a quick'un just to tell y'all about one of the less pleasant memories I have accrued in my month (shit, one twefth of the way through my time here- WHERE HAS IT GONE?!!) standing on the underside of the world.
I call it...

'Les Misère-ables'

It started with the rather innocent suggestion that Logan, Aspen, Jason (who is now on his fourth nickname in 'David') and I play 500, a card game I've picked up whilst here. The point of 500 is to win 500 points through playing what is essentially 'hearts' but where the trump card changes every time; at various points in the game, Logan and Jason had scored 490, 430 and 470 points. Aspen and I had, equally variously, 150, -230 and -440 points (if you get to -500 points, you lose). However, neither team ever managed to get to that golden quincentennial marker; at one of the points that L and J had gotten oh so unbelievably close, I managed to persuade the ineffable Mr. J to take a fool's gamble and thus lose them an inordinate amount of points. Now, for some reason, Logan decided this was my fault, even though it was David who had taken the risk. He expressed his distaste by twisting my ear to try and stem my laughter at the situation, which I felt was unnecessary- now, Logan is one of the few who actually reads my blog, so I'll leave this discussion there.
Anyway, long, long, long story short, they won and we went to Macdonalds, but it's notable for being one of the few times my serpent-tempter act has actually worked, and also for the sheer chunk of my life that it took to complete this game. Seriously, I now see my life as pre and post- 500.

"Sir, I will fight you"

Dear reader, today you are in for a treat even more scrumptious than the one I consumed last night. Yes, those of you who also follow my admittedly sporadic tweets (and thus get the full Wiz-kid experience, as it were) will be aware that last night, in the company of messers Logan and Aspen, I frequented a pancake parlour. Oh, what rapture! Oh, what ecstasy! But that is nothing compared to what you are about to experience, dear reader; gaze, agog and aghast, at a photograph...taken by yours truly. 

Not pictured: a balanced breakfast.

 And, what is this? Another?!

Huh. I'd always pictured them as identical twins.

Yes, even though I purchased a phone some eleven days ago, up until now, no picture taken had the panache nor classiness necessary to be placed upon this blog of blogs. But now, weep mere mortals! Weep at the beauty assembled before you!
In other news, the pancakes were delicious but gave me a stomach ache this morning. Swings and roundabouts.

I went to a readthrough this morning- I hadn't been to one since January* and that was Spirit of the Butterfly, so I'm just gonna go ahead and say I actually haven't been to one since that workshop in October which lead to the infamous 'Rory as Titania' line**. It was immensely enjoyable; at first, naturally, we were all kind of awkward and no one really knew what to say. But then, someone tittered at one of my recitations- I was cast in the role of a clown (playing to my strengths)- spurring me on to greater pantomime, encouraging others, and before long we were having a gay old time with much mirth and we started interacting outside of the script. I'm so glad I got up for it, because to be honest, between the weather (see The Shit Hits the Fan), my stomach ache (see above) and the start time (see NINE O'CLOCK IN THE BLOODY MORNING!!!), I was sorely tempted to skip. But I didn't, and was rewarded. Sure there's a moral in there somewhere, but if I look for it I'll have to live by it.

The readthrough also introduced a new player into the mix by the name of George- after the reading, he and I stood talking and not only did he compliment me on my voice and say he might be able to help me get a job but he smokes a pipe, so he's definitely in my good books. Hopefully, we'll meet again next week at another readthrough, so I'm gonna go ahead and create a tag for him (am I moving too fast?). Anyways, readers, I feel that's enough excitement for you, else you won't be able to get to sleep, so off to bed.

P.S. The title's a quote from the readthrough.

*For the purposes of this blog, I'm counting a readthrough as a reading of a play as a gathering where people assemble to read a script when they have no intention to be in a production of said script, thus discounting The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Hawk Noir and the ten minuters' scripts.

**You know the one I mean.

Postera Crescam Laude

I have given into temptation and bought one extra-large, navy blue hoody with the university of Melbourne logo proudly brandished across it. The pricetag was kinda scary- $100!- but my mother said she’d pay for me to get one, so I’m trying to see past that. I am painfully aware that in two years I will most likely purchase an Edinburgh equivalent and thus my collection will be complete.

Hoody aside- it’s too warm to wear it- I am very sorry for not having updated y’all (I know for a fact that both Spanish Daniel and my parents are reading this, and so it’s ‘y’all’ and not ‘you both’) since Saturday, but in my defence, I have new friends now and y’all seem kinda dull by comparison.

Yes, O-week, the exchange students’ freshers week, has begun and has bought with it the chance to talk to people without seeming precocious. So far, I’ve met Will, who I’m seeing as the Universe’s way of balancing out Esmond’s infidelity as he’s from McGill, Jason, a quiet home-schooled New Jersey-ite, Daryll, a Korean illustrator and fellow nerd, Clara, a contemplative Spanish biologist and Bastian, who’s Dutch and that’s all I really know about him. In terms of actual ozzies, there are Logan and Aspen- who I feel have to be mentioned together, so inseparable are they- Victoria, Elle and Ben. I don’t really know any of these people tremendously well, but they are at least people who I can count amongst my acquaintance and speak to of an evening. It seems the place to go in the evenings is the second floor rec room, there to be found are assorted nerdly activities like playing playstation 3, monopoly, minecraft, magic: the gathering or trying to solve the tetris cube.  It’s noisy but friendly, and I’m working up the courage to step in there on my own one of these days.

As to the events themselves, they’re rather self-conscious, but can be quite fun. There was a poorly-thought through scavenger hunt which wended too far from the building and that no one really completed follow by a barbeque which everyone without fail completed. There was the casino royale night, which boiled down to one in ten people in suits, playing poker, dissolving quite early but leading into another night in the second floor rec room. Then last night there was ‘christmas in July’, which frankly was just an industrially cooked roast dinner in the cafeteria with some Christmas decorations put up. I’d love to say that by leaving at 7.30 I was ducking out early, but I was one of the last to leave. I was really tired so I skipped the rec room and went to bed. There’s nothing on tonight, as far as I’m aware, but I’m hoping I’ll find some activity to latch onto, as I finished my book today and if I start another one tonight I’ll feel like a harlot.

One phenomenon I need to remark upon is that old people feel they can eavesdrop on one’s conversations and then give their revered opinion- it happened to Jason and me on the bus yesterday and Emma, Esmond and me a couple of weeks ago and I only mention it cos they’re discussing spiderman at the next table and I really want to weigh in, but I can’t cos I still have all my original teeth and they’ll (justly) think I’m rude and weird. Alas.

Is there anything else to say? Um. I’ve been passing my days by going into the uni campus and should really start venturing out to the rest of the city soon- I did go to a pawn shop and Aldi with my yarra friends yesterday, but that doesn’t feel adventurous and I can’t imagine why. Once I find someone to explore the city with, hopefully, I’ll have more to write about and I’m also looking into finding some way of taking photos. Watch this space.