...Free Spirit...

22nd Birthday...

2009-03-04T11:03:00.007+13:00

This year I had a really nice quiet birthday celebration. First I went with uni friends to Featherston for a bush walk around lake Papanui, and then afterwards went to a really nice restaurant in Greytown for dinner. It was a hot rock restaurant where you got to cook your meat yourself on a hot rock slab! I have never done that before, and it was really nice!!

The bush around Lake Papamui...

At the restaurant...

This year my birthday fell on a Tuesday so everyone in my family was busy with work, study etc. My family and I therefore celebrated my birthday in the following weekend when we drove to Havelock North for the weekend...

T17

2009-02-23T14:55:00.036+13:00

Away at Mt Raupehu for 3 days...

The fancy tour bus!!!

On the ski lifts!!! Ahhhh!!!

Heavenly!!!

Freedom!!

On the ski lifts...

Beautiful mountains!

The lodge

Spooky weather on the last day

The best days of my life.

Enjoying the holiday...

2009-02-08T16:43:00.004+13:00

Holidays have been good. Out of the blue I decided to get a job so I looked up in the Hutt News and rang up several places. I n the end I landed with a callcentre job working at Kiwifirst, fundraising for charities over the phone- telemarketing.

Very interesting holiday indeed. Started working at the call centre- Kiwifirst, but retired after the first two weeks. Mmmm. Was the most dullest thing you can possibly imagine!! I decided that I would much rather live under a palm tree and eat dry bread and drink rain water- rather than work at a student job!!! Seriously.

Enrolled for my honours year and was accepted-yippee! Was really worried about it but it all worked out well. I’m taking 3 papers and a project. In the first trimester I’m doing genetics, biodiversity and a project and then in the second trimester the same thing but instead of biodiversity it’s evolution. So 3 papers per term.

Got my project sorted out- it all worked out so I will be doing my project at Wellington hospital working with cytogenetics data! Just what I wanted! …I don’t really know how I feel about starting my honours year, kind of nervous. I don’t know what it will be like.

But anyhow, at the moment I’m just enjoying my holiday, relaxing and having fun.

Chinese New Year

2009-02-01T11:05:00.015+13:00

Celebrating Chinese New Year at the Wellington Botanical Gardens with family...

The tree that changed colour...

Fireworks!! (haha not really but still pretty!)

We had a picnic on the grass...

Pretty lights!Happy Chinese New Year!! The Year of The Bull :)

Orongaronga

2009-02-01T11:04:00.019+13:00

Tramping down to Orongaronga river one fine weekend day with Mum's friend Livia...

The half way bridge... It was a 2 hour track down to the river but it felt like it was only about half an hour!!Kiwi alert!...over the bridge...Snacks...cheese, water and chocolate... cheese and chocolate; a nice combination :)Creepy crawlies down by the river...
...Scenery down at the river... only when we got there the river was actually a stream! Hasn't rained in Wellington region for weeks......just another bridge...

Giant pigeon! (I think its called a Kereru, but am not sure...)

Family Vacation 2009

2009-01-20T14:48:00.032+13:00

Family holiday in Orewa...Stayed once again in Waiwera motel... One day we went to the cheese place...
Pretty park there... so much green!

Me feeling a bit grumpy...

...Linda telling me to go and hug a tree...

Yellow mini! We went in to Aucklandf one day so that Linda could go ice skating. Unfortunately Theresa wasn't home that week so I couldn't visit her. Because of that Auckland seemed a bit boring than usual...
Back in Orewa...
Linda going hunting....Lots of swimming...Look; there's 3 of me!
On the way home we stopped in Thermal Springs motel (halfway between Toupo and Rotorua). This was the best part of the trip. The motel had this really amazing natural hot pool in the middle of the bush!! I could have stayed there forever...

Ahhh! Amazing nature!!! I never wanted to leave...... going crazy on the trampoline......I could live there...

I really hope I will go back there one day. It was absolute paradise!! Sitting in the water hole in twilight was amazing!! I loved it soo much!!!
...Unfortunately we stayed there for only one night. The next day after a dip in the pool we made our way home. I will never forget that amazing water hole....

2009

2009-01-01T17:55:00.002+13:00

(:(:(:HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!:):):)

Exploring the bottom of the North Island

2008-12-29T15:24:00.043+13:00

On Sunday my friend and I went to explore the bottom of the North Island. First we planned on driving to Featherston but when we got there decided to extend our trip down all the way to Cape Palliser, as shown on the map above. I have never been to that part of the North Island before and it was a very enjoyable trip, and a new experience for me.
The drive to Cape Palliser was along the coastline. The sea was beautiful, but it was amazing how yellow all the hills and plains were. Because of the mountain barriers there is very little rain in those parts of the island ; hence very few greenery.

The yellow/brown hills, What blue sky!

I love the colour of the sea in these parts

The windy road

Oh what colours!

Driving along the seaside

A little town, just before Cape Palliser. So isolated! Imagine living there! Would be a nice place to stay if you wanted to just get away and be alone for a while.

My first attempt at a pamarama mode on my camera... never used it before; hence the wonkyness! Oops! This is supposed to be the little villiage.

Attempt number 2 at panarama was a whole lot better...

Driving past the villiage was a rocky shore with residents; a seal colony!

Just some shots of the surroundings,,,

The seals! So friendly, I have never been so close to a seal before; it was almost within hand reach! (but they were not quite fond of geeting too close!)

So cute!!!

The rocky cliffs in the sea. I loved watching the waves crashing onto them...

Was hard to gt a shot at just the right time...

Driving even further was a lkightghouse!

I love lighthouses! I think theu are so fascinating and mysterious!! ( I also like castles and trapdoors and attics and moving walls...)

There were steps that went all the way up to the lighthouse! Thre were over 100 steps in total!

Ready to go up to the lighthouse!

Made it! The best thing to do while climbing up is not to look down!

Unfortunately the lighthouse itself was locked so couldn't go inside :(

But the view from up the top was spectacular! I love the way the 'S' shape is made with the ocean, winding road and hillside...

Driving even further past the lighthouse was a river and some mountains. There were several trails going up the mountain to the pinnacles so after lunch we took one of them. I learnt that hiking in sandles is not too good! But the greenry and views were great!

After an hours hike; the pinnacles!

One of the views from the top of the trail.

By the time we got back from the hike it was almost sundown. On the way home several attepts were made at getting a meal at a pub but it was too late so in the end settled for a tomato/ham bun and ginger beer.

The sunset was amazing. I was sad that the day was over. That day I decided that I want to travel around NZ more and see everything. I really want to explore the South island since I have never been there appart from in Otago. I will start saving up now and will hopefully go sometime in the middlke of the year- hopefully when its snowing! :):):)

Liz's 21st

2008-12-29T14:41:00.011+13:00

On Thursday (Boxing Dauy!) I went to Liz's 21st birthday party...

Me and Liz

The birthday girl!

The Brunel family

Liz's birthday cakes

The birthday girl makes a speech

A 21st birthday key... a key to unlock the future...

Close your eyes and make a wish...

(:(:(:HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIZ!!! :):):)

Dec 25th, 2008

2008-12-25T12:12:00.003+13:00

What Christmas is all about...

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

Dad's Birthday

2008-12-23T18:39:00.007+13:00

On Saturday it was Dad's birthday...
Guests came over... Someone put a singing candle on his cake that sang happy birthday...

I got Dad a bowtie! What a gentleman!Pretty flowers on the cake made of icing...Close your eyes and make a wish!!! Happy Birthday!!!

The Road to Emerald Valley

2008-12-18T11:30:00.005+13:00

My oil painting, titled ' The Road to Emerald Valley ' (December, 2008)

Eternity

2008-12-18T11:23:00.002+13:00

My finished oil painting, titled 'Eternity'. (December, 2008)

New Zealand National Anthem

2008-12-15T21:44:00.002+13:00

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand

Men of ev'ry creed and race
Gather here before Thy face,
Asking Thee to bless this place,
God defend our Free Land.
From dissension, envy, hate,
And corruption guard our State,
Make our country good and great,
God defend New Zealand.

Peace, not war, shall be our boast,
But, should foes assail our coast,
Make us then a mighty host,
God defend our Free Land.
Lord of battles in thy might,
Put our enemies to flight,
Let our cause be just and right,
God defend New Zealand.

Let our love for Thee increase,
May Thy blessings never cease,
Give us plenty, give us peace,
God defend our Free Land.
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame,
God defend New Zealand.

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea,
Make us faithful unto Thee,
God defend our Free Land.
Guide her in the nations' van,
Preaching love and truth to man,
Working out Thy Glorious plan,
God defend New Zealand.

Stepping into a time capsule

2008-12-15T17:05:00.003+13:00

Class of 2001, SHC

Today after dance classes I went to SHC junior prizegiviing. This year was the first time in 5 years that I had missed senior prizegiving, (I was getting over the hectics of this year! I never want another year like this one ever again! Ok sure I was pleased with my end results but…it’s really not worth it…) so I decided to go to the junior one instead. It was soo nice. I have been feeling incredibly school sick since the time I went back a week ago. Everything was just as it used to be. It felt so good to listen to another one of the principal’s speeches and sing the national anthem and especially the school song! I felt very happy to see Linda and her friends get their prizes; it bought back so many happy memories!

Going back to school feels like stepping into a time capsule…

Chamge. I don't like change. I like things to stay the way they are. Forever.
I miss my school life...

“…Girls of the Sacred Heart…”

Life's Ambitions Reviewed

2008-12-06T17:04:00.005+13:00

I just thought that this would be a good time to review my life's ambitions as of the 14th of October, 2007.
This is what I had in my post;

-graduate with Bachelor of Science
-do post graduate study (Honors hopefully)
-graduate from teachers college
-become a teacher at Sacred Heart College
-become HOD Science at Sacred Heart College
-later on in life after many years of experience start my own school

Ok I can now happily say that I have fullfilled my first ambition; I now officially have a Bachelor of scjence degree! So I can now take that off my list.

My updated 2008 list of life's ambitionsl looks like this;

-Do post graduate study (Honors)
-Graduate from teachers college
-Become a teacher at Sacred Heart College
-Become HOD Science at Sacred Heart College
-Work in the Ministry of Education
-Become The Minister of Education
-Later on in life after many years of experience start my own school (Maybe)

Going back in time...!!!

2008-12-05T20:22:00.004+13:00

...precious memories of school days... (above; SHC, 2005)

Today was probably the most exciting day I have had these holidays. Today lunchtime I went back to visit Sacred Heart College. It was sooo nice to be back and it felt as though it were yesterday that I was still a student there! It felt a bit strange though, having to wear a visitors pass. But nevertheless, very grown up!

I felt like I had stuck my head into a history painting! Nothing much has changed since the last time I was there. All the buildings were the same and so were the teachers. I had arranged to meet up with Mrs Burrell and it was so nice to catch up with her, and also Mrs Blackburn! It felt so nice to be back at school where everyone knows you (to an extreme level, I must add!)! I also visited the library and Mrs Lawson, and met a bunch of other teachers, most of whoo were from the science department (typical! Mr Marston, Mr Curwen, Mrs Dick... the only person missing was Mrs Chisholm! What a shame :( ).

Mrs Burrell and I had a nice long catch-up session. I told her all about my studies etc etc. She even asked me to ccome and give some guest lectures sometime next year to her science/biology classes! Yippee! Had a nice blab with Mrs Blackburn also. Wahh I want to be in her class again!! Then I helped Mrs Burrell clear out the microscope room which is going to be demolished and altered in the summer holidays. :( Sadly. I liked that little room!

I came to school at lunchtime and ended up staying until 4pm! I did not want to leave. It felt so nice to be back! I decided I love both School and University, each in their own way.

I was in such a great mood after I came back from school! Only now I feel school sick again! Wahhh I miss scool now!!

...Going to go to junior prizegiving on the 15th of December :)
I just realized that this is the first year that I have missed out on going to SHC senior prizegiving. I was feeling really tired that day because it was straight after exams were over. So I didn't end up going, sadly. But hey, this time I'll go to the junior one! :)
...I really must visit school more often... Now that I'm too grown up to be shy... ;) And I still want to work at SHC some day... :)

Holiday time...and stamps

2008-11-30T11:03:00.034+13:00

My faxourite stamp... (above) There is a whole story behind this stamp (will tell it sometime later)

It has been very nice being on holiday! At first it felt a bit strange not having any study to do since that's what I've been doing for the whole year (yes, the last time I did absolutely nothing was last summer holidays! Of course we had mid semester breaks and everything but still it was pretty busy and chaotic!) but now I'm finally in holiday mode and so doing noghing feels absolutely wonderful! I've been reading, painting and stamp collecting! Yes I have discovered a new hooby; stamp collecting, and boy is it addictive! One of my friends ntroduced stamps to me (who has a gigantic collection!) and I was so fascinated that I decided to start one of my own! A friend gave me some stamps and so for the past week I have been soaking stamps! It's amazing how much you can learn from soaking stamps! About the history of NZ etc etc. I'm specialising in NZ stamps, and they are fascinating! Soaking stamps can keep you ientertained for hours on end and it never gets dull! I think I'm going crazy about stamps!! But now I've got to the boring part where I inserted them all into a book and am waiting for them to flatten out. Boring!! The next stage would be to classify them all according to a stamp catalogue that I have...but for that I have to wait, so in the meantime I've been doing some painting, and working on eye excercises.

The other day I went to the dentist; I was convinced that I would get a whole bunch of fillings, but it turnied out that all is well! :) Relief!

Results have also come out and now I can officially say that I have completed my Bachelor of Science degree!! :):) Feeling very happy about my results! A nice way to end my undergraduate education at Vic. Now I am officially a postgraduate student! The plans about my project for next yearv are slowely coming through; the other week I went for a meeting with the woman in charge of genetic counselling program at Wellington hospital, and all was well! We talked about some of the possible projects that I could do in the hospital. Afterwards she showed me around the cytogenetics lab!! Wow! I was absolutely stumped to see how amazing it was! Everyone there was doing work on chromosomes belonging to real live patients! The technology was so sophisticated and I got to see some of the analysis methods that they carried out! It was especially thrilling since I've been learning about all these methods in all my genetics courses this year! I did not want to leave! I loved the working environment and everyone was really nice! I pray that everything for my project will work out. :):):):)

Something else exciting that has happened is that my sister got offered a place in the Miss Teen World Supermodel pageant so she will be flying over to the Gold coast Australia next Sunday for 5 days!! It was be a wonderful experience for her!!! I'm really really happy for her!! :)

Currently enjoying the gorgious summer weather...

Funny Pictures

2008-11-14T18:30:00.006+13:00

Life is short. Break the rules. Forgive quickly. Kiss slowly. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile.

Rainbows, blue skies and butterflies...

2008-11-11T13:54:00.006+13:00

It's official; exams are officially over!! I have been away from my good old blog for the past month. And now it is time for a nice long update.

There is not too much to say about the final two weeks of classes for the trimester. It was all about handing in assignments and preparing for exams. Genetics still remained my highlight of the term! In the final few weeks of the term I finished working on my fragile X syndrome project and my assessment for that was... preparing a 'lecture'! My supervisor and I switched roles so I was the teacher and he was the student! It was very amuzing! The following week I worked on analyzing a very interesting (and yet mind boggling!) article about shugoshin, a cohesin molecule involved in mitosis and meiosis! I love genetics!! I was very sad when our last genetics class was over. SCIE307 has been the best course I have ever done, and I have learnt a whole lot more in the 12 weeks than I have learnt in my whole entire life!!!

Our last evolution lecture was a bit sad too. Our lecturer was going on about how this is probably the last ever lecture for a large number of us (who were not going on to post grad), and that got a bit soppy.

Then study period began...

I thought having exams on the last week of exam period was a blessing...so much time to study! But I was wrong! It turns out that there is only so much study you can do for a subject before you start going insane!! I had almost a month to study for my evolution exam and a month for genetics! It felt so strangely amuzing studying from my own notes for genetics!...I still can't believe my idea about the genetics course actually came through and worked! It's one of those miraculous things that just happen.

I finished writing my take home essay for media that was worth 40% of the final exam and handed it in on the 24th of October. I pray that it is ok. I have never written a 40% essay at 200 level before and I really hope I have done it right... Appart from the essay I spent the rest of my time studying for the evolution exam and the genetics exam. I nearly went crazy studying for so many weeks, when I knew that most of the people I knew had already finished exams and were partying away.

But now on Friday the 7th of November, after 4 hours of genetics exam, exams are officially over!! And so are my undergraduate years! Wow!!! I can't believe just how fast the past 3 years had flown! I came home after myexam that night and was absolutely shattered. My parents made really nice dinner to celebrate the end of exams but I was just too tired to enjoy anything much. After dinner I went to bed. It had been a full on trimester and I was soo tired!

I have been starting to think asbout what I will be doing next year, for my honours project. If all goes well, I may be doing my project in the Wellington hospital in the area of genetic counselling!!! My genetics supervisor came up with the idea. No one has ever done it before. There is a lot of paper work to be done yet, but I will pray and pray and pray that it will all work out well. I really really REALLY want to do the genetic counselling project!!!

Now that exams are over, as usual my life feels empty. It's like 'bam!' Nothing! After a whole year of non-stop assignmentsand projects and study, having absolutely nothing to do is absoluteluy terrible!! And my friend Sonia doesn't finish exams till the following week! I recently found out that Anita is coming back from Dunedin for summer! Yippeee! I can't wait to catch up with her, haven't spoken to her for a year!!

Welll, this is all for my gigantic update. Now its SUMMERTIME and HOLIDAYS for 4 months!!!! Yippeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wendy's Birthday Party

2008-11-11T13:17:00.014+13:00

Well its been a long time since I have posted because I have just been so busy with study and exams! But now the academic year has come to an end so I can officially go back to updating... Anyway, the last time I posted it was around the time of Weddy's 21st birthday on the 9th of October. She had a birthday party at her house, and Liz and I went...

Wendy's cakes! So pretty!

Krista's friend, Krista (Wendy's cousin who I haven't seen since I finished SHC!) and Liz

There were lots of people...

Hahahahaha

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Liz and I

Margaret (Wendy's Mum), me and Liz

Time to blow out the candles... one, two, three....!!!

Close your eyes and make a wish... Happy birthday Wendy!!!

A big update

2008-10-04T17:42:00.005+13:00

Me and Sophia

Ok I feel terrible for neglecting my blog so much. But everything is just going on and I don't seem to have time much time to go online anyore except for study...

Well an update on the past 3 weeks. In the third week after midsemester break I had the most dramatic week ever! I seriously thought I was going to die from neuroblastoma and retinoblastoma..... ok its a long story, but to make it short, I have been spending this entire semester doing my individual study course on genetics learning about medical genetics and disorders...so far I've covered about 6 different disorders in real real deapth (if anyone ie Anita, is interested, they were neuroblastoma, retinoblastoma, fragile X syndrome (currently), Angelman syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome and chronic myeloid leukemia. Anyway they are all incredibly interesting but incredibly horrible at the same time.

So that week on Tuesday I started getting headaches and my eyes were sore and I just felt so tired. I thought it would go away but then the next day it just got worse. I spent half of Wednesday sleeping in the library at uni and then stayed at home all day Thursday sleeping and feeling terrible. Now, all this would be ok, if only it wasn't for the fact that I've recently studied neuroblastoma (a form of neural tumor) and retinoblastoma (cancer of the eye). And the scariest part was that all that I had (ie terrible headache, terribly sore eyes, severe tiredness) were all symptoms of neuroblastoma and retinoblastoma..!!! On Thursday I felt so terrible, like I've never felt before, that by Thursday night I was convinced that I was diseased!!! I was sooo scared!!!! On Friday I had an optometrist appointment, and I had to go in to uni to hand in an assignment....I was soo terrified by Friday because I seriously thought the optometrist was going to diagnose me wih something terrible!!!! I have never been so scared in my life!!! ....somehow I managed to finish my evolution assignment and handed it in and then spent half the day sleeping in the library on some chairs. I was pretty sure that within a few hours my life would be over!!!!
...but it wasn't!!! It turns out that I am fine and was just really really tired!!!!!!!! I had never felt so happy in my life!!!!!!!
...So yeah, you could say that Friday was the scariest day of my life!!
...Learning about all these genetic diseases really puts life into perspective.
That Friday was also the day when I didn't have genetics because Geoff was away. Typical; the day my genetics supervisor is away is the day I loose my mind about genetics!

Appart from that drama my life has been pretty normal. Last week on Friday I had my usual genetics class, and I got to teach Geoff about fragile X syndrome that I've been researching for 3 weeks. We switched roles and I got to teach him! It was really amuzing!

Since last Friday I've been working on analysing and picking appart an article about shugoshin, a cohesin molecule that holds chromosomes together at various stages of cell division. At first it drove me crazy because it was so complicated to understand! My brain was fuming!! But when I finally understood the article it felt so great!!!

I have recently pursued a new interest, in relationship to my genetics course; I have discovered how to find video clips on youtube. Ok so you would say that most people go on youtube... but most people go on there to download pop videos and music videos and movies etc. Well, I go on there for educational purposes; to search for syndromes and disorders that I study in my genetics course. It started off that I was feeling a bit depressed about how I'm studying all these genertic disorders but that I've never actually seen any of them in real life. I mean, it's one thing to be studying something by reading texts, articles etc. It's a whole different story when you actually see it yourself. So then I tried looking up videos on the internet and all searches brought me to youtube. Since then I have been finding so many videos about the disorders that I've been studying, that it has become my secret past time interest; sitting in the library watching genetics videos. There is this favourite one of mine about fragile X syndrome... But the videos are so addictive, that's the only problem...!! :)

Also I forgot to mention that 3 weeks ago I had to do an oral presentation for my media paper. It was an absolute nightmare!! We had to do a 10-12 minute presentation on a given article. So then a couple of days before my presentation I was running around searching for rooms to practice in, and I practiced and all was ok; within 15 minutes range. But then when I actually ended up doing my presentation in front of a tutorial group... it was fine... except... it turned out to be about 50 minutes long!!!! When the tutorial began I did my presentation. When I finished everyone just stood up and left! I was so confused! Then I looked at my watched and realized it was already time for next class! 50 minutes had already been!! I was so embarrased!!! I was convinced that I was doomed. But it was actually ok!! So was my Charles Darwin essay...I had never thought it was possible to get 100% for anything...

The exam timetable has come out and thankfully enough my evolution exam is on the 5th of November; almost the final day of exam period!! I was so happy because it means that I will have plenty of time to study!

On Thursday I went to a post graduate meeting for students wanting to do postgraduate study in molecular biosciences. The meeting was horrible! There were different lecturers who gave talks about their 400 level courses and they were all soooo incredibly boring!!!! And there was NOTHING about genetics!!! I was soooo disapointed. I wished Geoff took post grad. But he doesn't. Soooo sad. But I have some ideas about a research project and a supervisor... Oh and I decided I want to do Masters instead of Honours; it will be more enjoyable. More update on that later.

In relationship to the photo at the start of this entry, that was me and Sophia on Friday studying for her 200 level genetics test (memories!), with Cathy also who is not in the photo. All the memories of 2nd year genetics came flooding back to me... but I must say that 300 level genetics is a gazzilion times better than second year genetics! On Friday I had my usual genetics class which was wonderful as usual :) :):):):)
Well, that's all from me for now. Currently working on an evolution assignment...

A wedding...

2008-09-14T18:29:00.014+12:00

Ksenya and me

Wedding cake!
Bride and groom

So nice!!!

Pretty!
The wedding ceremony...

Here comes the bride!

Me, Mum and Linda

Ok so the first two weeks back at uni were interesting...
It felt tiring having to go to classes every day instead of just being in the library. But hey, I got used to it after a while.... and to the fact that there are a whole bunch of students at uni once classes were back on... and tutorials and workshops are so boring!!!

...currently working on a genetics project about fragile X syndrome...

On the 7th of September me and my family went to a friend's wedding. The last time I went to a wedding was when I was about 9 years old, when I didn't really care.... But this time I went to a wedding and I loved it so much!!! So soppy too! Some of the photos are shown above! Interestingly enough the wedding I went to when I was 9 was when Ksenya's sister got married!

Nothing else much has been going on for these two weks, just the usual classes and very busy!!!

A new outlook

2008-08-26T13:16:00.006+12:00

Things I will never forget...

I have just had the two most amazing weeks ever. The past two weeks have been mid-semester break. This means no lectures to go to!!!! I have been getting so spoilt doing my independent study paper that I realized how much I love studying and teaching myself in the library rather than actually going to lectures! So although I had no classes, I came in to the library anyway, and worked on my genetics assignment, for all of the first week! My topic for the past two weeks had been genetic counseling.

Last week I had my Wednesday genetics class that forever changed the way in which I look at things. I used to think that genetic counseling is simply a meeting with a person/family where family genetic history is discussed, and advice is given as to whether or not have kids. Simple as that. Well, Wednesday’s ‘class’ changed all that. We discussed genetic counseling and the various aspects around it. Afterwards, all I could say was “WOW”!! I went home in a total daze (forgetting to press the button on the bus at the train station and going all the way up to Lambton Quay, I must add! Oops!).

The following day I read the most amazing book ever. ‘Chromosome abnormalities and genetic counseling’ by Gardner and Sutherland is just about the most extraordinary book ever. At first I wasn’t going to read all of it. But then after Wednesday’s genetics class last week I just knew I had to read it all. So after my overwhelming class on Wednesday I decided I would overwhelm myself even more by spending all of Thursday reading the book. When I finished, all I could say was “WOW”!! It was like nothing I’ve ever read. The issues discussed were just so big, so unbelievably complex. It was about things I would have never dreamt of!! I spent that entire weekend in a total daze. I couldn’t stop thinking about all I’ve been told and all I’ve read.

The following Wednesday I had my ‘counseling session,’ where I was the ‘genetic counselor’. All I can say is that it was an experience that I will never forget. I learnt that being a genetics counselor is an incredibly complicated profession, requiring an extreme amount of knowledge, insight and tact. I cannot choose the words to say how much I had realized and understood. And I have to say, I was very thankful that it was only a role-play and not in actual real life!

That day I also handed in my written counseling report, in which for the first time I designed a pedigree!

Two weeks ago I had been given a piece of paper with this on it:

46, XY, ins (3:2)(q13; p23p24)(N-MYC+, ALK+)

This was the starting point for my road of genetic counseling knowledge. It meant nothing to me. Two weeks later, I see it with new eyes. Accompanying this one line is an 11 page report.

The poem in my previous post was taken from that amazing genetic counseling book. If I had to summarize the entire 478 page book I would just quote that poem. It is a bit sad. But I like it.

In the second week I also completed my media presentation, making a slideshow. That was interesting, and I already had experience making slides when I did my CML/Philadelphia chromosome project. I have to give a 10 minute presentation on a given article, in week 8 (a week from now!). I also started working on my essay for evolution about origin and diversification of birds. I found all the articles and have read through them all, so now I have to write it. Luckily I still have almost 3 weeks until it’s due. …Mmm my life is interesting at the moment; it consists of thinking about mutations (related to genetic counseling) and fossils (origin and evolution of birds supported by fossil records)!!! …although fascinating, it can get a bit depressing…

The university is so peaceful and quiet in the holidays, and there is hardly anyone around. That’s how I like it. But…classes resume tomorrow (finished writing this post on the 31st Aug). Back to lectures. Back to crowded corridors. Back to noise levels in the library…

If I were to reflect on my past 7 weeks I would say this; I feel like what I have learnt within the past 7 weeks, is possibly more than I have ever learnt in all my 3 years of university put together (or maybe even my whole life!!!)!!!

Heredity

2008-08-20T17:54:00.003+12:00

Inescapably, this is me-the diagnosis
is cause for anger at those

who brightly say we choose our destinies.

There is no store

of courage, wit or will

can save me from myself and I must face

my children, feeling like

that wicked fairy, uninvited

at the christening, bestowing on my own,

amidst murmurs of apprehension, a most

unwanted gift-that

of a blighted mind. No one

could tell me of this curse when I

was young and dreamt of children

and the graces they would bear. Later,

it seemed that a chill morning

revealed deeper layers

of truth. For my romancing

there is a price to pay-

perhaps my children's children

will pass this tollgate after me.

My grandmothers gaze down from their frames

on my wall, sadly wondering.

-Meg Campbell

I love this poem, even though it's sad.

Another update

2008-08-17T12:37:00.003+12:00

Ok so I haven't posted for two weeks.

Last week was realy good. I won't bore you with all the details of the usual Mon-Fri uni days. In evolution we got a new lecturer and we were studying phylogeny. I have to admit I was not a fan of that topic. I wanted our old lecturer back with his topics; he basically turned evolution into genetics! Well they do relate! But now evolution has turned into ecology and I feel so out of place! Most of the other people in the class are ecology/conservation/marine bio majors so I feel incredibly out of place! Not that I talk much, rather try to being invisible. But still... Now that I'm doing the independent study paper I realized just how much I love working by myself and teaching myself stuff, that I kind of wish that all my papers were like that.

On Saturday we had a girls day out with Selene who was back to visit (!!!) and a bunch us went to Queensgate. See previous post for details!

This week was the last week before midsemester break. Tuesday was a grumpy day for me. I had evolution class and then a media tutorial and then an evolution workshop. I wasn't used to having so many proper classes in one day! I hardly had any time to do my own work in the library. Sigh. On Wednesday I got a new genetics assignment to do with genetic counselling. It looked eeeek! I hope I can figure it out! ...although luckily parts of it seemed straightforward so I'm doing them first! I'll panic about the other bits later! ...and I'm going to have an oral assessment for it at the end too!!! Yikes!!!

On Friday my media assignment was due at 2pm and uncharacteristically enough I spent till 1:45pm fussing around with it! By the time I finished it was 1:56pm so I had 4 minutes to run all the way across uni to hand it in! And guess what? After all that rush, I got there and was filling out an assignment coversheet my lecturer just came in to the reception, said hi and left again! It was already 2:15pm and then by the time I left it was 2;25pm and he still hdn't collected our assignments! And I was worried that I'd be a couple of minutes late!!!!

In the evening after all our classes had ended Jo, Sophia and I went shopping around Wellington. Then sadly Sophia had to go home so Jo and I had dinner at Burger King where our friend Romeo worked. Afterwards we picked Romeo up and drove to Queensgate to see a top Jo wanted. Unfortunately it wasn't there. After taking Romeo home Jo and I went to Oriental parade and just sat and talked. About life. About everything. It was so nice to hang out with friends that night. I felt so lucky to finally have friends like this at uni. Thank you Lord for all my friends, both old and new. I feel so lucky to have friends like this! That night I got home at 10:30pm. It had been a great end to the first part of the second semester.

On Saturday night I had a babysitting job with the three boys I usually babysit for. They tried to teach me how to play plystation! I was terrible! Personally I can't figure out how boys can find it so fascinating. I don't understand playstations. Then we watched Harry Potter and the goblet of Fire. That night I only got home at 12.05am. But, nevertheless, Mum's fun friend Larisa from Masterton was staying at our house and we had a kind of party, even that late! Yea!! That was fun, although after staying up that late it was hard to get up the next morning!

So, now midsemester break had started. Although I will still have genetics class on Wednesdays (but that's good!!!). This is my list of things that I need to get done;
-cladistics assignment (evolution)
-essay about origin and diversification of birds (evolution)
-oral/powerpoint presentation (media)
-genetic counselling report and study for oral assessment (genetics)
YIKES!!! And relax and have fun inbetween! Hey, at least there aren't any lectures or tutorials to go to!

Girls day reunion

2008-08-14T16:56:00.018+12:00

After more than 2 years in England, last Friday Selene came back to NZ and stayed in Wellington for 3 days! It was sooo great to see her again!!! On Saturday a group of us Selene's friends got together and spent the day at Queensgate, catching up.Me, Selene and Veronica

First we went to Jamaica Blue cafe where we sat around, had lunch and talked, talked talked. We had so much to catch up on! ...and Selene hasn't changed a bit!!! :)Amanda B, Selene and Amanda S ..."Hey Theresa!" (Selene)

We were soon joined by Theresa...Amanda S and Selene
A time to talk... it was nice to see everyone, (who I haven't seen in a long time!)
...school memories came flooding back......and a time for photos!...with food inbetween...!A cute box from Selene...all the way from England. So nice!!! Thank you Selene!!!Theresa, Me, Amanda, B, Selene and Amanda S.
We then made our way around the shops, chatting and for some of us, trying stuff on...Amanda B and Selene
But mostly we were just having a good time, happy to have Selene around again!

Veronica and Selene

Myra and Selene

Shanella and Selene
...we visited Shanella at work...

...and went to other random places in Queensgate...
...it felt like Selene had never left!

But one by one the time came to part... it was sad to see everyone leave. I didn't want the day to end... :(

Jeena and Selene
...before I knew it it was only Selene and me left! We went to visit Jeena at Briscoes...
and then our buses came.

It was sad to part again. But I knew we ould see each other again. Just like I knew, at our last girls day out in 2006 before Selene departed for England.

Update on the past two weeks

2008-08-01T20:21:00.003+12:00

Ok so I have been so absorbed in my subjects this semester that I've neglected my blog for two weeks! That's terrible! But now that I'm here I will give you an update on my past two weeks which have been absoluteky amazing!

I absolutely love this semester, I never ever want it to end!!!!
Last week I had as usual evolution on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday which was all extremily fascinating! I love Dr GC's lectures! Then Media on Moday afternoon. On Tuesday I had a busy day, I had 3 classes!!! First I had evolution, then a media tutorial and then an evolution workshop! In the workshop we had to present our ideas about the topic we were writing about for essay on Chrles Darwin. I can't remember if I mentioned it already but I'm writing about Charles Darwin, the earthquake and implication of deep time. I was really nervous at first because I thought we were supposed to prepare a proper presentation type thing. But then it turned out that you had to just briefly mention your topic and what you will be writing about, so I was prepared after all. It was interesting about what everyone had to say and everyone had really different topics so that was interesting! That day I also had a media tutorial which was ok.

Wednesday is my favourite day of the week because it's genetics day! Spent all day working on my project, putting final touches on my philadelphia chromosome presentation. Then I had genetics at 4pm as usual and I handed in my first project!!! I then started my next project which is about imprinted genes! I'm so excited about it! The rest of the week was all pretty much the same, and revolved around me going to classes and sitting in the library studying evolution or doing my genetics and evolution projects. I know it may not sound very exciting but if you really love your subjects then it's really really awesome! I love being at uni 9-6pm! I practically live on the 1st floor of the library!

Saturday went by in a flash because I had so much work to do for evolution and genetics! :) Then on Sunday Mum, Linda and I went to Cinderella on ice ballet which was absolutely spectacular!!! I loved it sooo much!!!!! It was even better than the Cats musical Dad, Linda and I went to several weeks ago! I would have liked to see it again and again!! Oh and I can't remember if I've mentioned but my igenetics textbook had arrived from America! Yea! I find it so useful!

This week was great also! On Monday I had evolution and then media. It was a pretty terrible day actually because my computer refused to co-operate and save my genetics work. Apparently my file was too big to save on my memory stick! It got so frustrating, and I had to keep rewriting stuff. I was going to write a brief summery about imprinted genes but then my summery kind of transformed into an actual report... On Tuesday was evolution and media tutorial. Wednesday was good old genetics day which was great as usual! I think this genetic paper is the greatest course I've ever done!!! I was going to hand my imprinted genes project in but then we postponed in till next Wednesday, luckily. Imprinted genes is such a complex topic! But soo fascinating, I love it to bits!!! (I'm crazy I know!!!)

On Thursday was most exciting day because it was the day Dad was coming home from Russia!!!! Mum, Linda and I went to pick him up at the airport at 3pm! It felt so strange leaving university when it was still so light outside! I was so used to coming home in the dark! Dad came back all great!!! I was great to have him home again! I missed him. He got us things from Tailand and Russia, like clothes and suvinirs. He also got me and Linda MP3 players from Tailand!!! I loved the clothes he got me and Linda!! I will post some pictures up later when I have time!

Today went by so fast that I didn't even notice! Time sure is flying this semester. I don't want it to though. Slow down! I loove this semester so much. Evolution is great and so is media. Genetics is even more great, I love working independently on my projects, it keeps me very preoccupied, and I think everything I learn is terrifically fascinating! I feel like I'm in my own world, kind of... I restate what I said two weeks ago, I feel so lucky to be doing this independent study course! Tomorrow I aim to finish my imprinted genes report and then on Sunday I will do my media essay... and that's all the update for now! It's great to have Dad home!!!

Passion...

2008-07-19T21:42:00.003+12:00

This trimester is so far awesome! The best ever!...(well apart from last semester, that was awesome with the two genetics papers!! Loved that!... But the weekly labs (except for the last 2 cytogenetics ones) kind of ruined my permanent enthusiasm on a weekly basis so that was a shame). On Monday I had evolution at 10am and then studied evolution and worked on my Philadelphia chromosome/CML project in the library for the rest of the day. Oh and also had my media lecture after which I went to print out an article that we have to use for our oral presentation (which is after mid-semester break)!! I like oral presentations but haven’t done any since end of college. That should be exciting! By the way I thought I’d just point out how much I love working on my genetics project!!!!!!!!!!

On Tuesday I had evolution followed by my first my first media tutorial which was ok, didn’t really do much. Then went to library and studied/wrote evolution cue cards/genetics project for the rest of the day. I love my studies this term!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesdays are so nice because I have the whole day to do my own study and then have genetics at 4pm. Spent the whole day working on my CML project writing up everything onto a powerpoint presentation. It was so hard to fit everything onto the slides without too much woffle! But very good practice for conciseness! By the time 4pm came I only had 2 slides left to go! :) Had a great genetics meeting, showed my project and talked about possible projects to do next. All possibilities were so exciting, especially Angelman syndrome! I had to decide which topic to do next but that was absolutely an impossible task!! I love this genetics paper sooo much!!!! …I feel so lucky about how everything worked out… :)

On Thursday and Friday I had evolution and then spent the rest of the day in the library making cue cards for evolution and working on my Charles Darwin assignment. We have to write an essay on an aspect of Charles Darwin’s life so I chose the Concepcion Earthquake. I was going crazy on Friday while e-mailing Geoff about genetics because I just could not decide what topic to do!!! It was driving me insane! I favored the topic about Angelman syndrome and imprinted genes but I still could not decide!!! I told him I was having heaps of trouble and he said I should do imprinted genes and Angelman syndrome!!! Yippeee!!!!!!

Weekend is currently devoted to Charles Darwin and the Conception earthquake assignment… And starting imprinted genes… :)

First Week back...feels like study break!

2008-07-13T17:05:00.003+12:00

Well I just had my first week of classes for term 2...but it feels like study break!
I'm already loving term two!!!!
I have 2 lectures on Monday, one on Tuesday, genetics meeting on Wednesday, 1 lecture on Thursday and Friday!
I am doing evolution, media studies and independent study paper in genetics! Really Awesome!
And can you believe it? This semester I have for the first time in my university career;
1. Not a single lab
2.Not a single topic test (assessment all on projects/assignments)
3.Only 1 exam at the end of the year
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I feel so free!!! It basically all involves just studying/researching in the library for genetics, media and evolution! (and going to class only 1-2hours a day!) I'm loving it sooo much!!!
Evolution is great and so is media!!!...but I'm still enjoying genetics the most!!! :) (high favouritism I know!)
Have almost finished preparing my genetics presentation on the Philadelphia chromosome and CML (chronic myeloid leukemia)!!! I loved researching CML soo much! It's just so fascinating!! I can't wait to do my presentation!

Have been studying evolution heaps too. We have to write an assay on an aspect of Charles Darwin's life or scientific work. Went to the library and got out 6 books on Charles Darwin. Have started reading them...2 down 4 to go!

On Monday I had evolution (10-11am) and media(4-6pm). Was good! In evolution we started with the basics so a lot of it I knew already. Spent the rest of the day studying in the library. Signed up for media tutorial, (Tuesday) evolution workshop (Tuesday). Great! Got media assignments but not due for ages! :)
On Tuesday had evolution and then spent the rest of the day in the library making evolution cue cards and working on genetics.
On Wednesday I spent the whole day in the library except for my genetics meeting at 4pm (yay genetics!).
On Thursday, had evolution and then spent the day in the library again! (I went back to my 9am-6pm habit of studying at uni, like I did during study break!)

Friday was the same as Thursday. Mum and Linda went to Mt Raupehu with Livia for the weekend. Melissa came over and stayed for the weekend! It was soo fun! We had the whole house all to ourselves! And I got heaps of work done on both my philadelphia and Darwin projects! :)
I feel like I have so much freedom now that I'm not taking a lab paper and don't have any lab reports to write each week! Yeaaa!!!! I really need a break from labs! And I have heaps of time to study independently at Uni!!! I love independent study! :) Hence when I said that it feels like study break!

And then tonight we went to the Chinese restaurant for dinner with Melissa's family! So great!
This has been such a great week!

My first Assignment for trimester 2!

2008-07-02T19:13:00.004+12:00

Well, the second semester has not even started and I've already got my first assignment for genetics! That's right! I am officially doing the individual study paper! Yesterday, checking my e-mail a gazzilion times I got a reply ...and Dr GR agreed to supervise my independent study! I was soooo thrilled! Although yesterday I resolved to stay home all day (since it was Dad's last day before he left) I kind of broke my resolution and went in to university right away to discuss my independent study stuff. I was soo excited! We brainstormed some ideas for the course and came up with some possible topics for reports. After that I went home to do more brainstorming.

I spent the day at university today, brainstorming ideas for genetics topics. It felt like I was writing my own course outline! And it really is not as easy as it looks! Then I went and discussed the brainstorm ideas with Dr GR. And then I got my first assignment research project! My first assignment involves researching the Philadelphia chromosome and chronic myelogenous leukemia! I'm really excited but really nervous at the same time! I've never done anything like this before! :) And when I've completed all my research for this topic I will be presenting a kind of a seminar! It will be sooo exciting!!!! In total I will be doing 4 projects for genetics this semester! :)

...oh my.......................ahhhhhhhhhhh.....................this is too good to be true!!!!!! .......I just had the guts to look at my genetics grade...... I got an A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think I'm going to go and cry from joy................................................ :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

Praying that everything will work out...

2008-07-01T10:18:00.003+12:00

Well I have finished my exams a week ago so have been on holiday since. At the moment I'm trying to sort out the subjects I'm taking in this upcoming semester, so I went in to uni yesterday to talk to my major co-ordinator. I wanted to change my lab paper to something else and also change my english paper for a media one. Well I had a nice talk and guess what? I might be doing an independent study course this semester! There is this paper called 'directed individual study' and it basically involves doing a bunch of work independently in any area of biology you like! Isn't it great?! So I could do study in anything to do with genetics!!! Just the other week I was complaining about how there are no more undergraduate genetic courses to take ;( The only thing is, I have to find a lecturer who can be my supervisor. So yesterday I spent about an hour composing an e-mail to my genetics lecturer. Now I'm waiting for a reply, keeping my fingers crossed and praying that he'll agree to supervise me!

So next semester I'm taking evolution, media and hopefully (please please please!) the directed individual study project. ...will be checking my e-mail 100 times today!

I checked my results again and got a B+ for media! Now I know all my results for this semester except for molecular genetics which I am too scared to look at! I pray that I can be good enough to get into honours next year...
Dad is leaving for his trip to Russia tomorrow, so he will be away for a month! :( I'm going to really miss him. I really hope he has a better time there than I did.

Holding your breath...

2008-06-26T12:17:00.011+12:00

Yesterday I went to Sonia's house, and after going to Queensgate for a bit (I had to buy some things) we spent the afternoon together at her house, catching up. I also checked my results. Ok, another thing about being a 3rd year student; you're not as terrified to check your results. Well ok I was still terrified, but I felt a lot braver than the previous years. Only my biology lab paper result had come out so far. That was my greatest fear. To my most relief I passed my bio lab paper! Seriously, after that horrible HORRIBLE end of term theory test all my hopes of glory (A-, A, A+)had completely gone out the window. Grrr. Ok so I wish I got a better mark than a B-. Sigh. :( But seriously after the test I felt so horrible I wanted to cry, because I was so depressed I thought I was going to fail the whole course. :( It would be horrible having to repeat it. :(:( :( But luckily that didn't happen. Sigh. On a happy note, at least now that I've passed that lab paper I will never have to do PCR (evil evil EVIL) ever again!!!
...I pray that I can still be good enough to get into honours programe at the end of this year and do lots of post graduate genetics study...

Polina's Karyotype

2008-06-26T12:04:00.011+12:00

2n = 46 chromosomes, 21 pairs

I decided to construct my own karyotype from the photograph of my chromosomes that we took in the lab. So this is my karyotype! (come on, isn't this exciting? how many people actually get to construct their own karyotype?! We learnt how to karyotype last year in the 200-level lab course) :):):)

Update on life during study...

2008-06-22T12:53:00.010+12:00

A slight break from study on June 15th... (Ok I know you need slight breaks from study but I still felt so guilty! Sigh.) On June 15th was Linda's 14th birthday. It was also the day of her party. The night before her birthday Linda and Mila had a sleepover (while I was in my room studying genetics). Then before the party they decided to give me a makeover! Was I scared? Yes!They straightened my hair... did makeup...and even plucked my eyebrows! (first time ever in my life!) How I ever agreed to all this I have no idea. By this time Genetics study must have really got to my head!...I so did not look like myself!Then Linda's friends came and we had an English style tea party... everyone came dressed up...Linda opening her presents!I never knew baloon animal making could be so entertaining! Overall it was fun. But then afterwards I had to get back and concentrate on my studies in my room. It felt strange studying in my room now that I was used to studying at uni in the library. For one thing my desk felt so not big enough to spread out all my study materials! And I kept getting distracted. There was so much to do! Although I had 2 weeks to study solid genetics, it still felt not long enough! But the next day was Monday so I would be going back to university library to do solid genetics study 9am-7pm...

End of exams; Emptiness after chaos

2008-06-21T19:05:00.009+12:00

I'm back!! Now exams are over. I should be happy. I really should be happy. But I'm not.

...Life feels so empty right now...

I haven't been blogging for over two weeks. I've been practically living at university since the end of my media exam. Studying for what? My genetics exam, which concluded yesterday at 4:20pm. Go in at 9am and home at 8pm. Every day for the past two weeks (excluding Saturday and Sunday! could have done that also...). I can't remember the last time I studied for something so much. Usually I like to study at home. But this time I don't know what has gotten into me. Maybe it's just a thing that comes with being a 3rd year student. I have developed a true passion for university. Ok so I've said this before. But now its different. I have found my area of study, one that makes me go "wow" (genetics) and I want to study it lots!!! The sad thing is that now that my genetics exam is over I have to wait till NEXT year to do any more genetics study. Sigh. How will I ever survive next trimester? There are no more undergraduate genetics papers!!! Wahhhh!!!! After these past weeks it feels so strange not studying.... sigh. Feel empty right now.
Ok enough of my complaints. Exams are over. I should be happy.

Now for an update on my past 2 weeks of genetics study marathon;
I usually like to study alone. I don't know why. It's just a thing I do. For most of the first week I spent studying in my new favourite study spot in the university library on the first floor. There is this series of mythical paintings on the wall and below them is a table. During this study period this became my favourite study spot. As I said I usually like to study alone... so I did...until Christina found me! So then we studied together and it was actually ok. But then there was this door and our table was right next to the door and it kept making creaky noises so eventually we ended up moving to the 8th floor... which had the most amazing view of Wellington! (But the table below the painting still remains as my favourite spot!). Anyway, we ended up studying together every day at uni from 9am-7pm! Now that exams are over I'm going to really miss that.

Another great thing about studying at uni is that you can ask questions! I have officially got back my habit of asking questions (shyness slowly rotting away!)! ...I always thought lecturers are the easiest people in the world to find since they seem to live in their offices. Ummm not quite as true as it seems! I spent most of last week trying to find Dr GR to ask some cytogenetics questions… and he had vanished! Seriously! Then I e-mailed him and still no answer. Ok so I waited until Tuesday when we were supposed to have a genetics tutorial. I thought 'great ok I can ask my cytogenetics questions!' But he wasn't there! Ok so then I gave up hope completely. By then I was pretty convinced he had left the planet! Then after the tutorial (molecular genetics Dr GC stayed for the whole tutorial) while waiting for my lunch to heat up I decided to randomly check my e-mail (I have to note that this is yet another thing that comes with being a 3rd year student; you actually start to check your student e-mail, which is something I have never done before, and as a result have accumulated 109 unread e-mails). And he replied! :) So then I went and asked all my questions! :)

Well I won’t go into all the details of every day of the past two weeks, since they all pretty much involved the same routine; into uni to study genetics at 9am. Back home at 8pm. Sleep. Apart from genetics, I learned two very obvious random things during this study period (which I just never paid attention to before); a) there are two staircases in the library to go up/down levels (I always thought there was one) and b) you can open doors at university after hours, or late at night using your student ID card! (I thought it was a special card or something! But no it’s just an id card!). Days flew by like autumn leaves in the breeze...

Then Friday the 20^th June came…
On Friday I had a horrible day. The day before the genetics exam. I was so nervous! By this time I had already finished going through all the past exam papers, which was actually rather entertaining. The week before, on Monday after my media exam I went to the library to photocopy all the past exam papers, that come in big booklets, the earliest being 1998. Ok I though. That will be great! 9 years of exams to revise from. So then I started looking for genetics in the booklets…1998…1999….2000…2001…and couldn’t find the papers! By then I was getting worried! What happened to genetics?! But finally at 2002…victory! I was very relieved, and copied all the exams from 2002-2007! (I later found out that this course didn’t exist until 2002! How terrible! Luckily I wasn’t at uni then!).

Anyway, by Friday I was getting really nervous. And with nervousness comes grumpiness. I really really really wanted to do very well in this exam. I cared so much about genetics… At first two weeks of study seemed like a long time. I had done every single past exam paper. But as the day of the exam drew nearer I started to have some doubt. Friday was a horrible day. I wished this genetics paper didn't have an exam, like my previous genetics paper. Sigh. The littlest things made me upset. I felt like I hadn’t done enough study. I wished we had another 2 weeks to study. I wanted to be alone. I didn’t want my friends to see me so frazzled … After lunch I ran away from my friends and went to my favourite study spot. Christina texted me but I didn’t reply. I wanted to be alone. Sigh. I buried myself in my study, writing essay after essay. Down syndrome, sex determination, human aneuploids… Until one of my friends found me. We talked. Then he left. Then Christina came. He must have told her where I was. She gave me a reassuring pep talk about exams, and tried to cheer me up. I ended up going back to study with her, feeling somewhat happier. Sigh.

On Saturday 21^st June I sat the exam. Then it was over. Just like that. Sigh. Now all I can do is wait. And pray.

...A random thought occurred to me while studying genetics; If I ever discover a new chromosomal abnormality I'm going to name it 'Jilinapoli Syndrome' (computer username)! I know it’s a really random thought. Strange things start running though your mind when you study…

On a random note, I decided I just have to have the book 'iGenetics' by Russell. Over the study period I had used that book so much and realized how great it is, but I'll have to give Christina's copy of it back now that exams are over. But I just have to get a copy of my own!!! It's so great!!! Almost as great as 'Genetics' by Strickberger! That’s just a thing about me and books. If I like a book very much I just have to have it. So far I found one on Amazon... :) I'm crazy, I know.

Now my exams are over. I’m back online (as you can see) and back to reading, TV, socializing etc. But after my study marathon, it feels so strange not having to study anymore. I don't really know what to do with myself! And I miss uni already! Speaking of which, my next order of business will be to decide on my subjects for next semester. So far I only know that I'm taking evolution and that's all. I decided I'm going to change my english paper to a media paper. I don't want to take English anymore. I decided that I want to stay at uni for a very very very long time! (Like, forever!!!) and do something incredibly fascinating with genetics and chromosomes. My long term ambition (as of this year) is to get a PhD in genetics (after Honours, Masters etc). Media was random and enjoyable this semester so I'll do it again as a random interest paper. I still haven't decided on my second biology paper. So that will give me something to ponder about...

…I’m really going to miss genetics next semester… :( (sad face x1million) WARNING: you are going to be hearing this a lot from me!

Study Leave

2008-06-08T16:02:00.003+12:00

Well just a short run down on this week before I get back to my genetics study (!!!) (I usually use the book 'Genetics' by Strickberger(it's the best!) but I decided to borrow this book off my friend because it has more molecular stuff...)

As I said I spent the whole weekend working on my translocation heterozygote assignment. It was very interesting! On Monday I finished it…or so I thought…on Tuesday about 2 hours before I was about to go in to university to hand it in, I decided to have one final look at what I’ve written…well that was a mistake. The more I re-read it the more I felt I had to add important stuff in… so then I ended up writing more and more… It was already 3pm…I had to catch the train…I nearly missed it! But I got in to university on time and handed the assignment in at exactly 5pm just as it was due! (After I spent about 15 minutes standing by the hand-in box re-reading it over and over again)

The rest of the week I spent studying for my media exam which was on Friday. We had to prepare 4 essays and learn a bunch of definitions… The essay topics were ok, but there was this one topic which I was so unsure about. In the exam we had to write definitions and then write 2 essays; one that the lecturer chose and the other what we chose… Anyway, eventually Friday came and I went to do the exam. On the way I picked up my media essay on ’To Kill a mockingbird’ and got an A-! Then I sat the exam… well just my luck; the essay question I wasn’t sure about was the compulsory one! I really hope it went ok! …But the definitions were fine and I ended up writing my chosen essay on Marshall McLuhans Laws of the media.

After the exam I felt relieved that it was over and really happy because now I could study genetics non-stop!!!! For the next 2 weeks!!!! Which is what I’ve been doing all weekend… :) ...Going in to university tomorrow to photocopy all the past exam papers... since 1997! Then I'll do them all... :) (today I finished writing all my cue cards!) Oh genetics is so fun to study!!! :):):)

Oh and I forgot to say that two weeks ago I went to the 'Cats' musical and it was wonderful! I wanted to go again and again! :) Very enjoyable!

This is the song that never ends...

2008-06-01T17:25:00.003+12:00

Cytogenetics assignment title page!

I can’t believe this trimester is almost over! I’m feeling a bit sad right now…

The week was quite stressful since I had a lab test coming up on Thursday. From previous experience I knew the lab test would be ummm how I put it nicely…??... so I spent all weekend and the previous week studying for it. On Monday I had good old genetics. I really don’t know how I’ll survive without it next semester! I’ll miss it sooo much! I was relieved to know that the due date for our cytogenetics assignment (which was NOT an essay! I was wrong! ...maybe that’s a good thing, I was getting a bit tired of essays) was put back till next Tuesday. What a relief. I had started it, but wasn’t sure how much of it I’ll get done before Friday (which is when it was first due) since I had that lab test to study for. I was feeling pedantic about it. I really wanted to do well in it.

After the lecture I decided to stay at university and study for the lab test. That day I re-discovered the fact that asking questions is a good thing. I was studying the cytogenetics section of the lab and then I decided to go and ask my lecturer some questions. I was actually really surprised with myself. I hadn’t really been asking questions since college… I don’t know, I guess at university I felt shy… But that day I was feeling adventurous. So I wrote down my list of questions and went to see Dr Rickards about the cytogenetics lab. It was great! I had almost forgotten what asking questions felt like! …I understood everything! On the way back I went past the biology office to pick up my remaining lab reports. I was also hoping our essays on immunogenetics would be marked…but no luck. No lab reports or essays. I felt a bit panicky then. Our lab test was only 3 days away!!! I went back to the library and studied till 5pm and then went home…and studied more for the lab test. Then I decided that 24hours in the day is just not long enough!

On Tuesday I went to university really early. Don’t really know why I did that, I just felt like it I guess. I went and asked my other lecturers some questions (but only the nice ones!). It had been an extremely productive day in terms of study, except for that media studies lecture where we really didn’t do much at all. We got our essay questions for the exam. But I barely looked at them. I had to study for that lab test! Once again I went past the biology office that day… and this time I was lucky. All our marked lab reports were there…and they were not depressing at all! As I was about to leave my molecular genetics lecturer Dr Chambers arrived with our essays! He gave me mine…A+!!! Yippeee!! I had been pretty nervous about it; it was way over the word limit! Feeling incredibly positive and inspired I went back to the library and continued pouring over my lab manual. Oh and I also went to the biology lab and got a photograph taken of my chromosomes with a special microscope camera!! Yippeeee!!! We will have them e-mailed to us! I can’t wait! That day I got home at 7pm. And continued studying…

On Wednesday once again I went to university really early and stayed there studying for the whole day! It was so great! Once again I got heaps of study done! The highlight of the day was of course the genetics lecture. I liked the Wednesday lectures, they were two hours long. One hour lectures seem so short when you’re learning about something really exciting! I don’t need to say what I did for the rest of that day. Once again I stayed at university and studied for the lab test…and got home at 7pm.

The next morning I got up feeling really nervous. It was the day of the lab test. Although the test was at lunchtime, I still went in to university at 10am…still clutching my lab manual. I hadn’t parted with it for the past how many days?? Then it was time for the test. Collecting my lab reports and parting with my lab manual (which we weren’t allowed to take in) I went in and did it…and did it…and did it…It was the longest test ever!! It felt like the never-ending story!! Page after page after page…I was seeing stars…and more stars…and more stars… My first intention when I sat the test was to flick straight to the chromosome section and do that first. That was the section I was least worried about… but I restrained myself from doing so, until I was about half way through the test and felt like screeching. Then I went and did the chromosome section…they were mostly questions I had asked a couple of days ago! What a relief! By the time I came out of the test I was feeling….aghhhhh!!!!!!!!!! I had studied so much for it…but I felt terrible afterwards. So upset!!! …but I still had to get my cytogenetics assignment done, which I sat in the computer room till 6:30pm doing. I tried to forget about the test but it wasn’t easy. Sigh. Please let it all be ok.

On Friday we had our last genetics lecture. I felt so sad. I didn’t want it to end. I wanted it to last forever…but it didn’t. Sigh. Now I have to wait till next year. Nooooooo!!!! The great thing about Friday was that when I got home at 7pm I got recieved an e-mail with my chromosome photo!!! Yippee!!! Of course the first thing I did was printed it out and stuck it on my wall!! Did several versions too, in Adobe photoshop trying to get as clear an image as possible! (see previous post for photo!) Come on admit it, it's exciting!!! How many people get to see their own chromosomes in real life?!!

I spent the weekend pouring over my cytogenetics assignment on human translocation heterozygotes. It’s so fascinating! Heheheheh… The only downside was that on Saturday my computer went wacko and I didn't save my work...so I lost half of my assignment! It was grrr!!! But hey, I did it all over ok and now I'm almost done! :) Really need to finish it soon so I can start studying for my media exam which is next Friday!... Oh and I decided that studying at Uni is more exciting than staying at home so I'm going to be going in to uni to study during this study break...

My Chromosomes!!!!!

2008-05-30T20:21:00.003+12:00

(: !!!!CHROMOSOMES!!!! :)

2008-05-24T22:22:00.006+12:00

I have had the most awesome week ever!!!! …This week my passions were justified. I said before that love cytogenetics!!!!!! And now more than ever!!!!

On Monday I had my lovely genetics lecture about cytogenetics which I love so much!! It’s so fascinating! I am really really going to miss genetics next term… I’m thinking of taking a paper next term that involves independent study on a chosen topic…I don’t think I’ll be able to survive without genetics otherwise! On Tuesday was media and on Wednesday was genetics again!! Yippeeee!! More chromosome study!!!! Down Syndrome, Turner, Klienfelter… and on and on and on about chromosomal stuff! Soooo fascinating!!! :) That night I stayed up till 1am doing my pedigree analysis for Thursdays lab, from last week…

On Thursday I had my final biology lab…. A couple of weeks ago I was looking forwards to the end of the course more than anything…. And now I’m sad that it’s almost over. Last week as I said we started our cytogenetics topic for labs, and we got our blood samples taken and then we left them to culture in medium. This week we centrifuged them, discarded the supernatant, centrifuged and resuspended them in fixative several times. Then Dr Rickards showed us the really fun part. Applying the sample to slides to get a monolayer of cells!

We stood at the side of our bench, put tissue paper on the floor, held a Pasteur pipette at eye level at the level of the table above the tissue paper and dropped drops of water down from the table onto the tissue paper on the floor! It was kind of like chucking tomatoes from a tall building, to get the tomato to mash! Smack! We had to practice our aiming with water first so we could get the sample in the right place on the slide! But it was so amusing! I loved it! So then we did the same with our sample! It was really scary at first. I didn't want to lose any of my sample... but all was well! I had enough sample to make 5 slides! :)

Then we stained and fixed them…..and then….dumdumdadum!!!! The time had come! The moment of glory...or failure. I looked down the microscope at one of my slides and saw….my chromosomes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was soo excited!!!! I was so used to everything not working in the labs this year, that I kind of lost hope…but this time it worked!!! There were so many cells with chromosomes, at various stages of mitosis!!! Sooo exciting!!!!! I was soo excited that I didn't even get upset when I got my report back about PCR and found it wasn't that pleasant... at least I passed... Have to study really hard for my lab test!!! We got to keep our slides, and next week we will come in to the lab and take photos with a special microscope of our chromosomes!!!! I can't wait!!! Then I could see them more close up! That day I didn't want to leave the lab. I stayed till the last student had left the room, looking down the microscope browsing my slides and admiring my chromosomes! It is unbelievably exciting! I wish I had a microscope at home!!!! :):):)

On Friday was another day of cytogenetics (pretty good week, cytogenetics every day except Tuesday!). As usual the lecture was really interesting but seemed incredibly short! It's amazing how time flies when you're doing something great! That day my friend picked up a post-graduate prospectus, and while I was reading it I found out that my favourite cytogenetics lecturer Dr Rickards takes post graduate genetics! Yea!!

Today I happily spent all day doing my cytogenetics assignment and then started studying for my major lab test next Thursday. I can do well in it! I know I can!!!! :) This week after all my excitement I decided that I definitely want to go on to do lots and lots of post graduate study…to do with cytogenetics! This year I have finally discovered my area of biology that I’m crazy about!!!! And I want to learn all about it….!! So I want to do honors and masters and PhD…!!!! As long as it’s all about chromosomes I can go on motivated forever!!! There's so much to learn...and now that I've actually seen chromosomes in real life (NOT in a text book or hand out) it's even more exciting than ever!! J …Hey perhaps one day I will lecture about genetics! :)

Things are really looking up!

2008-05-20T08:31:00.011+12:00

Last week was really good ....Maybe because I didn't have any horrible labs to stress me out...
On Monday I had genetics which was good. But I'm still looking forwards to cytogenetics, that's what makes me really excitied!!! Spent the afternoon working on my media essay on 'Stereotypes in To Kill a Mockingbird'.

Tuesday and Wednesday came and went. Had a media lecture on NZ sports! We compared sports in NZ to sports in Holland! Wednesday as usual I had a 2 hour genetics lecture in which we learnt about human evolution! Haven't done that since first year! Really interesting!

On Thursday for the first time this trimester I actually enjoyed the bio lab! That's because we were doing cytogenetics!!! My favourite ever! Our BIOL 341 lecturer Dr Rickards and Dr Ryan took the lab and for the first half we analysed a pedigree chart. We also got our blood samples taken! We were going to analyse them in the following weeks lab! We'll get to see our own chromosomes! After the lunch break (and my media tutorial) we got back and studied Allium!!!! We had to figure out how to locate meiosis in the Allium plant! It was really amusing! I made about 10 slide preparations trying to figure it out! At the end of the lab Dr Ryan showed me how to do it right...! It was really fascinating! Like it took me ages to figure out that meiosis is best seen in the anthers of the flower!...thanks to my minimal plant knowledge :( But it was interesting to finally see mitosis! We had to write up the method for locating meiosis for next week. And I knew how!

On Friday I handed in my media essay. Whew! That's out of the way! We had our last lecture on molecular biology. The following week we would be starting cytogenetics!!! On Monday we would be having Dr Rickards back for cytogenetics!!!! Yahoo! Can't wait!! :) I've been looking forwards to that since the course began! :) ...not that I don't like molecular genetics...it's just that cytogenetics makes me...really excited!!! :)

On Saturdey I went to Tanya's birthday. We went to a restaurant.... and Christina was there!! Yea!!! I haven't seen her since she left for university at the begining of the year! She came to Tanya's birthday with Adrian. I knew it! I was suspicious she'd be there...!! It was great to catch up! ;)It was a really interesting restaurant. First you chose a whole bunch of raw food and then you watch it get cooked! I had soo much seafood!...two plates full! ...and there was dessert...Tanya, Erin (Tanya's friend) and Christina....

...and dessert! It was great to see Christina and Adrian, and catch up!...
When I got home I had my genetics assignment to do... which was also really interesting!
I didn't really have a weekend that week because I had to do my essay for genetics on a human genetic disease. I studied the Fabry disease. First DiGeorge, now Fabry... That should be interesting.... I wonder if our last assignment will involve writing an essay too... :)

...life goes on....

2008-05-11T16:20:00.022+12:00

Front cover of my immunogenetics assignment

Another week has gone. Still stressful but at least this week there were no tears! On Monday I had Genetics and I handed my immunogenetics essay in. On Tuesday I was so tired because I didn't have a weekend due to writing my genetics essay. I worked on my next lab report that was due on Wednesday. I also had to revise genetics. After much debate with myself and my conscience I decided to stay home and do my lab report instead of going to my media studies lecture. After all I could study the lecture myself since all the notes are up on blackboard. And I really had to get my lab report done.

On Wednesday I handed the lab report in and had genetics lecture which was ok. We were learning about genetic diseases. On Thursday I had the biology lab which was better than last week. Once again it involved using computers and researching things on the internet. I've never really used the internet at university, I didn't realize it was so expensive...and it wouldn't let me go on half the sites! Grrr how innoying! But this time everything went ok, and I got the lab done, even early! I couldn't wait till the following week!!! We would have labs about cytogenetics!!! I've been looking forwards to those labs since the begining of the course!!

Friday went by in a flash with my genetics lecture and learning about diseases... and study and assignments... busy busy!! So much to do!!!Appart from doing my assignments and lab reports that weekend on Sunday we went to see Linda doing her roller skating exam! It was so awesome seeing her skate! She's great!...and she passed her exam! :) It's so awesome watching rollerskating! Very inspiring! I should go do some skating sometime...after exams... which are coming up fast! Study time! Study study study!!!! :)

Tears of Polaris

2008-05-06T12:14:00.002+12:00

Last week has been so much full of emotion that I haven’t been able to get around to writing about it until today. Sigh. Here it goes…

Classes resumed last Monday. I had my genetics lecture at 2pm. We began our topic on molecular genetics taught by one of our last year’s genetics lecturers. Although it was all incredibly interesting, it was challenging getting back into learning mode. By the end of the lecture I felt incredibly overwhelmed. Coming home I thought about that lab report on PCR that I had to finish writing by Thursday. Sigh. What has to be done gets done. After writing some genetics cue cards I spent the rest of the day working on the lab report.

On Tuesday I had media studies. We got told in the lecture that our assignments have been marked and we can collect them. So I went to get my assignment after the lecture…along with about 300 other media studies students. The queue was enormous. I waited a bit. It didn’t look like I’d get anything back anytime soon. Then, catching a glimpse of my bus I went home. I wasn’t ready to get my assignment back that day. That evening I pounded over my lab report. I finished everything apart from some calculations. They were so frustrating! And nobody I knew had done them! I was so confused. Different people said different things. But what is right? Feeling tired and frustrated I went to bed.

On Wednesday I went to get my media studies assignment before my genetics lecture. Thoughts kept running through my mind about my last years horrid experience of the English paper that I took. C+ C+ C+ for every essay I wrote! I hadn’t been able to figure out what’s wrong. But that was last year… Pushing those thoughts out of my mind I went and got my assignment… which turned out to be…a B+!!!! Yippee!!! So I’m not terrible at essays after all! The comment that my tutor wrote was also very encouraging, and after my genetics lecture (which was great, as usual!) I went home feeling happy…

Wednesday turned out to be the most positive day I’d have that week. Thursday came. My lab report due. I still hadn’t figured out those calculations. I was frustrated and confused. Hoped to ask someone before the lab. That day we worked in the computer room sequencing mtDNA data to find out what bird a feather came from. Several hours had passed and I still wasn’t getting anywhere with my data. My lab partner had almost finished everything! I had very vaguely found out how to do calculations for the previous lab report… Had media tutorial. Came back to the lab, continued attempting to sequence DNA. No luck. Then we get our previous assignment on PCR back. I just passed. This was the last straw. Went back to DNA sequencing…but couldn’t concentrate. I could feel tears flowing down my face. I couldn’t make them stop. Nobody noticed me cry…apart from my lab partner. He came over to me and helped me with everything. I was extremely grateful. At loss for words. Before I knew it, I was done.

I couldn’t wait to get out of the lab. Although the assignment I got back had useful comments, there was nothing I could do to improve my current report. It was done. Due now and couldn’t be changed. I felt so angry. Why can’t we get proper instructions for lab reports this year? Why do we always find out what needs to be done after its done? It can’t possibly be explained as being a 3^rd year thing. In genetics we get everything explained! Why not in labs? Oh how much I love genetics! I handed the lab report in and grabbing a biology prospectus for post graduate study I went home.

Mum and Dad were going out when I got home. I went to my room. I was still upset. Someone told me that grade point average for post graduate study entry was raised to a B+ this year. I didn’t want to believe it. But I found it true. All my emotions from that day seemed to combine into one big blob. I sat in my room and cried, and cried and cried. Although I felt like crying all night, I didn’t want to. I needed to blurt everything out. So I called Sonia and we talked. I felt so much better afterwards. I love my friends.

The next day the impact of Thursday had worn off, mostly anyway. I went to my genetics lecture feeling grateful that I have genetics as a subject that I absolutely love. Saturday and Sunday I spent working on my Immunogenetics essay due the following Monday. The disease I chose to write about was DiGeorge syndrome. It was fascinating, and I found it hard to keep to the approximate word number suggested!

So this was my first week back at university… oh and I also found that I have my exams in June on the 6^th and the 21^st. So that was another positive aspect for the week. I have plenty of time to study in between my exams!

Sunday: Family Day Out

2008-04-27T16:30:00.023+12:00

Today is Mum and Dad's wedding aniversary. It is also Russian Easter. To celebrate Mum and Dad's aniversary I took my family to Regal Chinese Restaurant in Wellington. This bought back memories of the restaurant outings with Anita and Jasmine that I used to have back in 7th form. Oh I wish Anita and Jasmine were here! For a moment a wave of sadness came over me.

But this time it was my turn to 'educate' my family on Chinese dishes (after all I've learnt from Anita and Jasmine!). Livia and Gary came also and sat at a table next to us. Afterwards Livia was leaving for the airport to fly back to Australia. This time I got to try several new dishes-mostly meat ones because Dad likes meat. And of course there were my favourite prawn dishes! ...and a bunch of others...

Linda and Mum drinking Chinese tea, when Livia and Gary (behind) arrived to join us at a table "next door"Chop sticks! Dad was our tea pourer this time... ...Me and my prawn dumplings which are so the best!What I really like about Chinese restaurants is that every time you come there is always a new dish that you haven't tried.

When we finished lunch (So full! Don't want to eat again until tomorrow!) we said bye to Livia and then went for a walk around the harbour. The day was so warm and beautiful! We went to see a French ship that is visiting Wellington harbour. We went on the ship and even got to walk around inside to see all the cabins and interior decorations. It was really fascinating especially since this was was the first time that I've been inside a real ship (usually if ships come in to the harbour you are only allowed to walk around on the deck). I think it was a military ship because the deck had this special place on the deck for helicopter landing.

Brochures that Linda picked up about the ship

Linda, Mum and I on the deck *(Dad taking the photo). After we finished touring the ship we continued our walk along the harbour, and eventually made our way back to the car. I could have spent the whole day around the harbour, but it was time to go home. So sad!
It had been a great day, and I'm hoping to take my family to a Chinese restaurant again some time! :)

Awesome Holidays

2008-04-26T17:12:00.008+12:00

On Wednesday as promised, Mum, Livia, Linda, her friend Nicole and I went in to Wellington. I went to Dymocks and got my Jane Austen book with my gift card! Yeeaa!!!! Only it was too big to carry around Lambton Quay so we decided to pick in up on the way back to the car. I stayed in Dymocks while Mum parked the car. Heavenly! I just love that shop! Then we went around the shops with Mum and Livia while Linda went off with Nicole. Not surprisigly not long after I started to get a bit grumpy because we kept going into all these clothes shops.

We were supposed to text Linda at around lunchtime to tell them to meet us somewhere, but I did not have my phone, (typical me!) Mum's phone ran out of bateries and Livia's phone was about to run out of batteries also! And when we tried to call Linda there was no answer. Luckily just before all of Livia's batteries ran out we managed to call Dad at work and asked him to call Linda on her cell phone and tell her to meet us at the cafe near Dymocks. While we waited for the girls we stayed at the cafe and had a snack. Dad came down from work and met us at the cafe (his work is cvery close). Shortly the girls arrived also. Dad and I went to pick up my book, and then Dad took it to work with him (we were going to continue going around shops). So then we spent the next 2 hours or so going shopping. Mum got me some pants which I liked. Whew! Don't have to worry about pants shopping anymore! Linda also got a top.

By the time we got back to the car it was almost 4pm. Then we went to Pizza Hut, got some pizzas and other food and drinks, picked Dad up from work and went to Oriental Parade where we had a nice picnic dinner! The sun was setting and the view of Wellington harbour was amazing! Before heading home we went for a long walk down Oriental Parade. It was beautiful! What a great way to spend the day! That night when we returned home I began reading my book...On Thursday Sonia invited me to come swimming to H2O Extreme Pool in Upper Hutt. We had an amazing time!! I haven't been to that pool for ages!!! It was so much fun! Appart from the old zoom tube there was a new zoom tube which was fully dark and a slide which seemed to be almost vertical!! (too scary) I had forgotten how much fun the river ride is and the slide... I loved the new pitch black zoom tube!!! I went on the zoom tube a gizzilion times until finally I felt sick! I couldn't remember the last time I had so much fun! Time flies when you're having fun and before I knew it was time to head back to Sonia's house. Just in time too, I was feeling a bit green from overzooming on the zoom tube (and running up the stairs!). We had dinner at Sonia's house, and Sonia helped me start on my genetics essay.

I felt a bit guilty about not starting my genetics essay so I bought the assignment along with me. The essay is on genetic diseases and I was hoping Sonia could help me with her many nursing/medical text books. That day I finally decided what disease to study from our list-DiGeorge Syndrome. We found a nice introductory definition of it in Sonia's medical dictionary so I decided that's what I'll study. It sounded interesting. I went home not long after. It had been the most fun day I've had in a while!!! It felt great!!! :)

That night I thought about Anita, and how it was sad that she couldn't be here to spent time with us because she's in Otago. I miss her heaps. Wish she was here... After 5 years of going to college together and hardly ever been appart I really miss not having her around at University. If I could change one thing about university life it would that my closest friend was there with me.

On Friday I had a very productive day. After all the fun I had previously it was time to do some work. So that morning I went online and found 13 articles and 7 webpages on DiGeorge syndrome!!! So now it's only the matter of combining all the information and turning it into an essay...which is NOT the size of a novel!!! There is a word limit of 1000 words! Grrr I'm guessing that's going to take some effort!!! Satisfied with my findings, I went and did some gardening with Mum (with my new garden gloves and rake that I got from Sonia for my birthday!). It was a beautiful day outside! I spent that evening reading, and watching 'So you think you can dance' competition with my family. We've been watching it every week and it's so exciting! The search for Australia's top dancer! Every week contestants are eliminated and now there are only 2 couples left! Who will be Australia's top dancer? ...I hope it's Kate...no Jack...no Reece...!!! So hard to choose, they are all so great! (Unfortunately my favourite dancer Vanessa got eliminated in the last round :( ): Afterwards Mum and I baked kulichs (buns) for Russian Easter on Sunday. Yum!

On Saturday I spent the day reading. Since classes were starting back on Monday I wanted to spend the last two days of holiday doing pleasurable activities. So I read 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' (in Russian) and finished it. Also continued reading 'Sense and sensibility'. Did a bit of this and a bit of that. Watched a bit of TV. Mucked around. So nice! I love these holidays!!!

My reading. The book included the novels 'Sense and Sensibility', 'Emma', 'Pride and Prejudice', 'Persuasion', 'Mansfield Park' and 'Northanger Abbey'. At the moment I'm reading 'Sense and Sensibility' which is my favourite Jane Austen novel...

Holidays

2008-04-22T11:49:00.002+12:00

I love this wrapping paper! My birthday presents from Christina and Tanya were wrapped up in it!

Holidays are great! For the past week I have been doing heaps of reading, watching TV, spending time with family and mucking around! Last week I also nearly finished my bio lab report and revised 6 weeks of lectures for media! (well there were only 6 lectures in total since we have only 1 lecture a week but hey!) Since Linda and Mum’s holiday started a week later than mine, for the first week of my holiday I didn’t really have much of anything interesting to do so I worked on my bio lab report, and have nearly finished it. Started thinking about my genetics essay... As for my reading, I’ve been reading heaps. At the moment I’m reading my birthday presents; ‘Arsimov’s New Guide to Science’ and ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ by Arthur C. Doyle (in Russian).

A couple of days ago Mum, Linda and I went to Queensgate. I had some vouchers for Dymocks, Whitcoulls and Nature’s discovery that have accumulated after some time and I wanted to spend them before they expired. First we went into all these clothes shops because Mum wanted to get me some pants. Well I am allergic to clothes shops, they make my head spin and ugh I just don’t like clothes shopping very much, and usually get really grumpy. So after about half an hour my mood had gone stormy, so then Mum and Linda continued their way through clothes shops while I went to Whitcoulls. Yippeee! My mood instantly improved! I just love looking at all the different books!

As I was going through the classics book section my eyes fell upon something…very big! It was a gigantic book of Jane Austen’s most famous novels!! All in one gigantic (and I mean gigantic! It was the size of an atlas from 1960s!) hardcover with red material woven covering and golden edges! It looked amazing! Like the atlas from ‘Sense and sensibility’. I was so amazed! The print was great and it even had pen drawn illustrations! I have never seen anything like it! I fell in love with it immediately! But I only had a $30 voucher for Whitcoulls so I decided to go and check out Dymocks. I also wanted to buy the DVD of ‘Sense and Sensibility’ but Whitcoulls out of stock! Grrr! But they said there will be more stock coming in shortly so I will come back in a few weeks time.

So I took down the ISBN number of the book and went to Dymocks. But no luck. They didn’t have it. But the Dymocks in Wellington did, so the really nice guy at the counter rang up and reserved a copy for me! Yippee! So Mum and I will probably go in to Wellington tomorrow and get it with my vouchers! I can’t wait!!! …But then I’ll need a bigger bookshelf…

Mum's friend Livia also arrived last week from Australia. She got me a set of pants with a top as my birthday present (she also got me a book about Australia) Yesterday we went to the farm in Waikanae to pick fruit and vegies! It was so much fun!

Today Melissa came over to my house and we watched Pride and Prejudice (the BBC version). Linda and Mila were here also so it was pretty crazy! But we only ended up watching some of it so I'm hoping to watch it again. I'm so glad Melissa borrowed it from her friend! I couldn't find the BBC version of it anywhere! I also found out that Melissa also has Sense and Sensibility so now I can just borrow it off her! Yea! Personally I like Sense and Sensibility more!

This Sunday I will be taking my family to a Chinese restaurant in Wellington-Regal for Mum and Dad's wedding anniversary wedding . I booked a table and everything! I'm so looking forwards to it!

So this is my holiday so far-Yea! And there's more to come...!!! Yippeee!!!

Friends

2008-04-17T13:31:00.006+12:00

(photo taken by Mum's friend)

But for every memory of friendship shared,

Even for a short time is like treasure,

Like sunshine and warmth in our lives,

Like a cool breeze on a humid day,

Like a shower of rain refreshing the Earth…

(was written on a plank that Wendy gave me for my birthday)

Go Fish!

2008-04-17T12:05:00.014+12:00

On Sunday Mum and Dad went on a fishing trip out to the harbour and beyond into the open sea for the day! Every several months dad's work organizes a fishing trip and this is the second time Mum and Dad have gone. They love it!

Lighthouse -reminds me of the story 'The Lightkeepers Lunch'

Dad!

Dad and Mum on the boat

Seagulls- competition for fishing! Heheheh!

When they went out into the open sea there were lots and lots of dolphins! Their boat was surrounded by dolphins! Wow!!!

One of Dad's many catches!

A liner ship boat going past

While Mum and Dad were out fishing I spent the day mucking around and doing pretty much nothing! (Hey I'm on holiday!!!) Linda spent the day working on a project for science. It was so amuzing because it was exactly the same assignment as we did in yr10! You had to choose an organ and a disease that effects it and create a poster about it. I remembered my project on skin cancer and how I got a Merit for it because my planning stage wasn't that great. I really hope Linda does better than me!

Mum and Dad bought home lots of fish that day! Consequently I created a new toastie combination that has become a favourite of mine; fish, cheese and sweet chilli sause! And by the way I now have a toastie addiction! Been having them almost every day since the holiday began!! Christina R first introduced me to them 10 years ago... and now since I got the toastie maker I'm 100% addicted! ;)

Holidays just around the corner...

2008-04-11T22:32:00.003+12:00

Photo from my birthday

Yippeee!! Holiday time!! This week sure was a long week! This time we had 7 weeks of university before break and by the 7^th week study became exhausting!

On Monday my new genetics course began on human molecular genetics. Waahhhhh I miss BIOL341!!!! We had a lecture on immunology!!! I haven’t done anything on immunology since first year biology! It was a bit overwhelming really, and I greatly missed chromosomes and heritability!!! Good old 40 formulas that we had to memorize for our test! At the beginning of class time our lecturer came in and we got our test papers back.

I didn't realise how much I worried about my genetics test until Monday morning when I put my pants on. Ok I'll tell the story. On Saturday me and Mum and Dad went in to Wellington and I wore my new pants. They fit fine. Then on Monday morning put them on...and they could barely hold on my waist! I couldn't believe I lost weight that weekened from worrying about the test!! I didn't realise I worried so much about that genetics test! ...now I wear a belt with those pants...

Anyway, I got an A- for the test and a B for the overall genetics course! Ok so I officially broke my New Year resolution about getting straight As. Sigh. Oh well, nobody’s perfect. And a B is good too so I’m pretty happy! Yea!! …But I’m just so sad that the course is over! It tops the chart of being my favourite course taken at University! (up until now my favourite course was BIOL116-Human reproduction, sexuality and evolution).

The good news was that our BIOL341 genetics lecturer would also be teaching a part of this genetics course BIOL342!! Yea! It felt so strange on Monday getting a power point presentation by our new lecturer. I was so used to overheads by now (what our genetics lecturer used) that a power point presentation seemed incredibly foreign. Basically I spent the day complaining about how much I missed genetics. The good news was that the immunology lectures would not be examined. Thank goodness! It was all so foreign to me!

On Tuesday I had my media lecture, but my mind was in the wrong place because I kept thinking about my lab assignment that was due on Thursday. It was so confusing and it gave me so much worry! Grrr I really don’t like PCR! I never want to do it again! For our assignment we had to design a PCR experiment…evil is all I say!!!

On Wednesday we had another lecture on immunology (it was ok, I was kind of getting used to it…sort of anyway), and then I spent the remainder of the day pounding over my assignment. Sigh. Then on Thursday we had the lab which was very short thank goodness. I was so sick of PCR labs, they were not very fun at all, So much to do, so many calculations and in the end nothing worked! Our evil evil evil assignment was also due that day, and luckily I finished it. We also have to write a lab report for PCR but luckily that is due in after the holidays, so I haven’t started worrying about it yet.

So now that I’ve passed genetics and finished my PCR assignment you’d think I can relax. But nooo I still had a media studies essay due in the next day! Spent the entire evening and Friday morning writing it! But compared to the lab assignment the essay was actually enjoyable to write! We had to write a close reading essay based on one of the articles from the course reader. Our tutorials this year are actually getting quite productive, and I’m starting to enjoy them. I think it’s because of our tutor, he is very good at explaining ideas and concepts and this makes the tutorial interesting. He also told us what he expects from us in our essays so at least we have guidance. Unlike last years English course where we were never told anything useful in the tutorials! Media is not like that and I am glad!

On Friday we had our final lecture on immunology. After the holidays we would have our lecturer from 2^nd year genetics taking us so we’re used to his lecture style already. That’s good. We also got an essay to write over the holidays on genetic diseases, to compensate for not having the immunology unit examined. That’s ok, I don’t mind writing essays! At least it's not calculations. Should be interesting!... That would mean that in the holidays I would have a lab report and an essay to write, and I also have to catch up on my media lectures. And of course relax and do nothing! That day after my genetics lecture I handed in my essay and went home. Yippeee!!!! Holidays have officially begun!!! JJJ

My genetics course has just finished- and I already miss it!

2008-04-04T21:24:00.003+13:00

...loving what you do...

Wahhhhh I miss genetics already!!! This week was the last week of my genetics 341 course. On Monday I had my genetics lecture where we covered QTLs and more heritability, and started talking about human intelligence (IQ). How much I love genetics!!! Went home and studied genetics all evening! Good old cue cards!!! On Tuesday I had media studies where we discussed music and how it relates to the identity of an individual. Interesting but not as great as genetics. Then I spent the rest of the day studying genetics (surprise surprise!). Wednesday was another day of genetics. Yippeee!!! But it also very sad because it was the last lecture for the course. On Friday we would be having our test covering quantitative genetics and that would be it! How horrible!!! I felt so sad after the Wednesday lecture, I wanted to cry almost.

Next week I will start my 2nd genetics course on humasn genetics but I'm sure it won't be quite the same. We will have a different lecturer, so I'm not sure what that will be like. Our current lecturer was perfect! Perfect precise notes, interesting material, great lecture style, everything was just really great! Wahhhh!!!! The material that we covered is so fascinating!... Take a wild guess as to what I studied all Wednesday night???!!! Starts with a G.......!

On Thursday I had my biology lab. My head was so in the wrong place that day. I kept thinking about the genetics test that was coming up the next day. Unfortunately the lab was very intense and there was a lot to get done. This was the 3rd week that we've been working on our experiment, preparing samples and stuff. Today we did PCR-the polymerase chain reaction using our extracted samples of DNA and RNA. I tried to concentrate on the lab...at least I finally figured out what was required for our assignment that is due next Thursday... will spend the weekend doing it since I haven't really touched it yet...genetics study too important! Media tutorial went by in a flash and I before I knew it I was back in the kk701 bio lab, continuing PCR and running products on agarose gel...finally we would see the fruits of our labour for the past 3 weeks! We got our stained gel and took it to take a photo....and we saw....nothing except a 1kb+ ladder! (which was a standard sample) Ohh nooooooo!!!!!!! All that preparation! And nothing in the end!!!! Nooooo!!!!! That was disappointing. Although really we did muck up our RNA sample the previous week by overdiluting it, so it shouldn't have been too much of a surprise that we couldn't see much on our gel. The PCR procedure is very delicate and requires great precision. Oh well. Some other groups didn't get anything either so... hey it was our first time! Everything needs practice! That day we finished everything practical that needed to be done so our next weeks lab will be very short! Just to talk about our lab write up and clarify anything that is needed. Our lab reports are due after the holidays, so there's plenty of time!

After the lab I went home feeling exhausted! Studied a bit more genetics and then went to sleep...with my genetics notes and cue cards under my pillow...
The next day-Friday was the day of the test. This time I came in to university 20 minutes before the test (so I wouldn't have to pace around waiting and going crazy). Did the test. Unlike last time I didn't come out feeling like the world was about to end. Answered all the questions. Pray that everything will be well.

...Waahhhh I miss genetics already!!!....

A short but long week...

2008-03-28T22:57:00.003+13:00

-An amazing photo that Mum's friend took

Ok so this week was a short week (because of Easter break we had a 5 day weekend!) but I’m still exhausted! On Monday my family and Linda’s friend Mila went vegetable/fruit picking in Waikanae. It was so much fun and we ate so much capsicum and tomatoes and apples! I love going to that farm place! The weather was gorgeous too! Sooo hot! After we picked everything we wanted (there was lots!) we went to the beach. The water was not that cold and I went wading- I really wanted to go swimming but didn’t end up going because I had nothing to change into afterwards. Linda, Mila and I decided to draw on the sand so we ended up covering huge chunks of the beach with our doodles! Afterwards we had a picnic and sat around in the sun sunbathing. I fell asleep, and so did Mum! It felt like we were so far away from home, like on a holiday or something! Time flew by so fast (it always does, when you’re enjoying yourself so much) that before long it was already 4:30pm and time to head back home, where my genetics cue cards were waiting for me. Wahhh! (no, really I love genetics, I was just in a holiday mode that day).

Tuesday I spent studying for my genetics test which was coming up in 2 weeks time. Good old cue cards! On Wednesday classes were back on so I went to my genetics lecture and got my brain fried learning more about quantitative genetics- so many formulas to memorize! I am making a list of all the formulas we need to know and so far I’m up to 24! And we are still going! Yikes!! This so reminds me of first year chemistry where we had to memorize 64 formulas for a topic test! …but it’s really not as terrible as it sounds…really! That day we also got our assignments back, the ones that we had to write about Drosophila. There was room for improvement but it was still good. Whew! One more piece of assessment out of the way!

I didn’t have a biology lab on Thursday. What a relief! I like labs and everything but it’s nice to have a break from them once in a while… I was hoping I wouldn’t have to go in to University that day but then I remembered I had my compulsory media tutorial so I had no choice. Surprisingly enough this tutorial turned out to be quite useful because we discussed our assignment that is due in 3 weeks time, so there was a lot of useful information. In the afternoon I went to Mum’s dance class and then spent the rest of the evening studying genetics and making cue cards.

Friday came. Although it had been a very short academic week I was glad it was Friday. We had covered so much new (mathematical) material in genetics that it was overwhelming! That day we did some more mathematical stuff! More formulas to memorize! I came home feeling completely wiped out. I needed a rest so I watched Disney channel (something I haven’t done since university started for the year 5 weeks ago). Will have to do a lot more study in the weekend! Also have to write my media assignment and work on my lab assignment…but genetics will be my first priority since next week is my final week of the genetics course with a 40% test on Friday. The genetics course runs for 6 weeks (only? Wahhh!!). There is another separate genetics course on human genetics that will run for the final 6 weeks of the trimester, which I’m also taking. Now that I’m taking genetics (real genetics!) I can’t imagine my university studies without it! I think I might go nuts next trimester since there aren’t any more 300 level genetics papers! But I will be taking a paper on evolution so that should be interesting…

(: !!!Happy Easter Everyone!!! :)

2008-03-23T22:53:00.002+13:00

Mum's Birthday Party #2

2008-03-23T22:51:00.044+13:00

On Saturday Mum had her second birthday party celebration. The guests arrived at 5pm...

Mum's presents... I wonder what's in the big pink box???Read the card first!!

Wow! That's huge!

Open it!

A sewing machine! From all the guests!...

...and a fancy candle holder from Lena and Tony

...Lena M and Alexei wrote Mum a song!

Many toasts were made at dinner......and dancing! Kseniya and meLittle Miss Lola!Mum and I
Sasha and Tony

...chatting...

...lots of dancing...Everybody (Dad is behind the camera!)...Birthday cake time!!!

Happy Birthday to you!!!

...close your eyes and make a wish...

...cutting the cake...

Happy Birthday Mummy!!!

Dessert time...

...and singing time!

Vladimir played the guitar and we all sang songs- really random Russian ones most of which were from children cartoons!

...before we knew it it was about midnight and the guests began to leave...

Mum and her 'new toy'

...now...how does it work???

...Dad observes...

Lola is curious too!

Final shots of the night
Lena M and Mum

Lena, Alexei, Mum and I

Lena, Alexei and Mum

Lena, Dad and Mum
It had been a great night and we ended up going to bed at about 1am the next morning!
Happy Birthday Mum!

Mum's Birthday Week!!! :)

2008-03-23T21:43:00.026+13:00

This week was another exciting week. On Monday the 17th of March was Mum's birthday!!! I was so excited about giving her my present! I got her a cellphone!

Mum with her cell phone! Shortly after she opened it she recieved her first text message- from Margaret, who wished her a Happy Birthday! :)Mum reading my card (written from me in Russian)
with the quote at the front:

"If I have seen further than others,
it is because I have stood
on the
shoulders of giants"

-( Sir Isaac Newton)

...and Dad's card...Dad gave her pearl earrings and necklace in a wooden box...

...that he made himself!

...and a music DVD that he made with photos of Mum! Mum and I cried while watching it...Linda got her essence sticks and bath petals. When we went to dance class that morning Mum's students gave her flowers and cards and a cake!

That day I dreaded coming in to university for my genetics lecture.
On the way I went to New World and got Mum a birthday balloon. Pretty! :)
I had a feeling that we would be getting our test results back and boy was I nervous! But the lecture begun and no test papers were to be seen. I breathed a sigh of relief. That day we began our new topic on Quantitative genetics and I realised just how much I missed good old Allium triquetrum (garden onion) and all those cytotypes that we studied for the past 3 weeks. As the lecture was about to conclude, I heard the words I was dreading to hear the most "...and here I have your test papers for you to collect..." My heart started beating like crazy. I wanted to throw up. Everyone cued up to get their tests. I had no choice...

Well the good news was that I passed. Whew. Not as great as I wanted to though so I was a bit down in the dumps for a while...but then after class my lecturer said I did fine, so huh?

Anyway, my mood was revived by the time I got home (and gave Mum her balloon). While I was at university Mum's friends have been coming around or calling and wishing her a happy birthday... Lots of flowers!

In the evening we made Mum a birthday dinner, with pelimenis (Russian dish) and salads and other really nice foods. Margaret came over, and we had a party! Margaret gave her sparkly gold earrings!

Mum's Birthday PartyThe Birthday Girl and I

Daddy and the Birthday GirlDaddy and The Zoo (aka Lola and Misty)Margaret and MumWe talked and ate... and danced sooo much!!! It was soooo much fun! And the great thing was that all throughout the evening Mum's friends (and relatives) kept ringing her every hour or so to with her a Happy Birthday! ...she even recieved a phone call at 4am the next morning from a friend in Russia! I can't remember the last time I danced so much!

Birthday cake time!!!- Pavlova!

!!!Happy Birthday!!!!...close your eyes and make a wish...The Birthday Girl is looking extremily happy!!!...
The rest of the night we spent talking and dancing and eating cake, and recieving more phone calls......as she cuts the first peice of cake! (blunt side of knife, as it should)

It had been the most amazing night ever!!! By the time we finished partying it was about midnight! What an awesome day it had been!

We spent all week celebrating Mum's birthday! On Tuesday I had a media studies lecture on advertising. Wednesday was genetics, and for the second time my brain was like mush by the time we finished our 2 hour lecture on quantitative genetics. I really really miss our previous topic! Oh well, I'll have the whole Easter break to figure it all out! Thursday was the lab, that seemed to go on for ages!! Media tutorial was dull (tutorials are getting duller and duller, hence why I don't like them much). The rest of the lab seemed to drag on. It was really hot and stuffy, and it was soo hard to concentrate! We (me and my lab partner) ended up pouring the wrong volume of water into one of our RNA samples so it was too dilute. We also broke our agarose gel on which we ran our gDNA sample. Grrr! It was a very frustrating lab!

...but eventually it was 5pm and...time for a long Easter Weekend (!!) and Mum's Birthday Party #2 to look forwards to the next day!!!!! :):):)

Week 3...

2008-03-15T19:32:00.003+13:00

End of another week! Wow life as a 3rd year student is so crazy! There is just so much to do. And I'm only doing equivalent to 3 papers, one of which is at 100 level! I am so glad I didn't take 8 papers this year!

On Monday I had genetics which was awesome as usual. I am asolutely crazy about genetics! Study it every day. Then on Tuesday I was supposed to have media studies but I was so worried about my lab report that was due in the next day (I can't stand restriction maps! We had to do them again...) that I spent all Tuesday working on my lab report. I still wasn't sure whether I got the map right or not but by the time we had to hand the report in the next day I was so tired of worrying about it that I couldn't wait to get rid of it.

On Tuesday I also got my last weeks lab report back and it was devastating! I was so upset! Last year all my lab reports went well so this year I based my report on how we were taught last year to write them. But I got most of my layout wrong! Grrrrrrr. I was devastated. But luckily this year we have a lab demonstrator per lab table who marks our lab reports all the way through the term. Mine wrote a whole bunch of comments all over my report so at least I know what he expects from me. So for my lab report this week I tried to do everything he told me to improve from the last report. I pray that it will go well.

On Wednesday I had genetics and that was fun! On Friday we were going to have a test so we spent most of the lecture revising. More cue cards to write! Genetics is so exciting to study! Finally I get to do real genetics! (last year genetics was too broad- too much gene expression stuff and not enough chromosomes and stuff. Same goes for yr 13 genetics. But this year genetics is real genetics!! Last time we did real genetics it was in yr 12 bio!)

Then on Thursday I had my lab. I decided that labs get more and more interesting every week. This week we are doing an experiment on cells, extracting DNA and so and so. No more restriction maps!! The experiment will run over 4 weeks so we will spend the next several weeks working on it. And we only have to do a lab report right at the end. Yippeee!! (there's also an assignment but that should be ok) The lab went by really quick! In the middle during the break I had my media tutorial which was so boring compared to what we were doing in the lab! Biology is so much more exciting! What a contrast!

That night I spent studying non stop for genetics. I've studied it every day since the first day of the course. Cue cards are awesome! I love genetics sooo much! I really really really wanted to do really really well!!... The next morning I was so anxious I couldn't do anything! The test was at 2pm so I spent all morning doing... nothing. I couldn't do anything! I just could not study any more. I couldn't do anything else because I didn't want to get distracted. What if I get distracted and everything I've learnt just flies out??? (shudder) I could not wait to get to that test and write down everything!!! I ended up arriving at uni about an hour before the test, pacing up and down not knowing what to do with myself! Then at 2pm I had the test....

...Aaaghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!! I came out feeling like the world was about to end. This was it. The end of the world. I could see stars... The test was so not what I expected at all. I wanted to cry. I didn't answer one part of a question so I knew I wouldn't get 100%. And I wasn't 100 % sure about some of the answers. And my answers were so scribbly, there was so little room to write! And how good had my answers been? There was so much more I could have written. Was what I wrote enough??? The first question stumped me so much! Pure shock! What answer was needed? "Design an experiment???!!!" Whatttt!!!!???? And how harsh was the marking going to be???

That afternoon I procrastinated coming home because I didn't want everyone to see me so upset. I really really really wanted to do really well on that test...So I went to get Mum's birthday card. How hard can choosing the perfect card be??? Well lets just say I came out of the shop about an hour later. Whew what a challenge!...but at least it put my mind off the test... sort of. I spent the rest of the day sulking and feeling horrible. What a terrible way to end a week!

And I have a genetics assignment due in on Monday so I buried myself in it for all of last night and today. Will finish it tomorrow. I was going to go online yesterday but I forbid myself to, as punishment for that test... grrrrrr. Still really upset about it... please Lord let everything be ok...

21st Birthday Party!!!!

2008-03-09T22:13:00.084+13:00

On Saturday I had my 21st Birthday party! It was soooo much fun!! The best birthday ever!!

This year I had a dress up theme 'If like were a movie' so everyone came dressed up as movie characters!

Linda was Pippi... I was the Easter Bunny... and Mum was... MumMum and LolaMisty! Pre-party preparations

Pippi!

Daddy and the pets!

Here come Princess Mia (Sonia), Anime (Mila), Pippi (Linda) and Mad scientist(Constantine)...
Everyone arrived around 4pm. I made up a quiz which had questions about everyone and you had to go around trying to find someone who fit each question. For example "I went to Malaysia in the holidays. I will be graduating from college this year. Next year I want to study accounting and law at university". -Melissa M. That way everyone got to know a bit about each other.

When most people arrived it was time to open the presents...Ewww!!! I wonder whats in there...???

Pippi and the Mad scientist...

Little Miss Sunshine!!!

A toastie maker!! I love toasties! Thank you Tanya! I love the wrapping paper!!Christina and Veronica (aka Tritany and Lara)

Harry Potter gang!
Thank you Sonia! Such a cute bucket and pink garden gloves and a kittycat photo album and...

...a pretty garden rake with flowers! .......that can possibly be used as a deadly weapon... (kidding!)

A science book! So thick too! I bet it will take me a year to read just like the last science book I got last year for my birthday! Thank you Roma!!...or shall I say James Bond!

Mmmm I wonder what that might be...

I was so surprised when I opened one of the presents and there was a ...Sabrina the teenage witch book! I loved that TV series so much when it was on TV... it started when I was 11 and I've seen almost every episode... But no one knows about my secret passion of the past... that's why I was extremily surprised when I found this book! ...I had forgotten that I hadn't really told anyone about my hidden passion... except Melissa!!! Thank you sooo much!!Sherlock Holmes Mysteries...in Russian, directly from Moscow! Christina recently came back from a summer holiday in Moscow. 21st champagne glass from Veronica!James Bond you really aren't supposed to shoot Pippi Longstocking...!!!

After opening the presents we went outside to play treasure hunt! We got into pairs and had to look for clues to find the treasure. There were 5 peices of a map and you had to find all the peices in order to find out where the treasure is. When we put the pieces together there was a clue on the back about the location of the treasure... Then it was a race to see which group could figure out exactly where the treasure was hidden... Every year Linda is an expert on treaure hunts. And this year was no exception! She and Mila found the treasure! (it was photo frames)

By the time we came back inside the table had been set and it was time for food...

So we ate...

...and talked......and talked......and talked...The champagne...

...Liz and Veronica tried to get me drunk by giving me 21st champagne glasses... heheh only had half a glass though... have to say I prefer ginger beer way more!

Then Wendy arrived!!! Yea!!! I haven't seen her for over a year!!! I was so glad she made it!!! I really wanted her to be at my birthday!...time to open more presents... ...tissue paper??!!

...and some more tissue paper???!!!Wendy's here!...finally got to the bottom of the tissue paper!Wendy! Hasn't changed a bit! I missed having you around!

Eewwww Wendy! Soo nice!!! Thank you!!!

...isn't it a bit much alcohol??...ooops I mean water!Then we played pin the tail on the horsie...

Yeaa Linda you got it!

Oh is that really what I looked like???

Smack! Is that the door???

Then there was the hand game. Everyone sat in a circle and you had to go around in a circle clapping your hands on the floor. If you did a double clap you had to reverse in the opposite direction. If you decided to clap 3 times the person next to you missed a turn.

So you went around in a circle......if you forgot to clap on your go then your hand was out!...by the end most people were out, and Melissa and Christina won!

The chocolate game! You had to go around in a circle rolling the dice.
If you rolled a 6 you had to put clothes on and cut the chocolate and eat it!...but the chocolate hardly got eaten because people kept rolling 6s!Lovely look Christina!...your turn!

The hand twisting game is usually quite... twisting... but we seemed to have no trouble getting untangled! Everyone got into a circle and held hands of people opposite them. Then the circle had to get untangled!

Liz and Mia!

Who am I? Everyone wrote down the name of a character and put them in a hat. Names were drawn and hung above people's heads. You had to ask yes/no questions to the audience in search of your identityConstantine (I think he was Bugs Bunny) and Mila (Hermione)Tritany and Abbey - who also won the Oscars that night! Everyone got to vote on their favourite movie character and in the end Tritany and Abbey were our finalists!
Abbey won the Oscars for 2008!
(aka Sky city cinemas movie voucher!)

Trinaty and Lara

Bond and Tritany say it's...

Birthday cake time!!So many candles!Happy Birthday!!!Dessert!Veronica, Mila, Linda and Constantine

Constantine, Sonia and RomaTrinaty and the watermelonPrincess Mia!
After dessert we went outside and played sardines in the dark! We were having so much fun...
Before we knew it the night was over and our movie stars had to go back to Hollywood...
See you later James Bond!See you next time Mad Scientist!Melissa and me

Liz and me

That night I had the best birthday party ever! I was a bit sad when it was over. I wanted it to last for ever and ever. But I knew that I had heaps of memories of that night and these memories I will treasure for many years to come!
(I will dedicate the royal kitty photo album that Mia gave me to my party photos! There are just so many! Hence why it took me so long to write this post!)

My Exciting Week

2008-03-09T22:12:00.010+13:00

Well this week has been extremily exciting!
On Monday was my 21st birthday! I was so excited, I woke up at about 5:30am!!! How would it feel to be 21?? The truth? No difference!!!
From my parents I got a gold dolphin pendant, and a 21st Birthday key that my Dad made himself!!!

It was so awesome, I loved it to bits!

Linda got me liquorice, easter egg and a green pen! That morning I went to dancing with Mum. Mum's friend Margaret gave me a present- a silver key pendant and really nice lacy pink pyjamas!! I loved the pendant! I put it on the same line as my dolphin pendant and have been wearing both pendants since.
Wow I really am growing up! I've never worn pendants before, and now suddenly they have become so important to me!As for the pj's I love them too!That day I went in to uni for my genetics lecture (which was fun! I love genetics!!). When I got home there was a package for me from Anita! She sent me my birthday present- it was a hello kitty mirror from Hong Kong (she went there in the holidays) a card with a goldfish on it (oh the memories! Good old bio room goldfishies!!!) and a CD with video clips of the songs we sang at SHC!!! It was soo nice!!! I finally got time to watch it on Thursday night and it was soo wonderful! There were all my favourite songs! Thank you so much!!!
In the evening we had a family dinner with my favourite foods! Lots of seafood and mashed potatoes and ginger beer, and eclairs for desert! Yummm!!! Throughout the day I got phone calls and text messages and messages on the internet from my friends-it was so nice! Thank you everyone! :) It was sad when the day was over but then I still had my birthday party on Saturday to look forwards to!!

Linda and the wobbly jelly cake

On Tuesday I had my media studies lecture which was ok.
On Wednesday I had genetics and that was awesome as usual! I love genetics so much! It's sooo interesting! Our lecturer is really good, he gives really concise notes and everything is easy to understand. I make cue cards after every lecture of everything we were taught! The only downside of Wednesday was that on that day my lab report was due for my bio lab course. We did an experiment and were supposed to construct a restriction map and include it in our discussion. I had done everything except the map which I had no idea how to do! I was really worried, but luckily one of my classmates showed me how to do it and so I managed to get it all done and hand it in. Whew!

On Thursday I had my 6 hour lab. This week the lab seemed way shorter than last week. I'm already getting used to the 6 hour labs so this week it wasn't such a big deal. In my hour gap I had my media tutorial that I was dreading (remember how I said that I think non science tutorials are pointless?) but it actually turned out ok! Our tutor was fine. After my lab I came home that day feeling relatively sane (as opposed to last week when I was seeing stars!).

Mum and Lola

Finally Friday came. In the morning I went party shopping with Mum, and then in the afternoon I went to my genetics lecture. The day went really fast and before I knew it it was already Saturday morning! Party time!!!! :):):)

First week as a 3rd yr University student

2008-03-01T16:03:00.002+13:00

Yeeehaaa I survived my first week back at university as a third year student! Yea!!!!!!!!!

On Monday I had a genetics lecture from 2-3pm. My first lecture at 300-level! I was so nervous on Monday morning! What will it be like??? Would I understand anything??? Just the thought of it being 300 level biology (not 100, not 200 level but 300 level!!) made me so nervous! …But it actually turned out to be ok! Our class was so tiny! Last year in genetics we had approximately 200 students! This year we have about 30!!! It felt strange being in an almost empty lecture theatre since it was one of the large ones MC101. I remembered this was where I had my first ever lecture in 1^st year –for chemistry, and at that time it was jam packed with students! We started talking about diploids and also got an assignment!

On Tuesday I had my 100-level media studies lecture from 2-4pm. What a contrast! The lecture theatre was jam packed!! About 500 students! And everyone was so noisy! (in bio we sat in dead silence) It was funny hearing the lecturer go on about stuff like ‘Welcome to the university. This will probably be the first lecture you will experience as a university student and I hope you enjoy it…etc.’ Felt a bit awkward being a 3^rd year student in a 100-level class. But it was quite a fun lecture- we watched movie clips! It’s indeed very different to biology so it will be a nice contrast for this trimester. The only downside is that we have a compulsory tutorial once a week and I do not like non science tutorials!! I think they’re a bit pointless… but they make tutorials compulsory in non science subjects so grrr you have to go whether you like it or not.

On Wednesday I had my first ever two hour lecture for biology- genetics. Brain fry time!!! The lecture seemed to go on forever. It was very interesting, but I was just not used to sitting in a lecture for that long and by the end I was seeing stars! Ok the day before I had media for 2 hours but we just watched movie clips, so it didn’t actually feel that long then. Oh well, I’ll have to get used to two hour genetics lectures every Wednesday. Besides, genetics is fascinating!

On Thursday….da da dadum!!!! My glorious weekly 6 hour molecular biology lab!! Ok I though my brain was fried on Wednesday…that was nothing!!! By the end of the lab you could say my brain was an omelet! We were assigned lab partners and our first experiment involved carrying out electrophoresis. On this particular day I was most grateful for the fact that chemicals can take a long time to react! We set up our experiment and left it running for 2.5 hours- and had a lunch break!!!! I can’t remember the last time I ever had a lunch break at university…I think it was way back in 1^st semester of first year!!! Felt great to have a lunch break…but I had no idea what to do with my self! I’m just so used to running around from one class to the other… The final hours of the lab seemed to go on forever! Then I came home and began writing my lab report.

On Friday I had one final lecture from 2-3pm for genetics. And that was it for the week. So basically I have one class every day of the week. Although traveling in to university for 1 hour can be a pain at least I don’t have any gigantic gaps between lectures like I could have had genetics at 9am and then media at 5pm! That would have been the worst case scenario for timetables! When I don’t have classes I stay at home and study and do assignments etc. Wow I still can’t believe my first week of being a 3^rd year uni student is over already! …Now I will spend the weekend writing up my lab report, studying genetics and completing a genetics assignment… I banned myself from the internet except for once a week (to update blog etc) or if I need it for assignments. Wahhhh so not used to not going online! Stayed up till midnight last night making cue cards for genetics…

University life as a 3^rd year student has officially begun again!

Deep thoughts

2008-02-24T09:44:00.003+13:00

Just one more day to go until I'm back at Victoria University for my final year of a Bachelor of Science degree. How am I feeling? A mixture of emotions really-excited because this is the final year of my degree and I feel like I've come so far. I'm also nervous because I'm not sure what this year will hold in store for me. After this year I will no longer be an undergraduate student. Then I will do a year of post graduate honours study. And then more post graduate study at teachers college. And then it will be time to go out into the world.

I think university is like a great transition in life- between childhood and adulthood.
My friend and I were talking the other day about how when we went to school we had a place. Everyone knew who you were. You had a reputation, and expectations, and you felt you had a place in the world. One of the greatest things I wondered when I graduated from high school was 'will we be remembered?' Will you be able to come back some years later and still be remembered? As experience shows- you are! And that is really awesome.

When you move on to university your status changes. You become a single drop in a never ending ocean. It's just you, yourself and you. You study because there is something you want to achieve, whether its a BSc(hons) or a BA or BCA degree. You are now both the teacher and the pupil. It is up to you to motivate and encourage yourself in order to achieve the very best. (I ask myself why we need to go to teachers college? We have plenty of teaching practice teaching ourselves while completing our degrees!!! :) )
And at times, although you love your university studies (and teaching!) to bits, there is a part of you that longs to go back to school. Hence you come back, making frequent visits.

You graduate from university, and then you must go out into the world and find yourself a place once more, now as an adult.

For me that time will come in 3 years time. When I finish university in 2 years time, and then teachers college, I wonder how I'll feel then. Will I miss University as much as I miss school? I read once that when you miss a place it is really because you miss the people that were there, and not the actual place itself...

...Ok enough philosophy lessons for one day! Will go and get ready to go back to University tomorrow! :)

Birthday Preparations

2008-02-21T13:12:00.002+13:00

Just finished making my birthday invitations!
I know that some of my friends are too far away to make it to my birthday but I want you to know that I am still thinking of you, and if you were here in Wellington now, you would be at my birthday.

Finally Enrolled!!!

2008-02-19T17:57:00.006+13:00

Today Tanya and I went in to Victoria University for 'enrollment in person' day. After showing Tanya around the campus (she starts university this year) and spending several hours running around Kelburn campus chasing lecturers and getting forms signed off (I never realised enrollment in person can be so complicated! You need to do a whole bunch of stuff, just to get your courses accepted! I've never enrolled in person before!) I finally managed to finalize my enrollment for 2008.

So now I'm officially enrolled for my final year of my BSc degree!!!
After many months of absolute torture choosing and re-choosing subjects, getting courses rejected and all these other complications the papers I'm taking in 2008 are ....
-Genetics, (BIOL341)
-Human molecular genetics, (BIOL342)
-Molecular biology lab #3, (BIOL361 - a 6 hour lab!)
-Molecular biology lab #4, (BIOL362- another 6 hour lab!... luckily they're in separate semesters! :) ... and I just got myself a new lab coat... that Dad is resizing because it's just too huge!!!)
-Evolution, (BIOL329- been waiting 2 years to take that paper!!!)
-English (200 level paper on Avant Garde- sounds interesting but have no idea what it's about!...oh well it will surely enhance my general knowledge!)
-Introduction to media culture (100 level-had to take that one, only way to get english as a teaching subject because all other relevant 100 level subjects didn't fit into my timetable, or I didn't like what they were about).

So yes this year I will be taking 7 papers, and it is indeed a very interesting combination! I will only have a couple of hours of lectures a week, but that means that I will be doing loads and loads and loads of independent study at home. I also got my course notes (for media) and lab book (for bio lab) so I can start reading up on those subjects.
Now that my timetable is sorted out I can start advertising for tutoring- making and hanging posters around schools and things like that, and hopefully I will get more students this year and enhance my amount of 'teaching experience'!Yeeehaaaaa!!!!!! Overall I'm quite pleased with the way everything worked out even though I didn't get to take marine biology. Now that my enrollment procedure is over for the year I think back to a couple of weeks ago and wonder why I was ever so worried! Everything worked out ok in the end :)

A sign to go up in my room...

2008-02-18T14:48:00.002+13:00

せいぶつがくはたのしみである

Heh heh heh :) I made a sign to go up in my room. Who can figure it out???

Evolutionary Wonders

2008-02-17T14:40:00.002+13:00

1. Muliticellularity
2. Eye
3. Brain
4. Language
5. Photosynthesis
6. Death
7. Sex
8. Parasitism
9. Symbiosis
10. Super Organisms

Attitude

2008-02-17T14:29:00.003+13:00

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think or say or do.
It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.
It will make or break a company…a church…a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding our attitude we will embrace for that day.
We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.
We cannot change the inevitable.
The only thing we can do is play on the one thing we have, and that is
Our attitude.
I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me,
And 90% how I react to it. And so it is with everyone…
We are in charge of our attitudes.”

-Charles Swindoll

The Book that took a year to read...

2008-02-15T11:14:00.008+13:00

I got the book 'A Short History of nearly Everything' by Bill Bryson last year for my birthday. And two days ago I finally finished reading it! I think it wins the record for the longest time I took to read a book! I spent almost a year reading it! (Between my studies and stuff. Then I lost my place when I was about half way through and told myself I had to start again!)
But it's just so fascinating! It's very good for gaining general knowledge of the world around you!

Like did you know that the Manson meteor crater in Arizona, at nearly a mile across and several hundred feet deep, is now the world's best known impact crater, but for much of the twentieth century it was thought to be the result of an explosion from within the Earth. In fact it was created by a meteor strike 50,000 years ago!

It is really awesome because it's all about the world of science! And the illustrations are amazing!

An artists depiction of the Periodic Table! I love it!This is one of my favourite illustrations! (from the astronomy section)

Wahh I hate it when a good book comes to an end!! Oh well, I've been reading it for long enough!
Now I have to finish my other two books that I'm reading- 'The origin of species' by Charles Darwin and 'Harry Potter and the half blood prince' in Russian...

Expressing Emotion: The Painting of 'Life'

2008-02-13T15:57:00.006+13:00

Inspired to paint. I started this painting on the 8th of February 2008 titled 'Life' and completed it on the 13th February 2008 (today).
Expressing emotions in an artistic form.
-The road: Symbolises the journey of life that every individual undertakes. Every individual has their own path which they choose to follow. It is the path to enlightenment.
-The light: Our destination. Dreams, hopes, ambitions that we set off to conquor along our journey.
-The tree: The tree of life; how every individual grows like a tiny seed into a tree that blossoms, bringing beauty to the world.
-The flowers falling from the tree: Symbolise the things that each individual has to offer the world.
-The yellow background: Happiness. The world's greatest treasure is true happiness.
-The heart: Love for the things that you do in life.
-The mountains: Ambition and success. Each individual has their own mountaintop to which he must climb.
-The eagle: The freedom to soar high in the sky, follow your dreams and reach for the stars.
-The river and book: The river of knowledge and book of wisdom.
-The rainbow: Joy and fullfillment. Let the things that you do in life bring joy to you and the people around you.
-The cross: Whatever we choose to persue in life, what ever path we choose to follow, God will always be there for us and guide us along our way.
-The people linking hands: The value of friendship- true friendships that form throughout ones lifetime; friendships that lasts forever.
-The music notes: Laughter. We must never forget how to laugh-it is the music of the soul.
-The words 'Live'-'Love'-'Learn': 'Live' life to the full- you only live once. 'Love' everything that you choose to do in life-let everything you do in life come from the heart. 'Learn'- for as long as you live you will never stop learning.

It is a message for life.

Growing up...

2008-02-12T18:35:00.001+13:00

Well I decided to get a haicut today. First I thought I'd grow it out until teachers college (so for the next two years) and then cut it short because when I start work I won't have time to fuss around with it in the mornings (and most teachers have short hair anyway). But now I decided that I should cut it now because this year my goal is to get as much teaching practice as possible so I'm hoping to get lots of students to tutor for english, science, bio or chem. And it would be a bit weird wearing pigtails/braids/ponytail while you're teaching because then I'll seem as young as my students! It's bad enough that I'm short and look about 15!
So Mum gave me a haircut. Hopefully now I look a bit older!

After that I met up with Liz and we went to Queensgate. We were going to plan my birthday but then we got sidetracked with other random stuff so we ended up just walking around Queensgate, where we kept bumping into teachers... like Linda's social studies teacher Mrs Guthard! By the way this year Linda has Sr Jo for maths, Mrs Hudson for science, Mrs Davie for english, Mr Kneale for art (he actually remembers me!!! :0 I didn't think he would!), Mrs Guthard for SOS and new teachers for RE, French, Graphics and PE. After having lunch we went over to my house and started watching Annie2 but then Liz had to go home so we decided to finish watching it next time.

Started writing my CV the other day. I was really surprised to find that I have quite a few experiences that are related to teaching! Like I have peer support training-theory and practical experience, tutoring, babysitting, exam supervision, holiday programme leader... But I really want to get more 'teaching ' experience this year! The more I have the better! Will do some advertising posters soon...

I'm also currently working on a painting titled 'life', but it's not yet complete because I keep on wanting to add more things in... will post it up when I finish! :)

Friends For Life

2008-02-11T16:35:00.000+13:00

Standing by,
All the way.
Here to help you through your day.

Holding you up,
When you are weak,
Helping you find what it is you seek.

Catching your tears,
When you cry.
Pulling you through when the tide is high.

Just being there,
Through thick and thin,
All just to say, you are my friend.

- Brittani Kokko -

Back to school...!!! :):):)

2008-02-07T22:28:00.000+13:00

Today was such an awesome day! Well, I was feeling depressed and schoolsick for the past few days... but today that changed...
This morning my friend Tanya came over to my house and then after lunch we went for a walk down to the centre of the Hutt. On the way we passed Sacred Heart College. Today I really wanted to go in and say "Hi". I felt terrible that I didn't last time. It was yr9 orientation day so it was all full of activity. When we got to the school around the side by E24 we saw everyone going into the hall for a briefing or something like that. So we decided to go to Queensgate and see Christina who was working at Muffin Break, and come back later. As it turned out by the time we got to Muffin Break Christina's shift was over and then we texted her she replied that she's at home!!

We then left Queensgate (after stayiong there only a very short time of about 20mins) and went back to school. It was 4pm and the yr9's were showing their parents around the school. After standing around by the side gate for a bit we went in to school. I was showing Tanya the classrooms E24 and E25 (it felt sooo great to be back!!! E24 and 25 are my favourite classrooms!!) and then just as we were walking past the deans office Mrs Burrell came out!!! Yeaaaaaaa!!! Haven't talked to her for over a year!! (soppy scene #1) We talked (no longer feel guilty about not going in to see her last time. I told her I was feeling schoolsick. I also said I had a year of my BSc to go and then a year of honours-hopefully, and then teaching! :)) and then me and Tanya continued making our way around the school (while Mrs Burrell had to go and help prepare for the yr9 concert). I showed Tanya all around Euphrasie building with all the science labs and maths classrooms. On the way I met Mrs Wootton my RE teacher (soppy scene #2) so we chatted for a bit too. Then I showed Tanya the library and I got to see Mrs Lawson the librarian!!! (soppy scene #3) Haven't talked to her since the end of 7th form! So we spent about half an hour in the library chatting! I told her my ambition is to come back to SHC and teach for ever and ever and ever... and rule the school! Hehehehe!!! Then I showed Tanya around the library (oh it was sooo nice to be back!!) and explained where everything was...aaahh I felt like I never left!

Then we went to the gym and around by the P block (with me giving her a detailed explanation about every classroom's significance) and then we went to Mission House. We stood around on the bottom floor looking at photos on the notice board when I noticed a familiar handbag at the bottom of the stairs. There was no mistaking it. Moments later Mrs Bartlett came down. Soppy scene #4 followed. So great to see her again and I finally got a chance to tell her that I'm taking some english papers at University so I could have english as another teaching subject! She was really happy about that! We talked a bit about teaching and then I had a chance to ask her about Kelly (the student I tutored) and Mrs Bartlett said she only passed one of her english papers. Sigh. I learnt that there is only so much a teacher can do. When Mrs Bartlett found out I tutored, she said that she would happily find me plenty of students for english and science subjects and then call me!!! Yeaaa!!! That would be absolutely wonderful!!! After saying bye to Mrs Bartlett I continued showing Tanya the classrooms up in Mission house.

Then I showed Tanya the rest of the classrooms, we went down to the carpark where we met walking towards us Ms Buist and Ms Prendergast! That was unexpected! Soppy scene #5 followed. After that Tanya and I went and sat on mine and Anita's traditional favourite seat, opposite the carpark. By this time it was already way past 5pm (I was soo late to Mum's dance classes... but hey, that's the advantage of having your Mum being the teacher) so we just sat there talking for a while, before heading to Mum's dance studio. When we arrived they were just finishing the lesson. Mum forgave me for not turning up after I told her what I've been doing. We took Tanya home and then went home ourselves.

In conclusion of this eventful day I feel soo happy right now!!!! So incredibly happy!!! :):):)

...don't cry...

2008-02-05T21:27:00.000+13:00

I feel like I want to cry. Don’t know what has gotten into me today. This morning I woke up feeling fine. At 10am I met Melissa M near Sacred Heart College and then the two of us went for a walk. It was so nice to see her again! She had been in Malaysia for the past few months and now she’s back! We just walked and talked nonstop about the normal things that people talk about at the beginning of the year –starting classes, subjects, life in general. Felt so great! We didn’t even realize where we were walking! Supposedly we were walking back to my house but then we finally realized we were walking around the block, around Sacred Heart!

As we walked past the outside of E24 I saw Mrs Burrell and Mrs Dick through the window blinds, and the classroom and everything, and suddenly I felt really sad. It’s a horrible feeling. I mean, I haven’t been at school for 2 years now so supposedly I should not be feeling school sick right now… but I am. Grrr! I really should have gone in and said hi... will definately do next time... I felt terrible afterwards!

It felt so nice talking to Melissa and I realized just how much I missed having my close friends around. And that made me think of school again… Don’t get me wrong I love university to bits… but there are some things that are just missing…like having close friends around, and knowing everyone really well. At university you meet heaps of new people and stuff like that, but are they really your friends??? So far I’ve managed to make one friend who I actually consider a friend and not just an acquaintance. Sigh. It’s just so hard, with everyone doing their own thing and there’s just no time for meeting up and chatting, and getting to know people for who they really are.

When we returned to my house I received my offer of study, and found that I was rejected for 3 of my papers for this year! I felt so frustrated! I knew I didn’t have some of the required prerequisites but I put so much effort into writing my explanations for exception! I wrote them like debates, arguing my point of view. It’s so stupid. I only didn’t have one of the prerequisites for each paper…I really thought they’d let me take 200-level English and marine biology… sigh. It’s so stupid how lecturers don’t even know who we are. I mean, if they knew how we were really dedicated to our studies and willing to learn they would let us do papers we want and make exceptions. When we left school there were teachers that knew us back to front and we would remember them for life. At university it is just not the same. I was so glad I had Melissa there to talk to at that moment or else I really would have been in tears.

So now I have to sort out what 3 papers I can do instead. Sigh. Luckily this is almost my final year of choosing papers… next year for honors I can only do 4 papers and the choice range is small… hopefully I will get into honors. And then at teachers college you get all your papers on a plate!! Yeehhaa!!! No more choosing subjects!!... Still have to find two referees for my teachers college enrollment... have a couple of ideas...

All I need is just a little patience… and everything will be ok…

(I really hate grumbling like this, but it always helps if I can get everything out, and then I don’t feel so depressed.)

...and so the holidays continue

2008-02-02T21:50:00.000+13:00

Well, a month now till I'm back at university as a third year student!!!!! Wow I'm already in my third year!!! Two years of university completed, three more to go, including teachers college. At the end of this year I'll be graduating with my BSc and then doing a year of honors and then a year of teachers college. I can't wait!! (not looking forwards to 8:30am lectures up in Karori though! Will have to get up really early...) And then I'll be out in the world contributing to the society, passing on the light of knowledge! Yeaaa!!! Everything I want in life starts with the same phrase: "When I graduate..." Can be a bit frustrating sometimes... But I'll get there.

Spent Thursday at Christina's house, mucking around and going swimming at Petone beach. Going to try and meet up with her lots before she goes back to Palmerston North...

Still waiting for my offer of study to arrive. But I guess everyone ends up enrolling at the last minute so it takes longer for offers of study to be sent out...at least that's according to my experience last year when I also enrolled in the very last few days before the enrollment was due and it took forever for my offer of study to come. I was really worried then because I thought they had lost my appplication or something... but it all worked out fine in the end so I'm sure it will all work out this year too. Really hope I get to do all the courses I want!!! :)

Have been feeling slightly schoolsick lately. But that's like that, I always feel school sick at the end of the year (after going to prizegiving) and then a bit at the beginning too because I witness Linda getting ready for school with her books and uniform and stuff and I'm like "I wanna go to school too!!" Had a phone call from Liz today, had a really nice chat! ...But made me think about school again because we ended up talking about our school memories and teachers and stuff... wah wah!

Started thinking about my birthday too which is coming up next month. I really hope more of my close friends can make it this year because last year not many could and it just wasn't the same without them. Talked to Melissa too who is back from Malaysia. She decided to take yr13 biology after all!! (but not chemistry, unfortunately) I just had to warn her about the slaters though...ohhh the memories make me shiver!!! Will meet up with her on Tuesday because she doesn't go back to school until next Friday. Looking forwards to it!!! :)

On to something random, finally after two years I got myself a lab coat (from trademe) for university. I wanted a blue lab coat but they are rare, so I ended up getting a white one... going to make it more interesting by finding a really exciting sew on picture and sew it on. I've been planning on getting a lab coat for ages (I wore this weird plastic one last year) but I kept forgetting and never got round to it until now...

Got a DVD game from video EZY 'Who wants to be a millionare' and have been playing that... good practice really, for general knowledge. Linda goes back to school next week and Mum goes back to work... so it will be just me left that's on holiday... Will enjoy my weeks of free time before I go back to university!!! :)

I've been tagged...

2008-01-26T16:44:00.000+13:00

P: Popular with all types of people
O: Has one of the best personalities ever
L: BEST SMILE
I: Loves to laugh
N: Sexy
A: Gorgeous

A: Gorgeous

B: Loves people
C: Really easy to fall in love with
D: Is great in bed
E: deeply in love with his/her gf/bf
F: People wild and crazy adore you
G: Never let people tell you what to do
H:Freakin’ beautiful eyes
I: Loves to laugh
J: Makes people laugh
K: Really silly
L: BEST SMILE
M: Makes dating fun
N: Sexy
O: Has one of the best personalities ever
P: Popular with all types of people
Q: A hypocrite
R: Good bf/gf
S: Lives life for fun
T: Great kisser
U: Gets blamed for everything
V: Not judgmental
W: Very broad minded
X: Never let people tell you what to do
Y: Loved by everyone
Z: Lives life for fun

Selene tagged me! I will now tag: Anita, Veronica, Linda