School

Day three was full of boring, but kind of fun things.

1st stop: Old Parliament House

Pretty cool. They went through everything that happened when Gough Whitlam was sacked. People from our groups got to pretend they were the people and act it out a bit, and we walked all through the rooms where the events took place, which was pretty cool.

2nd Stop: Electoral Commission

Well, at least I know how to vote now.

3rd Stop: National Art Gallery

This really just proved that I have no appreciation for art. There was one there by Picasso, that was something a grade one student could seriously have done. (It involved a box and a toilet roll.) Although I did like the ones in the landscapes exhibition of the erupting volcanoes. But it wasn’t exactly the arty farty side of that which impressed me. I just like volcanoes.

We left Coolangatta airport at about half past eight at night and flew to Canberra on a teeny tiny plane.

Nothing exciting happened, except we got to the Canberra YHA (absolutely freezing) at about midnight. Which brings me to…

Day Two

To quote our booklet “Walk down Anzac Parade to view monuments. Australian War Memorial”

I love the War Memorial. We had six hours there, which was so much fun. Eventually we managed to sneak into the kids area (one by one, going in every thirty seconds, denying any connection to any school). We had to keep splitting up to avoid detection. Very fun.

At one point we were all (Tim, Georgia and I – Aaron took the photo) crouched in a little hole in the fake trenches bit. It was pretty funny, despite the injuries we all sustained.

The Memorial was huge, so much stuff in there and all so interesting. There was this little room you went into with screens that showed you views as if you were in a bomber plane and the floor vibrated and shook as though you were actually in the plane. That was pretty cool. Also the “Wipe Out Saddam” toilet paper was very funny.

Another really cool thing that I never realised existed, was the line between the War Memorial, Old Parliament House and Parliament House. Here’s me looking down towards the Parliaments.

And that concludes day two.

in four hours?

That’s right, ME!!!!!

(Who would have picked that?)

I can’t say I’ve ever been the biggest fan of school swimming carnivals. Or athletics carnival. Cross country I like, but that’s about it.

Today was our swimming carnival.

To be honest, the only real reason I went was because of all the people saying “You HAVE to come, it’s our last one.” So I went. That’s me, saying no to peer pressure. But I actually ENJOYED it, something otherwise completely unheard of.

I am in Duranbah (red and black), the house who’s crappiness is surpassed only by Bilinga, except Bilinga, as pink and yellow, have the ability to fail miserably with so much more flair than we do.

But anyway.

I went in

• the championship (very, very good swimmers) back stroke, despite the fact that I am neither a very, very good swimmer, or able to do backstroke.
• the championship breast stroke, but although I’m better at breast stroke than I am at back stroke, I’m still not good enough to be able to really compete in the championship event. But I did anyway.
• the championship freestyle. Same kind of deal.

My result….

Last, last, last. But in breast stroke, I was only last by a tiny bit. Sure, freestyle I was half a lap behind everyone else, but yeah…

Had heaps of fun though.

Best moment: picture this. Nerdy school captain with pasty skin, glasses, dressed as though he’s on the way to the country club and who has an unhealthy obsession with politics (but still awesome fun despite all this), bomb diving in the bomb diving competition, fully clothed, with everyone present (about 2/3 of the school) chanting his name. It was so random.

Also kind of funny: the deputy got booed when we’d all returned to school and were meant to be watching the limbo competition, but were throwing beach bowls around, hitting them up and stuff. She confiscated them.

Oh my god. I think I’m going to have to go to the athletics carnival this year.

Also, just to demonstrate the kinds of getups worn at the carnival:

So, we got our school diaries today. They’ve clearly upgraded, as instead of just the school rules and the diary, there are about a hundred extra pages, detailing study techniques to the pictures on the Australian coins. We also have a periodic table, importance-priority SCALE and, get this, holiday study timetable. HA HA HA.

But by far the funniest thing of all was the page describing the student – teacher relationship.

“You are the bucket and the teacher is the tap filling you up.”

I AM NOT A BUCKET.
Unless of course I got to be Charlie Bucket and get Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and go for a ride in Great Glass Elevators. But that’s not the point.

I AM NOT A BUCKET.

Here is a picture of me that the English department took. I’m the one sitting on the ground.
I’m not sure why they got us wearing blazers, since noone ever does (you have to go borrow them from admin). They also took pictures of us debating, computer-ing (sure it’s a word) and looking for books in the library. I find it funny that they pulled us out of class to take the photos.

Insert three year old crying sounds.

School starts in 8 days time. I think I want to cry. I know it’s going to (probably) be a good year. But all my teachers have spent the last 11 years of my education saying “just wait to grade twelve”. In a bad way. Also I have no idea what I want to do once I finish and I’d like to put off making any potentially life-altering decisions until I have some clue.

So, in short, I don’t want to go back to school, cause I just know this year’s going to go a lot faster than I would like.

I guess I could just drop out now…

Well that’s the stupidest idea I’ve had for a while. I want to put off decision making, not bring it closer.

Ick.

1. Understand what’s going on in Chemistry. It’s a long shot, but what the heck.

2. Be better at keeping in touch with all my Japanese friends. Let’s count… Misato, the Nishiie family, Ai, Natsumi, Yukko, Naoko, Chieko, Aya, Sota. Okay. I think I should also stop getting new penpals as I am clearly over my head here.

3. Read Sense and Sensibility. It’s been sitting on my bedside table for yonks.

4. Go on the Canberra trip. I’m already doing that, but you know, don’t kill myself before it rolls around.

5. Grow my nails. Stupid, but yeah.

6. Write on here more. I slacked off quite sensationally in 2007.

7. Get good at the whole driving thing, terrifying as it is.

8. Stop picking my nose. Ha ha, just seeing if you’re listening. (That was a joke by the way. I don’t actually pick my nose.)

9. Actually keep revising my Japanese vocab, instead of just telling my teacher I do. Another long shot, but still. I should.

10. Stop smoking. It seems like it’s everyone’s New Years Resolution and I’m feeling left out. The fact that I don’t actually smoke will just make it that little bit easier for me to succeed.

2007′s been a good year, I’ve decided. Not as spectacular as last year, maybe, but pretty good nonetheless. So. 2007 in summary.

Went away on a houseboat. Heaps of fun, but I kept randomly swaying as though we were still on the water for about a week after the trip had finished and we were back on dry land.

Got a job at Lenards, the local chicken shop. I think I have demonstrated a huge amount of growth. For instance: when I first started and I’d find a chicken head in the neck box, it would be a ten minute mission to get it out, involving about ten meters of paper towel and lot of suppressed shrieks of disgust. Now I can just chuck them in the bin. I’m very brave.

I played hockey again this year. Not very well, but still. It was fun.

Turned sweet sixteen and got a trip to Sydney with Mum. Very fun.

Played hockey for the school team. Almost scored my first ever goal (that one in the minkey’s carnival when I was about five years older than everyone doesn’t count) but there was a short corner a SPLIT second before I put the ball in. Actually if I’m honest, the whistle got blown just before I hit it in, but I hit it in anyway. It still counts!! Not really, but humour me please.

Climbed Mount Warning. Didn’t kill myself on the chain bit at the end. Very proud of that.

Went to a laser skirmish day with hockey. Played three or four games (about two or three hours) and only shot one person. Aimed a lot and died a lot. Had fun.

Volunteered at the Gold Coast Marathon with the Palm Beach Scouts (don’t tell anyone). Had a ridiculous amount of fun, but I jumped up and down so much that I couldn’t walk the next day. Kind of (okay, very) pathetic, since I didn’t even run. Yes, that’s me with the teased and coloured hair, T-shirt over the jumper and plastic crocs with long football socks which I very stylishly wore over the top of my jeans. Hey, fashion comes first.

Went roller blading of all things. Hilarious fun. Should do stupid, totally random stuff like that more often.

Hosted a Japanese student, once again.

Used as slave labour selling ugg boots at the Bangalow, Lennox Heads and Byron Bay markets. Although if I hadn’t done that I would never have seen the awe-inspiring sight of a full on bikie in leather and with tatts and piercings all over the place buying a pink pair of uggboots for himself. Also I wouldn’t have got any more of those incredible nachos.

I got my learners license. Did not crash or lose my learners license, despite my dad’s attempts to get me breath tested. Also, I think my mum’s coming around, cause she was always too scared to take me driving. She’s just told me a story about a friend’s daughter she used to take driving, who had a tendency to try and go up busy, inner-city Hobart (so really not that busy at all) one way streets. So she really has nothing to worry about. The Gold Coast doesn’t have any one way streets.

Spent two nights and three days home alone. During this time I realised that if I don’t want to get freaked out at night, animated Disney films are excellent. Also that it’s strangely lonely without smelly ones (and Mum of course) around.

Did Leadership and Business Week at school. My team kicked butt. Yes, we are fabulous.

Did the Salt 5km run!! So proud. Came first in my age group. Yes, I am a legend. (I’m getting rather good at the self-praise thing, if I do say so myself.)

Went for school captain at school. Screwed up the interview magnificently, due to my complete inability (somewhat surprisingly) to tell people how good I am and why I’d make a good school captain. However, I didn’t make an idiot of myself on the full school assembly when I had to do my speech, so I’m not too worried.

Went to Gympie for the Heart of Gold International Film Festival. Very pleased that my favourite film won the whole thing. Discovered that Gympie is very hot.

Went to Academic Awards night. Usually it’s the boringest thing ever, but it was made interesting because I was sitting with two exchange students and a friend who went to Japan for three months, after coming with me and everyone for the tour. After about an hour, it was me and the German guy, who was explaining to me the entire German education system and was completely outraged that the people who win all the massive plaques and trophies, the “special award” ones, have to give them back to the school. Quite hilarious.

Did the Noosa Marathon 10kmn run leg in 1:11:19!!!!! I’m very proud. Smelt pretty bad by the end, but you get that. Ooh, and here’s a photo of me looking athletic. Actually, can’t find that one, so here’s me and Jack (my little bro, who did the bike leg – Dad did the swim) in the transition area, with all the bikes in the background.

Attended the Sports Awards night just cause I could, since I’d never won an award for that before. Since I got the Mixed Hockey award, they put me on the boys list for the rehersal. I wore a dress especially for the actual night, so noone’d think I was a guy. Also I voiced my outrage to anyone who’d listen, even though they put me on the right list for the night.

Started going to the local youth group two weeks before it broke up for the holidays and started wishing I’d gone a lot earlier.

Went to the Salk Oval Rotary Carols By Candlelight. Left and walked home up the hill in preference to waiting half an hour for dad to pick us up, it was that bad.

Well, that turned out pretty long. So yeah… I’ve had a really good year.

Oh yeah. My friend Mitchell Stevens is going to Scotland for a gap year next year. That makes it sound really far away, even though he’s leaving on the third. So yeah. Very jealous and currently trying to convince Mum that I should do that when I finish year twelve. She’s not going for it as yet. Will continue to bug her.

Anyway… Happy New Year!!