Life happens fast

Okay I'm sick of thinking and talking about the party camp, but I promised some pictures so let's make this quick. Above you see Kenny (so funny when people hear him talk and his thick Irish accent slaps them in the face), Zander, Jonathan from Sweden, myself, and Pat. We brought a taste of American fun to the camp with the game wizard staffs, where you drink beer and each one you finish you save and tape to the previously consumed beers. Over time, it lengthens into a staff and once that staff is taller than you are you can cast spells on the non wizards and make them do your bidding. In this particular case once we all hit wizard status we destroyed our staffs and sang songs around the campfire. Great fun.


The week carried on as normal, although I have to start thinking about assignments which is no fun at all really. Wednesday night a drunken someone came knocking at my door demanding kisses, but other than that I can't say anything remarkable happened. Thursday even sucked, and Terrorism lecture was so boring/useless I left halfway through to finish my reading for the Tutorial I had in a few hours. The Swedes breathed new life into my week by throwing the aptly dubbed "Inga Party," where they played a number of songs repeatedly, namely Inga from Sweden's songs. Inga from Sweden is a presumably Swedish girl who sings original pop songs in English with an exaggerated Swedish accent. Her electronic beats and simple seductive lyrics are extremely catchy, so beware. Mom, show this link to CJ-I think he would appreciate it. Her XXXmas isn't pornographic, although the name might imply that it is. http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=25069436


Friday we went surfing and Zander and I had a great day. Caught some good 3-4 foot waves and rode three or four in clean. Just phenomenal. Zander had to head back early to make a dinner date so Chris and I stayed out a bit longer, only to get completely pummeled by 6 to 8 foot waves. Way out of our league. Sometimes it's good to get your ass kicked, though. Reminds you to respect the ocean and her majestic power. A guy let us shower off and store our stuff in a locker for free and his dog was named Jack, which made me nostalgic for the times I'd gone swimming with my own dog Jack. The guy gave us some pointers on how to control our surfing and for that critical moment with the bigger waves that I'm eager to try. After hitting go to noodle, we made our way back.

My camera broke so I bought a new one at Target. It's a Samsung 10.2 MP with a zoom and the works you would want from a point and shoot cam. I'm looking into getting a casing for it and hopefully I can use it as my personal camera for underwater diving. We'll see. Here are some shots of the RMIT village I took while dicking around on it.


Here's the fountain. I have a waking view of it and its the symbolic center of the village, although due to the weather nobody really hangs out there. Maybe once spring hits. This is the view from my balcony, which is really a patio since I have a ground floor room. Below is the pool area. I haven't used it yet but the rumor is that it's heated. Come Spring time this will be essential, although I'm sure it will be overrun. Sadly it closes during night so raging pool parties will have to be kept to afternoons, which is perhaps for the best.



On the agenda for this week is making a case for the novel and film American Psycho as a satire on Reagan's America, which I am more than prepared to do after reading the book and studying American politics in depth. I also have to write a 1500 word essay for Australia Now on the Bra Boys surf/gang documentary I watched and incorporate Australian cultural themes into it. I started yesterday and have two sources and 600 words, so no worries on that. Otherwise I have the normal shitload of reading, so I have to keep on keepin on. Sadly my grades do transfer over so A's are a must if I want a good Law School to pick me up in the future. Thus far it's been mostly play and no work, so nose to the grindstone is probably a mode I should work myself back into. Catch up with y'all next week.

I can't say why...

...but I have this insatiable urge to light firecrackers off. Better yet, I'd love to get some with the waterproof fuses and throw them into a pond and watch them slowly sink out of sight, then moments later explode and with a flash and the smallest pop, dampened by the water, fade into nothingness.

The weather here is pissing me off. One minute it's nice the next it's terrible.

Today everyone was drinking for prosh week but I honestly don't have the time for that shit. I've got to read the entire American Psycho book, prepare an oral presentation and lead the class in it, and then write 1500 word essays for two classes for back to back incoming Fridays.

I can't bring myself to focus enough to complete my readings for tomorrow. I'll have to do them during the day. Every now and again I get carried aloft on daydreams I can't escape. I need to backpack through Tasmania. I need to find a cheap flight to Sydney. I could care less about Australian culture as an academic study or the larger, more profound consequences of the pernicious effects of neo liberalism in the modern world right now. I want to dive again, to identify species of marine life, and to know that what I'm doing resonates with who I am and what I believe in. The academic life is so detached from reality it sickens me at times. I need to know that what I'm studying isn't just filling my head with hot air, useless information, or more trivial information that I'll only value or hold onto (for that matter) until the next exam or paper is written.

Now if you'll excuse me there's a bottle of vodka I pocketed from the MUSEX camp in my freezer with my name on it.

The MUSEX Party Camp

Words can't really do justice to the time spent at camp MUSEX, so I won't try to crystalize my experience or the miscellany of different feelings I have after the weekend. I can. however, list some of my personal highlights (if only to help myself remember the smaller details for the years to come).

I especially liked the bus ride over-they did it lightning style so we had to constantly change seats and sit next to different people while drinking goon and hoping our bladders didn't burst. I met some great new people and somehow, with a shot of random luck, I wound up sitting next to the special birthday girl herself. Fortune favors lovers at opportune times I suppose. We were both very jovial and happy and would sneak a few kisses in before arriving at our destination a few minutes later.


Strangely enough, on the bus ride back four of us "vagrants" would sit on the back of the bus, kill two boxes of goon, and I would have no choice but to break an empty bag open with my teeth, cover myself with my North Face shell and piss in the empty goon bag. I would later drop it off when we took an official pee break alongside the road.

The first night was fun-the Toga party. I realized how spoiled I am hailing from California-all the girls there are fucking experts at making togas. I mean seriously I've been to at least a dozen of those damn parties and the only two I've gone to here I've had to stumble my way through making my own toga, only to have it come undone and eventually fall off. I wasn't in the highly populated cabin which made me sad but the birthday girl moved her stuff to share a bed with me and we got to keep each other warm throughout both nights. Late night talks sure get into strange realms after firewater has warmed up your veins and altered your brain chemistry.

Did I mention the birthday girl kept falling down? One time while she was walking with me, hurting her ankle pretty bad. Poor thing.

Saturday was....well I'll just say it was amazing. Four of us went on a country hike throughout the West Gippsland countryside. The trees were in bloom with yellow flowers and contrasted with the natural greens of the grass and leaves alongside the tree's bark and the crystal clear sky I must admit I haven't seen anything so beautiful since I was in Colorado early last summer (still this summer in the N. Hemi). After that we got back to drinking and played wizard staffs. More on that soon when I can steal some pictures friends took...The night wrapped up well with a community bonfire and drunken singing-mostly between the American and Swedish males, though sometimes the larger crowd would join in. Towards the end of what would be my night one of the MUSEX (musex is the club that made it all possible) guys approached me and asked if I liked the girl standing across from me on the other side of the fire. In the orange amberglow of the fire I had to admit she was pretty and she seemed a bit older and was Australian-two definite pluses. Even so, I told myself I was going to be a good boy and focus on the one beautiful girl I already had waiting asleep in our bed for me and I respectfully declined. As long as I maintain presence of mind, even when trashed, I can keep things under control. Plus let's face it-I have a lot to lose and throwing it away on a single thrill isn't what I'm trying to do. I wouldn't regret my decision-I shared one of the warmest nights and greatest talks I've had in quite some time....perhaps in forever...and the night came to a close.


Sunday we drank.

I mean DRANK. We killed a bunch of goon on the bus ride back, hit up Hungry Jack's (the Australian Burger King), and went to see Inglorious Basterds. Quite the film, I must admit.


Unfortunately I spent too much time drinking to buy food so I had to eat noodles and butter for dinner for lack of anything else. OH and I left a bunch of shit at the camp so I have to replace things like contact solution, a towel, shave gel, etc. These things are replaceable but the cost adds up quick, so I'll have to get on being more responsible.

I'll add more pictures soon I promise. Until then keep it real...and don't believe the hype; Tupac lives.

Promises mean everything when you're little and the world is so big...So please enjoy this lonely sky with me-it'll swallow us whole (if we only let it).

I almost forgot about the Cowboys and Indians party. Normally I'm all about the Indians thanks to Tribal House but for once I figured I'd swap sides and I went with the desperado (as best I could). Mike next to me shaved a cowboy mustache into his beard and fucked it up but left it anyway. What a guy. Manuel and Elise are also deep in the mix.

Out with the crew one night. From left Miranda, Christina (the Frumpus), myself, Richard, Fleur, Manuel, and Nick. Can't remember exactly where we are or what we're doing...


Here's a shot of myself and Filip walking and talking at the St. Kilda beach. Turned out to be a pretty exciting weekend hanging out at the Swedish colony.


















Here's a shot of a bunch of us out surfing at Torquay. This one is for mom. I'm with Alex on the left, Dom, Nick and another guy whose name I've forgotten are resting.

This is a fat kangaroo I took a picture of at the zoo. I wasn't sure how to post pictures corectly but Miranda showed me how so you can expect a lot more of this kind of action from here on out. Also she cooked for me again =)