Sydney Life

Take Home Exam HEEELLLLLLLLL

2009-11-11T06:54:11Z

OMG GUYS. TAKE HOMES ARE STILL KIND OF DIFFICULT NO MATTER WHAT YEAR OF UNI YOU ARE IN.

I am in the middle of take home exam hell... so much to write, so much to read, so many cans of V in the near future. So why have I decided to take the time out to jot a quick blog?

I am putting on a brave face for the crowds

Well, everyone and anyone who knows what I'm like (and I'm sure you, dear reader, know what I am like if you have read my "study skills" post...) - one word: procrastinatory. Except this time I thought I would share a couple of things that I like to do / websites I like to browse while procrastinating.

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Twitter is a fun way to annoy your friends if they also happen to have twitter. It's also just fun if you have a relatively short attention span (like me)

Hark, A Vagrant - if you like history and you like comics and you think that history comics would be amazing... CHECK THIS OUT. Canadian Kate Beaton is so awesome and funny, and you don't really feel guilty procrastinating while reading her comics because they are kinda academic

I like to go for long walks if I need to take a break from study, or if I am avoiding study. This is better than visiting websites because at least I am getting some kind of exercise...

YouTube is a source of unending joy and peculiar videos. From sneezing pandas to Honi Soit campaign material, it has it all.

I trawl the internet for animated gifs to download. I love animated gifs. Here is one of my recent favourites:

(I love pandas)

Facebook - could I really forget facebook? So many photos from parties that I wasn't invited to to look at, so little time...

There are also plenty of other things that I tend to do in order to use up time that would be better spent reading, which might on the surface seem to be productive. These include: looking up books in the Library and noting their call number to future reference; paying off my library fines; organising my readings in alphabetical order; figuring out innovative ways to use EndNote; finding the perfect font for my essay.

What do you guys like to do when you are avoiding study?

The most epic musical in the whole world!

2009-11-06T12:30:49Z

It’s been an incredible week as I wrap up “Oliver the Musical!” – (arguably) the most epic musical ever!
With a cast of 138 performers (ranging from age 4 to 60+)
PLUS a full orchestra of 35
PLUS a stage crew of 15
PLUS a front of house team of 10
PLUS a production team of 20
Furthermore, there was a ten metre bridge spanning the stage
Our lead boy, Zac Collin-widders was the first indigenous Australian to play the role of Oliver
and 100% of the proceeds from the show went towards supporting Indigenous education charity “Yalari”.
It was a musical production like no other.

]]> I first met the director of Artes Christi while I was in third year at uni and since then I’ve helped out with three musicals. Although I love performing, my role in Oliver! allowed me to use my engineering skills in a different way – set design and construction.

Performed at Sydney Uni’s very own Seymour Centre, I was involved in putting a 10m temporary scaffold bridge across the stage. The bridge had to be designed in such a way that it was strong enough to support a large number of cast members, the columns of the bridge did not obstruct the view and sound of the 35 piece orchestra, allowed 4 tables, 8 benches, 2 wine barrels and 3 coffins to pass underneath it without smashing across the head of an instrumentalist and for the 130 cast members to get in and out without being hurt. It needed to be quick and easily erected and dismantled for as cheap a price as possible. Following which, I had to buy and paint 61.2m^2 of canvas to facade the bridge such that it looked like a dirty sandstone bridge from industrial revolution England!
It was a challenge I was able to meet! YAY!

Other things I did for the show was organise most of the major props and help bring in some special effects lighting depending on the artistic vision and budget of the director.

When I was in high school, there was no way I would’ve even dreamed of doing stage design and construction for such a professional production. I was terrible at art, I wasn’t interested in drama or theatre; I was one of those nerdy maths types who wanted to be an engineer. I think one of the best things about uni is that you can stick your finger in all these random pies and many random opportunities will open up for you and then you will have realised you have talents that you didn’t even know you had.

What delight!

All photos by Giovanni Portelli

Getting ready for Work experience in Cambodia!

2009-11-06T12:14:35Z

As part of my final year research thesis, I’m joining up with NGO “Engineers Without Borders” to find some creative solutions to third world sanitation. With over 1/3 of the world without adequate safe sanitation, I think it is shame that the human race has gone to the moon and back but we can’t figure out a way to safely get rid of our poo.

My thesis will mainly focus on sanitation solutions for floating villages in Cambodia.

]]> Toilets are important. Because if you don’t get sanitation right, then there will be widespread disease, which means health standards will struggle, which means education will struggle, which means the economy will struggle, which means the cycle of poverty will continue. Therefore, it all comes down to one thing: poo.

Cambodia has a very unique ecosystem in that for 6 months of the year, during the dry season, the water flows downstream from the great lake “the Tonle Sap” into the Mekong River. However during the rainy season, it rains so much that the Mekong river floods. This in turn pushes the water back up the Tonle Sap to such a degree that the lake can expand up to 8km and increase its to depth to 9m (very deep).

As a result most people who live on the Tonle Sap live in stilted or floating houses. Floating houses, floating schools, floating markets and I am told, there are floating basketball courts.
Because the houses are floating, the the inhabitants do not have access to things like taps, electricity, the internet and most importantly, a toilet that safely gets rid of their poo!

Next week, I will be going to Cambodia to work with International development Officer Judy. I have no idea what it will be like, but I’ve done plenty of research into the area and I’ve been following the project for the last 6 months. To prepare, I’ve booked my flights, researched into getting a visa, I got several injections – heptities A and C, Typhoid and the new swine flu shot. I also got Malaria tablets, hand sanitation sqeezy tubes, lots and lots of sunscreen, notepad pen and camera!

I’m looking forward to bucket showers, no hot water, squatting toilets, loud rickety buses, roadside food and the always smiling faces of villagers!
Wish me luck!

Halloween in LA!

2009-11-04T07:24:27Z

With my first batch of midterms over the week before Halloween, I decided to celebrate the brief breathing time by beginning Halloween celebrations early. Yep, the movies are pretty accurate – Halloween is HUGE in America. There are countless stores entirely devoted to selling Halloween costumes and accessories (I’m not really sure what they do for the remaining 11 months of the year), and as early as the start of October, businesses had started scrambling to make most of the festive (ie. money-spending) mood of American society ... myself included.

]]> On the 2nd to last Saturday of October, I went to Universal Studios – not the normal day session of course, but the special Halloween Horror Nights from 7pm to 2am. Essentially, they had added scary mazes as well as “scare zones”, which consisted of monsters jumping out at us as we walked unsuspectingly from one ride to another. I found the entire experience more amusing than terrifying, but fortunately, I had a great time scaring my friends!

The next day was spent at Six Flags, a great theme park that is less “family-friendly” than Universal Studios and therefore packed with thrilling rides. What ensued were sore throats (from screaming), aching necks (from straining against gravity) and completely drenched clothing (from the water rides), but definitely no regrets! Of course, Halloween had encroached upon Six Flags also, the mazes being considerably more intense than those in Universal Studios the night before!

Actual Halloween was a hurried affair. Due to midterms, I was unable to start shopping for a costume until the day before and by this time, shops were almost bare, despite the seemingly excessive number of Halloween costume stores and their extravagant prices. However, I managed to dress up for Halloween for the first time in almost 10 years and join in the nationwide celebrations. There were parades in every town, parties in every house and fully-grown university students trick-or-treating.

While Halloween consumed a large part of the past fortnight, other aspects of life in LA soldiered on too …

Academic: I’m very happy with my midterm results so far, reinforcing my opinion that difficulty and workload at UCLA is comparable to Sydney.

Social: Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to devote as much time as I would have liked to club activities or travelling during the past fortnight, but I have made sure to pack the coming few weeks, which I look forward to sharing next time!

Adapting to America: I’ve definitely settled in – not in a routine since everyday continues to offer new experiences, but I feel comfortable in LA. This doesn’t mean I don’t still suffer from “America shocks” however, the most recent shock being due to my first visit to Costco, a wholesale warehouse chain to which Walmart is nothing in comparison. I’m trying to forget how much I ended up spending there …

And the Winner is......

2009-11-03T02:57:48Z

Sydney University has over 200 clubs and societies!
On the 14th October, there was a glamourous awards night to find out who had the best events, who had the best poster, the best t-shirt, who is the best club!

]]> The 2009 theme was Bollywood!
With over 1000 club executives, holding over 5000 events per year,
the USU Clubs and Societies awards night was a celebration like no other!
Congratulations to all the clubs, winners and runners up

Video by Winey Suen
Some photographs copyright USU

Big mistake!

2009-10-23T06:13:56Z

Forgetting to wear gloves on the daily bike ride to uni is quickly becoming a huge mistake!

]]> I didn't think much of my forgetfulness this morning until about 1 minute into the ride the pain started to kick in!
....and then the numbness, even keeping one hand in your pocket and alternating doesn't help
...and then the stiffness, so its hard to grip the handlebars!

Its only a 10 minute ride but its long enough to give you an appreciation of what it would be like to have frost bite!! (too dramatic?) All was saved though when it snowed on my way home! Its impossible to feel pain while its snowing :)

What is Mind? Does it matter? What is matter? Never mind. Except you should, because that's what this blog is about.

2009-10-22T05:16:44Z

I was sitting in my Philosophy of Mind lecture the other day when a thought occurred to me. At least, I think it was a thought, and I think it occurred to me, but if the subject has taught me anything it’s that you can never really be sure with these things.

]]> Over the previous seven weeks, I have learnt (or perhaps, I think I’ve learnt?) many theories concerning just what it is that goes on in our head, and how exactly it happens. Most philosophers these days think that consciousness is just a result of the arrangement of the physical stuff in our heads. A few think that there is something above and beyond the physical which gives us our thoughts. I think if we could just figure out what’s going on in Tom Cruise’s mind we wouldn’t have this problem. But I suppose we’d have to locate his mind first, because he seems to have well and truly lost it.

What’s clear is that thinking about thoughts is a tricky thing. I mean, think about it.

Ok stop.

You might be thinking about how you weren’t thinking about thoughts anyway. I mean, who does this guy think he is? Telling me to think things?

My point is, considering how inescapable the act of thinking is, it amazing how little we’re aware of how exactly we all do it.

To me it seems, at least so far, as though it makes sense that our conscious thoughts arise from our having the most complex arrangement of physical stuff in our heads. More synapses, more chemical reactions, more electric impulses zooming hither and thither at enormous speed, that sort of thing. I mean, we are talking about a system which is really, truly unimaginably complex. No really, I just tried to imagine how complex it is, and my brain almost imploded at the thought it thought it might be thinking.

However this week, everything changed.

It wasn’t so much that we made some fantastic breakthrough concerning theories of the mind. There was no moment which prompted the lecturer to suddenly stop, hysterically scribble the solution to all of our thoughts on the mind on the back of a dirty Hungry Jacks napkin, thrust it into the shaking hands of his most trusted post-graduate and have it whisked off on horseback to an underground lair known only to a secret society of bored academics.
No. That would be weird.

Instead, what I mean by “everything changed” is really that the subject changed, as it so often does in Philosophy. Our lecturer, perhaps noticing our confused, concerned and confounded faces as we attempted to grasp just what it was that that last famous dead gentleman was trying to say about Psychophysical Parallelism, decided to go in a new direction.

“Did you know,” he said, “That scientists aren’t exactly sure whether or not the universe is infinite?”
Admitting quickly that it was unlikely that it in fact was infinite, it was nonetheless true that it could be. What this means, he explained, is that anything in the entire universe which has even the slightest probability of ever happening, will in fact happen. If there is a possibility, no matter how small, that there could be a world out there where everything is the same as it is on earth except that you, yes you, have different coloured hair, then there will be such a world. If there’s a chance that there is a planet out there inhabited by millions of Bert Newtons, then there will be one. If there was a chance someone would go and see Mariah Carey in Glitter, it will happen somewhere in the universe.

At this point, my philosophy class let out an enormous collective gasp, and a first year boy who accidentally walked in at just that moment fainted in a heap with a girlish whimper. It was, it almost goes without saying, about as stimulating as things get for a bunch of philosophy nerds on a Thursday morning.

As much as I’d like to keep talking about the universe (what exactly is it supposed to be expanding into anyway?) I think that if there is to be any probability that you might read my blogs in the future, I should stop now.

Why I Love Sydney Uni

2009-10-20T23:18:19Z

Sydney Uni in the Dust - September 2009

Apart from being one of the more photogenic universities in Australia, I thought that I would list a few reasons as to why I love Sydney Uni. This isn't a glossy puff-piece, and one of the good things about this blog is that I know that I can talk about when I'm having a tough time with Uni - this is just a list of why I love Sydney Uni; these are reasons that reaffirm why I've chosen to study here, and these are qualities of the university that I also believe are important to protect.

]]> 1. It's photogenic. Okay, I've already listed this one BUT I feel as though it really merits another say. I have yet to find another campus with as much architectural diversity (good and bad), which makes it a pleasure to take photos of. There's a reason people flock to the Quad and there's a reason why people are mystified by the JFR (which, to quote Cher from Clueless is such a Monet) - the Uni is just weird and wonderful and cool to look at.

2. It respects the integrity of student-run organisations. We have four organisations on campus, separate but supported by the University, that are in some way dedicated to the well-being of students:

- the University of Sydney Union, which provides most of the "cultural and commercial services" on campus - that is, supports over 200 clubs and societies, and provides a lot of the food that you will find on campus. It is governed by a Board of 13 Directors, 11 of whom are elected students and the other 2 being appointed by the University Senate. I am privileged and honoured to be one of them, and even more honoured to be serving this year as the Vice President. This is I suppose why I am always so keen to talk about the USU and the student experience outside of the classroom.

- the Student Representative Council, which advocates on behalf of undergraduate students to the University Administration, State and Federal Governments regarding the rights of students. It is an important organisation, again headed by students, and regardless of whether you feel a though you want to get involved or not - the services provided by the SRC are invaluable. Not only is there "big picture" advocacy (which involves a lot of marching... I don't know quite how I feel about that, but there's also a lot of in-office advocacy and lobbying too) - but there are a also smaller levels of advocacy. You can see a caseworker if you have problems with a mark you may have received, or if you're having issues with Centrelink.

- SUPRA, which is the same thing as the SRC but for postgraduate students.

- Sydney Uni Sport and Fitness, which provides all sports facilities on campus. Whether you're a A-grade Rugby player or a casual ultimate frisbee-er (or fencer), you can get involved and get fit at the same time.

3. Lecturers and tutors tend to be very responsive to feedback, give good and constructive feedback to students, and also are rather sympathetic to the needs of students. Most of the time. I have been really lucky to have had a positive experience with all units that I've studied thus far at uni.

4. The Co-Curricular Opportunities. I already touched on this with student organisations, but the breadth of what you can do at uni outside of the classroom is what keeps at uni. There are so many things to do, all of which I feel contribute to the learning process in an incredibly positive and productive way, that it's easy to see why students come to Sydney Uni.

4. Friends. This sounds incredibly sappy, but I have met my best friends at uni. I've met some in class, some at work, the most through my extra-curricular involvement. Beyond anything else, it's because I've made such great friends at uni that will make me remember this place so fondly.

I'm always really sad to hear when people have a bad experience at uni. It's unrealistic to assume that everyone will have the whole Felicity experience throughout their course, but I like to think that the university and the organisations that work with the university work hard to ensure that almost everyone has a good time at uni.

If you're in year 12, good luck in the HSC. If you are considering where to go for uni, I think one of the big things you should think about is also what you want to get out of uni. How do you want to remember your uni days? Most students I talk to want to remember their university days fondly, with that rose-tinted glow that says "best days of my life". It's weird but you can't wait for the best days to happen to you, you have to actually make them happen. It doesn't really matter how you go about it (club, sport, weekly trivia at Manning) - but you actually have to work at first to lay the foundations for a university experience that is amazing... from then on, it's like second nature.

Bon chance!

First (and Second) Impressions of UCLA

2009-10-17T07:45:13Z

Time certainly flies when you're having a great time! It's hard to believe that I've already been in LA for a month and that I've survived the 3rd week at UCLA. So here are my impressions of LA and UCLA so far ...

]]> UCLA
The campus is pretty, helped by the fact that it always seems to bathed in warm, welcoming sunlight! My classes (neuroscience, immunology, psychology) have been interesting and so far, difficulty, content, workload and pace seem comparable to my classes at USYD. The only issue has been getting accustomed to the quarter system ... I feel as though we have just begun our studies and already, midterms are looming next week!

We kicked off the quarter with BruinBash - a great event consisting of a free concert, dance and film screening of a movie not yet out in theaters. The entire student body was there, enjoying the music of Clipse and LMFAO, as well as watching the new Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx film for free!

The students here in general seem more studious. UCLA students know how to have fun, but they study hard too. I think it's part of the school spirit (which is HUGE) - the knowledge that they have made it into one of the most prestigious universities in the US.

School spirit encompasses EVERYTHING. Students proudly wear their Bruin t-shirts / hoodies / pants / hats to class, and the apparel is not only sold at the official UCLA store, but can be seen all over Westwood and surrounding areas. This school spirit is most obvious at sports games, as I quickly discovered at the football match last weekend.

The Rose Bowl stadium was a mass of blue shirts, chanting as one, "Go Bruins!". The baking heat and UCLA's recent, less-than-impressive football record did not stop thousands of students (me included) lining up for hours for the bus to the game. Unfortunately, we were beaten (quite badly) by Oregon, but the school spirit never wavered! The cheerleaders and the band made sure we were kept upbeat!

LA
I quickly learned that LA's an exasperating city to get around in. Its public transport system is notorious, and has made me appreciate the buses and trains in Sydney! However, I have managed to explore the more easy-to-reach-without-a-car locations:

Santa Monica - Really nice beach and pier, with great shopping too!

Hollywood - To be honest, Hollywood was a little bit of a letdown. I think I was expecting something a little more glamorous and was surprised that everything seemed to be of smaller scale and grandeur than portrayed on television. However, it was definitely great to see the Kodak Theater (home of the Oscars!), the wax museum of the famous, the Chinese Theater and the Walk of Fame. Beware though, the area is packed with people intent on taking money off tourists (my friend was cornered by people dressed up as Star Wars characters although she insisted she had no money to give them)!

Rodeo Drive - Home to the ridiculously-expensive, high-market stores in Beverly Hills. Great for window-shopping though!

I regret to say I haven't had any celebrity sightings yet. The fact that the first person I walked past on the street on my first day in Westwood was talking on his cellphone about having dinner with Billy Bob Thornton got my hopes up, but it seems that it doesn't happen frequently (although a fellow exchange student saw Jennifer Aniston, while an American guy I met claims he lives in the same neighbourhood as Travis from Blink 182).

I'm having an awesome time here, but there have been plenty of things I've needed to get used to. There is no doubt that Westwood is a money-consuming area to reside in - tipping on top of an already expensive bill has been quite painful. But luckily for me, southern Californians seem quite laid back like Kiwis and Aussies, so there hasn't yet been any major culture shocks.

With Halloween coming up (and midterms of course), the next couple of weeks should be busy!

The Canadian campus Life

2009-10-12T18:32:40Z

So many cool things about Canadian campus life that are very different to Aus.

]]> The underground tunnel that connects building and usually have cafes and stores in them are a great idea and i'm still finding new places that I haven't been before which is really cool! I think once winter really hits i'll appreciate the tunnels even more! Especially considering my Australian "she'll be right" attitude towards -20 degree tempreatures!

The bilingual nature of Montreal is also a great aspect to the culture of Montreal. Although McGill is an english institution you can still hear some French being spoken and once off campus you are immersed in French which is a great experience.

One drawback of McGill has to be the dingy uni bar, it's definitely got nothing on Manning.

DRIVING DAYS ARE OVER

2009-10-12T18:21:08Z

After 4,500 miles of good times road tripping its finally time to say goodbye to Bruce the eclipse.

]]> I wouldn't change anything about the car I bought or the travels we made together! We've come a long way, all the way up from florida to Canada and numerous other trips to Ottawa, Saratoga Quebec and Boston!
I have also learnt that owning a really bad car is the best way to pick up mechanical skills and car knowledge, ie which scary sounds are serious and which are just a bit of character!
Ah well Bruce your off to a new home with people that will but you winter tyres and get you serviced.

Saluting Bruce the Eclipse

What is with the weather?

2009-10-08T13:08:47Z

The weeks before the break I was so pumped it was already summer! I wrote a blog (which I didn’t post – clever!) about the joys of 30 degrees in September! I’d gone on a beach weekend vacation with 11 other uni students to chill on the beach in the Central Coast and head out fishing, jump off a wharf swimming, a late night BBQ – all things summer! The next weekend again I’d spent at the beach, eating mangoes, sushi and Boost juice – the 3 ingredients of summer!

Now a week later it’s FREEZING! I’m sitting writing this all curled up in a dressing gown and ugg boots (the height of fashion I know!). But seriously: dust storms, record high temperatures for July, record low temperatures for October, summer in winter and winter in spring. Come on weather – work yourself out!

Mid life crisis? Try mid semester crisis!

2009-10-08T12:56:07Z

So, I might be exaggerating a little, but it’s definitely crunch time! In the last few weeks I’ve had over 10 assessments due – it hurts! But, it’s my fault! I decided to take on five subjects this semester!

I kind of wanted to write this blog to advise against overloading. It is a great way to speed up your degree, or in my case catch up subjects I didn’t do in previous semesters (because of things like travelling and internships), but it is a lot of work. I’ve actually had three subjects for the last two semesters so my rant and rave now is probably all part of the shock of having a lot of work due at one time!

]]> Your assignment load, like any other semester, depends on what subjects you choose. Personally I HATE exams (well, who doesn’t?!) so went to great lengths to choose subjects which didn’t have them. The consequence? A lot of assessments during semester....but when I’m lying on the beach in November while others are cramming for exams I’ll be thanking myself!

So five subjects – a good or bad thing? It’s really up to you to judge how many other commitments you have, but prepared to be super organised (or there’ll be no sleep for you!).

Homelessness for one night at Uni!

2009-10-01T06:49:04Z

Every night 105 000 Australians fall asleep homeless. On August 20th 2009, that number was bumped to around 105 100, as I joined other young people to participate in the very first Generation Y Winter Sleepout at the University of Sydney.

“I went home in the morning and realised the irony as I “caught up” on sleep in my own private bedroom. I almost cried when I realised I was one of the lucky few with my own private bathroom.”

]]> After 7 months of relentless planning, the Vinnies Winter Sleepout was a phenomenal success!
The event was opened by the Hon. Linda Burney (State Minister for Community Services).
Speeches and food-for-thought was provided by Sue Cripps (CEO of Homelessness NSW) and Peter Figg (SVdP youth Co-ordinator).

“Entertainment” was provided by ‘Milkcrates’, a homeless theatre company, Artes Christi with ‘Oliver the Musical’ and the ultimate in indie chic, “Fasi Moe Afi”, a polynesian soft-rock outfit who can be found performing nightly outside St. Mary's Cathedral for their "street brothers and sisters".

Food was served from the Night Patrol Van (Vinnies Homeless van) as a modest evening meal of lettuce and cheese sandwiches. Pumpkin soup was extremely delicious at 9pm in freezing weather.
Bedding was cardboard sheets ( strictly No air mattresses allowed).

Despite the Sleeping Bag Sumo competition and multiple rounds of Uno, the event was by no means just fun and games. Temperatures fell sharply during the night and campers were beset by a chill that even a Sydney Uni hoodie could not counteract. Despite this, sleepers woke with the sun and a dawn service was conducted to encourage sleepers to reflect on their experience sleeping rough and to pray for all the growing number of homeless people in Australia.

Breakfast was served by the Young Vinnies Brekkie Van team (a new service endorsed by City of Sydney Council serving a hot breakfast to the Redfern and Surry Hills homeless and housing commission community). Whilst breakfast was being served a beautiful photo art display was on show, taken by Vinnies beneficiaries themselves on life from their perspective.

“I simply can’t go to night patrol and see the people’s faces in the same light. It has been easy to just volunteer but to walk in another’s shoes for one night is really a heart changing experience.”

dude, check that out!

2009-09-22T21:47:45Z

I know I'm supposed to be writing about honours, but in the spirit of photojournalism...check out the dust this morning!

]]>

XD.

that's all for now...next post will be a legitimate honours post with pilot study action.

Later monkeys!