Merry Christmas!

Today is my last day of work before we drive off to the coast about 7 hours from Melbourne to sun, sea, sand and relaxation! Hoorah! We are off to a place called Merimbula! Apparently very beautiful and just the ticket for winding down! Its been crazy for me and I havent stopped since my exams ,thrown into a frenzy of work(which is great)and preparing for Christmas,but the bags are packed,the cat box is ready and i am raring to go!
Its been an amazing year .So many challenges and changes.They have all been wonderful and certainly I feel a better individual because of them.Although I have less hair,its all a lesson in how to adapt and change the way I approach life.That is never a bad thing.I recieved my exam results and did very well.The usual mix of distinctions,High dstinctions and credits.Its good.Perhaps though it is time to work out how to approach my studies with less intensity and more savvy.I feel tired and running on debt of energy.I know that with a break it will all come good.heading down to see the J-ster in the new year and so with 3 weeks of chill time to look forward to I can only hope that I will back to my more bouncy self in no time!
I am looking forward to the new Year.I feel better changes ahead and a feeling of allowing things to just "be" rather than trying to shape them too much .Its time to let go and trust a little more that things will turn out for the best.
As for you guys???????? I hope the New Year brings much peace ,understanding and happiness.Your health abundant and your purse strings never tight!
Its over and out from me for a while but I shall be back!
Merry christmas and Happy New year!!!!!!!

Its raining ,its pouring ,the old man is snoring!

Fuck. Yesterday was supposed to be a day of rest! You know,try and get my hair to grow back cos as the chemist said,be prepared,more could fall out..........Okay so I might need a wig for christmas and anyways I had processed that kind of......But then I lost my job in the city.........I have never been let go of anywhere before.........never.So my pride feels a bit dented.My stress levels up a dash more.I have fees to pay I have to save money.Alot of money.Phew I think,thank god for my little financial plan........I can fall back on that a bit next year to pay fro my fees.I have put 20 tousand dollars in that over the last 3 years,a partial surrender will get me that cash........NOPE........a very very very small return will pay for dit,just enought o pay back the cash I owe my uncle......Fark,stress levels rising.......I decide to go to the solarium to get a bit of Vitamin D for my hair.......I have a massive run in witht he lady at the couter...the machine doesnt work properly and I keep getting up to tell her and she thinks its me.......I cant deal with this.I tell her she has a bad attitude and leave..........Stress levels rising...........alright go home put windows on shuffle qand lie down.......ahhhhhhhh thats better........is there something in the stars today??? Is mars and saturn playing funny buggers with my life? Can I let all this go? Can I look at the positive side??
I call my boss up the road(my second job) tell him whats happened.....can he help..Yes he can ......lots of work! Hoorah~!okay stress levels decreasing.Tell my fam about the finances ...can they help?? Yes if it comes to it they will lend me whatever I need to make up if I am short..........ah stress levels decreasing........goooooood!
So I am sitting here thinking to myself ,this has happened for a reason.I always analyse moment like this and think bad things happen which initiae change.That change is usually always for the better.......so I am meditating on that thought for a while and knowing that although it was and is stressful at the moment there is something really good coming.....a pathway to another destination,which I havent quite found yet.The changes I couldnt make were made for me.........so I can see that pathway when it comes along.I feel a bit better.

Stress Management?

 

This has been one of the most insane times of my life.I have been going hard for the last 3 weeks! Constant study,worry and stress.I have eaten a million Executive B vitamins,a coupla bottles of rescue remedy and am now done.I do have this rather amazing bald spot on my head to show for the fact that I have not coped well with these exams.Woke up on tuesday with it.It just happened over night.......I cant believe it.It was a rude wake up call.Sarah,slow down,take it easy ,your going too fast,be good to yourself,a pass is enough.........I now have 3 months off from college to grow back my hair and work on how to cope better with exams.For now though I just wanna rest.My head hurts and I am so so tired! Lets hope all this hard work paid off.Results in 2 weeks..... 

Calling all tongues..........

Okay ! here we go! My first bit of real practical bit of diagnosis in my journey to becoming a Traditional Chinese Doctor..........I need to see some tongues.
Its a big part of diagnosis in TCM and really very indicative of what is going on in terms of disharmony in the body.
So here is my suggestion.All those of you who read my blog ,send along a picture of your tongue......Dont be shy ........I need to see as many tongues as possible to gain experience of how to read them.If you know my email send it there,if not then drop me a line with yours and I will send you my address.
You never know I might come up with some interesting findings!
Please help by contributing to my tongue library!!!!!!
All you need to do is stick your tongue out as far as it will go and take a snap! Dont brush it or gargle before or drink anything if possible! The more natural the better.........Say first thing in the morning!
I know its a wierd ask but it would be very very very helpful! I would be so happy to hear from you and your tongue!
Thank you!
xxxxxxxxxxxx

Passing on the love........

One of my favourite feelings apart from the post sex cacophony of sound is when you get some new sounds to listen to.
Yo know how it goes.....yu are having a chat with a friend and it comes up in the conversation............"have you heard blah blah blah?" or "oh my god I brought this fabulous C,D you must listen to".Sometimes it kiinda just happens .You just hear a tune on the radio and think ...mmmmmmmmm........or you hear it at a friends place or a restaurant or a bar or god knows how many number of social venues you can dream up.........well,I got my little "tip" Like this...............

First things first

1.Get up
2. Go to bank
3. Walk to record shop
4.Find attendant
5.Ask for zero 7 - the garden
6. Go home and listen.....................................................!
7.Send email to me saying "wonderful"...
haha


oh
8.Jose Gonzalez!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Yeah.............so I took he advice,as advice is from very reliable source .
Zero & as always damn fine BUT Jose Gonzalez.....where have I been not to have heard this man and his beautiful guitar that immediately had me welling with tears in my eyes????????
Thats all I need to say,check it out! Albums are, Veneer,Remain and a special mention for the song Heartbeat.

The Life and times of Vivaldi.

So I am back to hospitality again! Its a simple way to make money between studying.Sometimes I like it and sometimes I dont! Sometimes I wanna scream out to the customers who look down on you like a piece of shit on your shoe and other time I wanna hug the customers that just make your day with a laugh, a joke, or even sometimes a compliment.There seems to be little understanding of general human kind that anyine you come into contact with....... ANYONE.........and I cant overstate this enough.......IS A VALUABLE HUMAN BEING.You may not like them and you may not want to hang out with them but they are still valuable and precious to someone somewhere.So my day starts 3 days a week at 8am. I have a coffee to get me going beofre I start and away I go.Serving coffee and breakfasts for 4 hours until we make the shift to restaurant mode and serve lunch. The restaurant is below the Sofitel hotel and several large companies (Goldman Sachs, Telstra,Nab etc) so there is a certain "kind" of clientele.The men on the whole are great,keen for a chat and a giggle.The women on the whole couldnt give a damn and seem to want to play out their powertrips in the coffee shop too......PURLEEEEEEASE! Give me a break!
So I just do my thing and do what I am supposed to do,and I get paid at the end of every week! Nice!You would think...........
It then comes to these two women I work with ...........now I have nothing against Italian women I really dont ......but they are shocking.........evryone is accountable for everything,bitterness foams from their mouths,you can sense that one false move and youre standing in line waiting for a bullet to your head because you ordered a Long Black instead of a short black.Youre waiting to be electrocuted because you forgot to add 40 cents to the bill beacause they had soy milk and not regular and well quite frankly I am waiting to have my head lopped off,well just because I am me...........
I have been working on this conflict for some time now.Trying to figure out the best way to make them happy.I realised that there is not a thing I can do to make that happen,in thier world my small mistakes and even my existence is just a BIG mistake.You see they stick together and if either of them fuck up they erase the evidence,no accountability, no guilt trips, and no more said.........
I know I should leave,the situation seems strangely reminicent of other experiences in my life, other jobs, other relationships, other scenarios where you know its best to just walk away but it all seems so convinient and yet I still tell myself i can make it work if I just try harder at it, when will I learn..............

The big heat.........the no rain

well this is all a little new to me.I am surrounded by talk of what we will do this summer in terms of water.........I say .......drink it,swim in it,take long long cold showers in it,wash my clothes with it,clean with it,make soup with it,water my plants with it,but it seems I may be limited as to my options and it not something I have really given alot of thought to.Water shortage talk is rife,Melbourne has had half the amount of water it needs to fully support its population.Farmers are selling land,crops are going to pot,people are looking a little worried........I feel a little ambivalent about it,its not that I dont care it just is so foreign to me.Sure I have camped for 10 days in a row and have had to take water from rivers and only wash where water was considered crock free......but that was different that was a controlled shortage,a fun adventure.
Talking to my uncle today he is considering getting a hose pipe from the bath in the kids bathroom out to the lawn to water the garden........and by that I mean the dirty bath water ,my question when asking how long the hose pipe was, which incidently was about 50 meters was also who was in charge of sucking at the other end? Will it come to family showers,or showers lasting no more than 2 minutes?? Will we have to buy bottled water to drink ? will we have a limit on our meter??
These are all things I am investigating .......while doing so someone at work was telling me that at some point some time ago there was a gas shortage and people were not allowed to cook with it or use it for heating water,and anyone found using too much had thier metres taken away...........My My........
So I will just have to see how this pans out.Its spring here right now and we had the hottest day in october for 99 years.A whopping 34 degrees.I love it ,I love the feel of the sun and the warmth and the freedom but when faced witht he very real threat of drought......I kid you not! Fromnt page news today......I dont feel so warm and fuzzy about these lovely hot days.

Wow!~

I just realised that its been 3 weeks since my last blog~! where did the time go????
Well actually I know where the time has gone! I lost myself in books and exams! Its quite amazing how you can just lose time!
Take today for example..........I sat down in my chair at 9am.....I had a little lunch at 1pm, a few smoke breaks a shower ,alot of study and its now 5pm.Where did the time go?? I felt like I just got up! To tell you the truth tommorow is planning to be a fine day and I wanna get out to it! So I have crammed a whole heap of stuff in today and wacked up the pressure! Post exam is kind of the time to do it because you have stepped up a notch or two and are really motivated,hmmmmmmmmmm, motivated is the wrong word ,you are more into the groove of intense study! I have just completed 6 exams! Am waiting on results for some but already have 2 high distinctions for the ones I got back! I do hope you dont think I am being a bore or a big head, but I really like to share my success! I have had issues in the past with my own abilities and actually opinions of others and my intellectual abilities so I guess I am trying to prove something to myself and those that doubted me! Hey you .........you know who you are! Fancy going head to head on the details of replication of DNA........?????
I do have some posts coming up ! I just need to catch my breath and sort myself out!

Stands to reason.......

J-ster tagged me with a question.........

WHICH BLOG DID YOU LAST READ?

Perhaps my brain is to lateral right now , but wouldnt it stand to reason that it was hers??

If I was going to think a little out of the box I would say something really interesting like "philosophies of the wandering man" or "The diaries of a Sadu"
Unfortunately my internet viewing is somewhat liited and I can only offer you up a web page..........does that count? Click on the link!
distraction

Look Look! Liver 3!

 
Its a very nerve racking experience to needle yourself for the first time,but if I wanna do this acupuncture thang I sure as hell have to get the hang of it! The first time I needled myself it just kinda hung there all floppy and sad looking.I didnt have the courage to give it a good tap in.
The second time was a little better , and now ,well now I am a god damn pro.......although I think I hit a nerve today and that made me jump a bit!
These points are called liver 3 and are excellent points for subduing excess and nourishing deficiency.Great for headaches,insomnia,calming and period problems!
Me likey!
I havent gone as far as manipulating the needle as of yet,To do this you twist the needle in a little deeper.I really dont have the courage or knowledge for tha yet.I am just in the curious stage at the moment where a little knowledge seems to go a long way into motivating this kind of insane behaviour! But it works .it really works! I can feel the qi moving and I definately feel different after I have needled myself! Look ! Here I am blogging! I havent done tha in ages! 

The place I know best.....

 
This is my most familiar place ..........I love it! Its cosy and conducive to study.I have everything I need around me ..........Benji often tries to sabotage my work by sprawling himself along the top of the desk so there is absolutely no chance of getting to my work! I am slowly training him to sit on my lap but he is such a lush that it gets too cramped for him down there!
My aunt constantly berates me that I have the blinds drawn but how can you focus on study when its fabulously sunny outside and why would you open them if its grey rainy and dull??? 

Can you believe its that time again..............

 
So here I sit again,with bum superglued to chair.....which incidently is a new one following severe back problems and having to resort to lying down on hard floorboards for a day or two........I thank the lord for my osteopath also,she did a great job of making my back look something other than chair shaped!

Anyways here I am again! 3 exams looming this week and 3 more in the following weeks.Its not qite as full on as last semester and I havent worked out wether that is because I have adjusted tot he terminology and reached a brain activity level that is now switched on to studying,OR wether it is that I have just chilled out a bit and cant be bothered quite so much.........Exams will tell.....
Had to purchase some of these Bush flower remedies which are fabulous for helping with concentration when studying.Called Cognis. Its the Australian version of Bach Flower Remedies .......which I always found very effective.
So folks sorry for dropping out on you there for a while, I just need to do this and then I will be a bit more present in everyones life! Thanks for hanging on in there! 

One week in the life of new hair and more........

Wow....I never thought that having my hair cut this legnth would have such an impact on everyone else more than it does on me! I have been ignored,admired,lied too,eyed up,and complimented by more women than i have ever had in a lifetime........
I must say men have had the wierdest reactions ranging from shock and then to my gay friends who just LURVE it and now call me Mary Poppins..........but what really gets me is how my hair was such a part of me to everyone else and now that its gone people seem a little uncomfortable with me .......like they gotta get to know me all over again just cos the hair came off!! Guys.......its only hair! I am still in here! Is my hair really all there is to me??
I am loving this reaction to it,but am also a little unnerved about it too! The funny thing is with one week of new hair under my belt I feel so much more confident and in control.I feel sexier and brighter.........I lost something when I cut the hair off.or should I say I let something go.............well 2 things actually...One,some years , I now look about 5 years younger,and two, a hell of a lot of crap from the past . Dont ask me why it just seems to have resolved alot...
anyways one week of new hair is going well for me! I like it and I like it alot! I wonder what week 2 of new hair will be like!

and just one more !

 
Gosh..........I do look very different! I keep giving myself a suprise everytime I look in the mirror!
I know I am going to get very mixed results from all.......but you know what!? I love it! I think there is alot of emotion attatched to hair! I just cut it all off! Hoorah! 

Hair parade

 
This is the latest in parisian fashion darlings really luveys you MUST try it ! Its all the rage you know! 

News Flash...........

 
The new me!
I kept the old hair........god knows what for ! This is the shortest I have had my hair in 16 years!
What made me do it I hear you cry?????????
I dont know! I just did it! No reason but I jet propelled myself to the hairdressers before I changed my mind and TADA!I feel lighter and newer! 

Taking a long breath out

Here I am at J-sters place at last ! Time to relax and take a step back from it all and allow myself the good fortune to unwind.
I recieved my results at long last and did pretty well.....
4 High Distinctions , 1 Distinction and 2 Credits! Not bad . I am still letting it sink in and bugging everyone to tell me how clever I am ,What a great Job I did and what a fabulously intelligent thing I am...Its not happening quite that way but why would it??? Its my achievement and one that I need to pat myself on the back for.
But now its time to move on and enjoy the relaxation for a while!

Its all done!

They are over! My finasl are done.10 exams in 4 weeks! I feel I have achieved irrelevant of wether I passed,got a credit,distinction or high distinction.
Its a great feeling.........I have a one month break form study but have found a new job which means I have to get up at 5.30 am every weekday morning.Thats okay .......I am in the desperate student mode who will do anything to get a buck in hand!
I am not sure how that will fare when I return to Uni but I am determined I dont want to be an insanely impoversished student.
Its all about finding the balance at the moment and I feel quite Zen about it all.If it works than great.......I am not scared of hard work.If it doesnt then find another way.
I have so many people too catch up with.so many e-mails to write but I am exhausted ,honestly really tired...........
ZSo I guess I will get to it when the mood and the energy arises!
Off to adelaide in 2 weeks so I know that I will get lots of sleep when I am with J-ster! I reckon we are going to take great joy in competeing with each other over who can sleep the longest! Ahhhhhhhhhhh..........cant wait!

Fantasy

Right now I wish I was on a beautiful sunny beach listening to the ocean lapping up on the shore,lying next to a beautiful man with big hands to rub massage oil all over me..........
THE REALITY IS 12 HOURS OF FULL ON STUDY A DAY FOR THE NEXT 12 DAYS............
I have a stinking cold that I am supressing like a bastard and fuzziness in my brain which is in no way conducive to the amount of focus and concentration I have to produce............
I wish I had something of more interest to write..............With the amount of information floating aroung in the head I probably do but I just dont have the time!
I just wanted to pop in and moan a bit! I am a brit after all..........ist that what we are good at??
Oh an dby the way.........sorry to the japanese for your loss.Congrats to the Ozzies and go Brazil.......I love brazil! Although I dont say that too loudly over here at the moment~! The atmosphere is tense!

Another one down and 6 more to go!

Shit........I am tired already!
I have 6 more finals to go and then I can rest for a bit!
I had my Point Location exam yesterday which I got 100% in and a written exam to go with it which I am prety sure I did ok in.
I saw the value yesterday in being present in all my lessons and talking with my lecturer ,being interested and keen and a tad anxious.
Practical location exams are a bit like a driving test and I fall to pieces!
We get a list of points to locate on a partner and then one of the 3 lecturers comes around to tick them off or cross them off depending on wether you have found the point......I dont do well in these kinds of situations,my mind goes blank and all the hard work and effort that I put in just flies out of my mind.I look at the first point and think......crap where the hell is that....???????!!!! Take a deep breath and push on!
Last night there were 3 points that I got wrong.One was a simple mistake.I confused it with another and my lecturer said that I should think about that point and e would come back.Immediately I knew what I had done wrong and corrected my mistake.
The second was more interpretation over the anatomical location and it was a tricky point to find......I located where I thought it was and the lecturer came over and asked me to justify it ,which I did and then he told me that he thought the Greater trochanter was a little lower than that,to which I replied that he should go away and come back and I would re locate it! Which he did and I got the mark!
The 3rd was just a total blank.........lecturer standing over my shoulder.......he knew I knew the point I knew I knew the point and we were both standing there waiting for it to come...........2 minutes is a long time when you are under pressure.....located it once .........nope...think about it............located it twice.....comon sarah ..........you do know this point.....3rd time got it!
So I got lucky.There were students there who were not as present as me or outwardly keen or anxious who did the same thing and didnt get the slack I did.......so I am grateful and thankful for the faith that my lecturers have in me.
Lesson........get to know them,talk to them about yourself,ask them about themselves,show your fear and anxiety.........let them know how you fair in situations like practical exams.........and relax.........
So I should be really happy about the grade and I am ,but I do feel like I had my hand held ,which I guess is okay.

Passing on the tag.........

J-ster is interested to know what my answers are to the following so in a brief sojourn to the rote learning here I go!

5 Musicians that I currently listen to

Beethoven.....due to the ability not to invade my study wave.

Crosby Stills and Nash

Buddha beats (a collection of ambient music)

Windsongs by Micahel Hoppe (a truly relaxing trip of flute and the like)

TCM point Location Meditations......listen to this b4 I head to bed.Its supposed to enter your sub concious while sleeping!!!

St.Germaine.



5 Movies/DVDs That I Have Watched Recently

The corpse Bride........cute but thats abut all.

My fair lady.Audrey is my idol and always cheers me up.

Narnia.........cute but again thats about all.

Oceans 12....dull.

Fawlty Towers........pure bliss.



5 TV Shows That I Tend to Watch

Hmmmmmmm...........not too many at the moment but I LURVE LURVE LURRRRRRRRRRRRVE a show called "House" with Hugh Laurie as a talented ,intelligent,down right indespicable Doctor with an addiction .

Oh and lets not forget the odd episode of Desperate Housewives and commander in chief.

5 Restaurants I have Visited Recently

The one I work in! An italian upperclass affair with a quirky italian head waiter who makes me lick my lips so that he can have a thrill! And a boss who is a pain in the butt and terribly miserable but calls me Bella most of the time.

OHH and a restaurant that I was taken to my a very nice guy about 2 weeks ago called ladros.The best Pizza Restaurant in Melbourne apparently! Very upbeat and delish pizza!

Thats all folks! Unless my frequently visited coffee shop with the fabulous Jimmy as owner counts!???



5 Foods That I Currently Enjoy Snacking On

Nuts for the protein.Brazil nuts and almonds are the biz!

Butter popcorn!

Toblerone because I can and those god damn starburst babies drive me mad...I love ripping off thier heads!

Does port count as a snack????

Not too much of a snacker but trying very hard to replace chocolate for the more healthy kind of snackeroo!
Been eating lots of carrot and lentil soup recently!


Im tagging Suzie wooh, Mama,and just to make it a little more interesting.......Chris the karaoke king and 2 people who read my blog but never comment! GO ON! PLEEEEEEEEEEEEASE!

and for those moments ........

..........you will know the ones I mean when you check out the link! Definately something I have permanately linked to my favourites!
Enjoy!

bubblewrap moments

and moving swiftly on..........

Okay , Two major exams done.I feel good about them. I am pretty sure I passed and may have passed well.Admitedly origins,insertions and actions of muscles are not my forte but we are slowly becoming friends.I also now know what an acromioclavicular ligament will do to your shoulder if ripped and what a worn menisci will do to your knees........Its all coming together to make me very knowledgeable about Muscular Skeletal workings.............but ..............I now have to change beat for big exam number 4 (of 11 that i will have in the month) Point location. 120 points to remember and their anatomical location.
Let me elaborate.
Imagine 120 sentences like this:

1.5 cun lateral to the midline at the level of the 4th sacral foramen.This is close to the corner or inferior lateral angle of the sacrum.Bands of the sacro-illiac ligamnets and origin of gluteus Maximus can be felt here.


Hmmmmmmmm..........not particularly fun to memorise or then additionaly to locate.
Wish me luck........up for air after tuesday .

Too Laid back or Mental suicide???

I have 2 Major exams on Monday,so here I sit contemplating bones ,muscles,joints and my chinese oral.
I find it soothing and pleasant to listen to beethoven whilst studying.It seems to be the only type of music I can listen to that doesnt interfere with my thought processes BUT today I decided to put on the random visualisation on my media player.......BANG........kiss your arse goodbye to a good 45 minutes of study time! It was beautiful! I have often enjoyed looking at the visuals on Windows Media player but with Beethoven playing it was quite something else! I felt like I had been transported to another world.It was like a ballet of colour and movement and had me enchanted fro some time! Listen ,when money is tight and there is no opportunity for Theatre or the arts let me recommend this!
Anyways it did give me a well earned break from it all........and now I am back to it again!
Ciao for now

Success

Okay folkeys! All my results are in! I am floating on a cloud right now!
Chemistry 76
Bio 81
Intro to chinese meds 100
Point location 98
Msa 77
History and philosophy 99
Chinese Lang 99

I am thrilled and had to share it with you all!

10 good things to say to someone who is feeling down!

or maybe not even down! Just to let them know you care!
We cannot be happy all the time.It defies the laws of nature but what we can do is help it to not feel so bad when we arent! A bit like a warm blanket on a cold day,or a cold beer on a hot sweaty day!
You get the gist!

1. "I love you!"

2. "I care"

3. "You're not alone in this"

4. "I'm not going to leave/abandon you"

5. "Do you want a hug?"

6. "I love you (if you mean it)."

7. "It will pass, we can ride it out together."

8. "When all this is over, I'll still be here (if you mean it) and so will you."

9. "Don't say anything, just hold my hand and listen while I cry."

10. "All I want to do know is give you a hug and a shoulder to cry on.."

Study block

I am having a tough week.I have had a head cold of the most bizarre nature or as I am learning at the moment I have an attack of wind cold.Its most bizarre.It rises up to my head and stays there for a while clouding my thoughts and concentration for some hours and then disappears again without a trace,only to come back again at another point of the day just as quickly.So I am feeling a little out of sorts and trying to plug on with the mountains of work and not having very muchluck.Winter is coming on here and that feels strange.It should be summer to my internal clock and I am sure that has had an effect on the workings of my body. MY mind keeps saying that summer is just around the corner.That the sun will warm us all up again very soon.Then I have to tap myself and remind myself that actually its winter thats on the way! Brrrrrrrrrr.......not good witht he cold.It was fun when I could Snowboard but at the moment its just study. I need to get out and burn some adrenaline,take my mind off of muscles,body systems , aldehydes and alkenes,the 100 some points I have to memorise in two weeks and the 100 chinese characters I need to learn.........pah! I am definately having a study slump..........Heres hoping I can bring myself up to speed soon.11 exams in the coming 5 weeks.........then a break to go and visit J-ster and chillt he hell out before I go completely MAD!

Time Issues.........

Hello dear ones! Its been a while...........
I have been ensconced and fully commited to my studies and my exams! I have just completed 7 exams and an essay.I am happy to report that I have been averaging distinctions and high distinctions........Not bad.
We have lost about 50% of the original amount of sudents.It doesnt suprise me .......Its a large commitment and a challenging degree. So I am feeling pretty proud of myself right now,but admittedly very tired.
I would love to sleep for a week but I just have to keep on going! More exams in 3/4 and 5 weeks time........and then a break! Hoorah!
I have been developing in many ways over the last few months . The process of studying and owning this degree has been extremely important to me.It has of course reflected in my grades,but it doesnt come naturally at the moment.It takes alot of home study and alot of good study techniques. Pleased to say I havent pulled an all nighter yet and sleep has been important.I have actually been getting up at 6 am to study which as some of you may know well is not a preferred time of mine but as the chinese philosophy states..... Morning is the time of day when we are expanding and growing.Its the Spring of our day.It is budding and flourishing.Evening is the night of our day and a time to nourish and store.A time to rest and slow down and gain more energy for the following spring!
I am trying to follow this philosophy and implement chinese philosophies into my life .
Its more involved than I thought it would be.Its definatley an art and has a long history.Its confusing at times and while running this side by side Western Sciences such as Chemistry,Biology and Human Disease processes,I am fnding that what I learn int he sciences I have to put to one side when I walk into my Intro to chinese Meds class. The physiology of the body in chinese Medicine is vastly different to that of how we have all been brought up to think.
In Chinese Meds its priority lies in the function over structure and its function being the circulation of QI (energy in varying states of manifestation), Body fluids including essence which when we deplete we die so take care folkeys! Not too much sex,drugs and rock and roll which deplete Jing hugely, and Blood,which is not really the same fluid as we know it and is moved by Qi. A combination of Food Qi and air is what keeps us living and from this all else follows.
I could rabbit on for hours.We have just started looking at the 5 phases or 5 elements as they are also named and this is truly fun! I will chat about that at another time though if anyone is interested!
Its funny,all these years of having Acupuncture and I thought that it was just about Qi and Yin and Yang.I am now realising that there its alot more invlved that that.!

I read in a book the other day
The channels are where beginners start and masters end.To beginners it seems easy but only the master knows how difficult it is.

I feel like I have entered an Alice in Wonderland world and all of my perspective and the way I look at the body is changing. It feels odd.Like losing something. In the same sense though I am gaining .........hmmmmmm...evrything is Yin and Yang in varying degrees no???
Anyway, I just wanted to pop in and say hi.Share my success and let you know I am alive and well.
Theer is much to share but time issues are massive.
Just keep chiecking me out.......gnna try for some more posts over the next few days!

100%

More later but for those of you who were keen to know I got 100% in my point location exam! Yehaw!
Okay study to do for the next 5 ! More when I come up for air!

Flowers from a friend!

Thank you H
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Point of the Matter

Hello there everyone.
Firstly sincere apologies to those who are awaiting an email.Its just not going to happen in the next couple of weeks! I have a heap of exams coming up already and I am extremely focused on those.I spend at least an hour of my day fretting about my lack of contact with the outside world and I do apologise for this! There will be some time coming soon!
My first exam is on Tuesday and its 50% of my fnal mark of the semester and is a pre req to the next subject.So the pressure is on. Its point location.I have learnt over 100 points and can identify how to find them on the body. Its been a challenge but this will be my bread and butter and so along with that its been highly enjoyable.It will be my first exam for a very long time so I am wondering how I will cope in this environment!
Think of me at 6.30 pm Ozzie time !
Ill be thinking of you!
Ciao for now

Birthday Cheesecake!

 
I got a birthday cake this year! Hoorah! With candles and everything! If there is one thing about being with Family they sure know how to make you feel special! I opted for the cheesecake version! Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyy! We had a lovely evening out and finished of the evening with a cock sucking cowboy.
For those of you not in the know this is a shooter with butterscotch schnapps on the bottom and baileys on the top! Quite divine and very sweet!
Okay birthday celebrations are over for this year...... promise! Now whats next??? Ah yes Christmas! Hmmmmmmmm.........better get that list off to santa! 

Characters

 
Just thought I would post this pic! I have just had the ingenious idea of writing down my chinese characters on my white board and then taking a picture of them and putting them up on my computer as a screen saver! Quite a fabulous idea for constant reminding.
I am really enjoying Chinese.Its not so much speaking but more learning the characters and being able to apply them to meridians on the body and some other health related subjects.I am sure it will be even more fantastic when I head to china in 3 years and practise in a clinic environment.........the only problem being that if you dont use it you lose it! Hmmmmmmm extra study coming up I think! It takes me a while to memorise these.......lots of repetition........Each week I get about 20-25 to learn which doesnt sound alot but on top of everything else its challenging! Its not something you can hazard a guess at either! You know it or you dont! All my Tokyo friends will know that!
Oh and by the way foot is feeling much better ...........sore still but I can walk without a limp now! Hoorah! 

Hoppy birthday

Man.........me and birthdays! Will my friends ever hear about the cruisey lovely day I have had!?
Sorry guys! Again this year was jinxed! Although I have to admit that Family friends and others were quite fabulous.
I spent my day in hospital laid up in A and E with a sprained ankle!
6hours waiting for an xray .In tears because of low blood sugar! (they told me I was nil by mouth until they were sure they werent going to operate.)Wishing that I was sipping vodka cocktails somewhere other than the white sterile walls of a hospital.

How it happened you may ask??? No No I wasnt drunk at 12.30 pm but rather keen to ask my lecturer a question when she called the break .Having been sitting for an hour and a half my foot had gone to sleep .So when I jumped up my foot just curled under my leg and I went tumbling after it! What a site! Dropping in front of 40 students tot he sound of an almighty crackingin my foot! I wont forget that noise for a while~!
Fortunately for the quick wittedness of my lecturer we had ice and compression bandage within 5 minutes and was escorted down the stairs by 2 lecturers! The all know me now!
Anyways to cut a very long and boring story short I am fine! 48 hours of rest ,ice ,elevationa nd Nurofen and all will be well!

Commonwealth

We have the Commonwealth games here in Melbourne!
Last night on the way to the bus stop after college I saw some beautiful fireworks! I later found out that on ground level they had people dressed up as Koalas on rollerskates with Fireworks ejecting from little backpacks ! What fun!
For me the Commonwealth games hold little attraction especially as my workload is huge! Where it does hold a heap of attraction is in the legs!~
I love legs ! Loooooooooooooooooooong legs! Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.There seem to be alot of those around at the moment and provides me with some wonderful eye candy!
It also seems like everyone in the city has pulled out their sports gear and prancing around in the latest addida and nike (Yawn)
Tickets to go have been vastly overpriced and havent been selling and I keep getting comments like Ha! We won and you didnt! What they dont seem to understand is that I couldnt give a flying toss and although I am sometimes competitive its either on a very oersonal level or in a fun jaunty way when choosing a team to support in a pub televised game........I am about as patriotic as flea !!!
Oh and if anyone was thinking of forgetting! Its my birthday next week! I would have given you several months notice but I am bogged under!

Happy Birthday Benji!

 
Today Benji is 1!
Happy Birthday beautiful! I have a tuna cake all ready and waiting! So happy to say goodbye to last year and all that it was! Phew! 2 is gonna be better!As long as he stays away from those pesky but oh so cute devil sounding ,sleep preventing ,smelly Possums!Which he doesnt! 

Overstimulated,Over anxious and Over the moon!

 

WOW!
I am coming up for my third week of Uni.Where did the time go........?
Thats a rhetorical question as I know exactly where the time has gone!
Unlike the j-ster who has a more relaxed shedule,I have the work load from hell.Its a full time commitment and then some.As I havent studied for a while I am sure that my time mangement has been a little off and the very fact that my brain hasnt responded immediately to its current demands hasnt helped but I am doing it! I get up every day and am studying by 10.I finish usually at 10,but the brain keeps on going!
Its like learning 7 new languages.In fact the language unit that I am doing which was my most daunting has so far been the easiest.Its only about memory an there are no concepts to get my head around which make it easier.
I guess right now my hardest challenge is Chemistry.We are doing degree level Chem moving onto Biochemistry.It just aint my thing and I have tried all sorts of things to get my head in a good place about it but coupled with a schedule change and a teacher from hell it hasnt helped.It has on the other hand made me seek other forms of learning other than the classroom and I have found some wonderful sites with very ineractive and visual activities to help me!
Its 9 am on a saturday and I am starting the day with Ionic,Covalent and Coordinate bonding! Yai me with my big coffee in hand!
I am slowly starting to make connections with other students although my social life is not a priority at the moment.With exams looming in 6 weeks that weigh in at 50 % of the final grade my focus lies there but I am trying to start a study group with other students on my course.So my social life may come in the form of study!ITS WONDERFUL and I am enjoying all my new knowledge and applying myself.

So if you havent heard from me in a while its because I am studying and not because I am not thinking of you. 

PIN YIN

Yi

Er

San

Si

Wu

Liu

Qi

Ba

Jiu

Shi

Thats all for now folks!

Body Slam

I cant believe it.I had wonderful visions of a nice relaxing weekend doing nothing and just feeling chilled and prepared for my first day at College tommorow.
They say you have to be careful of what you ask for or you just might get it! They say you have to be specific.I guess I wasnt specific enough in my askings.
It started Friday night at 10.30.I felt dizzy.Then I felt hot .Then I felt cold.Then I started to sweat a cold sweat.Then my body started to turn a little red.Then I vomited VIOLENTLY in the restaurant toilet 3 times.Then I had to make my excuses(after thoroughly cleaning the only toilet they have) and dash home where I continued to vomit until 5.30 in the morning.I am now plagued with a very upset tummy and the energy level of a sloth.Yes,I had a weekend where I could do nothing except lie on the sofa curled into a ball with nausea sweeping through me and the very frequent rushings to the bathroom.Hell.I dont feel happy.Perhaps it was something I ate .Perhaps it is some sub concious stress about everything.Perhaps I am finally letting go af the past and the grief.I dont know.I just hope that I feel a little more refreshed for tomorow.

Hoorah for feet!

 
Hoorah! I have a job! Its a source of reliable cash flow for the time being.It does mean that I have to work a few nights a week but hell I'm a student now and thats what a sudent has to do!
I got really lucky and am working in a high class Italian restaurant just a 5 minute walk away!
I am working at a BMW function on Wednesday........could be fun!
I havent worked in the hospitality Industry for a long time and swore when I got out of it that I would never go back.Needs must! But I have to admit its great exercise, but my feet! Oh my god I had completely forgotton to remember that working a busy restaurant floor is a killer for the tootsies! It didnt help that my feet have either grown or my shoes shrunk! One must never under-estimate the importance of taking care of the feet! Peppermint Lotion is firmly placed on bedside table from now on! So well done me! Another hurdle leaped and am firmly on my way to saving for next years college fees! 

Ask and ye shall recieve...........

 

A study at Yale found that only 3% of students had written goals.Twenty years later the same 3% were wealthier than the other 97% combined.

I am a great believer in setting intention. Wherever your mind lies,your thoughts from day to day ,your priorities ,thats where you will find yourself.

Somewhere along the line I set a goal to Study Acupuncture and now here I am about to embark on this.It didnt just fall into my lap.I didnt just open my eyes one day and say "HEY! Im off to Oz to follow this path" It was something I had in my mind for a long time .Something I intended for years.It didnt happen for years because I placed the priority low on my list behind Travelling,Relationship and earning money.
As soon as I made it my priority it became like a river flowing from its source out into the ocean of action.The rest as they say is history .

I have been focusing alot on this equation recently. Its become a priority in my life to set my intentions.To put it out there and make clear to myself what I want to achieve in the following year. I made a list of achievable goals.I wrote then out in bright colours and stuck them on my wall.I read them every day.
Its my list.They are my personal goals and I know without a shadow that I will achieve all that I set out to do this coming year.
Already I am getting results.
My question is :
How many of you out there have done the same???
How many of you have actually sat down and written out your goals and made them concrete in your mind?
Its so easy to have vague goals .Then I guess what happens in your life is kinda floaty and vague.
By writing them down you are really telling the world around you and more importantly yourself that this is what you will achieve.I can do this.
It seems so simple.I guess it is.Its just as humans we like to complicate things.
Buddha says it.
The bible says it.
The koran says it.
Ask and Ye shall recieve! 

Taking the baton.......

Thanks to J-ster and Missin I have taken the Flickr baton.Actually I took it awhile back and completely forgot about it!!
Anyways there is a fancy pants badge at the bottom of this page which circulates through picture that I have stored! Take a peek! Hey you may even be able to click on the badge and see them big size!
I have to fly as I have a job trial! Wish me luck!
I am getting wealthier each day!

Just to affirm

I have often thought over the short life of this bundle of love that he is more like my perfect man than a fluffy little companion.
He sleeps with me at night purring away with content.He sits with me when I sick.He makes me laugh when I am down.He is loyal and has never been unfaithful to me (although he did come home smelling of perfume the other night.......)He kisses me in the morning and the evening and all through the day.There is no doubt that he loves me. He constantly checks in in the space of the day.Hes well travelled and fit. He is gentle and protective when needed.He is playful and sexy in a sleek agile way!He looks into my eyes often.
Why wouldnt you want a man like that???
My suspicions about him being the feline version of my perfect man tha other day were confirmed when he took the kids to playgroup!
He walked the 10 minute journey with the children.Hung out with all the other children on a table,entertained them and then came back again!
Gorgeous~!

The web that has no Weaver

Its the start ! The beginning of the journey that I have had my heart set on for many years! Feel free to join me on my journey and learn a little bit about Chinese medicine along the way!
So finally I have a booklist and now a few books to read through before my start date on the 27th of this month!
So far my readings have told me this much.I am studying something that is congruent with my own beliefs!


In order to contract,
It is necessary to first to expand.
In order to weaken,
It is necessary first to strengthen.
In order to destroy,
It is first necessary to promote.
In order to grasp,
It is first necessary to give.

Chinese Medicine works very much on the theory of Yin and Yang. The harmonies of nature and those within ourselves.The inevitability of our lives.The darkness of night and the light of day.The patterns from birth to death.The patterns of the seasonal year. A pattern that operates within us and without and is seen in everything and will continue wether we like or not!Thus the web that has no weaver!

My first semester is very foundation based .I will have 7 subjects. Biology,Chemisry,Muscular Skeletal Anatomy,Chinese language,Point location,History and Philosophy of Natural Medicine and Philosophy of Chinese Medicine.
Sp far I have been very clever with my book searching and found my most important book on ebay.Paying a grand 100 dollars less than I should have!
The books being very specialised are expensive,there are some I need, some I can refer to and some I can paw over in the library.So with 3 weeks to go several books bought I am getting the old grey matter up and running!

I do have a concern though........I am wondering what my other college friends will think when I start humming twinkle twinkle little star in the middle of a chemistry lecture.

My world

 

This is my closest beach! Its in St .Kilda and its young and funky and cosmo! Just a short 5 minute walk from here is a gorgeous little esplanade full of sweet bars and restaurants.For those of you who know me well you can imagine my joy at such a venue. Melbourne has it all.I love it here.I cant imagine my life without a beach in it.I am working on a my dreams in many ways .At the moment my dream house is near to the beach with a backdrop of lush green behind.Fantasy?? Not here!
So, when the study gets too much I can hop onto the #96 tram for a brief 10 minutes and then watch the sunset and the sailing boats cruise on by ,pop up to the esplanade and sit with a coffee and watch the world go by or stick my nose into a chinese philosophy text book 

The mouth of babes..............

I just had to blog this.........

Since my arrival in Australia I have been trying constantly to get an idea of what the twins make of me.I always think that the very young have interesting and insightful views!

Today at long last I got a reply to make question.

Sarah: Do you love your Auntie Sarah?
Benjamin: I love Auntie Sarah.
Sarah: Whats your favourite thing about Auntie Sarah?
Benjamin: ERM............(loooooooooooooooong pause..........)
Sarah:Whats your most favourite thing about Auntie Sarah Benj?
Benjamin : Rainbow sky!
Sarah: Stunned silence(dissipates onto the floor in a puddle).

We have no idea where he got that from or why,but me likey!

The Summer!

That was all in a week!It doesnt even include the week we spent in Adelaide with Jo! Phew! We had fun!&> 
Well Helen conquered Melbourne and Adelaide! as did I! We had a fabulous time! We discovered many places where they serve free sparkling wine for a couple of hours.we discovered that Melbourne has a Museum that is not one you can whizz half heartedly around in an hour and 3/4.We played Lesbian lovers (sort of) at the Gay and Lesbian Festival.We sought out Tattoo parlours for the green star that Helen has elegantly placed in the small of her back.We sipped spritzers on the southbank and watched the world go by in the sunshine.We shopped til we dropped.We found that when you really need a hat you cant find one ANYWHERE.We played in Luna park.We dipped our toes in the warm water of St.Kilda beach.We took a ride along the river in the evening sun.We agreed that 43 degrees is a tad too hot to do anything outside! We jaunted through the St.Kilda Markets.Had dinner with live sax playing down the street.Champagne birthday breakfasts with muffins and candles and last but by no means least went to the Melbourne Open to watch a few games of Tennis in the Rod Laver Arena.
That was all in a week!It doesnt even include the week we spent in Adelaide with Jo! Phew! We had fun! 

The culprits

 
 

The limit of my patience..........

I have to admit that I have discovered the hardest job in the world.It pushes your limits ,it has the longest hours going,its full of stress and terrible smells,it has laughter,tears and an emotionsl rollercoaster that would put Disney out of business.Its noisier than standing next to a thumping speaker at any concert.
Anyone guess what it might be yet???
Well its motherhood..........
I thought teaching children for 4 years was the greatest insight into having kids but I was wrong.You can give them back at the end of an hour.You are in a contained area,there is only so much damage that can be done.
Here, right now living with my Aunt and Uncle(god bless thier souls) and the twins has been an eye opener.It stats from the moment they wake until they drop off to sleep.Its filled with noise,discipline(which inevitably goes unheard ,or should I say ignored)constant dilligence and enough energy to run a fucking marathon.
There is a constant battle to set limits and teach them right from wrong(ha! Thought I would be really good at this one!)But yesterday saw me reacht he limit of my patience.Its a collective experience when you lose it.Its not the actual event itself that causes you to pop your cork,more the build up of constant wearing down of your tolerance!
Yesterday I resorted to a 5 minute tantrum that was apparently funny to watch .
We are teaching the boys not to pull tails ....cat tails to be more precise.Its not going well.We often find them squealing with delight at dragging the cat half way round the house by his tail.Yesterday it was a little more of an onslaught with the puss being ambushed by corn on the cob being hurled at high speed through the air in his general direction.Poor Benji.......this came after a full on day of "no" , "dont do that" , and shouting to be heard. The cob was the the cork. I take the cob which is lying onthe floor next to the abused puss and hit the boys on the head with it,smack the cat and chase him half way round the house because he wont quit trying to scratch down the fly screen and scream like a frenzied dervish,then sit quietly back to dinner slug half my bucket of wine down and watch my aunt crying with laughter.
You know what though? As much as it is challenging it is also so rewarding and the laughter was fabulous!
I am taking the day off today.Lucky me.But I have to pay special homage to the Mother in this post.WELL FUCKING DONE! You are all angels and saints of the highest order.I aspire to be at some point of my life a Brilliant Mum.I just will need to curb the cob throwing discipinarian tendencies though.

Presence and Radiance

As alot of you know 2005 was a challenging year. It was very mountainous and sometimes I didnt feel like I was going to summit.
November saw me summit and start making my way down to base camp. Back to safety and back to the warmth.Summiting was as I guess it can be,an achievement.The coming together of so many things.Alot of hard work.Alot of emotional investment.At times I thought I didnt have the energy to get there.It would have been easier to lie down and just let the winds of everything around consume me.I made it though and feel that I left behind a piece of myself up there on my analogical mountain.As I said I am at base camp now and ready to start on a new adventure witht he experience of the last tucked in my knapsack of experience.
Its a valuable experience when you suffer.I know many that will avoid it.Not feeling brave enough to conquer that which they fear the most,but suffering is a way to your self.It is only through suffering that we truly can understand ourselves,can feel the boundaries of our being and reach out further and gain real acheivment for that which we have done.
So with this in my mind I went searching for a little enlightenment on the core of relationship. I have been tangling through these questions for some years now.What are they ?How are they supposed to be? When are they right? When are they not? When is it time to discard the relationship because it has reached its sell by date? When is enough ,enough? Some might say if you truly love enough is never.You stick together ,work things out .Value what life is showing you together as 2 beings tripping along and embrace what gifts you have together.
But someone said something to me while I was away that touched me more than any formula that I have encountered to date.

Presence and Radiance

The woman needs presence
The male needs radiance

Without one the other cannot exist .

I discovered that I lacked presence in my life and therefore found it hard to radiate and vice versa.Its a chicken an egg situation. This made alot of sense to me. So I am seeking presence.A someone to BE with me. Not necesarily in person but most definately in spirit.
What also occured to me is that this doesnt mean relationship outside of oneself but also within,where masculine and feminine both reside.Perhaps I need to be a little more present for my feminine side and allow her to BE too.
So I step into the New Year with a focus and alot of goals feeling cleansed and happy.I have the occasional reoccuring nightmare that I am still working on but asides from that the future is now for my reinvention!

Ah the beauty of fiddling!

 

This is my interpretation of last night and the view from the Botanicals! Me thinks its pretty! 

Red sky at night

 

Melbourne is a green city! Its beautiful!
Yesterday I went out with some friends to the botanical gardens for a picnic.This was the sunset. It was a 9pm sunset! I love that there is so much daylight and so much time to enjoy the beauty of it here.Lots of green soft grass to plonk your feet into,roll around in and drink fine wine on picnic blankets with!
Walking to the Botanical Gardens was so lovely.I passed 2 other parks and walked along the Yarra River! Oh its expansive and quite quite different from cement Jungle of Tokyo.Think I am going to like it here 

Flora and Fauna faux pas

I forgot about all the deadly things they have in Australia.The last time I was here I encountered many.There was the Tiger Snake (2nd most deadly in the world),the redback(highly poisonous and deadly to the weak and young),the funnel-web (extremely deadly-15 minutes to death has been recorded),the white tail spider (supposedly very toxic with some reporting gangrene and ulcers in the area bitten. The Taipan (the most deadliest in Australia).
This time I am a city dweller so I was imagining that it would be a little more relaxed in terms of fearing for my welfare but I was wrong.Here in Melbourne we have the Redback and the white tail,and in the countryside we do have snakes.I hasten to add that we also have a new species which I discovered all by myself on a sunny day in the garden.
It was late afternoon and I was picking up a towel which was sprawled on the lawn and to my horror something grabbed my finger and didnt let go.This resulted in several frenzied leaps around the garden.The symptoms of at this point unidentified deadly 'thing' were raised heart beat,approximately 140 per minute, wild and loud squeals involuntarily escaping from the vocal areas,need to urinate,and wild imaginings of lost limbs.I think perhaps it had a slight hallucinagenic venom.
Suggestions to all who come into contact with afore mentioned 'thing' sit down and relax with our head between your legs.Recovery time-10 minutes.Shame factor 10/10.
This new Australian species is now known in our house as the Lesser known Grape stalk and is to be avoided with great care.Please advise if any one else has any stories to share of above .I think I am on to something.

Some of the gang

Lloyd so lovely



Sarem The Great



Sarah and Michael with my giraffe balloon bottle holder

Christian