Georgia's last.

Today was the last day we would have Georgia's company at uni (for a little while anyway!). I can't imagine what life at uni would be like without her. Being her last day, and the last day of semester, and we celebrated accordingly! 

For George. Good luck with everything! You will be sorely missed, until we meet again.

Two for the Road

Another couple of shots from my journey to and from uni today. It's not the most exciting ride, yet it never ceases to amaze.

Oranges and Lemons

Ever had one of those days were you just feel upset, for no apparent reason? Today was one of those days for me. It sucks, doesn't it?

I don't really like writing blogs about how I feel, and that describe my day, but today...I don't know, I'm just going to.

Those of you that have read my blog previously would know, I'm

really not a big fan at getting up at six in the morning, just to be at uni by eight. At that time of morning, the world is beautiful, and the world just feels so clean, but this morning was the first time in a while that I just didn't want to be awake.

As I sat on the bus I found it hard to concentrate on my book, Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell. It's a hard book to comprehend anyway, even without so much going on in my head. I can't imagine how hard it would be living in a society like the one in the book. If I were Winston, I would have been vaporised a long time ago. But, Winston battles through the tough times by hanging onto the little things; the diary, the glass paperweight, the rhyme. That's what I would need to do today.

Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St. Clement's,

You owe me five farthings, say the bells of St. Martin's.

I met Brooke on the bus, as I usually do. She always manages to cheer me up a little bit. She said she'd been up since 3am studying for the Algology test we had later that day, yet she was happy as ever. I'd gotten three more hours sleep than her, I didn't really feel I deserved to be feeling that groggy after the night she must have had.

After having a nice chat with Brooke, and meeting the rest of my friends for our usual 8am date with the Sneese (our lecturer is called Ms. Sneesby, how great is that?), I was feeling a lot better. I even got 79% in my Quantitative Biology test, along with my good friend Alex. But as soon as the euphoria of that wore off, for reasons unbeknownst to me, I was back to feeling miserable again.

Brian, our Invertebrate Animals guy, gave us the stupidest lecture today. I had no idea what was going on, so I'm not going to bother trying to explain it (it involved something to do with Fintan, Mel, and 'Homo Stupidous'). Then he tried to convince everyone I came from Indonesia, just because I told him that my father is part Dutch.

'Art' I did in invertebrates.

Not even did an injection of Nicola, Brammo and various hilarious youtube videos (sneaking cat included!) could make me feel any happier, and those things always make me feel happier!

The highlight of my day was probably the Algology lecture. After we had gotten the test over and done with, it was really nice just to relax and spend some time with some quality people. Guys like Kenny, Fintan, Synge, Ant, Alex, Mel, Lina, Dan, Georgia and Simon are always great to be around. Jacob, our lecturer, was also in a happy mood!

Have a Rhodoriffic day!

Unfortunately, Georgia seemed to be a bit upset after the lecture, which reminded me of the somber mood I was supposed to be in. Speaking of which, I guess I was in one of Georgia's tired moods (just not as crazy, and actually tired. Nothing against you George, love you!). On the way home, I almost fell asleep multiple times reading my perplexing book. It was a long ride home.

I guess this story doesn't really have a point, except that sometimes, no matter how much fun you should be having, no matter how many friends you have to make you smile, no matter how brave a face, or how fake a smile you put on, sometimes, you just can't change the way you feel inside. Oh well, at least Australia's Next Top Model was awesome tonight!

Three of the best.

My top 3 favourite episodes of Lost ever:

3. Season 3, Episode 1: A Tale of Two Cities.

Such a good episode, not as much for it's advancement of the plot, but for complete all-round effect. The acting from all involved was top class, especially the Ben - Kate breakfast scene. The music was heart wrenching and the scenery was absolutely stunning. The opening 5 minutes were some of the best the show has ever produced.

"Something nice to hold on to"

2. Season 4, Episode 11: Cabin Fever.

Very close, in my opinion, to being the best hour of Lost ever made. It has the perfect mix of telling flashbacks, great on-island action, a bucketload of fantastic acting and plenty of Keamy just killing stuff.

"You can't be the quaterback"

1. Season 2, Episode 23: Live Together, Die Alone.

This episode is not only thrilling but I hold it close to my heart, and is just typical Lost. What can I say really? I just adore Desmond, I love the on-island hatch flashbacks, and the cliffhanger...the final scene where the guys in the ice station contact Penny Widmore, you just can't put into words how brilliant it was!

"Miss Widmore, I think we've found it!"

So there you have it, my top 3 all time favourite episodes of Lost. 

Episodes that didn't quite make the cut: S1E04: Walkabout, S1E23: Exodus, S3E20: The Man Behind the Curtain, S3E22: Through the Looking Glass, S4E09: The Shape of Things to Come.

(All images courtesy Lostpedia.com)

Always next year.

Well, it's 2:12am on sunday morning, it's ten degrees, and I've just watched my beloved Chennai Super Kings go down to the Bangalore in the semi-final. It's a hard loss to swallow, because, not only did we not make the final, but I really, really hate the Royal Challengers.

It's been a good year for the IPL. Something about it made it much more exciting than IPL 2008. Whether it is the new scenery, new influx of exciting and inventive players or just the quality of the cricket, I'm not entirely certain. I do, however, know that I am up in the wee hours of the morning following my team to the end.

Unfortunately, the CSK couldn't quite pull it off tonight, but as they say, there's always next year.                              

(Image courtesy cricinfo.com)                                                         

Joke's on you.

I found this written on one of the urinals at uni. I thought it was very amusing.

The Heavens Open

A huge frontal system moved over Perth last night. Subsequently the weather here has been appalling. It's the worst I've seen it in four years. The heavens absolutely opened up at around midday today, and it's been incredibly cold and windy ever since. 12 mm of rain has fallen in the last 24 hours, the dam capacity in Perth has doubled in that time. That kind of gives you an idea how much rain we have had this year; not much!

I guess we needed this rain, we always need rain here in sunny Perth. Unfortunately, this weather just makes me feel like curling up in bed and drifting off to sleep. But alas, I have an algology lab report to write.

Symonds says, you're out!

Andrew Symonds was left out of the 16 man touring party for the 2009 Ashes series announced today. Younger allrounders Marcus North, Andrew McDonald and Shane Watson were all preferred over the 33 year old Queenslander. 

Andrew Hilditch, chairman of selectors of Cricket Australia discussed the selectors' reasoning: "I suppose Andrew Symonds and Shane Watson were competing for the same spot." Hilditch said. "I would class them both as batters who give us quality overs at their best, but on this occasion Shane has been preferred because in the selectors' view he adds great balance to the team."

"Shane was in extremely good form before his minor injury and in addition he gives us quality pace bowling and he's capable of batting anywhere in the top six. We think he's a very good selection for the Ashes tour."

Pundits are now saying that Symonds' test carreer is all but over, although both Hilditch and captain of the Australian team Ricky Ponting have thrown their support behind the big hitting allrounder.

On a personal level, I think the non-selection of Symonds is a mistake, and the reasons given by Hilditch are unjustified. Andrew Symonds has been in fantastic form in the IPL, and will have played more cricket than North, McDonald and Watson leading up to the first test in July. Symonds also adds more balance to the side than any of the three allrounders, plus is one of the finest fielders in world cricket.

Nathan Hauritz is the only spinner in the squad, and with Bryce McGain not having his Cricket Australia contract renewed, it seems Hauritz has booked a permanent spot in the Australian line-up.

The other surprise selection is that of South Australian wicketkeeper Graham Manou, who will travel with the squad as a back up to Brad Haddin.

Australia's 16-man Ashes squad: Ponting (c), M. Clarke (vc), Katich, Hughes, M. Hussey, Haddin, North, Johnson, Lee, Hilfenhaus, Siddle, S. Clark, McDonald, Manou, Hauritz, Watson (if fitness permits)

6am

I can't say I'm a huge fan of waking up at 6am on tuesday mornings, but I must admit, the world sure is pretty at that hour.

Chris' 15 Man Ashes Squad

Hughes, Katich, Ponting (c), M. Hussey, M. Clarke (vc), Symonds, Haddin (wk), Johnson, Lee, Hauritz, Hilfenhaus, Siddle, North, Watson, S. Clark.

I said maybe...

you're gunna be the one that saves me...

Today I witnessed the power of music at it's beautiful best. I was sitting in the Curtin tav with some of my closest friends, chatting and laughing away when suddenly, Wonderwall by Oasis started playing. There was just complete silence as the first few chords came through the speakers above our heads. And then, just as soon as it started, the silence was broken by quiet hum of voices, all singing in unison. Everybody in the whole building was singing along.

cause after all, you're my wonderwall...

Everyone at our table just looked at each other, and we all simply watched each other sing. All I could do, as I sat there and sung along, was to think about all the memories that came with that beautiful song. It was just one of those moments in life that sends shivers down your spine. That, although the moment only lasted a matter of minutes, it seemed to last a lifetime. It's a moment I wont soon forget.

No pain, no Nandos

Dear Reader,

It's only been 7 days since we started. It feels like we've been doing this for months. Everywhere I look I see beautiful women. They follow me through every dark alley and around every corner. I'm not sure if my mind is playing tricks on me or not, but the other day I started thinking about one of my lecturers in a way of which I had never thought of her before. This is hard.

They say everything gets tougher before it gets easier.

The first few days it was fine. I was coping. The sun was shining and I could feel it's warmth on my skin. I was cheery, and chatty. Life was good.

Then the pains started. 

Two nights ago to be precise. Since then I've felt like a balloon that has been filled with too much air, ready to pop at any moment. And I feel cold, very cold. The world is grey and icy, the wind bites and gnashes at my very soul. The earth seems like a darker place now. I'm angry and frustrated all the time. I'm bottling it up inside me, afraid one day I might crack and take all my frustration out on an innocent bystander. I'm frightened. I'm sick.

The other day Georgia said she would give us $40 if we went through with it for another week. Syngeon and I said we would go to Nandos to celebrate the gargantuan feat. But that's still another week away. Another 7 long, hellish days. Another 7 days of anger and cold. This better be worth it.

The Island Hotel, lost but never forgotten.

Okay, so here's something you may not know about me. You know those forums where you can go online and discuss your favourite TV show with other passionate fans? Well once upon a time, I was part of the Yahoo7 Lost message boards community, and I'm damn proud of it.

Now, I know what you are thinking, and yes, it is a very nerdy thing to do. Well guess what? I am a nerd, so deal. Looking back on it, remembering how many hours I must have spent discussing Lost and chatting with my friends, I do cringe a little. But by jeez, it was a lot of fun while it lasted.

The island hotel was was a thread in the 'Theories' section of the Lost forums, created by Tim (howyagoin666), where people could come on and discuss any topic they wanted. It was awesome! I met so many of my friends there. Tim, Paulo (lostbaggage), Kaylee (frekklz_08), Abby (emile_de_ravin_fan), Kelly (bubs_luvs_kelly), Brandon (nitro_phnx), Rach (Kezrach), Micro (micro_lost), Kyol (studzy8) and many, many more. We spent hours upon hours of our time there discussing Lost and other non Lost related subjects.

The island hotel was a wonderful, wonderful place. And the stuff that went on there was crazy. Like when Paulo started to like Abby (like, seriously like her). He had never even seen a picture of her before. There were randoms who started abusing us for being geeks, like "jazz_the_bear". There was some chick that wanted to be my "message boards girlfriend", and of course, there was the ongoing battle with our rival, the Island Retirement Village.

The IRV was a thread where the older members of the Lost message boards community got together and did pretty much the same thing as us. In fairness to Rach and the gang, they started the IRV first, and my word they did a fantastic job! The IRV revolutionised the way threads were set up, just like the way Lost revolutionised television. Every member of the boards wanted to create their own thread where they would get thousands upon thousands of posts. The IRV was the original, the god of all threads.

Well, I'm very, very sad to say that, after 3 years of hard work and dedication, on the 28th of April, 2009, the island hotel finally closed it's doors for good. 15,243 posts was the final count, more posts than any other thread that was ever created on the message boards. Sadly, the IRV was closed too. The two giants of the message boards past, build upon three years of dedication and determination, blood, sweat and tears, suddenly and silently came tumbling down. Never again will they cast their mighty shadows over the Yahoo7 Lost message boards, all that is left of them are distant memories.

This post is dedicated to all those who put so much of their time and determination into the island hotel and Island Retirement Village. They meant so much to so many. Lost, but never forgotten.

Selection Headaches

Two months out from the Ashes, the hunt is on for 11 players who can win the most important series on the Australian cricketing calendar.

The Ashes. It's the little urn that brings two countries to a standstill for 25 days of nail-biting cricket. It's every Australian kids dream, to walk out onto Lords in an Ashes match, with a green cap upon their head and watching Brett Lee or Mitchell Johnson steam into the crease.

Both sides have had heavily contrasting fortunes leading up to The Ashes. On one side of the coin you have England, battered and bruised and all at sea. Beaten by a far from world class West Indies outfit in the Caribbean and rifts and riots all throughout the administration. Australia on the other hand, travelled to South Africa to face a home side that was full of confidence and experience. It was the beginning of a new era; no McGrath, no Warne, no Gilchrist, Martyn or Hayden. No Brett Lee or Stuart Clark or Andrew Symonds. But the young Australians came out fighting and were victorious, affirming their position at the top of world cricket.

After scratching around at the bottom of the box for a bowling attack that would eventually become a huge success in the South African series, the selectors now have a whole group of fresh and experienced bowlers to choose from for the Ashes.

Six pacemen will be auditioning for a spot in the most exciting event on the cricket calendar. Only three, or if no spinner is opted for, four will get the job, and nothing separates the six as far as ability is concerned. Do Brett Lee and Stuey Clark instantly return to the side on merit of past performances alone? Hilfenhaus and Siddle deserve their spots in the line up alongside Mitchell Johnson after carrying a huge load on their shoulders in South Africa, but does that mean they can keep out the one of the greatest bowlers ever (Lee) and the guy that terrorised the English batsman in the last Ashes series (Clark)? And is there a spot for Doug 'The Rug' Bollinger in the side, who is quick and could swing the ball nicely in English conditions?

The next spot up for grabs that of the spinner. Will they ever trust the 36 year old leg spinner, Bryce McGain with the job again after being absolutely carted in his first game? Or will Nathan Hauritz, the baby faced off spinner from New South Wales that has been playing so brilliantly in the one day line up get the job? Both have their pros and cons, McGain is a classic leggy who, when on song is a witty and experienced campaigner who can give the ball a rip. But will he be able to hold his nerve if the batsmen go after him again? Haurtiz naturally doesn't spin the ball as much, but is accurate and gets massive amounts of drift in the air, plus is a more than handy lower order batsman and fielder. Or maybe the selectors will go with an all out pace battery and entrust the spinners job to part-timers like Clarke, North, Symonds and Katich who have done the job in the past.

And, of course, the final spot is that extremely vital and highly debated number 6 position. Required; one incredibly capable lower order batsman who can steady the ship or take the game away from the opposition, and can bowl some more than handy part time spin and/or pace. Can Marcus North do the job, who made a great century on debut in tough batting conditions and is more than handy off spin bowler? Or how about Andrew Symonds, who is experienced and can tear an opposition side apart with bat, ball or in the field? Or can Andrew McDonald fill the void, who finally proved his ability with the bat in the final test in South Africa and, of course is a fine, line and length medium pacer?

Throughout your lifetime, you don't get many opportunities to live your childhood dreams. Yet 11 lucky cricketers will get to do just that in a couple of months time. 11 places are all there are. 11 players will take the field in an Ashes test at the Mecca of cricket in July. And with a huge group of players all fit and ready to go, and with only a handful of 20/20 matches to prove their worth between now and then, start submitting your application forms now!

Wiggly what?

Today I saw something on TV that totally freaked me out. The wiggles were advertising their theme park section  in Dreamworld, and the voice over said: "Have a wiggly time!"

A wiggly time? WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN!?

Being Female

Past Chris says:

Monday the 8th of March, 2004. 

Dear Diary, 

If I were the opposite sex my life would be a lot different. I would probably care more about my looks eg. hair, make up, dress in the morning, have a half an hour/hour shower, then spend another half an hour in front of the mirror. But at first I would probably scream and I would have to get used to sitting on the toilet. I would not come to school in the morning or ever. I would be different because I would have to wear a bra and start thinking about periods. Having a higher voice would be different too. I would be better because I would be a better singer. It would be worse because I would have periods etc...

I DON'T WANT TO BE A GIRL!!!!!!!

5 years later, present Chris says: 

I'm sorry past Chris, but you are wrong my friend, very wrong. And I would like to present to you a counter proposal. Life would be so much easier if I were a girl. Sure, I would have periods and have to give birth and have serious PMS issues (worse than the PMS issues I have as a guy) but I would also have boobs. Boobs are gods gift to humanity. Guys are addicted to them, girls use them to use boys to their advantage. For example, if I were a girl and I had to pay full price for my bus fare because I forgot my concession card, I would 'accidentally' unbutton my top and the bus driver would do my bidding. Also, it is way easier for girls to get boyfriends and sex. All a girl has to do is let slip that she is 'lonely' and in an instant a multitude of guys would rush to her attendance. The same simply would not happen for a guy.

So there you go Past Chris you jerk! Present Chris 1, Past Chris 0.

The 21st Most Livable City in the World

Perth. Yes, you read correctly...the boring, quiet, non-trendy, slow, living in the past, small airported, no starbucksed, worst footy grounded, small theme parked, most beautiful city you may ever come across. 

The people that live here say it's 'crap'. They want to go and live in Melbourne or Sydney where the people wear scarfs and go to all the trendy cafes. Nothing interesting ever happens in Perth. 

But just for a moment, close your eyes and imagine yourself as a tourist coming from a cold foreign place. You look out the window of your Boeing 747. The warmth of the bright sun tinkers on the engines and the silver wing tip. The cloudless sky opens out into a blue infinity. On your right you see the vast Indian Ocean, stretching as far as the eye can see. On your left, another sea, this time of emerald green and red and brown, great expanses of forest and bush and desert. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Perth.

You take a walk by the river in South Perth. The unmistakable smell of sausages on a barbecue and the chinking of ice cold stubbies fill the air. The sights and smells and sounds of the great Australian culture fill the air. People of all different cultures sit around an esky listening eagerly to ABC radio the hear the footy score. Children run and laugh and play with the parents watching from a distance. A guy walks past and says "G'day!". It's something that just wouldn't happen back home.

Or maybe you head for the beach. It's been over 30 degrees for 4 days in a row. Isn't it supposed to be Autumn? You walk along the warm white sand that seems to stretch for eternity and beyond. Beautiful bronzed human beings of all shapes and sizes laze around without a care in the world. The water is an explosion of deep blues and greens and greys. You dive in. It's cooling, but not cold. You forget about the blazing hot sun, and lose track of time. You spend hours upon hours in the water, but it only felt like a few minutes. You lie on the sand, and drift slowly off to sleep...

Wake up! 

It was nice wasn't it? Perth might not be so bad after all huh? So next time you are driving through Freo or heading out to the Hills, or eating out in Leederville, just sit back and have a look around you. Appreciate the sights and the smells and the sounds. Because, afterall, of all the tens of thousands cities in the world, you live in the 21st best!