Tuesday, April 4, 2006

'Ship builder in the America's, ancient times, people settle South America, and he decides to explore north? Possible drawing of inspiration from Eric the Red' [Random story idea written in the train]
While on the train I listen to my music [whether Triple J radio on my phone, or my mp3's on my MuVo] and peruse my notes. Generally it's a 15-25 minute period that I have to myself and I can really think or chill out.

For example, after my late shifts, I crank up the music and really contemplate where I'm at. I'm too tired to bother understanding the importance or significance of chemolithotrophs*, so I start to think about what I can do to improve myself or my attitude. Generally this time is spent reading my scriptures or [as is the case with my current subject quote], I think of my story ideas and development. Currently the back of my Physiology lecture notebook has about 2 or 3 pages of notes on SYF and PHT. These aren't the major plot ideas, but rather various little things that act as delicious morsels along the way.

Quite a few fun PHT things [most of which won't pop up for a while] is currently in there, along with quite a sombre PHT moments. I can't say much that I haven't said before, but suffice it to say that my Physiology notebook could very well act as a tiny little almanack of baby-author-Liam goodness. A handful of ideas for other stories [or current ones, remember Loaded and Eden?] have been written in there also. As I go along I'll decide which ones I can declassify and put up here without spoiling too much.

Anyhow, apologies once again for my absence. I have been rather busy with work and university. I have a Microbiology exam on Friday, Biochemisty Prac Exam Tuesday, and Cell+Molecular Biology and Physiology exams on Thursday of next week.

I do know my stuff, but I do not feel that I have an unshakeable foundation of knowledge on all of those subjects. I have developed an understanding, but this little things escape me sometimes. [ie: Tetrodotoxin is the toxin isolated from the puffer fish, it prevents the generation of action potentials by blocking the flow of Na+ into the cell]

So yes. I have the knowledge in my head, but it needs a little prompting to get it pop up and be clear. The important thing here is that I absolutely love it, all of it. I mean, I start to nod off in my lectures because of my late shifts, but I kick myself afterwards for being so slack. All of this knowledge is absolutely fascinating and I'm a little overwhelmed that I'm actually participating in all of this stuff, and that people actually look to me as being a valid source of information.

It's kind of weird, I know. It feels petty to say it, but I honestly enjoy people coming to me and asking me to check their answers or understanding of a topic. During highschool I was the loser that had to ask for help all the time because I understood naught, generally I relied on Harley and Mark to be the smart ones and help me out when I stumbled.

Crazy how things change.

I mean, the other week I was wandering aimlessly around the careers fair, and Masood [Bahcelor Medical Science, 2nd year] came up to me and dragged me over to a booth or two. I got talking to the girl at ACPFG [Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics] and she quite happily handed me her card and told me to look her up in third year for advice on my electives or for a possible placement in the company.

Masterfoods seemed promising also, but I'd have to specialise in biochemistry and organic chemistry. The idea of working for the company just gives me an incredible rush, [I'd have to move to Wodonga NSW or Ballarat VIC, but they'd pay for all that], but I find biochemistry to be more of a tool than a life choice.

What was my point?

Right right. It seems that I have valid career choices in my life if I decide not to go through with medicine.


Somedays it just hits me how much I've really grown up in the past year and a half. Living away from home on my own paycheck, studying a university degree, looking at professional job prospects...iono...it's all a bit overwhelming. I feel like such a geek, because I just keep thinking of myself in highschool and what a dork I was when it came to the learnin'

Another harrowing thought is that people [ie: my brother] actually are looking up to me and using me for a role model. I don't think I've ever been used as a role model, to my knowledge. I just seemed to look up to others and think, "wow, I wish I was as good as them at this."

Now, at university, the playing field has dropped away and I've got nothing but myself to draw on.

Growth factor +2.

All that aside now

So I went back to the musical at Downlands [it's becoming a tradition now], and it impressed me. It certainly made up for last year's "Sherwoodstock" and the year before that's "Divorce me Darling," I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were ups and downs, but it ended up on a positive.

The definite highlight of the evening was seeing some of the peeps again, and needless to say that Katy and I almost smothered each other in love. It'd been a long time since I'd seen my lovey, and it was just a wonderful experience to see her again. ^_^

Blair has grown so much, and I'm terribly proud of him. He only has 2 more years of highschool yet, and that's just crazy how quickly time has passed. He seems honestly happy now, and from the looks of things he is the darling of the musical department. Mrs Timbs and the other musical teachers gushed to me how wonderful he is, and it's so good that he's grown up and found his niche.

[I'm also very, very, slightly perplexed/jealous that the first thing most teachers said when they saw me was how great Blair is going, lol. It's okay, the looks of fear and awe showing in the young'uns eyes as I wandered around the music department made up for it ^_~]

~~

I've been perusing the boards more and more now, and I even posted a few times [shock! Horror!] in some threads that interested me or just struck a chord with me. One thread I didn't post in was "Your Religion" or whatever the title was. I remember the day when I was *bam* stuck my hand up in there and said quite happily "I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, (I'm a Mormon)"

But now I'm more...well, not bitter...but wary of doing that. I looked at the post [and searched back previous topics on religion], and found myself very much disheartened at how people reacted to the Church, my Church.

I mean, people have mentioned their Faiths and the members [unsurprisingly] generally responded with maturity, or at least avoided being offensive. Either way, very impressive considering the potential nastiness that can be unleashed on the internetz.

I noticed, however, that whenever my Church was mentioned, there was an automatic response of "it's all lies. They stole everything. Read this "anti-mormon literature.html" It's a stupid religion"

*sigh*

I would have responded, should have responded, but there isn't much point. From reading the posts, it all seemed very aggressive, like it was almost goading "us" to say otherwise.

I don't know, but reading people's opinions on it just breaks my heart. I should understand by now that people are entitled to their own opinion, especially in the freedom of the internet, but to say such things with an obvious lack of understanding or [empathy?]...it just left me depressed.

I'll never deny my faith, and I'll happily answer any questions asked of me, but I'm not sure I wan't to leap headfirst into those threads anymore.

Okay, one thing that irked me. Someone [deliberately not naming names here] mentioned that person x was a member and that they more or less really sucked, and by default their impression was that the entire church was filled with said sucky people.

I'm sorry, but that's just not true. That's like walking into a Woolies, [Best Buy *insert shop here*] and coming across a moody sales clerk, and automatically saying "I'm never associating myself here ever again. The service is apalling"

I'm sorry, but isn't it possible that it's that one person that is apalling? It may not be the entire customer service?

Sorry. I don't usually go on and on about religion here. It is myOtaku after all, I guess, so I'd distract you all with my feelings on the topic.

I was going to post something similar to this in the thread, but I didn't like the idea of starting something there that will leave me even more depressed.

I'll probably be mentioning a few more things about my Church in the coming weeks/months, depending how much time I have. This may be an indication to some of you to use your scroll mouse and skim a lot, lol, but it doesn't really matter. I'm putting it up there so people can understand how I really feel on the topic. It's more of a selfish thing than anything else, I guess, but I'll make it up to you in SYF goodness

*love*

~~~

C2

Rayvin I'd love a tropical nap. With holidays coming up, I'll hopefully be able to invest in some serious nappage on a beach somewhere. We all know [*glares and shakes fist* All! lol] that I have a variety of premier knowledge and sources on the topic of piratage, and I'm happy to delve into it whenever asked ^_^

Harley Yeah, fits in with our schedules. Mind you though, I wouldn't mind it moving slightly more quickly, lol.

Sere If he's been eaten, then he has a wireless internet connection with him, he mentioned a week or so ago that he'll endevour to post...so fingers crossed that it'll be soon.

RANDOM BONUS NOTE!

..isn't it crazy how PHT only has 4 replies, but over 200 views? That's an incredibly high ratio when you compare it to the other threads on that list..o.O;


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