Friday, February 24

cupkatespace
First Day!
Well.. just as a nice start to uni life, Tahnee and I headed up to Bicheno when she finished work on Wednesday and spent 2 nights there. It wasn't brilliant weather but it was lovely to have a whole day with nothing to do but walk places, enjoy the day and read and eat! So we did! We stayed in my aunt and uncles' shack which is pretty nice though equally very 'shacky'! We went for a wander to the gulch (not far away) then through 'town' all the way along to the end of Redbill beach.
Anyway, the only bad thing was that we were going to stay till saturday but then uni O day meant being back by friday. So... we got up at the unearthly hour of 5:15, in order to leave by 6, getting us back to Hobart by about 8:13. In plenty of time to go to Dads, have a 2nd breakfast and then get dropped up the hill at the med sci building by Tahnee, ready to meet the masses. I actually knew a reasonably number of people - well at least 4, plus their friends, so I happily mangaed to chat to people and meet people.. and generally survive the day of introductory speeches about the new course, the TUU, TUMSS (high focus on social events with alcohol!) and all the rest! We got a tour fo the clinical school and the sandy bay campus and even admired the path museum - especially the ovary with teeth and hair growing inside! (well not anymore cos its in a jar.. but it grew...!)
So.. now the weekend, and O week is yet to come!

Tuesday, February 21

UNIque, UNIcorn, UNIntentional, UNIversal, UNImaginative, UNIon, UNIVERSITY.
It has begun.. well give or take a few days. The time of the year/my life when I get to be a uni student! Actually I don't start lectures till the 27th, which is also O week, but I have an orientation day on Friday. But I got my student ID card today so now I can prove that I am indeed a full time student. So I can't really reflect on firdt impressions yet... but when asked how I feel about starting, my usual answer so far is along the lines of excited, keen, slightly nervous but looking forward to having a good peer group. I have had a great 2 years gallivanting around the globe doing this and that, but I have sort of felt disconnected from people. Since being surrounded by people all through school I have sort of missed that. So haing a peer group should. And I know a couple of people in my year group already which is nice - even if one of them is a girl from my school year's little sister! But I'm not much older than them all anyway and who cares about age! So... now my last few days before study and I'm doing important things like car servicing, hair cut and 2 nights in Bicheno at my cousins shack because I can!

This morning I had to go into my old school to pick something up from the art room. It was in fact a print from my year 12 exhibition (ahem.. nov 2003!) that had been chosen for the Art Rage exhibition in TMAG of matric work. It took me this long to get aroudn to picking it up. The walking through my old school experience was a little odd - although it all seems just the same! There are lots of new teachers I didnt' recognise, and the students look bigger than last time I saw most of them.. if I recognised them at all! But I achieved my mission with no dramas and escaped only having to tell 2 teachers what 'I'm up to' this year!



The print I collected was the middle one of these. The one on the right is framed and on the wall by the computer here, and the other is still at school somewhere... when they find it they'll let me know so I can have it back!

Saturday, February 18


Extreme snowboarding. Well it wasn't quite dead flat! An that is daylight. Posted by Picasa

Martin and Kate in viking gear!  Posted by Picasa

Its snowing! Posted by Picasa

Ida and Kate in traditional (wooden!) Jamtland outfits  Posted by Picasa

And then we found a little house and had a rest! Posted by Picasa

Wheeeeeeeeeeee. Ok maybe I wasn't that fast, but it was good fun! Posted by Picasa

Fun in the snow in Ostersund (from December) Posted by Picasa

Myself and the cliffs of Moher, Ireland (more famous as the cliffs of insanity in the Priness Bride) Posted by Picasa

Blue fishing boats in Essaouira, Morocco... the postcard image!  Posted by Picasa

Friday, February 17

yucky needles


I have been very brave... well I thought so! On wednesday I had a blood test to check I have all the right antibodies before starting medicine at Uni and being exposed to all sorts of biological gremlins. I hate needles. Sadly, blood tests involve needles, and up to this point in my life I'd avoided blood tests by being healthy. I'm still healthy but it wasn't good enough it seems. Mum (handy doctor!) wrote the referral to pathology, and then because of my obvious reluctance to go anywhere near the place, she offered to come with me! I said I didn't want to go at all, but as that wasn't an option I she came with me. Luckily the lady was very nice and good at her job and it was quick.. and almost painless but not quite! Sadly there was one other test I had to go to town for - mantoux to check for TB antibodies. I turned up to pathology in town yesterday only to be told they don't do it on thursdays... as you have to return in 3 days time and they aren't there on sundays. So... today back AGAIN for what I thought was a scractch.. but no it was ANOTHER needle. And I got there and sat down before I realised... so I got to be brave again and look away and count... and then it was over! I got a bandaid to cover the little lump it made and to stop any bleeding. But I decided all these needles deserved jelly beans, so I stopped by a chemist and got some to take to visit Jac, my needle phobic friend who had also had reason to be punctured lately!

Aquatics Pictures

So first, the things you can and can't do in or with a sombrero. Yes we had one each... and apparently you can't kiss, or fly.... or ride the maypole... but you can drive over them with a ride on mower... (not pictured!)


Me and Josh....

The dress up night featuring 20s-50s had me stuck for what exactly to wear, but we all had da bit of fun swapping items, doing each others make up and hair... well the chick leaders did! And everyone else looked great. We had our last meal together for the camp and then cleared away the tables to let the swing dancing begin! Glenn and Mel showed us the moves as we did some practice dancing, swapping partners each time we learnt a new move. Then the time came for the DANCE-OFF!! Judges with no necessary skill whatsoever randomly tapped people on the should asking them to leave hte dancefloor. Techincally, leaders were supposed to be removed but somehow, Josh (shown with a lovely hat next to me.. a leader) and Maddy won the show!

And the whole lot of us, in charge for the week. We seemed to do ok, and despite a few broken boats (they don't float) no major injuries, sinkages or other catastrophes occured. (Of course me the sailor rescuing Glenn the kiyaker while I was in a kiyak and he was on the windsurfer was not a major incident... even when we swapped it was no good and we had to tow the windsurfer back with the sail across the board and the kiyak.. but thats nothing!)

Sunday, February 5

katespace

katespace
Another adventure in the life of Kate: Last weekend Tahnee, her boyfriend Andrew and I set off on an adventure. It started by spending a night at Andrew's parents house (where i remembered at midnight I'd left my wallet and phone at Tahnee's - so a late night trip with Andrew's dad to get it!) before a 7am trip to the airport for DeathStar flight to Melbourne. There we took our stuff to Tahnee's uncle's place before embarking on seeing the sights... or shops of Melbourne. We had a fun time shopping... I invested in some shoes, trousers, a skirt, 2 long sleeve tops and a bikini (a first for me!) over the afternoons shopping. As well as the spending spree, our other reason for being in Melbourne was the BIG DAY OUT! This is a 1 day music festival thingymajic in Princes Park in Melbourne as well as other locations around the place. We saw a whole bunch of bands including Faker, Youth Group, Sarah Blasko, Franz Ferdinand (although we had very obscured vision cos we were queueing to get into enclosed area in front of stage for next act) and the White Stripes which we were a few rows from the front for! It was a pretty hot day but we enjoyed the music as well as attempting to 'chill' in the shade of trees and tents and whatever we could find!

Wednesday, February 1

Aquatics

Last week from the 20th of January until Australia day (26th!) I was at 'Monty' - a camp site just south of here where I have spent quite a bit of time over my life. The reason for me subjecting myself to sleeping on vinyl mattresses in dorms with below average showers was a to be a leader on 'Aquatics' - a sailnig camp for year 9-12 students. The theme was "BIG" so we had some big games - giant volleyball with a fit ball, giant (3 legged) twister, giant Jenga etc. And being aqautics, of course we spent a good deal of everyday at the beach - swimming, kiyaking and sailing. I spent the first day doing capsize drills so every camper had doen a capsize in a boat, then during hte week gave them a few hints about sailnig, but mostly just took them out or sent them off with no idea!! Much mroe interesting to watch. I also had my dads 2 windsurfers down there and showed people how to use them a bit. The weather was brilliant - not great winds tho, but still lovely and sunny and WARM!!!