I warned you when I started this blog that the chances of me staying on topic are about on par with my chances of becoming the Queen of England. So I hope you enjoy having something entirely different to read every time I post! I like to keep it fresh.
Anyway, this is a special post, for today, it's a special somebody's birthday!
Aoife! (collaredjumpers.wordpress.com)
This amazing girl is somebody who I met through the ever psychotic hot mess that we call the Criminal Minds fandom on Twitter. Today she is 15, and I hope when she turns 16, we are still the amazing friends we are today!
I'm not 100 percent sure how Aoife and I started talking, but I'm pretty sure it was the day I nearly fell on the train tracks at Warwick train station (which she subsequently has not let me forget). The story behind that: Aoife, myself, and another girl called Kara were all joking about slipping aphrodisiacs in a certain couple's (anyone who knows me will know who they are) food to entice them to have another baby (low and behold, they announced they're expecting another baby just two weeks ago). Aoife tagged Nathan in one of the tweets just to be silly, and HE RESPONDED. And I promptly tripped over my shoes in surprise and nearly fell off the platform because I had my back to the tracks and my backpack was probably heavier than I am. By some stroke of luck, I caught my balance in time to step away and catch the train that pulled in about three seconds after I almost fell.
Ah, the memories.
We've been through a LOT. We had a HUGE blowout in like...October. It was really stupid and I'm glad we got over it. We trust each other a lot and we tell each other everything. We discovered we do a lot of the same weird things, which I will not list for the sake of both of our dignity. We love to share our story ideas with each other and we have our own repertoire of inside jokes (*cough cough* frog squats) which never fail to make me laugh. Although I think my near death experience with a train makes the top of that list.
Aoife never fails to make me laugh. She always brings a smile to my face if I'm having a bad day, even if it is in the middle of a lecture and I have to duck under a table when I start laughing.
We also have the stupid things that make us laugh. Like the time I emailed her a story outline and realised afterwards that I had sent her the longest run-on sentence EVER. That got a laugh. And the day AJ announced her pregnancy, Aoife was FREAKING out and I was sitting on a public bus grinning like an absolute idiot. What a contrast.
She's a beautiful, stunning, kind hearted girl (who looks just like Chloe Grace Moretz, I s*** you not) who I hope remains one of my friends for a long time to come.
One day, we will meet and it will be joyous, hilarious, and wonderful.
Have an awesome day beautiful! Love you!
Xoxo.
Monday 16 March 2015
Sunday 15 March 2015
TMI Tag
Emma Blackery answered these questions on her YouTube
channel, and never specified who answers next, so I decided to do them myself.
Enjoy!
1: What are you wearing?
A green Bintang shirt and a pair of pyjama shorts that have
donuts on them (I just had to check and make sure they were donuts).
2: Ever been in love?
I don't think so...does being in love with your computer
count?
3: Ever had a terrible breakup?
Never had a relationship, so no, I've never had a terrible
breakup.
4: How tall are you?
About 5'8-5'9. I'm actually not 100 percent sure, I just
know I'm tall.
5: How much do you weigh?
Again, I really don't know. Somewhere around the 65kg mark I
would guess.
6: Any tattoos?
Nope
7: Any piercings?
I have my ears pierced once.
8: OTP?
WILLIFER FOREVER!
9: Favourite show?
Criminal Minds. If you have to ask me that question, you
obviously don't know me very well.
10: Favourite bands?
I have a lot of favourite singers rather than bands, so I'll
throw them in the mix too. PVRIS, Ellie Goulding (love love LOVE!), Echosmith,
Albannach, Ben Howard, anyone who composed the soundtracks to any of my
favourite movies...
11: Something you miss?
I had a great big list of stuff I miss the other day, and
now I can't remember a single thing off of it. Probably the days when I didn't
have homework to worry about, and Chelsea and I would have a sleepover pretty
much every weekend. The days when the original The Sims game was the absolute
shit, the days when I had a functional trampoline (I'll have those days back
shortly), the days when my life didn't revolve around actresses and TV shows.
12: Favourite song?
Right now, it's 'Love Me Like You Do' by Ellie Goulding, but
it could change in a week or so.
13: How old are you?
I am 18, a legal adult in Australia and the United Kingdom.
14: Zodiac sign?
Virgo
15: Quality you look for in a partner?
Kind, loving, not a cocky arrogant bastard, must be reasonably
attractive to me, taller than me, apply within.
16: Favourite Quote?
"Ssh, the adults are talking. When it's your turn to
speak, I'll give you permission" - Jennifer Jareau, a.k.a most badass
woman that the world ever did see.
17: Favourite actor?
AJ FREAKING COOK LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
18: Favourite color?
Any shade of blue that reminds me of places like the
Maldives and Fji.
19: Loud music or soft?
Depends.
20: Where do you go when you're sad?
To my room to write.
21: How long does it take you to shower?
Freaking ages. Dad has to bang on the door to get me out.
22: How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
I can get ready in 10 minutes if I'm really desperate for
some extra sleep.
23: Ever been in a physical fight?
Only with my sisters.
24: Turn on?
If you like my shows.
25: Turn off?
BO, bad breath, hair that looks like it hasn't been washed
(seriously guys, wash your hair).
26: The reason I joined Youtube?
So I could comment on videos I like.
27: Fears?
Terrified of cockroaches. Pretty much every one of my
friends has witnessed me run in fear at the sight of a cockroach. And something
happening to any one of my Internet friends that I don't know about.
28: Last thing that made you cry?
Chloe's 7 News piece.
29: Last time you said you loved someone?
Pretty sure I said I love William LaMontagne at work today
and Sarah laughed at me.
30: Meaning behind your Youtube Name?
xxcourtneyjareauxx
(kiss kiss) first name, surname of favourite character (kiss
kiss)
31: Last book you read?
Confessions of a Qantas Flight Attendant
32: The book you're currently reading?
I am going to read 'And The Mountains
Echoed' by Khaled Hossaini. Pretty sure I got that either this Christmas or
last and I still haven't read it.
33: Last show you watched?
Modern Family
34: Last person you talked to?
My dad.
35: The relationship between you and the person you last texted?
Emily is a really close friend from high school, we were
discussing what movie she should watch.
36: Favourite food?
I really, really love microwave popcorn.
37: Place you want to visit?
You should all know that; Scotland.
38: Last place you were?
Other than here in my bed, I was at work.
39: Do you have a crush?
Yes.
40: Last time you kissed someone?
I have never been kissed.
41: Last time you were insulted?
Some arrogant customer at work told me I was a rude bitch
because I wouldn't do them a deal on their $10 late fees, which I'm not allowed
to do anyway, so I asked them politely to leave the store.
42: Favourite flavour of sweet?
Apple. Watermelon. Grape.
43: What instruments do you play?
I used to play the clarinet, and I still sometimes play the
recorder super badly to annoy my mum.
44: Favourite piece of jewellery?
I don't really wear jewellery, but I have a Deathly Hallows
necklace.
45: Last sport you played?
Gymnastics is a sport. I don't care what anyone says. Some
guy I went to school said it's not a sport because athletes don't wear leotards
and makeup. Gymnastics is a freaking sport, the amount of training and
dedication you have to have more than qualifies it. Gymnasts probably train
more than half of the other sports at the Olympics!
46: Last song you sang?
St Patrick by PVRIS.
47: Favourite chat up line?
Wouldn't know one, never used one.
48: Have you ever used it?
Read above.
49: Last time you hung out with anyone?
I had to seriously think about that. Probably with Kathryn
on Wednesday.
50: Who should answer these questions next?
Everyone who wants to.
Saturday 14 March 2015
Tropical Cyclones and Home Invaders
Well, not quite either of those things. But nonetheless, it's been a very active few days in the Australian/South Pacific Basin. Four active tropical cyclones at once!
On March 6, a tropical disturbance was registered just northwest of Fiji. This tropical disturbance would later become Category 5 Severe Tropical Cyclone Pam, which has passed over Vanuatu and wreaked absolute havoc and destruction. This system is still currently active and headed in the general direction of New Caledonia and northern New Zealand.
At the same time that the trough that was eventually named Pam was identified, a twin trough formed in the area of the Phillipines. It was later upgraded to a tropical storm and given the name Bavi. I don't know a great deal about that storm.
Meanwhile, in homeland Australia, we have contended with two. One on either coast.
Firstly, on the 8th of March, a weak tropical low was being monitored off the coast of Western Australia (my state). It increased in strength and convection, and on the 11th of March, was upgraded to a Category 1 Tropical Cyclone and named Olwyn. Olwyn hit his peak intensity at a Category 3.
It was actually a little frightening for a while. Olwyn was slowly descending along the coast, battering coastal towns and in particular, bringing a bit of damage and flooding to Exmouth and Carnarvon. It was predicted that Olwyn could go one of two ways; continue to move down the coast and dissipate to a tropical low by the time it reached Perth, or swing out over the ocean and re-intensify, meaning it would still be classed as a tropical cyclone by the time it made landfall in Perth, which is exactly what Alby did in the late 70's. He swung out, came back, and absolutely flattened Busselton, ripping away the famous Busselton Jetty (which has been rebuilt).
I'm a crazy person, so I love wild weather. I don't think I could handle a Category 5 like Pam, no way, but I think a Category 1 would have brought a bit of variety to Perth's lifeless weather. To be honest, we really just needed a bit of rain.
We were told to expect severe weather on Saturday with winds up to 100km/h.
We got a drizzle of rain at best, and maybe a bit of an increase in the wind. It was actually quite sad. I'm hoping winter brings some spectacular storms, because we haven't had a decent thunderstorm since March 22, 2010. And yes, everyone in Perth remembers that date because the weather was more comparable to a cyclone than what we got yesterday.
As for Queensland, they are playing a game of chicken with Tropical Cyclone Nathan. Nathan was classified on March 9th, and is currently sitting off the Queensland coast as a Category 2. He made slight initial landfall, then backed away into the ocean and is currently sitting there just biding his time. I hope he doesn't stay out there too long because I don't think Queensland really needs another Category 5, they already had one last month. And let's not forget Yasi, some people never really recovered from him. He was a bugger.
But now the cyclone excitement has passed and the sky is blue again.
Last night, however, we had a different kind of excitement. I had just gotten out of the shower and was getting dressed when there was a slight click and all our power went out.
Assuming it was because of the lingering storms passing overhead from Olwyn, I went outside to look at the sky. As I stood out there, I heard a thump on our side fence, but thought nothing of it.
I did notice, however, that our power was the only one off. And that was weird.
Dad lifted the garage door manually and went outside to have a look. One of our neighbours came wandering up the alleyway and asked if we were alright as he had seen our flashlights in the dark. He said something to my dad about how people have been turning other people's power off and stealing from cars, or something like that. Dad said no-one had turned ours off, it was just out.
But upon checking the meter box again, Dad discovered that our neighbour was right. Someone had turned our power off at the mains. We noticed this morning that they had also switched off our gas.
Dad switched it back on, and then half an hour, the dropkick came back and did it again. Mum heard him at the meter box this time, and Dad was already out the front door by the time the idiot had started running up the street.
Our neighbour came out and started yelling at the guy, and then they started punching each other and swearing while we stood on our driveway in surprise.
He never came back for another go but all in all, the night was just WEIRD.
Anyways, peace out!
Xoxo.
On March 6, a tropical disturbance was registered just northwest of Fiji. This tropical disturbance would later become Category 5 Severe Tropical Cyclone Pam, which has passed over Vanuatu and wreaked absolute havoc and destruction. This system is still currently active and headed in the general direction of New Caledonia and northern New Zealand.
At the same time that the trough that was eventually named Pam was identified, a twin trough formed in the area of the Phillipines. It was later upgraded to a tropical storm and given the name Bavi. I don't know a great deal about that storm.
Meanwhile, in homeland Australia, we have contended with two. One on either coast.
Firstly, on the 8th of March, a weak tropical low was being monitored off the coast of Western Australia (my state). It increased in strength and convection, and on the 11th of March, was upgraded to a Category 1 Tropical Cyclone and named Olwyn. Olwyn hit his peak intensity at a Category 3.
It was actually a little frightening for a while. Olwyn was slowly descending along the coast, battering coastal towns and in particular, bringing a bit of damage and flooding to Exmouth and Carnarvon. It was predicted that Olwyn could go one of two ways; continue to move down the coast and dissipate to a tropical low by the time it reached Perth, or swing out over the ocean and re-intensify, meaning it would still be classed as a tropical cyclone by the time it made landfall in Perth, which is exactly what Alby did in the late 70's. He swung out, came back, and absolutely flattened Busselton, ripping away the famous Busselton Jetty (which has been rebuilt).
I'm a crazy person, so I love wild weather. I don't think I could handle a Category 5 like Pam, no way, but I think a Category 1 would have brought a bit of variety to Perth's lifeless weather. To be honest, we really just needed a bit of rain.
We were told to expect severe weather on Saturday with winds up to 100km/h.
We got a drizzle of rain at best, and maybe a bit of an increase in the wind. It was actually quite sad. I'm hoping winter brings some spectacular storms, because we haven't had a decent thunderstorm since March 22, 2010. And yes, everyone in Perth remembers that date because the weather was more comparable to a cyclone than what we got yesterday.
As for Queensland, they are playing a game of chicken with Tropical Cyclone Nathan. Nathan was classified on March 9th, and is currently sitting off the Queensland coast as a Category 2. He made slight initial landfall, then backed away into the ocean and is currently sitting there just biding his time. I hope he doesn't stay out there too long because I don't think Queensland really needs another Category 5, they already had one last month. And let's not forget Yasi, some people never really recovered from him. He was a bugger.
But now the cyclone excitement has passed and the sky is blue again.
Last night, however, we had a different kind of excitement. I had just gotten out of the shower and was getting dressed when there was a slight click and all our power went out.
Assuming it was because of the lingering storms passing overhead from Olwyn, I went outside to look at the sky. As I stood out there, I heard a thump on our side fence, but thought nothing of it.
I did notice, however, that our power was the only one off. And that was weird.
Dad lifted the garage door manually and went outside to have a look. One of our neighbours came wandering up the alleyway and asked if we were alright as he had seen our flashlights in the dark. He said something to my dad about how people have been turning other people's power off and stealing from cars, or something like that. Dad said no-one had turned ours off, it was just out.
But upon checking the meter box again, Dad discovered that our neighbour was right. Someone had turned our power off at the mains. We noticed this morning that they had also switched off our gas.
Dad switched it back on, and then half an hour, the dropkick came back and did it again. Mum heard him at the meter box this time, and Dad was already out the front door by the time the idiot had started running up the street.
Our neighbour came out and started yelling at the guy, and then they started punching each other and swearing while we stood on our driveway in surprise.
He never came back for another go but all in all, the night was just WEIRD.
Anyways, peace out!
Xoxo.
Monday 9 March 2015
A Writer's Journal
I have to keep a writing journal for my writing class at university. So far, out of the 12 days I have had it, I've written in it four times. I'm supposed to be writing in it every day.
I've noticed I mostly write in it after midnight. And upon reading back over some of that stuff, half of it doesn't make sense. It may inspire a story someday, but it really doesn't make sense.
Since there's nothing extravagantly personal in it yet, I wanted to share some of these wonderfully thoughtful little anecdotes with you.
I really don't understand how my brain functions.
25.02.15
I've noticed I mostly write in it after midnight. And upon reading back over some of that stuff, half of it doesn't make sense. It may inspire a story someday, but it really doesn't make sense.
Since there's nothing extravagantly personal in it yet, I wanted to share some of these wonderfully thoughtful little anecdotes with you.
I really don't understand how my brain functions.
25.02.15
- I love the sound of the train pulling into the station. The high pitched whistle on the electric line at Joondalup.
- Tinnitus. Persistent ringing of the ears.
- A man driven insane by tinnitus.
- What does PTSD do to us? Is the war worth it if our soldiers are returning home broken?
- "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope, and a future" - Jeremiah 29:11
- What if one day, you asked someone for directions, they gave you the wrong directions, and it altered the whole course of your life?
28.02.15
I apparently now have an imaginary hairless cat named Emperor Zurg. Ok then.
How do you tell someone you like them? It seems so easy, but it's so not easy. It's the most nerve wracking thing ever. I don't understand why. It's just telling another person that you have potentially romantic feelings for them. I tend to break things down like that when they're stressing me out. It doesn't actually make it any better.
I'm trying to write. JJ is meant to be getting food poisoning. So far it's not happening.
An unfamiliar song is playing on my iTunes. But I can just tell it's from the London Olympic Dreams album.
I was right.
Playing 'Would you rather marry?' via text with Damian.
I should write a story about a dancer battling injuries. Neuritis, ankle sprains, bad shoulders and knees.
A mother watching her sick child receive chemo.
What is wrong with the world today?
Apparently everything.
This pen is hard to read. This is why I don't handwrite these days. So much effort.
Mittens' human.
I swear all my best material comes forth after midnight.
3.03.15 - (this is a drafting of ideas for my presentation for this unit)
- An evil beast, winding its claw-like tentacles through
myher daughter's brain. - Every day brought a new enemy.
- The clear liquid winding through the tubing. Looks like water, yet it is so
damagingtoxic, it can burn skin. - Covered with a bag to protect it from the light. Yet to protect her daughter, it has to cause so much harm.
- The room is so dark,
daas dark as the cloud hanging over her family. - Her daughter, who was supposed to grow up, graduate high school, fall in love, and explore the world.
- There is no God.
ThereSince that fateful day, she had not once believed in a god.
4.03.15
All I can think about is AJ's baby. It was just SO unexpected! She hid it brilliantly. It's hard to explain, but it's almost alien to see her pregnant. It's been 7 years since she had Mekhai. It's like I forgot she is still capable of reproducing. I think she may actually have had trouble conceiving, judging by her Instagram [caption].
The shock has worn off. To think we always wanted her to have another baby and now she is.
We thought they had settled on one.
I'm so happy for her and Nathan. AJ looks beautiful, confident, happy and proud.
I can't wait for July!
On the other hand (literally), my wrist is very bruised and painful. I hope I haven't chipped a bone. I do love that contemporary dance though. I love contemporary. Can we do it in the concert?
9.03.15
Trying not to laugh in a lecture while writing about a character hopped up on oxycodone after surgery.
I'm sure there's more wonderful pieces of wisdom where those came from. Stay tuned!
Xo.
Flying Anecdotes
Yesterday I wrote a lengthy post about how I was practically rediscovering gymnastics. And as soon as I published that, I realised I had a lot more to say. Not on gymnastics, but just...about me, I guess.
So today's Reader's Digest will cover some of my fondest memories:
The times I've had to use a plane as a form of transport (i.e. 14 times).
I'm not going to jab your eyes out with 14 stories about every time I stepped on board a plane. But each trip had its own unique anecdotes and I would love to share them.
I'm an aviation nut. I love planes. I can tell you what aircraft is flying over your head, down to the company, family, and series (i.e. if it's an Airbus A330-300, I'll be able to tell you). If I hear a plane flying over my house at around 5:30pm on weeknights, I know it's the incoming Emirates flight from Dubai.
I can watch twelve seasons of Air Crash Investigations and get on a plane without a care in the world.
I'm a nerd.
So let's kick this off with my first ever flight.
Flight #1: Perth - Singapore; 23rd September, 2007
So the first time I ever flew on a plane was at the tender age of 11. Very tender, as my birthday was just 15 days earlier. We were outbound for Singapore, where we would stopover, and then board a smaller flight to Phuket, Thailand.
I was equal parts crapping myself with excitement and crapping myself in utter terror. My grandma came to drop us off at the airport at 4am and she pulled me aside and said 'Don't worry. Landing is the fun part. It's like a rollercoaster, weee!' (Thanks Gran, I think you traumatised me slightly, but it's ok because I survived).
I had received a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for my birthday to read on the plane. Mum tried to keep it away from me, but I read it in the first day. Even so, I took it with me (you may wonder why I'm mentioning this, keep reading. It's important later).
We get to the check-in counter, and there's our friends, the Houwens, who were joining us in this extravagant journey to another land. We check-in, say goodbye to our bags, which we wouldn't see again until we arrived in Phuket around 10pm that evening, and headed upstairs for a drink.
It was now about 4:30am, and the four adults had five excited, terrified, hyperactive children to contend with. They ordered us all a hot chocolate to see if the warm milk would settle us down. I was so nervous about getting on a plane that I whammed the whole cup down in two minutes and gave myself a stomachache.
They kept us entertained by taking us to the observation deck, where we watched some early morning arrivals come in as the sun began to peak over the horizon. Then we headed to Departures.
I don't actually remember much of anything after we entered Departures. I remember Mum and our friend Matt having to remove shoes and belts for the security scanner, but I think I was so scared that I just shut down (I can't believe I'm actually talking about me).
I remember walking down the gangway with shaking legs, and Dad was talking to me about something but all I could think about was 'How is thing going to get off the ground?'
We got settled on board (we were flying in a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-200). The seating configuration was 3x3x3. My sister, who was 7 at the time, was in the window seat, I was in the middle, Mum was in the aisle. Across the aisle were my other sister, then aged 4, my dad, and Mr Houwen. On the far side, the oldest of the Houwen boys (Matt), the youngest, and Mrs Houwen.
The Singapore service was excellent. One of the flight attendants took a liking to us kids and was very friendly and reassuring.
As the plane taxied out to the runway, I was pretty collected. The engines were fairly quiet, and I was thinking 'This isn't so bad. I'll be fine'.
Then we got to the runway and they went up to full power. I was clutching my book like my life depended on it, maybe hoping Harry Potter could show up and magically put a force field around the plane in case something happened.
But I lived. I watched some movies, had a wonderful breakfast, and was actually disappointed when we had to get off (I must be the only person in the world who enjoys flying economy).
Now onto number 2.
Flight #2: Singapore - Phuket; 23rd of September, 2007
All I can say about this one is; so much rain. SO much rain. It was pouring. We had downgraded from a B777 (pretty big for those who don't speak plane) to an A319 (pretty small). It was 6:30pm and as dark as Tivon Askari's heart outside (Criminal Minds reference). Rain was coming down in driving sheets, there were gale force winds...it wasn't pleasant.
But we also survived that one.
Flight #8 - Singapore - Perth; 14th of March, 2010
SQ215.
A flight I remember so fondly that the flight number has become my Internet namesake.
It was a night flight (my favourites, I'm not sure why), and as we left Singapore, I could see these clusters of storm clouds around the bay. It was a truly impressive sight to see.
We also hit a storm cell and dropped about 1000 feet during dinner. All that fear from 2007 came racing back...
And then the pilot must have been pretty eager to put the plane down when we got back to Perth, because we slammed into that runway so hard, they probably had to go out and repave it afterwards.
Flight #10 - Melbourne - Perth; 7th of March, 2011
The stewardess had a good laugh about how sunburnt I was, and I could hear my Krispy Kreme donuts bouncing around in the luggage compartment.
Flight #11 - Perth - Bali; 22nd of September, 2011
Airstairs. We disembarked on airstairs, and I made like a Japanese tourist and photographed every inch of the plane from as close as I could get.
Flight #13 - Perth - Melbourne; 27th of February, 2013
We dropped out of the cloud at 2,000 feet and it was absolutely bucketing down with rain. It was as dark as JJ's sense of humour (another Criminal Minds reference, sorry) and windy as....hell. I was sure we were going to hydroplane down that runway. But I lived.
And so there are some of my anecdotes. This was really long, sorry. I just wanted something to talk about.
Peace out!
Xo
So today's Reader's Digest will cover some of my fondest memories:
The times I've had to use a plane as a form of transport (i.e. 14 times).
I'm not going to jab your eyes out with 14 stories about every time I stepped on board a plane. But each trip had its own unique anecdotes and I would love to share them.
I'm an aviation nut. I love planes. I can tell you what aircraft is flying over your head, down to the company, family, and series (i.e. if it's an Airbus A330-300, I'll be able to tell you). If I hear a plane flying over my house at around 5:30pm on weeknights, I know it's the incoming Emirates flight from Dubai.
I can watch twelve seasons of Air Crash Investigations and get on a plane without a care in the world.
I'm a nerd.
So let's kick this off with my first ever flight.
Flight #1: Perth - Singapore; 23rd September, 2007
So the first time I ever flew on a plane was at the tender age of 11. Very tender, as my birthday was just 15 days earlier. We were outbound for Singapore, where we would stopover, and then board a smaller flight to Phuket, Thailand.
I was equal parts crapping myself with excitement and crapping myself in utter terror. My grandma came to drop us off at the airport at 4am and she pulled me aside and said 'Don't worry. Landing is the fun part. It's like a rollercoaster, weee!' (Thanks Gran, I think you traumatised me slightly, but it's ok because I survived).
I had received a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for my birthday to read on the plane. Mum tried to keep it away from me, but I read it in the first day. Even so, I took it with me (you may wonder why I'm mentioning this, keep reading. It's important later).
We get to the check-in counter, and there's our friends, the Houwens, who were joining us in this extravagant journey to another land. We check-in, say goodbye to our bags, which we wouldn't see again until we arrived in Phuket around 10pm that evening, and headed upstairs for a drink.
It was now about 4:30am, and the four adults had five excited, terrified, hyperactive children to contend with. They ordered us all a hot chocolate to see if the warm milk would settle us down. I was so nervous about getting on a plane that I whammed the whole cup down in two minutes and gave myself a stomachache.
They kept us entertained by taking us to the observation deck, where we watched some early morning arrivals come in as the sun began to peak over the horizon. Then we headed to Departures.
I don't actually remember much of anything after we entered Departures. I remember Mum and our friend Matt having to remove shoes and belts for the security scanner, but I think I was so scared that I just shut down (I can't believe I'm actually talking about me).
I remember walking down the gangway with shaking legs, and Dad was talking to me about something but all I could think about was 'How is thing going to get off the ground?'
We got settled on board (we were flying in a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-200). The seating configuration was 3x3x3. My sister, who was 7 at the time, was in the window seat, I was in the middle, Mum was in the aisle. Across the aisle were my other sister, then aged 4, my dad, and Mr Houwen. On the far side, the oldest of the Houwen boys (Matt), the youngest, and Mrs Houwen.
The Singapore service was excellent. One of the flight attendants took a liking to us kids and was very friendly and reassuring.
As the plane taxied out to the runway, I was pretty collected. The engines were fairly quiet, and I was thinking 'This isn't so bad. I'll be fine'.
Then we got to the runway and they went up to full power. I was clutching my book like my life depended on it, maybe hoping Harry Potter could show up and magically put a force field around the plane in case something happened.
But I lived. I watched some movies, had a wonderful breakfast, and was actually disappointed when we had to get off (I must be the only person in the world who enjoys flying economy).
Now onto number 2.
Flight #2: Singapore - Phuket; 23rd of September, 2007
All I can say about this one is; so much rain. SO much rain. It was pouring. We had downgraded from a B777 (pretty big for those who don't speak plane) to an A319 (pretty small). It was 6:30pm and as dark as Tivon Askari's heart outside (Criminal Minds reference). Rain was coming down in driving sheets, there were gale force winds...it wasn't pleasant.
But we also survived that one.
Flight #8 - Singapore - Perth; 14th of March, 2010
SQ215.
A flight I remember so fondly that the flight number has become my Internet namesake.
It was a night flight (my favourites, I'm not sure why), and as we left Singapore, I could see these clusters of storm clouds around the bay. It was a truly impressive sight to see.
We also hit a storm cell and dropped about 1000 feet during dinner. All that fear from 2007 came racing back...
And then the pilot must have been pretty eager to put the plane down when we got back to Perth, because we slammed into that runway so hard, they probably had to go out and repave it afterwards.
Flight #10 - Melbourne - Perth; 7th of March, 2011
The stewardess had a good laugh about how sunburnt I was, and I could hear my Krispy Kreme donuts bouncing around in the luggage compartment.
Flight #11 - Perth - Bali; 22nd of September, 2011
Airstairs. We disembarked on airstairs, and I made like a Japanese tourist and photographed every inch of the plane from as close as I could get.
Flight #13 - Perth - Melbourne; 27th of February, 2013
We dropped out of the cloud at 2,000 feet and it was absolutely bucketing down with rain. It was as dark as JJ's sense of humour (another Criminal Minds reference, sorry) and windy as....hell. I was sure we were going to hydroplane down that runway. But I lived.
And so there are some of my anecdotes. This was really long, sorry. I just wanted something to talk about.
Peace out!
Xo
Sunday 8 March 2015
Gymnastics: The Seasonal Obsession
So it just occurred to me that the Summer Olympics in Rio are next year.
Holy cow! Where have the last four years gone? I swear it was just yesterday that I was fist pumping in class because the Fierce Five won the team final, and convincing my teacher to let me keep my phone on my desk so I could find out who won the floor final (because I so wanted it to be Lauren Mitchell) the second it finished.
I've always been drawn to gymnastics. But I was never truly interested in it until the London Olympics rolled around. Sometime around April of that year, a friend mentioned McKayla Maroney during our lunch break at school. She didn't say much, just that she was an American gymnast.
I went home and googled McKayla. I found myself watching her 2011 routines on YouTube, and fell in love with the girl's vaulting.
That night, Lauren Mitchell was interviewed on the news.
And so it began.
The leadup to the 2012 Olympics was an exciting time in my house. I was eagerly awaiting the gymnastics. I didn't understand the scoring system at the time, I couldn't tell Jordyn Wieber and Aly Raisman apart, and I had absolutely no clue who Catalina Ponor and Aliya Mustafina were. But I was ready to watch some amazing gymnastics. My sisters were eagerly awaiting the track and field. My dad was hanging out for the cycling, and Mum was itching to watch some diving.
On the day of the Opening Ceremony, my sisters and I rose at 3am to watch the live broadcast. I fell asleep at 4 because I was absolutely knackered, but I had recorded it, and proceeded to watch it about 7 times over.
Something about the music used in the opening ceremony in London stirs beautiful memories inside of me. I almost feel like I was there. I still have the Isles of Wonder soundtrack on my iTunes and I still listen to it everyday.
Then came the competition.
I missed most of the qualifications and all of the team final because Channel 9's coverage was ridiculous. But I checked every day to find out who I could expect in finals, and managed to find the team final on YouTube the day after (I knew the results, but wanted to watch the competition).
When the Fierce Five won, I excitedly relayed the news to my friends. Told anyone who listen that they were the first American team since 1996 to win the gold.
In the all-around, I was rooting for Komova. I had read about her struggles to grasp gold, and hoped upon hope that 2012 would be her year. When she fell short again, I wished she could go back and redo her vault.
And the finals were a blur. All I remember is being horrifically upset that Lauren Mitchell couldn't nab a bronze. Oh well. She got gold in 2010, and Australia will always commend her for that.
But then came 2013. In the lull after the Olympics, everything had...died. I took up adult recreational gymnastics and that gave me a whole new appreciation for the sport. Even so, the American Cup wasn't as exciting to watch, as there were so many young and inexperienced faces. Something about Olympic year makes everything far more exciting in gymnastics.
I watched the US Nationals about a week after they happened (that's another thing. I don't watch any other countries nationals. Weird, but I just don't like the presentation of the arena at Australia's Nationals. We don't use podiums and it is WEIRD). By the time Worlds came, I had dropped off the gymternet.
What happened?
Before I get into it, I'm not a four year fan. A four year fan is someone who only takes notice of gymnastics in the Olympic years and you can always identify them because 99% of the time, they will have no clue what they are talking about.
Of course, I would only call myself a gymfan since 2012. I took it upon myself to learn about gymnastics history, the scoring system, who were considered the 'greats' and became embarrassingly invested in Andreea Raducan's unfair medal stripping.
I think, without something as big as the Olympics to focus on, other things slowly took priority. Criminal Minds, fanfiction, university, driving, dancing...and now that 2016 is rolling around faster than I ever expected, it's time to brush the old chalk off my imaginary grips and jump back into the game.
I have to go back and properly watch the last two World Championships, U.S. Nationals, and American Cups before Glasgow rolls around. I need to brush up my knowledge of the scoring, and quiz myself on each skill (at the end of 2012, I could pretty much name every skill on beam and floor. Was hopeless with bars skills and the only vaults I can identify are Amanars and DTYs)
As soon as I thought about 2016, I started considering the US team. And a little bit of the Australian team.
For the USA, at the moment, it would be Simone Biles. If she isn't injured next year and doesn't make the team, I'll eat my computer. I remember in 2012, everyone was sure it would be Katelyn Ohashi. Oh how times have changed.
My other two that I would love to see go are the Mikaylas - McKayla Maroney and Mykayla Skinner. McKayla has so much to finish. People may hate her, but I love McKayla and I really hope she makes it to Rio so she can fight for that vault gold she tragically slipped up in London. If she doesn't make it, I'll be really sad.
Realistically though, only one Mikayla will make the team. They are both strong on the same events and Marta isn't going to send two event specialists for the same two events.
While I think if McKayla makes it to Worlds this year, does well, and is consistent through next year, it's hard to imagine her making the team, since no female American gymnast has made a repeat Olympic team since Amy Chow and Dominique Dawes did it in 2000.
I honestly don't want to see Gabby Douglas make the team again. It's harsh, yes, but I don't feel like she deserves it anymore as much as some of the other girls. If you had asked me in December 2012 whether I wanted Gabby to go back, I'd have said yes. But with the amount of time off she's had, and the gym hopping she's done, her making the team in 2016 would be taking a spot away from a girl who has trained consistently over the past four years.
If she makes the team, then good on her, but I'd be lying if I say I wouldn't be slightly pissed off.
As for Australia...I really have no idea what's going on with this country. We've got a couple of juniors, maybe one or two seniors that have a real shot. Half of our 2012 team retired. It's hard to keep up with gymnastics in this country because it doesn't get the exposure that the US does, hence why I just stay in the know about the US gymnasts.
If Lauren Mitchell is still training next year and isn't seriously injured, I'm hard pressed to find a reason why Peggy Liddick wouldn't put her on the team. She's our golden girl and she can pull out a solid routine when we need it.
Olivia Vivian however, is just having a hell of a year. I had coffee with Olivia in October last year and she seemed pretty determined to keep working and improving. I'd love to see Olivia go back to the Games. She's such an interesting girl to watch out there.
Mary Anne Monckton - I don't know a lot about her, but her name has popped up a lot in conjunction with Australian gymnastics recently, as has Emily Little, so those are the four contenders I'm thinking for next year.
Hell, we'll get to June and it'll be four names I've never heard before.
Here's to 2016 and the Rio Games!
Holy cow! Where have the last four years gone? I swear it was just yesterday that I was fist pumping in class because the Fierce Five won the team final, and convincing my teacher to let me keep my phone on my desk so I could find out who won the floor final (because I so wanted it to be Lauren Mitchell) the second it finished.
I've always been drawn to gymnastics. But I was never truly interested in it until the London Olympics rolled around. Sometime around April of that year, a friend mentioned McKayla Maroney during our lunch break at school. She didn't say much, just that she was an American gymnast.
I went home and googled McKayla. I found myself watching her 2011 routines on YouTube, and fell in love with the girl's vaulting.
That night, Lauren Mitchell was interviewed on the news.
And so it began.
The leadup to the 2012 Olympics was an exciting time in my house. I was eagerly awaiting the gymnastics. I didn't understand the scoring system at the time, I couldn't tell Jordyn Wieber and Aly Raisman apart, and I had absolutely no clue who Catalina Ponor and Aliya Mustafina were. But I was ready to watch some amazing gymnastics. My sisters were eagerly awaiting the track and field. My dad was hanging out for the cycling, and Mum was itching to watch some diving.
On the day of the Opening Ceremony, my sisters and I rose at 3am to watch the live broadcast. I fell asleep at 4 because I was absolutely knackered, but I had recorded it, and proceeded to watch it about 7 times over.
Something about the music used in the opening ceremony in London stirs beautiful memories inside of me. I almost feel like I was there. I still have the Isles of Wonder soundtrack on my iTunes and I still listen to it everyday.
Then came the competition.
I missed most of the qualifications and all of the team final because Channel 9's coverage was ridiculous. But I checked every day to find out who I could expect in finals, and managed to find the team final on YouTube the day after (I knew the results, but wanted to watch the competition).
When the Fierce Five won, I excitedly relayed the news to my friends. Told anyone who listen that they were the first American team since 1996 to win the gold.
In the all-around, I was rooting for Komova. I had read about her struggles to grasp gold, and hoped upon hope that 2012 would be her year. When she fell short again, I wished she could go back and redo her vault.
And the finals were a blur. All I remember is being horrifically upset that Lauren Mitchell couldn't nab a bronze. Oh well. She got gold in 2010, and Australia will always commend her for that.
But then came 2013. In the lull after the Olympics, everything had...died. I took up adult recreational gymnastics and that gave me a whole new appreciation for the sport. Even so, the American Cup wasn't as exciting to watch, as there were so many young and inexperienced faces. Something about Olympic year makes everything far more exciting in gymnastics.
I watched the US Nationals about a week after they happened (that's another thing. I don't watch any other countries nationals. Weird, but I just don't like the presentation of the arena at Australia's Nationals. We don't use podiums and it is WEIRD). By the time Worlds came, I had dropped off the gymternet.
What happened?
Before I get into it, I'm not a four year fan. A four year fan is someone who only takes notice of gymnastics in the Olympic years and you can always identify them because 99% of the time, they will have no clue what they are talking about.
Of course, I would only call myself a gymfan since 2012. I took it upon myself to learn about gymnastics history, the scoring system, who were considered the 'greats' and became embarrassingly invested in Andreea Raducan's unfair medal stripping.
I think, without something as big as the Olympics to focus on, other things slowly took priority. Criminal Minds, fanfiction, university, driving, dancing...and now that 2016 is rolling around faster than I ever expected, it's time to brush the old chalk off my imaginary grips and jump back into the game.
I have to go back and properly watch the last two World Championships, U.S. Nationals, and American Cups before Glasgow rolls around. I need to brush up my knowledge of the scoring, and quiz myself on each skill (at the end of 2012, I could pretty much name every skill on beam and floor. Was hopeless with bars skills and the only vaults I can identify are Amanars and DTYs)
As soon as I thought about 2016, I started considering the US team. And a little bit of the Australian team.
For the USA, at the moment, it would be Simone Biles. If she isn't injured next year and doesn't make the team, I'll eat my computer. I remember in 2012, everyone was sure it would be Katelyn Ohashi. Oh how times have changed.
My other two that I would love to see go are the Mikaylas - McKayla Maroney and Mykayla Skinner. McKayla has so much to finish. People may hate her, but I love McKayla and I really hope she makes it to Rio so she can fight for that vault gold she tragically slipped up in London. If she doesn't make it, I'll be really sad.
Realistically though, only one Mikayla will make the team. They are both strong on the same events and Marta isn't going to send two event specialists for the same two events.
While I think if McKayla makes it to Worlds this year, does well, and is consistent through next year, it's hard to imagine her making the team, since no female American gymnast has made a repeat Olympic team since Amy Chow and Dominique Dawes did it in 2000.
I honestly don't want to see Gabby Douglas make the team again. It's harsh, yes, but I don't feel like she deserves it anymore as much as some of the other girls. If you had asked me in December 2012 whether I wanted Gabby to go back, I'd have said yes. But with the amount of time off she's had, and the gym hopping she's done, her making the team in 2016 would be taking a spot away from a girl who has trained consistently over the past four years.
If she makes the team, then good on her, but I'd be lying if I say I wouldn't be slightly pissed off.
As for Australia...I really have no idea what's going on with this country. We've got a couple of juniors, maybe one or two seniors that have a real shot. Half of our 2012 team retired. It's hard to keep up with gymnastics in this country because it doesn't get the exposure that the US does, hence why I just stay in the know about the US gymnasts.
If Lauren Mitchell is still training next year and isn't seriously injured, I'm hard pressed to find a reason why Peggy Liddick wouldn't put her on the team. She's our golden girl and she can pull out a solid routine when we need it.
Olivia Vivian however, is just having a hell of a year. I had coffee with Olivia in October last year and she seemed pretty determined to keep working and improving. I'd love to see Olivia go back to the Games. She's such an interesting girl to watch out there.
Mary Anne Monckton - I don't know a lot about her, but her name has popped up a lot in conjunction with Australian gymnastics recently, as has Emily Little, so those are the four contenders I'm thinking for next year.
Hell, we'll get to June and it'll be four names I've never heard before.
Here's to 2016 and the Rio Games!
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