Week 8 Over, Stress Begins!

Hey, all!

Not much besides class happened this week. I got more advice from the teachers on how to do the essays that are due very soon. I won't be going to a lot of events this week as I finish reading and writing for an essay due Friday as well as the team project website due two days after that on Sunday. I have another essay due the Friday after those two assignments! It's going to be a very busy time and it's my fault for not actually starting sooner, though I knew I should have. I just kept getting distracted by things and then I would run of time for the day.

So not a lot will really happen the next week or so, but I'll try to take more pictures so I can put them in the post, even if there aren't many words to go with them.

I was in a practice fire alarm in one of my classes and I recorded it. It is so different than American (or at least Arizonan) ones, it's weird. I feel like you are less likely to sleep through these ones and they help you remain calm, but also give a sense of urgency so you can get out quickly.

I think that's all I really have for this week. So, until next time!

^^ This is their fire alarm. This isn't all of what they say, but I didn't want to stay in the building while it continued, but it is most of it. Be warned, it might be loud!

 ^^ Left: I looked over at the bed beside the walk way after class and saw the petals and then came to this vantage point to take a picture! I really like this picture! Right: I am 90% certain this is one of those stick bugs. I didn't try to move it because I didn't really want to mess with it, but I thought it was cool.

 ^^ Left: I got this as a gift from a friend and I try to remember to change it every night before I go to bed ♥ Right: My temperature blanket at 10 weeks! I'm running really low on yellow/white yarn and may not be able to get any for a while due to the essays, so this might be the last image you see if the temperature blanket for a bit.

Break Over, Week 8 Starts!

Hey all!

Not much has happened the passed few days. I read a little bit and I researched a bit, but I treated this break more as an actual break instead of the reading time I wanted it to be. Oh well, I'll manage some how. I started doing Pilates (www.blogilates.com is the website I use) again with a Beginner's Calendar (which I still haven't got passed, but that's okay). I did the first day yesterday morning (Saturday) and got up this morning with the intent to do more today, but I found that my hip was injured somehow and I could only lift it so high before it started hurting and some motions in walking hurt as did standing straight. So that wasn't fun, but again, I'll manage somehow. I'm thinking of going to a chiropractor as I have been known to have my hips needing to be adjusted (as well as my mid and low back). I went to today's Taido session to watch the proceedings and also to get some (cheap) merchandise since the uniform is quite a bit of money and I am only here (hopefully) until November and Taido doesn't exist in my state.

Class starts again tomorrow, with a day off the next day (Tuesday). I find this a bit confusing, but I'm fine with it. I'm pretty excited as that means it's that much closer to the end of the semester, but it also makes me more anxious as I have a 2000 word essay due Week 9, another 2000 word essay due Week 10, a team assignment (website) due sometime in between, and then a 2200 word essay due Week 13, the last week. I know I will be fine, but it's all coming up so fast and I fear I won't have enough time to do reading for the essays as well as for my classes. I'm sure it'll be okay, but it just doesn't feel like it (right now)!

Anyway, that's all I really have for now. Until next time!

  ^^ Left: an indoor temperature thermometer that also measures humidity. It's always pretty humid in my room and 72/73F is the constant temperature in my room (even though it doesn't feel like it sometimes). Right: I was walking someplace and came across this in a construction-ish zone. This is right above a walkway between the two sides of construction. There's nothing in the middle to support it and every time I need to go across this path, I run because, for some reason, I don't really feel same walking under that.

^^ the merchandise I bought from Taido! A bag and a keychain! I'm pretty happy with these even though I won't/can't be getting the uniform.

Mid-Break Post

Hey, all!

Not much has happened in the passed few days. I was supposed to work on reading (and taking notes on that) for my essays due Week 9 and Week 10, but I haven't done as much as I wanted to and hardly have done any reading. I think part of the problem is I have been feeling so tired throughout the day and I'm not sure why because I am getting plenty of sleep throughout the night and I feel like it's restful sleep, but I just can't get myself motivated enough to read some chapters for these essays. Today was a little better, I think, but I still haven't completed much. I think I'm going to try reading after I post this and see if I can get some reading done.

Other than that, I socialized with a few people from the Doctor Who Society. We watched a few older episodes and played a couple games. We ordered food and watched both the "episode" that the society made and the season premiere of the new Doctor Who season 10. I really enjoyed the episode and am looking forward to seeing the rest of the season. I brought my reading to work on while I was there and waiting and I didn't end up doing much of that, but at least I am building my social skills!

Today, Wednesday, I received a package from my parents! I even took a video of me opening it for my parents. I was really excited, but because of how tired I was, I couldn't show that. However, I am really happy at everything they sent me! I got a TY Beanie Baby Fox named Fay and I love her! My mom also made quite a bit of hair-ties for me and I am looking forward to using them. They sent my Legend of Korra DVD series as well as the Doctor Strange movie, which I will be watching tonight! They sent another dream catcher (which this makes 2 or 3 now), but it motivated me to actually put up the previous dream catcher/mandala (sorry if it's neither) and this one. My friend also made me a cowl and she was able to send it to my parents and put it in their box! I received a few other things, but these are probably the ones I am happiest about.

I think that's about it! Until next time!

 ^^ To the left is the Dream catcher/ mandala and to the right is the new dream catcher I received!

^^ To the left is me (pardon my tired face) with the cowl my friend made and Fay the TY Fox! To the right is my temperature blanket, today, at 9 weeks!

Mid-Semester Tests Over, Break Begins!

Hey, all!

I completed two tests this passed week and I feel I did pretty well on them! I fought both days head on by dressing in cute dresses as well as trying a new hairstyle for both days. It gave me confidence to get through the day and feel like I know what I was doing. I'll know by next week (the week we get back from break) how I did. I'll try to post a quick something in a few days with how my week-long break is going, but it probably won't hold much information as I have been trying to work on essays that are due.

Not much happened this week, other than stressing about and studying for the tests I had. Thursday evening, I attended an event that was showing the movie Zootopia and I saw first hand how there are some changes in Disney movies, depending on the version you are watching (Australia's version, in this case, or America's).

I received some great advice from one of my best friends on how to go about writing my essays and I've started implementing it. Hopefully, everything will fall into place. I also received some great advice from an Educational Support Advisor on how to stay focused and concentrate on reading. I am also looking forward to implementing this throughout this week as I read for research on my essay topics!

The only other thing I can think of to update you guys on is my temperature blanket. There was one day last week that it hit 54-66F/13-19C and I crocheted a green/black line in the midst of the pink/black and the yellow/white! It's hard to tell, even close up, but I am happy it's starting to get colder, even if it just means that I am changing colors in crocheting (I am also starting to run low on my yellow/white- to the point I may have to buy more before my sister or parents can restock me when they come to visit).

These weeks have been coming by and leaving so fast! It's hard for me to catch my breath sometimes. The semester will be over before I fully realize and hopefully this semester's worries will be in the past and I can look forward to studying one more semester at UNSW!

Until next time!

  ^--- These are the outfits and hairstyle I had for the days I had tests!

The set up for the movie night!

The green is on top of the black and below the yellow. Hopefully you can see it!

Size comparison to what it looks like at ~8 weeks

Week 6, Over!

Hey, all!

This week was a pretty good week, as well as stressful. The only reason it was stressful was because I procrastinated on completing the readings for my classes this week (and as a result, procrastinated on completing the journal due for one of my classes that is on the reading). I definitely recommend NOT procrastinating on assignments and readings. If possible, try to get ahead and stay ahead! At the same time though, being in a new country, you need to let yourself experience new things. Try to find a balance! I am still trying to find my balance between studies and experiencing Australia!

To follow up on the video of the (sound of) bats last week, I managed to get a couple of pictures of one on Monday. It is pretty far away and a little blurry, but I still think the bats are pretty cool and they are definitely huge! I look forward to trying to get a better picture that allows you to see their actual size (and still have it be a good quality picture).

Friday, I went to see the movie Koe no Katachi (A Silent Voice) in theatres with the Nippon Students' Assocation (NSA). It was a really good movie and it was really relatable. It made me teary-eyed more than a few times throughout the entire movie and at the end, I actually cried a bit. There are some that say the manga was better and the movie didn't do it justice, but at least one person thinks that they managed to adapt the manga into the movie well. In any case, I recommend it! Afterward, we went to an ice cream place and I ended up buying a "flower gelato" with the chocolate cherry and raspberry yoghurt flavours! It was very good and so pretty!

I procrastinated so much on reading that I had to catch up on 4 days worth of crocheting for the temperature blanket today. It wasn't that bad, I just needed to sit down and do it. Picture of it today (7.5 weeks) is below!

Next week I have a couple of (pretty big) tests! One of them is my Anatomy course and I need to work on memorizing all the parts of the bones, muscles, where the muscles originate and insert, as well as a bunch of other stuff. Another course, I'll be given 4 essay questions and I will have to answer 2 of them. Hopefully, they won't be that bad. I need to study a lot, so I'm going to leave this blog here! Wish me luck!

Until next time!

The many coins of Australia, compared in size to an American Quarter! In order: $2, 5 cents, 10 cents, $1, 20 cents, 50 cents. The top coin is the face of all of their coins.

 ^^ To the left, one of the bats I was able to take a picture of! To the right, an Alpine Dingo that I was able to pet!

The "Flower Gelato"! It was good!

Temperature Blanket at 7.5 weeks!

Week 5, Over!

Hey, all!

This was another relatively uneventful week, but I still managed to have some fun. Week 5 of this semester is over! In the next 2 weeks, classes will be having their assessments, if they have them. I had an online quiz due for my Australian Politics class this week. It was pretty simple, but the professor said it was meant to be. I have another test for my Concepts of Asia class and a pretty big test for my Fundamentals of Anatomy class in Week 7. That'll be the end of that until towards the end of the semester. After Week 7, we will have a one week break, in which I will more than likely work on essays that week. All of my classes require so much reading throughout the week, I haven't been able to do reading (and taking notes) for any of my essays. Hopefully, one of these weekends before break, I can start reading and taking notes for the essays.

Thursday was very busy (as always) as I have 3 classes that day and my Anatomy team and I decided to meet up the hour between my tutorial and our lab to go over our project and who should do what. This was also a very rainy day as we were getting some of the weather from Cyclone Debbie, which hit north of where I am. As a result, it got a little flooded and I ended up taking my shoes and socks off because the water was going through my shoes and soaking my feet and socks. I do not want to (nor do I need to) get sick again- I've had plenty of that this semester already! Not to mention, it's just annoying walking in wet shoes. Also, for the first time, I saw snails! I know not everyone would find this fascinating, but they were all over the place! I even got a little sad when I saw one that was stepped on, but then, I have always loved animals and feel like there should be another way than killing them. I guess it happens on accident as well though...

I managed to stay mostly ahead of my classes this week, which was a nice feeling. I feel like Week 6 will be another "on-time" week as all of my classes have pretty lengthy readings this week. I hope to be able to get through them quickly and still be ahead so I can start studying for Anatomy and doing these essays.

I bought these coloring books that are supposed to help with anatomy and physiology. I hope they really do help! A friend even suggested to make copies of the pages that have more difficult information on them so I can redo them later. I'll just be taking a picture of them (so I can print it out later, or just do it on my computer-- maybe) as I don't really have access to a printer/copier. At least not one that is free.

Today (Saturday), I was able to be a little social with a huge group for one of my clubs. It made me realize that I socialize much better with smaller groups. I had more fun talking with the smaller group of executives (of the club) than actually participating in a huge activity. I'm tired now, but it was a pretty good day.

Until next time!

^ I managed to remember to get a video of the nightlife sounds! The bats here are super active (you can easily hear them every night) and they are also pretty big, I would estimate almost a 2 foot wingspan! Though, I haven't really seen one closely to say for sure, they are pretty big!

A flower I saw that had bloomed. It was the first one I've seen in a while. I even took a few steps backward so I could take a picture of it.

 

 ^^ A snail! The first one I came across. I wanted to take a picture of the snails I saw, but I was always in a bit of a rush and the rain was a tad annoying.

The temperature blanket I am crocheting. This picture is at 6 weeks done!

These are the coloring books I bought! Hopefully they help!