Do not let us be hasty!

During this Aussie trip we've become pretty maniacally obsessed with the TV show 'How I Met Your Mother'. It's sad that it's happened while I've been on an overseas trip, but I don't come here so much for the country as for the friends we stay with. So each day, not all day but for a wee portion of it we've been watching a string of episodes about a group of five friends and their quirky doings. It's hilarious, and intriguing. I love their openness and honesty with each other, the way they they know each other so intimately that they recognise when they're behaving the slightest bit differently. They always call for each other to be themselves, and to take off all masks. I think my friends and I are incredibly open with each other too, but sometimes I think we could be more direct in our criticisms of each other. Yeah, of course there's got to be love in the mix, but sometimes we, and people in general can be far too delicate to speak honestly to each other, or take someone else's honesty. I want to be more like Lily (one of the characters), the way she notices when one of her friends isn't quite being themselves, and really asks about it, desperate to know how they're truly feeling.

It's been good here in Brissie. I love the laid back feel the city and its people have, although perhaps that's just my group of friends and their part of town. It almost feels like it's in 'island time' sometimes. Lawns grow long. Mornings are slow. Dinner is outside on the wide verandah. The families hang out together a lot. It really feels like there's no worries. Sure, they work really hard, and at times things might be a bit tough, but I guess it's the Aussie attitude to push through and keep on living. I like that. It's a gritty toughness that I think often gets lost, especially on men, in the modern metro lifestyle, which seems to tell us that if things go badly you should quit and find something that will make you happy! I'm not a fan of that. I like how these people carry on with their work, like it or not, because it's work and there's value to be had in just that, and it's giving them means. I think it's a pretty good attitude, so long as you don't just get stuck unhappy, and you keep pushing yourself to be the best you can be.

Lately I've been finding it hard to get that balance, deciding whether to continue with work I don't often enjoy, or venture out and find a better job that I don't even know exists. It's hard, in my current job to do my best, because I just feel so mopy and uninspired sometimes. At this stage though, I think it's something I've just got to stick at. A major problem I have is I just feel so out of my league there, as I did so often during my degree. On this trip I've been getting inspired about architecture (as I invariably do), so I've decided I'm just going to get obsessed with it and really go for it! I don't like that I'm having to decide to get obsessed, but I think if there's to be a future for me in architecture, I've got to get obsessed sometime soon! I'm excited. Even now, writing this I feel a sense of purpose with it! Yus. So there's my plan at least for the next few months: do an architectural program computer course (finally!), work for the architect, spend spare time learning architectural stuff (plus my other normal committments), go flatting. It's a good plan I think :) I hope it leads to great things, and that God has his hand on it every step of the way!

Oh! And I really don't like the new Facebook profiles! So limiting the way it tries to sum you up by a few 'key' things. I hope people don't sum me up that way. I think we should all talk Entish (the language the Ents use in Lord Of The Rings). Everything said is worth telling and takes a long time to tell, and it really seems to make a good go of describing things for the awesomeness of what they are. Things as simple as a hill. 'Hill... But it is a hasty word for a thing that has stood here ever since this part of the world was shaped...' says Treebeard, eldest of the Ents. Facebook, along with so much else in the world has made us a very hasty people indeed. I want to sit down and get to know you! I guess Facebook's name is pretty fair. It's just the face of the book, not the book itself.

From Brisbane

We arrived here early yesterday morning, in a somewhat tired state, given I'd thought it a good idea to invite a few mates around to hang out until 12 the night before, then had to get up at 4 to get out to the airport... There I go being a F.O.M.O. again! (Fear Of Missing Out). The hang out was great though. I hadn't seen those boys properly in a while, so it was so nice to just chill out in my room, records playing quietly in the background while we talked about anything and everything, no movies or games to distract us. It's great having people who you can talk unadulterated with, just open and honest, sharing absolulely everything with, all your joys and concerns... I'm pretty spoilt to have such a group of mates to do that with. I'm so glad the boys I'm going flatting with soon are also keen for good relationships! We had a meeting about a week ago to discuss what we want, and it was agreed we'd each cook a meal for the group one night a week, and we'll have no TV (just something for the occasional DVD) because we want to be able to really get to know each other, free from silly distractions. Cool eh? I'm so pumped. Man Cave. What a flat it will be!

So I'm in Aussie now, and where I'm staying in Brissie is actually fine. It's hot and dry (although there may be a storm coming!). It's what you'd expect of an Australian summer, from what I've seen. We're lucky though - it rained for pretty much a month until 3 days ago. The city, so I've heard is a different story though. That's where the river flows through, and it was the river that brought the flooding from inland. You've probably seen images of the boat restaurant being smashed against the bridge, or heard about a bull shark sighted swimming up a main road... Well the water I think has resided, and now thousands of people are in there cleaning it all up! It's pretty cool actually: the response has been amazing. There are so many people wanting to muck in and help get everything back in shape that there have been traffic jams of people, many of whom themselves weren't affected, trying to get in to help out, so many in fact that they're having to turn people away! And this morning on the news I saw that there's now flooding in Victoria, and in the affected town, instead of waiting for the higher authorities to control the situation, the residents have taken matters into their own hands and created two levels of defence! There's something pretty special about the Aussie spirit, the way they can join together in any tough situation like this and do all they can to protect themselves and each other. I'd like to think New Zealanders are the same. Did the Christchurch earthquakes get this same reaction? Did people flock in to help each other out the way they are here, even if they weren't themselves affected? I hope so.

I just think it's sad that it takes a natural disaster to stir most people to help their neighbours out, let alone learn their names...

Eat this!

I have plenty to write as I undertake to do this blog, though I think tiredness may cut it short!

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It did! Haha wow that didn't last long... This is attempt two now. But again I'm sitting in bed in a fairly drowsy state, so I'm... struggling to finish this sentence! Haha here we go.

Well... I have had a fantastic summer break... It's been full of beach time, sunshine, Lord of the Rings, guitar strings, songs sung, touch games won (I don't lose.), star gazing, bonfire blazing, barbecues, Sean in blues, hang-a-langs, lay in the sand, long walks, decent talks...

Man! Rhyming takes effort! I had to turn off my Let It Be album so I could think! There's plenty more I'd like to add in... Perhaps it will surface as I continue!

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Later on... haha yes, I failed at finishing again. I'm feeling in quite a curt, perhaps melancholic mood now, which is fun because I'm just being real blunt and direct to people, but it also may mean this gets boring! Oh well. I'll enjoy it.

When I last wrote, I said I was unsure how I'd be able to handle the holiday with so many people for such a long time. Turns out I really have become quite a people person! The jandal was well handled. It was a terrific twelve days, starting with about 15 of us at Ruakaka, then building to 40 of us for New Years, and then gradually less and less as we moved to a campsite at Parua Bay for another few nights. There wasn't really any period of time where I felt uncomfortable with such a crowd, so I was stoked. I actually loved it, different people coming and going the whole time, so that there were always plenty of great conversations to be had and feet to be walked besides. Different people to bring different vibes. It's cool how any one person has the power to change the dynamic of a group in some way, sometimes significant, sometimes subtle.

I guess as I've found more and more over the last couple of months how much of a people person I am ('people slut' as Jade put it), it's made architecture that much more difficult for me... Being back at work this week was so hard. I was trying to decipher whether it was the returning after such a great time away, or the work. I think both. But yesterday it was all made so much better! I'd been feeling lonely and bored, counting down the minutes everyday, but yesterday was great because the guy I'm working for cooked up a beautiful BBQ for those of us there, including a nice big hapuka and a variety of sausies. But it wasn't just the food, it was the conversation. I stayed out as long as I could, just talking with my colleagues about this and that. It was the first time I'd really had good conversation with them, so it's made me look much more positively on the prospect of working there more. To top of the day, the lady in charge of finances sat down with me to tell me they've been underpaying me, and so she gave me a raise and told me they'd be paying me $2 for every hour I've already worked! And thennnnn! I got a birthday letter from Jade last night! Such a great end to a hard week. It really made me appreciate the need to just push through tough times, because eventually things will come right (usually). At least, if they don't come right, they will in heaven! They'll come perfectly right. That's encouraging.

Back on the holiday... When we were at Parua Bay, which is a sublime, peaceful little nook of Whangarei harbour, on our first day we drove out to the end of the Heads to a relatively exclusive end of Ocean Beach, and I fell in love with the place. It quite easily has to be my favourite beach: it's about 5ks long, perfect for walks and talks, and where we set up it was a nice sheltered part with only a handful of other people (really little people.). We just spent every day out there, reading, playing cricket, chatting and snacking. Rupert was such a legend. He had a big chilly bin which he brought down every day loaded with Cokes and beers for us all to enjoy! Such inspiring generosity. It made me think: I want to put myself in a position where I'm able to share from what I have too. Psalm 112a (haha Bridget thinks it's so bad I add the 'a' in there! To my mind it means the first half of the verse) says 'Good will come to him who lends freely', so Rupert should have a fair amount coming his way!

I'm going to Brisbane in 4 days. Not the best timing it has to be said... Apparently the city's in ruins. It's going to be quite devastating to see I think. And scary, because I've heard the water has stirred up all the snakes and spiders, so I have to say I'm a bit nervous about that! But I'm excited to see our friends again. And actually, I think it's pretty awesome timing. Our friends emailed to say we'll probably spend a day or two helping out other families, so I'm pretty pumped. I've had plenty of holiday already, so I'm looking forward to being able to just help out! Apparently there are 6000 kiwi volunteers over there already! Go kiwis. Watch out for snakes though...

One thing I am bummed about Aussie is that I'll be there when Bridge leaves for London! Such a bad friend I am, having my little one week holiday when she leaves on her at-least-a-year-long trip! I'ma miss her a stack. She is the Queen bee's knees, and quite my cup o' tea. I'm so excited for her though! She'll be living in England meeting a whole new crew and working in a whole new place, with the aim to do mission work in Africa (or somewhere extreme) after! Admirable no? Yes! I can just imagine God, Jesus and Mr. Holy Spirit just raving to each other about her! Haha. Fingers crossed she'll be back soon enough though :)

Do you know what's not admirable? Blogging at 3pm on a beautiful sunny day!