Australia Actually

December 6, 2016

It is actually 4 a.m of December 6 (it's Tuesday now!) as i'm writing this, and I just finished editing all 2:44 minutes of goodness of my digital story project for COMS 591. I NAILED IT. Now I just gotta write 5 pages to go along with it!

I almost gave up at 1:30 a.m but somehow talked myself into pushing through while I was brushing my teeth. Here were my thoughts:

"It's due in 3 days."

"You will probably have a panic attack tomorrow if you don't do this. We all know you can't think straight when you're stressed."

"You're working 1-8 p.m tomorrow, meaning you will only get to edit this video after 9 p.m (because you will sleep in til 11 a.m)!!"


I'm so happy I did it. And I can't sleep now because i'm so pumped LOL so i'm here, blogging to you instead. My goal is to try and post once a day, or be late by only a day :P Here is a recap of the past two days, of Sunday and Monday. Let me just warn you, I did NOTHING but sleep, go to work, and go balls deep into my projects haha.


12.4.16 - Sunday

December 3, 2016

Was at work all day today. Can I just say how crazy it is that the clouds are clear, there's no snow, and I still had to use my usb fan at work? It's December 3, and it worries me that we're having such nice weather, haha.





Goodnight,

Chelsea

December 2, 2016

YAY!!! Day OFF!!! Can you believe I sat at home all day (10:30 a.m - 6 p.m) working on my term paper though? It's about political economy, neoliberalism, and breast cancer. I was playing Nancy Drew, digging through Susan G. Komen's financial statements from 2015 LOL. I was going through blogs, journal articles, and this book by Vincent Mosco called "The political economy of communication". I am SO bloody glad I picked up that book, because I tend to veer off topic and need help in structuring my arguments.

I may have watched two episodes of Lie to Me during my "lunch break" ;)
Despite sitting there for probably a good chunk of the day, I only came up with 2 pages. *groans* I wonder if anyone else writes academic papers THIS SLOW.


COMS 503
Worth 30%, 5/10 pages- Due in 6 days. Goal is to write at least 2 more pages tomorrow. (HA, goodluck with that cause i'm at work for 9.5 hours then)

COMS 591
Worth 35%, 0% done- Due in 5 days. I won't be touching it until Sunday. The goal is to finish editing the video component on Sunday, then start the analysis on Monday.






He got the falafel wrap, I got the beef shawarma plate!


We are completely HOOKED on this Japanese reality show called "Terrace House" (on Netflix). It's very similar to Big Brother, except they're there to hook up and get to leave the house whenever they want. Our friends Vina & Jacky recommended it last week. So far we've gotten one other person hooked on it :p We like to pretend we're therapists and analyze other people's lives hehe!

As per the title, this week has been weird, full of conflict and bad news. I am more than determined to let this week's stress roll off my shoulders. With deadlines looming, I can't afford to add more stress into my life because I need to be fully present with whatever i'm doing now.

Xo,
Chelsea

My Travel Tips


1. Always rent a hotel/hostel in a central location. It's easier and safer to get around since there's tons of transportation going around, and the roads are filled with locals and tourists. You'll also find lots of travel booths aimed at tourists so it's easy to sign up for day trips and activities if you're looking for something to do.

2. Don't do drugs with strangers. LOL. Although i've done some risque things like accept a sleeping pill from a stranger on a plane and hopping on someone's car for a ride (in both cases they were young Asian women), I always follow my gut feeling when making such absurd decisions. I can tell pretty much instantly if someone has good intentions or if they can't be trusted. If I can't get a "read" on a person, I pretty much don't trust them.

3. Never leave your passport or expensive gadgets (especially if you're staying at a dormitory/hostel) in a locker/locked luggage. Either keep it with you while you're out, or don't bring it at all. Staying at a hotel or a single room is definitely much safer, but you also have to assess the type of accommodation you're staying at... does it look shady? Classy? Is this city known for its booming pick pocket industry? Go find out!


4. Walk around like you know where you're going. Even if you're 100% screwed, don't look like a lost puppy. I also make it a point to dress like a local so I don't stand out or scream "backpacker"-- it's better to keep a low profile especially when traveling solo.

5. Leave space in your luggage because you will FOR SURE end up buying more than you've anticipated.

6. Try to make friends, but if you don't, that's okay too. I personally became friends with an older lady who was selling luggage from one of the street shoppes, and my Swedish room mate at the hostel was cool too! And of course, visiting my Dutch friend (whom I also met while traveling) and crashing on her couch brought us closer together.

7. Don't pay for a $40 walking tour. Seriously? You're paying to walk around in public? Walking tours should be offered by local volunteers for free.

8. Explore their grocery aisles. This is definitely one of my favourite things to do when traveling, apart from eating at local restaurants. I like taking a peek at what these people like to stack in their pantries. For example, I found it quirky that some yogurts were packaged in milk cartons in Amsterdam!

9. Travel at your own pace. Personally, I don't like running on someone else's schedule, or being rushed and shipped to multiple destinations via a tour bus. I typically like having a semi-structured itinerary, with lots of time to explore the area freely.


10. Lastly, leave your worries at home. Take lots of pictures (or not), and enjoy the opportunity to explore someone's else's country while calling it your temporary home too.



Xo,
Chelsea