The Mysterious Mansion

Turn off the highway , avoid the potholes as the road gets narrower and the trees more sparse and just before you hit the dirt corridor that abruptly ends the road you will find The Mysterious Mansion. A house so out of place in it's setting and unknown to even those long time local residents. A sprawling mansion, sans light fixtures and window frames, stands solidly, it's bright coloured walls clashing with the dry grass. Abandoned. Burnt. Each room revealing more, yet adding to the intrigue.

Why did the people living here have to leave?

How long ago was it?

And more importantly, how on earth did those who roamed it's empty bowels with spray cans in their hands ever manage to get the hot water system off the roof?? :)

Even though I am yet to solve the puzzle, I am happy to roam and discover some of the amazing graffiti art that graces it's walls.

Check out the rest of the series HERE

Abandoned Ascot.

I remember when I was a child the coming of Summer meant one thing. Water playgrounds. Slides combined with water. What more could a child want? Oh yeah, icecreams. They had those too. And mini golf.

Alas, when the water gets taken out of a water playground it doesn't just become a playground, it becomes a creepy overgrown patch strewn with old plastic floaties and beer bottles. Not good for the kiddies, but great for those exploring with cameras.

Passion - Assignment 4

Today I took a major step towards my passion. The last few days have been a manic see-saw ride, the logical and responsible side of me hollering things like "financial security" and "stick to what you know", the other side of me, desperate to work towards a future that i don't abhor, whispering comforting notions like that a life lived through my passions would leave me far more fulfilled than one lived purely for financial gain.

So today I quit my job that I hate and am hoping to move into a job that is more closely related to the things I love most. Writing and photography. Working full time in a job that doesn't delight or challenge you is a tiring experience. Every day I spent there, I wrote less and took less photos. I was tired. I was grumpy. And I was surrounded by other tired, grumpy people. I feel my time at uni has enabled me to explore further the things I love and given me the courage to follow my dreams.

So today was my follow your passion day. I read, alot. I wrote. I went through a bundle of photos I had taken over the weekend and edited them. I felt inspired. This is how I want to spend my days......






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Wounds to the Face - NOW SHOWING AT MURDOCH!

I am a fan of story telling in all it’s formats. Books, film, theatre, even music and art. The ability to lose one’s self in someone else's story has always delighted me. I remember when I was 10, reading Tomorrow When The War Began for the first time and after many hours fascinated by the unfolding saga I took a break to make myself a sandwich. As I rummaged through the cupboards trying to find the peanut butter, I began to rush and worry that I would miss the next part of the story. I had created such a visual world in my head, each of the characters sketched with such clarity in my mind that I could recall their faces as easily as my own, that for a brief moment I had forgotten that this story was unravelling in a book, but instead thought I was watching it on TV. My rushing, I realised, was my attempt at getting the sandwich made before the ad break was over and the story began again. Although it was only for a moment, and I subsequently stopped slapping the peanut butter on the bread with such wild abandon, that has always stuck with me. That ability to put your personal reality aside for a moment and steep yourself in someone else reality is a deeply exciting and rewarding experience. Whether we do it purely for entertainment and relaxation, or to discover and explore aspects of humanity that we don’t have personal experience of, everyone loves to indulge. So when the opportunity to see Wounds to the Face, an intriguing performance being put on by students at Murdoch University came up, I jumped at the chance.

I knew nothing about what the performance was about, my cursory research not enlightening me much, so upon arriving at the Nexus Theatre I was a clean slate, no pre conceived ideas dirtying my mind. The posters didn’t illuminate me much, but served only to intrigue me further. AH HA! They have programs! Surely that will tell me everything I need! Alas, apart from showing me the faces of the many students involved in the performance, it still didn’t give me much of an idea what I was in for, but the accordion music that jolted out of the speakers made me smile (I have always had a strange attraction to accordions) and for me that was enough to know I was in for a treat.

Upon entering we were met with an assortment of characters littering the stage, some even roaming the aisles where we sat. All in their own worlds, they mostly ignored eachother, some muttering to themselves, other merely staring. The assortment of characters was compelling, the whispers of the crowd as we settled down could be heard, trying to figure out the connection all these figures had to each other. We laughed as scantily clad ladies winked at us and showed us a little leg. The lady next to me jumped slightly as a small woman at the back screamed loudly whilst grasping a small mirror. In the centre a man stood, unmoving, his face covered completely in bandages. As the crowd settled in and the whispers subsided all but one of the characters left the stage and the story telling began, the lone figure, her back to the audience, face reflected three fold in the mirrors in front of her started our journey.

For the next hour and a half we were treated to an absorbing insight into the relationships that we have with our faces. Something that most of us wouldn’t think about, but when faced with it, it’s fascinating. The story was wound together through many small interactions between the characters, each raising new questions. Would I still be me if I had a different face? Is changing our appearance through surgery the right thing to do? Why do we place so much of who we are into our appearance? I am sure each person in the audience grasped slightly different meanings of the performance, but I think that’s where it’s really successful. Along with the beautifully rhythmical script and impeccable performances the play was open for interpretation, every person was able to leave having felt they explored a different reality from their own.

The play is still running at the Nexus Theatre on the South Street campus of Murdoch University until the 7th November and I highly recommend it to others to check out. If you are interested in going and supporting some of your fellow uni students check out the following link Wounds to the Face

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10 things I like about Murdoch...

...in no particular order, several being based around food.

1. Quendas.
How can your university experience not be enriched by the addition of small furry animals? On many an occasion whilst strolling the campus, iPod blocking out the warning signs that little beasties may be nearby, I have been startled by one of these fuzzy critters as they dart from underneath the scrub, my garbled girlish scream heard clearly over Billy Joel's voice singing directly into my ears. Having said that, the Quendas are just as inclined to bring screams of delight from passersby, as their cuteness, like that of a puppy, can cause even the most macho man to point and go "awwwwww!"

2. The tutors are young and cool.
These cool sneaker-wearing hipsters, often only a year or two older than I am, remind me that once I turn 30 I don't suddenly morph into a 1950's housewife with a pipe-smoking husband and 2.5 kids in tow. Most of my tutors haven't been cocooned in the academic world for most of their lives, the reality of actually working in the industry in which they teach blurred in a haze of essay marking and plaid jackets. Instead their practical experience and relate-ability bridges the gap between student and tutor, making for a far more enjoyable experience and the occasional high five.

3. Bubble O Bills
Many of my childhood summers were spent nomming on Bubble O Bill ice-creams, carefully eating each flavour of his cowboy face separately until I reached his bubble gum nose, emblazoned with a corny cowboy saying. And as I get older, the sentimentality I have towards things of my past grows and I find my house filled with Star Wars Pez dispensers, Lego and many a corny 80's movie. So when I discovered that the Ref stocked Bubble O Bills, an ice-cream I believed to exist only in my past, I rejoiced. And although his nose no longer contains witty quips, the enjoyment I get from sitting in Bush Court gobbling down half a dozen Bubble O Bills takes me back to my barefoot childhood and I smile.

4. Everything is online.
I am lazy. I know it. In fact, sometimes i almost have demented pride in the fact. My dream job would either be something where I get to read fantasy books all day or write about my achingly boring life in a blog. Well, anything I got to lie down whilst doing really. My motto is "why do something that a machine can do for you?". I mean, that's why non-lazy people studied mechanical engineering, to make my life easier. Since the invention of the internet I can now do almost everything online thus satisfying my hunger for nanna naps . I shop online, watch TV online, do research online, manage my finances online, even socialise online! Who needs to go and meet their friends down at the coffee shop when you can simply poke them on Facebook from the comfort of your own couch. No pants required! So the fact that almost all of my uni work is online delights me. Lectures are recorded and put on the web, along with unit outlines and assignments. I can sign up for everything online and get all my marks online. Wonderful!

5. It's not a fashion show.
Although I don't condone leaving the house and turning up to your lectures in your pyjamas, I can't stand when people dress up for uni how I dress for a wedding. Stilettos on campus are only good for one things and that's aerating the lawn. I've worked at and attended other universities where the girls compete for shortest dress, highest hair and most makeup, so I love it when I rock up to my classes wearing jeans, vans, and a Star Trek tshirt and I don't feel out of place.

6. Flexibility.
I change my mind. Alot. In the 10 years since leaving high school I have worked in at least half a dozen different professions and studied everything from Accounting to Buddhist meditation. Whether it's just my restless nature, or am I yet to find that niche where I not only love what I do but am also good at it, I need to be able to change my mind. Since beginning at Murdoch I have changed my major twice and my entire degree once. No one yelled at me. It wasn't hard. In fact I was able to change my degree in a matter of a few clicks. Life is about enjoying what you do, so I will keep tweaking my degree until it suits me perfectly.

7. Not only does my academic knowledge increase.....so does my geekines!
Many people have the idea that university is a little dry. Long essays, even longer books and monotone lectures, cramming our heads with academia, transforming us into critical thinkers able to debate philosophy and the meaning of life with anyone willing to listen. Initially I was worried that all my geekish pursuits would have to remain on the outskirts of life, scared away by university life. That was until one morning in my first semester. I sat in the front row, on my own, laptop open and ready to capture the wisdom of the ages. Yes, it was a media unit, but I still had visions of learning about the origins of media and the cultural effects it has had on our society. The lights dimmed, the words Red Vs Blue flickered to life on the screen in front of me and the next 3 and a half minutes were filled with outrageous laughter and even a snort or two. Instead of a powerpoint presentation we were treated to an episode of the internet sensation, an animated comedy show based around the video game Halo, Red Vs Blue. This lecture led me to buy the entire 5 seasons of the show and subsequently my geek points have increased exponentially.

8. The mini kebabs are cheap and well.....mini!
As a student anything cheap is a cause for celebration. I have a terrible habit of exclaiming to anyone I pass in the street the latest bargain I managed to grab. Mention that you like my shoes? I'll heartily reply that I got them on sale. 70% off! Ask me where I got my bag from and I'll tell you that I made it myself out of old pillowcases and second hand thread. In one of my cheap moments the other day, when standing at a greasy hamburger joint, fingers grabbing hopelessly at the few coins floating in the bottom of my handbag, I discovered something else. Mini stuff is great! Not only could my measly coins afford a modest cheeseburger over a full sized, jam-packed, Humungo burger, but I didn't waste anything! Each processed morsel ended up in my belly, somewhat nourishing me enough to make it to my next meal, unlike when I eat the full sized version and half of it ends up in the bin. So the mini kebabs from the Ref are awesome! No waste and cheap enough to buy with your change.

9. Thursday's - Stall Day.
What more could I want than the opportunity to combine my studies with shopping? Wandering onto Bush Court on a Thursday you will be met with a variety of stalls hawking their wares, everything from books and DVD's to jewelry and batteries. My favourite Thursday purchase would have to be a fake old-school fob watch with a deer on the front. I spent the remainder of the day pretending I was a rich gentleman from the late 19th century.

10. They let me blog!
Every narcissist loves the glow of others caring about what they say. In the age of the interwebs everyone has the opportunity to publish their thoughts, sending their often non-sensical ideas out there into cyber space in the hope that someone else stumbles across their words and actually reads them. But with the over population of the blog sphere, many people's ruminations go unread, slowly rotting away in the blackness of space. So being given the opportunity to not only write about my day to day happenings, but being promised a following as well, knowing my words will be read by at least 4 people leaves me shining with the narcissists' glow. Thanks Murdoch!

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Real Life Skills - proudly taught by your local university

As well as providing us with wisdom and knowledge pertaining to the academic world, university also equips us with practical real life skills. Like the art of getting extensions and how to nap in meetings without making too much noise. But it also teaches us how to survive on very little money. Whether you are funding your university experience from your own pockets or maybe your parents, I can assure you that you will at some point in your degree find yourself eating Mi Goreng noodles and and plenty of baked beans. Now even though I am back at work for a semester, I found that these skills carry wonderfully into the real world. The more noodles I eat, the more holidays I can save for (or in reality, the more debts I can pay off)! But it doesn’t end there, university thrifts can find themselves 3 course meals, each course costing less than 90 cents!

French Onion Soup from a sachet - 86c
Mi Goreng Noodles - 49c
Anchor Toffee Apple flavoured Jelly - 90c

“What more could you want?”, I though as I tucked into my bowl of jelly. Mmm hmm. So although my tummy sometimes craves the culinary largesse bestowed upon the rich, if I ever find myself trapped on an island with only jelly to live off, I know who will be surviving.....ME!

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How did I figure out what I wanted to study?

Around exam time there are literally thousands of pieces of advice that are swirling around . Blu-tacked to a post outside the library. Jumping out from various websites. Spouting out of parents mouths. Even I indulged in my own advice giving in a previous blog post. My secret to a successful exam....check it out here

Some, like my own, are based around silly ritualistic luck games that we are all too scared of breaking....just in case. Others are based on sound realistic tips that can really help you succeed. One that has always followed my through both my high school and university life is part of the latter group.

“Always read the question carefully and answer the question THEY are asking, not the one YOU hoped they would”

It’s far too easy, surrounded by the stressful domain of the exam room, to just write what ever you feel like, or simply just write down everything you know, rather than answer the actual question in front of you.

So you would think ,when approaching this blog assignment two question, that I would do exactly that.........but instead I ignored this top-notch advice did the opposite. When there’s no marks involved, I think there can be a little room for creative movement. :) So instead my banner (check out the original photo here) has a reference. Something that you become very familiar with deciphering in the first few months of university. But since not everyone will have access to a Calvin and Hobbes comic book, here is the panel that is being referred to.


So my advice to people considering their study options is to realise that study is not always fun. Study can be hard work, our brain often yelling at us that it’s full. We see sunshine outside and suddenly Michel Fouccault, or the origins of molecules, isn’t so interesting. There are so many things in life tearing our attention away from what is actually a lot of hard work. Very rewarding hard work don’t get me wrong, but some days it’s just hard. One look at Facebook during exam week reflects that, with every students status’s swearing that the overload of knowledge being stuffed into heir brains is causing tumours. So if we are going to put ourselves through at least 3 years of learning, secretly hoping, just like Calvin, that occasionally our homework will do itself, we should study something we love. I have ranted in the past about how important it is to study what you love, because only then will we truly succeed.

I only realised the importance of this after a failed attempt at a uni degree back in 2000. I wandered onto my first university campus, my Sony Discman bulging out of the pocket of my cargo shorts, threatening to pull them down with each step, as I went to sign up for my first degree. In these days, before everything was done online, you had to actually wait for your acceptance letter to come in the mail and then make the trip over to the campus to accept and choose your units, then you had to hang around while the lecturers posted sign up sheets on the doors of the lecture halls. As I entered some room that had been transformed into the enrollment room a pile of forms was thrust in my face , each one demanding the same information as the last. Name. Date of Birth. TER. A blur of forms later I was handed my enrollment card. As I looked at it, I was momentarily confused. Next to my name was "Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Science" and as I had little interest in both science and business, I couldn't figure out why it would be right there on my form. But then I remembered. I had enrolled in that degree for every other reason than that it would interest me.

"It will get you a good job", says Mum.

"Arts students are all hippies who go on to make a living off pot smoking and abstract paintings made with macaroni", says Dad.

"If you don't go to uni and get a good sensible degree you will never succeed in life", says the misguided Guidance Counsellor.

So that was how I found myself with a Billabong bag full of Advanced Calculus and Accounting books and a penchant for sleeping in lectures. I hated uni. I hated my Mathematics for Computer Sciences Lecturer who spoke too fast. I hated my Accounting tutor who made jokes that nobody laughed at. I hated that I was forced to study something that made me want to vomit. I hated that I was the only girl in one of my units and therefore was regarded as some kind of alien. So after one semester I left.

So fast forwarding past 7 years of travel, playing computer games and regularly changing jobs I found myself again ready to enrol in uni. This time as I sat in front of my computer enrolling in units I was excited. I eagerly read the description of each unit, bought my books early and even started reading them. I went to lectures and didn't sleep. I researched more than was necessary. I read more than was necessary. I contributed to discussions and passed my exams with flying colours.

The difference? This time I was studying something I loved. Something that I found interesting and inspiring. And although I still found myself often being the only girl, the strange staring no longer bothered me.

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