so university life....
it's entirely different from anything i have experienced in my nineteen years of being, and i cannot express how much i love it. also, how much things have changed in these short few months...
friendships have shifted quite dramatically, and those who remained constant are somewhat unexpected, but most appreciated and loved.
those with whom i now feel at odds, well...let's just say i'm not too terribly surprised.
there are a few however, who i thought i wouldn't grow apart from, at least not for a while. but sadly, it seems that i have, for whatever reason. and so i have my constants, and the new friends that i love surprisingly a lot, and then the renewed/revived friendships, which are all amazing. and then there's those who faded suddenly into the distance, and others who were never meant to remain. it's sad in a way.
it reminds me of autumn. autumn is the somewhat unpopular transition from summer to winter (i love autumn actually, a lot of people don't though), a time in which some things fade away, some disappear suddenly, and some remain to tough it out through the winter. evergreen trees are great like that. consistent, resilient, there to provide when all the other trees have shed their leaves and faded away. yes, it's a bit of a lame nature metaphor, but i think it does sum up the point i'm trying to make.
anyway,
new friends are amazing.
old friendships renewed are even better.
the ladies' at parties/clubs is the best place to meet people.
never underestimate the bonding power of getting ready to go out with a friend.
metaphors relating to cheese are genius.
always listen to your constant/s, they're usually right.
don't apologise for being you.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
adorable, just quietly.
a special day
discoveries
helping the ones who mean the most
they will follow in the footsteps of true loveSaturday, April 16, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
'too good'
severing ties. painful concept as it is, however sometimes it's something that just needs to happen. some people are not meant to be your friends for life. many we'd be better off without. there are quite a few, if we're totally honest, that we never really enjoyed being friends with in the first place. those that are more painful than enjoyable to spend time with, those around whom you feel as though you are walking on eggshells. those whose moods can never be predicted, where the slightest incorrect move could propell you into a place you'd rather not go. why do we condone these people's behaviour, allow them to treat us the way they do, even though if it were anyone else, we'd most definately not tolerate it? instead of answering the above questions, i'd prefer to move onto the nitty-gritty, which is the cold hard fact that, we need to come to the realisation that these people have more cons than pros, and that they'll only ever bring us down. therefore, we are better off without them, and should probably burn our bridges so that we can continue to live life in a better place than we are in when these people are a part of our company. yes, it's a depressing topic, but it needs to be dealt with, and it's not one that can be dealt with in a much better way than this. if you beat around the bush, you'll only prolong the pain. some people will never admit their wrongs, never apologise and mean it, never cease to hurt or frustrate us. so it's time to let go.
Monday, April 11, 2011
as the deer
religion is beautiful. that was my discovery for the day.
and by religion, i mean ALL religion. or should i say, faith.
yes, faith.
religion is a human interpretation of faith that too often turns ugly and rigid, and gives nothing but bad reputations and judgement. attracts more negative attention than positive. does more harm than good. but faith is beautiful. perhaps i should explain myself. over the last two weeks in my sociology lectures at university, we have been watching a documentary that looks at the way in which a variety of different faith groups have responded to the global environmental crisis.
despite the differences of these faiths - from christians to muslims, buddhists to jews - they share the same intrinsic values and beliefs, and a relatively common goal, that creation is sacred and should therefore be treated with respect and dignity. all of these faiths believe in creation, and believe that it is our duty as humans to take care of it. the way in which these different faith groups came together as a community to care for the environment and attempt to do their part to restore some of the damage that has been done to the earth is simply inspiring to see. what also struck me about these people of faith was the peace and contentedness they appeared to have, with themselves, one another and with the world.
they clearly get this inner peace from their faith, which is all the more reason the believe that it is real. i do not believe that mere human emotion, which is erratic and more often than not negative, can give one such peace, such happiness, and such compassion. ditto for human intelligence, which is too often overestimated. no, this peace, this happiness, this compassion, they have to come from something greater than us. i believe that these come from faith, from God.
on another note, what also stood out to me about these people was their acceptance of others, no matter their beliefs or their background. this particlar acceptance and diversity struck a chord with me because on my own personal faith journey at present, i have been drifting, and also questioning. not all of this is good, especially the drifting, but i am continually holding onto my original beliefs, those of christianity, but what is growing stronger is the respect i have held for most of my life, a respect for anyone of any faith, especially in our 'ultramodern' society, where secularisation is taking over, and 'religion', as those of non-faith like to call it, is becoming less the norm. i think that a strong belief in something is what keeps us going in tough times, what comforts us. faith is the source of compassion, love, peace and respect for others and for the world around us. humans are inherently selfish, but faith keeps us in check of our selfishness. not to say that those of non-faith, the unsure or the believers in science and logic (not to say that faith and logic cannot co-exist!) are selfish or lacking in peace, compassion etc. i just think that with faith, we have something to hold onto. humans all have what i (as a christian) like to call 'the God-shaped hole' inside.
that void in all of us that keeps us searching for something more, some meaning to life, some sort of longing. we seek it out in every aspect of our lives, in affection, in other people, in consumer products, in experiences, in education, wealth, occupations, the list goes on. and while all these things have their place in our lives, i believe, and i am sure others can identify with this, that this particular void can only be truly filled with faith. while many critique those of faith, calling us 'naive' or 'deluded', i fail to see why. what's wrong with having a little faith, something to believe in? and furthermore, what's wrong in wanting to share this faith with others, to attempt to point the ones we love in the direction that will fill that void in their lives? is it not natural to want our friends and family to be happy as we are? and so i challenge all of you, whatever your personal beliefs may be, wherever you are searching. take a leap of faith.
and by religion, i mean ALL religion. or should i say, faith.
yes, faith.
religion is a human interpretation of faith that too often turns ugly and rigid, and gives nothing but bad reputations and judgement. attracts more negative attention than positive. does more harm than good. but faith is beautiful. perhaps i should explain myself. over the last two weeks in my sociology lectures at university, we have been watching a documentary that looks at the way in which a variety of different faith groups have responded to the global environmental crisis.
despite the differences of these faiths - from christians to muslims, buddhists to jews - they share the same intrinsic values and beliefs, and a relatively common goal, that creation is sacred and should therefore be treated with respect and dignity. all of these faiths believe in creation, and believe that it is our duty as humans to take care of it. the way in which these different faith groups came together as a community to care for the environment and attempt to do their part to restore some of the damage that has been done to the earth is simply inspiring to see. what also struck me about these people of faith was the peace and contentedness they appeared to have, with themselves, one another and with the world.
they clearly get this inner peace from their faith, which is all the more reason the believe that it is real. i do not believe that mere human emotion, which is erratic and more often than not negative, can give one such peace, such happiness, and such compassion. ditto for human intelligence, which is too often overestimated. no, this peace, this happiness, this compassion, they have to come from something greater than us. i believe that these come from faith, from God.
on another note, what also stood out to me about these people was their acceptance of others, no matter their beliefs or their background. this particlar acceptance and diversity struck a chord with me because on my own personal faith journey at present, i have been drifting, and also questioning. not all of this is good, especially the drifting, but i am continually holding onto my original beliefs, those of christianity, but what is growing stronger is the respect i have held for most of my life, a respect for anyone of any faith, especially in our 'ultramodern' society, where secularisation is taking over, and 'religion', as those of non-faith like to call it, is becoming less the norm. i think that a strong belief in something is what keeps us going in tough times, what comforts us. faith is the source of compassion, love, peace and respect for others and for the world around us. humans are inherently selfish, but faith keeps us in check of our selfishness. not to say that those of non-faith, the unsure or the believers in science and logic (not to say that faith and logic cannot co-exist!) are selfish or lacking in peace, compassion etc. i just think that with faith, we have something to hold onto. humans all have what i (as a christian) like to call 'the God-shaped hole' inside.
that void in all of us that keeps us searching for something more, some meaning to life, some sort of longing. we seek it out in every aspect of our lives, in affection, in other people, in consumer products, in experiences, in education, wealth, occupations, the list goes on. and while all these things have their place in our lives, i believe, and i am sure others can identify with this, that this particular void can only be truly filled with faith. while many critique those of faith, calling us 'naive' or 'deluded', i fail to see why. what's wrong with having a little faith, something to believe in? and furthermore, what's wrong in wanting to share this faith with others, to attempt to point the ones we love in the direction that will fill that void in their lives? is it not natural to want our friends and family to be happy as we are? and so i challenge all of you, whatever your personal beliefs may be, wherever you are searching. take a leap of faith.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
before saddle shoes were 'in'
it is my greatest desire, to do this on a uni bus. who's with me? flashmob time anyone?
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
masochistic rats
so today, after i finally recieved my coffee and muffin, having devoured my muffin and then decided that it wasn't such a smart purchase after all (QUEASY), i was exiting my favorite place to eat on campus, aka the weirdly shaped purple building, when a notice posted on the window caught my attention. it was an advertisement - similar to one of many like it found at university - calling for student participants for a research study. however what set this particular notice apart from others surrounding it, and indeed any other research study advertisement i had seen before, was the topic of research that required participants. this unique notice read as follows: "participants wanted for research study examining why students do not want to participate in research studies - if you do not wish to participate, please tell us why" ah. refreshing, no? i have no idea whether this was a serious advertisement or someone's witty idea of a joke, but it pretty much made my day. also, it helped me to forget for a moment the QUEASINESS that the rather bad choice of a muffin for my mid-morning snack elicited. so whoever that person may be who composed that notice and posted it where i could read it, thankyou. ps. i do quite regret neglecting my poor blog, however, free time is not something that i am able to come by easily these days. however i have not disappeared from the blogging realm, so watch this space for a rather lengthy rant, which will arrive when i have a moment to spare. ciao for now.
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