How many of the following statements do you agree/disagree with, or can respond to?
bwahahahahahaha.... although... this is all tongue in cheek... naturally...
Things Men Wish Women Knew
1. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.
I know I'm not fat, but I like to be reassured =)
2. Learn to work the toilet seat: if it's up put it down.
I am not putting my hands on a dirty toilet seat when you can put it down after you pee and THEN wash your hands.
3 . Don't cut your hair. Ever.
Fine. I like my hair long. Cut your hair always. Long hair on guys went out ages ago.
4. Birthdays, Valentines, and Anniversaries are not quests to see if he can find the perfect present, again!
Think of it more a quest to see if you can do better than socks, or one of those "stop move away!" cookie jars. Think perfume, flowers, chocolate, and whatever has cropped up in conversation at odd and yet strangely concidental times.
5. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear.
There are some questions you need the answer to do - you may not want to know why guys leave their jocks sunny side up on the bathroom floor, but the answer can sure help you stop them doing it!
6. Sometimes, he's not thinking about you. Live with it.
Sometimes he's never thinking about me. It hurts.
7. Don't ask him what he's thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as navel lent, the shotgun formation and monster trucks.
Don't complain about me talking too much unless you want me to run you over with a monster truck =)
8. Get rid of your cat. And no, it's not different, it's just like every other cat.
I'll keep the cat and keep your wallet. You and your ultimatums on the other hand are negotiable.
9. Dogs are better than ANY cats. Period.
Dogs are better than cats, but making a big deal about it just shows what a petty baby you are.
10. Sunday = Sports. It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.
If Sunday equals sports, then ever major social event involving your family (especially your mother), birthdays, weddings in which you are the best man, anniversary bashes and especially funerals, will all involve me hogging the bathroom and ensuring we get there an hour late. It's like the full moon or the tides. Let it be.
11. Shopping is not sport.
It's a lifestyle.
12. Anything you wear is fine. Really.
I know. It's nice to see you're finally paying attention.
13. You have enough clothes.
There are never enough clothes.
14. You have too many shoes.
They're worth more to me than your snide comments.
15. Crying is blackmail. Use it if you must, but don't expect us to like it.
Crying = feelings. They are like the full moon and the tides. Just let it be.
16. Your brother is an idiot, your ex-boyfriend is an idiot and your Dad probably is too.
I don't have a brother, my ex-boyfriend IS an idiot, and you're a mummy's boy.
17. Ask for what you want. Subtle hints don't work.
Give us what we want. Don't pretend you don't know what it is when you do.
18. No, he doesn't know what day it is. He never will. Mark anniversaries on a calendar.
Teach him how to write first.
19. Yes, pissing standing up is more difficult than peeing from point blank range. We're bound to miss sometimes.
There is however, nothing to stop you from "sparing a square" and saving others from having to clean up after you. Your inadequacies at aiming don't HAVE to mean poor bathroom etiquette.
20. Most guys own two to three pairs of shoes-what makes you think we'd be any good at choosing which pair, out of thirty, would look good with your dress?
BECAUSE ALL THREE PAIRS ARE BLACK AND GO WITH ANYTHING YOU MORON.
21. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers.
"Yes I will pay for everything for the rest of our lives and not gamble everything on the crack black market" is an acceptable answer.
"No I will not admit paternity to that baby" is not.
22. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a problem. See a doctor.
After seeing you naked I think I'll need a psychologist more than anything.
23. Your Mom doesn't have to be our best friend.
Your Mom doesn't have to be so interfering.
24. Foreign films are best left to foreigners.
If I can't have my movies, you can't have yours. Delete the porn off your hard drive.
25. Check your oil.
Check your face. Oh. It's always like that.
26. Don't give us 50 rules when 25 will do.
Don't drive me to a nervous breakdown because it takes you 20 years to figure out what the dirty laundry basket is for.
27. Don't fake it. We'd rather be ineffective than deceived.
Don't pressure us to experience "it". That makes it so much harder to have "it". The pressure makes us feel like mouldy cheese.
28. It is neither in your best interest nor ours to take the quiz together.
You'd only spell everything wrong anyway.
29. Anything we said 6 or 8 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. All comments become null and void after 7 days.
Same goes with my agreements to get pay tv, broaband internet, the new Audi, and my tubes tied. Oh and you're the almight breadwinner, so you pay all the cancellation costs =)
30. If you don't dress like the Victoria's Secret girls, don't expect us to act like soap opera guys.
If you don't want to be warm, sensitive and romantic towards US in all our glory, we certainly won't be that way toward your genitalia. Ever.
31. If something we said can be interpreted two ways, and one of the ways makes you sad and angry, we meant the other one.
No. You didn't. You're just saying that to cover your ass.
32. Let us ogle. If we don't look at other women, how can we know how
pretty you are?
BY LOOKING AT ME YOU DUMBASS.
33. Don't rub the lamp if you don't want the genie to come out.
Don't poke me in the back in the middle of the night when I'm sleeping and rub me on the stomach in a half ass attempt to get me in the mood.
34. You can either ask us to do something OR tell us how you want it done not both.
Or you could use your initiative and do it the most sensible and logical way THE FIRST TIME.
35. Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during commercials.
Whenever possible, please understand that in a week you will have forgotten who won that game but I'll still be mad at you. And you'll be complaining that you don't know what you've done wrong because you were staring like a ZOMBIE at the screen while I was telling you what was wrong.
36. Christopher Columbus didn't need directions, and neither do we.
Christopher Columbus set sail in the face of all laughter at his dreams and ideas. His was to discover if the world was flat or not - you dream of owning the same four wheel drive our neighbour has. There's a subtle difference here. Oh, you don't know subtlety that's right. You're no all-knowing visionary. Gimme the damn map.
37. Women wearing Wonderbras and low-cut blouses lose their right to complain about having their boobs stared at.
Well start wandering around with your bits and pieces hanging out and we'll see how much you enjoy the nastier comments!
38. Consider Golf a mini-vacation from you. We need it, just like you do.
Consider upping my pre-nup.
39. Telling us that the models in the men's magazines are airbrushed makes you look jealous and petty and it's certainly not going to deter us from reading the magazines.
Telling us that we should be more like Tara Reid with her gross botched boob job and disgusting personality is insulting, and you wouldn't like it if we invited man-power Australia to perform in our living room and sat around lamenting how much we wished you looked like their leader.
40. The relationship is never going to be like it was the first two months we were going out.
The relationship is now boring and if you don't do something about it soon, I won't dump you - I just won't be in the mood for the next ten years.
41. Anyone can buy condoms.
You should always have them on hand just in case - for your benefit, not so much mine!
Showing posts with label single. Show all posts
Showing posts with label single. Show all posts
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Another five questions!
I completed the final component of my marketing audit today - the presentation. Our group got 4/5 four it and I got all excellent ticks for my part of the speech! Woo! Go public speaking Melissa!
Anyway, I now have sweet bugger all to do tomorrow until I go to work at four pm, so I figured I would tackle another five questions while I had the chance.
This set of five questions comes from Elonortrund, who will be getting a link in my sidebar following this post (if I don't fall asleep).
Okay...
1. You are single and like to date different people. How can you tell the difference between someone who is fun to be with for now, vs. a man who has potential for a lasting relationship, or would be a good father for your children (if you want kids!)?
Jeez, you're not to shy with the heavy hitters are you? Hrm...
I found this question interesting because I honestly think (to the point where "know" might be a better word) that one of my problems in the dating and relationship games is that I tend to think all of them have the potential for a lasting relationship. (Not so sure about father to my children part, I really haven't thought that far down the track yet, I'm still working on having one I can pin down for more than a few months!).
I have a funny feeling for most people "the one" starts out as someone who would be fun to be with for now. Then in six months time, a year, two years, they're still fun to be with for now. Eventually you realise that all along, without you really thinking about it too much, they ARE that long term relationship you were originally looking for. It's just that things like that (the important things in life) always revolve around time, and things that evolve around time always creep up on us so quietly that one day you just wake up in the morning and realise you're there.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a dead sucker for romance, and the thought of meeting the love of your life in the supermarket one day and after ten minutes of chatting just thinking "yes, I see houses, I see babies, I see white picket fences!" is awesome, and there was a time when, although I wouldn't admit it, I probably thought that could happen. I've since learned that it's more a matter of patience, of realising that time is the one thing that consolidate the potential that is there. Also understanding that life can get in the way and there's nothing you can do about it.
It's a rather dull and unromantic analogy, but it's like anything that you want really badly - to save money, to build a business, anything that involves a goal at the end of the tunnel. You have to let the success creep on you gradually I think.
I also think women have a weird tendency to have that "wake up one morning and find" experience faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar earlier than the men ever do. I think men wake up one morning with "the one" stamped on their partners forhead and dont notice it, grunt, scratch their ass, haul themselves out of bed and start stuffing their face with cereal. They then rinse and repeat for the next five years, or until their partner starts making violent ultimatums.
2. You are Australian, and I believe you've also lived in Denmark. What is your impression of the United States?
Okay, having never been to the United States, I have had three major phases in my life where America had a distinct image in my head.
Before I travelled - America was Utopia. I really badly wanted to go to an American High School, play on the school basketball team, go on "dates" (we really don't do that here, I just do it because I'm strange), pick fights with other kids on New York streets, and go to Degrassi Junior High (this is when I didn't know Canada existed - to this day, the accents sound the same to me). I wanted to meet celebrities, I wanted to live in the big upper middle class houses and drive a convertible to school, I wanted the trendy, young hip "Mom". America to a primary school or early high schooler seemed awesome.
When I went overseas I got a different perspective. Rotary Youth Exchange was a great program but I found because the program involved your parents pretty much paying for everything, and that it was for teenagers, that I met a lot of Americans who I found quite shocking in their attitudes. There were a lot of suburban princesses who really did fit the cheesy stereotypes - the slutty cheerleaders, the bitchy princesses, the jocks. In short, pretty much all the ones I personally would have collected en masse from high school and sent to live on an island somewhere if given the chance. I found most of them to be spoilt, I found their "don't mess with me attitude" intimidating and more often than not, selfish and unjustified, none of them seemed to be very independent and have much of an idea of striking out on your own, and most of them got up to things that would turn their mother's hair grey (I wasn't perfect, but I just got drunk a lot). That was mostly the ones from the bigger cities, and I think most of them had attitudes like that because in a big city I'm guessing if you want to survive you learn to bite and not let yourself get trampled on by countless others. I found it was the ones from the south or the rural areas that I related to the most, the shy Iowa farm boys and the friendly Texans - I guess because I was the Australian version of the same.
First year at a boarding college on returning to Australia and I met Bec (HI BEC!), Ben and Emily. These three are seriously on my huge list of cool foreigners that I have to go and visit someday. Each of them still manages to bring a grin to my face on a regular basis. They are humble, they are happy, they are diverse, they are well grounded, they are opinionated, they share affection, they are awesome to talk to, and they are just plain cool. I love them to death. I want to go to America because of these people.
I plan to go to the States one day, I really do want to part of my degree there, studying Marketing. Where else to learn how to be a marketer than the capitalist capital of the world? I look forward to seeing every bit that beautiful and diverse country has to offer, with it's huge range of cultures.
Oh and Canada sounds cool too.
3. I've heard about the "Tall Poppy" syndrome in Australia. Do you think it exists, and if so, has it affected your life?
Yes tall poppy syndrome exists in Australia. Generally, in my experience, it applies to the Australian public or population. Australians have a very strong idea of what an "Australian" way to behave is. In my experience, the gist of it is that if you are Australian, you do not divert from what is considered Australian. You stick to the unwritten rules of mateship, loyalty, patriotism, and there's a very strong pressure not to "sell out", especially to American codes of behaviour, which are (sorry any Americans) often considered money grabbing and elitist. Those who make it big internationally are often (I think incorrectly) deemed to have gotten to their high status because they have done things that are considered un-Australian. They've sold their soul to American capitalism, they've indulged too much in a European fan base (Kylie Minogue has copped that one more than once, lucky for her the gay community won't let anyone tear her down), they've altered their product to meet a mass-market... The fact that they're Australian and they've reached that pinnacle doesn't seem to come into it - the perfect Australian is an aussie battler, who struggled to get where they are today and had to fight tooth and nail to achieve it. Those who seem to have flown from strength to strength go against this Australian ideal I feel, and so there is a tendency to tear them down, make them work for their success. They are constantly made to justify themselves. We are not a nation of people that builds its ambitions on something as idealistic as the American Dream. We are a nation that values the fight for success more than the success itself in many respects. (Australians reading this, do you agree or disagree?)
In terms of it affecting me... hrm. Nothing significant, maybe in slight ways. I was a very ambitious during high school and I don't think some (not all) of my school mates saw eye to eye with that, then again, the question below on being a stay at home Mum probably demonstrates I didn't see eye to eye with what a lot of the people in my home town had in mind for themselves either (my hometown was, and still is, the teenage pregnancy capital of Australia, with a lot of teenage girls choosing to become mothers at that young age. That was NOT something I had in mind for myself in light of the career paths I wanted to follow).
I get the wind knocked out of my sails by other people from time to time, but I wouldn't say that's to do with them being Australian, I think people all over the world do that. It's a self-preservation thing. If the people around you start getting too self-confident they start achieving too many goals and get too successful, then who's the one who feels they look a fool? There's always that nagging feeling in everyone that they should be doing just as well as the group standard. Everybody does it (girls are especially good at doing it, in very subtle ways too! Don't think I haven't done it).
4. Do you think you will have several careers throughout your life, or will stick to one? If you become a mother, would you consider staying home with children or not?
There are a number of careers I can see myself doing. Originally I wanted to be a journalist, and my arts degree does actually major in media so it is a path I could very well follow. I can actually see myself working in radio or print journalism, and as is evident from the fact that I run a blog, I would love to be a writer. I seriously don't think I have the discipline for those at the moment though. Many people who meet me often mention that I should head in a corporate direction, before they even hear me mention that I'm interested in marketing. I've also considered studying law before but I really don't see myself doing that, it really is such a cynical and jaded profession. I'm too much of an idealist to be a lawyer.
I have thought about the issue of motherhood and it is an interesting quandry. I've always valued my independence and I think I'm actually already shaping up to be a bit of a work a holic. I am never going to be the sort of person who is content with doing nothing. However as long as I see importance in the work that I am doing, I will be addicted to it. Whenever I see myself in ten, fifteen years time, I do see myself having kids, and me being an awesome Mum to them. I like to think I'd be the understanding Mum who always takes the time to explan things properly and help out with any problem and talks loudly but doesn't yell a lot.
People would be surprised to hear this but I genuinely would consider it. Being a stay home Mum I mean. When I was younger I couldn't fathom the thought of it - my Mum was a management executive and she was always at work the same time we were at school, on business trips, and home tired at 6pm, and she enjoyed the challenges of her work, as do i. I couldn't imagine being in an empty house all day doing laundry and cleaning dishes - to me that always felt subservant to the man, that it just wasn't what I was made for. The fact that I'm hardly housekeeping material myself bares a strong leaning on the matter as well.
The last year or so though in the back of my mind I've been lulling it over and I guess, the main reason I work, or do degrees, or travel, or do anything really, is to prove to myself that I can do it. Maybe at that stage in my life I won't feel I have to prove anything to myself anymore.
5. What is the healthcare system like in Australia? Is it national healthcare? Do you think it is high quality?
I never get sick. I actually have absolutely no idea. I went to the doctor when I was 17 to get a medical check before I went overseas and he couldn't find any notes on me because I hadn't been since early primary school. I just don't get so sick that I need to go to a doctor.
Last year though I had bouts of anxiety and spent six weeks in hospital. It was a pretty difficult time, having never been that sick before. I found the nurses were great, the ambulance was RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE and it took me months to pay off the cost, the doctors were kind and understanding, and that my hospital accommodation was excellent.
That said, I was the first patient to get stashed into a new wing and I think they wanted to make a good impression.
I had some pretty turbulent experiences in hospital due to some accidentally mis-diagnosed medication, after that cock up (they were trying to get funding for yet another wing if this one went successfully, wouldn't have looked good if the first patient in filed suit), I was treated like a queen. I don't think anyone else quite got the same level of "care". The experience left me pretty jaded to say the least.
Sorry I'm really not the best person to ask about that. All I know is when I was a kid if I ever wanted a doctor, I got one, that no one in my family has ever gone without, that there is a huge shortage of nurses, and that there are a large number of hospitals that should just be avoided like the plague in an emergency (The Royal Adelaide is the one to avoid here in Adelaide).
Well that's another five questions answered! I'll have to post that link in the morning I am tired........................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Toodles!
Anyway, I now have sweet bugger all to do tomorrow until I go to work at four pm, so I figured I would tackle another five questions while I had the chance.
This set of five questions comes from Elonortrund, who will be getting a link in my sidebar following this post (if I don't fall asleep).
Okay...
1. You are single and like to date different people. How can you tell the difference between someone who is fun to be with for now, vs. a man who has potential for a lasting relationship, or would be a good father for your children (if you want kids!)?
Jeez, you're not to shy with the heavy hitters are you? Hrm...
I found this question interesting because I honestly think (to the point where "know" might be a better word) that one of my problems in the dating and relationship games is that I tend to think all of them have the potential for a lasting relationship. (Not so sure about father to my children part, I really haven't thought that far down the track yet, I'm still working on having one I can pin down for more than a few months!).
I have a funny feeling for most people "the one" starts out as someone who would be fun to be with for now. Then in six months time, a year, two years, they're still fun to be with for now. Eventually you realise that all along, without you really thinking about it too much, they ARE that long term relationship you were originally looking for. It's just that things like that (the important things in life) always revolve around time, and things that evolve around time always creep up on us so quietly that one day you just wake up in the morning and realise you're there.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a dead sucker for romance, and the thought of meeting the love of your life in the supermarket one day and after ten minutes of chatting just thinking "yes, I see houses, I see babies, I see white picket fences!" is awesome, and there was a time when, although I wouldn't admit it, I probably thought that could happen. I've since learned that it's more a matter of patience, of realising that time is the one thing that consolidate the potential that is there. Also understanding that life can get in the way and there's nothing you can do about it.
It's a rather dull and unromantic analogy, but it's like anything that you want really badly - to save money, to build a business, anything that involves a goal at the end of the tunnel. You have to let the success creep on you gradually I think.
I also think women have a weird tendency to have that "wake up one morning and find" experience faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar earlier than the men ever do. I think men wake up one morning with "the one" stamped on their partners forhead and dont notice it, grunt, scratch their ass, haul themselves out of bed and start stuffing their face with cereal. They then rinse and repeat for the next five years, or until their partner starts making violent ultimatums.
2. You are Australian, and I believe you've also lived in Denmark. What is your impression of the United States?
Okay, having never been to the United States, I have had three major phases in my life where America had a distinct image in my head.
Before I travelled - America was Utopia. I really badly wanted to go to an American High School, play on the school basketball team, go on "dates" (we really don't do that here, I just do it because I'm strange), pick fights with other kids on New York streets, and go to Degrassi Junior High (this is when I didn't know Canada existed - to this day, the accents sound the same to me). I wanted to meet celebrities, I wanted to live in the big upper middle class houses and drive a convertible to school, I wanted the trendy, young hip "Mom". America to a primary school or early high schooler seemed awesome.
When I went overseas I got a different perspective. Rotary Youth Exchange was a great program but I found because the program involved your parents pretty much paying for everything, and that it was for teenagers, that I met a lot of Americans who I found quite shocking in their attitudes. There were a lot of suburban princesses who really did fit the cheesy stereotypes - the slutty cheerleaders, the bitchy princesses, the jocks. In short, pretty much all the ones I personally would have collected en masse from high school and sent to live on an island somewhere if given the chance. I found most of them to be spoilt, I found their "don't mess with me attitude" intimidating and more often than not, selfish and unjustified, none of them seemed to be very independent and have much of an idea of striking out on your own, and most of them got up to things that would turn their mother's hair grey (I wasn't perfect, but I just got drunk a lot). That was mostly the ones from the bigger cities, and I think most of them had attitudes like that because in a big city I'm guessing if you want to survive you learn to bite and not let yourself get trampled on by countless others. I found it was the ones from the south or the rural areas that I related to the most, the shy Iowa farm boys and the friendly Texans - I guess because I was the Australian version of the same.
First year at a boarding college on returning to Australia and I met Bec (HI BEC!), Ben and Emily. These three are seriously on my huge list of cool foreigners that I have to go and visit someday. Each of them still manages to bring a grin to my face on a regular basis. They are humble, they are happy, they are diverse, they are well grounded, they are opinionated, they share affection, they are awesome to talk to, and they are just plain cool. I love them to death. I want to go to America because of these people.
I plan to go to the States one day, I really do want to part of my degree there, studying Marketing. Where else to learn how to be a marketer than the capitalist capital of the world? I look forward to seeing every bit that beautiful and diverse country has to offer, with it's huge range of cultures.
Oh and Canada sounds cool too.
3. I've heard about the "Tall Poppy" syndrome in Australia. Do you think it exists, and if so, has it affected your life?
Yes tall poppy syndrome exists in Australia. Generally, in my experience, it applies to the Australian public or population. Australians have a very strong idea of what an "Australian" way to behave is. In my experience, the gist of it is that if you are Australian, you do not divert from what is considered Australian. You stick to the unwritten rules of mateship, loyalty, patriotism, and there's a very strong pressure not to "sell out", especially to American codes of behaviour, which are (sorry any Americans) often considered money grabbing and elitist. Those who make it big internationally are often (I think incorrectly) deemed to have gotten to their high status because they have done things that are considered un-Australian. They've sold their soul to American capitalism, they've indulged too much in a European fan base (Kylie Minogue has copped that one more than once, lucky for her the gay community won't let anyone tear her down), they've altered their product to meet a mass-market... The fact that they're Australian and they've reached that pinnacle doesn't seem to come into it - the perfect Australian is an aussie battler, who struggled to get where they are today and had to fight tooth and nail to achieve it. Those who seem to have flown from strength to strength go against this Australian ideal I feel, and so there is a tendency to tear them down, make them work for their success. They are constantly made to justify themselves. We are not a nation of people that builds its ambitions on something as idealistic as the American Dream. We are a nation that values the fight for success more than the success itself in many respects. (Australians reading this, do you agree or disagree?)
In terms of it affecting me... hrm. Nothing significant, maybe in slight ways. I was a very ambitious during high school and I don't think some (not all) of my school mates saw eye to eye with that, then again, the question below on being a stay at home Mum probably demonstrates I didn't see eye to eye with what a lot of the people in my home town had in mind for themselves either (my hometown was, and still is, the teenage pregnancy capital of Australia, with a lot of teenage girls choosing to become mothers at that young age. That was NOT something I had in mind for myself in light of the career paths I wanted to follow).
I get the wind knocked out of my sails by other people from time to time, but I wouldn't say that's to do with them being Australian, I think people all over the world do that. It's a self-preservation thing. If the people around you start getting too self-confident they start achieving too many goals and get too successful, then who's the one who feels they look a fool? There's always that nagging feeling in everyone that they should be doing just as well as the group standard. Everybody does it (girls are especially good at doing it, in very subtle ways too! Don't think I haven't done it).
4. Do you think you will have several careers throughout your life, or will stick to one? If you become a mother, would you consider staying home with children or not?
There are a number of careers I can see myself doing. Originally I wanted to be a journalist, and my arts degree does actually major in media so it is a path I could very well follow. I can actually see myself working in radio or print journalism, and as is evident from the fact that I run a blog, I would love to be a writer. I seriously don't think I have the discipline for those at the moment though. Many people who meet me often mention that I should head in a corporate direction, before they even hear me mention that I'm interested in marketing. I've also considered studying law before but I really don't see myself doing that, it really is such a cynical and jaded profession. I'm too much of an idealist to be a lawyer.
I have thought about the issue of motherhood and it is an interesting quandry. I've always valued my independence and I think I'm actually already shaping up to be a bit of a work a holic. I am never going to be the sort of person who is content with doing nothing. However as long as I see importance in the work that I am doing, I will be addicted to it. Whenever I see myself in ten, fifteen years time, I do see myself having kids, and me being an awesome Mum to them. I like to think I'd be the understanding Mum who always takes the time to explan things properly and help out with any problem and talks loudly but doesn't yell a lot.
People would be surprised to hear this but I genuinely would consider it. Being a stay home Mum I mean. When I was younger I couldn't fathom the thought of it - my Mum was a management executive and she was always at work the same time we were at school, on business trips, and home tired at 6pm, and she enjoyed the challenges of her work, as do i. I couldn't imagine being in an empty house all day doing laundry and cleaning dishes - to me that always felt subservant to the man, that it just wasn't what I was made for. The fact that I'm hardly housekeeping material myself bares a strong leaning on the matter as well.
The last year or so though in the back of my mind I've been lulling it over and I guess, the main reason I work, or do degrees, or travel, or do anything really, is to prove to myself that I can do it. Maybe at that stage in my life I won't feel I have to prove anything to myself anymore.
5. What is the healthcare system like in Australia? Is it national healthcare? Do you think it is high quality?
I never get sick. I actually have absolutely no idea. I went to the doctor when I was 17 to get a medical check before I went overseas and he couldn't find any notes on me because I hadn't been since early primary school. I just don't get so sick that I need to go to a doctor.
Last year though I had bouts of anxiety and spent six weeks in hospital. It was a pretty difficult time, having never been that sick before. I found the nurses were great, the ambulance was RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE and it took me months to pay off the cost, the doctors were kind and understanding, and that my hospital accommodation was excellent.
That said, I was the first patient to get stashed into a new wing and I think they wanted to make a good impression.
I had some pretty turbulent experiences in hospital due to some accidentally mis-diagnosed medication, after that cock up (they were trying to get funding for yet another wing if this one went successfully, wouldn't have looked good if the first patient in filed suit), I was treated like a queen. I don't think anyone else quite got the same level of "care". The experience left me pretty jaded to say the least.
Sorry I'm really not the best person to ask about that. All I know is when I was a kid if I ever wanted a doctor, I got one, that no one in my family has ever gone without, that there is a huge shortage of nurses, and that there are a large number of hospitals that should just be avoided like the plague in an emergency (The Royal Adelaide is the one to avoid here in Adelaide).
Well that's another five questions answered! I'll have to post that link in the morning I am tired........................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Toodles!
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Ten Ways You Know You're Having a Bad Week
This is for all the people who thought my last post was a bit over-confident, haha! This week brought me back down from my euphoria a little.
1. You didn't change the address for your phone bill and you're only now being told last months bill didn't direct debit properly, and that you have to pay it. Now. As well as the current bill.
2. You're so popular on an internet dating site (yes I tried internet dating, I had a boring Saturday night and thought it would be funny, and a bit of a social experiment, judge me if you will!) your phone bill goes through the roof because they charge to receive SMS notifications of responses to your ad.
3. Not only that but some telemarketing fuckers (ironic, seeing as I am one), got hold of my number and charged $5 a pop (NOT INCLUDED IN MY CAP WHICH I WAS NOT AWARE OF) to send ME sms.
4. Your internet's not working and you're a hopeless blogging addict.
5. No one in your group at uni is motivated for the assignment and seems to think the most verbal person in the group (me) wants to not only take charge, but do all the work, when nothing could be further from the truth.
6. Some dude you think is alright but you're just not that interested in keeps being annoyingly awesome and kind, making you feel like a complete mole for being too busy to, and not really wanting to, go out with him (and even worse, for liking someone else).
7. Your Mum visits with no notice, and, as mothers do, criticises every asepct of your entire existence whilst taking none of the credit for the way you turned out (wait until she hears about the phonebill). Love you Mum!
8. The bank charges you dishonour fees because your phonebill ate up all your money adding another pile onto the expenses.
9. The registration on your car is up already and re-newing it is not only expensive but inconvenient.
10. You really really really really really want to go to the Christina Aguilera concert but now you'll be dialling rednecks in Central NSW every night for the next month and eating soup cold out of the can because your so scared your electricity bill might be anything like your phone bill that you're too scared to use your microwave.
Don't worry people, I got it covered. Just have to work full shifts for a while. 3 (my phone carrier) were really nice and knocked the spam SMS off my bill ($70!!!!). Moreover, I figure the dating website SMS paid for themselves in free dinners (and good company)!
My sister has the car so if she kills anyone SHE can be the one who gets sued. And I like soup.
And I was exaggerating, I don't actually own a microwave...
1. You didn't change the address for your phone bill and you're only now being told last months bill didn't direct debit properly, and that you have to pay it. Now. As well as the current bill.
2. You're so popular on an internet dating site (yes I tried internet dating, I had a boring Saturday night and thought it would be funny, and a bit of a social experiment, judge me if you will!) your phone bill goes through the roof because they charge to receive SMS notifications of responses to your ad.
3. Not only that but some telemarketing fuckers (ironic, seeing as I am one), got hold of my number and charged $5 a pop (NOT INCLUDED IN MY CAP WHICH I WAS NOT AWARE OF) to send ME sms.
4. Your internet's not working and you're a hopeless blogging addict.
5. No one in your group at uni is motivated for the assignment and seems to think the most verbal person in the group (me) wants to not only take charge, but do all the work, when nothing could be further from the truth.
6. Some dude you think is alright but you're just not that interested in keeps being annoyingly awesome and kind, making you feel like a complete mole for being too busy to, and not really wanting to, go out with him (and even worse, for liking someone else).
7. Your Mum visits with no notice, and, as mothers do, criticises every asepct of your entire existence whilst taking none of the credit for the way you turned out (wait until she hears about the phonebill). Love you Mum!
8. The bank charges you dishonour fees because your phonebill ate up all your money adding another pile onto the expenses.
9. The registration on your car is up already and re-newing it is not only expensive but inconvenient.
10. You really really really really really want to go to the Christina Aguilera concert but now you'll be dialling rednecks in Central NSW every night for the next month and eating soup cold out of the can because your so scared your electricity bill might be anything like your phone bill that you're too scared to use your microwave.
Don't worry people, I got it covered. Just have to work full shifts for a while. 3 (my phone carrier) were really nice and knocked the spam SMS off my bill ($70!!!!). Moreover, I figure the dating website SMS paid for themselves in free dinners (and good company)!
My sister has the car so if she kills anyone SHE can be the one who gets sued. And I like soup.
And I was exaggerating, I don't actually own a microwave...
Saturday, April 28, 2007
What everyone ought to know about being single
Okay so recently I've done quite a bit of dating and I'm having a slow Saturday night tonight. I'm lacking for ideas as to what to write in my blog so I thought I'd be cliché'd and write about being single.
There are a lot of things that I hate about being single. I'm a really cuddly and affectionate person once I get to know someone enough and not having someone to cuddle sucks, especially when watching a movie. There are a few bizarre things about being in a relationship that I miss when I am single that wouldn't be the first things that spring to mind when the topic is mentioned – namely, you miss seeing your untidy crap mingle with their untidy crap, and you miss the cute funny things like how innocent they look when they sleep or how loudly they snore. Dinner for one on the couch is never exactly sinfully good fun when you think you could be out somewhere trying a restaurant you've never been to before, and not having someone to hear how your day was, whether good or bad, can really freaking suck when you live alone.
That said I really don't have that much to whinge about.
I could say that dinner for one on the couch sucks but I have plenty of family and friends to go out for dinner with. In fact half the time it's my own fault because I spent all my money and I'm broke until pay day. On the odd occasion when I find someone to go out on a date with, that's precisely what happens – I go out to a restaurant or have a good night out. The bonus is that I'm usually a pretty good judge of character so the company is rarely bad. In fact I'm yet to date anyone and not still talk to them regularly.
A lack of romance in everyday life can be a bit of a downer but I'm yet to meet a guy who really makes that a top priority anyway. Besides, dating and getting to know some new people can be romantic in a completely non-intimidating and chilled way, as opposed to someone who plays the guitar and serenades you of a night to the point where you feel you may have to get a restraining order (that is yet to happen to me, I'm just saying theoretically – it would be annoyingly flattering though).
I could throw not getting spoilt and pampered in the list. It would be a valid entry. I don't think there's a chick in the world that doesn't like being bought a present or being treated to a nice weekend away. That said, I value my independence. I like to earn my own money, pay for my own things, work my own jobs, and I plan to have my own career, and I like to think I'd go out with someone who'd support me in that rather than just hand everything on a plate. If it came down to a $2000 day at a pampering health spa or a candlelit romantic night at home for the cost of… well, whatever a packet of cheap candles costs, I'd pick the candles every time. It's more the company and reassurance that I'll be seeing someone worth looking forward to that I care about.
Being in a relationship has its perks of course. You've got someone who gets cross on your behalf when someone wanker in the pub spills beer down your chest, and as already mentioned, nothing beats a really great cuddle. It's also great to have someone to dress up or down for, but once again, you do that when you're single and want to feel attractive anyway. Hell, you do that just to feel GOOD about yourself!
I'd like to be in a relationship eventually. However it's important to recognise that in this transitional phase of your early 20's absolutely nothing is set in stone. People pick up and move at the drop of the hat these days. New careers are decided overnight. Relationships are difficult to maintain because you don't live at home anymore (which, if a drag for anything else, at least provides structure) and there's just so much on offer out there. People actually LIVE with each other when they're in a relationship now, and, quite scarily, they're starting to get old enough to have emotional baggage.
It's a big deal and not always easy to get into one, and even less easy to maintain. That's something I've always had trouble understanding I guess. I'm the kind of person that tends to think 'right, the scary part where we get together is over now, we got started here, it's all pretty simple from here on in" but it's not.
You can't skip all the foundation bits because you've got a good feeling about it. You've got to go with the flow, test things out, and make choices, hard ones. Probably the best thing about being single is not having to make those hard choices because you can just choose whatever suits you best by default.
Today I was talking to a couple of the (really nice) older ladies at my work, who asked what I was doing on the weekend. I told them it hadn't worked out with the last bloke I dated (I over reacted then drank all his wine), but another opportunity had cropped up recently and I was tempted to give that a go. Somewhere in the conversation it also got mentioned that I'd been out late dancing with friends the night before. They said (and this is something you don't hear from your friends in their 20's) "I remember doing that when I was 21! Boy I wish I could do all that now". It's funny, my lifestyle doesn't always feel appealing at all but you forget how great it is to be 21, independent, with spare time, no huge commitments and a bubbly desire to meet new people.
There will always be the things you miss, like one of you chucking a sickie so you can spend the day together, or staying up all night and talking, and being alone when the electricity cuts out is always going to be crap. Lets also face the fact that when your friends are in relationships and you keep ending up the third wheel you're never going to feel great about being single.
It ain't all bad though.
There are a lot of things that I hate about being single. I'm a really cuddly and affectionate person once I get to know someone enough and not having someone to cuddle sucks, especially when watching a movie. There are a few bizarre things about being in a relationship that I miss when I am single that wouldn't be the first things that spring to mind when the topic is mentioned – namely, you miss seeing your untidy crap mingle with their untidy crap, and you miss the cute funny things like how innocent they look when they sleep or how loudly they snore. Dinner for one on the couch is never exactly sinfully good fun when you think you could be out somewhere trying a restaurant you've never been to before, and not having someone to hear how your day was, whether good or bad, can really freaking suck when you live alone.
That said I really don't have that much to whinge about.
I could say that dinner for one on the couch sucks but I have plenty of family and friends to go out for dinner with. In fact half the time it's my own fault because I spent all my money and I'm broke until pay day. On the odd occasion when I find someone to go out on a date with, that's precisely what happens – I go out to a restaurant or have a good night out. The bonus is that I'm usually a pretty good judge of character so the company is rarely bad. In fact I'm yet to date anyone and not still talk to them regularly.
A lack of romance in everyday life can be a bit of a downer but I'm yet to meet a guy who really makes that a top priority anyway. Besides, dating and getting to know some new people can be romantic in a completely non-intimidating and chilled way, as opposed to someone who plays the guitar and serenades you of a night to the point where you feel you may have to get a restraining order (that is yet to happen to me, I'm just saying theoretically – it would be annoyingly flattering though).
I could throw not getting spoilt and pampered in the list. It would be a valid entry. I don't think there's a chick in the world that doesn't like being bought a present or being treated to a nice weekend away. That said, I value my independence. I like to earn my own money, pay for my own things, work my own jobs, and I plan to have my own career, and I like to think I'd go out with someone who'd support me in that rather than just hand everything on a plate. If it came down to a $2000 day at a pampering health spa or a candlelit romantic night at home for the cost of… well, whatever a packet of cheap candles costs, I'd pick the candles every time. It's more the company and reassurance that I'll be seeing someone worth looking forward to that I care about.
Being in a relationship has its perks of course. You've got someone who gets cross on your behalf when someone wanker in the pub spills beer down your chest, and as already mentioned, nothing beats a really great cuddle. It's also great to have someone to dress up or down for, but once again, you do that when you're single and want to feel attractive anyway. Hell, you do that just to feel GOOD about yourself!
I'd like to be in a relationship eventually. However it's important to recognise that in this transitional phase of your early 20's absolutely nothing is set in stone. People pick up and move at the drop of the hat these days. New careers are decided overnight. Relationships are difficult to maintain because you don't live at home anymore (which, if a drag for anything else, at least provides structure) and there's just so much on offer out there. People actually LIVE with each other when they're in a relationship now, and, quite scarily, they're starting to get old enough to have emotional baggage.
It's a big deal and not always easy to get into one, and even less easy to maintain. That's something I've always had trouble understanding I guess. I'm the kind of person that tends to think 'right, the scary part where we get together is over now, we got started here, it's all pretty simple from here on in" but it's not.
You can't skip all the foundation bits because you've got a good feeling about it. You've got to go with the flow, test things out, and make choices, hard ones. Probably the best thing about being single is not having to make those hard choices because you can just choose whatever suits you best by default.
Today I was talking to a couple of the (really nice) older ladies at my work, who asked what I was doing on the weekend. I told them it hadn't worked out with the last bloke I dated (I over reacted then drank all his wine), but another opportunity had cropped up recently and I was tempted to give that a go. Somewhere in the conversation it also got mentioned that I'd been out late dancing with friends the night before. They said (and this is something you don't hear from your friends in their 20's) "I remember doing that when I was 21! Boy I wish I could do all that now". It's funny, my lifestyle doesn't always feel appealing at all but you forget how great it is to be 21, independent, with spare time, no huge commitments and a bubbly desire to meet new people.
There will always be the things you miss, like one of you chucking a sickie so you can spend the day together, or staying up all night and talking, and being alone when the electricity cuts out is always going to be crap. Lets also face the fact that when your friends are in relationships and you keep ending up the third wheel you're never going to feel great about being single.
It ain't all bad though.
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