Full Fare is NOT FARE!
Great effort on the part of Melbourne Uni at organising the rally! Here are a few pictures!
4/30/2549
4/26/2549
Four phrases
I was just looking through friends' blogs instead of doing my assignment ... (oops)... and I came across Wei Han's thoughts on four phrases that can really hurt a person. And I must say, when coupled with the right situation and tone, as he mentions, it's right!
I'm guilty of using the last one, albeit in the modified form of 'How can I trust you after that?' on several occasions. I'm sorry to those I've hurt, and I'll try not to use that one again.
I had the second one used on me a couple weeks ago by a close friend... I cried for hours! So it's true, it does hurt a lot!
Ofcourse, everything is fine now... hurt is just a fleeting thing... it passes and I don't need to worry about it anymore. Hopefully, soon, I should stop allowing attacks on my person to hurt me. After all, when people say those kinds of things, they often don't really mean them. Once I can understand that, then I should just feel compassion for a person who is hurt themselves and is thus saying that kind of thing as a defense... but I guess I'm still a far way away from that.
I'm also still far away from completing my assignment... so I better get back to that!
I hate you.
You are very irritating.
Stop bugging me (as opposed to 'don't bug me').
I don't trust you.
I'm guilty of using the last one, albeit in the modified form of 'How can I trust you after that?' on several occasions. I'm sorry to those I've hurt, and I'll try not to use that one again.
I had the second one used on me a couple weeks ago by a close friend... I cried for hours! So it's true, it does hurt a lot!
Ofcourse, everything is fine now... hurt is just a fleeting thing... it passes and I don't need to worry about it anymore. Hopefully, soon, I should stop allowing attacks on my person to hurt me. After all, when people say those kinds of things, they often don't really mean them. Once I can understand that, then I should just feel compassion for a person who is hurt themselves and is thus saying that kind of thing as a defense... but I guess I'm still a far way away from that.
I'm also still far away from completing my assignment... so I better get back to that!
4/25/2549
Third Culture Kids
Thanks to 'dreaming-neko' and 'anonymous' for their comments on my previous post.
A Third Culture Kid is:
full information here
Unfortunately, I have not been able to many people of a similar background to me, because even though some share the same background, the countries they have lived in will have been entirely different! The ones that did share *some* of the same countries tend to be rare, because my dad chose some pretty obscure countries to live in!
Also, a factor is that most often, those who've been uprooted like me haven't had a 'multicultural setting' within the home, too. As I recall, in all of the int'l schools I've been to, I've generally been the only 'mixed' person in my class.
And strangely enough, it seems that the people I've identified most with are people of South-Asian backgrounds! Strange, but true, considering I've never lived in a South Asian country and only passed through the airport in India, and spent three days in transit in Pakistan!
Apparently, though, my mom was first alerted in a dream to my 'presence' in her tummy whilst in Bangladesh... So perhaps I exist as a result of a transmigration of consciousness from a Bangladeshi to my mother's womb. Who knows?
*****
Ok, that aside...
Today is Tenzing's birthday... so HAPPY BIRTHDAY GURKHA!!!
A couple of the pictures below are from his party on Saturday the 22nd, whilst the other three are from the dinner we just had tonight as the "True Friends Squad" (Tenzing's idea - stands for T.F.S can also stand for Tenzing Fon Sarinda!)
Me and Sarinda decided to get him a dogtag engraved with "True Friends Squad - Tenzing Fon Sarinda". We hid it in a box of skittles and pretended like that was our birthday present to him! It was good... we had a laugh!
*****
It was also Noreen's birthday yesterday... I wished her early at Tenzing's party, then wished her again today, a day late! Ooops... Forgot to wish her yesterday! Noreen was staying on our couch for over a month before she finally found a place to stay - poor girl! Had to travel so far to get to Swinburne University every morning!
Anyhow, Happy Birthday (belated!)!
It was also Nora's birthday last Sunday (a week ago - had an interesting time together - won't be going out for that wild a time out again for a long time!!) She's "third culture kid" like me, and shares my Finnish half... she seems to be just as uprooted as I am, and that's definitely something we have in common...
*****
Finally, because I haven't blogged in a while, I'd like to thank everyone who made it to my party the Saturday before last! We definitely had a blast... but now it's definitely time to settle back into uni-life and stress after a hectic (yet relaxing!) Easter break!
A Third Culture Kid is:
"[A] person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents' culture. The third culture kid builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the third culture kid's life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of the same background." (Pollock & van Reken, 2001, p. 19)
full information here
Unfortunately, I have not been able to many people of a similar background to me, because even though some share the same background, the countries they have lived in will have been entirely different! The ones that did share *some* of the same countries tend to be rare, because my dad chose some pretty obscure countries to live in!
Also, a factor is that most often, those who've been uprooted like me haven't had a 'multicultural setting' within the home, too. As I recall, in all of the int'l schools I've been to, I've generally been the only 'mixed' person in my class.
And strangely enough, it seems that the people I've identified most with are people of South-Asian backgrounds! Strange, but true, considering I've never lived in a South Asian country and only passed through the airport in India, and spent three days in transit in Pakistan!
Apparently, though, my mom was first alerted in a dream to my 'presence' in her tummy whilst in Bangladesh... So perhaps I exist as a result of a transmigration of consciousness from a Bangladeshi to my mother's womb. Who knows?
*****
Ok, that aside...
Today is Tenzing's birthday... so HAPPY BIRTHDAY GURKHA!!!
A couple of the pictures below are from his party on Saturday the 22nd, whilst the other three are from the dinner we just had tonight as the "True Friends Squad" (Tenzing's idea - stands for T.F.S can also stand for Tenzing Fon Sarinda!)
Me and Sarinda decided to get him a dogtag engraved with "True Friends Squad - Tenzing Fon Sarinda". We hid it in a box of skittles and pretended like that was our birthday present to him! It was good... we had a laugh!
*****
It was also Noreen's birthday yesterday... I wished her early at Tenzing's party, then wished her again today, a day late! Ooops... Forgot to wish her yesterday! Noreen was staying on our couch for over a month before she finally found a place to stay - poor girl! Had to travel so far to get to Swinburne University every morning!
Anyhow, Happy Birthday (belated!)!
It was also Nora's birthday last Sunday (a week ago - had an interesting time together - won't be going out for that wild a time out again for a long time!!) She's "third culture kid" like me, and shares my Finnish half... she seems to be just as uprooted as I am, and that's definitely something we have in common...
*****
Finally, because I haven't blogged in a while, I'd like to thank everyone who made it to my party the Saturday before last! We definitely had a blast... but now it's definitely time to settle back into uni-life and stress after a hectic (yet relaxing!) Easter break!
4/13/2549
multicultural or rootless?
I've been feeling down again, despite having my best friend constantly supporting me.
We came to a conclusion that the reason for my feeling of 'not belonging' anywhere is a direct result of being uprooted all throughout my life. The 'not belonging' applies not only to cultural roots, but also to social groups. I've not only been uprooted from countries, but uprooted from friends all my life.
The implication is that I just can't bring myself to become close to anyone truly.
Ofcourse, the clear plus side is that I TRULY understand and can cope with the fact that all things are transient, almost to a farcical extreme... I can't bring myself to believe that anything is permanent!
And naturally, that means that I have trouble with the concept of the people around me being permanent.
Whatever,... I think the conclusion is that I really should seek counselling!!! :P
We came to a conclusion that the reason for my feeling of 'not belonging' anywhere is a direct result of being uprooted all throughout my life. The 'not belonging' applies not only to cultural roots, but also to social groups. I've not only been uprooted from countries, but uprooted from friends all my life.
The implication is that I just can't bring myself to become close to anyone truly.
Ofcourse, the clear plus side is that I TRULY understand and can cope with the fact that all things are transient, almost to a farcical extreme... I can't bring myself to believe that anything is permanent!
And naturally, that means that I have trouble with the concept of the people around me being permanent.
Whatever,... I think the conclusion is that I really should seek counselling!!! :P
4/07/2549
Team building camp
I'm off for the weekend to train the newbies...
The attitude of the new team has been slightly disappointing so far... I mean, what's with it?
We're talking about attending a team-building camp, and people are sitting there talking about themselves, asking why they have to attend!
If you ask me, the very fact that all they are thinking of are themselves is that context already shows clearly that they are heavily in need to a team-building experience!
Anyhow, will miss LaTrobe boys this weekend :( and any partying involved
Will miss all other people not coming along... and will be very difficult to contact, too!
The attitude of the new team has been slightly disappointing so far... I mean, what's with it?
We're talking about attending a team-building camp, and people are sitting there talking about themselves, asking why they have to attend!
If you ask me, the very fact that all they are thinking of are themselves is that context already shows clearly that they are heavily in need to a team-building experience!
Anyhow, will miss LaTrobe boys this weekend :( and any partying involved
Will miss all other people not coming along... and will be very difficult to contact, too!
4/04/2549
Wireless ARTS!!
This is my third year at Monash... and FINALLY, wireless works in the Menzies (Arts) building!!! I'm on the 4th floor in my linguistics tute, utterly bored... and YES! I can connect to the internet!
And here I was thinking that the faculty would never catch up to technology... Now, bored arts students can msn during tutes that require attendance :)
And here I was thinking that the faculty would never catch up to technology... Now, bored arts students can msn during tutes that require attendance :)
4/02/2549
Some things are beautiful...
...but just as there are silver linings to dark clouds, the opposite applies...
This week has been a confusing amalgamation of the negative and the positive, but as long as I focus on just smiling and being happy, well... there really are no substantial problems.
All things work out for the best. There are a million problems in the world that are worse than mine. And in the end, I truly believe that as long as one has food to eat and a roof over one's head, then 'a problem' is really just a matter of attitude and perception.
I have my basic necessities, and in addition to that, I've got the opportunity to pursue knowledge - knowledge of life, academic knowledge, knowledge of love.
What more can a person ask for in this life?
This week has been a confusing amalgamation of the negative and the positive, but as long as I focus on just smiling and being happy, well... there really are no substantial problems.
All things work out for the best. There are a million problems in the world that are worse than mine. And in the end, I truly believe that as long as one has food to eat and a roof over one's head, then 'a problem' is really just a matter of attitude and perception.
I have my basic necessities, and in addition to that, I've got the opportunity to pursue knowledge - knowledge of life, academic knowledge, knowledge of love.
What more can a person ask for in this life?