LIVEALITTLE

(BTW, Dubbo, Coober Pedy, Broken Hill pics are up!)
(Also, here's a music video of our big night:

I AM DONE WITH NURSING SCHOOL!

No more tutorials.
No more class.
No more nauseous bus rides to the Kuringai campus for lectures.
No more need to pay the $2500AU/course tuition.
No more assignments.
No more discussion forum conversations.
No more online postings.
No more TURNITIN (www.turnitin.com).
No more long days at the computer center of Tower 1 chatting away online rather than focused on my assignments.
No more need to maintain the whiteness of my university nursing uniform.
No more security from a preceptor’s guardianship.
No more relying on “I’m only a student”.
No more excuses of “I have an uni work”.
No more uts_nursing group get-togethers… ;(

I can't decide if I am happy it's all over or if I am sad because this ends another chapter in a life I was comfortable in...

Well, I will embrace it and end my last hour as a student with:
We’re nurses about to be unleashed unto the world.
Do well and spread the joy of our new profession!

Semisonic said it best with:
“Closing time - time for you to go out, go out into the world.
Closing time - every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.”

As you can see I have been anxiously clockwatching for the end of my second university tenure. At this point, there is only one more assignment to hand in. I am currently in my usual position at the computer area with paper and textbooks piled high, food strewn amongst the gum wrappers and not a single word written to give credit to the 3 hours I have been here TRYING to start this paper. I have just been stricken not by the anxiety that comes with excitement in anticipation of the end of dreadful university life, but by the anxiety that comes with the realization that I am being released into the workforce. I am eager to practice my new-found skills but hesistant as well. I am confident I can perform competently but timid as well. Let's just hope I don't kill anyone...

A bit of musings I've used to distract myself:
Talk about being creative with your trash (I love the 2nd one): http://www.slightlywarped.com/crapfactory/curiosities/onemanstrash.htm
Talk about an addictive game: http://www.mygame.com/game/blocky
One of the best games on this planet: http://www.thegameblazer.com/puzzlebobble.php

I've been in the midst of final semester, final year assignments (ending Nov 16th! Woohoo!) but I thought I'd take a break and post up an incident all would appreciate to hear.

During assignment season, I'm typically isolated in front of a computer in the open area of Tower 1 Level 5 of my uni. The closest bathroom is one on the other side of the floor. It's in a pretty central location and used frequently by female students. Today, I must've picked a particularly quiet part of the morning to relieve myself because aside from one other girl washing her hands, I was seemingly the only other occupant of the female bathroom facility. I enjoy taking the middle stall of the three stall bay (as shown on the right side of the photo) because typically noone would want to go into a stall next to one being used.

Well, while I was relieving myself, I noticed the shadow cast by the neighboring stall door flicker. Seemingly someone moved into the stall next to mine stealthily. Suspicious, I quickly "finished my duty" and stood quietly waiting for "toilet noise". There was no noise in the bathroom. As I flushed the toilet, I took a quick sneak peek under the stall wall and noticed a pile of clothes as if my neighbor was wearing those 80s MC Hammer parachute pants. I stood in front of the stall door trying to peer through the slit between the two stalls but was unable to discern a human form. (I think he was trying to act like a pile of clothes.)

I told my girlfriend, Lydia, about it and she went to suss out the situation herself. Sure enough, he followed her as she hopped from one stall to another. When she came back with her report, I quickly went down to security to report the intruder. But when we arrived at the bathroom, the cleaning lady (who had just arrived 5 minutes prior) revealed that the culprit fled just as she arrived. I was disappointed that the criminal was allowed to escape but glad that he was probably caught on video. Apparently, someone had been caught perving in this same toilet earlier in the year. He had used a camera phone to take pictures and posted them on the internet. I am sickened to think that he might have a picture of me with my pants down on the internet... but also curious how much it would fetch.

Regardless, it was a horrible violating act. It's a shame that along with information, the computer age also brings with it easier illegal access to people's lives. I think this easier access to pornography has created more pedophiles and pushed more borderline silent sexual fiends over the edge. It's a very sad world indeed.

I've told my brother about this incident. He actually admitted that he's taught my nieces (3 and 1 yr old) how to "hit where it hurts". Additionally, he is planning to have my nieces take self-defence. Not sure if everyone's heard this story about a little girl who was raped and murdered in a public mall toilet in Perth last year... It's worth a read if you have children.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/family-metres-away-as-perth-girl-killed/2006/06/27/1151174202009.html

I walked back in the desolate streets.
I walked back in silence.
I walked back to bid farewell to the moonlit outback sky.
I walked back for the fresh Broken Hill air.
I looked back when I got to the steps of the nursing quarters and blew Broken Hill my last kiss of good night.

It's amazing how great an experience I've had here. I've never been welcomed with such open arms anywhere. Finally a place has taken the city out of the city girl. I guess I should have known this would be a wonderful place from my first supermarket experience.

See, my arms were overladen with food products in Woolies (I never think I would buy enough to warrant a basket.). The elderly man next to me in line leans over and says, "I sure hope you are not ticklish!". Classic, isn't it? I wanted to hug him if only my arms were not overladen with food products...

Or maybe it was the BBQs at Jackie's or the ballroom dancing or the line dancing or the country music weekend or the Hash House Harriers or early morning biking or the patience of EVERYONE to help...

I hope my expectations are not too inflated for all other small towns out there now!
Pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/livealittle/sets/72157603244148285/