Stale Pringles just dont taste the same

They don’t.. and yet one tube of Pringles is just that little too much to eat by oneself in one day. It’s a cruel catch 22. The reason I mention this is because Pringles is one of the worlds base lines, one of the things around which everything is built. No matter where, who or what.. Pringles taste the same. Same as with Coke, both wonderful things of normality. But the point is not to strengthen a brands hold on the market place through viral marketing. Instead…

I officially deem this year a success.

Considering I didn’t know what I wanted to achieve from this year, and had no goals (aside from the rather boring and repetitive survive one) im pretty proud that its been a success.

I have managed to shake the torture chamber that was year 12. Ive got my interest in the world back, the desire to poke the world to see if it pokes back. So far yes indeed it does, it is strangely reassuring to find that cause and effect are still working. And that you cant move through the world effortlessly, it is constantly creating impressions on you.. and even more reassuringly us on it. But yes.. despite the fact that there have been times that I would rather spend the day hiding under a blanket in bed (ill admit this did happen on one occasion or so :P) the world is a much nicer place than VCE, even the less good places in reality are better, they are not so impossible to handle. (note. This is no reflection on teachers who try to make VCE ok, they do a damn good job.. the good ones at any rate)

It was also cool to realise im looking forward to uni, much better than the alternative. Well maybe not the exams.. I seem to only talk to my friends when its exam time.. either that’s bad timing or the exams are happening all the time (I think it’s the latter)
But meeting people ill spend 4 years with (not just one week! Wow.. incomprehensible), the subtle excitement of book lists, of subject choices, and new textbooks (which always look interesting until you actually open them and discover that a physics text book isn’t full of formulas that do interesting things.. rather ones that describe why a lever works.. and then the 100 questions to fill on that exciting repitition.)
I think mainly uni look like as good a way as any to spend 4 years working out what I actually want to do. That said I don’t think there's actually any rush. Very few of my cousins have actually settled on a career. One 30+ wants to change from Banking to Psych, another when from media to tourism (working on rich peoples boats in between), one of my parents friends went from art teacher, to professional writer to writing teacher in her late 50’s, one of my teachers trained as a molecular biologist and now teaches English (I do not know why). And then there's my favourite example, my dad, who trained as a Medical Photographer, is now working as the ‘Marketing Director for the Aisa Pacific region’ for a company I don’t remember the current name of and is still waiting to grow up so he can work out what he wants to do. :D
So with all that in mind I think the phrase ‘no worries’ fits perfectly, and it all worked out for them.
Speaking of which, on another topic totally. I will never cease to be surprised at how deeply Douglas Adams’ Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy has permeated the world. I grew up with the assumption (I am learning not to trust these assumptions.. they are after all from a child who thought that the world was black and white before they invented colour photography.. I stand by my belief that it was a logical assumption.. the fact that I only worked I was wrong when I was reading calvin and hobbes isn’t the point) that it was a mildly obscure sci-fi known of in shall specialist anglo circles. Not so. Last year at ESC the phrase ’42’ was quoted. The three of us talking (a Welshman, German and myself) all suddenly realised that we had read the book, could quote it and as such all looked suitably embarrassed. Since then ‘42’ or ‘Don’t panic’ as arisen a few times (42 was our ESC head quarters this year) with Germans, Norwegians, American-Norwegians, Swedes, Danes, Australians and of course Britons. (admittedly I was more surprised by a German mentioning “Feegles’ in context.. don’t ask about what context) I wonder if Douglas Adams actually reaslised how much of a cult following his books would develop world wide. How outcast someone can be either for reading it, or worse.. for not. That 42 has become a code to some secret universal club, of which the members can quite work out how or why they joined. Or that it would be so fully accepted that the meaning to life the universe and everything is 42, I cant say I know many people who would actually disagree.

Anyway.. the last few weeks have been interesting, wandering around for a bit on my Robinson, trying to work out what next. I picked up my devil sticks today, the first time since their purchase, and it was fantastic to rediscover an old love as they say. Sadly I don’t think I can live off my devil sticks.. or poi.. or general philosophical rantings.. so I might have to think of something better. And I have some lyrics to share.. which I like to think work quite well for backpackers.. well just maybe me..


‘…I swear im gonna blow this town, im gonna pack my suit case
Where you gonna go, when you gonna go, how you gonna get there?
With your blue jeans on and no idea…
All hopes and dreams, no money no means
No permanent address
Look At you, you got holes in your shoes and holes in your pockets
And your hearts in a mess…’

Take care.. and enjoy the sunshine as it comes