Let the Good Times Roll: Studying Cybernetics

  

Sunday June 10^th, 9:55 AM

I woke up at 9 to a rainy Brisbane morning, and I realised I broke that beer bottle the other night when my foot reeked with pain as I sat in my hammock. Damnit, what a way to start the morning. But that birthday was good times...

10:16 AM:

My Austin radio DJs Jason and Deb quickly change my poor morning into a hysterical one with their “I love you call.” Deb calls a random business in the country, she can't tell them she’s on the radio or what the game is about – just has to get them to say “I love you.” Doesn’t sound as funny here, you just got to hear it. 101x.com.

10:45 AM: New Swamp

Brett, Janet, Annan and I sat down about what the apartment is going to be like next semester, a 2 bedroom with a tiny porch and a massive garden, rather than a kick ass view of the city. Its up there somewhere, I think the second from the top - actually the first floor. Hilly area...

1:14 PM: Studies

I’ve got one more final, 5 chapters to read over Family Therapy Systems.

3:15 PM: Breaks

Coffee break was at this mediocre place called “the spot.” The spot is a coffee place that closes at 4:30 and has terrible coffee. First world problems I guess. Its right around the corner and doesn't require a train. The Korean dude there is really cool: 

(me): anyonghasayo!!

(him): dude, i'm canadian...

(me): ...damn

4:33 in Indro at Earth Coffee – I got the (cabin) fever

Sitting in my room at my desk for the last 6 hours forced me to get the hell out of this place. I took the bus this time down to Indro, and sat with my book and learned about cybernetics. I get it now. I think, only the test on Wednesday will tell the truth.

Yesterday I took the train from Taringa to Indro, all of one stop away, and saw my favourite barista “Simone." She makes me the best iced-lattes, and she’s quite easy on the eyes ;) Still can’t get over that accent…

Its just creepy to ask a girl you barely know to take a picture with you...

...i'll have to get to 'know' her.

I headed down station road (which reminds me a bit of congress ave in Austin). Different from Congress (avenue that is) it’s a tiny area with not anything to do, other than beers at Indro Hotel. Either way, Earth coffee is still amazing. Here's Indro:

Gotta love Indro Hotel: Its a bar...

On my way back I grabbed Hungry Jacks (read: Burger King) and climbed the Everest that is the hill to our apartment. Man, I’m out of shape…

8:00 PM

I’m finished for the night working on this test, and I’ve come to realise how much I love this time off. It’s not just off from school stuff, but off from living in Australia. From always feeling the need to go traveling, see a beach, discover a new part of town, hug a koala, or fight a kangaroo. It’s brilliant; it’s just me and an episode of West Wing right now.

9:33 PM

I just saw someone get pulled over. Which reminds me of Sunday after my grocery run:

           

            (me): “…shit” (I missed the last step of the train station stairs)

                 [about 5 minutes later]

            (cop): “you look familiar mate. You look like someone I arrested earlier”

                        (me thinks): did I get arrested? No. Right? Yah, no. Not yet!

            (me): “really? I moved to Brisbane about 4 months ago sir”

            (cop): “where ya from mate? Sir? We don’t say that here!”

            (me): “pardon that, I’m from Texas, sir”

                        (me thinks): cop told me one time on 35 that he’s “not a dude” and I                                     should not call this guy mate.

            (cop):” texas huh? Well, it was a while ago I arrested this guy, and he defiantly                                     wasn’t texan. Have a good one mate, I appreciate the respect. “

            (me): cheers man!

Did I just say cheers to a cop? Shit…Oh well. That was fun, I’m glad I look like a criminal in the eyes of the Australian police. 

Oh life, the other day I was at Wordsmith's coffee place on campus. Great place: 

 

 I was talking to a professor-friend of mine the other day at Wordsmiths and we started chatting about the semester, here’s the gist.

The hardest part of this semester was learning how to learn: meaning, that my professors demanded objectivity of something as subjective as the human experience and psychology. Counselling does work, but it's just a matter of which one will work for who - hence the subjectivity.

What I've learned over the last few months cannot be put into words, rather it can be measured by the ways I converse and adapt to my patient. That’s the annoying part, that I will never be 100 percent correct in the way I do “something.” I don’t like those odds, but that’s the reality. Counselling in essence is definitely not what I thought it was going to be – its not ‘fixing’ someone like a mechanic replaces parts and fixes the car. Its something I cannot type onto my computer, maybe because I’ve got a year and a half left, or because it can’t be put into words.

That’s the hard part. This is going to be awesome.

Live High ya’ll.