Tyneesha.com: Recent Episodes
Tyneesha Williams
The Perks Of Being A Tyneesha: Floods Deja Vu, a reflective piece on the repetition of natural disasters, particularly floods.
I might have to rename this series - this episode is probably more adequately named “The Slight Inconveniences and mishaps in Tyneesha’s life right now”. You know the deal; here’s the blow-by-blow recount of the last month or so of my life.
The journey home
In my last update, I assumedly mentioned that I was going home for a little while through the uni break. I’m sure I also said that my beloved Peugeot 207 CC was broken down last month. Long story short - I wound up having my brother tow Champ the whole 5oo km home. He’d never towed a car before, so it was a bit of an anxiety-inducing ordeal for me. I spent around 7 hours peeping in the passenger side mirror to check that my car was still firmly situated on the trailer. We made it, though!
The fate of Champ
Unfortunately, after all the effort of moving Mr Champ around these past few weeks, it seems as though he must be laid to rest. He’s suffered irreparable damage, and patching him up again would be pointless. The operation is too risky, and he mightn’t make it. Car healthcare isn’t free in this country, so I’ll have to let him go. At the moment, that means I’m annoying my co-workers by asking for a lift to work every few days - and I’ve endured a few bus trips. Concerning the silver lining, public transport is easy to romanticise, and I’m learning to ask for help (I’d rather not).
The tech gods are just toying with me at this point
I might have mentioned in my last update that my laptop had simply stopped working toward the end of last semester. It caused me a lot of inconvenience and annoyance. I ordered a new laptop, which arrived in Dubbo in time for my return home. I took my old, broken laptop with me because, just like my two dead Peugeots, it was not the first time I’d broken my laptop. There’s another one exactly the same sitting at home, and I thought my Dad might want it for parts.
My Dad works in IT, and, rather typical of an Aquarius sun, machines tend to do what my Dad tells them to. This laptop had been broken for over a month at that point - on several occasions, I’d picked it up and optimistically tried to turn it on. I never got a flash of light or response from the little shit. Dad walked into the living room one night and rather calmly said, “I got your laptop to work”.
Baby showers are crazy
I had planned to go home for a couple of days because my sister had planned her baby shower to take place that week. If Champ hadn’t died on me, I wouldn’t have stayed for almost two weeks - but I wound up waiting for my brother to have a spare day to drive me back to Wollongong. It’s beside the point.
My point is that baby showers are insane. I always thought that baby showers involved some girlies sitting around chatting about babies and giving the expecting mother a bundle of goodies for her bundle of joy. I was also under the impression that it would involve drinking. My sister is a fantastic event planner; it was lovely and fun. Family members of both sides helped put together an incredible spread of food to eat and did up a clipboard of game sheets for us all. It somehow went on for the entire day, but it was nice and calm. I got a copy of The Hungry Caterpillar for the future baby, a classic. I can’t wait to meet this tiny human in a few weeks.
Hometown consistency
Whilst I was home, I did all the usual hometown rituals. I drove around aimlessly with my friends. I listened to country music. I went to the same two restaurants I visited weekly as a teenager. I went to the same bar and the same pub I’ve been to every other time and saw every person I’ve ever met whilst I was there. It was nice, and it was also peculiar. It had only been a few months since I was last home, but I felt a little bit out of place. I’m sure that happens when you go off and build a life for yourself away from home, but I didn’t quite expect it.
I invented climate change
There’s this joke I love to make while I’m home. For those unfamiliar, Dubbo is divided up by the river that runs through it. One side of the bridge is West Dubbo, and the other is the rest of Dubbo. People drive over this bridge every day, look out the window, and report back on the water levels as if it is the most interesting thing in the world. “River’s up!” they exclaim relentlessly. But this time, the river really was up.
Dubbo has mini floods every so often. The river gets high enough to peep over “the little bridge”, and people come out and look at it like it’s a tourist attraction. The last time I was home, the Sydney area experienced floods, which happened again this time too. My friend made a joke insinuating that it floods whenever I go home - so naturally, I’m taking credit for climate change.
Oberon, factory tour & a bonus car accident
My brother had to go to Oberon for a work trip. We figured I’d tag along because Oberon is halfway to Wollongong, and he could drop me home later that day. The work trip was expected to be rather dull; I thought I’d just sit in the car for a while or go explore the shockingly cold town, but I tagged along, and I’m glad I did. We went to the Board factory, where they make Polytech products, which my brother’s workplace uses to build kitchens. The factory is huge, and the machines were strangely fascinating to me. I have no reason to know how these things are made, but it’s fun that I now do.
After that, we headed back to Wollongong, or, at least, tried. Things did not, in fact, go to plan. About 20 mins out of Oberon, we ended up sideways. We went for a little rolly polly on the road. To be frank, he flipped his precious Hilux. Some friendly people pulled over to help us out, the police rocked up hours later, and then it was towed to Bathurst. This whole time it’s like 2 degrees out. Dad drove to Bathurst to pick us up and drove us the rest of the way to Wollongong. Que Sera, one might say.
Finishing Uni - In need of a housewife
I’m feeling much less burned out than before visiting home, and I think it’s just because I had a break in having responsibility. Sometimes adult life gets a bit overwhelming, and I don’t like having to cook and clean for myself. I’ll do it - but I hated it a bit extra in the last few weeks of uni and after having had covid again.
I think I’ve used my break well because I am feeling rejuvenated and ready for uni to start tiring me out again next week. It’s my last term in Journalism subjects, so I’m excited to finish that degree. I recently got a blender, so I’ve been excitedly making mad little smoothies! Cooking is annoying, and the cost of living is far too high, but I’m keeping myself excited; however, I can.
At what point do I start referring to myself as a photographer?
This is a really important, tightly kept company secret. Still, I’ve been working on a photography website for a while now. I’m in the process of writing my about pages, which is just... you know... a challenge. But it’ll be worth the time and struggle when I can finally have a functional booking system and make some consistent money with it. I’ve landed a few really cool gigs in the last few months, and it’s genuinely only going up from here.
I saw a peer/friend post something about being “an actual photographer”, and I had a weird self-awareness moment in the mall bathroom. I realised that I generally don’t refer to myself as a photographer. I don’t argue with others who refer to me as one, but I never really introduce myself as one or say that I do it for work. Realistically, I’ve been paid for my photography since I was about 17; there’s no reason I shouldn’t call myself a photographer - so if you catch me using the P word from here on out, don’t be alarmed; I’m just self-actualising.
“Meet back here same time next month,”
Hello! It’s that time of the month again!
I’m about to run you through about a month of life in the most condensed way possible. There’s been quite a bit going on as we shiver into winter and finish the uni semester. I’ve made an effort to record an accompanying podcast episode for this post. It’s almost entirely made up of general context and fun bonus stories surrounding the points I’m about to cover. This entry will be brief, but check that out if you’re left unsatisfied.
As every YouTuber from 2016 would say, ‘let’s get into it’.
Recovering from Covid #2... sort of
In my last update, I wrote about having celebrated my 21st birthday. To recap, I did too much that week, was in far too many crowded venues, and I managed to contract coronavirus for the second time this year. I’m still coughing and experiencing fatigue, but I’m mainly feeling recovered. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t completely wipe me out.
The best gig I’ve seen (probably)
Shortly after I was released back into the world post-infection, juggling last-minute end-of-semester assignments, I had the absolute and utter privilege and pleasure of going to MAY-A’s show at Oxford Art Factory. I cannot shut up about how fun it was and how fantastic of a performer she is. I just felt so blessed to be able to go along with a dear friend and unexpectedly have the best time I’ve ever had at any show. Huge love.
A word about winter
I think anyone in my life knows how deeply I despise the cold. I can never understand the appeal of winter as a season. The people who love it will defend it to their death. I would quite literally go into complete hibernation like a bear through the winter months If I could. I’m always sick, cold and bored. I am someone who likes to be busy. I like to move around, and being outside in the sunshine is something I need for my mental and physical well-being. If, for any reason, we have to deal with climate change because I can’t deal with the winters getting any colder. Rant over.
Finishing the semester: Bowling & Bloggies (the good news)
I’ve decided to split these next updates into two categories: good and bad news because they happened at the same time. To talk about it in chronological order would be a form of emotional whiplash. I decided to give you the good news first.
I made it through arguably the most stressful week of my life and handed in all my assignments. I finished up my uni work for the semester while my energy tank was running on 0, and I was ready for some fun. Celebrations were in order, more than ever. I’m in the last year of my journalism degree, which means that this past semester,
I took a subject called ‘newsroom’. It’s basically just a semester-long simulation of an actual newsroom. It’s designed to be intense and stressful, and it was honestly a great experience but also very stressful. So, our professor organised end-of-semester lawn bowls and awards. It was fun as someone who doesn’t go lawn bowling or hang around with my classmates outside of class. I didn’t win, but I did get a good laugh out of it.
Later that week, I got to attend and photograph The Bloggies. The Bloggies is an award show for communication students organised by the Digital Media Society, for which I am the communications coordinator. It was great and exciting to pull together an in-person event and celebrate my coursemates. I had a heap of fun and got to meet some very cool people in person and get some experience with event photography.
Finishing the semester: Broke & Broken (the bad news)
Unfortunately, during this time of great success came significant challenges. It’s said that God gives His hardest battles to His strongest soldiers, and boy, have I been feeling like one of those soldiers. In my last week of classes, I was mainly ridden by the ongoing effects of covid. Still, I had to get things done, so I ran around crazy trying to get through my uni commitments. Somewhere in the mess of it all, a terrible tragedy occurred. My laptop decided to stop working.
Then, a little while later, my car decided to break down in the celebratory week following the semester’s end. Both of these things have been irritating and unfortunate, to say the least, not only for their inconvenience but for their financial cost. Anyway, if you know anyone wanting to give their money away to a broke uni student, give them my contact information. Thanks.
Ball Park Music & Vivid
Last week I got to see one of my absolute favourite bands, Ball Park Music. I was just hysterically happy, packed into the second row of the venue with my buddies, in total awe. My dear friend had travelled to Wollongong for it as a late birthday present, so we’d spent the whole day running around the CBD. I was exhausted by the time I had to start getting ready, but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, and honestly, I haven’t stopped thinking about how happy it made me.
The night afterwards, I sacrificed some much-needed recovery to run around Sydney, taking pictures of pretty lights and having an enjoyable time. I’d initially turned down plans to go along to Vivid, but I’m glad I changed my mind because I’m very excited about some of the photos I got. You can’t see them yet cause I’m trying to get through editing photos from The Bloggies, but I’ll get to them at some point.
Going home again
On Sunday, I’m heading back home to Dubbo. I wanted to spend some of my uni holidays at home and attend my sister’s baby shower. Mum said she’s making a bunch of food for it, so I’m naturally keen. I’m just excited to take a break from choosing what to have for dinner and be around family for a while. It’s been a big semester and a big year so far, so I think some time at home is exactly what I need.
“That’s all. You can go now.”
Do you remember being like seven years old and having to write a 'recount' when you come back to school after the holidays? Yeah, I was not too fond of those. I never felt like I had anything to say, and I've never been a massive fan of writing about myself. But sometimes, growing up means becoming your English teacher, and my recount is overdue. It's been two months since my last personal update, and I'm both glad and exhausted to say that it's been a huge two months. So there's plenty to talk about; buckle up, besties.
O Week Festivities
So for those of you who (for some reason) don't know what o week is, it's the last week of uni holidays/week before uni starts. Generally, it involves many different events being put on, both on and off-campus. It's a week-long bender for some and means absolutely nothing to others. UOW put on what they called "Campus Fest" in late February to celebrate. Since people haven't been on campus for years now, they pulled out all the stops to ensure that the event was attractive to students & motivated them to get involved.
While it's great to see people on campus, it's also bizarre. I drove up to the outskirts of Sydney one of the mornings of O-week. I collected a dear friend who was rostered to run the stand with me. That was back when the train lines were randomly out of order. I realised that I had never met this person face-to-face at some point on the drive. That is the case with most of the people in my course. We've been aware of each other for years, but some have never met. Such is life. I drove my friend back home at the end of the day, and what should have taken 28 minutes took a bit longer because I drove through the most shocking fog.
Being the ever-eager opportunist that I am meant that I had some fun things to do that week. By which I mean I helped operate the stall for the club that I'm an executive for and ran around doing interviews and content collection for UOWTV. Admittedly I put my hand up to help with reporting the event because I was told we would have access to the headliner acts - which would have been fantastic, but last-minute disorganisation and management issues meant that we did not get to interview Montaigne, Ziggy Ramo or Alex the Astronaut. I did, however, put my big girl journalist pants on and interviewed the vice-chancellor of UOW and the production manager of Yours & Owls. More on that later, though.
Cleaning up after mercury retrograde & the Nan Tien Temple
If you recall my last catch-up post, you'll know that mercury retrograde earlier this year saw the death of my precious laptop. Dad came down to Wollongong just before uni started up with a replacement laptop and the TV sitting dormant in our dining room back home. After wasting two rolls, I learned how to correctly load film into my camera. So it's safe to say that all is well. While Dad was here, we finally managed to make it to see the Nan Tien Temple. Well, some of it. It was raining (shocker), so we didn't explore as much as we would have liked.
You might have heard I contracted a funky little virus by the name of Miss Rona?
I had a great time leading up to the first week of university. I went to concerts, met up with friends, conducted interviews, and saw one awfully fatal drag show in an audience of over 700 people. If I had to hazard a bet - I'd say that's where it all went wrong. I haven't at all been subtle about having gotten covid. Obviously, I wrote a whole post about the matter. It wasn't fun, but if you're particularly interested in reading my overdramatic covid fueled rant, you can do so here.
I've been sitting in classrooms again (finally)
I sat the first week of uni out. Stayed cooped up in my covid dungeon of a room. But I eventually got back on campus! It's so much more motivating seeing everyone in person. The peer pressure of being in a room with other concentrating people gets me through the day.
This semester I'm doing some exciting subjects. The most interesting of which is called 'newsroom'. It's exactly what it sounds like. We all run around pretending that we work in an actual newsroom, producing stories to a 3 pm deadline. So far, I'm really proud of what I've come up with. I was put on sports reporting the first week and miraculously pulled through with this audio piece. I interviewed some prominent drag queens from the Wollongong scene in the second week. I wrote a story surrounding the importance of queer-inclusive venues.
I'm also doing a podcasting subject - which I love, but I'm shit out of ideas for an upcoming audio piece. So if you're reading this and know anyone with a great story to tell, let me know. I'm also doing a subject where we basically review sci-fi movies. I'm even writing some short stories for an assignment, so watch out for the first one - I aim to have it out by Friday.
Places to be, people to see...
Being allowed out into the world has been good for several reasons. The most immediate is the return of live music. I got to see pacific avenue a few weeks ago, which is absolutely incredible, considering we were finally allowed to dance on that day. After holding on to tickets for two years, I finally saw The Vanns a few weeks ago. I've got a few shows scheduled to see throughout the year, and I could not be happier about that. The most challenging thing about this pandemic is the sudden jarring absence of live music from my life. It's indescribably good to be back.
If it doesn't stop raining, I will have no choice but to scream.
One thing about me - I'm generally a pretty big fan of rain. I like the smell, the vibes, and the valid excuse to stay inside and relax all day. However, you know what they say about 'too much of a good thing'. Lately, there has been far, far too much rain. I think it's genuinely affecting my mood and the mental state of almost everyone around me. I'm reasonably lucky that where I am hasn't been flooded out. I'm privileged just to be experiencing general annoyance at the circumstance and not a straight-up life-altering disaster. But if there's a suitable space for me to complain needlessly, it's here and now.
Only two things in life are certain - war & fuel prices
I've already written pretty thoroughly about this. I can't go past mentioning that since the last time I wrote a perks post, a literal war has started, and the price of fuel has doubled. Not happy, Jan (by Jan, I mean Vladimir).
Mentally I am in Bunning's plant section.
In the last three months, I have acquired, by any means, a whole family of new plants. Perhaps the boldest being my new monster. I don't have photos of them all, but I'll have to get a family portrait sometime soon.
I managed to load film correctly (and it turned out well!)
As previously mentioned, I had a bit of a blimp in the "learning to shoot film" process. I was heartbroken to find myself with two blank rolls of film after Christmas. I am, however, proud to announce that I eventually figured it out, and the results aren't half bad.
Yours & Owls is underwater, and they won't let me swim.
If you're miraculously unaware, Yours & Owls is a huge music festival and music promotion organisation local to Wollongong. The festival is referred to as "gong Christmas". It is genuinely one of the biggest, if not the most significant, event in Wollongong year-round. I did not buy tickets for this year's festival because it seemed like a lot of money to spend on what i considered a slightly underwhelming lineup. However, following my excellent work on O Week, I got the opportunity to attend the festival. For free, on the condition that my partner and I capture social media content for the uni's partnership with Yours& Owls while we're there. This was a massive opportunity for me, so naturally, I was pretty devastated when they decided to cancel the festival because of the bad weather and dangerous flash flooding. Hopefully, this opportunity comes back up at a later date. It gave me two extra days to get some assignments done on the plus side. You win some; you lose some.
On next month's episode...
I'm going home for easter next week. Fuel is expensive, but I've been homesick lately, so it's worth every drop. Next month, I have a few concerts to go to, including the ever-cool Stella Donelly, so I'm excited about that too. My 21st birthday is less than a month away. If you're reading this, you have to get me a present. Yes, I do accept gifts in cash. Jokes aside, though, I am very excited. I make a huge deal of my birthday most years, so the opportunity to be ever more extra on my 21st milestone is beyond tempting. Hopefully, I won't neglect to write another update next month because I suspect I'll have a lot to say.
“If you made it to the end, congratulations. Here's your PhD on me."
I'm sure you're aware that fuel is $2+ at the moment. I'm also sure that a well informed, highly participatory member of society such as yourself knows that this is a result of the current conflict in Ukraine. I'm sure we can all agree that higher fuel prices are a fair trade if it means that our lives aren't immediately threatened by nuclear warfare. Nonetheless, I've heard the Russian invasion of Ukraine referenced as "World War Three". That phrase has been thrown around for years. The media said the same thing in 2016 when Trump was elected. Naturally, I'm not convinced that World War Three is on the horizon, at least not how we might imagine.
In the past few years, we've definitely been taught that the unexpected is imminent and assuming that life will remain as it is regardless of significant events such as oh, I don't know, global pandemics. So I can't in total certainty say that this European conflict will not bring Australia into a worldwide conflict eventually. But I'd like to point out that war and combat in the traditional sense is a lot less likely to occur nowadays. More importantly, it's a lot less likely that it will be a successful method of resolving what is essentially a border dispute.
Even as someone who harbours an embarrassingly intense interest in Russian politics, I'll admit that I didn't understand the situation in Ukraine when it first started circulating the media. To be fair, I still don't think it makes a heap of sense. But the other day, my Dad sent me the video that I've attached below, which helped clear things up quite a bit.
Anyway, whether you watched that or not, Harris basically points out that Putin's agenda is unsustainable and ultimately impossible to pull off. "Ukrainians are fighting for the love of country, Russians are fighting for fear of a dictator" pretty much sums it up. Russia's power over its people has long been based on misinformation and censorship. Obviously, with the age of technology and Web 2.0, it's getting more and more challenging to keep the Russian people in Putin's bubble.
Each of the wars has differed slightly according to the technology available at the time. Where World War One was fought on the battlefield, the cold war was characterised by nuclear technology. There's a pronounced difference between the state of the world when the berlin wall fell to now. We've all got a smartphone in our hands. We're all connected to everything, all the time. We have an intensely overwhelming amount of access to information and people in other countries and cultures. Countries are linked through interpersonal connections and business and trade partnerships, to an extent never before seen in wartimes, so obviously, it's going to have an impact. Putin's agenda does not seem to account for this.
There's a hugely interesting example of how warfare differs in the present day, and when I read this, I have to admit it was amusing for some reason. In solidarity with Ukraine, McDonald's decided to close all 850 stores placed in Russia. Russian McDonald's employees will continue to be paid. However, all market operations between the corporation and Russia will be paused. Personally, if I was involuntarily drafted to participate in a war that I do not believe in, I would at least like a Happy Meal on my way out. But I get it. Other major corporations such as Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Yum Brands (the parent company for KFC and Pizza Hut), have made similar decisions, pausing business with Russia for the time being.
Personally, if I was involuntarily drafted to participate in a war that I do not believe in, I would at least like a Happy Meal on my way out.
Traditional warfare depended on the civilians feeling a certain sense of patriotism toward their home country. That kind of patriotism is nowhere near as common today as it was back then because truly no country operates in a vacuum outside of globalisation. You don't have to feel this intense loyalty to your home country in a political sense because, odds are, most of the things you enjoy about your home country are sourced in some way by somewhere else. You can live a reasonably similar life regardless of your whereabouts, and the pandemic taking everything online has only increased that freedom.
There were mutinies in both of the other world wars, don't get me wrong, but most of the soldiers had to be pushed to the absolute brink of their tolerances to even risk betraying their country. I've seen countless heartwarming videos of the Ukrainian and Russian soldiers just vibing out together, helping each other through. The Russian troops are not fiercely loyal to the Russian cause because it's not their cause to fight for. Putin spread misinformation claiming that Ukraine was to be reclaimed by Russia because they were currently under the rule of supremacist racial groups. Once the Russian soldiers realise that this is simply not true, they lose trust and loyalty for Putin's cause. It's a lot harder to use civilians as pawns to fight for the issues of the rich and powerful when the civilians have ample means to talk to each other, rationalise, question your authority, and ultimately abandon your cause.
Obviously, I have written all of this from a highly privileged position, and I could be entirely wrong in my stance. However, for the most part, I just wanted to point out that war today won't and can't look the way it has in the past. I'm sure as things develop, I'll be back to reconsider my initial thoughts. In the meantime, there are plenty of resources available if you wish to stay informed on the conflict or simply on fuel prices and charities you can donate to support the Ukrainian forces.
“Putin, if you see this, please don't hack my blog”
So, I got Covid.
To my credit, I've managed to avoid it for longer than I thought I would.
I had every symptom under the sun and moon. Sore throat, cough, headache, muscle aches, difficulty breathing, runny nose, etc. It's been an adventure for sure and not a particularly fun one. I do, however, have some stories to tell and some misinformation to spread. You might think - "Tyneesha! Good journalists prioritise the TRUTH". I'll take this opportunity to state that a) truth is subjective and b) I never said I was a good journalist. If Buzzfeed offered me a job right now, I'd snatch that gig up and never let go. I didn't come here to teach you anything today; I came here to talk absolute trash. Feel free to go read the actual news if you're in the mood to be bummed out.
I have a very annoying starting point when covering my thoughts and feelings regarding contracting covid. It's no longer impressive or novel that I got Covid. Back in March of 2020, the golden age of the pandemic, if you will, a healthy 20-year-old uni student getting sick would have been the story of my career. I could be a shining light in the haze of misinformation. However, it's been two years, I no longer believe in the validity of upholding truth within the media landscape. Yeah, the one conveniently owned by the same four rich men who definitely have our best interest at heart. I do, however, believe in entertainment value and sarcastic humour.
I didn't come here to teach you anything today; I came here to talk absolute trash.
As I said before, I did manage to avoid covid much longer than I thought I could. The government's "we're all going to get it" approach could have fooled me. Don't get me wrong, I've been careful, but I haven't self-imposed a lockdown lifestyle. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it's not to take our freedoms for granted. I've got to take my 20s for all they have to offer while I still can. Draining my 20s for all the dopamine I can does not involve laying in bed for a week, and it does involve going to Kmart instead of doing my washing. Right now, I am Kmart-less. Horrifying.
Many people in my life got covid right after Christmas, and I managed to miss that wave. It was evident that my immune system was thriving because I was eating my mum's food at home. I'm not saying that my mum's butter beef cures covid, but I am saying that it would definitely help me right now.
Nonetheless, I've been a close contact multiple times. I went to Sydney a few weeks ago; I've been in numerous crowds since being back at uni. On more than one occasion, I got suspicious and took a RAT in sheer disbelief of the negative. I even thought that maybe, somehow, I'd gotten it at some point and just didn't know. But alas, it caught up to me eventually. Fortunately, it very much is a situation now where all of my friends (metaphorically) jumped off a bridge and naturally, I jumped too. The 445 Million other people who have Covid right now will not deter me from acting like I am the only person suffering through the week.
I'm not saying that my mum's butter beef cures covid, but I am saying that it would definitely help me right now.
I also managed to get my period two days into my isolation, at the height of my covid symptoms. I'd apologise for giving too much information there. Still, I'm writing this on international women's day, and I'm incredibly exhausted with pretending that women don't bleed and shit like everyone else. I talked to some friends who had experienced the same thing. Of course, our phones listen to us, so I also saw TikToks, where someone got the deathly Covid-Period combo. I've got to say, I didn't even think of that as a possibility, but clearly, it's pretty standard. The biggest issue is that the magic from the painkillers went straight to the covid headache, and I was left in pain everywhere else.
Last Sunday, I took a RAT. It was my 6th day of isolation, and I was supposed to be out of isolation on Monday. However, I tested positive, and my symptoms have not subsided enough; I'm writing this on my 8th day of isolation. I'm hoping to feel better by Friday so that I can finally participate in on-campus classes and enjoy my weekend. For now, I'm playing it safe. My sheets need to be washed, as well as my favourite clothes. So when I'm okay to come out of iso, my first trip will be to the laundry room, and the second is to the supermarket. I also need to make a celebratory Kmart trip, it's a life and death situation. In the meantime, I have a can of Glen 20.
I don't know if I even gave it to anyone. I ran around the day before I tested positive, seeing family, and none of them got it. Some of my friends got it, but they said it was more likely that someone else had given it to them. My roommates also had to isolate, even though they were all covid negative at first. One of them tested positive a few days ago. I had a hectic week in 0-week, so I barely spent any time at home. Great in the sense that I didn't infect them, horrible for the fact that they had to isolate anyway.
Anyway, I'll be back next week with some content that isn't all about me. But I had the government-mandated need to rant this week. Get your booster, so you don't actually die when you get it. Wear masks wash your hands. You probably won't kill anyone, but it is really annoying to cancel my week. To my germy friends, I hope you're feeling better. To me, a-symptomatic friends, you suck. See you when I see you.
“The Spicy Cough Strikes Back,”
Hello hello hello! Welcome to you & welcome 2022!
I hope everyone had a great few weeks with their loved ones or unluckily tucked away fighting covid. As I mentioned way back in 2021 - I decided to take a little break from posting over the Christmas & New Year holiday seasons. Hence, this is my first post back! I'm feeling refreshed and excited to get back into the ever-spinning hamster wheel of online content.
So - what's what? Well, I'm glad you asked!
This post is going to be just a quick little catch-up - inspired by and dedicated to those weird little "recounts" that our primary school teachers insisted we write in our first week back. Except I won't hate writing it as much. That said, I'm very ready to leave 2021 in the past - so I'm going to focus on my hopes for the new year.
Setting ~the vibe~
As I mentioned in the last blog post, I make a playlist and a Pinterest board at the beginning of the year, determining the vibes. Below, you'll find my Pinterest board and Spotify playlist. Enjoy!
Going home for Christmas
Okay, now to quickly catch you up! I headed back home to Dubbo a few days before Christmas. I am proud to announce that I drove the 6-ish hours all by myself! I've never done that before! The last time I tried, I got hit by a truck!
Honestly, it was a good drive. My driving anxiety was at an all-time minimum. I stopped a handful of times, either in the name of chicken McNuggets or to take in the scenery. I stopped at the Hydro Majestic - if you're unfamiliar, the hydro is this massive, old, beautiful hotel in the blue mountains. It has an incredible view - more so at sundown but still great midday.
Funny thing - before I left my car to go sit around and take photos - I put my open, half drank can of coke on top of my car roof. When I came back, someone had stolen it. I'm not offended... that's just super weird. Also, my windows were wound down a tad to keep my car cool - why did you steal this half-empty can of coke and not my car? Thieves explain.
It was so lovely to go home and spend time with loved ones and not have to use Waze to go anywhere. I ate a lot of Christmas ham, which of course is the best part and most important part of any Christmas. I also did some little photography jobs, ruined my skin by eating chocolate for breakfast and played a lot of candy crush. Good times.
I got a film camera for Christmas, a beautiful Pentax 1000, and took a roll of photos while I was home. I wish I could insert those photos and encapsulate the 'being home' vibes, but I haven't had those developed yet. So you'll have to wait. In the meantime, here's a reel I made of videos from Dubbo.
Some hometown thoughts...
There's such a specific feeling to being home for Christmas. It's bizarre to step back into a space that made you who you are and observe all the ways that it has changed and stayed the same. It sounds obvious, but you really don't realize that the world keeps moving in your absence. There's so much comfort in knowing things. Knowing where every store is, knowing the way there and home, knowing your friends and family. There's also this stark discomfort with any of that changing. It's like you got to the end of the book, and then someone re-wrote the first chapter.
I believe that most people would really benefit from leaving their hometown for a solid amount of time. It honestly makes you appreciate your upbringing and your hometown more. It was really interesting to observe and compare things. I wrote a little bit about those observations, and you can read that piece below.
On to 2022...
This year will undoubtedly come with its own set of challenges, but I have a good feeling about it. I think it's going to be a big year for me in terms of finally seeing the fruit of my labour. In my third year of university, I'll be turning 21 in May. Hopefully, Covid doesn't stop me from doing my journalism internship. At the moment, Covid is running rancid through the country. Still, I'm hopeful that life will become much more livable, and I won't have to continue putting everything on pause.
I have a few little events that I'm looking forward to - some concerts and birthdays and projects and such... Here's to hoping 2022 is the year I get back to regular live music and the year that I make enough money to sustain that hobby.
I don't like the term "resolutions", but below you'll find some new-year goals of mine. I also decided to write up some 2022 predictions - that is, stuff I think might happen this year. At the end of the year, I can look back and laugh or bask in the glory of being right. Just a bit of fun.
“Cough, Cough”
Hello everyone! This will be my last post of the year, so Merry Christmas, happy holidays and happy new year in advance.
If you've been keeping up, you know, I just write a minor life update every so often. The last one I wrote was about spending spring in lockdown. As I'm writing this, It is the first day of summer and the last month of this rollercoaster year. So this catch-up will just be a little look back at the year that was and thoughts about the year coming.
I started this year with SO much optimism
I love making playlists and Pinterest boards ready for the new year to kind of define my intentions for the year. I never end the year in the same spirit as I started it. Still, it's interesting to look back on it, so here are my 2021 inspo materials from January.
If you check out the Pinterest board, there are basically three main elements - the colour green, conch piercings and tattoos. I did, in fact, achieve that energy this year, so that's awesome.
The highlights
My last post summarised many of my favourite achievements in terms of University and blog stuff, so I won't rehash that here. I've reflected on personal journeys throughout the year through the topics I've chosen to write about. I might not always speak from first-hand experience, but I wouldn't write about something that doesn't mean anything to me.
It's interesting writing this post right now because I feel like I've already said everything I can about this year. I've made a conscious effort to live and learn and then replicate that knowledge and share it. I've written about ADHD and neurodivergence quite a bit because it was at the forefront of my mind for most of this year. I find it really rewarding to have gathered perspectives and information from other neurodivergent people, too.
I've written a lot this year about the importance of spending time by yourself. I need to experience new things to feel happy, and at peace, so I spent a lot of my spare time this year just going on little adventures with myself. Living close to nature means that there are so many walking tracks and random little pockets of forest-like environments to explore.
A big part of what makes adventuring valuable is the element of it that encourages you to trust your intuition and see what you find. I have an adventure challenge book that my parents got me for my birthday this year. That might seem like a funny gift, given we were put into lockdown a few weeks afterwards. It's definitely helpful to have guidance, but as with anything, the best experiences come on a whim.
Lockdown definitely reinforced how honouring your own decisions and impulses is the best thing you can do for yourself. This is a pretty universal experience, but lockdown also made me realise how many opportunities I take for granted.
Now that we've been allowed out a bit more, It's become quite unlikely that I'll say no to an experience. I figure if I say yes and it's a good time, excellent. If I say yes and it's a bad experience, I'll definitely learn something from it; at the least, it's a good story. There's nothing to be had but regret if you say no.
There were, perhaps, some setbacks...
While I think thatoverall, I had a very positive year. Of course, there was that car accident and the whole lockdown thing, but the worst parts of this year brought the greatest blessings. If there's a lesson I'm taking out of 2021, it's that mindset is everything. Prioritising yourself and your health and happiness really does take the negative weight off of less fortunate events.
Do what makes you happy and healthy. Don't apologise for putting yourself first; it's your life. You should be living it for yourself, especially when you're young and not responsible for anyone else. There are always going to be challenging moments in life, but there's always something to gain.
When you're okay internally, things don't feel like they happen TO you; they're just happening around you. You're your own doomsday bunker. Make sure you're comfortable and prepared when worst comes to worst.
So what's been going on lately?
Since my last update, I've gotten my second vaccination. I've sadly witnessed the death of my lavender plant and finished the semester (finally). I got a new Pixel 6. I even went home to Dubbo about a month ago. It's been a good few months, for sure. I love being allowed to go out again, talk to strangers, hug friends, and generally enjoy my freedoms.
Being home was lovely, and it allowed me to gain some more confidence in terms of driving. I'm so much more confident driving than I thought I ever would be. I also got to see my family and some friends. I've been playing around with video content and reels, actually, so here's the one I made about going home.
There's always next year...
Next year I turn 21. I am sure it'll be a great year. I'm trying not to be cheesy, but I'm in a very formative part of my life, and I've been laying the foundations for some great things to come. I don't remember the last time I ended a year, hoping that the next year would be better. That sounds really sad, but it's true. This year, I'm just glad that I'm making it to 2022. I'll be happy if it's even almost as positive as this year has been for me, and I know it's likely to be even better.
I get to go home for Christmas in a few weeks, which is awesome because I wasn't sure if the pandemic would subside enough to allow it. It is worth mentioning that there is a third variant that's running loose in the community now, and Wollongong specifically has had a few positive cases this week. I'm not going to jinx myself by saying that it'll be fine, but I hope everyone makes that extra effort to be safe and avoid a third lockdown. If it happens, though, at least I know I'll be fine.
ANNOUNCEMENT TIME!
Okay! If you've made it all the way to the end of this post, you deserve a reward. So, I'm going to share some secrets. For a few months, my Dad and I have been working on setting up a website and business structure to start offering photography services like a proper pro! I'm really excited. There's nothing that makes me feel quite as good as photography does. It'd be an absolute blessing to grow a career from doing something that I love. I did a photoshoot yesterday; I haven't done one for quite a while and fell in love all over again. It's not ready yet, but it's coming together, and I can't wait to show you soon.
I'm also working on re-vamping the store. I've taken so many beautiful images this year, and none of them are available as prints just yet - but hold in there. If you're reading this and there are any photos in particular that you'd like a print of - let me know. The best way of doing this would definitely be via Instagram. Just have a scroll back, send me my own post, and I'll make it happen. I also want to thank everyone who bought prints this year - it truly means the world to me.
Well, that's all for this year! I'll be back with more updates in January unless I make something I want to post during the break. Enjoy the holidays, spread love not covid, and once again, thank you for all the support. Congrats on making it through 2021.
"All love and appreciation,"
Before I jump into this week’s topic, I want to acknowledge that today is Remembrance day. I know it’s probably not 11 am as you’re reading this, but regardless it’s important to put some time aside today to remember those whose sacrifices gave way to our freedoms. We often take our privilege for granted, but we owe our safety, welfare, education, culture, wealth, families and lifestyles to those who gave up theirs in the wars.
Speaking of freedom - lockdown is finally over! Well, mostly. We can’t go overseas or state-to-state willy nilly, but we don’t have to sit in our rooms, and that’s something! I’ve had the pleasure of being able to get out and about here and there. I’ve sat at a beach guilt-free, had a covid safe picnic with friends and gone out on the town. I got to celebrate Halloween and sit in restaurants to eat. I even got to travel back home to Dubbo last week to see my family and friends after what feels like a lifetime.
But all this rediscovered freedom has got me thinking... it doesn’t feel like everything’s ‘back to normal’. I think we all know that “normal” is long gone. Ordinary things like going out in public without a mask still feel chaotic and dangerous, and I’m sure they will for a long time to come. There hasn’t been a lot of freely accessible research done on the topic, mainly because we’re essentially still in the thick of it - but it’s clear to me that the semi-permanent effects of the pandemic are far-reaching and, in some cases, surprising. So in this article, I want to explore those seemingly random effects.
Post-lockdown anxiety is weird and layered
There was a certain kind of anxiety that we all experienced during the lockdown. The monotony of scrolling through your Netflix recommendations trying to drown out the numbers of the news cycle. The hyper fixation of remembering your mask, remembering to check-in, remembering to sanitise... but forgetting what day of the week it is. We were in lockdown just long enough to get used to it all.
Now, we don’t necessarily need to be so cautious. We’re vaccinated, we’re allowed out, we have our freedoms back. There’s obviously still some level of caution, but it’s not all-encompassing. We’re feeling this strange mix of hesitancy and urgency. We want to get out, we’re aware that sitting in a restaurant with our friends is a luxury, and we want to seize the day. On the other hand, I’m not sure I want to buy concert tickets and run the risk of yet another postponing.
If you had social anxiety before lockdown, it’s likely been exacerbated during the lockdown. You’re more likely to meet up in person now, and it might be the first time you’ve hung out with people in months. It’s understandable if you find yourself forgetting small talk etiquette. If you have sweaty palms and heart palpitations and a racing mind while you’re sitting at the pub with your pals, fret not. You’re definitely not the only one.
Personally, having the time alone over the last few months definitely helped me learn to cope with my mental health. Since getting out, I feel more confident talking to people, but it all feels strange, in a way. You might feel like a fish out of water - but that’s not it, exactly. You’re a fish who got plucked from your private little fishbowl and thrown into the aquarium.
Gone are the days of the introvert-extrovert binary
It’s been argued that lockdown is more difficult for extroverts - I disagree because no one is really an extrovert (nor is anyone an introvert). We all have extroverted and introverted tendencies and behaviours. We utilise them in the applicable scenarios. No one is okay with being alone all the time, and no one is okay having people around 24/7.
However, I think our collective experience of lockdown as an extreme experiment in introversion has levelled many of us out. The people who identified heavily as introverts now recognise the appeal of socialising, and the extroverts have learned to cope with being alone. A life confined between four walls has ironically taught us not to put ourselves in boxes.
We myth-busted work-life balance
Before lockdown, we had a particular way of life, and we rarely stepped off the laid path for us. Our eating, sleeping, working and leisure time followed the same repetitive patterns, and failure to meet that standard meant something was wrong.
We couldn’t go to work or school during the lockdown, so we made video conferencing work. We made our own schedule, and most people were better off for it. We now know that achieving a healthy and fulfilling work-life balance is possible, and we want to hold on to it. While many people thrive on routine, we’ve had our eyes opened to the possibility of creating our own. There’s a massive surge of people quitting their jobs in search of more supportive workplaces and lifestyles. This flexibility might extend to other parts of our lives - for example, people might be more likely to meet up on zoom instead of going out.
Removal of stigmas around technology
Obviously, when we were stuck in our rooms, we had to turn to technology to keep in touch or be entertained. In a lot of ways, it was our saving grace. We used our phones so much in that time that we’re probably sick of them now. We appreciate real-life experiences and might be less fascinated with Tiktok. Or at least, less likely to waste precious hours scrolling.
Before, it was all “TV turns your eyes square”, “Don’t trust everything you see on the internet” this, and “You’re always on that damn phone”, “Video games cause domestic violence” that. Now, we’re more likely to praise the incredible abilities and affordances of tech to connect us to others. More of us better understand that it’s possible to develop and maintain meaningful relationships online. In 40 years, you might tell your grandkids how you met their grandpa on Tinder back in the pandemic, and it won’t seem that weird.
Some parting words...
At the end of the day, no matter how many silver linings I point at, there’s still a massive stormcloud. We can’t go “back to normal”, and I think we’re better off embracing the change anyway. We still need to exercise caution, but I’m glad it’s (hopefully) over. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious or just intensely weird, don’t worry too much. It will pass, you will re-adjust, and it will eventually feel normal again. The good thing is, you’re definitely not alone.
“Imagine if your Nan and Pop met on Tinder,”
Featured Artwork: Build Bridges Not Walls by Olivia Domingos
No matter how independent you think you are, it’s a known and proven fact that people need other people. We are pack animals. In a time where genuine human connection is becoming more and more elusive, we’re inevitably struggling with cultivating empathy. That’s not to say that we don’t have empathy for each other. But the more alone we are, the less practice we have, shifting perspectives and tying the laces with care when we put ourselves in the shoes of others.
It’s really easy to fall victim to the idea that we all live the same experiences. Obviously, within logic, we know that’s not true. But we’re taught to understand others through our own experiences. Finding common ground is seen as the central element in understanding each other. I think on some level, sure, we have universal experiences, but everything is different depending on your personal context. So you absolutely can experience the same event as your neighbour and walk away, having perceived and processed it in opposite ways.
In this way,’ having things in common’ is not central to forming fulfilling and positive interactions and relationships with the people around you. I raise the idea that common ground isn’t necessary for understanding. Maybe you don’t need to experience what someone else has undergone to create even a momentary human connection with them. Perhaps you just need to accept the differences between you and appreciate them.
I was sitting in the middle row of a lecture hall in my first ever journalism class last year. I showed up early because I wasn’t sure about which classroom I was meant to be in. I was allowing time for being lost that I didn’t need because everyone had the same idea. I just followed the swarm of first-years following the one person in the crowd who knew her way around. We come in, sit down, and immediately turn to the person beside us, intending to make friends. A very pre-covid human experience, I must say.
By the time the tutor walked in and started teaching, I’d already made friends with the guy next to me - we’d bonded over having the same kind of phone. We’d automatically searched for common ground. We sought out some path of seeing ourselves in the other.
My tutor said something that’s stuck with me in every interaction I’ve had since that class. He said, “always approach every interaction carrying the assumption that this person knows something that you do not”. He was talking in the context of gathering interviews for news stories, but it’s excellent advice in any sense. You have to keep in mind that you don’t even know what you don’t know. Conversations with people who you don’t have anything in common with can be so unexpected and life-changing. You can’t live and grow in a bubble of people who agree with everything you say.
I am someone who’s made a habit of immediate judgement. It’s something I’m working on, but I often find that when I meet a new person, I take my first impression of them and stick by it. I make my judgements quick and hard, with minimal foundation. But more and more, I try to leave conscious room for reconsideration. I welcome people to change my mind about them, I can re-adjust my perspective as I learn more, and that’s a really resourceful skill to have.
Always approach every interaction carrying the assumption that this person knows something that you do not
- UOW Journalism Professor
Nobody is the same all the time, and as my Dad reminds me quite often, everyone has their own story. There’s always something I don’t know. That bully at school might have had a hard time at home, you can't take everything personally, because often - it's just so NOT personal. Everyone goes into interactions with their own set of events, thoughts and feelings that have shaped them. If I don’t give them a chance, I never get that context, and I unfairly minimise or judge their character based on my own set of events, thoughts and feelings.
In January, I moved back into university accommodation in Wollongong. To my surprise and dismay, I was roomed with someone who I lived with the year previous. Last year I didn’t have a good experience living with this person. I thought of them in a really negative light, and the discomfort that stemmed from our quiet conflict made the unit a pretty hostile environment to live in.
While I was annoyed about being roomed with them again, I wasn’t willing to tolerate the same negative energy in the unit this year. So I decided to reconsider my judgment of that person. He probably had things going on in his life that he was struggling with. I accepted that I didn’t know his perspective and therefore couldn’t reasonably place judgment. One morning, I simply apologised - I told him that there were no harsh feelings anymore, that we could start on a clean slate. He said the same, and now we’re friends. We help each other clean up, have good conversations and feel okay to ask favours of each other. When I was sick, he left a packet of camomile on the kitchen bench for me because he heard me coughing.
I’m not saying you should always be nice to everyone. There definitely should be a limit to the number of chances you’ll give someone, but holding that space for acceptance and optimistic doubt is so important. Putting your ego aside and recognising that you don’t know everything about everyone can be very rewarding. You can learn so much from people who you don’t immediately understand. I know we all have that friend who we didn’t like at first.
In terms of giving second chances... ultimately, people change. They do. They change all the time. But they probably won’t change on your timeline and according to your preferences. They shouldn’t. It’s their life, not yours, but you kill chances for connection when you place and hold onto un-examined judgement.
All that said, it goes the other way too. You might be really sensitive and carry a need or desire to be liked by others. As i said before, we are herd animals, and we do need other people. Try to remember that not everyone knows your story, either. They don’t know where you’re coming from. They don’t know your life from your perspective, and you always have the opportunity to teach them and be taught by them. You have to be comfortable with vulnerability within yourself to be receptive and accepting when receiving it from others.
In any interaction, you have the opportunity to gather more knowledge, utilise each other’s experiences, and become more fulfilled, well-rounded and empathetic people. That philosophy can only do the world of good in our personal lives and in the context of communities as a whole.
“MY story is Alice In Wonderland, though. Get your own.”
Hello and welcome back to my BCM206 blog series. This week I've spoken to the ever-impressive Miss Taylor Housman (@Taylorlani2 on Twitter). I managed to get a reasonable quality recording of our conversation, so this time I've made a podcast instead of a transcript.
You might be familiar with Taylor's incredible art, or more recently, the exquisite music-based blog posts she's graced us with over on her WordPress. I've had the pleasure of calling Taylor a friend for over a year now, so this interview flowed so naturally and lasted far longer than I expected. I've edited it down so that you can sit in on our conversation and have time left in your day.
We talked about making friends outside of school, making your degree serve your interests, music, art, astrology, supporting each other, pop-punk, 5SOS, Tumblr and have a lot of laughs in between. Enjoy!
“Cough, Cough”