Saturday, June 29, 2013

This is Life in Colour

Sometimes, in life, you surprise yourself. You do something you never thought you could do, and you do it well. I've had one of those moments. Last Friday (26/06/13) I completed my Certificate III in Children's Services, which is an entry level qualification into the children's services industry. It's taken my a long time to get here, and there's been several hurdles along the way. I was close to giving up dozens of times, and I suffered from prolonged periods of self-doubt and constantly asked myself 'Is that right for me?' After finishing my course, I'm still not sure about the last question, but I'll find out when I hit the big, wide world of children's services.

I heard the song 'Life in Colour' by OneRepublic the week I finished my course, and felt it described perfectly how I was feeling and what lay ahead. I've included a YouTube clip of the studio version (my favourite version) with lyrics. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have lately.


In other news, I've been busy as a bee, helping my parents plan their 25th wedding anniversary. They're arranging to renew their wedding vows, and we had the celebrant over last Sunday to discuss the ceremony and how everything's going to go. I'm doing a reading, and also saying a short speech. My dad's parents are coming over from New Zealand for the anniversary, and his brother and his brother's partner are coming across from Adelaide. My mum's sister and her children are coming as well, but they already live in Melbourne, so they're not travelling far. For my reading, I wrote a triolet called 'Perhaps in Heaven', which I've included below.

Perhaps in Heaven
Perhaps in heaven, love comes first
But I’ve found true love here on earth
And into it I plunged headfirst
Perhaps in heaven, love comes first
But if ever I’m at my worst
Remind me, dear, for what it’s worth
Perhaps in heaven, love comes first
But I’ve found true love here on earth

My parents really are soul mates, and have been very happily married for twenty-five years. They really embody the spirit of unity, and I hope and pray that they have many more happy years before them. I also hope that, one day, I'll find someone who I want to share my life with, and who wants me to share theirs. But, for now, I'm happy just sorting myself out, and celebrating my parents' wonderful milestone.

Last weekend, I caught up with my friend Michelle, who just got back from a six month student exchange in Sweden. She's become quite adventurous since going overseas, and has really grasped the idea that life is short, so you have to seize the day. We went out for hot chocolate at the Lindt cafe in Melbourne, and then to lunch in a tiny, cramped nook near Flinders Street Station which, truth be told, was absolutely marvelous. We then caught a tram to Docklands, and I took photographs of her while she had a go at ice skating. She told me that she had a go at ice skating on a frozen over pond in Sweden, and was keen to give it another try. I've done a little bit of skating, and it's not something I really enjoy, so I was happy to play photographer and stay off the ice.



I was very impressed by her skills, as Mish was quite a natural on the ice. When I went ice skating, I spend the whole time hanging onto the side of the rink, while my feet slipped and slid under me like I was on wheels. It was awful! Mish, on the other hand, glided around like Swan Lake on Ice (which I went to see once, and it was fantastic). After ice skating, I brought a coat in my favourite shade of blue which I'd seen on the way to the rink, and then we caught a tram back to Flinders Street and parted ways.

I'll be seeing Mish again sometime next week, as we're going to the Monet's Garden exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria some time. I'm not sure when yet, but my parents have been kind enough to pay for my ticket. The price was very reasonable, since we'll be viewing Monet, who is acknowledged as a master, but I'm absolutely down to the wire with finances at the moment, and wouldn't have been able to go if my parents hadn't paid for me. 

To finish this blog post, here is a lovely video of two babies playing with rubber bands. It doesn't take much to entertain a baby, as they are learning how the world works, and the simplest things excite them. You can have the most expensive, amazing, up-to-date, plastic-fantastic toys, but, at the end of the day, a baby is more likely to be interested in the world around them (and you!) than any toy.



Well, that's all from me for now. I'll blog again after I've been to Monet, and let you know what it was like, and if it's worth going to if you're in Melbourne. 

Until then!

~ Australian Kiwi