Yesterday I went to the hairdresser (aka barber). For those of you who have seen me over the last week you'd have to admit... I really needed one. So since I moved place I decided to try out a new place. Thoroughly impressed, was I.
My first impression was - this place looks pretty clean and refined, i'll give this one a shot. I entered, obviously without a booking, and was told that it'd be 20 minutes before i could be serviced (couldn't really expect to get in straight away without a booking... but I was hoping). I also found out in advance how much the haircut would cost - $35. Pretty expensive for a guy, I thought. But, what the hell... I decided i'd give it a try. (Jess gets haircuts for something around $50, so it's not all that bad in retrosepct).
Ok, so 15 minutes later I came back. I was told to sit by the hair washing area - w00t, a hair wash. Some chick was waiting by the hair washing area and told me sit down and lie back. No complaints from me. First came the shampoo, then came the conditioner - all of this being explained to me by the chick washing my hair. The next part thoroughly impressed me. While rubbing some hair product (I don't know wtf it is) into her hands, the chick started off by saying "just so you know, this will make your scalp cold and tingly - it's to promote blood flow and hair growth". After the application of this wierdo material my head was indeed cool and tingly. It's seriously one of the coolest sensations around. You girls have been living the high life and us guys have been missing out. So next I had to wait for the hairdresser to finish with his current customer. The wait was no problem as I was marvelling at the coolness of this mysterious hair product.
Not really being a veteran of the hair wash thing I must admit I had a bit of a sore neck afterwards. There's probably some neck support at the hair wash basin but for some reason I was using my neck muscles to hold my head up.... mmm... learn something new everyday.
The adventure doesn't end there. I did have to wait a bit for the hairdresser to come to me, but that's ok. This hairdresser was fairly nice, I don't really know the hairdresser lingo and i'm sure that fact was fairly obvious when I spoke. Nothing like "i'll have a Number 2, thanks" came me, it was more like "ummm.. a trim thanks - off the ears and make it shorter all round". Seriously, I didn't know wtf to say and I still don't. He probably really didn't understand what the hell I was saying so he took the initiative (well he understood the "off the ears" part). He asked me a series of questions and then the cutting started. (If you're curious, he asked how much to cut off the fringe and if I wanted the hair at the back to hang down).
The haircut took approximately 20 minutes, maybe more. Definitely a record for me. Usually what happens is that the hairdresser uses the razor, goes crazy, and then i'm out the door in 5 minutes. Not this hairdresser, and it's not a criticism. This dude took his time and used the scissors most of the time - the razor came out for the hair around the ears, and that was only briefly. Quite an interesting thing watching your own hair get cut - part the hair, measure, cut, repeat. In the end my hair looked pretty good and it wasn't excruciatingly short either (a problem that i've had with hairdressers in the past). Summing up, this hairdresser gets a 9/10 from me. Not a bad deal for $35 - time, effort, and cool hair products.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Marky the Sportsman
I'm tired. Sports takes it out of you, it really does. Or this could be a sign of my age - I mean I have to stretch before I play sports, otherwise my muscles will clamp up like a sponge under a waterfall. So anyway, what have I done this weekend? Sports, sports, sports.
Saturday, cricket training. Sunday, tennis and soccer. Thesis work = 0. Lets have a breakdown on my performance across the three sports. Time to put my critical assessment hat on.
Cricket - Fielding looks good. No simple catches dropped and i 've managed to snare a couple of the diving catches. Bowling: patchy start, it takes some time for me to get the line and length right and I occasionaly spray the ball all over the shop - needs work, but i'm not a bowler... so it doesn't really matter. Batting: i'm playing alot straighter in the practice sessions and this is an encouraging sign - i should be able to last at least a couple of overs this season. (Note: Season starts in 2 weeks, so watch the stats and analysis come streaming through shortly)
Tennis - oh boy, my skills have regressed a fair bit. I've got no backhand and my forehand is far from flat. High bouncing loopy balls are all that I seem capable of. One consolation, when I go for the slog it occasionally lands in the right spot.
Soccer - fitness is ok. Played for over an hour and I was still making the sprints through the defensive line. Dribbling is ok, defending is solid, and shot accuracy is adequate. I guess soccer is the flagship sport for Mark at present.
Saturday, cricket training. Sunday, tennis and soccer. Thesis work = 0. Lets have a breakdown on my performance across the three sports. Time to put my critical assessment hat on.
Cricket - Fielding looks good. No simple catches dropped and i 've managed to snare a couple of the diving catches. Bowling: patchy start, it takes some time for me to get the line and length right and I occasionaly spray the ball all over the shop - needs work, but i'm not a bowler... so it doesn't really matter. Batting: i'm playing alot straighter in the practice sessions and this is an encouraging sign - i should be able to last at least a couple of overs this season. (Note: Season starts in 2 weeks, so watch the stats and analysis come streaming through shortly)
Tennis - oh boy, my skills have regressed a fair bit. I've got no backhand and my forehand is far from flat. High bouncing loopy balls are all that I seem capable of. One consolation, when I go for the slog it occasionally lands in the right spot.
Soccer - fitness is ok. Played for over an hour and I was still making the sprints through the defensive line. Dribbling is ok, defending is solid, and shot accuracy is adequate. I guess soccer is the flagship sport for Mark at present.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Sister Perspective: Rita the Bitch
What is this? My life may be amazing but this little story was too hard to pass up. So today marks the inaugural episode of "Sister Perspective". The first episode is Rita the Bitch. I like the name of this episode, and you'll see that it is highly appropriate.
Prelude. Early in the Semester. Jessica meets a girl called Rita in Accounting, they become acquainted and become friendly.
Recently. University. More Accounting. Group Assignment is set. Jessica once again meets up with Rita, and Rita asks Jessica to be in her group. The group size is three - so another one of Jessica's friends joins this group. (Male - identity is irrelevant).
A couple of days later. Jessica and Rita are talking in the lecture, just as everyone does in University lectures. They discuss their tutorial groups and Rita mentions that she is worried about hers. Jessica assures her that it's a great class because it contains some of her brother Mark's intelligent friends. Jess: "It's a good tute. My brothers friends are in there, they're geniuses, like HD students". (Yes, Mark is me)
Today. Jessica gets a message on her mobile, Rita has already joined a group. After reading the message all is fine. Later when Jessica gets home she still needs to complete or join a group so she asks her brother Mark to ask his intelligent friends.
Mark: Hey Dinesh
Dinesh: Hey Mark
Mark: Got a question for you, on behalf of my sister. Do you have an accounting group?
Dinesh: Yes. We've got 3.
Mark: Ok, no worries.
Dinesh: We've got some girl from our tute.
Mark: Is her name Rita?
Dinesh: Yea. How did you know?
Mark: Sister had a hunch.
So Rita has dogged the group that she originally joined and ran off to the genius group, the group which Jessica mentioned in the lecture (and the group that Jessica wanted to be in). What a bitch that Rita is.
That's the end of todays story. Hope you enjoyed it.
Prelude. Early in the Semester. Jessica meets a girl called Rita in Accounting, they become acquainted and become friendly.
Recently. University. More Accounting. Group Assignment is set. Jessica once again meets up with Rita, and Rita asks Jessica to be in her group. The group size is three - so another one of Jessica's friends joins this group. (Male - identity is irrelevant).
A couple of days later. Jessica and Rita are talking in the lecture, just as everyone does in University lectures. They discuss their tutorial groups and Rita mentions that she is worried about hers. Jessica assures her that it's a great class because it contains some of her brother Mark's intelligent friends. Jess: "It's a good tute. My brothers friends are in there, they're geniuses, like HD students". (Yes, Mark is me)
Today. Jessica gets a message on her mobile, Rita has already joined a group. After reading the message all is fine. Later when Jessica gets home she still needs to complete or join a group so she asks her brother Mark to ask his intelligent friends.
Mark: Hey Dinesh
Dinesh: Hey Mark
Mark: Got a question for you, on behalf of my sister. Do you have an accounting group?
Dinesh: Yes. We've got 3.
Mark: Ok, no worries.
Dinesh: We've got some girl from our tute.
Mark: Is her name Rita?
Dinesh: Yea. How did you know?
Mark: Sister had a hunch.
So Rita has dogged the group that she originally joined and ran off to the genius group, the group which Jessica mentioned in the lecture (and the group that Jessica wanted to be in). What a bitch that Rita is.
That's the end of todays story. Hope you enjoyed it.
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Blargh...
Well I am finally back. After 2 weeks. Terrible. Terrible indeed. What's worse is that I still don't have broadband - Optus has given me dial-up until DSL can be arranged. Doh!
So what's new? I'm sick, terribly sick - can't stop coughing. Plus due to the fact that I have had no internet access for 2 weeks and have been bedridden for ages.... my thesis is starting to fall behind. All out of my control. Damn it all.
I've been dealt a bad set of cards of late and hopefully things will be on the up. Finally i'll sign off with my (appalling) City to Surf time (sick... remember... sick) and some random quotes over the past couple of weeks.
City to Surf time: 101:37.
Jess: "Harvard is in England, duh, everyone knows that" - yes, Jess, indeed :).
Dad: Maybe we should get the car repaired ourselves
Jess: Why? The other guy hit you, he should pay
Dad: So that we don't get penalised. You know, we will lose our no-claim bonus
Jess: You've got no insurance, so there is no no-claim bonus to lose
Dad: Oh.
X: I don't believe that police should be calling women ma'am or madam
Y: That's ridiculous, what should the police call women?
Z: How about 'bitches'?. You know, walk up to a woman and say 'sup bitch?'
More later... when i'm well - maybe some photos as well!
So what's new? I'm sick, terribly sick - can't stop coughing. Plus due to the fact that I have had no internet access for 2 weeks and have been bedridden for ages.... my thesis is starting to fall behind. All out of my control. Damn it all.
I've been dealt a bad set of cards of late and hopefully things will be on the up. Finally i'll sign off with my (appalling) City to Surf time (sick... remember... sick) and some random quotes over the past couple of weeks.
City to Surf time: 101:37.
Jess: "Harvard is in England, duh, everyone knows that" - yes, Jess, indeed :).
Dad: Maybe we should get the car repaired ourselves
Jess: Why? The other guy hit you, he should pay
Dad: So that we don't get penalised. You know, we will lose our no-claim bonus
Jess: You've got no insurance, so there is no no-claim bonus to lose
Dad: Oh.
X: I don't believe that police should be calling women ma'am or madam
Y: That's ridiculous, what should the police call women?
Z: How about 'bitches'?. You know, walk up to a woman and say 'sup bitch?'
More later... when i'm well - maybe some photos as well!
Sunday, August 07, 2005
The Drought Begins
Drought. Drought has several possible connotations... and none of them good. I will be experiencing drought over the coming days. Drought? What? Allow me to explain.
I'm in the process of moving house and it does not automatically come with Internet capabilities - so I will have to wait for my ISP to get everything set up. They tell me that it'll be a week. Argh! Looks like i'm going to have to survive without access to the Internet.
So an Internet drought it is. Wish me luck - you never know.... I may never be the same again!
I'm in the process of moving house and it does not automatically come with Internet capabilities - so I will have to wait for my ISP to get everything set up. They tell me that it'll be a week. Argh! Looks like i'm going to have to survive without access to the Internet.
So an Internet drought it is. Wish me luck - you never know.... I may never be the same again!
Friday, August 05, 2005
The Passport
My passport came in today - hence the name of the title. That's all that happened today, really. Well, besides Chinese class at midday and going for a run in the arvo. I'll attempt to provide a bit of a summary via quotes.
"A visa is a permit to travel to another country. It goes in your passport. You may be charged for it". (Visa = jail. Interesting.)
"If you cannot afford travel insurance, you cannot afford to travel". (Sounds logical)
"No matter what country you're visiting, accommodation is an important part of your trip". (You don't say...)
"You can take as much cash as you like out of Australia". (w00t)
"If you receive a Centrelink payment, be sure to contact Centrelink before you leave Australia". (hmm... Centrelink subsidises travel?)
"Touching, pointing, staring, sitting and standing in ways that are regarded as disrespectful or threatening by the local culture can cause offence". (I wonder where in the world touching a random person would not cause offence)
"In some places accepting even a polite invitation to go out can give the wrong signal and lead to sexual asssault." (Damn. Someone asks me out and I get charged for sexual assault - argh!)
Moving onto the passport. Seems standard. 30 odd pages - easy to carry. Flipping through to the details page.... whoa! Trippy. There are holographic lines all over the place - very classy indeed. Can't forge one of these easily.
Anyhoo, I think i've wasted enough of my time and your time - so i'll end it there. Hopefully i'll have something more interesting to report next time.
"A visa is a permit to travel to another country. It goes in your passport. You may be charged for it". (Visa = jail. Interesting.)
"If you cannot afford travel insurance, you cannot afford to travel". (Sounds logical)
"No matter what country you're visiting, accommodation is an important part of your trip". (You don't say...)
"You can take as much cash as you like out of Australia". (w00t)
"If you receive a Centrelink payment, be sure to contact Centrelink before you leave Australia". (hmm... Centrelink subsidises travel?)
"Touching, pointing, staring, sitting and standing in ways that are regarded as disrespectful or threatening by the local culture can cause offence". (I wonder where in the world touching a random person would not cause offence)
"In some places accepting even a polite invitation to go out can give the wrong signal and lead to sexual asssault." (Damn. Someone asks me out and I get charged for sexual assault - argh!)
Moving onto the passport. Seems standard. 30 odd pages - easy to carry. Flipping through to the details page.... whoa! Trippy. There are holographic lines all over the place - very classy indeed. Can't forge one of these easily.
Anyhoo, I think i've wasted enough of my time and your time - so i'll end it there. Hopefully i'll have something more interesting to report next time.
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