Karen’s Blog

this sucks. pharmacotherapy, pharmacy practice, aaaaaaargh!

I just wanna get out of this life and into another one. *sigh* I do wanna graduate though - damn this is taking too long.

OH wow! I just had the best weekend, at Splore ‘06 (visit www.splore.net for info) it is certainly a top level festival, such a good vibe, such a good set up and definitely worth going to again!

Start from the beginning - so ages ago Lina asks around via email if anyone’s interested going - ended up just being me and her and some of her work colleagues + friends.

We packed up our stuff on FRIDAY and headed off down south auckland to meet up with Lina’s mates.. after a few ‘problems’ (teehehehe  where are the tickets hun? ) we managed to get on the road in the afternoon sun and make our way to the Tapapakanga Regional Park, off Orere Point, off Kawakawa Bay, off Clevedon. It was a steep, narrow and windy road but we finally got there in one piece. After a confusion with instructions and badly labelled direction (plus a tight U-turn), we got through to the camp and started setting up our stuff.

Now, this was Lina’s first time setting up a tent, and probably my 2nd - so things werent looking too promising. But after awhile we had our wee lil humble abode and set about checking out the rest of the place. We followed one of Lina’s mates past the ‘Theme Camps’ (where hardcore fanatics set up these beautiful tents with all sorts of lights and decorations with AV projectors and couches and rugs…. ooh so beautiful) and down the trail to the main activities area. This ‘trail’ was a 5 min walk down a steep steep hill (thank goodness it didnt rain!) but halfway we looked out and it was a beautiful beach with the sun beating down and a calm ocean. The walk was half the fun, but when we got down there I was immediately drawn to the DJ stage (loud as bass!) where "The Nextmen" were playing, and OMG I was in heaven.. I danced the hardest I’ve danced (sober..) for a looooooooong time, the music was wicked, really well mixed and really good old and new school hip hop, with some indian/reggae/dub/dancehall fusions mixed in… I was mesmerised and didnt wanna leave.

Luckily though, i came to my senses and had heard The Cuban Brothers were on the main stage and they came highly recommended.. i was not disapppointed! this was by far the BEST performance I saw all weekend - the music, the experience and the crazy naked guy on stage! hahaha.. well not really naked. When I got to the main stage the show was already in full swing.. I pushed my way to the front of the crowd who were going mad for these guys - I think they were from Cuba.. and one japanese guy. Man these dudes were awesome - the lead singer had such a smooth voice, such character and so much charisma you could not stop watching him. They were around late 30s to 40s, and were joking aroudn the whole time, even their songs were funny! The 2 singers and the jap guy started breaking (40 yr olds!!!) and their set was unbelievable, strong hard moves, crazy outfits… then to top it off, they all strip down to their undies - lead singer has boxer shorts on with penis and crack drawn on it…co-singer has rainbow coloured briefs and jap guy just had normal-ish boxers (comparatively). They all sing, dance and jump around.. then the lead singer takes things one step further and strips down again to reveal a teeny tiny silver G-STRING!!! holy moly.. he’d been grabbing his crotch the whole time and then with his g string on, all he was doing was gyrating!!! Being in the front row, I saw more than I needed to and couldnt BELIEVE what was happening on stage!  At this stage I’d found Margaret in the crowd (after losing Lina after Nextmen) and we were both just laughing and jumping and yelling at the same time! haha..The vibe was just electric, the whole crowd went CRAZY and they played some of the funkiest music I’ve heard in ages!

After them was Talib Kweli - slightly underground hip hop artist from NYC, with Jean Grae - they were stunning, a little bit reminiscent of Jay-Z and Eve, a lot of rapping - I could hardly understand a word they were saying, but still really good and very tight. The DJ was the bomb though - and soooooooo hot! I rated him hotter than Talib, but Talib definitely had the crowd going. I felt a bit guilty being at the very front and not knowing ANY of the words, but hey shorties gotta see something! I didnt expect his set to be so much hard rapping - thought things would be a bit more mellow but I’d only heard a few of his songs before - with Erykah Badu and stuff so I guess this was really his style showing through.

I was hardout buzzing when this ended, It was such a good vibe from everyone, plus therewas more stuff playing in the DJ stage (til 5am) but by this time I think I’d worn out Lina so we went back to the campsite (after a dangerous walk up that steep hill) and slept in our super stable tent.

Saturday morning I woke up in the heat of that darn sun, and a little girl singing some ghastly tune of her own. Anyway, after getting organised and stuff.. we headed down to the beach for another beautiful day.

There was some cool activities on, like drumming, making lanterns, african dancing, learning about spirituality, meditation classes, yoga classes… but we missed all that and just sat down by the beach, watched a few acts - Mikey Ray and Bobby Brazuka on the DJ stage had icecream, and went for a swim. After lunch at our campsite, we were supposed to walk around and check out other people at their tents, but we both ended up falling asleep. We woke to realise Hollie Smith had already started her set, and so we packed up and got ready for the night and rushed down to catch the rest of it.

If you havent heard of Hollie Smith - find her music man - she has got an AWESOME AWESOME voice… you will be impressed. Live, her sound filled me up so much I thought I was gonna burst! It sounds a bit Joss-stone like but she’s kiwi (I think) and has a very soul sound with a softer edge to it. Absolutely stunning.

We then hit the beer tent - yay Heinekin - where I met a lovely drunken gentleman who threw down a bag of Cornchips and then pissed off somewhere. I then thought oooh! corn chips and started munching down on them… that guy came back but when I offered them back to him he said "I dont like C’Cs"…tehehe.. he was off his face! So funny, tried having a conversation with him but couldnt understand a word he was saying - so slurred. He jumped into the beer tent through the ‘window’ so surpassed all the bouncers! I think he got the message after awhile i only was interested in his corn chips so he buggered off again. hehheehe.

We headed back to the mainstage to catch an awesome line up for the rest of the night. KORA - were great live - I’d seen their name in a few lineups around stuff in auckland, but never managed to catch them. I expected some sort of reggae/dub/dance stuff but they were like a reggae-rock combination! it was awesome, and they had the crowd going nuts ay! They were the band before the headlining Fat Freddys Drop - which everyone was all pressing to see, but I actually enjoyed Kora’s set a lot more. They jumped right into the music, had real high enenrgy a

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free. In love, you feel the most alive when things are straight-forward, and you’re told that you’re loved. You’d like to your lover to think you are optimistic and happy. You would be forced to break up with someone who was ruthless, cold-blooded, and sarcastic. Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future… one you can grow with. Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment. You think of marriage as something that will confine you. You are afraid of marriage. In this moment, you think of love as something you thirst for. You’ll do anything for love, but you won’t fall for it easily.

You Are 50% "Average American"

You are average because you don’t think people should be jailed for using marijuana. You are not average since you would pay to go in space.

Your Brain’s Pattern

Your mind is an incubator for good ideas, it just takes a while for them to develop. But when you think of something, watch out! Your thoughts tend to be huge, and they come on quickly - like an explosion. You tend to be quiet around others, unless you’re inspired by your next big idea.

How You Life Your Life

You seem to be straight forward, but you keep a lot inside. You are always tactful and diplomatic. You let people down gently. You prefer a variety of friends and tend to change friends quickly. You tend to always dream of things within reach - and you usually get them.

You Are a Little Scary

You’ve got a nice edge to you. Use it.

You Can Hang With the Guys and the Girls

You’ve struck a good balance between girlie and laid back. You can keep it casual but when you dress up, you are as girly as the next girl.

Guys Like That You’re Charming

You’re the girl most guys can’t get out of their heads Even if they met you on a bad hair day You just seem to "click" with everyone you meet So even if a guy forgets about you for a second… his friends haven’t!

this is so not true.

You are a City Girl!

Whether you live in the city or not, you’ve got the heart of a city girl. You’re up on the latest trends - what’s hot in music, food, and fashion. And you love to be on the go. Your perfect day is filled with tons of fun. Your perfect guy is a city guy, so head to LA, NYC, Sydney, or London to find him!

You are a Mild Mama

You don’t have to be screaming at the top of your lungs to have a good time You rather chill, soak in the moment, and appreciate life for what it is Guys appreciate your "take life as it comes" approach… (Though they wouldn’t mind if you got a little wild from time to time!)

You Belong in London

A little old fashioned, and a little modern. A little traditional, and a little bit punk rock. A unique woman like you needs a city that offers everything. No wonder you and London will get along so well.

What You Know About Your Guy: Very Little

Your guy is still a huge mystery to you (Hopefully, you at least know his last name!) If you have only been on a few dates, then this is okay But otherwise, it’s time to do some digging

Your Scent is Pumpkin Pie

Warm, comforting, and a bit old fashioned You’ve got what men want - believe it or not

You are a Great Girlfriend

When it comes to your guy, you’re very thoughtful But you also haven’t stopped thinking of yourself You’re the perfect blend of independent and caring You’re a total catch - make sure your guy knows it too!

maybe I lied in a few of these questions???

You’ll Find Love Online

Dating in meatspace is way too complicated and time consuming for you You rather find a ton of guys at the click of a button So go on, and have some fun in your online dating adventure Just make sure perfectguy@mrright.com is who he says he is

this is driving me nuts.. u dont find out when your classes are until induction day, which is like a DAY before uni starts! how the hell do they expect people to rearrange work and stuff with all this bollocks!!! And then they will change it at their whim, expecting you to have fucken NO LIFE outside pharmacy school, when MY LIFE outside pharmacy school is all that really keeps me living!  Not only that, but when I emailed the 4th year course coordinator, he just replied "refer to mastertimetable, if you still have any problems talk to me next week". HEs such a cunt man - why cant he just say "oh we wont tell you until induction day" or at least just appreciate my situation (which im sure many many ppl are in) and just allocate us times so we can sort out our proper lives.

*phew* man I just needed to get that out. 1 more year.. 1 more year - so sick of this bullshit, pharmacy isnt for me anyway , but hey everyone knew that. i’ll just be working for some egotistical asshole for the first half of my life and then spend the 2nd half wishing I’d just gone and lived in mexico. SO ANGRY. Hate the constructs of society (especially asian society) … what are you? a lawyer. what are you? an accountant. What are you!? I dont know yet.. but i’m sure having a lot more fun that you lot.

someone give me a sedative.

After completing a series of mini-quizzes this is the conclusion…

***You Are Italian Food*** Comforting yet overwhelming.
People love you, but sometimes you’re just too much.

What Kind of Food Are You?
http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindoffoodareyouquiz/

***On Average, You Would Sell Out For***

$1,074,517

At What Price Would You Sell Out?
http://www.blogthings.com/atwhatpricewouldyouselloutquiz/

***Your Stipper Song Is***

<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=CkIfgYlVpZA&offerid=99176&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fphobos.apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStore.woa%252Fwa%252FviewAlbum%253FselectedItemId%253D112292%2526playListId%253D112294%2526s%253D143441%26partnerId%3D30">Closer</a> by Nine Inch Nails

"You let me violate you, you let me desecrate you
You let me penetrate you, you let me complicate you
Help me I broke apart my insides, help me I?ve got no
Soul to tell"

When you dance, it’s a little scary - and a lot sexy.

What Song Should You Strip To?
http://www.blogthings.com/whatsongshouldyoustriptoquiz/

***How You Are In Love***

You fall in love quickly and easily. And very often.

You tend to take more than give in relationships.

You tend to get very attached when you’re with someone. You want to see your love all the time.

You love your partner unconditionally and don’t try to make them change.

You stay in love for a long time, even if you aren’t loved back. When you fall, you fall hard.

How Are You In Love?
http://www.blogthings.com/howareyouinlovequiz/

Your Seduction Style: Ideal Lover

You seduce people by tapping into their dreams and desires. And because of this sensitivity, you can be the ideal lover for anyone you seek. You are a shapeshifter - bringing romance, adventure, spirituality to relationships. It all depends on who your with, and what their vision of a perfect relationship is.

You’re an Passionate Kisser

For you, kissing is about all about following your urges If someone’s hot, you’ll go in for the kiss - end of story You can keep any relationship hot with your steamy kisses A total spark plug - your kisses are bound to get you in trouble

http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindofkisserareyouquiz/

You Are 50% Weird

Normal enough to know that you’re weird… But too damn weird to do anything about it!

Your Ideal Relationship is Casual Dating

Maybe you’re looking for love… But mostly you’re looking for fun. You could get serious with the right person. For now, though, you’re enjoying playing the field.

so true,… so true!

You Have a Choleric Temperament

You are a person of great enthusiasm - easily excited by many things. Unsatisfied by the ordinary, you are reaching for an epic, extraordinary life. You want the best. The best life. The best love. The best reputation. You posses a sharp and keen intellect. Your mind is your primary weapon. Strong willed, nothing can keep you down. Your energy can break down any wall. You’re an instantly passionate person - and this passion gives you an intoxicating power over others. At your worst, you are a narcissist. Full of yourself and even proud of your faults. Stubborn and opinionated, you know what you think is right. End of discussion. A bit of a misanthrope, you often see others as weak, ignorant, and inferior.

Quite true as well…

Your Observation Skills Get A B-

Your senses are pretty sharp (okay, most of the time) And it takes something big to distract you!

lol, I didnt think i’d do so well on this one - usually i’m away with the fairies.. probalby a few lucky guesses cos a few of the questions were american.

In a Past Life…

You Were: An Arrogant Poet. Where You Lived: Argentina. How You Died: Killed in Battle.

Far out man… thats so cool - i’d love to be an arrogant poet - hopefully i was good.

Your Seduction Style: Au Natural

You rank up there with your seduction skills, though you might not know it. That’s because you’re a natural at seduction. You don’t realize your power! The root of your natural seduction power: your innocence and optimism. You’re the type of person who happily plays around and creates a unique little world. Little do you know that your personal paradise is so appealing that it sucks people in. You find joy in everything - so is it any surprise that people find joy in you? You bring back the inner child in everyone you meet with your sincere and spontaneous ways. Your childlike (but not childish) behavior also inspires others to care for you. As a result, those who you befriend and date tend to be incredibly loyal to you.

This is nice.. not so sure if its completely true though.

Your Scholastic Strength Is Evaluating

You are great at looking at many details and putting them all together. You are talented at detecting subtle trends, accuracy, and managing change. You should major in: Statistics Speech Conflict studies Communication Finance Medicine

This is cool - at least pharmacy aint so far off.. but how much truth can u take from these online quizzes!?!?!

You Are A Sometimes Ex

You’re sometimes an ex, and sometimes you two are back together And while your ex may seem like old news right now… You’ve got to wonder why you keep getting sucked back in

This stuff cracks me up.

Your Kissing Purity Score: 26% Pure

You’re not one to kiss and tell… But word is, you kiss pretty well.

I dont think this is so accurate.

You Are Somewhat Machiavellian

You’re not going to mow over everyone to get ahead… But you’re also powerful enough to make things happen for yourself. You understand how the world works, even when it’s an ugly place. You just don’t get ugly yourself - unless you have to!

Ok.. thats all for now - I blame nick for getting me hooked onto this shit– very entertaining, but geez its early in the morning. more next time.

EVERYONE should watch Garden State - the guy from Scrubs wrote, directed and stars in it.. Zach Braff - I’d love to take you out sometime.

ok, its been aaaaaages since i’ve done this, but a few exciting things have happened in the past month so lets write about it!

First thing, I got cast in a Caltex commerical - as a cleaner! I’m gonna be on TV! maybe for like a nano-second, but even so, its gonna be screened in the asia-pacific region, which is pretty exciting. So even my HK relatives can see it. It was like doing a music vid (I guess) with green screens and actions to music. Gimme some diamonds and wind and I’ll try and replicate Britney! aha! Met some cool people on the shoot, including another Simon Lee (Identical name to bboy si) which come to think of it would be a common name, but that was interesting anyway.  It’s gonna be coming out after Feb this year 06 so keep your eyes peeled.

Xmas and New years was spent down in Napier. This was pretty average, I mean I’m mainly there to keep my parents happy, and help them out with the businesses. It was deliriously hot on some days in napier, but unlimited access to Rush Munroes Ice cream and Crepes was the best thing! I read the Times, learnt more about US politics and scientific breakthroughs, and realised that I shop in the same shops no matter what town I’m in in New Zealand. It was good seeing my bro though, familiarity with siblings is the best thing. Its sad we dont live in the same city, but hey at least I got somewhere to stay if I’m in Welly.

New years was pretty ave, probably the most tame one in recent memory. I had only 2 glasses of wine with Cat, Cory, Rods and Jules..walked up to the Parade to watch the spectacular fireworks and then went home.  Got to sleep around 1:30am. Last year, I was getting pissed on Ahuriri with old high school guy friends and throwing rocks at each other. Oh how I miss Jason - come home!

Tried out for NZ dance idol - and sadly did not make the 2nd cut… so I guess I’m not gonna win! lol.. I had a feeling I wasnt really doing what they were looking for, and was too lazy to change my audition routine so my own fault for not being prepared. They cut out a lot of good dancers though and took a whole lotta shit latin dancers (that can only do one style) when I think while i’m not so tall and graceful, I’m a lot more versatile at learning and faking other dance styles. Think the judges wanted to see more jazz than Hip Hop. They didnt appreciate shaking. hahaha… oh well, I felt pretty average there anyway.

Tried out salsa at mex cafe this weekend (friday night) and saw the most awesome display of dancing in a club! This place is so hot (temperature and otherwise), and everyone is so friendly and happy that you cant help but have a good time (even if you’re just sitting around). I didnt get asked to dance as much as Xia, but I was enjoying the scene around me, and Sylv V hooked me up with a few of her dance partners as well. Its great that guys can finally lead! so sick of guys that dont know what they’re doing on the dance floor. These Chileans are awesome, albeit a bit shady at times, I got twirled around and dipped and had happy hormones until I got tired. The place started emptying out  at that time so we called it a night.

Saturday night was another new experience - got glammed up and went out to Match lounge bar with Xia and Mandy - a place I’d been eyeing up for quite some time. Originally I thought there’d be a lot of good looking model type people there (being directly under Nova) but it turned out we’d crashed a going away party. Turned out Rowan was at the same party when I texted him where I was! Match is very very stylishly decorated, a strange but enjoyable (for me) selection of music, ranging from NERD, Jackson 5, Jurassic 5 and old school hip hop. The drinks were pricey though… $8.50 for a simple spirit? We then headed to Supper Club for a change of scene, and food! It was so good, wedges, sour cream and thai chilli sauce…mixed with our blend of strawberry cocktails (non alcoholic). The owner/manager of the bar - ED - is simply divine, armed with a friendly grin, talent for mixing beverages and exceptional service. Sadly I had work sun morning so didnt get to sample any more bars, but real keen to do a K’Rd bar crawl, not necessarily getting trashed, but at least go into every single bar, so I know what its about!

Saw King Kong - its absolutely horrifying.. I was so scared and disgusted so many times. Enjoyed it, and didnt even realised how long it was until someone told me!

gonna end it here now, starting to get sleepy. good night

hey,…. its all come to an end now… Exams are over, CUDZ concert is over. Nothing else but parttime work planned for the next 4 weeks. Isnt it surreal - I dreaded this year for so long, cos I thought it’d be shit (doing one paper) and while I didnt really accomplish anything GREAT this year and I didnt spend my free time wisely its been good overall. I’ve forgotten all the anger I had in my last post - which I’ve just reread and i realised how intense it was. I think I was just really depressed about everything - was suprised at the responses I got. Just read Krishnas post - got me thinking about the things I love and hate, how I’m critical but then at the same time not really paying attention. And how I can be so fake to some people sometimes. But in situations I deem neccessary so that it goes smoothly.

I dont feel overly creative or innovative, but desperately wish I was however i know its a waste of time wishing to be something you’re not.

While i always say "i wish…." I never really do anything about it. I wish I was going on holiday - but I never make plans. I wish I was fitter - but I make half-hearted efforts at eating healthy and exercising. I wish I was a better dancer - yet I havent really taken any classes in about a year. I wish I’d known what I wanted to do with my life before settling for pharmacy. Its not really something I love love love but then again there’s not really anything I do love love, something that I see myself doing for the rest of my life.  Should’ve been a writer. I loved writing stories in english - but then maybe I’d just write about things I thought was exciting - not actually things that ARE exciting.

Its ridiculously late considering I dont need to stay up for any reason. I’m missing TV. It broke about a week ago and  I never realised how therapeutic I find TV. At least I’m talking more to my flatmate, and I’m calling people up more. After uni all I wanna do is get out a whole bunch of videos and veg on the couch…all the videos I’ve missed in the past year and a half cos I’m too cheap to go to the movies all the time.

Went to the park today, played on the swings, the slide, the see-saw, monkey bars, noughts and crosses. All very comforting to know that playgrounds are still so readily accessible. If you havent played in a playground in the last year I highly suggest you do so, because it lets you forget about all the ‘grownup’ things in this world and for a moment just be a kid again. Same thing with playing with play-doh. I reckon if more people just went to playgrounds you’d 1. meet more people and have more friends and 2. there’d be less war cos u’d just be having heaps of (free) fun. YEs it does get boring after awhile though. But think of all the tricks you could attempt to master on the monkey bars.

I always sucked on the monkey bars, was too scared to do anything fancy. The best I could do was let go and just hang up side down - when I was little I was jealous of all the girls who could swing right round and sorta flip back onto the ground.

Just talking sh*t now, better stop before I go completely ballistic. end communication.

Well well, first blog entry. Knew I’d succumb to this one day. Friendster always comes to the rescue with study procrastination. And now its even better with blogs.. so you’re just raving on about yourself. I’m supposed to be studying. This CUDZ concert is eating me alive though - there’s so much to do, but there’s not enough love for that motivation to come through. It’s been way drier at practices this time round, we’re not even really excited for End of Daze. Sucks. Also home alone, with no one else to play with. Have done a few shameful things these past couple of days, but I wont go into it because it’s not anything I’m proud of. Wish there was another answer to life than religion, cos right now I wanna know. Feeling real sad about stuff. Everything. Feels like time is slowing down just to torture me because I have no idea what i’m doing with myself.  Thats all… needed something to blow off steam. Punching bags just make me angry cos i’m too weak to actually cause any damage…feels more satisfying to destruct something.