The plane flight was surprisingly smooth. Thank the world for in-flight headsets - I don't know how I'd cope without it.
"youuuuu're listening to radio QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ"
flying over snowy mountains
I had extended family staying over at the house. It was my dad's cousins - Meaghan and Scott, Scott's wife - Tik, his son - William (who called him self Billy) and my Great Aunty Gloria (dad's mum's younger sister)
They took up all the rooms in the house, so I slept in my old bedroom ... which is now a study. I slept on this old Chinese bed that my mum and dad brought back from China. It's made of bamboo and some really solid wood. The bed was super firm, mum had put a thin mattress on the top and put three layers of blankets over that so I wouldn't freeze at night. I slept so well each night - probably because of all the weight on me.
Seeing extended family was really nice. I hadn't seen them in around 7 years, so I had changed a lot, and Billy was only 1 last time I saw him. I was pretty confused when I first saw them though. I didn't know who was who (despite Aunty Meaghan and Great Aunty Gloria)
I liked listening to Gloria talk about the earth and how it is important to feel connected to nature. She told me stories of how she used to live in a caravan, how Scott got bitten by a funnel web spider when he was 8 and other things.
Billy was a pretty adorable kid.
Scott would ask me to teach him some piano and I'd ask Billy, "Hey hey want to play some piano with meee?" and he'd be shy but happily sit on the seat beside me and copy what I played.
He's half Thai and half Australian. His dad used to be a dentist, but I think grew tired of the job so he went and got a PHD in Thai and went to work in Thailand where he met Tik. I was listening to them speak and it was really amazing.
Saturday, when I arrived, I went to Yum Cha with them all and also took a drive around Canberra to take a look. After all that I took a long nap (I took a an 8:30 flight, so had to wake up at 6 to get there on time and i was exhausted)
Abbey came over when I woke up to help me get ready for Liz's party. It was a casual/formal dress, so I wanted her to do my make up for me (cus I'm really very bad at it cus I hardly use it) She was super keen to help out, and it was just really great to be able to talk to her one-on-one during such a short visit. While she was doing my make up, I was moving a lot and I kept saying, "I THINK THAT'S TOO MUCH... eeee" and she'd reply, "YOU LOOK GREAT, OK? SHUSH." we were laughing a lot at how uncomfortable I felt and she said, " ... It's like I'm painting a canvas... but the canvas is a retard!!" Hahah, this girl.
Liz's celebration was quite nice. It was sometimes quite awkward for me to make conversation with people that I went to high school with.. but hadn't seen in ages. At times I felt like I couldn't be bothered to make an effort and talk about very general things that had been "going on" in my life. However, I did enjoy seeing some people. I liked talking to Liz's sister, Alex, who had done a lot of the arrangement for the party. She's one of the people that I feel quite comfortable listening to and just talking about life and more meaningful things with. It was lovely to see Liz so happy : ) and I am glad to have made the night. There was a photo album filled with photos of Liz... I took a photo of one because IT WAS SO CUTE.
adorable lizbeth!!!! heehee eating a calipo!
Abbey drove me back home and we talked a lot about what's been happening in each other's lives. I think I've already mentioned before how much I love my friendship with Abbey. Last time I left Canberra I was a bit concerned about her, but after talking to her so much that night. I feel so much more at peace with everything that's happening in her life. I almost feel silly for even worrying at all.
I think that I want to be a bit more like Abbey and not over think things so much. As Abbey says, "Izzy, you like to mull over things until it grows inside of you and you want to die." Hahaha sigh it is a quite true. And she is so right that I need to not let myself over think things.
I miss having her around. I'm thankful that she always makes time to see me when I visit, especially because she is so busy all the time with work and dance.
Sunday, I decided to go do some archery. I had wanted to do it last time I was in Canberra but they were closed for renovation. Mum drove me there and I looked out of the window at who was attending the class. It was full of guys or little kids and I was filled with a sudden urge to run away. I said out loud, in hesitation, " errrr..... I don't want to do it anymore... It's going to be awkward... I'm going to be by myself... Ahh I do this to myself all the time. I never think about what I'm getting myself into!!" A part of me was actually tempted to run away. But, over the years, I've been learning to push that part of me away and just be like, "OK IM DOING IT." so that is what I did. I pushed the worrying part of me out of my head, jumped out of the car and got my bow and arrows and met a whole bunch of new people.
shadow makes me feel like a warrior
It's been a really long time since I've done archery. I had a super fun time shooting the targets. I hit my arm a few times with the string... and now i've got these bruises and scratches up my right arm. It was worth it though.
I met these three guys who had studied or were still studying Graphic Design, Architecture and animation. It was pretty interesting talking to them. One of the guy's girlfriend was a sign writer and i was like THAT IS SO COOOOOL! (after having met sign writers at the start of the year) It was funny when they first started talking to me. I was shooting the target and I hear this "so have you done this before?" and I was facing the target so the guy was just literally talking to my back and i turned around in confusion and was like, "... me?"
They asked me what I was studying and one of the guys said, before I spoke, "You look like an ANU girl! Are you?" Do ANU girls look a particular way?? ahahah my gosh. I told them i was in Melbourne doing Interior design and how it's like a mix of architecture and art and we learn a broad range of things, and the graphic design guy nudged the architecture guy and was like, "hey! you guys are made for each other" and i was like ... ... ... ba haha this is weird for me. Please don't pair me up in your head.
It was really good though. I also talked to this lady who was looking after her little girl. It was really chill and just good to reconnect with archery. I'm happy that I did it.
The weather in Canberra was perfect again.
shadows on my garage
I spent Sunday at the market with my family and extended family. I ran into Charlene who used to teach Taekwondo in my high school. It was so good to see her, she seemed really well.
I bought some dried strawberries and they were sooooooooooooo tastyyyyyyyyy.
we took family photos in the backyard, Billy brought his toy owls with him. His favourite animal (like me!!)
I went to dinner with Elaine at my favourite Laksa place. It was pretty hilarious, I was texting Elaine telling her that I was about to make a booking and she texted back, "you already did the booking!" and I was like "Nooo I haven't!" so I called up and said, "Hiiii I want to book for two at 7pm!" and the guy replied, "Under what name?" and I said, "Izzyyyy" and he paused and said, "Hmm you've already made a booking." and I paused for along time, every so often making the noises, "uh.." "ummmm" in confusion and replied, "whaaa..... wait.. umm.. really?" (during this phase I was thinking "MAN MY SHORT TERM MEMORY IS SHIT omg im so old) and then it clicked that Elaine must have booked under my name SNEEKY SNEEKY. The guy laughed at me.
Dinner was super yum. I got this half bowl of laksa with extra tofu and elaine got a full bowl and I was thinking, "you will regret getting a massive bowl" and towards the end of dinner she was moaning and saying, "iiiiiii ammmmm sooo fullllll aarggh why did i get that!"
She said how she gets stressed when it comes to parties and went onto saying, "You , on the other hand, have had enough parties to not get stressed. I've seen so much improvement over the years... I mean... You used to MARK THE ROLE."
I laughed so hard. I can't believe I used to do that hahahaha.
Sister was really great and dropped me off and picked me up.
I went back home and talked to mum, dad, Scott and watched Billy as he pretended to die in the corner. I picked billy up (Which I almost regretted straight away because he wasn't as light as I thought he would be) and held him in my arms and fell to my knees and said, "Nooooooooooooo Billy's deaddddd!" and the parent's continued to watch TV. Hah.
I am too tired to write much more. Oh ... I also I went bike riding and that was happyyyy!
Oh, I also ran into my neighbours. I rode past them and they hardly noticed me until i stopped and took off my classes and said, "hey! I live down the road remember!" They seemed to have aged a lot. It has only been 5 or so years since I've seen them... and that really freaked me out. Aging actually scares me to some point. I felt sad after I saw them, I don't know why.
This morning I had a super early breakfast with my lovely sister at Beess and Co just down the road from my house. I rode my bike there and didn't consider how freezing it was in the morning (it was -1) and even though the shops were literally a block from my house, my face and hands froze over. IT WAS BAD.
After breakfast I dropped by the bakery and saw Darcy cus I thought it wouldn't have been right if I didn't see him before I left. He was literally COVERED in flour. It was hilarious. He had it in his hair. Heehee. I was thinking how crazy cold it would have been for him to ride to work so early in the morning. It was good to see himmm.
It was a really great weekend seeing everybody, meeting new people, bike riding, archery and surviving plane trips.
Nighty.
X
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