Things have happened...

Like the title suggests, things have happened since I last posted. Don’t worry; they aren’t bad things – for the most part anyway…

First thing I want to talk about is my older sister and her family coming to visit, that was actually a lot of fun (despite me being really sick that week). Chanel (my older sister), Tobias (my nephew), and Saskia (my niece) had arrived in Hamilton on the Friday morning, but because I had class that afternoon – I visited them that evening. The thing you should know about me and my family is that I am incredibly awkward around them, and I rarely talk around them. I think it might be because I am the youngest of five, and my siblings are a lot older than I am (there’s a 20 year age gap between the oldest child and myself).

Anyway, I greeted Chanel and our family friends like I usually do, and it felt somewhat different. I mean I felt different. I didn’t feel intimidated by her anymore, maybe because she was seeing me in a different place, and she could sense my newfound confidence in myself. Whatever it was, it felt nice. I talked to my sister and our friends about a range of subjects and I felt normal and a little bit intelligent. I even had a few drinks with them too (I didn’t get too drunk as I was still sick), and I saw my sister in a totally new way. I hung out with my niece and nephew for a whole night as well, just watching old kid’s programmes on TV. I told them that I used to watch the programmes they were watching, and they had a good laugh about it. All in all, it was a great night spent with some of my family. I miss them terribly, but it doesn’t hurt so much to be away from them anymore.

(Chanel and I, November 2012, Mount Maunganui)

Something else that has happened since I last posted, I got my first Advertising Workshop assignment done. I had to find a 30 second TV advertisement and put it into a storyboard format (this is a series of pictures given to producers to see what the actors will look like in certain scenes), then explain how the ad is effective. I have to hand it in tomorrow, and I’m kind of nervous about it as I know that my drawings aren’t fantastic… I hope that I pass though.

The rest of my classes aren't too bad, I’m enjoying them and the tutors are great in their own strange way. I also have a class with Hannah (I mentioned her in another post) which is proving to be a fantastic thing. We have been in a class together before, but this time it’s totally different. I see her in a totally new way, she’s so focussed and determined and honestly, it’s a refreshing change. I also have classes with a few more of my friends and it’s a great way to combine work and play haha!!

I honestly have the most amazing friends! We understand each other’s hopes and dreams, we don’t mock or exclude each other, and we’re probably the craziest people around. I’m actually really thankful that I have such a great group of people I can turn to at any time, and I hope we all stick together for a long time yet.

(Hannah and I, Graduation 2012, Mount Maunganui)

(From left: Aletia, me, Nicole, and Megan. July 2014, Hamilton)

One more thing I shall mention is SPARK week. Basically it’s a week long festival that Wintec holds every year, and they invite a whole bunch of guest speakers along to speak and host workshops. I view it as a week without classes, but the trade-off is that you go to some of these workshops and lectures instead of classes. I think that’s fair, as some of the speakers this year sound really interesting. I’m especially looking forward to this year’s Grad Panel (a panel of Wintec graduates that have made it big in different parts of the Media industry), and there’s also a Tā Moko (traditional Māori tattooing) gallery viewing during that week too. Overall, I think it will be a great week and I can’t wait to see what’s in store.

Until next time, stay tuned!
Tessa