I'm talking to you, therefore I want to sex you: why being an extrovert sucks

Disclaimer before I start writing: I am equally as introverted as I am extroverted; quite possibly MORE so. I concede that I will happily and comfortably strike up an hour long conversation with a random on the street, but also know that I am well and truly content when in my own company and could happily spend days on end at home hiding from the world, in my own blissful game and music filled bubble. That analysis is for another post, though. All y'all need to know is that I do possess extroverted qualities, and sometimes this can get me into trouble.

So, I guess this post can apply to any 'fake extroverts', too. 

Right. As aforementioned, I love talking to people-- particularly strangers. Why is that, you ask? It is because so much more can be learnt by talking to people than reading a thousand word textbook. Might I go so far as to say, that some things cannot be learnt by simply reading them. 

Now, the issue is that people have forgotten what it is to have actual conversations with people (and for good reason too, I guess, with murderers and pedophiles etc. out in force). So, when these circumstances arise in which I find myself questioning someone on what their t-shirt slogan means, asking a sad looking person waiting alone what the matter is, or simply saying 'bless you' after some one has sneezed... People are not sure how to take this. Inevitably, people usually come to the same conclusion:

I totally want them in me. 

This is ridiculous. Absolutely bat-shit-crazy tier ridiculous. I have had countless people that I have randomly struck up a conversation with take it as a sexual advance, either that or the people with me accuse me of being 'overly flirtatious' and remind me that I have a boyfriend. WELL. DUH.

You know those places, where you order a drink and have to give your name and wait? Well, I often ask the barista how their day is going, which leads to other points of conversation. I shit you not, this one time, I ordered a bubble tea and myself and the cashier somehow got into a conversation about uni/work and how sucky it was. My friend with me at the time told me to stop flirting and just order my damn drink. She was serious.

Okay, cool. Apparently because I have a boyfriend I am not allowed to ask someone how their day has been. NOPE. PRETTY SURE I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO FLIRT!?

There's the other thing. If I see something someone is wearing that I like, or if they have particularly nice eyes, etc., I will say something. I enjoy making people feel happy, and a compliment from a stranger can be the absolute best. Well, apparently this too constitutes 'flirting'.

It's like when I'm at work. I like to go above and beyond, and genuinely ensure people end up buying something they actually want/need so that they will be HAPPY (and selfishly, to save us trouble down the track when they decide to return their shitty can-opener that broke within 5 uses). Often to make customers feel comfortable, I will ask them about their day (with genuine intrigue) or ask them about something they are wearing, carrying, etc. There's a tonne of different places conversations can start. I have had proposals, I have had stalkers, I have had people ask me on dates (which is all very flattering... Stalking is kind of flattering in an I-want-to-abduct-you-and-kill-you-slowly kind of way, right?) but yeah-- all because I am willing to simply talk to people. TALKING. It's something we all do, something we are FORCED to do in order to function in society... SO why then, has starting up a conversation turned into exposing one's ulterior motives?

I am also a person that thoroughly enjoys engaging in hugs. Hugs. Are. Not. Sexual. In. Nature. (They can be, if you add some fondling amongst other things in there ;), but on the most part they certainly aren't.) Hugs > Handshakes. I feel like there is so much less bullshit encompassed in a hug, than there is in a testosterone fuelled alpha mecha handshake to assert dominance. Ya know? Hugs are nice. Hugs are a reminder that we are all in this crazy thing together. Apparently they are also a reminder that everyone giving them wants the 'D'. 

Are we all so fucking premature that just asking someone making your coffee 'how are you?' can constitute as the prelude to some bom-chicka-wah-wah? 

It's mental. Absolutely bloody mental.

One of the worst parts for me is that it is totally instinctual to just ask people these things, and engage in common courtesy. I for one like knowledge, and like broadening my horizons. I guess it is not people's fault for just assuming that I want to screw everyone left, right and centre as that is how they are conditioned to be... I just think it is crazy, that's all. It's crazy because there are (although not the majority) a lot of us 'extroverts' out there who do enjoy engaging in conversation and actually interacting with the people around us in more than menial ways. People locked down by their partners, told not to speak to people of the opposite sex, told to be less flirtatious with that waiter, and told that hugs are inappropriate (remember that 'Christian-side-hug thing???). 

Grow. Some. Fucking. Common. Sense.

Although it doesn't particularly affect me in any way because I don't give two shits (although it does make me more cautious as to ensure I reiterate the intended meaning of my gestures/actions to my friends, etc.) I'm sure other people would be super disheartened by this. Talking to people, hugging people, and complimenting people is not a crime and we definitely shouldn't be shamed for it. 

Music Euphoria (The CLosest I've Ever Come to Being High pt.2)

Hi internet.

You know what? Out of all of the euphoric occurrences in my short life thus far, none have even come close to comparing to that of live music.The feeling, of the curtain dropping, band members running out, the energy levels in the room rising-- it's intoxicating. There's something about good music, and the talented individuals behind it that electrifies me so.

Big acts and small, alike.

I'm serious here. Look, I'll level with you. As you would have discovered in my last post, I've never been 'high' per se, so I cannot compare what I am about to describe to that of being well and truly stoned, but I have definitely had what I would describe as 'heightened experiences' (which, I would like to share and record). They come about in different ways but... This one just so happened to be musically induced.

One day I was sitting in my room, going about my 30th or so hour without sleep (law school will do that to you, sadly) when a song came on. I cannot for the life of me remember what it was. I do, however, remember that it was up there with the most glorious things I have ever experienced. I could physically feel my troubles, my worries, even my self(?) all melt away. It was so odd, now that I think about it. For a minute or so, I actually lost all inhibition, all sense of what anything was, and just... existed with this harrowing tranquility wrapped around me like a blanket. At the same time, though, I felt like I knew everything. And that everything finally made sense.

I like to call this state 'Music Nirvana' or 'Music Euphoria'. (Wouldn't it be ironic if it was Nirvana that I was listening to at the time? Unfortunately I will never know, for it was like a switch was flicked in my brain and everything was just... Oh, I don't even know. Difficult to describe, really.) When I 'came back', I was ridiculously relaxed, and worked with productivity I had never known! Strange yet wonderful. (Though most 'strange' things are, or at least have the propensity to be, wonderful.)

I do experience less intense versions of this occurrence from time to time, but this one big burst of musical profoundness has probably only happened about two or three times.. Has anyone else ever felt like this? Perhaps I did not have enough oxygen going to my brain, almost passed out, or something else along those lines. Or maybe I was just incredibly in touch and in sync with myself. Which is cool. Maybe I accidentally managed to achieve a heightened level of meditation without trying. Who knows. Not me!

Anyway, I just thought I would record this to ponder upon later and add to.  Have a most marvelous day, humans.

:) xoxo

The closest to being high I've ever gotten

Today I am wearing a polar bear jumper and tights with polka dots all over them.

hsdoghoHGOHsdgh <3

Oh, and I just thought you’d all like to know: Today will be a good day.

My morning started off with a trip to an unexplored coffee shop in Elizabeth Arcade for my morning chai and banana bread. Naturally, I ended up reading the paper (‘The Australian’). Two minutes in, I instantly regretted this decision—so what did I do? I kept on reading, obviously.

A/N: I have given up reading newspapers for the past few weeks, because the pages spewing with biased shit tend to leave me in a rather… ‘unsettled mood’. (In other words, after merely reading the headlines I am usually ready to punch someone in the face.)

Anyway, today I decided to take a chance, and was unsurprisingly left angrier than ever. When, oh when, will this silly girl learn? I was huffing, shaking my head, and not particularly quietly ‘mouthing’ ‘WHAT!’ under my breath. I noticed not until I came up for air that there was a business looking dude watching me on the other side of the room with a rather bemused expression on his face— I am 90% sure he was trying to hide his laughter, but perhaps he was just stifling a cough. I’m glad at least my anger produced positive side effects for someone!

I will not dwell upon the details of what I read, for I fear this will just turn into a rant, which NOBODY wants. ON WITH THE STORY!

I eventually left the quaint little store, with steam coming from both the chai in hand, AND my ears. My relaxing morning had definitely not worked out as I had wanted it to.

And then the strangest thing happened.

I felt this incredible sense of calm. I suddenly felt as if I was the only person on earth. It was as if I was aware of every little thing, yet totally oblivious at the same time. Every breath I was taking, every hair on my body became apparent. And then suddenly, people! There were people everywhere! I mean, so many people! Thousands of people—MILLIONS OF PEOPLE! Perhaps I was having a panic attack, but it felt totally wonderful.

At this stage I was in the middle of the street, staring off into space. The ‘walk’ light had turned green, and I was stood there stationary, people dodging me as they crossed the road. Some looked very concerned. ‘I’m okay!’, I announced to the world. ‘I’m okay!’ My spaced out expression turned into a smile. My smile became a grin.

And then came the laughter.

I laughed. And laughed. And laughed. And laughed.

And.

Laughed.

I’m sure everyone thought I was high as a kite, but I promise I was not. For those couple of minutes, I felt the most alive I have felt in months. Everything… Was magic. I could smell things I never had, hear things I would not have picked up on. I swear I could feel the very earth moving under my feet.

You guys understand what I’m getting at. I was very, very… alive. I won’t bore you with the rest of the details of this story, but I did end up having a wonderfully uplifting conversation with ‘Greg’, the homeless guy with a pink beard that sells the 'Big Issue'. I manically asked a woman for the time, and sang as I strolled along George street.

I’m back to my usual, cynical, optimistic-pessimist self now.

But wow. What a strange and wonderful experience.

People are so weird.

I trust Abbott's word more than Rudd's!

Firstly, never ever underestimate the stupidity and callousness of dudes in suits with more power than the average person.

Secondly, a parties 'stated policies' mean shit all.

This is going to be shocking coming from me, but in my opinion Abbott is about fifty times more trustworthy than Rudd. I feel like I should wash my mouth out with soap, being ridiculously anti-Abbott in about 95% of respects, but the current political developments have left me shaking with anger and disgust.

And, before I get a barrage of hate and 'but you hate Tony Abbot!''s, let me explain myself.

At the very least, Tony Abbott has held himself out to be a wanker from the start. He never pretended to be a humanitarian, he never pretended to care about the minorities, and he never held himself out to be something he was not. I do not AGREE with most of the things that come out of his mouth, but at least he is TRUE to what he is saying. (albeit that stuff being horrible)

Kevin, on the other hand is what I like to call a 'political chameleon'. He is a man that of course has his own morals and beliefs... But none of that comes through in his leadership. He has cut the carbon tax, and implemented an asylum seeker scheme worse than John Howard's!... The actual nature of the schemes angers me, but that is not why I am so angry. I am pissed off because he is a man that is willing to abandon not only his party's morals, but HIS morals, as well as his party's objectives, and his party's proposals just for a few votes. There is a right way and a wrong way to collect votes, and giving up on everything many members of your party believe in, as well as shedding your own identity, is not the way to go about it.

Who IS Kevin Rudd? Does anyone REALLY KNOW!? 

For quite some time now, the ALP and the LNP have been slowly edging towards becoming the same party. And now, they have. Reflective of this is the fact that all Abbott can say to Labor's proposed policies and schemes is '... Well yes, we agree with their policies, but we will implement them better,'.
Let's be frank: The Australian Labor Party is, well, a joke. And has been, ever since Paul Keating left.

The Liberal party might be home to some half-witted ideas, but at least all of its members work together and SUPPORT each other-- something that indicates stability, and something reflective of what the textbook definition of  political opposition should be.

The ALP, on the other hand, has let us down time and time again this year. And now, K Rudd has really hammered the final nail into the coffin with his policies on asylum seekers and this horrendous add that sprung up sometime last week:

Wow.


In summary:

We have a man with abhorrent, terrible policies, but at least he sticks to his guns AND his morals, and is proud to be himself. On the other hand, we have an untrustworthy guy that only cares about votes, and has NO morals of his own.

Tough decision, Australia.

Screw this, I'm voting Greens this year.

MALE PENGUINS ARE BADASS

More often than not, we lose our faith in humanity because we are constantly surrounded by humans and only get to observe their interactions. We often forget about other animals, and how beautifully redeeming their patterns and mannerisms are.

Today, I'd like to focus on penguins; more particularly how little baby penguins come into the world. Male penguins are amazing. I mean, completely and utterly amazing. THEY'RE SO DEDICATED!  Now don't get me wrong, I mean, when giving birth the actual baby penguin POPS OUT OF THE MUMMA PENGUIN'S VAGINA (that still trips me out, I was formed in my mumma's stomach... I cannot get my head around that)

Little penguin: Yo man, I feel your pain. I totally came out of an egg, too!

... And yes, the miracle of birth is cool and all, but WHOA THE MALE'S ROLE IS SO HEART-WARMING. And here is why:


The penguin egg-cycle, told by Rica:


HELLO BABY PENGUIN EGG, WELCOME TO THE WORLD!
So, after the penguins mate, the mummy penguin lays their eggs on the ice before Winter... And then shit gets real. The mumma penguins abandon the daddy penguin and the egg for the following two-four months or so to go get super fat so that she has enough energy to start the process all over again. Then DADDY penguin is stuck with his little, fragile egg STORED BETWEEN HIS FEET IN -40 DEGREE (CELSIUS) WEATHER FOR THIS TIME.

If that, is not a display of TOTAL AND UTTER NATURAL BAD-ASSERY then I sure as hell don't know what is.


WINTER IS COMING
This is where the famous "penguin huddle" comes into play. All of the male penguins in the colony huddle together to face the icy weather and winds (with their little babies-to-be still nestled carefully down in-between their feet). As the daddy penguins on the outside of the group get cold, the whole row will move down wind til they are at the bottom of the group. This way, they are guaranteed a spot in the middle... Which can get SUPER toasty-- all the way up to 24 degrees!

This is freakin' beautiful... But I can imagine the daddy penguins would not be happy. During these four months, THEY DO NOT EAT AT ALL, AND PURELY SUBSIST ON THEIR ALREADY OBTAINED FAT STORES. Imagine how they would feel when the mumma penguins rock up months later just like, 'Mmm, food. Me gusta.' You'd think the dad would be like '>:(', but no. They accept their duty, like TRUE BADASSES, and get on with it.


DADDY DAYCARE
In the day time, while they are waiting for the mummy to come back (this is my favourite bit) they form little penguin DAY CARES with groups of baby penguins for ease :') And oh my god, they then formulate a milk-like substance in the back of their throat, and feed their baby penguins while they wait for their mummy to come back!




SINGING PENGUINS
FINALLY, the mummy penguin returns. Now, there are HUNDREDS of penguins in one colony (for defense purposes amongst other things). How the hell does the mummy FIND her family?
...
...
...
...
Through song.

IT'S LIKE FREAKING HAPPY FEET. Each penguin family has its own unique song it sings to find each other in a crowd of seemingly identical penguins :') That's where the hollywood-esque scene ends, though. I can imagine the reunion: the daddy penguin, half its original size, battered, and pissed off. The mummy penguins, fat, happy, and penguin-like. Oh, what a sight! The daddy penguin then gets to go out for a few days (their life isn't as awesome as the months of debauchery afforded to the mumma penguins), indulge, then jump straight back in to being a full-time dad and babysitter; the mummy and daddy taking turns going out to forage for baby food.


AND, A DEPRESSING REALITY

Do you feel all happy inside? Well... I am about to put a slight dampener on that! (I apologise, I just really cannot help myself) THOUSANDS of penguins during this huddling process are killed each year through literally FREEZING to death because of the unnatural amounts of winter rain that occur due to global warming... caused by US. HUMANS. AHHHHHH. So... When the mumma penguin comes back, super duper excited that she is going to find her family, she sings, and sings, and sings... And the song is never reciprocated. A lone tune.

And that kids, is why global warming is bad. Respect your environment, unless you want to be a penguin murderer.


And also why penguins make me so freaking happy. Ahhh. <3

It Really Shits Me: Politics make me SICK

Hello, and welcome to the second post in Rica's 'It Really Shits Me' series.

Today's topic: politics-- a most powerful word... Powerful in that it makes people fall asleep at the speed of light! But hell, I don't blame 'em. The same old droning, lying voices going on and on promising shit they will NEVER keep. Hardly worth a bloody listen, I feel you guys!


 But... Today's post goes deeper than that.





Say WUT.



Yes, the crux of what is shitting me runs deeper than this. This incident, in relation to politics, affects each and every one of the people reading this. Our fundamental rights as humans in a functioning (arguably) society. Just recently, there was a boy, eighteen years of age, a self proclaimed rapper, who is being held WITHOUT BAIL for three months on communicating a terrorist threat for posting a facebook status with lyrics labelling the white house as a "federal house of horros" or something along those lines (don't quote me, I'm not sure). The reason it was treated so seriously was because he posted it in conjunction with the recent Boston Bombings.

I recently read an article or two on the matter, and this is what is alleged:

1. There was no actual threat in the facebook status
2. In context, the lyrics were nothing more than a metaphore
3. They searched his apartment, there was no bomb making materials, and nothing indicating he was going to do any violence to any one, or any group of people

Now, my source for this was the internet, so I'm not entirely sure how true the whole shenanigan is, and I would like to know what the post said specifically. HOWEVER...  It's saying something if I can honestly say I COULD believe this to be true. AND, if this does pan out to be true, to me it just looks like a case of the Government getting butthurt that some eighteen year old kid was brave enough to post his true feeling (and probably the truth) on Facebook. It sickens me. And quite frankly, HOW DARE THEY. I know the incident took place in America, but Australia ain't so far away from its counterpart. What the hell kind of society do we live in, in which we cannot even criticise our own Government, or give our OPINION without being CARTED OFF TO JAIL. Or frowned upon. Or SHUNNED (shun the non-believer... shuuuuuuun (YEAH UNICORN POLITICS WOOOO).


Without feedback (albeit harsh), the Government will continue to rot. Silencing us is NOT an option. This incident is reflective of the current legislature's steps forward towards a fucking dictatorship. {The people elect the Government. The Government serves the people.} That's the theory, right? WELL HOW ABOUT THE HIGHER UPS PUT THAT INTO PRACTICE. 

I'm sorry to young liberals and young labor party-ers, that get butthurt by this, but let's be honest: the current government is that shit your dog just did under that bush in the garden he likes so much... Oh look, he's walking over to it and eating it again... And, is it... YES! He's puking it up again!

 Really, there is not much choice. I don't know how these clowns become politicians. 

I think we should strap lie-detectors to their faces every time they face the public. Or shove a goblet of veritaserum down their gobs, that'll fix it right up.

And what about these new privacy laws and censorship laws? Ohai 1984! I'm sure those guys up in Parliament would LOVE to slap a camera in all of our houses and have 24/7 access to everything we are doing... Look, I'm deadly serious when I say we live in a century of corruption, censorship, capitalism and above all, BULLSHIT. It depresses me that the first year I get to vote for our prime minister, the two main candidates are akin to that of a trained monkeys.



Even more dangerous are those that blindly follow a particular person/party without second guessing what they even stand for. Like a brain-dead, zombified sheep... Bahhhh. I'm sick of the fakes. I'm sick of broken promises. I'm sick of this mediocre half-wit antic bullshit we as citizens have to put up with while the pollies chill in their nice houses and laugh at us all.

No. Just no.

Stop segrogating us. Stop taking away our rights. Stop treating us like shit. And KEEP YOUR DAMN WORD.

'Screw you guys, I hate highschool!'

Well, I realise since I first kicked this party off that I haven't even posted once! That's okay, though... It is in my times of immense procrastination that I guarantee you will see signs of life (such as right now).

So, I guess this is going to be a ranty-mc-rant-rant. Look, I don't know what to say except for FUUUUUUUUUUUUU- EDUCATION IN GENERAL

Yessir.

Having been at this 'law degree' thing for almost a year and a half, I've met some very interesting people (a mere handful of which that are actually doing the damn degree, those that ARE actually studying law are usually the diametric opposite). And I can't help but wonder, why are you here? What influenced YOU so greatly to tick that little box on the QTAC form directing you towards THIS.

Sometimes people say they have always wanted to do whatever it is they are doing. Sometimes people's parents have made them. Sometimes people's parents have inadvertently hammered it into their children's brains that THIS is what they SHOULD in fact, be doing! Mum and dad are always right... Right? The way I see it (this sounds bad) one day, Mum and Dad will die. Then what????

I guess what I'm trying to say is I just cannot fathom a 12 year old waking up and saying 'I WANT TO BE A LAWYER' or 'I WANT TO BE AN ECONOMIST'. Wholly shit, LITTLE TWELVE YEAR OLD KID, GET OUT WHILE YOU STILL CAN!!!

I'm by no-means saying that people should not study law, C.I., business, or any other discipline. Nor am I saying that following your parents' advice is going to be a bad thing. It's just that realistically, kids have no idea what they are getting into! It is horrendously unfair that by the age of FIFTEEN-SIXTEEN, schools are already trying to pressure kids into choosing electives to 'shape their career pathway'. It's bullshit. When I was fifteen, I was still wearing a Naruto headband and learning j-pop dances. (Oh wait, I'm 19 and I still do that. Awkward.) Grade 7 is now HIGH SCHOOL, right? Or it is implemented in two years or something... DAFUQ WERE YOU THINKING, GOVERNMENT. In a generic kid's first year at high school, they are freaked out enough about trying to fit in (just not me... I was happy listening to Black Sabbath and watching Lizzie McGuire. I don't even know, leave me alone, okay). That first year of high school shapes you so much, and you GROW UP so much! To thrust onto kids (ELEVEN YEAR OLDS) all of these adult responsibilities, and ideas... BULLLSHIIIIT. It is all interlinked.

They are making consumers out of children younger, as well. Every five year old has to have a fucking iPad, a laptop, a PHONE. ALL OF THESE TOTALLY UNNATURAL THINGS. Look at the designer fucking clothes made especially for under 12 year olds. Oh my goodness, go play in the sand pit and make mud pies and rip holes in your shirts whilst playing tiggy or something. The age kids are losing their virginity? Probably the age I was concerned about losing Pokemon battles (Oh wait, I still worry about that... God damn it, I am not a good example). Look at the rates of depression that have sky rocketed in the past ten years. Is that any surprise? Well, not to me (but then again depression is natural, and again, I will endeavor to write about this also). 

Look, if you couldn't tell, it just totally shits me. Can we not let kids be kids, and let them make up their own minds about things?

This rant could go on forever. I could talk about the impact of said things, and how it is forcing people to have unrealistic expectations of themselves. The fact that people feel obliged to live life in this approved little cycle that is the social norm-- go to school, go to uni, get a job, get married, have kids, retire, die. I could talk about how what people are studying shape the way that they feel obliged to Act. I could talk about so many things that are the result of the bullshit expectations put on us all...

But I'll save that for another day. ;)