Moments

It feels like the last 24hrs have been quite interesting in a bunch of ways. Yesterday I went to the Northcote Library, and then the Fairfield one to track down a book about infinity by David Foster Wallace. The afternoon was very warm, and I stayed inside, read, and cut pretty shapes in paper. I went for a walk down High St and looked in some fancy boutiques. I saw a girl I work with, and the girl who cut my hair - real community feeling.
In the evening I cycled in to town and explored the old Carlton Brewery. It was pretty cool, and I watched the sunset from the roof. I walked around town for a few hours, up and down laneways, and had some dinner. Town was busy, the air was warm. I walked up a dark, intriguing stairway, only to set off a deafening alarm. -10 Ninja Points. I walked back to my bike calmly and headed home.
At home, Mr Cat caught a baby mouse. My flatmate Tangle grabbed the cat, and I held the mouse. It looked okay, but must've been in shock as it gasped half a dozen times, and then was still. Watching a baby mouse die in your hands is so surreal, and achingly affecting.
Today I rode in to town with the expressed aim of winning a bike from a mobile phone company. They were doing a scavenger hunt. I checked the net at the State Library, read the clue and figured it was only a few blocks away. I jogged over, found the bike (and company reps) down an alley, and won a bike! Neato. I rode up to Fitzroy and met Netta for lunch ($4 pizza!). We talked and walked around, it was really great. Later on, I met Annie for an early dinner (tacos!). It was really nice spending time with some of my favourite people. I rode home, and went to work

The last few days

I'm in my last week of uni, ever. I'm very close to finishing a Bachelor of Science in Biological Science, and I don't have any plans at the moment to do any post-grad work. I think I shall write more about uni another time; for now, here are a few things I've done lately.
-The other day, cycling to uni, Kim caught up to me on her bike. We cycled the rest of the way, then I bumped in to her as she was leaving, and her, Eamonn and I cycled home. It was a perfect day for a bike ride, and Kim and I used our bells, which just seems like the most cheerful, spring-like sound ever (Eamonn has no bell, but squeaky brakes).
-Gina and I have been meeting up at uni. It's been nice spending time together, but more specifically, we've been partaking in Don't Forget to Write - writing letters to strangers in the library at uni. I've received some interesting ones, and I think I may just start writing to strangers in the phone book.
-Hannah, Eamonn, T'nealle, Jono, Melinda and I went and saw Spirited Away at the Academy Cinema in the Arts Centre. It was a free screening as part of the Japanese Film Festival, and was much better than I remember.
-Eamonn, Melinda and I watched Donnie Darko. It was about as good as I remember.
-I made a large pasting which will probably go up tonight. Out of newspaper, I also made a few pictures of little tufts of grass, and flowers, which I pasted around the bottoms of power poles etc near my house. A man walked by and said 'you're doing a great job'.

Things I Love Friday - my bike, Sally

The bike I ride was given to me by my granddad. I'm not sure where he got it from, but it's a Legnano, an Italian brand, and it's pretty awesome. Given how awesome it is, I was pretty stupid to repaint it white (before I learnt of its heritage). I dubbed the bike Sally - you can read of our biggest adventure here.
For the last wee while, Sally had been left a little deflated, as it were. I was using my flatmate Melinda's bike, but finally got around to patching a puncture, and I've fallen in love with Sally all over again. She and I zip along like a rocket

Titles

When I was cycling to uni this morning, there was a man walking his two sons to school. He was walking with a bike, and was wearing a high-visibility jacket. On the back, it said 'driver' 'cyclist' 'person!' As I passed him, I said, 'I like your jacket', and he smiled and thanked me. It got me thinking about social roles, how we change, but also how easy it is to label people, based on a glimpse of their actions.
As a 'cyclist', I've felt the anger of motorists; conversely I've been angry at how stupid 'motorists' can be. Of course, we're all just people, but things seem to change once someone's in a car, or on a bike. It feels harder to reach out and make a connection to the other person you're interacting with.
As I cycled home, I crossed a bridge over the Avon in Hagley Park. There was a family of four playing 'poohsticks', and it made me immensely happy.

Tears

The temperature in Christchurch has become chilly enough that when I cycle around, the cold air makes my eyes water. My right eye notices it the most, and I feel it well up, and a single tear emerges, and slides down my cheek.
I leave it, let it trace its path down my face, and cool and try in the cold air. All that is left is a dry, salty rivulet.

Snapshots

Last night, I made a card for my friend Alana. Tomorrow is her birthday, the cover said simply, 'yours is a melodious life', with a clipping of sheet music beneath it. She often amazes me - she makes the world a more amazing place.

I told her about something I was considering doing, and she asked me what it meant. I didn't know. I don't know. "Look after this," she said, touching my chest, "because it's so precious."

I also had Drive today. The show went well, but I was quite hungry. Eamonn showed up, and bought me dinner. It was nice spending time with him. He is such a great friend, and one day I know he'll realise that. He suggested I play 'Needle in the Hay' by Elliott Smith, which is one of my favourite songs. It was perfect, and went with a nice string of sad songs. A listener text in to ask if I was okay, noting that they were good, but sad songs. He wished me a good evening. It made me feel happy.

I cycled home, and leaves were blowing everywhere. I went through Hagley Park, and stopped to look at the moon, flirting behind drifting clouds. The cars travelling on Harper Ave sounded like waves on the shore.

At the last set of lights before my house, I stopped behind a lady on her bike, and told her that her rear light was hard to see. She seemed really pleased that I'd told her.

South Shore

Today, the weather was beautiful. It was nice and warm, and I'd planned to go for a bike ride. My destination was 'The Spit' at South Shore, my absolute most favouritest place in Christchurch.

I cycled along Avonside Drive most of the way, trying to keep my attention on the road, rather than the river. It was the first time I been 'on a bike ride' for a long time, instead of simply commuting. I'd forgotten my keys, so I brought my bike Sally through the sand dunes and on to the beach.

As soon as I arrived, I was struck by how much I love the place. It feels like a world away from Chch. It was slightly overcast, gulls flew in the air, seaweed and driftwood covered the beach. The lowering tide had left patterns of impossible detail in the sand.

On a busy day, you can look across the water to Sumner beach, and see thousands of people, and yet hear nothing, nor be surrounded by anyone.

In the sand I wrote 'never stop' with a piece of wood.

Exams, done

"I have never read your blog" - Netta
Thanks Netta, there's a wee bit to read, so feel free to take a look and leave your thoughts in the Comment section.

So, exams are over. I'm pretty pleased. For the most part they went well. One of the best, most miraculous things during the whole exam time was that I got ZERO punctures! That's 6km, each way, about 25 trips. Amazing! The cycle fairies were watching over me, especially after they seemingly turned their backs on me when I got three punctures in the two weeks before the exam period.

I've been enjoying the time to chill, and spending lots of time with Beth. I'll write another post about what I've been doing.