Tomorrow is ANZAC Day. I've been to two Dawn Services since I finished High School, neither in Australia. Tomorrow, I'm not going to a Dawn Service. However, I am going to walk the final 30km of the Kokoda Challenge Course (and then another 10km back to the car), so I'm pretty sure that the ANZACs will be on my mind. Preparations have been sort of winding up for the last few days; prior to writing this I've been reading my Red Cross Manual about Snake Bites, as Ant mentioned today that in one of the sections there's a snake warning and gaiters are advised(!) Kick-off will be just before 8am, and we're expected to be back in Brissy around 5.30pm.

Which will be just in time to re-claim the Beer Pong crown! <>

Also this week, I've really delved into some more painting. I finished the only piece I've spent more than an hour on yesterday. I re-drew/painted it from a photo I took a couple of years ago; the whole 'panels'/'double canvas' was and idea from my sister. Anyhoosers, here's the completed work;

Okay, let's try that again; 1) Living in a different mix of people inspires and affects the music you listen to. 2) For pretty open-minded people, this seems to go both ways. 3) Every now and then it's important to take stock of the music you're actually listening to and work out if it makes you feel good, (I'm pretty well certain that constant death metal can make you pretty unhappy). 4) Hence, I'm due for an iPod review in the next seven days. I plan to cut the depressive, overly soulful stuff and replace it with upbeat, inspiring stuff. Huzzah!

Okay, so this is the first time I've actually had to really think about what I'm going to spew onto this. With reference to my previous post, the actual goal is that I'm going to write on either Wednesday or Thursday each week. That'll work nicely with my timetable and other events.

Which brings me to my other suggestion from last Thursday; more about me. I thought that I'd add one last fact to sort of round it all off, that is, what you need to know about me. I am a Medical Student, or as some of the course coordinators call it a 'Doctor-In-Training'. The latter of these terms seems a bit odd to me, for several reasons;

Firstly, the 'In Training' bit outweighs the 'Doctor' bit, which is good, as there's no way that med students should be let loose on patients. Secondly, I think that this term sounds quite vocational, which isn't really that far from the truth. However, as some may agree, the 'in training' part tends to detract from the academic aspect of the qualification.

Conversely, the term 'Medical Student' should imply a bucketload of booksmarts, but not one iota of practicality. This is further aggravated by the term 'student' which has become so diffuse that it is frequently used to describe primary school kids (they were always pupils, back in the day), and, thanks to Te Wangana O Aoteoroa, some bouncers-in-training. Hmmm.

I'm at a loss about which of these terms is more appropriate, as well as the context for the correct use of the term 'student'. Generally, I think the term should be reserved for tertiary academic courses mostly at Universities. I appreciate that this attitude is a bit high and mighty, and I'm still in search of a reasonable term to describe persons learning knowledge and skills in a non-university, non-trade-based environment. I do like the term trainee, which would be differentiated nicely from an apprentice and a student. Also, the trainee part would come first, such as a trainee bookkeeper vs an apprentice electrician vs a law student. Right then, I'm clearly rambling.

Here's the photo for today; it's all about the back-light, really. The guitar ain't mine; it's my flatmate's; and he's quite musical. It makes for pretty mellow evenings, having a wee sing-along with the rest of the team; including a bongo player and two guitarists. Sometimes they give me an egg-shaker.

Big Blue is the standard book for Uni this year, and whilst it's not particularly well written, all the information's there. I mean all of it. Last year's book of choice was Big Red. There are a few other also rans that, well, without them you'd flounder but probably pass. You would, however, be crap at the job. They are along the lines of the Drug Book, the General Book and the Cards. My personal favourite addition to this list is the Kid's Book. Until today, it was my newest, too. Today, after a solid 3 months wait, my new version of HPIM arrived. It's in two volumes and has a CD and is bright and shiny an' all.

But back to today; I sank my teeth into Big Blue. I chewed through a whole chapter and actually made some quite constructive notes, which will be genuinely helpful tomorrow when we discuss in class. Hooray. Right then, photos (the real reason I've just rambled for two and a half paragraphs);

The first was taken last night at sunset. Ironically, tonight the camera was nowhere to be seen and the red and dusky pink clouds were amazing. As in, etched in my memory amazing. Meantime, the pic shows the bushes across the street and the distant light.

This second image was taken after dusk, at the other end of my house. It's the kitchen window, which reminds me a lot of the house that I grew up in, which had several lead-light windows. Few were this bright and cheery, however, this window also echoes another window at my brother's place, particularly for its 'above sink' placement and early morning warmth. The context I went for here was actually to light the way to the entry, with a hint of what's inside.

So, next time I'm here, I might mention a little bit more about me. Because keeping it all so damned secretive is not only stupidly hard, it means that sometimes this all lacks a bit of context. I also plan to clarify an earlier goal. Huzzah! Until then...

Still, being sick is a pain in the arse. You cop out on things you'd normally be champing at the bit to do; for example, today was Wednesday. The once-a-week chance to follow around a pro and they show and tell a bunch of really hand hints that the books won't teach you. Being sick is bad for Wednesday, because if you cough, splutter and sneeze on someone who's already really sick... well, things could turn pear-shaped.

Also, it's put a bit of a hold on the training. I flagged the sprinting stuff last night, and I'm in little shape to do anything other than type and stare at the computer/TV screen. However, this has lead to catching up on Scrubs episodes. By catch up, I mean watch the entire third series; and I'll probably watch season 4 tomorrow.

Back in the real world, my wonderful girlfriend lent me her camera, and it's a wee bit better than the 'camera' I've previously used for all those pictures- a Nokia cellphone. This one has a wee bit more kick, and it means that I can try before I buy one of my own. So, today's photos were taken by a real camera, not a phone.

The first photo is rocketing up my 'favourite photo' charts; it's a pair of scissors I bought in Vietnam last November for a friend to cut my hair. The scissors are sitting on the reverse side of my doona. That's a quilt/duvet for non-Aussie speakers.

The second photo is the disco ball that came with my house. It hangs over the back veranda, below the cream beams and corrugated iron. I snapped it moving, because it's persona suggests the potential for parties, chaos and excitement, but it's setting is so serene and relaxing.

Finally, yesterday I 'caught up' with one of my best friends. It was online, unfortunately, rather than by phone, or in person. What I'm getting to with this is that everyone has friends that are truly friends, and they're not always in contact with them. The important thing is not just to think about all the great times you've had together and then reminisce at the next big event, it's that a quick call or four-line email, or whatever, makes a huge difference. It lets them know that you exist. That you think about them. Everyone needs to be thought about.