New Blog!

So this blog has been circling the toilet for quite some time now, and instead of trying to revive something that I couldn't get engaged in, I've decided to start a new blog from scratch.

Check it out! http://jonismodernlife.blogspot.com/

Unlike "Joni's Life and Trave Adventures" this new blog does not make any attempt to have a theme or be directed to any particular audience. I'm going to write whatever I want to write, however pointless, outragous, entertaining, or offensive that may be.

Hark, the Hail Angel Screams

I can't remember the last time I witnessed a hail storm. I can recount plenty of hail storms that have happened in my area over the past 10 years that I have somehow managed to completely miss... I can even tell you about the last time I saw hail after a hail storm. But I can't recall actually witnessing a hail storm myself in the past, oh, 20 years.

On Saturday Melbourne was hit with a 'once-in-a-Century' hail storm. I found out about it on Monday, when I got a call from my uni campus saying that the ceiling in my office had collapsed, something which is especially impressive considering I'm on the 1st floor.

So how did I manage to miss the hail storm of the Century? Well, I had arranged to look at a house on Saturday morning (as I am currently in the process of looking for new accomodation). The weather forecast advised that storms were expected in Melbourne, but I had planned to spend the day wandering about the city and wasn't going to be put off by a bit of rain!

Melbourne is renouned for having 4 seasons in 1 day, which was definitely the case on Saturday. Somehow, I managed to dress appropriately. Armed with a singlet, a jumper, my raincoat and an umbrella, I headed out. The day started off sunny and cool. I spent the later part of the morning browsing books in my favourite bookstore. By the time I headed into the city to do something about lunch, the temperature had risen, the sun was out in full force, and there was hardly a cloud in the sky.

I spent another few hours wandering the city, doing some shopping, and enjoying the sunshine. After I had had my fill of Fitzroy, I walked up to Carlton to catch a movie at Nova - my favourite cinema. I got their just in time to see A Single Man, and just in time to miss being caught out in the storm. As the film started up, we could hear the rain/hail beating down on the roof. I'm sure we were all glad to be nestled into our seats, enjoying a spectacular movie, instead of out in the street.

When the movie finished, it was obvious that it had been raining pretty hard. But by that point, it was just raining. I had some time to kill before my tram came, so I had a wander in Boarders and then crossed the street to check out Readings. I even went and checked the wall of rooms for rent they had posted outside of Readings, though I haven't contacted any of them.

As I made my way home, which took a fair bit of time because I didn't get off the tram at the right stop and then missed my bus, I still hadn't put on my raincoat. Thus far, my umbrella had proved sufficient protection from the rain. It wasn't until I got to Sydney Rd and was waiting for the next bus that the rain started to pick up in pace and I decided that I might need my raincoat afterall. I noticed that a section of Sydney Rd had been closed off, but this happens with heavy rains from time to time. Melbourne is a city used to draught and we have gotten quite a lot of rain through Spring and Summer.

By the time I got home, I had gotten a bit wet, but nothing out of the norm for a rainy day. In fact, I was rather surprised at how dry I had managed to stay considering how heavy the rain had been. I knew there had been some hail, and I'd heard there had been claims of 'hail the size of golf balls', but I had no idea how bad it had been.

My office at uni is going to be out of commission for awhile. I haven't been up to the 2nd floor to see what the damage is like up there that lead to a partial ceiling collapse in my office, but apparently it is pretty extensive. Our building was meant to undergo renovations in April, starting with the ground floor, then moving to the 2nd floor, then to the 1st floor. Perhaps this storm will require them to change tactics and do the renovations on the student rooms first.

A panel over my desk collapsed, though that wasn't the worst of the damage to our office. Fortunately, it looks like everything that was on my desk has survived. I went in yesterday and the office was in a bit of a state. A lot had been moved around, and our computers have been moved to different offices for the interm. I probably need to go in and do some cleaning up of my stuff around my desk, but I thought I'd let them clear away the debris first. So I've decided to work from home this week. I'll be going in on Monday, and hopefully our office won't be in quite a desolate state, though I will be surprised if we are already moved back in by then.

Great Ocean Road

At the end of January, when we were still concerned about ridiculously hot days, lack of rain, and bush fires, Annie and I took a trip down the Great Ocean Road.

The Great Ocean Road is pretty much the sight to see in Victoria. The coast line is spectacular! The road itself is not an easy road to travel. It is narrow and full of sharp turns, and idiots who think speeding is a great idea. It's lined with signs that say:

This may just be my all time favourite sign. Although, driving down those narrow windy streets, the need for these signs did cause me a fair bit of anxiety!

We stopped for lunch in a little town past the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard. There was a small beach nestled between the cliffs where little kids were having swimming lessons. Swimming in the ocean in Victoria is more of an extreme sport than a relaxing activity.

After lunch we drove to Loch Ard to watch the blow hole. Unfortunately, it wasn't blowing. Still, it was ridiculously beautiful.

After Loch Ard, we headed over to the Twelve Apostles, or what's left of them. Seven and a half Apostles. It was a bit hazy out, so we didn't get the full spectacular view.

While the Apostles were pretty impressive, I have to say that I found Loch Ard much more spectacular. Loch Ard is a bit of a ship graveyard. Because of the sharp rocks and intense rips, it is very difficult to navigate in a ship, and many sunk trying to dock. It's just one of the many things that make Australia such an incredible place to call home.

What the New Year Brings

I didn't realize just how long ago I made my last entry! I want to keep this up and do at least 2 entries a month, but obviously that has not been happening. Well, this is the first entry of a new year, so now is as good a time as any to start updating more regularly! :)

That being said, 2010 is going to be one insanely busy year!

I spent December busily recruiting participants for my discussion board -- phase one of my data collection for my PhD. It was a mad rush, but I got the numbers I needed in the end...and it only cost me $362 more than I budgeted for. Fortunately, setting up the discussion board didn't actually cost me anything so I had the funds to spare. Having that grant money is just amazing. I would be really struggling, and probably paying out of my own pocket for a fair few things, without it (and we all know there's no money in these pockets!).

After the Christmas break it was a mad dash to get the discussion board all set up and the kinks ironed out, and the participants all registered and ready to go. The discussion board itself ran from 11-18 January, and that kept me plenty busy! It was great though, a really interesting experience that I learned a lot from. I would do it again, but I'm glad I don't have to any time soon! Having to rush home to sit in front of my computer and ignore my friends for 8 days was not so fun. But it was only 8 days and now we've got Australia Day coming up, so I'm giving myself a bit of a break from my computer. (I'm only writing this now because I'm killing time while waiting for a friend to get off of work.)

The next step in my research will be conducting interviews. I'll be doing about 20 interviews, with an entirely new group of people. The interviews will be drawing on the discussion board data, though the exact specifications of how are still in the works. There isn't much time for slacking in 2010! I'll be diving into my data analysis on Monday (okay, wading in, but that's only because Tuesday is a national holiday).

Another contributing factor to my insane 2010 schedule: I'm moving house. Marshall and I have been talking about this for awhile, and originally the plan was I'd move out in March or April, but that was because he's planning on moving then. Realistically, I'm ready to move now and I'm eager to not live a kajillion miles away from everything useful.

So, I officially started looking for a new share house this week. Since I don't have to be out at any specific time (a rare luxury), I am able to be really picky about where I move. And, after being in Melbourne for 2 years I really know what I want. I'm also making more money this year, so I can afford a bit more rent. This all means that I can hold out for the perfect place; a place with easy going people, a washing machine, 5-10 minutes of transit, not miles out of the city, in a good part of the city, near shops and cafes, and a good sized room.

This may mean living in a house with 3 other people, and it may mean being the only girl in a house full of boys. Whatever the case, it's sure to be a place that meets my exacting specifications, and anything I have to compromise on will be because there is something else that balances it out. For instance, I might take a place with a small-ish bedroom if its in a particularly good location, but the room would have to be at the very least the same size as my current one.

There aren't a great many places available that meet all my criteria, but there are a few and there's bound to be more as we move into February. I'm happy to wait for the right place, and if the right place comes along tomorrow, I'm happy to move right on in.