Jurassic World

I went & saw Jurassic World last week at an advance screening and I gotta say… I’m a little disappointed. I don’t know if it was simply I’d hyped myself up too much or if it really was just lacking.

NO SPOILERS

Unlike in the other movies where you know the dinos are stalking in the shadows waiting for their chance to pounce, this movie’s idea of scary is the dinos are either there or not. There was no anticipation and I really felt the movie was just showing off special effects rather than showing off an excellent plot line.

I should have expected the plot to go the way it did once they started ‘creating’ dinosaurs. Silly me.

6/10

The raptors were definitely out in force though & that was nice to see.

I would see it again but I will wait for it to come to DVD or Netflix as I really felt it was a bit of a let down after the last 3.

June Photo Challenge Week 2

This week's Photo challenge was a bit more varied compared to last week. A lot of these were from travels - the caricature was from Florence, the shot glass was from the Netherlands, the bag tag was from a recent trip to Denmark (along with the sushi photo). 

Most notably I went to Jurassic World this past week & a post will be coming shortly. It was pretty average but still a nice date night - was good to get out of the house.

This is Drømmekage - dream cake I think is the translation. Kind of tastes like an anzac biscuit has iced a sponge cake. It's quite tasty. I couldn't eat a lot of it but it was a special gift brought back from Denmark & was nice to try.

Finished potato bake. So tasty. I haven't had that in so long!

Growing Up

I Skype with my family every week... 98% of the time. It was a stipulation of moving to the other side of the world for 2 years. They wanted to make sure I was safe & still alive... and I guess they wanted to hear about my adventures while not missing out on seeing me grow up.

So it shouldn't strike me as odd when I hear about my siblings' lives and the adventures they are embarking upon. Yet it does. Mostly I think it's just nostalgia rearing its ugly head.

My brother has grand plans to enlist in the army. Don't ask me why. Before I left Australia he was busy chasing girls and working out at the gym to get swol like Zyzz. (or something) Now he wants to go off and become an artillery guy in the army!! He hasn't been accepted yet but who knows. My parents have told me he's had some health issues but is on top of it all currently and he's hoping it won't jeopardize his chances of getting in.

Seems two of my sisters are investing in real estate. I say investing but they are purchasing their first homes with their partners. Both of them could also be getting married this year. It's a bit up in the air at the moment but yet another surprise.

My youngest sister is on her last year at university studying to be a nurse. Which is insane! 

Don't get me wrong, I'm incredibly proud of all of them. What amazing achievements and dreams they have, but hearing about it throws me a little bit as these are my younger siblings. I've watched them grow up & now they are adults and are making their own decisions... going on their merry way. 

Just makes me feel really old. 

June Photo Challenge

PET - My friend's cat

I know I'm uploading this & half of June has already passed by but I have never been one to see my own personal goals through. (Important work stuff or things for friends not a problem.. things for me FORGET ABOUT IT!)

So I've decided I'm going to do a photo challenge for June.

Flower

You can find the photos in various places. Those not familiar with the concept of a photo challenge let me enlighten you. Basically for the month of June you take a photo every day of different things - usually you can just google 'photo challenge' and there will be all sorts of lists that come up and you can pick which one you like.

I, however, have decided that I will make my own list. Not only that, I will upload a photo ever day & since I've started late I'm going to upload SEVERAL photos a day across different social media sites to catch up to the mark.

In a normal photo challenge there would be 31 photos maximum (obviously according to how many days in the month). I have set myself a challenge for 150 in total for the month.

OUTSIDE.

You can find the pictures on:

INSTAGRAM
TWITTER
Euro Challenge Page (Facebook)

And I will put a few up here also (not every day but I will compile a list of them in a weekly post or thereabouts).

DOG. My Husky

Feel free to participate or just stalk if you really want. I will still try to post other stuff at least one day a week here for and then back to bi-weekly posts after June. (Who knows I might decide to do a proper challenge next month but we'll see how this one turns out).

Leaf

Clouds 

 A lot of this weeks pictures were from around the house & had a very living environment theme. Whether it was plants, animals, the sky etc  these were just the most readily available shots around the house.

Nature

GIFT

Gave these cufflinks to my partner when we got married. That was my gift to him. They are 007 cufflinks (with a hidden USB inside each of them). He really liked them and obviously wore them for our wedding - which made me very happy.

Desk

This is my desk just before we moved the house around & set up the desktop. The mess just seemed to accumulate on my partner's side (ALL THE TIME!!). Quite frustrating but to be fair he is the one that sp
ends the most time at the desk so I can't really get too mad.

Makes me laugh

This is an old photo from this year's FANFEST in Iceland. While I personally wasn't able to go this year I did get this photo back as a souvenir (of sorts). Just a bunch of bros having a great time. Always makes me laugh when I see the photo - I really love when grown professional men act like idiots.

The Hype Train is leaving the station - Jurassic World

I'm really excited about the new Jurassic Park movie: Jurassic World. Like, really excited. I haven't been this enthused about a movie in a long time.

I was a fan of the originals, and while I know I'm probably hyping it up in my mind and it will never live up to my ridiculous expectations, I don't care. I'm going to support it.

Look how cute they are!

Velociraptors are my favorite of the movie-dinos. Chris Pratt is pretty awesome. I'm all for Delta, Charlie, Echo & Blue (the raptors). Genetic modification and para-biology is something I am really interested in so I'm looking forward to seeing how they portray all that in this movie.


My favorite part is the fact that in the original movies they shot some of the raptor scenes with body suits... the techs got so good moving around in the suits that they became so life-like and they could move around (very quickly) without any problems at all.

I've already told SortDragon we are going to see this at the cinema. I don't ask to see many movies at the cinema so he knows I'm dead serious about this one.

I think we will have a Jurassic Park marathon beforehand and then go see the newest addition to the franchise.

I really can't think why I'm so excited to see this one. Even the new Star Wars hasn't elicited this sort of reaction from me. I'm not going to overthink it. I'm just going to head to the cinema, get some popcorn & a drink and bask in the dinosaur-y goodness that I have come to expect.

“And that's how things are. A day is like a whole life. You start out doing one thing, but end up doing something else, plan to run an errand, but never get there. . . . And at the end of your life, your whole existence has the same haphazard quality, too. Your whole life has the same shape as a single day.”  ― Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park

High School Reunion

I was contacted on Facebook last month by an old friend from high school. I have to admit not a very close friend  & not one I have kept in contact with over the years, but nonetheless we attended the same school, took several classes together & got to know one another while in purgatory.

Seems this year marks our 10 year anniversary of graduating high school. (Don't I feel old!)

It is strange as only a few days prior to the Facebook message I was thinking to myself that it must be coming up shortly and behold my prediction was correct.

So there is the usual group being created & so many cooks who want a hand in arranging this glorious event that it feels like we never left high school. I'm happy to sit back and watch this all unfurl on the other side of the globe. I have added my two cents when it comes to the few survey questions that have been asked (when, where, should partners be invited etc).

I'm hoping to make the trek back to Australia to see my family at the end of the year so fingers crossed the two will tie in together nicely & I won't have to visit the country again for another 3 years or so.

High School wasn't a particularly terrible time for me, I didn't get into any fights and mostly just kept my head down. I didn't aggravate anyone, I wasn't a bully & I don't feel that I was bullied at all. Or at least no more than anyone else - it's been so long now I can't really remember any of it but that could be down to my old age!

It would be nice to see everyone again but I'm not going to lose sleep if I can't make it. Anyone I was friends with (really close friends that is) I have kept in contact with to this day and even though I'm not able to see them every day I don't feel that has impacted our friendship in any way.

8 months! OR If I were pregnant we'd be on the home stretch by now

SortDragon & I have  been married for 8 months now. How time flies when you are having fun.
No real arguments, or even friction. We are both basically on the same page 97% of the time.

I have a theory that the first year of marriage you're still trying to be on your best behavior, still maintaining the perfect facade that you had while dating or whatever. I think because it's still new and fresh in your minds, you are more inclined to let things slide? Maybe?

Not that I've noticed myself doing that or shrugging things off. I think the biggest debate we ever have is who's turn to cook or what is on the menu. Personally, I think we made a pretty darn good choice in life partner since we share common likes/dislikes and our sense of humor is very similar.

No plans yet on what to do for the 1 year anniversary. I've looked into a few things...

Year	Traditional (U.S.)	Traditional (U.K.)[14]	Suggested modern gift list created by librarians at Chicago Public Library
1st	Paper	Cotton	Clock

Though I don't really know what to get that doesn't suck for paper/cotton or clock!

I'm not too artsy, I always wish I could make these really thoughtful (and beautiful) craft pieces but I have never been able to. I don't know if it's just that I have no patience for that sort of thing or if I am too pedantic/too much of a perfectionist to sit there for the time needed to get it right. Could be a combination of the two, I don't know..

We purchased a really pretty christmas ornament - it was our first decoration we purchased (ie. first as a married couple but also first as a couple just in general). We aren't festive in this house, but one day when there are little Dragons running around the halls will need to be decked! Currently we don't even have a tree but we have our ornament & that's all that matters to me.

I don't think that will be a new tradition.. but who knows!!

TRAVEL

Over the years I've travelled to some crazy places...

I've been on a party bus tour across Europe when I was younger, I've been around Australia. I was lucky enough to travel to China on a whim to go be a part of my friend's wedding.

There are a few places I would like to see at certain points in my life. This list isn't the be all & end all. Personally, I know how quickly plans can change or how opportunities can just present themselves at the strangest times... so I'm always looking at new places to travel. To be honest, there's still a lot of Europe I have yet to see.

ON TO THE LIST:

1. The first on my list is here simply because it is the closest in terms of age/when I would like to travel. THE AMAZON. I have always said I want to go to Iquitos, Peru - right on the Amazon basin. You can take a cruise down the Amazon & back here. It's beautiful & definitely something I want to do sooner rather than later. I'm of the belief, that if the opportunity doesn't present itself earlier, I will be here for my 30th birthday. A little present to myself. I don't know what it is about the Amazon but I am just so intrigued with all the different species of plant life/animals etc.

2. The next on my list is AFRICA. This is something that I have made a pact with one of my friends to go on a safari when we are 40. Now I'm not sure whether I will in face head there at 40 or wait a little longer - I guess it depends on other commitments. To me, an African Safari is more something I want to experience when I am older. Perhaps 50-60.. but we'll see what the future brings.

3. Eastern Europe. I haven't been anywhere near the east of Europe since I've been here & there is a lot I want to explore. I do think this is another pursuit for when I am a little older as there are still a lot of things I'd like to do while I'm young and able. As an example of what I mean by that - you can't really skydive or bungee jump when you are 60. You probably can.. but it's not really something encouraged. Plus you probably wouldn't enjoy it as much compared to when you are younger & your body can take a bit more of a beating.. but that's just my personal preference.

Seriously! Look at that view.

4. JAPAN. This is one I would really like to do sooner rather than later. However, Japan is one that you can visit (and still enjoy) no matter your age so this one isn't under a time constraint. I just want to get there as soon as I possibly can as I know it is going to be worth it and oh so magical.

I am not really interested in seeing much of America or Canada, but again I never thought I'd want to go to China & look how that turned out.

I had this talk with SortDragon the other day about where he would like to travel. He's done a bit more travelling than I have but there's still places he's interested in. I'm sure there are loads of places I haven't even thought of or even heard of that are beautiful/culturally rich & amazing, so if you have any other suggestions leave a comment below.

As I mentioned above, this isn't an exhaustive list but just the top 4 on a list that is honestly a mile long.

The Biggest Change

Probably the thing that has been the biggest impact change in my life happened last year, just before my visa ran out.

In previous posts I mentioned that I was only here for 2 years on a working holiday visa and that the visa only lasted until September 2014. The biggest issue I faced was what to do with my little family - my husky puppy, my little rabbit that I had dreamed of owning since I was a child & also SortDragon - the man I had moved in with about a year and a half before the visa was sent to end. He was the reason I was able to have the two boys in my life... but what was I to do when my visa ran out.

We had talked about all kinds of options. Should we move back to Australia? How would a husky puppy cope with the heat? How would a rabbit cope with that much distance to travel? Where would we live/work etc?

Should I apply for a different countries visa & we move somewhere else in Europe? Or perhaps we move to another country? Should I try to apply for a UK visa?

The only picture to be shown on this site

One thing we kept coming back to was our relationship & where it was going. Neither of us wanted to separate our little family that we had been looking after for the past year or so. Eventually we decided the most logical route would be to get married.

Now I know what you are thinking... HOW ROMANTIC! Right? It wasn't quite like that but at the same time it was quite a rushed decision as the visa's end was in sight. We had always talked about getting married in the future and planning out our lives together and if it weren't for the looming deadline I don't think we would have just up & got married in such a gung-ho fashion but I wouldn't change it.

Don't get me wrong as soon as I am able to, we will be redoing the ceremony & having my family/friends present. I want the whole shebang. I don't like that I had to have a shotgun courthouse wedding. It was nice that it was so intimate, with just our close friends from the area we live present (all in all there was probably only about 15 people there to celebrate with us), but I had a clear outline in my head of what I pictured my wedding would be so that will be happening. SortDragon is very much ok with this as well. He'd like to redo everything properly - it's always good that we are on the same page.

QUARTER LIFE CRISIS

**There is a video on my YOUTUBE PAGE that accompanies this post - HERE**

I am terrible when it comes to birthdays. Like.. stay in my bed, under the covers, take the day off work & just hide from the world.

Never been a fan of getting older. Anyone who knows me will realize this pretty damn quickly. I've had many an awkward situation arise when it comes to birthdays. I just don't get how people can be that excited about the death of a few billion cells & being one step closer to your body/organs shutting down.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not actually afraid of dying. It's an inevitable fact of life. I am more afraid of the things I'll miss out on than anything.

I vividly remember telling my father on my 12th birthday that I had wasted my life & had accomplished nothing in the time I had been alive. Not exactly the life of the party that's for sure. He just laughed but I was dead serious.

 Then there's the many, many times my mother has told me I'm getting old & only have a few good child bearing years left. My brother saw my reaction to that once - he likes to repeat it.. OFTEN!

I'm in no rush to have children that's for sure. I told my parents when I was younger that I didn't want kids at all and my mother is still adamant that while I probably don't want a big family she can see me having 1 child. I'm on the fence about that still.

Getting old has just never appealed to me. I don't smoke & rarely drink - I hate clubbing and currently don't have a car.. so why should I celebrate being able to do any of these things? Unlike my friends who couldn't wait to turn 18 or 21 just so that they could throw huge parties & get presents & drink loads. (To each their own)

My new mantra.

I will admit I had a quarter life crisis when I hit 25. It wasn't as bad as I'd suspected so I'm pretty sure I'm due another existential crisis any day now. I just wasn't having any of it. I didn't want to do anything & thankfully wasn't forced into any silly rituals so that was a plus.

One thing that is very different here compared to Australia is the birthday custom at work. In Australia, you may get a 'happy birthday' or maybe a card from your office/work. Maybe if you have been working there long enough you get a lunch or perhaps they buy you a cake. Here in the UK & Europe though no one will bring you the sweets. It is customary for YOU to bring your own birthday cake. Whether you intend to celebrate the day or not. Whether you are there on your birthday or not. You are expected to bring something in so everyone can celebrate the day with you (at your expense).

Not something that I (someone who has no desire to celebrate the passing of another year) wish to be forced into.

I'm still alive!!

Gosh there's been a few days gone by since I last visited this page! Android Complex has been recharging it's batteries since back in 2013. (Also Wonderland has been quarantined since the end of 2012.. those damn epidemics!)

So much has happened, I don't even know where to begin...

I'm still in the UK, my visit officially ended in September 2014 but that's a story for another time. It's so weird trying to recall what has been shared already & what hasn't. So I guess for the sake of transparency & to keep things in chronological order I will just start at the beginning.

2012 Left Australia for multiple reasons & moved to the other side of the globe to LONDON, UK. I travelled to Denmark for the first time, went to Paris again & also spent Christmas in Amsterdam. I took on a terrible part time job but it paid the bills & let me stay a little longer with my friend in this new land.

After spending several months in the busy & very dirty streets of London I eventually moved north to a smaller city.

2013 I had done several temp jobs, had a car that was a real bomb & eventually sold it, I finally achieved my life long dream of owning a pet rabbit & I also was lucky enough to bring a husky puppy home as well - he is a giant ball of energy. This was also the year I travelled to Iceland for a computer game player gathering called FANFEST - that all revolves around a game called EVE ONLINE (which I should point out I don't play).

2014 was a quiet year in all honesty. I wasn't sure what the future held for me as my visa would be coming to an end & I had to make decisions on what would happen to my new little family. I had a full time job that wasn't the most exciting but it was close to home & kept the bills paid & food on the table.

There were a few things that happened in 2014 but we'll get to those in another post.

So that brings us to 2015 & we are already a third of the way through the year & nothing much has happened. What people seem to forget is even though you move to the other side of the world, you are still living there & need to work, pay bills and just generally reside like a normal human being. It's not vacationing all the time unfortunately.

My youtube page is still going strong. I'm a little better at keeping that up to date compared to this but not much better. CHECK IT OUT HERE

You may catch a glimpse of some things I've been up to that I haven't updated here (yet).