1. Rammstein are the best live band on Earth.
If you're my Facebook friend, you already know this. If not, but you were at the Big Day Out last year, you also already know it. I am the biggest Rammstein fan I know. I've seen them from the front the only 2 times they've been here, I've multiple jackets, shirts, every album, etc etc. Suffice to say I'm a fanatic. On January 26th - exactly 10 years (not just 10 years to the day, 10 years to the HOUR) after I saw them last time I got to the front of the pack with my BDO accomplice Kieran. What followed was an onslaught of deafening chunk, insane pyrotechnics, an incredible performance that ended with us being covered in mass amounts of foam from Till Lindemanns cock-cannon. I was in heaven and never wanted it to end. Luckily for me I got to go again the day after and see it all from a different perspective.
Don't forget that I got to see Kanye's highly anticipated show at Splendour this year as well. While it was also very impressive, don't get me wrong, there's a difference between a guy essentially just walking around an impressive set with impressive dancers, and a 6 and a half foot tall German setting everything in his wake on fire. There is not ANY other band that can compete with the likes of a live Rammstein performance. Anyone that tries is merely immitating. If you don't believe me, wait till they come out again. If its another ten years some of them will be pushing 60, but it will still be amazing.2. Paying Through the Nose for Education doesn't guarantee quality admin
Thats a bit of a mouthful isn't it? As some of you may also know I'm currently near completing a degree in Political science. Things have been going well, all assignments handed in on time and whatnot. While it's been stressful it has also been rewarding. The stressful aspect was highlighted earlier in the year, around results time. I went into my account to see my results for the first semester. A distinction for 'Australian Government and Public Policy' - woo!! My other unit, 'States and Nations' however, was down as a FAIL. Not just that, but a fail with a total mark of 33%. The ONLY way this could have happened was if I had not sent in my major essay. The fact was that I had, and I had the confirmation email to prove it.
Having heard stories from other friends about supposedly lost assignments and the epic quest that is getting your marks changed after submission, I was peeing a little bit. I sent an email to both my lecturer and the head of the humanities dept. It was the humanities boss I heard from first, saying that she would check with my lecturer and get back to me. I had no idea when this was going to happen, and when you're stressed out, uncertainty is not your friend. I got the email from the lecturer saying 'just send me the assignment, and the confirmation email if you still have it' - there was no official sense to it at all. I sent the email and the assignment. Less than an hour later he got back to me - 'assignment marked and your mark changed'. To a high credit no less. Win.
The point of this story however is that, had I not said anything, had I not noticed or just blindly accepted that I'd failed, thats how it would have stayed. We all pay too much for tertiary education to have it disregarded so willy-nilly (so to speak). This showed that the system is flawed. We shouldn't have to be staying on top of it but its an obvious necessity. The fact that I was never contacted to say 'uhhh.. where's your assignment? you'll fail if you don't hand it in' shows the lack of caring when it comes to you completing your degree. That said, I love uni, I love learning.. but this is DEFINITELY a lesson that can be applied to the many people I know who, like me, stress out twice a year thanks to the immense pressure of uni.
3. In a way, I'm lucky to be here
After I walked out of the second BDO, my second time seeing Rammstein in two days, I jokingly said I could die a happy man. Jokingly. Two days later, driving to a gig for my band along Parramatta road, I was cut off by a motorcyclist. Not so much cut off as stopped. The time provided for me to take evasive action was nil, and I was in the left lane anyway and had nowhere to go. I had probably two tenths of a second to think. All I remember was the bang of impact and the next thing my eyes opened to an airbag in my face, the smell of said airbag having burst open at some stage and a telegraph pole in front of me. My car was on a 90 degree angle to the street. I looked to my right and saw the motorcyclist on the ground, already being attended to in his jeans and SINGLET (the fucking idiot) while I stumbled out of the car myself before someone approached me and sat me down and gave me their phone to make a call. About 10 minutes later the police showed up. With my auto-pilot obviously driving me into the pole the back end of my car had swung out and hit ANOTHER car. No one was hurt in that car and those people, though I fail to remember them, were remarkable. They helped the both of us, and also (thank god) witnessed the whole thing and could provide the statements that placed accountability on the motorcyclist. It wasn't just me, it WAS his fault.
The police came and I was asked the same set of questions by 4 different officers before the ambos were allowed to check me out. I understand the multiple questioning to obtain a consistent story but it got a point that was fucking ridiculous. As I hadn't been checked yet I could have been seriously injured inside and the cops didn't even seem to care. I have a love/hate relationship with police but it seemed like these ones in particular were inconvenienced by this accident. That being said I did learn that literacy is not a requirement to be a cop from the following exchange -Tow-Truck Driver: What colour would you say this car is?
Police Officer: I'm pretty sure thats maroon
TTD: How do you spell that?
Police Officer: M-A-R-O-N-E - (I felt like chiming in with M-O-R-O-N)
Anyone who knows me will know that this both infuriated and amused me at the same time. I was then taken into the ambulance, checked out and asked all the same questions again. Eventually I was given the all clear and I even (stupidly) played the show. The motorcyclist was also fine but had to go to the hospital. The worst thing about ALL of this was that I could have killed the guy, and through no fault of my own. HE cut me off, HE was dressed stupidly for a motorbike. HE wrote off my car for fucks sake. That being said, it was HE that got done for negligent driving and had to pay the premiums, and my insurance and driving record are still in tact. I could have died or obtained a serious injury too. A shout out must go to Nissan, they make fucking safe cars people. If it had been in my previous car (an '85 Subaru Leone), I've little doubt I'd be either dead or recovering from a serious injury.
It also teaches you an amazing amount about the way your mind and body work in crisis situations. I personally think I blacked out because my brain knew that if I was tensed for the impact things could have been alot worse. I had knee and chest (from the seatbelt - they DO save lives) pain and pretty severe bruising but it could have been much worse. They also forgot to breath test me until JUST before I left, which means they wouldnt have even breath tested the motorcyclist. But oh well, I'm alive, he is too, I've got a new car so yeah... could have been worse. Much worse.
4. Having a Beard is fucking awesome
Not long after this accident, and the fact that I couldn't leave on my holiday as intended thanks to no car, I entered a bit of a rut. It was the same time the year before when shit started turning sour and I thought I was in for another year of the same. Rammstein seemed such a distant memory. I neglected many things, my friends, my studies and shaving. About 4 weeks later I started to come out of it but realised I'd grown a nice little metro-beard. And I liked it. So I kept it. There are benefits to having a beard;
- You enter the world of facial hair, where you lock eyes with another bearded individual and you both nod the nod of mutual respect and appreciation. That makes you feel more manly.
- It is remarkably warm. I didn't have a cold chin all winter.
- It really changes the way you look. I could have robbed a convenience store, gone home and shaved the beard off, and would never have been found.
- It's a good conversation starter, with both ladies and gents alike - I met many new people, some I probably wouldn't have if it weren't for the beard.
- It makes a flanno look less bogan and more lumberjack-ish.
There are more points I'm sure but I'm kind of writing this on the fly. The bottom line is, it was a great adventure. I've had many, many various forms of facial hair since I could grow it at 15. I'm now 26 and that was the first time I'd ever grown a beard. Shaving it off was MASSIVELY time consuming and made my head feel kilos lighter. Swimming with a massive beard is an interesting experience. The smell of food, drink and smokables stays with you, embedded in your facial hair. When I shaved it off some people were upset, and I had a bit of an Arrested Development moment myself (I've made a terrible mistake!), but I'm glad it's gone now, and I'm glad I now know that I can grow one. The desire will undoubtedly take me again sometime. Hopefully not out of the same circumstances though.
So there you go, those are the major experiences that educated me in the last 12 months. It'll be interesting to see what 2012 holds. I'm approaching it with ambition and the desire for development. Perhaps I'll share those desires with you some time. While an educational year, I'm glad its behind me and I approach this year excited..... even with the lack of Rammstein.
Until next time.
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