Skydiving

Well i 2 days ago I went skydiving with Mitch at Caloundra on the north side of Brisbane.  One word: Awesome.  We decided to do the 14,000ft jump as thats the highest we could possibly go, and if we were gonna fork out a wad of cash may as well get the most of it right?

Well let me describe the whole thing in as best detail i can…

First we showed up, they suited us up and explained to us what to do (after forking out our cash of course).  They informed Mitch and I that once we were ready to jump we had to slide to the edge of the plane, tilt our head back and cross our arms.  Then they’ll tap our shoulders and that’s our cue to bring our arms out.  That was pretty much it.  Simple enough…  Mitch’s instructor was a chap named Jason (!?) who later told us that he’d been jumping for 9 years.  My instructor guy was Dusan (or something), and he’d been jumping for over 30 years… woot.

Then we walked over to the air strip and got in this tiny plane.  First thing Mitch noticed once hopping in the plane was that there was duct tape on the wing and in the cabin… not too re-assuring.  Then the pilot attempts to start the plane up and it just chugged and died and he’s like “Hmmm… doesn’t wanna start for me today…”.  Yeah, not the best thing to hear before skydiving i can tell you that.  But we stuck it out, and the plane got moving.

After take off it just felt like a regular flight, same as a passenger jet.  Just noisier…  And it got really cold because wind was through the spaces of the flimsy door that kept us inside.  We kept going up and up but i didnt get nervous or anything… It really just felt like going on another trip to Sydney or Melbourne…  Like i’d look down and the view was just like what you always see outside a plane (funnily enough).  But yeah, no adrenaline rush or anything yet…

Mitch’s instructor had an altimeter guage on his glove and i could see us slowly approach 11,000ft… then 12,000ft….  By the time we hit 13,000ft our harnesses were locked in with our instructors’, sunglasses were on and we were ready to go.  The door opened up and that’s when the adrenaline started to kick in.  Mitch went first, so he slid over to the edge of the plane with his instructor and then just disappeared.  That really kicked off the adrenaline, seeing him disappear so damn quick.  It was weird as.

Anyway, I was next so slid over the edge, head back, arms crossed and away we went!  I couldn’t really comprehend what was going on at first.  All i could hear and feel was wind!  The first few seconds were a bit of a blur, but i snapped out of it when my instructor tapped me on the shoulder to signal me to put my arms out to the side.  Then the first thing that hit me was the cold.  OMG!  It was like… ice cold razors were slamming me in the face.  My eyes started to water behind the sunglasses.  Then i finally started looking around.  Let me try and explain what it looked like…  The ground NEVER seemed to come any closer.  If you could imagine taking a camera onto a plane, taking a photo of the view outside your window, printing that photo out and sticking it onto a piece of paper, you’d get what it looked like.  Nothing really got bigger during freefall.

After about 30 seconds or so of freefall my face and ears were killing me.  I kept trying to block it out but it was way to painful.  But i kept on checkin out the surroundings, because the awesomeness of the jump out-weighed the pain.  Then i felt my instructor start rocking us back and forth and i knew he was about to pull the rip-cord.  I braced myself because the jolt always looks really hardcore on movies and stuff, but it wasn’t that bad.  It wasn’t even a jolt, i just slowed down very quickly… which makes perfect sense when you think about it lol  Then we were floating in the air, it was completely quiet.  I had to equalize my ears because they were hurting big time, but they were ok after that.  It was really cool just floating down.  I got to really take in the surroundings, and the lower we got the more it warmed up.  I saw Mitch below me.  We got really close to buildings at one point which was cool.  Then we came in for the landing, which was surprisingly soft.

I must say that the feeling one gets whilst skydiving wasn’t even close to what I expected…  Not once did I actually feel like I was falling.  Like I never got that feeling deep in my gut that you usually get from roller coasters and stuff.  But yeah… I absolutely loved it and would definitely like to go again some time… maybe after Japan, or IN Japan…  We’ll see…

Well that’s it for my Skydiving adventure, I’ll do another post with a vid i’m trying to upload onto youtube of me and Mitch skydiving.  My computer is too shit to handle an upload so i might have to head into uni to do it…

Ciao for Now!

Application for exchange and Proposal

Woot I got my application form for exchange approved by my course co-ordinator. She’s working all the magic with my credits which enables me to be eligible for the exchange. I guess i can cross that off my list of things to do…

Also finished my proposal… It was exactly 900 words and I’m very happy with it. I kept it pretty formal whereas Mitch, they guy i’m going to Japan with, kept it VERY casual… so uh, let’s see how this pans out! The exchange officer said the proposal’s aren’t really all that important tho :\ So maybe Mitch did the smart thing overall! xD

Passport photo?

Where to go from here? Just gotta fill in a few empty spaces on my application form and scholarship form, gotta get passport photo’s, and get academic references. That’s it! Looks like i’ll need to wait till next semester for academic references. I didn’t really build that much of a relationship with any of my tutors so they might not even remember who I am lol Except for one, so i’ll get him to give me a reference but then i’ll have to be good and turn up to workshops next semester.

Guess i’ll get photo’s done tomorrow…

Ciao for Now!

10 shots in 10 minutes…

After the programming exam last night, me and my mates all went back to Jim’s house (Jim being one of my mates) for a bit of celebration. One of the highlights of the night was going to be Jim and I attempting to do 10 shots of “Chartreuse” in 10 minutes, 1 shot every minute. Kinda like a more intense hour of power (1 shot of beer/drink of choice every minute for an hour). But there was an added rule that if Jim or I made it to the end we weren’t allowed to throw up within the 10 minutes following our session.

So our little drink off began… I felt very confident in completing the 10 minutes. My theory was that it would be too short a time frame for me to feel the effects of the Chartreuse within the 10 minute time frame. But once I hit the third shot the reality sunk in that this stuff really wasn’t to be taken lightly. I nearly threw up, I had to cover my mouth with my hands. Also the burning between shots didn’t even subside after a minute and I’d be taking the next shot whilst my insides were still on fire from the last.

I remember mentioning that I would be proud of myself if I made it to shot 5. And so the 5th minute made its way and I took the 5th shot. I got a bit of a cheer from my buddies around me but for some reason that shot didn’t make me queasy or it didn’t burn… I felt like I could go on! So I did! After shot 5 Jim ran off to the toilet and threw up, and the sound really didn’t help my situation. He was out… Shot 6, 7, 8, 9…. I was really feelin it but it was ok. I just felt as drunk as usual. There’s was only enough left in the bottle for a 10th shot… And so the 10th minute rolled around and I took the shot! I made it! I believe I even have video of me doing jumping jacks after it… If I get around to it i’ll throw it up here on the blog…

But now I had to not throw up for 10 minutes. No worries! But very quickly I found myself become more and more numb. It was actually quite frightening… I mean my face became insanely numb, I had so much trouble focusing my eyes and I couldn’t even comprehend what was going on around me. I made it past the 10 minute period after the shots. But then I remember falling over near a futon, someone trying to pick me up… and then I woke up in the morning. I thought I had completely passed out. I quickly noticed that my phone was gone, although it didn’t worry me because I trusted the people I was with. My body was aching everywhere and my head was going to explode. I got up and had some water then went and laid back down again. Once my friends woke up they filled me in on the action that really took place.

Turns out I didn’t pass out after falling… in fact I was very much awake! I carried on through the night, speech beginning to slur more and more. Then someone took me to the bathroom because I didn’t look so good, and I threw up my entire stomach contents, before passing out (and snoring) on the edge of the bath tub. They then carried me to the futon, took my phone out of my pocket so i wouldn’t crush it while I slept and thats it… The weird thing is there is not even the slightest trace of those events in my mind. Like I could almost swear it never happened. But apparently it did…

The hang over I am enduring today is like no other. I’d never had Chartreuse before last night and to be quite honest, it makes me sick in the gut even as I look at the image of the bottle on this blog. It’s 3:40pm now and my stomach still feels likes it’s been turned inside out.

I’m gonna need all the recovery time I can get… good thing I got the day off work…

Ciao for Now!

My last ditch effort to get into Kansai Gaidai

This is it! My last exam that will count towards my application to Kansai Gaidai starts at 5:30pm today. It’s a programming exam which isn’t too bad since i’ve been programming for a little while now and found the subject to be quite easy. Also i only need 76% on this test to get a 7 (High Distinction) overall so that’s what I’m after. Seeing as my track record for programming has been 19/20 and 28/30.

I’m heading into my university at 9:30am to study with my friend Mitchell (first time I actually mentioned his name… but he’s the guy i’m gonna go to Japan with). He doesn’t have any experience in programming prior to this year, but he’s done really well! He was telling me that he doesn’t do well in exams, so i’m gonna help him smash this exam. He technically is in the running for a high distinction and it’d be awesome if he gets it, but he’ll at least get a distinction in my opinion… I still think the High distinction is very much possible for him.

So after today it’s all up to how many people apply to Kansai Gaidai, and if any of them have a better GPA than both Mitchell and I…

*Fingers Crossed!*

Ciao for now!!

GPA and Exam?

I’m doing an exam for my Game Studies class… Yeah EXAM and i’m BLOGGING. Well here’s the thing, it’s a take home exam and i’ve got 2 days to do it. Today’s the first day, and I’m hoping to knock it over today. But it’s obscenely large.

This entire semester all I ever had to do for this Game Studies unit is essays, essays, essays… turns out i’m shit at essays. And this “Exam” is going to be a bigger ESSAY than anything i’ve written. It’s not an exam! It’s a huuuge essay that you’ve only got 2 days to write.

Now the pressure is on… and here’s why: I am currently sitting on 38.4% for my game studies class and this exam is worth 40%. So i need 12% to pass, no worries right? I could uber fail this exam and still pass the subject, thats good right? Yes, but getting a credit is also in my reach! To get a credit I need 65% for the entire unit. That means I need to get 27% from this exam. So it turns out if I get 67/100 for this exam, i’ll have another 26.8% added onto my total marks for this unit, which should bump me up to 65.2%, which is a credit! Now, credit would be good because I need a good GPA to go to Japan, and my goal is to have a GPA of 5.5 by the end of this year. This is because if I get a 5.5, i’ll get $3000 for my scholarship instead of $2000.

So here’s how GPA’s work at uni (%’s are % of total mark that semester):

4 = pass = 50% and up (i think, might actually be as low as 45%)
5 = Credit = 65% and up
6 = Distinction = 75% and up
7 = High Distinction = 85% and up

There are lower numbers like 1-3, but I don’t know the percentages for that. So yeah, you get all your results (numbers) and average those with your old GPA and thats your new GPA. This is my first semester at University so my GPA will be whatever results I get from the 4 units I studied this semester.

So here’s where I stand:
Introduction to Design = received a 4 (pass) overall. Gay subject, of course I nearly failed, they wanted a programmer to draw? I can’t draw! That’s why I program!!!
Game Studies = its either a 4 or a 5… I doubt I’ll get a 3, i’m not that bad….
Programming = I think it’s gonna be a 7 (High distinction), this really is my niche, but my final exam is on Friday the 13th! (spooky). If not a 7, definitely a 6
IT Professionalism = got a 6 (distinction). Another gay subject but at least I did well.

So worst case scenario I get 4 for game studies and 6 for programming… 4+6+6+4 = 20/4 = GPA 5
Best case scenario, I get 5 for game studies and 7 for programming… 4+5+6+7 = 22/4 = GPA 5.5 (woot)

But its not so bad, at least I’m gonna be qualifying for Japan.

However, My record for the last 2 essays I wrote was a 14/30 (lol fail), and a 21.5/30 (credit/nearly distinction)… So fingers crossed I guess…

EDIT: I’ve just finished the exam! It was tough and only took me 9 hours I’m still gonna proof read it later tonight once i have a rest and submit it… I feel like I did a good job… but then again i felt that way last time i failed too! We’ll see what happens…

Ciao for now!

The act of Blogging

Always wear protection

Hmm… I’m really diggin’ this blogging thing. I’ve never done it before and I’m not really a “blog-watcher” either but yeah… it’s kinda cool. I never saw the value of reading other peoples opinions and thoughts, but now I see the catch… It really is, for me at least, a cool way to just put stuff out there, regardless if people read it/like it. It’s 11:30pm, i have an exam tomorrow that I haven’t studied for, and I got the sudden urge to blog. Not to blog about anything in particular of course, coz that would be craaazy wouldn’t it?

But yeah, lately i’ve been very much against the general mainstream path everything is taking. From movies, to video games, to the internet.

I haven’t been to the cinema in like, a year, coz there hasn’t been a movie that gave me the urge to go and pay 10 bux to watch. Wait… except Iron Man, I haven’t seen it and probably won’t till the DVD comes out, but I wanted to watch it on the big screen.

I’m absolutely hating all the new games that are coming out these days (except for GTA4). For starters I don’t own a next-gen console, but I don’t think I want one. Because none of the next gen games appeal to me in the least. The whole gaming scene is just totally turned to shit-house in my opinion. I hate online play, I hate shooters, and i’m even hating the realism that the games are taking now. It’s like, because games CAN look real, the developers ARE making them look realistic as to mimic todays world (except GTA4 ). I think all that power should be devoted to creating a whole new world. Something we can’t experience in our world. So meh, i’m sticking to my humble PS2 and DS. Current game of now is a borrowed “Shadow of the Colossus”… That’s visually stunning.

But hmmm… now for the internet. Since I’m not much a fan of online communities because I hate the whole “since-i’m-on-the-other-side-of-the-world-I’m-as-tough-as-I-want-to-be” attitude I generally don’t do much apart from check my email.

But this whole blog thing is slowly putting me back in perspective… I simply haven’t given anything that I hate (mentioned above are like 5 things out of the 41646416 things I claim to hate), a chance. To be honest I do hate the concept of it all… but before today I hated blogging… so what the heck? Since i’m saving for Japan I prolly won’t go and get a PS3, but I think i’ll start trying out some of the other things I hate… Maybe I’ll finally catch a movie? Maybe I should listen to the radio some more? read more blogs… Hey! I’m a fussy eater, that’s gotta change if i’m going to Japan right?

Moral of the blog: Try new things! Gotcha… I’ll keep you posted on how that goes for me

Ciao for now!

The Road to Japan 1

“The Road to Japan” blogs are going to be specific updates on my road to Japan. They’ll also contain a summary of the other blogs that are related to Japan leading up to that chapter of “The Road to Japan”. The idea is, in the end, all chapters of “The Road to Japan” should tell the whole story of my entire experience, from applying to become an exchange student to Japan, all the way to my experiences whilst in Japan. Can’t wait!

If you haven’t been to the About Jace page, go and check it out first so you kinda know who I am and what’s going on…

Yeah so as you may already know, if you read the about page, a friend of mine and I are both planning to do a student exchange to Japan for a semester. There’s heaps to be done… so better make up a checklist…

Checklist:

1. Apply at my University by 25th of September, 2008. Application process involves:
   • Selecting a University to apply to
   • Sort out transfer of Academic Credits whilst on exchange
   • Sort out all forms such as scholarship applications, student exchange forms, and get academic references
   • 1 x Passport Photo
   • Written proposal as to why I wish to study overseas (800-1000 words)
   • Print out academic history for submission
   • Interview to be held in January if my application is nominated for approval
2. apply for student visa/passport, book flights etc. (post approval stuff, think about that once i get accepted)
3. Save up money ($10,000 is the goal!)

Ugh… thats a pretty daunting check list, but i’ve got a while to do it all so it should all be good and worth it!

The good thing is that i’ve already spoken to my exchange officer and she pretty much guaranteed my friend and I that we will get accepted due to the low demand of students applying to go to Japan in the Fall/Autumn season. So that’s good news… all we have to do is keep our GPA above 4.5 (on the 7.0 GPA scale) for the rest of the year. I’m on a 5.0 now and it wasn’t too much trouble, so another one semester like the last would help.

As for which university to apply for, my friend and I have our hearts set on Kansai Gaidai near Osaka in Japan. That university looks great and seems like a very accommodating university for exchange students. The bad news about that is that our university only allows 2 people to exchange to Kansai Gaidai per semester! If more people apply, they then select students according to GPA! So we gotta get that GPA up so that if anyone else applies they’ll choose my friend and I over other applicants. But the exchange officer said its possible that we will be the only 2 applicants, so come September 26th, we’re gonna call up the university and ask how many people applied to Kansai Gaidai. If its just the 2 of us, then it’s all smooth sailing. If one of us don’t make it to Kansai Gaidai, we’ve agreed to both go to another university together.

Academic credits… Luckily I had recieved a Diploma in Game Development prior to starting at my university and for that I received a billion general credits! (slight exaggeration… but only slight ). Which, as it turns out, means i don’t have electives, which in turn means i cannot study anything that is not related to my course and recieve credit to my degree. Now Game Development would obviously fall under Information Technology, and Kansai Gaidai is a business school with no IT related subjects taught in English. But my course Co-ordinator lady is awesome and she messed around with my subjects and my credits and now i’m able to go to Japan and study whatever I want and get credits. (btw i have to recieve credits from my study in Japan otherwise I can’t go). This just means I can now go to Japan, but my degree will be extended by 6 months… NO WORRIES! Small price to pay for a life changing experience in my opinion.

Scholarships eh…. I need them! Unfortunately if I don’t receive a scholarship to go and study in Japan I can’t go. But! Remember how I mentioned that the Exchange officer said there was a low demand of students exchanging to Japan in Autumn/Fall? Well they’ve got 15 scholarships to hand out, and the exchange officer said there will NOT BE 15 people applying, which means I’ll get a scholarship. No worries there….

Apart from that i’m good to apply it seems. Everything else is just general admin stuff: filling out of forms, writing a proposal, getting passport photo’s etc. Once we get the OK that we have been approved to study overseas then i’ll look at passports and student visa’s etc. etc. I get notified of my acceptance in January next year. This leaves a good 8 months or so to get everything sorted.

As for money… hahaha Money always seems to find me one way or the other. Money is never something i’ve ever desired or wanted and so for some reason it always comes to me when i need it. Through extra work on the holidays, scholarships etc. If i fall a bit short by a couple thousand I am able to take out a special loan of up to $5000 that I pay back with my taxes, much like the scheme that pays for my education. So i’ll hit that up for the remainder of any funds needed. When I go to Japan, I don’t want to have any money troubles… So hopefully I can set myself up nicely by then.

Just a couple Miscellaneous points:

• No, I cannot speak Japanese… But I am learning, I even have a Japanese subject at university scheduled for me next year before I go to Japan. Obviously that won’t be enough, but I will also be studying Japanese whilst in Japan and my other classes will be in English. My friend I am going with is quite good at Japanese.
• My fellow band members have given me the OK to go to Japan for the 4- 5months.

Well yeah, that’s where I’m at for now. The Road to Japan is definitely a lengthy one, and I have to remember to keep my spirits up, and remember what my goal is and how much it means to me. I’ve had some bad experiences where I’ve thrown away excellent opportunities but it’s not gonna happen this time. I’m going to Japan next August, no matter how hard it is to save money, or how many bumps I hit on the road.

I’ll keep you guys up to date on my progress and the Road To Japan, but i’ll throw in some other cool stuff along the way. Then once I reach Japan, I’m gonna write about it as much as I can so I can keep the memories of all the awesome times I had there as fresh as I can.

Ciao for Now!!