There's a joke that back in the day parishioners would dry out their used tea bags to send to missionaries overseas as part of their effort to support them. But reusing teabags is something no one seems to understand or do except me.
I was drinking a cup of tea the other day and thought that I might try reusing the tea bag, because my tea was very strong, and the bag looked like it still had some life in it. So I made another cup and it was a perfectly fine cup of tea. The third wasn't too great though, it tasted like milky water, which is, I suppose, what it is to a lot of people.
But the art in reusing a tea bag is in drying it out. I left a tea bag to dry instead of reusing it straightaway, and the second (and third) cup was as strong as the first. Unfortunately, the tea bag got thrown out by someone in the family because it ain't a good look to have a collection of labelled tea bags when people are about to be visiting you ("and this one is from last week, Earl Grey..."). So while I think it could have done a fourth cup, I have yet to been able to try it.
Another thing which is a big no-no is leaving the bag in when milk is added. The government departments in NZ advocate putting in the milk before adding the hot water, but when you do that, the tea bag gets milk in it. And you don't want to leave a milky tea bag around to dry because you'd be starting a science project if you do it. And when you put in milk before the hot water, it will automatically cool the hot water, meaning the tea will not be as hot and will take longer to infuse.
So take out the tea bag before putting in the milk. And when the tea bag does get really ick, you can just throw it into the compost bin (it's just leaves after all). My mum does this part, but she takes the bag out after milk, so technically it's not just vegetation that's going into the bin.
But digressing onto other matters, nothing much has happened in the last couple of weeks that is worth saying. I injured my knee again (it's an old sports injury), so have been sitting around studying because there's not much else to do during study week and you're immobile. In a way it's a blessing in disguise. But other than that, not much...
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Oh, Gee! Oh, Joy!
Yesterday was a day of many lasts: last day at uni (ever), last 8.30 lecture (thankfully), last tutors' lunch (which I missed because of a meeting that ran overtime), last lecturer evaluation form, last terms test, last coffee with one of my best friends, last lunch in the Law School cafe... and then I remembered there was one more 'last' to come. I have an exam in a couple of weeks. But only a couple of weeks...
It's amazing how time flies. I'm graduating with one degree in December this year, with another next year, I'm starting full-time work early next year. It didn't seem that long ago I was just at high school... but it has been 5 years. And it's been a long time. And I leave the uni phase of my life with mixed feelings.
IT'S OVER!!! I can't believe I made it...
But enough reminiscing. It's going to be a great couple of weeks leading up to the exams, and it's going to be a great almost-4 months of holiday after that. I've only got the one exam, so I'm going to study slowly and relaxingly. My study buddy is really on to it despite being really busy, so I'm going to do some harder slog in the next week so that when we meet for study I have lots to contribute. After the exam, I'm going to do some work for the university for a week or so, and then it's pure holiday until my grandparents come for my graduation, and then the Christmas season will be upon us. In mid-January the grandparents are going back, and I'm going with them to see my god-cousin (son of my mother's god-sister, who is like an aunt to me), and enjoy the first week of Chinese New Year (if my calculations are right). Then back to Welly 2 days before I start work...
Joke of the week: Three girls stood in front of a mirror which would zap you and make you disappear if you said something to it which was untrue. The first girl, a brunette, went in front of the mirror and said, "I think I am the smartest person in the world", and immediately she was zapped and disappeared. The next girl, a redhead, went in front of the mirror and said, "I think I am the most beautiful girl in the world," and she too got zapped and disappeared. The last girl, a blonde (you knew it would be, ay?), went before the mirror and said, "I think...", and she disappeared.
It's amazing how time flies. I'm graduating with one degree in December this year, with another next year, I'm starting full-time work early next year. It didn't seem that long ago I was just at high school... but it has been 5 years. And it's been a long time. And I leave the uni phase of my life with mixed feelings.
IT'S OVER!!! I can't believe I made it...
But enough reminiscing. It's going to be a great couple of weeks leading up to the exams, and it's going to be a great almost-4 months of holiday after that. I've only got the one exam, so I'm going to study slowly and relaxingly. My study buddy is really on to it despite being really busy, so I'm going to do some harder slog in the next week so that when we meet for study I have lots to contribute. After the exam, I'm going to do some work for the university for a week or so, and then it's pure holiday until my grandparents come for my graduation, and then the Christmas season will be upon us. In mid-January the grandparents are going back, and I'm going with them to see my god-cousin (son of my mother's god-sister, who is like an aunt to me), and enjoy the first week of Chinese New Year (if my calculations are right). Then back to Welly 2 days before I start work...
Joke of the week: Three girls stood in front of a mirror which would zap you and make you disappear if you said something to it which was untrue. The first girl, a brunette, went in front of the mirror and said, "I think I am the smartest person in the world", and immediately she was zapped and disappeared. The next girl, a redhead, went in front of the mirror and said, "I think I am the most beautiful girl in the world," and she too got zapped and disappeared. The last girl, a blonde (you knew it would be, ay?), went before the mirror and said, "I think...", and she disappeared.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
I Can't Be Bothered Now
I am so glad it's over. I never have to play the piano ever again (unless I have failed one component, and I hope I haven't).
Everything went OK, can't say it was fantastic, nor was it abysmal. Bach was nice, Mozart first movement a bit too fast, but not as much as in the competition, second movement bored even me to tears, but it was in time (does that compensate for anything?), third movement was OK, a few too many mistakes than I would be happy with, Chopin was OK but for the mistakes, Gershwin was great as usual.
The Viva Voce was disarmingly simple, and I think I stressed myself out about it so much that I couldn't see the wood from the trees and said some totally stupid things before calming down and saying things in sentences. The sight-reading (it's called a Quick Study- yeah right) was fine... until it came to performing it. I played it through twice reasonably well in the 5 minutes preparation time, but when the real thing came, I screwed up the rhythm in the canon in a jazz style (who ever heard of that?), and everything sort of fell to bits after that. But hopefully I did well enough to warrant a pass.
It doesn't help to wake up the next morning with a headache from the celebratory drink or few (brother: "it's called a hangover"), and then realise that I actually did know how to play that jazz bass rhythm. In fact, I had played a whole piece with that rhythm throughout it. Makes you want to find a wall and knock your head against it, except that it would hurt. Oh, and then survive on Coke the whole day so that it will corrode my insides. Just joking- Coke is just about the only substance that can keep me going when I'm knackered. "Must be holy chips or something" (Pedro in Napoleon Dynamite- the ultimate cool person's movie). Actually it's probably the caffeine and the copious quantities of sugar. Hey, that's a nice bit of alliteration there. Tehe.
Oh well, at least it's over. And I can start studying again. And perhaps clear up the war zone that is my bedroom. You don't know how relieved I am. Where's a wall when you need one?!
Everything went OK, can't say it was fantastic, nor was it abysmal. Bach was nice, Mozart first movement a bit too fast, but not as much as in the competition, second movement bored even me to tears, but it was in time (does that compensate for anything?), third movement was OK, a few too many mistakes than I would be happy with, Chopin was OK but for the mistakes, Gershwin was great as usual.
The Viva Voce was disarmingly simple, and I think I stressed myself out about it so much that I couldn't see the wood from the trees and said some totally stupid things before calming down and saying things in sentences. The sight-reading (it's called a Quick Study- yeah right) was fine... until it came to performing it. I played it through twice reasonably well in the 5 minutes preparation time, but when the real thing came, I screwed up the rhythm in the canon in a jazz style (who ever heard of that?), and everything sort of fell to bits after that. But hopefully I did well enough to warrant a pass.
It doesn't help to wake up the next morning with a headache from the celebratory drink or few (brother: "it's called a hangover"), and then realise that I actually did know how to play that jazz bass rhythm. In fact, I had played a whole piece with that rhythm throughout it. Makes you want to find a wall and knock your head against it, except that it would hurt. Oh, and then survive on Coke the whole day so that it will corrode my insides. Just joking- Coke is just about the only substance that can keep me going when I'm knackered. "Must be holy chips or something" (Pedro in Napoleon Dynamite- the ultimate cool person's movie). Actually it's probably the caffeine and the copious quantities of sugar. Hey, that's a nice bit of alliteration there. Tehe.
Oh well, at least it's over. And I can start studying again. And perhaps clear up the war zone that is my bedroom. You don't know how relieved I am. Where's a wall when you need one?!
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