I regret to inform you...

My Fellow Mature-aged Bloggers,

How should I say this?  Well, let me see...you know how a couple of posts ago, I told you I was going to take a summer semester course in Intensive Beginners Italian?  Well, I regret to inform you that...I'm so tired and I just don't think I can do it!!!  Despite my lecturer telling me it's a great course; you'll learn a lot; you'll get another 10 credit points out of the way - I'm...just...so...tired!  It's partly the 'Intensive' that's putting me off - I just don't think I can do anything too 'intense' at my age.  And I seriously think I need to give my mental self a break and concentrate on my physical self. 

I just read this morning that a recent study reveals 2 out of 3 Australians are overweight or obese.  2 out of 3!  I just know I'm one of them.  Sitting in front of this laptop; researching, reading and writing essays has taken its toll on my short, broad frame.  I'm not obese but I am fat and I really, really feel the need to work on my bod over the summer.  I owe it to my kids; I owe it to my fellow Aussies; and more importantly, I owe it to myself.

I've done well this semester; I've proven myself intellectually capable.  I deserve a break.  So apart from (stupidly and publicly) committing to re-reading all those 'classics' over the summer, the only remotely 'intense' activity that will be taking place in the gym...hopefully.

Forgive me?

Dumb and dumber

The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.

B.B. King

I don't know about you but the longer I stay at university, the dumber I feel and it's given me great insight into the fact that I can't know everything because there's so much to know.  And this is the great testament to the saying 'lifelong learning'.

However, having said that, what I have learned, I'm keen to put to the test.  I've decided that over the summer, apart from taking a beginner's Italian course, I'm going to re-read all those literature greats that I just didn't 'get' the first time around - as well as those that I thought I got, just to see if I did, if fact, get them.

So, here's my summer re-reading list:

Mrs Dalloway - I started reading this many, many, many years ago and when I say 'started', I mean just that.  It's very rare that I don't actually finish reading anything, no matter how bad.  I just didn't understand the first thing about Modernism or stream of consciousness.  Now I am aware of those literary techniuqes, but that doesn't mean I'll enjoy it!

All seven of Jane Austen's novels...yeah, right!  Maybe just Pride and Prejudice - I've always been a huge fan and always will but I've only re-read Emma - gasp, horror! I identified myself in class yesterday as being a 'huge fan' and was then asked to quote the first line of Pride and Prejudice...really?  Apparently MOST Jane Austen fans are familiar with the first line and its irony...embarrassing!  But I have been to her house in Chawton, if that accounts for anything?

Madame Bovary - I first read this about five years ago and remember wishing I'd read it in my teens.  I want to re-read it to see if those feelings are warranted.

My brilliant career - I read this when I first entered my foray into university and I loved, loved, loved it.  It's Australian for one thing and I've since become a 'fan' of Miles Franklin.

Bossypants - Okay, it's not a classic but I've never actually read this one and after reading the others, I might be looking for something hilariously funny.

So that little list should keep me busy over the summer.  There will be no book reviews, by the way, but I will let you know if my opinions about them have changed due to my higher learning!

I must be mad

I don't have any words of wisdom this week.  The semester is nearing an end and I find myself completely unmotivated to complete the last three assignments.  They're all well spaced out and that may be the reason I'm not my usual stressed-to-the-max self - it feels as if I have all the time in the world, not just three weeks.

That may be the reason why I've (stupidly?) enrolled to do a course over the summer - Italian for Beginners, an intensive four week course worth 10 credit points. 

'Four weeks'?  I said to myself, 'easy'!

 Well I guess I'll see how easy it is after a week of 9am-2pm days learning a completely new language.  It's those damn 10 credit points that got me - that would only leave me six subjects to finish next year, three a semester! 

I have always wanted to learn Italian.  In fact, I started a beginners course in Italian last year but had to drop it.  I found it too hard to learn while doing two other subjects.  At least over the summer I won't have to worry about fitting it in around other subjects, I suppose.

Yeah, it'll be fine.

Oh God, what have I done...

Life's a beach

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.

Helen Keller

Well, escaping for a few days, sans technology, worked wonders.  Teenage Daughter had no money for credit, so the phone was out of the question; there was no internet access (well there was but I told them there wasn't!); and the TV didn't go on until 7pm at which time we were all so tired, we were in bed by 8.30.  So for three days it was absolute bliss with nothing but the sun, the surf and ourselves for company -until we returned home and TD fled straight into her room, onto Twitter and I haven't seen her since!

It was good while it lasted and it was just the break I needed before having to return to uni yesterday, where I arrived over an hour early for my first class (I was so keen and motivated), only to find five minutes before class started the lecture had actually been cancelled.  That didn't worry me too much - only that I was hoping to get some results for an assignment I handed in before the break. 

After bumping into another mature-aged student who also didn't get the early morning email about the cancellation of said class, we decided to have coffee and began to chat about what we were going to do once our degrees are finished - a popular topic not only amongst my peers but with everyone I come into contact with.  Family and friends are forever asking what I'll do when, after seven more subjects
(S-E-V-E-N!!!), I will have a degree.  My friend and I decided we just don't know and it's okay that we just don't know.  We're still figuring it all out and a decision will be made somewhere along the way - we're sure.

For now, this whole university/discovering myself thing is still a big adventure and I'm just enjoying the ride.  YeeHa!!