Long Belated Update

I know its been a while since I updated the old faithful blog. A lot has happened. Brett, Matt and I have moved into a nice new flat that has cheaper rent. Its a beautiful old house with a nice patterned ceiling and a fireplace. I have also started a new job. Yep I finally left the Canterbury Shop and am now working for a career support/youth transition service called the Canterbury Youth Transition Service or CYTS for short. It is based on the Workin It Out model already in place in Southland. For more info check out their website at http://www.wio.co.nz

Part of my job is to provide internal tech support for the computers and phone system we use. The other main part of it is to follow up on school leavers throughout the whole Canterbury Region and see how they are doing with work, study or training since leaving High School.

Even though we are a new service operating in Canterbury we have had such a warm reception which makes the job all the more worthwhile.

I have a ton of photos to post when I have them uploaded. They include pics of our new flat, my job and other bits and pieces.

In other news, this saturday with a bit of luck I will be travelling to Curio Bay for a camping trip with SGNLS* Invercargill. And this saturday also marks One year and Eight months together with Brett.

A lot has been happening this year which I have neglected to tell. Mum and Lucy came down to Invercargill for a couple of days for a short break. I am so glad they did as it gave them a chance to see where I live and for them to meet Brett.

The weather has also gotten worse down this end of the country. Walking to work today I was almost bowled over by some huge winds. And in the midst of the horrible weather, the Tour of Southland started today. Poor cyclists trying to contend with the southern wind.

Anyways, best head off and back to work. More updates coming soon...I promise

~Sam xx

* Southland Gay and Lesbian Support

Informant - And Small People Talk About Wine

Informant - And Small People Talk About Wine
Originally uploaded by enetheru_2006.

I made this on a facebook challenge to make an album cover using Wikipedias Random Article, a site of quotations and a photo on flickrs 7day thing

Semester Begins

Well yesterday SIT O Week officially started with regular mayhem and chaos. I have also officially started my new course and am finding it extremely enjoyable, but i'm not looking forward to the assessment for Accounting and Finance. It seems like a cold is making its rounds down here, three of my friends, myself and brett have all caught it to some extent. I guess thats the price to pay for living in the deep south :)

Linkages

Long time since I last updated here,

Due to time constraints, i might not be able to update my blog as much as I would like so check out my facebook below

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1317747409

Miller Family Photo minus the Father

Brett (right), Brett's Mum (center), Brett's Brother (left)
Originally uploaded by enetheru_2006.

This photo was taken in Queens Park a few days before his brother left to live in australia.

Brett and I in the Otepuni Park

Brett and I in the Otepuni Park
Originally uploaded by enetheru_2006.

This photo was taken in the Otepuni Park which is only a walk over the stopbanks away from our flat

Flatting

Well its been a busy 4 weeks here in the deep south. My course is finished and i'm now living in a flat with Brett and a few mates. It's a few minutes walk to SIT and also to where I work. When I have uploaded my photos i'll be able to show you what its like.

~Sam

Poem from Lucy

~>Fare thee Well <~

you now watch from above
as we live with your love
forever and always in our hearts
so many feelings, where to start?
no one knows

my tears could've filled a bath
what I'd do to hear your laugh
i hadn't seen you for a long time
song teddy is no longer mine
he is ours

you live on in all of us forever
in some ways the family came together
i tried to stay strong
of course that didn't last long
i broke down

i was a Paul bearer I've never been so proud
when i think about it now, there was quite a crowd
putting those flowers in your grave
i don't think I'll ever be as brave
never again

thinking of you everyday
always considering what you would say
everything i do is for you
we all know it's true

when you are in my dreams
so real, they seem
i know you can see me
from all lifes troubles you are now free

i think about all the small things
all the memories they bring
one day we will meet up again
but until then

i love you
we love you
i miss you
we all miss you xxx

Young Labour

With the impending election and the furious campaigning going on, I have decided to take a more active role in Young Labour while living in the Southland Electorate. After reading Dad's article about National's Education Policy it made me get fired up in local politics. Following this post I will be putting up some images of what I have been up to down here at SIT.

National's Education Policy

Courtesy of my father at http://principalpossum.blogspot.com

Those of you who followed my blog during my sabbatical will realise the opposition I have developed to the US system of annual testing of students throught primary and intermediate years. Schools, Principals and teachers were entirely focused on preparing their kids for the tests each year (from age 7 up!) as they were judged on how their kids did.

USA was ranked 42nd in the International PISA tests while NZ was ranked in the top 5 so why are we planning to copy such a programme?

We have to oppose this at all costs. Weighing the pig does not make it any fatter!

NZ schools already regularly assess student progress to inform further strategies. There is no need to have a centrally imposed and driven programme which has the intention (according to their policy) of comparing students in one school with another.

This crock of shit is a populist strategy for which there is no credible research to support it.

You will have different important policy positions which determine your vote. For me, education is one of the most important issues and National's position on regular testing makes it impossible for me not to let as many people as possible know what they are up to.

The NZ education system is in good health. Young people are more literate and numerate as a group than any before. We do have a longish tail of under achievement which is largely ethnically centred and with programmes such as Te Kotahitanga and Ka Hikitia we are making inroads in this area.

If National are elected and push this policy through I will struggle to remain involved in education to my current level in New Zealand.

Holidays

My holidays have started and only a few days til I start shooting my 15 Minute Film for BDM-131 (Practical Filming). So far things have been cold and quiet down here, except for the Hercules flight that flew by a few days ago. I've still been job hunting like mad but things are doing well down here. Its only a small update today until I upload my photos to flickr.

Forbidden Broadway Again

So I was asked to post about Forbidden Broadway. Until I get the still captures from the footage I took i will instead post the article from the Southland Times about it.

"The musicals Chicago, Cats and Mammia Mia are all targets of satire in the Invercargill Musical Theatre's latest show.


Forbidden Broadway, which begins tomorrow night, is a comedy spoof of some of the world's best loved musicals.

The show features spoof songs from musicals such as Phantom of the Opera to Annie.

Director Craig Waddell said Forbidden Broadway is the Australasian premiere of the show, which has been on Broadway since the 1980s.

"It's a bit of a piss-take at musicals really ... People will certainly recognise the music, but the lyrics will be different," he said.

The show stars eight of the theatre's more experienced singers, he said.

Held at Repertory House, it was designed to be a smaller, more intimate show than the previous production of Cats.

"We just wanted to try something different." The show will run from tomorrow night until September 13, although there is no performance on Sunday.

Tickets are $25 and available from the Invercargill City Council booking office."

Click on the link http://www.stuff.co.nz/southlandtimes/4681187a16895.html to see the article with a photo. In the photo, the girl to the far left is my friend Jaz who secured us Sponsors Gala tickets

Weekend

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday,

Today I celebrate two significant events: Fathers Day, and Mine and Brett's 6 months together. I am writing this post from the Multimedia Lab at SIT. It turns out I can multi-task because Im writing this post and also working on my script. Well I was the good son this afternoon cos I rang home and wished dad a happy fathers day. This is going to be a real short post today. My mind appears to be having a seizure right now and I can't think of anything intellectual to write without resorting to ranting - which i wont do.

Forbidden Broadway

Tonight is the Australasian Premiere of the Musical "Forbidden Broadway". The reason I am posting this is because my friend Jaz has a lead role and got Brett and I tickets to the Sponsors Gala. The show is a spoof of other musicals such as Rent, Mamma Mia, Fiddler on the Roof etc. I will be taking photos to post on the blog because Flash Photography is encouraged.

I will post my thoughts on the show tomorrow.

I've been keeping up with reading the family blogs which is quite interesting.

Grandma,
Im glad the HTML trick worked for your counter and it's good to see that the Kereru is back in the trees.

Mum,
You now know the Technological Age is nothing to be feared

Dad,
Did you create that wiki that is linked on your Blog? If so, you really need to change the colour scheme

Only a short post today as I got most of it out last week. Will post again in a few days

~Sam

New Week

So i got a facebook message from dad telling me to update my blog. Well a new week has started here in the deep south. I must admit I had a pretty guiet weekend. Brett stayed at the Grand and we hung out with a few mates and watched some tv. I love lazy weekends when its quiet.

Anyway so today Brett departs from Invercargill for 3 days to Auckland so he can undergo induction training for ANZ. He is staying at the Waitakere Estate for the duration of the course. I also handed in my 30s commercial for Practical Filming. I would post a youtube link for it, but I don't have the clearance for the actors. So instead I might put it on CD and post it up.

I've also been hearing from Mum and Dad through email and a couple of postcards. The last couple of weeks however have been a bit rough. I've seen the SIT nurse and the SIT counsellor. I think I will be making another appointment with her.

I also offer my sincere apologies for the no update recently. I've been snowed under at Tech and my internet decided to play up. Damn Wireless Router lol. So anyways in Web and Graphic Design we have been doing HTML websites which I am flying through. I guess the only bad thing is the tutor hardly lets me answer questions...unless nobody else can answer. I've also been helping a few of my classmates with HTML code and I helped one of my floormates at the grand with her Poster assignment.
Today, Patrick, the Practical Filming tutor gave us one last chance to drop out of the Practical Filming paper - which there is no chance of me doing - I've dreamed of making films since I was about 6 years old when Dad used to bring home the clunky old VHS Analog Cameras. Since being at SIT i've almost orgasmed (pardon the expression) at the opportunities to use Professional equipment in out productions.

My next big undertaking is to learn about CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) for Web Design and also to complete the Pre-Production for our 12-15 short film project.

This week in Business and Legal Studies we are studying the Law of Contract which will help for the end of year assignment where we have to talk about a national event and do budgets, hiring,legal aspects etc. So I decied to do the Motu Challenge seeing as I can contact the organisers and sponsors when necessary.

Well now it seems i'm beginning to rant a wee bit, so I will rant just a bit more.

I have now got a new film obsession. "Rent". Based on the stage show, its got the most amazing music which I intend to buy. Also one of my musical friends landed a role in "Forbidden Broadway", a musical show which pokes the piss at other musicals. So as a lead actress she got Brett and I free tickets to the Final Dress Rehearsal, so I will have to take my camera and post some images on flickr.

Well thats it from me for a couple of days and I will hopefully have more to say and less to rant about :)

~Sam

Queens Park and Filming

Today Brett and I decided to have a catch up with our mate Laura who used to live here at the Grand. So we made a time to meet, and we took Jaz with us. We spent 4 hours in Queens Park looking at the Bird Aviary and the wild animals. It was an awesome afternoon, I don't think I have laughed as much in the last couple weeks.

Also this morning, my group finished filming for our 30s TV Commerical. From here on out - well til friday is just editing so we can hand it in all ready for marking. I think I might brush up on my Final Cut skills as well. Also on the friday our commercial is due, we also have our poster for Web and Graphic Design due. There is a draft idea posted below of what I might use for my assesment.

I've been looking after myself too, my cold was about to flare up again - which would not have been pleasent - but I managed to keep if from being too dramatic.

I am also in the process of pre-production for a 15 minute film for Practical Filming. I have a script started so I am keeping up with all my work. I also topped up my printer credits so I can print my activity for Business and Legal Studies off too.

Emily Dickinson Poster

Emily Dickinson Poster
Originally uploaded by enetheru_2006.

This is the poster we did for Week 4 Tutorial in Photoshop