i feel the earth. move. under my feet.

Today is not an ordinary day.

Today is extraordinary.

It is memorable.

It is different because...

...I woke up and everything was moving. I think it was the sound that woke me up but I'm not sure - it was loud and intrusive and it didn't take a moment for me to wake up. I was asleep and then I was awake. Simple as that. By the time my eyes had opened, I was already sitting up in my bed and my brain was working overtime. It felt like my thinking process took forever because everything felt so foreign but in fact it was probably less than a second. My feet hit the floor before I told them to and I felt around the sides of my bed as I usually do when it's dark. My fingers found the door handle. I opened it and stepped out. It was hard to walk straight. My heart was beating really fast and everything around me was was so loud and I don't remember what I was thinking. I opened my parents door and simply said "get up". My mother came out of the darkness and I felt her next to me and she passed me with "Thank you, Jesus" and she went on to my brothers bedroom. I can't describe my thought process. I don't fully remember. But we all got up, each fumbled around in our dark spaces to find clothing. Find light. And get out. Just get out. Yet in the midst of the noise, the chaos, the uncertainty, the danger...I found peace. Peace that transcended all my limited understanding of what was happening to my world. For this morning, at 4:35am, we were struck with an earthquake. Praise you, Jesus, for your care and protection.

These photos were taken in the centre of town. Thankfully the damage is not nearly so bad where I live. The CBD has been the worst affected, as there were many old buildings. We are fortunate that housing in the majority of the suburbs have withstood the force well. Our city has been and continues to be in a civil state of emergency and still continue to feel aftershocks (in fact, I just felt another one). Thank you, Jesus, there have been no lives lost. People have begun to say that it's a miracle that we were hit by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake and have had no casualties. God has His hand of protection over my beloved home. To Him be all the praise and glory. I'm off to bed now. Hopefully I'll be able to sleep without too much disturbance:-) If you'd like more details, try here.

day four - a favourite tv show.

Ok. So now comes the time when I admit to the world that I am...a gleek. I love Glee. Love it. It's a little cheesy, I know, but there's just something about it that gets me excited about Friday night TV. I love that there are songs to sing-along and songs that are new to me and I think, "Oh, I have to look that one up cause it's a goody". And they have a fabulously diverse cast that portray a variety of personalities and characterizations of the typical teenager. Not that I ever was one - a typical teenager, that is:-)

So yeah. I would include a blub about my day here, but it's the kind of day worthy of a post all of its very own. You might even know what I mean;)

September Challenge

day three - a favourite book.

Again, too many favourites to mention. So this is not the top of the 'favourite' pile, just one of my top picks:-)

Persuasion by Jane Austen. At heart, a simple story about lost love and the possibility of second chances. Love it. I won't divulge the plot. Either you know it already, have a fair idea about it or have never heard of it and will consequently look it up on Google. But whichever category you put yourself in, I do highly recommend it.

September Challenge

day two - a favourite movie.

I have lots of favourite movies. They generally tend to stay within the range of chick flicks, dramas, period dramas (yes, definitely love those), some action and occasionally even a psychological suspense/thriller. So I thought I'd go with something a little bit different, something that surprised me the first time I watched it. And once it had got my attention, it captivated and intrigued me the more times I watched it. It's a little french gem (although, I will warn you, if you are easily offended, you may disagree with my taste. There are a few questionable undercurrents and scenes that don't sit right and I'm the first one to admit that I don't love that). However, I love the movie as a whole. It's complex. It has twists and turns and ups and downs that leave you wondering what just happened and totally in the dark about what's coming next. You never know what's going to happen next. Never. Yet it's not a scary thriller, which I love about it. As much as I love rom-coms, they do leave something to be desired regarding their average, predictable endings. No such thing with this one, and it is...

As adults, best friends Julien and Sophie continue the odd game they started as children -- a fearless competition to outdo one another with daring and outrageous stunts. Part ultra-modern cartoon fairy-tale, part bold psychological probe into the games we play in life and love, the tale starts, as many classic fairytales do, with two unhappy children. Julien is endlessly energetic and precociously brilliant, but unable to bear the heartbreak of his mother's impending death. Sohpie is wildly imaginative, mischievous and determined to be different, yet in search of someone who'll both accept and love her. But the game becomes something far larger and more thrilling than the sad and disappointing world around them. Will it ultimately destroy or save its players?

Loosely translated, the title means 'Children's Games' which I think is more fitting than the official english title 'Love Me if You Dare'. I'm not sure if it's a very widely available movie, but definately worth a watch.

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Today:
I've walked the dog to post a letter.
Been window shopping with my mum on her day off .
Went all the way to university only to tell my friend 'I told you so' because there was no class.
Spent the evening watching tv and writing this blog post. Yes, very productive, I know.

To read about my September Challenged, go here.

time for a september challenge.

Hello September!! Which also means: Hello Spring! You've been a long time coming or so it seems. The days are lengthening. How I've missed the sun's sun-shinery goodness!

September also welcomes a challenge for me (which I'll explain in a bit) and a plethora of university assignments due ON THE SAME DAY!! That being day number 24. Do I have permission to somewhat freak out about how much there is to do in so little time?! Arrrrgh!! Calm down. I'm sure it will be fine. I'm just hoping to chip away at it a little every day and then it will all magical fall into place on the day without any major stressfulness. As to the other challenge I mentioned, let me introduce to you my September Challenge: A question or piece of information to share every day for thirty days. The point is, hopefully, to share more about myself without going completely overboard and boring you. Well, that's the plan anyhow.


DAY ONE: WHAT'S ONE OF YOUR FAVOURITE SONGS?

Well, you'd think that it would be easy to start off with, right? At first glance, I suppose it is quite a simple question but I think it's so hard for me to pick just one! But after much careful contemplation, the final pick is...



So, tough decision to narrow it down but it did ask for only one of my favourites:-)
It all really depends on my mood, which dictates the music I choose to listen to - right now, it's jazz and a bit of Ella goes down a treat.

Today I am recovering from a cold, procrastinating from doing study and desperate to do my nails. They've gone for a week with a lovely shade of orange (which I never thought I'd like but I love) and they're looking tacky. So I shall be off to do that then!