Post by: Joseph41 on March 13, 2017, 06:48:05 pm
You don't have to write much. And who knows? You might find somebody with similar passions. ;D
(I'm going to do ten of mine lol - just because I've been thinking about it. But feel free to list just one or two!)
Spoiler
Design
The day before preferences were due, all 12 (or eight or however many we had in 2012) of my preferences were design-based. My #1 preference was Industrial Design at RMIT, and then Communication Design. I had (very) a late change of heart for a number of reasons, but design remains a passion - and I'm definitely rekindling it as a hobby.
Sport
Primarily cricket and footy. I played cricket a lot until a few years ago, when I practically retired at age 18 or something lol. And I'm a tragic supporter of the Melbourne Football Club, which has been... interesting. :/
Reading
Mostly classics, but I need to read more. Ever since uni started, I haven't really been able to read for fun haha.
Linguistics
Huuuuge passion, particularly sociolinguistics. I'd love to pursue my PhD in Discourse Analysis, probably focusing on the intersection between language, the media, sport and gender (so like, how the media linguistically represents female and male athletes). My Honours thesis was similar, but considered the gendered media portrayal of Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard.
Writing
Poetry.
Coffee
It's horrible, but I don't function well without it.
Mindfulness
And I need to do it waaaayyyy more. I really recommend this to anybody, by the way - there are lots of supported benefits.
Philosophy
Developed this passion at uni - and I think it's a pretty cool one.
Travel
There's honestly nothing quite like it. Scotland and South Korea are next on my list.
ATAR Notes
Clearly haha. I spend 26 hours per day perusing the Forums.
The day before preferences were due, all 12 (or eight or however many we had in 2012) of my preferences were design-based. My #1 preference was Industrial Design at RMIT, and then Communication Design. I had (very) a late change of heart for a number of reasons, but design remains a passion - and I'm definitely rekindling it as a hobby.
Sport
Primarily cricket and footy. I played cricket a lot until a few years ago, when I practically retired at age 18 or something lol. And I'm a tragic supporter of the Melbourne Football Club, which has been... interesting. :/
Reading
Mostly classics, but I need to read more. Ever since uni started, I haven't really been able to read for fun haha.
Linguistics
Huuuuge passion, particularly sociolinguistics. I'd love to pursue my PhD in Discourse Analysis, probably focusing on the intersection between language, the media, sport and gender (so like, how the media linguistically represents female and male athletes). My Honours thesis was similar, but considered the gendered media portrayal of Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard.
Writing
Poetry.
Coffee
It's horrible, but I don't function well without it.
Mindfulness
And I need to do it waaaayyyy more. I really recommend this to anybody, by the way - there are lots of supported benefits.
Philosophy
Developed this passion at uni - and I think it's a pretty cool one.
Travel
There's honestly nothing quite like it. Scotland and South Korea are next on my list.
ATAR Notes
Clearly haha. I spend 26 hours per day perusing the Forums.
Looking forward to hearing about all of your lives! :)
Post by: jamonwindeyer on March 13, 2017, 07:00:10 pm
(http://i.imgur.com/AqQhnW5.png)
Should those statistics make me reconsider my life choices? ;)
But in seriousness, also electronics (I'm in my third year of studying it, so I'd hope so!), programming (reasonably fluent in C and Perl, have dabbled in Python, Swift and Visual Basic), music (love all sorts of music, have been playing guitar for 7 years, I sing too but the jury is out on how well), education (I am a tutor as well as being an AN afficianado ;)) and technology (I'm a self professed Apple fanboy) ;D
Post by: Joseph41 on March 13, 2017, 07:03:13 pm
Post by: jamonwindeyer on March 13, 2017, 07:09:21 pm
^Jamon, why have I seen no singing on the official ATAR Notes HSC Snapchat account?
I'll have to rectify that for you somewhere down the line ;D
Post by: sweetiepi on March 13, 2017, 07:14:51 pm
CoffeeI agree. Hence why I don't drink it. ;)
It's horrible
Should those statistics make me reconsider my life choices? ;)Definitely not. :P (I mean I have about 37 and a half days clocked up here, maybe I should go read a book or something? :P )
Anyways, things I'm into:
- I'm really into looking at drugs and their chemical structures and how they work, it's always just intrigued me. (I even have some of my faves stuck up on the wall!
- Reading. If anyone's ever sees my timeline- all they'd really see is book updates. I just love reading. Enough said.
- Music. Apart from the listening to it, I've managed over the years to progress from singing songs like Lollipop to playing bass. Music's literally everywhere for me.
- Hot Choc. I can't get enough of it. It's my #1 energy source.
Edit: Typos
Post by: jamonwindeyer on March 13, 2017, 07:19:40 pm
- I'm really into looking at drugs
Come on, you KNOW this bit made me do a double take
Post by: sweetiepi on March 13, 2017, 07:24:09 pm
Come on, you KNOW this bit made me do a double takeSurely it's also specific to the degree I'm doing
;)(People always double take that :P )
Post by: geminii on March 13, 2017, 07:46:28 pm
By far my BIGGEST passion is health. It was only recently that I realised that being healthy not only helps yourself, it also helps the people around you and the entire world too (I'm actually not exaggerating!)! -> http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts/
I didn't realise that health is such an important part of life - in fact, health is the key to a good life - and so that was how I decided I was going to do everything humanly possible, and perhaps beyond, to get myself an MD so I can be a doctor.
I would LOVE to get my degree and then travel to Washington D.C. in America to work at PCRM, the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine, alongside Dr. Neal Barnard, who is my idol of sorts.
Whenever someone starts talking about health, diet, nutrition, etc... count me in! I get pretty aggressive sometimes haha ;D
Post by: Coffee on March 13, 2017, 09:47:27 pm
Quote
Coffee
It's horrible, but I don't function well without it.
I agree. Hence why I don't drink it. ;)
Not really feeling the love right now LOL.
Some things off the top of my head:
- Reading. I've always read a lot, but I think what really kick-started my passion for reading and literature were the classics. I've been reading a lot of historical fiction lately though too, which I love.
- Travelling.
- Education. Education is such a privilege, it is truly something I value. I think it really is one of the most important things to me. I love learning and I want to keep learning, always.
- Fitness and nutrition. I started working out halfway through Year 10 and I really fell in love with it. I also practice yoga which I find so relaxing and good for the mind and body. I'm also incredibly passionate about good nutrition and healthy eating- I also love cooking which ties into this, I guess!
- Art. Art has always had a huge presence in my life. I've been drawing for as long as I can remember and I find it very relaxing and therapeutic. I've also played various instruments through the years- piano being my primary choice. Interestingly enough, I wanted to work in the film industry when I was 8-15, I was really keen on cinematography. I drifted away from that a bit but I still toy with the idea every now and again. I've also discovered that I have a bit of a knack for photography and it's something I really enjoy. It's fair to say though that creativity has always been a big part of my life.
Post by: Joseph41 on March 13, 2017, 10:00:23 pm
For clarity: I absolutely love coffee. It's horrendous that I can't function without it.
I don't find coffee horrendous - quite the opposite haha.
Post by: Aaron on March 13, 2017, 10:10:07 pm
North Melbourne - now with membership
Coding/Programming/IT in general
Have been interested in computers since I was young. Started learning to code from around Year 8-9 and turned initial interest into a suite of 5+ different languages. I like to relate coding/development to art => you have so much flexibility with a coding language.. you can create essentially anything. Imagination runs wild.
Education
Given my career area, it's hard not to include this. In 10 weeks I will complete my MTeach and hopefully land a job for a Term 3 start (watch out all you Year 12s!). I love the idea of lifelong learning... it's something that I think everyone should do. Whether it's a short MOOC, or a diploma or something... learning something new or refining existing knowledge is such a great thing.
Music
Everything that branches under EDM (electronic dance). Yippeeeeee!
I could go on for ages but i'll keep it to four :)
Post by: elysepopplewell on March 14, 2017, 01:17:21 am
This year I've made the resolution to read a lot more! And so far, so good! For me, the biggest gain is that there is a correlation between the amount I read and the quality of my writing. I've got "The Existentialist Cafe" on my list though - so I can use it to learn more about important ideas of humanity as well as just being an exemplar of writing styles.
Writing/Language
I love writing! I love reading good writing! I love language! I'm studying Italian now, after doing HSC French, and I'm always fascinated with the frustrations of learning a new language. I
Travel
Of course! I'm in Europe now, but I also love Asia. And I mean travel, moreso than tourism. Although I went to Verona on the weekend and I was your absolute tourist stereotype, taking pictures at Juliet's balcony... But, my favourite experiences are complete cultural immersion. I'm the person who is going to ask you a million questions about customs, rituals, ideologies, and so on, when you tell me that your neighbour is from anywhere but Australia.
Feminism
~duh~ This wasn't always a part of my life. I got into it when I read Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and then I went on a spiral of gendered literature in the HSC - Sylvia Plath, Betty Friedan, so on... But that was all theory. Then I left school and I started Uni, I started clubbing, I started working in different professional spheres, I studied social and political science...and very quickly I realised the importance of feminism. Last year, I interviewed a survivor of FGM, she lives in Melbourne. I realised what an amaaaazing job she was doing expressing her anti-FGM agenda, despite English not being her first language, despite being an immigrant, and despite it being quite a traumatic experience to share. Then I thought that I should be doing a whole lot more with my privilege, and that's how I got to my current standpoint.
Media
I don't know if I can say this is a passion or a strong interest. I can't say I'm passionate about bias media, but it does interest me. I enjoy perusing different sites and looking at the way their agenda and their audience align, and how, in turn, this will generate different types of conversation. You only have to look at the difference in comments on Facebook posts made by the Sydney Morning Herald, the Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, and Sunrise, to see the differences in the way audience and ideology match the agenda of a media outlet. And of course, I am passionate about the way media can cause a lot of greatness. I'm looking at a career in media and publication, but my long run goal would be able to harness media (print, digital, social - who knows) in a way that promotes human rights. #careergoals #amalclooney #notmurdoch
Post by: Joseph41 on March 15, 2017, 07:05:07 pm
Keep them coming! ;D
Post by: sudodds on March 15, 2017, 08:12:54 pm
Definitely the big one. Pretty much love every aspect of it, both watching and making them, and when it comes to making them I have a keen interest in pretty much all areas; scriptwriting, acting, directing, cinematography, editing etc. etc. (though doing them all at the same time is the most terrifying thing I've ever experienced). Films have definitely been a pretty big part of my life (that felt really corny to write haha), and defs the kind of thing that I get the most 'nostalgic' feelings for. When I watched the new live adaptation of the Jungle Book I legit started tearing up just because the introductory soundtrack was the exact same as from the original and I felt like I was 5 years old again. Problem is though that I'm way too stuck into my "comfort films," that I know I love and no matter what mood I'm in can make me happy that I haven't branched out enough, and I need to watch way more - particularly some of the more classic films. I've got a list of all the ones I want to watch before the end of the year (suggestions welcome!), and I'm slowly getting through it :) As you can probably imagine I'm pretty excited to start film school TOMORROW ;D (well not really "film school," but close enough)! Kinda in the same realm, but I'm also super into animating as well :) Done a few 2D projects on photoshop and a 3D animation on blender. I also really love blending both animation and live action together :D
Dogs
I love dogs. Look at my dog. How cute is my dog. The cutest of all the dogs (but I think other/all dogs are still pretty damn cute 8)).
History
...surprise!
Russian and American history are the faves, but I'm also super into the "behind the scenes" of history as well (historiography). Became a bit obsessed with learning about ideology, dialectics and linguistics (onya joseph - though I looked at it more from the Derrida/Foucault/Postmodernist/"everything is a social construct is a chair really a chair?" side haha) in history extension, and that has definitely still stuck. It was pretty funny, spoke to my modern history teacher recently about this stuff and realised I've read more books on all these topics AFTER the hsc than I ever did during... oops? (if you haven't read Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari... do. So good.)
Basketball
Defs not the best basketballer in the world haha (blame the fact I'm 5'2), but I still love playing it :) Thought that I hated team sports after playing football since I was super young and absolutely loathing it (probably partially to due with the fact my dad was the coach :P) but when I started playing basketball that all changed completely (I did ban my dad from attending the games though as he could never seem to leave his "coach" self behind)! Played all the way through high school and planning on starting a casual league team with some friends at uni :)
Post by: sweetiepi on March 15, 2017, 08:23:04 pm
Dogs
I love dogs. Look at my dog. How cute is my dog. The cutest of all the dogs (but I think other/all dogs are still pretty damn cute 8)).
Basketball
Defs not the best basketballer in the world haha (blame the fact I'm 5'2), but I still love playing it :) Thought that I hated team sports after playing football since I was super young and absolutely loathing it (probably partially to due with the fact my dad was the coach :P) but when I started playing basketball that all changed completely (I did ban my dad from attending the games though as he could never seem to leave his "coach" self behind)! Played all the way through high school and planning on starting a casual league team with some friends at uni :)
Such a cute dog! (I rate your cute pupper 11/10 :) ) <3 Dogs are always very cute (can't say the same for cats, shame
)I feel you with the height thing! I'm not that in Basketball, but I had a similar problem with netball, which I occasionally did play throughout HS! :)
Also update on my coffee situation (no hate to you, Coffee, I know she'll kill me for disowning the beverage): I had one this morning. And I still don't like it. But then again, I had it without sugar because sugar makes me tired and that wasn't going to help me at 7:45 at uni lol.
Another passion of mine: family.
I may not get along with them all the time, but I cherish every moment I get with them and try to live every moment with them to the fullest. There is nothing better to me than waking up on a Saturday morning with my 4 and a half year old sister wanting to give me lots of cuddles. Cuddles are great. ;D
Post by: NAT0003 on March 15, 2017, 10:55:58 pm
2. Eating chocolate ice cream
Post by: elysepopplewell on March 15, 2017, 11:40:11 pm
1. Spending time on atar notes
2. Eating chocolate ice cream
The simple things.
Post by: Wales on March 15, 2017, 11:46:30 pm
1. Spending time on atar notes
2. Eating chocolate ice cream
I'd probably replace #2 with Bubble tea but that's pretty accurate ;)
Side note: Am I the only one in the world that doesn't enjoy chocolate? :( please don't banish me from atarnotes...
Post by: jamonwindeyer on March 15, 2017, 11:55:17 pm
I'd probably replace #2 with Bubble tea but that's pretty accurate ;)
Side note: Am I the only one in the world that doesn't enjoy chocolate? :( please don't banish me from atarnotes...
I've got your back, friend ;)
I do enjoy white chocolate but can't handle the other stuff...
Post by: elysepopplewell on March 16, 2017, 12:03:01 am
I've got your back, friend ;)
I do enjoy white chocolate but can't handle the other stuff...
Have you had the MilkyBar White chocolate with toasted coconut? mmmm....now that tickles my whiskers.
Post by: Calebark on March 16, 2017, 12:27:34 am
I listen to a lot of music! I enjoy going to a lot of local shows, and it was great to see one of my favourite bands (Ne Obliviscaris) go from a small, Melbourne/Geelong based band to an international success in the metal community in such a short period! I mainly listen to different kinds of metal (power, folk, black, prog), but I also like things a bit more simple, such as this super relaxing song!
Reading
I love reading! My older sister and I (born on the same day, 14 years apart, fun fact) both love fantasty, so we're always sharing books! My favourite is the A Song of Ice and Fire series, which I have spent a loooot of time reading, analysing, and forming theories! I also love Tolkien too. One of my favourite albums (Nightfall in Middle Earth by Blind Guardian) is actually a retelling of a lot of The Silmarillion! A more underground series I recommend is Terra Incognita by Kevin J. Anderson.
Sport
I don't follow any sports on TV, but I'll play anything :D At my current house, I play basketball with guys from around the neighbourhood a lot. Growing up, I'd play rugby and soccer with the kids around my neighbourhood too -- a lot of them didn't speak English (being recent migrants), so communication was difficult, but we could easily communicate by sport! I play billiards too, at a local pool bar. Going to get some more practise and enter the competition, haha.
DOGS
germanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherd
Lastly, Bueno is the best chocolate :P
Post by: sudodds on March 16, 2017, 12:34:34 am
Reading
I love reading! My older sister and I (born on the same day, 14 years apart, fun fact) both love fantasty, so we're always sharing books! My favourite is the A Song of Ice and Fire series, which I have spent a loooot of time reading, analysing, and forming theories! I also love Tolkien too. One of my favourite albums (Nightfall in Middle Earth by Blind Guardian) is actually a retelling of a lot of The Silmarillion! A more underground series I recommend is Terra Incognita by Kevin J. Anderson.
Haven't read the books but I'm obsessed with the show! My theory is that Sansa's gonna win the iron throne - and I'm 100% okay with that ;)
DOGS
germanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherdgermanshepherdbestshepherd
Joni (my dog) is part German Shepherd so I have to agree with you on this one ;)
Post by: NAT0003 on March 16, 2017, 07:39:48 am
I'd probably replace #2 with Bubble tea but that's pretty accurate ;)What's bubble tea
Side note: Am I the only one in the world that doesn't enjoy chocolate? :( please don't banish me from atarnotes...
Post by: Wales on March 16, 2017, 08:37:10 am
What's bubble tea
You know those drinks you see with black balls/pearls at the bottom? Typically milky looking.
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=milk+tea&num=100&safe=strict&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwij1sTnu9nSAhVCFZQKHd0kD14Q_AUICCgB&biw=1440&bih=715#imgrc=rCY9SaEj2p_r0M:
That kind of stuff :) Give it a try if you haven't yet.
Post by: Wales on March 16, 2017, 08:40:28 am
I've got your back, friend ;)
I do enjoy white chocolate but can't handle the other stuff...
:D Same here. Wouldn't mind some white choc either. I've tired those chocolate fudge muffins but all they do is leave me craving for water ):
Post by: ssarahj on March 16, 2017, 04:11:37 pm
Eeee amazing posts! I love reading stuff like this, because usually you can almost *feel* the enthusiasm when people speak about what they love.
Keep them coming! ;D
Agreed.
Here's a few of mine:
Food
Ah I could talk about food all day. Cooking and eating are two of my favourite things to do in the whole world. I'm the friend that bakes for every occasion,
Hence why I'm studying dietetics. Everyday I get to sit around and learn about the chemical and biomedical aspects of food and the human body. And how to apply that knowledge to actually make people's lives better! The more I delve into it, the more passionate I'm becoming about the importance of "good" nutritional science. It frustrates me to the max when I see inaccurate fad diets or dangerous weight loss tips circulating my Facebook and Pocket feed.
Reading
I've always loved reading and I hope I always will. For the last 6 months I've been really into non-fiction and I'm trying to carve out time in my day to read stuff that's completely unrelated to uni. At the moment I'm reading Elif Shafak's The Forty Rules of Love (bit of a contradiction since its fiction) and next will probably be Alok Jha's The Water Book.
Travel
This is what I spend all my money on. Can't even begin to describe how cool I think travelling is.
Philosophy
Kind of a slow burning side interest that I love talking about with other people. I like thinking.
Podcasts
This seems to be an interest that waxes and wanes from time to time. Some weeks I'll listen to a different podcast everyday, and others I would rather belt out some tunes during my morning and afternoon drive. My current favourites include OnBeing, Like I'm A Six Year Old, WILOSOPHY and Osher Gunsberg's one. I also love listening to the Sydney Opera House talks that I couldn't afford to go to.
Post by: geminii on March 16, 2017, 05:02:53 pm
It frustrates me to the max when I see inaccurate fad diets or dangerous weight loss tips circulating my Facebook and Pocket feed.
Agreed. ;) It also frustrates me when people refuse to change their diets when they are presented with facts! >:( :-\
Post by: NAT0003 on March 16, 2017, 05:16:27 pm
You know those drinks you see with black balls/pearls at the bottom? Typically milky looking.Any idea what it tastes like
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=milk+tea&num=100&safe=strict&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwij1sTnu9nSAhVCFZQKHd0kD14Q_AUICCgB&biw=1440&bih=715#imgrc=rCY9SaEj2p_r0M:
That kind of stuff :) Give it a try if you haven't yet.
The simple things.The simple things but the fun things
Mod edit [Aaron]: Merged double post. Again, stop double posting when you don't need to.
Post by: Wales on March 16, 2017, 07:13:35 pm
Any idea what it tastes like
The simple things but the fun things
Mod edit [Aaron]: Merged double post. Again, stop double posting when you don't need to.
Sweet and refreshing and you have something to chew as a bonus. Give it a try, it's around the price of a bottle of coke. Easyway, Chatime and whatever other local milk tea stores are around.
Post by: deStudent on March 16, 2017, 08:43:53 pm
Sweet and refreshing and you have something to chew as a bonus. Give it a try, it's around the price of a bottle of coke. Easyway, Chatime and whatever other local milk tea stores are around.Didn't read previous comments but if you're talking about bubble tea that cost less than $5 a cup hmu, I've been getting ripped my whole life than :'(
Post by: kiwiberry on March 16, 2017, 09:03:37 pm
Didn't read previous comments but if you're talking about bubble tea that cost less than $5 a cup hmu, I've been getting ripped my whole life than :'(
If you download the student edge app they have a voucher for two regular milk teas at chatime for $8!!! You have to pay for toppings though but that's only 20c so you still save like $2 :D only problem is you have to be with a friend haha
Post by: heids on March 17, 2017, 12:16:33 pm
1. Reading: my main occupation, I read anything related to psychology, sociology, philosophy, mental health, and manipulating others ;) I'm also into old novels (1800s-early 1900s). I tend to have five books on the go at once and thirty or so borrowed from the library at a time.
2. Music: I <3 romantic period classical music, play the piano semi-decently, and am expanding to various other genres.
3. Mental health: I love understanding more and more what it's like to experience all sorts of different mental illnesses (yes I read the whole DSM for a bit of light reading :P), why they occur, prevention, how to help others struggling, and how to improve mental health.
4. Compassion, altruism, empathy, social justice etc etc: this seems vague and fluffy, but I'm fascinated with developing these characteristics and how to spread enthusiasm about them in society; I believe they're the most important things that tie society together and make life worth living. Don't get me started. :P
5. Friends: best ever.
6. Learning and growing: adding new pieces to my puzzle picture of life is pretty damn awesome - once you've read or learnt or understood something, it changes your worldview just that little bit forever and it's cool as.
7. ATARNotes:
(http://i.imgur.com/7i1J8ir.png)
Post by: Joseph41 on March 17, 2017, 12:31:50 pm
5. Friends: best ever.
Like, the TV show? 8)
Post by: jamonwindeyer on March 17, 2017, 12:42:44 pm
Like, the TV show? 8)
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/b0/54/f8/b054f8f82ffcb06a6b2c24a141085a49.gif)
Post by: Claudiaa on March 17, 2017, 01:22:09 pm
I'd probably replace #2 with Bubble tea but that's pretty accurate ;)
Side note: Am I the only one in the world that doesn't enjoy chocolate? :( please don't banish me from atarnotes...
I'd do the exact same. Bubble tea is life!! I have it just about every day (probably really unhealthy), but hey , I'm obliged to treat myself after a long day of reading threads on AN. ;)
Post by: appleandbee on March 17, 2017, 07:24:14 pm
Competitive debating
The exhilaration of constructing cases in 15 minutes on topics from whether states should ban the positive depictions of former oppressive leaders to or when allocating resources to their children, poor families should allocate most of their resources to support the most talented child in the family to granting human rights to any machine that passes the “Extended Turing Test" ( An Artificial Intelligence machine/robot passes the “Extended Turing Test” if through extended conversation a human being cannot distinguish between the machine and an actual human) . Unravelling the layers of complexity of cause and effects in topics and figuring out the best strategy to crush other teams (hopeful dream) :P. I think what most people (namely non- uni debaters) misunderstand about debating, it is very much strategy and structure based (on an argument formulation level as well responding to the opposing team) rather than about how loud you yell or assert yourself (assertions are highly discouraged). Also the esoteric memes on society, politics, economy and debating, is why I still debate in uni (as well as teach and judge school kids) :P.
The Brain
Just unravelling the networks of neurons that make up the brain, and particularly those that create the thought and feelings that differentiate human beings. And exploring treatments and diagnosis methods for various neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis, stroke and autism. The fact it is a constantly-evolving field, makes it particularly exciting to study.
Classical music
Hauntingly beautiful, especially on the Cello although I do enjoy playing the Piano as well. The sheer eloquence and emotional depth contained in Dvorak's cello concerto.
Liverpool FC (also European football in general)
The rich culture and history of the club <3. YNWA
Physics and Chemistry
Telling people that studying Physics and Chemistry is not like the TV show Big Bang Theory. Studying theories and concepts developed by some of the greatest thinkers in science is pretty cool though as well as admiring how those people managed to devise such theories despite the lack of resources and through pure observation. Also its vast applications to energy, medicine and technology.
High quality investigative journalism/ photojournalism/ documentaries
The Atlantic, Al Jazeera, Guardian, National Geographic, BBC (occasionally CNN too), The Economist and various independent blogs. I appreciate good quality investigative journalism that does justice and genuinely unravels the complexity of the stories that are writing about. The type of stories that presents a new dimension on a culture, group of people, place, event, or issue etc.
Ice-cream
Watching Liverpool lose or not winning a debate absolutely sucks. Ice-cream understands.
Global Health and Medicine
There are interesting times ahead on how the global community will tackle issues like environmental refugees, ageing populations, food provision, human-machine integration, patents on pharmaceuticals in the developing world and personalised health.
Culture (especially of the developing world as well as geographically marginalized groups )
Encompasses everything travel (Central Asia, South-east Asia and South America are on top of my list because of the exotic culture, history, lush landscapes and authenticity) and language (I'm currently learning Spanish and Arabic, and can speak elementary Russian and Chinese at a half-decent level) as well. I'm particularly interested in how personhood/identity is constructed through culture, race and ethnicity especially in the developing world and amongst indigenous groups. I would also like to further explore how culture and identity influences political self-determination and economic development in such countries or groups of people.
Philosophy
Exploring big questions on the nature of the good life and of reality, identity knowledge, truth and beauty. Period.
Economics
Being able to understand why the 2008 Global Financial Crisis happened, Eurozone crisis and its impact on the world economy, bounded rationality, how international institutions like monetary unions, IMF and the Work Bank function and whether developing countries should adopt economic development policies that heavily disincentivise urbanization is pretty awesome.
Post by: Joseph41 on March 18, 2017, 11:29:48 am
I'd do the exact same. Bubble tea is life!! I have it just about every day (probably really unhealthy), but hey , I'm obliged to treat myself after a long day of reading threads on AN. ;)
It truly is tiring. ;)
Post by: heids on March 18, 2017, 11:44:26 am
Quote from: appleandbee link=topic=170493
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Classical music [/b]
Hauntingly beautiful, especially on the Cello although I do enjoy playing the Piano as well. The sheer eloquence and emotional depth contained in Dvorak's cello concerto.
I adore this cello concerto. How amazing is it?! (I'm a true Dvorak fan!) Elgar's is my other favourite cello concerto; Jacqueline du Pré's playings of them both are just... soul-melting haha.