100 Things To Do: The Reasons - Part 1

Some of the things on my '100 things to do list' are often questioned. I always have to explain to people that they aren't things that I think are really impressive, but things that hold some kind of emotional significance. For the most part they are things that, usually when I was young, I never thought achievable, so now I am older I want to prove myself wrong.

Anyway, I have decided to start a small series giving the brief reason of why I have included something on my list. Hopefully this may help people make their own lists, or at least think I'm not a spesh for putting it on mine.

1) Do a 1000 piece jigsaw

I used to do jigsaws all the time with my mom when I was younger. I don't know what size jigsaws, but I had always classed myself as being quite good at them.

A few years had passed, jigsaw-less, when Tara bought me one, a 1000 piece jigsaw of jellybeans. Didn't think it would be too bad, until I realised about 1/3 of all pieces were red. We did about half the jigsaw until giving up.

6 months passed until I was bought another (since they are one of those things you can't buy yourself). This one seemed fine, apart from it not actually showing you the picture!! I managed maybe 1/5 before giving up. I couldn't let these jigsaws beat me, and decided I had to put my mind to it and complete one.

2) Learn the guitar

I wish this wasn't on here now. It's too hard. I don't want to be one of those people that play annoying acoustic songs in the corner in college... but it would be nice to play a few chords and be able to keep a tune. Having this on here gives me something I can work on, instead of a spontaneous thing. And the idea of being able to play an instrument really appeals.

3) Scam my way on the radio

I think somebody in a TV program or film did this. It was just a small part of the program that may not have had much significance to the overall story, but it made me decided it would be an amazing thing to achieve. Being put on the radio requires luck and persistence. Being put on the radio because you are an expert on the mating rituals of dragonfly's requires skill, and thus is an achievement.

4) Be on TV

It would be nice to be on TV some time, and not just in the audience of something. Really though, I want to be on Supermarket Sweep, but as the program is no longer going I can't manage that.

5) Be an extra

The 'blink and you miss it', 'background performers' are always awesome. I wanted to be one, so I could say "Look!!! Its m- ... wait wait.. rewind!".

6) Ride a motorbike

I have always been told not the ride motorbikes. This isn't me trying to rebel, but I have always kind of had the feeling that they are really dangerous, which makes me want to prove I can do it (and yes I know it's not a big crazy thing like "Jump off a moving train", but it is one of those things that when I was younger I thought I would never do).

7) Go jogging in a foreign country

This is a fairly new thing. It comes from when I was listening to Chris Moyles (popular English DJ) saying he went jogging in the mornings in New York. Although I hate jogging, it sounds really peaceful, and must give a sense of freedom and adventure in one.

8) Outrun the police

Because 'The Bill' and other TV programs has convinced me it's impossible. To be able to do it would make me feel super human.

9) Ride a banana boat

I have a brief memory of being on a beach when I was young (under 8), and seeing some much older people (they may only have been 18) going on a banana boat. I remember thinking it looked really scary, and when I was older I was going to go on one.

10) Volunteer for charity

I think it would be a nice thing to do. It is one of those things that will be in at least one episode of every TV program Pete Engel produces, and something that I feel I should do before I ... erm live too long.

An Awesome 23rd Birthday

Most people will not know, but it was my birthday this weekend. My 23rd birthday. Which means I'm old. Humph.

Anyway, sadness aside, it was awesome. Saturday morning I pull together 26 friends to go paintballing. I've been many times before... and don't remember it hurting near as much. For the teams we did omglan vs my other friends, including people I used to work with, my parents, people I live with, and my girly friends. At first these teams looked fairly fixed, and recieved a few complaints... until we walked onto the field, to be joined by some people who looked to be taking it too seriously, with M4 guns instead of the standard weird metal looking thing. They also cheated.

Anyway, paintballing was awesome, and I was severely hurt.

I had a small nap in the afternoon ready for my house party on the night. It turned out to be pretty awesomes. And although the house was a complete mess the Sunday morning, it was worth it just to see so many people with their head in the toilet, college style.

Highlights of the day were as follows:

• Sitting behind cover in paintball, with Leigh and Neil watching my back. Only to find they had gone, leaving me to be shot from 1 metre away 4 times in the back. Agony.

• Thinking I was in a John Woo film, jumping on a broken tree, flying two meters in the air and hitting 5 people on the way down... in my head. In reality, I jumped on a broken tree, slipped, fell face first onto the ground and was shot a few times.

• Watching my mom shoot at the marshals from the safety zone.

• Being the last person in a fort, with people shooting me and couldn't hear me trying to shout 'I am out' over the cries of pain.

• Being given the 'Shot Gun' by my friends, and instantly cutting myself.

• Filling the 'shot gun' with an awesome 'shit mix', and shooting everyone in the mouth.

• Hearing someone shout 'Birthday Beats' then savagely getting owned by everyone in a corridor scene that resembled Oldboy.

• Having the awesome cake, card and boxers from my house mates.

• Drunken rugby at 2am, which led to me being brutally kneed in the face, resulting in my first ever black eye.

• Cracking open the last of my awesome Thai Red Bull I have had saved for 2 years, and having two Jagerbombs, courtesy of Jess and Sarah.
• Having shots straight from the shot optic.

• Finding my sister outside, nearly being sick.
• Finding Jess with her head in the toilet.
• Finding Sarah outside lying in bottle being sick.

• Finding Neil outside under the gazebo asleep, with a beanbag on his head.

• Finding Leigh awake at 3am.

• Listening to Zombie Nation on repeat till 6:30am.

Here are some more photos from the day!

Asphyxiwank gone wrong...

... Just to confuse the housemates.

(and for those who don't know what an asphyxiwank is, it is when you hang yourself for sexual pleasure...)

Flights to Brazil Booked!

Late last week I received a text from a friend (who is my ex-girlfriends ex-best friends ex-boyfriend). He said he had found a good deal on flights to Brazil! As some people may know, going to the Amazon rainforest is on my 100 Things To Do list (though upon reading this, I have just noticed it is one of the many things that got lost before I started properly publishing the list.

Anyway, obviously, I said yes!! And today we booked the flights!! I am very excited! I haven't been on a proper, proper holiday since Thailand two years ago.

Our plan is something along the lines of:

Fly to São Paulo. In all honesty, I thought this was a country.

Get a bus to Rio De Janeiro. Although it is dangerous, I really want to see favelas (and Copacabana beach..)

Fly to Iguazu Falls. Beautiful.

Go to the Amazon Rainforest. This is what I am most looking forward to. I have wanted to go here since playing Crystal Rainforest on those terrible Acorn computers in primary school.

Muchos excited!!

Me over time