Knowing what to do with $10 million...

Using all my skills, I've managed to tailor yet another research essay to the subject of global inequality and it's kind of got me thinking about something somebody asked me not so long ago. I've decided to write it down so that the thoughts will stop interrupting my brilliant essay-related ideas, and publish it here because, well, it's always good to keep this space at least a little updated :P Or, for those that can't be bothered reading, I've been good and posted a few recent snaps as well :)


Somebody asked me the other day what I'd buy if I won $10 million on the proviso that I spent it selfishly. I spent a long time trying to convince them that if I was acting entirely selfishly, I'd have to take into account the feeling of guilt that I know I wouldn't be able to shake if I spent $10 million on a house overlooking the river, a fancy car, a designer wardrobe, or a lifelong supply of coffee. If you accept that, then I should be allowed to use a vast majority of the money to help in decreasing social and economic inequality, and pay off my parent's mortgage, because these are the things that would make me happy. They didn't buy into it, and so I was at a loss.

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What the hell would anyone do with $10 million, all for themselves? House, car, designer wardrobe, travel, private jet - the possibilities seemed endless but I didn't particularly like any of them.

I supposed I'd buy a small apartment or house in Freo, and maybe a little holiday house or two - nothing fancy cause simple and a little rustic is much more my style - perhaps a beach shack in Yallingup and a little shed that I'd renovate in Exmouth? I'd get a ticket to travel the world, and I'd go back to India. They said I couldn't go to India because they knew I'd use my time and money there to try and help everyone else. They were right, and so I thought about it some more.

India, from The India Project

"Are you sure I can't at least pay off my parent's mortgage? What if the only reason I'm paying it off is because when they're stressed, I'm stressed, and so paying it off is selfish because I only want to increase my own happiness?"
"Except I know you care about your parents happiness, thus that reason would be a lie. So, no."

Oh my... Is it even possible to spend $10 million on travel? I'd really like to travel. I suppose I wouldn't be able to resist buying some clothes and little trinkets, a surfboard and a longboard. I'd buy a lot of books, some new CDs and a watch or two. I really like watches.

I'd also throw an epic party, with great food that I cooked with my Mum and little brother, and with good friends and rad cocktails.

"Do you think I've spent $10 million yet?"
"You're way off."
"Oh."

I just physically cannot comprehend how one person could spend $10 million entirely on themselves. It's a completely absurd amount of money.

What would you do if you had that amount? And you couldn't just leave it to sit in a high interest bank account unless the money you earned from that was also spent entirely selfishly?

I genuinely can't think of anything...

Actually! I've thought of one more thing! I'd get myself an old datsun ute, and fix it up so it's all new, shiny and wonderfully efficient on the inside, but old and crappy looking on the outside, because I'm cool like that :P

Still don't think that would get me to $10 million though...

PS. Sorry for my absence! I've had so much on with uni, and still do! I'll do my best to post more regularly, reply to your lovely comments and read your wonderful posts, but it might take me a little while. With love from my study desk, Rhi :P xx


PPS. If you happened upon this blog via my facebook (or via any other link for that matter), and have a google account, can you be awesome and follow the blog through google please? If you avert your eyes, and scroll to the top of this window, there should be a little button that says 'follow'. Just click it, and do what it tells you to! If that doesn't work, scroll to the bottom and click the link that says 'Join this site.' Grazie mille :)

UWA Arts Union Charity Gala.
With Mike & Nageena.

With Chloe and Nageena.

Running through the rain.
It's kinda a little bit fun...except I think I should get some gumboots :P

@ Grill'd.

Dinner with the ever-wonderful Lauren and Nageena (she's behind the camera) :P

Just for something different...

So I've realised that I don't have many more stories to regale you with from India, or at least, I don't right at this moment! Unless you all want to hear about me throwing my guts up after having to use a toilet that resembled a sewer, or the not-so-nice experience of having an Indian student nurse putting a drip into my hand (it still hurts!) I'll happily divulge, but I don't think it's particularly worth it :P

Why am I bothering with this post at all then, you may ask? Well, because I stumbled upon these photos of a baby elephant who discovered the ocean and they made me oh so happy! My favourite is most definitely the second last :D

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend! Rhi xx

Photo's taken from here via here.

A trip down memory lane... Part 1

Every now and then I somehow end up trawling through old photos, whether they be the photos that are archived away in boxes around our house, or those that live in random files on my Mum's computer. No matter where I go hunting though, I always find things that make me laugh, that make me cringe, and that make me remember the good times, even if at the time I couldn't really enjoy it. 

It puts life in perspective once again, which is something I seem to constantly be losing and finding again. If anyone has a trick for holding onto that one, could you let me know please? :P

Hope you like le foto! :)

They were so little!
February 2007

Padre's 50th. Us being our usual crazy selves :) 
October 2008

Shit quality? Who cares!
We were such cool kids.

According to my father,
knowing how to pick up a bobtail is vital to one's education.

Wearing pink in honour of seeing my only female cousin :P
January 2011

February 2009

I've always loved this photo of mother-dearest :)
February 2007

Who knew attempting to clear out my usb could be so nostalgic?

Until next time! :)

PS. Terribly sorry about the ridiculous gap in posts. I'm back at uni and I've taken on a pretty heavy load, so I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things. I promise to try my best and start posting once a week again! :)

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If only I were a better fan, I would've known about this song and been able to post it on "I'll dance 'til I die"! They go together perfectly! In any case, you can listen to it now, because it's still a rather lovely song, even if the combination of Death Cab and happy music does weird me out a little...

I finished classes for the semester yesterday, finally. It's been a really tough semester so this is an epic milestone for me :D Also, terribly sorry about the lack of blogging lately. I've been mighty distracted. I actually spent a weekend there looking like I'd been hit by a car - leg in an epic brace, arm in a sling and drugged to a ridiculous degree - so I wasn't really all that inspired. Anyhow, I'm back now, sadly still lacking in sufficient inspiration, but I'm sure we'll get there :)

Hope you're all fantastically well and enjoying the warmer weather!

Photo courtesy of Christian Fletcher

Don't think, you'll ruin it.

So, I've spent the last two and a bit days working pretty solidly on my politics essay, (with a brief interlude to the Fremantle markets for coffee, of course), and I keep finding myself listening to this guy's playlist on repeat. I don't mean to, but I hit play on the first song, and then get really involved in my essay and realise two hours later that I all of a sudden know the lyrics to songs whose existence I only discovered 48 hours ago haha :D

Anyhow, I thought I'd share the joy.

Despite the assignments, life has been good lately. If you read the last post, you'll know I'm getting a bit overexcited about summer, but moreover, I've started to do things without thinking so much. It's kinda fun.

I went to a friend's gig on a whim last week, which ended in some rather entertaining drunken shenanigans. I asked a barista/photographer, who I regularly go and annoy on Sunday afternoons, if he'd show me how to put film in my Mum's 30-year old Pentax K1000 properly (cheers Tim!), and have since started snapping some random photos. I don't even know if I used the right film, but I figure I'll get the hang of it. And, I got the butcher down the road to teach me how to break down a chicken, because it seemed like a useful thing to do.

Cello, we have a bass!
Dublin Jazz Aunts

Pure radness.

Cool kids and great food.

I wish I could do an urbanspoon review of Scott and Sasha's cooking. Coming home to homemade meatballs al pomodoro was pretty fantastic :D

Hope life is treating you all equally well!

"Let me out of this cage, before I swell up with rage

And let me sing to old age, before I'm done

Let me shout to the skies, that I'm too young to die

And that fate will never stop me from trying."

Roo Panes - Open Road

Hot Tods

I realised that I lied in my last post. The Beatles isn't quite as far as I get when it comes to listening to older music - I'm also a little in love with Crowded House. Although, just out of curiosity, does music from the late '90s/early noughties count as old yet? Because that would vastly expand my old music repertoire :P

Also, just a little music trivia for you - did you know that Neil Finn actually said this song was his homage to The Beatles, as well as an attempt at sounding like them?

I've had quite the amazing week. Not quite enough work (although I've still managed to watch about 20 lectures), far too much drinking, catching up with old friends and lots of other fun shenanigans.

Chilling by the Docks

Our version of 'study'

Cool kids.

On the downside though, almost all of my family members have been sick this week. I thought I'd managed to evade the dreaded cold, but alas my throat is suddenly really quite sore... So, I thought I'd share my favourite cold cure with you all (even though winter is technically over).

Hot Tods
What you will need:
  - Juice of 1-2 lemons
  - 2 shots of brandy
  - Tbsp of honey
  - Hot water

Mix them all in a large mug, and voila! Not only will it help you sleep and stop your throat from hurting, it also tastes amazing (and may give you a bit of a buzz) :P

Side note: Somebody told me the other day, they read my blog but don't follow it because they think they'd come across as stalkerish. It's not stalkerish! I post them on facebook for the whole world to see, so follow away!! (Please?) :P

1.13am

Writing a blog at 1.13am is quite possibly stupider than writing a blog while drunk, but here I am!

Actually, you know what? I might just leave you with a song instead, because I'm too tired to string a sentence together!

"So why does it always seem

That every time I turn around

Somebody falls in love with me?

This has never been my sole intention"

City and Colour ♥

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So I sometimes think I'll start writing, and then the words just don't work for me. But I will start posting again properly soon, I hope. In the meantime...



A video that I can't stop watching...

 

And some seriously rad coffee art!

I keep thinking perhaps I should revert back to the summer of 2009. Making coffee by day. Sitting on the beach with friends til after dark, the taste of chips on our fingers, sand between our toes, salt caked in our hair. What a life, hey?

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It would appear that I haven't written anything on here in rather a long time, so I thought I'd let you know I'm still here!

Of late, my life has been a little hectic. I've picked up two more jobs, quit my old one (last day is next Friday) and sat my first exam in a long time! Plus I've been saving my butt off because this time next week, I'll be in Singapore!!! :D

I'm so ridiculously excited. For the first time in my life, I'll get to go on a plane and leave the state, I'm going to go shopping properly for the first time since last year some time, eat some amazing food, and most importantly, I'll get to see Rebecca Wiener!!!! :D I miss that kid so much.

We're going to Universal Studios on Tuesday, the weather won't be cold, and hopefully I'll take some pretty pictures and start making this blog a tad more colourful :P

For the moment though, you'll have to settle with a picture of the awesome bar at the Greenhouse (which isn't that great quality cause I took it on my phone, but you know...)

Anyways, it's back to Italian study for me and listening to a ridiculous amount of City and Colour:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZqnqH9s1jk 

(I am so addicted to this song!)

Baby Cauliflowers

Last night, my little brother was being a very typical male, and talking about poop, literally. His poo, other peoples poo, pictures of poo. It was really quite disturbing. Really, I wish I never knew that websites like "ratemypoo" existed, but now I do, and so do you :P

Anyways, eventually I said "You're so disgusting child!" And so Scott says to me, "You're the one wearing a dress shorter than a baby cauliflower!"  (Or something along those lines).

Oh man, it was so freaking hilarious. I'm not exactly sure where 'baby cauliflower' came from, but I thought I'd share the strangeness of my family with you all. Enjoy! :P