First Blog

Hello Everyone,

This is an entirely novel moment in my life. It is the first time I have ever blogged. My Name is Jo-Anne Hodges and I am an international student from Johannesburg, South Africa. After I have posted this message I will change my name to "Peacockchick."

I hope you find that kind of funny because the story behind it is funny and I am almost certain that if you were a witness to the situation from which the story arises, you would have laughed, almost as much as the people passing by were trying not to.

I am so fascinated by the family of peacocks that live on campus in the arts department. When ever I walk past them on my way to class, the thought of how interesting and random it is that these birds live in our university never fails to enter my mind. I think its cool but as long as they keep to themselves.

Anyway, while I was waiting for our first tute in week two, I was sitting quite casually and rather relaxed when one of the peacocks gradually explored its way around towards me. Whoa! It keep coming closer and closer and closer and closer and then stopped. I think the peacock sensed that it was making me nervous. And then I think it consciously decided, if peacocks make decisions, that it was going to challenge my fear of big birds. There were a few other people sitting around watching this random bird exploring the area and a few other people passing by. I'm convinced even that the peacock waited for the perfect moment, because just as there were enough people around for me to feel embarrassed, the peacock pecked its head at an incredible pace and make tracks right up to me, so close that in an instant I found my self hugging my knees. I just kept thinking; "Please don't bite me, please don't bite me!" When I realized that the big bird was not going to see what I might taste like, I looked around (still hugging my knees) and noticed the people sitting around and the people passing by smiling and smiling, and smiling and smiling, and trying not to laugh. Imagine! Would you laugh if you saw a student get bitten by one of the peacocks? Really try to picture it. Honestly, if saw someone being bitten by a peacock, I would probably laugh because its the last thing you would expect to encounter in your day right? I ended up laughing it off and smiling to myself as I drew the conclusion that Australian peacocks are not afraid of South African people.

As Peacockchick, I would like to share with you that I love quotes and little sayings that give me something to consider during my day. I have a little pocket book called Now Is the Time by Patrick Lindsay and every so often I like to lucky dip in it. I just open the book and see what it is I have for consideration for the day. Before I started this blog, I did just that and this is what I opened up to and would now like to share with you all:

" BE CURIOUS; Knowledge won't find us, we must find it. Every day is a chance to learn something new. Cast your net wide, open your mind to the excitement of learning. Curiosity keeps us young at heart and mind. When we stop learning, we stop living."

After all, I think the digital age itself is around because people were curious and they explored. Maybe that is extremely obvious? Even so, I hope you find those words as inspiring and relevant as I find them and I exit my first blogging experience here feeling very excited and very curious.

See you in class for some more interesting discussions,
:)