Pages

Wednesday 12 August 2009

Magic markers


I had a pretty awesome birthday, as birthdays go. Firstly, card anxiety was totally unfounded. They bought me a card, even though birthday angel was away on holiday. A bunch of mostly boys somehow managed organise themselves to get me a card without me knowing about it. I am impressed.

Secondly I got some awesome presents. I got kokis! I am so frigging excited about my kokis. My boss asked me what I got for my birthday, and I told him markers, cos you can't say kokis here cos no one will know what you are on about, and he was like "WHAT? Markers? But Po, you can get markers from stores for free (we have a stores where we can get stationary, as well as assorted chemicals, enzymes and other things that Biologists get very excited about).

Haha, yes, but these are
special magical markers. These are the ones that professional illustrators and graphic artists use. I cannot draw to save my life and have no idea how to use these things but I thought it would be fun to play around with them. I guess anyone who is a professional and knows how to use them properly is cringeing right now at the thought of some nutcase like me massacring such expensive equipment. Oh well. Kokis!

Then BFG and I went to the park and ate pizza and it was an amazingly warm and beautiful day and I was so frigging happy that I could walk around without a jersey. Aahhhhhhh.

Apart from all that, turning 29 is a bit of a downer. What an awkward age. I feel like seeing as it is the last year of my 20's I should be in some kind of frenzy to squeeze every last drop from my days before I turn all old and mature. 30. EEEEEEK. Don't mention that number to me.

Of course I am in a total non-frenzy. No frenzy here at all. I am all frenning with no Z.

When I was at school our teachers truly made us believe that we could be anything we wanted to be. We could achieve whatever we set our minds to blah blah. To be honest at age 29 I don't think I have achieved much at all.

Careerwise - well I don't have one. My kind of job has very little future progression. I don't know why or how I ended up in a field that I find ok but don't love, but there it is. As far as jobs go I am so so lucky; my job is about as good as I could want it to be for what it is, and my boss is really nice and easy to work for.

But I don't think I could go back to my school teachers and say, look at me, see how far I have come.

Maybe this should upset me, but it doesn't really. At least right now I have a job, one that I don't mind doing. I earn enough money to go traveling, and buy chocolate digestives and books, lots of books. That is something.

I was born to be a drifter, and am too laid back to be an overachiever. Life is just life you know, I just take it as it comes.

But I will say that at age 29 I don't have much to show for myself. I haven't exactly contributed to the betterment of the world.


And that is just that.


Gonna go play with my kokis now.

19 comments:

Cam said...

Hope you had an awesome Birthday Po.

And enjoy your kokis...who knows, you may not be able to draw, but neither could Picaso...he just kokied around some abnormal lines and whala...a funny looking half man half donkey with a pashmeiner. :)

Anonymous said...

YAY for koki's. Oh I used to be so protective of mine. :) I think it's an awesome birthday gift. ;)

And I'm like you...I go where life takes me. :)And it's okay.

LadyFi said...

Good to hear you had a fun birthday. Never heard of Kokis - but there you go...

Surely you should know better than to believe everything you learned at school? There's more to life than going far in the terms of career and money... seems to me you've got far if you can travel, eat choccie digestives and ACCEPT this!

But then - what do I know?

A Daft Scots Lass said...

Glad you're so excited about your kokies. Happy Birthday again.

My theory. Stay 29 as long as you can get away with it. I've been 29 for many years now. I don't think I'll get away with it for much longer...

EEbEE said...

I always preferred pencil crayons to kokis. there was always something that slightly annoyed me about the sound and feeling of running a felt tip over a page.

Oh well, if you can't use your ones very well you could always sniff them.

kokies... mmmMmmmm

Helen said...

i love kokis! Except the yellow. The yellow always got dirty and sort of bleeugh... and we'd all fight over the black...

Have fun! Maybe you'll find a hidden talent and take the art world by storm!

Spear The Almighty said...

Happy birthday!

It was my wedding anniversary on the 11th. :) Now I'll remember the avatar/ blogger Po's birthday. :)

Janine / Being Brazen said...

Hope you had the bestest birthday *hugs*

I also turned 29 this year....so i totally understand :)

po said...

Ches: ooh, me the next Picasso. I like. But I feel I will be taking abstract to the next level.

sleepyjane: I think kokis were my best thing about school.

So far being a drifter is ok for me too. I always get the feeling people don't approve though.

LAdyfi: but but I beleive everything they taught me at school, they were my teachers! Hehe ok maybe not, but my school was really good and they really did give us every opportunity for success. I guess I feel sad I did not fulfill all that.

Gillian: I am totally going with that idea. Who meends to be 30? Ever?

EEbEE: one day in and I have already sniffed them. You can tell these are good quality cos they are pretty potent.

Helen: I love black kokis more than anything cos I love to outline everything. I am going to need backup stocks. I love yellow but I know what you mean about getting dirty.

almighty spear: well, what an excellent time to get married! :)

BB: scary age hey?

DelBoy said...

Firstly, Happy Birthday from Downunder!

Secondly, nothing wrong with being 30-something! Actually, I think you'll enjoy your 30s more than your 20s. So much more experienced than when you'd just come out of your teens.

SonnyVsDan said...

I think you generally achieve something brilliant.

With your blogs. They are always entertaining! Don't be so down, life isn't always about how far you've gone in your career.

SonnyVsDan said...

and i still have no idea what a koki is.

po said...

Delboy: thank you! I hope what you say is true.

sonnyvsdan: thanks hey, I know I am not really down, it was more just a passing thought really. I am happy with my life actually.

Kokis are those coloured markers or felt tips that kids use at school. What do you call them?

MidniteGem said...

Hey Po, Was so meaning to wish you happy birthday on ONE of the many multimedia ways I can tell you... but this has just been the most hectic week...so HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

and i'm dying to know the brand of the "professional" markers... and we are not cringing, all we do is mess around with them and something happens. they are much more forgiving then your usual kokis!

po said...

midnite gem: thank you! hehe I was wondering if you knew about these markers! I searched the internet for ages trying to find the best brand so I ccould avoid it, cos I figured it would be wasted on me. Everyone seemed to recommend Copics.

So I got Tria Letraset which didn't come so highly recommended, so I wouldn't feel so bad mucking around.

What do you use?

Tamara said...

I love kokis. Any stationery, actually. You should see me in Waltons... like a crack addict in a coke factory.

Happy belated. Glad it was good. Pizza in the park sounds fabulous.

MidniteGem said...

lol - so funny. As students we just went for the cheapest option for markers. I have a huge bag of the copics back in SA (think i'll bring them back with me next time) and we have Pantones here at work.

Now you've made me want to get mucking around with them again. They are great cause you can just keep layering over each other and moving the colours around.. MUCH better then normal kokis

po said...

Tamara: yeah I like stationary too, it feels good having that stores on tap!

Midnite gem: ah yes, all those names are familiar to me now. Sheesh, I would love to see some of your drawings.

MidniteGem said...

LOL - thanks for the compliment, like my drawings are worth having a look at. Sadly all my stuff is back in SA - need to get drawing etc again !