General Discussion Thread

[Purple Wyrm]

I avoid the sun now, but I dread to think how much damage was done when I was a kid running around at the water park

[Mélusine]

*Quietly reads the new messages while drinking her tea*

necrotising ulcers

... Okayyyyyyy. Next thread ^^

[Lenny]

I avoid the sun now, but I dread to think how much damage was done when I was a kid running around at the water park

This. I was so very lucky to have a mother who grew up on a farm in South Africa and knew ALL the things about how avoiding sun is GOOD and vital to health and so never let us out between 12 and 2, or 11 and 3, depending how strong the sun was. And always hats. And always sunscreen.

Regardless I now have a body full of freckles and have gotten burnt very badly a few times. That idiotic sun. This idiotic red-head body. I burn twice as fast as most other people ;_; *has been punished several times for forgetting sunscreen and being in the sun for 10 minutes*
*has now taken to wearing longsleeves all year around, regardless of what other humans think*

[Ana Nymus]

*counts up reasons why Australia is scary*
*counts up reasons why Australia is awesome*
...
Hmmmmmm...

The sun and I have had a rocky relationship. I burn really easily, so I either have to stay in the shade or put on sunscreen. I like doing things that require going out of the shade. I'm allergic to sunscreen. -_-
After many years of searching, though, I found the one brand of sunscreen which doesn't give me an allergic reaction, and now the sun and I have a friendly working relationship But I hate all spray sunscreens, because it is way too easy for the wind to blow someone else's sunscreen all over me -_-

[Róisín]

Ana, I sympathise! I'm allergic to most sunscreens myself, and since I also burn easily, this is a pest (I was a redhead before I went white, and my skin is very fair). I can use the Cancer Council brand of sunscreen most of the time, and I wear long sleeves if I can, and a broad hat, but because I work outdoors a lot I still burn.

Scary and awesome - that's Australia in a nutshell. And I live here and say that!

[Daéa Reina]

*counts up reasons why Australia is scary*
*counts up reasons why Australia is awesome*
...
Hmmmmmm...

Yeah, I have this same problem... At the same time that I'm fascinated by Australia, I'm scared to death of what kind of bugs and snakes live there and could kill me with just one bite.
Róisin eased my fears a little. Maybe now I'll be brave enough to go there someday.

I have a love/hate relationship with the sun. Although I'm really fond of sunny days, my skin is really white, so I get burned easily. I seldom put on sunscreen (which is a bad habit, I know), and my nose is always the first part of my face to get bright red. I envy my younger brother... He inherited some better skin genes, and instead of red, he gets a nice tan whenever he stays in the sun.

[SectoBoss]

The most offputting thing about Australia to me is by far and away the heat. Dangerous wildlife, well, fair enough I guess. Even strong sun in and of itself isn't a problem - I'll need a ton of sunscreen and a silly-looking sunhat, but oh well. But the heat... having lived in cold and damp places all my life, I can't handle anything that pushes 20 °C. Which by the sound of it, Australia is capable of exceeing and then some...

[Róisín]

39.somethingC here today. No fun. And it's only just summer. Aaaarrgh!

[Haiz]

I think my first real impression of australia was when i was tiny, young enough to go to after-school activities... and one of the teachers had been to australia for some months and showed us the pictures and talked about it, and what i remember most is how hot it was said to be there. i think i was put off from going to australia from that moment on because how does anyone deal with heat


aw yis my missing months are here! time to assemble 40 calendar copies........

[urbicande]

39.somethingC here today. No fun. And it's only just summer. Aaaarrgh!

39C? My first impression was right. Australia IS trying to kill everyone.

[Yuuago]

39.somethingC here today. No fun. And it's only just summer. Aaaarrgh!

YIKES. ... Would you like some of my snow, I think you might need it. I mean, it'd turn into rain in an instant, but hey...

[SectoBoss]

39.somethingC here today. No fun. And it's only just summer. Aaaarrgh!

Good grief! Hey, if you can remain concious in that heat you'll be doing better than me...

[Róisín]

Yuago, I would dearly love some of your snow! Especially if it turned into rain! We've just had the driest Spring in a hundred years in my area, and I'm battling to keep the garden going. Which I have to do, because this garden is not only a chunk of my livelihood, but a precious collection of rare plants which I propagate and share. Many of them were trusted to me to pass on because I'm good at this, but this year is no fun at all. It will get hotter yet, alas!

Sorry to grumble, but I'm a little disheartened because rain was forecast a few days ago, and we got lots of wind and thunder but only about a dozen drops of rain.

Urbicande: yeah, sometimes it does seem that way.

Haiz: Glad you found your calendar bits! If you don't like heat, you could always try Tasmania, where Owl lives, it's cooler than the mainland, though still hotter than Norway. East Gippsland, Canberra, and the Snowies, and parts of the Blue Mountains get cold enough to snow in winter. Still hot summers, just not as hot for as long. The offshore islands like Flinders or King or Kangaroo Islands are probably the best choice.

Looking on the bright side, I could always be in Coober Pedy. Or Marble Bar. Or Kalgoorlie!

SectoBoss: I can, but I don't enjoy it. Used to love working night shifts in summer....

On which note, I'm for bed! It's about 3.30 am here, and I have an early start. Goodnight all.

[Mélusine]

Today's unexpected situation : I was on the train, going back home with pen and notebook, writing a little, with earphones, one of mine writing playlists, and because I always see something on a title and when the images came to me, a smile. Maybe a big and spontaneous smile.
Five minutes after, one man in front of me tried to obtain my attention, then my phone number, and offered me to go to drink a coffee. Because of a smile addressed to nobody, mostly to my notebook.
Will I stop freezing inside in such a situation one day ?

[urbicande]

Today's unexpected situation : I was on the train, going back home with pen and notebook, writing a little, with earphones, one of mine writing playlists, and because I always see something on a title and when the images came to me, a smile. Maybe a big and spontaneous smile.
Five minutes after, one man in front of me tried to obtain my attention, then my phone number, and offered me to go to drink a coffee. Because of a smile addressed to nobody, mostly to my notebook.
Will I stop freezing inside in such a situation one day ?

Partially, I think it depends on what the freeze is for.  Is it a "sure, I'd love to go for coffee!" or "désolé, mais non, merci" or you want to tell him to feck right off because he's interrupting you?

It comes down a bit to being comfortable in your own skin (this assumes you don't have social anxiety -- that's a rough one and I can't offer much advice).