People are so funny. I was speaking to my dad about it last night actually, how so many people (especially teens and pre-teens) have this intense urge for identity establishment. Now, I'm all for this act, i believe it is very important to have your own individuality and establish who you are (see my first post). But identity establishment should be for yourself more than for how others see you.

Take my younger sister for example (this is not a criticism of her, just an observation with a hint of nostalgia). She has started secondary school this year and it rapidly approaching the teenage years. I find it so amusing to watch her attempt to catagorise herself and her friends, which she does very often. She, like so many others her age, has this want to label and package themselves into these little, narrow, easy to define and describe boxes. I listen to her describe her clique to me...

"so-and-so is the arty one that loves animals and the environment and the colour green. Then theres so-and-so whos the math science sort of person, shes really into reading and always complains about how badly shes gonna do on a test then aces it. And then theres me; I'm the music one whos really into fashion and customising my stuff and loves singing and dancing and drama."

Now, I know that yes, I did this when I was a little younger as well, albeit hopefully to a lesser extent, but I still find it so amusing to see these young people perceive and communicate in this way.

Whilst speaking with my dad yesterday, I told him about this observation of mine, I don't think he was on exactly the same wavelength, he was thinking of it in more of an overall, long term self-discovery perspective (which I agree is highly important). But I was saying to him how thats not what this is. This act of persona building that I am describing in young people is far more about how they wish to present themselves to others and how they want themselves represented in other peoples minds. It has almost nothing to do with finding out who they naturally are! In fact, in some instances, I think people may actually delay their self discovery "journey" but catagorising themselves into such small confined boxes.

Ones personality, and consequently their life, does not have to conform to a cluster of similar fields. Just because someone enjoys listening to music and singing, doesn't mean they necessarily like to dance. Just because someone has an interest and innate predisposition to math, doesn't mean they enjoy physics OR that they do not intensely enjoy reflecting upon the big picture and observing human nature (just a hypothetical person of course).

I just think that people today, especially young people, need to worry themselves less with how other people catagorise them and more about who they themselves really are.

By me, who is "the math and science geeky type"...who also designs and sews her own garments, wishes everyone would use renewable energy and has an obsession with real estate.

Over the past few months, my parents have been considering installing solar panels on our roof. We live in a fairly large house (around 34 squares) with 6 people (2 adults, 2 young adults, 2 early teens) and also 6 animals (3 dogs, 3 cats). Being the environmental nut that I am, my parents asked me to assist with researching solar panel installation companies, the costs involved and the current government rebates available. So I did some research. Based mainly on the two websites http://www.energymatters.com.au/ and http://www.solaronline.com.au/ I have discovered that solar panels are an extremely non-viable option for my family.

It appears that average figures for solar panel installations work out to be $2500 - $3000 per kWh per day, ie. for every $3000 one spends on a solar system, they gain 1 kWh per day. Now, after discovering this, I obviously investigated my families average daily electricity consumption. We use around 43 kWh per day. By this, my parents would be looking at spending around $100,000 (pre government rebates/solar credits) in order to produce the electricity we use, let alone produce any surplus to pump back into the grid and make money from (which is what most sales pitches work off).

After making this highly depressing discovery, I found myself asking "What's wrong with our household? Why is this such an impossible, expensive option?" So I decided to look at the average household energy consumption for Melburnians. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any current or almost current statistics, but I did find some from 2003. These stated that "In 2003 the average Melburnian consumed 2161 kWh of electricity at home" and that "The average metropolitan household consumed 6265 kWh of electricity" (http://www.aius.org.au/indicators/sectiontype.cfm?ThemeID=4&SectionTypeID=1). Now, as I live in a household of 6 people, I decided that the second figure was pretty irrelevant for my situation. So, based on the per person average I worked out the following:
(2161*6)/365=35.5

By this, my household is using 8 kWh, or around 22.5% per day more than the average...and we don't even have a dryer anymore! It makes me worry.

Plus, after reading a thread that showed a bunch of people who consumed a fair bit below the average (http://forums.overclockers.com.au/showthread.php?t=756975), I can not help thinking that maybe the state mean would be a fair bit lower if it were not for outliers like my household.

It makes me worry even more...

Being a four day a week moderate distance commuter, I like to think I am exposed enough to Melbourne's train system to express my dislike for it. Among the various well known issues with this system, such as sardine-can conditions, constant tardiness and even cancellations, for me Connex have really ticked me off with their rare but oh so uncomfortable "new" trains. I place the word new in inverted commas as I'm not entirely certain as to whether these particular trains are in fact new or old. I have only had to travel on one twice (thank god) but they appear surprisingly clean and fresh, yet their train network maps contain zone 3... Either way, they have the absolute worst layout of seating, and lack thereof, that I have ever encountered.

To begin with, there is a distinct lack of seating. I'm guessing Connex has decided to combat the gross over crowding by simply forcing more people to stand, thereby cramming an increased number or commuters onto each carriage,, regardless of their comfort.

Secondly, the few seats these trains do have are both short and narrow. The back of each seat only reaches around ones middle back and they are so narrow even three slim, petite women must cross their legs rather tightly to avoid contact with each other.

Thirdly, the layout of the few seats is terrible. All of them are facing rows or sideline rows, so either ones legs are crammed up against someone else's legs or one has the arse of a stranger in their face.

These trains are horrible! I hate you Connex; find proper, dignified, COMFORTABLE solutions to your grossly unaccommodating trains!

As per usual, here I am, excessively tired but staying up to engage in some form of identity establishment. I'm Kaffean. I am an unemployed first year Melbourne University student who enjoys music, walking, shopping, sewing, coffee and heated discussions as well as light-hearted joking around. Clearly I could go on and on about myself, but thats just boring and self centred; two things I try not to be. I really must work out how to customise the colourings and overall skin of this...see; more identity establishment, I just can't get enough of it.