F.A.Q's and getting to know me.

2016 so far has been all about getting to know me in a new way. 

This week I've decided to write a bit about myself. 

Last week I did a call for AMA (Ask me anything submissions and questions)...

I'm a "mature" student at university. I'm an undergraduate. In my final year. I'm going to talk about this a lot, on and off for 2016. I've been enrolled in study on and off since moving to Wellington in June of 2008. I'm still doing the same degree: Bachelor of Arts, but I changed my minor and major since starting study. I'm doing a BA in English Literature with a minor in Religious Studies. (I also did a number of Linguistic papers, as well as a couple of Education ones).

I grew up in a kind of Christian home, in that we didn't go to church, but we have values like 'treat others how you would like to be treated.' And 'always respect your elders'. Even today, living in another city I still live by a number of these values. Kindness goes far. 

I'm a self taught and semi-trained teacher in ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages). I've taught high school kids and adults. (Aged 11-17 and 30+). I've been fortunate so far to have taught a couple of students from China and some more are from South Korea. I'm currently on a break from teaching as I'm studying for summer, but I might start again sometime later in the year*. Tough to work with students, preparing work for them as well as studying. I may readjust this again later and reassess just how much I can take on.

In 2017, after university studies are all done I am thinking to either go into teaching more ESOL, or going into full time blogging. Then again I do need an income because we need to save up for our wedding and impending move overseas!
If only studying meant I'd be paid well enough to not need to work... Haha. As if!
I just hope I can find a good job where I'm doing something I love every day and not feeling down or anxious about the work, wherever we end up.

I'm the oldest of four children. The oldest grandchild in both families too (of my parents that is).
Daniel is also the oldest child. It makes it difficult when we're both stubborn about certain things. One of us has to let the other lead and such sometimes too. We're both super stubborn with some things. Makes fighting interesting!

On top of all of that I am also aware of how lucky and fortunate I am for the life I currently have. If I didn't have such a loving and wonderful fiance I don't know where I would be living right now. I certainly couldn't afford not to work and just study full time! I am also looking forward to getting some financial assistance from the government for my studies this year, the past few years have been self funded (from fiance) and it has created stress between us. This year I'll get a little to put towards expenses so that will be nice and help relieve some of that stress we currently face.

I have a social media empire growing more and more every day.

 I'm on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and here. I also have YouTube but I'm less active on there now as I've chosen to go more of a written (blogging) and photography route with my creativity. 

This is also why the post a couple of posts back has a new Photography Theme on it. 

I want to showcase more of my creative side this year. 

I'm on a Podcast called Skepticism Today - with fellow skeptics Mark, Sara, Tim and my fiance Daniel. We talk about a variety of topics each month when we meet to record. We haven't been the greatest in getting recordings out quickly, if I'm being totally honest and blunt... The aim for 2016 so far has been to record more. We will see how that goes. 

I love listening to music, to the point I'll find something that I love and play it on repeat for hours on end. Right now? It's this remixed song: Oh Wonder - Lose It.
Sorry not sorry flatmates (and neighbours) hehe. Just kidding - when they're near I have it turned down. Also I wear awesome noise-cancelling headphones.

I'm a very busy person - between full time study, part time teaching*, recording a podcast, blogging here and being a flatmate/ fiancee/ daughter, it's a tough life! I'm also a volunteer at local theatre - BATs and currently doing a lot of shows (think every night) as the Front of House Manager for
Wellington Summer Shakespeare's show of Love's Labours Lost, tickets are available here**.

Until next Monday,
xx Lisa.


*TBC
** Until the end of the season.

Social Media updates and exciting new ventures.

So, so, much has changed in the past two weeks. 

To be honest it's a bit overwhelming how much life changes; for the better. 

First of all I dusted off my camcorder and started filming a few things for my YouTube channel. You can see the latest things here; Lisa Taylor's YouTube... and on that note - started talking to more local YouTubers on Facebook - slowly gaining followers, can only hope to grow more by recording more and furthering my own skills in editing, recording etcetera.

I see a lot of the local YouTuber's seem to solely do YouTube...
I'm still happy to have Pinterest, Instagram, this blog and Facebook going on. I created a page on Facebook for the Blog and YouTube updates - I'm thinking that I should really make it include the other social media stuff too: instagram, twitter and Snap Chat too. Just literally downloaded Snap Chat again, and I'm really unsure on that app!

Outside of Social Media: I'm teaching more, I have four adult students now. They are all from South Korea which is interesting. Mostly I've taught South Korean's here and a few Chinese people too.

I'm on a break for the year from university. It's exams right now, and I was clever enough to choose a paper which was all internal. I'm waiting on my final essay's grade which should be out by the time the Summer Semester begins.

Over Summer - after Christmas (so January and February), I'll be going crazy with Summer Shakespeare where I'm the Front of House Manager** - no pressure! The team -including me- was featured in Victorious the VUW alumni magazine recently - you can see that article and photo here. Was an awesomely fun photoshoot, and new for me- normally I'm on the other side of the camera and taking videos and such, so it was nice to play Model for an afternoon!

Just have to invoke my inner Queen Bee (Beyonce too!).

In a few weeks I'll be down to the Skeptics Conference again - 

Christchurch you'd better be ready for us! 

I'll be there for a few days with Dan and the local skeptics doing the conference talks 

and recording the podcast... 

IF I remember I'll also film some stuff to upload when we get back.

Music that has me singing along:

Adele's Hello! (2015)
Britney's Work B*  (2013).

Movies I love: 

The Minions movie (2015)
Moulin Rouge (2001)
Harry Potter - all of them (2001-2011)

Don't care that this is also from 2013: Selena's song Come and Get It 

- always makes me dance and sing along!
Also reminds me (fond memories) of working at a job I had for a few weeks when this song first came out and we played it in the store every day, super loud. 

One good thing about having a bit of time off before the craziness of Summer Shakespeare begins, means I have more time to catch up with and see friends...

So friends (yes this is me being my usual dorky, awkward self):  

It also means that YES I'm heading home to Taranaki for Christmas - see you soon New Plymouth!


**NOTE: This is the same page used every year, so in 2016 it will change to the next play for shows in February of the following year. Show dates for Love's Labours Lost are for February 2016.

Bloggers and Websites I love, what inspires me

I'm not going to lie and say that everything on my blog is completely just made from me. Sure, lots of it's my thoughts and ideas... but I'm inspired by so many other bloggers, websites and videos.

I subscribe to others and read them often; From Apartment Therapy giving me DIY home decor ideas, to people like Meagan Kerr a local plus sized fashion blogger from NZ.


I also follow along with some through Facebook - such as the podcast from the Skeptics Guide to the Universe, and some others. I also speak on the Skepticism Today podcast.

I get inspiration for the podcast and what I bring to it from local news sources, Facebook groups (the NZ Skeptics groups I've mentioned here before), as well as things going on in my life. Some months are more difficult than others to get things to talk about - I'm not into confronting people face to face about using woo products and things. Friends of mine can and do get into people's faces about it, but I just can't. So I stick with writing ASA complaints and being a bit more of a keyboard warrior.
Although even then I have my limits.

I've learned in the past few months to just walk away. I used to admin on a public Facebook group for hair, and often there are people on there who use various types of woo. It's hard to watch them doing it, but it's also a bad place to confront people. It's a tough balance... I've learned that I can't control everyone and everything they do. It's also difficult to draw the line and not name names. Fine line indeed. I've also learned more tact too - being nice even when I don't completely agree with what's going on, but I know when to speak up and when to let things drop.

I am inspired by different famous folks too like Lo Bosworth - this is her apartment tour, and others like Alisha Marie a younger vlogger who has all sorts of things going on in her youtube account. I love her DIY and fashion vlogs. Her latest video (at the time of writing) I can totally relate to with everyone having phones and not actually having the good old 'deep and meaningful' talks. Meg from MayBaby is another vlogger. She does fashion and other vlogging.

I'm not all about the fashion bloggers and vloggers, I'm also all about the music:
The Piano Guys, Magic!, Walk off the Earth...

I also use Instagram a lot too - uploading more photos and thoughts of my days. You can see my posts here.

In lieu of a quote this week I leave you with a song:
The Skeptic in the Room - Eddie Scott

A little insight into my calendar

So normally I post about things going on, this week I've been thinking about my Diary and how filled it has been getting. I don't normally share such details - but here goes.

I work as a volunteer in a local theatre (BATS theatre) as an usher/ ticket taker/ fire warden, it's rewarding and hugely enjoyable. Since the Comedy Festival is on at the moment*, the shifts I do have increased. I'm seeing at least one or two shows each night, and having a blast. It's great fun. The past week I've taken off though just doing one night as I had an assignment due for the university paper I'm taking. This is all good for mental health too - I'm doing even better with groups of people and face to face customer enquiries. I used to panic, but I'm getting there. It's also gotten to the point that people there recognise me and address me by name, which is awesome! I'm so happy.

Talking of assignments - I've been doing the ENGL348 paper at Victoria University, Awkward Books. I'm loving it. I'm going to write a blog post about it at some other stage to talk about it in depth.

On top of University study and BATS theatre stuff, I'm also recording on the Podcast for Skepticism Today we're up to episode 10, it's well worth the catch up.

I'm California Dreamin' in reflection to Dan's job options for the future... My pinterest is now filled with more and more San Francisco related things... I'm just a tad obsessed. haha. Don't worry though I still have love for NZ and other things too.

Throw back image to when I had Cyclamen inside. Sadly these baby plants have died now...

 and the owls are in the kitchen now.

Quote for the week:
"Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right."
– Henry Ford.

* The comedy Festival has literally just finished. It was a great time.

A new update - of sorts!

Today, January 22nd I realised that I've been seriously neglecting my writing... So much stuff has happened since December. So many changes are in progress, to be honest it is terrifying me a little.

Rose Tinted Glasses: A Psychic and Skeptics

This weekend Dan and I went along to the New Zealand Skeptics Conference held in Wellington. A two day conference with some amazing speakers. We met some awesome people in various fields, doing various jobs, and responding to the world in different ways.
Basically a bunch of "non-believers" in a room for a weekend to talk, discuss, debate and question things.