Friends Cafe - social space for members under 25

[Kazzl]

Hey! Welcome to Friends Cafe.

This is a chill and chat space for young BB members to talk about anything and everything and make new friends.

When school's getting to you, uni or work has got you down, parents, partners, friends don't understand, and especially if you're feeling alone or lonely - come and relax awhile and talk to others who know just how you feel.

Our minds can cause us trouble, but they can also be amazing things that imagine beauty, love and fun. This cafe has everything you can imagine. To start with it's, well, a cafe. So there's chairs and tables, comfy couches for flopping, a big screen tele, unlimited download on computers for games, Spotify (or an old-school jukebox if you prefer), every movie you can think of on instant demand ... whatever you want, it's here. Post and tell us what'd you'd like.

Plus, there's an infinite menu of whatever food or drinks takes your fancy. And it's all free!

To kick it off, today we have a special range of Monster Milkshakes - those thick gooey shakes topped with cronuts, chocolate bars, cake, cookies ... whatever you want. And if you can get through one of them, you're a legend (and probably feeling a little bit sick LOL!)

Welcome friends.

[Zeal]

Hey Tara,

It's great that you love Harry Potter, and reading in general. I did have a skim through the Hufflepuff description actually, and it made sense why I was assigned to that house 🙂

I can feel my head cold shifting, and I'm hoping that I'll notice a positive change tomorrow. I luckily got an extension on one of my assignments. If I focus and keep an open mind, I think I should be able to complete my last three major assignments (just in time)! Thanks very much for your kind words also. I love banana and blueberry muffins actually! Being able to cook at all at 14 is pretty good. I am 23 and still find myself resorting to short-cut options!

All the best,

Zeal

[Zeal]

Hey ahw,

I've also read Brave New World, though it was ages ago, so I don't remember much of it! That's pretty funny how you were assigned to different houses like that. Maybe you have an even spread of qualities from the different houses (though I don't believe Slytherin would suit you). Online quizzes are not always entirely accurate! haha

Dottie, Grace, James and Demi - I hope you are all doing well.

Best wishes,

Zeal

[Guest_322]

Hi,

Zeal, either way, it's still an incredible achievement 😊 Ah thanks for explaining how the champions system works. We can celebrate you continuing as a Community Champion in that case ha, ha. Yay party!!!

James, burnt brownies= still good. Still chocolate right ha, ha.

I'm bringing

🍘🍙🍚🍛🍖🍕🍔🍓🍒🍍🍎🍎🍐🍑🍡🍟🍞🍝🍜🍢🍢🍤🍤🍦🍰🍪🍩🍩🍨🍧🍭🍮🍮🍰🍵🍴🍳🍲🍱🍱🍱☕️🍶☕️

Dottie x

[Zeal]

Hey Dottie,

You're awesome 😄 I actually have no idea how you do those little emoticons in your post, but I rather like them. I would like to eat the pizza, bread, strawberries, meat skewers and bowls of noodles!

All the best,

Zeal

[Guest_322]

Hi Ahw,

Thanks for the super thoughtful post. I really enjoyed reading it 😊

I'm glad you shared some of your thoughts, and I think you're very insightful by the way. Yeah, I hear you. Sometimes us- or our thoughts- can be our own worst enemy. Then if you add anxiety and depression in the mix, we then also have to distinguish between our voice and the mental illness voice. It all sort of becomes one big blur.

As you said so yourself, your fear of being a "burden" and being less liked helps fuel some of the withdrawal. I guess when it comes down to it, most of us want to be liked and most of us fear rejection. Like if we showed the world who we really are and how we're truly feeling, we risk the world rejecting us. Intimidating stuff.

Even though dystopian books aren't necessarily your favourite genre- and that's perfectly okay- I'm glad they seem to have somewhat won you over now. I personally LOVE dystopian books! I agree that many of them leave you thinking for ages but can also leave you feeling thoroughly disturbed too ha, ha

Orwell wrote some really interesting stuff; it does make you wonder what on earth went on in his head at the time. Clever man though. Oh I've read Fahrenheit 451! I read it in one sitting as it's pretty thin, and I thought that the ending was beautiful.

Yay for Nausea being officially added to your post HSC reading list ha, ha. Oh yeah, not all bookshops stock it, which is kind of annoying. Maybe try online, smaller independent book stores or even ordering in-store? Funny side note: I actually have 3 copies of Nausea that all have different cover art. 2 were new and 1 was second-hand.

Uni is keeping me preoccupied ha, ha. I have an assignment due to this week.

I hope your HSC studying is going well and hopefully you also get some down time here and there.

Dottie x

[Guest_322]

Hi Zeal,

Aw thanks 😊 Help yourself to anything and everything ha, ha. There's more where it came from:

🍱🍰🍩☕️🍳🍲🍧🍢🍤🍭🍜🍪🍦🍎🍝🍡🍟🍞🍜🍅🍆🌽🍠🍇🍌🍋🍊🍉🍈🍍🍎🍏🍐🍑🍖🍕🍔🍓🍒🍗🍘🍙🍚🍛🍛🍜🍝🍞🍟🍡🍦🍥🍤🍣🍢🍧🍨🍩🍪🍫🍰🍯🍮🍭🍬🍱🍲🍳🍴🍵

I just get all the emoticons from my iphone ha, ha. They have all sorts of food, animal, celebration, flowers, etc emoticons. There's even a toilet one 😂

Dottie x

[Guest_322]

Hi,

Tara, your friend is amazing! I'm so glad she's there for you through everything- she's a keeper.

Your brown hair sounds lovely 😊 Oooh pixie cut would be super edgy so I say, go for it! I also like your post school hair dyeing plans, and I think either red or blue would be awesome.

I went through a phase where I wanted to have black and white hair (like Cruella De Vil from Disney's 101 Dalmatians) 😂 I've never done it but never say never as I've never been one to shy away from crazy hair.

And thanks, I really liked the red when it was super vibrant (however short lived that was ha, ha). But at the moment, I kind of want blond ombré...hmm...

It's great that you keep an open mind when it comes to books. Not having a favourite genre can be a good thing ha, ha. Variety has its perks.

Wow, rehearsing with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra? That's very cool! Pity their advice wasn't directly relevant to you but it was clearly still a memorable experience.

Classes resumed today meaning lectures and tutes again- the usual drill ha, ha. I might treat myself to a new magazine (probably Nylon but I spotted an intriguing music/fashion magazine that might be worth giving a go) after I submit my assignment at the end of the week 😉

When I've more time on my hands- helloooo uni holidays- I'm on the lookout for a second-hand denim jacket. That I will then proceed to purposely distress and fray for that wrecked look. Also I'm really feeling the Pink Ladies' bomber jackets in Grease 2 so kind of want a pink bomber jacket now. Alas, my limited student means ha, ha.

Demi & Grace- got y'all on my mind. Hope you're getting better, Demi. And Grace, I hope you're doing alright

Dottie x

[ahw309]

Tara, My Ilvermony house is Pukwidgie as well! If you do end up getting Cursed Child for your birthday (which is quickly approaching - another party everyone?? 🙂 ), let us know how it is once you read it! And yes! Getting lost in a book is such a great feeling, and I agree that it keeps you occupied and can help calm you down!

Zeal, good to hear that this cold of yours seems to be shifting, I'm also hoping you'll notice a positive change tomorrow!! 🙂 I read Brave New World fairly recently, and I quite liked it. It left me thinking for days and it stuck with me for a long time. Haha yes, online quizzes can be very inaccurate at times!! And actually thinking about the four Harry Potter houses again, I'm not sure which I fit into at all anymore!

Dottie, thank you for all the food!! And for reading my post and all your insight! I really enjoy reading your thoughts 🙂 Yes!! Disturbed is the word I was trying to think of before! Animal Farm in particular left me feeling extremely disturbed - I still clearly remember the sick feeling I had when I reached the end, and I read it about 4 or 5 years ago!

Also this wasn't exactly directed at me haha, but your plan for the denim jacket sounds great. I've been wanting a denim jacket for ages but still haven't got one!! I've recently been wanting a black denim skirt, or maybe a black leather one, but now isn't really the time to be shopping haha!! I have a black bomber jacket, but before I bought it, I was actually tossing up between a black one or a pink one! But with clothing, black always seems to win for me (if you haven't already noticed haha) 🙂

[ahw309]

With my HSC studying, it's actually not going very well. I've always had trouble with motivation, and this year has been particularly bad. I just cannot find the motivation to do any study at all, and as each day ends, I look back on the day and realise that I did nothing!! The only study I've done was on one day last week when I went to the library with a friend, and we went through some content and questions together. It was like I had a tutor, and in that way, I was kind of forced to do work, but otherwise, I just can't.

I would like to ask a friend to study together more often, as it seems to be the only way I can get anything done, but I don't want to bother or interfere as they also have to study for their own HSC, in a way that suits them (which for most of my friends is individual study). Also, after studying together, I feel really guilty for taking up my friend's time, and that has had quite a big affect on my overall mood for days after.

So I was wondering, do any of you have any advice or tips for finding motivation? I know that it's kind of something you have to find yourself, but I've tried thinking about getting into the course I want to (which actually requires quite a high ATAR) and the impacts on my future in general, the fact that I will regret not trying my best, my family, the effort of my teachers, the expectations of others, the fact that a whole 13 years of schooling has sort of built up to this... basically everything I can think of, but nothing is enough to motivate me.

I think some of the reasons for my lack of motivation may be that I don't know where to start, I've kind of formed a habit of not studying the past few years and now don't actually know how to study, and I've always been quite lazy in the first place! Maybe also a sort of fear of failure? I think I may be scared of trying very hard and not reaching my goals, so I don't try at all? Or also the fact that there is always a way to get where I want if I work hard and really want to, and the many alternate pathways that there are, so I'm not worried if I don't do too well? Or maybe I'm just very overwhelmed and don't realise it! Or maybe it's all of these reasons or maybe it's none of these haha, but those are just a few of my thoughts. 🙂

[Guest_322]

Hi Ahw,

Aw any time 😊 Help yourself to the party food (in honour of Zeal). So we are, um, eating in her honour ha, ha.

I agree that Animal Farm was very disturbing. Kind of makes you reflect on your own humanity and what power can do to some people. But I guess that was Orwell's point. That book makes me think of the quote, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely" by Lord Acton.

Black is an awesome colour (yeah, yeah I know they art department drill of how "black isn't a colour" which I will ignore ha, ha)! I actually love black but will throw in a another colour here and there.

Either the black denim or leather skirt would be cool; both are pretty versatile for styling. Your bomber jacket sounds stylish! I still haven't found the right black bomber jacket (by "right", I mean within my budget and I like the style).

I love the distressed look of denim. I like things not to look to "perfect" or too neat. And I like contrasts like silky fabrics with leather or casual with smart like a peacoat jacket with sneakers.

Dottie x