Rachel in Words

Personally, 2021 was a year that I do not wish to experience again. Some things didn't work out for me on both a professional and personal level. I'll be honest and frank about that.  While a lot of things didn't work out for me in 2021, one important thing did: I found out yesterday that I was accepted into a graduate studies program in data science at Monash University, and it's likely that I'm going to accept the offer and enrol in the course. My aim is to get a Masters in Analytics once I'm done. I start in March 2022. I'll finish by the end of 2023.   This wasn't a decision that I made lightly - in fact, I was toying with the idea of going back to school since 2015. From 2015 onwards, I was making countless course enquiries to universities all over the country (and even one in New Zealand and another in the US) but I would never proceed past the enquiry stage. I was scared that I was going to regret the decision and that I was going to get myself in...

A note from the author: I originally wrote this blog post in 2017 and it was originally published in  Medium . I no longer teach young people how to code in my spare time - changing life circumstances, a deadly pandemic and shifting what was meant to be a social program online made this incredibly difficult. But I wouldn't rule it out for the future. Either way, I hope you enjoy this post. If you're interested in teaching young people how to code, visit the Coderdojo website. Coderdojo was the organisation that I was involved in that allowed me this experience. For that I'm forever grateful.

Photo by Sai Kiran Anagani “So how does one learn to code?” “I just want to build an app quickly. What do I need to learn?” “I want to build a website for my photography business. Can’t be that hard, right?” “I signed up for a course that says I can learn to code in thirty days. Can I really?” Almost everyone I speak to when they find out I write code for a living. A quick Google search of ‘how to code’ or ‘how to code without a computer science degree’ will yield a myriad of step-by-step quick solutions on how to be a coding wizard in a matter of days. There are websites like  Lynda  and  Treehouse  in which you can learn to code for a small subscription. Some people spend years at University studying programming. Some people are self-taught. All of them are valid. But what people fail to consider is that no solution is perfect. For some people, they could watch a couple of online tutorials and become a coding master. For most, that’s not necessarily pl...

Since becoming an adult all those years ago, at this stage of my life I have not achieved the following, even though I really wanted to: Meet the right guy Get married, with a kid and a white picket fence But I have achieved the following:  Started and ran my own business, which I still do but only on a part-time basis.  Lived in a major metropolitan city on literally the other side of the world. Even if it was only for a short while.  Travelled the world extensively, and yes I do recognise my privilege in being able to do so.  Completed undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at University and technical college.  Was diagnosed with a serious illness and came out the other side alive.  Picked up a camera, which started my newfound obsession with photography. Consequently, I've had my photographs featured in different publications around the world.  Got the Dream Job. Who knows how long I'll keep the dream job but the point is, I got it. ...

That's me on a computer posing for a promotion campaign.  Like many people in this field, it was a no-brainer. I knew before I was supposed to know. Also like many others, I started somewhat young. But unlike many others, I didn't come from a family of 'computer people' - or even technical people at all. My parents had very limited knowledge/experience in computers.  My interest in computer science began when I was a teenager. It all started when my best friend, another friend of ours and I decided to skip school one morning to travel to Sydney to see the band Hanson, as they were making a television appearance at  Channel V Studios . You guys remember Hanson, right? Three brothers from Oklahoma, long blonde hair? MMMBop? Hanson circa 1997. They don't look like this any more. We got there really early and lined up with all our fellow Hanson fans. Hanson weren't due to appear for another five hours (yes you read that right) but we were there anyway....

In 2012 I participated in a global photography project called 'A Day'. The idea was that on the 15th May 2012, people were encouraged to pick up their cameras and photograph their day. Then in the end all these photos would be collated together and we could see how different the same day is for people from all walks of life. The website for A Day is now no longer online but I still have my photos. I uploaded them to my Flickr account . Feel free to check them out. I decided to do it again on the 15th of May of this year, just to really see how different my life is now compared to back then. There were some obvious changes. For instance: Then: I was working full time and running a business. I was running myself to the ground trying to juggle the both of them. But that was the only way I could survive back then. Now: for the most part, I'm self-employed. Then: Sydney. Now: Wollongong. Then: single. Now: ... still single. Then: 90kg Now: 75kg But wi...

Five years ago, having just returned to Australia after spending a long period of time in Europe, I needed a place to show off all the photos I had taken with my shiny new DSLR purchased in London. Jet-lagged, broke, unemployed, bored and living on my mum's living room floor, I hopped on Tumblr and created From Another Angle - a travel blog. Great Russell St, London UK. One of my personal favourites. When I travel, I like to submerge myself in the place and absorb everything I possibly can. I would also do my research. Along with my photos I would write in the caption a random fact about the place that other people (other than locals) may not have known. For example, did you know that the Eiffel Tower was considered an eyesore by France's leading artists and designers? I would also add little funny anecdotes to accompany my pictures. Did you know that once I wanted to practice my Spanish, so I stumbled into the men's Prada store in Madrid and asked the sales assis...

As you would have seen in my previous post  I've done a bit of travelling in my years on Earth - both as a child, being a Third Culture Kid  and all and as a typical twenty-something adult eager to check off items on my bucket list. In early 2012 I found myself in the United States. The biggest trend amongst teenagers in the US at the time were toy film cameras, in particular the Diana . With the rising popularity of Instagram (whose filters are designed to replicate the style and square format of these old toy cameras) it came as no surprise. I found Dianas for sale throughout NYC in places such as American Apparel or similar retail stores. Needless to say, I bought one. Here's a picture of me taking a mirror selfie with the camera: SoHo, New York City, USA | February 2012 For those who are not familiar with the Diana, it is a toy film camera originating from Hong Kong in the 1960's. It was originally intended to be an inexpensive gift option for kids but you shoul...

These days I don't really do a lot of travelling, apart from a two-week holiday or weekend getaway here and there. Of course, if I had it my way I would never have stopped. I still have the desire to travel and see more the world but sadly it's no longer a top priority. We all have to settle down eventually, I suppose. But when I was younger, particularly in my early 20's, I travelled a LOT. I also moved around a lot. I couldn't stay in one place at one time. I'd seen a lot of places I only ever dreamed of seeing - Europe, Asia, North America, South America and Oceania. The only place I have not conquered yet is Africa (perhaps some day). Naturally, I took pictures of all these places. "Travel becomes a strategy for accumulating photographs" - Susan Sontag. Barcelona, Spain - November 2009 Mirror Lakes, New Zealand - June 2010 Venice, Italy - November 2009 St Peter's Basilica, Vatican City - November 2009 Arc de Triomphe, ...

Cabin fever and the desire to get away from my computer compelled me one day to get in the car and drive to Robertson. Robertson  is a village in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia. It is famous for its cheese factory, it's candy shop, the pie shop and the fact that the 1995 movie Babe was filmed there. It's very much like the English countryside and it's very quaint and quiet - the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.