Hi,

I'm Paul and I live in Brisbane (Queensland,​ Australia).

I'm a 2nd year university student (law and internationa​l relations).  To be honest, it doesn't leave time for much else.  I take language classes at night (see below), but most of the time I'm buried in books. Ah well, I'm sure it will all pay off in a few years.

In my downtime, I'll usually do something low-stress like watch movies or listen to music.  I like to run and cycle for fitness (that's a lie - I don't like it; I just do it anyway!).

I'm a nice guy; you'll like me.  Honest!

Interesting facts:

My family used to live in North Queensland in a regional town.  When Mum and Dad sold the house and I want back to uni, I moved to the capital, Brisbane (pop 1,700,000) and my parents moved to a small town further north (pop 26).  We cover all extremes!

I play drums, but haven't been able to lately because of where I live.  I really miss it.  The neighbours don't.

I studied music at uni for a while, but gave it up to run a small recording studio.  A few years later, I gave that up to go back to uni for a law degree.  You might call those slightly different career paths!

I've never left my state.  Actually, that's not entirely true.  On a family holiday, we once ventured about 200 metres into NSW for dinner, then came back.  I live on the edge.

I'm right-handed​, but left-footed.​  I like to think that's the definition of a balanced individual.

I'm not totally convinced that charming little lists of factoids are the best way to tell people about yourself, but I'm giving it a go.  I want to believe!

I'm a Mac person, but more quietly contented than crazily evangelical about it.  Lighten up Apple nerds.

UPDATE 14/7/09: I've started using Skype since I came to this site and have found that it's a great way to communicate with people from different countries.  I've found a few Skype pals here and would definitely be interested in some more.  I would, however, like to exchange a few messages first.  I have a webcam and have found that it's a really great tool, but I'm not interested in anything untoward, so don't contact me for anything except conversation​, cultural or language exchange.

If I'm very lucky and study very hard, I may be able to study a semester of law overseas in a few years.  I've narrowed down my choices to these countries: Poland, Lithuania, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Hungary.  I would love to hear from people, particularly​ students, in these countries to learn more about them and your life there.

____________​____________​____________​____________​______.

I'm looking for internationa​l penpals to learn about different people in different parts of the world.  Their motivations and outlooks, their cultures and identities.

I've started learning Russian and Mandarin, I'd love the opportunity to practice writing to people.  I'm more than happy to help with English for people still learning.  You'll have to have a basic level though, because I can't use the other languages properly yet.

Really interested in politics as part of my degree.  It would be fantastic to write to people with a strong interest.  Pretty much anyone of any preference, so long as you're interested in learning, mutual respect and friendly debate.

Started learning Russian and Chinese (Mandarin) this year (2009), so I'm only a beginner.  Looking for speakers of these languages to practice writing and get a feel for using them naturally.  Can help with English in return.

Politics/Int​ernational Relations, other cultures etc

I'm really interested in Russia and other Eastern and Central European states.  I can't put it into words exactly why, but I'm just so taken with them.  I'm learning the language and would love to live and work there once I graduate.

Also very interested in China.  It's so opposite to Australia in so many ways.  I must confess that I don't really know how to go about learning about it, but I think speaking to Chinese people would be a great start.

Dream Theater, Prokofiev, Jimmy Barnes, Carcass, Bruce Springsteen,​ Delta Goodrem, Iron Maiden, Bela Bartok, Black Sabbath (with Tony Martin), Chris Isaak, Slayer, Harry Connick Jr, Celine Dion, John Williamson, Living Colour, Meat Loaf, Opeth, Queen etc

This is Spinal Tap, Flying High, Streets of Fire, The Castle, Dirty Harry, Platoon.

Anything Mel Brooks that I've seen so far.  Anything where Harrison Ford starts off in a respectable suit and ends up a bruised and bloody mess.  Bond (I must be the only person to favour Roger Moore over Sean Connery).  Not much new stuff - I saw Breach recently and that was pretty good.  Slow, but good.

Blue Heelers.  I'll admit it here, because nobody knows what it is!  So daggy.  The Daily Show/Colbert​ Report, Battlestar Galactica, Arrested Development,​ X-Files, The Office (both), Scrubs, Law and Order, The West Wing.

Radio: Anything to do with (the other) Tony Martin.

One day I'll finish Crime and Punishment​, one day.  The last book I read was 1984,​ which was fantastic.  I'm looking forward to Animal Farm next and I'm also going to try Solzhenitsyn​.

Apart from that, it's hard for me to read for pleasure, because I do so much of it for uni.  I really only get into the right frame of mind for reading on the holidays, otherwise it feels too much like study.

"What good's a life that leaves nothing behind,
Not a thought nor a dream that might echo in time?"
- Paul O'Neil - Beethoven's​ Last Night

"Do you know what it's like to fall in the mud and get kicked... in the head... with an iron boot? Of course you don't, no one does. It never happens. Sorry, Ted, that's a dumb question... skip that. " Robert Stack, Flying High (Airplan​e!)