February 26, 2008
Exchange students have a 2-day orientation BEFORE O-Week (big orientation) where we do the usual review of safety instructions, study tips, cultural differences, etc. Really boring, but I met a few people! I spent a lot of time with two students from UNC: Phil and Claire. I like them both a lot, and they remind me of friends I would have at home. Both live really close which is great. Phil lives in the "frat house", a house across the street with 14 exchange guys. They even have an RA and maids that come once a week. Most of the guys I have met are very nice and their house is always busy.
Orientation ended at noon and a large group of us went to the beach to relax some more. It is so wonderful being so close, I am going to miss it so much. My sheets are already full of sand, and it's almost comforting to feel when I go to bed at night! I have heard that winters are warm, but I don't know if they will be warm enough.
I planned on meeting Andy from Hillsong at a church party, but I was feeling a little sick and outside it became very dark. I took some pictures of the storm that I will try to post when I get to Coogee. People just sat out on the beach watching the lightning - it was beautiful. Then I got a meat pie and walked home in the pouring rain. Even when it rains it's wonderful here!
That night, the Germans (Alexandra and Daniel) and I went to the "frat house" to hang out with Claire and the boys. We ended up down the street at Coogee Bay Hotel to meet some of Claire's friends from the hostel. There were two INSANE Irish and four people from the UK. All were backpackers on their gap year. After talking to them I got so jealous that gap years are not culturally accepted in the United States. They are having so much fun and learning a lot. I am glad I get to study abroad, but I would like to backpack for a short period of time later in life.
February 27, 2008
In the afternoon after orientation, the plan was to do the beach walk from Coogee to Bondi, but because of cold weather we changed our minds. The walk is 6 miles along 6 different beaches with cliffs and just beautiful features. I'm sure I'll do it eventually. Instead we went to a career seminar! Sounds much more fun, right? We all need work, so we went to a boring hour long lecture about how to get a job in Sydney. She wasn't very helpful to be honest.
That night I went to Bondi Junction to get groceries and a few things I needed for my trip to MELBOURNE! I am so excited to visit Max and see a new city. I did my laundry across the street at the frat house (they have a free washer and dryer) and ended up hanging out for way too long.
February 28, 2008
My cab was coming at 4:45 a.m. and I don't know how I got up for it! I pretty much took a really short nap and hopped in the cab. When we got off the plane in Melbourne, we landed at the smaller airport in the middle of NOWHERE. It was pretty scenery, but not the city I had expected. Max picked us up in his "Ute" (pick-up) - he's such a character. I'll post pictures, but he's an Australian country boy trapped in the city. He was wearing a cowboy button-up, his black cowboy hat and boots. He is also quite the gentleman and did not let us lift a finger the entire weekend!
It's Max's birthday, so we went for a special breakfast at this place called Hopscotch, his local brekky place. It was AMAZING! I got Eggs Benedict which I had never had before and fell in love with. Max seems to know everyone in town - he got his birthday breakfast for free! While we were eating, we got a call from Max's dad Wayne that he needed to look in the Civic Video store window. Max was a little concerned because that is where he works as manager. We walked down the street to look and his dad made this HUGE poster about Max being 21!! It had all these cute pictures of Max growing up - Max was totally embarrassed. We went back to Max's place and took a big nap to get ready for the night.
Max's parents (Cathy & Wayne, I love them!) made us a DELICIOUS dinner for Max's birthday, and we headed out to Half Moon, Max's "local". Max's friends all met up, and it was nice meeting them all. He has gone to two different schools in the area, so he knows a lot of different people. We went to bed rather early because we needed to be ready for the next day!
February 29, 2008
Woke up early and packed up the ute for CAMPING! Heather and I were both totally excited. We picked up Max's friend Michael and headed outside of Melbourne to Wombat State Forest. On the way, we met up with a few other guys with utes - Lachie, Justin, and Risa. Then we went out mudding. I jumped in Risa's ute, he's hilarious. He's a big country boy and OBSESSED with John Deere!! He had stickers all over his car and said he was dreaming of a John Deere comforter. He's sending me money when I get home so I can ship him one! He was very impressed that my family had an American farm and really wants to see an American farm. All the guys we hung out with loved American country and listened to Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, and Brad Paisley a lot. It was really crazy to be camping in AUSTRALIA listening to American music. We all went mudding and Risa insisted on going through a really large bog. We got stuck, but the guys have a system worked out that can get us out of almost anything. Max's ute got a little banged up and the electrics went out at one point, so we were a bit more careful after that.
Around noon we set up the barbie and set up camp. We were planning on going back out, but the fire was so enjoyable we just sat all day! It was quite chilly for summer - I was wearing three layers at least. We ate a lot of sausage and listened to a lot of American country. They also love the band Cold Chisel, a classic Australian artist I recommend checking out.
Later that night, Jimmy showed up. Jimmy is an Olympic shooter for Australia and good friends with Max. He took me out in his ute around midnight to spotlight in the park. I wasn't nervous at all, until he told me how to put together and take apart the gun just in case someone was chasing us, and that I'd have to drive his car (a manual, which I barely know how to drive) if he yelled at me to. We drove around on a bunch of different tracks - saw a wombat, which Jimmy hesitated to shoot, and then we didn't see much for a while. He kept looking for deer; their deer here look very different from American deer. We didn't see much except a possum in a tree which he shot just because we couldn't find anything else. It was still fun just to drive around for a bit!
March 1, 2008
We woke up decent time and went out mudding again. The most fun part about mudding (besides getting stuck) is gabbing over the radios. These kids have more jokes than anyone I've met.
When we got back to Max's place, we got ready for a little dinner Max's family set up for him. They invited a few work friends over, and it was interesting seeing couples who had moved here from the States and what they thought about the cultures, governments, etc. The food was delicious, as always, and for dessert we had rhubarb.
In the middle of dinner, Max got a text from his best friend Michael that he was going hunting tonight. Of course Heather and I agreed and got ready in about 5 minutes. We headed out in Max's ute towards Michael's ranch - it's a really nice place. Michael's family is getting land ready to ranch cattle, but right now there is not enough grass because of kangaroos. There are so many kangaroos in the area that there is not even enough grass just for their population! So, Michael and Max do some number control whenever they get bored and hunt the kangaroos out on the land. We got a huge spotlight and drove around the ranch looking for whatever we could get. We didn't have ear plugs, so we all had bullets sticking out of our ears (which I found funny). By the end of the night we shot 11 roos and packed as many as we could in the back of the ute. Michael's family normally uses kangaroo meat to feed dogs, but tonight we dumped them in a pit on site. It was SO much fun! Kangaroos range in size from rather small to 7 feet tall. Our largest was probably almost 6 feet and both boys had to pick it up to get it over the fence. For those of you that don't know, humans can eat kangaroo too. They sell it in grocery stores here, but it's very tough and few Aussies eat it on a regular basis. After we got rid of the roos, Max, Heather, and I drove back to Max's place in the city.
March 2, 2008
Today we plan to set out and see the city part of Melbourne. It was a very packed Sunday down by the river and absolutely gorgeous! We wanted to try dim sims, so we ate them at a food court next to the big casino. Dim sims are an Asian food - it's like a meatball surrounded by a noodle and fried, but all dim sims are made differently and include different types of meat, cabbage, or any other vegetables they want to put in. I loved it!!
We went to check out the casino after that. It's the size of the Bellagio and one of Melbourne's big attractions. Max played casino war for about an hour and blew 100 bucks. That was enough for me not to spend anything. We walked around the city a bit more and tried to take as much as we could in.
Our Texan boys came to Melbourne the day before by train, so we called to meet up. There was no time for the Great Ocean Road, but we plan on coming back and doing that. Instead, Max took us to the beach boxes. They are large sheds on the beach that are historical landmarks. A long time ago, people would dress up to go to the beach and change in these boxes. Now they solely exist for decoration, but they are very pretty! We watched the sunset from the beach and headed to Brown Cow to meet up with more people. It was nice to spend our last night in Melbourne with all of Max's friends, and I hope to come back very soon.
March 3, 2008
Heather and I begged Max to take us back to Hopscotch. I got the Eggs Benedict again - it's so wonderful! I gave Max's little sister Rosie a burnt orange Texas t-shirt. She went to our elementary too and still loves Texas! I wish she could come back to the states for school, or at least visit. She has grown up so much and is absolutely gorgeous now. Heather and I really enjoyed the time we spent with her.
We washed Max's bloody ute and he dropped us off at the airport. We were all so sad!!! I have to come back to Melbourne! I am so excited I got to spend time with Max and I met so many amazing people. This weekend was one to remember.
It is the beginning of O-week (orientation week, it's a big deal in Australia) and we tried to get home in time for a movie on campus. They did a sneak preview of Be Kind, Rewind with Jack Black, but we didn't make it! I was upset, but everyone came over after the movie and hung out for a bit. It was a pretty large group and really fun. My roommate moved in as well! She got there just when I did, and I really like her. Her name is Marci and she goes to UConn. Very sweet girl and totally easy to get along with - I'm sure rooming with her will be great.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Moving to Coogee
February 24, 2008
I went to Hillsong really early. It's hilarious - when I tell them I'm from Houston they FREAK OUT about Joel Osteen. "We watch him on our big screen all the time!" They are a mega church much like Lakeway, but they know that they are smaller and are so impressed with what Lakeway is doing. The worship band was very emotional and contemporary. I didn't mind it, but being Presbyterian I'm not all that comfortable waving my hands in the air and closing my eyes for 10 songs straight. Then the sermon was WONDERFUL. The guy was from the UK and very straightforward. I loved it. The end of the service was not anything I was used to - the pastor did some healing for people in the crowd that he felt had pain. He'd yell out "there are 4 people in this room with a pain in their head right here, who is it?" and then we'd pray for them. I believe in healing, it was just hard to swallow the way it was presented.
At the church I met a couple - Nikki and Ben. They both had wonderful stories and it sounds like God is really moving in their lives. They were quite enthusiastic about Hillsong, but I still don't know if it's really my place here in Sydney. After church, Hillsong sets up a coffee shop. We all chatted with some other South Africans and a guy named Tux from Zimbabwe. It's nice to see so much culture in such a small setting.
I had an exchange picnic in a local park after, and Ben and Nikki were nice enough to drop me off. My group was running a bit late, so I started talking to the park ranger. Ironically, she ALSO goes to Hillsong and had a lot of interesting opinions on being a Christian in Sydney and how the town is doing spiritually. She had seen a lot and was very concerned with drug abuse in young people. She also explained her heart for missions and how hard it was to be involved at Hillsong. I encouraged her to talk to a pastor about it. I was a little troubled that there was not anyone at Hillsong in charge of missions; instead, when the pastors decide to travel somewhere they pick out who they think is called (through their prayers) and take them with. That really bothers me growing up in a church where we are all encouraged to do missions as frequently as possible and in every possible way. Hopefully I will get to meet up with her again and hear about the progress she has made with the church.
At the picnic we walked around the most beautiful park. It was very nice in the shade, and I got to know a few other exchange students. I took a long afternoon nap and met at the Texans' house in Maroubra. We started talking about our mid-semester break (spring break) and planned almost an entire trip! It'll be from March 19 through the 30th, and we are going to Fraser Island, Brisbane, Surfer's Paradise in the Gold Coast, and Byron Bay. I'll go into more detail after it happens.
While we were chatting we decided to take a random trip to Melbourne before school starts. We're leaving the 28th and getting back around the 4th. My friend Max Mudge who lived in Kingwood 3rd through 9th grade lives there, and I'm very excited to hang out with him! It's his birthday on the 28th, so I'm sure it'll be a great time.
After planning we did a few sprints on the beach, and I got ready to move into my NEW PLACE!!!
February 25, 2008
I woke up early to move into my new place first (so I could pick the best room). No one was there!! It is SUCH a great apartment. My bed is right next to the window and I feel like I'm sleeping outside.. it's wonderful. The balcony is huge, the kitchen is really nice, and the living room has great space. Heather came in and kept me company until my roommates showed up. Two girls from Tufts are living in the other bedroom - Jennifer and Sarah. Both are Alpha Phis and psychology majors. Jennifer is from LA and Sarah is from NYC, and you can tell that they are city girls. I'm really excited because Sarah loves to cook and wants to make meals for us! How lucky am I! Sarah reminds me so much of my cousin Kari - they have the same voice and some of the same mannerisms. And she cracks me up!
Heather and I took the 2 minute walk to the beach (be very jealous!) and spent a little time there before yoga. Yoga was again, very wonderful and felt amazing. That night we came back and watched the Oscars on TV, even though a few knew all the winners and made it a bit less exciting. Our living room was packed with about 10 people, and it felt so good to have guests in my apartment!
I went to Hillsong really early. It's hilarious - when I tell them I'm from Houston they FREAK OUT about Joel Osteen. "We watch him on our big screen all the time!" They are a mega church much like Lakeway, but they know that they are smaller and are so impressed with what Lakeway is doing. The worship band was very emotional and contemporary. I didn't mind it, but being Presbyterian I'm not all that comfortable waving my hands in the air and closing my eyes for 10 songs straight. Then the sermon was WONDERFUL. The guy was from the UK and very straightforward. I loved it. The end of the service was not anything I was used to - the pastor did some healing for people in the crowd that he felt had pain. He'd yell out "there are 4 people in this room with a pain in their head right here, who is it?" and then we'd pray for them. I believe in healing, it was just hard to swallow the way it was presented.
At the church I met a couple - Nikki and Ben. They both had wonderful stories and it sounds like God is really moving in their lives. They were quite enthusiastic about Hillsong, but I still don't know if it's really my place here in Sydney. After church, Hillsong sets up a coffee shop. We all chatted with some other South Africans and a guy named Tux from Zimbabwe. It's nice to see so much culture in such a small setting.
I had an exchange picnic in a local park after, and Ben and Nikki were nice enough to drop me off. My group was running a bit late, so I started talking to the park ranger. Ironically, she ALSO goes to Hillsong and had a lot of interesting opinions on being a Christian in Sydney and how the town is doing spiritually. She had seen a lot and was very concerned with drug abuse in young people. She also explained her heart for missions and how hard it was to be involved at Hillsong. I encouraged her to talk to a pastor about it. I was a little troubled that there was not anyone at Hillsong in charge of missions; instead, when the pastors decide to travel somewhere they pick out who they think is called (through their prayers) and take them with. That really bothers me growing up in a church where we are all encouraged to do missions as frequently as possible and in every possible way. Hopefully I will get to meet up with her again and hear about the progress she has made with the church.
At the picnic we walked around the most beautiful park. It was very nice in the shade, and I got to know a few other exchange students. I took a long afternoon nap and met at the Texans' house in Maroubra. We started talking about our mid-semester break (spring break) and planned almost an entire trip! It'll be from March 19 through the 30th, and we are going to Fraser Island, Brisbane, Surfer's Paradise in the Gold Coast, and Byron Bay. I'll go into more detail after it happens.
While we were chatting we decided to take a random trip to Melbourne before school starts. We're leaving the 28th and getting back around the 4th. My friend Max Mudge who lived in Kingwood 3rd through 9th grade lives there, and I'm very excited to hang out with him! It's his birthday on the 28th, so I'm sure it'll be a great time.
After planning we did a few sprints on the beach, and I got ready to move into my NEW PLACE!!!
February 25, 2008
I woke up early to move into my new place first (so I could pick the best room). No one was there!! It is SUCH a great apartment. My bed is right next to the window and I feel like I'm sleeping outside.. it's wonderful. The balcony is huge, the kitchen is really nice, and the living room has great space. Heather came in and kept me company until my roommates showed up. Two girls from Tufts are living in the other bedroom - Jennifer and Sarah. Both are Alpha Phis and psychology majors. Jennifer is from LA and Sarah is from NYC, and you can tell that they are city girls. I'm really excited because Sarah loves to cook and wants to make meals for us! How lucky am I! Sarah reminds me so much of my cousin Kari - they have the same voice and some of the same mannerisms. And she cracks me up!
Heather and I took the 2 minute walk to the beach (be very jealous!) and spent a little time there before yoga. Yoga was again, very wonderful and felt amazing. That night we came back and watched the Oscars on TV, even though a few knew all the winners and made it a bit less exciting. Our living room was packed with about 10 people, and it felt so good to have guests in my apartment!
A Small Update
I was told that a big fan of mine was very upset I hadn't updated and was checking daily.. so here is an update as far as I can go right now. (I'm staying at a hostel in Surfer's Paradise on the Gold Coast, it's our mid-semester break, but I probably won't write about that for another week!)
Okay so back to my sequential order:
February 21, 2008
I got my classes sorted out and I'm a very lucky lady: only Monday, Tuesday, and half of Wednesday. This will give me time to get a job, because I will definitely need the money! The minimum wage here is around $15/hour, and most people in college get about $20. After mid-semester break I'll start my search. My classes are good - Banking Financial Management, Applied Corporate Finance, Introduction to Film, and Sociology of Relationships.
When I was working on the computer lab in the international office, a guy named Adam recognized my Texas shirt and got very excited. He's a post grad from Dallas. It's so crazy meeting all these people from home!
Heather and I got lunch at the Quad Food Court on campus. It is SO NICE. Every type of food, reasonably price, and the staff are so sweet. It's already very packed and school hasn't even begun. I got a cheeseburger, which here all burgers have beetroot on them (gross!). They also don't use ketchup, but you can ask for "tomato sauce". Ketchup is much better, but you can only get it at McDonald's. Most places make you pay extra for sauce too!
Heather and I went to her uncle's Bikram Yoga studio for our first real lesson. It was GREAT! I am not flexible and awful at things like yoga, but the 90 minutes flies by. You get totally sweaty, which feels wonderful, and it's a challenge every minute.
That night we were going to the Fringe Bar in a very gay part of town to celebrate Daniel's birthday. Alexandra (they are both German) surprised him with a cake and we had cocktails. It was a 2-for-1 special and STILL $7.50! Alcohol is very expensive here.
When we were going to leave, a guy who recognized my accent called me over. He is doing the kid's Dinosaur tour in the states and LOVES Dallas! I chatted with him and his actor friends for a good hour or two. They all had very funny opinions about the states. They were mostly gay so we spoke about Australia fashion and why they think it's going to trash. They also asked if there was a gay fraternity and how they could join it.. very humorous. One of them offered to take Heather and I around to the "cultural" parts of Sydney, so we'll try to do that soon.
February 22, 2008
Got up and went to 5-0's with Heather for $5 steak. It was DELICIOUS! Then we headed to the beach, did yoga that evening, and found a cheap fruit stand in Bondi Junction which is SO EXCITING.
It's Daniel's birthday today, so I met a group at Coogee Bay Hotel to hang out. I had trouble finding the bus to get there, and ended up going to a junction to go back to Coogee (which is close to the monastery). On the way to the junction, my bus got in an accident! The bus driver hit another car and broke off it's mirror. It just kept going, but when it finally pulled over a bunch of guys got on board and cussed out the driver. They fought for about 10 minutes. I was a little scared because I was right in front. The bus driver didn't have his license on him, so it became even more heated... finally we got off safely.
At Coogee Bay Hotel I met one of Daniel's friends, Royce. He lives in Decorah, Iowa (where my uncle, dad, and cousin all went to school) and also has an aunt and uncle who live in Albany, Illinois (a tiny town where my aunt and uncle live!) We just started laughing when we realized how small of a world it is. All of us had a great time.. I'm so happy to already have good friends here.
February 23, 2008
Heather and I checked out a costume volleyball competition on Maroubra Beach that was pretty humorous. Every team dressed up in different themed outfits and were very into it!
Then we took a bus to Bondi Beach to see the Vans skate competition. Apparently it was a big deal, but we didn't know what was going on. We just hung out on the beach all day and enjoyed the weather. Bondi Beach is VERY popular and quite famous, so it's crazy to be here.
After soaking up sun the Texans went to Coogee beach for a picnic on the cliffs. It's so beautiful to watch the sun set! It got a bit chilly, but still great.
I spent that night with the Texans in Maroubra - I needed to get out of the monastery for a bit. On the bus ride there, a security guard got on board and rudely questioned a lady who was resting her eyes at one of the stops. It was very bizarre... I asked the guy behind me if it was normal and he looked shocked and said no. The guy I was talking to came off at the same stop I did, and we chatted all the way home. His name is Andy, and he's a student at a Bible College here in Sydney. He is actually from South Africa and a very nice guy! I asked him about churches, and he agreed to meet me at a bus stop the next morning to take me to Hillsong, a huge church in Sydney. I'm really excited!! It's funny how God puts you in the right place at the right time.
Ok I'll try to put up another small post tonight... miss you all!! Sorry I'm so behind! I would just skip days, but I feel that every day is so important that I'd hate to forget about it.
Okay so back to my sequential order:
February 21, 2008
I got my classes sorted out and I'm a very lucky lady: only Monday, Tuesday, and half of Wednesday. This will give me time to get a job, because I will definitely need the money! The minimum wage here is around $15/hour, and most people in college get about $20. After mid-semester break I'll start my search. My classes are good - Banking Financial Management, Applied Corporate Finance, Introduction to Film, and Sociology of Relationships.
When I was working on the computer lab in the international office, a guy named Adam recognized my Texas shirt and got very excited. He's a post grad from Dallas. It's so crazy meeting all these people from home!
Heather and I got lunch at the Quad Food Court on campus. It is SO NICE. Every type of food, reasonably price, and the staff are so sweet. It's already very packed and school hasn't even begun. I got a cheeseburger, which here all burgers have beetroot on them (gross!). They also don't use ketchup, but you can ask for "tomato sauce". Ketchup is much better, but you can only get it at McDonald's. Most places make you pay extra for sauce too!
Heather and I went to her uncle's Bikram Yoga studio for our first real lesson. It was GREAT! I am not flexible and awful at things like yoga, but the 90 minutes flies by. You get totally sweaty, which feels wonderful, and it's a challenge every minute.
That night we were going to the Fringe Bar in a very gay part of town to celebrate Daniel's birthday. Alexandra (they are both German) surprised him with a cake and we had cocktails. It was a 2-for-1 special and STILL $7.50! Alcohol is very expensive here.
When we were going to leave, a guy who recognized my accent called me over. He is doing the kid's Dinosaur tour in the states and LOVES Dallas! I chatted with him and his actor friends for a good hour or two. They all had very funny opinions about the states. They were mostly gay so we spoke about Australia fashion and why they think it's going to trash. They also asked if there was a gay fraternity and how they could join it.. very humorous. One of them offered to take Heather and I around to the "cultural" parts of Sydney, so we'll try to do that soon.
February 22, 2008
Got up and went to 5-0's with Heather for $5 steak. It was DELICIOUS! Then we headed to the beach, did yoga that evening, and found a cheap fruit stand in Bondi Junction which is SO EXCITING.
It's Daniel's birthday today, so I met a group at Coogee Bay Hotel to hang out. I had trouble finding the bus to get there, and ended up going to a junction to go back to Coogee (which is close to the monastery). On the way to the junction, my bus got in an accident! The bus driver hit another car and broke off it's mirror. It just kept going, but when it finally pulled over a bunch of guys got on board and cussed out the driver. They fought for about 10 minutes. I was a little scared because I was right in front. The bus driver didn't have his license on him, so it became even more heated... finally we got off safely.
At Coogee Bay Hotel I met one of Daniel's friends, Royce. He lives in Decorah, Iowa (where my uncle, dad, and cousin all went to school) and also has an aunt and uncle who live in Albany, Illinois (a tiny town where my aunt and uncle live!) We just started laughing when we realized how small of a world it is. All of us had a great time.. I'm so happy to already have good friends here.
February 23, 2008
Heather and I checked out a costume volleyball competition on Maroubra Beach that was pretty humorous. Every team dressed up in different themed outfits and were very into it!
Then we took a bus to Bondi Beach to see the Vans skate competition. Apparently it was a big deal, but we didn't know what was going on. We just hung out on the beach all day and enjoyed the weather. Bondi Beach is VERY popular and quite famous, so it's crazy to be here.
After soaking up sun the Texans went to Coogee beach for a picnic on the cliffs. It's so beautiful to watch the sun set! It got a bit chilly, but still great.
I spent that night with the Texans in Maroubra - I needed to get out of the monastery for a bit. On the bus ride there, a security guard got on board and rudely questioned a lady who was resting her eyes at one of the stops. It was very bizarre... I asked the guy behind me if it was normal and he looked shocked and said no. The guy I was talking to came off at the same stop I did, and we chatted all the way home. His name is Andy, and he's a student at a Bible College here in Sydney. He is actually from South Africa and a very nice guy! I asked him about churches, and he agreed to meet me at a bus stop the next morning to take me to Hillsong, a huge church in Sydney. I'm really excited!! It's funny how God puts you in the right place at the right time.
Ok I'll try to put up another small post tonight... miss you all!! Sorry I'm so behind! I would just skip days, but I feel that every day is so important that I'd hate to forget about it.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
I'm living in Coogee!
Last night we ended up going to the beach REAL late. We left around 10 p.m., so by the time we got to the natural rock pool and actually getting in, it was SO COLD! But so beautiful to swim by moonlight. I forget how good salt water feels.
Before I caught the bus, I needed to use the restroom, so I walked up towards the building with all the beach facilities. There were people gathered around, all of them had darker skin and were wearing black or red. They had been there the past few nights, and although Sydney is really safe it was kind of scary to approach them. They pointed me to the bathroom, and when I came out one of them said "God bless you". Startled I replied, "you too" and they were smiling and very nice. I still had no idea who these people were or why they were up so late (not even on the beach, in a parking lot next to the beach), so I asked two of the girls what was going on. She said that her brother had been lost at sea, and they came up there every night for the last two weeks in rememberance. I asked their religion and they said something I didn't understand, but the second girl said Christian. Then they told me they were from the islands (don't know which ones?) and this is what they did after a death. I was very touched by what they were doing. There was more than just one family there - it had to be at least 40 people gathering every night to talk and spend time. I'm not sure if it was the entire tribe or just a large extended family.
In the monastery this morning I ate breakfast with Alex, a surf dude that goes to UNC. It is funny hanging out with so many Americans in a foreign country. Then I went on a light jog in Coogee (a section of Sydney) to the beach. I'm currently staying 5 minutes west of campus, and the beach is around 2 miles east. I explored around the town a little bit and found some good food places and markets. There is a restaurant called 5-0's right next to the beach that serves $5 steak. We plan on going there quite a bit.
This afternoon I went to pay for my housing, and found that they have ANOTHER vacancy in Coogee. I went over with some Aussies and saw the place. It's a 2 minute walk to the beach!! It's also real close to a bus stop and all the markets. It's only 2 bedrooms shared by 4 girls, a living room and a kitchen. I decided to take it for a little more money, and I'm really excited.
After finishing all the paperwork I met fellow exchange students at a tea. It's nice to meet people in a same situation I am. Everyone is pretty confused and lost about their new lives. Some students had great stories on how they got here, where else they've been, etc. One girl from the Netherlands travelled around South America by herself for 8 months, and now she's here. She said she plans on going to Asia for 2 months by herself after school ends - so brave! I got a few phone numbers, and Heather and I plan on inviting them out with us. At the tea they served really good "native" biscuits. My favorite is Tim Tams - they are chocolate covered chocolate wafers with chocolate in the middle. Yum.. They also served meat pies that were DELICIOUS. If anyone lives in Austin, they should go to Boomerang (near Mangia off Guadalupe) and try some for something different.
Tonight we're going to K-Mart and looking for random house things. Not sure after that, but if it's any good I'll write about it!
Before I caught the bus, I needed to use the restroom, so I walked up towards the building with all the beach facilities. There were people gathered around, all of them had darker skin and were wearing black or red. They had been there the past few nights, and although Sydney is really safe it was kind of scary to approach them. They pointed me to the bathroom, and when I came out one of them said "God bless you". Startled I replied, "you too" and they were smiling and very nice. I still had no idea who these people were or why they were up so late (not even on the beach, in a parking lot next to the beach), so I asked two of the girls what was going on. She said that her brother had been lost at sea, and they came up there every night for the last two weeks in rememberance. I asked their religion and they said something I didn't understand, but the second girl said Christian. Then they told me they were from the islands (don't know which ones?) and this is what they did after a death. I was very touched by what they were doing. There was more than just one family there - it had to be at least 40 people gathering every night to talk and spend time. I'm not sure if it was the entire tribe or just a large extended family.
In the monastery this morning I ate breakfast with Alex, a surf dude that goes to UNC. It is funny hanging out with so many Americans in a foreign country. Then I went on a light jog in Coogee (a section of Sydney) to the beach. I'm currently staying 5 minutes west of campus, and the beach is around 2 miles east. I explored around the town a little bit and found some good food places and markets. There is a restaurant called 5-0's right next to the beach that serves $5 steak. We plan on going there quite a bit.
This afternoon I went to pay for my housing, and found that they have ANOTHER vacancy in Coogee. I went over with some Aussies and saw the place. It's a 2 minute walk to the beach!! It's also real close to a bus stop and all the markets. It's only 2 bedrooms shared by 4 girls, a living room and a kitchen. I decided to take it for a little more money, and I'm really excited.
After finishing all the paperwork I met fellow exchange students at a tea. It's nice to meet people in a same situation I am. Everyone is pretty confused and lost about their new lives. Some students had great stories on how they got here, where else they've been, etc. One girl from the Netherlands travelled around South America by herself for 8 months, and now she's here. She said she plans on going to Asia for 2 months by herself after school ends - so brave! I got a few phone numbers, and Heather and I plan on inviting them out with us. At the tea they served really good "native" biscuits. My favorite is Tim Tams - they are chocolate covered chocolate wafers with chocolate in the middle. Yum.. They also served meat pies that were DELICIOUS. If anyone lives in Austin, they should go to Boomerang (near Mangia off Guadalupe) and try some for something different.
Tonight we're going to K-Mart and looking for random house things. Not sure after that, but if it's any good I'll write about it!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Arrived and Well
Hello everyone! I am finally here in wonderful Sydney and enjoying every minute. My journey has only been a few days, but I've already learned quite a bit. Here's a not-very-brief recap:
Tuesday, February 12th
Boarded a plane in Houston to head to LAX and begin my trip! My family and I did a little crying in the airport, but once I got on the plane I was sitting next to an Aussie who was very pleasant. By the end of the flight, I was feeling a little hot and sick, so I left the plane rather quickly.
At the international terminal, I saw Perez! Perez Hilton is a self-proclaimed "gossip gangstarr" who writes in his celebrity blog. It's a fun little distraction my friends and I read. When I saw him, I THOUGHT it was him because of his haircut (pink, orange, and yellow), but I was so nervous that I only said "hey" and he said "hi" back in a very high-pitched voice. Saw him later buying food before his flight to London, but I was in no state to chat.
I went to Burger King, ate a little bit to "feel better" and quickly realized that food was not going to help. I filled the remainder of my 5 hour layover trying to reduce stomach flu symptoms in every part of the terminal and crying to many Qantas employees that I needed an isle seat. My phone card ran out after 2 calls (so many hidden fees!), but a couple from Georgetown let me use their cell phone and my family decided it was not a good idea to get on the plane. Mum reserved a room at a nearby hotel, and with a quick taxi ride I made it to my temporary home.
Friday, February 15
After spending two days resting in the hotel room, I felt much better and headed to Sydney. At the airport, I was put on standby and waited at the gate for a few hours. I was easily entertained, however, because there were many senior citizens available to chat with. A cruise was leaving from Sydney, and a large percentage of our flight was going on it. Also during my wait, paramedics came in and out (not sure why), and later a lady loudly screaming profanities was practically dragged through our terminal. My new friends had some funny comments about both occurrences. I received the last seat offered on the plane (yes!) and was finally leaving the States! I got lucky and was placed in an isle seat. The lady next to me was an older Cuban woman going on the cruise who loved to talk. She told me about many amazing trips she had been on since her husband passed. She had such cool experiences and made me even more excited to be exploring a new country!
Sunday, February 17
When you travel to Australia, you lose a day, so I arrived Sunday morning. Got through customs fine, but my bags were lost. Thirty other people on my flight (including some cruisers) were also missing luggage, so I did not worry much. I called Heather, a girl from UT who arrived a few days earlier, and took a confused taxi (running on no gas, by the way) to the space she just rented with two boys from UT (Josh and Alex). Their house is a beautiful yellow house two minutes from the beach! The landlord, Bobby, is from Poland and lives above them with his beautiful family. We went to the beach for a bit and got some food at a sports club ($6.50 steak!). The club has bingo, and we're thinking about checking it out soon.
In the evening, we went to the local grocery. Here there are many classes of groceries - very expensive, expensive (compared to the U.S.), and cheap. Their grocery is cheap, which we thought was great. It comes with a price - there wasn't a very good selection of anything, I noticed many of the fruit for sale was old, and even some of the eggs were broken in many of the cartons. We got what we needed and headed out. Not surprisingly, the boys were more than satisfied with the place.
That night we went to Tropfest, the largest international short film festival. It was so neat! There were screens set up in a park, and everyone was lying around watching the films. Every film had to include the number eight somewhere in it. My favorite was The Code, about kids who use different noises (coughing, yawning, burping) to cheat on a test. Another great one was Scab, which had no words, but showed a boy who was distracted by a man's scab on his upper lip and removes it in his sleep. Marry Me won, and showed a little girl who wanted to marry a boy who was more interested in his BMX bike than her. She also won best actress and was very good. Tropfest definitely reminded me of something that would happen in Austin, and I really enjoyed it. At Tropfest, I ordered a double burger sanger, assuming that's a burger but was very wrong. It was like an extra long hot dog with two hot dogs in the bun. It usually comes with onions and some sauce, but they were out (which I did not mind at all). It was VERY filling and almost vulgar to eat. I'd eat it again though.
Heather let me stay at their place, which was a huge relief.
Monday, February 18
Yesterday I woke up (in the same outfit from Friday...) and went to campus to figure out school/housing/life. Most exchange look for shared housing, but they don't tell you how difficult it is until you get here. In the mean time, I begged the international office for temporary housing and they sent me to live at a monastery for the week. The monastery is VERY nice. Once I arrived, Father Tony showed me around. He seemed pretty stern, but after 10 years of housing 20-somethings I'm sure he's had some fuss. My room can lock and has a desk and sink. There's wireless internet (finally!) and a kitchen we can cook meals in. Breakfast food is provided. In the laundry room, he scoffed at how the person drying his clothes as "ruining them" and kindly regarded on those who hang their clothes to preserve them and keep them nice. Here no one uses dryers, including Father Tony. After that he showed me how to use the dryer, if I dared.... A German girl named Alexandra lives across the hall from me. She is so sweet! She introduced me to her friend Daniel. All three of us have classes together, and I'm very excited to get to know them better.
In the afternoon I got a few errands done around campus. From there, Heather and I headed downtown to meet up with ze Germans for a few minutes. We spoiled ourselves with some Starbucks and started walking towards the Sydney Harbour Bridge which shows over the treeline. Once we got up close, you can see North Sydney behind it and the Opera House to the right. It is all so beautiful! At night many people were running around and watching the boats. And of course, all my friends on the Celebrity Cruise ship were just departing. How wonderful! I wish they could see that I was safe (they were very worried I did not have housing yet).
After a beautiful view, Heather and I ventured to find a KMart for some toiletries and house needs. Instead we found a Coles, which is a larger, better supermarket. It was MUCH nicer than the first supermarket, and I plan on going back. Then we found the Bikram Yoga Studio her distant uncle owns (crazy) and looked into classes.
We got back too late to take the buses. Everything closes down so early here! Most of the businesses/shops close precisely at 6, and very little stays open after that except bars. I stayed at Heather's again.
TODAY, February 19
Today I awoke to a phone call from Qantas that my bags were coming! Heather and I waited outside and enjoyed the weather until they came. Every morning we wake up so early because of the birds. No one has air conditioning, so with the windows open all the bird calls are very noisy. It's much better than an alarm.
Once I had my bags I hauled them across town to the monastery. Quite a work out. Then I FINALLY changed and headed to campus for errands. On campus I went to a study abroad office that is not mine to see if there were any rooms they knew of. I was lucky enough to get the LAST space in their flat! It is so wonderful. It is a 20 minute walk from campus in Coogee. (Google map 17 Coogee Street, that's where I'll be!) I'm very excited because it is all exchange students living in this small house. No one has moved in yet, but by estimation it looks like at least 15 of us will live there. There are 2 bathrooms, 2 kitchens, 2 big sitting rooms, a balcony with a "barbie", and another building in the backyard for maybe 6 more. No views, but hopefully lots of fun. It reminded me a lot of the sorority house environment, which is what I wanted. I'm very excited to meet everyone! My room is the smallest shared room. There's no place for a desk, but I'm stoked with the small refrigerator it comes with.
Tonight we plan on swimming in a natural rock pool on the Maroubra beach. Maroubra beach is south of Coogee and campus. It's where my other Texas friends (Heather, Alex, and Josh) all live. It's nice to already have friends here to hang out with, but I'm sure we'll all be meeting many new people in the next few weeks!
Well for now, g'day.
Tuesday, February 12th
Boarded a plane in Houston to head to LAX and begin my trip! My family and I did a little crying in the airport, but once I got on the plane I was sitting next to an Aussie who was very pleasant. By the end of the flight, I was feeling a little hot and sick, so I left the plane rather quickly.
At the international terminal, I saw Perez! Perez Hilton is a self-proclaimed "gossip gangstarr" who writes in his celebrity blog. It's a fun little distraction my friends and I read. When I saw him, I THOUGHT it was him because of his haircut (pink, orange, and yellow), but I was so nervous that I only said "hey" and he said "hi" back in a very high-pitched voice. Saw him later buying food before his flight to London, but I was in no state to chat.
I went to Burger King, ate a little bit to "feel better" and quickly realized that food was not going to help. I filled the remainder of my 5 hour layover trying to reduce stomach flu symptoms in every part of the terminal and crying to many Qantas employees that I needed an isle seat. My phone card ran out after 2 calls (so many hidden fees!), but a couple from Georgetown let me use their cell phone and my family decided it was not a good idea to get on the plane. Mum reserved a room at a nearby hotel, and with a quick taxi ride I made it to my temporary home.
Friday, February 15
After spending two days resting in the hotel room, I felt much better and headed to Sydney. At the airport, I was put on standby and waited at the gate for a few hours. I was easily entertained, however, because there were many senior citizens available to chat with. A cruise was leaving from Sydney, and a large percentage of our flight was going on it. Also during my wait, paramedics came in and out (not sure why), and later a lady loudly screaming profanities was practically dragged through our terminal. My new friends had some funny comments about both occurrences. I received the last seat offered on the plane (yes!) and was finally leaving the States! I got lucky and was placed in an isle seat. The lady next to me was an older Cuban woman going on the cruise who loved to talk. She told me about many amazing trips she had been on since her husband passed. She had such cool experiences and made me even more excited to be exploring a new country!
Sunday, February 17
When you travel to Australia, you lose a day, so I arrived Sunday morning. Got through customs fine, but my bags were lost. Thirty other people on my flight (including some cruisers) were also missing luggage, so I did not worry much. I called Heather, a girl from UT who arrived a few days earlier, and took a confused taxi (running on no gas, by the way) to the space she just rented with two boys from UT (Josh and Alex). Their house is a beautiful yellow house two minutes from the beach! The landlord, Bobby, is from Poland and lives above them with his beautiful family. We went to the beach for a bit and got some food at a sports club ($6.50 steak!). The club has bingo, and we're thinking about checking it out soon.
In the evening, we went to the local grocery. Here there are many classes of groceries - very expensive, expensive (compared to the U.S.), and cheap. Their grocery is cheap, which we thought was great. It comes with a price - there wasn't a very good selection of anything, I noticed many of the fruit for sale was old, and even some of the eggs were broken in many of the cartons. We got what we needed and headed out. Not surprisingly, the boys were more than satisfied with the place.
That night we went to Tropfest, the largest international short film festival. It was so neat! There were screens set up in a park, and everyone was lying around watching the films. Every film had to include the number eight somewhere in it. My favorite was The Code, about kids who use different noises (coughing, yawning, burping) to cheat on a test. Another great one was Scab, which had no words, but showed a boy who was distracted by a man's scab on his upper lip and removes it in his sleep. Marry Me won, and showed a little girl who wanted to marry a boy who was more interested in his BMX bike than her. She also won best actress and was very good. Tropfest definitely reminded me of something that would happen in Austin, and I really enjoyed it. At Tropfest, I ordered a double burger sanger, assuming that's a burger but was very wrong. It was like an extra long hot dog with two hot dogs in the bun. It usually comes with onions and some sauce, but they were out (which I did not mind at all). It was VERY filling and almost vulgar to eat. I'd eat it again though.
Heather let me stay at their place, which was a huge relief.
Monday, February 18
Yesterday I woke up (in the same outfit from Friday...) and went to campus to figure out school/housing/life. Most exchange look for shared housing, but they don't tell you how difficult it is until you get here. In the mean time, I begged the international office for temporary housing and they sent me to live at a monastery for the week. The monastery is VERY nice. Once I arrived, Father Tony showed me around. He seemed pretty stern, but after 10 years of housing 20-somethings I'm sure he's had some fuss. My room can lock and has a desk and sink. There's wireless internet (finally!) and a kitchen we can cook meals in. Breakfast food is provided. In the laundry room, he scoffed at how the person drying his clothes as "ruining them" and kindly regarded on those who hang their clothes to preserve them and keep them nice. Here no one uses dryers, including Father Tony. After that he showed me how to use the dryer, if I dared.... A German girl named Alexandra lives across the hall from me. She is so sweet! She introduced me to her friend Daniel. All three of us have classes together, and I'm very excited to get to know them better.
In the afternoon I got a few errands done around campus. From there, Heather and I headed downtown to meet up with ze Germans for a few minutes. We spoiled ourselves with some Starbucks and started walking towards the Sydney Harbour Bridge which shows over the treeline. Once we got up close, you can see North Sydney behind it and the Opera House to the right. It is all so beautiful! At night many people were running around and watching the boats. And of course, all my friends on the Celebrity Cruise ship were just departing. How wonderful! I wish they could see that I was safe (they were very worried I did not have housing yet).
After a beautiful view, Heather and I ventured to find a KMart for some toiletries and house needs. Instead we found a Coles, which is a larger, better supermarket. It was MUCH nicer than the first supermarket, and I plan on going back. Then we found the Bikram Yoga Studio her distant uncle owns (crazy) and looked into classes.
We got back too late to take the buses. Everything closes down so early here! Most of the businesses/shops close precisely at 6, and very little stays open after that except bars. I stayed at Heather's again.
TODAY, February 19
Today I awoke to a phone call from Qantas that my bags were coming! Heather and I waited outside and enjoyed the weather until they came. Every morning we wake up so early because of the birds. No one has air conditioning, so with the windows open all the bird calls are very noisy. It's much better than an alarm.
Once I had my bags I hauled them across town to the monastery. Quite a work out. Then I FINALLY changed and headed to campus for errands. On campus I went to a study abroad office that is not mine to see if there were any rooms they knew of. I was lucky enough to get the LAST space in their flat! It is so wonderful. It is a 20 minute walk from campus in Coogee. (Google map 17 Coogee Street, that's where I'll be!) I'm very excited because it is all exchange students living in this small house. No one has moved in yet, but by estimation it looks like at least 15 of us will live there. There are 2 bathrooms, 2 kitchens, 2 big sitting rooms, a balcony with a "barbie", and another building in the backyard for maybe 6 more. No views, but hopefully lots of fun. It reminded me a lot of the sorority house environment, which is what I wanted. I'm very excited to meet everyone! My room is the smallest shared room. There's no place for a desk, but I'm stoked with the small refrigerator it comes with.
Tonight we plan on swimming in a natural rock pool on the Maroubra beach. Maroubra beach is south of Coogee and campus. It's where my other Texas friends (Heather, Alex, and Josh) all live. It's nice to already have friends here to hang out with, but I'm sure we'll all be meeting many new people in the next few weeks!
Well for now, g'day.
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