I've been having a great time exploring the Manly/Sydney area, but I wanted to make at least one big trip before I leave. So Melissa tells me she found a return flight to Auckland, New Zealand for A$388 ($271 in US dollars... I love this exchange rate) yesterday and we booked it. Not quite sure what we're going to do there... but as the largest city in New Zealand, there's bound to be something interesting going on. While everyone in the States is enjoying a long Thanksgiving weekend, I'll be in New Zealand:) I'm pretty excited. As for skydiving... I'm almost positive I want to do it, but I could also go on a learn to surf weekend for the same price. We'll see how my budget is doing around mid-November.
Tomorrow is graduation for the 3 terms of students completing their studies in 2008 which means no school for me! Unlike my professor who insisted on a make-up Saturday class, my marketing professor decided to give us time for "self-directed tutorial" aka do your groupwork, and don't make me work on Saturdays. Since we already had the Opera booked for Saturday, I can't take advantage of no class for a big trip but I did find a walking tour of Sydney that I'd like to do. Its suppose to be a nice day and with many students leaving for Fiji, New Zealand, or trips up/down the coast, it should be pretty quiet around here. I'm looking forward to exploring the city and spending time on the beach.
Weeks are starting to disappear... I've gotten instruction for most of my large case studies/projects and need to start working on them more frequently. Its tough to concentrate on class when I'd rather be planning weekend activities or going to the beach. I hope to become more focused in the near future.
More Australian words I've run into:
Trolley=shopping cart
Reckon=think... everyone reckons here
Mark=grades and points
So the words aren't all that weird... just different and take some time to get used to.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Some people really amaze me
Studying abroad has changed my life already. Not necessarily how I live my life, but my perceptions for sure. I think I've mentioned it before, but Australia is pretty similar to America. Its a Western individualistic culture that speaks English. Its a bit warmer with a few more beaches than Minnesota, but nothing extraordinary. Its beautiful and I'm more relaxed than ever, but I also have a new urge to do so much more. The people I've met here are incredible and never cease to amaze me.
Most students here are speaking English as a second language. Everyone seems to know 3, 4, or even 5 languages fluently. I took Spanish classes for 2 years and still can't hold a conversation, I can't imagine the dedication and persistence it takes to learn another language well enough to take higher education classes. Some of the teaching methods and expectations are difficult for me and I've been speaking the language for 20 years. All term 1 students take a computer class to learn Microsoft Office 2007. They get the technical manual and have tests on each application... 10 random questions from the 1000+ pages of the manual. The questions are obscure and poorly worded. I was in the lab when my friends from Sweden were working on this assessment. They were beyond frustrated and asked me to help translate for them. These girls are intelligent and have so much life experience... and were now doubting their ablities because of a quiz that I couldn't even figure out--I've been speaking English for over 20 years and would consider myself proficient in Microsoft Office, it was ridiculous.
My roommates spend hours every night reading homework and reviewing lectures. They get frustrated when their instructors tell them they don't speak English very well... they're trying really hard but its just not an easy thing to do. I take for granted that I can read the text here just as easily as back home. They ask me questions about English and most of the time I don't have a very good answer (why are there buy, bye, and by that all sound the same but have different meaning and spelling... tense rules, articles before nouns, grammar, etc.). They want me to teach them English but I can't just wave a magic wand... its a tough language to learn. I have incredible respect for anyone who can do it. I decided if they can learn in English, I should at least try basic Chinese. I had them teach me hello, please, and thank you... and then how to write my name. This small lesson took about 30 minutes. They laughed at me... nearly hysterical, but it was fun, and they were practicing English explaining it to me. We all win. My next task is numbers. I taught them Crazy 8s and Go Fish... roommate bonding, it was a good night.
So these stories might not seem like much (you're probably wondering why you actually read it all) but this school has opened my eyes quite a bit. I wish I had the courage to study in a country that speaks a different language, or a culture completely different from my own. I'm learning a lot here and experiencing the beauty that is Australia... but I can't help but feel like I've taken the easy way out. I'm not challenged by poverty in Kenya, nor living with a family that doesn't speak English, or even living on my own in an unfamiliar place. I go to a small school that takes care of me. I live on campus with 60 other American students, and I don't have to cook for myself. I'm only taking 4 subjects and am able to travel, explore, and still get my homework done. Its been fantastic, but I feel selfish. I admire my friends here for the hard work they've gone through to get this far, and will continue to put forth to get their degree. I want to do more international travel in the near future and am now considering a career in international industrial relations or with an international non-profit. I have a long list of places to see... we'll see if my budget ever allows me to get there.
Long story short... I have a lot more to learn.
One more day of class before a long weekend. We have a post-graduation party on Friday and I'm going to La Boheme at the Opera House with Melissa and AJ on Saturday. I still have a few open weekends in November... I'm thinking a trip to New Zealand and sky diving on the beach, maybe a road trip to Melbourne (I could try driving on the left side of the road!). We'll see how things work out. I've been keeping up with my walking and yoga, and still drink water (I'm up to 3 bottles a day!) The exchange rate is on its way back up... I took A$300 out today so I stop obsessively checking the rates. That should be enough to last me the rest of the month.
Ok I'm done... Hope everyone is having a wonderful week.
Most students here are speaking English as a second language. Everyone seems to know 3, 4, or even 5 languages fluently. I took Spanish classes for 2 years and still can't hold a conversation, I can't imagine the dedication and persistence it takes to learn another language well enough to take higher education classes. Some of the teaching methods and expectations are difficult for me and I've been speaking the language for 20 years. All term 1 students take a computer class to learn Microsoft Office 2007. They get the technical manual and have tests on each application... 10 random questions from the 1000+ pages of the manual. The questions are obscure and poorly worded. I was in the lab when my friends from Sweden were working on this assessment. They were beyond frustrated and asked me to help translate for them. These girls are intelligent and have so much life experience... and were now doubting their ablities because of a quiz that I couldn't even figure out--I've been speaking English for over 20 years and would consider myself proficient in Microsoft Office, it was ridiculous.
My roommates spend hours every night reading homework and reviewing lectures. They get frustrated when their instructors tell them they don't speak English very well... they're trying really hard but its just not an easy thing to do. I take for granted that I can read the text here just as easily as back home. They ask me questions about English and most of the time I don't have a very good answer (why are there buy, bye, and by that all sound the same but have different meaning and spelling... tense rules, articles before nouns, grammar, etc.). They want me to teach them English but I can't just wave a magic wand... its a tough language to learn. I have incredible respect for anyone who can do it. I decided if they can learn in English, I should at least try basic Chinese. I had them teach me hello, please, and thank you... and then how to write my name. This small lesson took about 30 minutes. They laughed at me... nearly hysterical, but it was fun, and they were practicing English explaining it to me. We all win. My next task is numbers. I taught them Crazy 8s and Go Fish... roommate bonding, it was a good night.
So these stories might not seem like much (you're probably wondering why you actually read it all) but this school has opened my eyes quite a bit. I wish I had the courage to study in a country that speaks a different language, or a culture completely different from my own. I'm learning a lot here and experiencing the beauty that is Australia... but I can't help but feel like I've taken the easy way out. I'm not challenged by poverty in Kenya, nor living with a family that doesn't speak English, or even living on my own in an unfamiliar place. I go to a small school that takes care of me. I live on campus with 60 other American students, and I don't have to cook for myself. I'm only taking 4 subjects and am able to travel, explore, and still get my homework done. Its been fantastic, but I feel selfish. I admire my friends here for the hard work they've gone through to get this far, and will continue to put forth to get their degree. I want to do more international travel in the near future and am now considering a career in international industrial relations or with an international non-profit. I have a long list of places to see... we'll see if my budget ever allows me to get there.
Long story short... I have a lot more to learn.
One more day of class before a long weekend. We have a post-graduation party on Friday and I'm going to La Boheme at the Opera House with Melissa and AJ on Saturday. I still have a few open weekends in November... I'm thinking a trip to New Zealand and sky diving on the beach, maybe a road trip to Melbourne (I could try driving on the left side of the road!). We'll see how things work out. I've been keeping up with my walking and yoga, and still drink water (I'm up to 3 bottles a day!) The exchange rate is on its way back up... I took A$300 out today so I stop obsessively checking the rates. That should be enough to last me the rest of the month.
Ok I'm done... Hope everyone is having a wonderful week.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Seven miles from Sydney, a thousand miles from care
This is Manly's motto... and quite honestly, I feel a little more than a thousand miles from care. After getting through my day of class Thursday, the weekend was absolutely fantastic. Friday I had one class, ate lunch, and went to the beach. It was the perfect weather to relax and take a nap in the sun. Friday night we went to a friends for dinner and had real burgers. I cannot explain how amazing it was. We hung out on their patio for a while before heading out to the school's Oktoberfest party at Steyne. Oktoberfest was a lot of fun (not that there was anything themed about it). It was nice to have a night out after a long week of classes.
Saturday I had a make up class. I refused to let class ruin my weekend and got up early to head into Sydney with Melissa. We went to the Museum of Contemporary Art which had four unique exhibits... young artists, Yinka Shonibare MBE (a Nigerian British artist with a very unique sculpture style, I wish I could have taken pictures inside), a photography display focused on a local rugby team, and video art which I had never seen before. When we were done at the museum we walked through The Rocks, and took the catwalk back to Circular Quay to catch the ferry back to Manly. It was a nice walk, and a great view of the city. I'm glad I had ambition to get up and enjoy the beautiful day.
The Museum of Contemporary Art and Sydney Harbour from the catwalk.
After class, Melissa and I treated ourselves to dinner at BenBry Burgers. I probably shouldn't have started eating out already, but I felt I deserved a burger and greasy onion rings after being one of 11 that actually showed up to class (out of 30). We went to visit Seb, Sop, Lou, and Brad before retiring early. I wanted to be well rested for the Blue Mountains.
PC (the same guy that took us for a tour of Sydney) offered to take us to the Blue Mountains on Sunday. He met us at school at 8 am and we set out for the 2 hour drive West. We stopped at some markets on the way there and got fresh strawberries, honey roasted macadamia nuts, and cashews. PC lives out that way and knew the people at the markets. They were really nice and gave us all Sydney souvenir key chains. When we got to the mountains we took pictures at Echo Point, and sang with an Aboriginal man. PC offers to show students around the Sydney area at no cost, except that he video tapes something on every trip. He puts together an end of term video and needs footage of students singing to the soundtrack... looks like I'm going to be on that video a few times. We went back into Katoomba (the mountain village) and found a nice cafe for lunch. Then we set off for our short hike through the valley.
The famous "Three Sisters" rock formation. There is a story behind three sisters turning into stone long ago, but no one we asked could seem to remember the exact story.
The view from Echo Point. The Blue Mountains get their name from the blue haze that covers the area.
We walked down the "Giant Stairwell" to get into the valley. It was incredibly steep set of uneven, rock stairs. It took us 15 minutes walking straight down to get to the bottom. We had a great 2.5 mile walk/hike through the trails. The weather was perfect, not raining, windy, or too warm. It was really nice to get away from the city and the beaches for a day and enjoy a new environment. It was beautiful, I took pictures, but it doesn't quite do the area justice. There are more on Flickr.
Amanda, Melissa, Me, Amy, Linnea, Deb, and Chelsey after our hike down the Giant Stairwell. We are under the first "sister" rock.
The hike through the valley was gorgeous. It was hard to get a good picture of Katoomba Falls through the trees, but I managed a little bit.
We made it back in time for dinner, and now its time for homework. This weekend was absolutely gorgeous. It finally hit me that I'm living in Australia. I know it sounds kind of weird since I've here for a while (I've officially been here a month today!) but it feels different. I'm getting used to the small school and suburban environment... I'll add more about that this week.
I hope everyone had a great weekend:)
Saturday I had a make up class. I refused to let class ruin my weekend and got up early to head into Sydney with Melissa. We went to the Museum of Contemporary Art which had four unique exhibits... young artists, Yinka Shonibare MBE (a Nigerian British artist with a very unique sculpture style, I wish I could have taken pictures inside), a photography display focused on a local rugby team, and video art which I had never seen before. When we were done at the museum we walked through The Rocks, and took the catwalk back to Circular Quay to catch the ferry back to Manly. It was a nice walk, and a great view of the city. I'm glad I had ambition to get up and enjoy the beautiful day.
The Museum of Contemporary Art and Sydney Harbour from the catwalk.
After class, Melissa and I treated ourselves to dinner at BenBry Burgers. I probably shouldn't have started eating out already, but I felt I deserved a burger and greasy onion rings after being one of 11 that actually showed up to class (out of 30). We went to visit Seb, Sop, Lou, and Brad before retiring early. I wanted to be well rested for the Blue Mountains.
PC (the same guy that took us for a tour of Sydney) offered to take us to the Blue Mountains on Sunday. He met us at school at 8 am and we set out for the 2 hour drive West. We stopped at some markets on the way there and got fresh strawberries, honey roasted macadamia nuts, and cashews. PC lives out that way and knew the people at the markets. They were really nice and gave us all Sydney souvenir key chains. When we got to the mountains we took pictures at Echo Point, and sang with an Aboriginal man. PC offers to show students around the Sydney area at no cost, except that he video tapes something on every trip. He puts together an end of term video and needs footage of students singing to the soundtrack... looks like I'm going to be on that video a few times. We went back into Katoomba (the mountain village) and found a nice cafe for lunch. Then we set off for our short hike through the valley.
The famous "Three Sisters" rock formation. There is a story behind three sisters turning into stone long ago, but no one we asked could seem to remember the exact story.
The view from Echo Point. The Blue Mountains get their name from the blue haze that covers the area.
We walked down the "Giant Stairwell" to get into the valley. It was incredibly steep set of uneven, rock stairs. It took us 15 minutes walking straight down to get to the bottom. We had a great 2.5 mile walk/hike through the trails. The weather was perfect, not raining, windy, or too warm. It was really nice to get away from the city and the beaches for a day and enjoy a new environment. It was beautiful, I took pictures, but it doesn't quite do the area justice. There are more on Flickr.
Amanda, Melissa, Me, Amy, Linnea, Deb, and Chelsey after our hike down the Giant Stairwell. We are under the first "sister" rock.
The hike through the valley was gorgeous. It was hard to get a good picture of Katoomba Falls through the trees, but I managed a little bit.
We made it back in time for dinner, and now its time for homework. This weekend was absolutely gorgeous. It finally hit me that I'm living in Australia. I know it sounds kind of weird since I've here for a while (I've officially been here a month today!) but it feels different. I'm getting used to the small school and suburban environment... I'll add more about that this week.
I hope everyone had a great weekend:)
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Allow me to be frustrated
I'll warn everyone right now... this may be a bit of a rant. I'm still loving my time here, by no means to I regret my decision to study abroad, but today has been less pleasant that most.
The past few days have been a little chilly, not warm enough to go to the beach anyway. I've been going to class and getting a good bit of homework done. We had yoga on Tuesday, its getting tougher but I still like it a lot. Wednesday was my day off. I hung out with some friends, got destroyed in a game of Monopoly (they play the British version here... it freaked me out a little bit), and had my first real cup of coffee since getting into Sydney. Overall, decent day.
Today I hit the snooze for the first time since arriving in Australia... not quite sure why I was so tired. I still made it up in time to eat breakfast and get ready for my 8 am class with Dr. McRae. Within 5 minutes she was discussing American politics and asked if I had watched the debate the day before. I said no (she cut me off before I could say I don't have access to television, or internet connection strong enough to stream video on a Wednesday afternoon), and she immediately replies with "You are a disgrace to your country." and stares at me silently for a good 5 seconds before muttering how the world is doomed if we have idiots voting for America's president. I'm not going to say I'm the best American there is, but I'm far from the worst. Honestly, who says that to their students? Its not the first time I've been humiliated in her class (nor will it be the last, she has very little problem humiliating anyone from any culture). I'm learning just how politically correct America is... for better or worse, Australians say it how it is, whether or not you like it. She also yelled at me on Tuesday for not knowing the definition of a word. She later tells us its the Italian word for song... apparently I was suppose to know Italian before coming here. I reread my earlier blog for some motivation to stay determined. In her class there is only one way... her way, nevermind what the book says or what your opinion is. It's frustrating. Even more so that I have to go back this afternoon for round two. My second class was almost as depressing as the first. I got lectured to for 2 solid hours on how dismal my future was and how the entire world economy is going to collapse and I won't be able to find a job in 2 years. The prof meant well I'm sure, but I was tired and angry already... not exactly in the mood for depressing news for the future. I ate lunch quick and attempted to watch the debate from youtube on my two hour break... I've gotten through 10 minutes in the past 90. I don't lie about my atrocious internet connection.
On a brighter note, the Australian dollar is down to .66 US dollars, meaning the expensive things just got more affordable. Also, the guy taking us to the Blue Mountains agreed to reschedule for Sunday since we have make up class on Saturday. Whoo for weekend plans, it'll make the next 4 hours of class more bearable.
I'd write more, but housekeeping just came in, and its almost time for class. I promise I won't complain again next time.
The past few days have been a little chilly, not warm enough to go to the beach anyway. I've been going to class and getting a good bit of homework done. We had yoga on Tuesday, its getting tougher but I still like it a lot. Wednesday was my day off. I hung out with some friends, got destroyed in a game of Monopoly (they play the British version here... it freaked me out a little bit), and had my first real cup of coffee since getting into Sydney. Overall, decent day.
Today I hit the snooze for the first time since arriving in Australia... not quite sure why I was so tired. I still made it up in time to eat breakfast and get ready for my 8 am class with Dr. McRae. Within 5 minutes she was discussing American politics and asked if I had watched the debate the day before. I said no (she cut me off before I could say I don't have access to television, or internet connection strong enough to stream video on a Wednesday afternoon), and she immediately replies with "You are a disgrace to your country." and stares at me silently for a good 5 seconds before muttering how the world is doomed if we have idiots voting for America's president. I'm not going to say I'm the best American there is, but I'm far from the worst. Honestly, who says that to their students? Its not the first time I've been humiliated in her class (nor will it be the last, she has very little problem humiliating anyone from any culture). I'm learning just how politically correct America is... for better or worse, Australians say it how it is, whether or not you like it. She also yelled at me on Tuesday for not knowing the definition of a word. She later tells us its the Italian word for song... apparently I was suppose to know Italian before coming here. I reread my earlier blog for some motivation to stay determined. In her class there is only one way... her way, nevermind what the book says or what your opinion is. It's frustrating. Even more so that I have to go back this afternoon for round two. My second class was almost as depressing as the first. I got lectured to for 2 solid hours on how dismal my future was and how the entire world economy is going to collapse and I won't be able to find a job in 2 years. The prof meant well I'm sure, but I was tired and angry already... not exactly in the mood for depressing news for the future. I ate lunch quick and attempted to watch the debate from youtube on my two hour break... I've gotten through 10 minutes in the past 90. I don't lie about my atrocious internet connection.
On a brighter note, the Australian dollar is down to .66 US dollars, meaning the expensive things just got more affordable. Also, the guy taking us to the Blue Mountains agreed to reschedule for Sunday since we have make up class on Saturday. Whoo for weekend plans, it'll make the next 4 hours of class more bearable.
I'd write more, but housekeeping just came in, and its almost time for class. I promise I won't complain again next time.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Long weekend excitement
Well the rain didn’t listen... after staying in most of Saturday, we decided to go on a power walk before dinner. It was the most intense walk I’ve ever been on, the Swedish girls don’t mess around, but it felt good to actually do something with my day.
Sunday was the National Rugby League Grand Final where the Manly Sea Eagles played the Melbourne Storm. After losing an hour overnight (I am now 16 hours ahead of Central time) we all made it to brunch and set off for the game. Our tickets included public transportation which was really nice. After a ferry and two train rides, we made it to Olympic Park. It’s a bit farther from central Sydney than I imagined. The rain stopped for a while, but it was still very overcast and everything was pretty spread out so I didn’t get a chance to explore much of the park. There was a food court set up outside the stadium, and a pre-game party with a band and a lot of drunken crazy fans. Manly was definitely the majority, but I guess that makes sense since we’re so close. We learned the basic cheer of the evening “Man-ly” (they aren’t very creative) and hung out for an hour or so before entering the stadium. It was impossible to get seats for everyone together, so we all split up... I sat with Melissa, Mia, Alex, and AJ. Our seats were right at midfield but very high up, at first we were a little upset, but in the end I think we were able to see more of the game than those that bought cheaper tickets in the end zones. I probably should have done some research on the Manly team, or even rugby in general, before the game since I know very little about the sport. Luckily there were some nice guys behind us that didn’t mind answering our questions. The game was so much fun, rugby is pretty hardcore and the fans are awesome. It’s more fast-paced and action packed than American football. There were over 80,000 people at the game, I’d say 2/3 were Manly supporters... and Manly won 40-0! People continued to cheer “Man-ly” and shout “40-nil” the whole way home. Felicia and Kristin were entertaining us with some Swedish rap on the train rides home. Everyone was so energized from the game and all in great spirits.
We finally arrived back to Manly by 10pm. I have never seen so many people in town... I didn’t think Manly held that many people. All of the bars had hundreds of people lined up to get in, they were all at capacity. People were cheering on the streets still decked out in their gear, and the police were in full force trying to keep everything under control. I didn’t feel like waiting in line over an hour to get into a bar, so Melissa and I headed over to our friend Sebastian’s house to hang out for a few hours before heading back to college. I’m sure the bars would have been fun, but it was really nice to relax after such an eventful day.
Today started out with more rain but we went down to Manly anyway. It was the last day of the jazz festival and markets by the beach. It finally stopped raining around noon and we were able to enjoy shopping and some great live jazz music. There were so many great vendors at the markets this weekend; fortunately I limited the amount of cash I took with this morning. I love looking at the handmade clothing and jewellery. I found a few gifts and a nice pearl necklace for myself. Eventually it got so warm I had to take my sweatshirt off, and within 15 minutes I could feel my arms and chest starting to get sunburned. I didn’t have sunscreen with (since it was raining when I left) so we walked back up to college. I spent the rest of the afternoon taking a nap and doing homework. It was nice to have time to unwind from the weekend and prepare for the week of school ahead. I’m really not looking forward to putting my uniform back on for my 8am class tomorrow.
This upcoming weekend I was planning a trip to the Blue Mountains, but instead will be attending a make-up class on Saturday. Since today was a public holiday, classes were canceled, but we have to make them up on the weekend. This logic makes very little sense to me, what is the point of having a day off if we have to make up the class on a Saturday? On Sunday (providing the weather cooperates) a few of us may go into the city and visit the Chinese Friendship Garden, Paddington markets, and do some shopping on Oxford Street. I’m looking forward to that already.
More Australian lingo... less fun, but more commonly used:
Zipper crossing= cross walk, they have zigzag lines leading up to them. Unlike America, a painted cross walk is the only time pedestrians have the right of way in Australia. Even with cross walk lights, pedestrians must yield to traffic.
Footpath= sidewalk
Queue=waiting line, this one is very common and I actually use quite a bit
Also... they say tomato with an “ah” sound for the a and will look at you funny if you say it normally. It happens quite often since we have fried tomato slices with cheese on top every morning there is hot breakfast.
Due to my almost non-existent internet connection and lack of patience, I didn't add any pictures to this blog, but there are more up on my website
Sunday was the National Rugby League Grand Final where the Manly Sea Eagles played the Melbourne Storm. After losing an hour overnight (I am now 16 hours ahead of Central time) we all made it to brunch and set off for the game. Our tickets included public transportation which was really nice. After a ferry and two train rides, we made it to Olympic Park. It’s a bit farther from central Sydney than I imagined. The rain stopped for a while, but it was still very overcast and everything was pretty spread out so I didn’t get a chance to explore much of the park. There was a food court set up outside the stadium, and a pre-game party with a band and a lot of drunken crazy fans. Manly was definitely the majority, but I guess that makes sense since we’re so close. We learned the basic cheer of the evening “Man-ly” (they aren’t very creative) and hung out for an hour or so before entering the stadium. It was impossible to get seats for everyone together, so we all split up... I sat with Melissa, Mia, Alex, and AJ. Our seats were right at midfield but very high up, at first we were a little upset, but in the end I think we were able to see more of the game than those that bought cheaper tickets in the end zones. I probably should have done some research on the Manly team, or even rugby in general, before the game since I know very little about the sport. Luckily there were some nice guys behind us that didn’t mind answering our questions. The game was so much fun, rugby is pretty hardcore and the fans are awesome. It’s more fast-paced and action packed than American football. There were over 80,000 people at the game, I’d say 2/3 were Manly supporters... and Manly won 40-0! People continued to cheer “Man-ly” and shout “40-nil” the whole way home. Felicia and Kristin were entertaining us with some Swedish rap on the train rides home. Everyone was so energized from the game and all in great spirits.
We finally arrived back to Manly by 10pm. I have never seen so many people in town... I didn’t think Manly held that many people. All of the bars had hundreds of people lined up to get in, they were all at capacity. People were cheering on the streets still decked out in their gear, and the police were in full force trying to keep everything under control. I didn’t feel like waiting in line over an hour to get into a bar, so Melissa and I headed over to our friend Sebastian’s house to hang out for a few hours before heading back to college. I’m sure the bars would have been fun, but it was really nice to relax after such an eventful day.
Today started out with more rain but we went down to Manly anyway. It was the last day of the jazz festival and markets by the beach. It finally stopped raining around noon and we were able to enjoy shopping and some great live jazz music. There were so many great vendors at the markets this weekend; fortunately I limited the amount of cash I took with this morning. I love looking at the handmade clothing and jewellery. I found a few gifts and a nice pearl necklace for myself. Eventually it got so warm I had to take my sweatshirt off, and within 15 minutes I could feel my arms and chest starting to get sunburned. I didn’t have sunscreen with (since it was raining when I left) so we walked back up to college. I spent the rest of the afternoon taking a nap and doing homework. It was nice to have time to unwind from the weekend and prepare for the week of school ahead. I’m really not looking forward to putting my uniform back on for my 8am class tomorrow.
This upcoming weekend I was planning a trip to the Blue Mountains, but instead will be attending a make-up class on Saturday. Since today was a public holiday, classes were canceled, but we have to make them up on the weekend. This logic makes very little sense to me, what is the point of having a day off if we have to make up the class on a Saturday? On Sunday (providing the weather cooperates) a few of us may go into the city and visit the Chinese Friendship Garden, Paddington markets, and do some shopping on Oxford Street. I’m looking forward to that already.
More Australian lingo... less fun, but more commonly used:
Zipper crossing= cross walk, they have zigzag lines leading up to them. Unlike America, a painted cross walk is the only time pedestrians have the right of way in Australia. Even with cross walk lights, pedestrians must yield to traffic.
Footpath= sidewalk
Queue=waiting line, this one is very common and I actually use quite a bit
Also... they say tomato with an “ah” sound for the a and will look at you funny if you say it normally. It happens quite often since we have fried tomato slices with cheese on top every morning there is hot breakfast.
Due to my almost non-existent internet connection and lack of patience, I didn't add any pictures to this blog, but there are more up on my website
Friday, October 3, 2008
Rain rain go away
So its officially long weekend, jazz festival was going to be huge... and its raining. We went down to the markets this morning, found some pretty cool stuff, but ended up walking back in the rain. Hopefully things start to look better as the weekend goes on. I guess you have to accept rain in the spring. Speaking of spring, tonight is daylights savings time here (I don't know if time is changing back home too) so I may be 16 hours ahead instead of 15.
Yesterday it was 34 degrees (95 Fahrenheit)! If it is warmer than 26 degrees Celsius we are not required to wear our jackets around campus, which is really nice because I think I would have died of heat stroke. I only had class til 12 and spent the afternoon taking a nap on the beach. I always have 30+SPF sunscreen on and am still working up a decent tan! We went out in the city last night which was a little different than what I'm used to back home, but it was a good time. Taking cabs to the city is much faster than the ferry, and $40 split four ways is pretty affordable as far as transportation goes around here. Tomorrow we are going to the National Rugby League Grand Finale. Rugby is huge over here... there is Rugby League and Rugby Union. This is the championship for Rugby League. Our precincts team (the Manly Sea Eagles) are playing a team from Melbourne. Everyone around here is really excited for the game, we all got t shirts and most of the Americans are going to the game. It should be a lot of fun, another new Australian experience. Lets hope the weather cooperates.
Next week I have to start researching for my major projects and presentations. I have something planned each weekend for the next 5-6 weekends and then it'll be time to study for finals. I am spending most of my time exploring the Sydney area. I spend way too much money already to do any big trips. We might go out to the Whitsunday Islands in November. That would be my big spending trip. I really wish I could have found a job, but its tough when we're leaving right in the middle of summer. I'll just need to work twice as much when I get back. Speaking of which, I need to find a job when I get back. If anyone has ideas, let me know.
Enough about me... more about where I am. Turns out laws mean a lot more around here than they do in America. If you get caught with drugs on campus, you're immediately kicked out of school. If you are a bartender and serve someone that is already clearly intoxicated, you get a $5500 fine. If you get caught street racing in the city, they smash your car. Its pretty intense but it makes sense. If you're going to have laws, might as well enforce them. On the topic of laws... the other day I learned that prostitution is actually legal in Australia. The government realized it was a bad thing, but it was so big that there was no way to ban it completely. Kind of like prohibition in the States, people would have just found ways around it. So instead they put a ton of restrictions on it... confined them to brothels, put restrictions on number of hours they are able to work, and amount of money they are allowed to be paid. I found it a little weird, but no one around here seems to think so.
I'm still mastering the art of tying the perfect cravat. I've gotten used to walking in heels, and the uniform is growing on me. I still hate having to put it on just to eat lunch though. Meals are still very off and on... I can always count on fresh fruit and rolls though. We had steak and potatoes the other day, it was almost the highlight of my week. Today I started craving ketchup, they have "tomato sauce" but it just doesn't taste the same. I'm still walking every day, climbing the hill every time I go to town, and walking up 58 stairs every time I go to my room. My legs might be in the best shape they've ever been. That's about all for now. My internet connection has been really shady lately, hopefully that improves soon. Hope everyone is having a great weekend:)
Yesterday it was 34 degrees (95 Fahrenheit)! If it is warmer than 26 degrees Celsius we are not required to wear our jackets around campus, which is really nice because I think I would have died of heat stroke. I only had class til 12 and spent the afternoon taking a nap on the beach. I always have 30+SPF sunscreen on and am still working up a decent tan! We went out in the city last night which was a little different than what I'm used to back home, but it was a good time. Taking cabs to the city is much faster than the ferry, and $40 split four ways is pretty affordable as far as transportation goes around here. Tomorrow we are going to the National Rugby League Grand Finale. Rugby is huge over here... there is Rugby League and Rugby Union. This is the championship for Rugby League. Our precincts team (the Manly Sea Eagles) are playing a team from Melbourne. Everyone around here is really excited for the game, we all got t shirts and most of the Americans are going to the game. It should be a lot of fun, another new Australian experience. Lets hope the weather cooperates.
Next week I have to start researching for my major projects and presentations. I have something planned each weekend for the next 5-6 weekends and then it'll be time to study for finals. I am spending most of my time exploring the Sydney area. I spend way too much money already to do any big trips. We might go out to the Whitsunday Islands in November. That would be my big spending trip. I really wish I could have found a job, but its tough when we're leaving right in the middle of summer. I'll just need to work twice as much when I get back. Speaking of which, I need to find a job when I get back. If anyone has ideas, let me know.
Enough about me... more about where I am. Turns out laws mean a lot more around here than they do in America. If you get caught with drugs on campus, you're immediately kicked out of school. If you are a bartender and serve someone that is already clearly intoxicated, you get a $5500 fine. If you get caught street racing in the city, they smash your car. Its pretty intense but it makes sense. If you're going to have laws, might as well enforce them. On the topic of laws... the other day I learned that prostitution is actually legal in Australia. The government realized it was a bad thing, but it was so big that there was no way to ban it completely. Kind of like prohibition in the States, people would have just found ways around it. So instead they put a ton of restrictions on it... confined them to brothels, put restrictions on number of hours they are able to work, and amount of money they are allowed to be paid. I found it a little weird, but no one around here seems to think so.
I'm still mastering the art of tying the perfect cravat. I've gotten used to walking in heels, and the uniform is growing on me. I still hate having to put it on just to eat lunch though. Meals are still very off and on... I can always count on fresh fruit and rolls though. We had steak and potatoes the other day, it was almost the highlight of my week. Today I started craving ketchup, they have "tomato sauce" but it just doesn't taste the same. I'm still walking every day, climbing the hill every time I go to town, and walking up 58 stairs every time I go to my room. My legs might be in the best shape they've ever been. That's about all for now. My internet connection has been really shady lately, hopefully that improves soon. Hope everyone is having a great weekend:)
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Settling in
Well I'm finally feeling routine in my life again. Its not much, but it works. I wake up at 7am every morning, fill my day with class, reading textbooks, spending lots of time online, and going to the beach when its nice enough. I actually spend a decent amount of time in my room since everywhere else I'd have to be in uniform. Dana and Jolly both have mostly morning/early afternoon class so I have the room to myself. Most people love having downtime... I never was a huge fan, or felt the need for it, but I'm learning to like it here (I have an awful lot of it). Dinner is at 5:30 and after that I walk for an hour, do group projects, more homework, or hang out with friends. I eat three meals a day (at normal meal times, never snacking) and usually get a good 6-8 hours of sleep.
Before I left people told me time would fly by in Australia... and maybe by the end I'll feel it did, but right now I feel like life is crawling. Not in a bad way, but I don't have student groups or 25 hours of work, I'm taking 4 classes instead of 7, and school is isolated on the top of a hill, so even walking to a coffee shop or grocery store is at least a 30 minute round trip. Last semester I'd leave my room at 7am and return at 1am... it was kind of crazy. I'm enjoying my break from reality for a little bit. I'm sure by December I'll be ready for fast paced life again. I've definitely adopted the Aussie lifestyle of working (or in my case school) 8-5 Monday - Friday, and leisure after 5 and on weekends. Its kind of nice having time to do homework during the week so I can pack my weekends with sightseeing, traveling, and anything else non-school related.
Learning people's perceptions of America has been interesting. Most people have never been to the States, so they get their perceptions from Hollywood movies and our government. I'm not from Hollywood or DC, so explaining the differences takes a bit of time. The current financial crisis is a popular topic of conversation right now. It still surprises me that they talk about American politics in class, some people here pay more attention to our candidates and issues than people in America. We take voting rights for granted, some people don't even exercise their rights, to elect one of the most influential world leaders. The decision impacts economies and societies around the world, but all they can do is watch and hope for the best.
Now I'm not one to talk much about politics... but my roommates asked me about Wallstreet and the election the other day. I explained the basics of the American government system and voting process to them. Needless to say, its a bit different in China. Its relatively easy to adapt to Australia being from another Western culture. I can't imagine what it is like for them to be learning language and grammar in higher education courses, and becoming familiar with Western ways and foreign politics all at once. I'm trying to answer their questions and help with vocab/grammar as much as possible. Their dedication amazes me. They showed me where they're from in China and we talked about food a little bit... I'm looking forward to learning more.
Now for a few fun/interesting Australian things...
Mate= friend, stranger, chick, dude... basically anyone you know or don't know
Bloke= man, its a respectable term... if you're not a bloke you're a pansy
Shiela= girl
Rubbish= trash... I haven't heard the word trash once, you throw things away in a rubbish bin
Bugger= polite way of swearing, "He's such a bugger" "bugger off" "bugger!" ... you get it
Schooner= regular glass of beer
1 in 5 Aussies was born overseas... 1 in 3 have parents born overseas
Kinda forgot to follow up on the last few blogs... I'm pretty sure what I had was bed bugs, whatever it was is gone now. Classes are seeming more manageable (maybe its because I have so much time for reading) but I think I just freaked out a little bit the first week. Also, kind of random, but we have housekeeping that cleans our room every week. Apparently they also do a midweek check to make sure our rooms are tidy...two ladies from the "professional conduct" staff just walked into my room, thankfully they didn't say anything about my desk.
Hope all is well! I promise more pictures this weekend:)
Before I left people told me time would fly by in Australia... and maybe by the end I'll feel it did, but right now I feel like life is crawling. Not in a bad way, but I don't have student groups or 25 hours of work, I'm taking 4 classes instead of 7, and school is isolated on the top of a hill, so even walking to a coffee shop or grocery store is at least a 30 minute round trip. Last semester I'd leave my room at 7am and return at 1am... it was kind of crazy. I'm enjoying my break from reality for a little bit. I'm sure by December I'll be ready for fast paced life again. I've definitely adopted the Aussie lifestyle of working (or in my case school) 8-5 Monday - Friday, and leisure after 5 and on weekends. Its kind of nice having time to do homework during the week so I can pack my weekends with sightseeing, traveling, and anything else non-school related.
Learning people's perceptions of America has been interesting. Most people have never been to the States, so they get their perceptions from Hollywood movies and our government. I'm not from Hollywood or DC, so explaining the differences takes a bit of time. The current financial crisis is a popular topic of conversation right now. It still surprises me that they talk about American politics in class, some people here pay more attention to our candidates and issues than people in America. We take voting rights for granted, some people don't even exercise their rights, to elect one of the most influential world leaders. The decision impacts economies and societies around the world, but all they can do is watch and hope for the best.
Now I'm not one to talk much about politics... but my roommates asked me about Wallstreet and the election the other day. I explained the basics of the American government system and voting process to them. Needless to say, its a bit different in China. Its relatively easy to adapt to Australia being from another Western culture. I can't imagine what it is like for them to be learning language and grammar in higher education courses, and becoming familiar with Western ways and foreign politics all at once. I'm trying to answer their questions and help with vocab/grammar as much as possible. Their dedication amazes me. They showed me where they're from in China and we talked about food a little bit... I'm looking forward to learning more.
Now for a few fun/interesting Australian things...
Mate= friend, stranger, chick, dude... basically anyone you know or don't know
Bloke= man, its a respectable term... if you're not a bloke you're a pansy
Shiela= girl
Rubbish= trash... I haven't heard the word trash once, you throw things away in a rubbish bin
Bugger= polite way of swearing, "He's such a bugger" "bugger off" "bugger!" ... you get it
Schooner= regular glass of beer
1 in 5 Aussies was born overseas... 1 in 3 have parents born overseas
Kinda forgot to follow up on the last few blogs... I'm pretty sure what I had was bed bugs, whatever it was is gone now. Classes are seeming more manageable (maybe its because I have so much time for reading) but I think I just freaked out a little bit the first week. Also, kind of random, but we have housekeeping that cleans our room every week. Apparently they also do a midweek check to make sure our rooms are tidy...two ladies from the "professional conduct" staff just walked into my room, thankfully they didn't say anything about my desk.
Hope all is well! I promise more pictures this weekend:)
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