It took me a REALLY long time to get over my jet lag and start getting back into a normal routine at home. No matter what time I went to bed, I would wake up somewhere between 4:30 and 6:30am, wide awake and starving for dinner. Then I would go back to sleep from anywhere between 11am and 7pm and thus the cycle continued. It was really hard for me to get back into the swing of things. I think one of the main reasons for this is because I wasn't really doing anything of importance during the day so I didn't really have anything to be productive for or any good reason to get back on to a normal sleep schedule.
The first weekend I was back home I went to my dad's lake house in NY for the 4th of July. I opted out of several friends' parties because I just didn't think I could deal with people at that point. I felt like I didn't want to see or talk to anyone who hadn't been in Australia with me because I didn't want to have to answer the most annoying question in the world: "How was it?" Obviously it was good, and that's all I could say, with the occasional it was amazing thrown in there, because I didn't have any words to describe well enough my experience. That's one of the reasons I am really glad I kept this blog, even though most of the time I didn't want to write it, because now I can always go back and read about the things I did and the way I was feeling throughout my time in Australia.
I know I'm never going to forget my experience, but even now, 3 months later, I feel like it was a distant memory and the only people who aren't sick of hearing about it are the people I went with. I am so grateful that I made such good friends from Northeastern in Sydney. My mom joked that I had to go so far away just to make really good friends from my school, but its true. I've shared with them some of the most amazing experiences of my life and for that reason, they will always be apart of my life, no matter what.
This weekend is Becca's birthday, so everyone will be together for the first time since Sydney and I am so excited! A couple of our friends who weren't from Northeastern are also coming up, down, over, for the weekend and I am beyond excited to see them!
Going to Sydney was the coolest, most adventurous and mind opening thing I have ever done and I would go back in a heartbeat. I learned so much about myself and did things I never thought I would do and I am so grateful to have had the chance to partake in such an awesome experience.
And finally, I never ate Vegemite! :)
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Goodbyes and Going Home :(
A bunch of Northeastern people left Sydney earlier than originally planned to get back home for various reasons. Lauren left on the 22nd so that she wouldn't have to start classes and her job the day after she got back and Brian and Cat left on the 23rd. Jim left at the end of May (crazy!) and Kaitlyn decided to stay in Australia for the rest of the year and do her co-op there--very cool. So, there were only a few of us left that stayed until the 28th (Me, Becca, Amy, Kate and Theresa). It was really bittersweet leaving Sydney because I knew that I would be seeing everyone from Northeastern again which was amazing because we all got so close, especially towards the end. But it was also really sad because there were SO many people that I met that I probably will never see again, at least not anytime in the near future. It seemed like we all got really close and became really good friends in the last month or so that we were in Sydney and it just kind of sucks that we all had to leave.
Packing was probably the worst thing ever, and I threw away all kinds of stuff that I brought with me in order to made room for souvenirs and other stuff that I acquired over the 5 months I was in Australia. The night before we left, the girls and I rented and watched Marley & Me because we all felt like we just needed to cry and that is the absolute best movie if you feel like being sad. Our flight was around 2:30 the next day so we packed up, cleaned up, checked out, moved out and piled into a van that took us to the airport. When we got there we found out that they had apparently overbooked our flight to San Fran and were asking people to give up their seats for an $800 United voucher and a seat on a flight the next day. All of us declined except Kate (of course!) and we finally boarded our first plan home. It felt really strange and really surreal to be going home and I couldn't quite process what was happening. I felt like a zombie, just going along with it, not really knowing what I was doing.
I sat next to Becca on the long flight (thankfully) which actually wasn't that bad and went pretty smoothly. We had a short layover in San Fran during which we all turned on our American cell phones for the first time, called friends and family and paid for stuff with American money--very strange and exciting! We got on our flight from San Fran to Boston and I immediately passed out and slept through the entire flight..take off to landing. I was SO excited to see my mom, Joy and Grace waiting for me at the bottom of the escalator when I got off the plane. Grace made me an awesome welcome home sign and Joy brought me a giant nalgene filled with MILK!! SO GOOD! (I drank the whole thing in like 15 minutes and then immediately regretted it). THEN I saw Kate and Laura run around the corner and I dropped all my stuff and ran to give them hugs! So good to see them after so long and I'm so glad they were able to make it to the airport to meet me! They too had some awesome welcome home signs for me :)
We all went back to my house (kate and laura slept over) and I sort of felt like I hadn't even been away. It was so weird to be home but at the same time I kind of felt like Australia was just a dream. It was really nice to be with my best friends and family when I got home though because they had already heard about everything I had done there and didn't have to ask any questions. I was still on Australia time, so I don't think I ended up going to be that night until like 4 in the morning. The next day my mom had to wake me up at 2pm so that I wouldn't sleep the rest of the day!
I was glad to be home, but it was really strange not sleeping in UniLodge and being just feet away from all my friends. I felt like all I wanted to do was talk to the people from Sydney because those were the people that I had become SO close with in the last 5 months and I didn't really know what to do without them yet..
Packing was probably the worst thing ever, and I threw away all kinds of stuff that I brought with me in order to made room for souvenirs and other stuff that I acquired over the 5 months I was in Australia. The night before we left, the girls and I rented and watched Marley & Me because we all felt like we just needed to cry and that is the absolute best movie if you feel like being sad. Our flight was around 2:30 the next day so we packed up, cleaned up, checked out, moved out and piled into a van that took us to the airport. When we got there we found out that they had apparently overbooked our flight to San Fran and were asking people to give up their seats for an $800 United voucher and a seat on a flight the next day. All of us declined except Kate (of course!) and we finally boarded our first plan home. It felt really strange and really surreal to be going home and I couldn't quite process what was happening. I felt like a zombie, just going along with it, not really knowing what I was doing.
I sat next to Becca on the long flight (thankfully) which actually wasn't that bad and went pretty smoothly. We had a short layover in San Fran during which we all turned on our American cell phones for the first time, called friends and family and paid for stuff with American money--very strange and exciting! We got on our flight from San Fran to Boston and I immediately passed out and slept through the entire flight..take off to landing. I was SO excited to see my mom, Joy and Grace waiting for me at the bottom of the escalator when I got off the plane. Grace made me an awesome welcome home sign and Joy brought me a giant nalgene filled with MILK!! SO GOOD! (I drank the whole thing in like 15 minutes and then immediately regretted it). THEN I saw Kate and Laura run around the corner and I dropped all my stuff and ran to give them hugs! So good to see them after so long and I'm so glad they were able to make it to the airport to meet me! They too had some awesome welcome home signs for me :)
We all went back to my house (kate and laura slept over) and I sort of felt like I hadn't even been away. It was so weird to be home but at the same time I kind of felt like Australia was just a dream. It was really nice to be with my best friends and family when I got home though because they had already heard about everything I had done there and didn't have to ask any questions. I was still on Australia time, so I don't think I ended up going to be that night until like 4 in the morning. The next day my mom had to wake me up at 2pm so that I wouldn't sleep the rest of the day!
I was glad to be home, but it was really strange not sleeping in UniLodge and being just feet away from all my friends. I felt like all I wanted to do was talk to the people from Sydney because those were the people that I had become SO close with in the last 5 months and I didn't really know what to do without them yet..
The Whitsunday Islands and Melbourne
We had about a three week break (depending on your finals schedule) between the end of classes and finals. Lauren and Emily decided to go to Fiji, which I really wanted to do, but couldn't afford and Becca had no interest in going somewhere with bugs, so we decided to plan a different trip. It took us awhile to figure out where we wanted to go because there were so many things that we hadn't done. Finally we decided on two places; the Whitsunday Islands in Northern Australia and Melbourne in Southern Australia.
We ended up getting together a group of 8 people (Me, Becca, Melissa, Amy, Justin, Nate, Lucas and Alex Bradley) and could not wait to get up north to some warmer weather. Becca's parents offered to pay for our hotel (nicest people in the WORLD) which ended up being a really nice 3 bedroom apartment. The only downfall was that it was on top of the BIGGEST HILL IN THE WORLD. I am not kidding. Pictures cannot even justify this thing. We took a ferry from the airport and then a bus from the ferry and unfortunately for us, got dropped off at the very bottom of the hill of doom. Becca and I took one look and immediately gave up haha. Luckily for us, Justin carried BOTH of our bags AND his up the hill (thank god or i probably would have died) and after an entire group struggle, we made it to the top.
The apartment was amazing, and we all fit very comfortably. That first night, we ventured down the hill into the center of town (Airlie Beach) and got some pizza. We then decided that it would be a great idea to start drinking at 6pm and were all completely passed out by 11! This actually turned out to be a smart decision because we all woke up super early and were able to start our day and explore the town. The town reminded me a lot of Cairns in that it was really beachy, laid back and beautiful. It even had a lagoon like Cairns did, but it wasn't as nice. We spent the day at the pool/lagoon and then went over to a travel booth to see what we could do in the area. We eventually decided on a boat tour of the islands that included snorkeling and diving and planned to do that the next day. That night also involved early drinking and a group game of spin the bottle...very funny and then we were off to bed early again because the van for snokeling was coming to pick us up at 7:45am.
We all managed to wake up on time and make it to the van. We got on our boat which was an all day adventure and took around the Whitsunday Islands. I have never seen anything so beautiful in my life. The water is crystal clear blue and the sand is pure white. We were actually able to get out of the boat on one of the islands and take a tour around and hang out on the beach for a hour or so before lunch. It was really one of the most incredible things I have ever seen. Absolutely mesmerizing.
The second half of the day was filled with scuba diving and snorkeling, which Becca and I opted out of because we had already done it in Cairns and decided to lay on the beach instead. We got back, exhausted and the girls made dinner for the guys (pasta and garlic bread) and then we went down the hill to check out the night life in Airlie Beach. Because it was off season, there really weren't that many people there which is why it was so fun to go with a group of 8 people.
The next day, our last full day, we went to the beach and hung out at the pool and shopped a little and went out that night for the last time. In the morning we had to clean the entire apartment, make breakfast, pack and leave by 10:30am. Somehow we got it all done and were out of there on time and made our way back to the ferry so that we could catch our flight. The airport that flies into the Whitsundays is literally a shack on the beach. There are maybe 4 flights a day and you wait outside for the plane to come--crazy! We got back to Sydney around 6pm and then Becca and I had to unpack, repack and get ready for our SEVEN AM flight the next morning to Melbourne.
Why we thought that going to Melbourne directly after spending four crazy nights in the Whitsundays, I have no idea. We were absolutely exhausted. We left for the airport at 5am, boarded our flight and got to Melbourne around 9. Little did we know, Melbourne was FREEZING. Probably in the high 40s when we got there after being in 80 degree weather all week and all I had were flip flops to wear..horrible. So, we got to our hotel which the sole intention of getting to our room and sleeping forever, only to find out that we couldn't check in for another 2 hours. Not a big deal. We decided we would just walk around the city and see what there was to see. This plan, however, was immediately foiled when we realized that it was Sunday and nothing was open. So, we wandered around the streets of Melbourne, freezing and starving until we found a cute little cafe to get some breakfast. The food was amazing and the hotel called us earlier than expected and said that we could check it, so it all ended up working out.
Later that night, we met up with Becca's friend Ying from Sydney who also happened to be in Melbourne that weekend and had the most amazing dinner with her and her friend on the harbour. We got back to our hotel and passed out early. The next day, Becca, Ying, and I walked around downtown Melbourne and shopped/sight(seed...sightsaw? whatever haha) all day. The architecture is really cool in the city and is a mix between very modern and victorian. Our flight was the next morning--short trip--and we were back in Sydney Tuesday evening.
I am so glad I was able to go on both of these trips. I obviously had more fun in the Whitsundays, but it was really great to see another major city in Australia and see how different they were. The group that went to the Whitsundays together was kind of a random mix of the people I met in Sydney and I didn't know a lot of them very well, but by the end of those 5 days, we were all really close friends. I'm really glad they all decided to come with Becca and me because I don't think I would have gotten to know them so well and they are all really great people.
We ended up getting together a group of 8 people (Me, Becca, Melissa, Amy, Justin, Nate, Lucas and Alex Bradley) and could not wait to get up north to some warmer weather. Becca's parents offered to pay for our hotel (nicest people in the WORLD) which ended up being a really nice 3 bedroom apartment. The only downfall was that it was on top of the BIGGEST HILL IN THE WORLD. I am not kidding. Pictures cannot even justify this thing. We took a ferry from the airport and then a bus from the ferry and unfortunately for us, got dropped off at the very bottom of the hill of doom. Becca and I took one look and immediately gave up haha. Luckily for us, Justin carried BOTH of our bags AND his up the hill (thank god or i probably would have died) and after an entire group struggle, we made it to the top.
The apartment was amazing, and we all fit very comfortably. That first night, we ventured down the hill into the center of town (Airlie Beach) and got some pizza. We then decided that it would be a great idea to start drinking at 6pm and were all completely passed out by 11! This actually turned out to be a smart decision because we all woke up super early and were able to start our day and explore the town. The town reminded me a lot of Cairns in that it was really beachy, laid back and beautiful. It even had a lagoon like Cairns did, but it wasn't as nice. We spent the day at the pool/lagoon and then went over to a travel booth to see what we could do in the area. We eventually decided on a boat tour of the islands that included snorkeling and diving and planned to do that the next day. That night also involved early drinking and a group game of spin the bottle...very funny and then we were off to bed early again because the van for snokeling was coming to pick us up at 7:45am.
We all managed to wake up on time and make it to the van. We got on our boat which was an all day adventure and took around the Whitsunday Islands. I have never seen anything so beautiful in my life. The water is crystal clear blue and the sand is pure white. We were actually able to get out of the boat on one of the islands and take a tour around and hang out on the beach for a hour or so before lunch. It was really one of the most incredible things I have ever seen. Absolutely mesmerizing.
The second half of the day was filled with scuba diving and snorkeling, which Becca and I opted out of because we had already done it in Cairns and decided to lay on the beach instead. We got back, exhausted and the girls made dinner for the guys (pasta and garlic bread) and then we went down the hill to check out the night life in Airlie Beach. Because it was off season, there really weren't that many people there which is why it was so fun to go with a group of 8 people.The next day, our last full day, we went to the beach and hung out at the pool and shopped a little and went out that night for the last time. In the morning we had to clean the entire apartment, make breakfast, pack and leave by 10:30am. Somehow we got it all done and were out of there on time and made our way back to the ferry so that we could catch our flight. The airport that flies into the Whitsundays is literally a shack on the beach. There are maybe 4 flights a day and you wait outside for the plane to come--crazy! We got back to Sydney around 6pm and then Becca and I had to unpack, repack and get ready for our SEVEN AM flight the next morning to Melbourne.
Why we thought that going to Melbourne directly after spending four crazy nights in the Whitsundays, I have no idea. We were absolutely exhausted. We left for the airport at 5am, boarded our flight and got to Melbourne around 9. Little did we know, Melbourne was FREEZING. Probably in the high 40s when we got there after being in 80 degree weather all week and all I had were flip flops to wear..horrible. So, we got to our hotel which the sole intention of getting to our room and sleeping forever, only to find out that we couldn't check in for another 2 hours. Not a big deal. We decided we would just walk around the city and see what there was to see. This plan, however, was immediately foiled when we realized that it was Sunday and nothing was open. So, we wandered around the streets of Melbourne, freezing and starving until we found a cute little cafe to get some breakfast. The food was amazing and the hotel called us earlier than expected and said that we could check it, so it all ended up working out.
Later that night, we met up with Becca's friend Ying from Sydney who also happened to be in Melbourne that weekend and had the most amazing dinner with her and her friend on the harbour. We got back to our hotel and passed out early. The next day, Becca, Ying, and I walked around downtown Melbourne and shopped/sight(seed...sightsaw? whatever haha) all day. The architecture is really cool in the city and is a mix between very modern and victorian. Our flight was the next morning--short trip--and we were back in Sydney Tuesday evening.
I am so glad I was able to go on both of these trips. I obviously had more fun in the Whitsundays, but it was really great to see another major city in Australia and see how different they were. The group that went to the Whitsundays together was kind of a random mix of the people I met in Sydney and I didn't know a lot of them very well, but by the end of those 5 days, we were all really close friends. I'm really glad they all decided to come with Becca and me because I don't think I would have gotten to know them so well and they are all really great people.
Better late than never...
I know these next few blogs are obviously a few months late, but I figured better late than never (plus my blog is due today for Northeastern). I don't know why I put them off for so long. The last few weeks of being in Sydney were absolutely crazy and looking back now, it all seems so surreal. Classes ended on June 5th and then we had three final weeks to cram in everything we hadn't done and wanted to do..and also some things we DIDN'T want to do, i.e. study for exams.
I had SO much work the last week or two of classes. Becca and I had a 6000 word essay due for our Multicultural class which was a group effort, but we also had a poster presentation to go along with it and another 2000 word hand out to give to the class. The class was an education class, focused on learning and teaching, and the project was a research assignment where we had to incorporate some kind of multicultural aspect of Australia into lesson plans that one would use in a classroom. Because Becca and I are clearly not planning on becoming teachers in the near future, this was a little bit of a difficult task for us, but our teacher was very understanding and took into account our situation. We chose to do our project on gender and focused specifically on gender in sports, the workplace, the family and in education. By some giant miracle we were able to pop out a 24 page paper on the subject and hand it in on time, with a presentation and a poster (which contained lots of glue and glitter =]). We ended up getting a 20/20 on the presentation and did very well on the paper too.
My sports and film classes also had GIANT papers due at the end of the semester. Each, I believe, were 3000 words. An easy feat it seemed after completing the 6000 word paper for my other class. The film paper was on a movie that we had to choose and watch. The instructors gave us a pretty detailed outline of what the paper was to be like, so the actual content was not hard to come up with, it was the actual sitting down and writing it part that was more of a struggle. In true Laura fashion, I finished it last minute and turned it in, also getting a good grade in that class. For sports I REALLY pushed it to the last minute. The paper was due on June 28th and we were leaving Sydney on June 28th. I started and finished the paper in about 3 hours on June 27th, handed it in and was finally DONE!
In between the film paper and the sports paper, I had to take my econ final. Somewhere after the econ midterm, I realized that I was in way over my head with this class and towards the end of the semester, I concluded that even if I were able to pass the class (highly unlikely with a 50 average before the final), I would not be able to get a C or better which is what I needed for the class to count at Northeastern. I debated back and forth whether or not there was even any point in taking the final and after talking to my parents, decided to go and see how well I do (or in this case, how poorly). So, I went to the final, guessed on most of the multiple choice and made up all kinds of nonsense for the short answer and then wrote a note at the end explaining the reasons for my disastrous work and left. Luckily I was able to take the course pass/fail so that the fail (which I ended up getting by the way) won't show up on my transcript and I can take the class again this Spring.
The academics at the University of Sydney were surprisingly more intense that I ever expected. I should have never taken an econ class while abroad, but who knew something so universal could be taught so differently in another country. Although everyone jokes about how none of us did any work in Australia, I actually have to say that I had more work there than I have ever had at Northeastern. Of course the environment made it more difficult to complete this work and maybe I would have done better in the same econ class had I been at home, but I wouldn't take any of it back. I had the greatest semester of my life and learned more about myself (even academically) than I ever have before.
So, enough of the boring class stuff! On to the exciting vacations we took during study break!
I had SO much work the last week or two of classes. Becca and I had a 6000 word essay due for our Multicultural class which was a group effort, but we also had a poster presentation to go along with it and another 2000 word hand out to give to the class. The class was an education class, focused on learning and teaching, and the project was a research assignment where we had to incorporate some kind of multicultural aspect of Australia into lesson plans that one would use in a classroom. Because Becca and I are clearly not planning on becoming teachers in the near future, this was a little bit of a difficult task for us, but our teacher was very understanding and took into account our situation. We chose to do our project on gender and focused specifically on gender in sports, the workplace, the family and in education. By some giant miracle we were able to pop out a 24 page paper on the subject and hand it in on time, with a presentation and a poster (which contained lots of glue and glitter =]). We ended up getting a 20/20 on the presentation and did very well on the paper too.
My sports and film classes also had GIANT papers due at the end of the semester. Each, I believe, were 3000 words. An easy feat it seemed after completing the 6000 word paper for my other class. The film paper was on a movie that we had to choose and watch. The instructors gave us a pretty detailed outline of what the paper was to be like, so the actual content was not hard to come up with, it was the actual sitting down and writing it part that was more of a struggle. In true Laura fashion, I finished it last minute and turned it in, also getting a good grade in that class. For sports I REALLY pushed it to the last minute. The paper was due on June 28th and we were leaving Sydney on June 28th. I started and finished the paper in about 3 hours on June 27th, handed it in and was finally DONE!
In between the film paper and the sports paper, I had to take my econ final. Somewhere after the econ midterm, I realized that I was in way over my head with this class and towards the end of the semester, I concluded that even if I were able to pass the class (highly unlikely with a 50 average before the final), I would not be able to get a C or better which is what I needed for the class to count at Northeastern. I debated back and forth whether or not there was even any point in taking the final and after talking to my parents, decided to go and see how well I do (or in this case, how poorly). So, I went to the final, guessed on most of the multiple choice and made up all kinds of nonsense for the short answer and then wrote a note at the end explaining the reasons for my disastrous work and left. Luckily I was able to take the course pass/fail so that the fail (which I ended up getting by the way) won't show up on my transcript and I can take the class again this Spring.
The academics at the University of Sydney were surprisingly more intense that I ever expected. I should have never taken an econ class while abroad, but who knew something so universal could be taught so differently in another country. Although everyone jokes about how none of us did any work in Australia, I actually have to say that I had more work there than I have ever had at Northeastern. Of course the environment made it more difficult to complete this work and maybe I would have done better in the same econ class had I been at home, but I wouldn't take any of it back. I had the greatest semester of my life and learned more about myself (even academically) than I ever have before.
So, enough of the boring class stuff! On to the exciting vacations we took during study break!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
ANZAC Day, Darling Harbour's 21st birthday and the Queen's birthday!
For this blog I figured I should write about some "Australian" celebrations that have happened since I've been here. I'm pretty sure I already wrote about Mardi Gras, so here are a few more that have happened more recently.
Next, Darling Harbour's 21st birthday. So, apparently Darling Harbour is only 21 years old, hard to believe, but I really have no reason to believe otherwise, so whatever! They had a huge celebration all day the first Saturday in May and had festivals all down by the water, concerts, etc. Then, at night they had a really cool fireworks show from the middle of the harbour (mom, you would have loved it) and they had fireworks again every Friday and Saturday night throughout May. I only went the first night and we got to watch them from Becca's friends' apartment which has 3 awesome balconies and looks out over the harbour, so we had a great view. Unfortunately, the show only lasted about 15 minutes, but it was still pretty cool to see.
According to a very reliable source (Wikipedia), ANZAC day is: a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, and is commemorated by both countries on April 25th every year to honour members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought in WWI.
It also happens to be the only day of the year that a gambling game called "two up" is legal to play in pubs all over the country. So, of course, being the good Austrailans we are, a bunch of my friends and I started drinking around lunch time and then went to a bar down the street to check out what all the hype was about. The game itself is actually kind of complicated to understand unless you watch it, but it's basically just like a game of heads or tails with two coins. There's one person who stands on a square of carpet, probably 10x10 feet and holds a paddle that has two spots for 50 cent coins to fit in. The people watching then bet each other on whether it's going to be both heads or both tails. If one of each falls, the "spinner" has to toss the coins again. If the spinner gets three heads in a row, they can either takeall the money that has been thrown in the middle of the carpet and leave or take half and continue playing. If the spinner gets two tails though, they lose and the money in the pot is distributed out to those who threw money in.
We sat in the bar and played/watched for a few hours and it was actually a lot of fun. One guy who was the spinner won something like $300 at one point. I think I only won like $15 :)
Here are a few pictures: 1. the MC and the girl in the background holding the paddle is the spinner. 2. The money on the carpet. 3. Justin holding the beer that I bet him and won :)
Here are a few pictures: 1. the MC and the girl in the background holding the paddle is the spinner. 2. The money on the carpet. 3. Justin holding the beer that I bet him and won :)
Next, Darling Harbour's 21st birthday. So, apparently Darling Harbour is only 21 years old, hard to believe, but I really have no reason to believe otherwise, so whatever! They had a huge celebration all day the first Saturday in May and had festivals all down by the water, concerts, etc. Then, at night they had a really cool fireworks show from the middle of the harbour (mom, you would have loved it) and they had fireworks again every Friday and Saturday night throughout May. I only went the first night and we got to watch them from Becca's friends' apartment which has 3 awesome balconies and looks out over the harbour, so we had a great view. Unfortunately, the show only lasted about 15 minutes, but it was still pretty cool to see.
Finally, today happens to be the Queen's of England's birthday and they celebrate it in Australia. Apparently everything is closed because of this holiday which has had both negative and positive effects on my day. So, I've compiled a little pros and cons list:
Pros:
My paper that was supposed to be due today is now actually due tomorrow because technically they aren't allowed to assign anything on holidays. Also, it has FINALLY stopped raining and happens to be a gorgeous day, so because my paper is not due until tomorrow, I went outside and played frisbee for an hour or so with Justin and Lauren which we've had to start doing in the basement of unilodge because the weather has been so terrible! Also, went to the mall and bought a cute dress because everything is on sale :)
Cons:
When I say that everything is closed, I really mean everything, including the library. Normally this would not effect me because I hate going to the library and never get work done. However, Kate's computer doesn't have microsoft word so I have to write everything on wordpad and then open it with word at the library and finish and edit it there. BUT since the library is closed, I can't do that, or print it out, so I'm having Emily do it for me since I leave for the Whitsundays tomorrow morning at 7am.
So, in conclusion, I could really care less about celebrating the queen's birthday and it really isn't a big deal, just felt like I should probably write about it because it's probably a big deal to someone!
Tomorrow I'm heading the Whitsundays (google it, it's gorgeous) with 7 other people. Becca's parents are paying for all of us to stay in a hotel together and it should be absolutely amazing! Hopefully I'll get my tan back :) We will be there until Saturday and then Becca and I are flying to Melbourne and staying there from Sunday-Tuesday, so I'll obviously update about those trips once I get back.
Love and miss you all!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
SORRY EVERYONE!!
I know, I know, It's been too long. Much has happened since New Zealand, but I guess most of you have no way of knowing that :)
I've come up with a few reasons for why I have not blogged in so long:
1. Since spring break, I have been completely swamped with work. WORK? what's that? I had no idea until a few weeks ago when I had 10,000+ words worth of papers due in one week. This also included a presentation and making a poster. All got done, but for that week I pretty much did nothing but write, practice presenting and cut & glue pieces of magazine onto a giant red poster board.
2. In the past month or so I've gotten so comfortable living here and being here that the things I do every day don't seem so exciting or new to me, even though if I wrote about them, you'd all probably still read. It really has just been the same old over the past few weeks. Go to class (sometimes), do homework (sometimes), go out at night (pretty much every night), go broke (from going out every night), repeat. So, I figure I'd save you all from the typical drunk college stories and not write about the bars we go to every night :)
3. Probably most relevant is that my computer COMPLETELY died a couple weeks ago. One minute I was using it and everything was fine and the next, nothing. Blue screened twice, wouldn't turn on, etc. So, I tried calling the gateway support number in Australia--turns out that is no longer available and called the gateway support number in the US. After taking me through a series of tests, they came to the conclusion that there was nothing I could do about it and I was going to have to ship it to TEXAS from AUSTRALIA. That clearly was not happening, so I took it to the campus computer place, waited a few days to hear from them, and here is the actual transcript from our conversation:
"Hi, this is Laura Simons, calling about the gateway laptop that I brought in"
"OOOOHHHH....the gateway? Oh yeah, that one was really bad..."
GREAT. So, now I have a dead computer that is completely useless to me until I get back home and see if they can fix it there. It's really not so bad not having a computer. One of the worst things is probably not being able to watch movies on it which we do on a regular basis with a blockbuster right down the street. Also, I really hope I didn't lose all my pictures because that would be really terrible. Although, most of my friends have my pictures on their computers and I could get all theirs as well, it would just be annoying.
SO, those are my excuses, take 'em or leave 'em. I will follow this blog with a few others consisting of some cool stuff that has happened in the past month or so including:
1. ANZAC Day
2. Darling Harbour's 21st Birthday
3. Trivia nights
4. The Whitsundays and Melbourne
5. Any other random stuff I can think of between now and then
Stay tuned! Get excited!
xoxox
I've come up with a few reasons for why I have not blogged in so long:
1. Since spring break, I have been completely swamped with work. WORK? what's that? I had no idea until a few weeks ago when I had 10,000+ words worth of papers due in one week. This also included a presentation and making a poster. All got done, but for that week I pretty much did nothing but write, practice presenting and cut & glue pieces of magazine onto a giant red poster board.
2. In the past month or so I've gotten so comfortable living here and being here that the things I do every day don't seem so exciting or new to me, even though if I wrote about them, you'd all probably still read. It really has just been the same old over the past few weeks. Go to class (sometimes), do homework (sometimes), go out at night (pretty much every night), go broke (from going out every night), repeat. So, I figure I'd save you all from the typical drunk college stories and not write about the bars we go to every night :)
3. Probably most relevant is that my computer COMPLETELY died a couple weeks ago. One minute I was using it and everything was fine and the next, nothing. Blue screened twice, wouldn't turn on, etc. So, I tried calling the gateway support number in Australia--turns out that is no longer available and called the gateway support number in the US. After taking me through a series of tests, they came to the conclusion that there was nothing I could do about it and I was going to have to ship it to TEXAS from AUSTRALIA. That clearly was not happening, so I took it to the campus computer place, waited a few days to hear from them, and here is the actual transcript from our conversation:
"Hi, this is Laura Simons, calling about the gateway laptop that I brought in"
"OOOOHHHH....the gateway? Oh yeah, that one was really bad..."
GREAT. So, now I have a dead computer that is completely useless to me until I get back home and see if they can fix it there. It's really not so bad not having a computer. One of the worst things is probably not being able to watch movies on it which we do on a regular basis with a blockbuster right down the street. Also, I really hope I didn't lose all my pictures because that would be really terrible. Although, most of my friends have my pictures on their computers and I could get all theirs as well, it would just be annoying.
SO, those are my excuses, take 'em or leave 'em. I will follow this blog with a few others consisting of some cool stuff that has happened in the past month or so including:
1. ANZAC Day
2. Darling Harbour's 21st Birthday
3. Trivia nights
4. The Whitsundays and Melbourne
5. Any other random stuff I can think of between now and then
Stay tuned! Get excited!
xoxox
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
New Zealand (Thurs-Sun)--Sorry for the delay!
I've been meaning to write this blog since about 2 minutes after I wrote the other one and just haven't gotten around to it. It probably has something to do with my extremely busy schedule...oh wait...no, it actually has absolutely nothing to do with my extremely busy schedule but there is no such thing, I've just been lazy :)
ANYWAY!
Starting where I left off, on Thursday, we didn't have any big day trips planned, so we just decided to hop in the car and go exploring a little bit outside of Auckland. Lauren wanted to go on this rain forest/beach walk/tour but none of us were really interested, so we decided to make our own and actually ended up following the real tour bus for a good amount of the drive. We drove back to the black sand beaches, but went to one located a couple kms before Piha beach. Lauren and I found this really cool waterfall once we got there and ventured down this rocky little path in our best hiking gear (flip flops and dresses) to get to the bottom of the waterfall. After about a 5 minute walk we reached the bottom which was a little pool of water, much smaller than I had expected after seeing the size of the waterfall and it was also FREEZING! We stayed there for a little bit, took lots of pictures, and then made our way back up to the beach. When we got back up to the road we found Emily and Becca in the car because there were bees everywhere on the way to the beach. Lauren and I decided to tough it out anyway and walked down to the beach which looked almost exactly the same as Piha (gorgeous) and had all kinds of cool shells/rocks (found some good ones for you mom and sarah :)). We left the beach and headed back into the city to try to find this little shopping part of town called Parnell. As it turns out, the (free) maps in New Zealand are absolutely horrendous and give no street or highway names, so navigating our way to Parnell turned out to be trickier than we thought. We finally got there around 5, perfect timing for all the stores to start closing which was not such a terrible feat since the stores we were able to go in didn't have much to offer. We decided to take it easy that night because we had to get up at 3:30 in the morning in order to make the drive to Rotorua for Sledging!
It is one thing to still be awake at 3:30. It is another entirely to WAKE UP at 3:30 in the morning. Terrible. The drive was supposed to take about 3.5 hours and we had to meet up with the rest of our Sydney crew in Rotorua at 8 for sledging, so we left at 4 to give ourselves enough time. Thankfully we made CDs the night before to listen to on the trip because most of the time we were driving in pitch black in the absolute middle of nowhere. Luckily and miraculously, we didn't get lost at all and managed to make it to the sledging place by 7:30, only to wait around for about 3 hours until we actually left for the trip. Sledging, for those of you who don't know (and I didn't even know until I was actually doing it) is basically white water rafting on a tobagen. In other words, absolutely terrifying. We got suited up in wet suits, booties, flippers, life jackets and helmets and were given a VERY brief briefing on what to expect once on the river. This included things like, "turn your head to the side when going over a rapid or else you will break your nose"..comforting. We get down to the river (after carrying 50 pound sledges on our HEADS) and have to climb over a railing that is probably 15 feet off the ground. Somehow all 12 of us fit on a tiny cluster of rocks and then were instructed to just jump in like it wasn't a big deal that we had absolutely no idea what we were doing and could possibly die. Before we actually started going down the river we watched two white water rafting boats come down over a 7 foot waterfall and continue on down the river, which by the way is called Kaituna..translation: EEL FOOD, great. I'm not kidding when I say this was the most intense thing I have ever/will ever do in my life! These were probably class 3 rapids and I was going down them exactly the way they warn you against going down them when you're in a boat. My experience throughout the day can be summed up through a Jerry Seinfeld skit: "There's a fish, there's a rock, don't care, don't die." At the end of the trip we were exhausted, cold, wet and glad to be alive. Our original plan was to spend the night in Rotorua with the rest of our friends and make the trip over to the Waitomo Caves with them in the morning, but we decided to do a later caving trip and drive back to Auckland that night.
We woke up (at a reasonable hour) on Saturday and got back in the car to drive another 3 hours to Waitomo to meet up with the rest of the group to go Caving. Our tour was at 2:30 and we got there a little early, met up with our friends and planned to meet up at the end of our trip and all drive back to Auckland together. Once again, we were fitted with wet suits, helmets and boots and made a short trek down to where the entrance to the cave was. The trip we signed up for was called Tumu Tumu Toobing which you may think implies that there will be tubing involved in the trip. This was partially correct, however I would say the actual time spent "tubing" was equal to about 1/20th of the time spent in the cave. Of the crazy things I did in New Zealand, the caving was defintiely my favorite. We got to see probably millions of glow worms which just look like tiny neon green dots and at one point we all turned off our head lamps and followed the glow of the glow worms through the cave. (Dad, you would have LOVED this!). Most of the time though was spent climbing over/under/through/between/on top of rocks, wading through murky, eel infested pools, and getting muddy. The tour ended around 5:30 and we took a short bus ride back to the main building. (Side note: both sledging and caving were made better by the attractiveness of our guides). We carivanned back to Auckland and got home at around 10:30 and planned for everyone to stay in our hotel room (10 people, 4 beds...tricky). Since it was our last night, we decided to go crazy and all ended up drinking WAY too much.
After WAY too little sleep, we got up at 5:30 (the time we were supposed to leave for the airport), still fairly drunk, and PACKED. Word of advice: never pack when you are a. too tired, b. too drunk, or c. a deadly combination of the two. The entire time from when we left the hotel to when we got back to Sydney we were listing off the things we had forgotten only to later find them in hidden compartment in our suitcases...never again. We had to drop off our rental car too, so Becca and I took a cab and Lauren and Emily followed in a rental car because the rental car place wasn't right at the airport. The only problem was that the cab driver had absolutely NO idea where the rental place was and drove around in circles for a good 20 minutes. Finally, we found it, dropped the car off with an empty gas tank--solid--and got to the airport with minutes to spare (oh yeah, and the cab cost NINETY dollars...yep, $90..cool). SO, we get to the airport, find Kate who tells us that our flight has been delayed until 5:30pm...a 10 hour delay. Ridiculous. Thankfully, the airline put us up in a hotel and we were able to get some MUCH needed sleep and a free lunch--bonus! Our plane finally took off around 7 and we got back to Sydney, completely exhausted around 9:30 Sunday night. The trip was overall a good one--not so much the relaxing vacation I was hoping for, but defintely worthwhile. I did SO many things that I had never done before and will never do again. I'm glad I did them though, mostly so I can brag about it to people for the rest of my life :)
ANYWAY!
Starting where I left off, on Thursday, we didn't have any big day trips planned, so we just decided to hop in the car and go exploring a little bit outside of Auckland. Lauren wanted to go on this rain forest/beach walk/tour but none of us were really interested, so we decided to make our own and actually ended up following the real tour bus for a good amount of the drive. We drove back to the black sand beaches, but went to one located a couple kms before Piha beach. Lauren and I found this really cool waterfall once we got there and ventured down this rocky little path in our best hiking gear (flip flops and dresses) to get to the bottom of the waterfall. After about a 5 minute walk we reached the bottom which was a little pool of water, much smaller than I had expected after seeing the size of the waterfall and it was also FREEZING! We stayed there for a little bit, took lots of pictures, and then made our way back up to the beach. When we got back up to the road we found Emily and Becca in the car because there were bees everywhere on the way to the beach. Lauren and I decided to tough it out anyway and walked down to the beach which looked almost exactly the same as Piha (gorgeous) and had all kinds of cool shells/rocks (found some good ones for you mom and sarah :)). We left the beach and headed back into the city to try to find this little shopping part of town called Parnell. As it turns out, the (free) maps in New Zealand are absolutely horrendous and give no street or highway names, so navigating our way to Parnell turned out to be trickier than we thought. We finally got there around 5, perfect timing for all the stores to start closing which was not such a terrible feat since the stores we were able to go in didn't have much to offer. We decided to take it easy that night because we had to get up at 3:30 in the morning in order to make the drive to Rotorua for Sledging!
It is one thing to still be awake at 3:30. It is another entirely to WAKE UP at 3:30 in the morning. Terrible. The drive was supposed to take about 3.5 hours and we had to meet up with the rest of our Sydney crew in Rotorua at 8 for sledging, so we left at 4 to give ourselves enough time. Thankfully we made CDs the night before to listen to on the trip because most of the time we were driving in pitch black in the absolute middle of nowhere. Luckily and miraculously, we didn't get lost at all and managed to make it to the sledging place by 7:30, only to wait around for about 3 hours until we actually left for the trip. Sledging, for those of you who don't know (and I didn't even know until I was actually doing it) is basically white water rafting on a tobagen. In other words, absolutely terrifying. We got suited up in wet suits, booties, flippers, life jackets and helmets and were given a VERY brief briefing on what to expect once on the river. This included things like, "turn your head to the side when going over a rapid or else you will break your nose"..comforting. We get down to the river (after carrying 50 pound sledges on our HEADS) and have to climb over a railing that is probably 15 feet off the ground. Somehow all 12 of us fit on a tiny cluster of rocks and then were instructed to just jump in like it wasn't a big deal that we had absolutely no idea what we were doing and could possibly die. Before we actually started going down the river we watched two white water rafting boats come down over a 7 foot waterfall and continue on down the river, which by the way is called Kaituna..translation: EEL FOOD, great. I'm not kidding when I say this was the most intense thing I have ever/will ever do in my life! These were probably class 3 rapids and I was going down them exactly the way they warn you against going down them when you're in a boat. My experience throughout the day can be summed up through a Jerry Seinfeld skit: "There's a fish, there's a rock, don't care, don't die." At the end of the trip we were exhausted, cold, wet and glad to be alive. Our original plan was to spend the night in Rotorua with the rest of our friends and make the trip over to the Waitomo Caves with them in the morning, but we decided to do a later caving trip and drive back to Auckland that night.
We woke up (at a reasonable hour) on Saturday and got back in the car to drive another 3 hours to Waitomo to meet up with the rest of the group to go Caving. Our tour was at 2:30 and we got there a little early, met up with our friends and planned to meet up at the end of our trip and all drive back to Auckland together. Once again, we were fitted with wet suits, helmets and boots and made a short trek down to where the entrance to the cave was. The trip we signed up for was called Tumu Tumu Toobing which you may think implies that there will be tubing involved in the trip. This was partially correct, however I would say the actual time spent "tubing" was equal to about 1/20th of the time spent in the cave. Of the crazy things I did in New Zealand, the caving was defintiely my favorite. We got to see probably millions of glow worms which just look like tiny neon green dots and at one point we all turned off our head lamps and followed the glow of the glow worms through the cave. (Dad, you would have LOVED this!). Most of the time though was spent climbing over/under/through/between/on top of rocks, wading through murky, eel infested pools, and getting muddy. The tour ended around 5:30 and we took a short bus ride back to the main building. (Side note: both sledging and caving were made better by the attractiveness of our guides). We carivanned back to Auckland and got home at around 10:30 and planned for everyone to stay in our hotel room (10 people, 4 beds...tricky). Since it was our last night, we decided to go crazy and all ended up drinking WAY too much.
After WAY too little sleep, we got up at 5:30 (the time we were supposed to leave for the airport), still fairly drunk, and PACKED. Word of advice: never pack when you are a. too tired, b. too drunk, or c. a deadly combination of the two. The entire time from when we left the hotel to when we got back to Sydney we were listing off the things we had forgotten only to later find them in hidden compartment in our suitcases...never again. We had to drop off our rental car too, so Becca and I took a cab and Lauren and Emily followed in a rental car because the rental car place wasn't right at the airport. The only problem was that the cab driver had absolutely NO idea where the rental place was and drove around in circles for a good 20 minutes. Finally, we found it, dropped the car off with an empty gas tank--solid--and got to the airport with minutes to spare (oh yeah, and the cab cost NINETY dollars...yep, $90..cool). SO, we get to the airport, find Kate who tells us that our flight has been delayed until 5:30pm...a 10 hour delay. Ridiculous. Thankfully, the airline put us up in a hotel and we were able to get some MUCH needed sleep and a free lunch--bonus! Our plane finally took off around 7 and we got back to Sydney, completely exhausted around 9:30 Sunday night. The trip was overall a good one--not so much the relaxing vacation I was hoping for, but defintely worthwhile. I did SO many things that I had never done before and will never do again. I'm glad I did them though, mostly so I can brag about it to people for the rest of my life :)
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
New Zealand (Sun-Wed)
We left for the airport on Sunday morning for our flight to
On Monday morning we walked over to the sky tower (highest building in the southern hemisphere) and picked up tickets for a “tour of
Tuesday we got up early, psyched to go sky diving. We got down to the lobby at 9 and waited for the sky diving van to come pick us up but after waiting for about 15 minutes, the receptionist came over and told me the company was on the phone and they told me that the pilot was sick and we weren’t going to be able to go until Wednesday. We had planned on picking up on rental car Wednesday morning, but since sky diving got moved, we decided to get it Tuesday instead and took a cab to the airport to pick it up. We then drove to
BUT when I woke up at 8 on Wednesday I was feeling better and we got in the sky diving van at 9. It was about an hour drive to the site and I got more and more nervous the closer we got. When we got there we found out that the four of us (Becca, Lauren, Emily and I) would have to jump by ourselves and not as a group like we had thought. This made the idea of jumping out of a plane at 12,000 feet A LOT less appealing. Lauren was the only one who still wanted to do it at this point, but we all sucked it up and went. I ended up going last and was only supposed to go up to 9,000 feet, but the pilot kept going and I ended up jumped out at 13,000…absolutely insane! It was crazy, exhilarating, exhausting, scary, freezing, I thought I was going to die, glad I did it once, never want to do it again, have a HILARIOUS video which documents the whole thing. The whole ordeal took about 6 hours and we got back to
here are some links to facebook pictures of the first few days:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2147920&id=7411464&l=939f1c8ea2
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2147921&id=7411464&l=01547ad047
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Hunter Valley & Rugby Game
Saturday was fun-filled and jam-packed. We woke up at 7am in order to catch our bus to Hunter Valley (vineyards) which took about 2.5 hours to get to. The trip included visits to 4 vineyards, a brewery, a cheese tasting and a bbq. We got to the first vineyard around 11 and tasted 10 or 11 different wines. Since we went through this organization called Colourful Trips, they put us in a private room, away from all the other groups which was pretty nice. My favorite was definitely the sparkling pink wine (which I wish I bought a bottle of) and least favorite were all the ports (yuck). We also got to try chocolate dessert wines which as it turns out taste absolutely nothing like chocolate...sad.
After the first tasting our bus driver cooked us a bbq lunch of grilled sausages (called snags here)..delish. The next place we went to had wine tasting and a beer brewery. At the brewery you could pay $12 to taste 6 different kinds of Blue Tongue Beer in little shot-like glasses and then whichever one you liked best you could get a full glass of. The first beer was a ginger beer which basically just tastes like super fizzy, alcoholic ginger ale and the last was a dark beer which I actually liked the best. The 4 in the middle were lighter and all pretty much tasted the same to me.
The last place we went to had wine and cheese tasting. The wine was just like all the other places--we tasted about 10 wines, starting with white, followed by red and some sort of port or dessert wine. Next we got to sample a tray of 5 different cheeses which were SO good. We got to try a blue cheese (my favorite), cheddar, brie, something else that tasted like a foot and another kind that was really soft--kind of like ricotta mixed with cream cheese that was sitting in garlic, oil and sundried tomatoes--YUM!
At the end of the tour we were all EXHAUSTED and a little drunk, but mostly just sleepy which was perfect since we had to get back in the bus for 2.5 hours to get home. We got back to Sydney and most of us had to immediately jump in a cab to meet our sports teacher at the rugby stadium.
We made it to the stadium just in time to get our tickets and see...kickoff? I'm not really sure what it's called in rugby haha. There are two kinds of rugby here--Rugby Union and Rugby League. We watched a Rugby League game (the Waratahs) which apparently is a lot less violent and aggressive. After watching that game I'm a little nervous to go to a Union game next month because these guys were brutal! Almost every player on both teams was bleeding from some hole/cut/gash on his body. One guy was bleeding from his head BEFORE the game even started, but don't worry he taped it up and the gause caught all the blood so it didn't run onto his face :)
The game is really fast paced and intense. They place for 80 minutes, running clock, with only one short break at the halfway mark. They wear absolutely NO padding and are constantly getting hit, trampled on, tackeled, punched, etc. It's one of the most ridiculous things I've ever watched! My sports teacher was telling us that most of the guys on the team are between 6'2 and 6'8 and the lighest guy weighs 100kilos which is over 200lbs. In other words, you wouldn't want to get into a fight with a rugby player.
The game got out at about 930 and we took a free shuttle back to central station which is about a 10 minute walk to unilodge. We then decided it would be a good idea to go out after waking up super early and drinking all day. We only stayed out til about 1:30 (about 2 hours earlier than usual) :)
On Sunday, my friend Theresa (from Northeastern) invited us all to go to a bbq that her aunt (who lives in Sydney) was having for her because her birthday was last week. We took the bus to Brontee beach which is near Bondi. At first we were all questioning whether the weather was going to hold up--it was cold and windy and looked like it was going to rain. But as soon as we got to the beach it cleared up and got warm again and ended up being a beautiful day! Theresa's family made us WAY too much food and of course we ate it all, so by about 2pm we could barely move and decided it would be a good idea to at least try and walk off some of the food.
There are a stretch of beaches along the coast and you can walk along the cliffs from one to another...I think the total distance is 5km, but we started in the middle at Brontee and walked to Bondi which was about a 20 minute walk and went out onto a couple of the cliffs which was really cool (and a little scary!) We ended up at Bondi because Brian and Justin wanted to surf and stayed there until sunset.
The beginning of this week has been pretty low-key so far. I had my econ midterm today which was pretty terrible, but I only need a 50% to pass according to Northeastern, so I'm pretty condifident that I at least got half of the things right :) Spring break starts Sunday and I cannot WAIT to go to New Zealand! We're not really sure exactly what we want to do when we're there besides sky diving. There are supposed to be some really cool beaches up the coast of the north island including one with black sand, so we're thinking about renting a car for a couple days and driving up the coast. Other than that nothing is set in stone, so it should be a really fun trip! We're also trying to plan some weekend trips to Melbourne, the Gold Coast and Tasmania for May, so hopefully those all work out.
I think that's all for now. I probably won't write again until I get back from New Zealand so stay tuned!
much love
xoxoxox
After the first tasting our bus driver cooked us a bbq lunch of grilled sausages (called snags here)..delish. The next place we went to had wine tasting and a beer brewery. At the brewery you could pay $12 to taste 6 different kinds of Blue Tongue Beer in little shot-like glasses and then whichever one you liked best you could get a full glass of. The first beer was a ginger beer which basically just tastes like super fizzy, alcoholic ginger ale and the last was a dark beer which I actually liked the best. The 4 in the middle were lighter and all pretty much tasted the same to me.
The last place we went to had wine and cheese tasting. The wine was just like all the other places--we tasted about 10 wines, starting with white, followed by red and some sort of port or dessert wine. Next we got to sample a tray of 5 different cheeses which were SO good. We got to try a blue cheese (my favorite), cheddar, brie, something else that tasted like a foot and another kind that was really soft--kind of like ricotta mixed with cream cheese that was sitting in garlic, oil and sundried tomatoes--YUM!
At the end of the tour we were all EXHAUSTED and a little drunk, but mostly just sleepy which was perfect since we had to get back in the bus for 2.5 hours to get home. We got back to Sydney and most of us had to immediately jump in a cab to meet our sports teacher at the rugby stadium.
We made it to the stadium just in time to get our tickets and see...kickoff? I'm not really sure what it's called in rugby haha. There are two kinds of rugby here--Rugby Union and Rugby League. We watched a Rugby League game (the Waratahs) which apparently is a lot less violent and aggressive. After watching that game I'm a little nervous to go to a Union game next month because these guys were brutal! Almost every player on both teams was bleeding from some hole/cut/gash on his body. One guy was bleeding from his head BEFORE the game even started, but don't worry he taped it up and the gause caught all the blood so it didn't run onto his face :)
The game is really fast paced and intense. They place for 80 minutes, running clock, with only one short break at the halfway mark. They wear absolutely NO padding and are constantly getting hit, trampled on, tackeled, punched, etc. It's one of the most ridiculous things I've ever watched! My sports teacher was telling us that most of the guys on the team are between 6'2 and 6'8 and the lighest guy weighs 100kilos which is over 200lbs. In other words, you wouldn't want to get into a fight with a rugby player.
The game got out at about 930 and we took a free shuttle back to central station which is about a 10 minute walk to unilodge. We then decided it would be a good idea to go out after waking up super early and drinking all day. We only stayed out til about 1:30 (about 2 hours earlier than usual) :)
On Sunday, my friend Theresa (from Northeastern) invited us all to go to a bbq that her aunt (who lives in Sydney) was having for her because her birthday was last week. We took the bus to Brontee beach which is near Bondi. At first we were all questioning whether the weather was going to hold up--it was cold and windy and looked like it was going to rain. But as soon as we got to the beach it cleared up and got warm again and ended up being a beautiful day! Theresa's family made us WAY too much food and of course we ate it all, so by about 2pm we could barely move and decided it would be a good idea to at least try and walk off some of the food.
There are a stretch of beaches along the coast and you can walk along the cliffs from one to another...I think the total distance is 5km, but we started in the middle at Brontee and walked to Bondi which was about a 20 minute walk and went out onto a couple of the cliffs which was really cool (and a little scary!) We ended up at Bondi because Brian and Justin wanted to surf and stayed there until sunset.
The beginning of this week has been pretty low-key so far. I had my econ midterm today which was pretty terrible, but I only need a 50% to pass according to Northeastern, so I'm pretty condifident that I at least got half of the things right :) Spring break starts Sunday and I cannot WAIT to go to New Zealand! We're not really sure exactly what we want to do when we're there besides sky diving. There are supposed to be some really cool beaches up the coast of the north island including one with black sand, so we're thinking about renting a car for a couple days and driving up the coast. Other than that nothing is set in stone, so it should be a really fun trip! We're also trying to plan some weekend trips to Melbourne, the Gold Coast and Tasmania for May, so hopefully those all work out.
I think that's all for now. I probably won't write again until I get back from New Zealand so stay tuned!
much love
xoxoxox
Sunday, March 29, 2009
this week in review...
Things are definitely slowing down here. The first few weeks here were jam packed with new experiences, trips, etc but now I'm definitely starting to feel like this is my home and we really haven't been doing many touristy things recently.
I had my first paper due last Monday--a 1000 word film review on Romper Stomper which is about neo-Nazi skinheads in Melbourne and stars Russell Crowe. All in all it was extremely violent and pretty hard to watch although they found a way to interwine a love story in all the madness which made it interesting for sure. I also had to go see another movie about gang violence for my multicultural class called The Combinations. It's about the gang wars between the Lebanese and white Australians and was also extremely violent and grotesque. On Thursday I had to see a play for my film class called The Removalists which takes place in a police station--also very violent. Last night my friends and I watched a movie called Taken which is about trafficking of unsuspecting (American) tourists overseas--great.
Not everything I did this week involved violence, I promise (mom)! On Friday Kate, Brian, Justin and I went to Manly beach. I've been a couple times now and its definitely my favorite so far. You have to take a ferry to get there which takes about 25 minutes and then to get to the beach you walk down this little street lined with really cool shops and restaurants. The beach itself is a lot less touristy compared to Bondi and much smaller which is nice because you don't have to worry about getting your bag stolen when you go in the water. It's rained a couple nights this week so the water was considerably colder than the last time I'd been there so I spent most of the day getting an excellent tan :) Afterwards we went to eat at this little burger joint where I ate the biggest/best cheeseburger of my life!
Saturday Becca, Lauren, Emily and I went to this place called Paddington which is known for its markets. Unfortunately when we got there the markets were closing down, so we didn't get to go to them, but there was still TONS of shopping to be done. Most of the stores are on Oxford St. which is known as the "gay" street in Sydney so there were some really funny stores and definitely some interesting characters. After a few hours of shopping (I got a super cute dress) we headed back and ate at one of our favorite places--Broadway Cafe. They have happy hour everyday from 3-8 where you can get $5 gourmet pizzas and either a jug of beer or sangria for $10--delish! Saturday night we all stayed in and took it easy which was very much needed by my body.
So, I think that's pretty much all for the week. I'll try to update more frequently and definitely if something super exciting happens! We leave for New Zealand in two weeks and next Saturday we're going wine tasting and to a rugby game, so I'm sure I'll have much to report in the next couple weeks. Stay tuned!
Oh yeah! Also, Kate and I have found a way to make a little money! The vending machine across the hall from us has been broken for about 2 weeks, but people still put money in it. So, after they leave Kate and I go out there and pluck it out with a variety of hair clips and a butter knife and so far have made over $14!...Pretty good, right? :) Here's a picture of us in action:
Okay, that's all for real.
Love and miss you all
xoxoxoxox
I had my first paper due last Monday--a 1000 word film review on Romper Stomper which is about neo-Nazi skinheads in Melbourne and stars Russell Crowe. All in all it was extremely violent and pretty hard to watch although they found a way to interwine a love story in all the madness which made it interesting for sure. I also had to go see another movie about gang violence for my multicultural class called The Combinations. It's about the gang wars between the Lebanese and white Australians and was also extremely violent and grotesque. On Thursday I had to see a play for my film class called The Removalists which takes place in a police station--also very violent. Last night my friends and I watched a movie called Taken which is about trafficking of unsuspecting (American) tourists overseas--great.
Not everything I did this week involved violence, I promise (mom)! On Friday Kate, Brian, Justin and I went to Manly beach. I've been a couple times now and its definitely my favorite so far. You have to take a ferry to get there which takes about 25 minutes and then to get to the beach you walk down this little street lined with really cool shops and restaurants. The beach itself is a lot less touristy compared to Bondi and much smaller which is nice because you don't have to worry about getting your bag stolen when you go in the water. It's rained a couple nights this week so the water was considerably colder than the last time I'd been there so I spent most of the day getting an excellent tan :) Afterwards we went to eat at this little burger joint where I ate the biggest/best cheeseburger of my life!
Saturday Becca, Lauren, Emily and I went to this place called Paddington which is known for its markets. Unfortunately when we got there the markets were closing down, so we didn't get to go to them, but there was still TONS of shopping to be done. Most of the stores are on Oxford St. which is known as the "gay" street in Sydney so there were some really funny stores and definitely some interesting characters. After a few hours of shopping (I got a super cute dress) we headed back and ate at one of our favorite places--Broadway Cafe. They have happy hour everyday from 3-8 where you can get $5 gourmet pizzas and either a jug of beer or sangria for $10--delish! Saturday night we all stayed in and took it easy which was very much needed by my body.
So, I think that's pretty much all for the week. I'll try to update more frequently and definitely if something super exciting happens! We leave for New Zealand in two weeks and next Saturday we're going wine tasting and to a rugby game, so I'm sure I'll have much to report in the next couple weeks. Stay tuned!
Oh yeah! Also, Kate and I have found a way to make a little money! The vending machine across the hall from us has been broken for about 2 weeks, but people still put money in it. So, after they leave Kate and I go out there and pluck it out with a variety of hair clips and a butter knife and so far have made over $14!...Pretty good, right? :) Here's a picture of us in action:
Okay, that's all for real.
Love and miss you all
xoxoxoxox
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Things That I Miss
(Excluding friends and family of course--I hope that's a given =])
1. MILK!--The milk here is NOTHING like the milk at home which is so so sad for me because I absolutely love drinking milk and will not be able to for 4 and a half months. At home I drink milk with breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, after I work out, when I'm bored, all day, everyday, so it's been really tough not having any--I think my bones are starting to shrivel due to calcium deficiency..So mom, when I get home all I want are like 3 gallons of milk in the fridge okay? thanks!
2. SLEEP--Milk and sleep--probably my two favorite things. I don't think anyone at home would believe me if I told you how well I've been functioning on little to no sleep. The night life is so different here because the bars are open all night long where as at home they only stay open until 2 and then you go home. Here we stay out until at least 3 at least 4 nights a week. It doesn't really help the situation that my days, even when I do have class, are completely stress-free..I know, I know, rough life
3. MY BED--my bed here is probably the most uncomfortable surface I have ever slept on..that includes floors, couches, car seats, with zoe on my head, etc. Probably another reason I don't sleep--I try to spend as little time as possible in that bed! First of all, since Kate and I put our beds on the floor, we don't have box springs. Second, the springs in the mattress poke into just about every part of my body. So, overall, a pretty unpleasant sleeping experience...YUCK
4. MONEY--quickly AND surely my money supply is depleting! It's so hard to have to buy all your food, transportation, etc. all the time when you're not making any money. At home I spent a lot of money on those things too, but I was always babysitting or working and at least making a little income. Here--nothing. I've been thinking about looking for some part time work, just to have a little extra money. Worrying about money is probably the only thing that has stressed me out since I've been here, which is probably good--can't be all fun and games...just mostly :)
5. COOKING/my mom's cooking/baking/kate's baking/etc--It's really hard to think of things to make when you only have one pot, one pan, and a faulty oven. I've wanted to cook so many different dinners for my friends, but realize we just don't have the right stuff to do it and it's not worth buying more things, so we resort to the same dinners all the time. Don't get me wrong, we've eaten some very yummy dinners here, but I definitely miss variety.
6. LUCY JEAN, tige and zoe--while I do not miss having zoe sleep on my head every night, I really do miss those snuggley little guys. Hopefully they miss me too....:)
ps! for all the friends and fam that i OF COURSE miss too, if you want a postcard, send me your address!
1. MILK!--The milk here is NOTHING like the milk at home which is so so sad for me because I absolutely love drinking milk and will not be able to for 4 and a half months. At home I drink milk with breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, after I work out, when I'm bored, all day, everyday, so it's been really tough not having any--I think my bones are starting to shrivel due to calcium deficiency..So mom, when I get home all I want are like 3 gallons of milk in the fridge okay? thanks!
2. SLEEP--Milk and sleep--probably my two favorite things. I don't think anyone at home would believe me if I told you how well I've been functioning on little to no sleep. The night life is so different here because the bars are open all night long where as at home they only stay open until 2 and then you go home. Here we stay out until at least 3 at least 4 nights a week. It doesn't really help the situation that my days, even when I do have class, are completely stress-free..I know, I know, rough life
3. MY BED--my bed here is probably the most uncomfortable surface I have ever slept on..that includes floors, couches, car seats, with zoe on my head, etc. Probably another reason I don't sleep--I try to spend as little time as possible in that bed! First of all, since Kate and I put our beds on the floor, we don't have box springs. Second, the springs in the mattress poke into just about every part of my body. So, overall, a pretty unpleasant sleeping experience...YUCK
4. MONEY--quickly AND surely my money supply is depleting! It's so hard to have to buy all your food, transportation, etc. all the time when you're not making any money. At home I spent a lot of money on those things too, but I was always babysitting or working and at least making a little income. Here--nothing. I've been thinking about looking for some part time work, just to have a little extra money. Worrying about money is probably the only thing that has stressed me out since I've been here, which is probably good--can't be all fun and games...just mostly :)
5. COOKING/my mom's cooking/baking/kate's baking/etc--It's really hard to think of things to make when you only have one pot, one pan, and a faulty oven. I've wanted to cook so many different dinners for my friends, but realize we just don't have the right stuff to do it and it's not worth buying more things, so we resort to the same dinners all the time. Don't get me wrong, we've eaten some very yummy dinners here, but I definitely miss variety.
6. LUCY JEAN, tige and zoe--while I do not miss having zoe sleep on my head every night, I really do miss those snuggley little guys. Hopefully they miss me too....:)
ps! for all the friends and fam that i OF COURSE miss too, if you want a postcard, send me your address!
my apologies..
Sorry to those who were waiting for updates on this thing...i've come to realize that i hate writing blogs! This past week has been pretty uneventful--just been getting used to my classes (yes, i do go to classes). By now i've been to all my classes at least once and i like all of them..well, i like micro theory as much as one could like micro theory, but in general it's a pretty good class.
Last Sunday I went on a field trip with my sports class to this place where they play "lawn bowling." Lawn bowling, for those of you who don't know, is essentially bocci ball taken a little bit more seriously. There were 6 teams (i think) and each team plays each other several times until the semi-finals and then the finals. There's a small white ball and 8 or so bigger balls and the object is to stand at one end of the field, roll the big ball and try to get it as close to the white ball as possible. The tricky part is that the bigger balls are weighted on one side so you have to aim to the right or left of the little ball (the heavier side always faces the inside) and hope that it curves enough, isn't thrown too hard and gets closer to the white ball than the team you're playing against. Then the scoring is done basically the same as in bocci ball.
Next Thursday I'm going to see a play (The Removalists) for my film and theatre class. It's set in a 1970's police office, but that's pretty much all I know about it. In class we read the first few pages and then had to draw what we thought the scene looked like--harder than it sounds as it turns out. My police man ended up looking like frosty the snow man...hmm...
Anyway I really like going to plays, and the playhouse is right on the harbour, so I think it'll be really fun.
Other than that, not much has been going on. I can't believe I've been here for over a month already! The time is really flying by which sometimes makes me really sad because I never want to leave here and sometimes I can't wait to be back in Boston. I've made really good friends with 3 girls on the trip who all happen to live in Massachusetts so we keep talking about all the stuff we're going to do when we get back to Boston and over the summer. I'm pretty excited to have more than 2 friends when I get back (shout out to LJ and Kate =])!
In 3 weekends (not including this one) we're going to New Zealand and I absolutely cannot wait! We're thinking of renting a car so we can drive around outside of Auckland and explore a little bit. We're also going sky diving while we're there which completely freaks me out and I'm probably going to cry/pee my pants the whole way up and down (sorry to the guy who will be strapped on my back...and mom, I was going to tell you after I went because I knew you'd be freaking out, but I figure now we can just freak out together! :)
I think that's all the news for now..I'm going to follow this blog with a "things that I miss" blog..which I guess will actually show up before this one, but whatever..
Last Sunday I went on a field trip with my sports class to this place where they play "lawn bowling." Lawn bowling, for those of you who don't know, is essentially bocci ball taken a little bit more seriously. There were 6 teams (i think) and each team plays each other several times until the semi-finals and then the finals. There's a small white ball and 8 or so bigger balls and the object is to stand at one end of the field, roll the big ball and try to get it as close to the white ball as possible. The tricky part is that the bigger balls are weighted on one side so you have to aim to the right or left of the little ball (the heavier side always faces the inside) and hope that it curves enough, isn't thrown too hard and gets closer to the white ball than the team you're playing against. Then the scoring is done basically the same as in bocci ball.
Next Thursday I'm going to see a play (The Removalists) for my film and theatre class. It's set in a 1970's police office, but that's pretty much all I know about it. In class we read the first few pages and then had to draw what we thought the scene looked like--harder than it sounds as it turns out. My police man ended up looking like frosty the snow man...hmm...
Anyway I really like going to plays, and the playhouse is right on the harbour, so I think it'll be really fun.
Other than that, not much has been going on. I can't believe I've been here for over a month already! The time is really flying by which sometimes makes me really sad because I never want to leave here and sometimes I can't wait to be back in Boston. I've made really good friends with 3 girls on the trip who all happen to live in Massachusetts so we keep talking about all the stuff we're going to do when we get back to Boston and over the summer. I'm pretty excited to have more than 2 friends when I get back (shout out to LJ and Kate =])!
In 3 weekends (not including this one) we're going to New Zealand and I absolutely cannot wait! We're thinking of renting a car so we can drive around outside of Auckland and explore a little bit. We're also going sky diving while we're there which completely freaks me out and I'm probably going to cry/pee my pants the whole way up and down (sorry to the guy who will be strapped on my back...and mom, I was going to tell you after I went because I knew you'd be freaking out, but I figure now we can just freak out together! :)
I think that's all the news for now..I'm going to follow this blog with a "things that I miss" blog..which I guess will actually show up before this one, but whatever..
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
take back....
So everything I just said about my schedule is actually not true anymore. I just switched my classes around again (for the 3rd time) and by now I'm pretty sure the International Student Office staff know my friends and me by name. Anyway, I decided after going to my Production Economics class on Friday that I was going to be in way over my head. From what I gathered, I think the class is the second part in a series of classes for a very specific econ major, which I am not in and therefore I decided to drop it. I also dropped the Ancient Greece class I was in because the only reason I took it in the first place was because a bunch of my friends from the trip were also taking it. Most of them decided to drop it, so of course I did too. Clearly I WOULD jump off a bridge if my friends did :)
Here is my newly revised schedule:
Monday-Australian Film, Theatre & Learning 2-4
Tuesday-Sport and Learning in Australian Culture 9-10
Intermediate Microeconomics 11-12
Wednesday-Intermediate Microeconomics 11-1
Multicultural Learning and Teaching 2-4 (which has actually been postponed and
is not starting until April 22nd.....bummer....)
Thursday-Sport and Learning in Australian Culture 10-12
Friday-Nothing!
Tough schedule, I know :)
All but the econ class will transfer as general electives at Northeastern which I need a bunch of anyway. They also all include field trips! The Film and Theatre class goes to two plays, the sports class goes bowling, to rugby games, etc, etc. All of them sound really fun/interesting and I think it will be a good chance to see and do things that I wouldn't necessarily do on my own here.
In other news, my dad offered to get me a new camera (thanks dad!!) so I've been looking around in the mall across the street and will definitely have one by this weekend. You can expect to see A LOT more pictures on here as well as on facebook that I actually took..exciting!
I think that's all for now. Hope everyone is well
Lots of love
xoxox
Here is my newly revised schedule:
Monday-Australian Film, Theatre & Learning 2-4
Tuesday-Sport and Learning in Australian Culture 9-10
Intermediate Microeconomics 11-12
Wednesday-Intermediate Microeconomics 11-1
Multicultural Learning and Teaching 2-4 (which has actually been postponed and
is not starting until April 22nd.....bummer....)
Thursday-Sport and Learning in Australian Culture 10-12
Friday-Nothing!
Tough schedule, I know :)
All but the econ class will transfer as general electives at Northeastern which I need a bunch of anyway. They also all include field trips! The Film and Theatre class goes to two plays, the sports class goes bowling, to rugby games, etc, etc. All of them sound really fun/interesting and I think it will be a good chance to see and do things that I wouldn't necessarily do on my own here.
In other news, my dad offered to get me a new camera (thanks dad!!) so I've been looking around in the mall across the street and will definitely have one by this weekend. You can expect to see A LOT more pictures on here as well as on facebook that I actually took..exciting!
I think that's all for now. Hope everyone is well
Lots of love
xoxox
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Classes, etc.
The first week of classes is over! It has definitely been the most stressful/frustrating week since I've been here...which isn't that hard to do because its almost impossible to get stressed here, but this week was pretty rough. I was enrolled in 4 classes when I got here that I picked while I was still at Northeastern. We were told to just pick any classes and that it would be really easy to change them once we got here. So I got my schedule (called a timetable here) and wasn't too worried about the 2 econ classes and 1 business class that were on it.
Early on Monday morning a couple of my friends and I went to get in line at the International Student Office in order to change our schedules around and switch in/out of classes. We got there at 8 and waited in line for about an hour and a half. I was only changing my business class to an Australian multi-cultural class, so it wasn't a problem. Then I went to print out my timetable and in HUGE letters at the bottom of the sheet it said CLASH. The way the timetables work here is that you don't get to choose what time/day your classes are. There are also almost no classes that have quotas, so there are usually a bunch of sections offered for each class. So, if you don't like the schedule that you got or it clashes, you have to go online to your timetable and keep refreshing the page until you get the times and days that you want, or that work the best. When I did this I realized that the multi-cultural class that I wanted to take clashed with one of my other classes and it was only offered on that day so I had to go back on Tuesday and get it switched again. I got it changed to Australian Theatre, Film and Learning which only meets on Mondays 2-4 for lecture and does not have any tutorials (should be pretty tough =]).
Most classes have two hours of lecture a week. It could be two days of one hour lecture or one day of two hour lecture. Then almost every class also has a tutorial once a week or either one or two hours. These are much smaller classes up to 25 or so students where the lectures can be over 600.
So, here is my schedule as of today:
Monday: Australian Theatre, Film and Learning Lecture 2-4
Tuesday: Intermediate Micro Lecture 9-11
Foundations for Ancient Greece Lecture 2-3
Wednesday: Production Economics Workshop 10-12
Foundations for Ancient Greece Lecture 2-3
Foundations for Ancient Greece Tutorial 4-5
Thursday: Intermediate Micro Tutorial 10-12
Friday: Production Economics Lecture 10-12
So far I have only been to the Ancient Greece class and the Production Econ class. Ancient Greece seems really interesting, but I think it's going to be a lot of work. The econ class as of the first day seems REALLY over my head and I'm considering dropping it and picking something else. When my teacher said that we have a math exam in that class next Friday on "the stuff I think you should be able to do for this class" that's worth 10% of my final grade I think I had a small heart attack. All reading should know that a. I'm terrible at math (hence why I've taken it 6 times since being in college) and b. I'm terrible at tests! Math + Tests = Bad News...maybe I'm not so bad after all =]
That's pretty much all I've been doing all week. Trying to figure out which classes I'm taking and trying to find the building they're in which has proved to be a bit of a challenge made even more difficult by the fact that there is NO time between classes and it's just customary to start class 5 minutes late and end 5 minutes early. Luckily I don't have any classes back to back.
Saturday night was the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras which was a lot fun. We went to the parade, but couldn't actually see anything because there were so many people and we went back to the apartment where we had been at all day and just hung out there for the night. Lots of fun!
Okay, I'm on my way to the beach now, so more later!
xoxoxo
Early on Monday morning a couple of my friends and I went to get in line at the International Student Office in order to change our schedules around and switch in/out of classes. We got there at 8 and waited in line for about an hour and a half. I was only changing my business class to an Australian multi-cultural class, so it wasn't a problem. Then I went to print out my timetable and in HUGE letters at the bottom of the sheet it said CLASH. The way the timetables work here is that you don't get to choose what time/day your classes are. There are also almost no classes that have quotas, so there are usually a bunch of sections offered for each class. So, if you don't like the schedule that you got or it clashes, you have to go online to your timetable and keep refreshing the page until you get the times and days that you want, or that work the best. When I did this I realized that the multi-cultural class that I wanted to take clashed with one of my other classes and it was only offered on that day so I had to go back on Tuesday and get it switched again. I got it changed to Australian Theatre, Film and Learning which only meets on Mondays 2-4 for lecture and does not have any tutorials (should be pretty tough =]).
Most classes have two hours of lecture a week. It could be two days of one hour lecture or one day of two hour lecture. Then almost every class also has a tutorial once a week or either one or two hours. These are much smaller classes up to 25 or so students where the lectures can be over 600.
So, here is my schedule as of today:
Monday: Australian Theatre, Film and Learning Lecture 2-4
Tuesday: Intermediate Micro Lecture 9-11
Foundations for Ancient Greece Lecture 2-3
Wednesday: Production Economics Workshop 10-12
Foundations for Ancient Greece Lecture 2-3
Foundations for Ancient Greece Tutorial 4-5
Thursday: Intermediate Micro Tutorial 10-12
Friday: Production Economics Lecture 10-12
So far I have only been to the Ancient Greece class and the Production Econ class. Ancient Greece seems really interesting, but I think it's going to be a lot of work. The econ class as of the first day seems REALLY over my head and I'm considering dropping it and picking something else. When my teacher said that we have a math exam in that class next Friday on "the stuff I think you should be able to do for this class" that's worth 10% of my final grade I think I had a small heart attack. All reading should know that a. I'm terrible at math (hence why I've taken it 6 times since being in college) and b. I'm terrible at tests! Math + Tests = Bad News...maybe I'm not so bad after all =]
That's pretty much all I've been doing all week. Trying to figure out which classes I'm taking and trying to find the building they're in which has proved to be a bit of a challenge made even more difficult by the fact that there is NO time between classes and it's just customary to start class 5 minutes late and end 5 minutes early. Luckily I don't have any classes back to back.
Saturday night was the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras which was a lot fun. We went to the parade, but couldn't actually see anything because there were so many people and we went back to the apartment where we had been at all day and just hung out there for the night. Lots of fun!
Okay, I'm on my way to the beach now, so more later!
xoxoxo
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Back from Cairns!....best vacation of my life
Hey everyone!
Got back from Cairns on Friday--sorry it's taken me so long to update this. I'm sure you've all been checking this hourly to see if I've written anything--it's okay, I get it :)
So on Monday we got up at 5am to go to the airport for our 7am flight to Cairns. We got in around 9:15 (it's an hour earlier there). The hostel we stayed at (Nomads Serpent) provided complimentary shuttle service from the airport so we called them up and arrived at the hostel about 20 minutes later. We checked it and got to our room which had an...interesting...smell to put it nicely. Although we tried to mask the smell with hairspray and sunscreen, the moldy/wet dog/gym sock smell stayed and we learned to get used to it. Luckily we had air conditioning in our room which helped, especially since it was 100 degrees everyday!
We were about a 5 minute drive from the esplanade which had all kinds of cool little shops and delish restaurants. There wasn't really any beach that we could go to but there was a man-made, public lagoon which was amazing and perfect for cooling off in. Monday and Tuesday were mostly spent lounging around by the lagoon (rough life, i know).
Wednesday we took a boat cruise out to the Great Barrier Reef at 7:30a
m. (p.s. I advise against drinking the night before you have to be on a boat at 7:30 in the morning...) It was a little cloudy at first but as soon as we got a little farther out the sun came out and we had amazing weather. I've never seen more beautiful water in my life. The boat crew was so much fun and not bad to look at either. We even nicknamed one "curly" on account of his curly hair...creative I know (see picture...gorgeous). The boat took us to two reef locations. The first one was alright--couldn't really see much but the water was so warm and I've never snorkled in the ocean before so that was an experience...a little scary at first, but eventually I got used to it. We stayed there about an hour and then went on to the second location which was so cool. We were only a few feet above the reef and I even touched it a few time (don't tell anyone, I think it's illegal). We saw all kinds of really cool, colorful fish including NEMO!...yep...the real, live, non-animated nemo. On the boat ride back we got complimentary cheese and wine..delish! We also got complimentary sunburns which were NOT advertised on the brochure...sad :(
We went out the night and met up with a couple of the guys who worked on the boat which was a lot of fun. The hostel also runs a bar in town and gives free shuttle rides to and from the bar until 3am which is very convinient and best of all FREE!
Thursday Becca, Emily, Lauren and I went white water rafting for half a day. Our guide was, surprise, surprise, really good looking which made it much more fun. Em and I almost fell in a couple times, but no big deal, we made it out alive. At one point we had to get out of the rafts alongside the river and walk along the rocks because that stretch of river was way too rocky and the water was moving so fast that the guides couldn't take us down it. We were out for about 2 horus on the river and it was the only day it rained (even though the forcast called for thunderstorms the whole week) which was fine because we were SOAKED anyway. Since it was out last night we went out to dinner at this really good Italian restaurant. Ate and spent too much, but it was so worth it. Staying at the hostel for $14/night allowed for a little splurging :)
We got back Friday afternoon. All in all I'd have to say that this was the best vacation I have ever been on and it's going to hard to top. It's strange because I've only know the girls I went with for a few days, but we've grown so close and we have so much fun together. I'm really glad I met people on my trip that I actually like since I really don't like that many people...haha. Classes start tomorrow and I have yet to print out my schedule, see when my classes are or figure out if I'm actually staying in the classes that I was put in. Hopefully I'll figure that out a little later today (don't worry mom...I'm on it). This week though is pretty flexible with classes. We can basically go around to any class we want and sit in on a lecture, get a feel for the class and then decide if we want to take it or not so that's my plan for the week.
Once I get my schedule sorted out and know which classes I'm taking I will be sure to fill all of you in. I hope everyone had a good week!
xoxox
Got back from Cairns on Friday--sorry it's taken me so long to update this. I'm sure you've all been checking this hourly to see if I've written anything--it's okay, I get it :)
So on Monday we got up at 5am to go to the airport for our 7am flight to Cairns. We got in around 9:15 (it's an hour earlier there). The hostel we stayed at (Nomads Serpent) provided complimentary shuttle service from the airport so we called them up and arrived at the hostel about 20 minutes later. We checked it and got to our room which had an...interesting...smell to put it nicely. Although we tried to mask the smell with hairspray and sunscreen, the moldy/wet dog/gym sock smell stayed and we learned to get used to it. Luckily we had air conditioning in our room which helped, especially since it was 100 degrees everyday!
We were about a 5 minute drive from the esplanade which had all kinds of cool little shops and delish restaurants. There wasn't really any beach that we could go to but there was a man-made, public lagoon which was amazing and perfect for cooling off in. Monday and Tuesday were mostly spent lounging around by the lagoon (rough life, i know).
Wednesday we took a boat cruise out to the Great Barrier Reef at 7:30a
m. (p.s. I advise against drinking the night before you have to be on a boat at 7:30 in the morning...) It was a little cloudy at first but as soon as we got a little farther out the sun came out and we had amazing weather. I've never seen more beautiful water in my life. The boat crew was so much fun and not bad to look at either. We even nicknamed one "curly" on account of his curly hair...creative I know (see picture...gorgeous). The boat took us to two reef locations. The first one was alright--couldn't really see much but the water was so warm and I've never snorkled in the ocean before so that was an experience...a little scary at first, but eventually I got used to it. We stayed there about an hour and then went on to the second location which was so cool. We were only a few feet above the reef and I even touched it a few time (don't tell anyone, I think it's illegal). We saw all kinds of really cool, colorful fish including NEMO!...yep...the real, live, non-animated nemo. On the boat ride back we got complimentary cheese and wine..delish! We also got complimentary sunburns which were NOT advertised on the brochure...sad :(We went out the night and met up with a couple of the guys who worked on the boat which was a lot of fun. The hostel also runs a bar in town and gives free shuttle rides to and from the bar until 3am which is very convinient and best of all FREE!
Thursday Becca, Emily, Lauren and I went white water rafting for half a day. Our guide was, surprise, surprise, really good looking which made it much more fun. Em and I almost fell in a couple times, but no big deal, we made it out alive. At one point we had to get out of the rafts alongside the river and walk along the rocks because that stretch of river was way too rocky and the water was moving so fast that the guides couldn't take us down it. We were out for about 2 horus on the river and it was the only day it rained (even though the forcast called for thunderstorms the whole week) which was fine because we were SOAKED anyway. Since it was out last night we went out to dinner at this really good Italian restaurant. Ate and spent too much, but it was so worth it. Staying at the hostel for $14/night allowed for a little splurging :)
We got back Friday afternoon. All in all I'd have to say that this was the best vacation I have ever been on and it's going to hard to top. It's strange because I've only know the girls I went with for a few days, but we've grown so close and we have so much fun together. I'm really glad I met people on my trip that I actually like since I really don't like that many people...haha. Classes start tomorrow and I have yet to print out my schedule, see when my classes are or figure out if I'm actually staying in the classes that I was put in. Hopefully I'll figure that out a little later today (don't worry mom...I'm on it). This week though is pretty flexible with classes. We can basically go around to any class we want and sit in on a lecture, get a feel for the class and then decide if we want to take it or not so that's my plan for the week.
Once I get my schedule sorted out and know which classes I'm taking I will be sure to fill all of you in. I hope everyone had a good week!
xoxox
Friday, February 20, 2009
Touristy things
The past couple of day have been SO amazing. My friends and I have done all kinds of touristy things. So far we've been to the Opera House, Darling Harbour, Bondi Beach and the Toranga Zoo in addition to walking around the whole city and getting much more acquainted with it. The public transportation is super easy and convenient here. There is a train station just up the street from us which we took to Bondi. There are buses that run all over the city and we took a ferry to the zoo which was very cool. The weather has been beautiful (80s and sunny) and I'm having the best time. I got a pretty decent sunburn at the beach. Turns out there is a hole in the ozone layer directly above Australia and even though I put 30 sunscreen on probably 15 times while at the beach I still look like a lobster. Oh well though, soon enough it will become a tan and then you can all be jealous...even more so than you already are :).Unfortunately my camera has not been working lately. Every time I take a picture it looks like I'm taking it through window blinds which is a. creepy and b. annoying. My friends have been putting their pictures up on facebook and I'm pretty sure you can all see their albums as long as I'm in some of their pictures, but I've uploaded their memory cards onto my computer so I'm going to try to set up a shutterfly account or something like that so I can upload them onto the internet. I'll post a link as soon as I get it set up.
Today's been pretty low key. Its cloudy and a little rainy today so we went shopping and are going to see a movie later today. I'm so exhausted from walking around everywhere, but it has definitely been worth it. I also can't seem to sleep past 9 o'clock and the past two nights have gone to bed after 4 in the morning (bars are open all night here!) so it feels nice to relax a little bit. Monday the five of us in that picture (Me, Kate, Lauren, Emily and Becca) are going up to Cairns to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef. I'm super excited, even though the weather is not looking so good. We're staying in a hostel on the beach until Friday and going on the reef cruise Wednesday. I probably won't have internet/phone access up there, but I'll be sure to update this when I return.
Hope everyone's well and I miss you all!
xoxox
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Pictures!
For those of you non-facebookers, here is a link to an album I just posted of some pictures from the first few days here....more to come in the near future!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2138788&id=7411464&l=7d2f8
Let me know if that link doesn't work and I can try to figure it out.
Also, I just put credit on my skype account so that I can call landlines and cell phones in the US for 2 cents/minute which is incredibly cheap and convenient. SO, if you don't have skype, you should get it and add me: laura.simons11
I also got a cell phone which I think you can call me on (from skype is the cheapest I think) and that number is +61 0466 566 718..so try it out!
Today was the second and final day of mandatory orientation (even though we skipped the first half today and second half yesterday...oops). We got our list of classes today and on my schedule now (by the way they call schedules timetables here) I have two econ classes, history of ancient greece and a business class. I'm pretty sure I'm going to drop the business class and trade it in for a more exciting class having something to do with Australia. After orientation I just came back to my room and hung out with a few girls from Northeastern and relaxed. I can't tell if I'm tired because of being so busy the last couple days or if it's from jet lag. Hopefully my body will figure itself out in the next couple of days!
As I've been exploring the city and going to various orientation activities these past few days I've started to pick up on the "Australian English." For all of you (and this includes myself) who thought it was going to be easier for me in an English speaking country, you were wrong! Here's a list of just some of their unique vocabulary:
bottle shop = liquor store
tomato sauce = ketchup
timetable = schedule
details = information (as in, write down your details on this form)
how are you going = how are you doing
etc, etc.
It's been very interesting trying to understand what everyone is saying and learn how to not sound like SUCH a tourist when speaking to native Australians. So far though we've only really interacted with other international students who come from just about every country you could think of, with the majority from the US. Next week all the local students come back (all 50,000 of them) and I'm really excited to start meeting people who can tell me all the cool places to go/things to see that aren't in any guide book or touristy brochure.
I think that's all for now. I'll probably be updating this a lot in the next couple days/week or so as I experience new things so stay tuned!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2138788&id=7411464&l=7d2f8
Let me know if that link doesn't work and I can try to figure it out.
Also, I just put credit on my skype account so that I can call landlines and cell phones in the US for 2 cents/minute which is incredibly cheap and convenient. SO, if you don't have skype, you should get it and add me: laura.simons11
I also got a cell phone which I think you can call me on (from skype is the cheapest I think) and that number is +61 0466 566 718..so try it out!
Today was the second and final day of mandatory orientation (even though we skipped the first half today and second half yesterday...oops). We got our list of classes today and on my schedule now (by the way they call schedules timetables here) I have two econ classes, history of ancient greece and a business class. I'm pretty sure I'm going to drop the business class and trade it in for a more exciting class having something to do with Australia. After orientation I just came back to my room and hung out with a few girls from Northeastern and relaxed. I can't tell if I'm tired because of being so busy the last couple days or if it's from jet lag. Hopefully my body will figure itself out in the next couple of days!
As I've been exploring the city and going to various orientation activities these past few days I've started to pick up on the "Australian English." For all of you (and this includes myself) who thought it was going to be easier for me in an English speaking country, you were wrong! Here's a list of just some of their unique vocabulary:
bottle shop = liquor store
tomato sauce = ketchup
timetable = schedule
details = information (as in, write down your details on this form)
how are you going = how are you doing
etc, etc.
It's been very interesting trying to understand what everyone is saying and learn how to not sound like SUCH a tourist when speaking to native Australians. So far though we've only really interacted with other international students who come from just about every country you could think of, with the majority from the US. Next week all the local students come back (all 50,000 of them) and I'm really excited to start meeting people who can tell me all the cool places to go/things to see that aren't in any guide book or touristy brochure.
I think that's all for now. I'll probably be updating this a lot in the next couple days/week or so as I experience new things so stay tuned!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
I'M HERE!!!
I've finally made it to Sydney and it still seems so surreal. As it turns out, Friday the 13th is a TERRIBLE day to fly! I got to the airport around 12:30 and met up with Kate. We got on our plane as scheduled around 2 and then proceded to sit on the plane for another 2 hours due to maintanence issues. As our pilot put it, and I quote, "Uhh....welll....umm...we're uh experiencing some maintanence problems and uh everytime they go in to fix something another problem pops up sooo uhh that's all I know for now...we should be flying shortly." Clearly this is not something you want to hear before taking off on a 7 hour flight across the country but we finally took off, only to land 3 hours later in Minnesota for a fuel stop during which one of the passengers had an allergic reaction to.....SPINACH! Spinach? Yep, spinach. If only he had read page 77 in the United Airlines Magazine, he might have found out that every single item offered as a meal contains spinach...hmm. So after a brief delay we were on our way to SF and about 30 minutes into the flight the pressure in my sinuses built up so much that the entire right side of my face was in extreme pain, so much that my top teeth (only on the right side) all went numb. A terrible experience to say the least. I tried to sleep but the pain made me feel like I was going to throw up so all an all a pretty bad flight to SF. We finally made it with only about a half hour to spare before our next flight.
The flight to Sydney was VERY long, but not as terrible as I was expecting. I slept for about the first 8 hours on and off, which was a good way to pass the time. We got to watch the sun come up over the clouds which was really pretty (I took pictures) and landed just before 8am on Sunday. Saturday, Valentine's Day, was non-existant for us which was just fine with me :). One of the girls on my trip's mom arranged for a van to pick her up so Kate and I went with her to UniLodge where we got checked into our rooms and settled in a bit. The rooms are loft style which is pretty cool except the only way to get up to the beds is up the TINIEST spiral staircase I have ever seen. So to avoid injury, Kate and I threw the beds down to the first floor and are now sleeping about 3 inches apart on the floor!
The time change has been a little bit of a struggle although I think I'm starting to get used to it. Kate and I took naps from about 3-7 and then went out to dinner with the group to a German restaurant which was....interesting....
We came back to the room and went to bed around 10:45. I woke up just before 6 and couldn't sleep anymore which was alright since we had to get up anyway for orientation which we have to leave for in about 15 minutes, so I should probably end this crazy long post. Hopefully orientation isn't too terrible and the name games are kept to a minimum :)
The flight to Sydney was VERY long, but not as terrible as I was expecting. I slept for about the first 8 hours on and off, which was a good way to pass the time. We got to watch the sun come up over the clouds which was really pretty (I took pictures) and landed just before 8am on Sunday. Saturday, Valentine's Day, was non-existant for us which was just fine with me :). One of the girls on my trip's mom arranged for a van to pick her up so Kate and I went with her to UniLodge where we got checked into our rooms and settled in a bit. The rooms are loft style which is pretty cool except the only way to get up to the beds is up the TINIEST spiral staircase I have ever seen. So to avoid injury, Kate and I threw the beds down to the first floor and are now sleeping about 3 inches apart on the floor!
The time change has been a little bit of a struggle although I think I'm starting to get used to it. Kate and I took naps from about 3-7 and then went out to dinner with the group to a German restaurant which was....interesting....
We came back to the room and went to bed around 10:45. I woke up just before 6 and couldn't sleep anymore which was alright since we had to get up anyway for orientation which we have to leave for in about 15 minutes, so I should probably end this crazy long post. Hopefully orientation isn't too terrible and the name games are kept to a minimum :)
Sunday, February 8, 2009
5 days to go!
I cannot believe I'm leaving in 5 days! My last full week/weekend in the US is over and it was a memorable one for sure. The week started off with me getting the Flu for the second time in a month which must be a sign for something...although I'm not sure what. The week ended well on Friday though as I toughed through my cough and fatigue to attend my "good-bye" dinner which was put together by my roommate Kate and future roommate Laura (junior). We started off at PF Chang's (which I think was delicious although I couldn't really taste anything), and then I was taken on a "last chance to see these thing in America" scavenger hunt around Boston. Kate and Laura made up the clues and ran ahead of the rest of the group so that they could put them in each new location which included some of my favorite spots (Sephora, Urban Outfitters, Dunkin Donuts, and of course, my apt last year). The final spot was at the dorm that I lived in first semester. When I walked in there was one sign that said "Goodbye America" with an arrow pointing down the hall and another sign which said " G'day Australia along with a GIGANTIC cake in the shape of Australia, including a little, tiny, Tazmania on the right. It was AWESOME and way more than I ever expected!
So that was Friday night. Saturday was my mom's (and dad's) birthday(s) and Joy and I made the most delicious (again couldn't really taste/smell anything) dinner/dessert in the world and threw my mom a little party which was a lot of fun...mostly for her :)
Now here I am on Sunday morning trying to make a mental list of all the things I need to do before I leave and I'm starting to feel a little overwhelmed, but as long as I don't wait until Thursday night to do it all (which I'm going to try VERY hard not to do), I think I'll be okay!
Maybe I should go write this mental list down.....
So that was Friday night. Saturday was my mom's (and dad's) birthday(s) and Joy and I made the most delicious (again couldn't really taste/smell anything) dinner/dessert in the world and threw my mom a little party which was a lot of fun...mostly for her :)
Now here I am on Sunday morning trying to make a mental list of all the things I need to do before I leave and I'm starting to feel a little overwhelmed, but as long as I don't wait until Thursday night to do it all (which I'm going to try VERY hard not to do), I think I'll be okay!
Maybe I should go write this mental list down.....
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Ready to leave!
Hey Everyone!
I'm leaving in less than two weeks and thought I should get this blog up and running before things got too crazy. I feel like I've been waiting forever to leave but I'm sure these next 10 or so days are going to fly by and then before I know it I'll be one a 15 hour plane ride wondering what on earth I was thinking. For now I'm trying not to think about it and only imagining my final destination where it will be sunny and 80 degrees and most importantly--there won't be any snow on the ground =]. The weather we've been having this winter really isn't making it hard for me to leave and I cannot wait to be able to wear flip flops every day!
Well, I guess that's all for now. I'll definitely be updating this regularly once I actually get settled in Sydney so stay tuned!
I'm leaving in less than two weeks and thought I should get this blog up and running before things got too crazy. I feel like I've been waiting forever to leave but I'm sure these next 10 or so days are going to fly by and then before I know it I'll be one a 15 hour plane ride wondering what on earth I was thinking. For now I'm trying not to think about it and only imagining my final destination where it will be sunny and 80 degrees and most importantly--there won't be any snow on the ground =]. The weather we've been having this winter really isn't making it hard for me to leave and I cannot wait to be able to wear flip flops every day!
Well, I guess that's all for now. I'll definitely be updating this regularly once I actually get settled in Sydney so stay tuned!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
