I am headed back home on Sunday and I seriously can't believe it. It doesn't feel like it is time to go home at all. I think most of us are pretty bummed to be headed back to snow too. It is beautiful here today and I'm going to go lay out by the pool soon.
I want to do a picture/story update on New Zealand soon. It was such a good trip, possibly my favorite one here (although they are hard to compare really). I'll make sure to get that up before I leave.
Monday night we all went out to dinner for our Study Australia farewell from the program - they treated. We are also planning a dinner or some type of going away party for Friday night so we can say our goodbyes :(
My last final was this morning so I'm pretty much done for the week. I need to start packing my suitcases because I know it is going to take me several attempts before it all fits.
As sad as I am to leave - I am excited to see everyone at home! Miss you - I'll be home soon....
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving & Updates From Down Under
Overdue for an update…like always.
So this past weekend we took a 5 day trip up north to Cairns. We left from Brisbane and it was about a 2 hour flight. This is where the Great Barrier Reef is and the area also attracts a lot of tourists to see the rainforests, parks and beautiful beaches. The first day we woke up and took a tour bus to the Kuranda Skyrail. It is a Gondola lift that takes you up through the rainforest over the mountain to the village of Kuranda. There are shops, restaurants and markets mostly there. We spent the afternoon walking around and shopping. At the end of the day there is a train that takes you back down the mountain. That was really beautiful too, although a bit nauseating…
The next day was our Cape Tribulation/Daintree National Park tour. The park and Cape Tribulation were about 3 hours drive north from us and the tour took you up there with lots of little stops along the way to break up the day. Our first stop was a zoo where we got to hold Koalas – yay! Queensland law permits you to hold them versus the zoo we went to in Sydney (That’s in New South Whales) where you can only pet them, not hold them. In the state of Victoria where Melbourne is located, you can’t touch them at all and can be heavily fined for it. I was told that Queensland allows it because they rely so heavily on tourism. They also had a petting zoo like they did in Sydney. I don’t think I could ever get sick of petting kangaroos and wallabies, so that was a lot of fun too.
Our next stop on the tour was a freshwater stream where we could go swimming. We didn’t really get the chance to swim on the beaches while were there because it is jellyfish season. They setup areas with nets, but one of our guides said that the stingers can still break off and get inside the net area and small jellyfish can float through sometimes. It was really hot and humid too, so it was nice to cool off and not worry about stingers.
After a quick lunch we went on a ferry ride down a river looking for crocodiles and other wildlife. We were warned me might not see any crocs because it wasn’t there season, but we did spot a couple hiding in the water by the bank. That was enough for me!
Our driver after that was through Daintree National Park, which was really beautiful and so was Cape Tribulation. The beach there reminded us a lot of Fiji because of the high tropical rainforest mountains that surrounded the area.
Next day was Great Barrier Reef day – which I had grown somewhat nervous for. In Fiji I had struggled with snorkeling and swimming when we had gone further out. I was worried I would be too busy defogging my goggles and trying to not breathe water to even enjoy my time on the Reef. Thankfully this was not the case at all and I had an awesome awesome time. We went on a boat of about 60 people who were all either snorkeling or diving (you had the option of either). The ride out to the Reef was about an hour and half but went quickly. We had to wear blue swimsuits that were sort of like lightweight dive suits. They were to protect you against jellyfish stings and they also helped keep you a little warmer in the water which I appreciated. The reef was absolutely gorgeous and HUGE. I swam around in circles and kept seeing new things and no spot looked the same twice. The coral itself was not as colorful and vibrant as I imagined it to be, but the fish definitely were. It was just like Finding Nemo but no sharks…thank goodness. I wish I had pictures to show from snorkeling but I didn’t think buying an underwater disposable camera was really worth it or would show how beautiful it was.
Sooooo that was a decent summery of Cairns, we also adventured around the shops and town on our non-tour days. They had a huge public saltwater pool in the park that was right across the street from our hostel that we went to a few times. It was a good trip but we were all ready to come home to the Gold Coast by the end and get away from that sticky humidity.
The weekend before we had gone on another mini trip that I had meant to update about – Moreton Island. It is just outside Brisbane. We went to the city Friday and stayed overnight in a hostel so we could wake up really early and take the ferry there. Our tour bus actually drove right onto the boat. I guess some people rent 4-wheel drive vehicles and take them there for the day to ride around, but I think we were smart in having someone else drive. We went to a few different places around the island. One really cool stop was for sand boarding in an area called the desert. It was huge sand dunes where you would lie on a wood board and go flying down a hill face first. You had to keep the front end of your board pulled up or you would be eating sand. We went up to where the lighthouse was and got to take some really beautiful pictures of the view.
Yesterday was the premiere of Australia the movie. My film class got presale tickets to go see it. I thought it was really good but maybe I was suckered in because I’m so crazy about Australia right now - not sure…haha Still thought it was pretty good. Thanksgiving is today and we decided to cook our own meal. There are 25 of us going. I’m in charge of mashed potatoes and my friend James is going to help me cook. I’m going to the store soon. Mom thinks I should recruit someone to help me carry all those potatoes. Turkey here is somewhat expensive. I noticed that awhile ago when I was looking for lunchmeat at the deli. We found a butcher in Burleigh who was willing to cook two turkeys for us though, so that will end up working out well. I’ll have to take pictures and let you know how everything turns out. Eat some American turkey for me at home please!!
Happy Thanksgiving :)
So this past weekend we took a 5 day trip up north to Cairns. We left from Brisbane and it was about a 2 hour flight. This is where the Great Barrier Reef is and the area also attracts a lot of tourists to see the rainforests, parks and beautiful beaches. The first day we woke up and took a tour bus to the Kuranda Skyrail. It is a Gondola lift that takes you up through the rainforest over the mountain to the village of Kuranda. There are shops, restaurants and markets mostly there. We spent the afternoon walking around and shopping. At the end of the day there is a train that takes you back down the mountain. That was really beautiful too, although a bit nauseating…
The next day was our Cape Tribulation/Daintree National Park tour. The park and Cape Tribulation were about 3 hours drive north from us and the tour took you up there with lots of little stops along the way to break up the day. Our first stop was a zoo where we got to hold Koalas – yay! Queensland law permits you to hold them versus the zoo we went to in Sydney (That’s in New South Whales) where you can only pet them, not hold them. In the state of Victoria where Melbourne is located, you can’t touch them at all and can be heavily fined for it. I was told that Queensland allows it because they rely so heavily on tourism. They also had a petting zoo like they did in Sydney. I don’t think I could ever get sick of petting kangaroos and wallabies, so that was a lot of fun too.
Our next stop on the tour was a freshwater stream where we could go swimming. We didn’t really get the chance to swim on the beaches while were there because it is jellyfish season. They setup areas with nets, but one of our guides said that the stingers can still break off and get inside the net area and small jellyfish can float through sometimes. It was really hot and humid too, so it was nice to cool off and not worry about stingers.
After a quick lunch we went on a ferry ride down a river looking for crocodiles and other wildlife. We were warned me might not see any crocs because it wasn’t there season, but we did spot a couple hiding in the water by the bank. That was enough for me!
Our driver after that was through Daintree National Park, which was really beautiful and so was Cape Tribulation. The beach there reminded us a lot of Fiji because of the high tropical rainforest mountains that surrounded the area.
Next day was Great Barrier Reef day – which I had grown somewhat nervous for. In Fiji I had struggled with snorkeling and swimming when we had gone further out. I was worried I would be too busy defogging my goggles and trying to not breathe water to even enjoy my time on the Reef. Thankfully this was not the case at all and I had an awesome awesome time. We went on a boat of about 60 people who were all either snorkeling or diving (you had the option of either). The ride out to the Reef was about an hour and half but went quickly. We had to wear blue swimsuits that were sort of like lightweight dive suits. They were to protect you against jellyfish stings and they also helped keep you a little warmer in the water which I appreciated. The reef was absolutely gorgeous and HUGE. I swam around in circles and kept seeing new things and no spot looked the same twice. The coral itself was not as colorful and vibrant as I imagined it to be, but the fish definitely were. It was just like Finding Nemo but no sharks…thank goodness. I wish I had pictures to show from snorkeling but I didn’t think buying an underwater disposable camera was really worth it or would show how beautiful it was.
Sooooo that was a decent summery of Cairns, we also adventured around the shops and town on our non-tour days. They had a huge public saltwater pool in the park that was right across the street from our hostel that we went to a few times. It was a good trip but we were all ready to come home to the Gold Coast by the end and get away from that sticky humidity.
The weekend before we had gone on another mini trip that I had meant to update about – Moreton Island. It is just outside Brisbane. We went to the city Friday and stayed overnight in a hostel so we could wake up really early and take the ferry there. Our tour bus actually drove right onto the boat. I guess some people rent 4-wheel drive vehicles and take them there for the day to ride around, but I think we were smart in having someone else drive. We went to a few different places around the island. One really cool stop was for sand boarding in an area called the desert. It was huge sand dunes where you would lie on a wood board and go flying down a hill face first. You had to keep the front end of your board pulled up or you would be eating sand. We went up to where the lighthouse was and got to take some really beautiful pictures of the view.
Yesterday was the premiere of Australia the movie. My film class got presale tickets to go see it. I thought it was really good but maybe I was suckered in because I’m so crazy about Australia right now - not sure…haha Still thought it was pretty good. Thanksgiving is today and we decided to cook our own meal. There are 25 of us going. I’m in charge of mashed potatoes and my friend James is going to help me cook. I’m going to the store soon. Mom thinks I should recruit someone to help me carry all those potatoes. Turkey here is somewhat expensive. I noticed that awhile ago when I was looking for lunchmeat at the deli. We found a butcher in Burleigh who was willing to cook two turkeys for us though, so that will end up working out well. I’ll have to take pictures and let you know how everything turns out. Eat some American turkey for me at home please!!
Happy Thanksgiving :)
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
I love Melbourne
I just had an amazing last week and weekend!
I’ll start with Thursday morning…I went with my Aussie friends Leigh and Matty on a hike. We drove to Mount Warning which is about 40 mins from here. I had no clue how difficult or how long the climb was before I got there. It took just under two hours to reach the top and I took many breaks along the trail. I felt like I was slowing the guys down, but they didn’t give me too hard of a time about it. The view from the top was totally worth it too.
Thursday evening was my flight to Melbourne out of the Gold Coast. We flew with JetStar and had cheaper tickets that don’t allow you to check baggage. There was a one hour time difference, and we landed around midnight. It was even later by the time we took the shuttle to the city and cab to our hostel in St. Kilda for the night. The hostel ended up being really nice because our group (4 of us went) got our own bathroom. Usually you end up getting a community floor bathroom.
The next day we woke up early to go exploring and shop around the city. Melbourne is known for having good shopping and so we started in the vintage shops and boutiques around St. Kilda. We walked out along the boardwalk and beach too, it wasn’t the best weather. I guess Melbourne is pretty cloudy and rainy in general. It was overcast most of the weekend with on and off showers. It was cooler there than back on the Gold Coast where Bond is located.
We went to the city center and stopped in the visitor’s center in the afternoon. Our cab driver the night before had motioned a big soccer game happening Friday night. The game was Ireland vs. Australia International Rules Soccer. It is combination of Aussie Rules Football and Gaelic Soccer or something like that. Even after we bought the tickets we didn’t really know what we were going to see that night. We shopped for the rest of the afternoon and hung out until dinner so we could go straight to the game afterwards. It was Halloween night but you couldn’t really tell because not many people were dressed up. We just saw a few random people in costumes on the street, but that was about it. The game was a lot of fun even though Ireland won. They played with a soccer ball but could pick it up and throw it. You could also tackle and score not only in the soccer net, but also through the rugby posts at the end of the field. You can see how the filed was setup from the pictures.
The next day was Derby day. This was one of the main reasons we picked this weekend to visit Melbourne. Each year they host the Melbourne Cup and spring carnival which is a week of horse racing and the cup is the main day or most important day (from what I could figure). Derby day was another popular day to go watch the races at Flemington Track. We had a lot of fun getting dressed up and getting to see everyone elses outfits, but it was way too crowded to be an enjoyable day. There was no where to sit down for general admission (the only people who had seats were paying a couple thousand for them). We had to just keep walking around in the crowds and couldn’t get very close to the track. A lot of people had brought blankets and set up picnics on the lawn, but we didn’t know to do that. Even those people couldn’t see anything that was happening because everyone around them was standing blocking the view. We were glad we went, but it is definitely something you do once to see, not every year.
The next day we woke up extra early (7:20 pickup) for our Great Ocean Tour. A bus came to get us from the hostel and we went on a day long tour along the south coast outside of Melbourne. I will put up some pictures from the places we stopped, but the pictures hardly do it justice – it was so beautiful! We saw the rock formation of the 12 Apostles, the second most popular photographed image from Australia. They are giant rock formations that stand out along the coastline in a row (there are only 8 now though). We got to see a lot of other scenic spots and national parks along the coast. The Great Ocean Road itself is super winding and curvy. There are a lot of great surfing beaches along it too. Another cool stopping spot was an area with some wild koalas in the trees and colorful birds that would eat birdseed from your hand. We didn’t get back until after 8pm and then went to get churros and chocolate from a cute little shop in the city near our hostel.
We were pretty tired by Monday but our flight wasn’t until later and wanted to make the most of the day. We went to the Melbourne Aquarium in the morning which was smaller than I thought it would be, but still very neat to see. Then we went shopping on Chapel Street, a well known shopping hot spot in the city. I didn’t buy very much, I wasn’t really in the mood to shop by the end the trip, but there were lots of cute shops.
I thought after Monday when we got back that Tuesday would be my day to recover and rest. That changed when I got an invite from a new friend Amanda who is a nanny here on the Gold Coast to go to a fancy luncheon for the Melbourne Cup. It turns out that if you aren’t in Melbourne for the Cup on Tuesday you are getting dressed up to watch it anyway. The family she lives with owns a new club called EAST. I only made one bet, it was $5 to pick a horse name from a bucket and if your horse won you got the money from the bets (I lost).
So it has been a pretty crazy/fun week and in a couple weekends we are doing it all over again when we fly to Cairns to see the Great Barrier Reef – I can’t wait!
I’ll start with Thursday morning…I went with my Aussie friends Leigh and Matty on a hike. We drove to Mount Warning which is about 40 mins from here. I had no clue how difficult or how long the climb was before I got there. It took just under two hours to reach the top and I took many breaks along the trail. I felt like I was slowing the guys down, but they didn’t give me too hard of a time about it. The view from the top was totally worth it too.
Thursday evening was my flight to Melbourne out of the Gold Coast. We flew with JetStar and had cheaper tickets that don’t allow you to check baggage. There was a one hour time difference, and we landed around midnight. It was even later by the time we took the shuttle to the city and cab to our hostel in St. Kilda for the night. The hostel ended up being really nice because our group (4 of us went) got our own bathroom. Usually you end up getting a community floor bathroom.
The next day we woke up early to go exploring and shop around the city. Melbourne is known for having good shopping and so we started in the vintage shops and boutiques around St. Kilda. We walked out along the boardwalk and beach too, it wasn’t the best weather. I guess Melbourne is pretty cloudy and rainy in general. It was overcast most of the weekend with on and off showers. It was cooler there than back on the Gold Coast where Bond is located.
We went to the city center and stopped in the visitor’s center in the afternoon. Our cab driver the night before had motioned a big soccer game happening Friday night. The game was Ireland vs. Australia International Rules Soccer. It is combination of Aussie Rules Football and Gaelic Soccer or something like that. Even after we bought the tickets we didn’t really know what we were going to see that night. We shopped for the rest of the afternoon and hung out until dinner so we could go straight to the game afterwards. It was Halloween night but you couldn’t really tell because not many people were dressed up. We just saw a few random people in costumes on the street, but that was about it. The game was a lot of fun even though Ireland won. They played with a soccer ball but could pick it up and throw it. You could also tackle and score not only in the soccer net, but also through the rugby posts at the end of the field. You can see how the filed was setup from the pictures.
The next day was Derby day. This was one of the main reasons we picked this weekend to visit Melbourne. Each year they host the Melbourne Cup and spring carnival which is a week of horse racing and the cup is the main day or most important day (from what I could figure). Derby day was another popular day to go watch the races at Flemington Track. We had a lot of fun getting dressed up and getting to see everyone elses outfits, but it was way too crowded to be an enjoyable day. There was no where to sit down for general admission (the only people who had seats were paying a couple thousand for them). We had to just keep walking around in the crowds and couldn’t get very close to the track. A lot of people had brought blankets and set up picnics on the lawn, but we didn’t know to do that. Even those people couldn’t see anything that was happening because everyone around them was standing blocking the view. We were glad we went, but it is definitely something you do once to see, not every year.
The next day we woke up extra early (7:20 pickup) for our Great Ocean Tour. A bus came to get us from the hostel and we went on a day long tour along the south coast outside of Melbourne. I will put up some pictures from the places we stopped, but the pictures hardly do it justice – it was so beautiful! We saw the rock formation of the 12 Apostles, the second most popular photographed image from Australia. They are giant rock formations that stand out along the coastline in a row (there are only 8 now though). We got to see a lot of other scenic spots and national parks along the coast. The Great Ocean Road itself is super winding and curvy. There are a lot of great surfing beaches along it too. Another cool stopping spot was an area with some wild koalas in the trees and colorful birds that would eat birdseed from your hand. We didn’t get back until after 8pm and then went to get churros and chocolate from a cute little shop in the city near our hostel.
We were pretty tired by Monday but our flight wasn’t until later and wanted to make the most of the day. We went to the Melbourne Aquarium in the morning which was smaller than I thought it would be, but still very neat to see. Then we went shopping on Chapel Street, a well known shopping hot spot in the city. I didn’t buy very much, I wasn’t really in the mood to shop by the end the trip, but there were lots of cute shops.
I thought after Monday when we got back that Tuesday would be my day to recover and rest. That changed when I got an invite from a new friend Amanda who is a nanny here on the Gold Coast to go to a fancy luncheon for the Melbourne Cup. It turns out that if you aren’t in Melbourne for the Cup on Tuesday you are getting dressed up to watch it anyway. The family she lives with owns a new club called EAST. I only made one bet, it was $5 to pick a horse name from a bucket and if your horse won you got the money from the bets (I lost).
So it has been a pretty crazy/fun week and in a couple weekends we are doing it all over again when we fly to Cairns to see the Great Barrier Reef – I can’t wait!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Birthday Weekend
I am 21 years old – can you believe it??
I went out Thursday night with my friends to dinner at Melbas on the park. It’s a restaurant and club in Surfer’s Paradise. We had dinner and then hung out there. It was really nice and I’m glad that everyone came out! Friday was my actual birthday and we went to our friend’s apartment to bake a cake. Mom sent a package with mix, frosting, candles and sprinkles to decorate. We don’t have ovens in our apartment here, so we had to go there to make it and then brought it back. My friend Allison did most of the baking, she is always making cookies and banana bread. We went out Friday night too to celebrate in Surfers. I am feeling much much better from last week but unfortunately now everyone else is starting to feel sick.
The package from mom was great too because she put in candy saucers and also chips with salsa and cheese in little individual containers. I still have not had sit down Mexican food since we’ve been here. Just burritos a few times at one sort of fast food like place. I miss Jalapeño Loco nights!
Saturday night we went to the casino for a while. I actually didn’t gamble a single cent (thank goodness). It didn’t appeal to me much, but it was still really cool to see and hang out there. I don’t know if that’s normal to go hang out at a casino and not gamble…haha
Today we hung out at the beach all day and I think we’re going early tomorrow too before class. I am definitely not looking forward to coming home to Ohio’s December weather at the end of this trip.
I went out Thursday night with my friends to dinner at Melbas on the park. It’s a restaurant and club in Surfer’s Paradise. We had dinner and then hung out there. It was really nice and I’m glad that everyone came out! Friday was my actual birthday and we went to our friend’s apartment to bake a cake. Mom sent a package with mix, frosting, candles and sprinkles to decorate. We don’t have ovens in our apartment here, so we had to go there to make it and then brought it back. My friend Allison did most of the baking, she is always making cookies and banana bread. We went out Friday night too to celebrate in Surfers. I am feeling much much better from last week but unfortunately now everyone else is starting to feel sick.
The package from mom was great too because she put in candy saucers and also chips with salsa and cheese in little individual containers. I still have not had sit down Mexican food since we’ve been here. Just burritos a few times at one sort of fast food like place. I miss Jalapeño Loco nights!
Saturday night we went to the casino for a while. I actually didn’t gamble a single cent (thank goodness). It didn’t appeal to me much, but it was still really cool to see and hang out there. I don’t know if that’s normal to go hang out at a casino and not gamble…haha
Today we hung out at the beach all day and I think we’re going early tomorrow too before class. I am definitely not looking forward to coming home to Ohio’s December weather at the end of this trip.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Cough Cough
I have had a nagging cough and bad cold since mid last week so I finally went to the doctor on campus tonight. Turns out I have bronchitis, so he wrote me a couple prescriptions to help clear it up. I’m going to take it easy this week and hopefully I’ll be feeling better by my birthday this weekend. I think we are going out to dinner Thursday night to celebrate both mine and Ashley’s birthdays (hers is today). I still have my birthday card from Grandma to open on Friday too – I’ve been saving it since August when I left (that is some serious self-control if you ask me)!!
The concert last week was so awesome and the secret party was so much fun too. Turns out it wasn’t at Q1, but on an equally cool level it was at the Big Brother House. I don’t know if you’ve ever watched the American TV show, but Australia has their own version and the party was at the house they use for the reality show. It made me want to watch the series here, but obviously they are between seasons right now.
We are going to Melbourne Halloween weekend. I doubt we’ll get to dress up for any Halloween parties though. It’s more of an American holiday. It will still be fun, and we are planning on going to a day of the Melbourne Cup. It’s a huge horse race they host each year. I got a dress and I’m going to wear my roommate’s floppy white hat. She got it to wear for a race day they had around here earlier in the semester.
I have a huge midterm tomorrow for one my classes. Like I mentioned earlier, I don’t have a lot of homework and assignments in my classes because so much of our grade depends on the midterm and final. So off to study – more updates later this week!
The concert last week was so awesome and the secret party was so much fun too. Turns out it wasn’t at Q1, but on an equally cool level it was at the Big Brother House. I don’t know if you’ve ever watched the American TV show, but Australia has their own version and the party was at the house they use for the reality show. It made me want to watch the series here, but obviously they are between seasons right now.
We are going to Melbourne Halloween weekend. I doubt we’ll get to dress up for any Halloween parties though. It’s more of an American holiday. It will still be fun, and we are planning on going to a day of the Melbourne Cup. It’s a huge horse race they host each year. I got a dress and I’m going to wear my roommate’s floppy white hat. She got it to wear for a race day they had around here earlier in the semester.
I have a huge midterm tomorrow for one my classes. Like I mentioned earlier, I don’t have a lot of homework and assignments in my classes because so much of our grade depends on the midterm and final. So off to study – more updates later this week!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Bondstock
I'm off to an exciting week! It's week 5 here at Bond and that means Bondstock is happening all this week. I have my ticket to see The Potbelleez and End of Fashion tonight on campus - yay :) Tomorrow night, Nicole, Brynn and I are going to a "secret location" party. We heard a rumor that it's on the top of Q1 which is the largest (or maybe second largest now) residential building in the world. It's right in surfers paradise. I really wanted to go up and see the view sometime this semester so if we got to go for this, that would be awesome.
This morning on campus I went to go hear John Howard speak. He was the Australian prime minister from 1996 to 2007. I thought it was really interesting and the US was brought up on several occasions. In the question and answer period he even started into his thoughts on the US elections and the candidates. So far from my experience here, Australians are far more politically and globally aware than most Americans. It's rather scary at times.
Last night, my friends and I did some trip planning as well. It's looking like Melbourne, Cairns/The Great Barrier Reef and New Zealand will be on my list. I wanted to visit Alice Springs and see Uluru, but it's really expensive to fly out there and then take a tour in the outback. I'm already so grateful that I've seen as much as I have on this trip, so I'm not too disappointed. There is still a ton to see around here too! We are planning on taking the train to the Steve Irwin Zoo on Sunday for a day trip.
Well that's all for now - I have my group tennis lesson soon and then one more class for the day. I'll update more later and let you know how Bondstock went.
This morning on campus I went to go hear John Howard speak. He was the Australian prime minister from 1996 to 2007. I thought it was really interesting and the US was brought up on several occasions. In the question and answer period he even started into his thoughts on the US elections and the candidates. So far from my experience here, Australians are far more politically and globally aware than most Americans. It's rather scary at times.
Last night, my friends and I did some trip planning as well. It's looking like Melbourne, Cairns/The Great Barrier Reef and New Zealand will be on my list. I wanted to visit Alice Springs and see Uluru, but it's really expensive to fly out there and then take a tour in the outback. I'm already so grateful that I've seen as much as I have on this trip, so I'm not too disappointed. There is still a ton to see around here too! We are planning on taking the train to the Steve Irwin Zoo on Sunday for a day trip.
Well that's all for now - I have my group tennis lesson soon and then one more class for the day. I'll update more later and let you know how Bondstock went.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
What's cookin?
Sarah and I cooked Kangaroo for dinner tonight and then made wraps with it. It was pretty good but I'm not sure if she enjoyed it. There had been one night in Sydney she got really bad food poising, and thought maybe it was from eating roo. She doesn't know for sure, but I think it was on her mind.
The weekend went by way too quick, but it was a fun one. The weather was so nice, we had two good days at the beach. I put sunscreen on everywhere but my legs and of course I got burnt :(
The weekend went by way too quick, but it was a fun one. The weather was so nice, we had two good days at the beach. I put sunscreen on everywhere but my legs and of course I got burnt :(
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Week of Updates
Okay...where do I begin?
Last weekend I got to experience my first Rugby game. It was a local charity game that my Aussie friend Clinton was running. He had invited me awhile ago and I thought my friends might all like to come too. It was an all day even though and they wimped out on me, they went to Brisbane (closest big city to us) earlier that day. I went to Rugby tourney with Clint. It was a lot of fun, but very random since I didn't know anyone else. Not only was Clint playing on a team but he was running everything so we hardly hung out that day. I helped his sister and some of her friends grill and see sausages and hamburgers to raise money. I was just excited to hang out with locals and actually talk to Australians all day. There are so many Americans and international students at Bond, I get annoyed not getting to meet more people from here. I had some funny conversations with people too. Like one guy who asked me where he should visit when he goes to the US. I didn't even know what to say, there is so much to see and so much to do. I guess it depends what you like. I should have told him just to go spend a few weeks in Cleveland...jk! Actually the name of the suburb where we were was named Cleveland as well. I wanted my picture with a sign on the road, but didn't get a chance. I'll have to go back for it.
After the rugby, I got a ride to Brisbane to meet up with my friends. We were staying at a hostel there for the night. Downtown Brisbane was okay, it's not my new favorite. It is certainly not a bad city. They were hosting an Oktoberfest. We stopped in the next day but didn't stay for that long. I think more people went on Friday and Saturday and the weekend before. Afterward we walked to Chinatown and had lunch in the area. We shopped a little but I didn't have time to go to a mall (I heard the shopping in there was good). We took a train home, it was only about $5 with our student IDs. It's a little over an hour ride, or closer to 40-45 min. car drive.
This week we had a group meeting with our client for Sports PR class. He is starting a business called Gold Sports Tourism and our group is researching and designing a website. He works and has worked with different teams on the Gold Coast. He was supposed to get us tickets for the Blaze, the Gold Coast's professional basketball team, this Thursday. I don't know if he remembered to get them though. I figure I'll make it to a game eventually. We just missed Rugby season. The Aussie Rules Footy season had it finals this past weekend too in Melbourne.
I've been playing tennis. I started hitting in group lessons and I also with with my roomie today and my neighbor Jeremy last week. It feels so good to be playing again. I shouldn't have taken such a long break. I was really sore after my first lesson. The instructor is really funny, his name is Mark and he is from southern Australia. You can tell he is a really good player, he said he had to quit playing at a certain level when he hurt his back. He is only 18. I think I'm going to enjoy the lessons even though he sometimes he takes to many breaks and pauses for me.
Living with Sarah has still been good. Sometimes I think she does really funny stuff, that I don't necessarily think she knows is funny (if that makes any sense). Right now I am listening to her talk on the phone with her dad in the other room. She has him going through her closet and describing the dresses in her closet to her so he can mail one to her. hehe!
I guess that's about it for the week! I'll have more updates soon. I'm going to try to be better about keeping up :)
Last weekend I got to experience my first Rugby game. It was a local charity game that my Aussie friend Clinton was running. He had invited me awhile ago and I thought my friends might all like to come too. It was an all day even though and they wimped out on me, they went to Brisbane (closest big city to us) earlier that day. I went to Rugby tourney with Clint. It was a lot of fun, but very random since I didn't know anyone else. Not only was Clint playing on a team but he was running everything so we hardly hung out that day. I helped his sister and some of her friends grill and see sausages and hamburgers to raise money. I was just excited to hang out with locals and actually talk to Australians all day. There are so many Americans and international students at Bond, I get annoyed not getting to meet more people from here. I had some funny conversations with people too. Like one guy who asked me where he should visit when he goes to the US. I didn't even know what to say, there is so much to see and so much to do. I guess it depends what you like. I should have told him just to go spend a few weeks in Cleveland...jk! Actually the name of the suburb where we were was named Cleveland as well. I wanted my picture with a sign on the road, but didn't get a chance. I'll have to go back for it.
After the rugby, I got a ride to Brisbane to meet up with my friends. We were staying at a hostel there for the night. Downtown Brisbane was okay, it's not my new favorite. It is certainly not a bad city. They were hosting an Oktoberfest. We stopped in the next day but didn't stay for that long. I think more people went on Friday and Saturday and the weekend before. Afterward we walked to Chinatown and had lunch in the area. We shopped a little but I didn't have time to go to a mall (I heard the shopping in there was good). We took a train home, it was only about $5 with our student IDs. It's a little over an hour ride, or closer to 40-45 min. car drive.
This week we had a group meeting with our client for Sports PR class. He is starting a business called Gold Sports Tourism and our group is researching and designing a website. He works and has worked with different teams on the Gold Coast. He was supposed to get us tickets for the Blaze, the Gold Coast's professional basketball team, this Thursday. I don't know if he remembered to get them though. I figure I'll make it to a game eventually. We just missed Rugby season. The Aussie Rules Footy season had it finals this past weekend too in Melbourne.
I've been playing tennis. I started hitting in group lessons and I also with with my roomie today and my neighbor Jeremy last week. It feels so good to be playing again. I shouldn't have taken such a long break. I was really sore after my first lesson. The instructor is really funny, his name is Mark and he is from southern Australia. You can tell he is a really good player, he said he had to quit playing at a certain level when he hurt his back. He is only 18. I think I'm going to enjoy the lessons even though he sometimes he takes to many breaks and pauses for me.
Living with Sarah has still been good. Sometimes I think she does really funny stuff, that I don't necessarily think she knows is funny (if that makes any sense). Right now I am listening to her talk on the phone with her dad in the other room. She has him going through her closet and describing the dresses in her closet to her so he can mail one to her. hehe!
I guess that's about it for the week! I'll have more updates soon. I'm going to try to be better about keeping up :)
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
New Music
I really like the music I've been listening to here. Techno music is popular but so it just dance music in general, and I like that. There is a band I like called The Potbelleez and I just found out they are coming to our school for BONDSTOCK week soon. I got a ticket today! If you are DLing music try to get their song called "Don't Hold Back." I highly recommend it.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Byron Bay
Okay, I’m back.
I gave my presentation in Australian Film class today. I think it went well, he seemed please with the ideas and themes I brought up. I still have one more tutorial later today at 5pm. Tuesdays are always long class days.
Byron Bay was a fun trip this past weekend. The weather could have been better though. It is mostly a beach town so when you take away the beach it’s not as exciting. It was rainy on Friday and Saturday it was nice but really windy. We laid out for awhile but woke up covered in sand. There are a lot of little shops and restaurants along the main strip that we walked around.
The hostel was actually a really cool part of the experience. There were a bunch of other student travelers staying there (30 people from a Uni in Melbourne). They had an all you can eat bbq for $5 and a free pancake breakfast the next morning so I was pretty much sold. We had been warned during orientation about catching bed bugs at hostels and bringing them back. We checked our beds before we slept in them and they seemed okay but the next morning when I was taking off the sheets I noticed a few small bug crawling around. I don’t know if they were bed bugs, but I’m trying not to think about it. Overall, lots of fun and we want to go back to visit again when the weather is a little more predictable closer to summer.
I’m still trying to keep busy and meet new people. It’s tiring sometimes. Tennis lessons also start this week so I’m very excited for that.
I gave my presentation in Australian Film class today. I think it went well, he seemed please with the ideas and themes I brought up. I still have one more tutorial later today at 5pm. Tuesdays are always long class days.
Byron Bay was a fun trip this past weekend. The weather could have been better though. It is mostly a beach town so when you take away the beach it’s not as exciting. It was rainy on Friday and Saturday it was nice but really windy. We laid out for awhile but woke up covered in sand. There are a lot of little shops and restaurants along the main strip that we walked around.
The hostel was actually a really cool part of the experience. There were a bunch of other student travelers staying there (30 people from a Uni in Melbourne). They had an all you can eat bbq for $5 and a free pancake breakfast the next morning so I was pretty much sold. We had been warned during orientation about catching bed bugs at hostels and bringing them back. We checked our beds before we slept in them and they seemed okay but the next morning when I was taking off the sheets I noticed a few small bug crawling around. I don’t know if they were bed bugs, but I’m trying not to think about it. Overall, lots of fun and we want to go back to visit again when the weather is a little more predictable closer to summer.
I’m still trying to keep busy and meet new people. It’s tiring sometimes. Tennis lessons also start this week so I’m very excited for that.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Update Tomorrow
I have been slacking this week on updates, but it was somewhat of a slow week. Except our little trip to Byron Bay. I'll post tomorrow (Sunday) about the trip when I have some downtime. I was definitely a little homesick this week - missing you guys!
More to come...
More to come...
Friday, September 12, 2008
Club Sign Up Day
Week 1...all done!
Time moves quickly on the Gold Coast. My fist week of classes went really well. I was a little disappointed after my first 3 classes earlier this week because they had so many American study abroad students in them. However, today I went to Sports Public Relations and I was the only American,(which is awesome in my opinion). I think the class is going to be really great too, I'm most excited for that one. Some of today's discussion went a little over my head. The popular sports here are Australian Football, Rugby and Cricket so I am not very knowledgeable of any of those. They kept referring to different teams and players who I had not only never heard of, but I had no idea what sport they were talking about at times! But, I'm totally up for the challenge...I spent part of today looking up teams online and also researching ticket info to see if I could go watch some matches while I'm here. I've also been putting matches on TV. It's not like there is anything better on, we only have about 6 basic channels here at the apartment. I just put on sporting matches and the news.
Today was also club sign up day on campus. All the clubs, intermural sports and societies set up booths and you can walk around and add your name to lists of what you're interested in. I signed up for tennis league information and some type of food appreciation society. I really just wanted the spring rolls and other snacks they had on their table though. They had some giveaways from local businesses too.
I took a few more pictures around campus. This one below of Varsity Towers where I live isn't technically on campus, but very close. We live on the lakeside, top floor. It's an awesome view :)
And also, as promised...my wonderful new, used bike...
Time moves quickly on the Gold Coast. My fist week of classes went really well. I was a little disappointed after my first 3 classes earlier this week because they had so many American study abroad students in them. However, today I went to Sports Public Relations and I was the only American,(which is awesome in my opinion). I think the class is going to be really great too, I'm most excited for that one. Some of today's discussion went a little over my head. The popular sports here are Australian Football, Rugby and Cricket so I am not very knowledgeable of any of those. They kept referring to different teams and players who I had not only never heard of, but I had no idea what sport they were talking about at times! But, I'm totally up for the challenge...I spent part of today looking up teams online and also researching ticket info to see if I could go watch some matches while I'm here. I've also been putting matches on TV. It's not like there is anything better on, we only have about 6 basic channels here at the apartment. I just put on sporting matches and the news.
Today was also club sign up day on campus. All the clubs, intermural sports and societies set up booths and you can walk around and add your name to lists of what you're interested in. I signed up for tennis league information and some type of food appreciation society. I really just wanted the spring rolls and other snacks they had on their table though. They had some giveaways from local businesses too.
I took a few more pictures around campus. This one below of Varsity Towers where I live isn't technically on campus, but very close. We live on the lakeside, top floor. It's an awesome view :)
And also, as promised...my wonderful new, used bike...
Monday, September 8, 2008
Grocery Shopping and Classes
Shopping here in general seems so expensive compared to home, we complain about it a lot. Grocery shopping especially has seemed to be ridiculous, everything is expensive and comes in small portions.
One thing that does help is that my roommate Sarah and I have decided to share groceries and also cook meals together. She made a really good shrimp stir fry tonight and our friends Eric and George from the program came over for dinner too. It was actually a lot of fun. My menu nights might be a little less impressive (frozen lasagna anyone?) but hey...I'm trying. We got a lot of food today to eat during the week for lunches too, so we won't spend money eating on campus. The meals plans here seem like a rip off but I guess it could be convenient.
Today I had my first two classes. Image and Photography lecture and my Australian Culture/History lecture called "Dreamtime to Dust." Both went well, photography might actually be harder than I anticipated, a lot of what he said today went right over my head, but he seemed really willing to help. Tomorrow I have Australian film analysis. The classes here have a lecture with everyone who is taking the class and then an offering of several tutorials that break up the class into small groups during the week. Some of my classes have a third component as well, like my class tomorrow. We have an AV screening portion. You only go to the lecture and tutorial once a week, but they last for a longer time.
Well, that's all for now - more updates later!
One thing that does help is that my roommate Sarah and I have decided to share groceries and also cook meals together. She made a really good shrimp stir fry tonight and our friends Eric and George from the program came over for dinner too. It was actually a lot of fun. My menu nights might be a little less impressive (frozen lasagna anyone?) but hey...I'm trying. We got a lot of food today to eat during the week for lunches too, so we won't spend money eating on campus. The meals plans here seem like a rip off but I guess it could be convenient.
Today I had my first two classes. Image and Photography lecture and my Australian Culture/History lecture called "Dreamtime to Dust." Both went well, photography might actually be harder than I anticipated, a lot of what he said today went right over my head, but he seemed really willing to help. Tomorrow I have Australian film analysis. The classes here have a lecture with everyone who is taking the class and then an offering of several tutorials that break up the class into small groups during the week. Some of my classes have a third component as well, like my class tomorrow. We have an AV screening portion. You only go to the lecture and tutorial once a week, but they last for a longer time.
Well, that's all for now - more updates later!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
My Bike
I got a used bike today, it was only $30. By far the best deal I've run across so far in this country. We have been using the bus system lately, which is great but with all the stops, a short distance can take a long time. Our friends from the Study Australia program who are living in beach housing are only about a 20 minute bike ride away, but the bus ride is closer to 45+ minutes. Nicole got a used bike too and on our way back her pedal fell off :(
And don't worry mom I am being (and will be) very careful. I am paranoid about traffic because everyone drives on the other side of the road. Also, pedestrians don't have the right of way here like at home, so you have to be careful at intersections in general.
Maybe I'll put up a picture of my cool new ride later!
And don't worry mom I am being (and will be) very careful. I am paranoid about traffic because everyone drives on the other side of the road. Also, pedestrians don't have the right of way here like at home, so you have to be careful at intersections in general.
Maybe I'll put up a picture of my cool new ride later!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Internship
I got the internship with the admissions office - yay! It is only five hours a week but it will be a good fit with my schedule and not too demanding on time. I start on Wednesday and they will start giving me projects to work on though the semester.
Last night I went with a friend to Surfers Paradise and then Broad Beach for dinner. It is only about 20 minutes from here, but takes longer on the bus. I am starting to like the buses here. I don't know the schedules yet but they are easy to use and cheap with your student ID.
Some people were talking about getting used bikes to get to the beach and around the area, but I don't know if I'll use it enough. I picked up a local paper so I could look through the listings and see if there was anything good.
I am also on a mission to try and figure out Australia sports, AFL, Rugby...."footy"? It's on the TV right now but I'm pretty clueless.
Last night I went with a friend to Surfers Paradise and then Broad Beach for dinner. It is only about 20 minutes from here, but takes longer on the bus. I am starting to like the buses here. I don't know the schedules yet but they are easy to use and cheap with your student ID.
Some people were talking about getting used bikes to get to the beach and around the area, but I don't know if I'll use it enough. I picked up a local paper so I could look through the listings and see if there was anything good.
I am also on a mission to try and figure out Australia sports, AFL, Rugby...."footy"? It's on the TV right now but I'm pretty clueless.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Bond Week and Sydney Orientation Update
Hello again!
Orientation week (Bond Week) has been going really well. My schedule is still a little out of whack but getting better. This morning I had an interview on campus for an internship with the admissions office. They take on a study abroad student each semester to help with various projects for their international/exchange team. I thought it went well, but I have no idea how many people applied for the spot. I should know by the end of today if I got it.
I promised in my last post to share stories from the Study Australia orientation which was held separately just for our program in Sydney last week.
We arrived in Sydney and I cleared the notorious tough Aussie customs although they did question what food I was carrying in my luggage (Jiff peanut butter). We stopped first at the apartments we were staying in for the week, the Tiffany at Bondi Junction. The apartments were really nice and in a great location, right above the train station and a bus stop. Across the street is the Westfield Mall, which was also pretty amazing. It had 6 floors of shopping and was ridiculously huge - I didn’t even get to see all the shops. They had electronic maps where you could type in what store or store type you were looking for and it would give you directions from where you were standing. I found it interesting in Australia that everyone closes fairly early, even in the city. The stores in the mall usually close around 6 during the week or maybe earlier outside of the mall, weekend times are even earlier than that. Each state does designate one late night shopping night. Sydney is in New South Whales so Thursdays are their night (open until 9pm). Still early compared to home!
We had some free time during orientation and then also scheduled activities. The first night we took a walking tour of the city followed by dinner at a restaurant on Darling Harbour. A lot of us ordered the kangaroo, which was actually very good
The next day was possibly one of my favorites because it was zoo day. We went to a wildlife park about an hour outside of Sydney. Part of it was setup just like petting zoo only instead of goats and sheep you could pet and feed kangaroos and emus. The rest of the zoo was fun too. They had a lot of birds and I got to pet a koala bear.
Another adventurous orientation activity was abseiling (rappelling) and rock climbing. In morning everyone had a chance to abseil three different heights. In the afternoon you could choose to either rock climb or abseil a final (and even higher) rock face. I went abseiling and as you can see from the look on my face, I was both thrilled and terrified to be there. It was a great feeling at the end of the day. I felt like I had accomplished something even though tons of people abseil those same rock faces everyday. It was a great feat for me.
As I mentioned earlier, we did have some free time so, Jenny, Nina and I took advantage of that Saturday morning and went on a tour of the Sydney Opera House. We had walked by it on our tour the first night, but it was worth going on the tour to see the inside concert halls.
There was still so much to do and see in Sydney that we didn’t have time for in our short stay. I really want to try and make it back there during the semester. I thought it was beautiful. It was weird because it was a big city but didn’t have an intimidating big city feel to it. The trains were easy to use and I imagine the bus system was similar. People do drive here but gas is expensive so you saw fewer big cars and SUV vehicles on the road.
Well, that’s my update for now. I am playing tennis with my roommate later today and possibly going on a job hunt. More to come from down under :)
Orientation week (Bond Week) has been going really well. My schedule is still a little out of whack but getting better. This morning I had an interview on campus for an internship with the admissions office. They take on a study abroad student each semester to help with various projects for their international/exchange team. I thought it went well, but I have no idea how many people applied for the spot. I should know by the end of today if I got it.
I promised in my last post to share stories from the Study Australia orientation which was held separately just for our program in Sydney last week.
We arrived in Sydney and I cleared the notorious tough Aussie customs although they did question what food I was carrying in my luggage (Jiff peanut butter). We stopped first at the apartments we were staying in for the week, the Tiffany at Bondi Junction. The apartments were really nice and in a great location, right above the train station and a bus stop. Across the street is the Westfield Mall, which was also pretty amazing. It had 6 floors of shopping and was ridiculously huge - I didn’t even get to see all the shops. They had electronic maps where you could type in what store or store type you were looking for and it would give you directions from where you were standing. I found it interesting in Australia that everyone closes fairly early, even in the city. The stores in the mall usually close around 6 during the week or maybe earlier outside of the mall, weekend times are even earlier than that. Each state does designate one late night shopping night. Sydney is in New South Whales so Thursdays are their night (open until 9pm). Still early compared to home!
We had some free time during orientation and then also scheduled activities. The first night we took a walking tour of the city followed by dinner at a restaurant on Darling Harbour. A lot of us ordered the kangaroo, which was actually very good
The next day was possibly one of my favorites because it was zoo day. We went to a wildlife park about an hour outside of Sydney. Part of it was setup just like petting zoo only instead of goats and sheep you could pet and feed kangaroos and emus. The rest of the zoo was fun too. They had a lot of birds and I got to pet a koala bear.
Another adventurous orientation activity was abseiling (rappelling) and rock climbing. In morning everyone had a chance to abseil three different heights. In the afternoon you could choose to either rock climb or abseil a final (and even higher) rock face. I went abseiling and as you can see from the look on my face, I was both thrilled and terrified to be there. It was a great feeling at the end of the day. I felt like I had accomplished something even though tons of people abseil those same rock faces everyday. It was a great feat for me.
As I mentioned earlier, we did have some free time so, Jenny, Nina and I took advantage of that Saturday morning and went on a tour of the Sydney Opera House. We had walked by it on our tour the first night, but it was worth going on the tour to see the inside concert halls.
There was still so much to do and see in Sydney that we didn’t have time for in our short stay. I really want to try and make it back there during the semester. I thought it was beautiful. It was weird because it was a big city but didn’t have an intimidating big city feel to it. The trains were easy to use and I imagine the bus system was similar. People do drive here but gas is expensive so you saw fewer big cars and SUV vehicles on the road.
Well, that’s my update for now. I am playing tennis with my roommate later today and possibly going on a job hunt. More to come from down under :)
Monday, September 1, 2008
Settling In
I am back and alive! I would have updated sooner but I didn't have internet in Fiji or in Sydney for very long during orientation. These last few weeks have flown by and so much has happened. I might need to break up my posts into a few separate entries.
First, Fiji...after my 9 hour layover in LA we flew to Fiji where we met our group leader. Most of our group had already met in the airport while waiting for the flight. We just sat in a circle and started learning names and where everyone was from. I met my roommate Sarah at the airport before we left too, we recognized each other from our facebook photos. The flight was long but bearable, I tried sleeping for some of it.
When we got to Fiji we took a bus to the resort we were going to stay at on the last night of the trip and left most of our luggage there. Then they took us to a ferry that transports people to all the different islands (someone told me there are about 300 of them). It was a couple hour ride out to our island and resort, but it went quick because we were busy enjoying the view.
When we reached the island we were staying a smaller boat came out to meet us and we transfered to that. When we pulled up they sang us a song and gave us flower leis that they had made earlier that day and a fruit drink. It was an awesome welcome :)
The next few days kinda blur together for me because I was so tired and jet lagged and I don't know what days we did what. We went snorkeling in the reef and swam with giant manta rays on the other side of the island. We walked to the village twice on the other side of the island. You had to hike up and over the mountain and then along the beach to reach it. It took about 30-40 minutes and we kept complaining about how tired we were. The Fijian who guided us that day said he walks it at least 3 times a day maybe more - Ha!
The picture above is Sarah, me and Jenny outside our hut or "burre" we stayed in. Ours had 9 people in it, with bathrooms out back. We didn't have to many bug problems although someone said they killed a coach roach. There were little geckos everywhere, but they are supposed to be good to have because they eat the insects.
Our last night in Fiji, we went back to the mainland and stayed in a five-star resort. It was really nice, but we weren't there for very long, our flight to Sydney was early the next morning.
Right now I am at Bond and I have to go get ready for dinner and our first night of orientation. I still want to share about orientation and this first week so I will update more later today or tomorrow!
First, Fiji...after my 9 hour layover in LA we flew to Fiji where we met our group leader. Most of our group had already met in the airport while waiting for the flight. We just sat in a circle and started learning names and where everyone was from. I met my roommate Sarah at the airport before we left too, we recognized each other from our facebook photos. The flight was long but bearable, I tried sleeping for some of it.
When we got to Fiji we took a bus to the resort we were going to stay at on the last night of the trip and left most of our luggage there. Then they took us to a ferry that transports people to all the different islands (someone told me there are about 300 of them). It was a couple hour ride out to our island and resort, but it went quick because we were busy enjoying the view.
When we reached the island we were staying a smaller boat came out to meet us and we transfered to that. When we pulled up they sang us a song and gave us flower leis that they had made earlier that day and a fruit drink. It was an awesome welcome :)
The next few days kinda blur together for me because I was so tired and jet lagged and I don't know what days we did what. We went snorkeling in the reef and swam with giant manta rays on the other side of the island. We walked to the village twice on the other side of the island. You had to hike up and over the mountain and then along the beach to reach it. It took about 30-40 minutes and we kept complaining about how tired we were. The Fijian who guided us that day said he walks it at least 3 times a day maybe more - Ha!
The picture above is Sarah, me and Jenny outside our hut or "burre" we stayed in. Ours had 9 people in it, with bathrooms out back. We didn't have to many bug problems although someone said they killed a coach roach. There were little geckos everywhere, but they are supposed to be good to have because they eat the insects.
Our last night in Fiji, we went back to the mainland and stayed in a five-star resort. It was really nice, but we weren't there for very long, our flight to Sydney was early the next morning.
Right now I am at Bond and I have to go get ready for dinner and our first night of orientation. I still want to share about orientation and this first week so I will update more later today or tomorrow!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Almost Ready
My flight leaves on Thursday and of course at this point I have nothing packed. Although I did bring my suitcases into my room, which I thought was a step in the right direction. Emma spent most her day packing today too. They are taking her tomorrow so she can move in early the following day (Wednesday morning). Nora will soon be celebrating having the house to herself!
Friday night I went out with Frances, Colleen and Gina to Lure/Scooters in Willoughby for our last hurrah. Then, Saturday, Gina and I went to Columbus and I saw all my friends from Otterbein and Matthew. It was a fun weekend :)
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