Papers and Waves - A Delicate Balance

Overall, there is not that much work here. But lately, as the semester is nearing the end, the papers and such have been piling up.  Several all-nighters have been pulled, one of which resulting in a very successful set of sunrise photos! It is definitely very stressful, especially when the weather is FINALLY getting nicer. Last week, on top of all the normal work, I had a huge paper due. This coming week, I have a huge presentation due. It never ends! This is supposed to be a vacation!
What differs from this same experience in the United States is the fact that I am just a 20 minute bus ride from the beach - my salvation.  This past week, I went to the beach 4 days in a row (and then layed out by the pool for the next 2!) I chose to accept the fact that I had a ton to do, but I also knew that I would not get a single thing done staring out the window at the sun. So, I went to the beach. Easy decision. I wore sunscreen, so no burn for me (see that, Mom?!) This whole tan/blonde thing is really working for me. I am pretty sure I could live here forever and just press the repeat button every day of my life.
Two days from now marks the one month countdown until my flight home, and I honestly get depressed just thinking about that. My experience here has been so enriching and it is definitely something that cannot and will not be replicated.  At the beginning I said that it was not very different from life in America, but I have changed my view significantly since then.  The difference is not a physical one - besides the beaches and gorgeous weather, Australia is very much the same as America on the surface. However, once you dig into the real character of the people who live here, you can tell...it's just a different way of life.  The things that matter are not meeting deadlines and worrying about what the future may hold. Instead, the main concerns are making it to the beach before the sun goes behind the new building being built in Surfer's, dancing on the platforms at the clubs, hanging out with your mates and maintaining a friendly disposition, and laughing. A lot of laughing. Come to think of it, I don't believe I have not seen a single Australian frown during my stay here. Boy, what a difference that makes.
There is one man here who has everything against him, it seems. His entire body is badly crippled. He uses crutches to get around, or, on particularly slippery days, he can be seen in a wheelchair. Normally, we would look at him with pity, secretly thanking God that we didn't turn out that way. But this man is the HAPPIEST person I have ever seen. He stops to greet everyone with a smile and a friendly "How're you going?" He always has people sitting with him in Bond Cafe - different people every day, it seems - caught up in deep conversation.  He proudly carries his notebook as he slowly makes his way around campus. His cheery attitude is contagious. The most amazing thing about him, however, is the way everyone treats him. To the Australians here, that is all he is. Another Australian. Can you imagine that happening in America? Why can't we be more like Australia?

Maybe, then, I would be a little more eager to come home.

Brisbane, Beer, Buses, and Bindi

This weekend we decided to head down to Brisbane to celebrate Rebecca's 21st birthday. We left early Saturday morning, in the rain. This was quite the accomplishment, because we had to get everyone up and moving (a challenge in itself) and make it to the bus and then the train without missing any connections or anything. We were very surprised to find out that the train ride was only $3.50, given that everything is so expensive here. That's over ten dollars cheaper than Metronorth-for the same distance! Riding the train was definitely a very humanizing experience. Bond is pretty much in the middle of the most affluent part of Queensland, so everything we experience around town reflects this lifestyle. This was definitely not the case on the train ride. Looking out the windows, I saw some of the...not so gold parts of the Gold Coast. There were old cemetaries, shells of factory buildings, graffiti along every wall and fence, burned out apartment buildings, and broken-down houses.  I saw fields with scattered livestock and trailers in the middle of them, little shantytowns with ancient, rusty cars lining the streets, and stores and restaurants that appeared to be closed for ages. It was a totally different view of Australia, one that really made me think. All this time, we had been seeing the perfect parts of this country, without even stopping to think that there were bad parts, just like anywhere else in the world. It was definitely an eye-opener.
We pulled into Central Station (which coincidentally shares its name with my favorite security company that calls 3-4 times a day to ensure that we are aware that our kitchen walk-in perpetually has a high temperature reading, a fact that made me giggle) in the heart of Brisbane's central business district around 10:30am. This was right across the street from our hostel, Base X.  We decided to see if we could check in early considering we had multiple bags and were repidly getting drenched by rain. We were told we could drop our bags off in the luggage room and come back at 2 to check in. After leaving them with a very shady Spanish guy, we set out to explore all the shops nearby. Despite the rain, it was a very friendly, happy atmosphere. There were many tourists walking around, and balloon artists and children's activities filled the market plaza. We shopped for awhile before heading back to the hostel to take a much-needed nap.

our hostel, at night!

Sarah, proudly displaying our beautiful room.

Our room was...exciting. Luckily, we opted for the 6-person room: although it was a bit more expensive than the 10-person one, at least we had our privacy. I can't imagine being with strangers after what we encountered at this place. It was eye-opening experience #2 of this trip. There were two separate rooms with people who clearly lived there. The rooms were extremely messy (and smelly) and all of their possessions were set up, permanently, around the rooms.  I did a quick prayer of thanks after seeing this - I can't even imagine living in a hostel. Anyway. Everything there had kind of a stale odor, the fixtures and furniture were old, and the view, frankly, was awful, but at least everything seemed remotely clean.
We had all intentions of finding a dance club or something to celebrate Rebecca's birthday, but first we needed some food. We took the manually-operated elevator that looked like it came straight out of a haunted house down to the basement level, where there were two connected bars. We ended up each getting a steak dinner with a pint of beer for only $10. It was yummy! We didn't get too far that night - the rain kind of deterred us from wandering around Brisbane, so we stayed and danced downstairs. There were a few sketchy characters, but for the most part it was a really great time!

the really creepy elevator!

what $10 gets you in Brisbane!

All of us - celebrating Rebecca's 21st!

The next morning we woke up super-early to check out and catch the shuttle to the Croc Express - the bus that would take us to the Australia Zoo - home of the Crocodile Hunter! After a quick Starbucks trip (so relieved to get my caramel frappaccino fix), we were on our way. The bus driver narrated the entire trip, which was pretty cool.

The zoo was awesome! Our tickets included a show in the Crocoseum - the huge open-air arena that Steve Irwin himself developed in order to do shows with the crocs. We got to see a very corny, almost painful song and dance routine starring Bindi, and then it was on to the real action. Terri, Bindi, and little Robert Irwin (with the help of some of the zoo staff) put on an entire animal show with birds, snakes, and, of course, crocodiles. It was awesome to see them being fed! We walked around and saw the kangaroos, koalas, dingos, tigers, and echidnas, among others. We also got to feed the elephants - I think this was what everybody was the most excited for. Their trunks are huge!! One of the highlights of the day for me was to eat a hamburger with KETCHUP and not "tomato sauce." They called it the American Burger - haha. 
When we got back on the bus, the driver asked us where we were headed. When we told him Bond Uni, he offered to drive us all the way there, as long as we bought him a coffee. This definitely seemed like a fair tradeoff, especially seeing as it started pouring again almost immediately after we got on the bus. We stopped at this little farmer's market on our way to Brisbane and I bought the best-tasting pineapple ever! When we got back to Bond, the driver gave us all discount tickets in case we wanted to take another tour with that company, and he wished us all a good night.  After my experience so far with Australian males, it was so nice to encounter such a friendly, generous guy who would go out of his way to save us some money and drive us home. All in all, this was a very excellent trip!

the adorable elephant I fed!

Bindi performing

Terri feeding the croc

The life-size Steve Irwin - it was clear he is very much missed here.

The True Meaning of Paradise

We wanted to get off campus tonight, having not really done much of anything this weekend. We decided to go down to Surfer's Paradise to go to the souvenir shops and grab something to eat. We arrived there right at dusk, when all the lights were turning on and the last of the beach crowd was heading out for the day.  The entire scene was very relaxing - we had nowhere specific to be and nothing to do but stroll around aimlessly.  There was a show in the middle of the square with a small crowd of tourists surrounding the performer. There were two different people playing musical instruments and singing. There were kids running around, chasing after seagulls and each other.  We passed by the multiple gelatto places, including the one with the delicious aroma of hand-made waffle cones.
The best part came when we finally got food.  After much deliberation, we settled on kebabs from a small vendor. Best decision ever.  We took them down to the near-empty, shadow-filled beach to eat them.  We had no towels to sit on, but this hardly seemed important. The air was cooling off and the sea breeze was getting stronger, sending the waves crashing onto the shore.  The only lights hitting the sand were from the monster apartment buildings and "holiday towers" being built close to the shore (very Jersey shore-esque...the place, not the TV show).  I huddled over my kebab, letting the delicious combination of chicken, lamb, cheese, and vegetables melt in my mouth.  We all went down to the ocean after we ate and put our feet in the water, letting the surf hit our ankles and spray up at our faces. I took a few photos, but they didn't do justice to the beauty that was surrounding us. Miles and miles of ocean, sand, and amazingly salty air...I could not ask for more. My heaven was surrounding me.

And at that point, I realized exactly why it was called Surfer's Paradise. There really is no other way to describe it.

Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

As I sit here staring out the window, I cannot help thinking that I was under the impression it did not rain in Australia. Obviously, that is not a logical conclusion at all, but for some reason I just cannot understand why there are raindrops streaming down the window right now. It hardly seems fair, actually-I am in one of the most beautiful places in the world, and instead of lying on a beach working on my much-deserved tan or walking around looking in shop windows, I am sitting on my bed, propped against some pillows, writing this blog entry and polishing off a package of tim-tams. Not that I'm complaining, of course-it is really nice to have a lazy day with nothing to do...especially because my body feels like I ran 5 consecutive marathons after that ropes course yesterday. It's a struggle to just bring the little bits of double-chocolate crispy crunchy deliciousness to my mouth. That brings me to my next point. Sitting inside like a lump all day has given me quite a bit of time to just think, and I have come to several conclusions.
1. Tim-tams are quite possibly the closest thing to heaven that can be accounted for in tangible, worldly terms. I have consumed two packages, on my own, in the two weeks we have been here. If this trend keeps up, I will be needing a gym membership for Christmas. And also another suitcase just for my newfound favorite snack.
2. Australia is even pretty in the rain. How is this possible? I hate rain! There is just something about this place that is so magical. Even on the most boring day, just being here is enough to put a smile on my face.
3. I have made a complete list of everywhere I want to travel to while I am here. More on that later.
4. It is really interesting to live in a dorm here - I understand why people say to fully immerse yourself in a culture, you must live amongst the culture. I am not living in Australia right now. I am living in a little bubble of America that just happens to have an Ausralian address. Bond is composed of some crazy percentage of study-abroad students (like 50%?), and my dorm building is almost completely American. That being said, I want to do something that will help me experience Australia for all that it truly is. I don't know what exactly that is yet, but my next goal is to figure it out.

This is pretty much what I felt like today.

Kangaroos and Koalas and Crocs...Oh My!

Today we went to the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. We were all pretty excited for it, purely because it was the first major trip we planned to do. We heard it was a really cool place, but other than that we didn't know too much about it.  Personally, I was excited because I had a sneaking suspicion that this place would help me fulfill one of my main goals of the whole semester - to hold a koala.
We took a couple different buses to get here, and I am a little surprised we arrived unscathed. Upon checking in, we realized that they did indeed offer koala pictures, and we headed over to that area immediately. We each took a turn holding Ginger, one of a couple very amicable little koalas they use for photos. She was incredibly soft, with layers upon layers of coarse fur. When she was placed in my arms, she immediately latched onto my body, just as she would a tree branch (where they spend 18-20 hours a day sleeping).  It was so adorable, it felt as if she was trying to give me a big hug. They have them very well-trained - they look right at the camera and even seem to smile. After snapping an overly sufficient amount of pictures, we moved toward the next big part of the sanctuary - the kangaroos. On our way there, we passed the tasmanian devils, the wild birds, and a bunch of free-roaming lizards. But none of these could compare to the wonder that was the roo territory. I wasn't really expecting much, because my only previous exposure to kangaroos was in the zoo, where they were behind bars...
Boy was I wrong. We opened the gate to the enclosure, and BAM. Kangaroos. Everywhere. We quickly went and got some food for them from the little vending machine they had, and selected our first kangaroos to feed.  Many of them were lying on the ground, perfectly content with relaxing and being hand-fed.  They were very friendly and photogenic, as well. We saw all kinds of kangaroos and wallabies of all ages, including a family of kangaroos (with the joey sticking his head out of mama's pouch!!) We easily spent over an hour playing with these adorable little guys. It was so much fun.
After that, we saw some of the remaining animals, including a HUGE salt-water crocodile.  The whole place was very well kept, and you could tell that care had been taken in making sure the animal exhibits were safe for both creatures and humans.
Our ticket also included a pass into the high-ropes adventure course they had at the sanctuary.  We decided to check it out, figuring it wouldn't be too much effort.  After getting suited up in NASA-style suits and watching the most ridiculous safety video ever, we took to the course.  There were three different levels, green, red, and black, each increasingly difficult.  Everybody started on the green level and could opt to do the others.  Among the challenges on the green course were a giant fireman's pole, a rope swing onto a loose spiderweb net, a couple ziplines (both dragging yourself upside-down and going feet-first quite quickly), and various rope and wooden ladders.  We concluded this course with not too much difficulty and were all panting by the end.  Because we only had enough time for one more, of course we chose the black course.  This was not something for those who had any sort of fear of heights. Or fear of falling. Or fear of speed. Or fear of anything. Or for those prone to heart attacks. Or anxiety attacks. Or panic attacks. This was serious stuff.  There were many obstacles on this course including a large net to climb (harder than it looks, especially when you're already exhausted), a long rope swing, triangular metal swings you have to walk across, and wooden ladder bridges.  The scariest part, however, was the dreaded single-rope pass.  Basically, you have one metal rope to stand on, and one above you to hang on to. Now, this would be fine if both of the ropes weren't reminiscent of slacklines or they weren't up 30 feet in the air swaying in the breeze - EVERYBODY froze in the middle.  The course concludes with climbing a ladder to a platform above the treetops - over 60 feet in the air - and ziplining down to almost ground level on a flying fox-style wire more than 250 feet long.  By the end of this, I felt like I could conquer the world.
The whole day was fantastic, and we felt like we definitely got our money's worth (a problem we encounter quite often here!)  I am absolutely exhausted, and I guarantee I won't be able to move tomorrow, but it was well worth it.

 

...in America, we just have "class."

In case you're wondering, there are three different types of classes for each course here: lectures, seminars, and tutorials. Each one is designed for a different purpose, and they are at different times, in different rooms, sometimes with different professors. The idea is, I suppose, to make us as confused as possible.
That being said, my first week of classes is complete. They are so totally different from classes at St. Rose. I only have four, because study-abroad students are only ALLOWED to take four. I guess that is so over-ambitious people like me don't take on too many and not fully enjoy their stay here. Also, I have not met one person who has class on Fridays. I have two classes with 8 people in them, and two with about 75 people in them. The dichotomy between the two extremes is unbelievable, especially because St. Rose generally falls right in the middle.
My first class was Australian Popular Culture. I think every single American is in this class. There are about 80 people in it, and it is a three hour class, plus a one-hour tutorial on a different day. The lecture only goes for about an hour, and then we watch an "Australian" movie - like, two weeks from now we are watching Crocodile Dundee. It seems pretty easy.
My next class was Spanish 3. Seeing as I was supposed to be in Spanish 4, the level of this class worried me. However, it seemed to be okay, aside from the fact that only 3.5 of the 8 people in the class understood what the teacher was saying in this all-Spanish class. She is a typical Spanish teacher, very enthusiastic but very scatterbrained. For example, she told us all to come at 10 for our tutorial, despite the fact that our schedules said 11, so I went at 10 - just to be on the safe side. Well, upon asking her when I was supposed to be there (and her not even recognizing me), she decided class was "at 12...oh no no...11...oh wait, maybe 12...no, definitely 11." It's going to be a long semester with this one. Thank goodness she's nice.
Tuesday evening I had Australian History. The coursepack was over 50 dollars and it is HUGE. I had a bad feeling coming into this class, because I have not taken history since high school. Luckily, two of my friends are in the same boat. We walked into the lecture hall of around 60 people and then listened to our professor talk a MILLION miles an hour for a solid 45 minutes. Then we were done. It was the most amazing thing I have ever witnessed - we didn't have time to get bored (let alone breathe) because we were so consumed with writing. I zoned out for 5 seconds and missed 3 slides. Incredible.
Finally, I had Sociolinguistics. At 8am. There are 8 people in the class, 6 of which are adult graduate students. This is definitely going to be my most challenging class, but it also seems to be the most interesting. The people in it come from all different countries and linguistic backgrounds, and it was soo interesting to learn and compare basic social issues, like what to call disabled people and how the word "time" is compared to money. I loved my last linguistics course, and I have a funny feeling I am going to love this one as well.

All of the classes basically have two tests and one final paper with some assorted readings each week. That's it. I have zero homework so far, and I don't really know what to do with myself! I'm sure that will change next week though, once we really start learning.

O Week

So, this is it. I'm in Australia. I am 21 hours away from everything I have known my entire life. I am in a foreign land with a set of people I have never seen before, set to experience things I have never done before. Everything is new. As frightening as that is, it is also very exciting. It's like a clean palette - nobody knows anything about you or your life back home, and you can share with them as much or as little as you want and develop your own sense of self as you go. Also, the promise of returning home safe and sound after just 15 weeks is very appealing...no matter what happens, it will all be over in 15 weeks and I will be back to my normal life in the US. That being said, I plan on having the best time a girl could ever have here. If I want to do something, I'm doing it. No matter the cost of any factors involved, it is just going to happen. I like that idea already!

The first week, or O Week as it is so lovingly called down here, officially ended yesterday. From this point forward, we choose our own activities, plan our own trips, figure out what we want to do with our free time. It was really relieving to have O Week to get accustomed to everything gradually and have a lot of time for rest and play, but I am glad to be beginning a normal schedule. I do better with routines and structure, and I think classes and the work that comes with them will give me just that. Surprisingly, EVERYONE seems to feel the same way. It's like a little dose of normality in an otherwise entirely new existence.

This past week has been quite the whirlwind of activity. They really do it up big here, with tons of events planned for new (mainly international) students. BUSA, which is eerily similar to St. Rose's student association, organized almost everything - I can't even imagine the planning that went into this. To summarize...

First view of Australia, taken by a very nice Australian man :)

Sunday - This is the day we all arrived. At 7:30 in the morning. After the longest flight known to mankind. It was painful. We took the shuttle to campus and got our room keys, welcoming us to what our life will be for the next 15 weeks. My room is kind of small, but for the small quantity of stuff I have, it works perfectly! After unloading everything, it already started to look and feel like home. My roommate came halfway through the day and we immediately hit it off. Her name is Sarah and she, like half the people here it seems, is from St. Louis University. I was so thankful for a roommate I could get along with.

We went to a welcome barbeque later on that night with the weirdest burgers...they tasted like meatloaf, and were served on bread. And there was no ketchup! They encouraged us all to go to this bar in Market Square, which is really close by, so we all packed into Bar CBD for a fun evening of drinking and getting to know each other. We ended the night fairly early to get some much-needed sleep.

Monday - We started off our first full day here with a lot of running around - getting accounts set up, having pictures taken, receiving bundles of information all at once. After all of this madness was finished, we enjoyed our first meal in the dining hall. Cafe Bond is interesting to say the least, and as we would soon come to realize, VERY expensive! The activity for the night was a toga party, beginning at the bar on campus, Don's, and ending in an afterparty at Bar East in Broadbeach. It was really funny to see everyone in their togas, dancing the night away. The return buses didn't come until 3:30am, which made for a very long (yet fun) night.  

Tuesday - Today was our official welcome to Bond. I could already tell this would be different from our St. Rose welcome back in freshmen year because one, it was held outside, and two, there was champagne served to everyone. Not to mention the fact that there were aboriginal performers dancing and playing the didgeridoo. Just hearing that instrument took me immediately back to sitting at the beach, listening to Barefoot. It's amazing what one sound can do for you.

After this we all went to "Hypnotic Hysteria." It was definitely a good time, but for me once again it brought back memories of past events...especially because some of the things he did with the volunteers were exactly the same as the hypnotist who does the St. B's graduation parties every year. Really funny stuff.

Wednesday - We were able to save our meal points and get a free lunch during the first of many "Wednesdays by the Water." Basically, it was one huge Australian barbeque. And I mean HUGE. There was a line reminiscent of a busy summer day at Abbott's that lasted for the whole two hours this went on. I'm still not used to not having ketchup for my "hamburger" or "hot dog," but the bread/grilled onions combo is growing on me, I suppose.  That night we went to the Trivia and Comedy Night. Our team was appropriately called "The Damn Yanks." Although we didn't exactly dominate the competition, the 9 large Pizza Hut pizzas enjoyed by our 10-person table made the evening quite memorable. And Australian humor is quite different from American humor...Many of the jokes flew right over our heads, so they eventually gave up and just started saying sexual innuendos - something that the entire world understands.

Thursday - TIGHT AND BRIGHT PARTY. Apparently this is a huge tradition here at Bond. Basically everyone dresses up in the most ridiculous assortment of tightly-fitting, non-gender-appropriate, bright-as-a-summer's-day clothing and goes to Don's. We were well-prepared for this night, having some knowledge of it from people we talked to. It was an awesome time. The clothing seemed to take the edge off, and everyone was laughing and dancing by the end of the (very long) night at East.

Friday - This was a day of relaxation after the endless night before. Pretty sure we lounged around and did nothing all day.
Saturday - Beach Day :) We took 5 buses full of people to Broadbeach, an unbelievably beautiful strip of sand and water about 10 minutes away from Bond. The feeling of stepping onto the sand for the first time is something I can't even describe. It was soft, white sand that you rarely find on a New England beach, laced with the warmth from the sunshine. Plopping down and falling asleep to the sound of the mid-sized waves gently lapping against the shore could easily be likened to heaven for me. I knew at that instant I had made the right decision in coming to Australia. We enjoyed lunch in the marketplace/mall nearby, and what did I have, you ask? Fried seafood :) It was extremely interesting, they do not cut apart the sea scallops - you eat every part that is attached while they are in the water. It was a new experience for me, and after the first one I took to tearing them apart myself. When we got home last night, we were thoroughly exhausted.

Today - To celebrate the end of O-Week and the one-week anniversary of our arrival in Australia, we decided to go to the beach again. We went to Surfer's Paradise this time, a place renowned for their crystal clear water and white sandy beaches. It was gorgeous. It was also a total tourist trap, a place to be likened to the Jersey Shore with streets lined with kitchy souvenir shops and restaurants, shadowed by the tall hotels and apartments nearby. I loved it. Toward the end of our time there today, it started to get chilly, and I wrapped up in my sweatshirt. It reminded me of Maine when I was little, sitting at the beach on a cloudy day with the wildly crashing waves getting closer and closer.

Tomorrow we start classes, and I am so excited to see what they are like - will they be similar to St. Rose or completely different? Are they strict or lax with work? Will the teachers be nice? It will really feel like a true first day of school...and I cannot wait :)