April 4, 2009: Settling In April 4, 2009

Impressions of Australia

Living abroad, in a culture fairly similar to the States, has proven quite insightful in a short period of time. Although my surroundings are quite different, they are also very similar. For instance the architecture in the older sections of Sydney is quite European and downtown buildings could easily be relocated to Chicago. Or, hearing the tropical cockatoos squawk in the park, before walking past the various horse racing tracks that liter the city and could be planted in Kentucky. But I have to say, the people never cease to amaze me. They are friendly, kind, compassionate and extremely, EXTREMELY laid bad. For instance, the other day I was chatting with a local on my way to Coogee Beach about recent shark attacks at Bondi Beach. I told them it concerned me and they replied with, “Na, if a shark bites ya, just punch ‘em in da nose.” The best thing about it was he was serious.

Despite the fact that I no longer think Australians sound different, I don’t think I will adjust to their nonchalant attitude towards life, or death for that matter. The other day I was in the Department of Linguists getting a hard copy of a document I needed off of a bulletin board. As soon as I grabbed the sheet, a huntsman spider (think tarantula but slimmer and with longer legs) crawled down the wall next to my foot. My immediate reaction was to squeal like a five year old girl, followed by a little “there’s a huge spider on the floor dance”. To my horror, I realized I had an audience, of my future professors looking into what the commotion was outside their offices. I simply said, “There’s a spider.” They nodded as if to reply, “Yeah that’s Fred, our office pet. Now go away little girl so we can get some work done.”

Unfortunately, this was not a single incident with crawly creatures. I have encountered two cockroaches in my room; not your average cockroaches mind you, they are MASSIVE. Anyone who has ever lived with me knows that in situations like this, the only logical way of “taking care of” the bug is to have someone else do it for me. Since coincidently my wonderful roomie Deni (who will be discussed shortly in great detail) was not in the room I went to the closest door, explained my dilemma, and stood in the hallway watching my half Norwegian, half Thai neighbor capture and release (I personally believe it should have been killed) the disgusting varmint. Since having such close encounters with the super-species, I don’t even scream anymore when a beetle half the size of my fist flys into my face at a party, or if a bug that I can’t even describe decides to just hang out on the inside of the shower curtain while I’m trying to stay as far away from it as possible without touching the germ infested shower tile. Now, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about Australia or anything here. It is not that bad in the city, I have actually seen a picture of a spider so big it can consume a bird, so I suppose I can handle my “small” spiders, cockroaches and unidentifiable shower creatures.

Living in the International House

On a completely different note, I love living in the International House on campus. Sure, it’s not much to look at but everyone who lives here adds to the dynamics- I suppose that is the point. There are approximately 200 residents, and as I have recently learned as one of the new social coordinators in the house, there are 42 different countries represented within the house. When meeting someone I typically ask where they are from, discreetly write the location down on my hand and then refer to my world map next to my desk to figure out where the hell that particular place is located. Don’t laugh; I bet you didn’t know where Cyprus was on a map either.

Despite brushing up on my geography and picking up a few slang words in German or Arabic, the house has provide a great social avenue. There is always something going on, not that I have time to be distracted from my studies, but if I do procrastinate there are always people drinking on the roof which overlooks downtown, watching a movie on the projection screen or playing some ping pong. But all in all, the best thing about IH is my roommate, Deni. She is an Indian that is 20 years old, a nursing student, from Dubai who is pushing 4 foot 10 inches and she is freaking awesome. (That didn’t sound too much like a personal add, did it?) Although we look ridiculous when we are out together, we have a hell of a time, every time. We often joke that we could get married in Canada, although I would have to do some extensive research before taking that serious step.

My mild obsession with my roommate is quite enjoyable but there have been a few other people in the house that I have hit it off with as well. Since there are so many people in the house I have yet to hang out with everyone to extensively but there are a few I feel I get along with quite well. I just wrote out everyone’s names and countries of origin but figured it would be a boring read, so I decided spare you and deleted. Pretty much we are quite the eclectic crew and you never know what is going to be contributed to any conversation or social situation. The unpredictable nature has kept everything interesting.

One person I have to specifically mention is Megan “Skippy” Steffen. Skippy is also from Union (we have several mutual friends) and lived in IH with Deni exactly a year before I did. She just moved back at the New Year and is working here because she loved it so much. Needless to say, we get along quite well, it’s like we are the same person, just in two different bodies. Sometimes we just reminisce about home; bars we used to go to, restaurants we used to eat at and then we laugh and suggest cheap places to eat around campus to one another. The other day we shared an ICEE on the beach and it was glorious because it was the only place either of us had seen that sold them. The day was so random, I ran into a guy I knew from Georgetown outside of D.C. whom I had met in South Africa when I was visiting Steph. It really is a small world.

I know you all have been anxious to hear about a certain boy that I have been spending quite a bit of time with lately but I will keep it short and give you the basics. His name is Bjornar Lassen. (The only thing I can use the excuse of being an American is for my pronunciations of words, and specifically names. So, I know since my readership is essentially my family and friends, and I know you all equally suck at deciphering how the hell to pronounce his name I will make it easy- it is just like the name Fiona but replace the “f” with a “b”.) Now that we have that covered we can move on to the rest. He is a 22 year old environmental engineering postgraduate student from Norway, but he is half Thai so that rules out the Scandinavian blonde hair and blue eyes. We are quite enamored by one another but English as his second language can prove quite comical at times. Don’t get me wrong, he has been speaking English since he was 8 so he is extremely fluent; he is just not used to my American slang, but neither are Australians. I suppose they don’t teach Northern Kentucky slang in the curriculum in Norway; I can’t imagine why. Nevertheless, Bjornar and I always have a blast and that’s all that currently matters.

Generality—because I don’t feel like writing separate categories…

• Fall is here, supposedly. The weather is cooling down a bit, but nothing like the falls in Kentucky. We set back our clocks another hour so the short lived 15 hour time difference is now back to 16 hours.

• School is keeping me way too busy and interfering with my social life. I have submitted a few papers and am waiting to get them back and see how I did. The grading scale is different here, for the first week or so I kept wondering why all my professors were talking about how difficult it is to obtain a HD, which I interpreted as High Definition. I could not see how High Definition related to Communication in Professional Contexts whatsoever. I eventually discovered HD refers to High Distinction (100-85), D refers to Distinction-which the States should consider adopting (84-75), C is Credit (74-65), P is Pass (64-50) and below is fail.

• I saw an Outback steakhouse while on the bus the other day. I didn’t think they existed here, but sure enough they do.

• Speaking of busses, the bus system here is pretty ridiculous for the city being so large. The reasons are as follows: you have to hail them or they won’t stop, there are no signs in the busses of what the next stop is so you have to know or you miss your stop, busses tell their final destination on the front but some busses have limited stops so if you need to get off of a different stop on the route your screwed and last but not least they don’t have air-conditioning and the windows are never open. Thus, I frequently walk because I will get equally sweaty and smell just as bad if I ride the city bus than walk to my destination.

• I gave up chocolate. No not for lent, it would be seemingly pointless if that were the case with Easter only a week away. I have an addiction, so I am trying to gain control. I will never know what it is like to quit smoking, but quitting chocolate is a bitch. Or, maybe that is me without the chocolate. Either way, I have gone six days strong with a roommate that stockpiles it on her side of the room. The other day I caught myself staring at her Reese’s peanut butter cup, which I gave her, for a solid 2 minutes debating if I should quit my quitting and just eat the stupid thing. I didn’t. But I REALLY wanted to.

•I have yet to get a job. I would love one that would contribute to my resume, but unfortunately there is some financial crisis or something like that and for some reason people think American’s had something to do with it, so no one is hiring. Boo. I have been applying to jobs that I would never apply to with my qualifications at home and I cannot even tell you how depressing it is to be rejected from a company in which you were overqualified for in the first place. Nevertheless, the job hunt continues and I will (hopefully) conquer it.

On an End Note

It has been exactly 2 months since I have left Kentucky. Although I miss it, every day that passes has made Australia feel more like home. The people, my environment, sense of welcome and security have all contributed to this fact. Don’t worry, I am not forgetting about you all back in the States, if anything it has made me appreciate how special you all are to me and the roles you fill in my life. But, with 8 months still ahead, I have to fulfill these needs here as well. I am having an amazing time. I will try to update my blog at least once a month. Love and miss you all!!

February 23, 2008: Since Arrival February 23, 2009

My first blog since arriving to Australia. I realize the expectations are high and I aim not to disappoint. So, let me start from the beginning and try to keep it as brief as possible…

 

On the way there-

The flight itself was borderline mentally torturous. I drove down to Louisville, flew to Chicago, connected in San Francisco and then sat in a window seat for 14 sleepless hours.  Well worth it however if you want to come for a personal tour by no other than myself!!

 

Sydney-

Upon arrival in Sydney, I was greeted by Gemma, Rance, palm trees and 106 degree heat.  Although this was a pleasant transformation from the foot of snow I left at home, it was shocking- like running into a brick wall shocking. Turns out I arrived in the middle of the worst heat wave in 20 years. Anyway, the three of us spent 4 nights at a BEAUTIFUL 4 story home in North Sydney overlooking a bay full of luxurious yachts. The down side? It was with a family friend of Gemma and he was very much a 60 year-old confirmed bachelor. Not a creepy old man, but an old man set in his ways – like make you reload the dishwasher because the bowls go on the left and the cups go on the right side type of guy. With his character flaws aside, I had a blast with the girls. We visited downtown, Manly Beach, Darling Harbor, the Harbor Bridge, the Opera House, the Royal Botanical Gardens, a few bars (naturally) and caught up with a few Aussies that we had met in Europe.

 

Cairns-

From there I traveled up to Cairns to meet some American students that would be studying at the University of Sydney (or Uni as called here) while I am here as well.  If I thought Sydney was hot, Cairns was Sydney’s hotter sister. The humidity was so think I would walk out of the hostel 30 steps and have sweat rolling down my back at nine in the morning. Most of the American students, no I take that back, literally all of the American students that I met were only studying abroad for the semester. Pansies. So, although I met some great people, they are all going to leave in June…which leaves me 6 more months. Regardless of that fact, I had quite an enjoyable time in Queensland. We took a boat an hour and a half into open water on the Great Barrier Reef (an hour of that journey I think I was literally green from sea sickness) to go scuba diving and snorkeling. Aussies never cease to amaze me; that boat had at least 100 Americans on it, some of which may have never even been in the ocean, and they let us scuba dive with minimal instruction. No Worries Mate!! So, with no certification or formal training whatsoever, I dove into water to view the largest living organism in the world. After I got over how unnatural it was to breath 30 feet underwater, I started to relax and enjoy myself. I saw a clam about 5 feet long that snapped shut as I wove my hand over it, a huge sea turtle that surfaced next to me and naturally all of the beautiful coral. The only thing a little disappointing was that the water was a bit murky. This was due to all of the rain Queensland has gotten; they have received 2 years worth of rain within 6 weeks so flooding is a huge problem up North. The next day we went up into the rainforest. I pet a few kangaroos and joeys, they were sooo cute. I also held a kola bear, as cute as it was; it had some serious claws on it-almost talon like. Later in the day, the part I enjoyed the most, was watching the aborigines do war dances, throw spears and boomerangs. It was quite impressive the distance and accuracy that they had mastered; I threw a boomerang and it went about 50 yards without returning to me.

 

Melbourne/Mornington-

I left steamy Cairns and headed south to smoky Melbourne. As many of you are well aware, hundreds of Australians have lost their lives to the wild bushfires in the state of Victoria. Thousands more have lost their possessions, homes, neighborhoods and in some cases entire city. The aftermath has shown me how devoted Aussies are to one another with millions of dollars donated and thousands of volunteers helping people through this trying time. Melbourne, being only approximately 30 miles away from the fires, was covered in ash and smoke. Despite the unfortunate surrounding conditions, Gemma and Rance planed a surprise welcoming party where was able to put several faces to names and meet up with a few old friends from Europe. The party included a spiked slushy machine, Australian drinking games (in which I later discovered everyone was cheating, resulting in my intoxication) and an evening that did not end well into the next morning. Since there was not much we could do in the city due to the conditions, we drove an hour south to Gemma’s beach house in Mornington. The beaches were beautiful; Australians have it rough! Soaking up the sun one day and sailing in the bay another, it was quite a relaxing excursion.

 

Sydney Uni-

Since my arrival back into Sydney, most of my days have been filled with semi informative orientation sessions while mingling with other international students. I love the eclectic blend of people from all areas of the world with different backgrounds coming together to share the same unique experience of studying abroad. Some will only be here  a semester, while others are completing degree programs that take several years; but all will be able to say at one time in their lives they removed themselves from their comfort zone and embarked on a personal, educational and life altering growing journey. The University itself is quite large on a 72-hectare site (whatever that means…I think it translates as pretty damn big), with 50,000 students and 8 other satellite campuses around Sydney. It is quite beautiful as well, with architecture that is meant to resemble Oxford’s. I am residing in the International House in a dorm style room complete with cleaning every 2 weeks and 3 meals a day, 7 days a week- the trick is actually being here to eat them.  I am looking forward to classes to begin, maybe then it will all start to feel more real and that this is my life as oppose to looking into someone else’s through a foggy mirror.

 

A few random things that have occurred since my arrival:

For whatever the reason, Gemma and Rance loved the fact (and by loved I mean they told every Australian they introduced me to) that I had never used a kettle to make hot tea. I, like most other Americans I know, would just pop my water in the microwave—an appliance I have yet to use or see.  

Vegemite is AMAZING. The trick is to spread it thin on buttered bread.

My bank manager’s name is Candy Moon. I find myself questioning her place of employment late nights and weekends.

 

Until next time….

January 24, 2009: February Schedule January 28, 2009

I have had quite a few people ask me what I will be doing upon arrival in Australia, as a response my schedule is as follows:

February 4: 4pm fly out of Louisville
February 6: arrive in Sydney 8 am local time. Hang out with Gemma and Rance for the weekend
February 10: depart Sydney and arrive in Cairns at noon for an orientation with AustraLearn. This will include meeting other students from the States and Canada attending the University of Sydney while I will be attending. Activities include exploring the rainforests and snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef.
February 13: depart Cairns and arrive in Melbourne at midnight. Meet up with some friends from Europe trip for weekend.
February 17: depart Melbourne and arrive in Sydney at 5:45pm
February 18-19: Orientation for international, graduate students on campus
February 20: enroll in courses
February 21: move into International House
February 21-28: University Orientation
March 2: Lectures begin

So there you have it! I will try to keep everyone updated month to month. Love you all!!

January 16, 2009: Pre-departure January 28, 2009

19 days. That is how long until I depart for the land down under. After a year of preparation including research, meetings, phone calls, debates (both internal and external), and a handful of emotions; I am about to move to Australia to obtain my Masters degree in Crosscultural Communication. Am I excited? Yes, as well as anxious and nervous, but that is exactly why I am embarking on this journey.

Ever since I returned home from Europe, I knew something was different about me (as did most people close to me). I had become a travel junkie. It was not just the seeing the places I had studied in school in person, or meeting new people different from myself. It was not the sounds of foreign languages spoken in the markets, the distinct smell of hostels, or the taste of food freshly prepared that looked more like a piece of artwork rather than food. It was the sense of the unknown. It exhilarated me to discover what was around the next corner, who I would meet the next day and what I would learn from my experience abroad.

Although I enjoyed the each and every new stimulation to my senses, it was not until I returned home to my mundane routine and reflected upon my journals that I knew I had discovered a thirst that would drive me to the ends of the Earth, literally, to quench it. I have been to 15 countries and 3 continents the tender age of 22, yet I have not even begun to feel satisfied. However, I realize I have my entire life ahead of me and only look forward to what the future brings; the immediate future holds the University of Sydney. Residing and studying in Sydney will bring a slew of new adventures that I highly anticipate.

Until next time…