Monday, February 27, 2012

Things I Have Learned Thus Far in Australia

1. People are never in a hurry.

I hate this. I hate slow walkers and have constantly been weaving my way in and out and around sauntering Aussies. Aren't you trying to get somewhere? Also, beach time actually exists here. If someone wants to meet you at 10, come at 10:30. If the bus says it will come at 9:00, it could come at 9:00, could be 9:10, might just not come, whatever it feels like.

2. Make sure you plug your American hair dryer into a converter before you plug it into the wall.

The first time, I did remember this, the second time, I did not. I plugged my my hair dryer into the wall and a firework came out. Literal sparks and flames and a loud pop-a firework. Needless to say, I will NOT be forgetting the converter again.

3. Look left, right, left when crossing the street.

People drive on the other side of the road here. The first time I was on a bus here I didn't realize this and legitimately thought the bus was going to crash into the cars when it turned the corner-it was terrifying. Although I am a bit more comfortable with this now, I still can't master which way to look when crossing the street and have seen my life flash before my eyes several times... You also have to learn to walk on the other side of the sidewalk and the stairs, etc. too. It's weird and probably something I will never quite be one hundred percent used to.

4. Don't eat at India Jewels.

I was so hungry and it was the only place open on campus on a Sunday, so I ate there. I spent the entire next day in bed with food poisoning. All I have to say is, thank god we got our toilet fixed a few days ago or things would have gotten real awkward real fast... This was the first and hopefully only day I can say was pretty miserable in Sydney.

5. Always wear tennis shoes.

You walk EVERYWHERE. UPHILL. ALL DAY LONG. I have blisters galore and an incredibly toned lower body now.

6. However, don't wear flip flops or tennis shoes when you go out.

You are not allowed into any club with this type of footwear and you WILL be turned away.

7. Don't ask for food "to go."

The response will be, "to go where...?" The correct terminology is take away. You are required to ask for your food for take away as soon as you order it. You cannot consume half of your meal and then ask to take half home. That doesn't fly here.

8. Don't tip.

Tipping doesn't exist here. Also, customer service doesn't exist here. Tax is included in the price. So you pay what you see, which is nice in a way.

9. Learn to deal with cockroaches.

They are everywhere. Seal your food up, kill them if you see them, and stop freaking out. Unless I see one in my bedroom... Then I think I have permission to freak out.

10. Don't pack jewelry, make up, or a straightener when you come to Australia.

You won't use them. I laugh now at the amount of unnecessary things I packed. For example, a peacoat. Not sure when I was planning on wearing that.. It is so casual at the beach and you are always so busy that you don't have time or need to wear or use these things. There are certain going out areas that are very fancy, but for the most part, I've been rocking the tank top, denim shorts, flip flops, wet beach wave hair, no make up look, and loving it. I love the Australian style of dress, and I can't wait to go shopping one of these days!



More lingo (I swear I learn more everyday.. it is almost a different language!):

sheila: female
keen: interested
heaps: a lot of
take away: take out
toilet: bathroom/restroom
shopping center: mall
diary: planner
stationary: paper
'stralia: Australia

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Kangaroos and Koalas

Yesterday my program took a day trip to the Featherdale Wildlife Park and the Blue Mountains.

Featherdale Wildlife Park was so amazing. It was basically an interactive zoo with kangaroos just freely roaming around. We got to take pictures with and pet the koala bears. They almost looked fake they were so perfect and soft. Don't let that fool you-they can be very vicious. We heard the koala call from one angry bear and I think it sounded like a pterodactyl would have back in the day. Next time you see me, you can ask me to imitate it. I think I've nailed it. It is actually illegal in the state of New South Wales to hold a koala bear, but in every other state you can, so we plan on doing that when we go up to Cairns for our spring break field trip. Other animals at the park included kangaroos, wallabies, pelicans, wombats, tasmanian devils, crocodiles, you know, just your average every day animals.









Next we headed to the Blue Mountains. Although it is 3 hours from where we live, it was definitely worth it. We had lunch at the scenic world buffet. The dining room is on a spinning platform that slowly rotates around so you can get panoramic views of the blue mountains the entire time-gorgeous. I tried vegemite for the first time. Safe to say I will not be doing that ever again, but it had to be done. We got in a tram to go down to the hiking area after lunch. It is the steepest angled tram in the world (52 degrees). Thank god it went slowly because otherwise it would have been a six flags ride. Since we were with a group of 80 from my program, we couldn't really do a hike, so we just walked to the base of the waterfall and then took the tram back up (which by the way, goes in reverse-even scarier). If I went again, I would want to do the 12 mile hike throughout the mountains. You can also camp for a week out in the mountains as well which sounded cool. There was also a modern art exhibit going on in the forest, which I thought was super weird. In the middle of the rain forest there would be an awkward piece of tacky colored modern art. I thought it really took away from the natural beauty, but it was an interesting idea I suppose. The three peaks in the far left of the picture below are called the three sisters, which made me laugh a bit thinking about the three sisters mountains back home in Oregon. Couldn't be more different, but both amazing. The blue mountains were, indeed, blue and definitely a must see stop.





Other random thoughts running through my mind... :

1. The Australian people are SO friendly-I love it! Some girls and I were on the bus to Bondi for dinner one night, and a 22 year old student from University of Sydney tapped us on the shoulder. She is an American political studies major and heard our American accent and wanted to hear our perspective on the American political system and the upcoming election. She was so passionate about her major, which was refreshing to hear. She is going to use some of our quotes for an essay she is writing. Since politics is my least favorite thing in the world to talk, about I didn't do much of the talking (I know-a first), but she gave us her number and wants to do lunch and show us around Sydney sometime! Also, I was walking home from campus today and happened to be walking next to a post-grad student who struck up a conversation. She is getting her masters in secondary education at UNSW, so we had a great chat down to the beach. I love getting tips on what to do and what to see from the locals. People did not lie, Australians do love Americans! They love their country and just can't wait to share it with us.

2. Apparently Australians think it is hilarious that Americans wear Ugg boots around when it is cold outside. Fun fact: Uggs are surf shoes. Surfers' feet are freezing when they get out of the water since they aren't covered by the wetsuit, so they need a way to warm them up. Enter- Uggs. They were designed for this purpose and work great because they don't get destroyed by the sand. Good thing I learned this now before I showed up to class wearing them in a few months. Idiot American strikes again.

3. Another fun fact: the ozone layer has a hole in it right above Sydney. Sydney has some of the most intense sunlight and UV rays in the whole world. Best way to spot a study abroad student in Sydney-look for the bright red tomato walking around. I normally never wear sunscreen. Huge mistake. I paid the price and burned to a crisp the first few days. I literally had an exact outline of my swimsuit on my body outlined in red. I also had a nice line down my cheek that divided pale skin and red skin, where I clearly missed putting sunscreen. Whoops. I have learned my lesson and been applying 30 (yes-I am wearing 30) everyday. My sunburn is fading and finally turning into a nice tan. Phew.


4. Other lingo I have picked up on so far:

thongs: flip flops
bubbler: drinking fountain
uni: college
chemist: pharmacy
trolley: shopping cart

Friday, February 24, 2012

The number of students that go to UNSW is almost twice the population of Lake Oswego...



I go to UNSW (University of New South Wales) in Sydney, and it has over 50,000 students. I have never felt like more of a small town girl than when I first walked on campus. The tour was 2 hours long and included a rest break because campus is that enormous. I have about zero idea how to find any of my classes, even after the tour. One of my classes is in Old Main Building, which is known as the most confusing building on campus. Most students are around 45 minutes late to their first class in that building. Perfect. I think my stress level will decrease immensely by living off campus so I don't have to constantly walk around confused. 

They apparently won the award for the best orientation week, and I can see why. Hundreds of tents have been set up of the different clubs and societies on campus. It looks like a huge musical festival or something is on campus. The clubs range from wakeboard club to exotic beer testing club to latin dance club to underwater rugby club-literally EVERYTHING.

The gym is really expensive to join (just like everything else in Australia), about $100 a month. So I have been doing beach walks/runs lately. I was shocked to discover how expensive everything is, between paying for internet, bus passes, food, drinks, it is crazy. No meal is ever less than $20 unfortunately. I guess I will need to learn how to cook! 

Apparently it is rude to bring your laptop to class, although it is normal to not wear shoes and call your professor by their first name? I am really curious to see how classes run here. I only have class Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, so a 4 day weekend will be perfect for traveling! It will be strange being in such large lecture halls instead of the small classes of only 30 students at SMU. The grading scale is also interesting. A 50 is passing (equivalent to a C) and an 80 I think is an A- or something like that. The campus also has 2 bars on it, which is another strange difference compared to SMU. The drinking age is 18 here so alcohol is no big deal. People just sit outside at the bar and have beers during the afternoon, so that was weird seeing that walking around campus. Many differences, but necessarily bad ones! It will just take some time getting used to. Excited for classes to start Tuesday, but nervous since I have been out of school for so long. I am most excited for the course I am taking called Indigenous Australians. I will really get a feel for the culture I hope by the end and learn somethings I probably would not have otherwise. Wish me luck!






Yes, I live on Beach Street

I asked to put my name on the waiting list to move from on campus to off campus, and it was definitely worth it. After a few very sweaty hours of schlepping my stuff out of my room, into a cab, and up the stairs to my new apartment, I pretty much collapsed. It was an exhausting day, but I am so much happier here and definitely do not regret my decision. Sometimes you just need to stick with your gut and go for it. My roommates are two girls from New York and one from Canada. I have a single room, the two NY girls share a room, and the girl from Canada has a single room as well. I felt like I was sleeping on heaven last night. My bed is SO comfortable compared to the rock I was sleeping on-and BONUS-my sheets now fit!! The community feeling is so much nicer here. We all hang out in the living room together, and there are tons of other study abroad kids right around us to hang out with. The disadvantage is that I am not on campus anymore, so I will have to take a bus to school. But I only have class 3 days a week and it is only a ten minute bus ride. You pay the price to have an apartment with an ocean front view I suppose. I will have to make a bit more of an effort to get involved on campus and/or meet Australians, but I am not too worried about that! I went for a run today along the coast line and just could NOT believe this is where I am living. I can walk out my door and go to the beach for the day if I want. I am in shorts and a tank top, in FEBRUARY. Coogee Beach town has so many little shops and restaurants around, so it is definitely a fun place to be. I could not be any happier. The girl who moved out of this room, whose pretentious Arizona sorority girl self claimed it was "unlivable," is my new favorite person. This place is pretty much the opposite of unlivable. I mean, it's on Beach Street. How can you complain about that?











Wednesday, February 22, 2012

That's a bit dodgy...

Aussie slang we have learned thus far:

dodgy: sketchy
root: sex
sunnies: sunglasses
mozzie: mosquito
bogan: redneck
pash: kiss
crack onto: hit on/flirt with
lippy: lipstick
pissed: drunk
arvo: afternoon
g'day mate: hello
cheers: goodbye
no worries: my pleasure
barbie: barbeque
brekkie: breakfast
dag: a goofball
reckon: think
mexican: a person from south of the NSW border
rego: vehicle registration
sickie: playing hooky
she'll be right: it will be okay
middy: smallest size of beer to order at a bar

So, are you from America?

If I only had a dime for every time I have been asked that question... Apparently I stick out like a sore thumb. Must be a combination of the deer in the headlight eyes and the hundreds of questions I ask. But, I have decided to embrace my American stupidity (and sometimes use it to my advantage to get free bus tickets/food/etc...).

Inhale. Exhale. Wow-I really need to stop for a moment and breathe. What a whirlwind experience so far! My flight from LAX to Sydney was a super short 15 hours that was filled with exactly two movies, two meals, and one Ambien. I got in the two hour line for customs, which is where the deer in the headlight eyes first developed. It was humid, crowded, and filled with so many people speaking different languages with different accents. I finally made it through and arrived at baggage claim, with the other 600 people on my flight. A fellow study abroad student came up to me and asked if I was with IES (I guess the dead give away was the amount of luggage I had and the way I looked around wondering where the HELL I was) and helped me gather my belongings. After having our bags sniffed by the dogs, we FINALLY made it to the IES representative where we met several other study abroad students. We had a bit of time to kill, so a few of us went over to the Vodaphone counter and purchased an Australian phone. I would say it is a step below my very first brick Nokia cell phone from about ten years ago. I doesn't have internet capabilities or T9 (so it's really high tech...). You have to re-purchase minutes once a month at a Vodaphone store. After getting phones, six of us got in a van and were driven to our appropriate housing accommodations. Most of the people in my program are living in houses on Coogee Beach, but I got put on campus. So, I was the first one to be dropped off. As soon as I walked into my empty apartment, reality set in. I was in a foreign country, by myself, without knowing a single person (other than the few minutes I spent in the van with the other kids), in a completely empty room (no bedding or anything), and no idea how to get around or what I was supposed to do. So naturally I was incredibly overwhelmed, because as you all know, I like to have a plan and know what is going on in my life. A mutual friend from SMU told me about a girl studying with my program too, so we had been in touch before we got to Australia. We were both in the same boat of utter shock and confusion, so we met up and made a trek to Target.

Needless to say, that was an adventure in itself. I learned you can't buy a bus pass on a bus. You have to get one at a connivence store (logical??). Then I had to figure out which bus to take, which stop to get off at, which street her house was on, all without any sort of map. Hence why I looked like the idiot American. I somehow made it to her house on the beach, and we proceeded to find which bus would take us to the Target. I got the wrong type of bedding ("single" sheets instead of "king single"), so I am currently using my flat sheet as the one covering my mattress and the fitted sheet as my sheet. I tuck my feet in the bottom and kinda wrap it around my body, which weirdly is just going to have to work! Got a pillow and thin blanket as well, so I calmed down a bit knowing I could at least sleep in a bed that night. Our program went on a dinner cruise on the harbor where the Sydney Opera House is that night. Everyone was so exhausted from flying in that morning and overwhelmed from trying to figure out their lives, so everyone was moving purely on adrenaline. There are 80 kids total, studying at UNSW, University of Sydney, and Macquarie University, and they are all such awesome kids! Meeting and hanging out with everyone on the boat was a blast. Seeing the Opera House and Luna Park and the Harbor Bridge for the first time was when my mind finally stopped running in over drive and just really took in the gorgeous place that I am in. I slept like a baby that night, without hardly noticing how uncomfortable and pathetic my bed was.

I live in the UNSW Village on campus apartments. I have 4 flat mates, each of us with single rooms, and a kitchen and living room and two bathrooms. My flat mates are from Italy, Indonesia, Sweden, and Australia-a crazy modge podge of international students essentially. The flat is fairly bare and not exactly cozy, but I love having a single room since I have never had one during college. The whole food situation shall be interesting considering my lack of cooking skills... Thank god for all the free food during orientation week on campus this week.

Now that I have finally settled in and unpacked, I am really enjoying it here! There are a lot of other study abroad students through other programs that also live in my village that I have met, which is a ton of fun. I am loving meeting all these people from different walks of life. It is like freshman year of college all over again in a way. I have gone to the beach pretty much every day, since it is less than a 10 minute bus ride, which is definitely my favorite part of this university. You really can't beat that. I can't believe I left home almost a week ago. Its crazy how much has changed since then. The feelings of utter isolation, shock, confusion, and loneliness have immensely dissipated, and I finally feel at ease, capable, confident, independent, and so so happy! I am absolutely in love with this city and can't wait for the semester to get going!! It is going to be the experience of a lifetime, I can already tell.