Australian Shenanigans

OI! So today is Monday May 28th which means I leave Australia...

Mon, 28 May 2012 01:24:00 -0400

Awesome Monkey

Flinders Street Station

OI! So today is Monday May 28th which means I leave Australia exactly three weeks from today which is pretty crazy. I feel like I just got here last week and I can’t believe how fast time has blown by. This is the last week of classes (thank god) because I really did not enjoy how their education system is set up at this University. It’s not that it was bad it was just different from what I was used to in Oswego and I look forward to getting back to that. It is also very hard to get extra help here and setting up a meeting with a professor is quite the obstacle. Office hours are not a thing here. Also, I’m getting really sick of my Research Methods class so the sooner I never have to learn anymore about statistics in Psychology the better. I’m pretty anxious for my first final though which I take a lot sooner than I would originally have to so I can get home a little earlier. My last week here will be full of studying, packing, and goodbyes. And to make things worse my flight is at 6 in the morning…woof.

So since I returned from Bali, I’ve basically been exploring Melbourne a little more. Going to AFL games, scoping out new bars, and stuff like that. Unfortunately, the weather has taken quite the turn here as Australia is almost in the middle of winter so it can get pretty cold here. However, this is nothing compared to a NY winter and I’m thankful for that. They say Melbourne sees at least three of the seasons every day which I’ve found to be pretty true. I wake up and the sun is out, by the afternoon it’s cloudy and cold, and then it will rain until it gets dark out. I can’t complain though because it’s still warm by East Coast standards. I do look forward to landing in the US to be greeted by summer though!

So I have four more days of classes and I also have Glenn Ball this week which might as well be prom for these Australians, except everyone is of age so there’s an open bar and a massive after party. It should be a pretty good time but I’m stressed trying to get everything done before then. The ball is on Thursday and then early Saturday morning I leave for Cairns! Great weather, the Great Barrier Reef, Drunk Aboriginals- it should be a blast! We’re only staying for three nights but we’re trying to cram as many activities into those four days as we can. I will be sure to post some photos from that trip as soon as I can but everyday here seems to be flying by. I feel like I wake up and before I know it I’m waking up again and it’s the next day. Leaving will be rough!

I know this is a short one but I thought I’d keep anyone still reading updated. Stay tuned! (also here’s some random pics…)

Greetings everybody and once again I have to apologize because I...

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 01:43:00 -0400

Greetings everybody and once again I have to apologize because I know how overdue this post is but being in a different country can be a little distracting sometimes. However, I just thought I should tell you all about Bali which was an incredible experience. In case anyone doesn’t already know, Bali is a tiny Island in Indonesia and it’s super tropical and super cheap- so it’s totally a win-win. It’s been about two weeks since I’ve returned from my 9 day vacation during a vacation but I will try my best to paint an accurate picture of how fun our travels were. Myself and 10 others went to Bali during what La Trobe calls a Mid- Semester Break which is basically when they give you a week off for Easter. So, after a pretty great Easter dinner the 11 of us left at about 3 in the morning to catch a plane at 6:30 am to Denpasar, Bali.

We decided to split our time in Bali so our first five days we stayed in Kuta which happens to be a very touristy spot full of markets, bars, clubs, restaurants, beaches, and everything else you would imagine doing on a vacation. It is also a very populated area so you constantly have to make sure you didn’t loose your friends or you’re not about to get run over by the hundreds of motor bikes whizzing past you at every second. The Balinese men and women who run the markets are very intense which makes shopping and bartering quite the experience. They are extremely persistent and if you show even the mildest interest in something they are selling they will bug you relentlessly, insisting they will give you the best price even though their starting price is always astronomical. Bartering is a lot of fun and the feeling of accomplishment you get when you buy something for next to nothing isn’t so bad either. However, when four dudes are following you down the street trying to sell you fake Ray-Bans it can get overwhelming. We did a lot while we were in Kuta with the help of personal drivers that you can rent for the day. From elephant riding and holding baby Orangatangues to parasailing and snorkeling, we were able to travel around the island quite a bit and there are so many things to see. We saw some unbelievable temples and ate some incredible food all for so little money it seems unfair. $7 full body massages for an hour, $2 haircut, three course meals and a couple beers for less than $10, $0.50 shots…the list goes on and on. It felt like we were living like royalty while we were there.

The way of life there is very different. It felt like there were barely any laws and from what we were told the police were very corrupt. Besides facing the death penalty for possession of Marijuana, all other laws seem very relaxed especially if the police are constantly accepting bribes. When you see magic mushroom shops on every corner, you know something must be very different about the way they do things. However, I don’t mean to say that it was an unsafe place. I never felt as though I wouldn’t make it somewhere okay and luckily when you’re in a large group like we were, you have people to watch your back. We had heard some sketchy stories about internationals traveling in Bali but those people must have made some pretty poor decisions because we managed just fine. It was actually very surprising how nice and accommodating the locals were to us. Everyone assumed we were all Australian since it’s so close. In fact one night we had been surfing as the sun went down and I had misplaced my shoes. Assuming that someone had stolen them I walked down the beach to find a Balinese man pointing to a spot and since he didn’t speak any English I honestly assumed he was trying to sell us drugs. But he was pointing to where my shoes were as if he had been waiting for me to come find them- pretty incredible. We spent the rest of our time in Kuta exploring, finding secluded beaches, eating way too much good food, surfing, and everything else Kuta had to offer.

For our last three days or so we traveled to Candidasa which was a much more relaxed village consisting of basically one main street. We stayed at the Nirwana Resort and Spa which was five stars from about $20 a night. This place was unbelievable- canopy beds, free massages, an infinity pool overlooking the ocean, incredible service, and sunshine. Over the course of those three days we relaxed professionally by the pool most days and continued to enjoy the food and the scenery. We did a little shopping and some exploring of the village which didn’t hold too much. We did, however, wake up at 2am one night and drove about an hour to Mt. Butar- one of Bali’s active volcanoes. We hiked to the top in the dark just in time to catch the sun rising which I think was probably the most incredible experience of the whole trip. It was a pretty amazing sight to see and once the sun was up you could seem a lot more beauty that I don’t think can be captured by a camera. Since we were all so exaughsted at this point we spent the rest of the day relaxing at the resort. The next day we kicked it at White Sand Beach and then our driver took us to the airport to fly back to Melbourne.

It was such an incredible 9 days and I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to go. I hope to go back someday and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to go somewhere tropical and live like a King/Queen. Here are a few pictures from the trip and of course you can check out Facebook for more. The time is really flying by here! I’m starting to realize I don’t have much left which is a little scary to think about. What’s good though is that I can look forward to another summer on Lake George with some great people but saying goodbye to all the people I’ve met here should prove to be quite the challenge. No point in thinking of that quite yet though- I still have the month of May to live it up! I have already booked one more trip to Cairns in June- I obviously can’t go home without seeing the Great Barrier Reef right? Stay tuned!

Tasmania was pretty unbelievable! Myself and eleven others...

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 02:34:32 -0400

Tasmania was pretty unbelievable! Myself and eleven others spent five days in the land way down under, four of which were spent in camper vans driving around the beautiful country side. We left Melbourne on Thursday night and spent the night in the city of Hobart which was pretty dead for some reason. We managed to find some bars both of which were pretty empty. The next day we awoke and drove to Port Arthur which is a granary converted into a prison. After a half hour cruise around the harbor and a self guided tour through all the old buildings (which are apparently haunted), we made our way to Tasman National Park where we would be camping out for the night. We all had pitched in for food so we made a huge pasta dinner, a fire, and brought out the boxed wine.

The next day we drove back to Hobart to check out the Salamanca Market which was pretty similar to the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne but about twenty times smaller. We then made our way to yet another national park to spend the night (the name of which I can’t seem to remember). When we awoke the next day after yet another night of camp firing and chasing Wallabies we walked through the parks trails and checked out the scenery which was mostly green everywhere. We spent the remainder of the day cleaning the camper vans which is a lot harder then it sounds and driving to various lookout spots, none of which disappointed any of us. We made our way back to Hobart and slept in a parking lot overlooking the entire city. This was awesome for several reasons: We still had goon left, the view was spectacular, and it didn’t cost anything. Finally, on the last day after yet another morning of heavy duty cleaning we made our way up Mount Wellington. Unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to hike it since we had to return our camper vans and catch a flight back home but we were able to drive to the top and check out the sights which were impressive to say the least. It was almost as if everything we had seen the past five days could all be seen at once from the top of this mountain. The pictures can’t really do justice to all the crazy sights we saw.

It’s funny because when I would tell an Australian that we were going to Tasmania for the weekend they seemed shocked. No one understood why we would want to visit there which made me think that it wasn’t that cool. Kind of like how no one just chooses to go on a vacation in Kansas. However, I don’t think these Australians were in the right places of Tasmania because I’m starting to think it is the most beautiful part of Australia I have seen thus far. It was such a phenomenal weekend with really phenomenal people. Everything went really smoothly and I have to give a shout out to my boy Jake Cohen for planning the entire trip. It wouldn’t have been much of anything without him. I’ve learned that when you’re traveling around with eleven other people in some pretty small spaces, nothing is held back. What happened in Tasmania definitely stayed there.

I LEAVE FOR BALI IN 5 DAYS! Time is flying by here! It feels like I’m constantly going on mini vacations within one giant vacation. I’m pretty sure the day that I’m back in Oswego taking a full course load will never come. I’ll post some pictures from Tasmania but check Facebook for even more. Stay tuned for Bali!

Life is still fantastic! I’ve had a lot of complaints that...

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 03:00:00 -0400

Small section of La Trobe's campus

The Library in Melbourne

Life is still fantastic! I’ve had a lot of complaints that I don’t post on this thing enough which may be true but time is going by so fast here that I don’t even notice the time lapses. I can’t believe it’s almost the end of March and let me tell you April is going to be absolutely insane! So after Sydney life died down a little bit but not by much. I’m still attending my classes which seem to be going well and the work load here is NOTHING compared to what it would be at home. So far, I’ve only had to write two papers each of 500 words- so I guess you would call them essays? Either so they were actually semi enjoyable to write since I haven’t had to do any work in months.

Every week here seems to be a blur- there’s a week of classes and the weekend (most of which have been spent galavanting through the city- and before I know it it’s Monday again. I’ve been doing a pretty decent job of saving money though but everyone is constantly making plans to do something new and crazy every weekend which clearly will involve some spending. Last week I whipped up a quick resume and handed a bunch out to some places that were hiring. Most of them were in the food industry. A friend actually recommended me to her boss at some hotel restaurant nearby so I emailed him my resume so hopefully that will work out. Minimum wage here is a lot higher to compensate for the insane prices so I could be making about $22 an hour and $28 on Sundays! But first I need to be hired…

My Birthday was last Tuesday and it was a blast. On Tuesdays everyone goes to a bar called Stolbergs so it being my birthday made it a special occasion of sorts. Needless to say the next day was a struggle for everyone involved. I also had two birthdays in a way since it was the 13th here before it was in America so Facebook really made it seem like the whole day happened twice which I really didn’t mind. The following Saturday was St. Patricks Day which everyone seems to celebrate just as much as they do back home. Since most students at La Trobe go home on the weekend, we spent the day in the city going from bar to bar. I found a pretty sweet St. Patty’s Day hat in the street which I’ll definitely be bringing home with me.

So I have this weekend coming up and then another week of classes and then on Thursday night myself and eleven others leave for a trip to Tasmania. We are renting two six person camper vans and basically just driving around the island to do some hiking, sight seeing, and whatnot. I’m pretty pumped since Tasmania was my first choice to study but since I’ve gotten here I’ve learned that Tasmania is more of a place you want to visit, not live. From what I can see on the internet is looks like some beautiful country. I need to buy a new memory card for my camera so I can share some photos!

What is even crazier is that once I get back from Tasmania, a week later we leave for 8 crazy days in Bali. I honestly cannot wait for that- 8 days of sun, cheap food, cheap drinks, parasailing, elephants, and who knows what else. It’s unreal the life I am living these days. If someone came up to me 10 years ago and told me that I’d be spending a semester in Australia and come Easter I’ll be visiting Indonesia for eight days, I would tell them they had the wrong chap. Once again I’ll just share some random pictures since a post with nothing to look at is a little dull. I’ll be sure to post again after Tasmania and I appreciate you if you’re reading!

SYDNEY WAS WILD! It was probably one of the craziest weekends...

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 20:04:00 -0500

SYDNEY WAS WILD! It was probably one of the craziest weekends I’ve ever had as well as the most sleep deprived. We left Thursday night for a 12 hour long bus ride which was hell and for some reason we thought it would be a good idea to drink boxed wine to celebrate a friend’s birthday. However, as a result, we arrived in Sydney around 8 the next morning extremely hungover. We soldiered on and explored the city for most of the morning/afternoon. However, it rained most of the day which made things a little more difficult. We got to see the Opera House as well as climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge but it just wasn’t too enjoyable when you’re head is pounding and your clothes and shoes are soaked to their very core. Not so surprisingly, once the city tour was over we all headed back to our hostel to shower and sleep. That night we were to go on a four hour booze cruise around the harbor. The theme was pirates and wenches and the alcohol had already been paid for by the trip so you can imagine how much fun we all had. The city was really beautiful at night and luckily the rain had stopped enough for some pictures. Once the boat was back on shore we all went to the bars of our choice and continued the fun.

The next day we awoke way earlier then we should have to another rainy day. We were supposed to go on a tour of the Blue Mountains and the Three Sisters which is supposedly the Australia’s Grand Canyon. However, the tour wasn’t so great because it was so rainy that the fog covered up most of the beauty to be seen. That’s fine though because we got some lunch and I tried my first Kangaroo burger- a little chewy for my taste but delicious all the same. I never thought I would eat a kangaroo before I saw one but never say never I suppose. After two hours we arrived back at the hostel and just kicked back until it was time to start drinking and head to a bar and wait for the Mardi Gras parade to begin. The parade was pretty crazy and something none of us were used to by a long shot. In Australia they treat Mardi Gras as gay pride so the streets were full of eccentrically dressed people- some of which it was difficult to identify their gender. But they were all super friendly and we watched the parade (somewhat in the rain and somewhat out.) Some of the stuff I saw that night would definitely offend a lot of people in some ways. However, this is the one day of the year that homosexuals can act in any way they choose without any social implications so everyone involved were in high spirits. When the parade was over we all did the same as the night before- bar hopping. The next morning we finally woke up to sunshine which was fantastic since it was beach day. We took a ferry to Manly Beach and Shelly Beach which was really beautiful and we were able to explore and swim. When we took the ferry back we got the most amazing views of the Opera House and the Bridge as well as the city as a whole. It is crazy what a difference nice weather can make when looking at something so iconic as Sydney. Afterwards, we went to Bondi Beach which is famous in Australia for starting surfing and there is even a reality show about that beach about the lifeguards. One of our tour guides actually lived right off the beach and invited us all up for a couple beers which was awesome. His house literally overlooked the beach which is great for him since he’s an avid surfer. We grabbed dinner and then got back on the bus for a treacherous ride back to Melbourne.

I finally got back to my room at La Trobe around 8:30 the next morning and passed out until about 3 in the afternoon. It was an unforgettable weekend and I definitely want to try and make it back to Sydney. This week everyone is trying to figure out plans for Spring Break so I will let you know what the final verdict is. This Friday is my buddy’s 21st so we should all be going to the city for the weekend to celebrate even if it is a little less special in a country where the drinking age is 18. It also hit me the other day my birthday is coming up very soon but it doesn’t even phase me. It has felt like my birthday since I left the airport in Albany. Here’s a couple photos from the weekend but I don’t think my words or the photos can do it justice. I posted a bunch more on Facebook!

I finally started classes this week and so far so good....

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 01:21:00 -0500

I finally started classes this week and so far so good. Enrolling for classes here was probably the most frustrating process I’ve ever been apart of. At Oswego, I’m used to just going online and picking my classes without any problems. However, they don’t make it that easy here. There was a long process of waiting in lines and talking to different faculty members. One professor didn’t even believe I was really a Psychology major when I asked to be added to one of his classes. It all worked out in the end though and I’m officially in two Psych classes and one Legal Studies class. La Trobe University sets up their classes differently too. You have lectures for every class which aren’t mandatory to attend because they put the powerpoints online and even record every lecture and put them online as well. Then you have Tutorials for every class that meet every other week which is much smaller groups and are mandatory- if you don’t attend at least 75% of the tutorials you pretty much automatically fail. So my week is as follows: Mondays I have no classes, Tuesdays I have five hours of lecture, Wednesdays I have 3 hours of tutorials (every other week), Thursdays I have 2 hours of tutorials (every other week), and Fridays I just have a one hour lecture. I’m pretty happy with how everything worked out but I feel so lazy having so much free time during the week. Hopefully I’ll use that time to my advantage and pull out as many A’s as possible especially since these grades actually count into my GPA at Oswego.

I’m pretty pumped because I leave tomorrow night for a trip to Sydney with basically every international on campus. It’s like a 9 hour bus ride so that will be a little tedious but it will be so worth it for all the stuff we’re doing. I’m going through Extreme Adventures which is the same company that took us on the Great Ocean Road trip. It should be pretty insane given how much there is to do. Apparently it’s Mardi Gras weekend over there so that should be interesting to say the least. Here is the trip intinerary in case you’re curious: http://extremeadventures.com.au/itinerary.jsp?tripId=21 and I’ll certainly post some pictures when I return.

People are also already talking about Spring Break and there are so many places to go it’s overwhelming. Extreme Adventures has two amazing trips. One goes to New Zealand and another one goes all over the East coast of Australia starting in Brisbane and ending in Cairns. There’s even talk of people going to Fiji, Bali, and Thailand. Everything is so close and I want to do it all because who knows if I’ll ever be in this part of the world again. I mean, I can’t leave Australia without seeing the Great Barrier Reef right? But at the same time how can I not experience Thailand or New Zealand while I’m here. This would be another instance why Apparating would be so useful especially since traveling is far from cheap. There’s too many choices and I obviously can’t do everything and I’ll have to make some kind of decision soon- I just wish it was an easier decision or one that someone would make for me. I guess the bright side is that I can’t make a wrong decision since everything sounds so awesome!

I appreciate that you’re reading this right now and if you are know that you’re missed. I don’t think I’ve completely made the adjustment of moving to another country quite yet. In the back of my mind I still think that I’m coming home soon but I know time will fly. I just added random pictures to this post because it looked a little plain with text only. I guess stay tuned and I apologize if my posts seem irregular but I still have months to go!

So I apologize for not posting more but this past week...

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 22:57:22 -0500

So I apologize for not posting more but this past week wasn’t too eventful. I was mostly doing orientation type things that isn’t that thrilling. Luckily, I was able to enroll in all the classes I wanted to and as of right now (assuming that I don’t have to add a fourth class), I have Mondays free and only a one hour class on Friday afternoons so I’m pleased. On Saturday all of the first year students arrived so the school has started what is called O-Week which is basically a week long freshman orientation. I’m not liking that as much as they are since I feel like I’m starting my freshman year all over again but luckily the International students can pick and choose what to attend and what not to. So I’m living with five other first year students which is amusing because they think I’m some kind of American/Australian college guru with all the wisdom one needs to know to get through a college career. They’re nice guys though and tonight there is a giant pub crawl that Glenn College goes on so that should be fun. I’m trying so very hard to save money here but they are making it so impossible and since I know my Mom is reading this I don’t want her to think I’m just spending on whatever I please. I promise that’s not the case.

Yesterday myself and a handful of other internationals went into the city of Melbourne to explore. I’ve found that the best way to figure how to get around somewhere is to just wing it and hope you don’t get lost along the way. The tram system here is pretty easy to figure out though and it runs throughout the whole city. It’s pretty cheap too; since I’m an exchange student I can get concession prices so an all day ticket costs about $4. So from La Trobe to the heart of the city is about a 30 minute tram ride depending on how many stops need to be made and how much traffic there is which is usually quite a bit during the day.

We finally arrived though and luckily it was a beautiful day out. It is a really clean city also with so much to do I don’t know where to begin. Every building is so unique and there’s unbelievable architecture everywhere you look. There’s so many stores and places to eat and they have these crazy alleyways that connect to different streets so it’s very easy to loose yourself. We basically just walked around and went down to the Yarra River and walked along what I guess you could call a boardwalk? Theres pubs everywhere, some are even under bridges, and people doing all kinds of artwork to sell. At one point we wandered into this building that had to be about 8 stories high and every floor was a different themed bar and on the roof they had an outdoor cinema that plays old school movies every night. I think I’m a little overwhelmed by how much this city has to offer since it was my first time really exploring what there is to do but I can tell I’ll be spending a lot of time there this semester especially since it’s so close. There are so many things I want to do and luckily I still have so much time to do them. I’m actually looking forward to starting classes so I can get in the swing of things instead of all these programs that the school keeps putting on that none of the internationals really want to do. I’m not really here for the college experience since I’ve already gotten a pretty good taste of that in the states. I’m more looking forward to the global experiences that are yet to come. Hopefully I start doing more interesting activities to share with all of you!

So it was a crazy first weekend in Australia. I went on a trip...

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:55:00 -0500

So it was a crazy first weekend in Australia. I went on a trip with a program called Extreme Adventures up the Great Ocean Road. About 50 of us internationals traveled by bus across the Southern coast of Australia by a road that literally follows the coast. Apparently it’s a pretty famous road built after WWI to attract a bunch of tourists- and apparently it’s very successful. We left Saturday morning in some cloudy weather and stopped at a couple of beaches. First we stopped at Bells Beach where the movie Point Break was filmed. After that we drove to a little town on the ocean called Lorne and checked into the hostel we were staying at. We then hit the beach for some surf lessons in some not so great weather. It was rainy but I don’t think any of us cared that much since we were all getting to surf- which by the way is not easy. I managed to stand up a couple times but I think it was pure luck. It is such an exhausting activity so it makes sense the surfers are always so jacked up. We then ate dinner and hit up a couple of pubs. We spent most of the night at the Lorne Hotel bar which was a blast especially since most of the night they played American music.

The next day we woke up around 8, ate breakfast, and went for a hike in the Great Otway National Park. The hike was really amazing especially since the sun finally came out and the scenery was so impressive. We all went out to lunch after and then we spent the rest of the afternoon playing “Footy”, which is the Australian version of football. They’re not messing around with this sport at all. It was actually a lot of fun but very weird to get use to. You’re not allowed to throw the ball at all- only kick it or handball it to a teammate close by which makes the game very fast pace. Afterwards we were all beat and fried by the sun. So we headed back to the hostel to start drinking and get ready for dinner. The sun here is so intense and I am so burnt to the point it’s uncomfortable. But better burnt than ghostly white right? Before dinner we took some “roadies” to the beach which are basically drinks that you take with you to drink in public- something Australia apparently doesn’t care that much about. We headed to dinner which was basically right on the beach in this crazy pavilion. I’m really enjoying the fact that I can buy a beer and just sip it casually with every meal. After a crazy buffet dinner we went to another bar for the night that was playing live music which was pretty decent. We decided to end the night with a swim in the ocean.

Today we woke up and immediately hit the road to head back to Melbourne. Along the way though we made like ten stops. The first was to Koala Cove to check out some Koalas which are sweet animals. They just sit in trees all day and sleep- a life I could easily get used to. I think the greatest stop was at the 12 Apostles which are these self standing structures made of limestone in the ocean formed from years of erosion. There used to be 12 but apparently there are only 8 now so the name is a little misleading. I can’t get over the color of the water here- such a crazy shade of blue that makes everything look so tropical and clean. The rest of the ride we just stopped to look at various gorges and such.

It was a really unforgettable weekend and I got to meet about half of the internationals and there are still more to come. It’s been so crazy so far and sometimes I forget that I still have months to go. The jet lag is still killing me a little bit but I have yet to take a nap so I’d call that a success. Tomorrow the International Orientation starts which should be pretty alright. It’ll be good to finally get my classes in order and figure out what kind of schedule I’ll be working with. Stay tuned!

It’s five in the evening on day two in Melbourne and...

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:57:35 -0500

It’s five in the evening on day two in Melbourne and it’s been a rocky start but amazing nonetheless. First, I got to the airport and had loads of trouble finding the people who were to pick me up and when I finally did I wasn’t on their list. However they clearly weren’t going to leave me there so they brought me to La Trobe and I got my room and everything. All the dorms are called colleges and they all have lounges, and theaters, and common areas- some even have private gyms. I live in Glenn College which is luckily the only one that feeds you. Im living in a suite style apartment with five other people, none of which are here yet, but we each have our own room. Theres a common room and a mini kitchen as well as a shower and a toilet which are in separate rooms. I didn’t have internet until this morning for some reason and I finally managed to get the right converter to plug in all my things. Also, my shower is broken so as a result I can’t use the shower and the toilet for about a week while they’re fixing it but no worries there’s an empty suite right next door I can use.

Other than those minor problems everything has been great so far. Everyone here is SUPER friendly- it’s unreal. They are all amazed that I am from New York because they automatically think that I live right in the middle of Manhattan (Gossip Girl has been brought up several times). I always tell them otherwise but they still don’t care. I can’t get over how welcoming everyone is and how much they listen to my accent. I catch people just staring at my mouth while I talk like something exciting is about to fly out of it. Very few students are here yet- it is mostly just RA’s and other international students so it’s quiet but a blast nonetheless.

There are a lot of differences I’m still getting used to here. For one, dudes dress very strangely to me. Besides the weird haircuts I see on some heads, jeans shorts are perfectly acceptable here which is weird since they’re usually worn as a joke in America. They also like to wear really short shorts which is something I don’t think I’ll be acclimating to. Also, a “slab” of beer means 24 beers and alcohol is referred to as “grog”. Trash is called “rubbish.” Everything is so expensive here it’s ridiculous. I had a friend pick me up 12 beers and she came back and told me I owed her thirty dollars. The prices of clothes are just shocking. There’s a place on campus that sells La Trobe sweatshirts but no worries they’re only 90$. I was not expecting that at all. The bar scene is also very different. Against my better judgement and my crazy jetlag, I was persuaded to go out so we all went to a bar downtown. First of all, I had to pay a ten dollar cover just to walk through the door. CRAZY! It was worth it though because it turned out to be a great night. Half of the bar was outside and half inside. So you could either grab a table outside and relax or go inside and dance your face off. The way they dance is different also. Not so much their actual moves but the way everyone just dances with everyone around them instead of just one partner.

I woke up today around 8 to catch breakfast and finish unpacking. At 11 we all went on a tour around the “Uni” as the Aussies like to call it. La Trobe is so massive. It’s a real beautiful campus though and there’s even a Wildlife Sanctuary with Kangaroos and Wallabies. I have yet to go though but I will soon and I’ll make sure to post some photos of the campus. Right in the middle of campus they have a bunch of restaurants, coffee shops, and banks to choose from. There’s even a post office and a farmers market. The campus is really spectacular- a lot of big open fields and big buildings. After the tour we went to what is called Northlands which is a GIANT mall. It was really unbelievable. I was able to get all the essentials I forgot to bring with me. I went into a department store called Myer which was four floors! They have Kmart and Target here surprisingly or maybe not so surprisingly. Tonight they’re giving us all free pizza and I still have a few beers so I’ll probably just take it easy and go to bed early. I have to wake up at 8 again tomorrow morning for a three-day orientation trip up the Great Ocean Road for some surfing and to check out some crazy animals. I’ll be sure to share some photos when I return!

So here I am in California which is already incredible enough. I...

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:17:18 -0500

So here I am in California which is already incredible enough. I got here on Friday and I leave tomorrow night to fly into Sydney and then into Melbourne. The flight will suck especially not having anyone to travel with but it’s cool because I brought Batman to watch on the plane and plenty of new music. This picture is of a beach in Santa Monica which was unreal even as the sun went down. Im staying with some chinga folk at the University of Redlands which also doesn’t suck by any means. The sun is warm and everyone is plenty friendly. You know those commericals with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Betty White, and all the other famous people and they’re always talking about how great California is? They’re not kidding. I still can’t get over that you can go skiing and to the beach in the same state let alone the same day.

So I take off tomorrow night from LAX and arrive in Melbourne on Thursday morning. Im basically loosing a day from traveling so my body will probably be all sorts of messed up. I hope I can find time to post something once I get there so keep checking back!