Please check back soon to read the blogs of our Spring 2012 Australia Study Abroad student, Andrew!
November 30, 2011
October 04, 2010
Hey everyone!!
So I am currently about half way through my stay in Australia, ten weeks in. Its Spring Break here, even though it is fall back home :). It was definitely hard to get used to the concept of an Ausi winter being as cold as a Connecticut spring. People were dressed in winter jackets while the study abroad students were in shorts. And the best part is that the weather only got warmer from there. The summer is starting and it has been perfect beach weather! The peak of the summer will reach over 100 degrees Fahrenheit consistently. They however relate to degrees Celsius. When first landing in Australia, the pilot announced that it was eighteen degrees outside. Needless to say I was thoroughly confused.
I planned my flights so that my initial layover in Sydney would last a few days before I flew to Perth. This saved travel time and money. Sydney was absolutely amazing! The four days I spent there were jam-packed, yet I would have loved to stay longer and see more things. I travelled with Katherine, the other SHU student studying in Perth this semester. The two of us stayed in a hostel while exploring Sydney. It was an awesome experience; nothing like the movie! Hostels are a common housing for travellers and backpackers. The few days in Sydney were not only filled with site seeing, but also culture shock. The time difference had us wanting to fall asleep by 5pm. Driving on the other side of the road and the accent were the most obvious, but those are things you can prepare for. It is the little things that catch you off guard and remind you that you are in another country. After touring the opera house, walking across the bridge, and visiting many other attractions I can definitely say Sydney is a must among your travels!
When we finally got to campus, we got to meet the other students we would be living with. In Port lodge, there are two from SHU, one international student, and twenty eight Notre Dame US students. A little off balance, but we all meshed well. The first week was orientation which allowed for a lot of bonding time during the nights. The night life here is way more formal than America! Dresses are normal, heals are common, thongs (sandals) are not allowed, and guys need to wear collared shirts. There music is very American, for the most part. In some clubs, American songs are put to a techno beat.
Classes began in the end of July and, like any other American, I was not ready for an early start! But to my surprise it did not feel like school. Classes are formatted completely different here. Each class meets two times, but often all in one day. There is a two hour lecture that can have around 100 students depending on the class. Then there is a one hour tutorial. This is a discussion based class, often 20 students on average. Most of my classes had tut directly after class so it was basically three hour block classes all week. Most students are taking five classes but I only needed four here. I have one day off, and only one class every other day. Also, there was no homework for my classes. Just reading to be prepared for discussion, and only one of my classes had a test. My grade is determined by papers and a final. As you can see, when classes began there was no pressure. Luckily I did stay on top of my reading because the papers sneak up fast! The weeks also fly by. Since I did not feel like I was in school, I did not realize that the semester was disappearing! Weekends became filled with plans and trips.
There are three dorms on the campus of Notre Dame in Freo. I am in Port Lodge. There are 31 students, 2 residential supervisors, and we all have singles. The other dorms are Cleo’s and P&O. They have singles, doubles, triples, and even some quads. Each house has a similar food plan. Here in Port Lodge we are given two dinners a week. Actually, a group of four students that live here are given money to make dinner for everyone. Every week two different groups cook for everyone. They have to prepare an entree (appetiser), main (entree), and a desert. The group must create the menu, shop, and prepare all under budget and be on time for the scheduled dinner. Each dinner must be able to feed 35 people just in case guests are invited. The dinners are fun, a way to bond with people in the house, and a time that everyone is together. We have not had any major disasters, yet, while having some extravagant meals. We have had chicken parmesan, kangaroo steaks, sloppy joes, tacos, a pasta bar, burgers, breakfast, and many other things. Always filling and enjoyable :).
There is a competition held between the three dorms called Inter-hall shield. So far we have competed in basketball, cricket, a relay race, and a trivia night. Port Lodge has won every week! Port Lodge won over all last semester so we have a shield in our common room. As defending champs we have shown up this semester!
There was a 12k race that a group of us participated in. It started in the city and ended at the beach. It was a lot of fun! We also went, as a house, to Caversham Wildlife Park. There we got up close and personal with kangaroos, koalas, and wombats. The kangaroos were so friendly and calm; could be my new favourite animal :). Around town in Freo there is a shop that sells Didgeridoos. They also will teach you to play for free!! It was kind of hard at first but definitely an awesome experience. One trip that is required through the mandatory history class we have to take is a week camping trip in the Kimberly. We got to spend the week with the Aborigines and learn about their culture. I cannot elaborate on this topic because I do not want to ruin it for any prospective travellers, but the least I can say is that it was an amazing and life changing experience.
I am a massive NY Jets fan, and I am beginning to go through withdrawals and it is barely week four of the season. There are some games that are aired live here so it is common for people to be up at 1am or 4am on a Monday to watch their team. But if that is not enough, there is always footie! The Australian Rules Football League, AFL, is my replacement for the NFL. The grand final was this past weekend and it was an awesome game but it ended in a tie! There was no over time, they just play another game next weekend. I could never imagine if the Super Bowl ended regular time in a tie that we would wait another week to play another whole game to decide the winner. I am excited because I am not emotionally attached, but it is an interesting house since each of my RSs are following a different team. It was a calm week because neither could gloat, that will all change this weekend, unless there is another tie.
I went SCUBA diving yesterday!! It was my first dive in Australia and I plan to go a few more times. It was so beautiful! There were starfish that were wider than my two hands next to each other! Sea slugs of all different colours! We were down for an hour and we travelled along the ‘Grain Jetty.’ It was basically a bunch of large pylons that had growth surrounding every inch. There were so many colours, so much to look at, I could have stayed down for another whole hour. The temp was mid 60s so it was not that bad for me; the Ausi’s I dove with were a little cold though. It was defiantly a great way to end my spring vacation!
So I will defiantly be back sooner than later :). I have my last few papers due this week so I will let you know how that goes! Peace out!!!
August 09, 2010
June 10, 2010
Time is winding down, day by day I’m one step closer to being back home. I feel like I’ve been here for so long that it’s almost weird thinking about what it’s going to be like when I’m back in New York. It really is a different culture here and I feel as though I’ve just about adapted to it. When I get home I feel like I’m going to be walking on the wrong side of the street, or asking my friends “how ya goin?.” Maybe I’ll even ask for some Tomato Sauce for my hot chips.
A lot has gone on since my last blog. First off my father and brother came to visit me which was amazing. They finally got to see what my life is like here, and put visuals to all the things I’ve been talking about on the phone. I loved being able to show them around the city, like I’ve been living here my whole life. It reminded me of how I felt when I had just arrived, amazed with everything about Sydney. It was so great to see family, and I had hoped that when I walked into the lobby of my apartment building to meet them that they would remember what I looked like…luckily they did. When they arrived we did some fun things in Sydney, like the wildlife park, the aquarium, a wildlife sanctuary where you could pet and feed kangaroos and wallabies, and even a bus trip into the Blue Mountains. I was able to show them the touristy side of Sydney, as well as the hidden treasures I’ve come about through befriending locals.
School is done, I finished one final and now I have to get through three more. It’s like that last little hill I have to climb before I’m home, well, that and the 20 hour plane ride. I started to send some stuff home in the mail, it’s weird packing up my room. This has become my home. The major difference with study abroad and a vacation (aside from the school work) is that when you go on vacation, you know your going to be going home soon. When that point comes on vacation, where you think to yourself “I can’t wait to be back in my own bed” you know it’s not far away. With study abroad, a point hits where you realize this isn’t a vacation, your actually living in the country. When the “can’t wait to sleep in my own bed” thing hits, you have no choice but to suck it up and wait it out. It really pushes you out of your comfort zone.
Throughout the trip, I personally haven’t done much traveling. Instead I did exactly what I wanted to do which was to immerse myself in the culture. I have made so many great friends who live here, so I’ve been able to go out with them, have family dinners at their houses, etc. It’s been so wonderful being able to fit in somewhere where you have a noticeable difference that makes you stick out (the accent). As different as cultures may be, the natural principle of what it is to be a good human being remains the same. Therefore, no matter where you are from, or where you go, as long as you are respectful, you should have no problem fitting in, adapting, making friends, and exceeding all expectations.
March 18, 2010
So I know it’s been a while, but take that as a good thing. If I was sitting here every day writing a new blog, clearly it would come off like I wasn’t busy at all. So the fact that I’ve been having SOO much fun, and keeping SOO busy that it’s been hard to find time to blog is a positive quality and should inspire those thinking of going to Australia for a semester to go for it! (excuse? I think not.) First off, so far school has been great. I find myself keeping busy with class and schoolwork, but at the same time I have plenty of free time to explore. I had my first presentation last week, where I stood up in front of the class and talked about Apple’s allocation of corporate resources. First challenge; how was I going to take 20 pages of textbook information and turn it into a 5 minute oral presentation. Second challenge; how was I going to keep the class awake while doing so. Luckily, being from New York, the speed at which I speak excels that of the Australian standards…a lot, in turn keeping the class interested due to their constant attempts at trying to understand what I was saying. It actually turned out to be a great learning experience. I decided to study abroad to learn these kinds of things, like how knowing your audience goes just beyond the context of the material, but the way you present it. After class my professor explained how when he travels and makes presentations, he needs to adjust his speeches to match the speed of the culture he is presenting to, by using tactics like adding pauses, and talking a lot slower.
Went to surf camp last weekend, which was just unreal. It started off with a six hour bus ride to our destination. We got on the bus to find that Spicoli himself was our driver, it was a little frightening, not going to lie. There were times where I wouldn’t be surprised if, while still in motion, there was suddenly a knock at the door of the bus with someone delivering a cheese pizza, which of course he ordered via his shoe-phone. So about one hour away from our destination (about 12am at this point) there was suddenly a huge SMASH at the windshield and the bus driver pulled over and sprinted out. We had no idea what had happened but a real life game of telephone erupted from the front of the bus to the back. I was in the front, where we were hearing “I think a rock hit the window”, in the back of the bus however, they were saying “we hit a kangaroo, there’s so much blood!” Turns out it was a rock. Not only that but some 14 year old kid threw it at the bus. The poor kid was probably expecting some old fat man to be the driver, little did he know it was some young fit surfer dude who sprinted out to chase him down and eventually grabbed him. Once we got there, the next two days were an amazing experience of sunshine, beautiful beaches, and a butt-kicking workout.
Something I am extremely excited about is the fact that my Dad and little brother are coming to visit me a week from today! I can’t wait to see that little piece of home. As wonderful as it is being away, I really do find myself missing things that I knew I was going to miss, as well as things I had no idea I was going to miss. First off, I miss my family like crazy. Being at SHU, I was away, but knew my parents were always on call if I really needed them. Here it’s a whole different story. If I find myself stressed, homesick, etc, Mom can’t just get in the car and be here in two hours. I also really miss driving my car and playing my piano. There are also things I miss due to the fact that they don’t really exist in Australia, like New York pizza, Dunkin Donuts, light beer, the NHL, Glee, and bagels. Bagels are usually my go-to breakfast choice, here they just don’t exist. Now they do have these things called hot-cross-buns, which either sound like something from a nursery rhyme or something you would find in your Great Aunt Edna’s cabinet but don’t let the name fool you, they are delicious!
Can’t wait to show my Dad and brother around Sydney, because obviously by now I’m an expert ;) . Will post soon, until then, “All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I'm fine.”
By the way, here is some important information I learned in surf camp that I believe any swimmer planning to bath in shark infested waters should know:
...can't say I didn't warn ya!
February 26, 2010
So as I was sitting in my room, flipping between the two channels of T.V that I have here, I found myself torn between the two options, an hour long infomercial for “Bumpitz” or Antiques Roadshow. After seeing a man crushed upon learning that his antique clock wasn’t actually from the titanic’s wreckage but instead an heirloom worth only “fifty pounds” I decided it was time to blog, so here I am. As of now things have been going great. The biggest thing was that classes started! This week however was just the “lecture” week, meaning I only had one, two hour class per day where in next week I will have those plus an added hour “tutorial” after each lecture, yay! My first class began at 8:30 am, and the location on my schedule read “Hoyt’s Theater, Theater 2”. I thought perhaps this was some kind of grand lecture hall, however upon asking a fellow student where this Hoyt’s was located, I was directed to the Broadway Shopping Center, aka the mall across the street from my apartment complex. Confused, I walked in and followed the groups of students with backpacks, logically thinking they would take me to the classroom…in the mall? I continued to follow them until they stopped where there was a mass of students, hanging out right outside the movie theater. I was very confused, and then when the professors arrived the students started to walk again, so I followed, past the ticket booth, the snack concierge (where there actually was someone working), and watched the students disperse into the different theaters. It then really dawned on me that I was going to a lecture, in a movie theater, theater 2 to be exact. This month theater 2 featured AVATAR, awesome! However this morning, it featured BUSINESS LAW…not quite so awesome. I entered, and found my seat, put my water bottle in the cup holder, and prepared to learn. The professor entered, and went over to computer that was at the front of the theater and then the screen came alive!! with POWERPOINT! The letter T on that screen was about the same size as if I stood up straight and put out both of my arms. The lecture was interesting, but as far as being in a movie theater, that made it even more interesting. I thought to spice it up maybe next week I’ll bring some popcorn and wear my 3D glasses. I think that would be a great way for the school to advertise to prospective students…hire the man who does that movie phone voice..”This week at The University of Notre Dame, Business Law..in 3D!! Next week, Finance…in surround sound!!” (as you can see I’m already practicing my marketing skills). The rest of my classes this week were in regular lecture halls on campus, but equally as interesting.
As far as out of school activities, I was able to go snorkeling which is something I wanted to do as soon as I arrived. I went to Manly beach with a few local Australians I had met where we spend the day bodysurfing and sun worshiping. We walked down a boardwalk that took us to a really local part of the water, where there were much less tourists called Sandy Beach. Here there was a little inlet, that was actually a marine reserve. We threw on some snorkel gear, which people just happened to have on them, like one would bring a towel and sun block to the beach with them, and jumped in the water. It was so cool because it wasn’t like a touristy group thing with a guide, this was just a bunch of locals doing what they do. It was such a cool thing to look down in the water and see fish that were half the size of me, really colorful fish, huge shells, beautiful coral, and little squids swimming around. Australians going to that little marine park to snorkel is like when American’s go to a woodsy park to ride their bikes or go for a nature walk, it was a really great experience. However I failed to realize that snorkeling requires your back to be open to the sun, for numerous hours, with the water just magnifying the suns power. It's kind of like when you cook pancakes, usually when you put the batter on you flip it so that first side cooks perfectly, but you forget to time the other side the same so when you take it off to put it on the plate the other side is just black. Let’s just say when approaching someone for the next week, I looked normal, but when I walked away I would hear a few snickers…whoops :)
and here is a picture of Shelly Beach where we went snorkeling, truly a little piece of paradise!
February 16, 2010
February 12, 2010
G'day! It's officially Saturday morning here, and I was awoken by the skwaking sounds of a wild parrot outside my window, which happens to sound something like a mix of a tire screeching and a boy going through puberty trying to sing...delightful! Aside from that there is something very cool to be said about seeing a parrot just chilling outside your window. Yesterday was such a great day. It began with the morning trip to the "Gloria Jean's", Australia's Starbucks, where I grabbed a coffee and read "The Australian", their kind of New York Times. Now this was my second day grabbing a large iced coffee, and the first time I ordered it I noticed it was very sweet, thick, and very milky. Not only that, but I felt very full after I finished it. So this time I asked if I could get a little less milk. This is where the man behind the counter told me that's not possible, because what's in the coffee is essentially a quarter straight coffee, and three quarters vanilla ice cream. Well good morning calories! I'm very impressed that Australian's drink this as their morning beverage of choice, and even more so that everyone here isn't rolling into the door on their Jazzy scooter because they have just become too large to walk. So I just went for a medium plain hot coffee instead, at least this time I knew the heat would keep me safe from the ice cream.
I then proceeded to go back to my apartment where I spoke to Danielle, another girl who is here from Sacred Heart and living in Sydney. We decided to meet up for lunch at Circular Quay (pronounced key), a part of Sydney Harbour. I was so excited to go and visit Sydney Harbour because I hadn't been there yet, and this is where the historical Sydney Bridge is and the Sydney Oprah House. I took the bus, it was about a 10 minute ride, and arrived a bit early so I found a nice bench to hang out on. I saw a man in a green jersey, sunglasses, and an Australian type cowboy hat approaching me. As he got closer, I noticed he had a beer in each hand. I started to get nervous, in New York City, as a younger girl, it's never really a good thing when an older man holding beers and walking in not such a straight line approaches you. Well as soon as he walked over he let out a huge "G'Day mate! You look a bit lonely, how are ya?!" He then proceeded to tell me that he and a few of his "mates" were waiting to go to a Cricket Match, and that I was more then welcome to join them. I kindly declined, but he sat with me for a few minutes and we just talked. He then said goodbye, wished me luck, and went back to his table of fellow Cricket goers. I love Australia. This theme of everyone being so open, welcoming, and friendly is seen constantly here, it's so wonderful.
So Danielle finally arrived and we did quick version of the usual touristy stuff, (we were going to be here for over four months so we knew we'd have plenty of time and opportunities for explorations, tours, pictures, and all that jazz). It was great seeing a familiar face. We went to The Rock, which is this adorable shopping center with lots of little cafes, shops, and a little outdoor fresh food market. We then said our goodbyes, knowing we would see each other soon at orientation, and I went back home.
I had no idea what I was going to do that night, so I decided to just go grab a drink, and bring a book. I went to this bar called the Broadway Cafe, and sat at an outdoor table. Suddenly it started to rain, and as soon as I went to grab my things and go inside, I noticed that no one else was doing so. Because it was so hot, the rain actually felt very good, and unlike at a bar in New York City where everyone would have ran inside, everyone just covered their drinks and stayed put. It was great. After all, it's just rain. There is something so interesting about being on your own like this. I mean, I just sat at the table with a drink and my book and observed. Even walking down the streets alone, you really get to take it all in, in a way that would otherwise be impossible if you were with someone. You are forced to observe the little details of sight, and get a great chance to listen to all the sounds. It also forces you to be independent, it's go out, or starve. When I returned back to the apartment two boys that Iived right next to me, who I had previously met were outside and invited me to join them for dinner. I was hungry and had nothing to lose so I went. One boy was from Turkey, and the other from Switzerland, and we went to an Indian restaurant...talk about a culture immersion. The great thing about living in a student housing complex like this, is as lonely and scary as it is coming to a different country alone, there are tons and tons of people in the same boat as you. So every time you pass someone in the hallway, or ride in an elevator with someone, you always spark up a conversation. These conversations usually consist of things like where are you from, how long have you been here, where are you studying, and can easily end which an exchange of numbers. So far I have met people from Switzerland, Turkey, Yemen, Latvia, Colombia......and New Jersey. I think everyone should do something like this, because as similar as many cultures are, they are also vastly different, so there is so much to teach as well as there is to learn.
I have no idea what today's agenda is going to be like but I know, as usual, some little adventure will come out of it...no worries!
And these are just some new friends that Danielle and I made in Sydney Harbour. No big deal.
February 11, 2010
In Sydney! Longest extended day of my entireeee life. Left for the airport around 2. The originally plan was to take a large roller bag to check and a carry on… fail. Ended up with three bags to check, a carry on, my backpack, and of course my teddy bear, what can I say I’m a bit of an over-packer. My excess baggage and I arrived at JFK around 4, where it was time to bid my parents farewell. This was a toughie, because as excited as I was, this is where it really hit me that I’m leaving. Mom started to tear, and I gave both her and my father the biggest hugs I could muster up. The trip was broken into two parts, first, JFK to L.A, then L.A to Sydney. Though there was an hour break at L.A before I headed to Sydney I was still staying on the same plane. This plane was a massive 747, and as soon as I boarded and the lovely Australian flight attendants gave me a “G’Day” I couldn’t wait to land.
As soon as I entered the plane I saw massive comfortable seats, and thought to myself “damn straight they have big comfy seats, 22 hours on your butt is a long time.” That was row 1, I was row 71…so I kept walking…and walking...and the seats got smaller…and smaller…until I saw my row. The expression on my face dropped like a little kid running downstairs Christmas morning only to find their orthodontist under the tree holding a sign that says “Congratulations! You’re getting braces for Christmas!” I’ve had more leg-room in the backseat of a Porsche and more cushion on a stadium seat. Thank the lord I’m such a little person. The first 6 hour chunk of the trip wasn't so bad, except for the fact that I would love to know who decided to make Amelia the movie choice, because honestly nothing says in flight entertainment to me like a movie about a woman who dies in a plane crash. Aside that all went well, landed, took a walk around LAX (where my mothers advice was "if anyone comes up to you and asks if you want to be a movie star, that's probably not what they're after"...what a let down) then got back on for the long part. There’s just something about looking at that little TV screen on the seat in front of you, with the little map of the world and the little picture of your plane (that if proportionally correct you could fit the population of California on it), and under destination time seeing 15 hours that is just kind of soul crushing. However, I was able to sleep for a lot of it, which helped for the time change when I landed in Australia, because it was about 9 in the morning. When I arrived I went through customs, where upon seeing a tiny little girl wheeling a cart with three huge bags on it I faced some questions, rightfully so, considering I could have fit the whole Brady family, Alice included, in my luggage. After they checked me for fruits, nuts, and animals, (which unfortunately I left my whole bunch of bananas, bag of acorns, and the raccoon that goes through our garbage at home), I was free to go. I then got in a cab and headed for my apartment complex, Unilodge.
Once I checked into Unilodge, I couldn’t wait to see what my room looked like. I opened the door and there was my loft, complete with a little kitchen, desk, bathroom, flight of steps, and on the loft a closet and bed. Now, as nice as it is I can’t really say it was designed efficiently. First off, downstairs is a dresser with a T.V on it, yet there is no couch. Second, the steps are a two foot wide, very tightly wound spiral staircase. Considering my luggage was not only super heavy but a few pieces were longer than two feet, and the closet was upstairs this proposed a complex challenge. Do I take everything out and bring it up one pile at a time, or do I struggle and try to lug the bags up the little staircase? I went with choice number two, and a few rug burns later and bruises later…success. After 22 hours sitting on a plane, then sweating the entire trip from the airport to my apartment, mainly due to my obscene amount of luggage, all I wanted to do was shower and take a nap. But noooo, there were no sheets and I had no toiletries. I then had to go out and get these things, and others like hangers, a phone, outlet converters and all that fun stuff. Luckily there is a mall directly across the street of Unilodge so everything was right there. And even better I could use my smelliness to deter people away leaving the lines shorter for me. The culture differences could be seen immediately, on both large and small scales.
I was in a drug store looking for deodorant and couldn’t seem to find it anywhere. The idea of living in such a hot climate and not using deodorant seemed preposterous to me so I went and asked someone at the counter. The lady pointed me to one of the aisles; I walked down it and didn’t see any deodorant. I kept looking, and looking, thinking I had missed it or something. This also wasn’t something I could just skip out on getting because I am planning on making friends here. So I went back, and asked again, and the lady walked me over to the same aisle. Well there were no plastic bars that dispensed odor fighting bacteria, instead was a wall of aerosol cans. Apparently that’s what the antiperspirant of choice is here in Australia, just fascinating. Even better was watching me try and figure out how to call home. I landed hours before I went to the mall to get my phone, and I still haven’t talked to my parents yet…it was all I wanted to do. I get this prepaid phone and spent a total of an hour and a half trying to figure out how to dial NY from Australia. I called the front desk where they kept telling me to hit the “hash mark.” Well it took me to go down to the desk for them to show me that a hash mark is in fact the pound key. It makes more sense to call it a hash mark, considering that’s actually what it is a picture of, and not a “pound,” whatever that is, yet I couldn’t make that connection. Then when that didn’t work they told me to hit the “plus” sign. Naturally I figured that must be the name for the “star” key…wrong again. It’s called the star key here to, the plus sign is dialing two zeros before you dial out. Then you need to dial another 1, then the area code. So essentially after all of the combinations of pounds, stars, zeros and one’s I could come up with, it took a girl outside my room from New Jersey on the phone with her boyfriend to physically show me how to do it. Though it took me a while to figure out how to work the phone I was able to answer the question of how many blondes does it take to call America from Australia. It takes one blonde and 2 hours.
So here I am with a few days ahead of me before orientation just to get settled and figure out the wonderful city of Sydney. It’s only been one day, and aside from the few complications everything has been just wonderful, the people in this city are so nice and helpful! It’s 86 and sunny, and I have a whole new world awaiting some exploration, so I’m off!
here's a shot of Australia from the plane!
