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.

Comments

[olma]

I love your bag! Sounds like you're really having a grand time!