Entry 9

Dayflies, sweat, and the woes of public transportation can’t dampen my experience studying abroad— which truly has been transcendent. As March is ending, and autumn descends on the southern hemisphere, I’m starting to value each day more than the one before it— knowing how quickly the next three months will fly by. This week has been somewhat of a test— the complexities of living half a world away have sunk in.  Technology, and my Internet connection particularly, are fickle and communication with home has gotten harder. I’m glad for my blog and my journals so I can keep track of everything that happens for my family and friends back home as well as myself. Tuesday was my friend Harry’s twentieth birthday, and the international students threw him a riot of a surprise party I doubt he’ll ever forget. In some ways living in the village reminds me of freshman year— living on campus in H4. The community that we’ve made is both hilarious and comforting, and I know I’ve made friends here that I’ll keep for life. On Thursday, Harry, my roommate Jon, and I went to a guest lecture on campus about the recent absorption of Crimea into Russia. Professor Norman Davies of Oxford was traveling through Sydney and agreed to give a one-hour synopsis of the complete history of Ukraine in relation to Moscow’s Russia, then explain the implication of the current annexation of Ukraine’s port city. Kiev, the current capital of Ukraine, was one of the first major cities in Eastern Europe, established before Russia was even a country. After the USSR broke apart and Ukraine declared itself an independent nation, Kiev became the capital and Crimea became one of the most significant regions of the country. Personally its hard for me to establish an opinion I feel passionate about because even after listening to the lecture, I know little about the people of Crimea and what they truly want. I do think the military pressure imposed by Russia was against international precept. I’m glad UWS gave us the opportunity to become more educated about something current and independent of my regular classes. Friday was the “Endless Summer Cruise and Casino,” which almost everyone in the village went to. We all got dressed up for a three hour cruise around Darling Harbor, then took over the club level of the Marquee, one of Sydney’s best Casinos. We walked past the slot machines and roulette tables— glassy eyed adrenalin seekers, lost in the possibility of striking it rich. I was thankful I had no desire to gamble. Inspired though—the next night a few of us played Texas Holdem with puzzle pieces and uncooked pasta as our poker chips. Today was so nice when I woke up I grabbed my sunscreen and kindle and headed to Bondi to soak up some rays. I stopped for a crabmeat pizza on my way home and thought of Piccini’s in Ocean City. The pizza was good but not as good as Piccini’s, and it couldn’t hold a candle to Mac & Mancos! I’ve booked my tickets to Melbourne for next weekend, off to the southern city of Australia.

Entry 8

We’ve had typical Australian weather all week— Hot Hot Hot. Local students seem used to the heat, and I see kids wearing pants when I’m almost melting in my chubbies. Classes are going smoothly and I’ve had no trouble keeping up with all my units and still having time to enjoy the area. My group mates in Accounting and in International Business are really great guys and I feel good about our chances of making high marks. I’m pretty used to life Down Under now— it’s gotten harder to find a new experience every day, but this week I set out to try new fruits. Some I’ve seen in America but had just never eaten. Australian Mangoes are my favorite, but for the first time this week I had Dragonfruit— it looks wild but tastes like a mild kiwi. Figs, dates, and plums—then I tried passionfruit, which is like a small pomegranate but the seeds are slimier. Friday some friends and I went to the city to a Mexican taco bar, El Loco, and indulged on a rarity in Sydney— shrimp tacos and Margaritas! Mexican food is very uncommon here and I crave some K38 chips and salsa, or some Chipotle. On Saturday I went to North Manly to watch the surfers and sailboats with my friend Kieran— after we had enough sun we walked through the Manly local art museum—which was very nice and casual— mostly featuring drawings and paintings of the beach over the past six decades. Manly is a very skate and bike friendly beach town. After the museum we walked through an outdoor market and stopped at booths selling knickknacks and boutique clothing. A lot of the clothes looked like things my Mom would sell at Hip Chics. At the end of the day I was happily surprised my sunburn was minimal. Sunday some of my friends invited me to an Aussie Barbie (barbeque). It was potluck so I said I would make cornbread— most of them had never tried it. Unfortunately the grocery stores here don’t sell cornmeal so I ended up taking fruit. I heard of a southern restaurant in the city and I think I’ll try to take a group there to introduce them to one of my favorite staples of the southern dinner table. Next week there is a boat cruise party for university students on Friday, so I definitely have something to look forward to throughout the week!

Entry 7

It’s crazy to think I’ve already been in Australia for a month! Most of the original shocks and differences have faded and I feel like I’ve fallen into the society and almost totally. I’ve even been asked for directions and probably/might have pointed that old lady in the right direction. This past week has been beautiful. Most days I make a big breakfast, read on our porch, go to class, then the gym, and still have time to lie out by the pool and chat with other local and international students. Accounting is definitely going to be my hardest unit. The first two months of class we’re working in groups on presentation assignments. I’m analyzing financial reports from Australian owned construction company; Leighton Holdings— Creating an upstart winery in International Business— and in International Marketing my group is exploring the international laws R.J. Reynolds tobacco company (from my hometown) faces when advertising cigarettes. On Wednesday this past week, the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, hosted a very classy reception for some of the international students from each of the universities in the city. We met at Town Hall at five thirty and were each given a nametag and a folder of informational guides, coupons, and helpful business cards. Town Hall was centrally built in the mid eighteen hundreds and is one of the most historic buildings in the city. After eating dinner, we were first welcomed to the event by the Chief of the local aboriginal tribe, the Cadigal’s. Australia is very devoted to recognizing the original people of the land at any major public event. An Uncle of the tribe came in with a smoking basket of coals or incense and blessed the space— clearing away the bad spirits. Then the Lord Mayor welcomed us and told us a bit about Sydney and her goals for the future of the city. Sydney is both the cleanest and safest city in the world. You almost never see trash on the street, and both crime and violence are rarities. Mayor Moore told us that a third of the international students that study in Sydney return later in life to either live or do business. The third speaker of the night was an international student from Washington D.C. who had studied at the same campus I am at, and moved to the city to work after graduation. The program ended with an open bar while dancers and a local jazz band performed and I exchanged stories with new friends I made from India, China, England and Japan. Unfortunately the weekend has brought erratic storms. The lightning and thunder has been nice to watch and listen to, but our hike to the Blue Mountains will have to wait for a dryer weekend. 

Entry 6

I made it to the future and back in one piece— Future Music Festival that is! After my first real week of homework, studying, and class assignments, a group of local and international students decided to go to the FMF held this year at Sydney’s racecourse. The lineup was mostly EDM (Electronic Dance Music) DJ’s I had never heard of, but I’ve tried something new every week— if not every day— that I’ve been here. My favorite performance was from a DJ called “Hardwell,” but we also got to see Macklemore, Sub Focus, Deadmau5, Phoenix, Kaskade, and Pharrell Williams and a few that were completely new to me. We arrived around noon and danced and raved until 10:30pm. Needless to say I was exhausted and have spent most of my Sunday napping by the pool. Luckily my SPF 70+ kept the sun off my shoulders, and I finally think I’m getting a base tan! The weather couldn’t be better here; it’s been in the high seventies— low eighties, sunny with an easy breeze. My first quiz in Consumer Behavior is tomorrow, and I have assignments due in two other of my classes this week, so tonight its back to the desk chair. The sun doesn’t set till eight o’clock though, so I think I’ll enjoy a few more hours of relaxation. Next weekend we’re talking about going for a hike up the Blue Mountains! Enjoying the clear skies Down Under!

Entry 5

The first week of class went better than expected! Classes seem less demanding than the semester I took last year, and I have no Friday classes. Because I’m majoring in Business Marketing I’m taking: International Marketing, International Business, Consumer Behavior, and Managerial Accounting. Half of my grade for each course is dependent on the final, and the majority of the rest of my average depends on a mid-term exam. There is an on campus News Paper taking submissions from International Students about their experience. The campus is really beautiful and feels a lot like Wilmington— the heat and the brick buildings. Surprisingly they don’t have a gym on campus so on Thursday I joined a gym in the city that my roommate goes to. I’ve noticed Australians are very active, generally very health conscious, and very competitive when it comes to sports. Cricket, Rugby, and Net Ball are very popular here. The weather has been very hot or very wet. Like in Wilmington, its not uncommon to wear a bathing suit to class, and I’ve gone through more sunscreen in a week than I would normally use the entire month of July. Instead of the cold winters and hot summers we’re used to in N.C. Summer here is known as the wet season and winter is typically dry. One day it’s eighty-seven and humid and the next is constant rain from morning till night. Public transportation is extremely convenient in and around Sydney. I downloaded an app called tripview that provides real-time data on where the busses, trains, and ferries are, and what their estimated time of arrival is. I also applied for a public transportation ninety-day pass that the government provides international students at a discounted cost. The slang here sounds like everyone grew up in the seventies— keen and mate are popular terms— they call everyone from America a yank, even if they’re from the South. My roommates have been great. They eat kangaroo— which can be bought in any grocery store. I’m sure I will try it before I leave. In reading the book, Down Under, which I got for Christmas from my Secret Santa at work, I learned Australians are the only population that eats the national animal of their country. Otherwise everything I’ve eaten has been familiar to me or Asian. Next weekend is the Future music festival— very excited!