Well,
In case you were wondering I did arrive home safely from Australia. I spent my final weekend in Australia in Sydney before a few days hanging with friends in Rocky. At the end of the trip I toured around the north island of New Zealand for about 8 days. I got home Monday night June 22nd. On Saturday I went to training for camp. I've got to head back to camp now :) G'day!
Kathryn
Monday, June 29, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Practicum
Quick update on Australia: I've been working for 5 weeks 2.5 days a week in a Year 1/2 classroom at a nearby school. It involves a 2.5 km bike ride both ways which will become longer tomorrow as they close the entrance to college. My class has about 24 students with 20 there on a given day. The school is one of the best in the country technology-wise and I love working with both the students and my Mentor Teacher. Next week is my last week of it, making up about 19 days of it, but I will be there all four days that week (Wednesday is a holiday). I've been teaching a lesson every day recently and working on my flexibility skills as many things change with a short amount of notice. Tomorrow is Under 8's day so about 150 students will attend for two hours to do activities. The other 1st year Prac students and I are doing two booths which will be exciting. Although I have lots of information on the daily visits because I have to keep a working portfolio with reflections, the long days limit my time to update people. Also, on Thursdays my Arts class is presenting a program (currently dance) for Year 4 and 5 students focused around Beef. Rockhampton is the Beef Capital of Australia and had an international Beef Expo a few weeks ago that happens every three years. That's all for know but I'll hopefully eventually get a chance to update more.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Mt. Tamborine: Connexions Weekend
I wrote this on April 5th about the March 27-29th. It follows the camping post pretty well.
I arrived at the service station just before our scheduled 8:00 departure. I knew that Connexions (an Expedition like camp except the whole state of Queensland was there) started at 7 so I wondered how long the trip would be. The six of us left at 8:20 after our second car arrived and headed south. One problem: Just outside of Rocky is a roundabout with two paths going south. One is a coastal route while the other is inland. Wes (my car's driver) took the coastal route while Rudgy took the inland. Wes ended up cutting through to the inland path adding another hour to our trip. However we got to see lots of beautiful scenery driving through the mountains past all of the small towns. Our entertainment was switching cds constantly, chatting, and taking pictures. Finally, we arrived in Toowoomba where we met friends of our leaders who had met at the past conferences. After eating at Maccas, losing another car as we followed the USQ girls (who knew the way to the camp), we arrived at the camp about 8:30. In case you weren't paying attention that means it was a 12 hour trip... a long time for a weekend. We joined in at the bible teaching and worship, registered, then the girls moved into Thailand, our room for the weekend.
The evening was spent meeting new people and playing cards. After a late night and a shower sleep was very welcomed for the few hours before breakfast. Most of CQU (4 of the 6 of us) were assigned breakfast clean-up. This ran smoothly until we got some trays stuck in the dishwasher. In the end, we were late to worship again. Following worship we slip into our different tracks.
I was able to skip the first few tracks and take Personal Disciplemaking 1. The twelve of us were led by two full time Student Life missionaries, one from Asheville, NC, the other from South Dakota. We learned the power and importance of follow-up of new believers as well as continuing to disciple mature Christians. Lunch followed then free time to explore the view at the look at and to lay in the grass praising God as the clouds moved above. Dinner led into an adventure game of reaching different campuses through completing challenges and teamwork. We were split by our majors for these and I believe Education Team 2 did very well. More worship then free time to eat fudge and hang out. The fudge was from one of the three fudge hops on the mountain and Pauline (from UQ) invited me to join her and a few others for cards and fudge. Note: Most of the campuses have a U and a Q in them : QUT, UQ, CQU, USQ.... Something about living in Queensland. Pauline and I ended up sitting outside talking for another hour or so post lights out. Since UQ is in Brisbane and I had a plane ticket booked for the following Saturday (but nothing else set) she invited me to stay with her. At home this would be unusual but in Australia it is common. I agreed to stay with her for a few reasons. 1. An apartment with three Christians is safer than a hostel alone. 2. She was willing to show me around the city and travel with me. 3. She is friends of Owen's family and shares a flat with one of Owen's brothers. Very good reasons in my mind and they worked out very well.
Sunday was similar to Saturday except no free time. After eating lunch, cleaning, and saying good bye or see you at Easterfest, we headed back to onto the road for another 11 hours of driving (coastal route this time). The first few hours I took picture after picture of the beautiful sunset. Since we drove north the sun set for a long time. By dinner, my 2G memory card was full from the weekend. I borrowed Dan's card and continued the journey in the dark: talking to Wes, singing to the music, and snapping pictures of Meagan as she slept in the back. Arrival back to college at one meant bedtime after a long and God filled weekend.
I arrived at the service station just before our scheduled 8:00 departure. I knew that Connexions (an Expedition like camp except the whole state of Queensland was there) started at 7 so I wondered how long the trip would be. The six of us left at 8:20 after our second car arrived and headed south. One problem: Just outside of Rocky is a roundabout with two paths going south. One is a coastal route while the other is inland. Wes (my car's driver) took the coastal route while Rudgy took the inland. Wes ended up cutting through to the inland path adding another hour to our trip. However we got to see lots of beautiful scenery driving through the mountains past all of the small towns. Our entertainment was switching cds constantly, chatting, and taking pictures. Finally, we arrived in Toowoomba where we met friends of our leaders who had met at the past conferences. After eating at Maccas, losing another car as we followed the USQ girls (who knew the way to the camp), we arrived at the camp about 8:30. In case you weren't paying attention that means it was a 12 hour trip... a long time for a weekend. We joined in at the bible teaching and worship, registered, then the girls moved into Thailand, our room for the weekend.
The evening was spent meeting new people and playing cards. After a late night and a shower sleep was very welcomed for the few hours before breakfast. Most of CQU (4 of the 6 of us) were assigned breakfast clean-up. This ran smoothly until we got some trays stuck in the dishwasher. In the end, we were late to worship again. Following worship we slip into our different tracks.
I was able to skip the first few tracks and take Personal Disciplemaking 1. The twelve of us were led by two full time Student Life missionaries, one from Asheville, NC, the other from South Dakota. We learned the power and importance of follow-up of new believers as well as continuing to disciple mature Christians. Lunch followed then free time to explore the view at the look at and to lay in the grass praising God as the clouds moved above. Dinner led into an adventure game of reaching different campuses through completing challenges and teamwork. We were split by our majors for these and I believe Education Team 2 did very well. More worship then free time to eat fudge and hang out. The fudge was from one of the three fudge hops on the mountain and Pauline (from UQ) invited me to join her and a few others for cards and fudge. Note: Most of the campuses have a U and a Q in them : QUT, UQ, CQU, USQ.... Something about living in Queensland. Pauline and I ended up sitting outside talking for another hour or so post lights out. Since UQ is in Brisbane and I had a plane ticket booked for the following Saturday (but nothing else set) she invited me to stay with her. At home this would be unusual but in Australia it is common. I agreed to stay with her for a few reasons. 1. An apartment with three Christians is safer than a hostel alone. 2. She was willing to show me around the city and travel with me. 3. She is friends of Owen's family and shares a flat with one of Owen's brothers. Very good reasons in my mind and they worked out very well.
Sunday was similar to Saturday except no free time. After eating lunch, cleaning, and saying good bye or see you at Easterfest, we headed back to onto the road for another 11 hours of driving (coastal route this time). The first few hours I took picture after picture of the beautiful sunset. Since we drove north the sun set for a long time. By dinner, my 2G memory card was full from the weekend. I borrowed Dan's card and continued the journey in the dark: talking to Wes, singing to the music, and snapping pictures of Meagan as she slept in the back. Arrival back to college at one meant bedtime after a long and God filled weekend.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Adventurous Weekend
This will soon be published in the Leader at Fredonia.
A class at CQUniversity solely for non-award students (i.e. international exchange students) teaches us how to scuba dive, sail, canoe, and kayak. It encourages us to get involved physically with the different environment by providing us with opportunities to explore with the class and supporting us on our own adventures. After a few sessions of pool dives and theory, I was finally cleared for open water dives. The guys from Chicago and I took a bus over to the nearest harbor last Saturday. We started on the slowest boat in the harbor which took over 2 hours to make it to Outer Rock. This beautiful rock is near the end of the Great Barrier reef and was home to many wonderful creatures. As my dive log states: we got the chance to touch the backs of wabbygong sharks while watching them feed and hold a feathered starfish during the first dive. The second dive we saw a tawny shark swim nearby. The corals and fish that surrounded us were beautiful to watch when I wasn’t concentrating on staying at the correct level to not run into the coral on the bottom. Despite trying to not get injured during the dives, I left both dives with scratches and cuts below the knee and bloody noses. Even though we only went 12 meters underwater, a bloody nose still turns the water in your mask green. This is a very interesting thing to notice and confused me a bit. (Red light is the first to be absorbed by the water.) A few hours later we arrived back at the harbor after seeing a dolphin and turtle on the ride. After returning to college we raced to dinner then for me off to church youth group.
At the end of youth group my friend and I decided instead of returning to College to study or do something productive, we would ride his motorcycle up Mount Archer. This took about 5 minutes. The look out was a beautiful place to see Rockhampton at night time and to attempt to see a word written out of the street lights. A hour or so later it got cold enough to return to College but not for long. Since I left my cell phone on the mountain we convinced another friend to drive us up then explored the residential areas on the mountain.
Sunday afternoon: While doing some of the required work for the week I was offered the chance to go rock climbing. It’s been awhile since I went for a climb and I’ve never gone outdoor climbing so I jumped at the chance. We grabbed the ropes, harnesses, and gear the headed over to Mount Archer. The area was on the other side of the mountain as the look-out and provided an amazing view. After two awesome climbs each on trails set-up by our “guide’s” friends we returned. I loved the opportunities to explore the area both above and below sea level this past weekend and look forward to additional dives. My leg scratches and bruises as still a reminder of the wonderful times. Well more adventures await: This weekend I will try caving.
G’day,
Kathryn
A class at CQUniversity solely for non-award students (i.e. international exchange students) teaches us how to scuba dive, sail, canoe, and kayak. It encourages us to get involved physically with the different environment by providing us with opportunities to explore with the class and supporting us on our own adventures. After a few sessions of pool dives and theory, I was finally cleared for open water dives. The guys from Chicago and I took a bus over to the nearest harbor last Saturday. We started on the slowest boat in the harbor which took over 2 hours to make it to Outer Rock. This beautiful rock is near the end of the Great Barrier reef and was home to many wonderful creatures. As my dive log states: we got the chance to touch the backs of wabbygong sharks while watching them feed and hold a feathered starfish during the first dive. The second dive we saw a tawny shark swim nearby. The corals and fish that surrounded us were beautiful to watch when I wasn’t concentrating on staying at the correct level to not run into the coral on the bottom. Despite trying to not get injured during the dives, I left both dives with scratches and cuts below the knee and bloody noses. Even though we only went 12 meters underwater, a bloody nose still turns the water in your mask green. This is a very interesting thing to notice and confused me a bit. (Red light is the first to be absorbed by the water.) A few hours later we arrived back at the harbor after seeing a dolphin and turtle on the ride. After returning to college we raced to dinner then for me off to church youth group.
At the end of youth group my friend and I decided instead of returning to College to study or do something productive, we would ride his motorcycle up Mount Archer. This took about 5 minutes. The look out was a beautiful place to see Rockhampton at night time and to attempt to see a word written out of the street lights. A hour or so later it got cold enough to return to College but not for long. Since I left my cell phone on the mountain we convinced another friend to drive us up then explored the residential areas on the mountain.
Sunday afternoon: While doing some of the required work for the week I was offered the chance to go rock climbing. It’s been awhile since I went for a climb and I’ve never gone outdoor climbing so I jumped at the chance. We grabbed the ropes, harnesses, and gear the headed over to Mount Archer. The area was on the other side of the mountain as the look-out and provided an amazing view. After two awesome climbs each on trails set-up by our “guide’s” friends we returned. I loved the opportunities to explore the area both above and below sea level this past weekend and look forward to additional dives. My leg scratches and bruises as still a reminder of the wonderful times. Well more adventures await: This weekend I will try caving.
G’day,
Kathryn
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Last few weeks in brief format
The last month has been very busy with weekend trips, Easter break, and many fun adventures. I hope to write more about each of these things in more detail later but don't have time right now.
After the camping trip I traveled with friends to Mt Tamborine for Connexions, a weekend conference with Student Life (part of Campus Crusade for Christ). It was similar to Expedition but for the whole state of Queensland. This blog is handwritten just needs typed... but that was Friday-Sunday in March 27th-29th.
The next week I turned in my first assignment. It was for my Science Education class and I received it back today...I got an HD (High Distinction...A).
That weekend I flew down to Brisbane to stay with Pauline, who I met at Connexions. After arriving we shopped around in downtown Brisbane and went out for Korean (she's from Singapore). On the way home I got a night time tour of UQ (University of Queeensland where Pauline and friends go to Uni).
Sunday: Owen's brother, Dave, (who stays in the same apartment as Pauline) drove us to church then Pauline and I went to Cleveland (2 hours train from the city). Owen's grandmother picked us up to take us out to a nearby island in Moreton Bay. After returning "home" Pauline, Dave, Dave's girlfriend Anna, Pauline's friend's brother who was visiting from Singapore, and I went up to the mountain overlooking Brisbane. Great view and awesome time.
Monday: Pauline had class so her friend Janelle took me to the free art gallery and museum on the South Bank of Brisbane. Then we met up with Pauline and another friend for lunch at the Pancake Manor. Afterward, Pauline and I met Owen to go to the artificial beach in Brisbane and hung out in the city. We left Owen at the bus then got kangaroo meat for dinner. It was very yummy. That night we watched a movie then Owen spent the night with his brother.
Tuesday: Pauline and I took the train down to the Gold Coast where we were supposed to go Sea World but went to a Wildlife Sanctuary for the day cause it rained. Very cool place. Once returning home Dave, Anna, Pauline, and I did a bible study then Dave and I watched a movie while my laundry washed for over two hours.
Wednesday: I took the bus up to the Australia Zoo (I survived hours of public transportation on my own). On the way back I stopped for two hours to view the Glass House Mountains. I couldn't get to any of the mountains but got good pictures of them in the distance. That night I joined Pauline and a few of her friends/housemates for Nandos. The movie of the night was Robin Hood Men in Tights (a great movie to watch which neither Dave nor I had seen for a long time).
Thursday: After an Easter service with the Christian group at UQ, Pauline gave me a day time tour including counting all 12ish colleges around the Uni. We then grabbed my stuff so I could catch the bus over to Toowoomba to continue my trip at Easterfest. Two hours after arriving in Toowoomba I got picked up to be driven to the campsite to start the nationwide Christian music festival.
Friday-Sunday: Camping in a tent surrounded by lots of people, good Christian music, and lots of friends from Rocky, Brisbane (Griffith people not UQ), Toowoomba, etc. Rain and mud added to the mix for the weekend.
Monday: After packing up the tents, we started the 8 hour trip home. Nothing productive happened once I got home but it was great to catch up with my college friends.
Tuesday-Friday: Typical college days filled with little study but lots of fun. For Tuesday night randomness ask me for pictures.
This past Saturday: I had the first two of my scuba dives for class. Despite getting bloody noses, scrapes, and sea sickness I was able to see and touch sharks, see turtles and dolphins, and explore the Great Barrier Reef. I have two more dives left before I'm fully certified. I returned home just in time to grab dinner and be late to Youth Group. Thankfully Owen waited for me: we biked over then went up to Mount Archer afterward. Since I left my phone there Josh drove the three of us back up about an hour.
Sunday: Church with Vanessa, schoolwork, then Milko asked if I wanted to go Rock Climbing. Of course I did so he, Josh, Kyle and I went back up to Mount Archer to climb. Great fun but added even more scars/bruises to below my knees. I returned in time to bicycle over to church with Owen. That was enough biking for me.
Monday: Shopping for groceries for my field placement. Milko dropped me off to get a 1 hour back massage while Sarah got her hair dyed and cut. Then we returned to campus so I could veg out for the next few hours (dr.'s orders). Then homework for the night.
Tuesday: Woke up really early to go to my first day of practicum at Parkhurst State School. I'm working with a Year 1/2 classroom. I get plenty of exercise biking the one and a half miles there and another back. The practicum is going really well and my teacher is wonderful. After prac, Sarah and Owen distracted me from doing my work which ended up being a huge mess in my room (bike helmet pieces some of which still remain after the cleaners came today), my sheets in the hallway, towels all over, and pillows in wrong rooms. O well the bruise from the pillow/towel fight looks wonderful in addition to my legs (I'm wearing pants not shorts anymore even if it is hot). Then we watched Around the Twist: an Australian tv show from the 90's with ghosts in every episode.
Today I had half a day of prac in the morning then class in the afternoon and Student Life at night. On Friday, I am going sailing for class, then Saturday is ANZAC day (labor day mostly) and a Great Aussie BBQ/Volleyball tournament between houses on college. Sunday I'm going with other international students (probably with a few other people added) to the Caves to go caving. That's all for now folks!
After the camping trip I traveled with friends to Mt Tamborine for Connexions, a weekend conference with Student Life (part of Campus Crusade for Christ). It was similar to Expedition but for the whole state of Queensland. This blog is handwritten just needs typed... but that was Friday-Sunday in March 27th-29th.
The next week I turned in my first assignment. It was for my Science Education class and I received it back today...I got an HD (High Distinction...A).
That weekend I flew down to Brisbane to stay with Pauline, who I met at Connexions. After arriving we shopped around in downtown Brisbane and went out for Korean (she's from Singapore). On the way home I got a night time tour of UQ (University of Queeensland where Pauline and friends go to Uni).
Sunday: Owen's brother, Dave, (who stays in the same apartment as Pauline) drove us to church then Pauline and I went to Cleveland (2 hours train from the city). Owen's grandmother picked us up to take us out to a nearby island in Moreton Bay. After returning "home" Pauline, Dave, Dave's girlfriend Anna, Pauline's friend's brother who was visiting from Singapore, and I went up to the mountain overlooking Brisbane. Great view and awesome time.
Monday: Pauline had class so her friend Janelle took me to the free art gallery and museum on the South Bank of Brisbane. Then we met up with Pauline and another friend for lunch at the Pancake Manor. Afterward, Pauline and I met Owen to go to the artificial beach in Brisbane and hung out in the city. We left Owen at the bus then got kangaroo meat for dinner. It was very yummy. That night we watched a movie then Owen spent the night with his brother.
Tuesday: Pauline and I took the train down to the Gold Coast where we were supposed to go Sea World but went to a Wildlife Sanctuary for the day cause it rained. Very cool place. Once returning home Dave, Anna, Pauline, and I did a bible study then Dave and I watched a movie while my laundry washed for over two hours.
Wednesday: I took the bus up to the Australia Zoo (I survived hours of public transportation on my own). On the way back I stopped for two hours to view the Glass House Mountains. I couldn't get to any of the mountains but got good pictures of them in the distance. That night I joined Pauline and a few of her friends/housemates for Nandos. The movie of the night was Robin Hood Men in Tights (a great movie to watch which neither Dave nor I had seen for a long time).
Thursday: After an Easter service with the Christian group at UQ, Pauline gave me a day time tour including counting all 12ish colleges around the Uni. We then grabbed my stuff so I could catch the bus over to Toowoomba to continue my trip at Easterfest. Two hours after arriving in Toowoomba I got picked up to be driven to the campsite to start the nationwide Christian music festival.
Friday-Sunday: Camping in a tent surrounded by lots of people, good Christian music, and lots of friends from Rocky, Brisbane (Griffith people not UQ), Toowoomba, etc. Rain and mud added to the mix for the weekend.
Monday: After packing up the tents, we started the 8 hour trip home. Nothing productive happened once I got home but it was great to catch up with my college friends.
Tuesday-Friday: Typical college days filled with little study but lots of fun. For Tuesday night randomness ask me for pictures.
This past Saturday: I had the first two of my scuba dives for class. Despite getting bloody noses, scrapes, and sea sickness I was able to see and touch sharks, see turtles and dolphins, and explore the Great Barrier Reef. I have two more dives left before I'm fully certified. I returned home just in time to grab dinner and be late to Youth Group. Thankfully Owen waited for me: we biked over then went up to Mount Archer afterward. Since I left my phone there Josh drove the three of us back up about an hour.
Sunday: Church with Vanessa, schoolwork, then Milko asked if I wanted to go Rock Climbing. Of course I did so he, Josh, Kyle and I went back up to Mount Archer to climb. Great fun but added even more scars/bruises to below my knees. I returned in time to bicycle over to church with Owen. That was enough biking for me.
Monday: Shopping for groceries for my field placement. Milko dropped me off to get a 1 hour back massage while Sarah got her hair dyed and cut. Then we returned to campus so I could veg out for the next few hours (dr.'s orders). Then homework for the night.
Tuesday: Woke up really early to go to my first day of practicum at Parkhurst State School. I'm working with a Year 1/2 classroom. I get plenty of exercise biking the one and a half miles there and another back. The practicum is going really well and my teacher is wonderful. After prac, Sarah and Owen distracted me from doing my work which ended up being a huge mess in my room (bike helmet pieces some of which still remain after the cleaners came today), my sheets in the hallway, towels all over, and pillows in wrong rooms. O well the bruise from the pillow/towel fight looks wonderful in addition to my legs (I'm wearing pants not shorts anymore even if it is hot). Then we watched Around the Twist: an Australian tv show from the 90's with ghosts in every episode.
Today I had half a day of prac in the morning then class in the afternoon and Student Life at night. On Friday, I am going sailing for class, then Saturday is ANZAC day (labor day mostly) and a Great Aussie BBQ/Volleyball tournament between houses on college. Sunday I'm going with other international students (probably with a few other people added) to the Caves to go caving. That's all for now folks!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Camping Trip
Thursday night my friends and I were finally able to have the camping trip we planned. Although the original group of Owen, Kaitlyn, and I changed, the plan to have a canoe trip with a side of camping, and the dates changed, it still happened. Something about a cyclone, a meeting, working at 5 am, and inability to get cheap canoes for the night. Kaitlyn, Liz, Nicole, and I enjoyed a brief camping trip a week after the original dates. Even our plans from that day changed. Since the desired campsite was full of school children we switched to a different camping area. We missed the turn (my fault) and finally just pulled over next to the desired creek and set up our tent.
As we were putting up the borrowed tent by the headlights of the car, three little ducks decided to join us. They spent all night with us and provided lots of entertainment before we let them back into the water in the morning. We ate our sandwiches and got a wonderful fire going. Although Liz (from California) and I had hoped to have smores, the lack of anything resembling graham crackers in Australia made that impossible. We settled for roasted marshmallows while the Kaitlyn and Nicole burnt their marshmallows to a crisp. Finally we stargazed, with the Johnny, Freddy, and George (our ducks), and turned in for the night. Since I had to leave for the conference before 8 in the morning we got up at or before 6:30 to pack up and leave. Although the trip was short it was very cheap and hopefully will be followed by a canoe trip.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Classes, Mail, etc.
This week has been a wonderful week mailwise. I got a package from my parents, a St. Patrick's card, a letter from my grandparents, an ipod, and lots of paperwork/information about my summer job. Stories follow most:
1. Package: Filled with 5 bottles of Sunscreen SPF 60 or 85+ this enables me to spend the time needed in the sun. In Australia the highest SPF is 30+ which isn't quite good enough. However, one small problem occurs with reapplying as I learned today. Scuba diving prevented me from applying for a few hours and now I have bright red lower arms. My body also is covered in more freckles than usual. Around the sunscreen though is wonderful easter candy... mostly American candy. I've shared the Reeses peanut butter eggs with friends since Australia doesn't mix chocolate and peanut butter. They love them. The only other thing I've opened are the sweettarts and shared most of the box with my hall. Everything else I'm rationing for the rest of the year. The poptarts should be a big hit as they are written about in the Twilight books (Twilight is still in the theatres here and many people are reading the books).
2. St. Patrick's Day card: Although short and sweet this card arrived just after a whole youth group focused around St. Patrick's day. We watched the Veggie Tale version of the story, talked about America and the freedoms/stupidities, and wore green. Afterwards games were held which enabled the guys to show their strength and stupidity. Very amusing. Noone here knows the story of St. Patricks day and not much is done to celebrate. I heard that the Irish Pub was very full that night though.
3. Letter: A few questions that others may be asking: Transportation especially to church- I am no longer walking to church. I either grab a ride with Vanessa, Kaitlyn, or Owen depending on my planning and which church I want to go to. Walking is pretty safe around the Uni although I wouldn't walk very far into town, especially not on the South Side (If you want to hear the story let me know and I may email it to you). Caring People/Co-ed Living-Everyone I've met seems very nice here. I've become great friends with many of the people in the hallway and often stop to talk to those with their doors open. Sometimes the other girls and I decide to take pictures of those sleeping with their doors open in the middle of the day, but we all get along well. I've adjusted very well to living with both genders which will be a shock when I return home and begin work at Girl Scout Camp. Overall, the hallway has had many fun times: this week included a hall dinner (formal), baseball/soccer/handball (up and down the hall before we learned no balls can be used inside), uno (in the hallway), and dress-up (with hats, motorcycle stuff, and ties). Movies are often part of the weekly plan.
4. I-pod: For anyone who did not know I misplaced my I-pod somewhere around LAX. Anyway I decided it was time to buy a new one so I could listen to it on my wanders around college. It's awesome, I just need a cover for it.
5. Summer Job- I will be working at the Seven Lakes Girl Scouts camps as a resident camp counselor this summer. My job starts the Saturday after I return home (on Wednesday) and goes until Aug 16 (the day before RA training should start). It should be an awesome time although a very busy summer.
Classes:
EPL1: This week we learn where we will be placed in the local schools. Many schools exist and from driving by they seem to include lots of smaller buildings. The class has also decided to break in half and change times, which probably means I won't be able to make the workshop once the placements begin. The bright side though is that everyone should have a seat :)
Science: My first assignment is due next week for this class and I'm working hard at finishing it. Classes often include a bit of a science investigation however much of the time is spent learning how to use the curriculum, essential learnings, syllabus, etc. to plan lessons. This won't translate very well into my work at home since I doubt New York is going to adopt Queensland curriculum before they change it (in the next few years) or ever. But I've made friends with some of the "mature" students in the class and Chris (from Boston who was the first person I met cause he arrived on the same plane I did) in the group.
Arts: This week Arts combined with Health and Physical Education to share information about lesson planning. Although everyone (except Dave from Chicago) is in both classes, it was a long day for me. The breaks between lesson planning and the separate lessons were spent at the International Exchange fair. I know can write the lesson plan needed for my Science class. Every week in art we explore a different media and make something to display in my room. I'm not much of an artist but the pieces are very amusing both to make (when I'm with my friends in the class) and analyze. Soon I will start a papel picado of Sydney Harbor Bridge as part of my Arts Journey.
Outdoor Pursuits: Today was spent in the pool learning all of the necessary components of scuba diving. The 6.5 hours resulted in complete exhaustion (cured by a 2 hour rest) and a bit of sunburn. I am now ready to get into the open water. However the class still has a bit of theory left to watch on video, a homework to go over, and a final to take. Thankfully there is no class this week so a few of my Christian friends (including Owen and Kaitlyn) are going canoeing and camping Thursday night instead. Maybe I'll use some of that time to work on my breathing...slow and deep...annoying. That's all for classes.
Upcoming events: Connexions is a retreat for Student Life this weekend at a national Park in Mt. Tamborine. Although I'm not sure who else is going it'll be nice to get away and connect with other Christians for a weekend. I'm looking forward to it. I suppose now I should go plan the rest of the year (classes, etc.) and remember that I need sleep. Either way brekky is at 8:30 and I'm sure I'll be woken up by a friend for it.
If you have any questions feel free to email them to me (gmail or Fredonia) or better yet facebook is checked much more often than the gmail account. :) I'll try to answer your questions.
1. Package: Filled with 5 bottles of Sunscreen SPF 60 or 85+ this enables me to spend the time needed in the sun. In Australia the highest SPF is 30+ which isn't quite good enough. However, one small problem occurs with reapplying as I learned today. Scuba diving prevented me from applying for a few hours and now I have bright red lower arms. My body also is covered in more freckles than usual. Around the sunscreen though is wonderful easter candy... mostly American candy. I've shared the Reeses peanut butter eggs with friends since Australia doesn't mix chocolate and peanut butter. They love them. The only other thing I've opened are the sweettarts and shared most of the box with my hall. Everything else I'm rationing for the rest of the year. The poptarts should be a big hit as they are written about in the Twilight books (Twilight is still in the theatres here and many people are reading the books). 2. St. Patrick's Day card: Although short and sweet this card arrived just after a whole youth group focused around St. Patrick's day. We watched the Veggie Tale version of the story, talked about America and the freedoms/stupidities, and wore green. Afterwards games were held which enabled the guys to show their strength and stupidity. Very amusing. Noone here knows the story of St. Patricks day and not much is done to celebrate. I heard that the Irish Pub was very full that night though.
3. Letter: A few questions that others may be asking: Transportation especially to church- I am no longer walking to church. I either grab a ride with Vanessa, Kaitlyn, or Owen depending on my planning and which church I want to go to. Walking is pretty safe around the Uni although I wouldn't walk very far into town, especially not on the South Side (If you want to hear the story let me know and I may email it to you). Caring People/Co-ed Living-Everyone I've met seems very nice here. I've become great friends with many of the people in the hallway and often stop to talk to those with their doors open. Sometimes the other girls and I decide to take pictures of those sleeping with their doors open in the middle of the day, but we all get along well. I've adjusted very well to living with both genders which will be a shock when I return home and begin work at Girl Scout Camp. Overall, the hallway has had many fun times: this week included a hall dinner (formal), baseball/soccer/handball (up and down the hall before we learned no balls can be used inside), uno (in the hallway), and dress-up (with hats, motorcycle stuff, and ties). Movies are often part of the weekly plan.
4. I-pod: For anyone who did not know I misplaced my I-pod somewhere around LAX. Anyway I decided it was time to buy a new one so I could listen to it on my wanders around college. It's awesome, I just need a cover for it.
5. Summer Job- I will be working at the Seven Lakes Girl Scouts camps as a resident camp counselor this summer. My job starts the Saturday after I return home (on Wednesday) and goes until Aug 16 (the day before RA training should start). It should be an awesome time although a very busy summer.
Classes:
EPL1: This week we learn where we will be placed in the local schools. Many schools exist and from driving by they seem to include lots of smaller buildings. The class has also decided to break in half and change times, which probably means I won't be able to make the workshop once the placements begin. The bright side though is that everyone should have a seat :)
Science: My first assignment is due next week for this class and I'm working hard at finishing it. Classes often include a bit of a science investigation however much of the time is spent learning how to use the curriculum, essential learnings, syllabus, etc. to plan lessons. This won't translate very well into my work at home since I doubt New York is going to adopt Queensland curriculum before they change it (in the next few years) or ever. But I've made friends with some of the "mature" students in the class and Chris (from Boston who was the first person I met cause he arrived on the same plane I did) in the group.
Arts: This week Arts combined with Health and Physical Education to share information about lesson planning. Although everyone (except Dave from Chicago) is in both classes, it was a long day for me. The breaks between lesson planning and the separate lessons were spent at the International Exchange fair. I know can write the lesson plan needed for my Science class. Every week in art we explore a different media and make something to display in my room. I'm not much of an artist but the pieces are very amusing both to make (when I'm with my friends in the class) and analyze. Soon I will start a papel picado of Sydney Harbor Bridge as part of my Arts Journey.
Outdoor Pursuits: Today was spent in the pool learning all of the necessary components of scuba diving. The 6.5 hours resulted in complete exhaustion (cured by a 2 hour rest) and a bit of sunburn. I am now ready to get into the open water. However the class still has a bit of theory left to watch on video, a homework to go over, and a final to take. Thankfully there is no class this week so a few of my Christian friends (including Owen and Kaitlyn) are going canoeing and camping Thursday night instead. Maybe I'll use some of that time to work on my breathing...slow and deep...annoying. That's all for classes.
Upcoming events: Connexions is a retreat for Student Life this weekend at a national Park in Mt. Tamborine. Although I'm not sure who else is going it'll be nice to get away and connect with other Christians for a weekend. I'm looking forward to it. I suppose now I should go plan the rest of the year (classes, etc.) and remember that I need sleep. Either way brekky is at 8:30 and I'm sure I'll be woken up by a friend for it.
If you have any questions feel free to email them to me (gmail or Fredonia) or better yet facebook is checked much more often than the gmail account. :) I'll try to answer your questions.
Randomness... with Owen and Kaitlyn
I just returned from another night of randomness with Owen and Kaitlyn. These happen remarkably often and typically include a trip to some restaurant, like Maccas (Mc Donalds which is open 24 hours a day on the South Side of Rocky). A bit about them: Kaitlyn is a Red Frog so we met at one of the College parties the first week. Red Frogs attend many of the parties, offering a place to talk, freezer pops, and donuts as well as red frog gummies. Their goal is to provide support for those who aren't drinking and are connected with local churches. Although I met her there I had not talked to her until I saw her at church. Owen: He lives three doors down and I met him shortly after he moved in. He joined some of our hallway parties which are held very close to his doorway but I really began to know him after one night's experience. I was wandering the halls about one on a Saturday night not feeling like going to bed when he knocked on the kitchen door to be let in. The front doors close at 10 and although everyone on College's key's open the doors to all buildings, he never carries his. Since he wasn't ready for bed and neither was I, we started talking and I found out he had gone to COP youth group and was planning to go to church in the morning. I asked to go along, before I realized he had a motorcycle, and enjoyed it. We met Kaitlyn there, hung out afterwards and started our random nights. Often they consist of movies (at the College or the cinemas), Maccas, and random other things. Thursday nights have become our night to hang out although Saturdays after youth group and Sundays after evening church also are hang out times. An example of a night: the most recent in my memory...tonight.
Tonight, after church at COP, finished everyone (about 25 youth/Uni students) headed to Nandos. Kaitlyn was nice enough to pick me up since I slept through church. I was very tired from 6.5 hours of scuba diving in the pool and having to use either a regulator or snorkel at all times. Every night about 10:30 and on the weekends the gates to the college lock forcing people to drive through the Uni. Although that sounds like an easy trip it's a bit out of the way and includes 7 speed bumps. However, it's possible to get picked up at the gate which includes walking through a small gulley with a few logs and high grass. Usually it's no problem, however the flashlight on my phone wouldn't turn on so I went through in the dark. My flip-flop fell off leading into a few minute search for it. Finally I arrived at the gate and then at Nandos. Dinner was a chicken wrap and lots of talking. We left at close to decide what the three of us where going to do since everyone else had wandered off. Owen gave me a ride back to College on his motorcycle while Kaitlyn met us there. Usually I wear the black helmet but tonight I got the red one... one slight problem. There is a visor on the red one which catches wind very easily so as we were driving along I felt my helmet rotate up. By the end I learned how to ride with it but I think next time I'm going to steal the black one again :) We arrived back and considered our next plans. Since I had never been to Mount Archer, a mountain about 10 min away from Uni overlooking Rockhampton, we agreed to go up there. The mountain is very beautiful and has a great view of the city. It's very windy so after a while it was time to get steamers.
Owen had never had one and Kaitlyn had only tried mine from a few days ago. Here steamers aren't common things so although the McCafes can make them, I have to explain how to. The price also changes based on who is working. Tonight they counted as teas at A$3.10 each but last time it was A$2.50 and the first time it was only 60 cents. Either way they are very tasty and get weird looks from the cashiers. We each ordered a different flavor but of course we had to try them all. Near the end of our exchange to try to tell which flavor we liked best and if we could tell the difference, the workers were starting to look at us a bit funny. Needless to say, we did switch about 10 times each before picking a flavor to drink. In the end, Owen ended up finishing all of the drinks though on the way back to College. Since Kaitlyn was tired and needed to wake up before driving home we looked at the stars. They were much brighter than last night which was the first time I had seen the Southern Cross. Unfortunately, the Southern Cross and sometimes Orion's belt are the only constellations they know and the Dippers aren't visible. I decided it would be fun to play the haha game. We played it at Student Life (the Christian group at Uni) but one small piece was missing. It's important to play the game whenever you are close to tired, often done at sleepovers. We were tonight so we arranged ourselves on the ground as best as we could with our heads on each others stomachs. The game is much easier with 4 people or more cause a triangle is hard to form with bodies and leaves arms awkwardly in the middle. Either way, we played a few rounds of the game which is very enjoyable to wake Kaitlyn up. Then it was off to bed for her, study for Owen, and blogging for me. That's the end of another night for the three of us. Next on the roster: camping and canoeing on Thursday with a few additional people added. Well I'm off to shower and make sure I don't have any tics on me (apparently Owen had one from the grass somewhere). More to come soon.
Tonight, after church at COP, finished everyone (about 25 youth/Uni students) headed to Nandos. Kaitlyn was nice enough to pick me up since I slept through church. I was very tired from 6.5 hours of scuba diving in the pool and having to use either a regulator or snorkel at all times. Every night about 10:30 and on the weekends the gates to the college lock forcing people to drive through the Uni. Although that sounds like an easy trip it's a bit out of the way and includes 7 speed bumps. However, it's possible to get picked up at the gate which includes walking through a small gulley with a few logs and high grass. Usually it's no problem, however the flashlight on my phone wouldn't turn on so I went through in the dark. My flip-flop fell off leading into a few minute search for it. Finally I arrived at the gate and then at Nandos. Dinner was a chicken wrap and lots of talking. We left at close to decide what the three of us where going to do since everyone else had wandered off. Owen gave me a ride back to College on his motorcycle while Kaitlyn met us there. Usually I wear the black helmet but tonight I got the red one... one slight problem. There is a visor on the red one which catches wind very easily so as we were driving along I felt my helmet rotate up. By the end I learned how to ride with it but I think next time I'm going to steal the black one again :) We arrived back and considered our next plans. Since I had never been to Mount Archer, a mountain about 10 min away from Uni overlooking Rockhampton, we agreed to go up there. The mountain is very beautiful and has a great view of the city. It's very windy so after a while it was time to get steamers.
Owen had never had one and Kaitlyn had only tried mine from a few days ago. Here steamers aren't common things so although the McCafes can make them, I have to explain how to. The price also changes based on who is working. Tonight they counted as teas at A$3.10 each but last time it was A$2.50 and the first time it was only 60 cents. Either way they are very tasty and get weird looks from the cashiers. We each ordered a different flavor but of course we had to try them all. Near the end of our exchange to try to tell which flavor we liked best and if we could tell the difference, the workers were starting to look at us a bit funny. Needless to say, we did switch about 10 times each before picking a flavor to drink. In the end, Owen ended up finishing all of the drinks though on the way back to College. Since Kaitlyn was tired and needed to wake up before driving home we looked at the stars. They were much brighter than last night which was the first time I had seen the Southern Cross. Unfortunately, the Southern Cross and sometimes Orion's belt are the only constellations they know and the Dippers aren't visible. I decided it would be fun to play the haha game. We played it at Student Life (the Christian group at Uni) but one small piece was missing. It's important to play the game whenever you are close to tired, often done at sleepovers. We were tonight so we arranged ourselves on the ground as best as we could with our heads on each others stomachs. The game is much easier with 4 people or more cause a triangle is hard to form with bodies and leaves arms awkwardly in the middle. Either way, we played a few rounds of the game which is very enjoyable to wake Kaitlyn up. Then it was off to bed for her, study for Owen, and blogging for me. That's the end of another night for the three of us. Next on the roster: camping and canoeing on Thursday with a few additional people added. Well I'm off to shower and make sure I don't have any tics on me (apparently Owen had one from the grass somewhere). More to come soon.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Girl Guiding
I've finally been formally introduced to Girl Guiding Australia. Although I'm pretty sure this was supposed to happen before I contacted them, no one told me until the local Girl Guide Head did. Due to class conflicts I can only work with the Guide group. Guides are age 10-13 and are about Junior age. Once they start secondary they move into Ranger Guides. This week 12 of the 15 girls were there while next week I believe five Brownie scouts move up. The North Rockhampton region has about 65 scouts which is many more than the South Rockhampton region.
Before the Meeting:
After contacting Girl Guides, I received an email from the assistant leader. We met for lunch the day before the meeting at the Uni where she is one of the travel agents. (Yes we have travel agents on campus, and a hair dresser, and a bank.) She introduced me to some of the ideas of Girl Guiding. They have a very girl led troop which is the ideal for all scouts. Right now they are preparing for a weekend camp in May so the meetings are focused around cooking and other needed skills. I was also alerted that each leader has a traditional tribe name that the girls call them. I'm going to see if I can get one so I won't have to think up a camp name once I return to the States and begin working as a resident camp counselor in Seven Lakes.
The Meeting:
All meetings occur in a hut on a small piece of Girl Guide Property. The hut includes space for storage and meetings, while two sheds, a flag pole, and a fire pit are outside. The meeting started with a horseshoe flag ceremony but the flags were missing so it was very abbreviated. (You can't salute a flag that's not there). Afterward the girls began the meeting with the challenge to introduce themselves to me throughout the night and tell me their favorite part of guides. The focus of the meeting was cooking on the fire. The four patrols paired up and made either tacos or wraps based on their previous decision. After gathering firewood, trying to light the fire, and appointing patrol leaders the fire was finally lit. The leaders let the girls do the vast majority of the work with guidance as needed. This is why the fire took over an hour to light and the meeting ran long. As the girls get better at building fires, it will become faster. In the end the food was good and a horseshoe closing was done. The wrap-up included information about a canoeing day this coming weekend for the guides to get their level three certification. This allows them to be on the water with an instructor in sight but not necessarily on the water. Other upcoming events are the centennial which is a 48 hour celebration which is poorly designed and happening in September and a fundraising event for the council. Throughout the two hour meeting one girl approached me to introduce herself while another few introduced themselves at the dinner table.
Upcoming:
As a leader the canoeing and kayaking trip is a two day training event. It'll be filled with theory and then a trip down a creek at the end. I'm looking forward to it and the camp as well. I still need to get my blue card to be allowed to work with children and check the insurance of everything but hopefully it will all work out. In May, the traveling store should be coming so I hope to get a uniform to take back home and wear for the remainder of the time. The girls all have sashes that they place their rectangular or diamond shaped badges on but everyone wears a polo shirt in yellow, green, and purple (I think). Overall many similarities exist as with most of Australian life but the differences are what makes life interesting and a great learning experience.
Before the Meeting:
After contacting Girl Guides, I received an email from the assistant leader. We met for lunch the day before the meeting at the Uni where she is one of the travel agents. (Yes we have travel agents on campus, and a hair dresser, and a bank.) She introduced me to some of the ideas of Girl Guiding. They have a very girl led troop which is the ideal for all scouts. Right now they are preparing for a weekend camp in May so the meetings are focused around cooking and other needed skills. I was also alerted that each leader has a traditional tribe name that the girls call them. I'm going to see if I can get one so I won't have to think up a camp name once I return to the States and begin working as a resident camp counselor in Seven Lakes.
The Meeting:
All meetings occur in a hut on a small piece of Girl Guide Property. The hut includes space for storage and meetings, while two sheds, a flag pole, and a fire pit are outside. The meeting started with a horseshoe flag ceremony but the flags were missing so it was very abbreviated. (You can't salute a flag that's not there). Afterward the girls began the meeting with the challenge to introduce themselves to me throughout the night and tell me their favorite part of guides. The focus of the meeting was cooking on the fire. The four patrols paired up and made either tacos or wraps based on their previous decision. After gathering firewood, trying to light the fire, and appointing patrol leaders the fire was finally lit. The leaders let the girls do the vast majority of the work with guidance as needed. This is why the fire took over an hour to light and the meeting ran long. As the girls get better at building fires, it will become faster. In the end the food was good and a horseshoe closing was done. The wrap-up included information about a canoeing day this coming weekend for the guides to get their level three certification. This allows them to be on the water with an instructor in sight but not necessarily on the water. Other upcoming events are the centennial which is a 48 hour celebration which is poorly designed and happening in September and a fundraising event for the council. Throughout the two hour meeting one girl approached me to introduce herself while another few introduced themselves at the dinner table.
Upcoming:
As a leader the canoeing and kayaking trip is a two day training event. It'll be filled with theory and then a trip down a creek at the end. I'm looking forward to it and the camp as well. I still need to get my blue card to be allowed to work with children and check the insurance of everything but hopefully it will all work out. In May, the traveling store should be coming so I hope to get a uniform to take back home and wear for the remainder of the time. The girls all have sashes that they place their rectangular or diamond shaped badges on but everyone wears a polo shirt in yellow, green, and purple (I think). Overall many similarities exist as with most of Australian life but the differences are what makes life interesting and a great learning experience.
First Week of Uni
This week I started Uni classes. Each week I have about 8.5 hours of scheduled classes. Here classes come in four varieties: lectures, tutorials (tutes), workshops, and labs. Since I decided not to take Chemistry here I only have tutorials and a workshop. Each class is worth 4 credits (USA system) but not many will count toward my needed classes. I'm primarily a first year education student here but they all have the same schedule just with classes switched based on group A or B. I'm group B and so are three of my friends.
My Schedule:
Monday: Nothing scheduled although I have a scuba diving physical and probably some open water dives during the first few weeks. Starting week 7 I will have practical experience in a local school district. Many Mondays are also public holidays which I think is why not too many classes are scheduled then. However, this week students in EPL 1 received emails saying that there was class in the morning so a few of us showed up. Then we learned it was only the Bundaberg campus and had the rest of the day free. (Thomas was stranded on campus so he watched a movie in my room after getting the video player to work.)
Tuesday: Embedded Professional Learning 1- This Workshop teaches all of the first year education students how to be professional and the field experiences are for this class. The first years aren't actually registered for this class until next semester because it's a full year class. Since I'm only in Australia for one term I am condensing the field experiences. That means I have 28 full days in a classroom starting week 7. Although the rest of the students will go on Wednesdays I have class until week 11 so I will be at the schools Mondays and Tuesdays and finals week. Thankfully the professor is really flexible and willing to work with me. I arrived to this class with my three friends (Rhiannon, Sarah, and Thomas) who thankfully learned of the change of venue in their earlier class. We arrived to the pool room classroom on time but late enough that there were no more seats. I got to sit indian style in the very front and center. A bit awkward to be a foot from the professor (who had grass on his sock all of class) but next time we'll try to get a seat. Thankfully the 1 hour workshop isn't compulsory so attendance should go down.
Wednesday: Science Curriculum and Pedagogy- This is a second year education class so I don't know anyone in it. However the classroom was very nice and the topic is interesting. It meets 2.5 hours a week for 10 weeks. Lots of reading for this class and I ended up buying some units following the Queensland curriculum.
Thursday: The Arts- Another first year class so the four of us arrived to a similar situation. This time there just weren't four seats in a group so we ended up sharing desks during the lecture portion of the tutorial. Afterward we were given tissue paper, glue, and paper to make a project out of. I made a wonderful campfire which now hangs on my board. Quite interesting and project intensive.
Friday: Today was Outdoor Pursuits: Aquatics for three hours. It was a long time to sit in a room with too much air conditioning. It should be cool and for more info check out the international student post.
Tonight is the Scholar's Inn Party where the bar in the Junior Common Room is open and everyone at College gets to hang out. It has a Superhero theme so my friends and I are going as the Sailor Scouts. We are hoping to win best dressed. Thats all about that for now :)
My Schedule:
Monday: Nothing scheduled although I have a scuba diving physical and probably some open water dives during the first few weeks. Starting week 7 I will have practical experience in a local school district. Many Mondays are also public holidays which I think is why not too many classes are scheduled then. However, this week students in EPL 1 received emails saying that there was class in the morning so a few of us showed up. Then we learned it was only the Bundaberg campus and had the rest of the day free. (Thomas was stranded on campus so he watched a movie in my room after getting the video player to work.)
Tuesday: Embedded Professional Learning 1- This Workshop teaches all of the first year education students how to be professional and the field experiences are for this class. The first years aren't actually registered for this class until next semester because it's a full year class. Since I'm only in Australia for one term I am condensing the field experiences. That means I have 28 full days in a classroom starting week 7. Although the rest of the students will go on Wednesdays I have class until week 11 so I will be at the schools Mondays and Tuesdays and finals week. Thankfully the professor is really flexible and willing to work with me. I arrived to this class with my three friends (Rhiannon, Sarah, and Thomas) who thankfully learned of the change of venue in their earlier class. We arrived to the pool room classroom on time but late enough that there were no more seats. I got to sit indian style in the very front and center. A bit awkward to be a foot from the professor (who had grass on his sock all of class) but next time we'll try to get a seat. Thankfully the 1 hour workshop isn't compulsory so attendance should go down.
Wednesday: Science Curriculum and Pedagogy- This is a second year education class so I don't know anyone in it. However the classroom was very nice and the topic is interesting. It meets 2.5 hours a week for 10 weeks. Lots of reading for this class and I ended up buying some units following the Queensland curriculum.
Thursday: The Arts- Another first year class so the four of us arrived to a similar situation. This time there just weren't four seats in a group so we ended up sharing desks during the lecture portion of the tutorial. Afterward we were given tissue paper, glue, and paper to make a project out of. I made a wonderful campfire which now hangs on my board. Quite interesting and project intensive.
Friday: Today was Outdoor Pursuits: Aquatics for three hours. It was a long time to sit in a room with too much air conditioning. It should be cool and for more info check out the international student post.
Tonight is the Scholar's Inn Party where the bar in the Junior Common Room is open and everyone at College gets to hang out. It has a Superhero theme so my friends and I are going as the Sailor Scouts. We are hoping to win best dressed. Thats all about that for now :)
Thursday, March 5, 2009
International Student Life
Life as an international student is wonderful although it does present challenges. We each received a free backpack, trips are planned just for us, even a class is offered only for international students. During Uni O Week the international students travelled over to Dreamtime Cultural Center for the afternoon. We learned about the indigenous people, the Torres Strait Islanders, and the customs of the area. Everyone had the chance to learn to throw a boomerang. I need to put more effort into my throwing but it goes up and circles most of the way back. I plan to practice with the right handed boomerang I bought: leaving the left-handed one for Greg. Boomerangs have handles carved into them so you can tell which boomerang is which. We also heard the different sounds of a didgeridoo.
Last weekend my friends and I decided to go to the local zoo in Rockhampton. It is a very small zoo and is free to get into. Since there were six people we split into two cars: Bec and Little Bec. Since noone got detailed directions we drove around town for a long time trying to caravan. However 15 U-turns later (most of them were done in round-abouts which sprinkle the city), Little Bec's car lost the other one. Bec decided to give up and turned her car back to College while Little Bec, Kyle, and I made it to the zoo. I think we spent about as much time at the zoo as we did trying to get there but Kyle and I were able to see koalas, birds, and other animals that don't exist in North America. Little Bec had been at the zoo enough times that she was bored with the animals, except the gorillas, but us internationals found the other creatures much better. Since these two trips were days after each other they are combined in an International fun album on facebook. But here is one of the pictures of the koalas.
Later this semester the College has planned trips to the Crocodile Farm and a few other places. I know the most about the croc farm cause I received a voicemail about it moments ago. I missed the meeting due to short notice where the rest of the events were announced.
Class: CQUni offers Outdoor Pursuits: Aquatics for non-award students. Pretty much only international students who aren't going for their whole degree (like most of the Japanese are) can take it. It's filled with 10 Americans, one Japanese, one Mexican, and two Canadians. The first six weeks were are learning to scuba dive and receiving our open water certification. Hopefully a group of us will travel up north the the bulk of the great barrier reef once we get our certification to scuba. After scuba we move on to sailing for 6 weeks and we will have a canoe/kayak trip to the rainforest. Since I already know how to canoe and kayak I'm able to pay a bit more to get a certification of my skills.
During weekends and break a group of International students are traveling around. I'm hoping to join in on some of the trip although I'm not quite sure which ones yet.
Challanges:
I learned at dinner that some of the Aussies speak faster to Americans then they do normally. Since they like to slur their words anyway intentionally speaking fast makes it very hard to understand them.
I'm still getting used to the different words and have learned that many American words makes sense while the Aussies make up words. Pacer for a mechanical pencil, popper for juice box.
Drinking is very common on here both for people to drink legally and illegally. I've noticed that the rules are much less strict then in America.
There are others but I can't remember them right now.
Last weekend my friends and I decided to go to the local zoo in Rockhampton. It is a very small zoo and is free to get into. Since there were six people we split into two cars: Bec and Little Bec. Since noone got detailed directions we drove around town for a long time trying to caravan. However 15 U-turns later (most of them were done in round-abouts which sprinkle the city), Little Bec's car lost the other one. Bec decided to give up and turned her car back to College while Little Bec, Kyle, and I made it to the zoo. I think we spent about as much time at the zoo as we did trying to get there but Kyle and I were able to see koalas, birds, and other animals that don't exist in North America. Little Bec had been at the zoo enough times that she was bored with the animals, except the gorillas, but us internationals found the other creatures much better. Since these two trips were days after each other they are combined in an International fun album on facebook. But here is one of the pictures of the koalas.
Later this semester the College has planned trips to the Crocodile Farm and a few other places. I know the most about the croc farm cause I received a voicemail about it moments ago. I missed the meeting due to short notice where the rest of the events were announced.
Class: CQUni offers Outdoor Pursuits: Aquatics for non-award students. Pretty much only international students who aren't going for their whole degree (like most of the Japanese are) can take it. It's filled with 10 Americans, one Japanese, one Mexican, and two Canadians. The first six weeks were are learning to scuba dive and receiving our open water certification. Hopefully a group of us will travel up north the the bulk of the great barrier reef once we get our certification to scuba. After scuba we move on to sailing for 6 weeks and we will have a canoe/kayak trip to the rainforest. Since I already know how to canoe and kayak I'm able to pay a bit more to get a certification of my skills.
During weekends and break a group of International students are traveling around. I'm hoping to join in on some of the trip although I'm not quite sure which ones yet.
Challanges:
I learned at dinner that some of the Aussies speak faster to Americans then they do normally. Since they like to slur their words anyway intentionally speaking fast makes it very hard to understand them.
I'm still getting used to the different words and have learned that many American words makes sense while the Aussies make up words. Pacer for a mechanical pencil, popper for juice box.
Drinking is very common on here both for people to drink legally and illegally. I've noticed that the rules are much less strict then in America.
There are others but I can't remember them right now.
Friends and Dorm Life
As my Leader article will eventually say, I love life at the College. I've become good friends with the majority of the girls in my hall and a few in other halls. The five of us spend significant amounts of time together chilling, watching movies from the network, and making Maccas {McDonalds} runs. Everyone in my hall is quite amazing and everyone who leaves their room (if your name is Jarrod or Jarod apparently you are confined to your room) gets along. Many of us have a tendancy to leave our doors open while we are inside so we can see who is walking by. It's quite interesting when I wander from Bec's room (4) to Rhiannon's room (17) or to my room (8) and walk multiple times by Milko's door. His door is commonly open but the downstairs Hutton Hillbillies are pretty much open to each other. Since Hutton has the largest rooms my friends (I'll call them Sailor Scouts since that's what superhero we are dressing as for the party tonight) hang out in my hall. Sadly, we don't have a foyer so we have continued to take over the hallway with other neighbors joining us for late night chats. Soon we will need to start spending more time on our studies but this is just the first week of classes.
Earlier today I had my door open which was like an opening for craziness. Both Josh and Owen wandered in to see my famed art from The Arts class. We were given tissue paper, paper, and glue with directions to make whatever we wanted. My mind was on campfires since I only had red and orange flames. Although I still am not a very good artist if you look at my art correctly you can tell it's a campfire with 10 people sitting around it. However they decided it was a Cyclopes if you turned it upside down. Hearing their explanations for every thing like the different colors was quite amusing. Apparently an australian tv show for kids called Mr. Squiggles (a little bit of it is on youtube) worked on figuring out different interpretations of art. Very amusing show that I encourage you to watch the few clips.
I finally decorated my room to add more color to the walls. As Owen and Josh pointed out I have seven different calendars on my wall with three different months showing. At the shopping centre the calendars were 60 cents each and include amazing pictures of Australia that I plan to frame once I return home. I'm just too lazy to stand on the table/sink to fix the months. I also bought boomerangs which are displayed in my room. My posters are still to be made because I have yet to pick the verse of the semester although I will take suggestions.
Earlier today I had my door open which was like an opening for craziness. Both Josh and Owen wandered in to see my famed art from The Arts class. We were given tissue paper, paper, and glue with directions to make whatever we wanted. My mind was on campfires since I only had red and orange flames. Although I still am not a very good artist if you look at my art correctly you can tell it's a campfire with 10 people sitting around it. However they decided it was a Cyclopes if you turned it upside down. Hearing their explanations for every thing like the different colors was quite amusing. Apparently an australian tv show for kids called Mr. Squiggles (a little bit of it is on youtube) worked on figuring out different interpretations of art. Very amusing show that I encourage you to watch the few clips.
I finally decorated my room to add more color to the walls. As Owen and Josh pointed out I have seven different calendars on my wall with three different months showing. At the shopping centre the calendars were 60 cents each and include amazing pictures of Australia that I plan to frame once I return home. I'm just too lazy to stand on the table/sink to fix the months. I also bought boomerangs which are displayed in my room. My posters are still to be made because I have yet to pick the verse of the semester although I will take suggestions.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Communication
Communication is similar to the States communication but different at the same time. Lots of people have cell phones (mobiles) but prepaid phones are much more common. Therefore many people don't use their mobiles as much as we do. Children have mobiles at really young ages, like 11, and my friends agree with me that they don't need them at that age. However the primary mode of communication at Uni is email but at College (where I live) the RA's, event staff, and other randoms, leave voice messages. Last week I returned from brekky (breakfast) and had two new messages about the upcoming Orientation events for the day. Overall I've received more voicemails on my college phone than every phone call combined at Fredonia. My friends also call my room phone and everyone in the house's numbers are sequential. That way it's easy to figure out another person's phone number... unless they live in a different house.
My contact information in case you want to get ahold of me:
AIM-same as before just be aware that I'm 15 hours ahead of you but ask me if you don't have it and want it
Facebook-request me as a friend
email-I still use and check both my Fredonia and my Alfred emails daily.
Skype-best way to contact me face to face-same as my AIM but send me an email if you want to set up a Skype time or don't have my AIM
Post (Mail)- be aware this takes a while to arrive although I would love to get mail
Capricornia College
CQUniversity
554-700 Yaamba Road
NORMAN GARDENS Qld 4701
Australia
Overall: AIM, facebook, Skype, and email are the fastest, cheapest ways to talk to me.
I'm off for the rest of the day of Orientation skills with sessions on What Maths skills do I need in my program and others.
Let me know if there are any questions you have and I will try to answer them.
My contact information in case you want to get ahold of me:
AIM-same as before just be aware that I'm 15 hours ahead of you but ask me if you don't have it and want it
Facebook-request me as a friend
email-I still use and check both my Fredonia and my Alfred emails daily.
Skype-best way to contact me face to face-same as my AIM but send me an email if you want to set up a Skype time or don't have my AIM
Post (Mail)- be aware this takes a while to arrive although I would love to get mail
Capricornia College
CQUniversity
554-700 Yaamba Road
NORMAN GARDENS Qld 4701
Australia
Overall: AIM, facebook, Skype, and email are the fastest, cheapest ways to talk to me.
I'm off for the rest of the day of Orientation skills with sessions on What Maths skills do I need in my program and others.
Let me know if there are any questions you have and I will try to answer them.
Uni O Week
This week is Uni O Week. It's pretty much the same as Orientation at Fredonia: lots of information and not much fun stuff. As an international student, sadly, I'm required to go to all of it. However on Friday all of the international students will be able to separate from the rest of the group and go on a field trip to Dreamtime Cultural Center. I'm not really sure what that is yet but o well.
I've registered for all of my classes except Outdoor Pursuits which we (international students only) register for on Thursday after a meeting. I'm looking forward to learning to scuba dive and sail while getting the chance to brush up on my canoeing and kayaking skills. The instructor seems really nice as well. He is teaching my Embedded Professional Learning 1 course as well. Similar to Fredonia, I can't be a traditional student...not even a traditional international student. EPL 1 is a field experience course which includes 9 day visits this term and more next term. Since it's a full year class and I'll only be at CQU for one term I get to squeeze the rest of the visits into this term. I'm looking forward to learning where I'm placed in a nearby school and at what year. The other problem (which can be fixed hopefully) is that since I'm not a usual first year student and am taking a second year education class as well I can't go to the school on the usual EPL 1 day. Therefore I'll have to change both the day and the rest of the schedule for the class. My other classes are The Arts (first semester education class which I have with 3 of my friends) and Science Curriculum and Pedagogy (second year education class which I don't know anyone in). These four classes will hopefully only meet for 3 days a week but they don't meet for much time each week either. The Science class meets 2.5 hours a week for 10 weeks while Arts is 2 hours for all 12 weeks. None of the classes have written finals and I probably will be allowed to leave early on finals week. The only possible problem would be if I had to finish my EPL 1 placement during that week.
Australia protects it's children in different ways than the USA. Everyone who volunteers or works with children needs a blue card which includes a background check. Today my Orientation group went to apply for them and I should receive one within 2 months.
Other Interesting Things:
-Most of the hall has moved in now and I've become friends with many of them. I've gotten used to having guys around and was talking to Josh early today who alerted me that the guys all semiprotective of the girls in their hall. Apparently they will beat up anyone who hurts us. Good fact to know.
-Security here is much much looser than in the states. Although we have RAs their duties seem much less intensive than the duties at Fredonia and they receive double rooms with air con (a prized possession). Each night about 10 the duty team of 2 RA's walk around to lock all of the front doors to the halls and make sure noone is drinking in the hall. Every key at college opens all of the front doors so anyone who lives on college can enter a building at anytime. This is vastly different than the sign in policy that Fredonia has and the door keys. The other change is the front gates to the college close on the weekends and at night so noone who doesn't live on college is allowed in. During the day anyone can wander around the buildings (they are private property so only members really are allowed on college) but the doors are kept open.
-Today I met Student Life which appears to be the Christian group on campus. They were doing surveys to try to get new members. I'm looking forward to getting involved. Also I now have a ride to church on Sundays so I will be able to make it there safely without walking.
-Late Night Activities: Just as in Fredonia late night activities are hard to find if drinking is not involved. My friends and I have ended up sitting in the hall for extended periods of time however we are going to have to find something better to do eventually. Drinking is very common both on college and downtown since the drinking age is 18. Many underagers also drink often but the RAs don't seem to mind too much. Rules are much looser here but I enjoy it cause I haven't been woken up by drunks yet. It also helps that only 40 people live in my building total and few people walk by (unlike Ike last year where all the drunks got dropped off then walked outside my window late at night).
-Today we got into a big discussion about what raisins were. Our raisins they call sultana while they call golden raisins raisins. (Wikipedia has the two switched from what my friends said so I'll have to double check later.) However noone in our discussion group actually knew what kind of dried fruit an Australian raisin was and my friends had to look online later. They also picked on me for my saying of banana etc. but I must say that it doesn't bother me. It appears that not only do they have weird names here but they don't pronounce their 'r' s. Carl becomes Call while Sarah was talking about doing her dalks...i.e. darks. Took me a while to learn but I'm starting to better understand their accents.
Well I'm off to find something better to do with my night than sit on top of my desk (it's really just a table) where I've been for a few hours now. It also helps that my friend just rang me and invited me over since I walked out of her room scared of her jumping up and down about an hour ago. Enjoy!
I've registered for all of my classes except Outdoor Pursuits which we (international students only) register for on Thursday after a meeting. I'm looking forward to learning to scuba dive and sail while getting the chance to brush up on my canoeing and kayaking skills. The instructor seems really nice as well. He is teaching my Embedded Professional Learning 1 course as well. Similar to Fredonia, I can't be a traditional student...not even a traditional international student. EPL 1 is a field experience course which includes 9 day visits this term and more next term. Since it's a full year class and I'll only be at CQU for one term I get to squeeze the rest of the visits into this term. I'm looking forward to learning where I'm placed in a nearby school and at what year. The other problem (which can be fixed hopefully) is that since I'm not a usual first year student and am taking a second year education class as well I can't go to the school on the usual EPL 1 day. Therefore I'll have to change both the day and the rest of the schedule for the class. My other classes are The Arts (first semester education class which I have with 3 of my friends) and Science Curriculum and Pedagogy (second year education class which I don't know anyone in). These four classes will hopefully only meet for 3 days a week but they don't meet for much time each week either. The Science class meets 2.5 hours a week for 10 weeks while Arts is 2 hours for all 12 weeks. None of the classes have written finals and I probably will be allowed to leave early on finals week. The only possible problem would be if I had to finish my EPL 1 placement during that week.
Australia protects it's children in different ways than the USA. Everyone who volunteers or works with children needs a blue card which includes a background check. Today my Orientation group went to apply for them and I should receive one within 2 months.
Other Interesting Things:
-Most of the hall has moved in now and I've become friends with many of them. I've gotten used to having guys around and was talking to Josh early today who alerted me that the guys all semiprotective of the girls in their hall. Apparently they will beat up anyone who hurts us. Good fact to know.
-Security here is much much looser than in the states. Although we have RAs their duties seem much less intensive than the duties at Fredonia and they receive double rooms with air con (a prized possession). Each night about 10 the duty team of 2 RA's walk around to lock all of the front doors to the halls and make sure noone is drinking in the hall. Every key at college opens all of the front doors so anyone who lives on college can enter a building at anytime. This is vastly different than the sign in policy that Fredonia has and the door keys. The other change is the front gates to the college close on the weekends and at night so noone who doesn't live on college is allowed in. During the day anyone can wander around the buildings (they are private property so only members really are allowed on college) but the doors are kept open.
-Today I met Student Life which appears to be the Christian group on campus. They were doing surveys to try to get new members. I'm looking forward to getting involved. Also I now have a ride to church on Sundays so I will be able to make it there safely without walking.
-Late Night Activities: Just as in Fredonia late night activities are hard to find if drinking is not involved. My friends and I have ended up sitting in the hall for extended periods of time however we are going to have to find something better to do eventually. Drinking is very common both on college and downtown since the drinking age is 18. Many underagers also drink often but the RAs don't seem to mind too much. Rules are much looser here but I enjoy it cause I haven't been woken up by drunks yet. It also helps that only 40 people live in my building total and few people walk by (unlike Ike last year where all the drunks got dropped off then walked outside my window late at night).
-Today we got into a big discussion about what raisins were. Our raisins they call sultana while they call golden raisins raisins. (Wikipedia has the two switched from what my friends said so I'll have to double check later.) However noone in our discussion group actually knew what kind of dried fruit an Australian raisin was and my friends had to look online later. They also picked on me for my saying of banana etc. but I must say that it doesn't bother me. It appears that not only do they have weird names here but they don't pronounce their 'r' s. Carl becomes Call while Sarah was talking about doing her dalks...i.e. darks. Took me a while to learn but I'm starting to better understand their accents.
Well I'm off to find something better to do with my night than sit on top of my desk (it's really just a table) where I've been for a few hours now. It also helps that my friend just rang me and invited me over since I walked out of her room scared of her jumping up and down about an hour ago. Enjoy!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Saturday Night and Sunday Morning
Last night I joined a few of my friends on a trip to the cinemas. In general they are very similar to ours however they have commericals before the movie as well as trainers. We watched Underworld 3 which thankfully is the prequel to the other two. The seats were very nice and the theatre was wonderful although tickets cost A$12 even for student ones. After the movie we returned to Hutton although some people who wanted to go downtown without driving asked us to drive their car to drop them off. Since only one of the girls I was with at that time had her license and I'm not ready to drive on the left side of the road (especially in the dark with a bunch of people I don't know) we declined. Turns out one of our other friends was the designated driver. At this time it was about 11 but we weren't ready to go to bed as is typical on a Saturday night. Instead we listened to Jarrah's music cause he has a zillion cds. He left to return later that night but noone was really in the hall. So we hung out in the hall...for hours. After a while a random (a stranger) joined us cause he couldn't sleep due to the noise we were making in the hall. Now he's no longer a random although the other guy who walked through the hall I still don't know. Over the 5 hours I was in the hall about 7-8 people sat/laid/lounged around in the hallway and I learned this morning that everyone else went to breakfast at 7 then to bed.
After four hours of sleep I woke up bright and early at 8 to get ready for church. During breakfast I met a new girl named Zoey who we saw a few more times today. Then I was ready to walk the 2 km (1.2 miles) to church. I had my directions from googlemaps, sneakers, and a backpack with my bible. First I looked for the shortcut over to the main road but had to backtrack throughout all of college to get to the road, (one of the campus security guards ran into me), then moved out onto the main roads which had no sidewalks. The directions told me to go down a "street" which wasn't even wide enough of a dirt road for one car so I decided to go around. I found the road, and the place where the church was supposed to be however no church was in sight (I had also lost my directions by that time). After asking some guy who was mowing his yard I turned around and continued on the path I had previously been on. That was a long dead end with many sketchy looking houses set far away from the road and included a large hill. This had taken me about 2 hours meaning the church service was done. Although the temperature was lower than usual (about 85-90ºF) I was really hot and could tell that by the time I got back to College I would probably have collapsed from heat exhaustion. On the way I passed by the Rockhampton Riding Club for the Disabled so I decided to ask if I could have a glass of water. The lady was really nice and not only poured me a glass but left the pitcher out so I could get refills. It took me 10 min to drink the three cups but I really needed that cause it was so hot and such a long walk. The trip back to Uni was very quick although I don't think I will walk there any more cause the lack of sidewalks is a bit creepy. I considered hitching a ride but I think putting your thumb up is offensive and I'm not a pro at hitchhiking cause everyone in Almond knows me and will just give me a ride. Finally I returned: the sweatiest I've ever been ready to shower. After changing I checked out the location of the church again and found that it was actually the opposite direction that I had gone cause the road is spilt. Turns out I walked about 6 miles in the heat. Next week I hope to actually make it to church but I'm still working on a ride. Right now I get to hang out with almost all of the girls in my hall and listen to Jarrah playing his guitar. Tomorrow Uni O Week starts which puts the education majors with the music majors (which a lot of my hall is if they aren't engineers) all day long.
After four hours of sleep I woke up bright and early at 8 to get ready for church. During breakfast I met a new girl named Zoey who we saw a few more times today. Then I was ready to walk the 2 km (1.2 miles) to church. I had my directions from googlemaps, sneakers, and a backpack with my bible. First I looked for the shortcut over to the main road but had to backtrack throughout all of college to get to the road, (one of the campus security guards ran into me), then moved out onto the main roads which had no sidewalks. The directions told me to go down a "street" which wasn't even wide enough of a dirt road for one car so I decided to go around. I found the road, and the place where the church was supposed to be however no church was in sight (I had also lost my directions by that time). After asking some guy who was mowing his yard I turned around and continued on the path I had previously been on. That was a long dead end with many sketchy looking houses set far away from the road and included a large hill. This had taken me about 2 hours meaning the church service was done. Although the temperature was lower than usual (about 85-90ºF) I was really hot and could tell that by the time I got back to College I would probably have collapsed from heat exhaustion. On the way I passed by the Rockhampton Riding Club for the Disabled so I decided to ask if I could have a glass of water. The lady was really nice and not only poured me a glass but left the pitcher out so I could get refills. It took me 10 min to drink the three cups but I really needed that cause it was so hot and such a long walk. The trip back to Uni was very quick although I don't think I will walk there any more cause the lack of sidewalks is a bit creepy. I considered hitching a ride but I think putting your thumb up is offensive and I'm not a pro at hitchhiking cause everyone in Almond knows me and will just give me a ride. Finally I returned: the sweatiest I've ever been ready to shower. After changing I checked out the location of the church again and found that it was actually the opposite direction that I had gone cause the road is spilt. Turns out I walked about 6 miles in the heat. Next week I hope to actually make it to church but I'm still working on a ride. Right now I get to hang out with almost all of the girls in my hall and listen to Jarrah playing his guitar. Tomorrow Uni O Week starts which puts the education majors with the music majors (which a lot of my hall is if they aren't engineers) all day long.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
College O Week
Orientation...at the College
This week (starting on Sunday for most people, Tuesday for me) is O Week for new members of college. The theme is boot camp... the new members are soldiers while the returning members are Sergeants. Everyone has a t-shirt which is required attire to all activities. The yellow shirts for soldiers and the black for sergeants allow us to get into the activities for free. The activities I've participated in so far are: shopping at the city centre plaza, student services talk, Rydges Resort, late night shopping at the shopping fair, and meals. Here's a summary of them.
1. City Centre Plaza: A small mall with stores like Coles (supermarket) and Target. Here I bought my sheets, pillows, and all the other necessities that I couldn't pack. Expensive trip even though I got a few deals. Only 8 students went though and I bought the most without question.
2. Student Services Talk: A short 15 min talk in the Senior Common Room. It was barely worth the 5 min walk however the information was somewhat useful and whenever I visited them today I got a free backpack. (It's one of the perks of being an international student.) I was about 2 min late to the talk which is how I learned that things actually start closer to on time here than at home. I had trouble opening the door though cause the knobs turn the other way.
3. Rydges Resort: This resort is a 30 min drive away from the college. On the trip there I sat next to some guy who did not talk during the entire trip. It was much longer than the way there but I got to see some of the countryside and beaches around Rockhampton (in Yampoon). Once we arrive everyone went swimming in the pool, lounged around, got drinks for the overagers (drinking age is 18), and explored the beach. The water at the beach was very warm although salty but I loved the sand with the crab holes in it. After the short trip to the beach my friends and I wandered back up to the pool to hang out some more. Even though everyone at college put on sunscreen many of the people still ended up burnt. My face (and arms etc) is both red and more freckly than before which I don't like...I used SPF 85 on it too. By the end of the trip everyone was ready to go back and eat cause lunch had finished before 11:30 and swimming uses up energy. The bus ride back was much quicker as I talked to the guys from near Chicago and my friend about the education systems in our countries.
4. Late Night Shopping: The bus was late for the shopping trip so by the time we arrived we only had an hour to shop. But I used that time wisely to get a cell phone, dishes, things for my room, and money. Lots of fun and more needed things done. I even found some cool markers that clip together so you don't lose the set of them. They will be used to decorate the poster boards for my room.
5. Food: The dining hall is open for about 2 hours for every meal. The meals remind me of high school cafeteria food because they contain one main hot meal, side dishes, a vegetarian option, salad and fruit, drinks, and desert. Rice (usually white) is always present even at breakfast. I love the fruit, primarily the watermelon. Drinks come in multiple flavors that you squirt into your cup then fill with water. In the dining hall there is a large table with every different kind of condiment you could imagine from mustard to honey. Tonight for desert I noticed a red cup of something. I figured it must be ice cream of some sort and red usually means a good flavor. My friends wanted me to try it before they all got one. Turns out it was strawberry mousse, however it was thicker then usual. I wasn't aware that mousse came in flavors other than chocolate but it tasted pretty good. When you are done with your plates you take them to the scullery where you dump your rubbish down a small hole, put your silverware in a pan, and place your dishes on a rotating round thing to be washed. Took some getting used to the differences in eating and meals but I think I've learned it now.
Other quick notes:
-I've learned how to unlock and open my door. The key unlocks to the left while you turn the handle to the right. Very confusing.
-I now know that most of the guys around me haven't moved in yet meaning that they are returning students. That could be why I haven't seen many guys in the hallway. I'm still getting used to sharing a bathroom although no problems have arisen yet.
-Today I register for three of my classes. As usual registering for classes is complicated and I'm not sure which class should be my fourth or if I should just take five. However International Education is willing to do lots for the students which is very helpful. I even got my student id card although it is very boring and has almost no color at all on it.
-Tomorrow is a treasure hunt around college and uni then an army themed celebration at Scholars Inn. I don't think I'm going to dress up though cause army really isn't my style. I'm thinking I should figure out where/what Scholars Inn is first though. Even more free time exists tomorrow and this weekend is completely free which could mean boring if my friends go home like it sounds they might.
-Still working on tracking my iPod...really hope I can get it back from the airline.
This week (starting on Sunday for most people, Tuesday for me) is O Week for new members of college. The theme is boot camp... the new members are soldiers while the returning members are Sergeants. Everyone has a t-shirt which is required attire to all activities. The yellow shirts for soldiers and the black for sergeants allow us to get into the activities for free. The activities I've participated in so far are: shopping at the city centre plaza, student services talk, Rydges Resort, late night shopping at the shopping fair, and meals. Here's a summary of them.
1. City Centre Plaza: A small mall with stores like Coles (supermarket) and Target. Here I bought my sheets, pillows, and all the other necessities that I couldn't pack. Expensive trip even though I got a few deals. Only 8 students went though and I bought the most without question.
2. Student Services Talk: A short 15 min talk in the Senior Common Room. It was barely worth the 5 min walk however the information was somewhat useful and whenever I visited them today I got a free backpack. (It's one of the perks of being an international student.) I was about 2 min late to the talk which is how I learned that things actually start closer to on time here than at home. I had trouble opening the door though cause the knobs turn the other way.
3. Rydges Resort: This resort is a 30 min drive away from the college. On the trip there I sat next to some guy who did not talk during the entire trip. It was much longer than the way there but I got to see some of the countryside and beaches around Rockhampton (in Yampoon). Once we arrive everyone went swimming in the pool, lounged around, got drinks for the overagers (drinking age is 18), and explored the beach. The water at the beach was very warm although salty but I loved the sand with the crab holes in it. After the short trip to the beach my friends and I wandered back up to the pool to hang out some more. Even though everyone at college put on sunscreen many of the people still ended up burnt. My face (and arms etc) is both red and more freckly than before which I don't like...I used SPF 85 on it too. By the end of the trip everyone was ready to go back and eat cause lunch had finished before 11:30 and swimming uses up energy. The bus ride back was much quicker as I talked to the guys from near Chicago and my friend about the education systems in our countries.
4. Late Night Shopping: The bus was late for the shopping trip so by the time we arrived we only had an hour to shop. But I used that time wisely to get a cell phone, dishes, things for my room, and money. Lots of fun and more needed things done. I even found some cool markers that clip together so you don't lose the set of them. They will be used to decorate the poster boards for my room.
5. Food: The dining hall is open for about 2 hours for every meal. The meals remind me of high school cafeteria food because they contain one main hot meal, side dishes, a vegetarian option, salad and fruit, drinks, and desert. Rice (usually white) is always present even at breakfast. I love the fruit, primarily the watermelon. Drinks come in multiple flavors that you squirt into your cup then fill with water. In the dining hall there is a large table with every different kind of condiment you could imagine from mustard to honey. Tonight for desert I noticed a red cup of something. I figured it must be ice cream of some sort and red usually means a good flavor. My friends wanted me to try it before they all got one. Turns out it was strawberry mousse, however it was thicker then usual. I wasn't aware that mousse came in flavors other than chocolate but it tasted pretty good. When you are done with your plates you take them to the scullery where you dump your rubbish down a small hole, put your silverware in a pan, and place your dishes on a rotating round thing to be washed. Took some getting used to the differences in eating and meals but I think I've learned it now.
Other quick notes:
-I've learned how to unlock and open my door. The key unlocks to the left while you turn the handle to the right. Very confusing.
-I now know that most of the guys around me haven't moved in yet meaning that they are returning students. That could be why I haven't seen many guys in the hallway. I'm still getting used to sharing a bathroom although no problems have arisen yet.
-Today I register for three of my classes. As usual registering for classes is complicated and I'm not sure which class should be my fourth or if I should just take five. However International Education is willing to do lots for the students which is very helpful. I even got my student id card although it is very boring and has almost no color at all on it.
-Tomorrow is a treasure hunt around college and uni then an army themed celebration at Scholars Inn. I don't think I'm going to dress up though cause army really isn't my style. I'm thinking I should figure out where/what Scholars Inn is first though. Even more free time exists tomorrow and this weekend is completely free which could mean boring if my friends go home like it sounds they might.
-Still working on tracking my iPod...really hope I can get it back from the airline.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Opposites
Throughout the 14 hours I've been truely in Australia (I don't count airports or airplanes) I've noticed many different things. I love my college and hope to love uni once it starts. A few of the weird things that will take adjusting to:
1. Driving and Walking on the left. On the ride from the airport it was very unusual to be sitting in the front seat of the car on the left without the steering wheel. As Chris mentioned (he's from Boston) turning into the left hand side of the road makes you feel like you are going to hit a car. This feeling was enlarged due to the fact our driver seemed to be tailgating and not the best driver. Even watching roads from the airplane the cars seemed to be on the wrong side. I'm starting to learn to walk on the left side now but it feels very unusual.
2. Heat: The temperature when I woke up this morning (at 7:20) was 73ºF. The sun isn't even shining cause it's supposed to rain later. Dressing for the temp to increase to 93ºF (33ºC) is significantly different than dressing in New York where there is snow on the ground. I think I might have even gotten a little bit burnt during my few hours here but sunscreen is part of my daily attire.
3. House: I live in Hutton house (dorm) with 38 other people. On my floor it appears that 3 of the 18 people I can distinguish between genders by their names are guys. I'm not used to being so immersed in a male environment but I'll learn to adjust. I have an RA (Bob) just like at Fredonia.
4. Bathrooms: There are two bathrooms on my floor... both are coed. Although guys and girls share bathrooms, thankfully the doors to both the showers and the toilets latch very nicely. We also have our own sinks in our room which reduces the need to go to the bathroom. As I prepared to brush my teeth today I realized that I did not have to walk all the way to the bathroom which was a nice feeling.
5. Room: As I mentioned earlier, I have my own sink in my bedroom. The room is mostly concrete with nice green trim, curtains, and carpet. There is a bookshelf, a table, a bed (that's high up eliminating the need for bed risers), and very nice closets with five doors and two drawers. Each of the sockets sprinkled around the room turns off with small switches and I have two overhead lights and a fan. Plus the windows are very close the full width of my room and allow lots of light to enter.
6. Creatures: As I tried to fall asleep last night I heard the sounds of many different kinds of birds. These can be seen from my window and on my walks around college. As I moved in yesterday afternoon three kangaroos were hanging out by the door to Hutton House. This morning on the way to breakfast another two were laying in the grass and an additional two joined them in the nearby woods on the return.
7. Landscape: The grass is really green right now because it is the wet season. The fauna ranges from palm trees to trees I have never seen before but are beautiful. Since it is so wet many puddles exist along the grass as I learned from experience... take the stone walkways instead of cutting across the grass.
8. Food: The food appears to be pretty good at the college. It's very similar to high school where only one main meal is prepared. Apparently though when more students arrive the food gets repetitive. Right now only the new college members and some others (like the RA's) are here for O Week but the other 250 will arrive later.
9. O Week: This is college O Week for new students. The schedule seems to be very loose and includes fun things like shopping. The theme is Soldiers and Sergeants. I'll learn more about O Week (which started on Sunday) when I start attending things...in a few minutes.
10. Opposites: Here are a few things that are opposite. The door knobs turn the other way, the light switches you flip up to turn them off, and things start on time.
That's all for right now but I promise that pictures will soon be posted of my room (which will hopefully have some sheets instead of just the sleeping bag liner I brought and the pillow and blanket I took from the airplane), and around the college. It's shopping time now :)
1. Driving and Walking on the left. On the ride from the airport it was very unusual to be sitting in the front seat of the car on the left without the steering wheel. As Chris mentioned (he's from Boston) turning into the left hand side of the road makes you feel like you are going to hit a car. This feeling was enlarged due to the fact our driver seemed to be tailgating and not the best driver. Even watching roads from the airplane the cars seemed to be on the wrong side. I'm starting to learn to walk on the left side now but it feels very unusual.
2. Heat: The temperature when I woke up this morning (at 7:20) was 73ºF. The sun isn't even shining cause it's supposed to rain later. Dressing for the temp to increase to 93ºF (33ºC) is significantly different than dressing in New York where there is snow on the ground. I think I might have even gotten a little bit burnt during my few hours here but sunscreen is part of my daily attire.
3. House: I live in Hutton house (dorm) with 38 other people. On my floor it appears that 3 of the 18 people I can distinguish between genders by their names are guys. I'm not used to being so immersed in a male environment but I'll learn to adjust. I have an RA (Bob) just like at Fredonia.
4. Bathrooms: There are two bathrooms on my floor... both are coed. Although guys and girls share bathrooms, thankfully the doors to both the showers and the toilets latch very nicely. We also have our own sinks in our room which reduces the need to go to the bathroom. As I prepared to brush my teeth today I realized that I did not have to walk all the way to the bathroom which was a nice feeling.
5. Room: As I mentioned earlier, I have my own sink in my bedroom. The room is mostly concrete with nice green trim, curtains, and carpet. There is a bookshelf, a table, a bed (that's high up eliminating the need for bed risers), and very nice closets with five doors and two drawers. Each of the sockets sprinkled around the room turns off with small switches and I have two overhead lights and a fan. Plus the windows are very close the full width of my room and allow lots of light to enter.
6. Creatures: As I tried to fall asleep last night I heard the sounds of many different kinds of birds. These can be seen from my window and on my walks around college. As I moved in yesterday afternoon three kangaroos were hanging out by the door to Hutton House. This morning on the way to breakfast another two were laying in the grass and an additional two joined them in the nearby woods on the return.
7. Landscape: The grass is really green right now because it is the wet season. The fauna ranges from palm trees to trees I have never seen before but are beautiful. Since it is so wet many puddles exist along the grass as I learned from experience... take the stone walkways instead of cutting across the grass.
8. Food: The food appears to be pretty good at the college. It's very similar to high school where only one main meal is prepared. Apparently though when more students arrive the food gets repetitive. Right now only the new college members and some others (like the RA's) are here for O Week but the other 250 will arrive later.
9. O Week: This is college O Week for new students. The schedule seems to be very loose and includes fun things like shopping. The theme is Soldiers and Sergeants. I'll learn more about O Week (which started on Sunday) when I start attending things...in a few minutes.
10. Opposites: Here are a few things that are opposite. The door knobs turn the other way, the light switches you flip up to turn them off, and things start on time.
That's all for right now but I promise that pictures will soon be posted of my room (which will hopefully have some sheets instead of just the sleeping bag liner I brought and the pillow and blanket I took from the airplane), and around the college. It's shopping time now :)
Monday, February 16, 2009
During Travels :)
JFK-LAX
As I fly over Omaha, Nebraska, or maybe Sioux City, and look out the window I see the lights of civilization. Cruising at an altitude of 36,000 feet its hard to think of where I’m going. This is the adventure of my life… a new country, a new school, a new room, new friends, new classes. Thankfully, I know that the world I left behind will still be there whenever I return. Many changes will occur on this trip I’m sure and I’ve noticed my friends’ lives moving on at Fredonia or sprinkled throughout the eastern US as well. While I’m over in Australia trying not to get hurt by seamonkeys, hit by kangaroos, or fall in love with an Australian guy, I’m also going to be building a new life. Just like entering college: this is a new start for me. I get to choose who I am, who I want to be, and then make it happen. Since I’m pretty happy with the life I lead in New York, I don’t forsee myself changing into someone completely different but I hope to grow in many ways over the semester and my travels. Seeing life on the other side of the world can’t help but make me change, hopefully for the better. However before I start thinking too much about my time in Australia, I still have a few more long airplane flights, four more airports to tour, and a few more meals to eat. Right now I’m going to curl up in my blanket, fluff my pillow, and turn the tv in front of me to another movie (Qantas has a great selection and service). Apple anyone?
Brisbane Airport Tuesday
I finally got a chance to explore some of an airport thanks to finally having an actual layover. At LAX we got kicked off the plane then reboarded two hours later. Unfortunately, during that short time I managed to lose my iPod. Therefore I had to factor in a trip to the baggage claims in Sydney, time to get lost, and finally a bus ride to the other terminal in addition to customs and security. I’m very happy to say that everything else has run smoothly as I sit here relaxing before my final flight. In a few hours I will arrive in Rockhampton to be met by a Central Queensland University arrival team member. Then I will get the chance to hopefully join in the Orientation activities that started on Sunday at Capricornia College.
The flights etc. have been very interesting. I’ve loved watching out the windows at the LA lights and the Australian coastline in Sydney and Brisbane. I can’t wait to explore more. My body no longer knows what time it is, what the temperature is, or when it should eat. Due to long flights, weird airplane meals, and an awkward sleep schedule it’s completely confused. Either way I was able to eat my first real meal in Australia at the airport: a Subway salad. Although it doesn’t seem very Australian it was the only thing cheaper than $10 which is all I’m willing to spend when I know I should eat but am not hungry. Other choices were Chinese, some burger chain that looked surprisingly similar to Burger King (including whoppers), and a few other places. None seemed appetizing. Hopefully tonight’s dinner at the College will taste better. I suppose now I should go figure out what to do with my carry on since it weighs significantly more than the 4kgs it’s allowed. I’m guessing it weighs about 10kgs. That would be a slight problem but hopefully easily fixed, just like the fly problem here.
As I fly over Omaha, Nebraska, or maybe Sioux City, and look out the window I see the lights of civilization. Cruising at an altitude of 36,000 feet its hard to think of where I’m going. This is the adventure of my life… a new country, a new school, a new room, new friends, new classes. Thankfully, I know that the world I left behind will still be there whenever I return. Many changes will occur on this trip I’m sure and I’ve noticed my friends’ lives moving on at Fredonia or sprinkled throughout the eastern US as well. While I’m over in Australia trying not to get hurt by seamonkeys, hit by kangaroos, or fall in love with an Australian guy, I’m also going to be building a new life. Just like entering college: this is a new start for me. I get to choose who I am, who I want to be, and then make it happen. Since I’m pretty happy with the life I lead in New York, I don’t forsee myself changing into someone completely different but I hope to grow in many ways over the semester and my travels. Seeing life on the other side of the world can’t help but make me change, hopefully for the better. However before I start thinking too much about my time in Australia, I still have a few more long airplane flights, four more airports to tour, and a few more meals to eat. Right now I’m going to curl up in my blanket, fluff my pillow, and turn the tv in front of me to another movie (Qantas has a great selection and service). Apple anyone?
Brisbane Airport Tuesday
I finally got a chance to explore some of an airport thanks to finally having an actual layover. At LAX we got kicked off the plane then reboarded two hours later. Unfortunately, during that short time I managed to lose my iPod. Therefore I had to factor in a trip to the baggage claims in Sydney, time to get lost, and finally a bus ride to the other terminal in addition to customs and security. I’m very happy to say that everything else has run smoothly as I sit here relaxing before my final flight. In a few hours I will arrive in Rockhampton to be met by a Central Queensland University arrival team member. Then I will get the chance to hopefully join in the Orientation activities that started on Sunday at Capricornia College.
The flights etc. have been very interesting. I’ve loved watching out the windows at the LA lights and the Australian coastline in Sydney and Brisbane. I can’t wait to explore more. My body no longer knows what time it is, what the temperature is, or when it should eat. Due to long flights, weird airplane meals, and an awkward sleep schedule it’s completely confused. Either way I was able to eat my first real meal in Australia at the airport: a Subway salad. Although it doesn’t seem very Australian it was the only thing cheaper than $10 which is all I’m willing to spend when I know I should eat but am not hungry. Other choices were Chinese, some burger chain that looked surprisingly similar to Burger King (including whoppers), and a few other places. None seemed appetizing. Hopefully tonight’s dinner at the College will taste better. I suppose now I should go figure out what to do with my carry on since it weighs significantly more than the 4kgs it’s allowed. I’m guessing it weighs about 10kgs. That would be a slight problem but hopefully easily fixed, just like the fly problem here.
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