I'm sure some of you are wondering how the sky diving excursion went today...and well,
it didn't happen. We took a bus to Bryon, met a van by the bus stop which took us to the dive site/airport, filled out all the paper work, paid the money, waited about 2 hours....all to find out it was too windy to do it. The wind is alright for the actual dive, but not for the landing. Soooo, we rescheduled for Tuesday.
Tomorrow we all leave for a weekend field trip...I honestly don't know what we're doing but I hear there is a lot of hiking involved. We'll get back to camp Monday afternoon. I then have skydiving Tuesday, marine bio final exam Wednesday, then going Scuba diving all day wednesday after that...and then Thursday is SPRING BREAK.
I've been waiting for life to slow down here...but I'm not going to complain about all these amazing adventures!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
too much fun.
Because marine biology class was switched to Wednesday, I had all yesterday to do...NOTHING. It was by far on of the best days of my life. Some of the girls and I just sat around at the beach dancing and listening to music. We had a sand fight, made sand angels, (NOT because we miss snow...it's fun) and jumped in the waves. I've never laughed so hard. Suddenly, it was dark outside and I realized that I didn't once look at a watch or clock all day...I didn't need to, I had nothing to do and it was great!
On Tuesday Brittany, Sam, and I got up at 4:45 AM to walk 3 miles up to the point to see the sunrise. We ended up walking too far past it (yeah, leave it to 3 girls to miss a huge mountain...) We ended up watching the sun rise on a rock fence in someone's back yard and it was incredible. Don't worry, I took about 100 pictures...
Today, I'm going sky diving. Just a few of us are going to Bryon this morning to voluntarily jump out of a plane...I'm already nervous!!
On Tuesday Brittany, Sam, and I got up at 4:45 AM to walk 3 miles up to the point to see the sunrise. We ended up walking too far past it (yeah, leave it to 3 girls to miss a huge mountain...) We ended up watching the sun rise on a rock fence in someone's back yard and it was incredible. Don't worry, I took about 100 pictures...
Today, I'm going sky diving. Just a few of us are going to Bryon this morning to voluntarily jump out of a plane...I'm already nervous!!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Crickey!
It's Monday morning and I'm about to head off to class (Oz culture...we're going to talk to some representative in parliament today!) I had one of the best weekends of my life:
After four dives (two Friday, two Saturday) I am officially SCUBA certified! The dives were amazing! On the last dive, we saw it "all": 3 types of sharks, a HUGE monterey, smaller sting rays, a turtle, eels, puffer fish, NEMO, ....and more! SCUBA is incredible...I think everyone needs to try it.
Sunday, we spent the whole day (left at 5:45 AM got back at 9 PM) at the Australian Zoo. The Australian Zoo is Steve Irwin's zoo...and it's by far, the best zoo I've ever been too! The animals do not seem drugged and miserable to be in a tiny cage...most of them aren't even in "cages." It's obvious that the animals are treated with respect and the staff LOVES their jobs (I thought of you the whole day, Sherry!) We walked through two different "Kangaroo Heavens" where it was just like a play park for the kangaroos where we could pet, feed, lay, hop around with the laid back kangaroos! We also were allowed to feed the elephants, pet the koalas, touch alligators...it was so neat. There was even these crazy huge lizards that were just running around the entire zoo. They also had staff just walking around the park with animals (wombats, lizards, crocs, snakes, goats...) The zoo also did a wonderful job promoting wildlife conservation and education (Steve family's mission is to raise awareness...and money..)It was well worth the 4 hour drive to the zoo...
you all will just need to wait to see the incredible pictures!
hope you all had an equally-amazing weekend :)
love.
After four dives (two Friday, two Saturday) I am officially SCUBA certified! The dives were amazing! On the last dive, we saw it "all": 3 types of sharks, a HUGE monterey, smaller sting rays, a turtle, eels, puffer fish, NEMO, ....and more! SCUBA is incredible...I think everyone needs to try it.
Sunday, we spent the whole day (left at 5:45 AM got back at 9 PM) at the Australian Zoo. The Australian Zoo is Steve Irwin's zoo...and it's by far, the best zoo I've ever been too! The animals do not seem drugged and miserable to be in a tiny cage...most of them aren't even in "cages." It's obvious that the animals are treated with respect and the staff LOVES their jobs (I thought of you the whole day, Sherry!) We walked through two different "Kangaroo Heavens" where it was just like a play park for the kangaroos where we could pet, feed, lay, hop around with the laid back kangaroos! We also were allowed to feed the elephants, pet the koalas, touch alligators...it was so neat. There was even these crazy huge lizards that were just running around the entire zoo. They also had staff just walking around the park with animals (wombats, lizards, crocs, snakes, goats...) The zoo also did a wonderful job promoting wildlife conservation and education (Steve family's mission is to raise awareness...and money..)It was well worth the 4 hour drive to the zoo...
you all will just need to wait to see the incredible pictures!
hope you all had an equally-amazing weekend :)
love.
Friday, February 20, 2009
for those who don't have facebook...
I've been trying to find a way to share my photos with you back home...and a lot of websites are either cost money, are lame, or freak me out...
I found a site but it took me about an hour to upload 14 photos so you're just getting the basics right now...
http://khayaussie.myphotoalbum.com/albums.php
enjoy :)
oh, you'll hafta wait for underwater pictures...sorry!
and um, ps...the 14 photos really do not do justice to my trip here so far...but I know some of you have itching for some photos so it's the best I can do!! and don't worry girls, I'll try to capture some pics of hot aussie boys for you soon :) haha
I found a site but it took me about an hour to upload 14 photos so you're just getting the basics right now...
http://khayaussie.myphotoalbum.com/albums.php
enjoy :)
oh, you'll hafta wait for underwater pictures...sorry!
and um, ps...the 14 photos really do not do justice to my trip here so far...but I know some of you have itching for some photos so it's the best I can do!! and don't worry girls, I'll try to capture some pics of hot aussie boys for you soon :) haha
Hi, I'm a SCUBAholic...
I’m addicted to SCUBA and I don’t care who knows it...
Today was my first ocean dive and it was incredible! After several hours in the classroom, a final exam, and about 6 hours in a pool... we finally got to dive in the ocean! The dive instructors picked me and 10 others up about 9:30 this morning and we headed to Bryon Bay. After loading up all our gear (...it took a while...there's a lot of gear...) we got onto this tiny boat. The boat had 2 motors but looked like a raft. Although I was skeptical at first, the boat ride out to Julian Rocks was so much fun. It was like being on a really big jet ski. (Julian rocks is this big rock that reminded me of the movie, The Goonies and apparently better than the Great Barrier Reef for diving...) When I got into the water, I put my face down and the first thing I saw was a little fish that looks "Dory" from Finding Nemo. Once we all entered the water and got situated, it was time for our great descend. With SCUBA its really important to not go up or down in the water too quickly (ear pressure, air in your lungs with expand...all sorts of stupid things can go wrong...)So for the first time going down, we held on to a slimy rope for the descend. Once I got down there, all fears and anxiety vanished. It was an incredible sight...so many colors and fish were swirling past my head. The first dive was just to get us comfortable in the water, so we just cruised around. The dive instructor, Josh, pointed out some neat sea life and made sure we were all doing OK. We all kind of followed him for a while, then eventually, I got tired of basically swimming on top of people so I started to venture off on my own (surprise! hah) Next thing I know, there is a shark next to me! Initially, I was worried but, I reminded myself that it was a leopard shark, which apparently, don't eat humans...whatever....it was still huge and creepy but awesome looking. Well after a few seconds, I'm comfortable with the shark, and next thing I know, there was another one...and then another one...and then another shark! It was almost like these four (eventually five) sharks were just as interested in us humans and wanted to come over and say hello. It was pretty thrilling. I also saw a few sting rays, a huge lazy sea turtle, many puffer fish, some woebegone sharks (they remind me of the "bottom feeders" that I used to have in my aquarium at home) and thousands of fish that were about every color imaginable! After about 35 minutes, we surfaced, returned back to the dive shop for a change of air tank and a bite of lunch.
Our second dive was to test some of our skills. We had to put on our gear while in the water (harder than it would seem!) We also had to do some "buddy breathing" skills and mask clearing skills. But then we got to explore a little bit more...and it was just as incredible as the first dive. On the boat ride back, I asked the skipper if I could drive, and surprisingly he let me! It was fun for me and probably terrifying for the passengers! We got home from Bryon about 6:30 which made for a long, exhausting day...but it was defiantly worth it!
Tomorrow, I get to wake up and do it all over again!...and then, I'll officially be SCUBA certified!
BTW...
So I am here for "school"...it's not ALL play...JUST KIDDING.
On Thursday, we went on another field trip for marine biology. We went to a smelly muddy mangrove forest where my rain boots came in handy. We treked through the stinky black mud to a freshwater beach where we used a net to catch a collection of fish species. It was fun and somewhat educational I guess. I got a little mad when this crazy professor decided to put hundreds of fish into a tiny container, killing over a hundred fish! It was entirely wasteful...until the boys decided to throw the dead fish up to the 50 swarming seagulls. (cheap entertainment)
cheers, mates :)
Today was my first ocean dive and it was incredible! After several hours in the classroom, a final exam, and about 6 hours in a pool... we finally got to dive in the ocean! The dive instructors picked me and 10 others up about 9:30 this morning and we headed to Bryon Bay. After loading up all our gear (...it took a while...there's a lot of gear...) we got onto this tiny boat. The boat had 2 motors but looked like a raft. Although I was skeptical at first, the boat ride out to Julian Rocks was so much fun. It was like being on a really big jet ski. (Julian rocks is this big rock that reminded me of the movie, The Goonies and apparently better than the Great Barrier Reef for diving...) When I got into the water, I put my face down and the first thing I saw was a little fish that looks "Dory" from Finding Nemo. Once we all entered the water and got situated, it was time for our great descend. With SCUBA its really important to not go up or down in the water too quickly (ear pressure, air in your lungs with expand...all sorts of stupid things can go wrong...)So for the first time going down, we held on to a slimy rope for the descend. Once I got down there, all fears and anxiety vanished. It was an incredible sight...so many colors and fish were swirling past my head. The first dive was just to get us comfortable in the water, so we just cruised around. The dive instructor, Josh, pointed out some neat sea life and made sure we were all doing OK. We all kind of followed him for a while, then eventually, I got tired of basically swimming on top of people so I started to venture off on my own (surprise! hah) Next thing I know, there is a shark next to me! Initially, I was worried but, I reminded myself that it was a leopard shark, which apparently, don't eat humans...whatever....it was still huge and creepy but awesome looking. Well after a few seconds, I'm comfortable with the shark, and next thing I know, there was another one...and then another one...and then another shark! It was almost like these four (eventually five) sharks were just as interested in us humans and wanted to come over and say hello. It was pretty thrilling. I also saw a few sting rays, a huge lazy sea turtle, many puffer fish, some woebegone sharks (they remind me of the "bottom feeders" that I used to have in my aquarium at home) and thousands of fish that were about every color imaginable! After about 35 minutes, we surfaced, returned back to the dive shop for a change of air tank and a bite of lunch.
Our second dive was to test some of our skills. We had to put on our gear while in the water (harder than it would seem!) We also had to do some "buddy breathing" skills and mask clearing skills. But then we got to explore a little bit more...and it was just as incredible as the first dive. On the boat ride back, I asked the skipper if I could drive, and surprisingly he let me! It was fun for me and probably terrifying for the passengers! We got home from Bryon about 6:30 which made for a long, exhausting day...but it was defiantly worth it!
Tomorrow, I get to wake up and do it all over again!...and then, I'll officially be SCUBA certified!
BTW...
So I am here for "school"...it's not ALL play...JUST KIDDING.
On Thursday, we went on another field trip for marine biology. We went to a smelly muddy mangrove forest where my rain boots came in handy. We treked through the stinky black mud to a freshwater beach where we used a net to catch a collection of fish species. It was fun and somewhat educational I guess. I got a little mad when this crazy professor decided to put hundreds of fish into a tiny container, killing over a hundred fish! It was entirely wasteful...until the boys decided to throw the dead fish up to the 50 swarming seagulls. (cheap entertainment)
cheers, mates :)
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
This deserves it's own post...
I'm in the middle of this great adventure and this amazing life-changing experience and I think a little shout out is necessary...
I really want to thank my mom and dad for all their support (financially, emotionally, ...ya know...) I have the best parents a person could ask for and am truly lucky to have them in my life. Personally, I think they have done a great job raising Michael and me to become independent, respectful, and well-rounded (or maybe just round?)adults. My family means the world to me and as much fun as I'm having, I do miss them a lot(even you, lunchbox...)
I'm loving all the emails, facebook messages, and IMs from all you back home...I know Muncie can be lame...but I still like hearing from you all...THANKS!
looooooveeeeee
I really want to thank my mom and dad for all their support (financially, emotionally, ...ya know...) I have the best parents a person could ask for and am truly lucky to have them in my life. Personally, I think they have done a great job raising Michael and me to become independent, respectful, and well-rounded (or maybe just round?)adults. My family means the world to me and as much fun as I'm having, I do miss them a lot(even you, lunchbox...)
I'm loving all the emails, facebook messages, and IMs from all you back home...I know Muncie can be lame...but I still like hearing from you all...THANKS!
looooooveeeeee
everyone loves a sufer girl
For the last couple days I have been meaning to update this buuutt….it keeps getting put off (just like my homework…I can’t help how tempting the beach is!) On Thursday (the 12th) we went on a field trip to Lismore and Southern Cross Uni for marine science. We got on a boat and collected plankton samples. I volunteered to pull in the net, and of course I found some way to screw it up. I accidently got the rope wrapped around one of the motors and it took a good ten minutes for the dude to untangle it. (you think I would have known better…sorry, dad!) After the boat trip, we went to the Uni’s science lab and looked at our samples under the microscopes….and it was pretty interesting. This week’s marine bio field trip is to some swamp area where the prof warned us about leeches….great!
Friday was the big surfing adventure (finally! It’s been pushed back several times) It was awesome! The weather was pretty crummy out…rainy, windy, and cloudy BUT the waves were great. Initially, I was pretty skeptical about it all. I was thinking surfing was going to be impossible and miserable but I might as well try it for about 30 USD. The surf instructor looked just like a younger (and thicker) version of Steven Tyler. (I looked around for Joe Perry, but no luck… sorry Tree and Laura..) Steven Tyler…aka Doug was this crazy, old hippie-man that was bouncing around, jumping on and off the board. After doing some land exercise, it was time to hit the waves. Some people got up right away… and after an hour, some were still struggling to get up – I was in the middle. It took a while to feel out the wave and the right time to get up (and the balance to STAY up!) I never did stay up for that long, but standing up on the board and riding a wave for just a little bit was incredible. It was so much fun…even to wipe out. I couldn’t help but laugh at myself and the other kids. Towards the end, we were all exhausted and cold and ready to get some lunch. About 30 of us ended up staying in Bryon Bay for the night to party at Cheekie Monkeys, a “backpacker’s pub.” Since alcohol is so expensive at the pubs, we all got a liter (the closest we could get to Edward- 40 hands..) of beer and we “brown bagged” it on the streets of Bryon, trying hard to stay dry from the pouring rain. The pub was defiantly interesting…there were people from all across the world. I couldn’t imagine backpacking through a country…these people are NUTS. Bryon Bay is about 40 minutes away so at the end of the night, 10 kids pile into a maxi-taxi (a van) and it’s about a $10 cab ride back to the cabins.
Saturday was a “recoup” day for everyone. The weather was awful…rainy and windy all day. I think we all got a little cabin fever. Saturday was Valentine’s Day and we had a big fancy dinner planned for weeks. We had reservations at a nice Italian restaurant in town. All the girls got all dressed up and even the guys cleaned up a little. It was nice to actually be “clean” for a little bit. This isn’t a complaint but- you know how you go on a beach vacation for a week…and you finally get home and realize how sandy all your stuff is, including yourself. Well I’ve been living like that for 3 weeks now. I get out of the shower, step on the bathroom floor, and become instantly sandy again. So to say the least, it was nice to be clean and wear a dress and actually fix my hair (my “hair” aka a big fro-mess that has over taken my head…) So we all look very nice…and then realize we need to walk about a mile into town to this place…in the rain and wind. By the time we ended up there, we all looked like drowned rats. But, it was well worth it…I had this delicious seafood pasta …yum!
Sunday was my first pool session for SCUBA. There were 7 of us that got picked up and went back to Bryon Bay (see a pattern here…there is NOTHING in Lennox Head…we always go to Bryon for things…) After getting all geared up, (wet suit, booties, fins, snorkel, mask, weight belt, tubes and hoses, and a big heavy air tank) I was feeling a little uncomfortable! It took some while getting used to in the water. I did not like not breathing through my nose and the sound the air made going in and out was weird. At one point, I felt like I was at the dentist breathing in the “happy gas” and I did NOT like the feeling. After a while, I got adjusted to it and began to relax. We did a bunch of different skills and safety procedures (it kind of reminded me of lifeguard training.) The vest that you wear when diving inflates and deflates so you can maintain buoyancy and that was the trickiest thing to get used to. Every time I would take a deep breath in, I would rise to the surface and an exhale would send me to the bottom. Yesterday (Monday) we finished the theory/book part of the class and I passed the final exam. Friday and Saturday we have 4 dives and then I’ll officially be SCUBA certified! I’m excited to be done with the class so I can begin traveling the country (and go diving, of course!) I’ve been here for three weeks and have not done any significant traveling. A group of three boys (already SCUBA certified) spent the past weekend in the outback to see Ulru (Ayre’s Rock) and I’m jealous! I feel like we have too much planned on the weekends to go out and travel…if I could do it again, I would have gotten SCUBA certified before I came on the trip so I’d have free weekends. There are so many places I want to visit before my short time is up here, and I better get started. I’m really exicted to go visit my family (my mom’s cousin, husband, and kids) that live a few hours away. Although I haven’t been homesick yet, it’s nice to have family down here. Everyone once in a while, I miss my family and friends back home…but then I think about Muncie…and the snow and embrace the fact that I’m a part of this wonderful experience…and am LOVING it!
We (a few girls and I) finally booked our tickets for Spring Break. We’re planning on going to the Gold Coast (comparable to like a Panama City Beach I guess) for a few days for a surf competition (no, I’m not competing…haha), then flying to Melbourne for a few days, then off to Sydney for the remaining time. I’m really looking forward to Sydney…I’ve been itching to get there since I landed in Australia. One thing I really want to do there is climb the Harbour Bridge. I can’t wait!!
Sorry if this is too much to read (Mike) but I’ve been busy...
Hope everyone is doing well back home…love you all!!!
Friday was the big surfing adventure (finally! It’s been pushed back several times) It was awesome! The weather was pretty crummy out…rainy, windy, and cloudy BUT the waves were great. Initially, I was pretty skeptical about it all. I was thinking surfing was going to be impossible and miserable but I might as well try it for about 30 USD. The surf instructor looked just like a younger (and thicker) version of Steven Tyler. (I looked around for Joe Perry, but no luck… sorry Tree and Laura..) Steven Tyler…aka Doug was this crazy, old hippie-man that was bouncing around, jumping on and off the board. After doing some land exercise, it was time to hit the waves. Some people got up right away… and after an hour, some were still struggling to get up – I was in the middle. It took a while to feel out the wave and the right time to get up (and the balance to STAY up!) I never did stay up for that long, but standing up on the board and riding a wave for just a little bit was incredible. It was so much fun…even to wipe out. I couldn’t help but laugh at myself and the other kids. Towards the end, we were all exhausted and cold and ready to get some lunch. About 30 of us ended up staying in Bryon Bay for the night to party at Cheekie Monkeys, a “backpacker’s pub.” Since alcohol is so expensive at the pubs, we all got a liter (the closest we could get to Edward- 40 hands..) of beer and we “brown bagged” it on the streets of Bryon, trying hard to stay dry from the pouring rain. The pub was defiantly interesting…there were people from all across the world. I couldn’t imagine backpacking through a country…these people are NUTS. Bryon Bay is about 40 minutes away so at the end of the night, 10 kids pile into a maxi-taxi (a van) and it’s about a $10 cab ride back to the cabins.
Saturday was a “recoup” day for everyone. The weather was awful…rainy and windy all day. I think we all got a little cabin fever. Saturday was Valentine’s Day and we had a big fancy dinner planned for weeks. We had reservations at a nice Italian restaurant in town. All the girls got all dressed up and even the guys cleaned up a little. It was nice to actually be “clean” for a little bit. This isn’t a complaint but- you know how you go on a beach vacation for a week…and you finally get home and realize how sandy all your stuff is, including yourself. Well I’ve been living like that for 3 weeks now. I get out of the shower, step on the bathroom floor, and become instantly sandy again. So to say the least, it was nice to be clean and wear a dress and actually fix my hair (my “hair” aka a big fro-mess that has over taken my head…) So we all look very nice…and then realize we need to walk about a mile into town to this place…in the rain and wind. By the time we ended up there, we all looked like drowned rats. But, it was well worth it…I had this delicious seafood pasta …yum!
Sunday was my first pool session for SCUBA. There were 7 of us that got picked up and went back to Bryon Bay (see a pattern here…there is NOTHING in Lennox Head…we always go to Bryon for things…) After getting all geared up, (wet suit, booties, fins, snorkel, mask, weight belt, tubes and hoses, and a big heavy air tank) I was feeling a little uncomfortable! It took some while getting used to in the water. I did not like not breathing through my nose and the sound the air made going in and out was weird. At one point, I felt like I was at the dentist breathing in the “happy gas” and I did NOT like the feeling. After a while, I got adjusted to it and began to relax. We did a bunch of different skills and safety procedures (it kind of reminded me of lifeguard training.) The vest that you wear when diving inflates and deflates so you can maintain buoyancy and that was the trickiest thing to get used to. Every time I would take a deep breath in, I would rise to the surface and an exhale would send me to the bottom. Yesterday (Monday) we finished the theory/book part of the class and I passed the final exam. Friday and Saturday we have 4 dives and then I’ll officially be SCUBA certified! I’m excited to be done with the class so I can begin traveling the country (and go diving, of course!) I’ve been here for three weeks and have not done any significant traveling. A group of three boys (already SCUBA certified) spent the past weekend in the outback to see Ulru (Ayre’s Rock) and I’m jealous! I feel like we have too much planned on the weekends to go out and travel…if I could do it again, I would have gotten SCUBA certified before I came on the trip so I’d have free weekends. There are so many places I want to visit before my short time is up here, and I better get started. I’m really exicted to go visit my family (my mom’s cousin, husband, and kids) that live a few hours away. Although I haven’t been homesick yet, it’s nice to have family down here. Everyone once in a while, I miss my family and friends back home…but then I think about Muncie…and the snow and embrace the fact that I’m a part of this wonderful experience…and am LOVING it!
We (a few girls and I) finally booked our tickets for Spring Break. We’re planning on going to the Gold Coast (comparable to like a Panama City Beach I guess) for a few days for a surf competition (no, I’m not competing…haha), then flying to Melbourne for a few days, then off to Sydney for the remaining time. I’m really looking forward to Sydney…I’ve been itching to get there since I landed in Australia. One thing I really want to do there is climb the Harbour Bridge. I can’t wait!!
Sorry if this is too much to read (Mike) but I’ve been busy...
Hope everyone is doing well back home…love you all!!!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
..it's been a while...
I've been meaning to sit down and write for a while but life, like always, it has been crazy here.
I had an amazing weekend...We went to a little village called Nimbin on Friday. Just a small group of us-Stacey, Brittany, Landon, Steph, Brittny, and I all went and explored the little hippie town. . . it was an experience I know I can't explain and know I won't forget. (I'm still working on these photos...the internet connection is slloooww and its impossible to upload pics)
On Saturday a small group of girls went to Bryon Bay for the night. We had an amazing dinner and cocktails at Hog's Breath Saloon (an American chain...I know...) then hit the bars. . . So much fun! We were known as the "American girls" and I'm pretty sure people loved us.
Every second Sunday of the month, Lennox Head has a little market. I'm glad I didn't go with any cash this week, because I would have bought so much stuff (expect a majority of your souvenirs to come from there!)
Classes are going well...Monday we had another field trip..this week it was to Southern Cross University. The Southern Cross is a constellation in the sky that the Aboriginal people used for navigation...it's the reason for the stars on the Australian flag. It's a big deal, many people have it tattooed on their body. The Univeristy itself (in Lismore) is basically for the Indigenous people. We're learning a lot about the Aboriginal people of Australia and the way they were treated by white settlers. It is almost identical to what happened in the U.S.....many similarities. I'm really going to enjoy this Anthropology class....UNLIKE the marine science class. I can't believe my "dream job" was to be a marine biologist. How boring. This professor lectured for about 5 hours about the size of sand grains...and this week we're talking about plankton (apparently plankton is his "special interest"...oh, boy!) My event planning class is coming together. We are putting on one big even in April for the community. Tonight we decided that we were going to do "field day" for the kids of the area....should be interesting. There is about 21 students in the class and we are all very different but I think we'll all work together. (There is a lot of frat/sorority kids in the class...and was very surprised the ideas and past events they had....I didn't know they did more at BSU than house parties and bustin' watermelons?...)
Classes really don't take up much time during the day...and there is still plenty of time for many many many other things. The beach hasn't gotten boring yet (and I doubt it ever will), the lake is still awesome, and weather is ALMOST perfect. We had our first "crappy" weather day since we've been here...and it was still pretty nice out. It was very overcast (people still got sunburnt haha) and muggy all day. It wasn't a big deal to me because today Brittany, Sam, Erika and I decided to go into Ballina to see a movie- Revolutionary Road. The movie was incredible....and not exaggerating when I say- the best movie I have ever seen. (Not my favorite movie...but the best.) It was brilliant . . . go see it.
I have received emails asking about the fires....and no, where I'm living is not affected. It's around Victoria, which is the very top part of the continent. The is also flooding occurring on the western side of the continent as well. So tragically, Australians are facing two national disasters, both extreme opposites of each other. I'm not sure what the death count is up to currently but I know as of yesterday morning, it was around 130 people. Most every store today in Ballina had someone (mostly from the Lions Club) standing outside the shop taking donations for the victims. There has been talk about some BSU kids going up north for a weekend to donate our time in the clean up efforts...once the fires slow down. Hopefully, mother nature chills out and this heat wave will pass (it was getting close to reaching above 50something degrees Celsius! I'm not 100% sure what that converts to...but I know it's real hot...)
We had a trip to the Australian Zoo (Steve Irwin's zoo...) planned for Sunday but sadly, the bus company was all booked...
Saturday is Valentines day...so all of us (well like 31 of us...) are getting all dressed up and going to the nicer resturant in town. Hope everyone back home as a great Valentine's day (even though it's a stupid holiday...)
Miss you all!!
Love
:)
I had an amazing weekend...We went to a little village called Nimbin on Friday. Just a small group of us-Stacey, Brittany, Landon, Steph, Brittny, and I all went and explored the little hippie town. . . it was an experience I know I can't explain and know I won't forget. (I'm still working on these photos...the internet connection is slloooww and its impossible to upload pics)
On Saturday a small group of girls went to Bryon Bay for the night. We had an amazing dinner and cocktails at Hog's Breath Saloon (an American chain...I know...) then hit the bars. . . So much fun! We were known as the "American girls" and I'm pretty sure people loved us.
Every second Sunday of the month, Lennox Head has a little market. I'm glad I didn't go with any cash this week, because I would have bought so much stuff (expect a majority of your souvenirs to come from there!)
Classes are going well...Monday we had another field trip..this week it was to Southern Cross University. The Southern Cross is a constellation in the sky that the Aboriginal people used for navigation...it's the reason for the stars on the Australian flag. It's a big deal, many people have it tattooed on their body. The Univeristy itself (in Lismore) is basically for the Indigenous people. We're learning a lot about the Aboriginal people of Australia and the way they were treated by white settlers. It is almost identical to what happened in the U.S.....many similarities. I'm really going to enjoy this Anthropology class....UNLIKE the marine science class. I can't believe my "dream job" was to be a marine biologist. How boring. This professor lectured for about 5 hours about the size of sand grains...and this week we're talking about plankton (apparently plankton is his "special interest"...oh, boy!) My event planning class is coming together. We are putting on one big even in April for the community. Tonight we decided that we were going to do "field day" for the kids of the area....should be interesting. There is about 21 students in the class and we are all very different but I think we'll all work together. (There is a lot of frat/sorority kids in the class...and was very surprised the ideas and past events they had....I didn't know they did more at BSU than house parties and bustin' watermelons?...)
Classes really don't take up much time during the day...and there is still plenty of time for many many many other things. The beach hasn't gotten boring yet (and I doubt it ever will), the lake is still awesome, and weather is ALMOST perfect. We had our first "crappy" weather day since we've been here...and it was still pretty nice out. It was very overcast (people still got sunburnt haha) and muggy all day. It wasn't a big deal to me because today Brittany, Sam, Erika and I decided to go into Ballina to see a movie- Revolutionary Road. The movie was incredible....and not exaggerating when I say- the best movie I have ever seen. (Not my favorite movie...but the best.) It was brilliant . . . go see it.
I have received emails asking about the fires....and no, where I'm living is not affected. It's around Victoria, which is the very top part of the continent. The is also flooding occurring on the western side of the continent as well. So tragically, Australians are facing two national disasters, both extreme opposites of each other. I'm not sure what the death count is up to currently but I know as of yesterday morning, it was around 130 people. Most every store today in Ballina had someone (mostly from the Lions Club) standing outside the shop taking donations for the victims. There has been talk about some BSU kids going up north for a weekend to donate our time in the clean up efforts...once the fires slow down. Hopefully, mother nature chills out and this heat wave will pass (it was getting close to reaching above 50something degrees Celsius! I'm not 100% sure what that converts to...but I know it's real hot...)
We had a trip to the Australian Zoo (Steve Irwin's zoo...) planned for Sunday but sadly, the bus company was all booked...
Saturday is Valentines day...so all of us (well like 31 of us...) are getting all dressed up and going to the nicer resturant in town. Hope everyone back home as a great Valentine's day (even though it's a stupid holiday...)
Miss you all!!
Love
:)
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
No Worries, Mate
It's Wednesday afternoon here and I just got out of my second class of the week. It was my "event planning" class and seems like it will be a lot of fun. The class (about 20 of us BSU kids) will be planning an activity (probably a sports-related thing) for the community of Lennox Head to participate in. I think it'll be a great opportunity to get involved in the community and experience some true "aussie" culture. I've been here for a little over a week now and have noticed many differences. I think my favorite thing right now is picking up (and attempting to use) aussie lingo. For example:
No worries/ no drama = no problem
she'll be right = it'll be okay
bloody= very
amber fluid = beer
your shout = your turn to buy the next round (don't worry mom, I haven't actually heard this one yet, but it's in my notes haha)
get stuffed = get lost
give a cuddle = give a hug
capsicum = green pepper (found that out the hard way at subway...i asked for green pepper and got jalapeno pepper instead!)
We've all have been having fun attempting to use the lingo but, I've noticed that my "aussie accent" still sounds like a idiotic british woman.
I have also noticed how involved aussies are in american culture. I watched the news yesterday and it was pretty much identical to the "Today Show" but called something else (I can't remember it...) They talked about more American news then aussie news. They even had a segment on Matt Lauer's interview with President Obama. They have a news corespondent in Hollywood (an embarrassing overly-gay american) that gives the latest "hollywood gossip." It seems every time I turn on the tv, it's something like Dr. Phil (and evil Oprah) or Two and a Half Men and other American sitcoms. They have "So you think you can dance, Australia" and "The Biggest Loser: Couples, Australia" and "Australian Idol...."
But don't worry, I really haven't been watching that much tv...
Today, Landon and I swam across the lake (about a mile.) It was so relaxing....and then I laid out on the beach before I had class... I lead such a stressful life...haha.
No worries/ no drama = no problem
she'll be right = it'll be okay
bloody= very
amber fluid = beer
your shout = your turn to buy the next round (don't worry mom, I haven't actually heard this one yet, but it's in my notes haha)
get stuffed = get lost
give a cuddle = give a hug
capsicum = green pepper (found that out the hard way at subway...i asked for green pepper and got jalapeno pepper instead!)
We've all have been having fun attempting to use the lingo but, I've noticed that my "aussie accent" still sounds like a idiotic british woman.
I have also noticed how involved aussies are in american culture. I watched the news yesterday and it was pretty much identical to the "Today Show" but called something else (I can't remember it...) They talked about more American news then aussie news. They even had a segment on Matt Lauer's interview with President Obama. They have a news corespondent in Hollywood (an embarrassing overly-gay american) that gives the latest "hollywood gossip." It seems every time I turn on the tv, it's something like Dr. Phil (and evil Oprah) or Two and a Half Men and other American sitcoms. They have "So you think you can dance, Australia" and "The Biggest Loser: Couples, Australia" and "Australian Idol...."
But don't worry, I really haven't been watching that much tv...
Today, Landon and I swam across the lake (about a mile.) It was so relaxing....and then I laid out on the beach before I had class... I lead such a stressful life...haha.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Today was the first day of classes...and it was a field trip to a rain forest in Dorroughby (about 45 mins away.) My only class on Mondays is the "Australian Life and Culture" class and it was pretty interesting. I actually had to sit in a lecture for about an hour but it wasn't bad at all. The professor is a pretty laid back old guy that sounds like the Gieco geko! He briefly discussed a little bit of history, geography, politics, current events, and economy of Australia...and he talked about Obama...A LOT. I've found that many aussies seem very interested in the new president. I'm very excited about this culture class. Australia is a fascinating country... and most people do not know much about it. Everyone associates OZ with the sterotypical kangaroo or kaola but this places and more wildlife than imaginable. 80% of all that lives in Australia exists no where else in the world! It's home to the largest living thing on earth...the Great Barrier Reef...which I will be visiting over spring break. We have a scuba meeting tomorrow night to discuss when the lessons begin. I have my first surf lesson on Friday...should be interesting! I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it, but it's worth the try. The waves here are incredible!
After the hour lecture, we headed to Dorroughby. The scenery on the ride there was breathtaking. We were around some old vocanoe that had been extinct for many years. The rain forest wasn't what I had expected. I overheard the "tour guide" say how it was too wet to give the full tour, so we had just a 30 min. hike through parts of it. I have never seen anything like it. (I'll try to post pictures on here, but the connection is slow and it has been taking forever!) It was rumored that we were going to be seeing a waterfall, and I'm sad to say, that we never did.
After the nature walk, we went to an old school area that was built for the all the local dairy farmer's kids (yes, we saw many many cows around there...I felt home haha) There, we were fed kangaroo, crocidile, amoung other "normal" things. The kangaroo tasted just like beef, and the croc was just like chicken...but both were very tender and juicy and DELICOUS! After lunch, we had a boomerrang lesson from the tour guide and aussie bus driver. Let me just say, boomerangs are dangerous! ...I stayed at a distance...I don't have very quick reflexes and I was not about get one of thoes wooden things in my face! (you all know that I would be the one to get hit...hahah)
The two girls, Erika and Stacey, moved out of the cabin today and into their nice new cabin..and it's a lot less crowded! Six girls to the ONE fridge was not a good combination.
One of my goals this trip is to get into the ocean at least once everyday..and it's about to get dark here so I better hop to it.
Hope all is well in the states :)
ps GO STEELERS (that's for you Kristy!)
love.
After the hour lecture, we headed to Dorroughby. The scenery on the ride there was breathtaking. We were around some old vocanoe that had been extinct for many years. The rain forest wasn't what I had expected. I overheard the "tour guide" say how it was too wet to give the full tour, so we had just a 30 min. hike through parts of it. I have never seen anything like it. (I'll try to post pictures on here, but the connection is slow and it has been taking forever!) It was rumored that we were going to be seeing a waterfall, and I'm sad to say, that we never did.
After the nature walk, we went to an old school area that was built for the all the local dairy farmer's kids (yes, we saw many many cows around there...I felt home haha) There, we were fed kangaroo, crocidile, amoung other "normal" things. The kangaroo tasted just like beef, and the croc was just like chicken...but both were very tender and juicy and DELICOUS! After lunch, we had a boomerrang lesson from the tour guide and aussie bus driver. Let me just say, boomerangs are dangerous! ...I stayed at a distance...I don't have very quick reflexes and I was not about get one of thoes wooden things in my face! (you all know that I would be the one to get hit...hahah)
The two girls, Erika and Stacey, moved out of the cabin today and into their nice new cabin..and it's a lot less crowded! Six girls to the ONE fridge was not a good combination.
One of my goals this trip is to get into the ocean at least once everyday..and it's about to get dark here so I better hop to it.
Hope all is well in the states :)
ps GO STEELERS (that's for you Kristy!)
love.
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