A few friends and I rented a car and drove out to the Grampians mountain range to camp for a night last weekend. The weather was awful, mostly rainy, lots of clouds. Dark days and dark feelings, but we had such good chemistry we all managed to keep spirits up.
But the general mood was almost like mourning. For most of us, we're leaving behind short term friendships that in the long term mean little compared to those we cultivated throughout our lives. But they were furious and close friendships fueled by the excitement of the unfamiliar. We've all become comfortable in our situations here, and it's time to drop it and leave. We talked about everyone, and everything. About Australia, and Home. We sat around a campfire with a nice couple from Melboure camping for the long weekend, and talked about how friendships are like a web. I guess networking sites are also a good analogy. Now we all know people from around the world. More than likely that will affect our futures.
It's a difficult mood to live in though. I'm finding it hard to stay anywhere very long, because every conversation starts with "when are you leaving?" and ends with "If I never see you again..." Handshakes, hugs, and kisses aside, it's not easy saying goodbye to everyone all the time. I don't want to leave so soon, but it's time to move on, and I do want to get out of this ugly feeling. I guess we can all just try and look at it from a positive light, focus on the good things we've shared, and forget about good bye's.
I'm infamous for disappearing without a word, I think I'll slip out quietly when it's my turn to go. If there's something someone needed to say, there's always facebook.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
Good-Bye May
The month of May has been fleeting indeed! I wrote myself a note three weeks ago that my blog entry for that week was already overdue, and here it still sits on my desk, reminding me. Much like most of my assignments, I'll have a lot to catch up on at the last second. I guess the date posted along with this gives me a way so I may as well be honest. I've settled into a routine, and it has good and bad sides.
I feel comfortable living in Australia. I retain an American accent by no fault of my own, people love it why would I give it up! I feel almost at home, but I know too well what I've left behind. I have a strong sense of Australian culture, its history, and its people. I can get myself around, easily make informed decisions, and get what I need. The routine is comfortable becuase it help releive that sense of pressure to actively drain every ounce of enjoyment from every second of the day. I can passively enjoy my time here, and it's a bit more relaxing. But I feel almost as if I'm dying.
We all have our "bucket list" of things to do before we leave Australia. Some are more adventurous than others. I ruled out travel becuase of budget restrictions, but there is still fun to be had. I have one paper left to write, on Australian history, and I'm headed out to the Grampians Range to backpack for a few days. It should be beautiful, albeit cold. Not to worry, I'm well prepared and the "mountains" here hardly compare to the Whites at home. Fun Fact: not all compasses are international, and those that are tend to be very expensive! Either that or I've been had by some clever camping store clerks.
May was a good month over all, lots of celebration amongst friends, now that we all know everyone. We visited our roommate's farm in the outback, or the "bush." He doesn't think it's out in the bush, but his small farm here has approx. 600 cows, and probably near 1000 acres, so yeah we were in the bush.
I'm beginning to dread my return home, still questioning weather I will retain what I've discovered about myself so boldly, or change slowly and subtly under the influence of the friends I left behind. I have a new neice to go home to, and every time I see an animal I miss my dog fiercely! (Mom you better bring him to the airport when you pick me up!). It's all mixed in with a bit of curiosity. Just like we got the sermons on arrival about the effects of culture shock, now we get lectures on reverse culture shock. I've been comparing the States to Australia since I got here, so that's not a bother. However, I'll miss what I had here, and returning to hard work will be a tremendous disappointment. Hopefully I'll feel a little better when I've accomplished something tangible.
I feel comfortable living in Australia. I retain an American accent by no fault of my own, people love it why would I give it up! I feel almost at home, but I know too well what I've left behind. I have a strong sense of Australian culture, its history, and its people. I can get myself around, easily make informed decisions, and get what I need. The routine is comfortable becuase it help releive that sense of pressure to actively drain every ounce of enjoyment from every second of the day. I can passively enjoy my time here, and it's a bit more relaxing. But I feel almost as if I'm dying.
We all have our "bucket list" of things to do before we leave Australia. Some are more adventurous than others. I ruled out travel becuase of budget restrictions, but there is still fun to be had. I have one paper left to write, on Australian history, and I'm headed out to the Grampians Range to backpack for a few days. It should be beautiful, albeit cold. Not to worry, I'm well prepared and the "mountains" here hardly compare to the Whites at home. Fun Fact: not all compasses are international, and those that are tend to be very expensive! Either that or I've been had by some clever camping store clerks.
May was a good month over all, lots of celebration amongst friends, now that we all know everyone. We visited our roommate's farm in the outback, or the "bush." He doesn't think it's out in the bush, but his small farm here has approx. 600 cows, and probably near 1000 acres, so yeah we were in the bush.
I'm beginning to dread my return home, still questioning weather I will retain what I've discovered about myself so boldly, or change slowly and subtly under the influence of the friends I left behind. I have a new neice to go home to, and every time I see an animal I miss my dog fiercely! (Mom you better bring him to the airport when you pick me up!). It's all mixed in with a bit of curiosity. Just like we got the sermons on arrival about the effects of culture shock, now we get lectures on reverse culture shock. I've been comparing the States to Australia since I got here, so that's not a bother. However, I'll miss what I had here, and returning to hard work will be a tremendous disappointment. Hopefully I'll feel a little better when I've accomplished something tangible.
Friday, May 1, 2009
I'll Keep It To Myself
Our roadtrip was simply a shorter version of this whole escapade. Of my studies abroad in Australia. Perhaps less detailed, perhaps easier to explain. I think both have changed who I am forever, and yet I'm not quite willing to broadcast the details of those changes.
Take yourself out of your situation. I've grown up, gone to the same schools with, and had a stead friendship with a few people my entire life. All too often we let our decisions reflect not what we personally want, but what will meet the expectations of those who know us. Why? Probably becuase we don't know what we want, or who we want to be. And if we do, we have excuses about why we can't. So take all those expectations away. Start with a clean slate, and new group of people, a new situation, and a new presentation: yourself. Decide what and who you want to be, how you think you'd like to be perceived. Play the part. Maybe you'll find that it feels wrong, perhaps that's not really what you want after all. But I did, and I am, and I love it. I'm everything I used to be, but better, stronger, more capable and more motivated. And above all, I beleive in myself. Because now it's no longer a question of "could I?" it's a question of "Should I Again?"
I overheard parts of a conversation from one of my current room mates with a friend of ours, both of whom I met here in Australia. He described a few things he thought about me. I'd love him to have that conversation with someone who has known me all my life, to see their reaction. Perhaps it would be astonishing, on the other hand perhaps not. Maybe I'm the only one who didn't know. Now I do and I'm a better person, in my eyes, for it.
The only question that remains is can I maintain it. When I'm thrust back into the situation where people already have preformed ideas and expectations of me, will change their minds or my own? I'm betting on the former.
Take yourself out of your situation. I've grown up, gone to the same schools with, and had a stead friendship with a few people my entire life. All too often we let our decisions reflect not what we personally want, but what will meet the expectations of those who know us. Why? Probably becuase we don't know what we want, or who we want to be. And if we do, we have excuses about why we can't. So take all those expectations away. Start with a clean slate, and new group of people, a new situation, and a new presentation: yourself. Decide what and who you want to be, how you think you'd like to be perceived. Play the part. Maybe you'll find that it feels wrong, perhaps that's not really what you want after all. But I did, and I am, and I love it. I'm everything I used to be, but better, stronger, more capable and more motivated. And above all, I beleive in myself. Because now it's no longer a question of "could I?" it's a question of "Should I Again?"
I overheard parts of a conversation from one of my current room mates with a friend of ours, both of whom I met here in Australia. He described a few things he thought about me. I'd love him to have that conversation with someone who has known me all my life, to see their reaction. Perhaps it would be astonishing, on the other hand perhaps not. Maybe I'm the only one who didn't know. Now I do and I'm a better person, in my eyes, for it.
The only question that remains is can I maintain it. When I'm thrust back into the situation where people already have preformed ideas and expectations of me, will change their minds or my own? I'm betting on the former.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Traveling in a Fried-Out Combie
For all my worry and fuss in the days leading up to our road trip, it was a success. Not simply a success, but decidedly one of the most singularly important events of my life. You learn a lot about yourself when you take away everything you've taken for granted. If you have nothing but what you thought you might need the day before, little plans, and even fewer resources, then you're forced to call on your own abilities. To learn what you are capable of at your root is to understand yourself. But enough philosophy already, I have to write down everything that happened and everywhere we went before it all becomes a blur... I'll get to the interpretation later, after all you can't analyze it until it's history.
We left on Friday morning, 8:00AM sharp. We'll we're still college students and not yet hardened travellers so sharp was more like 8:35, but close enough. There are two ways to go from Melbourne to Sydney, inland around the mountains, or along the coast. Since we were eager to cover ground and figured we could see the pretty rocks on the way back home, we took the inland route which is about 4 hours shorter. If you ever want a 10 hour drive that looks exactly the same the WHOLE way, drive from Melbourne to Sydney. There's something quaint and pleasent about the rolling hills, rounded plains, and sparse misshapen trees that cover the grazing lands in Victoria and southern New South Wales. That wears off after about 2 hours and you just wonder if you're making any progress at all.
I can only speak about the roads in southeastern australia, as that's where we've been, but I've made some interesting observations. The strange turn that I noticed in one of my first posts is actually a manuever called the "hook turn" and it is only present in the CBD of Melbourne, where the most difficult driving in Australia is to be found. The purpuose of the hook turn is to avoid blocking the path of the tram system which runs through the streets. Melbourne's highways system has a strange contemporary art look to it that includes steel statues, artistic sound barriers, and even frosted glass in some places. Especially at night when the roadsides are lit up with purple and yellow lights. There are more goverment public service announcesments about staying awake and alert on the road than there are all other signs combined on Australian highways. I guess falling asleep at the wheel is a real killer out here, and as you travel for 10-14 hours at a time without a change in scenery through Victoria, you can see why. Australian highways use speed cameras more than police officers to control speeding, which makes sense given the minute population density. It may be that, or it may be the Australian "I'll get there when I get there" attitude, but in general people obey the speed limit religiously. The highway speed limit ranges between 100 and 110 km/h (62 - 68 mph) and people usually travel about 5-10 km/h below it. This was good for us becuase the 15 year old van could just barely make the limits without shaking itself to pieces.
Friday night we parked at Manly beach just north of Sydney. Spent all day Saturday showing my commerades around Sydney, the same places I'd been on my last trip, and we were soarly dissapointed. The weather again was not particularly favorable, and to be honest, the city did not much interest us. Too many people doing too many things, there wasn't much opportunity to make friends. Saturday night we tried to get as close as possible to Bondi beach. One of the most famous beaches in Australia about which there are rescue and drama TV shows (Similar to Baywaytch). We couldn't really get a view of the shore but it didn't matter much, the ugly weather persisted. Also on saturday night we decided before going out that the lot of us really could use some showering. Fortunately Bondi has a few beachside spigot showers for rinsing off after getting out of the water. Unfortunately it also has beachside restaraunts and we found ourselves showering parhaps 200 feet from the all glass 180 degree view window of a rather exclusive looking resaurant with an even more exclusive looking dinner party happening. HAHA take that high society.
Sunday, dissapointed with what we found in Sydney, we began to make our way up the coast and things got a little brighter. We had a spot of good weather so we took a tourist drive and spent a good portion of the day off the highway and around the area of Avoca beach. A beautiful sandy spot with about 100 feet of beach seperating a freshwater lake from the ocean. There we discovered that the sand on some beaches here squeeks. I surmise it might be a high silicon content, but really I don't know what I'm talking about and the phenomenon is rather hilarious. Cloud cover sent us on our way though and we found a delighful state park south of Old Bar to camp for the night. Ocean front views from the parking spot and a clean bathroom within walking distance.
Monday was a relaxed day and we only made it a little further. We stopped at Nambucca heads where there were lovelly beaches and some incredible lookouts. To our good fortune we headed during the evening for what we unanimously decided was one of the nicest places along the way, Byron Bay. We parked right at the beach front of the Eastern-most town in Australia. The evening life was a bit slow, and we received an $80 parking ticket for being in an area clearly marked no parking and no sleeping, but that as we have learned, is the Wicked lifestlye. Tuesday morning I learned to surf, we spent 3 hours on the beach just south of where we parked, and rented the equipment. Will and Greag have both been surfing recently, they learned while they were here, but I have had a brief introduction before from a friend who lives on the Cape during the summer. I managed to stand up 3 times, but I won't tell you how many times I failed. Then we made our way leisurely to Surfers Paradise, where we checked into our hotel room at the Crown Plaza. A clean hot shower was a welcome change from the Van, but it is sort of a cheat in the lifestlye of a road trip.
For me, Surfers Paradise was by far the best part of the trip. Although Byron Bay was a nicer atmosphere, I learned a lot more from the social experience at Surfers Paradise. There's a lot to say about it so I'll include in my next post. Only that we stayed for two nights and on Thrusday morning, bright and early, we set off on our way. It might be good to mention that at this point I had successfully learned to drive a manual. I started at Old Bar and at Nambucca heads I was able to to a 3 point turn on a 45 degree angle on my own. Unfoturnately, in my confidence, I was a bit rough on the gear box and as we drove south from Surfers Paradise in a tradie town called Ballina I shoved the shift stick right through something and got the transmission stuck in 3rd gear. We were towed to a service station and had to stay overnight in order for it to be fixed. A tradie is the general term for skilled labor in Australia. Anyone who builds, fixes, makes, or destroys something is a tradie. They're all unionized, and they all wear the same uniform. Navy shorts, and a polo that's navy on the bottom and either flourescent green or orange on the top. Most have the name of their emploer embroidered on it, but they're all in a brotherhood. So when we found a tradie pub to wait for the call from the grage fixing our van, we got some interesting looks. They're Australian, so they must be kind hearted, but curiosity has a mean way of presenting itself in grumpy old laborors.
Friday morning around 11:00 AM it was fixed and we checked out of the pleasent Sun'n'Fun Motel and rocketed for the remainder of the trip. Staying overnight in the beautiful Royal National Park next to a waterfall which we didn't have time or light enough to appreciate, then driving over the incredibly scenic Illywara highway taking pictures out the van window, we made it back to Melbourne by 8:30PM on Saturday night. Tired, stinky, and out of money, but happy as clams.
We left on Friday morning, 8:00AM sharp. We'll we're still college students and not yet hardened travellers so sharp was more like 8:35, but close enough. There are two ways to go from Melbourne to Sydney, inland around the mountains, or along the coast. Since we were eager to cover ground and figured we could see the pretty rocks on the way back home, we took the inland route which is about 4 hours shorter. If you ever want a 10 hour drive that looks exactly the same the WHOLE way, drive from Melbourne to Sydney. There's something quaint and pleasent about the rolling hills, rounded plains, and sparse misshapen trees that cover the grazing lands in Victoria and southern New South Wales. That wears off after about 2 hours and you just wonder if you're making any progress at all.
I can only speak about the roads in southeastern australia, as that's where we've been, but I've made some interesting observations. The strange turn that I noticed in one of my first posts is actually a manuever called the "hook turn" and it is only present in the CBD of Melbourne, where the most difficult driving in Australia is to be found. The purpuose of the hook turn is to avoid blocking the path of the tram system which runs through the streets. Melbourne's highways system has a strange contemporary art look to it that includes steel statues, artistic sound barriers, and even frosted glass in some places. Especially at night when the roadsides are lit up with purple and yellow lights. There are more goverment public service announcesments about staying awake and alert on the road than there are all other signs combined on Australian highways. I guess falling asleep at the wheel is a real killer out here, and as you travel for 10-14 hours at a time without a change in scenery through Victoria, you can see why. Australian highways use speed cameras more than police officers to control speeding, which makes sense given the minute population density. It may be that, or it may be the Australian "I'll get there when I get there" attitude, but in general people obey the speed limit religiously. The highway speed limit ranges between 100 and 110 km/h (62 - 68 mph) and people usually travel about 5-10 km/h below it. This was good for us becuase the 15 year old van could just barely make the limits without shaking itself to pieces.
Friday night we parked at Manly beach just north of Sydney. Spent all day Saturday showing my commerades around Sydney, the same places I'd been on my last trip, and we were soarly dissapointed. The weather again was not particularly favorable, and to be honest, the city did not much interest us. Too many people doing too many things, there wasn't much opportunity to make friends. Saturday night we tried to get as close as possible to Bondi beach. One of the most famous beaches in Australia about which there are rescue and drama TV shows (Similar to Baywaytch). We couldn't really get a view of the shore but it didn't matter much, the ugly weather persisted. Also on saturday night we decided before going out that the lot of us really could use some showering. Fortunately Bondi has a few beachside spigot showers for rinsing off after getting out of the water. Unfortunately it also has beachside restaraunts and we found ourselves showering parhaps 200 feet from the all glass 180 degree view window of a rather exclusive looking resaurant with an even more exclusive looking dinner party happening. HAHA take that high society.
Sunday, dissapointed with what we found in Sydney, we began to make our way up the coast and things got a little brighter. We had a spot of good weather so we took a tourist drive and spent a good portion of the day off the highway and around the area of Avoca beach. A beautiful sandy spot with about 100 feet of beach seperating a freshwater lake from the ocean. There we discovered that the sand on some beaches here squeeks. I surmise it might be a high silicon content, but really I don't know what I'm talking about and the phenomenon is rather hilarious. Cloud cover sent us on our way though and we found a delighful state park south of Old Bar to camp for the night. Ocean front views from the parking spot and a clean bathroom within walking distance.
Monday was a relaxed day and we only made it a little further. We stopped at Nambucca heads where there were lovelly beaches and some incredible lookouts. To our good fortune we headed during the evening for what we unanimously decided was one of the nicest places along the way, Byron Bay. We parked right at the beach front of the Eastern-most town in Australia. The evening life was a bit slow, and we received an $80 parking ticket for being in an area clearly marked no parking and no sleeping, but that as we have learned, is the Wicked lifestlye. Tuesday morning I learned to surf, we spent 3 hours on the beach just south of where we parked, and rented the equipment. Will and Greag have both been surfing recently, they learned while they were here, but I have had a brief introduction before from a friend who lives on the Cape during the summer. I managed to stand up 3 times, but I won't tell you how many times I failed. Then we made our way leisurely to Surfers Paradise, where we checked into our hotel room at the Crown Plaza. A clean hot shower was a welcome change from the Van, but it is sort of a cheat in the lifestlye of a road trip.
For me, Surfers Paradise was by far the best part of the trip. Although Byron Bay was a nicer atmosphere, I learned a lot more from the social experience at Surfers Paradise. There's a lot to say about it so I'll include in my next post. Only that we stayed for two nights and on Thrusday morning, bright and early, we set off on our way. It might be good to mention that at this point I had successfully learned to drive a manual. I started at Old Bar and at Nambucca heads I was able to to a 3 point turn on a 45 degree angle on my own. Unfoturnately, in my confidence, I was a bit rough on the gear box and as we drove south from Surfers Paradise in a tradie town called Ballina I shoved the shift stick right through something and got the transmission stuck in 3rd gear. We were towed to a service station and had to stay overnight in order for it to be fixed. A tradie is the general term for skilled labor in Australia. Anyone who builds, fixes, makes, or destroys something is a tradie. They're all unionized, and they all wear the same uniform. Navy shorts, and a polo that's navy on the bottom and either flourescent green or orange on the top. Most have the name of their emploer embroidered on it, but they're all in a brotherhood. So when we found a tradie pub to wait for the call from the grage fixing our van, we got some interesting looks. They're Australian, so they must be kind hearted, but curiosity has a mean way of presenting itself in grumpy old laborors.
Friday morning around 11:00 AM it was fixed and we checked out of the pleasent Sun'n'Fun Motel and rocketed for the remainder of the trip. Staying overnight in the beautiful Royal National Park next to a waterfall which we didn't have time or light enough to appreciate, then driving over the incredibly scenic Illywara highway taking pictures out the van window, we made it back to Melbourne by 8:30PM on Saturday night. Tired, stinky, and out of money, but happy as clams.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Butterflies
Who would have thought a vacation this fantastically unbelievable could be so stressful! I'm packing right now for our roadtrip to Brisbane. We've got a campervan from Wicked Campers with the words "Honk if you're under the influence" Spraypainted on the back! (That's their market appeal, all the vans are custom painted, like hippie vans but smaller). Aside from the van, we've planned basically nothing. It's a standard trasmission, which we just found out a few days before we left, well after we booked, and only one of us has ever driven stick before. Relying on maps an intuition to get around. We're all staying up late planning tonight, and I've got serious butterflies in my stomach. We can't rely on the one guy (There's three of us, myself and my two room mates, who are also from Northeastern) to drive the whole way, so I'll at least have to make an attempt at learning to drive manual. Shouldn't be too bad if I restrict my driving to the highway anyways. As long as we don't get stuck in traffic! HA! I guess in that case we'll jump seats. It feels like I'm on the brink of something huge, maybe it will turn out well that we haven't made any plans, maybe this trip will be the failure that I've been so terrified of all along. It's only one week, and there will be other opportunities to relsih the experience, but this is the big one... This could make or break my so far untarnished record of excellent vacation in Australia.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Australia: A Global Context
It's raining today. Stormed yesterday. Makes me realize that this is the first time since I've been here that I've encountered heavy rain in Melbourne. No wonder everyone's in a fuss about the drought.
People here in Victoria feel the same way about water conservation as we do about energy conservation. To some point more, becuase there are actually heavy legal restrictions on water usage. I've been doing my best to keep my showers to the recommended 4 minutes, but it ain't easy!
There are certain things I will miss dearly when I leave:
Meat pies - yummmmmm
Way too much Men At Work playing Down Under
The feeling of intense sunlight
All my international friends and their silly accents
All my Australian friends and their silly accents
Australian wine
The differences in the way society is open and friendly, I'll have to post something on this
Ridiculous wildlife
I'm sure I'll think of more before I leave...
Some things I'll be happy to get away from:
Vegemite!
House music!
Australian beer
Tiny gyms
NO dancing!
The train outside my window
Hopefully this list will remain small
People here in Victoria feel the same way about water conservation as we do about energy conservation. To some point more, becuase there are actually heavy legal restrictions on water usage. I've been doing my best to keep my showers to the recommended 4 minutes, but it ain't easy!
There are certain things I will miss dearly when I leave:
Meat pies - yummmmmm
Way too much Men At Work playing Down Under
The feeling of intense sunlight
All my international friends and their silly accents
All my Australian friends and their silly accents
Australian wine
The differences in the way society is open and friendly, I'll have to post something on this
Ridiculous wildlife
I'm sure I'll think of more before I leave...
Some things I'll be happy to get away from:
Vegemite!
House music!
Australian beer
Tiny gyms
NO dancing!
The train outside my window
Hopefully this list will remain small
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The Great Great Ocean Road
Last weekend I took a surprise trip down the great ocean road. A surprise trip is like a normal road trip except you don't know you're going until 12 hours before you leave. Someone had an extra seat in their car, but no space in the first hostel, so I bought myself a tent and sleeping bag (which I'll want to have for my Easter Break road trip anyways) and firgured I'd just find a flat spot.
We didn't make it very far the first day. Stopped at practically every beach we could find along the way, and had a heck of a time navigating TO the great ocean road, which is about an hour and a half southeast of Melbourne. Some of the most gorgeous scenes I've seen in my life, and absolutely spectacular weather. I thought it couldn't get any better... until the next day! I even got to sleep in a bed becuase we found out when we got there that there was a second hostel in Lorne, and it had plenty of space. After a walk around town and down to the pier, we hit the sack.
Half of us got up early on Saturday. I had no idea I could get so frustrated by a group of people who aren't in as much of a hurry as I am. I guess I miss the days of Scouting where I could just walk around banging my flashlight on tent poles until everyone was awake. Saturday was one of the most remarkable sightseeing days of my entire life. We started at a waterfall, where we jumped over the pedestrian fence and climbed up some rocks to get right under it. Then made our way to a lookout of a gorgeous bay. That didn't compare in the slightest to the scene at Apollo Bay. An absolutely pristine beach on a hot day couldn't get more perfect. But thatnks to some insider knowledge we found some farmland open to the public on a steep hillside overlooking the bay, making for some perfect picture opportunities. As we were sitting on the hillside admiring, a white horse comes galloping over the hillside to play with us! Seriously, could you make up a more fairy-tale-like story?! After a while on the beach we start to make our way to the next stop, the Twelve Apostles. These are giant rock formations sticking out of the sea on the southern coast. It started to get a little rainy, but just cleared up enough to take pictures once we arrived. Again we jumped a pedestrian fence to get a better experience, and thank god I did. I cannot describe how empowering it is to stand on the edge of a hundred-foot cliff looking down at fifteen-foot waves crashing beneath with monsterous power. You can feel each one hit. It's no surprise that there were so many shipwrecks here, it's absolutely breathtaking but incredibly dangerous.
We rushed to make it to our hostel that night, and had a quiet night after an exhausting day. Sunday was a long trip home, but there were a couple stops to make it easier. Lochard Gorge near the Twelve Apostles is the site of a famous shipwreck, and a beautiful bay walled with cliffs. We went spelunking for a bit in a cave off to one side of the bay, but you have to run across some rocks in between waves to avoid getting wet. Since it was a bit rainy and cold I had on pants and shoes. On the way out of the cave the water level had risen, and I didn't take much care to look before stepping onto the more shallow rocks. I was totally demolished by a wave! I wedged myself between a rock and the cliff wall to avoid being swept away, but it soaked me from the waist down. Note to self, take sea seriously.
All in all, incredible trip. There's so much more to see, but if I don't see anything else, I'll still be satisfied.
We didn't make it very far the first day. Stopped at practically every beach we could find along the way, and had a heck of a time navigating TO the great ocean road, which is about an hour and a half southeast of Melbourne. Some of the most gorgeous scenes I've seen in my life, and absolutely spectacular weather. I thought it couldn't get any better... until the next day! I even got to sleep in a bed becuase we found out when we got there that there was a second hostel in Lorne, and it had plenty of space. After a walk around town and down to the pier, we hit the sack.
Half of us got up early on Saturday. I had no idea I could get so frustrated by a group of people who aren't in as much of a hurry as I am. I guess I miss the days of Scouting where I could just walk around banging my flashlight on tent poles until everyone was awake. Saturday was one of the most remarkable sightseeing days of my entire life. We started at a waterfall, where we jumped over the pedestrian fence and climbed up some rocks to get right under it. Then made our way to a lookout of a gorgeous bay. That didn't compare in the slightest to the scene at Apollo Bay. An absolutely pristine beach on a hot day couldn't get more perfect. But thatnks to some insider knowledge we found some farmland open to the public on a steep hillside overlooking the bay, making for some perfect picture opportunities. As we were sitting on the hillside admiring, a white horse comes galloping over the hillside to play with us! Seriously, could you make up a more fairy-tale-like story?! After a while on the beach we start to make our way to the next stop, the Twelve Apostles. These are giant rock formations sticking out of the sea on the southern coast. It started to get a little rainy, but just cleared up enough to take pictures once we arrived. Again we jumped a pedestrian fence to get a better experience, and thank god I did. I cannot describe how empowering it is to stand on the edge of a hundred-foot cliff looking down at fifteen-foot waves crashing beneath with monsterous power. You can feel each one hit. It's no surprise that there were so many shipwrecks here, it's absolutely breathtaking but incredibly dangerous.
We rushed to make it to our hostel that night, and had a quiet night after an exhausting day. Sunday was a long trip home, but there were a couple stops to make it easier. Lochard Gorge near the Twelve Apostles is the site of a famous shipwreck, and a beautiful bay walled with cliffs. We went spelunking for a bit in a cave off to one side of the bay, but you have to run across some rocks in between waves to avoid getting wet. Since it was a bit rainy and cold I had on pants and shoes. On the way out of the cave the water level had risen, and I didn't take much care to look before stepping onto the more shallow rocks. I was totally demolished by a wave! I wedged myself between a rock and the cliff wall to avoid being swept away, but it soaked me from the waist down. Note to self, take sea seriously.
All in all, incredible trip. There's so much more to see, but if I don't see anything else, I'll still be satisfied.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Newfound Capacity
On a lighter note, I've become infinitely more adept at making friends with complete strangers. On occasions where I'm at a social gathering with a mix of people I know and don't know I would invariably limit myself to interactions with people I already know, and perhaps meet someone new if they were introduced to me. During the orientation weeks and the following time, you're forced to meet new people, but everyone is looking to do the same so the atmosphere is entirely different and people are much more open. Now that there has been time for a lot of small groups or clicks to form, its a challenge of confidence and first impressions. Perhaps I've been conditioned, and it will fade once I return home to my comfort zone. I think it has more to do with the continuing success of it. Each time I barge myself into a tight circle of strangers, meet them one by one, and get invited to join their conversation it gets easier. I can't venture a guess as to why it seemed like a good idea the first time, but I like it.
ZOMG Shark!
Two weeks of classes down and this marks my being in Australia for one month! I'm encroaching on my fear of time slipping by too quickly and me not appreciating all there is to do out here. That's not to say I haven't been doing a fair amount of appreciating! I really ought to slow down a bit in fact. But I haven't thought about travel yet, and the window of opportunity is closing quickly. Note to self, travel is expensive!
My initial panic over classes has faded. I was able to easily adjust to a different style of learning, and given that I have so little class time, I really think I end up spending less time on classwork but getting more out of it. It's tough to get my various groups in the entrepreneurial class motivated though, especially becuase I'm not particularly motivated either!
True Australian experience number 1 this week: We went out to Bonbeach on Friday, someone came over and told us to get out of the water and pointed to a helicopter hovering close to the water a ways down the beach. This meant shark! Eventually it made it's way toward us and stayed in very shallow water so we were able to get about 6 feet from it while standing on land. Not a particlarly big fellow, but still it's amazing how something so simple as a shark can exact such a response from the very humans who so easily control all aspects of land. Will remarked that we are not creatures of the water, so that was the sharks domain. I squashed the urge to rush into the water and harass it, but only because the lifeguards we watching. Would have been a better story at least.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Classes down under
This marks the end of the first week of classes at an Australian University! I haven't missed a single on so far... virtual high five! I have three courses each with three hours a week divided between lecture and tutorial, a guided overview of the lecture. And I have no class on Mondays or Fridays! The perfect schedule for a vacation! Australia: A Global Context is really going to be helpful for me to understand the society, government, and economy of Australia. Though I'm better off than some of the asian international students. I don't know why but Americans and Europeans seem to know more about Australian history? Perhaps the language barrier? Introduction to Entrepreneurship is going to be a challenging course. This is the only one that demonstrates to me that Australian academics are conducted differently. Even though the professor is very stern, he insists we call him by his first name. On the first day we already know all of our assignments, I still don't know if I can complete them on time! We have been divided into about eight groups of five and we have to come up with a formal buisness proposal for an entrepreneurial club to form on campus. The best idea wins and the class as a whole is responsible for forming the club, financing it, and ensuring that it generates revenue! That seems pretty rediculous to me, don't most entrepreneurs fail thier first attempt, isn't that why we're taking this class? But it will definitely be stimulating and encourage me to be more active in class arguments. Speaking of arguments, my third course is Critical Thinking. Yeah, i thought it sounded really easy too. And it is! But I'm beginning to think that it will actually help me, becuase it's all about the identification and formulation of argument, but it puts a scientific approach to something I'm already quite good at, which might help me gain a better understanding. As far as I can tell, All the courses I decided would be easiest are actually going to be quite beneficial to my education.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Operation Shitstorm
My bank has canceled my debit card, I have no cash. Trains don't take credit. I don't have any of the paperwork I need to get into my accommodations at Swinburne, Swinburne has not enrolled me in any of my courses, and my faculty doesn't think I belong. This can be a challenging situation for anyone, but doing it abroad with no knowledge of how use foreign telephone numbers is much worse! For two days I slept on a bare mattress using my towel as a pillow and the American Flag as a blanket becuase I had not had time to go out and purchase a bedset. But I've always said I perform best under pressure. So I've made a ton of new friends, gotten myself all straightened out within the university. And even managed to get a decent schedule. I have mondays and fridays off, and no classes before 9:30am.
University in Australia is much different. My dorm building is not affiliated with the university, so I have to pay for internet access, the on campus gym is run independantly, so I have to buy a membership. I suppose it gives you more freedom to choose, but for me it's just another decision I have to spend time making. It's still orientation week, mostly for first year students, so I haven't begun classes yet.
The most positive aspect of all of the orientation activities this week has been meeting new people. The drinking age in Australia is 18, so every afternoon at 3:30 the university sponsors a meet and greet at the infamous "Hawthorn" a local pub with lots of space. Since the school covers the bar tab until it reaches $2000 each day, this is a good way (for me at least) to determine who I should and should not make friends with. For instance the guy puking on the stairs by 4:00, not good friend material. But the germans with three "jugs" or pitchers handing out glasses, maybe more my type.
I always wondered why all the international students on campus at Northeastern only hang out with each other. Now I totally understand. We're all a little close knit family now, even though I don't know ANYONES name, I know all their faces. Apparently it's easier for people who's native language is not english to speak with Americans than Austrlians. I sympathize, when the aussies get angry or excited I can't understand them either! Plus, having an orientation period you're in friend making mode, so wen we finally get emersed into the culture and have a chance to befriend some true blue aussies, we'll have all the friends we need! Well, I hope that doesn't deter me, but that's my theory.
University in Australia is much different. My dorm building is not affiliated with the university, so I have to pay for internet access, the on campus gym is run independantly, so I have to buy a membership. I suppose it gives you more freedom to choose, but for me it's just another decision I have to spend time making. It's still orientation week, mostly for first year students, so I haven't begun classes yet.
The most positive aspect of all of the orientation activities this week has been meeting new people. The drinking age in Australia is 18, so every afternoon at 3:30 the university sponsors a meet and greet at the infamous "Hawthorn" a local pub with lots of space. Since the school covers the bar tab until it reaches $2000 each day, this is a good way (for me at least) to determine who I should and should not make friends with. For instance the guy puking on the stairs by 4:00, not good friend material. But the germans with three "jugs" or pitchers handing out glasses, maybe more my type.
I always wondered why all the international students on campus at Northeastern only hang out with each other. Now I totally understand. We're all a little close knit family now, even though I don't know ANYONES name, I know all their faces. Apparently it's easier for people who's native language is not english to speak with Americans than Austrlians. I sympathize, when the aussies get angry or excited I can't understand them either! Plus, having an orientation period you're in friend making mode, so wen we finally get emersed into the culture and have a chance to befriend some true blue aussies, we'll have all the friends we need! Well, I hope that doesn't deter me, but that's my theory.
Post-Date, Sydney: Not as nice as Melbourne
I'm way way behind on blogging, I'm not sure I even remember the volume requirement set by Northeastern (I'm sure I'm under it) but things have been so hectic between my trip to Sydney and trying to settle into a new university! So much has happened that I feel like I'm behind on cataloging it. I'll talk about my week in Sydney, catch up on everything else later.
Before coming to Australia I thought it would be a grand idea to arrange some means of constant travel before arriving. Since buying a car is out, hey, why not take a train? Because Australia is MASSIVE that's why dummy! As you can tell, I bought the train ticket. 16 Days of travel on Aussie rail within 6 months. The problem being that it takes 12 hours just to get from Melbourne to Sydney! Not as fun as it sounds. I made it there anyways, and it seemed like it didn't stop raining once! Not a lot of rain, I didn't really get soaked, but it was gloomy and muggy the whole time. Also about 10 degrees (F) warmer than Melbourne.
About two days in all I could do was compare Melbourne v. Sydney to my feelings of Boston v. New York. Sydney was too big, too corporate, and too distant. The atmosphere just wasn't right. I met some really fun people from all over the world at the hostel, and hung out with a friend from Northeastern who's doing a semester there. So not all was bad. But on returning to Melbourne, I did feel more at home.
On the two sunny days that I did take full advantage of, I walked all around the Royal Botanical Gardens, and sunned on the famous Bondi Beach. There's definitely something to be said about Australian public gardens. Sydney's are simply astonishing.
At the end of two weeks of Hostels, and mobile friends, I was beginning to feel a bit lonely. Probably a combination of mild culture shock and homesickness, neither of which I was feeling explicitly. But you start realizing that all these people you're enjoying the company of will soon be gone, and you really aren't at "home." Some of these people had been backpacking for years, I don't know how they do it! I need some semblance of home base. A place to put my things where I don't have to worry about their security. A place where I can feel comfortable, and escape strange people and ideas when they all become overwhelming. Not easily found in a hostel, perhaps I just don't have the right personality for it. At least I can appreciate it as an exploratory experience, which is after all what this trip is about.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Bang a Left
After one week in Melbourne, still in the heat of sensory overload, but getting a little more comfortable there, I'm getting ready to visit Sydney for a week. One of the things that's taken me a bit of getting used to is the left handed orientation. Australians don't just driven on the left hand side, it seems like everything I never think about having a specific side to it instinctively does. The down escalador, the men's room, the men's clothing section, the entrance to a store. It all feels like its on the wrong side. Not to mention the sidewalk battles I've been having. You know when you're walking towards someone in the same path as you on the sidewalk. I instinctively step right, well australians, they instinctively step left. This continues until someone steps into the road before the other can react to another step. It's interesting to me to watch some of their driving manuevers too. They can't turn left on red like we do, but in oder to make a left hand turn in traffic, they pull into the right lane! Then they squeeze as many cars as will fit in the right lane into the intersection blocking the traffic that they're turning in front of, wait for their light to turn red, then turn! I guess it's a lot more exciting in person.
I've had a busy week and haven't updated lately, so this could be a long one. I visited the Eureka Skydeck, tallest building in the southern hemisphere, on Wednesday. Took an elevator ("lift") up 88 stories to 300m high at 9m/s! Lot's of good pictures, and a good way to stake out the places you want to see in the city! Thursday i went to the Melbourne Zoo. Lot's of fun there! I saw my first kangaroo, much smaller than on television, and my first koala, much bigger than on television. It's funny how that's all I have to compare them to. I can't even recall seeing any photos of those animals, except maybe in a history book when talking about Australia. Which seems a bit generalized since they really only have koalas small parts of the south.
On Friday I went with some friends to my first Australian Rules Football match! I won't go too much into detail about the rules an customs of the game, having been subjected to its intricacies by my new friend who was once an umpire of the game. It's a wierd combination of Soccer and Football wherein you score points by running with the ball, kicking it, and hitting it to other players, but not throwing. The ultimate end of which is be kick it between two posts. No pads, very little fighting, and the athletes look a lot more like soccer players than football. Though it was no use trying to convince that ozzies that football is a more manly sport. And in terms of danger and bone-crushing action they have us beat with rugby, so it was a moot point. Ozzies as I can tell so far are very laid back, nice people, until it comes to the opponents of thier favorite team. Though once the game is over they are friends again, unlike the unspeakable divide between sox and yankees fans, they still leave no insult out and incite their fair share of rough-housing. The teams are a lot more local, generally being named after small towns instead of cities, and there are 18 teams in much fewer states, so it's not uncommon to see fans of football clubs that aren't even playing at the game. Also, all the seats are the same price, I paid $19 AUD at the gates. obviously it's much more affordable, probably owing to how much they pay thier players.
It's a 10 hour train ride to sydney tomorrow. Though I won't have any connection maybe I'll type something up then.
I've had a busy week and haven't updated lately, so this could be a long one. I visited the Eureka Skydeck, tallest building in the southern hemisphere, on Wednesday. Took an elevator ("lift") up 88 stories to 300m high at 9m/s! Lot's of good pictures, and a good way to stake out the places you want to see in the city! Thursday i went to the Melbourne Zoo. Lot's of fun there! I saw my first kangaroo, much smaller than on television, and my first koala, much bigger than on television. It's funny how that's all I have to compare them to. I can't even recall seeing any photos of those animals, except maybe in a history book when talking about Australia. Which seems a bit generalized since they really only have koalas small parts of the south.
On Friday I went with some friends to my first Australian Rules Football match! I won't go too much into detail about the rules an customs of the game, having been subjected to its intricacies by my new friend who was once an umpire of the game. It's a wierd combination of Soccer and Football wherein you score points by running with the ball, kicking it, and hitting it to other players, but not throwing. The ultimate end of which is be kick it between two posts. No pads, very little fighting, and the athletes look a lot more like soccer players than football. Though it was no use trying to convince that ozzies that football is a more manly sport. And in terms of danger and bone-crushing action they have us beat with rugby, so it was a moot point. Ozzies as I can tell so far are very laid back, nice people, until it comes to the opponents of thier favorite team. Though once the game is over they are friends again, unlike the unspeakable divide between sox and yankees fans, they still leave no insult out and incite their fair share of rough-housing. The teams are a lot more local, generally being named after small towns instead of cities, and there are 18 teams in much fewer states, so it's not uncommon to see fans of football clubs that aren't even playing at the game. Also, all the seats are the same price, I paid $19 AUD at the gates. obviously it's much more affordable, probably owing to how much they pay thier players.
It's a 10 hour train ride to sydney tomorrow. Though I won't have any connection maybe I'll type something up then.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
First Day in Melbourne
My First day in melbourne has been rather uneventful. I'm very sick and trying to explore the city through the haze of flu medicine and the sleeping pills still wearing off from the flight. I've been walking around the CBD (which I can only assume stands for central business district, don't quote me though) and it seems a bit more industrial than I had imagined. Also, there is much more of a significant impact by asian cultures on the city than I had expected. The main drag is a covered sidewalk on either side of Swanston Street flanked by swanky boutiques, specialty shops, and seedy take out restaurants. I'm sure I'll find a lot more to do when I'm feeling better but at this point it seems a bit overwhelming. Where to go first? Have I contacted everyone I told I would? Do I still have all my ducks in a row? I think it's best to get a good rest tonight and hopefully tomorrow will be more relaxing.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Four Days to Fly
I fly out on Friday February 6, 2009. My name is Mike and I'm doing a semester abroad at the Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia. I've been planning, preparing, packing, and saying my good-byes for months now, but four days before I leave I can't help but feel overwhelmed. I leave behind all my friends, my family, my girlfriend, and everything I've come to call home, and land far away with no contacts and very few plans.
Really I'm interested in seeing how I respond to my situation. I'm a friendly guy, never had any trouble making friends, but I'm not sure I've ever really had to try. I love new experiences, thrive on them really, but what will I do when everything is new? For me, this semester abroad is not about academics, I'm not even studying in my field. It is about exploration. Of a new place, of a new culture, and of myself. I don't expect to change. In fact I'd be disappointed if this is a life-changing experience. I only want to gain a deeper understanding.
It's difficult for me to set tangible goals of what I'd like to accomplish. I tend to sit back and see where my daily decisions lead me. There has to be a plan in mind for me to be comfortable, but as far as I'm concerned that plan is no more complex than: enjoy yourself and hold dear the moments that stand out. Maybe I'll get a few good pictures on the way.
I feel that Australia is the perfect match for me. The people are friendly, the sun is bright, and they already speak my language. more or less. I hope to do some hiking, and see the outback a little. But I'm a city dweller at heart. Although I'll be based in Melbourne I'm sure there are many trips to Sydney in my future.
As for my experience with the study-abroad program so far. It seems like every little detail is a logistical nightmare until just before it works itself out. In the end, if you really want it, your ducks line themselves up.
Mike
Really I'm interested in seeing how I respond to my situation. I'm a friendly guy, never had any trouble making friends, but I'm not sure I've ever really had to try. I love new experiences, thrive on them really, but what will I do when everything is new? For me, this semester abroad is not about academics, I'm not even studying in my field. It is about exploration. Of a new place, of a new culture, and of myself. I don't expect to change. In fact I'd be disappointed if this is a life-changing experience. I only want to gain a deeper understanding.
It's difficult for me to set tangible goals of what I'd like to accomplish. I tend to sit back and see where my daily decisions lead me. There has to be a plan in mind for me to be comfortable, but as far as I'm concerned that plan is no more complex than: enjoy yourself and hold dear the moments that stand out. Maybe I'll get a few good pictures on the way.
I feel that Australia is the perfect match for me. The people are friendly, the sun is bright, and they already speak my language. more or less. I hope to do some hiking, and see the outback a little. But I'm a city dweller at heart. Although I'll be based in Melbourne I'm sure there are many trips to Sydney in my future.
As for my experience with the study-abroad program so far. It seems like every little detail is a logistical nightmare until just before it works itself out. In the end, if you really want it, your ducks line themselves up.
Mike
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