Uni Melb and sundries

Well, I've finally got enroled in "subjects" (classes, for all us Americans), and will be taking Australia and America, Ethnic Nationalism and the Modern World, Data Analysis 2, and hopefully Metric Spaces. That one's still up in the air. It took two and a half hours of running around the Uni to get all that straightened out, but I now have both my student ID and my health care card. I will definitely be able to get to all my maths subjects - I know my way around that building pretty well by now! (And I still got lost trying to get out of it). The campus is pretty big, especially compared to Grinnell, and its not laid out on a grid, which makes it pretty confusing at times. I have been able to get home pretty easily from uni, though - at least that part of my sense of direction is good!

I'm really glad I don't have to drive here. Its pretty crazy. Sometimes drivers have to do this thing called a "hook turn". Keeping in mind that aussies drive on the "wrong" side of the road; a hook turn is turning right from the left lane. You pull more or less into the cross walk halfway across the road, and then wait for the other light to turn green, at which point you finish your turn as the cars behind you wait. Its a bit terrifying to be in a car while the driver does this, but it works. Walking is difficult here, though. Crosswalks are often few and far between, or only get you to the tram stop and not actually across the road. Speaking of crosswalks, the signal to walk here is a green man walking and also a sound emitted that sounds like a manic woodpecker attacking a telephone pole. Its a bit panic-inducing.

Last night Kate, Cari and I went bowling with some aussies we met at Ormond. The place we went is a bar, with a buy a drink and bowl for free policy on Sundays. We bowled two rounds, and then we all went to the Crown Casino. We wandered around, looking at everything, since the three of us hadn't really ever gambled before, and then Cari and I played a 1cent game and won $28! (Okay, 26, since we each spent a dollar). But we're going to use it to go out to eat brunch. We also decided at that point that we would stop while we were ahead, and got all our coins changed to notes so we couldn't spend them. We also got free juice boxes for being in the casino and gaming, which was pretty sweet. The guy handing them out was really funny and helpful and also gave us each an extra juice. All in all, it was a pretty sweet trip to the casino.

I can't wait for the semester to actually start. I start my subjects a week from today and I'm really excited. It seems like forever since I've actually had to do something with my brain, and I also think that the partying will die down some once all the international students actually have something to do. People have been out to bars, pubs, and clubs almost every night we've been in Australia, and that is definitely not my scene. I've gone out a few times, and I had a really good time, but partying more than once a week is exhausting, both physically and on my cash supply. As Kate and I have discussed, food seems much more important than going out, so we try to keep it pretty low-key, even when we do go out.

On Saturday (today is monday) I went to the Queen Victoria Market to buy fresh fruit and veggies. It was amazing. Everything was pretty cheap (even avocados!) and really fresh. Its a big open air market, with two long aisles of stalls for fruits and veggies, an indoor meat market, two smaller aisles of what are considered "deli goods" here - spreads, dairy items, sliced meat, and bread. There are also stalls of leather goods, tourist items, clothes, and shoes. It was pretty incredible, and I think I'll make it part of a weekly routine. Next time, I'll bring a camera. But I was able to buy avocados, cucumbers, lettuce, potatoes, onions, bread, sliced turkey, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, asparagus, and bean sprouts, all of it fresh and lovely and yummy. Most of it is from Australia, as well, which makes me feel good too! I've been having fantastic turkey sandwiches ever since.

pictures!

just a quick note to say that I managed to get pictures up and you should all check them out.

settling in. . .

Finally, I am in my apartment for good! We just got back from our second orientation, at Ormond Residential College. The Melbourne Welcome Program is for study abroad students, so I got to meet a whole bunch of new people from all over the world, plus our group leaders who are all from Australia (mostly). Ormond is a residential college, which basically means its like a dorm in the US, plus its like Hogwarts with a high table in the wood paneled dining hall. I forgot to take pictures, but it was incredible. It looked like a small castle. There are some classrooms within the Ormond Campus for tutorials and things, but its mostly residential.
We arrived on saturday the 14. Kate, Cari and I walked there together, and managed to both leave late and then get really lost on the uni campus. But we did finally arrive in one piece, and got our Melbourne Welcome t-shirts, and joined our groups. We then did a scavenger hunt on the Uni campus and in Melbourne City (downtown is called "the city" here) designed to help us learn where all the important things are, as well as how to use the trams. It was definitely a learning experience - this whole looking right when you cross the street thing is hard! That night I stayed back from laser tag and went to bed, because I was feeling a bit sick, and then next day I woke up with a nasty cold. So I skipped out on the beach day and napped in my room, as well as ventured onto Lygon Street (good for restaurants and cute clothing stores) to get some lunch, and then headed to bed early.
On Monday I went to the Melbourne Museum and spent about 2 and a half hours there, and hope to go back. I could have spent a lot longer there! It was really interesting, with a whole section on Melbourne and indigenous culture. Then in the afternoon we went to the Melbourne Zoo. We saw lots of animals, including kangaroos, echindnas, emus, and platypi! I want to go back there, too! On Monday night we had an Australian themed party, which was tons of fun. I wore an Australian flag as a sarong, and we danced this dance that we learned the first day of orientation. I may have to show it to you all when I get home - its to the song "spin me right round". (or whatever its called).
Yesterday, we went to a cricket match at the Melbourne Cricket Grounds, which was really boring. I have no need to ever go to another cricket match. It was a long and boring few hours. Then in the afternoon I went "necessities" shopping, which was interesting - prices are really different here. In the evening we had a formal sit-down dinner, which we had to dress "cocktail" for, and it was fancy fancy fancy! Then we all went out to a club/pub afterwards, and danced the night away. (If dancing the night away means staying out til 12:30. . . )
Now I'm back at RMIT, and its so lovely to be here and have space of my own! I'm about to head out grocery shopping, since my meagre pantry contents do not look like they'll make dinner. I have all day tomorrow off - I think we're going to go to the market to get some fresh fruit, veggies, and meat - and then on friday I (finally) officially enroll in the uni and meet my advisor. Oh boy!

Wow!

So I'm back in Melbourne after two days in Torquay (Tor-key) and Anglesea at Camp Eumeralla. The camp is on the coast, in the bush, with quite a lot of land. I did see kangaroos - two quite large ones (red?) and then several smaller ones. Its really exciting for all us Americans, but the Australians seem rather non-plussed.
Our first night, we went into Torquay, which is the surfing capital of Australia, and watched two "extreme" movies - one was about surfing enormous waves- like 30 ft high, and the other was about mountain biking. Then we all went out for pizza.
Yesterday we went for a 2+ hour mountain bike ride in the bush, from our camp to Bell's Beach. It was really fun, though I was skeptical at first. We were on bikes with absolutely amazing suspension and shocks, so the rough trail wasn't too much of a problem. Then in the afternoon we went surf kayaking, which was a blast. Kate and I were on the same kayak and pretty much spent the entire afternoon in hysterics, but we did manage to catch a few waves in.
This morning, we went surfing. It was a bit ridiculous, but fun. I spent a lot of time getting turned head over heels in the waves, but I did manage to get part-way up once! I am hoping to try another time, and maybe with the basics under my belt I will be able to get up all the way.
Even with the careful application and reapplication of sunscreen, I did get burnt. They really aren't kidding about the strong Australian sun. I am not as burnt as some others, but!
I'm trying to figure out pictures but haven't had much luck. . . I'll upload them as soon as I figure it out.

in melbourne!

Wow. After way too many hours of travel, here I am! My last post was from San Francisco. Since then, I have been in Auckland, New Zealand, and have arrived in Melbourne (finally!). In the live for customs another IES student identified me as a fellow IES participant and after chatting across lines for a bit we realized we have a friend in common - she went to high school with her, and she's at Grinnell with me! We then proceeded to clear customs (even with my declared home-made candy) and meet up with about ten other overseas students, the vast majority of whom were with the IES program, and living at the RMIT student apartments.

I'm living in a student apartment, with an Australian apartment-mate. Her name is Charlotte and she seems to be really nice. She is at RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) studying something. She's from the third largest city/town in the state of Victoria, and the outskirts of her town have been hit by the bushfires. I have seen no evidence of the fires; the sky seems clear to me! Anyway, we share a small apartment with a bathroom, tiny kitchen, and two bedrooms. My room has a flat-screen tv. I have no idea what to do with it (watch cricket? and aussie rules football?), but oh well! We also have a balconey, with a view into an inner courtyard. The RMIT student apartments are a renovated old hotel, so there is an outdoor pool. Its all brick on the outside, with iron grill work on the balconeys and cute shutters and all of that. It seems like a pretty cool place.

Tomorrow, we leave to go on an IES orientation trip on the Great Ocean Road - basically driving southwest from Melbourne. Among the activities planned is a surfing lesson! It looks like it will be fun - apparently there are kangaroos and wallabies living wild where we will be staying and its completely normal to see them. Look for pics of them next post!

airport!

I'm at the San Francisco Airport! Eeee! I fly out in a few hours and its pretty hard to believe. Next post will be from Melbourne!

getting closer. . .

I leave in three days. Its really, really hard to believe. I'm even partially packed! (Thats pretty astounding, actually). I'm terrified of leaving something I'll need behind, but I also don't want to over-pack. Mom and I went shopping today, and I think I pretty much am done with that part. (Thank heaven for small miracles!) Dad and I have been watching "australia" movies, including the new movie Australia - which I would recommend! We also watched Quigley Down Under, which I'm not so sure I'd recommend.

I've been in contact with a women's ultimate team in Melbourne, and there's a tournament the last weekend in February I think I'll go to. I'm missing a lot of the early season training, and I'm going to have to work hard to get my fitness level back up, but its nice to have a group of people there who know I'm coming, and are excited to meet me, and have extended lots of offers for help getting around, settling in, or whatever else I need. It makes me feel a lot less nervous about the friend-making part of this trip/adventure.

I think the part I'm currently flipping out about the most is all the flying I have to do. What if I miss a connection? Get stranded in Auckland? Can't get through customs? What if I can't find the van? I'm, surprisingly, not nervous about actually being in Melbourne. As long as I have space to call my own, I'll be okay, I know. Its the in-between part thats scary.