Bussssy

I've been so busy, I'm finding it really difficult to meet this journal requirement of a page a week. This week we started classes, as I might have said in the post below.

I'm still getting used to being lectured at, or going to the library to watch taped lectures, then having a 2 - 3 hour tutorial afterwards. I honestly don't like the style of teaching here. I feel like my classes at NEU were much more personal, and interactive. I fear that I just won't do as well in these classes because of the style of teaching. I am dropping my photography elective for this reason, and because we don't get to use the darkroom facilities until the next course. I'll probably take a drawing course instead. I really wanted to take the Experiencing the Australian Landscape course in its place, but it has a seminar at a time that conflicts with my American Music and Popular Culture (a class which I loathe but have to take since it will transfer back into my core requirements).

I had my Contemporary Australia course today, and it seems like it will be really interesting, the only downside is that we have to write two essays, one being on 2 major issues in Contemporary Australia that we have to find on our own, and I don't currently have tv for the news, or know which popular news sites cover accurate topics for Australia, it isn't due until March 20th, but I want to get it out of the way so I can relax and enjoy my spring break in Cairnes and what not.

I set up a Bank Account, but now I have go back to the Bank to figure out how to activate my card, then I have to go grocery shopping, figure out what class I will take in place of Photography and get enrolled in it before time runs out and get supplies for it, get to the Post Office (there aren't any near my dorm or campus), pick up my STA travel vouchers, watch 2 lectures at the Clayton Campus (a 20 minute bus ride away), do my laundry, clean my room, apply for a work visa and find a job, buy stuff for the apartment, and start reading and work for class. Meanwhile write in this journal and maybe have some time for myself to explore Melbourne.

I feel like I am going to explode!

So, it has been a relatively crazy week.

I've pretty much just been hanging out and partying with my new friends. 

We went to Luna Park with our campus, which is a pretty small theme park.

It was ok, nothing too special.

Class starts soon, its going to be different, just because of the whole taped lectures, then tutorial classes, and the fact that I am finally taking some studio courses and its been a few years since I've gotten to do that. I'm pretty happy about it though, I love creating art.

Its sort of been like a small vacation, since we had two weeks of orientation, one of which I skipped because it didn't apply to me. 

Yesterday we went to Healesville Sanctuary and got to pet a wallaby, see a platypus (which are actually a lot smaller than I had expected), and some more of Australia's native wildlife. It was cool experience, I really enjoyed seeing the rock wallabies and platypus. 

I have pictures, but since we still have to use the library internet until it is setup in our dorms, it takes a long time to upload them. I'll try and get some of my pictures from the past two weeks uploaded.

So let's talk about food. Food here is expensive. Lunch averages at $13AU, which is maybe about 11 USD. I think I am going to have to get a job just to be able to afford to eat. The portions are also a lot smaller than what I am used to, and for the most part the cuisine is Asian. I'm ready for a cheeseburger, or pizza, but the closest pizza shop doesn't open until 5:30pm!.

Shopping here looks fantastic. The prices are equally as high, and I think it might be due to importing goods, and a much higher minimum wage. I was talking about this with my aussie friend Jack, and he mentioned that the minimum wage here is atleast $10 au, but most won't work for less than $15 au.

Melbourne is the fashion capital of Australia, and the mall Chadstone or Chaddie, is amazing. It has well over 100 stores, with brands specific to Australia. I need to save some money and bring back some to the states.

But I booked a trip to Cairns for Reading Week (our spring break), here for easter, they also get mondays off, and it is part of our break. I can't wait, I'm going to sky dive, river raft, and scuba dive the great barrier reef. I'll post pictures when I can, we still don't have internet/phone in our dorm.

I registered for classes on wednesday and allocated my preferences. This was new to me, since I am used of registering for classes and the time of class at the same time. Here it is much different, instead we had to visit the faculty that most of our classes fall under, since I am taking two studio courses as electives, I am under the faculty of art & design. So we had to be officially enrolled by that faculty. The way classes are setup, they have tutorials, lectures, and seminars, or studio if you're in an art class. Some of the classes have lectures taped, so you can watch them in the library and then discuss them in the tutorials. This might take some time to get used to, since I am used to a different style. I'm not used to have a separate lecture then a question and answering section, in fact I've never had a class larger than 100 students, and that was only a mandatory intro class.

Well now I must be off, there is a welcome dinner tonight for all international students, and I have to get ready to attend it. But before I go, I just wanted to mention how it seems alcohol usage is actually almost encouraged by the University. Transportation and special trips planned during orientation to local pubs is in abundance, and parties and drinking on campus at events is even advertised. Its definately different than back home, where most schools discourage partying and drinking. Tonight after the welcome dinner, they are even providing us a bus to the pub venue to party.

I am here

So, let me just tell you, the flight from Newark, NJ to Melbourne is a tough one. So tough, you might contemplate is it worth it. So far I'm not sure.

I flew to LAX at 5am. Sat around for about an hour, then got on my flight to Sydney. 14 hours. I recommend Quantas, They fed us two full meals and huge snack bags and even hot chocolate every 2 hours or so, and they have tv/movies/games on every seat.

I, however was unfortunate to be in the middle seat with a baby kicking the back of my chair for a good 80% of time.

I arrived in Sydney and got through customs relatively quickly, only to sit for 6 hours waiting for my connecting flight.

I finally arrived in Melbourne at 7:30, only to have my baggage delayed, then soaking wet when I got it.

So, it can't get worse right? It does. I get picked up and dropped off to my dorm, only there is NO RECEPTION, No one waiting to give me my keys or anything. So here I am in a foreign country, with no working phone or means to contact my school, because the offices at the Caufield Campus are closed on weekends. Luckily, my driver brought me to the campus and we found someone waiting to get her keys and I managed to get mine. Let's just say that brochure that talks about International Mews is a bit off, and also, the Clayton Campus has a lot more services , even though the Caufield is almost entirely International Students.

It wasn't what I had expected, not at all like the reception at Northeastern when I first transferred.

I had to carry all of my bags by myself at 8am up 2 flights of stairs on 0 hours sleep. Welcome to Australia.

Then I had to find out how to get some basic stuff, like a comforter and pillows and what not, but there was no one to talk to. Luckily, my Canadian roomate, Kaylie, had gone through the same trouble a day before me, and knew where things were. So I went and did that, and I still don't know how I managed to walk 2 miles from a train station with everything I was trying to carry.


I didn't think I'd get culture shock or upset, but the first couple of days here I just was really questioning if I was ready for this.


But then we (me, Kaylie, and some of her guy friends from school) went to the St. Kilda Festival. St. Kilda is the closest beach near Melbourne. Not as lovely as the more eastern beaches, but still very pretty. It was quite exciting to see all of the Australian people celebrating in the street and on the beach. I'll upload some pictures when I get internet access in my dorm, as of right now I'm confined to the library.

I also had quite possibly the best seafood dinner ever. It was just fantastic, fresh, and great. Other than St. Kilda I haven't gotten the Australian experience yet, since I've been just shopping for the dorm and doing Abroad Orientation.

But I've already met so many people from all over the world, a boy from Sweden, two girls from I believe Norway?, my roomates from Canada, Maritius (an island off of South Africa), Hong Kong, and Malaysia, a few boys from Kenya , and a boy from South Korea who told me that it was an honor to meet me, since I was the first American he ever met. It caught me off guard a bit, for it to be an honor to meet me just because I'm American, I mean, here I am excited to meet people from all over the world, and I just never thought that my own nationality would evoke such a response from someone.

Today I met so many people from Malaysia because Monash has a campus there. They are some of the nicest people I have ever met.

I only met a couple Australians so far though! but that will change once class starts.

I find that where I am, the culture is much more Asian inspired. There are Asian restaurants everywhere, and we even have Asian food in the vending machines.

I also noticed that there are a lot of American chains, especially KFC and Target.

We have a lot of activities planned this week that will hopefully introduce us to Australian culture, though I find it interesting to learn about others as well.