Am I a Monash Student?

So, its that time of the year when the assignments and tests are piling up. Today I took another music listening test, it was so difficult. I think for me it was hard, because I just can't get used to this "taped lecture" style of learning, where the professor barely interacts with the students and only reads his lecture notes during tutorials. 

But there is good news too. I'm almost done with my major research essay for my Contemporary Australia class. I've been avoiding it to be honest, but now that I'm 1400 words in, I'm actually quite excited to be learning more about Australia history. My paper is on Anzac Day, and whether or not it should be considered Australia's National Day. Its quite a controversial topic. I'm somewhat in the middle on the subject.

With that almost out of the way, I have to catch up on drawing and painting, and do one more presentation, then its smooth sailing until final exams and home. This has given me some time to reflect lately on what I want to take from my experience here. I spent the first two months traveling around the country, seeing things, doing crazy things I never thought I'd do like Skydiving, Swim under a waterfall in the Daintree Rainforest, Feed Kangaroos, See The Littlest Penguins waddle ashore at night, Learn to Surf, See the 12 Apostles, and Dive The Great Barrier Reef.  I spent April being homesick, shopping, and doing assignments. Its made me realize what a great first two months I've had, and what a not so good April that I've had. I know that actually "studying" while abroad is important, and its allowed me to meet some really great people, but the Abroad part is more important. I say this because I want to encourage everyone who is about to embark on a similar journey, to not get too focused on the wrong things. Enjoy the things while you are away. Be a tourist. Do touristy things. The things I've seen and done are the things I treasure most.

after this period of unending work closes, I'm going to Sydney, and hopefully I'll have time and money to go back to either Cairns, Perth, or Uluru. I'm not sure yet. But I have to do something that gets me out of this current rut and back to how things were in February and March, because those are the experiences that make 30 hours on planes and in airports worth it.

So it has been a really stressful week for me. I was dealing with issues with getting a Co-Op, still have to write two papers (one a major research paper), and do a presentation. I was supposed to do my presentation with this girl Natalie for my Contemporary Australia class on Australians at Work and Play, but she dropped the course. Fortunately, that problem was resolved and I have a new partner.

I went to a concert last night, for which I have to write a 600 word mini review on for class, that was due on Monday (oops), then I have to study all weekend for a test on Monday. I had to change my plans to go to Sydney until June (sigh), because I have a major paper due May 1st, so that needs to get done this weekend too. So much stress. I contemplated really wanting to go home and not have to deal with the everyday difficulties of being abroad and all this work on top of it. But things have calmed down and I have really great roommates who have reassured me that everything will be fine.

A boy back home sent me lemonade because I missed it and I know this is silly but I think my parents might send me some kool-aid too. So I do get a little bit of home every now and then to keep me from being homesick. I've realized its a lot easier to be homesick when all the cool new things are over and you have to get back into the routine of school work, and not going on amazing trips and seeing marsupials and surfing etc. Then it just feels like everyday life only far away from the typical people who are right there to help. Is it weird to be homesick in the middle of the semester versus the beginning?

I'm not sure, but I really do think in the beginning I was too busy meeting new people and seeing new things for it to really hit me yet.

FOOTY

Footy. Today I saw an AFL game. It was pretty awesome, Australian Rules Football is quiet big in Melbourne. I learned the basic rules, which pretty are, kick a ball between the middle goal post, get 6 pts, hit the post , get 1, get it between the other side posts, get 1. And tackle people. It was great and I'll probably go to another game, it was only $20au to get in, which is incredible, the stadium had like 50,000 people in it, and yet its not nearly as commercialized as baseball or american football.

I think I'm going to go to another game on the 24th with some other friends, I really had a good time.

So its the second week in April and its about that time where the projects and papers that I've procrastinated throughout the semester are starting to pile up. I have to do a 2000 word paper for my Contemporary Australia class, and go on two mini trips for it, then do a presentation for it on entertainment in Australia (the show Neighbours = horrid). Then I have still do 40 some sketches for my drawing course, a bunch of paintings and a visual diary for Painting, and catch up on my lectures and go to a concert and write 1000 words on a review for my American Music class. Sigh. Too much work, not enough play time.

All I want to do is go shopping, since the shopping here is nothing less than fantastic, and travel. I have Senoritus, or Study Abroaditus, I don't want to be in class. 

I also don't want my roomates to continously stare at me whenever I cook dinner. I find it annoying. I understand that they are from Hong Kong and Malaysia and make different food, but I really prefer to cook alone, its kind of like a way of relaxing for me. Speaking of which, this week we are having an international food pot luck in our dorm.  In my apartment actually, because our roommate Neero is the RA. It'll be fun, and nice to try some authentic (or as close as they can be), food from other countries. 

Last week I went shoppping, I did a lot and still want to go more. Its kind of hard not to in the fashion capital of Australia, and went to this little chocolate cafe with Neero. It was fantastic, all they serve are chocolate dishes, I had the strawberries and chocolate and mexican hot chocolate. We walked around Melbourne Central, and it was nice. Felt like NYC a bit, or Park St. Then I went out to dinner with all of my friends, who I can honestly say I will truely miss. They are some of the sweetest, funniest, most amazing people I have ever been graced to meet. I'm so lucky to know them all, I need to hangout with them more often, but class is interfering! They are never judgemental, never condescending, always open minded, just lovely people, unlike most of the people I grew up with, or know back home. 

That went off on a tangent, but to continue down this stream of consciousness, in a couple weeks I go to SYDNEY!. Yup. Anzac day is coming up, one of Australia's big holidays, which to the Aboriginals is more of a day of mourning than celebration, because it celebrates European "invasion" of sorts. Either way, I get a longer weekend, and am taking advantage of it by being a tourist and seeing the Opera House, The Bridge, etc.

And I almost forgot to add, last weekend I went to Phillips Island to see the Littlest Penguins (that is literally their name), walk ashore from their day of fishing. It was honestly one of my favorite experiences in Australia to date. On the way we stopped and fed some kangaroos and wallabies . It was kind of like feeding a horse. 

At around 7:30 pm, the penguins started waddling ashore. It was really cute, because if one got scared the entire group would turn around and go back into the ocean. Once they crawled all the way up to the dunes, they would squeak and make noise searching for their mate and borough. 

It was really interesting to see first hand.

So it's been a while since I've written in this mandatory journal. I just haven't had the time honestly. 

Where I left off, I believe I didn't write yet about my weekend trip to see The Great Ocean Road. It was incredible. The 12 Apostles are stunning, but the Loch Arch Gorge is even better. I was sick unfortunately the entire weekend and almost the whole week after, but still was able to enjoy the trip. My roommate and her friends from Canada all went along as well.

My favorite part was the surf lessons. I was so much fun, and I managed to stand up on the surf board a few times and give one of the instructors a high-five whilst surfing towards the shoreline.

After that, I had a long weekend of the usual lectures and tutorials and then it was our mid semester break starting on Good Friday. Here they celebrate Easter all weekend, so we had Saturday, Sunday, and Monday off just for Easter. The rest of the week we had off for semester break.

I decided this was a good time to do a trip across the country and see what another region of Australia is like. So what better than tropical Queensland/ tourist hot spot Cairns. Cairns is a very backpacker town. There isn't much in it, but it is base for all tour and adventure operations. 

I booked through STA travel, which I regret doing, I suggest NO ONE book through STA Travel. They sincerely screwed up, I had to rearrange everything.  Aside from that, I got to do a lot of amazing activities. The first day I went Skydiving over Cairns/ The Rainforest. It is seriously something everything has to do at least once. The scariest part is the plane ride. Then I took a day off, and went river rafting the next. I met so many people my age in the hostel who were backpacking through the country. I kind of wish I had their luxury of time, most of them had taken time off from school and were working at different hostels for room and board in a different city every month.

The next day I went to my first day of Padi Lessons. And the pool training plus my sinuses being clogged ended up in me canceling the Padi Course and doing a snorkel/introductory dive trip instead. I really wish I had gone through with the Padi Certification after diving in the Ocean, but I think I will have time to do so again in June. Deep Sea Divers Den was really great about it, and supportive with my decision, I will definitely take my course with them again if I have time. After 2 nights and 3 days on The Great Barrier Reef, we headed back ashore to Cairns for a farewell dinner and some clubbing. 

And then I came back to Melbourne and had to get a cab at 2:30am, with a test the next day! And most of this week has been sort of a blur, I'm still recovering from all of the adventure, and trying to get some assignments completed.

Now that that is said, we can move on to living with roommates again.  I remember two years ago when signs were put up all around our dorm room by my so called evil Mrs. Clean roommates. And my room here certainly isn't sparkling clean, but I've come to realize that people who grow up with maids are a whole lot worse. My roommate from Hong Kong uses all of the dishes and makes a complete mess of the place, including the garbage, and never cleans! Today I cleaned the kitchen just because I wouldn't even boil water in those conditions. And then I go afterwards to make myself something to eat and she gets pissy about wanting to cook too, after I had cleaned her mess. It just goes to show, that american roommates are not much different than roommates from around the world.  I miss my loft in Omaha.

We're supposed to have a unit meeting about this, considering they also hog the fridge and the washer and dryer. I hope it stops, I really can't handle with living with other people. 

I know that's a bit whiny and personal, but I can't really think about anything else to write in here, Australia isn't some crazy country that is different from home, I can't write about new cultural experiences every entry, because they just don't happen.