The Grampians!

Day 22

"Sometimes the things that aren’t planned end up being most memorable."

So, as it was a Saturday. I had no plans for the day besides making myself get out of bed and do homework. (I know, I’m such a motivated person.) As it would happen, fate decided differently. Daniel texted and said he had free tickets to the North Melbourne game against Melbourne. Did I mention they were free? What’s more, they were in the cheer squad section.

Why yes, I did take him up on the offer.

It ends up the Kangaroos were playing in Etihad Stadium, which is indoors. I was pretty excited to experience another field besides MCG, and I was also fond of not getting wet so soon after our Docklands excursion. So, a win/win situation. Actually, a win/win/win situation, but I’ll get to that later.

We travelled to the stadium bundled up in scarves and rain jackets (Trust me, it’s STILL cold here.) and thankfully the sun broke through while we were in transit. The Etihad Stadium is a huge building that is free flow in the fact that the doors were made for ushering a lot of people inside, but not keeping in any heat. As soon as you get past security, you’re hit first, with the sight of the green oval, and second, with the settling cold air people keep bringing in.

Apparenlty, cheer squad means you either paid a lot of money, or you know someone special, because our seats were only four rows back from the field on the first level.  I didn’t even have to use my 26X zoom; the players were practically within reach. I guess the only disadvantage was when they were playing on the other side of the field.

Naturally, since North Melbourne kicked serious butt the whole game, we had a spectacular view for half of the game. (The teams switch sides every quarter.) Also, I noticed something new about the game. There is absoulutely no protection from a footy ball popping you in the face if a kick goes array. No nets whatsoever. Now you may think this means the AFL has to give up a lot of footy balls to eager fans. WRONG.

In AFL, it’s a pleasure for fans to throw back the ball. I watched, and not one ball was kept when it went into the audience (which happened quite frequently.) The fans threw it right back. There was one memorable moment when Drew Petrie kicked a free kick right through the posts and directly into an open square window where the box seats were. It was so awesome. I’m not sure if he meant to do it. But if he did, his aim is impeccable. But even the big shots threw the ball back. I was shocked.

I won’t bore you with a play by play, but basically, the game was a blow out with North Melbourne winning by an insane amount. I actually felt bad for Melbourne. They scrambled the whole time. Oh well. I had my meat pie. Everything is right in the world.

So, we left the game and got back in time to catch Tom and Flo in the lobby. Out of nowhere, we’re asked if we can cover someone’s spot at a Unilodge event because they found out they couldn’t go last minute. Within 20 minutes of getting back from the game, we had plans to go out to an Australian stand up comedy show. Cost per ticket: 20 dollars. Money we paid: 0 dollars. Yusss.

So, it ends up, Australians are pretty funny. After we found a place to sit in the packed dimly lit room that housed a small round stage with red curtains behind it for the joksters, we were entertained by the host who made a large number of references to his weight. The guy was a natural, playing off whatever the crowd gave him. The second comedian was a bit more rough around the edges. I swear, it’s the first Australian accent I’ve heard that I couldn’t understand.

Melbourne Comedy Club.

Apparently, he’s what we call a bogan. Enough said.

From the 40% of his jokes I understood, the guy was freaking hilarious. Of course, his comedic arsenal consisted of anything from jokes about Americans to koala road-kill jokes to relying on the ever so common sexual humor. Honestly, he was so jacked up and spoke so fast with such a prominent accent that the guy would be funny in whatever setting he was in. He was definitely the most energetic and most Australian comedian there, so obviously, he was my favorite.

The last comedian was decent until he started talking about orgasms and spoke for a little too long to the point where everyone was looking around kind of chuckling, but really wondering when he was going to move on to whatever punch line he had next. But there was no other punch line. I think it’s safe to say he was fresh out of ideas.

So, after the comedy club, we walked back to the Unilodge and decided to get some sleep. Because 6AM comes a bit too quickly, my friends.

Day 23

All right, the day you’ve ALL been waiting for….TODAY WE WENT TO THE GRAMPIANS NATIONAL PARK!!

Ok, ok. So maybe it was just me who was waiting for it. To start off…

The land is so vast.

Honestly, I could write words upon words and never describe what I saw today. You could even scroll through the photos (that are consequently taking forever to upload) and it still wouldn’t capture the beauty of the Grampians.

But hey, I’ve got to at least try to tell you about my day.

Ha. Our day started at 6 AM when we put on as many layers as would fit under our raincoats.

We were still cold. You do not want to be walking the streets of Melbourne during winter at 6 in the morning. It’s not worth it. Unless, you slip into the 711 to get a dollar coffee that tastes amazing because it’s providing the warmth your body needs to live AND you’re going to the Grampians National Park. So, we were in luck.

Our bus driver was a lively local by the name of Steven. He was cheery for such an early morning and asked why we didn’t bring him a coffee. Even though he was joking, I couldn’t help but feel a wee bit inconsiderate. Poor guy.  We dragged him out of bed this early, surely we could have brought the man a coffee.

After picking up a Scottsman, a guy from Miness-O-ta, a few English folk, and some people from Thailand, Shayna, Wendy, Nanna, Chris and I were finally heading to the Grampians. Oh, and I’m not sure if I introduced Nanna and Chris earlier, so I’ll do so now. Nanna is from Denmark and Chris is from Berlin; both are excellent company.

The Grampians (which curiously enough are named after the Scottish Grampian Mountains) are roughly three hours away from Melbourne. Plenty of bonding time, let me assure you. Honestly, the scenery between here and there was so entrancing that I only had time to nap when storm clouds rolled in. The country side is beautiful. The land is so flat and in the distance loom the mountains. It just gives everything the feeling of being spread out. Which, honestly, it is.

Yes, we did pass actual warning signs for kangaroos and koalas. And like the comedian mentioned last night, splattered koalas are not actually filled with caramel like the Aussie chocolates want us to believe. And we saw TONS of kangaroos just chilling beside the road. Actually, we had to stop the bus twice for kangaroos to cross the road. Once, it was a joey, and the second one was huge and powerful. If we’d hit it, it wouldn’t have been the only thing damaged.

Sadly enough, the first kangaroo I saw in the wild was lying dead off the side of the road.

Yes, that would be my luck.

Poor creature. Life comes at you fast.

Anyway, on our way to the Grampians we passed through what is called the Golden Triangle, which consists of three towns. Apparently, gold was discovered in the area so the settlements sprang up fast. However, to keep people out, the government set up a registration fee that miners had to pay if they were going to stay in town. Since many of the miners couldn’t afford it, they all organized and went on strike taking to a building called Eureka. There, they raised the Eureka flag and burned the buiding along with the licenses. The uprising left 35 men killed, mostly miners.

It was the first time Australia acted as a democracy.

We also passed through the town of Moyston. It’s a really small town with not much to it. However, right in the very center is a footy pitch and a momument erected that names Moyston the birthplace of Australian Rules Footy. The story goes that Aborigianal kids would play on the cricket pitch with a stuffed possum and came up with their own rules. The game was presented to the Cricket Committee who ended up putting some official rules to the game. The first AFL game was played between two grade schools in Moyston.

How’s that for history. A stuffed possum, ha.

As we rolled up the Grampians, and pass the Ross resting and grazing on the cricket pitch, we piled out of the bus and were given time to bond with the wildlife. Kookaburras were everywhere. They’re smart little buggers. They just have an intelligence about them. And of course, we stepped around kangaroo poop and tried to get as close as possible to take some snaps.

Now here’s a fact you might not hear every day.

Kangaroos growl.

No, I’m not kidding. Seriously. They sound almost like a dog would when you get too close to it. I thought I was going to roll on the ground laughing when I tried to take a picture of Shayna getting close to this big male kangaroo when it lowered its head and growled at her. Not like a cuddly growl, but a “get too close and I’ll kick you” kind of growl. It was hilarious. Of course, Shayna claims she wanted it to attack her. More stories to tell, ya? Ha.

Scattered amongst the kangaroo poop and roos themselves, there were the famous Australian wattle trees. Of course, they’re endemic. But, here’s what I didn’t know. Have you ever wondered why Australians wear green and gold for their sports team even though their flag colors are green, blue and white?

Well, I’d wondered, and thought it was just some sort of rebellion against England or something. BUT. I was wrong. Apparently, they wear green and gold because they’re the colors of the waddle tree, which are only found in Australia.

There, you’ve learned something today.

So, we stopped at a local café just at the base of the Grampians, and it was delicious. They have awesome fococcia sandwiches AND I tried potato wedges with sweet chilli and sour cream for the first time. It was amazing. I’m telling you, the Australians are on to something…

Then we trekked up. I really can’t tell you how many overlooks and peaks we visited because I stopped counting. There is a time for facts and relevancies and a time to simply enjoy where you are and who you’re with. If you EVER go to Australia, you have to visit the Grampians. They are beautiful. They’re some of the oldest mountains in the world due to all of the sandstone layering. It’s truly a spiritual experience being in nature.

We were also fortunate enough to get to see the waterfall. There’s just something about being around such power, such a force of nature. It makes you feel small. It makes you appreciate where you are.

I really enjoyed this weekend. Not only the places I was lucky enough to visit, but the people I was able to enjoy them with. Studying abroad is gradually pulling me toward small revelations. About life. About people. There is just so much out there that we simply don’t know. And how will you ever if you don’t get out there and try things out. Talk to people who disagree with you because you honestly want to know their perspective in hopes that it might change yours.

Australia is a beautiful place, and I have been blessed.

Day 21

Today, my friends, Melbourne was cold and wet.

I woke up to a downpour and considered skipping my Biology lecture, but there’s just something about that energetic man who gets in front of the class every day so excited to tell us about the latest plant adaptations, that I couldn’t stay away. Trying to miss the worst of the rain, I skirted the tram tracks and stumbled across one of my friends from Unilodge at a café just outside the lecture hall. Ends up I was earlier than I thought.

I think one of the biggest things I’ve learned on this trip is that people come and go so quickly. You never know who will stick around. But if there’s one philosophy I live by, it’s that people who are meant to stay in your life will. (Now, both people actually making efforts to stay in contact is another factor, but that’s beside the point.)

Anyway, I was really glad to talk to Aurélien today, a guy born in Thailand with the majority of his family living in France. It’s always nice to have someone you know in class. Whether it’s laughing at the teacher together, or talking about students who have been known to streak on lecture stages, it’s nice to sit beside someone you know.

After being fascinated for another hour by the fact that our professor has actually been out in the rainforests we’re studying and actively works to preserve it, I headed to my Writing for Theatre class. Now, you have to realize, it’s a Friday and this class lasts for 2.5 hours. I wasn’t exactly thrilled.

Long story short, I met some really cool people. I was also made to impersonate the person beside of me, act out a screenplay and tell everyone else my experiences with theatre. Ha. I love writing, I really do, but I think Writing for Theatre might be too artsy even for me. That, and I’m not sure I can handle three creative writing classes and a biology class in one semester. I know you science majors may think writing is a laugh, but honestly, it’s exhausting trying to create and establish whole different realms and fill them with characters and plots that are not dreadfully boring nor cliché. It’s hard work.

So, we will see. I’ll decide by this weekend (after I’ve listened to the lecture of another Australian writing class) whether or not I will switch out of it.

Fortunately, I was not lame and actually had plans for the night. Shayna, Vera (a girl from Holland who lives on our floor) and I decided to hop a tram to the Docklands to see the last firework display of the month. I grabbed the necessities: hat, money, journal, camera. And as we were waiting for more friends to join us on Latrobe St., I couldn’t help but admire the beauty of the lighted Victoria State Library. So, of course, I reached for my camera. Low and behold, the battery was exhausted.

The level to which I was disgruntled cannot be described.

But if you can in any way relate, it doesn’t have to be.  What is more, I had specifically charged it the night before to take pictures of tonight’s excursion, but alas, I was foiled.

That was all a very long way of telling you I have no pictures to share with this update. So, I will do my best to paint you a picture.

Imagine.

A light drizzle soaks the air, the buildings and people within alive.

You step off the street and see a dark harbor with big white sail boats drifting next to cement. City lights continue to wink, inviting you further. You look down and see them there, reflected in the water. The most absurd architecture surrounds you. People are bundled in raincoats and armed with umbrellas. A line of extravagant restaurants line one side of the harbor while a railing facing the water lines the other. You wedge yourself between feet and spines and out of huge speakers you listen, astonished, to American pump up music. Eye of the Tiger, We are the Champions, We will Rock You; they’re all there.

After a countdown, the fireworks start.

Everyone is crowded around you and these beautiful colors collected from  city lights along with the additions of purple, blue, red and green emitted from the fireworks are being reflected in the water. It's dark so you can't tell the water from sky. Everyone is in awe. Cameras flashing. Umbrellas perched high. Water is pouring on your face, your shoulders and your feet are slowly getting numb, but you don't care-- because it's beautiful.

Because you’re happy.

Because you’re on exchange in Melbourne.

And, that, my friends, was what it was like.

There are moments in time. Moments you can’t capture with a camera, or even words. But they are moments you collect and cradle and store in your mind forever, stacking them neatly into a collection of self.

With another piece of self firmly in place and not on my camera’s memory card, I took off with my friends to Melbourne’s Casino, also known as “Crown Melbourne.” (http://www.crownmelbourne.com.au/)

And no, I didn’t gamble, but we were hungry. So it was a great way to see the casino while spending our money in a productive way—feeding our stomachs. There is a great little Italian place in the casino called Il pomodoro. Consequently, I had Chicken Penne Rosa, a dessert that included chocolate and Tim Tams and was lucky enough to score a Dr. Pepper. Life is great, my friend.

Even if you don’t gamble, the casino is a really cool place to visit. Honestly, if you like design—architecture, clothing, home interior, graphic—and I mean any kind of design, then you will LOVE Melbourne. I was craning my neck the whole time we were walking to the food court because I was so fascinated by their lights and glass chandeliers. And of course, in the middle of eating and watching flames spout out over the entrance, we watched as colorful gypsy-looking performers played drums and symbols and paraded through the food court. It was absolutely ridiculous. They even backed up the escalator for a good 5 minutes as they proceeded to walk down the one that was going up.

I mean lovely performance guys, really, but you’re holding people up from getting to the slots, and I’m sure the casino doesn’t appreciate it.

After we were full enough to roll back, we decided to walk down beside the water and lighted trees. While walking, I was able to talk to Alun (a guy from Malaysia.) He has lived in the city for three years and is now practising civil law. He was the only one who was 100% sure where exactly we were the whole night. I have to say, it was nice to know someone who knew Melbourne's ins and outs and could point out things we wouldn't have known otherwise.

After appreciating some graffiti along the way, we stopped on a bridge overlooking the city and water.

The city stood magnificent before us. It was beautiful.

 

And that’s how I got here, I suppose. Letting my feet thaw out and putting off homework.

I hope you are all well tonight, or this morning, rather. Until tomorrow.

Jordan.

Day 20

My mind’s in a muddle.

But I will try my best to give you an update worth reading.

Good news. Classes will be enjoyable this semester. I walked into my “Writing for Screen” class with no idea what to expect. Yes, I’m a creative writer, but I stick primarily to short stories. Actually, I stick to short stories that aren’t short. So, long short stories. Or short stories that fail to be short.

Length is relative, really.

Regardless, I have never written a script before. I was pleased when our first activity was to discuss what movies we had seen recently and why we liked or disliked them. We then proceeded to watch three short Australian films, the first of which was hilarious. It reminded me of my squirrel video: (http://vimeo.com/40831482 --for those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about.) except for much more professional. The film was so simplistic, it was funny. An admirable feat, indeed.

Since our class was under 20 people, our professor was on a very friendly basis and his tone was casual. We then went through another film scene by scene and tried to replicate the screenplay on our own. I’m telling you, it’s harder than you think. I gained a lot of respect for screenwriters today. Not only do they get little to no credit, but they have to proffer up their work to be butchered. I know that’s a rather negative way to look at it, but I can’t imagine handing my short story to someone and saying, “Go for it!”, allowing them to mold my characters and plot with no abandon.

I guess it would be akin to throwing your baby over your head like a bouquet and hoping it’s caught by the right person. Bit of a risk I’d say. But maybe it’s only a risk because of pride. Two sides to everything, I suppose.

After being thoroughly delighted with this class I hung around until 5:15 p.m. when my Short Fiction tutorial started. Now you have to realize, my lecture for this class had around 200 people in it, so when I arrived at the room to find no one in it, I was worried.

Finally, I was joined by a girl from Germany and a guy from Victoria. I was relieved that they were also there for short fiction. Our teacher came in, and I was disappointed to see it was the creative writing director, the “big wig” so to speak. This guy had introduced the lecture earlier, and I can find no better way to describe him but a strict, grey haired man with a continual smirk that serves to accompany his dry wit.

That’s when I began to sweat the class.

 

But as seconds turned to minutes, and we writers were left in the awkward position of waiting for our fellow counterparts to remember to show up to class, I couldn’t help but notice the man was constantly making jokes. He was obviously trying to lighten the situation. I soon learned that his character was one of duality. Yes, he wanted to be taken seriously and be seen as a figure of authority, yet, he obviously found enough humor in life to share.

I soon found I liked the guy and automatically took up a position of curiosity to the professor when he learned I’d already read the material that was not due until next week. I swear I’m not a brownnoser.

Reading fiction is just my thang. (That it’s homework is simply a bonus.)

Now, daring to refute the teacher on a finer detail of the story I had read was probably a gutsy move. But I was right. So there.

After class, I found myself surrounded by three guys from class and the realization that the class let out late enough to miss the beginnings of about three other parties I could have frequented. But let’s face it; beer and pizza aren’t exactly my forte.

Instead, I found myself having coffee with two fellow writers, a guy with family in Italy and a guy from the Brunswick area. It was nice, really. Just to talk to people from different walks of life. I feel like I’ve been doing a lot of that lately.

And yes, they also thought I was European.

So, I think that about covers the highlights.

Toodles.

Days 18 and 19

Song currently playing: Maroon 5 Moves Like Jagger.

Current time: 4:20 PM.

Mood: Fantabulous, yet somehow expectant.

 

I want to give a very special thanks to Tom Roberts before I delve into my adventures from the past two days, who may or may not recall telling me that he reads my blog daily, no hourly, and finds it inspirational. So, in the spirit of Tom, I will try, note the word try, to be more consistent with updates.

Here it goes.

Day 18

I think I have expressed, in a variety of ways, including absolute horror, snide comments and the feeling of adapting the fetal position, just how expensive things are in Australia. But, it may come as a surprise that to native Melbournians, these prices are normal. In fact, they may seem like bargains simply because the pay scale is so different.

But to poor international students living off of a small budget—well, let’s just say we turn to the streets and internet and do what we do best; give out resumes!!

I spent three hours job searching Tuesday and still only sent out two applications. Now, you may think two is quite a small number and is in no way practical, but honestly, I never expected there to be so many limitations when trying to find a job. First, you must find out whether the position is part time or full. Once that hurdle is cleared, you have to make sure the job can be worked around your classes (which are already dispersed in a haphazard manner). THEN, you must consider a haunting prospect that has consumed man’s mind for centuries—location, location, location!! Is the job close enough? Can you use public transportation to get there? Can you get back in time for classes?

All of this ultimately leads to the question, “Eh, who needs a job anyway?”

Needless to say, the job process is moving fairly slow. Since my tutorial alternates every other Tuesday, I was left with a whole day to myself. I consequently decided to bite the bullet and buy my “readers” for classes. They are like workbooks in the States, except they include all the selected readings you need for class. So, you can’t really get away with not buying them, ya?

35 minutes later.

Oh, and I’m telling you, I think queuing is particularly relished Australian custom. Ok, so it may not be JUST Australians, but there are queues for everything! Want to get a bite to eat? Sure! The line’s over there. Want to get postage stamps? Sure! The line’s just out the back of the store. Want to use the bathroom—wait, I’ll stop there, because I’m pretty sure women’s toilets are universally known for their “queuing.” (Which drives me absolutely insane; men are so lucky.)

Back to me buying readers that read right through my budget, I came back to the Unilodge to grab dinner with Tom, Flo and Shayna. Now, you have to realize the way we go about things. First, someone states, or writes in this case, “Hey, we should grab dinner tomorrow night!” at which point everyone agrees it’s an awesome idea. This then progresses to someone quickly googling “cheap food in Melbourne” that leads to a list of 10 or so restaurant links on Facebook, which leads to several comments on the restaurant ultimately preferred, which leads to meeting everyone in the lobby and proceeded to walk in the crisp Melbourne air toward a restaurant no one’s ever been to before.

That’s how we do.

While on this journey, I did hear a funny story and decided to share since it goes to show how cultural differences can get you in trouble. Apparently, there was a Irish girl who was studying abroad in the states who couldn’t get into a bar because she said, “Where’s the crack?”

What Americans do not know is that this is a common Irish phrase that simply means, “Where’s the party?” or “Where’s the fun at?” (Also, crack is actually spelled craic, if anyone was curious.) Poor girl. And here the bouncers are thinking she’s looking for a dealer. But now you know.

Don’t offer drugs to your Irish friends if they ask you for crack.

So, we ended up at Shangai Dumplings (Shanghai Dumplings.) where, of course, we queued for another 15 minutes of our life. But trust me, queuing goes a lot faster when you’re with good company and the wait, my friends, was well worth it.

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Evidence of good leftovers.

This little treasure gave us 15 fried pork dumplings, still steaming on the plate for only 8.50 AUD. It was delish. I really couldn’t have been more pleased. Unfortunately, we were seated on a bar that faced the queuing line we had just endured and consequently, I was left with a plate full of amazing food in front of me that people just on the other side of the glass began salivating over. And yes, I was that awkward person whose food was served first, so I politely waited for my friend’s food to be served while Asians on the other side of the glass proceeded to eyeball and make grabbing motions toward my place. Terrific.

But hey, I had seven dumplings for lunch today. I’m not complaining.

DAY 19

Today, I woke up to my phone ringing and was further confused when I saw it was an unknown Australian number. Bleary eyed, I managed to work up enough morning time courage to call the number and was taken aback when a man with the most Australian accent I’ve heard yet answered the phone. He hesitated as well so I’m sure I must’ve sounded the most American he’d ever heard.

Long story short, he was calling to confirm a little escapade Wendy, Shayna and I have been planning. I’m sorry, but I won’t reveal where we’re going until this weekend. If you don’t read the blog regularly, I’m telling you, Sunday night’s post will be worth it, simply because of the pictures. How’s that for incentive?

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Where I wait before Biology classes begin.

I attended my second Biology lecture today and learned a little on Australia’s receding rainforests. I know I talk about them like a hairline, but honestly, the tiny dots on the continent that do represent these fleeting ecosystems are surprisingly limited. It’s sad just how quickly they’re disappearing. This class makes me want to forego everything I have planned in the foreseeable future, put on my boots and grab my sign that says, “Save the rainforests!”  I just feel like there is so much that is lost when what’s being lost is nature. There is such a feeling of transparency when it comes to creation; I don’t see how we don’t feel a deep sense of loss when it comes to cutting into trees and building mass shopping complexes.

But that conversation is for another date. I think Avatar pretty much covered anything I have to say on the matter.

So, after being inspired by an Australian botanist, I headed out to have coffee with a friend from Melbourne Welcome. Needless to say, the caffeine and company were both delightful. There really is something to a familiar face, even if it’s only familiarity.

My next detour was the Post Office, simply to check in on the cost of postage. I politely asked (after queuing for about 12 minutes) how much international stamps were.

1.60. Each.

Oh. Ok.

That’s about how things went down. Also, just in case you’re wondering, Australian stamps require you to lick the back of them to stick them on. Though the pictures are a lot more entertaining than the States’ (dingos), I think my tongue prefers postage stamps as stickers, thanks.

Finally, after my senses were temporarily overwhelmed by a neon pink “Hello Kitty” tram parked on Swanston St., I made it back to the Unilodge to gather my wits and prepare for the Mystery Dinner. And let me tell you, I was hungry enough to eat anything they gave me, even Hungry Jack’s, because I was Hungry Jordan.

You don’t want to meet her in a dark alley while coming home.

I piled into the small Unilodge lounge with about 14 other people and waited around for someone to tell us what exactly we were going to eat. After about 10 minutes of anticipation, I was sadly informed that we were going to eat pizza. Now, for those of you who don’t know me well, you have to understand that I don’t eat pizza. I know. I’ll give you a moment to process that. And yes, I do know how strange it is to not like the most universal food known to mankind. But it’s ok; you guys will get over it. I know I have.

Yes, so my spirits were dashed that I had gone through all the trouble to get excited over food for it to end up being pizza, but as I said before, I was starving and the possibility of a free dessert and drink along with the pizza was a most scandalous thought indeed. While walking to the tram, taking the tram and awkwardly figuring out seating arrangements, I ended up talking to two Asian guys—Terrence and Andy. (Sorry if I botched the spelling; I can’t even spell American names right.) They are both architecture majors from Hong Kong. So Melbourne is relatively small and slow paced in comparison. This blew my mind as Melbourne is both very big and fast paced to me. Well, actually, that’s not true. I think all of Australia has an almost “laid back” feel to it even if tons of people are walking past you, but I simply attribute that to Australian culture.

Anyway, we had a good laugh over the fact that they were stuck at Melbourne Uni when RMIT has all of the crazy architectural designs. They were pretty jealous. If I was majoring in architecture, I would be, too.

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Pomodoro's Pizza Restraunt on Longsdale St.

We ate dinner true Italian style, meaning it took around three hours to make all of the pizzas. We had 5 rounds of different pizza, and you will ALL be surprised to know that I found some that were not only edible, but actually not bad. (But this account may be biased as I was about to pass over from starvation.) One of the pizzas had chicken and roasted potatoes and peppers on it—so basically, it wasn’t even what we would traditionally call pizza. As such, I loved it.

And finally, my favorite part. I finally tried tiramisu. It’s like a biscuit dipped in coffee with whip cream and chocolate swirled on top. I’m sure that was a terrible description, so let’s just leave it as “a cup of awesome.” (Zims, I’m sure that’s all I have to say for you to understand.)

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Cup O' Awesome.

Yea, so I was ridiculously full and as such, decided to walk back instead of taking the tram. Fortunately, I had the company of Andy and Terrence and the walk took little to no time. Funny how whether or not a walk is arduous or not seems to depend on the company kept. Go figure.

I arrived at the Unilodge in no time and decided it was time to give an update to you lovely people.

I hope you are all well. I think I may do my class readings now. Maybe.

Probably not.

Cheers!

Footy& First Day of Uni

Oh, the stories I have to tell.

 DAY 15

Saturday was spent ever so eventfully. After watching TDKR I returned to the Unilodge with Shayna and walked by the lounge to see what was on t.v. (since we don’t have the convenience of having one in our room.) Surprisingly enough, I walked in just as another movie was starting. Of course, it was filmed in Australia and was titled, “The Hunter.” If you’re looking for a good movie to watch, please don’t watch this one. Not only was it an old movie, but the ending made no sense. What a letdown.

But hey, the point of my story was not to share with you what movies not to add to your queue, but rather the atmosphere of Unilodge. While trying to watch this movie, which I was actually intrigued in until the ending, a guy comes by and randomly sits beside me. Though you wouldn’t think movies are the best place to start chatting someone up, or at least I wouldn’t, I ended up randomly meeting an Indian guy from Dubai. He studies at RMIT and was most friendly. I was able to put my frustrations at not being able to understand anything the actors were saying (almost comparable to TDKR, come to think of it) because of his chatter and reveled in the fact that I was slowly coming to know more faces in my building. We hadn’t been talking for more than half an hour when two other guys came up with bottles of whisky in hand. Now, you have to realize, this is completely normal at Unilodge, actually, it’s completely normal everywhere in Australia, including campus buildings.

I quickly learned that the first guy’s name was Mario and that he was from Mexico and the other guy, Collin, was from Australia. Of course, our conversation quickly drifted toward Batman and we were all suddenly movie critics, all assured that our positions were firmest. It was quite fun and actually go me invited to a party being hosted by Mario in Unilodge on Saturday night. Overall, Friday and Saturday passed with me meeting a lot of cool people who are all staying in the same building. The greatest thing is that everyone is so friendly.

There is also what is called a Community Spirit program at Unilodge where events are put on at low group rates. I just recently signed up for what is called a Mystery Dinner for five bucks where a three course meal will be served at an unknown restaurant on Lygon Street. I’m pretty excited to go and hang out with the people in my building and have fantastic food at that.

Now, that I’ve skimmed through the boring part of my weekend where I happened to pick up groceries from Aldi’s, it’s time to talk about something I’ve taken quite a liking to. Yes, you’ve guessed it. AFL. Footy in a nutshell.

DAY 16

So, we got to the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) around 2:45 on Sunday to meet up with other people from the week of welcome program. Funnily enough, we must’ve mistimed because we ended up sitting with people we’d collected along the way. There was Shayna, Wendy (from Holland), Daniel (from Miami), and one of Wendy’s friends from Germany. We had general admission tickets to the Richmond vs. North Melbourne game, so we were sitting pretty far back. But it was a good enough view to see the whole field and the people battling beneath us.

Let me start off by saying it was an AMAZING experience. There are just so many sights, smells and voices that’s it’s all a bit overwhelming to try to explain. Imagine a huge green oval in front of you and a whole ring of fans encircling the stadium. Huge light posts are erected over each gate. Richmond Tiger supporters are wearing black and yellow, waving signs like “Eat ‘em alive,” while North Melbourne kangaroo supporters are in royal blue and white with signs like “We’re the north end.”

While in such a primarily Australian environment, I decided to do the Australian thing and order my first 4n20 meatpie. It was amazing. I don’t know if it was just the overall shepherd’s pie taste, or the fact that it was so warm when every other part of my body was freezing. Whatever it was, the thing was delicious enough to melt in my mouth. I definitely recommend getting one if you ever get the chance.

Now, a note on Australian sports culture. They are some of the most enthusiastic, coordinated group of people you can imagine. The cheers and jeers are so perfectly coordinated you could swear they were receiving cues. But honestly, they are all so well attuned to what is going on on the field that each blow, punch and kick is their own. Honestly, they would bleed and die for their team. YET. To my astonishment, I gazed across the fans adorning the stadium and could not fail to notice that yellow and blue alike were sitting next to each other all throughout the stands. The fans were so intermingled.

Now of course, there was mostly a sea of blue behind N Melbourne’s goal posts and a sea of yellow behind Richmond’s. (Funnily enough, these were the fans that brought out huge colored pompoms to wave behind the posts when they didn’t want the opposing team to score. It was almost like they were trying to ward off bad spirits, ha.) But the majority of Australians were sitting beside their mates who were cheering for the opposite teams. It was an amazing thing to witness, such passion for a sport, yet just as much loyalty to a sense of sportsmanship. It was all in good fun. At the end of the day, no matter who won or lost, it was good footy that was played and your mate is still your mate, no matter how poor their choice in who to barrack for is.

 

It’s not so on the field. I counted four fights. And that’s just the ones that involved the whole team. There were plenty of side skirmishes, or players just clocking one another in the face, that were completely ignored by the cameras and referees. It was brutal and fantastic to watch. But again, the best part of watching these freakishly muscled men run around in odd uniforms and tiny shorts was the crowd.

I was lucky enough to have two Aussie ten year olds behind me who kept up a running commentary of the game. I didn’t mind one bit. They even helped clear up a few of the fuzzy moments. Like what the 50 line meant exactly, and why the refs were stopping to bounce the ball from the ground into the air. It’s funny how strongly stated they were. Like when there was absolutely no way in the world their comment, “Well, that was a shithouse kick” or “Oh yea, he’s going to shank it” could ever be wrong. They had quite the colorful expressions.

I found it funny that the louder of the two brothers was the only one barracking for Richmond in his family. Poor guy. But he definitely wasn’t shy about it. I think the best comment I heard from him all day was when he leaned over to his brother and says, “Yea, that’s the difference between soccer and footy. Soccer players pretend to be hurt while footy players pretend they’re not.” I laughed at that one. The kid had a point.

Though the rules are a whole different world from NFL or rugby, I think with one more game I’ll have all the rules down. It was definitely an experience worth having. I think what made it even better was that it was such a close game. I really think each team was leading about the same amount of time through the whole thing. They were usually within 1 or 5 points of each other. But, all in all, I’m glad I chose to stick with North Melbourne, even if they were the underdogs, because they pulled it off at the very last moment. Honestly, Richmond had more skill, it was obvious. But North Melbourne put more heart into and it was a good day with the refs.

Oh, the unlikelihood of sports. I love it.

Just another day in Australia.

DAY 17

So, I started classes today at Melbourne Uni. Even though it’s such a big campus, I had no problem finding my way around. Everything is just so beautiful. I’m sure I looked like such a fool walking around with a happygolucky smile on my face. I don’t know, I suppose I just feel lucky to be here. It’s an amazing Uni and the atmosphere is so friendly.

My first class was Biology and I walked into a lecture hall of around 200 people. I was one of 6 exchange students in the whole class. Everyone else was from Australia. I’m telling you, it made me appreciate what exchange students go through at UNC. I’m going to be sure to check into programs when I get back to help their transitions go smoother, ha.

Now, here is where being charismatic and making friends comes in handy. I ended up striking up a conversation with the girl beside me who is from a town an hour away from Melbourne. Apparently she commutes every day to the Uni and back, so she’s still living with her parents. She’s a science major. I also sat beside one of the guys from the Unilodge party on Saturday night, so I was comfortable during the lecture even when surrounded by so many other people. I also liked the fact that my professor was a botanist wearing a flowery shirt (who would’ve guessed) and muttonchops. So by the time we were beginning with what all biology classes begin with, Pangea, I was feeling right at home.

I then meandered around campus for a few hours just taking in the sites. Honestly, I know I keep saying the campus is beautiful, but my words are failing me to describe it any other way. I stumbled across so many different pieces of art and new buildings with interesting architectural designs. I even checked out my first book. I checked it out from the Microbiology Library, which is only a building down from the main library. They have these nifty kiosks where students can scan their own cards and check out and desensitize their own books. It was a pretty advanced idea for a campus library, but as a librarian, I couldn’t help but wonder if they had problems with books disappearing since it looks like students could just desensitize their books without scanning their cards. But maybe there are security precautions set in place that I’m not aware of. Who knows. I just know I’m the proud renter of a biology textbook for the next seven days while I catch up on all of the notes.

I had my first creative writing class today, as well. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as exciting as my biology class. Maybe it was because they weren’t showing me cuddly animals and breathtaking plants (or breathgiving) that can only be found in Australia, but that’s just a guess. They seem to take creative writing very serious here; not that it shouldn’t be. Language should be respected, as should any form of effective communication. But there is a difference between being lectured on what the key elements of a story are, and actually seeing for yourself those elements in a creation of your own or through the works of others. We will see how it goes. I just know I’m going to have a lot more homework than I bargained for, darn.

But there you have it. More friends and a better grasp on Australian culture.

Have questions? Blow up my blog, I’m happy to answer. If not, just let me know you’re out there and reading!

Good on ya!