Days 8 and 9

I finally unpacked. It’s a weird feeling, not living out of a suitcase. It gives everything a more permanent sense. You suddenly realize this is home for the next few months….

Nah, it hasn’t hit me yet.

One of the views from our 12th floor window.

Shayna and I went out yesterday to pick up necessities. You know, those things you can’t live without. Linens? Nope. Trash can? Nope. But food? Oh yes. And an outlet converter. Electronics are a must. So the whole different outlets thing is getting to me. I knew I should have picked up a converter before I came, but it was one of the things that slipped my mind.

One of the first problems we ran into was locating wifi. Come to find out, America lies. Not Alyssa, AMERICA. Unlimited does not exist. At least, not in Australia. Internet packages are bought according to how much data is used. Currently, we are both on a 5 GB plan. Yes, we’re worried, too. Luckily, as all things do, the service offers the option to upgrade to a more expensive plan at any time. How nice.

Honestly, I figure once school starts up, I will be spending a lot of time bumming off of their Internet and walking home when finished. Right now, it seems like the best option.

So, we walked down to find something to eat and ended up at a McDonalds simply because they supposedly had free Wifi. We didn’t know what we were getting into. Fast food here is more expensive than good food. I’ve been able to get 8 pieces of sushi for under 5 dollars. One McDonald's burger here cost 6.68 AUD and that was without the combo. You could always add a drink for 50 c and a fry for a dollar. Needless to say, we went with the cheapest thing on the menu. Chicken sandwiches. Or the “Chicken n’ cheese” as they call it. Oh, and another side note. So, you think you want condiments with your chicken? Maybe ranch or barbecue or some other sauce to smear on that bland blob on you bun? Nope. No can do. Although, I think ketchup exists everywhere. So we were saved from total tastelessness.

A few things about Australia. First of all, they shorten everything. Even on my first encounter with an Australian (the Tazzy from Vodaphone) I was called Jordie. It made me laugh because it was a nickname my family used for me when little. Even I’ve reverted back in time.

Australian Words:                    Australian Shortenings:
-Thongs: flip-flops                     -Serve-O: service station
-Runners: tennis shoes               -Bottle-O: liquor store
-Snags: sausages                        -Katherine: Kaz
-Jumper: sweatshirt                   -Mosquito: mozzie
-Dunny:  Toilet

That’s all for now. I’ll keep adding as I hear them used. For names, it seems like they tack on ‘o’, ‘az’ or ‘ie’ for everything. Now, how they decide which one to use and whether it’s based off of your first or last name is beyond me. All that matters is that these shortenings are affectionate terms and not derisive attempts to get foreigners to leave the continent in mass confusion.

I’ve found that there is a much more positive response when I tell people I’m a writer here, either specifically in journalism or creative writing. I’ve used both to judge responses and have not yet seen much of a difference. All I know is that I don’t get the same self-satisfied/omnipotent look of doom that Americans tend to give me when say my major, and for that, I’m grateful. Then again, I heard a guy state his major as art and it was just as well received. Hah. I do love Melbourne.

Gold Rush, complete with passion fruit aftertaste.

Oh, and as far as the Unilodge goes, we’re on the 12th floor, so no noise from above and a stunning outlook over the city. I just witnessed my first Melbourne sunset. It was magical. Let it be noted.

Guess I’m off to scavenge for food! See you guys soon.




(Side Note: I found Powerade Gold Rush in the 711! They're the junk. I'm totally going to walk into a pub with one if I can manage. Thanks Zims!)