I pet a Kangaroo, and a koala, and a wombat! They were awesome, and kangaroos are cute, so I now kinda feel bad for eating one. Although they are tasty. I went on a tour on Saturday where we went to a winery (at 930 in the morning) and then to a chocolate factory, then to the Caversham Wildlife park (where playing with all the animals happened), and the to the Aquarium (where we got to touch sea life and see sharks! It was a very good day, but I was super tired after. We got to feed kangaroos at the wildlife park, and they would hop after you for food, but not for very long, they are lazy. But it was exciting, I feel a little more like I am actually in Australia.
When I got home (and wanted to take a nap) I went and bought a huge bed (it's queen sized, which really s quite big) from a Canadian who is moving to Barbados. He tied it on to the roof of my roommates car for us with the small amount of rope we found (which was better than us almost using tape for rope) and we set off. Too bad we didn't tie the front of the mattress down so the wind pushed it up on the freeway so we had to open the sunroof and I had to hold it down until we got off the freeway, it was intense. After getting it home I went out to an art show where I met some of Perth's graffiti artists.
The night before I had gone to this other art show where a guy would give you a manicure (if you got there early enough to sign up) in exchange for a secret. It was cool, but we had to wait until 10 to get in for free. Plus I got to type on a type writer, which should come with directions, but that was cool.
Monday was the first day of Orientation with Australians, but nothing really exciting happened, but I did go buy sheets, I have really moved up in the world in terms of home comforts.
Yesterday I went to the beach for the first time, it was super nice. It was a little cloudy, but it gave some nice moments of it not being too hot. The water is pretty and the sand is so nice. It takes a while to get there, but it's worth it.
Today was the day all the clubs come out and try to convince you to join, I don't think i remember half of the places I signed up at, but we'll see. They also give you a lot of free stuff, most of which I will probably never use.
Sounds like it was busy, but I've spent a lot of time relaxing too, which is nice. And I joined the library, which is awesomely less than a 5 minute walk from my house, where they let you check out puzzles, which is fantastic, so I am now working on a Harry Potter puzzle.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
I Have a Home! (But Not a Bed)
So this week has been kinda crazy, while at the same time, it doesn't feel like I have done much. I have done some more exploring around Perth and have now been to Fremantle (which is to the west on the water). On Friday I went to a show in this awesome round room in a brewery and ate a kangaroo burger, which was pretty good, as was the show. I also looked at two rooms that day, one that I liked and at the second I was creeped out by the girl because she wouldn't look at me. It was really weird. I also got to take the bus and the train, which was fun. I was welcomed to Australia by three men going to a rugby game I talked to on the train. One of them also asked me if New York City at Christmas was a good idea, I told him it sounded like fun. I also got signed up for classes, which is good. I only have four, but it's going to be a lot of work.
Over the weekend I wandered into Kings Park and saw a wedding and learned the perils of everything closing early, because everything closes super early here. During the week it's around 5 or 6 and the weekend is the same, if the place opens at all. That is going to be a huge adjustment as I am used to things being open until 8 or 9 or staying open 24 hours. I'm going to have to learn to plan my shopping experiences. Apparently there was a vote a couple years ago on whether or not things should stay open longer and everyone voted against it because (and this is what the guy who told me said) Australians are lazy. Good to know.
Sunday I saw another room, which is super close to campus and with people I think I can live with, so I now live there. I moved in on Monday and am now on the hunt for a bed, as the floor isn't all that great a place to sleep. On Sunday I went back to Fremantle, although I took the train and met a nice British guy who helped me get off at the right stop and find my way, which is good, otherwise I would have been very lost. I met up with some people and after eating we wandered around Fremantle and I was welcomed to Australia by another random person on the street who heard my accent and decided to say hi. We (the people I was with, not the random man) went to an arcade and played a weird game where you throw balls at a screen and then used our ticket to buy foam planes that we threw around in the park. It was a good day.
Monday was the first day of orientation, where we got sung to and met the other international students in our courses and our heads of program. I am the only international student in my program, although there is rumor of another but no one has heard from them in a while, so who knows if they are coming. I learned that all my classes start at ten because the teachers are "shit" in the morning (this coming from one of my teachers). Classes sound like they are going to be good and I am looking forward to starting them.
Not much otherwise, although I think I am going to get hit by a car because I don't look the right way before crossing the street and this whole car coming from thw other way thing is going to take a bit.
Over the weekend I wandered into Kings Park and saw a wedding and learned the perils of everything closing early, because everything closes super early here. During the week it's around 5 or 6 and the weekend is the same, if the place opens at all. That is going to be a huge adjustment as I am used to things being open until 8 or 9 or staying open 24 hours. I'm going to have to learn to plan my shopping experiences. Apparently there was a vote a couple years ago on whether or not things should stay open longer and everyone voted against it because (and this is what the guy who told me said) Australians are lazy. Good to know.
Sunday I saw another room, which is super close to campus and with people I think I can live with, so I now live there. I moved in on Monday and am now on the hunt for a bed, as the floor isn't all that great a place to sleep. On Sunday I went back to Fremantle, although I took the train and met a nice British guy who helped me get off at the right stop and find my way, which is good, otherwise I would have been very lost. I met up with some people and after eating we wandered around Fremantle and I was welcomed to Australia by another random person on the street who heard my accent and decided to say hi. We (the people I was with, not the random man) went to an arcade and played a weird game where you throw balls at a screen and then used our ticket to buy foam planes that we threw around in the park. It was a good day.
Monday was the first day of orientation, where we got sung to and met the other international students in our courses and our heads of program. I am the only international student in my program, although there is rumor of another but no one has heard from them in a while, so who knows if they are coming. I learned that all my classes start at ten because the teachers are "shit" in the morning (this coming from one of my teachers). Classes sound like they are going to be good and I am looking forward to starting them.
Not much otherwise, although I think I am going to get hit by a car because I don't look the right way before crossing the street and this whole car coming from thw other way thing is going to take a bit.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Everyone Here is Really Friendly (or One Day I Will Acdept a Ride From an Ax Murderer)
This was my second full day in Perth and it was much more eventful than I expected. I got a cell phone, which worked out well because I already had one, I just needed a plan. Alas, when I brought it back to the hostel it wouldn't charge and I had to go back. Turns out the charger only works if you hold it at the right angle with part of the back cover off, it was very confusing, and took way too long for him to admit that I would need a new charger. So I was then sent 50 meters (which I now know about how long that is, since I walked it) and got a charger from a different phone company, because the first didn't have it. It was a lot more work than I would have liked.
After that I called some of my potential roommates/landlords to set up times to view their places. The first gave me directions and right after we had set up a time and I was about to leave to go figure out the bus system she called and said she would pick me up, rather than wait for me to possibly get lost. Fantastic! So she came and got me and I got my first ride in an Australian car sitting on the wrong side while being driven on the wrong side of the street. It's kinda scary. It'll take a bit, but I'll get used to it. Her place was ok, but I'm not sold, although it is really close to school. She was then nice enough to drive me back, and drive me onto the bit of campus she knew how to get around.
My next viewing was in 2ish hours and I figured I would give myself an hour and a half to get there. I walked down to the train station, asked the info desk how to get where I wanted (learned that I need to buy a good map book) and wandered off. Then i went back to try and get a student discount card, which I have to get stamped by school and bought an all-day ticket. I then walked to the bus station with schedules in hand and waited for the bus. At this point I had about a half an hour to get to the house and the bus wasn't going to be there for another 20 minutes so i called the woman I was meeting with and told her I was running late. She offered to come pick me up. Fantastic! But I bought a bus pass and wanted to use it, but oh well I would use it on the way back. The house was nice and furnished, but there would be 6 people living in it and I'm not sure I want to live with that many. We'll see, I have a little time to think about it. She then drove me to the schools campus where I had decided I would walk around for a bit before going back on the bus.
The campus is huge! I wandered aimlessly and then walked decidedly over to the art school bit where there was and open door I walked into and discovered the painting department. Mostly empty except for two guys hanging out, one painting and one drawing. I stopped and talked to them until the one who was actually allowed to be there had to go, meaning that we all had to go. I walked out with them because apparently at Curtin in order to leave a building you need a passcard, because otherwise you get locked in, it's weird. I then learned that in schools the locking in is normal, I think it's weird, normally people want you locked out, not it, but whatever. So here I am about to wander back to the bus stop when one of them offers me a ride back into the city. Fantastic! Except that I have now bought a bus pass for nothing. But I met people and hopefully made friends, which is fantastic. I then went on this weird adventure to the guy's old work, which is full of lots of drama and people getting kicked out of buildings by cops, it was all very strange. However, it was interesting, and therefore worth it, despite my still not using the bus. I will try again tomorrow. So what I have learned from all this is that people are very friendly and don't trust me to use the bus and that if I am not careful one day I will get kidnapped, but until then getting rides from people I have only talked to for a minute or so has worked out really well.
Otherwise yesterday I just walked around Perth and discovered that their traffic lights are weird for pedestrians. Instead of people crossing with the direction of traffic every goes at once while the cars wait, it's super weird. Sometimes one walkway will go, but mostly it's everyone all at once and the light makes this weird sound and then clicks until it starts flashing red, it's kinda intense. I also think I bought mini pancakes in a bag today, they were good with my bananas and almond butter, and discovered that they may not have bagels in Australia, but I will keep looking, as I really like bagels. That's all for now.
After that I called some of my potential roommates/landlords to set up times to view their places. The first gave me directions and right after we had set up a time and I was about to leave to go figure out the bus system she called and said she would pick me up, rather than wait for me to possibly get lost. Fantastic! So she came and got me and I got my first ride in an Australian car sitting on the wrong side while being driven on the wrong side of the street. It's kinda scary. It'll take a bit, but I'll get used to it. Her place was ok, but I'm not sold, although it is really close to school. She was then nice enough to drive me back, and drive me onto the bit of campus she knew how to get around.
My next viewing was in 2ish hours and I figured I would give myself an hour and a half to get there. I walked down to the train station, asked the info desk how to get where I wanted (learned that I need to buy a good map book) and wandered off. Then i went back to try and get a student discount card, which I have to get stamped by school and bought an all-day ticket. I then walked to the bus station with schedules in hand and waited for the bus. At this point I had about a half an hour to get to the house and the bus wasn't going to be there for another 20 minutes so i called the woman I was meeting with and told her I was running late. She offered to come pick me up. Fantastic! But I bought a bus pass and wanted to use it, but oh well I would use it on the way back. The house was nice and furnished, but there would be 6 people living in it and I'm not sure I want to live with that many. We'll see, I have a little time to think about it. She then drove me to the schools campus where I had decided I would walk around for a bit before going back on the bus.
The campus is huge! I wandered aimlessly and then walked decidedly over to the art school bit where there was and open door I walked into and discovered the painting department. Mostly empty except for two guys hanging out, one painting and one drawing. I stopped and talked to them until the one who was actually allowed to be there had to go, meaning that we all had to go. I walked out with them because apparently at Curtin in order to leave a building you need a passcard, because otherwise you get locked in, it's weird. I then learned that in schools the locking in is normal, I think it's weird, normally people want you locked out, not it, but whatever. So here I am about to wander back to the bus stop when one of them offers me a ride back into the city. Fantastic! Except that I have now bought a bus pass for nothing. But I met people and hopefully made friends, which is fantastic. I then went on this weird adventure to the guy's old work, which is full of lots of drama and people getting kicked out of buildings by cops, it was all very strange. However, it was interesting, and therefore worth it, despite my still not using the bus. I will try again tomorrow. So what I have learned from all this is that people are very friendly and don't trust me to use the bus and that if I am not careful one day I will get kidnapped, but until then getting rides from people I have only talked to for a minute or so has worked out really well.
Otherwise yesterday I just walked around Perth and discovered that their traffic lights are weird for pedestrians. Instead of people crossing with the direction of traffic every goes at once while the cars wait, it's super weird. Sometimes one walkway will go, but mostly it's everyone all at once and the light makes this weird sound and then clicks until it starts flashing red, it's kinda intense. I also think I bought mini pancakes in a bag today, they were good with my bananas and almond butter, and discovered that they may not have bagels in Australia, but I will keep looking, as I really like bagels. That's all for now.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Train? What Train?
You all may remember that I said I was going to be taking a train from Sydney to Perth? Well my friends, train sounds remarkably like plane, so you may have misheard me. Or I waited to long to buy a ticket and am now in Perth 3 days earlier than I expected. A little disappointed, but now I can get a place to live and figure out the bus system before there is anywhere I have to be.
My flights were uneventful except for having to pick my luggage up after every flight, all four of them. And my stuff weights quite a bit, my big bag weights 57 pounds to be exact, which is way heavier than I would like it. My last flight was the only one where anything interesting happened. The flight attendants played quiz games with us and the man sitting next to me spilled wine one me and then told me that I would never leave Australia because I would love it so much and that I will marry an Australia, because that is was foreigners do. Good to know.
I made it safe and have a hostel and now just need a phone and a place to live. Will write more later, but my internet time is up.
My flights were uneventful except for having to pick my luggage up after every flight, all four of them. And my stuff weights quite a bit, my big bag weights 57 pounds to be exact, which is way heavier than I would like it. My last flight was the only one where anything interesting happened. The flight attendants played quiz games with us and the man sitting next to me spilled wine one me and then told me that I would never leave Australia because I would love it so much and that I will marry an Australia, because that is was foreigners do. Good to know.
I made it safe and have a hostel and now just need a phone and a place to live. Will write more later, but my internet time is up.
Monday, February 8, 2010
I Lost Monday
I made it! Or at least part of the way, so this is just a quick post to say I survived and that I missed Monday the 8th and went straight from Sunday the 7th to Tuesday the 9th, which is really weird. Now I need to go find a place to stay and get a train ticket. Wish me luck!
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