Day 16: A little more CA in Sydney

Sabrina and I made it a point this morning to wake up to go on an organized trip to the Glebe Markets and on a "Coffee Crawl." When we arrived downstairs just after 10am, the only person there to greet us was our Resident Networker (RN), Nick. He was organizing this Coffee Crawl, and told us the posters were wrong because the Glebe Markets are only on Saturday! Instead of heading back up to our flat, we wanted to take advantage of the day and headed out with him to see some of his favorite coffee shops in Glebe and Newtown.

The suburbs in Sydney are so small, that we literally walked three blocks and were in Glebe. It is a cute eclectic town that Greg and I later decided reminds us of Santa Cruz. There are nice coffee shops, older architecture, and a bit if a "hippie" vibe. The coffee shop we went to, Saffro Second Hand Books, was a small cafe in the back of a used book store. It was very nice, complete with a secluded patio surrounded by palm trees. It was a run down building that had been renovated, so they allowed artists to come in and decorate the outside with graffiti. A very pleasant atmosphere with a nice cup of chai tea. Sabrina and I were impressed.

We went back to Bulga and got a ride with Nick to Newtown, a suburb populated with many students from University of Sydney. We went to another coffee shop that was well known in the area, a little smaller and more crowded than the last. We continued to pick Nick's brain about UTS, Sydney, and Australia, and he gave us some good pointers for things to do in the area.

Nick went off to class and left Sabrina and me to walk back from Newtown to see more of the town. There was more going on here, and this time Greg and I decided this suburb reminded us of Berkeley. Hipster shops, students all around, and cheap(er) places to eat on every corner. I'm sure we'll be back here to check out some live music at some point.

Later in the afternoon Sabrina and I went to Bi-Lo to do some grocery shopping. Luckily we are both EXTREMELY slow at picking out our food, so neither of us minded when we took 5-10 minutes just to pick the right yogurt. We heard about another grocery store, Harris Farm, in Broadway shopping center (have I mentioned that it's just around the block? Very convenient) that has cheaper and better quality vegetables. Karolina, Greg and I decided to check it out to finish our food shopping. After entering in the undercover entrance in the Car Park, I saw naturalness all around me! Harris Farm is like a mix between Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and a farmer's market. Rows of fresh fruits and veggies, organic meat and natural hummos and yogurt made by them. I know where I'm going to be doing most of my shopping from now on! They also have a selection of interesting fruit I've never seen, all grown in Australia. My new thing is to buy a new intriguing fruit each time I go there. This time I thought I bought a mangosteen, but it ended up being a passion fruit. Not quite as exotic or weird, but still delicious!

Day 15: So much to see in walking distance!

My day started with going to the bank to get my ATM card - success this time! I also went to the UTS Library to copy some pages to read for my Information, Society, and Policy class (ISP). Their library works a lot like Sac State's, with a reserve book area to check out texts for two hours at a time. One thing that was different was that I needed to swipe my Student ID just to get inside! I guess that is the security they need for being located in the CBD.

On my way back I ran into Karolina (I knew she was heading in my direction, but it was still cool to "randomly" see her walking on the street). She was also going to get her ATM card, but she didn't have her passport with her, so they wouldn't give it to her. We both walked back to Gumal to meet other friends and convince them to walk around Sydney with us until our evening classes.

After picking up Vanish and Mohammed (who we call Ma-Mo - Mo from Manchester) we headed out on our walk to check out Hyde Park. On the way we found cheap sushi we were looking for - $1.50 for a large roll! (a litte smaller than a hand roll) We made our way to Hyde Park where we had ourselves a little impromptu picnic. It was a nice area in the middle of the CBD, filled with others enjoying the nice weather, and a guy throwing a boomerang directly at everyone he saw, for it only to come right back to him.

We continued our adventure through the park and made our way to the botanical gardens. It was quite nice there, but I can imagine it will be even better when more flowers are in bloom - and I hear there are bats I didn't see! As we kept walking the bay became visible, and we knew we were only a short distance from the Opera House. Soon we saw the Harbour Bridge as the sun started to fall, and sure enough there was the Opera House, right at our feet. And of course, as we were directly in front if it, my camera died. Figures. But no worries, I know I will be back there, next time with my DSLR and wide angle lens to capture some interesting and abstract angles of the architectual beauty. (the pictures I managed to get will be posted soon)

As the magic hour hit (stupid camera battery!) we made our way around Circle Quay to the buses to get back in time for class. And stopped for ice cream on the way...mmmm, dinner! Loving the free 555 bus, we hopped on and took it back to central station and made our way home.

Class this evening was Digital Libraries and Collections. I wasn't too happy about having a Thursday night class, but it seemed interesting and I was looking forward to testing out the field of information studies. When class began, the professor asked, "Who is Jenna Langer?" I knew for some reason it would be me she was asking for. But why? Not because I was an international student, but because I was the ONE undegraduate in a post graduate class. While I may have completed the requirements for my BA, I didn't think I was already taking grad school classes! The professor, Maureen, reassured me I would be fine, mentioning that the last undergrad who took the class got a high distinction. But of course it was going to require a lot of work.

After sitting through the lecture, I became excited for the class. Maureen spoke with such enthusiasm about the topic, and I am a dork and get gitty talking about organizing and visualizing information. She also spoke of her relationship with a colleague from Berkeley, so that seemed like a plus! Many people had heard this was a hard class, but I feel like I have good prior knowledge to help get through it. Other students were also taking her class called Organising Information, which seemed like a good class to take at the same time. When we were finished I asked her about the possibility for me enroling in that subject, and since I have practicially finished my bachelor, she told me it was very possible. Here I went from being worried about taking a postgrad class to being willing to enrol in a second! I figure I might as well step it up, and this will help me see if I want to study information management in the future. The workload will be rigorous, but I'm up for the challenge.

Day 14: Ah! Time for Class!

Sleeping late is a wonderful thing when you stay up until 2:30am. And no, I was not out late at the pubs. I was on a conference call with other Social Media Club members for the #SMCEDU Kickoff Meeting. SMC is starting an initiative to bring social media education to universities and to connect them with local SMC chapters. They are stressing the importance of recent graduates to have skills in social media, and currently there is little curriculum and support in higher education. This was very interesting to me because I am very interested in the topic, but I consider myself mainly self-taught. I have studied the theory behind compter-mediated communiation and new media, but I often found myself ahead of the social media curve compared to my professors and other marketing professionals trying to enter the field. I would like to study some aspects of social media in postgrad, so I thought this was a logical program to get involved with. The working group is made up of several educators and professionals, which is why I thought it was important to get involved early to share the student perspective.

The conference call was very informative, and I even got to share my two cents! (Read about it here.) It is great to see so many teachers passionate about getting it involved in universities, and I can only hope it helps me find a postgrad program that will support my study goals. I am looking forward to the future of it and I'm hoping to get Sydney involved as one of the pilot cities.

After enjoying my slumber, I woke up to the vacuuming of the cleaners (yes, they clean the common areas once a week, but not that well), and slowly made my way to the shower to get ready for my class in the afternoon. When I got out of the shower and began to get ready, my computer beeped at me reminding me I had class in 15 minutes! Silly me, thinking my class was at 2pm, not 1pm. I quickly threw on some clothes, brushed my dripping wet hair, and hustled to class. Luckily I made it on time, as to not make a bad impression on the first day.

This class was titled Information, Society, and Policy. I had really been looking forward to it, but when we began it didn't seem as interesting as I would have hoped. It is more government based than I would like, as we are learning about policy making and how it affects information and communication infrastructure, access, and control. We don't have a similar class at Sac State, so it will be good to learn about the system in general. Also, I think it is what I make of it, and as long as I choose topics that I am interested in I will enjoy it.

Class finished early enough that I was able to head to the bike store in Glebe to get my tires pumped, chain lubed, and buy a lock. And of course since Sydney is sooo expensive, the lock cost me $50! I probably should have waited and bought one online, but I felt bad because they helped me with the other things on my bike. Oh well, living and learning... again I guess. Next step is buying a helmet, then eventually getting over to the Nunnery (a bike co-op here, nothing to do with nuns) to get my chain and derailer looked at. For now, I'll keep walking around the city to get my exercise and discover new places.

Day 13: Banking, Shopping, and Salsa-ing

After all of the stressing over my bank accounts, I figured out it was much easier than I thought... Greg, my fellow Californian flatmate has a Bank of America account as well, and said he hasn't been getting charged anything to withdraw money from the Westpac ATMs! So I did all that stressing just to learn it was as easy as taking cash directly out of the Westpac ATM from my B of A account and depositing it directly into my Westpac bank account. Now I'm just upset I stressed out so much, but at least I have it figured out and I shouldn't have any more problems.

Now that I have that sorted out, Sabrina and I headed down to the banks on George Street to pick up our debit cards. I thought all I needed was to bring my Student ID to verify my status, but I guess I needed my passport as well, which I didn't not bring along. Oh well, nothing I needed right away.

We decided to walk back and do a little bit of shopping on the way - I am in need of a few things that I didn't even have back at home. We went inside Central Station to the cheap clothing shops, and were quite successful! I bought a sweater, jacket, and some tanktops I needed all for under $40. It isn't the highest quality clothing, but it got the job done.

All I can think about is how frustrated I am with what I actually did and didn't bring to Sydney. I brought my Uggs which I have only worn once, beanies, gloves, warm leggings, and long sleeve shirts... all of which I will probably never pull out again. Of course what I didn't bring that would have been useful are another pair of flip flops, hoodies, capris, a bike lock, beach towel... I think if I had brought what I wanted and left the other things behind, it would have been the same amount of room in my suitcase! Nothing I can do about it now, which is another reason I would like a job so I can buy some of these things when I am here. It is only going to get warmer, and I don't have enough clothes for the season - not to mention I'll come home and move to the mountains where I will need winter clothes again! I guess that's the problem with these switched seasons - but I can't complain about winter being too warm... if there is no snow to enjoy, bring out the sun!

After having a wonderful fight with Comcast (I'm not going to go into it, it makes me mad to think about it), we went downstairs to check out the first session of the weekly salsa class in the common room of Bulga. Our initial intention was just watch, but of course we jumped right in and learned the moves. While I like to go out and dance every now and then, I do so like I dance in my room - I know I look dumb, but I have fun doing it. Salsa is a little different considering you have to know the basic steps to get going. After dreading the first part of the class, it ended up being a good time. It is a dance that is easy to do if the man knows what he is doing, and now that I know the basic steps I shouldn't have to worry about stepping on anyone's toes. Sabrina is quite the dancer and is convincing all of us to go out to a club next week where they have Salsa every Tuesday. It is supposedly a bit swanky, so we'll see how that goes...

I'm staying up late tonight to be on a Social Media Education conference call that starts at 1 am (8am pacific). Luckily I don't start class until the afternoon so I can sleep late...

Day 12: First Day of Uni!

It was a relatively uneventful day, besides having my first day of class. I did some laundry in the morning, posted some photos (finally, I know), and went to class.

Today was my qualitative research class where I will learn about conducting focus groups and interviews, and writing research reports on the topic. I have taken quantitative research classes which I really enjoyed (I'm quite the numbers person), so I'm looking forward to expanding my horizons with this more abstract topic.

As expected, everyone in the class was Australian (small class though - only 15 students max). Most were combined communication and law students in their final year of study. I was the only information and knowledge management concentration, so I was a bit of an odd duck out. It seems like many of them have had classes together before, again, which I expected. We reviewed the subject outline (syllabus) and went over some introductory topics of qualitative research. It seemed like other people had a some background in the topic, but it seems like I'll be able to catch on quickly.

We ended by playing some name games and getting to know each other, and got out almost 45 minutes early. We were supposed to go over our first reading, but very few of us actually completed the assignment. Last night I did sign in to UTS Online (online resources and bulletin board for classes, like our WebCT) to see the reading there, but I didn't have time to complete it. I thought I was starting off on the wrong foot, but luckily other students had just returned from holiday (vacation) and were in the same boat as me. Fine with me if we get out of class early!

Day 11: Trains, Rain, Meat, and Bicycles

As expected, it was quite a gloomy day. Perfect for running errands. I won a bike on eBay for $50 and I had to pick it up in Auburn, a suburb outside of Sydney. Sabrina and our other two friends, Mo and Mo, needed to go in the similar direction to get Halal meat and sheesha (an Indian water pipe for smoking tobacco). I was happy to have company on my long journey, especially because the guys were much more familiar with the area than us.

We took a train to Lakemba, a small town consisting of one main road, to get sheesha and meat. This town was not very nice, but had culture and showed me what it was like outside the city. We were happy to be heading to these places on a gray day, because we felt like we weren't missing much back in the city.

Unfortunately there was track work on the way to Auburn, so we spent a lot of time waiting and transferring on trains. Eventually we made it, when it was almost dark, and when the rain started to drizzle on us. Because it was such a long trip and it was raining, I pretty much just wanted to take the bike and go. I knew the bike wasn't in the best condition (rusty, probably a little small, and the gears need some work), but we had taken this long trip so I was determined to return with the bike. Looking back at it I probably should have waited for a better bike, but too late now! I found a place like the recyclery we have at home where they will hopefully help me try to fix up the bike. At least I will learn something about bicycle maintence! (This is me trying to stay postitive.)

After a long first week, it's time to get ready for classes. I start tomorrow at 2pm, and I'm looking forward to it a little too much...

Day 10: Bondi!

UTS Housing had planned a walk to Glebe and the Fish Markets today, but we slept in a little too late to go along with them, and wanted to enjoy the day in the sun. Tomorrow is supposed to be worse weather and they are planning on going to the beach, but we decided today would be a better opportunity to see Bondi Beach. We met a friend from Germany who is living with his girlfriend at the beach, so we met up with other friends and headed out to meet them.

We walked to Central Station (very close and convenient), picked up a train to Bondi Junction where we then got on a bus to Bondi Beach. It took about 1:30 to get all the way to the beach, but it isn't actually that far. Either way, I enjoyed the train and bus ride, taking in the new scenery. Once we finally saw the water, my heart jumped again. I love looking out at the ocean, seeing only water for miles. Once we got off the bus we headed straight for an overlook of the whole beach. Bondi was actually much smaller than I imagined, but beautiful nonetheless. It may be winter in Sydney, but it was nicer than most summer days in San Francisco. Surfers lined up on the shallow break, looking like little animals floating in the water. The beach had a good number of people on it, enjoying the unseasonably warm weather (turns out it was record-breaking temperatures today). I can't even begin to think about how crowded Bondi will get in the summer, especially considering its small size. I've heard the beach is packed with people, on the beach, in the shops, and of course in the water. I'm looking forward to experiencing it in a few months, but happy to enjoy it with less people around.

The town of Bondi Beach reminds me a lot of a California beach town. The ocean-facing street was lined with surf shops, cafes and restaurants, and of course the token smoke shop. A few of my friends rented surfboards for a couple hours to take on the waves of Bondi. I'm sure I'll get out and surf here, but today I'm just going to take in my surroundings. The water was cold enough to need a wetsuit while surfing, but I thought it was really pleasant (warm compared to Stinson Beach). The white sand was cold but soft on my feet, and I had fun using it to writing messages. Sabrina, Karolina, and I ventured to the tide pools on the side of the beach, enjoying the water warmed by the sun and taking more pictures.

When we were done with the beach we headed up the street to have coffee and a little French cafe. It was a great hippie atmosphere, just like the rest of the town. I know I would have no problem living here! Once it got dark we caught the bus to be on our way back to our flat. Definitely a great day, and now we have to get ready for the "Back 2 School" party on the roof of Gumal to finish up our O-Week events.

P.S. - After tonight, I am need a break from talking politics with people when I go out. The past 2 nights I have had looong conversations about US politics, ranging from George Bush to economics, to Obama of course. Before coming here, as I mentioned before, I was told to not talk politics. I think it works for me because I am liberal and have similar views to people from other parts of the world, but damn do these people like to talk about the US! While I don't consider myself as arrogant as other Americans, people from other countries know MUCH more about my country than I do about theirs. I'm learning that a large part of the experience of studying abroad is not just learning about other countries and cultures, but seeing how others view my culture. It has all been very interesting, but I'll be fine with not talking about the US Government for a while.

Day 9: The End of O-Week

Finally made it to our last day of orientation! It has been a long and eventful week where UTS impressed me, but it has also been tiring and a bit redundant. This morning I went to a study session on writing academic papers. All I really wanted to learn was how they reference work in their essays, but that was the one part they skipped over! Oh well, at least it got me up in the morning so I could do something with my day.

For lunch we went to Broadway Cafe because they were having a special - $5 burger and fries/salad with the purchase of a drink. That's where they get you - $3 bottle of water makes the meal a bit more expensive, and the small piece of chicken was lacking. I guess you live and learn.

Instead of heading back home, we decided to check out a park that Sabrina had seen on Google Earth before she came. It was a nice park, and there was a swimming pool! We quickly realized it was the University of Sydney as we walked up towards the beautiful sandstone buildings. They have such a gorgeous campus! We only small a small section of it, so we will definitely need to do some more exploring. As we looked up at one of their buildings, a tour came through with a docent giving some history about the Uni. We decided to jump in with the tour, and ended up visiting one of their Museums! It was a great experience where we learned more about Australia - I finally felt like I was getting out and seeing more of the sights.

And of course, to end O-Week we had the Union Party - our last Happy Hour! This was at the Glasshouse, another pub inside the UTS Tower, just down the stairs from the Loft. It seems like Australians always go out early and come home early (very opposite to Europe), but I think that is just because our events have been centered around Uni. Again we saw some of our friends, and met some new ones along the way. I hope I get to keep meeting people every day like I have during O-Week, but it won't be quite as easy without these regularly scheduled events. I'm sure we won't have any problems though - there should always be something to do or see as long as we have enough energy!

Day 8

I was intending to go to a workshop on reading for academic purposes at 10am, followed by a session on academic English, but no one else was going so I didn't have quite enough motivation. I figured if these sessions were anything like some of the others I had been to, I wasn't going to learn anything new. Instead I headed out to do some real grocery shopping. This time I went to Bi-Lo, which is like Coles, but a little cheaper. I was much happier with the prices and started to figure out how I am going to be eating here. I probably won't be cooking very much meat (mainly tofu stir-fry and eggs), but that isn't much different from how I cooked back at home. Oh and I almost forgot! Here is something different than in the US - you are allowed to take the trolleys (shopping carts) all the way back to your flat! This time I only had a few grocery bags, but other times we have brought it all the way up to our room. The things that amaze me here...

Later in the evening we headed over to the rooftop of Gumal for some free smoothies courtesy of UTS Housing. Now that we have met a lot of people living in housing, it was nice to look around and see people we knew. Afterwards a group of us went back to Bulga and hung out in the common area listening to music. An uneventful night, but it was fun getting to know people better.

P.S. I tried to update my Twitter status using my mobile, but it looks like it's not going to work :(
I guess I'm going to have to be better about keeping up with this blog then, or hopefully get a job so I can afford to do some mobile blogging ;)

Day 7: International Communication - Easy. International Money - Hard

I didn't have any sessions to attend this morning, but I still had a lot to take care of. The money situation has been a lot to deal with, and I don't really understand why. I can talk to my friends and family like they are in the other room when I'm actually on the other side of the world, but transferring money overseas is expensive, takes time to process, and is a pain in the neck! Bank of America wants to charge me $35 for each International transfer, and Westpac will charge me another $10 AUD each time! That doesn't quite seem worth it to me. And when I thought I could use an ATM with no foreign conversion fee, I found out Redwood Credit Union is still charging me 1%. While that doesn't seem like much, it is a hassle to call all of the banks, especially when I haven't been receiving consistent information. Once I have these things taken care of I'm sure I will feel more relaxed and will be able to get out and see more of Sydney.

In the afternoon I attended a session with Karolina called "The Aussie Workplace." We were hoping for information regarding finding jobs, typical attire, and more concrete information than they provided. The work atmosphere seems very similar to the US, so I don't think I will have a problem. I think the session was aimed more at East Asian cultures because they emphasized communication difficulties like understanding humor, acting assertive, and being involved in the social aspects of the workplace. One tidbit I found interesting was that 70-80% of jobs in Australia are not advertised. They emphasized the importance of networking, which is very similar to the US. I am still not sure if I will attempt to work for an Australian company, but I know it would be very beneficial to have international work experience.

To go along with the Aussie Workplace social scene, our next event as an international students cocktail party! This was a fun event with free food and drinks, another thing we all made sure to attend. It was great to meet more international students along with Australian peer networkers, and after we continued our socializing at the Loft. These events were a lot of fun and really helped us start to make a community of friends at Uni.

Day 6

Today was the second day of orientation, meaning more lectures to sit through and a little more free food (this time not as much, but we enjoy anything free). The sessions were starting to get a little redundant and aimed more at new uni students, but there was some useful information scattered throughout the speeches. One thing I did learn was that it is good to participate and speak up in class. This was very good for me, because I tend to participate frequently, almost too a fault. I was a little worried I would have to keep my mouth shut more, but I guess not!

After lunch I went along with Sabrina and Vanish down George Street to the CBD to open an Australian bank account. In order to pay our housing fees every 2 weeks, we needed to have a local bank account so they could use direct debit to cover our rent. I went to Westpac because I had heard it had connections with Bank of America. It turns out that doesn't help very much, but I continued to open an account with them because it was free for students.

Later that evening I was supposed to have a Faculty Welcome session for the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. I almost didn't make it in time, but was lead in the appropriate direction and saw a familiar face attending the same session. As it turned out, neither of us were supposed to be there. Because there are so few new/international communication students, there was no Faculty Welcome even set up for us! I was a bit sad by the news, but it made me look forward to taking classes with mostly Australian students.

Today I also finally got a cell phone! I realized I didn't really need a fancy phone with a camera and Internet at this time. While it would obviously be nice, I'm not sure if spending the extra money (cell phones are very expensive here, especially since I'm not getting a contract) will make me that much happier. I am getting along well enough without one that I think my simple Nokia brick phone will get the job done (for now at least). Maybe when I have a job and more money I'll step it up - it would help me share my trip a little easier!

Day 5: Let the Orientation Begin!

Today was the first day of O-Week! First time having to get up at a reasonable hour, but we haven't been going out so it was doable. We walked into the Uni to see it full of students, looking a lot like us - not from Australia, and looking a little losted. Luckily there were UTS Peer Networkers (which we called Orange shirt people, if you can figure out why) to guide us to each session we needed to attend.

The day was filled with semi-boring lectures, just like you would have at most universities, going over the essentials and getting us familiarized with the Uni's system. The highlights of the day were our random Yum Cha lunch at Marigold where we made friends with an Aussie orange shirt girl, and the Aboriginal dancing at the welcome ceremony. It helped give us a taste of Australia, and I'm looking forward to potentially attending a real Aboriginal event.

The day concluded with an Aussie "Barbie" and a Columbian band that enticed us all to dance to La Bamba. Australians do center things around drinking socially, so we also had our first of several happy hours that night at the Loft, a bar on campus. It was a fun experience because we just went up to a random table of people, and started talking and making friends. Since everyone was new and the majority international, we were all in the same boat and looking to meet new people. Again, to show how small of a world it was, I ran into the one other student from Sac State at UTS! It was nice to see a familiar face, and I'm sure I'll run into him again in the future.

When in conversation with some of the students from France and other countries, I realized that people were going to be asking me a lot of questions about the US, California, and San Francisco. Everyone was very interested in what it was like, and also how Americans viewed their culture. Before coming here, I was told to not talk about politics and to not talk too much about the US becuase I might run into conflicts. But if people were going to ask, I was going to tell. I think many people that chose Syndey were also looking at studying in the US, so obviously they were intersted in what our culture was like. So far what I could tell them was the Sydney seemed quite similar to San Francisco, but I'm sure after time goes on I will have a better answer with more contrasts.

Since the happy hour started at 6pm, we were heading back home by 10pm, which was perfect considering it was such a long day. Ready for another long day of presentations tomorrow!

Day 4: Taking in the Aroma

Today we did a little more site-seeing as we headed off to The Rocks for the Aroma Festival - a festival about coffee, tea, and anything else that smells good! Again we had our trusty guide Hitesh to take us on the right bus the headed down George Street straight to the festival.

We made it down to the end of George Street (they had part of the street blocked off for the festival) and saw the crowds of people, and of course to my liking, the water! Another beautiful sunny day in Australia's winter, and there we were staring at the Sydney Opera House on the other side of the bay! It was much more impressive in person to me, and it helped me realize that I wasn't in the US anymore, this was SYDNEY.

The Aroma Festival was very nice - wonderful smells, a lot of expensive treats, live music, and beautiful scenery. I'm looking forward to checking out other events they have by the Rocks, as well as the Contemporary Art Museum located in the same area. Even if there is not special event going on in the area, there is a street fair every weekend. We saw some beautiful photography which made me excited to learn the city to know the best times to take out my SLR to get some good shots.

After making the rounds and grabbing the least expensive food (Subway for us poor Uni students), we started walking back to our flat. On the way we saw the free 555 bus that loops around George Street to Central Station, so we hopped on (and rode it a little too far, but oh well).

When we got back to our flat, we saw some couches sitting outside the building. Again, being the poor uni students we are, we took advantage of everything free, and took two small couches and a chair to decorate our flat. Now when people come to visit, we have more room for sleeping! And on our way back up, we met some new people in the lift (elevator - my international thesaurus will be coming soon). New friends from Australia and France came and hung out for a while, helping out flat become the hang out place we all envisioned it becoming.

All in all, another good day with new places and people!

Day 3

After sleeping for nearly 16 hours, I felt refreshed and ready to take on the day. Sabrina and I headed over to Gumal, the other student housing building down the road, to meet 2 friends from her Uni (Vanish and Karolina) and to get some things at the "free stall." The free stall was an event where Housing was giving away items from people who used to live there for a small donation. I made out with a bunch of hangers, cotton balls, and a reusable grocery bag (all for $2 - not too shabby).

Gumal is a much nicer residence hall than ours. While the individual rooms may be a bit smaller, the flats have a lot of light coming in, and one or two balconies! And from the rooftop of the 9 story building there are BBQs, a small workout area, and views of city. This is where several events will be taking place during orientation week and throughout the semester.

We then took my second trip to Paddy's Market after picking up Hitesh on the way. When we stopped by the flat, we had a new flatmate moving in to 204A. This is when I realized how small the world reall is. Greg, from Tracy, California, attending CalPoly, knows people that went to my high school! Here I am on the other side of the world, living with people from 5 different nations, and down the hall is someone that knows the same people as me from home.

After getting over the fact that I was living with a fellow Bay Area-ite (?) we ventured out to Paddy's, but didn't buy anything this time around. We checked out Market City above, where Vanish, Karolina, and Sabrina checked out their cell phone options. I wasn't sure at this point what company I wanted to go with, especially since I was going to have to buy a phone because mine from the US doesn't have a SIM card. Vanish had a iPhone that needed to be unlocked which would take 2 hours, so we ventured off to check out Darling Harbour.

Finally I got to see the water! Being on the harbor really made me feel like I was at home, smelling the salty air and seeing the boats all around. I am always excited and comforted by water, and it was even better as the sun went down casting beautiful colors on the surrounding buildings.

Day 2: Move In Day!

After going to sleep at a decent hour and waking up around 9:15am, I think I am starting to get adjusted to the time zone. I slept well in the hostel, and wasn’t even awakened by others coming into the room (got to love Benedry!) and I was ready to pick up my heavy bags and make the short trek to the UTS tower building to start the move in process.

Even though my residence, Bulga Ngurra was a short 6 minute walk from the Tower, I was quick to accept the offer of a ride to my building. Of course when I went to get into the truck, I was very confused when I thought the driver was asking me to sit in the front on the left side – did he want me to drive?!?! I soon realized that the steering wheel was on the RIGHT side of the car, but not before the group of girls coming along had a good laugh. It hasn’t seemed to weird to see cars driving on the left side of the road, but to be IN the car was a different story! Left hand turns on red are something I am going to have to get used to.

Room 204D in a six bedroom apartment. Fully furnished including kitchen accesories, so luckily I am not going to need to buy too much. I will give you a real tour later, after I get settled in. I met three of my flatmates today (they don’t call them roommates here) and they are all very nice. In 204B we have Emily, an Australian from the central coast studying nursing. She has been at Uni for a year now, but this is the first time she is living on her own. In 204E we have Sabrina from London, studying international business at Westminster University. She will be here for the semester like me. And in 204F we have Hitesh, in his final semester as an MBA student studying finance. He has been living in this flat for a semester already, and was happy to have flatmates again.

After getting semi-settled and semi-unpacked, Hitesh took Sabrina and me to the Broadway Mall to do some grocery shopping and get essentials like a comforter. Interestingly enough we went to Target to get a comforter, but it was different than in the US. Mainly it was much smaller, and the prices were higher (as I have found with most things in Sydney). Grocery shopping was an interesting task to say the least. I had to get used to things being measured in kg or grams, and their portions are much smaller (lunch meat and tofu specifically). Also, they don’t refrigerate their eggs! I’m sure it can’t be a bad thing though, they are all still alive. But eggs are around $4 for 12, almost twice what I paid at Trader Joe’s. I ended up only buying a few things, because I really need to go back and scan everything before I decide how I want to buy food. It will be easier once I have a set schedule and know when I will be cooking meals at home.

While we thought about going out tonight to see the city in all of its glory, jet lag got the best of me as I laid down for a nap at 6 pm, and didn’t wake up until 11 pm. Needless to say, I didn’t go out, and enjoyed the sleep that I was obviously lacking.

Day 1, Part 2: The exploration begins…

After resting and looking over travel pamphlets in my hostel room this morning, I was ready to walk around and start exploring. My only obligations at the time were to find internet to inform my family that I had arrived safely, make sure I was set to move into housing tomorrow, and start checking out the options for mobile phone service. This allowed me plenty of time to wander and get lost in the big city of Sydney.

Sydney Central YHA is located in the center of Sydney (who would have guessed!) near the central station. I knew UTS was somewhere close to this, and luckily all I had to do was look up to see the ugly Tower Building in close proxmity. I made my way over to the university carefully crossing the streets, looking RIGHT before left in this country. I wasn’t sure what side of the sidewalk I should walk on though, becuase in the US we walk on the right as well. It turns out there isn’t really a standard for this, so I made my way trying not to run into anyone.

My first impression of Sydney reminded me a lot of a US big city. There are a variety of people that look, dress, and act differently. I was told that everyone dresses up in Sydney, but I found this to be untrue from the getgo. People dress up in San Francisco, but I never did, so I assumed I could do the same here. No need to change myself for my surroundings. I may stand out as an American, but walking down the street it seemed that every nationality was represented, so I didn’t feel out of place.

After visit my future campus, I made my way to something called Paddy’s Market, where I can tell I will be large sums of money throughout the semester. It is located below Market City, a shopping center on the edge of Chinatown, and is open Thursday – Sunday. It reminds me of the San Rafael Farmer’s Market, but in Chinatown where you can buy anything you would ever need. They have cheap electronics, toiletries, fake name-brand clothes (Zoo York, H&W instead of H&M) and fruits and vegetables. I didn’t buy anything this time around, but I will definitely be heading back when I figure out what I really need.

As I left Paddy’s Market I saw a sign to Darling Harbour, a well known tourist attraction, so I headed in that direction. The sun was going down at this point, so I didn’t make it all the way to the water, but I did enjoy a pretty sunset. The temperature made it very easy to forget it was winter (65 degrees F maybe?) but the fact that it wasn’t even 5pm yet reminded me of the time of year. I eventually made my way back to the hostel before dark, after stopping at a few cell phone shops along the way (there are so many! But all too expensive for my pocket).

After getting settled back in and taking a shower, I was ready for a BBQ Kangaroo burger. But of course, it had started to sprinkle, making a BBQ an event that no one would attend. I headed to the rooftop regardless, and came across a few backpackers enjoying the view and some beers. I knew this wasn’t the trip to be shy, so I went right up to them and introduced myself, jumping right into their conversation. They were 2 Candian guys and a Scottish one (all unrelated), enjoying their last night in Sydney. We were all there for different reasons, which made it an interesting conversation about their trips so far and what was to come. They told me some good places to visit, and others to avoid, but the general belief of everyone is that you have to experience it for yourself. While it wasn’t an eventful night, so far Sydney was what I was hoping for – meeting people from all over the world and learning and sharing from each other. I can only dream of what is to come when I have enough energy to go out on the town!

Day 1, Part 1: Made it to Sydney! Now what?

I was told I was crazy for not having a plan for once I got to Sydney. I am moving into the dorms tomorrow, so was planning on staying in a hostel for tonight. Did I book a hostel? No. Did I look up where they were located? Well… not really. Did I know what I was getting myself into? Probably not, but oh well. That is part of the adventure, right? Arriving at 6:25 am in new city in a foreign country may seem crazy, but that’s the fun of it.

Davi, a Sydney local who sat next to me on the plane, was going to let me come to her house until hostels were open around Sydney. I waited for her after going through customs, and when we met she took me to the travel accommodations board.

Let me start by saying this only my third time out of the country (counting a late night trip to Tiajuana, but that’s another story), my second time overseas, and my first time traveling on my own. While it seems like a scary experience, Sydney does everything possible to make it easy for travelers. The accommodations board shows information about shuttles, hostels, and other tourist resources, and includes a free phone to contact these services. With Davi’s help, I found a YHA hostel close to UTS that was open and had rooms available, and we boarded the train to downtown.

On the train, a man overheard us talking about the Central YHA, and he informed me that after getting off at the Central stop, exit Eddy Street, go left, and you will eventually run into it. It sounded straight forward enough, but I was still a little weary and didn’t want to get lost with the loads of baggage I was lugging around (my back wasn’t feeling too hot at this point).

As I got of the train, I saw the UTS tower close by (letting me know I was at least in the right area) and I followed his directions. Before I knew it, I entered the Central YHA and was greeted by friendly Australians at the counter. They gave me clean sheets, some useful information, and I key to my 6-bed dorm room. Easy as pie.

As I walked to my room, I grabbed several magazines and booklets with information for people traveling around Australia. I haven’t even walked around the city yet, but I can tell I am going to love it here. There is ALWAYS something going on, hostels all over the country, easy to arrange trips, and a numerous resources to help you find work in Australia. Even the YHA has organized activities, bbq’s and nightly parties, a full kitchen for anyone to use, a pool and sauna, and more I’m sure that I haven’t discovered. It almost makes me want to stay at hostels all the time! So far one other girl is staying in my room, Josephine from Sweden. She is traveling the East Coast of Australia, and we are both looking forward to traveling by ourselves.

I am starting to realize that there is way too much I am going to want to do here! Luckily, that is the best problem to have. Hopefully school won’t get in the way of my fun, and visa versa. Everyone told me that Australians like to party, and now I see how true that is just flipping through the guides. At this moment, I haven’t even ventured outside, and I don’t want to leave at the end of my five months. On paper, it looks like the most amazing place in the world.

Ok, I think it is time to go out and start exploring the city. The rain has stopped, but the clouds are still out (but come on, I’m from San Francisco, this is nothing). I am going to venture to UTS to try to find my dorm before I have to search with all of my luggage. I might also try to check out Chinatown and get a power converter (might come in handy if I want to keep blogging). Tonight there is a BBQ at YHA, where hopefully I’ll meet some other travelers to go out on the town with (if I have enough energy, I’m starting to crash already). Don’t miss my next blog to hear about the kangaroo burger I get to try tonight!

14 hours of flying, and not enough sleeping

Alright, made it on the plane finally! My seat as 56B, a middle seat on the right side (I probably could have gotten a window seat if I checked in earlier, but that was one of the last things on my mind when I was getting ready to leave). As I slowly made my way down the aisle, I crossed my fingers, hoping for a good seat mate. My fantasy was that I would be seated next to the man that would eventually become my gorgeous Australian husband, and he would be my personal guide all around the country. This didn’t exactly happen, but I was lucky enough to have good people on either side of me.

To my left in the window seat was Dave, a college hockey player from Alberta, Canada going to visit a friend. I could immediately tell he was outgoing and on his first trip to Sydney. As soon as I put my stuff down, we began to chat and spent a large portion of the flight learning about each other and getting ourselves excited for the adventures we were about to partake on. Neither of us had much luck sleeping, so the conversation helped pass the time.

Dave was getting picked up by his friend, at 6:25 am when our flight was due to arrive. What was my plan? Well, I didn’t really have one, and it was starting to worry me. What was I going to do that early in the morning? It was still dark outside, so I assumed not much would be open yet.

Luckily my seat mate on my right was Davi, a middle eastern women from Sydney. She slept for the majority of the flight, but she was very nice and offered to share a cab with me and was going to let me stay at her house until the afternoon when more hostels would be open. While I didn’t end up going to her home, she was very helpful and sent me in the right direction. I think I started off my trip on a good note.

Free at last, free at last

My parents kept telling me that once I was on the plane to Australia, the stress would finally disappear. As I prepared for my trip up until the last minute, it was hard to believe the stress would ever go away. Packing up a room in Sacramento, a room in Corte Madera, and consolidating five months of belongings into two bags was a challenge, to say the least. The process seemed to take months, and I didn’t feel like I got anything done until my final boxes were out of Sacramento and my bags were packed for Australia. My friends and family were more than willing to help, but it was something I needed to complete on my own. It was a process of keep, take, or toss, which took ages. Sorting through memories, getting rid of clothes, and selling all of my furniture took just about everything out of me. I injured my back a month ago, which made the process much more painful and stressful.

I was packing boxes until the minute I left for the airport, and luckily my family finished the job for me after I left. Home free once I left for the airport! Wait, I forgot my jacket, and considering I only have one and it’s winter in Sydney, I was going to need that. At that moment I was just hoping I didn’t forget anything more crucial (i.e. passport, visa, or something else I still haven’t realized I forgot). Needless the say, the stress was still there.

Every time I come home to the Bay Area, it is one of the most amazing feelings, because I remember that I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. So of course, leaving the bay for five months is a sad sight (yes, I know, Sydney is also gorgeous, but it’s not home). Driving across the Golden Gate Bridge witnessing one last sunset in the distance was a fitting way to leave the US.

Once I got to the airport, the stress relief began. Alright, I’m boarding the plane, almost there, I thought. Wait! I left my laptop in the chairs! Luckily it was still there, but my life did flash before my eyes (my laptop is one of my babies, along with my car and my cat that are now in my sister’s hands). Ok, finally, I think I’m ready. Laptop, check. Passport, check. Painkillers for my back, check. Let’s do this.

One chapter ends as another begins

Imagine a modest family room with a beige sectional couch. scattered with black labrador retriever hair, an old turn-dial television set, a VCR with a wired remote, a computer desk, and 80’s style picture frames filled with family photos (also obviously from the 80’s) covering the walls. This is how I remember my family room at its finest. I spent the majority of my youth in that room, and I loved every minute of it. From my dog running through the glass sliding door to recording home videos with my sister and cousin.

While the room has not looked that way in years, it is how I will always remember it. Only a few days ago, as I returned home after moving all of my belongings out of my house in Sacramento where I attended school, the room looked completely different. A modern couch, freshly painted walls, new carpet and large hawaiian paintings was the new vision of this room. The house where I lived my entire life (all 21 years of it) was going on the market. It was almost unrecognizable and impersonal, staged to allow any family to imagine calling it home. Don’t get me wrong, the house has never looked so good. But it wasn’t MY house anymore. As I unloaded my car of my final belongings and attempted to pack for my trip to Australia, I had no room to call me own or place to organize my luggage. I was told not too move ANYTHING, it was staged professionally and needed to remain in its pristine state for the open house that was only a few days away.

At this point the feeling of homelessness began to feel real – my room in Sacramento was now occupied by one of my good friends, my old room at home was set up for a child, my things were packed away in storage, and I was about to pack my life into two bags for my five month trip to Australia. I don’t have a plan for when I return, and I won’t have a room waiting form me on my arrival. Will I move to the mountains and become a snow bum? Will I stay in Australia with no return date in sight? I do not plan on moving back to Sacramento or to Corte Madera, so my future as of now is up in the air. This is a scary moment in my life, but also one of the greatest opportunities.

Many of my friends recently graduated from college and are trying to figure out what to do with their lives. Instead of following the pack, I pushed my graduation date back to take the opportunity to study abroad. While I may not be entering the real world yet, I am definitely starting a new chapter in my life that will have a largely influence my future.