Sunday, July 30, 2006

Wine and Whale Weekend

After a fun night out which ended late, I had to get up at 7am the next mornig to catch an 8am bus for a Wine and Whale weekend provided by Colourful Trips.

We drove to Hunter Valley in the morning for some wine tasting. First we went to McGuigan. We had about 9 different wine tastings there including a Semillon (which the region is famous for) and Shiraz and Port. The tasting area was really well set up and we had a sheet to follow along. I really enjoyed the wines and I bought a 2002 Shiraz for about $17. Adjacent to the wine cellar was the Hunter Valley Cheese Shop. So we tried 5 different cheeses and crackers. These were really, really good. There was sharp cheddar, brie, blue cheese and a really nice soft one. All that wine and cheese sure did fill us up. We then stopped in Hunter Valley garden for a BBQ. Meagan and Mary Kate (from Northwestern University) and I walked around. The area was established by the Roche family who own a large pharmaceutical company. We visited the church that was purposely built for the daughter’s wedding and we walked through the gardens. It was so serene and relaxing. Again, the weather was beautiful… I can’t believe they call this winter!

At Hunter Valley, tasting cheese with Mary Kate and Meagan and my bottle of wine.

Hunter Valley Garden - chapel

After the BBQ, we went to De Bartoli. I didn’t enjoy the wines here that much and the set up made it difficult to enjoy it. But nonetheless, another good wine-ing experience. The vines were fruitless so unfortunately, I couldn’t take nice vineyard shots.

We then headed to Newcastle for the night. We checked into the Newcastle Beach YHA and walked around before heading to the MJ Finnegan’s Pub for some beer and grub. The pub was ok, a little over priced and the service was terrible. But tipping isn’t the customary thing here in Australia so I’m glad there wasn’t the usual tax + tip like in Canada. The pub became loud when the started broadcasting the National Rugby League game (All Black vs. Wallobies) on the TV, so we headed back to the hostel. The group of us girls, including Meagan, MaryKate, Sandy, and two others walked around. We were so exhausted and the nightlife in Newcastle wasn’t exactly happening, so we just called it an early night.

But in the hostel, as we were about to get into our 10 person dorm, someone struck up a conversation with a friendly guy from Melbourne… that conversation lasted about 2 hours! We just stood around the fireplace and leather sofas and chatted about the differences between our cultures and funny experiences we had had. He gave us some good tips like always shake out your shoes in case there is a funnel web or red back spider in there. And we asked him questions like, how do you respond to “how ya goin’” (which is a common greeting phrase and the response is: you repeat it back). It was a really nice conversation but unfortunately, like many of my other experiences, we never formally introduced each other, so I don’t know his name. I do know that he and his girlfriend broke up and he needed to ‘get away’ so he showed up at the airport and saw a flight to Newcastle for $50 so that’s were he went.

Being tired, we finally made it into the dorm at midnight and got ready for bed. I was sound asleep when at about 3am, another girl who had stayed out later and who was sleeping in the bunk above me decided to make tons of noise. It first started with moving the bed and shaking everything. And then she had a LOUD conversation on the phone in German. She didn’t even TRY to be quiet. It woke me and half the room up. I couldn’t take it anymore and finally tapped her bed and told her to kindly go outside because I was trying to sleep. It was very inconsiderate and rude and couldn’t believe it was happening. After that, I couldn’t get back into a deep sleep and therefore, didn’t have a very good night.

On Sunday, we packed up our stuff and left the hostel, heading toward Port Stephens to catch our boat. We left the bay and into the open ocean. The boat sure did move up and down a lot. Although sea sick pills were given away for free, I took the risk and opted out of it. Thankfully I didn’t have to use a little plastic bag at the back of the boat. We first saw a school of dolphins and the captain followed the school around so that we could get closer. It was really cute.

The captain allowed us to venture to the stern of the boat. So a few of us climbed down on the net and up to the stern to appreciate the views and have a Titanic moment.

Having a Titanic moment

School of dolphins

Then a number of minutes later and further out, we saw the spray of a humpback whale. Again, the captain moved in closer and positioned us well to get some good viewings. There were 2 pairs of whales on either side of the boat at one point. People were snapping away with their camera and moving around the boat’s sides to get the best view. It was amazing to see these creatures. At one point, a large wave allowed us to see the large body in a turquoise green light under the water. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any jump or go belly up. But I was impressed that we got the views that we did and the captain was really knowledgeable.

"There she blows!"

A pair of humpback whales

The tail!

After eating flake (shark meat) and chips, we headed to a nearby beach that had massive sand dunes. This was something I did not expect to see. The dunes were just so vast and wide. The wind made ripples over the sand and there were valleys and hills of sand. I couldn’t believe… it was as if you were in a dessert – minus the extreme hot sun. The sand was cool and super fine beneath our feet and when we got to the summit of the dunes, we overlooked the blue ocean. It was breathtaking. We walked out onto the beach and dipped our feet in the water (which was quite cold). We also saw camels giving camel rides to some people. I wish I knew the name of the beach… I would definitely want to go back.

Among the sand dunes

On the beach


Overlooking the beach

Then we headed back to Sydney and I tried to sleep on the bus, but our tour guide (who was a bit of a spaz and made us laugh) played the music quite loud. I was tempted to ask him to turn it down but didn’t. Despite the annoying music, the whole trip was a great success. I had a fun time and got to meet some more people, including another Canadian form Oakville who also lives at the Village.

This little weekend trip did make me realize that I don’t want to do an organized tour when I go up the east coast in December. I’d much rather go form hostel to hostel, on my own, meeting people on the way and having the experience of a lifetime.

Pictures: http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/lilliandemelo@rogers.com/album?.dir=/4dd8scd&.src=ph&.tok=pheg3QFBj2qBaEip

Partying at Darling Harbour

Friday was a girl’s night out. My roommate Sasha asked me if I wanted to join her friends on a night out and I gladly accepted. Sasha introduced me to her friends Martina (from Poland), Ester (from Austria) and another girl (from Singapore) whose name I didn’t quite catch. We first went to the Well, which is the bar in the Village. They were giving away free booze, so I had a few vodka lemon spritzer. We stayed there until 11 when it closed and then took an hour to figure out what to do next. Half the group wanted to stay in Newtown, the other half wanted to go into the city. Finally we decided to go to the city and we hopped in a cab and headed for Darling Harbour. The Asian man who drove us there found us quite amusing to say the least. Cab rides are always fun.

We started off our little lounge-hop. Gladly some of the other girls where as cheap as I was… I didn’t want to spend a lot of money. So we went to Home Bar which was supposed to be $5 to enter, so we turned to go somewhere else, when a girl just a 1 meter away from the door was giving away free entry cards. So we headed in and there were a few different rooms. Home Nightclub had an enormous line and no doubt, a cover to match it, but I will definitely be checking out Sydney’s biggest club before I leave. We stayed at the adjacent Home Bar, had a round off shots and danced. Sasha and I stayed in the small room with house music… we were the only ones dancing. And the others went to the R&B room. It was so beautiful to dance, and look out across the harbour and see all the lights. The weather was perfect and the atmosphere was fun.

We then walked along the dock to the next lounge, Pontoon. It was full of old school R&B, full of young people, full of nasty guys and full of cougars. Not my scene, but we stayed there a bit to appease the others. After that, we went to Cargo Bar… again, some good house music. Again, we danced some more. We literally danced until our feet hurt and couldn’t do it anymore. So we headed back into a cab and arrived back at the village around 2:30am. It was a fun night and looking forward to many more just like that.

(PS no pictures because I didn’t bring a purse and didn’t want to be a complete tourist)

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Uni has started

My schedule is pretty empty to begin with and this week since there are no tutorials I haven't had much class. I didn't go in Monday or Wednesday at all. On Tuesday I had Green Engineering which seems pretty tough and I already have an essay due next week! (up to 3000 words on defining green engineering). So I've been feverishly working on that, but it seems like it's all a waste since it's only worth 5%! Well one thing I have realizes is that I've been out of school for way too long. They don't tell you when you go on PEY that you will come back and not remember a single thing related to your degree! I also had Australian Sport in Culture class on Tuesday. And that was really cool - we'll be going on a number of field trips and get to know what the Australian sport culture is all about. Most of the people in that class are American international students but it seems like it'll be a fun class.

Then today (Thursday) I went to the first Plant Design class and our prof gave us our groups. I'm in Jemma's group which is really cool and the others seem really nice. We have to design a sulphuric acid plant! I noticed a lot of people in Chemical engineering, it seems, are International students, and now I'm one of them! Many are from the Asian countries and I believe I'm the only Canadian :D

One thing I felt when I was sitting in that first class is something I've never felt before and I'm sure many students feel it if they come from another country. I felt like I didn't want to talk, because I knew that as soon as I did and they heard my "accent" they would know I'm different. It was quite intimidating... along with the subject material that just went over my head and that fact that some of the students already had a rapport with the professor and each other. It made me realize that whether English is your first language or not, your speech says a lot about you. And at that moment, I didn't want them to know I was different. I just wanted to blend in and avoid creating attention to myself and to do that, I had to keep quite.

This whole experience of being at school as an International student also made me think... when was the last time I gave a helping hand to a new student in my class. You experience feelings of isolation and loneliness and even the smallest smile or question like "Where are you from?" or "What is your name?" makes the biggest difference. I can at least understand their language and speak it.... I can't imagine doing this and English being only your second language.

It's tougher than I thought it would be. But also a very good experience, it's already changing the way I perceive the world around me.

Another thing I've experienced is Australians saying "Are you from the US?" or apologizing because they can't tell the difference in our accents. I wonder if I would be able to tell the difference. I assume I could, at the very least 4 times out of 5 make a correct guess. I'm not quite sure if that offends me yet... it seems that the people I've met here don't have a very good perception of American students and I don't think they are welcomed here in some circles with open arms to say the least. And I'd understand why... to be honest, they come in large groups, most being loud, obnoxious and annoying (of course there are exceptions) but I don't want to be associated or lumped into that group. So whenever an Aussie says they can't tell the difference, I just say "It's alright, I can't quite tell the difference between an Australian accent and a British one." But I think that offends them but I certainly don't mean too... it is hard to tell in some cases. :p

Monday, July 24, 2006

A great way to end the weekend...

Yesterday, Sunday, I woke up early and headed to Coogee Beach. It’s just a little south east of where I live and it took about 45 min by bus. It was a beautiful day - clear skies, warm and there were heaps of people out and about. I brought an umbrella since it had been raining so much, but didn’t even have to use it (more about this later). So I walked to the south of Coogee Beach…and took some great pictures. The landscape was rocky with many cliffs that flanked the beaches. I had some fish and chips ($9!) by the seaside and then wet my feet for the first time in the Pacific Ocean. The water didn’t see that cold. People were swimming it and there were a number of surfers.
At Coogee Beach

Starting my walk to Bondi Beach. Overlooking Coogee.

Gordon's Bay

I then headed the long walk up to Bondi Beach. Along the way I passed 2 other beaches and a few bays. There was also a large cemetery. The tombstones were the biggest I’ve ever seen and at each one there was a cement or marble bed. The cemetery was on a sloping landscape and there the dead could live eternally by the ocean.

Many times I walked along the cliff and it was very scary to peer over the edge at the thrashing waves below. Yet I was awe inspired by the force of them and refreshed by their ocean spray.

It was just beautiful to spend the day walking along the little coves, bays and beaches. The walk itself is about 2.5km (or so the guide says) and I took about 3.5 hours to complete it. I just took my time and traveling leisurely. I also stopped many time to take photos.

What I found to be the most interesting was the ocean side pools. They are carved out of the natural rock and the waves keep the pool full of ocean water. So people can swim lengths or just swim leisurely in the ocean without having to worry about undertows, currents or sharks!

Beachside pool, or baths, at Coogee.

The walk ended at Bondi Beach which is the famous Sydney beach. It was must larger than Coogee and much busier. There were a lot more surfers and I spent a good 20 min just watching in awe. I’ll be learning to surf, but I can already tell that it looks very hard!

Walking toward Bondi Beach.

Bondi at dusk

Of all the times I’ve gone out and have done things on my own, this was probably the only time I really wish someone was with me… especially David. It would have been so romantic to share that walk with him. Stopping on the rocks to absorb the beauty. Having a picnic on the beach. Going into the ocean for quick dip. He was constantly on my mind.

For David... you're always in my thoughts

I would have also liked to been there with my parents and sister… I know they would have loved it. My parents love being by the ocean and I don’t think they’ve ever been to the Pacific either. The landscape was similar to that of the south of Portugal where my family and I vacationed last time we were in Portugal 5 years ago. They would have fallen in love with Australia right then and there… I think I did. My goal in life: to live only 30 1 hour (max.) from a beautiful beach, if not right on the beach!

Being pensive at Bronte Beach

Night time at Bondi Beach... the main strip: Campbell Parade

I waited till dark time to take some night time shots. I text messaged Kristen but she wasn’t at the beach where her hostel is, so I just headed back home. I was tired but satisfied with my little day trip.

My trip:

Check out the rest of the pictures: http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/lilliandemelo@rogers.com/album?.dir=/a421scd&.src=ph&.tok=phVjhOFBVxAcU3kB

Today was the “first” day of school, yet I had no classes (only 1 tutorial on Mondays which are cancelled for this week). Pretty sweet! I went to uni though to pick up my student card (yes!! 50% of bus fare!) then I did some laundry. Things are quite expensive in Sydney. A load cost me $3.20 and that’s with the student discount but my socks came out still dirty! Next time I’ll have to bleach wash them I guess. Being cheap (and since it cost $1 for 7 min of drying) and walked back here with 2 bags of wet clothing and hung it to dry in my room and our in the living room were there are racks to hang clothes. No one uses the dryers cause they are so expensive. So I just put my roommate’s heater on full black and directly it to my wardrobe where the clothes were hanging... they dried pretty quickly. I just hate hanging clothes to dry… they get stiff and stay wrinkled. I’ll see how it turns out this time.

Finally it rained today!! I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see rain. This is why: It has been raining ever since I landed except for one day last weekend when I walked around downtown. So this past Friday, it was raining again and I wanted to run some errands and avoid taking the bus. So I decided to suck it up and buy an umbrella. I went to Kmart and the cheapest (and ugliest) one I could find was $8!! But since I had been caught in the rain a few times and I hate having my hair frizzy I bought it. Well… it remained un-open for 3 days!! I walked around with the umbrella in my purse on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and NOTHING! No rain! No need for an $8 umbrella! So today when I left the house I wasn’t going to take it, thinking it hasn’t rained in 3 days, but I did anyway to be on the safe side. And guess what… it rained. Finally! How ironic.

Saturday, July 22, 2006

Aquarium Compilation

Didgeridoo Compilation

My second weekend here

The International Party was… well… full of international people. I won a $10 calling card for having the best Australian accent and even though I probably made a fool of myself in front of about 200 people, I now get to talk to David for free! I met a lot more people, but half of whom I won’t be able to remember their names. They played hip hop and reggae which isn’t my thing and hard for me to dance to. Lots of people were really drunk. One even fell down a flight of stairs as we all left after 1am… ended up with a split lip and most likely a concussion. I am really looking forward to meeting and going out with Australians… I’ve had enough of other international students.

Yesterday, I ran into Kristen on her apartment search on my way back from buying a SIM card for my cell phone, so I offered to keep her company. She found a really nice place nearby in Newtown as well and I hope she gets it. Makes me thankful I was able to get a spot at SUV. Later in the evening after she looked at some other places, she invited me to Bondi Beach where she’s staying in a hostel. We went out for dinner on the main road and I had fish and chips for $6. We then went to a bar/pool hall/restaurant which was really nice and casual. A few people from Kristen’s hostel were meeting up there. I met 2 girls traveling from the UK, a girl from Israel starting her 6 month travels (she was doing it on her own), a guy from Germany also traveling on his own and a German girl starting school at another uni. We just had some wine, shot some pool and chatted… it was a nice quiet evening. I really enjoy meeting other people and sharing experiences and hopes and values.

Today, I went to the Sydney Aquarium. It was pretty good. I got to see platypuses, crocodiles, sharks, stingray, seals, and a bunch of fish! I don’t know what specific kind of animals I took pictures or shot videos of, but they were all pretty cool. Watching the coral reef tanks really made me want to go scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef… and I definitely will. So enjoy the pictures and videos.

Open Wide!!

The crayfish said, "What are you lookin' at?"

The little Penguin said, "Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!"

The Aussies have a good sense of humour.

Would not want to find one of these next to me in the ocean...

I then went for a free didgeridoo show at Darling Harbour. The music that comes out of the long hallow eucalyptus shaft is incredible. It’s so rhythmic and soothing. The musician has had quite the fascinating life. He grew up with Sydney with his parents and family. He didn’t know his “father” was really his step-father until he was 14 years old. He noticed that both his mom, and step dad and siblings had blue eyes and light hair and he was the opposite. So he questioned his parents one day and asked, “Where did I come from?” His mother told him his real father was from an aboriginal tribe in Northern Queensland but didn’t know much else. He then started a journey of finding his place in the world and an identity which he struggled with. Before his 16th birthday, he got into some trouble with the police and landed in a juvenile detention centre for 9 months. An aboriginal liaison at the detention centre asked if he belonged to a tribe because of the way he looked, to which he answered, I don’t know where I come from. He urged his parents to help him search for his father and his family and they traveled up to Queensland and brought his grandfather to Sydney to meet his grandson, who he did not know existed. They made an agreement that he would serve the rest of his detention with the tribe in Queensland. He said it was very difficult to adjust and he soon realized that we take so much for granted. He had to learn to fish for his own food and talk the language of his people and live without electricity or plumbing or any of the modern conveniences. He ended up staying there 2 years and that is where he learned how to play the didgeridoo among other things like finally finding an identity, learning about his family history and culture and putting his life on the straight path. His story was very touching and inspirational… it was about finding oneself and appreciating what we have.

Now I can say I've played the didgeridoo

It made me realize how difficult it would be if I didn’t know where I came from. I know my parents are Portuguese and I’ve met many relatives and share many traditions, the language and the culture with them. Although I was born and raised in Canada, I still feel a sense of connectedness to the Portuguese heritage which I am fortunate to have been raised with. I know where I come from and have an identity and people I can identify with. I can’t imagine what it would be like to live without knowing those critical things that make up your identity.

It also made me think about the journey I’m on. I’m hoping it will make me realize what is most important to me and what kind of person I am. I hope this trip reveals things about me I didn’t know and also helps me grow and develop. Since I’ve been here, I’ve had to do a lot of things on my own. And many times I’ve thought that it’d be nice to have someone with me, even if it was to help me with my groceries… but on the other hand, I’m glad that I am on my own and able to still do the things I’ve been doing. It had forced me to introduce myself to people and to be more outgoing. Again, I think once you step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself to do things you’ve never done before or to do them by yourself, you get to really know yourself and your limits, your likes and dislikes.

It’s hard to find a place for yourself, especially in social circles. That is something I’ve been struggling with. I can’t ever remember a time when I had to put so much effort in making friends and maintaining those connections. It seemed like friends were always around even though they came and went. I can maybe liken this experience to the first time starting university, but even then, there were high school friends to lean on. Now, I’m apart from my friends and family and I now have to find my own family of friends to make my experience fun and enjoyable.

Right now it’s Saturday evening and although I have 2 propositions to go out, I feel quite comfortable being along and reflecting and relaxing for the rest of the evening. Although, this isn’t always the case and sometimes you have to go the extra effort to make connections with people. Otherwise, I’ll find myself here on a Saturday night again wanting to go out and do something, but won’t have anyone to do it with.

I look forward to what the rest of the trip with reveal about myself and the people in my life.

Pictures: http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/lilliandemelo@rogers.com/album?.dir=/193bscd&.src=ph&.tok=phx5LOFBI4HlrQ2L

Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpjD4Kyily0 - Platypus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxp0ML1IoHs – Penguins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiPwCtVsE8I – Jelly Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz3cyQtKwYQ – Seal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gyGrasOB2c – Turtle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJjr8Mu3rUw – Shark and Stingray

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiwUbagvOnI - Didgeridoo Show

Thursday, July 20, 2006

It’s already been over a week!

I’ve been quite busy with Orientation the past few days. There were a lot of seminars and information sessions. I met a number of other international students. There are about, I would guess 300 students… and about 75% are American! I couldn’t believe it. There were about 5 other Canadians and I’ve only met one of them who is from Calgary. What I don’t get about “most” of the Americans that are here studying is that they met or knew each other before coming to Australia. And it seems as though, they stick together in their little cliques and don’t care to meet anyone else. I don’t get why You come to Australia to study if you’re just going to be friends with other Americans ONLY?!?! To be honest, you can tell who the Americans are in the bunch... you can spot them a mile away and most girls seem to be those sorority type, snobby girls that I don’t care to meet. But I have also met some really nice ones.

In speaking to these people there were 4 questions that were always asked: What’s your name? Where are you from? What are you studying? Have you found a place yet? I’ve come to realize that I’ll only remember one of these details about a person. If I can’t remember their name, I’ll most likely know where they’re from or what they are studying! It was really hard to try to remember people’s names. In some instances, I introduced myself to the same people twice!

Most people I met are also living at the Village where I am. Some have other accommodations and a good portion of them are still searching for a permanent place to stay. It seems like that is quite difficult and despite some annoying nuances about this place, I’m glad I have a home and not living out of my suitcase in a hostel!

I met a girl Helena from Poland who also lives at the Village. Tuesday night she invited me out and we met up with some other people that also live here: two guys from the UK, a girl from Mexico and some others. We then went to a bar called Kuletos (which I had already been to with Jemma) that is two steps away from the Village. Except when we decided to head over there that night, it was pouring rain and we got wet! We had a few drinks there and then headed over to someone’s apartment in the Village. Our group had grown to about 15 people and I also met another guy from Canada. They later went to a club called Scruffy’s which I had heard was a total meat market where the guys are aggressive and the atmosphere is ‘dodgy’ (or sketchy). So I decided not to go, especially since Helena had already left.

Yesterday I went on a walking tour and met and talked to different people. I met an openly gay guy, Chris from DC who is HILARIOUS! I also met Kristen from Oregon, Mary Kate and Heather (I think!) from Boston, Maria and Claudia from Austria, some guy from Mexico and Marcello from Brazil. The walking tour (which by the way, it rained the whole way!) ended at CargoBar at Darling Harbour – very nice place. We had a free drink and chatted. Then later Kristen, Marcello and the guy from Mexico went in search of food and then headed home in our separate ways.
Kristen and I at the Harbour.

Darling Harbour by night

There are tons more people I met and briefly chatted with but again, it’s so hard to keep track. So far everyone has been super nice, delightful and enjoyable to be around.

Some good news! I can now Skype and Webcam! I took my laptop to the Library and they configured it for me. But the downside is that I have to pay for downloading (go figure! This country has obviously not heard of UNLIMITED downloading for a decent price!) So webcamming gets expensive, but I can transmit my webcam images to whomever and don’t have to worry about paying anything.

I also found out about a really cool course that is designed for International Students to get to learn about the Australia Sport culture in a hand-on way via numerous field trips to rugby games, surfing competitions, etc. So I’m taking that as my elective and that should be fun!

I’ve discovered Tim Tams! This is quite the Australian treat and is embedded in the hearts and culture of Australia much like Vegemite (ick!) It is a chocolate filled, chocolate biscuit, covered in chocolate! And the best way to eat it is to bite the opposite ends of the biscuit and suck your tea with milk through it like a straw. It melts and becomes a chocolatey, gooey and delicious mess! This stuff is so good!So good... I cannot begin to describe.

I also got my hair cut today at Toni&Guy. I went to their teaching academy and got a hair cut for $18 by a hairdresser in training. The instructor watched the whole time to make sure my hairdresser was doing everything right. What a sweet deal and it was pretty good. But of course, as I stepped out of the salon to catch the bus, it rained… just my luck!
My new hair cut called, Transient Length.

In all the times I’ve gone out… I usually have beer. Mostly cause it’s cheapest and that’s what everyone else has. I keep ordering different beers and honestly, they all taste the same to me.

There’s an International Student Party tonight so hopefully that’ll be good time. But the weather is quite miserable and rainy… can’t wait until it gets better. I signed up for a Wine and Whale weekend for next weekend. We’re traveling up to the Hunter Valley for some wine tasting then going on a whale watching cruise! The weather better be good for that one! And classes start Monday… I don’t want them to start…. I just want to have fun, go out and do Sydney-esque things.

PS I’m in need of a serious massage… I must have pulled a muscle in my shoulder carrying all my groceries yesterday 

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Video Compilation: Sydney Sunday July 16th



My super, amazing, talented boyfriend David did this for me!! He's the greatest. THANK YOU DAVID!

Enjoy everyone!

WANTED: New legs and feet

Friday night with Jemma and her friends from Caltex was great! Jemma and I first met up for coffee. Then, we met the others at a Thai restaurant in Newtown. We started off with some red wine and then finished with some sparkling wine. After having some good food, we headed to a sports bar for some beers. This was my first time having more than a ‘sip’ of beer. All I can say is that is went down… and thankfully it stayed down! Her friends were very generous and welcoming and I just couldn’t refuse. I also had a drink of lemon, lime and bitter with Vodka. It was good but I have no idea what ‘bitter’ is. After most of her friends left, Jemma, Richard (another student who works at Caltex) and I headed to another, classier bar. We had a few martinis ($10! Eep!) and just chatted the night away. Thankfully, SUV was just around the corner so I walked home by myself and made it alright. It was a fun night and I’m sure there will be many more.

Saturday’s weather was miserable. In the afternoon, my flatmate Sacha and I went into the city and did some shopping. Whoa! There are tons of deals?!?! Cool clothing shops like Supre, Jay Jays, SES, Sportsgirl, and heaps (lots) more, I can’t remember them all. I just wish I had an occasion to shop for. There were 2 malls and a long strip of shops on a closed street, just a few minutes walking distance from each other – can’t wait to go back. The style here is very 80s… as I mentioned before… skinny jeans, large belts, high boots, leggings/tights, polka dots and stripes in bring colours. Its lots of fun and quite funky…I need an excuse to do some shopping. We finished off the evening with some sushi at a local sushi bar… mmmm... It was very good.

I had decided that I would go into the city today and explore. The weather was finally decent (not rainy and 18 deg Celsius – not bad for winter!). So I headed into the city on a bus that took about 15 minutes. I started off in Darling Harbour. This is what Toronto has to do with our waterfront. It was beautiful… lots of green space, souvenir shops, a theatre, water park area and lots more. It was just perfect for strolling along. It did remind me somewhat of Ontario Place, but MUCH, MUCH nicer.

Looking west across the Harbour

Looking out of the Harbour (North). Lots of fancy restaurants and nightclubs on the right.

I paid $3 to walk around the Chinese Garden of Friendship and it was well worth it. It was so peaceful and serene. There were small waterfalls, lots of green trees and bushes, a large pond with gigantic Koi fish, and funny shaped rocks. It was nice just to walk around, clear my mind and appreciate the sights and sounds.

One of the many pretty views within the Garden

Then I headed up through Hyde Park and visited the ANZAC (Australian New Zealand Army Corps) war memorial. Australians are very proud of the men and women who served during World War I, in particular, in Gallipoli, Turkey. (Wikipedia-it for more info). I took lots of pictures of random buildings. Everything is just so beautiful and historic. Even the hospital didn’t seem like a hospital and actually looked quite pleasant to go to!

Anzac Memorial by night

I walked into Circular Quay. It is the hub for the Sydney ferry system and it’s the point where all transit systems (tram, monorail, bus, ferry, etc) intersect. It was bustling with lots of people – mostly tourists. There were a number of street performers and vendors. Right nearby, is the Rocks which used to be full of warehouses and pubs for convicts, sailors and ordinary men. Now it’s a tourist attraction and I just wandered around the cobbled streets and admired the colonial buildings. The Rocks market was in full swing and I was amazing to see the arts and crafts vendors were selling. I also headed into an arcade with more shops and saw a candy making demonstration. That was pretty cool, but the candy was too sugary for my liking.

Circular Quay - Bridge view

After that, I went up to the Harbour Bridge and walked around there for a while taking pics from the high vantage point. From there, I walked along the shore around to the Sydney Opera House. I had seen it from the Bridge and even before that, through the buildings and trees as it poked its sail-like structure out. Both the Bridge and the Opera House are majestic and awe-inspiring. I caught some beautiful views of the city and surrounds and was lucky to see the sun begin to set. I walked through the Botanical Gardens to Mrs. Macquaries’ Chair which is a point on the other side of the cove where you can see both the Bridge and the Opera House in the same frame. I kept thinking I couldn’t believe I was there… looking at the masterpieces before me. David, you would have loved it!

The Harbour Bridge - from the sidewalk

Thank you 10 sec delay feature on the camera!

From Mrs. Macquaries' Point

Since the sun was beginning to set, I continued back to Central Station through the Gardens and then again, through Hyde Park, taking some cool night time pictures along the way. The streets were quite busy so I felt pretty safe and I headed back onto the bus to Newtown.

St. Mary's Cathedral

It was truly a fantastic day which I am paying for, physically right now. Total walking time: about 9 hours. Needless to say, both my legs, knees and feet are sore and in need of replacement for tomorrows start of Orientation.

It’s starting to sink in now that I will be here for the next 6 months. I will get to know the city and it is my home for now. In the past, I’ve always had someone to travel with, to walk with, to talk to... I rarely do things without a companion. But today, I was truly on my own. I made my own decisions on where to go and what to do. I walked and explored and admired to my heart’s content without having to try to please anyone but myself. I’ve been quite apprehensive on finding someone to travel with in December, but now, after today, I think I’d be quite happy on my own, at least for the most part. I won’t be afraid to do things on my own now, like visiting a Museum or going on a Harbour Cruise. I can’t wait around for other people to do these kinds of things with – time is too short and I need to do them on my own. Companions are great and lots of fun and love meeting people and being around other, but sometimes, you just need to be by yourself and your thoughts. And today is what I did and needed.

On a side note… I don’t think I want to leave. I’m falling in love with the city and I’ve only see the “tip of the iceberg”!

For all my pics:
http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/lilliandemelo@rogers.com/my_photos


Friday, July 14, 2006

The Excitement Builds...

Despite the bit of boredom and loneliness... I can't say that I'm homesick. The past few days have been challenging. I've had to figure things out for myself like which bus to take, where to get off, which road gets me back 'home'. I've had to shop for groceries and necessities and I cooked my first dinner last night (damn... I need practice). I'm starting to think that I can do this on my own successfully and have fun and learn lots about myself. I talk to my parents and David often and they are doing well. It's comforting to hear their voices but I get anxious to start my day and get out there. Despite the cold, I don't want to be cooped up inside.
Town Hall (I think... )

Today, I went out an explored the a bit of downtown Sydney. I took a 20 min bus ride and soon I found myself in the centre of it all. The main purpose of the trip was to get to an American Express Office to cash my traveller’s cheques and then deposit them in the bank account I had opened.

So after I took care of that, I walked around. The city is very busy and the buildings are tall, just like downtown. You see all kinds of people, from ones in suits, to those begging on the street and to those who lead alternative lifestyles. The city is also quite multicultural. I popped into some clothing stores to do some shopping. I also went into the Queen Victoria Building which is a mall and absolutely beautiful. It had a number of very posh stores in the upper levels and then funky (cheaper) ones at the bottom. I had some lunch there at a fast healthy food place called WellBeing. It was reasonably priced and it was good on the go. I’ve noticed that Australians are quite health conscious. I saw my firs McDonald’s today, other than that, I’ve rarely seen any fast food places.
Inside QVB

I walked around even more and stumbled upon Haymarket St and Paddington’s Market. It’s just like a bazaar with stands and people selling all sorts of random stuff including clothing rip-offs. For example: I saw a “Billabong” shirt but when I looked closely, it really said “Billahong.” I did see some really nice beach towels, so I’ll have to go back there and spend some more time. It was drizzling periodically and I was quite chilly so rather than go to the Opera House today, I just headed back on the bus.
Paddy's Market

Monorail

Tonight, I’m meeting up with Jemma, who is also a ChemE at USyd. I had been corresponding with her for a few months; the Prof put us in touch. Now, I finally get to meet her in person. We both live in Newtown and we’re going out to Thai dinner with some people that she worked with (she too was working the past year) and then drinks. I’m excited because otherwise, I’d be pretty bored tonight.

Lastly, I got my schedule - 13 hours of class per week, not bad considering I’m not doing a thesis. I’m sure it’ll be tough and I know there is a lot of self assisted group work, but it’ll be nice not to wake up everyday at 8am! I just have 1 or 2 classes to switch, so it will change (hopefully for the better!)

Walking around today got me excited for all the things there are to do and see. I hope the weather gets better, because I hope to visit the Opera House and walk around the Harbour this weekend. I should try to get as much done before uni starts.

A funny looking bird I saw as I walked through Victoria Park. It was digging for food! Even everyday wild life is so different!