This week is O Week, or orientation week. I have been attending sessions about how to enroll for classes, how to get around Melbourne, and how to prepare for succeeding in a new uni.
I enrolled in classes and then I registered for my particular class times. My schedule is as follows:
Monday: 8-9 Evolution Lecture
11-12 Comparative Animal Physiology Lecture
12-1 Ecology Lecture
Tuesday: 9-10 Ecology Lecture
11-12 Genetics Lecture
2:15-5:15 Comparative Animal Physiology Lab
Wednesday: 8-9 Evolution Lecture
9-10 Comparative Animal Physiology Lecture
12-1 Genetics Lecture
2-5 Evolution Lab
Thursday: 9-10 Comparative Animal Physiology Lecture
10-11 Evolution Tutorial
2:15-5:15 Ecology Lab
Friday: 8-9 Biology Lecture
11-12 Genetics Lecture
1-2 Genetics Tutorial
Which I am pretty okay with. I really wanted my Genetics Tutorial to be on Monday so that I could be done on Fridays at 12, but I just don't think I can make it to class on time with how long the walk is. I considered renting a bike once a week in order to make it. I think that it is like $2.50 for 2 hours or something like that. I think I would be okay with paying it because I would only need to once a week. I know I would be able to make it on a bike, but it is just too far to walk. So I might rent the bike and time myself. If I think I can do it then I may change my class so that I can be done earlier on Fridays.
But enough of that, I have been wandering around a lot and my feet are killing me! This is such a big city! 4 million people! I haven't even ventured out of North Melbourne yet. I took come pictures of the city and some of my room, but I might wait until I have more before I put them up on Facebook.
I think that I might go to the zoo this weekend because it is walking distance away and I am really excited to go and see what kinds of animals they have. I am also going to ask about volunteering there, but I don't think I will be able to. I looked into it before I left the States and there is like a year waiting list to volunteer because it is a program that they only give to college students. I got my application turned in to the Healesville Sanctuary though! The sanctuary is basically a state of the art wildlife rehab facility. Unfortunately, I will have to catch and train and a bus up there and I don't know how much THAT will be. Then when I get there I will have to get a hotel room. I marked on the form that I maybe be able to do it once a month depending on how pricey it is. I really want to find a couple places nearby that I can catch a tram to or something. That is next on my list.
I just can't wait to start classes! I always feel like this in the few like two weeks, and then I hate it. lol. I think that this is going to be much more difficult than back home. At SIU, classes have many assignments over the course of the semester to assess you, but here they have like one big test at the end, and that is your grade. I'm really nervous about it. I am not very good at making myself do things until the last minute, so I am really going to have to buckle down and set goals AND STICK TO THEM. We will just have to see what happens!
Love you and I will talk to you later!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Glossed Over
Sorry I glossed over some things in that happened in Cairns. There were a few more things that I wanted to say.
First of all, I wanted to post a video of the sensitive grass.
Next, I wanted to post a few videos of the day I saw the aborigines dance and play the didgeridoo.
^^It sucks that it's sideways, but I love it! This is an aborigine man playing the didgeridoo. He is imitating a kangaroo!
^^I was in love with one of these guys. I wanted to take him home with me.
On another note, It scares me-how much I have spent. It went so quickly, and I can't really think of where it all went. I can remember where about half of it went, but it is worrysome.
Here are some Aussie terms and sayings:
Speedo: Budgie (Hamster) Smuggler, Dick Sticker, Banana Hammock
Afternoon: Arvo
Relatives: Rellies
Cell Phone: Mobile
Breakfast: Brekkie
No Bigge: No Worries
Girls: Sheilas
Men: Mates, Blokes
Underwear: Toggs
Sunglasses: Sunnies
Bathing Suits: Bathers
BBQ Pit: Barbie
Bathrooms: Toilets, Dunnies
Equal Chance: Fair Go
Good Day: G'Day
Football: Footy
OZ: Australia; Down Under
Kiwi: Someone From New Zealand
Full: Chuckers
You don't call someone on the phone, you RING them.
Goon: NASTY CHEAP Boxed Wine---> It got this name because the people who primarily used to drink it were the aborigines, and they can't hold their alcohol. So they would drink it, get trashed and want to pass out, then inflate the silver bag inside once it was empty and use it for a pillow. "Goon" means pillow in the language of the aborigines.
I know I haven't been posting much since I got into Melbourne, but I will soon. Goodnight everyone! <3
First of all, I wanted to post a video of the sensitive grass.
Next, I wanted to post a few videos of the day I saw the aborigines dance and play the didgeridoo.
^^It sucks that it's sideways, but I love it! This is an aborigine man playing the didgeridoo. He is imitating a kangaroo!
^^I was in love with one of these guys. I wanted to take him home with me.
On another note, It scares me-how much I have spent. It went so quickly, and I can't really think of where it all went. I can remember where about half of it went, but it is worrysome.
Here are some Aussie terms and sayings:
Speedo: Budgie (Hamster) Smuggler, Dick Sticker, Banana Hammock
Afternoon: Arvo
Relatives: Rellies
Cell Phone: Mobile
Breakfast: Brekkie
No Bigge: No Worries
Girls: Sheilas
Men: Mates, Blokes
Underwear: Toggs
Sunglasses: Sunnies
Bathing Suits: Bathers
BBQ Pit: Barbie
Bathrooms: Toilets, Dunnies
Equal Chance: Fair Go
Good Day: G'Day
Football: Footy
OZ: Australia; Down Under
Kiwi: Someone From New Zealand
Full: Chuckers
You don't call someone on the phone, you RING them.
Goon: NASTY CHEAP Boxed Wine---> It got this name because the people who primarily used to drink it were the aborigines, and they can't hold their alcohol. So they would drink it, get trashed and want to pass out, then inflate the silver bag inside once it was empty and use it for a pillow. "Goon" means pillow in the language of the aborigines.
I know I haven't been posting much since I got into Melbourne, but I will soon. Goodnight everyone! <3
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Cairns Day Four
G’day!
So today I went to the rainforest again. The first thing I did when I got there was hold a python! She was so amazing and reinforced the fact that I want a snake. Lol.
And theeenn I got to pet/feed wallabies and kangaroos! The place where we went was kind of like a small zoo. I saw kangaroos, wallabies, a snake, two GIANT saltwater crocodiles, a few small freshwater crocodiles, a cassowary, koalas, some parrots, a turtle, and some iguanas. I took tons of pictures and videos of me feeding and petting the animals.
Next, we got the chance to see a man play the didgeridoo! It was so great, he was really good. Then he showed us some spears and how the indigenous aborigine people used them. We also got to watch him and some other guys throw them. Afterwards, he showed us boomerangs and I got to throw one! It went pretty far but was basically a joke compared to how he threw his. His went in a huge circle and came right back to him and he caught it. Then we saw the men, who are descendents of the aborigine people, perform. They did a whole bunch of dances with the didgeridoo and some sticks as instruments. It was really entertaining. Their dances told stories. One was about these two kangaroos fighting, another was about a snake searching for and finding its prey, the next was a tribal warning dance, then one was about warriors out searching for a tree that provides honey, and one was a dance about their names. It was really cool to see. Annnndd two of them were extremely gorgeous and wearing basically nothing. Mom, you had better pray I don’t meet a ridiculously hot aborigine man and stay here forever…because I was tempted.
Before we left, I got to hold a beautiful koala named Kia. She was four years old and such a sweetheart, which is odd because koalas are known for being mean. But, anyways, I got my picture taken with her and I look like a dork.
So that was today. Another thing I found out is that no one expects to be tipped here. Waitresses make like $20 an hour!
That’s all for now, folks!
So today I went to the rainforest again. The first thing I did when I got there was hold a python! She was so amazing and reinforced the fact that I want a snake. Lol.
And theeenn I got to pet/feed wallabies and kangaroos! The place where we went was kind of like a small zoo. I saw kangaroos, wallabies, a snake, two GIANT saltwater crocodiles, a few small freshwater crocodiles, a cassowary, koalas, some parrots, a turtle, and some iguanas. I took tons of pictures and videos of me feeding and petting the animals.
Next, we got the chance to see a man play the didgeridoo! It was so great, he was really good. Then he showed us some spears and how the indigenous aborigine people used them. We also got to watch him and some other guys throw them. Afterwards, he showed us boomerangs and I got to throw one! It went pretty far but was basically a joke compared to how he threw his. His went in a huge circle and came right back to him and he caught it. Then we saw the men, who are descendents of the aborigine people, perform. They did a whole bunch of dances with the didgeridoo and some sticks as instruments. It was really entertaining. Their dances told stories. One was about these two kangaroos fighting, another was about a snake searching for and finding its prey, the next was a tribal warning dance, then one was about warriors out searching for a tree that provides honey, and one was a dance about their names. It was really cool to see. Annnndd two of them were extremely gorgeous and wearing basically nothing. Mom, you had better pray I don’t meet a ridiculously hot aborigine man and stay here forever…because I was tempted.Before we left, I got to hold a beautiful koala named Kia. She was four years old and such a sweetheart, which is odd because koalas are known for being mean. But, anyways, I got my picture taken with her and I look like a dork.
So that was today. Another thing I found out is that no one expects to be tipped here. Waitresses make like $20 an hour!
That’s all for now, folks!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Cairns Days One, Two, and Three!
Wow. So here I am…in Australia. I have so much to say, I feel like this is going to be a really long post. So bear with me because I am going to start from the very beginning.
So, leaving Pekin wasn’t too traumatic. It sucked saying goodbye to Garet. I hate being gone so much because I feel like I am missing him grow up…but on the other hand I could do without the whining. Lol. Anyways, Mom, Jordan, and I headed to Chicago and the ride was actually fun. We got there and got my boarding passes and when I hugged my Mom goodbye when I was leaving to go through security we both started crying. It was so scary. But I went through security and walked to my terminal and met a few Australearn kids right off the bat. I am going to skim through the airports because they were so boring and not interesting. Flew from Chicago to L.A., then from L.A. to Brisbane, then from Brisbane to Cairns.
When I got to Cairns I was pretty upset. I felt like I had been making friends along the way, which isn’t easy for me because I am so quiet. But when I got to the Bohemia Resort (place I am staying) I was so disappointed because it seemed like the people I had been talking to had all found other friends. And all of the girls in my room don’t really seem like the type of girls I usually hang out with. (Not that I usually interact with girls, but last night they went out, got trashed and some of them jello wrestled topless.I feel like a lot of people didn’t come to study, they came to party. Unfortunately, all of those girls go to my school.) I felt so lonely. I called my mom crying the second I got my phone to work. We talked for a good hour and then Alicia happened to walk by. It was a good thing because I couldn’t stop crying, but the second I saw her I started to feel a little better. I hate being so lonely and not knowing anyone, but that is something I am just going to have to work on. I think I am doing better with it already, I have been pretty much on my own and having fun.
The second day was our day on the Great Barrier Reef! It was a two hour boat ride out which sucked. But I met two girls: one was from Holland and English was her second language and the other was from London. The 
girl from London was sea sick the entire way so I befriended her. Haha. When we finally arrived on the reef I got my wetsuit on and a snorkel mask/tube thing set and flippers and jumped right in!! Which was a mistake!! I immediately panicked and took my flippers off and got right back on the boat. I don’t know what happened; I am a very strong swimmer. It could have had something to do with the fact I was all alone in the ocean and if a shark attacked I would have been its only option. But who knows? So anyway, I got out and put this buoyancy belt on and got back in. Once I got comfortable, I took the belt off and was amazed! The fish weren’t afraid of people and they would swim right in front of your face! The coral was so bright and pretty, and I saw quite a few fish who were entirely rainbow color
ed. I saw two sting rays which were beige with bright blue polka dots, a big black sea cucumber, and clams that were -no lie- at least 4 feet across. On top of that, I saw these great little fish who were taking turns digging a hole in the sand. One would go in and get a mouthful and then spit it out while the other kept watch. Then they would take breaks and grab a mouthful of sand and push it through their gills. And then I SAW A FREAKING STONEFISH! I wanted to watch it forever, but I was afraid it would get brave and come kill me, so I left it alone. On one of the sites we snorkeled at there was a small island. On this island, there were a shit ton of birds! There was a small section of the beach roped off for people use, and if you stepped over it you immediately got a $7,500 on the spot fine because it was part of the protected marine park.
And today, I went to the rainforest and planted trees! The trees are someday going to be food for the Cassowary, a keystone Australian species that is going extinct. There are only an estimated 1,500 left in all of Australia. It is basically a massive flightless bird that is territorial and aggressive. So I guess you could think of it as an Austrich. Get it? Ostrich? Lmao. It was really interesting learning about it. The main lady that ran the whole thing, and started it, was 70 and was telling me about her life and how she had been doing this for the past 20 years. She was really passionate and it was really nice to meet someone so passionate about their work.
One thing I have noticed about Australia is that they are 100% environmentally conscious and community oriented. If you litter you get a $250 on the spot fine. They don’t fertilize crops in Queensland because the runoff with ruin the reef. They have tons of commercials on TV about volunteering and saving the animals and their habitats. I wish America was more like this. They even have two buttons on the toilet: one for number one and one for number two. Lol. Uses less water.
Also, I think their sense of humor is so great-very dry and sarcastic. They always make fun of the people from New Zealand, who they call Kiwis. They like to rag on each other alot I’ve learned some funny lingo, too. You know fanny packs? Well, here, a fanny is a vulgar term for a woman’s vagina. They are called bum bags, not fanny packs. And root is a vulgar term for sex. So, you don’t root for someone. You cheer for them. I learned that Australian students are closet studiers, and will never admit to studying. I also learned that this semester is going to suck and be really difficult.
Well, I guess I will go, we just had Pizza Hut! Which was so familiar, but not really because my pizza had pepperoni and a weird sausage on it. But it was good! I’m not sure what I am going to do tonight. I might go wander a bit if it isn’t too scary out. I will try to write again sooner so that I don’t write such a long entry. Tomorrow I get to get my picture taken hold a koala and feeding kangaroos! Goodnight<3
So, leaving Pekin wasn’t too traumatic. It sucked saying goodbye to Garet. I hate being gone so much because I feel like I am missing him grow up…but on the other hand I could do without the whining. Lol. Anyways, Mom, Jordan, and I headed to Chicago and the ride was actually fun. We got there and got my boarding passes and when I hugged my Mom goodbye when I was leaving to go through security we both started crying. It was so scary. But I went through security and walked to my terminal and met a few Australearn kids right off the bat. I am going to skim through the airports because they were so boring and not interesting. Flew from Chicago to L.A., then from L.A. to Brisbane, then from Brisbane to Cairns.
When I got to Cairns I was pretty upset. I felt like I had been making friends along the way, which isn’t easy for me because I am so quiet. But when I got to the Bohemia Resort (place I am staying) I was so disappointed because it seemed like the people I had been talking to had all found other friends. And all of the girls in my room don’t really seem like the type of girls I usually hang out with. (Not that I usually interact with girls, but last night they went out, got trashed and some of them jello wrestled topless.I feel like a lot of people didn’t come to study, they came to party. Unfortunately, all of those girls go to my school.) I felt so lonely. I called my mom crying the second I got my phone to work. We talked for a good hour and then Alicia happened to walk by. It was a good thing because I couldn’t stop crying, but the second I saw her I started to feel a little better. I hate being so lonely and not knowing anyone, but that is something I am just going to have to work on. I think I am doing better with it already, I have been pretty much on my own and having fun.
The second day was our day on the Great Barrier Reef! It was a two hour boat ride out which sucked. But I met two girls: one was from Holland and English was her second language and the other was from London. The 
girl from London was sea sick the entire way so I befriended her. Haha. When we finally arrived on the reef I got my wetsuit on and a snorkel mask/tube thing set and flippers and jumped right in!! Which was a mistake!! I immediately panicked and took my flippers off and got right back on the boat. I don’t know what happened; I am a very strong swimmer. It could have had something to do with the fact I was all alone in the ocean and if a shark attacked I would have been its only option. But who knows? So anyway, I got out and put this buoyancy belt on and got back in. Once I got comfortable, I took the belt off and was amazed! The fish weren’t afraid of people and they would swim right in front of your face! The coral was so bright and pretty, and I saw quite a few fish who were entirely rainbow color
ed. I saw two sting rays which were beige with bright blue polka dots, a big black sea cucumber, and clams that were -no lie- at least 4 feet across. On top of that, I saw these great little fish who were taking turns digging a hole in the sand. One would go in and get a mouthful and then spit it out while the other kept watch. Then they would take breaks and grab a mouthful of sand and push it through their gills. And then I SAW A FREAKING STONEFISH! I wanted to watch it forever, but I was afraid it would get brave and come kill me, so I left it alone. On one of the sites we snorkeled at there was a small island. On this island, there were a shit ton of birds! There was a small section of the beach roped off for people use, and if you stepped over it you immediately got a $7,500 on the spot fine because it was part of the protected marine park.
And today, I went to the rainforest and planted trees! The trees are someday going to be food for the Cassowary, a keystone Australian species that is going extinct. There are only an estimated 1,500 left in all of Australia. It is basically a massive flightless bird that is territorial and aggressive. So I guess you could think of it as an Austrich. Get it? Ostrich? Lmao. It was really interesting learning about it. The main lady that ran the whole thing, and started it, was 70 and was telling me about her life and how she had been doing this for the past 20 years. She was really passionate and it was really nice to meet someone so passionate about their work.One thing I have noticed about Australia is that they are 100% environmentally conscious and community oriented. If you litter you get a $250 on the spot fine. They don’t fertilize crops in Queensland because the runoff with ruin the reef. They have tons of commercials on TV about volunteering and saving the animals and their habitats. I wish America was more like this. They even have two buttons on the toilet: one for number one and one for number two. Lol. Uses less water.
Also, I think their sense of humor is so great-very dry and sarcastic. They always make fun of the people from New Zealand, who they call Kiwis. They like to rag on each other alot I’ve learned some funny lingo, too. You know fanny packs? Well, here, a fanny is a vulgar term for a woman’s vagina. They are called bum bags, not fanny packs. And root is a vulgar term for sex. So, you don’t root for someone. You cheer for them. I learned that Australian students are closet studiers, and will never admit to studying. I also learned that this semester is going to suck and be really difficult.
Well, I guess I will go, we just had Pizza Hut! Which was so familiar, but not really because my pizza had pepperoni and a weird sausage on it. But it was good! I’m not sure what I am going to do tonight. I might go wander a bit if it isn’t too scary out. I will try to write again sooner so that I don’t write such a long entry. Tomorrow I get to get my picture taken hold a koala and feeding kangaroos! Goodnight<3
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