So, here's your quick dose of Oz culture to assist in your immersion process. Hope it gives you another peak into my life here and answers various burning questions I know you all have.
Tid bit number one: It's not a wive's tale. The water, as a result of the Coriolis Effect, does swirl down a drain in the opposite direction- clockwise.
Now, onto traffic... Australians drive on the opposite side of the road. With the addition of round-abouts, adjusting is actually a lot more difficult than expected, especially when crossing streets on a run! The fast lane is furthest to the right and on/off ramps are on the left. I wondered before coming to Australia if driving on the opposite side of the road had an effect on people's walking logistics (nerd alert), and it does. If you're walking toward someone in the states you veer right to avoid them, and if you want to pass someone you pass on the left. But, here it is just the opposite- veer left and pass right. A car's passenger seat is on the left side, and you enter/exit a bus on the left side.
K, onto Aussie Speak... and that's AuZZie. (I was repremanded for saying it with an "s" sound.) Aussies are notorious for shortening words or adding endings to them. They also use British English as well. So, here's some fun vocab to use back in the states:
Brizzy=Brisbane
Oz=Australia
bird=girl
bloke=guy
garbo=trash man
wheely bins=trash cans with wheels
rubbish=trash
sunnies=sunglasses
sickie=sick day from work
brekkie=breakfast
arvo=afternoon
owyagoin'?=how are you?
mate=guy to guy greeting
stubby=can of beer
no worries=you're welcome
dunny/lou/toilet=bathroom
Poms/Pommies=Brits
Kiwis=New Zealanders
sanger=sandwich
truckie=truck driver
heaps=lots
g'day=hi
Cheers to acculturation!
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Monday, January 22, 2007
The Whitsundays and Australia Day
Some of my pictures are finally online for your viewing pleasure from my first week here and my weekend excursions to Byron Bay and the Whitsundays with still more to come!
So, the Whitsunday Islands turned out to be a great getaway, although a tropical rainstorm happened to be part of our experience. Luckily, the weather held up enough to still allow for our snorkeling day-cruise though. The colors weren't as vibrant and the sediment decreased visibility, but the Great Barrier Reef is a world all it's own and was still incredible to see! The highlight for me were the HUGE blue clams. In spite of the rain, the water was 85 degrees! So, we pulled on our "stinger suits" (essentially full-body spandex leotards for protection from deadly box jellyfish) and hopped in. And yes, I invested in an underwater camera. Our cruise included a rainforest hike to the Daydream Island lookout and Whitehaven Beach, which has the clearest water and whitest sand I've ever seen. Back in town, we did do bit of sun bathing on the bank of the lagoon in Airlie Beach where we stayed. (Oddly enough, there is no significant beach- just the lagoon.) As the rain came down, I passed time with a few of the girls in the local bead shop. The fruits of my labor turned out three pairs of adorable earrings and two bracelets. On our last night there, I learned how to play Aussie rules pool at a local bar and got hit on by a seventy year old, Asian-hating drunk, who coincidentally was seated in the row in front of me on the plane flight home! What are the chances?! So, that is my weekend in brief. It was great to get away, but nice to be home. All this traveling is surprisingly exhausting. But don't worry Mom and Dad, school work of course comes first. ;)
Last night, I was lucky enough to see my very first "touch footie" game. A friend I met in the states lives here in Brisbane permanently. He plays in a rec league and invited me to their semi-final match. As far as I understand, it's touch rugby. Think touch football but much faster and harder to follow! Brisbane is a diverse city with lots of ethnic food, which we took advantage of by ordering Indian takeout. Mmm! It's great to get away from the group and experience normal Brizzy life, not feeling like a tourist for even just a short time.
This weekend is Australia Day, which is similar to our 4th of July. The entire country shuts down, "barbies" start up along with concerts, outdoor movie marathons, dancing, drumming, fireworks all accompanied by XXXX beer, which is actually brewed here in Brisbane. We plan on grilling up some kangaroo meat. Heard it's tastey. I'll let you know!
So, the Whitsunday Islands turned out to be a great getaway, although a tropical rainstorm happened to be part of our experience. Luckily, the weather held up enough to still allow for our snorkeling day-cruise though. The colors weren't as vibrant and the sediment decreased visibility, but the Great Barrier Reef is a world all it's own and was still incredible to see! The highlight for me were the HUGE blue clams. In spite of the rain, the water was 85 degrees! So, we pulled on our "stinger suits" (essentially full-body spandex leotards for protection from deadly box jellyfish) and hopped in. And yes, I invested in an underwater camera. Our cruise included a rainforest hike to the Daydream Island lookout and Whitehaven Beach, which has the clearest water and whitest sand I've ever seen. Back in town, we did do bit of sun bathing on the bank of the lagoon in Airlie Beach where we stayed. (Oddly enough, there is no significant beach- just the lagoon.) As the rain came down, I passed time with a few of the girls in the local bead shop. The fruits of my labor turned out three pairs of adorable earrings and two bracelets. On our last night there, I learned how to play Aussie rules pool at a local bar and got hit on by a seventy year old, Asian-hating drunk, who coincidentally was seated in the row in front of me on the plane flight home! What are the chances?! So, that is my weekend in brief. It was great to get away, but nice to be home. All this traveling is surprisingly exhausting. But don't worry Mom and Dad, school work of course comes first. ;)
Last night, I was lucky enough to see my very first "touch footie" game. A friend I met in the states lives here in Brisbane permanently. He plays in a rec league and invited me to their semi-final match. As far as I understand, it's touch rugby. Think touch football but much faster and harder to follow! Brisbane is a diverse city with lots of ethnic food, which we took advantage of by ordering Indian takeout. Mmm! It's great to get away from the group and experience normal Brizzy life, not feeling like a tourist for even just a short time.
This weekend is Australia Day, which is similar to our 4th of July. The entire country shuts down, "barbies" start up along with concerts, outdoor movie marathons, dancing, drumming, fireworks all accompanied by XXXX beer, which is actually brewed here in Brisbane. We plan on grilling up some kangaroo meat. Heard it's tastey. I'll let you know!
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Whitsunday Islands
This weekend I'll be traveling to the Whitsunday Islands, which are located two-thirds of the way down on the Great Barrier Reef. Five of us girls are going and will be staying in an apartment on the mainland. We are planning a snorkling tour for one of the days, which should offer some pretty spectacular photo opps. Better invest in an underwater camera. Can't wait to tell you all about it. Cheers!
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Setting the Stage
The fifteen hour flight went much faster than expected with no hitches in travel. Having returned from Urbana in St. Louis just the day before, I was packing furiously until leaving my parents' for my LAX departure, but so far I haven't found that I've forgotten anything. Phew!
So let me get you up to speed on where I'm living...
Our apartments are a quick walk to the bus stop in a suburb of Brisbane called Taringa. They include a salt water pool and once a week maid service. Torturous, really. My roommates are great, one of which is my SLO roommate, Kira.
The city of Brisbane is beautiful. It reminds me a bit of Boston with a modern twist. There's a great outdoor mall and an area called South Bank where a man-made beach is located along with an art museum, gallery, and botanical gardens. The public trasportation system includes trains and buses and also a ferry called the City Cat, which gives way to scenic rides home with the night skyline draped behind.
University of Queensland is an incredible school, one of the top four in the country! Having been opened in 1901, the architecture is beautiful. I feel like I'm on a "real" college campus, and it inspires me to go somewhere with true atmosphere for my masters.
So, there ya have it. That's the setting for my quarter down under. Here goes...
So let me get you up to speed on where I'm living...
Our apartments are a quick walk to the bus stop in a suburb of Brisbane called Taringa. They include a salt water pool and once a week maid service. Torturous, really. My roommates are great, one of which is my SLO roommate, Kira.
The city of Brisbane is beautiful. It reminds me a bit of Boston with a modern twist. There's a great outdoor mall and an area called South Bank where a man-made beach is located along with an art museum, gallery, and botanical gardens. The public trasportation system includes trains and buses and also a ferry called the City Cat, which gives way to scenic rides home with the night skyline draped behind.
University of Queensland is an incredible school, one of the top four in the country! Having been opened in 1901, the architecture is beautiful. I feel like I'm on a "real" college campus, and it inspires me to go somewhere with true atmosphere for my masters.
So, there ya have it. That's the setting for my quarter down under. Here goes...
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