Melbourne... where's all the grass?!

I've finally arrived in Melbourne... the city is magnificent but going through a major drought. It shocked me while flying in to see the outskirts of the city were brown with arid patches and dead grass. We could see the smoke from the bush fires that have been affecting Melbourne for weeks (you can actually see the smoke in the left portion of this picture!). Everyone has really come together to support those who have lost their homes and lives because of the fires.


It was a 14 hour plane ride to Sydney and another three hours to Cairns where our program orientation took place. For all those that don't know where Cairns is... its in the northeastern part of Australia, in the state of Queensland.



As soon as I stepped outside into Cairns (which was actually green), my clothes started to stick to my body. The weather was quite a change from the 10 degree weather in Minnesota. It was way too humid and I was stepping out of the plane in a coat and jeans. I immediately felt like I was going to dehydrate.

One of the things I didn't anticipate from Australia was that there would be almost no water fountains to drink from. Water is way too expensive to buy here. It runs from 2.50 to 3.50 AUD which is about 2-2.50 US dollars per bottle... and the weather calls for water 24/7! In Cairns... I saw two people who had to go to the hospital for dehydration in my three day stay.

Sickness seemed to strike us all while in Cairns... but our bodies were just adjusting to the new place. One day out of Cairns... I lost my voice. I spent the first night in Melbourne struggling to talk and meet people because my voice was so shot but regardless of the fact that I had no voice... meeting people was extremely simple.

Social culture feels extremely different at RMIT village where I'm staying and in Melbourne in general. You might meet a random group on the street on your way home that invites you to the pub... or someone who wants to 'shout' you a beer meaning they might buy you a beer as long as you reciprocate by buying them their next drink. People seem a little more willing to interact than Americans with a more laid back attitude towards life which feels very different from the Minnesota nice. Its refreshing to see how many people are willing to go out and meet others.

Its taken me a while to adjust to everything but its been going pretty smooth so far. Coles' grocery is the nearest to our place and its a ten minute walk. Its fine on the way there but tough on the way back with five or six bags of groceries. Lucky for us, Melbourne has one of the most efficient public transporation systems in all Australia. Trams go around the central business district and trains run in and outside the city towards the suburbs outside the business district. I haven't gotten to see the University yet... I've mostly been settling down and going out exploring. I should have more pictures in due time, however. Hope these suffice for now!

lucky number seven

After counting down weeks upon weeks for my departure date, I am finally counting down days vocally. I had to tell myself I wasn't counting down the days for my own sanity, but I now think I'm close enough to regard my departure as just around the corner.

It is not easy reading all of the others on the learning abroad blog. They seem to be enjoying their trips and making the proper adjustments while I've just started packing for my destination.... well, okay, scratch that. I've had my mom yell at me to start packing while I lounge around the house watching the glimmer from the sun peak through my blinds and disappear as time slowly passes by. I could be productive and pack... but really, who am I kidding? It's just not going to happen until this weekend. I think I'm better off just leaving heaps of clothes in the piles where they belong... on my floor, bunched up like tangled bodies after a good game of twister.

I think its the weirdest thing not having class while all your peers are in class, doing homework, and agonizing about their work loads while you're just sitting there without a job, without school, without a gym pass because the university counts the rec center in as an extra fee and now charges you eight dollars for a 'day pass' (Not my favorite thing to find out). All I can really do is lounge about with my buddy Derrida, go to Barnes and Noble and read a random book for five hours, or listen to music while 'googling' dengue fever to see the various and exotic diseases that await me on my arrival. Instead of being extremely enthralled for what's to come, I've been surprisingly stoic. I don't know why I'm going through a drought of emotion... I always thought I'd be worrying about how many bags I was taking, or which adapter would allow my laptop to function in Aussie-land, but no... just unemotional pre-departure bliss. I'm not doubting it will hit me at some point... just not now... and with seven days to go before I lift off, maybe I'm hoping it will hit me soon enough.

Melbourne... its about time.