So the experience in Wollongong has been far from both boring and normal. Some of the locals are not the most endearing people you would want to meet, but the beaches are ideal for surfing! Also, the Wollongong streets are not the most ideal places you would want to be after the sun goes down. Sadly, I admit that I learned this fact the hard way, and have made the mistake more than once due to lack of funds for a safe taxi ride home.
In the day time, and from high up on a highway before driving down into the city of Wollongong, it is quite the sight to revel about:
Going for a quick run with Tilly but I'll continue this! I've been running almost every day for about 2 months now, and lately her and I have been training each other...gotta be prepared for hiking and traveling all over New Zealand in t-minus 19 days!
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Lately I've had a terrible cough for about 3 weeks, and when I laugh it gets worse and I go into this massive coughing fit. Just realizing I may have to take a break from running, and Travis is scaring me thinking it could turn into pneumonia because I am also freezing all the time. I've made it this far, body don't fail me now!
Anywhooo -
A few days after we arrived at the university, as no one else has moved in yet except other foreign exchange students, I went to North Gong beach. There's barely an O-zone layer here, and it feels like 90°F every day! BEAUTIFUL. My kind of weather. Over the course of these four months, I've been burnt so bad I got sun poisoning and have been sick to my stomach. Sometimes my whole forehead would peel off, yet I can't seem to stay out of the sun it's almost as if I have heliophilia. Don't get me wrong, I wear sunblock but the word "sunblock" is a misnomer and only works to an extent anyways. Good thing I'm part Native American and have an olive colored complexion that burns but turns to tan the following day; woohoo!
One of the best people I've had the pleasure of meeting in Australia is Mariah Gardner! She's so interesting to talk to and just so knowledgeable and inquisitive about life in general (obviously I'm good at describing people haha). She is one of Erin's great roommates and the first time we met her was right when we came to move into Wollongong University. She was so excited about everything and I still haven't even gotten my room assignment yet as I was waiting for a mentor to come back with the key - so Mariah, if you're reading this I'm sorry we were nearly DEAD from exhaustion that day! So the first impression was great and definitely reflected what we'd all be in for together for the next four months!
Erin, Mariah, and I went to Cairnes, Brisbane, and Byron Bay together during our spring intersession break and have THE time of our lives! More about that later, but anyways one of the first nights we hung out Mariah had her friend Rachel over and we were discussing how they are in a band together called Purple Sheep! Check them out on youtube, follow the link below if you'd like - their great song Shadow is soo good. Mariah is the singer with short black hair on the right side of the screen (she now has red hair though)!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaL5XrOsN_A
The band even had a dress rehearsal at the Sydney Opera House the next day after we all hung out, where they played that week! How cool is that, what an honor. Mariah is dating the guitarist who is always over their apartment and his name is Llewellyn. He has an identical twin who is the bassist and also Rachel's ex-boyfriend. Crazy intermixed group, hey?! (They say hey I learned the same way that Americans tend to say "Right?", suggesting the other conversationalist to state whether or not they agree with a statement that was just made).
That night we all ended up watching Ted together and Mariah made her homemade nachos and salsa from scratch (she's always cooking something!). We all sat around and talked about Australians and Americans and the differences between them.
Here's some examples:
- One of the questions Mariah and Rachel asked was: Do Americans really say "Hey, I'm walking here?!" in the mean voice we see in movies?
- One of my questions for them is what is the cost of Uni for Australians? By the way, the government really takes care of the students and their people here, they only pay half the price school costs in America, and they are given that money through "hex". In addition, they are given more if they wish to study to be a lawyer or doctor.
So the place I have to call home for the next four and a half months of my stay is called "Kooloobong" and its on campus. There were other options, off campus, and they would require you having a meal plan, but I prefer to cook for myself and be close to campus with a tight-knit community and still have quiet time to do my studies!
Here's some photos of the apartment, Unit 14!
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| An old storage room where the past exchange student painted creepy messages... |
Till next time,
-B
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