Behind schedule

I've failed my new years resolution...I'm 3 weeks behind in the blog! The good news is that I haven't posted because I've had so much going on that writing about it seems daunting.

School has picked up, which is actually kinda nice. Though I find my classes either painfully boring or painfully hard. Actually Epi isn't painful, but it is difficult and requires some superior brain functions. Biostats on the hand is another language. I understand none of it. So that's fun. Just as I was getting a handle on being a student and getting used to my schedule, I realized that Easter Break is NEXT week, and after that I have 4 assignments due in one week. 4 weeks in and its midterms already! I booked a trip to Tasmania (Tazzy) for Easter break, so I have to complete at least 2 of those assignments this week, or I'm screwed. I think I can knock out one paper tomorrow at the lab, and the other one I can work on Tuesday and Wednesday before classes. Friday I start my intensive dive course (all day Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday) so I'm really crunched for time. Before you get on my case (Sherie) I finished 2 assignments and all my week for the work before even starting this blog, lol.

Socially, I have carved a bit of a life for myself, which feels soo much better than it did two weeks ago. My current life schedule consists of working out (yes!) in the morning, going to campus to do school work from about 11-2 or 4 depending on the day, then going to meet up with friends around the city. I'm actually channeling Donna because I've been carrying around my Timbuktu bag everywhere I go, I feel like a cool biker, even though I don't have a bike.

Speaking on bike, I think I'm not going to get a bike now. I've gotten used to waiting for the buses. Still annoys the crap out of me, but I've been able to accept and adjust for the bus times. And, whenever I say to a Sydneysider that I'm going to get a bike, they look at me like Im crazy. Biking is not very big here. Mostly cuz its crazy dangerous, and there are a shit-ton of giant hills.

Speaking of Sydneysiders, I've met a group of them that are very very very nice. I am excited to get to hang out with them in the future. The girls in the group asked me to go to a girls night out at the horse track with them, but I'll be in Tazzy that weekend. The one weekend I actually have plans and I get invited out...talk about irony. The kicker is that I booked that trip about 2 hours before I met them, lol. I'm still happy to be going to Tazzy, its going to be amazing. Friday starts my dive course. On Monday, I have to leave straight from my dive course to the airport where I jump on a plane to Hobart, Tasmania. The next morning the tour group will pick me up from the hostel and I'll start a 6 day tour of the whole island of Tasmania with about 15 strangers. It is going to be awesome. Then I fly back to Sydney the following Monday, and classes start up again on Tuesday. Whirlwind. Going to be GREAT.

Blogs in my head:
- Sydney makes you bold
- Australian wildlife

A few simple rules...

(Note: This was written waaay back on February 3rd. I partly forgot about it, and partly didn't think I would actually need to post it. As a few things have come to light, like two friends planning weddings while I'm in Sydney, I thought I best post it now before anyone else gets any crazy ideas.)


2/3/10


As I sit at the airport waiting to board my flight to Chicago, I thought I would take this opportunity to write down a few rules I have for everybody. These are for all my friends and family to abide by while I'm in Australia...

1. No marriages.
2. No kids.
3. No serious illness or death.


That's it, they are simple.


Don't get married because I love weddings and I go to all weddings I'm invited to. But if you invite me while I'm in Sydney, I will not be able to go. And I may never forgive you for it.

No kids cuz, well...I love kids...duh.

No serious illness or death. I don't want these things ever, but it will be especially gruesome for me if I am stuck in Sydney when it happens. Selfish? Perhaps.

Favorite Sydney Sights

I walked pretty much all of Sydney CBD today (read as downtown Sydney)  and took some toursity pictures to share. 

 

Harbour Bridge.  Fun Fact: the concrete pylons on both sides of the bridge are purely for aesthetic purposes.  Sydneysiders didn't trust that the bridge was going to hold up, so builders put the pylons up to placate them but they don't actually bare any weight.  You can walk up one of them for $9 and get a pretty awesome view though.

This is Luna Park.  I have yet to go, but I find the face you have to walk through fairly creepy.

 

The Sydney Opera House.  Unfortunately the Opera House loses quite a bit of glory the closer I get to it.  Its a great site to be seen from afar, but up close all I can think about is how I wish they didn't use that weird 60's brown glass that makes it look so dirty.

 

Royal Botanical Gardens.  I think I could go here everyday and not get sick of it.

 

Just an awesome giant tree.

 

Sydney Hospital.  For some reason they received a statue of a warthog from Italy to symbolize friendship.  Its supposed to be good luck if you run its nose (as with any statue...i.e. John Harvard) which is why it looks bronze.  The penis is also bronze colored.  The plaque doesn't say anything about that...

 

St. Mary's Cathedral (with the ever present Asian tourist in front of it).  Cuz you know, churches are important and what not.

 

View of Harbour from another part of the Harbour.

 

Sitting at Circular Quay (key) sippin a latte.  

 

This is not the beach that literally made my jaw drop, but it'll do.  Manly Beach.

I have lots of pictures, that I will post on Google or Facebook, but these are my favorites so far :)

Sydney Uni

 

The Great Hall

First week of Uni complete.  Only 12 more for semester 1.  I'm pretty happy to be a student again, though I forgot how many undergrad students there are.  One major difference between Oz grad school and US undergrad is that my schedule is different every week.  I'm not sure if its a grad school thing, or an Oz thing, or a Sydney Uni thing.  I have three classes that meet weekly for lectures and tutorials, though one of those classes didn't meet last week.  I also have 3 classes that meet only 1 week, have a few online discussions, write a paper, and be done with it.  I had one of those this week.  It met friday 9-530 and saturday 9-330, I have to participate on online discussion, write a 1500 word essay, and thats it.  Its strange, though I may like it once I get used to it.  it does eat a lot of my Saturdays (week 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8) and might make it difficult to hold a job (though I only just started looking today, and not very intently). 

So this week I had:

• Epidemiology- I still don't really know what it is, lol
• Bio-stats- This class will most likely make me cry
• Public Health Achievements and Challenges- This was one of those meet once, write a paper and be done with it classes.  It met Friday and Saturday all day, but I don't have this class again.

Another difference is that every class has an online component.  I think most schools are going this route, I just don't prefer it.  I get overwhelmed dealing with one class online, let alone 6.  There are online discussions, assignments, emails (yet another email to check), announcements, etc.  It just gets overwhelming.  But I'll adjust. 

I get all giddy and excited when they are lecturing on something I care about (like health disparities, or comparing the US to AU) and have a hard time staying awake when they lecture on things I don't care about (chronic disease, health promotion).  So I guess its a good thing that I'm back in school then.  I can hone in on things I care about, and narrow my field a bit. 

Home Sweet Home

Pictures!  PICTURES!!  Oh internet, how I love thee.  I have a infinite respect for people who moved out of country for any amount of time before the internet was invented.  Lord knows I couldn't do it.  (On a side note, I also have a new found respect for people who live in cities without cars.  I hate carrying groceries and crap on a bus that I had to wait 30 minutes for.  F that.)

Anyways, what you call came to see....pictures of my new home <3

 

My floor bed (as Ellie would call it).  I tried not to get red sheets again, but I just couldn't help myself.  You can also see my wall that is all window....love it!  And through the trees you can just barely see the Harbour Bridge and the Anzac Bridge :)

 I LOVE IKEA.  Yesterday I put together my mini desk and the filing cabinet on the bottom of the picture (the bed side table came with the room).

 

 This is where I'll be stationed for the next 9 months. Though I have yet to find a chair, lol.

 I also put together this closet from ikea.  The coat rack also came with the room, a very common piece of furniture in Sydney for some reason.  Don't mind me in the mirror leaning as far back as possible to get it all in.  You'll also notice that multi-colored Thing on the left side of the closet.  That would by me cape.  My Super K Cape.  That's right...I snuck it in my bags and brought it all the way to Australia with me.

Onto the living room.  It should be known that my roommate is a professional photographer, which is why her pictures are sooooo much better than mine!

 Speaking of Sarah-this is her.  She's framing some of her giant photos of rock stars for an exhibition coming up.  She's totally cool.

Living Room

Tiny any cozy kitchen.

Even the bathroom has a wall window.

 

And...my awesome view from the veranda!  It is gorgeous and I've already found myself standing out there wondering how the hell I got to this point, lol.

 This is the day view and night view from the veranda.  There's a horse racetrack near by as well and at night on the weekends we can hear and see the races :)

There you have it.  My new home <3