All is quiet in the house. The girls left for school four hours ago and aside from the sound of the cleaning lady bustling about, it is perfectly still. I haven't made a plan of what homework to attack first so in the midst of my indecision (procrastination?), I fixed myself a cup of coffee (actually, it would probably be more accurate to say a cup of milk and sugar with coffee) and have decided to ignore it all and write a blog entry instead.
Today marks the beginning of Term 4, the last term of the Australian school year. Beginning today, I have exactly eight weeks and two days until the end of term and my departure for the states. I'm not sure if it's the fact that I'm getting older or the routines I fall into, but eight weeks seems so incredibly short to me. A few years ago, two months would have seemed just a hair short of eternity. It makes me glad that I'll be here for a year and not a semester since there's still so much I haven't had the chance to see or do. One of the other residents and I just sat down with our work schedules last night so we could plot out every available moment we have and fill them with excursions and activities. And the coming of summer means that the amount of things to do in Sydney will triple. Sydney, like most of Australia, is all about warm weather and the outdoors and I've been told that summer is when the city really comes to life.
Even now, there's never a shortage of things to do. For example, we spent yesterday afternoon shopping at the Kirribilli Art & Design Market, held on the second Sunday of every month. It's a place for new and established artists to hock their wares and where anyone can sell their secondhand merchandise (I picked up a beautiful summer dress for $5!). There are also food booths that offer everything from Russian blinis (which I had) to dim sum to Mexican quesadillas. And all this is sprawled out in the area just next to the Harbour Bridge so you have a gorgeous view as you stroll about. The prior weekend, we went to the Latin Festival held at Darling Harbour where we enjoyed live music and dancing, food from Spain and nearly every South American country, and beatiful handmade arts and crafts.
Of course, somewhere in the midst of all this excitement, I do have to try and stay on top of my studies. My semester ends in about five weeks and I have three assignments to finish up in the meantime and a thesis to work on. Which, actually, has become a bit of a predicament. I've been having a terrible time trying to get in touch with my advisor as she has no set office hours, does not answer her phone, or reply to emails. As of right now, we've only met once (at the beginning of the year before classes even began) and she doesn't even know I've switched topics. This is the same professor who I've turned in two assignments to over a month ago and have yet to get them back. Why is it that students are expected to be diligent and responsible with completing and turning in their assignments but professors are free to procrastinate and be entirely inaccessible? (end rant) In other news, I picked up a side job babysitting the little sister of one of my boarders and officially begin working there at the end of the month. It's great being able to get out of the boarding house for a few evenings a week--you don't realize how nice it is to be in a real house when you haven't been in one for so long--and of course the extra cash is great, too. Since I'm on a student visa I can only legally work 20 hours a week so informal jobs like babysitting are ideal. Especially since me and a few of the other reisdents are planning to go to New Zealand in April and I'll definitely need the extra income.
The weather has been on a bit of a roller coaster here these past few weeks but tends to hover around the low 20s (in Fahrenheit that's high 60s, low 70s). However, since we're closer to the equator, when the sun's out it feels much warmer. We're hoping for beach weather by the end of the month and the other residents are kicking their workout routines into high gear to prepare. (Somehow, I've gotten dragged into the frenzy, too, and am expected to be up at 6am every Thursday for "boot camp." Apparently, each week one of us is supposed to arrange a 45 minute work-out of our choosing for all of us to do. When asked what my activity would be, I told them I wanted to have everyone cook me breakfast. Ideal, no?) There are plenty of Aussies, though, including some of my boarders, who have already started their beach season. This includes going barefoot--everywhere. The phrase "No shirt, no shoes, no service" does not apply in Australia. You will see barefoot people, young and old, any and everywhere, including the grocery store, the train, the markets, and the mall. I even saw a middle-aged construction worker just off the jobsite hoofing it through the Westfield in Hornsby with bare feet!
I will say the thing I'm dreading most about warmer weather is the increase in the insect population. Australia is known for its spiders and I've already had my bedroom breached by two of them, one on the wall and one in my bed (yes, my BED!), and am not looking forward to anymore unexpected guests. Apparently, flies really become a nuisance in the summer as well since they're everywhere and will either follow you around or catch a free ride on your back. I'd definitely take a fly over a spider anyday, though...
Regardless, I have a feeling this next term will fly by even quicker than the first. Granted, it's two weeks shorter than the previous term but the longer I'm here and the busier I get, the weeks seem to consist of only beginnings and endings. Before I know it, it'll be December 7th and I'll be leaving the sunny shores of Sydney for the frosty cornfields of Ohio. In the meantime, I'll do my best to keep you all up-to-date and informed and, as always, drop me a line.
Cheers!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
Spring Break in Melbourne
Within two days of arriving home from the Blue Mountains, Sarah and I were on the road again. This time on a plane headed to Melbourne. We'd been planning the trip for weeks and I was so excited for my first glimpse of Sydney's rival city (and to escape the noisy group of campers that had moved into McCredie for the week).
I hate to say that upon arriving in Melbourne, Sarah and I were greeted quite coldly. We left the sunny 22 degree weather in Sydney only to be faced with a rainy 8 degrees as we exited the plane. Not exactly the start we were hoping for. However, we did find our bus easily and in less than an hour we had been deposited at the doorstep of our hostel, the Miami Hotel. (Now, technically, the hostel WAS a hotel, but since it was a budget hotel with shared bathroom facilities and since we found it at hostelworld.com, to me, it was a hostel. Besides, I don't think I've ever stayed at a hotel with such an incredibly small bedroom. When we opened the door to our room, it barely missed hitting the first bed!) Seeing as it was past 10pm, the only thing we wanted to do at that point was crash. So after making contact with my friend Linda (from uni), who we were meeting in Melbourne, we decided to call it a night.
We spent the next four days exploring downtown Melbourne. From what I had been told of the city, Melbourne is much more artsy and trendier than Sydney, with loads of shops, cafes, galleries, and museums. Our first stop, then, was Federation Square, home to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, the Ian Potter Centre (part of the National Gallery of Victoria), and AbbaWorld. One of my classmates at uni who was also headed to Melbourne for the break had mentioned that there was a Tim Burton exhibit being displayed at the ACMI. Thanks to our early start on Wednesday morning, we were among the first in line to get tickets and spent the better part of the morning viewing sketches, costumes, prop pieces, and 3D models from nearly all of Tim Burton's films, including Batman, Alice in Wonderland, Planet of the Apes, and Edward Scissorhands. The sheer volume of his work was absolutely overwhelming. I think the thing that impressed me most is his seemingly endless stream of creativity and the uniqueness and individuality of each of his projects. (And seeing the Batmobile was pretty cool, too.)
Over the course of the week we walked (and rode the tram) over most of the city, venturing into Chinatown and briefly into Little Italy. We also spent most of the day Saturday in Fitzroy, a very young and hip suburb of Melbourne teeming with art galleries, boutiques and restaurants serving everything from vegan to African. It's also home to the Fitzroy Market and the Rose Street Artist Market. Unfortunately, since I'm a poor, wandering student I could only afford to window shop, but it was great to simply stroll around and enjoy the atmosphere. Many of the houses have a very obvious French influence and actually resemble the French Quarter down in New Orleans. All in all, it was definitely one of my favorite areas of Melbourne.
One of the few places I could afford to make purchases was the Queen Victoria Market located down the street from our hostel. It is the largest market in the Southern Hemisphere and hosts over 600 vendors every week. You can find anything and everything at the market and I was able to pick up a few souvenirs and some yummy fruit, cheese, and fresh-baked bread while we were there.
The highlight of the trip, however, was the one day driving tour Sarah and I took to the Great Ocean Road. The road runs for 151 miles along the south-eastern coast of Australia and is home to the famous 12 Apostles limestone stack formations. We were picked up from the hotel on Friday in the wee hours of the morning and then were off. Over the next 14 hours we traveled from Melbourne to Port Campbell, stopping off for a stroll around Bells Beach, a hike through the Otways rainforest, and a quick koala search at a campground along the way. (While we did spot several koalas, it was the parrots who swarmed us once we arrived. One even decided to ride around on my head!) The best part of the trip was definitely saved for last, as our final stop was the 12 Apostles, the Loch Ard Gorge, and the London Bridge--all fascinating limestone formations created by the erosion of the massive cliffs along the shore. The scenery was breath-taking and the sun, which had hidden itself for most of the day, finally made a dramatic appearance, turning the seaside ethereal. It was almost as if we had stepped onto the backdrop of some fantastic flight of the imagination. Or into an epic fantasy adventure. Have a look at the pics and video to take a peek for yourself!
We filled the rest of our time with random activities. We met up with a group of people that Linda had befriended at another hostel and went to dinner and then dancing. We saw a show at The Arts Centre--Sugar, a musical version of the movie Some Like it Hot. (You can't go to the cultural capital of Australia without seeing a show.) We strolled through the Ian Potter Centre. We visited St. Patrick's Cathedral and the Parliament building. In other words, we did a little bit of everything.
Of course, it all comes down to the question which city is better, Melbourne or Sydney? The rivalry is very real and the Aussies were eager to know which we preferred. For me? I'm a Sydney girl. I love being so close to the harbour and that we have the opera house. I love the Rocks and the beaches and the warmer weather. BUT, Melbourne does have the edge when it comes to the arts and the Theatre major in me will always probably lean a little more towards that city. So, there you have it. Sydney is my home and Melbourne is my muse.
Click the link to check out the photos of our trip and below is a short video showing a few of the sights I've mentioned.
Cheers!
I hate to say that upon arriving in Melbourne, Sarah and I were greeted quite coldly. We left the sunny 22 degree weather in Sydney only to be faced with a rainy 8 degrees as we exited the plane. Not exactly the start we were hoping for. However, we did find our bus easily and in less than an hour we had been deposited at the doorstep of our hostel, the Miami Hotel. (Now, technically, the hostel WAS a hotel, but since it was a budget hotel with shared bathroom facilities and since we found it at hostelworld.com, to me, it was a hostel. Besides, I don't think I've ever stayed at a hotel with such an incredibly small bedroom. When we opened the door to our room, it barely missed hitting the first bed!) Seeing as it was past 10pm, the only thing we wanted to do at that point was crash. So after making contact with my friend Linda (from uni), who we were meeting in Melbourne, we decided to call it a night.
We spent the next four days exploring downtown Melbourne. From what I had been told of the city, Melbourne is much more artsy and trendier than Sydney, with loads of shops, cafes, galleries, and museums. Our first stop, then, was Federation Square, home to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, the Ian Potter Centre (part of the National Gallery of Victoria), and AbbaWorld. One of my classmates at uni who was also headed to Melbourne for the break had mentioned that there was a Tim Burton exhibit being displayed at the ACMI. Thanks to our early start on Wednesday morning, we were among the first in line to get tickets and spent the better part of the morning viewing sketches, costumes, prop pieces, and 3D models from nearly all of Tim Burton's films, including Batman, Alice in Wonderland, Planet of the Apes, and Edward Scissorhands. The sheer volume of his work was absolutely overwhelming. I think the thing that impressed me most is his seemingly endless stream of creativity and the uniqueness and individuality of each of his projects. (And seeing the Batmobile was pretty cool, too.)
Over the course of the week we walked (and rode the tram) over most of the city, venturing into Chinatown and briefly into Little Italy. We also spent most of the day Saturday in Fitzroy, a very young and hip suburb of Melbourne teeming with art galleries, boutiques and restaurants serving everything from vegan to African. It's also home to the Fitzroy Market and the Rose Street Artist Market. Unfortunately, since I'm a poor, wandering student I could only afford to window shop, but it was great to simply stroll around and enjoy the atmosphere. Many of the houses have a very obvious French influence and actually resemble the French Quarter down in New Orleans. All in all, it was definitely one of my favorite areas of Melbourne.
One of the few places I could afford to make purchases was the Queen Victoria Market located down the street from our hostel. It is the largest market in the Southern Hemisphere and hosts over 600 vendors every week. You can find anything and everything at the market and I was able to pick up a few souvenirs and some yummy fruit, cheese, and fresh-baked bread while we were there.
The highlight of the trip, however, was the one day driving tour Sarah and I took to the Great Ocean Road. The road runs for 151 miles along the south-eastern coast of Australia and is home to the famous 12 Apostles limestone stack formations. We were picked up from the hotel on Friday in the wee hours of the morning and then were off. Over the next 14 hours we traveled from Melbourne to Port Campbell, stopping off for a stroll around Bells Beach, a hike through the Otways rainforest, and a quick koala search at a campground along the way. (While we did spot several koalas, it was the parrots who swarmed us once we arrived. One even decided to ride around on my head!) The best part of the trip was definitely saved for last, as our final stop was the 12 Apostles, the Loch Ard Gorge, and the London Bridge--all fascinating limestone formations created by the erosion of the massive cliffs along the shore. The scenery was breath-taking and the sun, which had hidden itself for most of the day, finally made a dramatic appearance, turning the seaside ethereal. It was almost as if we had stepped onto the backdrop of some fantastic flight of the imagination. Or into an epic fantasy adventure. Have a look at the pics and video to take a peek for yourself!
We filled the rest of our time with random activities. We met up with a group of people that Linda had befriended at another hostel and went to dinner and then dancing. We saw a show at The Arts Centre--Sugar, a musical version of the movie Some Like it Hot. (You can't go to the cultural capital of Australia without seeing a show.) We strolled through the Ian Potter Centre. We visited St. Patrick's Cathedral and the Parliament building. In other words, we did a little bit of everything.
Of course, it all comes down to the question which city is better, Melbourne or Sydney? The rivalry is very real and the Aussies were eager to know which we preferred. For me? I'm a Sydney girl. I love being so close to the harbour and that we have the opera house. I love the Rocks and the beaches and the warmer weather. BUT, Melbourne does have the edge when it comes to the arts and the Theatre major in me will always probably lean a little more towards that city. So, there you have it. Sydney is my home and Melbourne is my muse.
Click the link to check out the photos of our trip and below is a short video showing a few of the sights I've mentioned.
Cheers!
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