Since You've Been Gone...

Well,

This is the weird time of the semester.  There is one month left until we are done with the semester and will be  replaced by new Americans at UQ, but at this point we are feeling like Cromwell is our home and have set into our routines with the many friendships here in Australia.  Such a bittersweet feeling.  The only way to cope is to enjoy the time left to the fullest and leave this country on such a good note.

Change is a part of life, especially in Australia with so many $1 or $2 coins, and you have to find a way to adjust to the new as it presents itself.  I am extremely sorry to let everyone know that there is a big change in my life that has just occurred.  It happened after a great deal of thought and consideration on my part, resulting in the loss of sleep.  Though I know many of you will respect me less, and I may lose the titles that I have earned in the past few months, one of which being Shop Customer of the Week, I must be honest with my friends and family across several continents.  I cannot imagine the disappointment felt from one of my favorite bands, but I am sad to inform you that I have shaved my beard.  

I no longer am able to store food, pencils, or knowledge in the ginger animal that has called my face home for the past 3 months.  The world is considerably colder and I no longer have anything to contribute to conversations now that I cannot be questioned as to how much longer I will keep the beard.  I have lost all my intimidation on the sporting field and have no way to hide my facial acne now that the bond between my face and the hair, made famous by my viking ancestors,  has been severed.

On the bright side, I can walk past children without their mothers hurrying her kids along.  I may also be able to enter a room of friends or strangers without at least once person touching, stroking, poking, groping, inspecting, running their fingers through, or tugging on my beard.  I could even play Fresher Rugby without being accused of being over 40 years old now that I may actually resemble the picture on my photo ID.  

Though I understand that this is a big step in my life and it would be easy to blame yourself, I hope that no one feels personally responsible for my decision.  The choice is my own and part of me will regret it each morning henceforth. 

However, Please be comforted by the amount of fun that I had shaving it into different shapes and styles.

Pre-Shave with the support group6 pencils in the beard

Mutton chops w/ handlebar

Disgusting mustache

Beard is officially gone and Lanolin and Patches have mixed feelings

With much love and some beardless remorse,

Serenity  

Gotta Love the Citycat

Life goes on in Australia after the amazing time in Heron Island and Whitsundays.  The work piled up and got pretty stressful but I got through it and have a bit of a break before more assignments are due.  Weird feeling because a lot of friends in the states are either done with class for the semester or will be within a week or so.  

One great thing that happened recently is a boat cruise that all the Cromwell kids got involved in.  We did miss the AFL game that Ann had planned but the boat cruise was definitely worth it.  It was one of Cromwell's rare fancy events.  We sailed up and down the Brisbane river for a couple hours and everyone got all dressed up.  Some of the old boys and girls (people who lived in Cromwell last year or the year before but moved out for their later years at Uni) came on the cruise too.  I was surprised to meet some people who knew Matt Edgar and Corbi Sandoe.  Small world huh?

We also have been exploring Brisbane more by going  Bowling alley/ laser tag for Esme's birthday.  Some good family fun.  We had to wait a while before laser tag so some of us decided to dance in the lobby.  Antonia tried to teach me to shuffle... unfortunately, I did not learn it yet.  In time, I'll get it.

Rugby is going alright so far.  It's been a lot of fun to hang out with the guys and learn the game a lot better.  While we are not winning a lot, its still a lot of fun.  Our last couple games are against teams that are closer to our size so we should be competitive in those games.  I got to see the Reds (Brisbane Rugby team) play at Suncorp stadium a few weeks back and they are all huge.  The guy who plays my position (#8) is twice as big as I am and played very well.  We also got to go to the A-League Final where the Brisbane Roar won on a controversial pk call.  It was a great game and great atmosphere.  We took tons of pictures of the stadium and all the crazy fans.  The semester only has a month left before finals and more importantly, the beard is going strong.  More updates to come soon, because so much always happens in Australia.

 I really look forward to the last part of my time in Australia but I miss all you guys back in the states too.  Keep it real and keep in touch.

Serenity

Another Month Gone By

I am sorry that it has been so long since my last post.  It's been a busy month and i'll do my best to catch everything up in one big post here, so get ready!

A lot of the good pictures of the past month are on facebook so if you have some free time, feel free to peruse through them to see how much fun we've had.

Firstly, Cromwell has a bunch of themed parties and this first picture is one in the dining hall where everyone is dressed up in partners as a youtube sensation.  There were tons of creative costumes and some videos that I hadn't ever heard of (some were Aussie classics that the Americans had no idea about).  It's always a bunch of fun with the Crommie kids.  A live band played in the den and everyone had a good time.  The following day there was recovery in the morning, which entailed hanging out on the volleyball courts and playing in a bounce house.

The next big thing was the trip up to Heron Island Research Station for a field trip for the Marine Bio class.  That was amazing; so much better than the Moreton Bay trip.  The food was better and we got to snorkel a ton.  Snorkeling was great even though I told them that I hadn't snorkeled before (which is true), and one of the tutors asked me every 5 minutes if I was doing alright.  I think that he assumed that I could barely swim and that the extremely buoyant wetsuit wouldn't keep me afloat.  But in the end, I was happy that someone was looking out for me, even if I didn't need it.  We also walked around the intertidal areas and found sea cucumbers (which I know way too much about know), sea hares (which ink if they get distressed), epaulite sharks, tons of coral, sea stars, and a lot of other marine life.  Snorkeling was the best part about this trip.  I was timid at first, then as I got more comfortable, I was diving down to get a closer look as much as I could and trying to play tag with fish and sharks (they were too fast for me) and really enjoying the whole time under the sea (little mermaid references and fish puns were very common on this trip).  

 Another good thing about Heron Island was the amount of free time that we had to relax and enjoy the island when we weren't doing our research, which was tied with the levels of the tide.  Most of us spent that either napping, laying out in the sand, or exploring the 45 minute walk around the entire island.  Ukulele may have also been involved at some point.

 Then we met up with a friend from Cromwell named Scar who took us to dinner and the movies before our train up to the Whitsundays.  It was very nice to know someone in the area to give us some good company and escort us around Gladstone.  The train was another overnight ride, but it was so much nicer than the overnight bus to Heron Island.  We arrived the next morning at Airle Beach and got settled in a little 8 person cabin.  Pretty tight quarters but worth what we spent on it.  Airle was a different kind of relaxing that Heron.  Airle was mostly laying around the beach during the day and going out and exploring the town at night.  One day, we took a boat cruise around the Whitsundays islands, got to snorkel for a bit, and spent a few hours on Whitehaven beach, which we were told was rated the 2nd best beach in the world.  We could definitely see why! The sand was so soft and fine that it could clean your jewelry.  I know especially well because I was buried up to my neck.  As a group, we took calendar photos so hopefully that will be at your nearest Barnes and Nobles soon.

Now it is back to uni, with a heavy dose of work these next few weeks.  Rugby match tonight against Kings College and trying to plan for Sock Assassin for the whole college.  Just gotta manage that fun with the work. Easier said than done.  

G'Day Mates,

Serenity

Getting Used To A New Routine...

By now, its the 4th week of classes and I am getting a hang of my schedule of classes and other activities that make up a normal week.  It is hard to get used to the 5 am Thursday morning Rugby practices but it'll be worth it soon enough.  We have the Fresher-Gents game on Sunday, which means the freshman team goes up against the returning players at Cromwell.  Needless to say, the freshers aren't supposed to win, but hopefully we give them a good match.

Classes are going well so far (Yes, Mom, I am going to class).  Not as many assignments as Dickinson so the responsibility lies on me to make sure I stay up to date.  It is tough but I think I can get it done.  The Social Psych class is my favorite so far, as it is building on what I already know and is easily observable in day to day activities.  Marine Bio is also very interesting but it is out of my comfort zone.  I enjoy learning about all the different organisms that live in different parts of the shore in accordance to the tide and all that jazz, but let's be honest, I just took that class for the field trips.

One of which was this past weekend.  I, as well as 20 or so other students in the class, went up to Moreton Bay on North Stradbroke Island.  This trip was focused on the shore and the tidal factors affecting the different organisms in the area.  We caught a bunch of fish with a huge net.  My group specifically looked at the shell selection behavior in hermit crabs.  We didn't get significant results but we quickly realized that empty shells to use as potential new shells for the crabs were hard to find.  While the trip was fun, there was more work and research that I expected.  I suppose it was a research trip so it makes sense.  But also while we were there Nick Rapp and I mastered the art of throwing boomerangs.  It started out very slowly and with a lot of shameful chasing of boomerangs that didn't turn back, but soon developed into a two man game of 500.  So much fun, even when we got the boomerang stuck in a tree and had to throw rocks at it to get it down (which we did after 15 or so minutes).

I am also still in search of people to join me to get to Hillsong United Church in Brisbane. Hopefully, this Sunday will work out to get there in the morning but again it is a busy weekend with rugby randomly throughout the day.

As far as food goes, Tim Tams are king.  Not quite as good as Oreos but definitely in the same family.  The dessert here is pretty good on some days but very mediocre on other days.  The best I've had so far was a lemon sponge cake with coconut sprinkled on top.  So, I'm not ready to come home, but I will be looking forward to some Texas Sheet cake when I get back in late June :)

Stay Keen Mates,
Serenity

First Week of Classes and Sydney Weekend

Hello Koala lovers,

When I left you last, I was almost done with O week and almost at a point that I was getting accustomed to waking up at 6 am.  This was not my brightest moment.  Now, I am a week into uni (university/ college as they say in Australia) and have just returned from Australia's largest city, Sydney.  

Firstly, my Academic week at UQ was much different than Dickinson.  My first lecture was in a  theater hall filled with 450 other students.  Compared with my biggest lecture from the states of 50, you can imagine that it took me a while to get used to being such a small percentage of the class.  Most of the classes are split up into a 2 or 3 hour lecture and a 1 or 2 hour tutorial for the week.  Lectures to convey the information and tutorials to put it into action.  While this system is different than what I am used to, it makes some sense.  I was lucky and got a schedule that keeps my Monday mornings free and my Fridays completely free.  I am taking 4 classes, as is usual for study abroad students:  Psychopathology, Aussie History, Marine Biology, and Social and Organisational Psychology (yes, they spell it wrong here).  The classes don't seem too far off par with Dickinson at this point, but I will need to keep up with the assignments and not let them pile up on me.  Most of the classes only have a few if not only 2 assignments for the semester, so attention to detail will be critical.  Books are also very expensive here, much like Dickinson, so I will be figuring out which ones I need and which ones I can read in the Library soon enough.  I am especially excited for the Marine Bio class, because there are two Dickinson paid for trips to Heron Island and Moreton Bay, where we will get to hang out in the ocean and do some research amidst the coral.  

After this first week of classes finished, Dickinson students left at 6 am on a Maxi Taxi to the Brisbane airport to catch a flight to Sydney.  When we arrived, we were disappointed to find that the weather was not all that desirable; rainy and overcast.  The walking tour through different parts of Sydney and lunch in the park could have been better had the sun cooperated, but we made it fun in our own ways by playing on the playgrounds and huddling under umbrellas.

We did actually see a lot of cool scenic look outs that Sydney had to offer as well as the bustle of the city.  Some were happier than others to be wearing bright blue (obviously tourist) ponchos.

We saw a lot of the old architecture of Sydney and our tour guide, Ross Alexander, told us of the history of the city and of Australia, especially Australia's relationship with the United States.  It is very fascinating how the country started with convicts and also has a large aboriginal population.  I will certainly find out more in my Aussie History course.

On Saturday night, we all went out to take part in the culmination of 2 weeks of a festival known as Mardi Gras.  It is a bit different that in the United States.  The focus in Australia is on Gay and Lesbian culture and the night was filled with a lot of culture.  I think everyone enjoyed getting out on the town as a group and having some fun in Sydney. 

Finally on Sunday, the weather cleared up and provided us a great day for touring the Sydney Opera House and the surrounding city.  It was much better to see it in person compared with tv.  I would love to go to some performance there but that would require quite a large sum of money.  Probably worth it but man...

Not sure these pictures do the place justice but here you go.


 I didn't get a bad sunburn, so all in all, the trip was a great success.  Now off to a Cromwell meeting and a new week of classes.

Cheers,
Serenity

Amidst O-Week

Hello again,

This time I greet you in the middle of Cromwell College Orientation week.  It started last Sunday night and goes until this coming Sunday (the day before classes start).  Each residential college does it a little differently, and each college is distinct in its treatment of freshers during their first week at uni (university).  While I can't divulge the deep secrets of Cromwell O-week, I can tell you some of the basics.  It is fairly strict and intense, but not overwhelming.  I understand that its purpose is to build a strong community with each other and Cromwell.  We wake up at 6:15 each morning for the morning program which consists of jumping jacks, high knees, and stretching for a warmup, then continues with some skipping and holding hands to a destination around campus as a group of 130 some freshers in Cromwell.  Today, for instance, we skipped to each of the other residential colleges at University of Queensland and had a cheer for each of them after we were told by leaders what exactly our relationship with the each other college was and is today; some better than others.  

This is a picture of the walkway on all sides of the main quad at UQ.  This is where Market day was held  yesterday.  Market day is the time where all the clubs set up a table and present their group in hope to gain sign on's from the incoming freshers and returning students.  It is also where each college performs their "Fresher Dance."  Ours is amazing and we are told that out of all the colleges, ours is most entertaining.  No bias at all.  Eventually, some form of video will probably circulate around the internet with all the UQ Fresher Dances from 2012.

With only a few days left in O-week, I am excited to get into a fixed schedule and start up classes.  The class selecting process is more complicated here than at Dickinson, but RA's are here to help if you have questions.  All in all, O-week has been fun and challenging with lots of funny stories all kept in my daily journal.  There are too many to tell on this one blog but I will say that during a Bus rally between Indroopoly, Toowong, and Brisbane, where we had to complete tasks, such as doing the hokey pokey in public, getting phone numbers, getting pictures with Emos, getting a present for the social chairs, staging fake break ups, trying on makeup and bras, and many other embarrassing things, for points, I, along with a few others, waxed my eyebrow clean off.  We'll see how long it takes for it to grow back.

That is all for now, I look forward to updating more pictures and experiences as more of them occur here in Australia

Remind Me Why I Go to Dickinson Again

Hello All,

After a few days here in Australia, the group has come to a collective agreement that we are so happy to be here in Brisbane and can't fathom how Dickinsonians back in Carlisle manage to suffer through the rain each day.  So far, Australian weather has been amazing; clear blue skies, sun shining bright, and a gentle cooling breeze.  Not half bad, and a few of us already have some sun burns.  It really is surreal that we will be living here for 4 months in this big city and big campus, but each day that we use the public transport on our own with our own Go Cards (like a bus/ferry/train pass), I for one feel more independent and more at home here.  The ferry is a personal favorite so far so you can see the city from the water and don't have to be cooped up in a bus for the duration of your trip.

We arrived to our respective dorms/ apartments on Sunday and began life at UQ from there.  Here at Cromwell, I am living in a double with Nick Underwood, another Dickinson student, and we share a bathroom and a shower.  Its a good setup so far and I am happy to have a roommate to explore the new country with, especially after my debit card wouldn't let me take out money for the first few days and I had to write a few IOUs.  Fortunately, the matter was resolved with a little help from Mom and Dad and a call to Wells Fargo.

As for Cromwell specifically, it is a co-ed dorm with 200 some students living in it.  Most of the freshers (freshmen) arrive tomorrow and O-week shall begin (Orientation).  The stories of O-week have been pretty entertaining so I can only assume that our week will be just as good.

But we haven't been cooped up in the dorms all this time.  We have taken a tour of Brisbane, wandered around campus to get our campus ID's, taken the bus to a local bar called the RE to "experience culture," and the most important thing we've done so far is go to the Koala Sanctuary.  The Koala Sanctuary has 115 Koalas, tons of Kangaroos, some wallabies, wombats, bats, emus, snakes (most of which are poisonous), various birds, and heaps of other animals.  They charged 16 Aussie dollars to take a picture with a Koala.  While this seems a little bit like exploitation, most of us now have a good sized picture somewhere in our rooms.  All the animals seemed very tame too, because most of them didn't fret too much when groups of us approached with hands extended.  Some of the kangaroos didn't even get up.  They just laid there and accepted our grass offerings.

 One problem with the Australian system is that there is a limit on internet usage, so we have to pick and choose when we can get online so as to not use all of the quota in the first few days of the month.

Overall though, its been a great first few days and I am glad that we had this time to get used to the time and culture a little bit before being thrust into O-week and school.  I am not quite adjusted to the time and have a habit of waking up at 5am each morning so far but that'll pass soon enough, or if not, i'll have to start being productive with that morning time.

Cheers,

MH (for now until I get a new fresher name during O-week)