The Potluck

A few of the people we met when we were out ended up coming to our potluck that we had last night. The funniest thing is that no one really knows what the term “potluck” means. I thought people were giving us weird looks when we invited them because they thought we were lame to be having a potluck… because, truthfully, it is a little lame… but turns out they didn’t even know what a potluck was so… we were safe. We ended up having to call it a “bring-your-own-appy” party. Potlucks are generally held between a close group of friends, to catch up, to mingle, to just really spend quality time with people you know – in sum, a potluck is held in a more intimate and personal setting. Our potluck was with complete randoms… but it ended up being really awesome. I learned so much about Australia and hope to have made some friends (if they ever return… lol).

We didn’t really know what to make for our potluck. As the hosts, we had to provide a bit more, but as my mother taught me… the more people you have, the less food you actually need. We decided to make some nachos, get some chips and cut up a chocolate roll/cake thing. Most of the people we invited were international… so we got a good mix of food. It was really great how enthusiastic everyone was. The locals brought tim tams, prawns, an excellent salad and some candies. Tim tams are these australian cookies that come in just about every flavor that Australians LOVE! My Italian friend brought some delicious sparkling wine, and actually had his first nacho ever! I took a photo. He is the most outgoing person I know. He’s actually here for a full degree, but has been coming to exchange student events just so he can meet people. The Italian accent is truly one of a kind!

My brand new boogie board!!! (Not relevant to this blog AT all but so exciting!)

Here are ten fun facts that I learned last night:

1.  Aussies don’t say “shrimp”. Apparently the common expression “shrimp on the Barbie” was originally “prawns on the Barbie,” but was changed for marketing purposes. Apparently, they thought that North Americans wouldn’t know what prawns were… I’m not really sure about that, but if it’s true, it’s very interesting. There was a debate on whether or not prawns differed from shrimp. They do, by the way. 

2.  Aussies dislike when people say “aussies” with an “s” sound versus a “z” sound. I’m not sure who does that, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you were trying to fit it.

3.  Aussies don't believe in, or comprehend the idea of, casual drinks – that’s a quote.

4.  McDonalds is called Maccas.

5.  An attractive girl is called “fit” and an unattractive girl is called a “trout”. Seems extremely harsh.

6.  Aussies actually say “G-day mate!” It’s awesome. For some reason, I thought it was only said in the morning. I'm not really sure why I thought that, but for the record, it's said all day. 

7.  Aussies love to yank your chain. They will try to tell you to watch for “drop bears” that are essentially koala-like bears that come down from the trees. They don't exist, I hope!

8.  A “mate” is a good friend, and a “friend” is an acquaintance.

9.  The reason the bus is called the “City Buz” on the digital screen at the front of the bus, is an effort by the Australian government to be hip. Once again, this could be a drop bear situation – another classic yank of the chain. But when I think about it, I don’t know what else buz could stand for… hmm.

10Watch out for the red back spider. Seriously. They have a red stripe on their back and if you don’t get to the hospital within half an hour, you die!! Apparently one bite has enough poison to kill 3000 rats, apparently.

Off to prepare my toga for tonight’s big party at the Uni! Thanks for reading! 

Night Life

During orientation week, everyone gets a bit rowdy.  The first night we went out to the Down Under Bar – aka “The Dunder”. I personally think the name sounds like a disease someone would catch. Anyways, it was ladies night so we thought we would go check it out. It’s in the CBD – the city. No one here says downtown. They also don’t say washroom, and look at you funny when you ask where one is. The city is only a 15 minute bus ride away, so it’s nice and easy to get to and only a short cab ride home. The place was packed. It’s a famous backpacker bar, so it was filled with tons and tons of international people. I met people from all over! My new friend from Wales told me all about their flag and why Wales is the best place on earth. People from Wales have the most amazing accents! I’d love to go there.

Roomies in the Kitchen! 

The second night we went out to the Regatta – it’s an old hotel, I think. We went with a few international students we met that came to our place before we headed there. We definitely had a dance party in our kitchen. It was really fun. We chose the Regatta because we had all joined the QUEST club, a club for exchange students, and it was their opening event. I had a lot of fun because it was mainly UQ students, as opposed to the backpacker bar, where people were from all over. My roomie and I split off and decided to go on a mission to meet people, and the more outgoing you are, the more people you meet. We made friends from all over the world, and also some locals, including a couple of Swedish guys that were in love with the Canucks.

Speaking of clubs, I joined the Wine and Cheese club. When you signed up, you had to put down your favorite wine – I put “dry white,” because I know essentially nothing about wine (that’s why I joined the club!). You also had to put down your favorite cheese – I put smoked gouda. Apparently that was really funny of me, considering my roomies and the guy who was signing up started laughing at me. Smoked gouda is like meat cheese and it’s delicious! Really any smoked cheese is delicious – I have an abundance of memories standing around the island at home chowing down on smoked applewood cheddar after a great shop at Whole Foods. It makes me a bit homesick thinking of smoked cheese. It’s funny what makes you homesick…

It also asked you on the sheet what your favorite drink was (excluding wine). My roommate put gin and tonic, and I put orange juice. I’m not sure what answer was appropriate. If mine was, she looked like a bit of an alcoholic…. lol.

Turns out, after talking to an Aussie local in Law School at UQ, that the club is just a hoax and it’s actually the liberal party at UQ that use the club as a way to still get sponsored by the school for events and such. It’s nicknamed the “Goon and Coon” club. I’m not sure if that’s how you spell coon, but it’s apparently a type of cheese.

Most students drink “goon”. It’s boxed wine, and surprisingly doesn’t taste as bad as it should, considering the cost. One box is ten dollars, and a box is equivalent to 5 bottles of wine. It’s really not a classy drink whatsoever, but its more than famous here.

So far, so fun!

OHHH-Week!

Time for everyone to get back into the groove… time to get back to the reality of school! Well, not quite yet. This week is orientation week, and UQ has tons of events planned. Usually, as a third year, orientation is not that exciting, or even necessary. Most people don’t go, cause you generally don’t (shouldn’t) need a tour of campus in your third year. But this week is orientation for international students… the prime time to meet new friends and escape loneliness.  We got up at 6:30 am, with orientation starting at 8:30. You may be thinking that two hours to get ready is a bit much/early… but there are a couple reasons why we did it. First of all, all three of us are sharing one bathroom, which actually proved to be not too bad at all. Also, this day is big! You’ve got to look your best! There’s a balance –you have to look good, but also like you didn’t really try… because who tries for orientation. Tough.

We arrived right on time, following the masses into a large room filled with international students from over 106 countries. Crazy. They did an Olympic-themed greeting. Going through the entire list of countries, they'd have the students from each country stand up and give a cheer. Us Canadians gave a pretty rowdy cheer, but were topped off by the Americans. I would argue that because they were at the end of the alphabet, they had time to get ready. Canada is obviously near the front of the list. It was one of those situations where it’s kind of odd for the people at the front of the activity to go full-out, because they kind of have to set the tone… and have no example. Anyways, that was a sidetrack moment.

It was super cool when there was only one person from a country, and they would stand up and everyone would be cheering for them. It was the definition of patriotism. I loved it. People were from countries that I’ve never even heard of! And I can’t even tell you the name of them, because there were quite a few. Even if I did remember, I probably wouldn’t say what they were, in case it was a place that I definitely should have known of. I’ll try to save myself the embarrassment! 

I met lots of new people. People from Italy, people from Germany, people from Denmark. It was the definition of an international experience. There were a few speakers. Honestly, nothing too interesting… but it was good to be around lots of people, all in the same boat.

There was a barbeque after the speakers. They were serving wieners in a piece of white bread, with onions. Unfortunately I can’t eat the bread due to my gluten intolerance, and I’m not gonna lie, eating just a plain wiener while meeting new people is not the most ideal scenario. But, I was hungry, so I did it. Turns out I didn’t make any lasting friends, only memories.

I got caught in a monsoon walking home from the school. Campus is actually only a 5 minute walk from our place, which is ideal. Unfortunately, a friend and I took a wrong turn and ended up actually walking the opposite way. UQ is organized in a big circular format, so we essentially walked around the circle. It was a great walk, super scenic.... until we got stuck in a storm. Lighting, thunder and the whole shebang (for the record, I don’t think I’ve ever wrote down the word shebang – it’s a first!). The rain was ridiculously hard. It was a monsoon! I look like I’d taken a shower, five times. You can only imagine how wet it was! That’s saying a lot coming from a Vancouver citizen.

Anyways, this is getting a tad long. Orientation week is all week long so I’ll keep you posted! 

Thanks for reading! 

GO REDS GO!

Rugby. It's an interesting sport. The only experience I've had with rugby is in high school, when I used to go to the senior games after school to show "school support". We used to go the rubgy games after school because there were certain boys playing... but after going to a professional game, I think I owe the game of rugby an apology! I did not give it enough credit!

From a general level, rugby is understandable. You got the touchdown thing, the conversion thing, the scrum, the weird throw in where the guys are lifted into the air, those caps that look like they're moulding and the concept of pummeling your opponent into the ground. Easy peasy. Granted there are plenty and plenty of rules that I do not and will probably never understand, but the game is enjoyable. The Brisbane Reds are a Rugby Union team (vs rugby league)... or maybe its the other way around. Anyways, the point is that there are two types of leagues, and one is a bit different. Apparently the one that I went to is the more complicated version... and the guys who play the other type are generally thinner and quicker. I'll have to check that out. A friend of mine (who taught me the rules of rugby mid-game) also told me that American Football was created at a University rugby game versus McGill and Harvard. Just a fun fact for you. 

I was unaware that the game was the season opener. I also did not get the memo that everyone wore red. Now that I look back, the team is called the Brisbane Reds. I would wear a blue shirt (with my luck, the color of the opposition). I went with three other UBC students - what are the chances I end up at a rugby game with three people from my own school? Awesome really. 

Please note the child grabbing the koala's crotch - 

the koala that has an odd and freaky human resemblance. 

The Suncorp stadium is great, with an open roof (or however you say it... lack of roof?). At one point, I thought about how birds must get to see so much. They get into every event for free. Then, I thought it would be hilarious if birds had their own system of getting into special events.. like a bird ticket. A true bird's eye view of life. Unfortunately I didn't keep that train of thought to myself and costed myself a bit of dignity, and potentially a few friends. I guess people will just have to get used to me, or I'll just have to keep those thoughts to myself - awkward. 

Thank goodness our seats were in the shade! It was 34 degrees! 

One of my favorite moments of the game was when (pardon my lack of correct terminology) our player looked like he scored a try (that's 5 points.. if you didn't know..) but he actually didn't because he fumbled the ball.. but the guy in charge of the fireworks, which go off every try or conversion, thought he did and set them off anyways. It was sad, but hilarious. A lot of moments in the game I just pretended that I understood certain calls.. I booed with the locals, cheered with them, etc. 

Overall, I had a great time. I am definitely down to go to another game. I'd really like my next big sporting event to be an Aussie rules football game... I may be going to the season opener at the end of March! Lucky me! 

Oh, and we won! ... I think. 

The Weekend Before

So, it's the weekend before orientation and I'm getting anxious! I've officially moved in to my my new place... but my roomies are finishing their 12 day adventure and aren't back for a couple more nights! It's a bit lonely in an apartment by yourself. The first night I could barely sleep. I was convinced someone was walking up our stairs and headed straight to my room! The second night was a bit better - being alone is quite the challenge. I feel like I'm doing some sort of meditation challenge. I haven't met anyone yet... I guess I haven't really been put in the situation to.

I've found out that it's quite hard to meet people when you're by yourself. Yesterday I went to the Uni Caf and sat there... I guess pretending I was waiting to meet someone. Little did everyone know, I had no plans. The caf is set up a bit like a highschool caf, with those long tables... perfect opportunity for awkward situations. Sometimes people come and sit next to you... with their friends... but they're still technically not with you... so you're just kind of a creepy stalker... although you were technically there first. That's when you pull out your cell phone and people think you're important and busy, when really you're just playing games, entering random things into your calender that you'll never look at again, or texting your dad. Granted I haven't really tried yet to meet anyone. I guess I'm waiting for orientation week and school to start. The only way it's easy to meet people when you're by yourself is if you're in a setting where everyone is by themselves.. playing an ice breaker or something.  

My friend told me to go to the bar and grab a drink to kill my Friday night... and try to meet people. Okay, now that's a hit or miss situation. I would have to pretend that I was meeting someone... and then be "stood up". I think I'll just wait. The more I think about it, when I do go out with friends to a club or something... I end up kind of doing my own thing anyways. But I do not wait outside in a line by myself. I think anyone would have to be a few coronas deep to do that... 

If anything, I'm more desperate for contact. I went to the shopping centre today and have never been more excited to talk to the cashier in the store, anyone really. I even stopped to hear all of the people marketing for charities, trying to sign me up for credit cards and so on. I talked to the guy in the grocery store for a few minutes... I paid 8 dollars in change... to slow down the process and increase my contact. People must just think I'm a very eager Canadian girl.. or desperate. I'd rather stick with eager. 

I'm really getting to know myself, I guess. I set a new record at the gym - 3 hours. Who goes to the gym for 3 hours? People who know that they have nothing to do when they get home.... "Loners" must be in excellent shape. I did my usual bike, trainer, treadmill, abs routine.... twice. 

What's my plan for tomorrow? Who knows. I have only two more full days to kill until I'm back to human contact! I can't wait for my roomies to come home! 

The Goldy

I was lucky to have a few days to get away from the city and visit the Gold Coast - famous for places like Coolangatta and Surfer's Paradise. It really is all it's cracked up to be. I was only able to stay there for a few nights, but I will definitely be going back! Where do I start?

The beaches are amazing. The sand has a similar texture and color to brown sugar, but doesn't taste like it. The water is equally as great. Perfect temperature with not a rock to be seen. There are designated areas that people are to swim in. If you go out of bounds, there is no guarantee that a life guard will save you, or even see you for that matter. They seem to do an excellent job at patrolling. If even one person is out of bound, or just about to be, they yell on their megaphone at the person and tell them to come back to the safe zone. The thing you have to be most careful about is the rip - or as a friend said, the R.I.P. The water has a very strong pull. I went swimming a couple times and had the time of my life. You have to make sure that you jump over and swim under the waves, otherwise you'll get yourself wrapped under the waves and it'll be difficult to get back up. Yikes!

The food was excellent. We tried a variety, from Italian to Thai. I was serenaded by an older Italian man during dinner. I was lucky enough to score his CD, so I could cherish and relive the moment whenever I wanted... uhhh.

We drank some delicious wine and enjoyed some of the best prawns I've ever had. One night I was going to order kangaroo fillet, but my dad told me it was bad karma. I guess he's right. Apparently it is one of their most popular dishes because it's an extremely lean meat. They also sell it in grocery stores. One day I will. Maybe on my last day...

The shopping was interesting. To put this in a sensitive way, they weren't the classiest of clothes. For example, one store was called "Trashy Shoes". Cute shoes actually, but you get the gist of my message. Surfer's paradise is definitely a party zone. I was staying a couple km down the beach - at Broadbeach - so it was a little less wild.

We also went up to Q1 Tower. It had the most amazing view. Definitely worth the 77 floor elevator ride. 

Birds

I don't like birds. I really don't. It's a recent phobia that I've developed (maybe in the last few years?). I'm honestly not around birds too often (well, who is?), but they scare me. I think my fear is rooted in a story I read once about a lady attacked by Canadian geese. I have nightmares about them pecking me to death. Well, we know that exchanges are meant to open your eyes and challenge you... and I think this bird-filled country called Australia will do just that.

Okay, pigeons are one thing - wild turkeys are another. I never realized that turkeys "roamed". Maybe that was naive of me, but the only time I see turkeys, let alone think of turkeys, is on Thanksgiving day. I was taken back when I saw my first wild turkey roaming around campus - and the thing that boggled me the most was - no one even stopped to look or take a photo!! They seem harmless.. we'll see.

Now, we discuss the ibis. The ibis is a white bird, with a long black beak - for all you crossword lovers. The ibis is no street bird. It's no crow, it's no seagull. It resembles more of a heron. The ibis fears nothing, well the ibis I met anyways. I was sitting in the University cafeteria eating a salad (candy to a bird) when an ibis hopped up on the table behind me. I thought in my head - there is no way that ibis would even think of coming closer to me, but like I said, this ibis feared nothing. I grabbed my salad and ran away - leaving my mother to fend for herself at the table. Eventually, a lady working in the cafeteria shooed it away. It went on to steal an innocent boy's subway sandwich right out of his hand.

Ibis, I'm watching you.

Time to Get Organized

Along with moving to a new country, comes many tasks and challenges. There are so many things that have to be organized, it can seem a bit overwhelming. The only way to make sure you get everything done is to stay organized, make a to-do list and laugh a little!

Bank

To avoid exchange rates, you have to pick a new bank. Just choosing a bank alone is tough. Which one is popular? Which one has the best student deals? Which one has the most ATMs around town? Which one has a branch on campus? I ended up going with the mainstream bank. Funny story about banking is that when I received my bank card in the mail after waiting a week for it, I signed the magnetic stripe instead of the sticker that is meant for a signature. Awkward. I wish I could say blonde moment, but I'm not blonde. That was a genuinely embarrassing situation. I had to go into the back and explain what I'd done - the teller gasped and put her hand over her mouth. As if I didn't already feel bad enough... I blamed my abundance of things to do for my foolishness. The more I think about it, I probably would have signed it incorrectly if I was in my most relaxed state. Hence the need to laugh to make it through.

Housing

Housing was particularly hard to find in Brisbane due to the recent flooding. You have to be on the look out for mold etc. We ended up finding a place essentially right on campus, which is perfect. It's freshly renovated, which is great for my allergies.  It's always nice to walk to class. We went to a few places where I was questioning my chance of being alive at the end of the semester. No thanks.

School

School, the main reason I'm here, also takes some time to figure out. Just a different online system in general for enrolling in classes, etc. is tough to get used to. I ended up just going into the student centre and getting some face to face help. There seems to be a a lot less class time, due to a combination of the fact that their full course load is only 4 classes (not 5) and some classes are only 1 hour a week. I'm going to be taking a variety of classes: Australian Pop Culture, Australian Marine Biology (mainly for the field trips to places like the Great Barrier Reef!!), some Global Issues class and a PoliSci class on Australian indigenous people. I'm getting ready to really embrace the Aussie culture. When in Rome. I will keep you posted on the school scenario!

"Melbin"

Before making my way up to Brisbane to attend the University of Queensland, I was lucky enough to stop and see the sights of "Melbin". What a great city. Filled with small cafes and cute boutiques, the place is definitely lively and vibrant. They have these awesome shopping arcades - they are like mini malls and they are everywhere! Note that the shopping is very expensive - just living in general is expensive.  My dad summed up the difference in cost of living with a prime example: 7 dollar Subway foot-longs. This contrasts with North American 5 dollar foot-longs. This simple 40% increase in cost is representative of all prices. Regardless of the steep prices (which I soon realized was not just in Melbourne), it was a great adventure. Just make sure you're prepared! 

We visited the old GAOL - the penal museum based in Melbourne where all of the convicts were sent. The creepiest apart about that museum was that they had, in each cell, the head moulds of all of the criminals. Creepy. 

We also visited the Melbourne Zoo, which was fantastic. It's an older zoo, so everything seemed to be a lot more open - the most "open" of zoos that I've ever been to. For example, we went into the kangaroo area.. and the only thing that separated them from us was a wooden post. It didn't really matter though, as they were all just sleeping. They sort of remind me of dogs. They were not interested in entertaining, just living their lives, in peace. Laziness?! There were also the classic zoo animals: gorillas, lions, elephants, etc. I was most excited to see the wombats. Unfortunately, they're nocturnal. I went into the underground  viewing area to see them, but the only one I could see was lying on his back. Lame. 

We also visited the Queen Victoria Market, which was huge. Amazing prices for produce - I got 3 packs of strawberries for two dollars! Who knows where or when they were made but you know what I mean! 

Overall, Melbourne was great. Other than the flash floods, it was a smooth journey. Maybe I should have brought my Hunter boots after all?  Kevin came to visit and we got to try out some cool places to eat and test out some international brews. After a week in Melbourne, I was off to Brisbane!