Australian Adventure!
Friday, September 30, 2011
New Zealand Road Trip!!!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Harbour Cruise, International Food Festival, and the Races!
Soon it was time to get on the boat, and we were all so excited! On board, there was a bar in the middle of the main floor, a sitting area with tables and a dance space, and upstairs was more tables and chairs. It was so nice and we didn’t waste any time to start having fun. The music was so fun and it was really nice that it was only Weerona kids. We alternated between dancing and just sitting around talking, and all in all it was a great night. The view was incredible too. There were several moments when I would just sit back and take in the fact that I was cruising underneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge and past the Opera House. Sometimes it's still hard to believe that I'm here! Everyone had a really fun time, and we could hardly believe it when the three hours were over. Some of us stayed out in Sydney, but I decided to go back to Weerona with a group on the early train home. We were tired and it had been a long night since we started getting ready around two o’clock that afternoon. Traipsing around Sydney in high heels will definitely tire a girl out! By the time we got back to Weerona it was after one, and all of us were thrilled to crawl into our beds and go to sleep.
This past weekend was International Food Festival. Residents submitted recipies of their favorite international foods, and all of us got together and made everything for the whole dorm. I didn’t submit anything of my own, but after our standard Friday afternoon tea I decided to jump in and help out. I love cooking and it was so fun to get the chance to cook with everyone. Tim, who is also Italian, was making homemade Stromboli, so I decided to join forces with him. I have never made Stromboli myself before, so it was really fun to learn how. First we rolled out the dough and seasoned it with parsley and oregano. Then we topped it with mozzarella and swiss cheese. After that was red peppers, salami, and pepperoni. Finally, we rolled the whole thing up, sprinkled the leftover cheese and herbs on top, and popped it in the oven. There were so many Americans in the kitchen: Sherwood made friend chicken, Steve made pierogis, Ashley made apple pie and spinach and artichoke dip, and Cora made broccoli salad. We helped serve the food and then finally got to dig in! Everything was so delicious that all of us were so full we could have rolled out of the dining room. I wish we could cook more often; it felt like Thanksgiving with everyone packed in the kitchen cooking together. It’s so fun and everyone has such great family recipies. We'll definitely have to ask if we can do it again.
Saturday was another really fun day. Tori, a friend from my accounting class, told me that she was going to the horse races this weekend. It was her best friend’s birthday so a big group of people would be going, and she invited me to come along. I was so excited because I love horses, especially thoroughbreds, and it was on my list of things to do while I am here. So I excitedly agreed and Saturday morning they came to pick me up on their way to the race track. I didn’t have much notice so I didn’t have time to track down a hat. But much to my surprise, when Tori and Court showed up at Weerona, they were wearing fascinators. The only other time I had seen one was on tv for the Royal Wedding. At first they looking a bit odd, but now I really want one!
Once we got to the racetrack, Kembla Grange, we met up with the rest of the party and stopped to get a few drinks before we went out to the actual sitting/ viewing area. We got there just in time to see the second race of the day. Given that thoroughbreds are my favorite breed, I was practically drooling as all the gorgeous horses walked by. They started from the straightaway on the other side of us, which was difficult to see, but that meant that the home stretch was right in front of us. It was so great to see the whole field of horses galloping towards us. They really are absolutely stunning animals.
In between races, I visited with Tori, Courtney, and her friends. I got the chance to meet a lot of new people. They were all so nice, and it was nice to meet some young people who were already out of uni. It made me realize yet again that I’d be done with school soon! Good thing I get one year of grad school! Anyways, it was so nice meeting some new people and to spend a day outside in the beautiful Spring weather. It was the fifth race of the day, and Tori and I decided that we would place a bet in order to have a more well-rounded race experience. I gave the horses a quick once-over as they walked past and settled on Choisel, #1. Tori picked #3, Barogin Boy, and we placed our bets. As they warmed up, my pick looked great, but when it came down to the race it was Tori’s pick that won! She wasn’t that excited but I thought it was pretty cool that she won, even if it was just a few extra dollars in her pocket.
At the end of the day, we all took a taxi back to Wollongong and talked about the afternoon. Tori asked me how I liked my first time at the races, and I thanked her for inviting me and told her I loved it! I can’t wait to go back with some kids from Weerona!
Horse Riding and Sky Diving- Never a Dull Moment!
The last two Thursdays have been so exciting; we had CIEE excursions two weeks in a row! Nic and I had talked about how much we wanted to go horseback riding, so we organized a trail ride for Thursday, Sept. 1. She picked me up in the morning, and we wound around some beautiful back roads through some really cute coastal towns. She explained how as you go further north, the mountains get closer to the ocean, so the towns get narrower and narrower. We even drove along Lawrence Hargrave Drive, a beautiful and sceniccoastal road that juts out over the ocean.
We arrived at Otford Farms and made our way up to the barn to meet the instructor. After finding helmets and asking us a few questions, our instructor introduced us to our horses. I rode a chestnut mare named Cherry, and Nic rode a grey gelding named Simba. We mounted and soon we were on our way. Nic has only ridden a few times before and I have been riding for years, but we were both so excited for the next two hours. It felt good to be on a horse again, and the weather could not have been more perfect for our ride. We ambled along, crossing over creeks, climbing up rocks, and just taking in the scenery. We even got to trot and canter a bit as well. It was a lot of fun, and after about an hour, we arrived at the top of the mountain. We dismounted and went to the overlook to see the beautiful view. You could see more mountains and the coastline in the distance, and nearly right under our feet was a waterfall. After taking in the view, we went back to our horses and instructor and decided to make our way back down the mountain. As someone who has been around horses for nearly 10 years, I consider myself pretty knowledgable about horses and what theyare capable of. But I have never seen horses go over terrain like they did on this trail ride. Certain parts of the trail were so steep and rocky, that I would have had to be careful on my own two feet. But these horses took it all in stride, never appearing to think twice about it. At some points I would catch myself trying to guide my horse over the tricky parts, so I had to just close my eyes and let the horse figure out for herself. It was so fun for me to get to go on this trail ride. I need my horse fix every so often and this was a great ride.
The next week was the long awaited skydiving excursion. This was one of the CIEE trips we had been planning on from the beginning and it was so exciting that it was finally here. All week leading up to it, I kept waiting for the nerves to hit. I am definitely not a daredevil, but amazingly enough, I wasn’t very nervous. The morning of, Wayne, Nic, Justin and I drove up to "Skydive the Beach"-- and that is when I started getting nervous. While we were signing all the release forms it hit me that I was actually, voluntarily, jumping out of a plane. We got into our gear and went through a brief lesson on how to correctly skydive. Then our instructors came out and I got to Rob. He was really nice and had a great upbeat attitude that made it even more fun. Soon we were on the bus and then before I knew it we were on the tiny little plane on our way up! There were about 15 of us all together, including the pilot, and we were all squished together.
The view from the plane was incredible. You could look out the window and see the whole city of Wollongong, but my favorite part was when we were flying above the clouds. I distinctly remember when Rob tapped on my shoulder to tell me we were halfway up. All I remember thinking was, “Oh crap, only halfway!” And then as Rob was double checking our gear, the pair in front of us opened up the door and the nerves hit me all at once! I was absolutely terrified and given the choice, I would have hung on to the plane for dear life. What was I thinking, why does any part of plummeting to the earth sound fun? But at that point it was too late for second guesses. The pair in front of me dropped out of the plane, and Rob and I started inching toward the door. I just held on to my harness and closed my eyes as we first jumped out. I don’t even like roller coasters, and jumping out of the plane felt like the feeling that you get when you go down that first big hill. I was freaking out on the inside, but forced myself to open my eyes. When I finally did, it was absolutely incredible. Once you get over the initial reaction, free falling really is an amazing feeling. It was unlike anything I’ve ever done before and it was so much fun!
We free fell for nearly a minute before Rob opened the parachute. By this point, we had a really great view of Wollongong and the coast line. I remember thinking it looked just like Google Earth. Seeing the city from that angle was such a neat experience. I could make out various landmarks and noticing how small everything was and realizing how high up we still were definitely made my stomach flip though. Rob showed me how the parachute worked and even let me steer for a bit. Finally it was time for the landing and Rob set us up so that you just sort of float down and slide to a landing on your butt. When we were finally on the ground again I hardly knew what to do. It must have been funny to watch, but I could hardly stand up. I kept getting tangled up and Rob had to help me step out of the harness. We took some final pictures, I thanked Rob for an incredible experience, and I went to find Wayne, Nic, and Justin to see how their experience was. Since it was the first time skydiving for all of us, we had pretty much the same reaction: wow! We went to lunch and talked about what a great experience it was. Nic and I were the only ones to buy the pictures, so we looked through them together. There were nearly 200 pictures and it was so funny seeing the progression from meeting our instructors to going up in the plane to the actual skydiving reactions. We had a good laugh and were so glad we decided to do this. I can still hardly believe I did it, but it was a truly incredible experience and I’m so glad I did!
Monday, September 5, 2011
New Zealand Plans, Touch Rugby, and the 40 Hour Famine
After our adventurous Sydney trip I’ve had to focus on schoolwork for a while. I had a few assessments due plus I’m also signed up to take the GMAT this Thursday, so I’ve been pretty boring. I did sign up for the Sydney Half Marathon on September 18th though. About five of us are running it together. Plus there’s a group call Wee-Runner that runs twice a week, so it seems like there is always someone to run with. I definitely won’t be setting any PRs but it’ll be a really fun race.
I also figured out what I’ll be doing for mid-session break. Amy, Andy, and I are going to New Zealand! We booked everything a few days ago, and I can’t wait for it to get here! We’ll fly into Wellington where we’ll watch a World Cup (Rugby) game and then take the ferry across to the south island. We’ll rent a car and road trip around the whole island. Queenstown is considered the adventure capital of the world, so hopefully we’ll get to do some exciting things there! The only issue is that I am the only one who is old enough to rent the car, but I’m also the only one who usually drives on the right hand side of the road! Amy and Andy are both from England, so they promised to help make sure I stay on the left side, but it might be a bit interesting at first. Either way, we’re there for a week, and I cannot wait to see everything! It’s going to be an incredible trip!
This past weekend was a double-header for Weerona. First, there was the 40-hour Famine, a fundraiser meant to raise awareness about world hunger. It was a good cause, but all of us were so hungry/ grumpy/ non-responsive by halfway that we were seriously questioning what we were thinking. The second event of the weekend was inter-college rugby. The girls played touch and the guys played AFL (Aussie Rules Football). About half the people who signed up were Americans, so the Aussies had to give us a crash course in rules, strategy, and even how to throw a rugby ball. We warmed up and got the hang of it pretty quickly, and once we started playing it was so fun! All of us were really excited and, apart from going on 30+ hours with no food, did really well. There were three games between Weerona, Campus East, and I-House, and Weerona won every game! We decided that we would have enjoyed playing much more if we hadn’t been delirious with hunger, so we all voted to play again next Sunday after the weekly barbeque.
We stayed a little while after our games to watch the boys play, and I can honestly say I have never seen anything like it. It just looked like a free for all. I have no idea how many guys were on the field, but a lot, and it seemed like there were no rules other than “take out the guy beside you at all costs.” When one guy got his knee blown out, most of the girls decided it was time to call it a day. Quite satisfied with ourselves, we came back to Weerona tired but happy. Although, nothing compared to how excited we were when we got to eat dinner that night. I don’t know if the food was especially good or the hunger just made it taste better, but all of us left dinner extremely stuffed and so happy that the famine was over!SYDNEY!!!
On Saturday, 6 August a big group of us from Weerona went to Sydney for a day trip. Of course, coordinating a big group of college kids means that nothing will happen on time. After missing the first train we wanted, we finally made it to Sydney, and since it was the first time in Sydney for most of us, we were pumped! We got off the train and wandered though China town, Hyde Park, and stopped at the Anzac Memorial. The Anzac (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Memorial is the war memorial dedicated to all Australians who have served their country in war. It is characterized by it’s simple design outside, and inside is a circular “Hall of Memory” where the “Sacrifice” statue is located. The ceiling above it is covered in gold stars, one for each of the men and women who served in WWII from New South Wales. There was also a small museum that we explored for a bit to learn more about the historical context and even hear some personal stories. The Anzac Memorial is a beautiful monument and visiting was a great way to learn more about Australian history.
After leaving the Memorial, we took a detour to go through the Royal Botanical Gardens before ending up at the famous Sydney Opera House. It was so exciting to see such an iconic structure in person. We took plenty of touristy pictures before searching out a place for lunch. We found a great little fish and chips place and enjoyed our food as we sat in a park along the harbor with a view of the Opera House. The seagulls in this park were particularly brave, so we didn’t last long. Soon we made our way to “The Rocks,” a more upscale part of town where there was a great outdoor market set up. We wandered around looking at all the crafts and things for sale, and I even got to meet up with Joseph McAbee, a friend from Wofford. It was so good to see a familiar face and catch up. We wandered into an Irish Pub to catch the beginning of the All Blacks vs. Australia Tri-Nations Rugby game. I insisted on all of us watching the “haka,” a traditional war dance that the All Blacks perform before every game. After watching the haka (yes, it lived up to my expectations), we decided it was time to head back.
Getting home was quite the ordeal though. A trip that should have taken only a little over an hour ended up taking nearly six! We had been on the train for about 20 minutes when it stopped and we heard an announcement that there was going to be a delay because of something that happened several stations away. We found out later that some college-age kids had been messing around, and two had fallen onto the track and actually got hit by the train. As a result, everyone had to get off the train and after waiting an hour or two, buses came and picked us up. And because the express bus to Wollongong filled up quickly, we had to get on the bus that stopped at every single stop between Sydney and Wollongong, probably about 15 stops. We were all car sick, exhausted, and starving by the time we made it back to the North Wollongong train station, and silently walked through the drizzling rain back to Weerona. After a late dinner, we all went to our rooms and crawled into our beds, happier to be at Weerona than ever before. I also decided that I must be very bad luck. Last summer in India, getting from Goa back to Manipal was even worse. I’ll spare you the details, but it included several canceled trains and sitting up in the train station all night long in the monsoon. Sydney was definitely worth the trip, but it definitely took a few weeks before I felt like going back to Sydney.