All Nighters in the Library?!?!

Well this week has been a rather interesting and long one… Sunday Kim and I stayed in the library from 2pm-1am! On Monday… guess what more studying happened! I worked on my behaviour modification paper for Abnormal Psychology and got my draft complete. Only problem was though is that I was in the library from 5:30pm-3am! Yuck! Finally Tuesday I pulled an all nighter… I was in the library from 8pm-6am! CRAZY! I never expected to be spending that much time in the library during study abroad. I got a paper finished, work done on my group presentation for IRHR3540, and got resources together for my Biological Psychology paper so I can work on it during Holiday.

Well even though we were in the library we did happen to have some fun taking pictures and people watching. We found this one guy that brought a whole coffee pot with him to the library! So…. Being me… I took a picture or two… of course without a flash so he wouldn’t know we took a picture of him! So check this guy out in my picture below! Amber, Kim and I also took pictures of us getting slap happy and our messy work place! See studying in the library can be fun!








Well this week we also experienced a dust storm! It was the first one that Australia has had in more than 7 years! It was crazy looking… I felt like I was in the Wizard of Oz movie! But it was really pretty.




Last night my friend Catie turned 21 so we all went out to dinner and I tried sushi… it was rather interesting. I got some crab sushi, it tasted good but I got sick of eating all the rice towards the end! We had a good time though celebrating her birthday and all hanging out before break.







Well Lindsay and my grandparents arrive in Sydney in about 5 and 1/2 hours and I will see them in about 7… I can’t believe it. We have quite the itinerary ahead of us: Sydney, Melbourne, Ayers Rock, Cairns, and then the North Island of New Zealand. I most likely wont be able to keep you guys all informed during break… but beware when I get back I will have lots for you to read and see! Take care and I will talk to you all soon!

Cheers with Love! xoxoxo

Dinner with Jessica & Hall Ball 2009

One of the girls in my Organizational Change and International Human Resource Management class, Jessica Butler, invited me to go out to dinner with her and her friends last Friday night. She took me to Beaumont Street in Hamilton for dinner. We went to this place called Little Swallows, which serves Italian food. Their form of Italian food at this restaurant was slightly different than what I would consider Italian, but it was still really good! I ended up ordering the Pene’ Meegen. (Pasta with eggplant with a spicy chili sauce.) Dinner conversation was good though. They asked about what I had done in Australia and what I was still planning on doing. They also wanted to know about the U.S. and what was good to visit there. The most fun we had consisted of talking about the differences amongst our cultures; especially in the context of slang. Overall though we had a great time and I hope I get invited to hang out with Jess again!

Saturday consisted of doing some Uni work and then getting ready for Hall Ball. So here comes the explanation of what Hall Ball is. Basically it ended up being our form of Prom or a fraternity /sorority formal at college. The reason being is because people get dressed up in nice dresses, some are more formal, while others are more just causal dresses. Well this time I was the one in what I would consider one of the more casual dresses. I don’t care though my reasoning was well I can spend $150 on a new dress or spend that money towards travel… well that’s not a hard decision! Anyways, the dinner took place on campus in the Brennan Room. It was decorated with balloons and pictures of dice because the theme was Las Vegas! (Go figure the theme somehow relates back to the U.S.) It was a really pretty set up though. Dinner was served late just like they do at prom, and then the dancing began. Two exceptions that made this different from prom: there was a live band to provide the music selection for the night and it was not weird/awkward to go without a date! I sat at a table full of girls and we just took random pictures the entire night and did some dancing! It was good time!

Sunday was recovery day for Hall Ball. I partook in this for only about one hour because I found it rather boring. There was the option of conversing, swimming, playing cricket, eating, doing a bungee run, or just laying in the sun, but all I could think was about how much Uni work needed to get done… Therefore Kim and I decided to spend the rest of the day in the library doing papers that need to get done basically tonight! Yikes… well I think I will get one done, along with my group project information before break, but I don’t think the other one will be possible to get done before. Wow I can’t believe that I see my grandparents and Lindsay in less than 4 days! Time is going by way too fast! There are still heaps of things I want to do and I am afraid I won’t get to them! Wish me the best of luck!

Love you all heaps and hopefully will update you all before I leave for Holiday!

CREEPY CRAWLING CREATURE!

Well as some of you maybe have already ready read one of my earlier posts, the wonderful, crunch, cockroach as already visited me in my residential place. I thought that would possibly be the worse I would get, well besides the mossies (mosquitoes) flying around my room. Of course I am wrong like normal.

Friday morning as I was leaving to go to the travel agency office to book the rest of my spring break trip, I received one of my most wanted presents… a HUGE lizard lying in front of the door! Well everyone that truly knows me, knows my bloody murder scream all too well, so I will let you imagine it right now…

Well I had to get going to the travel agency office and there is no way that I would ever even attempt to get close to something that big or ugly, especially since it can move! Therefore, I got the brilliant idea of throwing a bottle at it so it would move from the door and I could run outside before it could eat me. Well the first throw of the bottle didn’t cause it to move too much, but then I kicked the bottle at it and finally I was able to break free! Wow it was super scary! Unfortunately, I did not get it out of our common room… so it could still be in my place somewhere! I am just super freaked out that I am going to wake up in the middle of the night and it’s going to be lying on my chest staring me in the eye!



As if the lizard on Friday morning wasn’t enough for the week, I had another wonderful encounter on Saturday night. Upon returning to my room after Hall Ball 2009, I went to close my curtains and hop into bed for the night, when all of a sudden an EEENNNNORRRMMMOOOUUUSSSS SPIDER leaped onto my wall! I swear it had to be a baby tarantula or relative of one! Well immediately I called Kim because I had just left her room and she owed me because I helped her escape from a baby lizard in the Cellar the other night. I also called one of my Aussie friends named Michael in hope that he would have some advice or even maybe come over and kill it, but no such luck happened… all he told me to do was kill it. I don’t kill things (Dad that’s why I have you, oh and I am so thankful for you too!)



After a little convincing, she came over to give me some moral support on how to kill this thing. Well it took us a little while to get up the courage to even attempt to kill it and get a game plan for how. Finally after about 45 minutes of planning and clearing my desk I gave it a try while Kim decided to document the killing. Well I tried to upload the video for over an hour but it wouldn't so sorry! It's on my facebook though!

Well 2 hours later I had finally managed to kill the spider. Let me tell you though it was so scary! I hope I never see a spider bigger than that again! It should be interesting to see what other creatures happen to show up around me… my guess is next time it will be a snake!

Invitations from the Aussies!

Well so school week 8 is complete and I really am starting to feel like a local and an Aussie! I have no problem getting my way around town any more, people will say locations and I know where they are referring to, I feel like I don’t stick out walking to class, and three people from home have told me I am starting to have an accent! YES!

Well I turned in my Abnormal Psychology paper on Monday and gave my case presentation in Organizational change, so there are more assessments out of the way! Now I just need to get myself motivated to do one to two more papers before next Wednesday and work on my last group project presentation for the semester!
Let’s move onto the more interesting stuff.

Tuesday I had a group project meeting for my International Human Resource Management class. Well while I was waiting for my group members to show up one of the guys from my lecture for that class came over and started talking to me. He invited me to come over and talk to one of his mates after my meeting was finished. Well since you all know me and know that I love talking you know that I went over and started conversation. It was heaps of fun! Seriously one of the best, most natural conversations I have had here or with people in a long time! They were both too funny! Their names are Josh and Michael. Well by the end of our conversation they made the comment that we will have to hang out again soon! I am keen on hanging out with them again because of how much fun we had!

On Wednesday I went to the College Collegiate Sports Dinner since I played in the tennis tournament for Ted’s Hall. It was a lot of fun, but I had to go up and accept two trophies (so embarrassing!) One was for Ted’s saying that we had won overall for women’s tennis and the other was for MVP for women’s tennis. My trophy is cute and small (there is a picture below). Also other exciting news was that Ted’s Hall took away the sports trophy for the year! It was heaps of fun at the dinner.
As for Thursday nothing too interesting happened. Just did my grocery shopping, went to class, and worked in the travel office to try and finish some details of my spring break trip.

Today I am going to go back to the travel office and do the rest of the necessary bookings as well as talk about my hopeful trip to Fiji! I have to get some Uni work done as well since Hall Ball is tomorrow night with Recovery day on Sunday. Most importantly though I am going out to dinner with Aussies! One of the girls from my Organizational Change group and she is in my International Human Relationship Management course invited me to go out to dinner with her and her friends! I am heaps excited it should be fun! It’s so exciting to being spending time with Aussies!

Well until next time… Cheers!

Procrastination = NOT FUN!i!i!

Well last week really was not fun. Uni work here is starting to really pile on… who would have ever imagined that after 7 weeks of classes I would finally have to really do some homework?!?!? Well I ended up having to write a 2500 word paper on Mood Disorders for my Abnormal Psychology class. I did research all week long, but never really started my writing it till Friday! Now if I was home I would have had this paper done at least a week ago! Geez the Aussie culture is taking a hold of me! I managed to get it done… but now I have 3 more papers that need to get done along with a group project that needs worked on before break happens! YIKES! I am going to have to step up in my level of productivity this week!

Well one extremely gross thing did happen this past week that makes this blog a bit more interesting… I found a COCKROACH IN MY ROOM!!!!! Oh so disgusting! I screamed and tried to flick it out of my room but it kept just crawling around! I did manage to get it flipped over on its back, which I did not realize they couldn’t move once that happens, and then got my Aussie housemate to kill it for me! Only problem though now is that I am scared at how many are in my room hiding somewhere and perhaps crawling on me at night!

I finished my paper late Saturday night and since the weather here is becoming gorgeous Kim, Amber, Catie, and I all went to the beach on Sunday! It was about 27 degrees Celsius (about 80 degrees and it’s the beginning of spring!) We laid out all day, and hopped into the freezing cold ocean a couple of times and rode in some waves! It was so relaxing! I have decided though that I will probably be coming home looking black! I already have a good tan which means I am only going to keep getting darker!

Well so I know this isn’t that interesting but I am having heaps of fun and have been trying to write more people postcards, so some of you be looking in your mailbox for one! Love you all and am thinking and praying for each of you!

Mojosurf Weekend!

Well it’s been a while since I have last update all of you but last week was rather boring and filled with studying for exams. Therefore, I see no need to bore you with that information.
Well Friday, September 4, seven other people from Ted’s hall and I left school for a weekend surf camp at Crescent Head, Australia! We got picked around 8:30pm in Newcastle on the sweet pink and black surf bus and headed up north for about 3 and half hours before arrive at the camp base. It consisted of a big main building with two floors. A side cabin with more rooms, a building for bathrooms and then an outside roofed dining area. It was a cute little place. My room was located on the second floor and I shared it with a few of the other girls from school as well as two girls from Germany.

Saturday we got up bright and early around 7am to get ready for our first surfing lessons! We got an introduction of the instructors as well as the different needed facts about the boards, waves, rip curls, and where we would be surfing for the day. Then we got all suited up and headed for the beach!

After getting our 8 foot long boards we all circled up and learned how to lay on the boards, when to paddle, how to properly get up on the board, and how to fall gracefully into the water. (Like there is honestly a way to fall gracefully when you’re learning how to surf!) Finally we got to head into the water to catch the waves… well the waves in about thigh high water that were just white waves! We started by just pushing ourselves up in the right position and catching waves in on our bellies. Then finally we were able to try standing up once we moved to deeper water. The first time I tried standing up and succeeded I was only up for about a second when I then came tumbling down into the water head first taking in a nose full of heavenly salt water! After a couple more tries and more instruction I finally was able to stand and catch waves! It was so exciting!

We went back to the camp after about 2 hours of being on the beach to take a break and eat some lunch. Then we went back and caught some more waves. The waves in the afternoon were huge and just kicked my butt! So unfortunately I didn’t last long because the current and waves were so strong I wore out quickly.The next day we got up again and went out surfing one last time before we would have to leave. The waves were perfect! Big enough to get a good ride in but not too big where it would swallow you alive! I caught so many great waves and rode a couple of them all the way into the shore! I absolutely loved surfing and I can’t wait to try it again here in Newcastle once it gets a little warmer!

Greek Life in Australia?

Well I know it’s been a little bit of time since I have written to inform you all about my life, but I have to say things have started to pick up here at the beginning of my 6th week at Uni. I am supposed to have two mid-terms on Thursday at 3pm… well obviously I am human so that won’t be happening. My professor for International Human Resource Management is super nice and is going to help me take his exam at another time. Thank goodness for wonderfully nice people in this world!

Any who, last Saturday I did some research for an Abnormal paper I have coming due on the 14th of September, but definitely not enough research! Then I finally went for a swim, but not in the ocean! Haha no I went for an hour and half swim in at the gym in their Olympic sized swimming pool! I was so sore afterwards though! I haven’t swum that hard in a long while! After my swim I went back to my room to get ready for Ted’s Hall Gender Bender party. Let me tell you this was quite a party! Girls dressed as guys and guys dressed as girls! I have to say it’s easier for guys to dress as girls because there are more ways to make an outfit more distinct like wearing dresses! Well Kim, Amber, and I decided that we wanted to get dressed up for the occasion. I went as a beach cricket player. Kim went as a rugby player. Amber went as a Bogan (their term for a redneck). Amber by far out did Kim and me in our outfits! She completely looked like a guy! I felt like I looked like a Hispanic after the guys were through putting their hair wax in my hair, drawing a mustache and thick eyebrows on me, and applying zinc on my nose and cheeks! Go ahead and laugh at what I look like! I know it’s hilarious and scary! People’s outfits were so funny that night though at the party.

Sunday I got to play for Ted’s in the College vs. College Tennis tourney! So first off I think some background information is needed. Colleges here are basically the different dorm halls. (Edwards/Ted’s hall a.k.a. Ted’s College). So here at the University of Newcastle there are four colleges: Edwards Hall, International Hall, Evatt House, and Barahebian. All of the colleges are really competitive against each other, which is leading me to the conclusion that there is Greek Life in Australia after all. Each college has their own sports jerseys, polo shirts, and other accessories to declare their name within the campus. The colleges also bad talk one another and try to out play one another in sports, academics, and of course on the party planning. In fact sometimes it just ruthless and worse than Greek Life on campuses back at home! Any who they picked me to play woman singles for Teds. I had to play a girl from Evatt first. (Evatt house is Ted’s biggest arch enemy.) I didn’t play that well the first set and managed to pull it off 7-6. Then in the second set I finally picked up my game and won 6-3. It was a big victory for Teds, considering that we also won the men’s singles as well as the mixed doubles match as well! Then the other colleges didn’t stand a chance against us. So by the end of the afternoon Ted’s gladly accepted first place in the tennis tourney! It was so much fun to play some competitive tennis. I only wish I had my own racket though, oh well only a little while longer till I will be back at home and have to beat Alyssa and Meredith in some tennis! That’s right girls watch out!
Well school has finally hit me in week 6 as I was mentioning up above… so I guess I should stop procrastinating and get to some of my nasty work that lies ahead of me for the next 2 weeks… wait take that back I don’t know if it will really be a break till the semester is over. Dang I was dumb for taking all harder courses than most people do while they are studying abroad!

Cheers for now!