The Gabtrotter

After being back in the United States for a solid 10 days, I’ve come to the conclusion that that chapter of my life went by too quickly. I guess because it is this faraway place, it has the ability to seem less real than other chapters. Whereas, with things I miss or think about around here, I am reminded of them much easier since I am surrounded by them or pass by them regularly.

The night of our goodbye party, I mentioned in conversation that it is a sad realization that “this is the closest we will all ever be again.” My friends and I from this trip will probably never be in such close proximity at the same time, and as close again emotionally. There are always exceptions to the rule, but it is unlikely and that is a sad realization. For, there are not many times in life where you grow close with people and know for a fact that this will be as close as you will ever be, I guess when certain friends are moving or you are leaving you always assume that you’ll have the chance to be close again because you’ve had them part of your life for so long. With study abroad it is a bit different than that.

I guess that is what makes studying abroad such a highly regarded experience: for a short while you experience what it is like to live and create a world in another country, with different friends, different foods and life-altering experiences. For the most part, all of these experiences and ways of life are temporary-, which in a sense romanticizes the whole thing. Already, I have a tendency with nostalgia only remembering the good and forgetting the bad—oh sweet memory. As I think about the times from Australia, I remember them with fondness and appreciation more and more.

My friends and I at our goodbye party

Sydney Opera House, taken by me, feb 28, 2010

Maybe it was the high expectations that I had for this trip, or maybe it was just because I didn’t research all of my options before I arrived – Sydney was not my cup of tea.

When did I go?

Thursday, February 25, 2010.  Through Monday, March 1, 2010.

Who did I go with?

Steph and My. They have been mentioned in previous posts. They stayed with me there from February 25 through the 29^th.

How did we get there?

We flew Tiger Airlines and we booked about 3 weeks in advance. It cost $75 roundtrip, without checking a bag. Unfortunately, I needed to pay $50 each way at the airport to check a bag and thus ruined the initial good deal. Well, this was a lesson for me for the rest of my travels.

I had found the good deal using, webjet.com.au but if you book through webjet they charge you a $20 fee. So it is best to take the deal and book on the airline website. An elderly couple recommended this site as the go-to place to find the best flight deals in Australia. It has worked to be the best place to check first, and then go accordingly to avoid the fee. I don’t understand why webjet does add in that extra $20, maybe not all travelers notice the extra fee!

Although I have heard a lot of complaints about Tiger, my experiences with them have always been great. Definitely the best cheap airline I have flown in Australia.

Where did we stay?

Base Backpackers Sydney.

I’ve only stayed at Base in Sydney and in Brisbane. I loved the hostel in Brisbane, but the one in Sydney did not live up to speed. Although it is not the worst hostel I have stayed at, the receptionists were not very friendly and a bit uptight.

We stayed in their highly regarded Sanctuary rooms.

I quoted Base earlier in the semester, for they described this is how they described their sanctuary rooms:

“The Female only SANCTUARY DORM is for ladies who like to be pampered! 4 to 8 bed dorm, clean, modern and comfortable non smoking room comprising a luggage security locker for each person, wireless internet access (surcharge applies), security swipe card access with a 24 hour reception, heating and air-conditioning. The beds have feather pillows and doona and made up with fresh linen. The rooms are featured with full-length mirrors. Hairdryers, hair strengtheners and beauty kits are available for your use on request at reception. Rate is for 1 person in a single bunk bed in the dorm. Fantastic price for that extra bit of luxury in a fantastic location, close to all the action in the heart of Sydney.”

Well, the sanctuary was not like that. They did have some random shampoos and conditioners, but it didn’t even appear to be ours because they were just stacked on the desk as if they belonged to one of the other backpackers in our room.

The room had a comfy bed and nice sheets, but the AC didn’t work that well. The floor looked like it could use a good vacuum. Their description really is a bit outrageous for what it is, but what can you expect for a hostel.

It WAS, however, in the best location possible. It is located right around the corner from St. George ST. where all of the action is.

Overall I’d give this hostel a C+. I did have one particularly bad incident with them while I was leaving, which knocked them from getting a B.

A day before my departure I decided to go ahead and book the shuttle to the airport for $15. When I booked it, the women at the counter wrote down my name and had a receipt of my purchase and a copy of my ticket number. When I checked out, I must have left the paper in the room and it got thrown out. I went back upstairs in an attempt to try and find it. I go back downstairs to explain to the receptionists about the dilemma and they replied coolly, “Oh yes, you’ll just have to buy another ticket.” I didn’t understand why that would be the case since they had written down my information, and asked, “Why would I have to do that if you have it written down in your book?” They told me that because the ticket is not tied to me, I could have sold it to somebody else. I told them that that wasn’t the case and that I didn’t understand their policy. Then they proceed to tell me that it is like buying a shirt a store, if you lose the shirt then it’s your own fault for losing the shirt. Well, really it isn’t the same as losing a shirt. This is a ticket for a seat on a bus. The bus fills up, they wrote down my name in regard to the ticket. They were very rude and handled the situation very poorly. I left the hostel with a very bad taste in my mouth.

Frustrated, I decided to go to a café nearby and call the people who actually drive the shuttle. They told me that it was not a problem, that they did have me down on their list and that I could get on the shuttle without the ticket. This just goes to show you that Base simply was being non-negotiable without a reason.

What did we do?

Thursday night:

It was late so we decided to check out the bar at the hostel. It was called The Scary Canary. A lively place, a lot of fellow backpackers were there

Friday:

My insisted upon going to a Vietnamese restaurant in Star City (the Sydney casino), but before we left she did not know exactly where it was so we spent a good 45 minutes wandering around for it. At the time it was not a lot of fun, but in hindsight it wasn’t that bad. We ended up getting to the restaurant, the name of which escapes me, and of course it was not open yet. So we just sat around the casino waiting for the place to open. It was a bit pricey but the meal I ordered was quiet delicious.

Afterward we met up with Stephanie and we made our way to the Opera House. We did not go for a tour, but just took pictures outside of it. They were too lazy to walk inside with me, but I went in and checked it out. It was beautiful. I wish I would have taken a tour, but I plan on being back someday.  Visiting the Opera House was one of my favorite parts of the trip; it was really cool to see such a monumental sight in real life.

We then took pictures in front of the Sydney Bridge.

Leigh and Kim traveled with the school to Sydney, and because they were on a guided tour they were not able to hang out with us at their leisure. I did meet up with them later in the night; we went to a bar called scubar.

Saturday:

We went shopping and I found a great shirt and pair of shoes for a total of $25. I also bought some souvenirs for my friends and myself. We each bought an Australia jacket for $13 each.

That night we made it our way to a place to indulge in our first experience with eating kangaroo. It was delicious, like steak but more tender.

After dinner it was time to go check out Sydney’s huge GLBT mardi gras celebration. It was a lot of fun and reminded me of Boston Pride. I could not believe how many people were there.

Sunday:

I made my way to Bondi Beach. I really was un-impressed by Australia’s most recognized beach. I guess the beautiful beaches of the Gold Coast have spoiled me, for as far as looks were concerned, it was not very beautiful. There were a lot of cameras on the beach and a good amount of people, I could not figure out what was going on.

After I was done taking pictures, I decided to walk along the shore and finally settle to sit down for a bit under the overcast skies. I could not have been sitting for more than about 5 minutes when my day dreams were suddenly interrupted by the intercom, “Everybody please evacuate the beach, a tsunami will be hitting the shore in about 12 minutes.” I could not believe my ears, and my heart started to beat wildly as my mind was racing. As an American, tsunamis have never been much of a worry for me. Thus, when I heard the intercom I thought I was done for. People did start scurrying off, muttering to each other and looking around. I started to get nervous. I meandered through the crowds to what I decided would be a good altitude to watch and be safe. Along the way I met a woman who had been in the Thailand tsunami, and she summed up her experience as being pure hell. Well, I decided to get my video camera out and said a brief goodbye to mom and dad and my other relatives and friends. Then, I decided to go ahead and film it – I mean CNN would buy this tape afterwards… If I survived, right??   Well, I waited a good hour and nothing happened. So, I shrugged off my CNN debut and made my way through the various beach shops and restaurants. A personal favorite that I crossed was, “Gabby’s Café.” I didn’t remember opening a café in Sydney, but I guess other people do have my name.

Monday:

That was when I had my lovely argument with Base Backpackers. I decided to have breakfast at a café nearby. I spent the day working on the homework I had due on Tuesday and caught my flight at around 3:30 PM.

I don’t understand why Internet is so hard to come by in Australia. The only airport I’ve been to with free Internet was incidentally in Darwin. The rest try to charge you an insane amount like $25 for the hour. Crickey, let’s get a technology update mates!

Just stopping in here to say that life is good.. Life is grand… I love being tired because I’ve been having fun all day and not because of other things. I’m going to play tennis tomorrow and I’m excited about that. Life is good… Life is grand.

(Written 5:20PM Brisbane Time 2AM Eastern Time)

This video is of Surfer’s Paradise. The closest city to Bond Uni, is Surfers. It takes about 15-30 minutes on the bus, and the bus leaves every 30 minutes or so. Surfers is where all of the clubs are located, and the main extracurricular in the evening tends to be frequenting the clubs in the various clubs in the area. Bond University has a binding contract for the year with The Bedroom and Sin City, where all of the students get free admission and the clubs get unlimited advertising on campus. I have to admit; I’ve gone to the clubs every weekend since I’ve been here, something that I normally do not participate in at home.

My classes are great, and I think I’m going to like them more and more as the weeks go by. This is my schedule:

Tuesday:

8AM – 10AM Cinematography & Lighting Lecture

10AM – 12PM Cine & Lighting Practical

(we work with the cameras and lights, etc)

We’ll be using these beautiful Panasonic HPX’s in this class. They are stunning cameras.

2PM – 4PM Directing Actors Lecture

(This so far seems like it’s going to be my favorite class. The professor is very good and she understands students and varies the way she teaches in order to keep the class engaged and interesting. The class is obviously about the relationship between actor and director, but it’s also about reading people and trying to get people to feel what you want them to feel (if only these techniques worked in real life).

6PM – 9PM Directing Actors Practical

(the professor brings in real actors and we do different exercises with them in a studio)

Thursday:

8AM – 10AM Editing Lecture (I’m learning to edit using Avid. Currently, I only know Final Cut Pro; however, in the industry it’s good to know both.)

10AM – 12PM Australian Cinema Screening / Lecture

(Australian Cinema starts at 9, so I’ve worked out an agreement with my professor to miss the lecture and come for the screening. Afterwards, the professor, and two grad students re-teach me the lecture. In the US something like that never would have worked out. I would have had to pick between the Editing class and Australian Cinema. I was glad I didn’t have to pick because I’m interested in both)

2PM – 3PM Australian Cinema Tutorial

(Every student is required to do a presentation on a film… Mine is on the movie “Getting’ Square” Which is a movie made by a lawyer, and is set in the Gold Coast. I’m going to try and watch it soon, so when I do I’ll let you guys know how it is.)

4PM – 6PM Editing Computer Lab

This photo is a an example of the edit suites that are near the iMac computer lab where we have class.

(We sit down behind the iMac computers and follow along with the instructor. Fortunately, the edit suites are open 24/7. )

I was very surprised when I found out that a.) My classes happened to work out to be only twice a week and b.) That they only meet once a week. It’s very different from the Monday, Weds, Thursday or Tuesday/Friday schedules that I am accustom to at Northeastern University. As of right now, I don’t know how it will be possible to learn as much in a given semester, but we will see. Although I am a hard worker, I’m a bit concerned about the grading system here. Apparently the professors do not give out “High Distinctions.” They are pretty strict with what they give out, but NU curves the grades to be in par with the way we do business. Another observation is how strict the administration at Bond University seems to be. Maybe because it is a smaller school, they are able to keep the students more on a tight leash, but it’s very unappealing. I understand that they are nervous about students doing things they shouldn’t be doing, but there needs to be some level of trust and understanding between the school and the students. It seems that the school is running the students whereas at other institutions I’ve been in the students help run the school. I was also surprised that classes were held on Australia Day. From my understanding, Australia day is like July 4^th. Having classes on July 4^th would be blasphemous in the USA, so like I said, although unaffected, I just was very surprised.

Having class twice a week has a lot of benefits. One of the major ones, of course, is being able to travel Thursday night – Monday night. Already I have booked my flights to Sydney for their big Mardi Gras weekend. Two of my friends and I leave on the 6:30 flight Thursday evening, we are flying Tiger Airways. My roundtrip tickets, and 4 nights in a hostel cost me a total of $205. Now that’s a bargain. The hostel we are staying at is called, Base Backpackers, and we are staying in the sanctuary room, which Base describes as “The Female only SANCTUARY DORM is for ladies who like to be pampered! 4 to 8 bed dorm, clean, modern and comfortable non smoking room comprising a luggage security locker for each person, wireless internet access (surcharge applies), security swipe card access with a 24 hour reception, heating and air-conditioning. The beds have feather pillows and doona and made up with fresh linen. The rooms are featured with full length mirrors. Hairdryers, hair strengtheners and beauty kits are available for your use on request at reception. Rate is for 1 person in a single bunk bed in the dorm. Fantastic price for that extra bit of luxury in a fantastic location, close to all the action in the heart of Sydney.” This cracked me up a bit, because who associates hostel with luxury? Well, I’ll of course, be assessing the situation as to exactly how luxurious this accommodation is.

I haven’t officially made any other travel plans. The great news is that none of my classes have finals, so I am going to have two weeks where I plan on traveling for the entire duration. Places I want to go? Cairns, The Outback, New Zealand and Fiji. Hopefully I’ll be able to squeeze all of this in, but the main issue is trying to find reasonably priced airfare. If I do, then of course I’ll be going to all of these places.

Other great news is that I, without even looking for one, found a job. My friend and I were leaving the pool, like I do everyday, and stumbled upon a sign asking for volleyball referees. I immediately walk in, speak to the guy and was hired on the spot to reff beach volleyball games. It’s great, happens every Monday night, at the beach volleyball courts, which is perfectly located right next to my dorm. The pay is good, and it’s from 6-9:40, but I get paid per game. And there are 5 games that are held within those hours. I did it for the first time this past Monday, and it was a lot of fun. It was a seriously nice pick-me-up; for I had been feeling the most homesick I had ever felt in my entire life Thursday-Saturday.

I’m on week 3 and my life in Boston has grown slightly more distant to me with each week that passes. The first two weeks it felt like I was only going to be here for a short vacation, but now I’m starting to realize and accept the fact that I am here for three more months. I’m starting to fully give myself to this place, allowing myself to follow the ways of the culture and accept it as my own. The months before I left, my relationships, my living situation, all were contingent on this trip to Australia. Relationships needed to end, I needed someplace temporary to live, and it was all because of where I am right now. I ask myself if it was worth it, but I don’t think that’s a fair way of looking at it. I need to realize that it’s not about it being worth it, but about realizing that life gets in the way of life at times. Sometimes you want to be able to have everything, but you simply can’t. You have to make choices, and those choices are at times very painful and uncomfortable to make at the time. So, I can’t say that this has been worth it or not worth it, but it certainly has been an experience. I never realized how different standing on the other side of the earth would actually feel.

Although this video did not take me very long to make (about a half day of work), there has been a serious conflict between my editing software (Final Cut Pro) and my digital camera. I haven’t used my digital camera as a video camera before, but because it records HD I thought I’d give it the old college try.

Technical difficulties aside, this is the video gives the basic rundown of what my campus looks like. Weather aside, Bond is quiet different from Northeastern. With 2,500 undergraduate students, it is significantly smaller than NU, for at Northeastern there are about 2,500-3,000 students in my 2011 class alone.  NU’s dining halls are very different, with the serve your own, buffet style to the Bond’s pay as you go, restaurant style. The cities are both very different too…

I never realized how much I took living in a city for granted. Being able to walk out of your apartment and find most places open until around midnight is a real blessing. Now, I’ve started to realize what one of the cab drivers meant when he said Bond is in the sticks; for even though it’s only 20 minutes from the beach, it is a lot like living in the country. If I had a car, this country feeling may not be as accentuated. The closest stores aren’t really that far away, but it’s nowhere near like being in Boston, where, you can find anything you need at anytime. The stores here though, close much earlier than in the US. It’s just a change from what I have been used to. I guess I never realized how much of a city girl I have turned into over these years in college.

Next to living in the “sticks,” I’ve also taken a serious technology downgrade. This can be viewed as a good thing, I suppose. Before I got here, I was the girl attached to my iPhone. Always on it, always checking my e-mail, constantly connected to the virtual world. Well, now, I have a Nokia phone that hasn’t been considered modern for about 6 years, it’s really sad. As silly as it sounds, I miss my iPhone, all of the beautiful things it could do for me: from the 24 hour GPS device to the unlimited texting, being iPhoneless can be somewhat disappointing. Even for the fluffy things. For example… Today I was at dinner with a few of my friends and I asked my friend from Norway, if Norwegians eat perogies. She, nor did my other friends, know what perogies were. If we were in Boston, I’d pull out my iPhone with a smile and graciously google a picture of a perogi to show them what exactly I was talking about. Well, today, even though I went to reach for my phone, I re-remembered that I wasn’t in Kansas anymore.

Even though we flew into Brisbane, Bond University is actually in Gold Coast, Australia. My junior year of high school the lacrosse team went to a lacrosse camp in Florida. The school was Eckerd College in St. Petersburg. Bond reminds me of Eckerd for it’s a small, warm and beautiful campus. There are a lot of beautiful looking people here too; in fact I think the only unattractive people I’ve seen or met have been Americans, which cracks me up.

We barely made our flight from Sydney to Brisbane, and because of that most of our bags didn’t make it. We arrived at Bond around 3PM and the total travel time took a about 36 hours. I was very tired when I arrived, but my excitement kept me alert and happy. The ladies checking me in remembered seeing my name on the list, and of course inquired about it. I just said, “my parents think they’re funny,” they laughed and I left it at that.

My room reminds me of a very simple hotel. There are two twin beds, separated by a nightstand, two desks, and a bathroom attached. I’m living right at the center of campus. I can walk up and down a flight of stairs, and I’m at the gym, where the beautiful outdoor pool is. My view is of the lake with a spouting fountain, which again, is in the middle of campus. It’s a very pretty view and it makes me feel like I’m on vacation. Actually the whole experience feels like I am on vacation and not about to start a semester of school.  My roommate’s name is Cait and she is from Massachusetts and goes to a small school called Western New England College, it’s close to where she grew up, near Six Flags New England. She seems like the ideal roommate, respectful, friendly, nice and doesn’t talk too much, but still enjoys a pleasant conversation.

Monday I spent the day trying to get organized by getting my student ID card and figuring out how my meal plan works. It’s definitely not like the NU dining hall, the Northeastern system is made for gratuitous eating. Where as here, you get a certain amount on your Bond Card and it’s up to you to make it last the whole semester.

I also spent the majority of Monday trying to get my iPhone unlocked for a pay as you go plan. Of course AT&T makes it impossible to unlock the phone, even if you are overseas. It’s a serious inconvenience. I tried calling them and they said they could unlock any phone except, the iPhone. I tried explaining that I am going to stay a faithful AT&T customer when I am in the US, but I need the phone while I’m in Australia. Well, it didn’t work. Fortunately, my friend Sarah Simon who had studied here last year, lent me her phone for the semester and that’s what I am now using as my Australian cell phone. For calls home, I am paying $12 a month for the skype global plan. I can make unlimited phone calls anywhere in the world. It’s a great deal. If you want to reach me, my phone number is 617-553-1033, and if I don’t answer just leave a voicemail and I can get back to you.

Monday evening, my friend Steph and I met a retired couple at a Chinese restaurant near campus. We started talking and next thing you know, we ended up sitting with them talking about Australia and the US and the differences and similarities. It was great fun; they even gave us a ride back to campus. The Australians are much friendlier than Americans.  Also, the restaurant we were at was BYO, which means bring your own. Any restaurant that says BYO underneath the name means that you can bring your own wine or beer. I thought that was a nice way of doing business. Also, gratuities are not expected here, which makes for a cheaper meal.

Monday night I went to a toga party. They give you a sheet to make into a toga, it’s possibly one of the most unflattering outfits I have ever worn. See for yourself:

Even though something like that isn’t typically my scene, I decided to bend my own comfort to try and have a goodtime. It was a complete unsuccess. I went with my friend Stephanie, but she’s not into that whole scene either.  I tried a Tooheys beer while at the party, it was a little bitterer than a Bud Light, and definitely not as good.

Tuesday I went to the pool and traveled to Robina Shopping Center. That was pretty cool; they had a Target there. I tried to get in, and to my dismay the store was closing; the stores close at 5PM there (except on Thursday where they have late night shopping until 9). I was disappointed by this news, and just bought some stuff at the grocery store.

Today is Wednesday and I’ve gone to the pool, listened to a local explanation of where to go to get what, and I am currently waiting for the mini-fridge we’ve rented to be delivered. Having a mini-fridge will definitely make life a bit easier.

Because Bank of America has high fees for making purchases abroad. I have decided to open an account here, with ANZ and wire money into my account. It’ll cost $35 each time I do it, but I am saving a lot of money by doing it this way. ANZ allows you to make purchases free around Australia. I still haven’t been able to figure out what my rates are for my BofA Amex card, but when I do know I’ll write about it.

Once the mini-fridge is delivered I hope to make a video tour of campus, so that way you can see what it is I am talking about.

Until then…