Home away from home

Must admit that the past few days have probably been the best days here thus far. Can't lie, I was a tad home sick when I first got here, especially since a lot of the people already knew each other from the trip prior to our orientation. Lately, we have all bonded so well and we have our own little family. We decided last week to have a "family dinner" every Sunday and this past Sunday was the kickoff to the tradition. It just so happened to be our friend Stephanie's birthday so a bunch of us got together and had a BBQ for dinner. We all chipped in and got different things from the store and ended up making a fantastic dinner with chicken, burgers, sausage, veggies, chips (fries) and of course, boxed wine and beer! It was really nice to sit down with everyone and just talk about all of the fun stuff we have been doing and reflect on the crazy past few weeks we have had. It is nice having a family here of people you can trust and rely on to be there for you when you need them. Doesn't hurt that we all have a blast together and share MANY common interests. Aside from family dinner, got the chance to meet some more awesome Australians this past weekend. Went to a bar/club in Darling Harbor with some friends called Cargo Bar and ended up meeting a few guys from Sydney who love to have a good time...We ended up leaving Cargo and going to Kings Cross to a bar that I can't remember the name of but it was a blast. There was a lounge up on the roof where it was relatively quiet so we could all chat and get to know each other and it was a beautiful night which didn't hurt at all. Australians are so interesting to talk to and get their point of view on things and also, with my sense of humor (thanks mom and Tom), we have fun taking the piss out of each other and sharing a good laugh. It felt like we were only there for a little while but when I checked my phone, it was already almost 5am! Aussies can go on for days and days and days but we decided to call it a night and grab a cab. Of course we would get the cab driver from hell who was convinced he was in the Daytona 500 version of Death Race and was probably the worst driver of all time. Luckily we made it home in one piece. Today was the first day of classes which wasn't overly exciting...I can't really complain about my classes so far since they aren't anything too crazy but the commute to school takes a lot of out me. I live in Bondi Junction which is a beachy community right in the city of Sydney and my school, Macquarie University, is in the middle of nowhere in North Ryde. It takes me 2 trains and about 50 minutes to get to school and home each day. It isn't too bad so I can't really complain. The classes here are WAYYYY different than they are in the US of A. Back home we spend the first day or two talking about the class and what is to be expected and we sort of ease into the first topic. Not in Auss-land...We sat down, got our syllabus and BOOM! jumped right into how Australia was created and who discovered it and blah blah blah blah blahhhhhh...Thankfully our tutorial small environment class is perfect for asking questions and getting more in-depth info on the topics we discuss in the lecture. It might take some getting used to but no worries! The only weird thing to me is how they spell...Color is spelled Colour? Not what I am used to but I am trying to keep in mind that, "It's not wrong...It's just different". I still love Australia and it is starting to feel like my home away from home. I love the people I am with and I love the locals as well. I could not have been matched with a better group of guys and the friends we hangout with make me enjoy this trip more and more every day. Although there are certain aspects about home that I would KILLLLL to have here, I will just appreciate them that much more when I come home. Time to plan spring break and my upcoming Skydiving adventure! Stay tuned for more posts to come in the near future. Cheers!

Taking the piss..

The last 48 hours have been pretty awesome. Last night was my first real experience with making Australian friends and it was a blast and a great learning experience. Ran into a group of Aussies at a bar called Eastern in Bondi Junction and we were all instantly best friends (partially due to the NY accent). It was so much fun to sit and talk to them and see how different and similar we are. From the way we talk, act, joke around, shake hands, and think, it was all so different. When I introduced myself to one girl, she instantly told me, "You shake hands like a P****! I thought you Americans were tough?!". To be honest I was a little taken back at first but then I remembered that Aussies love to make fun of you. That's how they show that they like you. So of course I had to get her back. We were talking about the differences in the way we talk as Americans and how Australians talk and she asked me what I would call her shoes as she pointed down to them. I just looked at her, shrugged my shoulders and said, "I would call those ugly.." and from that moment on the night got better and better. It's called taking the piss out of someone. Australians generally have a great sense of humor and show their friendliness by kidding around and making fun of you. The guys that I met were pretty much the same way. The only difference was that instead of making fun of me, they would make fun of themselves. Australian money is all plastic for those of you who didn't know and this is something that they seem to love to talk about. Some say it is so you can go in the water with it and not have to worry about ruining it but these guys had a completely different idea of why it is plastic. They thought it was because all Aussies are alcoholics and that when they cant find a funnel, they can just funnel beer from their money...Interesting...but I am not convinced that's why. Anyways, it was really cool to meet these people and of course we all exchanged numbers so I am hoping to be going to Lunar Park with them sometime this week. Lunar park is the old construction hub next to the Sydney Harbor Bridge. The old hub is where most of the supplies were put together during the construction of the bridge. Once construction was over, they turned the area into an amusement park for the city of Sydney to enjoy. The park is still operational and is a great place to check out. I figured, what better group of people to check out Lunar Park with than a bunch of my new mates and birds!? Mates are generally guy friends and birds would be girls. Today was even better than last night. A few of my roommates and I went with our two friends Susie and Liza on the Bondi Beach Cliff Walk. The walk is along the cliff edge and beach front and it runs from Bondi Beach all the way to Coogee Beach. It was absolutely beautiful today and we saw some of the most beautiful sights in Sydney. Not only was it fun but I probably dropped 15 pounds since it was about a 2 1/2 hour hike through all different types of surfaces from boardwalks to dirt trails to cliffs to rocks and reef. When we finally arrived in Coogee, we stopped at a local cafe called the Coogee Cafe and had lunch. The food was fantastic as is everything I have eaten in Australia (besides Vegemite). Finally, we went and relaxed on the beach where we all passed out for about an hour. Over all it was a pretty amazing day. Tonight, we are having a boys night out on Darling Harbor and The Rocks. We are just going to go relax and have a few drinks by the water. The Rocks is the historical district of Sydney and is beautiful. This is more or less where the city originated when it was all convicts sent over from England and Ireland. I will try to get some pictures up for you all to enjoy and thanks again for staying tuned in! Cheers!

Dont ever have kids mate..

As if my journey down under couldnt get any more exciting, for the past few days I have been having the worst tooth ache known to man. I am excited to say that I had my first experience with an Australian Dentist (who might I add was drop dead gorgeous) and I get to have my first tooth pulled down unda!!! Now, I know you are all jealous and concerned but have no fear, No Gaps Dentistry will fix me up in a jiff! Been exploring the Junction the past few days and have talked to a lot of locals. It is really making me realize the difference between Americans and Australians. I sat down with a friend of mine and had some lunch and the way Australians act is completely different. Even being in a large city such as Sydney, Aussies seem to be so much more relaxed and laid back. There is really no rush to get the check or to get your order where as in NYC its get in and get out and once you get out you have to run to your next destination while texting, talking, blogging, Facebooking, Tweeting, and of course, playing Words With Friends. The people here seem to actually listen to what you have to say most of the time also and take a general interest in your life. I can't tell you how many times I have just been standing waiting for a train or a bus and I have a random stranger just start talking to me. Not like they do in the states though...If a stranger talks to you waiting for the train in NYC, they are most likely asking for money, a cigarette, beer, or they are rambling about how their kids piss them off or how much they hate their job. Here, Australians love to ask about where you're from and why you decided to travel half way across the globe to spend 5 months in their country and city. They love to talk about your interests and also, they seem to be very selfless. I have yet to meet an Australian who loves to talk about themselves (unlike most Americans who would rather hear themselves talk rather the person they are talking to) The only time I hear an Australian talk about themselves is when I ask them stuff and even then, they play it down like it is no big deal. I have to say, I not only find it very interesting but it is also really enlightening and refreshing. Maybe we should all take a step back for a second and learn to enjoy the company of those who around us more often. Even if you're at a pub or a coffee shop just hanging out, make a friend! Chat about school or your home town or something. It is a lot more fun, a lot more gratifying, and makes you appreciate the people around you. There is something about this country that I still havent pinpointed yet but im working on it. Something is just very different and by different I don't mean bad. This place really makes you love life and appreciate every breath. Back home I constantly catch myself frustrated with long waits or bored on a quite Sunday but it is so different here. Long waits for a bus or a train make you look around and take in the area you're in and quite Sundays mean hot cups of coffee on the balcony then a walk down the cliff walk on Bondi. It must be something in the beer here but hey, I'm not complaining. Unfortunately, the one person who doesn't seem to agree is the guy living next to us at the moment at the Junction. He walks outside today while we are all waiting for the lift and we hear children screaming and a woman screaming even louder. The man walks outside, looks at us, takes a deep breath and says, "Don't ever have kids mate...they're a real pan in the hole...oy and don't get married either.." Made us all laugh just because of his accent but I couldn't disagree more. Cannot wait to see all of the fun adventures life has in store for me. Off to have a shower, get dressed, and have a night out on the town with the boys. Maybe check out some pubs down in Kings Cross (Anything that includes Kings Cross will most likely be followed by a blog post since that place is insanity in its purest form) Hope all is well back in the states for everyone who is following my blog and I am looking forward to seeing you all soon enough! Cheers!

It's not wrong...It's just different.

The past few days have been jam packed with cool stuff. Yesterday was the Amazing Race around Sydney and at night we took a cruise around the city on the Sydney 2000. The Amazing Race consisted of about 24 teams of 4 and it was pretty much just like the show. We got clues and had to race around the city to get to the different checkpoints. The team that came in first won a dinner at the Sydney Opera house. Unfortunately we didn't win since I completely misread one of the clues and ended up dragging my team all the way to Bondi Beach...woops...But one thing I took away from the challenges was NEVER ever EVER ever eat Vegemite. Most repulsive excuse for food that could have ever been created. The harbor cruise was absolutely beautiful. We all got spiffed out in our Saturday nights best and got to experience the city and its sights at night. After the cruise a few of us decided to hit the harbor and check out some of the night life in the area. Cargo Bar was a blast. I love how everything around here is all wide open. You're not stuck in a hot box crammed in with 400 other sweaty people. The bars and lounges are all wide open with decks, balconies, or are just completely out doors. The one funny part is that they seem to not only love American music, but American music from the late 80's and early 90's. Every once in a while they will throw in some new stuff to spice it up though. Today was pretty hectic. I finally met up with my roommates for the semester (who are wild and absolutely awesome) and we moved into our highrise apartment in Bondi Junction. The apartment is gorgeous and the view is even more amazing than I thought possible. Not quite sure what the night has in store for us quite yet but seeing as these guys clearly know how to have a good time, I am confident I wont be disappointed. Tomorrow (depending on when I can get up) I am hoping to get out to Bondi Beach and go for a solid run along the ridiculous cliff walk. Until then, I am signing off. Missing all of my friends and family back in the states and I love and appreciate you all more so now than ever but no dramas! Cheers mate!

This is your Captain Speaking...

So this is the first time I have been able to get online since I landed here in beautiful Sydney, Australia and I have so much to talk about I honestly don't even know where to begin. Normally, once I get my internet working better and I have more time, I will write on here more often and it will be a bit more organized. Until then, I suppose I will start at the beginning. The night before I left, I couldn't sleep at all. There was so much on my mind and I had absolutely no clue what to expect. So I was up at 4:30am NY time and before I knew it, I was already off to JFK to begin the journey to the land of Auzz. Checking in at JFK was pretty easy but the wait to get on the flight was excruciating. I saw the planes coming and going and knowing that it would be my last time in NY for a very long time was very weird. On top of that, I was heading to LA and I had never been to California before, let alone one of the craziest cities in Cali. Once I boarded flight AA03 to LA, I soon realized how lovely that flight would be...Now let me break off on a brief tangent for a second...Do the people who design planes honestly think that the majority of Humans these days are the size of garden gnomes? Oh and also, I can honestly say that I feel bad for anyone who was on the Titanic and had to sleep and live under the ship in economy class. It's a pretty crappy feeling. You walk in the plane and you see all of these beautiful seats (first class) with so much room and big pillows and big fluffy blankets, but of course the women tells me to keep walking...So I see seats that look a little less spacious, smaller pillows, smaller blankets (business class) and yet again, she tells me to keep going...Eventually I reach the seats that are built for 4 year old girls, with NO pillow, and a "blanket" that was no more than a piece of tissue paper (economy class). Needless to say it was a long flight to LA. Once I arrived in LA I was absolutely psyched! Not only was it cool just to be in Los Angeles, but the weather was beautiful and I was one step away from my final destination! luckily for me, I was able to meet up with some friends for dinner and stuff while we waited out our 6 hour lay over. Eventually, we made it through customs and immigration and finally found my gate for QF12 Sydney bound. The waiting area was packed with both American students and Aussies getting ready to head back home. When I finally saw the Qantas plane pull up to the gate, I was absolutely astonished by its size and capacity. It was 2 floors and brand new. I was lucky enough to sit next to a beautiful young woman from Sydney and we had a lot to talk about during the course of the 15 hour flight. Now I dont know if anyone who is reading this has ever experienced a 15 hour flight before but in case you have not, let me just say that it is an experience that can't be explained. You literally feel as if you are living in the air. The hours seem to be going by so slow and sitting for that long tends to do a number on your body. For some reason that I can NOT explain, I decided to watch every single movie that had a plane crash scene in it right before I left. Of course, this made me nervous and paranoid as all hell and of courseee the engines would cut out for a second right after take off. Yes, you read that right...I said the engines cut out right as we were taking off from the ground in LA. Thankfully the pilot was able to fire those bad boys up again and get us up up and away. "Ello ladies and gentleman, this is your captain speaking...not much I can say about that besides oops! But no worries, we are well on our way...just have a glass of wine and forget that ever happened...oh...and keep your seat belts fastened...Thank you!" Finally, the sun comes up, the clouds break, and past the miles and miles of deep blue water, we are able to see the coast of Australia! I don't think I can even put into words how exciting it was to land and actually realize that this is all finally real. Once all of the students were organized, we were off to our 5 star hotel accommodations in the CBD of Sydney (Central Business District) The first day was pretty relaxing, just walked around the city and checked out Darling Harbor but dinner was absolutely amazing. A few of my new friends and I decided to try the Kangaroo loin and Jack Daniels sauce...sooo delicious and would recommend it to anyone and everyone who has the chance to try some Roo. It is only eaten very rare but is almost like undercooked steak. Delicious. Due to extreme jet lag, I passed out around 9:30pm Sydney time. The next day was a lot more eventful. We started the day by walking up and over the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Not just over the roadway but we actually strapped on safety cables and walked over the arch to the very top which is approximately 1,500 feet high. From here we could see the entire city and also the most beautiful land mark around, the infamous Sydney Opera house. I will try to post pictures on here at some point but if not, check out my facebook to see what the view was like. From there we walked around the city and saw some great parks and gardens and learned a lot about the amazing history and culture of the place I will be calling home for the next 5 months. Later that night, we learned of a little part of town called Kings Cross...Although Kings Cross had some of the best Pubs and Clubs that I have ever seen in my life, it is also the center of the prostitution and brothel industry which is legal and heavily regulated here in Sydney. All I'm going to say is never mess with a pimp and NEVER call them bro. Wont ever end well for you and we may or may not have nearly escaped with our lives. That story is reserved for another time. Today we checked out a little place called Bondi Beach, which is one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen in my life and also one of the most popular in Sydney. The cliff walk around the cost was breathtaking and the locals were a blast. One thing I have noticed since I have been here is how different Americans and Australians are. You may think we both speak the same language and act the same way but after only a few days, I can tell you that those assumptions could not be any further from the truth. Although the language is the same, the different tones and expressions make the Aussie language even more beautiful and worth appreciating. After a few beers at the local Pub, I'm able to get my Aussie dialect going pretty well and I'm sure I will bring that home with me to the States. As far as the Australian culture goes, I absolutely love it. They are tough people and most certainly not pushovers but at the same time, they are very welcoming, curious, and helpful people. They love and are as intrigued by us as we are of them. They will look at you as if you are an alien sometimes but I don't mind. It's fun trying to be more like them and seeing how it helps you assimilate into their daily lives. Plus it goes without saying that living in a city is an experience all in itself. That's pretty much all I can think of right now but if anything else comes to mind, I'm sure you'll hear about it. Just be sure to keep checking up on this every so often over the next few months and I'm sure you will find some cool and interesting stuff. As always, let me know of any questions or if you'd like me to go into more detail about anything. I'll answer as soon as I can! Aussie Aussie Aussie! OY OY OY!