Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Dear all,
About a month and a half down the road from my last blog update and quite a bit has changed in between. First of all, it’s no longer 37C outside (100F) but about -20C (-4F), I’m no longer in the Southern Hemisphere but in the Red Square, and I’ve accumulated more air miles in the last month than I have in the last few years combined.

Between then and now I’ve:

-->Finished off the semester at Macquarie with good results;

-->Gone to Melbourne and experienced living with a wonderful Australian family who I happened to meet in the Sydney Aquarium;

-->Spent an awesome post-finals week with Alicia in Tasmania oystering, snorkelling, and fishing;

-->Brought my count of airports I’ve spent the night in to three: Melbourne airport, leather couch near the baggage pick-up, pleasant chat with a Canadian backpacker around 3am;

-->Arrived in Sydney with 30 hours to final departure and turned in my internship work, cleaned the apartment, returned Katie’s sneakers, retrieved snorkelling gear, had a lovely goodbye evening at Manly with friends who I am busy missing, proved my hard-earned sea legs by winning a “standing on one leg on a moving boat” contest with Jonas the whale photographer, crammed four and a half months of my life into two 23 kg suitcases, said goodbye to my wonderful Sydney apartment and flatmates, made it to the Sydney Airport thanks to Jai, had my Vegemite stolen by the unfriendly security officials, bought some more Vegemite, boarded the plane… and… said goodbye to Australia. Four and a half months went by in a heartbeat.

26 hours later I was being hugged and lifted off the ground by my now extremely tall and handsome brother at 1am and without further ado, except for a short stop at Taco Bell, I was walking through the door of my 307 Ritchie Pkwy home to the sound of excessive tail-wagging and purring.

The next 6 days were spent catching up with Cody who came to visit for a wonderfully long 5 day weekend, conducting wedding planning research in Barnes and Noble, celebrating our third year anniversary in Tono, decorating the Christmas tree, and visiting all of the studying minds at UMD busy worrying about finals. I also managed to slip in a second attempt at Shrimp Scampi, in continuation of my gradual attempt to learn to cook “real people” food, and am proud to say that attempt #2 was much better than attempt #1. If Zdiska is reading this, I just want you to know that: no, the garlic did not turn bright blue this time☺

And now, now I’m in Moscow. Today I just returned from visiting the Moscow State University (MGU) with Jenya where she studies. Much more than a normal university campus, the main building (glavnoie zdaniya) reminds one of a beautiful fortress complete with statues, a wide circular driveway illuminated in light and suggestive of a history of horse-drawn carriages, and a fortuitous and awe-inspiring silhouette against the grey winter sky. Jenya craftily planned a way to sneak me past all of the security guards by lending me her friend’s student ID card, and so I got to see what being a student at this beautiful university must be like. We walked through marble halls, past small cafes and stands selling pens and notebooks, through dark halls with the outlines of anonymous busts emerging from the shadows, up the marble stairs where we came across a couple waltzing in a long empty hall, and into the student cafeteria which was complete with rose designs on the ceilings. The food was pretty good as well, especially for cafeteria food. Very typical Russian. I had fresh borsht, potatoes and a katleta, a slice of cake with red current berries on top, and compot (a Russian juice like beverage made by letting fruit from the summer sit in 3-L glass jars of water until it turns into a delicious juice). In fact, you are almost guaranteed to find jars of compot sitting in any Russian house you may walk into; we have about 10. Speaking of compot, Jenya and I ended up with five cups between the two of us, due to a miscalculation of “diner points.”

Well, I’m going to finish off here for now to keep this from getting too long. Enjoy this first album of my life in Moskva:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2032968&id=1125810475&l=12beb9fe59


Finally, I’d also like to wish everyone a Merry Merry Christmas! Even though no one really celebrates it here, I’m still feeling the Christmas cheer and wishing everyone a wonderful cozy morning of sitting around the tree with the family and opening presents. Hope you all get everything that you wished for!

Much love,
Tashi

Surfing the Highs and the Lows

Dear all,
It's been about a month now since I last updated my blog and I sincerely apologize! Honestly, so much has happened that I'm not even sure where to begin.

I returned from my spring break trip around the beginning of October. The trip was really wonderful and definitely gave me a chance to get a "feel" for Australia. My lasting impression is that Australia is a land of few people and a great deal of space. We spent the majority of our time in small towns where the main strip would only be a few blocks, with the major commercial industry being tourism. I can't even begin to imagine what the rest of Australia must be like if what I saw during my travels was the popular East Coast. I plan to put up a much more complete blog entry for the Spring Break trip as soon as I get my photos and everything else organized again. I took over 1,000 during the trip, so I'm sure there must be some good ones in the mix:p They are coming, I promise:)

However, as soon as I came back from Spring Break the work pace really picked up (the profs are of the opinion here that mid-semester break is our chance to do all the work for the entire semester), so I spent the next week glued to the computer screen working until... having finished a few assignments, I took a 10 minute break to go to the grocery store and came back to find that my hard drive had crashed. Yep, just like that. Nothing was different, except that my computer would only greet me with a gray screen, an unhappy little folder with a question mark on it, and a very subtle clicking noise. That was definitely a low. I spent the next day running around the city to every Mac store and data recovery center I could find. The verdict was that the needle thing that reads the hard drive "got stuck," and it would cost $2400 to recover my data and take about 2-4 weeks. So, basically I lost the 2500 word report that I had just finished, 3 months of internship work and the last 4 months of photos I had taken. And my computer for that week. And I had four more assignments due that week. Basically, it was a horrific week. My life revolved around the biology computer lab at that point. At least, my professors and Megan (my internship boss) were very understanding, and I had just given all the other people on my Spring Break trip all my photos earlier that day, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

But, that low eventually ended because I finally got all my assignments finished and then Cody came to visit on the 23rd. The first thing we did was rent a car and drive down to Jervis Bay (2.5 hours south of Sydney along a beautiful coastal drive) where we had a cute little cabin rented for the weekend. The next morning we got up early and hopped aboard a dive boat for a brilliant dive in the chilly Pacific waters. On the dive we got to swim in a cave, saw a small shark and some awesome rock formations, and reached a max depth of 94 feet (the deepest we've ever gone by far). Apart from the dive, just the journey out to the dive site was worth the trip because we spent about an hour cruising past absolutely beautiful cliffs that cut up into the sky and resembled thrones for some lucky sea gods. The crew aboard the boat was also really nice and served us hot tea, chicken soup, and cheese and crackers to warm us up between dives, and we got to see some Australian fur seals up close (very cool!) Other than that, we just relaxed, caught up on the last few months, and explored the countryside (even meeting a few wallabys along the way).

Then, back to the city we went on Sunday, in the pouring rain, which continued Sunday and Monday. The week was planned to cram about as much of Sydney as would fit in five days time, and, though things didn't always go as planned, we managed to fit in the majority of it while also having time to relax and spend some time hanging out at my apartment. The highlights were definitely: #1 Finally being able to spend time together again, #2 Seeing a spectacular production of Wicked in the Capitol Theater with Katie and Cody, #3 Exploring Darling Harbour from pub to pub as the sun went down, buying Cody a beer, and laughing while watching someone's not so successful attempt to propose in the sky, #4 Cooking up our own kangaroo steak dinner and enjoying it with my roommates Zdiska and Juho, #5 Going to Bondi for the last night and introducing Cody to the Bondi boys, surfing, and moonlit cliff parties #6 Crepe parties in the Parklands, #7 Having Cody be an official volunteer aboard the whale watching boat (though the whales were pretty boring that day), #7 Making Cody a wrap and fresh juice at my sandwich place #8 Introducing Cody to coffee Oz-style #9 Strolling through beautiful sunlit days in Sydney and watching 500 Days of Summer, and #10 Even all the transit time spent in the buses, trains, and walking to and from my apartment weren't so bad because we got to be together. So, that was our action packed week summed up in one happy run-on sentence, and it was extremely difficult letting Cody go back on the plane this morning. It is a little better knowing that I'll be back home in just a few more weeks.

The story continues though, because after we said goodbye and I returned home, I realized that Cody still had my apartment keys and computer charger which had been forgotten about in the early morning rush to make it to the airport. So, now begins the busy week during which I will have to make do without a computer charger and without keys, until I can get them mailed back. And, I can already see just from today that it will be quite stressful (given that I've already been locked out twice). But, then again, here I am, a glass or red wine in hand, finally reupdating my blog after borrowing a friend's charger for the night, an absolutely wonderful week behind me, and about 3,000 whale tail photos to go before me. I'm pretty confident though, that life is meant to have its highs and lows, and, as long as you're tactful and keep things in perspective, even the lows are maneuverable. So, I'm just going to keep surfing and taking things as they come.

I'm also, almost done with the semester. The upcoming week is really my last major week of classes, and this week I'll be going to the zoo and the Sydney Aquarium for class. I'm also 90% done with my Global Leadership Program and just have one more seminar to attend this Wednesday to finish and get the certificate. Also, Megan is back from Tonga, so now I'm going to be out on the whale watching boat every Monday 9-5, conducting trials with the humpbacks. It's beginning to feel like things are wrapping up here. I know I'm really going to miss Sydney and all the wonderful people I've met here when I leave, but, I am really excited to come back home as well.

I'll wrap this up for now, but, the next blog entry should come much much sooner, hopefully by the end of this week.

Much Love,
Tashi

PS. I really appreciated receiving phone calls from my entire family on my birthday! No matter where you are, the best place to spend your birthday is always with your family, and all of the phone calls made me feel like I wasn't that far away. Thank you. It really made my day.

Expert Sandwich Maker On Demand

Dear all,

This will be a short blog entry, but I just wanted to let you all know that... I GOT A JOB!!! My friend Alex was recently hired at a new sandwich shop that just opened up two weeks ago, and when I told him I was looking for a job, he said that he would ask his manager for me. So, on Monday, she told him that she would like to meet me, and so on Tuesday I went to work with him, brought my resume and all expecting an interview, but instead got hired right on the spot:) About five minutes after meeting me, the manager (Marina) handed me a stack of fliers and said, "Okay, great, now go down the street and hand these out until 12:30 and then I'll teach you to make some sandwiches."

I was actually never taught to make a sandwich, just at one splendid moment between cutting bread and slicing tomatoes, Marina looked at the long line of people and looked at me and said "Go" and I made my very first Salmon and Avocado sandwich for a customer. I must say, it looked quite pretty when I was done:)

But, yes, that's my job now. I'm going to be working lunch hours Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays (11:30-3:30) at least until Megan (the grad student I'm working with) gets back from Tonga in the middle of October. After that, I'll have to cut it down to one or two days a week since I'll be working out on the boat with her. But, it feels so good to be employed! Yippee!

It is a bit ironic that my job is fixing other people food, since I have such a hard time just fixing some for myself:p On the other hand, we get to take all of the extra food home at the end of the day, so that means that I don't have to do as much cooking:) Best of both worlds, don't you think?

I am starting to get that whispering feeling that somewhere between the full schedule, the internship, the social life, and now the job, I may have undertaken just a tad too much. But, at the moment, everything is going splendidly, and I'm crossing my fingers that as long as I'm organized, I can keep all the balls flying without dropping anything along the way. Basically, I'm training for the circus:)

Yep, that's all for me. Hip hip hurray for employment!

<3 Tashi

PS. An extraneous bit of information. Today I finally gathered the courage to talk to my Marine Birds and Mammals professor, Dr. Rob Harcourt. Yes, it has been about 6 weeks, AND this is uncharacteristic of me because I strike up conversations left and right, AND I went to every single lecture... And still never gathered the nerve to actually talk to him. I've realized that I get very intimidated striking up a conversation with people who I think are really awesome, as silly as that is, and this guy is really awesome! What made it even more intimidating was that way back in March I sent him a good 3 page letter explaining how great I am and why he should take me on as an intern:p (which is how I ended up getting the position with the humpbacks, so it all worked out for the best), but I was too worried to actually introduce myself until today. However, that fear has now been vanquished. Except, I think I forgot to mention my name somewhere between all the words about seals, whales, and scalpels (we dissected fish today). Oops.

A Most Amazing Day

Dear all,
Today I went on an adventure to the Hunter Valley with a few friends and had one of my best days here so far!

I went with Kamil and Urka (two Czech boys who I will be going on my spring break trip with), Katie (who you've met before from the Bondi tales), and Rachel (a Swiss girl from Bern who I didn't know before the trip but became fast friends with during it).

(Katie and me 9am, still sleepy, in the van)

(Rachel, post wine tasting)

(Kamil end of the day)

(Urka in the back of the van)
The trip was all very spontaneous, mentioned in passing on Friday and agreed upon, however, it seemed to take on a life of its own and blossomed into something greater than we could have planned if we tried.

First, let me tell you a little bit about Hunter Valley. It's located about 2-3 hours to the northwest of Sydney and is famous for its wealth of vineyards (over 100 different private wine cellars in about a 30 mile radius). Apart from the wine, there are also olive groves there and cheese, chocolate, and olive oil factories and stores. Probably the best part of Hunter Valley, is that all sampling (including wine tasting) is absolutely free and encouraged (even for uni students trying to feign knowledge of good wine).

My trip began this morning with an 8am wake up and a short walk over to the boys' place down the road where we all met up and were introduced to Rachel and her car, a 1991 beauty with inspirational quotes in French and English, that I fell in love with.

You might laugh to know that when Rachel bought it, it came loaded with just about everything you might want (a surfboard, fishing pole, kitchen utensils, a full bed, snorkeling gear, the list goes on). So, we clambered in: Rachel driving (seated on the right), Urka as the navigator on the left, and Kamil, Katie, and me sprawled out on the bed in the back. And so started our adventure as we merrily bounced along while listening to old rock tunes on the radio.

Soon we found ourselves driving through an idyllic countryside of mountains in the distance, golden sunlight, and vineyards as far as the eye could see.
Welcome to Hunter Valley, where an extremely nice lady at the welcome center provided us with: a) a map of the whole region, b) a scorecard for how to sample wines and remain under the legal driving limit, and c) directions for how to get off the beaten path. And off we went:)

(After receiving a free wine tour around Tyrrell's Vineyard and drinking some delicious Port)
About five hours, 30 wines, multiple cheese, olive, chocolate samples, and a free wine tour of a vineyard, later we were sitting on the grass watching the sunset over a 360 degree view of the valley. We bought a bottle of wine to share from the nearby vineyard, pulled out a large blanket, and picnicked on our remaining cheese, chocolate, fudge and wine while happily watching the sky get darker around us.

(Picnicking at the day's end)
When it finally got too cold, we packed up, climbed into the van, Rach' driving with Katie as the copilot and me with the boys in the back. We picked a slightly different road going back and spent the next three hours bumping along through the woods on a windy road. Somewhere between gazing out the window, listening to music and voices, I drifted off to sleep with the feel of the road beneath me. The best way to fall asleep in my opinion.

But, the adventure wasn't over yet! Next thing you know, we're passing a pub in the middle of basically nowhere that's bright, loud, and filled with people. Upon seeing that it was called Dr. Jurd's Jungle Juice, we decided to pull over and see just what it was all about. The locals at the bar were great, and I struck up a conversation with them (of which I'm still not sure what was actually true) but they did show me where the Southern Cross was. Finally! I've been trying to find the constellation ever since I came here, and it's even on the Australian flag, but it's quite hard to find in the sky, especially if you don't know where to look. I was also introduced to Jack, a tame dingo who lived at the pub (a dingo is a wild dog native to Australia).
The locals also told me a story about a woman who's baby was stolen by a dingo, and said that Jack was a direct descendant of that dog (at which point I started smiling and nodding and stopped believing:p ) In exchange for all their wisdom, I took a photo of the locals to remember them by (true blue Ozzies), and off we went back to Sydney.
Basically, the day felt like it came straight out of a dream. It was nice to get out of Sydney and see a little more of Australia. I'm really looking forward to Spring Break which is coming up in two weeks and getting to celebrate my birthday during the break! The plan is to travel all the way up the coast, finishing in Cairns (at the northern part of the Great Barrier Reef). I'm going with Zdiska, Urka, Kamil, Ivy, and Elyse (who we're meeting in Brisbane!) We're getting a bus pass so that we can get on and off whenever we want, and in two weeks end up in Cairns (city known for its diving, opals, and diamonds). The journey will be about 2,730 km or 1,695 miles. For the first time in my life, I will truly be a backpacker. I'm excited! :)

Other than that, in the last two weeks I've: seen an Australian Football League game (awesome!), explored a little more of the nightlife around Sydney (Cargo Bar), went back out on the whale watching boat but saw only turbulent seas (need better sea legs!) and a few beautiful dolphins, danced to 90s music at the Ubar, explored more of Sydney (Hyde Park and the New South Wales Art Gallery), saw the downside of field research (doing invertebrate surveys on the beach in the pouring rain), finished all the novels I brought with me and moved onto a book about Marine Mammal identification that I borrowed, turned in a bunch of assignments and received good marks (I am doing uni too!), went on a night photoshoot of Sydney with Jonas, learned about cricket and was introduced to Bollywood over dinner with Hassan and Benjamin, and picked up a few basketball skills (we play every Saturday). That's pretty much all I can think of. I've also spent the last two weeks trying to get rid of this cold once and for all, but I have the feeling that they never go away here. At least I'm not feeling bad anymore, I just have the remnant cough, and a glass of hot milk with honey before bed fixes that up pretty well.

Okay, well, I must be off to do some more work for my internship. I've also got a seminar on "Aboriginal Australians" tonight. I don't think I mentioned this previously (because even Cody didn't know), but I joined the Global Leadership Program here. It's basically a program that you complete outside of your classes, like 30 hours of really interesting seminars. I've already gone to three: one on Terrorism and Counter Terrorism, one on Public Speaking, and one on the International Political Economy (which I knew zero about before going). The seminars are quite interesting and make me feel a little more rounded since most of what I'm learning in classes is all biology based. And, I get to think of myself as a "Global Leader" when I get the certificate at the end. Yay! :p

Yep, well that's all for me. Hope you enjoy the photos. Here's an album from the last two weeks: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024788&id=1125810475&l=074da2aa62

I'll put up a full album from Hunter Valley when I have some more time. But hopefully the photos in the post will give you a good idea of what it was like. The family can also look forward to some delicious wine when I return! :)
Thanks for reading! Till next time!
<3 Tashi

Beware the Gull Factor

Hello all,
I thought I would write a short little update about something quite funny that happened to me the other week.

Last Friday, I was going to Darling Harbour to meet Scott (my friend from the plane) for lunch. Everything was going as planned, except that two minutes into beginning to catch up, I felt something very warm unexpectedly land in my hand. Yep, if you're think "oh s**t..." you're on the right track. 20 years and multiple beach opportunities later, I had finally gotten pooped on by a gull in one of the fanciest areas of Sydney with lunch yet to go. Some people consider getting "targeted" by a bird "lucky." I felt otherwise.

With only one thought in mind, I made a straight beeline for the nearest bathroom, which was in a fancy restaurant facing out to the Harbour. Attempting to look as composed as possible with a handful of poop, I soon found myself standing in a hallway of magic mirrors trying to find the bathroom door. Between the bouncing reflections, I finally spotted an opening with a sink on the other side and headed straight for it. I stepped up to the sink only to be confounded by an impossibly complex faucet. Certainly, it was a day full of challenges.

Then, an amused voice behind me said, "Excuse me Ma'am?." I slowly looked up to the mirror to find many bewildered male faces staring back. In my hurry to get to the sink, I hadn't given any notice to the other people in the bathroom... And, yes, I still hadn't dealt with the "problem" on my hands.

Well, to keep it short, I'll let you know that I finally did manage to find the women's bathroom and wash my hands, but not without further difficulties. By the time I came out from my adventure 10 minutes later, Scott was looking a bit worried. What a great re-introduction, don't you think? Later, I received a text message saying: "Watch out for the gulls."

**Photo credit for the above photo goes to Jonas. He's the photographer on the Whale Watching boat I will be working on. To see some other wonderful images and keep up with whale watching adventures, take a look at his blog: http://www.whalewatchingsydney.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_idoblog&view=idoblog&Itemid=81&lang=en

Days in the Sun

Hello all,
First I'd like to say, thanks for all the comments and compliments! I appreciate them greatly! Secondly, I'm keeping this short today on accounts of possibly having caught swine flu. Or more likely just the common cold, but either way I'm feeling a bit under the weather.

The last week and a half can most accurately be represented by thoughts of sunlight. The spring is finally arriving here, and the weather is turning even more beautiful (if that's possible). I was wondering for a while what spring would be like here, since everything is still green and relatively warm in the winter. Now, I've discovered that it's greeted in by the rustle of a plethora of lizards at every corner and the sweet honey fragrance of flowers on every block. Walking outside feels like a dream.

Everything that I do here seems to be connected to the beach (including classes and studying!) Last weekend we went on a half day cruise to collect sediment samples from Port Hacking for my Marine Geoscience class. My friend and I had the luck of getting to pull up the sample that contained the most "organic matter," meaning we were basically up to our elbows in black smelly mud:p It was also great to see how excited both our professor and our Tutorial leader (Sarge) were about the lab. They were right there with us, hauling samples, sorting mud, and talking excitedly about different sand compositions:) We also caught a large numb ray (a stingray that produces slight electric shock) by absolute chance, and then had the opportunity of watching all the boys touch it and get shocked in turn. Quite comic:)

Furthermore, last Monday, my friend Katie and I were talking about spending a whole day studying and reading for our classes, and came up with the genius idea of going to Manly Beach and studying there. Manly Beach is the competitive contestant to Bondi Beach for best beach in Sydney, and more than lives up to its reputation. You might think that this plan was a ploy to do no work and just watch the surfers, however, we actually got quite a good deal of work done, and I learned all about human evolution and the early primates while also processing all of my Vitamin D:)

Then, on Thursday, for my Temperate Marine Biology class, we went to the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS) and conducted a species survey on the benthic communities in areas of sandy sediment VS areas with seagrasses. There was also a minor red tide event, which got me pretty excited (dorky, I know) and made me think about my wonderful Team BREATHE back home. Basically the lab consisted of wading around in the water, taking core samples of the sand, and analyzing them for species richness and diversity. I had a great time out there and managed to catch a fancy nudibranch and see a few cuttlefish skirting around. The Australian classmates are also finally beginning to accept me a little more, so that's been a welcome change:) Especially, since on Wednesday of this week, we will be having a practical in the Macquarie pool in which we will all be swimming like marine mammals. Best to be comfortable with people before attempting such a thing:)

So, that's what's been going on with Uni. My Anthropology class is also going splendidly, even though we don't go out to the beach for that:p And the whale photographs are coming along as well, as I work my way through year by year.

Between classes, I've spent two wonderful weekends hanging out in Bondi Beach, surfing with Jonas, Katie and Tony one weekend, and walking the 5km Bondi-Coogee cliff trail the following weekend. Even though it's only been about 4 weeks since I came here, I realize that a) I've absolutely fallen in love with Australia and b) I've learned a lot, both from classes, but even more from outside of class. More philosophizing coming at a later time, it's all brewing right now:)

Also, two new bits of news. First of all, Tommy is starting high school this fall and is going to play on the football team. I am amazed, every day, by my little brother:) And maybe, this will actually get me to go and cheer for a football team. That would be news! Also, Cody just bought his tickets to Sydney and will be spending the last 10 ten days in October here with me! I am beyond excited! If there's anything that could possibly make Sydney better, this would be it!

Okay, signing off to make myself a cup of tea. Hope you enjoy the photographs!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2023993&id=1125810475&l=867bcaee68
Much love,
Tashi

"The" Place to Be

Hello all,
I apologize for the gap between this entry and the last one. Starting is always such a daunting task because I never know where to begin. Here are some of the highlights from the last week and a half.

First of all, I am proud to say that I braved the Pacific winter waters and learned how to surf on one of the most famous beaches in Sydney, Bondi Beach. Surprisingly enough, it didn't take me very long to get it and I was able to ride my first wave on about the third try. Having said that, though, I then spent the next hour and a half flying off the board in just about every direction imaginable. It's a striking moment when you realize that you've retrained yourself not to worry about falling, and then even the falling part becomes a bit fun. The water temperature (18C) also didn't feel too awful thanks to Jonas's flatmate lending me his wetsuit. It actually felt really special to be floating out on the board in the clear Pacific waters, surrounded by other surfers, and waiting for the next wave. I'm a bit hooked, I'll admit, and can't wait to be back out on the water (especially once it warms up a bit)!

I've also gotten a chance to experience Sydney's very unique nightlife since I went out to King's Cross (the red light district, where all of the good clubs and bars of Sydney are) last weekend with a few friends. Conclusion: Australians know how to have a good time, no matter what their age. Blocks and blocks of Sydney were awash in light, noise, and multitudes of very dressed up people ranging from their 20's to their 50's. And the party doesn't stop until morning! Most clubs will close at 3:30am, however, if that's too early for you to call it a night, no worries. You can hang out at any of the fast food restaurants and wait until the second club opening at 4:30am, and continue as before, now with a full stomach. Needless to say, it was quite an interesting scene to observe. I felt a bit like I was walking through a zoo of humans, and would like to hear what an anthropologist would say about it all. Furthermore, I also learned to dance to techno for the first time (due to necessity). Basically, to be a great techno dancer you must mimic any random movement (really, ANY movement) and repeat it at least 20 times to the beat while looking like you're really enjoying it. Soon, the people around you will also begin to repeat it. It's pretty funny to watch.

Lastly, the classes here have been a huge highlight! The teaching philosophy is very different and I find it suits me much better. Professors teach the classes based on a the expectation that students will learn if they're interested. Therefore, it feels much more like a mature learning environment, instead of a more crowded version of high school. Furthermore, the age range of the students is much more diverse. I have adults up to the age of 60 in every one of my classes, some who are just there to take a class, others who have decided to pick up another degree. This also means that there is a greater degree of respect and equality between the professors and the students. Also, the students here are (on average) about two-three years older than the American class equivalent since the normal age to start college is 19-20. And college isn't the only path to success here. Post high school, many students go straight into the job market or attend vocational schools, and this is considered an equally good career option. This means that the people who do decide to go to college, actually go to college knowing exactly what they want to pursue. I feel that this is pretty rare in the US since college has become an across-the-board expectation nowadays instead of, say, the unique opportunity that it once was.

Furthermore, my classes here have been absolutely wonderful! I have arrived at the realization that I will probably learn more in this semester than I have over my last four semesters at UMD, which makes me both a bit regretful, but also very grateful for getting to be here this semester. In my Marine Geoscience class I'm learning about the ocean basins and their sedimentation patterns, and this Saturday we will be taking a boat out to an estuarine river and taking sediment samples to analyze. My Temperate Marine Bio class surprised me by sending us out to do a 4 hour coastal species survey on a beach the first day of class. Basically, we counted different organisms (mainly snails) in tidal pools and learned different sampling techniques = AWESOME! In my Marine Birds and Mammals class today, I dissected birds in order to see the anatomical differences between marine and terrestrial birds that allow them to thrive in their respective environments. And, in my Anthropology class we've already ventured into the realm of the "Alien Placenta" :p (I'm sure Alina will know exactly what I'm talking about, but if anyone else wants to know, let me know and I'll be sure to write a bit more about it next time.)

Basically, I'm loving every moment of being here. I just put up a new photo album with photos from the last week and a half and hope you'll take a look. I think some of them turned out quite nice. (I'm taking as many photo tips from Jonas as I can). The album can be found at this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2023172&id=1125810475&l=a15a462eb5

Well, that's all for now. I will try and update this blog on a weekly basis with new updates on Mondays (since I don't have any classes then). Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it!
<3 -Tashi

PS. I also received my first postcard in a year from my friend in Budapest!! And am now in a postcard writing mood, so send me your addresses!