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!

Tommy Grows Up!

Today, August 2nd, is Tommy's 14th birthday and I decided to make a slideshow of him growing up! It's playing on the right but is very small so click on it to make it larger. It's amazing to think back on all the years, both the good times and the bad, but mostly the funny. Happy birthday Tommy! Wish I could be there to celebrate with you in the little village in Russia that doesn't even exist on the map!
Much love,
Your sis