I can’t believe I haven’t written a blog since before the start of first semester and now I’m nearly ready to begin my second. I think I probably had a lot more to say about uni while it was in session, and now that I’m on holiday there’s nothing I’d rather think about less. People frequently asked if it’s much different than NYU, and I have to say it is. It was very different not being constantly monitored and assessed with homework, quizzes, attendance, etc. and instead having so much weights being placed on final papers and exams. At points, it was nice because I was able to have a bit more flexibility with my schedule, but at other times it was frustrating because I felt the energy I was putting into going to lectures and discussions and doing readings was pointless because it was getting me any credit, and it was a lot of pressure at the end to do well on one thing. But the style of teaching and presenting information to students at uni here is just different in general and based a lot more on individual motivation. Despite the differences, I did surprisingly well in my classes, so I can’t complain too much.
One thing that’s really come home for me (as will happen when you start to make somewhere your home) is many of the stereotypes, ideas, and generalizations I had about Australia have usually not proven true. I was told Australians get excited over Americans, but after spending all semester at uni with arguably more internationals than Australians, I realized there is a general level of desensitization. I was also under the impression that finding a job would be a breeze (or at least less excruciating than it is back home), but again my best American-foot-forward approach was thrown back in my face with reasons like my student visa was an issue, or only permanent residents should apply, or I would need a NSW drivers license even though the job required no driving. Other Americans and internationals have part-time jobs, so it IS possible and such excuses might be a nice, Australian way of hinting at me that I am incompetent. Even coffee shops are telling me I need to go to somewhere called “coffee school.” But… I go to REAL school! I insist. Surely I can steam milk!
Stone-cold emotionlessness.
I think I have mentioned Australians take their coffee seriously.
Speaking of serious, I was also promised a certain level of safety in Australia. I’ve ever felt UNsafe per se, but ever since we got a tv in our apartment – about 2 weeks ago – I have been watching the news constantly, and there is a never-ending flood of murders, stabbings, and random attacks on the general public. I’m not saying it’s anything worse than what happens in the US, a country which on the Wikipedia page of “serial killers by country” simply has a link to its own separate page called something like “Giant List of US Serial Killers.” The difference is in the United States, when you kill someone it’s very frequently gang related, drug related, or you’re stealing something. Or you’re one of the thousands of serial killers. Here, the violence seems to be increasingly random, senseless, and totally ridiculous. Also, people told me there were no guns here, but you wouldn’t think that if you heard any news in Melbourne where someone seems to be shot every third second. Yet whenever there is a story about some violent occurrence in the States, especially when it’s gun-related, the unfailing response of the newscasters is: “Tsktsk. Only in America.”
Hmm. Nice tryyyyy, Australia.
Now that I’ve cheekily mentioned Melbourne, I guess I can talk about the real reason I came to Australia: holidays. Our three-day excursion to Victoria was my first trip outside NSW, and unsurprisingly, it left me wanting more travel. I settled on wanting to go to Melbourne after hearing about famous historical hotspots such as little Italy and the Penguin Parade. Chatter about fabulous boutique shopping didn’t hurt, but my bank account vehemently disagreed and I was suddenly reminded why I felt so guilty sitting around eating those tiny $6 pints of Ben and Jerry’s instead of passing out my resume. Instead we did *free* things, which in Australia doesn’t mean turnstile jumping and illegally riding carnival rides or sneaking into a movie theater like it does in America. It means going to national art galleries, expansive botanical gardens, and seeing some seriously beguiling street art. Considered an integral part of public education, there are no ticket or entry fees to any of these things. The only thing that cost any money was the trip we took to Phillip Island to see the Nobbies conservation land and the absolutely adorable penguins that migrate onshore and burrow inland every night. We caught a good spot on the boardwalk and watched the penguins waddle right by us group by group and find their little homes in the hills. That, and getting to see some kangaroos up close was worth the cold rainy weather that the island hosted us.
Animals have been the center of more than one holiday endeavor. I haven’t been to a zoo yet since they can be simultaneously cool and depressing (though I did visit a wildlife park in a rural part of Victoria which was also simultaneously cool and depressing). I learned that the beginning of July was the last chance to see the whale migration around the coastline. I went to the now infamous “Shire” and up to Kurnell’s Botany Bay National Park to whale watch at Cape Solander. After waiting four hours in the cold rain with migration volunteers, we finally saw a giant splash and waving dorsal fin of a small whale – the last one of the day. I was proud of the sighting until hearing of other more obvious ones that people didn’t wait four hours to see, like the birth of a baby whale that’s just happened right in the center of Sydney Harbour.
Holidays have also afforded me the chance to explore farmers markets, gorgeous northern beaches, more country and mountain towns outside Sydney, and enjoy some more gym time. I’ve also been able to delve a little deeper into the Sydney art world attending some of the 18th annual Biennale installations around the city. I saw exhibitions on Cockatoo Island and on the piers of Walsh Bay featuring really interesting contemporary art and some live performances. And although I unfortunately missed the Sydney Spanish Film Festival, I am truly psyched and ready for the Aroma Festival, which promises tons of free cake and coffee samples.
I should also mention that I am no longer living in Northbridge – since about the second week of school, I’ve been living the high life in Sydney’s upstanding inner west. Tom and I are in a tiny studio clearly meant for one (at most) in Camperdown; the same suburb as uni. While it’s a small habitat, I’m happy to note that we have a full kitchen, which is something that even the larger and pricier places lacked. We also have a nice bathtub and a balcony and the roaches have been to a fair minimum so I guess not too many complaints can be lodged… particularly since the walk to uni is so short. Our street is a strange one though. Tons of mechanic shops and warehouses, and itis often dead silent. But the street is paralleled by a beautiful park oval lined with some favored cafes, and on the other side, by Newtown’s bustling King Street, which beckons me incessantly with vintage shopping and delish vegan pastries. I guess in that sense Salisbury Road is a good sanctuary; when I’m done browsing “pre-loved” leather jackets, or drinking a bottle of wine in the indie movie theater (which is a totally acceptable thing to do), I can cultivate my herb garden while listening to various news updates on how many 13 year old Australian girls have started speaking in tongues and convulsing over Justin Bieber sightings. I told you – there are a lot of crazy and irrational people in this country.
No matter how much time passes though, I can’t escape NY. In Melbourne, I had coffee at a secret little café called Hoboken, and in St. Kilda, lunch next to a restaurant called Bleecker Street. Here in Sydney, I’ve shopped at a store called SoHo and frequently pass a painfully blatant knock-off of Burger King aptly named King Burger which is located on Broadway. There aren’t a lot of American shows on the five channels I get on my tiny television, but I do hear a lot about how Obama is a great guy for introducing health care that will hopefully allow America to catch up with the rest of the industrialized world, and how George Bush is a gorilla that no one in any country or deserted island will ever respect for any reason. All of these things are just little breaths of fresh air reminding me of home, and that barring some JOB *ahem* keeping me here, I am already halfway back.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Sydney Style (what they wear, how they do)
I've decided to take a break from my grueling and rigorous studies to write about something that really interests me - food and fashion. And probably take some tangents along the way. Talking about uni just doesn't seem to be nearly as interesting, though I WILL say for the first time in my academic career I'm more enthralled by the endlessly long readings than by the lectures, which take place in cramped "halls" fit with bad lighting and linoleum tiles. While the buildings of NYU might have looked unappealingly modern and industrial, at least they were constructed with upholstered seating. The deceptive old-world sandstone castle architecture of Sydney's buildings might make your eyes glitter with the hope of being magically transported to some sort of wizardry class, when in reality you are stuffed into a remade middle school desk complete with obscene cartoon graffiti listening to an old man drone on about frequency tables. At least this has been my experience thus far. The plus side is that I only had class two days this week - this won't be the case when my tutorials start next week - but the self-directed, we-are-most-definitely-not-holding-your-hand-or-assisting-you-at-all-with-anythingg approach of Sydney's postgrad program is giving me a lot of time to upload my Facebook photos.
On one of my several days off this week, I took a daytrip to Newtown, a trendy area next-door to uni where I rewarded my 10 some odd hours of hard work with a shopping spree. I have been trying to decipher Australian fashion and it's been more difficult than I thought. When I came here in 2010, some guys I befriended asked me what I thought of the style and I jokingly (sort of) said it was a couple years behind America's, and surprisingly they whole heartedly agreed. This is still kind of true, such as when I see the stretched out sweater-shirt, or the leggings with the jean miniskirt being rocked around campus, but Sydney definitely has a brand all its own when it comes to fashion. Here are a few of the more major things I've noticed:
Granny Chic:
Remade, vintage, thrift, and old school trends are definitely in style here. Tons of girls walking around in long polka dot dresses, acid wash jeans, or flouncy blouses that came from some bygone era. It transcends hipsterdom as well, though here "hipster" seems to be more of a mainstream style... which arguably it has in the States too.
The Black Boot:
This is something I definitely don't get. Girls of all shapes, sizes and style choice are walking around with this indistinguishable clunky ankle boot! I can only assume the original trendy brand was Doc Marten because that is what they all look like, though I'm sure some of the better scenesters have found their own designers. When I first got here, I couldn't stand the look of them, especially on girls who were not dressed to be wearing them in the first place, but just as did the jegging and the giant flower headband, they began to grow on me possibly because they are EVERYWHERE. It's not just the punky girl with the leather skinny jeans, it's the girl with the khaki shorts and polo shirt. I don't have a pair yet, but I fear I might not be able to resist.
The No Shoe Look
On the other hand, you have those citizens who choose not to wear shoes at all. I'm not just talking about the homeless, who actually usually are wearing sandals. I know we are sort of kind of near the beach most of the time, but these are people fully dressed in urban center of the city who seemingly have no intention of going to the beach that are walking down the street with no shoes on. Girls and guys of all style persuasions who for whatever reason just couldn't be bothered to utilize footwear. You would guess maybe they didn't have time to tie the knots or do up the complicated buckles, but interestingly, the one characteristic most of them seem to share is that they don't seem to be in a huge rush to get anywhere.
The Overly Expensive Uni Bag
In my quest to find a good bag to carry my books from A to B (from the North shore to the bus stop to the train station through Red Fern to my school ....!) I realized that many girls spend up to $900 on the bag that they are schlepping (how many Aussies know THAT word??) their books in everyday. Popular bags include some designer called Mimco ($400-$500), Country Road (a bit less i think, but still upwards $100), and Longchamp ($700+). I don't know where these ladies are getting their bag funds... perhaps not having to pay for university has shifted their priorities. As for me, I opted for a TopShop bag for about $70.
Of course, style isn't just about what you wear, but how you do things. Eating for example. I have learned that it is a common rule that many Australians think Americans are sloppy eaters because they don't tend to use knives as ubiquitously. This was true for me, at least - I never used knives back home. Here I do because I don't want to be the sloppy looking American, although my ineptness at knife using probably sets me apart as that anyway. Australians have a very quick and precise way of eating where they hold the fork backwards and chop everything up and then slide it onto the back of the fork. I have no idea if this is supposed to be proper, but I can't seem to get a grasp on it. What I think would make someone a sloppy eater is not having a napkin, and so far it seems only restaurants offer those and even then I don't see many people using them. What I do like about Australian dining is that every place, even tiny cafes, give you huge bottles of tap water so you don't have to continually ask for refills.
Walking - seems primal and simple enough, doesn't it? Well, it's not. Apparently, in a country where you drive on the wrong side of the road, you also walk on the wrong side of the sidewalk. This has generated lots of problems for me as I tend to veer to the right when someone is walking at me, and they look at me as though I am deliberately trying to cause trouble. GO LEFT! everyone tells me, but this feels so unnatural. Crossing the street is also a problem if I happen to look the way I am used to looking. Of course, a driver here would rather make you roadkill then slow down to let you cross through massive traffic with two shopping bags in the middle of a lightning storm. Drivers will stop so short so as to create a three car pileup at an allocated pedestrian crossing, but if you happen to have the light at an intersection but someone needs to turn, you better watch your back. That Mercedes wouldn't stop for the Queen.
Speaking of people getting in my way - figuring out a time to run here has been an interesting quandary. Between the hours of 8-10 and 3-5, going for a run around Northbridge has proved impossible because of all the school children. In America, if you are running, it is expected that people will move out of your way and make it easy for you to pass. It is also expected that you will remove your children from the oncoming traffic of my body so that I don't either slam into them or have to stop my pace. That's definitely not the case here. School kids wearing ridiculously large hats and riding scooters that they are too small to properly wield are like land mines that I have to constantly dodge. Their mothers will walk them the length of of the sidewalk and refuse to move them when they see me coming, staring me down as though it were a game of chicken, testing me to see will I really run over such precious cargo? The answer is yes, and eventually I am met with an exasperated eye roll but nothing else as, out of self preservation, the children move themselves. I am not sure if there is some unwritten rule that between these morning and afternoon hours no one else should be doing anything that requires sidewalk space, but being in such an upscale neighborhood I would expect mothers to be teaching their children some manners about moving out of other people's way. The other day one child dropped a water bottle that was rolling down hill right in my path, and her mother just stood there with crossed arms not saying anything, possibly waiting to see if it would end my reign of running terror once and for all.
There are definitely positive sides to all these new adjustments... such as the snakeskin heels I was able to purchase for $10! All of this shopping and eating though have put a dent in my bank - even with loan funds! - so I'm currently seeking a job. I'm considering, though not heavily at this point, getting my RSA which is Responsible Service (something) allowing me to work in a bar. Even though Australians don't tip, it's still well-paid work... but of course I'd rather find something academic if possible.
On one of my several days off this week, I took a daytrip to Newtown, a trendy area next-door to uni where I rewarded my 10 some odd hours of hard work with a shopping spree. I have been trying to decipher Australian fashion and it's been more difficult than I thought. When I came here in 2010, some guys I befriended asked me what I thought of the style and I jokingly (sort of) said it was a couple years behind America's, and surprisingly they whole heartedly agreed. This is still kind of true, such as when I see the stretched out sweater-shirt, or the leggings with the jean miniskirt being rocked around campus, but Sydney definitely has a brand all its own when it comes to fashion. Here are a few of the more major things I've noticed:
Granny Chic:
Remade, vintage, thrift, and old school trends are definitely in style here. Tons of girls walking around in long polka dot dresses, acid wash jeans, or flouncy blouses that came from some bygone era. It transcends hipsterdom as well, though here "hipster" seems to be more of a mainstream style... which arguably it has in the States too.
The Black Boot:
This is something I definitely don't get. Girls of all shapes, sizes and style choice are walking around with this indistinguishable clunky ankle boot! I can only assume the original trendy brand was Doc Marten because that is what they all look like, though I'm sure some of the better scenesters have found their own designers. When I first got here, I couldn't stand the look of them, especially on girls who were not dressed to be wearing them in the first place, but just as did the jegging and the giant flower headband, they began to grow on me possibly because they are EVERYWHERE. It's not just the punky girl with the leather skinny jeans, it's the girl with the khaki shorts and polo shirt. I don't have a pair yet, but I fear I might not be able to resist.
The No Shoe Look
On the other hand, you have those citizens who choose not to wear shoes at all. I'm not just talking about the homeless, who actually usually are wearing sandals. I know we are sort of kind of near the beach most of the time, but these are people fully dressed in urban center of the city who seemingly have no intention of going to the beach that are walking down the street with no shoes on. Girls and guys of all style persuasions who for whatever reason just couldn't be bothered to utilize footwear. You would guess maybe they didn't have time to tie the knots or do up the complicated buckles, but interestingly, the one characteristic most of them seem to share is that they don't seem to be in a huge rush to get anywhere.
The Overly Expensive Uni Bag
In my quest to find a good bag to carry my books from A to B (from the North shore to the bus stop to the train station through Red Fern to my school ....!) I realized that many girls spend up to $900 on the bag that they are schlepping (how many Aussies know THAT word??) their books in everyday. Popular bags include some designer called Mimco ($400-$500), Country Road (a bit less i think, but still upwards $100), and Longchamp ($700+). I don't know where these ladies are getting their bag funds... perhaps not having to pay for university has shifted their priorities. As for me, I opted for a TopShop bag for about $70.
Of course, style isn't just about what you wear, but how you do things. Eating for example. I have learned that it is a common rule that many Australians think Americans are sloppy eaters because they don't tend to use knives as ubiquitously. This was true for me, at least - I never used knives back home. Here I do because I don't want to be the sloppy looking American, although my ineptness at knife using probably sets me apart as that anyway. Australians have a very quick and precise way of eating where they hold the fork backwards and chop everything up and then slide it onto the back of the fork. I have no idea if this is supposed to be proper, but I can't seem to get a grasp on it. What I think would make someone a sloppy eater is not having a napkin, and so far it seems only restaurants offer those and even then I don't see many people using them. What I do like about Australian dining is that every place, even tiny cafes, give you huge bottles of tap water so you don't have to continually ask for refills.
Walking - seems primal and simple enough, doesn't it? Well, it's not. Apparently, in a country where you drive on the wrong side of the road, you also walk on the wrong side of the sidewalk. This has generated lots of problems for me as I tend to veer to the right when someone is walking at me, and they look at me as though I am deliberately trying to cause trouble. GO LEFT! everyone tells me, but this feels so unnatural. Crossing the street is also a problem if I happen to look the way I am used to looking. Of course, a driver here would rather make you roadkill then slow down to let you cross through massive traffic with two shopping bags in the middle of a lightning storm. Drivers will stop so short so as to create a three car pileup at an allocated pedestrian crossing, but if you happen to have the light at an intersection but someone needs to turn, you better watch your back. That Mercedes wouldn't stop for the Queen.
Speaking of people getting in my way - figuring out a time to run here has been an interesting quandary. Between the hours of 8-10 and 3-5, going for a run around Northbridge has proved impossible because of all the school children. In America, if you are running, it is expected that people will move out of your way and make it easy for you to pass. It is also expected that you will remove your children from the oncoming traffic of my body so that I don't either slam into them or have to stop my pace. That's definitely not the case here. School kids wearing ridiculously large hats and riding scooters that they are too small to properly wield are like land mines that I have to constantly dodge. Their mothers will walk them the length of of the sidewalk and refuse to move them when they see me coming, staring me down as though it were a game of chicken, testing me to see will I really run over such precious cargo? The answer is yes, and eventually I am met with an exasperated eye roll but nothing else as, out of self preservation, the children move themselves. I am not sure if there is some unwritten rule that between these morning and afternoon hours no one else should be doing anything that requires sidewalk space, but being in such an upscale neighborhood I would expect mothers to be teaching their children some manners about moving out of other people's way. The other day one child dropped a water bottle that was rolling down hill right in my path, and her mother just stood there with crossed arms not saying anything, possibly waiting to see if it would end my reign of running terror once and for all.
There are definitely positive sides to all these new adjustments... such as the snakeskin heels I was able to purchase for $10! All of this shopping and eating though have put a dent in my bank - even with loan funds! - so I'm currently seeking a job. I'm considering, though not heavily at this point, getting my RSA which is Responsible Service (something) allowing me to work in a bar. Even though Australians don't tip, it's still well-paid work... but of course I'd rather find something academic if possible.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Time Management
It’s been tough churning these blogs out! Lots has been going on, and I wish I had more time to write about it even if just for myself to have a nice chronology of the things I’ve been doing.
Of course one of the things I’ve been doing a lot of is going to the beach. When I went to my first orientation session for international students – a “welcome/arrival” talk that was given, the speaker asked how many of us had been to the Sydney beaches yet, and surprisingly only a very fair few raised their hands. Of course it’s handy to know some Australians who will take you around to the spots, but even if I didn’t I would think I would really try to make it out there especially in the really hot, humid weather we’ve been having recently. Despite the very small number of beach goers, there was still a talk given on beach and sun safety by a lifeguard which I thought was pretty interesting for a university to do. They are very big on swimming “between the flags” or only in designated safe spots along the currents.
I’d really like to see some beaches outside of Sydney, but for now I’m content with the huge amount there are just in a really short distance. I’ve been to Dee Why, Narrabeen, Manly, Curl Curl, Freshwater, and Balmoral (and Bondi, if you count my trip from two years ago). Manly is probably my favorite in terms of actual beach towns because there’s a lot of shopping and restaurants whereas the other ones are a little more residential. But Freshwater is probably my favorite in general. It’s the most scenic with the best surf, and it’s home to one of my favorite little cafés so far – Pilu, which is actually a really fancy restaurant, but they have an outdoor kiosk where you can buy paninis, espressos, and really amazing pastries while sitting and overlooking the cliffs and waves. Really stunning.
One of the best days of sightseeing I’ve had so far was my trip to Darling Harbor and Cockle Bay Wharf. I hadn’t gotten a chance to go there last time, and it was really beautiful. I think it’s pretty touristy with expensive and sometimes chintzy restaurants (Hard Rock Café), but the harbor itself is beautiful and the bridge walk underneath the monorail line is really nice. It’s also home to the Chinese Gardens and the Aquarium. It’s where I had my first Thai meal since arriving in Sydney, which I couldn’t believe since Thai food is everywhere! Afterwards, I saw the observatory, a beautiful old building home to some really cool space and nautical exhibitions located near the harbor bridge in the Rocks area… sort of. At least we started in the Rocks, and then walked up. It feels like no matter where you walk in Sydney, you’re going up hill, even on the way back from wherever you came from.
Of course it hasn’t all been beaches and thai iced teas and space museums. Every Saturday, Tom and I have had to wake up early and organize apartment inspections which is one of the most frustrating activities I’ve ever encountered. For some reason, all the inspections occur on Saturday from 10-2 and last for 15 minutes each, so we are rushing from Suburb to Suburb across the entire length of Sydney to make the next one on our list. Sometimes, agencies list the wrong address. Other times the buildings are just impossible to find, or the agents have listed wrong, somewhat integral information like there happens to be no kitchen, or they only want one tenant. Sometimes they don’t even tell us the information until after we have filled out the three page application, photocopied dozens of IDs, bank statements, payslips, etc. and submitted it, only to never hear a response and have to hassle the real estate company until we are finally met with “Oh, sorry – one tenant only.” Gdidsghgfojgiehgiovdrejg! Most places don’t include utilities, wardrobes, a fridge, and one place we went to was about $1300 a month and the floor was covered with roach carcasses. Finally, we caught on to the trick of organizing separate inspection times for places that were not open for public viewings, and this past week caught a lucky break. We saw a newish apartment in a nice building – clean, spacious, balcony… not furnished, but not overly expensive, and we were accepted the same day we applied for it. Thankfully it’s the best place we’ve seen and it’s in the same suburb as university, so it’s a good deal on all counts.
I’ve also had a lot of errands with university itself since classes start on Monday. From trying to work out my timetable (schedule), to hassling the international office about my loans, to attending “required” sessions on how to use a computer it’s been a busy week. I’m intrigued by the idea that they are trying to cram everything into this one final week before school, and that they feel so much has to be done. There are arrival sessions for internationals, for postgrads, welcomes for internationals, for postgrads, faculty inaugurations for your schools, different events, and so on and so on. You basically have to live at uni to be able to attend all these things and since there is really no uni housing, I don’t see how all these things are populated. I’ve been to a few arrival sessions for postgrads and internationals, but it’s mostly all the same information, and it seems mostly geared towards students who don’t speak English as a first language. Maybe it’s just the unfamiliarity of a new place, but it seems a lot more disorganized than NYU ever did! It’s a lot different not living on campus though and having access to things constantly. One thing that bothers me about university here is that you are basically expected to pay for everything. Thankfully, for some reason, Public Health students are the only students that get free printing otherwise that itself would cost hundreds of dollars whereas at NYU it was always free. In order to join clubs and events, you also have to buy something called an access card for $100 which gives you “discounts” on things, but seems like the kind of thing where because you have a discount card you want to buy more in order to get the benefit of it. Unlike domestic students, we also don’t get concessions on public transportation, and we have to pay to park on campus. I feel like I’m being cynical, and I understand that domestic students have a different outlook on education since they are not paying for it up front so paying for these amenities doesn’t seem like an issue… but for someone that has always paid for education and expected to receive those amenities it’s difficult to cough up the money. Especially since I’m paying up front for this too.
I’ve also become really interested in the food culture here (could you guess?) One thing I love about Sydney is the coffee culture. It’s everywhere (and by “coffee” I mean espresso): boutiques, parks, school, car washes… you can go anywhere and expect to have a coffee. And it’s a nice coffee too, with a design drawn into the foam. It’s more expensive than in America; even by espresso standards, but it’s worth it to have all these little cafes around everywhere.
Bar and bistro food seems really popular; meats and really expensive specialty salads as well. You can find a panini anywhere, but it’s usually not made properly at ALL (except at Pilu!). I don’t think Italian food is popular in general – I’ve heard you can’t find penne ala vodka, which is my favorite, although I’ve seen lots of nice looking Italian restaurants so I don’t know what the deal is. Maybe like the panini they are not done correctly. Mexican is also out of course, sadly. The other thing I can’t find is vegan food. There a few really small “green grocers” as they call them that have a variety of organic breads and cereals and wheat pastas and weird things in bottles, but don’t have nondairy butters or vegan cheese or any of the things I’m used to eating at home… even veggie dogs or burgers I can’t really find! I’ve been to some organic cafes; one called Scrambled in Enmore is one of my favorites, but although it serves wheat breads and fresh juices, it also serves tons of meats and cheeses which takes it off the vegan list.
What you CAN find is tons and tons and tons of Asian food. Indian, Nepalese, Malaysian, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai… anything in that regional area is par for the course. I’ve been to a million sushi trains, and had Indian a few times, and for Tom’s birthday we’ve booked a Vietnamese place. For our anniversary we went to a nice Thai place and had some awesome noodle and giant kind prawns in banana blossom and sweet coconut milk. I guess if I can’t find a burrito, I can deal with that.
I’m also surprised how little fish I see on menus. There’s flatfish, whitefish, and prawns (shrimps) a lot, but in terms of other shellfish there’s nothing. I rarely ever see crab or lobster – apparently really expensive – and the scallops at the market were EXTREMELY pricey. I was shocked seeing as Sydney is basically located IN the ocean, but meat seems a lot more popular, and a lot cheaper. I did drag Tom to the Sydney Fish Markets, which he hated. As expected it was crowded to the brim with Asian tourists, and we ordered a huge seafood platter, which was mostly fried and not really what any Australian would ever typically eat. I was pretty surprised to hear that no one knows how to properly eat crab, or goes crabbing, or orders lobsters. I did have to dehead and devein a couple dozen prawns for a barbecue which I had never done before and was quite the experience… but I am really starting to miss east coast seafood! Someone send me some chowder!
Well I will soon have some new contact info for everyone since we’ll be moving in to our new place on March 10th. I DO have a new mobile number as of… ages ago in case anyone is interested in that though I don’t really expect any international calls! It’s 0438891140… for all you Americans out there, you must dial 011-61 first.
Missing everyone back home! xo
Of course one of the things I’ve been doing a lot of is going to the beach. When I went to my first orientation session for international students – a “welcome/arrival” talk that was given, the speaker asked how many of us had been to the Sydney beaches yet, and surprisingly only a very fair few raised their hands. Of course it’s handy to know some Australians who will take you around to the spots, but even if I didn’t I would think I would really try to make it out there especially in the really hot, humid weather we’ve been having recently. Despite the very small number of beach goers, there was still a talk given on beach and sun safety by a lifeguard which I thought was pretty interesting for a university to do. They are very big on swimming “between the flags” or only in designated safe spots along the currents.
I’d really like to see some beaches outside of Sydney, but for now I’m content with the huge amount there are just in a really short distance. I’ve been to Dee Why, Narrabeen, Manly, Curl Curl, Freshwater, and Balmoral (and Bondi, if you count my trip from two years ago). Manly is probably my favorite in terms of actual beach towns because there’s a lot of shopping and restaurants whereas the other ones are a little more residential. But Freshwater is probably my favorite in general. It’s the most scenic with the best surf, and it’s home to one of my favorite little cafés so far – Pilu, which is actually a really fancy restaurant, but they have an outdoor kiosk where you can buy paninis, espressos, and really amazing pastries while sitting and overlooking the cliffs and waves. Really stunning.
One of the best days of sightseeing I’ve had so far was my trip to Darling Harbor and Cockle Bay Wharf. I hadn’t gotten a chance to go there last time, and it was really beautiful. I think it’s pretty touristy with expensive and sometimes chintzy restaurants (Hard Rock Café), but the harbor itself is beautiful and the bridge walk underneath the monorail line is really nice. It’s also home to the Chinese Gardens and the Aquarium. It’s where I had my first Thai meal since arriving in Sydney, which I couldn’t believe since Thai food is everywhere! Afterwards, I saw the observatory, a beautiful old building home to some really cool space and nautical exhibitions located near the harbor bridge in the Rocks area… sort of. At least we started in the Rocks, and then walked up. It feels like no matter where you walk in Sydney, you’re going up hill, even on the way back from wherever you came from.
Of course it hasn’t all been beaches and thai iced teas and space museums. Every Saturday, Tom and I have had to wake up early and organize apartment inspections which is one of the most frustrating activities I’ve ever encountered. For some reason, all the inspections occur on Saturday from 10-2 and last for 15 minutes each, so we are rushing from Suburb to Suburb across the entire length of Sydney to make the next one on our list. Sometimes, agencies list the wrong address. Other times the buildings are just impossible to find, or the agents have listed wrong, somewhat integral information like there happens to be no kitchen, or they only want one tenant. Sometimes they don’t even tell us the information until after we have filled out the three page application, photocopied dozens of IDs, bank statements, payslips, etc. and submitted it, only to never hear a response and have to hassle the real estate company until we are finally met with “Oh, sorry – one tenant only.” Gdidsghgfojgiehgiovdrejg! Most places don’t include utilities, wardrobes, a fridge, and one place we went to was about $1300 a month and the floor was covered with roach carcasses. Finally, we caught on to the trick of organizing separate inspection times for places that were not open for public viewings, and this past week caught a lucky break. We saw a newish apartment in a nice building – clean, spacious, balcony… not furnished, but not overly expensive, and we were accepted the same day we applied for it. Thankfully it’s the best place we’ve seen and it’s in the same suburb as university, so it’s a good deal on all counts.
I’ve also had a lot of errands with university itself since classes start on Monday. From trying to work out my timetable (schedule), to hassling the international office about my loans, to attending “required” sessions on how to use a computer it’s been a busy week. I’m intrigued by the idea that they are trying to cram everything into this one final week before school, and that they feel so much has to be done. There are arrival sessions for internationals, for postgrads, welcomes for internationals, for postgrads, faculty inaugurations for your schools, different events, and so on and so on. You basically have to live at uni to be able to attend all these things and since there is really no uni housing, I don’t see how all these things are populated. I’ve been to a few arrival sessions for postgrads and internationals, but it’s mostly all the same information, and it seems mostly geared towards students who don’t speak English as a first language. Maybe it’s just the unfamiliarity of a new place, but it seems a lot more disorganized than NYU ever did! It’s a lot different not living on campus though and having access to things constantly. One thing that bothers me about university here is that you are basically expected to pay for everything. Thankfully, for some reason, Public Health students are the only students that get free printing otherwise that itself would cost hundreds of dollars whereas at NYU it was always free. In order to join clubs and events, you also have to buy something called an access card for $100 which gives you “discounts” on things, but seems like the kind of thing where because you have a discount card you want to buy more in order to get the benefit of it. Unlike domestic students, we also don’t get concessions on public transportation, and we have to pay to park on campus. I feel like I’m being cynical, and I understand that domestic students have a different outlook on education since they are not paying for it up front so paying for these amenities doesn’t seem like an issue… but for someone that has always paid for education and expected to receive those amenities it’s difficult to cough up the money. Especially since I’m paying up front for this too.
I’ve also become really interested in the food culture here (could you guess?) One thing I love about Sydney is the coffee culture. It’s everywhere (and by “coffee” I mean espresso): boutiques, parks, school, car washes… you can go anywhere and expect to have a coffee. And it’s a nice coffee too, with a design drawn into the foam. It’s more expensive than in America; even by espresso standards, but it’s worth it to have all these little cafes around everywhere.
Bar and bistro food seems really popular; meats and really expensive specialty salads as well. You can find a panini anywhere, but it’s usually not made properly at ALL (except at Pilu!). I don’t think Italian food is popular in general – I’ve heard you can’t find penne ala vodka, which is my favorite, although I’ve seen lots of nice looking Italian restaurants so I don’t know what the deal is. Maybe like the panini they are not done correctly. Mexican is also out of course, sadly. The other thing I can’t find is vegan food. There a few really small “green grocers” as they call them that have a variety of organic breads and cereals and wheat pastas and weird things in bottles, but don’t have nondairy butters or vegan cheese or any of the things I’m used to eating at home… even veggie dogs or burgers I can’t really find! I’ve been to some organic cafes; one called Scrambled in Enmore is one of my favorites, but although it serves wheat breads and fresh juices, it also serves tons of meats and cheeses which takes it off the vegan list.
What you CAN find is tons and tons and tons of Asian food. Indian, Nepalese, Malaysian, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai… anything in that regional area is par for the course. I’ve been to a million sushi trains, and had Indian a few times, and for Tom’s birthday we’ve booked a Vietnamese place. For our anniversary we went to a nice Thai place and had some awesome noodle and giant kind prawns in banana blossom and sweet coconut milk. I guess if I can’t find a burrito, I can deal with that.
I’m also surprised how little fish I see on menus. There’s flatfish, whitefish, and prawns (shrimps) a lot, but in terms of other shellfish there’s nothing. I rarely ever see crab or lobster – apparently really expensive – and the scallops at the market were EXTREMELY pricey. I was shocked seeing as Sydney is basically located IN the ocean, but meat seems a lot more popular, and a lot cheaper. I did drag Tom to the Sydney Fish Markets, which he hated. As expected it was crowded to the brim with Asian tourists, and we ordered a huge seafood platter, which was mostly fried and not really what any Australian would ever typically eat. I was pretty surprised to hear that no one knows how to properly eat crab, or goes crabbing, or orders lobsters. I did have to dehead and devein a couple dozen prawns for a barbecue which I had never done before and was quite the experience… but I am really starting to miss east coast seafood! Someone send me some chowder!
Well I will soon have some new contact info for everyone since we’ll be moving in to our new place on March 10th. I DO have a new mobile number as of… ages ago in case anyone is interested in that though I don’t really expect any international calls! It’s 0438891140… for all you Americans out there, you must dial 011-61 first.
Missing everyone back home! xo
Sunday, February 12, 2012
All the Places We'll Go
Unlike in Micronesia where I had wide, vast expanses of time with which to do nothing, being in Australia has been a whirlwind even before school has started so I haven’t had much of a chance to write blogs. It’s partly a shame, because I like to write things as they happen and look back later and be able to tell chronologically exactly when events occurred and when things took place, but it feels as though since I’ve arrived I’ve just been gun rushed with sensations and experiences and newness. Writing also helped me cope with the strangeness of Micronesia, but Australia isn’t so strange, and even though I do get a little homesick from time to time, the staying busy part really helps.
Since I’ve last written, Tom took me on a cursory but efficient tour of the city of Sydney. Describing Sydney to someone from New York is really difficult, because as a New Yorker (from the city I mean), you would never really say that someone from an outside suburb – except someone from Brooklyn or Queens – was from New York City. But it seems here that no matter how far outside the “city” city we drive, whether it’s a few miles out across the harbor bridge to Tom’s suburb of Northbridge, or a half hour away to a beach town like Dee Why, we’re still somehow “in” Sydney. I guess in some senses in might be akin to the boroughs of New York, or the outward neighborhoods of Boston, but when I think of Sydney I really only picture the urban areas I guess because I am trying so hard to match it and map it out with what I know of New York.
Anyway, the bus we take goes to a stop called Wynard, which I remember from last time, and is directly across from a Starbucks! The drinks are not really the same as back home, though. The sizes are similar, but they’re still trying to push that strange little guy, flat white, and everything seemed really sweet. It was way more crowded than I expected it to be though, for something that is apparently not very popular here.
I really wanted to return to the Rocks, an area that I really liked last time, but we only walked through a small part before coming to an upscale shopping area called St. James, and then retreating into a David Jones (these department stores are everywhere) down to something called the Pete Street Market (I think?) It reminded me a little of the Fish Market from last time I was here; vendors selling things like a marketplace, but also cafes, bakeries, sushi train, etc. We were there a little too early for anything to be open, but we did find a baguette place for lunch.
We traveled to the Sydney barracks, and then to the Art Gallery of New South Wales. It’s a free museum with the exception of special exhibits, including one happening now featuring Picasso. There’s a lot of Byzantine and Victorian art, and a bunch of contemporary Australian artists. There was only a very, very small amount of Aboriginal art. Not surprisingly, more indigenous art was featured on postcards for purchase.
We also took a trip to the botanical gardens, which is pretty sizeable and situated right in the center of the city. Afterwards we walked the circumference of the opera house and ended up right where we had started. I’m still trying to work out how large Sydney is, at least the central urban piece. It’s difficult because it’s not laid out very logically. Hopefully I will be able to orient myself sooner or later.
Yesterday we went to another beach a little north of Dee Why called Narrabeen. There were less shops and cafes than at Dee Why, but as a result it looked a little more natural and there were less people even though the day was very bright and warm (unusual since its been so rainy). There were lots of people surfing and some fishing, and the water was a bit rougher than the last time we were at the beach. The waves break really far from shore, and come very quickly, so unless you are prepared to swim out far from land, you basically have to stand right where they’re breaking and dive into the crash. It was a little unnerving at first since my last few years at the beach have been so calm – the waveless beach vacations at Rehoboth and living in lagoon waters. I definitely have to get into it though. I love the ocean and it seems like everyone here is fearless of the waves.
One thing people are afraid of here is the sun. Tanning salons, or “solariums,” have been banned here… at least in New South Wales – though I did see one in a neighborhood called Leichhardt the other day. There are lots of campaigns against tanning and how there’s nothing healthy about wanting to be tan. Public schools here are issued uniforms, and hats seem to frequently be part of them. Skin cancer is evidently a very big issue here, probably because Australia has some sort of ozone issue, and is also a big beach culture. Still, there are young people, both girls and boys, with very deep and defined tans, just like there are a surprising amount of young people here who smoke, despite the insanely high price and general inaccessibility of cigarettes, and the very in-your-face anti smoking campaigns. Regardless, I don’t see much difference in the amount of people who tan or smoke versus the US. If anything, I think I see more young people here smoking, and not having anti smoking rules enforced (such as on the beach which really grosses me out for some reason).
We are still looking for apartments. It’s been the most frustrating part of my stay so far because it’s so much different and so much more of a process than finding one back home. I feel like real estate agents are conspiring against us not to let us rent. In the mean time, I’m fortunate to have a place to stay, but would really love to be settled before school.
Since I’ve last written, Tom took me on a cursory but efficient tour of the city of Sydney. Describing Sydney to someone from New York is really difficult, because as a New Yorker (from the city I mean), you would never really say that someone from an outside suburb – except someone from Brooklyn or Queens – was from New York City. But it seems here that no matter how far outside the “city” city we drive, whether it’s a few miles out across the harbor bridge to Tom’s suburb of Northbridge, or a half hour away to a beach town like Dee Why, we’re still somehow “in” Sydney. I guess in some senses in might be akin to the boroughs of New York, or the outward neighborhoods of Boston, but when I think of Sydney I really only picture the urban areas I guess because I am trying so hard to match it and map it out with what I know of New York.
Anyway, the bus we take goes to a stop called Wynard, which I remember from last time, and is directly across from a Starbucks! The drinks are not really the same as back home, though. The sizes are similar, but they’re still trying to push that strange little guy, flat white, and everything seemed really sweet. It was way more crowded than I expected it to be though, for something that is apparently not very popular here.
I really wanted to return to the Rocks, an area that I really liked last time, but we only walked through a small part before coming to an upscale shopping area called St. James, and then retreating into a David Jones (these department stores are everywhere) down to something called the Pete Street Market (I think?) It reminded me a little of the Fish Market from last time I was here; vendors selling things like a marketplace, but also cafes, bakeries, sushi train, etc. We were there a little too early for anything to be open, but we did find a baguette place for lunch.
We traveled to the Sydney barracks, and then to the Art Gallery of New South Wales. It’s a free museum with the exception of special exhibits, including one happening now featuring Picasso. There’s a lot of Byzantine and Victorian art, and a bunch of contemporary Australian artists. There was only a very, very small amount of Aboriginal art. Not surprisingly, more indigenous art was featured on postcards for purchase.
We also took a trip to the botanical gardens, which is pretty sizeable and situated right in the center of the city. Afterwards we walked the circumference of the opera house and ended up right where we had started. I’m still trying to work out how large Sydney is, at least the central urban piece. It’s difficult because it’s not laid out very logically. Hopefully I will be able to orient myself sooner or later.
Yesterday we went to another beach a little north of Dee Why called Narrabeen. There were less shops and cafes than at Dee Why, but as a result it looked a little more natural and there were less people even though the day was very bright and warm (unusual since its been so rainy). There were lots of people surfing and some fishing, and the water was a bit rougher than the last time we were at the beach. The waves break really far from shore, and come very quickly, so unless you are prepared to swim out far from land, you basically have to stand right where they’re breaking and dive into the crash. It was a little unnerving at first since my last few years at the beach have been so calm – the waveless beach vacations at Rehoboth and living in lagoon waters. I definitely have to get into it though. I love the ocean and it seems like everyone here is fearless of the waves.
One thing people are afraid of here is the sun. Tanning salons, or “solariums,” have been banned here… at least in New South Wales – though I did see one in a neighborhood called Leichhardt the other day. There are lots of campaigns against tanning and how there’s nothing healthy about wanting to be tan. Public schools here are issued uniforms, and hats seem to frequently be part of them. Skin cancer is evidently a very big issue here, probably because Australia has some sort of ozone issue, and is also a big beach culture. Still, there are young people, both girls and boys, with very deep and defined tans, just like there are a surprising amount of young people here who smoke, despite the insanely high price and general inaccessibility of cigarettes, and the very in-your-face anti smoking campaigns. Regardless, I don’t see much difference in the amount of people who tan or smoke versus the US. If anything, I think I see more young people here smoking, and not having anti smoking rules enforced (such as on the beach which really grosses me out for some reason).
We are still looking for apartments. It’s been the most frustrating part of my stay so far because it’s so much different and so much more of a process than finding one back home. I feel like real estate agents are conspiring against us not to let us rent. In the mean time, I’m fortunate to have a place to stay, but would really love to be settled before school.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Upon Arrival
It’s been just a little under a week since I’ve arrived in Sydney and it feels like I’ve already been here forever. Though I guess if one has been somewhere forever, they would know how to get around on their own. The good part about having contacts here is that I can rely on people for help. The bad part is that I don’t really have to force myself to figure out how to do things or get places for myself, so if I were really eventually to find myself on my own, I could really be in a pickle.
The past 6 days have been full of ups and downs. I’ll try to recap simply:
THINGS I HAVE ENJOYED:
1.Sightseeing.
I did plenty of this last time I was here, but I’m trying to branch out a little and see things that are a little more obscure. I’ve been back to Circular Quay, but only at night after visiting a place called Argyle, an upscale-ish bar located in an area of the city called the Rocks which I went to during the day last time to visit a street market. Tom also took me on a short hike through his neighborhood of Northbridge, and also to Lavender Bay/Blue Point, which is near a creepy looking amusement park called Luna Park and directly across the harbor from the Opera House. We were able to visit this very quiet and rather secretish site called Wendy Whiteley’s Garden. Wendy Whiteley is an artist, and the wife of a deceased artist and mother to a deceased actress, who built up this garden and surrounding neighborhood, and apparently the ashes of her family are located somewhere within it. It was a really beautiful and strangely hidden place.
I’ve also gone back to see the university – not really to sightsee, but because I had to set some things straight at the international office with my loans. Still, it was nice to walk around; the campus doesn’t seem super daunting, possibly because its mostly enclosed and I’m used to having to navigate through downtown NYC to find my classrooms. I have some welcome and orientation events to attend in the coming weeks so hopefully I’ll have all my bearings by then.
2. Eating.
Who doesn’t love this? Last time, I was finagled into eating something called a “meat pie” at a rugby game, which is arguably the most Australian scenario you could rustle up. I never got to eat kangaroo, which is probably for the best because the fact that it is the world’s only edible national emblem is not really the selling point I somehow feel its meant to be. I’ve eaten Indian food twice and something called sushi train…and I do NOT understand why this phenomenon doesn’t exist in New York. In a city where you can eat raw fish off a naked person, one would assume you could just as easily sit in front of a conveyor belt offering a neverending selection of raw fish and tempura-ed delights and not have anyone tell you that you can’t stack up any more plates. As Australian dining goes, its also one of the cheaper options. I actually intend to go back tonight.
I’ve also had barbecue, and this passion fruit yogurt, which I had last time and can’t really describe except to say that I really don’t like American yogurt but have been craving this stuff since I left. I’ve also continued my daily coffee ritual, only here there are no Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts, only smaller espresso cafes that serve expensive and delicately designed foamed cappuccinos in glass cups. You can’t order brewed coffee in any of these places – apparently no one would buy it – and I haven’t seen decaf listed anywhere either. “Coffee” really means espresso, and is basically listed as cappuccino, latte, mocha, and something called a flat white. The Australians think a cappuccino has something to do with whether or not chocolate is shaved on the foam, and a flat white either has more or less milk than a latte (I can never really remember which). It all tastes the same really. As far as I can tell, the only reason you’d need a course to become a barista is to make those fancy little designs in the foam.
3. The Beach
On Saturday, Tom took me to Dee Why, a beach about 30 minutes away from his house in Northbridge. It was different than any American beach I had been to – there were lots of small shops and nice cafes nearby, but nothing cheesy or chintzy. No surf shops and no boardwalk. There were no bars really or casino type places. Everything seemed really small-town. It was pretty crowded because it had been the first hot, sunny day in a while, but no more crowded than a typical day at any other beach town I’ve visited. The water was near the same bright blue I remember from the Pacific, but a LOT colder than I thought it would be! The waves were breaking a lot further from shore, and there was a pretty strong current, so I didn’t swim out that far. Mostly tried to get some color but ended up getting a splotchy burn.
I asked about the name – Tom said it might correspond to map coordinates, but no one is really sure.
THINGS I HAVE NOT ENJOYED AS MUCH:
1. The Weather.
It’s been downright weird since I arrived. Mostly overcast and rainy with only two days of uninterrupted sunshine. It can’t decide whether or not to be hot or cold, so it’s settled on just plain muggy which makes me sweat and my hair frizz out. It’s making me a little cranky for sure especially when we have outdoor things planned, and when I anticipated a sunny beach environment. I’m expecting March to be beautiful – after I’ve started my course.
2. The Traffic.
I think getting around Sydney is more a pain in the ass than New York despite the size difference. Disregarding the fact that the road rules are different, what with driving on opposite sides and such, people drive very aggressively and rushed and the traffic during certain “peak” hours is horrible. Peak hours, by the way, are not just typical rush hours like 9 am and 5pm, but 9 am, whenever kids might be going to school, whenever kids might have a lunch hour, whenever kids are getting out of school, 5pm, and whenever it’s raining. In addition, while cars are good about yielding to cross walks, pedestrians basically never have the right of way at any other point in time. Makes both driving and walking a harried experience. Better to catch the bus.
3. Renting an Apartment.
Possibly the most difficult experience yet. Prospective tenants have to search for open places (there aren’t many) online and make themselves available for the 15 minute span of time the apartments will be open for and inspection. Many inspections take place on Saturday afternoons. Last weekend, Tom and I shuttled all over the city trying to make it to six different inspections – we only succeeded in making three. The apartments in our price range our tiny and many of them have shared bathrooms, shared kitchens, half-kitchens, no laundry, etc. Renting doesn’t seem as popular here as it does back home especially for students, and when we went to drop off an application for a place, we were reamed out for not bringing enough proof that we could pay for it (i.e. my bank statements from the US listing my savings balance). It seems a very invasive process, but I’ve never rented before, so it’s hard to tell what’s typical. One would think my loan documentation would be sufficient, particularly since I can’t imagine many international students looking to rent off campus have employment 5 days after landing… but what do I know about real estate?
All in all, my days have mostly been filled with errands interspersed with the occasional fun runs about town. I haven’t yet seen a koala OR a kangaroo, or been to a museum or the Sydney aquarium. I think I’ve been to a good portion of the local cafes, and all the shopping centers this side of the harbor bridge...but not for any retail therapy (Sydney is unbelievably expensive), for stuff like a hair dryer with a proper plug and a sim card for my phone. Here’s hoping that in a few weeks we’ll have an apartment and be settled before school… but one thing I’ve noticed is despite the city living, attitudes are a lot more laid back here than in New York. Inexplicable since everyone is always drinking full-on espressos.
The past 6 days have been full of ups and downs. I’ll try to recap simply:
THINGS I HAVE ENJOYED:
1.Sightseeing.
I did plenty of this last time I was here, but I’m trying to branch out a little and see things that are a little more obscure. I’ve been back to Circular Quay, but only at night after visiting a place called Argyle, an upscale-ish bar located in an area of the city called the Rocks which I went to during the day last time to visit a street market. Tom also took me on a short hike through his neighborhood of Northbridge, and also to Lavender Bay/Blue Point, which is near a creepy looking amusement park called Luna Park and directly across the harbor from the Opera House. We were able to visit this very quiet and rather secretish site called Wendy Whiteley’s Garden. Wendy Whiteley is an artist, and the wife of a deceased artist and mother to a deceased actress, who built up this garden and surrounding neighborhood, and apparently the ashes of her family are located somewhere within it. It was a really beautiful and strangely hidden place.
I’ve also gone back to see the university – not really to sightsee, but because I had to set some things straight at the international office with my loans. Still, it was nice to walk around; the campus doesn’t seem super daunting, possibly because its mostly enclosed and I’m used to having to navigate through downtown NYC to find my classrooms. I have some welcome and orientation events to attend in the coming weeks so hopefully I’ll have all my bearings by then.
2. Eating.
Who doesn’t love this? Last time, I was finagled into eating something called a “meat pie” at a rugby game, which is arguably the most Australian scenario you could rustle up. I never got to eat kangaroo, which is probably for the best because the fact that it is the world’s only edible national emblem is not really the selling point I somehow feel its meant to be. I’ve eaten Indian food twice and something called sushi train…and I do NOT understand why this phenomenon doesn’t exist in New York. In a city where you can eat raw fish off a naked person, one would assume you could just as easily sit in front of a conveyor belt offering a neverending selection of raw fish and tempura-ed delights and not have anyone tell you that you can’t stack up any more plates. As Australian dining goes, its also one of the cheaper options. I actually intend to go back tonight.
I’ve also had barbecue, and this passion fruit yogurt, which I had last time and can’t really describe except to say that I really don’t like American yogurt but have been craving this stuff since I left. I’ve also continued my daily coffee ritual, only here there are no Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts, only smaller espresso cafes that serve expensive and delicately designed foamed cappuccinos in glass cups. You can’t order brewed coffee in any of these places – apparently no one would buy it – and I haven’t seen decaf listed anywhere either. “Coffee” really means espresso, and is basically listed as cappuccino, latte, mocha, and something called a flat white. The Australians think a cappuccino has something to do with whether or not chocolate is shaved on the foam, and a flat white either has more or less milk than a latte (I can never really remember which). It all tastes the same really. As far as I can tell, the only reason you’d need a course to become a barista is to make those fancy little designs in the foam.
3. The Beach
On Saturday, Tom took me to Dee Why, a beach about 30 minutes away from his house in Northbridge. It was different than any American beach I had been to – there were lots of small shops and nice cafes nearby, but nothing cheesy or chintzy. No surf shops and no boardwalk. There were no bars really or casino type places. Everything seemed really small-town. It was pretty crowded because it had been the first hot, sunny day in a while, but no more crowded than a typical day at any other beach town I’ve visited. The water was near the same bright blue I remember from the Pacific, but a LOT colder than I thought it would be! The waves were breaking a lot further from shore, and there was a pretty strong current, so I didn’t swim out that far. Mostly tried to get some color but ended up getting a splotchy burn.
I asked about the name – Tom said it might correspond to map coordinates, but no one is really sure.
THINGS I HAVE NOT ENJOYED AS MUCH:
1. The Weather.
It’s been downright weird since I arrived. Mostly overcast and rainy with only two days of uninterrupted sunshine. It can’t decide whether or not to be hot or cold, so it’s settled on just plain muggy which makes me sweat and my hair frizz out. It’s making me a little cranky for sure especially when we have outdoor things planned, and when I anticipated a sunny beach environment. I’m expecting March to be beautiful – after I’ve started my course.
2. The Traffic.
I think getting around Sydney is more a pain in the ass than New York despite the size difference. Disregarding the fact that the road rules are different, what with driving on opposite sides and such, people drive very aggressively and rushed and the traffic during certain “peak” hours is horrible. Peak hours, by the way, are not just typical rush hours like 9 am and 5pm, but 9 am, whenever kids might be going to school, whenever kids might have a lunch hour, whenever kids are getting out of school, 5pm, and whenever it’s raining. In addition, while cars are good about yielding to cross walks, pedestrians basically never have the right of way at any other point in time. Makes both driving and walking a harried experience. Better to catch the bus.
3. Renting an Apartment.
Possibly the most difficult experience yet. Prospective tenants have to search for open places (there aren’t many) online and make themselves available for the 15 minute span of time the apartments will be open for and inspection. Many inspections take place on Saturday afternoons. Last weekend, Tom and I shuttled all over the city trying to make it to six different inspections – we only succeeded in making three. The apartments in our price range our tiny and many of them have shared bathrooms, shared kitchens, half-kitchens, no laundry, etc. Renting doesn’t seem as popular here as it does back home especially for students, and when we went to drop off an application for a place, we were reamed out for not bringing enough proof that we could pay for it (i.e. my bank statements from the US listing my savings balance). It seems a very invasive process, but I’ve never rented before, so it’s hard to tell what’s typical. One would think my loan documentation would be sufficient, particularly since I can’t imagine many international students looking to rent off campus have employment 5 days after landing… but what do I know about real estate?
All in all, my days have mostly been filled with errands interspersed with the occasional fun runs about town. I haven’t yet seen a koala OR a kangaroo, or been to a museum or the Sydney aquarium. I think I’ve been to a good portion of the local cafes, and all the shopping centers this side of the harbor bridge...but not for any retail therapy (Sydney is unbelievably expensive), for stuff like a hair dryer with a proper plug and a sim card for my phone. Here’s hoping that in a few weeks we’ll have an apartment and be settled before school… but one thing I’ve noticed is despite the city living, attitudes are a lot more laid back here than in New York. Inexplicable since everyone is always drinking full-on espressos.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Beginnings
It has been a little over a year since I’ve written here, and a lot has changed! As you can see from my blog title and picture, I am no longer in Micronesia, but I AM continuing my travels in the Pacific. I’m not there yet, but if all goes according to plan, I will be leaving for Sydney, Australia on January 31.
It was hard to me to look back on this blog for a while. Pretty much directly after returning home last December, I received news that the dog I had written about as my parting post had been stolen – exactly the very thing I had feared. It was difficult to see pictures of him and to read my hopes that he would be looked after and cared for (anyone that’s an animal lover or even has just owned a dog will hopefully understand these sentiments). It still upsets me to think back on it now since I’m the last person who would ever abandon an animal – but I had to do it twice to ones I fostered in Micronesia – and I just have to accept it as a reality of the place I was inhabiting at the time.
Partially in response to the guilt I felt over this, I began volunteering for the Dutchess ASPCA while I was unemployed last winter. I only worked with the cats because I have always been more of a cat person and because even the “small dogs” at the shelter were terrifying and vicious (not that I blame them). I love dogs, but don’t have much experience caring for them, and cats have always seemed more therapeutic. This turned out to be sometimes true, and sometimes not so true as some of the cats were not that friendly either. After a few weeks of volunteerism, I was asked if I would like to be a foster parent for some baby animals. Pretty much nothing in the world would have pleased me more, and I agreed without asking anyone else in my house if it would be ok. About three days later, they called me stating they had four kittens up for fostering and asked if I would do it.
It definitely took a house full of people to care for them, but since I had the time on my hands, fostering four baby kittens was a lot of fun. We ended up keeping two of them (I wanted to keep all four, but that didn’t go over very well).
I had to stop volunteering, and basically all other activities, after getting a job last summer in Saugerties. For about six months I worked at the Boys and Girls Club as the Program Director which was an even more difficult job than teaching at Xavier, something I never thought would be possible. I had been promised that working in Chuuk would be the most trying thing I ever did, but someone was lying. Non profit work is harder. The specifics are unimportant, but I definitely feel like a stronger individual for sticking with that position as long as I did. I have to admire the people that make that a career. I do miss the kids I was working with, just like I miss the kids at Xavier. It’s always hard to create impact and then leave as quickly as you came.
In late fall I was admitted to Sydney University’s Medical School to undertake a Masters in International Public Health, which was part of the reason I left BGCA. I made the decision to go back to school pretty fast, and wanted to spend the last few months I had at home with my family and preparing to leave. And there are lots of preparations! Loan applications, visas, medical exams for visas, trying to get people to give you money to pay for your visas… the list is endless. Whicchhh pretty much brings this blog up to date in the quickest way possible! I’m leaving at the end of the month, and will (likely) return next December, hopefully with a Masters!
The uni system works differently in Australia. I’m doing a Masters by Coursework and it’s a year-long program, which surprises everyone because it seems so short. I’m unsure if I’ll pursue doctoral work or just try to get a job or travel or whatever afterwards… I have to see where this degree takes me. I’m really interested in the classes it offers (besides epidemiology and biostats). It focuses on public health in developing countries, which is sort of what I did working for Chuuk Women’s Council. I’m a little nervous about the work, but excited about living in a new place. I’m lucky that I have a support system there already, which wasn’t really the case when I first arrived in Chuuk.
Anyway, this is just a catch-up post – for now, I am still home in New York finishing up some last minute things and tackling the impossible task of figuring out which clothes to pack. I am unsure what my new address and phone number will be, but I’ll be sure to send them out to friends and family when I know them.
Thanks for reading!
Peace,
Lydia
It was hard to me to look back on this blog for a while. Pretty much directly after returning home last December, I received news that the dog I had written about as my parting post had been stolen – exactly the very thing I had feared. It was difficult to see pictures of him and to read my hopes that he would be looked after and cared for (anyone that’s an animal lover or even has just owned a dog will hopefully understand these sentiments). It still upsets me to think back on it now since I’m the last person who would ever abandon an animal – but I had to do it twice to ones I fostered in Micronesia – and I just have to accept it as a reality of the place I was inhabiting at the time.
Partially in response to the guilt I felt over this, I began volunteering for the Dutchess ASPCA while I was unemployed last winter. I only worked with the cats because I have always been more of a cat person and because even the “small dogs” at the shelter were terrifying and vicious (not that I blame them). I love dogs, but don’t have much experience caring for them, and cats have always seemed more therapeutic. This turned out to be sometimes true, and sometimes not so true as some of the cats were not that friendly either. After a few weeks of volunteerism, I was asked if I would like to be a foster parent for some baby animals. Pretty much nothing in the world would have pleased me more, and I agreed without asking anyone else in my house if it would be ok. About three days later, they called me stating they had four kittens up for fostering and asked if I would do it.
It definitely took a house full of people to care for them, but since I had the time on my hands, fostering four baby kittens was a lot of fun. We ended up keeping two of them (I wanted to keep all four, but that didn’t go over very well).
I had to stop volunteering, and basically all other activities, after getting a job last summer in Saugerties. For about six months I worked at the Boys and Girls Club as the Program Director which was an even more difficult job than teaching at Xavier, something I never thought would be possible. I had been promised that working in Chuuk would be the most trying thing I ever did, but someone was lying. Non profit work is harder. The specifics are unimportant, but I definitely feel like a stronger individual for sticking with that position as long as I did. I have to admire the people that make that a career. I do miss the kids I was working with, just like I miss the kids at Xavier. It’s always hard to create impact and then leave as quickly as you came.
In late fall I was admitted to Sydney University’s Medical School to undertake a Masters in International Public Health, which was part of the reason I left BGCA. I made the decision to go back to school pretty fast, and wanted to spend the last few months I had at home with my family and preparing to leave. And there are lots of preparations! Loan applications, visas, medical exams for visas, trying to get people to give you money to pay for your visas… the list is endless. Whicchhh pretty much brings this blog up to date in the quickest way possible! I’m leaving at the end of the month, and will (likely) return next December, hopefully with a Masters!
The uni system works differently in Australia. I’m doing a Masters by Coursework and it’s a year-long program, which surprises everyone because it seems so short. I’m unsure if I’ll pursue doctoral work or just try to get a job or travel or whatever afterwards… I have to see where this degree takes me. I’m really interested in the classes it offers (besides epidemiology and biostats). It focuses on public health in developing countries, which is sort of what I did working for Chuuk Women’s Council. I’m a little nervous about the work, but excited about living in a new place. I’m lucky that I have a support system there already, which wasn’t really the case when I first arrived in Chuuk.
Anyway, this is just a catch-up post – for now, I am still home in New York finishing up some last minute things and tackling the impossible task of figuring out which clothes to pack. I am unsure what my new address and phone number will be, but I’ll be sure to send them out to friends and family when I know them.
Thanks for reading!
Peace,
Lydia
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