The title is a reference from Doctor Who for all you time travelers out there! I did not die; however I did go get my first coffee here in Australia at this tiny little place called Blink Coffee right across the street from where I live. It’s maintained by an older guy who makes your drinks in this place where you have barely enough space to stand in (I think the carrying capacity is 1.5) and he made me a beautiful cup of black coffee to compliment my jelly donut I got. It was splendid.
To give a brief overview about an aspect of Australian culture that differs from Americans, they use change here! For serious, people put change in their pocket before heading out. They don’t have $1 bills here - it’s a coin. $1 and $2 coins are quite common and the smallest amount they have is a five cent coin. Whenever your total doesn’t have a zero or five, the change is rounded accordingly. Sometimes they cut two cents here or add a cent there to round it nicely. It’s noted on receipts how they rounded. Pretty cool. But they typically give you the $2 coin when you get change instead of two $1 coins which is slightly irksome due to our laundry machines only taking $1 coins. You have to be on the ball and specifically ask.
I have one more hour of tutorial before my first week of class is over! I have two hours here where I can hopefully get some reading done and then make a lunch with the remaining goodies I have. I go to market on Sundays so by the end of the week, there are some creative combos. Today I’m looking at some peppers, carrots, eggs and cheese. Should be attainable.
Take Care!
26 February 2009
First Week of Class
We started classes here this week. I talked to Mark and he said that BC goes on Spring Break next week. A bit odd to think that others have been in school for so long. I had my first class Tuesday morning with my advisor. My roommate and I are taking a Special Topics course on Evolution and are the only one in this “class.” So it was two hours talking about Darwin and Lamarck and how Americans can be a bit silly when it comes to evolution. I’m excited for the class and feel as though it’ll be really interesting.
I’m also in a music appreciation course that meets for three hours on Tuesday as well. We spent the class going over the names of different notes and ended with a “name that time signature” game.
On Wednesday our group has our Senior Seminar class with our advisor. Our topic is on the Vietnam War and we spent the class going over a history of the war and what the class will entail. Our advisor is a Vietnam veteran and the overall class seems as though it’ll be very interesting and pretty cool (if a class on war can be cool?).
Today I had a nice three hour course on the philosophy of religion. Classes here have three hours a week you have to go to. Most are typically split up in a two hour lecture and then a one hour tutorial. The two classes I’m taking through the university seem to be atypical and have all three hours together. Philosophy is interesting, but three straight hours at 9:30 in the morning isn’t the most fun. Maybe I just need to go to bed a bit earlier. I had a slight problem last night where I was on kitchen duty but fell asleep…my cleaning partner wasn’t too happy. In my defense though, I woke up at 3am and went downstairs and packed away some of the dishes. I’ll have to take her turn next time to make up for it I think.
But other than classes, life here has been going pretty well. The other night we went over to Hotel Cleo’s to help the ladies finish off their extra pasta and cake from their dinner. So considerate aren’t we (more like, “Free Meal! Let’s Go!”). On Wednesday my friend James and I walked up to the Roundhouse to get a tour. It is the oldest building in Fremantle and was a prison (not for the European convicts to be sent to though, just locals). It’s a very interesting building and to see some of the history around the port city was really awesome. There were some letters from a sea captain who made port here that weren’t the most favorable towards Freo. His last letter ended with “I was never so sick of a place in my life and may the curse of Christ rest on Fremantle and every son of a bitch in it. God damn them all.” Hopefully this doesn’t come true during my stay.
Underneath the prison is a tunnel called the “Whaler’s Tunnel.” It was dug out by the prisoners of the Roundhouse to ease the transport of whale oil from the beach to the city. Here I got the closest to a whale in my life – a vertebrae taken from a Southern Right Whale.
Today we went to go get our proof of age cards so that we don’t have to take our passports to the pubs when we go out. They don’t accept driver’s licenses. I have about five photo ID’s in my wallet, all with my birth date on them, but I have to get the proof of age card to go to the clubs. Awesome. Oh well.
Hope all is well in the states. This weekend we’re going up to Caversham Wildlife Park and I will finally be able to see a Kangaroo! Pictures soon to follow!
Take Care
I’m also in a music appreciation course that meets for three hours on Tuesday as well. We spent the class going over the names of different notes and ended with a “name that time signature” game.
On Wednesday our group has our Senior Seminar class with our advisor. Our topic is on the Vietnam War and we spent the class going over a history of the war and what the class will entail. Our advisor is a Vietnam veteran and the overall class seems as though it’ll be very interesting and pretty cool (if a class on war can be cool?).
Today I had a nice three hour course on the philosophy of religion. Classes here have three hours a week you have to go to. Most are typically split up in a two hour lecture and then a one hour tutorial. The two classes I’m taking through the university seem to be atypical and have all three hours together. Philosophy is interesting, but three straight hours at 9:30 in the morning isn’t the most fun. Maybe I just need to go to bed a bit earlier. I had a slight problem last night where I was on kitchen duty but fell asleep…my cleaning partner wasn’t too happy. In my defense though, I woke up at 3am and went downstairs and packed away some of the dishes. I’ll have to take her turn next time to make up for it I think.
But other than classes, life here has been going pretty well. The other night we went over to Hotel Cleo’s to help the ladies finish off their extra pasta and cake from their dinner. So considerate aren’t we (more like, “Free Meal! Let’s Go!”). On Wednesday my friend James and I walked up to the Roundhouse to get a tour. It is the oldest building in Fremantle and was a prison (not for the European convicts to be sent to though, just locals). It’s a very interesting building and to see some of the history around the port city was really awesome. There were some letters from a sea captain who made port here that weren’t the most favorable towards Freo. His last letter ended with “I was never so sick of a place in my life and may the curse of Christ rest on Fremantle and every son of a bitch in it. God damn them all.” Hopefully this doesn’t come true during my stay.
Underneath the prison is a tunnel called the “Whaler’s Tunnel.” It was dug out by the prisoners of the Roundhouse to ease the transport of whale oil from the beach to the city. Here I got the closest to a whale in my life – a vertebrae taken from a Southern Right Whale.
Today we went to go get our proof of age cards so that we don’t have to take our passports to the pubs when we go out. They don’t accept driver’s licenses. I have about five photo ID’s in my wallet, all with my birth date on them, but I have to get the proof of age card to go to the clubs. Awesome. Oh well.
Hope all is well in the states. This weekend we’re going up to Caversham Wildlife Park and I will finally be able to see a Kangaroo! Pictures soon to follow!
Take Care
23 February 2009
Living on Beach Time
Orientation Week is now over. There were some highlights to the rest of the week that I thought I would share with you though:
I did go to karaoke night on Wednesday. I rocked the crowd to MIKA’s Grace Kelly and sung some backup to Dancing Queen. Not much of a public performer, but when in Australia… It was an overall fun night that ended at the beach for a bit of a night swim. Having a beach two minutes away can be overly convenient.
On Thursday I found out that I am technically dead. My roommate is a diabetic and I am trying to learn as much as I can in case I ever have to do something. So he was explaining to me how he decides how much insulin to take and his sugar intake and what not. To get some “hands-on” experience, he was going to take my blood sugar reading. But after three pricks and some finger massaging, we found that my sugar is below 20 (really bad I guess) and I shouldn’t be alive. A bit of depressing news if you ask me.
There was a big fair on Friday in the campus courtyard to sign up for various sports and activities. Me, not wanting to miss anything, signed up for the lot (including cricket and squash). I also signed up to be a puppeteer. I’m pretty excited about that one. I saw some of the puppets they use and it’s a pretty big deal I’d say. After getting some fairy floss (cotton candy) we set off for the sausage sizzle to eat lunch. On the way we got a cup that’s good for a free serving of fried squid at a local restaurant. I’m thinking that may be tomorrow’s dinner. But now I’m signed up for a plethora of events and await e-mails to alert me when to act.
That night we went clubbing, something that I have never quite experienced being as St. John’s isn’t quite a hotspot for clubs. But it was pretty fantastic. The first spot had a cover charge so we decided to go to a quaint little club known as Benny’s. This is where I experienced my first encounter with a dangerous Australian creature. I ordered a Red Back Beer. That counts right? Whoever voted red back wins! I did know they had a beer named after the nasty bugger so that’s where I cast my vote, sorry I cheated. There was a 21st birthday going on at the bar and I was able to wish the lucky lady a happy day. 21st birthdays are big here. Nothing happens legally (the drinking age is 18) but it still seems to be a big deal here. The birthday boy or lady gets roasted by close friends and they go out to enjoy the night. We have a few abroad students turning 21 this term so I’m working on some good roasting material.
Now that Orientation was over, we spent our first weekend in the cities of Perth and Freo. What did we do with our time? Went to the beach of course. But not to the beach where you lay out and bronze your Greek physique. Four of us went and got some snorkeling gear and went north on the bus to a nice beach about 15 minutes away. Here we donned our flippers and masks and made it out to the algae to spot fish and monsters. I did happen to run across a shark (no worries parents, it was a tiny shark, more like a fish, that hid in the sand). The other pair happened to come across a stingray which I hear was flippin’ sweet! It was a really cool day and probably the best investment made thus far. So awesome that we convinced some of the ladies staying at Hotel Cleo (another dorm, all girls, conveniently situated across the street so I can talk to them from my balcony) to go the next day. Unfortunately the water was a bit choppy on Sunday and the snorkeling wasn’t so great. We salvaged the day by eating some fish ‘n’ chips for lunch and going to the more commercial side of the beach to have fun in the big waves. I won “best looking tourist” from our group due to my white linen shirt and straw hat.
On another note from Saturday night, I scored some brownie points by helping a young lady close her shop that night while we cooled off outside of one of the clubs (yes, we did go clubbing both nights, Australians like their dancing).
Now we are supposed to be all oriented and ready to start our lectures. Today I didn’t have any class but the day was spent hard at work reading up on Evolution to prepare for tomorrow’s lecture. My roommate and I are taking an independent class with our Advisor here on evolution. We are the only ones in the class so it’s a bit harder trying to fake it in discussions. So we both spent the entire day reading up on Lamarck and Darwin and the process of natural selection. It was awesome.
Sand gets everywhere here. It’s impossible not to bring it in; there is always some sand on some part of your body. The one redeeming quality of the sand is that it reminds you of how you live by a beach. Every night for the past four days, we have walked out to the coast and watch the sun set into the sea. One of the coolest things I have seen here. Something you don’t really appreciate unless you actually stand watching the sun sink into the abyss. So Awesome!
Tomorrow is my first day of classes. I need to take a dry run and figure out where all my classes are for the day. James, my African friend, walked into the wrong class and ended up in a nursing lecture. Don’t want that to happen to me.
I hope all is well back in the states. I don’t like these long blogs so I’m going to try and write less but more frequently. We’ll see. It’s easy to find a distraction here in Freo. And no one wants to spend much time in their rooms when there’s so much to do! I posted some pictures on my webshots so you can get a feel for what the city and city life is like. Enjoy today…tomorrow!
I did go to karaoke night on Wednesday. I rocked the crowd to MIKA’s Grace Kelly and sung some backup to Dancing Queen. Not much of a public performer, but when in Australia… It was an overall fun night that ended at the beach for a bit of a night swim. Having a beach two minutes away can be overly convenient.
On Thursday I found out that I am technically dead. My roommate is a diabetic and I am trying to learn as much as I can in case I ever have to do something. So he was explaining to me how he decides how much insulin to take and his sugar intake and what not. To get some “hands-on” experience, he was going to take my blood sugar reading. But after three pricks and some finger massaging, we found that my sugar is below 20 (really bad I guess) and I shouldn’t be alive. A bit of depressing news if you ask me.
There was a big fair on Friday in the campus courtyard to sign up for various sports and activities. Me, not wanting to miss anything, signed up for the lot (including cricket and squash). I also signed up to be a puppeteer. I’m pretty excited about that one. I saw some of the puppets they use and it’s a pretty big deal I’d say. After getting some fairy floss (cotton candy) we set off for the sausage sizzle to eat lunch. On the way we got a cup that’s good for a free serving of fried squid at a local restaurant. I’m thinking that may be tomorrow’s dinner. But now I’m signed up for a plethora of events and await e-mails to alert me when to act.
That night we went clubbing, something that I have never quite experienced being as St. John’s isn’t quite a hotspot for clubs. But it was pretty fantastic. The first spot had a cover charge so we decided to go to a quaint little club known as Benny’s. This is where I experienced my first encounter with a dangerous Australian creature. I ordered a Red Back Beer. That counts right? Whoever voted red back wins! I did know they had a beer named after the nasty bugger so that’s where I cast my vote, sorry I cheated. There was a 21st birthday going on at the bar and I was able to wish the lucky lady a happy day. 21st birthdays are big here. Nothing happens legally (the drinking age is 18) but it still seems to be a big deal here. The birthday boy or lady gets roasted by close friends and they go out to enjoy the night. We have a few abroad students turning 21 this term so I’m working on some good roasting material.
Now that Orientation was over, we spent our first weekend in the cities of Perth and Freo. What did we do with our time? Went to the beach of course. But not to the beach where you lay out and bronze your Greek physique. Four of us went and got some snorkeling gear and went north on the bus to a nice beach about 15 minutes away. Here we donned our flippers and masks and made it out to the algae to spot fish and monsters. I did happen to run across a shark (no worries parents, it was a tiny shark, more like a fish, that hid in the sand). The other pair happened to come across a stingray which I hear was flippin’ sweet! It was a really cool day and probably the best investment made thus far. So awesome that we convinced some of the ladies staying at Hotel Cleo (another dorm, all girls, conveniently situated across the street so I can talk to them from my balcony) to go the next day. Unfortunately the water was a bit choppy on Sunday and the snorkeling wasn’t so great. We salvaged the day by eating some fish ‘n’ chips for lunch and going to the more commercial side of the beach to have fun in the big waves. I won “best looking tourist” from our group due to my white linen shirt and straw hat.
On another note from Saturday night, I scored some brownie points by helping a young lady close her shop that night while we cooled off outside of one of the clubs (yes, we did go clubbing both nights, Australians like their dancing).
Now we are supposed to be all oriented and ready to start our lectures. Today I didn’t have any class but the day was spent hard at work reading up on Evolution to prepare for tomorrow’s lecture. My roommate and I are taking an independent class with our Advisor here on evolution. We are the only ones in the class so it’s a bit harder trying to fake it in discussions. So we both spent the entire day reading up on Lamarck and Darwin and the process of natural selection. It was awesome.
Sand gets everywhere here. It’s impossible not to bring it in; there is always some sand on some part of your body. The one redeeming quality of the sand is that it reminds you of how you live by a beach. Every night for the past four days, we have walked out to the coast and watch the sun set into the sea. One of the coolest things I have seen here. Something you don’t really appreciate unless you actually stand watching the sun sink into the abyss. So Awesome!
Tomorrow is my first day of classes. I need to take a dry run and figure out where all my classes are for the day. James, my African friend, walked into the wrong class and ended up in a nursing lecture. Don’t want that to happen to me.
I hope all is well back in the states. I don’t like these long blogs so I’m going to try and write less but more frequently. We’ll see. It’s easy to find a distraction here in Freo. And no one wants to spend much time in their rooms when there’s so much to do! I posted some pictures on my webshots so you can get a feel for what the city and city life is like. Enjoy today…tomorrow!
18 February 2009
In the Land Down Under
I’m here in the city of Fremantle (or “Freo,” as called by the locals). The trip was quite a long journey, starting with anxious hope and ending with exhausted waits. On Friday Omaha was hit with a big snow storm and was expecting a lot of snow. We were supposed to fly out at 4:00 but went early to try and fly standby. After telling the worker of our plight, she threw us a bone and reserved us spots on the flight, thus guaranteeing us a spot if the flight left. We did get out about 3 hours later, and later found out the 4:00 was cancelled. My advice, don’t fly on Friday the 13th.
In LA as we prepared for our voyage over the mighty Pacific, we saw Tony Hawk. That is all. Oh and the plane was really big. First class was on the upper level. But I met my first Australian friend on the plane over and she corrected all my misdirected views of Australia. We had a nice dinner complete with some wine and I settled down to watch a movie and go to sleep.
Once we got into Perth and took the last of our No-Jetlag pills (courtesy Fr. Timo – they seemed to have worked) we were stuck in the airport waiting for our bags that never came. Apparently they were on another flight over and should be shipped either that night or Monday. But the problem was that the address of our hotel was written on a piece of paper in the checked bag (I know, not a smart move). So I got to use my Australian money and buy some fudge to get change so that I could call the RS (resident supervisor) that I have not yet met to get the address. But fortunately the bags came in about one in the morning that night and I had some clothes to wear the next day.
So far, this week has been O-week and we’ve been getting to know the city around us. It’s weird to grasp the idea that I’m going to be living in a coastal city for the next four months. The beach is two blocks away. Sunscreen is applied as frequently as teeth are brushed (my pasty physique is currently in the bronzing stage). It’s an exciting time, and the Australians we have met are super cool people. I think every Australian is at least two-parts awesome. They sound awesome when they say “goodbye” or “you’re welcome” because it’s “cheers” or “no worries.”
Today we had our first taste of vegemite on toast at our Australian breakfast. It’s an experience. The first piece didn’t seem so bad, but each additional slice was a bit stronger. I think it may be quite an acquired taste, but I bought a jar at the grocery story so I have to finish it before I leave.
Freo is a nice little town and Uni (the university as we call it) is in a very well-situated place. It’s just a short trip to the grocery store, and we can take the carts back to the dorms. We look a bit odd, pushing this cart several blocks and all the wheels turn, so it can be a bit of an adventure. They have a market every weekend and on Sundays, it’s half-off so hopefully I’ll get some sweet deals. Yesterday, my group won second place in our Amazing Race adventure in Perth. We had to go find all these places and little factoids (it turns out you can do half of it on the train by asking the locals). Our prize was $100 at a fancy little place where we enjoyed a drink and shared some very awesome cheesecake. Not a bad deal.
Tonight our RS’s are making a typical Australian meal and there’s Karaoke at the local bar. I’m working on my Roberta Flack and 4 Non Blondes voice so I should be ready to strum some pain with my fingers and ask, what’s going on. I’m excited.
Hope everything is going great in the States. Enjoy the weather; it’s a cool 31 degrees here.
In LA as we prepared for our voyage over the mighty Pacific, we saw Tony Hawk. That is all. Oh and the plane was really big. First class was on the upper level. But I met my first Australian friend on the plane over and she corrected all my misdirected views of Australia. We had a nice dinner complete with some wine and I settled down to watch a movie and go to sleep.
Once we got into Perth and took the last of our No-Jetlag pills (courtesy Fr. Timo – they seemed to have worked) we were stuck in the airport waiting for our bags that never came. Apparently they were on another flight over and should be shipped either that night or Monday. But the problem was that the address of our hotel was written on a piece of paper in the checked bag (I know, not a smart move). So I got to use my Australian money and buy some fudge to get change so that I could call the RS (resident supervisor) that I have not yet met to get the address. But fortunately the bags came in about one in the morning that night and I had some clothes to wear the next day.
So far, this week has been O-week and we’ve been getting to know the city around us. It’s weird to grasp the idea that I’m going to be living in a coastal city for the next four months. The beach is two blocks away. Sunscreen is applied as frequently as teeth are brushed (my pasty physique is currently in the bronzing stage). It’s an exciting time, and the Australians we have met are super cool people. I think every Australian is at least two-parts awesome. They sound awesome when they say “goodbye” or “you’re welcome” because it’s “cheers” or “no worries.”
Today we had our first taste of vegemite on toast at our Australian breakfast. It’s an experience. The first piece didn’t seem so bad, but each additional slice was a bit stronger. I think it may be quite an acquired taste, but I bought a jar at the grocery story so I have to finish it before I leave.
Freo is a nice little town and Uni (the university as we call it) is in a very well-situated place. It’s just a short trip to the grocery store, and we can take the carts back to the dorms. We look a bit odd, pushing this cart several blocks and all the wheels turn, so it can be a bit of an adventure. They have a market every weekend and on Sundays, it’s half-off so hopefully I’ll get some sweet deals. Yesterday, my group won second place in our Amazing Race adventure in Perth. We had to go find all these places and little factoids (it turns out you can do half of it on the train by asking the locals). Our prize was $100 at a fancy little place where we enjoyed a drink and shared some very awesome cheesecake. Not a bad deal.
Tonight our RS’s are making a typical Australian meal and there’s Karaoke at the local bar. I’m working on my Roberta Flack and 4 Non Blondes voice so I should be ready to strum some pain with my fingers and ask, what’s going on. I’m excited.
Hope everything is going great in the States. Enjoy the weather; it’s a cool 31 degrees here.
13 February 2009
Next Stop, the Future!
I shaved today (and sorry Christina, I did not keep the moustache. It was just too gross). Now my face feels funny. I think I’m going through withdrawals. I keep telling my face that it wasn’t him, it was me. I am going to Australia and just couldn’t keep this relationship with him. It is hot down there and I feel we would just end up arguing and eventually cut each other off and never speak again. Hopefully, there will be a time where we can get back and try it out again. Take it slow; start with just some longer sideburns, maybe a goatee. Eventually I think we’ll be able to get back together – right now I need to see what else is out there for this face. Maybe I’ll have an affair with the sun. I know I know: the sun is a bit of a slut and I’ll just end up getting burned.
It’s my final hours here in Omaha and I am putting some final things away. I have a small load in the laundry that I’m waiting for but my checked bag is packed! It weighs in at about 43lbs and the max is 44. I’d like to give a shout out to my sister-in-law Bridget for getting everything packed. She’s pretty space efficient (the trick is to fold in thirds and roll). Now I need to pack my computer bag and my carry-on pack. The other day I went to Target’s $1 aisle and bought a whole bunch of random flashcards so hopefully the flight will go by quickly while I learn about the largest mammal (blue whale) and all the state capitals along with each state’s bird and flower.
Nick (my traveling partner) and I had “Australian Immersion (not emersion despite controversy) Day” today to best prepare for the upcoming months. It included a viewing of Crocodile Dundee and the tasting of some Australian wines (we tried to find Foster’s but to no avail). I now think I understand the entire culture and will fit in seamlessly.
Thanks for all the well wishes and good lucks. Now that the day is finally here, I don’t know what to think. It’s definitely a sobering feeling to realize that I’m going to be gone for five months. I’ll try and be safe. I’ll make good decisions 99% of the time. Take care everyone! Next stop for me, about a half-day into the future! Catch you on the flipside!
It’s my final hours here in Omaha and I am putting some final things away. I have a small load in the laundry that I’m waiting for but my checked bag is packed! It weighs in at about 43lbs and the max is 44. I’d like to give a shout out to my sister-in-law Bridget for getting everything packed. She’s pretty space efficient (the trick is to fold in thirds and roll). Now I need to pack my computer bag and my carry-on pack. The other day I went to Target’s $1 aisle and bought a whole bunch of random flashcards so hopefully the flight will go by quickly while I learn about the largest mammal (blue whale) and all the state capitals along with each state’s bird and flower.
Nick (my traveling partner) and I had “Australian Immersion (not emersion despite controversy) Day” today to best prepare for the upcoming months. It included a viewing of Crocodile Dundee and the tasting of some Australian wines (we tried to find Foster’s but to no avail). I now think I understand the entire culture and will fit in seamlessly.
Thanks for all the well wishes and good lucks. Now that the day is finally here, I don’t know what to think. It’s definitely a sobering feeling to realize that I’m going to be gone for five months. I’ll try and be safe. I’ll make good decisions 99% of the time. Take care everyone! Next stop for me, about a half-day into the future! Catch you on the flipside!
07 February 2009
Five More Days.....
Well, it's about time to go. Finally! The past month has been an odd experience; everyone has been at school studying hard and I’ve been getting some firsthand experience on how it feels to be unemployed. Although I have been catching up on my Home Improvement and Cosby Show viewing (both the classics when the children are still children) and getting back at AMC Theaters (if they think I’m going to pay $9 dollars for one movie then they got another thing coming!) so not a total loss.
It’s funny to think that most of my fellow scholarly friends will have been in school for a month before I even leave. You’ve probably already had tests and exams while I’ve become a formidable opponent in Settlers of Cataan. Watch out lumber, the sheep are going to steamroll you.
But just so you don’t think I’ve been completely worthless, I have done some things over this break to make it worthwhile! I went back to my middle school stomping grounds to teach the 7th graders about DNA and helped them learn about what courage means at an all day retreat (where I met a St. John’s Alum – we’re everywhere!). I was my brother’s sous chef for a small catering gig he did for my uncle. My job was making the bread and bartending – two skills that I have acquired in my college career. And just last Friday I met with Creighton’s Education Department and finally was able to figure out what I want to do after I graduate that doesn’t include winks and furtive nods.
I’m about ready to go. Having nothing to do all day is nice on occasion, but once there’s no one to do nothing all day with, it’s loses its luster. School, a place that you always look forward to starting but usually can’t wait for it to end once it begins. I’m ready for it to start. I have to catch up; I’m already a month behind!
I’ll post my mailing info up on the side once I get that figured out. I love snail mail so if it strikes your fancy, write me a letter (probably nothing time sensitive, use an e-mail for that). Also, I will be posting some pictures up on my photo site if you want to check those out. The website is http://community.webshots.com/user/jpgraney. Feel free to look around.
See some of you in 5 months, others in 9, and the rest sometime between or after.
Oh, and to add a little post-script (can you post-script on blogs?): in regards to the title of the blog, toilets do not flush clockwise in Australia. This is a common misconception made popular by the Simpson’s episode, “Bart vs. Australia.” Toilets and sinks aren’t large enough bodies of water to be noticeably affected by the Coriolis Effect (reason for the spinning). Here’s some info on it http://www.ems.psu.edu/~fraser/Bad/BadCoriolis.html. Sorry to disappoint! Rest assured I’ll still experiment down there and try to debunk this “claim” by scientists.
It’s funny to think that most of my fellow scholarly friends will have been in school for a month before I even leave. You’ve probably already had tests and exams while I’ve become a formidable opponent in Settlers of Cataan. Watch out lumber, the sheep are going to steamroll you.
But just so you don’t think I’ve been completely worthless, I have done some things over this break to make it worthwhile! I went back to my middle school stomping grounds to teach the 7th graders about DNA and helped them learn about what courage means at an all day retreat (where I met a St. John’s Alum – we’re everywhere!). I was my brother’s sous chef for a small catering gig he did for my uncle. My job was making the bread and bartending – two skills that I have acquired in my college career. And just last Friday I met with Creighton’s Education Department and finally was able to figure out what I want to do after I graduate that doesn’t include winks and furtive nods.
I’m about ready to go. Having nothing to do all day is nice on occasion, but once there’s no one to do nothing all day with, it’s loses its luster. School, a place that you always look forward to starting but usually can’t wait for it to end once it begins. I’m ready for it to start. I have to catch up; I’m already a month behind!
I’ll post my mailing info up on the side once I get that figured out. I love snail mail so if it strikes your fancy, write me a letter (probably nothing time sensitive, use an e-mail for that). Also, I will be posting some pictures up on my photo site if you want to check those out. The website is http://community.webshots.com/user/jpgraney. Feel free to look around.
See some of you in 5 months, others in 9, and the rest sometime between or after.
Oh, and to add a little post-script (can you post-script on blogs?): in regards to the title of the blog, toilets do not flush clockwise in Australia. This is a common misconception made popular by the Simpson’s episode, “Bart vs. Australia.” Toilets and sinks aren’t large enough bodies of water to be noticeably affected by the Coriolis Effect (reason for the spinning). Here’s some info on it http://www.ems.psu.edu/~fraser/Bad/BadCoriolis.html. Sorry to disappoint! Rest assured I’ll still experiment down there and try to debunk this “claim” by scientists.
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