In the Land of Oz

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

I’ve been home for a couple of days now, so this isn’t a post from abroad. I just had so much to do in my last week in Australia that I had trouble finding time to blog! A thousand pardons to my, ahem, faithful readers.
Anyway, here are some of the shenanigans I got up to during my last week in Aussie.

Tuesday and Wednesday
I spent two days in Sydney and saw the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. Both were absolutely fantastic! These pictures can’t possibly do them justice.

Then, I went to the Sydney Wildlife Center and finally saw some kangaroos and kookaburras.



Thursday
Procrastinator that I am, I had to spend most of Thursday writing my final paper. I chose to write about two Australian films, Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994).
I did get to partake in a lovely barbecue by the beach, though.


Friday
This was my last day with many of my new friends who had Saturday morning flights home so it was bittersweet.
I did manage to go to the Ford Discovery Centre, which was just across the street from Deakin University’s Waterfront Campus.

Then, I tried some kangaroo for lunch at a local Thai restaurant. It sort of tasted like beef with a hint of a seafood flavor.

I was also fortunate enough to attend the Geelong Night Market, an event that occurs only four Friday evenings during the summer in Johnstone Park. There were many local vendors selling overpriced shirts and jewelry, live music, and plenty to eat. I sampled some Honey Dumplings, which are balls of fried, honey-glazed dough. I had mine with ice cream, chocolate, and sesame seeds.


To finish off the evening, I tried some Vegemite spread on toast. My friends thought it was vile and spit it out immediately. I thought it was pretty good and finished my whole slice! Vegemite is a paste made from yeast extract and one of the richest sources of B vitamins. It’s sort of salty and a little bitter so, if an Australian friend wants you to try it at home, be sure spread a thin layer on a piece of bread.


That’s about all I have to report. My Saturday was spent feeling morose to be leaving Australia and anxious to return home to my family in Brooklyn. I know this was an experience that I’ll love reliving through my amateur photographs and my stories that will bore everyone except the other people from the Study Abroad Program. For now, though, I’m just thrilled to be back because there really is no place like home.

Three Days in Melbourne

I was in Melbourne three times this past week! There’s so much to do there. I’ve been meaning to blog about it all, but I’m in the middle of writing my final paper. Here’s a brief update of my Melbourne experiences:

Last Monday

I went with the rest of my class to three museums in Melbourne: the Melbourne Museum, the Immigration Museum, and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
I spent most of my time in the Bunjilaka exhibition of the Melbourne Museum because I was writing a field report about my findings there. One of the most fascinating things I learned there was that it was once the policy of the Australian government to remove Aboriginal children from their families to force them to assimilate and abandon their culture. These children came to be called the members of the ‘Stolen Generations.’

Saturday

I went back to Melbourne with a group of friends on Saturday to explore the city in the most touristy way possible. We visited the jail where the notorious highway man Ned Kelly was hanged and stopped sidewalk traffic to take pictures in the laneways. Then, we went to the Chinese Museum, watched a street performer, and ended the day ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the view of the city from the Eureka Skydeck.

Sunday

My last trip into Melbourne was for the cricket match between Australia and England at the MCG. I learned a lot more about the game, and even though it was a bit long, it was very exciting to barrack for the Australian team, who ended up winning the match and defeating their arch cricket rivals. Go Aussies!

Weekend Highlights

I had an incredibly busy weekend without any internet access to blog, but here are the highlights:

On Saturday morning, I attempted to learn to surf at Anglesea Beach with the rest of my class. Fortunately for me, the water was very calm, eliminating the possibility that I would injure myself or someone around me with my complete lack of aquatic coordination.

I spent the afternoon soaking up a little sun at Torquay Beach. There was a light shower, which is somewhat unusual in Victoria this time of year, and then I saw the most breath-taking and beautiful rainbow arching over the beach while the sun set.

On Sunday morning, I traveled down the Great Ocean Road, the world’s largest war memorial, which was built for those who died during World War I.

Because of its popularity as a tourist destination and its many twists and turns, there were numerous signs like the one to the left, alerting visitors that Australians drive on the left-hand side of the road.

We stopped along the way at the Kennett River Koala Walk to see, what else, koalas. Even though they sleep for twenty hours a day, one koala came down to the lowest branches of its tree and was kind enough to pose for photographs.

Our next stop was Maits Rest Rainforest Walk to observe the different vegetation of one of Australia’s many ecosystems.

In the afternoon, I saw the Twelve Apostles, a collection of limestone rock stacks formed by erosion.

Originally known as the Sow and Piglets, the name was changed to attract tourists, even though there are less than twelve formations.

The last stop of the day was Loch Ard Gorge. The formation is named after a ship which ran aground on June 1, 1878. Out of the 51 people on board, there were only two survivors, named Tom Pearce and Eva Carmichael. Both were 18 years old at the time. Tom washed ashore, heard Eva’s cries for help, rescued her, found help nearby, and never saw Eva again.

Money, Money, Money, It’s so Funny

Here in Australia, the currency is the Australian dollar. It’s not all that different from the American dollar but there are some slightly dissimilar aspects.

The bills and coins look rather strange to someone used to the U.S.’s greenbacks, pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. The bills vary in color and size. The $50 bill has a yellow background, the $20 bill has a red-orange background, the $10 bill has a blue background, and the $5 bill has a violet background.

The coins are even stranger because instead of a $1 bill, Australia has a coin. There is also a $2 coin, and a 5-, 10-, and 20-cent coin. The 50-cent coin is an extremely large dodecagon. The $2 coin, on the other hand, is roughly the size of an American dime and aluminum-bronze. All coins portray Queen Elizabeth II.

How’s the Weather?

Well, I’ve landed in Australia safely and I’m loving it! Why you may ask? The weather, of course. After narrowly avoiding New York’s Blizzard of 2010, what could be better than the Australian summer? Hot days and cool nights beats 20 inches of snow easily.

However, Australia is full of surprises. It’s unseasonably cool here in Geelong, Victoria. Since I’m in the Southern Hemisphere and the southeastern part of Australia, it should be a lot hotter than the 20 degrees Celsius that it is today (that’s 68 degrees Fahrenheit for those unfamiliar with the metric system).

I’m not complaining, though, because the sun is shining and it’s a perfect day to head to the Eastern Beach Reserve for some volleyball and socializing!

To Oz? To Oz!

No, I’m not off to see a wizard. I’m not even really going to Oz. This winter intersession, I’ll be studying abroad in Australia, which has been colloquially referred to as “Oz” because of the Australian tendency to shorten and abbreviate words. Thus, “Australia” becomes “Aus,” which is pronounced like “Oz.” Get it?

Of course, there may be some connection to the L. Frank Baum novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 1939 film adaptation called The Wizard of Oz. Like the fictional Oz, Australia is a distant and beautiful land, albeit with many more marsupials. Or at least, that’s what I’ve heard. I won’t know for sure until I see for myself in a little over a week.

Picture is modified version of original photo from:
http://www.sabrehq.com/destnations/melbourne.htm