2/23

so I didn't have internet until now so here are the posts I made and saved on my computer to update later :]


so here I am. I’ve made it to Australia.
one of the first things you should know about flying abroad is that everyone expects you to know what you’re doing. not only was I surprised that our group didn’t have a supervisor (not that we really needed it, but still), I found that later on in the flight I was cumulating so many questions about customs and immigration forms and granola that it was almost stressful. I brought so much food onto this flight it felt strange that I mark the box “no food items to declare” but I figured customs didn’t care that I had brought along Phinneas and Ferb fruit snacks to keep me company. I was waved through the baggage part of customs anyway so it really didn’t matter. I could have brought a bomb for all they knew and I’d still have it. I shouldn’t have thrown away my granola.

When we arrived at Wesley Institute, we dropped all our luggage off and met in a classroom to go through ASC (Australia Studies Program)’s orientation. It was long and semi-monotonous, but we received so many useful things. a public transportation pass (including busses, trains, you name it), an emergency card, $10 prepaid calling card, maps, bus schedules, cell phones, tourist guides. We got everything.

another thing you should know about Australia is that they eat just as much as Americans do, but they set aside time for it. Today I ate 5 meals: breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner. And literally as I was typing this, they rang the bell for evening tea. its truly wonderful here.

Today was satisfyingly uneventful. We did play extreme pictionary (which, in all reality, is really just a combination of pictionary and a relay race).

And here I am at Flo Harris Lodge. it is great. The people seem nice, the food is decent (yes mom, we had meat pies and I ate all of the food given to me), and we even had an optional Bible study tonight (which I opted to go to).
However, I have never been in a place at dinner time with so much noise. Its not so much that the people are making the noise as it is that the walls just reflect it perfectly creating a continuous echo of every word muttered within 20 minutes. I could walk in that room, wisper my name and come back in 15 minutes to a chorus of voices singing, or shouting more like it, “PAUL! PAUL!” Needless to say, I could understand maybe every 4th word said during dinner. My poor housemates probably thought I was deaf asking them what they said or even asking questions already answered; and stupid giving awkward smiles back when I had no clue what they were saying and it was actually a question directed at me.
oh how lovely awkwardness can be.

Goodnight. I have to be up at 6:30 to be at school at 8:25. one of the girls here is driving us. how it takes 2 hours to get to a school 20 minutes away in a car I would like to know and I guess will soon find out.