O-Week

O-Week or Orientation Week for those Americans that don’t abbreviate everything, of was we say in the MT major Abrives. Ev. This is how things work; I go to Griffith University (or Uni) on the Nathan campus. I am part of Girraween College, and I belong to G Block, which is basically the stairway that I walk up to get to my flat. I really need to get some pictures up soon.

Thursday night we did a Brisbane Pub crawl. We went to three different pubs from 8-2. Thankfully I have been drinking for 5 years already so I was not one of the people falling over before we even left the first pub. Most the people I am living with are first year students, but most of them have taken a gap year, and have either worked to save up money for school or have traveled. I think that makes a lot of sense, and it’s a damn shame that our college system is so messed up and competitive. Well I am not going to into it. Anyway the pub-crawl was amazing and again there will be plenty of pictures I am sure.

The next night we went into Brisbane and again and did a version of the “Amazing Race,” you know the game we ran around the city collecting clues and completing challenges. I think that I sweated out about 5 lbs that night. My Flatmate Silvie and I had Chinese food from a vendor in the main square, and then met of the rest of the group at the pancake manor, which was a glorified IHOP that used to be Catholic Church.

The next day we went down to the Gold Coast, and on the bus ride down my new friends Andrew and Michael (I always seem to find Michaels to be friends with don’t I?) explained the state of Australian politics, and basically what I can gather the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd became really popular after it came out that he went to strip club in US. Which you know makes sense. We went to surfer’s paradise, the waves were huge, but that might have had something to do with the storm that was blowing into shore. The Gold Coast was just an Australian version of Myrtle Beach, a great place to visit, but no real substance.

Our last O-week activity was a party at Garden City. They played Party in the USA. Don’t worry I put my hands up. I also wore my Arkansas Razorbacks T-shirt so that when people asked me where I was from I could just point to the shirt. Its really funny that after about a drink or 7 people really love to start telling me what my opinion on American politics should be, but I just tell them I have some already and not worry about it.

Tomorrow is the first day of classes. I feel the way I always feel about going to classes. A little nervous, a little excited, and hopeful that they will be great.

Chris

i'm never going t be sober enough to write a real post...

but skype with me friends!!

okay so i found this.. I apparently wrote it one morning while i was still drunk thought you might enjoy it.... so here it is!!

Okay it is 7 am here and i am nursing my first hangover here so i thought now would be a good time to write to on this thing to let you guys know that i'm here and what it is like...

first off... this blog is my friend blog so I'll probablly just be writting about ridiclous thing that happen to me if you want to read legit about my time here and what New Zealand is like please go to ym other blog... its on my facebook page it is pretty interesting.

so.....

I love it here!

This place is increadable!

we spent the first 4 or so days going around New Zealand with Arcadia we saw beaches, hot springs, went Zorbing (the big ball thing), went to a Maori dinner and other things.... that was all a blast!

If you wanna know what all that was like ask i'm to loazy to write all about it

i will say though that on the way home from the Maori dinner (they drive you home in a bus from their village) it is a tridition you sing a song from your native country ie your national amtham or like take me out to the ball game...... as a group on the bus.... somehow i manged to get some eople on the bus wantinng me to get up in front of everyone and sing city high what would you do...... and I did it..... and it was great! So no longer is that just a locust bar classsic :)

I'm moved into my room My roommates are great I have one guy from New Zealand, one guy from India, and a girl who is actually from MA (which is so weird!) We are still waiting on one roomate to move in. The place is set up with a kitchen, bathroom, livingroom and we each get our own bedroom with this amazing windown i'll put pics on here!!

The place I'm staying is great everyone is so nice and last night we all just got watsed in peoples rooms and walked around and everyone was just out or in the courtyard hanging out! it is great!! Everyone was nice and fun except for this douch New Zealand guy with a horrid blong fashion mohawk..... but i guess you get dicks all over the world!

also there are a lot of style mullets here!

today i hope to buy a cell phone and go to the beach!

oh and it is sooo hot here :)

and the sun is so strong i have a sun burn!

I also think i might still be drunk writting this!

last night I was ridiclous..... and i refuse to buy tin foil while I'm here becuae we all nkow how that ends.

I miss you all soooo much!

well most of you :)

goodness i'm so funny...

okay well I'm going to stop becuase I am still drunk and am going to go like maybe throw up a little bit

somethings never change.....

but i will write a legit one of these about the not drunk side of MTS in NZ!

this morning...

So i woke up this morning and my couch was outside..... its like real college!

(a real update to come)

love

marianne

ps i'm hungover slash maybe still drunk... miss you all!!

Week One

The Week has been insane. We left Monday night and landed in Melbourne on Wednesday morning, where we met up with Arcadia staff. There were about 100 American students and the first thing they did was to take us to see Kangaroos, and they are huge. We had a crash course in Australia history and culture, and were basically told not to drink ourselves into oblivion because at the end of the day we are still at University.

I spent a day in Melbourne with Lachie Julie’s friend from Bielefeld he took me out to some of the bars and I went to my first AFL (Australian Football League) game. Everyone here is obsessed with sports it is a different culture than they way we deal with sports in the US. Or maybe they are just more exciting because they don’t ware any padding like our football players do.

I arrived at Griffith on Saturday, and I am one of two American students studying through Arcadia at the Nathan Griffith Campus. The campus is in the middle of the bush, and after being told this about half a dozen times I finally asked what the means. Turns out that the campus is in the middle of forest. The University wanted to preserve as much of the natural surroundings as possible so they left as many trees as possible. There are Wild Turkeys all over the place and dozens of different birds flying in around. I have 6 other flat mates 5 Australians and one Korean. The first night they had a game of trivia and our team won, I mean we were team Awesome so we had to win, and last night we had inner campus game, and that basically ended with a free for all on a giant slip and slide. The people here couldn’t be more welcoming and have been very patient, we trying to get my bearings. I think the greatest thing is that on Thursday night we have the official “O-week” pub crawl, which I cannot wait for.

LAX

I think that it is confusing some people that Marianne and I haven’t actually left yet. So I am going to clear some things up. Marianne and I came out to California this weekend, and we went to Disney Land, and there some magical things happened.

1. I “proposed” to Marianne during the Middle of the Tower of Terror, and ride camera got the picture.
2. We got to ride the California Sreamin’ in the front row with out waiting
3. We made friends with the Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride workers and they let us ride it without getting back in line.
4. We danced to High School Musical
5. The Aladdin Show
6. Walking around on V-day with a Mickey Top Hat and a Minney Bridal Vail
7. We found out what is better than Space Mountain….Drunk Space Mountain.

So now I am in LAX because Marianne and I have been separated into different terminals. We were ripped apart it was tragic. Now I have to wait till 10:20 to get on the plane to Melborne.

One Day More

So it is officially the day of departure. After having to commutate to my counselor in Australia over the last week I am officially enrolled in my classes. There has been a slight change of plan, and what I had originally intended on studying in Australia has changed a wee bit, but no worries.

If Uarts has taught me anything it is to role with the punches. I still haven’t quite figured out the time change they I am writing this at 12:37 A.M. and it is 4:30 P.M. in afternoon there. Every time that I think about it I get horrible LOST flashbacks so I figure that it is best not to think about it too hard.

For the last five days I have been snowed into my house. It has just been me, Ginger (my puppy), and the Rumba. I have finished the 5^th season of Weeds, which was incredible by the way, and re-watched season three of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That was the season where they are seniors in high school. I think it was kind of fitting; it also sums up my feelings on graduations in general. I went back to Central High School to talk to kids who are the in the drama department. It is amazing to me how much has changed and how little has changed. The dynamic of the teachers is still there, and from what I saw, the kids that want to do it and succeed will, and that ones who want to sink will sink. I will say that talking to highschoolers is a huge self esteem booster, and that talking to them I realized that not only do they have their entire lives in front them, but I do as well.

I have to say this because it is too funny to pass up. Went on date tonight. A real one I confirmed it and everything. I will just refer to him as N because I don’t know if he wants to be apart of this or not. But if he happens to see this, I will say that I warned you that I like to write. This was my first official date I would say. Yes at the age 22 I went on a date. With a dude. The first portion of the night consisted of driving aimlessly around Conway Arkansas before finding the restaurant, and then we had Mexican food, because it always a favorite. The quote the night had to be, “Well if we are done here in an hour we can still make it back for 30 Rock and a Martini.” That’s right I went on date with someone who actually said that, the day before I move across the world for 6 months. All I have to say is N I salute you, I hope you had a good of time as I did, and it’s nice to meet a nice Southern Gentlemen after dealing with Yankee Assholes for the last three and half years. Yeah I said. Bring it.

I feel at this point that I should point out that I am writing this Julie’s apartment. She has been nice enough to house this break, and of course a shout out to Deit the coolest roommate ever, and the best neighbors ever Clare and Crista.

I am sure there will be more to come.

Passing Strange,

Chris