St. Patrick's Day and Climbing Mt. Kiera

St Patrick’s Day



I was very excited to find out that St. Patrick’s Day fell on a Wednesday this year – because Wednesday’s are the Pub Night for Uni kids! Surprisingly though, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations aren’t a big deal Down Under – but the international kids encouraged the Aussie’s to get into it – and it turned out to be a pretty alright evening! Most people dressed in green clothes and accessories – others died their hair and skin green. I wanted to mix my Goon (boxed wine) with green cordial (juice) but the cafeteria did not have the green flavor out on St. Pats.
Catie and I began our night by pre-drinking and straightening my hair – and then we made our way over to the Yard and got together with Jess, Stacey, Kevin and Samara. (Gigi decided to stay in). From there, the girls decided to walk to North Gong Pub – which is about a 30-45 minute walk. At the pace we were travelling, it took us closer to 45 minutes. It was on this walk that I first saw the Southern Cross – thanks to Stacey for pointing it out to me! It is a lot smaller than I had imagined – and harder to spot too. We made it to North Gong to find out that not many people were there (at least very little Uni kids) so we walked down the street and caught the iHouse bus (International House, another ‘college’ or residence) to the Glass House. Glassy is our regular pub that we go to on Wednesdays! Things at this point in the story become a tad hazy. I bought myself one drink of ‘Vodka Orange’ with the girls and we “sculled” (chugged) it. Stacey also bought me a drink and I “sculled” that one as well. Needless to say, the rest of the night was a drunken mess. The absolute highlight of my evening though, was when Catie fell on top of me and knocked me to the floor and lifted up my dress for all of Glassy to see. As humiliating as it was when it happened, it seems (quasi) funny now. Catie had lovely bruises on her knees the next day from the fall. Regrettably, Thursday morning I have a tutorial at 8:30am that runs until 10:30am. The morning was atrocious. Sometimes I make poor decisions: going out and drinking on St. Pat’s was one of them.

Climbing St. Kiera



Climbing the mountain in Wollongong is on everybody’s To-Do list. Mount St. Kiera overlooks the entire city of Wollongong all the way North to the lighthouse. It was something I had wanted to do since I arrived here! We got some of the girls together and decided that Saturday was the day. Alex, Dale, Sean, Catie, Jordan and I ended up going as one big family. Jordan was our “Sherpa” and she helped lead us to the top. I certainly did not expect it to be as grueling as it was – the hill leading up to the never-ending stairs leading up to steep pathways and rock facings was simply exhausting. We kept ourselves hydrated and we took breaks frequently. We also climbed up a waterfall, which was cool. It was not very wet, but there was a small stream trickling down through the rocks. When we reached the top there was an amazing lookout spot with benches and a restaurant. It was such a clear day and we were able to see very far in all directions – it was beautiful! On the fence around the lookout were padlocks engraved with people’s names and their wedding dates. On the lock it said, “Locked in Love.” The newly married couples come to the lookout, lock their lock to the fence, and then throw the key in the forest. How romantic! We stopped into the restaurant for some lunch – and the main dining room was being set up for a wedding reception – it is a very popular spot for receptions, so I am told.
Shortly after leaving the restaurant, I was violently attacked by a leech. (By violently I mean I did not realize that I had been bitten until there was a huge blood spot on my sock and on my shoe.) Sean immediately busted out his first aid kit and laid his jacket down for me to sit on while I took my shoe and sock off. We did not see the leech so he began to swab my ankle with an alcohol pad when I noticed the leech wriggling in between my toes. Sean quickly grabbed my foot and flicked the leech off – but not before I was able to scream and cry. He put some antiseptic cream on the bite and bandaged me up. The bite did not hurt at first but it did sting a bit later on our climb down. Climbing down was not as easy as I had hoped. After the long and difficult climb up, I was excited for the descent. Going down at a steep angle really gave me a migraine and after only eating a few fries for lunch, I started to feel very nauseous. I was happy to make it to the bottom of the mountain. It was such a fun experience despite how ill I felt afterward. I had a lot of fun with the girls and Sean – and I saw some amazing Australian foliage and a view that I will never forget.

Next Post: Sydney & Harbor Bridge Climb

Uni and Denman!

This past little while has been a whirlwind for me! Uni officially started two weeks ago and has been a truly great experience! Meesha and I spent the Sunday before classes finding out where our lecture theatres were and attempting to navigate the campus without getting lost. Despite all of our effort, I have gotten lost three times so far. It is not difficult to get lost on the UoW campus since there are tiny pathways, enormous trees, and tons of foliage everywhere that obstruct ones view of the buildings. I would complain about getting lost – but I see new and beautiful things every time I am at school.
I am taking three courses while I am here: Australian Studies: Cultures and Identities, History and Film, and The Cold War and After. I love each one of them – and I feel like I am learning a lot about Australia and its unique place in history. The Cold War subject is obviously my favorite – and my lecturer is quite funny and explains things very clearly.
Learning to print things in the library over here was a bit confusing – but their system is actually quite ingenious. Your student number links your computer logon to your student card – and so when you log onto a computer to print something, the document is saved to your student card. When you want to print something, you find a printer, swipe your student card, and choose the document you would like to print! Australia (or UoW at least) is conscious of the environmental impact of paper waste – and so everything prints double sided here! (And the professors ask that you hand in your assessments like this!)

Denman

Last weekend, Jess invited me to her hometown of Denman. We left on the 6:30 train and arrived in Denman a little after 12:00 I think. The train ride cost $13.50 altogether, so it was cheap to travel into Newcastle, Australia. From here, Stacey’s dad Dick picked us up and drove us into Aberdeen where Stacey’s house is. On the way we picked up Jess and Stacey’s high school friend Woody – who is able to do the Canadian accent perfectly!





On the way, I saw my first kangaroo! We were on the highway, and on a small field, I spotted him! Dick was nice enough to pull off onto the side road and close enough to the Kangaroo for me to get a good look at him! Stacey jumped out of the car in order to get a few good pictures of Skippy for me. (Yes, we named him.)
When we arrived at Stacey’s house – her lovely mom Leanne took us down to the Hunter Valley River and we skipped rocks – and I attempted to wake the platypuses who supposedly lived on the opposite side of the river. I was unsuccessful. I did get to see where Jess Stacey and Woody went to school – and we saw a bald eagle and beautiful birds with pink bellies!
Mrs. Feeney picked us up and we went to get some groceries from the market – and then we had the feast of a lifetime. I cannot stress enough just how great home cooked meals are after a month of residence food. The Feeney’s hospitality is second to none. On Saturday, Mrs. Feeney, Jess, and I went to Darley Horse Studs. Jess previously worked with a lady named Christine Cooper whose husband Chris works on the property (and they also live in a house on the property as well). Chris was kind enough to show the three of us around and explain some fascinating historical information to us relating to the ownership and construction of the property. Darley was built using slave labor and still has the cellars used to lock the slaves up at night! Sheik Mohammed of Dubai purchased Darley not long ago. (Sheik Mohammed is the same man who is developing the tourist industry in Dubai – and he is responsible for the construction of the Burj Dubai Tower, and the man made islands along the coast in Dubai). Essentially, he is the third richest man in the world and purchased Darley for $500 million and he has put countless millions into the property to ensure that it has the most effective facilities for its staff and its horses. Darley’s purpose is to breed racing horses. Sheik Mohammed’s half a billion dollar purchase is not part of growing his wealth: it is a hobby. After our free tour (which would cost anybody else $65) we had coffee and snacks with Christine and her two beautiful daughters Rachel and Danielle. I will never forget the kindness that the Cooper family showed us.
That evening, after another unbelievable meal, Jess and I went out on “the town” in Denman. There are two main pubs in the town: The Top, and the Bottom – neither of which compare to the pub scene in Wollongong. I met some of the interesting characters that Jess went to school with – and had a good time overall. We returned to Wollongong the next day and had many adventures on the train.
Next Post: St. Patrick’s Day and Climbing Mt. Kiera!

Australia: Week One!

It's been nearly a week since I first arrived in Australia! It has taken a while to relax and reflect on my first week here on exchange. Having intentionally missed out on the First Year Orientation shenanigans at McMaster, this whole experience has been completely new for me. Each night has a fun event to attend - and that is where I have met most of my friends! Although my liver hates me for it, going along to pubs every night has turned out to be a great way to socialize.

In terms of the city itself, Wollongong is exactly what I was looking for. Our residence is a five minute walk to the beach, and in the opposite direction, it faces an absolutely breathtaking mountain. There is free transportation to the Uni as well as to the local Mall. Beyond that, the city is home to a huge steel factory (not unlike the one in Hamilton) as well as Botanical Gardens, and a gorgeous lighthouse.

The residence that I am staying on is called Campus East and it is home to 600 students (both international and Australian). The campus (residence) itself is divided into neighborhoods: The Hospital (Postgrad), Alcatraz, Scotland Yard, Slums and Trenchtown. I have the pleasure of residing in the Slums – and yes, it’s name does it justice. Places like Scotland Yard have a common area consisting of a communal kitchenette and dining table. This part of Campus East is extremely sociable and hosts a lot of the pre-drinking parties. The slums however are units of 3-4 (I believe) who share a bathroom. We do not have a common area and the consensus among Slums kids is that it is an anti-social “neighborhood” in which to be housed. Therefore, we all make the trek across the lawn to hang out in “the Yard”.

Uni starts tomorrow for most kids, however, I have a three day schedule and do not start classes until Tuesday! Hooray!

(I recognize that this post is 3 weeks late, it was written, but never posted.)