My princess... I will redeem the time for you.
I know that sometimes you look back on your life with anguish and regret– so much time wasted on things that didn't matter. But take heart, My love. I am your Redeemer, and today is a new day. So start now by seeking My plans, which are to give you hope and a future. Just as I used hardship in Joseph's life to lead him to a position of leadership, influence, and blessing, I've also called you. I will use your past to carve into your character everything you need for the here and now. I want you to let your past experiences teach you and not torment you. Remember, My princess, I will always turn into good what others meant for harm. I will redeem what was lost and place you on the narrow road that leads to everlasting life.
Love,
Your King and your Redeemer
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
[A letter from Sheri Rose Shepherd's "His Princess: Love Letters From Your King"]
25 May, 2010
13 May, 2010
Angels
On a lighter note.. these people have been true angels in my life while on this whirlwind of an adventure here in Australia!
Sheri and Laura: These two girls have been fantastic! My residential college experience would not have been the same without them. While I've been blessed to have met a considerable amount of Christians in B&G, these girls have gone above and beyond to show me the love of Christ. They are so honest, considerate, and wise which just goes to prove that age is only a number maturity-wise (they're only 1st years!). We do everything together: cook dinner, bake yummy goodies, study the Bible at the B&G Bible study, walk to Crossroads for church, and get into deep, heart-felt conversations about the true things that matter in life! Thanks for being wonderful! I'm going to miss you two, but I wish you the best of luck and many blessing in your time at uni! If you're ever in the U.S., you know who to call ;)
Owen: Owen is a great man of God who is always positive, inclusive and who never tires. He's been my Bible study leader at B&G for the past 10 or so weeks while also leading the CIF group that meets every Sunday afternoon. On top of that, he's married with 4 sons! I'm not sure I'd be able to handle that many boys, good on ya! Thank you for creating an environment that I've felt comfortable enough in to call it home. It has been such a blessing to come live in a foreign country and have the family of God usher me in so welcomingly. I can't imagine being able to do this whole study abroad thing without God. Truly, He knows what I need and provided me with you. I wish you and your family many blessings and much love!
Skype: I'd like to thank the inventors and developers of skype for making the world seem a little bit smaller and a foreign country seem like home! It's been truly amazing to communicate with people from back home and the be able to see my parents! Though I cannot hug them, I look forward to the day that I'll be able to again, and skype has definitely made that wait a bajillion times more bearable! I am so thankful to live in a such a technological age!
Jimmy: Our conversations have been so delightful and insightful. Thank you for the reminders to be appreciative to those around us, those we love, and those who have helped us along the way. I wish you the best on your journeys around the world and look forward to remaining great pen pals! I always look forward to checking my mailbox anticipating the next letter, card or postcard. You've been great! And thanks for making back home seem a little more accessible by keeping me up to date and demonstrating to me how important it is to reconnect and stay in touch with old friends. See you this summer- fingers crossed!
Lauren: I love you! I love that you are my best friend and mom all in one! hahaha You have cared for me sooo well and I just don't think there is anyway I could possibly say thank you enough, let alone trying to use words. I think you are a gorgeous girl and I've really enjoyed getting to know the real Lauren. I've loved every minute we've spent together shopping at DFO, going to "Fishes", discussing how much uni work we still have to do, facebook chatting, planning our grand road trip, girl talk, getting lost in translation, pub day lunches, chilling with your cat and having dinner at your place, and even those minutes we've spent in the car at ridiculous hours of the night because you are kind enough to pick me up from the bus depot. In my mind, anyone who experiences Australia without you in the equation, isn't really experiencing Australia! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all that you do and for just being you! Can't wait to have you visit the US in 2 years! Woo! :) xoxox
Rhiannen: It's as if we are two completely different and unique sculptures, cut from the same block. I <3 us! God definitely had it right when He put us in the same share room in the hostel 3 months ago. You have been a fantastic blessing and I love you dearly. You have made me feel so strong and at home and you've really given me the ability to open up and be myself. Thank you for not laughing, too hard, when I try to do crazy ridiculous things or say silly foreign words and phrases, but for having the patience to teach me about Maccas in Australia, an Australian grocery store, an Australian sweets game, how to use the bus system, the cool places to shop in the mall, and how to talk Aussie slang. I've laughed more with you in the last 3 months than I've laughed in a really long time. You are soo funny, witty, creative, silly, smart, confident, independent, spirited and free. You are a breath of fresh air! And you get me so simply. I couldn't ask for a better best friend ever! You've made a foreign country, home. I'm glad we could make Canberra our home together and realize that we are not alone on this wild and whacky journey. I will always thank God for you and remember you in my prayers. Can't wait til Christmas!!!! <3 xoxox
Mom: You have been my wonderwall, something solid to lean on in times of frustration and sorrow. You are constantly there for me and ready and willing to help in whatever way possible. You have "saved the day" so many times and put my feet back on solid ground. You know how to cheer me up, make me feel special, love me deeply, care for me, and make sure that everything is going to be alright. Thank you for being a voice of reason, a song of comfort and a of love when I need it. I don't know what I would do without you. I don't know how this whole trip would be possible without you. Frankly, I don't know how life would be possible without you. You're the BEST! You have been so supportive and sacrificial and selfless in this whole process. Thanks you for putting up with the awkward time difference so we can still see and talk to each other on skype. Thank you for putting up with my resquests to see the cat each time! lol Thank you for filling me in on what's happening in the world when I'm too busy and out of the loop to watch the news. Thank you for being faithful in prayer. Thank you for being my eyes, hands and feet and working out my housing fiasco while I am helpless to do anything but watch from the other side of the world. Thank you for planning a fabulous vacation to New Zealand while I threw a bit of a tantrum. Thank you for bringing all my weird food requests upon visiting. Thank you for everything. Thank you for being you! I'm so thankful for this experience and thank you for listening and letting me come. Thanks for being my mama and for being strong enough to cope with me being soooo far away from home for so long. Thank you for trusting me. I can't wait to see your bright smile and warm eyes when I get home and give you a big hug! I LOVE YOU!!!
Sheri and Laura: These two girls have been fantastic! My residential college experience would not have been the same without them. While I've been blessed to have met a considerable amount of Christians in B&G, these girls have gone above and beyond to show me the love of Christ. They are so honest, considerate, and wise which just goes to prove that age is only a number maturity-wise (they're only 1st years!). We do everything together: cook dinner, bake yummy goodies, study the Bible at the B&G Bible study, walk to Crossroads for church, and get into deep, heart-felt conversations about the true things that matter in life! Thanks for being wonderful! I'm going to miss you two, but I wish you the best of luck and many blessing in your time at uni! If you're ever in the U.S., you know who to call ;)
Owen: Owen is a great man of God who is always positive, inclusive and who never tires. He's been my Bible study leader at B&G for the past 10 or so weeks while also leading the CIF group that meets every Sunday afternoon. On top of that, he's married with 4 sons! I'm not sure I'd be able to handle that many boys, good on ya! Thank you for creating an environment that I've felt comfortable enough in to call it home. It has been such a blessing to come live in a foreign country and have the family of God usher me in so welcomingly. I can't imagine being able to do this whole study abroad thing without God. Truly, He knows what I need and provided me with you. I wish you and your family many blessings and much love! 
Skype: I'd like to thank the inventors and developers of skype for making the world seem a little bit smaller and a foreign country seem like home! It's been truly amazing to communicate with people from back home and the be able to see my parents! Though I cannot hug them, I look forward to the day that I'll be able to again, and skype has definitely made that wait a bajillion times more bearable! I am so thankful to live in a such a technological age! 
Jimmy: Our conversations have been so delightful and insightful. Thank you for the reminders to be appreciative to those around us, those we love, and those who have helped us along the way. I wish you the best on your journeys around the world and look forward to remaining great pen pals! I always look forward to checking my mailbox anticipating the next letter, card or postcard. You've been great! And thanks for making back home seem a little more accessible by keeping me up to date and demonstrating to me how important it is to reconnect and stay in touch with old friends. See you this summer- fingers crossed! 
Lauren: I love you! I love that you are my best friend and mom all in one! hahaha You have cared for me sooo well and I just don't think there is anyway I could possibly say thank you enough, let alone trying to use words. I think you are a gorgeous girl and I've really enjoyed getting to know the real Lauren. I've loved every minute we've spent together shopping at DFO, going to "Fishes", discussing how much uni work we still have to do, facebook chatting, planning our grand road trip, girl talk, getting lost in translation, pub day lunches, chilling with your cat and having dinner at your place, and even those minutes we've spent in the car at ridiculous hours of the night because you are kind enough to pick me up from the bus depot. In my mind, anyone who experiences Australia without you in the equation, isn't really experiencing Australia! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all that you do and for just being you! Can't wait to have you visit the US in 2 years! Woo! :) xoxox
Rhiannen: It's as if we are two completely different and unique sculptures, cut from the same block. I <3 us! God definitely had it right when He put us in the same share room in the hostel 3 months ago. You have been a fantastic blessing and I love you dearly. You have made me feel so strong and at home and you've really given me the ability to open up and be myself. Thank you for not laughing, too hard, when I try to do crazy ridiculous things or say silly foreign words and phrases, but for having the patience to teach me about Maccas in Australia, an Australian grocery store, an Australian sweets game, how to use the bus system, the cool places to shop in the mall, and how to talk Aussie slang. I've laughed more with you in the last 3 months than I've laughed in a really long time. You are soo funny, witty, creative, silly, smart, confident, independent, spirited and free. You are a breath of fresh air! And you get me so simply. I couldn't ask for a better best friend ever! You've made a foreign country, home. I'm glad we could make Canberra our home together and realize that we are not alone on this wild and whacky journey. I will always thank God for you and remember you in my prayers. Can't wait til Christmas!!!! <3 xoxox
Mom: You have been my wonderwall, something solid to lean on in times of frustration and sorrow. You are constantly there for me and ready and willing to help in whatever way possible. You have "saved the day" so many times and put my feet back on solid ground. You know how to cheer me up, make me feel special, love me deeply, care for me, and make sure that everything is going to be alright. Thank you for being a voice of reason, a song of comfort and a of love when I need it. I don't know what I would do without you. I don't know how this whole trip would be possible without you. Frankly, I don't know how life would be possible without you. You're the BEST! You have been so supportive and sacrificial and selfless in this whole process. Thanks you for putting up with the awkward time difference so we can still see and talk to each other on skype. Thank you for putting up with my resquests to see the cat each time! lol Thank you for filling me in on what's happening in the world when I'm too busy and out of the loop to watch the news. Thank you for being faithful in prayer. Thank you for being my eyes, hands and feet and working out my housing fiasco while I am helpless to do anything but watch from the other side of the world. Thank you for planning a fabulous vacation to New Zealand while I threw a bit of a tantrum. Thank you for bringing all my weird food requests upon visiting. Thank you for everything. Thank you for being you! I'm so thankful for this experience and thank you for listening and letting me come. Thanks for being my mama and for being strong enough to cope with me being soooo far away from home for so long. Thank you for trusting me. I can't wait to see your bright smile and warm eyes when I get home and give you a big hug! I LOVE YOU!!!
ambivalent feelings
Approaching the end: of adolescence while entering adulthood, my 21st birthday is 18 days away!
And approaching the end of my time in Australia: 47 days left!! :(
Anxious: I guess all of these feelings are stemming from the fact that I'm living with an ever ticking clock counting down the remainder of my time here. It's always been there since I knew my return date before I even left, but it seems a lot more imposing now, and no wonder! Only 47 days left! Yikes! I'm beginning to get nervous about my uni work and going home. It's so bittersweet! I wanna go home, but I don't want to have to leave Australia and all my friends! And in the midst of getting anxious and nervous about everything, it's still so great to remember that I'm in Australia and what a blessing it is!
Acquainted with lost: Unfortunately, life doesn't stop just because I'm someplace new. Life back in California and at USC goes on and I have to keep up with it. This kind of double life has been very difficult to lead as it's hard to physically be here in Australia and aware, while also being responsible when physical presence is impossible in more than one place. I've had a lot of difficulty arranging housing for my final year at USC, planning my course schedule, purchasing a student season football pass and also just being bummed at missing all the wonderful things that happened this semester at USC. While each one of these things was frustrating and drawn out, they all could have been (probably) solved swiftly had I been able to house search, meet with my advisor, and go to the ticket office in person. And I'd love nothing more than to have been at USC for all the fun greek events, dance shows, softball games, birthday parties, engagement surprises, Cru meetings, Afters at Wendy's, and so on. And graduation! I'd looooove to be there to hug and congratulate and celebrate with so many dear friends. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. I am becoming quite acquainted with lost on account of me being away, not that me being there would have any difference on the situation, it'd still be nice to say "good-bye" properly. So here's the list of lost: 1) Steven B. Sample, President of USC is passing the torch to Dr. Harris Pastides. 2) Greg Triplett, Director of Campus Crusade for Christ is getting married (congrats) and his stepping down to focus on his new role as a husband. I don't know who the new replacement is yet. 3) Trina Litwin (and her husband Paul), who was my discipler, is changing focuses within CCC to head up all the Destino movement in the LA area. 4) Christina Carey, my Bible study leader for 2 years, is graduating!! 5) Pete Caroll, Head Coach of the USC Trojans has left to re-join the NFL as the coach for the Seattle Seahawks. What. A. Bummer. 6)Dean Ruth Weisberg of the Roski School of Fine Arts is stepping down to return to teaching and will be replaced by Rochelle Steiner. 7) The Menlo house which I've lived in for nearly 2 years will no longer be ours come May 31st because we couldn't find enough girls to replace those that are graduating. Major bummer! That place was home and those girls were family! 8) Speaking of family, my brother Campbell and his wife are moving to North Carolina on May 20th. I haven't seen them since I left February 2nd and who knows when I'll see them again and for how long that visit will be. [tear, sniffle, sniffle]. 9) And my grandma is soo frail, I'm just praying to God that I can see her again when I return home!!!
Pretty hefty list, huh? Though they seem trivial, I could go on for hours about how much these changes will personally affect me and how I wish it wasn't so. C'est la vie, this is life. I'm just hoping maybe I can add "10) weight" to that list. Lol, we'll see how it goes! And I don't blame any of these people. Change just happens and most are great changes and I congratulate them, but it doesn't make it any less painful. But you know what, there are some major things I haven't lost. I haven't lost God's love.
"Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died– more than that, who was raised to life– is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughter.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." ROMANS 8:34-39
"Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." PSALM 73:5-26
And I still have my mom and dad and many wonderful friends who love me. And either way, none of this will change my endpoint because my citizenship is in heaven and I can't take anything with me. Paul says,"For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). I think he's got it right. I will miss all these wonderful people in my life; know that I love you!
Again: On the bright side, I fell in love with Australia all over again! :) I had just walked to get lunch with the intentions of taking it back to my room when I thought, "Why? What's so special about my room? Do I really enjoy my room that much? You're crazy Andrea!". I agreed. So I picked a bench, sat down and enjoyed the sun, the ever-changing colored leaves and the fact that I was alive, well and in Australia. I can't say what it was exactly, but it just reminded me to appreciate the small things in life, like a sunny day, clear bright blue skies, benches in the grass, and someone else's cooking! lol Take some time out today to be grateful for the little joys in life. :)
Avant-garde: Brown hair! :) Yup, I dyed it! I've always kind of wondered what I'd look like with proper brown hair instead of the gold/caramel/honey/light brown/dark blonde thing that it was for so long! Last year I dyed my hair red and that was fun! But it just wasn't the color for me. I don't have that feeling this time around. I LOVE IT! I actually feel more... myself. I feel more free to be cooky and quirky and goofy. The whole "Blondes have more fun" is just rubbish in my mind. I feel more.. blonde, if you will, now that my hair is Golden Chocolate. And doesn't that just sound yummy!? teehee!
And approaching the end of my time in Australia: 47 days left!! :(
Anxious: I guess all of these feelings are stemming from the fact that I'm living with an ever ticking clock counting down the remainder of my time here. It's always been there since I knew my return date before I even left, but it seems a lot more imposing now, and no wonder! Only 47 days left! Yikes! I'm beginning to get nervous about my uni work and going home. It's so bittersweet! I wanna go home, but I don't want to have to leave Australia and all my friends! And in the midst of getting anxious and nervous about everything, it's still so great to remember that I'm in Australia and what a blessing it is!
Acquainted with lost: Unfortunately, life doesn't stop just because I'm someplace new. Life back in California and at USC goes on and I have to keep up with it. This kind of double life has been very difficult to lead as it's hard to physically be here in Australia and aware, while also being responsible when physical presence is impossible in more than one place. I've had a lot of difficulty arranging housing for my final year at USC, planning my course schedule, purchasing a student season football pass and also just being bummed at missing all the wonderful things that happened this semester at USC. While each one of these things was frustrating and drawn out, they all could have been (probably) solved swiftly had I been able to house search, meet with my advisor, and go to the ticket office in person. And I'd love nothing more than to have been at USC for all the fun greek events, dance shows, softball games, birthday parties, engagement surprises, Cru meetings, Afters at Wendy's, and so on. And graduation! I'd looooove to be there to hug and congratulate and celebrate with so many dear friends. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. I am becoming quite acquainted with lost on account of me being away, not that me being there would have any difference on the situation, it'd still be nice to say "good-bye" properly. So here's the list of lost: 1) Steven B. Sample, President of USC is passing the torch to Dr. Harris Pastides. 2) Greg Triplett, Director of Campus Crusade for Christ is getting married (congrats) and his stepping down to focus on his new role as a husband. I don't know who the new replacement is yet. 3) Trina Litwin (and her husband Paul), who was my discipler, is changing focuses within CCC to head up all the Destino movement in the LA area. 4) Christina Carey, my Bible study leader for 2 years, is graduating!! 5) Pete Caroll, Head Coach of the USC Trojans has left to re-join the NFL as the coach for the Seattle Seahawks. What. A. Bummer. 6)Dean Ruth Weisberg of the Roski School of Fine Arts is stepping down to return to teaching and will be replaced by Rochelle Steiner. 7) The Menlo house which I've lived in for nearly 2 years will no longer be ours come May 31st because we couldn't find enough girls to replace those that are graduating. Major bummer! That place was home and those girls were family! 8) Speaking of family, my brother Campbell and his wife are moving to North Carolina on May 20th. I haven't seen them since I left February 2nd and who knows when I'll see them again and for how long that visit will be. [tear, sniffle, sniffle]. 9) And my grandma is soo frail, I'm just praying to God that I can see her again when I return home!!!
Pretty hefty list, huh? Though they seem trivial, I could go on for hours about how much these changes will personally affect me and how I wish it wasn't so. C'est la vie, this is life. I'm just hoping maybe I can add "10) weight" to that list. Lol, we'll see how it goes! And I don't blame any of these people. Change just happens and most are great changes and I congratulate them, but it doesn't make it any less painful. But you know what, there are some major things I haven't lost. I haven't lost God's love.
"Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died– more than that, who was raised to life– is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughter.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." ROMANS 8:34-39
"Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." PSALM 73:5-26
And I still have my mom and dad and many wonderful friends who love me. And either way, none of this will change my endpoint because my citizenship is in heaven and I can't take anything with me. Paul says,"For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). I think he's got it right. I will miss all these wonderful people in my life; know that I love you!
Again: On the bright side, I fell in love with Australia all over again! :) I had just walked to get lunch with the intentions of taking it back to my room when I thought, "Why? What's so special about my room? Do I really enjoy my room that much? You're crazy Andrea!". I agreed. So I picked a bench, sat down and enjoyed the sun, the ever-changing colored leaves and the fact that I was alive, well and in Australia. I can't say what it was exactly, but it just reminded me to appreciate the small things in life, like a sunny day, clear bright blue skies, benches in the grass, and someone else's cooking! lol Take some time out today to be grateful for the little joys in life. :)
Avant-garde: Brown hair! :) Yup, I dyed it! I've always kind of wondered what I'd look like with proper brown hair instead of the gold/caramel/honey/light brown/dark blonde thing that it was for so long! Last year I dyed my hair red and that was fun! But it just wasn't the color for me. I don't have that feeling this time around. I LOVE IT! I actually feel more... myself. I feel more free to be cooky and quirky and goofy. The whole "Blondes have more fun" is just rubbish in my mind. I feel more.. blonde, if you will, now that my hair is Golden Chocolate. And doesn't that just sound yummy!? teehee!
10 May, 2010
Appreciation
HAPPY "MUM'S" DAY (as they say in Australia)!!!!!!!
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXXOXOXOXOXOX
To all the moms out there: You're awesome! Thanks for doing what you do day in and day out! The world would not be the same without wonderful, loving, and caring people like you! Thanks for putting up with all our diapers, tantrums, eye-rolls, busy and demanding schedules, not-so-desirable boyfriends/girlfriends, and everything else we put you through. Truth is, we love you and would be lost without you! ;)
To everyone else out there: Take a moment to reflect on everything in your life and the impact your mother has made in shaping you to be you. Now go call up your mom and tell her you love her and appreciate all she's done for you!
Mom, this is for you! You may not think it, but I hear everything you say all the time whether it's condensed into 2+ minutes or not! lol I love you sooo much and appreciated all you've done for me! You are such a blessing in my life and I am sooo fortunate to have you as a mother! Thank you for all your sacrifices, all your wisdom, love and care. You are awesome! You've been a great model for me and I can't wait (well, actually I can, but I'm excited for that day nonetheless) until I am a mom and I can "pay it forward" to them! Thank you for loving God and for loving dad, and of course, me! I LOVE YOU SOO MUCH! Happy Mother's Day!
Love,
your daughter
Andrea
xoxoxoxoxoxxxxxxx
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXXOXOXOXOXOX
To all the moms out there: You're awesome! Thanks for doing what you do day in and day out! The world would not be the same without wonderful, loving, and caring people like you! Thanks for putting up with all our diapers, tantrums, eye-rolls, busy and demanding schedules, not-so-desirable boyfriends/girlfriends, and everything else we put you through. Truth is, we love you and would be lost without you! ;)
To everyone else out there: Take a moment to reflect on everything in your life and the impact your mother has made in shaping you to be you. Now go call up your mom and tell her you love her and appreciate all she's done for you!
Mom, this is for you! You may not think it, but I hear everything you say all the time whether it's condensed into 2+ minutes or not! lol I love you sooo much and appreciated all you've done for me! You are such a blessing in my life and I am sooo fortunate to have you as a mother! Thank you for all your sacrifices, all your wisdom, love and care. You are awesome! You've been a great model for me and I can't wait (well, actually I can, but I'm excited for that day nonetheless) until I am a mom and I can "pay it forward" to them! Thank you for loving God and for loving dad, and of course, me! I LOVE YOU SOO MUCH! Happy Mother's Day!
Love,
your daughter
Andrea
xoxoxoxoxoxxxxxxx
09 May, 2010
ANZAC Dawn Service
ANZAC day was a while ago, but I haven't written about my experiences yet. Better late than never, in my opinion! :) ANZAC Day is the 25th of April and it's celebrated in Australia and New Zealand as a public holiday, similar to the United States' Memorial Day and Veteran's Day (interestingly enough, ANZAC Day is also celebrated in the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tonga, according to Wikipedia). It's a day to remember, commemorate, thank and bless the soldiers of Gallipoli and WWI. ANZAC stands for "Australian and New Zealand Army Corps" and the soldiers of those country came to be known as ANZACs. Today, the celebration/memorial includes all men and women who have/are serving in the armed forces of those countries.
My parents and I flew back to Australia after our grand tour of New Zealand on April 20th. They stayed in Sydney for a few days and I returned to uni. But on Friday the 23rd, they came down on the bus to visit me in Canberra for the weekend and the three of us visited the Australian War Memorial the later part of the day so we could experience the moving "Last Post" ceremony at 5:00pm and enjoy the sun setting over Canberra from a slight elevation. The museum portion of the Memorial is fantastic and my dad and I enjoyed the "Of Love and War" exhibit. I wish we had had more time to see The Hall of Memory, the Roll of Honor and the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier. I'll have to go back. But the "Last Post" was preformed by a young kilt-clad man on the bagpipes and it was pretty amazing. That's when my love of bagpipe music was solidified. It's just always soo moving! I'm really glad I got to see the War Memorial before ANZAC Day and I'm glad I was able to see it with my parents. The next day my parents took the bus back to Sydney so they could catch their plane early on Sunday. I didn't have an early plane to catch, but I was up WELL before the sun on that Sunday, which was ANZAC Day. The reason? "After the First World War, returned soldiers sought the comradeship they felt in those quiet, peaceful moments before dawn. With symbolic links to the dawn landing at Gallipoli, a dawn stand-to or dawn ceremony became a common form of Anzac Day remembrance during the 1920s" as explained by Wikipedia and 2010 marked the 95th Anniversary of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli. Some friends had asked if I wanted to go to the Dawn Service with them, so being the patriotic woman I am, I said yes. I went to bed at 9:00pm the night before so waking up at 4:00am wouldn't be as difficult and it actually worked wonders! I made sure I was dressed warmly since ANZAC Day is known to kind of mark a change in the weather towards winter, and of course I had to wear red just because of it's symbolism and presence in the Australian flag. Earlier in the week I'd bought an ANZAC badge by donation to wear, so I pinned it near my heart. Even though I am not Australian, I can still appreciate the sacrifices that men and women worldwide have made for their countries and it's still moving. When we got to the service just in front of the entrance to the War Memorial, I also purchased by donation a "candle", red poppy and service program. If I was going to do the Dawn Service, I was going to do it right! :) Everyone sang the hymn "O Valiant Heart", "Abide With Me", "O God, Our Help in Ages Past" and we also sang the Australian National Anthem, said the Lord's Prayer, listened to the ANZAC Dedication (given by Mr. John King), prayers (given by Senior Chaplin Catie Inches-Ogden), the Ode (given by Mrs. June Healy), a recital of "In Flanders Fields" (by a little boy named Chad Amrein), a Commemorative address (given by Senior Chaplin Catie Inches-Ogden), and the Benediction (by Senior Chaplin Catie Inches-Ogden). The Last Post was also sounded by bugle's call and we observed a One Minute's Silence. It was a beautiful service and all done before the sun really came up! Afterwards, the three of us went out to breakfast and I enjoyed a delicious crêpe (cafes and restaurants were only open that early because it was ANZAC Day and they knew there would be many hungry people waiting between the Dawn Service and the National Service later in the day). And despite already having slept 7 hours that night, I went back to sleep for another 3 or so once I got back to my dorm room! :-p
I'm sad I missed seeing the Roll of Honor dotted with red poppies left as tokens of love, pride and thanksgiving next to the names of the men and women who gave their lives. I'll have to go back and hope that the wall still has a few that haven't been taken down to get a couple of my own cool pictures. The red poppy has become a symbol of military remembrance since the flower is actually a weed and flourished in war-ravished wastelands. They serve as a vivid reminder of the blood that was shed in these areas. A single flower is indeed beautiful, but a growing field or crowd of people each possessing one is an overwhelmingly powerful image. So now you know and next time you see one or many.... "Lest we forget!"
I hope Rhiannen doesn't mind that I'm using her photograph! I didn't attend the service with her, but she went up afterwards and found her relatives name in the Roll of Honor. How special is that!!! Thanks Rhiannen! :)
The Australian National Anthem
Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young and free;
We've golden soil and wealth for toil;
Our home is grit by sea;
Our land abounds in nature's gifts
Of beauty rich and rare;
In history's pages, let every stage
Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.
"In Flanders Fields" by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, May 3rd, 1915
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely sing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall no sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
My parents and I flew back to Australia after our grand tour of New Zealand on April 20th. They stayed in Sydney for a few days and I returned to uni. But on Friday the 23rd, they came down on the bus to visit me in Canberra for the weekend and the three of us visited the Australian War Memorial the later part of the day so we could experience the moving "Last Post" ceremony at 5:00pm and enjoy the sun setting over Canberra from a slight elevation. The museum portion of the Memorial is fantastic and my dad and I enjoyed the "Of Love and War" exhibit. I wish we had had more time to see The Hall of Memory, the Roll of Honor and the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier. I'll have to go back. But the "Last Post" was preformed by a young kilt-clad man on the bagpipes and it was pretty amazing. That's when my love of bagpipe music was solidified. It's just always soo moving! I'm really glad I got to see the War Memorial before ANZAC Day and I'm glad I was able to see it with my parents. The next day my parents took the bus back to Sydney so they could catch their plane early on Sunday. I didn't have an early plane to catch, but I was up WELL before the sun on that Sunday, which was ANZAC Day. The reason? "After the First World War, returned soldiers sought the comradeship they felt in those quiet, peaceful moments before dawn. With symbolic links to the dawn landing at Gallipoli, a dawn stand-to or dawn ceremony became a common form of Anzac Day remembrance during the 1920s" as explained by Wikipedia and 2010 marked the 95th Anniversary of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli. Some friends had asked if I wanted to go to the Dawn Service with them, so being the patriotic woman I am, I said yes. I went to bed at 9:00pm the night before so waking up at 4:00am wouldn't be as difficult and it actually worked wonders! I made sure I was dressed warmly since ANZAC Day is known to kind of mark a change in the weather towards winter, and of course I had to wear red just because of it's symbolism and presence in the Australian flag. Earlier in the week I'd bought an ANZAC badge by donation to wear, so I pinned it near my heart. Even though I am not Australian, I can still appreciate the sacrifices that men and women worldwide have made for their countries and it's still moving. When we got to the service just in front of the entrance to the War Memorial, I also purchased by donation a "candle", red poppy and service program. If I was going to do the Dawn Service, I was going to do it right! :) Everyone sang the hymn "O Valiant Heart", "Abide With Me", "O God, Our Help in Ages Past" and we also sang the Australian National Anthem, said the Lord's Prayer, listened to the ANZAC Dedication (given by Mr. John King), prayers (given by Senior Chaplin Catie Inches-Ogden), the Ode (given by Mrs. June Healy), a recital of "In Flanders Fields" (by a little boy named Chad Amrein), a Commemorative address (given by Senior Chaplin Catie Inches-Ogden), and the Benediction (by Senior Chaplin Catie Inches-Ogden). The Last Post was also sounded by bugle's call and we observed a One Minute's Silence. It was a beautiful service and all done before the sun really came up! Afterwards, the three of us went out to breakfast and I enjoyed a delicious crêpe (cafes and restaurants were only open that early because it was ANZAC Day and they knew there would be many hungry people waiting between the Dawn Service and the National Service later in the day). And despite already having slept 7 hours that night, I went back to sleep for another 3 or so once I got back to my dorm room! :-p
I'm sad I missed seeing the Roll of Honor dotted with red poppies left as tokens of love, pride and thanksgiving next to the names of the men and women who gave their lives. I'll have to go back and hope that the wall still has a few that haven't been taken down to get a couple of my own cool pictures. The red poppy has become a symbol of military remembrance since the flower is actually a weed and flourished in war-ravished wastelands. They serve as a vivid reminder of the blood that was shed in these areas. A single flower is indeed beautiful, but a growing field or crowd of people each possessing one is an overwhelmingly powerful image. So now you know and next time you see one or many.... "Lest we forget!"
I hope Rhiannen doesn't mind that I'm using her photograph! I didn't attend the service with her, but she went up afterwards and found her relatives name in the Roll of Honor. How special is that!!! Thanks Rhiannen! :)The Australian National Anthem
Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young and free;
We've golden soil and wealth for toil;
Our home is grit by sea;
Our land abounds in nature's gifts
Of beauty rich and rare;
In history's pages, let every stage
Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.
"In Flanders Fields" by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, May 3rd, 1915
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely sing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall no sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Another reminder
This song is soo good! I've really been loving JJ Heller's music as of late, especially this song! Considering I've only got 51 days left in Australia, I've had to ask myself, "What have I done here? What kind of memory am I leaving? Have I been pleasing to God and a responsible representation of Americans to Australian since I've been here? What can I still do with my time left here in Australia? What impact can I make?". The same can be said of your life; are you considerate and caring, or does the world (and your schedule) revolve around you all the time?.. Who are you putting first?... What are you living for?...
Those are BIG questions, but worth asking yourself... Try it! And try living for someone other than yourself today! You might just experience the freedom you've been searching for! ;)
"When I Leave" by JJ Heller
Am I too busy chasing a temporary fortune
That my priorities get lost along the road
The seasons bring their moments
They linger for an instant
They never wait for you to pay the debts you owe
When I leave I want to leave a memory filled with love
The kind you don't forget
When I go I want to be known
As one who lives with no regrets
If life is like a flower
Am I doing all that's in my power
To leave a fragrance behind
It's time to count my blessings
Forget about my savings account for a while
I want them to say
What a glorious day
She had so much to gain
But she gave it all away
And I want them to see something different in me
And that I'm going to be free
Some glad morning when this life is over
I'll fly away
To a home on God's celestial shore
I'll fly away
When I leave I want to leave a memory...
Those are BIG questions, but worth asking yourself... Try it! And try living for someone other than yourself today! You might just experience the freedom you've been searching for! ;)
"When I Leave" by JJ Heller
Am I too busy chasing a temporary fortune
That my priorities get lost along the road
The seasons bring their moments
They linger for an instant
They never wait for you to pay the debts you owe
When I leave I want to leave a memory filled with love
The kind you don't forget
When I go I want to be known
As one who lives with no regrets
If life is like a flower
Am I doing all that's in my power
To leave a fragrance behind
It's time to count my blessings
Forget about my savings account for a while
I want them to say
What a glorious day
She had so much to gain
But she gave it all away
And I want them to see something different in me
And that I'm going to be free
Some glad morning when this life is over
I'll fly away
To a home on God's celestial shore
I'll fly away
When I leave I want to leave a memory...
08 May, 2010
Admiration
After our trip to New Zealand, my parents stayed a couple nights in Sydney. Unbeknownst to me, they visited Ken Duncan's Gallery there. So Thursday night I'm sitting in my friend's living room checking my email on her laptop and I start freaking out! "Why do I have an email from Ken Duncan?" I asked to no one in particular, and in my head I'm thinking "THE Ken Duncan? Do I know any other Ken Duncans??" The answers turned out to be, yes, THE Ken Duncan, and no, I don't know any other Ken Duncans. But You might still be wondering why this Ken Duncan is emailing me, who is he anyways, and why in the world was I so excited to be getting an email from him. Well, Ken Duncan is amazing. He's an Australian "panograph" photographer who's work I'm so utterly in love with. Knowing this, my parents looked up his gallery, went there, bought me a gorgeous book of his work in Australia, and signed me up on the VIP email list!!!! I have the BEST parents in the world!!!
I discovered Ken Duncan no more than 2 years ago when I found his book "Walking With God in America" at Sam's Club. Actually, at first I was soooo disappointed because in this book was my life goal and what I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing; photographing state by state all 50 of the uniquely magnificent United States of America. Darn! Someone stole my dream! Now what!?!!??... Well, naturally, I bought the book, 1) for it's sheer beauty, and 2) so I could show and complain to my dad when my mom and I got home from our shopping. I was amazed that someone else had the same passion and patience for the United States that I had, and on top of that, he's Australian! Already at this point in my life, I wanted to and was planning on studying abroad in Australia. So there you have it, that's the story of how I came to know Ken Duncan.
(Since purchasing the book, I haven't been able to find it, even on his site, so I've linked the title of the book to a different book of Ken's panographs of America, just so you know.)
Fast forward 2-ish years. Now I'm studying abroad in Australia. He went to America to photograph her, and I came to Australia to learn about photography. Imagine that! So, my parents were in Sydney and they're just so darn tricky! hehehe! When they came down to Canberra on Friday the next day, they brought with them "Australia Wide: The Journey, Panographs by Ken Duncan". A "panograph" "is a panoramic photography by Ken Duncan- a wide shot capturing the essence of a place at a particular point in time-inviting the viewer to share in the moment of its original inspiration" as described by the front cover of the book. He takes the most beautiful shots I've ever seen, and they don't point me to his artistic genius, but to God's artistic genius in fashioning this earth from His imagination and using only His authoritative voice to bring it into existence. The more I learn about Ken Duncan, the more I love him. It seems he has the same dream that I do: to travel this one-of-a-kind earth and reveal its beauty to those who are unaware and unable to see it, for the glory of God. So, please spend some time enjoying his wonderful shots and contemplate how BIG and BEAUTIFUL our God is to have created such diverse splendor. :)
One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek Him in His temple. Psalm 27:4
I discovered Ken Duncan no more than 2 years ago when I found his book "Walking With God in America" at Sam's Club. Actually, at first I was soooo disappointed because in this book was my life goal and what I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing; photographing state by state all 50 of the uniquely magnificent United States of America. Darn! Someone stole my dream! Now what!?!!??... Well, naturally, I bought the book, 1) for it's sheer beauty, and 2) so I could show and complain to my dad when my mom and I got home from our shopping. I was amazed that someone else had the same passion and patience for the United States that I had, and on top of that, he's Australian! Already at this point in my life, I wanted to and was planning on studying abroad in Australia. So there you have it, that's the story of how I came to know Ken Duncan.
(Since purchasing the book, I haven't been able to find it, even on his site, so I've linked the title of the book to a different book of Ken's panographs of America, just so you know.)
Fast forward 2-ish years. Now I'm studying abroad in Australia. He went to America to photograph her, and I came to Australia to learn about photography. Imagine that! So, my parents were in Sydney and they're just so darn tricky! hehehe! When they came down to Canberra on Friday the next day, they brought with them "Australia Wide: The Journey, Panographs by Ken Duncan". A "panograph" "is a panoramic photography by Ken Duncan- a wide shot capturing the essence of a place at a particular point in time-inviting the viewer to share in the moment of its original inspiration" as described by the front cover of the book. He takes the most beautiful shots I've ever seen, and they don't point me to his artistic genius, but to God's artistic genius in fashioning this earth from His imagination and using only His authoritative voice to bring it into existence. The more I learn about Ken Duncan, the more I love him. It seems he has the same dream that I do: to travel this one-of-a-kind earth and reveal its beauty to those who are unaware and unable to see it, for the glory of God. So, please spend some time enjoying his wonderful shots and contemplate how BIG and BEAUTIFUL our God is to have created such diverse splendor. :)
One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek Him in His temple. Psalm 27:4
01 May, 2010
Answers
I just got home from being out and I had this questionnaire on my door, so as I sat down to reflect and think about my answers, I thought it was interesting enough to share with y'all. Why not take a minute and think about what your answers would be. I am not including my own answers (now anyways) because I want everyone to have a fair look at them without being influenced in some way by my answers. Good luck!
Where would you like to be in 15 years time?
a) married with children
b) earning a $1/4 million/year with a sweet ride (car), apartment and nice clothes
c) well traveled and world wise
d) doing a job you love but aren't properly compensated for
What do you look for the most in a mate?
a) looks
b) possibility for learning and growing in a relationship with them
c) sense of humor and a keen wit
d) similar interests
e) insane/awesome sex
What would you prefer your kids to be?
a) super smart
b) power athlete
c) popular
d) unique
What do you see as being the most important thing in your life in the future?
a) security
b) a life full of adventure
c) a wonderful partner and/or family
d) a fulfilling and well paid-career
What do you want most from your time at university?
a) a degree
b) fond memories
c) friends
d) a better understanding of life
If you won half a billion dollars, would you
a) pay off your parent's mortgage and buy a bunch of properties
b) live your life in hotels while gallivanting around the world
c) become a professional philanthropist
d) put half of it on black (which I'm guessing means into savings??)
Where would you rather travel on an ample but not exorbitant budget?
a) South East Asia
b) Europe
c) South America
d) China/Japan/Korea
e) around Australia
f) the Arab world
Which of the following activities do you prioritize the most in your life?
a) study
b) socializing
c) hobbies
d) work
How happy are you with yourself? How much would you like to change?
a) I'm in need of a major overhaul
b) I'm in a significant transition period
c) I'm tweaking/tuning myself a bit, adding the final touches
d) I'm very happy with myself, my opinions, my skills, my knowledge etc; I wouldn't change a thing.
What would be the most important consideration in choosing your career?
a) remuneration
b) knowing that I'm making a difference
c) enjoying what I do
d) learning from what I do, growing from it
e) being really really amazingly awesome at my job
How confident are you with your worldview, existential perspective, goals, etc?
a) not confident, and I'm not sure what to do about it, I feel lost
b) not confident, but I'm taking steps to educate myself
c) I've found some sure footing, but I'm still searching
d) I know what it's all about and I know what I'm going to do with my life
Where would you like to be in 15 years time?
a) married with children
b) earning a $1/4 million/year with a sweet ride (car), apartment and nice clothes
c) well traveled and world wise
d) doing a job you love but aren't properly compensated for
What do you look for the most in a mate?
a) looks
b) possibility for learning and growing in a relationship with them
c) sense of humor and a keen wit
d) similar interests
e) insane/awesome sex
What would you prefer your kids to be?
a) super smart
b) power athlete
c) popular
d) unique
What do you see as being the most important thing in your life in the future?
a) security
b) a life full of adventure
c) a wonderful partner and/or family
d) a fulfilling and well paid-career
What do you want most from your time at university?
a) a degree
b) fond memories
c) friends
d) a better understanding of life
If you won half a billion dollars, would you
a) pay off your parent's mortgage and buy a bunch of properties
b) live your life in hotels while gallivanting around the world
c) become a professional philanthropist
d) put half of it on black (which I'm guessing means into savings??)
Where would you rather travel on an ample but not exorbitant budget?
a) South East Asia
b) Europe
c) South America
d) China/Japan/Korea
e) around Australia
f) the Arab world
Which of the following activities do you prioritize the most in your life?
a) study
b) socializing
c) hobbies
d) work
How happy are you with yourself? How much would you like to change?
a) I'm in need of a major overhaul
b) I'm in a significant transition period
c) I'm tweaking/tuning myself a bit, adding the final touches
d) I'm very happy with myself, my opinions, my skills, my knowledge etc; I wouldn't change a thing.
What would be the most important consideration in choosing your career?
a) remuneration
b) knowing that I'm making a difference
c) enjoying what I do
d) learning from what I do, growing from it
e) being really really amazingly awesome at my job
How confident are you with your worldview, existential perspective, goals, etc?
a) not confident, and I'm not sure what to do about it, I feel lost
b) not confident, but I'm taking steps to educate myself
c) I've found some sure footing, but I'm still searching
d) I know what it's all about and I know what I'm going to do with my life
Autumn and a cause for reflection
Autumn: Ah man! I kinda thought Australia was the land of endless summer! But ohhhh no, was I wrong! Lol At least Canberra has 4 seasons, there are some parts of Australia though that do experience year-long summer. Though I can't deny how beautiful autumn is with crisp air, a colorful tapestry of leaves on the ground and rainbow trees as their green changes to yellow and orange and red. It's truly a sight to see! Unfortunately, I also see my breath in the morning while walking to class. I'm not okay with this!!!! This Southern California girl is in for a real surprise! On the bright side, I won't be needing to ask for scarves for my birthday or Christmas ever again because I've bought soo many! Scarves are my new favorite accessory!
I definitely have reason to be happy though, I hear spring is worse! Not because it's colder, nah, but because of the birds! Hahaha! Yup. The Magpies have some pretty far out nest building tendencies. For instance, they are attracted to shiny things and like to collect them. It's not unusual to find bits of candy wrappers and bottle caps in Magpie nests. They are also extremely territorial and if you get too close to "their" tree, they will swoop on you and peck your head! Nasty little buggers! People become a lot more aware of where their walking in the spring, taking care to not walk under any trees if avoidable. I found a funny picture on the web depicting this, so enjoy! :)
LOL! I'll try to link this image when I find it again so due credit can be given!
Andrea's Tips For Studying Abroad:
*bring gloves, it gets cold walking to class
*if walking/driving on the other side of the pathway/road doesn't phase you, I suggest buying a bicycle for cheap because it'll a) getting to your classes will be easier, b) you'll get more sleep because it won't take you as long to get to class, c) it may make grocery shopping easier, especially if you get a bike with a basket, d) it's good fun and great exercise!
* if you live in a self-catering option, make a dinner rotation group early so you don't have to cook your own dinner every night (just once a week) and you won't have to eat alone (and expect to spend anywhere from one to three hours at dinner, especially on the weekends).
*do your research ahead of time in what you want to see and do and plan roughly when you want to do/see them. I thought that everyone else would be keen on adventure and traveling, but without prior planning, I don't think I'm going to get to see everything I want in the time I have left.
*set up housing for the next year before you leave! Trying to be responsible and taking care of issues from the other side of the world is more difficult than it seems, even with the wondrous capabilities of the internet. Living a double life is hard and tiring.
*make sure you have a skype account and can stay in touch with your friends back home, and make sure you have a rough idea of when would be good times to talk (don't forget about day-light savings!). Being able to see my parents is soo helpful and though I can't give them a big bear hug, it'll do until I can hug them! ;)
*set up a bank account. It'll make your life easier and it'll cost you less.
*when you're in your dorm room, leave your door open as often as possible so people can get to know you and will feel comfortable with you.
*have a plan ahead of time in case anything goes wrong back home. Decide with your family what would be the best course of action if "x" was to occur.
*bring a normal school backpack, it's handy to have for weekend travels and you won't stick out as much like a tourist.
*be open with your teachers about what you expect to get out of this experience and let them know that you may miss some class time if you plan on traveling but still want to be a responsible student and stay on top of your studies. They'll appreciate it and you'll feel less guilty.
*a pocket umbrella will be your best friend, make sure you have one!
*tights, boots and scarves help to make "summer" clothes into "winter" clothes. Pack strategically!
*send mail to family and friends back home, it'll help you fell like you're keeping in touch with them, plus it's fun thinking about the smiles people with have on their faces when they get a letter or postcard from Australia (or wherever you go abroad), and it's always fun sending things to the "U.S.A." :)
I definitely have reason to be happy though, I hear spring is worse! Not because it's colder, nah, but because of the birds! Hahaha! Yup. The Magpies have some pretty far out nest building tendencies. For instance, they are attracted to shiny things and like to collect them. It's not unusual to find bits of candy wrappers and bottle caps in Magpie nests. They are also extremely territorial and if you get too close to "their" tree, they will swoop on you and peck your head! Nasty little buggers! People become a lot more aware of where their walking in the spring, taking care to not walk under any trees if avoidable. I found a funny picture on the web depicting this, so enjoy! :)
LOL! I'll try to link this image when I find it again so due credit can be given!Andrea's Tips For Studying Abroad:
*bring gloves, it gets cold walking to class
*if walking/driving on the other side of the pathway/road doesn't phase you, I suggest buying a bicycle for cheap because it'll a) getting to your classes will be easier, b) you'll get more sleep because it won't take you as long to get to class, c) it may make grocery shopping easier, especially if you get a bike with a basket, d) it's good fun and great exercise!
* if you live in a self-catering option, make a dinner rotation group early so you don't have to cook your own dinner every night (just once a week) and you won't have to eat alone (and expect to spend anywhere from one to three hours at dinner, especially on the weekends).
*do your research ahead of time in what you want to see and do and plan roughly when you want to do/see them. I thought that everyone else would be keen on adventure and traveling, but without prior planning, I don't think I'm going to get to see everything I want in the time I have left.
*set up housing for the next year before you leave! Trying to be responsible and taking care of issues from the other side of the world is more difficult than it seems, even with the wondrous capabilities of the internet. Living a double life is hard and tiring.
*make sure you have a skype account and can stay in touch with your friends back home, and make sure you have a rough idea of when would be good times to talk (don't forget about day-light savings!). Being able to see my parents is soo helpful and though I can't give them a big bear hug, it'll do until I can hug them! ;)
*set up a bank account. It'll make your life easier and it'll cost you less.
*when you're in your dorm room, leave your door open as often as possible so people can get to know you and will feel comfortable with you.
*have a plan ahead of time in case anything goes wrong back home. Decide with your family what would be the best course of action if "x" was to occur.
*bring a normal school backpack, it's handy to have for weekend travels and you won't stick out as much like a tourist.
*be open with your teachers about what you expect to get out of this experience and let them know that you may miss some class time if you plan on traveling but still want to be a responsible student and stay on top of your studies. They'll appreciate it and you'll feel less guilty.
*a pocket umbrella will be your best friend, make sure you have one!
*tights, boots and scarves help to make "summer" clothes into "winter" clothes. Pack strategically!
*send mail to family and friends back home, it'll help you fell like you're keeping in touch with them, plus it's fun thinking about the smiles people with have on their faces when they get a letter or postcard from Australia (or wherever you go abroad), and it's always fun sending things to the "U.S.A." :)
27 April, 2010
Arrivederci, Auf Wiedersehen, adios, au revoir!
"Uhm. What now?"
See, I just spent two wonderful weeks on vacation with my parents in beautiful New Zealand. Two weeks of sharing a hotel room. Two weeks of all the hugs and kisses I could want. Two weeks of company to eat meals with (delicious meals at that!). Two weeks in sheer beauty with the two people I love most. And even though I said goodbye to them in Sydney for a few days while I went back to uni, they weren't really gone because I was living with the anticipation of seeing them again and showing them around Canberra for two days.
But now they've gone and it'll be more than two MONTHS before I see them again. Sigh... At least I can look forward to seeing their smiling joyful faces first as soon as I make it back to the States and through customs! :)
It was great having them visit me in Canberra! I always wish I have more time in places I visit, but considering they had a day and a half, I think we did quite a lot. We started out their time in Canberra the only way you can start your time here: eating at a wonderful thrifty Scottish restaurant called McDonald's, commonly referred to as "Maccas" here in Australia. And then we hit the ground running! We took the "scenic" bus route to the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House where we enjoyed the native wildlife (ie. cockatoos and galahs), and took in the sights down the Anzac Parade across the lake to the Australian War Memorial. We didn't get to spend much time in Old Parliament House cause we were on a race against the clock to make it to the War Memorial in time for sunset. Little did we know, it was actually a race against the clouds and we lost. After two previous days of gorgeous sunsets, My parents first sunset in Canberra wasn't anything special. Good thing we were again captivated by the native wildlife flying through the skies overhead. But we got to see some of the War Memorial. My dad and I enjoyed a stroll through the "Love and War" exhibit which explored the love and loss of wartime's past. We closed the day out with a solo bag-pipper symbolizing the unknown soldier being sent to rest peacefully forevermore. Bagpipe music is beautiful, definitely in my top 5 favorite instruments to listen to solo (guitar, violin, bagpipe, piano, didgeridoo). Once dark had settled in, we enjoyed a mosey through the Canberra Centre Mall since everything had already closed at 5pm, but "late-night shopping" kept the mall open til 9pm. We rounded off the night with burgers and the famous "pig tail fries" at the Hogs Breath Cafe. Delicious!
Day 2 in Canberra: And what better way to start the day off than with more delicious food! In step with iconic Canberra food, we met for breakfast at the Pancake Parlor for their short stack + Dendy movie ticket deal! And Rhiannen met us there, even beat me to the restaurant and fit in as my parents second daughter so it was all good! And now Rhiannen and I have movie tickets for our next girls night out date! ;) I just wish the pancakes had been banana pancakes like Jack Johnson's song, Banana Pancakes: "We'll can't you see that it's just raining, ain't no need to go outside.. makin' banana pancakes, pretend like it's the weekend now, yeah we could pretend it all the time", since it WAS the weekend and it WAS raining, perfect for a day at the Museum, so that's exactly where we went. We oohed and awwed walking into The National Museum of Australia, gawking at it's strange and colorful architecture. When the building was first built (and now even), there was a lot of opposition to it because it's weird and eccentric and it certainly doesn't keep in line with all the other buildings in Canberra. I like it though. After being confronted by such an odd building, your mind is a lot more open to the natural and cultural histories inside. I was particularly touched by the image of the sky-writting over Sydney that read "SORRY" on Reconciliation Day Feb. 13, 2008, when Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologized for the injustices of the parliaments previously toward the Aboriginal people. I also enjoyed the interactive futuristic K-Town where we all designed a spaceship or space house. It was a lot of fun expressing our creativity under pressure of time. And the Circa video was cool, but a bit discombobulating for even someone with ADD! Unfortunately some exhibits were closed and Phar Lap's heart was back in storage. It was a not so perfect day for touring the ANU campus, but we saw what we could and I showed my parents my dorm room which they said was actually smaller than it looks on skype when I talk to them! Hahaha, I think it's just big enough! After all, I didn't get my nickname Pixie from living in a big open room! ;) We ended the afternoon again with delicious food, this time Chipotle replica burritos at Zamberos. It would have been nice to show my parents more of the city and it's many jewels, but we decided we didn't have enough time to enjoy anything else and made sure they got to the bus depot relaxed and cool. And now they're gone and I already miss them heaps!!!! Love you Mom and Dad! Thanks for a wonderful vacation! Can't wait to see you again! XOXOXOXX
Attractions: If anyone's told you Canberra is boring, they've lied to you. I think there's heaps to do to keep you occupied and happy in Canberra. And a lot of it is free! So far I've seen/done:
The Australian War Memorial
The National Carillon
take a cruise on Lake Burley Griffin
The National Museum of Australia
The National Library
Parliament House
hike to the top of Black Mountain
view the whole city from the top of Mount Ainslie
The Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House
go shopping in the Canberra Centre
The National Rose Gardens
The National Gallery of Australia
listen to a concert in Commonwealth Park
see fireworks over the park/lake
bike from bridge to bridge
Still to do/see:
The Royal Australian Mint
Cockington Greens
ASI (Australian Sports Institute)
Questacon!
the High Court
Australian National Botanical Gardens
paddle boat on the lake
National Film and Sound Archives
The National Portrait Gallery
American food: Yes, it's true, I've even been homesick for some yummy American food and my parents came bearing gifts! :) I now enjoy Nilla Waffer cookies, Philippines Dried Mangos, Peeps, Quaker Oats Oatmeal, and Samoa Girl Scout cookies from the comfort of my dorm room in Australia! Yay! There might be some food I miss once I get back to the States, but vegemite won't be one of them! I'll probably crave real Cadbury chocolate and Tim Tams off the hook, but for my teeth's sake, it'll be best that I won't have them around all the time!
See, I just spent two wonderful weeks on vacation with my parents in beautiful New Zealand. Two weeks of sharing a hotel room. Two weeks of all the hugs and kisses I could want. Two weeks of company to eat meals with (delicious meals at that!). Two weeks in sheer beauty with the two people I love most. And even though I said goodbye to them in Sydney for a few days while I went back to uni, they weren't really gone because I was living with the anticipation of seeing them again and showing them around Canberra for two days.
But now they've gone and it'll be more than two MONTHS before I see them again. Sigh... At least I can look forward to seeing their smiling joyful faces first as soon as I make it back to the States and through customs! :)
It was great having them visit me in Canberra! I always wish I have more time in places I visit, but considering they had a day and a half, I think we did quite a lot. We started out their time in Canberra the only way you can start your time here: eating at a wonderful thrifty Scottish restaurant called McDonald's, commonly referred to as "Maccas" here in Australia. And then we hit the ground running! We took the "scenic" bus route to the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House where we enjoyed the native wildlife (ie. cockatoos and galahs), and took in the sights down the Anzac Parade across the lake to the Australian War Memorial. We didn't get to spend much time in Old Parliament House cause we were on a race against the clock to make it to the War Memorial in time for sunset. Little did we know, it was actually a race against the clouds and we lost. After two previous days of gorgeous sunsets, My parents first sunset in Canberra wasn't anything special. Good thing we were again captivated by the native wildlife flying through the skies overhead. But we got to see some of the War Memorial. My dad and I enjoyed a stroll through the "Love and War" exhibit which explored the love and loss of wartime's past. We closed the day out with a solo bag-pipper symbolizing the unknown soldier being sent to rest peacefully forevermore. Bagpipe music is beautiful, definitely in my top 5 favorite instruments to listen to solo (guitar, violin, bagpipe, piano, didgeridoo). Once dark had settled in, we enjoyed a mosey through the Canberra Centre Mall since everything had already closed at 5pm, but "late-night shopping" kept the mall open til 9pm. We rounded off the night with burgers and the famous "pig tail fries" at the Hogs Breath Cafe. Delicious!
Day 2 in Canberra: And what better way to start the day off than with more delicious food! In step with iconic Canberra food, we met for breakfast at the Pancake Parlor for their short stack + Dendy movie ticket deal! And Rhiannen met us there, even beat me to the restaurant and fit in as my parents second daughter so it was all good! And now Rhiannen and I have movie tickets for our next girls night out date! ;) I just wish the pancakes had been banana pancakes like Jack Johnson's song, Banana Pancakes: "We'll can't you see that it's just raining, ain't no need to go outside.. makin' banana pancakes, pretend like it's the weekend now, yeah we could pretend it all the time", since it WAS the weekend and it WAS raining, perfect for a day at the Museum, so that's exactly where we went. We oohed and awwed walking into The National Museum of Australia, gawking at it's strange and colorful architecture. When the building was first built (and now even), there was a lot of opposition to it because it's weird and eccentric and it certainly doesn't keep in line with all the other buildings in Canberra. I like it though. After being confronted by such an odd building, your mind is a lot more open to the natural and cultural histories inside. I was particularly touched by the image of the sky-writting over Sydney that read "SORRY" on Reconciliation Day Feb. 13, 2008, when Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologized for the injustices of the parliaments previously toward the Aboriginal people. I also enjoyed the interactive futuristic K-Town where we all designed a spaceship or space house. It was a lot of fun expressing our creativity under pressure of time. And the Circa video was cool, but a bit discombobulating for even someone with ADD! Unfortunately some exhibits were closed and Phar Lap's heart was back in storage. It was a not so perfect day for touring the ANU campus, but we saw what we could and I showed my parents my dorm room which they said was actually smaller than it looks on skype when I talk to them! Hahaha, I think it's just big enough! After all, I didn't get my nickname Pixie from living in a big open room! ;) We ended the afternoon again with delicious food, this time Chipotle replica burritos at Zamberos. It would have been nice to show my parents more of the city and it's many jewels, but we decided we didn't have enough time to enjoy anything else and made sure they got to the bus depot relaxed and cool. And now they're gone and I already miss them heaps!!!! Love you Mom and Dad! Thanks for a wonderful vacation! Can't wait to see you again! XOXOXOXX
Attractions: If anyone's told you Canberra is boring, they've lied to you. I think there's heaps to do to keep you occupied and happy in Canberra. And a lot of it is free! So far I've seen/done:
The Australian War Memorial
The National Carillon
take a cruise on Lake Burley Griffin
The National Museum of Australia
The National Library
Parliament House
hike to the top of Black Mountain
view the whole city from the top of Mount Ainslie
The Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House
go shopping in the Canberra Centre
The National Rose Gardens
The National Gallery of Australia
listen to a concert in Commonwealth Park
see fireworks over the park/lake
bike from bridge to bridge
Still to do/see:
The Royal Australian Mint
Cockington Greens
ASI (Australian Sports Institute)
Questacon!
the High Court
Australian National Botanical Gardens
paddle boat on the lake
National Film and Sound Archives
The National Portrait Gallery
American food: Yes, it's true, I've even been homesick for some yummy American food and my parents came bearing gifts! :) I now enjoy Nilla Waffer cookies, Philippines Dried Mangos, Peeps, Quaker Oats Oatmeal, and Samoa Girl Scout cookies from the comfort of my dorm room in Australia! Yay! There might be some food I miss once I get back to the States, but vegemite won't be one of them! I'll probably crave real Cadbury chocolate and Tim Tams off the hook, but for my teeth's sake, it'll be best that I won't have them around all the time!
30 March, 2010
Ambition
It's all still so surreal to me that I'm in Australia and that I've been here for 2 months! That means it's been 2 months since I've seen my mom and dad, it's been 2 months since I've seen the rest of my family, it's been two months since I've been to Reality LA, it's been 2 months, since I've slept in my own bed and cuddled my cat (ok, maybe it's been a little longer since I've cuddled with Chantilly, she's a goober!), it's been 2 months since I've had real Mexican food, and it's been 2 months since I've seen the sun set over the ocean. And it's been 4 months since I've been at USC! I talked about studying abroad in Australia for so long, and it still gets me that now I'm here. I literally have to say it out loud to myself sometimes, "I am in Australia!" And I have exactly 90 days left in Australia.
"So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom... Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days... and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!" Psalm 90:12, 14, 17.
"Ends" in our life are inevitable, whether it's a final exam, graduation or leaving Australia. So the question remains, how do you prepare? What do you do with your time? You can show up to graduation, but if you haven't prepared they're going to ask you, "Who are you? What have you done?", you can show up to the final exam with nothing to say or write, but the exam is still going to happen. And that's easy to say for a final exam or graduation, but what about life? We don't know when that is going to end. So we should treat each day like a holiday, a holy day, with a purpose, treating each day as if it is our last so that we live it in a way that counts. This is what the Psalm 90 sermon at the FOCUS Getaway was about, but to be honest, God and I had already had a business meeting. So now I have 90 days left and I don't just want to be another American exchange student who comes to uni for a semester and then leaves. What good is that? No, I have an opportunity by being in Australia, a reason I'm here and not at USC this semester, so I certainly don't want to squander it. I'm here because God wants me here. I'm here to serve rather than to be served. I'm here to do God's work. And that's exactly what I am, God willing, going to try to do.
Figuring out what that means exactly is another story. A lot of Australian uni students and especially exchange students get part time jobs because the pay is really really good in American standards. A minimum-wage type job here could be as much as $17/hour! That's definitely attractive to an exchange student from California, with one of the highest minimum wages in the country, who gets $8.75/hour. Imagine how many more souvenirs I could buy, how many more drinks I could afford, how much more traveling I could do! Extra pocket money would be fantastic! But how selfish is that?! So this semester I am employed by God. I looked at my class schedule and plotted out the hours of availability I would put on an application for a job and instead set those hours aside for God's work. Combined with church and Bible study, it's 16+ hours. If there are 168 hours in a week, I've set aside 10% of my time and I'm tithing it to God this semester. What He will do with it, I have no idea, but it will be more lasting and more rewarding that working at a shoe shop. Some days it means an extensive passage study, or intercessory prayer, or meeting up with other students and just showing love. It could be helping someone carry their groceries from the store to their dorm (since they get pretty heavy), taking out my neighbor's trash, or sitting down for a chat with a friend and Tim Tams. What I have to be careful about is making sure I don't use these hours for my own purpose like taking a nap, wasting time on facebook, going to the bank or grocery store for myself. Unfortunately, my efforts started out good and sadly the past two weeks have been a mess. I am an incredibly selfish person, not to mention I get distracted soo easily! But I have 90 days left. That's 90 days God could do amazing things! He can do amazing things with just one day, would you be willing to give Him even just that? And your prayer and support in this would mean the world to me! It's great knowing that I am not alone, even if I am thousands of miles away on the other side of the world! Thank you! :)
"So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom... Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days... and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!" Psalm 90:12, 14, 17.
"Ends" in our life are inevitable, whether it's a final exam, graduation or leaving Australia. So the question remains, how do you prepare? What do you do with your time? You can show up to graduation, but if you haven't prepared they're going to ask you, "Who are you? What have you done?", you can show up to the final exam with nothing to say or write, but the exam is still going to happen. And that's easy to say for a final exam or graduation, but what about life? We don't know when that is going to end. So we should treat each day like a holiday, a holy day, with a purpose, treating each day as if it is our last so that we live it in a way that counts. This is what the Psalm 90 sermon at the FOCUS Getaway was about, but to be honest, God and I had already had a business meeting. So now I have 90 days left and I don't just want to be another American exchange student who comes to uni for a semester and then leaves. What good is that? No, I have an opportunity by being in Australia, a reason I'm here and not at USC this semester, so I certainly don't want to squander it. I'm here because God wants me here. I'm here to serve rather than to be served. I'm here to do God's work. And that's exactly what I am, God willing, going to try to do.
Figuring out what that means exactly is another story. A lot of Australian uni students and especially exchange students get part time jobs because the pay is really really good in American standards. A minimum-wage type job here could be as much as $17/hour! That's definitely attractive to an exchange student from California, with one of the highest minimum wages in the country, who gets $8.75/hour. Imagine how many more souvenirs I could buy, how many more drinks I could afford, how much more traveling I could do! Extra pocket money would be fantastic! But how selfish is that?! So this semester I am employed by God. I looked at my class schedule and plotted out the hours of availability I would put on an application for a job and instead set those hours aside for God's work. Combined with church and Bible study, it's 16+ hours. If there are 168 hours in a week, I've set aside 10% of my time and I'm tithing it to God this semester. What He will do with it, I have no idea, but it will be more lasting and more rewarding that working at a shoe shop. Some days it means an extensive passage study, or intercessory prayer, or meeting up with other students and just showing love. It could be helping someone carry their groceries from the store to their dorm (since they get pretty heavy), taking out my neighbor's trash, or sitting down for a chat with a friend and Tim Tams. What I have to be careful about is making sure I don't use these hours for my own purpose like taking a nap, wasting time on facebook, going to the bank or grocery store for myself. Unfortunately, my efforts started out good and sadly the past two weeks have been a mess. I am an incredibly selfish person, not to mention I get distracted soo easily! But I have 90 days left. That's 90 days God could do amazing things! He can do amazing things with just one day, would you be willing to give Him even just that? And your prayer and support in this would mean the world to me! It's great knowing that I am not alone, even if I am thousands of miles away on the other side of the world! Thank you! :)
29 March, 2010
Above Average
This is just a cute short film called "Validation" that I was shown last summer in Traverse City, Michigan when I was on my Summer Project there. This film always gets me when I'm feeling a bit blue, so I hope you enjoy it and remember to smile... because you are wonderful. You are unique, and to me, you are very, very special! As my mother is famous for saying, "It takes so little to be above average". Even just a smile can make a world (while worlds away) of difference! :)
15 March, 2010
As Promised– Finally!
Array: The National Multicultural Festival: I know I've mentioned this previously in my blog, but I never actually told y'all what it is! Silly me! Well, the National Multicultural Festival is a chance to "sample the world in Canberra" (as the website says) and was the 5-7th of February, the first weekend I arrived in Australia. Each day was a little different based on what booths set up, but the walkways of the city centre were lined with food stalls, information stalls, travel stalls, and merchandise stalls. There were also several stages that hosted musicians, bands, and cultural dance groups. The city centre, which is otherwise quaint and peaceful was crawling with people! It rained a bit that weekend, but on Saturday the rain held off and there were so many people that you just had to find a thread that was moving the direction you wanted and hop in, like a huge congo line. It reminded me a lot of the Tasting Bees my Girl Scout troop used to participate in. The Tasting Bee was an event that we, as a troop, picked a country from around the world, researched it, and then made either traditional costumes or themed costumes and anywhere from 3-7 traditional or themed food dishes. It was sooo much fun! Probably my favorite thing about being in Girl Scouts! I had a sangria from the Spain, a potato pancake from Czechoslovakia, dumplings from China, a pineapple-lime splice from Mexico, and oh dear, I've forgotten what else I had! It was real fun though! I felt totally immersed and it was a great way to start off my adventure here in Australia!
Some of the food I sampled at the Multicultural Festival.
Throngs of people on Saturday of the Multicultural Festival.
Aussie slang: I continue learning more and more each day! It's quite fun really! I love how Australians are keen on using the word "keen". They also say "yep" a lot, but it's different than how Americans use it. Here in Australia is a real quick word, a filler or a nob in conversation, an affirmation, but no matter what it's pronounced as if all the letters were mushed into one. And they use the phrase "i reckon" heaps... which I've picked up and now say quite a lot. They also spell things funny like colour with a "u", centre as "re" and not "er", realise with an "s" and not a z... these are just a few of the many.
Addicted: I have a tendency to buy a book whenever I think it's reasonably priced and I can hardly help it if the price is right! It's both a good and bad habit... for instance, I bought a book the other night for $20 Aus (which I just realized is only about $17 American which makes it an even better buy!) because it's actually 2 books in one: "The Case For Christ" and "The Case For Faith" by Lee Strobel. The good is the price! :) The bad is that I had to buy it and could not exercise any self-control! haha Also, now I have a big book that I have to pack with me back to the United States and I've got limited luggage space at a limited weight! As Homer Simpson would say "D'oh!" and by the way, he's pretty popular here! lol And during market day at ANU (Wednesday afternoon is a chance for stalls to set up all sorts of things in Union Court, the center of the University) one week, I bought a chicken only cookbook and a cocktail recipe guide. They were only $5, not very big and I figured they'd come in handy for the rest of my life! ;) I'm also addicted to chocolate since they have some real, good chocolate here. Hersey's will never do it for me again! And TimTams, as previously mentioned ;-P
Art: Well, I'm now in my 4th week of Australian university and I can't believe that it's gone by as fast as it has. The first week seriously, flew! Maybe it's cause during the first week most of the classes didn't run for the whole allotted time which is good considering I've got 25 HOURS OF CLASS A WEEK! Shesh! So my 1st week started at 9am Monday morning in my Life Drawing class. It's quite different from a USC class. This class is a 4 hour class and we stand at our easels the whole time drawing. At USC we sit at these things call "horses" and prop our drawing boards against the back and the class is only 3 hours, which I thought was already long! Try a 4 hour class! But it went alright and there are a few supplies I have to buy, but not too much, so that's good. On Tuesday I go to my Cool Old Masters class at 9am. Before beginning this class I wasn't sure how much of it would be art history and how much art theory, but it's going to be a pretty traditional survey class of Renaissance and Baroque art. I could teach the class if I wanted, but I love the Masters and there is always something to be learned. Considering I don't have to stand for 4 hours and stare at naked people, and it's not 18 hours of class time a week, I think this is going to be my favorite class this semester. After all there is no final exam, just a presentation in my tutorial section (aka discussion/lab section) and a 3000 word essay that I have all semester to work on. Yay! Wednesday through Thursday is my "major" class which is Photomedia. 9am to 5pm Wednesday. 9am to 4pm Friday and 9am to 5pm on Thursday I'm expected to be working, though it's largely self-directed, with only the first hour scheduled as crit time. So Thursdays will range from shooting to processing to printing. Pretty intense class, huh? 18 hours! But I know for sure I will come home a better photographer than when I arrived! We'll be focusing on medium format cameras and the lighting studio. A medium format camera is a camera that records images on larger sized film; we'll be using 120mm as opposed to the normal 35mm. Medium format cameras are good for getting more detail and being able to get better close ups. Also, larger prints can be made at a higher quality from a larger negative. The lighting studio is as it sounds, a room set up with professional lights for more controlled shots, like that which would be used in fashions shoots. The knowledge I'll learn from this semester will immensely affect my photography for the good! My eyes will see better, as in notice and be aware of light more acutely. It should be good fun!
Amusing first day: My first day of photo was funny though. Everyone came in and it seemed to me that they all knew it other. I was right, they did. In fact all the students move through the program together as a class. So all the kids in my class this semester were first years together and next year will be third years together (the 'year' I'm in is second year). So I introduced myself to the people in my vicinity and then the teacher came in. He introduced what the year was going to be about and we all went through the course outline and syllabus. And then we finished. And that's when he turned and spotted me and said, "And who are you?" Haahahaha it was soo funny! Everyone chuckled a bit and even more so when after I told him who I was and why I was in my class, he turned back to everyone else and introduced me, "Hey everyone, this is Andrea. She's on exchange from California", by which point everyone knew already. There are about 15 of us second years, by the way.
Attitude: Though it a lot of class hours and it's a pretty dense schedule (with only 3 classes, no less!), I have a really good attitude and outlook on my semester here. Studying abroad is a really good experience and if anyone reading this is considering studying abroad, I highly recommend it! I am going to get marks (grades) here from ANU, but when it transfers back to USC, it'll only show up on my transcript as credit/no credit depending on if I pass. Realizing this has really taken the pressure off and allowed me to concentrate on the reasons I'm here; to learn! Being the foreigner, I'm ok with asking a lot of questions, getting help and not necessarily being the best. I'm not here to impress anyone. My diploma is not coming from ANU. I can learn and make mistakes without feeling like I'm doing horribly. It's a really good feeling, and freeing too! So I'm going to make this semester one of the best; I'm going to learn heaps and be excited about it, make Aussie friends and travel everywhere I possibly can! Woohoo!
Autumn: When the weather changes 30 degrees in a day, you know it's autumn! Now a days it's 8C in the morning and 22C by the afternoon... that's 46 to 71 translated for y'all! Cold weather is coming sooner than I thought! Boo! And it makes it a pain getting dressed in the morning cause I've got to dress warm, but in layers so that I'm not overheating by the afternoon. Because of this (hahaha, like my excuse!?), I went shopping! Yay! I bought an adorable turquoise cardigan and a purple sweater-wrap. They're light weight enough to carry with me all day and add the something else to my outfits that a USC sweatshirt (which is what I brought) can't. The cardigan was only $10, so I think I may end up buying one or two more in different colors cause that's a great price, even for the States! I've also bought several scarfs which are oh-so cute! Just some of the perks of being a girl ;D
[Get]Away: Getaway was a FOCUS retreat that I went on last last weekend, the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th, out at Tuross Head, NSW (New South Whales, an Australian state). 1 state down (NSW), 5 to go (Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australian, South Australia)! 1 territory down (ACT= Australian Capital Territory), 1 to go (Northern Territory)! So anyways, this camp was AMAZING! Soo much fun! it was forecasted to rain all weekend and while we did get some rain and icky grey skies/clouds, God totally blessed us with a beautiful sunny Saturday! Since my class on Friday doesn't get out til 4pm, I had to leave with a later car, so we didn't leave Canberra til 7pm and drove most of the way in the dark. On the way there, we were flagged down by a van of guys trying to grab the attention of passing cars, so we pulled over. It wasn't anything serious, they just wanted someone to take a picture of them on top of their van since they were a rugby team on their way to Baitman's Bay. They were a rather drunk rugby team, but were certainly enjoying themselves, so I hopped out of the car, seized the moment and asked if I could join in the picture, I mean, how often will I, Andrea, and American, have the opportunity to take a random picture with a random rugby team in the middle of Australia? Those are the kinds of stories I'll be telling my children's children of my time in Australia. Hehehe. So the next day it was quite the surprise to wake up and then see where the heck I was, and it was a b.e.a.utiful morning. And I saw my first kangaroo!!!! Followed by 12 other throughout the weekend. The lead pastor from Crossroads In the City Church was a speaker for the weekend, who taught us about God's timing, God's protection and God's greatness through Psalm 90, 91 and 92. Psalm 91 is actually my favorite passage of the whole Bible, so I was pretty stocked to learn even more from it, and it did not disappoint! But I'm still not sure why I never took the time to read the psalms before and after my so-called favorite psalm, cause they were great and I'm glad I got to study and learn from them too! Truth is, God is great and I can't say that enough. Saturday afternoon, we all went down to the beach (which we could see from the camp!!!) and celebrated a baptism and soaked in the sun and clear blue water. It was my first time in the Pacific Ocean... on an EAST coast! For me, the Pacific Ocean is always west, but we actually drove east to get to the Pacific Ocean, lol. Unfortunately, I subbed my pinky toe on the rocks and the nail may eventually fall off, which is gross. And it sucks that it happened now as the weather is cooling off and people are starting to transition from sandals to shoes. It hurts to wear shoes with my bum pinky toe. On Sunday during free time, my friend Joanna, also an American from Hawaii, and I went down to the beach sans-sun and explored tide pools. Lucky for us, we were able to collect soo many beautiful shells. Sunday night, the whole camp played capture the flag in the rain, but we used potatoes and the team with the most potatoes at the end, won. Smart me, I decided to hide the potatoes by sitting on them which worked for a bit, until the other team realized I was sitting on them and attacked me to get the potatoes. I quickly gave that up but the seat of my pants was all brown and muddy! haha it was so much fun though! And no, I did not get sick from playing outside in the rain (though now, a week later, I am getting sick. It's been going around my dorm floor). Overall, it was a beautiful weekend in a beautiful place with great people and great food and a great God!
Australian rugby team + me!
The stunning view I woke up to!!
Me at the beach at Tuross Head, NSW in the Pacific Ocean from the east coast!
KANGAROOS!
Adventure: Well, the reason Getaway was this past past weekend was because of Canberra Day, which is a public holiday that only Canberra gets and not the rest of the country. It commemorates the birth of Canberra as the Nation's capitol city. To celebrate, the city plans a week-long Canberra Festival which concluded this past weekend. Saturday was "Celebrate in the Park" which transformed Commonwealth Park into festival grounds with rides, amusements, pone rides, and carnival food! And musicians such as Dragon, Cassie Davis and Eskimo Joe played on stage 88, an outdoor amphitheater, like the Hollywood Bowl. But my day started before the sun was even up! I had planned this epic bike tour of Canberra around Lake Burley Griffin, but I've since postponed it until Saturday the 27th. Nevertheless, my friend Yumaine, a Canadian, and I walked down to the lake shore at 7am to watch the hot air balloons drift across Canberra. Hot air ballooning is pretty popular here in Canberra and eventually I want to take a ride, it'd be a pretty cool experience to add to my list of cool things I've done in Australia. We walked to the other side of the lake to the launch site, ate a nice hot breakfast, wandered over to the National Rose Garden outside Old Parliament house and then back to ANU. Later in the day, I walked down to Commonwealth Park, met some friends, enjoyed the concert and ended the night with fireworks! It truly was an awesome day. I'm looking forward to the bike riding version of it next weekend!
Appreciation: Being in Australia is definitely widening my horizons and teaching me to appreciate even more cultures! For a girl who's now been to all 50 of the United States and 19 countries, I didn't think this was possible! But it is and I love the world more and more each day! This past Thursday, B&G put on a huge Holi festival. Holi is the Indian Festival of Colors. Our program board provided everything, even food for everyone who went. ok, well not everything. We were told to wear white, so the colors would of course show up more, but I didn't have anything white that I wanted to ruin, even though they told us it washes out. So I went out and found a $10 white sundress and I love it now with all of its colors! I don't think I'm ever going to wash it! But the dress did start out white. So we all went down to the athletic fields, ate curry for dinner and then had this massive color fight! We started with tubs of colored water that we took in cup-fulls and threw at people. Then we moved on to the colored powders. It was mad crazy, but sooo much fun! If you eve get the chance to celebrate Holi, embrace it and go for it!
The frenzy of Holi, the Indian Festival of Colors, courtesy of my friend Joseph
The aftermath, courtesy of my friend Frank, studying abroad from The Netherlands
Some of the food I sampled at the Multicultural Festival.
Throngs of people on Saturday of the Multicultural Festival.Aussie slang: I continue learning more and more each day! It's quite fun really! I love how Australians are keen on using the word "keen". They also say "yep" a lot, but it's different than how Americans use it. Here in Australia is a real quick word, a filler or a nob in conversation, an affirmation, but no matter what it's pronounced as if all the letters were mushed into one. And they use the phrase "i reckon" heaps... which I've picked up and now say quite a lot. They also spell things funny like colour with a "u", centre as "re" and not "er", realise with an "s" and not a z... these are just a few of the many.
Addicted: I have a tendency to buy a book whenever I think it's reasonably priced and I can hardly help it if the price is right! It's both a good and bad habit... for instance, I bought a book the other night for $20 Aus (which I just realized is only about $17 American which makes it an even better buy!) because it's actually 2 books in one: "The Case For Christ" and "The Case For Faith" by Lee Strobel. The good is the price! :) The bad is that I had to buy it and could not exercise any self-control! haha Also, now I have a big book that I have to pack with me back to the United States and I've got limited luggage space at a limited weight! As Homer Simpson would say "D'oh!" and by the way, he's pretty popular here! lol And during market day at ANU (Wednesday afternoon is a chance for stalls to set up all sorts of things in Union Court, the center of the University) one week, I bought a chicken only cookbook and a cocktail recipe guide. They were only $5, not very big and I figured they'd come in handy for the rest of my life! ;) I'm also addicted to chocolate since they have some real, good chocolate here. Hersey's will never do it for me again! And TimTams, as previously mentioned ;-P
Art: Well, I'm now in my 4th week of Australian university and I can't believe that it's gone by as fast as it has. The first week seriously, flew! Maybe it's cause during the first week most of the classes didn't run for the whole allotted time which is good considering I've got 25 HOURS OF CLASS A WEEK! Shesh! So my 1st week started at 9am Monday morning in my Life Drawing class. It's quite different from a USC class. This class is a 4 hour class and we stand at our easels the whole time drawing. At USC we sit at these things call "horses" and prop our drawing boards against the back and the class is only 3 hours, which I thought was already long! Try a 4 hour class! But it went alright and there are a few supplies I have to buy, but not too much, so that's good. On Tuesday I go to my Cool Old Masters class at 9am. Before beginning this class I wasn't sure how much of it would be art history and how much art theory, but it's going to be a pretty traditional survey class of Renaissance and Baroque art. I could teach the class if I wanted, but I love the Masters and there is always something to be learned. Considering I don't have to stand for 4 hours and stare at naked people, and it's not 18 hours of class time a week, I think this is going to be my favorite class this semester. After all there is no final exam, just a presentation in my tutorial section (aka discussion/lab section) and a 3000 word essay that I have all semester to work on. Yay! Wednesday through Thursday is my "major" class which is Photomedia. 9am to 5pm Wednesday. 9am to 4pm Friday and 9am to 5pm on Thursday I'm expected to be working, though it's largely self-directed, with only the first hour scheduled as crit time. So Thursdays will range from shooting to processing to printing. Pretty intense class, huh? 18 hours! But I know for sure I will come home a better photographer than when I arrived! We'll be focusing on medium format cameras and the lighting studio. A medium format camera is a camera that records images on larger sized film; we'll be using 120mm as opposed to the normal 35mm. Medium format cameras are good for getting more detail and being able to get better close ups. Also, larger prints can be made at a higher quality from a larger negative. The lighting studio is as it sounds, a room set up with professional lights for more controlled shots, like that which would be used in fashions shoots. The knowledge I'll learn from this semester will immensely affect my photography for the good! My eyes will see better, as in notice and be aware of light more acutely. It should be good fun!
Amusing first day: My first day of photo was funny though. Everyone came in and it seemed to me that they all knew it other. I was right, they did. In fact all the students move through the program together as a class. So all the kids in my class this semester were first years together and next year will be third years together (the 'year' I'm in is second year). So I introduced myself to the people in my vicinity and then the teacher came in. He introduced what the year was going to be about and we all went through the course outline and syllabus. And then we finished. And that's when he turned and spotted me and said, "And who are you?" Haahahaha it was soo funny! Everyone chuckled a bit and even more so when after I told him who I was and why I was in my class, he turned back to everyone else and introduced me, "Hey everyone, this is Andrea. She's on exchange from California", by which point everyone knew already. There are about 15 of us second years, by the way.
Attitude: Though it a lot of class hours and it's a pretty dense schedule (with only 3 classes, no less!), I have a really good attitude and outlook on my semester here. Studying abroad is a really good experience and if anyone reading this is considering studying abroad, I highly recommend it! I am going to get marks (grades) here from ANU, but when it transfers back to USC, it'll only show up on my transcript as credit/no credit depending on if I pass. Realizing this has really taken the pressure off and allowed me to concentrate on the reasons I'm here; to learn! Being the foreigner, I'm ok with asking a lot of questions, getting help and not necessarily being the best. I'm not here to impress anyone. My diploma is not coming from ANU. I can learn and make mistakes without feeling like I'm doing horribly. It's a really good feeling, and freeing too! So I'm going to make this semester one of the best; I'm going to learn heaps and be excited about it, make Aussie friends and travel everywhere I possibly can! Woohoo!
Autumn: When the weather changes 30 degrees in a day, you know it's autumn! Now a days it's 8C in the morning and 22C by the afternoon... that's 46 to 71 translated for y'all! Cold weather is coming sooner than I thought! Boo! And it makes it a pain getting dressed in the morning cause I've got to dress warm, but in layers so that I'm not overheating by the afternoon. Because of this (hahaha, like my excuse!?), I went shopping! Yay! I bought an adorable turquoise cardigan and a purple sweater-wrap. They're light weight enough to carry with me all day and add the something else to my outfits that a USC sweatshirt (which is what I brought) can't. The cardigan was only $10, so I think I may end up buying one or two more in different colors cause that's a great price, even for the States! I've also bought several scarfs which are oh-so cute! Just some of the perks of being a girl ;D
[Get]Away: Getaway was a FOCUS retreat that I went on last last weekend, the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th, out at Tuross Head, NSW (New South Whales, an Australian state). 1 state down (NSW), 5 to go (Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australian, South Australia)! 1 territory down (ACT= Australian Capital Territory), 1 to go (Northern Territory)! So anyways, this camp was AMAZING! Soo much fun! it was forecasted to rain all weekend and while we did get some rain and icky grey skies/clouds, God totally blessed us with a beautiful sunny Saturday! Since my class on Friday doesn't get out til 4pm, I had to leave with a later car, so we didn't leave Canberra til 7pm and drove most of the way in the dark. On the way there, we were flagged down by a van of guys trying to grab the attention of passing cars, so we pulled over. It wasn't anything serious, they just wanted someone to take a picture of them on top of their van since they were a rugby team on their way to Baitman's Bay. They were a rather drunk rugby team, but were certainly enjoying themselves, so I hopped out of the car, seized the moment and asked if I could join in the picture, I mean, how often will I, Andrea, and American, have the opportunity to take a random picture with a random rugby team in the middle of Australia? Those are the kinds of stories I'll be telling my children's children of my time in Australia. Hehehe. So the next day it was quite the surprise to wake up and then see where the heck I was, and it was a b.e.a.utiful morning. And I saw my first kangaroo!!!! Followed by 12 other throughout the weekend. The lead pastor from Crossroads In the City Church was a speaker for the weekend, who taught us about God's timing, God's protection and God's greatness through Psalm 90, 91 and 92. Psalm 91 is actually my favorite passage of the whole Bible, so I was pretty stocked to learn even more from it, and it did not disappoint! But I'm still not sure why I never took the time to read the psalms before and after my so-called favorite psalm, cause they were great and I'm glad I got to study and learn from them too! Truth is, God is great and I can't say that enough. Saturday afternoon, we all went down to the beach (which we could see from the camp!!!) and celebrated a baptism and soaked in the sun and clear blue water. It was my first time in the Pacific Ocean... on an EAST coast! For me, the Pacific Ocean is always west, but we actually drove east to get to the Pacific Ocean, lol. Unfortunately, I subbed my pinky toe on the rocks and the nail may eventually fall off, which is gross. And it sucks that it happened now as the weather is cooling off and people are starting to transition from sandals to shoes. It hurts to wear shoes with my bum pinky toe. On Sunday during free time, my friend Joanna, also an American from Hawaii, and I went down to the beach sans-sun and explored tide pools. Lucky for us, we were able to collect soo many beautiful shells. Sunday night, the whole camp played capture the flag in the rain, but we used potatoes and the team with the most potatoes at the end, won. Smart me, I decided to hide the potatoes by sitting on them which worked for a bit, until the other team realized I was sitting on them and attacked me to get the potatoes. I quickly gave that up but the seat of my pants was all brown and muddy! haha it was so much fun though! And no, I did not get sick from playing outside in the rain (though now, a week later, I am getting sick. It's been going around my dorm floor). Overall, it was a beautiful weekend in a beautiful place with great people and great food and a great God!
Australian rugby team + me! 
The stunning view I woke up to!! 
Me at the beach at Tuross Head, NSW in the Pacific Ocean from the east coast! 
KANGAROOS!Adventure: Well, the reason Getaway was this past past weekend was because of Canberra Day, which is a public holiday that only Canberra gets and not the rest of the country. It commemorates the birth of Canberra as the Nation's capitol city. To celebrate, the city plans a week-long Canberra Festival which concluded this past weekend. Saturday was "Celebrate in the Park" which transformed Commonwealth Park into festival grounds with rides, amusements, pone rides, and carnival food! And musicians such as Dragon, Cassie Davis and Eskimo Joe played on stage 88, an outdoor amphitheater, like the Hollywood Bowl. But my day started before the sun was even up! I had planned this epic bike tour of Canberra around Lake Burley Griffin, but I've since postponed it until Saturday the 27th. Nevertheless, my friend Yumaine, a Canadian, and I walked down to the lake shore at 7am to watch the hot air balloons drift across Canberra. Hot air ballooning is pretty popular here in Canberra and eventually I want to take a ride, it'd be a pretty cool experience to add to my list of cool things I've done in Australia. We walked to the other side of the lake to the launch site, ate a nice hot breakfast, wandered over to the National Rose Garden outside Old Parliament house and then back to ANU. Later in the day, I walked down to Commonwealth Park, met some friends, enjoyed the concert and ended the night with fireworks! It truly was an awesome day. I'm looking forward to the bike riding version of it next weekend!
Appreciation: Being in Australia is definitely widening my horizons and teaching me to appreciate even more cultures! For a girl who's now been to all 50 of the United States and 19 countries, I didn't think this was possible! But it is and I love the world more and more each day! This past Thursday, B&G put on a huge Holi festival. Holi is the Indian Festival of Colors. Our program board provided everything, even food for everyone who went. ok, well not everything. We were told to wear white, so the colors would of course show up more, but I didn't have anything white that I wanted to ruin, even though they told us it washes out. So I went out and found a $10 white sundress and I love it now with all of its colors! I don't think I'm ever going to wash it! But the dress did start out white. So we all went down to the athletic fields, ate curry for dinner and then had this massive color fight! We started with tubs of colored water that we took in cup-fulls and threw at people. Then we moved on to the colored powders. It was mad crazy, but sooo much fun! If you eve get the chance to celebrate Holi, embrace it and go for it!
The frenzy of Holi, the Indian Festival of Colors, courtesy of my friend Joseph
The aftermath, courtesy of my friend Frank, studying abroad from The Netherlands
05 March, 2010
Abbrev.
Yup, that's all this is going to be and I'm terribly sorry about it! I'm going away this weekend to Tuross Head, NSW on the Getawat retreat with FOCUS. It'll be sooo good to do a bit of traveling around Australia and go to the BEACH!!!! YAY! I'm really excited about this.. except for the fact that it's raining this weekend, shucks! I guess that's why God sent us the Son! ;)
I've got more to post, but not time right now to do it. When I get back from the weekend I will surely post more... and have more to post about, so really it's a win-win situation! Thanks for being patient with me, you're the best! :)
I've got more to post, but not time right now to do it. When I get back from the weekend I will surely post more... and have more to post about, so really it's a win-win situation! Thanks for being patient with me, you're the best! :)
22 February, 2010
Week 2
After the storm: The first weekend I was in Canberra it rained for 2-3 days straight and last weekend was the same which was a shame because I had just moved into my accommodations and I really needed to go grocery shopping. I moved in on Friday the 12th and spent the day unpacking and decorating my room. I planned on going grocery shopping on Saturday, the next day, but I woke up to rain, so I lazed about. Sunday started out the same, but cleared up for a bit. When I had finally talked myself into going into the city, it started raining again but I knew if I didn't leave, I'd never go and I'd never get food, so I grabbed up my umbrella and stormed out into the storm! Rain does something to a city; everything looks new, fresh and intriguing! Wandering around is for some reason a lot more exciting when it's raining and it's easier to feel connected to the surroundings and those around you, despite being complete strangers, cause when everyone is dodging the rain and jumping over puddles just as you are, empathy come naturally. And I realized that you can learn the most about a new place when it's raining; what types of people use umbrellas, who dresses appropriately for the weather, who was caught off guard, who doesn't mind getting wet, who's chivalrous, who stays inside, who still goes out and about, etc. I highly recommend people watching in the rain. Next time it rains wherever you are, grab some shoes that can get wet and an umbrella (or not!) and meander!
Get out there and live; enjoy the rain!
Alarm: On Wednesday morning I did not get to sleep in, I was not woken up by my alarm and I was not woken up by cockatoos.. in fact I was woken up by a fire alarm drill, dark and misty at 6:00 in the morning. I'm glad I actually woke up for it though, because no alarm was going off in my room, it was just the halls, and while it was loud, I'm a deep sleeper. I was actually woken up byt he sound of doors above and below me slamming shut. In the commotion, and since we knew it was coming some morning, I realized, "Oh, this must be the fire alarm drill.. I shouldn't roll over and go back to sleep. I should get up." So I did. Our Senior Residents (aka Resident Advisors) then led us on a hike up Black Mountain for breakfast at the top.. or so I thought. "2 kilometers or so"... So we're hiking up the mountain and I'm sweating and huffing and puffing, clearly out of shape, plus loving the views, so I liberally take photo breaks and catch my breath. By the time I get to the top, there's no on in sight. I really couldn't figure it out, but I explored a bit and enjoyed taking my pictures. Spent a good amount of time up top, no on came by, so I headed down the same way I came up. The free breakfast is what hooked me from not going back to my room and going back to sleep in the first place and I did the hike and didn't even get any breakfast! Phooey! But I've hiked to the top of Black Mountain, I can cross that off my list! :)
A view from the hike up Black Mountain.
Amazing: I have 3 favorite places in Canberra so far. The FIRST is Hobart Place which is this little park in the city amongst some corporate buildings. I can't say exactly why I love going there, but it's always calm and sunny since it's tucked away from the streets. There's a circular patch of grass lined by benches and a little fountain. The pathways are lined with these cool sculptures that look like big green and blue leaves or sails, and all the light posts are crowned with a flower pot of beautiful pink and purple zellia flowers. The SECOND is a little dock on Lake Burley Griffin. Last week, Rhiannen and I finally got pizza from the New York pizza place and we decided to go eat it down by the lake. So we found this little dock, sat down and enjoyed the panoramic view of Canberra. We made friends with these black swans.. they were interested in our pizza.. so were we! Lol! But we enjoyed taking pictures of them, watching them swim around and throwing them bits of crust. It was a "you-had-to-be-there" afternoon, but it was wonderful as the sun dipped lower in the sky and the clouds rolled by. My THIRD favorite place I came across kind of by accident while I was wondering the school and I happened across this tree. It didn't look especially spectacular, but it's all the rage if you're a bird! Everyday at about 6pm this tree gets different species of visitors: Cockatoos, Gang-Gang Cockatoos and Rosella Parrots. And they all just sit there, eating in harmony! I love stopping by this tree now and seeing who's there and just watching them all eat and snapping away pictures.
Feeding our new friends on my favorite dock on Lake Burley Griffin.
The tree of bird harmony
Animals: I'm still amazed by this one tree being a feeding perch for 3 different types of birds, but I already talked about that. So, to the next animal! Unfortunately I saw a redback spider and it wasn't in a picture... In fact, it was in the School of Art. I took a picture, but I don't like to think about it. Moving on... I saw an Australian opossum! At first I didn't think it was an opossum, but when I showed the pictures I took to an Aussie, they informed me that it was indeed an opossum. Aussie opossums look nothing like American opossums! Ours look like big fat rats, but here opossums have bigger ears and a tail that is like a cross between a raccoon and opossum tail. When they come across humans, they kind of aren't sure what to do, so they just look at you for a minute, puzzled, "What are you? Are you a tree? Should I climb up you?". It's kind of weird but once they do get up in a tree, they're fine and go about their business eating and could care less if you're around, haha!
Momma opossum and baby opossum
Astronomy: Last week I saw the night sky for the first time since being in Australia! Previously it had either been cloudy or I was in for the night before it was really dark. But now I've seen the Southern cross!!! Yay! I thought the Southern Cross was like out Big Dipper and was the astronomical southern pole, but I found out it's not exactly. What I found interesting is that Orion, Taurus the Bull and the 7 Sisters (Pleiades) are also visible in the southern sky. After a little research, it's because Orion is in the astronomical equator, so it's visible in both hemispheres. I'm grateful because the sky is a little more familiar and I feel a little closer to home... a little closer to you all! :)
Athletic: IF, and that's a big IF, I was athletic, I would totally do Inward Bound. ANU is, I believe the only university to do it even though it originated out of school rivalry. ANU and some other school used to pull major pranks on each other constantly throughout the year. After years of destruction, they decided to channel their rivalry into a competition and thus Inward Bound was born. Now it is a competition between the different residents halls and colleges on ANU's campus. An Inward Bound team is made up of 4 people: a navigator and 3 runners. This team of four then trains like crazy in running until the big day. When that day comes, they are all blindfolded and taken out somewhere into the middle of the bush. They take the blindfolds off, are given a map and coordinates and they have 24 hours to get from point A back to point B, the distance of which could be anywhere from 50K to 150k (30-90 miles). It sounds really intense and I'm just not a competitive person, but IF I was, and IF I liked running, I would totally do it! Because while it sounds a little crazy, it also sounds extremely adventurous to just be plopped down in the middle of nowhere and then find your way back. Survival of the fittest? Yes!
American news: Apparently Obama is coming to Canberra sometime in March. No one really knows when, but he'll only be here for 48 hours, in which he'll address the Parliament. At first I had heard it was going to be more of a vacation, but now it'll be just a short trip... nonetheless, leave it to our President to spend precious American tax dollars in a depressed economy to bring along his little girls too so they can see Australia... while their jet-lagged of course. Rhiannen isn't too please since she works at the Canberra Girls Grammar School which is between Parliament house and the Embassy and those roads will probably be closed for security purposes. Hilary Clinton is also scheduled to visit Australia sometime in April, but that's all I know about that.
Get out there and live; enjoy the rain! Alarm: On Wednesday morning I did not get to sleep in, I was not woken up by my alarm and I was not woken up by cockatoos.. in fact I was woken up by a fire alarm drill, dark and misty at 6:00 in the morning. I'm glad I actually woke up for it though, because no alarm was going off in my room, it was just the halls, and while it was loud, I'm a deep sleeper. I was actually woken up byt he sound of doors above and below me slamming shut. In the commotion, and since we knew it was coming some morning, I realized, "Oh, this must be the fire alarm drill.. I shouldn't roll over and go back to sleep. I should get up." So I did. Our Senior Residents (aka Resident Advisors) then led us on a hike up Black Mountain for breakfast at the top.. or so I thought. "2 kilometers or so"... So we're hiking up the mountain and I'm sweating and huffing and puffing, clearly out of shape, plus loving the views, so I liberally take photo breaks and catch my breath. By the time I get to the top, there's no on in sight. I really couldn't figure it out, but I explored a bit and enjoyed taking my pictures. Spent a good amount of time up top, no on came by, so I headed down the same way I came up. The free breakfast is what hooked me from not going back to my room and going back to sleep in the first place and I did the hike and didn't even get any breakfast! Phooey! But I've hiked to the top of Black Mountain, I can cross that off my list! :)
A view from the hike up Black Mountain.Amazing: I have 3 favorite places in Canberra so far. The FIRST is Hobart Place which is this little park in the city amongst some corporate buildings. I can't say exactly why I love going there, but it's always calm and sunny since it's tucked away from the streets. There's a circular patch of grass lined by benches and a little fountain. The pathways are lined with these cool sculptures that look like big green and blue leaves or sails, and all the light posts are crowned with a flower pot of beautiful pink and purple zellia flowers. The SECOND is a little dock on Lake Burley Griffin. Last week, Rhiannen and I finally got pizza from the New York pizza place and we decided to go eat it down by the lake. So we found this little dock, sat down and enjoyed the panoramic view of Canberra. We made friends with these black swans.. they were interested in our pizza.. so were we! Lol! But we enjoyed taking pictures of them, watching them swim around and throwing them bits of crust. It was a "you-had-to-be-there" afternoon, but it was wonderful as the sun dipped lower in the sky and the clouds rolled by. My THIRD favorite place I came across kind of by accident while I was wondering the school and I happened across this tree. It didn't look especially spectacular, but it's all the rage if you're a bird! Everyday at about 6pm this tree gets different species of visitors: Cockatoos, Gang-Gang Cockatoos and Rosella Parrots. And they all just sit there, eating in harmony! I love stopping by this tree now and seeing who's there and just watching them all eat and snapping away pictures.
Feeding our new friends on my favorite dock on Lake Burley Griffin.
The tree of bird harmony Animals: I'm still amazed by this one tree being a feeding perch for 3 different types of birds, but I already talked about that. So, to the next animal! Unfortunately I saw a redback spider and it wasn't in a picture... In fact, it was in the School of Art. I took a picture, but I don't like to think about it. Moving on... I saw an Australian opossum! At first I didn't think it was an opossum, but when I showed the pictures I took to an Aussie, they informed me that it was indeed an opossum. Aussie opossums look nothing like American opossums! Ours look like big fat rats, but here opossums have bigger ears and a tail that is like a cross between a raccoon and opossum tail. When they come across humans, they kind of aren't sure what to do, so they just look at you for a minute, puzzled, "What are you? Are you a tree? Should I climb up you?". It's kind of weird but once they do get up in a tree, they're fine and go about their business eating and could care less if you're around, haha!
Momma opossum and baby opossum Astronomy: Last week I saw the night sky for the first time since being in Australia! Previously it had either been cloudy or I was in for the night before it was really dark. But now I've seen the Southern cross!!! Yay! I thought the Southern Cross was like out Big Dipper and was the astronomical southern pole, but I found out it's not exactly. What I found interesting is that Orion, Taurus the Bull and the 7 Sisters (Pleiades) are also visible in the southern sky. After a little research, it's because Orion is in the astronomical equator, so it's visible in both hemispheres. I'm grateful because the sky is a little more familiar and I feel a little closer to home... a little closer to you all! :)
Athletic: IF, and that's a big IF, I was athletic, I would totally do Inward Bound. ANU is, I believe the only university to do it even though it originated out of school rivalry. ANU and some other school used to pull major pranks on each other constantly throughout the year. After years of destruction, they decided to channel their rivalry into a competition and thus Inward Bound was born. Now it is a competition between the different residents halls and colleges on ANU's campus. An Inward Bound team is made up of 4 people: a navigator and 3 runners. This team of four then trains like crazy in running until the big day. When that day comes, they are all blindfolded and taken out somewhere into the middle of the bush. They take the blindfolds off, are given a map and coordinates and they have 24 hours to get from point A back to point B, the distance of which could be anywhere from 50K to 150k (30-90 miles). It sounds really intense and I'm just not a competitive person, but IF I was, and IF I liked running, I would totally do it! Because while it sounds a little crazy, it also sounds extremely adventurous to just be plopped down in the middle of nowhere and then find your way back. Survival of the fittest? Yes!
American news: Apparently Obama is coming to Canberra sometime in March. No one really knows when, but he'll only be here for 48 hours, in which he'll address the Parliament. At first I had heard it was going to be more of a vacation, but now it'll be just a short trip... nonetheless, leave it to our President to spend precious American tax dollars in a depressed economy to bring along his little girls too so they can see Australia... while their jet-lagged of course. Rhiannen isn't too please since she works at the Canberra Girls Grammar School which is between Parliament house and the Embassy and those roads will probably be closed for security purposes. Hilary Clinton is also scheduled to visit Australia sometime in April, but that's all I know about that.
Amor
It's true, Friday night I fell in love with Australia!
**I love how the sun enchants the land at 6 o'clock pm.
**I love how when the city goes to sleep, Australia wakes up.
**I love how birds live in harmony and share a meal in the same tree.
**I love how the trees sing and rustle.
**I love gum-tree green!
**I love how I've had to learn the metric system and re-learn english.
**I love how the sun has kissed my shoulders and grace me with it's Aussie glow.
**I love my incredibly awkward sandal tan.
**I love how nothing is more than a 20 minutes walk.
**I love how I've lost weight just being here for 2 weeks.
**I love how I orient myself by the Telstra Tower.
**I love how if you walk long enough you'll walk in circles.
**I love experiencing the WORLD in ONE country.
**I love how "multicultural" is the culture.
**I love how people say "heaps" heaps.
**I love the Southern Cross.
**I love trying to figure out if Orion is backwards or up-side-down.
**I love the daily clouds that roll through the sky like dancers on a big celestial stage.
**I love how there are heaps of benches everywhere and the pace of life allows you to sit and drink it in.
**I love how faith has surprised me here.
**I love how there is public art everywhere if only you remember to look up, down and side to side.
**I love how majestic the willow trees sway.
**I love how every restaurant has outdoor seating.
**I love how it rains in Canberra.
**I love that everything is visible from Lake Burley Griffin.
**I love getting lost.
**I love how Aussies confidently walk into the street without the "walk" signal.
**I love how pedestrians have the right of way.
**I love that the cockatoos are cocky and the pigeons are meek.
**I love having dinner by the lake.
**I love midnight meal and meeting new people in the kitchen.
**I love TimTams.
**I love how Australian's regularly wear Australia branded clothing and accessories.
**I love how college students are the same everywhere: they will always eat free food.
**I love how the sun enchants the land at 6 o'clock pm.
**I love how when the city goes to sleep, Australia wakes up.
**I love how birds live in harmony and share a meal in the same tree.
**I love how the trees sing and rustle.
**I love gum-tree green!
**I love how I've had to learn the metric system and re-learn english.
**I love how the sun has kissed my shoulders and grace me with it's Aussie glow.
**I love my incredibly awkward sandal tan.
**I love how nothing is more than a 20 minutes walk.
**I love how I've lost weight just being here for 2 weeks.
**I love how I orient myself by the Telstra Tower.
**I love how if you walk long enough you'll walk in circles.
**I love experiencing the WORLD in ONE country.
**I love how "multicultural" is the culture.
**I love how people say "heaps" heaps.
**I love the Southern Cross.
**I love trying to figure out if Orion is backwards or up-side-down.
**I love the daily clouds that roll through the sky like dancers on a big celestial stage.
**I love how there are heaps of benches everywhere and the pace of life allows you to sit and drink it in.
**I love how faith has surprised me here.
**I love how there is public art everywhere if only you remember to look up, down and side to side.
**I love how majestic the willow trees sway.
**I love how every restaurant has outdoor seating.
**I love how it rains in Canberra.
**I love that everything is visible from Lake Burley Griffin.
**I love getting lost.
**I love how Aussies confidently walk into the street without the "walk" signal.
**I love how pedestrians have the right of way.
**I love that the cockatoos are cocky and the pigeons are meek.
**I love having dinner by the lake.
**I love midnight meal and meeting new people in the kitchen.
**I love TimTams.
**I love how Australian's regularly wear Australia branded clothing and accessories.
**I love how college students are the same everywhere: they will always eat free food.
15 February, 2010
Actually...
Animals: Um, so I used to think the wild cockatoo were cool, but now? Absolutely not! I'm a pretty deep sleeper, it takes a lot to wake me up once I'm asleep, but the big squawking things managed to awaken me early this morning! It must have been about 6:00am and it was soo loud and soo annoying, I tried burying my head under my pillow to no avail. I really don't know how it was possible except by the grace of God, but I did manage to get back to sleep. The comical thing is, once I was back asleep I managed to have this magnificent dream in which people were shooting the cockatoos with very large rubber-band guns! Actually, in my dream they were seagulls, it was at my home (sorta, you know how dreams do that), and Campbell was the one shooting them. It was glorious and we all celebrated :)
Accommodations: I was unaware that the halls and colleges (aka dorms) on Australian university campuses were actually just very large co-ed fraternities. They don't have a greek (sorority and fraternity) system in Australia and by the time kids come to uni they are typically of drinking age, which is 18 years old. This week is "O-Week" (short for Orientation Week. This week is general Orientation week for the whole uni where as last week was International Orientation week), and O-Week is essentially a week of partying. Each night is a different theme night. Last night, for Valentine's Day, appropriately (not) was "Drag and Diva".. uh, no thanks, I'll pass. I went and checked out another different church (more on that later). Tonight is ABC, short for Anything But Clothing, which means, everyone gets creative and comes up with a skimpy outfit made of trash bags, or caution tape, or cardboard, that sort of thing. Then everyone heads to the bar for dancing and drinking. I can't say which one there is more of, the dancing or the drinking. And it's all organized by the leadership team of the Hall. Organized partying. Huh? The only organized partying the States has is whatever fraternities come up with. But there are some differences. Typically, fraternity parties have free alcohol or maybe a $5 cover fee. Here, you have to buy your own beer and it ain't cheap! The "cheap" prices students get here at the Hall's bar is $3.50 for a Corona and such. The other difference is, a lot of the partying that goes on at fraternities is underaged and thus illegal. This is completely legal and encouraged.. that's what I find weird.
Attendance: I think I'll be happier once classes actually start and we've all got things to concentrate on. I need some structure to my life and a schedule I can follow... I haven't sat a class since the first week in December and I'm rusty on the whole thing.. I'd rather not spend the week before I start classes at a prestigious Australian university partying and getting drunk.
Agree?: Am I taking the wrong approach? Should I be embracing it since these are all new experiences for me to drink in? Should I fully immerse myself? Should I, as they say, "live it up"? I don't know. I may regret it later, but I'd rather stay true to myself and my convictions. Agree? Disagree? Let me know your thoughts.
Arnott's: You'll be happy to know there are some "Aussie" things after all! Arnott's is a food brand that is specifically Australian. They make a lot of snacky foods, but they're most famous for "Tim Tam"s, which if you haven't ever tried them... you need to! They are heaven in a cookie! They rank up there next to Thin Mints, Tagalongs and Samoas! There is even an "Aussie way" to eat them: bite off a bit at both end and then stick one end in a cup of tea and drink the tea through the cookie, er, I mean biscuit. Yummm... warm chocolatey taste!
Auditorium: So on the International Orientation day, I stopped by the C.I.F. (Crossroads International Fellowship) table and found out they are a Christian based club for international students that meets on Sunday afternoons for some snacks, games and fellowship. At USC there is a group called "Bridges" which is the Campus Crusade for Christ equivalent and some of the girls I live with in the Menlo house are quite involved. It's strange now to the BE the international one! Anyways, this group is sponsored by Crossroads In The City, a church that meets on campus in an auditorium or lecture hall at 6:30pm which is right after the CIF meeting. Some people from CIF then go to church, but it's not a requirement. I was happy to see two other American girls that I had met earlier in the week at the CIF meeting! It really was a pleasant surprise and filled my heart with joy! So then we headed into church. The actual church bit isn't what I'm used to, per-say, and it wasn't what I expected, but the people I met there and got connected with are fabulous. They're going to be running a mid-week Bible study in B&G, my dorm, which I'm excited about! And there is also a group that meets on Thursdays at lunch called FOCUS (Fellowship Of Christian University Students), and a weekend retreat camp on the beach called Getaway in March that I might go to! I think I'll definitely try to get involved in these groups and maybe more, but I might continue shopping around for another church. Then again, this one meets on campus, can't get closer than that! Would you mind joining me in prayer concerning Crossroads and my search? Thanks!
[Never] Alone: This is for all those beautiful single ladies out there! I know that Valentine's Day seems a little cruel when you have no one to share it with and you end up buying heaps of chocolate for yourself and eat it all day... or maybe that's just me, either way, they have excellent chocolate in Australia, so I don't mind buying tons of it! But see, that's just it, if you thought being single on Valentine's day was hard, trying being single in a foreign country! And that my friends, is V-day blues. It happens, but that doesn't mean we can't do something about it... in fact Jesus did something about it over 2,000 years ago. I think most of us would settle for a bouquet of flowers or a box of chocolates, but we certainly wouldn't require, or even want somebody to DIE for us! But that is the intensity to which we are loved by God and Jesus' death on the cross and His resurrection is what allows us to love Him back. Because of that, we are offered and ushered into a personal and intimate relationship with the God of the universe, the One who set the stars in the sky like diamonds and whispers to you in the gentle stillness. So, I'm reading this book called "His Princess: Love Letters From Your King" by Sheri Rose Shepherd, and I thought I'd share a letter with you since it brought me a lot of comfort yesterday on Valentine's Day:
"My Princess... You're never alone.
You never need to hold on to anyone out of fear of being alone, My precious princess. I am with you wherever you are. I am the friend who walks in when the world walks out. I created you to have strong relationships, My love, and I see your desire to be close to someone. If you will seek Me first and come to Me with your wants and needs, I will choose your friends for you. I also will bless those friendships abundantly. Don't settle for less than My best to fill your schedule with people to see and places to go. I want to reach you with the reality of My presence in you first, and then you will be ready for real relationships that are orchestrated by Me.
Love,
Your King and your Best Friend
(Matthew 28:20)
P.S. I love you too! :)
Accommodations: I was unaware that the halls and colleges (aka dorms) on Australian university campuses were actually just very large co-ed fraternities. They don't have a greek (sorority and fraternity) system in Australia and by the time kids come to uni they are typically of drinking age, which is 18 years old. This week is "O-Week" (short for Orientation Week. This week is general Orientation week for the whole uni where as last week was International Orientation week), and O-Week is essentially a week of partying. Each night is a different theme night. Last night, for Valentine's Day, appropriately (not) was "Drag and Diva".. uh, no thanks, I'll pass. I went and checked out another different church (more on that later). Tonight is ABC, short for Anything But Clothing, which means, everyone gets creative and comes up with a skimpy outfit made of trash bags, or caution tape, or cardboard, that sort of thing. Then everyone heads to the bar for dancing and drinking. I can't say which one there is more of, the dancing or the drinking. And it's all organized by the leadership team of the Hall. Organized partying. Huh? The only organized partying the States has is whatever fraternities come up with. But there are some differences. Typically, fraternity parties have free alcohol or maybe a $5 cover fee. Here, you have to buy your own beer and it ain't cheap! The "cheap" prices students get here at the Hall's bar is $3.50 for a Corona and such. The other difference is, a lot of the partying that goes on at fraternities is underaged and thus illegal. This is completely legal and encouraged.. that's what I find weird.
Attendance: I think I'll be happier once classes actually start and we've all got things to concentrate on. I need some structure to my life and a schedule I can follow... I haven't sat a class since the first week in December and I'm rusty on the whole thing.. I'd rather not spend the week before I start classes at a prestigious Australian university partying and getting drunk.
Agree?: Am I taking the wrong approach? Should I be embracing it since these are all new experiences for me to drink in? Should I fully immerse myself? Should I, as they say, "live it up"? I don't know. I may regret it later, but I'd rather stay true to myself and my convictions. Agree? Disagree? Let me know your thoughts.
Arnott's: You'll be happy to know there are some "Aussie" things after all! Arnott's is a food brand that is specifically Australian. They make a lot of snacky foods, but they're most famous for "Tim Tam"s, which if you haven't ever tried them... you need to! They are heaven in a cookie! They rank up there next to Thin Mints, Tagalongs and Samoas! There is even an "Aussie way" to eat them: bite off a bit at both end and then stick one end in a cup of tea and drink the tea through the cookie, er, I mean biscuit. Yummm... warm chocolatey taste!
Auditorium: So on the International Orientation day, I stopped by the C.I.F. (Crossroads International Fellowship) table and found out they are a Christian based club for international students that meets on Sunday afternoons for some snacks, games and fellowship. At USC there is a group called "Bridges" which is the Campus Crusade for Christ equivalent and some of the girls I live with in the Menlo house are quite involved. It's strange now to the BE the international one! Anyways, this group is sponsored by Crossroads In The City, a church that meets on campus in an auditorium or lecture hall at 6:30pm which is right after the CIF meeting. Some people from CIF then go to church, but it's not a requirement. I was happy to see two other American girls that I had met earlier in the week at the CIF meeting! It really was a pleasant surprise and filled my heart with joy! So then we headed into church. The actual church bit isn't what I'm used to, per-say, and it wasn't what I expected, but the people I met there and got connected with are fabulous. They're going to be running a mid-week Bible study in B&G, my dorm, which I'm excited about! And there is also a group that meets on Thursdays at lunch called FOCUS (Fellowship Of Christian University Students), and a weekend retreat camp on the beach called Getaway in March that I might go to! I think I'll definitely try to get involved in these groups and maybe more, but I might continue shopping around for another church. Then again, this one meets on campus, can't get closer than that! Would you mind joining me in prayer concerning Crossroads and my search? Thanks!
[Never] Alone: This is for all those beautiful single ladies out there! I know that Valentine's Day seems a little cruel when you have no one to share it with and you end up buying heaps of chocolate for yourself and eat it all day... or maybe that's just me, either way, they have excellent chocolate in Australia, so I don't mind buying tons of it! But see, that's just it, if you thought being single on Valentine's day was hard, trying being single in a foreign country! And that my friends, is V-day blues. It happens, but that doesn't mean we can't do something about it... in fact Jesus did something about it over 2,000 years ago. I think most of us would settle for a bouquet of flowers or a box of chocolates, but we certainly wouldn't require, or even want somebody to DIE for us! But that is the intensity to which we are loved by God and Jesus' death on the cross and His resurrection is what allows us to love Him back. Because of that, we are offered and ushered into a personal and intimate relationship with the God of the universe, the One who set the stars in the sky like diamonds and whispers to you in the gentle stillness. So, I'm reading this book called "His Princess: Love Letters From Your King" by Sheri Rose Shepherd, and I thought I'd share a letter with you since it brought me a lot of comfort yesterday on Valentine's Day:
"My Princess... You're never alone.
You never need to hold on to anyone out of fear of being alone, My precious princess. I am with you wherever you are. I am the friend who walks in when the world walks out. I created you to have strong relationships, My love, and I see your desire to be close to someone. If you will seek Me first and come to Me with your wants and needs, I will choose your friends for you. I also will bless those friendships abundantly. Don't settle for less than My best to fill your schedule with people to see and places to go. I want to reach you with the reality of My presence in you first, and then you will be ready for real relationships that are orchestrated by Me.
Love,
Your King and your Best Friend
(Matthew 28:20)
P.S. I love you too! :)
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