2/23/2012
I’m actually writing this post in hindsight. I did not have time to write about my day yesterday, as it was too packed with fun and adventure.
Our whole house woke up about 6am. We had about an hour and a half before we had to leave so we were able to take our time getting ready and getting to know eachother’s habbits. Braeden, our hose brother, was to drive us to school this day because we had yet to learn anything about the bus system.
We arrived at school around 8:15. The majority of the day was just orientation stuff. We had several different sessions with the ASC staff. But what made this day slightly more exciting was that it was orientation for 1st year Australians. Meaning that there were several parts of the day where ASC and Aussies were mixed in sessions. We had morning and afternoon tea with them as well. I met a several girls at lunch time, Emily, Rahil, and another Emily.
It is interesting how some of them are older but are just now getting into their first year of Uni. In talking to them I found that they all actually really like Americans. They were very happy to talk with me and had plenty of questions about the States.
Also, I asked them if they could tell I was American before I spoke. They all confirmed that they had no idea I was American until I introduced myself, in a blatantly American voice. I was pretty proud of myself for blending in.
Later in the afternoon we were all split up into smaller groups and taken into Sydney. We walked a few blocks from campus and caught a bus into the city. My first Australian public transportation trip: great success. It was a fairly short ride, one I will probably make again on my own.
We got off and walked a ways to find Circular Quay (pronounced ‘key’, which is stupid). Here there are several warfs, where as far as I understand it, you catch ferries to different parts of the harbor. This is also where the train station is.
We walked around for a little while, saw the famous bay harbor bridge and of course,
The Sydney Opera House!
What the what! So exciting! Took plenty of pictures.
A little later on we took a “cruise” Around the harbor. It was reserved just for our group. So it was all ASC students and a few Aussie 1st years and our group leaders (most of whom are 2nd years). It was about a 3 hour ride. They fed us dinner and there were three different levels to enjoy the view from. We got to watch the sunset and take many pictures. I meat several more Aussie girls, Georgie and another girl whose name was to unique to commit to memory after only hearing it once. But she had short hair and glasses and I could pick her out of a crowd. So I get some credit for facial recognition.
On the cruise we were introduced to a drink that is very popular here called a lemon-lime and bitter. Which, if I remember correctly, is half sprite (which they call lemonade), half some sort of tea, and the ever so slightest amount of bitter beer. We’re not supposed to drink while on the program, however our director Kimberly says we can drink all the lemon-lime and bitters that we want to, because there is such a low alcohol content that you will not feel a thing no matter how much you drink. Challenge accepted.
Once we got off the cruise we were challenged to get home on our own. They gave us some printed out directions but it was up to us to make it happen. We found our way to the train station and used our passes to get onto the platform. It wasn’t to difficult, but I think that might be because I’ve experienced subway stations and feel pretty confident on how to work them.
Our one mistake however, was not taking the express train. Rather than only making 3 or 4 stops and making it home in 20 minutes, we stopped at every station along the way. Probably at least 13 or 14. But I told myself it was actually a good thing to get familiar with the other stops.
We got off at Strathfeild and easily found our way to the cross streets we needed to be at. Our host mom, Michelle, had walked us close enough to the train station to show us how to get home the night before. When we arrived at the house we poped into the living room to find Braeden (our host brother) and Neil (Our host dad) watching tv.
This was the first time we had meat Neil, and he was delightful. He was loud and charismatic and very friendly. We chatted for a bit about our home towns and we discussed bus routs for the next day. He gave us a book of maps that he lends to all of his host kids and showed us where our house was and where the school was. This would all be very pertinent information for the next day when we would have to take the bus to school.
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