Some Observations

Thoughts:  "A traveler without observation is a bird without wings.” -Moslih Eddin Saadi

No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem

   People walk around campus, into gas (or 'petrol') stations..without SHOES! It just further solidifies their "no worries" approach to life. (It's probably a little unsanitary, but I find it amusing lol)

Photo Cred- JessiLane Braswell

Every time I walk to to the bus stop for school, I pass one of these trees. The Frangipani flower is my new favorite flower because it's GORGEOUS and smells amazing. I could stand there and sniff that flower all day long. 

 McDonald's is actually good. Who would've thought? They have 30 cent ice cream cones and a cafe attached. McCafe is awesome. They have baked goods and fresh coffee. They also have modern architecture with outside covered patios for eating.

College is called "university", or for short "uni".  (They do this in Canada as well).

Shopping:

They have Target and Kmart. I went into a Target in Toowoomba and it was spectacular. The clothes and fashions were much different than in America. The store was larger and had much more clothing in stock to choose from. I bought a pair of sandals for 8 AUD, so I was a happy camper. But, clothes in general, are more expensive in Australia. Most everything is imported. They don't have Charlotte Russe or Forever 21 (but a couple people have said that they order from Forever 21 on the internet). For example, nice dresses here could start at 80AUD, where I bought a dress from Charlotte Russe online for about 10 dollars haha.

There is no Amazon.com in Australia.  :( Haha. 

It's rare to find a fridge that makes it's own ice. (Everyone uses ice trays here, lol). So, next time your fridge dishes out some ice, tell it 'thank you' :P 

Sometimes, at school, I feel like a minority.  University of Queensland is a massive shmorgashboard for culture and different ethnicities. I feel like I meet more people from around the world than actual Australians. There are heaps of Asians.  My teacher is from South Africa and there are two girls in my class that are from there as well. (Common misconception- all South Africans are Black...watch Mean Girls lol).

Various cultures = good food. The food is awesome here because it's more authentic. (I will be starting a blog solely based on food)

Vegemite is gross. I'm sure it's good when it's barely mixed in with something, but seriously, just on a cracker is nooooot okay. Haha.

One Direction -  boy group that Aussie girls are going ga-ga over! Look above :)

My Classes are set up like this: 

     2 hour Lecture and a 2 hour tutorial 

     Tutorials are like 'recitations' at VT. They are just smaller groups that do homework and group projects. The tutorials are usually every other week, where the lectures are usually once a week.

Photo Cred- JessiLane Braswell

The Simplicity of Mens' Judgement and Family Guy Humor

 There’s that moment when you are abroad….when something brings your culture and a foreign culture together. And, in that moment, you connect to the environment around you on a deeper level. That moment grounds you in the place you’ve chosen and suddenly, you don’t feel afraid.

However, that moment does not have to be serious. In my case, both of the ones I’ve experienced were quite funny.

Story 1: March 28^th, 3pm

As I casually stalked and took pictures of the best and worst outfits on campus (for a future blog post ;P ), I noticed this group of handsome fellows standing in the middle of the Student Union (where the co-op bookshop, “Lollie Shop” and all of the food is located…And yes, they say “lolly”, which means candy…and not just lollypops—chocolate bars and everything in between).

            The group of athletic looking young men began chatting and I started to listen from my position about 10 feet away once the word “Boobs” resonated in the court. The conversation proceeded like this:

            Guy 1: “Well, I was in class and this hot girl I had never seen before walked in.”

            Buddies: “Oh yeah?”

            Guy 1: “And she had huge boobs and I started to wonder why they were so big. I mean, they looked disproportionate to her body.”

The buddies went on mumbling about what it could be and then they came up with a solution.

            Buddies: “Man, it must have been the bra.”

Nice, I thought. I mean, a girl can't just have big boobs. She HAS to be tricking everyone with her bra (Which most of us girls do…ladies, don’t deny)

           This is what boys ponder about. -_-

           But, there was more. 

They started judging every girl that walked by. One, in particular, who had her back turned towards them and was buying something from the fruit stand on campus.

            Buddies: “She has a nice body.”

            Guy 2: “Yeah, but it’s the face…gotta look at the face.”

            Guy 1: “Yep- she has a big nose.”

            Then, they all looked at each other with the facial expression of disproval; this girl was indeed not attractive enough to pass their ‘full package’ standard.

           

This conversation sparked some thoughts about the similarities between Americans and internationals. I thought about my St Patty’s Day.

Story 2: St. Patty’s Day 2012

I was reluctantly going crazy in the 3 bedroom apartment where I live with my family every…single…day.

So, I made friends. Great friends. One from Canada, the other from Ireland, and one who is first generation Australian.

After our night of fun-filled frenzy subsided, we strolled the streets and spread out looking for cabs in downtown Brisbane. The streets were barren, except for the occasional loitering of a drunken one-night-stand couple. As I stood on the sidewalk, something inside me outstretched my arm straight up in the air. Then, I shouted. “Butt Scratcher!!” and my friends replied with an equally jolly “Mmmm Butt Scratcherrrr!” (Sorry- Family Guy reference. YouTube it :) )

            My heart smiled. Even from different parts of the world, our culture collided.

Looking back, I’m sure glad they watched Family Guy, otherwise I would’ve definitely looked like a freak of nature.

Lessons Learned Today:

 I gained confidence. Even going internationally, you still find the same ol’ judgmental men and you still will have current cultural references that span globally.

 It was actually relieving to overhear their conversation. Even though it was harsh, it was normal. For that little moment, The University of Queensland almost felt like Virginia Tech.

This sense of security helps me believe that:

I will find amazing people to have as friends.

Everything’s going to be okay.

There will always be something from my world that will connect me to a new one.

And that I will love all the differences that make every day an adventure.

The Arrival

After eating a meal of fish, bread, corn pudding, and a caramel dessert, I was ready to relax on my 16 ½ hour flight from Texas to Brisbane, Australia. I sipped on my hot tea (a staple in Australian culture) and flipped through the available T.V. shows and movies on the flat screen on the back of the seat in front of me. The plane was large, two stories, and seemingly absent of any crying babies (sigh of relief). However, as the journey progressed, a cry rang out. Darnit, I miscalculated. An uncomfortable toddler was in a seat in the aisle across from mine.

I quickly searched for some entertainment to drown out the noise. Family guy? Nope, I’d already seen all of those episodes. Maybe movies? MacKendall was already zoned out to Happy Feet 2 and suggested I watch that. Eh, no thanks. King’s Speech? Perfect.

The rest was a blur. I woke up every couple hours, clicking on any movie I could sleep to until breakfast rolled around. There was no need for a wake up call. The heavenly smell of bacon practically pulled my eyelids open. I was wide awake and awaiting the food.

After we landed and cleared customs, we stood at the baggage claim. Then, our names were announced over the speaker system. Yes…our luggage was not in the Brisbane airport, but rather arriving the next afternoon.

I tried not to be disappointed, even though my first day of school was the next morning and I had been wearing the same clothes since we left on Friday (ick). They gave us a small airline care package to hold us over, some money, and sent us on our way. As our luggage was loaded into the bus taxi, I let the sun envelope my skin. The warmth from the sun instantly eased my worries and relaxed my tensed body (that endured a full 20 hours of flying).

This is where my adventure began.