G'Day

I have now completed my first week and a half of school at UNSW and beginning to get back in the school mode. I must admit, it is weird going to school in the middle of July, but I am a nerd and enjoying going to class! The campus compared to DU is HUGE! There are so many buildings, places to eat, and SO MANY PEOPLE! This is exciting though because the first week or so I had only met other American study abroad students. Now I am starting to meet people from Australia, which is really exciting! All my friends back at DU will appreciate this (last year we didn’t have a library as it is under construction), but they have a TEN STORY library which is so cool! It is pretty modern and there are so many places to study. So now when I go back to DU I am expecting nothing less!!

The first class I went to last Monday was Asian Popular Culture, I was trying to branch out and broaden my horizons with a class I would never had taken at DU and I felt like because there are so many Asians here is Sydney and especially on campus that I might be able to connect and learn more about their culture….well I was wrong. It was a class that I had no interest in, however, I sat through the whole two hours with the idea that I might change my mind. That never happened and right after that class I went to change it to a business management course (much more up my alley)! Oh well….at least I tried…right? Now our schedules are locked in and I would say I have a very nice schedule. The earliest I start class is 11am, so I have a chance to wake up and go for a morning run on the beach and catch up on any homework I have not done yet! My four classes are Australia in the Global Economy (an economics class that is really boring and I am hoping it will get a lot better), International Business Finance (an interesting course I will like but I have to pay close attention to our professor as he is Asian and has a thick accent), Global Business Environment (a management course which I really like), and my “goof off” class, The Marine Environment – we go on three field trips around Sydney to explore the marine life! Enough about my classes for now, here are some adventures I have done in the past week!

I went to Monday Night Football (no Lauren, unfortunately it was not the Broncos and Tim Tebow was not playing) – it was their rugby team, the Sydney Roosters! There was a group of twenty of us that went, however only five or so actually new a lot of the rules and how to play the game. Basically it is just these really big men running around and tackling each other, it was pretty intense and I am surprised they don’t get hurt more often! Paul, if you are reading this, you would have loved it! I was thinking about you during the game, wishing you could explain to me what they heck was going on! We picked up the basic knowledge but something we had no idea. It was still exciting to go and see. This is their sport and they get really into it…especially when the home team wins in the last twenty seconds! They did a kickoff and they broke through all the tackles to win with a kick! I have also learned Aussies like to throw beer when they get excited so we had a nice beer shower that evening.

By now, I have found a really nice running path along the coast. It is the path along the shoreline, which is really pretty. I am still not over how beautiful this place is! Running along the path with my friend Jen we just admire how beautiful and lucky we are to be here! I am getting use to running on the opposite side of the path, the first few times it was a little challenge but now it comes natural.

Food shopping here is always interesting! We have to go at least twice a week because when we go we really can’t get a lot. We have to walk up these huge hills and you don’t want the bag to break from having too much stuff in it! Especially when I am coming home from school and I am already wearing my backpack which is heavy with everything in it. It is ok though, we all bond and laugh over our struggles to get up the hill. You got to do what you got to do! I think everyday one of my meals has been a salad, just because it is something I know how to make. Salad and pasta seem to be my go-to dinners. If you have any good recipes that are fairly simple, please send them my way! I have taken for granite my mom’s cooking and now trying to cook on my own…a work in progress!

Some social events that the school put on for the students this past week were a party bus around Sydney and a harbor cruise. I was really excited to go to the cruise because we would be getting a different view of the harbor from the water! The bus was more of something I went to because it was free and a lot of my friends were going. Both were fun, the harbor cruise was a lot more fun! We were out late the night of the party bus and ended up taking a taxi home. It was my first taxi ride here in Australia and boy did he drive fast! It was also like 2am so the only other cars on the road were other taxis but I wish I had my video camera with me! It is still funky to me being in a car on the other side of the road and also having the driver be on the other side of the car! We made it home safe and when we split it, it was only $5 per person!

Friends on the Party Bus 

Sydney Harbour Bridge 

Opera House 

Maja, Janelle, Me - 3/4 roommates 

One more thing before I need to go to class. I did the free seven-day trial at our gym at school and went swimming the other day after class. It was a little after 4pm and I should have thought more about how crowded it would be but I didn’t. So when I got to the pool there were only three lanes open for lap swim. They were labeled “kick and splash”, “slow lane”, and “medium lane”. After looking at some of the swimmers I hopped in the medium lane and began swimming. In my mind earlier in the day I wanted to work on my butterfly for when I get back I will finally beat Daniel and Lauren in our swim races. Unfortunately, there was no room and I would have stuck out like a sore thumb! There must have always been seven people swimming in the lane and lets just say some of them should have been in the slow/kick and splash lane. I was not sure what they were doing but it was not swimming, more like doggy paddle. Maybe I am their Missy Franklin of swimming and we just don’t know it yet! Haha….I am just kidding.

Anyhow, I need to get ready for class today. I have my international business finance and global business environment class. Wish me luck in meeting some cool Aussies today on campus!

Lots of love,

Stephanie