True Aussies

Michael, my host Dad had knee surgery the other afternoon so I offered to cook dinner.  You’d think that I had made a 5 star meal… they were so cute!  They loved it and it was really fun to cook again finally!  But what really blessed me was the fact that the whole night was full of friends, church members and family visiting and calling the family asking about how he is doing and offering prayers.  They are so loved! 

Yesterday was Anzac Day (kind of like our Veteran’s Day) and we had the day off of school.  I slept over some friends’ house and then we got up early for a trek to the Blue Mountains!!!!  There were about 10 of us Americans and we met up with my friend, James, from one of my classes.  He lives up there and he and two of his friends wanted to be our tour guides :)  

We had a truly authentic Aussie experience!  We hiked through the rainforests, rocks and landslides in the mountains from about 10am to 5am… probably about 12 miles or so.  We went out to a “Ruined Castle” (rock cliffs on the top of a mountain where we rock climbed at the top and almost got blown off by the incredibly strong gusts that were constant!  It was an absolutely beautiful day with clear skies and crisp fall air (the leaves were changing too… I didn’t even know that happened out here!).  The Aussies made us a makeshift fire in a cave at the top and we cooked toast over it!  It was pretty hilarious actually.  After the long hike, which we all completely successfully… Thank God… they had us over to James’ house for a Barbie!  They even got us apple pie for us Americans! 

Pretty much none of us had experienced such hospitality that was so generous by new Aussie friends.  We laughed all day so hard and had an amazing and long day.  After hours on the train too, we got home exhausted and so satisfied with our day off :P 

This day will not be forgotten by any of us… so much fun!  

Outback Trip!

This week our ASC group left for our long awaited Outback Trip!!!  The 37 of us students, 3 leaders and Ian (our Aussie bus driver) left for Mount Verathumble (at least that’s what it sounded like…).  We took off on a 12 hour bus trip to the middle of nowhere, it was so much fun!  The Outback was dry, red and so amazing.  I’ve never seen anything close to that before.  The farm we went to for our retreat was owned by a brother of one of the home stay families.  They owned 45,000 acres of land where they harvested crops, farmed sheep, cattle and horses.  We were housed in the old sheep shearers’ courters across from the “haunted” sheep shearers shack. However, a few of us never even stayed in the bunk rooms, instead we “slept” under the stars in the back of the yard.  The stars were absolutely incredible.  Never have I seen (nor will I probably ever again see) so many stars shining so brightly!  So many shooting stars, a clear view of the Milky Way and the Southern Cross bid me goodnight each night :)  Although the last night at around 3 am, Bandit and Mo (two of the farm dogs) decided to riverdance on my head for about ten minutes.  Since I couldn’t stop laughing they couldn’t get enough of it…  It was too funny yet so awkward and annoying at the same time.

Highlights of the weekend:  Kangaroo safaris on the back of Utes (Jeeps with back beds that we all stood on), Kangaroo night safaris, swimming in the freezing and nasty creek by our camp (we were going for a no-shower-week), watching Joe try to chase a bunny at night and Ronnie running after a herd of sheep, laughing so hard at stupid board games and star tripping, life stories by the campfire and jamming to acoustic worship music in front of an amazing Outback sunset. 

There really is no explanation that can do this trip justice.  It was incredible.  The red dirt was caked on each of us so thick by the end (or even the first day) I think I’ll be finding it on my for a week!  Oh, another fun aspect was that the host couple that brought us are both chefs so the food was SO GOOD! 

The coolest part, I think, was how much our group really bonded and grew together as a family.  We had the best time and even our leaders were saying that is has been such a blessing to have this group (it’s unusual for it to be going so smoothly and fun!).  We all are really great friends and love spending time with each other.  

It’s good to be back and showered and in a real bed but I will NEVER forget that experience and I would love to go back some day.  We all had a hard time leaving and thought about just turning around and driving the 12 hours right back to Mt. Verathumble but unfortunately… exams and midterm papers are due this week.  dun dun dun….

New Start

This has been quite a whirlwind of a week!  So long story short (because I don’t want to give details publically), I had to switch home stays this week.  It all happened really quickly but it was for the better.  I wasn’t being treated very well in the other home but now I’m in a wonderful Greek family’s house in Burwood Heights!  When I say Greek, picture My Big Fat Greek Wedding… literally, it’s hilarious.  The couple is in their upper 70’s and they are complete opposites from the other family I was staying with.  They are so sweet and loving!  Michael, the father, is a Baptist pastor at the nearby Greek church (services are only in Greek).  He also used to teach Greek school!  Marina is the most adorable little Greek lady who feeds all people like it’s her job.  She has three sons who are all grown and four grandchildren.  I made instant buddies with Anna, the three year old, only grand-daughter, who is so spoiled but adorable!  I brought them some Hot Cross Buns from the Bake House when I arrived yesterday and they were happy :)  They also are acting like they’re saving me from the family from hell… haha.

I’m really thankful for this switch.  It’s been a rough 6 weeks at the other home.  Thankfully, I am surrounded by an amazing community of friends at Wesley that this has still been an amazing experience so far and I love it here!  I am a little tired and stressed from all the drama but it can only get better from here on. 

Thinking about it, I am in Australia but surrounded by Greeks at home, Italians at work and a loving Egyptian “grandmother” who has adopted me as her daughter at my service placement.  And they call America the “Melting Pot.”  It’s been so fun to meet and love all these different people! Not to mention the incredible Aussies that are here and know how to have a good time :) 

Easter weekend is here and we’re out of school for a week and a half!!!!


Last night I was invited to a Passover meal by one of the Wesley students.  His family and their friends from church have a traditional service/dinner together every Passover.  There was a Jewish “rabbi” from South Africa who spoke along with my friend’s parents.  We sung Jewish songs, had traditional Passover food and danced around before the feast.  They were in no hurry so dinner started around 9 pm.  After that my friend, Daniel, his sister and I went over to their brother’s birthday party at his house.  This party was incredible!  They had hired all kinds of lighting, a smoke machine, bouncers and 3 or 4 DJ’s!  It was so much fun and I met some really fun people from their group of friends, most of whom were from Hillsong Church.  It was such a fun time!  One thing people in Sydney know how to do is have fun :)

Chocolate Fix

Thursday was quite the adventure. My friend Sarah had been feeling a bit down for a while so Megan and I decided to cheer her up.  We went to the park and attempted (being the key word) to throw a few boomerangs.  We soon found out it’s a LOT harder than it seems and unless you want to pay a good amount for a legit one, the pretty ones you buy at tourist gift shops don’t come back… The afternoon also involved climbing trees and statues, playing soccer and then going to Sarah’s home stay to go swimming and then jam out with Sarah on her guitar.  We had a blast!  That night I “ushered” for a play that was going on at Wesley so I got to watch it for free!  It was a strange play…

After the play a group of us all met up and went into the city to the famous chocolate bar, Max Brenners.  This place had been talked up quite a bit so I had pretty high expectations…  it was AMAZING!  Everything chocolate you can imagine!  Chocolate pipes ran through the restaurant where the chocolate flowed through to the kitchen.  We all got different desserts and tried each others.  I got the cookieshake (white chocolate, cookies and praline milkshake), which made me think I died and went to Heaven.  Seriously, this place was amazing!  We all talked and joked and laughed so hard all night, I think we all had a chocolate high J 

Friday after our noon class we went to Watson’s Bay, a beach walk / lighthouse coastal area that we’ve been hearing a lot about.  It was so beautiful.  Besides the fact that we had to walk past a nude beach (which was known to be home to a lot of old men who should be ashamed of their bodies but their not…) to get there, it was so much fun! 

A Saturday night tradition that we are creating consists of going to Church by the Bridge (a small church that’s right at the foot of the Harbor Bridge) then have a picnic dinner down by the bay when the starts are out. Definitely a highlight each week. 

Palm Sunday some of us woke up early and took a 2 hour bus ride to Palm Beach (we thought it’d be fitting).  It was a really gorgeous and remote beach north of Sydney.  It was nice to get away from the really touristy beaches near the city.  There were a ton of rocky coasts to explore and the beach sand was so soft and almost red.  The undertow was extremely strong so our time in the water never lasted long.  We did play a round of baseball in the shallow water, using a big stick of bamboo for a bat and a tennis ball.  Not sure who won but it got more exciting the smaller the chunk of bamboo broke into.  We all got burnt and had an amazing time J

Not Again!

Nike Run in Sydney is a club of people who meet each week and run around the city, starting from the Nike store.  It’s free and you get a really cool t-shirt!  A few girl friends and I went on Monday night and joined the hundred or so people who do this ritual.  They were out of shirts unfortunately, but are getting them in next week.  So we went with the 5k group, just for fun, right?  Well, I got mixed up and ended up in the fast-paced 10k group, very lost.  A guy ran up next to me and asked what I was training for.. I told him nothing, I was just running with some friends the 5k.  He laughed and said, “You’ve gone a lot farther than that! You’re in the 10k track!”  I thought it was too long…  Well, he pointed me back to the end and I left him for the shortcut to meet back up with the girls… I got lost of course and was running around Sydney trying to find the Nike store. When I got back to the store an hour later than I started, the girls had left, thinking I had left before them. I tried to find my way home and again… got lost. When I finally made it to a train station the train was stuck.  I arrived home around 8:30, so hungry!  Dinner was waiting for me… which included mashed cauliflower…  It was quite a night. 

Woke up Tuesday to my phone account shutting off.  Don’t know why yet but I’m still trying to work that one out.  Well, on the bus I lost my wallet AGAIN!!!!!!!!!   I never lose things like that and this is the second time in 8 days!!!  I was freaking out again but thank GOD that the same bus depot found it just a few hours later and my friends Percy and Niko drove me there after class to get it.  God is so patient with me to give me my wallet back twice!  Ugh, I’ve got to be better about that… But I got to spend the afternoon with my Australian Grandma, Georgette so the day improved.  We sat and talked while she fed me Tim Tams (chocolate covered chocolate cookies) and coffee :)  She is such a blessing to me!  She is an Egyptian 84-year-old who is a resident at my service placement, The Sisters of St. Joseph’s Hostel.  We have a good time together every time I go, even if I hear the same stories over and over again.

The Dreaded Week 4...

We’ve been warned about week 4.  Time and again our program directors and study abroad advisors have all told us that week 4 is break down week.  Everyone begins to get really homesick and work starts getting intense.  Well, it was quite a week.  At the start of the week both my roommate and I lost our wallets on the bus.  Same day, different bus.  I was freaking out when I found out, I never loose things like that!  She wasn’t as frazzled because that’s not too out of the norm for her…  Well, Thank GOD after I called the bus depot around the area all morning the next day, they found it and I was able to pick it up that day!!!!!  EVERYTHING was in there: ID’s, credit card, bus pass, everything!  God is good.  My roommate still hasn’t found hers…

This week was really busy with homework and projects.  We had a group project that was specifically intense on Friday.  After that, me and a few friends went to the beach to celebrate!  Then Megan and I, not wanting to be home for dinner for many reasons (it’s complicated), got Thai food at a local restaurant.  Thai food is everywhere here! It’s like they invaded Australia.  It was delicious though J Then we packed for the weekend.

South Coast Trip!!!!!  We drove about 3 hours south of Sydney to Jarvis Bay in the South Coast for an overnight stay at an Aboriginal National Park.  We camped there and were given a tour/show/class of Aboriginal people, their customs and their history.  It was definitely unique, but pretty cool.  We were right on the beach (these beaches are known for having the whitest sand in the world!) and wallabies would hop around the whole site throughout the days… so cool!  We went on a few hikes, to some botanical gardens, cooked BBQ, watched some Aboriginal traditional song and dances (which we participated in… yes we did), and had Australian s’mores (definitely not the same as American…).  Megan, Sarah and I (we’ve gotten really close), shared a tent which was a blast! We didn’t get much sleep but that wasn’t our goal J  We might have kept some other tents up for a bit… oops.  We also went star gazing on the beach which was incredible!  And I only had to pull two leaches off me all weekend…

Sunday morning we went to Shelley Beach where we saw a school of dolphins (at least 12-24) feeding in the bay.  They were jumping up and out of the water, having a good old time!  On the long bus ride home we stopped at a place called the “blow hole”.  It’s a rock/cove bay in a town called, Kiama, where the waves crash into a cove that looks like a whale’s blow hole and it spurts straight up really far!  It was pretty cool. We picnicked there for a late lunch then continued back to Sydney. 

Weekend’s over, another week to come.  I’m excited for whatever will happen; it’s always an adventure here J 

Another Weekend in "the Land of Opportunity"

Friday was a half-day!!!!  A group of us went out to Bondi Beach and did a 6k coastal walk in and out of a bunch of beaches and rock pools.  It was beautiful!  We ended at Coogee Beach where three of us stayed for a while and swam in the rock pools.  Harder than it looked; we all laughed through the pain as we “swam” along the rocks to get to the ones above the surface.  Another Australian adventure!  It was a good time :)

Saturday, Tam, Monika and I found this adorable little café a short walk from my home where the sitting area was past the secret bookshelf entrance!  Free wifi, heck yes!  Later that day…  I actually began my first day at the Bakehouse!  That’s right, I found a part time job right across the street from Wesley Institute.  It’s so much fun so far!  It’s a small (but really popular) bakery/café owned by an Italian woman and her family.  The grandparents work, barely ever do they hint at a smile but they are so cute and very Italian, speaking very little English.  I sometimes get picked on from the customers about my American accent (for instance, caramel is Care-a-mel, not Carmul and apricot is Ape-pra-cot not app-pri-cot).  I think they enjoy teasing Americans…  Anyway, the staff loves me and it’s a fun little gig and will help me pay for a weekend trip to the Great Barrier Reef in June!

NEXT weekend is our south coast trip, we’re camping on the beach!!!  Where we’ll be has the world’s whitest sand.  I’m excited…