People:
Britt
Caille
Ching
Colby
Dan
Danny
Emily
Janice
Jennifer
Jess
Jodie
Kendra
Kevin
Kieryn
Laura
Lindsay
Lisa
May
Mike
Rachel
Ray
Shannon
Sherlee
Tamica

Request-o-matic:
Josh Woodward
Scott Andrew
Spanners Forums
The Ferrett
The Presurfer

Places:
Lange time
Questionable
Clango

Pictures:
The Zoo
Sydney
Fountains
Dooralong
Blue Mountains
More Mountains
Wild Sydney
Dylan's Party
Wondabyne
Apartment
More Sydney
BME Ball
Festival of Winds
Kayaking One
Kayaking Two
Thanksgiving
Tasmania
Lisa's Birthday
Biofutures
Emmy and Gaby
New Zealand

Things:
Sign Guestbook
View Guestbook
Contact me
Feed me

 
Things are going well in the new apartment. Today marks the first day where it really fully is home, now that our fridge is here along with my desk and a wardrobe. Lisa also got a bookcase, and our TV is here now too. All that's left is a waashing machine (coming next week) and DSL, which is now on order and should be ready in 10 days or less. We also have to have to restock the giant fridge, and finish all the cleaning of the new place. Tonight is just watching Shrek, after last night's crazy pub crawl with all the new students, and maybe some Tim Tams.
3:20 AM 1 comments

 
This evening was the infamous ISS/ISD pub crawl. This bi-annual event for new students introduces them to some of the wonderful bars the rocks has to offer. Several of us peer mentors led large groups of students to the buses downtown, after meeting at ISS. Our first stop was the Orient Hotel, after which the groups split up to be able to fit all 60 or so of us in the various pubs. Some went to the Lord Nelson Hotel, while others, including my group, went to the Hero of Waterloo. The traditional friday evening irish and celtic music was in full swing and some of us hit the tiny dance floor (the space between the tables). When the musicians took a drink break, we took the opportunity to head to our next place, which was supposed to be the Australian Hotel, but extreme overcrowding led us to choose the Glenmore Hotel instead, with it's rooftop bar overlooking the harbour and city.

From there various groups headed to the Mercantile Hotel, while some went to the Observer Hotel, where more free music reigned. The last stop of the evening was Jacksons on George, where the second floor Luna Lounge left everyone craving a little less R&B. There's only so many times you can hear the same songs being played over in the same night till it starts to get old, but for a free nightclub (before 10:30) it's not really that bad. The bar downstairs has better music, but is more for socializing and less for dancing- you can even hear yourself speak sometimes down there. A few hours at Jacksons and I was ready to call it a night, so Sherlee and I made our way to the bus stop, and I ran ahead to catch my bus that was just pulling up. A good night, and always fun to talk to the new kids and help them enjoy a bit more of Sydney. Next up for mentoring is Watsons Bay on Sunday.
11:45 PM 0 comments

 
The door opens slowly, and chairs and tabletops are slowly brought inside. Sunlight pours in through the open windows, and a slight breeze wafts through. Closed doors are opened and windows unstuck. A walk onto the balcony reveals a somewhat cloudy day, but the high rises of Sydney can be made out at a distance. A trip downstairs brings up the legs for the tables as well as the celebratory tim tams, in a new chili chocolate flavour. We sit, and feast, revelling in the place that is now ours.

We got the keys to our new apartment this morning, and it looks to be a wonderful place to spend the last 6 months here. Moving has commenced, and will likely continue for the next week or so as we have random car helpers at various times. Now we just need beds, a fridge and a washer and we're all set.
8:23 PM 2 comments

 
When I was younger my Nana and Papa took my brother and I to Disney World several times, and were ever gracious enough to bring their kids (my mom and aunts) along for several of the trips. The days often started on the later side, with an hour of Madrock (read: Matlock) before we made it out of the hotel. Then it was normally a full day at one of the parks, be it Disney or Universal or whatever was around, before heading out to dinner on the somewhat later side. Upon getting back to the hotel after dinner, everyone normally went to bed while I found a light to read by, often ending up in the bathtub, or crouched over with a flashlight somewhere.

Not too far from the hotels where we stayed was a water park, called wet 'n wild. Danny and I would beg to go there quite often, but time after time we were denied. One night, we had just finished dinner at a steak house somewhere in Orlando, and right after we got into the car to go back to the hotel I fell asleep. It wasn't a long drive, but I was out like a light (A talent I still have today). Upon arriving back at our hotel, I was woken up and immediately asked how I could sleep for so long. I hadn't thought I'd been out long, but I believed them, I was 11 years old. Then they dropped the bombshell, I'd missed wet 'n wild.

Everyone was in on it, as they started describing the various waterslides, wave pools, and everything else a kid dreams about. Still slightly dazed, I felt betrayed. How could they do that to me- just leave me in the car while they all went out and had fun. At that point I knew that if it was just my mom saying it, I wouldn't have believed it, and I wouldn't have been surprised if my brother attempted to chime in, using that very hoarse voice that always seemed to come over him down there. However, when my nana told me they tried to wake me and that she stayed in the car with me in case I woke up, what else was I do but believe it somewhat, even if I fully denied it outright to everyone talking to me.

I knew by the next day it was a joke, clearly no one was wet and there were no bathing suits around that evening, but to this day they all insist that it happened. And every time I fall asleep when they are all around, upon waking it’s a near sure thing that someone will tell me that I just missed wet ‘n wild.
4:13 PM 4 comments