the beginning...

Before the flight out of Chicago...

Psalm 121 A song of ascents.

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Thanks Kevin.

It’s was a pretty good first day in Warrnambool, Australia.  I will rewind a bit…

The flight from San Francisco to Auckland was quite hefty.  I can’t remember if it was 10 or 12 hours.  I managed to watch two movies, Hitchcock and the new Oz movie (although I fell asleep in the former).  I did manage to catch a few z’s, but sitting Oreo frosting didn't allow for much breathing room.  I pondered on the pros and cons of each of the three seats in my section (since the plane seated about nine or ten across).  The window seat allows for a good view every now and then, along with a place to put your pillow and rest your head, although it is the trickiest to get out of.  Space wise, the middle seat seems the most limiting.  The only appropriate place to put my head was upright.  The aisle seat obviously allows the most freedom.  One can stretch his or her leg into the aisle and not worry about disturbing a fellow seat-mate to use the bathroom… Aannd this is what I thought of a good amount during the flights.    

My flight to Hawaii from San Fran (a couple years ago) was about seven hours, so I knew a bit about what I was getting into. After the flight from Chicago to San Fran, the most difficult part was knowing we had to board another plane once we got to Auckland, take a four hour flight to Melbourne, then a three hour drive to Warrnambool.  The airports provided a bit of relief from all the sitting and I found the time to brush my teeth in New Zealand… Otherwise, my trusty Trident gum came in handy. 

Once we arrived in Melbourne, and picked up our baggage, we met our limo driver and a couple other international students; one from Oregon and one from California.  It’s interesting to hear the different accents just between us.  Our short vowels seem to shrink under the smooth and sure, yet friendly accents of the west coast and oceania region.  The limo was nice because the seating allowed us to converse a bit; Ryan, Evan, and I with Trevor (CA) and Hailey (OR), both very nice people.  Once we arrived on campus, we were given a town tour.  He also drove us to get some necessary items and groceries.  It is the bare minimum so far…

I will need to get used to the nutrition labels here.  Just slight differences throw me off a wee bit.  I think they use the word “energy” for “protein”.  There is even a category for gluten I believe.  I am definitely going to need a few pans for making soups and popcorn.. num num J 

The weather has been predictable in a very unpredictable way thus far.  Sporadic bouts of rain and sun with temperatures  in the 50s and 60s.  I’d like to try to go for a run, but I have a good feeling I will get poured on… The view from my room is pretty neat.  The Hopkins River is just a couple hundred meters away, if that (clear view out my window) and is much bigger than I anticipated.  So far, I have noticed many rabbits and different bird species.  I think it’s the magpies that have a really unique, and slightly annoying, call or song.  Although it’s winter, things are green and lush.  I have probably seen around 15 rainbows so far and have imagined Noah’s Ark cruisin’ down the river.

It’s been a bit cold in my “building”, which is a unit of about eight rooms, kitchen, bathroom area, and living space.  We are thinking there must be a master “switch” for heating the Sherman units since Hailey’s unit is the same way.  Time to make some calls…

We went into town yesterday and did a little shopping.  It was quite fun to see all the shops and hang out with everyone.  Target, Kmart, and McDonald's are the same, as well as cows in the rural areas (you’re right Aunt Debbie)… Down town reminds me of Lake Geneva or any small tourist town.  It’s fun just to explore all the little shops and take in the aussie accent… I feel slightly limited with a suitcase wardrobe as I check out all the fashion savvy passerbys and window displays.  There are definitely advantages to exploring with a group; such as, looking right before crossing the road.  Round-a-bouts galore… 

We stopped at a huge beach, during our tour the first day, which is a popular right whale watching spot.  Can’t wait to see my next cetacean species… 8) ß (that will be my nerdy biologist face). 

Hmm, what else… I watched a little rugby on the plane to Melbourne and it brought back some memories.  Once in a while, I get the urge to run around hitting people; the experience of working as a team, getting dirty, and exercise with a purpose.  A couple guys from Melbourne showed up at my place yesterday, one who will living here and beginning school next week also, who both play footie.  I want to say footie is a combination of soccer and rugby, but there is a lot more going on as we watched a bit on the TV I couldn't figure out how to turn on…    

You are right Mom, instant coffee is quite horrible… The other places have coffee makers, but Hailey and I (both in Sherman units) are thinking of maybe purchasing our own down the road.