Surfs Up at Delicate Mobby

After an eventful Australia Day, in which we roamed around Circular Quay in Sydney harbor which had multiple stages with local and some bigger named bands and singers playing and watched the fireworks across the way in Darling Harbor, the learn to surf weekend was underway friday afternoon.

 We boarded the big green and black Mojo Surf coach bus for our 6 hr ride North to the basically deserted shores of Crescent bay. Here we stayed at Delicate Mobby camp group for the weekend. The accommodations were military style of a large room with 25 or so beds in each room and since we didn't arrive until around 12:30 am everyone just grabbed an empty bed and crashed. An early morning wake up call got us up for breakfast and our first lesson, including surf safety and techniques. then we hit the beach where we paddled out into the waves with our first goal 'to catch the wave' not even stand yet, and did most of us just get thrown around for a while. The instructors were awesome in setting ppl up for a wave and giving a push start to catch the wave. The feeling was amazing when you were being propelled towards the beach in the whitewash of a wave. Although this seemed to be rare and fleeting moments for me during the first session, and in my determination i had not noticed that everyone but my friend Alex and an instructor had departed the beach for the afternoon and they were attempting to call me in.

Once in we had lunch and a few decided it would be a great idea to walk to beach before the afternoon session. On the walk we relished in the untouched beauty of the uninhabited coastline of Australia. Just breathtaking! We later asked the distance and realize we walked 5K! (and of course this was the time a got sunburned =\ ugh) But the second session started where i was starting to get my feet under me. Although i took many more spectacular falls that even others noted. Again i was the last one called out of the water, but we headed back to shower and have a BBQ dinner and bonfire on the beach. A cool thing we found was at night if you scuffed your feet through the wet sand or walked through the water there was a bioluminescence which sparkled and danced around your feet! When we had our fill of the fire, drinks and music we hit the sack for one more early morning call and our last surf session.

The last day there were defiantly less of the group who made it out for the last surf session due to sunburns and hangovers. I hit the water around 8 am and to my amazement i was actually catching waves and surfing! It was like everything finally clicked. the instructors were impressed and even suggested i head out a few more meters to try slightly larger waves for a longer ride. By the time they called us in i had gotten a few pictures taken, and was even asked if i had surfed before because i was ripping it up. Yayy. In a turn of moods i got to discover a small rip current while swimming in the waves, along with the feeling of swimming and swimming and not getting anywhere. Not so much fun but alex and i were able to get diagonally out of it where the feeling of sand under your feet was the best ever!
After a shower and burrito lunch we hit the road for Sydney one more time. For now I have learned a new skill, got some color and enjoyed a beautiful weekend in January.

The week ahead brings internship time and classes and a presentation. woohoo.
over and out for now =)

Fun Fact: You are not allowed to carry any form of weapon in Sydney, including mace or pocket knives. Its illegal

Blue Manley weekend

Goodday mate!

Much has happened over the weekend into today to keep my trip teaming right along. 

   After our internship orientation we had a presentaion on excursions we could sign up for from Phi Beta Dingo, including canyoning, the sydney bridge climb, platypus spotting, dune boarding and a trip to the Great Barrier Reef.( with which of course i was the odd one to aks if i could not only brig my own equipment but go on a different dive then the learn to class.) All in all I signed away about $2100 before I left for lunch. 

   The group met up at The Rocks, for an outdoor Welcome lunch of crocodile, kangaroo, pumpkin, and the more mundane cheese, margarita and chicken pizzas. The crocodile looked like fish, the kangaroo more like beef. I prefered the later of the two. 

   The afternoon involved exploring one of the local malls and a dialog with a teenager Aussie who was intrigued to hear us say she had an accent and that we had only just arrived, yet reassured us on the amazing times in store for us in Sydney. Later to enjoy the night life we hit up Side Bar where the Phi Beta Dingo lady Tasha, gave you a pink bracelet to get free beer, wine and champagne until the tap was dry (which due to the group of about 100 CAPA student was about an hour). Dancing and music filled the bar until we headed home somewhat earlier so we could be up and functioning at 8 am for our Wildlife and Blue Mountain Bush Walk. We were able to meet wallabies, wombats, dingos, and pet the kangaroos, koalas and echindas (porcupines). then we drove up the blue mtns and climbed down past waterfalls and outlooks. To get back u[ we hitched a ride on the worlds steepest railway which climbed at a 52 degree incline, as you were sitting facing backwards at the view out and below.

   Monday brought an early and long day. I left at 7:30 for my 10:00 interview to give time for the hrish communte and for me to get lost (which i did). After some guidance i arrived at Sydney ENT day surgury clinic in Chatswood. I was shown around the basically circular way from changing to pre-op to the theaters (aka operating rooms) and into recovery. I was introduced to the nurses like this " this is Julie she in biology looking into a medical degree, shell be with us for abut 3 months and shes here to do your hair makeup and whatever else needed." I am not out of uni, so without a degree and therefor am basically just shadowing. No drama, i was dressed in scrubs and able to watch a nosejob, a child get gromets or tubes put in her ears, a an get his horizontal molar removed and another get sinuses worked on. So far so good. The hours are flexible, i was told to come and go as i please, and if its nice to go the beach or the zoo. 

   I left and headed to my first class, Australian cinema, which we looked at the movie Australia and the themes of nationlity. three hours later i was finally on the bus home.

  

Tomorrow (wednesday) is Australia Day, like our 4th of July, where most do not work but there are events all day with fireworks and parties. Today i get to attend sociology, watch over wisdom teeth extractions and then my internship lecture tonight. So its another long day but what the hell im in australia!!

Until next time!

-- Julie

Fun Fact:  Australia is roughly the same size as the US but with the population of only New York!

Chatswoods

Success!  and in many ways. not only was my roommates and i able to get ourselves to class today across Sydney via public transport, but we also went grocery shopping to start up our empty kitchen and for our first dinner  cooked a lovely bowtie pasta in a a cream sauce and sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, and peas with chicken, and garlic bread. So delicious =) Even ore important i was placed in an internship as a clinical intern with Dr. LaForest who is and ear, nose and throat specialist who deals with 80% children right in Chatswoods near my classes. that interview is on Monday morning. wish me luck!

 Another excitement this morning around 4:30am I woke up and tried to straighten out my debit card with bank of america so that they knew i was in australia... well all the international numbers did not work properly so i had to call the american line internationally ( so about $2 + a min) so after 16 mins and around 32$ later I can now use my card without issues.

 otherwise this weekend brings an excursion to the blue mountains and the wildlife park to visit the kas and kangaroos and dingos and other aussie animals. then most likely a beach day on sunday
classes start next week. i have monday and tuesday for classes and the rest of my time for my internship

hope everything back in the states is going well. best wishes from down under
 -- Julie

FYI: I am 16 hours ahead so it is about noon on friday, not 8 on thursday

Fun Fact: our tour guide pointed out that australia not ony has a Woman prime minister but shes a Ginger! (although not sure if she would be in the daywalker or redhead category )

Sydney fair dinkum!

It has begun! I can no longer run home for items forgotten or just to visit. No more simple calls without calculating time differences.

 It is now just past noon on thursday, I entered Logan airport around noon on monday, for a 2:30pm flight to san francisco only to be delayed abour 2 hours because the plane was struck by lightning and they were getting us a different one. So finally we set flight across the country for 7 hours along with 4 other girls from Umass. On the way across teriminals in san fran we grabbed snacks and I of course found the one places called 'just desserts' for a frappe. =) with little time inbetween we boarded for our 14 hour fligt over the pacific. Taking a good friends advice, with my dinner I enjoyed a sunrise-sunset cocktail around midnight or 3am est. Most of my time was spent reading Harry Potter, with short naps when the opportunity and comfort worked together (which was only occasionally).  I also stared out at the dark ocean below and endless night sky spotted with strs when not blanketed with clouds. Tuesday came and went in the air, and in complete darkness, it was not until wed morning when i saw my first ray of light in 35 hours.

When the opera house came into view upon landing is when i couldnt help by smile and think, this is really it. im really in australia... we file off the 757 and head to customs where guess who had an issue with her visa? thats right. me! they did not have my middle name on my visa to match my passport. Once quickly resolved, the six of us loaded into a shuttle taxi to hau us and luggage a few miles down the road to our new apartments.  2 bedrooms, 2 baths, full kitchen, living room balcony and washer/dryer. 

Before checking in we got a quick walking/bus tour of the suurunding area to higtlight the grocery store, internet cafes, library and central train station. A bunch of the guys and I journeyed into downtown sydney in search of Vodafone, the aussie Verzion, which ending up as a 4 hr walk around the city.  But success!  everyone can now shoot me a text or a ring at 011 61 40. 684. 0329 =)

Itinerary for the rest of the week

today was a 8:30 am - class orientation 

Friday 9:30 am -internship orientation & travel presentation, followed by Welcome Ceremony 

* at this point i  think everyone has an internship except me.. which i may have tomorrow ill let you know

Saturday 8:00 am Blue Mtn day trip

Missing everyone already! 

Fun Fact -- fair dinkum means for real! or genuine 

                   pissed means drunk

                and dodgy means sketchy