Living here in the student village has definitely made me appreciate my living situation back home. For instance, in my bathroom there are separate faucets for hot and cold water. Now this might not seem like a huge deal, however when you try to wash your hands or your face without scalding your skin, it becomes an issue. Washing my face now takes about three or four minutes because to be able to deal with the hot water, I have to pool cold water in my hands first. Then when I combine the two temperatures, the result is a lukewarm mixture. About every fourth time I do this maneuver I somehow forget about how hot the hot water is and inevitably burn myself. The good news though is that I can ice my hands under the cold water immediately! Another bathroom adaptation I’ve had to make is wearing flip-flops in the shower, which is another reason why I feel like a freshman living in the dorms all over again.
The last time I wrote, I was a little discouraged about cooking and how eating here would be, because the little grocery located next to the village isn’t exactly top notch, but it’s super cheap. However, if I decide to make about a ten-minute walk, there is a mall down the street that carries a lot more fresh produce and food options. I don’t even know if I can accurately describe how massive this place is. I honestly think each floor is about a mile long – and there are three. Anyway, Devin and I found a fresh foods market on Sunday, and brace yourself: three oranges, a huge bag of grapes, and a big bag of carrots cost $3.89. In other words, being a vegetarian here is very cheap. I want to know how Australia makes their produce so cheap because the US needs to adopt their methods. I think there is some correlation between fresh food being so cheap here and the smaller size of the majority of Australians’ waistbands. An important note about the bags of carrots here – they don’t have “baby carrots” or bite size. These are old school, just plucked out of the ground carrots. I wanted to be able to paint the picture for you guys of me, munching on a carrot, exactly like Bugs Bunny. You’re welcome.
Yesterday was the first day of classes, and I think I’m really going to like it here. So far all the teachers I’ve met seem really neat and passionate about engaging students. The campus I’m taking my classes at is like heaven for any exercise related major. They have world-class testing facilities and labs, with all the machines and instruments being top notch. In both my resistance training and biomechanics classes they made it seem like we get to play with all that stuff too, so needless to say the inner nerd in me is very excited. Classes are a structured a little bit different here than at IU. For example, my Biomechanics lecture meets once a week, for two hours, and then I have one, hour and a half lab every other week. I made it through the first two-hour lecture without going crazy, and hey there’s only eleven more left, so here’s to looking at the glass half full.
This morning, when my motor learning teacher began talking to the class, I got really excited because he sounded like he was from the states. I instantly felt like I was a little closer to home. However, the first slide of his PowerPoint presentation, which he promptly started after he said hi, revealed he was actually from Canada. It’s funny because I’ve had a couple Aussies ask me if I was from Canada, and when this happened I laughed a little inside and thought to myself “Oh you silly person, how cute – mixing me up with a Canadian.” Well, this goes to show the joke is on me because I had no idea Canadians and Americans could sound so similar. Eh?
Okay I have to say something about the boy’s fashion here. It’s normal for guys to wear tight pants. I’m talking like, spandex pants. I don’t get it and it’s weird. Also, capris are a big thing here for guys. Some of their pants bunch around mid calf – this also makes me stop and stare, because I don’t even wear capris! These weird tight, capri pants aren’t just for going out in either. They are part of the normal, every day outfit for some Aussie boys. I’m not judging – you know, to each his own – I just don’t see how it’s comfortable.
The last time I wrote, I was a little discouraged about cooking and how eating here would be, because the little grocery located next to the village isn’t exactly top notch, but it’s super cheap. However, if I decide to make about a ten-minute walk, there is a mall down the street that carries a lot more fresh produce and food options. I don’t even know if I can accurately describe how massive this place is. I honestly think each floor is about a mile long – and there are three. Anyway, Devin and I found a fresh foods market on Sunday, and brace yourself: three oranges, a huge bag of grapes, and a big bag of carrots cost $3.89. In other words, being a vegetarian here is very cheap. I want to know how Australia makes their produce so cheap because the US needs to adopt their methods. I think there is some correlation between fresh food being so cheap here and the smaller size of the majority of Australians’ waistbands. An important note about the bags of carrots here – they don’t have “baby carrots” or bite size. These are old school, just plucked out of the ground carrots. I wanted to be able to paint the picture for you guys of me, munching on a carrot, exactly like Bugs Bunny. You’re welcome.
Yesterday was the first day of classes, and I think I’m really going to like it here. So far all the teachers I’ve met seem really neat and passionate about engaging students. The campus I’m taking my classes at is like heaven for any exercise related major. They have world-class testing facilities and labs, with all the machines and instruments being top notch. In both my resistance training and biomechanics classes they made it seem like we get to play with all that stuff too, so needless to say the inner nerd in me is very excited. Classes are a structured a little bit different here than at IU. For example, my Biomechanics lecture meets once a week, for two hours, and then I have one, hour and a half lab every other week. I made it through the first two-hour lecture without going crazy, and hey there’s only eleven more left, so here’s to looking at the glass half full.
This morning, when my motor learning teacher began talking to the class, I got really excited because he sounded like he was from the states. I instantly felt like I was a little closer to home. However, the first slide of his PowerPoint presentation, which he promptly started after he said hi, revealed he was actually from Canada. It’s funny because I’ve had a couple Aussies ask me if I was from Canada, and when this happened I laughed a little inside and thought to myself “Oh you silly person, how cute – mixing me up with a Canadian.” Well, this goes to show the joke is on me because I had no idea Canadians and Americans could sound so similar. Eh?
Okay I have to say something about the boy’s fashion here. It’s normal for guys to wear tight pants. I’m talking like, spandex pants. I don’t get it and it’s weird. Also, capris are a big thing here for guys. Some of their pants bunch around mid calf – this also makes me stop and stare, because I don’t even wear capris! These weird tight, capri pants aren’t just for going out in either. They are part of the normal, every day outfit for some Aussie boys. I’m not judging – you know, to each his own – I just don’t see how it’s comfortable.
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