Finding Nemo...

First thing’s first. I tried vege-mite. If you’re curious how it tastes, mix red wine with soy sauce and spread it on toast. I don’t recommend it.

I had to get that off my chest.

Well, I met up with everyone from Australearn, and I have to say that it is kind of a weird Orientation. You meet up with fellow students and get to know one another for two days, and then you go off to different parts of Australia, most likely to never see each other again. I wasn’t quite sure what the meaning behind all of it was.

As a result of all this though, it was a part of the Orientation to go to the Great Barrier Reef. Not a bad deal. We had to wake up at O’dark thirty (which I just found out the Australian equivalent of that expression is Stupid O’clock, which I like much better) to catch the boat for a two and a half hour ride to the reef. Keep in mind that it’s winter down here also, so it’s a bit chilly out on the water. We rode on a giant catamaran, and I thought I was cool because I was lying out on one of the nets in the front with my camera, just casually taking pictures and getting some rest. Then all of a sudden, out of NOWHERE, a big wave splashes from under the net and completely soaks me. Completely. I was soaking wet. I didn’t care much that I was drenched in cold ocean water because I was more concerned about my digital camera I was holding. Luckily, by some act of fate, my camera was in its case at the time and barely got any water on it. It was safe, but if it would have been out of its case, I would be singing a different tune. Regardless, I decided that it wasn’t safe to have my camera out, and that marked the end of my Great Barrier Reef pictures.

Fortunately, that was a wise choice. There were many other moments on the trip where I got completely soaked from waves. On the trip we stopped at two different spots on the reef. It was odd going to the Great Barrier Reef, because for some reason in my mind I pictured some sort of landmark or big distinguishing factor for the largest reef in the world, but as we pulled up it seemed just like any other reef. Needless to say the diving was incredible. There was so much life under the water that everywhere you turned you were likely to break up some school of fish. Sadly, I didn’t find Nemo, but I did get ot have a talk with Crush. I saw a sea turtle, which was the highlight of my dive. He was just cruising along, and sea turtles don’t mind humans as much as fish do, so you can catch up with them and actually pet their shell without them minding. It was awesome.

After the dive Australearn had a final presentation on the differences between Australian and American culture (and let me tell you, the language is very, very different), and then we were left to do as we pleased. I went out for a little bit that night to get some gelato with some other students. Remember how my debit card isn’t working? Well, it still isn’t, but I tried to pay for the gelato with it. When I bought my Skyrail pass, I didn’t have to punch in my pin number, so it let me purchase it, but for the gelato the lady needed my pin number. I punched in what my pin number used to be, and the receipt printed out with a big DECLINED on it. She must have not understood what that meant, because she just had me sign that paper and gave me the gelato. Maybe having a non-working debit card isn’t as bad as I thought! (errata: it is not actually that much fun to not have a working debit card. The cons outweigh the pros by a long shot).

The Orientation ended and I headed up to Canberra. It wasn’t that bad of a flight. I connected through Sydney, and as I was flying in I could see that Opera house from my window. You know how you have those moments when something in your life actually hits you? Well I think the moment I saw the Opera house was the moment I realized I was in Australia. Other than that my flight proved uneventful, and when I arrived in Australia’s capital city I gathered my bags and caught a taxi to my new home.

The driver was a cool guy: a local University student from Afghanistan. It’s always so weird when you see somebody who is not Australian with an Australian accent. I can’t even explain how weird it is, but once you see it, you’ll understand. He told me a little bit about the city, and dropped my off at my new house. I stood outside the door and waited for a minute to ring the doorbell. It’s such an odd feeling when you are about to see something that will become an everyday routine. I knew that what was behind that door would become a part of my life. I tried to take it all in while I had the chance, and rang the doorbell to meet the lady who was welcoming a complete stranger into her home for the next few months.

I’ll stop this entry right here, because I don’t want it to get too long (I know when things are too long, I’m less inclined to read them…). But rest assured that my new mom is quite the character.

Cheers!