Exam and Indigenous People Tour

Today we had our first and only exam of the class (gasp).  But not to worry, it wasn't so bad!  Even finished with an hour to spare!  After a short break we embarked on a tour of the indigenous reserves.  There, a very nice tour guide named Clare walked us through the sandstone/lava rock areas that had the original carvings of the indigenous people from years back.  It was very similar to the lava expanse I saw with my family in Hawaii this summer, the one that reminded me of the phantom zone from Superman.  We ended our bus/walking tour in a small river area where we went swimming in the water and jumping off the pier, because it was 75/80 degrees here today!  All-in-all, not a SUPER eventful day (after the tour we came back to the apartments and worked on our projects) but this weekend is gearing up to be very busy (opera, outdoor markets, Sydney Art Fest, etc). 

Three amigos! Me, Hannah, and Danielle

Me and my friend Brandyn doing the Titanic

Me and Gina from HoCo!

Indigenous Tour

Indigenous tour

Indigenous tour

An excerpt from my journal:

I think my biggest challenge so far has been what my mom calls “FOMA”- Fear of Missing Out.  I have to remember that I’m only here for three weeks, but there is so much I would like to do: see an opera, go shopping at all of the outdoor markets, go hiking, visit some of the museums (especially during some of the evening’s special events), and see a movie on the world’s biggest IMAX screen.  Fortunately, the class has scheduled all sorts of interesting events to take up our day, like an architectural tour, visits to the gardens, and wine tasting events.  Unfortunately, combining this with our required class time leaves little down time for doing everything else that I want to do!  Coming from a suburban lifestyle where the most exciting events outside the daily grind was probably the high school football game, or coming from College Park where life revolves around school and sports, it is definitely an adjustment for me to be living for three weeks in a city where every day has something new and exhilarating to offer.  At times I feel that I am on sensory overload, like a hungry child at a buffet.  I will most certainly have to adjust to urban life and prioritize the things I want to do and the people I want to do them with.  I have to remember that people are generally more laid-back here, and any new experience is a good one!  After this exciting week, I look forward to experiencing every day of the next two weeks in Sydney.