Welcome Down Under Mate

It's been a little while since my last post, but things have been pretty hectic adjusting to Sydney. In this second half of the trip, I'm taking three classes instead of two so I have been spending a lot more time in class and doing homework. Despite that I still had some time at the end of last week to
Outside the Sydney Opera House.
explore the city beyond simply meals. Last Wednesday, I went to Bondi Beach. Bondi is a total tourist trap, but a very beautiful one at least. Laying on the beach to do my readings for class was something I could get on board with more often for sure. When I went back to Bondi yesterday, the beach was covered in purple and blue jellyfish. The purple jellies were relatively harmless, but the blue could deliver a real nasty sting if you weren't careful. That's exactly why I stayed out of the water, but several of the guys went in and Thomas ended up getting stung. They weren't kidding when they said the animals in Australia are out to get you.
View of Brisbane from Mount Coot-tha.

Last Thursday, I went to my first opera at the Sydney Opera House. There's really no better way to be introduced to operas than by going to the Sydney Opera House plus it made for a pretty killer second date. Thomas and I had dinner looking out over Darling Harbor which was a stunning view of the ocean, bridge, and opera house. Afterwards, we got the student discounted tickets to see La Traviata which is an Italian opera. Thankfully there was a synopsis and subtitles during the opera to let us know what was going on. The opera was absolutely beautiful and I'm so glad that it was something I got to experience while I am in Sydney.

Over the weekend, I got out of Sydney and away from the program by flying to Brisbane by myself to visit some friends. Justin, Cosmo, and Dietmar graciously welcomed me into their home for the weekend. Justin picked me up from the airport and gave me a great driving tour of the city since he
Sunset from the plane on my flight back to Sydney.
got lost trying to get back. Once he reoriented himself, he took me up to Mount Coot-tha. Mount Coot-tha provided me with a panoramic view of the city of Brisbane which I was blown away by. Later that night I got to meet a bunch of Justin's friends out at bars in Paddington (an area of Brisbane). It was pretty cool to interact with some Australians my age since our program doesn't focus on that very much. I got quizzed a lot on my "American knowledge" (really my movie knowledge) which was quite poor apparently.

The next day Justin and I hung out with Tom, one of his friends, and went for a swim as well as played some tennis. I haven't played tennis in two years so it was a lot of fun to be able to play again. That night Justin and Dietmar cooked resulting in the first home-cooked meal that I've had in 7 weeks. To say that I appreciated it would be an understatement. The rest of the night was pretty
relaxed with us staying in and watching the Accountant. Dietmar did make his signature ice cream which involves cooking mixed berries in a pan with whiskey, setting it on fire, then pouring it on top of vanilla ice cream and putting it in a wine glass. It was amazing. On Sunday, we went to church in the morning. It was cool to experience how other countries do their religious services and I actually really liked the pastor. Afterwards, I packed my stuff up and headed back to Sydney. Brisbane was a really nice change of pace from Sydney since it was way less touristy and hectic. I've only got one more weekend in Sydney so I have a feeling things might be a little hectic this weekend to try and fit everything this city has to offer in. I guess we'll see what the week has in store for me!

~S

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