Its been awhile...

Wow. Over two months since I posted anything. I have a defense. Really! I've been busy with papers and exams. I swear. It is totally true! Also, I haven't done much except one very long road trip which I will detail in full before the end of the week. I can't now, cause I'm on my way to Brisbane in a few hours.

However, I will give you a taste...the trip involves two girls, a camper named Chubby, dead Kangaroos, dingos and lots of open road...also, new shoes.

Dunes...

Hayley and I went to Stockton to play on the dunes. Alas, after a bus ride, a ferry ride and a two hour walk along the beach (pictured in the photo--we walked from the grass part all the way to the part you can barely make-out) we found no dunes. It was very sad. However, we did accomplish one very important thing: absolute procrastination!
I found a shell to add to my collection and I was very intrigued by the sea-foam. But, then I thought of the Little Mermaid and started to get a little bit of a sniffle. While walking back to the ferry I spotted the General Washington Hotel and had a bit of a giggle. Wonder if it's the same General?

Rod Steiger, Dr. Strangelove, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Neigbours Or: How to Avoid Being Productive

Everyone has their favorite way to procrastinate. Some (and this seems to be a very popular way among the ladies here) clean. Others go surfing or boogie boarding. As I would rather chew off my own leg than clean and I have absolutely no desire to die by sharks or drowning, I have had to come up with another way to procrastinate. And last week I discovered it: the Achmuty Library's greatest secret--their collection of movies. The library has everything from The Fountainhead (based on Ayn Rand's novel starring the late great Gary Cooper) to The Illustrated Man (based on the book written by Ray Bradbury starring Rod Steiger).

As it was raining last weekend, I decided to go to the library and watch a movie for my Australian Pop Culture class. The movie was called Puberty Blues. Puberty Blues is the most terrifying film ever made based on the scariest novel ever written. It is a coming of age tale for girls set in the Australia of the 1970s. What makes it scary is that it is still relevant not just to Aussie girls but all teenage girls in the world, or at least the developed world. It is the story of two 13 year-old-girls who have sex, do drugs and drink to become part of the in-crowed. But, not to worry, they give it up and become surfer chicks in the end.

After watching that cinematic train wreck, I watched Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The 1956 anti-conformity Sci-fi flick based on the novel of the same name was once considered a B movie. But, it is now a classic having been remade twice and influencing everyone who is anyone in the movie business. It is one of the best movies I have seen in long time and also one of the most terrifying. What if Earth was invaded by space pods and everyone we know is the same but not? They have the same memories, they look the same and sound the same but they aren't the same. You go to sleep one night and suddenly your not you...

This week I have enjoyed Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb and The Illustrated man. Dr. Strangelove is one of the funniest dark comedies ever made. An American general named Jack Ripper goes a bit crazy, finds a loop hole that allows him to launch a nuclear attack on Russia. What is worse, is Russia has a Dooms Day Machine--a nuclear bomb infused with some element or other that will destroy all of Earth and everything on it for 93 years--which will automatically go off if Russia is attacked. The title character is on screen for all of five minutes, but in those five minutes he delivers the some of the most hilarious lines in the film--a plan to survive underground for a hundred years. Lets just say you get the idea Dr. Strangelove was once a Nazi...

The Illustrated Man is typical Bradbury. Nearly two hours of subtle terror. There are no scary aliens or monsters, just scary humans who have extraordinary things happen to them. The Illustrated Man (played by Steiger) is man who fell for a women who illustrated his skin. The illustrations come to life and when you look at those illustrations you find yourself in stories that span time. Stories that always end badly--like being in a future where kids can use a device, think up anything they like and then kill you by feeding you to the lions that have imagined (another reason not procreate). It isn't even the stories that scary, really, but the fact that you can see the end coming a mile away and the characters don't.

Another good way to procrastinate is by watching every single episode of Neighbours that is on youtube. Neighbours is the longest running show on Australian TV (22 years). It is a half hour soap but without the weird facial expressions at the end of every scene. Some devotee (more than one, actually) has taken the time to record the show everyday for at least two years and then posted them on youtube. I, and I suspect many others, have wasted entire days watching it. I don't why it's so compelling. It has become an addiction.

My friend Hayley who falls into the 'likes to clean' group of procrastinators is unwittingly helping me to further procrastinate by taking me to the dunes tomorrow. I will, in an effort to up my nerdiness, pretend to be Paul Atreides catching a ride on a Sandworm...

Things I forgot to mention in the last post....

1) My new shoes 2) First stop on the wine tour 3) Last stop on the tour 4) Elizabeth and Nathan (aka Don Carlos) during Mexican Night (don't ask)

I forgot to mention a few things in the last post. First, I changed my hair colour as you can see in the pictures. Hayley wanted to go darker and I got caught up the excitement. So, late one night while in Sydney we headed to Coles in Chinatown, bought some dye and coloured our hair. Hayley hates hers. Second, I bought some new shoes while in Melbourne. This is exciting and notworthy for two reasons: 1) I wanted to get them in Sydney, but thought I could buy them cheaper on-line. Turns out they are limited editions and only sold through one store--Hype. So, I bought them while in Melbourne and now I am a happy camper and 2) they make me feel like a 21st century Dorthy only instead of Oz I'm in OZ and instead of lions and tigers and bears there are kangaroos, platypuses (platypie?) and Koalas (which are not bears, actually). Third, I went to the Wildlife Center and the Aquarium while in Sydney. The last thing I forgot (how I forgot, I don't know) is the wine tour I took in July.

The wine tour was for a friends birthday. It was involved the group of friends I met at the hostel. We went to five or six wineries in the Hunter Valley. I got to try "O," which is amazing and Chile schnapps. One of the best days ever.

I think I also forgot to mention our theme nights, but I get the feeling there are some stories better left untold, but I've given you a photo as a hint...

Also, its been raining for three days.

Sydney and Melbourne

1)It reminded me of the show... 2) Me and the Opera House 4) Me and the bridge 4) On our way to the Twelve Apostles (I was car sick) 5) The Twelve Apostles

School has been kicking my butt, which is why I haven't written in over a month.

In August I went with a group of people to Sydney for the weekend. We really went for the Jason Mraz concert, but we also wanted to do a bit of the tourist thing.

We saw the bridge and the opera house like the good tourists we are. Although, I have to admit I wasn't much impressed. While I didn't really care for those attractions I will say the nerd in me loved the authors walk along the Sydney Harbor.

Hayley and I went to Manley one afternoon as well. Also not very impressive but the ferry ride back was awesome! The view approaching the harbor was gorgeous. We got there just as the sun was starting to set.

The Wake Up! hostel was nice and only a block from Chinatown. Hayley introduced me to Milk Tea (aka bubble tea)--a tea with milk afloat with tapioca globules. It's an interesting experience for ones taste-buds.

Hayley and I, feeling guilty for not doing our homework, went to the ANZAC Memorial. We had just gone over the ANZAC legend in our Australia in the 20th century class. Personally, I had never heard of the ANZACs before and, maybe because I'm an American, I don't get it. But, then I don't get a lot of things about the Australians. Like their sports obsession or why they take three words and make come out as one (ex: How are you? becomes howyagoin'?).

The concert was the highlight of the trip, of course. I have never spent $60 so well in my life! Loved it. He was funny, energetic, he involved the audience and he was on stage for two hours! It was fantastic.

Last Thursday I went with another group to Melbourne. I should have gone by myself or with a smaller group or with people I actually know well enough to have a conversation with. Maybe, I should have told the annoying, bossy girl who sucked all the air out of the room to F-off. But, alas, I was didn't and I paid for it. I didn't have as good a time as I should have. But that isn't to say the trip to Melbourne was a bust. I think it is one of my favourite cities. It actually felt like a city, whereas Sydney felt more like a very big home town.

The first day, we rented a car and drove the Great Ocean Road to the twelve apostles. It was really beautiful. A word of advice: remember your motion sickness pills. The highlight, was the trip back into Melbourne. We actually saw a Koala run across the road! In fact, we almost hit it. It's amazing how much more exciting seeing an animal can be when it isn't locked in a cage.

The rest of the weekend involved a museum, a big market and a lot of walking in the windy, rainy cold.

The Immigrant museum was nice. I would have enjoyed it better if I had been with people who were a bit more into the museum thing. It felt like they were there because it was raining outside.

The market was, well a market. They did have really, really , really good corn on the cob, though.

Sunday, we walked through the Bohemian neighbourhood. I hate the pretentiousness of it. People who want to be something interesting (like Bohemian) and yet miss the point entirelly and then try and sell you used clothes for hundreds of dollars. I had some really good pumpkin and lintel soup, though. And it was cheap!

We also went to the botanical gardens. It was really beautiful. I bet it is absolutely spectacular in spring and summer. While we were there we stopped by the Shrine of Rememberance. I wish I had more time at the Shrine, but everyone to go back to the hostel.

Melbourne has some amazing buildings, both old and new. The city really embraces the past and looks toward the future. I think it might surpass Sydney as the New York of Australia. At least I hope it does.

Duck Attack

I was attacked by a duck while walking to my Chivalric Society class this morning. The little bugger bit my ankle! To be fair, I was walking on a path close to were his babies were eating with their mom, but still!

I have a feeling spring time will be very interesting around here.

The First REAL day of classes

Today was the first day of real lectures and tutorials. My day started at 8 a.m. when I got ready for them, still half asleep because I was up until 2 a.m. reading about Australia's Liberal (actually conservative) party and why they don't want Australia to become a Republic. At 9 a.m. I began my 30 min walk to were my class, and the only recognizable form of coffee, is. My Australia in the 20th century lecture began at 10 a.m. after walking up three flights of stairs and spilling my coffee all over Ringo Stars head. The lecture was two hours long.

At noon I went to the student union and ate at Subway. Again.

At 1 p.m. I was in my Romantic and Victorian Literature seminar. We were 'discussing' Blake. Turns out it was more of a I'll tell you what I want to be said and lets see how well you can repeat it type of discussion. Blake deserves better.

At three I walked back to my dorm for a jacket and to drop off my gigantic Norton and then made my way back to were I was for my 4 p.m. AU in the 20th century tutorial. We had to do an icebreaker where you say two true things about yourself and one lie. We are a very boring group of people. The most exciting lie was "I am a Canadian."

Then we discussed the reading I did early this morning except I couldn't remember what I read!

Now, though classes are done for the day, I have to head to the library and watch Mad Max 2 and I still have to read 100 pages on Chivalry.

This is the 5th consecutive day of rain...