Acclimation

I was sitting talking with some of the other Park Lodge residents, and realizing how weird a life I've lived.  I used to complain that I had missed out on "normal" life experiences, because as a teen I didn't experiment with drugs and alcohol like many of my peers, or because I didn't sneak out, or go to crazy parties, or get detentions.  I'd hear all these adults talking about the crazy shit they did in high school, reminiscing the good ol' days.  It took me a while, but I now understand that the reason those people tell stories about their crazy times in high school is because that was the highlight of their lives and they're trying to relive it through their memories.  I am soo incredibly happy that I didn't have a normal upbringing and that people think I'm an odd duck, because the last thing I'd want is to be "normal" and have to relive my past to be happy.  Sure, it's strange that I've moved 25 times in my life, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I can relate to almost every single other American on my program because I've lived or visited near where they do or wherever they're telling a story about.  When I get home, I'm going to be the weirdo who spent my summer in Australia's winter, rather than going to Europe like everyone else.  And here, I'm the weirdo who feels significantly safer in Sydney than her home town, and has never taken a city bus, not because my city is too small to need to, but because they're too unsafe.  I was talking to one of my co-workers today when I went to go tour the office (still don't start til Thursday) about how I feel a bit more comfortable in Sydney than others in my program simply because New Orleans isn't terribly "American."  He, having just visited New Orleans a few weeks before, said he completely understood, and also told me he and a bunch of his buddies agreed that there were only three cities worth mentioning in America:  New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans.


I haven't had any culture shock yet, although there are some slight differences I've been admiring.  The city is impeccably clean, except in the residential areas where the dogs seem to really enjoy taking a shit on the footpaths (aka sidewalks).  There's certainly the hustle and bustle of a city, but people have no problem stopping to give you directions and they return friendly smiles as you pass one another on the street.  The sirens are just slightly off key from ours, almost as if it were battery-operated and said battery was starting to die.  Everyone has these adorable little toddlers that they cart around in strollers identical to what American toddlers use solely for their babydolls.  In the morning, Sydney smells of freshly baked bread everywhere you go, and Asian cuisine dominates the restaurant scene.  There's a surprising number of people wandering around the city during the day hours, yet they in no way appear homeless.  In fact, there aren't many homeless or crazy street people at all.    


I'm staying at this adorable old Victorian house that's been split into 22 rooms and houses a maximum of 50 people.  Currently there's only about 30 of us, and it should stay around that number all winter.  We had a house meeting tonight, so we all got to meet each other.  It was nice, because up until tonight I had met less than a handful of people in the building NOT associated with AustraLearn.  Minutes before I had been talking to Morgan on Facebook about how I was never going to make any friends, because I was going to have to make them off the street and that's far too sketchy and I'd never be able to do it.  I was just being crazy though, because I've made a dozen friends through AustraLearn.  Yes, I came over here to hang out with Australians, but who ever said I can't also have American friends?  And tonight after the meeting I hung out with some Australians staying in the house (who I'd actually already met), another American guy from some other program, an Irish guy who crazy resembles my dad, and this French guy.  Poor Mathieu (the French one) doesn't know much English, and everyone was just rambling along not trying to include him in conversation at all.  Even when they would try to talk to him, they spoke super quickly and with words and phrases very English in nature.  I decided he will be my motivation to do my Rosetta Stone and learn French, and I even asked him if he'd help me practice.  I feel like the French are a very understood people, the vast majority of the French people I've met have been nothing short of wonderful.  Canadians too!  I guess I just like rooting for the underdog haha!


I will now bring you on a virtual tour of my building (albeit, my bedroom which I have yet to unpack and is an utter pigsty!)  It's a three-story house, and I'm on the top floor in #33.  There's a front staircase and a back staircase.  I pretty much just take the back stairs because they're closer to my room and all our common areas (Plus, I've always liked houses with two staircases, and the back stairs excite me because I feel they're more secretive.)  The back stairs are right by the back door, and once you exit the kitchen is an attached room directly to your right, followed by a patio with attached room containing the washer and dryer.  After the patio area there's an unattached room we use as a lounge, which has digital cable, a playstation, some travel books, and three bookshelves full of old VHS tapes.

Kitchen

Patio area & laundry room

Another area of the Patio, and our House Managers Virg (short for Virginia) & her partner Dusan

{Here marriage isn't as big as in America, and often times people will stay in long-term, committed, co-habitating relationships without getting married, so hearing someone speak of their partner doesn't necessarily mean they're gay.  Speaking of which homosexuality is much more widely accepted here too, which is extremely cool.}

 

The lounge

All of this is directly across the hall from my bedroom

I will tack a picture of my room on here as soon as I sort everything out.  I started out in #26 off on an alcove by myself in a teeny room with two twin beds.  There's an AustraLearn girl with allergies to EVERYTHING who brought her twin-sized allergen mattress cover with her from home, but her room (#33) had a double bed.  I told her I'd be willing to switch if she really felt like she'd get sick in her room.  Idiot that I am, I forgot to test out the bed before agreeing to the switch.  So, I went from a super comfortable twin, to a double that I stick to one side of because rolling is impossible due to it's 20-year-old pull-out couch mattress quality :-/  I did buy an egg carton mattress pad (because that's the best quality they had to offer here.  I guess no one has heard of memory foam yet over here), but I'm thinking of folding it in half to add more cushion as it's still not cutting it.

My mattress pad purchase adventure was a rather interesting one.  I had planned on going to Wildlife World to see all the little koalas and kangaroos.  But considering stores close around 5 here (except on Thursdays which is late night shopping day), I wanted to go to get a mattress pad first knowing I wouldn't be able to sleep through another night without one.  I heard they have Target here, so I figured that would be the best, cheap way to get one.  So I looked up the address, found the bus I needed to take, and walked over there.  Then I got really confused about which side of the road I needed to be on, and walked back and forth like three times.  One way listed the correct bus number and time (hint, hint!), but the side I was positive I should have been on didn't.  So, rather than putting two and two together and realizing I'd misread the map and was supposed to be going the opposite way, I decided to walk.  Morgan can tell you better than anyone, that when I'm supposed to be taking a bus but decide to walk instead because I get a "brilliant idea" that it will turn into a day of rushed, confused walking about a city for hours on end without actually getting anywhere.  At least I'm consistent, because that's EXACTLY what happened...again.  I walked for like 2 1/2 hours in the wrong direction, and somehow, by the grace of god, wound up on the major street right off where my house is (but in a completely different area than where I started my unexpected trek).  Needless to say, didn't make it to Wildlife World; hell, didn't even make it to freaking Target!  I got home, had a glass of wine and a slice of cheesecake, and passed out for a few hours before trying for the mattress pad again.  I finally, after getting lost again (it's almost unbelievable, i know!), made it down to the shopping center that had KMart, not even Target, HA!  I did get a winter coat for $30 at another store in the mall, and a scarf that was half off.  Oh, and I bought a purse! ME, a purse!  The girl who has carried the smallest possible wallet and nothing else for two years bought a bag, but only so I'd have something to cart my work stuff with me to and from the office.

My house has a really good location though, and now that I'm starting to finally figure out the bus system it's even more convenient.  It's only like a 10 minute bus ride to anywhere.  There's a lot within walking distance too, including a pastry shop, a pub, a Blockbuster (strangely enough, they're not out of business yet! They have really cool deals several days a week too!), and Surry Hills Village Shopping Center.  Inside the shopping center there's a Cole's grocery store (where I bought my Frooty Rings I've been eating every morning for breakfast, and freaking gourmet tasting Easy Mac!) and a LiquorLand!  Oh, and like a pharmacy, Budget Buster (dollar general) and Post Shop (post office) too.  Maybe today I'll actually make it to Wildlife World!  One day...