Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Eleven it is...

Finally, a routine. Relaxing was fun but it's nice to have some structure to my days here. Classes have been going really well. I had all of my lectures this week and we start our tuts next week. I have no finals (only final papers) so I'm actually done June 4th which is great cause that gives me some time to travel before Mom and Dad get here (and hopefully Kevin too!). They're coming at the end of June.

Beach day on Tuesday was great. The sun was out for a while and we picked up salads on the way from our favorite little place that we pass by on our walk. We went to two backpacker bars this week. Leslie has a friend from camp who is living in Sydney working at one of them so he hooked us up. Last night we went out on Bondi Beach for the first time. It's fun going to places that are filled with locals and other foreigners, but it's also nice to be out with Americans we've met on our trip.

We're all looking forward to this weekend. Tomorrow we are going on a wine tour in Hunter Valley. They are picking us up at 7:15 in the morning and the bus ride is about 3 hrs. We're doing 30 tastings at 5 different wineries...it should be a very fun day :). Saturday is Gay MardiGras...it's a big part of Sydney culture and is apparently going to be one of the greatest experiences we have here. Should be interesting :). There is a market on Bondi Beach on Sundays so we're planning on doing a beach and shopping day. I finally was able to post pictures! Here's the link: Life in the Land of OZ (Pt. 1) I hope everyone has a great rest of the week and I'll write again soon. Enjoy the pics!!! Until next time...cheers :)

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Up and Running: Oprah, Ice Packs, and Tut-ers

So after two DREADFUL days without the Internet it's finally back! But it's ok cause we found Oprah...she's on channel "TEN" (which is actually channel one) at 1pm...thank G-d. I jinxed the weather because the past 2 days we tried to go to the beach but it's either been really cloudy or rainy. Tomorrow's supposed to be nice so we're going to make that a beach day which we're really excited about (no Tuesday class :)).

I started my first day of class today. It was a Sexuality class which seems really interesting. The lecture is one time a week for 2 hrs. and then we have a tutorial (or Tut as they call it here) for an hour once a week. The campus is great and it was cool to see the Australian students in their uni (college) environment. The classroom was a big lecture hall set up a lot like one at Indiana. The teacher taught off of slides and a syllabus. I wasn't really expecting anything much different, but it was reassuring to have that comforting teaching style that I'm used to.

We took it easy the past two nights and didn't go out because of the rain on Saturday and school this morning. We did go down to Darling Harbour on Friday night which was a lot of fun. There's a Bungalow 8 down there and a place called Cargo. Cargo is one of the bars that the Real World (the show on MTV) is allowed to film at and they are there all the time. A few people from our program actually went to the Real World house the other night and said it was really cool. They met some of the guys and apparently the girls who lived in the house went into the confessional and were talking bad about them which was kind of funny. They'll probably wind up being on the show cause they had to sign a bunch of papers before they entered the house, turn over their phones, cameras and some other things. It'll be cool to come back to the states in July and watch the new season and be able to point out a lot of the things around Sydney. After Darling Harbour we went to an area of town called Kings Cross. It was ok...I like it down by the harbour better. It's soooo hot here, even at night. We're going to start going out with ice packs strapped onto our backs...kidding...but seriously... ;)

We spent the day yesterday getting some of the final essentials for the apartment. It's starting to look more like a home and not a hotel suite which is definitely nice. I'll take pics of it soon. I made dinner for the roomies last night which was a lot of fun. We had the ground turkey sauce with roasted veggies that I make all the time at home (your favorite Dad! I even put the peas in it :)). Leah helped while Heidi watched and she and Les did a good job eating it...I guess when they go back for seconds you know you did something right :) The girls are finalizing their class schedules right now (they're at Sydney Uni) and should be back in a little. Oh! Heidi moved in yayyyyyy. She liked her roommates but since I had a single and we were getting a random roommate in April anyway, we all thought it would be fun if she moved upstairs. It's working out great. This week is going to be pretty relaxed. Since we don't have tuts this week I only have 3 more lectures. The days go by soo quickly here. I can't believe we've already been in the apartment for a week. Friday we're going on a Wine Tour in the Hunter Valley which should be a lot of fun. I'm sure I'll have some fun stories about that later in the week. My friend Natalie from camp who is a flight attendant for Air New Zealand has a stop-over in Sydney tonight so I think we're going to meet up in the city later. It will be nice to catch up with her. That's all for now. Miss everyone a lot and hope home is great. Keep the e-mails coming! I love hearing about what's going on wherever you may be...Cheers :)

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Apparently It's a Man's Job...

I know I wrote this morning but I have a story: So I decided to go to that cake store on Oxford Street in Bondi Junction to ask the lady if I could come in one day a week to work in her store and get experience. After looking a little confused at my request she proceeded to say (in her thick Israeli accent) "we produce in big quantities and it's a man's job to work the back of the house". I smiled and (trying to keep my composure and not tell her she was stuck in the 18th century and needed to open her eyes) said, "well thank you for your time and I'll definitely be back because your pastries look great". Stupid lady, she's not getting any of my business...but I'll keep trying :)

We shopped around Oxford Street for a little then me, Heidi (who is moving into our apartment tomorrow yayyyy), Leah, and Leslie walked to the beach again (but took the bus home this time). The Real World is shooting its next season in Sydney (they actually just started last week...one of the cast members was on my flight over here) and they were on Bondi Beach filming. The cast was taking surf lessons which was kind of cool to watch. It was the second time we've seen them so far. When we got back to Bondi Junction, Leslie and I went to join a gym which I'm really excited about and then had dinner in the mall. The food court is amazinggg it's like a gourmet food court. We decided not to go into the city tonight and take a break from going out. I'm sure it will resume tomorrow. Peter (from the grocery store) told us we had to go to the Opera Bar (by the Opera house) on Sunday to watch the cruises sail out of the port. We can actually see them sail out of the harbour at around 5 o'clock from our balcony which is really cool. Bed time for me. Until next time...cheers!

P.S. I attached some pics at the bottom and my phone number here is 011-61-4-1693-4975 if you are calling from the states and 04-1693-4975 if you are calling from Australia. My address is:

Stacy Rudin
Apt. 153
95-97 Grafton Street
Bondi Junction, Sydney
NSW 2022

feel free to call or write and if you're going to send e-mails please send them to srudin@indiana.edu or stay826@hotmail.com. Love to all :)

abseiling down the middle level cliff

one of the cute koalas at the wildlife park

me and a kangaroo
The Sydney Opera House

Maroubra Beach (day of the surf life saver competition)

Cool picture of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House from the ferry between Sydney and
Darling Harbours

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Life's a Beach

Yesterday was amazing. I keep pinching myself and saying "I can't believe I live here". We haven't had anything but sun, no clouds, warm temps and cool breezes (sorry to my friends up north but I can't help but brag :)). After our day of catching up on the Internet we decided since we live in Australia we need to get out and be productive. Me, Leah, Heidi, and a few other people decided to walk to the beach. It took about 40 minutes from our apartment but it was a great walk. We passed by so many cute cafes, patisseries, and shops. We walked into a French patisserie and I asked the girl if she was hiring...she looked at me like I was crazy but it was worth a shot. There are a few cute cake shops in Bondi so I think I'm going to go out tomorrow and ask around for a part time job. I don't have classes on Tuesdays so I might as well get some experience.

The beach is gorgeous. Bondi Beach is apparently one of the best beaches in the world and now I can see why. The sand is so soft and the water is very clear. It was kind of cold but once you're in you're in. There's a separate area for surfers (which are everywhere) and swimmers. The boardwalk by the beach is great...I really have nothing bad to say.

Our walk back was great. We stopped at this cute salad place that was definitely a good find and somewhere we will be going often. We came back to the apartment and took a little nap then went out to the Palace Hotel (they call a lot of bars hotels here). It was a lot of fun but some of the bars on Coogee close really early (but there still is a fare share of 24 hour, yes 24 hour, pubs). There are over 700 pubs in downtown Sydney alone and wine is honestly cheaper than water...it's crazy.

Today I had orientation at school. It was fun/boring but a good thing to go to. I think we're going to go shopping/browsing for a few hours then head back out to the beach. The sun doesn't set til around 8pm so you can literally go to the beach at 5 in the afternoon and still get a decent tan. The sun here is soooo strong. We've all been wearing a 30 SPF and still getting a tan. I think we're going to go out downtown tonight which is always a good time. I'll write again soon. Until then...cheers :)

Monday, February 19, 2007

Hello Good-vibers!

Hey Everyone!

Well I'm in Australia and loving life. I moved into my apartment two days ago and it's absolutely amazing. I'm living with 4 other girls (who I'm already obsessed with) on the 17th Floor of the Tiffany Apartments in Bondi Junction. My view is spectacular. Yesterday I was cooking in the kitchen staring at the Opera House, the Sydney Harbour, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. We have 2 balconies and a huge living room. The surrounding area is great too...kind of like a Lincoln Road with a lot of cute shops and outdoor restaurants. There is a HUGE mall at the end of the road (6 stories) with 2 food courts, 2 department stores, a gym, grocery store, and everything else you can think of. It's all right at our fingertips...the bus and train exchange are in the basement of our building...incredible. We're about 15 minutes by car to the city, 5 minutes car ride to Coogee Beach, and a 25 minute walk to Bondi Beach. It's kind of Americanized (you can find 2 Starbucks and 2 7-elevens within a quarter mile radius) yet it somehow still possesses the vibe of an Australian beach town. Basically, I'm in love (but don't worry Mom I'll still come home :) ).

Orientation was great. I know I sent out that group e-mail but I'm still going to recap everything anyways. The first day we did a 2 hr. walking tour of Sydney. We saw all the sites: the war memorial, Sydney museum, Opera House and Bridge, took the ferry from Sydney Harbour to Darling Harbour, and had dinner over looking the water. Downtown is like an extremely clean New York. There are colorful planter boxes, amazing wildlife (the birds here are different...except the pigeons), and little street malls everywhere. Everyone is super friendly and willing to help. I was dying for a flat iron (I blew my one from home out...not pretty) and asked a lady in a clothing store where I could go. She sent me to a building that was full of beauty stores and hair salons...it was definitely advice you could only get from a local and they love sharing their tips with you.

The other day me and a few friends were in the grocery store and I made a comment about how fresh and yummy the produce looked. All of a sudden a man came up behind us and started making fun of us, pointing at the apples and saying "yea and those are from Washington" and then pointing to the oranges and said "and those are from Florida". I playfully replied with a "there's no reason to make fun of us we're good people" and he said "I know...I love Americans!" 40 minutes later we became friends with Peter the investment banker at the CitiBank downtown. Thanks to him, I now have a huge list of the best pubs and clubs to go to and the nights that they're good, as well as places to travel, hotels to stay at, and websites to get good deals. Thanks Peter! :)

The second day of orientation we went abseiling (rappelling) in the Blue Mountains. It was probably one of the coolest most challenging things I've ever done. They started us out on a 30 ft. cliff, then down to a 60, then a 250 ft. cliff. I wasn't going to do the big one, but I told some friends I would go take pictures for them from the top. Next thing I know they're strapping me in and I'm on the edge of this giant cliff, attached only by my harness and carabiner...and I was the first one to go down. Yes, it was a shock to me too. The ride down was amazing, and we went down into a canyon surrounded by cliffs and a lot of trees...absolutely gorgeous. But what goes down I guess has to go back up...like 250 ft. climb through the bushes was not fun...which is why I only went down one time :).

The next day we went to a wildlife park to see some Australian wildlife. Obviously I freaked out when I got to pet a koala and instead of a petting farm with goats...they had a petting farm with kangaroos. They are super friendly, and they love when you pet and feed them. It was a lot of fun. That afternoon I registered for classes and got acquainted with the campus which is so great. I have orientation for school on Thursday and we start classes on Monday.

For orientation we stayed in the World Towers Hotel/Residence. It is the tallest residential building in all of Sydney and let's just say the view of the city from the 72nd floor was not too shabby. I had 3 roommates: Heidi, Erin, and Jessica. Heidi came late because a bird flew into the propellers of her plane and she was delayed in LA for 2 days and in Fiji for 1. She's great and is one of my good friends here. Since she was late, she missed a lot of orientation, so the day after she arrived we walked around the city and got a good feel for it. Downtown is really easy to get around and there is soooo much to see! We had lunch at a cafe on the water in Circular Quay which was sooo good. (I haven't had a bad meal here yet). We went out that night with some other people in Kings Cross which was also a lot of fun.

We were supposed to move into our apartment on Saturday, but since all of the people weren't back from the pre-semester trips we spent another day at the World Towers. Me, Heidi, and Erin, got on a bus (the public transportation is amazing here and soo safe...it's big with students) and went down to Maroubra Beach. It's about 40 minutes from downtown Sydney but the bus is only like 3 dollars each way. The Surf Live Saver competition was going on which was sooo cool. There were a bunch of teams competing in different events from all the Sydney beaches. The beach was gorgeous and we had a great lunch there too right off the sand. That night we went out to 3 Wise Monkeys which was has definitely been the best night we've had so far.

Sunday afternoon we moved into our apartment. I was the first one to get here and my roommates moved in later that night. They're absolutely great! Leah is from Upstate NY and goes to Pitt, Leslie is from NYC and goes to Wisconsin, Claire is from Boston and goes to New Hampshire, and Lindsay is from Philly and goes to MIT. You'll see their names mentioned a lot :). Yesterday (Monday) was the first day of orientation for the University of Sydney kids and Claire and I are the only two in our apartment that are going to UNSW so we spent the day together. We found a great bagel place and walked around the mall to get some essentials for the apartment. When Leslie and Leah got back from orientation we went grocery shopping and hung out in the apartment. We went out to the Coogee Bay Hotel (they call a lot of bars hotels here) and had a good night out.

Today was kind of a nothing day. We finally had our internet installed so we've just been hanging out. Tonight we're going out for our friend Bryn's 21st birthday in the city. Should be a "massive night" as these Aussies would say. Well, this recaps my first week in Australia. My future posts won't be this long I promise :) Until next time...Cheers!