Library/Rowing

So the two things that took up most of my time last year at school have reached me here in Sydney. I have found a nice study spot in the library, and I went for a nice row this morning at 5:30 with the club team here.

This is the view from the study carrel i used, it was a bit too distracting, so my reading took a little longer than i expected.


Other than that, it felt really, really good to get on the water again. Being on the club team here feels like im playing JV basketball at Chapel Hill. All of the elite rowers (Varsity) are ridiculous, their average 2k times are 6:04, over half the team have competed or are on the olympic teams of whatever country they're from.

The coaching is really great too, all of the club coaches used to coach the bigger teams, and now they're maybe doing some sort of community service, helping us out. I just have a feeling that this'll be a ridiculous experience. Also, every month the national admin for rowing hosts a 5k time trial (in singles) at the olympic course in sydney, and the coach said that by the next one, i might be able to get in on that.

The only issue is that the rowing site is about 1 mile away from campus, so last night, i went out to target and got a batman skateboard. the path is pretty hilly, so it came in handy most of the time. Here's some pics

A sweet rack

Basically, making a drying rack, given you have a fitting patio gate, is quite easy. just start in the corner, and continue making parallel lines to as many as you please. I ended up using all of the string, so i have quite a bit of area for drying. Check it out.


Another really cool tidbit, i went on a campus safari a few days ago, and learned something really interesting about the Physics building on campus. Here's a picture of it.

There's actually a reason it dips down like that in the middle of the building. Haven't figured out why yet? Turns out the Dean lives on the other side, and didn't want his view obstructed by the Physics building, so they hacked out just enough so he can see the sports fields.

And finally, another picture of the main classroom building here at Sydney. This building makes me want to constantly take pictures of it, it is just beautiful. I'll have other angles and pictures of the interior courtyard soon, no worries.

New Drying Rack

So, laundry, along with many other previously taken-for-granted-by-myself services, is quite expensive. So i thought to myself, how can i make this process cheaper? I'm already getting a great deal on the wash+detergent, so drying was left. instead of paying for a machine to dry my clothes, why not let nature do it? then i realized, i'd need to buy a drying rack. or maybe not. maybe, just maybe i thought to myself, i'll make one. So after spending $7 ($6 american), at a hardware store, i had some sufficient twine and clamps. 15 minutes on our patio, and voila. a drying rack. I took pictures, but i haven't uploaded them, as I'm currently in a cafe using their internets.

On another note, classes start tomorrow. I still have no clue where any of my classes are, I tried going around campus today, but all of the buildings were closed. So I know which buildings my classes are, tomorrow morning i'll just have to get there early to figure it out. I've also gotten a much better understanding of Rugby League, Union, and Aussie Rules Football, the three big sports here.

More pictures, plus instructions on how to make your own sick drying rack coming soon.

PICTURESS!!

so I wrote this whole huge multipage explanation of my airplane ride over here, but now it just feels like its been too long to put up and make it interesting. SO, i'll put up on of my favorite pictures of campus. the campus is enormous, i'll take more pictures soon, this is just a little taste. it was a bit dark, so you'll have to forgive that. this is one side of an enormous rectangular building, with a sweet quad in the middle.

Here

So I'm here, but its tough adjusting. Internet is very difficult to come by, as surprising as that may sound. I don't have much free time yet, orientation and class enrollment takes a ridiculous amount of time at a school this size (close to 40,000)

I'm somewhat getting used to all the cars being on the wrong side of the road, it took me almost being run over a few times to really get it. When i have more time, i'll definitely elaborate more on the craziness that has been my moving in over the past few days.

Heading out tomorrow morning. It took me forever to pare my suitcase down to the 50lb limit, i might have broken the scale by how many times i dropped my suitcase on it.

Regardless, with my 49.6lb bag, a backpack, and ticket to australia, i'll leave Charlotte tomorrow morning none too soon.

keep in touch those of you who read this!

The Waiting Room

I feel like there's a conspiracy behind every dentist/doctor's waiting room. No matter what time you get in, they always make you wait at least 10 minutes. I was 10 minutes late to a dentist appointment, and I still had to wait 10 more until the dentist was ready. Im not complaining, I just think that you're never actually getting the time you sign up for when you get an appointment.

Restaurants are much better than this though. Maybe its because there's no established waiting room with old homemaking and gardening magazines.

I feel like I'm stuck in a waiting room now in fact. Not much more than a group lunch and spending one more Saturday night up in Davidson until I head out Tuesday. Laundry on Monday...cant forget to hit that up.

Last Day

Today was my last day working with Matt, another thing coming to an end before I head out for a semester abroad. It was a really good time, and I feel like I not only learned a lot about getting one's hands dirty (somewhat) in law, but it was good to keep busy these past few weeks before I leave.

Just this last weekend now. Gotta clean up all the loose ends and pick up anything i need (at least, anything I remember I'll need)

Top Gear, seriously, is the best television show I think I have ever seen. The filmography, score, all of it fits so well and is amazing. Every episode blows my mind, and not a single one fails to make my heart race, my mind marvel, and laugh at the same time. If you aren't familiar with the show, I can give you a wholesome guarantee that you cannot watch an episode, and honestly not enjoy it, and want to watch another one.

Soon...

Soon, there will be adventures abound for the capturing in photo and text form. Until then, just wait i guess. Less than a week now.

Classy Glassy Centerpiece

A very, very cool centerpiece/party trick that's sure to impress. The night before the big dinner/party, make a few water balloons, and hang them by the knot in your freezer. make sure you have a bit of air still in the balloon, so the water freezes with a flat surface on the top, and can be stood up after frozen.

Two ways to go about removing the ice. First, you can wait until the outside layer, but not the insides, of the balloon are frozen. You can only figure the timing out by practice. When I tried this today, I left the balloon in for close to 3 or 4 hours, and a good half inch was frozen, with the interior still water. I havent gotten it fully frozen yet, but there are currently a few water balloons in the process, that i'll leave for a while.

If you poke a hole in one that hasn't fully frozen, and drain all the water, it makes it look like a glass pear, very very cool. I don't really know what you could do with these, centerpieces, maybe freeze objects in the balloons with the water, cool ice if you're making punch for a party, im sure there are creative types out there with ideas.

Grand Champion

I don't know how to make this exciting, all I did today was complete MarioKart Wii. All gold, all tracks. It took long enough, and was really anti-climactic. The credits rolled through, and it bounced me back to the Main Menu, and that was it.

I've also been going through my room and mentally taking note of what I'm going to take with me. 9 more days now, and i head out. I printed out the itineraries today, they make it seem like im leaving sooner.

Tomorrow will be an adventure. I will make sure of it. It will be exciting and unpredictable and absolutely perfect for blogging.

The Market

Now I can't put any personal experience to this, but were trips to the market, at some point, as much a social as a business/shopping trip? I could see it, I guess. If you knew the vendors, the regulars, you could go to the market to catch up on recent news and lives of friends as well as pick up fresh fruit and other necessities.

I'm not trying to make a social commentary, but today I went on a little adventure in a shopping mall, less than half a mile from my house, and was able to get everything I need, while not saying anything substantive to another person the whole time. how is it i can head to the mall and experience alone time? and it it works? maybe im just one of those strangers that seems annoyed when you ask him for the time. sometimes.

a good deal of shopping down, and only 10 days to go.

Battle Royale

It was dinnertime. It was sit down with the family over spinach, rice, and kafta time. I didn't know how quickly kafta would become kafka.

This cockroach was magnificent. I mean truly, it was beautiful, in a shiny, glistening, grotesque way. I could count the spines branching off of each leg segment. I could see the long, curving antennas sweep over the underside of the food pan, where it was motionless. My mom and my sister left the kitchen, as I stood there, designer sandal (my sister's) in each hand. It was me and the bug.

I slowly moved everything in the area away, leaving just the pan on the stovetop and two empty counters framing it. My nemesis continued to taunt me, too close to the food to assault with bug spray, and at too odd an angle to straight on attack. I knew the designer sandals just werent going to cut it.

So I grab the knife sharpener. Its got the handle of a knife, but has a metal cylinder instead of the blade for sharpening. I grab it by the metal, ready to wield it as a club. I knew that this would be useless if the cockroach moved onto the counter, for the counter is the domain of a large surface area, light weapon. Like a designer sandal. This needed to take only one hit. And it did.

A sharp, quick sideways swing at the pan, with the designer sandals at the ready, and it was gone. Not actually gone, its remants ended up on the stove, and some legs made it to the floor. It had nothing on me.

Other than that, only 11 days until the real adventure starts, Australia.

Real First Post

Alright, so I know it works and how it works. Not so bad, I think. It won't be easy living up to the promises in the 'about my blog' section or whatever, but I think I'll do fine for now.

First things first. What I've learned today...ah yes. Today I learned how to set up labels in a word document. Yes, boring, but new nonetheless. Im learning a lot of new, technical things working with Matt in the office, skills I'd never really learn in the classroom at Davidson.

Well I dont want to overdo myself on the first post. More later.

First Post

Let's see how this works.