A few random thoughts:

Degrees to Celsius. Feet to Meters.

Something I have to get used to. I often wonder why America is pretty much the only country that decided to not use the metric system. Talking about weather and distance is quite literally a conversation breaker when talking to locals. I had a conversation with one Filipino-Australian that I met on a train, and when I asked her how hot it got in Melbourne, she told me upwards of 35 C. I nodded slowly and said, “Ooohh…oh yeah see I don’t know what the means…” And there the conversation ended, until I saw a wild kangaroo and jumped up in my seat.  She asked me what happened, and after I told her she asked how far away it was.  When I told her about two hundred feet, she stared at me blankly, said “Oh. Kayy,” and put her headphones back on.  If it wasn’t for this cultural difference, we could have found out we were cousins, and I would have further confirmed my theory that I’m somehow related to every Filipino. But now, who knows.

“You’re one born in a bootcar in Sheppardton.”

That’s something my professor said, and it basically means, “you’re special.” I hope to have this catch on in America; it’s so fetch.

Alcohol

Is a big thing here.  People have a drink with lunch, maybe one in the afternoon, another with dinner, or a few while hanging out.  And if they go to the bar (which they often do during a weeknight), they down some more.  But then again, alcohol isn’t such a big deal here. Granted, this isn’t every person; I’m sure there are tons of people who have certain goals in mind when drinking. But simply put, it’s part of the culture here to drink…it’s kinda like drinking coffee.  In contrast, at home and in many of my friend groups such as InterVarsity this issue is sometimes so big it becomes divisive. I’m still processing my thoughts on it, so I think that’s another blog for another time.

Unilodge

Don’t be fooled by the modern black and red façade in the picture I posted. I live in a single room that’s less than half the size of my room in Berkeley.  At first I thought it was really small, but since I’m the only one occupying this room it actually fits quite nice. Thank God I’m small too.  It has its own sink area, a sizeable closet, and enough drawer space to fit everything I need.  My floor shares the kitchen facilities and a laundry/garbage shoot. All the girls on my floor share three shower stalls, one of which has been out of order for a few months now, and four toilets that, because of their weak flushing capabilities, often endow you with lovely little surprises if you’re lucky. It’s like the world’s worst game! In other words, I’m not living in the lap of luxury (although you’d think I would be with how much I’m paying) but it works.

Vegemite

Looks like nutella, so I tried it. The Ingredients? Concentrated yeast extract. Imagine my surprise. But apparently it’s an Australian favorite, so maybe one day, when my traumatized taste buds have calmed down, I’ll give it another go.

The weather

is highly unpredictable. The day after I arrived here, it was hot and windy, then pouring rain, then extremely cold…all in about two hours. The next day? Beautiful and sunny.  Locals often say that it’s the place with four seasons and one day, and they weren’t kidding.  And to think I complained about the bipolar nature of Berkeley weather… But here’s a bit of the my week looks like:

Alright, time to do some studying about wine regions in Australia. Cheers!