So seriously, everyone should go to Australia to "earn" their Master's.
i arrived friday afternoon. undergrad classes started monday.
i e-mailed the secretary of graduate programs on monday morning.
her reply: 'oh wow! you arrived the same day undergrad classes started! how convenient!" as if she expected me later. when the hell does this thesis business start?
but anyway, i dropped by her office and i got some paperwork and a key to my own office!
and by own office i mean: a sizeable room that i share with 2 other master's students. but i'm supplied my own computer in there. and we have a window. that's huge.
then i e-mailed my professor/advisor about um... you know... my thesis topic and you know... how to write a thesis and we met today: for 9 minutes.
he told me:
oh yes, good topic, here, these are some journals to read, and perhaps some books you might want to read. so, perhaps check in with me in about 2 weeks.
meaning... my homework: read a lot and tell me how it's going in about a month.
getting a master's in australia is awesome.
i have an office, a computer, no direct responsibilites. which some think is very dangerous for me. but at least i like my topic so i'm actually interested in reading about it. not as much as intersted as i am in finishing stephen colbert's "i am america (and so can you!)" which is hilarious.
but it's all pretty awesome.
but i'm back! and things are great. i'm seeing all my old friends. i think last year i just left on a bad note which made me hesitant to return but now that i'm here, i've remembered how great some of these kids are.
but uh.. there are a lot of americans this year! i've already met 3 new americans! i'm not so unique anymore. but i'm obviously the raddest american they've seen.
on a different note:
in america (to my knowledge) our bed sizes go: twin, full, queen, king
in australia they go: single, double, queen, king
which caused my friend and i a lot of grief arguing earlier :) she couldn't understand why a 'twin' would be called a 'twin' if it was made for one person to sleep in. i kinda agree with her.
but now i'm back to the land of chips (not french fries), mate (not buddy), tomato sauce (not ketchup), long black (not coffee), and etc.
i didn't think i would miss it, but i secretly think i have.
by the way, listen to:
"bleeding love" by leona lewis
"love song" by sara bareilles
today my schedule was as thus:
9am woke up and showered
9:30 watched "Psych"
10:30 met up with the lady that gave me my office key
11:00 watched the red carpet at the oscars
12:00 some lunchies
12:30 outside reading colbert
1:30 cards with friends in the common room
2:00 nap
3:00 met up with friend at a campus bar
3:45 meeting with advisor
4:00 met up at bar with friends again
4:30-9:00 hung out in the courtyard/common room playing cards and talking
9:30 dinner
11:00 played pool in common room
12:30 wrote blog
it was an awesome day. i like not having classes :) and the weather is AMAZING!
don't worry parents, i'll do work! tomorrow! i'll be reading :)
love and miss you!!!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Coming to America, in sandals
So one of my Australian friends is holidaying in New York City for a few weeks. and now she's experiencing a culture shock all of her own!
one of my favorite stories of her trip so far is...
it's snowing in new york city. and she starting chatting up a federal police officer outside a bank. i suppose they were talking about winter attire, and my friend starts going off with:
"back at home, all i wear are thongs. i wear thongs everywhere. day and nite, no matter the weather, all i wear are thongs"
and then it hit her:
in america: thong means underwear
in australia: it means flip-flops
looooove it!
one of my favorite stories of her trip so far is...
it's snowing in new york city. and she starting chatting up a federal police officer outside a bank. i suppose they were talking about winter attire, and my friend starts going off with:
"back at home, all i wear are thongs. i wear thongs everywhere. day and nite, no matter the weather, all i wear are thongs"
and then it hit her:
in america: thong means underwear
in australia: it means flip-flops
looooove it!
Elections for Giants
most of my friends in australia are very very interested in following the presidential elections. it's weird. i've never really cared about another country's leader. but that's because i live in an american bubble. i'm a very sad person, i know. but here are all my australian friends rooting for their respective favorites!
one is even rooting for romney to win. he is/was an avid bush supporter.
some like obama.
most are for hillary. just because of bill. they don't know hillary, or her politics, they just remember bill.
i've said it before, and i'll say it again, i really don't think america will elect hillary.
buuuuuuuuuuut, this is a pretty awesome video done by will.i.am and his friends in support of obama:
http://www.dipdive.com/
i've had it on repeat in the background for the past 30 minutes now.
ANYWAY
i head out to LA tomorrow! for a few days worth of fun with some old friends :)
i haven't done any packing or cleaning, or any preparation at all
shh... don't tell my parents
i was just in austin to see some old friends (which was awesome!) and for the superbowl.... and this has got to be the first time any NFL fans have rooted for another team in its division.
practically the entire NFC east fan-base, from eagles to cowboys to redskins, were rooting for the giants.
it was amazing.
patriots and your fans... if you weren't such jerks, i would have stayed loyal. but you turned into a giant group of asshats early on in this season and i refuse to support asshats. 18-1.
18 wins, but one GIANT loss.
huzzah!
btw, David Tyree is going to be on the Ellen show this friday. (feb 8th)
and, "Grandma's Boy" was not funny.
one is even rooting for romney to win. he is/was an avid bush supporter.
some like obama.
most are for hillary. just because of bill. they don't know hillary, or her politics, they just remember bill.
i've said it before, and i'll say it again, i really don't think america will elect hillary.
buuuuuuuuuuut, this is a pretty awesome video done by will.i.am and his friends in support of obama:
http://www.dipdive.com/
i've had it on repeat in the background for the past 30 minutes now.
ANYWAY
i head out to LA tomorrow! for a few days worth of fun with some old friends :)
i haven't done any packing or cleaning, or any preparation at all
shh... don't tell my parents
i was just in austin to see some old friends (which was awesome!) and for the superbowl.... and this has got to be the first time any NFL fans have rooted for another team in its division.
practically the entire NFC east fan-base, from eagles to cowboys to redskins, were rooting for the giants.
it was amazing.
patriots and your fans... if you weren't such jerks, i would have stayed loyal. but you turned into a giant group of asshats early on in this season and i refuse to support asshats. 18-1.
18 wins, but one GIANT loss.
huzzah!
btw, David Tyree is going to be on the Ellen show this friday. (feb 8th)
and, "Grandma's Boy" was not funny.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Cleveland was warm
I WENT TO NEW HAMPSHIRE! over the break
and it was amazing:
gingerbread men
holiday party
veronica mars
walked in 3 feet of snow
annnnnnnnnnnd
hung out with a Kitty in a Sweater!!
and it was amazing:
gingerbread men
holiday party
veronica mars
walked in 3 feet of snow
annnnnnnnnnnd
hung out with a Kitty in a Sweater!!
Monday, January 28, 2008
My, how times have changed
After talking with a friend about our 'blogs' i went back and read the first 4 or 5 posts i ever wrote. and wow, it's so weird looking back almost a year later. i was so new, and ignorant of australia, and fresh, and untainted, and so optimistic! i definitely think i lead you guys on in my blogs. i wasn't ever unhappy or scared, just.. well, not comfortable for a while in australia. even after i made some good friends, i still realized i'm a texas girl, through and through. and even now, everyone asks me if i'm excited about going back. and frankly, i'm not.
here's why:
all my friends are 18-19. which means they all have the maturity level of an 18 year old, some are still at 13 years old. so this means drama, drama, drama. which i inevitably got roped into at the end of the year, and it was horrible. being ostracized, horrible gossip, rumors, back-stabbing, horrible. and it was all over NOTHING. and i eventually looked up in a conversation and said 'i'm 24, i'm not doing this anymore' and walked away. and although several of my friendships ended on weird terms, and we've "made up" via facebook... i think going back to that environment will just start all that drama again.
a few of my acquaintances have moved out of the dorm to other housing. which is fine. but... i think i'm just a curmudgeon. i don't want to make small talk, i don't want to make new friends, i don't want to keep trying. i'm perfectly content with my circle of friends, mainly in the states, and i'm tired of not being myself in front of others because i've only just met them. and now i have to do it all over again because there's gonna be a lot of new people in my dorm. but perhaps, starting with a lot of new people will be the best thing that can happen considering the way things ended in november
i do have some solid friendships over there, certainly with J, but i like my american friends! i am a curmudgeon. no doubt about it.
i have to start my thesis. 30,000 words on a topic i don't know much about or really know how to go about it. very very daunting.
i'm lazy. i'm a lazy person and this holiday hasn't helped that at all. i sleep in, i go to bed late, i watch tv all the time, i don't do school things, i don't wake up early to greet the day. and i have to change all that for my thesis year
buuuuuuuuuuuut! there are amazing things about going back
the land. the traveling. i get my own office in the school of archaeology to research and write in! the friends there i do miss and care for. and of course, learning and growing... blar blar blar :)
but it is weird thinking a whole year went by in australia. i don't regret anything, and i think traveling is the best thing anyone can do for themselves.
buuuuuuuuuuut! i still have a month left and i'm excited about what's to come!
i'm going to LA in a week and i still have time to soak up the laziness.
and btw, the superbowl... eli vs. brady? ugh. what a bitchfest.
and i do believe my time here was well spent
lots of family time
rhode island and christmas
various trips to austin
cowboys-packers game. (i saw favre play!)
stars game
my cat peaches
hitchcock movies marathon
finally saw Gone With the Wind.
saw juno twice.
golfed in Wimberley (thanks H & J!)
my sister's wedding planning and shopping
got my maid of honor dress
scrabulous
saw Lucy, an australopithecus afarensis, the evolutionary "missing link"
went to a live auction
MET MARION BARBER!
got a ritalin prescription
much much more
and of course saw looooooooooooooots of friends
and i just love home and i just love texas.
man, what an unfunny and sappy blog. do i still have any readers?? i don't blame ya if you're gone!
it was weird returning to the states. once i landed in LAX, it was strange how the feel you got from the people around you was just one of annoyance and hatred for life. where in sydney the people are joyous and friendly. you can undoubtedly feel the difference.
it was weird driving. and sometimes i'd freak out thinking i was on the wrong side of the road.
i've used words like 'bloody' and 'bloke' and 'i wanted to see what he was on about' and didn't think twice about it, til i got funny looks
i do like cultural changes, but man, i like being home.
and i truly believe i'll have a lot to write about this year. because i'll be finding anything in the world to distract me from thesis research and i'm sure i'll get bored of facebook eventually
and gosh darnit IASA!! where are you?!?! i've called your cell, i've myspaced you, and you've commented on here before, so CALL ME!!!!
so times have changed, and life is gonna get crazy all over again, but i'm gonna enjoy every last one of these days i have left before i go back.
and please! COME VISIT ME IN AUSTRALIA!! i won't be on a strict schedule!
my sister is visiting in march? may? and it's gonna be amazing. i don't have all the details yet but i want to squeeze in as much as possible:
sydney, capitol building, great barrier reef, uluru, bushwalking, and of course the PATH TO MORDOR!! :)
just think... that could be your itinerary!!
here's why:
all my friends are 18-19. which means they all have the maturity level of an 18 year old, some are still at 13 years old. so this means drama, drama, drama. which i inevitably got roped into at the end of the year, and it was horrible. being ostracized, horrible gossip, rumors, back-stabbing, horrible. and it was all over NOTHING. and i eventually looked up in a conversation and said 'i'm 24, i'm not doing this anymore' and walked away. and although several of my friendships ended on weird terms, and we've "made up" via facebook... i think going back to that environment will just start all that drama again.
a few of my acquaintances have moved out of the dorm to other housing. which is fine. but... i think i'm just a curmudgeon. i don't want to make small talk, i don't want to make new friends, i don't want to keep trying. i'm perfectly content with my circle of friends, mainly in the states, and i'm tired of not being myself in front of others because i've only just met them. and now i have to do it all over again because there's gonna be a lot of new people in my dorm. but perhaps, starting with a lot of new people will be the best thing that can happen considering the way things ended in november
i do have some solid friendships over there, certainly with J, but i like my american friends! i am a curmudgeon. no doubt about it.
i have to start my thesis. 30,000 words on a topic i don't know much about or really know how to go about it. very very daunting.
i'm lazy. i'm a lazy person and this holiday hasn't helped that at all. i sleep in, i go to bed late, i watch tv all the time, i don't do school things, i don't wake up early to greet the day. and i have to change all that for my thesis year
buuuuuuuuuuuut! there are amazing things about going back
the land. the traveling. i get my own office in the school of archaeology to research and write in! the friends there i do miss and care for. and of course, learning and growing... blar blar blar :)
but it is weird thinking a whole year went by in australia. i don't regret anything, and i think traveling is the best thing anyone can do for themselves.
buuuuuuuuuuut! i still have a month left and i'm excited about what's to come!
i'm going to LA in a week and i still have time to soak up the laziness.
and btw, the superbowl... eli vs. brady? ugh. what a bitchfest.
and i do believe my time here was well spent
lots of family time
rhode island and christmas
various trips to austin
cowboys-packers game. (i saw favre play!)
stars game
my cat peaches
hitchcock movies marathon
finally saw Gone With the Wind.
saw juno twice.
golfed in Wimberley (thanks H & J!)
my sister's wedding planning and shopping
got my maid of honor dress
scrabulous
saw Lucy, an australopithecus afarensis, the evolutionary "missing link"
went to a live auction
MET MARION BARBER!
got a ritalin prescription
much much more
and of course saw looooooooooooooots of friends
and i just love home and i just love texas.
man, what an unfunny and sappy blog. do i still have any readers?? i don't blame ya if you're gone!
it was weird returning to the states. once i landed in LAX, it was strange how the feel you got from the people around you was just one of annoyance and hatred for life. where in sydney the people are joyous and friendly. you can undoubtedly feel the difference.
it was weird driving. and sometimes i'd freak out thinking i was on the wrong side of the road.
i've used words like 'bloody' and 'bloke' and 'i wanted to see what he was on about' and didn't think twice about it, til i got funny looks
i do like cultural changes, but man, i like being home.
and i truly believe i'll have a lot to write about this year. because i'll be finding anything in the world to distract me from thesis research and i'm sure i'll get bored of facebook eventually
and gosh darnit IASA!! where are you?!?! i've called your cell, i've myspaced you, and you've commented on here before, so CALL ME!!!!
so times have changed, and life is gonna get crazy all over again, but i'm gonna enjoy every last one of these days i have left before i go back.
and please! COME VISIT ME IN AUSTRALIA!! i won't be on a strict schedule!
my sister is visiting in march? may? and it's gonna be amazing. i don't have all the details yet but i want to squeeze in as much as possible:
sydney, capitol building, great barrier reef, uluru, bushwalking, and of course the PATH TO MORDOR!! :)
just think... that could be your itinerary!!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
just call me Traveling Joe
HELLO! i'm am so bad at this blogging thing. remember when i was good at it? that was short-lived.
i hate this. everyday at least 3 times a day, i have the thought 'yes, i need to blog about that'. (sad as it may be....) and then when i get here... i've forgotten it all. it's so sad. and the level of insanity the australian show in their pronunciation needs to be told.
so..... i took 4 classes this semester.. and i'm done with 2 of them. i have 5 days to write 2 papers. each at 3,000 words. 5 days to write 6,000 words. i actually, technically have 8 days... but next wednesday i'm going camping with 6 other friends... so i have to finish by wednesday.
BUT! this monday is cowboys-giants. gonna be a good game. i thought the cowboys-eagles game was gonna be big... but the cowboys just threw down! i hope they can do something like that this week! did you know? i watch the nfl. every monday here. and it's amazing. well... getting to watch it. i was thinking how great it would be to throw back a beer during this cowboys-giants game on monday... but it starts at 8:15 am here... so i dont' think drinking at 8am will be approved of... so i might have to hold back.
did i tell you they call Jell-o, jelly? it's so weird. 'let's take a jelly shot'. no. that does not work. i am sorry.
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! i have HUGE plans for this upcoming year.... i hope at least some of them happen...
ok.. let's just see what i have in mind..
i get back to america in 1 week. nov 19th.
then t-give.
then a stars game.
then the cowboys-packers game.
then rhode island.
then austin.
THEN! in january: i'm supposed to have a friend visit.. and we'll drive around.
THEN! in the rest of january, i take an even bigger road trip out to LA where i have about 8 friends to visit.
then feb. back here to australia.
then my april break: ROAD TRIP TO ULURU! (ayer's rock!) and other outback tourist sights.
then school.
then june (i think!): DANIELLE'S GETTING MARRIED!
then july: my b-day.. and a rich australian friends wants me to visit her at her HOUSE in FRANCE! then travel to italy and spain with her. oh man.. i really want that one to happen.
then my september break: new zealand.
dang man. WHO WANTS TO COME WITH ME????!!!
i need to go sleep off this excitement
i hate this. everyday at least 3 times a day, i have the thought 'yes, i need to blog about that'. (sad as it may be....) and then when i get here... i've forgotten it all. it's so sad. and the level of insanity the australian show in their pronunciation needs to be told.
so..... i took 4 classes this semester.. and i'm done with 2 of them. i have 5 days to write 2 papers. each at 3,000 words. 5 days to write 6,000 words. i actually, technically have 8 days... but next wednesday i'm going camping with 6 other friends... so i have to finish by wednesday.
BUT! this monday is cowboys-giants. gonna be a good game. i thought the cowboys-eagles game was gonna be big... but the cowboys just threw down! i hope they can do something like that this week! did you know? i watch the nfl. every monday here. and it's amazing. well... getting to watch it. i was thinking how great it would be to throw back a beer during this cowboys-giants game on monday... but it starts at 8:15 am here... so i dont' think drinking at 8am will be approved of... so i might have to hold back.
did i tell you they call Jell-o, jelly? it's so weird. 'let's take a jelly shot'. no. that does not work. i am sorry.
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! i have HUGE plans for this upcoming year.... i hope at least some of them happen...
ok.. let's just see what i have in mind..
i get back to america in 1 week. nov 19th.
then t-give.
then a stars game.
then the cowboys-packers game.
then rhode island.
then austin.
THEN! in january: i'm supposed to have a friend visit.. and we'll drive around.
THEN! in the rest of january, i take an even bigger road trip out to LA where i have about 8 friends to visit.
then feb. back here to australia.
then my april break: ROAD TRIP TO ULURU! (ayer's rock!) and other outback tourist sights.
then school.
then june (i think!): DANIELLE'S GETTING MARRIED!
then july: my b-day.. and a rich australian friends wants me to visit her at her HOUSE in FRANCE! then travel to italy and spain with her. oh man.. i really want that one to happen.
then my september break: new zealand.
dang man. WHO WANTS TO COME WITH ME????!!!
i need to go sleep off this excitement
Monday, October 8, 2007
She needs to dye her roots...
wow. two months. i haven't written. remember the good ole days when i wrote almost every day? yeah... i didn't have any friends back then. awww....
but here i am! two months. two months. a lot has happened, as i'm sure it has in your life.
let's see, well, i went to ireland with my parents and sister. and it was amazing. my sister and i didn't fight once. I KNOW! it was a miracle. we did sing a lot in the back seat, which i'm sure drove my parents a little nutty. but my dad was too busy concentrating on not driving on the wrong side of the road. and i must say, he only slipped up about a handful of times. however, one of those times was entering a circle/roundabout, while a motorcycle was trying to exit, therefor heading right as us, while 2 new parents and their child in the stroller were walking on the sidewalk, right where i'm sure my father wanted to swerve... but luckily we went left, the motorcycle stayed to our right, and everyone lived.
but ireland was truly amazing. we saw a castle when we wanted. we walked where we wanted. we drove when we wanted. we stopped to lots of archaeological sites. one of which came with its own female german tourist who insisted all other paying toursits must get out of her shot when she was posing for a picture for her husband. my sister does a fantabulous bitch-german-tourist impression now.
we said 'dingle dingle' and 'tweedle dee tweedle dee' a lot.
OH! we also went to the small, and i mean like 1 road, 2 block long town/city/place one of my great-grandfather's left when he was about 16 to come to america to start a life... which led to me. it was really amazing, i wish i could describe it.. oh, but don't think i won't try...
so my father knew his grandfather grew up by this lake, which happened to be the named after the town/city/place he grew up.. the town/city/place we were looking for... that is no longer on any map. before the trip, my mother kept trying to prepare my father for the family luck we have, where not everything turns out well, and this place could be completely gone with no remaining original dwellers. (considering it's not even on the map... as i said). so.... i forget what 2 cities we were making our days journey between, but we left this like ancestral outing to one of our last days, and one of our days with lots of driving we had to get done before the sun went down (because trust me, you did not want us driving on the roads of ireland in the dark.. let alone in perfect sunlight). so, on the map of ireland, the lake (which we think my great-grandfather grew up by) is still drawn on. hooray! our plan: go to the lake.. drive around it... see what is there. so, on our way up, we stopped at the last big city before we hit the small roads to take us to the lake. our plan was to ask a local if they knew of this town/city/place. however, every person i asked was a tourist. so we stopped at this lowly pub on the way to the lake and my sister and i went in.. because surely, itw as about 3pm, and if anyone was going to be in there, it had to be old local men who know all about all. so we found 2 elderly men, probably on about their 8th beer each... we asked if they had heard of it.. and oh man. what a mistake... we stood there for about 8-12 minutes (yes.. 8-12) while they pondered, threw around city names, family names, beer names, sheep names, until i finally thought we could give our thanks and leave.. and then no.. they kept talking. but FINALLY we got out. and the only help the drunk men offered was 'well, if it was there, it's there now'. ok!
off we go to the lake. we find the lake. we turn down a road. a small small road. we come to a fork. we don't know where to go. it's not like this is NYC. there aren't any street signs, no businesses. this is, farm country ireland headquarters. with small irish cottages, and nothing, and i mean NOTHING else. we decide to turn back at the fork in the road, back to the main road, to see if we can start again... and AHHHHHHHH! LOOK! there it was. an erected stone with the place/city/town's name etched into it. we had found it. our roots.
so we immediately jumped out, and took a timed picture of our family with the stone with our digital camera while a car full of old irish ladies drove by us.
anyway, there's much more to this. we went to a pub, who knew of the family line my great-grandfather left behind, we went to the church where we think they were born?, we found a great cemetary in the city over with a lot of tombstones with the family name on it. it was awesome.
so that was one part of ireland.
theeeeeeeennnn... i returned to school. had a 2 week break. and for the first work my good friend N from home came to visit. we spent 4 days in sydney, a few at my university, then he had to leave, but i still had a week left before classes started up again. and N, don't think i'm just breezing over your visit. there were so many stories, i'm just sure the readers are still trying to calm their nerves from my ireland story, i want to give you a chance to catch your breath. for another blog my friends, another blog.
so yes, N came, went, school started back up. i joined my dorm's soccer team, i've had LOTS of assignments, i got sick :( , i've done laundry, painted my nails, lost sunglasses, oh.. and my newest tradition... watching NFL live at 3am with 2 other americans. it's fabulous. sunday nites/early monday mornings, from 3am to about 2pm we watch football, and it's sooo nice. none of htis cricket or australian rules football, or rugby... regular american football.
the first time we put a football game on... all the austrlians kept asking 'is it the superbowl already?'. that is their only exposure to nfl. the superbowl. so everygame they saw, they thought it was the superbowl. also, they can't believe it's called football when you hardly ever use your foot on the ball. well i can't believe they don't pronounce potato and tomato the same way. so i think we're even.
for a while tho, there was a certain cricket tournament, the Twenty20 World Cup or something. and it was very very exciting. i like cricket. the final game came down to India and Pakistan. and boy, were there lots of people watching in the common room. but it was so exciting, because they were all so exciting, and every hit or catch or run people were screaming and the final match was soooooooooooooo close, it literally came down to the last bowl (throw/pitch). it was awesome. india won. it was good stuff.
ok, well my laundry was done in its cycle about 8 minutes ago, and this ended up being fairly long. so i hope you enjoyed and i'll post with more stories from ireland, N's visit, and from my life here at university.
by the way, i only have a month left of classes. a whole school year here is nearly done. then i'll be returning to the states for about 3 months... but then that means i have to start my thesis soon...
i'm thinking of doing a cladistic analysis of the homo habilis specimens. it's very contraversial. what do you think???
but here i am! two months. two months. a lot has happened, as i'm sure it has in your life.
let's see, well, i went to ireland with my parents and sister. and it was amazing. my sister and i didn't fight once. I KNOW! it was a miracle. we did sing a lot in the back seat, which i'm sure drove my parents a little nutty. but my dad was too busy concentrating on not driving on the wrong side of the road. and i must say, he only slipped up about a handful of times. however, one of those times was entering a circle/roundabout, while a motorcycle was trying to exit, therefor heading right as us, while 2 new parents and their child in the stroller were walking on the sidewalk, right where i'm sure my father wanted to swerve... but luckily we went left, the motorcycle stayed to our right, and everyone lived.
but ireland was truly amazing. we saw a castle when we wanted. we walked where we wanted. we drove when we wanted. we stopped to lots of archaeological sites. one of which came with its own female german tourist who insisted all other paying toursits must get out of her shot when she was posing for a picture for her husband. my sister does a fantabulous bitch-german-tourist impression now.
we said 'dingle dingle' and 'tweedle dee tweedle dee' a lot.
OH! we also went to the small, and i mean like 1 road, 2 block long town/city/place one of my great-grandfather's left when he was about 16 to come to america to start a life... which led to me. it was really amazing, i wish i could describe it.. oh, but don't think i won't try...
so my father knew his grandfather grew up by this lake, which happened to be the named after the town/city/place he grew up.. the town/city/place we were looking for... that is no longer on any map. before the trip, my mother kept trying to prepare my father for the family luck we have, where not everything turns out well, and this place could be completely gone with no remaining original dwellers. (considering it's not even on the map... as i said). so.... i forget what 2 cities we were making our days journey between, but we left this like ancestral outing to one of our last days, and one of our days with lots of driving we had to get done before the sun went down (because trust me, you did not want us driving on the roads of ireland in the dark.. let alone in perfect sunlight). so, on the map of ireland, the lake (which we think my great-grandfather grew up by) is still drawn on. hooray! our plan: go to the lake.. drive around it... see what is there. so, on our way up, we stopped at the last big city before we hit the small roads to take us to the lake. our plan was to ask a local if they knew of this town/city/place. however, every person i asked was a tourist. so we stopped at this lowly pub on the way to the lake and my sister and i went in.. because surely, itw as about 3pm, and if anyone was going to be in there, it had to be old local men who know all about all. so we found 2 elderly men, probably on about their 8th beer each... we asked if they had heard of it.. and oh man. what a mistake... we stood there for about 8-12 minutes (yes.. 8-12) while they pondered, threw around city names, family names, beer names, sheep names, until i finally thought we could give our thanks and leave.. and then no.. they kept talking. but FINALLY we got out. and the only help the drunk men offered was 'well, if it was there, it's there now'. ok!
off we go to the lake. we find the lake. we turn down a road. a small small road. we come to a fork. we don't know where to go. it's not like this is NYC. there aren't any street signs, no businesses. this is, farm country ireland headquarters. with small irish cottages, and nothing, and i mean NOTHING else. we decide to turn back at the fork in the road, back to the main road, to see if we can start again... and AHHHHHHHH! LOOK! there it was. an erected stone with the place/city/town's name etched into it. we had found it. our roots.
so we immediately jumped out, and took a timed picture of our family with the stone with our digital camera while a car full of old irish ladies drove by us.
anyway, there's much more to this. we went to a pub, who knew of the family line my great-grandfather left behind, we went to the church where we think they were born?, we found a great cemetary in the city over with a lot of tombstones with the family name on it. it was awesome.
so that was one part of ireland.
theeeeeeeennnn... i returned to school. had a 2 week break. and for the first work my good friend N from home came to visit. we spent 4 days in sydney, a few at my university, then he had to leave, but i still had a week left before classes started up again. and N, don't think i'm just breezing over your visit. there were so many stories, i'm just sure the readers are still trying to calm their nerves from my ireland story, i want to give you a chance to catch your breath. for another blog my friends, another blog.
so yes, N came, went, school started back up. i joined my dorm's soccer team, i've had LOTS of assignments, i got sick :( , i've done laundry, painted my nails, lost sunglasses, oh.. and my newest tradition... watching NFL live at 3am with 2 other americans. it's fabulous. sunday nites/early monday mornings, from 3am to about 2pm we watch football, and it's sooo nice. none of htis cricket or australian rules football, or rugby... regular american football.
the first time we put a football game on... all the austrlians kept asking 'is it the superbowl already?'. that is their only exposure to nfl. the superbowl. so everygame they saw, they thought it was the superbowl. also, they can't believe it's called football when you hardly ever use your foot on the ball. well i can't believe they don't pronounce potato and tomato the same way. so i think we're even.
for a while tho, there was a certain cricket tournament, the Twenty20 World Cup or something. and it was very very exciting. i like cricket. the final game came down to India and Pakistan. and boy, were there lots of people watching in the common room. but it was so exciting, because they were all so exciting, and every hit or catch or run people were screaming and the final match was soooooooooooooo close, it literally came down to the last bowl (throw/pitch). it was awesome. india won. it was good stuff.
ok, well my laundry was done in its cycle about 8 minutes ago, and this ended up being fairly long. so i hope you enjoyed and i'll post with more stories from ireland, N's visit, and from my life here at university.
by the way, i only have a month left of classes. a whole school year here is nearly done. then i'll be returning to the states for about 3 months... but then that means i have to start my thesis soon...
i'm thinking of doing a cladistic analysis of the homo habilis specimens. it's very contraversial. what do you think???
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