Pictures!

The aquarium
Blue Mountains...not White Mountains as I kept calling them...lol
A nice view of the city and Darling Harbour
Touching a star fish!
The view from top of Sydney Tower

The bridge next to Sydney Harbour
On top of the world! hehe
Sydney Opera House
The girls
The roomies :)
Ivan, myself, and Emma

Diversity Camp with Black Opal

I just got back from Diversity Camp with Black Opal. I had an amazing time and I'm really glad I went. It is camps like Diversity that help me focus and refine what it is in life that I want and matters to me. In additon I met some awesome people.

At first it was awkward because I didn't know anyone and none of the staff was around when we loaded the buses to camp but the girls were more than willing to help get me on the bus. However, the whole awkwardness that was there because none of the guys really knew me quickly faded because for the rest of the camp I had no problem getting people to lift me up steps, carry me, and push me. One of the best parts of the trip was a hike we took and there was a lot of up hill and of course down hill parts and I had two guys who were champions and pushed me and carried me up that mountain. We had a nice inside joke going on and got people to believe that they jogged all the way down the mountain with me. haha. Despite all there teasing I felt very safe with them though I am sure some people were somewhat nerves because the two guys were also the biggest jokesters at camp.

Although many of the activities we did were ones I had done before it was interesting for me to see it done different and with different people. I also realized (not that I already knew this...) that I still have so much growing to do and that my eyes still have so much to see and understand.

Tony's (coordinator of Black Opal) 2 year old son was also around and he was just the cutest thing ever. He stole my heart. He had so much energy and at meal times I would chase him around and he would chase me around. haha. When he said goodbye before he left kissed my face to death. haha. It is when I see little kids full of life and innocence that I remember how important it is to be to become a Child Life Specialist.

Changing the subject slightly....
Something ironic happen to me just before I left for camp. I was waiting outside Uni by the taxi pull out area. It was early in the morning and no one was around. This old lady comes by. She starts talking. I just thought she was the typical old ladies that come by me and say nice things, blah blah. Quickly I realized she wasn't one of those ladies and actually she was verbally attacking me because of my race. According to her the reason I am in a wheelchair is because I am Asian and that Asians are aliens and that the alien has kidnapped my body. She was vicious. I ignored her. She even said if she could she would hit me over the head...when she said that I knew I really needed to keep my mouth shut because I didn't need her to get physical specially since I was alone. 5-10 minutes later she finally leaves and I'm left baffled because I have never experience racism before. I've heard of it of course but never first hand. It was a interesting experience to say the least. Of course it effected me a bit but I think it was kind good (in a strange way I know) that I experienced something like that...to understand at least for myself how it feels to be in that position esp. since that is something I'm trying to fight, racism.

Anyways...one last thing. I wrote a poem at camp. It was "I Am" poem. Since I've written one before and trying to write another one like it is difficult I did one on Australia so far...I think it sums up pretty well everything...

I am from my first airplane ride alone
From my 5 hour lay over in LAX
And from my 13 hour flight to Sydney with the feeling of excitement

I am from my first few days at Campus East and feeling homesick
I am from feeling alone to quickly feeling at home

I am from my first look at Uni
Falling in love with it
Finding my favorite spot
And never seeing so much green in my life

I am from trips to the beach and getting lost in the mall
From Supree shopping and postcard picking
From spending to much money and not having a care in the world

I am from my first trip to Glassy's, Ivory, and Castros
From friends who take the taxi with me
From dancing the night away and falling in love with Aussie boys who dance
From late night singing sessions
And from caramel lattes to get me through the day

I am from tea time with sandwiches and nutella
From learning to enjoy cream in my team
And from learning the difference between jelly and jam

I am from 3 hour long dinners
From inappropriate conversations
And from being part of the loudest table but loving every minute of it

I am from midnight conversations with Ivan and Stefan
From becoming their "other" roommate
From movie nights, study sessions, and inside jokes
From YouTube videos and music that from now on whenever I heart it in my heart I'll always be dancing with them in the summer rain

I am from being spontaneous for once in my life
From free rides and living off of Hungry Jacks
From tourist spots to great outdoors
From first train rides and trips on the trolly
From walks on the harbour and never wanting to leave

I am from too many pictures but not enough
From laugher that being me to tears
Moments that I never dreamed of
And from finding more of myself while losing pieces along the way
I am from being here only 2 months and already knowing that leaving will be one of the hardest things I've ever done

Falling In Love With sYdNey

I have no idea where to begin and once I do how I can stop. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around all that happen in Sydney. Which honestly wasn't as crazy as it may sound but if you consider my standards of craziness it was.

There is not enough time in a day or energy in me to give you a play by play instead I'll try to give you some highlights...and let your imagination take care of the rest.

I was a mix of emotions before I left. I was surprisingly calm while a bit apprehensive since it was my first time riding a train and alone. I've been doing that a lot lately...:)

My trip to Sydney was good boost in self confidence. I love the city because as a wheelchair user it is easier to get around. Granted that the sidewalk ramps kind of suck because most of them had lips so I had to go backwards on all of them...

I almost fell out of my chair like three times! Once when I got to Central Station in Sydney, another when I was trying to cross the street but there was a lip, and one other time when I was getting on the Skyway at the Blue Mountains.

But compared to Wollongong (although I love it here...) I could go places easily on a bus or train. Which means a lot cheaper. Plus I got really lucky and almost never paid for a bus ride. Which isn't standard since my friend Colin in Sydney who is in a wheelchair too says he's been paying the whole time. haha.

But here are all the places I went:
Sydney Opera House
Darling harbor
aquarium
The Rock (Its the oldest part of Sydney which also means not so much wheelchair accessibility) BUT getting into the expensive shops like Tiffany's was not hard...lol
Sydney Tower
Minus Five (A club in Sydney that the room is minus 5 degrees)
Botanical Gardens
White Mountains

By the end of the first day money was already running low....But I was able to get all my souvenir and gift shopping done. In addition to buy yet another cute dress. Hey it was only $10! haha

Things I experienced:
lifts
street corners
running into people I know on the street
sharks on top of me
meat pies (with free sausage roll!)
free pictures from Minus Five (normally cost $30!)
kebab
creepy guys
staying in a hostel (wheelchair accessible: YHA Railway)
being spontaneous
trolley ride (wheelchair accessible up in Blue Mountains!)
train rides
train stations
finding a beer I like
wine tasting
living off Hungry Jacks, coffee, and some sleep
Tai food
singing
drunk texting (but not really being drunk...)
shopping
free rides
naked men
cute guys opening doors
cute bartenders
cute but dumb waiters
romantic walks on harbour
realizing I need a rich boyfriend
places closing by 4pm
charging chair in coffee shops
and I'm sure so much more that I am not remembering....lol.

Sydney was amazing. I was sad to leave.



Kind of changing of subject...

I've started to notice how things keep happening when I leave. That life goes on. Not that I didn't think that was going happen. I knew it would...but it feels strange to talk to my family back home or talk to friends and hear all that is happening to them. I sometimes feel like I'm missing out. Even here, I left Campus East just for a few days and I come back to all this stuff happening...I just wish I could be in two places at once. I think that is were the homesickness comes in.

I've been trying to post pictures but blogspot isn't cooperating....I'll figure out a way some how. Just not right now because I need to get some homework done as I am leaving again tomorrow morning bright and early for camp.

Feeling at Home

Sorry it has been awhile since my last posted. I tried putting this up last week but it didn't work. :(

I've been here for over a month now and I'm starting to realize how much at home I feel here.

Here are some of the signs:
*My pimples have returned
*I'm freaking out about school
*I'm on Facebook all the time

Things I'm missing (besides of course my family and friends):
*Food! American food. I miss my Jimmy John's, Chipotle, and Pei Wei's. Most of all I miss Starbucks. Maybe I'll get some when I am in Sydney next week! I also miss American junk food.
*Tucson weather. At least its predictable and not all humid.
*Familiar places i.e. Fry's and Target
*TV. I have no TV here and I'm really missing my shows.
*Less Bugs. Seriously everywhere I go there is a bug.
*My room at VDP. I miss the spaciousness of it and the at home feeling I had created.
*I miss working the front desk.

Oh and its St. Patrick's Day and I wish at I was home because my mom always makes me corn beef! Which is my favorite.

Ok, I'll stop there because I'm just going to make myself depressed.

I also know I'm settling in here because things go wrong here as they do back home. But that is the thing...things will always go wrong, no matter where you are. So why not have some new experiences with that (to make the bad better).

Apparently I'm not that American (which is a good thing here). Honestly I think I'm pretty American. I like a lot of American culture.

Classes still going ok. Except I hate Planet Earth because it makes me feel stupid. Science is not my thing. I like my Stalin and Hitler class and my Cold War class. I find it interesting. But then again that is my thing.

This time next week I'll be in Sydney I couldn't be any more excited about. I bit apprehensive about it because I've never rode a train before and because I have so much homework to do before then because I won't get anything done during break!


I've been trying to post pictures with this blog but Blogger isn't cooperating. I'll post pictures soon!

Blue Butterflies, Lizards, and Dragonfly, Oh My!

So it has been a bit since I have written. A testament that I have been buckling down. Not really actually. If I really was getting in school mode I wouldn't be writing this blog, I would be reading the four chapters I need to read and finishing up that annotated bibliography.

I really took myself seriously when I told myself that I would take it easy while I was here. Its not that I'm not getting things done or that I'm just doing a half way job. Its just that I'm much more lazzie fair about school work then I'm in the States. It causes me moments of uneasiness which quickly fade away as I leave my room to go hang out with people.

I found a new lunch spot and I also found an awesome place to eat. My new lunch spot is right above a small waterfall. I needed to find a new spot as my other spot has been invaded. As many of my other places here seem to be.

Anyways the only problem with this new spot of mine is that it is also occupied by this tailless lizard. I believe his tail was brutally cut off. He always waits for me to get comfortable before he makes his appearance and startles me. I believe he gets great enjoyment out of this. I think I need to name him. Any suggestions?

While eating yesterday I also had the enjoyment of seeing my first dragonfly. At least I believe she's my first dragonfly because I can't recall ever seeing one before. I also had the pleasure of enjoying company of a magnficant blue-turquoise and black butterfly. The butterfly reminded me of those silky dress shirts that are all the rage now.

I had a entertaining dinner conversation last night. Not that most of my dinners here aren't entertaining. My friend Ivan and I enjoy making people uncomfortable with our very open conversations...But last night I was talking to a couple of other guys. They cannot understand how Americans eat apples with peanut butter. I've met a few people already who have never had a PBJ! They honestly are mystified on how people could enjoy peanut butter on apples. Although, personally I do not enjoy it either I cannot find what is so strange. With the PBJ scenario though I kept calling jam, jelly. This received very perplexed faces. I couldn't understand why. Well, its because jelly here means Jello. haha. I couldn't stop laughing at the image I was giving them of PBJs.

Academically UOW reminds me of UA as in the weight of work. I'll let you know how the grading is here though. Lauren describes it as being difficult to receive high distinction but difficult to fail too. They don't do the whole A, B, C thing here. They do High distinction, distinction, credit, pass, and fail.

Video Clips of N. Gong

Here is some video footage of N. Gong. Enjoy! P.S. the last blog, the video one...should be working now. :)