Culture Shock & Some Rather Interesting Things

I have now been in Australia for three weeks!! (if you haven't been counting ... I know mom is). My first week here went by too fast to even think. But my second week, hit hard! AustraLearn students were of the first to move in, which was great because we got to explore campus while it was still calm, but all the people we had just lived with for a week were widely dispersed around campus. My first shock, and biggest concern, was the food! Our dining hall is specific to our residence hall, but open for two hours, three times a day (each meal) and serves the most bizarre, tasteless, often disgusting combinations of food that even the Australians cringe about. "Tomato sauce", ketchup, is very acidic here; nothing like Heinz. Barbeque sauce is missing that hickory smoked authentic taste and chocolate is NOT sweet ... it's strange. We have a small selection for breakfast, "brekky", which I never make it in time for (7am-9am), always have make-your-own sandwiches for lunch (it is already getting old) with a small selection of fresh fruit (usually the go-to) and dinner ... well dinner is special (not!). Every night they serve us a nice heaping pile of under cooked white rice, a choice between two meats (which usually contain 40% fat:60% meat), roasted potatoes and steamed frozen vegetables. The only food to look forward to is on Friday nights when they have fish and chips (french fries are always called "chips" here, but so are potato chips!), baked fish and ice cream for dessert!

Second to the food shock, is definitely the lack of urgency in this country. In America, our lifestyles are so fast paced that we can get pretty much anything we needed at almost anytime of the day. Here, not so much. As an anxious individual, their "no worries" response to any problem drives me INSANE! Stores are only open from 9am-5/530pm on weekdays, except late night Thursdays that are open until 9pm (shocker) and are only open for a short time on Saturdays and only select stores open shortly on Sundays. The campus staff is virtually no help because most of them are only part time, so our RA's get tortured with our questions :) Speaking of, my RA's name is Brendan and he is great! He has been at Uni for six years (very typical here) and is a stereotypical Aussie; very sarcastic and loves to bust people up, so we get along well.

Shopping in Townsville has been a very interesting task. The cost of living is very high in Townsville, so some of the items we could buy cheap at Target at home are not so cheap here, even at Target. For some reason, clothes are more affordable than food, but with our currency being at such a good rate I have been pretty okay with carefully spending Mom's money :) on school supplies of course! While shopping I have come across some interesting items not found in the States. Take a look ...


P.S. - I found the setting that only allowed Google account members to comment, so now EVERYONE can comment if they wish! Sorry I didn't find it sooner :/


< Why use an escalator, when you can use a moving sidewalk that takes you up to the "car park"






< "Mallow Bunnies" - anyone in the mood for a giant Peep?











< I hear these are a revelation, but yet to try any











< I don't trust it! Umm, yeah I will pass thank you.













< These are the most delicious cookies, EVER!













< Australian Coins


















< Finding out that you have tons of coins isn't so bad when they are worth $1 & $2












< These are not so fun to find: 5 cents & 10 cents












< 20 cents & 50 cents, but these get heavy!





Pictures of campus soon! I am waiting for another sunny day to finish them off!

Miss you xoxoxo