Day Two in Oz

Hello everyone I miss:

Well, it’s day two in Newcastle, Australia. So far, I have not 1) died 2) gotten lost 3) starved to death (although I came close yesterday) or 4) made any friends. The last one may not happen for a few more weeks but I tell ya! I miss having people who I can have a deeper conversation with than something like this: “Oh! You’re from Canada? Sorry, I thought you were American. How cold is it in Canada right now?” or “Which way to the Dining hall?” or, even better, “You don’t have a cell-phone? Uh oh. You’re going to have to get one of those, mate.”

Everyone has been very friendly, don’t get me wrong. In the last two days, I have had plenty of people just come up to me and introduce themselves. I like that. There is no hostility towards anyone really. Oh, and if you’re wondering, I haven’t met an ugly person yet. It’s a little intimidating but everyone here is beautiful. Tanned, in shape, and glowing. I think the Asians and me are the only group of people that are pasty, out of shape and a little bit, uh, spacey. Just kidding. The Asians seem to know what’s going on. And they don’t sweat--- I don’t get it.

Actually, it’s crazy hot here right now. If I had the Internet I would post some pictures—(I realize that by the time you read this I will have internet since I have posted it on my blog but right now it’s just me and my word document). The weather is very humid, warm and bright. You walk outside and you feel as though you’ve just walked into a sauna room—except you can’t leave the heat like a sauna room. This is Australia, baby.

I should have packed an extra pair of shorts. I don’t know if anyone in Oz owns a pair of pants. Some guy told me that this is typical winter weather for them too. My god. Why did I even dare pack a sweater? I’ve really got to invest in some shorts. I’ll have to hit “The Big W.” Yeah, that’s right. Australia’s version of Walmart.

I took the bus to “Jesmond Shopping Center” today. I think it’s Newcastle’s only mall. It was pretty much like any North American shopping center except smaller and with more local shops. I don’t think I have ever seen a butcher shop beside a clothing store—only here, folks! Anyway, I picked up some groceries and supplies. I had to decide what was essential because when you’ve got to carry your groceries a kilometer in 35C, you choose wisely. I mostly purchased fruits and vegetables (I plan on blending in with the beautiful Australians) but also some bread and cheese. I was hoping to have a bit of a more finished kitchen to do my cooking. Luckily, I don’t have to buy pots and pans or dinner sets. I’ve got that supplied but I don’t have an oven. This limits some of the recipes I had in my mind to make, so it looks like I’ll try my hand at a variety of salads, pasta and soup. I actually saw cheese infused vegemite but couldn’t quite provoke myself to buy it yet. We’ll see. I’ll document my first encounter with vegemite for you guys when it happens.

Speaking of my place (sorta), I should say it’s quite nice. I’ve got a lot of space since it’s designed for two roommates. I like that I have so much space but it does emphasize the fact that I’m pretty lonely right now.

Thanks Jen and Bryan for giving me pictures. It helps personalize my space a little bit. I plan to invest in some candles to make my room a little more romantic. Otherwise, it looks like an office with a bed in the center. Not very me.

That’s about all I have to say right now. I could tell you how horrible my trip getting here was but I think I’ve told enough people about it. I’ll just say that I slept for 13 hours last night to catch me up from a 2.5 sleepless day marathon.

Hope all is well with you Canadians. I ache for home, family and friends but I’m forcing myself to keep my chin up through this rough patch. I hope I can tell you more great things about this place, as I get more familiar with my surroundings.

Love,

A Sheila*

*Australian for a girl, lassy, doll, dame etc…