Shall We Dance?!

Wow, it has been a while! These past few weeks have been pretty packed with interesting experiences. First of all, I was supposed to be in Bali this past week, but due to increased terrorism threats, we decided it would be in our best interest to stay in Australia. I thought it would be a good idea to take the Australian Embassy's advice to reconsider traveling to Bali at this time. I was slightly bummed that I wouldn't be refunded for my flight, but my parents so lovingly told me that my life was a tad more important than a few hundred dollars, so that made me feel good!

So instead, I filled my weekends with events held around New South Wales. Last weekend, Danielle, another Etown girl Julie, and myself went to the Sydney Opera House to see the Infinity Ballet perform. The ballet was divided into three sections, and let me tell you, ballet is rather difficult to understand, especially when no back story is given. The first section of the ballet was intriguing to watch, mainly because I could not fathom how the dancers moved their bodies in such intricate ways. Their bodies have this delicacy, yet enormous strength that is simply admirable. Despite being completely lost, I was mesmerized. The second portion was rather comical. The ballet company performed a satirical performance of Swan Lake. There was actually talking and comedy that really captured the audience. The final section involved tribal music (I think) and the dancers replicated animal movements. It was like a sophisticated, grown-up version of The Lion King. Even though they did an amazing job, no one can stand close to Simba. Sorry, Sydney Dance Company.

Oh! I forgot to mention the delicious meal we indulged in beforehand. We put our fancy pants on and headed to our reservation at the Waterfront Restaurant for dinner. The restaurant overlooked the harbour just as the sun was beginning to set, and it was absolutely gorgeous. We even saw two weddings take place. These lucky brides got their wedding photos taken right there at the harbour. It was so magical!


When our meals finally came out, I dove into my delicious pasta and fish with asparagus cream sauce. And we couldn't resist the Cosmopolitan jug to share. It was very yummy! The ballet was definitely a cultural event worth experiencing. Once again, I have fallen in love with the city of Sydney. We were surrounded by exciting nightlife, classy people, and most importantly, good friends.

P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way, Syndey...does not exist!

Photo compliments of Danielle

Sydney Harbour Bridge... check!
Sydney Opera House.......check!
Botanical Gardens............check!
Staring at top-notch business men all day and not being discrete at all, Danielle.... check, check!
P. Sherman 24 Wallaby Way, Sydney... Sorry all of you Nemo fans. It doesn't exist!

I know, I'm as bummed as you are, too. But, despite the nonexistence of one of the most famous addresses in the history of movies, I had such an AMAZING day in Sydney. Gina, Danielle, my new awesome friend Yoshua, and I started the day off bright and early this past Friday and caught the two and half hour train ride to Central Station! As always, Danielle did not fail us with her healthy obsession of picture taking. "You're going to thank me one day, children when you have hundreds of photos to look back at!"

Upon arrival, Gina and I were thankful to have two Sydney pros with us to guide us through the massive Central Station. We caught the next train to Circular Quay and began our day of adventure.

Danielle and Yoshua had reservations to do the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb, which is something I will be doing before I leave here. I mean if Oprah and Gale did it, then I find it extremely necessary to do it as well! We walked down George Street, the main city road through Sydney, and dropped Danielle and Yoshua off to make the climb. That's right, I'm quoting Miley Cyrus! Also, kudos to Danielle for making the climb. She's afraid of heights, and kept tripping the whole way there. I'm just glad she didn't trip and fall off the bridge! Who would have been there to take pictures of us for the rest of the day?!

The climb took three and half hours, so Gina and I ventured off for lunch and to view and take pictures all of the "touristy" landmarks. Our first stop was the Australian Art Museum. Neither of us are interested in art whatsoever, but felt the need to prove we had the chance to actually see the museum. We walked in and Gina took a picture. The creepy smiling woman jetted over and told us there was no flash photography inside of the museum. We simply smiled, turned off our flashes and kept walking. Two seconds later, the same woman is right behind me telling me that backpacks are not to worn on the back. I could hold it at my side or in front, but not on my back. Hmmmmm? We took this as a sign to leave, and just take a picture from the outside of the building. I'm still surprised they didn't make us sign a release or agreement for that photo opportunity.

We then had lunch at the adorable Rossini Cafe. This Italian restaurant sat right on the harbour and had a wonderful view. In Australia, waiters are paid a flat hourly wage of about $20 an hour, so there is no tipping over here. This is great for the waiter, but not so great for customers. Being used to American waiters who are at your table side every twenty seconds ready to take your order, see if you need anything else, or ask for the hundredth time how you meal is, the laid back mentality of Australian waiters takes a bit to get used to. After being seated for about twenty minutes, I finally forced eye contact with the Italian/Australian waiter (talk about a confusing accent to understand) and he came over, but needless to say, we didn't see him again for awhile. But, it's all a part of the culture here and our food was delicious, so there is no need to complain! I had a scrumptious bowl of minestrone soup and Gina had a gourmet margherita pizza.

Photo compliments of Gina

After lunch, we headed to the peaceful and serene Botanical Gardens. The gardens were huge with different paths every which way. There were four statues representing the four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and autumn; little temple looking huts; benches; fountains; picnic areas; fluorescent flowers; vibrant colours; and beautifully landscaped greenery at every turn! Talk about a beautiful place to have a lunch break! It was such a funny, yet neat sight to see heaps of business blokes and sheilas dressed in suits and ties, lounging around on their backs, taking a nap in the grass or having their lunch.

 I even saw one woman doing yoga over in her own little corner while another man was passed out on the other side of the bush. Of course I took a picture, which probably completely disrupted and violated her yoga zen, but hey, I'm in Australia! Young school children were even picnicking during their lunch break, which I thought was too cool! I could totally see myself picking up and moving there! Don't worry mom, dad, and Elyse, you can come, too!

At the end of the gardens was the Sydney Opera House! What a memorable moment. I've seen this landmark on every travel advertisement, seen it on Oprah, and have always heard about it, but standing right there on the stairs was just incredible. The architecture and design is magnificent. All of the different wedges fit perfectly together and the overall design was inspired by an orange. Pretty cool, right?
 Next weekend I will be going to the ballet, Infinity at the Opera House, so check back to hear about that!

Gina and I then made our way to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Back to you Nemo fans, this is where Nemo's dad winds up! The whole time I kept thinking of those darn seagulls saying, "Mine, mine, mine." No one can do it like you though, dad!

The Harbour was magnificent! The sun reflecting on the water was lovely. It was such a classy atmosphere as well. That night I got chilly and put on my hoodie. I was probably the most ghetto/dressed down person there, which really goes to show you how sophisticated everyone is! People tend to compare Sydney to New York, but they are in no way, shape, or form alike!

We finally met back up with Danielle and Yoshua and trekked to Paddy's Market. Talk about an overwhelming amount of discounted items! I bought a rugby sweatshirt-- originally $70 in the souvenir shops-- for $10. Talk about a super steal! After the market we went to Cold Rock, which is Australia's version of Cold Stone, but with about half the amount of sugar, and the portions are actually manageable, unlike Cold Stone! I got a scrumptious cup of Aussie Vanilla with cookie dough, and 100s and 1000s, which are just rainbow sprinkles. Yummmm!

We finally made our way back to the Harbour to see the bridge and the opera house at sunset and it was spectacular! The night life was amazing. There were jazz players lining the harbour playing saxophones and violins.

After a long day of walking, climbing, staring at business men, and laughing, we worked up a huge appetite and found an Italian restaurant tucked away. The food was amazing and it was the perfect way to end a wonderful day! We made our way back to the train station and took the longgggg train ride back. The whole time we had to listen to a group of fifteen year old girls squealing about the One Direction, which is an Australian boy band, concert they just went to. They also all got new hair extensions while in Sydney, so they were a big hit for the ride, too. They took them out, then put them in, then took them out, and put them in a different way, but took them out so they could put them in yet again in a way that would let them put their hair up into a pony tail. To be honest, the extensions didn't even match their hair! It was quite comical.

At midnight we finally made it to the next train; however, it was not scheduled to come for another hour and a half. Then a drunk guy came running through the train station, yelling and staggering everywhere. About a minute later, two undercover cops with guns came strolling through and casually asked us if we saw the Aboriginal fellow wandering through here. We all just shook our heads and pointed in his direction. I found this so interesting though, because in the states, there is no way a police officer would have pinpointed someone's race like that. That's a big difference I've noticed. Australia is not half as worried about being politically correct all the time, which is kind of a relief. Well, ten minutes later the cops came back, without the Aboriginal fellow, and told us to have a good night. By this point we were exhausted so we decided to catch the bus. We got on and at the next stop, guess who shows up? That's right, the Aboriginal fellow! He hopped right on without paying, then there was a scene while the bus driver kicked him off. It was quite amusing.

But after a long, fun-filled day, we made it back to Edwards Hall and fell fast asleep. Sydney was absolutely amazing and I cannot wait to go back! My words and picture cannot describe how beautiful it is there, so if you ever hit the lottery, or rob a bank, I suggest making Sydney one of your top destinations!

Cheers, mate!

Photo compliments of Danielle

Attack of the jumbo prawns

So our lovely friend Gina celebrated her milestone 21st birthday last week, Aussie-style!

She picked a beautiful restaurant that sat on the harbour called Scratchley's on the Wharf. http://www.scratchleys.com.au/.
We had an amazing time, but lets just say the dinner was quite the experience. First of all, we were all rather excited to have an actual GOOD dinner, so we had been looking at the menu for days, evaluating every available option. I personally decided on the Mahi Mahi-- my favorite-- and I must say, I was pretty excited. Well, when we arrived, the Mahi Mahi was not on the menu! I then decided that you cannot go wrong with shrimp, so I decided instead on the Prawn Salad. Prawns are the equivalent to our shrimp. It sounded like a normal meal to me. We all ordered, Gina and Danielle played it safe with the chicken schnitzel, but Tori and I went for the prawns. We had to do it.

Our meals finally came out, and needless to say, there were some looks of horror. As the waiter laid my entree in front of me, I found myself staring face to face with four jumbo prawns! Their little beady black eyes were taunting me and their mile-long antenna things (aka feelers) were going in every direction. Being a rather picky eater, and new to seafood might I add, I tried to hide my panic. I simply asked my Aussie friend, Jess what this was. She blatantly answered, "your meal." I told her I ordered prawns (for some reason I thought they were baby lobsters), and she said those are prawns. I then frantically asked what the heck a prawn was and she lost it.

Luckily, my best mate Tori stepped up to the plate, being the motherly figure she is. She timidly offered to switch meals with me, because lucky for her, her prawns were peeled and not staring back at her! After much discussion, I decided to switch with her, but only if Jess peeled the prawns for Tori. In my defense, Tori was just as freaked out by the meal as I was. After Jess peeled them and they looked like normal American shrimp, I told Tori she could have her dinner back. We switched back and all was finally normal. This little dinner fiasco was pretty entertaining, and I honestly do not want to know what we looked like to everyone sitting around us. We were laughing so hard, I'm just happy we didn't get kicked out on Gina's birthday! Gina and Danielle loved their chicken, and after the eyes, shells, antennas, and little claws were gone, I enjoyed mine as well. However, Danielle taunts Tori and myself every night before bed, telling us the prawns are going to attack.

 After our dinner date, and Gina had her first cocktail, we walked down the harbour and climbed the Queen's Wharf Tower. It is a 30 meter high tower, containing 180 steps and we conquered it in heels. Talk about champs!

At the top of the tower, you get to look out and see all of Newcastle city and look at the stunning views the harbour has to offer.

After our little voyage, we went out to Finnegan's pub to dance the night away with Gina. We had an absolute blast and I'm so happy I got to spend a special night with a special friend!

Happy 21st birthday, Gina!

Happy Birthday, Papa Bloke!

Today was my amazing father's 49th birthday! Sadly, this is the first year I have not been home (or an hour away at Etown) to celebrate with him. Lucky for me, my family invited me to the birthday party via Skype! It was such a fun and makeshift way of celebrating such a special day from the other side of the world.

I woke up early so our times would match up.  I taped up a handmade sign on my back wall that read "Happy Birthday, Papa Bloke" and my mom had the entire computer room (aka my room) decorated with streamers, balloons, and presents.

After we connected the call, we all sang "Happy Birthday" and while they cruelly ate a delicious homemade cherry cheesecake (tradition for dad's birthday), I ate an ever so appetizing bowl of instant oatmeal. Yummmmm!

After they had dessert and I had brekky, we all had a cup of coffee together and went straight into presents and cards. I graciously volunteered to be the "Skypographer" for the event and was able to capture all the excitement, just as if I were there! Luckily, the card I sent home made it there before today so he was able to read it on his actual birthday. I was so excited about this card, too. It had a kangaroo with a beer and it said, "Cheers, Mate!" So Australian and festive, right?! After that, it was a Nike extravaganza as he opened Nike shirts, pants, and socks! Flashbacks to your Vera Bradley birthday huh, Elyse?!

After presents, Elyse had a special performance. Talk about bringing on the tears! This Skype party turned into a waterworks show. Elyse merged together Have I Told You Lately that I Love You, Hero, Drive, and Daddy's Hands and sang it to dad. Well, needless to say, we are all emotional wrecks by this point. I had to run out of my room and grab tissues from the bathroom. People probably thought I was a looney bin! I had to explain they were happy tears! After that, we reminisced by reading the Alphabet Birthday Book I made for my dad about five years ago. This is another tradition for my dad's birthday. We can never forget the pool men, Christmas tree shopping, soccer, and all our other memories!

Despite the tears, it was an amazing day and experience! I will never forget dad's birthday of 2012. It goes to show how strong the family unit really is. Even half way around the world, a family can connect on such a level that it seems like I was there celebrating my dad's birthday with him. Even though I didn't get to eat a giant slice of cheesecake, I was able to get a giant slice of home that will satisfy me for awhile!

So here's to your 49th birthday, Papa Bloke! I love you more than the cherries on your cake, and more than the miles we are apart. Cheers, mate!

Signed, Sealed, Delivered!

It has been way too long! I have been super busy lately and finally have the chance to catch up a bit. I haven't been on any extravagant trips lately; however, I have been enjoying every minute of good ol' Newcastle!

Our little group of Americans booked a holiday to Bali from April 18-25, so needless to say, we are pretty excited! We are staying in a lovely hostel in Ubud for only $12 USD a night, but I'll spill all those details in my Bali post.

As for the past few weeks, one of my biggest highlights was receiving my package from home. Seeing Jarrettsville, Maryland on the return address almost made me cry! I woke up bright and early, sprinted to the mail room, and ran back to my dorm while hugging a giant box. So American, right? But anyway, my family sent me HEAPS of junk food. I cracked open the berger cookies and shared them with my friends.Represent, Baltimore! Everyone was basically amazed at their deliciousness. My parents also threw in a pack of Big Red gum for my Australian friend, Jess. Apparently, it's one of the things she misses about the States, and she ate the whole pack in one day. I also got my own lifetime supply of Trident gum -they don't have it here- red dollars, peanut butter M&Ms, and a chocolate Easter bunny. I think I'm pretty set for the rest of my time here; however, I do miss those homemade chocolate chip cookies! (wink, wink, nudge, nudge, Elyse)

 Lets see... What else have I gotten up to recently? (Throwing in some more Aussie lingo) Our lovely friend, Rachel, hosted an Alfredo, wine, and movie night for us last week. She cooked up a delicious homemade alfredo sauce, sauteed chicken breast, and we enjoyed a wonderful meal for once! Tori brought peach wine, which is much, much better than the every so popular goon. Then we all snuggled up on the couches and watched/cried/laughed at The Help. It was such a relaxing evening with great company. Tori and I have also become known foosball champs of the Cutler Rec Room! We hold an undefeated record and are pretty darn proud! Other than that, I have actually been getting my homework done and being "mostly" studious, except for the days I choose the beach over lecture, but hey, I'm in Australia. That has become the ultimate excuse for everything we do. We're in Australia!

But now, I am going to throw a little local news your way, too. Back in the quiet town of Jarrettsville, my amazing little sister got her license! I am so proud of you, Elyse. When I saw her post I was literally dancing all alone in my room. Now if only she could drive herself over here to visit me =) Also, my lovely Papa Bloke will be turning the big 49 tomorrow! I'll miss ya, daddy, but I'll be there in spirit aka Skype! I'll be missing your cherry cheesecake, mom. Save a piece for me... or feel free to send it over. I'm sure customs would appreciate it!

Well, I don't want to bore anyone with my everyday occurrences, so I'm gonna sign off, but check back soon to hear about any Easter break adventures I embark on, and to hear all about Bali!

Talk to you soon, and Happy Easter everyone! I'll be missing you Mom, Dad, Elyse, Grandma, Poppy Bug, Aunt Jenny, Uncle Dave, Noah, Emma, and Uncle Chris at the Easter dinner table this year. Eat heaps of mashed potatoes and goodies for me! I reckon you can Skype me into the dinner conversation! Hope the Easter Bunny treats you well, kiddos!

G'day!

Find Your Mojo, babe!

So after this past weekend, I have decided to embrace my inner "mojo," cease washing my hair to create "all-natural" dreadlocks, wave my hand and say "shakamalaka" every other word, wear boardies on a daily basis, and soak up the sun for the rest of my life! Ok, so maybe not, but let me tell you, surfing was incredible!

We left late Friday night and embarked on a four hour bus ride north to Crescent Head, New South Wales. After taking secluded, sketchy back roads, we pulled up to a campsite smack dab in the middle of nowhere at about 12:30 am. We were then taken to our cabins and told to fall asleep, not to worry about the time, and wait for the hunky blond guy who lives in the next room to wake us up for brekky. Our room consisted of four girls and four guys, and we stayed up for quite a bit bonding over our favorite childhood cartoons. This was definitely a great way to start off the weekend!

So without a doubt, the next morning at 7 am, I woke up to a hunky, shirtless surfer dude standing in the doorway telling us to get dressed and grab something to eat. This wasn't a bad way to start the morning off! ;) After brekky, we were given the basic rules of surfing, then we were sent down the path to the beach. When we walked up over the hill, our mouths dropped at the sight of these surfers' "backyard." We walked about a mile up the beach to an inlet where we began day one of surfing.

Crescent Head beach

First we suited up into wetsuits, then got in a circle and drew surfboards in the sand. We practiced paddling, and popping up into standing position. Need I mention that this is much easier in the sand than in the water? Then we did some stretches, grabbed our boards, and literally dove headfirst into a shakamalaka experience!

One by one, the two instructors helped us paddle out, get over the waves before they crashed on us, and basically rode the wave in with us. I watched the few people in front of me paddle out and take their first attempt and was super excited to finally go. Well, the instrcuctor gets on the back of my board and begins to push me out. He's making simple conversation about where I'm from, what my name is, all the while I'm noticing the wells are getting higher and higher. All of a sudden, the instructor sees a really big wave and literally says, "Oh, shit!" Well, this is NOT what I want to hear the first time I'm on a surfboard. The wave lifts us up and SMACK, I hit the board. This happens about two more times in row before we finally get a chance to catch our breath. Ouchhhh! Anyways, he turns me around and tells me we're catching the next wave. He tells me to start paddling and I feel our speed increasing and he starts yelling for me stand up, so I do! Just like that, I was riding a wave to shore! It was the coolest thing ever!

This cycle of paddling out and riding in continued throughout the morning, some waves a lot less successful than my first, but I enjoyed every single minute of it. Usually, I get bored of doing the same thing over and over, but this was just totally gnarly as they say it. After our first session was over, I realized how physically exhausting surfing is! No wonder surfers always seems to appear Photoshopped!

These things are heavy!

We then went back to the camp for lunch and rest, and then headed right back out for round two! This time, we were more on our own; however, the waves were rough. It was an effort just paddling out. Every time I paddled five feet forward, the waves pulled me six feet back! Anyways, the afternoon session was another success, and I felt like I did a pretty good job for my first time! As the Aussies say, it was loose (fun).
After the second session, we lounged on the beach for awhile, taking pictures, and hanging out. When we got back, we got to shower and keep the bathroom frog, Freddy, company. Then we had a barbie, and got to watch a slideshow of the pictures that were taken of us surfing. For our barbie, we had steak, burgers, sausage, salad, and grilled veggies. It was all delicious. I seriously ate more food this past weekend than I have my entire time at Uni.

Then, to wrap up the evening, we walked to "The Hump" for a bonfire on the beach. We took our goon and all sat around the fire talking and relaxing. A few of us girls ventured down the path and chilled on the beach, and danced in the moonlight. It was just too cool! It's a lifestyle I could live and love.

The girls with one of our instructors

The next morning we woke up and had our final session before heading back, eating lunch, and  buying too many souvenirs! We loaded back onto the bus and began our trek home.

Every inch of my body is so incredibly sore, but it is all worth it. I knew the surfing trip was going to be fun, but I didn't expect myself to actually crave for the next time I get to try it again. As of right now, I see myself moving south to the Carolinas, buying a beach house (haha with my English degree), waking up for a morning jog on the beach, and teaching myself to surf on the weekends. I know, I know, keep dreaming, but hey, it could happen!

Well, that's it for the night, so shakamalaka and I'll be posting soon about more of my Aussie adventures!

Heaps fun this weekend!

So this past weekend was an absolute blast and I really feel like I'm finally getting to know this "junglesesque" place! I say this because there are dozens of different species of birds swooping down as you walk. I have a bird that sits outside my window and whistles a soothing tune in the morning, but has this treacherous "SQUAWK" at night time. We have cockatoos, lorikeets, and kookaburras. It seriously sounds like it's dying. We have these other birds that sound like wild monkeys, which is kind of cool. But the overall atmosphere looks like an actual jungle. There are trees everywhere and some swampy looking areas.

My first week here, I went for an exploratory run through campus and passed one of these swampy areas. My first thought and biggest fear was crocodiles! I quickly sprinted, like my life depended on it, past the swamp. When I returned, I asked my floor mates if there were a lot of crocodile sightings on campus. Needless to say, I was laughed at. There are no crocs in Newcastle apparently. It's too chilly for them here.

But back to my weekend. Friday night was TEDS formal dinner. Everyone got dressed up and kept it classy by actually sipping goon out of a wine glass rather than simply chugging it from the box! hahah. We got to wear these awesome Harry Potter robes and eat a "delicious" meal.

The next day, Lauren, Tori, and myself met up with our friend Gina who lives at Bar Beach. We successfully completed our first attempt at public transportation. Besides getting lost on our way back to the train, almost missing the train, and risking our lives sprinting across the highway, the train was a breeze!

We ventured to Darby Street, which is a main shopping and cafe spot in the city of Newcastle. We looked in heaps (catching onto the lingo!) stores for jewelry, dresses, and bathing suits. I found an adorable owl necklace that I'm very excited about, and I got a new bathing suit on clearance! When in Australia, bargain shop!

After we got back from out day out, we finally fed ourselves and began planning for Easter break. Our thought right now is traveling to Melbourne! Then, at the last minute, we decided to join my awesome floor mates for a night out. I got to bond with some of them, and meet some other awesome people. We caught the train again and went to Finnegans, an Irish Pub, and danced, danced, danced. It was a blast. Then we walked through the city of Newcastle and went to the Brewery, which is this awesome bar that sits right on the harbour. It was an amazing view, and so Australian!

So after a long night out, we went to the swimming carnival today. Each residence hall here is known as a college, so I live at TEDS college since I live in Edwards Hall. Our biggest rival is Evatt House. There's a song, but it's not very appropriate! Anyways, the swimming carnival took place all afternoon, and it was a competitive swimming competition between the colleges. Edwards won, and everyone was happy.

I left early though for church, and met some new people again! We had another delicious potluck style picnic, and afterward, we all played a game of soccer. It was so much fun and such a good workout.

So to wrap up my whole weekend, all I can say is I had heaps of fun! I'm looking forward to a long night sleep and my second week of classes, and then this weekend it's off to Sydney for a weekend surf getaway!

Check back to hear about my attempt at surfing, if I don't get eaten by the sharks first!