Post Secret One: Things I have been thinking, experiencing, and doing but was not able to write in order to keep my early return to the United States a surprise

The Decider:

Ok, so around the beginning of May I made the decision to explore my options for returning home. Since DLC kicks us out by the 25th of June, and my current plane ticket was for the 2nd of July, I needed to make changes regardless of when I decided to come back. I had been considering for awhile the possibility of returning by June 5th so that I could attend Lawrence University's graduation, several of my close Lawrentian friends are graduating this year, not to mention my Brother, so it is a big event this time around.

Not making any solid choice, I gave Continental Airlines a call to see what flights were available from Australia to the U.S. around June 4th, planning to arrive in the States just in time to make it to graduation, but not leave Macquarie before the official end of classes on the 3rd. The first person I talked to barely spoke English, misunderstood most of what I was asking and gave me the information that there were no flights before June 12th that worked with my ticket options. I decided that perhaps it would be good for me to call back and speak to someone else, so I waited a day and again called the Airline. Again I spoke with someone who had fairly poor English (a completely different person though) and she initially told me that there was a flight on the 1st in the early morning, and NO flights on the 12th...hmmm...I decided to call back one more time later that evening, just to be sure, since again, I thought perhaps there had been not so good understanding just based on what I was being given in responses (not because I was told there was nothing free, but, there were some other odd things as well). I called and OH NO! It was the FIRST person I had talked to again!!!! I asked my question and she told me that she would check for flights, she found one leaving on June 1st in the evening going from Sydney to Vancouver, to LA, to Houston, to Chicago. Certainly not optimal, long travel time AND leaving on the 1st I would not have any time to accomplish my exams. So I asked if there was ANYTHING else. I was on hold for a looooooong time and then the call suddenly cut to another line (whether I was transferred or it just jumped I do not know). Anyway, just as I was giving up on the idea of going home early, perhaps it was not 'meant to be' I was thinking, the person who picked up and asked "how can I help you" sounded like a native English speaker. I asked one last time about flights from Sydney to the U.S.

We proceeded to have lovely conversation about flights across the dateline, his impending 49th birthday, and the milestone of turning 50. He saw what had been done by the previous agent and laughed.

"That is not a very direct flight now is it!?" he said "I can get you in WAY better than that!" and within minutes he told me there was a flight from Sydney to Vancouver to Chicago on the 2nd of June. Easy to find, don't know why the other agents had such trouble! Perfect!!! Decision time!!! Should I book the flight? pay the money? If I don't do it it may not be available. At this point I had not yet decided to go home so early, because that was very early...was I done with my Australian experience? I had not yet been to Broome or Tasmania...but then again, I didn't really have the funds did I? What would I choose!? I decided to book. I could always change later if needbe, so I gave it a ‘here goes’ and asked him to switch the ticket for me. He proceeded to do so and I said,
"ok let me get my credit card out" to this he said
"shhh shhh I am concentrating!" I was a bit baffled by this, but ok, then I asked
"ready for the card number yet?" he replied
"nono shush! there you are, you are all booked I have sent the confirmation email."
"so, no credit card?" (I knew from previous calls and checking online that there was undoubtably a fee for changing tickets and airports)
"no Miss, we will collect that from you if you switch again. Thank you for flying with us!"

So, I was gifted a ticket home by a man I have never met, I don't even know his name. Ok Ariana, perhaps going home early was 'meant to be' after all. Also, a week after I booked the ticket I secured a part-time job in Oberlin beginning on the 6th of June, tickets to Broome are really expensive, and I need some reason to come back to Australia someday right? So going home early works out well.

Post Thirty Seven: Blogs I follow

I managed to covertly sneak around campus again today to snap a few shots of Autumn at Macquarie University. It is not often gray and rainy, and the native trees are evergreen; but there are enough imports that there are leaves a-fallin' and unfortunately even in Australia the weather is occasionally less than beautiful. I know they are not of exactly the same areas, but compare the following photos to the ones I took earlier in the Summer, and you can get a general idea of how things have changed in these four months.

outside the old library

top of main path

looking up the main path

DLC

Now, on to that which is the subject of the title of this post. I have nothing to write about, I am just waiting for my impending exams tomorrow and Wednesday, so I decided to inform you about the various blogs I like (featured on the right side of my blogsite).

There are a few categories.

1.) Australia: the blogs here are various friends blogs of their experiences in this continent. Alicia and Angie are two fellow DLC/Macquarie Study Abroad students, and Hannah Sawitsky is a Lawrentian who Studied Abroad in Melbourne Australia last year. They each blog about their experiences in Alicia's Adventures in Australia, Seventeen Hours Later, and the Last 100 days respectively. Heidi is a former neighbor of mine from Wisconsin who is visiting and writing in Australia 2011. All of them have different and interesting viewpoints, experiences, photos, and information about what Australia is like.

2.) Food: I am a food-lover, as well as an amateur cooking and baking enthusiast. There are hundreds of cooking sites on the web, and I am constantly looking for good ones. Some of my favorite discoveries are featured here. Foodwishes is done by a professional Chef who posts a new recipe and video pretty much every day, I find his videos easy to follow, directions simple and clear, and narration style engaging and funny. Baked is a blog I stumbled upon when I was looking for very easy cookie recipes (since I am college student and have no ingredients, time, or space). She doesn't update too frequently, but all of what she posts are delicious looking baked goods recipes along with an anecdote on how she found the recipe, ways to make it original, and tips regarding when to use. Liberal Arts Cupcakes is another blog by Hannah Sawitsky. It is new and developing, but she makes amazingly creative cupcakes and will continue to post new endeavors or items I assume. Alimental is done by Hannah Voss Surges (Not Hannah Sawitsky from Lawrence, different Hannah) a friend of mine from the old Homeschooling days. Hannah Voss Surges gives healthy vegetarian, gluten free, or vegan recipes with some really great photos and comments on some not-so-well-known but good for you ingredients. Cakewrecks and TDAC (They Draw And Cook) are a couple sites I just enjoy looking at to look. Cakewrecks is all pictures of failed, weird, or just funny cakes found in stores or delivered as orders. But! on Sundays they do a special on the actually really well done cakes some of which are spectacular. TDAC is a recipe site, but focuses on some pretty fantastic illustrations done by the recipe submitters (hence the name). Finally, Foodbuzz is a cooking site NOT an add (so clicking on it does not go to the Ariana fund, even though it looks like an add in my sidebar), it is similar to the Cooking Club sites, but it is free and I think Foodbuzz is more like a collective Blog, less advertizing than most sites and almost anyone can submit recipes or comments, or advice, and some are quite interesting. If you are at all interested in food I highly recommend you take a look at these!

3.) Misc.: the rest are as follows (no pun intended): other travels abroad by friends of mine to Granada Spain and Santiago Chile from Fall 2010, advice and inspiration by a writer for writers, and creative living by Lisa a friend and teacher from Homeschooling, learning to live as a high level athlete and student with Diabetes by a friend and fellow Lawrentian Dimo, Masa writes his observations about a Europe hockey tour, Japan, and various other facets of life, and lastly but not leastly, Sarrah AbuLughod another friend from Homeschooling posts funny, inspirational, and entertaining anecdotes of her life experiences.

There you have it! I will update this if I start following any other blogs of course, I am also open to recommendations of good Blogs to take a peek at, I find it enjoyable and informational to read them. Blogs are a good resource and are fun because they usually update on a fairly frequent basis (a blog is sort of like a series of books, where a website or book is more like, well, a book) but it is often difficult to find the good Blogs so I hope this gives you some good info, feel free to give me some as well!

Post Thirty Six: Night lights

 Yook at tha YIGHTS!!!!!

This Saturday evening several of the DLC crew took the train to Sydney's Circular Quay to see the Vivid Sydney light show. We arrived at the Quay and walked along through the crowds of people, taking photos and gazing at the spectacular lights projected on the Operahouse as they changed and shifted in a dazzling array that was different each moment we turned to look.

Looking at the city from the bridge

          Ariana: "Everyone turn around and smile!" Angie: "You sound like my Dad!" From Left to right: Alicia, Kate, James, Anthony, Angie, and Karen

We then walked across the Harbor bridge, and visited Luna park to see its lights and to laugh at the creepy faces that seemed to be everywhere in this tiny old amusement park. It was alot of fun to walk around the Quay/Operahouse/Bridge area of Sydney at night in the cool fall air with friends.

I find this area of Sydney to be one of the most captivating places in the city. Even though it is not 'in' the city and is certainly the tourist central, I absolutely love the Operahouse, and the Quay, and the night, and crisp night air. After so many months here, even though Macquarie is a bit of a distance from this area, I don't really feel like a tourist anymore, more like a local who just visits the place, much like I would visit a park or a museum back in the States. I find that this sense of 'my place' has developed more in the weeks since break. Even at university and at DLC, it feels much more natural to be here in Australia, again, less like I am dipping in for a bit and more like I am actually here here. It is a very comfortable feeling to be sure.

What a wonderful way to end the school semester, enjoying so many things I like about Sydney, feeling like I belong, and all with good company!

"You've no need to light a night-light
On a light night like tonight,
For a night-light's light's a slight light,
And tonight's a night that's light.
When a night's light, like tonight's light,
It is really not quite right
To light night-lights with their slight lights
On light nights like tonight."

-Tongue Twister