Getting Oriented

The past few days have been orientation, or what UQ calls O' Week. 5 second summary: sitting in lecture halls, listening to people talk, and meeting new people (mostly fellow international students). Honestly, the orientation stuff was pretty unexciting so I'll skip over most of it. This might be a shorter post because I am writing it a few days after so I forget most of the usual mundane nonsense, but then again, maybe not.

Monday, July 21st:

Today was the first day that I successfully ordered a coffee without asking them to list all of the choices. It was pretty exciting stuff.

Off to get oriented!

Nothing too interesting happened at any of the orientation meetings, but the safety one was actually hilarious. Maybe it is a requirement for the Sargent who gives this type of presentation to be a stand up comedian, because at Princeton the Sargent that does the presentation is also really really funny. Anyway, it was just really entertaining. I can't explain. Just trust me, it was funny. After all the orientation sessions, I made plans to meet up with a fellow Princetonian, who is also studying abroad at UQ this semester. We had actually never met previously but it was super awesome to meet up with someone who I had mutual friends with and stuff. I also got the chance to take a bus by myself for the first time and went from the UQ Lakes Station to the South Bank Station on the 66. Pretty exciting stuff.

The bus seats say "Brisbane" on them #cool

I accompanied my new friend as she did her preliminary grocery shopping and although that was pretty unexciting, we got a chance to bond and had quite an adventure getting to and from the super market. We hadn't really looked at what bus we needed so we kinda just went from bus to bus until we got there and got back. Luckily, the bus drivers and random people who saw us struggling were really friendly and helpful. After we went shopping, we stopped by her apartment and met her new flatmates, who were a couple of really cool people studying interior design and law at various unis. I learned that in Australia, you don't go to law school and you can just study law for your undergraduate degree. I think that's so interesting because it gave one of her flatmates the opportunity to study abroad for a semester in an undergraduate law program while he is currently a law student who had already finished his undergraduate degree. Also I figured out that it is common for kids to finish high school at 17 (in America, I think the typical age is 18) and take a gap year (or two, or three) before starting uni.

Anyway, my friend was really craving guacamole and well, when am I not in the mood for mexican food (that's a rhetorical question, I am always in the mood for mexican food), so we went to a mexican restaurant that I can only really describe as being the australian equivalent to Chipotle, except, honestly, soooooo much better. It was smaller portions, but the food quality was better (ie whole wheat tortilla and brown rice) and it was sooooo delicious. Yum yum yum.

Waiting for our FOOOOOD!!!

Best burrito ever

Welcome to Australia?

Then as we were leaving and talking about how full we were, I yolo'd and was like "froyo?"... and so we did that too. This froyo place was the equivalent of like Sketch in Princeton or Fruity Yogurt or really any self serve, price by weight frozen yogurt place haha. The funny thing about this place was that the outside seating which we occupied. It had chill white chairs, fake grass, and surrounded by a small white picket fence. Meanwhile, after a few minutes, we realized that people were pointing and laughing at us. It made sense though, because we looked ridiculous in this little set up eating frozen yogurt in the middle of "winter."

Funny outside seating area at froyo place

Tuesday, July 22nd:

This was a very exciting day! I woke up, ate toast, and went to UQ Lakes station to meet my friend who was coming to campus for the first time for more orientation stuff. The first thing we did was get our UQ Student IDs so YAY IM OFFICIALLY A UQ STUDENT CUZ IVE GOT A COOL CARD WITH MY FACE ON IT TO PROVE IT!!!

A picture of myself holding a picture of myself #woah

We then went to buy our Australian phone and sim cards. I also bought some post cards for camp friends. [Funny story about these post cards: I accidentally left them at the store after I bought them and didn't realize until later, so today (Wednesday) I stopped by the store, picked up two new post cards and said "I bought two post cards here yesterday but I forgot to take them..." and the guy was like "Oh yes I remember! We won't charge you! Take them!" I thanked him and then mentally fist pumped in the air. So happy that worked out. But then I awkwardly had to go back in the store 30 seconds later, because I realized I needed to buy a pen to write the post cards. LOL. Anyway, back to Tuesday.] Then there was a very long incoming study abroad and exchange student orientation meeting with a campus tour and BBQ afterwards.

Meetings on meetings to get oriented

I met some new friends at the BBQ and continued to chill with them for a bit afterwards. When I got back to St. John's I bought my gown for formal college dinner nights (jut imagine Harry Potter robes for now). I felt so ridiculous, but whatever, I had to get them. Then, I ate dinner and got ready to go out to a Quest event which hosts events at places which are primarily meant for international/study abroad students to help them make friends, get out and about, whether its just for the night or for a  weekend farther away.

But first, let me take a selfie #newfriends

Wednesday, July 23rd:

Today was my lazy day. I finally was able to sleep in and then went to a psychology information session where I got more *useful* information for this upcoming semester. After that, I had the post card adventure that I described above. Actually, I forgot to mention that then I stopped by for a fourth time to ask where I could buy stamps, but I had to go to a different place to buy and send off the post cards. So that was exciting because I had never actually sent a post card before!! Stamps to the US are expensive!! I guess that's the last interesting thing I did today. Just sorta have been hanging out and figuring out finalizing my class schedule. Also, I ate an orange. I spent a good while trying to record a video of the birds "hooty whoo-ing" but I never managed to capture it so that was...sad.