G'day!

Well, it's been about a week and a half since I last landed in the Sunshine state..a.k.a Brisbane.. and I've been wanting to update, but I've been in the throes of what classes to take (first week jitters), so bear with me for a bit :P

So far I have managed to bring the cursed rain to Brisbane.. it was raining when I landed, and it was raining the first day of school (which has been a normal occurance for most of my undergraduate first days of classes), and weather forecast predicts a whole shower of thunderstorms the rest of this week! SIGH! I DO bring rain.. :P

School hasn't been to bad, except for the fact that I'm "trying out" different classes by attending the one's im interested in to find out which ones I want to commit to.. the thing is, like what this new girl I met during a Biotech meeting said, "...either way, you're screwed. This class or that, it's still going to be equally challenging!" Yes, yes it is.

Well on to other news.. I've compiled a list of odds and ends that have caught my eye since being here, and I thought I might share it with you!

1. Queensland weather reminds me alot of Texas weather.. except worse! In a span of 8 hours, it has managed to rain and shine oh say, about 10 times! I promise you I am not kidding! The weather doesn't know what it wants to do.. just stick to one, I say!

2. My class is literally filled with Asians. If it isn't Chinese, it's most likely Indian. and a couple of splatters here and there.. like a girl from Canada, a guy from France, and another guy from UC Santa Barbara (Hey! US!).. my chances of being paired with an Asian person for my class is roughly 90%. Go Diversity! *grinn*

3. Although my parents live in a nice, spacious house (don't ask me what kind, I can't even tell if it's bungalow or semi-D haha!), the most popular mode of living is Queenslander houses.. which basically look like village houses on stilts.. this is so it's high above the ground, and you get more air coming in..

4. Speaking of air.. Aussies on this part don't have fans in all their bedrooms! It's annoying, and because a/c is expensive here, my parents refuse to turn it on.. so wide open windows it is. I've been spending alot of time taking showers now :P

5. Aussies like to think of themselves as "stress-free" so everything is pretty much advancing at a pretty slow rate.. which also means that everyone here drives like their grandmother :P No zipping through and cutting into lanes, you put on your signals and most of the time ppl give way..

6. Of course, there is an exception to every statement. This includes most Asian drivers, because unlike in the US where they're considered the sloowww drivers, here they basically dominate the roads and speed down the highways and lanes like it's the race of their lives hehe.. no more "Gahh! slow Asian dad!" comments from me :P Oh, and did I mention they have ridiculously small roundabouts??! It seems so silly, but I guess that's what Aussies do.

7. The prefered mode of transportation is public of course. Which I am starting to enjoy.. there's a WaterTaxi! and a bridge specially designed only for pedestrians only! How awesome is that! I've been taking the bus to and from school, and it's nice to know that the bus stop is right around the corner :)

8. Water is precious. Of course, when you live in a country where rain is sparce, that is bound of happen. I seriously took water for granted back in the US, and now I have to make sure that every drop counts ... I take quick (but clean, nonetheless!) showers, only open the taps when needed, and wash my dishes in as small flow of water as possible. You're not even allowed to water your plants! HUH!

9. Internet is a luxury. HAHA. No, seriously! We only have 2GB in our household, and trying not to have to upgrade it.. but it's a little tricky with video cams and downloads and streaming videos.. yea.. and we have 400mb given to us at the school computers, which also means if you go over - you pay to get more. Ahhh.. frugal, frugal, frugal. I guess less distraction?

10. Last and not Least, I am 8348miles, or 13, 435km or 7254nautical miles away from ppl in Houston, Dallas etc.! :( :( <---Yea, I checked it up.. don't believe me? Go look it up! hehe!
I miss having a group of friends to chill with, and no one likes being outside their comfort zone, but wish me luck!

Where are all the Msian ppl at??!!!!