So without further delay, here are the contents of my camera from the past six months. In case you don't know, I am kind of bad about taking pictures. Total number taken, 551.
Just copy and past the following addresses into a web browser and you are set. Cheers.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=gerard.deffenbaugh&target=ALBUM&id=5370789294313494401&authkey=Gv1sRgCLjsvfzm96XqpAE&feat=email
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=gerard.deffenbaugh&target=ALBUM&id=5370920240962110017&authkey=Gv1sRgCO-L08_L_tilbQ&feat=email
Monday, August 17, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
The Lost Blog: My Sister's Time Down Under
I invite you to step into my time machine… Well it would be quite nifty if I had my own time machine but alas it is only a figment of my imagination. But I can invite you to sit down (most of y’all are probably doing that bit already) and to join me in a retroactive presentation of “G’s Lost Times with Angelique and Alex in Oceania”. As an avid reader of this blog you will know that during my time in Australia, my sister Angelique came to visit me in March and my high school friend Alex came to visit me in May. The original plan was to have the guests write an account of our adventures and then post it onto my blog. Well, life has a funny way of changing plans so I will now recap these two adventures below. Most readers will most likely hear these stories in-person soon enough, so what is your motivation? I write the following so that ten years from now I can read this account and travel back in time.
Stardate March 2009. I am running around the airport starting to panic a little bit because I have lost my sister in a foreign country halfway around the world. That is really an inappropriate description of the situation because I never found her in the first place. There has been some mix up because I forgot to write down her flight information and I thought she would need to go through customs in Melbourne. Unbeknownst to me, she had flown into Sydney and cleared customs at that fine city. So my mind flashed back to our skype conversation two days prior, where we established our default rendezvous point. So I proceeded to that point and waited. Within minutes I see my sister walking towards me, so I spring up and nearly tackle her. Her flight had some delays and she had come into a different terminal in the airport, but she also remembered our back-up plan and acted accordingly. Life point, back-up plans do in fact have a purpose. So begins our adventure.
Once we get back to my apartment, I give her the grand tour of my apartment complex and then she takes a few hours to just relax/nap. Later that night we go around my apartment complex and I introduce her to some of my friends who also live in it. We have an early night because the following day we fly out to Sydney for an extended weekend trip.
We touch down in Sydney and hail a cab to take us to our backpackers. We check into our shared dorm room and then get a map of the city. We explored for a bit, then swung by the grocery store to pick-up provisions. We had worked up a sizeable appetite and the large pizza we ordered never stood a chance. In the middle of the night my sister wakes me up because she can’t sleep, so I mumble something and go back to bed (in case you don’t know, I sleep like a rock). In the morning we go down stairs to eat breakfast and my sister looks like she didn’t a good night of sleep. As soon as we walk out of the door to begin the day, she says she wants to change accommodation. She didn’t feel comfortable sleeping in the same room as strangers. So I ask her to give it another night and she how she feels. She has another bad night of sleep, so we have to search out a private room for the two of us. After some internet searching she finds a new place and so we move later that day. I think it is safe to say that Angelique does not do backpackers very well. Let’s move on to the highlights of our exploration.
Sydney Opera House: It is a daring feat of architecture and engineering. We took a guided tour of the Opera House and saw almost every nook and cranny in the ole place. We decided to buy tickets for a theatre production later that evening. We have a bit of time before the show begins so we choose to go to the Royal Botanical Garden which is right next door. Two words, fricken sweet. Since these are not that descriptive, let me try another approach in painting a picture in your mind. As we reclined in the plush grass, we gazed out into the blue waters of Sydney Harbor. I look to the right and see a large pack of seagulls trying to fight for food scraps. I look to the left, and I see a wedding party taking pictures beneath shade of a nearby tree. The bride and groom have beaming smiles on their faces, in spite of the oppressive heat of the midday sun beating down.
After our break in the Royal Botanical Gardens, we take a hike to the Sydney Harbor Bridge to take in an eagle eye view of the Opera House and the harbor. From our vantage point on the bridge, we see swarms of boats beneath us whose passengers where enjoying the calm waters of the harbor. We snapped a few pictures and headed back to the Opera House. Once we arrived, we sat down on one of the many benches and enjoyed a picturesque sunset. After that we headed into the Opera House for the evening’s show. For the life of me, I can not remember the name of the show (and I forgot to keep the ticket stub), but it was one of the best productions that I have ever scene. The total cast numbered two, one man and one woman. They directly engaged the audience at the beginning of the show.
Exactly one minute into the production, a couple entered the theatre and tried to discreetly make it to their seats. The male actor calls out: “You two who are trying to sneak in, why are you late?” So they have a brief discussion with everyone in the audience listening in. Two minutes later, another couple comes in late and the same scene plays out. So the male actor then invokes the audience to rise and start clapping when the next later comers entered the theatre. Five minutes later, a couple wanders in and to their surprise, the entire audience rises to their feet and welcomes them with a wound of clapping. The actual show was also a masterpiece. The male and female actor each played multiple roles and did a masterful job. I will consult with my sister to see if she remembers the name of the production.
Other trip highlights include the Star Wars Exhibit which was on display at the Powerhouse museum. So if you, the reader, have any interest in the Star Wars saga then this exhibit would have made you wet your pants. It included all the original models of the Deathstar, x-wing, and all other space craft. The exhibit also had every original costume (including Darth Vadar and Chewy) as well as the original Yoda puppet (before Yoda went digital). It was pretty much a Star Wars fan’s paradise and I took my fair share of pictures. I think one of my favorite pictures was the one that featured Angelique and me next to a storm trooper. Classic.
Two other highlight I want to mention are the Sydney Aquarium and Bondi Beach. We choose to explore the Sydney aquarium when the rain rolled in one morning. It was a smart play on our part, because the aquarium is obviously covered and hence we would not get wet (we had our thinking caps on). As soon as we walk into the actual aquarium, a photographer snaps our pictures and tells us that they will be available when we are preparing to leave. So we wandered around the aquarium for a few hours and then decided to head out. In the gift shop, we saw our tourist picture from earlier so I decided to outsmart the system. I take a picture of our picture and not only save team Deffenbaugh twenty dollars, but still get the memories associated with the aquarium. It was a flash (no pun intended) of brilliance.
I also wanted to mention our adventure at Bondi Beach. Australia has some of the most stunning beaches on this planet, and Bondi Beach is definitely one of the tops in Australia. The water was a crystal blue and the sand a striking white. I decide to go for a barefoot run on the sand. I start off running in the loose sand far away from the water and I last a few minutes until I play the stretching card. Since my legs were now on fire, I decide to run by the water. I run along the water for thirty minutes and then run into the cool waters of the ocean. Eventually we decide to head back but as luck would have it. We board the wrong bus and get lost in the outer suburbs of Sydney. Eventually, we got a bus to take us back to Bondi. Then we boarded the proper bus which took us back to town.
So this is a snapshot of my sister’s time in Australia. I was blessed to share this time with her halfway around the world. Thanks for coming out sis.
Until next time dear reader…
Stardate March 2009. I am running around the airport starting to panic a little bit because I have lost my sister in a foreign country halfway around the world. That is really an inappropriate description of the situation because I never found her in the first place. There has been some mix up because I forgot to write down her flight information and I thought she would need to go through customs in Melbourne. Unbeknownst to me, she had flown into Sydney and cleared customs at that fine city. So my mind flashed back to our skype conversation two days prior, where we established our default rendezvous point. So I proceeded to that point and waited. Within minutes I see my sister walking towards me, so I spring up and nearly tackle her. Her flight had some delays and she had come into a different terminal in the airport, but she also remembered our back-up plan and acted accordingly. Life point, back-up plans do in fact have a purpose. So begins our adventure.
Once we get back to my apartment, I give her the grand tour of my apartment complex and then she takes a few hours to just relax/nap. Later that night we go around my apartment complex and I introduce her to some of my friends who also live in it. We have an early night because the following day we fly out to Sydney for an extended weekend trip.
We touch down in Sydney and hail a cab to take us to our backpackers. We check into our shared dorm room and then get a map of the city. We explored for a bit, then swung by the grocery store to pick-up provisions. We had worked up a sizeable appetite and the large pizza we ordered never stood a chance. In the middle of the night my sister wakes me up because she can’t sleep, so I mumble something and go back to bed (in case you don’t know, I sleep like a rock). In the morning we go down stairs to eat breakfast and my sister looks like she didn’t a good night of sleep. As soon as we walk out of the door to begin the day, she says she wants to change accommodation. She didn’t feel comfortable sleeping in the same room as strangers. So I ask her to give it another night and she how she feels. She has another bad night of sleep, so we have to search out a private room for the two of us. After some internet searching she finds a new place and so we move later that day. I think it is safe to say that Angelique does not do backpackers very well. Let’s move on to the highlights of our exploration.
Sydney Opera House: It is a daring feat of architecture and engineering. We took a guided tour of the Opera House and saw almost every nook and cranny in the ole place. We decided to buy tickets for a theatre production later that evening. We have a bit of time before the show begins so we choose to go to the Royal Botanical Garden which is right next door. Two words, fricken sweet. Since these are not that descriptive, let me try another approach in painting a picture in your mind. As we reclined in the plush grass, we gazed out into the blue waters of Sydney Harbor. I look to the right and see a large pack of seagulls trying to fight for food scraps. I look to the left, and I see a wedding party taking pictures beneath shade of a nearby tree. The bride and groom have beaming smiles on their faces, in spite of the oppressive heat of the midday sun beating down.
After our break in the Royal Botanical Gardens, we take a hike to the Sydney Harbor Bridge to take in an eagle eye view of the Opera House and the harbor. From our vantage point on the bridge, we see swarms of boats beneath us whose passengers where enjoying the calm waters of the harbor. We snapped a few pictures and headed back to the Opera House. Once we arrived, we sat down on one of the many benches and enjoyed a picturesque sunset. After that we headed into the Opera House for the evening’s show. For the life of me, I can not remember the name of the show (and I forgot to keep the ticket stub), but it was one of the best productions that I have ever scene. The total cast numbered two, one man and one woman. They directly engaged the audience at the beginning of the show.
Exactly one minute into the production, a couple entered the theatre and tried to discreetly make it to their seats. The male actor calls out: “You two who are trying to sneak in, why are you late?” So they have a brief discussion with everyone in the audience listening in. Two minutes later, another couple comes in late and the same scene plays out. So the male actor then invokes the audience to rise and start clapping when the next later comers entered the theatre. Five minutes later, a couple wanders in and to their surprise, the entire audience rises to their feet and welcomes them with a wound of clapping. The actual show was also a masterpiece. The male and female actor each played multiple roles and did a masterful job. I will consult with my sister to see if she remembers the name of the production.
Other trip highlights include the Star Wars Exhibit which was on display at the Powerhouse museum. So if you, the reader, have any interest in the Star Wars saga then this exhibit would have made you wet your pants. It included all the original models of the Deathstar, x-wing, and all other space craft. The exhibit also had every original costume (including Darth Vadar and Chewy) as well as the original Yoda puppet (before Yoda went digital). It was pretty much a Star Wars fan’s paradise and I took my fair share of pictures. I think one of my favorite pictures was the one that featured Angelique and me next to a storm trooper. Classic.
Two other highlight I want to mention are the Sydney Aquarium and Bondi Beach. We choose to explore the Sydney aquarium when the rain rolled in one morning. It was a smart play on our part, because the aquarium is obviously covered and hence we would not get wet (we had our thinking caps on). As soon as we walk into the actual aquarium, a photographer snaps our pictures and tells us that they will be available when we are preparing to leave. So we wandered around the aquarium for a few hours and then decided to head out. In the gift shop, we saw our tourist picture from earlier so I decided to outsmart the system. I take a picture of our picture and not only save team Deffenbaugh twenty dollars, but still get the memories associated with the aquarium. It was a flash (no pun intended) of brilliance.
I also wanted to mention our adventure at Bondi Beach. Australia has some of the most stunning beaches on this planet, and Bondi Beach is definitely one of the tops in Australia. The water was a crystal blue and the sand a striking white. I decide to go for a barefoot run on the sand. I start off running in the loose sand far away from the water and I last a few minutes until I play the stretching card. Since my legs were now on fire, I decide to run by the water. I run along the water for thirty minutes and then run into the cool waters of the ocean. Eventually we decide to head back but as luck would have it. We board the wrong bus and get lost in the outer suburbs of Sydney. Eventually, we got a bus to take us back to Bondi. Then we boarded the proper bus which took us back to town.
So this is a snapshot of my sister’s time in Australia. I was blessed to share this time with her halfway around the world. Thanks for coming out sis.
Until next time dear reader…
Monday, July 27, 2009
Pictures and other Posts
So I have yet to post my pictures during my time abroad. I plan on posting them on Picasa in the next few days so please be patient.
For those who have followed my blog, I was supposed to have two guest entries (my sister Angelique and Alex Cantu) that never actually materialized. I understand that life happens but I also want to share some of these funny stories, so I will make back-logged blog entries for my sister's visit during March and Alex's visit during May. I will rely on pictures taken during these trips to trigger key events.
Stay Tuned.
For those who have followed my blog, I was supposed to have two guest entries (my sister Angelique and Alex Cantu) that never actually materialized. I understand that life happens but I also want to share some of these funny stories, so I will make back-logged blog entries for my sister's visit during March and Alex's visit during May. I will rely on pictures taken during these trips to trigger key events.
Stay Tuned.
My Last Month in Melbourne
I extend warm greetings to you the reader and I marvel if you actually checked my blog (only because it has been fairly inactive). So when I last left you, I was about to make an inward journey of retreat for a few days, so let me begin with that experience.
I was blessed with the opportunity to make a four and a half day silent retreat at Campion Center for Ignatian Spirituality. This retreat went for eight days, but due to scheduling I could only attend the second half. This was only my second silent retreat but I gained a lot out of it. You spend a lot of time in prayer and reflection, when you are not doing that, you either eat, sleep, or walk around. So basically you get a lot of time to pray and look at your life. I would highly encourage anyone thinking about a silent retreat to do it because it will yield great fruit for you. That being said the first few days in silence take some getting used to. I have a respect for those individuals who undergo St. Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises which are usually done during a month long silent retreat (you do get a few break days, but still impressive). This retreat allowed me to reflect on my time in Australia, prepare for the immediate future, and strengthened my relationship with God. So all and all, it was a fruitful experience.
Once the retreat wrapped up, I had three days of ultimate frisbee at the Southern Uni Games. We (the Melbourne Uni team) had a good time together. Out of seven competing teams, we ended up in third place. I think one of my best decisions came at the end of day two. The weather had been just plain ole nasty for the first half of the day with rain, cold, and wind dominating the frisbee pitch. By the end of the day the weather had become quite pleasant and the only remaining sign of the morning's weather was a huge mud pit in the center of the pitch. So obviously, I decided that it would be a great idea to lay out and bid for a disc into the hug mud pit. So I ask one of the guys to give me a low disc over the mud. I run, went horizontal and grabbed the disc, then belly flopped into the massive mud pit. I stand up and my whole front side is covered in mud (some mud even snuck into my compression shorts). It was a thing of beauty, but too bad it didn't even count for a point.
A lot of players at the tourney were pretty darn good at frisbee and I was really impressed by their skills. I had a good time playing ultimate this past semester but I do not think I will pursue it that much once I return to the states.
So the day after the frisbee tourney finished, I jumped on a plane to the Northern Territory. Our flight from Melbourne to Alice Springs (in the NT) was delayed by three or four hours so spent some time in the airport bookshop perusing one of the books. I use our to describe our camping group which included 7 people in total: 2 Aussies, 1 French, 1 German, 1 Turk, 1 Mauritian, and 1 Yank (me). So needless to say, we were quite a cosmopolitan bunch.
*Quick Context* For those unfamiliar with Australia, over 90 percent of the Australian population lives in a crescent on the east coast (include the cities of Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane). The Northern Territory occupies the central and north central portions of Australia and is sparsely populated in comparison. Pretty much the entire region is desert. *Concludes briefing*
Once we land in Alice Springs (in the NT), we hire a rental car and half of our group makes the four hour drive out to Uluru (aka Ayers Rock). We rock up late and the campground office is already closed (around Uluru you have to camp in established campgrounds or risk a hefty fine). We wake up early to catch sunrise at Uluru so when we left the campground, the office was still closed. Once we get to Uluru, the sunrise is just beginning and within a span of 30 seconds, the rock goes from dark orange, to glowing orange because of the sun's rays. It was quite a sight to see. Other things to mention, Uluru is a HUGE rock in a place where it is flat as far as the eye can see (not including Kata Tijuta aka the Olgas). Uluru has great spiritual significance in the Aboriginal culture so many people take offense when people climb it (our group did not climb). We then hopped in the car to drive to the Olgas (another rock formation but this one has multiple parts and is much more intricate). Due to time constraints, we could only view the formation from a few kilometers away and then head back to Alice Springs to get our transport to the beginning of the trail.
So begins two weeks of trekking in the desert and no showers (I had one "bath" but we will get to that in due time. We got to the trailhead on thursday afternoon and spent the rest of the day exploring the nearby area. We went to bed fairly early because we planned to to due a late night hike to the summit of a nearby mountain (Mt. Sonder). We awoke at 3am and left camp thirty minutes later to begin the ascent. We left our packs at camp and only took up food for breakfast. There was a full moon which allowed us to make the 3 hour journey without the assistance of moonlight and everyone knows that hiking by moonlight is just sweet as. We got to the summit a bit early so we had to wait for sunrise. It was cold and windy and as soon as the sun fully rose, we were happy to get down out of the wind to a warmer area. Still, it was a sweet way to begin the hike and it proved to be the first of many breath-taking sunrises/sunsets.
*Author's Note* I only took pictures during the second week because I wanted to conserve battery power on my camera and I am just lazy like that when 6 other people are taking pictures of the exact same thing. And yes, I do have everyone else's pictures if you are interested. *End of note*
During the first week, our days were fairly easy in terms of mileage. Most days we did between 7-11 miles and we were finished in the early afternoon. We had plenty of time to chat and cards were used quite often. Dan, the resident German, introduced us to Sheep's Head which is the most complicated card game I have ever come across. If you want to learn, I need for you (the reader) to find two other willing individuals. We had a blast and the first week went by quickly.
Due to schedules, 5 group members had to go back early so they left me and a mate to complete the rest of the track. Our last day as a big group we came across Ellery Creek which is a well-known swimming hole. So I figured after a week on trail that a bath would do me good. So I strip down to my boxers and run into the water. Big mistake, it was probably the coldest water I have ever been in and I have been in some cold water. I lasted about ten seconds before I ran onto dry land, just the thought of it makes me shiver.
The second week also flew by, we had some long days. Our longest day was 17 miles when we had to cross between the two mountain ranges over flat and quite boring terrain. Our hardest day only lasted 6 miles but it began with a steep ascent, then steep descent, then a super-steep ascent (barely a trail most of the time).
Along the trail, there were some great look-outs and gorges to take in. The only real negative thing were the flies... On a bad day we would drop our packs and fifty (no exaggeration) flies would swarm around you. Flies became our new best friends until sundown when they went to bed (thank goodness for night time).
We saw a fair bit of wildlife. Lizards, birds, wallabies, dingos, and kangaroos. So we had a few run ins with dingos. Dingos can smell food from a long way out so you need to hang your packs otherwise you will part with your food. Our second to last night, a dingo rocked up to camp and started walking around, we made some noise and scared it off. When we went to bed, dingos started howling.
*Update* Most nights I slpet under the stars because there was little fear of rain, I had my tarp in my pack just in case *Cessation of update*
So I was in my sleeping bag with one of my trekking poles next to me trying to get some sleep. Then I hear a dingo growl about a meter and a half from me. It was the start of a long night. I was thankful when it was finally time to break camp and start hiking. The following night (which was out last on trail), more dingos came into our camp. At this point I was tired from the night before and thought, I can't be bothered to worry about dingos. If they are going to attack me, so be it but I won't provoke them and I am going to get some rest. I slept pretty well for the rest of the night.
When we finished up the trail and got back into Alice Springs, we went to the supermarket for food and i had an out of body expereince. After being in the desert for two weeks, all the lights, sound, and commotion of the supermarket felt surreal. In spite of this, I purchased food and my first meal back included: half of a chicken, a litre of milk, a bar of chocalate, an apple, and a banana. It sure did hit the spot. The next day we flew back to Melbourne, and here I am now.
I have two more days in Australia and I will fly back to the states this Friday. My time in Australia went by quickly but it was what I needed on multiple levels. I will have access to my cell phone once I get back, so feel free to ring me. Sorry if I don't answer the first few days, I will be focused on spending time with my family whom I have not seen a while. Look forward to the jet lag...
I was blessed with the opportunity to make a four and a half day silent retreat at Campion Center for Ignatian Spirituality. This retreat went for eight days, but due to scheduling I could only attend the second half. This was only my second silent retreat but I gained a lot out of it. You spend a lot of time in prayer and reflection, when you are not doing that, you either eat, sleep, or walk around. So basically you get a lot of time to pray and look at your life. I would highly encourage anyone thinking about a silent retreat to do it because it will yield great fruit for you. That being said the first few days in silence take some getting used to. I have a respect for those individuals who undergo St. Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises which are usually done during a month long silent retreat (you do get a few break days, but still impressive). This retreat allowed me to reflect on my time in Australia, prepare for the immediate future, and strengthened my relationship with God. So all and all, it was a fruitful experience.
Once the retreat wrapped up, I had three days of ultimate frisbee at the Southern Uni Games. We (the Melbourne Uni team) had a good time together. Out of seven competing teams, we ended up in third place. I think one of my best decisions came at the end of day two. The weather had been just plain ole nasty for the first half of the day with rain, cold, and wind dominating the frisbee pitch. By the end of the day the weather had become quite pleasant and the only remaining sign of the morning's weather was a huge mud pit in the center of the pitch. So obviously, I decided that it would be a great idea to lay out and bid for a disc into the hug mud pit. So I ask one of the guys to give me a low disc over the mud. I run, went horizontal and grabbed the disc, then belly flopped into the massive mud pit. I stand up and my whole front side is covered in mud (some mud even snuck into my compression shorts). It was a thing of beauty, but too bad it didn't even count for a point.
A lot of players at the tourney were pretty darn good at frisbee and I was really impressed by their skills. I had a good time playing ultimate this past semester but I do not think I will pursue it that much once I return to the states.
So the day after the frisbee tourney finished, I jumped on a plane to the Northern Territory. Our flight from Melbourne to Alice Springs (in the NT) was delayed by three or four hours so spent some time in the airport bookshop perusing one of the books. I use our to describe our camping group which included 7 people in total: 2 Aussies, 1 French, 1 German, 1 Turk, 1 Mauritian, and 1 Yank (me). So needless to say, we were quite a cosmopolitan bunch.
*Quick Context* For those unfamiliar with Australia, over 90 percent of the Australian population lives in a crescent on the east coast (include the cities of Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane). The Northern Territory occupies the central and north central portions of Australia and is sparsely populated in comparison. Pretty much the entire region is desert. *Concludes briefing*
Once we land in Alice Springs (in the NT), we hire a rental car and half of our group makes the four hour drive out to Uluru (aka Ayers Rock). We rock up late and the campground office is already closed (around Uluru you have to camp in established campgrounds or risk a hefty fine). We wake up early to catch sunrise at Uluru so when we left the campground, the office was still closed. Once we get to Uluru, the sunrise is just beginning and within a span of 30 seconds, the rock goes from dark orange, to glowing orange because of the sun's rays. It was quite a sight to see. Other things to mention, Uluru is a HUGE rock in a place where it is flat as far as the eye can see (not including Kata Tijuta aka the Olgas). Uluru has great spiritual significance in the Aboriginal culture so many people take offense when people climb it (our group did not climb). We then hopped in the car to drive to the Olgas (another rock formation but this one has multiple parts and is much more intricate). Due to time constraints, we could only view the formation from a few kilometers away and then head back to Alice Springs to get our transport to the beginning of the trail.
So begins two weeks of trekking in the desert and no showers (I had one "bath" but we will get to that in due time. We got to the trailhead on thursday afternoon and spent the rest of the day exploring the nearby area. We went to bed fairly early because we planned to to due a late night hike to the summit of a nearby mountain (Mt. Sonder). We awoke at 3am and left camp thirty minutes later to begin the ascent. We left our packs at camp and only took up food for breakfast. There was a full moon which allowed us to make the 3 hour journey without the assistance of moonlight and everyone knows that hiking by moonlight is just sweet as. We got to the summit a bit early so we had to wait for sunrise. It was cold and windy and as soon as the sun fully rose, we were happy to get down out of the wind to a warmer area. Still, it was a sweet way to begin the hike and it proved to be the first of many breath-taking sunrises/sunsets.
*Author's Note* I only took pictures during the second week because I wanted to conserve battery power on my camera and I am just lazy like that when 6 other people are taking pictures of the exact same thing. And yes, I do have everyone else's pictures if you are interested. *End of note*
During the first week, our days were fairly easy in terms of mileage. Most days we did between 7-11 miles and we were finished in the early afternoon. We had plenty of time to chat and cards were used quite often. Dan, the resident German, introduced us to Sheep's Head which is the most complicated card game I have ever come across. If you want to learn, I need for you (the reader) to find two other willing individuals. We had a blast and the first week went by quickly.
Due to schedules, 5 group members had to go back early so they left me and a mate to complete the rest of the track. Our last day as a big group we came across Ellery Creek which is a well-known swimming hole. So I figured after a week on trail that a bath would do me good. So I strip down to my boxers and run into the water. Big mistake, it was probably the coldest water I have ever been in and I have been in some cold water. I lasted about ten seconds before I ran onto dry land, just the thought of it makes me shiver.
The second week also flew by, we had some long days. Our longest day was 17 miles when we had to cross between the two mountain ranges over flat and quite boring terrain. Our hardest day only lasted 6 miles but it began with a steep ascent, then steep descent, then a super-steep ascent (barely a trail most of the time).
Along the trail, there were some great look-outs and gorges to take in. The only real negative thing were the flies... On a bad day we would drop our packs and fifty (no exaggeration) flies would swarm around you. Flies became our new best friends until sundown when they went to bed (thank goodness for night time).
We saw a fair bit of wildlife. Lizards, birds, wallabies, dingos, and kangaroos. So we had a few run ins with dingos. Dingos can smell food from a long way out so you need to hang your packs otherwise you will part with your food. Our second to last night, a dingo rocked up to camp and started walking around, we made some noise and scared it off. When we went to bed, dingos started howling.
*Update* Most nights I slpet under the stars because there was little fear of rain, I had my tarp in my pack just in case *Cessation of update*
So I was in my sleeping bag with one of my trekking poles next to me trying to get some sleep. Then I hear a dingo growl about a meter and a half from me. It was the start of a long night. I was thankful when it was finally time to break camp and start hiking. The following night (which was out last on trail), more dingos came into our camp. At this point I was tired from the night before and thought, I can't be bothered to worry about dingos. If they are going to attack me, so be it but I won't provoke them and I am going to get some rest. I slept pretty well for the rest of the night.
When we finished up the trail and got back into Alice Springs, we went to the supermarket for food and i had an out of body expereince. After being in the desert for two weeks, all the lights, sound, and commotion of the supermarket felt surreal. In spite of this, I purchased food and my first meal back included: half of a chicken, a litre of milk, a bar of chocalate, an apple, and a banana. It sure did hit the spot. The next day we flew back to Melbourne, and here I am now.
I have two more days in Australia and I will fly back to the states this Friday. My time in Australia went by quickly but it was what I needed on multiple levels. I will have access to my cell phone once I get back, so feel free to ring me. Sorry if I don't answer the first few days, I will be focused on spending time with my family whom I have not seen a while. Look forward to the jet lag...
Monday, June 29, 2009
I am a Slacker
Ok, so the title line says it all... I admit to being a blog slacker, guilty as charged. Now that we have settled that point, on to business. What have I been up to this past month.
Well, since you ask. I have completed my studies down under. I officially finished on the 16th of June. Classes were not too challenging but I really got into a few of my final papers, strange I know. For my economics class, I wrote on the effect that small arms (hand held weapons like pistols and rifles) have on development. I spent a lot of time just reading so that I would be able to write intelligently on the subject. In my sociology of religion class, I looked at the effects of liberation theology on the universal church. One day I would like to read the original spanish writings of the latin american liberation theologians. This is a long way off, but I am working towards it.
I have been working on my spanish (which is now only a 3 out 10) via rosetta stone and spanish music. My vocabulary is slowing expanding and my grammer has a long way to go, but I have definitely been putting in the study hours this past month. I know that a fair number of my friends speak spanish, so when I get back I will approach and perhaps try to bribe you with food, drink, chocolate, or (insert whatever i can bribe you with here). I will be away from technology for almost all of july, so my meager accomplishments will slide from lack of use.
I have also been able to do a fair amount of reading. Right now I am half way through two really engrossing books. Globalization and its Discontents by Joseph Stigletz which looks at the policies of the US government, IMF, and World Bank with developing countries. Also, The Ascent of Money by Niall Ferguson which is a history of finance that incorporates major historical events or movements. I know I am letting the geek in me shine, but both are really interesting subjects to me.
I finished up my internship at Crossfit Victoria, glad to help them out with work and glad to get some more experience as I go to enter the job market next year. I have really enjoyed the community at Crossfit Victoria and will miss the people when I return to the states. Speaking of returning to the states, I will fly back on july 31 and arrive on july 31. Typo? I think not. i am flying against a 15 hour time difference so I actually leave Australia and return to the US on the same calendar day. Trippy I know. Then, the next day I fly out to meet my family for vacation in florida. I have a tough life, I know.
So what I am doing for the next month? Well, in two hours I begin a silent retreat for 4 and a half days. Just time alone with me and God with no distractions. After that, I have three straight days of frisbee. Our uni team is playing in the Summer University Games aginst other uni ultimate teams. After that, I take off to central Australia to see Uluru and then hike for two weeks. Then I come back to Melbourne for a few days before I fly back to the states.
Keep me in your prayers. Ciao.
Well, since you ask. I have completed my studies down under. I officially finished on the 16th of June. Classes were not too challenging but I really got into a few of my final papers, strange I know. For my economics class, I wrote on the effect that small arms (hand held weapons like pistols and rifles) have on development. I spent a lot of time just reading so that I would be able to write intelligently on the subject. In my sociology of religion class, I looked at the effects of liberation theology on the universal church. One day I would like to read the original spanish writings of the latin american liberation theologians. This is a long way off, but I am working towards it.
I have been working on my spanish (which is now only a 3 out 10) via rosetta stone and spanish music. My vocabulary is slowing expanding and my grammer has a long way to go, but I have definitely been putting in the study hours this past month. I know that a fair number of my friends speak spanish, so when I get back I will approach and perhaps try to bribe you with food, drink, chocolate, or (insert whatever i can bribe you with here). I will be away from technology for almost all of july, so my meager accomplishments will slide from lack of use.
I have also been able to do a fair amount of reading. Right now I am half way through two really engrossing books. Globalization and its Discontents by Joseph Stigletz which looks at the policies of the US government, IMF, and World Bank with developing countries. Also, The Ascent of Money by Niall Ferguson which is a history of finance that incorporates major historical events or movements. I know I am letting the geek in me shine, but both are really interesting subjects to me.
I finished up my internship at Crossfit Victoria, glad to help them out with work and glad to get some more experience as I go to enter the job market next year. I have really enjoyed the community at Crossfit Victoria and will miss the people when I return to the states. Speaking of returning to the states, I will fly back on july 31 and arrive on july 31. Typo? I think not. i am flying against a 15 hour time difference so I actually leave Australia and return to the US on the same calendar day. Trippy I know. Then, the next day I fly out to meet my family for vacation in florida. I have a tough life, I know.
So what I am doing for the next month? Well, in two hours I begin a silent retreat for 4 and a half days. Just time alone with me and God with no distractions. After that, I have three straight days of frisbee. Our uni team is playing in the Summer University Games aginst other uni ultimate teams. After that, I take off to central Australia to see Uluru and then hike for two weeks. Then I come back to Melbourne for a few days before I fly back to the states.
Keep me in your prayers. Ciao.
Monday, May 25, 2009
My Month of May
Salutations my dearest reader. I know the moon has almost completed a full cycle since the last blog entry, so it is time to bring you up to speed. Let me begin by saying that the past month has gone by in a blur/whirlwind/at light speed (insert your favorite description if you don't like mine).
During the last few days of April and the first week of May, I actually did a bit of uni work and prepared for the coming of Mr. Alex Cantu (a high school buddy). Let me pick up the narrative on the 9th of May as myself and three others pile into a car at 8am on Saturday to drive to Lerderderg Park to begin an epic weekend experience. Why would four people wake up so early on a Saturday morning? The answer is simple, rogaining.
So the next question that pops into your head is what the heck is rogaining (I try my best to anticipate the needs of my audience)? Well, it is basically orienteering on steroids. Teams are given contour maps with labeled checkpoints (different values based on distance from start, accessibility, and visibility) and a time frame. The object of the game is to get the highest score possible(we had electronic bracelets that recorded our presence at each checkpoint). Rogaining (also know as "the all night sport") is the brainchild of former Mountaineering Club members from Melbourne University.
Our car rocked up at 10:30ish to Lerderderg Park, and we quickly set up our tent to have a quick lay down. I forgot my manners, I need to introduce you to my team. I spent the weekend with Rob Wu, a student from Berkley, and Sean Coyler, a jovial spirit from UVA.
At 11, we got our maps and began to plan our course for the next 24 hours. This particular rogaine had two time divisions, roving 15 and 24 hrs. The roving 15 means that teams get to choose 15 out of the 24 hrs to be on the course. The 24 hr division is pretty straight forward, you can be on the course for 24 hrs. Since our team was full of rogaining neophytes (Rob had complete one prior rogaine, while myself and Sean had not yet experienced the greatness that is rogaining) we opted for the conservative 15 hr time division.
We mapped out our proposed route for the next 24 hrs and built in time delays (because they will inevitably happen). We grabbed a quick bite to eat and then headed to HQ which consisted of two tents and a barn. After a 5-10 min speech, the gun went off at high noon and our adventure was underway.
We took off jogging for our first point. As luck would have it we missed our first completely and realized it a bit too late (woops). We decided to press on for the next point. Our contours told us that the next point was at the intersection of the three "waterflows" (there was very little actual water anywhere on the course). So I volunteered the great idea of walkign along the "waterflow" to make sure we hit the point. Well the good news was that we hit the point, the bad news is that it took forever to get through growth in the "waterflow". One big point, stick to the trail as much as possible because it is much much faster.
We spent a total of 10 hrs on the course the first day. We improved significantly and hit the rest of the points that we had mapped out. Our team decided to minimize the amount of night navigation we would do because it is a bit more difficult to navigate when you can't really see. We got back to HQ at 10, ate, then passed out.
We woke up at 6:30 and got on the course at 7am. We took these five hours hard and picked up a few extra points. Good effort to my teammates. Over the course of 24 hrs, we did 39 miles on trail/off trail (estimates thanks to Sean and his string, which can be accessed at seancoyler.com). We won the novice category for both divisions (had a higher score than winners of the 24 novice division), but in the big scheme the veterans smashed us. Overall, a great expereince and it felt good to shake the rust off of my navigation skills.
Alex came in the next day and we had an epic week and a half adventure in New Zealand and along the Great Ocean Road. I am not going to launch into a description of this adventure at this moment, instead I will take the following approach. I will let Alex write things from his perspective and then I will add my own thoughts, comments, ponderings, etc. and this will be posted in due time.
So this post will resume at the 20th of May. I just dropped off Alex who is now bound for the airport and the States. I then go to class (I know, sometimes I choose to actually go to my classes and not skip them...) I spent the next two days catching up on life in Melbourne and a few minor uni assignments. Then another adventure begins: my first ultimate frisbee tournament.
So lunch time on Friday (May 22) roles around and eight of us pile into a suburban for an epic journey. The frisbee tournament is in New South Wales and approximately a 9-10 hr journey by car. So a few funny things happened to me during this window between Friday and Sunday. I woke up early Friday morning with this incessant itch and could not sleep well. I did not think too much of it and went back to bed. This happened a few more times and I thought I had bed bugs in bed. Great, but I will deal with it once I get back from the tournament. As I sit in our suburban during the car ride up, the itching returns and gets worse. My whole stomach is itching and I lift up my shirt and a rash is covering my entire stomach. A few hours pass and the rash now completely covers my entire upper body. I was a bit worried because nothing comparable has ever happened before. When we hit a major town, we stop for food and I go to the chemist to get drugs. I get allergy medication and an anti-itch cream. The rash comes back on and off for the next 24 hrs and then ultimately goes away (praise the lord). The other funny thing is that an ATM ate my money, by that I mean it did not give me cash and deducted it from my balance, still sorting this out with my bank.
But on to the actual frisbeee. I had a good first ultimate tournament experience. We played seven games in two days and got 7th out of 10 teams (had a 4-3 record). We did pretty good considering half our team had never played together before and our competition was wicked good. Good antics and laughters all weekend.
So where do we go from here? Well I have to research and write to papers in the next two weeks (plenty of time). But right now I am off to the Queen Victoria Market to get food so I can cook/eat. Toodles...
PS: I do have a lot of pictures of some my adventures: time in Sydney with my sister Angelique, canyoning over eater break, NZ, and the Great Ocean Road. These will be put up eventually so stayed tuned.
During the last few days of April and the first week of May, I actually did a bit of uni work and prepared for the coming of Mr. Alex Cantu (a high school buddy). Let me pick up the narrative on the 9th of May as myself and three others pile into a car at 8am on Saturday to drive to Lerderderg Park to begin an epic weekend experience. Why would four people wake up so early on a Saturday morning? The answer is simple, rogaining.
So the next question that pops into your head is what the heck is rogaining (I try my best to anticipate the needs of my audience)? Well, it is basically orienteering on steroids. Teams are given contour maps with labeled checkpoints (different values based on distance from start, accessibility, and visibility) and a time frame. The object of the game is to get the highest score possible(we had electronic bracelets that recorded our presence at each checkpoint). Rogaining (also know as "the all night sport") is the brainchild of former Mountaineering Club members from Melbourne University.
Our car rocked up at 10:30ish to Lerderderg Park, and we quickly set up our tent to have a quick lay down. I forgot my manners, I need to introduce you to my team. I spent the weekend with Rob Wu, a student from Berkley, and Sean Coyler, a jovial spirit from UVA.
At 11, we got our maps and began to plan our course for the next 24 hours. This particular rogaine had two time divisions, roving 15 and 24 hrs. The roving 15 means that teams get to choose 15 out of the 24 hrs to be on the course. The 24 hr division is pretty straight forward, you can be on the course for 24 hrs. Since our team was full of rogaining neophytes (Rob had complete one prior rogaine, while myself and Sean had not yet experienced the greatness that is rogaining) we opted for the conservative 15 hr time division.
We mapped out our proposed route for the next 24 hrs and built in time delays (because they will inevitably happen). We grabbed a quick bite to eat and then headed to HQ which consisted of two tents and a barn. After a 5-10 min speech, the gun went off at high noon and our adventure was underway.
We took off jogging for our first point. As luck would have it we missed our first completely and realized it a bit too late (woops). We decided to press on for the next point. Our contours told us that the next point was at the intersection of the three "waterflows" (there was very little actual water anywhere on the course). So I volunteered the great idea of walkign along the "waterflow" to make sure we hit the point. Well the good news was that we hit the point, the bad news is that it took forever to get through growth in the "waterflow". One big point, stick to the trail as much as possible because it is much much faster.
We spent a total of 10 hrs on the course the first day. We improved significantly and hit the rest of the points that we had mapped out. Our team decided to minimize the amount of night navigation we would do because it is a bit more difficult to navigate when you can't really see. We got back to HQ at 10, ate, then passed out.
We woke up at 6:30 and got on the course at 7am. We took these five hours hard and picked up a few extra points. Good effort to my teammates. Over the course of 24 hrs, we did 39 miles on trail/off trail (estimates thanks to Sean and his string, which can be accessed at seancoyler.com). We won the novice category for both divisions (had a higher score than winners of the 24 novice division), but in the big scheme the veterans smashed us. Overall, a great expereince and it felt good to shake the rust off of my navigation skills.
Alex came in the next day and we had an epic week and a half adventure in New Zealand and along the Great Ocean Road. I am not going to launch into a description of this adventure at this moment, instead I will take the following approach. I will let Alex write things from his perspective and then I will add my own thoughts, comments, ponderings, etc. and this will be posted in due time.
So this post will resume at the 20th of May. I just dropped off Alex who is now bound for the airport and the States. I then go to class (I know, sometimes I choose to actually go to my classes and not skip them...) I spent the next two days catching up on life in Melbourne and a few minor uni assignments. Then another adventure begins: my first ultimate frisbee tournament.
So lunch time on Friday (May 22) roles around and eight of us pile into a suburban for an epic journey. The frisbee tournament is in New South Wales and approximately a 9-10 hr journey by car. So a few funny things happened to me during this window between Friday and Sunday. I woke up early Friday morning with this incessant itch and could not sleep well. I did not think too much of it and went back to bed. This happened a few more times and I thought I had bed bugs in bed. Great, but I will deal with it once I get back from the tournament. As I sit in our suburban during the car ride up, the itching returns and gets worse. My whole stomach is itching and I lift up my shirt and a rash is covering my entire stomach. A few hours pass and the rash now completely covers my entire upper body. I was a bit worried because nothing comparable has ever happened before. When we hit a major town, we stop for food and I go to the chemist to get drugs. I get allergy medication and an anti-itch cream. The rash comes back on and off for the next 24 hrs and then ultimately goes away (praise the lord). The other funny thing is that an ATM ate my money, by that I mean it did not give me cash and deducted it from my balance, still sorting this out with my bank.
But on to the actual frisbeee. I had a good first ultimate tournament experience. We played seven games in two days and got 7th out of 10 teams (had a 4-3 record). We did pretty good considering half our team had never played together before and our competition was wicked good. Good antics and laughters all weekend.
So where do we go from here? Well I have to research and write to papers in the next two weeks (plenty of time). But right now I am off to the Queen Victoria Market to get food so I can cook/eat. Toodles...
PS: I do have a lot of pictures of some my adventures: time in Sydney with my sister Angelique, canyoning over eater break, NZ, and the Great Ocean Road. These will be put up eventually so stayed tuned.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Microfinance/Microcredit
This is the industry I want to get in to as soon as I graduate (in the last post I spoke about cad/development, but microfinance makes the most sense to me). Most MFI's (Microfinance Institutions) are based on the successful model of the Grameen Bank (started in Bangladesh). The point of microcredit is to empower the poorest of the poor with a loan (which is repaid in 95% of all loans) to start an income generating business. Microcredit combines banking, entrepreneurship, and the social mission of helping the poor help themselves. I got a lot to learn to learn about the models and the industry, but I am excited. Boy howdy.
Posting Frequency
Just in case you have not picked up, I write a new entry about once every two weeks. It works for me, so stayed tune...
Life Update
Canyoning in the Blue Mountains over Easter break was amazing. First thought: I never thought that I would have reason to rappel down a waterfall... but I did and it was amazing. Second thought:the landscape was amazing and the pictures taken do not do it justice. Third thought: the water was freakin cold (and I was wearing a wetsuit with a set of thermals underneath). Time to expand on thoughts one, two, and three.
For a quick explanation of canyoning just use Wikipedia, but if you are too lazy. My definition:you bushwalk for a few hours to get to a remote location, put on your gear (wetsuit, helmet, harness), then jump into a cold river in the base of a canyon, next walk/run/jump/swim/climb/rappel in order to navigate down the river, eventually find a point to exit the water, then start the long hike back out of the canyon and to your car. On a few occasions it was necessary to rappel down a waterfall and let me tell you that freezing cold water pounding down on your face and entire body generally never fails to make sure that you are awake.
As mentioned earlier, the pictures do not do the landscape justice. During the experience it is also difficult to appreciate the beauty of the natural world. In the canyon you can be focused on safely navigating a white water section, double checking safety precautions, or preoccupied with how cold you are and daydreaming about how good the warmth of a camp fire will feel later that night.
Hypothermia is a real concern in canyoning, and we prepared accordingly. We knew that the water would be cold so we each had a wetsuit and thermals. We ate heaps of food and drank heaps of water in the canyons. But when you have a large group it takes time to rig up the ropes for rappelling and get everyone to safely clear the section. While one person is on the rope, the rest of the group is effectively staying in one place waiting (either at the top or bottom). You feel the cold the most when you are waiting. You try to do movement exercises and maintain blood flow, but it is not an equal substitute for being fully on the move and generating continuous core heat. That being said, everyone got cold at different point of the trip but no one came down with hypothermia.
Easter. I celebrated the Easter Vigil mass in the small country town of Blackheath. I rocked up in my rainpaints, fleece, and teva sandals (the only clothes that were dry at the time). It was strange to not know a single person in the church, but I found comfort in the familiarity of the liturgy. I think the universal aspect of Catholicism is freakin sweet. The structure of the liturgy has been consistent no matter where I travel: San Antonio, Nicaragua (in Spanish), Ghana (in Fante or Sissala), St. Louis (in English...), and a small town in Australia. So yeah, a unique Easter experience.
Life Updates:
So I am now a marketing intern at Crossfit Victoria. In return for my work, I will be able to train at no cost. This will probably be one of the few times in my life where my boss/es are in better shape than I am. I think I like picking unusual internships (last summer in Ghana and this summer in OZ).
I have an idea of what I want to do after graduation... So most readers of this blog will know that I questioned the point of my business education and thought a few times about dropping out of school and immediately doing work that would help people. Sometimes it feels like time spent in college/classrom is a waste and you are not doing anything/enough things of substance. While this can be true, college is a time to develop and mature. In the paraphrased words of Fr. Michael Himes (author of Doing the Truth in Love ), college functions as a time for spiritual and personal development so one can better serve others throughout his/her life. I decided to stay in school and complete my business degree because I saw it as the best preparation for service. I want to use my knowledge of business to help empower those in need.
I want to work in community assisted development/international development in Latin/Central America. Why? Everyone should have food, clean water, shelter, access to decent educaiton, and access to health care. It is important not to a "savior, know it all mentality" when working with disadvantaged people. Most know what they need and most are pretty darn smart. I want to become fluent in Spainish. That may sound selfish (and it is), but it is a life skill that I want.
Rest of life: Need to start working on my final papers for uni. Crossfit is good. Frisbee will pick-up soon. Starting to get into climbing again.
A side note, my top three books in life: Bible, Doing the Truth in Love, Hope in Troubled Times. These books make sense to me. They bring together God and the important stuff in life. So I would highly recommend these, and it will give you a better understanding of my thought process in life.
So yeah, that is my life in nut shell (or blogpost). Let me know how you are doing with things.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Easter Trip
So I am leaving in 8 hours to go up to the Blue Mountains (they are fairly close to Sydney). That being said I am writing this on my next door neighbor's computer and will probably not experience the joy of sleep for at least a few hours. Go on... (copyright@ Gabriel Murphy)
I am on his computer becuase mine is under control of some nasty spyware/ possible virus, so yeah I will deal with that once I get back.
So I have an essay proposal due tomorrow for my macroeconomics class on the topic of my choice. Luckily I have already done the bulk of my initial research. Now I just have to organize everything and clean it up. My topic: What are the negative effects of globalization on developing countries? The short answer: alot.
Condensed version: Prior to the last wave of globalization, developing countries began to shift their resources and focus on the production of a concentrated (1-4 in most cases) number of goods that had high export value (either raw materials or commodities, which are extremely volatile in price). Then other developing countries begin to invest in the same/ similiar goods because they saw that money was to be made. Then globalization enters the picture and the combination of over supply (simple supply and demand dictates that an increase of supply without an increase in demand lowers the price of a good) and opening up markets led the bottom to fall out of these formerly lucrative goods(no longer have any price protection). So these commodities now have dropped heavily in value. The developing countries that invested so much in the production of these economies can no longer sustain themselves (lower price equals lower revenue). So they turn to the World Bank/ IMF for loans.
The prevalent ideology was the Washington Consensus which included the conditions that the country fully open their markets and push towards privatization (very poor overview of Structural Adjustment Policies>SAP). The problem is that pushes the developing country into an even worse position. It exports its goods at a relatively low price and imports its needed goods at a high price. Then the country has to spend what little revenue it has on servicing the debt from the loan. This money is then not able to be spent on health, education, and infrastrucutre. The spiral continues and gets much worse. By almost any measure (appx 7 ways to measure income distribution) the poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer. Joseph Stiglitz, a former head of the World Bank decried these unilateral trade practices (starting in 2000).The World Bank has just released an official review of policy and determined that it needs to change course. In contrast, the IMF pushes for more of the same. So that is a brief overview. The big question is what is an effective solution to this problem, researching to see what others have already put forward and seeing if I can add anything useful to that.
So I have to actually right the proposal now and pack for my trip. Timer is at 8 hours, yeah I am a procrastinator.
Stoked for my trip. We will be doing a lot canyoning. Well most people are thinking what is canyoning? A sport where you start at the top of canyon then rappel, swim, run until you reach the bottom. This is my first time, but I am excited for it.
Then I fly back friday afternoon and then friday night I jump into start up camp. Basically, business people and programmers are brought together. In 48 hours, your team brainstorms, designs, and launches an internet busienss then pitches it to investors. So excited for that.
Crossfit has been going well. I found three churches semiclose to where we will be so I will be in one for Easter. Yeah I am going to go work now, cheers.
Happy Easter, please keep me in your prayers.
I am on his computer becuase mine is under control of some nasty spyware/ possible virus, so yeah I will deal with that once I get back.
So I have an essay proposal due tomorrow for my macroeconomics class on the topic of my choice. Luckily I have already done the bulk of my initial research. Now I just have to organize everything and clean it up. My topic: What are the negative effects of globalization on developing countries? The short answer: alot.
Condensed version: Prior to the last wave of globalization, developing countries began to shift their resources and focus on the production of a concentrated (1-4 in most cases) number of goods that had high export value (either raw materials or commodities, which are extremely volatile in price). Then other developing countries begin to invest in the same/ similiar goods because they saw that money was to be made. Then globalization enters the picture and the combination of over supply (simple supply and demand dictates that an increase of supply without an increase in demand lowers the price of a good) and opening up markets led the bottom to fall out of these formerly lucrative goods(no longer have any price protection). So these commodities now have dropped heavily in value. The developing countries that invested so much in the production of these economies can no longer sustain themselves (lower price equals lower revenue). So they turn to the World Bank/ IMF for loans.
The prevalent ideology was the Washington Consensus which included the conditions that the country fully open their markets and push towards privatization (very poor overview of Structural Adjustment Policies>SAP). The problem is that pushes the developing country into an even worse position. It exports its goods at a relatively low price and imports its needed goods at a high price. Then the country has to spend what little revenue it has on servicing the debt from the loan. This money is then not able to be spent on health, education, and infrastrucutre. The spiral continues and gets much worse. By almost any measure (appx 7 ways to measure income distribution) the poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer. Joseph Stiglitz, a former head of the World Bank decried these unilateral trade practices (starting in 2000).The World Bank has just released an official review of policy and determined that it needs to change course. In contrast, the IMF pushes for more of the same. So that is a brief overview. The big question is what is an effective solution to this problem, researching to see what others have already put forward and seeing if I can add anything useful to that.
So I have to actually right the proposal now and pack for my trip. Timer is at 8 hours, yeah I am a procrastinator.
Stoked for my trip. We will be doing a lot canyoning. Well most people are thinking what is canyoning? A sport where you start at the top of canyon then rappel, swim, run until you reach the bottom. This is my first time, but I am excited for it.
Then I fly back friday afternoon and then friday night I jump into start up camp. Basically, business people and programmers are brought together. In 48 hours, your team brainstorms, designs, and launches an internet busienss then pitches it to investors. So excited for that.
Crossfit has been going well. I found three churches semiclose to where we will be so I will be in one for Easter. Yeah I am going to go work now, cheers.
Happy Easter, please keep me in your prayers.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Birthday Post
Ok this is long past due, I know this…This entry will update you from March 14 to March 31. The gap in early March will be written by my lovely sister Angelique (coming soon???).
I feel fairly settled in Melbourne (I have been here almost two months now). So what have I done with my free time? Well I am glad that you asked, I will try to flush out some of the highlights as well as the reoccurring things I am doing.
From 3/20 to 3/22: I had a blast going sea kayaking/ some light hiking with the Uni’s Mountaineering Club (they do pretty much everything you can think of outdoors). During the trip we were car camping, but we were not able to have fires because Australia is such a dry place. There are only a few parks were you can legally have a fire, even in the front country.
This was my first time in a kayak so I greatly appreciated the good teachers that we had (experienced paddlers in the club). As you are learning to kayak, you will most likely get flipped over a lot, so you want to be able to get out safely. Enter a ‘wet exit”, where you pretty much pull the spray deck and get out the kayak in one piece. Our teachers didn’t want us to focus on “rolling” (staying in the kayak and flipping yourself back out of the water). You do not an inexperienced kayaker trying unsuccessfully to roll and taking in too much water and subsequently drowning…so that is why we stuck to wet exits.
When the waves started crashing, I learned quickly that the most important thing is to use your knees and hips to control the kayak. I was able to catch heaps of big waves and stayed on the water for a large chunk of time. After some hours, I was pretty tired and then the biggest wave of the day hit. At first I paddled with it, and felt in control until it picked the back of my kayak up and front flipped me. I stayed under for a few seconds, caught in the wave. I remained calm, waited until the wave passed, then wet exited from the kayak. So after that adventure, I decided it was a good time to stop for that day. At the end of the first day I felt really comfortable with my balance and ability to control the kayak. The second day, we moved to a different location and the waves were pretty paltry. So needless to say the first day was a lot more fun. The upside to sea kayaking is pretty good, namely catching huge waves and hanging on for dear life. The only real downside to paddling in the ocean is that you get a lot of salt water in your sinuses (the best remedy is a nose plug, which I didn’t have…).
3/26: I went to the opening day of the AFL (Australian Rules Football) season between Richmond and Carlton. Just Google AFL for more information. I scored tickets thanks to my Sport and Education in Australian Society class. Did I mention that I was three rows from the field? Because that was another relevant detail to the story. The game was a blowout: Carlton’s 155 points to Richmond’s 70. To capture the magnitude of the blowout, it would be similar to a 30 point spread in a basketball game. Overall cool experience, now I have to write a paper on it (I know, it is a touch life).
3/29: I attended a formal charity dinner for Jesuit Social Services. The JSS does great work around the world and works to empower disadvantaged people in local communities. The JSS in Australia is active in many different ministries and empowers many people to make positive changes in their lives. The key note speaker had a very interesting insight about society in the United States relative to Australia. He said that the best trait of society in the United States was that it encouraged people to participate. He contrasted this to Australian society, where in his view,people are encouraged to adhere to the established culture. I am not sure that I fully agree with his analysis that the United States encourages people to actively participate, but I whole heartedly agree that active participation by residents should be one of the aims of any society. I do not want to get too philosophical but the focus of participation in society is well founded and should be one of our aims as we work together to build a more just society (around the world).
Recurring Activities: Well you got your dancing, crossfitting, ultimate frisbee, and now soup kitchen (oh yeah and that school thing).
Dance classes have been going pretty well. I am taking a swing (lindy hop) class and a latin dance (salsa, meringue, argentine tange). I like latin more but I think it is because the movements come easier to me (i.e. I don’t have to focus/work as hard). Overall, pretty happy with both and will continue to take them during my time in Melbourne. They are fairly cheap ($6 AUD a class, so $4 USD a class). There is a swing social this weekend which I might attend.
Crossfit, well what can I say except that I am addicted. When you think about it, if you had to choose something to be addicted to, then fitness is not such a bad choice. The crossfit community here is very supportive, full of knowledge, and pushes you to your physical/mental limits. The things that some of these guys and gals can do are freakish. They put at least as much emphasis on their food as their training. Two reoccurring "diets" (I much prefer the terminology of eating strategy, much more long term) around the gym are the Zone and the Paleo. You can Google search both of them, please browse at your own leisure. The Zone focuses on foods and portion sizes, it will help reduce weight. Paleo focuses on select foods to eat and does not focus on portions. I am making food changes to have a Paleo diet, since I not need to focus on weight loss.
Ultimate Frisbee: Good fun, good people, and good exercise. That pretty much sums it up. My disc skills are getting better and I am having fun as I do it. I play Wednesday nights and Friday afternoons. So yeah, it’s good.
Through one of my friends here, I have gotten involved at a soup kitchen that the Missionaries of Charity Sisters run (the order that Mother Theresa founded). I have only been twice, but I seek to make it a part of my life routine. The other day I slowed down production on the dish cleaning line and one of the sisters was not too happy with me. I am looking to remedy my scrubbing speed that in the future.
Today is officially my birthday (the whole time difference thing). One thing that sticks out to me is that people you hardly talk to always contact you on your birthday. My guess is that I will have at least 30 Facebook post from people whom I don’t even keep in touch with (probably half that number will not know that I am in Australia right now…). I am alive the other 364 days of the year and would be willing to talk on any of these. But I am thankful for another year of life (thanks Mom for putting up with my multi-day delivery). I am officially 21 and legal around the world. Is it odd that I don’t want to drink too much tonight so that I can crossfit tomorrow morning? Because that is how I feel…
Thanks for taking the time. Cheers
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
My Life Before Uni
So I decided that it was time to make another entry for a few reasons which I will now give to you: 1)I went to my first class yesterday 2) I promised a few people (including the rents) that another entry was soon to come 3) My older sister Angelique arrives at the Melbourne Airport in a few hours and we are bound to be crazy busy for the next week and a half.
Time to elaborate on these aforementioned points. Classes officially started this week at the University of Melbourne (I have not had to sit in a desk since the beginning of December). I have a pretty sweet schedule with only four classes. The even sweeter part is how many hours I have to spend in a classroom: 6 per week. Are your eyes playing tricks on you? No, you read the last line correctly. Then the obvious question is what are you taking? 1)Macroeconomics (All Online) 2)Sociology of Religion (Lecture Online and a one hour tutorial) 3)Operations Management (2 hours of lecture and one hour tutorial) 4)Australian Sports (2 hours of lecture+field trips). That is how I only spend 6 hours a week in a classroom and not skip any class (I really can't believe it either...)
My sister Angelique has made a very wise choice, she has decided to spend her spring break with me in Australia. She is going to have some really good stories when she returns to her day job as a second grade teacher at St. Gregory's. I can see it in my mind's eye now...
Young eager student: "Ms. Deffenbaugh, what was your favorite part about being in Australia?"
Ms. Deffenbaugh: "Well, I would most definitely have to say just being around the coolest person I know, my brother for a week and a half straight"
Young eager student: "How cool is he?"
Ms. Deffenbaugh:" Just imagine Will Smith in Fresh Prince, and then double that level of cool."
Young eager student: "What is the Fresh Prince?"
Ms. Deffenbaugh: "Oh, the generations gaps."
Alright, time to fill you in on some of the shenanigans I have been up to in Melbourne. The city has a huge produce/meat market called the Queen Victoria Market within a 15 minute walk from my apartments. The market operates during the day and most everything closes down by 3pm. This is the case except for select Wednesday nights when the market transforms into the Queen Victoria Night Market. There are heaps (a lot) of vendors selling food, merchants selling all sorts of things, and musicians performing on stage. I went down with some of my friends to the last night market of the season and stayed down there for about 2 and a half hours. At the time we left, it was ridiculously packed and really hard to get around (we picked a good time to leave).
Since we are on the topic of the Queen Vic Market, I would just like to take the opportunity to say you can get some wicked good deals on produce there. I scored a a large quantity of lettuce, carrots, mushrooms (the non-hallucinogenic ones), cucumber,peppers, green beans, bananas, and apples for 12 Australian dollars. With the conversion rate that is about 7.89 US dollars (give or take depending on the day). Jackpot.
Another note worth event was the Brunswick Street Festival this Sunday. I went down there with some amigos and had a real good time (how good? realllll good). Just imagine an entire street has been shut down, then add a large quantity of people, numerous musicians, food vendors, merchants, and a dash of craziness. I took the posted pictures at this festival. We saw two guys that day wearing that "gifted" shirt. Really who wears that out in public?
Question: So what else have you been doing with your time?
Well, since you asked. I signed up for the ultimate frisbee club, the dance club, and the mountaineering club. The ultimate team played a pick-up game last week and it was nice to meet that group of people. It was really windy that day and I am scared to count the number of turn overs that we had.
I went to my first dance class this week, beginner Street Latin (which includes Salsa, Mambo, and Meringue). The first week of class was free so it was packed in the dance studio. During the entire hour we learned two routines and that was too complicated for people, so we scaled it back to one (over and over and over again). So I emailed the president to see if that was just going to be the pace of the class. Answer yes, but I was told I could just jump into the intermediate class and go from there.
The people from the mountaineering club are some pretty nice folks. The first meeting was on Tuesday night and trips are already underway. I will not be able to make the one on the weekend of the 14th/15th but will go on the next weekend (kayaking and bushwalking>>hiking). It will be nice to be outdoors again.
I found a church at Newman College, and it is really close (a 5 min walk). Newman is one of the college's on campus(beefed up residential halls) and has Catholic masses throughout the week and weekend. The priests are Jesuits and I sat down with one and had a good chat last week. There is a Magis group for Uni gys and gals(kind of like faith sharing) starting up this weekend and continuing through the semester so I plan on doing that.
What else? Crossfit. I won't belabor you with details, but it has been a great two weeks of working out at Crossfit Victoria. The trainers are very knowledgeable and know how to push you to your limit. The other athletes going to class are very welcoming and I have ejnoyed getting to know some of them. I even rolled out of bed and made it to the 6am class this morning (bc my sister is going to be in town today). Now that I mention my sister, I better get heading over to the airport so that I am there in time to meet her.
Cheers, please keep me in your thoughts and prayers.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
An Overdue Entry: Melbourne Welcome
Salutations to my dedicated fan base. This entry is long overdue (hence the aptly named title) and will be a bit lengthy. And my thoughts are now percolating forth...
On 2/12: We (being some of my American compatriots) went to our first footy (Australian Rules Football) game. It was the Bushfire Charity Match (to raise money for victims of the recent bushfires in Victoria) played between the Essendon Bombers and the Western Bulldogs. Now most people from the States have never heard of footy and with good cause because it is only played in Australia. The quickest explanation would be to look up the rules online (a bit of a cop out I know). Basically people here love there footy, on par, if not more than Europeans love their futbol clubs.
When we got to the gate, we asked where to buy tickets and the gate man asked if we were American. We said yes and he ushered through the gates. It took me a minute to realize it but we had just gotten into the game for free. (I would later buy a beer to go towards the cause).
It is really hard to appreciate the intricacies of a game when you do not know the basic rules. At half time, I asked a pair of girls for a basic explanation and the result was not too good. One of them was from New Zealand and only approved of rugby and thought wimps played footy. The other was a self-proclaimed girly girly who really didn't know too much about the game. Despite these setbacks by the end of the match, we could infer some basic rules but still had a long way to go for real comprehension.
2/13: The First Day of the Melbourne Welcome program (basically a pre-orientation for international students)... Anyone who knows me knows that I tend to be a bit late to things (most of the time I try to be respectful of other peoples' time but sometimes I drop the ball). That being said, I was only about 40 minutes late to check in (my bad). We had a large group welcome (which I missed most of) and then we broke up into pre-assigned small groups. We chatted for a bit then we went on first real activity, a spin around the city. Let me preface this part by saying that it was wicked hot (even for a Texas boy). We hopped on the tram and trekked around the city for about 3 hours going to different checkpoints. It was a good way to get a basic outlay of the city. We came back and had dinner in the dining hall. The dining hall was a part of Ormand College which is basically a self-contained residence hall where we stayed during our Welcome program.
The dining hall was straight out of the pages of Harry Potter (Hogwarts to the max). I think that is the single best description that I can give of our dining hall. Throughout the rest of the program I would try to sit with new people at meal times and strike up a conversation (something which comes fairly naturally).
The first night we went out to a local pub and had a fairly good time. Then we had to be up at 8:30 am to snag breakfast and begin the next days festivities... THE BEACH.
2/15: We hopped on the bus and began the hour and a half drive to the beach. There are closer beaches to the city, in fact you can take a 35 min tram ride from our apartments and get to a bay area. We went to the further away beach for two reasons: 1) you didn't not have to worry so much about stepping on drug needles (always wear your flip-flops) 2) we were going surfing and needed some more wave action.
Once we got to the beach, I learned the proper technique for a handpass and kick (footy). Practiced that for awhile, and then the scene changed to beach cricket. I needed a quick briefing on the rules, then I was able to hop in. Let me say that Aussies are fairly laid back, and when you put Aussies on a beach they become even more laid back. My first time at bat, I took a few whiffs and hit nothing but air. Then I smacked the next bowl (pitch) and started sprinting to where the first base line should have been. That was a party foul, because in cricket you run straight ahead. So everyone had a good laugh at that one(including me). I went to waves and did some wave riding and flipping (necessities when you are at the beach).
When I came back onto shore it was time for lunch, good ole fried deliciousness: fish and chips. After wolfing down my food, I laid down to get a bit of sun. A bit later, it was time for my group to go surfing (I had never been before). So we get our wetsuits and I hop in mine. It was my first time ever in a wetsuit and feels like under armour to the extreme. My first thought was how many people had worn this suit before me an decided to pee in it (such comforting thoughts).
We got a crash course on different surfing techniques and then we were turned loose on the water. My most successful run (defined as being on my feet) lasted two seconds. I attribute this to two factors: 1) I don't think I was ever ready for the wave I jumped on. I wold grab it too late, force it, and be out of position. 2) I would always try to go from prone to feet without using my knees. This is a more advanced move and I thought hey, I am an advanced type of guy, why not. So yeah, not the most successful day on the waves, but had a ton of fun on my first surfing experience. Got back home, had dinner and a nap and then we went out again. Another night of partying and not enough sleep. 8:30am came early again...
2/16: At this point, I have learned a good life lesson. Be careful when you party with Australians because they grew up doing this (getting minimal sleep and cramming in a full day before going out again), and you have not. The first half of the day, we went to the Melbourne Museum which was actually really cool. They had expansive displays on the mind, history of the city, aboriginal culture, and wildlife in Australia. I spent the most time in the mind display and the history of Melbourne display. After a few hours, we headed back for lunch.
Once we finished lunch, it was time to go the zoo. It was a good thirty minute walk to the zoo but it was worth the trek. While at the zoo, I saw my first roo (that is shorthand for a kangaroo). At this point I went to take a picture but my battery was dead (I was able to snap a good shot of a giraffe>see second picture). We spent a few hours at the zoo and then headed back for dinner. After dinner and a much needed nap, it was time for our Australian themed dance party. I chose to be an Australian outdoors man so I wore some camping clothes and an Australian hat.
So a lot of the Aussies said Americans couldn't dance and all we knew how to do was grind on the dance floor. For those not up with the lingo, grinding is basically like having sex on the dance floor and I don't categorize it as dancing either. Nevertheless, I took it upon myself to prove that Americans could dance. After a few hard hours on the dance floor and a few buckets of sweat, I do believe that I accomplished my mission. Once again, not enough sleep and an early 8:30am wake-up call.
2/17: The last real day of the program. We went down to the G (that is right i already have a stadium named after me...) The G is shorthand for the MCG which is a massive stadium where they play cricket and the largest footy games. We caught a few hours of the cricket match (see first picture) and then went to the Australian Sports Museum. Now this was a pretty sweet place that had in-depth histories of cricket as well as footy. One of the coolest parts was the hologram shows. There was a famous footy player and famous cricket player who were recorded as holograms and these were played for the guests. After we finished at the museum, we headed back to Ormand College for a barbie (aka BBQ or grill-out). I had a leisurely afternoon just chilling with people and then took a long nap before dinner (yes napping was a common theme which was necessary for survival). It was our closing night of the program and they went all out for it. We wore cocktail attire and had a formal three-course dinner. After dinner, we went out again and had a fairly good night. Then 8:30am rolled around again...
2/18: I rolled out of bed and grabbed our final Welcome breakfast. We had a picture slideshow and chilled for a bit. Then it was time to pack out and leave Ormand College. I made it back to my apartment and crashed for a good period of time.
I will conclude this entry because it takes you, my gracious reader, through my experiences at the Welcome program. Biggest take aways: 1) Meet tons of people whom I have seen around campus a lot/ chilled with since then 2) between my first few nights in Melbourne and the Welcome I partied enough for a long stretch of time (i.e. a few months). Anyone who knows me knows that I am not averse to having a good time every once in a while but I just went crazy my first week and half in town. Now I settling back down and reigning things in.
I will soon post another entry to recap some of the things I have done in the past week...
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
First Writing from Down Under
At long last I am writing to you from the heart of Melbourne (well actually from the heart of Carlton, a suburb stuck right outside the center of the city. Much like Clayton and St. Louis. Sorry if you don't get the example). I had a few complaints about the last entry, mainly it was too short... So in order to maintain the satisfaction level of my dedicated fan base, I will be verbose and attempt to draw out all of my thoughts.
So first up, the journey from San Antonio to Melbourne. I had to do a last minute packing job right(surprise surprise). I had finished packing about 11:30 am and was just double checking the bag requirements and saw that the combined size of my two bags was too large. So I had to steal my dad's smaller suitcase and repack. It took a little bit of time (who is counting?) and I kept my family waiting but the operation was a success.
So after I finished repacking, I had my last meal (with my family) along the Guadalupe river (halfway between SA and Austin). It was strange to leave knowing that I wouldn't see them for six months (the same feeling was present as I said goodbye to all my friends). I hopped in the car and drove with my Mom to the Austin airport for my flight. I got through security with about 30 minutes to spare (gotta love that check-in closes 90 min before departure). So I board the plane to LAX and plop down in my seat. Then my next door neighbor comes to claim his seat.
He looked oddly familiar and I was not sure why. I introduce myself and he tells me that his name is Taylor. We make small talk and then progressively bigger talk for the next two hours. So to bring you into the loop, my seat mate was Taylor Kitsch, an actor who was in the TV show Friday Night Lights and is playing Gambit in the upcoming X-Men movie. So you probably have a few questions and I will attempt to answer some of them.
Q (that you are thinking in your mind): Since you really liked the TV show Friday Night Lights, how did you not recognize him right away?
A: He had lost a lot of weight because he was preparing for a role in his next film, The Bang Bang club, about a group of photographers in South Africa during the time of apartheid. So his face looked familiar but he had lost a lot of muscle mass.
Q: Why was he in coach?
A: He was going out to LA on his own dime and he said that he had to watch his spending.
Q: What do you talk about?
A: Our families, our backgrounds, our approaches to life, some of our experiences in service. He was very passionate about an organization called the African Children's Choir. He had spent some time with the organization in Kenya and Uganda getting to know the director and the children who are a part of the organization. From his experiences and from a quick website view, the organization has been doing a huge amount of good over the past twenty plus years. I spoke about my experiences in Ghana working for Unite for Sight. The biggest take away, there is so much need in the world both internationally and in the States.
Q: How would you describe him?
A: A very down to earth and genuine guy. As you all know, I am not apt to use those words unless I truly mean them. I will have to go watch X Men when it comes out in May.
So we landed in LAX and said goodbye and parted ways. It was my first time in LAX which is a freaking humongous place (these words just don't do it justice). The layover was a few hours and then I jumped on board for the longest flight of my known life (15 hours).
As it turns out, one of my plane neighbors was also a study abroad student from the States. We continued to talk and I find out that she is going to Melbourne University and staying at the same apartment building as I am (she actually lives on the same floor, just down the hallway).
It pretty much feels like freshman year again: meeting tons of new people, doing anything that pops up, and getting orientated to a new environment. And the funny part is that my pre-orientation has not even started yet (I do love me my ice breakers, a necessary evil). My pre-o starts in two days, and then international orientation, then some other "compulsory" stuff and then classes begin March 2.
My apartment building is literally across the street from the campus, which is pretty nice. The city has a huge public transit system,and I have been exploring it some.
Other points of interest.
-I went to a Crossfit center and did my first international Crossfit workout (for those who don't know just google "crossfit"). I also went for a run today, so I am beat and ready for a good night of shut eye. As I complete this entry it is fast approaching 12:30 am my time (this entry was created in multiple settings because it has been awhile since I have had to type and put my creative juices into play.)
-Supposedly the Uni (that is Aussie shorthand for University) has a wicked outing club, so I will get involved with that and spend a fair amount of time in the great outdoors once the bush fires calm down. On the note of the bush fires, please keep those effected in your thoughts and prayers. Many people lost all of their possession and a large number have lost their lives. I am in no immediate danger but please keep those affected in your prayers.
Until the next entry percolates forth...
So first up, the journey from San Antonio to Melbourne. I had to do a last minute packing job right(surprise surprise). I had finished packing about 11:30 am and was just double checking the bag requirements and saw that the combined size of my two bags was too large. So I had to steal my dad's smaller suitcase and repack. It took a little bit of time (who is counting?) and I kept my family waiting but the operation was a success.
So after I finished repacking, I had my last meal (with my family) along the Guadalupe river (halfway between SA and Austin). It was strange to leave knowing that I wouldn't see them for six months (the same feeling was present as I said goodbye to all my friends). I hopped in the car and drove with my Mom to the Austin airport for my flight. I got through security with about 30 minutes to spare (gotta love that check-in closes 90 min before departure). So I board the plane to LAX and plop down in my seat. Then my next door neighbor comes to claim his seat.
He looked oddly familiar and I was not sure why. I introduce myself and he tells me that his name is Taylor. We make small talk and then progressively bigger talk for the next two hours. So to bring you into the loop, my seat mate was Taylor Kitsch, an actor who was in the TV show Friday Night Lights and is playing Gambit in the upcoming X-Men movie. So you probably have a few questions and I will attempt to answer some of them.
Q (that you are thinking in your mind): Since you really liked the TV show Friday Night Lights, how did you not recognize him right away?
A: He had lost a lot of weight because he was preparing for a role in his next film, The Bang Bang club, about a group of photographers in South Africa during the time of apartheid. So his face looked familiar but he had lost a lot of muscle mass.
Q: Why was he in coach?
A: He was going out to LA on his own dime and he said that he had to watch his spending.
Q: What do you talk about?
A: Our families, our backgrounds, our approaches to life, some of our experiences in service. He was very passionate about an organization called the African Children's Choir. He had spent some time with the organization in Kenya and Uganda getting to know the director and the children who are a part of the organization. From his experiences and from a quick website view, the organization has been doing a huge amount of good over the past twenty plus years. I spoke about my experiences in Ghana working for Unite for Sight. The biggest take away, there is so much need in the world both internationally and in the States.
Q: How would you describe him?
A: A very down to earth and genuine guy. As you all know, I am not apt to use those words unless I truly mean them. I will have to go watch X Men when it comes out in May.
So we landed in LAX and said goodbye and parted ways. It was my first time in LAX which is a freaking humongous place (these words just don't do it justice). The layover was a few hours and then I jumped on board for the longest flight of my known life (15 hours).
As it turns out, one of my plane neighbors was also a study abroad student from the States. We continued to talk and I find out that she is going to Melbourne University and staying at the same apartment building as I am (she actually lives on the same floor, just down the hallway).
It pretty much feels like freshman year again: meeting tons of new people, doing anything that pops up, and getting orientated to a new environment. And the funny part is that my pre-orientation has not even started yet (I do love me my ice breakers, a necessary evil). My pre-o starts in two days, and then international orientation, then some other "compulsory" stuff and then classes begin March 2.
My apartment building is literally across the street from the campus, which is pretty nice. The city has a huge public transit system,and I have been exploring it some.
Other points of interest.
-I went to a Crossfit center and did my first international Crossfit workout (for those who don't know just google "crossfit"). I also went for a run today, so I am beat and ready for a good night of shut eye. As I complete this entry it is fast approaching 12:30 am my time (this entry was created in multiple settings because it has been awhile since I have had to type and put my creative juices into play.)
-Supposedly the Uni (that is Aussie shorthand for University) has a wicked outing club, so I will get involved with that and spend a fair amount of time in the great outdoors once the bush fires calm down. On the note of the bush fires, please keep those effected in your thoughts and prayers. Many people lost all of their possession and a large number have lost their lives. I am in no immediate danger but please keep those affected in your prayers.
Until the next entry percolates forth...
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Preparation for the Trip
Well salutations to you my dear reader, as of now I know you fall into one of two groups: either friend or family. As more time passes it is only conceivable that these postings go viral and millions upon millions of strangers are reading about me…
But seriously, this is my first posting for the next six months as I chronicle my time half way around the world. I leave this Sunday, so right now I going down my to-do list (yes I actually did make one, no matter how much I loathe them). So for a quick peak inside of my head… a quick imaginary interview:
Q (imaginary reporter): What do you fell like right now?
A (G): Excited and nervous rolled into a ball of can’t wait. I spent the past month visiting friends around the country and spending time with my family and have enjoyed the entire whirlwind. I know that many people care for me and my relationships will still be there when I get back. They will have changed and I hope ultimately grow from this time away, but I am not worried. This knowledge gives me the confidence to embark on my travels for the next six months.
Q: What are you going to miss the most?
A: That is a loaded question. Let me break it down. In St. Louis,I will miss my senior friends’ last semester in college as well as their graduation ceremony. In San Antonio, the craziness of family dinners (for everyone who knows my family, these can get quite crazy).
And that concludes this brief interview, until next time. <
But seriously, this is my first posting for the next six months as I chronicle my time half way around the world. I leave this Sunday, so right now I going down my to-do list (yes I actually did make one, no matter how much I loathe them). So for a quick peak inside of my head… a quick imaginary interview:
Q (imaginary reporter): What do you fell like right now?
A (G): Excited and nervous rolled into a ball of can’t wait. I spent the past month visiting friends around the country and spending time with my family and have enjoyed the entire whirlwind. I know that many people care for me and my relationships will still be there when I get back. They will have changed and I hope ultimately grow from this time away, but I am not worried. This knowledge gives me the confidence to embark on my travels for the next six months.
Q: What are you going to miss the most?
A: That is a loaded question. Let me break it down. In St. Louis,I will miss my senior friends’ last semester in college as well as their graduation ceremony. In San Antonio, the craziness of family dinners (for everyone who knows my family, these can get quite crazy).
And that concludes this brief interview, until next time. <
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