O-Week

O-week here in Australia is like clubs day at school, but a lot better. It's essentially a huge festival with free stuff, free food, free activities, and free drinks. All the clubs come out to try and recruit you, and it's just a pretty awesome week of getting free stuff. Plus, living on residence, there was free breakfast and dinner all week (free food is always awesome) and activities planned throughout the week. My only complaint about O-week at the halls is that I didn't appreciate being segregated from all the other halls against my will. Everything was really 'first-year' focused, so a lot of the international kids were quite peeved about it. Plus we were forbidden from hanging out with the friends we made in the previous week, so that kind of sucked.

Monday February 21st: Host Scheme

Today was just a big day of having fun on campus and getting free food. There were carnival activities set up like a big bouncy castle (which of course we jumped in), human bowling, a man making really awesome balloon animals and loads more. We saw the most amazing smoothie machine, powered by a woman riding a bike. It was incredible. Then I got free henna and a free tattoo. It's a shame I missed the free caricatures! At night we headed to the Host Scheme Night, which was another night of music and dancing. So, to sum it all up: music + dancing = a good time. Top it off with a midnight snack of french fries and McDonalds (or Maccas as they call it here)...well that's just a good night on a whole other level!

Tuesday February 22: Battle scars and Black Swan

Today was Day 2 of festivals on campus. Johnny and I walked around and we played this really awesome game of human tug-of-war. I was tugging like a soldier, really just giving it my all. After I dunked the ball into the hoop, I thought i'd won when Johnny, being the gentleman that he is, dragged me so hard that I got rug/plastic/tarp burn. I also have a mean battle scar to remember it forever :). I flew backwards and bounced off the middle pillar, i'm surprised I didn't get whiplash! Then at night after dinner, my hall headed off to watch Black Swan, which I hadn't seen and I must say is both traumatizing and life-changing all at once. It was incredible and gruesome and genius. I will however, steer clear of ballerinas from now on, thank you very much :P

Wednesday February 23: PJ Party

Joined the Monash University Waterski and Wakeboard Club, as well as the Food Appreciation club :) I also wanted to join the Gymnastics and Trampoline club, but I couldn't find them. Guess i'll just have to stalk them later! My hall had a PJ Party in the evening..so I went and rocked my jammies. Gotta represent my 'Nucks! :D

Thursday February 24: Luna Park

Today was the most awesome day. We went to the festival and got soo much free stuff. Free sunnies, free ice tea, free ICE-CREAM?! Free ice-cream!!! Yummy :) Then Brit and I saw flyers to the most amazing thing: free mug painting! So you better believe we ran ourselves to Whole Foods to paint ourselves some free mugs. I think they turned out just spiffy! I've never been so proud or so embarrassed of something that I produced :P.

At night, we went to the local amusement park, Luna Park for free. It's not a very big park, but a LOT of fun was had. It was just a good time, hanging out and riding the rides for free. My favourite was the 'Curse of the Calypso', that went upside down. We went wild in there, screaming all sorts of crazy things. "I PITY THE FOOL!!!"

International O-Week

Sunday February 13: St. Kilda Festival :)


Food, music, beach, Aussies galore...plus a drunken Irish man whipped out his junk while in line at McDonalds to go pee...i'd call that a pretty successful day.

The weather here is hormonal. It was freezing in the morning, then it was 100 degrees in St. Kilda, and then it was FUR-REEZING again. Make up your mind Melbourne!

Monday February 14: Crazy Australian Jenga

I am so impressed with Australian Jenga...it's just one gigantic game of stealthness, speed, accuracy, and fear all at once. It's fun because you can actually get hurt if the blocks topple over...so watch your toes :)

Tuesday February 15: Dumplings and Mini Bar-Crawl

First day of international orientation and first night out. We went to a little bar along the Yarra River with a very very nice view. Then we had dinner in a little chinese dumpling restaurant. The food was okay, but the dinner conversation was great. Then we stumbled into a rooftop bar which was pretty awesome. I love rooftop bars, we must make our way back one day

Wednesday February 16: Queen Victoria Market

The Queen Victoria Market is this cool mix between Granville Island, the Night Market, and an enormous Flea Market. It's really really cool. There was a lot of food stands, and a lot of stands selling clothes, jewellery, nick nacks and paddy-whacks. It started pouring rain halfway through dinner, and we got drenched on our way home. But it was an interesting train ride, as we spent most of it discussing HIMYM and Supernatural with a random Aussie we met on the train. Gotta love public transportation.

Thursday February 17: First of many nights at the Nott
Tonight was my first night at the Nott. The Nott (Notting Hill Pub/Bar?) is a local pub that EVERYONE at Monash Uni goes to on Thursday nights. It's a tradition. I have to say that any night that involves music and the wild flaying of my arms that I call dancing is a good night. So, it as a good night...from what I remember :}

Friday February 18: Red Scooter

To end off an awesome week, the international kids headed off to Red Scooter for a night of fun and dancing. It was a pretty cool venue, despite the fact that it was wedged between 2 dodgy-looking buildings, in a real sketch alleyway. Other than that, it was fantastic inside. It was really pretty, with lots and lots of chandeliers, just the way I like it :). We were served wine and little sausage rolls, and we spent the night taking pictures and tearing up the dancefloor. Then we all headed to the after-party...which was hard to remember as it was really dark inside the venue and I am a lightweight ;). All in all, a really really good night!