Studying in
Straya~ a course called Happiness- investigating causes and conditions
So orientation week in Australia is a little different then the states. I was expecting endless lectures and instructions about not drinking or something along those lines, but that’s not it one bit. It is a week of parties sponsored by the Uni, starting with a pub crawl, followed by a music themed party, an ABC (anything but clothes) party, an under the sea party, a graffiti party, and of course Uni night. I don’t understand how we made it through the week alive, but nothing
could have been better for our first taste of Wollongong. I mean really, what
gets students bonding and talking more than a little goon. By the end of it all
we had stories galore, friendships made, and no voice left to say more.
Celebrating the
holidays-
St. Patty’s day just rolled around and if you’re not sure if
Australia celebrates it, well let me elaborate our day for you. Clear skies led
us to the beach all morning and then the drinking started at one. We made it to
a house party by Uni at about four and were proud to see the green envelope the
backyards of two houses.
People were everywhere, playing beer pong, rolling
around in a giant ball, spinning goon bags around a circular clothes line,
jumping from trees and one from a roof, on the dance floor, and conversing on
the grass (or even making out). It was just ten when the cops came and
dispersed the students. Most of which of us just ended up at the bar to
continue eating and drinking. At the end
of the day MJ’s sprained ankle, Allie’s broken hand and lost phone, and my lost
room key were all tokens from 12 hours of partying. Here's a local newspapers description of the celebration http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/2159391/wild-keiraville-party-uni-students-unrepentant/?cs=309.
The festival way
of life- My friends and I were fortunate enough to be in Australia for Future
Music Festival in Sydney. With plans to make it a great day, MJ and I boarded
the train into Sydney with full cups of goon at 9am. We weren’t going to waste
anytime to drink because we knew alcohol inside the festival would have been
costly. When we got to Sydney we took a cab to a house party complete with
music, some wild Canadian girls, and our friends. By three we were heading to
the festival. Right away, MJ and I were welcomed by some crazy, masked guy who
felt the need to lift us on top of his shoulders. After that excitement we
ventured into the main area where we were consumed by a foam party. We played
and danced and got soaked and lost track of time. By the time we were out we
were onto our first stage; Tinie Tempah you might know him for the song Pass
Out. Front row and yet still we managed the need for men to hold us on their
shoulders. The security guards in the front were popping champagne into the crowd
which everyone loved and took advantage of.
After that MJ and I were lucky
enough to stumble upon the stage where Macklemore and Ryan Lewis were singing.
Everyone loved the classics from these fellas like Thrift Shop. By then the sun
was setting and after a taco, ice cream, and beer session MJ and I hustled back
to see Hardwell. It was the most phenomenal performance I have ever seen! I
can’t say I have ever had more fun dancing. Right after Hardwell, Deadmou5 was
on and the light show and staging was unreal. It concluded our spectacular
festival and our sweaty and muddy bodies piled on the train back to campus.
Nights out-
Let’s
start off with Australia tradition for partying. Wednesday nights is called Uni
Night and UOW provides us with transportation to and from the clubs
in town. I am not sure why they promote drinking on school nights, but I’m not
going to complain.
What Wollongong
has to offer- It might seem like all we do it party, but we manage to see the
sites too. Fairy Meadow beach is the beach about a 2 minute walk from my dorm
room and we go to nap, tan, swim and see people whenever. Then there is North
Gong beach which is a more towny and less campus east residential beach. With
cute cafes along the road and the lighthouse and harbor to the right, there is
definitely a larger crowd, but we enjoy the atmosphere a lot. Also next to
North Gong Beach is the Rock Pools! These are so beautiful and cool, we love
walking down to them for a waveless dip in the ocean.
Wollongong also has a
neat hike. It starts at Uni and heads to the top of Mt. Kiera. It starts off
stairs and you think to yourself, “okay I got this” and then the stairs feel
like they will ever end and then they do and it becomes a vertical climb complete
with straddling fallen trees. The top was so satisfying to see and I will be
doing it again soon. The mountain overlooks all of Wollongong and we are
looking forward to seeing the sight at sunrise one time.