April showers? Ha...just kidding!

The wait is over;  I am finally posting on my blog again (sorry for the anticipation, Mom!)  With that being said, I don't have too much to update on here.  Going to school at UWA is a lot like going to school in Illinois...only in Australia. What I HAVE realized is how much I take for granted going to such a large, constantly-busy "uni" (as the Australians call it) at home.  When you're on campus at U of I, there is never a dull moment, and finding something to do is never a challenge, as ALL your friends live on campus.  Simple, right?  Here, on the other hand, a very small percentage of students live in colleges (Currie Hall being one), and the rest either live on their own in apartments around the suburbs/city, or still with their parents.  Because of this, the campus sorta 'shuts down' once evening rolls around; there is no Green Street equivalent, or an event on the campus-renowned quad every night.  My evenings normally consist of all the exchanges and the other friends we've seemed to have acquired sitting in the Blue Room (Currie Hall's AIR CONDITIONED room with couches and a full screen television) and watching countless movies.  Not a bad thing, just a different thing.  Oh, and about the title of this post:  It still has not rained a single day I have been in Perth.  HOW DOES THE GRASS STAY GREEN?!

Luckily, we were all able to make some trips for the month of April.  Last Friday, and this coming Friday, Currie Hall took 10 students windsurfing, myself included.  I gave regular surfing my best effort, and while I loved that, I definitely prefer windsurfing.  The instructor took us out on the Swan River on the single most NON-windy day of the week.  Great.  It wasn't hard to get up on the board, as finding your balance after a few minutes was easy.  Hard part?  Trying to steer, and even more so when there is only a slight breeze in the background.  Regardless, it was a ton of fun and I can't wait to go again this Friday!

For the rest of April:

April 1:  Currie Hall River Cruise.  A themed party...on a Friday night...on a boat...on the Swan River.  Theme = Toga Party (because we don't have enough of that in America).  Drinks on the water = someone bound to get sick, but it's supposed to be a 'great night' as described by previous students.

April 17:  Adventure Day Walk offered through UWA's Recreation Team.  This will go along the Bubbulman Track, where there is supposed to offer great scenery and wildlife of Perth.  I am the only one from Currie that signed up for this, so hopefully I make some new friends!

April 22 - 24:  Margaret River 'Vertical Challenges' Tour.  Again, offered through UWA, and their website reads, "Rock climbing, abseiling, and caving all rolled into one trip.  Feel like you're on top of the world at Wilyabrup sea cliffs or in the depths of the each in Golgath Cave".  A few of the exchanges from Currie signed up for this, so I can only imagine the shenanigans that manage to occur on this trip.  For only $200, this was a great deal!

April 25 - 29:  BALI!  We finally booked our accommodation for mid-semester break (I always call this 'spring break', even though it's fall here.  Woops.)  We're leaving at 2AM on April 25 and staying 4 nights in Kuta, Bali, which is the big tourist location of the island.  Yes, you heard me correctly, 2AM, and making sure that all 10 of us are up and functioning at that point I'm sure will be a challenge.  We rented out 5 hotel rooms.  I don't think Wina Holiday Villa knows what they're getting themselves into.  With that being said, the NAME of the hotel itself is slightly frightening; we were sold on the one, single picture we saw online of the hotel, and for all we know, we could show up and be living in some wooden shack on the street.  Applause for Australia study abroad on a budget!


That summarizes the month of April!  Unfortunately, I don't have any new pictures to upload, as good old Christine here somehow managed to lose her camera battery.  Not the camera, not the memory card, the battery.  Who does that?!  Me, apparently.  I ordered one on Australian Ebay for $2.99 from Hong Kong and it should be arriving in 7-15 business days...we'll see how this little purchase turns out.  Cheers, mates!