Aussie Aussie Aussie

So I've been in Australia for 3 weeks now, I figure I should probably post something.
Thoughts so far:  Australia is a great country.

For starters, I've experienced very little of the hassle I had to deal with to get settled in France.  My visa, for example, was approved 12 hours after I applied online and somehow works electronically.  No paperwork!  So when I entered the country they just scanned my passport and I was in.  Crazy convenient, 10 points Australia.

Reread Slaughterhouse-Five for my in-flight entertainment

Check out Fiji
Australians aren't that impressed with it apparently.
Fiji  : Australia as Mexico : California

Also finished this hilarious book during my layover.
You should read it.

 When I arrived September 22nd I was lucky enough to have my awesome friend Dan (who incidentally had just been visiting me and Michelle with his friend Ant in California a week earlier) pick me up from the airport and take me to our friend Locky's house in Wollongong (it is also Jacob and Ben's house who I didn't know were living there and I had previously met in SB and Vegas, respectively.  Awesome).  I stayed there for the weekend which was cool.
On Sunday, Anne came to pick me up from Sydney and drove me up to Newcastle to my new place.  It was POURING rain.  Props to Anne's driving skills, I probably would have crashed.  So, minus the rain there was no hassle with finding housing because I already had a place to live with the lovely Miss Anne and her good friend Callan.
Newcastle is a very industrial town.  There are coal refineries everywhere and lots of small businesses.  Everyone I've met has a job.  It's very refreshing.  On my way to work I cross the train tracks and I love the view at sunset.

We three live on Darby Street, which is the 'down town' street of Newcastle.  It's full of adorable cafes and shops.  Visa, flight, housing...everything has been going really smoothly.  This is mostly because of Anne, but also helped by the fact that I am pretty much fluent in the language.

This is Anne's favorite cafe that we had 'breky' at the other morning.
Australians abbreviate everything.

Alex's Favorite Aussie Expression to date:
"tear me a new one..."  - From the Latin derivative, Rippitus Aholus, literally meaning to rip one a new asshole, according to Urbandictionary.com
How quaint.

I also like that they call stupid people 'peanuts'.

Some background:  I was very sad to leave California this summer for obvious reasons.  It was a beautiful summer.  I was able to see all the amazing people I had missed so much while I was abroad in France.  I was working at Native Foods making money, sleeping in the cloud every night!  Drinking Irish Car Bombs with the Mikes.  Visiting Katie and John and going to gay bars in San Diego.  Going out in LA at Lila's new 'west-side story apartment'.  Being in my sister's wedding!  Visiting Becca and Kirsten in SB.  Going to Gio's with Lindsay!  Sushi.  Waking up in the cloud every morning.  Yum, what an awesome summer.  I would be much more upset about leaving if I didn't know that our friendship (love just sounds trite here) doesn't weaken even when we are apart.  I know everything will be just as awesome the next time we are together again.  Look at how mushy this is getting.  Gross!  It's also great that I can still talk to people every day.

I heart technology.


And I look forward to future teleportation :p

And time travel.  I'd love to go back to this 4th :)

LA ladies

Mimosa breakfasts

SBeezys

SD...I think

 ♥

Anyways, Australia has been great so far, minus missing the loves of my life.  I have Anne here who is amazing.  I've also had 2 'blog-worthy' adventures so far.  Last Sunday, Callan, my other flatmate, took me out in his work car to the sand dunes with his friends (biggest dunes in the southern hemisphere).  Basically you get a permit to visit the reserve and then drive around in huge cars, flying dangerously down steep dunes.  It was awesome!  4-wheel drive was meant for this, not the suburbs of Orange County.

Callan

The second event was Oakdale Farm!   Anne and I went there on the 13th to feed the kangaroos and pet koalas.  I got to pet a koala!  They are the cutest, furriest cuddle-balls ever and half the reason I came to Australia.  We also got to see 149 other species.  Such as:  goats, yaks, emus and huge, poisonous snakes.

KOALA!

Peacock

Woah Peacock

ALBINO PEACOCK!

It was totally worth the $18.  Especially seeing Anne being chased up the playground castle by a goat.

lol

In regards to work, which remember is the reason I wound up living in Newcastle, it has been a bit of a roller-coaster.  It was really exciting to get my first paycheck of $365 for working 17.5 hours!  Win.  It's great to actually make money after working a few hours.  I make the same amount in 3 hours here that I made for working 8 hours in the states.  Hey hey!
However, work is way more stressful than I would like it to be ie the boss is a screamer and I hate that.  Don't yell at me, hey!  (Australians say 'hey' after everything.  I think it's cute, hey).  He just likes to assert his authority and put people down and I don't like that.  Not really my style, but hopefully I'll become immune soon.  As long as I can save up money, which it's looking like I will, it will be worth it.  I really like most of my co-workers which is nice and the restaurant is beautiful, right on the water.  It's just too stressful.

Lol that picture makes my last paragraph look extremely ironic.
But that isn't a picture I took!  I couldn't have because the weather has been shit so far.  I keep reminding myself that it's only Spring!  It'll be summer soon!  But, despite the weather I have been pretty active.  Everyone is a power-walker here (very few runners), including myself and Anne recently.

View from our walks

Quite lovely

Even without the sun

And to keep things in perspective, the weather is nowhere near as awful as the weather was in Paris.  (For as much as I talk shit on Paris, I do miss it:  I miss my friends there, I miss speaking French, I miss throwing things on the ground with Danny and I miss picnics!) But when I really think about it, I am so much happier that I am in Australia this year :)  And I'm pretty sure things are only going to get better.