Day 9 (LaTrobe University) - Bendigo, Victoria Australia

Finally, people are here! Residents! YEA! All 20 of them…I'm actually a little freaked out on how friendly everyone is who lives here in Scott Annex. It might be easier to get along with everyone because everyone has their own room. It's going to be hard to create and establish relationships in 5 months time, but I believe I can do it. I'm not used to so many people living together who come from a variety of different backgrounds. We have Asians (international and non-international), Indian, a blind person, an American, and there's a good mix of guys and gals. We don't have a RA living our building because not enough people applied, so I think that it might be difficult for Lil to create community. Then again I'm not 100% sure if that's a role for RAs here because putting on programs isn't one of their roles.

So far I have found myself missing the small weird things, one being walking to class. I guess I never really appreciated it until now, but at Central the walk to class is usually no longer than 10 minutes and there's a good chance of seeing someone I know. Here, I have to walk 15 minutes in the hot sun on sidewalks, dirt paths, up hills, down hills, and it can be an adventure just to get to campus, then I have to get to an academic building.

When it comes to communication sometimes Aussies talk really fast and all I hear is mumble. Or they'll use words that I have never heard before. I usually ask them to explain what that word is, and after, "What!?! You don't know what ________ is/means?!?" they'll explain it. It's a lot of fun though because most of the time I respond with, "Oh, you mean _________ (the American translation for the word that they said)." Communicating is always a fun activity. I usually get made fun of for some "American" word I said, like dam it. Someone will say "dam it!" in an "American accent" when they're trying to mimic me. It's fun when they try to mimic me and mess it up, take PBJ for instance. Yes, that's right, I had to EXPLAIN what a PBJ is. Then they'll say PJB or mix up the letters if they're trying to make fun of me at lunch. I get a good laugh out of that.

Lingo Learned:
Maccers (pronounced Mackers) = McDonald's (basically it's like when we say Micky Ds)
Texter = Marker/Sharpie
Bluey = Blue Wife Beater
Singlet = Tank Top
Bonds = Hanes/Fruit of the Loom
Flora = Bright/neon colored t-shirts (apparently it was the "in" thing to wear awhile back)
Power Spew = Projectile vomit after drinking heavily