Toning It Down a Bit
Bit fast and furious with the blogging recently, so I’ve tried to get out and enjoy the sunshine. Though, I have been blogging from the back yard, so still kind of with the sunshine.
As with most things in life, Australia has both good and bad moments.
Good: Finding a bed, bookcase, and two end tables for $70, when all the others had been around $200 for the bed alone.
Bad: Attending a class I’d been really excited about, only to find out it’s the worst class I’ve taken since Peter Wisen(just in case he googles himself)sel’s Empires or the Ecology class that led me to drop my bio major. Seriously, if you’ve taken a class from the goathumper (the former), you know almost how bad it was. The seminar was not better, and induced one child to say, “Well, I don’t think the UN has the right to morally question the Iraq War.” Everyone kind of freaked out and shouted him down. One girl actually asked if he had lost his mind. It was the most excitement we’d had in two hours - little punchy.
Good: Yoga class and then a nice bike ride home. Riding on the left isn’t as difficult as one would think.
Sort of Good: This town has hills. Jesus.
Bad: Finding out that Australia’s internet plans revolve around how much you download, so if Sam’s house hasn’t bought an unlimited plan, my frequent downloading (not that I do that) might cost me like… $800. I’m not going to even do the math until James comes at me, shaking a bill.
Good: My new housemates seem funny and nice.
Bad: Beer costs like US$10 a six-pack. I’m not kidding. Food in general is just kind of obscene. I paid US$2.00 for six eggs and about US$3 for a half-gallon of milk. My mother would be incensed.
Good: The markets are fun, if overwhelming. Night Market the other evening was GREAT - there was a Ghanaian band, and I knew a bunch of the songs and was singing along.
Bad: A sadistic mosquito kept me up for four nights straight. Seriously, as soon as I’d be about to drift off, it would come and whine in my ear. For HOURS. I have finally barricaded my room. It might be hot, but I can sleep.
I move into my new house on Wednesday. If you’d like the address so you can send me meaningless trifles or just sentiments of undying affection, email me.
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March 2nd, 2007 at 12:08 am
For reference, in New York the standard bodega price for a 6-pack of anything better than PBR is $9. See ‘Collapse’ by Jared Diamond for a pretty good exegesis of Oz’s agricultural economy.