Goodbye

Welp the day has finally arrived.  It's 3 a.m. and in about 12 hours I'll be on my way back to America.  Sorry for the cliche statement but this truly has been the experience of a lifetime.  There is no other way to describe it.  I have learned so much about myself and my horizons have just began to broaden.  I wish I could write some wonderful essay to sum everything up and express all these feelings, but I am not that creative and don't have near enough time.  I guess you just have to talk to me yourself if you want that.  I can't thank the wonderful people I have met enough for everything they have shown me, given me, and taught me.  It has been a real treat.  I also want to thank my family for supporting me in my adventures.  I hope you see some benefit from the investment.  This blog has been a real treat.  Contained are so many terrific experiences of the journey.  I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.  I think I will try to continue to blog and I would love for people to follow.  Hopefully I can supply a brief laugh or a cool story for you.  I guess that pretty much finishes it.  Australia its been quite a ride, but this is far from a final goodbye.  Catch Ya.

Remember: Life is a novel written one page at a time.  

The Great White Shark

VIDEO!!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWYhIFK9vrc

Let me start off by saying this was possibly the coolest thing I have ever done.  Any bucket list must add dive with great white sharks.

The trip started on Saturday at 5:30 in the morning.  I got to watch a beautiful sunrise and fairy meadow beach, then I was off to the airport.  I flew from Sydney to Adelaide.  Conveniently, my plane landed late and since I am a baby adult, I booked my connecting flight too close.  Even after sprinting through the airport like an idiot, I got to the gate only to hear that I had just missed it, Shit.  Luckily I was able to sweet talk the lovely lady behind the desk into helping me out.  She set me up on a later flight for free (thank god).  Three hours later I was finally off to Port Lincoln.  There I met up with my friend Isak and we headed to our HOTEL.  Thats right, not cheap hostel for this trip.  We actually had our own room, bathroom, and fridge.  Talk about high class living.  Day one was complete.

The morning started again before the sun rose.  Within two minutes of arising from my slumber, blood started pouring out of my nose, a was a clear sign that many sharks would be seen.  Upon arrival at the boat, we headed on a two and a half hour journey to the Neptune Islands.  The ride was anything but smooth proved by the girl that I witnesses puking all over the deck.  Luckily we made it with only the once mishap, which I'm sure only quickened the arrival of the whites.  The cove we pulled into was surrounded by small green shrubs and the banks were full of innocent seal pups.  This place was a shark's paradise.  After the tour we anchored near the middle of the inlet and the cage was released into the water.  It was time for the main event.  Blood and chum were dumped all around the boat.  Tuna gills and guts were tied to buoys and thrown out into the water.  The theme of Jaws echoed in the cool morning air.  I peered over the side of the ship.  There it was; the king of the ocean.  Holy mother of god are these things big.  Soon one appeared, then another, then another.  Three of them circled round the ship attacking the tuna lines as the skipper and deck hand yanked the lines as the giants attacked.  I geared up to go down into the cage after the first group.  The waters grew calm again as the bait was pulled in.  I climbed down into the icy water.  The combination of my buoyant wet suit and heavy weight belt made the cage feel like I was on the surface of the moon.  Fish swarmed around the chum as the water again turned to a murky red.  I breathed steadily.  A large shadow approached.  My heart raced.  My breathing stopped.  There the first one appeared.  The rest of the 45 minutes in the cage were pretty much the same.  Every time the sharks were close, I would forget to breathe.  Four different sharks  came around when were were down there.  One of them was 5 and a half meters (18 feet).  At some points I was literally a foot and half away from them.  When our time was up it felt as if we had been down there for ten minutes.  I climbed aboard only to find my nose bleeding again.  Wonderful.  At the end of the day we had seen a total of seven different whites, two of which were five and a half meters long (these only show up during june and july).  It was an epic day that I will never forget.  I can't wait to get this video up so you guys can see the beasts.  None of the videos or pictures will do them true justice.  When you are standing on the top deck looking into the ocean and one of these things shows up, you see how fucking big an 18 foot shark is.  Breathtaking (as described).

Thanks for coming with me Isak.  You made it a great trip buddy.

Biochem Final

Going through the airport you have to put your bag through a security scanner and remove whatever is in your pockets.  Shoes, belts, and watches stay on, liquid is permitted, AND NO ID OR TICKET IS REQUIRED.  Its like the 1960s (I'm assuming).

Going to my exam.  Everything must be emptied from your pockets and put into a clear plastic bag, hats may not be worn, all liquids have to be stored in clear plastic bottles with the labels removed, calculators may not have a cover, and phones must be turned off (or automatic failure).  Photo ID is checked at the door and your assigned desk (one of 600 or so in the test taking building).  There is security at the street crossing to the building, entrance to the building, and door to the gymnasium.  Once at your seat, one of maybe 50 old people (test proctors apparently) stroll down your row and inspect your belongings and make sure nothing is in your pockets.  This continues throughout the test, and is especially pleasant when they check your ID for the 5th time along with both sides of your calculator, ruler, and all your pencils while you are mid-question.  You may not go to the bathroom until 20 minutes after exam commencement, however the privilege is revoked 30 minutes before the exam finishes.  To go to the bathroom you must raise your hand and signal one of the proctors.  They come and wait by your dest as you file out of the row and down the middle aisle.  The bathroom is occupied by security.  They make sure you do not spell any letters out with your urine to signal to anyone (ok not really but close).  There is a clock at the beginning of every row.  You may not leave within 10 minutes of the end of the exam.

Lesson learned:  If you want to get strip searched, take a test at a uni.  If you are looking for a place to go hang out, maybe for some shopping or to check out some terminals for fun, go to the airport.

What a wonderful way to end my experience at the University of Wollongong.  Thanks for the stress relief guys.  I was laughing my ass off the whole time.

Melbourne

 First Beach Stop.  Near Bells Beach.

 Split Point Lighthouse 

 Rainforest Walk

 12 Apostles 

 Arch

 London Bridge (Section connecting the two collapsed)

 Grotto

 Croft Institute

 Heart of Melbourne

 Degraves Alley.  Picture doesn't do it justice.

 Another section of Melbourne

 Yet another section

Main Portion of City

Wow.  Melbourne was possibly the coolest city I have ever been too.

Day one started out with an empty plane ride and a checkin at a hostel that turned out to be right in town.  The group of me, Keith, and Bianca walked around all day with our eyes up and our jaws dropped.  I must have ran into three people as I tried to take everything in.  We soon found this place called Degraves Street which is like the daragon alley or whatever straight out of Harry Potter.  It was filled with tons of coffee and other food shops.  As the night approached Claire, Marcus, and Elise joined us and we went out looking for some dinner.  Some Italian guy sold us on his restaurant as we were walking past.  Best choice ever.  The guys played pranks on everyone the whole time including scary clown masks to scare anyone passing by and spiders all over the place.  Free dessert helped too.  After dinner we somehow all decided we wanted to bowl and found this awesome little bowling alley with some great music and blacklights illuminating the place.  The night ended at a random bar playing pool.  It may not sound like much but that first night was awesome.

Day two Keith, Clare, Bianca, Dosey and rented a car and headed for the Great Ocean Road.  We did this right after we called the other group idiots for trying to do the trip with no directions.  What a bunch of Hypocrites.  The trip actually went quite smooth.  Its amazing how you can get anywhere with a good old fashion map.  We stopped for walks at a beach, light house, and rainforest on our way to the main features of the Great Ocean Road.  On my leg of driving I got to drive through the forest on a nice and curvy  road.  I saw elements of Mike Rice in myself as I took those corners like I was in a BMW.  Everyone in the back seat really appreciated it.  Once we got to our destination our jaws once again dropped.  The 12 Apostles, London Bridge, the Arch, and the Grotto were all breath-taking.  Sure they were packed full of tourists but man oh man.  I wish the pictures I took did them justice.

Now after a full day of driving (we left at 8 and got back at 9) you would think we would call it a day.  No sir, the night was far from over.  A stop at the bottle-o and a shower is all that was needed.  By 11 I was intoxicated and headed to the first bar.  Down a random alley full of graffiti, and around a few corners, appeared the coolest bar I have ever been to.  The Croft Institute is a chemistry/hospital style bar where drinks are served in beakers with syringes, hospital beds are in the bathroom, and the bars are dirty lab benches.  There is some random blue lighting and the rest of the light comes from candles.  My drink of choice: Absinthe.  Why not?  It was the perfect fit for the place.  Man is that a harsh shot though.  We hung around for a bit (sadly the green fairy never appeared) then headed to our next destination.  Down another alley there was a dirty building that looked like it was dead.  We got in the elevator and on the second floor we found a karaoke bar.  There was only drunk older woman singing so we didn't stay long.  We followed a random group to our final destination.  Cookie was the name.  Up six flights of stairs there was a bar modeled like a train with individual carriages that hid tables.  I was in a daze but somehow managed to find the dance floor where we all stayed until 3 am.  Toward the end I am told that I merely had my eyes closed and was swaying back and forth (Tiredness not drunkenness).  It was a long day.

Day three was again filled with good food and walking around town.  We went to a bunch of museums including one that was all about video games.  Then came one of the best meals of my life.  One of the guys (Lasker) that I was traveling with is a professional chef and booked this Lebanese restaurant for us. The five course meal consisted of amazing food including quail and lamb that literally fell right off the bone.  Holy shit was it amazing.  I only made it to my bed that night (though dinner started at 8 and didn't finish till 1130).

Day four was our last day.  We spend the morning checking out the Victorian Markets.  The place was full of vendors and hundreds of people.  The surprise came when they had all these chickens and ducks right next to the food that were for sale to lay eggs or eat.  Again my weak description doesn't do the scene justice.  Anyway again I was stuffed and ready to do nothing but sit on my ass.

The trip was awesome and Melbourne is one of the few cities I wouldn't hesitate to live in.  The city feels completely safe, there are people from all over the world, and everyone is trying to be an individual with a multitude of crazy styles.  Everyone needs to make it there one day.

Last Week of Uni

 Friday's theme was what you want to be when you grow up...A drunk Doctor I guees

Last Wednesday

I can't believe I'm done already.  That was the fastest/easiest semester of my college career.  Ditching class, sleeping in, no homework...so thats what its like to scrape by.  The experience was loads of fun, but I am ready to go back to actually caring about school.  Course,  I say all this now, but next semester I'm sure I will be missing the Jordan of this semester.  Guess you have to grow up at some point.

The last Wednesday out was a wonderful night but fairly uneventful.  There were some glasses thrown in the beer garden, one of which nailed a mate in the head.  Luckily the result was just a big bump.  There was also a fight, but I only saw one of the lads get helped out with blood pouring from his forehead.  Kids these days.

Friday was a bit more eventful.  I'm not sure what mixture of alcohol resulted in my behavior, but the concoction should be avoided in the feature.  However, I could also attribute my kleptocracy to Mr. Sam Wade.  For some reason we decided that we just had to have one of the red bull tables from an anonymous bar.  Try number one came as we looked around and saw all the bouncers occupied.  In the blink of an eye the table was thrown over the fence and into the alley.  Step one complete.  Step two was delayed due to the need for a kebab.  As we were passing the bar to go to the alley a bouncer stepped in front of us and went down the alley.  We casually passed only to find him bringing not just ours, but two additional tables back into the beer garden.  I guess great minds think alike.  We should have stopped there, but my parents didn't raise a quitter (but apparently a thief).  Back at the bar we quickly rounded up a crew similar to the one featured in Oceans 11.  The plan: one guy walks into the club from the beer garden with a cigarette to distract the bouncers.  Using the distraction two people throw the table over the fence where myself and Wado wait to grab it and run.  And thats exactly how it went (in my mind).  We grabbed the table and ran down the street, turned into another alley and around a corner to break/celebrate.  Within seconds footsteps and a yell came from down the alley.  I turned to see a shadow approaching and did what any American boy has learned, RUN.  The same lessons aren't taught in Australia.  Wado stayed and talked to the lady explaining that he was sorry and would take the table back.  I was threw 10 yards of thick bushes (which was achieved by a mixture of rolling, falling, jumping, and cursing), two fences, a brick wall, and a back alley by the time the conversation was over.  So in the end we didn't get a new table, but we also didn't get in any trouble.  Good thing I know how to run and Wado knows how to give his ID to someone else so they can't take down his information.  Great Success.  Wollongong you have given me some wonderful nights, but for now my liver needs a break.  Maybe I'll see you one more time before I go.

A bit of catch up

 Entrance

Sorry its been so long guys.  After all the essays I've been writing recently, I am quickly realizing how awesome being able to write on this is.  I don't care if I spell something wrong, use the word it, and I don't have to reference a damn thing.  Freedom I tell you.  Fragments, run-ons, hell I love IT all.  Here is a quick catch up with life.  

Sunday was the International Food Festival.  All the international kids went to the kitchens to make dishes from their various countries.  Luckily there are a hundred Americans so I got to eat instead of cook, though their buffalo wings were a huge let down.  The day was full of perfect weather and free food.  Awesome.  Ant and Sam also played for everyone.  Their performance was great as always and I'll get a video up sooner rather than later.  After all the food I was invited to play soccer.  My fragile ego had been slightly repaired from Friday's basketball outing so I figured why not, it couldn't be worse.  The game actually started out fine.  I remembered how to kick the ball, run, and pass.  Amazing.  Of course it didn't take long for the shin splints to kick in.  From a gazelle to a turtle I slowly hobbled around the field.  Then a quick tweak of the old fucking knee and my day was done.  I am so not cut out for this shit anymore. 

On Thursday night a group of us went out to the Illawara for a night of retro dancing and drinking.  Wado and I had purchased a bottle of gin and made gin and tonics to get a break from the goon.  The liquor was flowing smoothly so before we knew it, we had finished the bottle.  Then we stood up.  As we made are way to downtown Gong, I was able to sober up a bit.  Apparently, a bit was not enough.  See Illawara is notorious for the biggest douche bag bouncers and is the hardest bar to get into.  Once at the front of the line I was asked how many drinks I had so far.  My answer may have not been the smoothest, ("Uhhhhh four or five maybe") but I was completely coherent...and ready to dance.  Instead of the door opening, I was asked to stand to the side.  Why you ask, I have no idea.  I stood there as I watched the rest of my friends stand by the door after they had been admitted.  There we all were, well them and me maybe five feet away.  They looked at me and asked what I was doing and asked the bouncers why I had to stand there.  "Because I am a revolutionary!" was my response.  (I may have fumbled revolutionary a bit as well but come on.  That's a bit of a doozy anyways)  The bouncers finally got fed up with all of us standing there and signaled for me to go inside.  Thanks guys.  Good thing you made me stand there for five minutes.  That was real productive.  Dick heads.  The night was good besides that.  

Since school hasn't been much of a priority for me, I have turned my focus to training Mr. Sam Wade.  Its been a wearing journey with all his bitching and moaning, but we have reached week 3.  Already there has been drastic improvements in strength, weight loss, and appearance.  I may have found my new calling.  With three more weeks to go, there is still a lot of work to be done, but I promise you, I will turn that little boy into a man.  

During our trip to the gym today quite an event occurred.  On the weekends there are recreational rugby games held at the ovals near the gym.  There was one such game on the field next to the gym.  Wado and I happened to be conveniently riding the bikes the look right down on the field.  Within about three minutes there was a scuffle and an all out fight broke out.  Three pairs were teeing off on each other while everyone else shoved right and left.  One pair separated from the scuffle.  One of the guys grabbed the other's collar and ripped his dead towards his incoming fist for a direct hit.  The fight soon ended and the game had about a two minute intermission.  Soon it resumed with no penalties.  No harm, no foul.  Apparently the fight was no big deal and there is one most games.  Damn, Australians sure got their sports right.  I only wish lacrosse had been like that.  Bravo.  

A group of us also went to the biggest Buddhist temple in the southern hemisphere today.  There were people all over and a large group was singing and praying in the main shrine.  It was awesome and I no one that had been there had seen the place actually crowded before.  The place was extremely relaxing and enlightening.  Enjoy the pics.  

Well tomorrow is the start of the last week of the session.  I wish I would have counted the number of classes I've gone to, however I don't wish for my parents to know that information.  I remember the last week being such a big deal back home.  Like a huge weight lifted off your shoulders.  Well here there is no light at the end of the tunnel, because there is no tunnel.  It's not a big deal at all.  If anything I look forward to being done so I can get back home and back to real school so I don't feel like such a worthless sack of shit anymore.  All that is left is an essay, quiz, and a final.  I'll let you know how it ends.  

Baseketball

I considered myself a fairly athletic male.  I was competitive and loved to play all sorts of sports.  This all came to a screeching halt on Friday.  See I have never played a game of basketball in my life (a sad truth, and one of my many short comings), and for some reason I agreed to play with a bunch of people that I had recently met.  They all said they weren't very good so I figured/hoped I wouldn't stick out too much.  I was wrong, dead wrong.  I would compare the experience to a Texan on a double black, a blind man playing baseball, or a quadriplegic UFC fighter.  Too say the least, it was awful.  Nearly every time I got the ball I immediately passed or got the ball stolen attempting to dribble.  Every offensive possession I ran around like a chicken with its head cut off.  I thought I would have at least been able to play defense but I had no idea how rough I could be so I ended up taking multiple elbows in the chest and getting pushed around as if I were on ice.  The game was one of the worst sporting experiences of my life and was just the kind of impression I wanted to give to the new group.  The one highlight came when I pulled up (meaning came to a dead stop and shot) for a five foot jumper that I actually made.  A flicker of hope that was immediately extinguished the next time my team was forced to pass the ball to the 12 year old running around in a bulky knee brace.  I think this was the first and last time I ever try to play a game of basketball.  Its been real, but I guess some things aren't meant to be.

As I trudged away from the gym with my head held low, I was passed by a gang of about six uni students........on razor scooters.  "Maybe they are more of the type of athletes I should be associating with at this point," I thought to myself.