So I have been in Australia for over two weeks now, which seems hard to believe. I've already met dozens of people from all over the world and all walks of life, have seen and done some amazing things, and I still have a long time to go!
So, as I didn't have anywhere to live, I was placed in temporary accommodation at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, which turned out to be an OK place to live for a week. Before going I had visions I'd be in this horrible ward or something with patients walking past. Mum joked that I would be used as a guinea pig. But in reality it was fine. For those of you I know who lived in Charlie Mo, it was very reminiscent of there, but the building wasn't going to collapse.
Most of the international students I have become friends with also stayed at the hopsital, but plenty are from other places. And they come from all over. Britain, America, France, Germany, Portugal, Canada, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Peru, Chile, Sri Lanka, India, and many others. There's such an ecletic mix of people, who are all very different, but united by a common urge for adventure and a challenge, which I guess is why we've all come here. I think I have made some good friendships already which I hope to keep for a long long time.
Adelaide itself, in the words of Amber Snape, (who is finishing her year abroad here) doesn't seem like much, but it starts to grow on you, like a piece of mould (lol). It certainly doesn't have the draw of Sydney or Melbourne, but it is a big city, with enough to cater for all. It is a bizarre hybrid of British and American design. For example, the city centre is on a grid, with intersections and no roundabouts, yet the green and red man welcome/forbid us from crossing the road, and of course, the cars drive on the correct side of the road. It has everything you would expect from a city: numerous shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants, and it's a cultural hub, the capital of South Australia, the festival state, which it will live up to once winter passes. The place I like the most now is the Central Market and Chinatown, an organised, yet chaotic mass of stalls and oriental cusinine. I would say to come here and visit, but do so in the summer! It's not as interesting now.
Adelaide Uni campus is like any other, a mix of building periods, open spaces, and a buzz of people (well since lectures started yesterday anyway). It is smaller than Leeds, and this is highlighted in the student union, which doesn't offer as much stuff (but then Leeds is one of the top student unions). However, it still seems big enough a uni to cater to everyone's diverse needs, and it looks like ti will be a good place to study. Lectures started today, and now my experience will change from a holiday (nothing but fun o far), to feel like a place I'm actually going to be living at for a year. I keep planning what I'm going to do in the long summer break, forgetting I have a semester of study first!
Accommodation. I found a room available after a couple of days looking. If anyone wants to post anything, then make note of this address:
78 Cuming Street, Mile End, Adelaide, SA 5031, Australia.
And I'm not joking about the funny street name. The house is fine for me: cheap, good location, and the other people I'm living with seem to be a good bunch. The house itself could, like Charlie Mo and Mayville, do with a renovation, a lick of paint, better insulation, a general gutting of everything, etc, but it's what I'm used to. My room is cold (central heating doesn't seem to be standard here, instead I have this crappy little heater thing), in need of a paint job, and it seems so empty, because I have only a plane flight's amount of stuff to fill it with. I think it will do fine for me for the 6 months I have on the contract, and when that time comes up, maybe I'll find somewhere else, who knows?
So what have I been up to then? Well amongst the usual of going out to pubs/clubs, I have already met some of Australia's native wildlife at two wildife parks. Kangaroos and wallabies are funny characters, and koalas must be the laziest animals ever. I've gone to the top of Mount Lofty (700m) and seen a fantastic view of the Adelaide area, been to Victor Harbor, a picturesque seaside town, seen an Aussie footie match, and other things.
Australians themselves are incredibly laid back and incredibly helpful people. When I was lost trying to find this house I was looking at, 3 complete strangers used an A to Z and their collective mental maps of Adelaide to find it! I already feel the infuence of the Aussie accent when I speak, so one day I may pick up a twang.
Well I have written a huge amount there for you to sink into. Have a look at all the pics I've so far added to Facebook, and if you want to chat, then ADD ME ON SKYPE (drfoxy88). It's free to use and call people anywhere using your computer.
More stuff later!
To see more photos of my first fortnight in Australia, and the next few weeks (before I started the blog) have a look at the following Facebook photo albums:
Adelaide 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
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