Painball

  

     This past weekend I went paintballing for a friends birthday. She invited about 10 people to go to Adrenaline Plus paintball for a good time. It was indeed fun, but I forgot just how painful paintballs hitting you at 200mph can be. Being on the losing team the whole time didn't help things.

 A few action shots taken by out awesome referee.

I think this was right before I got shot in the face.

     While there, the referee had us play one game that was very... interesting. He lined up both teams facing each other about 30 feet apart. We weren't allowed to run or hide, but we could duck and try to dodge. He then told us that we had one shot each. Everyone was kind of apprehensive about this Civil War style game, but we all went along with it anyway. Each of us took our shots and each of us got shot and then he told us to do it again, except this time we had two shots. After the first round we were even more hesitant about continuing because we all knew just how painful it was to be hit at this distance. The ref told us that we could leave the game whenever we wanted, but no one did. We all chose to go on. A few people got out around 3 or 4 shots each. I stayed in the game up until we had 5 shots each. After that I had all the welts that I wanted and decided to sit out. The game kept going though. The 5 people left in remained in their lines until they each had 7 shots each. There were 2 girls and 3 guys in the game at this point. These stragglers were obviously the type of stubborn people that as kids would play bloody knuckles until the death if they had to just so they wouldn't have to admit defeat. It was rough just to watch this last round. At the end of it many of them used the excuse of not wanting to waste anymore bullets, but you could tell that they were all in agony.

     I've asked around to find out if this sort of game is ever played in the States and have gotten a no from everyone. It must be an Australian thing. 

Need a Light?

     Yes, this is me. I'm fire spinning with a 4 foot staff. If you look very close you can see that my face is extremely intense due to my acute concentration. I had never done fire spinning before, but I was very excited because it's something I've always wanted to do. Unfortunately, I paled in comparison to the owner of this staff.
     Sean, the owner, has been teaching me how to spin a staff for a couple days now. He did it for quite a while in a drumline for a marching band and is therefore very skilled at it. He was the one in his band that taught all the newcomers how to spin, so he is obviously a really good teacher and I'm learning pretty fast. He'd never actually done fire spinning either though. He got the idea for a photography project so that he could create some mind-blowing fire pictures and boy did he. The one you see above is one that he took, but there are much better ones which show him spinning.
     It's amazing the people you meet and the things you get to do when you travel.

Rain AND Shine

     It's been very wet around here lately, which is odd because its the dry season. Usually it never, or at least rarely, rains in the dry season here in North Queensland, Australia. About a week ago though, it poured. This word, "poured," is drastic understatement for what occurred here. There were literally sheets of water coming down from the sky that, in only one night, flooded Townsville. Now, I'm not talking a dangerously high flood or anything. I suppose that may have been a bit of an exaggeration, but after just that one night all of the creeks and streams that were once completely dried up were flowing with water again. The rainstorm managed to keep the flow of water in the creeks going for a about 5 days. After just one shower. That's pretty impressive.

     Recently, the air has been exceptionally humid in my opinion. No rain, just muggy. It's not even all that hot out, but by the time I get to class I am already sweating through my shirt. I've been told that this is nothing compared to what summer, the wet season, will be like. Apparently, it is several times hotter and you can bet on rain everyday. The advice given to me was to not stick around for summer and head south like everyone else will do to escape the miserable heat and rain. 
    
     ...I'm kind of curious to see what summer brings.

Penny for Your Thoughts?

     Being in a different country and all, the currency is obviously going to be a bit different. Well, I've found that I actually prefer the Australian money system better. Of course it's not the same because it looks different, which is one thing that I like about it, but it also has a different value system.

     For one, the notes here (they say notes, not bills) are much more colorful. Each value note has its own basic color, but within that there are also other colors. The ten dollar note, my favorite one, for example, is basically blue, but it also has yellows and greens in it. This gives a slightly Monopoly-ish, but very elegant look to the money. The sizes of notes change too. As the value of the note gets bigger and bigger, so does the size. This allows for easy organization. As well as the color and size differences, on each note there is a man on one side and a women on the other (excluding the five dollar note). I like this partly because it's a little less sexist, but mostly just because it's different.

     I have yet to come across a note that has been ripped and it's not because they take them out of circulation. It's because you can't rip them! I've tried and tried and it does not work. You can somewhat deform the part of the note that you attempt to rip, but that is about the most successful you will get without the use of scissors. No, I didn't cut my money in half!

     Do you remember all of those cool tricks you could do with American one dollar bills? Well you can't do them here because they don't have one dollar notes! They don't have one cent pieces either. Their lowest note and coin are both a value of five. I quite like this actually because you don't have to deal with those useless pennies that you have no idea what to do with. The only problem that you'd think of is that this lack of one cents would make things a trifle difficult when buying something that's not an even multiple of five. But, they've come up with a very simple solution to this: rounding. If something costs $5.43 then it just rounds up to $5.45 and it would also conveniently rounds down if it were $5.42. They do have one dollar and two dollar coins, which I was a bit apprehensive about at first because I was worried that I would lose them, but I've gotten used to it. To distinguish the dollar coins from the lesser ones they made the dollar coins gold and the smaller coins silver. The only thing that I don't understand is why the two dollar coin is smaller than the one dollar coin. Does that make sense to you?

     So, the value amounts of coins are 5, 10, 20, 50, $1, and $2. Each of them usually has an animal on its back. There is everything from an echidna, to a platypus, to the famous kangaroo. I think that's what really won me over.

     If I had the choice between American currency and Australian, I'd have to go with the Aussies on this one. The only downfall: it's worth less.

Paradise...

     These are just a few of the amazing sights that I saw on Magnetic Island this past weekend. It was paradise. The weather was beautiful and the sand was the softest I've ever felt. The sand reminded me of petting a chinchilla and they are REALLY soft (if you haven't ever pet one, look into it, it's incredible).

     The first three pictures that you see were taken from up on the top of an extremely tall mountain that I had decided I had to climb. The height provided a breathtaking view of pretty much the entire island. The arduous journey up the rocky slope gave me quite a few cuts and bruises, but it was well worth it. From the top I could see what all the hype was about. The untouched wilderness was stunning.

     I must go back. Firstly because I need to experience this blissful heaven once again. More importantly though, I did not get a chance to see all of the wild koalas that live on this island! There is actually a koala sanctuary on the island where you can go and hold them. I have been told that they can be rather mean, but I don't care. They're way too cute! I will have pictures of them up as soon as I return to "Maggie" Island Paradise.

Rugby

     This past weekend I got to experience my first rugby game. It was the North Queensland Cowboys versus the Newcastle Knights. I went into the stadium not knowing a single rugby rule and this unfortunate predicament was amplified by the fact that I thought I was going to an Australian football game, of which I thought I knew a few rules. So, up until about half-time I sat there trying to remember the rules to Australian football while also trying to figure out why they set up the goals in an entirely different way. Finally, at half-time I was told it was rugby and not football. This was actually kind of funny because I had spent quite a bit of time during the game trying to explain what rules I could recall about Aussie football to some friends of mine. Boy did I look smart!

     Nonetheless, it was an interesting event. The whole point of the game seemed to be to get the ball and then run straight into the opposing team's players to see if you could muscle your way through five guys at once. They didn't ever appear to ever succeed, but they sure were persistent! Along with this, the match was expectedly filled plenty of blood, limping, and serious neck injury. Though none of this incurred a penalty or managed to stop the game for more that a minute or two. I think someone being killed is the only grounds for a foul in Australian rugby.

     I brought my camera along with me, but I was only able to take this one good picture before my camera died and I realized that I had forgotten to bring extra batteries. 

  

SNAKE !

     This is a Carpet Python, says the sign. I saw the sign above posted near a small patch of open forest on my way to class today. Yup, there is a python on my campus. Personally I think it's awesome and I wish I had found it myself. It's not just me either. There were bunches of people gathering to get a glimpse of this beautifully large snake. Click on the photo of the sign to get a bigger view for reading.

     The reason that the python is simply lying still in the middle of our campus is because it has just eaten. Speculations based on the huge size of the lump in the snake are that it ate something such as a scrub turkey or possum. Right now its oversized stomach is debilitating its movement. It will have to stay where it is and finish digesting before it can go on anywhere else. This could take a couple of days because the meal is so large.

     Look at the change in size of the body as you follow along the snake to the left. This guy really got a mouthful!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

     Two weeks in and I'm already in the paper! This picture was featured on the fourth page of the Townsville Newspaper. The biannual toga party was thrown last night and what a night it was. Not quite as big as the first semester bash, but there was still a major turnout. The photo you see above was taken on our way toward the university dance club. The girl on the left is Carina Morken, a friend of mine from Norway. The handsome guy sporting a brilliant white bed sheet on the right is, of course, me. Carina is currently teaching me how to cook and I am seriously thankful for it because she is an awe-inspiring chef whereas I on the other hand am lucky if I don't burn the toast. 

Fishing

     Tonight I went fishing at Ross River with a couple of the new Aussie friends that I made today. One of them, Tim, an extremely ambitious, outdoorsy type was the instigator of the nocturnal adventure. I just happen to be in the kitchen at the time that he was leaving and he asked me if I'd like to go fishing. I was in a spontaneous mood as usual so I said yes.

     Now, I haven't been fishing in ages so I was quite horrid at it. I think the last time I went fishing was probably when I was about 15. I never really cared for the sport all that much when I was younger, but I think it had a lot to do with the fact that I could never sit still and hated getting my hands dirty. I've gotten over both of those things, so it wasn't all that bad. I did have to re-learn how to do everything though.

     The three of us sat on some rocks near the water and got started. Some time went by and I was still having difficulty just getting my rod ready. Lucky for me, after a while Tim saw how much trouble I was having with the equipment and he decided to lend a friendly hand. It probably would have taken me a good 20 minutes to get ready, but he got me all set up in less than 60 seconds. Once I got my line out in the water the "fun" began. I didn't get any bites right away, but I did manage to snag my line on something within about 3 minutes. It got so stuck that we had to break the line and start all over again. I cast the line back out and ended up nailing a few things, but the line would break literally every time I tried to bring the catch in. It got to the point where I just gave the rod to Tim whenever I had something on the line. I felt a bit useless at that point.

     We were able to catch a few things eventually. We didn't catch much in the way of fish, but we did catch several eels. I guess that's what you get for fishing at night. Personally, I thought that it was pretty cool because I'd never really seen eels in the wild before, but it did get rather tiresome after the fourth one. The problem with catching eels is that you can't do much with them if you keep them and letting them go is never that easy unless you cut the line and let them have the hook. With a bit of teamwork we were able to successfully release the hook from one of the eels. At around 10:45-11:00 we were sick of catching eels and called it quits.

     I'm not so sure how much I actually enjoyed the fishing part of this venture, but I did quite like being outdoors on a beautiful, full moon night. It was very peaceful. The 3 of us chatted about nothing for most of the time. It was nice.

Got Milk?

     They do things differently here. I like it. I find it to be refreshing. It keeps me constantly reminded that I'm on the other side of the planet.

     Everything, from the light switches to the trees, is out of the ordinary for me. One random example of this is milk. They package milk in two different ways. The first is the way that is done in the States with milk cartons stored in refrigerators. The other technique is to package it in box-like-containers, which they leave at room temperature. The "use by" date on these boxes of milk is what really threw me for a loop. Six months. For six months this milk can sit in your cupboard and not go bad. I was really worried when I read this. I just couldn't understand what it could possibly be about the milk that could make it last for that long. Questions like "are there extreme amounts of preservatives in them?" and "do they taste the same?" swirled around my head. Eventually, I accepted it and gave it a try. I was pleased to discover that it didn't taste all that bad. It's much more creamier, but other than that I actually like it.

     I still needed to know why the milk could last for so long. Finally, I was fed up with not knowing and I looked it up. Surprisingly, it contains no preservatives! The type of milk that you find in a box is referred to as UHT (Ultra Heat Treated) or long-life milk. It's exactly the same as your everyday, run-of-the-mill, cold, cartoned milk except it's treated differently. The ultra high heat treatment that they give it kills more bacteria and prevents the milk from spoiling quickly. It even has the same amount of nutrients in it. Now, I'm surprised that we don't have this sort of thing in America. Maybe it's because milk companies just expect that Americans will have the same adverse reaction that I originally had to it. Maybe they're right and no one would bother to give it a try. Maybe it's time we became a little more... open-minded.
     They don't refrigerate eggs either... I'm not so sure about that one.



P.s. This is the beginning of a series of pieces about the differences between the U.S. and Australia.

There's a Fine for that.

     Everything, and I mean everything, is expensive in this country. I went out to buy some school supplies the other day and I'm not sure if I just went to the wrong place or not, but I spent $20 on some folders and notebooks. It was outrageous. Pubs are quite expensive as well, but apparently it's like that everywhere, I'm just new at it.

     To add on top of the expensive nature of things, Aussies really like to fine you whenever you step out of line or do something stupid. If the kitchens are left in a state that is considered "too messy," there's a fine. If you lock your key card in your room one too many times, you're a fined (I think I'm bound to get this one). If you set off the fire alarm, whether it be from an accidental bump of the button or a smokey mistake while cooking, it's a fine. In fact in the last instance it's a hefty fine of $1,000. When I heard this I couldn't believe it. Especially because people were setting fire alarms off left and right at my dorm in Oswego and there was no penalty. I can understand what they're trying to do here. They want you to be careful so that the fire department doesn't have to make an unnecessary trip down to the residence hall to see that everything is okay, but come on! A thousand dollars seems a bit much for something that was accidental in the first place. Yeah, maybe $10 or even $30, $50 if you want to push it, but a thousand! Needless to say, I've been over cautious with everything that I do in the kitchen. It really makes me want to push the fire alarm button though. Not because I want the fine, but because it's such a big bad deal and it would be so easy. It's funny how we have that urge to do what we're told not to. I wonder what sort of instinctual, evolutionary benefit that has for us...

Orientational Walkabout

     This is the fantastic group that I went around campus with during our orientation...I know about five of them. The photographer decided that the picture was too dark, so she moved us around so that the sun was in font of us:

     As you can see, this worked out well...

     In this position you can see the facial strain of anyone who happens to be lucky enough to get enough sun for a "better picture." Believe it or not, my eyes were open in this picture. I was just using my eyelids as a shield for the brilliantly bright light.

     The orientation was informative-ish. I think my favorite part would have to be when I saw a new bird that I hadn't seen before. It's called a curlew and hopefully I'll have some pictures of it soon. They are mostly nocturnal though.

     I think the main problem that I'm having is the fact that everyone in that group above is NOT Australian, with the exception of our guide of course. It seems to be like that everywhere so far. I know it doesn't help that I live in an international residence hall, but even when I go out it seems that way. I came here to be around Aussies, not more Americans! I'm hoping that once the classes start up (tomorrow!!!) and people have finished moving back in that I will be surrounded by more Australians. Not that I have anything against other people. I've made great friends with a Norwegian, a German, a Hollander (yes that is a word, look it up), and a Californian. I just don't want to miss out on the cultural aspect of this beautiful place. 

The People

     One thing I can say about Australia is that the people here are wonderful. That's the first thing that I noticed about this country. Maybe it's all of the sun, maybe it's the heat, or maybe it's just a southern hemisphere thing, but everyone here has a very friendly disposition. They always seem willing to help out a "mate." As long as you have a smile on and are courteous then there will be an Aussie around to give you a hand. It's great! 

     On my way here I missed my plane from Los Angeles to Sydney. This was through no fault of mine of course. My flight to LA was an hour late and even though I got quite lost in the giant maze that is LAX there was no way that I could have made it. However, I managed to stay calm and explain the situation to the airlines attendant. I ended up having to stay the night in LA so that I could catch the next plane to Sydney, which was unfortunately not until the next night. Luckily I didn't have to go through this whole ordeal on my own because there was an Australian that missed the flight as well. It made for a much more enjoyable night. 

     I was very fortunate that the person that missed the flight and I had so much in common. It could have been some old, angry, miserable geezer, but it turned out to be a very nice guy just finishing up his last year of high school. Because we were so close in age and lived on opposite sides of the planet we had quite a lot to talk about. He taught me many of the differences between Australia and the U.S., most of them being dialectic, and I clarified a few misconceptions that he had about America. I learned a great deal about the world I was soon to be entering.

     Eventually, the next night came along and since my new Aussie friend's final destination was Melbourne the airlines put him on a different flight than mine. Or at least that's what they said they would try to do. The two of us had to fight almost the entire next day and night in order to get information out of the airlines attendants. They were not helpful at all and kept us completely in the dark about the situation until the very last minute. Finally we were able to get on our respective planes, but only with a lot of effort on our part. It should not have been such a hassle to be booked on new flights when it wasn't even our fault that we missed the plane in the first place. They made us miserable with suspense that night because they couldn't guarantee us anything. Plus, they said they couldn't help me with my connecting flight from Sydney to Townsville and that I would have to buy a new ticket. I was appalled, to say the least.

     On the 14 hour flight to Sydney I sat next to a big, tough looking Australian that probably could have ripped my head off if he wanted to. I'll be honest, I was a bit scared. But he turned out to be a really nice guy who gave a lot of great advice regarding what to do about my next flight. After talking to him I started getting an idea of what Australians were like. His advice was very unlike any advice that I would expect to get from an American. A disgruntled American would probably jump straight into yelling, getting angry, and making a scene so that he/she could get their way. That wasn't at all what the big, scary Aussie told me to do. He told me to charm them. He said that if I was stern and persistent that I would be able to get my ticket comped, but only if I was polite as well. That's when my fondness for Australians began. People that actually used their words in a calm and logical manner in order to explain something, what a concept! The Aussie gave me a bunch of tips for things to say in order to sweet talk my way in as well.

     With my arsenal of charming retorts ready I exited the plane, many, many hours later. As I walked up to the guest service desk I started running through all of the things that he had told me to say. The woman at the desk saw me and asked how she could help. I explained the position that I was in and prepared for what I would say next. She told me to hold on a moment and went to work on her computer. A few minutes went by and I waited patiently for her to tell me that there wasn't anything they could do for me. Then, the unexpected happened. She handed me a boarding pass. With a smile on her face she told me that she had pulled a few strings and had gotten me on the next flight out to Townsville. I couldn't believe it! This sort of behavior was not what I was used to, but I was definitely beginning to like it. I asked her if all Australians were this nice and she blushed with a big grin on her face. She thanked me for the complement and told me to have a good flight.

     That's exactly what I did too. I had a great flight thinking about how much more pleasant this country would be. I think that the U.S., or at least Los Angeles, could take a few hints from Down Under on how to treat our fellow human beings.