I got a call from the incoming International Students Office at New Paltz. I’m going to be volunteering on Wednesday to help out with picking up students from the airport. Because of this, I might be moving in early: next Tuesday instead of next Saturday. I’m excited to meet the international students; especially the Aussies and Brits. This is the perfect opportunity for me to become friends with the new international students and to be one of the first people that they meet. My only concern is that the dining hall might not be open until Saturday next week…
Today I went to New Paltz to visit some offices on campus for next semester. I’m trying to volunteer for the winter international orientation for incoming students. It’s strange being back. I miss Australia with all my heart. The closest I’ve gotten to feeling “at home” was when I visited New Paltz today. I’m looking forward to returning next semester.
I’m reading Bill Bryson’s “In a Sunburnt Country”. I bought a book called “Little Aussie Fact Book” to study up on my favorite country. I need to learn as much as I can so that I’m ready for my citizenship test in…however many years it takes to get to that opportunity.
It is almost one year since I left for Wales.
I can not begin to explain how great this experience has been for me.
Even after being back for six months, each day I become more aware of how studying abroad has changed me for the better. it has opened my eyes to the world around me, and diminished any fears I could have ever had. I don’t know where I would be if I never went abroad, but I do know I am so thankful for who I am now that I did. 🙂
Everyone should study abroad..
We all met in Connecticut for Marissa's birthday, one week after I left Cardiff.
- We went apple picking after my birthday!
In 8 days, I am driving to Boston to meet up with 3 of the friends I met while in Cardiff. It is remarkable to me how we have all kept in touch so well. I am thankful for the friends I have made. This will be the third time we’re meeting up since we left Cardiff
I’ve been back home for a week and a day, and just like I thought, I’m completely used to it. It feels like I’ve been home for three weeks, and almost like my trip abroad was a dream.
On the other hand, I have a rich new well of memories to draw from and share with family, friends, and complete strangers. I’ve discovered that in the same way that when I told people in England that I was from New York and they got really excited, people who I’ve been telling that I’ve just come back from studying abroad also get really excited. It sort of makes me feel like I’m a bridge between two different cultures, between different groups of people who don’t know each other, but love to hear about experiences they’ve never had.
I used to think that studying abroad was something that everyone did in college and that it was almost an expectation. Over the past few years, I’ve realized that that’s certainly not true, and in the past few months, I’ve realized that having the desire, motivation, and perseverance that is required to go through each step of the study abroad process is not something that everyone has. I don’t mean this in a condescending way–studying abroad isn’t right for everyone–but I’m glad I’ve always known it was right for me. Even though it was scary to leave home, and a little sad to miss out on a semester at New Paltz, which I love so much, the 12.5% of my college experience spent in Huddersfield will remain just as vibrant in my mind as the 87.5% spent in New Paltz. That alone makes the adventure well-worth the risk, if you ask me.
I miss the UK, but there is not a doubt in my mind that I’ll be back, probably even relatively soon. Being home has been nice too. I missed my friends and family and the familiarity of home, which I now see in a different way.
The last week of volunteer work has quickly approached and even more quickly vanished. I don’t know how I managed to say goodbye without crying- but I believe it’s due my body turning off all emotions in order to function in everyday life (which is now… quickly… coming to an end in Italy).
I went to both elementary schools, where I used to teach English, to say goodbye. The reactions of the students upon my announcement of departure made my time there worth it (if I didn’t already feel that way before). From Pascoli, I received an incredible book on Siena and Italy written in Italian from the main teacher, and each and every student made me a card thanking me and wishing me merry Christmas as best they could… I had a pretty fun time deciphering some of the more complicated sentiments. Apparently this teacher gave me “the most incredible write-up that the staff in Siena have ever heard, and they were going to insert it into the IPSL blog.” Go me.
The Laboratorio was a little harder for me because a lot of the members didn’t understand that I was leaving for good… (for good for now). I had such a hard time saying goodbye to those friends who kept asking me if I would be back tomorrow morning like usual. While I made them a card with our picture to say goodbye, and I left my e-mail and phone number with a couple of people, I really don’t know how I am going to handle not seeing them anymore. Even the other volunteers- which consist of a bunch of little-old-ladies with a fancy for arts and crafts to do with Christmas shared in the upset of me leaving. It was so hard to walk away, and I really think I will miss this place the most out of all the places I have been in Italy.
The Mensa dei Poveri sent us off with another big meal. Plus some sweets and even a little bit of alcohol. Have you ever seen a nun take a shot of some after-meal traditional liquor? It is a sight to see, let me tell you that. We exchanged e-mails with her as well, and promised to send the photo of all of us together. She gave each one of us a bear filled with some interesting looking candies. It is going to be both strange and upsetting to begin volunteer work at the soup kitchen in my neighborhood. There will be no three course meals, for starters.
Here are some pictures of the Laboratorio and me with my elementary school class:
I can’t believe there are only two weeks left. I don’t know what I am going to do when I leave this city, these people, the language. There will be no more wild hand gestures on the street (and yes, I am discounting the man suffering from schizophrenia seen on the streets of new york), and there will be no more strange Italian words like “boh,” which means “I don’t know.” Most importantly though, there will be no more Laboratorio, no more Mensa dei Poveri, and no more Elementary schools to occupy my time in. I have volunteered at these places for a total of three months now, and it is unnerving that this time can be ripped away from me so easily. Is it all over when I go home? Am I going back to the real world and leaving the fantasy life of Siena in the dust? I hope not. My friend and I have already started planning our visit back- but there is always that little issue of money that stops me from being sure of my future here. I know that I will come back- I know that I cannot leave this place behind for good- but I also know that the connections one makes in four months are largely just starting to become tight bonds and therefore can easily be broken. Will I continue to speak with the Italian friends I have met with any sort of consistency? There are obviously a lot of rhetorical questions to be asked here.
On the brighter side, I am now determined to make the most of my time here- (as the ephemeral reality of my stay in Italy has finally been put into perspective). Not that I didn’t “make my time” before, but now It’s incredibly easy to identify what is most important to me: namely volunteering and building on my relationships- and therefore, more easy to also dedicate myself almost exclusively to those things.
Wish me luck.
So the past week has possibly been one of the biggest nightmares for those of us studying abroad. The few inches of snow that has surfaced in the past couple days, although seemingly nothing to those of us from the States, has resulted in a Holiday Season Fiasco!
Starting with Saturday, Dec. 18th, the overly anticipated arrival date of my family in London turned into a disappointed night alone in the amazing flat my mom rented in Kensington for our family’s holiday :/. I arrived early at the flat on Saturday so that I could stock the fridge with groceries for when my family arrived that night. However, a phone call saying that their flight had been canceled from Washington crushed my hopes; Heathrow Airport completely shutdown!!! I spent that night weather-watching and taking numerous phone calls from my mom with updates of their travel agenda. My poor family had to rebook their entire flight for Sunday night and then spent the remainder of their time in a hotel Washington.
Sunday was spent preparing for their arrival and hanging with a few friends around the Kensington and Notting Hill area, my cheerful mood was deterred when I got the news that United Airlines canceled their rebooked flight and was told them they would most likely be unable to fly out until Thursday night arriving on Friday, Christmas Eve morning. A fantastic family holiday spent in London came to a crashing halt! Monday afternoon my mom told me that the whole trip was off and explained the difficulties not only in trying to arrive in Heathrow, but also the fact that a 12 day long trip spent site-seeing, touring museums, going to shows on the West End, and dining out was now diminished to less than 6 days, 3 of which fall over the holiday weekend :/
As of yesterday, I have been informed of my family’s inability to come visit and also booked a flight last minute home on Christmas Eve. What will probably be the most hectic and exhausting travel experience ever, I have to fly Friday morning from Heathrow Airport to Dublin. Then after switching planes I have to then fly from Dublin to Boston, to then have my my mom and sister pick me up to drive 5 hrs. back to Syracuse, NY. If all goes as planned I have my fingers crossed in the hopes that I will be with my family come Christmas Eve. I know that many of my friends and fellow abroad students have had great difficulty trying to return home, there have been numerous delays and cancelations of over the past 3 days and all anyone wishes is that we make it home in time for Christmas!
(I don’t celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday as I’m a “secular humanist”. So I feel that the title and content of this post is politically correct.)
Jingle Bells
Dashing through the bush, in a rusty Holden Ute,
Kicking up the dust, esky in the boot,
Kelpie by my side, singing Christmas songs,
It’s Summer time and I am in my singlet, shorts and thongs
Kicking up the dust, esky in the boot,
Kelpie by my side, singing Christmas songs,
It’s Summer time and I am in my singlet, shorts and thongs
Oh! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,
Christmas in Australia on a scorching summers day, Hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Christmas time is beaut!
Oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty Holden Ute
Christmas in Australia on a scorching summers day, Hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Christmas time is beaut!
Oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty Holden Ute
.
Engine’s getting hot; we dodge the kangaroos,
The swaggie climbs aboard, he is welcome too.
All the family’s there, sitting by the pool,
Christmas Day the Aussie way, by the barbecue.
The swaggie climbs aboard, he is welcome too.
All the family’s there, sitting by the pool,
Christmas Day the Aussie way, by the barbecue.
Oh! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,
Christmas in Australia on a scorching summers day, Hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Christmas time is beaut!
Oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty Holden Ute.
Christmas in Australia on a scorching summers day, Hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Christmas time is beaut!
Oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty Holden Ute.
Come the afternoon, Grandpa has a doze,
The kids and Uncle Bruce, are swimming in their clothes.
The time comes ’round to go, we take the family snap,
Pack the car and all shoot through, before the washing up.
The kids and Uncle Bruce, are swimming in their clothes.
The time comes ’round to go, we take the family snap,
Pack the car and all shoot through, before the washing up.
Oh! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,
Christmas in Australia on a scorching summers day, Hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Christmas time is beaut!
Oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty Holden Ute.
Christmas in Australia on a scorching summers day, Hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Christmas time is beaut!
Oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty Holden Ute.
What the words mean
Holden Ute – Holden is a make of car (like Ford, Toyota) and Ute (rhymes with boot) is short for utility (utility vehicle).
Esky – portable cooler to carry drinks and food.
Boot – trunk of a car.
Kelpie – Australian breed of dog traditionally used to herd sheep.
Singlet – undershirt.
Thongs – beach type shoes/flip flops; not a type of under garment.
Swaggie – short for swagman; a drifter (person without a permanent place to live) who carried his swag (pack) as he travelled the country on foot looking for work.
He was a common sight during the depression of the 1890’s and 1930’s.
We take the family snap – take a picture of the family with a camera
Shoot through before the washing up – leave quickly so someone else has to clean up.
The Twelve Days of Christmas
On the 1st day
of Christmas
My true love sent to me,
An emu up a gum tree.
of Christmas
My true love sent to me,
An emu up a gum tree.
On the 2nd day
of Christmas
My true sent to me,
2 pink galahs,
And an emu up a gum tree.
of Christmas
My true sent to me,
2 pink galahs,
And an emu up a gum tree.
On the 3rd day
of Christmas
My true love sent to me,
3 kookaburras laughing,
2 pink galahs,
And an emu up a gum tree.
of Christmas
My true love sent to me,
3 kookaburras laughing,
2 pink galahs,
And an emu up a gum tree.
On the 4th day
of Christmas
My true love sent to me
4 koalas cuddling,
3 kookaburras laughing
2 pink galahs
And an emu up a gum tree.
of Christmas
My true love sent to me
4 koalas cuddling,
3 kookaburras laughing
2 pink galahs
And an emu up a gum tree.
On the 5th day
of Christmas
My true love sent to me
5 kangaroos,
4 koalas cuddling,
3 kookaburras laughing,
2 pink galahs,
And an emu up a gum tree.
of Christmas
My true love sent to me
5 kangaroos,
4 koalas cuddling,
3 kookaburras laughing,
2 pink galahs,
And an emu up a gum tree.
On the 6th day
of Christmas
My true love sent to me
6 brolgas dancing,
5 kangaroos,
4 koalas cuddling,
3 kookaburras laughing,
2 pink galahs,
And an emu up a gum tree.
of Christmas
My true love sent to me
6 brolgas dancing,
5 kangaroos,
4 koalas cuddling,
3 kookaburras laughing,
2 pink galahs,
And an emu up a gum tree.
On the 7th day
of Christmas
My true love sent to me
7 possums playing,
6 brolgas dancing,
5 kangaroos,
4 koalas cuddling,
3 kookaburras laughing,
2 pink galahs,
And an emu up a gum tree.
of Christmas
My true love sent to me
7 possums playing,
6 brolgas dancing,
5 kangaroos,
4 koalas cuddling,
3 kookaburras laughing,
2 pink galahs,
And an emu up a gum tree.
On the 8th day
of Christmas
My true love sent to me
8 dingoes digging,
7 possums playing,
6 brolgas dancing,
5 kangaroos,
4 koalas cuddling,
3 kookaburras laughing,
2 pink galahs,
And an emu up a gum tree.
of Christmas
My true love sent to me
8 dingoes digging,
7 possums playing,
6 brolgas dancing,
5 kangaroos,
4 koalas cuddling,
3 kookaburras laughing,
2 pink galahs,
And an emu up a gum tree.
On the 9th day
of Christmas
My true love sent to me
9 wombats working,
8 dingoes digging,
7 possums playing,
6 brolgas dancing,
5 kangaroos,
4 koalas cuddling,
3 kookaburras laughing,
2 pink galahs,
And an emu up a gum tree.
of Christmas
My true love sent to me
9 wombats working,
8 dingoes digging,
7 possums playing,
6 brolgas dancing,
5 kangaroos,
4 koalas cuddling,
3 kookaburras laughing,
2 pink galahs,
And an emu up a gum tree.
On the 10th day
of Christmas
My true love sent to me
10 lizards leaping,
9 wombats working,
8 dingoes digging,
7 possums playing,
6 brolgas dancing,
5 kangaroos,
4 koalas cuddling,
of Christmas
My true love sent to me
10 lizards leaping,
9 wombats working,
8 dingoes digging,
7 possums playing,
6 brolgas dancing,
5 kangaroos,
4 koalas cuddling,
3 kookaburras laughing,
2 pink galahs,
And an emu up a gum tree.
2 pink galahs,
And an emu up a gum tree.
On the 11th day
of Christmas
My true love sent to me
11 numbats nagging,
10 lizards leaping,
9 wombats working,
8 dingoes digging,
7 possums playing,
6 brolgas dancing,
5 kangaroos,
4 koalas cuddling,
3 kookaburras laughing,
2 pink galahs,
And an emu up a gum tree.
of Christmas
My true love sent to me
11 numbats nagging,
10 lizards leaping,
9 wombats working,
8 dingoes digging,
7 possums playing,
6 brolgas dancing,
5 kangaroos,
4 koalas cuddling,
3 kookaburras laughing,
2 pink galahs,
And an emu up a gum tree.
On the 12th day
of Christmas
My true love sent to me
12 parrots prattling,
11 numbats nagging,
10 lizards leaping,
9 wombats working,
8 dingoes digging,
7 possums playing,
6 brolgas dancing,
5 kangaroos,
4 koalas cuddling,
3 kookaburras laughing,
2 pink galahs,
And an emu up a gum tree.
of Christmas
My true love sent to me
12 parrots prattling,
11 numbats nagging,
10 lizards leaping,
9 wombats working,
8 dingoes digging,
7 possums playing,
6 brolgas dancing,
5 kangaroos,
4 koalas cuddling,
3 kookaburras laughing,
2 pink galahs,
And an emu up a gum tree.
Well, at this time I’m traveling around Australia. I could be anywhere right now. Since I know I likely won’t have computer access I have scheduled my blog to make a post or two while I’m traveling. Please note that the national anthem is rarely sung in comparison to how often American’s sing theirs.
Here’s the Australian National Anthem:
Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young and free;
We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil,
Our home is girt by sea;
Our land abounds in Nature’s gifts
Of beauty rich and rare;
In history’s page, let every stage
Advance Australia fair!
In joyful strains then let us sing,
“Advance Australia fair!”When gallant Cook from Albion sail’d,
To trace wide oceans o’er,
True British courage bore him on,
Till he landed on our shore.
Then here he raised Old England’s flag,
The standard of the brave;
With all her faults we love her still,
“Brittania rules the wave!”
In joyful strains then let us sing,
“Advance Australia Fair!”Beneath our radiant southern Cross,
We’ll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who’ve come across the seas
We’ve boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To advance Australia fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing
“Advance Australia fair!”While other nations of the globe
Behold us from afair,
We’ll rise to high renown and shine
Like our glorious southern star;
From England, Scotia, Erin’s Isle,
Who come our lot to share,
Let all combine with heart and hand
To advance Australia fair!
In joyful strains then let us sing
“Advance Australia fair!”Sho’d foreign foe e’er sight our coast,
Or dare a foot to land,
We’ll rouse to arms like sires of yore
To guard our native strang;
Brittania the shall surely know,
Beyond wide ocean’s roll,
Her sons in fair Australia’s land
Still keep a British soul.
In joyful strains the let us sing
“Advance Australia fair!”
Today I’m in Sydney. I’ll be staying here to two days then heading to cairns to experience the great barrier reef and Daintree forest. Then I go to fraser island. From there I fly back to Melbourne via Sydney to get my luggage from Chris. I’m staying in a hotel close to the airpor so that I can catch my early flight on the 19th. You will probably not hear from me much over the next week due to me not having access to a computer. Check the travel updates above to see any updates I post to twitter from my kindle.
Australian culture of the day: outlets are called power points in Australia