MMXI

Well 2010 begins to wind down and that's another year (and decade!) in the books. This year would have been a bust if it hasn't been for Australia. I've met amazing people so far and glad I went for it when I still had the chance. The year has been crazy with unsuccessful FBI interviews, AT&T, Stubblefields and who could forget Andrew and my trip to Canada. It started "Two Guys One iPhone" (TGOI) and while it sounded like a great idea, that was our only adventure. Which means Andrew needs to hurry up and get down to Australia so we can continue that series.... And lastly, the start of my Chinese teachings have also been a good response to the year. Come the end of 2011, I hope to be able to fluently carry a conversation in Chinese and then begin to re-learn the German that I lost years ago as well.

But all in all, it was a good year with good people and good memories. I'm glad to say 2011 is going to be even better with trips to Asia, New Zealand and finishing my masters degree at Bond University in December. From there, who knows wherever life will take me or the wind blows or the sun shines I guess. My tentative goals for 2011:

-Skydive
-Bungee jump
-Asia
-Tasmania
-New Zealand
-Drop down to 220lbs or lower (at 244 right now, started at 260 in Sept.)
-Graduate Bond University with a masters in criminology
-Watch the Seahawks, Mariners, Sounders and Cougs all go to championship games (ha)
-Just enjoy life overall

I sit here now drugged up on Benadryl since the weather and humidity have increased significantly. I think the fact of watching over two dogs is also contributing to it. But they keep me company so I can't complain! So wherever you are, or whatever you are doing, I hope you all have an amazing end of 2010 and ring in 2011 the right way: alive and juiced up on Jim Beam! Miss you all and here's to MMXI!

Cheers and 再见！

-H

Happy holidays!

The other day, a mate of mine told me she didn't celebrate Christmas. When I asked why, thinking she was Jewish or some other faith unbeknowest to me. She stated she was atheist and found it hypocritical that people who don't practice a faith would celebrate such a religious holiday. Which made sense. But Christmas is also a marketed holiday with the creation of Santa Clause and such. But more or less to bring people together to reflect off of all that has happened throughout the year. So whether you're religious or not, Christmas can be celebrated not as a holy holiday, but a time to spoil others and hey, even yourself! So go get that iPhone that you've wanted all year just so you can play Angry Birds.

Another year under wraps but hey, even this time another decade. The holidays weren't too much this year. The absence of snow really takes away from the spirit. not to mention the lack of decorations, a tree or people to celebrate with! This year just me, the two dogs and Law and Order to pass the time. Not to mention I have to work at midnight until noon. So happy holidays! haha.

Whether you're a Satanist, Christian, a Scientologist or even atheist, I hope you all enjoy your Christmas, get what you deserve, and be thankful someone out there actually cares about you!

Miss you all!

Cheers and 再见！

-Hardy

New address!

Hey there everyone!

New address for next semester and hopefully for the rest of my time in Australia (I don't want to move every semester if I don't have too). Feel free to send me love letters and hate mail!

Hardy Awadjie
unit 59/4 University Drive
Robina, QLD 4226
Australia

Cheers and 再见！

-H

Sunshine and holidays

The weather is hot, people are out on the lake and Christmas is a week away. Weird part about it is, it doesn't feel like it. Everyone is out shopping for last minute deals and I'm just trying to find a calendar to actually get my life organised.

On Thursday I packed up all my belongings and dragged it to my friend OJ's place for the next few weeks. I'll be house sitting for her and taking care of her doggies! Lucky for her though as she is going to Singapore and then the U.S. for holidays. All of my mates are already gone for the new years so it's just me Jakey and Missy! The weather has been crap lately with thunder storms and rain so it'll be a tropical Christmas indeed!

Her place is pretty nice. Spot on the lake, pool, internet, pool table, built in bar, TV and a lovely car in the driveway. Which is funny, because I JUST got my license last week, haha. But my roommate Steph mentioned that I am used to driving on the right side of the road and asked how long I've driven in Australia. In which I responded, "a day".

No plans for Christmas. Just me and the dogs. I'll also be working as much as possible to save up for future trips and such. The job is coming along alright. 20 hours a week, can't complain. So it gives me spending money in the pocket. Brainstorming my next big trip and where to head to for my April/May break. Any ideas feel free to shoot them my way! I am either contemplating New Zealand or Asia.

Overall, life is still good. Sort of in this limbo before I move in to my new place for the semester and hopefully the year. I don't want to move again if I don't have too. Plus the spot is prime and for the price, very good house. But more on that later when I move in!

Cheers and 再见！

-H

To whom it may concern...

“Penguins travel in groups. And when it comes to entering the water, there is always the first penguin that must jump in to make sure it is safe for all others…”

We are all like penguins. Or more exact, lemmings. We follow in the footsteps of others but dare not step outside of our comfort zone and be that first penguin. And so it makes you think for a second about the life you currently have. The places you have gone or the places you want to go. You remember seeing that special on the Discovery Channel or Travel Channel and thought to yourself doing something like that. But then you remember the boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife you have. The kid(s) screaming to feed them or take them to the park to play. Or even that mundane 9-5 job that you sit in traffic for 45 mins just to get to. When was the last time you were happy? The last time you were able to sit back, relax and say you are happy with all that you’ve accomplished in life? Better yet, when your 10 year high school reunion comes, who is going to have the better story? You, because you popped out a kid and got married and went on a hike last weekend, or the guy that just got back from China and is heading to South Africa next weekend?

To me and I assume many others, life is a book. And each step of the way we write a new chapter. To many people though, they assume once marriage comes along, that is the final chapter of their book. This “domestic” lifestyle was seen as the “normal” lifestyle until the emergence of the internet and cheap air travel. Many began to saw what was out there, new adventures and experiences that they wanted to set out on. Whether it was a cheap motel room with the female off of craigslist or conquering Mt. Everest, we all have our own dreams to pursue. And if we can’t pursue them, we give up and fall back on life with the 9-5. When you were 5 or 6 (or even 10 and 11), what did you want to be when you grew up? I can tell you right now it wasn’t a house wife or stay at home dad.

Do you have a passport? If not, why? If you do, why haven’t you used it? Is it because of family issues? Or maybe because you work a job that doesn’t allow adequate vacation time? And if your answer is because you’re too broke to go anywhere, how? You're still young, working that same job you had in high school or perhaps fresh out of college. Or is it because you have too many bills or just spent the last $20 you had on diapers? Do yourself a favour. Next time you’re mulling over Facebook while you get ready for bed to repeat your life all over again tomorrow, click on the profiles of those that are traveling, not fellow friends who have the same interests as you. Instead of gawking over their photos and how you wish you were there, actually TALK to them. Ask them about their adventures, the places they’ve been, the people they’ve interacted with, and ask them if it was worth it. I guarantee 100% of the time; they'll say it was well worth it. Talk to those who have travelled at one point in time or another and I guarantee you the best stories are those that took place outside American borders. Whether it was getting arrested by Canadian police or the ping pong show you saw in Thailand, the stories are always there and they are always repeated to those who want to hear them.

There are many out there who have not truly lived. Their idea of a good life is domestication. This horrible idea that from the age of 24 on, they will not travel anywhere outside the continental U.S. let alone, their own state. This horrible idea that they will never get their passport or to experience what being at the Great Wall of China is like. They say “why fly there when I can look it up on Wikipedia?” or “why go when I can live vicariously through you?”. But then again, these are the people who have no motivation in life whatsoever but to just work, eat and sleep. And unfortunately, these people have already written the final chapter of their book. Learn from their failures. Listen to the horror stories of them at work, taking care of the kid(s) or the outrageous bills regarding food, utilities and trying to squeeze in work somewhere. Many of my friends whom once thought they were happily married or enjoying life are now divorced or unhappy altogether. But they all share a common trait, they have NEVER traveled.

Now read the Facebook statuses and check out the blogs of those traveling. Ask them about the food, the people, even the night life. And the more you listen, the more you wish you there. The more you realise the furthest you’ve been was Montana for a wedding. Or the most exotic thing you ate was the red curry at that Asian place in downtown Seattle. While you’re contemplating how to pay the cable bill for 500+ channels that you don’t even watch, they’re contemplating where to fly too next or whether to scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef or sky dive off the coast of New Zealand.

I challenge you to stop what you’re doing before you get caught up in the moment. It may sound great now, but I can promise you years or even months down the road, you will regret it. You will wish you had taken that trip. Even if it's to Canada/Mexico if you live in the U.S. or New Zealand/Indoneisa if you live in Australia; get rid of that which you don’t need, pay off the 4 credit cards that you’ve maxed out, and leave the country. Friends in foreign places are more than happy to help those traveling. Hell, there is even a site dedicated to it called couchsurfing.org. Live amongst strangers and share your American stories for their Chinese ones. Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge on the weekend or have a cup of tea under the London Bridge. Kiss under the Eiffel Tower or walk the same trail Frodo and Sam did in New Zealand.

Make that bucket list now before it is too late. Before you have to scrap that one and create a new one consisting of Disney Land, the zoo and breakfast for dinner. Thrill seek and create that own adventure that you’ll remember for the rest of your life. Going on Six Flags or sloppy joe Wednesdays is not an adventure. Do something that takes YOU outside of your comfort zone. Something that others will look to you in envy and wish they were you. Be that first penguin.

Driving

G'day mates!

Time is a flying and life is amazing. Life is SO GOOD, I can taste it in my spit. Finished my Chinese final and Epistemology essay yesterday and having said that, I am officially done for the semester. I have a nice long break until January 18th and in the meantime will be looking for a short term place to stay and then doing whatever traveling I can do before having to return to the grind of studying.

Because I was only here for 6 months in 2007, I opted out to getting a driver's license as I didn't feel the need to get one. I did however get my 18+ card which is basically a card that says you are old enough to buy alcohol and cigarettes. The 18+ card can also be used to gain entrance into bars and clubs. This is a far safer option than always carrying around a passport as well as cheaper too (passports are about $100, 18+ card is $20). This time around I figured I would go ahead and get an Australia driver's license just in case for whatever reason (good to always have it right?). What's amazing too is my 18+ card NEVER expires, so I am able to bust it out and continue using it from where I left off in 2007.

One of the great things about Australia is as long as you have an American driver's license, you can legally drive in Australia (as long as the license is not expired). However, because the Australian license can also be used for verification purposes in regards to age and address, I decided to get one.

The Australian system is a bit overwhelming. You start off on your learner's permit and then progress through 2 OTHER stages a provisional license before being awarded your open license. While under the provisional, you can only go a certain speed, cannot have passengers, cannot be driving at certain hours of the night, and the alcohol blood levels are .oo (.05 for open licenses). I was told applying for my license I would have to take the written and drivers test too. But, I spoke with someone else and they told me something different.

So I gathered my documents, headed to the Transportation office and in 15 mins was out of there with my open license! Easier said than done. I was looking towards getting a motorbike however, you must have an Aussie license for a year before you can apply for a motorbike license. So scratched that idea... Looking at cheap cars in the meantime!

Cheers and 再见！

-H

Movember

Hey everyone! It's been a crazy month with the semester winding down, working and getting everything organised for next semester. Everything seems to be going smoothly as the holidays approach. While everyone is shopping for gifts, I am usually just trying to find some decent peanut butter....
Anyways, in the spirit of November, I took on no shaving once again. This time it was a bit different. Australia celebrates "Movember" in which you shave, but rock a moustache for November. For the whole month, I swore I was in a cheesy 70s porn. BRILLIANT! So to combine the two events of no shaving and Movember, I decided to take a picture everyday leading up to my moustache that I would rock on Day 30. Great results and am pleased with the video! So check it out! And to all the women out there who hate their man for not shaving or rocking a moustache for the month, cut us some slack. We put up with your pink and breast cancer awareness month in October so the least you can do is support prostate cancer and depression awareness among men!

Cheers and 再见！

-H

iPhoneless.

你们好！

Sad to say, I recently sold my iPhone. So the video blogs will be on hold for a bit until I can fancy myself another iPhone or an actual digital camera that can take video.

Nothing new lately. As the semester winds down, you'll see more blogs as I travel around Australia for the holidays. My lease at Varsity Towers ends December 18th, so it is fast approaching. I've put in my application for Varsity Shores, as I want to still be relatively close to campus (just on the other side of campus to be exact). However, if I'm good to go for there, I can't move in until January 8th! Therefore from the 18th of Dec to the 8th of January I'll be officially homeless :-D.


I've been looking at different options to see which would be the best option to go with:

Option 1: Stay in a hostel on the Gold Coast for those few weeks until the place becomes available and then move in.

Option 2: Travel around Australia/Tasmania for those few weeks since I will be homeless anyway. Con for this is I have to lug around all my luggage while traveling.

Option 3: Butter up one of my Aussie mates to hold my luggage so I can travel light.

Option 4: Find short term housing until my lease at the new place starts.

Right now I am looking at Option 3 at the moment, as I have three weeks gap before classes start on Jan 17th. Store most of my luggage and then just have a backpack with all the basic necessities in it. For those of you who know me, you know I pack light anyway. So not a problem.

Still got a couple of weeks to decide, but looking to get it taken care of now so that I don't have to worry last minute. Christmas will either be spent in Sydney or Alice Spring (middle of Australia), so it will be fun!

Also, my facial hair is coming in nicely. I opted to just go with no shaving at all and adhere to my WSU roots instead of just rocking the moustache for Movember. But it's interesting to see all the women who talk to you NOW that you have facial hair compared to when you are clean shaven. Good to see the different tastes in women. No worries though, I'm still single. Plenty of American lovin' to go around ladies!

Cheers! ( 再见！）

-H

[Vlog] Food for the weak

Hey all! Just a quick update as I ransacked my kitchen the other day as I was starving! Enjoy!

Cheers!

-H

Movember

In 2007, I became aware of a growing trend on campus that all the men were participating in called "No Shave November". The premise behind it was, well, to not shave at all for the whole month of November. Unfortunately for me, I could not participate because working at Pizza Hut required strict grooming standards. However, come November 2008, I was fully ready to participate and take on the world. I don't grow much hair on my body, but after 30 days of not touching the razor, it became evident that most of that hair grows on my face. Not to mention the feel of a smooth face with some Nivea for men aftershave on December 1st is AMAZING.

Returning home for winter break and Christmas to the family was strange to them as they had no idea what their son was doing. Let alone, the Christmas pictures of their hideously looking child! Come 2009, I participated yet again, this time holding a full time job at AT&T and part time at the night club I worked at. The night club wasn't so bad, but I have a feeling my sales were drastically lower than usual because of that rugged look at AT&T. My boss just rolled his eyes as I let it grow out and asked when I was going to shave, and I promptly told him "Not til December 1st".

It wasn't until last year that I found out the purpose behind "No shave November". The idea of not shaving for the whole month originally was created by a group of Aussies down in Adelaide. The idea was to show support and raise awareness for men's health issues, more specifically prostate cancer and depression. Much like you see someone with a LIVESTRONG bracelet and you immediately now it's for testicular cancer within men, the symbol of not shaving is a way of showing support to those going through health issues.

However, the only difference is down here they call it "Movember". Moustache and November (obviously). So instead of growing your hair out, you just grow out a moustache. It seems a bit bizarre to me, but I am assuming many Aussie men can't grow full beards but only moustaches? Who knows... but now I have to shave everything BUT my moustache until the 1st. Which partially sucks, because after a few days, I look absolutely disgusting with just a moustache. So this year, as always, I'm helping raise awareness for prostate cancer and depression among men! See you on December 1st!

Cheers!

-H

101 ways to scare an Australian

Hey everyone! G'day!

Been awhile since I posted a blog or even a vlog for that matter. But then again, not much has been going on with me. Just going to class, looking for a job and trying my best to get my American pride represented over here! If anyone hears of a job opening let me know!

Halfway through the semester into week 8 right now and time is flying BY QUICK. Just 4 more weeks, done with semester 1 and ready to roll out the 2011 in Australia! I think some mates of mine are thinking of heading down to Sydney to ring in the New Year at the Harbour. So might tag along and do that with them. It'll be pretty amazing.

All is well, but most importantly had a great Friday! Got my second care package in the mail, first being from the lovely dad. Every year, Playboy does a "Girls of the Pac-10" issue. Pac-10 being the conference of universities on the west coast and WSU (my alma mater) being one of those schools. So there you go, a little American lesson for those Aussies reading this. Anyways, one of the bartenders that I used to work with at stubblefields was featured in the issue, so by all means I had to get my hands on a signed copy! Needless to say, my good friend Tricia was able to send me a copy as well as some other goodies (mostly Halloween and Thanksgiving themed since Australians aren't too keen to celebrating and American holiday!).

One of the goodies Tricia sent me was a can of pumpkin. Not any typical American knows what a can of pumpkin is used for, but to Australia, not so much... Therefore, Australian customs had a go at my package to find out what this "can pumpkin" was!

Enjoy! Miss you all!

Cheers.

-H

Vegemite part 2

So I took a lot of flack for my last Vegemite posting. The reason why I "hate it so much" is because I spread it too thick, did not use butter and drank water afterward instead of "complimenting" it with milk. Yea I know, like it matters. BUT IT DOES! So therefore, I took it upon myself to re-do it with the necessary ingredients.

It wasn't as bad as before as the butter def. helps with the taste of it. And of course not spreading it on as thick. Will I be enjoying vegemite toast with my breakfast every morning? CERTAINLY NOT.

Cheers!

-H

Vegemite

For those of you who are either adventurous or Oceanic born and raised, know of the wonderful spread known as Vegemite. It's a heavenly goodness consisting of yeast extract, and some other ingredients no one has ever heard of. It's actually really healthy for you because it is LOADED with vitamins and minerals. The taste itself, is ABSOLUTELY horrendous.

I first tried this amazing stuff in 2007 when I first came to Australia. I had never heard of vegemite before then. As a nice gesture, I brought plenty home for friends and family so that they could try it out. Since I've been back here, Kraft, the makers of vegemite, created a counterpart called Cheesybite. It pretty much consists of vegemite with cheese in it. I'm told from my Aussie mates, it was to attempt to secure the American market for it. Unfortunately for Kraft, this stuff will NEVER stick in America. But then again, Australians hate Peanut and Jelly sandwiches... Enjoy!



Cheers!

-H

你好！

(Title says: Hello!)

Not a whole lot going on. Sort of like a plane taking off. Much excitement with takeoff and landing, but at cruising altitude it's calm and relaxed.

For our graduate criminology class, we have decided to research and write a journal to hopefully get it published in one of the criminal justice quarterly journals here in Australia. It may not seem like much to some of you out there, but to have your research published is a big deal for us. So what we are aiming for is research into the trafficking of exotic animals. We decided on this topic because 1. Nadia has partial work done for it and 2. exotic animals are the 2nd biggest trade item in the world behind drugs (#1) and ahead of weapons (#3). Yet, because it is not viewed as a big issue, the fines and penalties is usually a slap on the wrist. So I am very excited about it. Only 13 weeks to get it done!

Also stopped by STA Travel to pick up some brochures. What I am hoping to do is come December break (3 weeks), travel around Australia. With winter break in July (6 weeks I believe) I want to head north to Asia (Russia, Japan, China and Thailand). And then come my final summer break (December), I want to head to Tasmania (south) and New Zealand. So big plans ahead, let's see if we can fulfill em! So if any of you have friends or tips for those places, def. lend them to me as they will provide valuable and hopefully save me money along the way.

Lastly, got certified for my Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) certificate. With this, I can now handle alcohol whether it be bartending or running a bottleshop and just selling it to people. I want to do something along the lines of security, but it looks like a 2 day course at $500 has to be taken in order to do something like that. Sooooo, I'm going to skip that (unless the company wants to pay for me!).

Also sent out postcards today, so expect those from me! If you don't get one, you're either not loved, didn't give me your address or the amount of time to slap a stamp and write "miss you, wish. You were here!" isn't worth my time.

Miss you all and I know you're having the time of your life over there in that fall weather. Hey feel free to come visit :-D


Cheers!

-H

[Vlog] Varsity Towers

NEW VLOG! CHECK IT OUT!

(Varsity Towers)



Cheers!

-H

Classes

First week of classes are over and done with. And man has it flown by!

As an international student, I am required to be enrolled in 30 credits each semester, to be done at 120 credits (4 semesters). But to me, it seems like I can be done in 3 semesters if I really wanted too... ...but why rush it?

I have three classes: Chinese on Monday and Friday morning (10-12), Epistemology on Monday (4-6) and Wednesday (4-5) and Criminology Wednesday (11-1) and Thursday (11-12). It seems like a full load, but I am typically done early, the reading is light, and I feel I could squeeze in one more class. But in an effort to not overwhelm myself, I have told myself to just adhere to what I got. Not to mention my Chinese class is only 7 people and Criminology class on Thursday is only 4! So it’s very one on one training, far better than any Biology 101 class could have done at WSU (with what? 500 students?)

I love Chinese, not only because I am learning a new set language that I hope I can take with me when I visit China on holiday, but because it’s a whole new world to me. You’ve seen these characters all your life everywhere on buildings, in menus and even tattooed on people and now you can finally understand them (or at least hoping that it’s Chinese and not Japanese or Korean). The time goes by quick and I anxiously await class on Friday to come around.

Epistemology is a whole different story. Professor Chipman is a bit old and his teaching style is very dry and straightforward, I also find it odd that he never looks AT you, but more or less towards the ground or ABOVE you. Not only that, but this class closely resembles Philosophy 201 (Logic) that I took at WSU. The class teaches you to question knowledge as well as question skeptics. So you get these STUPID formulas that I ABSOLUTELY hate as follows:

1. All men are mortal 1. All a are b

2. Socrates is a man 2. c is a

3. Therefore, Socrates is mortal 3. Therefore, c is b

I hated these sort of questions and formulas because quite frankly, I could never understand them. It looks simple from the above example I posted, but anyone who took Logic can tell you it’s much harder than that. So I hope a 2^nd time around I do get it, ha. The class also has a tutorial session which is a smaller group size that Chipman meets with once a week to go over the lecture, quizzes and papers coming up to prepare us for them. Kind of like Biology 101, where you had this class of 500 people but labs of 20 or so, to go over what you learned, etc.

And lastly, criminology is about the same as it was at WSU. Our main class is comprised of about 50 or so people, both undergraduates and post-grads. Then the post-grads, consisting of 4 of us including myself and the professor, meet once a week to go over the lecture, and any other post-grad assignments. I enjoy Professor Lincoln because she formulates the class based upon how WE want to learn and take away from the class. Taking a more dynamic approach to teaching, we cut the final exam in place of doing weekly case studies to present to the others. That way, it’s not a “sit and timed” final exam where you are crunching from memory but instead a learning experience throughout the course. Not to mention, she made an excellent point saying “You pay $100 a day for your education here, might as well get the most out of it”.

So yea, three classes, all relatively easy I hope, and only one final exam. So I expect to graduate with honours here in no time! Suck it WSU!

Cheers!

-H

Varsity Towers

Ah! Finally a place to live! It only took about 9 days! Ha. Not my first choice, but hey, can't complain right?

So initially I had wanted to live at Varsity Shores but they were all booked up. Really nice townhouses and my main goal was to have roommates to bond, intermingle, socialise with. After that failed attempt, I came across a very nice place called The Reserve, with a guy by the name of Frank looking for a roommate. The place was EXTREMELY nice, the dude a bit quiet but whatever. After a few days he texted me stating he had already rented it to someone else. So, that left me with my final option, Varsity Towers.

The place is a student accommodation or as we call it in the U.S., a dormitory. So you pretty much already know what to expect. Haha. It's a studio apartment and I hate it. Reason being partly I came from a very nice 2 bedroom apartment in Pullman to THIS. Secondly, because the fridge is extremely small, there is no oven and the bed is ON THE FLOOR. But hey, when the sun shines, may hay.....

The lease is for 15 weeks and I am expected to be out by December 18th. So as the end of November approaches, I will be looking for a new place to live, preferably a house, preferably beachside and obviously with roommates. Frank was telling me I won't get a\ny sleep as VT is one big party place. Tonight is my first night sleeping there, so we shall see if he holds true to that. As always though, if anyone wants to come out to visit, or even live and work, hit me up! We'll get a place, I'll introduce ya to some Aussie girls (or guys I guess...) and we'll have "heaps of fun" (trying to adapt to the lingo).

If you are looking to send me a letter, postcard, pieces of your hair, WHATEVER. Here is my address!

Hardy Awadjie
Room 140, Locked Bag 1010
Robina, Queensland 4226
Australia

Cheers.

-H

The essentials

Well time has definitely flown by and I feel like I just arrived yesterday! A lot has happened since my last blog and unfortunately, no video blogs at the moment. I am thinking of doing one here in the next day or so, to the style that they did it in Avatar. I've sort of been keeping a personal journal (or diary have you), of my experiences here so far. It seems weird at first, but from time to time, I look back on my journal from 2007 and it brings back good memories. So I hope to do the same with this one and be able to reflect off of it come a year, 5 years, even 10 or 20 years (I don't plan to live past 44).

Anyways, officially have a Australian bank account set up with the Australian and New Zealand Bank (ANZ) as well as attempted to get an 18+ card only to realise my old one from 2007 is still valid! The picture is a bit old, but not much of a change eh? The card pretty much allows you to purchase alcohol, tobacco and get into casinos and night clubs. Kind of like a state ID. You don't really need the 18+ card but then you have to resort to using your passport all the time. And I don't want to carry that around with me everywhere.


Housing is still on the prowl. Nothing official yet and still at Surf n' Sun hostel. It's actually really nice as everyone is friendly and very talkative (idea for another blog! more on that later). They go out every night, but from class, walking around everywhere and searching for housing, by the end of the day I'm exhausted.

Classes are going along smoothly. Nothing really to brag about, after the first week is finished, I'll give you a basic run down of my thoughts and all later on. That's it for now!

Cheers.

-H

My other blog

Once again, this blog stems from my old blog that dealt with me up until I got to Australia. So if you want to read that, here is the link!

http://awadjiepre-depart.blogspot.com/

Cheers.

-H

Vlogs!

So got some time to get some videos edited and ready for the internet. It's been a busy couple of days but I'm about ready to start classes. I would say I am at about a 40% right now. Haha. Also had a great talk with my friend Thea. Interesting, because she was overseas and I envied every minute of her there, now it seems the tables have turned! Love you Thea :-D

Anyways, check out the videos!

Cheers.

-H

(Bond University)



(Beaches)


(opposite land!)

Check back later!

Bear with me as I get settled in... Check back!

Cheers.

-H