Monday, September 27, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Footy Grand Final Weekend
Saturday was the Australian Football (footy) League Grand Final, which equals our Super Bowl. The final two teams were the St. Kilda Saints from Melbourne and the Collingwood Magpies also from Melbourne. Collingwood dominated the first three quarters, but once the fourth quarter began the Saints made a major comeback. I was cheering for St. Kilda because the Collingwood fans are very obnoxious and you either love or hate them. So I was very excited when St. Kilda came back and actually took the lead by one point with 3 minutes to go. The time kept going and with only a minute left, Collingwood kicked a goal worth one point and the game was then tied. However, neither team scored again so there was a draw. Usually they would do an overtime, but since it was the Grand Final they have the overtime next weekend. I was very upset because now we have to wait until next week to see who will win and they play a full game all over again. It was a very fun and exciting game to watch and I hope St. Kilda rests up so they can come back and win! For the game we went to our friend Shane’s house, which is super close to campus and we had a bbq. I ate soooooo much food all day long. I made puppy chow because I learned that Australians do not know what it is. Whenever I told everyone I brought puppy chow they just gave me weird looks because they thought it was real dog food. They really liked it though! I got to try fairy bread, which is bread with butter and sprinkles (kids love it!). I also ate my first meat pie and I actually liked it. It is pretty much a little pie filled with minced meat and a little bit of gravy and you can put tomato sauce in it. Australians love their meat pies!
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| Fairy bread |
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| Meat pie |
Random:
- I had someone ask me if I was a Kiwi (someone from New Zealand) or from South Africa… that was a first.
- Completed two of three 2000 word essays this week, which make up 40% of my grade.
- I have three weeks of classes left until exams
- I have been surprised by how many Aussies know our national anthem
- The Subways here do not have kangaroo meat, but the guy working said he would bring some in for me and would make me a sandwich. He said he has been asking his boss to serve it for a while. Haha
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
History Lesson
Today is my mom’s birthday, Happy Birthday Mom!! Last week an elderly man from my hometown passed away and that was really sad to hear. I used to visit him and his wife and he was quite the story-teller, but I loved hearing them. Myron, was a great man and he will be greatly missed! Also, it was around this time in September when our beloved family friend Mary-Lou passed away so I was thinking of her this week and her husband that has been having health problems, but is doing much better! But on a happy notes, one my closest friends got a new laptop with a webcam so I FINALLY got to skype with her and it was even on her birthday! It was great to actually see her and hear her! If you don’t have skype, get it and then add me (haleyowens24) and then we can video chat. It is totally free too.
Since this week was slow and nothing of great importance happened I am going to give you a little Aboriginal history. I have learned soooo much in my Aboriginal Studies class, especially the past couple weeks because we have been focused on the art that they created. The Aborigines are thought to have been one of the first groups of people, but there is not clear evidence of this since Australia was connected to many of its surrounding countries and it is possible that they just migrated to Australia. However, through the art, artifacts, weapons, tools, and shelters the Aboriginals definitely had a strong presence in Australia. These people traveled around the continent adapting to the environment. It is said that they were artist and had always been. Through their art we see what the land, people, and animals looked like. Many of the cave engravings have shown species of animals that have been extinct for thousands of years [ex. The giant red kangaroo, diprotodon (giant wombat), and genyornis (giant emu)]. When the Europeans arrived is captured in many paintings often displaying negativity. Boomerangs are often depicted in their pictures too. Some of the original cave paintings can still be found in their natural environment, but there is great debate whether or not this is good. Some people abuse the art and cut it out and sell it for money. In the end, the art is destroyed and evidence to Australia’s past is lost. Aboriginal art is very unique and is very repetitive in its style. The dot art is very common, which often used for animals. Hand tracings in a red color are typical too. When people are drawn, they are usually very simple figures with elaborate weapons or adornments. The amazing thing about the art is that some of it dates back 40,000 years ago! Thanks to the desert varnish (very thick clear substance) it has protected these pieces of artwork of great antiquity. Hopefully I will be able to go to some Aboriginal art museums and even a site with the original art!
Random:
-Last night went to the Pizza Pub and had a delicious margherita pizza
- I have a new art teacher now because our old one was appointed a new position with the art department and could no longer teach. We now have Mary and I think I am going to like her better than Malcom! She has a different style of teaching and I prefer her’s better.
-Aussies call the yellow light the orange light
-The Big Mac snack wrap was just introduced to McDonald’s (Macca’s) this week
-Spring is here and it has been in the 60’s!
-In my Children’s Lit class we have been reading some Australian classics (Storm Boy and Looking for Alibrandi) and I have really enjoyed them
-I got locked out of my room the other night and the guy that let me in actually came over to the U.S. and played b-ball around Indiana four years ago and said he played with some Butler guys and was a big Butler fan! We talked a long time about Butler basketball and it was fantastic.
Since this week was slow and nothing of great importance happened I am going to give you a little Aboriginal history. I have learned soooo much in my Aboriginal Studies class, especially the past couple weeks because we have been focused on the art that they created. The Aborigines are thought to have been one of the first groups of people, but there is not clear evidence of this since Australia was connected to many of its surrounding countries and it is possible that they just migrated to Australia. However, through the art, artifacts, weapons, tools, and shelters the Aboriginals definitely had a strong presence in Australia. These people traveled around the continent adapting to the environment. It is said that they were artist and had always been. Through their art we see what the land, people, and animals looked like. Many of the cave engravings have shown species of animals that have been extinct for thousands of years [ex. The giant red kangaroo, diprotodon (giant wombat), and genyornis (giant emu)]. When the Europeans arrived is captured in many paintings often displaying negativity. Boomerangs are often depicted in their pictures too. Some of the original cave paintings can still be found in their natural environment, but there is great debate whether or not this is good. Some people abuse the art and cut it out and sell it for money. In the end, the art is destroyed and evidence to Australia’s past is lost. Aboriginal art is very unique and is very repetitive in its style. The dot art is very common, which often used for animals. Hand tracings in a red color are typical too. When people are drawn, they are usually very simple figures with elaborate weapons or adornments. The amazing thing about the art is that some of it dates back 40,000 years ago! Thanks to the desert varnish (very thick clear substance) it has protected these pieces of artwork of great antiquity. Hopefully I will be able to go to some Aboriginal art museums and even a site with the original art!
Random:
-Last night went to the Pizza Pub and had a delicious margherita pizza
- I have a new art teacher now because our old one was appointed a new position with the art department and could no longer teach. We now have Mary and I think I am going to like her better than Malcom! She has a different style of teaching and I prefer her’s better. |
| Genyornis |
-The Big Mac snack wrap was just introduced to McDonald’s (Macca’s) this week-Spring is here and it has been in the 60’s!
-In my Children’s Lit class we have been reading some Australian classics (Storm Boy and Looking for Alibrandi) and I have really enjoyed them
-I got locked out of my room the other night and the guy that let me in actually came over to the U.S. and played b-ball around Indiana four years ago and said he played with some Butler guys and was a big Butler fan! We talked a long time about Butler basketball and it was fantastic.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Trip to Hobart
Last week was my mid-semester break so I had the pleasure of going to Victoria’s house in Hobart, which is also the capital of Tasmania. She went home on Wednesday and since I had class and the AMC ball I took the bus down on Monday afternoon. There is a bus service that comes to campus and takes students to Hobart pretty much everyday for really cheap. It reminded me of the Megabus. So Monday evening I got off at the Bridgewater stop where Victoria picked me up and we drove to her house. Her house is about 30 minutes away from the city and lives in a more rural area. At her house she has sheep (triplets were just born and were sooo cute!), a dog named Hunter, and a cat named Buster. Her mom is a principal at a primary (we would call it elementary) school and her dad works for a water company. She has an older brother who works at a cell phone company and actually helped out his mom in the office this past week. They built their house and it had a gorgeous view of the mountains and water. I enjoyed my time with the McDougall family and plan on visiting again over grand finals weekend (Australian football final game).
On Tuesday… we made our way to Port Arthur. This is where they brought all of the convicts that had committed the worst crimes. It rained all day, but I learned much about Australia’s history. We went on a tour and as our guide began to speak I realized he did not have an Aussie accent. I learned that he was from Cali and actually lived in Indiana when he was younger. He took us all over the place and then we went on a boat cruise around the island. Later that night we went on the ghost tour and it was still raining and the wind really picked up, which added to the haunted feeling. As we went to the different buildings our guide told us stories about ghosts that had been spotted at each place and tried scaring us too. He made Victoria carry a lantern so that we could see where we were walking and when we got to the parsonage he made her walk up to the door all by herself, knock, open the door, and then go inside. She was soo scared even though she had been on the tour before. Supposedly that building was the 2nd most haunted building in Australia. No one in our group saw/felt any ghosts, but it was tons of fun. We actually had people from Canada and Germany in our group too, which was fun talking to them.
On Wednesday… Victoria had to work 9-5 so I did some homework. For tea (dinner) we all went out to eat. Attached to the restaurant was a room filled with slot machines and Victoria’s dad gave me a $2 coin to try one out. I didn’t win anything.
On Thursday… we went to the Cadbury chocolate factory where we got lots of samples and got to see how the chocolate was made. We also went to the reject shop and I stocked up on some yummies. Then, we went into the city and did some shopping. I finally found a pair of boots that I liked and a few other things. I also met the manager of Harris Scarfe (Victoria’s work) and he was from Indiana! He grew up in South Bend, but also lived in Columbus for awhile. We talked for a long time, mainly about college basketball. He said that is the one thing he misses the most. He is a Purdue fan so he lost a few points in my book haha.
On Friday… Victoria’s mom took me to school with her. The school is Catholic and has about 150 children, grades Prep (Kindergarten) to 6th. Before school started Mrs. McDougall called all of the classes down to the area outside where the students eat their lunch. She congratulated the 6th grade on how well they did at a science competition and then she introduced me. She made me go up and talk about where I was from, why I am here, and what I have done so far. Before I introduced myself she had them say good morning to me and they said, “Good morning Haley and may God bless you.” It was cute and every class that I went to visit they would great me like that. I got to sit in on two second grade classes, a prep, and 1st grade class. It was Friday and the last day before break so they did not do too much, but it was a great experience just talking with the children. A lot of students said that I talked funny and they asked some hilarious questions. One girl asked if I would sing the ABC’s in my language. It was also interesting hearing what these children thought of America. One little boy asked if I get hijacked all of the time and another boy thought that Queensland (on the mainland of Australia) was the U.S. I also enjoyed talking with the teachers and hearing their views on education. Many of the teachers were fairly young and they gave me some great advice. Also, they have morning tea where they students eat a snack and they get to play for half an hour around 10 o’clock and I went to the teacher’s lounge and it had the most beautiful view of the city. The school sits high up on a hill so you could see everything. I enjoyed myself and would love to come back and possibly teach here… Teachers here also get paid much more! They start out making at least $50,000 and up to $70,000 a year!
For dinner we went to Nando’s, which Victoria thought would provide me with some really spicy food and she was right (it is hard to find spicy food here!). I got a chicken burger with their hottest sauce and it was perfect. Victoria hates spiciness so she stuck with lemon and herb chicken. For dessert we got gelato and I got the cheesecake flavor, which was delicious. That night we watched Jindabyne, an Australia movie about Aboriginals. The acting was not that great, but the overall message and history was interesting.
On Saturday… we went to the Salamanca Market, which is a GIANT market that occurs every Saturday. It reminded me of the Madison Chautauqua, but bigger. However, it poured the whole time and was really chilly. I had my raincoat thank goodness, but my pants and shoes were drenched. I got a children’s book for my future classroom written by a native Tasmanian and a few other things. That night we watched a couple footy (Australian football) games and went out with Victoria’s brother and some of his friends to a lounge to watch the Collingwood (a footy team) game. The McDougalls are big Collingwood fans. My favorite team (Tassie Hawks) lost.
On Sunday… came back to Launceston, which was sad. I like Hobart much better than Launceston because there is more to do. However, it is warmer here in Launceston…
On Tuesday… we made our way to Port Arthur. This is where they brought all of the convicts that had committed the worst crimes. It rained all day, but I learned much about Australia’s history. We went on a tour and as our guide began to speak I realized he did not have an Aussie accent. I learned that he was from Cali and actually lived in Indiana when he was younger. He took us all over the place and then we went on a boat cruise around the island. Later that night we went on the ghost tour and it was still raining and the wind really picked up, which added to the haunted feeling. As we went to the different buildings our guide told us stories about ghosts that had been spotted at each place and tried scaring us too. He made Victoria carry a lantern so that we could see where we were walking and when we got to the parsonage he made her walk up to the door all by herself, knock, open the door, and then go inside. She was soo scared even though she had been on the tour before. Supposedly that building was the 2nd most haunted building in Australia. No one in our group saw/felt any ghosts, but it was tons of fun. We actually had people from Canada and Germany in our group too, which was fun talking to them.
On Wednesday… Victoria had to work 9-5 so I did some homework. For tea (dinner) we all went out to eat. Attached to the restaurant was a room filled with slot machines and Victoria’s dad gave me a $2 coin to try one out. I didn’t win anything.
On Thursday… we went to the Cadbury chocolate factory where we got lots of samples and got to see how the chocolate was made. We also went to the reject shop and I stocked up on some yummies. Then, we went into the city and did some shopping. I finally found a pair of boots that I liked and a few other things. I also met the manager of Harris Scarfe (Victoria’s work) and he was from Indiana! He grew up in South Bend, but also lived in Columbus for awhile. We talked for a long time, mainly about college basketball. He said that is the one thing he misses the most. He is a Purdue fan so he lost a few points in my book haha.
On Friday… Victoria’s mom took me to school with her. The school is Catholic and has about 150 children, grades Prep (Kindergarten) to 6th. Before school started Mrs. McDougall called all of the classes down to the area outside where the students eat their lunch. She congratulated the 6th grade on how well they did at a science competition and then she introduced me. She made me go up and talk about where I was from, why I am here, and what I have done so far. Before I introduced myself she had them say good morning to me and they said, “Good morning Haley and may God bless you.” It was cute and every class that I went to visit they would great me like that. I got to sit in on two second grade classes, a prep, and 1st grade class. It was Friday and the last day before break so they did not do too much, but it was a great experience just talking with the children. A lot of students said that I talked funny and they asked some hilarious questions. One girl asked if I would sing the ABC’s in my language. It was also interesting hearing what these children thought of America. One little boy asked if I get hijacked all of the time and another boy thought that Queensland (on the mainland of Australia) was the U.S. I also enjoyed talking with the teachers and hearing their views on education. Many of the teachers were fairly young and they gave me some great advice. Also, they have morning tea where they students eat a snack and they get to play for half an hour around 10 o’clock and I went to the teacher’s lounge and it had the most beautiful view of the city. The school sits high up on a hill so you could see everything. I enjoyed myself and would love to come back and possibly teach here… Teachers here also get paid much more! They start out making at least $50,000 and up to $70,000 a year!
For dinner we went to Nando’s, which Victoria thought would provide me with some really spicy food and she was right (it is hard to find spicy food here!). I got a chicken burger with their hottest sauce and it was perfect. Victoria hates spiciness so she stuck with lemon and herb chicken. For dessert we got gelato and I got the cheesecake flavor, which was delicious. That night we watched Jindabyne, an Australia movie about Aboriginals. The acting was not that great, but the overall message and history was interesting.
On Saturday… we went to the Salamanca Market, which is a GIANT market that occurs every Saturday. It reminded me of the Madison Chautauqua, but bigger. However, it poured the whole time and was really chilly. I had my raincoat thank goodness, but my pants and shoes were drenched. I got a children’s book for my future classroom written by a native Tasmanian and a few other things. That night we watched a couple footy (Australian football) games and went out with Victoria’s brother and some of his friends to a lounge to watch the Collingwood (a footy team) game. The McDougalls are big Collingwood fans. My favorite team (Tassie Hawks) lost.
On Sunday… came back to Launceston, which was sad. I like Hobart much better than Launceston because there is more to do. However, it is warmer here in Launceston…
Monday, September 6, 2010
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