First weeks at Uni: Orientation Week, togas and lots of 'showers'..

Hei alle sammen! G'day mate/ mates!

Before I start writing about all the supercool things that's happened to us the last couple of weeks, (get ready for some wicked stuff) I just want to give all of you guys back home a message:

We miss you! …

Ok, that's done. Clear and consistent message. A important skill to handle when writing and/ or answering academic assessments here at Uni, we have been told. But I just also have to add to that message (screw the rules) that to be far away from all the wonderful people that we know home in Norway - makes you realize how lucky you are! So, Thanks for making us feel as lotto millionaires down here;) 

But don't misunderstand! It's not that we are longing for a return ticket back to Norge at the moment. - and don't take that personally either. It's just that we are starting to like it here! - even though we have to work HARD the following months … (that last thing said specially accounts for one of us…;) 

One of the reasons why we LOVE Australia; Tim Tams! 

Ok, enough tull and toys. 

Some of you are either super annoyed at me writing in English, or just super happy, cause you don't have to read trough all the weird spellings in norsk without the real AE, OE AA, like; "AA saa saut den svaere koalabjoernen var Oeystein!" Well… that kind of sentences accrue all the time down here… 

I'll start of with the actual start of our first semester at the University of Queensland. The whole thing kicked off with what they call "O- week" (Orientation week). That was a really artig week when you get a lot of FREE STUFF and attend a range of different activities. Some of the high points where the Market Day, basically a day full of funny games, FREE STUFF and stupid handouts.

The main entrance to the Uni

I finally got to hug a koala bear!!

Me and Oeystein (from now on referred to as Stan - his Ozzy name) managed to grab a fair bit of the free-stuff- cake this day, returning home with a dozen handouts offering you generally bad deals and potato chips. We attended a number of competitions and games, all promising big rewards, but so far no shining price has surprised us. I guess the most rewarding thing we did was to get involved in two student clubs: UQ Mountain club and UNI DIVE. 

Gonna save the world, jepp.

With high expectations of getting a bunch of new friends and adventures, we went home - soon to be bitten hard by the social virus wriggling amongst the fresh and new students - and signing on for the "LARGEST TOGA PARTY IN THE WORLD!!!" ….

Our great norwegian friends: Ingrid and Torbear joined us and especially Ingrid and I took care of the "costume".

The leaves on our heads was mine idea.. 

On our way to the BIGGEST PARTY, Torbear got some comments on his toga; "You are nailing that toga Dude.." Stan on the other hand, came a bit delayed so we just had to toss the sheet on him on our way. But off course he looked dazzling as well;) 

I think all four of us got cured of the social virus during the party, and were soon heading for a snack instead of jumping up and down to Dubstep - in our togas. Hehe, life take strange turns indeed…

After this exhausting cause of events, we really needed to get somewhere - and that place was Stradbroke Island, or just Straddie. This island lies on the coast just a few centimeters south of Brisbane city and can offer wilderness, small sand desserts, crystal blue lakes and off course loooooong white beaches with endless rolling waves. 

Straddie Main beach

Surfers on Main beach catching some waves.

Ingrid, Torbear and I on the rocks.

Hey, it's summer! Ice-cream is compulsory!

On the ferry ride home

This was also the day when I saw my first Kangaroo! (The others saw it too, but I spotted it first;) Suddenly it jumped out on the bus stop and started to eat some green vegetation. SOOOO SAUT! That made my day! So along with a dog (like Hurley) and a peruvian Lama, now I also want a Kangaroo. Stan is not that engaged in this matter, jet.

Look at this little fellow!

Since this, it's been one overall word describing the days passing: RAIN.

In two months, starting in january, Brisbane have had the amount of rainfall that generally occur over a year… So cool we just started studying! The rain down here i not like home you see… Here they call it 'showers'. And I can see why! But don't be afraid - there is no flooding in Brisbane at the moment. The river is been really high the last couple of days, but is now coming down again. 

We have umbrellas, and they usually keep the water away for a while, even tough Ingris started too leak after we went to the "Farmers marked" in a 'shower' this saturday… 

Ingrid and her leaking umbrella at Farmers market, West End.

But when it showers all the time, it's as good to just get wet we guessed. So Stan and I joined a refresh diving course with Uni Dive to fresh ourselves up a bit. That was really cool and helpful! - and we have bought some fancy new gear for that:) 

Looking really fresh here!

I have also found a climbing gym, the Urban climb, where the climbers in this town hang out. No leading skills can bee trained here - it's only toprope, and the belayer is tied to the floor with a 'safety sling'. Reminds me a bit of the climbing gym i grew up with in Grimstad - except the safety aspect… 

Beside this striking news, we are just getting it down to 'normal life' down here. We are now in week 2 of the semester and starting to get an idea of what we are heading into. And we may have realized that theres probably gonna be slightly different experiences for us as students here. 

For my part, I'm only a 'undergraduate' student. The courses I'm taking is mostly first- or second year programs. YEY! That means: it's easy pisy for an advanced uni trotter like me! Or …  I'm surrounded by 1st year students…and only having lectures in enormous classes…  I guess it's a little truth in all three;) But I've menages to sniff out some of the old strikers in the crowds, so all good! (no more toga parties for me!) 

For Stan, it's the opposite. He is in a small class of 14 ppl who've had half a decade with life experience to know very well to stay out of large toga parties. They are Master students (spelling tells me to divide this two words, so it adds even more respect to it). But with all the life experience and knowledge, also comes responsibility. And that means basically; WORK. But Stan knows this and seems to be dealing well with the manner (he is continuously telling me to make my own plans for the weekend;) He wants to learn and get as much out of this year as possible. 

OK! About to drop a big bomb here! 

Stan has bought a Smart phone! - a really smart one. Hehe. Yepp, Australia does something to ya, that's for sure. And I'm jealous...

But I have bought a surfboard! I've named it " Blue Hurley" - dedicated to my favorite dog, Hurley:)  So this weekend I will get out to Straddie again, and play with it! Hopefully not while having a shower...;)

Coming up is a diving trip to Byron Bay the next weekend with Uni Dive. So just wait for som wicked upcoming stories;)

Thanks for following folks! and Hurra for alle gull vi vant under VM!!! 

See ya!