Second Impressions

Greetings, Loved Ones!

Now that I have been here almost a month (imagine that!), I feel as though I have a better take on this place. I'd like to share with you just 10 of the different Australian oddities that I've noticed- only 10 of the plethora.

1. All the outlets have their own switches, and I mean EVERY outlet- two plugs and two switches per white rectangle. You have to turn the outlet on before energy is pumped into the cord you just plugged in.

2. They pronounce the adjective "Aussie" as "Ozzie", not "Awssie", and Australia is often referred to as "Aus"(pronounced and sometimes written as Oz).

3. There are geckos. Everywhere. We found one in our food the other day.

4. The people here are (get ready for a sweeping generalization) much taller than in the USA, meaning that I don't attract quite as many odd looks. Although I must say, I've had my fair share of comrades at the Base come up and enlighten me as to the fact that "I'm so tall" and "I should play basketball". (Ha!)...

5. Sadly, due to all the diversity here on campus, I've learned just how much cheaper college really is in just about every country apart from the US. In Germany, Norway, and similar countries, it's free! Also, there is not the pressure that is present in the US to "go to college no matter what." I've found this information fairly depressing, considering my current plans for college...in America. We shall see where the Lord leads!

6. The majority of church services here are held in the late afternoon, typically between 3pm and 7pm. Personally I think that's a genius idea.

7. There are wild crocodiles- and they're surprisingly common here in Northern QLD. The Strand (the ~70 meter area of the beach designated for swimming which is enclosed in a net to keep the jellyfish out) was closed last weekend due to a 5 meter croc that had made its way into the area- it could have easily gotten through the net, so they restricted swimming until they found it further on up the shore. Let that sink in for a minute: I swam on Friday night, the exact place I was swimming was closed the following morning because there was high risk of a 5 METER CROCODILE lurking in the same water. It literally could have been just outside the net while I was swimming. Crazy, right? How thrilling.

8. They have market day on Sunday, where everything you could imagine has been homemade and put up for sale by someone. It's like a flea market, but tighter packed, and with more street musicians. They have everything from exotic fruit to finger puppets!

9. The restaurants are very diverse and exceedingly tightly packed; just here down the road there is an Indian place which is next to a Chinese place which has an upper level that is a Thai place-- all of which are right across the street from the Australian version of Chipotle, which is next to an Irish Pub. There's a frozen yogurt place right there too- basically, whatever you want, they've got.

10. Lastly, I'd like to share about the ocean- the Pacific, though I was told prior to leaving that it would be colder than the Atlantic and the Caribbean, is actually quite warm- the sun heats it to the point that it's still quite warm even at 11pm and after. (There are times we have to go night swimming if we want to go at all- they work us quite hard here- I love it!) In addition, it's INSANELY salty. If you swallow even a spoonful, your entire throat goes raw. There are also vinegar stations along the Strand in case you do get stung by a jellyfish (which, by the way, they call "stingers" here). Apparently it happens often, especially once the net goes down in August.

Well, that's all, folks. I hope you enjoyed a glimpse of what I've been encountering these last several weeks- I hear there's a blizzard somewhere in the States right about now, moving into Indiana and such? Very interesting... If it makes you feel any better, living in mid-90's every day isn't always fun! (Ha!) Thank you for your prayers, and again, if you'd like to contact me personally, my email address can be located by clicking here.

Have a wonderful week, all!

Random fact of the post:

Ant bites HURT! Who knew those little suckers could pack such a punch, ay? I had to learn the hard way. As soon as you step in the wrong spot, ten of them will instantly be on your foot and then.... BAM: sharp, stinging, itching pain. Got to love Oz.