Close Call!!

I'm a student, I should get student rates too!

Being a student I still get to enjoy the benefits of student or concession discounts, except when it comes to traveling around Australia.  For whatever reason the Australian government feels that international students should not be allowed to enjoy this benefit of getting discounted rates on buses, trains, etc. My personal opinion of why the government does this is that international students are more likely to travel so they (Aussie Gov) will get more money if they don't allow international students concessions on travel. In order to get the rate you have to be an Australian student with a special sticker on your ID which you get through the school. 

Even though I am an international student I still buy the "concession" rate bus tickets. Before you judge, let me tell you they are half the price of the full fare tickets.  For someone who pays a ton to attend school over here, and who also doesn't have a steady income I think it is only fair to get the student rate.  I am a student, it only makes sense.

Anyways, yesterday I got on the bus from Uni to make my way home.  I dipped my student bus ticket and sat down.  As I sat down I saw three transportation officers run to get on the bus to fine anyone not using the right ticket.  I freaked out.  The fine is around $200 and I really didn't want to get one.  I got to the front of the bus to get off right as one got on.  He asked to see my ticket and student card.  I felt the fine coming my way, then he told me I need to go get my sticker from the University.  I got off the bus, ran and purchased a regular ticket, and made my way home with no fines.  I was lucky, but I might not be next time. Maybe I should save myself the hassle and start purchasing full fare tickets. 

Or better yet, maybe I should find someone to get me a sticker for my ID!!

The Devil takes many forms, including yummy desserts!

Tiramisu, the Devil's dessert

For Lent this year I decided to be a little more challenging than usual, some years I do not sacrifice anything, so this year I decided to give up alcohol, sweets, and restrict myself to one coffee a day.  I am seven days in and so far so good, it has not been too hard.  However, there was a little incident with a cookie last Saturday, but I did not realize I had eaten it until 20 minutes after it happened. Afterwards Adsy and I both agreed it was a life or death situation, I become an angry tiger when I'm hungry.... In the words of my sister, "You didn't realize you had cheated so it doesn't count!" Thanks Anna for allowing Lent to fit my lifestyle. 

So what does tiramisu have to do with my Lenten sacrifice? Well last night my Indonesian roommate, Lizzi, made tiramisu.  Do I need to remind you what the ingredients are for tiramisu? Coffee, rum, and lots and lots of sugar.  All of my sacrifices rolled into one deliciously prepared dessert!  Adsy found it particularly amusing that this had happened and was a little too delighted that I couldn't have any.  More for him.  

To tell you the truth, it didn't even bother me too much. Yes, I would have loved to have some freshly homemade tiramisu, but not so bad as to break Lent. Now, only 38 more days to go!  

P.S. Randomly, I dreamt of drinking a gigantic cup of coffee last night.  Funny thing is that is the one thing I haven't totally given up, but restricted.  I must really love my coffee!

No tsunami here

As most of you should have heard by now Japan was hit by the biggest earthquake in its history yesterday, which then caused a tsunami to add to the destruction.  I would like to take a moment and let all of you know that the tsunami has not affected us here in Australia, and I don't believe it will. In fact, Adsy is down at the beach as I write this filming guys surfing in the water. 

Being in the Pacific where now two major earthquakes have hit, Japan and Christchurch NZ, I cannot help but be a little worried that this is only the beginning. Not to get all 2012 on you guys, but I think we all need to take a moment and remember those emergency procedures that we learned in primary school.  Get under the table, stand in a doorway, etc. You never know where the next big one is going to hit! 

I also learned today that Google has come up with a new "person finder" application that helps users report missing people as well as enter information about someone in disasters such as Japan's earthquake. With all of the natural disasters the world has been facing, I think this could be a really useful tool.  

My thoughts go out to all of those people in Japan.  I hope the rescue teams get in there quick to help anyone who may be trapped. Peace and love to everyone. 

Mardi Gras!!

On Saturday night Adsy and I ventured into the city to watch the Mardi Gras parade. There is one major difference between how we celebrate Mardi Gras and how Australians celebrate it.  In Australia the Mardi Gras parade is really a gay pride parade, in fact anything to do with Mardi Gras over here is completely associated with the GLBT community. So really instead of going to a Mardi Gras parade on Saturday night I went to my first gay pride parade! 

Getting down there was a little bit of a pain because they had to block off a lot of the main roads for the parade route, so we did a lot of walking.  Then after all the walking we stood in one spot for about 3 hours to watch the parade.  Needless to say we were tired halfway through and Adsy's knee was killing him, so we left before it finished.

I must say I was a little disappointed in parade's level of quality.  I didn't think the floats were that great and everything looked thrown together.  Everyone made such a big deal about "Sydney's Mardi Gras" parade, but honestly I was let down.  I guess I should not be so critical of a parade, because let us be honest it is a parade, but I still thought it could have been better. Oh well it was a new experience for me, and another insight into Sydney's diverse culture.

P.S. I'm sorry I don't have pictures to show, but for whatever reason they all came out really blurry.  Just imagine a lot of guys in really short shorts.

Semester 1 courses

For any of you that care to know here is a list of the courses I am taking this semester.  I have only been to two out of the four so I'll have to let you know how they go! The first two seem good, I guess so far so good.

Writing for Different Cultures and Audiences 
This course is about the kinds of writing that those working in art institutions most commonly undertake: writing from the perspective of the institution. It recognises that writing may have many different functions and writers must learn to adapt their style, vocabulary and technique, according to who will read the product. Questions to be considered include the current debate on captions, writing for children and non-specialist publics, research techniques including oral history, press kits and media management, and different types of catalogues. The method of study is very much hands on. It involves, among other things, the editing and layout of an edition of Artwrite, a magazine of student writing.


Exhibition and Gallery Design Development  
This course considers two areas of design development. These are the theoretical and practical aspects of exhibition design and display techniques and the specific design demands of a gallery space. The ways in which the objectives of an exhibition may be identified are discussed, and all aspects related to project initiation and completion examined. These include planning and design management, budget formulation and controls, production and installation management, spatial requirements and evaluation, light and lighting.

 
Festivals and Biennales
This course covers the history, conception and implementation of arts festivals and recurrent national and international exhibitions. Particular attention is paid to events in Australia such as the Biennale of Sydney, the Australian Sculpture Triennial and the Adelaide Festival (including Artist's Week). Overseas events include the history of the Biennale commencing in Venice in 1895 to Sao Paulo and Paris, as well as major expositions such as the Indian Triennial, Documenta and the Carnegie International. The history of these complex programs is discussed, in particular, the administrative skills, conceptual insights and artistic resources essential to their successful realisation.


The Art and Culture of Everyday Life
This course looks critically at the different formulations of art in relation to mass culture. It gives an overview of the social and technological development of mass culture including the advent of photography, film, television, advertising and the popular press. Special attention is paid to the ways in which the relationship between art and mass culture has been conceptualised by such seminal thinkers as Michael de Certeau, Fernand Braudel, Paul Virilo and Jean Baudrillard.

Bars and pubs and bars and pubs...

This place looks harmless right? Well in 2008 it was named Sydney's second most violent pub, and I ventured there last Friday night. 

Friday was girls night which included dinner at a place called Beach Burrito which surprisingly was good (Adsy and I ended up having it Saturday night too). After dinner we went to Oceans bar which we've been to many of times.  Afterwards it was over to the Coogee Bay Hotel or 'the bay' as most people who go there refer to it. 

Aw the bay, Adsy hates the bay which is why I hadn't been there yet.  It took a girls night without the boys to get me to the bay. I had heard that it was the second most violent pub in Sydney/Australia but it really didn't mean anything to me.  It looks nice, why is it so violent? Well supposedly a lot of people like to fight there and the cops get called out there a lot, hence the name.

Because of this stigma of being so violent the Coogee Bay hotel has an extreme door system to let you in.  First you have to hand over your ID where they scan it into their computer system.  Then you also have to place your right index finger on a finger print scanner and get that information into their system. Freaky right? The girl who was scanning my ID and finger was so up beat about it saying "and now next time you won't even have to show your ID, just scan your finger and we'll know its you!"

Thanks but seriously I am now freaked out, and I'm not sure there will be a next time.  In fact, I think i may burn off my right index finger print because I don't think the Coogee Bay is worth the cost of my identity.