Top Ten Things of the Semester

There comes a time in every blogger/internet journalist in which a top ten countdown is absolutely inevitable and this feels like one of those times.  I have currently completed half of my six exams as of today and have a couple days off before my next one so I thought I would update my blog since I hadn't in a while due to studying for these finals. I have my psych, vertebrate zoology theory, and human reproductive bio lab done, and am looking forward to bio theory, zoo lab, and sports psychology next week.  I have an exam Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and then leave Thursday night for Cairns.  So without further ado since I know you don't really care about me finals I give you the top ten things I have learned/done/have happened to me since I have been here. I figure I will make a blog post about my post-semester travels after I do them so they will not be included in my top ten.

I learned that I hate flies (at least in Australia). I already commented on this in my last post but when you end up swallowing flies and having them crawl up your nose your disdain for them grows.  I really hope my hate for them dwindles when I get back to the states.





When you have the same things over again (some kind of meat, potatoes, steamed veggies, cut up fruit) for dinner every night it really makes you appreciate other dinners. I really am not complaining since I don't mind Tommy dinners as much as some others on the trip, but it makes you appreciate South Dining Hall and laugh remembering when you and your friends went through saying "there's nothing for dinner tonight!" On a related food note, I have cooked out or barbecued here on three separate occasions for groups of people and have enjoyed cooking kangaroo steaks, lamb, and sausages for people immensely. Kangaroo is especially good.

DC.  I love DC. I thought one 320 GB hard drive was big enough to bring here. Boy was I wrong. I am down to my last 50 gigs and have been very selective about what I download.  I love getting new music, movies, and tv shows.







I have learned a whole bunch of Australian words and lingo since I have been here and would just like to share a couple of my favorites as well as some just plain weird ones.  Favorites:  Heaps - meaning large amounts of anything, "I [hopefully] have heaps of friends back a Notre Dame reading this right now"    Arvo - short for afternoon, "Hey can I borrow your homework this arvo?"    Cheers - thanks, goodbye, basically the best way to end an email    Annoying ones: Starting out any answer to any question regardless if it is answerable with the word 'yeah',  Me: Hey how ya going?  Australian: Yeah, good thanks.    Saying 'hey' an obnoxious amount at the end of any sentence.  "They're playing so bad hey" or "This is so good hey"

I have also learned that most Australian accents are not that cool and just really annoying, especially the females.  Really not all they are hyped up to be. Trust me on this one.








I miss volleyball a lot.  After going a semester without playing it competitively for the first time in eight year it really dawned on me how much I love the sport.  I knew it was easily my favorite sport to play but it just hit me how much I do like it and gave me a taste of what will happen in a year and a half.  I think I miss the camaraderie and my teammates more than the sport itself however. That is what really makes being on a team fun, not the sport itself.



I have learned that taking time out for oneself is harder than it sounds. I have never really had this much free time during a semester without all of my normal activities, like sports and work, so trying to fill that time has been a bit of a challenge for me. Or at least was at first. I have gotten a hang of it as the semester progresses and when it comes time to have almost everything scheduled into my day again it will be just another thing I have to adapt (or should I say revert) to




 Not having a cell phone (kind of). I do have a cell phone that I bought here to contact my parents since our internet sucks back home and therefor cannot Skype, but I hardly ever use it here. I do not carry it around with me at all during the day and is just pretty liberating not being attached to one at all times.  It will come in handy for travels however.



Card nights in the JCR.  One of my favorite activities of the semester has been getting a group of friends, my computer for music, and heading down to the Junior Common Room to spend an evening playing cards.  I would much rather sit around playing cards than watching tv most nights and after teaching a handful of people the greatest card game in the world, Sheepshead, and learning a couple new ones myself we were set for the semester.  It was a great way to spend a lot of nights here getting to know people and just hanging out in general.

 And number one.  Some of you may have guessed it by now since it hasn't come up on this top ten list yet or in my blog in general really.  The best thing that has happened to me since I have been here is finding someone special to share all the experiences with.  Yeah I am not going to get all mushy on you guys but seriously meeting my girlfriend Kelly Nickodem has made the trip that much better.