Having a Ball!

I have been keeping quite busy here in old Hobart. My dormitory, John Fisher College, has been hosting quite a few get-togethers for the new students. We have had two raging parties in the basement (or the Buttery, as the students call it), and thankfully, no one even noticed my lack of drinking (does that say something about my personality when people think I'm wasted?).
One evening we got a small ship and went on a cruise for a few hours. There was great music (oldies, I was the only person that knew the songs, but I knew every word- don't tell anyone that I'm not, but people thought I was cool for that).
On Saturday we had a big scavenger hunt for the first year students. We had to go to pubs all over the city and ask old members of John Fisher questions, and we had to do silly things and take pictures, like everyone standing in all of the fountains we could find, trying to get an application to an all girls elementary school for one of the boys in the group, and a whole lot more crazy things- one of the boys had to wear a big chain collar and be on a dog leash (or 'lead') the whole time! The whole thing took about four or five hours, but it was a blast, and my group won!!
Yesterday we had a silly sports day where we competed against all of the other dorms (they call them "collages"). We did egg and spoon races, three legged races, tug of war... you name it! My team lost... oh, everything, but it was fun. Then the slip and slide was called off pretty quick when two kids got knocked out and one went to the emergency room, so a bunch of us went to the beach.
I have also really been finding there is a GREAT music scene here in Hobart. On Friday I found a little bar with an old couple playing old country songs, and, while mingling with the people there, I found out about many more great places to find music. Saturday a girl from Devinport (a city in northern Tasmania) and I went to a jazz festival across the river; there were some fantastic Big Band bands. A fellow there showed me a thing or two about swing dancing and invited us to some lessons on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Then, Sunday night I went to this dodgy little bar (just my style) called Doctor Syntax, and there was a great blues band there. I met a bunch of old locals, and had a blast dancing with them. I think that may become a regular hang out for me!
Today was the first day of classes. I only had one, and am in the process of getting signed up for the rest (I hope it works out!). Today I had Foundation Audio- an audio recording class. The teacher couldn't stress enough how easy the class was going to be, but I am very excited to learn about how to record my music.
I'll try to get more pictures up this week, until then, I hope everyone is staying warm and safe! That storm looks NASTY!

Hooray! I made it to Sydney!

This one is for my sisters

The Opera House

Those are definitely fruit bats, and they were HUGE and loud! There were about fifteen trees FULL of them! I know, it's kinda gross.

So, I still have had no luck getting my Internet up, sorry. I'll work on getting pictures up.
It is absolutely beautiful down here. The other day a girl from Denmark, and girl from FL and I went into Hobart (we are just outside a suburb called Sandy Bay). We did a little shopping and touring around and went on a boat tour around the river and out into the cove. We met up with a guy from Missouri and spent the afternoon on the beach. It is absolutely paradise. We found some little clear things that looked like giant jelly beans, but they were completely see though; you almost couldn't see them at all! We played with them for a little bit before we found a native to ask what they were... jelly fish. I was scared for a second that we might have poisoned ourselves, but we were assured that the little things were harmless. I found a starfish that had just washed up on shore and threw him back to the water. There wasn't too much more wildlife there besides the seagulls. Hopefully I will be able to get some pictures up by tomorrow. Thanks for keeping in touch everyone!!

I made it!

The trip down here was a little rocky at first, but once I got to San Francisco everything went great.
I had a ten hour layover in Sydney and took full advantage. I checked my luggage into a holding place ($16 for 2 bags for 6 hours) and got a two way train ticket to the Central Quay for $19. (My pronunciation of the word was made fun of quite merceylessly, apparently it is obviously pronounced 'key' not 'kay'... stinkin' Aussies) I found the Opera house (which I did not take a tour of, mostly because I was not in the mood to be inside and $30 was cutting into my pocket cash a little deep). I spent most of my time in the Royal Botanical Garden- it was fantastic! I will have to post pictures of that when the university fixes my internet connection. The flight to Tassie was quick and painless, and the place I am staying in is lovely. My room is very nice (the view is spectacular!) and the people here are SO friendly (I only fear their attitudes will change when I tell them I do not drink- that seems to be VERY important here). The food is... well, it's mostly edible so far. And the bathrooms... wow. I think I got six STD's just from walking in there. I believe I came out of the shower dirtier than when I went in! Wed. is the big orientation, and I am sure I will get involved in many fun clubs when that comes around!
Great to hear from you, Mom and Em! Thanks for posting me comments!

Last Supper

In an hour I will be sitting in the Des Moines airport twiddling my thumbs and waiting to board my plain. For now I sit at the end of the kitchen counter anxiously awaiting the garden omelet my father is making for me- my last American meal. It's Vegemite and granola from here on out!