Plans... What Plans?

My plan failed for today. First, I stayed up too late talking to people in the US. I never got up so I could work until noon. At that point, I got around and grabbed a bite of lunch. It had finally stopped raining, and I decided to walk down to Darling Harbor to the Colorado store.

Colorado is a clothing and shoe brand only available here and in New Zealand. They have shoes that look like Airwalks and Vans, but they are waterproof and have better support for the foot. I did purchase a pair as I had intended. (Side note: to convert US shoes size to AU size, subtract 1 unit.) As I was walking back, the sun came out, and I wished I had brought my camera with me down to the Harbor, as there were so many pictures I could have taken. I hope to get some of the area before I leave.

When I return from my trip, I find my roommate back at the room because he left work early and his plans are to stay in the room. Therefore, I know I am not getting work done tonight either.

How I almost died today:
1. Slept too later
2. Didn’t get my work done

Turkey and Drinks

My roommate showed back up yesterday night.  He decided to get a hotel room for the night near his internship as he had to be there at 5:00 am and the commute is over an hour.  I can see why he did not show up, I just wish I would have known not to expect him.

Yesterday and today were good at my internship.  I am starting to be sad that I am leaving there.  I have really enjoyed my time even with the rough parts.  I also feel bad that I am leaving just before two major projects are completed.  They must like me, as my mid-term evaluation from them was stellar.  I think I will ask for a letter of recommendation for my file.

The Thanksgiving party put on by Boston University Sydney (the program I am attending) was fun.  They had awesome turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, green beans, a sweet potato dish, and pie.  I was also surprised as they had an open bar.  (Have to love free alcohol)  It was a nice chance to see all the people of the program again, as the last time everyone was together as a group (besides the photo) was before spring break when we all were in the Australian Culture class.

I am taking tomorrow off as my Thanksgiving Day as it better corresponds to that of the US.  I am also planning to use the day to work on my paper that is due on Monday.

How I almost died today:
1.  Ate too much Turkey and trimmings    

Australianisms

Happy Christmas??? I just find that odd. I do not think it sounds as good as Merry Christmas, but they say Happy Christmas here.

The missing roommate...

Being productive is something that can be hard to do when you are not in the mood. That is how I feel, now, but I am being productive. I just finished all the work I could do that needed to be submitted to Albion in order to receive credit for my internship. I also submitted copies to the internship director here as I am doing that in lieu of the internship course. I think this is better as it prevents me from duplicating a lot of the work.

My internship today was good. I am still working on a site called Izatso. It is a survey site. I currently am the only one working on it. They have left it to me so they can focus on the Australian Olympic Committee website that has to be done soon. In addition, the Izatso people were in today and are very happy with the site. It is nice to hear the clients talk positive about my work. The hard part is staying focused. I think that knowing that Thanksgiving is this week and that I am going home in just over 2 weeks is causing me to not focus.

Tonight, I have not seen or heard from my roommate. If I do not see him by this time tomorrow, I will worry. I just kind of wonder what happened to him, as he never said he was staying elsewhere. Oh well. I like having the room to myself. Moreover, I do not have to worry about him complaining that I stay up too late!

How I almost died today:
1. Had to complete a lot of work on short notice so I could submit it to BU

I can listen at a reasonable volume, between 9 and 11

Today was exciting because I did not have class. The professor gave us today off to work on our 2500 word papers. Not so fun! However, we did an extension that gives us until next Monday to have the done. Yay! I spent most of today doing research for my paper. I have lots to read. My topic is the Asian Financial Crisis. I want to deal with the causes and solutions.

Other news was that we as students organized a group photo that we are having framed and are presenting to the director of the BU program here in Sydney. I think this is a great gesture.

I wish I had more to report, but I spent too much time working on my paper.

How I almost died today:
1. Paper research and writing

Who knew mail could be so exciting?

Kristin- Thank you very much for the card and sticker!! It was great to hear from you!! Yes, I thought the neighborhood being called Chippendale was cool as well. By the way, I hope the trip to Canada was fun. I never saw you as a Peace Corp type, but if your heart leads you to it, do it! I have not heard of anyone regretting the Peace Corp. And yes, online stalking (facebooking, blog reading, and picture viewing) is a great way to check up on friends.

The exciting part about this weekend was getting my mail, which included a card from Kristin. Most of the rest of the weekend was spent watching movies and reading. I am trying to catch up on things happening in Michigan, with Albion College, and with Best Buy so I know what I am going back to.

The second most exciting part was receiving my RA application in my e-mail. I originally sent an e-mail to Trajan (RD, Twin Towers) and Connie Smith (Director, Residential Life) about how to apply while being off campus. However, after 4 days, I had not received a response and the deadline is Monday. Since, I really would like this position, I sent an e-mail to Sally Walker (Dean, Student Affairs), and she sent e-mails to Trajan and Sally asking them to get back to me. Now, I hope I get the position. At least, the first step is done. I hope I did not hinder my ability to get the position by stepping on toes to get the application.

How I almost died this weekend:
1. Filled with joy from receiving mail