...but mama that's where the fun is

It's about 3 in the morning our time and Matt and I are killing some time before we head to the airport for our 6am flight. Let me tell you that this has without a doubt been the best weekend of my trip so far. Lots of great stories and pictures will follow tomorrow, but we camped in the rain, saw some awesome beaches, hiked a mountain, saw an awesome sunset, rented a car and drove 5 hours to see another awesome sunset, and so much more. Full details will follow tomorrow after I wake up. Happy May Day!!

Off to Melbourne

I'm heading down to Melbourne for the weekend. Decided this morning to fly down with my buddy Matt. Going to be staying with one of his friends who lives down there. Hopefully going to a anational park and the Great Ocean Road. Will be back Tuesday with stories and pictures.

Til then.

Halfway Point

So it's April 22 and I have just under two months left until I head back to the States. (less than that for my birthday) It's been a crazy two months so far that seems to have flown by. I've learned to surf, been to a handful of different beaches on the East Coast of Australia. I've tried more than a handful of Austrlian beers and met people from all over the US and around the world. Overall it's been a great experience. I've said this before, but it's very similar to Freshmen year of college. It's nice and weird to experience this all over again. You go to a place that you aren't very familiar with. You're living with people you probably have never met before. You get along with some of them, you don't get along with others. You're trying to figure out what food is safe to eat and/or what new combinations of food you've never imagined are actually delicious, like a cheese sandwich with pickles, sweet chili sauce, and potatoe chips. You're trying to figure out how professors grade and find that balance between doing work and going out and enjoying yourself. Sometimes going crazy when you realize that you are doing too much of one or the other. When you look back on it it's probably the best time of your life and you probably met people you will keep in contact with for the rest of your life. But there is also a part of me that doesn't miss freshmen year and the stupid arguments and conversations you have when people don't get you or don't get your sarcasm. You spend so much time trying to impress or define yourself to people, and some of which you'll never see again. I came to Sydney so I wouldn't get caught in the trap of staying with 'the group' the entire time. Less people, I thought meant less likely to get sucked into that trap. But I did get sucked in. I enjoyed. Had a lot of fun when we did stuff together like surf camp and exploring parts of the city, but now I'm ready to break free a little. Do some of the stuff that I want to do with different people and go out and meet people I haven't met yet. It just seems like I'm getting critized by the group for it now. They are mad at me because I don't want to spend every waking moment with them. Life is too short to walk on eggshells for other people and these next two months will be the best two months of my life thus far. Lots of trips planned and lots of people out there to meet. Somewhere in the rush maybe I'll find a job. It's kind of sad when you don't even get a call back from Subway :( But I'm out on the prowl again on Monday.

Until later

Tragedy at VA Tech

When I went to bed last night, two people had been killed, but the killer was still on the loose. This morning there are thirty two people dead in the worst mass shooting in US history. It's been 8 years since the attacks at Columbine that left the country in shock and which lead to nearly a dozen copycat attacks. I hope the same doesn't occur here. What would possibly drive someone to kill two people and then continue on to lock a building and kill everyone in that building. I hope that they are able to find some sort of reasoning behind it. If there even is one.

Thoughts and prayers go out to friends and families of the victims.

It's a mad mad world we live in.

Songs of the Week

Here are the songs I've been listening to this week. Just click on a song to hear it. I've mentioned most of the music in previous posts. I'll update every week or so with new songs that are out. The Pink song is one that I've been listening to alot lately. She was just on Jimmy Kimmel Live to perform it, and thanked him for letting her. A lot of radio and TV networks won't let her talk about it or perform it. I think it has a lot to say about where our country is right now in terms of freedom. We are fighting multiple wars to bring other people freedom and we are losing alot of our own freedoms right here. Pink's song is an open letter to the President. Here are the lyrics:
Dear Mr. President
Come take a walk with me
Let's pretend we're just two people and
You're not better than me
I'd like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly

What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street
Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep
What do you feel when you look in the mirror
Are you proud

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye
How do you walk with your head held high
Can you even look me in the eye
And tell me why

Dear Mr. President
Were you a lonely boy
Are you a lonely boy
Are you a lonely boy
How can you say
No child is left behind
We're not dumb and we're not blind
They're all sitting in your cells
While you pay the road to hell

What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye
How do you walk with your head held high
Can you even look me in the eye

Let me tell you bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you bout hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
You don't know nothing bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
Oh

How do you sleep at night
How do you walk with your head held high
Dear Mr. President
You'd never take a walk with me
Would you


Jimmy asked her if she expected a response. She said "yeah through eminem". I guess we will just have to wait and see.

The Don Imus situation is an interesting one as well. Not as out there as Howard Stern, but still a shock jock, Imus and his producer made an on air comment about the mostly African American Rutgers basketball team following their lose in the NCAA Championship. What started out as a two week suspension, has now become his firing. While what he said was completely inapproriate, it still brings into question the idea of freedom of speech. As a student of the media, it was really interesting to watch. Those of you who live in the capital region and listen to the New Edge radio station (104.9) may have noticed last week that Darwin and Cat were suspended for a week after a comment they made caused some controversy as well. While were talking about radio, anyone who may have been listening Friday night your time to Fly92 at 9:50 may have caught my cameo appearance. If you did, don't worry, the story was exaggerated for radio purposes.

I have also gotten my hands on some audio software and have been messing around with some songs and mashups etc. I may also be recording a podcast for you all in the next week or so depending on how much time I have. A podcast is like an audio file where I can record a blog or journal entry and save so you can all download and hear it. I've been trying to call people when I have time, but there are just so many of you, so this will be like a one sided phone conversation. So I'll work on that.

Hope you are all having a great weekend.
Til Later

Easter Week At A Glance

So this week has been a week off and it's really nice. The weather has been absolutely beautiful. Temps in the 70s and not a cloud in the sky. The nights are cool and if it rains at all it rains in the middle of the night. I talked to the girls a couple days ago. They are up north and said that it rained the first two days of their spring break and they actually had to cancel a couple of their planned events. I've been playing poker every night this week. Most pubs have free tournaments. First night I finished 12, second night 5, and last night I finished 16th. We'll see if I can win tonight.

The past two days I went to the beach and spent the day in the sun. It's a little breezy so even though it's hot in the sun, the breeze and the water tend to cool it down. Yesterday I walked from Bondi to Bronte which is about a 3.5km walk (2miles) and took a whole bunch of pictures. I'll post the pictures later tonight or tomorrow. Today I just went out for a walk. Was going to head over to the Harbour because it was another nice day out, when I came across the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Tonight is the John Mayer concert and I swung by to see if I could hear soundcheck. We didn't hear anything, but I hung out for another half hour or so. Then we figured out why we couldn't hear anything, he wasn't there yet. Around 3:45 a van pulled up with the band and John himself. He signed a few autographs and took a picture or two before heading into the venue. I got a picture on my cell phone, but I don't know how good it came out. Even though I'm not going to the show here, it was cool to meet him. No Jessica Simpson, although she is in Australia. Definitely want to go to the show at SPAC.

So supposed be another nice weekend. There is a big fair going on in Sydney that I might try and go to. I also am still trying to get to the zoo or aquarium this weekend. If I do, you'll definitely hear about and see pictures.

Until then.

Picture catch-up

Sushi Train at Coogee Beach. You pick what you want as it goes buy and pay 2.50 a plate when you're done. It's quite the bargain and also a fun little idea.
Northeastern Crew at Bondi Beach

Northeastern Crew and the Indiana Boys at Coogee Beach

Alex and I. I sure know how to ruin a picture don't I.
Group shot of the Northeastern Crew. I managed to look decent in this one at least.

Jess, Barbara and I on our Bridgewalk a few weeks back.

Barbara and I in our glory on St Patrick's Day. What do you mean she doesn't look Irish?

So there are some back photos from the trip so far. If the weather is nice I'll have more this week from my adventures of break. And to clarify now and save the questions later...the girls are all just friends...no girlfriend. They are all crazy in their own ways so I don't even get involved like that.