Life in Newcastle

I'm not even going to try to make an excuse this time. Straight-up laziness. Anyway, this post we're going to have a change of pace. I'm going to talk about some school stuff and everyday life in Newcastle just so people can get an idea of what I'm up to when I'm not gallivanting around on the weekends (though I do have another weekend trip report too!).

Newcastle itself is a fair-sized city. It's hard to compare it to Seattle or Bellingham because it's so spread out. Australia is the country of suburbs, basically what we call neighborhoods, and there are many of them. The University and surrounding area is located in the Callaghan suburb. The city of Newcastle has a population of about 150,000 (according to the Lonely Planet guidebook; other sources say as high as 300-500,000). Although it's a somewhat small city, it is also the largest coal exporter in the world! I didn't really take any pictures of the campus, city, or waterfront, and now my camera has mysteriously stopped working. I'll try to throw a few in but you can also google image some of the places I mention for better views. As Newcastle is a coastal city (most of Australia's cities are) there are plenty of beaches. The weather right now is something like a Northwest Spring or Fall. Temperatures mostly around 60 degrees and usually sunny or partly cloudy. It rains once a week or so.

This picture is of Nobby's Beach and the lighthouse down at the end. It's not very busy here, but I'm told that once it heats up in a month or so, it will be very crowded.

I know about four groups of people who live off-campus, most of them a short walk from "downtown". I say it with quotes because it's not the CBD (central business district) but more the cultural center, with most of the museums, restaurants, bars, beaches, etc. located nearby. The Newcastle Train station is also located in this area, so all of the buses and trains end up there eventually, so getting there is pretty easy.

The University of Newcastle actually has a few different campuses. The largest and most attended campus is Callaghan (where I am). There is also the Ourimbah campus, which is a ways South, and another in Port Macquarie. Again depending on where you look, the total enrolment is about 20-30,000 students though to me it feels about the same as Western because I often see people I know when walking around. Callaghan campus is probably about two to three times bigger than Western's campus, though there are lots of undeveloped areas and lots of natural bushland, which adds a nice secluded feel as you walk through. It's also pretty cool to hear all these "exotic" birds chirping away: magpies, lorikeets and the occasional kookaburra. There is also some bird that sounds like a child screaming or some animal being killed, but I can't figure out what it is.

There are four on-campus colleges (what we call dorms) which house about 1,000 students. The colleges are International House, where I live, Edwards Hall, Evatt House and Barahineban. There are often intercol events arranged among the colleges. Just some of the many events are Autonomoy Day (mentioned in an earlier post), a winery tour in Hunter Valley, Olympic Night (everyone dresses up as some type of Olympian), Gender Bender (dress as the opposite sex), Campus Scamper (a 5k race around the campus) and there is an upcoming trip to the horse-race track. There are also sporting matches between the colleges, including soccer, basketball, volleyball, netball and maybe some others. There is definitely a more communal feel to living on campus here than in the States (at least at Western). You get to know a lot of the people in your college through the events and most of the time the events are free or at a discounted price.

To anyone thinking about studying abroad, I would definitely recommend living on campus over living off campus, for a number of reasons. First there is the social aspect. As I said, you meet tons of great people very quickly. Living off campus, you are usually paired with other Americans and it can take you awhile to meet other people unless you are really outgoing and look for events on your own. There is also the fact that you are already on campus and don't have to commute every day; it costs $6 a day to go from town to Uni and back! Another handy thing is not having to pay for utilities or worry about not having certain amenities. In my unit we have high-speed internet in our rooms, a communal TV and a kitchen with every appliance or piece of cookware you could desire. We also have a swimming pool, ping-pong and billiards table, outdoor BBQs and laundry. I think I've made my point...

I'll talk a little about IH so you get an idea about my living situation. IH has 11 main block units which are separate buildings. Each block is two or three stories. Most blocks have 10 people per floor, though some are five person units. I live on the first floor of block five with nine Australian roommates. Although International House is about 50 per cent overseas students, I ended up with all Aussies. Each unit has a main entrance onto a communal living room with TV and couches and an adjoining kitchen. There are two hallways off each side of the common room with five rooms on each side sharing a bathroom. I spend the majority of my time with my roommates unless I'm off on some weekend trip, which are generally spent with Australearn students. We all get along really well and have lots of fun hanging out in the lounge and causing mayhem. Each college has a different meal plan as well. IH has a dinner for every weekday, five a week, so we have to get all of our other meals on our own. There is a shopping center called Jesmond about five minutes away by car which has a grocery store and a bunch of other shops. It's not very big compared to some of the other shopping centers in Newcastle, but it's close and easy to get there. The shops all close at 5pm except on Thursday when they are open to 9. The Uni provides a free bus to the shops on Thursdays which is nice for people who can't get rides or don't want to pay to ride the bus.

A view of the courtyard outside the IH blocks.

The schools system in general also works differently down here. Instead of having each class every day or a few times a week, there is usually just one lecture and one tutorial a week for each class. The lectures are the same as in the states, but a tutorial is a much smaller group that meets and is much more interactive and personal. I really like this system because it makes the subjects more interesting and you get more involved in the discussions. The thing I don't like about the Australian school system is how assessments are handled. In the states we have a lot of small assignments, essays, quizzes or exams. Here you only have a few assessments, either essays or exams, which are worth a large percentage of the grade. In my case, I have only one exam and about 10 essays. If you screw up on an assessment it can really hurt your grade, so you have to be careful. The grading system itself is also different. Instead of letter grades, you get marks. The different marks are high distinction, distinction, credit, pass and fail (anything less than 50). If you get 85 or above then you get a HD which is very good and represents exceptional thought and substantial additional research; basically, hard to get. A 75-84 is a distinction, which is equivalent to an A, and a 65-74 is credit, equivalent to a B. At Western all international grades transfer back as pass or fail, so all I technically need to get are 50s and I would still be fine (don't worry Mom and Dad, I'm still working hard).

Here's a brief rundown of the classes I'm taking.

Australia in the 20th Century - a history class starting with Federation in Australia (becoming an independent country), we are looking at Australia's role in the world and the development of Australian society, culture, politics and economy. Our main assignment is an essay examining a topic of choice. I'm doing my essay on the Great Depression in Australia and looking at how the government responded to the emergency.

Australian Popular Culture - a class that examines popular culture in various media, including movies, books and art. We have been looking a lot at traditional figures of national identity, such as the Anzac or the digger, the bushman, the drover's wife and the lifesaver (lifeguard). I did my first essay in this class on the lifesaver, comparing the traditional views of a lifesaver with a contemporary depiction in some form of media. I chose this video which was used as an advertisement. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2DXxXd1Q_M

Myth Making and Mythic Experience - an anthropology class that examines the roles of myth in different societies, specifically how myths and stories contribute to group identity and shape everyday life. We use a number of different perspectives from anthropologists/sociologists like Freud (psychoanalysis), Malinowski (functionalism) and Levi-Strauss (structuralism) to analyse the myths. My final essay is an examination of a Brothers Grimm story using the various methods we have learned. An interesting class because many of these associations and symbols can be so arbitrary and connections can be made very loosely.

Indigenous Peoples of the Contemporary World - an anthropology class that examines the roles and conditions of indigenous peoples all over the world. We have been looking at traditional knowledge, spirituality, treaties and general interactions with Western societies. Often depressing because we learn about all of the horrible things aboriginal people have had to go through. Last week we were looking at "the Stolen Generation", which was when the Australian government deemed Aboriginal parents unable to raise their own children and took them away. Many were put in large boarding schools or group homes where they were often faced with physical and sexual abuse.

Well, hopefully that gives you a good idea of life in Newcastle. Another post soon; now it's time for tea (dinner)!

Find Your Mojo

Well, I've gone and done it again: missed an update. Though I must profess that this time it wasn't entirely my fault. The internet in our dorm was out for a few days, so that's part of my excuse. I hate doing these lengthy updates. There's so much to try and remember.

I'll start with the weekend after we went to Sydney (my previous post), which was our surf trip with MojoSurf to Crescent Head. You may find that I often use the world "we" instead of "I." This is mainly because I travel with a group of buddies on most adventures I undertake. Towards the end of my trip, I'll probably be doing some solo traveling, but that's later!

This trip was one that a bunch of us Australearn students scheduled back in Cairns during our first week in Australia. It seemed like it would be a good way to reconnect with others after the first few weeks of school. After class on Friday, about five of us met up and headed down to the train station and found the rest of the group already there. We took the train a short two stops up and got off to find Ian, the guy we had signed up with, waiting for us with a big ol' bus. The drive to Crescent Head was about three or four hours, so it was dark by the time we got there. We got off the bus and met some of the other staff members and surf instructors. They showed us around a bit and we got our beds set up. Then we headed up to the firepit and they got a nice blaze going for us to warm up (it was really cold there at night). We sat by the fire for a few hours chatting and relaxing while music was playing. We turned in a bit early because we got up early the next morning to make the most of our time.

Part of the camp.

The weather all weekend was beautiful. We had clear skies and it was pretty warm, though the wind did make it a bit chilly at times. Saturday morning we had a nice breakfast of cereal, fresh fruit, and toast. While we ate, one of the guys in charge gave us the rundown on the beach and what we would be doing for the next two days. The guy's name was Kimbo, and he was one of the funniest blokes I've come across. If you picture the Dude from The Big Lebowski, you can get an idea of his general demeanor. He pretty much wore a bathrobe and slippers around the entire time. Anyway, after the speech he gave, we all got kitted out with wetsuits, each one having a unique name on it. Mine was Lycra Man.

The superhero called Lycra Man.

The wetsuits were pretty worn and didn't exactly fit, but they kept us warm. The water actually wasn't too cold. The locals here think the water is freezing; I tell them to check out the Puget Sound. We headed down to the beach, and after a brief lesson of the basics, jumped into the water. Most people progressed at the same rate. It took awhile to actually stand up on the board, but a lot of people were starting to get it down. We went at it for a few hours, having fun and occasionally getting crushed under a wave. After a delicious lunch break consisting of grilled cheese sandwiches, we hit the surf again. If I had to guess, I would say we spent about five or six hours surfing that day.

Woohoo, totally gnarly dewd.

That night we had a great BBQ dinner (did I mention that all the meals there were amazing?) and another night at the firepit. One of the best parts of being down on the beach and away from the cities was the lack of light pollution. If you got away from the fire and down to the beach, the stars were absolutely awesome. And it's weird because none of the stars are familiar. You wouldn't expect to notice the difference, but it's there.

A moment of quiet contemplation by the fire.

The next morning we headed back out for a few more hours. Putting the wetsuits back on after they had been sitting out all night in the freezing cold was not too fun. Once we got back into the water though, it was no problem. The last few hours were pretty good. Consistent and good size waves. The instructors said that the conditions were perfect for learning. By the end, we were all pretty tired, cold, and a little sore. After lunch, we rounded up all our stuff and hopped back on the bus for the long haul home.


Just a short video of the beach so you can get an idea of the location. Beauty.

Weekend in Sydney

It's about that time yet again ladies and gentlemen. This week we are looking back at the first (and hopefully not the last) weekend trip to Sydney!

This tale of intrigue and wonder begins on Friday afternoon. After class, I met up with another American fellow called Patrick who also lives in IH. Packing for me consisted of throwing a few articles of clothing, some toiletries, and my guidebook in my backpack. Later that weekend, I would find out that I had forgotten a number of essential items, including any extra socks, towel, or shampoo and soap. At least now I will remember for next time. Once ready, Patrick and I headed down to the train station and bought our tickets. The price of a one-way ticket to Sydney is only $18, which isn't too bad. However, certain exchange students are allowed to get a concession sticker which grants discounts on all bus and rail transportation; for them, the cost is only $9. Unfortunately, we did not have this sticker. The trip to Sydney was about three hours. I spent most of the time reading through my guidebook trying to setup some type of tour.

When we arrived in Sydney, we got off the train and walked the four or five blocks to our hostel. As we walked in the door, a few of our friends were in the lobby also checking in. Quite a few of us had been planning on going down and most of them had left early on Friday because they didn't have class. We checked in and headed up to our room. The room we booked is called The Church, because it's a large 28-person dorm with 14 bunkbeds and three stained glass windows. You might think you would go crazy in a room like that, but it was actually pretty quiet, and for $13 a night, who can argue?!

This picture gives you an idea of the layout of the room. It was really cool when the sun came up and the only light was through the stained glass windows.

Once we were all settled, we headed down to the lobby to see what was planned for the night. The hostel we were staying at, called Westend, has a different activity for every day of the week, and they often involve freebies or discounts. Friday happened to be free wine and cheese night in the lounge. Granted, it was just a couple boxes of wine (which the Australian's invented by the way) and stock cheddar cheese cubes on cheap crackers, but remember, we only paid $13. In the lounge, we met a bloke from Texas called Max who had been working Brisbane for a few months and was on holiday in Sydney for a week before returning home. He had traveled alone so he would be joining us the next day on our adventures. After both the wine sacks were gone, the staff led us all over to a bar called Scubar, where we got all you can eat pizza for $10 and discounts on drinks. We also went to another bar called Side Bar, which had more of a dance scene. We danced the night away and ran into a ton of other students from Newcastle who also happened to be in Sydney.

The next morning, I was kind of appointed group tour guide, as I had looked into all the sights and activities. Everyone was pretty keen on my suggestions, as most of them were free. The general plan way to wind our way North through the city ending up on the Harbour to see the Opera House and Bridge. But first was the pressing issue of our rumbling tummies. We went to an Irish pub for an Irish breakfast: toast with sunny side up eggs, and lots of bacon and sausage. After filling up, we headed over to Paddy's Markets, which was your standard flea market with cheap products abounding. One of the most interesting items we came across were stuffed kangaroo arms for backscratchers and even more interesting, stuffed kangaroo testicles which were bottle openers and lighters (seen below).


Now, I for one don't really like these markets because it's all cheap stuff and I feel like you can find them anywhere. Once we got out of there, it was time to see some real sights. I directed the group first over to Hyde Park and the ANZAC Memorial. Hyde Park is a pretty large park in the middle of the city and the ANZAC (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps) Memorial is dedicated to those who served in WWI. Next we headed over to St. Mary's Cathedral, which was quite impressive, inside and out.


(Just a note that any pictures on this blog can be enlarged by clicking on them)

After St. Mary's we steered our way up towards the Royal Botanical Gardens, which cover quite a large area. The signs there say things like "Please walk on the grass and feel free to hug the trees." It was a beautiful sunny day. One of the hottest we have experienced yet, though also quite windy at times. The lawns at the Gardens were littered with people napping, picnicking, and playing sports. One interesting thing were the thousands of huge bats hanging in the trees. It was a little odd to see bats flying around in the middle of the day. We walked to a point in the Gardens right on the Harbour where we finally got our first glimpses of the canonical Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. After strolling around and taking copious amounts of pictures, we headed in for a closer look.

Most of us were surprised to see that the Opera House is actually layered with tiles. I had always thought it was concrete, but I related to the group the knowledge from my guidebook: designed by Danish architect Jorn Utzon, the Opera House's 67-meter-high roof features over 27,000 tons of Swedish tiles-- over 1,056,000 of them. The Opera House hosts 2,400 events annually (about six and a half per day!) at a cost of around $40 million.

We met up with some other Newcastle people and headed inside for a look around. There was a TV screen showing a live performance in the main concert hall. A girl from our group was inquiring about seeing a show in late August when she returned. After telling us about the various shows and us wincing at the prices, the sales person told us about a comedy called "The 39 Steps," which was not yet in season so the prices were cheaper. He informed us that there a show was to start in 20 minutes, and that yes, there was a student discount! For only $26 each, we got to see a production at the Sydney Opera House! The show was an adaptation of a Hitchcock movie, which was based off an old novel. We really had no idea going into the show what the plot was or anything like that, but we just couldn't pass up the deal. It turned out to be a hilarious and fun production, much akin to a Monty Python movie, as the cast consisted of only four characters, quickly changing outfits, characters, and accents, sometimes doing two characters on stage at once! All-in-all, it was an excellent production and a terrific deal.

We got out of the play after the sun had set. We were a little disappointed because we had hoped to walk along the Bridge as it went down, but there will be other opportunities. We did end up getting some awesome night shots, as the city looks spectacular after dark.


We wandered around a bit looking for a cheap place to eat, until we found a fast-food type place with homemade pizza and kebabs. We headed back to our hostel and prepared for another night out. I don't remember if I realized it Saturday night or the night before, but I had forgotten to pack any extra socks, so I had to put the same dirty pair back on in order to go out. You can't wear thongs (flip-flops) into bars here. That night the hostel took us to a bar called The Gaff, where we got some more discounts on drinks. At about 10pm, we were informed that the downstairs was open. We didn't even realize there was a downstairs, but we headed down underground to a place of stone walls and arches. It was another fun night and we danced lots and again saw people from our Uni.

The next morning, a bunch of people went to the morning Mass at St. Mary's. I wasn't really interested and opted to sleep in, but they said it was an interesting experience. Sunday's plan was a little more relaxed and less structured. We first headed over to Darling Harbour on the West side of downtown. There were lots of people out, as it was another gorgeous day. There was a boat show going on with lots of fancy yachts, but you had to pay to get in, so we steered clear. We walked around that area for a bit before getting some fish and chips for lunch. We hopped on a ferry and took a short ride around the bend to Circular Quay (pronounced "key") where we had another great view of the Opera House and went right under the Bridge. After paying for our "child" tickets at the automated machines, we headed up to walk across the Bridge, where we were treated to more astounding views. There is an option to actually climb the top of the bridge for one of the best views in the city, but it's at least $175 and takes about three hours. We were happy with our view and the walk across. By now, my feet were starting to get tired; I had been walking around in thongs the past two days. We decided to head back to the hostel and go home.


The train back to Newcastle seemed a lot longer than the way to Sydney. Mike posited that it was because we had no anticipation of getting there. Perhaps so. Overall, it was an outstanding weekend, and I hope there are more to come. Already next weekend we have our big surf trip with all of the Australearn students. I think it will be a good way to catch up with a lot of the people that I haven't seen much in the past few weeks. Well, its almost 2:30am now and I've been writing this for at least two hours. With class tomorrow for most of the day, I think it's time to sign off. More to come.