Marine Biology

1/31
So this morning Angie G woke me up at 8:15 for my 9am class.. she needs to learn I don’t need that much time to get ready. Haha. I know she was just looking out though. So we went to marine bio. He lectured us in this quiet voice for over 3 hours. I fell asleep as did other people. I mean the stuff is interesting... but in the morning... a 3 hour lecture??? Whoa. Then we had a lunch break, followed by a beach walk. He kept seeing some clear penny-sized jellyfish from about 10 feet away. That was about all we did. To be honest, it was kind of a let down. But maybe next time will be better. Tracy is in that class so I talked to her.

Then we met the others at the pool. I swam a 500 to make up for not doing swim club this week. Then I had to go the meeting to pay my 100 dollars down for scuba.

I got so angry because they were trying to decide what days to do the classroom learning and they asked if anyone had anything to do on Friday, I did. I had planned to spend a couple days in Byron with the cabin kids but no one even listened to me speak.

So then I went and swam a 1500 to get the frustration out. After- it was shower time in order to get to the meeting with the Aussie policeman. No, I wasn’t in trouble; it was just for all of us to know the laws here and what not.

I came back and got on the computer to fix the stupid blog... and had to do that for several hours. Then headed down to the cabins and played euchre. Anyone starting to spot a trend?

This is a Bluebottle jellyfish... we looked at them during our beachwalk for Marine Biology

And our pool... its pretty nice.

Sports Administration

1/30
I got up at like 9:50 this morning, which is the latest I’ve woken up since I got here. I just got on the computer to upload the blog I made last night, well it wouldn’t work. So I had to re-do everything...which is what you're reading! I talked to people and then promptly got offline without waiting for return goodbyes because I had gotten so angry about it.

Then I went to the beach. The waves were pretty intense and I got sucked out by the rip tide. I got pretty tired. Then I went down to the cabins and went to the pool with the group. After that we got ready to go to town.

So Angie K, JD, Mike, Ashley, Tracy and I went into Lennox Head looking for bathing suits. We waited around till 5 to get the two for one deal at Subway. I had a club sub and it was pretty good. Then we went grocery shopping…I got 2 things of milk because I’ve been sharing with between 3 and 5 people and haven’t gotten to use hardly any.

Then I came back and got ready for class. It was Intro to Sports Adminstration and it was pretty awesome. The professor is pretty sarcastic and fun… it will be work, but I think I’m going to like it. We analyzed sports commercials and advertising and we’re supposed to go to big sporting events and stuff.

We got out of class 1.5 hrs early…so that was nice. And he’s going to make class at like 4 instead of 6:30.

Oh! We definitely don’t have class…they got the field trip and all moved to Sunday instead of Monday so we can watch the SUPERBOWL!!! Ahhh I’m so excited.

So after class I went back down to cabin 2 and we played more cards and listened to music and just laughed. It was a good time. Tomorrow I am going to go swimming…I hope…then marine bio.

Hanging out in Cabin 2- playing cards

Clockwise: Craig(red shirt), Angie K, JD, Ashley, Mike, Tracy, and Courtney.

First Day of School

1/29
The first day of school was pretty amazing. I was a slacker and couldn’t get myself out of bed to go to swim club... the healthiness is dropping already. I talked to Andrew and KR a bit before class and then at 9 headed up to the classroom. Professor Lockrey seems like a nice old man. We introduced ourselves, talked a bit about current Australian issues of concern and what not, watched parts of geographical DVD’s and listened to him lecture about other things. It was about a 2.5 hr lecture instead of 3 because we had to go back to our rooms and get stuff for our field trip to the rainforest.

It was about an hour bus ride to the fieldtrip destination… so I knocked myself out with Dramamine (see mom I told you I would use it!) Our guide showed us around this old school grounds/rainforest and showed us practical uses for different plants and animals and how each thing is individually responsible for some upkeep of the forest. Then we had a traditional Aussie meal. This consisted of a taste of both Kangaroo and Crocodile, pesto pasta, rice, salad (tree leaf kind), and some amazing bread/desert!

I definitely liked the kangaroo better than the croc. It was more like deer or chewy steak or something. The crocodile was white meat and had more of the fishy taste I’m not so fond of…but hey I tried them both!

After lunch we were lectured more about the history of Australia and the aboriginal beliefs and customs. Then we headed to the local swimming hole/waterfall. It was gorgeous and exciting hiking through the small rainforest. Some of the girls were being very…scared.. so I made sure I was always right with, if not ahead of the boys slipping on rocks to get further downstream.
Then we went to a pond to see platypus…the guide told us that we should be amazed because 90% of Australians had never seen one. Although the water was far away, and you could mostly just see outlines and movement, rather than an actual animal.

Then it was back to home. And I didn’t get sick on the drive! w/o meds or sleep! I tried to organize a group Colts Fans of Australia picture… but I only ended up with about 5 people. Oh well. We had our first Monday Night Meeting, which consisted of Steve grilling anything we brought. Julie- our GA- talked about the prices for extra things, boy this money is going to go FAST. I hung out with cabin 2 kids again. They’re fun. We played euchre and such. I can’t find my alarm. This means I’m going to miss swimming again and Steve will give me a harder time than he did today.

Oh- on the way back from the cabins a cane toad jumped on me... they're poisonous.. but only if you lick them.

Kangaroo on the left and Croc on the right

The Whole group in the swimming hole/waterfall in the rainforest

Kill IT!!!

1/28 /07

So Angie woke me up at 5:30 in the morning because there was a large cockroach in our bathroom and I needed to kill it. I wasn’t exactly pleased…especially since I got up and then the insect couldn’t be found. Well she then wanted me to go watch the sunrise with her. I went back to sleep for 10 minutes and then we went. Well it was cloudy and we couldn’t see the sunrise but we did see another kookaburra bird. We took pictures with it too. Then I went back to the cabin, got to talk to Andrew for a bit.. despite Angie wanting me to go see the “black jumpy things” haha.

Then we decided to go into town. Well we went shopping and I got a little blue Roxy purse for under ten bucks. (I found carrying my wallet, sunglasses and camera in my hand everywhere we went was a little annoying) Then got some groceries (we’ve sort of started shopping together now…which I haven’t decided if I like that or not.. there are disadvantages as well as advantages… like everything I guess.)

On the way home some drunk guys yelled at us out the window to come sit with them... keep in mind it was 11:30am on a Sunday. Haha that pub always has people in it

But we went back and later I went to dinner with Mary and Angie in town at Ruby's...then went down to the cabins.

Can you see the bird up there? You're proabably just looking at the fact that I look like its 5am actually...

On our walk into town (Me, Mary, Angie)

We had a 90 yr old woman take it... thus is took a couple tries

Yummy Ice-Cream!

1/27 (Sat)

So in the morning we woke up and Angie made French toast- on some fat bread. Some of the sliced bread here is enormous. Then Courtney and I went to go find the cabin kids... we went swimming in the lake for a while... then got in the pool. Then lunch time... I had a lettuce wrap sandwich... it was good. I got to talk to the family on SKYPE. My sisters don’t seem overly interested in talking to me but after Mag finally got on there we had a good chat.

We went back to the pool for a bit, and then went to town. (Cabin 2 and us) We got ice-cream. Mine was delicious… I got a scoop of strawberry mango yogurt and one of banana cinnamon. We looked in some shops and then headed back down to camp. We played in the lake. I got Ashley and Angie…they thought I was a snake.

For dinner Tristan made grilled cheese and rice... because Mary likes rice. I made myself a salad instead of rice and it was delicious... but then I still ate the rice. Oops.

After dinner we went down to cabin two… played cards, then convinced everyone to go to town. I did dance with a smelly old red headed Australian man. There was a live blues band there…so that was a lot of fun. And it was fun just to dance even if the old guy was creepy.
We had tortilla and salsa and I had a PB and J, talked online and then went to bed.

With the girls in town!

L to R: Cara, me, Leslie and Chelsea (Leslie calls me Colts girl)

Australia Day

1/26/2007

So today I got up and went to swim club again. We swam 2000m again. We did 4 x 350 Free, 50 non free on some interval… everything is on some interval and I am always the last to finish. But I’m working on it and pushing myself! Haha.

Afterwards I showered and got ready to go into Lennox for the Barbeque Breakfast at the local Lions Club… I believe it was. We had bacon and egg sandwiches off the Barbie and they were DE-Licious!! Then I went to the bakery with Angie, Tracy, Mike and JD ( I like them.. but they live in the cabins...so we don’t get to see them much.)

This brings me to another point. Most of the people that live in the lodge kind seem sort of clique-y.. Haha I’m sure that’s not how that should be written. The certain boys are stuck on certain girls which happen to be the other swimmers. Oh well. Its early on.. I’m thinking that might start to go away as people get more comfortable and classes start. So far they have been loud every night.. I hope that changes too. Haha.

I swam in the ocean and “tried to surf” this means that I paddled out on the surf board… but my feet never touched the board…or were even close.

Oh last night my bed started to feel more like my bed…less like a mattress I would be sleeping on for a while.

Now we are waiting to go catch the bus to Ballina for the Australia Day celebration. Theres suppose to be fireworks and a band and stuff. I think about half of the group is going. (There are about 34 of us total I think)

Ballina Celebration
We... the nice kids… walked to the bus station in town and there we met a bunch of Aussie high-schoolers who were “off head” It was fun to compare different words and cultures. They all hate George Bush. Funny. Then we talked to more on the bus. Then we ate when we got into town...another lions club grill- sausage. We walked around a bit and ended up going to a pub. Had a good time. My first alcohol of the trip…and it was nasty.

We missed the fireworks and band because an old man told us the wrong time…but then it started to rain so we waited on the bus…saw our Aussie girl friend and then rode home. Rachael and Angie and I had fun being “loud Americans” Then we went and hung out in the cabins. Watched people act silly…tried for 5hrs to put in my nose ring. No swimming tomorrow morning!

The Amazing Girls!

Top: Courtney (Roomie), Tracy (Cabin 2), Angie G (roomie), Mary (roomie)

Bottom: Yours truly, Angie K (Cabin 2), Rachael (Cabin 1)

The whole crew that I hang out with

Fireworks in Ballina

Real Food

1/25

I have real food!I went to swim club today… I felt thoroughly out of shape. The 5 or so other girls are faster and in better shape than I. But I felt accomplished. Then I came back and got online and then went to ocean lifesaving thing. Steve- our Ball State Director/Professor/Swim Club Organizer- made us think that we were going to have to get in the ocean and do all of these life guarding techniques for the ocean and stuff. In reality…we all put on our one piece suits and heavy duty sunscreen to stand around an Australian Lifeguard (which is a profession here) to hear him talk about the dangerous riptide.

Then half of us went to ALDI in Ballina, it took about 25 minutes to get there by the camp bus because we took the scenic route…by the ocean, and the traffic was bad in town. I know I sound like a nerd- but it was kind of exciting doing my first real grocery shopping. I also swam in the lake, which has tea trees around it… so the water is like red. Some of the boys said the water tasted faintly tea-ish... I’m not sure about that.

Later on we had “orientation” which consisted of camp rules, and presentations about local surfing lessons and scuba certification. I want to do both.

At night, Angie, Mary,- two of my roommates, Tristan- guy that goes to Berkley, and I all had dinner together…Fettuccini from a bag. It made me feel large- like it was a heavy meal compared to what we'd been eating. Haha

This is us waiting for "the class to start".. Steve Jones.. our ringleader.. is in the white long-sleeved shirt and shades on the left.

Prof. Lifeguards ladies and gentlemen.. maybe I'll have a job when I grow up after all.. ;0)

Running From a Spider

1/24/07

This morning I started my pledge of fitness while I’m here. I woke up at about 6:30...No alarm and got ready to run. I went down to the beach and ran about a mile I think. There were lots of people on the beach-lots of older couples with dogs. It seems everyone here has a dog. Also, 85% of the people are trim, built and tan. So yes… there are lots of cute Aussie boys. ;0)

Then Steve took us on a tour to Lennox Head, by way of his house. This was apparently the hottest day Lennox has had so far this season. So we were all sweaty and dehydrated and dirtied 30 glasses for water at his house. We went shopping at IGA..I got peanut butter and blackberry jelly. (They have every kind of jelly except for grape…weird) The town is so cute, a bakery, ice cream shop, clothing and surf stores, IGA, and some restaurants (including Chinese, Thai, and Mexican).

We went to the local pub at night... I really liked the group that went- my roommates, a group from the cabins and a couple random people.Oh I also had a bad dream about a spider crawling up my bed in my sleep.

These are two of my roomies:Angie G, and Mary

Arrival at Lake Ainsworth

1/23/07
We all put our stuff in our rooms, changed into our swim suits and ran into the ocean. It wasn’t as cold as we were expecting. The lodge is better than I was expecting too. It is pretty much like a house, with 5 bedrooms and a common area. The other kids like to say its like The Real World. We all share a kitchen, porch, living area, and computer zone in the front of the house… with all of our rooms behind.

We saw a kookaburra bird… you know… like the song. It was large. The beach is so amazing… I can’t get over the fact that this is where we are going to school for three months.

There are not really stop signs in Australia… mostly “Give Way” signs. And there are lots of roundabouts. And they drive on the left side of the road.

At night everyone needed to go to the liquor store... which is in the town of Lennox Head, about a 20-25 minute walk away. I walked there twice (neither time did I purchase anything) because just as the group I went with was getting back… there were other girls on their way. I figure the walking wont do anything but good. ;0)

This is the front of the "Oceanview Lodge" My..and 14 other people's house..

My room.. I have three roomies...theyre pretty cool. Angie G, Mary and Courtney

The kitchen...in a good state

Having Crossed The International Date Line

1/23/07
So we took an Air New Zealand flight from San Francisco to Auckland, NZ. A 13 hour flight! Although I must say that it was a vast improvement from the flight from Minneapolis to San Fran. We all got to sit next to each other, I saw by Craig and Leslie. We had breakfast at like 2am or something. It was okay. Omelets. I watched The Guardian on the way (we each had our own personal TV with entertainment on demand) We had chicken for dinner several hours before.. it was pretty good. I also had a glass of red wine and later tried a white chardonnay. I liked that better. Oh my goodness, the Colts won the game!!!!! I stood in the airport bar as long as possible but we had to board the plane with like 10 minutes left in the 4th. Andrew then called me with updates. I got to see him for like 20 minutes in the MNP airport which was very nice.

We had delays both in Indy and Minneapolis- that sucked. De-icing, planes behind us, and loading luggage were the causes.We stayed in New Zealand’s airport for several hours…I fell asleep.

Then it was a 3 hr flight to Brisbane… not much to get through customs… and then a 3 hr bus ride to Lennox Head.

Here is the small group I traveled from Indy with...

L to R: Alex, Me, Rachael, Craig, Leslie, Nikki and Chelsea

Airport in Minneapolis

Over New Zealand

My New Home in Lennox Head, Australia

My address:
Jessica Adams, Ball State University
Lake Ainsworth Sport & Recreation Center
Post Office Box 121, Lennox Head 2478
NSW, Australia