First Week In Melbourne

The week has come to its end, and we are getting adjusted to life here in Australia. The cars flying on the opposite side of the road, city life, and different phrases are not as a shock as the once were. Each day we learn something different about the way things are here and we are ready for the time on this trip where we can't even tell these differences.

We have now built a routine that we have followed each day this week. We wake around 8:00, get ready and all meet for breakfast downstairs. Anna, the cook there, has a continental breakfast set up for the guests at our hotel. At first it seemed to be the usual; cereal, toast, coffee, and fruit. However there were some surprises that we found. At our table with the jam we saw a packet called "Vegemite". It’s an Australian spread made from yeast products which I did not find tasteful AT ALL. Liz, who has family here and has travelled to Australia before, suggested to put some on toast with butter, but after trying it, I stuck with the jam for the mornings after. Also there is hot chocolate called Milo which is hardly hot chocolate at all. It is more of an energy drink that is not sweet as hot chocolate usually is. Once we add a little sugar, Milo starts our day off right.

Then we all walk one block to the train station and take a 10 minute ride into Caulfield where the Monash University is located. Here they call the university the "uni", which I think that we should start in America. When we reach the 7th floor of the office, it’s pretty quiet. Then people leisurely come in to work around 10:30. This gives us a few minutes to check mail and get set up for the day. After, Tom Peachey gives a lesson on Nimrod. Nimrod is a program developed here at Monash that we will be using for our research and so far we have done practice experiments to prepare us for the real deal.

When 12:30 comes around, everything is dropped and we go down for lunch with Tom, and other people who work here. Just like America, there is no real "Australian" food. We have yet to try kangaroo or any exotic meals. Instead, we have a variety of different food to choose from. This week I have had Sri Lankan, Chinese, Indian, and Italian food. During our lunch break, we attempt to complete the cryptic crossword which we have gotten much better at. If it is not completed by the time we have finished our food we go for a coffee. I have to say that the coffee here is way better than any Starbucks or Coffee Bean in America. I think that I am going to be addicted by the time I leave!

Then around 2:00 we return upstairs and finish our work. So far it has been hard to start any of our projects because much of the setting up needs to be done, and most everyone is out of town. However, we know that once everyone returns we will be busy with our projects! For now, we leave the office around 5:00 and venture back to South Yarra or into the city for dinner. We have done a lot of exploring at night and are making a list of the things we want to do on the weekends. Once our feet are tired and our eyes are heavy, we take the train home and hit the hay to start all over again.

I really like the city here. We walked up and down Bourke Street to find restaurants ranging from Sushi to Wood fired pizza. We haven't done much shopping because most of the stores have the latest fashions and are expensive. I am sure that we will fit some shopping in somehow. In between the tall skyscrapers there are older buildings make of brick and look like they were taken from the east coast. I think most of these buildings are churches or parliament buildings, but we are waiting for the weekend so we can explore these places in the daylight. Also, the people on the train are friendly. Once they hear our accent they ask where we are from and usually we talk for a while. I bet we stick out like a sore thumb because we have not mastered the stops yet.

Our plans for this weekend are not set yet but we have a million things that we want to do! I think first on our list is going to the zoo to see and pet kangaroos and koalas. We will probably venture over to the Greek District and eat at Stalagalites; one of our favorite restaurants. As for now I should get back to doing some work. I'll write again soon!