Lazy Sundays

Hey Everyone! I apologize for being such a slacker lately! What is funny is that I don't have an excuse for it. One might usually say, "I have been super busy studying for an exam, painting a new picture, and climbing mountains," but I definitely don't have an excuse like that. In general, I haven't been doing much. All of the girls have been studying their butts off for exams coming up tomorrow through Thursday. I will be so happy once they finish exams and go on holiday. I have come to the realization that my days at Stuartholme are numbered. I am actually going to go into school tomorrow to take one of their exams which is called the QCS (Queensland Core Skills). In a way, it is Queensland's version of the SAT. It'll be interesting to see what their standard tests are like. But Monday is sort of the last day that I will be able to see everyone at school. So I am obviously bringing my camera to take pictures. I am sure you guys will find their uniforms quite funny, complete with a straw hat and black shoes that look like clogs. I don't want to sound too depressed but I am actually sad to be leaving Stuartholme. Despite the classes being extremely boring-- I have made friends who will hopefully be my friends for a long time. And with each day that passes by, it becomes harder to say goodbye. I am trying not to dwell on it that much-- but by the looks of this blog, it seems pretty pathetic.

Alright, on a different note, I went to my first rugby game last night! I took pictures on my camera that I will upload in a few days. But rugby is so cool! And I always thought it was so hard to understand, but it so easy to get! I went to the Queensland Reds game and they played the New Zealand Chiefs. The Reds played badly and lost 50-26. For those of you who aren't familiar with rugby, it is a mix between football (without the padding or stopping/starting all the time), soccer (you are allowed to kick), and basketball (you can dribble the ball).

I can't think of anything else to talk about at the moment. I should get going because I have a load of laundry to do that I should probably get working on. Take care!

T.G.I.F.

Hey Everyone! I am sorry that I haven't blogged for a couple days. Not much has been going on with me, so I figured it would be stupid to blog about nothing. This is my last full "official" week at school. It is kind of sad, but at the same time I am happy. I will come into school a few days next week, but it is exam (final) week for them, so they do not have any classes. And then they are on holiday until the end of April ish. The second term starts the day I leave. As far as my living situation goes, it looks like I won't be officially moving houses anymore (except for sleepovers for one or two nights with other friends). I am so relieved. Anyway, I do not have anything else to say. Oh! I am excited for tomorrow night! I get to go to a professional rugby game with my host family! I am so pumped to go! I swear I will have more to say during the weekend. Take Care!

March 25

Hey Everyone! I do not have much to blog about at all. I am in a "Plato" class right now. It is a class for the seniors and it helps prepare them for a big SAT type test they have to take at the end of the year. So in other words, I am just sitting on my laptop doing nothing. Yesterday, I met the captain of the basketball team here. It is weird because she is the captain, but is not actually playing for the school, she is playing for a club team. I talked to her last night and told her about how I really wanted to play basketball but I couldn't play for the school. She said that she will talk to her club coach and see if I'd be allowed to play. The team is not intense at all, she described it as being "lax." I am hoping her coach says yes. On another note, I have been invited to spend some of the holidays at my friends Ash's house. Her mom wants me to come over for Easter as well. Easter is much different here. For most of my friends, Easter is just a time to each lots of chocolate and hang out. That's about all I have to blog about, but I have included some more pictures down below. Take care!

The Beach

The Beach/The City of Brisbane

My room

Oh Mondays

Hey Everyone! Wow, I really have to get a new introduction. This won't be the longest post in the world because not much has happened today. At school there was a cross country meet. It is a bit different from the average American cross country meet. The whole school is sorted out in to houses, sort of like Harry Potter style. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the event and you can earn points for your "house." (I am in the Coen house and I am trying to convince people that they mispronounce it and spell it wrong, but it doesn't work out so well) I did not run today because I completley forgot about it. Instead, I took pictures of everyone. And as you can imagine, I got some very funny pictures of people running/crossing the finish line. I also took a picture of what the school looks like, I will attach it at the bottom. As far as classes go, nothing was too exciting. I am really enjoying Biology here and the teacher is so cool, it might be hard to go back to regular bio at home! Oh, I would also like to say 'hi' to everyone who is reading my blog that I did not know were actually reading my blog, such as neighbors and family on the opposite side of the states. On another note, now that a lot of my favorite teams are out of the NCAA tournament it has changed from March Madness to March Sadness. :) Take Care!






Stuartholme School

Sunday

Hey Everyone! You know the feeling when you come home from the beach and take a shower but you still have sand all over you? That's where I am right now. No matter how much I scrub my head, behind my ears, between my toes, or in my belly button, the sand won't go away. Anyway, I woke up at about 9:30 am this morning, which I realized was way past the time of the Husky game/when it would end. I turned on my laptop with my fingers crossed and praying to god that the Huskies won. As the bracket loaded a closed my eyes and slowly opened them, I read "Connecticut" in the first box and I peeked below and. . . "Purdue." I am not going to lie, I almost started crying. Especially when I saw the score. I was way to heart broken to watch a replay of the game, so I decided to watch the press conference after. This ended up making me sadder than I was to begin with. Over the years I have realized that I really respect Jon Brockman as not just a basketball player, but a team player. To think that he won't be playing next season makes me sad. I am hoping my future husband can step up and try to fill the very big shoes. (FYI. Matthew Bryan-Ammaning) Anyway, as I said, I was at the beach for most of the afternoon/evening. The beach was gorgeous. It was like one of the scenes you see in a movie and you think to yourself, "wow, I really want to go there." Guess what? I went there! And I swam in the water and of course had Brisbane's famous fish & chips. Loved the chips, not so much the fish, but what else is new? I got tan today as well. And unfortunately, a bit sun burnt on my face, but it is nothing that bad. (Sorry Mom and Dad-- I did put on sunscreen, I swear!) My host brother and I walked to an ice cream shop after dinner called "Cold rock," which is a spin-off "Cold Stone." As far as I am concerned, Cold Stone tastes--and sounds--much better. Well, I am off to bed because I am ridiculously tired. Oh! One more thing! I might get to play basketball tomorrow! The school club team is having try-outs and although I am not allowed to play (because the athletic director decided to be b*tchy about it, and say that I do not go to the school, so I shouldn't be allowed to play a sport) I might be able to practice with them. What is a major bummer is that it costs $180 to play basketball here, I would rather play basketball on my own time and spend that money on something that will last. Have a good night/day!
P.S. Mom & Dad- I just thought about it, but my 6 months are up! Which means I can drive all of my friends whenever I want to! :)

Bruises, Barbies, and Basketball

Hey Everyone! Despite it being only 4:05 pm, I am exhausted and ready to go to bed. I got up at 6:50 am to get ready and go to my host "brother's" last cricket match of the season. The game started at 8:00 am, so we had to leave the house at about 7:30 am. I was able to keep myself awake in the car ride by listening to some intense rock music on my host brother's iPod. My host family was hosting a "barbie" after the game, so attached to the car was a trailer filled with chairs, a bbq, and all the supplies you need to feed over 30 parents, 12 year olds, and other people who were there. In a nutshell, cricket looks easy, but is confusing. It is a very slow game, that lasted for four hours (and that is just when you are twelve years old). In the professional leagues, their are two different types of game. The first one goes on for 6 hours and 45 minutes and the second one lasts for 5 days, playing for 6 hours each day. You would think that if you had to watch a match for that long it would be exciting. Anyway, we had the BBQ after and it was good. We drove home and my host brother decided that he was going to teach me how to play cricket. The balls that they play with are extremely hard, which resulted in major bruising on my legs and ankles. I decided that I could only take the heat/playing cricket for 10 minutes. We returned to the house and I opened my laptop to catch up with the games I missed. I actually started watching the Ohio State and Siena game with 5:00 left to go in the second half. I was definitely surprised with the outcome of that game and several others today. I actually just found out that I am leaving to go out to dinner in 15 minutes and I am not even close to being ready. I will write more tomorrow!

Let the Madness Begin!

Hey Everyone! Well Day 1 of Round 1 is officially over. I am so happy that the Huskies won and that Gonzaga came out with a win despite being behind for most of the game. Yes, I did get up at 5:55 am and watch the basketball game. I took a nap at half time though. I went into school around noon today because there was an assembly to introduce me. Somehow, they managed to stretch it out for 50 minutes. I did not go to any classes after that though, I just sat in the library and watched basketball games. But I was so bored that I ended up going to drama at the end of the day because a lot of my friends are in it. I am really starting to notice several similarities between school here and my school at home. One of the biggest ones is definitely the "drama," and no I do not mean the class. Tomorrow morning I am going to my host "brother's" cricket match. I heard that cricket is boring, but I have been pretty bored lately, so I am sure that I can manage. At the home I am staying in, they have Wii Fitness. It is potentially one of the coolest things ever. I have lost .8kg, and I started yesterday! And it is really funny because on all the Wii games, instead of having the usual American voice-over, it is an Australian voice-over. I find it really funny. Well, I am going to get going, but I will blog again tomorrow! Take care!

P.S. Evan-- I am still waiting for your "novel" e-mail :)

Long Week

Hey Everyone! I am thinking that I am going to need a new greeting. I feel like I say "Hey Everyone," every time. Anyway. . . this is going to be short post because I am going to bed early in order to be able to wake up at 5:55 am tomorrow morning to watch the Huskies. Today was another boring day at school. I made more friends though, which is always good. In Math class today, the class had to take a "diagnostic," and I attempted to do it as well. And since they have me in the hardest math class that the school offers, I could only get as far as writing my name on the paper. My jaw actually dropped when I tried to do the test. I decided to give up and go to the library. For some reason, the teacher got a kick out of it because she knows I am clearly in the wrong math class. I did something productive today and checked a book out of the school library. I have decided to start reading instead of being on the computer 100 percent of the time, which still means I will be on a lot. I will post more tomorrow during the day because I am not going to school. Keep up the e-mailing, I love hearing from you guys :)! xo

Wednesday

Hey Everyone! Sorry I did not blog yesterday, I was busy with sleeping and doing school work. Tuesday was an uneventful day filled with symptoms of a bad cold. I loved reading various e-mails from Uncle Ron, Grandma Ruthie, and Elliot. My bracket is just about done, and I am getting very excited. I feel like I should get an award for a "die hard UW fan." Because of the time difference, I obviously can't watch the game on Thursday at 2:00 pm my time. What I have arranged to do, is to wake up at 5:55 am on Friday morning, so I can watch it live on the internet at 6:00 am. I love all of the friends I have made here, even though I know that sounds really cliche. I am excited for the weekend. I think I already mentioned I am going to the science museum with some of my friends. And I know it is so nerdy, but it sounds like so much fun. And then, on Sunday, my host family is taking me down the coast (about an hour drive away) and we are going to the beach. I am so excited because I haven't been to a beach here. On Friday, at "morning tea" a bunch of my friends are bringing different types of Australian food (healthy & unhealthy) and we are having a huge meal. Then, sometime during next week, we are all going to get together, and I am going to make quesadillas! (Don't laugh) I am going to wrap this up, because it is almost time for lunch. But there is one more thing I wanted to tell you! Another exchange student is here! She is from Montreal but is only here for two weeks, so it sucks. But it's good not to be completely alone. Hope all is well where ever you are! Go Huskies!

It's Monday already?!

Hey! Today was a partly productive/partly lazy day for me. This morning I woke up really motivated (despite having a headache) and went on a run! I jogged to the local park, which happens to be the biggest park I've seen in all of Australia. I ran a total of 2 kilometers, which sounds like nothing, but compared to the non-existent exercise I have been getting, it is a lot. And to top it off, I did several pull ups/chin ups on the play structure. I made sure no one saw me. But the heat really started to get to me, so I jogged back to the house. Then, of course, I had to check the Seattle Times/NCAA.com for the Selection Sunday coverage. I am still figuring out my bracket, but I'll let you guys know once I have it finalized.

The weather here has been eventful, but not as eventful as it has been in the Seattle area. There is a huge storm coming/some of it is already here. There is so much rain that the pool in the backyard is so close to overflowing. It has also been extremely windy, with the lights flickering on and off every once in a while. AND to top it all off, there has been a thunder/lightning storm going on for the past several hours. And I have never heard such loud thunder in my life. It literally shakes the house.

I do not have to go to school tomorrow because there are certain days in the week that my schedule does not require me to go. I am determined to finish (start..) my biology project. I'll blog again tomorrow!

P.S. For the record, I am trying to exercise here! And I am still eating healthy food, while still eating lots of junk food. I just had to clear that up. :]

Sunday Night

Hey Everyone! I wasn't able to "blog" yesterday because it was a long day. Lily and I woke up at about 9:00 am yesterday morning (believe me, I was not in a good mood). We got ready and took the bus into the city. I was determined to find a dress for a party later that day. Downtown Brisbane is surprisingly small and all of the shops were on one street, which was for pedestrians only. I went in and out of what seemed like 40 stores and had no luck. After stopping at "maccas" for some food, I finally found my dress. I bought it and we went home. Just as I was about to hop in the shower to get ready, to say the least, I got majorly sick. I started to have a awful headache and my friend's mom checked my temperature and in farehiet it was 101. Going out was out of the question. I stayed home and watched movies/slept on and off. I am still super bummed about it. Then I woke up this morning and still had an awful headache. I was supposed to stay at Lily's house until Monday afternoon--but I knew that I had to come back to the house where I stay for the week and get better there. So I came home and took a nap that lasted several hours. And now I am here, blogging. So nothing exciting. I still have a bit of a fever, and if it doesn't go down I think I'm going to have to go to the doctor. Anyway, on a positive note, I am hoping some of you guys recieved the postcards I sent to you! If you didn't get one, it's probably because I had no idea what address I was supposed to send it to. But, at the end of this blog I have put in a picture of what was on the postcard. I hope everything is going well! And I'd love it if some of you e-mailed me! xo

T.G.I.F.

Hey Everyone! Wow, it's been a long and exhausting week. I have gone from one house, to another, and then to another! I am at my friend's house for the weekend. So it should be lots of fun. School today was the usual. At lunch the music department held a talent show, called "Stuartholme's Got Talent." And I was very impressed. There was a girl who sang a Taylor Swift song, who was amazing and sounded exactly like Taylor Swift. Then there were a few groups who did hip hop/freestyle dances, which were SO funny. Today, after school, Lilly and I went to the store to stock up for the weekend. We spent over 50 dollars on the most amazing food ever. And all of it is Australian food, well candy, cookies, and ice cream. Tonight, we are watching movies and just hanging out. I am really starting to like school here because I know a lot of people and vice versa. And I feel like I have a lot of friends. As far as the weather goes, it's been raining. Even when it's 75 degrees outside, people pull out their scarfs, stockings, and jackets, while I am still in my shorts and t-shirt. I will have a lot more to share after this weekend. But I hope everyone is doing well and that the weather is starting to go back to normal.

Thursday 3/12

Hey Everyone! Today was a boring day compared to yesterday. I was in the library most of the day, facebooking and catching up with e-mails. I am working on earning my drama credit, so I sat through a two hour drama class today discussing a play I have never heard of. The teacher told me after class that I had amazing participation. I was questioned all of English class today about living in America and how it is different from here. I actually enjoyed being the one who was answering, instead of asking. On another note, I am loving the cookies here! They have cookies called "Tim Tams," which are chocolate cookies. I go through at least a box a day. We had another snake in the common room this morning, but that's not unusual anymore. This weekend will be really eventful. On Saturday is "Head of the River." It is a huge regatta and all of the all-boys schools participate. There are massive parties after, so it should be a lot of fun. Tomorrow I am going to my friend Lilly's house, and I'll be staying with her until Monday night. It should be fun. I have included a picture of me and the snake I held yesterday!

Biology Class

Biology class today was definitley one I will never forget. First of all, on Wednesday's I have a double block of Biology. Meaning I am in the class from 1:20-3:00 pm. The main thing that we were doing in class today was, disecting toads. The students were directed to catch a toad, put it into a carton, seal the carton, and put it in the freezer to kill it. Anyway, once we got into class we started the disection. I am going to leave out the details and make the story short, so basically. . . toads have long tongues, their fat is orange, their blood looks more purple than red, and their stomach is small, but can hold up to 6 cochroaches in it. Gross huh? Now for the even more exciting part! I faced my fear today and was pressured into holding a snake. I was so nervous! The snakes name was Mr. Carol, and he was very popular. He is 7 years old and has never bitten anyone in his life. I turned bright red as the sceince teacher put it around my neck. It was the weirdest feeling ever! The head came up to my face, so I was staring right at it. And it stuck its tongue out at me and "kissed" my face. Several girls got pictures of it and I am going to be featured in the newsletter. I will make sure to post a photo on here once I get it.

Here It Goes

Hey Everyone!
I came up with the idea to create a blog, so my family could keep up with what I am doing in Australia. I am, of course, sending multiple e-mails a day to my parents, but this blog is for everyone else. I am hoping that this blog will be easy to access. I am hoping to make it so whenever I post a new blog, you recieve an e-mail saying so. So in a way, you subscribe to the blog. I am usually bad with keeping a diary, but I will give this one a shot just because I am on the computer so much. I will also put occasional pictures in the blogs. So you can see some of the cool things I've done and/or seen. I will start my "official" blogging once everyone has gotten an e-mail. I promise that I will not flood your inbox with e-mails saying, "Rebecca has posted a new blog." I hope all is well with you all! Love you!