Manly Scenic Walkway

This morning Mary and I got up early to go on an adventure! We left ICMS and headed down the hill towards the wharf to walk on the Manly Scenic Walkway that ends at the Spit Bridge (some 6.9 km later... or approximately 4 miles). The entire walk took about three and a half hours to complete, but it was definitely worth it! The path basically winds around Manly Cove, and then goes on to different view points as you walk through Australian bush as I would put it. The lookout points were absolutely beautiful, and as always, the pictures can not truly grasp the vast panoramic views that we could see. We could see Manly, the wharf, our school, Collins Beach and other small beaches, North Head, the light house we pass by on the ferry, and towards the end we could see the Sydney skyline and the bridge. My favorite boats to see in the water are the Manly ferry, the parasail boat with parasailing people in tow, and sail boats. There is something about the crisp white sails against the sparkling blue water that make them a target for great photos! Another favorite is seeing a rocky coastline with the waves splashing up against the rocks below. So amazing to see!! At one point, we stopped at an ice cream truck that was sitting on the road above us for "freckle cones." While eating these, we were literally surrounded by black birds, so we hurried to eat our cones and left. After about three hours the rocky trail of hilly stairs ended onto a beautiful beach, and the Spit Bridge was just a walk along the beach and one more trail away. We crossed the bridge and waited for a bus to Manly - we spotted a really cool tree (last picture). After the bus ride back to Manly, we ate at the Creperie. Mary had the Eggs Benedict Crepe and I had the Chicken Crepe for lunch - both were delicious! We walked around the Corso to complete our adventure. It was definitely a successful day with one of my best friends! :)

Anzac Day

Today, April 25th, is Anzac Day. Anzac Day is very similar to the U.S. Memorial Day. I asked an Australian friend, Sheridan, in class what Anzac Day is all about. Her response: "Well it honors the soldiers who have fought and died for us in the different wars. When you are little you normally march in a parade around town. When you're older, you normally drink a lot the night before because you don't have to go to work." This is when I obviously made the connection to Memorial Day.

I took Anzac Day as a day for relaxation (because life here is obviously stressful). Apparently, normal autumn temperatures have begun, as it was only in the sixties and everyone complained of the cold at mealtime as we sat outside to eat. Because I hadn't left the castle all day, I knew I would want to venture to the Corso in the evening for something. Normally, my friends and I would go down to the Corso for an ice cream cone, but I had an idea to go to Max Brenner's in the wharf for a cup of hot cocoa. Olivia, Jackie, Heather, Mary and I sat in Max Brenner's and drank "American Marshmellow Chocolate" which was delicious! Afterwards, we noticed that the Chat Thai place across the way was having a celebration. Mary and I decided to get pad thai for a snack later on in the night, and we stood in a long line to wait. They had balloon decorations, and two workers were blowing whistles and banging on tambourines. Every time someone ordered, that person got to draw a coupon from a box. The box contained "free" coupons which meant you got your meal free, or coupons for 10, 20, or 50 dollars off, or just "pay" slips where you essentially got nothing. I ended up drawing a $20 voucher as the two girls said "Steph free or pay, free or pay..."

After getting the pad thai, the girls and I headed out to the beach. Mary came up with a fun game where we each wrote our own name in the sand, and then we all went around and wrote words that described each other. It was definitely a "feel good" game, and made me appreciate my study abroad friends even more! I cannot believe that in less than two weeks I won't be seeing a lot of these people for an indefinite amount of time. I've made some outstanding friends here who I have shared so many memories with. We will have to see what is in store for the next two weeks! Of course, that is all the activities besides studying for my four finals. No worries, mate!!

An Afternoon at the Races

Yesterday, I went to the Randwick Race Courses with a group of friends for the Sydney Cup race. It was family day at the Randwick Autumn Carnival. Unlike a lot of my friends, I've been to the horse races before with my best friend Katelyn and her family, so I knew somewhat what to expect. Everyone looked great all dressed up as we made our way to the races by ferry and then bus.

It was incredibly crowded at the horse races, especially as the day went on. There were eight races total, and we got there right after the first one. There were a lot of stands to sit in, but there was also a large grassy area with food and drink tents and a lot of tables for people to sit at. We made our way towards the front of the lawn area and sat at the front tables. We were able to stand at the front gates and see the end of each of the races. It was the perfect place to be for the afternoon!

The races were even more thrilling than I remembered. At first, my friends and I would just pick numbers of horses to see who could win. As the horses would near the end of each race, the people around us (almost all had money placed on the horses) would start yelling and jumping up and down for their horse. It was pretty exciting, so Mike and I decided to join in on the fun. For race 5, we each put down 5 dollars on number 9 to place. It was a two lap race, and as it started I was wondering how much I relied on Mike's ability to pick a horse! For a long time, number 9 was in first place!! We were both yelling, but I thought Mike was going to jump into the race course to help the horse go faster! At the end, number 9 (named Monaco Consul) ended in third, so we made $17.50! The betting was thrilling, but not something that I would want to do that often. I like keeping my money safe... I guess I'm not much of a gambler!

Overall, the day at the races was really fun, and I'm glad I decided on going. Of course, the only reason I went was because the tickets were 2 for 1. It definitely is a high class place where many Australians go to have a good time and (try) to make some money! I'm happy to have come out a winner... a whole $3.75 more! My friend Ashley's boyfriend Pete was really into betting and lost quite a few times, but he did win once with a horse named "Jessicabeel." This made him quite happy, to say the least! I did learn that you can bet on a horse to win, or just to place, but if you bet to place, it wasn't as much money. I feel like I learnt some at the races as opposed to just making money! :)

Done with Classes

It is hard to believe it, but I am done with my classes at ICMS! This week was full of review classes to prepare for finals. Wednesday morning I went to my last class, Intro to Sport Management, and then relaxed most of the day until playing soccer Wednesday evening. I always look forward to playing soccer here. There is a different mix of people each week, so you aren't sure what is going to come of it, but it is always good exercise and a good way to get touches on the soccer ball. Thursday I went to Manly Beach for a good three hours to enjoy the beautiful weather. We have been really lucky to have had such warm weather for so long. Because it is autumn here, having the last week or so be in the 80's is typically unheard of for the area!

Friday was another beautiful day. In the morning Mike and I went on a walk to North Head. The views from the look out points never get old - they are always amazing! I skyped with my parents after eating lunch. I will be so happy to see them when I come home and share my adventure even more with them. After Mike got out of class, we went on a "castle photo shoot" to take pictures of Mike in his uniform and of the castle. We walked around behind the castle as well, but there wasn't much to see. It was a great way to spend one of the last warm days of "autumn."

After dinner, no one was really doing much, so Mike and I went to Four Pines for a drink. The brewery has a great location, and they make great beer (as you can tell from my frequent stops to Four Pines). Afterwards, we walked along the Corso. We saw four different street performers. One group was singing "sweet home alabama" as a group of intoxicated guys started singing with them. It was quite entertaining. Also, we saw another performer called "Tux Guy" who was a great singer! It will be things like this that I will miss so much when we leave Manly. That, and watching the sunset from my window! (The first picture on this post). :)

"can you believe this is our life right now??"

Yesterday I went to Collin's Beach with Mike where we spent the day lounging along with Laura, Mary and Jackie. Since the weather is slowly but surely getting cooler down under, when a day proves to be sunny and warm - it's a great day to go to the beach! Collin's Beach is great because there is not much of a breeze. It is really hidden in a cove, unlike Manly Beach. After hanging out for a little, we heard a bell ring. A small boat was coming our way with a man selling soft drinks, ice cream, and coffee. We each got an ice cream and sat around eating. The title of this entry comes from Jackie - "can you believe our life right now? just laying on the beach, and someone comes to us in a boat just to sell ice cream." Soon we were all napping. It was a great afternoon.

Last night I went to Four Pines Brewery with Mike - he hadn't been there yet. I ate the Terri's Pasta yet again, and Mike got the Mega Burger. They were not lying when they said it was "mega!" We also drank the "tasting rack" which has five small glasses of each of the Four Pines beers that they brew right there. Afterwards, we walked along the Corso and Manly Beach before stopping to get ice cream cones.

It's simple days like these that I will really miss once I get home. Afternoons spent at the beach with friends, being able to look out and see the Sydney skyline and tons of boats in the water. Having ice cream at night on the Corso has become another habit which I love! It's the little things in such an amazing place that has made this experience so wonderful.

Hunter Valley Winery Tour!

Today I went on a school sponsored trip to the Hunter Valley to tour three wines and one brewery. Hunter Valley is the oldest commercial grape-growing area in the country. We started early in the morning and took a two hour bus ride to Hunter Valley. We stopped at the McDonald's for breakfast which everyone was grateful for - no one wants to taste wine on an empty stomach!! Our tour guide was a very good looking young Australian man named Bob, and since the majority of our group was American girls, Bob certainly got a lot of attention!

Our first stop was Drayton family wines. We went into a decorated room and got small wine glasses to do our wine tasting. Two young guys were explaining the wines as they came around and poured each one into our glasses. We tried white wine, red wine, dessert wine... I had never tried dessert wine before but it was very sweet! After we were done tasting wine there, the girls and I took a lot of photos on the property. It was beautiful with a fountain, vineyards, and the beautiful valley in the background. It was here that our tour guide Bob had prepared a sausage BBQ sizzle for all of us.

The next stop was Bluetongue Brewery. For $12, we received a "taster's paddle" which held six mini glasses of each kind of beer they offered. After trying them all and returning the paddle, we each got our own glass of our favorite beer. It was a great set up with a lot of outdoor seating and live music playing. I quickly stopped in the winery located there before the bus left. My favorite wine there was a white fruity wine called "six degrees." I probably would have bought a bottle if the bus wasn't leaving right then!

The following stop was another winery - McGuigan. This was my favorite stop of the day! We walked into the winery and saw tons of large barrels and bottles of wine in true winery setting. The group sat around large rectangular counters while our wine experts Steven and Emma explained and poured each wine for us. Again, we had white wine, red wine, and dessert wine. I like the sparking shiraz the best! Delicious. It was a fun atmosphere, and everyone seemed to have a great time! Next door was the cheese shop. It was a bit unorganized, but we sat at tables and tried 5 different types of cheese with crackers. I tried all of them, some were very strong! My favorite one was some sort of "fromage" and it had tomatoes and some oil it in. Very flavorful without being too sharp. Once again it was time to get in the bus!!

The last stop was quick, but the scenery was gorgeous. It was called Golden Grape Estate, and we were able to see the valley and the beautiful sky! Olivia, Jackie, Heather, Mary and I sat at a table. We had one more space so I called good ol' Bob over to sit with us. We had a good time tasting 6 different drinks - the last one was "chili schnapps." It's called Dragon's Breath, and with good reason - there was two chili peppers in the bottle, and it was pretty hot! I didn't think it was too bad. After the tasting, we took some pictures in front of the beautiful fields before hopping back on the bus for the ride home.

Overall it was a great day to learn about Australian culture and try a lot of different wine! My dad is a semi wine expert, and after spending today at the wineries, I'd like to learn more! On a different note, I only have three weeks left here. It's surreal, and my friends and I can't go a day without talking about how much we are going to miss this place and each other. It's strange to think about going home, but it's not necessarily a bad thing - I miss my parents and friends so much! Bittersweet is the way to describe these feelings the best.

More soon, as always! Cheers. (PS - yes that is Bob with Olivia and me in the last photo!)

quick update

The first picture is from a walk I took with Mary over Easter. :)

This past Friday I went into the city with Mike and Mary to see our friend Matt who we met in Cairns. He is studying in Perth, but his parents were visiting so they travelled to Sydney together. It was fun catching up and showing Matt the places we had been the week before! Also, we got to see his really cool hotel - the Westin right in downtown Sydney. It was beautiful and really high tech.

Yesterday afternoon I walked into Manly and met up with my friend Taylor and her mom who was visiting her. Taylor and I played soccer together at Benet, and it has been awhile since I have seen her so it was great to catch up. She is studying in Sydney and living right by Bondi Beach. I showed them around Manly - part of the Spit Bridge walk, the Corso, Manly Beach, and Shelly Beach. After tiring them out from all of the walking, we went to Four Pines Brewery for lunch and a pint. We ended up staying a couple of hours talking about all sorts of things, including their recent trips to Darwin and Cairns. It was fun having the chance to catch up and also really nice seeing familiar faces from home!

The grading system here worried me at first! Something as low as a 75% is a 4.0, but that is split between getting a "distinction" or a "high distinction." I am just getting credit for taking these classes as long as I pass (which is a 50% here) so I didn't think about it too much, but of course the nerves always hit when you are about to get a paper or test back. So far I've gotten 3 grades, my hospitality quiz which I got 30 out of 40 on (75% - distinction), my health issues paper (high distinction), and my most recent grade I received, intro to sport management (distinction.) I am very happy with the grades I have received, especially because I found the assignments interesting, but I have not spent them same about of time here studying as I normally do in Albion.

Tomorrow in Service Management I am giving an individual presentation on a service leader from my home country. I have chosen Herb Kelleher (founder of Southwest Airlines.) I am also turning in my hospitality report which is describing a conference venue that we have to plan out. Hospitality itself is very interesting, but this assignment is tedious and not exciting in the least bit.

There is not much going on this week, but I am looking forward to Saturday. The school is sponsoring a trip to Hunter Valley - Australia's wine capital for wine and cheese tasting! Can't wait. :)

defying gravity!!

On Thursday afternoon Mary and I went into Sydney to see Wicked!! Mary had seen Wicked two times before in Chicago and absolutely loved it, and I had not yet seen it. I wasn't sure what to expect because while I had heard amazing reviews, I am not always the biggest musical fan, but I was incredibly excited nonetheless.

After getting off of the ferry, we walked along George Street towards Capitol Theater. We had plenty of time, so we walked through the Queen Victoria mall which was full of high class and expensive shops, but we fit right in since we were all dressed up to see the show! We ran over to Paddy's Markets for a couple of minutes so I could buy a couple of gifts. For dinner, we stopped at the Three Monkeys pub. We split delicious nachos for an appetizer; I had a ham pizza, and Mary ate chicken tortellini. Because we had some time, I enjoyed a cider as we sat and listened to music and watched soccer on tv. The atmosphere was pretty chill, some younger crowds stopping by for dinner or a drink after work.

From there we walked to Capitol Theater - the main event!! The theater was decorated with green lights, and you could get an "ozmopolitan" from the concession stands in green lighted souvenir glasses. We were seated first in our area - on the upper balcony, three rows back, and right in the center!! The seats were great - we could see the whole stage perfectly. The set design was amazing (as the girl who sat next to us said "she could just look at the set all night, no need to see the show..." strange..). There is no way to actually describe the show in words besides the fact that I was amazing and I loved it!! The music and actors were wonderful; we couldn't ask for better!

I am so glad I have my DG sister, ACWS teammate, and one of my best friends here with me. While Mary and I are all about having our own study abroad experiences, we have been able to share some amazing times together that I will certainly never forget. We have been able to bond over some crazy and memorable experiences, and I am so glad to have Mary in my life!!

the WOW factor - Mad Hatter Dinner

Last night was the WOW factor charity event. Term 5 events students put on one big event and get graded on it. My friend Ashley was a part of the group running the event, and it turned out great! It was a black tie event, so all of the girls were in cute dresses. When we arrived, we walked down a hallway decorated with candles, floating paper lanterns, and giant playing cards at the entrance. We were served "mad hatter" cocktails which was sparkling wine colored blue with blueberries. My friends and I were seated and soon the show was underway. One of the teachers here, Paul Collins, was the "Mad Hatter" MC who made comical jokes and sang both at the beginning and the end. The talent was great as well, six singing acts and one drum solo! Two of my friends, Chui and Jessa, were in the performance as well and they did amazing. Chui even won second prize! The judges included a representative from Bear Cottage (a children's hospice home a few blocks away - the money made at the event was donated to them), a lecturer from ICMS, the mayor of Manly, and her husband. My personal favorite act was two lecturers - one being my Hospitality teacher - singing and dancing up on stage. The dinner was delicious - a salad to start, chicken stuffed with cheese and tomato including asparagus and potatoes on the side, and an interesting pudding dessert that tasted a lot like marshmallow to me. The local brewery - Four Pines - donated a lot of beer for the evening as well. Overall, it was a great reason to get dressed up and have a great meal!!

all night adventure in Sydney

After parasailing on Friday, I relaxed on campus, napped, and watched some movies all evening before going to bed. Saturday I went on a great run, napped, and got ready for a great night! Mary, Mike and I took the 9.45 ferry into Sydney to walk about 20 minutes to Bar Century where we met up with Ashley and Pete. We stayed there until midnight when we walked in the rain (umbrella's up!) to Jackson's on George - making a quick stop at "Macker's" along the way. Jackson's had four floors and six different bars. Mary, Mike and I danced the night away (or until they closed) and made our way over to The Rocks. Pancakes on the Rocks was definitely a great choice for a very early breakfast. I had the "bananarama" pancakes. Delicious! The next stop was a big part of the night: the Sydney Harbour Bridge! On the way there we were able to see some Easter bunnies out hiding Easter eggs :) We were probably on the bridge for an hour or so, watching the sun rise over the Opera House, as well as the lighted skyline. Pictures cannot show the amazing views we had, but we took about 100 pictures anyway!! We stopped at Starbuck's before getting on the 7.15 am ferry back to Manly - not without seeing part of a rainbow by the Harbour Bridge! Very tiring trip - but an unforgettable experience to say the least!!! Could not have spent the night with better people!!

After sleeping all day Sunday, I went to 6 pm Easter mass with Mary and Kaleigh after eating burritos at the CYC. A strange but wonderful Easter evening! Easter Monday was filled with relaxing, eating, and going on a couple of walks to get some fresh air. A quick Easter weekend to say the least!!

Onto a two day week of classes :) Cheers!