Thursday, February 26, 2009
Computer Crashed
Well, my computer crashed today. Windows downloaded and installed an update while I was asleep and it crashed my computer. I have to wait on a Windows XP reinstall CD to get it fixed, so for now, there will be no more updates. Thankfully I didn't delete any of my pictures on my camera so if I lose all my memory, I won't lose all my pictures. That's all for now. Hopefully I can get this fixed soon>
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Kangaroos and Spiders
Well, uploading pictures is taking entirely too much time today, so I've uploaded these 11 for you to enjoy. Hopefully tomorrow the uploading won't take so much time. First off we have some kangaroos that we got the opportunity to feed at the rainforeststation during the AustraLearn program introduction.
This next one is actually a wallaby. Wallabies are generally smaller than kangaroos.
This spider was hanging in the entrance to the rainforeststaion. The picture does it no justice in showing how big it actually was.
This is the backpacker's hotel that we stayed in for our AustraLearn program introduction. It wasn't the nicest of all hotels, but it definitely was a lot better than I expected it to be.
This next one is actually a wallaby. Wallabies are generally smaller than kangaroos.
This spider was hanging in the entrance to the rainforeststaion. The picture does it no justice in showing how big it actually was.
This is the backpacker's hotel that we stayed in for our AustraLearn program introduction. It wasn't the nicest of all hotels, but it definitely was a lot better than I expected it to be.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Flights
Well, it's been awhile, and I finally have some internet in my room (albeit very slow), so I figured it's time to start blogging. I'm just gonna start with the beginning and go from there. Those of you on Facebook can already see some of the pictures that I've uploaded. For those of you that don't have Facebook, I will try to get some of the pictures up here as soon as I can write about them. Anyway, onto some random thoughts I wrote down while on the flights.
2/10 - 4:50PM
Well, I've boarded my first flight from Cincy to Los Angeles on a Delta flight, which is a relief because of the wonderful ticket difficulties that I encountered upon check-in. Long story short, Delta could only find my reservation on the plane, not my ticket. The travel company didn't give me an applicable ticket number on my e-ticket number. I had to call the travel company and get my ticket number from them so that Delta could locate my ticket. Why Delta couldn't find my ticket, but had my reservation, I have no clue. Regardless, I have my ticket now and I'm on the plane, so we're good.
The plane I took from Cincy to LAX was a Boeing 737, or something like that.
The plane has more empty seats than occupied seats, which means a whole row of three seats to myself! At one point some businessman sat in the aisle seat in my row. He was previously in a different seat, but then had to move because it was another guy's seat. He sat in my row, got his bags all situated, then promptly got up and moved towards the front of the plane. I don't know if he couldn't read his seat number, or just dumb, but at least I have the row to myself again.
The safety video is showing now. The lady on the screen looks like she could be on that movie, Stepford Wives, cause she looked completely unnatural on the screen with her huge smile and never wavering happy demeanor. Regardless, we are taking off now. I felt the urge to put my hand in the air and scream like I'm on a rollercoaster like the basketball team, but I kept myself under control.
Here are a couple of pictures I took while in the air.
In flight, they offered drinks and peanuts/Biscoff. Up until this point, I thought I did not like Biscoff. But I tried it, and it was actually pretty good. Tasted like a gingerbread cookie. Anyway, with the airlines in a financial crisis, I would think they would not be able to afford some of the small things, like personalization of the Biscoff cookies, but of course they aren't going to stop paying for that (if they even pay for it at all, I dunno), but for reference:
2/10 - 10:00 PM PT
We arrived in Los Angeles, and what can I say, not the nicest of all airports. In fact, it's really congested and dirty. But nonetheless, I proceed to the International terminal for my flight because that's where Australearn told me to go to check in. I passed a Qantas sign in the domestic terminal but I figured that since I was told I departed from the international terminal that I would check in at the international terminal. Not so much. In fact, my flight departed from the domestic terminal. Good job Australearn!
Regardless, I get to check-in and find out that both my carry-ons are too heavy. Yay. I spend so long trying to figure out what I can throw away that they let me go through to the gate with the heavy carry-ons and tell me to weigh them there. I go through security and sit alone for awhile cause I have a 6 hour layover. I then realize that the UK-Florida basketball game was on, so I searched the terminal for a TV showing the game. I find one, but it's in this southwest restaurant. I didn't want to go in because I wasn't hungry, so I stood outside the restaurant and watched through the glass wall. I'm sure I made some of the patrons uncomfortable, but oh well, watching the Cats is more important. The cats won...and I jumped up and down, and got many strange stares. But I didn't care, cause UK won. GO CATS!!!
Well, I'm leave my standing spot and go back to the gate. I meet some other Australearn students as well as a kid from Peru and a kid travelling to James Cook Uni alone. I decide its time to go weigh my bags again at the gate. So I take some stuff out opf both of my bags and leave it with the kids I just met, then go weigh both of my bags. They were underweight, yay, so I go back to my seat and promptly put everything that I took out back in. Crisis averted.
2/10 or 2/11 or 2/12 (in flight)
So I don't really know what day it is right now. All I know is I am sitting in a crowded plane. I don't think there is a seat that is open. The seats aren't very comfortable at all. At least the people I'm sitting next to are nice. One was from Canada and was going for a teaching school somewhere. The other, Colla, (well Karla, but that's how she said it) is from Boston (hence the accent). She is going to Macquarie through Australearn (same as me). We talked for a bit, but then it was bedtime.
They served us dinner about 3 hours into the flight. It was quite disgusting. Chicken Morganzala, or something like that. What happened to normal food? we all have TV's on the back on the seat in front of us with on-demand movies, games, tv, music, and more. I watched some movie, but I really don't remember much about other than it was about a city dying. We get snacks and breakfast as well. By the time my row got served breakfast, they had run out of the cold breakfast and we could only get the frittata. It was quite disgusting as well.
Here was the plane I was on for the international flight:
2/12 - 9:00ish AM Brisbane time
Well, we arrived in Brisbane, Australia, and now it's on to customs. We waited forever for our bags to start appearing. Some bag-sniffing dogs came around. When they found a bag in which they smelled something, they would sit and look at their humans. My bags were fine. Well, my bags finally appeared, as well as the guy's (Bobby) that I was talking to. We finally get through customs and screening and find the line that we needed to get into to recheck our bags for our next flight that leaves in about 45 minutes. Time crunches are wonderful.
Well, some airline lady found out that we needed to get our bags checked as quickly as possible, and since we already had our bags checked to Cairns we just threw them on the conveyor, as the line was about 60 people long. Well, as we run to catch the train to the domestic terminal for our next flight, we see loads of Australearn students that either had not gotten through customs, or were in the long line to check their bags. Bottom line, Bobby and I were one of the last people that were able to get their bags checked. Of the 44 Australearn students that were on the flight, only 13 made it onto the flight. Well, actually only 12 cause some girl got on the train the wrong way and missed the flight. The flight was then delayed about an hour while her bags were found and taken off the plane. The 32 people that missed the flight had to wait another 4 hours in the airport so that they could get on another flight.
Here are some pictures of the Brisbane Airport:
9/12 - 2:00 PM Cairns
Well, we arrived safely in Cairns. My first thought, "Damn, it's hot!" My second thought, "What a crappy airport." The airport was not the nicest, or the most modern to say the least. It's hard to describe, but I will say that nothing is connected via indoor hallways. Well, I get to the baggage claim and meet my Australearn leaders. We get our bags and get on a bus to go to our accommodation in Cairns for the next 4 days.
Here are some photos I took while in the air from Brisbane to Cairns:
That's all for now. I should have another post tomorrow.
2/10 - 4:50PM
Well, I've boarded my first flight from Cincy to Los Angeles on a Delta flight, which is a relief because of the wonderful ticket difficulties that I encountered upon check-in. Long story short, Delta could only find my reservation on the plane, not my ticket. The travel company didn't give me an applicable ticket number on my e-ticket number. I had to call the travel company and get my ticket number from them so that Delta could locate my ticket. Why Delta couldn't find my ticket, but had my reservation, I have no clue. Regardless, I have my ticket now and I'm on the plane, so we're good.
The plane I took from Cincy to LAX was a Boeing 737, or something like that.
The plane has more empty seats than occupied seats, which means a whole row of three seats to myself! At one point some businessman sat in the aisle seat in my row. He was previously in a different seat, but then had to move because it was another guy's seat. He sat in my row, got his bags all situated, then promptly got up and moved towards the front of the plane. I don't know if he couldn't read his seat number, or just dumb, but at least I have the row to myself again.
The safety video is showing now. The lady on the screen looks like she could be on that movie, Stepford Wives, cause she looked completely unnatural on the screen with her huge smile and never wavering happy demeanor. Regardless, we are taking off now. I felt the urge to put my hand in the air and scream like I'm on a rollercoaster like the basketball team, but I kept myself under control.
Here are a couple of pictures I took while in the air.
In flight, they offered drinks and peanuts/Biscoff. Up until this point, I thought I did not like Biscoff. But I tried it, and it was actually pretty good. Tasted like a gingerbread cookie. Anyway, with the airlines in a financial crisis, I would think they would not be able to afford some of the small things, like personalization of the Biscoff cookies, but of course they aren't going to stop paying for that (if they even pay for it at all, I dunno), but for reference:
2/10 - 10:00 PM PT
We arrived in Los Angeles, and what can I say, not the nicest of all airports. In fact, it's really congested and dirty. But nonetheless, I proceed to the International terminal for my flight because that's where Australearn told me to go to check in. I passed a Qantas sign in the domestic terminal but I figured that since I was told I departed from the international terminal that I would check in at the international terminal. Not so much. In fact, my flight departed from the domestic terminal. Good job Australearn!
Regardless, I get to check-in and find out that both my carry-ons are too heavy. Yay. I spend so long trying to figure out what I can throw away that they let me go through to the gate with the heavy carry-ons and tell me to weigh them there. I go through security and sit alone for awhile cause I have a 6 hour layover. I then realize that the UK-Florida basketball game was on, so I searched the terminal for a TV showing the game. I find one, but it's in this southwest restaurant. I didn't want to go in because I wasn't hungry, so I stood outside the restaurant and watched through the glass wall. I'm sure I made some of the patrons uncomfortable, but oh well, watching the Cats is more important. The cats won...and I jumped up and down, and got many strange stares. But I didn't care, cause UK won. GO CATS!!!
Well, I'm leave my standing spot and go back to the gate. I meet some other Australearn students as well as a kid from Peru and a kid travelling to James Cook Uni alone. I decide its time to go weigh my bags again at the gate. So I take some stuff out opf both of my bags and leave it with the kids I just met, then go weigh both of my bags. They were underweight, yay, so I go back to my seat and promptly put everything that I took out back in. Crisis averted.
2/10 or 2/11 or 2/12 (in flight)
So I don't really know what day it is right now. All I know is I am sitting in a crowded plane. I don't think there is a seat that is open. The seats aren't very comfortable at all. At least the people I'm sitting next to are nice. One was from Canada and was going for a teaching school somewhere. The other, Colla, (well Karla, but that's how she said it) is from Boston (hence the accent). She is going to Macquarie through Australearn (same as me). We talked for a bit, but then it was bedtime.
They served us dinner about 3 hours into the flight. It was quite disgusting. Chicken Morganzala, or something like that. What happened to normal food? we all have TV's on the back on the seat in front of us with on-demand movies, games, tv, music, and more. I watched some movie, but I really don't remember much about other than it was about a city dying. We get snacks and breakfast as well. By the time my row got served breakfast, they had run out of the cold breakfast and we could only get the frittata. It was quite disgusting as well.
Here was the plane I was on for the international flight:
2/12 - 9:00ish AM Brisbane time
Well, we arrived in Brisbane, Australia, and now it's on to customs. We waited forever for our bags to start appearing. Some bag-sniffing dogs came around. When they found a bag in which they smelled something, they would sit and look at their humans. My bags were fine. Well, my bags finally appeared, as well as the guy's (Bobby) that I was talking to. We finally get through customs and screening and find the line that we needed to get into to recheck our bags for our next flight that leaves in about 45 minutes. Time crunches are wonderful.
Well, some airline lady found out that we needed to get our bags checked as quickly as possible, and since we already had our bags checked to Cairns we just threw them on the conveyor, as the line was about 60 people long. Well, as we run to catch the train to the domestic terminal for our next flight, we see loads of Australearn students that either had not gotten through customs, or were in the long line to check their bags. Bottom line, Bobby and I were one of the last people that were able to get their bags checked. Of the 44 Australearn students that were on the flight, only 13 made it onto the flight. Well, actually only 12 cause some girl got on the train the wrong way and missed the flight. The flight was then delayed about an hour while her bags were found and taken off the plane. The 32 people that missed the flight had to wait another 4 hours in the airport so that they could get on another flight.
Here are some pictures of the Brisbane Airport:
9/12 - 2:00 PM Cairns
Well, we arrived safely in Cairns. My first thought, "Damn, it's hot!" My second thought, "What a crappy airport." The airport was not the nicest, or the most modern to say the least. It's hard to describe, but I will say that nothing is connected via indoor hallways. Well, I get to the baggage claim and meet my Australearn leaders. We get our bags and get on a bus to go to our accommodation in Cairns for the next 4 days.
Here are some photos I took while in the air from Brisbane to Cairns:
That's all for now. I should have another post tomorrow.
Monday, February 16, 2009
No internet...boo
So the internet in my room does not work right now because the wires are bad, so I will be unable to really update this blog until it gets fixed. I'm currently on a public computer, so no pictures and such for now. I have no clue how long it will take.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Quick Update
Well, I made it. The land down under, oz, whatever you want to call it, I'm there. It's hot and humid, but it's a lot better than that cold weather back in the states. I have a lot to type up about the flights and first couple ofdays here, so be looking for that soon. I'll also have pictures of roos, wallabes, crocs, koalas, and aboriginees up here soon as we went to the rainforest today. Lots of fun stories and such coming as well. But anyways, I'm about to be cut off the internet cause my time is up and I don't feel like purchasing anymore credit, so this will have to do for now. Look for some more posts hopefully by the end of the weekend.
Monday, February 9, 2009
The Day Before
Why does the day before you leave somewhere have to suck so bad? With all the packing, fretting over forgetting stuff, shopping, and making sure you're ready, you really don't have time to just relax and enjoy your last day wherever you are. I'm sure tomorrow will be just the same with all the nervousness, but at least you get to board that plane and say, "Oh well, it's too late now." Bottom line is that it's hard to fit 5 months of your life into 2 suitcases, especially if you're trying to leave room in the suitcases for souvenirs.
Nonetheless, I leave tomorrow at 4:50PM out of Cincinnati and fly to Los Angeles arriving at 6:45PM. Then, I fly out of Los Angeles at 11:50PM and arrive in Brisbane at 7:45AM Thursday Australian time. Customs time...yay!! I leave Brisbane at 9:45AM and arrive in Cairns at 12:05PM. Then I finally get to enjoy Australia in my AustraLearn program introduction.
Then on Sunday, I get to fly out of Cairns at 9:50AM and arrive in Sydney at 1:45PM where I finally get to find out where exactly I'm living and see my uni for the first time.
I may not be able to update this blog before Sunday depending on whether the place we are staying at for the Australearn intorduction has internet or not. I've heard the place is a dump, so don't get your hopes up.
Well, the packing is calling my name again, darned suitcases, so I should probably get back to that.
Nonetheless, I leave tomorrow at 4:50PM out of Cincinnati and fly to Los Angeles arriving at 6:45PM. Then, I fly out of Los Angeles at 11:50PM and arrive in Brisbane at 7:45AM Thursday Australian time. Customs time...yay!! I leave Brisbane at 9:45AM and arrive in Cairns at 12:05PM. Then I finally get to enjoy Australia in my AustraLearn program introduction.
Then on Sunday, I get to fly out of Cairns at 9:50AM and arrive in Sydney at 1:45PM where I finally get to find out where exactly I'm living and see my uni for the first time.
I may not be able to update this blog before Sunday depending on whether the place we are staying at for the Australearn intorduction has internet or not. I've heard the place is a dump, so don't get your hopes up.
Well, the packing is calling my name again, darned suitcases, so I should probably get back to that.
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