Pictures galore!

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this post says A LOT. It's been a busy week, but I finally got around to uploading my pictures from my Canon. There's hundreds from our month in Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, so I will have to limit myself to ones from my first week in Sydney.

On Sunday we (as in myself, Isabelle, and some of our new friends) went to the Featherdale Wildlife Park to see some cute Australian animals. The outing was arranged by a organization called Red Frogs. The members of this organization seek to be a positive influence in alcohol-fuelled environments and also provide non-alcoholic activities. The trip was really inexpensive (only $20), and we met a lot of nice people. They handed out candy that tasted a lot like Swedish Fish. Yum! 

We were excited to see typical Australian animals, like koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, and wombats. However, we were crossing our fingers that we would get to see a quokka. I didn't know they existed until my second day here, and my life has changed ever since. For those of you who haven't heard of quokkas, you're in for a treat. Stop everything you're doing, Google "happy quokka", and go to the images. Aren't they magnificently adorable? They are originally from the Western part of Australia (Perth/Rottnest Island), and must be the happiest animals in the world. Their cute little cheeks, big noses, and adorable smiles just make me happy. Love them!

I'm happy to report that we did in fact see quokkas at Featherdale. They were a little less happy than their Google-image-counterparts. Maybe they were sick of being in the park? I think I would be. My friend, Whinney, was able to capture a good picture of this little guy though. So cute. 

Picture taken by my friend, Whinney, from the Netherlands

We also saw koalas. Though commonly called koala bears, they are not bears, but in fact a marsupial. We (primarily Isabelle) were hoping that we would be able to hold a koala, give it a hug, and get a big koala hug back. Unfortunately all we got to do was stand next to them and pet them on their back. They were really cute, and I'm satisfied with the encounter (even though I wasn't allowed to squeeze its cheeks). Koalas sleep about 18-20 hours a day, which is an evolutionary strategy to conserve their energy (the eucalyptus leaf is very low in nutrients/energy value). There were quite a few koalas in the park; most of which were sleeping lazily in eucalyptus trees until they were woken up by park employees so visitors could take pictures with them. Hard life for the koalas. 

I wanted to squeeze its little cheeks. But alas, no cheek squeezing allowed… 

The kangaroo at the park seemed a little indifferent, and just laid there staring into the air. Not that I was expecting a song and dance, but perhaps a little more movement. Beautiful animal though. 

Can I help you?

The wallabies were much more playful and exciting (sorry, kangaroo). Wallabies are marsupials that are similar to, but smaller than, kangaroos. They were able to jump freely around, but had their own little "sanctuaries" where visitors weren't' allowed to go. This enabled them to come out for a bit, approach people, and jump back to their designated free zones when they wanted to be alone.

So soft! 

Not all the animals enjoyed our presence. I felt like this emu was about to attack me after I snapped a few shots of him. Not sure what his problem was… Bad hair day? 

This emu didn't like having its picture taken

We had seen some of the animals in the park before. For example, the Australian White Ibis. These birds can be found walking around campus. According to many Australians, they are a nuisance. Personally, I think they look pretty cool. They don't seem too friendly, but as long as you mind your own business, I'm sure they won't attack (hopefully). Time will tell. 

Not all animals can be blessed with pure cuteness-genes. Here is a great example of one such animal, the gray-faced flying fox. I'd say this little guy is half cute and half utterly terrifying. 

Flying fox 

Remember Taz, the tasmanian devil? Sorry to break it to you, but real tasmanian devils don't look much like Taz. The one we saw, however, was just as active (he ran around, he didn't spin around like Taz did though). In the wild, tasmanian devils travel throughout their territory, foraging for food and looking for intruders. Apparently, the tasmanian devil was so active because he was mimicking this behavior in his enclosure. 

The tasmanian devil doing laps  

The wombats were another favorite of mine. They have short little legs, and kind of waddle around. The wombats at Featherdale were well fed and enjoyed eating; they reminded me of my Mom's dog, Bear.

Hungry wombat  

Last, but not least, we saw Little Penguins (this is their actual name). They are the smallest of the penguin species, and only get to be around 1kg/2.2 pounds. Could you imagine having one of these in your possession? Ah, I would love it! 

On Monday (Feb 24th), we headed to Bondi Beach. We were finally reunited with our other Norwegian friends from the University of Tromsø (UiT). As I've previously mentioned, in addition to Isabelle and I, two other girls from my class will also be taking classes at Macquarie University. It was great seeing people from back home! 

This is Anita. She's originally from the Western part of Norway.  

This is Anne. She is from Northern Norway, just like Isabelle. 

This is me, in case you have forgotten what I look like. 

We took the opportunity to take our first Norwegian group photo in Sydney. The guy to the bottom left is Tord, Anita's husband. The guy photo bombing/jumping in the back is our new friend Rich from the US. Look at him, jumping for joy. Such a happy guy! 

Bondi was nice, perhaps a little overcrowded. It is very well known in Australia and the rest of the world. Whether you'd like to swim, surf, tan, eat or shop - Bondi has everything. 

Anita and Tord arrived Sydney about a month ago, and have had a chance to explore the city a bit. They live in Bondi Junction, only a 25 minute walk from Bondi Beach. After hanging out at the beach for a few hours, Anita and Tord took us to two great places: Bondi Hardware Bar for dinner and Messina for dessert. The Hardware Bar used to be a hardware store 30 years ago (hence the name), and they've kept a lot of the elements from the original interior. All the brickwork, beams, high ceilings, recycled wood, and dim lighting created a great atmosphere. They specialize in tapas/shared dishes, so we got a bunch of different things and split everything. The calamari was to die for. 

Messina is a gelato place that is very popular in Sydney. According to Tord and Anita, there is always a long line here - rain or shine. They make all their gelato from scratch, and only use fresh ingredients in their purest form. I couldn't decide on only one flavor, so I ended up with one scoop of their signature flavor Salted Caramel and White Chocolate and another scoop of Milk Chocolate with Chocolate Peanut Fudge. This is arguably the best gelato I have ever had in my life. I can't wait to go back here! 

Couldn't get a clear shot because there were so many people in the way.

Anita and Tord were pretty happy that we enjoyed their favorite gelato place. 

Best. Gelato. Ever.

On Tuesday (February 25th) we went to karaoke at the Macquarie Mall. I've only been a few other times, but this was a totally different experience. The places I've been previously have been in a bar setting, and people just randomly sign up to sing, and there's lots of other people just hanging out. At this karaoke place it was just you, your friends, and a karaoke machine in a closed room. We didn't sound the greatest, but that didn't stop us from singing Mamma Mia (Abba), Wannabe (Spice Girls), and Don't Stop Believing (Journey) from the top of our lungs though. I guess it got better after our voices warmed up, though many would likely disagree. Thank goodness the room was soundproof. We made sure the door didn't stay ajar for long periods of time ("SHUT THAT DOOR!"). 

I don't think any of us will be signing up for choir any time soon.

On Wednesday (February 26th) we went to an orientation meeting. There's been so much going on that I've almost forgotten the whole purpose of being here - SCHOOL! School officially starts tomorrow, but I don't have class until Tuesday. One more day of freedom! In the evening we went on a cruise around the Sydney harbor. A great night, despite rain and lightning! It was hippie/hipster themed party. 

Liza (from Russia), Isabelle, myself, and Anne

Finally explored the city center on Friday (February 28th). One of Isabelle's roommates, Devan, and I went walking around with some other Macquarie students. We saw Darling Harbour, The Rocks, Central Business District (CBT), and a few other areas. The highlight was probably coming across the GAYTMs on George Street. The bank ANZ glammed up their ATMs for Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Very cool! 

There was a Masquerade Party yesterday (March 1st), which was arranged by The Village. It was at a club at Darling Harbour in the city center. Lots of people, and lots of fun. 

Time to wrap it up for now. I need to get some shuteye. G'night from Australia! 

Love,
Suzy