Surfing, Penguins, and a Sharkbite

Just got back from a trip to Phillip Island, which was tons of fun! We left in the morning and went straight to Smith's Beach, which is a place that a lot of new surfers learn how to surf. I was on a mission to get a small sharkbite as a souvenir. Anywho, we got these super cute wetsuits (i'm being sarcastic - i thought surfer girls were supposed to look hot). These suits were the most unflattering things in the whole entire world! I was under the impression after the movie Blue Crush that surfers were supposed to look sexy! Anyways we still tried to make them look good. :)

Well surfing was a lot harder than i thought it would be. We had awesome instructors but the biggest danger on Smith's beach is not sharks, nor is it stinging jellyfish. It's actually other surfers, because most are either beginners or just a bit better than beginners. And when the waves are coming, and someone is not in control of their board, then BAM - sharkbite. So they taught us how to get into the waves and ride the wave doing the yoga move Cobra. From the Cobra you basically learn to get your knees up on the board and balance with your legs and arms in position - just like in the movies. I was actually successful about 4 times. It was awesome! There were about 3 times when i completely wiped out, went under water, swallowed a whole bunch of salt water and got hit with my board on the way up. It was tiring but it was such a rush so I kept going.

So then I was perfectly ready to take my next wave. I paddled out waist deep, did a few extra paddles as the wave came like i was supposed to, straightened out, started riding the wave, looked ahead of me - all clear, went into cobra, got my knees up (perfect execution) and then BAM i got hit in the jaw with a yellow fibre glass board. I didn’t realize that a board hit would be so forceful - i was in shock. The first thing i thought was oh my god, there goes my jaw, i should have listened to everyone when they told me to be careful!! So it was some guy not in our surfing class, who had a fibre glass board (ours are soft boards, so a hit is hard but not THAT hard). Anyways i got quite disoriented coming up from the water but thankfully an instructor was by my side in a second because he saw it happen. He complimented me on my near perfect execution and told me that the guy basically lost control of his board and it went along the current and flipped into my face. It was unfortunate but hey - i now have my warrior wound. I'm fine, just a bit swollen, nothing too serious. Things like this'll happen when your on a crowded beach full of beginners.

After that we went to eat dinner - i tried some shark - they call it Flake and it tastes like fish but less fishy and more sharky. Then we went to see the Penguin Parade on the Summerland Peninsula.

There is absolutely no photography allowed, because it scares the penguins. But basically you sit and wait for penguins to come to shore, and without a fail at 8:15 pm you see them waddling out of the water with bellies full of food for baby penguins that they go to feed in the burrows. They were so cute! And there were also tons of seagulls just waiting for them, not flying or squawking but just looking east awaiting the penguins. What a sight to see - it was amazing. We were right at the front and we saw two penguins about a meter away from us, locked in what looked like a kissing session. It was so cute!! I tried to get quite a picture (flash off) but it was too dark :(


Another neat thing here is the constellations - its odd to think that the constellations we grew up knowing (big/little dipper, north star) do not exist here. But i finally know how to find the Southern Cross (its the constellation that is on the Australian flag). Since we were out so far from any city around the stars were amazing - and looking up at the Southern Cross makes me realize how far I really am from home - on the absolute other side of the world.

XVIII Commonwealth Games

The vibe in this city is so unbelievable right now - its just buzzing with excited energy. Melbourne is the host city to the 18th Commonwealth Games going on from the 15th to the 26th of March. On the 15th we went out to the city by the Yarra River for opening ceremonies. The Yarra is such an ideal place because it has fish situated along the river that represent each country around the world. There are 72 Commonwealth countries that take part in the games. During the opening ceremony I cheered for Tanzania, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Canada - it was crazy. I got to see the queen through the jumbotron - she looks exactly the same as when I was 10. Same colour clothes, same hat, same voice....


Then there were fireworks coming out of the fishys as she declared the start to the games - it was all pretty exciting! I even sang God Save the Queen for the first time since elementary school assemblies!

The next day we got patriotic to go cheer on Canada during the Rugby 7s games.


On the way there, we were forced to leave our train because it wasn’t going where it was supposed to. But man, am I glad we did...while waiting outside Flinders St Station we saw this random tram that was decorated in some sort of overdone fobbed out Indian type look.


We got in the flashing lighted tram to see the sign "MADE IN PAKISTAN - by IQBAL".

I was like...what is going on! Then i heard the Pakistani/Indian music and I was in heaven. All i could think about is how much Mummy would love it!! The tram is called W-11: Karachi 2 Melbourne and basically it was a copy of a fleet of particularly vibrant mini-buses that ply the Karachi route called W-11. The buses are "characterized by sculpted stainless steel, bright coloured plastic collages, flashing light patterns, infectious music beats and exuberant conducters." So basically a team of Karachi vehicle decorators have transformed a Melbourne tram to bring the experience of a journey on W-11 to the streets of Melbourne, during the games. After that, the tram gets auctioned off to the highest bidder!

This emblem was on the back of all of the seats. Anyways then we got to the Telstra Dome to start watching the games. The Rugby 7s games are really short - only 7 minutes per half. But it was super fun - we had a huge flag and got to meet all the players after they won their game. There was a point in time when Uganda (the underdogs) were playing Tonga and actually won, and the whole stadium was chanting "YOU - GAND - AHH, YOU - GAND - AHH". It was so loud it felt like the stadium was shaking but it was just incredible hearing all these people from so many different countries rooting for the underdawgs...

So basically the rest of the time left there are tons of events going on around the city and people here from all over the world. I found out that there is a jk near by so I am going on Navroz - kinda excited about that! This weekend surfing and penguin parade at Phillip Island :)

Fragments of Freedom...

So i think it's finally hitting me that i am actually here for school-ahem i mean "uni" (if you say "school" here people think you are in highschool, and since i look 16 i'm not taking any chances). I'm trying hard not to think about it but it's very difficult to avoid the assignments, lectures, and lecturers that seem to be in my face everywhere i turn.

I'm trying to hang on to those last fragments of freedom that i basked in not having to worry about school for seven months - class feels like such an inconvenience...I really dont want to buy any books and the fact that I'm already lost in some of my lectures is starting to worry me. I really should be getting paid for this instead of the other way around.

Anywho on a lighter note i got SKINNYS! They are so very 80's in a faded black wash. I'm wearing them here with pointy black flats, a red halter and a big thick belt. Belts are hot here when they are not worn around your waist, if you can pull it off. All the manniquens do! This picture was taken specifically for my blog after several email requests from various people to show them my skinnys...i dont usually take single pics of me if i'm not in front of a lighthouse or rock/water combo. here i am posed at the corner of my oh-so-glam res in front of the fire hydrant.

This was a Traffic Light party at Doolys...I was the only red in a sea of greens...if this doesnt scream "No" i dont know what does....but at least it got me brownie points :P Yaaaaaa
The next one is yet another night at the Nott...it seems like the only time ppl here ever leave residence is to go to the Nott!

The Great Ocean Road

Just got back from the Great Ocean Road trip with the Monash Uni Exchange Club and it was just unbelievebly bombastically fantastic! There were only about 15 of us that got a spot on the trip, so needless to say I was quite excited and wasnt really sure what to expect.

We started off by driving the "back road" from Melbourne to Port Campbell on a little cozy bus, stopping in Geelong on the way. A thick fog covered the little town, which was actually really pretty but I'm sure it would have been nicer had it been clear.

From Port Campbell we went to see "The Arch" - i know, i know - how original.


It was still pretty foggy and we figured we might not be able to see the 12 Apostles because of the deep mist - needless to say we were all really dissappointed...

So we kept driving along the Southern Sea until we got to our next destination, The Grotto, and by then things had cleared up a bit.

Since the Commonwealth Games are being held in Melbourne next week (I'm going to a Canada/Australia Rugby game next Thursday) we actually saw the Commonwealth Baton - its kind of like the Olympic Torch but it's umm green - and its a baton....really its quite unimpressive...but hey who am i to judge. (its in my picture set...) anyways some sites were blocked off because of this baton relay thing going on at various Australian sites (my pictures also show us running after the lady with the baton...they take it pretty seriously, like i was standing there and i saw 5 security gaurds running towards us yelling - "out of the way, out of the way"...so we all ran and followed them it was quite amusing) ...so anyways my point is we werent able to go to the tourist area to see the London Bridge because it was blocked off. As we passed it though, our bus stopped on the side of the road, very illegally may i add, and a couple of us ran through the snake infested (probably) tall grass and bush to get this picture below. I suffered a cut on my foot that needed a bandaid - but hey anything for the sake of a good picture! Oh ya, interesting fact - the london bridge actually collapsed when a group of ppl were stuck on the end of it, they had to be rescued by a helicopter.

After that random excursion into the bush we went to see another site where there was the famous Loch Ard Wreck that gave this "cursed" Bass Straight beach its name. The beach i'm standing on, according to legend, is where the only 2 survivors were found. Keep in mind while viewing my pictures that my hair only looks this way because i am currently using VO5 gel. :(

After that we drove to the 12 Apostles, and thankfully the sky cleared up so we could see them. Now i still dont know what the big deal is about these things, they look like everyother rock/water combination i saw that day and there aren't even 12 of them! I dont think there were even 12 to begin with! i really do think it's an Australian Govt conspiracy created to attract tourists to the area!

Something i find really interesting about Australia is the fact that there are signs like "Kangaroo Crossing" on the road and its not even a joke, you actually see kangaroos on the side of the road like you would deer in parts of Calgary, or driving to Banff, or on the "Deer Road" going to Appa's house in Kincora...

Its just so wierd to think that animals i consider "exotic" like koalas and kangaroos are actually in the wild there...so when they told us we were going to a random area by a beach where there are always koalas i was like....yaaa whatever, i'm sure we wont be able to see them...like since when do you go somewhere looking for an animal and actually find one? Anyways the sun was setting and we went to this small beach, and lo and behold in the trees were tons and tons of koalas. A lot of them were sleeping (they get intoxicated off of the ecalyptus leaves) but we saw one that gave us quite a show...if i figure out how to put video on this thing then i will...but it was just incredible. The koala in the picture wasnt really cute though, he was quite vicious looking.

Now until this time i thought my accomodations were going to be some seedy house with a ton of bunk beds and bugs, little did i know we were staying in an amazing beach side cottage. We spent the night in Lorne in a house that was actually built as a hospital in 1881 and was recently moved to another site, whole. It was just beautiful and old and quaint...i loved it. My room had windows everywhere, a big huge double bed with fluffy pillows and a great duvet...its the best i've slept since i left home...

I woke up to find the sun shining on my face and this beachside view from my window. Then we all sat like a huge family at a huge table and had an amazing brekky of toast, jams, milk, juice, cereal and AMAZING Nescafe blend 42 coffee with 2 creams 2 sugars! Coffee here is so hard to get used to that Maccer's coffee is the next best thing to a Timmys Frech Vanilla... i know... how sad!

After a lazy sunday brekky we made our way to the beach...but of course i got distracted by the shops...the surf shops in particular. See in small beach towns like this surfing wear rules...so ya anyways i got myself an Australian cowboy hat to represent C-town...and so that i can actually look like Crocodile Dundee - i do it all for my blog you see....naw really i got it to big up Cali-g and also because its RipCurl (hot surfer brand)...then i got a Billabong bikini...then went back for a Cult bikini... now i only have about seven hundred and fourty million bikinis. But hey when i'm back in Calgary surfing it will all be worth it! Fish Creek Park, here i come!

Anywho then i did the funnest thing in the world...i played backyard beach cricket!! Cricket is huge here, and I was told i was a natural ;) It must be cuz i'm brown - c'mon we all saw Lagaan! I felt like Amir Khan!

So here i am bowling...(my form may not be perfect but hey that IS the ball in the sky) ...

and batting!




And here is my RipCurl Cowboy hat - i will be wearing it at all future Stampedes...

We left Lorne and stopped at a random golf course where wild kangaroos were just chillin. There were probably a group of around 20 of them. Where as at the sanctuary they were all sleeping, here the wild roos were hopping around. It was really neat to see. Interesting fact #2: Kangaroos cant take backward steps, and they use their tail as a third leg!

Then we saw the Split Point lighthouse...and this is me below trying to look like the lighthouse. Uncanny resemblance, is it not??
Our final destination was Bells Beach - which is a beach thats off the hizzy for surfing. The waves are unexpectedly forceful but it was incredible.




All in all the experience was awesome - very windy and not a good hair day - but still awesome!

Also, thank you for your many emails with feedback on my blog! I'm glad you guys are enjoying it and it gives me more of a reason to keep updating it :)

Melbourne Fashion

As promised...Australian Fashion! Thankfully i've befriended heaps of aussie chicks who have led me in the right fashion direction!

Well i thought it would be all surfing gear in Australia- Roxy, Quicksilver, etc. Maybe in Brisbane or Sydney, but not in Melbourne. It takes only one trip into the city to be able to feel the Euroethnic undertones of this urban metropolis. However, as big as the urban area is there are so many suburbs around- and apparantly there is a certain distinct style North of the Yarra versus South of the Yarra. I've only been here a couple of weeks but from what i've learned so far, these are the 3 major trends that i see.

1. SKINNYS!! Skinny jeans are all the rage here, worn best with flat pointy or round toed shoes, cuffed up or left down, or worn with scrunchy flat boots. Scrunchy round toed boots with a heel are also hot with skinnys (thankfully i picked up a military green pair in HK). I really didnt need to buy those True Religions before I left Calgary, because they are flared and i almost feel "dowdy" in them! So my next mission is to find a pair of skinnys that I can add to my wardrobe.



2. Chunky Necklaces! Although lots and lots of necklaces used to be in here, it seems as though the focus is being taken toward just one peice, long or short, colorful or bland, but definately CHUNKY! I am embracing this as most of you know that i LOVE chunky necklaces. I just bought a bright orange one which i will be soon busting with my royal blue shirt - gotta love complimentary colours.


3. Long Strap Hobo bags! These are definitely SO in right now - worn long or short but mostly long. The best part is you can find them in so many different styles and colors, and they fit EVERYTHING a girl needs! Charms hanging off bags are also pretty hot - its all about the bag! Metallics are still slammin, and coordinating with a big belt also works well.

Okay now i really feel like i have too much time on my hands! Really i should be sleeping right now. But on the subject of beauty, I had to go check out MAC last time i went to Chadstone mall - it was in the MYERS. I saw it from far and it was calling my name, along with BENEFIT and other great brands. However it was only as i compared prices when i realized how glad i was that I made a MAC run before i left home.

Studiofx: CAN $26 AUS $48

okay yes, gasp with me. I was flabbergasted. So i wont do further price comparisons because it almost brings a tear to my eye. But i will list the prices that I found!

Eyeliner: AUS $32 (I really hope I dont run out of my Smolder Eye Kohl)
Lipstick: AUS $34
Lipliner: AUS $32
Eyeshadow: AUS $30

Well I guess when I open up my cosmetics company i'll know how to appease my target market! Oh lets do a Pantene Pro-V comparason. This is really sad, seriously, grab a kleenex:

Pantene Pro-V Shampoo: CAN $6.95 (maximum) AUS: $12.95 - $13.99

Yes i have actually seen it for 13.99!! I bought VO5 Gel for 8 dollars! YES V05 GEL!! Oh and on the subject of hair, i think the fuse in my CHI blew - very very upset about that :(

okay this entry has gone on long enough! off to bed for me! I included a link on the side of this page with more pics from my trip. Well, on to another dreadful day at uni - those stores will but up soon....

O-week is O-ver :(

Well O-week (orientation week) was definitely like reliving frosh week all over...except funner, more exciting and just plain better. I’m kind of sad that it’s over, but I'm looking forward to starting school tomorrow to compare Monash engineering to UW engineering. I know…I'm such a geek.

I am living in "Farrer Hall", which is basically the party hall of residence. It’s been quite fun but I haven’t really got much sleep this past week...maybe that’s why I'm sniffling and getting over a cold. Don’t worry mummy, I'm eating fruit and vitamins.

The theme song of the week was Madonna's "Time goes by...so slowly"... we had a whole set of actions developed and any time it played we were required to act out the song. When we didn’t know the actions we did some "interpretive dance"...which means just waving your hands around and looking artsy.

Monday in the daytime was what they legally call a "Scavenger Hunt" but really it was a pubcrawl around the city, where you are assigned in groups (Mine was the "Pink Panthers") and you get to take random photos. We took a fierce one on the hood of a car, looking quite Panthery and other ones included satisfying terms like:

-Men in Suits
-Very Old
-Very Tall
-Very Wet
-Green
-Unappealing, etc.

We came in third place, and it was the first day I really got to see the city. We then had pizzas by the Yarra River, which I’m sure I'll be seeing a lot more of. That evening was another event but I skipped it for fear that it would mess up my sleeping schedule...little did I know, you cant escape o-week...




5 am that night/morning and I heard doors banging outside my room, pots and pans slamming and the PA system running amok. I was trying to sleep through it but after the incessant annoyance I decided to come out of my room and find out what the disturbance was about. Upon leaving my room, I was forced to go to the common room in my night clothes. I walked in wearing my PJ’s (and Japanese robe i acquired for 5 bucks in HK) to see the tired angry faces of other o-weekers. We were all told to start walking outside, to a destination unbeknownst to us. 40 minutes later, after a treacherous walk up Blackburn road, i saw the golden arches. They made us WALK to Maccer's (Read: Mc Donald’s, Pronounce: Mack-as) and not only that, we had to BUY our own food. I was livid, but after the long walk the hotcakes tasted heavenly.

That day we took it easy and went Chadstone mall, the greatest mall i've ever been in. After 2 trips there, i still haven’t seen the first floor. It is sooo huge and sooo wonderful i feel like being a mallrat there. That night we went bowling which was quite fun - however my score was quite embarrassing at 65.

Wednesday was beach day...we went to a nice beach in a suburb outside Melbourne called Mornington...it really just felt like i was at a lake in Ontario. I was a bit disappointed and it was really overcast. That night we had a crazy beach party…fun fun fun.



On Thursday, after i was asked to join the Sri Lankan Student society, Jen and I decided to venture into public transport and take a bus to a beach in St. Kilda. We ended up at another beach called Ellewood. It was such a pretty stretch of beach...it was so wonderful to relax there and get darker and darker. I thought i would stop tanning at a point but i haven’t reached it yet and i don’t know if there is one. Thursday night we went out to the ONLY local pub around, The Nott, for the second time. It’s basically like the Bomber...actually I think it is Bomber in disguise. (Note to non-Waterloosers: Bomber = The Bombshelter = Wednesday night fun at UW).








On Saturday I went to watch my first footy game! Aussie Rules Football is so unlike any sport I’ve ever witnessed in my life. The field is oval, they bounce the ball like a basketball (every 15 steps), they punch it like a volleyball (they cant throw) and they kick it like a soccer ball. There are 3 types of scoring, one is the Super Goal worth 9 points when the ball is kicked into the big goal post from behind the 50 yard line, the other is just a 6 pointer kicked into the big goal post and the last is the 1 pointer kicked into the 2 small goal posts. It was quite interesting and very fun...Geelong Cats versus Carlton...Geelong won. I need to get me a footy jersey or scarf!





Next post...Australian Fashion! I know you’ve all been waiting….lol.