I Come From A Land Down Under!

Since we got to Sydney things have calmed down quite a bit. It's been colder and more rainy here, so we haven't been out on the beach like in Cairns. But there is still so much to see that we keep busy easily.

Last week we went to classes at Macquarie University for 3 days to have lectures covering Australian history and modern civilization. Those classes were really interesting as the professors built off of what we know about American history to fit Australia's history into it. Not only did we gain an understanding of Australia's history, but I feel like I understand American history better now too. We learned all about their English origins and how they have treated and dealt with the aborigine people over time. In many ways their history is a lot like ours, and in many ways it's very, very different. Their priorities and goals have been very different than ours while they established their own government and society, which has created two very different countries stemming from the same source. At the same time, they now have many of the same ideals as Americans do, so they are working now to find a way to move forward in their culture.

Yesterday I went to Paddy's Market, which was similar to the Silk Market in China but less chaotic. I found some good souvenirs there and stopped to watch the Bottle Man outside. You can go to www.myspace.com/bottleman to see his videos. In the evening we met with the group studying in Australia from Harding University. It was good to hang out with them and exchange stories of our different adventures, and we have plans to see them again tomorrow and hang out around Sydney. They will also be in Hawaii the same time as us, so maybe we'll get to see them even more before we get home!

Tonight for dinner we are going out to Pancakes on the Rocks for a little birthday celebration. Afterwards we're hoping to pick up some tickets to see a ballet tomorrow at the Sydney Opera House. Later this week we are headed to host families again for our last few days in Australia! I think everyone is starting to feel a bit homesick as these last weeks wrap up especially around Thanksgiving time. We are planning our own Thanksgiving meal, so we'll still get to celebrate our Americans holiday from Australia. It'll just come 17 hours early for us!

I miss you all and can't wait to see everyone when I get home. If you're in Oklahoma, come to the Student Center on December 8th at 7pm to greet us all when we get there!

Amy