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

P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, SYDNEY!

Last week, while white water rafting I conquered a 7 meter waterfall, which is the highest you can legally go over in a raft in the world! Our guide, Chunk, was hilarious and made the trip really fun. The last time I went white water rafting was with my Aunt Sarah, and the rules she drilled into us then were helpful to remember this time around - things like "Do As I Say!" and "Don't Let Go Of The End Of The Paddle!". It was interesting that about 3 times during our trip down the river and once before we started, the guides said prayers to the spirit of the river. The New Zealanders are very spiritual people, but do not see the need in going to church. All of the prayers were offered in the name of "the Man upstairs...whoever that may be for you." The similarities and differences between each culture we have encountered so far is so interesting! Every culture finds a spiritual being or someone greater than themselves to pray to, but they haven't been very strict or firm in their thinking about who that is. So many cultures are open to the idea of God, but just need to be informed like when Paul explained to the people of Athens that he knew the God they honored as THE UNKNOWN GOD. (Acts 17:16-33)

Now, we are in Australia and have been keeping busy here as well. Our first destination was Cairns, and we spent time at a small lagoon then took a catamaran cruise out to the Great Barrier Reef. We didn't go to the beach to swim because the waters are full of jellyfish right now, so the lagoon was a great alternative. Tons of people were there, but it didn't feel crowded. So, we had fun swimming around like in a pool and laying out in the sun to dry off. Don't worry, we all kept each other in check reapplying SPF 30+ sunscreen very often, especially since all the locals kept telling us that the UV was in the danger zone and we could easily burn within 15 minutes of being exposed to the sun.

On our cruise, we spent about 2 hours driving out to our destination on the Reef relaxing out on the deck or inside in the shade. Snorkeling was included in our day trip, but we were also given the opportunity to scuba dive if we wanted to. I've been snorkeling before in Hawaii, but when we started snorkeling it was also starting to rain just a little bit, so the water was really choppy. I decided to give scuba diving a try, and it was so incredible! I was nervous that I would panic under the water after trying to snorkel in the waves for a while, but the guides were very patient and gave us plenty of time to practice and went over our hand signals and testing us just under the surface. I had bought an underwater camera since it's not everyday that you go see the Great Barrier Reef, and I hope when I get them developed they look as awesome as the real thing! There were so many bright and beautiful fish that swam right around us, and we had the chance to touch lots of clams and other weird creatures at the bottom of the sea. I even saw a sea turtle swim just over us! It reminded me of Finding Nemo, and I wondered what the fish thought of us. They didn't seem bothered at all that we were swimming around, and in fact they seemed just as interested in us.

Now, we are in Sydney, and we will be taking classes at Macquarie University the next 3 days along with our own free time to tour around. It's so fun being here because it feels so much like home, but it's still just so exciting to be in Australia! Today I felt sick, so I stayed close to the hostel, but several people went out exploring and came back with stories of petting koalas or accidentally running into a movie premiere where they saw Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman! It's strange to think that this is the tail end of our adventures, but we still have so much to do and see. Hopefully I get to feeling better very soon so I can enjoy Sydney.

I love you all, and I enjoy hearing from you about home!

Amy

New Zealand is Extreme!

The past two days have been incredible! We are taking a few days to tour around and do some extreme activities here in New Zealand, since that is their big industry here. We started off yesterday with black water rafting and today went for skydiving! I have never felt more personally challenged than the past two days as far as taking the plunge...literally.

For those of you that are wondering what black water rafting is, it's similar to white water rafting...but in a cave. We got all suited up in our wet suits, helmets and headlamps and headed off to the caves to climb underground with our intertubes. From there we moved slowly through the caves climbing along rocks, jumping off waterfalls, and drifting down the water in our tubes with our lights off watching the glowworms above us. Some of the parts were so low that we had to lie back in our intertubes and push ourselves along the roof just inches from our faces. At one point we got to look up from the bottom of a waterhole 65 feet under the surface. The water was freezing, but our wet suits kept us from feeling how cold the air was. (We could see our breath in the headlamps) The whole trip lasted about 3 hours with 1 hour underground, and we were all completely worn out by the time we were through.

Today we weren't under the ground, but way, way above it. 20 of our 26 travellers decided to take part in an optional day of skydiving (including our sponsors!). I went for the 15,000 foot jump and a camera man followed for the freefall portion of my jump taking video footage and still pictures, which I will post as soon as I get. The feeling was totally unreal and I can't even put into words the rush of emotion it was to climb into that plane, watch out the window as we flew higher and higher, then slide my legs over the edge and let myself be thrown from the side of the plane. My tandem jumper (the man attached to my back and did all the work) was so awesome explaining how it was all going to work and showing me the different heights as we went up like where he would be pulling the parachute open. In my head I was telling myself I was crazy and I should be completely panicking, but my body just couldn't keep up and I stayed calm the entire time. The view was incredible, and I can't wait to get my pictures back to show you all the scenery.

I'm not sure what is on the agenda for tomorrow, but I believe Thursday we are going white water rafting. I've gone white water rafting twice before, but this is going to be a level 5 river, and I am so excited to face the next challenge! Don't worry, I promised Mom I wouldn't push the limit too much. Haha!

I'm posting pictures from the past few weeks - Hong Kong as well as a ton of pictures from skydiving, so please check them out! I love hearing from everyone at home, and I miss you all so much. I'm having the time of my life, and I can't wait to get back to tell you all about it!

Amy