First Week of Classes!

July 25-29th was my first week of classes at University of Melbourne!

I am taking 4 classes here, they are:

Television and Popular Culture, The Digital Mediascape, History of Witches and Witch Hunting, and Sociology of the Body. I love all my classes! There is a lot of reading though, which is difficult to keep up with, but I seem to be doing fine even though I'm not completing ALL my reading.

This is my weekly schedule:

Its pretty nice being able to sleep in most days of the week, since I am NOT a morning person.

Anyways, I can't believe that I am already in my 6th week of class!!! I am pretty much halfway done with classes, because there are only 12 weeks of instruction! Then several weeks of testing, but I actually don't have any finals. I just have 4 giant papers due the week of November 7th!

Also if anyone is interested in an assignment I completed for my Digital Mediascape class, here is a link to my academic essay in blog format on digital imaging in the film industry. Click here to check it out!

I also joined the gym at University of Melbourne, which means that I am allowed to go to their workout classes there. So I tried out a yoga class there, which I actually didn't like, I guess I am spoiled with the fabulous yoga teachers at UCSB. But I also tried out this class called Body Pump. Body Pump is crazy! I have taken two classes so far, you work out aerobic style with a barbel. Its actually pretty fun... Who knew I would say that! I hate exercise, but I am actually trying to stay healthy and try to work out more regularly while I am here. I have been eating a whole lot of crap because I secretly think I am on vacation for the 5 months I am here (not a good mind set).

So

Turns out I'm not too good at blogging!
I'm gonna try to get this updated within the next few days, So I'm gonna go back and recap everything.

So I left off with talking about my first footy game! It was awesome! Its probably my new favorite sport...

Saturday July 23
A big group of us went to watch the Brisbane Lions play the North Melbourne Kangaroos at Etihad Stadium. Our seats were pretty awesome seats for being free! We had a great view of everything and I had WAAAAY too much fun taking photos. I won't bore you with all the photos I took, but I will share a few :)

Crazy fans & giant pom poms!

These two players pretty much kept fighting the whole game. Player number 1 of the Brisbane Lions kept trying to fight everyone, it was so entertaining. We basically just watched him the ENTIRE game. So I made this image as a joke.
There was this weird bird that kept circling the stadium, I think he thought he was what everyone was watching. Silly bird.



Sunday July 24
My friends Alex, Amanda, and I went down to Federation Square to look at some free art exhibits (cause we're cheap) Here's a little girl yelling at some birds in Federation Square, haha!
We first checked out an Aboriginal art exhibit in the NGV (National Gallery Victoria)




Afterwards we checked out an awesome cartoonists exhibit called Inherent Vice, which was also in the NGV. Eight cartoonists from Melbourne relocated their studios to the NGV to come together and collaborate on comic art, DIY publications and their own larger projects.






Some photos of the walk home:

2½ Weeks! (They're flying by)

I can't believe I have been here for just about 2½ weeks now! I've met loads of new people and am slightly more familiar with the city now (meaning I don't get lost quite as much as my first day). I'm gonna do a quick recap of my last entry except this time with some photos

Here is a photo from the plane ride from Sydney to Melbourne



Here is my bedroom


My cute little balcony


The delicious lamb burger that I must again sometime soon


and the view from my balcony at night



Since I haven't updated in a while I will give a quick break down of what I have been up to.

Sunday July 10th: Second day in Melbourne and I went on another adventure into the city. This time I went with two other girls from California which I met here. We walked around a bunch, checked out China Town, and ended up in this awesome alley way with a ton of street art/graffiti.












Tuesday July 12th: The Melbourne Welcome Program started, which is a program I signed up for where a bunch of international students stayed in dorms on campus at University of Melbourne for a week and we had a ton of activities to do together during the week. Through this program I met a lot of people which I am still hanging out with.

Wednesday July 13th: We went on a city tour and then went to the top of the Eureka Sky Deck, which is the tallest building in the southern hemisphere.

Here is a picture of the Eureka Sky Deck


Now here are some photos from the top of the building!






After going to the top of the Eureka Sky Deck, we went to the Royal Botanical Gardens to go on an Aboriginal Heritage Walk. This was really awesome, before we went on our walk we all sat in this gazebo and did an aboriginal ceremony where this guy played the didgeridoo.


Then later at night a huge group of us went to see the last Harry Potter film, which was amazing and sad and I can't believe its over. But mainly I'm glad that I have bragging rights that I saw the film two days before everyone in the US. MWHAHAHA.

Thursday July 14th: We went to the ZOO!


Check out this ballin' kangaroo


There were baby elephants!


and a butterfly house!


Later that night we had a formal dinner with the dorm we stayed in. It was cute everyone got all dressed up and looked super snazzy.


and then we went out in our snazzy outfits afterward


Friday July 15th: We learned how to play Australian football from some North Melbourne Kangaroo AFL players. The main player that was instructing us was a total babe and I was pretty sure my future was to become an AFL players wife and help bring AFL to America but then my friend noticed he had a wedding ring... saddest moment ever. At least every other AFL player is pretty much as gorgeous as he is. But in all seriousness this game is crazy, I don't understand it at all but its super fun to watch.

Later that night we had an Australian themed party at this bar next to our apt building called Turf. So I pulled out my handy dandy Australia baseball cap I bought in America for like $3 and the hat became the life of the party.


Saturday July 16th: The Melbourne Welcome Program ended so we all went our separate ways back to our permanent housing for the next 6 months. Luckily, most of the friends I made also live in RMIT Village (the apartment complex thing where I live) so its super easy for us all to hang out.

Sunday July 17th: I went for another adventure down into the city we stopped for a little bit by the gross river which is literally brown


then we went to this awesome/free art exhibit where this artist did drawings for 10 weeks in coffee shops and most of them have to do with coffee, the art was really awesome and we were able to chat with the artist for a bit too.

Here is the flyer for the exhibit


After that we went to this hip pizza place called Bimbo's which is also a bar, and they have a decent personal pizza for $4 and really unique pizza options as well.

Here is a group of us at Bimbo's


then we moved into our own personal room in the restaurant and we decided to rest from all the walking we did that day


Monday July 18th: This marked the beginning of Orientation week, which includes a ton of events held by my apartment/housing RMIT Village. There was another party at Turf (the bar/club next door)


Tuesday July 19th: We all headed over to University to listen to orientation lectures and to learn how to sign up for classes. Later that night there was a MUSEX Party at Turf. (MUSEX is a club for Melbourne University Students on Exchange, so basically study abroad kids).


Wednesday July 20th: We went back to campus and checked out the sports groups, I decided to join Surf Club. So I guess I will try surfing again. This club also seems like a good way to meet Australians. Later at night there was another party at Turf this one was themed "Under the Sea".


Thursday July 21st: We went back to campus again and checked out all the clubs, I was hoping there would be a yoga club but I couldn't find one... I'm thinking about possibly joining the wine tasting club though.

Later at night my roommate Sarah, made a bunch of us a delicious dinner of sweet and sour chicken




then a group of us gathered in the Village Lounge and we all watched the movie The Prestige, which somehow I had never seen before, this movie was awesome. Christopher Nolan is basically god.

Friday July 22nd: I went shopping in the city with a couple friends then later at night we went down to the Docklands for a birthday and watched fireworks. It was pretty cool.


Then the village hosted an animal themed party in the courtyard, where I was of course a cat.




Saturday July 23rd: A group of us went to go see an AFL game. We got free tickets from the Welcome Program. We watched the North Melbourne Kangaroos play the Brisbane Lions. It was an awesome match and I took A TON of photos (which I will post later)

AAAAAAND that is where I am going to stop for now, because this post is WAAAAAY too long. I will update with the rest sometime later this week.

If you'd like to see the rest of my photos check them out HERE

OH ALSO If you'd like to help me decorate my room and make me smile send me a pretty/cool/cute/psychedelic post card or letter!

Paulina Cassimus
RMIT Village
5-17 Flemington Road
North Melbourne, VIC 3051
Australia