I know it’s a few days old now, but these are some initial thoughts that went out in a first email home…
See!? It is a very small world after all! I am sitting in the biological sciences library at UQ, I have checked into my dorm, have my room, had a shower and actually walked around the loop of the Great Court that you see in the pictures.
I am kinda shocked that I’m here. I sat in the dorm stunned that I was even sitting there, thinking, “How did this happen?” It is really real now, and all the people around me are just going about their business,talking about some assignment they can’t figure out or typing away and highlighting like there’s no tomorrow. It’s a huge school. I supposeanyone who has been to a big school would be used to it, but it’s like a city to itself.
It’s 2 pm here right now, and I can’t really remember when I ate last. I don’t know if I’m tired, hungry or just weak from hauling my bags around… when I had to carry them all at once it was a little bit of work!
This is a really strange feeling… like a warp of some kind, I am just transplanted into the middle of day to day life here. Except there are vines growing all over campus and the rain dumped an hour ago and poured straight down in tropical style. It looks like the afternoon rain might be over, but I don’t know if it just comes and goes at will or what.
The van that met me at the airport was picking up another guy who came from Toronto. He was pretty talkative and jumped right into trying to find a place to live together… I guess he’s sweating it… He’s here on a one year program for teacher’s college. Another guy was in the checkin office of the dorm, and was really friendly, and asked if I played tennis… he had a racket in his hand. I told him no, and he asked what sports I do play. For ease of explanation I told him none. He seemed really unimpressed, but nice about it, and promptly informed me that IH (International House, the dorm I’m in) is all about participation. ok! 🙂
Anyways, I thought it was weird that people were like that… I guess one strange face is the same as another.
There are lots of asians here, probably because they can/have to stay over summer to keep their visas.
That’s all… there will be more.
Tags: Australia, UQ by David Graff
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