Countdown to the Return Home

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Day 3: Evening

Yet again, I'm writing a new blog before having posted the old ones. This shoddy internet stuff is getting really annoying. My latest dilemma is that, though I convinced the text to paste in Internet Explorer this time, when I clicked “post entry” the website was like “haha, wut? nah, man.”

So now you're getting three for the price of one. Let us hope that it does not become four, because then you might start to think that I'm spending all of my time in front of the computer, pretending to have back-logged posts so that you'll think I have more important things to do than hunt down functional internet connections.

But, to the contrary! I have been up to many things. Today was a particularly exciting day because I made it all the way out to UQ campus! Yay! It was quite a trek, mostly because I'd never been there before so it took me about 45 minutes to find the CityCat stop (read: ferry terminal, which is actually a dock no larger than the average private one), which I had been told was a 20 minute walk away. See, the only map that I have been able to find doesn't include UQ campus. In fact, it doesn't even include the side of West End (the neighborhood I'm in) that is directly across the river from UQ. The map barely even has my hostel on it—it's way down in the bottom left corner, and in order to get to the stop I had to go down and left, so I was completely off the map. Yes. Me. With my sense of direction. Without a map. Trying to navigate somewhere by my gut feelings and little else.

It can't be a surprise that I ended up panicking about halfway there and opted to just get down to the river and figure it out from there. While this took me considerably longer than it would have otherwise, it turned out to be a pretty great decision. I got a good sense of what life along the river is like, I found some funny looking birds, watched some kids having a birthday party, and saw a wedding procession.

I did notice a couple strange things, though. First of all, all along the bike path by the river, they have workout stations. I mean that in the very vaguest sense of the words. They were basically just really simplified metal structures that didn't make much sense until you looked at the post beside them, where there was a stick figure illustration of what you were suppose to be doing. I took pictures of a few of them, and of course I tested them out, but there were probably a dozen spread out over a few hundred meters and I tired of them quickly.

Additionally, every time I came across somebody going the opposite direction on the path, there was this super awkward moment where we almost ran into each other. I couldn't figure out what was happening for the longest time, because I was moving out of the way just like I always do, and yet I kept getting underfoot and tripping people up. Then I realized: I was moving right, and they were moving left. Because in Australia, they do things on the wrong side of the road. I spent the rest of the day having to consciously shift left every time someone was coming, which is far more mentally exhausting to remember than you might think. Weird.

Anyway, I did eventually make it to the CityCat stop without much incident, and I figured out how to read the schedule, and got on the boat going the right direction on the very first try. Yay me! The CityCats are really small, passenger-only boats with only one floor (there's a second one for the driver, though), that go ridiculously fast. I was trying to buy my ticket when it took off, and the gust of high-powered wind that came tearing through the open front door nearly blew my money away. The ticket seller lost some of his pamphlets, and he got really annoyed and went and slammed the thing closed, scaring the wits out of everyone on that side of the boat. The drivers on the CityCat drive the way metro bus drivers do in Seattle—quickly, recklessly, yet with a delicate sort of utter precision that you can't help but admire. As we approached the UQ dock (only one stop away, but on the other side of the river), he basically just slammed to a stop and the current swept us right up against it, soft and easy, without even bumping into it.

I thanked the worker as I got off, and he gave me a funny look. Apparently that isn't kosher here. I went up the ramp onto dry land, and there I was—UQ campus.

At first, it wasn't much to look at. I was on the outskirts, where the roads are, and the center of campus is a hill so I couldn't see much. The map didn't look too promising, either. Nevertheless, I trudged on, determined to at least get my bearings. I followed the signs to the UQ Center, which was closed, and then decided to try to find “the Great Court,” which I guessed (correctly) was their version of the Quad. I took a wrong turn in my quest, however, and ended up wandering into a section of campus that has no name on the map, but is dotted with three small bodies of water, all of which are labeled merely “Lake.” I came around the corner and found myself face-to-face with a fountain eerily similar to Drumheller, but instead of being in a small, toxic pool of vaguely water-like sludge, it was in the middle of a sizable lake, surrounded by other lakes and a ton of exotic foliage. Absolutely gorgeous.

Once I'd gotten my fill of the lakes, I continued to wander in search of the Great Court, and found instead the UQ Union Shopping Center. Yes, shopping center. There is a goddamn mall in the middle of UQ campus. Most of the shops were closed since it's Saturday during the mid-year break, but I could tell plainly what they were: candy shop, hairdresser, nail salon, book store, used book store, pizza place, Subway (hey UW kids, guess where I'm going to be eating :P), bar—and that was just the things on the ground floor that I could see. The building was locked up, but there were three floors. I can't wait to explore the place once it's open.

Now thoroughly impressed with campus, I continued on in my search, and went past a large group of kids wearing blue-and-yellow striped shirts who were having a barbeque. It smelled delicious. I think they were band kids, because some of them had instruments. I wandered past them, greatly distracted by their brightly colored garments, and found myself suddenly stumbling into the place I'd been seeking—the Great Court.

It was a lot like the quad, actually, except—bigger. A lot bigger. And there weren't any paths—just grass and trees, and all surrounded by these awesome brick buildings with hundreds of little archways, and I was the only one there. I strode right out into the center of it and plopped myself down under a tree, just like I would have in the quad, and spent about fifteen minutes just sitting there, enjoying the sunshine and writing in my journal. It was beautiful.

I also took the opportunity to check for free student wifi, and sure enough there it was. I didn't have my student ID with me, though, since I don't actually have a card yet, so I couldn't log on to it. Tomorrow, though, I'm going back, and this time I'm going to find a library or something so I can actually use Walter without having to strain to see the screen against the glare of the sun.

Reluctant to leave, I made my way back to the hostel, this time finding a far more efficient route, though I'm sure I could still find a better one. I stumbled across a small thrift store that I didn't go in to, but I'll probably go back tomorrow. I need a wallet. My envelope method of storing my money hasn't been particularly effective, and I'm gaining more cards than I can keep track of.

I also got a lucky break at the hostel, where the night manager, who I've actually become rather tight with (though I have no idea what his name is), gave me 5 hours of Internet access at the hostel for only $10, so I can sit in my room and skype now. Blogspot still doesn't work, though, so here's to hoping that it works better on campus.

Oh! I also met a dog. Very briefly, but it cheered me up a lot, especially since it was a happy little yellow lab who let me scratch her belly. Earlier today I wandered into the TV lounge while they were playing Marley & Me, and watching the dog die was just a little bit too upsetting for someone who's already in an emotionally unstable state from sheer stress, but getting to pet the happy little yellow lab fixed that problem quite handily. I think she was quite a bit happier for the encounter, too.

Much love to you all!
Morgan

P.S. I just overheard the guy next door have this conversation with his roommate:

Guy: Do you shut that door at night?
Roommate: Sometimes.
Guy: Sometimes? Man, it must get freezing at night then.

Right. Like this city has ever know a temperature that could reasonably be called “freezing.”

P.P.S. Now he's talking about gay bars. You!

P.P.P.S. I've just finished putting together all of the wideview pictures in this post, and the one immediately before it. I'll have you know that I'm pretty sure I have a contact high from the people on the other half of the balcony, and you likely have them to thank for my industriousness in this matter, because it took me about an hour to do all of them. Also, the Queen music currently playing on my iPod is way too interesting at the moment for me to be sober.

P.P.P.P.S. Yes, dad, I kept the originals of the photos so you can put them through your far superior photo-splicing program. No worries, mate.

2 comments:

  1. Morgan, between you and your cousin, this will definitely be the summer/fall of living vicariously for me. I love your writing. As far as I am concerned, you can blog for the rest of YOUR LIFE!!! love, AE

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  2. Those stations are part of a Fitness Trail, AKA Parcours. They have them here in Washington, too.

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