I'm excited about the classes that I'm taking. They all seem they are going to be a lot of fun (well, except for one of my very math-based engineering classes, but that is to be expected). A class that has been particularly interesting is Archaeology of Sydney. I took an archaeology class at Bucknell and really enjoyed it, so I thought this class would be a great way to learn about the city. So far we've discussed the imperialism that was taking place in the world that lead up to different nations claiming Australia as well as what life was like for the first European settlers. Fun fact: Holland claimed the western part of Australia before the English claimed the area that is now Sydney. We're taking several field trips to the older sections of Sydney to look at old buildings/neighborhoods and current archaeological dig sites. The lecturers are really engaging and funny which makes the class even better.

My engineering classes are large, about 200 people, I think, which is a bit different than the same 27 people I'm used to having class with. Naturally, in one of the classes we had to form groups of five in the first week for a semester long project. Of course when I hear this I'm thinking "oh great ... these are all third-year students who all have their own friends and I don't know anyone!" Everything worked out, though, and the project should be interesting.

Other than classes, nothing too terribly exciting happened during the week. We had our formal dinners on Monday and Wednesday which were good. Everyone gets dressed up and wears their academic gowns and then we file into the dining hall and are seated at the tables. Everyone remains standing while the rector, fellows of the college, and some student leaders enter and take their places at the high table. (The table in the front of the dining hall with the big chairs...see the previous post for pictures.) Everything is very much like Harry Potter. A prayer is said and then we are all allowed to sit.

The two people who sit closest to the aisles serve the soup/salad and main course to everyone. The freshers haven't yet mastered the art of dividing the food into 10 equal servings, so you never know how much food you're going to get. Dessert is usually good, and toward the end of the meal one of the student leaders calls on members of the college to give impromtu speeches about a particular topic.

The speeches are usually funny and afterwards the floor is open for announcements. At the end of the meal we all stand, say another prayer, someone rings a gong, and then everyone follows the high table out of the dining hall.

The college is full of traditions. There is one hall in the college, Men's Gallery, which is an all males hall. Freshers must take their shoes and socks off and walk backwards on that hall. Also, at meals there is a pitcher of a Kool-Aid-like drink on the table called Meniscus. If one calls it the wrong name or pours it properly they will have a pitcher of Meniscus poured over their head. There are lots of these little traditions that are all in fun and keep everyone on their toes - especially at meals.

I don't have class on Fridays (yey!) so this past Friday I went to the beach. I started at Bondi Beach and then walked along the coast to Tamarama Beach, Bronte Beach, and finally to Coogee Beach. The day started beautifully, but the weather deteriorated into the afternoon. By the time I reached Coogee, I was quite chilly. The views were amazing, and I was fascinated by the different blues of the water. Also, before Coogee Beach there was an old cemetery, Waverley Cemetery, up on the cliffs. The monuments were beautiful, but the solitude and the weather made it a bit creepy. I'll definitely do the walk again, hopefully on a better day.

Pretty blue water at Bondi

Little wading pool at Bondi

Bondi

Bondi

Iceberg's pool at Bondi

Coastal walk

Really cool rocks

Looking back at Bondi

Coast

Coast...you can see the cementery in the distance

Couldn't even begin to capture how pretty everything was...the water was SO blue!

Pool thing at Bronte

Waverley Cemetery

Waverley Cemetery

Many of the monuments were for whole families

A scaly friend I met

Coogee ... windy and chilly

On Saturday, I headed to the Glebe Market to do a little shopping. I've visited several other markets in the city and this one is by far my favorite (and is conveniently the closest). Afterwards, I did some shopping on King Street, the main commercial street of Newtown, a neighborhood near campus.

As I think I've said before, King Street is overflowing with ethnic restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, and interesting little shops. I investigated several of the shops and scoped out the menus on some of the restaurants. Where IS the cheapest Thai food on Kind Street? That night I went to an African restaurant and then out for gelato. Gelato shops seem to be much more popular than ice cream shops ... which is fine by me!

Today, I've been catching up on my school work and getting everything organized for the week to come. Enjoy your spring break, Bucknellians!