First Week of Classes!

Hey, all!

This was the first week of classes. Tutorials were not included this week, but will start next week. I'm pretty excited for all of my classes, but for one thing- I have to write three ~2000 word essays for three of my classes. I've never really liked essays, but now I have to write three of them and they will all be heavily weighted for my grade in the course. So I'm a bit nervous, but I know I will be able to find a way to get through them and pass these courses, with what I hope to be an A. Wish me luck!

I had my first Taido training sessions this week. Taido is a martial arts that mixes martial arts with gymnastic. I've been wanting to try different types of martial arts and this just seemed like a fun option. I was extremely sore after the practice session as well as two days after- going down stairs was more difficult than going up them. I am feeling less sore right now, but I will probably have to skip the next session, Sunday, because I am pretty sick and I have already had to skip one class with a doctor's note and a couple other club events. I felt that if I was skipping a class so I can rest, I should also skip events where I could meet new people and possibly get them sick. While I probably won't be doing all the exercises and such in the upcoming Taido session, I hope to be able to sit in and watch everything that occurs.

Being sick this week has put me an in emotional state, more irritable than anything else. I just don't really want to spend my first week in class sick and not really be able to go out and do things. It's throwing me back to me being at my home university and just sitting in my apartment, alone, watching anime, TV shows on Netflix, and reading stuff. I did not have a social life and I really wanted to change that here. The first week and a half, I was able to socialize some, but was understandable that I couldn't socialize too much since I'm not really a party person and my roommates keep to themselves even though my door is open. I hope this changes, but I'm not sure it will. The first week of classes, I was able to hold somewhat of a conversation with a couple of people and made a few acquaintances, whom I hope to be friends with later. I wasn't really able to do too much Thursday, today, and I won't be able to do too much tomorrow or Sunday except laze around my apartment/dorm room and watch anime, TV shows on Netflix, and reading stuff. It has put me in a week spot and I fear it will symbolize my time here on campus, for the year I am here, and I won't be able to change more into the person I want to be.

Enough on that, I started crocheting a "Temperature Blanket" when I got here. A temperature blanket is where each row symbolizes a day and the high temperature that day. It's really helped put me in a zen mode where I can calm down from the events that day and do some self reflection and things I need to do or should have done. I'll attach a picture of the picture I am using to know which color I need to use for the day. I had to adjust some of the colors as not all of the colors on the picture were available. I will also attach a picture of the blanket as it appears now, after two weeks.

One other thing for this post: I learned how crazy the weather in Sydney can be. The rain has different levels it can go through. It can be a calm, misty rain; it can be a simple rain like you see in Arizona (USA), or it can be a torrential downpour where immediately everything is flooded and if you are outside walking around, your shoes will be wet, if you are wearing pants, the bottom quarter to half will also be drenched. It was a crazy event for me to experience on my way to the doctor's office on campus. It made me appreciate my surroundings once more, even if I should have waited for things to calm down before I went out.

I received a bamboo plant from my parents today. I'm thankful and it will put some color and, well, life into my life. I look forward to trying to take care of it. I hope I can make it last until I leave.

Until next time!

  This is the scale I am using. Red, then pink, then yellow, then green, then green teal, then blue teal, then blue, and then purple- from top to bottom. Here is also 2 weeks of crocheting.

^^ This was in a space where I was covered from rain. The area is still flooded, even though there was no rain. My feet were covered in water and the bottoms of my pants were already wet. I feel like I've experienced their beach even though I have yet to go!

^^ After I got to the covered area where the doctor's office was. The bottom quarter to half of my pants were completely drenched. The second picture shows how flooded it was, as well as a silly Ibis just looking for food in the rain. At this point, it was like the rain you would see in Arizona (USA)

 ^^ The bamboo plant my parents got me ♥