Davis' Australia Experience!

In Australia, it really struck me that I was half way around the globe. I have traveled almost all the way around the world; nearly every continent. I realized how lucky I was to have this experience. Not many people get to experience something like this. I also realized that I will probably not get this experience again, so I have to make the best of it.

During our week in Australia, I got to see some pretty amazing sights. I got to see a play in the Sydney Opera House called Vienna Woods, I got to go to Bondi Beach and see a sculpture exhibition, and I got to go to the Blue Mountains. It is so surreal because these sights are world-renown and everyone knows about these places, and I get to see them.

The Opera House was so cool! It is amazing standing beside such a wonder of the world. I saw a play called Vienna Woods. Surprisingly, it was not very expensive; only 28$ for someone under 30. The play was quite good too!

It was quite a task to get there (Subways, trams, buses) but when we got to Bondi, it was such a beautiful little town/beach. We saw a sculpture exhibition that was going on while we were down there. A whole bunch of sculptures made of various mediums were on display by a whole bunch of different artists from all around the world.

On the second last day, I went to the Blue Mountains on a tour bus. We got to hike around the area and explore on our own, then they took us for lunch in a little town, and then we went to the Animal Refuge Zoo. I got to pet a koala! It was so soft! Kangaroos were just jumping around the park, so I got to interact with them as well!

Those were the main excitements of my time in Sydney. I am a little disappointed in myself because most of the time in Sydney, I was sitting around, going to Starbucks in the same place everyday. I did see some pretty cool things, but I felt like I could have done more. Hopefully, I will get to go back to Australia for a longer duration in the future!

G’day mate!

How’r ya? Yes, two days in Australia and I’m already using the language! Sydney is quite the city, over 4 million people spread over a very large area. Lots to see and do! The day we arrived in port there was a large contingent of TSS folks who “hopped” a bus and headed out to Bondi Beach to enjoy the sun, shopping and the last day of the “Sculptures by the Sea”. As well as enjoying Bondi Beach I was able to take in the sights (i.e. shops, families, restaurants, exhibits & performers), sounds (i.e. people laughing, children screaming), smells (i.e. fresh air, food cooking & ocean) and tastes (i.e. coffee, pizza) along Darling Harbour, a tourist and local “Mecca”.

The second day all of the Academic Field programs headed to Macquarie University for a general orientation to the University, Sydney and Australia. Similar to events in British Columbia, we were also given an indigenous welcome by Uncle Greg Sims. Our specific AFP ended the day with a session on the Australian economy, which has been quite robust in the last ten years. It was suggested the election that happens on our last day might change all of that.

On our third day we hit the road and headed north to coal mining country. We were first given information about the coal industry at the Coal Industry Centre and then a tour of an open cut coal mine. I think students were most impressed with the average truck driver salary of $110,000 and the gigantic machinery used to dig and carry the coal.

Day four was on the ship where we had sessions with the NSW Department of State and Regional Development Trade Services section and the NSW Business Chamber. Here we mostly learned how well Australia is doing in the export world.

Day five was a hit as we headed up to Hunter Valley where we were treated to a wine tasting and tour of Lindeman’s Winery, a session with the regional tourism association, a great lunch Harrigan’s Pub, a session with the manager of Hunter Valley Gardens Resort and a tour of the Hunter Valley Gardens. A “jam-packed” day with many sights and sounds and tastes to enjoy!

Our final AFP day had only a session in the morning with an investment banker from Macquarie Bank. Interesting stuff that the bank is involved with (all over the world) from bridges and toll roads to hospitals and retirement homes. The afternoon was free time to enjoy a variety of Sydney sights (e.g. Chinese Gardens, sushi for lunch, browsing in the Queen Victoria Building, browsing in Paddy’s Market, the Sydney Tower viewing deck, the Oz Trek, the rooftop beer gardens, the wine bar and so on).

Our last day in port Davis and I headed out to take some last photos for his social studies course and have one last Starbucks coffee. After phoning home we headed back to the ship in preparation for departure.

Back to the seas we go! Let’s hope it’s not as rough has our journey from New Zealand to Australia.

Ken

Here’s My Update!

New Zealand was definitely my favourite port so far. It was really interesting being in a metropolis environment again! The city was so beautiful. It reminded me of Vancouver so much. The great part about New Zealand is that you can enjoy the busy city, but also escape to the beautiful outskirts.

The first day, Erik, Melanie, Amanda, and I all went out to explore the city. It had been a while since I hung out with the staff, so it was good to spend the day with them; like old times. We walked around Queen St, which was the main hub of the downtown area. We visited a few stores, and then went for lunch in a beautiful Thai place called Mai-Thai. It was so good! We came to the conclusion that it was so good because we had been eating ship food for so long and that we finally ate something with decent taste. After that, Erik and I went on our ‘tech hunt’. We sat in Starbucks, enjoying high-speed internet over a good Chai Latte. Decent internet is such a surprise to everyone now, because we have been stuck with the horrible internet on board the ship. After we checked all of our e-mails and local news, we left Starbucks and went to camera and computer shops. Only if I had money… . We bought the new Mac operating system for Erik which he was pretty excited about. The Mac store was so cool! Everyone has Mac computers on board the ship. They are so awesome! I want one so bad. Christmas? Haha, I wish. After our hunting, we were tired, so we returned to the ship.

The next day, Dad and I went to the outlet mall! It was huge! I bought so much. I bought 2 hoodies, 2 tees, 1 dress shirt (very classy), 1 blue tie, and a book. It was great bargains! I couldn’t have passed them up.

The third day, dad and I went on our big adventure! Great F&S (father/son) time! He gave the general speal on what we did, so I won’t chronologically spell it out for you. My favourite places were the sand dunes, where we enjoyed sand boarding! Dad had the record for farthest run, but I conquered him by only a foot on my last run! Me and dad conquered the hill. Nobody touched our records. I also enjoyed Cape Reinga, the very northern tip of New Zealand. It was a beautiful view. We took a whole bunch of pictures there! We had an amazing, life-changing time together.

When we got back on day 6, Dad got to go cycling! I hung out with some people, and we went to Esquires for more coffee and internet. I was surprised to see Mom and Lex online! I went on webcam and they got to see me in New Zealand, and I got to talk to them! I also got to talk to all of my friends at home! It made me really miss all of them, but not much longer until I can again!

Davis

On the road (sea) again!

I just can’t wait to get on the road (sea) again (an old Willie Nelson tune)! Well, actually I think most of us would prefer to stay a bit longer in New Zealand. It’s been another great port with lots of laughing, living and learning!

It started off with a couple of celebrations – one to say thanks and goodbye to Jim (the IT guy) who is heading off to New Orleans to manage his bar Finnegan’s in the old French quarter (see you there Jim for our TSS reunion) and Dana who celebrated his 70^th birthday in style (a couple of us went running with Dana, 7 km’s, one for every decade) – lots of laughing at these celebrations!

But first things first, my first experience in New Zealand was to get off the ship for a hot cup of coffee – next up was a shopping trip to an outlet mall (jeans, shirt, tie and book for me and five shirts, a tie, sunglasses and book for Davis) – you’d think we hadn’t been on land for weeks!

New Zealand just kept getting better as Davis and I rented a car and headed up island – first stop the Bay of Islands (very scenic and very historical) where we caught a ferry to Russell (very much like our visit to Sonitula this summer) and hiked and poked around the island. Next day it was a stop at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds (the birthplace of New Zealand) where we learned about and experienced the Maori culture. We continued up the east coast through several fishing villages to the tip of the island (Cape Reinga) where the view and scenery were fantastic as was the sand surfing on the dunes. We raced back down to catch the sunset at Ahipara where the 90 mile beach begins. Our third day was down along the west coast and through some very hilly and winding roads through sheep and cattle farms and forest where we saw the “Tane Mahuta” (one very large Kauri tree, much like our Cathedral Grove trees on Vancouver Island). Of course we laughed and learned about driving on the “other” side of the road where the biggest problem was switching on the wipers instead of the signal light – we made it back to the ship though, through some very busy Sunday afternoon traffic heading into Auckland. All-in-all a wonderful life experience with Davis (thanks son!)

Experiencing Auckland was easy as we were docked right in the “heart” of the city, everything easy to walk to or take a bus. Thanks to Christy for renting bikes with me for the day and peddling along the coast through Mission Bay and up to some fantastic view points and then ferrying over to Devonport to cycle up to another fantastic view point. And thanks to Shirley and Elizabeth for taking me for a walk along Mission bay (after we took a bus to get to Mission Bay)

Ports also allow us the wonderful experience of sampling the local cuisine, beer and wine (and tasting flavours and freshness we don’t always get on the ship) – thanks to Dana, Brachir, Christy, fellow Rotarians (and of course Davis) and others for sharing these experiences at places such as Portofino, Tagore, Thai chilli, the Fish Pot, Duke of Malborough Hotel, Y Not Bar and Café, the Auckland Club and so on and so on!

Yes, I think I could definitely stay a bit longer in New Zealand to laugh some more, live many more moments and learn much more about the country and culture! Till we meet again New Zealand!

Ken

P.S. Stay tuned for an update from Davis

It’s hard to explain?

Some things are hard to understand even when you experience them. To explain these experiences to others is even more difficult. For instance:

We just lost November 5^th! The whole day has been wiped out as we’ve crossed the dateline. Insignificant for some but significant for others (e.g. a birthday disappeared).

A few weeks ago we crossed the equator where my “pollywog” status was replaced with “shellback” status. I have a certificate to prove it.

Flying fish – one of the most common species we’ve seen is a fish that flies.

The power of the “human spirit”, a spirit that seeks understanding and is filled with hope for the future, hope for something better

A “world of differences” but at the same time a “world of similarities” – different cultures and life circumstances but similar dreams and aspirations

Students and staff that step up and lead – “Leadership is like beauty – it’s hard to define but you know it when you see it” Warren Bennis

The disappearance of so many things in such a small confined space – what happens to all of those electrical cords, plug-in adapters, I-pods, white board markers and so on?

Through challenge, adversity and dissonance we learn and grow – difficult to see and understand in the present but so clear in reflection and hindsight

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t you’re right.” Henry Ford

Relationships with people give life meaning even though life’s greatest challenges are relationships with people

The excitement of reaching a port and a new city, country and culture – the comfort in returning to our home on board the ship and continuing on our journey

Put a ship load of students, teaching staff, administrative staff, intercultural residence coordinators and crew from over 50 countries together for four months, mix in an academic program designed by seven different universities from around the world, visit seven different countries with structured and unstructured learning opportunities, something great is bound to happen!

Hmm, as they say “you had to be there.”

Ken

P.S. Today we arrive in New Zealand (home of the All Blacks)

P.S.S. Happy 70^th Dana!

Tahiti Treats!

It was quick, it was expensive and it was a real treat! We were only there for a day and a half but I’m sure most of us would agree that Tahiti was a real treat! I think the first thing everyone noticed was how expensive everything was. From the eight dollar beers to fifty dollar tourist shirts, everything came at a hefty price. Rumour has it that Tahiti is the second most expensive tourist destination in the world (I think Japan is number one). Nevertheless, some of my Tahiti treats include:

Docked right downtown! We were within one or two minutes of the centre of Papeete and even less than that to take a ferry to Moorea!

The island of Moorea, a half-hour ferry ride away! A number of folks stayed overnight at various resorts on the island while many of us went to the island for at least a half-day. The ferry ride was scenic as was the island.

Swimming in the crystal clear blue warm water off the island of Moorea! After a 4 kilometre walk from the ferry we came upon a wonderful white-sandy beach just on the other side of a resort.

Walking on land after 12 days at sea! Walking through Papeete and on Moorea was a pleasure as we were able to “stretch” our legs and “experience” the city and island by seeing and hearing the sights and sounds.

The central market and craft exhibition! There was plenty to see at the craft exhibition and central market where local artisans displayed their crafts and Tahiti tourism souvenirs were in abundance.

The French cuisine and wine! It’s always a treat to taste such fresh and flavourful food and wine. It becomes even more of a treat when you can share the enjoyment with friends. Thanks Bachir, Dana and Christy!

Five days until New Zealand! I wonder what treats are in store for us there?

Ken

Tahiti went by way too fast. I wish I had more time to explore the region and do more of what I wanted to do there.

The first day we got there, we jumped off of the boat at 12 o’ clock right as it docked so we could maximize our day. A whole bunch of us wanted to go surfing that day, but by the time that we would have gotten the equipment and to a decent beach, it would have not been worth it, so we decided to wait for the next day. In replace of surfing, we went around the city. We went to the craft market, but everything was so expensive that buying things was out of the question. From 30$ plastic earrings to 400$ ukuleles to 1000$ black pearls, everything was way too over priced.

You could notice the loss of culture due to the French invasion, but everything was still so beautiful. Everyone was always happy. We ate at a little place called Le Retro, which was pretty cool, but a crazy guy came and sat with us. We were trying to get him away, but he wouldn’t leave! It was really funny, and I couldn’t stop laughing. He was complaining how everyone thinks he is English, but he is actually French. He didn’t even make any sense. After eating my 5$ panini (which was reasonably priced) and my 5$ coke (which was not), we decided we needed to hit up a beach. We got on a bus that locals said rode along the shoreline and stopped at great beaches, so we got on the bus. We hit a traffic jam, and were pretty much locked. We decided to just jump off of the bus. We saw a resort up ahead, so we decided they must have a beachfront, so we walked in there like we owned the place and went and sat down at their beach and pool. It was so beautiful, and we never got caught! We sat in the water and watched the sun set. It was like in the photos that you see of an ideal, picturesque paradise. It was a great way to spend the evening. When we decided we needed to get back, we asked a local where to catch a cab, but he offered we could ride in the back of his truck for free! We said, “What the heck; why not.” so we hopped in and had an awesome ride in the back of some random man’s truck.

That night, we decided we wanted to go find a nice place to eat. After searching for a long time, we got to this place called Modern. It was really high end, but it was reasonably priced! A 20$ meal in Tahiti is a bargain. I had a great lasagne and a coconut and pineapple drink. We spent a bit of time there and enjoyed ourselves there before returning to the ship.

The next day, we were planning on waking up at 8 to discuss our surfing plans, but I slept in until 11! I was devastated. I slept in while in Tahiti, and I missed doing the one thing I wanted to do; surf. I ran around the city trying to find someone I knew, and finally I found a student, Laura, who was in the same boat as me. We decided to go to Moorea before we had to get back to the boat at 4. The day turned out surprisingly nice. We got off of the ferry and went to find a nice beach. With the limited time we had, we found a decent beach with nobody on it. We just went into the water and sat there for like an hour and a half. It was so awesome. The water was actually hot, not warm, HOT. After that we got back on the ferry back to Tahiti Island, and got back on the boat, preparing for our 6 day endeavour. Now I have to write a 4 to 10 page essay about Tahiti. Wish me luck!

-Davis