Late Registration

People have been asking me a lot about school so I'm going to talk about school.  School is pretty good.

Registration was sucky though.  I thought Cornell had a bad system but University of Queensland's is nonsensical.  Without getting too far into detail, because I know you don't care, you basically have to do this weird guess and check to see if classes fit and they don't tell you if class times are conflicting.  And to top it off, the exam schedules aren't set when registering for classes so you sort of go in blind in terms of what is happening where and you can't really plan any adventures or excursions.  Since I'm an exchange student and didn't know how to work the system I ended up having to register late.  Going through learning a new registration process made me almost miss Cornell registration, and I suppose the grass is always greener, but really is it?  As Kanye West once said, "They claim you never know what you got 'til it's gone/ I know I got it, I don't know what y'all on".  I think I get it too Mr. West: College registration systems suck.

Picture of thing at University of Queensland

Anyway, I'm taking four classes while I'm here.  One is a Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer course *snore*, but it should be good to get a refresher in Thermo/learn Thermo.  Let's just say that me and Thermodynamics don't "C" eye to eye.  I'm also taking German 101 and Econ 101 because apparently Cornell Engineering wants me to be a well rounded person.  And I'm taking an Engineering management course, which will probably be more interesting than it sounds, but you're not really setting the bar high with the term "Engineering management".

Mechanical Engineering building.  One thing is constant among Engineering schools around the world: they have the ugliest buildings on campus.

Now Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer (course code MECH3400) is a pretty standard engineering course.  I imagine most of the engineering courses at UQ (cool guy speak for University of Queensland) are set up very similar to this course.  That being said, it is very different from what an engineering course at Cornell is like.  Most prominantly, there are no problem sets due each week.  NO HOMEWORK!  They do give you sets of problems to work on each week and a tutorial session (called Tuts, pronounced Toots) where you can work on the problems with Tutors, however you don't need to hand them in or attend the tutorials.  This has thrown me off because I haven't taken a class since like 1st grade where there was no homework.  How do I learn the material?  There is also only one midterm as opposed to the customary two at Cornell (sometimes three, oft referred to a Prelims).  The way this class is set up poses really unique learning challenges for me because it basically requires me to be even more self directed in absorbing material.  I supposed you're never too old to learn new learning techniques.

I'm only taking German to learn how to pick up German babes.

But seriously, I'm only taking German because it was the only thing that would fit in my schedule.

But really seriously, I'm taking German because I think Germany is where a lot of the great engineering and design innovations have been coming from in the past few decades and it would be awesome to be able to communicate with those innovators.  Was that a good answer Mom?  I've taken Spanish in middle school and high school, but I've forgotten a good amount of it, so I think it would be nice to try and learn a language again.

Economics is something I've meant to take for a really long time but never got around to it.  I honestly know nothing about economics.  I think it's one of those subject that we probably should have spent some time in grade school learning but we never did, or at least not thoroughly.

The engineering management class is gonna be pretty cool.  Basically the project in the class is to make a design proposal for an electric guitar made out of carbon fiber.  Designing a guitar is one of those things I have wanted to do for a while but never got the chance.  While we are largely graded on how we manage the project, the technical aspect is what's interesting me the most.  It's also where I will be interacting with Australians the most, because 5 of my 6 team members are Australians.  It's interesting just seeing how Australians interact in an engineering setting.  Plus they are all cool people.

SoOoOo pretty

As far as extracurriculars go, I've joined one club at UQ: the German Club.  Almost all of the clubs at UQ require like an entrance membership fee which is kinda stupid so I didn't join that many clubs.  German club is pretty cool; they hold get togethers and study sessions fairly regularly.  Their first event of the year was a trivia night, which was awesome because I had been missing trivia a lot since leaving Ithaca.  Because I didn't know anybody in the club I joined the trivia team that looked like it knew the least about what was going on.  This was a good decision because everyone on the team was very friendly.  There were two Australian students who said they showed up mostly for the beer, a German student named David studying Biochemistry at UQ, and two older guys who were best friends: Andy who was from Germany; and Ian who was an Australian taking German night classes at UQ so he and Andy could talk in German.  Our team was well versed in everything from German history to pop culture so we won a few rounds which entailed a free pitcher of beer.  After trivia we sat around talking about sports and American and German and Australian culture.  What I have found very striking is how much everyone else know about America compared to what I know about other countries.  Australians even have to learn American History in grade school, and David told me in Germany he had to learn the states and capitals of the US.  It turns out Andy and Ian had first met doing Battlefield reenactments  and one of the wars they act out is the Civil War, which is odd because you don't really see Americans acting out anything other than the Civil or Revolutionary War, although I'm not well versed on the American reenactment scene.  Anyway, I got to hear stories about growing up in Cold War Germany, German schooling, Australian sports, German sports.  These guys also got me to drink more than anyone else ever has, however that record was previously held by my Dad.

Talking to these guys was a great time.  I suppose these are the kind of people you want to run into while traveling abroad.  Interesting, diverse, and friendly people.  I don't think I'll be seeing them around campus anytime soon, trivia only happens once a semester, and I think they were mostly at German club for the free beer, but if I could quote Kanye West one more time, "They say people in you life are seasons/And anything that happens is for a reason".  I suppose some people come into your life like Lions and leave like Lambs, while others enter like Lambs and leave like Lions.  But I think there's that group of people who are like the Indian Summer, only around for a short amount of time, but while they're there they are delightful.  And I'm not saying I'm fatalistic or anything, but most people you interact with shape your life in a certain way.

To my knowledge those are green beans.  I could be wrong though.

Mount Coot-Tha/Botanical Gardens

I meant to post this blog earlier but I didn't.  Deal with it.  Don't worry, it''s mostly pictures.

This weekend I decided to walk to Mount Coot-Tha.  It's the highest peak in Brisbane and gives a pretty good view of the city.  It's about a two and a half miles from my house so I lathered on some sunscreen (a lot of sunscreen), and hit the pavement.  On the way up the hill I happened upon the Brisbane Botanical Gardens.  It was free admittance so of course I had to check it out, and I was not disappointed.  The Gardens, which appeared to be run by a group of delightful elderly women, was spectacular.  I walked around the whole park just looking at the wildlife.  There were certain sections dedicated to certain plant life, like an arid section (I have no idea how they keep it arid, it's been raining for days here), a jungle section, Australia country, the fern house, the Bansai house.  It was really a very cool place.

Here are some pictures.

Arid country.  It's like a little piece of SoCal (Southern California to the layman) in Brisbane.

Bio-Dome.  If you've been wondering where Pauly Shore has been living all these years, it's here.

Inside the biodome.  Pretty wicked.

Water Dragon.  There were literally thousands of these in the park.  This was one of the bigger ones, but every step you took you would hear the scurrying of the little ones as the ran away.

Did a double take here.

Ibis.  They are viewed as somewhat of nuisances by Australians.  They just hang around outdoor cafes and restaurants scavenging.  I find them quite beautiful but I'm sure in a couple of months I will hate them too.

Ibis among the Bamboo.

Kookaburra.  I don't think he's in a gumtree though.

Saw these spiders everywhere.  They would often make there webs across walkways.  I let one bite me in an attempt to gain super powers but all I got were a couple extra eyes and the ability to repel people.  Total ripoff.

Flower of the plant variety.

When they grow old enough they fall off the trees and become Hedgehogs.  But really I'm not sure what this is.

Plants and water.

Giant stick bugs.

Sighting of the day.  When I showed these pictures to the lady at the front gate she said that it was a Goanna and that I was lucky to spot one, although she also said that this was probably a baby and they could get much bigger.  It was the biggest lizard I had ever seen in the wild.

On the road.

Again.

Photography coutesy of pleasant Asian couple.

Okay, so after an hour or so walking around the botanical gardens I continued my walk up to Mount Coot-Tha.  They didn't really have a walkway for pedestrians and it wasn't a very scenic route getting there but once I reached the observatory it was pretty nice.  There are a couple of restaurants and some gift shops.  After taking some pictures I sat down with a cup of coffee and did a crossword puzzle while surveying one of Brisbanes finest views.

Brisbane in all of it's glory.

View that doesn't show Brisbane.

I clearly just found out about my camera's panorama feature.

Cafe.

Met a Japanese father and son at the summit.  They took my picture and I took theirs.  Very nice people.

Good day.

What's Going On?

Someone once told me that only about 20 percent of college is learning how to do your job and that the other 80 percent is learning how to live your life.  When you think about it there are a lot of things you learn about life in college: living on your own, buying your own groceries, learning how to cook your own meals (or for me, getting better at making sandwiches).  But I think there a lot of psychological, social, and emotional hurtles you learn to deal with: leaving your parents, meeting new people, getting used to new places, coping with regular mustard rather than dijon.  One of the hurtles I've been dealing with is this feeling of "I have no idea what's going on".  This is something I've encountered a lot since I've entered college.  I mean, they probably could have named Linear Algebra "What are you talking about...Algebra".  I hate not knowing what's going on.  All of public school I felt like I knew what was going on and it was comforting.  It is disconcerting to have no direction, but as the great musician Marvin Gaye once said, "Oh, you know we've got to find a way/ To bring some understanding here today".  So I suppose that if college is just a class about life, then studying abroad is the immersion therapy portion of the class because I really have no idea what I'm doing.
                             
  

Okay, are you tired of hearing the philosophical ramblings of a 21 year old?  Me too.  Substitute that Nietszche for some Miche and take a bite out of my blog sandwich.  I'll talk about me not knowing what I'm doing in Brisbane.

I've been in Australia for about two weeks now and I've spent most of that time just wandering around. I found permanent housing in a suburb of Brisbane named Toowong.  It's in a share house with a bunch of different people.  It's a large and pretty nice house, although the kitchen is a bit gross.  I'm learning to cope with seeing geckos and cockroaches inside, which I guess is something most Australians are comfortable with?  The doors to the house are generally open to allow airflow so I live in constant fear of a taipan wandering into the house, one of the many reasons why the door and windows of my room are constantly shut.  My landlord claims to have seen a Huntsman spider, although Australians are known to inspire fear in unwitting Americans who are terrified of the Queensland fauna.  All of this combined with the fact that nobody is ever around and that the rooms are somewhat ill lit results in me being very jumpy when I go around the house.  It is all made up for by the house's enormous porch where I can sit out on at dusk doing a crossword and watch the Flying Foxes glide over the city.

*Word to the wise, do not look up flying foxes if you are afraid of bats.  Completely harmless.  Completely terrifying.

My room (only ever clean for when I'm taking pictures of it)

Porch where I spend most of my time.

Kitchen where I cook as fast as I can because it's gross

Living room to porch

Toowong is a nice suburb, although somewhat busier than what I'm used to.  There is a nice mall called Toowong Village, which is different from malls in the US because it includes a produce market, grocery store, and library, as well as other small stores.  I got a library card which is nice because Brisbane's library system is very extensive.  There are also some nice cafes in Toowong as well as a number of bars of restaurants that I haven't had the time to check out yet.

Last Saturday I walked into the Central Business District of Brisbane to just sort of walk around.  I really didn't go in with a plan because I just wanted to see what it was like.  Downtown Brisbane is a fairly easy place to get around in.  All of the architecture is pretty modern which is what I've found to be one of the most enjoyable things about Australia.  When I was walking around St. Lucia, which is the suburb where University of Queensland is located I was shocked to see how many cool and hip houses were just surrounding the school, which I think is somewhat of a far-cry from what it is at Cornell.

Typical architecture just in St. Lucia.  I just remembered Cayuga Heights but whatever.

Anyway, back in the city I found what could be equated to the Ithaca Commons of Brisbane, sans bong shops, and avec security (I had to look up the word avec).  The result was an absolute delight: bustling with people, open air restaurants, and a respectable amount of quality performers.
I spent the rest of my day looking at buildings, walking into shops, and taking pictures.  Brisbane is a pretty swell city.

George V, known for being played by Michael Gambon in "The King's Speech", who is known for playing Dumbledore.

Commons area in Brisbane which I can only imagine is named "The Ithaca Commons", but I may be wrong.

Cool thing

Treasury building which I later found out was a casino.

SOOO PRETTY, SPONSER ME FUJIFILM

I suppose the best cure for not knowing what's going on is experience.  This week was orientation for UQ, and although I have an extreme aversion to orientations since freshman year of college, this one wasn't that bad because I've learned since then.  I knew more about what was going on because I'd been through it before.  Orientation is just one big confusion festival.  Pressures to get involved and make friends.  Eh, just go at your own pace.    I'll write another blog once I do something else interesting.

Benettis?!?! In Australia?!?!

Okay, I probably should have started this blog earlier.  Sorry Mom (I know you and Grandma are probably the only readers).  I just had nothing to write about before I came here.  I tried to sit down and write something while I was in LAX, but as far as I got was a quote from the first line of "Party in the USA", by Miley Cyrus.  So here is a short intro: my name is Art and I'm a (male) engineering student studying abroad at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.  My favorite movie is The Notebook and I enjoy long walks on the beach. 

I've never seen The Notebook.

Alright, let's get to the good stuff.

Contrary to what I have told many people, my middle name is not Spaghetti.  It is Benetti and it originates from Northern Italy (I think).  Now although Benettis are good Catholics, I haven't run into any other Benettis besides my immediate family...until now.  Hold on, rewind, let me go back to 2011.  In September of that year, Cathy Williams (née Benetti) visited Des Moines, Iowa to meet up with my Mom, Grandma, six of my Aunts and Uncles, and a handful of my cousins (I guesstimate about 12 of them).  This was their first meeting and they all fell in love with each other despite both sides being somewhat nervous about the encounter.  Okay, now fast forward to the winter of 2012 and I have just announced to my Mom that I'm going to Brisbane for the semester.  She immediately got online to message Cathy and tell her that I'm coming to Australia.  With an equal amount of haste, she responded by asking if I wanted to stay with them for a spell when I arrived.  I readily agreed because I had heard nothing but absolutely good things about these Aussie Benettis.

Fast forward again to a week ago.  Brisbane, Australia.  I am tremendously anxious about being in a new place.  I was picked up at the airport by the youngest of Cathy's two sons, and the third youngest of the family, Jack.  We chat on the car ride up from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast where the Williams family lives.  Jack is somewhat of a clown and speaks with a good amount of Australian slang, which makes the car ride a good bit of fun.  It's striking to me how friendly he is despite having just met me; a characteristic I have found common in Australians so far.  When we arrive at the house I'm greeted by Cathy, who could fall into line with my Mom and her sister and not be picked as the odd one out.  She immediately hugs me and shows me around the house, which is beautiful.  Really, probably one of the most superb homes I've ever seen.  *See pictures*

Cathy is honestly one of the nicest people I have ever met.  I couldn't have imagined a more welcoming entrance into the country.  She treated me as if I was a family member who she hadn't seen in several years rather than a family member she has never met.  It was a form of hospitality I didn't think I would see outside of the havens of comfort I have back in the US.  She gave me vegemite on toast, and Australian candy, and cheese and crackers while we got to know each other.

Through the rest of the day I met the other members of the Williams as the family arrived home.  Colin, Cathy's husband, runs a business that designs and manufactures the interiors of buildings.  The quality of his work is apparent in his home, which he designed.  He was generous enough to drive me around to certain hotspots on the Sunshine Coast, and we had many good talks about sports, traveling, accents, and our native countries.  Three of the children work for the family business: Ben, who is the oldest child; Jack; and Chelsea, who is the youngest child.  Tegan, who got a science degree from QUT, works in Brisbane but spends a good amount of time in the Sunshine Coast as well.  Overall, the family spends a lot of time together, which makes the household absolutely delightful to be around.  I suppose that's what you miss the most when you leave home: the organized chaos of family.  A Williams family dinner has the same qualities of a Benetti family get together: good food, good conversation, good laughs...a respectable amount of alcohol.  Needless to say my first weekend in Australia was delightful and I can't thank the Willams family enough.

On Sunday, Tegan drove me down to Brisbane.  We went to South Bank with Jack and some of his friends, which is like a man-made sandy beach within the city.  I got sunburn almost immediately.  After that, Tegan was kind enough to take me around the University of Queensland campus while we waited for the landlord for the apartment I was staying at to get home.  I should take this time to say that Tegan is one cool lady and was super helpful when it came to getting situated in Brisbane.  For the rest of the week I just wandered around St. Lucia, which is the suburb where UQ resides, and looked for housing.

Here are some pictures I've taken so far.  I added captions on some of them.

Kangaroos at University of the Sunshine Coast.  They are wild animals but just sort of hang around the campus.

Super artsy photos in Montville.  We got coffee there.  It was pretty foggy that day, but you can see to the ocean when it's clear.

Proof that it's me

Beach down the road from where the Williams used to live.  The beach has been washed out due to flooding.  Still very beautiful.

I am about to move into a more permanent housing situation this afternoon.  I guess til next time.  Sullivan out.