Melboune...or Melbin in Aussie Speak

Got back 2 nights ago from a whirlwind tour of Melbourne. It was a great city and I had a lot of fun. If Sydney is NYC, then Melbourne is Boston. Less busy and bustling, fewer skyscrapers, etc. I did a on of shopping- there were really cute boutiques everywhere along with the normal department stores. The exchange rate is really helping! I pretend everything is on sale for 25% off becuase that is about the exchange rate. These few weeks are so busy- I just got back from Melbourne and I am leaving for Fraser Island tomorrow, getting back monday night and leaving for Cairns and the Whitsundays on Sunday! Add 2 papers, 2 exams and a presentation into that and Im pretty busy... I also had my first run-in with the Australian Police. I was crossing a street in a shopping district comparable to Newbury street and I got "pulled over" for jaywalking. Who would have thought? I cried my way out of a $54 fine thank god. Yesterday I went on a tour of the Elizabeth Bay House (one of the first mansions in Australia) and the Sydney Opera House- it was really cool. The picture is of Jamie, Elena and I standing in front of the Bay. The Opera House was smaller than I had imagined. I got my mom and I tickets for the Ballet when she comes! Anyways, if you want a postcard, email me your address becuase I dont have anyones. Hope everyone is doing well! Love Jess

Weekly Update...

I had my interview with the Westin this morning and it went really well- I am going to be doing a rotation of positions there; banquets, the lobby bar, thier restaurant, and the concierge desk. I am pretty excited for that to start. This week is going to be really rough- I have two papers due this week but I have done of of them. On Sunday morning we leave for Melbourne until Tuesday night with our entire program which should be really fun, although we have to complete and ethnographic feild study while we are there. They said Melbourne is the fashion capital of Australia though so YAY! I need some clothes- I did not pack correctly. Then when we get back I have 1 day of class and then on Friday we leave for Fraser Island which I am soo excited about. It is an island completely made out of sand and it supposedly one of the most beautiful places in Australia. My spring break is all planned and it should be a blast. I will tell you all about later. Anywho, heres a picture I took in Canberra of the Parliament House. Email me!

Rugby Game and Canberra

Friday night a bunch of us got tickets for the rugby semi- finals the Dragons vs. the Sea Eagles. It was really fun and cool to be in a "real" Australian setting, surrounded by Australians. Rugby is a fun but complicated game to watch. The stadium was really cool, in a circular shape with half a dome covering it. We didnt go out after becuase the next morning we had to wake up really early for our field trip to the capital Canberra. In theory, I was pretty mad that they took up one of our weekends to visit museums and monuments and such- especially becuase it was so beautiful and a perfect weekend to travel, but I tried to make the best of it. Canberra has a population of 300,000 but it is the most boring city I have ever been in. There are no people around. We mostly went to museums and a few memorials, and looked at the capital (all boring). On the bright side, we drove through the embassy park and alot of the embassys were really cool, but of course the USA's was 10x the size of the others, on top of the hill, and beautiful. It kind of looked like Harvard but better kept! Im glad to see where our tax dollars are going!

Weekly Update...

This week had been pretty busy- Ive had class all week and a few field trips to the Australian Custom's House and the old barracks from when the convicts came over from Europe. I have two papers due next week so I have also been working on them alot so not much fun this week. I have an interview with the Westin next week in thier banquets department which I am looking forward to. Hopefull that will all work out. Tomorrow I am gonna go to the Sydney Zoo with Anthony- I cant wait to see the koalas!!! This weekend I am headed to Canberra, the capital of AU, with my art history class. Should be pretty boring- we are basically going to museums all day- not my favorite. Miss everyone! Check my pictures @ http://community.webshots.com/user/jessicafischburg XOXO Jessica

Surf Camp...

About 30 of us from the BU program went to surf camp this past weekend 2 hours north of Sydney in Geroa. I know when everyone thinks of Sydney they think 80 degrees, sunshine, calm water, etc. Well think again people. Imagine Boston on a rainy early April day. Thats what this weekend was like. I was cold for 48 hours straight. It basically poured the whole weekend and was about 55- 60 degrees, with 30 mph winds. That said, I HAD A BLAST! Not only did was I proud of myself for not wimping out, I also really improved as a surfer, and the instructors and group was really fun to hang out with. Anthony of course excelled (like he does at everything) and was one of the best in the group. We did two 2-hour sessions a day. Putting on those wet wetsuits was the worst part of the whole experience. Actually, the water was not cold at all, especially with the wetsuits. It was way warmer than the air. But with the wind and rain made for really rough seas. Wave after wave pounded down, making paddling out almost impossible. It was so tiring. It really was "the elements." But, seriously, it was really fun, and now any other surfing conditions will seem like paradise. Im very sore, but nothing a few days of advil cant cure. Back to another week of school- I have to start all my papers this week, so dont expect another post until some news comes along! Miss you!

School has Started...

Well, after a fun-filled weekend, reality has sunk in that Sydney is not going to be only about play. We have to work also. :( We started classes on Monday. I am taking Australian Art and Architecture, and Australian Culture and Society. Both classes have 2 papers and a final, and they are only 5 week long classes! And out first week is almost over! I also had my internship placement meeting, which was not promising. The best they could offer me was a possible position in Human resources at the Westin. I was kind of hoping for a better hotel becuase I worked at the Westin this summer, but I guess I will take what I can get, becuase the alternative was bartending or waitressing (mind you in australia there is NO TIPPING!) so I would be completely unpaid AND waitressing! Bad combo. We went out to some fun bars this week. They played the best music and had good cheap drinks. I just danced with my friends all night. I met some really nice people, almost everyone in my program is really cool and fun to hang out with. Here's a picture of me and my friends at a bar, thats Jamie (my roomate), Marla, Jess, Lara and I. Ill update again soon!

first weekend in Sydney

My first weekend was really awesome, I am so happy to be here. Last night my Australian friend Symmie took Anthony, Mary Kate (a friend from home who is also here) and I out near the harbor. It was very fun. Australians dance weird. Today we went to Bondi Beach and it was beautiful. It was warm and we walked around and then sat on the beach and watched the surfers. Anthony and I signed up for surf camp next weekend! Our program director is so nice and letting Anthony join us on anything he wants to. Here's a picture of us on the beach!

we arrived!

Hello everyone!
So far, Sydney is awesome. The plane ride was NOT that bad. The ambien helped alot. Jamie and I (my roomate) have settled into our tiny loft apartment as best as possible. I can't stand up completely in the loft, it is that short. But it is pretty nice otherwise. Luckily, Anthony is right down the hall from me! We've had alot of orientation thingies like info meetings and such, but this afternoon we went on a boat cruise in the Sydney Harbor. It was soo beautiful and we had amazing weather, about 80 degrees. I saw the famous opera house, the bridge, and about a million sailboats sailing around. Miss you all!