Off the Face of the Earth?

Sunday, March 17

No, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, but I have had my first full week of classes, first 2 meetings of Redback Racing, and first Hillsong young adult event.  

On Sunday I went to Hillsong for church, and the sermon this time was much better!  I was challenged, but also was able to take something practical away! After the service I met one of the leaders of the young adult group, and was invited to an afternoon barbecue. I went to that, and it was nice to meet more people.  

On Monday I had my first full day of classes, which meant that I had both lectures and tutorials.  My actual International Relations professor was back from traveling the Middle East, and while I was hesitant about the class last week, I now am really dreading it.  The professor does not regularly teach, but is a lawyer, and that was quite evident from the first day of her teaching (if you can really call it that). She did not know how to operate the computer, even to pull up the PowerPoint, and a student had to walk her through that.  As she was quick to assure us, she did not have any part in creating the class structure; it was another professor that created the curriculum, and she would just be following that.  That was quite evident when she read, word for word, off the lecture notes that had been given to her, and did not raise her head for anything, including changing slides or answering questions. So that was disappointing.  Apparently it is common at UNSW to have different professors for different sections of the course (for example, one professor will lecture for weeks 1-8, and another for weeks 9-12) and that can either hurt you, if you lose a good professor, or help you, if the professor is bad.  Unfortunately, I think I am stuck with this bad professor : (

Tuesday was my long day, with classes from 9-2, and 5-6, and a meeting from 6-6:45.  A few of my classes involve group projects, and I am really not a fan of group work, so we will see how that goes. The first official meeting of Redback Racing went well, and from that I was invited to their workshop on Saturday for an official Business Team meeting.  However, on Tuesday I had one more thing to do after my Redback team meeting.  The Lord Mayor of Sydney had invited international students to the Sydney Town Hall for a reception celebrating the diversity that they bring to the city.  I went to that, but it was not as I expected, so I left after only a few minutes, but the Town Hall is a gorgeous old building!

Wednesday was my day off, and I spent the afternoon sleeping and reading on the beach! 

Thursday I had classes from 5-8, and they went well.  

Friday was another day off, and I again spent the afternoon on the beach! It was also my 3 week anniversary of being in Australia! 

On Saturday I went to the workshop for the Redback Racing Team, for my first official business meeting.  The business team here is very informal, and kind of scattered, but they are looking to improve that.  So I now have a few tasks to do for the team : )  The team leader also asked to see what Rensselaer Motorsport was doing and using for some of our materials, so I shared those, and answered some questions he had about our team.  Everyone that I met was very nice, so I'm really looking forward to working with the team.  

Today I went to Hillsong once again, but I will eventually visit some other churches around me.  

I have had several discussions with various family members about how we do things in America, and it has been really great to get their perspective on us, and what we do.  I think one of the most interesting things is that the daughter that is my age thinks that the US should have a public health system.  She insists that none of she or her friends have ever had a bad experience with the system, and she can't imagine not being able to walk in anywhere, and having to pay.  As that is all she has ever known, I can understand that, but she acknowledges that should the US switch systems, it will likely take 20 or 30 years to get a good functioning system, and I am sure those years would be awful.  

My favorite thing that I have eaten/drank this week would be a delicious chocolate milkshake that I had this afternoon.  It was phenomenal! 

The weather today is cooler than it has been, about 70, and it is really windy, which makes it feel cooler.  

As I was coming home on the bus, I saw the ocean, and couldn't help but smile.  I am so blessed, not only here, but also at home.  Not only where I live, but all of my family and friends, and the new people that I am able to meet, and the opportunities that have been given to me, and the experiences that I am having.  I am so thankful for everything that I have, and never want to forget how blessed I am! 

Thanks for taking the time to catch up!

Until Later,

Kaitlyn