Welcome to the flip side, literally. A locational shift from
the Northern to the Southern hemisphere; Japan
to Australia.
And welcome to the new year and whatever that shall entail.
I have been in Australia for about half a year
now, strange to think about but true. I have had many small adventures which I
regretfully must bow my head and shamefully admit that such adventures have
gone unwritten about. I currently live in Melbourne but have had the chance and
opportunity to visit Darwin and surrounding areas (Kakadu, Litchfield), Phillip
Island for tiny penguin viewing, the Mornington Peninsula for a mini-work trip,
Sydney for fun, Bendigo for Christmas, and have just returned today from a
small road trip up and down the Great Ocean Road.
I have had the chance to see many strange animals
(kangaroos, koalas, llamas, camels, and many more), visit many interesting
parks and zoos (Kakadu, Werribee, Phillip Island), see varied performances and
speeches (such as the Dalai Lama), go to a ridiculous number of chocolate cafes
and try to understand Melbourne’s coffee culture. I have also coughed up more
money than I want to think about to go to university here in Australia as an
international student. I have tried to further enhance my local knowledge and
know-how, embrace the culture of the area, and make many varied and interesting
friends. It has been a busy year shifting from one continent to the other.
So much has been accomplished in this past half-year and yet
so much more must be done. I hope to not be lazy and actually get some blogs
down in the near future at least about some of these experiences or perhaps my
experiences to come in this new year.
Whatever the next 12 months will bring I hope to face it
head on and get the most out of my experiences. The same to you, whomever you
may be. All the best in this year to come.
