Vegemite, Kangaroo and Footy

I’ve been busy since my arrival here down under. First up was international orientation. There we were informed with basic university information. Later that day we made new animal friends including a koala, a kangaroo (sorry in advance little kanga buddy), some snakes and other reptiles, and numerous farm animals that Felix fell in love with. Then I got a student ID and we explored Parramatta’s beautiful campus. I know this sounds crazy, but I think it is even more breathe taking than Flagstaff’s!

            Next up was Saturday and our first Aussie weekend. Felix and I went to the mall to get clocks, sheets and other various things. We set up a little Grand Central in our living with all of the times back home, under that is an Australian centered world map. Then I tried vegemite for the first time and cringed at the taste while my roomies were documenting the momentous moment. By itself vegemite was terrible, but more bearable when I put butter on it. After that I tried a new native food, kangaroo! We made kanga burgers and they turned out to be pretty good, but I couldn’t really taste for much of a difference between other meats.

            Lastly, was the GWS Giants footy match against the Geelong Cats. I got four free tickets on some twitter promotion for having residency outside the country and it simple and easy process for a great experience. Footy is Australian Rules Football and it is the best ever. When I left I made it a priority to get into Australian sports and the AFL was just the league to do it in. It’s a fast and hectic game, which made it great for watching. The stadium was magnificent and the fans there sure are fanatic about their beloved teams. The game took place at Spotless Stadium in the Sydney Olympic Park and it was cold. It reminded me of Flagstaff and of the high school football days, only this time I had amber fluid (beer). The Giants lost after erasing a 30-point deficit and just fell short of defeat. Despite that, I still bought a jersey and I will probably wear that the most out of anything else I brought.

            All in all, this country and city has treated me well so far. Everything is already starting to go by fast, but here’s to making the best of this upcoming week with my goofball roommates and some new mates!