English Conversation. Enrolment. Steak.

On Thursday night I went to The Aussie's church to volunteer for English Conversation. There are lots of "new" Australians as well as tons of language schools in Manly, so there are lots of people that want to work on their English skills. And honestly, not sure they want to work on them with Australians. Ha ha. Every English as a second language person I've spoke to finds it very difficult to learn and communicate with Aussies. Oh well. Anyway, so I showed up to have some conversation. We were put into little groups.

I had Moui from Laos, and May from Korea. Both were around my age. Moui lives here with her Australian boyfriend, and May has been here for about a year learning English at a language school. We had a great time!
It was very informal, so it didn't feel like I was teaching at all. And we are all so different and all not Australian, so it was fun discussing the weird things we find about the place and how it compares to our "home" country. We discussed how one becomes a lot more patriotic when one isn't in their own country. Perfect example is how excited I am for the Vancouver Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, which is on in just a few hours.

Before the "class" started, I was sitting beside a couple in their 60s. I heard them say they were Canadian, and I asked where they were from. They said Edmonton. They then asked me where I was from. I replied, Stratford. They both got very excited and said "Bob grew up in Stratford! On Norman St.!" So after that it was all very exciting! He left in 1967, so didn't know our family, but it was still awesome! He grew up on Norman St., still has a mother living on John St. And his sister also lives on John St. I honestly bet at least one of them has a bed and breakfast!

Ha ha it was fun! (For those that don't know, John St. and Norman St. are but a block away from our house). After the English Convo class was over, they came up to me and invited me out to dinner next week! So that is very exciting! I like when things like that happen; it makes the world seem very small!

So my girls were very nice and thought I was funny and stuff which was good. I got a photo with them after and told them to come next week! (Unfortunately, I now have class until 6pm on that day, so I won't make it back in time..but hopefully they still go!)

Then Friday was a BIG day for me: Enrolment! I would finally register to become part of the Law Faculty, and get my timetable for the weeks to come. My first month here is a Foundations of Law intensive, and it begins two weeks before the real semester starts for everyone else. I have known this for awhile, but didn't know what group I was in for seminars, and didn't know times either. So I enrolled, got my photo taken (both for participation marks, and for my student card).
It's weird here. They take your picture and then mail your student card to an address two weeks later. They don't have those machines that just pop the card out right there. I'll decide that it's because the card itself is way more high tech, not just that the university itself is low tech. Ha ha.

I asked to see my picture after he took it, and it is decent. He was laughing, though, that I asked. But come on. It's going to be my ID for the next three years, I can't be blinking in it or anything!

So we enrolled, which was actually pretty easy and didn't take very long, but it had been built up in our minds for so long that it was good the day was there! Marie met another Canadian, Charlie, and a guy from Singapore, Jonathan. She was so cute and so happy to be meeting new people! So we hung out with them for a bit, showing them where the bookstore was and where they can get their 900 page printed .pdf file of the coursework. We then went to their rez (International House) and saw their rooms. It made me happy I'm not living on campus! Way too much like first year undergrad for my liking! Not that I even have a better option at this point...but still.

I feel like I can come up with something that better suits my needs. But it was great to meet some new people in the law program. They were super nice, super excited, and not as young as I thought (24 and 25). I have a fear that I will be surrounded by 20 year olds...because I took four years off between my undergrad and this.

Ok this is getting a bit rambly. The point is, I have my schedule, and I start school on Monday!

Oh yeah The Aussie came back from his week long camping trip with his Year 7s (12 year olds). He called me on his way back and asked if I wanted to go for steak with him and Rob (an old flatmate from Ireland). As soon as he said the word "steak", I was in! And then he said it was a $10 steak with salad and chips (chips = fries). And I was DOUBLY in! So he came home and we got ready to meet Rob. It was fun. And the steak was super good. A $10 steak can potentially be sketchy some of the time, but it was really good last night. Then I started to feel really sick so I just went back to the apartment while The Aussie met some of his friends at Wharf Bar (which is a bar, on the wharf). Ha ha.

I'm heading to Newtown (where Marie lives) soon to watch the opening ceremony! Should be good. Then later this afternoon I am going to *hopefully see two potential places to live. We'll see if either of them pans out! Both are in Newtown, which is the neighbourhood I want to be in.

Oh yeah on Thursday I also walked around the Royal Botanic Gardens. Absolutely beautiful. A little lonely, though. It will be nice to go with other people another time!