Party in the A-U-S

This week has been great. I had one 6-page paper due on Thursday and a quiz on Friday, but neither of those really caused me much stress. I got to play basketball, soccer, Ultimate, and AFL (Australian Football League). Australia definitely quenches my sports fix. Also, I finally got to go out with a bus-load of Crommie folk to a place in the city called Birdees on Thursday night. It was a great time with good music and dancing. Megan even forced me to do karaoke with her and the other Seppos (I still really hate singing). I also still hate the song “Party in the U-S-A,” but alas we had to choose something cheesy enough that people would laugh and forget how bad we were singing. The place had a dance floor, a stage/karaoke area, and a really strange room upstairs which Cromwell people congregated in. There were weird king-type chairs in circles and then two sparkly, zebra-printed circle couches for people to sit on. I felt like I was in a Lisa Frank strip club. Needless to say, I went back downstairs.

Tonight is AFL night and the Crommie girls have assembled a powerhouse to go up against St. Johns and International House. Girl's AFL night is kind of like powderpuff football and is a one-time deal. We have had one practice and our combined knowledge of the rules is minimal at best, but we are going to have fun. Hopefully a big crowd will come out to watch us. Cromwell usually can produce a decent side crowd.

My "ask" weekend is coming up and I could not be more excited. To remind those of you who might have forgotten, this is the weekend where a group goes on a trip to a beach or camping and the boys reveal who their ball dates are! Up until that point, girls are not supposed to know who their ask partners are. Since the first day, I have received an ask note, a questionnaire (which asked me about my likes and dislikes and asked me to write a haiku), and a request for me to create a piece of clothing for my ball date to wear on ask weekend. I had no idea what “ask” was supposed to be like and continue to be pleasantly surprised. All of these notes have kept me thoroughly excited for Ball. However, girls are going freakin' crazy. For instance, some of them are on this absurd all meat diet. Somehow I don't think bacon should be involved in any diet. Girls are finally breaking out the sneakers and doing Zumba so that they can squeeze into their year 12 ball gowns. Just wait until the spray tans start appearing and then we will have a proper circus.

Saturday morning I head off to play in the Mixed Nationals qualifying tournament (Cross your fingers!) then have a bbq with the team. The next day, there is an event where one of the city's bridges gets turned into a mini-Paris. There are vendors and breakfast carts all along the bridge and you are supposed to wear chic dresses to look Parisian. Also, my friend Mussels (Nikki) offered to let me stay at her house during mid-semester break when I go to visit the Gold Coast. I am so excited to be able to stay in a real Australian house, meet her family, and go to the beach! Look out, I'm gonna be straight bronze by the time I get home. (I hope.)

On one unhappy note, Tim-Tams (Australian cookies made from heaven) were on sale for $2 this past week. Bad times for hungry Maia.

My room!


These are the Kookaburras I had the pleasure to have lunch with the other day. (Apparently I pronounced Kookaburra wrong and my corridor thought it was hilarious- double "o" does not make an ooo sound in Australian.)


Thursday Night's Entertainment: