Melbourne - My summer base

A Cosmopolitan city in the south of Australia..... under the toughest water restrictions in Australia, so much so that many summer sports have been cancelled.

I'm here for work a summer internship with Shell and I'm loving the city. Heaps of good bars if you know where to look, lots of sports events and culture.

This is the third major city i've lived in in Australia and I'm enjoying exploring the differences here from Adelaide and Sydney.

My time here is shortlived though. I've been here since the beginning of December and by the end of February I'll be back in Adelaide for my last semester at uni.

Decisions, Decisions

Who would have thought choosing the last four subjects could be so difficult. I thought it would be one of the easiest times of choosing my subjects.

Instead it's taken me six hours and counting to work out what I want to learn in my last semester for my undergraduate and indeed if I will do it all in one semester or over two. Two semesters gives me much more choice, one semester means that it gets done.

Then of course choosing a timetable that works for me where I will be able to work for the largest number of hours in the week.

Next to make sure I can actually get into the classes I want (can only be confirmed this Wednesday)

And then finally being absolutely sure that i will meet the requirements for completing my degree. The last thing you'd want to do is choose subjects that aren't going to let you pass.

I'll let you know the final choice later in the week.

Beijos,

Lucy

I'm back

Ok, so by now you've figured out that I either died in the jungle or walked out of it awhile ago.

As I haven't received many concerned emails about my health or well being, (thanks) I must assume you know that I'm back in Australia.

I've been back for five months and it's pretty much six months to the day since I last posted.

Why?

Well I don't really know.

I needed to put things in perspective for awhile and get stuff sorted out in Australia. I think reflecting too much about my time in Brazil as soon as I got back would have made me too homesick.

Now that I feel happy here at home again I can write again.

Expect more soon.

Happy New Year
Feliz Ano Novo

signing out

hey,
Quick and rushed note.

i'm going to be in the jungle in the next three weeks or so, so you won't hear from me in a bit.

when I get back to civilisation i'll write.

Love ya.

Lucy

30 days left in Brazil

On the 27th of July I will be flying away from Sao Paulo and the year that I spent living in this huge metropolis.
I won't missed the pollution but I will miss the people.
I won't miss buses but I will miss the metro
I won't miss the concrete apartments but I will miss the parks
I won't miss Tiete but I will miss Ibirapuera
I won't miss the night clubs but I will miss the dancing and the music
I won't miss people being late but I will miss the late parties
I won't miss the beauracracy but I will miss people talking to you in the lines
I won't miss the rain but I will miss the sun
I won't miss the beans and rice but I will miss the fruit and meat
I won't miss quality problems but I will miss my quality friends
I won't miss sharing a room but I will miss my room mates
I won't miss not understanding everything but I will miss Portuguese
I won't miss the long bus trips but I will miss the travel

I will miss AIESEC
I will miss my team
I will miss friends of the UN
I will miss Brazil

Last full weekend in Sao Paulo

Yep, in a flash it has gone from all the first things I'm doing in Brazil, to normal life in Brazil and now again everything is for the last time.....

This weekend was my last full weekend in Sao Paulo as next Sunday I will travel to the North of Brazil.

It was a full weekend starting on thursday with a very scary Australian game of Football - however we qualified! My Brazilian house mates almost didn't let me see the game as Brazil was playing at the same time but they were already qualified.

Then on Friday was our two teams transition party - 80 of our friends and associates that were involved with us this year somehow joined together at a Bar in Vila Madelena - very nice and helped to make us realise the impact we have had this year. Many people ended up at ours afterwards for recovery on Saturday as well.

Saturday was the Argentina Mexico game - seen in a Mexican restaurant which turned our to be sad for them. Following this watching the guys play a scratch match football game.

We ended up staying in and experienced Grande Ivan's cooking for the first time - well done Ivan - great Nacho's and much better then noodles.

Then for the last time an epic game of war (risk). Of course I didn't win as usual but we were only able to finish after four hours and two players committing war sucide.

Today was a beautiful day but we had to continue with more goodbyes this morning to Ivan and Caio (Farofa) and more will continue all week (Segala leaves tomorrow morning). Dea and I made the most of it by going to Liberdade for the last time, good japanese and chinese food and Azuki which is the first time I tried it and also the first time I found red bean paste in Brazil! Why only now?

Following this we went to an Irish bar to see the Holland match, a very nice pub filled with very sad Dutch people. My favourite Irish bar in the city though - last time there too, we finished up after the game with a few rounds of pool. Nice. and now how winding down.

I scared for the Australia match tomorrow. Aussie, aussie, aussie

L

World Cup Fever

Woooo hoooo, Australia made the second round.... what a nail biter!

....Especially when my Brazilian house mates almost wouldn't let me watch the match (Brazil game was the same time - but they had already qualified).

You don't need to watch Brazilian games either to know how they are going. everytime they score a goal you can hear everyone in the same neighbourhood and they let off fireworks.

when the other team scores there is silence.

woohoo.


Transition party tomorrow.

Lucy