School and what not

Well, long time no post. :) Alot has happened since the last time I posted. Well, not to much compared to my previous adventures around Oz. In the last month, I've moved in with my actual host family and started school. After my trip around australia with the Evans, I came back to Naracoorte. I moved in with the Bartoseks on the 17 of August and I started School the next day. The night I moved in, Marilyn ( my host mom) put on a family dinner for me. We had lots of food and a pavlova for dessert. It was amazing. Although, Tim Tams are still my favorite Aussie dessert. I fell for the drinking your tea through your tim tam joke. Yes, I'm that gullable.

School is so far so good. I really don't like the uniforms, simply because none of it fits right.Oh well. I do like my classes. I'm taking English, Australian Studies, Art, Outdoor Education and high Maths. The people are nice and I think I've made some friends. I've also met some really really stupid people. I have been talking to them and said I was from America then say that I was from the United States and this is the reaction that I get "wait, are those the same thing?? I don't study the map. . . " YES!!! It's common sense!!! It's annoying. I also have this group of year 8s that follow me around saying 'dude' cause apparently Americans say that alot. It kind of like being a celebirty. I'm popular without even having to try. Not many exciting thigs happen in Naracoorte, so my being here is VERY exciting. Many of the kids here have never even left the Naracoorte area. The farthest they've been is to Mt. Gambier. That's only an hour away. That's the most shocking thing. To be 16 years old and never have been more than 500 Kilometers from your backyard. It's amazing.

Now to talk about travel. I went to Halls Gap in the Grampians for a day and got to pet a Kangaroo and see a koala and a wombat. It was great fun. That same weekend, I went to Horsham to meet all of the exchange students. That was amazing. It's going to be great fun to get to know them. I have many travel plans for the future. I'm going to Adelaide this from the 9th to the 14th of September for the Adelaide show. That will be interseting, well as intersting as cows and goats can get. . .

Golfing and Footy

Last week sometime I learned how to Golf. You see, here in Australia, golfing is cheap. We spent about $20 and I learned how to golf. Apparently I do it rather well.

I went to my first Australian Rules Football game on Saturday night. We cheered for St. Kilder as that is the Evans family team. The colors are Red, Black and White. I even got my face painted.

Footy is a lot less confusing than American football and much more entertaining to watch seeing as it is a full contact sport. It is not at all uncommon for the players to break out into a fist fight in the middle of the game. It was great fun to go out and get all dressed up for this game.

More of Melbourne

These are the historical bathing houses on Brighton Beach, they are from the 1800's and are now al painted bright colors and are quite the sight.

This is Luna Park in Melbourne it is a historical theme park and the enterance is HUGE!!! If you can see me in the lower right cornor you will get an idea of how big it realy is.

This is the Cole family,well it's the kids anyways. Their parents are friends with Andrew so we had dinner with them twice. The one in the green next to me is Ellie. She is giong to the Disabled Olympics and is likely to win a sliver medal in swimming and I have her autograph!!!

Melbourne

Today Lea and had a walk around Melbourne we found this great little ally with Graffiti all around the walls. Someone had locked up their bike so we dicided to 'ride' it(me on the seat, Lea on the handle bars). It was very funny and I was rather fond of the photo.

Anyways. . . Since my last post, I've been to the famouse Bondi beach in Sydney and (put me feet in there too, unforunatly I got very wet this time. . .) We also went to Canberra and saw the Parliment house after having breaky at a cafe in the center of town. We then spent 9 and a half hours in a car an arrieved in Melbourne at 3 am. . . We have only been here for a day but Lea and I have done alot. We went to the old Jail where Ned Kelly was hung and this Graffiti ally as well as the harbor and the state library. Jaqulyn came slong with us this morning to the Queen Victoria Markets. We like Markets. I also sent off my first batch of post cards/letters. It was a costly affair. . .but I think I sent off about 10 post cards as well as two packages. It's been good. I'm dreading the return to Naracoorte and, worst of all, school. Uuugggg. . .

Sydney Australia

I left Durango Colorado on Sunday the 20th at 1pm. After loosing my luggage and having to buy a new tickte from Sydney to Adelaide (costing me 439 Australian dollars), 48 hours later, I finally made it to my destination. I met my Host Counselor (Trevor Hahn), my first host family (the Bartoseks) and the Evans (the family I'm currently traveling with). Then I left for a three week trip across the South Eastern coast of Australia. Having only been in Australia for 10 days, it feels like I've been here for months. I've managed to see Melbourne and most of Sydney. I've already been to the Sydney Opera House, seen the Harbor Bridge, taken a walk in Hyde Park, been to the Sydney Olympic Park from the 2000 Olympics, walked along Darling Harbor many many times, been to the Sydney Fish Market, Seen it snow in Sydney (an unheard of event), taken a Ferry from Manly Harbor to Syney Harbor and seen the city, Opera House and Bridge at night (the city is prettiest at night), been to the South Head of the Harbor (yet another beautiful veiw), had icecream in one form or another almost every night, seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show live on stage, bought a Digeri Doo, dipped my feet in two different oceans/harbors (Paciffic and Melbourne and Sydney Harbors) and eaten so much asian food it's almost made me sick. The first week has been great. I can't wait for the rest of the year.

Ariel

Two Weeks and I'm Outta Here

Well, on July 20th (or so) I'm supposed to leave of a land called OZ. Australia that is. A town called Naracoorte is where I'll go to school. Population roughly 8500. I'll be living in an even smaller town about 15 minutes away called Kybybolite. Try to pronounce that willl ya!?!? I'm excited but stressed because I don't have my visa yet, so I'm not sure when I'll actually get there. I've been invited to go to Sydney and Canberra (the capitol) on the 24th of July. If I get there in time, I'll tell you all about it!! Sooner or later that is. . . Anyways, I will beging to post photos as I take them. Enjoy!

Ariel

This is me

I'm 15 and turn 16 in May. I have a twin sister named Hayley, we are nothing alike. I've got short brown hair, I mean realy short (three inches) and I'm roughly 5'6". I LIve in Durago Colorado and have all my life. I go to Durango Highschool. In early July I'm going to Australia as an exchange student. I'm SOOOO excited. I have yet to find out exactly what city I'm going to but I'll let you know as soon as I do. I do know the general area, the border between South Australia and Victori but on the South Australia side nead Mildura. That's pretty much the Renmark area. Which is great because my Australian buddy Nic lives in Renmark.

I play the steal pan and have for the last five years. The steal drum is basically part of an oil durn that's banged into tune. I play with a set of rubber tipped mallet's. I'm in a 'Jazz combo'. We do play jazz, and rege, and funk, but we also play heavy rock tunes by bands like Rush and Boston. We're hard core. What's funny about my band is I'm the only girl and I have the shortest hair. Well our singer is a chick too and she has longer hair than I do but she only shows up half the time. It's a blast and I really enjoy playing music with these kids (Kaylen (guitar), Aaron (bass), Dejka (drums/band director, he's a kid on the inside but he's really 40 and balding on the outside), Tucker (the amazing keyboard/piano player, he's been composing music since he was 12. AMAZING!!!!!!!), me, Ariel (lead steal pan) and Jess (vocals.) : ]

I decided I'd join the swim team this year. I enjoy being on the team and swimming in general but I hate going to meets and the competition part. I'm not very fast but it's fun. Well, it's fun if you consider getting up at 4 am "fun". We practice 5 days a week for two hous each day.

I'm also an artist. I can draw really well and am expirmentin with painting. I like drawing, it takes me away from my hectic life to a place where everything's silent and relaxing. It's an amazing feeling.

I used to work at Subway but I quit for swimming. I'll most likely get my job back in March once swimming is over. I need to earn what ever extra money for this exchange that I can.

Likes:
cats
peantubutter
Australia
baking
cooking
pillow fights
girl talk
Australian accents
my converse that are held togter with duct tape
flip-flops
cats
reading
music:
Elvis Presly
Frank Sanatra
Louis Armstrong
Rush
jazz
calssical
swing
Fall Out Boy
OKGO
funk (Stevie Wonder)
The Beatles
The Beach Boys
The Fray
Queen
Drawing
Painting
peanutbutter
sunlight
laughing
smiling
moonlight
early morning when the birds are chirping
debate
history
cute, fuzzy animals
rock climbing
hiking
singing
dancing
getting dressed up
the color yellow
water
swimming
frogs
sarchasam
AUSTRALIA!!!!!!!!!


Dislikes:
dogs
spiders
anime
violence
global warming
war
religion
immaturity
highschool girls
math class
stupid people