The First Cold

Monday morning. I've decided THIS is the week that I'm gonna sort my shit out. Usually, the beginning of the year involves officeworks and fresh text books and getting a wall planner and highlighters and planning and colour-coding and being on top of things. Not so, 2012.

I'm in Struggletown trying to figure out the holy heck i'm in NY quick let's do everything/ holy heck everything is SO interesting let's be a nerd balance. One thing I know is that sitting somewhere in the middle- having a crazy, balls-to-the-wall weekend, leaves me behind in school work for the new week. How do I do both?!!!! Really, I just need to pass these subjects. But I wouldn't be happy with just that..especially when the teaching here is pretty remarkable.

Everyone is SO into everything. There are talks, protests, radio shows, interviews, ...everything is so connected, I feel right in the hub. Last week I had a teleconference (hooley dooley, look out technology) with Bill McKibben, a leading climate activist. Just. Like. That. Friday there's a talk in the City about shutting down Long Island's nuclear reactor (although it never began running), with a Fukushima expert talking. Yes please. I'm not sure whether it's just the novelty of being in a university outside of Australia, but I can't get enough of it. I could be learning about anything and there's world experts within 2 hours sharing their knowledge. How bout that eh?

And people WANT to learn. Often at home it's about getting by on doing the minimum amount of work- but that is neither an acceptable, nor sought-after, way of operation over here.

But I'm getting a cold. I'll suck it up for class today then probably head home, have a bath, read, study a little, have a quiet one. 'Quiet ones' seem to be a wasted opportunity- i've gotten pretty good at doing something every night- but I don't want this illness to spread.

Carn Giants!

xoG

wensdi, thursdi, fridi

Hola amigos...........
and bienvenidos to my first week of class! The State University of New York Stony Brook Campus is welcoming me into its tender grasp until the end of May, and so far it's involved getting lost, walking past a group of sorority girls about to have their hazing experience, having those little American individual desks, classes with BLACKBOARDS- sorry, what?-, falling in love with the folksy NY accent, and of course the painstaking process of enrolling and figuring subjects out.

My subjects here are all counting towards my Environmental Studies major- I'm doing sustainable urban design, history of cities, an anthropology subject on the agricultural revolution, an environmental writing course, etc etc. My classes are small and there's familiar faces in all of them, so I think we're gonna be friends. The Friendship Jacket worked a treat on Monday, got chatting with a few fun-looking people, so I'll have to try it again tomorrow.

I'm in the library and feeling the beginnings of a cold coming on, which is not great. This afternoon I'm heading to the mall to fix myself up with a proper coat, some bedding, food, and clothes. I have an insatiable appetite to shop, so hopefully that goes ahead without TOO much loss in the funds department. Tonight I meet my landlord and pay my four months' of rent. Also tonight a group of kids are heading into the city- to an Australian pub- to listen to the triple j countdown. It's absolutely, horrifyingly cringe-worthy, but I guess every Australia Day is like that. Cummon Aussie Cummon.

I HOPE that on Thursday I secure myself tickets to go see Antony and the Johnsons. I think I'll go by myself--obviously it's going to be a spiritual experience (the performance is in collaboration with a MoMA lighting designer- holy heck)...so I don't mind taking the trip on the train and doing some thinking. I get the feeling it's gonna be huge. I just have to book the tickets. Any minute now.

Love love love. It's been warm and sunny the last few days (warm, as in like, I dunno, 4 degrees). It rained a bit yesterday and all the snow has melted again. Until later,

G

back in the game

I arrived into Stony Brook, New York, on Tuesday the 17th of January, 2012. After a gruelling day of waking up at 4am, hurtling out of Guadalajara in the pre-dawn darkness, getting captured by Cesar of American Airlines, enjoying my final huevos rancheros, and making my way through Dallas, La Guardia, NY Bus, Metro and Long Island Rail Road systems, I arrived to a vegan feast at the family home of my couchsurfing host, Chloe. The house is situated along Robin Hood Lane, just off Story Book Road, with names like Cinderella, Peter Pan and Merlin close by. I kid you not. The house also includes four Chinese-crested dogs - you know those ones with just skin and a few tufts of hair-. It's been a great place to have my first proper shower, feel clean, feel comfort, and a refuge from the cold and (now) snow, and to rediscover the eccentricities of American suburban life.

The last few days have been a blur of fatigue, culture-shock, temperature-shock, and shopping. I still hunt for a good quality coat, but I've found boots and a few tops. My other clothes are pretty shabby. I don't feel stylish enough yet to really call myself a local. Give it a few visits to Goodwill.

I move houses tonight. I'm still tossing up whether living on campus is a good idea, but in the meantime I've found myself a cute apartment overlooking the main street of the harbour town of Port Jefferson. It sits above the street, squeezed above a pizzeria and a pub. Things are looking sweet. I can't wait to be settled somewhere..To put my clothes in a wardrobe, and to hang up the decorations I bought in Mexico. Once I find a place to call mine, I can focus on taking NY by storm.
Next week's Australia Day, which may involve a cheeky trip to 'The Australian' - no doubt a horrible pub- in Manhattan, to celebrate getting drunk and Tim Tams, and listening to the Hottest 100 countdown, beginning 8pm Wednesday night. Classes on Thursday may be a struggle, we'll see what happens.

Welcome back friends.
xog

To Kill 25 Minutes

Hello!
As soon as my mind broke away from university and Canberra into the abyss of the holidays, I remembered my blog. Whilst I've been keeping a journal, blogs are fun too. So now I wait for the midnight bus outta here to start work tomorrow morning at 10am and I have perfect opportunity to write something small.

Currently I'm mega tired. I awoke at 5.10 this morning in Cunnamulla, south-west Queensland, and travelling with a group of kids arrived back to Canberra at 6pm tonight. We had gone for a trip to a remote Aboriginal community in far-north Queensland. It was fascinating. I needed something to get me out of this haze/bubble of university and college life where you easily lose perspective about the big issues at hand. But heading back to the desert changed all this and it all feels new again.

So my first semester of university is done. It feels good, though introductory subjects are very broad and not the most stimulating. I had romantically envisioned that university means attractive young things sitting on grass in the afternoon sun in summer clothes discussing the intricacies of particular literature, the flaws in particular theories. Whilst this has not yet happened, I do hope it will soon.

Also being away has given me a big fun list of things to do whilst I'm at home. Apart from work, in the eternal quest to earn youth allowance, I want to teach myself more guitar, finish some songs, run, bushwalks, firetwirl, do drives, catch up with some high school pals. I hope I can do this in the two weeks that I have.

At the end of last semester I was beginning to feel a bit more settled into college, though that did take a while. Funny, it's easy to feel comfortable and chummy with people when you're travelling, but being still and getting to know people is more challenging. Many of the first years have come straight from school too, something which I hardly feel I can relate to now. So now that I feel more atop of the social aspects of Canberra life, I hope to be more involved in things I'm interested up here. Having done this trip it would be great to be more active in indigenous affairs, and also the uni green commitee and maybe the college choir? The problem is that there are so many things that are interesting and that I want to be involved in that it is easy to over-commit. I don't want to get to that stage!

Driving south we felt the order and enclosure of the land increase. In gulf country the plains spread out unfenced for hundreds of kilometres. It is left to its own devices with no imposing forces at bay. Cattle roam free, over the road, horses, emus, pigs, you name it. As that land melted the farms that appeared seemed so precious, a bit silly. Getting a different perspective on reality is something that cannot be underestimated.

Hurrah!
Time to catch the bus.
See you next time. G.

fin.

I write my final travel post from the desk of Leah's room overlooking a peaceful backstreet of Berkeley. A cool breeze is coming in the window, though thanks to the wonderful clear day it's not too chilly. I was aprehensive about entering the northern hempishere's winter, however California is treating me well.

I left Buenos Aires at midday on Wednesday. I awoke naturally early, headed down and tried to swallow some breakfast. A brazilian dude saw me with my two packs and asked if I was headed to the airport. We subsequently shared a cab together. He was pretty nice, our mix of spanglish was impressive for the both of us. On our way out of Buenos Aires there was a 'manifestacion' (strike) on the highway. People were standing on the road, sleeping on the road. I couldn't gather what it was about. The taxi driver shared a brief conversation with a nearby policeman- he seemed pretty bemused about it all. Good old Argentine police! Nothing is to be taken seriously. Reminds me of the time that a guy staying in my room in the hostel got-supposedly- 1000 euros stolen out of his pack. The police came in and questioned us, took some notes, but everyone knew nothing would come of it.

I found myself airside with $50 pesos remaining. With a bit of time before boarding, I ordered a 'fernet'- a typical argentine liquor typically served with coke. It's really strong, tastes like medicine, but at the end of my stay there I came to like it. However this was fernet only, served with ice, which filled up a whole glass. Ach!!! I tried a few sips but couldn't handle it. I bought some coke and tried to mix it up. Eventually I forced it down and at 11am I was ready, drunkenly, for the flight. 9 hours to mexico city, then another two to LA where I stayed for the night.

I had researched my stay on sleepinginairports.com and luckily for me LAX had won the 'Worst Airport' award. I hoped it wasn't a global competition.

However the airport was undergoing renovations and I was able to access a relatively clean and new area. Luckily as I was trying to sleep on an uncomfortable chair a nice airport woman told me about a better place where 'many other people are sleeping'. I found my posse and luckily there was a small couch available for the taking. Throughout the night I got stared at by an Irish woman, kicked in the head a few times, and experienced severe coldness, HOWEVER!!! it was a pretty positive first time sleepinginairports experience. Thank you LA! I awoke at 5 and couldn't sleep again so after reading for a little while I went to check in to go to San Fransisco.

I will mention here how funny it is to be in America, or any developed country, after being in Argentina. Soap in the bathrooms! Paper towels! Toilet paper! The abillity to speak in English! Asian food stores! Good coffee! Fruit! All of these things are appreciated again. Slowly and surely I am experiencing new tastes again. I had my first grape. My first pomegranate. Leah cooked me a delicious vegetarian mix with soba noodles and eggplant and soy and chilli. Yogurt. Berries. It is lucky.

Berkeley, again, is wonderful. This trip feels pretty complete coming back here. Catching up with a few of the same people, experiencing the same fresh, wonderful, exciting and energetic feel of the place. I still feel a little strange about going back to Aus, but it feels a bit more smooth-edged now.

It's wonderful being with Leah and everyone being wonderful. It is mixed with sadness though, as people say to her 'have a nice life'. She's packing around me and constantly offering me her clothes to take back in my pack. We're headed to yoga at 4.30, before grabbing some din dins. My flight's at 10 to 11. I'll be seeing you all on the flipside!

Lots and lots of love,
Georgia

Ayer.

Yesterday. Yesterday was a wonderful day. I shall probably have to document it right here.
It involved waking up in Buenos Aires' Micocentro District, full of street vendors and old men sitting in cafes and business people and a few daggy tourits and street markets and and the peatonal (pedestrian mall) that runs stright through the middle of town.

We (me, Emma and Rosie -Dudley St reunited) luxuriously meandered down to the hostel breakfast which included free medialunas (croissants), bread, dulce de leche, tea, coffee on endless supplies. While Rosie and Emma went out to book their bus tickets outta this crazy town, I read, journaled, Alexander-techniqued, hung. They came back 1ish and we picked up our newfound friend Jess and took to the world.

Flagging a taxi, I sat in the front seat helping the newcomers out with the language barrier. Their knowledge is muy muy muy basic so whilst we're together I'm trying to get them on it a little. So I chatted to the taxi driver about Buenos Aires, the port, the weather, the rich porteños. We then arrived at our destination.

THE WORLD'S FIRST RELIGIOUS THEME PARK.





It was a little bit shut when we arrived, opening at 4. However, this allowed ample time to go for a river-side walk along the Rio de La Plata, the river spilling out into the Atlantic. If you travel for three hours across it you will bump into sleepy Uruguay.
Along this walk we came across rich porteños on their lunch breaks. Poor fishermen with beat-up cars pumping music across the pavement. Many ´hóla chicas´, ´que hermosas´ and ´ah, mi amor´'s were given our way. It comes when weird-looking ladies hang out together.

After our walk we went to a tenedor libre (all you can eat) which the taxi driver had recommended for us. Siga La Vaca. So we were a bit confused about the situation, what the dealio was. However we flagged a camarera and sorted out the deal. Jess and I went together to the parrilla and loaded up with some asado, I also some intestine for the curiously disgusted ladies. Then salad, and ya estar, done. It was wonderful, but I shan't detail it too much.

However, when it came time to pay the $46 pesos each ($AU13) the waiter was telling me something which I couldn't understand. I had to tell her that I didn't get it, and after a few minutes I realised that she was telling me that

SOMEONE HAD ALREADY PAID FOR ALL OF US.

A random. Anonymous gift of kindness. Happy times!!!! We were so thrilled and were asking the waiter who it was but she wouldn't give! They shared all of these coy smiles between each other but wouldn't budge. We think we guessed it was a man sitting by himself talking on the phone for most of the ordeal. That was just his way out of it, I think.

So feeling most spritely we embarked on our journey to the theme park.

It was great, mechanical nativity plays (nothing on the McGowan one, mind you), all of the employees decked out in Middle-Eastern Attire, FREAKY SCULPTURES EVERYWHERE, it was amazing. We left before the resurrection scene though, when an 18-metre tall mechanical Jesus rises 10 metres into the air before descending again, ´displaying 36 mechanical movements´. What a bloke! Stellar effort.

This satisfied my desire to see weird things in Argentina...usually people are pretty straight down the line...but this was a whole other ball park.

Last night we caught up some Sam and Luke, two Gappers, in Palermo. We shared beers and maní until 5 am. It was swell. Caught a cab back into centro and I was safe and snug in bed by the tender hour of 5.20am.

Now it's nearly 1pm saturday and people are just rising. The plans for today are a big walk, visit a massive park, art galleries, and the Recoleta cemetary, where Eva is buried, amongst plenty o others.

Buenos Aires is beautiful.

Goodbye you.

Buena Suerte Por Toda Su Vida

Done done done!

The last week has been busy and has consisted of____-___-___-

- Seeing a free Symphony Orchestra in Argentina's oldest theatre and getting a whole BOX to ourselves!!!
- Seeing a FREE film in ENGLISH!!!! Was called The Quiet Man, by John Ford. A barrel of laughs
- Meeting up with my darling friend and to-be travelling companion Rosie in Plaza San Martin Cordoba and having play times!!
- Seeing many art galleries
- Seeing a marathon of Cordobese bands until 5.30am
- Catching up with my German buddy Tanja, Australian friend Rosie from Villa Allende, AND Reuben's friend Amelia and three of her friend...They just finished their placement in Peru and were travelling south. SO MANY PEOPLE TO TALK TO!!!!
- Last weeek at Ascochinga!"!!! Consisted of
- Our final puppet play...last night, a ripper!
- Sleeping outside and having crazy great conversations with the team and a bottle of red
- Finishing Jane Eyre
- Rosie's 21st birthday
- Visiting the nearby Jesuit ruins of Santa Catalina. B E A UTIFUL!!! And talking with the taxi driver there.
- Seeing the countryside turn green and greeen after so much rain..Rosie came at the right time!
- Having a pig sacrificed for us last night!!! INTENSE>!!!!!

Now, the four of us are sitting at the internet cafe ´Cyber Trek, the Next Generation´and are all doing our own thing. NExt we are going to hang out in the park and read books and write in our diaries. Then, at around 10pm tonight, we are all going to part ways. Reuben to BA, Michael to Bolivia, Rosie and I to Mendoza. It's the end of a chapter, believe you me.

Yayyy exciting! Half of the keys on my keyboard are really stiff which is kind of hindering my ganas (will) to write. However, things are good. 10 days left here, I believe. I don't want to leave,,,, but in preparing myself to leave it is all ok.

I hope you are all well. I am listening to Animal Collective and it's putting me in a grouse mood. Now I am off.
Goodbye, see you soon.
GG