Left Turn on a Red Light

The week was relatively uneventful. I spent Tuesday at the beach, all day. I unfortunately needed to attend a few classes on Wednesday, but skipped my late lecture in order to go to my first Australian Kegger! At home, I'm sort of a pro when it comes to that sort of thing, but down here is a whole new ball game. At home, a keg cup costs $5. In Australia, it costs you $20. They don't have normal tappers either. Instead, the put this box containing ice on top of a table, with a hose connected to the keg, and somehow it comes out easier and quicker. Definitely a better device than in the States. The night was fun, every Wednesday night is "Student Night", so seemingly everyone in Newcastle is downtown.

Thursday was spent slightly hungover, needing to attend four hours of my Business Finance course. Not exactly where I wanted to be. Luckily it was raining, so I didn't feel as bad being inside. Not having TV has been very strange, sort of. It means I don't waste portions of my day doing something relatively mindless I guess (although my episodes of NipTuck and the Wire can be seen streaming on the Internet). My Thursday night was going to be a quiet one filled with some NipTuck and Chardonnay, but as usual it led to some "cooking with Koreans." My roommate CK, from South Korea, has another friend from Korea living with him in his room. I don't care, cause he doesn't bother me, and they make incredible food all the time. This particular night, my roommate Emma and I, stumbled upon them making a shrimp filled omelet like Korean dish. As usual, they also had rice, noodles and this other Korean thing. It's always delicious and they love talking to us. They said that before us they we're scared to talk to Americans. When CK got to Australia, the only English he knew was from fourth grade (and they say this perfectly, while laughing): Hello, how are you?, I am fine, thank you, and you?

Friday held my funny moment with an Australian, as a simple trip to buy fabric for a toga party turned into an Australian adventure. My roommates (Emma and Val, the Mauritan), two Australians, and myself headed to the fabric store. The Australian girl driving said, "I need to stop for some Petrol, I'm running low." Petrol is what the Australians call gasoline, and it's not the same I guess, I can't understand them when they try to explain the difference. Five seconds later her car stopped in the parking lot. "Nooo! She screamed, I've ran out of Petrol!" We had only moved a few meters. (Note my use of meters) Val and I pushed the little Australian vehicle into a spot, we borrowed someone else's car, drove to three stations until she could find a container to hold the petrol and made it back to the parking lot. Even though she had a tin, she had no funnel. So I jammed a stick into the gas hole, my Mauritian roommate held a makeshift paper funnel, while the Australian poured the petrol, all over the place, and some went in the tank. Luckily, it was just enough to make it to the Petrol Station. I eventually found some good, cheap fabric and the entire dorm dressed up for a good night out (in Toga's). Unfortunately the two bottles of chardonnay I thought would be fun to finish before the bus arrived for downtown, ended my night slightly early. (which worked out well since I had an early train to Sydney on Saturday morning)