Why Whine When You Can Wine?

First of all, I always have things happen to me that would be really good to blog about…and then I forget them when I’m sitting down to actually write. But lots of hilarious things have happened and I’ve met tons of people already, mostly other international students. It’s actually quite comical when we’re all together, because we’re all speaking English but with such different accents that no one can understand what anyone is saying. We all have to repeat our names like five times, before everyone’s just like, “Yeah, we’re gonna have to give you a nickname….” (I’ve acquired the nickname “Texas,” by the way, not that "Ashley" is difficult to pronounce. But it’s super original.) Stereotypes go flying and there’s friendly country competition talk; everyone makes fun of everyone…it’s a great atmosphere, haha.

On Wednesday my friend and I did a tour of Hunter Valley and did so many wine tastings. At the first place we went to, the man conducting the tasting winked and said, “I’m pretty sure you have to be 21 in America, but we’ll let it slide here” as he poured me a glass of wine (the drinking age is 18 in Australia). I told him I AM 21 in America, and he commented on how young I look, as if I haven’t heard that before.

We saw a TON of kangaroos in the vineyards, and that part of the country was beautiful! A great place to go for anyone who likes wine. Australia has more wine regions than anywhere else in the world – 73 official ones throughout the country!

Our tour guide laughed as I took a picture of this tractor and made a comment insinuating that I had never seen a tractor before. I told him, "I'm from Texas. I've seen plenty of tractors."

 

"You can take the girl out of Texas, but you can't take Texas out of the girl."

Mistletoe Winery Vineyards

I keep wanting to watch tv in my room at night but can't stream any online tv outside of the U.S.! I asked my friend if they have Netflix here and he said, "No. We are the highest pirating country per capita for a reason." Hahaha. God Bless America for great television, but apparently they don't want to share with other countries. So now I can't watch Modern Family or The Bachelor. But at least I CAN use Pandora here, unlike when I was in Hong Kong. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have music to entertain me!

Getting creative,

Ashley

Aussies & Goon

So, the thought of blogging and actually keeping up with it is much easier than it seems… I’m terrible, I know. So let me fill you in.

I moved into my “college” on campus yesterday! I was eating in the dining hall yesterday (which reminds me of the big Harry Potter dining hall) and was talking to some Aussie students about random things I needed to buy for my room and asked the best place to go. The boy across from me said I’d probably have to visit a couple different stores to get everything, saying, “We don’t have stores with literally everything you would need in one place. There’s no Walmart here. Americans have taken consumerism to a whole new level. It’s incredible…. And most stores close at 5pm so you’ll have to go during the day.” I’m going to have to get used to this. It will definitely be an adjustment away from the 24-hour American lifestyle that’s all about convenience. Even restaurants close earlier here, and everything on campus shuts down at 5pm. At UT, dining halls and little convenience stores on campus don’t even close till like midnight or 2am… McDonalds (or “Maccas,” as the Aussies call it) isn’t even 24 hours here! Going out is quite different here as well. People leave around 10pm or so to go into the city, whereas in Austin, MAYBE the pregames start at 10pm. It’s neat to travel the world and see all these little differences. From the U.S. to Hong Kong, Thailand, and Australia…everywhere is different!

Another one of the boys I met at dinner is studying abroad at UT Austin next spring. When he asked where in Texas I was from and I said Austin, he excitedly asked if I go to The University of Texas. I said yes and he asked me if he will like it there. I smiled and said, “You’ll LOVE it!” So that was pretty cool, and I guess I’ll see him around next year in my part of the world!

Let’s see, some other Aussie slang… Goon. Goon is what they refer to boxed wine as, like our equivalent to Franzia back home. Goon is also what they call pillows, so I’ve been told, and they call the wine ‘goon’ because when it’s finished, you can blow up the bag that it was in and use it as a pillow. Australians…

Nearly A Week Australian!

Wow, it’s been quite the week so far. I arrived in Sydney on Thursday, Feb. 6 and it’s been a whirlwind since then (hence why I have yet to write a blog entry…). I won’t bore you with all the technical details but long story short, we’re apartment hunting around the area and it’s turned out to be quite difficult. The living conditions are very different from back home too – much smaller and lots of shared accommodation – and for instance, they don’t use dryers here. Or A/C. They just put their clothes out on the line to dry, which makes sense because it’s really windy here, and leave the windows open for a breeze.

I’m finally starting to figure out my bearings and how to get around. It’s a good thing I’m used to walking from living in Austin, because that’s all I’ve done around here. Walk half an hour to the “uni” (what the Aussies call a university), forty minutes to different apartments, x minutes to restaurants, etc. It’s nice though. I enjoy walking and seeing different neighborhoods and things. Plus the weather is great!

I’ve made lots of friends in my hostel here on the beach. Lots of them from Germany, an Irish guy, a guy from England, and a couple Canadians. They’ve all asked me stereotypical questions about Texans such as, “Does everybody shoot guns there?” and “So, you have a banjo, right?” And of course they get a crack out of me saying “y’all.” (Sidenote: You don’t realize how much you say ‘y’all’ until you go to another country (or even state) where they don’t say that. It’s great though, the foreigners love it.) The English guy obsessed over the way I said “Do y’all have pasta here?” at a restaurant we went to the other night. First, because I said “y’all,” but secondly because apparently they say pasta with the ‘a’ sound we use in “hat,” and he thought it was hilarious how I said “pahsta.” Another one of the guys, from Holland, was talking about how everyone rides bikes there and he said, “There are more bikes in Holland than people.” I asked how that even made sense, and why someone would need multiple bikes, to which he said: “Bikes in Holland are like guns in Texas.” To which I say, touche….

We’ve been spending time on the beautiful Coogee Beach. It’s so wonderful here; the water is blue, the temperature is hot, the sand is white…. Yesterday I spent the whole day in the sun and got quite burned. I can’t imagine the tan I will have after five months here! I went lawn bowling yesterday with some friends who live in Australia, and that was a different experience…. It’s like bocce ball, but you’re on teams and you roll the balls rather than throw them. It was fun, and it’s cool to see Australian culture and the things they do to entertain themselves! I also learned a new drinking game from a Canadian guy in the hostel. It’s called Beersby and is apparently a real thing in Canada… You basically have a cupholder on the end of a stick you put into the ground, and try to knock a can out of the cupholder by throwing a Frisbee at it. The Canadian guy (named Josh) broke a broom in half he found at the hostel to make the poles and put some janky makeshift cupholders on them and the guys spent hours playing that game on the lawn next to the beach. It was pretty entertaining, haha.

 

Coogee Beach

Barefoot Lawn Bowling

Been up to campus a few times now. It’s beautiful and green, actually reminds me a bit of UT in some places. I’m excited for classes to start and to meet some more people. It seems like a really cool uni!

That’s all I have for now, and I’ll end with this: I’m quite disappointed that no one has said “g’day” to me yet, nor have they called me mate. (Unfortunately) it looks like the Australian stereotypes aren’t very true either.

Australia-bound!

As I prepare to once again leave America, this time to Australia and for five months rather than five weeks like when I went to China, I will continue with my travel blog.

I fly out Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2014 to the wonderful and intriguing island/country/continent of Australia! I will be studying abroad in Sydney for four months, and traveling for the first month after I arrive. I have had quite an extended Winter Break, as most of my friends have been back in classes for two or three weeks. It has been a great and relaxing break, but I am ready for the excitement and travelling to commence!

Studying abroad through an exchange program for a semester is (already) much different than when I studied abroad through a school-sponsored program last summer. Everything is much more independent and do-it-yourself this time around, such as booking flights, finding housing, acquiring a visa, etc. In this sense and many others, I believe studying abroad and traveling a foreign country last summer was extremely beneficial, because I have already experienced stressful flight connections, unfamiliar territories, and so many other things that happen while traveling, and all in a country where they didn't speak English! So Australia should be quite different and easier for me to manage. I've already noticed a change in my attitude before going abroad this time just from my packing habits. Last summer I started packing about two weeks before I left for a five week trip. Here I am this time, just pulling a suitcase out of the closet to start packing about four days before I fly out... The laid back Aussie attitude has already gotten to me I suppose.

I thought the flight to Hong Kong last summer was long (about 13 hours), but I am about to embark on a 19.5 hour direct plane ride to the Land Down Unda!! So please pray for my safety and sanity both. I have yet to figure out where I will be living, what classes I will be taking, basically everything...so it's all very exciting!! All I have is a plane ticket and some luggage, so let the fun begin!

The Home of the Free - Some Personal Reflections Following My Arrival in the U.S.

We are so blessed to live in America. Don’t ever take that for granted.

After having the opportunity to live and go to school in China for a month, it overwhelms me with great joy to be back in America. It’s the smallest things that make the biggest difference. My parents and sister picked me up from the airport a few days ago and we went straight to our favorite Mexican food restaurant. I had to have me some chips and salsa, Tex-mex, and sweet tea. On Saturday, as I sat on the plane waiting to fly out of Hong Kong, tears started coming to my eyes, happy to know that I would soon be home but also knowing that I was leaving the wonderful and beautiful Hong Kong. The lessons, culture, and friends I acquired from my summer abroad however will stay with me forever.

My first night home I had the best shower I'd had in five weeks, and for the first time in over a month I slept back in my own bed. My unnecessarily wonderful, comfy, and large bed. I haven’t watched much television since I’ve been home. I’ve never been much of a tv person, but after living without it for over a month, it doesn’t seem like something I absolutely need to incorporate into my everyday life. Why do we get to enjoy these pleasures and people on the other side of the world will never have them?

I never realized how important where you are born is, and how much of a difference it makes. I looked around and saw these people in China who will never know, who can’t even fathom, the type of life we live as Americans; not because they aren’t willing to work hard or because they don’t deserve it, but because they are stuck. They are stuck in Communist China, or Thailand, or even Hong Kong, or wherever, and they will never have the opportunity to live a better life. They are content because they don’t know any different. And that breaks my heart.

When my friend Ellen asked a man on the subway what he wanted most in life, he answered, “To learn English.” Out of everything in the world! That’s what he wanted. When we spoke to a different guy we met (also at the subway station) who was asking us all these questions about America and our government and how things work, we asked why he doesn’t move to America, and he said, “I want to.” It’s the little things in life, people. It’s the simple fact that we were born in the United States of America. We are given, granted, and blessed with freedom and the right to choose from the very moment we are born. Those are things many, many people across the world will never experience. So don’t take it for granted. Don’t badmouth your country. Go live across the globe for a month, hell- for a week, and then tell me what you think about America. Your perception will definitely change.

I have never felt so much pride, so blessed, to be an American. I can’t tell you how many customs forms I had to fill out amidst all of my traveling, and every time I had to fill out which country I was from, I always smiled. It’s a privilege. It’s a blessing. It’s not something to throw in people’s faces and say “I can act/do/say _____ because I’m American.” Don’t be ignorant, and don’t take it for granted. Just be happy you’re American, and love your country. I know I sure do.

“I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today,
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land.
God bless the USA.”

-Lee Greenwood

As My Journey Comes to a Close...

It brings a little sting to my heart when I think about leaving Hong Kong (and Asia in general). I have truly learned so much about the world, people, and cultures and am so thankful for this amazing experience. It would not have been possible without God and my parents and my wonderful business school at UT. I knew I would be a changed person after having experienced life in China, but one can’t really anticipate how they are going to change or how another culture is going to affect them until they’ve seen it with their own eyes.  If there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that people are fundamentally the same everywhere. Yes, their cultures are very different, and their tendencies and customs are different, but people are people, and that’s what has made me feel close to home even all the way across the globe. Aside from the fact that not many people speak English here which has made communicating difficult at times, and living conditions and day to day life is a little different, I have often times not even felt like I’m on another continent. Undoubtedly that is due to the fact that I am living and traveling with many new friends from back home, which has given us all a little American bubble and haven. If anything has made me feel more disconnected from back home it’s probably the difference in food. America has the best food in the world! I can’t wait to have barbecue when I get home….

It’s been one month since I’ve been in America, and thinking about it now, I think of everything in more color, with life and vibrancy and freedom and happiness. I’ve always been in love with America, and Texas has my heart, and I can truly say that now I hold America, and Texas specifically, much more dear to my heart than I already did. It sounds cliché, but there is so much we take for granted, without even realizing it sometimes, because we don’t know any better or any different. The American Dream is a beautiful thing. I totally understand it now. Opportunities and freedom abound in America more than anywhere else in the world, and I am overcome with pure joy to call it my home.

The people I’ve met and the friends I’ve made through my study abroad program have shaped my experience and truly made it the time of my life. I can’t imagine how it would have been without them. I’ve made memories to last a lifetime. Never have I been more crazy, laughed so hard, slept so little, or walked so much, as I did in the past month. Even though I’m so, so happy to be boarding a plane to go home, Hong Kong and Thailand will always have a little piece of my heart. It’s a bittersweet feeling leaving it all behind, because I know I will probably never return. Live life while you can, travel while you’re young, and take everything in. Everything.

I want to close with a beautiful quote from Mary Anne Radmache that I can now identify with, more than ever before:

“I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.”

Thank you, friends, for reading my blog and my experiences I’ve had while in Asia. I hope you’ve enjoyed it! See you soon, but in the meantime, have some BBQ and Tex Mex for me!

The Great Wall & other Beijing Adventures

This blog is only like two weeks delayed, but anyway, a group of five of us traveled to Beijing and stayed there for the long weekend three weekends ago (we didn't have class Friday and Monday was a holiday here in Hong Kong). It was incredible, but the weather was hazy all weekend, which did not make for great photos.

I had my first hostel experience while in Beijing! We arrived at our hostel Friday afternoon, where we found our bathroom to be a small room with a toilet, sink, and shower head hanging on the wall. There was no separation by a wall or shower curtain or anything; you literally shower inches away from the toilet, so that was different.

Our hostel was just a couple blocks away from the Forbidden City and Tienanmen Square so we walked over on Friday and explored the sights. The locals in Beijing stare much more than people in Hong Kong. White people aren't too uncommon in Hong Kong, and much more people speak English. In Beijing, we were literally like celebrities. We couldn't go anywhere without crowds of people wanting to take pictures with us. It was pretty cool for three days, but I could never be a superstar and have to deal with that all the time.

On Saturday, we had booked a guided tour to see the Great Wall and Ming Tombs. Our tour guide told us a lot of Chinese history and kept telling us we would be heroes once we climbed the Great Wall (Asian people repeat themselves a lot). The Great Wall was awesome; I only wish the weather would have been clearer so my photos could do the Wall justice, because the view was amazing! It was SO crowded, too. Maybe because it was a holiday weekend, but I was surprised.

"He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true man."

After the Great Wall we visited the Ming Tombs. It was interesting to hear about all the history of the Chinese dynasties.

We went to some tea tasting at a famous place called Dr. Tea where Queen Elizabeth and numerous other famous/important people have drank tea, then broke away from the tour to explore the Olympic Park on our own. The Olympic Park was awesome! We visited the wall of medals while there and found Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens, Shawn Johnson, and many other Americans' names.

Me in front of the Bird's Nest at Olympic Park (2008 Opening Olympic Ceremonies)

The next day we went to the Temple of Heaven and spent hours there. It was beautiful and much larger than we expected. After a long day, we headed back to the hostel and had none other but a microwavable cup of ramen for dinner, because everything was closed by the time we got back.

It was a great weekend all in all, and now I'm a hero of the Great Wall!