The First Day of Winter

G'day!

Today is June 1, the official starting day of the winter season, and the clouds have covered Canberra to prevent the sun from shining and warming up our spirits. Such is the proper greeting for the arrival of the coldest months of the year.

This will be my first time to experience a proper winter with temperatures hovering around freezing on some days. I have bought sweaters and UGGS, boots with Australian sheep wool lining, and I’ve pulled out my wool jacket and gloves. So I’m ready to face winter’s fury.

Even though the temperatures will steadily drop over the next few months, I’ve been told that most winter days are clear and bright, so the cold weather won’t dampen my spirits. I’ve heard that some people even celebrate Christmas in July, so maybe I should hang a stocking over my heater just in case “you know who” decides to have a mid-year trial run in preparation for December.

My health has finally improved since I went to the doctor and bought some prescription meds, so I’ve been able to jump back into my busy schedule. Classes are winding down, so I’ve been finishing up some assignments and preparing to take a final exam. I’ve also been planning out activities to do with my family when they arrive in July. I’m really excited to give them a tour of the country that I’ve grown to love.

At Texas A&M University we talk about “the other education,” referring to learning outside of the classroom, and I have continued to grow in my knowledge of Australian history, politics, culture, and people by attending and volunteering in several activities.

I continue to attend Rotaract meeting every fortnight, and it’s so encouraging to see other young people who are eager to positively affect their community. We had a speaker at the last meeting who told us her story of how she grew up with a disability, yet through hard work, determination, and the help of friends and family, who refused to let her sit on the sidelines, she has earned one of the highest honours in Scouts, has learned to fly an airplane, has pushed for the establishment of more aviation programs for people with disabilities, and has become a popular motivational speaker. She really encouraged us to believe in ourselves because big dreams are tangible. We also heard from a Rotary Cultural Exchange Scholar, who had volunteered in Mexico, just a few months ago. She talked to us about her experience in Mexico working with the poor, and she also discussed some of scholarships that Rotary offers to young people.

Last weekend, I volunteered with members of Rotaract to raise money for the Salvation Army. The event was called the Red Shield Appeal, and basically, we walked around a couple of neighbourhoods and asked for donations. One of my friends from Rotaract and I worked together, so the event provided a good opportunity for fellowship. We had a great time, and it was really encouraging to see how many Australians supported the work of the Salvation Army.

I also visited the National Art Gallery last weekend. Two of my flatmates and I went to see the Turner to Monet exhibition. It’s hard to describe how excited I felt to be so close to some of Van Gogh and Monet’s paintings. They were truly beautiful. I am not extremely knowledgeable about art, but thankfully, my flatmate is an artist. She took the time to explain some of the artists’ styles, so that I could better appreciate the work before me.

This past week I went to a Labor Club and heard Julia Gillard, the Deputy Prime Minister, speak on the new government’s plans for improvements in the education system. I have really enjoyed learning about politics here in Australia because although their bicameral Congress is based on the U.S. Congress and the two party system is similar to ours, the values of the Australian people and government differ to those of the American people. And the more that I learn about the Australian people and culture, the more I value their view of the world, so I have been striving to learn what I can in order to share this knowledge with you all when I get back home.

This week is another very busy week. I will speak at two Rotary clubs and sit in on a question and answer session of Parliament.

Thank you again for your support and encouragement.

Finishing up Semester 1

Hello all,

I haven't written much recently because I haven't had a lot to write about. I've been a bit crook (sick) recently, and that has prevented me from doing a whole lot. But I am going to the doctor on Monday to see if he will give me some prescription meds to get the crud out of my system.

Although I haven't participated in as many activities as I would have liked to these last two weeks, I have spoken at two Rotary clubs, The Rotary Club of Bateman's Bay and Canberra North Rotary Club. Bateman's Bay is about a two hour drive from Canberra. It's the closest beach to Canberra, so in the summer months it's a pretty popular place. It also tends to be a place where people retire. My host counselor, Ian, drove me down there on Thursday afternoon for the Thursday evening meeting. We spent the night a Rotarian's house, and late Friday morning we came back to Canberra. It was a good trip. We didn't have time to see a lot of the area, but we did walk on one of the beaches, which was really nice. Hopefully, I will have the opportunity to visit the city again.

The Canberra North Rotary Club is an older club as well. They meet at a golf club in one of the suburbs in Canberra. It was my first meeting to speak at without my Powerpoint slides, so it was a good challenge for me to practice speaking with just the help of some notes. The presentation went really well, and I extended my Rotary network.

Last week, I also went to a public lecture at the Old Parliament House. A scholar from England spoke about the 1944 meeting between Australian Prime Minister Curtin and President Roosevelt, and he used that meeting to discuss a bit about Australian-American relations. I've been reading a book called The Last Bastion by Kristin Williamson that my host counselor loaned me. It discusses how Australia entered WWII and its relationship with England and with the United States at that time. I highly recommend the book to anyone who is interested in learning about the history of WWII from a different perspective.

Besides the events that I've listed above, my main activities have been school work and getting healthy. The semester ends in about a month, so I have a final essay to write and one final exam. The time is flying by!

I hope that you all enjoy your weekend.
Cheers