Living Out of the Box

Wilson mentioned my recent IKEA experience in his previous post, but I’ve decided it requires a bit more attention, especially for those of you who have never visited this famed furniture superstore. So, last Thursday, Kathy and I proceeded along the path through the IKEA showroom, eliminating all but the best bargains. Because I was an IKEA virgin and Kathy had not been in several years, we had no idea we were supposed to do anything other than scribble down the Swedish furniture names (Laxvik, Hemnes, and Eina, for example). So, some advice for any IKEA first timers: be sure to record the items’ warehouse locations, as this operation is entirely self-serve.
After re-navigating the showroom, we loaded our trolleys with every item we had selected, including a sofa, mattress, bed-in-a-box and various other pieces that, of course, required assembly. Loading was the first challenge – maneuvering 3 unwieldy trolleys through the checkouts and on to home delivery was the next. But don’t expect any IKEA employees to assist you – even if your sofa is sliding off one trolley and another trolley is veering toward a towering display of discounted lamps. Rest assured, however, that all parts and pieces will be included in the box and that assembly will require little more than a screwdriver and some persistence with the instructions (even I built our bedside table). Now, thanks to IKEA and handyman Wilson, we come home each day to an apartment that is cute, comfortable, and most importantly, our own.

A Diversity of Faces

Over the past several days, I have been attending the international postgraduate student orientation at The University of Sydney, and while I would consider myself privileged to have been in and around diverse communities before, I can confidently say that I have never seen so many people from so many different places.  There were students from countries that would obviously be attracted to the university given their geographic proximity: from places like Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, China and India.  There were students who were representing nations that would presumably be attracted to the university given its western intellectual tradition and cosmopolitan location: from places like the U.S., England, France, Switzerland, and most of the states in Europe.  And then there were students from places that I struggled to locate on my mental globe: from places like Kazakhstan , Serbia, and Bulgaria; not to mention students from nations like Iraq and the Congo who- given their current geopolitical situation- didn't seem likely candidates to export their students to a place like Australia.  

I was astounded.  And what made the day even more incredible was the opportunity to talk to some of these people.  For example, I had dinner last night with a student from Dubai who also happens to be studying Public Policy.  She and her husband, who is attending the University of Technology Sydney, moved to Australia about six months ago and are here because they were both awarded national scholarships by the government of the United Arab Emirates.  Truly, I have never been around such a sundry group of people.

Meanwhile, Callie has concluded her first week of classes, and I must say that, judging by what she brought home, things went quite well.  In addition to two different kinds of scones, she made madeleines, friands, genoise, and gateau weekend.  Now, I haven't the vaguest idea what those items actually are, but I certainly know that they tasted good.  At the same time, we have been preparing to move into our apartment this upcoming weekend.  Without class today, Callie travelled to IKEA with Kathy to modestly and inexpensively furnish our new living space, and no thanks to IKEA's deficient notion of customer service, it appears as if our furniture should be delivered tomorrow.  

With a place to live and a few things to go in it, we are feeling just about settled, and while we will absolutely miss the Blahuts, it will be nice to have a place to ourselves.  So . . . it's off to moving this weekend and starting lectures next week.  With a little extra effort, I think I was finally able to confirm my coursework for this semester, which includes classes in Asia Pacific politics, governance and civil society, Australia in diplomacy, defense and trade, and global environmental politics.  Unfortunately, most of the lectures meet in the early evening but I am excited about the course material, and it should be an enjoyable semester amidst an unbelievably populous and multi-cultural student body.

More Firsts

Today, after a week of frantic but generally successful preparation, was Callie's first day of class.  Leaving home early and arriving home late, Callie made quite the delicious scones amidst attending lectures and befriending a fellow student, and while tomorrow promises to be another early start, Callie seems positively elated about the upcoming semester.  

At the same time, I was able to spend the day- not attending classes- but rather, adjusting to the size and composition of the University of Sydney.  "Sydney Uni" is roughly 36 times larger than Birmingham-Southern in terms of its undergraduate and graduate populations, which creates quite a different academic and social environment from the Hilltop.  I spent most of the day perusing the campus (particularly the book store) and doing my best to studiously prepare for the October LSAT, which proves difficult as the library overlooks the weathered sandstone of the Great Hall juxtaposed against Sydney's elegant skyline.  It is quite distracting, but it somehow helps one feel more intelligent- as if simply being around the Quadrangle endows greater scholastic ability.  

But, it hasn't been all about classes and school the last few days.  This past Saturday, we officially signed the lease to our new apartment in Gladesville, and we enjoyed The Dark Night, which, with Heath Ledger's performance, has been the leading story in Australia this past week (until Greg Norman remembered he could play golf).  On Sunday, we were able to spend most of the day with Dom, John and Kathy's oldest son, who took us to the Tangora Zoo, which is perched on Sydney's north shore across from the Central Business District.  With all manner of wonderfully strange animals (i.e. an echidna- an oversized pincushion known as a monotreme), we had a lovely time before having a chance to meet our host Rotary counselors for drinks later last night.  Suzanne and David welcomed us into their home, and we had an opportunity to converse on a wide range of issues from the U.S. presidential campaign to Australian water management policy before having to turn in to prepare for the week's early start.  

Being able to connect to an established network of individuals who are welcoming and supportive- both through Rotary and the Blahuts and the innumerable other helpful strangers- has perhaps been the greatest quality about Australia thus far.  The city with its Opera House and snow white beaches and beautiful buildings have been spectacular, and in no way would I wish to diminish their grandeur or charm.  But, more compelling than the manifest beauty of this place has been the grace and hospitality that has been extended to us, a gift that we feel we can never fully merit or repay.  I certainly don't mean to be overly sentimental, but I was struck by just how improbable this opportunity is for us as I was riding home today.  

As we were crossing the Harbour Bridge, the sun was setting across the rich blue water below that disappears into the numerous inlets and headlands that constantly carve into the gentle hills of the city, and I realized that I had never expected to live in a place like this.  Australia felt like one of those places that you needed to visit on a vacation; it wasn't a destination to necessarily live for any extended period of time.  Needless to say, we can't say thank you enough to those who have helped us thus far, and as we begin new classes at new schools with new friends in a new place, we feel very lucky to have stumbled upon a country seemingly full of generosity.

New Apartments and New Friends

Your prayers must have been effective - we are signing a 12 month lease for 1/18 Pittwater Road on Saturday!  It is situated in the quaint, verdant area of Gladesville - about halfway between "Sydney Uni" and Le Cordon Bleu.  More importantly, the apartment has been recently refurbished and boasts high-quality, stainless steel appliances.  We just hope the Blahuts can tolerate us for another week until we move in next Friday (the buttermilk biscuits and Red Velvet Cake have kept them happy thus far).

And, speaking of baked goods, today's orientation at Le Cordon Bleu was initially overwhelming.  Wilson had just departed for a tour of the city with a member of our host Rotary Club, and I found myself the lone American amongst no less than one hundred students from nations such as South Korea, Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Thailand, and India.  Needless to say, I stood out like a sore thumb.  But by morning tea, I had acquired about a dozen new friends from about a dozen different countries.  This year will certainly provide various opportunities for cultural exchange.

I'll be sure to follow up with culinary details once classes commence on Monday!

On apartments, cell phones, and other things Australian

I am now pleased to announce that we officially have an Australian identity.  That may not sound like that big a deal, but after being in the country for several days without a proper checking account, an ability to communicate, and a place to live without intruding on the abundant generosity of a family we met three days ago, it feels like a big deal to us.  Not to belabor the point, but the events of the first 48 hours had us feeling slightly transient.

First of all, it appears that we have finally found a place to live.  After flailing about on various real estate websites, inspecting various rental properties, and being generally disappointed by the notion of "furnished" accommodations- not to mention the weekly price- it appears that we are in line to rent a nicely-sized, clean, first floor apartment with white goods (see lexicon) on Pittwater Road.  To provide a brief apartment history: our initial efforts to secure livable space were foiled by grimy carpet, dilapidated shutters, old-person smell, and dimwitted leasing agents.  We quickly realized that renting a good apartment in Sydney is about as competitive as an Alabama-Auburn national championship gridiron game (again, see lexicon) and that we would have to come by an incredible stroke of luck to find a place in a convenient location.  While we certainly don't want to push our recent good fortune, we have just now faxed our application for the aforementioned apartment in the Gladesville area that would be perfect for us.  Your prayers are welcome at this point.

With regards to other identity issues, we now both have cell phones and we have a joint bank account, which should render our lives more established.  We have perused the grocery store to compare relative goods and prices; we have examined the circumstances of public transportation, and we have been exercising with general regularity.  And at the end of the day (which is still ending around 8:00 P.M. at the latest), we are beginning to feel like we are now supposed to be here.  Without the assistance of the Blahuts we would be completely befuddled and overwhelmed, and we can't thank them enough for their support.  While it may be some time before we are completely comfortable in this new, yet strangely familiar, place, we are pleased that we seem to be moving in the right direction.

We're Here!

After a long and complicated and providential day- or days, I suppose- we arrived in Sydney at 6:00 this morning.  Following a hurried progression through immigration and quarantine, we were met by John and Kathy Blahut, who have graciously agreed to let us stay with them until we can arrange accommodations.  But for now, let me briefly recount why today can properly be described as divinely fortuitous.  

This morning, after saying good-bye to our respective families, we boarded a flight from Birmingham to Atlanta that was promptly struck by lightning.  The resulting chaos that ensued at the Delta counter was incredibly frustrating, but thanks to a Delta ticketing agent, two free seats on a Northwest flight to Memphis, and a group of U.S. soldiers, we were able to navigate our way to Los Angeles in time to catch Qantas flight number twelve to Sydney.  Not coincidentally, our flight was also the same flight of innumerable Catholic youth who will be in Sydney for World Youth Day, which is a week-long celebration of Catholicism that has locals in a bit of a fuss because it involves shutting down major sections of the central city. 

Nevertheless, we arrived without further major incident and spent most of the day getting to know Sydney and the Blahuts.  We inspected several rental properties- an incredibly competitive 15-minute process in which potential renters crowd into an overpriced apartment to decide whether or not to file an application.  And, we meandered through the northern suburbs of Sydney to become familiar with the city which we will enjoy this next year. 

There will certainly be more to come soon, but for now, our initial- albeit anecdotal- impression is that Sydney is an attractive, playful, witty, easy-going city full of charming and gracious people, which promises to make for an unbelievable experience.