Brisbane Rain

I get to fall asleep to the sound of rain tonight.  I'm sitting in my room wearing jeans a sweatshirt (jumper in australian) and socks, because it's quite chilly this evening.  In my mind, it's still the end of summer, not the end of winter.  I have to keep reminding myself that I am in the Southern Hemisphere and the weather is supposed to be like this during August.  Actually, as I learned today in lecture with John Hall, my ecology professor, the weather is supposed to be like this in August only during the La Nina years.  That's another thing to get used to; I keep thinking "well, if it's la nina, why is it raining?"  The answer has something to do with the different hemispheres and anti-clockwise airflows along with high and low pressure systems... I basically learned how to be a meteorologist today in one short lecture!  See mom and dad, traveling to Australia wasn't all just for fun!  I'm learning things too! :D haha

Honestly, it feels like I've been here longer than a week.  I've hardly sat still since my plane landed.  I guess I just want to do as much as I can while I'm here so I don't miss out on anything.  Yesterday, I did end up finding the flea market.  I walked along the river for quite a ways in one direction taking pictures of buildings, bridges, and boats.  And when I got to the end, i turned around and found my way back down the river to the flea market.  There were a few interesting things there, but for the most part it was exactly what you'd see in the States... but more expensive.  As well as going going going, I have hardly had a moment to myself since landing in Brisbane.  There are seven of us living under one roof, five of which are all young women.  When we aren't in lecture, us EAP student tend to travel in large groups to various sights around town.  Even my trip to the zoo was with at least twenty other students with whom I study.  As I assume you can imagine, my time wandering alone amongst the high rises of Brisbane was much needed.  Even sharing a room in the dorms in Santa Cruz, I had more time just to myself than I've had this past week.  I'm not complaining about it, by any means, I only bring it up as something that's new for me.

Tuesday morning (tomorrow for me), I am headed off to our first field study at Girraween National Park.  I'll be back Friday afternoon, but I'm leaving again bright and early Saturday morning to go camping at Byron Bay with some other students.

Until friday,
Jessie