Orientation

Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore: short black, flat white, latte... medium double double?

What I wouldn't give for a Tim Horton's right now. All I want is a medium coffee, no milk, one sugar, and all I can find on this campus are lattes. I know they have just coffee here, they served some at the morning tea during orientation...

Speaking of orientation (go linking sentences!)... Last Monday morning, Ching and I dragged ourselves out of bed at what was a ridiculously early hour of the morning for two people who were used to sleeping in. But we had to be on campus at 9am for the orientation welcome session. Triona had moved into her new place, which is just around the corner and down the street from us on the way to the Uni, so we picked her up on the way (just a tad later than planned). It was freezing. The temperature had been plunging for a few days, seemingly to torture the cluster of international students huddled outside the Main Quandrangle by the entrance to the Great Hall. It was a sad sight. Everyone in layers, all bundled up, many in hoodies from home institutions, shivering. The wind was blowing and a dark sky threatened rain. Ching, Triona and I met up with Vikki and chatted with a few people Triona and Vikki had met the other day. Finally, the orange shirted volunteers finally opened the doors and we moved into the Great Hall. It's gorgeous, like an old cathedral. I felt like I was in church. And you'd think we'd be thankful about moving inside, but the temperature was actually lower in there and they left the door open so the wind came in. They ran through the standard "welcome to Australia and the Uni" speeches, went over a bunch of really boring info, and finally let us go for morning tea. I was particularly fond of the chocolate chip cookies that went with it. I was not so fond of the fact that where were was open to the outside and my sentiment was shared by everyone else. We decided to go in search of somewhere warmer. As soon as we left the cover of the Quandrangle, it decided to open up and pour. Thank goodness somebody thought to invent the umbrella.

Orientation consisted of sessions throughout the day, and we were free to choose what session we wanted to attend at what time. Ching wanted to go to the "Adjusting to life in Sydney" session. There were no other sessions of any interest running at that time, I had nothing better to do, and my history as an OV in Guelph meant that I felt somehow obligated to participate in orientation, so I tagged along. I had little hope that the session would tell me anything of interest. It would go over all the standard advice we've heard a million times. There are only so many ways you can adjust to a Uni you're unfamiliar with. Amazingly (sense sarcasm), I predicted almost everything that was said, and Ching will back that up for me. It WAS interesting to have somebody going over the preparation/adjustment curve after I'd actually been in a new country for a couple of weeks. It's one thing to have somebody tell you predeparture that "this is what will happen", it's another thing altogether to have somebody say "this is what happens" and have them practically recite your emotions and reactions from the past two weeks. There was also a fun moment when the lady presenting commented that we can't all live on instant noodles all the time. Ching and I looked at each other and started laughing. We'd stocked up on instant noodles the day before.

Oh boy. I haven't even made it halfway through the first day of orientation, and I have a week more to write about after that! Well this will give everyone something to read. Meanwhile, I have to find the room for my practical. (Classes started on Monday)