one week here - many to come

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Hi there,

It's one week now that I'm here and I still enjoy the warm welcome of my new friend Josh and his family. They're unimaginably hospitable to me and help me with everything! This made it really easy for me to get started with university and to find my way around down here in general. Lessons started this Monday and I enroled in two psychology classes and in one about contemporary Australian literature (of course). The campus is pretty amazing! Its all green with a lot of ponds and hundreds of birds living there - most of them I didn't even know from Discovery Channel. What is more, the campus appears to be an entertainment park. There are several restaurants and bars with billard and table-tennis tables, several lounges and, of course, a pool. Today there were a lot of stands selling whatever stuff and several singer-songwriters playing their songs live on stages. I really like the campus! It's not comparable to how University represents itself at home.

Today I've been to the Wollongong Botanic Gardens and it's awesome! I could see things I only know from documentaries about the rainforest. And I can only repeat: What strikes me most is the variety of birds you can find in the area around here.

I really had a good start into things here and I'm looking forward to get to know a lot more. The only thing that presents itself as being quiet difficult is finding a flat, as the weekly rents are nearly as high as the monthly rent I payed back home. But I feel very comfortable where I am at the moment - thanks to my hosts! Still, there're moments when I'd like to share all the wonderful impressions with all of those back home, who are important to me. You're always in the back of my mind - even if I start dreaming in English :-) .

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Photos

wollongong campus
with one of so many ponds