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Published: November 5th 2012
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Farewell Dinner
My friend Alexa and I with my Marine Bio Professor Tom Cribb The final week in Brisbane was a little depressing. It seems like we only got here yesterday and now the experience is already over. I had such an amazing time in Brisbane and I am really going to miss every part of it.
On the 27
th Maria and Alexa’s host family had a Halloween party for everyone in the group. Pretty much everyone took the long trek out to their home in Carina which is in the opposite side of Brisbane from everybody else. The family made some amazing food with desert being the best. She made 6 pies, four pumpkin and two pecan. Alexa also made a delicious ice cream cake. The highlight of the party was that Matt dressed up as John Hall, our terrestrial Ecology professor. His costume was flawless. He found a wig in his host moms house and made the best impersonation of our slightly socially awkward but amazing professor.
From Monday to Wednesday that week we had finals so the majority of our time was spent studying. On Wednesday night, October 31
st (Halloween) my host family had a little Halloween celebration. We decorated my host
Farewell Dinner
All the girls in the group brothers room with all these decorations (there were spider webs everywhere with plastic spiders in them, he had a skeleton hanging from the ceiling, and pumpkin candles around the room.) Halloween isn’t really a big deal in Australia, but they decided to get in the spirit and celebrate this year. My host brother got dressed up in a costume, some sort of monster, and then after dinner we sat around eating candy. He was so amazed with all the candy in the bowl and that he was allowed to eat, there was about 30 pieces in the entire bowl. When I told him that at home some kids fill their pillowcases up with candy he near about passed out in amazement.
Later than night my group met up on Queens Street which is located in central Brisbane and had a ghost walk. We walked throughout downtown and listened to this man tell us where all the ghosts in Brisbane live. It was a little corny and kind of long but a fun way to celebrate Halloween in a place that doesn’t really get in the Halloween spirit.
Later that night the entire group went to the RE, a really fun bar that sells $3 drinks on Wednesdays. The place was so crowded you could barely move around. There was no point to even try and get a drink at the bar because you would have stood in line for 30 minutes just trying to get one drink. Everybody in the bar was dressed up for Halloween and there was a costume contest and the winner got $400 dollars which is insane. This bar is two floors and there was barely room to move around. IT is a really cool set up though because it feels like three bars in one. There is one section with tables and TVs where you can just sit and hang out and then there is a big dance floor with a DJ and sometimes a live band. Then upstairs you can just hangout and it overlooks the dance floor. Three quarters of the bar is also outside so it doesn’t get hot and stinky in the bar because there is always a breeze.
Thursday I spent the day packing and cleaning up. Later than night we had a farewell dinner that was point on by the international office. It was very well organized. The dinner was in the Terrace room, this room n campus at the top floor of the building that has an incredible view. We went outside on the balcony and took pictures as the sun was setting. For the dinner we had delicious catered food and all the professors gave these really good and funny talks about the trip. It was an amazing night but it was also a little melancholy as we said goodbye to our Australian professor, who we will probably never see again in our lives. The professors were all amazing. They were so excited about the classes they were teaching that it made you really intrigued and wanting to learn. The marine biology teacher was my favorite and at the end of the night he complement me on my great work ethic and dedication to learning and excelling in a class that is not remotely connected to what I want to do with my life in becoming a doctor. It really meant a lot to me that he said that. I can’t believe that the school portion on my trip is pretty much over, just one more class left to finish up in New Zealand. This trip has been by far the best experience in my life and I am really going to miss everything about Brisbane and all the amazing people I have meet while I was here, especially my host family who really took me in a treated me like a daughter. I couldn’t have asked for any better family to live with.
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