Google finally let me in

Inspired by Paulina’s awesome chronicling of a year in Korea (http://paulinajarmula.blogspot.com/), and encouraged by Sionna, I’ve decided to start this up to record my 6 month stay in Sydney. While I’m sure there won’t be as much culture shock and funny stories as a Bermudian in Korea can experience, it’s at least a good way to keep everyone in the loop about what I’m up to!

So I’m starting off writing this in a Word document, before the blog even officially exists. I’m actually still in the Bermuda airport as I’m typing this paragraph (but I’m sure the full post will be continued in New York and LA). And I was expecting a hell of a time in the Bermuda airport, considering my massive amounts of luggage, and my flight itinerary that ends in New York because the rest of my flights are on another airline (I still have a memory of coming back from France via New York, and US Immigration almost wouldn’t let me in because they didn’t believe I had a connecting flight back to Bermuda! Those people don’t mess around) But as far as Bermuda airport experiences go, it’s been surprisingly pleasant. No weird questions, no one giving me any hassle, US Immigration just asking for the reason for my travel and sending me off with a smile. The two crazy big suitcases weren’t even a problem: they weighed the big one in at 47 pounds (sweet!) and didn’t bother to weigh the slightly smaller one because I guess they just assumed it would be lighter even though I could have loaded it with bricks for all they knew. Maybe they just took pity on me after seeing how much I struggled to lift the first one up on the scale. And then even though I felt like I was spazzing around and working up a sweat moving the suitcases through immigration, once we finally got up to the line to get rid of the suitcases, a lovely elderly woman behind me lifted my spirits by telling me, “I’m so impressed with the way you’re managing those bags! I wouldn’t have had the courage, but you make it look like you’re lifting a feather.” Ha. I don’t quite believe that, but it was nice of her to say.

And now I’m in JFK! Feeling very privileged sitting in the Admiral’s lounge. So, switching airlines and dragging the massive suitcases from Terminal 5 to Terminal 8 was quite possibly my worst experience of 2010 so far. It was hard. Like really, really hard. My arm muscles are currently shaking, which means they’ll be aching tomorrow. Not to mention, the journey from my gate in Terminal 5 to the AirTrain was miles and miles long via a Skywalk without A/C. However, in spite of my shaking arms as a memory, that’s in the past now, and my time in Terminal 8 has been fine so far: check-in was a breeze, and now I’m all privileged in the Admiral’s lounge with free Red Bull, so.

And now in LA. And, honestly, quite tired. I’m considering just living here. I don’t know if I can go any further. I was pretty confident in my abilities to withstand the long flights before I started, but boy. I was getting super restless towards the end of the NY-LA flight, and now it’s just too far still to go. I’m already getting very confused about what time it is. I haven’t changed my watch yet (what’s the point?), so on this last flight I kept checking the time in Bermuda and relating that to the time in New York and the time in LA and attempting to figure out how long I had left. And, see, my dad’s suggestion for my LA-Sydney flight, which I thought was a great idea at the time, was to watch a movie, read, whatever, for the first 4 hours, then sleep for as long as possible and try to be awake just towards the end. However, I am starting to see the flaw in this plan. I got up at 8 am in Bermuda. It’s currently almost 1 am in Bermuda, I’ll be on the flight by 2:30 am in Bermuda (10:30 in LA), and another 4 hours will make me want to die. They better have some very engaging movies. I had two free Red Bulls in NY and they did nothing, and that was still just the afternoon! By the way, I don’t think I’ve ever been to LA before. If all of it is like the airport, I am not impressed. Also, I had to walk outside to transfer, and it’s much colder than I’d expect for LA in August. I just re-read my sections from the Bermuda and NY airports and I was obviously in much higher spirits then. Oh, my life more than 7 hours ago – those were good times.

Now in my Sydney apartment! Okay, I came out of the Qantas flight in a much better mood than I went onto it, in spite of the fact that I didn’t sleep too well. I think I’m now past the point of tired, but still a little dazed, like I’ve got that feeling like I’ve been on a boat; there’s this slow rocking feeling through my brain, making it somewhat difficult to concentrate, but I don’t really feel tired. I’m still confused about what time it is throughout the world though. Here’s what I have to say about Qantas: massage chairs, YAY! Screaming babies, not so yay. So not yay. But anyway: the Sydney airport people were nice and very efficient. Sydney airport >>> LA airport.

I have a cute balcony even though it just has a view of a wall.

And I’ve just been walking around the area for a couple of hours, and took a couple pretty pictures, both within a few minutes’ walking distance from my apartment (which Blogger won't let me insert here mid-post, so they're just at the top).

It’s a nice area; I like it. But the cross walk signals make weird noises. That’s my only complaint so far. Oh, also, it is much, much warmer than I was expecting considering we’re on opposite seasons. Unless you’re in a very shady area with a lot of wind, it feels only a few degrees cooler than Bermuda, and without the humidity. I went out with a light sweater and quickly felt like I didn’t need it. There were people in shorts.

There has been a slight delay in actually creating this as a blog on blogger/blogspot, because when I tried to create an account there, Google got all cranky and wanted me to verify my identity via mobile phone and I was all “Hey, Google, I just got here, I don’t have a mobile phone, and I ain’t giving you my Bermuda number and paying those roaming charges!” Now waiting…

Still waiting for Google to respond that they understand my plight. However, the delay has caused me to realize that it does, in fact, get cool here as it gets later in the day. I started by adding a sweater and now have the heat running. The delay also means that you’re getting an update on my mental state: early evening and tiredness is definitely setting in. I think it’s going to be a struggle to stay up to my usual time, particularly since I’m reading my textbook, which isn’t exactly exciting. I kind of want to see what Australian TV is like, but I have to finish at least this chapter tonight! Currently drinking the third cup of coffee of today (which, if you know me, means I’m moderating).

And! I’m getting a kind of better handle on the time difference because I realized during the first several hours I was here, people were still awake for their Monday night back home, and people will be waking up again when it’s later in my evening, but I am currently in this weird point of time when everyone’s asleep. And someone totally just tried to break into my apartment, which is not the most comforting thing for my first night, and I have no one to talk to! (I think it was just a neighbor who got confused and had the wrong door, though.)

And now it's Wednesday evening, back from my first day of work, which went ok, but I was definitely getting tired again towards the end of it. Lost my ability to concentrate. But it's a nice office with a nice view! And Google finally let me onto Blogger, so here you go.