Disspelling Australian Myths in Coogee

So many of you are all wondering a number of things including: how many hours have we logged on the beach? How many cute aussie surfers have we picked up? Do people walk on their feet? and, most importantly, which way DOES the water flow down the toilet? Hopefully this post will answer all those itching and burning questions. If not, you might want to get that itching and burning checked out.

In regards to the beach: sadly, since arriving on Monday morning (Aus Monday morning, that is) it has been cloudy and pissing rain every day. This has been great for avoiding the beach in order to get things done (like finding a place to live or running around campus a la chicken sans head trying to find four courses that fit into one timetable #$@! arts and science), but is quite obviously terrible for our tans. Today we did manage to squeeze in about 40 min before the clouds started forming overhead.

Aussie boys. Enough said. Well, not quite. It should be illegal to have this many bronzed men on one continent. If you've ever wondered where all the cute, tall and charming boys are in the world, they're here. This is only what we've observed from afar, though. Most of the friends we've made are other international students, many of which are Italian. Apparently, as one of them told us, alfredo sauce doesn't actually exist in Italy so they're dying to try it! This is how we've gotten suckered into hosting a dinner before we're even moved into a place with a full kitchen.

People do not walk on their hands here. It is impossible to go down stairs without the gravity and all.

As for the water drainage myth, we've got a 3-part mini documentary thing that answers the question once and for all.

Part 1: Canadian Toilet (Vancouver, BC)

As you can see, the water was in fact flowing counter (or anti) clockwise! Could this be a defect in the BC plumbing?

Part 2: Australian Toilet (Coogee, NSW)

Note the water flow is neither clockwise nor counter clockwise. It is in fact straight downwise.

Part 3: Australian Sink (for verification in Coogee, NSW)

Taken to clear up any potential mishap from part 2. It appears as though part 2 was a valid trial (alright, so we're not following the scientific method exactly)

Shocking, isn't it?!

A dorky friend provided the following links to explain our findings:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/equator/5264326.stm

http://www.discovery.com/area/skinnyon/skinnyon970523/skinny1.html

However, this is the same dorky friend who's trying to convince me that by crossing the date line only once on this trip that we'll arrive home a day younger. Read and decide for yourselves.

Some other fun stuff we've encountered in Aus so far includes:

• Crossing the street (and seeing children get out of the driver's side of a car)
• Teeny tiny spiders the size of your hand
• The flat terrain in Coogee, with hills at a wimpy 80 degree incline
• Little children with accents!
• Locals who wear jeans and sweaters when it's 25 degrees out (and yes, it's very humid too)
• Rubbish bins, the little gent's room and the bubbler (water fountain)

That just about sums up everything you should all know for now, so please enjoy the pictures! I did have far more, but while on the phone I somehow managed to delete all pictures from the first 3 days. Typical.

One of the gates surrounding the UNSW campus

Streets appear to have been designed for tourists. OCASP people would be glad to know that the Australian government is working hard to reduce all potential hazards for Canadians abroad.

Overlooking the Quadrangle Lawn. See? The sun does shine brighter here!

We tried reading a local newspaper, but had to quit when we realized it was written in a foreign language.

We finally arrive at Coogee Beach! Within half an hour of taking this photo, the pictured friendly clouds peaced out to make way for the giant, dark rainclouds.