San Fran

What happens in Frisco stays in Frisco.

THAT'S how good it was.

I can tell you that in San Fran we didn't get too see nearly half of what we intended. Santa Cruiz, the museums, the art galleries, the theatres and the rest will have to wait...

We did however, see the Golden Gate bridge. In fact we walked it. Well, my friends walked it... I mainly danced across it. I can honestly tell you that I think it is the most beautiful man-made structure I have ever seen. The red perfectly contrasts with the blue sky and the greyish green hills on either side, it is the platform for some amazing unspoilt views of the bay, Alcatraz and San Fransisco, underneath the bridge sea lions play and people kyak, it is really beautiful.

We also partied a lot. Proper partied with lots of unforgettable and unsharable stories. It was definately on a par with schoolies as the best post exam week EVER.

GIANTIC THANK YOU TO MY PARTNERS IN CRIME THIS WEEKEND:
Cat, Cristina, Gatorade, Grace, Lena, Lucky, Jessica, Marissa,
AND ESPECIALLY HUGE THANK YOU TO Arianna and Natasha.

Love you guys!
(And your mom's!)

Aussie.

Melrose

Hanging in Melrose with Claudia and Jesse today, I finally managed to discover where the edgy one-off alternative clothing stores are!

Agh, so nice to see such variety in clothing, just a shame it is so expensive....

k

No more study!!!

No more university exams EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!


Woooohoooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

k

Long Beach Pride and India Arie

Today I FINALLY got to sleep for more than a couple of hours!!!

Weeee!!!!

Today I decided I should study for my final two university exams EVER!

Today I went into school and pretended to study for about 2 hours. Then some friends tried to encourage me to attend a local Greek festival with them. I stood by my guns and refused. Then Thashawna invited me to Long Beach Pride, where just about all my friends were.... How could I refuse!?!?

Much outdoor music festival goodness and a performance by India Arie later we delightfully headed to an afterparty before I passed out in the early morning telling myself I would wake up in a few hours to go and study before my exams.

Hella fun (and sleep deprived) weekend!

Woo!!

k

Partying in Mexico!

Holy cow!

After yesterday I got picked up today by Brigitte at 6am to go to Mexico for a day of partying hard!

After Gina, Amy and Jamana joined us we headed down past Rosarito to get lost looking for La Bufadora and end up in some party area that reminded me strangly of a pubbing strip in Queenstown, NZ. There we were joined by many tourists for lots and lots of loud music and alcohol. There I was lured into feeling safe by my "friends" who took advantage of my trust and paid some guy to attack me! There, at Papas and Beer a man came up to me from behind, smacked a sticker across my chest, felt me up, held my nose while he threw a shot of something down my throat and then, before i could ask what the hell was going on, grabbed me by the waist and flipped me upside down while I proceeded to scream really, really loudly with my feet kicking helplessly in the air and the entire pub laughed at me...

Good times.

Good times washed down with many, many margaritas.... In fact, I might even recall so many margaritas that there may also have been beer consumed also.... ewww... beer....

This was all followed up with the best bean burrito in the history of bean burritos and then a Mariachi band. After a little boogying in the street, some mock bargaining with locals and a minor stop in some shop we were back on the road. I am so glad I got to see more of Mexico than my last little volunteer trip... Mexico is GORGEOUS!

There are so many little beautiful beaches and cute shops and interesting people.

We eventually made it to some beach known for monster Lobster (which of course I didn't have because I don't eat flesh) but enjoyed some deliciously fresh homemade torillas, beans and rice along with some amazing soup and margaritas!

We chilled there for much of the afternoon and then did a bit of local shopping in the eveing before heading to Rosarito for clubbing. We didn't end up staying in Rosarito for long because we had such an intense morning and afternoon of partying ourselves out but it was fun all the same.

We managed to get home safely at 5am, eventually, after bursting a tire and having two cops drive past while we had a "Help!" poster mounted on the back of our car above our hazard lights (while waiting for the car people to come help us...)

Good times!

Most massive thanks to Brigitte, Amy, Jamana and Gina for the most brillient Saturday in the entire history of Saturdays!!!

k

California Park and Disney Land

Today, on two hours sleep, I went to California Park and Disneyland with Liz and Natalie courtesy of Natalie's friend who works there.

California Park was SO MUCH FUN!!!

I think we went on all the dopest rides!

Hollywood Tower Hotel, some virtual tour around California (including smells), an Aladdin musical and more!

We then headed next door and saw the fireworks at Disneyland before going on Space Mountain and then through the Haunted House before heading home around midnight.

Totally kick ass day that was heightened by the fact that the whole thing felt like a dream because I was so tired... Thanks team!

k
p.s. Don't be jealous y'all but Hercules and I are now offically an item...

Thursday fun times!

After my very last day as a ticketing penguin (aka box office stubby) I made fairy bread for the LGBA kids.

Unfortunately for them I couldn't find any 100s and 1000s (which they call sprinkles) in the store so I used nerds instead... mua ha ha! They'll never know... MUA HA HA!

It was a hit!

Before going out, my friend Nicky introduced me, Ace and The Fish to letterboxing which sent us on a little bit of a treasure hunt around school...

That night we went out as usual to West Hollywood and then for pizza nearby before attending an afterparty. It was tops.

Best part of the night was bursting out into song at the pizza shop (which I am known to do) and having two people slip money into my jeans.... I think they were trying to shut me up...

Anyway, got home at 10am courtesy of Christine and Briah - Thank you!!!

k

All Night Study at CSUF!

At last the computer labs at school are open 24hours!!!

Woo!!!

It's times like this I feel happy. Then I remember that when I go home, late at night, all on my own, I will go past the library. On the morning of July 12, 1976 a janitor that used to work here went on a 5 minute killing spree that resulted in seven murders in what is now the Pollak Library basement and the first floor lobby. I then have to walk past the Humanities building where a guy that used to work with some of the people that were murdered committed suicide...

Tonight I also have the added bonus of doing this with a swollen left arm that is the result of a bee sting that occurred when I went to hug a friend this afternoon...

Creepy, heeby jeebies.....

Bleg!

P.s. In the first few weeks I came to CSUF I was told about some of the above because when I was in the library this one time I swear I heard voices...

AGGHHH!!

k

Aquarian be me...

Yesterday I met up with my friends and one of their parents for lunch and an astrology reading.

Who would have guessed that I am a total Aquarian with an ascent in Virgo?

Avery's mum, that's who!

So apparently I am free spirited, am a citizen of the world and am determined to save it - which I will successfully do (at at least some part of it). Sounds about right...

k

Downtown LA (or around Union Station at least)

So after crashing in East LA last night I was dropped off this morning at Union Station but like a good Aussie, I overcame my exhaustion to explore the area...

Apparently that particular area used to be part of Mexico and as a result, there are still a lot of buildings there that have been maintained old school. The architecture was definately very quaint and Latina-eque! I also really appreciated the cultural performances that were happening in the central area and the adorable markets that were happening in the alley way! I seriously felt like I was in Central or South America...

For lunch I ventured further out and found Chinatown where I had was submerged in Asia... It may have been the fact that I was so tired I ached, but I truely emerged in the absolute culture of these two themed areas today, before I came home and crashed...

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to everyone applicable!!!

k

LA Baby Shower and Valley Partying

What better way to spend the rest of a Southern Californian Day then with a cultural experience of a baby shower followed by partying with good people at a great place??

Saturday evening Claudia picked me up from downtown LA to go her her cousin's baby shower. Her family is pretty keen to keep their cultural heritage alive and so this baby shower was filled with blessings, chanting and dancing - Mexican/Aztec style!

It was an great event to witness and big thanks must be extended to Claudia and her family!

In the evening we made tracks and went to the Valley where a party was going down. It may be the fact that I had had a drink (after weeks of no alcohol) or it could be the fact that there was a delightful outdoor party with great weather, good music and awesome people, but either way the night was the best party night I can recall for a while!

Mucho Gracias to Claudia and her party people who ensured my night was amazing!

Hollywood Adventures

Today I hauled my ass onto the Southern Californian rail system to explore Hollywood.

Two trains and lots of "hey, white girl!" stares, I got to the Hollywood and Vine stop - right on Hollywood Blvd where the star walk is!

I am SUCH a tourist! I was so excited to be there! I tried to be cool and act like everything was normal but an Asian transexual scared me a little in a costume thrift shop, just before some scientologists interrupted a phone conversation I was having to lure me into their building, followed shortly by two Indians (who thought I was Russian) sold me bananas and a guy called Dik, who sold some footage of himself surface piercing the back of his own neck (courtesy of a camera and two mirrors), tried to convince me to let him pierce me...

I eventually sought solice in Hollywood Magic at 6614 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood CA. 90028. There I think I let a couple of hours slip by as Greg, the shop owner and his delightful crew played magic tricks, tried the occassional pick-up line and kept me generally entertained. I recommend the store for good times and good tricks, it is full of great gifts, lots of friendly people with pleanty of theatrical and deceptive knowledge as well as members of the Hollywood Magic Castle!

Shout out to the shop and thanks for the fun!

k

Venice Beach

Today my friend Kristy (from Flying Samaritans) took me to Venice Beach.

Venice Beach, you might recall, is where Thashawna and I thought we were a couple of weeks ago when we were in fact at Muscle beach.... Anyway, VENICE BEACH IS FANTASTICAL!

There are so many random little markets and local characters (mostly homeless and needing a buck). There are also some really neat little shops, especially located in and around Charlie Chaplan's old place, as per pic.

There are also pleanty of tattoo and piercing parlours, street entertainment and "up and coming" artists trying to sell their stuff on the street by playing it to you through their Walkmans...

The beach is also great! In fact it is probably the nicest Southern Californian beach I have come across (despite the Arctic waters)! Although my mate Ivan reckons I am insane for saying that beach is nice (because it is relatively unpolluted), it can't be too bad, while I was there I spotted a dolphin swim past. I ran into the water despite Kristy yelling that it was a shark and tried to clap at the water to call it in but with now luck... still cool.

Tonight my Hermanas Unidas club had their end of year banquet. I was recognised along with another Hermana, Christina as "Most Spirited Hermana!"

It is apparently now official, I got spirit, yes I do! I got spirit, how 'bout you!?

Yay!

k

Not single for the next two weeks...

I asked when I was going to be taken off the single market, the answer was tonight.

Tonight and for the next two weeks.

In two weeks I leave.

Oh! My! God!

In two weeks I leave?!?!

My school week

For the record my school week looks like this.

Monday: 3 morning classes. I'm then ready by early afternoon to harrass friends or cause trouble...

Tuesday: 1 morning class followed by some sort of entertainment in the Quad, before work. Then 3rd Wave Feminist club meeting before Hip-Hop Congress meeting and then free time to make some noise...

Wednesday: 3 morning classes and finishing by early afternoon. Early afternoon is Juggling Club meeting followed by Students for a Democratic Society meeting, then sometimes a Flying Samaritans meeting before my Hermanas Unidas meeting and dinner with Liz and Natalie.

Thursday: 1 morning class followed by some sort of entertainment in the Quad on my way to work. In the early evening is the LGBA meetings followed by dinner with the crew and then partying in LA somewheres...

Friday, Saturday and Sunday: Time to travel, get up to mischief and do good things.

LOVE LIFE!

k

Best date ever!

After a three hour conversation yesterday I had the best date ever today!

We decided to go fruit picking!

Yes, it was my idea except I didn't count on the place we went to being closed when we got there...

Anyways, we trespassed and one pair of ripped jeans, a minor flashing incident, a few card games and mucho fruit and flower picking later we left to go to dinner with mates. Dinner was a delight although it was a wee bit chilly (which gave us an excuse to get close - hee!). Afterwards we came back to my place to chill and listen to non-american music. Woo!

It might sound lame but seriously, I think it was one of the best dates ever!

Yay!

k

Relay for Life

This weekend the American Cancer Association held their annual "Relay for Life" - the 24hr fundraiser walk.

That's right, twenty-four hours.

Liz, one of my Hermanas and I stayed just about the entire time and walked most of it, laughed at some of it and by the end, were dressing up like carrots and possibly slightly dillusional...

Despite the intense cold on Saturday night, it was a fun event and a very touching one too. I am glad I was a part of it.

Thanks for getting me involved Liz! And thanks to all the people that participated and/or sponsored it!

k

Jess don't hate me!

Dear Jess (my best friend in Aus)

Don't hate me.

Last night we were out in West Hollywood for Marissa's 21st. Christina Agulira and her pose were also out. In true LA style, the paparazzi were awaiting her exit from the club we were in, The Abby.

She is tiny. She is uber blonde right now. She looked surprisingly wholesome with her little baby-pink sweater on...

I tried to get a photo with her to send you but Vince (a wanker of a security guard) wouldn't be so kind so you will just have to believe me and my mates who also gawked at her a little with me.

Props to Marissa and the crew for last night's fun. Hope you are feeling better this morning...

k

Random Beach Adventures...

I know I should have been doing one of the two assignments due this week or preparing for goup assessment, oral presentations or exams but....

Today was gorgeous weather.

Today was also May 1st - the Great American Boycott!!

Today I convinced a very tired Avy (who on our adventure got renamed Thumper) and Jessica (renamed Ace) to go to the beach with me!

We made it to Huntington beach in time for what has become known for this time of year as "June Gloom", overcast weather. I ran into the freezing surf anyway, firetwirled to a mass of sea gulls levitating off of near by sand all at once and watched a massive orange sun set behind the smog and cloud.

It was quite magical.

Thank you Thumper and Ace!

Also thanks to Cindy (renamed to The Fish), Marissa and Gatorade for joining us!

k

Piercings...

Today I got my belly button pierced.

It looks cute.

That's all.

:)

k

Ranking Brisbane

Mercer Consulting has released a ranking of the most pleasant cities for expatriates. They ranked 350 cities overall, based on an evaluation of 39 criteria, including political, social, economic and environmental factors, personal safety and health, education, transport, and other public services. Cities are ranked against New York as the base city, which has an index score of 100. Zurich, with a score of 108.2, is number 1.

Australia does quite well:
City Rank Score
Sydney 9 106.5
Melbourne 17 105
Perth 21 104.5
Adelaide 29 103.1
Brisbane 31 102.8

Why Brisbane is behind Perth and Adelaide is beyond me... Bris-vegas, you beauty!