The Flight Over and the First Day!

So far I've been having a pretty good time here in rainy Melbourne, but not without a few bumps along the way to get here.  To put it simply, I am estatic that I was able to make it here safely and not miss any of my flights!  My flight from O'Hare to LAX went smoothly with a two hour layover in LAX to ensure that I make my flight to Brisbane.  In Brisbane at least 3 or 4 large planes landed at the international terminal causing mass chaos, and lengthy queues to get through customs.  Needless to say I had to skip ahead, jumped on a bus to get to the domestic terminal, and run like the wind to catch my connecting flight to Melbourne.  Thankfully a wonderful friendly Australian took me under her wing during this mess and helped me get there, I don't know what I would have done without her help!  Two and a half hours later we landed in Melbourne, and I made my way slowly to the baggage claim and international terminal to wait to get picked up by a driver.  Unfortunately the driver was not there, so I had to get a student help desk to call the University to send a driver (who thankfully came so I didn't have to shell out $100 AUD to take a taxi to Monash).   Another foreign student (Sean - a very intelligent young man, who is a 'Mechie' or mechanical engineering student, and attends Cornell University) was also waiting for a driver, so we actually got to catch a ride together.  He unfortunately had one of his bags lost in LAX - but don't worry they finally got it to him a mere three days later.

It took 45 minutes or so to reach the university, so it's not exactly in the center of downtown Melbourne.  During these 45 minutes I was given detailed information about all construction projects in Melbourne that failed or had something go wrong in light of the fact that I am a civil engineering student.  Apparently our driver is some sort of expert on construction in Melbourne (Also he may need to pay more attention went he's driving - didn't really stay between the lines - oh and they drive on the left here so that was scary as well!).  Upon arriving we went to residential services where we each received a key for our rooms, and a water bottle!  Then we were stuck in a small meeting room with all our luggage and forced to watch a powerpoint describing a information packed we had been given.  10 minutes later when the powerpoint ended we just sat there not knowing what to do,  apparently they just leave you there until your figure out that you can leave and go try to find your room.  I was told that I would be living in 'Farrer Hall' but it somehow escaped the MRS (Monash Residential Services)  staff that there are in fact TWO buildings called 'Farrer Hall' - Farrer Hall Lords and Farrer Hall Commons.  Unequipped with this knowledge I was completely unaware that I was in the former as opposed to the latter.  I did get into the 'Commons' building only to be stopped by a helpful student on campus and pointed in the right direction, the 'Lords' building (they also helped me carry my luggage to my room!).   Needless to say this 35 hour (or so) journey was not the smoothest, but I am quite happy that I make it here safely!

Here's a couple pictures of my room - it's modest, but I don't plan on spending all too much time in here.

After unpacking a bit Eliza called me using our lovely room phones (which can be very nice when you don't have a cell phone).  We decided to stroll around campus and try to find something to eat (since I had no had anything to eat since around 5AM in the morning)- the problem- most places were closed on campus.  Therefore we took a walk down Blackburn Road to some cheap (but slightly run down) restaurants.  We ended up at a strange Fish n' Chips place, (that had a big picture of a lobster on the wall even though they don't serve lobster) the menu (front and back)  are below!  I don't know if I ever really want to go there again...

More to come about orientation week in the next couple days!