I'm Finally Here!

G'day! After the 20 something hours that I have spent flying, I have finally made it to the orientation in Melbourne. The city is absolutely wonderful and the Mornington Penninsula that we visited was gorgeous. I have to pay for the internet at this hotel, so I can't make as long as a post as I would like to...but I just wanted everyone to know that I have arrived safely and will by flying up to Cairns tomorrow afternoon. I will also have limited internet in my room at school, so I probably won't be able to keep in touch as often as I'd like. I just purchased a cell phone today though...so I'll post that number up here so that people can call me if there are any emergencies. It is quite expensive to place an international call, so I won't be able to make frequent calls. It is so hot here, about 100 degrees....and it will only get warmer as we go further north. I have already had such an amazing time though...we got to see about 30 gray kangaroos yesterday and we also went on a cruise where we had dinner (fish and chips!) and got to see a lot of seals and some dolphins. Upon first entering the city of Melbourne it seemed very similar to the United States, much like Los Angeles or Miami..but since we have been here for a few days now it is easier to see the differences. The main ones that we have realized are that Australians don't tip unless they go to a really fancy restaurant..and even then it's only about a 10% tip. Also, they get a required minimum of 4 weeks paid vacation...and for each 10 years that they work, they get an extra 3 months paid vacation. They find it odd that Americans only get about 2 weeks of vacation time each year. We have also been advised to not use phrases such as fanny pack or to root for (as in "I root for the Yankees") because fanny means vagina and root means to have sex. We have had some sessions on how to better understand the slang and phrases that Australians use. I should probably wrap up this post...I will write more about what has been going on in Melbourne and the Mornington Penninsula once I get to school and the Internet access isn't quite as expensive.