view from my sick flat! (7th floor)

Coles Grocery experience.

This is my detailed list of highlights from my college experience thus far.
No internet yet, so bare with me.
It is $1.29 a minute to contact y’all. .50 a text to send (although you guys can send me as many as you want!). It cost the price of a Chai latte down stairs to upload this diary of sorts.

My new friends Amy and Danny from Florida have Skype phones. To my utter joy, it is not compulsory to own an iPhone during my stay. I can spend $30 a month and get 4,000AU minutes—100 for international calling. An hour and a half of free international calling!!! Phones are so different here, so much cheaper here; although it is one of the few luxuries that cost LESS than the states.

Day 1
Wednesday
TRAVEL

-Lady at United MCO booked our seats together in Economy Plus even though we bought Economy. She put us together even though we were stationed apart. She had no nametag—we suspect she was an angel.
-April sat right next to Kara(the girl from Hills on our flight) and we were able to talk on the ride to Sydney.

Day 2
Friday
ARRIVAL

-Taxi drive right out of Bourne Identity
-Pulling up to Hillsong church and trying to load everything into the lobby while April ‘guards’ the remaining luggage. 4 suitcases, 2 carry ons and a sister. I was stressed.
-Met Naomi. She is as sweet as Jess told us…times 2.
-Naomi and Corey helped us get our luggage to my new flat. Building 10, Floor 7. The numbers on our doors are in no particular order. It’s hilarious.
-Met Fa Fa from France(flat mate) and Rebekah from Sweden. Found out my 4th flat mate is from Illinois. I think I will like having an American around.
-First experience being treated with prejudice at a bank in Sydney. I am a female Hillsong student from the states. I was told I don’t go to a real school because it isn’t a university and that student accounts don’t exist for my kind. He was a really big help ☹. And he barely touched my hand, much less shook it when I decided I would ‘wait’ on my decision to utilize his bank. He was angry with me over a silly savings account (that is what they call checking accounts here.) Apparently that is going to happen a lot.
-Some of the students warned me that I wouldn’t get jobs just because people don’t like Hillsong. Others said I wouldn’t get jobs just because I’m an American.
Double whammy.
I guess it doesn’t matter how popular something is worldwide, the locals will be teeming with haters. I suppose that is everywhere. Jesus dealt with it; He’ll show me how to be gracious here as well.
-I had pumpkin, greens and thick Feta cheese on a pizza—and it was amazing! Right by my future new bank ANZ(I hear they don’t don’t hate ☺ )
- First Coles shopping experience-everything is so expensive!!!!
-New friend Amy(from Boca!!) gave Fa Fa and I a coffee table, a kitchen table, 4 chairs, sheets, towels, silverware, bowls, plates and some extra kitchenware. She is also lending us 2 mattresses so April and I don’t have to sleep on the floor. We currently believe God for a bookshelf, chest of drawers, couch or something like it, pans, washing machine, and refrigerator. I feel like we are off to a good start though.
-FaFa found soft outdoor chairs in a wonderful thing called the ‘Treasure Room’. It is a place in the parking garage where the hundreds of people who live in the Apartment drop off their unwanted furniture. It’s like garage saling in the most literal of terms.

Day 3
Saturday
-Woke up way too early (jet lag) to find my French flat mate cut up Watermelon to share for breakfast. We chatted over bread, peanut butter and hot tea. In her country they cook full meals for every meal. We are limited in that we don’t have a refrigerator so we are eating rice, peanut butter everything, soup and pasta. It isn’t bad so far. We introduced her to honey on her everything. She likes that. I’m glad us Americans have something to offer the rest of the world.
-Amy, her brother and his flat mates(who remind me of home-they’re all beach rats too) took us to the ‘Reject Shop’; a heavenly mix between Walmart and the Dollar Tree. Toothpaste is $2AU instead of $7.
-First church service! Sanga Samways delivered a message about riding the storm. Good stuff. New music. They are getting the congregation used to the music that will be recorded in July. So I get a fresh taste ☺.
-Deseree from Aabama and Johannes from Germany made us dinner.

Day 4
Sunday
LAZY day.

-Woke up early again and made crumpets with peanut butter. I did the breakfast making. Booyah.
- Went to the first Sunday morning service—Christine…something. She was exciting. I wish I could remember her name, but apparently she travels 300 days a year all over the world speaking. Everyone was so excited that she was sharing this morning.
-Literally slept the day away. I had fancy plans of Bondi Beach and Cremo Café with free Internet, but it all changed when I woke up from my afternoon snooze at 6:35pm. Everything closes at 5 here.
-FaFa and I walked to Coles to get chocolate ice cream and a Pepsi for April. April’s treat. The ice cream tasted like Chocolate Almond. They’re weird flavors.
-Contemplated my grumpy attitude (I have been grumpy since I got here, but I couldn’t pin why. God gave me insight and I am going to learn a lot about love in action. He is setting me free from chains I didn’t know were binding me. Good stuff)
-We had a mini movie night—I watched Little Miss Sunshine with French subtitles! I tried to get some French lingo out of it, but all I can remember is Oui.
-Bed at 11:30.