25 is just around the corner...

I find it pretty coincidental that I'm spending my 25th birthday in Australia just like my mom did thirty years ago. It will be the first time I've had a birthday without my great group of friends back at home. And we usually have a combined birthday party since there are so many of us May-babies, but not this year. Well I guess that's not true, I will never have my own birthday celebration thanks to Wes being born on the same day. But I honestly can't complain though because there's nobody else I'd rather share my day with. We're planning an entire weekend full of birthday celebrations, starting with dinner, drinks & dancing, then going up the harbour bridge lookout and ending with a soccer game (Australia vs. South Africa) at the Olympic Stadium. We got really lucky with our school schedule this week, only having to attend for two days. The professors we have for our Thursday classes will be gone on fieldwork so we actually get a five day weekend. We couldn't have asked for more! Twenty-five is a big one!

We've been working pretty hard on group assignments and presentations these last three weeks, so it'll be great to have a longer break over the weekend. There's only two weeks left of class before exams start; it's getting close to crunch time! We have just a few assignments left in the first semester of our Masters and the pressure is on.

University of Sydney main campus courtyard

We recently got our first clinical placement dates, which will be from July 14-25. This only gives us a two-and-a-half week break once we're done exams and have to start our placement, but we're just glad that we didn't get placed in the November block. That would've shortened our Christmas break, and since we're planning on visiting home it would've been pretty disheartening. We're looking forward to getting a short break from the hot summer heat, since the seasons are opposite Down Under. It will be a good contrast to go snowboarding a few times and be able to put up a Christmas tree over the holidays, versus having a BBQ on the beach in thirty-five degree weather. Even though it's supposedly autumn here, the sun is still shining bright and providing us with minimum twenty degree days. We've still been able to enjoy the beach often, despite what the locals think.

Of course the Aussies are dressed in Uggs and jumpers (according to them, but we'd say boots and jackets) but we think it's ridiculous. They have absolutely no idea how mild their seasons are compared to Canada, and not even the West Coast. Us Vancouverites have it so easy compared to the East Coasters, but we're still feeling that it's late spring/summer/early fall weather. Late in the evening when I'm making my way home from Rec. Volleyball (Wednesdays), I don't even need to put pants or a sweatshirt on to make myself comfortable. People at the train station look at me like I'm crazy as I walk around in shorts and a t-shirt. So all in all, Aussies are wimps. And also lazy, as they've even further proven since my previous blog post about it. But I can't bash them so hard anymore because some of them have started to read my posts... and I can't give us Canadians a bad reputation!