Helen and Easter

I find it really funny that when you ask for hash browns here they could be like the ones you get at Maccas, or grated style or even Tater Tots. Basically hash browns just refers to potato at breakfast.

One Sunday we drove about an hour and a half to a little town called Helen. It is in the mountains and has German inspiration. There are many little shops, and places to eat. We sampled and bought too much fudge, had lunch and explored the area.

There were also many different falls nearby. We went to Anna Ruby Falls which was a short drive from Helen, and then a short walk up from the parking area. It was a very pretty place and we went for a really nice walk. The weather was really great and it just made it all really lovely.

I also went to see Into the Woods at the Auroa Theatre. It was a great show, with really clever set design. I was surprised at how long it went for though, nearly three hours! must have been exhausting for the cast and crew!

We walked to the movies to see Batman vs Superman the day it came out. It was good, but not great. It was very long too. I think I might have liked it more if it was shorter. We got free movie posters though. I thought Wonder Woman was really cool in the movie, and her appearance made me excited to see her in her own feature movie.

We planed to go hiking on Saturday, but the weather was bad so we ended up staying in reading and watching movies which was nice too. There was also a cookout at school which had to be inside. There were burgers and hot dogs, we made tie dye shirts and played games like musical chairs and had sack races. It was really fun. I won a really cool drink bottle that has a part so you can have fruit infused water.

On Sunday night we went to my host family's house for an Easter dinner. It was nice to spend time with them over a meal. We had ham, mac and cheese and mash potatoes. We don't get Good Friday or Easter Monday off here, and instead families seem to do some sort of celebration on Sunday.

TEXAS!

So my trip to Houston was off to a slow start. I arrived to the airport with plenty of time and made it through security. I then found out my flight was delayed, and then it was cancelled. Everyone on my flight was rescheduled onto another flight about three hours later. Then that flight was delayed. After waiting more than eight hours in Atlanta airport we finally left and I arrived in Houston at about one in the morning. I caught up with my friend, we got some food and then went back to her place and crashed.

The next day we got up and went to NASA. The weather was a pretty bad, but at least everything was indoors. I found it really cool and interesting to have a look around. We got a tram ride which went past all the buildings they occupy and we got to have a look at mission control and the vehicle testing center. We also watched a few films and got to go inside one of the shuttles which was just really cool!

That night we went to this arcade place which was really cool. I was not very excited about spending $25, but it really was worth it and we managed to fit a lot in. I thought it was good value for money. I played arcade versions of apps like Fruit Ninja and Doodle Jump, and then played more classic ones like throwing a football and Mario Kart. I earned enough tickets to get myself a toy Batman and a few other things.

On Thursday we went to Rodeo Houston. We arrived around noon and went straight for the food. They had lots of carnival style foods like turkey legs, sausages, baked potatoes, and fried everything. They even had pizza on a stick! I went for a sausage in a bun. I also tried deep fried cookie dough, it tasted like it was terrible for you and I don't think I'll have it again! It was very sweet and gooey.

Then we walked through the main showroom. It was similar to the Perth Royal Show, but much bigger. There were cars on show, stuff for sale, and lots of cowboy hats and boots. There was also live stock for sale and for show.

We walked through the carnival part of the show. There was lots of food and games and rides. I liked just looking through it all. There was also this event called Mutton Bustin'. Basically this is where they get 5-year-olds and stick them on the back of a sheep and see how long they can hold on while the sheep races across the paddock. Entrants pay $15 like a ride and most of he kids want to grow up to be bull riders.

We got some dinner and then headed into the stadium for the evening's entertainment. The stadium was huge. It seated over 70, 000 but it seemed much bigger then that. We watched bareback riding, saddle riding, this thing where a guy jumps off a horse to catch a calf, one where a team of two catches a calf with a lasso , these chariot things, some hits obstacle things, bull riding and more mutton Bustin'. It was petty exciting to watch and looked pretty dangerous.

After that there was a performance by country singer Luke Bryan. They have a different deformed each night, some of the other performers include Keith Urban, Pitbull and Kid Rock. The performance  was really incredible, I have never seen anyone in an audience so huge. There was a great atmosphere. While country music isn't really my thing, I really did like it. There was one song called Huntin' Fishin' and Lovin' which was both ridiculous and really great. It had an awesome electric banjo solo in it. I really enjoyed the whole performance.

The next day I went to check out the museum district. First I looked through the Contemporary Arts Museum, which was nice to look through and had a few interesting pieces. I also went to the Holocost Museum. You can't really say you enjoy something like that, but I found it very interesting and it was put together in a way that made me interested and take the information in.

We also went to The Galleria, a large shopping mall. It was much bigger than The Galleria back home and it had a hotel and ice skating rink in it! Near that there was a huge water feature called The Waterwall. It was actually spectacular and I felt like you could just sit and stare at it for a while. There were some guys shooting a music video there too.

Then that night we went to get wings for dinner and then went to a bar where we played a few games of pool.

The following day we had a late start and went out for breakfast, although it was after lunch time. I was excited to have a big breakfast with bacon and eggs.

Then we went to Hermann Park. It was very busy there and took us two laps to find parking. It was quite similar to Kings Park back home and it was a lovely sunny day for it. We walked through the park and the Japanese garden and then threw the football around.

On the way back I spotted all these nice cars. Turns out there was a car show on that is done quite regularly. I enjoyed looking at all the nice cars.

On Sunday we drove to Austin. Our first stop was Lake Travis where we stayed a few hours. I was the only one brave enough to swim! It was cold and windy which made the water choppy, but I didn't mind. It was a really nice view. We went to this restaurant which overlooked the lake and provided a view just as spectacular.

Then that night we went into town. We struggled to find a cab or Uber as there was an event on and it was all so busy. Then we went bar hopping for a bit. We played darts and found an arcade bar-Perth really needs one of those!

The next morning we drove back to Houston and I got my flight back to Atlanta. I had a great time and was thoroughly exhausted!

So I'll tell you all the story About the joker and the thief of the night

Alright, I miss nice fresh bread that is really soft in the middle, and has a crispy crust. A weird thing here is that bread isn't like that, it is just really different!

On the weekend my host family took me to an Australian Bakery Cafe and I educated them about Aussie country bakeries and meat pies! An Australian country town is not complete without a good bakery! They didn't seem to have the very specific bread that I'm after, however, I had the best cappuccino so far, had a great meat pie, and a chocolate eclair just like the bakery near my house back home. I really enjoyed this trip and the food was great.

Then on Monday I went to see the Aussie band Wolfmother at Center Stage Theater in Atlanta. The show was opened by Deap Vally. Which featured a girl on lead and vocals, and a girl on drums. They were super cool and great to start off with.

Wolfmother opened with Victorius, New Moon Rising and Woman. You could tell it was rock n' roll, the drummer already needed a drum replaced after the first song! I felt sorry for the poor guy trying to change it over while he was still playing.

They also played Colossal, Mind's Eye, White Unicorn and some stuff from their album that has just been released. They left the stage and came back on to play Vagabond and Joker and the Thief, which was my favourite.

The mosh got a bit rowdy at times, but nothing too extreme or surprising. It was not sold out, but the mosh was full and I couldn't see very many empty seats. This venue does something I've never encountered before. You buy your ticket, they are all general admission, and then you can choose your seat, or stand.

It was a really great show, they are all really brilliant musicians. One guy plays keyboard and bass, sometimes at the same time! I never realise how great the drummer is too, and the vocals and lead just tie it all together, making it quirky and really great! I even caught the pick! So I was pretty happy with that.

So I went Skiing

The other week I went to the Georgia State Capitol to shadow a reporter for one of the major news radio stations in Atlanta. It was very interesting to learn about the politics, and how news radio works here. I had the opportunity to meet  the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and talk with other reporters.

I also helped register, set up and time a charity run for one of the Rotary clubs. Although it was very cold, we did have fun. I actually wanted to run, but I don't think my legs would have worked in that cold! The run looked very nice though, it was mostly through bush land and when you finished you got hot chocolate.

We watched GGC play baseball. They have a very good side, and I found the game exciting. I did have to explain the game a bit, but it was relaxing to sit together and watch.

A group of us went to a Hibachi restaurant which was something I had never done before. There was so much food and it was exciting to watch how it was prepared. It was nice to all spend some time together.

Last weekend I went on the Ski Trip with the Outdoor Adventures club at GGC to Sugar Mountain. We left really early on Saturday and arrived at the mountain around lunch time.

It was very busy and confusing to get everything sorted and to get equipment. I decided to have a go at snowboarding. I got a lesson, where the majority of the group, myself included, were not very successful. I kept at it and I was slowly improving, however I was not able to stop without falling.

We then went to our hotel and had dinner before going back to the mountain for some night skiing. It was a little easier as it was far less busy. I still fell a lot, but I managed to make it down the small slope a few times.

By that evening I was thoroughly exhausted and glad to go back to the hotel and lie down. The next morning we had breakfast and were back at the mountain by about 9am.

I few of the snowboarders decided to give skiing a go, so I joined them. This time with no lesson, we had to teach ourselves. I managed to pick it up much more easily. I only fell trying to get off the lift! I went down the easy slope a few times before the weather turned bad.

It started to rain and it made it all very slushy so I decided that was enough for me. As the snow was mostly man made it was also quite icy and patchy in some places.

We all shuffled back on the bus tired and sore and got back to school at 10.30 that night. I was quite happy on the ride back as someone put Harry Potter on so we could all watch that.

Even though it was only two days, it felt like a whole week. I had fun, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to experience that.

Super Bowl?

So here's a few more weird things that I can't get over; bacon, maple syrup and pancakes. I know this one is quite controversial, but I do have a problem with mixing sweet and savory! The other thing that everyone seems to like, but I can't seem to get behind is chili. It's mixed up in a bowl, looks kinds like this bean mixture and has chili in it? I don't really get that!

So on Sunday afternoon a group of us all got together in our dorm and celebrated a really large bowl...no really, although we didn't know a whole lot about the game we really did enjoy watching NFL's big game.

That morning two of us walked to breakfast. I had been hanging out for poached eggs, so I managed to convince someone to come with me to the only place I could seem to find nearby that did poached eggs.

Earlier we had purchased some goodies so we actually had party food to watch the game. I made nachos and we had pie! I liked all the food because I was responsible for it. It was actually a really exciting game and we found ourselves shouting at the TV. It was nice to watch a game without minding who won.

The half time show was really good, Beyonce, Coldplay and Bruno Mars all performed together and the theme was love. It looked spectacular. Lady Gaga also sang the National Anthem before the game. We found the commercials just as entertaining as everything else. Some of them were really ridiculous.

Then on Tuesday it snowed! It was snowing on and off all day, but there wasn't really enough to cover the ground. Apparently you get strange looks if you catch snowflakes on your tongue!

And We Danced

While I have been here a few people suggested I see anything I can at the Fox Theatre, just to see inside. I got that chance when I said yes to seeing Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. It was not the normal venue they would perform at, but they wanted to do a small intimate sit down show.

Friday afternoon I met up with some girls at Oglethoorpe University. We got ready, walked to get fancy pizza for dinner, and then got on the train.

The whole exterior and interior was spectacular. The roof was just incredible, so much so that Macklemore got all the lights turned off so we could all see. The concert itself was just awesome.

Even though we had seats, we didn't do any sitting. We were dancing and singing the whole time and just having a really great time. It is a bit hard to sing along to rap, but that didn't stop us. It really was worth it. My favourite performances where Same Love, And We Danced, Can't Hold Us, Irish Celebration and Thrift Shop.

After the show we went back to Oglethorpe University and to a frat party. It was pretty packed inside the frat house and we had to wait out in the cold to get inside because there were so many people. It wasn't really my thing, but good to experience it.

On Saturday we spent some time exploring the Oglethorpe campus before going to stay at another student's host family's house. The house was huge! They had a pool, a pond, a room full of model trains, a theatre room, a bar and many bedrooms. It was nice to spend some time with some of the other students.

We went to another frat party. This one was much bigger and at a different venue, rather then the frat house. It was good, but not something I would want to go to all the time.

Savannah Take Two

Okay, here's another weird thing; I have noticed many people here seem to have about 17 different dressings and oils in their Subway sandwich instead of just one! I don't understand how the bread holds itself together.

A group of the GRSP students went down to Savannah to catch up. I went down on Thursday and we arrived early in the evening after the five hour drive. That night we went to a roof top bar which overlooked the river, it was really pretty. Then we went to a nice place for dinner, and to an ice cream place which kept me happy!

We had big plans for the next day but it rained so we had to make some adjustments. We went into downtown Savannah after a late breakfast and had a good wonder around. We had coffee and I had a cookie dough brownie which was yummy! That night we went out for dinner and then we went out dancing, we had a great time.

On Saturday we went to Wormsloe Historic Site, we drove and looked at the nice houses and went for a long walk. We also went to Tybee Island and went for a walk along the beach. It was so cold and windy! We saw the house and the swing from the movie The Last Song. We all want out to dinner at The Crab Shack and had a bit of a seafood feast. Then we went back and all watched a movie.

We all had a really nice time.

Martin Luther King Junior Memorial Weekend

For this long weekend we had a leadership conference in Atlanta. On Friday at noon all the students came together had lunch, and then explored the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. After, we had  a discussion about the things we saw and it was very insightful to get a perspective from other students. That evening we went to Slingshot Entertainment where we had dinner, bowled and attempted to conquer the Ninja Obstacle course. While some of us were more skilled, we all talked and had fun. That evening we all stayed with our weekend host families.

On Saturday morning I got Avengers waffles for breakfast before arriving at Oglethorpe University! There was also a continental breakfast before we started the days activities. We had a Fierce Conversations seminar where we talked about the principles, meaning and objectives of Fierce Conversations. “A Fierce Conversation is one in which we come out from behind ourselves, into the conversation, and make it real.” We learned about transformational ideas, The Beach Ball Model and how to coach conversations. We had lunch in the Oglethorpe Dining Hall, where we were well fed; I liked that you could make your own sandwich (peanut butter, honey and banana if you were wondering)!

Then we continued on into the early afternoon where we stopped and participated in the Stop Hunger Now service project. This involved us packing a vitamin packet, some dehydrated vegetables, some protein and rice into a bag to be sealed and sent to someone in need.  Each bag fed six people and we packed 10, 368 in two hours. Then that evening we all broke into smaller groups to have dinner. It was nice to spend some time together in a more relaxed setting.

On Sunday morning we were back at Oglethorpe University for the last activity before we were all off to our respective colleges. We had to come up with a service project that could win $10 000 to help implement our plan. We didn’t really win anything, the aim was to get us to work together in small groups to fight a problem connected to one of Rotary’s core values. It was facilitated by the Rotaract Club of Atlanta. It was really great to hear what everyone came up with.

Then today a few of us went for a big long walk to downtown Lawrenceville. Forty five minutes there and forty five back, it was really nice outside. It was sunny even though it was -1 degrees Celsius which is confusing! We got coffees and cakes and had a great time. I got a strawberry cupcake which was so good!

Orlando and HARRY POTTER

The first night in Orlando was cold for Florida, but much warmer then the last places we had been to. We landed early in the evening and were pretty tired from traveling so we had dinner and called it a night.

On our first full day we walked to one of the outlet stores which most people told us that we couldn't walk to. We didn't get anything in the first few shops and we started to worry, but that didn't last long as we made our way through and all came away with a thing or two. For dinner we went to this really interesting Italian buffet. I have never seen anything like it, they had salad, pasta, soup, pizza, bread and Italian desserts. The tomato soup was really yummy.

On Wednesday we got up early to get the bus to Universal Studios. I had made a game plan the night before and we decided to do all the Harry Potter stuff first. We had to clear security first and once we did we headed straight to the back of the park to Diagon Alley and went on Escape From Gringots. Even though we went on as soon as it opened, we still had about a 30 minute wait! It was really great though, the whole walk to the ride was inside the bank, and exactly like the movies.

Then we went on the Hogwarts Express to Hogsmeade which was located inside Islands of Adventure, and went on Forbidden Journey, the walk to the ride was through the Hogwarts Castle which was really cool. Both rides showed video while you moved around in a car on a track and wore 3D glasses.

Next, my sister and I went on Flight of the Hippogriff, and the Dragon Challenge. Both were roller coasters and I liked them both. We walked around Hogsmeade, went in and out of the little shops and had some Butterbeer. It tasted great, but very sweet. it was just like we were there. Then we went back to Diagon Alley on The Hogwarts Express and explored. There was a dragon on top of Gringots that actually breathed fire!

We went on the Men in Black ride which was very cool, you actually got a gun and had to shoot aliens. We went on The Mummy ride, which was like the one in Singapore-an indoor roller coaster. That was our favourite ride. After that we watched the parade which wasn't as cheesy as we expected. There was Dora, Minions, Spongebob and even dancing fish on roller skates, which impressed us!

An early start for the next day, Mum, my sister and I went straight on the Rock It roller coaster. I didn't really like it as it banged my head around too much. Then we went on Shrek 4D, and on the Transformers ride, both the same as the ones at Universal Studios in Singapore, but we still liked them, We walked through Springfield which was cool, went on The Simpsons Ride and my sister got a giant doughnut which we shared. We also went on the E.T. ride which, while for little kids, was really cool and there was so much to see on it. We saw the Terminator show which I thought was pretty cool.

Then we went over to Islands of Adventure and all went on Flight of the Hippogriff. Dad and I went on Ripsaw Falls, which is a log ride and we got soaked, then we all went on The Spiderman Ride, and Doctor Doom's Fear Fall, which I really liked.

Another early start the next day, and our last day at Universal. We went on The Mummy ride twice in a row, then the Men in Black ride and E.T. It was raining a lot so we had to try to dodge the rain a bit. We went to Islands of Adventure and saw a stunt show called The Lost Voyage of Sinbad. Then Dad and I went on the Jurassic Park River Adventure were we got wet, but we remembered spray jackets this time so it wasn't too bad.

My sister and I convinced Mum to go on Doctor Doom's Fear Fall and she did like it. Then we all went through Seuss Landing where Dad made us go on this really lame train ride. We also saw another show called Poseidon's Fury which had special effects with water. Then Dad and I went on Ripsaw Falls again, we stayed dry, but our shoes did not!

My sister and I convinced Mum to go on the Dragon Challenge, but she didn't like it that much. We also spent some more time in Hogsmeade drinking Butterbeer. Then my sister and I went on Doctor Doom's Fear Fall for the last time before we left Universal for the last time on this trip.

On our last day in Orlando we got public transport to have a look at Disney. We went to Disney Springs for some food and shopping. We got the free Disney public transport to try and have a look at some of the parks, but we couldn't see anything. When we went to get the bus back to our hotel it was raining, and when we got to the bus stop it was closed and we had to walk to the next one. A bit of a disaster, but a funny story.

Now it's back to college for me and back to Australia for my family, wont be long before I'm back home!

New Orleans and Dad's Bloody Gumbo

We left Memphis on New Year's Day and headed for New Orleans. The traffic was pretty quiet. On the way through we stopped at Jackson, Mississippi and had a look at the state capital. The town was really quiet so we had lunch and then we were our way. We stopped at a rest stop and all thought it was far more exciting then any rest stop back home- there was a big park, with benches, vending machines, flushing toilets and even a security guard!

We all found it amazing driving in, all the roads were high up on stilts as it was all surrounded by water. We arrived in New Orleans late in the afternoon and the hotel was pretty busy as the Sugar Bowl was on that night. We were exhausted and glad to watch it on TV as it was very cold.

The next morning we drove into town. We parked near the water and then went for a long walk around The French Quarter.  First stop was coffee and a sports shop where we did not walk away empty handed! We then walked around the area and down Bourbon Street. The whole place had a lot of atmosphere. There were many people and street performers. All the buildings were really cool to look at, it also seemed like it was totally okay to just walk around with an alcoholic drink in hand!

We then went for a drive around and had a look at the Hurricane Katrina Memorial where they had 108 graves for those who were unidentified or unclaimed. We then drove down Saint Charles Street which was lined with  old wooden mansions which were really pretty. We went to a park opposite Tulane University and had a bit of a look at the university too. It was big and old and actually reminded me a bit of Guilford Grammar School back home.

Then today we drove about an hour and a half to Oak Alley Plantation, a sugar cane plantation. The main house was surrounded by oak trees which were over 300 years old. The house itself was originally owned my a Frenchman called Jaques Roman and it was built in 1837 by slaves. It was interesting to learn about the home and sugar cane production of that time. The plantation is still used today.

On our drive back it was incredible to see these huge boats that seemed to just drive beside the road. There was a big levee that separates the road from the Mississippi River.

We then drove with the intention of going to the Louis Armstrong park but dad wasn't wearing his glasses when he put it in the GPS and we ended up in this really sketchy part of town! We eventually found it and just had a look from the car. We also had to wait for the bridge to be lowered as a boat went by, and we all found that pretty exciting-we don't have them back home! We then went to Saint Charles Street for dinner and dad finally got some gumbo that he had been going on and on about.