Perth Supanova 2016

Today I went down to the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre for the Supanova Pop Culture Expo, which has been coming to Perth since 2008.

This year I did not have as heavy schedule as I had in previous years as there weren't the same number of guests or panels that I wanted to go to. This was also the first year I actually Cosplayed. It was good, but I'm glad I didn't have too much running around to do as it got pretty warm. I don't know how some people survive in their outfits! It is really cool when people ask to have their picture taken with you.

It was very busy inside and I got a good bit of shopping done. I really enjoy just seeing everything, the costumes, the art, the hand made stuff and all the other little bits and pieces.

They changed the layout this year which was confusing at first, but it did help the flow inside. While it was packed for Perth, there were no where near as many people as there were at Dragon Con!

Snap Back to Reality

So I've spent the last few weeks getting back into the swing of things.

I participated in the HBF Run for a Reason as I have done for a few years in a row. However, this time we made our own team and raised nearly $800 for Alzheimers Australia in honour of our grandmother. My sister and I finished at exactly the same time holding hands!

I've also gotten back into hockey and our team won their first two games for the season (must have been because their lucky charm was back!)

I went and saw the Kookaburras last game in Australia before they go to the Olympics, which happened to be in Perth. It was a good game and they beat Great Britain 5-1 in the third game of the series. It was also Jamie Dwyer's last game on home soil so there was a huge turn out and all the players did a lap of the ground after the game.

I got to go to a footy game too, which I was glad I managed to get tickets. It was almost a really good game. Exciting and close for three and a bit quarters and then it seemed like the Eagles forgot how to play! Shame about the result, but still good I got the opportunity to go.

I have been looking for a job, but with little success so far. No one seems to be hiring and it is difficult to apply for something when I know I'll be going away again next month.

I have started doing some writing online for Fandom on a volunteer basis, and I am back doing my radio show. Both are really good things to get involved in, but it would be even better to find something that pays! It has been nice getting back down to the beach too!

A Year in Review

Looking back I have noticed another weird thing- many American homes do not seem to have a sink in the laundry. I also still find huge portion sizes, seeing American flags everywhere and advertising for prescription drugs weird. Coming home I forgot that the toilets in America are lower to the ground, have so much more water in them, flush at such a high velocity  and have a lever thing on the side instead of a button on top.

Anyway, I made the long flights home without any delays. I flew from Atlanta to LA to Brisbane and then to Perth. I was fortunate enough to have an empty seat beside me on the first two flights so I could slightly stretch out.

The airport was pretty empty in LA and by the time I got a bus from the domestic to the international terminal I had to board straight away.

As per usual the lines for everything were long-at customs, immigration and to get the bus to the domestic terminal in Brisbane. By the time I was through in Brisbane I had to race over to get my flight for Perth, just making it in time.

I even arrived a little early in Perth, around lunch time, and spotted my family waiting for me as I came down the escalators, which was good because I needed them to carry all my bags!

I spent that afternoon and the whole next day unpacking. Then on Saturday afternoon I went to the movies with my sister. When we came back she ordered me to put some stuff in her room. When I went out to do it I was surprised to find the back of our house filled with all my family and friends.

I had no idea, she got me good! Much to Mum's dismay we are yet to find any photos. While I really enjoyed my time away and would do it again, it is good to be back. Now I need to find a job!

Final Catchups

Last Saturday I went out for lunch with all my host families. We went to the first place I came to when I arrived here. It was really great that everyone was able to come and we had a great time. I had a cocktail called The Green Lantern!

The next week I spent doing Rotary presentations and staying with each family as much as I could. The Duluth Rotary Club even made me a Paul Harris Fellow which is an honour and something I really wasn't expecting!

I also went to Dave and Buster's (an arcade place with food and a bar) a few times with different people which was fun. We have nothing like that back home so I wanted to go there one last time! Maybe I should open one in Perth!

On Thursday a group of us went into Atlanta where we stayed with another student's host family for a few nights. We spent hours shopping! I didn't buy much, but it was nice to look around the mall. We also played Top Golf, which was really cool. It is a driving range where you aim for different targets and it is electronically scored. We also spent some time playing cards and hanging by the pool.

I got picked up on Saturday and we went straight to a comic book shop for Free Comic Book Day. It was great I got a whole bunch of free comics and I bought a bunch too. Hopefully that'll keep me going for the flight home. Then that afternoon I saw Civil War, it's been rough trying to avoid spoilers seeing as how it has been out for more than a week back home, but I was glad to finally see it.

That night I had to frantically pack, as I moved out of school early the next morning to stay with one of my host families for a few nights before I fly home.

There have been a lot of hugs the past few weeks as you say not goodbye, but see you later to a whole bunch of special and truly kind people. Thank you to all those who have allowed me to stay in their home and who have welcomed me as one of their own. There is nothing I can say to show how much that has meant to me and how much I have enjoyed this experience.  And to all my buddies; I'll be waiting for you to come visit me, I just want to show you all of my favourite places back home.

Goodbye GRSP

Last weekend we went to Hilton Head for the Rotary District 6900 Conference, this was not my district but all the GRSP students were invited, and the weekend before that we went to Savannah for the Rotary District 6910 Conference.

We went down to Savannah on the Thursday and that night we went out for dinner and walked along river street. That evening we sat around talking for a while. The next morning we had to get up on stage introduce ourselves to all the Rotarians, and then we had some free time. We discovered there is a free ferry that makes a few stops so we rode on that. That evening we went on a river cruise which was very nice and the food there was very good.

We had a lunch on Saturday where there was this very amazing guest speaker who talked about teaching deaf children to read, I found it very interesting. That afternoon we were supposed to go on a dolphin sightseeing tour but it was cancelled because the wind was too strong. Instead we spent more time wondering around Savannah, shopping and frozen yoghurt eating. That evening we had the Governors Ball, which was a fancy dinner and a band performed at the end. We all had fun.

We spent time writing in each others year books and then we were all sad to say goodbye to each other, possibly for the last time as not everyone was going to the next district conference.

We managed to get a ride to Athens on Wednesday night and we went out for dinner with a few friends from the University of Georgia, we also walked around downtown Athens. The next morning we drove to Hilton Head. The first night we had barbeque (but not steak and sausages...pulled pork and mac and cheese). Then that night we went in the pool and spa (or Jacuzzi or hot tub like what everyone else there called it!).

On Friday morning I got up earlish and went for a long walk along the beach, then I helped with registration. We went for a swim at the beach and in the pool before we had a rehearsal for that evening's events. We had a buffet dinner overlooking the ocean and then later we walked onto the stage with our countries' flag and sang a song for the Rotarians.

On Saturday morning we assisted with a presentation and then we had quite a bit of free time. I went for a picnic lunch at a park with one Rotary Club and then later played mini golf with a group of students. We also filled the time by swimming at the beach or in the pool.

We had a great time, but it was rough saying goodbye the next morning. We have had such a fantastic year and you don't quite realise how close you are to people until you sense that you aren't going to see them for a while. Even though we have all this social media, my new best buddies are on the other side of the world and I know they aren't going to give me a hug in a few weeks when we would normally have a catch up. It is also harder to tease them and have a laugh if you aren't right there. I don't know how much I have changed, but I know that this group of people has become a part of me and I just want to take them all with me. I am going to miss them all dearly, and I want to thank them for all being a part of my life and for just being cool. I'm not the type of person who makes big speeches or sends great messages describing how grateful or appreciative they are, of course I am, but I hope it becomes evident in the things I do.

The Last Student Weekend

Another weird thing is that most professional sport is on at night during the week, rater then on weekends like it is back home.

On Tuesday night I went to an Atlanta Hawks game.They played Pheonix Suns at Phillips Arena. It was a really exciting. The play was very close, the Hawks were just behind most of the game when they picked up half way through the last quarter and won the game. The arena is so huge, we had really great seats and there is so much going on. They really do that kiss cam, and there were these guys shooting hoops with a mini trampoline doing tricks in the air. There was lots of entertainment during time outs and in the breaks, it was a great night!

On Wednesday night we went to a baseball game. We went down to Turner Field to watch the Atlanta Braves play the Washington Nationals. We were quite high up and got a great view of the field with the Atlanta skyline in the background. Although they lost, the game was still quite exciting! They had lots of little competitions and entertainment between the innings, and I ate a hotdog!

On Thursday we got the bus down with the other GRSP students to St Mary's, Camden County. We arrived and went straight off to our host families for the weekend. We had a lovely dinner and our family had a golf cart so we got to explore the area a bit at night which was fun!

The next morning we all went to the Camden County Rotary Club meeting for breakfast and a few of us talked about our country. I spoke, and ended up talking a fair bit about Surf Life Saving. Next we went to the Naval Base Kings Bay to take a group photo. We then split off into three groups for that day's activities. We could choose from skeet shooting, kayaking or going to a beach in Florida.

I was with the kayaking group and we had to start a bit later because of the tide. This gave us a bit of time to actually have a quick look inside the base. We had to show ID, then we had a look at a missile display which was interesting to see. I never realised how big they actually are. Then on our way out we saw an alligator on the grass beside the road, it went into the water and swam away when we tried to get a closer look.

It was nice paddling on the water, a bit windy which made it hard work, but it was sunny. We paddled through the marsh for about an hour and then stopped at a small landing for lunch. After our break we paddled into the main boat launch and moor area. There was a mast sticking up out of the water from a boat that had sunk, it was a bit eerie.

In the afternoon we went for a drive in the golf cart and got ice cream and went to the visitors shop. That night we all went to a pool party. We had pizza and there was a bonfire. It was a bit cold for swimming, but that didn't stop me! We also walked along a small jetty to look over the marsh and spotted a few small alligators in where we were kayaking!

On Saturday we all went over to Cumberland Island on several boats. We walked through the historic area of the island and looked at the remains of the buildings there. Then we went to the beach and stayed there for a while. We went swimming and went exploring along the beach. We found the remains of many huge horseshoe crabs, which I think look more like really hard stingray. There were many wild horses on the island, and even the beach!

On the way back from the island the boat I was in stopped at a different beach to look for fossilised shark teeth. It was hard coming into the beach because the conditions were a bit rough, but we came away with a few each.

That night we had burgers and hotdogs for dinner at a rotarians house. There was a bonfire so after dinner we all sat around talking. Then we saw blue flashing lights and a police car and we all got scared we were being too loud, but in the end they were there to get some of the yummy food we had!

We all went back the next morning, to school and to catch up on work.

Pelham Student Weekend

On Thursday morning most of the GRSP students boarded the bus to Pelham, which is in South Georgia. It is about a 5 hour drive from school.

We arrived late in the afternoon, had tacos for dinner with everyone and were ready to go off to our host families for the weekend. It almost went according to plan, but we had to huddle in a corridor for a while because we got a tornado warning. It ended up being fine and we were on our way.

On Friday morning we met up at the Pelham High School for a tour. It was very interesting as most of what we know about American High Schools is based on movies. It did not disappoint with the walls lined with lockers, their gymnasium, and their football field.

Next we went to the Autry State Prison. It was opened in 1993 and houses minimum, medium and close security inmates. We went right inside the prison and into a dormitory that held inmates. They had to stand at attention while we were there. It was an interesting and eye opening experience.

After lunch went past the Ethanol plant and went to an alligator farm, It houses over 100,000 alligators used for meat and skin. Then that evening we all had dinner together. The weather was very wet all day so we didn't get to play golf in the afternoon, as planned.

On Saturday we went to a camp where we kayaked, swam, played tennis, basketball and learnt how to play Danish Longball, which is a bit like rounders. It was a really fun day and everyone got a bit sunburned. I spotted a snake swimming when I was kayaking it was little and moved very fast, I'm not sure what it was. We also found a baby turtle stuck in the skimmer box in the pool. We got him out and put him closer to the lake.

That evening we all had dinner with the local Rotarians. We also put on a bit of a talent show for them where there were varying levels of talent.

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.