Studenting

"Have fun dweebing out!". That's what The Programmer said to me when he saw me off this morning. So far, I am indeed, successfully dweebing.

I have actually been on a little freak out about this trip. That was mainly because the only flight I could get my bum on landed two hours after class started (haaate being late), and I'd left accommodation planning to the last second, ending up in a hostel that, for all I knew, was at the arse-end of nowhere.  I couldn't decide whether to go directly to uni, and risk losing my room (they don't do booking confirmations), or get the shuttle straight to the hostel and then have to make my way to uni on the bus, therefore being even later for 'Introduction Day'.

I also had no idea of exactly where in the uni (which is massive) I was supposed to be, and was a bit spinny about having to get the bus back to the hostel in the dark. You know.. fret, fret, worry, worry. I mean, I have managed not to seriously mess up in countries where I don't speak the language or understand how things work, but this does not stop me wigging out about domestic travel logistics. 

In any case, none of the disasters in my head happened, nor have there been any difficulties at all. I was the only one in the shuttle and therefore the driver offered to drop my gear at the hostel and then take me to uni. Once there I found the room and, after a moderately useful tutorial about accessing the latest research, one of my classmates delivered me back to the hostel.

My room is just off the kitchen, which could prove noisy, but it's cute enough, and they have recently installed Zenbu wi-fi. Zenbu is pricey, but the cost is based on data load. I've been chatting The Programmer on Google Talk for the last 15 mins and the data counter has hardly moved. 

The Room off the Kitchen 

Whoops.. uploading photo's changes the data situation somewhat...

One thing I should have remembered about campus is that, in spite of having a highly active Nutrition and Dietetics department, the university 'dining room'  and cafes are sad. Basically there is not a salad on site. It's all stodgy stuff, full of flour (lunch special: $4 wedges and sour cream). Cheap, nasty crap that students can afford. There appears to be nothing better within walking distance. 

I settled for a spinach and ricotta pastry and an apple for lunch, then as soon as I'd dumped my soggy stuff into my room (it's persisting down, did I mention that?) and suited up, I found town and made a supermarket haul.

I've also got some salad sprouts and a spirulina smoothie in the fridge and if anyone steals them, they die.

On the way back, I found the most amazing sushi shop. Everything was like a little work of art and the couple working there were sweet. I've got a bit of a sniffle (I know, awesome timing, right?), and was therefore given some extra wasabi and ginger along with instructions to eat it all. So nice. Or they were trying to kill me.

See that wasabi in the bottom right corner? I can confirm that it will clear your sinuses. I did not eat it all. Not even close. It looks pretty much the same even after I consumed enough to almost blow my head off. That stuff lives and breathes fire.

Now I have to drag my snuffly self off to a type of facility that I have not experienced in over 10 years - a co-ed hostel bathroom. I'm a bit mortified. There are a lot of big guys staying here and I do not, do not, I say, want to see any of them in any state except fully and completely clothed.

I have already considered, and not quite discounted, the possibility of just not showering for four days. Students can get away with that, I think.