 I went to the Perth Motor Show in downtown Perth on Saturday. Although not as large as some of the auto shows back home, it was really interesting to see some kinds of cars that I may never have the chance to see again.
A typical week in Australia
It’s hard to believe, but I am now starting another of Curtin’s “tuition-free weeks.” These mean a week off of classes during the middle of the semester to give everyone a chance to relax and catch up on assignments. Last week I was pretty busy with classes and various other things, so I thought that I would give you a general overview of one of my weeks at Curtin.
Monday
Mondays are one of the four days out of the week that I have no class to attend. Being the first day of the week, I usually spend it doing various things around my flat including laundry and often grocery shopping. This past Monday I did the typical Monday type things, and it was a relatively uneventful day.
Tuesday
My class schedule on Tuesdays includes having class from 8:30–10:00 a.m. followed by a half an hour break and then class from 10:30 a.m.–noon. The two classes are one and the same, Indigenous Australian Sport, but one meeting is a lecture and the other is the tutorial where students present about various topics. Following these two classes, I am free for the rest of the day until the Swedish massage class I am taking this semester. No, you cannot earn university credit and learn massage techniques; but, after the class, I will be a certified Swedish masseuse. It’s been a great time so far and has led to many laughs. Another popular event on Tuesdays is a group of us go to a movie at one of the local theaters—due to the relatively cheap price of only $5.65 for a movie!
Wednesday
On Wednesday, my first class isn’t until 3 p.m., and it only lasts for an hour and a half. This class is entitled Introduction to Indigenous Australians, and has provoked a lot of thoughts throughout the semester regarding both the past and current treatment of Australia’s indigenous population. Following class, I have my weekly meeting with my advisor to discuss anything that may have come up during the past week, as well as planning other types of activities for the group.
 Thursday
Another day of the week on which I have no class is Thursday. Often, the plan is to go to the beach if the weather is still cooperating. But this week we ventured off to a place called Hillary’s Boat Harbour. Located north of Perth, it is home to the Aquarium of Western Australia, as well as many little shops and points of interest. It was a great time, and I hope to get back to the area sometime before I leave.
Friday
Although a great majority of the other Michigan Tech students arranged their schedules to have Fridays off, I have two classes on Friday. A tutorial for my Intro to Indigenous Australians meets from 10:30 a.m.–noon and then I have Australian Studies from 2–5 p.m. It makes for a relatively long day, but the two-hour break in the middle of the day allows for some relaxing on campus as well as eating a kebab from George’s Kebabs for lunch. I had never experienced a kebab before I came to Australia, but I know that it is one thing that I will miss when I return to the States! This Friday was a typical day of class followed by a tour of the Fremantle Prison in the local suburb of Fremantle. I had taken a tour of the prison during the day, but the one at night also provided a great deal of information as well as being a little scary!
Saturday
One thing that I have really enjoyed about living in a large city for the past couple of months is the large number of attractions and the variety of activities that are available. I went to the Perth Motor Show in downtown Perth on Saturday. Although not as large as some of the auto shows back home, it was really interesting to see some kinds of cars that I may never have the chance to see again. Followed by the motor show, four of the girls from MTU headed up into the hills to have a slumber party at our advisor, Larissa’s house. We had a great time watching movies, eating junk food and talking!
Sunday
My Sunday was also spent at Larissa’s house and seeing various sights around her house. We took a drive down into the valley, saw a gorgeous view of the city, as well as stopping at a park. Another movie was watched and we then returned to the village. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and dreaming of plans for our week free of classes.
As you can see, my weeks aren’t all incredibly exciting. Classes aren’t too much work, and it is definitely interesting to see how subjects are taught in a different country. The majority of my evenings are consumed with  watching a movie or playing a card game called Sheepshead. It’s a great time, and I can’t wait for all of the other fun stuff I have planned for the rest of my trip in Australia!
Until next week,
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