First month in Melbourne

So I've officially been in Melbourne for a month now. I can't quite seem to decide whether time has passed really quickly, or really slowly. On the one hand, the past few weeks have been really busy, and the days seem to just fly by as I immerse myself in my studies. But on the other hand, I have become so accustomed to everything that it seems like I've been living here for a longgg time.

I guess this will be my official second update on my new life in Melbourne. Since my last (slightly emo) post, I've quickly adapted and gotten used to the way of life here, and find myself slowly falling in love with this city. Sometimes, I forget I'm in Australia.

I've made some new friends and gotten to know my classmates better. It really feels good when I have someone I can talk to. The students at Melbourne Uni are generally pretty friendly, but most of the people I talk to are not actually native Australians. I've met people from Belgium, Costa Rica, Chilli, United States, Malaysia, Philipines, and of course, good old China. It's a real international mix here.

As to my new life living outside of home, I'm really enjoying it. I just love shopping by myself, getting to choose what I eat, and cooking for myself. I don't know why, I just like to cook! Maybe I'm just not picky with my food, but I find that the dishes I've cooked are all pretty palatable, if I may say so myself =D Maybe I'm in need of a new career choice. Maybe, as fate would have it, I needed to move to Melbourne in order to discover my hidden culinary talent and embark on a journey to fulfill my REAL destiny! Here are my masterpieces:

 

Salad and fried rice. WHY AM I SO GOOD?!!

 

Salad, mashed potatoes, sweet and sour chicken, and an ice cold beer.....it's harder than it looks you know.

Okay so maybe Gordan Ramsay might have a few nice things to say about my cooking skills and my aspirations to become a Top Chef (different show I know!). Perhaps I should stick to being an environmental engineer.

I have to say though, I am quite enjoying the Master of Environment programme here. It was definitely the right choice to come here, although I do find myself slightly out of my depth. Things are pretty intense over here. Two and a half weeks in, and I've already had 50% worth of assessments handed in. Last Wednesday I had a presentation, yesterday I handed in a 1000 word essay, and today I handed in a 4000 word report. People here really don't fuck around! Although I do have to say, I felt pretty good after doing that presentation. Not only did it go quite smoothly (I was the only person who made the audience laugh), but it was my first real piece of assessment. It made everything feel much more real. I wasn't just a ghost walking through campus, sitting in on lectures and then going home. No, I am now a real student of Melbourne University, and I had just made my first mark.

So yea, that's pretty much the past month in a nutshell. All I've been doing has been studying, shopping, skyping, sleeping, smoking, cooking, eating, and working out. I haven't really gone out much, but I was never a party animal anyways. Overall, I have to say I'm quite enjoying this lifestyle. It may not sound particularly exciting to you, but for me, everyday is a new day. I'm still getting to know this city, and it's people, and it's crannies and nooks and dark alleyways and all the mystery and secrets it may hide. Just making a new friend is exciting for me. Or discovering a new shop that sells good food, or does cheap groceries. Or a nice scenic spot that could potentially be good for a date. Even just being able to see this city from a different angle, in a different light, at a different time, is exciting in itself. What can I say, Melbourne isn't too bad.