12 February 2006
* Saturday *
So at about 10 on saturday morning I got dressed and got my bag together and went for a walk up to the Uni. There were a couple of white tents set up for all the new ressies, there was a BBQ and heaps of people hanging around waiting to get into their rooms. I was feeling good about myself since I already had my room and knew where I was going. I walked up to the Uni (it's about 1km) and walked around the campus for a while, trying to learn where all the buildings are for my classes that start next week. The campus isn't big by any means but it's still hard to find things.
The walk, in all, took me about half an hour before I was back in my room bored again. Everyone was busy unpacking and I was already finished so I really had nothing to do. So I went for another walk. This time I wrote down the buildings where my classes could possibly be so I knew which ones I had to find. Building 14's a bitch. It's out of the way and I have all my classes on Thursdays in it. Shannon told me that all the lectures are streamed over the internet so you don't actually have to go to them. Which, would be really cool if I get the timetable I want because then I would have classes on mondays and tuesdays and then the rest of the week I could do absolutely anything I wanted to do. I could even go home if I really wanted.
I wish my parents were in the country, that way if I was really struggling and wanted to come home for a weekend in a couple of weeks then they would be able to pick me up, decreasing the stress of me having to catch a bus then a train then a bus then another bus and getting home at 1am in the dark with all my possessions strapped to my back.
Aaron brought a tv and put it in the common room, I haven't actually sat in there for any kind of period of time yet, that would mean I might have to talk to people that came in. Weird.
What was I up to? I keep getting distracted. So I went on a second walk and found building 14 and got SUNBURNT!!! IN CANBERRA!!! And I really hope I don't peel coz thats gonna make a great impression for my first week. Got back from my second walk, actually now I remember that my second walk was half an hour so my first walk was much longer I think, that would make more sense. So I got back to the room, kinda sat for a bit. I heard people mumbling about meeting somewhere at some time so I asked (yeah I ASKED a question!) some girl and she said we were meeting in the courtyard at 1pm. So I ate half a salad in my room, sat on my bed for a bit and then walked down to the courtyard at 1pm.
It's not much of a walk, the courtyard is in the middle of Arscott house and my room is in the middle building of the middle floor of Arscott house so I can see everything out my window... and hear everything... and be kept up by everything. Argh. Steph called me when I was standing around the courtyard not talking to anybody, just watching everybody talk to everybody else. Apparently everyone was supposed to have a yellow shirt that they got in their information packs that they got when they checked in but because I did everything yesterday I didn't get an information pack or a yellow shirt, or a nametag. So i'm standing there in my purple "I heart Rock Stars" shirt in a sea of yellow, trying to blend because I HATE being noticed.
They took us up to Building 14 for a lecture. It was on the way there that I spoke to the first person ever. His name was... uh... oh geez... I feel bad now... ooh Greg. Yup, his name was greg. We kinda ended up walking next to each other so he said hi and we introduced ourselves. He walked first into the auditorium so I sat next to him and the girl behind me sat next to me. She said "I don't wanna sit by myself" and I said "me neither, thats why I followed him *pointing at greg*". She was Shannon. Shannon's a 3rd year but this is her first year as a ressie coz her boyfriend joined the air force. She's nice and I've hung out with her a bit now. Probably my lifeline so far, the only person i've rolled my eyes at yet so that gives her snaps. The three of us chatted a bit, it was more me talking to each of them at a time. Arscott was dismissed from the auditorium first though so we said goodbye to Greg who is living in Intenational House until his room in University Village is ready. Shannon's living in Arscott too but she's the floor above me. She came with me when Shari went to get me a yellow shirt (which ended up being a large and more of a yellow dress) and we walked back to Arscott together. She doesn't seem to know anyone either and I can have actual conversations with her that don't consist of "so where are you from? what course are you doing? where are you staying? ... ..." We've actually got past that part.
We scattered when we got back to Arscott, everyone going to their room, some people hanging out in the courtyard. Oh wait, i'm mistaken. We got back to Arscott and Shari said to meet her back at quarter to (the hour is illuding me) and she'd walk everyone to the grog shop. I stayed in my room since grog aint really my thing, and I already knew where the shops were. After that, we met up at 5:30pm to walk up to a free dinner in the UCU bar. We had to wait for ages and since I didn't have a nametag (Shami said it didn't matter about getting one... then there was all this fuss of 'they might not let you in if you don't have one' ) I got separated from Shannon, I sat with uh... Peter and A____ and Jess and Beatrice and another girl and Michael and Adam and Greg (the same greg).
Peter was on my left and he was a bit funny, he asked me what music I like and i said "Hilary Duff" in a joking, testing kind of way. You know, would he throw me out on the street or is he actually a nice person. He passed. With flying colours I reckon. He said "Oh yeah I know her, she's alright". Kinda reminded me of Dayne.
I know i'm gonna look back and say "it wasn't that bad" but I just have to remember that at this point in time it does feel this bad. Called Steph and she's having a blast, makes me feel worse. Oh and i'm also feeling very ugly right now.
It's a bit full on, like within two hours I got five messages on my phone (landline in the room) and three more before that.
So Adam and I walked back down to Arscott together where the group gathered in the "Green Room". It was kinda squishy but we gathered in many concentric circles (did i use concentric properly? I don't think i've had the need to use it before and it's almost midnight and i'm tired) and waited... and waited... and more people came and then there was more waiting...
Everybody was hanging out drinking, they called it "bonding time"... the returnee ressies went around and gave their names and nicknames and a bit about themselves. Then it was our turn. We went around the circles and had to say our name, preferred name, where we were from, and tell an embarassing story. Then, after the story the older ressies would think up a nickname for you, write it on a tie, and you have to wear the tie for 8 days. In fact I have mine on right now. The punishment for being seen without your tie is a spanking from the entire house of residents. Oh and after the nickname you have to skull your drink while everyone else sings a song. "... something something... bastard... something... he tried to get to heaven but he went the other way, he went down, down, down, down..." Until you finish.
My performance went something like this "Hi i'm Katharine but everybody calls me Wilson, they also call my brother wilson so that gets confusing at home... a funny story..." and then someone yells out "VOLLY!!!" (NB: I know Volly is actually spelt Volley but Volly was written on my tie so it seems I have to go with that). So I never got to tell the embarassing story that I made up 10minutes before. But it was good. Took us about an hr and a half to get through everyone. Then we were released for 20minutes for everybody to freshen up before moving on to the Lighthouse. The Lighthouse, for those of you uneducated people who do not know, is a bar off campus. It's actually the closest thing to the campus but technically it is off campus. Arscott house is the closest residence to it because we're the furthest from the actual university.
I sat with Shannon outside while we waited, Wang introduced himself to us and sat next to me. I call him Wang because that is his tie-name and I think his real name is Damien but I'm not actually completely sure.
So the three of us chatted for a while, another couple of people joined in on the multiple conversations, then we went out to the Lighthouse. Shannon had been there before so she knew the way but we walked in a big group so it was all good anyway. The lighthouse is about half a km away from arscott, in the opposite direction to the university so we're the closest residence to it, lucky us. We got there, lost Damien somewhere along the journey, I showed my ID and went in, Shannon was behind me and she didn't even get out her ID coz the guy at the door was the owner of the place and the owner of the place is a a friend of her brothers. So she got a hug and went inside.
It was really crowded. It's not a big place but it's a comfortable size. Shannon and I went to the bar and I wasn't going to get anything but then I changed my mind. I got another girl (don't know her name, really short n skinny, blonde) to buy my drink for me and her and the girl who was with her went and started dancing but I waited for Shannon and we went and sat down. Shannon had decided before hand that she would only have two drinks because she had to work the next day. So she sat down at the table with a drink in each hand. I had a Red Bull Blue. It was actually really nice but by the end it got a bit gross. I know that it had vodka in it but I don't know what else.
Shannon and I were sitting at a table watching the golf on tv and the silly people dancing. Damien walked past trailing behind a couple of other guys but he diverted his path and came and sat with us which I thought was really nice of him. He had a beer. I think it was his 5th for the night. So the three of us were sitting, with minimal chatting coz the music was so loud, and this guy kinda walked over to us from his table and kept telling us to dance. He had a half finished beer in his hand and put it on our table. He kept saying "go dance" and Shannon and Damien kept saying "I haven't had enough to drink". I didn't have to reply coz I was on the opposite side of the table to him and he wasn't really talking to me. None of us actually really knew what he was saying but we kept nodding. For a small period of time he was dancing standing next to the table. Apparently he told Damien to meet him at the club on wednesdays to go drinking.
I don't think i've been specific enough when I said "this guy" describing the man. Let me go into a bit more detail. He was a big guy, broad shoulders and on the large side. He was also about 40 in age so he was NOT from the University. Shannon finished both her drinks by the time I was three quarters of the way through mine so she was whispering to me "finish your drink so we can go". I did finish the whole thing! Wooo! First drink i've started and completely finished by myself. We waited a bit for Damien to skull his beer and then we headed off. The guy took about 5 minutes shaking Damien's hand and whispering in his ear before we made it out the door. So the three of us walked back to the Uni together, running into another guy along the way. The guy knew damien but I still don't know what his name is, he lives across and down one from Shannon. We found this out because the three of us went back to Shannon's room and hung out for a bit. I was suprised and elated to hear that both Hilary Duff and the Spice girls came on her ipod speakers when we were in the room. She showed us her new computer with massive monitor. The guy (whos name I did not know) went down to watch soccer somewhere. So after we left I showed Damien my digs and my cool alien lamp and then after he left I took a shower and went to bed.
