First off, I would like to apologize for being unable to write these entries as frequently as I believed I would be able to.  This is in part due to my computer being broken and the computers on campus having a use limit of one hour, needless to say I have been using those for school work and now finally have some free time to write this entry.  Given that I have not written in awhile I will be commenting on a host of topics in this entry.

University
School here is completely different here than in the United States, and I don’t believe it will ever seem normal to me.  I was told by one of my professors that a 70 was a great grade for a paper and was close to “distinction” at UNSW.  With 70 being a great grade and 50s-60s being passing marks, it is very disheartening to see a grade and not think of it in terms of U.S. grading scales.  It is interesting to hear how at UPenn and Boston College the grades are given a +15 to make up for this change, yet I do not exactly know Penn State’s policy and thus am semi-nervous for the sake of my GPA.

Riots
The past few weeks have been a tumultuous time in foreign relations with the Libyan Embassy crisis occurring and numerous protests ongoing throughout the world.  Sydney was one such city in which a protest occurred and being near the “action” was an eye-opening experience.  I saw a child holding a sign which read, “Behead All Those Who Insult The Prophet” and it is an image I will never be able to clear from my memory.  I can’t begin to express my feelings regarding how this made me feel; the emotions range from sadness to concern and anger for the future generations who must deal with hatred based on religion, race, etc.  The riots also showed a darker side for the racism which seems to hide within Australia.  People standing in line at the grocery store would use racist remarks regarding the incident and also say things such as, “Send them all back where they came from, this is our country.”  After learning of the Aboriginal struggles within Australia I find these people to be righteous hypocrites whose ideas of what Australia should be to ruin the greatness that is their country; a mixture of people of different ideas who all came to Australia to follow their life’s dreams and aspirations.  The entirety of these events has forever changed me as a person, and I’ve realized the truth of the matter is the world isn’t as beautiful of a place as I believed it to be.  Sometimes this truth hurts. 

Uni Games
After the last paragraph, I find it necessary to remark on one of the great things which has happened to me while being in Australia.  I played baseball for UNSW in the Australian University Games in Adelaide and our squad finished in 4th place, the highest ranking for UNSW in baseball in quite some time.  I did quite well batting, fielding, and occasionally pitching and the greatest part of all was forming a bond with my teammates which I believe will continue on throughout my life.  If there is one event for American students to bond and become friends with other Australian students it is Uni Games, and I highly recommend any student going abroad to participate.


One Month Left
With one month left in my journey, I am truly appreciative of everything my time in Australia has taught me, namely that I’m more at home with a backpack sleeping in a hotel room, a bus, or an airplane than I am necessarily on a bed.  I’ve realized I still want to see more of everything this life has to offer me and continue to go to other countries and continue to travel on this long road.  I’ve realized that despite some of the ugliness present in the world I still want to see it all.  I feel I am the most in my element seeing all these things for my own and not simply having television and newspapers tell me how I am supposed to feel about the events which are happening.  I want to learn more about the world. It makes me want to get up and go.

Location: Sydney, Australia