Settling into Dunedin

So the last few days I've felt like I'm getting a little bit more accustomed to life here in Dunedin. It's really great to be able to walk down George Street into the Octagon... there's a lot to do down there. All the people I've met so far are all great people also. The area that I live seems to have a lot of Americans, though. There are some students from other countries around here though, and a few Kiwis sprinkled in.

O-Week started winding down over the weekend, and it's been cool just to be able to hang out and relax for a while. I started classes on Monday, and I think my schedule is going to be pretty good. My Music Technology class is pretty cool, it's going to be a lot of playing around in GarageBand and mixing music in different programs. Maori Society seems to be the typical 'fresher' (freshman) class, but also has tons of international students in it. At least half of our AustraLearn group is in the class. It's kind of cool, but kind of strange at the same time. Hinduism and Buddhism is my smallest class, with about 30 students. I weirdly know a few people in that class also, and I think it's going to be very interesting, but probably a lot of reading and work. My last class is TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages), which is definitely going to be interesting. I only have it once a week for the first couple weeks, so I don't know a whole lot about it yet.

Anyway, it's been annoying having to come to the student center (the Link) or the library to use the internet, but it's going to be installed in my flat most likely by the end of the week. It has seemed like I don't know what to do with myself during the week, but I've gone into town and to the beach a few times. At night, it seems that there is always some form of partying going on somewhere. A lot of the time a whole flat complex will have a party together in the middle courtyard. Ours (783 Great King) is having a big one this Thursday night, I think there are about 6 flats that are all getting kegs, mine included. Last night I went out with some friends to a bar called The Baaa, and then headed over to 480 Leith St. for a party for one of our friend's birthdays. We had fun throwing around a rugby ball and just hanging out there, but I came back to my flat at around 2 to get to bed for my 9am this morning.

I do miss everyone back home, but I'm having a great time here. Hopefully this weekend I'm going 'tramping' (hiking/camping) in the fjordlands, but we'll see what happens. I'll definitely get out there and do something. Internet in my flat is coming soon, and then I'll finally be able to upload pictures and use Skype to maybe actually talk to some of you guys. Hear from you soon...