Hard Light Productions Forums
Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: WMCoolmon on October 19, 2005, 11:15:34 pm
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There's a program that I can probably take, communications-oriented, that involves a minor trip to (Sydney, ) Australia. :p
As far as countries to travel to go, Australia is probably the one I've most been interested in. (I've never been abroad at all, just in various places in the US, and Texas.)
I thought I'd be much more excited about going, but people asking me 'do you really, really, want to go?' and seeing the $5000+ price tag has made me hesitant.
It's over winter break, but to be honest there's not much reason for me to stay in the states.
I don't want to turn down the offer and then regret it; technically my decision needs to be in by tomorrow, but the person coordinating the thing said that it could be stretched to next week.
My parents, surprisingly, seem willing to foot the bill so financial issues aren't so much at stake as motivation. (I'm not the greatest people person and I don't know if anyone I know is going on the trip. I'd hate to go and then end up being lonely the whole trip.)
It seems like a fabulous opportunity, and I was going to take one of the communications classes that are part of the program anyways, until I realized that it'd prolly be more useful to take a music course instead.
Any thoughts from people who've travelled? (I already know to tell everyone I'm Canadian :nervous: )
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Dress for a warm climate, pack the sunscreen, and you're all set.. what's your travel itinery?
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As long as you don't have to pay, why not? I mean, I'de go pretty much anywhere as long as it was free, and you can do [l]alot[/l] [l]significantly[/l] [l]somewhat[/l] a bit worse than Aussieland. It's like the Caribbean, except populated by the descendents of thieves, murderers and rapists.
Just remember: disparaging the Boot is a bootable offence.
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DO IT!
You can visit me and see my new house! :)
AS for Rictor, nimrod, learn more australian history than the average american history book contains. There's a lot more to it than the descendents of thieves murderers and rapists. And if it was a joke, fie on you anyway. It deserves the Boot!
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Originally posted by Rictor
As long as you don't have to pay, why not? I mean, I'de go pretty much anywhere as long as it was free, and you can do [l]alot[/l] [l]significantly[/l] [l]somewhat[/l] a bit worse than Aussieland. It's like the Caribbean, except populated by the descendents of thieves, murderers and rapists.
Just remember: disparaging the Boot is a bootable offence.
So.... Georgia?
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As one of the few residents of Sydney on these forums (among such others a Setekh and Duelron), i'll share my wisdom; If you're coming down for blue skies, sunny weather, and good-looking women on the beaches... you might be dissappointed when you get here. It's supposedly spring (thankyou Spicious) down here, but Sydney's been cloudy for a week or two now, but there's word it'll clear up relatively soon, and we'll undoubtedly be back to 35 degree weather in no time (that's in Celsius for you Yanks). Anyway, i'd recommend coming, you'd definitely regret giving up a chance to go to the best country on the blimmin' planet...
...one more thing, good choice on choosing Sydney to visit, every other city in Australia just plain smells compared to us! (Especially Canberra...bleech)...:D
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Originally posted by Mefustae
It's supposedly summer down here, but Sydney's been cloudy for a week or two now, but there's word it'll clear up relatively soon. Anyway, i'd recommend coming, you'd definitely regret giving up a chance to go to the best country on the blimmin' planet...
I don't know which Sydney you live in, but here it's still spring. Summer starts here in December.
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Originally posted by Spicious
I don't know which Sydney you live in, but here it's still spring. Summer starts here in December.
...Oh yeah... well, the HSC can really mess up one's mind... so I think I deserve some leniancy on that one... :nervous:
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Originally posted by Mefustae
...Oh yeah... well, the HSC can really mess up one's mind... so I think I deserve some leniancy on that one... :nervous:
Yes, it can, but still it's not that hard to get the seasons right. :p
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your winter break is our summer, right? which means i'll be in sydney on summer break! definitely come. i'll even go beaching with you. of course i intend to go beaching at least four days (intent is different from reality, alas) a week so it won't be because of your visit, but still...
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We've got a lot of australians on this board I've noticed.
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Originally posted by Turnsky
Dress for a warm climate, pack the sunscreen, and you're all set.. what's your travel itinery?
It looks like saturdays/sundays will be free of planned activities. Not that those necessarily sound bad; there are some lectures, that could get boring, but also a lot of sightseeing/travelling. (The coordinator mentioned they wanted to go out and visit an aboriginal settlement/village, which sounded pretty interesting to me.)
It's mostly a december/January thing.
Originally posted by mikhael
DO IT!
You can visit me and see my new house! :)
AS for Rictor, nimrod, learn more australian history than the average american history book contains. There's a lot more to it than the descendents of thieves murderers and rapists. And if it was a joke, fie on you anyway. It deserves the Boot!
:lol:
But as a result, the drinking age is 18! :D
Hmm, another major decision I'll have to make...booze or no booze.
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Originally posted by Mefustae
...one more thing, good choice on choosing Sydney to visit, every other city in Australia just plain smells compared to us! (Especially Canberra...bleech)...:D
Bah - Sydney = Crowded, dodgy, second gayest city on the Planet.
Perth = Laid back, less crowded beaches, better looking women.
Originally posted by WMCoolmon
Hmm, another major decision I'll have to make...booze or no booze.
How does that constitue a major decision? Yes is only 3 letters after all :p
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Originally posted by Black Wolf
How does that constitue a major decision? Yes is only 3 letters after all :p
You're from Perth eh? Well, that's surprising...
...Not that you're from Perth that is, what's surprising is that you're from Perth and you can count to 3...:p
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Originally posted by Mefustae
You're from Perth eh? Well, that's surprising...
...Not that you're from Perth that is, what's surprising is that you're from Perth and you can count to 3...:p
I'd normally insert a stinging comeback in here, but to be honest I don't think there's one that'd do that justice. Excellent work :D
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Go
Then bring me back one of these (http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=GT3095&CATID=&keywords=chicken&SPECIAL=&form=KEYWORD&ProdCodeOnly=&Keyword1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID=)
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Bah. The only thing Sydney has going for it is that it IS the second gayest city in the world, after San Francisco. That's a very, very good thing. The only thing Perth has going for it is... well.. Billy Connoly did a show there once. They're both holes.
My money is on Adelaide. Its got... Um... me. And my house. 2min walk from the beach. :D
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Originally posted by Black Wolf
Bah - Sydney = Crowded, dodgy, second gayest city on the Planet.
Dare I ask what the first gayest city is?
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Originally posted by mikhael
Bah. The only thing Sydney has going for it is that it IS the second gayest city in the world, after San Francisco. That's a very good thing.
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Where will you be doing the communications course you're thinking of? At a particular university or what?
Cool, btw. :)
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Oh... yeah. I read the whole thread except for that one post... :nervous:
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Most of the book-reading/quiz-taking stuff would be online and before the trip. The practical applications and the lectures would be while actually _on_ the trip. I'd guess that some of the lectures will be at a university, since apparently there's a complex near a university that's built for just this sort of thing, that we'd be staying at.
Oh and icespeed, I'd love to go beaching with you. :D It sounds like I'll have free time on weekends too. :nod:
...I'll try to flatten my gut a bit before then. ;)
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Ugh. And, apparently, my dad pulled his usual habit of acting interested in something, and then coming around and saying he really doesn't have any intention of saying 'yes' in the first place. :doubt:
Instead, his ideas were:
1) Use the trip money to buy a car and drive to Canada
2) Use the trip money to buy a car and drive around the US
3) Use the trip money to buy a car and travel to Mexico
None of those really sounded appealing to me, and the conversation kept degenerating into politics. :blah: Generally a subject I avoid with my parents. The most frustrating thing was being unable to come up with any response to "Why?" better than 'it seems like a good idea.' Yeah, he bluntly told me that he believes that he knows what's better for me than I know for myself...I'm almost hoping this is some kind of test or activity to encourage me to be more persistent or whatever, rather than just him exploiting my interest in the trip as a method of making me reveal more about myself than I'm comfortable with (I'm already regretting it; my even slightly liberal views seem to have made him start exclusively talking about option 2 b/c he feels I don't appreciate the work the US has done for the world...)
:sigh: Maybe I should at least get a passport, so that's not an issue if some opportunity to go to some country comes up. Like Mexico or Canada, w00t w00t :rolleyes:
Edit: Not that I have anything against Mexico or Canada, they just aren't places that I've had any kind of ongoing interest in going to. As far as going to another country goes, they sound interesting, but I would much rather head to Australia. After that's Britain/Russia/France/Germany. No, nothing beyond the gut feeling of 'this is a good idea'.
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Originally posted by WMCoolmon
Ugh. And, apparently, my dad pulled his usual habit of acting interested in something, and then coming around and saying he really doesn't have any intention of saying 'yes' in the first place. :doubt:
Instead, his ideas were:
1) Use the trip money to buy a car and drive to Canada
2) Use the trip money to buy a car and drive around the US
3) Use the trip money to buy a car and travel to Mexico
None of those really sounded appealing to me, and the conversation kept degenerating into politics. :blah: Generally a subject I avoid with my parents. The most frustrating thing was being unable to come up with any response to "Why?" better than 'it seems like a good idea.' Yeah, he bluntly told me that he believes that he knows what's better for me than I know for myself...I'm almost hoping this is some kind of test or activity to encourage me to be more persistent or whatever, rather than just him exploiting my interest in the trip as a method of making me reveal more about myself than I'm comfortable with (I'm already regretting it; my even slightly liberal views seem to have made him start exclusively talking about option 2 b/c he feels I don't appreciate the work the US has done for the world...)
:sigh: Maybe I should at least get a passport, so that's not an issue if some opportunity to go to some country comes up. Like Mexico or Canada, w00t w00t :rolleyes:
that sucks, man. you missed out on all the creatures here that can KILL YOU! :p
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If you buy a car and drive to Australia, I'll pay for it*!
*cheque dated October 32nd 2090 ok for you?
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I'm going to at least fill out the application, maybe write the essay as well. I can articulate better on paper, or in writing in general, what I want to say better than when I'm speaking it, just because I can sit around for five minutes and ponder my use of one word, or one facet of a feeling. :p
Hell, if nothing else, it's given me a definite purpose that seems worthwhile beyond SCP. Sort of like I'm doing something significant with my life, even if it is 'selfish' and would only have obvious benefit for me. Personally, I think it might be fun for other people on the trip, as well, to have me along, but apparently that's not really a belief that my dad shares...
To me, this seems like exactly the kind of thing that I'd look back on and think, "Hey, it really changed my life in a good way". Forced to interact with a bunch of people I don't know on the trip? Stuck on a continent where my only acquaintances are people that I've exchanged a few messages with via forums? Hell yes! :p For once I could really say, "Well, if I **** up here, it's not going to matter". Gives me a chance to go all-out and relax, rather than worrying about getting crap every day if I do _something_ that ofends _someone_.
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Originally posted by aldo_14
If you buy a car and drive to Australia, I'll pay for it*!
*cheque dated October 32nd 2090 ok for you?
Maybe...which dating system are you using? :p
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Whatever one the bank isn't.
:D :p
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Originally posted by WMCoolmon
:sigh: Maybe I should at least get a passport, so that's not an issue if some opportunity to go to some country comes up. Like Mexico or Canada, w00t w00t :rolleyes:
I've found that just having a passport is a good indicator of how open-minded a person is. Nine times out of ten, when I hear some american *****ing and whinging about the things that go on in other parts of the world, a little conversation reveals that they've never even been out of their own state, and don't even have a passport.
Not really on topic, but you made me think of it again, none the less.
Yes, travelling to a genuinely foreign country WILL change your life, and for the better. Nothing makes you appreciate who you are and how you fit into your own culture than discovering what its like to be surrounded by another.
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Albiet, in 5 years time I probably won't have a password. Odds are they'll be no option but to get it with an ID card, y'see, and I'm not willing to 'endorse' that by paying for one.
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Passport, aldo. Yeah for muscle memory.
Over here, passports and ID cards are so commonplace that they aren't a good indicator. But yes, those people who go further on a holiday then just a campsite in France are generally more open minded.
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Originally posted by kasperl
Passport, aldo. Yeah for muscle memory.
?
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Originally posted by aldo_14
Albiet, in 5 years time I probably won't have a password. Odds are they'll be no option but to get it with an ID card, y'see, and I'm not willing to 'endorse' that by paying for one.
:p
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I can't do study abroad. ABET doesn't like foreign engineering credits, and my school runs on an odd schedule.
Of course, I'm debating being insane and going for a BS/MS, but still...