Happy Thanksgiving from Down Under!

Hi all,

I hope you're enjoying your Thanksgiving feasts. I didn't do much of a Thanksgiving dinner; I went to a friend's apartment for stirfry which she made to get rid of food that was about to go bad since we're all leaving within the week. I haven't done much since Tasmania, but there are few tidbits to share, mostly so I don't forget them, as my e-mails are my only source of collection of my goings on in Australia.

A few friends and I saw "sea monsters" at the IMAX theater. It was alright, I suppose. It was all computer-animated, which these days is almost flawless, but since it was all prehistoric animal stuff it was hard to get into. We wanted to see Deep Blue Sea with narration by Kate Winslet and Johnny Depp, but there was a school field trip so it was rented out. After the movie the rain had cleared so I had the genious idea to walk home from Darling Harbour, which we guessed is around six miles; we're not sure. Dodging traffic and following signs back to Coogee was quite entertaining and adventure-packed.

The weather has been nice up until yesterday. I got a less than favorable sunburn, which is slowly getting better. I'm hoping the next five days that I'm in Australia will clear up so I can enjoy summer before heading back to cold and rain and snow.

The other day I went to tour the Great Synagogue in Sydney- Australia's second temple. It's a reall nice building with sort of gothic characteristics. The inside is really ornate, and the ceiling is cool because it's dark blue with all these stars. The tour itself was merely an information session, and while most of the group (I was the only person under the age of 50) was Jewish, the film was about basic Judaism, and what wasn't, I learned at the museum a couple weeks ago. But hey, for three dollars I'm glad I saw it.

There have been a few last Frisbee get togethers; last week was a farewell to "Seppos" (see your Australian dictionary for that meaning). Tonight I'm celebrating my friend's birthday in the city, if I can find the place. Yesterday a few Frisbee kids and I went to the Sydney Cricket Ground to watch Tasmania play New South Wales. (If you were unaware, I am in the state of New South Wales) It was a test match, which means you play one game over the course of five days. I can't really explain the rules though; I am just learning them myself. It was a six-hour game, and I left after about three, because it's pretty boring, but cool to see nonetheless. I played in a women's ultimate game earlier this week, which was lots of fun except my hamstring really is in tough shape. I need to nurse that back to health. I played really well and the Australian women said it was too bad I'm leaving before their club season; they'd like to recruit me.

I have my last exam in a couple hours, so I guess I should review a bit more before heading off to the racetrack to take it. Yeah, they don't have space on campus for all the exams so we take them in the betting rooms and derby rooms at the racetrack. After that, I'll be spending my last few days packing up!

Stay warm whilst I soak up the sun on the beach!

Heather