Arrived, Brisbane!

I am in Australia! Flights were good—a little turbulence over the Pacific, which is to be expected, but nothing too bad. But boy, that was a LONG flight. Somehow, having done a similar-length flight in December, I thought I’d be OK. Maybe it was the witch in front of me, who insisted on keeping her seat back as far as it would go for the whole flight, thereby crushing my knees, that was the problem. Surprisingly, I did actually sleep for a couple of hours, which is a first. And I think that really did help me make it through today.

So, briefly, it’s lovely so far. But not as different as I expected and wanted! Seriously—as we were taxi-ing to our gate in Sydney, what could I see out that plane window, seemingly right there on the runway next to the control tower? Yes, the golden arches of McDonald’s! And in the terminal? Gloria Jean’s Coffee Beans, Krispy Kreme, Hungry Jack’s (Burger King), and, honestly and truly, the Metropolitan Museum of Art Store. Much of what I could see from the plane window on the flight to Brisbane, and in the taxi this morning too, reminded me of Hawaii, actually.

University of Queensland is a rather large campus, and my cab driver had no idea where the college in which I’m rooming was located. But by and by, I made it. And these dorms are really quite nice. After a shower and an all-too-brief nap, I headed out for a little exploration. It’s winter here, so I knew I didn’t have too much sunlight left, but I wanted to walk a bit, and needed a few supplies.

There is a little village about ten minutes walking from here, and it had everything I needed. A tasty little dinner (and about ten restaurants, so lots of options for later in the week), Australia Post for some stamps, a newsstand for a Tour de France magazine, and the grocery for some water and toiletries. Now I’m back; I’ve ironed, and think the ball gown traveled marvelously, unpacked, and now am letting everyone know I’m in. My Blackberry isn’t working, so email me if you need anything, or use my regular cell if necessary.

I expect tomorrow to meet with the international admissions folks, my potential advisors in the second school, and my advisor in the first school. I also have one work meeting, and then will catch up with my colleagues so that we can finish the presentations for the conference—both are on Wednesday. After Wednesday, while it still will be very very busy, I’ll be able to relax a bit. But, I’m here and all is well. I expect that after a good sleep tonight, all will be great.


The college where I'm lodging during the conference.


There's a lake across the street with, yes, ibis.


I went for a walk and saw these two young boys practicing their cricket.