AUSTRALIA (Photo Post!!!)

I have so many amazing photos from the trip, but I condensed it down to what I'd argue are the coolest/best representative of where I spent my time studying abroad.  The different regions of Australia are all very different and unique, and this is where I had the opportunity to immerse myself!

Me and a Manta Ray in Coral Bay!

Quokkas are super sociable Aussie marsupials found on Rottnest Island  

Clear, cool waters perfect for snorkeling among the Ningaloo Reef

Sunset at Cape Peron

<-- Spanda arches in Perth

Aboriginal art sculpture (yes, the skies are really that clear and cloud-less pretty much always)

Wombat at Caversham Wildlife Park

Dusk from the Vlaming Head Lighthouse, Exmouth, WA

Kangaroos are very laid back, rather lazy animals that like to eat until they fall asleep

Quokka and its baby at Rottnest Island

Coral Bay/Exmouth, Western Australia

     Exmouth is on the western coast of Australia and sits in the tropics, 21 degrees south of the equator. We had the opportunity to spend a week there collecting data on small giant clams for a week, totally of the grid, with no internet access.  With a permanent population of about 200 residents, the are is quite quiet and fairly unpolluted.  The air is so clean and the skies at night are so clear we were able to see Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Saturn in addition to hundreds of thousands of stars. The sky was so brightly illuminated by the moon you didn't even need a flashlight to see in the dad of night. 

     Our first day and night was spent in Coral Bay, where we snorkeled out to see an 8,000 year old coral reef, and swam among parrotfish, butterflyfish, triggerfish, and many notable other reef fish species like those we have in Hawai'i.  Unlike the dire situation currently imjpacting the Great Barrier Reef, the Ningaloo Reef is healthy and thriving.  As the largest fringing reef in the world, it is of critical importance to sustaining the marine ecosystems of NW Australia.  On a tour with Ningaloo Interactions there, we swam with manta rays, a tiger shark that got spooked and swam quickly away, humpback whales out in the open waters, and they took us on a guided snorkeling tour of a few reefs where we saw black tipped reef sharks, white tipped reef sharks, grey reef sharks, blue spotted eagle rays, tens of sea turtles, an octopus, an eel, and an abundance of reef fish and corals.  Once up in Exmouth, when driving through the Cape Range National Park to our study site locations for clam research every day, we saw almost everything Australia is known for; dingos, roos, echidnas, emus, even two sheep!  By far one of the funniest and most amazing experiences was seeing wild boxing kangaroos.  Yes.  Literally.  Boxing.  Kangaroos.  Two roos just having at it in a brawl with their flying fists and kicks, one of the coolest and most Aussie things imaginable.

     The fact that we had no outside connections or obligations made the week long excursion even more incredible.  We spent nearly all day every day in the sun, watching the sun rise or set every day, visiting some amazing Marine Protected Areas and should-be famous snorkeling sites like Oyster Stacks, where we saw a few jellyfish floating around, not even to mention the other amazing sites.

     Overall, this one week was the most influential and best part of the entire trip, and is something I will remember for the rest of my life.  If I ever return to Australia, this is one place I dare not miss.  My decision to study abroad has been one of best I have ever made, and I haven't quite made many of those.  I want to find more opportunities to study abroad for marine science and studies now more than ever.    

Top 10 Things To Do in Fremantle, Western Australia

Fremantle, or "Freo" as it's called isn't a huge bustling city the way Perth is, but still has nearly everything you need to enjoy your time there.  So here's the list, not in any particular order:

1. Walk along the beaches in Freo, you might just come across an Aboriginal guy who will teach you how to throw a boomerang

2. Eat gelato.  A LOT of gelato.  There is more than half a dozen places within 1 km of each other, and it's so hard to choose just one, so why not try them all?

3.  Visit the Freo Markets from Fri-Sun for tons of really cool and unique souvenirs and snacks. If you wait close to closing, all the produce prices drop so then's the time to get all your fruits and veggies super cheap

4. Take the ferry to Rottnest Island, and get selfies with quokkas, an Aussie marsupial found there, and rent a bike while you're at it- you're able to make it 25 km around the whole island in a day, with plenty of time to stop for pictures.

5. Head over to B shed, where the dive shop Dive, Ski, Surf is, and from Wed-Sun, the little dog Kingston is there to greet all of the customers with love and kisses, and then wish that was your dog and want to smuggle him back into the USA with you, but alas must live with just following his adventures on Instagram.  Oh, but you can also get SCUBA certified there as well, the instructors are pretty great, 10/10.

6. Visit the home of the original 'Blind Date With a Book" at Elizabeth's Bookshop, and while you're at it, marvel in awe at the cover art for the Harry Potter series (it's way better than what we have in America, trust me)

7. Get some grub.  With places like Meet and Bun, and Wassup Dog, you're sure to leave satisfied from the food and Aussie's pun game

8.  Go for a walk around town, there is art everywhere, street art on the sides of buildings and on the sidewalks, sculptures and pieces scattered everywhere throughout the area

9. Get money converted at a much better rate than at the airport.  Card is acceptable, but for inexpensive purchases, it is much easier to pay with cash.  In Australia, their money is waterproof and rip proof (we tried, didn't happen), is different sizes and the coins have variations in shape, and new notes now have braille, all to help their visually impaired population- smart right? 

10. Sit back, relax, and enjoy a drink at the pub.  It's the easiest way to meet with and talk to Australians, and while you're at it, try an Aussie beer.  Even if you don't like beer, you get it to say you tried it, and move on.  Drinking is a big social aspect on Australia, even during the weeknights when all the shops close at ~5pm (even your grocery stores often aren't open past 8pm) you'll find loads of people sitting at the bar watching footie, or Aussie Rules, or dancing to live music and chatting, so it's the perfect time to strike up a conversation, where you will inevitably be asked (if you're American) what you think of your president (psst- they don't like him much either)

Aussie Slang!

So it's already been nearly 3 weeks since I arrived in Perth, Western Australia (WA) and my time has already been filled with so many wild and fun adventures and new friends!  This is such a beautiful country, not without it's differences from the United States.  Here's a list of Australian shorthand language and either their un-abbreviated meaning or American equivalent!

Freo= the city of Fremantle
trolley= shopping cart
breakfast= brekkies
granola= musuli
Aussie rules= Australian football rules
roo= kangaroo
cell phones= mobiles
pharmacist= chemist
tabis/reef shoes= booties
rashguard= rashie
wet suit= wettie
takeout/delivery= takeaway
ranch= station
avocados= avos
vegetarians= vegos
BBQ= barbie
sweets (candy)= lolli
bottleshop= liqueur/liquor store
appetizer= entree
entree= main
arbo= afternoon


The whole appetizer and entree one threw me off when I first went out to eat!  Some things I just never knew before coming here-- Melbourne is pronounced "Mel-bin" and Brisbane is pronounced "Bris-bin," that was awkward!

Australia's west coast is not nearly as popular nor inhabited to the extend of the "Gold Coast" east what with Sydney and Victoria and Queensland and all that.  However, Perth is still a major city with nearly 2 million people, though you wouldn't know it by the number of cars on the road.  Public transportation here is huge, the train is fast, easy to maneuver, relatively inexpensive, and convenient, and buses are so abundant and run frequently, you're sure to have no issues getting around from place to place, and the people here take advantage of that.  If that isn't enough, there is Uber available, and often at night, taxis are parked outside of bars always ready to give someone a lift.  Public transportation here is different than Hawaii, where you pay a one day fare for a ticket, here, you tap a card loaded with money when you get on and off the bus, or when you arrive at and leave the train station, and you are charged for the number of 'Zones' you have passed through.  If you travel within the same zone, you are charged nothing, but a day trip from the Murdoch/Fremantle area into the city of Perth, which only takes about 30-45 minutes by bus and then train, can run you upwards of $5-8 one way!


I just recently returned from a 1 week trip up north in Exmouth, WA where I was completely off the cellular grid with my program fulfilling our field research section of this study abroad program, on little giant clams (and yes, they are actually called that).  In my next post, I'll talk all about the amazing things I did and saw during my time there! 

Already, it's safe to say the people I have met in my program are some of my best friends and my decision to study abroad is one of the best I have ever made, it's still so surreal that I'm here, and I'm loving ever minute of it!!!

My First Two Months in Rio de Janeiro

      Rio de Janeiro is a city unlike any other. If you are unfamiliar with any type of Hispanic or Latin American cultures, it may be very shocking (at first) to even visit Brasil-- especially Rio. Here in Rio, it is legal to run stop signs after 10 pm. The streets are always bustling. There is never quiet. There is an abundance of tropical fruits even now, as summer transitions to fall. The most noticeable aspect of Rio that stuck out to me when I first arrived is the blatant divide between rich and poor. I am lucky enough to live between Copacabana and Ipanema-- two "upper class neighborhoods"-- however, right outside my window, you can see the comunidades or favelas. These are poor communities where people live under extreme poverty. You see this everywhere in Rio: the "beauty" of the rich tries to hide the "ugly" of the poor. 

      Here, may people will warn you of the violence that fluctuates in the city. They tell you to take the necessary precautions: don't wear flashy jewelry, don't carry your fancy iPhone X around, don't dress like a tourist, don't walk around alone at night, etc. Although nothing bad has happened to me, I know that violence does exist here and it does help to know tips before you come. Aside from this, Brazilians are extremely willing to help you and will go out of their way for you even if they don't know what you're talking about. 

      PUC, the university I am attending, is an academically "good" school. Ergo, when I tell people I attend here, they usually say "parabens" or congratulations as it is known for being a prestigious school in Brasil. I've noticed, however, that there is not a very diverse student body. Even though there are many foreign exchange students, there are not many people of color. This pertains to the staff as well: there are 1,985 professors at PUC; 1,860 are white, 86 are black, 10 are amarelos or "tan," 1 is indigenous and 28 are undeclared according to PUC's Nuvem Negra newspaper. I have become very interested in the issue of racism here in Brasil and particularly Rio, as it is plain to see yet so different from the racism we see and experience in the United States.

      Overall, my first two months in Rio have been absolutely amazing: my brain has been overloaded with so much information about the music, food, fashion, politics, and lives of the people here. I have been inspired especially by the people I have met at baile funkes, street dance parties usually in the favelas, that seem to have the most eccentric styles, beautiful smiles and eye opening perspectives on life.

      Rio de Janeiro is a great choice to study abroad. As long as you exercise the necessary precautions and come with an open mind, you will do just fine. It also helps to have a positive mindset: if you are constantly thinking about getting mugged or being in a violent situation, you will attract it. You have to walk without fear here! There are so many pros that outweigh the cons here in Rio-- many people miss out on an amazing city solely because of what they hear. Come experience it yourself! 

HPU Study Abroad Griffith University 2017: Student Housing and Campus Tour (VIDEO)

G'day Mates! Welcome to Griffith University.

Below is a short video I made touring Griffith University Southport Campus in Gold Coast Australia, including The Village (student housing). I know that when I was first looking into studying abroad I watched every video that was available on YouTube about the school. This provides a helpful insight of what to expect from the campus before travelling down under.

YouTube Links: https://youtu.be/FsUsTbecTNA

Tips for Those of You Going to PUC-Rio

Tips for PUC Rio

Rio is amazing, and you will probably have the best experience of your life while studying there. However, you need to be careful, and hopefully my advice can help you avoid some of the situations that I encountered.

Safety:

-Do not hang out on the beach late at night, you’ll be robbed at gun-point.

-Do not walk around late at night either, if you have to then walk fast! Uber is really common there and very cheap so take an Uber!

-The only favela you should go to visit is Vidigal, but do not live there! Loads of PUC international students decide to live there, and after a few months, something unsafe happens and they all have to move.

-Watch/read the news on your phone (learn Portuguese asap), it will tell you if drama is going on in the favelas, and places to avoid. [When I was there, there was a gun-war and we had random gunmen who took over the area around the school and Joatinga].

-Always carry valuable items in your underwear. Even when you think it is safe, there is a pick-pocketer somewhere watching you. I was robbed so many times because I left my bag unattended at the beach or my phone in the small pocket of my bag (someone literally opened the pocket and took it out while I was walking).

-You should withdraw money from Bradesco, there are no withdrawal fees. HOWEVER, the Bradesco located in Copacabana on Rua Santa Clara is compromised. Me and my friends who used an ATM there all ended up having our cards copied. If you do end up a victim of fraud, don’t panic: your parents will be able to send you money using Western Union- you go there with your passport to pick up the cash.

Other Advice:

-You can take an Uber from the airport- there is wifi there, go to the second floor and I think you have to go to Terminal 2 (you can ask someone at the airport “oi, to procurando o lugar pra pedir um uber, ce sabe onde esta?”).

-Lay on your bag if you take it to the beach. If not, someone will run by and grab it while you’re not paying attention.

-There are some safe parts of Rio. Recreio is awesome and safe, as is Barra. Recreio is also great for surfing. You can take the metro to Barra, or a bus from a stop along the beach to go to Recreio.

-Don’t rely on the bus to take you to school. It is almost always late. Try to get a bike, but be careful with the cars and stay in the bike lane when possible (they drive like maniacs).

-VEGANS: you will find vegans in Rio, but it is very uncommon, and so expensive to buy vegan alternatives. (There are also festivals and events showcasing vegan alternatives.) I suggest you go to Hortifrutti to buy Soy Protein, which is not expensive. There are also so many fruits and veggies there. Just be prepared to not eat as well as you can in the US, and also bring any vitamins with you (they are so expensive in Brazil).

-The cheapest grocery store is Mundial. It’s crazy when you take a visit to Mundial! Completely jam-packed full of people but very cheap. I went there every week, and they don’t accept international cards so always go with cash. You will need 60-100 reais to shop for the whole week depending what you buy.

-I paid pretty much everything in cash, not many places accept international cards (apart from shopping centers). So go prepared, make sure your bank is prepared for you to use international ATMs.

-TRAVEL! As much as you can. Go up to Buzios and Arraial do Cabo at some point (Air BnB is great). Travel to Bahia, and if you have money/time, go to other countries in South America. A really cool place I visited is Itacare in Bahia. It is also interesting to go to places like Sao Paulo and Curitiba, because they are so developed and it literally feels like you’re back in the US.

-You can always take a bus to travel. If airlines are too expensive (this is usually the case) and you are travelling to a state that is quite close like Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo, Curitiba etc., you can take a travel bus for about 150 reais return. It takes ages but it is cheap (it took me 10 hours to get to Minas Gerais). You just search in google "Onibus Rio de Janeiro a (location)". You probably won't be able to buy the ticket online with your card, so try to find a Brazilian friend who will let you use theirs, or go to the actual bus station and pay there in cash.

-Contact me! If you need help with anything, I probably have the answers. I also have loads of friends still in Rio/ lots of friends all over Brazil.