my room

As many kept asking me how it looks like in my room, I took some photos- 360° view. So the next time we are chatting you can imagine me, sitting on my bed and talking to you :)

Orientation weeks

For around 8000 new students, the University's O- week provided the first introduction to campus life. The campus transformed into an area of games, activities, concerts, parties, workshops and information sessions. Already on Monday I didn't recongnise the campus. It all seemed more lika a big festival than a place of education. As a new student you were obliged to attend special sessions and plan your personal o-week regarding your very own course in your faculty to get the most out of this preparation service. It was amazing, they had sessions for EVERYthing, of course all about the organizing stuff as there is the visa and special requirements for the working permission, student card, how to enroll, accomodation services, aussie- seminars to overcome the cultural shocks etc pp... and then there were other really helpful seminars about how to write stuff, taking notes, tricks to write assignments, time management, avoid plagiarism, library and campus tours... you see there was a wide range of things to do at campus that week. I liked all the promotion stuff that was going on so you got free ice-blocks, energy drinks, chocolate, coffee :-P On Wednesday there was the huuge market day.

The pictures above show a overview over the great court where the about 120 stands from all the sports facilities ( I didnt even know that many different kind of sports ;) amazing) on campus and all the faculties organisations, help desks, food, uq community stuff and very much free stuff what I, with my backpacker mind ;) - still love- so I indulged free juices, iced-coffee, chokolate, free BBQ and collected some free 2 minutes Asian noodles LOL. If you had any questions about anything on campus, there were definitely enough possibilites to solve them on that day or in general in O-week as there were people who were advising you EVERYwhere. I also got a free trial for the new Windows and an absolute cheap rate for buying it. I think this time I can use my status as a student in the fullest, discounts everywhere. But this time I AM a student who actually studies ;)

Some words to my workplace

As you could see at the pictures I am working at a cantine in the TAFE uni. I have to do pretty much everything, unsupervised ;) The main task is easy: run the place properly, so my partner, an Asian girl and me tidy and clean up, of course serve people, fill everything up and prepare everything for the next day, take our kids like the scallops and several different rolls to a swim in the fat-sea :) meaning prepare the food, look funny with our hat =) ... that sort of stuff. You know what? When I cleaned the place the first time it nearly felt like meeting my old long-haired friend, the mop and his mate the bucket again *lol* as you all know, I was very close to them while I was in Adelaide last year when I was working for my accomodation and thus had to clean bathrooms every single morning. So all in all I actually really like the work because we are responsible for ourselves and just do the things we think have to be done and it's very varied. I'm working Mondays and Tuesdays after uni from 2 to 8:15. So I start my week with two big days- try to train Monday morning as well... I will see how that works. Next Monday my course starts....I am pretty excited :) I think I've mentioned it already, I discovered another German- not very unusual I know- my boss =) I heard it from the first time I've talked to her but I didn't say anything in the first place. Now we sometimes talk in German and sometimes in English. It's funny because we both don't notice anymore in what language we are actually speaking so it happens every now and then that we talk German to the others as well who, of course, only response with a strange look on their face :-P

my work

Hot dog wih cheese beef/ curry pies pluto pups and crumbed sausages

(both a kinda fried
sausage...why would you do
that to a sausage ;)
it's interesting...)

chicken patties the absolut popular sausage roll potato scallops and (sausage rolled in puffy paste- chicken+ corn

you eat it like a banana and
put tomato sauce on the
top after every bite)

Australia's best Beach Volleyball Player

Last weekend with the Australian Championsh was pretty exciting for me. I loved watching all the guys. On Friday, as I've already told you, I watched Midge& Mandy as well as Beanie& Ryan in the qualifications and kept my fingers crossed that they would get through the main draw. Unfortunately they both had a tough games and we all came back as visitors on Saturday.

Brink and Diekmann close as.... :) it was funny for me to hear all the German calls in the game again and then I could even listen in the time outs. They won the tournament like every other event they've played in Australia. But I have to mention that Australia's first team Josh Slack- Midge's husband- and A. Schacht couldn't play due to injuries. Ze Germans ;) played really good Volleyball . The 2nd German women's teams was knocked out before the semis. I just noticed that I can't find the pictures of them....that's weird :(











This is Summer Lochowicz hitting and her partner Nicole Sanderson- she retired after that comp though- and Thamsen Barnett and Natalie Cook. They are all famous names in the international Beach Volleyball scene, both in the World Tour and several Olympic Games. Cook actually won Gold in Sydney...

Gold medaillist Natalie Cook digging a ball with a great move

The blond girl hitting, Alice Rohkamper, is the World Champion U21, she is only 18/19 and plays like a gun :-O. Two days ago the AIS- squad (Australian Institute of Sports) was training on the court next to us....wicked =)

Surfers Paradise

the famous jump photos... with a good run up we all jumped down this big dune

me, Midge and Robo, our coach

peace Midge

Midge, me and Krystal at the fantastic shore of the Gold Coast

Australian Championships 2007

Ryan jump serving and blocking

This weekend there was only one thing on the schedule: Australian Champs in Surfers. The qualifications started on Friday. Both Ryan& Beanie as well as Midge&Mandy had to go the long way through the loosers bracket. They completed great games but unfortunately they lost the final decisive one, that would have brought them to the main draw on the next day- unlucky guys. The dissappointment was big so we all went shopping and having a coffee, ice-cream.... ;) For me it was a great day on the beach WITH MY OWN CAMERA again. It took me a while to find out the right timing but I get used to it. Maybe I can play there one day, but as a non-Australian it's not that easy.

Mandy passing and Midge running to a great dig

my beloved sea ;)

Beanie, one of the other guys I'm living with jump serving and hitting

Isn't that awesome???? I love it!!!

Guess what, I met other Germans again. That's unbelievable....they are everywhere :) I was watching a game and then I asked the ref where he's from because I could hear he was not Australian. He said he was from Melbourne......oops wrong guess Anna....but with German backround....uhh there we are, I knew it :) He came over 5 years ago. I asked him how everything happened: he was supposed to stay here for holidays and then another month, another month....another half a year...he kinda got stuck here. Now he's married and Australian citizen. Before that he lived in South America in Venezuela for a while and he said, from his experience, Australia is the best country to live in =) Beanie must be right with teaching me that sentence *lol* And again he told me that I don't sound German AT ALL- scoooore, that's what I want- as we were talking in English.

what's new

I got a job- yeahhh- and the manager must have loved me because she assured me the job straight after the interview and told me that I will be the supervisor- HEHEHE ;) I will tell you more soon AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND I will show you the workplace and my nice "Heritage Catering"- hat AS I HAVE A CAMERA AGAIN- THAT'S AAAAWESOME =)))) I decided I should afford that money. It's obbviously not as good as my old Canon Ixus babe, but it takes pictures, that's all I need to keep you guys updated! So just stay a little bit more patient and I will upload some fun pictures again, ok? Won't take too long!

Did you discover my world clock yet? I love it, I created it myself, it's so handy :) Any more destinations I should add? Oz for me here, Germany obviously for you, India for my brother, Canada for Karen.... anything else???

On the weekend there are the finals of the National Tour. Nearly all the guys I am training with are playing the qualifications on Friday. I can't play because I'm German and it's the Australian Beach Volleyballtour but I'm more than happy to watch all these awesome players very very close. As I've already mentioned, I try to meet "the Germans" or at least try to get some good shots.

Hope you guys are all doing well, I will think of all of you beach- and summerlovers when I'm going to the beach that weekend. I'll catch some sun-layers for you!

Stay tuned!

The Aussies

On the left picture you can see Mandy, she is the wife of our coach Grant Robertson and also trains with us at this Beach Volleyball Academy Sandstorm (www.sandstorm.com.au) I met her in Klagenfurt the first time when Ryan introduced me to all the Aussie guys who were over in Europe for the big World Tour Event in Austria. Mandy cares about me very much, thank you, mate =) and always makes sure that I am fine and know whats going on.

To complete my integration she bought me an Aussie hair band and thongs with the Aussie flag for Australia Day so that I could be a real Aussie. You wouldnt imagine that but the only thing that you could see on the 26th of January was the blue, red, white- Aussie flag EVERYWHERE: players wore Aussie- tatoos, hairbands, sarongs, towels, shorts, caps, thongs, shirts....that was pretty amazing. We went for a walk that night through Surfers Paradise and there it was even more Aussie :) Girls actually wore dresses made out of the flag, they were all going off. It was good to see that, see how proud you can be of your country, how satisfied and content- that was awesome.

Beanie, one of the boys I am living with, tells me at least one time every day when he tries to explain ANYthing to me "Anna, thats because....." and then its my part to continue as a good pupil "...Australia is the best country in the world" They are funny. I also loved the atmosphere in the pedestrian precinct because people were around, having ice-cream, partying, dining, strolling around....sth was happening, the city was alive, not as sleepy as in Roth for instance. I love it!

On the right picture you can see Amelia and Josh Slack. Amelia, called Midge, is my partner for the rest of the season and I really appreciate playing with her. I can learn heaps from her. Josh and his partner are actually the Australian mens team number 1 in Australia :O He even coached us one day, exciting ;) They are playing world Tour as well and apparently smash the Germans every now and then?!? Didn't really want to believe that....Beanie's comment "Anna you know, that's because...." =)

Well I will see at the Australian Championships next weekend how they go because Julius Brink and Christoph Dieckmann as well as Hella Jurich and Rieke Brink-Abeler are playing the Australian National Tour at the moment and obviously tried to escape German weather. Maybe I can say hello at some stage? That would be awesome. You know, first see them playing in Klagenfurt in the stadium and then stand next to the court.... cool!

Copyright © Delly Carr - Sportsphotography

Magnificent Gold Coast at it's best
Copyright © Tourism Queensland

Brisbane

Hatte ganz vergessen, dass ich ja schon mal ein paar Fotos geschossen hatte, als ich durch Brisbane spaziert bin. Sind jetzt nicht die Brüller Aufnahmen, einfach hier mal *klick* und dort mal *klick*....















In diesem Park, der wirklich mitten in der Stadt liegt, hab ich auch schon eine Stunde Rast gemacht und mein Sushi verdrückt. Fand ich ganz nett, so ne grüne Oase inmitten der ganzen skyscraper. Nicht zu vergessen, dass ich Palmen liebe, die könnten wahrscheinlich auch einfach auf ner Mülltonne wachsen und ich würde sie toll finden :-P

Könnt ihr euch noch daran erinnern, dass ich das Foto von dem höchsten Gebäude der Welt nicht mehr gefunden habe? Hier ists.... also ich muss sagen, schaut nicht wirklich spektakulär aus aber wenn man davor steht sind die 500 meter senkrecht in die Höhe doch schon gewaltig. Hier fehlt wohl einfach der Bezugspunkt.