Summer? You mean thunder!

February 15th,

From November to February, Queenslanders can enjoy the beautiful and very hot north Australian summer! Indeed, in this region of the country the weather is very nice during approximately the whole year but summer is supposed to be the hotter period

Brisbane during the summer

Hotter? Yes, but not the nicer! During this season you enjoy a lot of sun and lots of nice days but the weather is so wet!! Sometimes it is nearly unbearable! Besides, hot days are not the only thing you can appreciate during summer, indeed when the temperature hits the 30/35 degrees, it is also time for you to experience Queensland's storm season...

Same view of Brisbane during a storm

This season is maybe the most feared by Queenslanders because it can sometimes blow everything away! Indeed, during the summer the weather can change impressively quickly, especially from a sunny sky to a very huge storm! It already happened to me to be caught in some kind of storm during a walk or some running because you can go out under a shinny sun and find yourself trapped between heavy rains and winds only a few minutes later!

Thunderstorm in Brisbane

But despite that I really fall in love with this city and I have been told that autumn is nicer than every other season! Add to that, I am on my way to Melbourne and then Tasmania...


Looks like the best is on its way!


See you soon!

ACU and the Australian education style

February 11th,

Hi mates!  

Today I am going to talk to you about my university here in Australia. I am studying at the Brisbane ACU campus. ACU stands for Australian Catholic University but actually it is not very different from any other uni, the catholic side of the university is not very present, it just appears to me to be some guidelines and Christian values that rule the education system in the uni, someway it is a bit comparable to Lyon Catholic University.  

ACU's logo

But the light Christian presence may be the only common thing between the two universities. Indeed, in Australia I discovered a very different education system. Students are treated a bit more like adults, having more freedom to do what they want. Indeed, it does not seem wrong for a student to come in or leave right in the middle of a class, whatever the reason (could either be a phone call to make or a cigarette to smoke!). One other thing that is pretty different from France here is the relationship between teachers and students. In Australia, it would seem weird for a teacher not to be called by his first name... I do not want to imagine the reaction of my French teachers if I ever call them by their first name! It would probably be considered rude but here the opposite is right.  

Brisbane Campus

One other thing about the Aussie way of teaching is that students usually have only a few classes (often four 3h classes per week!) So they have plenty of time to work in part time, what they usually do! This surprised me a bit since only a very few French students work while studying! 

 

Now, concerning the campus itself I would say that it is quite beautiful and modern. There are lots of grass area where you can lie during breaks and all the buildings are renovated, that makes it pretty awesome to work because everything you could use for your study is up to date (such as computers, other electronic systems, the library and I probably forgot some other things!) . 

Here and above are some pictures of the campus! (I will upload some night pictures as soon as i get my tripod! )

 See you soon fellows!

Finding a place in Australia!

February 4th.

It has just been one day since I arrived in Australia and it is time to search for an accommodation already. This is an important step in your semester but finding a flat to share in Australia is not as difficult as in France, because Aussies are used to welcome travelers and foreign students. 

Indeed, it has been years since Australia has become one of the world most wanted place for people to live in. So there is a whole system for everybody to find an accommodation easily. 

There are things you have to know when you are looking for a flat in Australia. First, if you want to live in the CBD you have to share a flat with other people. And this is actually a really good way to meet people from everywhere around the planet.

Once you are aware of that can start your researches using your own criteria. As for me, I really wanted to live within the CDB and to improve my English, so the location and the nationalities of people living in the flat were my most important wants.

The next step will lead you to meet your new Aussie best friend : Gumtree.  It is a website on which you can find a lot of adds for flatshares and all other kind of stuffs. 

Gumtree : Australia's best website

This is when the funny part comes through! After reading a lot of adds, it is time for some phone calls and a couple visits  to finally find the place of your dreams,... or at least a bed to rest! (After two weeks of backpackers this is a must have!)

Long story short, this is how I ended in a very nice flat that I share with one Korean guy, and four girls from Italy, Canada, India and Brasil. My flat has a huge balcony and stands on the ninth floor of a 25 floors building right in the CBD. And if you still doubt that this place is terrific, I would just add that a sauna, a gym and a swimming pool are just a lift ride away (on ground floor)!

The view from my balcony

So far, Australia keeps all its promises!

See you! 

What a journey !

February 1st, 7am, this is finally it! 

The time has come for me to leave my family, my friends, and my little French routine...

At that time, my feelings are really weird, there is indeed a melt between sadness and excitement, but still I could not be happier. Like a child I say goodbye and then get in the train... Australia here I come! 

"Here I come", that is easy to say! 

The journey is just starting and is going to take more than a day, but this is part of it,... Australia is to be deserved! 

a A380, the biggest
plane in the world

Next step is Paris! After two hours of train, I arrived at 11am in Roissy airport, a bit lost in this maze, but waiting impatiently to see "the Monster"! I expected this part so much, I am standing in the boarding room, contemplating a brand new A380, my transportation to the other side of the globe! 

Now it is time to go! Bye bye France! 

Next stop: Dubai! 

My ten hours flight finally landed in Dubai, seemed like an eternity but I tell myself that every minute in the plane brings me closer the dreamed island I am heading to. 

Dubai, a city of wealth, luxury and lust... such a shame I will only see the airport. But the duty free area here is the biggest in the whole world! So you have plenty of things to watch but even tax free, it is still hard to afford any of those Hugo Boss suits. Two hours later it is already time to catch the following plane heading to... Singapore! Yes, Brisbane is no there yet...

Brisbane city! After a final stop at Singapore I finally made it!

It is 3 in the morning on February 3rd. It was a long journey but hopefully it was worth it. Now I can say it : 

Australia, here I am !