A Social Few Weeks...

So I have decided to do this blog entry in REVERSE chronological order so my little Jack-O-Lantern can feature at the top of the page.

The past few weeks have been filled with end of term social events... and oh guess what, schoolwork. I know its tragic to admit, but I actually have had some assignments that needed completed since I've been in Brisbane. This little guy to the left is Jack. He is my attempt at bringing fall and consequently Halloween to Australia. Since it is spring it is NOT pumpkin season here... and this was the only orange thing I could come up with. Actually was sort of gifted to me by the drunken traffic cone fairies. Its rumored they live on the floor below me.

PS. Thanks Aunt Margie for the Halloween lights... they come in handy when you have a plastic Jack-O-Lantern.

Last week at some point we made a point of making it down to South Bank, which is the man-made beach in Brissy. I took the camera so that you all can see the BEAUTIFUL jackaranda trees that were in full bloom. That picture is of campus. Pretty stunning right? Brisbane is renowned for the jackaranda trees (the other city where they are plentiful is Pretoria) and there are many legends that go along with them. UQ students claim that when they begin to bloom you must start studying for finals. If you wait until the blooms have fallen to begin your revision... its too late. Youre done for. Im thinking of gluing purple tissue paper to the trees in hopes that it will give me longer to study!

Going back to last Sunday we had an all girls outing. The event was called "Ladies Day" and is in response to the male version which occurred a few weeks prior. Essentially it is an annual tradition where all of the girls in college wear the best thrift shop dress they can come up with (this years theme was floral) and then go to a park and get ridiculously drunk together for the duration of some Sunday afternoon. The drink of choice is cheap boxed white wine... and the rest of the events are secret. Ladies honour.

[editors note: everyone is entirely sober in this picture, as it is the first of the day.]

And finally, my favorite event of college life thus far... Emmanuel at Home. This was two Fridays ago and was such a ball. Everyone in college gets fancy and heads out onto the quad where there were tents and champagne set up. This years theme was "Hollywood" so the girls got glammed up and the boys went retro. The pictures from this night were so much fun and everyone just got to stay on college grounds for a night. At one point (wait for it... here comes the Good Old Boys' traditions again...) the boys all go out to the oval and smoke cigars with the Headmaster of college. Not to be out done, it is traditional for the girls to dance around in the bras and participate in a rousing game of limbo simply because they can. With the boys gone... girls, well the girls make the boys wish they werent out smoking cigars.