To all, A Letter

I wrote a part of this letter a while back, I couldn’t end it as I wanted it to so I left it hanging for a while. Because if you ignore it, maybe it would go away, yeah? So here is that old written part:

To all,

My first view of Australia was beautiful and I may say so naïve, as the plane set the sun was rising. I can’t say we were able to get out quickly as there was a mix up with the bags and then there was the quarantine but all and all by the time we got to the sitting area, I was tired but euphoric and walking on clouds. We sat in a small –and slightly odd café – and had breakfast. I couldn’t eat much as I dislike flying but as I remember I was probably grinning like a fool.

Many of you who know me well know that I dislike relaxing for a very long time (being lazy is another matter) and I generally dislike the hot weather. Therefore after a long, hot, shaky, taxi ride all I wanted to do was to lie somewhere cool or have a cold shower. But that was not to be, when we arrived in the hotel of sorts ( well it was a whole house but all’n’all it was a hotel) we were told that our ‘house’ wasn’t ready and that we should “relax” and take a walk.

Well, we didn’t have much choice so we did. The café of sort was small but it had a back garden. As we’ve been flying and in and out of airports for the last 24 or more hours, I was dressed pretty warmly (it’s quite cold on the planes) and was boiling. It seems that we arrived during one of the most prominent heat waves, and the temperature was incredibly burning. To me usually it would be close to hell, but I was still slightly high from the flight.

When we were finally allowed into our rooms I slept. I slept till about 8 o’clock in the afternoon, Mum says she woke me up to tell me that they were going to the shops but I don’t remember it. I slept through the night as well although more lightly, resting. As you can probably tell because of this, I switched the time zones easily. To me that was surprising as when I fly to Russia (the difference from UK is three hours.) I have a impossible time adjusting, here however it only took one day. I think it might be because the time difference is that drastic, it does of course help that I’m pretty young, it took Mum and Andrew about a week to adjust.

We expected to find a house quickly as you can find so many on the internet, but wrong we were. Not only to apply for a house you had to view it first but also the competition was too big. With the Easter break coming up we didn’t have a chance to even look at the houses and much less apply or get one.
After the holidays we had better luck, one of the house’s we looked at was perfect. It was furnished (which is rare in these parts –suburbs- as the house’s are only furnished in the centre.) relatively big and neutral. Yes, neutral is the word to describe it, it had very little character, but it was furnished and while impersonal it would do very nicely. I am still amazed that we managed to get the house, because the competition should have been fierce. My only guess is that the owner wanted someone respectable to rent the house rather that some students (who are the likelier candidates).
We settled in pretty quickly falling into a routine, I was yet to find a school, and Andrew was still working for MSSL from home but the house slowly became a home. Not all of our stuff is here yet ( it should arrive- the boxes that we send by boat – the SAT’S Tuesday) so the house is still pretty empty.

We looked around for school, but the governments ones are few and far in between. The one nearest to my home was one of the worst in the city so we decided to apply first to a good one but one which was a fair distance from us. Surprisingly, I was accepted, although they didn’t really have any places. (Here the average class is 24 pupils).

My first day was terrifying as you can probably guess. In Glebelands I knew at least a few people and every one was new as well, and when I went to St Nicks, well I didn’t speak a word of English so I wasn’t required to make conversation. Here the schooling system is different (and I still only know a small part of it) a there is no collage but 12 years at school. Everybody also starts a year older in his or her first year compared to England. In year 9, you have 4 terms and two semesters (2 term each). You get to chouse two per semester electives of which you get 3 lessons a week each. Most of them are full but I was lucky to get the once that I wanted for the first semester (which was all ready half way finished) I’ll tell you about the second semester later.

For the first I’m doing IT (Information Technology), which is pretty cool and we should be starting robotics soon. I like the atmosphere of the class, there is only four girls in it (including me) so in the double lesson the last 15 minutes everybody is allowed to play games or use the Internet. The boys play some sort of war game and it’s quite interesting to listen to their commentary. (I just play solitaire).

My other selective for now is Maths: Strategy. I know it isn’t doesn’t sound that….fascinating. But in the lesson where the tests consist of chess moves and time is spent in a curios mix of war tactic, game strategies, and political moves. It’s fun. To me, it’s fun.

For next semester I will be doing, Philosophy and hopefully (the lesson is full) Urban Art, if not then only Environmental Studies isn’t full.

The school compared to Glebelands is huge (there are 6 mixed classes in my year, and 2 full boys classes) it has more land and is more spread out. It can take up to 5 minutes to walk from the Art classroom to the IT classroom. I’m also getting lost quite frequently which isn’t that nice.

I miss HBM, I do. On the whole in my memories (which are viewed in pink tinted glasses, after all distance only makes them sweeter –or how does the saying go?) HBM’s were fairly friendly with themselves. If that makes any sense.

What I mean, if I just came and was new, Amy and Zoë would introduce me to every single teacher, with “ This is …. She is new and just moved……” and here I’m not sure if half of the class knows who I am. Or cares to know for that matter. It disconcerting, that no one seems to talk to others outside of their group.

I’ve made a few friends, none of them close yet, but then again it’s only been a short while.

As for the city, it’s odd. London, is big with skyscrapers and apartment buildings. Melbourne however, resembles a city only in the centre, the rest of it are small communities that are literally villages. When we decided to move I was glad, I missed living in the city, in a flat. Missed constant noise and crowds of people who couldn’t care less about you. Missed the feeling that you’re invisible, missed the fact that you can go to theater and ballet. And the fact that if you take a 30 minutes ride in the underground you can go to the constant art fair. Hell, I even missed the underground, (although London’ maybe one of the first, St.Petersburg’s is one of the grander) missed the old statues of long dead poets with flowers laying before them. Missed the tiled and stone walls, the unique chandeliers; the murals of the underground. I expected to gain it here.

I unfortunately did not. To get to the centre, I have a five minute walk to the train station, from there it’s a 20 minutes ride. They don’t have the underground or the metro here, they have a train service that sometimes ventures underground. It’s not the same. I then usually get of at Flinders Street. You don’t have to, you can sit on the train and wait for it to do the Central Loop and get of at Melbourne Central (then you can topple of to the Victoria Market).

Flinders Street. It right near the embankment (the river is Yarra) and the new Art/Museum Centre. In a five minute walk you have a park (which has parrots, I’ve seen them!) and a couple of galleries. There is also the City Library near by (note NOT the State Library, that will come later in my tale – note: or not.). It’s nice, I enjoy walking among the crowds, with nobody noticing or even knowing I’m there. It’s nice to become invisible for a while, to sit near the river side on a bench and attempts to write –to Becca - while a failing street performer attempt to get a crowd. There is a bridge a little further down that contain immigration information from a few years back (how many, Indians or English or French). I was surprised to find out that there were more Russians (descendant or otherwise) that the Welsh in Victoria (the county in which I live in, I guess.)

I live in Ivanhoe, it’s a village within/round the city. I should probably explore it more, but then when I was in Cranleigh the first year I only knew the way to school. So currently I pretty much know the way to the library, the local super market and…

And there I’ve got stuck. So now I carry on:

I know the people at school a bit better: I fitted in with the group of misfits that can be called the Colony (who Becca nicknamed Fibonacci’s) here I will attempt to introduce you to them and let you have a taste of their personalities:
There are two leaders: Amy and Grace.

Amy is -a half Chinese, half Vietnamese- Australian who has short black hair with red, and bleached highlights. She’s is taller than me (well I think pretty much everybody is but Joe). She has a loud personality and is very accepting of everybody, and likes to chat. The only lesson she seems to like is Art although she is good at both Maths and English, and she isn’t sure what she wants to be but she seems to like the idea of Architecture.

Grace is half Pilipino – moi thing - and has shoulder length hair. Compared to Amy she’s not very open, and barely talked to me my first week here. We’re better now. Just last week we missed assembly (we have them rarely) because we spend the time sitting in the corridor talking about who would win in a fight, Dumbledore or Gandalf (or Yoda), then we talked about what a shame it was that Boromir had such a small role. Then we discussed that in the Hobbit (the movie) Legolas had to be younger and considered the possibility of a young, teenage, punk and rebel elf. Sitting on a tree and shouting abuse and shooting stones at Gandalf and the dwarfs/hobbit. And then there was the fact that Legolas is generally over-liked compared to Aragon…. So yeah, we missed assembly and the first part of Maths.

Dalvin, is from Malasia and just moved here this year. She wishes to be a doctor, but I don’t think for money, mainly just to help people. She is a bit like me, she feels guilty in class if she doesn’t listen. A couple of weeks ago she took some photo’s of the group but I think I’ll rather take my own to show you.

Caddy (or Cadence) is doing a TAFE course next semester on childcare. She’s going to leave school next year. She’s full Australian, her dad is in the Army so she travels a lot. She moved to Melbourne only this year as well.

I found out I’ll be doing Environmental studies next semester. Semester.. maybe I should explain, here the school year begins with the real year, in January and end in December. There are four terms and two semesters, each semester has two terms in it. Currently I’m having my two weeks Winter holiday, we’re not quite sure where are we gonna go yet, so yeah….. Here let me show you some of the places I’ve already been to on the weekends:

The first time we went someone it was with a friend who was at my mum’s wedding (first, well and only) and his old professor, we went to a place called Arthur’s Seat. It’s a mountain thing. That were I first saw what I though was a kangaroo, but the professor guy said it was a wallaby.

The same day we went to the coast twice. One time to Cape Schanck which was rock’s and wild sea. I loved it there. It was untamed, wild, and beautiful in that way. Another time on a people beach on the way home. Note to others: It is a bad idea to walk bare footed, in the sand and sea on an Autumn/Winter Sunset in Australia. No matter how romantic it sounds. Note to self: Gain some brain cells, buy some cold medicine.

The next time, we went on our own, Mum, Andrew and I. We went to a mountain called Dandenong. Getting there was a fright as the path to the top was thin, windy, and very dangerous. But it was so worth it. The tree’s were eucalyptus, high a building, with their bark resembling vines. The whole place was just as I imagined the rainforest to be. But slightly calmer, not as alive maybe. To me it resembled a cross between as what I imagined a Canadian Forest and a Rain Forest. The whole place, and fresh air made me impossibly high.

Then I think this weekend we went to, well, someplace, which gave me the creeps – it was high – with a waterfall. Well the creep are because I was scared of height but otherwise the whole place was nicely serene.

A few day’s ago (July 2nd ) it was my mum’s birthday. We went to the Fitzroy gardens – after I made pancakes – and saw the Cook’s Cottage (As understand he ‘discovered’ Australia and was eaten by Aboriginals in Papa New Guinea) and the Fairy Tree and the River God Fountain. Then we went to the Melbourne Museum, and saw the inside/outside garden and Mind/Body exhibition (it was highly disturbing, and well I’m glad we didn’t stay long) I also saw a snake skeleton. Now that was cool, the snake actually had a spine with a constant (?) ribcage. There was also a skeleton of a small bird. It was soooo delicate. Hmmmmm….Right.

Then we went to see the Melbourne Story (it was in the Museum) which was pretty cool, I never knew there were so many different Aboriginal tribes.

Then we moved to a (lightly posh but mainly expensive) Japanese Restaurant. Which is fine if you like Japanese food but… Anyway I had: Salmon Sushi (times 2), Some deep fired veggies + fish and pawns. Then for desert I had Japanese Snowballs. Now that’s all fine if you like bland food, dipped in soy souse, but I don’t. So now I know to avoid Japanese food unless I’m eating it with someone who knows what they’re talking –eating?- about. But I liked the Snowballs wouldn’t mind having some now.

Other than that, I’ve kinda got a job. If I do the dishes and all of the cleaning around the house, I would get paid. That’s cool, ‘cept I have to wash the dishes twice a day by hand. I should consider getting gloves.

Also, don’t expect me to answer all the reply’s (yep, I’m being optimistic, so what?) quickly, as it’s my winter holidays and as silly it is to say I’m busier than ever.

Also, I don’t have everybody’s birthday, so if you want me to celebrate it – mention it!

I’m also trying to organize a photo album with google but until then I’ll attempt posting on my website. For those unknowing it is: http://at-spes-non-fracta.blogspot.com/

Love to all, and all to Love.
Sasha Bogdanova

Birthday Mentions:

Ben Howland –I’m sure I was there but just to make sure!

David Wright – I gave you your birthday present. Unoriginal I know. But….

Laura Amies – Hopefully you liked the earrings!

Leo – Amazingly I knew your birthday! Yeay! Happy Birthday.

Rowan – Knew you birthday as well. Not surprising. As for your wish in my leaving book: Saw a couple but none to meet your description. Shame. Happy Birthday!!!

Tony – Becca give my all to Tony!

Rory – Happy Birthday!

Ann – Jen-Jens! Give her my love and my best wishes.

HENRY JAMES CHURCH – YOU WERE BORN. AND IT SEEMS YOU’RE PERFECT.

N-J – Hope you enjoyed it!

Rosie – I promised!

Zoë – Shame I can’t give you a hug! Happy Birthday!

Ashley (and Charli I think) – ‘m not sure. But yeah, Crash, you rock!

Beth- Becca, to you again. I’m sorry I missed it. Hope you enjoyed the swimming party!

And a bit early: Ami! Happy Birthday, hope you enjoy it and I’m sorry I’m missing it.

Other Notices:

Charly: Give me time to catch my Virtual Breath and then you shall have a tale worth of Shakespeare.