Swimming at Byron Bay

                 This weekend (March 24^th-March 27^th), a couple of my girl friends and I visited Byron Bay for the weekend. Upon entering the small town, I instantly felt the unique vibe of Byron Bay. Byron Bay is very relaxed and stress-free, and that is easy to understand when walking through the city and on the beach. The day after our arrival, we spent the whole day at the beach. The sand was the softest my little feet had ever felt, and the water was the most clear that I had ever seen. 
                Swimming in this ocean was much different than swimming at Manly or Bondi beach. Manly and Bondi have very strong currents, and the riptides are very difficult to navigate through, especially for me. Coming from Nebraska, a land-locked state, I have only swam in pools and steady lakes, so swimming in Australia’s beaches are a challenge for me. Luckily, though, Byron Bay’s beach was definitely much easier to swim in than Manly and Bondi Beach. The current was not as strong and the waves did not tower over me. The beach at Byron Bay was perfect for kayaking, swimming and surfing. I witnessed plenty of children being taught how surf, and I also saw many kids boogie boarding. If children can swim, surf, and boogie board in the conditions of Byron Bay’s water, than a Nebraskan girl like me can swim through current, and I definitely had fun doing so!

 

Byron Beach.

 

Me enjoying the peaceful waters.

 

Byron beach at its finest!

 

Kayakers in the water.

[Photos courtesy of Shayna Dunitz]

Surfing Lessons at Manly.

             On Saturday, March 19^th, my study abroad program hosted surfing lessons for us at Manly Beach. The weather wasn’t great by any means – clouds and rain took over our afternoon. The waves and the current were very strong (perhaps because the moon was closer to the Earth than it ever has been in 18 years!). I went into the lessons wondering “maybe I’m secretly a natural at surfing” – and the answer turned out to be an extreme “no.” I definitely underestimated the difficult task that is surfing.

             We began with a little swim in the ocean. Although the weather was cold and windy, the wet suits thankfully kept us very warm. After getting our hair wet and learning a few basics, we were instructed to go back into the water, and when we were able to catch a wave, we were to push our bodies up into a push-up position on our boards. I can barely explain to you the rush I felt when I rode my first wave. My heart skipped a few beats from the mad rush of the water, and it bizarrely felt like I was flying. This instantly sparked my motivation to learn more.

             When we learned the technique of getting onto the board, we were thrown back into the water. The hardest part was passing the waves and getting to the perfect spot to catch a wave. The current was so strong that it made it particularly strenuous to make your way through the ocean. By the time I found my spot and caught a wave, I was too tired to get up on the board. The furthest I got was kneeling on the board, and judging from the exhausting task, that meant a successful day for me! 

 

This is us learning how to get into a push-up position on our boards.

 

Me and the girls taking a surf bro pic with our babies (boards).

 

Nippahs!

When I arrived at Maroubra Beach on Sunday, March 12^th, 2011, I had no idea what to expect from the nipper program. The lecture during week 2 was the first time I had even heard of the nippers, so I went to this field trip unaware of what I was going to experience. When I arrived, the first thing I noticed were all the little children in their swimming gear and caps. They looked so little compared to the vast ocean and beach. After taking a few photos, I talked to a mother who had her son in the nipper program. She explained to me that it was very important for her son to be in this program, namely because swimming and going to the beach is so prevalent in the Australian society. She wanted to make sure that if he wanted to go to the beach with his friends, then she would not have to worry about him, and that he would be able to handle the strong currents of the ocean. Not only do the kids understand the ocean better with the nipper program, but the program also educates the parents on how to make places like this safer for their kids. To me, the beauty of the program is the community of the club and how the program is made up of just volunteers. This illustrates the dedication and enthusiasm to keep their children safe and to keep the community at peace. 

 

Little nippers getting intense and competitive.

 

 

 

Witnessing My First Rugby Match

On Friday, March 11^th, 2011, I attended the first rugby game of my life. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, since I’ve only seen games on TV. We went to the Roosters VS Rabbitohs game at Sydney Football Stadium. When I walked in, I could hear the thunderous cheers of the crowd, and I instantly became very eager to find a seat and to become a part of these cheers. When we finally found our seats, the awe of the atmosphere finally set in. The stadium was enormous, and the lights were blinding. On top of the awe, my confusion set in as well. I couldn’t name one rule of the game if you had asked me to name one at that point in time. Thankfully, I sat by my good friend Danny who plays rugby back at home, so he explained to me step by step what was going on in the game. The Roosters were up by a few points, and when the Rabbitohs scored and tied the game, the crowd clearly became more rowdy. As I was watching the game, Danny pointed out a fight that had broken out to the right of us. It was a small fight at first, but it escalated almost instantaneously and more fans jumped in to support their fellow fans. This fight that broke out reflected exactly what I had known about rugby in Australia – that rugby is very prominent in this society and that the Aussie fans are very prideful of their teams. Nonetheless, the game was very exciting, and the Roosters won!

 The view from my seat.

My friends decked out in Rooster gear.

Me definitely prepared for the game!

[photos courtesy of Jen Ross]

Introduction

Ciao! My name is Khanh Mai, but I go by Theresa. I am studying abroad from Omaha, Nebraska in the United States. Most people here have never heard of Nebraska, but it is right smack dab in the middle of the United States. The city I am from only has about 1 million people, so this big city is a drastic change for me (but I definitely approve of the change). Back at home I attend Creighton University’s School of Pharmacy, and I am a pharmacy major (hence the School of Pharmacy) and a classics minor. Despite my major and minor, on top of this sports class, I am also taking Australian culture, indigenous Australia, and outdoor education. In middle school, I was on the track and field team and the soccer team, but in high school I quit sports to concentrate on my academics and student council. I’m really excited for this class, because not only will I be reacquainted with sports again, but I will also become enlightened in Australian sport and culture. I adore watching soccer, namely professional European club soccer (FC Barcelona all the way!) and Fifa World Cup (Italy for the WIN). I’m very interested in watching the soccer games here (socceroos!), but I am also very excited to learn more about rugby and to watch rugby games. I understand that rugby is colossal in Australia, so I plan on going to many games and learning as much as I can about this sport. I also want to learn how to surf, because it’s popular in the United States as well. As you can see, I plan on learning much in this class, and I look forward to these field trips to take my studies to a whole other level.