Briefly Updating You

3 months have passed by for the year 2005, i'm left with probably about 9 months more to go before i finally graduate and leave Tassie for good (if God permits). I will miss Tassie heaps...and definitely all the people, places, opportunities and experiences that i came across in this "another" life. Thanks to my dad who has been working so hard to give me this "another" life to venture on. I love you, dad. Just in case all of you might want to know what i have done and been doing this year, well, let me just tell you...it's a big load of fun stuff that i never thought i would ever get to do!

Early this year, I was in Shanghai, CHINA for 5 weeks with the university for a Chinese Language, Society and Culture program. We studied at the University of Shanghai Science and Technology and stayed at the "hotel" offered by the university which was located in the uni compound. The uni itself was in the city centre, and surprisingly the city was relatively a safe place to hang out either alone or in groups. I found that Shanghai was really interesting, and so was surviving with the rest of the team i was with - all17 white Aussies i was stuck with the whole time i was there! But we got on really well - i'm still hanging out with some of them here in Hobart. We would meet up for dinner or coffee sometimes. One particular person i'm hanging out with really often is Lucy because we play hockey together.

Studies this semester are as per normal. I'm doing Environmental Geomorphology where we investigate landslides, river erosion, flooding, coastal erosion, and impact of tsunamis in Tasmania. It's all hands-on so it's a lot of fun going to these sites, measuring slopes and collecting sediments for further laboratory work. Besides Env Geomo, i also do Sustainable Cities, Political Ideologies and Business-Govt Relations.

At the moment, I'm still helping out the university Japanese Society with organizing/carrying out activities. We've just got ourselves an email account for the Society and i'm behind all announcements and answering of queries. So that's a whole lot of fun if you know what i'm talking about. And if you ever come to Uni Tas main campus, you could see pics of me and 3boys pasted everywhere around the campus representingthe Japanese Society. I find it rather ridiculous though!

Hockey has been the latest new thing ever to happen in my life in Tassie. I've got training every Wed and match every Mon - that can be a bit exhausting because we've got a game each week, and it pressurizes us all to do well every time. Whilst games can be so tough and competitive, training is the total opposite...can be a bit dodgy sometimes. Nevertheless the uni team is affiliated to a local club where rules and all are official. That's the best part of it all. We have a proper coach, manager, and all the other people taking care of our well-being, so that's awesome. Last Mon we had a game. It was uni VS Prince of Wales. Well, the sad thing was we lost 4-1. But the good thing was, i scored the only goal for uni. It made me feel good after playing a shitty game the first half...Haha. Guess i'm beginning to talk crap. Anyhow, for those who think this message sounds familiar, well, it's just a 'copy and paste' thing from my recent email. To all, i miss you heaps. Take care!!


Read on,
mARinAH

PS. Any hockey tips? I'd be happy to learn some from you. Tks.