I can tell already that these posts are going to get smaller and less frequent seeing as I don't have much time to write this one already.

Click here for a couple of new photos - at the end of the album

So I've been going to law classes most of the week, which have turned out to be really good. I haven't been picked on yet, the professors are really nice, but the reading is pretty long (but not Property Law long, law people, thank god!) and I've been a bit slack, still in holiday mode. Had my first lunch at the cafeteria with some newfound friends, which feels very American high-school - lunch trays etc. Went to the 'bar review' (get it?) on Thursday night (like a law PTN I suppose) with some lovely girls who invited me to their pre-drinks down the road. We went to The Kells, which is a bit like Naughto's except a lot nicer. The dance floor was ALL pop and hip-hop music (yay), they don't like most house music here (likewise, yay), much less European influenced. And boy can some of them dance. Think more 'Save the Last Dance' sort of moves rather than what we do. Had quite a good time meeting law people - one was named Chandler, except he obviously came before the show, but still an entertaining encounter. The beer here is weird and not great, and everyone says "Do you drink Fosters?" (the ads for Fosters here say "Australian for beer"...) and when I say "Not really" they look all confused as if it was the one thing they knew for sure about all Aussies (or as they would say, Ah-seeees).

On Friday I went to my orientation, which was mainly boring administrative stuff, but I met some exchange students (who were equally eager to make friends, of course). There's 20 exchange students all up, about half of them are Aussies. The rest are from Spain, France, Norway and even Chile. One is called....drumroll....Cosmo Krammer (said Krammmmmer, not Kray-mer) and obviously came before the show but what a coincidence! And he's Australian from Monash Uni! Got home that night and met my room-mate, who'd moved back while I was gone, called Mari (said Mary) and she's lovely and, most importantly, normal. We ordered takeout, after scanning the 10 pages of about 1000 meal options! Everything here is overkill.

And yesterday I went downtown with Sam (an Aussie) and Hilde (from Norway) on the T (the subway, which only took about 20 minutes) to explore and get a few more essentials. Walked out of the T station and there, right in front of me, was the Boston Legal building (see photos)! We went to the world-famous Filene's Basement, which has lots of discounted designer and mid-range brands, and I got some New Balance sneakers for $50 (they retail for around $200 in Australia!). We strolled down Newbury St, which I would say is about as popular and trendy as Chapel St at home, but it's way cuter cos all the little shops jut out from the walls and there's a couple of cafes with outdoor seating. We passed Potterybarn (like from Friends), which got me excited, only to find that Phoebe was correct - it's all antique-design rip-offs and not very cool. We had lunch at Au Bon Pain, this french pattisserie chain, whose coffee is pretty ordinary (have yet to find good coffee), but the Cheddar and Broccoli soup was awesome for the chilly weather. Then we strolled through Prudential Mall (the big inner city mall) and Copley Place, where I finally found some great wool-lined boots for when the storm comes. Had dinner out with Mari and her boyfriend in Allston, where most of the bars are, and discovered this concept called "free refills" with soft drink (terribly dangerous, I think) and curly fries with spicy salt. My eating habits are pretty poor right now cos we haven't hit the supermarket yet, but once we do I'm stocking up on the good stuff!

Classes start tomorrow. We're expecting a dump of snow with a storm and it's going to be terribly cold so I'm enjoying the sun while it lasts. Wish me luck!

Love Kate xox

First Few Days

Click HERE for photos

First Day (5th Jan)

Bumpiest EVER landing into SanFran (a big storm coming in), threw up twice on way down, waited two hours for baggage, found my flight to Boston cancelled and booked on a flight 9 hours later, checked into a complimentary hotel where the power was out so I couldn't do much but feel around the room for my bed and sleep (no shower, no hot meal, ended up talking to some random guy at a bar by candlelight named Chris..not as sexy as it sounds). Worst trip EVER! THIRTY-FIVE hours in transit all up. Arrived in Boston at 7am so couldn't sleep if wanted to get over jetlag, was awake all day and was so god damn tired.

But in a way it has paid off, because the good news is I've checked out my apartment and it rules (my bed is a double!). Smallish apartment, but really nice and cosy. Yay! Boston is chilly but no colder than Mt Buller would be (which is apparently unseasonably warm).

Second Day (6th Jan)

Went to the mall today and it was incredible. Went to Macy's where I bought my pillows and doona - ALL Ralph Lauren (which is so cheap here!) and absolutely gorgeous. Went to Bed Bath and Beyond (like the movies!) where I got some cheap plastic drawers as a bedside table, a Babyliss hairdryer (the SAME one i have at home which I bought for $130 in Aust, I got for $29 here - ridiculous), towels, sheets and other essentials. Then went to Lord and Taylor (like David Jones) where I bought my black down coat ON SALE which is by Michael Kors (!!! Project Runway, ahh I looked at it and quoted him: "it's clever, it's chic and it simply looks good"). So that was great. Went to Legal Seafoods, sort of fast food seafood but a tad better, where I learned that they serve double the size of the average Aussie meal and that 'entree' is simply an equal-sized meal before your main, not a smaller meal. I'd barely made a dint in my calamari before I was way full and the very surprised waitress said "would you like me to wrap that up for you?" - no thanks!

This was definitely a better day than yesterday and warm (ie. 6 degrees). Our family friends live in a middle class-affluent suburb and it's simply doll-house land (see photos)! The houses are gorgeous and perfect, like the best ever doll house you'd get when you were young, with porches with swinging chairs, Christmas decorations and fairy lights on the trees and snow on the roofs. I only slept until 7 so I donned my heavy gear and went for a walk with my camera, got really lost at one point but ran into these two women who showed me the way home. On that note, Americans are so friendly! Everyone knows everyone in their street and even some in the general neighbourhood (it's very odd not to), no one has fences between their houses, and people talk to strangers in shopping centre queues and cafes just randomly! It's amazing, but makes me feel very welcome. Even at SanFran airport in the gate lounge, they made an announcement about something or other and one American woman said (very loudly) "As long as we get to Boston!" and several others piped up in agreement and they all started talking about how long they've been waiting (3 hours, 9 hours) and I said "Try coming off a 12 hour flight and waiting another 9 hours" and they were all shocked ("How are you still standing?" etc). It's funny, they think a 5 hour flight is AGES.

Third Day (7th Jan) - Law Classes start

Moved into my apartment last night and it was a bit of a mess so I gave the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen a big Collinson-standards clean before I tired and went to bed. Woke up early and pottered around for a bit, unpacking and doing some more cleaning, before finally tearing myself from the cable TV, printing out some maps and walking to BC (about ten minutes) to explore. I must have looked like such a tourist, getting excited at old buildings and taking photos! It all looked so different to what I'd imagined, but very beautiful. Except the snow has started to melt in this mild weather and go all muddy, so we need another dump soon. Anyway, then I took a shuttle bus to the Law campus, which is about 2km from main campus. I had half an hour before my meeting with the Dean (to register for subjects - o,h no, they call them 'courses' here) so went for a wander and stumbled upon the cafeteria area and the best way to describe how I felt was like in those American teen movies at High School where a new student arrives and everyone knows they're new and stares at them - it was so terrifying! I know it'll be fine once I've had a class and have an excuse to make friends, and the people I asked directions from were most friendly, but I haven't felt that alien in a long while. Spoke to the Dean who perhaps could have been more helpful, but she sent me back to main campus to register (they just can't understand how law could be an undergraduate degree at home, and why I'm going two grad law subjects and two undergrad arts subjects!). I'm a little freaked because law is a huge deal here, no one really slacks off and when you're in between classes you generally go to the library, or so it seems. I hope I can keep up! Am a little scared, because here they use the Socratic method where they pick you out and my first class is tomorrow.

So I hopped back on the shuttle bus and met this lovely girl called Mary (from sweet home Alabama!) who gave me her number when I told her I was alone and lives nearby, so I might get to hang with her this week (most people are so friendly). By the time I got home it was 5pm and almost totally dark (winter.) and since then I've just been hanging here watching TV.

Can't think of much else to say right now, except the TV political ads are on overdrive at primetime - Obama, Clinton, McCain, all of them are sending out messages at every opportunity. I hope it's not like this all year! If it's not political ads, it's weight loss ads or food ads (cancelling each other out?). Lots of online delivery, too - America is all about convenience and you can get almost anything delivered online, I'd imagine without even leaving your house. My roommate, Mari, is supposed to arrive on Friday so I'm looking forward to that, but I also start Orientation with the other exchange students on Friday so maybe once I've done that I'll feel a bit more settled. One thing I know is that I could NEVER live alone. It's too boring.

Hope you're enjoying that scorching heat in Melbourne! Send me emails with news. Click here, you know you want to!

Lots of love, Kate xox