Sydney Weekend!

Sydney was this past weekend! We stayed in Kings Cross, the wonderful red light district of Sydney. So walking around at night sure was interesting! It was really rainy and reallllyy cold most of the weekend but luckily it cleared up right as we did the bridge climb!

The bridge climb is where you climb this big bridge in Sydney Harbour and at the top is a beautiful view, including the Sydney Opera House right behind you! I will include a picture! SO that was amazing! Sydney is a huge city though and its nice being back in Brisbane!

We also went to an Australia vs. South Africa rugby game, which we won! So that was fun! It was really bittersweet seeing all the other interns again. Of course we had fun going out with them but at the same time we said bye for the last time too. The Cairns, Brisbane, and Sydney people aren't all getting back together and most of us don't live even relatively close to each other in the states so there were some sad faces when those goodbyes happened!

The last night we had to be at the airport at 5 am for our flight. So me and three others decided not to go out but it was still an awesome time! We walked around the cross and got some kebabs and McDonald's flurries around 1 am. Then we sat in the hallways of our apartment complex and ate and just talked and were so tired that we found the silliest things to be outrageously hilarious. Taylor and I wore our matching "The future is wild" tshirts that we got at the aquarium and danced around to some Justin Bieber. Around 2:30 we made the trek to the airport thinking we should just sleep at our gate. Welllll problem. The airport was closed! Please keep in mind it is still cold and rainy! We finally get a maintenance man to let us in and we sleep on some lovely wooden benches until 4 am when the airport officially opened. We went through security to our gate and hung out until we boarded and headed back to Brisbane!

This summer is almost over, wow!

Ralph

So I take the same bus to work every week and the same bus home in the evening. Four days a week. You would think that I would notice patterns. Like the same people waiting at the stop with me, or certain people on the bus. Well I haven't! And this bothers me!! I am always expecting it, so far all I have noticed is one woman running in the park every evening who is having a tough time with it.

Well today my Australian bus journeys came full circle. My first day on the bus I had no idea when to push the 'stop' button so I asked this nice old man who looks just like my UHON Theatre class teacher! He helped me figure out when to stop and even told me which bus to take home. Today on my bus ride home, who gets on other than my theatre class teacher twin! The bus was packed and one of the only open seats left was next to me! So he sits down, and my awkwardness comes out! I have my headphones on so conversation was out of the question. But I kept wondering "does he recognize me?" "does he realize I am taking a different bus than he told me to?" "should I say something?!" So I clearly decide the best thing to do is to not make eye contact but rather awkwardly look away the whole time! But I still found it neat that he ended up sitting next to me.

Now onto Ralph.

At work yesterday I come in and see that we have a blood transfusion and a spleen removal on the board. It was an adorable Jack Russell Terrier named Ralph! The doctor didn't think he would even be able to undergo surgery but that we would try keeping him on oxygen all morning and the blood transfusion. At this point the dog's body temperature is so low that the thermometer won't even read that he has a temperature! So I made Ralph my project. I held his oxygen mask all morning, all the employees worked through lunch to keep him warm and do the blood transfusion from the donor dog to ralph. Well in the afternoon the vet decided he was strong enough so we begin the operation! The tumor in this dog's abdomen was massive! The dog weighed 12 pounds and the tumor weighed 2 of those 12 pounds! But the dog was doing well during surgery and everyone was happy with the way it was going! Both surgeons were scrubbed in and I was assigned to take pictures because it was the biggest tumor either of them had seen on a dog this small. They had trouble figuring out where the tumor was attached. And because of the massive internal bleeding we had to do a lot of suctioning and literally just tipping the dog sideways to let all the blood out. We originally thought spleen but we pulled the spleen through the drape and saw that it was tumor free so then they just had to cut around the tumor until they found an attachment. Turn out it was intestinal but easy enough to remove. Things are still going fine and now just the one surgeon is beginning the stitches.

Suddenly Ralph starts gasping and seizing. The doctor described them as "agonal breaths" so I ask, "what do you mean by agonal breaths?" Her response: He's dying.

All of a sudden this operating room kicks into high gear! I am so glad they made me learn what to do in a dog dying in operation situation because I would have had no idea! I get the adrenaline ready while the other nurse starts manually ventilating Ralph. I start injecting doses of adrenaline through the IV drip while listening to the heart beat. I have never seen a surgeon stitch up an entire abdomen this fast! She flew through those stitches and gets all the surgical drapes off in a matter of a few minutes. She flips Ralph on his side, we give him another dose of blood, but it was too late and Ralph died. The other nurse was really upset and refused to cut off his oxygen for a few moments. Now this is a clinic of all girls, and all the nurses and vets are crying as the doctor was informing the owner. This is one of those moments when I wished I cried at normal times. haha. But in all seriousness, Ralph was an adorable dog and it was a tough day with a not so happy ending. But I got to be involved in my first blood transfusion, and see an amazing surgery! And if it helps, Ralph was 14 years old (that is very old in dog years), and the tumor we later found out had metastasized to his entire body. It was good to see a tough day and an intense surgery, good to know that even after a day like that there is still nothing I would rather be that a veterinarian!

Now I head to Sydney! Should be a stupendous weekend! :)

Where I'm From.

Our first intern left to head back home today! How crazy is that? He was on the 6 week program and after he left the rest of us ten weekers were sitting around the table and it was so weird! We all started to try to figure out how its gonna feel when it is us leaving. I only have three more weekends in Australia! Its definitely time to buckle down and make sure I do every single thing that I want to before time is up!

Tomorrow morning a housemate and I are doing a yoga class on the river. If you know me and my lack of coordination, balance, and general serenity then you know this will undoubtedly be entertaining!

Nothing too exciting happened this week in good ole Brissie. I had some good conversations with coworkers about prejudices/races/and socioeconomic views in the states. It was so interesting to try to explain such a vast topic and answer their questions like "is racism really bad in America". I mean that is just so different person to person. They were shocked that I went to a predominately black high school, and that gangs actually do exist. And they were genuinely surprised that blacks/whites/indians/etc. all hang out together and its completely normal. UHON this is your shout out: They absolutely did not believe me when I told them that it is very normal for me as a white person to be the minority in a group of my UHON friends. They didn't grasp that your skin color doesn't define you. Because here, you are either white, asian, a refugee, or an aboriginal. (aboriginal sort of being the equivalent of native american). I don't know where I am going with all this, it was just interesting! (Ronald Nelson, I told them about you eating scrambled eggs with my dad, at my house, during a tornado, and I wasn't even there. Haha good times!)

Next two weekends I am traveling so hopefully more action packed blogs to come! Cheers!

Right Now

The last few days have been simply incredible! On Wednesday night, Queensland beat New South Wales in the rugby State of Origin. Which is a three game series playoff so that was fun. Then on Thursday night, other interns from Cairns, Perth and Sydney flew into Brisbane. The craziest thing about this group is we don't actually know each other very well. We only spent three days in Cairns together but we were all so excited to see everyone! We go out Thursday night, then on Friday we spend a lazy day before catching a train that evening to the Gold Coast.

Friday night we went to SCREAMWORLD together. Its an amusement park and I love roller coasters! It was so much fun and the wait in lines was cool because we all got to talk to each other and catch up on everything and really just get to know each other better. That night we go to Surfers Paradise in the Gold Coast and get a hostel. This one roomed hostel with 14 beds was so much fun! The 12 of us all stayed up talking so late into the night from our perspective bunk beds, haha it felt like a night at summer camp or something. Saturday morning we went and laid out on the beach until our surfing lessons that afternoon!

Surfing is so much fun! We get a lesson on the beach practicing the "paddle, chicken wing, stand up:knee, foot, foot" pattern and then out to the water we go! For two hours we tried to surf. I think everyone at least did it once, the instructors were out in the water with you offering advice and help. I totally wiped out about a thousand times but even that was fun! Because we were all just laughing about it and whenever someone did actually stand up and ride the wave in we would all cheer! My body today is so bruised!! haha both knees, elbows, and hips! Not too mention how sore I am! But it was so worth it.

We caught a seafood dinner. (I ate fish!!) and then a train back to Brisbane. Last night we went out on the town and after catching brunch this morning put everyone in cabs and officially ended the Brisbane weekend! The nap I am about to take is going to be epic.

Its crazy being on the second half of my summer here, now that there are only a few weeks left it seems to be flying by! I had a good conversation with my future sister in law since she has tons of experience with living in another country and the coming home part! Don't get me wrong, there are several things about home that I can not wait to be back for! The people I miss like crazy, mexican food, my car, and my own house to just name a few. But I am also getting really nervous about coming home! I just know how different its going to be and how quickly I have to jump back into the swing of sorority stuff, school, and just life at home, which when compared to life here seems so hectic, busy and rushed all the time! It seems so overwhelming, but like Katie told me, I won't be bitter about being home I will just have to treasure this summer for everything it taught me and how its helping shape me :) Good thing I have like a thirty hour trip home to start processing this entire summer!

Best Bike Ride Story, WORST Bike Ride

Background: I get lost a lot! This is not an exaggeration at all! And usually I enjoy getting lost, you know you're in your car driving around listening to good music or having good a chat until you find out where you are, or you pull out the GPS. Problem solved right? This does not apply to bike rides.

I decided to bike to work today, its so convenient because its good exercise and I would save money on my bus pass everyday! This is a 10 mile ride, so about thirty minutes, right? Not unless you are Kim Swift and you are the champion of getting lost! I leave my house at 8:30, by 9 I have no idea where I am and call work saying "I got a little turned around on my ride but I will be there shortly" At this point where I made this phone call at 9:00 am I was only two miles from my work but I turn one street to soon and it is another HOUR AND A HALF before I return to that same point. OH but I didn't return to this point on my own. I finally cave in and call my dad! He google maps my location and tells me how to get to work. At 11:00 I finally arrive. TWO AND A HALF HOURS! At this point, I am physically exhausted but still laughing about it all with my coworkers and make sure I know which way I am headed when I have to leave work that evening.

4:45 pm. Time to go home. I hop on my bike, go about a mile. FLAT FREAKING TIRE! It gets so flat that it comes off the rim. I don't know my bike anatomy enough to thoroughly explain this to you but basically the tire is off its rim, so I can't even push my bike along, I have to carry it. Don't forget I have only gone about 1 mile. So I am now carrying this bike, thinking that I am about to carry it 9 miles. This was almost my breaking point. I so very much wanted to stomp my feet, pout, and sit down indian style and just cry. But I didn't and then some nice man tried to fix my bike but there was a tear so it was unfixable. He tried though, so he gets good karma points. He does get it back to where it rolls, so I roll my bike along the rest of the way home! That took an hour and a half.

Four hours of my day were spent trying to get around. But on the bright side I now feel like I have seen the entire city of Brisbane, and since my muscles are already aching and shaky I know I got a workout!!

Another brightside, I feel like if I was ever going to hit that phase 2 freak out phase of "I hate Australia" it would have been today and I didn't. When most people get frustrated I feel like they lash out or cuss every inanimate object or human around them, well I just cry. Its soooo annoying because I'm not one of those super emotional cryers, but if I get mad its like the freaking flood gates opened! And I didn't want to do that, so I laughed. Also, dad this is where you get a shout out for being the worlds best dad! If it hadn't been for him, I might be in the outback being chased by a dingo.

While at work, I did my first euthanasia. I've assisted in hundreds, like hold the dog for the vet and shindigs but today he was like "Kim I'm just gonna let you take care of this while I go see the patient in room 1" I totally thought he was joking, he wasn't! I don't know if this is blog appropriate but I have always wondered how I would feel when I actually did it. Also, it wasn't a sick dog, just an aggressive biter. But I mean it was sad, of course I don't like to see dogs die but I just really wasn't very bothered by it, just part of the job? Okay, okay, maybe I'm morbid and heartless :) haha

Tonight the interns from Perth, Cairns, and Sydney are all coming into Brisbane so the next couple of days should be exciting!

OH and will I try biking to work again? YES because if I don't then the bike has won. And another fact about me is I'm stubborn and really like to win, So I will be biking to work again. Just not tomorrow!

Biscuits and Grits please

Today was fourth of July!

To celebrate this week my housemate and I are taking American goodies into work for our coworkers.

The feast includes:
Biscuits
Cheese Grits
Puppy Chow
Cheezeits
Hershey Chocolate
Quaker instant oatmeal
Cheeseburgers with a fried egg

My housemates mom sent her all these foods, or the ingredients necessary to make them, since they aren't sold here!
And to think my parents won't even send me a pair of shoes. (hint hint)

I missed America a lot today.

I say awkward things

Happy almost fourth of july!

I have two fun stories for you today. One involving bus police, the other jumping out of an airplane.

1. Bus Police
Riding to work one morning two police looking officers hop on. They go through with a scanner and scan everyone's card (I passed with flying colors!) Two people weren't as lucky though. One had a student card, without being able to present a form of student id. And the other a pension card (the equivalent of being on social security) without her proof either. They both got tickets. I was being incredibly nosy and turning around in my seat to watch it all play it! Some people hopped off the bus as soon as the police got on, apparently scamming the public transportation system is frowned upon here.

2. Jumping out of an airplane
Bright and early this morning we catch a bus up to Redcliffe. A beachy area about an hour north. We check in at the skydiving place then have four hours to kill until our jump time. So we go catch a nice breakfast and lay around on the beach all morning! Not too shabby of a way to start the day! Then at 12:00 we get suited up, a quick coaching on how to do this, sign all the paperwork about how they aren't responsible if we die, etc. and by 12:30 we are flying! All seven of us, plus our instructors, plus a camera man pile into this tiny plane and climb 14,000 feet into the air!

ohmygosh. I thought we were there when my instructor, Toby, was like no we are only at about 4000 feet. OH this is also where my title comes in. I am a nervous rambler and in my ramblings I said many awkward things that all came out in the worst possible way. But it was hilarious! Well next thing I know, I am front flipping out of this plane and free falling towards earth. I can't describe this experience to you, I am not even going to try. Just go do it. PLEASE!

When the parachute opens we just coast around, he lets me steer but I am too weak to actually turn the thing! He points out Brisbane, the islands, the Glass House mountains, oh and yes a few sharks in the ocean. The jump was over the ocean btw! Then we steer to the beach and land! Easy as pie and worth every penny! The DVD is being loaded to my facebook, so if you are so interested you can see it all for yourself!

I am approaching the halfway point of my summer! Oh goodness, it flies by but goes by so slow all at the same time! This upcoming weekend all the AustraLearn interns are coming into Brisbane for our own 4th of July celebrations, we are going surfing in the Gold Coast! So I will surely be posting about how I failed to stand up for more than ehhh maybe two seconds!

OH hows work huh? Yeah the "real" reason I am over here! haha currently I am rehabilitating a type of pigeon. He came in and won't fly but we can't find any reason why he wouldn't be able to. I spent a good hour trying to get him to fly in which all ended with him flopping to the ground. I might have made the situation worse?! haha I'm new to birds! But I'll see how he is on Monday!

Also, I am missing the fourth of July. I am so upset about this! It is my favorite holiday, besides Thanksgiving! And fireworks are totally illegal here, even sparklers. So please celebrate the fourth big time for me!