Christmas is just around the corner! It's time to complete my 2012 Travel Plan with a flight to Sydney plus a side trip to New Zealand! I can't believe it has already been 6 years ago! Can't wait to be reunited with my cousins and meet old friends. I'll miss family though since they'll be in Manila. I was finally able to use my Citibank Premier Miles card to avail of the Business Lounge as I wait for boarding time.
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Ever considered traveling to study overseas? I had the privilege of visiting the Georgetown Campus in Washington DC and Stanford University in San Francisco last year. I thought the campuses were amazing! I randomly stumbled on this file buried in my old PC. 3 years ago when I was still a junior studying at the Ateneo, I wrote about my key take away from my Study Abroad Experience (aka Junior Term Abroad) in Australia. I remember writing this in the plane. I officially embarked and headed for Manila 9:55 PM Sydney Time. A mixture of emotions came upon me. At that point, I wasn’t sure about what I was feeling - Happiness because I finally get to go home after three entire months of being away or Sadness because I had to leave wonderful relatives and Aussie friends behind. Before the trip, several concerns emerged. Internships for prestigious companies waited for my confirmation and fast-paced classes with fourth year students just so I can make it on time were things I took into consideration. Regardless of how hectic it seemed, I decided to grab this once in a lifetime experience. My UTS ID My Sydney JTA experience is a decision I will never regret. The trip definitely taught me valuable things one can’t easily learn back in the Philippines. But I must admit, life back n Manila is definitely far more convenient. In order to address the demands of the challenging world, in 2007, the Ateneo Information Systems and Computer Science Department for the first time offered an exchange program where students were given the opportunity to study and live abroad during their penultimate year in the university. More than the souvenirs I got to bring home with me, sharing with you valuables I got from the trip: 1. Independence. Being able to commute, walk alone, do things on my own was a totally new experience for me. 2. Adaptability. Starting from scratch, considering no one knew who I was. Being able to adjust in a completely different environment was definitely a challenge. Crossing the city streets just to transfer from one class to another was necessary because I was in a city campus where the buildings were scattered all around the area. Living with a different family was not easy at the beginning since there were different practices and routines. Time zone differences although minor, I also dealt with given that I was never a morning person. =) 3. Pride. Being able to represent the Ateneo during International Exchange Fairs and to invite students to experience what life in the Philippines was like. 4. Strength. Being able to make decisions on my own and allocating the budget entrusted to me. Surviving without the presence of my family and friends from Manila. 5. Beauty. To travel and explore how beautiful the world was. Meet wonderful people across the globe. I was actually surprised to have classmates from Bangladesh, Israel, Fiji, Greece, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, China, India and the list simply goes on. Definitely learned to appreciate cultural diversity. 6. Fulfillment. I realized that I was in the right course. It was during that time when I realized the wonders my course can do. How programming systems can simplify the complex processes of companies and experiencing joy of creating new things. Making me realize how real Project Management was in one’s everyday life. University of Technology Sydney (UTS) gave me the opportunity to have a feel of what it was like to work for Australian companies through the assigned projects. 7. Joy. Being closer with my cousins. Studying together. Travelling to places together. Touching other people. Sometimes I wish I could turn back time and revisit those memories. I really plan to go back to Australia. Perhaps next year? For more information:
University of Technology Sydney - http://uts.edu.au/ GeorgeTown - http://www.georgetown.edu/ Stanford - http://www.stanford.edu/ A packed day: starting from UTS - Botanical Gardens - Circular Quay - Customs Office - to Chatswood. Thanks Les and EA for making my last few days extra memorable :D
The Royal Botanical Gardens can be found adjacent to the Sydney Opera House. This garden is ideal for picnics, photography, learning about horticulture, weddings, bush walking and the list goes on. Best to visit during the right time of the year. (either summer / spring time) Located at: Mrs Macquaries Road Sydney NSW 2000 http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/ I still had major exams the following week. But because my days in Sydney were coming to an end, my aunt and I headed out for Melbourne to experience the Great Ocean Road Adventure. Who could forget my first penguin join up? It was freezing cold. We sat by the beach up until sunset and waited for the penguins to come towards us. Never imagined the encounter to be that close! Just a few inches away. Those cliffs and rocks of the famous 12 Apostles, London Arch, and the Blow Hole were all simply amazing!
It was one of the most expensive 10 minutes of my life. P2k for that! But I thought it was all worth it since to be able to ride on a helicopter is a rare opportunity. I never actually imagined I would have the chance to do so. Thanks aunty yolai! :) Pat and I stayed at the back while aunty yo stayed in front since it was Mother's day :). We had cool earphones which allowed us to hear and converse with each other despite the very noisy propeller. The ride allowed us to see an aerial view of Hunter Valley. It definitely was an unforgettable experience and hopefully it won't be the last ;)
Sydney Uni is definitely so much different from my uni, which got a city campus.
Does it somewhat resemble European architecture? or maybe Hogwarts? :) It's Australia's 1st ever university. So you can imagine how old it is! For the other parts of the campus, it very much reminded me of UP in the Philippines. Thanks for the tour Les! :) I enjoyed it heaps! For someone who loves nature especially anything to do with waterfalls, I was lucky to have cousins who took me for a long bushwalking adventure just to witness this magnificent beauty. It was one really long trail but surely it was worth it! :-)
Today was a busy Thursday. I was part of the International Exchange Fair to represent Ateneo. My task was to accommodate students from UTS who were interested go to ADMU to study as an exchange student. I was happy there were two interested people 1 for Finance and another for Engineering! They were fellow Filipinos who grew up in Australia but really really miss home. :) It made me feel glad. It made the half of my day worthit because i initially had plans of just studying for my tests or starting off my projects and papers all due next week. Well, I think I made the right choice :) |
Welcome!All about the traveling Queen who wanted to share with the world the little and great discoveries that have brought her joy.
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