Updates...Finally!

I apologize for the seriously long delay in getting photos and some updates up. I've been done for about 2 weeks now, which has been great. But given the amount of time I spent on the computer typing away in the last month or so, I've been trying to stay away from typing for the last little bit! It's been great. It's been cool here but really sunny which is great. I've spent a lot of time outside which is nice. I'll try to update more about the last few weeks over the next week. I think Simon and I are going to Melbourne from the 1st-10th-ish, so won't be in touch much then, but should be around for the next month or so. Our plans are to get to Sydney, the coast and Cairns too, so we'll see how successful that is! For now, here are a few pictures.
This is another hot air balloon that I saw outside our place a few weeks ago. At first I thought it was stuck in the trees but it turns out it was just behind them.
A friend and I went to an event hosted by the Australian division of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on Monday, June 20th, World Refugee Day. The woman speaking is someone important here in the Aus government, can't remember exactly who. But the second she arrived it became about acknowledging how wonderful the government is about bringing refugees into Australia. I agree that they've been pretty good, but could be way way better, especially about changing public opinion. People don't take time to think about what sort of circumstances people have to be in to flee their homes, their livelihoods, often members of their families, and pay sometimes more than they can afford to flee. Canada is no better, that's for sure. We are Westerners don't think about these things very often, sadly.
This woman is Auntie Ruth. She's from the Aboriginal community here in Canberra, so she did an acknowledgement of the traditional territories. She also welcomed the international students to Canberra when we arrived in February.
Earlier that day I went to a film screening. In 1972 the Aboriginal community in Australia set up an embassy outside of the Parliament buildings here in Canberra to demand land rights. The screening was all about the tent embassy and the struggle of the Indigenous community to keep the embassy going. It was really interesting, and some of the original members who set up the embassy were present. This is the panel of people who were answering questions, including the original group members who are still alive.
Finally, this is a picture from almost a month ago, of the Sydney Opera House at night. Simon and I did an overnight trip to see a band there. It was really really cool, part of the Vivid Festival in Sydney. I wish we'd had more time to check it out but we both had to be back for class the next day. We're hoping to head back to Sydney soon.

Ok, more will come shortly. I went with friends up to a nature park last week, and we are hiking up the Mountain behind our apartment through the Botanic Gardens tomorrow, so more pictures will be up soon too.

Til then!