Salmonella Dub

So I have officially moved into residence, been here for almost a week. I took the train from M's place in Sydney, to Melbourne. My parents friends S&M picked me up at the train station and took me to breakfast, then to my dorm room and helped me settle in, they were so kind, I couldn't have done it without them. It was kind of tricky trying to find the Halls of Residence, the campus has a pretty weird layout. So I got in, semi-unpacked my stuff and got really nervous because I didn't know anyone and I didn't know where anything was and I was sooo hungry and didn't know where the caf or grocery store was. So all day I was pretty lonely, and essentially begged my parents to call me, but they couldn't because they were in Mexico, so I got extra lonely and felt like crap. But I found a grocery store that night and got some food and unpacked a little bit more, and also began to meet some other exchange students who had moved in already.
The next day, Valentine's Day, M came over and it was great because we hadn't seen each other for a year. We went out for lunch to this chicken place, and got salads and a giant box of chips, then we did groceries, which was lovely because M had her brothers car so I got a bunch of cans and heavy shit and didn't have to walk home with it all.
I spent the next few days going to orientation meetings, getting my student ID, health card and doctor stuff all sorted out (oh yah, I have tonsilitis AGAIN).
I also went with the exchange students to the Queen Victoria Markets .. well I got to the busses with everyone, but forgot something do I dragged W off and we had to find our way there all by ourselves, which was actually kind of fun because we were all on our own and kind of forced to learn how to use the transport system to get somewhere. The market was very cool, sort of like a Byward market on steroids and under a roof, and I got Greek food and ate lamb for the first time (not a huge fan I must admit). The stalls were pretty cool, and W and I bought these cool cotton singlets with prints on the front, mine is of a girl smoking a cigarette, and hers is a drawing of a giant owl.
Last night we all went out to the Not, a hotel pub, and it was pretty good fun, but M and I drank far too much of the $3 wine we found at the bottle shop, and ended up stumbling our drunk asses home waaay too late, playing with snails in the garden, eating 2 bags of chips, making a gigantic mess, and spending all day today hungover and sick as hell. I could not get out of bed until 3pm this afternoon, it was pathetic, I'd wake up, stay for half an hour, then need to go back to bed. I got nothing accomplished.
Tonight everyone is going to the Red Scooter, and I swear I bought my ticket for $25 a few days ago, but they didn't actually hand me the ticket itself. So I'm screwed, and staying in. Ugh. Oh well, probably better for my liver this way, well actually, probably not, since last time I stayed in to "take it easy" I ended up playing drinking games with the Aussies and losing the King's Cup 3 times in a row (a full cup with pours of everyone at the table's drink, think whiskey, beer, cider, wine, goon, vodka and rum). It is just vile and somehow I lost 3 times and had to drink it. Which is extra funny because I'm also on penicillin. Yumm.
So tonight will probably be like that but I refuse to drink such a stupid amount, especially since M and I are going to a factory outlet store tomorrow and blowing some serious cash (okay visa) because I am in desperate need of some outfits.
In other news, Sailor M (different than Girl M) is coming to visit me in a couple weekends. He's been at sea for a while but he gets a weekend off and is going to come visit, will be so nice to have a friendly face. And then after that I'm going to bring my new friend W up to Sydney with me (god I almost said bring W home with me), that's how fondly I think of Sydney now, especially after being in Melbourne. It's funny because there is this huge rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne, and as much as I do love Melbourne simply because I love this uni, my res and all my new friends, I can't help but think of Sydney as the first and last place I want to be while in Aus. I miss the incredibly stylish and fashionable people walking the streets at all hours of the day, the constant sunshine, the overpriced everything, the beautiful little houses covered with wrought iron that looks like lace while driving out of the city, and most of all I miss Bondi Beach. Sweet zombie Jesus that beach was just awesome. Anyways, needless to say I think Sydney is more my scene, and Melbourne just seems like a big, rainy Toronto with crappy beaches.
It also doesn't help that I haven't had a chance to get to know the city, because it takes over an hour, and multiple busses, trains and trams to actually get from uni into the city, so I can't really just head off and explore whenever I like. But I really do love this campus, as confusing as it is, mostly because residence life is really fun, and the people I have met so far have been really cool and interesting. I can't wait for Sunday, when everyone starts moving into residence and we start meeting everyone! Should be cool.