summertime fun

i have to admit, while these weeks of 'adjusting' since i arrived have been important in getting ready to switch gears and be a student again, it has also been an abrupt awakening of how much time there really is in the day when you don't have any sort of a schedule...yet. so far, my days have looked something like this:

• wake up around 8:30am to catch australia's version of the "today" show, "9am with david & kim ." actually i must add here that the other day i nearly fell off my seat because they had a guest on the show that had just been recruited by the minnesota twins - 17-year-old tayler rowe, an aussie baseball fanatic from victoria. it was so awesome to see the 'twins' getting that kind of international recognition!!
• around 11am, i then walk over to the uwa library for a little emailing/internet (we will soon be getting internet at home in time for classes to start!)
• back home for lunch around 12:30pm
• 12:30-6pm is pretty much open and varies day-to-day. recent activities include: getting my hair cut from a nearby aveda salon (aveda just reminds me of home!), going to the grocery store for dinner supplies, reading my book, walking along the river, doing my taxes (yay they're done!), and talking with professors from my program to get course advice.
• 6:30-7ish when jase gets home, we usually go for a long walk, then cook dinner and watch the evening shows that are on.

in light of this slow-paced routine i have adapted, i was excited, nevertheless when i learned of the perth international arts festival that started up last week, and i immediately signed up for the brochure so i could find out where all the events were happening. one of the free events this year was an evening of 'opera in the park' featuring the west australian opera chorus and symphony performing offenbach's "orpheus in the underworld." it was adapted somewhat to add more of a humorous family appeal, but the music was great and it was wonderful to be out rubbing shoulders with the locals. the lawn was filled with people on blankets having dinner, kids playing soccer and tag, and others just enjoying the complimentary evening of music by themselves.