140 litres...but who's measuring anyway?

And so it begins...

"Half flush or full flush?; dishes now or later? laundry today or tomorrow?" These are just some of the questions I ask myself everyday. Sounds weird, but read on and you'll understand.

Half or full tank flush? Take your pick

Faced with the worst drought on record, south-east Queensland has shifted gears into level 5 water restrictions for its residents as of April 10. Under the heightened restrictions, residents will have to stay dirty...taking suggested 4 minute showers, bucket-water their gardens twice a week, and refrain from filling new pools with the precious liquid. Car washing has also been banned, except for the washing of essentials such as mirrors, windows and number plates. By the way, just in case you're wondering, the goal is to allocate 140 megalitres per person, per day.

The Queensland Water Commission said the new restrictions were "unavoidable as the region's parched dams continue to lose water." And the Commission is laying down the law too as households with more than 800 litres a day "will have to fill out an auditor's report explaining their water usage." And if you don't? "Face a ban of water use in any outdoor area"...yeeeea baby!!!That being said, the honour system in Australia is highly commendable and one should expect that everyone plays their part in easing the problems we are now facing.

Just as an outsider looking in, why not consider reducing water output to 20 hours a day? Is this feasible? Well, I've experienced water lock-offs in years gone by, but it didn't affect us much since everyone had water tanks to offset the reduced output from the water commission. But, with low to no rain, this might not be possible in Queensland. Just throwing an idea out there.

This whole situation might sound ludicrous to others, but welcome to reality! As the saying goes, "You don't know what you have 'till you lose it". Let this be a lesson to everyone taking 1 hour showers and using water unnecessarily. Remember, we may be surrounded by water, but we now see that we're desperately searching for it. Water is life, so don't waste it!

15 pages later

So, after toiling most of last night and most of today, my consumer behaviour assignment is finally done! What a tremendous weight off my shoulders. In retrospect, the assignment asked for some details that I would have normally overlooked, and I suspect that this is the reason it felt like torture.

I must say though that the paper, beaming with professionalism, is one of my best to date. This is by no means suggesting that my other works are substandard, because they aren't; I am merely suggesting that the caliber of research methods and application of findings as well as other discernible features of the paper are of a standard second to none. Exposure to such methods is a welcomed addition to my educational journey and I would in fact expect nothing less from a triple accredited school of business.

The bed is calling so it's lights out for me, and with Easter holidays commencing tomorrow, the lights will stay off for a loooong time! Have a great Easter and be safe!

More updates soon.

The Big Game: Let's go Broncos!

So, last week Friday was awesome. Ma brodda Stewie and his friends took me to the Brisbane Broncos (our team) v Cowboys rugby league football game at the amazing 52,000 seater Suncorp Stadium. Did I mention this was the opening game?!

To add to the excitement of my first live game in Australia, the stadium was almost at capacity, setting a new record that night with 50,000+ fans in attendance. PLUS, we got GREAT seats...sitting three rows up from the field. We were right in the action!! It was amazing! Thanks to Stewie and his friends for a great time!

Even though the game ended 16-23 to the Cowboys, the Broncos are still the best team in the league....that's right! The electrifying atmosphere made the loss (at least to me) livable. Seeing that horse trot around the field every time the Broncos scored, the players giving their all, and the screaming fans surrounding us was a good enough victory for me. BUT, next time the Broncos are gonna kick some ass and win the game so watch out! Let's go Broncos!

Finally in Oz

Flight attendants, prepare for landing

So, I've been in beautiful Australia (Oz)-the world's largest island and smallest continent- for almost a month now, and I can't believe it!

Thanks to Stewie and his famz,I quickly recovered from the effects of jet lag; nothing's worse than feeling like you're going to pass out at 5pm (during classes )and then being forced to stay up until 10 or 11pm "to get into the swing of things". Damn, that was hard! But, after about 2 weeks, I was jet-lag free and sleeping like a normal person again!!

Doing a semester abroad is probably one of the best decisions I've made in life: the exposure to different cultures and ways of life is truly amazing and quite beneficial to understanding the complexities of human interaction.

One of the most striking features of Brisbane is the diversity of people within the city . Simply trek outside and you'll be surrounded by people from all over the globe: Asians, Africans, Indians, Europeans, Americans, West Indians, the list goes on and on.

I think Brisbane is one of the most beautiful cities I've visited and lived in. Hospitable, honest people, great tropical weather, breathtaking views from high-rise buildings, (almost) litter-free streets, breathable air, and great botanical gardens and beaches.

The nightlife in Oz cannot be left out either: a myriad of clubs line the streets of the CBD and the city pulses to countless genres, a testament to the diversity of my fellow clubbers and pubbers . And when it's party time in Brisbane, it's really party time--clubs will typically keep patrons rocking to world beats till the wee hours of the morning as I've seen in my three weekends here.

One great aspect of city life here is the Busway- a specially-designated stretch of road for buses. The 12+ km provides a stress-free and relatively quick alternative to commuters wishing to get around and beyond city limits. The Busway is ingenious because of it's convenience in the city atmosphere; taking a bus to work or school never had so many benefits. Since there are no other vehicles to deal with, there's no congestion, no waiting, no road rage ...just a smooth ride into and out of the city! The Busway's so efficient that ads challenge automobile drivers to "Just try and beat the bus!"

Classes are also great here. Since they only meet once a week for two hours (plus a 1hr tut), it frees up alot of time to do homework and study, as well as to do stuff not related to academia.

So, this, my first blog ever, just brings you guys up to speed on life in Oz and how I'm doing. Look out for more!

On approach to Brisbane