Tropfest

First off, photographic proof that JJ and I got to hang out while we were both in Sydney:

Saturday morning it started off raining, of course. We took advantage of the rainy weather and watch more movies. In the afternoon, it cleared up and Julie, Bekah and I explored Crown St. which is pretty close to our apartment. There are all kinds of cute shops and cafes down the street, reminding us that we will never have enough time or money to enjoy all of them! One of the best stops we made was to get gelato, which was one of the most delicious things I have ever experienced. By the time we finished exploring, 2 and a half hours had passed, and we were very glad we had spent the time outside of our apartment. That night, all of my roommates went out, but I decided I really needed a break and a night in, so I watched movies and went to bed early. I know I'm in Sydney, but every now and then I need a chance to just catch up on my sleep!

Yesterday (Sunday) was my favorite day of the weekend. Last night was Tropfest, the world's largest short film festival - and it definitely lived up to that. It was a perfect day to be outside, and thousands of other people must have been on the same page. A group of probably 40-50 of us went, led by someone running our program, who also brought us lots of snacks! We had to arrive around 5:30 in order to get spots on the grass for so many of us, but the films didn't actually start until 8.

In the meantime, 6 of us went off to explore the Royal Botanic Gardens, which are just a couple blocks away. The Gardens were very cool - for a while it was like being in a rainforest in the middle of Sydney. There were so many plants and trees and it was an incredibly relaxing place. Julie and I have a field trip there in a couple weeks, so I'm looking forward to the chance to get a tour and explore it further. I also plan on heading back a different day when I have more time to just hang out for a while. From the gardens, there is also a great view of the Sydney skyline, Opera House, and Harbour Bridge. We took a whole bunch of pictures in front of the water, including group pictures and our own individual "senior pictures"!

                 Just taking some senior pics!                      Beks and me

 The Sydney Skyline

After that, we went back and waited for Tropfest to begin. Earlier in the day, the preliminary round of judging had occurred, leaving us with 16 short films to watch that night. They were all incredible and I liked each one for different reasons. Some were silly, some were very serious, but there weren't any I wished I hadn't watched. If you're interested in checking out the winners or watching any of the videos, you can go here: http://www.smh.com.au/tv/Movies/show/Tropfest-3008146.html. It would certainly not be a waste of your time!

Today, I'm back to work: uploading videos, putting a presentation together, and getting some of my own things done. I've got a few things due this week, and then 3 midterms next week before I finally escape to Spring Break! Can't wait, it will be here before I know it!