{"id":2675,"date":"2014-09-15T11:42:32","date_gmt":"2014-09-15T15:42:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/questromworld.bu.edu\/studyabroad\/?p=2675"},"modified":"2022-10-11T20:07:40","modified_gmt":"2022-10-11T20:07:40","slug":"katherine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/questromworld.bu.edu\/studyabroad\/2014\/09\/15\/katherine\/","title":{"rendered":"Katherine Yau, Sydney Internship"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Bondi<\/a>I traded my summer for winter this year and thus began the adventures abroad in Sydney, Australia! If you\u2019re on the fence for studying abroad for any reason, just DO IT. This summer I saw the best sights, met great people, and enjoyed the Australian accent.<\/p>\n

My program was the Sydney Internship Program, and I interned at The Festivalists, which is a nonprofit arts and culture organization sponsored by the City of Sydney. The Festivalists mostly coordinates film festivals and specialized events at museums.\u00a0As the Marketing and Sponsorship intern, I helped the coordinator do market research, develop mailing lists, and I even got to watch 13 of the movies they were going to screen at their upcoming film festival! Alongside my internship I took EC464 \u201cThe Pacific Rim \u2013 Economic and Political Orders,\u201d and every class was like story time. Professor Mack is great and very\u00a0worldly. Combined, the class and the internship kept me pretty busy, so plan your weekends with purpose to optimize time for exploring!<\/p>\n

Although the culture shock was not as intense as it would have been in a non-English speaking\u00a0country, studying abroad definitely broadened my perspective. It was neat and sometimes challenging to see the nuances in culture and lifestyle. Australians definitely have their lingo; you\u2019ll hear \u201cgood on ya\u201d for a job well done or hear cookies referred to as \u201cbiscuits.\u201d (p.s. Eat lots of Tim Tams.) Don\u2019t be surprised if strangers just strike up conversation with you, or when a car stops about\u00a0an inch away from you as you\u2019re crossing the street. Turns out, the buttons you push to cross the street are actually useful. Overall, though, it was humbling to learn that the American way is neither the only way nor the superior way. In Australia, I became the \u201cforeigner.\u201d I never got used to being asked where I\u2019m from because I had an \u201cAmerican accent.\u201d These experiences are subtle, yet meaningful, and they can only be found abroad.<\/p>\n

Living in the city was great; to me, Sydney is this awesome fusion of European, Asian, and even American cultures. The BU Sydney Centre, where you\u2019ll be living and taking classes, is so close to major stations, Sushi Hub (definitely go here), and even the grocery store. Definitely explore the \u201cmust sees\u201d of Sydney, such as the Opera House, botanical gardens, and the museums, but don\u2019t forget to spend time in the suburbs. Glebe, Surry Hills, and Darlinghurst are where it\u2019s at. You\u2019ll lose track of time as you explore the quirky eateries, hip\u00a0bars, and unique boutiques that these suburbs have to offer.<\/p>\n

Oh, and one final thing: make the trip up to Cairns, which is where you can find the Great Barrier Reef. It\u2019s a must-see, and Cairns will make you fall head over heels for Australia. And definitely, definitely do Uncle Brian\u2019s Rainforest Tour when you\u2019re up there. You\u2019ll see the beautiful rainforest, splash in waterfalls, and sing car-trip songs until you lose your voice. It\u2019s the most fun I\u2019ve ever had in one day!<\/p>\n

I picked Australia because I wanted to see some amazing nature sights, experience a cool city, and because I thought to myself, \u201cI\u2019ll probably never get another\u00a0chance to go to Australia!\u201d However, now that I\u2019ve been to Australia, I know I\u2019ll be going back someday. Pick Sydney, and have safe travels!<\/p>\n\n\t\t