Victoria Nuche Alvarez

October 2008 Update

This last month I have been really busy with university, because the end of the semester is coming soon, therefore I must submit all my assignments for next week, so I am very pressured, because the format of these assignments are different from those that I am used to do back home and this worries me a little bit.

I’ll try to do my best at school, however I have had some difficulties with my units, I guess it’s because this is a different educational system, and it takes time to getting used to it.

In the other hand, October has been full of important changes for me, because for the first time in my entire life I started to work, this means a lot to me, because I think I’m becoming a more independent girl and  I’m starting to growing up. I am really glad that the experience of living in Australia allows me to take a step forward in my life. I am very proud of myself J.

I am working in a Mexican restaurant that it’s close to the city as waitress. I have been there for two weeks now and I really like it. First of all, because everything is so familiar to me that makes me feel like home and secondly because all of the people that works there have been really nice to me, so that makes the work easier. Even though it’s a Mexican restaurant I’m the only one from Mexico, in fact, I’m the only one that speaks Spanish. All of the staff of the restaurant are from all over the world, for example, the owner is from Australia, but there is people from India, England, Ireland, Germany, etc.  This is a really good opportunity to share my culture with other people. In fact, they seem really interesting in learning more about my country and some time while we are working I teach them Spanish, nevertheless, they teach me things about their countries too. So I have been experience a multi-cultural time.

Talking about the Christmas dinner, I haven’t answer to your request because I don’t know if I’m going, because maybe my dad and my sister are coming to Australia so if they come I going to spend Christmas with them. However, I’m hundred percent I’m going to the volunteer program in Asia, but I’m just waiting for the details.

I love living in Australia.

Cheers

September 2008 Update

Talking about the university, So far I have had to deliver a small report for the unit of Measurement, Design and Analysis but I have not receive any assessment or any feedback of this report yet. Being sincere, this unit is the one that I consider the hardest, because it’s similar to the statistics, however, I am taking extra classes to avoid any complications in a future, also, I am assisting  with my tutors in order that they can advise me with some reports that I’ll have to submit at the end of the semester. Likewise, today I had to submit a report for my unit of Social bases of behavior. Next week we are going to have a study break, and during this week I’m planning to advance with my next assignments, and preparing for an exam.

During this last month, I visited the Perth zoo, I went with my housemates, I considered this visit really interesting because I had the opportunity to saw animals that only lives in this country, and also I knew other animals that I wasn’t aware of their existence.

Last weekend, me and the other Mexican girls went to a Mexican party to celebrate our Independence day, It was really fun, and the best thing was eating Mexican food and met Mexican people.

As for the project of collecting funds of the scholarships for the girls from Afghanistan, in this week we will receive the chocolates that we are going to sell, and we are going to start selling it as soon as possible.

Till now, living in this country have being a wonderful experience, I have had the opportunity to know other cultures, relating with people of different countries and  knowing and accepting different ways of thinking. All this, will allow me to become a better person, and will help me to grow up as individual, but also will help me to have better relationships with the people that are around me.

That`s all for now, I hope that everything it’s clear and if you have a doubt ask me please

August 2008 Update

I arrived to Perth city on July 25, for that night I stayed in the Perth City YHA (Hostelling International) while I contacted the person who was renting me the room.

Nowadays I’m living in a house that I’m sharing with several students, two from Colombia (a woman and a man) and one from Sudan, and of course  with the owner. The house it’s close to my university, it takes like 20 minutes to get there and the public transport is accessible enough to go to school.

My address is #12 Harwood close Canning Vale WA 6155, my phone number is 94561290 and my cell phone is 0433785955, I leave you this information in case that you need to contact me.

On Monday, the 28th of July I began my orientation week, and during it, they gave me some information about the services that the university offers, the rights that we have as international students, etc.  In summary, they inform us about important stuffs that we needed to know as new students.

That week, along with the help from some members of international student’s office I organized my schedule and I chose my units which are:

·         PSY212 Measurement, Disign and Analysis

·         PSY218 Self and Society

·         PSY248 Social Bases of Behavior.

I am starting my fourth week of classes, so far I haven’t had any problem related with my units, nevertheless, I have to confess, that I have had some complications with the Australian accent, and in occasions I don´t understand it, however, I know that I only need to practice and more time to get used to it. I’ve been here only for one month so it’s understandable that I’m still adapting to this new style of life. It’s a stage of my life that will help myself to grow up and be a better person, and I’m conscious that at the beginning it`s always hard to adapt to new situations, but I also know that this experience is going to be one of the greatest in my life.

On the other hand, the university, teachers, units have been very interesting, I haven’t had to deliver assignments yet, and I haven’t done any exams, because all of those are for the end of the semester. Nevertheless, since now I want to take advice with my tutors in order to avoid any problem with the final assignments.

The places that I have visited are: Perth city that it`s like 40min from my house, Fremantle, I went there with one of the students that lives with me, and later I expect to visit the beaches, but I’ll wait until the spring to go there.  (attached Photos).

I also have met with the other girls that are in Perth, Alida, Anabel and Melisa, they told me about the project of collecting funds for the scholarships of the girls from Afghanistan. And we already conclude about activities that we are going to do for this cause.

First of all, the representative that we chose for Perth was Alida, and the activity that we are going to do is to recollect things of second hand, and we will sell them every Sunday in a market that is near to my house. Also we have the idea of selling candies or cookies or something like that, to collaborate with this project.

To conclude, I would like to comment to you, that I am very interested in the voluntary program in Asia, I want you to count with me for it, it is a fact that I’ll go. I’m only going to wait that you send us the corresponding information, in order that I could organize the flights, activities etc. I believe that this program it’s a really good opportunity to help to these communities that need us.

That`s all for now, I hope that everything it’s clear and if you have a doubt ask me please