Viridiana Gonzalez Lizarraga

November 2008 Update

This last month was the most challenging of the second semester of my master studies. All assignments were due and I had to prepare for the final exams. It was a very stressful time and I took the opportunity to do other things besides study. I participated with Amnesty International with a barbecue that took place in Macquarie University to protest against violence for women around the world.

Students and staff who passed along participated in a handprint and the signature of a letter to protest against violence in Nepal, regarding the case of the murder of a local activist. We succeeded to raise several signatures and create awareness on campus. It was a very rewarding experience for me to be involved in this activity.

On the other hand, a week after my exams finished I travelled to Cairns. It was beautiful and I had the opportunity to do several nature activities, such as sea kayaking, scuba diving and rafting. I met very nice people and I also got to know characteristics of a smaller Australian city.

I am very happy with the experience of having completed my studies and also about getting to know the Australian culture and the Australian particular way to enjoy life. 

October 2008 Update

During October I have been working very hard in the final group and individual assignments. I have not been able to go out as much as I wish. There was a birthday party of one of my friends from Argentina who live in Manly. We had a very good time with all the people from Latin America, Europe and Australia.  It is very lovely to be there in sunset where you can see people still in the water, playing or surfing. I is the image I had of Australia prior coming here.

The next week, there will be a handprint to protest against violence in Macquarie Uni organised by Amnesty International. I have sent the invitation to the Sydney scholars and I hope for some of them to show up. Personally, I am concerned about the escalated violence in my own country. I have seen news in the Australian media the last weeks, and it is not getting better. Since our President started to have direct actions against the drug cartels in our country, these highly organised groups have been not only executing people from their own, but also innocents, which makes me very sad. I will write about this problem to protest on Tuesday to arise awareness.

September 2008 Update

Time has been passing by very fast and I am already in the midbreak of my second and last semester of my Master’s degree. During this month I have been working very hard in the assignments, presentations and preparing to gain the most of all the courses. It is interesting to understand how we as humans behave in regards to products, brands and how consumer behaviour theories work in our daily lives.

Changing the topic a little bit, the summer has officially started here in Sydney and finally it is warm again. It is very nice to see all these people outside, on bicycles, getting on the public transport with a surfboard and so happy that it’s contagious.

The first weekend that was warm, just a couple of weekends ago, we went to the Fish Market. It was very nice, a lot of people having a good time, mostly families with children, having a fresh lunch next to the sea. Just when we were walking out of the market we saw an enormous pelican right in the parking area. It must’ve been at least 80 centimeters of height. It was just breathtaking. . I can’t imagine how an animal that heavy can fly! Unfortunately I did not carry a camera that day.

Last weekend was very interesting. On Saturday my husband and I signed up to be volunteers for the “Conservation Volunteers Australia” organisation, which aims to create and manage a strong group of volunteers to preserve the country’s environment. The day started early since we had to meet our team leader at 8 in the morning at Central Station. We were a team of nine people and our destination was the Sydney Harbour National Park. Our mission was to remove any invasive weeds from the preserve areas that the Convervation organisation has created in this park.

Once we arrive there, our team leader gave us our tools and explained us which the invasive plants were, its names, how we should take them out and store them. Suddently, I realised that the task was going to be more difficult than what I imagined. It was 31 degrees and we had to wear full sleves shirts and long pants to avoid any insect stings. After a few hours, we had lunch together and shared our experiences in Australia, since all of us had different backgrounds. At the end of the day, it felt really good to have contributed a little bit to the preservation of the community.

The next day, last Sunday, we went to the Brazilian festival organised by the Brazilian Coumminity Council in Australia. It was very good to see all these people, listenging their incredible music, capoeira demonstrations, samba, delicious food and sweets, all together in one place, the Tumbalong Park in Darling Harbour. It was definitely a good month and the Latin festival is also coming on the first weekend of October. In the meantime I am taking advantage of these dates to concentrate in the Uni assignments and preparing for the final exams.

August 2008 Update

Vacation time has officially ended and I went back to Uni on the first week of this month. It was a very good thing to catch up with friends and discover what they were doing during the last eight weeks. I was surprised to know that many of them went to spend the entire break traveling around Southeast Asia. They commented their experiences in magical places such as Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Hong Kong and Vietnam. Their amazing stories and findings around these cities were truly unique.

Other friends spent the vacation period traveling around Australia. Sites such as the Golden Coast, Adelaide, Kangaroo Island and remote places like Uluru made my friend’s experience very interesting and fun.

At the moment, I am taking three very interesting lectures in the field of Marketing. I was also very lucky to be selected to participate in the University’s Internship Program. This internship is unpaid. In this experience, I will develop my own skills and also will be able to learn the cultural aspect of the Australian work environment.

August is also a very special month because of one unique event that truly brings human kind together, the Beijing Olympics 2008. I was impressed when I acknowledged the commitment and the enormous amount of work that the athletes have put into themselves for the last four years to get the chance to be in the Olympics. It is such a nice feeling to see how sport can brings us together, despite of the sad events that surrounds our world. In our case, Mexico won one bronze medal in synchronized diving and a gold medal for the Tae kwon do discipline.

At the University, I am still participating as a member of Macquarie Amnesty International where various activities will be done during the semester to speak up for human rights. Current issues such as China’s violation in human rights and violence against women are of main importance during our meetings.

I am looking forward to experience the events that will be done during the next months as well as the entire learning experience of living here in Australia.

July 2008 Update