First Week at Duke

I think last time I left off I was in the library using the internet there to update this, well now I have the internet back on in my room so I'm happy :-D considering it has been 8 degrees and windy all day I deicded it was an opportune time to update what I have been doing! By now you should all have recieved another email from me breifly outlining what I have
been doing, but this is where you get the WHOLE story!!!

Classes began on January 9 (Monday) and well, it was definatly a culture shock having a seminar of around 50 people and then having the daunting prospect of having a 20-25% participation mark hanging over you in a class of this size. The classes really are like what they are in the movies, that is more a "discussion" type classes and if you dont know your material then, well, thanks goodness that hasnt happened yet, but it's only the first week!!!

One big thing that I did on Monday was go to Cameron Indoor Stadium, which is where the Duke Blue Devils play their home games, WOW, nothing like what i expected (check out the photos http://community.webshots.com/user/thechadmeister2) yet it was hard to believe that I was standing inside it ever since watching my first Duke game in 1997!

Tuesday was an interesting day: I bought my "Duke" gear for the Basketball game on Wednesday night (hoodie and trucker hat); I had a class where there was another "Chad", which NEVER happens; went to a real American Diner for dinner, which was interesting; had a local NC "beer", and I'm using that term very loosely, which reminded me of vegemite; and sadly I found out that one of my good internet chat buddies from California had passed away in a car accident in mid-December, we were meant to catch up when I was back over in California before I left! Here's to you Jarom, you are awesome and will be missed by us all!!!

Wednesday was the best day of the life! I had class in the morning and after a short nap and some food I headed over to Cameron Indoor Stadium to go to the Duke v Maryland game. I arrived at 4:30, even though the game did not start until 9, as I had to wait in line to get in. As I did not have a season pass I had to go in the "walk in line" who they let in if there are ANY spots left after those with season passes have gone in! I met some medical students in the line (PGs and UGs line up on different sides of the arena) who were pretty cool and so I hung with them and we did what you are meant to do while waiting in line to go to a game...drink beer and eat pizza!!! I was finally let into the game at 8:50, 10 minute before tip-off and OMG I have never seen so many people (9,000) squished into a more smaller space, which makes for an absolutely fantasitc atmosphere!!! I would try to describe what it was like but no words can do it justice, seriously, the closest I could come would be "intense". These students are more passionate about their team than Joe Taylor about Essendon, and I was finally a part of it, this is MY team!!! The game itself was AWESOME...Duke totally dominated and we get involved with taunts, cheers and other "Cameron Crazie" antics!!! After the game I met Dick Vitale (who is to US College Basketball what Bruce MacAveny is to Australian Sport Commentating), and again a moment I will never forget!!!

After the game I went to McDonalds (yeah we have one on campus, open 'til 1am every night) to get a drink as my throat was hoarse as. When I left the campus was covered with ground level fog and I took some cool campus pictures of it, again see my website.

Thursday and Friday were pretty uneventful as I found out that I had to take my deferred Strategic Management and European Union exams on Friday (13th) and Tuesday (17th) respectively, so I sort of studied for the Strat exam and took that no problems, now I just have to cram for EU on Tuesday given that Monday is a public holiday becuase of Martin Luthur King Jr Day!

Anyways I should be signing off for today, I think us exchange kids are going to a concert tonight, for only $5, so I should probably go eat and get ready.

By the way I now have a US mobile..its (919)-218-8604. Thats the number you dial if you are in the US so you have add on an international dialing code, and the country code, which is 1, in front of it to call me. So if you buy a calling card it should work out pretty cheap. I have also downloaded Skype which gives me 2.7c per minute calls to Aussie landlines so if you want me to call you tell me your landline.

Catchya on the flipside
Chad