At this point in the program, we are about halfway done.  I am currently studying at the University of Technology Sydney.  Our specific UTS building is located less than a five minute walk away from our apartment.  The University of Technology Sydney is a well-known university amongst many in the Sydney area.  UTS is located around the city in different scattered buildings.  The setup is somewhat similar to Oakland. I love the city environment! We are currently staying in Haymarket. Haymarket is centrally located in the city of Sydney making it very easy to go anywhere. It’s also a bonus that it’s so close to Chinatown.  I love the area and everything is so accessible. No matter where you want to go in Sydney, public transportation is available. Everything is clean and straightforward and makes it very easy to navigate.  Our housing is specifically for study abroad students.  The building is composed of different groups from different countries all studying abroad in Sydney.  I currently live in an apartment with one roommate in my room and 4 other rooms for a total of 7 people.  We share one kitchen and a common space.  The building we are in is super conveniently located and has many amenities.  I enjoy using the study spaces and gym in my free time to keep myself moving.  The building also hosts fun events or giveaways to help build community which I enjoy.  While you think the space would be a little cramped with so many people, I have learned to love the group of girls I am staying with.

While I’m here, I am taking two classes. The first one aligns with my internship and builds professionalism. The second one is Australian Cinema where we watch classic and current Australian films.  We talk about the time periods and the craft behind how and why the film was made.  Another great thing I learned is how involved the government is and paying for the art industry.  The Australian government operates in a similar way with the tourism and cultural attraction sector too. My midterm is next week so wish me luck!  Although we are in a UTS building, we mainly work with CEA CAPA.  We don’t get the full UTS experience though or have classes with other UTS students.  My class is composed of other Pitt students but other classes are a mix of students from other universities.

One cultural aspect I really fell in love with are the sustainability initiatives.  Part of that sustainability is transportation.   It’s very common for most Sydneysiders to walk to work. I take part in this four times a week when I do work and go into the office.  My daily commute is about 30 minutes walking and a little over a mile.  I usually walk to most places around the city and only use transportation if it’s a long walk or we are too tired.  The city has so much to offer and I can’t wait to see more!