Field Trip #1

Yesterday I had my first field trip for my Linking Indigenousness class. We met at 9am in the JCU Main Oval, which is a field. An Aboriginal man called Uncle Rusty came and talked to us about Aboriginal culture and demonstrated some weaponry and showed us how to make a fire with sticks (which took him less than a minute). Afterwards we got to try everything for ourselves. I got to throw some boomerangs and even a spear. It was pretty awesome. A couple of guys from my class spent a long time trying to start a fire and eventually they got it going.

In the afternoon we had to find our own way into the city to go to the Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Centre. My tour was to start at 2:30, so I caught the bus around 1:50. By the time I got to the city it was almost 2:30 and I still had a 5-10 minute walk ahead of me. I hurried over to the cultural centre and made it there just in time. We spent about an hour hearing about Aboriginal history and looking at weapons and art and stuff like that. I put some pictures up on facebook.

After that I decided to hang around the city for a while and go in a few stores since they are actually open on Fridays. I bought myself a didgeridoo. It's just a little one though, I couldn't afford a full size one, but it's pretty awesome. I haven't tried playing it yet, but I will probably fail cause they are not easy to play. My last stop for the day was Woolworths (because I can't not go there). I just bought some snacks, including a Mars Bar (which is a Milky Way if you don't know). Why do other places still call them Mars Bars? Are we the only ones who call them Milky Ways? Whatever you call it, it was delicious.

Today I was supposed to have my second field trip. Unfortunately I am an idiot. I set my alarm for 7pm instead of 7am and I woke up at 9:00, just in time to miss the bus. They are doing this field trip again next weekend so hopefully I will be able get on that trip (and wake up in time), but it could be full. If it is full then I am out $65 and not doing too well in the class. I am so mad at myself for being so dumb, but hopefully it will workout.