Thanks for reading our blog! It's been a wonderful trip so far - very fast paced and fun. When we arrived and went our separate ways, I enjoyed some time getting to know my host family, Anne and Rob Teese. After lunch and settling in at their home, we went for a walk in Studley Park, which was nice to stretch my legs and get some fresh air after such a long flight. Along the way, we saw part of a cricket match (which they tried to explain...I'll figure it out later!) and a kookaburra. We also stopped for a cappuccino along the river, which was nice. It's been coffee and wine the whole time! Later that evening, Rob grilled kangaroo steaks on the barbie for us for dinner, which was really good. It's a little different than beef, but I really enjoyed it!
Sunday morning, I accompanied Anne and Rob to a Rotary project. Once a year, their club puts together something they call 'birthing kits' to send to villages in Papua New Guinea to help the pregnant women there. The kit includes a large sterile pad, bandages, razor blades and soap - I couldn't imagine having a baby with only those supplies! We put together almost 1,000 kits. It was fun for me to listen to the group chat back and forth - the accents were pretty strong. After we finished the kits, they fixed chicken skewers on the barbie and salads for lunch.
Monday and Tuesday, I was with our group (see previous updates our on city tour plus our day at Chatham primary school, Alkira, high tea, the fire station and police station). On Wednesday this week, I had some downtime with my host family, Anne and Rob Teese. After a full two days prior with the Melbourne city tour and the Rotary presentation the night before, it was nice to have a more relaxed day. We decided to use the time to visit the Melbourne Zoo! I worked at the Indianapolis Zoo right after college, so I was really excited to check out a zoo in Australia.
The Melbourne Zoo didn't disappoint! The landscaping was beautiful, with many native plants and open spaces. They had the usual variety of zoo animals like the lions, elephants, and giraffes, but also many animals I hadn't seen before like the wombat, tree kangaroos, echidnas, and the platypus. The wombat surprised me the most because of its' size - I had always pictured it to be much smaller, but it's more like the size of a small boar. The zoo staff was also really knowledgeable and hosted engaging 'animal chats'. We caught one about the Sumatran tigers, which was really interesting. They also try to encourage people to purchase products without palm oil because of the palm oil plantations that are taking up valuable animal habitats. It was a perfect day at the zoo!
On Thursday, I had my first vocational day at the Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VECCI) to learn about their organization and compare practices with my Chamber (The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce).
I had coffee with Patricia Griffiths, the Head of International Trade at VECCI Global, and she gave me an overview of their organization. Their Chamber is the largest and oldest Chamber in Australia (founded in 1851) and they are in the top 200 Chambers in the country. Similar to our Bloomington Chamber, about 65% of their members are small to medium sized businesses. However, Patricia said their main reasons for joining are for advocacy/public policy support and assistance with workplace issues, which differs from our Chamber. VECCI also has several government initiatives that support their Chamber members, such as Enterprise Connect and the Industry Capability Network. It was interesting to chat with Patricia and compare notes on what sort of work their Chamber is involved in, how they handle various membership issues and what type of special events they provide to their members. Overall, it was a great conversation and I'm looking forward to my visit to the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia next week!
After my visit to the Chamber, Anne and Rob picked me up for some more sightseeing around Melbourne. We went to Eureka Tower's Skydeck, which is the highest public vantage point in the Southern Hemisphere! They have something called the Edge, which is a glass box that extends 3 meters out from the building. Amazing views of the city!
After the Skydeck, we finished up the day at the Belgium Beer Garden. It was very busy with people grabbing a drink after work and had a fun atmosphere. Perfect way to end the day!
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