Aussie Update

So it's been awhile since I last posted so I thought I throw up a quick update. There isn't as much stuff to post when you're just doing the day to day stuff - ya know, going to work, cooking, hanging out with friends, etc.

Highlights over the last few weeks include going up to Sydney (again). I went up for a training workshop entitled "Introduction to the aid and development sector in Australia." It was actually really, really intersting. I learned lots about overseas aid and policies and how the Oz Government works. Now I'm really curious to learn more about Canada's policies on overseas aid.

Last weekend, I also went down to the coast (a small town called Ulladulla) and visited my old roommate from my China backpacking trip. He lives literally 5 minutes from the beach so I got in some quality beach time. I LOVE playing in the waves. Well, until it threw me against the shore and I sort of tumbled a bit on my neck. Hmmm.... And it was absolutely frigid on the Saturday and started raining. Sunday was better. I actually got a bit of a sunburnt on my face. And yes, I know it's very tacky of me - but I have a big Aussie flag beach towel. ;)

We've been getting some weird weather in Canberra lately. We've had over a week of on and off thunderstorms. (I've been told that there's a drought.... I'm sort of confused.) And then last Tuesday night, it came down hard. Lots and lots of hail (see pic above). So much so, that a lot of buildings at the Australian National University were severely damaged resulting in school closures for the rest of the week. Traffic was crap the next morning too. Insane! Our own little natural disaster. The ironic thing was that the climate change research building got totally trashed. Scientists attribute the latest bout of weird weather to climate change.

Work is going really well. I've thrown all my energy in organizing this upcoming symposium on microbicides. It looks pretty promising. I think we secured some funding this week. Not sure if I've talked about microbicides before. But they are a recent development in HIV-prevention. Essentially, microbicides would be a topical cream/ointment that women could put in their vagina prior to sexual intercourse that would protect them if they came in contact w/ HIV. It's really important that this product comes to fruition particularly for women who are unable to negotiate safe sex with their partners (esp. for women in developing countries where gender inequality exists). So this one day symposium would bring together scienstists, researchers, community activists, government officials to educate about microbicides and to talk about how to start an advocacy campaign. I've been working really closely with our Canadian counterparts. (Go Canada!) It's a really neat experience.

So yeah, things are going well here. Making lots of good friends. And having a great time overall. I can't believe that my trip overseas is officially half over. I will return to Vancouver on Aug 1. That's it for now. Laterz.