This weekend has been a whirlwind of adventures. Saturday morning I went to Hillsong Church for my service placement. We are each required to serve for 35 hours during the semester. After staying up late chatting, it was hard to wake up at 7 a.m. to go to my service placement. I haven't yet gotten used to the public transportation system. It takes forever to get anywhere because I have to take trains and buses everywhere. I ignored my desire to sleep in and went anyways. It was an information session telling us that we will be spending time with the people in the neighborhood: building relationships, helping with minor problems, etc. I am a little disappointed in my placement because it sounds like something I have already done in the past, but I am going with an open mind and heart thinking I will grow from the experience anyways.

After going to Hillsong, one of my roommates and I went to explore the town. We found a wonderful little market full of overpriced fresh fruits. It was a nice area of town. A perfect place to go to enjoy the scenery.

Speaking of scenery: After Hillsong, we went to a couple beaches. They were GORGEOUS!!! I have never seen clearer water. The only hard part was walking past the women without tops on... bit of a culture shock. YIKES!!! I am proud to say that I walked away from a day at the beach without a sunburn... despite the sun being seven times hotter here.

The weekend ended with a boxing lesson. No, you didn't read that wrong. I actually went to a boxing class and I am going back. It was so much fun to be able to punch someone in the face without any anger or rage attached to it. I think it will be a new Sunday tradition for me!

Monday night I went to an "American Civil War Round Table" meeting. Pretty much it was a bunch of Australians with a strange fascination in the American Civil war. We listened to a lecture on the medals of the Civil War. After the lecture, the priest I attended with introduced me to the other members. They were freaking out because my last name is Lee (as in General Robert E. Lee). It was great... I felt like royalty or something.

Well, this has been a great weekend... but now it is time for class.