Bits and pieces!

It has been a while since we have updated the blog. No amazing stories this time but just some bits and pieces.

Tennis

I am playing tennis again! The last 2 weeks I went to social tennis on Monday and Wednesday at the Queens Park Tennis Club. We play doubles and each half hour we swap teams. It starts at 7pm and I was on the court every night till 10pm! So I am enjoying it! Last Wednesday it was quiet so I played singles. Loved it! So I am playing again regularly and it feels good! And the best thing is that the club is only 2km from where we live.

Nemo’s Boat

Last week we went to Nemo’s and Pierre’s place. What a nice place! They just moved to this place with a pool and water view! We had a BBQ, swam in the pool, … and went on a boat trip with Nemo’s boat! It was awesome! Thanks Nemo J

Here are some pics of the trip:

After the boat trip we chilled on the balcony, enjoying the sun and the view. At 6pm it was the Rugby Final New Zealand - France.

Balcony at Nemo and Pierre's place

Pushbike

Yesterday evening Philippe and I went on a bicycle trip along the Broadwater and we had dinner at the Fishermans Wharf. Here you can see what we did on the pushbikes:

Swimming & Park Run

What else… This Saturday, I woke up at 7am (on a Saturday!) and I went for a swim at the Southport pool, less than 2km away so I went on foot with Jenna, another phd student. I had my private coach named Jenna which was really good! She made me swim 2km! I suffered, but it felt good!

Philippe did even better! He woke up at 5.45am and went to an organised Park run at Main Beach at 7am! We are getting accustomed to the Australian lifestyle!

In the afternoon I went to Aldi on the pushbike to buy some BBQ stuff. It is quite hilly to get there! But on the top of the hill you have a nice view:

Griffith

Now I have to say something about uni, otherwise people will think I am on a holiday here! I did some work too! I am analysing my the interviews I did in Nvivo… I wrote an abstract last week for a conference in Glasgow in July… Fingers crossed that it will be accepted! I wrote an application to go on a one week summer workshop at the University of Canberra… 3 people will get support (flight tickets, registration for the course and accommodation). I would love to go… Also fingers crossed I would say!

Thursday I finally got the computer that I ordered at Uni. The screen I have now is maybe twice as big as the screen of the temporary computer I was working on! So love it! Very convenient to analyse the data on a big screen.

CFA

Philippe is studying a lot for his CFA exam that is coming closer. He is doing long study days from 8am till late in the evening! The exam is the 4^th of December in Sydney. We have booked our tickets and will stay till the 7^th in Sydney! I am looking forward to it. So once again, fingers crossed for Philippe!

So far the bits and pieces J

Cheers

Jessie & Phil

Graduation Phil

Hi all!

I got some exciting news :-) Yesterday (Saturday) it was graduation time for Philippe at Bond University. On Friday we had to go and pick up his academic robe and hat and on Saturday morning it was the graduation. First the Academic Procession will enter the sports hall and then there were a couple of speeches. Then all the graduands had to go on the stage to receive their paper!

Below there is a short video of the Academic procession



And some pictures that we took during and after the ceremony on the Bond University Campus.

The graduands

In the library

After the graduation we went to the neighbours at Malanda Place. Barry and Beth, they are extremely nice people! We had an afternoon tea at their place.

Me and Barry

Philippe, Beth and me crazy

Isn't he cute!

Beth's Garden

In the evening we made Crêpes Bretonnes. DELICIEUX! Merci pour la farine de blé noir Blandine et Bertrand!

Today we went to the beach with friends of Phils sister who are staying here at the moment. We went surfing and we enjoyed the sun.

The last two weeks I worked at Griffith University! I am all settled at Griffith now! I got my student card, printing access, I met my new supervisor (and Popi), I have my after hour access card to the building... I am spending all my time now analysing data of the interviews and surveys in NVivo. Finally something more exciting than reading literature!

It is already Sunday now... the weekend went too fast again!

Cheers,
Jessie