not the best welcome

Welcome to Disney World! The most Magical place on earth.

Yeah, not really. When we arrived at our apartment, it was a pigsty. There was a pile of dirty dishes in the sink, there was clothes strewn all throughout, the place was a total mess. Good thing I didn't get here first, the two boys who arrived before me went to the main reception area and told them, they were all like "oh it should have already been cleaned, i don't believe you." So a manager came up to the apartment, had a look and got Consuela* and her team to clean it, they did a great job. They spent the best part of two hours cleaning.

We then returned home from shopping to find our locks had been changed, and we had to wait three hours for the key man to come and unlock our door, all the while our frozen food perished. The next morning when we went downstairs to collect our new keys, the staff at the front desk were less than helpful. The woman basically said that the locks were changed because someone left our apartment, she couldn't grasp the fact that we had moved in the day before.

So later that day at our housing meeting where we got our ID's that they stretched the pictures to make us look like how we would at the end of our program, fatter, one of my housemates, Chris, spent forever talking to one of the ladies and we got really worried it was something bad, turns out he was just filing a complaint with her because she's second in charge of the housing company. As two of the people in our apartment are over 21 in a wellness apartment, the housing people printed our ID's saying we were under 21, good thing I noticed, or else we wouldn't be able to drink.

The lady that Chris spoke to, settled everything with the people at the front desk, we even got an apology from the woman there who wouldn't believe us. and we ended up getting a gift card to cover the loss of our frozen foods.

LA

Hello from sunny California.

The past four days have been super busy, I'm really tired now.

Day 1

After spending 15.5 hours on a plane, 5 hours waiting in airports, and an hour getting through customs, I arrived at the terminal entrance for Eer Neuw Zulland. I caught the shuttle bus that would take me to the station so I could catch a train in to get to my hotel. The ticket machines wouldn't accept my card, :/ so I went to "Lindy's Liquor" to get cash out, went back to the station and bought my ticket.

My first night I walked about 7kms to Hollywood and Highland to see Cirque Du Soleil's Iris, it was an amazing show, funny and spectacular. Sadly we weren't allowed to take picture's inside the auditorium, because the Dolby (nee Kodak) Theatre is spectacular. After the sow was over, I decided to go take some photos of the Chinese Theatre all lit up.

Day 2
Today I went on the Paramount Studio Tour. It was really amazing all the TV shows and Movies that have filmed there. Our tour guide, who is also a page, told us about stage 19 and it's association with being the "haunted" stage. If it is, it would make sense seeing as how the Hollywood Forever Cemetery is right over the back wall...

Our tour did manage to catch a glimpse of Scott Bayo (Happy Days), as he walked past our cart in a mullet wig, and a random Cheerio from Glee. We got to see the exterior of the Greendale Community High building which was rather exciting, and turns out they film sections of their show all over the lot. As does Glee. Turns out the studio's dining hall substitutes for BreadSticks and the Studio Store is the Lima Bean Cafe.

I took a trip up to the Disney Soda Fountain and Studio Store to have some lunch, or rather an ice-cream (that came with a limited edition pin). I explored the Ripley's Believe it or Not museum, was really average, and the Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, which was super impressive.

Day 3
I spent this morning at Universal Studios, it's not really a full day park, especially if you get there just after 7.30 when they've just opened. The first thing I did was ride the new Transformers ride. It was super impressive, and I was wowed. I skipped out on the mummy because after being jolted around for 8 or so minutes, all I wanted to do was sit and see if I could spot any stars on the backlot. Turns out Weeds was filming that day, super shattered. I freaked out in the house of horrors, why would somebody go through that without friends or people they know? Bitches who do, be cray.

I took in the sights of Far Far Away next, and watched the Shrek 4D movie, Lord Farquadd's banners look like the Facebook symbol, I lolled. WaterWorld was a good show, as was the Special Effects Stage. I didn't want to stand in a queue for ages, so anything that was too long I skipped... I'm definitely going to get a shock at Disneyland.

I got home and found a message on my wall from Colleen about dinner, she said that there was a group heading to Hollywood for dinner and that I should join them. I did. It was nice meeting them, and eating something proper for once.

Camberwell Showtime

Hi Showtime Kids!

I'm sending you all my love and a super big hug all the way from California. Chookas on your opening night. First years, enjoy the excitement and the buzz you get from performing in front of an actual audience. Everyone else remember to smile heaps (DT gives out smile awards), projects and have your head to the front!

Congratulations on an awesome season!

xoxo

departure day

It's finally here, the day I leave for the US. A little part of em is scared, but I know that it's going to be a great experience, and I'll have so much fun, yada yada.

A big shoutout to the amazing cast at Camberwell Showtime, who open in two days on Friday 27th July. Make me proud kids!

I set up a flickr account, you can follow me, and biew all of my wonderful pictures.

50

It's actually 49 right now, but eh.

So update: I've gotten my visa. I was so nervous, but calm at the same time, I had fellow cast member Sofia with me...

Flights are booked. Tickets to Cirque Du Soleil's Iris, USH, and DL. Now that everything is falling into place, all I have to do is save up more money. From here on out, it's the agonising wait till I leave on July 25.

39 days till I leave :D

100

Today is the 100 day mark!
So all thats really left to do is stress out a gazillion about visas and sevis fees...

Tips and Tricks of applying part deux

Welcome to the second instalment of my tips and tricks of applying to the Walt Disney World International College Program.

Last time I said how I was waiting for the email from IntRecruiting about our "What's Next?" emails, that came.

The email from Disney explains how you will need to submit a background check. For New Zealanders this is free. For us Aussies, it's another $45 you need to shell out. We were originally told that our checks needed to be submitted no later than June 1st, about a month after receiving that email we got another one saying how they needed them before the end of March, which as we found out from the January group could potentially hold up everyone receiving their welcome packs.

Back to the first email, they also listed information about our medical insurance, and apparently, no, your regular travel insurance won't cover you. Basically when you pay your housing fee of US$100, you also pay your medical insurance fee of US$100, depending on what your dollar is like when you apply, it could be less, mine was.

The next email to come from Disney was yet another one stating our roles and dates, but this one contained more exciting info, like, how to pay your fees, apply for classes and if eligible their roommate matching service.

Another issue that could arise when waiting for your Welcome pack to come, is your Proof of Student Status Form, remember that one, the one you had to get your Uni/Tafe to sign saying that you are actually a student? That could pop up, I had to get it resigned, thankfully I'm about to begin an Advanced Diploma at work, so my trainer just signed it for me.

Then after more waiting you'll receive your Welcome Pack. It's important to check every detail on your Visa paperwork, not doing so could result in you not obtaining your Visa.

Until next time.
TTFN

150 days to go!

But I leave in 140, the plan is to go explore LA, be a tourist, buy some Andrew Christian underwear, you know usual stuff you do in LA. But as an exciting 150 days to go surprise, the t-shirt i ordered came today!

Yeah, that's all for today! sooo excited. need to get onto paying for my second flight. :D