Speaking Strine

Welcome to your guided tour of the International College of Management Studies. The bathrooms are on your left, the gift shop is open at then end of the trip, I’m your tour guide, Chad, and please, as usual, hold onto your questions until the end of the tour.

ICMS resides on the North Head peninsula in Manly, just north of, and only a 25 minute ferry from, downtown Sydney. The school opened in 1996 in the renovated St. Patrick’s College. St. Patrick’s College began serving the Catholic Church as a seminary school in January 1889. Historians cite founder Archbishop Moran as a scholar, visionary and surfer.

First, I’d like to take a look to their right and admire the proximity of our fine facility to Manly Beach:

As well as the fact that I am living in a freaking castle:

Eat it, Harlaxton, my castle’s on the beach.

The school holds classes primarily on the first two floors in rooms that hold a maximum of forty students, but often not more than half of that. Higher floors are completely residential, with the occasional computer lab.

To be fair, I should explain that I live in the castle annex, Kelly House. Faulty offices, men’s halls and the student pub “The Sand Bar” share Kelly House. My single room is simple, but I’ve settled in. Bed, sink, desk, window, bookshelf and closet. We’re all cozy.

The window gives me a sea-side view… of a bird nest that wakes me at 7:30 each morning whether I want it to or not. If it wasn’t so much cooler-looking than the birds we have back home (and I was a more ruthless person), I’d have knocked that nest down three weeks ago.

My hall is full of good, new friends. Most of the guys around me are from all around the states, Germany, China, a couple less-social blokes from Sweden and there are some full-time students from around Australia down the hall.

It’s not unusual for weddings (typically three each weekend), photo shoots or any other activity to be occurring in the courtyards or grand halls. Part of the school’s service/hospitality degree programming fits in with work study in their five-star Grand Dining Hall that takes reservations six nights a week.

There’s a rumor I’ve heard from a Trivia Night MC and bartender (both very reliable Manly sources) that the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced Wonder Woman film would be shooting Manly and the college before Summer ends in a couple months. This has neither been confirmed nor denied by the administration. My gut tells me we won’t be that lucky, but who knows.

Regardless, Manly is a laid-back, slightly touristy, beach-covered corner just off of Sydney. Living in the city would be a great experience, but living on the beach is alright too (sarcasm, everyone, sarcasm). There’s plenty to do at night and great trips during the day.

I’ll catch up on classes, teachers and the finer things like laundry in another update.

Also: These signs are posted all over campus and are completely serious.

Continue the adventure with photos!