Dearest Blog Followers,
G'Day! Glad to see you're all still with us (and a warm welcome to our newly joined 16th follower...whoever you are).
Just a quick note to inform you that as we're newly arrived in Sydney with different jobs, etc., the two of us have decided to leave http://aussification.blogspot.com as is, and instead begin our own respective blogs so that it's a bit easier to follow.
We know, we know...You're not going to be able to live without "aussification." Trust me, we understand. It's, like, the best blog ever. But the journey doesn't end here!
Please continue to follow us at our new urls:
Natalie - http://www.natalie-travels.blogspot.com/
Carlyn - http://thesydneyofoz.blogspot.com/
Much love, and keep on reading!
Cheers,
Carlyn and Natalie
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Melbourne Street Art
Melbourne loves street art. In fact, its one of the international hotspot for this high-end graffiti. Though, Melbourne takes street art pretty seriously (even showcasing it in some museums!) so the term "graffiti" is better left unsaid...
Our Koala Pictures!
Let me just preface this post by saying that we couldn't upload any photos while we were at the vineyard, so a backlog of pictures will follow!
Last week on our day off we ventured to the tiny Richmond Island, which my guidebook said could be a good place to find koalas. Well, we totally lucked out. There were koalas everywhere, just chillin in people's yards.
Last week on our day off we ventured to the tiny Richmond Island, which my guidebook said could be a good place to find koalas. Well, we totally lucked out. There were koalas everywhere, just chillin in people's yards.
... A Rugby PS
A glance at the 2011 Rugby World Cup website tells me that the USA just qualified for the tournament a week ago. Will you be supporting? (You've certainly got awhile to think about it!)
Rugby Initiation
Tim woke us up at 6:30 this morning so that we could catch the start of the NZ All Blacks vs Marseille Les Bleus match. The All Blacks begin every game with the traditional Maori hakka dance... talk about intimidation factor.
The All Black currently have a commanding lead - 32-12. They are the winningest team in Rugby - something like a 75% win rate in the club's history - but they lost out on the most recent world cup (in an embarassing quarterfinal loss). South Africa is the reigning world champ, but the Marseille club has beaten them three times in the past year. So, this game has some significance.
Can't you tell Tim is a great Rugby tutor?
I will say that the game is ridiculously addicting. All the hits of football but at a faster pace! Could you ask for more?
Can't you tell Tim is a great Rugby tutor?
I will say that the game is ridiculously addicting. All the hits of football but at a faster pace! Could you ask for more?
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Back to Good Ol' Melbourne
Our time on the vineyard is up! Natalie and I are headed back to stay with Tim (a.k.a. the kiwi All Blacks rugby team fanatic) in Melbourne for a few days before jetting off to Sydney on Tuesday.
What will we do the second time around in this Victorian city? Eat, eat, eat. Home to Bimbo's Deluxe $4 personal pizzas, the pay-as-you-feel-fit Lentil As Anything, and many, many other cheap eats, one of the greatest facets of Melbourne to explore is the [cheap] food.
We will probably also go to the beach. All day. Everyday.
And sleep, of course.
What will we do the second time around in this Victorian city? Eat, eat, eat. Home to Bimbo's Deluxe $4 personal pizzas, the pay-as-you-feel-fit Lentil As Anything, and many, many other cheap eats, one of the greatest facets of Melbourne to explore is the [cheap] food.
We will probably also go to the beach. All day. Everyday.
And sleep, of course.
I Have Developed the Sleep Patterns of a Six-Year-Old
While some people might believe that a person traveling through Australia stays up all night partying, laughing and drinking the night away, I have some news for you: this is not true. Well, at least for me.
Perhaps it's the rural atmosphere. Or maybe it's the whole physical labor (i.e. moving rocks) for 5 hours a day. On the other hand, it could also likely very be that I am either a) reverting to my sleep patterns of yore, or b) have matured far beyond my twenty-two years and am officially an old woman. Either way, I've been falling asleep around 10pm and waking up between 6 and 7am every morning.
Yup, that's right; I go to bed when the children do, and I wake up at the same time six-year-old Ashton arises (the two of us are always the first two out of bed). Sad? Perhaps...Although I must argue that I feel 10 times more invigorated. I haven't been awake this early on such a regular basis since Dad used to drive me to school early every morning when I was in 4th grade. For the first time in years, I fully appreciate my mornings. Ah, as my 7th grade Latin teacher (whose name I currently absolutely cannot remember) would say when our eyelids would start to droop: "Wake up, puellae! Carpe Diem!"
Perhaps it's the rural atmosphere. Or maybe it's the whole physical labor (i.e. moving rocks) for 5 hours a day. On the other hand, it could also likely very be that I am either a) reverting to my sleep patterns of yore, or b) have matured far beyond my twenty-two years and am officially an old woman. Either way, I've been falling asleep around 10pm and waking up between 6 and 7am every morning.
Yup, that's right; I go to bed when the children do, and I wake up at the same time six-year-old Ashton arises (the two of us are always the first two out of bed). Sad? Perhaps...Although I must argue that I feel 10 times more invigorated. I haven't been awake this early on such a regular basis since Dad used to drive me to school early every morning when I was in 4th grade. For the first time in years, I fully appreciate my mornings. Ah, as my 7th grade Latin teacher (whose name I currently absolutely cannot remember) would say when our eyelids would start to droop: "Wake up, puellae! Carpe Diem!"
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Thanksgiving Update #2
SUCCESS. Turkey was tender, and pumpkin pie = perfection. According to the Al and Catherine: "We'll have to do Thanksgiving next year!". Well, clearly...
Thanksgiving Update #1
Turkey's stuffed (thanks, Susie!!) and in the oven. Pumpkin pie has finally firmed up and is currently cooling. Apple crumble pie now taking it's turn. Cranberry sauce is also done...cooling on the stove (keeping the pumpkin pie company). Next up: mashed potatoes, steamed tomatoes and asparagus.
Yeah, I know. Nat and I are officially domestic goddesses...Watch out, Rachel Ray.
Yeah, I know. Nat and I are officially domestic goddesses...Watch out, Rachel Ray.
News Flash
When Carlyn and I woke up this morning, Catherine asked if we wouldn't mind moving Thanksgiving up a day, so that Alistair will be home for dinner (he has work tomorrow). So, Thanksgiving a day early! Let's see if we are up to the challenge.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Australian Music Spotlight #2: Australian Idol
Last night, the newest Australian Idol was crowned: Kiwi singer Stan Walker. I've never been one to follow American Idol, but I did get sucked into the competition here. And, I am literally obsessed with his single "Black Box." Its definitely pop but its very catchy. Enjoy!
The thing I think is really cool about Stan is that he is Maori, which are New Zealand's native people of Polynesian descent. I haven't learned a ton about the Maori culture since being here, but it's always highlighted heavily in all my guidebooks and the travels of people I've met. So, I'm rather excited to learn more about that once we head over to Kiwi-land.
"Black Box" is probably a far cry from traditional Maori singing, but I guess I'll just have to content myself with it for now!
The thing I think is really cool about Stan is that he is Maori, which are New Zealand's native people of Polynesian descent. I haven't learned a ton about the Maori culture since being here, but it's always highlighted heavily in all my guidebooks and the travels of people I've met. So, I'm rather excited to learn more about that once we head over to Kiwi-land.
"Black Box" is probably a far cry from traditional Maori singing, but I guess I'll just have to content myself with it for now!
Planning our Thanksgiving Dinner
Carlyn and I are currently trying to map out our Thanksgiving dinner. But there are just so many recipes to choose from - so many stuffings, cranberry sauces, and turkey tips arise with every Google search. Luckily at least the mashed potatoes are easy. Pretty near impossible to mess up those! (knock on wood.)
We told our current hosts that we would be happy to bring this bit of Americana to their home. They loved the idea, especially because they thought their kids would find it to be a blast. Thus the idea of an Australian Thanksgiving was born.
We hit our first snag when we learned that canned pumpkin is unheard of down under. So, we're sticking with just apple pie. It feels wrong to leave out such a staple of the Thanksgiving feast, but there aren't even pumpkins available for us to attempt making it from scratch! Other than that, we're planning on hitting all the classics - turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce.
We're drafting up our grocery list now - we'll be sure to let you all know how well it goes. Unless its disastrous, in which case I'll pretend this all never happened :)
We told our current hosts that we would be happy to bring this bit of Americana to their home. They loved the idea, especially because they thought their kids would find it to be a blast. Thus the idea of an Australian Thanksgiving was born.
We hit our first snag when we learned that canned pumpkin is unheard of down under. So, we're sticking with just apple pie. It feels wrong to leave out such a staple of the Thanksgiving feast, but there aren't even pumpkins available for us to attempt making it from scratch! Other than that, we're planning on hitting all the classics - turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce.
We're drafting up our grocery list now - we'll be sure to let you all know how well it goes. Unless its disastrous, in which case I'll pretend this all never happened :)
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Pinot Gris
Last night, Alistair came home with the newly bottled Pinot Gris - their first vintage! It was wonderful to see the family try it for the first time, and to get to try it ourselves. It is FANTASTIC.
What luck that we wound up staying with them during such an exciting time... seeing (and drinking!) their first Shiraz and Pinot Gris. Can't wait to see how their vineyard progresses after we've left!
What luck that we wound up staying with them during such an exciting time... seeing (and drinking!) their first Shiraz and Pinot Gris. Can't wait to see how their vineyard progresses after we've left!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Recipes from the Road #2: Still dessert, much easier, a LOT more chocolatey
12 minutes in the microwave = heaven.
60g butter - about 1/2 cup
half cup sugar
one egg
one cup self rising flower (this is equivalent to one cup all purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt)
two tbsps cocoa
one and a half cups hot water
a few drops vanilla
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. add the beaten egg, fold in sifted flour and cocoa alternately with the milk and vanilla.
Spread evenly in a round eight cup capacity microwave dish (this might explode a teensy bit in your microwave, but its definitely worth it!). Sprinkle with combined sugar and cocoa and carefully pour over the hot water.
Place on a rack, cover lightly and cook on HIGH about seven minutes until just cooked in the center. Stand five minutes before digging in!
60g butter - about 1/2 cup
half cup sugar
one egg
one cup self rising flower (this is equivalent to one cup all purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt)
two tbsps cocoa
one and a half cups hot water
a few drops vanilla
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. add the beaten egg, fold in sifted flour and cocoa alternately with the milk and vanilla.
Spread evenly in a round eight cup capacity microwave dish (this might explode a teensy bit in your microwave, but its definitely worth it!). Sprinkle with combined sugar and cocoa and carefully pour over the hot water.
Place on a rack, cover lightly and cook on HIGH about seven minutes until just cooked in the center. Stand five minutes before digging in!
Adventures of Oenophiles
Though we certainly aren't wine connoisseurs, we have been learning a lot about the wine industry, especially how difficult it is to start your own vineyard! Complications have included fruit loss to kangaroos, birds, and bushfires (their plants didn't burn, but smoke can wreak havoc with the fruit's flavor!), vine damage from gale winds, and heaps of other hurdles.
As a start-up, they still don't make or bottle their own wine in-house. Thus, after harvest in the fall (Feb-April, depending on the grape), the fruit is sent off to Mel, their wine-maker. Last Friday we had the chance to actually go an bottle their Shiraz, which they have been waiting on for ages! This was their first vintage, so it was pretty exciting to get to taste it right as it was ready! They were worried that the smoke from the bushfires would be detectable in the wine, but luckily, due to some measures taken on Mel's part, the wine came out really well - I think it might have turned me on to Shiraz for life.
Mel's workshed was filled with vats and crates of wine, the bottling and capping machine, and the large machine that tumbled the sparkling wine. It was all pretty awesome. We did have to feed the bottles into the machine and box them up, but luckily the novelty never really wore off.
This Friday - hopefully we'll be back to taste their Pinot Gris (historically my favorite wine, so I am very excited!)
PS - thanks to Carlyn's mom for "oenophiles" - love a good vocab word!
As a start-up, they still don't make or bottle their own wine in-house. Thus, after harvest in the fall (Feb-April, depending on the grape), the fruit is sent off to Mel, their wine-maker. Last Friday we had the chance to actually go an bottle their Shiraz, which they have been waiting on for ages! This was their first vintage, so it was pretty exciting to get to taste it right as it was ready! They were worried that the smoke from the bushfires would be detectable in the wine, but luckily, due to some measures taken on Mel's part, the wine came out really well - I think it might have turned me on to Shiraz for life.
Mel's workshed was filled with vats and crates of wine, the bottling and capping machine, and the large machine that tumbled the sparkling wine. It was all pretty awesome. We did have to feed the bottles into the machine and box them up, but luckily the novelty never really wore off.
This Friday - hopefully we'll be back to taste their Pinot Gris (historically my favorite wine, so I am very excited!)
PS - thanks to Carlyn's mom for "oenophiles" - love a good vocab word!
Time Flies When You're Having Fun?
That's the best semi-apology I can come up with. It's agreed, though; Natalie and I have done a poor job of updating our blog since our arrival here in the Yarra Valley. But no worries, we're aware of the problem, and we're determined to fix it (to my mother: I mean this, Mom. We'll have you some new reading material ASAP).
Turns out we are having a blast here in Australian wine country. We bottled wine on Friday--their first batch of shiraz, to be exact. Saw some more kangaroos...parrots too. Actually, fun fact: parrots here are like pigeons in the States. They're EVERYWHERE. It was really wonderful at first, but now I just see colorful darts bolting across the sky every time I walk outside. I find it quite distracting. Oh, and we saw an emu in the field over from the vineyard. Second fun fact of the day: Emus emit a dreadful "squaw" sound. Also, when they walk, they look as though they're creeping.
In other news, Catherine has overloaded us--much to our intense pleasure--with her delicious baked goods: chocolate cake, chocolate pudding (a remarkable 12-minute microwaveable recipe), raspberry shortbread, and the most buttery chocolate chip cookies I've ever tasted (Sara Lee has nothing on this woman). As she keeps shoving dessert down my throat, I keep wondering how my pants size hasn't quadrupled yet. Turns out that standing out in the hot sun working on vines for 5 hours/day keeps one's waist-size in check--offsets the dessert, you know. Desperately chasing children who are very often dressed like superheroes and/or fairy princesses doesn't hurt either.
Oh also, two Canadian girls, Mallory and Chelsea, arrived a couple days ago. Four words: Breath. Of. Fresh. Air. NAT AND I HAVE FRIENDS. Not only do they speak like us (I've learned to overlook their odd pronunciations of words like "pasta" [pass-tah] and "about" [a-boot]), but they're young and friendly twenty-somethings like us. AND THEY'RE OUR FRIENDS. The first day they arrived, the four of us all watched the Anne of Green Gables movie together. I've got two words for you now: Kindred spirits.
Thursday, Catherine is planning to take all of us on a 40-min drive to the beach for the day. Supposed to be 40 degrees Celsius...That comes to about 105-110 degrees Fahrenheit. Ouch. I plan on temporarily setting aside my deathly fears of all sea creatures with teeth and instead, desperately fling my body into the cool water.
More updates to come :).
P.S. While removing cobwebs on the veranda yesterday afternoon, Natalie and I came across our first wild, and potentially very deathly, creature. Catherine assured us it probably wasn't a Redback (only THE most deadly, dear god). Could have been a black widow, however, with it's red splotch and spindly black legs. Man, sometimes I just shiver when I think about all the possible deaths I might die here...
Turns out we are having a blast here in Australian wine country. We bottled wine on Friday--their first batch of shiraz, to be exact. Saw some more kangaroos...parrots too. Actually, fun fact: parrots here are like pigeons in the States. They're EVERYWHERE. It was really wonderful at first, but now I just see colorful darts bolting across the sky every time I walk outside. I find it quite distracting. Oh, and we saw an emu in the field over from the vineyard. Second fun fact of the day: Emus emit a dreadful "squaw" sound. Also, when they walk, they look as though they're creeping.
In other news, Catherine has overloaded us--much to our intense pleasure--with her delicious baked goods: chocolate cake, chocolate pudding (a remarkable 12-minute microwaveable recipe), raspberry shortbread, and the most buttery chocolate chip cookies I've ever tasted (Sara Lee has nothing on this woman). As she keeps shoving dessert down my throat, I keep wondering how my pants size hasn't quadrupled yet. Turns out that standing out in the hot sun working on vines for 5 hours/day keeps one's waist-size in check--offsets the dessert, you know. Desperately chasing children who are very often dressed like superheroes and/or fairy princesses doesn't hurt either.
Oh also, two Canadian girls, Mallory and Chelsea, arrived a couple days ago. Four words: Breath. Of. Fresh. Air. NAT AND I HAVE FRIENDS. Not only do they speak like us (I've learned to overlook their odd pronunciations of words like "pasta" [pass-tah] and "about" [a-boot]), but they're young and friendly twenty-somethings like us. AND THEY'RE OUR FRIENDS. The first day they arrived, the four of us all watched the Anne of Green Gables movie together. I've got two words for you now: Kindred spirits.
Thursday, Catherine is planning to take all of us on a 40-min drive to the beach for the day. Supposed to be 40 degrees Celsius...That comes to about 105-110 degrees Fahrenheit. Ouch. I plan on temporarily setting aside my deathly fears of all sea creatures with teeth and instead, desperately fling my body into the cool water.
More updates to come :).
P.S. While removing cobwebs on the veranda yesterday afternoon, Natalie and I came across our first wild, and potentially very deathly, creature. Catherine assured us it probably wasn't a Redback (only THE most deadly, dear god). Could have been a black widow, however, with it's red splotch and spindly black legs. Man, sometimes I just shiver when I think about all the possible deaths I might die here...
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Tiger in Australia!
No, not the Tasmanian Tiger. I gave up on that one (a.k.a. my dream of becoming famous for finding the presumed-extinct marsupial tiger) as soon as we left Tassie.
Rather, I'm speaking of the American Tiger. You know, Tiger Woods...duh.
It's that time of year, folks. Time for the Australian Masters, the biggest golf tournament in all of Australia. Held in Melbourne this year, it's the golf tournaments of all golf tournaments--Down Under, that is.
This year, however, it's quite the big deal, as America's very own Tiger Woods is making his first appearance. As Alistair Hicks (co-owner of the vineyard we're working on) says, golf is big in Australia, but they've never had someone outside Australia who's as big as Tiger compete here. So it's, like, a REALLY BIG DEAL.
The Australian Masters paid Tiger 3 mil just to fly out here and compete. (Note: The first prize is only 1 mil.) Supposedly, however, the revenue made has almost doubled that 3 mil already because of the hoards of Australian people who have paid to come see him live in person. Channel 7 paid more than usual to broadcast the tournament, advertisements are way up, etc. Tiger is quite the celebrity here it appears.
p.s. Updates on Tiger's progress to come.
Rather, I'm speaking of the American Tiger. You know, Tiger Woods...duh.
It's that time of year, folks. Time for the Australian Masters, the biggest golf tournament in all of Australia. Held in Melbourne this year, it's the golf tournaments of all golf tournaments--Down Under, that is.
This year, however, it's quite the big deal, as America's very own Tiger Woods is making his first appearance. As Alistair Hicks (co-owner of the vineyard we're working on) says, golf is big in Australia, but they've never had someone outside Australia who's as big as Tiger compete here. So it's, like, a REALLY BIG DEAL.
The Australian Masters paid Tiger 3 mil just to fly out here and compete. (Note: The first prize is only 1 mil.) Supposedly, however, the revenue made has almost doubled that 3 mil already because of the hoards of Australian people who have paid to come see him live in person. Channel 7 paid more than usual to broadcast the tournament, advertisements are way up, etc. Tiger is quite the celebrity here it appears.
p.s. Updates on Tiger's progress to come.
In Honor of [American] Veterans Day...
...I decided to google the term "australian wars" to see how this seemingly peaceful Aussie nation/state/continent has fared in world conflict.
To my surprise, Australia has been involved in a good many wars and lost a good many men and women. A brief overview of Australian military history: Sudan in 1885, Boer War, Boxer Rebellion, World War I, and World War II; the Occupation of Japan, the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency, and the Indonesian Confrontation; the Vietnam War and the First Gulf War. More than you might expect from such a little continent with such a small population, eh? Moreover, when you think about it, Australia is quite young in comparison to most other places in the world; that's a lot of fighting for just a couple hundred years.
Nevertheless, I also discovered that Australia--and New Zealand for that matter--celebrate a Veterans Day of their very own. It's called "Anzac Day," Anzac for its celebration of the "Anzac spirit," which famous Australian historian Charles Bean coined as "reckless valor in a good cause, for enterprise, resourcefulness, fidelity, comradeship, and endurance that will never own defeat."
Anzac Day is celebrated on April 25th by both Australia and New Zealand in commemoration of those who have died in battle.
To my surprise, Australia has been involved in a good many wars and lost a good many men and women. A brief overview of Australian military history: Sudan in 1885, Boer War, Boxer Rebellion, World War I, and World War II; the Occupation of Japan, the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency, and the Indonesian Confrontation; the Vietnam War and the First Gulf War. More than you might expect from such a little continent with such a small population, eh? Moreover, when you think about it, Australia is quite young in comparison to most other places in the world; that's a lot of fighting for just a couple hundred years.
Nevertheless, I also discovered that Australia--and New Zealand for that matter--celebrate a Veterans Day of their very own. It's called "Anzac Day," Anzac for its celebration of the "Anzac spirit," which famous Australian historian Charles Bean coined as "reckless valor in a good cause, for enterprise, resourcefulness, fidelity, comradeship, and endurance that will never own defeat."
Anzac Day is celebrated on April 25th by both Australia and New Zealand in commemoration of those who have died in battle.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Kangaroo Sighting!
We just saw about 20 kangaroos hopping away from us in a field next to the vineyard. It was fantastic!Of course, I brought my camera... but no memory card. So, hopefully they will reappear again before long.
PS: these signs really are everywhere.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Off to the Yarra Valley
Next stop: a vineyard in the Yarra Valley for about two weeks. I imagine myself a cultured wine connoisseur by the end of our stay. (Please, keep the realism on pause for awhile to allow me this fantasy).
The weather looks to finally be on our side - high seventies to mid eighties! Aka high twenties, to those literate in Celsius. I recognize that this is still only ten (F) degrees better than I'd be faring at home, but still!
Test Tubes and Hospital Beds (a.k.a. Our First Night Out)
Have you ever sipped a drink from a test tube??
Well we haven't either. Although we were hoping as much when we first stepped foot in Melbourne's renowned Croft Institute, a nightclub in a sketchy back alley of Melbourne's Chinatown famous for its test tube drinks and hospital beds. We got the beds, but we didn't get the drinks. Bugger.
Fun news: Nat and I met up with two of my friends from Stanford, Christy and Morgan, who happened to be in Melbourne at the same time (they were here for business...the backpacking and professional worlds collide!). Before hitting the streets, we convinced them to come with us to Shanghai Dumpling, another Melbourne institution amongst cheap twenty-somethings who only want to pay ~$6 for a large plate of 15-20 fried or steamed dumplings. Two words: Chinese deliciousness. Oh, and it was BYO, as most places here in Melbourne tend to be. So, filled with dumplings and cheap wine, we made our way to Croft Institute, where we had a couple drinks, befriended some short Australian men (note: Christy and Morgan played for the Stanford Women's Basketball team, so when I say "short" I really mean short...), and made our way to dance the night away to L.A. Riots in some other club that I couldn't be bothered to remember the name of.
So there you go. Our first night out. We stayed out past our usual 9:30 bedtimes, and took Melbourne (read: a tiny alley way in Chinatown) by storm. Woot woot.
Well we haven't either. Although we were hoping as much when we first stepped foot in Melbourne's renowned Croft Institute, a nightclub in a sketchy back alley of Melbourne's Chinatown famous for its test tube drinks and hospital beds. We got the beds, but we didn't get the drinks. Bugger.
Fun news: Nat and I met up with two of my friends from Stanford, Christy and Morgan, who happened to be in Melbourne at the same time (they were here for business...the backpacking and professional worlds collide!). Before hitting the streets, we convinced them to come with us to Shanghai Dumpling, another Melbourne institution amongst cheap twenty-somethings who only want to pay ~$6 for a large plate of 15-20 fried or steamed dumplings. Two words: Chinese deliciousness. Oh, and it was BYO, as most places here in Melbourne tend to be. So, filled with dumplings and cheap wine, we made our way to Croft Institute, where we had a couple drinks, befriended some short Australian men (note: Christy and Morgan played for the Stanford Women's Basketball team, so when I say "short" I really mean short...), and made our way to dance the night away to L.A. Riots in some other club that I couldn't be bothered to remember the name of.
So there you go. Our first night out. We stayed out past our usual 9:30 bedtimes, and took Melbourne (read: a tiny alley way in Chinatown) by storm. Woot woot.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Great Ocean Road
Apollo Bay is, for many people, just a pit stop en route to the great limestone cliffs of the Great Ocean Road. Though we extended our stay in Apollo Bay, we followed in the footsteps of thousands of tourists before us and made our way to these scenic stones. Apparently, they are absolute stunners at sunset, though I was perfectly pleased with how they looked in the muggy midafternoon sorta-sunlight.
This one has a funny story: to the left of the arch you see, there used to be another arch that somewhat recently collapsed. When it fell down, it stranded two young married people on the arch. Problem: they weren't married to each other. National news busting your affair? Karma.
I just chased down a kid wearing a Skins hat...
(...you could even say I hailed him) only to discover he didn't even know what the Redskins were. Way to get my hopes up, Random Disappointing Stranger.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Going Off the Grid
Going where (almost) no young twentysomething (can I call myself that? do I even want to?) has gone before: off the grid. I haven’t had a mobile since I arrived in Australia, but this past week I decided that I was going to swear off the internet as well. Ever my parents’ daughter, this decision was partly economical. As Carlyn stated, there was no free wireless in Apollo Bay. I didn’t want to have to pay the $5 an hour, and that price was just the impetus I needed to take an introspective vacation while we relaxed in the beachside town.
I know that I probably won’t have another chance to take such a break from the internet, since there is always so much planning to do. But, in fact I relished the relative solitude. I know that many of you who have seen me wield a blackberry probably don’t believe me, but stranger things have happened.
Below is a picture of the lovely YHA Eco Beach hostel. It was truly an escape, and I am determined to create my own mini greenhouse, fashioned after Gilbert's! I think it would be a good addition to the Pitcher family garden... so Dad, Susan - start planning.
As promised:
Our sleeping arrangements at Melbourne's Tullamarine airport. Those booths were heavenly. Compared to our other options...
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Apollo Bay Doesn't Have Free Wireless...
…Hence the lack of blog posts these past few days. Apollo Bay not only doesn’t have free wireless (a.k.a. Ronald McDonald hasn’t quite made it this far out along the Great Ocean Road yet), but the wireless they DO have is too expensive. Or maybe it’s just that I’m too cheap. Either way, our apologies.
So, yeah…Apollo Bay. Quite the hoppin’ town. Note: Sarcasm very much intended.
Not, but in all reality, although there isn’t really that much to it, Apollo Bay is quite the little paradise. Mainly a tourist destination in between Torquay and Warrnambool, two other Great Ocean Road destinations, the town is fitted with many lovely hotels/hostels, seafood cafés, and, of course, a beautiful white sand beach with complementary turquoise blue waves. The hilly backdrop only makes the entire image more picturesque.
Natalie and I have been here for approximately 5 days now. We’ve been working at an eco-friendly hostel only 800m (yeah, that’s right; I use metrics now) from the beach, dutifully going about our duties as expert gardeners and weeders. Two hours per day in exchange for free accommodation…not a bad deal, huh?
We’re technically staying in a 4-bed all-female room, although over the past 4 nights we’ve only had the pleasure of 2 roomies: Rebecca the Kiwi from Melbourne, and Verena the German. Both were great. Neither killed us in our sleep, which is really all you can hope for after seeing the horror movie “Hostel.”
Gilbert, our boss, is quite the pleasant Australian gentlemen. Fun facts about Gilbert: He and his wife Gay run the place, and they do their jobs well. Gilbert doesn’t really believe in cutting down trees…which is why he has us do it for him. He also believes that laughter is the best therapy. He has a small little dog whose name starts with an “E” (Elise? Elva? Eloise? Unclear), and drives a black Saab (he drives the Saab, not the dog). He doesn’t understand why Natalie and I lounge around the hostel all day, but nevertheless seems to be pleased to have us around as company. We will always remember dear ol’ Gil. Oh, and he has us rake Zen patterns in the gravel with his deceased mother’s old gardening rake. Fun Fact #1 right there.
The weather’s been a bit dreary. And by dreary, I mean that I can currently hear the torrential rain outside our room’s screen door. Seems that the poor weather follows us everywhere. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that by the time we reach the Yarra Valley in less than a week, the sun gods will have defeated the rain gods and restored weather happiness.
For now, though, we shall wait with bated breath. Wednesday we’re headed back to Melbourne with a long detour to Warrnambool first so that we can see the famous Twelve Apostles (a series of rock formations in the ocean), among other sights along the Great Ocean Road. Then it’s Melbourne for 3 days where we’ll be staying with our most recent CouchSurfing friend Tim. We’ve heard there are a lot of delicious, cheap eats in this Victoria city, so we’ll keep you posted--literally--with a few menu options that we may or may not decide to sample.
So….Until then, folks. G’day!
So, yeah…Apollo Bay. Quite the hoppin’ town. Note: Sarcasm very much intended.
Not, but in all reality, although there isn’t really that much to it, Apollo Bay is quite the little paradise. Mainly a tourist destination in between Torquay and Warrnambool, two other Great Ocean Road destinations, the town is fitted with many lovely hotels/hostels, seafood cafés, and, of course, a beautiful white sand beach with complementary turquoise blue waves. The hilly backdrop only makes the entire image more picturesque.
Natalie and I have been here for approximately 5 days now. We’ve been working at an eco-friendly hostel only 800m (yeah, that’s right; I use metrics now) from the beach, dutifully going about our duties as expert gardeners and weeders. Two hours per day in exchange for free accommodation…not a bad deal, huh?
We’re technically staying in a 4-bed all-female room, although over the past 4 nights we’ve only had the pleasure of 2 roomies: Rebecca the Kiwi from Melbourne, and Verena the German. Both were great. Neither killed us in our sleep, which is really all you can hope for after seeing the horror movie “Hostel.”
Gilbert, our boss, is quite the pleasant Australian gentlemen. Fun facts about Gilbert: He and his wife Gay run the place, and they do their jobs well. Gilbert doesn’t really believe in cutting down trees…which is why he has us do it for him. He also believes that laughter is the best therapy. He has a small little dog whose name starts with an “E” (Elise? Elva? Eloise? Unclear), and drives a black Saab (he drives the Saab, not the dog). He doesn’t understand why Natalie and I lounge around the hostel all day, but nevertheless seems to be pleased to have us around as company. We will always remember dear ol’ Gil. Oh, and he has us rake Zen patterns in the gravel with his deceased mother’s old gardening rake. Fun Fact #1 right there.
The weather’s been a bit dreary. And by dreary, I mean that I can currently hear the torrential rain outside our room’s screen door. Seems that the poor weather follows us everywhere. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that by the time we reach the Yarra Valley in less than a week, the sun gods will have defeated the rain gods and restored weather happiness.
For now, though, we shall wait with bated breath. Wednesday we’re headed back to Melbourne with a long detour to Warrnambool first so that we can see the famous Twelve Apostles (a series of rock formations in the ocean), among other sights along the Great Ocean Road. Then it’s Melbourne for 3 days where we’ll be staying with our most recent CouchSurfing friend Tim. We’ve heard there are a lot of delicious, cheap eats in this Victoria city, so we’ll keep you posted--literally--with a few menu options that we may or may not decide to sample.
So….Until then, folks. G’day!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Snoozing in Tullamarine
Most of you are probably under the impression that Krispy Kreme is for donuts--more specifically, for the production and/or eating of delicious freshly baked donuts. Um, well guess again...
...Because as of approximately 12:05am this morning, Natalie and I have officially proclaimed Krispy Kreme as the prime snoozing spot in all of the entire Melbourne Tullamarine Airport. Delicious donuts? Perhaps. Suitable sleeping spots for the budget traveller? But of course.
As our flight from Hobart arrived around 11:30 pm and we had already planned to catch the 9:00am bus to Apollo Bay, we figured we might as well go all out and experience one night from the perspective of a true backpacker. Enter "Operation Sleep in Airport" (OSA). We skillfully planned ahead, making sure to carry on all our bags so that we wouldn't have to bother with baggage claim and would be able to easily stay on the gates side of security. Unfortunately, turned out that Tiger Airways is really, really budget; de-boarding the plane consisted of one of those rolling staircases, which landed us smack in the middle of a concrete platform with no access to the terminals. Fortunately, two twenty-two-year-old American girls are not so easily deterred.
We explored the airport. Searched high and low. Then we found the Krispy Kreme. The night proceeded as follows:
12:05am -- Natalie and Carlyn find Krispy Kreme. Determine it suitable. Both immediately attempt sleep.
1:15am -- Natalie takes out the pashmina for warmth. Carlyn puts on her eye shades. Thinks about ear plugs, but thinks better of it (thieves + ear plugs = bad combo).
1:15 - 3:30 am -- Generally uninterrupted slumber. More people in airport than expected. Cleaners come. See homeless looking girls on Krispy Kreme booth. Decide not to bother them, especially as one has weird black scarf covering her and the other is wearing velvet purple eye shades.
3:30 am -- Both girls wake up. Carlyn is cold and takes out sleeping sack for warmth.
4:30 am -- Both girls wake up and realize someone is making coffee at the Krispy Kreme and is staring awkwardly at them. They make their way to the SkyBus into the Melbourne CBD.
"Operation Sleep in Airport" (OSA) completed. Pictures to come.
...Because as of approximately 12:05am this morning, Natalie and I have officially proclaimed Krispy Kreme as the prime snoozing spot in all of the entire Melbourne Tullamarine Airport. Delicious donuts? Perhaps. Suitable sleeping spots for the budget traveller? But of course.
As our flight from Hobart arrived around 11:30 pm and we had already planned to catch the 9:00am bus to Apollo Bay, we figured we might as well go all out and experience one night from the perspective of a true backpacker. Enter "Operation Sleep in Airport" (OSA). We skillfully planned ahead, making sure to carry on all our bags so that we wouldn't have to bother with baggage claim and would be able to easily stay on the gates side of security. Unfortunately, turned out that Tiger Airways is really, really budget; de-boarding the plane consisted of one of those rolling staircases, which landed us smack in the middle of a concrete platform with no access to the terminals. Fortunately, two twenty-two-year-old American girls are not so easily deterred.
We explored the airport. Searched high and low. Then we found the Krispy Kreme. The night proceeded as follows:
12:05am -- Natalie and Carlyn find Krispy Kreme. Determine it suitable. Both immediately attempt sleep.
1:15am -- Natalie takes out the pashmina for warmth. Carlyn puts on her eye shades. Thinks about ear plugs, but thinks better of it (thieves + ear plugs = bad combo).
1:15 - 3:30 am -- Generally uninterrupted slumber. More people in airport than expected. Cleaners come. See homeless looking girls on Krispy Kreme booth. Decide not to bother them, especially as one has weird black scarf covering her and the other is wearing velvet purple eye shades.
3:30 am -- Both girls wake up. Carlyn is cold and takes out sleeping sack for warmth.
4:30 am -- Both girls wake up and realize someone is making coffee at the Krispy Kreme and is staring awkwardly at them. They make their way to the SkyBus into the Melbourne CBD.
"Operation Sleep in Airport" (OSA) completed. Pictures to come.
Abel Tasman Reincarnate; Exploring the Tasman Peninsula
aka Day Three in (outside of...) Hobart
aka The Day we Found a Lost Baby Lamb and Tried to Rescue It
Cool rock formations, the penal fortress Port Arthur, a convict-operated coal mine, the rolling countryside - all of these sights were quickly overshadowed by a lost lamb we found at the mine's car park, nuzzling our Suzuki Swift.
Kookaburra Sighting
Kookaburra sits on an old gum tree-ee
Merry merry king of the bush is he-ee...
Remember the song?
Weather Karma
aka Day One in Hobart
After enduring almost three weeks of the wettest winter/spring on record in Tasmania, our patience was finally rewarded with clear skies. They could not have arrived at a more opportune time, as we had decided to hike Mt. Wellington, upon whose foothills the city of Hobart lies.We literally walked out of Jo's house and five minutes later were on the trails. At the lower altitudes, we clambored through a rainforest remniscent (probably only to me...) of the forest from Hook. I kept waiting for Rufio. No dice.
Carlyn made the incisive observation, that if we really were in a rainforest, then it was pretty special since she could also see her breath in front of her... But it warmed up as we hustled up the mountain.
At the top, we found snow! Which tasted great. We also found fellow tourists, who took pity on my attempt to set up the self-timer on my camera...
... and took a picture for us.
As Carlyn mentioned, our quick pace turned out to be the death of our leg muscles. Mine still hurt, three days later. But well worth it for the gorgeous views!
Our amazing CS Host in Hobart!
Us with Jo! Also note the prominent puzzle - an integral part of our CS experience with Jo. I was sad to leave both of them.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Safe and Sound in Hobart!
Don't worry. I know you all are probably freaking out that neither Natalie nor I have blogged in *gasp* over TWO days. But, again, don't worry. We're safe and sound in Hobart where we've found ourself staying with the ever lovely Joanna (prefers the nickname "Jo") and her two dogs Bruno and Nina.
We hiked Mount Wellington on Monday, tooled around the actual city of Hobart yesterday (much to the chagrin of our sore limbs and butts), and today we're headed to the Tasman Peninsula to do a bit more tooling around. You know, touristy stuff. Yeah, that's right; we've rented a car from good ol' Thrifty and we're road trippin'!
Tonight we're headed to Melbourne and are planning our very first airport sleepover (see previous post on sleepinginairports.net). Pray for us. Tomorrow morning we're hopping on a bus first thing to Apollo Bay. More posts to come from the Great Ocean Road!
We hiked Mount Wellington on Monday, tooled around the actual city of Hobart yesterday (much to the chagrin of our sore limbs and butts), and today we're headed to the Tasman Peninsula to do a bit more tooling around. You know, touristy stuff. Yeah, that's right; we've rented a car from good ol' Thrifty and we're road trippin'!
Tonight we're headed to Melbourne and are planning our very first airport sleepover (see previous post on sleepinginairports.net). Pray for us. Tomorrow morning we're hopping on a bus first thing to Apollo Bay. More posts to come from the Great Ocean Road!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Part 1 of the Australian Adventure? Completed. Check. Now Moving Onwards...
Oh! Well hello there, dear blog followers. Glad to see you've made it this far in the "Carlyn and Natalie Do Australia" adventure.Give yourselves a giant pat on the pack; you deserve it.
It is indeed our last morning on the Tassie "Beach Haven" farm with the beloved--and never dull--Markellos family. We've been in OZ for almost four weeks now. My, how the time has flown by!
So am I ready to move on to the next adventure? I believe so, although three weeks here has proved a perfect amount of time to really settle in and adjust to this simple, animal-filled environment. Am I sad to leave? Strangely, yes. I will miss feeding the chickens in the morning. More yet, I'll miss the feeling of excitement that runs through my body when I find out how many eggs have been laid! Ahhh, the simple pleasures in life. I'll miss Juno the giant dog (but really Juno the tamed, domestic bear...Nat and I are convinced) and his smaller, more feminine partner in crime Leila. And I'll miss the people too, of course. Bronwyn with her eclectic collecting hobby, Steve with his fishing and never-ending rambling political monologues, Nan and Pop with their card playing, and Ellanda and Dave with their wonderful Irish accents (seriously, though, every time they speak I mimic whatever they say in my head; their "r's" especially...pure phonetic magic I tell you).
As Natalie has already so wonderfully laid out for you, we'll be on our way to Hobart in approximately 3 hours. (NOTE: by "Hobart" I mean the city, not the dish-washing machine).
So hang in there...keep on reading! More posts to come.
It is indeed our last morning on the Tassie "Beach Haven" farm with the beloved--and never dull--Markellos family. We've been in OZ for almost four weeks now. My, how the time has flown by!
So am I ready to move on to the next adventure? I believe so, although three weeks here has proved a perfect amount of time to really settle in and adjust to this simple, animal-filled environment. Am I sad to leave? Strangely, yes. I will miss feeding the chickens in the morning. More yet, I'll miss the feeling of excitement that runs through my body when I find out how many eggs have been laid! Ahhh, the simple pleasures in life. I'll miss Juno the giant dog (but really Juno the tamed, domestic bear...Nat and I are convinced) and his smaller, more feminine partner in crime Leila. And I'll miss the people too, of course. Bronwyn with her eclectic collecting hobby, Steve with his fishing and never-ending rambling political monologues, Nan and Pop with their card playing, and Ellanda and Dave with their wonderful Irish accents (seriously, though, every time they speak I mimic whatever they say in my head; their "r's" especially...pure phonetic magic I tell you).
As Natalie has already so wonderfully laid out for you, we'll be on our way to Hobart in approximately 3 hours. (NOTE: by "Hobart" I mean the city, not the dish-washing machine).
So hang in there...keep on reading! More posts to come.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Planning Tool
http://www.sleepinginairports.net/
Now this deserves to be counted among the Truly Inspired ideas of budget traveling. But will be make use of it...? That remains to be seen.
Now this deserves to be counted among the Truly Inspired ideas of budget traveling. But will be make use of it...? That remains to be seen.
Moving Right Along
Carlyn and I are on our last day on the farm in Tassie, and as you might have guessed from our lack of blog posting, we have been sort of consumed with planning for the next legs of our trip.
Tomorrow we head into Hobart, where we will be staying with a CouchSurfing host a little ways outside the city (if you aren't clear on what CouchSurfing is, I've included an explanation at the end of the post). We're crashing with her for 3 days; hopefully we'll be able to see a little bit more of Tassie than we've managed to so far.
Then, it's a flight to Melbourne. We have one night in the city before we embark for the Great Ocean Road, which my tour book proclaims is a necessary addition to the Things To Do Before You Die. I have ignored this pronouncement's gimmicky/tourist-luring/possibly-money-grubbing motivations and have instead taken the charge to heart and decided my life would be unfulfilled without seeing the spectacular scenery along this drive. (I may have been blissfully separated from consumer culture for the past 3 weeks, but that doesn't mean I'm still not a sucker.)
We've worked out a deal with a hostel along the route so that we can work for a few hours a day in exchange for a free room. Score!
We return to Melbourne just into time for Cup Day - the so-called "horse race that stops the nation." The city shuts down for a public holiday to celebrate the revelry of these horse races. After many rejected requests and much duress, we've finally sorted another CouchSurfing host for these remaining days in Melbourne. Then, onto Blue Gables vineyard in the Yarra Valley.
So, there you have it, our next few hops throughout Australia.
About the CouchSurfing Project
Some of you may be curious as to how we have been making arrangements to stay for free with total strangers. Some of you (namely, our parents) may even slightly stress out about this aspect of our trip. But, rest assured, the CS project is a huge and reliable operation that has connected thousands of people across the world who seek a less impersonal travel experience.
Essentially, you create a profile and then search for a host by location. You send a request with your projected dates and ask if that person has room and time to host you. Often, hosts are people who originally used the service during their own travels and wish to pay it forward. Or, you find people who are just genuinely interested in meeting people from across the world, broadening their horizons, and easing the financial stress of travelers. Essentially, you find some really great people within this community.
Tomorrow we head into Hobart, where we will be staying with a CouchSurfing host a little ways outside the city (if you aren't clear on what CouchSurfing is, I've included an explanation at the end of the post). We're crashing with her for 3 days; hopefully we'll be able to see a little bit more of Tassie than we've managed to so far.
Then, it's a flight to Melbourne. We have one night in the city before we embark for the Great Ocean Road, which my tour book proclaims is a necessary addition to the Things To Do Before You Die. I have ignored this pronouncement's gimmicky/tourist-luring/possibly-money-grubbing motivations and have instead taken the charge to heart and decided my life would be unfulfilled without seeing the spectacular scenery along this drive. (I may have been blissfully separated from consumer culture for the past 3 weeks, but that doesn't mean I'm still not a sucker.)
We've worked out a deal with a hostel along the route so that we can work for a few hours a day in exchange for a free room. Score!
We return to Melbourne just into time for Cup Day - the so-called "horse race that stops the nation." The city shuts down for a public holiday to celebrate the revelry of these horse races. After many rejected requests and much duress, we've finally sorted another CouchSurfing host for these remaining days in Melbourne. Then, onto Blue Gables vineyard in the Yarra Valley.
So, there you have it, our next few hops throughout Australia.
About the CouchSurfing Project
Some of you may be curious as to how we have been making arrangements to stay for free with total strangers. Some of you (namely, our parents) may even slightly stress out about this aspect of our trip. But, rest assured, the CS project is a huge and reliable operation that has connected thousands of people across the world who seek a less impersonal travel experience.
Essentially, you create a profile and then search for a host by location. You send a request with your projected dates and ask if that person has room and time to host you. Often, hosts are people who originally used the service during their own travels and wish to pay it forward. Or, you find people who are just genuinely interested in meeting people from across the world, broadening their horizons, and easing the financial stress of travelers. Essentially, you find some really great people within this community.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
NEWSFLASH: Balloon Boy!
Yes, we have heard of him here Down Under. Yes, it's just as much of a tabloid scandal--all over the newspapers and headlines and such. But, no, we Aussies do not understand why anyone would hide their child in a box in the attic as a publicity stunt. Good golly, Americans are ridiculous...
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Recipes from the Road
As we work on our domestic apotheosis, we figured we'd share some of the things we're picking up along the way. We made these DELICIOUS lemon cookies today. Technically the recipe listed them as "Melting Moments," which is just hilarious.Enjoy!
8oz butter
1/3 cup icing sugar
1 1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup cornflour
2oz butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
3 tsp lemon juice
Cream the butter and sugar, then add the sifted flours. Put into piping bag that has a fluted tube - so that it comes out like a many-pointed star. Pipe the mixture onto a greased baking sheet, form into little circles so they make rosettes. Bake 10-12 min in 180C oven (you're gonna have to do the math on that one).
Now the icing! Beat the butter until smooth, gradually add the icing sugar until its relatively stiff. Mix in the lemon zest/juice.
Remove the biscuits (as cookies are referred to over here) from the oven and let them cool off (you don't want to melt the icing). Add a dollop of the icing to the bottom of one of the biscuits and then add another biscuit to create a sandwich.
The finished result is stellar and looks rather impressive for how simple they are to make. Enjoy!
Ah, It's a Beautiful Day in Tassie!
The sun is shining,
The birds are chirping.
The dogs are chasing their tails and leaping into the cold ocean water without a second thought.
The fake plastic flowers Brony has planted in the garden (for a bit of color, you know...) are playfully dancing in the warm breeze.
The chickens are laying eggs right and left (no but seriously, 7 eggs just this morning--that's a big deal on the farm, you know).
They're pooping left and right too.
Everyone is singin', whistlin'.
And if they aren't, they should be...it's a beautiful Tuesday!
Even Tom the apneatic cat seems a bit chipper today; his wheezing has let up a bit.
The dirt is healthy, the sky is blue.
Oye, t's a marvelous day in Tasmania this arvo*.
Goodbye rainy days, and
Hello Spring!
-an original poem by CSS
*arvo = afternoon.
The birds are chirping.
The dogs are chasing their tails and leaping into the cold ocean water without a second thought.
The fake plastic flowers Brony has planted in the garden (for a bit of color, you know...) are playfully dancing in the warm breeze.
The chickens are laying eggs right and left (no but seriously, 7 eggs just this morning--that's a big deal on the farm, you know).
They're pooping left and right too.
Everyone is singin', whistlin'.
And if they aren't, they should be...it's a beautiful Tuesday!
Even Tom the apneatic cat seems a bit chipper today; his wheezing has let up a bit.
The dirt is healthy, the sky is blue.
Oye, t's a marvelous day in Tasmania this arvo*.
Goodbye rainy days, and
Hello Spring!
-an original poem by CSS
*arvo = afternoon.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Cast of Characters
Steve: Family patriarch. Of Greek descent! I clearly try to eavesdrop every time he's on the phone and speaking Greek just because its fun to try and detect the Aussie accent. We've had a few great conversations about Greek history - we bonded over a mutual love of Themistokles (for CYA kids - yes, Diamant influenced). Steve also holds up the philosophizing tradition of Classical Greeks. It can be exhausting, but he has some very interesting opinions on the world. He claims his ruminations come from his years of solitude during fishing season, when he'd spent months on a boat. While he used to be a fisherman by trade, he now does mechanics out of the garage next to the main house.
Bronwyn: Steve's wife and the one who delegates the chores to Carlyn and myself. She grew up in South Australia but she and Steve moved to Tassie about 15 years ago, in search of a lifestyle that would be more relaxing. Bronwyn is certainly eccentric, but there is never a dull moment in the house so it keeps the slightly solitary atmosphere out here much more upbeat. Her favorite activity is perusing the consignment shops ("up-shops") and the similar stores run at the dumps ("tip shops"). She always brings home the most ridiculous stuff!
Ellanda & Dave: The Irish couple who is working here as well. They are working here in hopes of getting an extension of their year long working holiday visa (which is what Car and I have). If you perform a certain number of days work in specific sectors, you can get a second year on that visa. Since they are ultimately seeking residency, they are just sort of biding their time here until they can work that out. Ellanda is great and a stellar cook!
Nik & Kate: Bronwyn and Steve's kids. Nik is 18 and just decided to move to South Australia and live with his cousins for his last year of college (college is more like high school, our college is referred to as uni). Kate just moved out of the house too, to live in a shared apartment in Hobart. She's only 16, but we've learned that its not such a big deal to leave home that young, since its not expected for people to leave home when they go to uni.
And the animals...
Juno, Layla, Sophie: The two Newfoundlands and German Shepherd that live here. I love them, except when they slobber (which is a lot, unfortunately).
Tom & Salem: The two cats (Tom is, predictably, in our room as I write this. But not wheezing! update: unfortunately I have to report that as soon as I published this, he began to wheeze.)
Colonel Parker & 30 additional chickens: Colonel Parker is the only one with a name - he's named after Elvis' manager, who was apparently a very wily, smart guy. The rooster version gained his name by being the only one smart enough to learn to be nice in order to get more freedom. He is allowed out of the coop, while the rest of the roosters and chickens stay inside.
... and then there's us... two relatively city girls who are becoming more in tune with the country lifestyle. It's definitely an experience!
Bronwyn: Steve's wife and the one who delegates the chores to Carlyn and myself. She grew up in South Australia but she and Steve moved to Tassie about 15 years ago, in search of a lifestyle that would be more relaxing. Bronwyn is certainly eccentric, but there is never a dull moment in the house so it keeps the slightly solitary atmosphere out here much more upbeat. Her favorite activity is perusing the consignment shops ("up-shops") and the similar stores run at the dumps ("tip shops"). She always brings home the most ridiculous stuff!
Ellanda & Dave: The Irish couple who is working here as well. They are working here in hopes of getting an extension of their year long working holiday visa (which is what Car and I have). If you perform a certain number of days work in specific sectors, you can get a second year on that visa. Since they are ultimately seeking residency, they are just sort of biding their time here until they can work that out. Ellanda is great and a stellar cook!
Nik & Kate: Bronwyn and Steve's kids. Nik is 18 and just decided to move to South Australia and live with his cousins for his last year of college (college is more like high school, our college is referred to as uni). Kate just moved out of the house too, to live in a shared apartment in Hobart. She's only 16, but we've learned that its not such a big deal to leave home that young, since its not expected for people to leave home when they go to uni.
And the animals...
Juno, Layla, Sophie: The two Newfoundlands and German Shepherd that live here. I love them, except when they slobber (which is a lot, unfortunately).
Tom & Salem: The two cats (Tom is, predictably, in our room as I write this. But not wheezing! update: unfortunately I have to report that as soon as I published this, he began to wheeze.)
Colonel Parker & 30 additional chickens: Colonel Parker is the only one with a name - he's named after Elvis' manager, who was apparently a very wily, smart guy. The rooster version gained his name by being the only one smart enough to learn to be nice in order to get more freedom. He is allowed out of the coop, while the rest of the roosters and chickens stay inside.
... and then there's us... two relatively city girls who are becoming more in tune with the country lifestyle. It's definitely an experience!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Two Weeks in Australia: A Brief Reflection, If You Will
Do I feel any different? Have I developed a slight Australian tinge to my, in comparison, very plain and ordinary American accent? Do I inhale Vegemite? Drive on the other side of the road without panicking? Tack on Aussie phrases such as "I couldn't be bothered," "How're you going?" or "I need some petrol and an Angus Burger from Mackas" at every opportunity possible? Do I wear hipster skimmers or listen to Jessica Mauboy on repeat?
I mean, it's only been two weeks...
I will admit, however, a feeling of freedom and excessive happiness. Granted life in Australia--life on the farm, in particular--isn't 100% what I expected it would be, but somehow it's all worked out. I already feel that the experience of a) not getting a "real" job immediately after college, b) traveling into the unknown, and c) overall just taking oh so many risks, has proven itself to be a once-in-a-lifetime kind of dealio. Natalie will tell you: the first week here I had a minor panic attack...Would I ever be able to get a job when I returned to the States? What the hell was I doing, throwing away 20 years of education and instead taking a break to work on a farm? For a few seconds there, I figured I had perhaps been insane when I decided to buy that one-way plane ticket to Sydney back in April...
But look at me now. Yeah, it's only been 2 weeks, but I've already learned so much. I can tell you that chickens lay more eggs when the weather is warmer; that Vegemite is not something to be piled on your toast, but instead spread tastefully and modestly with perhaps a bit of cheese; that Tasmanian weather does indeed change every 5 minutes; that all McDonald's Down Under have free wireless (and that McDonalds in the US should institute a similar idea); that no one except for Americans call Down Under "Down Under"; that driving on the other side of the road really isn't all that scary; that kangaroos aren't hopping around everywhere as I had maybe hoped/expected they would be; that life isn't all about what's going to happen next--it's about the now (yeah, I know...that's way deep).
In less than 2 weeks, Natalie and I will begin our next mini-adventure: The Great Ocean Road. We've found ourselves a little week-long help exchange (2 hrs of work/day for free accommodation) at this beautiful hostel in the lovely beach/coastal town of Apollo Bay. We'll keep you all posted, of course.
Until then, keep on reading about our Tasmanian farm adventures. More personal epiphanies to come.
p.s. Shout out to the "lurker" (I see you Papa S...)
I mean, it's only been two weeks...
I will admit, however, a feeling of freedom and excessive happiness. Granted life in Australia--life on the farm, in particular--isn't 100% what I expected it would be, but somehow it's all worked out. I already feel that the experience of a) not getting a "real" job immediately after college, b) traveling into the unknown, and c) overall just taking oh so many risks, has proven itself to be a once-in-a-lifetime kind of dealio. Natalie will tell you: the first week here I had a minor panic attack...Would I ever be able to get a job when I returned to the States? What the hell was I doing, throwing away 20 years of education and instead taking a break to work on a farm? For a few seconds there, I figured I had perhaps been insane when I decided to buy that one-way plane ticket to Sydney back in April...
But look at me now. Yeah, it's only been 2 weeks, but I've already learned so much. I can tell you that chickens lay more eggs when the weather is warmer; that Vegemite is not something to be piled on your toast, but instead spread tastefully and modestly with perhaps a bit of cheese; that Tasmanian weather does indeed change every 5 minutes; that all McDonald's Down Under have free wireless (and that McDonalds in the US should institute a similar idea); that no one except for Americans call Down Under "Down Under"; that driving on the other side of the road really isn't all that scary; that kangaroos aren't hopping around everywhere as I had maybe hoped/expected they would be; that life isn't all about what's going to happen next--it's about the now (yeah, I know...that's way deep).
In less than 2 weeks, Natalie and I will begin our next mini-adventure: The Great Ocean Road. We've found ourselves a little week-long help exchange (2 hrs of work/day for free accommodation) at this beautiful hostel in the lovely beach/coastal town of Apollo Bay. We'll keep you all posted, of course.
Until then, keep on reading about our Tasmanian farm adventures. More personal epiphanies to come.
p.s. Shout out to the "lurker" (I see you Papa S...)
Rainforest Walk
Yesterday Bronwyn offered to drop Carlyn and I at a rainforest trail before heading to the afterschool program she works at Wed/Thurs. But, as fate would have it, she was running late. As she parked she nonchalantly told us, "Oh, just go ahead and drive yourselves. It's basically the same thing anyways. No worries." (No worries is a classic Aussie statement).Armed with directions and our International Drivers Permits, we felt we were capable of tackling this wrong-side-of-the-road nonsense. In truth, the IDPs are not legit. You can get them at AAA for $15 and 3 minutes of your time.
We soon realized it was easier to actually drive than to be in the passenger seat worrying you were about to get driven over the cliff. I drove there, Car drove back. Still in one piece!The waterfall itself was beautiful... one of the nicest bits of scenery we've seen down here in Tas. The state is about 60% forest still, and a lot of that protected, so a lot of the trails are really famous. This is just a small one though, but I clambered around the rocks/fallen trees to get next to the falls so you could see how big they are!
Getting Walked by the Dogs
We have started an after-lunch ritual of taking the dogs on a walk. Since its about 100m to the ocean, we just head down the dirt road to the ocean drive. The Newfs absolutely love it.Here I'm with Juno, the larger of the two, and he is walking me more than I am walking him... The Wellies made it even harder.
Layla just follows Juno along obediently, but Juno will never get too far ahead from Layla without whining until she is closer - he misses her too much!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Australian Music Spotlight
This is part of the "aussification"... Bringing you the best of the Australian music we have encountered thus far.
The Presets - Cettina's mobile ringtone alerted us to this band. They are an electronic/techno pop-ish duo that is just impossible to get out of your head. Try: "Are You the One."
Sneaky Sound System - Carlyn had heard of this group before we arrived, but I was turned on to them while watching the top 20 on TV. A fun dance group. "You're Hot" is a favorite.
Jessica Mauboy - She was on Australian Idol (a show which, similar to its American counterpart, produces ridiculously few successful acts). She is part-Aboriginal. She is also Beyonce's new opening act. "Up/Down" will probably be the first thing you hear in the States.
The Presets - Cettina's mobile ringtone alerted us to this band. They are an electronic/techno pop-ish duo that is just impossible to get out of your head. Try: "Are You the One."
Sneaky Sound System - Carlyn had heard of this group before we arrived, but I was turned on to them while watching the top 20 on TV. A fun dance group. "You're Hot" is a favorite.
Jessica Mauboy - She was on Australian Idol (a show which, similar to its American counterpart, produces ridiculously few successful acts). She is part-Aboriginal. She is also Beyonce's new opening act. "Up/Down" will probably be the first thing you hear in the States.
The Plight of the USD
According to the Wednesday night Australian news, 1 AUD is now equivalent to .91 USD. This compared to the exchange rate of only a week ago, in which 1 AUD = .86 USD.
Damn you, US dollar. Damn you.
Damn you, US dollar. Damn you.
My Search for the Tassie Tiger
Tonight, I lie here in my bed--my stomach filled with lamb and delicious homemade yorkshire pudding, my bed occupied by a snoring tabby cat (please refer to earlier posts to read more about apneatic cat). And I suddenly I have this brilliant idea: I'm going to find the ever-evasive Tasmanian Tiger.
People--mainly Australians--joke. When Natalie and I have told them we're going to Tasmania, they often respond with something along the lines of, "Oh really? Well keep an eye out for that Tassie Tiger,eh?" They laugh a little. Chuckle. Giggle, even.
Little do they know...
...Call me crazy (although I'd prefer the term "zealously determined"). I don't care that the last Tassie Tiger known to man was the good ol', yet poorly mistreated, "Benjamin" of the Hobart Zoo who died in 1936. I don't care that most believe this half-rodent, half-tiger look-a-like to be extinct--that it's some myth of the past. I know there's a Tassie Tiger out there somewhere, perhaps hidden among the many, many, many eucalyptus trees...and I'm going after it. Note: We are on an island, after all; there are only so many places a tiger can go.
Stay posted for updates on my latest quest. I promise not to disappoint.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Animal Farm Pt 2
Just a note on Carlyn's post below. There are actually two cats. Only one has a dysfunctional pulmonary system. The other one, Salem, is pretty, but doesn't like us. The excessively loud one, Tom, does love us. And by "us" I mean my bed, and he refuses to leave. He is currently lying next to me and making a noise that resembles a cross of a bird cooing and a stomach grumbling.
I just kicked him off my bed and he returned. He is relentless.
I just kicked him off my bed and he returned. He is relentless.
One Big Lovable Animal Farm
The cat snores. We think he has asthma. I've suggested to Brony and Steve that he might have feline sleep apnea. Either way, he refuses to leave our room and likes to burrow in our covers. And he just snores. Or, rather, he wheezes to the point of discomfort. I often wonder if he's just dying a very slow asthmatic death. It worries me.
The dogs drool. Everywhere. We have "slop mops" (old dirty rags) stationed strategically around the house to prevent too much spillage.They're also the size of bears. After spending the summer in Tahoe, I've grown accustomed to panic when I see bears. Consequently, the first few days here, I often felt myself on the brink of cardiac arrest every time one of these large furry creatures came bounding around the corner.
The chickens poop everywhere. It gets on my boots. It gets on the eggs they lay. They even poop on their own food and then eat it.
Then there's the rooster. He crows when the sun rises. He crows at approximately 8:30 am when he's hungry. Then he crows periodically during the day, often at times when I'm about to lie down to take a short snooze. I firmly believe this is no coincidence. His coop sits just 100 ft directly from my window; he can always keep an eye on me.
There are horses. I actually quite like them. We feed them hay every other day and they just wander around in the field, bothering not a soul.
There's a cow too. He doesn't belong to the Markellos family, but I swear he wanders to the road outside of my window every night and just sits there for hours and moos. I believe he's in cahoots with the rooster.
NOTE: I do love these animals. I say this from the bottom of my heart.
The dogs drool. Everywhere. We have "slop mops" (old dirty rags) stationed strategically around the house to prevent too much spillage.They're also the size of bears. After spending the summer in Tahoe, I've grown accustomed to panic when I see bears. Consequently, the first few days here, I often felt myself on the brink of cardiac arrest every time one of these large furry creatures came bounding around the corner.
The chickens poop everywhere. It gets on my boots. It gets on the eggs they lay. They even poop on their own food and then eat it.
Then there's the rooster. He crows when the sun rises. He crows at approximately 8:30 am when he's hungry. Then he crows periodically during the day, often at times when I'm about to lie down to take a short snooze. I firmly believe this is no coincidence. His coop sits just 100 ft directly from my window; he can always keep an eye on me.
There are horses. I actually quite like them. We feed them hay every other day and they just wander around in the field, bothering not a soul.
There's a cow too. He doesn't belong to the Markellos family, but I swear he wanders to the road outside of my window every night and just sits there for hours and moos. I believe he's in cahoots with the rooster.
NOTE: I do love these animals. I say this from the bottom of my heart.
Tassie profile
You may not know too much about Tasmania (affectionately referred to as Tassie) and I welcome any excuse to pretend I'm a geography teacher, so here goes. An intro to Tassie.Tasmania lies off the southeastern coast of the Australian mainland. If you need a comparison for size, its closest to West Virginia, 41st in total area (oh hey Alexa). But population-wise, it barely rivals Wyoming, our least populated state. DC even beats Tasmania, at roughly 600,000 residents. That was a bit of a shock for me to realize.
I've learned that there is a pretty strong division between the north and south of the island. Steve (the dad in the house) informed me that this partisanship can manifest itself in serious loyalty to regional beer - northerners will only drink Boag's, southerners Cascade (I've tried the former - not half bad). Steve also tried to liken the north/south dichotomy to that of the States, but I'm not sure I can envision people forswearing Jack Daniels or Sam Adams merely based on regionalism... but I'd love to be proven wrong if you've encountered this!
The weather here is interesting - it really does change at a moment's notice. Since we are about 45 min south of Hobart, overlooking Bruny Island, we get winds coming down around the southern tip of Tassie that makes the weather rather mercurial. Today, it is actually rather nice. I was fine working outside with just a long-sleeved shirt and leggings (and the necessary Wellingtons, of course). I'd guess its about 65 degrees outside - not bad in the sun though, since the ozone is practically nonexistent here. They say that a 15C day here feels like a 21C day in Sydney. Hopefully I wont get the sunburns to prove that saying's validity...
Well, I'll get back to this as I pick up more local knowledge about the geography down here!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The rest of our Sydney adventures
After, we all went to the Sydney Aquarium, where Carlyn's life was threatened by a crocodile (not really) and I joined the five year olds in their exclamations over anything that resembled characters from Finding Nemo (yes, really). Undoubtedly the best part of the tour was a tank equipped with underwater tunnels that allowed a ridiculously close view of a lot of ridiculously sharp teeth. Here's to hoping that we never get any nearer to Australia's natural dangers.
We've gone even a bit more primitive than the aquarium, as we've left Sydney for the wilderness of Tassie. We arrived late yesterday night and were greeted by a small hailstorm as we walked off the plane (we seem to be the bearers of bad weather). While this might not fit into our idealized notion of missing winter while we traveled, the atmosphere here in the lovely farmhouse we are working on is wonderful.
The family we are staying with not only has a young Irish couple working here, but they also have two HUGE Newfoundland dogs (one is 75 kilos...), another dog, and two cats. Two horses and a chicken coup round out the group. Still no sight though of the Tassie wildlife - wallabies, bandicoots, and, of course, the Tasmanian Devil.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Yesterday I Saw My First Live Australian Crocodile
Luckily, it was in a cage. At the Sydney Aquarium. Where it couldn't eat me.
I have, however, been practicing running in zig-zagged lines (supposedly crocodiles can't see very well/can't run in "Z's"), so I've been training. Not that it will do me any good, but I like to think that being prepared physically will at least prepare me mentally for my impending crocodile-induced doom.
p.s.This morning I thougth to myself: "Well wouldn't that be ironic were I actually to die by crocodile..." It might not be hilarious, but still a bit funny, no?
p.p.s. I take that back. Not funny at all.
p.p.s. the Sydney Aquarium was AWESOME. Natalie has pictures...I'm sure she'll post, so check back later :).
I have, however, been practicing running in zig-zagged lines (supposedly crocodiles can't see very well/can't run in "Z's"), so I've been training. Not that it will do me any good, but I like to think that being prepared physically will at least prepare me mentally for my impending crocodile-induced doom.
p.s.This morning I thougth to myself: "Well wouldn't that be ironic were I actually to die by crocodile..." It might not be hilarious, but still a bit funny, no?
p.p.s. I take that back. Not funny at all.
p.p.s. the Sydney Aquarium was AWESOME. Natalie has pictures...I'm sure she'll post, so check back later :).
L'auberge Australie
One of my favorite movies my senior year of high school was a movie entitled L'auberge Espagnole --the french term for "Spanish Pudding." (In Spain, the film was known as "Una casa de locos"--A house of crazies...but we're going to ignore that fact today).
The movie was set in Barcelona and revolved around the lives of approximately 10 individuals living in this one apartment together. They all spoke different languages, came from different cultures, but they all had Barcelona/the apartment in common. They were, in other words, the ingredients for one delicious international spanish pudding.
I always dreamed that I'd be able to create a spanish pudding of my own--metaphorically speaking, not literally (I tend to avoid cooking). In fact, I've still been dreaming of it to this day. That is, until my mother informed me ever so excitedly that for the past 3 days I've been living the high [pudding] life myself!
Let me update you: I am currently updating this blog in an apartment, in which Natalie and I are staying. We found it via Couch Surfing; it's located in Redfern (turns out to be quite lovely), and we're being hosted by two Australians named Karl and Tom, a Frenchman named Pierre, and a Colombian we so lovingly call Diego (who prefers to be known as "the ladies man"). Then, of course, there's me and Natalie. We're American, in case you didn't know...
So essentially I've been living the dream! Sadly, airplane travel blessed me with a slight cold, so I've been less social than I would like, but the four guys we're staying with are still wonderful. We've been eating together, chillin' together, bottling beer together (well, they demonstrated...we watched), feeding snakes together (again, Tom demonstrated...we watched), talking, and drinking the bottled beer. And, as promised by Couch Surfing, they've let us sleep on their pull out blue futon--a bit lumpy, but satisfactory nonetheless.
The movie was set in Barcelona and revolved around the lives of approximately 10 individuals living in this one apartment together. They all spoke different languages, came from different cultures, but they all had Barcelona/the apartment in common. They were, in other words, the ingredients for one delicious international spanish pudding.
I always dreamed that I'd be able to create a spanish pudding of my own--metaphorically speaking, not literally (I tend to avoid cooking). In fact, I've still been dreaming of it to this day. That is, until my mother informed me ever so excitedly that for the past 3 days I've been living the high [pudding] life myself!
Let me update you: I am currently updating this blog in an apartment, in which Natalie and I are staying. We found it via Couch Surfing; it's located in Redfern (turns out to be quite lovely), and we're being hosted by two Australians named Karl and Tom, a Frenchman named Pierre, and a Colombian we so lovingly call Diego (who prefers to be known as "the ladies man"). Then, of course, there's me and Natalie. We're American, in case you didn't know...
So essentially I've been living the dream! Sadly, airplane travel blessed me with a slight cold, so I've been less social than I would like, but the four guys we're staying with are still wonderful. We've been eating together, chillin' together, bottling beer together (well, they demonstrated...we watched), feeding snakes together (again, Tom demonstrated...we watched), talking, and drinking the bottled beer. And, as promised by Couch Surfing, they've let us sleep on their pull out blue futon--a bit lumpy, but satisfactory nonetheless.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Fact: Australians are very hipster
Fact: Many teenagers/college students/people of the ages 13-25 wear tight jeans, cut-off or bermuda shorts, small purses with long straps worn over the shoulder, disheveled hair, keds skimmer shoes, and oversized/colorful shirts.
Fact: Walking down in the street in my grey winter leggings, calf-length socks (worn over my leggings), and sneakers, I felt very intimidated. Me = not enough style.
Fact: I am determined to buy a pair of skimmers. I feel that if I accessorize my feet properly, I might fit in.
Unrelated Fact: McDonalds (Maccas) in Australia have free wireless. Guess where Natalie and I are at approximately 3:45 on a Sunday afternoon...
Fact: Walking down in the street in my grey winter leggings, calf-length socks (worn over my leggings), and sneakers, I felt very intimidated. Me = not enough style.
Fact: I am determined to buy a pair of skimmers. I feel that if I accessorize my feet properly, I might fit in.
Unrelated Fact: McDonalds (Maccas) in Australia have free wireless. Guess where Natalie and I are at approximately 3:45 on a Sunday afternoon...
Cockatoo
I was shocked when one actually landed on my shoulder. But check out the woman behind me - her reaction is infinitely better.A day of firsts
First taste of Vegemite, first time in downtown Sydney, first experience with CouchSurfing...
If you aren't familiar with CouchSurfing, its essentially a website where you can make a profile either offering your couch for someone to crash on, or request said couch. Its pretty phenomenal. Before you worry for anyone's safety - rest assured that there is a system of vouching and reviewing that allows people to determine the legitimacy of your profile.
But what's so awesome is that it is built on trust, and on the principle that there are other people out there who just want to see the world, but might need a friendly face to help make that happen. Carlyn and I, being new to CS, don't have any reviews or many friends on the site, so in truth, its our hosts who we trusting of us in allowing us to stay with them.
We arrived at their place yesterday afternoon, cracked open a few bottles of their home-brewed beer, and just chatted away the evening/night, before crashing on their futon.
All in all, a successful day. Three days left in Sydney, then on to Tasmania!
If you aren't familiar with CouchSurfing, its essentially a website where you can make a profile either offering your couch for someone to crash on, or request said couch. Its pretty phenomenal. Before you worry for anyone's safety - rest assured that there is a system of vouching and reviewing that allows people to determine the legitimacy of your profile.
But what's so awesome is that it is built on trust, and on the principle that there are other people out there who just want to see the world, but might need a friendly face to help make that happen. Carlyn and I, being new to CS, don't have any reviews or many friends on the site, so in truth, its our hosts who we trusting of us in allowing us to stay with them.
We arrived at their place yesterday afternoon, cracked open a few bottles of their home-brewed beer, and just chatted away the evening/night, before crashing on their futon.
All in all, a successful day. Three days left in Sydney, then on to Tasmania!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Today I Tried Vegemite
A continuation of the post below:
Today I tried Vegemite. And it was delicious.
Now, I know some of you are probably shocked--flabbergasted, even. In America, Vegemite doesn't necessarily have the most top-notch reputation. However, Cettina prepared us our Vegemite as such: a slice of toasted and buttered bread, topped with a thin layer of Vegemite, topped again by a slab of melted cheese. The result? A deliciously salty grilled cheese Vegemite sandwich-like piece of toast. My god, it was GOOD. (Note: I couldn't be bothered to take a picture, but please trust me on this).
p.s. Supposedly, when Americans eat Vegemite they spread it too thick, like the would, say, peanut butter or jelly. DO NOT DO THIS. Vegemite has quite a little kick to it; it is to be used/eaten/spread in delightful moderation.
Today I tried Vegemite. And it was delicious.
Now, I know some of you are probably shocked--flabbergasted, even. In America, Vegemite doesn't necessarily have the most top-notch reputation. However, Cettina prepared us our Vegemite as such: a slice of toasted and buttered bread, topped with a thin layer of Vegemite, topped again by a slab of melted cheese. The result? A deliciously salty grilled cheese Vegemite sandwich-like piece of toast. My god, it was GOOD. (Note: I couldn't be bothered to take a picture, but please trust me on this).
p.s. Supposedly, when Americans eat Vegemite they spread it too thick, like the would, say, peanut butter or jelly. DO NOT DO THIS. Vegemite has quite a little kick to it; it is to be used/eaten/spread in delightful moderation.
Today I Will Try Vegemite
Cettina forced me to smell it yesterday (aka Cettina asked politely if I'd like to smell it--to which I said, well yes, I would indeed like to smell the Vegemite). I was not impressed. Although I have a bit of a cold, the bitter and salty aromas were still not very hard to distinguish. I did promise her, however, that I would try a bit with my buttered toast this morning. At the very least, I figure I'll get my day's worth of Vitamin B.
Hold your breaths. Brace yourselves. I'll post later with the results.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Dear People of Sydney
Dear Sydney-ites,
G'day, mates! I may have only just arrived, but I'm already determined to become one of you. Thank you for welcoming us into your country/continent/nation with nothing but smiles. Thank you for your extensive Duty Free shop that was just waiting for us when we first stepped off the plane.Thank you for giving us Cettina, our wonderful host who not only picked us up from the airport, but fed us and is just overall an extremely friendly personality. Thank you for the words "petrol" and "Mackas" (gas and McDonalds, respectively). Thanks also for your term "heaps"...I've already adopted it into my vocabulary. Thank you for your accents, although I must say they make me feel quite plain in comparison. Thanks also for Australian Rules Football...I don't understand it yet, but I know I soon will develop an obsession. And last but not least, thank you for your money. It is pretty. I am a fan of the flashy, bright hues. America could learn a thing or two from you (our money is a bit stuffy, if you ask me...dull green vs. pink, blue, bright green? that's not even a question.).
I've only been here 5 hours, but I really feel like this could become something special. I hope you all can learn to love me the way I believe I will grow to love you.
Thinking Fondly of You,
Carlyn
G'day, mates! I may have only just arrived, but I'm already determined to become one of you. Thank you for welcoming us into your country/continent/nation with nothing but smiles. Thank you for your extensive Duty Free shop that was just waiting for us when we first stepped off the plane.Thank you for giving us Cettina, our wonderful host who not only picked us up from the airport, but fed us and is just overall an extremely friendly personality. Thank you for the words "petrol" and "Mackas" (gas and McDonalds, respectively). Thanks also for your term "heaps"...I've already adopted it into my vocabulary. Thank you for your accents, although I must say they make me feel quite plain in comparison. Thanks also for Australian Rules Football...I don't understand it yet, but I know I soon will develop an obsession. And last but not least, thank you for your money. It is pretty. I am a fan of the flashy, bright hues. America could learn a thing or two from you (our money is a bit stuffy, if you ask me...dull green vs. pink, blue, bright green? that's not even a question.).
I've only been here 5 hours, but I really feel like this could become something special. I hope you all can learn to love me the way I believe I will grow to love you.
Thinking Fondly of You,
Carlyn
Thursday, October 1, 2009
G'Night America!
WHAT. WE'RE LEAVING. TODAY. no, but really...TODAY. well tonight, actually.
rofpimpwe (rolling on the floor, peeing in my pants with excitement).
p.s. you'll hear from us on the flipside!
p.p.s. and by" flipside," i mean OZ.
rofpimpwe (rolling on the floor, peeing in my pants with excitement).
p.s. you'll hear from us on the flipside!
p.p.s. and by" flipside," i mean OZ.
Today's the Day
We actually leave for Australia today. No more of this countdown business that's been going on for months. I think Carlyn and I are both in a state of shock that our adventure is finally upon us.
This trip is the result of one of the most fruitful procrastination sessions of my life. Last winter break, Carlyn and I sat in the Georgetown Saxby's nearly every day, working on our respective theses. We got to talking about post-grad and forged a Google Doc: "Natalie and Carlyn Do the World!!!" And now nine months later, we finally depart(!!!).
It doesn't seem as though there is free wireless in the Sydney airport, but we will try and update the blog ASAP with news of our safe arrival.
This trip is the result of one of the most fruitful procrastination sessions of my life. Last winter break, Carlyn and I sat in the Georgetown Saxby's nearly every day, working on our respective theses. We got to talking about post-grad and forged a Google Doc: "Natalie and Carlyn Do the World!!!" And now nine months later, we finally depart(!!!).
It doesn't seem as though there is free wireless in the Sydney airport, but we will try and update the blog ASAP with news of our safe arrival.
Monday, September 28, 2009
The Redfern "Problem"
Courtesy of CouchSurfing ( or "CS" as its known by its surfers--http://www.couchsurfing.com/people/car_and_nat), Natalie and I will be staying With Karl, Tom, and their French housemate at their humble abode near Central Station Surry Hills by the Redfern boundary. They're all in their 20s, have a large pull-out futon for us to sleep on (bring on the travel sleeping sack...), and are the proud owners of a python named "Dog." Sounds great, right?
Well, when I told a good friend of mine--a friend relatively familiar with the Sydney area, as he studied abroad there--that I was staying near and/or in Redfern, he immediately said: "Oh no. Not Redfern. Stay away from there. Even our professors warned us not to go there."
Naturally, my first thoughts were somewhere along the lines of, "Well, crap..." And naturally I was immediately instilled with an unavoidable fear. Would I indeed be safe in Redfern? It's one thing to entrust your safety to complete strangers (note: my father might beg to differ...he still has slight issue with this whole "CS" thing), but quite another to entrust your safety to an inner-city suburb characterized by drugs, violence, and--god forbid--prostitution.
But, before entirely panicking about my impending Redfern-induced doom, I did what I always do during panicky times: I researched. I turned towards the always trusty (well, that's open to interpretation), good, ol' internet. I poured through blogs, scoured city reports, typed in Google searches such as "Is Redfern dangerous?" or "Will I be kidnapped, raped, injected with heroine, and tortured to death in Redfern?"
My results were extraordinarily interesting.*
Turns out Redfern is host to a large Aboriginal population. Located almost directly by the Redfern Station (on the west side of Redfern, while Central Station is on the east side), there is what most Australians refer to as "The Block." "The Block" is essentially 4 streets that intersect with one another to form a large rectangle. Within this large urban rectangle, there are various housing projects. And in these various housing projects reside a large population of poor Aboriginals. In fact, it's the most concentrated population of Aboriginals in the entire Sydney area (and in many areas of Australia, for that matter).
People have told me that Australia is like America in the '60s. I never realized to what extent this is true.
Taxi drivers won't go near "The Block." No one who isn't Aboriginal goes near "The Block." Furthermore, because of the enormous amount of racism, people all over Sydney have pawned the entire suburb of Redfern as a no-go area. Even people who haven't been there themselves warn against going there. Redfern is a huge "problem" they say. There's so many drugs, so much violence, they say.
But, like I said, I did my research. It appears that east Redfern, the part of the suburb east of the Redfern Station, is just fine. That's where I'll be staying. It's the west part of Redfern, on the west side of the Redfern station, that can be dangerous.
I'll admit; learning that I'd be staying in East Redfern allowed me to breathe a huge sigh of relief. Which in turn made me feel extremely guilty. As most of you are familiar, the [West] Redfern "Problem" is clearly deeply rooted in a very tension-filled Aboriginal-Australian history. And obviously, that part of history is still ongoing. Am I now, too, part of the problem?
This thought, of course, made me feel unbelievably sad.
*No, for those of you wondering, you will most likely not be kidnapped, raped, injected with heroine, and tortured to death while in Redfern. You will likely be 100% just fine.
Well, when I told a good friend of mine--a friend relatively familiar with the Sydney area, as he studied abroad there--that I was staying near and/or in Redfern, he immediately said: "Oh no. Not Redfern. Stay away from there. Even our professors warned us not to go there."
Naturally, my first thoughts were somewhere along the lines of, "Well, crap..." And naturally I was immediately instilled with an unavoidable fear. Would I indeed be safe in Redfern? It's one thing to entrust your safety to complete strangers (note: my father might beg to differ...he still has slight issue with this whole "CS" thing), but quite another to entrust your safety to an inner-city suburb characterized by drugs, violence, and--god forbid--prostitution.
But, before entirely panicking about my impending Redfern-induced doom, I did what I always do during panicky times: I researched. I turned towards the always trusty (well, that's open to interpretation), good, ol' internet. I poured through blogs, scoured city reports, typed in Google searches such as "Is Redfern dangerous?" or "Will I be kidnapped, raped, injected with heroine, and tortured to death in Redfern?"
My results were extraordinarily interesting.*
Turns out Redfern is host to a large Aboriginal population. Located almost directly by the Redfern Station (on the west side of Redfern, while Central Station is on the east side), there is what most Australians refer to as "The Block." "The Block" is essentially 4 streets that intersect with one another to form a large rectangle. Within this large urban rectangle, there are various housing projects. And in these various housing projects reside a large population of poor Aboriginals. In fact, it's the most concentrated population of Aboriginals in the entire Sydney area (and in many areas of Australia, for that matter).
People have told me that Australia is like America in the '60s. I never realized to what extent this is true.
Taxi drivers won't go near "The Block." No one who isn't Aboriginal goes near "The Block." Furthermore, because of the enormous amount of racism, people all over Sydney have pawned the entire suburb of Redfern as a no-go area. Even people who haven't been there themselves warn against going there. Redfern is a huge "problem" they say. There's so many drugs, so much violence, they say.
But, like I said, I did my research. It appears that east Redfern, the part of the suburb east of the Redfern Station, is just fine. That's where I'll be staying. It's the west part of Redfern, on the west side of the Redfern station, that can be dangerous.
I'll admit; learning that I'd be staying in East Redfern allowed me to breathe a huge sigh of relief. Which in turn made me feel extremely guilty. As most of you are familiar, the [West] Redfern "Problem" is clearly deeply rooted in a very tension-filled Aboriginal-Australian history. And obviously, that part of history is still ongoing. Am I now, too, part of the problem?
This thought, of course, made me feel unbelievably sad.
*No, for those of you wondering, you will most likely not be kidnapped, raped, injected with heroine, and tortured to death while in Redfern. You will likely be 100% just fine.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sydney (Looks like Mars??)
Check out today's BBC headlines, and you'll see that a large outback dust storm hit Sydney early Wednesday morning. It was so large, in fact, that many people woke up believing it was the end of the world.
Now why would they think that? Remember that much of greater Australia--beyond the more popular East Coast destinations--is comprised of outback...outback comprised of a deserty red dust. Consequently, when the dust storm hit Sydney, it literally turned the city a red-ish orange and stayed this way until about noon (Australian time).
Pictures here: Sydney is Red!
Now why would they think that? Remember that much of greater Australia--beyond the more popular East Coast destinations--is comprised of outback...outback comprised of a deserty red dust. Consequently, when the dust storm hit Sydney, it literally turned the city a red-ish orange and stayed this way until about noon (Australian time).
Pictures here: Sydney is Red!
Is there some kind of spider karma?
Because I just killed one in the shower, and I'm hoping there isn't...
Two Limericks, by CSS
There once were two girls in Australia
The result of US econ failiah
In October they'd landed
On Syd. beaches so sanded
Decked out in swim paraphernalia.
The girls met a lass named Matilda.
With Aussie info she was filled-a.
She gave them a tour.
Told them good Aussie lore.
Then went waltzin' o'er a big ol' field-a.
(Note:
The result of US econ failiah
In October they'd landed
On Syd. beaches so sanded
Decked out in swim paraphernalia.
The girls met a lass named Matilda.
With Aussie info she was filled-a.
She gave them a tour.
Told them good Aussie lore.
Then went waltzin' o'er a big ol' field-a.
(Note:
- For the purpose of this limerick, the word failure has been changed to "failiah" so that it appears as it sounds according to Australian pronunciation. The author did this because a) she couldn't think of anything else that rhymed with Australia except for "azalea," and because b) it's far more authentic....don't you think?
- The author takes no responsibility for the poorly written nature of the above. )
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
not quite 19 Things To Do
1. Fiddle excessively with my new toy - the Asus netbook.
2. Mourn the termination of my Verizon service and thus the obsessive compulsive relationship with my blackberry.
3. Distract myself by researching pay-as-you-go phones to buy once I arrive in Aus. Feel amused and slightly consoled by referring to it as my future "untrackable drug lord phone."
4. Scour facebook for an appropriate 2"x2" picture I can pass as a "passport photo" so I don't have to pay an exorbitant $8 at CVS to take them.
5. See Carlyn 1-3.
6. Use the utmost discernment to pick the 1% of my closet that will actually accompany me to the southern hemisphere in this. Legit, right?
7. Compulsively plan how I will manage to say goodbye to everyone before Friday.
8. Steel myself for chopping my hair off tomorrow. Figured it would be more manageable. Now, having doubts.
9. Print all itineraries, maps, and public transport info for the first legs of our trips. Photocopy all important identification documents. Stash in various pockets of my backpack to be safe. Again, the word compulsion comes to mind.
10. Contact various couchsurfers and all potential Sydney connections to make sure we actually have somewhere to stay when we arrive.
11. Finish the various arts and crafts projects that I began this summer so I would feel I was being constructive. T-shirt quilt, NCS scrapbook, and my old room's new paint job all need to get wrapped up.
12. Pick which songs will comprise the 8GB of available space on my ipod, which I wont be able to update while I'm gone. Meticulously construct the best playlists of all time.
13. Eat as many Foods I Will Miss as possible: Chipotle, Trader Joe's corn salsa, Pumpernickel's bagels, Thomas Sweets. Currently looking for volunteers to help accomplish this goal.
2. Mourn the termination of my Verizon service and thus the obsessive compulsive relationship with my blackberry.
3. Distract myself by researching pay-as-you-go phones to buy once I arrive in Aus. Feel amused and slightly consoled by referring to it as my future "untrackable drug lord phone."
4. Scour facebook for an appropriate 2"x2" picture I can pass as a "passport photo" so I don't have to pay an exorbitant $8 at CVS to take them.
5. See Carlyn 1-3.
6. Use the utmost discernment to pick the 1% of my closet that will actually accompany me to the southern hemisphere in this. Legit, right?
7. Compulsively plan how I will manage to say goodbye to everyone before Friday.
8. Steel myself for chopping my hair off tomorrow. Figured it would be more manageable. Now, having doubts.
9. Print all itineraries, maps, and public transport info for the first legs of our trips. Photocopy all important identification documents. Stash in various pockets of my backpack to be safe. Again, the word compulsion comes to mind.
10. Contact various couchsurfers and all potential Sydney connections to make sure we actually have somewhere to stay when we arrive.
11. Finish the various arts and crafts projects that I began this summer so I would feel I was being constructive. T-shirt quilt, NCS scrapbook, and my old room's new paint job all need to get wrapped up.
12. Pick which songs will comprise the 8GB of available space on my ipod, which I wont be able to update while I'm gone. Meticulously construct the best playlists of all time.
13. Eat as many Foods I Will Miss as possible: Chipotle, Trader Joe's corn salsa, Pumpernickel's bagels, Thomas Sweets. Currently looking for volunteers to help accomplish this goal.
19 Things to Do Before Australia:
- Go to AAA and apply for International Drivers Permit (IDP).
- Get passport photos for IDP.
- Don't lose IDP.
- Somehow obtain 6+ months of my birth control pills that somehow totals less than $100. To try: Walmart, Target, Costco...other big conglomerate pharmacies.
- Activate basic travel insurance via Hostelling International (part of a gift received years ago for Christmas...thanks, Aunty M!)
- Long underwear...buy it.
- Obtain Dan Brown's Lost Symbol for the 14-hr plane ride. Note: Don't let anyone convince you that "it's just the same old plot set in DC--oh god, and just terrible writing." You love these fictional(???) conspiracy theories. Be true to yourself. And Dan Brown.
- No need to clot: Practice leg exercises for plane ride.
- Be at your hair appt, 1pm, Tuesday. Tell them you want an "Aussie Outback" look. Look insanely shocked and/or surprised when they look at you with clueless eyes.
- Fix reading glasses for the 2349203498th time. Thank the nice people at Virginia Vision Associates for being so patient and wonderful.
- Pack, you suppose.
- Rewatch: Rabbit-Proof Fence
- See: Australia
- Don't see: Wolf Creek
- Pour through Let's Go, Australia! book Natalie gave you.
- Research crocodile death statistics.
- Exchange your US dolla dolla bills for their equivalent in AUD (exchange rate: 1 USD = 1.15 AUD) and make it rain.
- Start calling all men "blokes" and all women "sheilas."
- Pick up your brother's bassoon from his high school band room (unrelated).
Friday, September 18, 2009
Brrrrrrr!
According to Brony, the woman Nat and I will be staying with in Tassie, the weather upon our arrival will be a bit chilly. And by chilly, she means 10-20 degrees Celsius (50s and 60s in Farenheit). I thought my backpack would be filled solely with swimsuits, shorts, and tank tops galore. Clearly I was mistaken.
Luckily I do enjoy a good, crisp morning. And granted, compared to some of the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic winters I endured growing up, this is nothing. Not only that, Brony says the weather begins to warm up by the end of October. Brony also says, however, that you can experience all four seasons before lunch, as the weather in Tassie is entirely unpredictable--so much so, in fact, there's supposedly a saying: "If you don't like the weather, go and have a cup of tea and it will have changed by the time you get back."
Clearly I will not only have to develop an appreciation for tea, but I will now need to buy a light, warm, and easily packable thermal (yet again, Brony knows best...) and winter leggings (a.k.a. long underwear)...They're good for layering. I'm thinking about throwing in a pair of REI wool socks too...
Luckily I do enjoy a good, crisp morning. And granted, compared to some of the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic winters I endured growing up, this is nothing. Not only that, Brony says the weather begins to warm up by the end of October. Brony also says, however, that you can experience all four seasons before lunch, as the weather in Tassie is entirely unpredictable--so much so, in fact, there's supposedly a saying: "If you don't like the weather, go and have a cup of tea and it will have changed by the time you get back."
Clearly I will not only have to develop an appreciation for tea, but I will now need to buy a light, warm, and easily packable thermal (yet again, Brony knows best...) and winter leggings (a.k.a. long underwear)...They're good for layering. I'm thinking about throwing in a pair of REI wool socks too...
welcome... again
Considering that I finally sent the link out for this blog, some of you might just be getting here for the first time. So, stalk away. Bookmark. Check in. You know the drill.
And again, a call for any and all recommendations you might have for us while we're down there... leave a comment or send me an email!
And again, a call for any and all recommendations you might have for us while we're down there... leave a comment or send me an email!
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