Happy Easter from Australia

I got an early Easter present from Dave - a picture of him on his Easter Day hike in Australia. I miss him a ton and can't wait to see him soon.

A List of All Things Australian

The Good

• Assigned seating at the movie theatre - you can request aisle, middle, top or bottom - sort of like the airlines. You know when you buy the ticket where you will sit and how full the theatre is with their handy coding system.
• Flying domestically within Australia - no need to show ID or take off you shoes. Just get your boarding pass at the kiosk, run your carry-on through the x-ray machine and get onboard. You only need to get there 30 minutes early.
• Choc-tops - These are ice cream cones you get at the movies. They come in an assortment of flavors, Bailey's being my favorite, and they have hard shell chocolate on top.
• Cappuccinos - Oh they are so good here. I haven't really had a bad cup of coffee here. Cappuccinos here have chocolate sprinkles and thick foam on top.
• Wheelie bins - We have these in the states but I love the term "wheelie bin". I imagine an animated film of all the wheelie bins on trash night wheeling down the streets and having fun while the people sleep.
• Ravioli - There is an excellent pasta shop on Lygon Street where you buy the raw noodles and take them home and cook them.
• Brunetti's - Amazing desserts, cocoa and coffee. On Lygon Street.
• King and Godfree Deli - Amazing bread, wine selection and anti-pasta bar. Knowledgeable staff.
• What kind of driver are you? - Cars for learners and beginners are required to have a tag that identifies them.

The Bad

• Bacon. You can't get American bacon here. It is all what we would call "Canadian Bacon" in the states. So instead of crunchy, crispy bacon, you get limp and fatty.
• Fountain drinks - they are impossible to find. Mostly you can a canned or more often glass bottled drink. Those cost upward of $3AUS. There are never free refills.
• Sidewalk walking - No one adheres to any rules of walking down sidewalks. People walk on every which side, they stop in the middle to do whatever they feel like it, they walk 2x2 even when it is narrow and they don't budge.
• Employee benefits - Most employee benefits are offered by the government versus the employer. I can see how if you are Aussie this would be good. Being here on a visa, it is a little less exciting. We were mandated to contribute to a super annuation fund (like a 401K). There is public health care, so no private medical benefits. The culture because of that makes employers a little more hands-off with employee development, Job negotiates are strange because salary is really the only thing to discuss in most cases.
• Free press - There is no law guaranteeing free press. This doesn't seem to stop free press, but it makes me feel concerned. Also, the news here tends to be a bit more free with journalistic rules. They have what appear to be paid infomercials on the morning news show, the headlines and captions are a bit more silly, and there is a lot more use of jargon and slang than you would see in the states.
• The Metric System - I got better. I did manage to burn the enchiladas one night due to bad calculations and the fact that our over heats from the top down. I do like weigh myself in metric. I am almost half myself.
• Self-Deprecation - Aussies are not very boastful, for sure. They always down-play their accomplishments. Americans are so opposite. We are more boastful - even when there is no reason to be so.
• Banking - Things are security wise a bit behind so they are way more annoying security measures to deal with here. I also had one credit card for my debit account and then a separate card for ATM access and general POS purchases. But that card wasn't useful for shopping online or actual credit card purchases. Huh? Just give me some of that plastic money, please.
• Everything is more expensive - Books are twice the price. Beer is twice the price. Wine is cheap. Bottled beverages are more expensive. Restaurant prices are higher. Clothes are more expensive. Cars are more expensive. Our 1999 Ford Festiva (manual) was $7,000AUS.
• No tipping - No one tips here. No one expects it. They think you are crazy. So things like pedicures, hair cuts, eating out - all are less expensive comparatively because there is no tip.
• It's a Bloke Culture - Aussie life is very male dominated. This is hard to explain and understandable if experienced. Every guy calls every other guy his mate.
• The hole in the ozone layer - Yep, there is a hole up there above Australia. You can feel it. It gets hot here and the heat is intensive.

The Just Plain Weird

• Chewing gum (referred to as "chewies" here) comes in all sorts of different packages and the chicklet-style gum is very popular here. Dave says that I am behind the times in chewing gum and that this is the case in the states as well.
• Burger King is called Hungry Jacks. This is due to the fact that the name Burger King was already owned by someone in Australia. It is just weird for everything brand-wise to be the same, but the name is different.
• Footy tipping is Aussie for betting on football. Betting is very big here. Fantasy football is not as big a deal here, so maybe that is why footy tipping is so big.
• It is like an American store, but not. It is strange to walk into what looks like The Container Store, but it is called something else. There is also a local organic store called Macro Whole Foods - it looks like Whole Foods, but sadly, it is not quite like the US Whole Foods.
• Table manners. Who knew. I knew about the difference in knife/fork coordination and I did try to do that. Problem is - that it is so counter to what I learned. The purpose behind holding your utensils like that is to eat, non-stop without putting your silverware down. My momma taught me that you cut a few bites, eat a bite, put the fork down, drink some water, repeat. Here no one hardly ever orders a drink with lunch (probably because they are over $3AUS each). Now maybe I ate out lunch at work with my friend Chris too much. Being a bloke, maybe his table manners are not that great. But upon survey, I find this is common - even among the ladies. Shovel on.
• Compulsory voting - I am not sure what to make of this. If we had it in the US, Democrats would win every time, so I would be happy. Here, if you don't vote, you get fined.
• Currency - Australia dollars are made out of plastic, are different colors and each bill is a different size, get smaller as the currency amount decreases. Very cool for finding things in the dark or if you are blind. Plastic money feels weird. Also they have $1 and $2 coins. I find myself many times digging out all my change (so reminds me of Taco Bell runs in college) to buy a glass of champagne or movie ticket. There is also no "penny" here, everything gets rounded-up to the next 5 cents.
• Eating kangaroo - I just can't. I see it minced and in steaks at the store, on the menu in restaurants. I guess it is like eating deer meat (which I do) in the states, but it just seems wrong.
• The Wildlife - No, not drunk blokes at the bar - but the fact that when you get out of Melbourne you see koala bears paired up in trees, wallabies (small kangaroos) and kangaroos and all these other combinations of kangaroo/possum animals.
• The Seasons - The seasons are backward, which makes it hard enough to remember what months are summer and which are winter. It is also weird that Christmas comes at the same time as summer vacation. Also, the entire country shuts down for Christmas holidays - for almost an entire month. Many stores close too. Check to make sure your favorite restaurant is open before you go there during the break. Winter is in what I have always known as summer. There are no holidays or anything to break up the long, cold days.
• Phone number and address formats - These are different. There are even different formats for landlines versus mobile numbers. I never could memorize my phone numbers. Our address was 147/1 Queensberry Street, which means apartment 147 at 1 Queensberry Street.
• Eggs - They are not in the refrigerated section, but on the shelf in the main aisle area of the store. They also just taste different. The yolks seem bigger. I swear I am not crazy.
• Driving - Driving on the other side of the road is weird enough and then you throw in traffic circles. It is also weird to by petrol by the liter instead of gasoline by the gallon.
• Chicken Parma - What is the deal? This is so popular here. It is basically a very thin piece of chicken, breaded with ham and cheese on top. Huh? Pubs all over town tout they have the best Chicken Parma.
• English/British Spelling - Oh I am so confused now. I always prided myself on being an excellent speller. Now I find myself combining the two spellings in one document.
• Melbourne Weather - This weekend it was summer. For the past two days, it has been fall and raining. Bam. One day it was 115 degrees F. You always need a jacket and umbrella everywhere you go. The weather report is about as good as reading your horoscope.
• Scary Public Safety Ads - These go from strange to scary. There is one where a lady loses her hand in the bread machine because she didn't ask questions at work.
• Toyota Commercials - The still jump up and down at the end of the ads here. Oh what a feeling, Toyota.

The Vocabulary

• No worries.
• Lollies = candy
• Breakie - breakfast
• Keen = excited
• Well-placed = I am down for that
• Chemist = Walgreens
• Biscuit = cracker or cookie (also called Bickies)
• Full up = busy
• What's On = what is playing or showing at a theatre, what is the plan
• Rubbish - trash, garbage
• Toilets = Restroom, bathroom
• Thongs = flip-flops (thong underwear are referred to as G-strings)
• Slip, Slop, Slap - slogan to remind Aussies to wear sunscreen
• How Ya Goin'? = How are you?

The Tres Amigos

The tres amigos at Transport.

Australia Day Weekend: Saturday in Melbourne

Saturday was spent in Melbourne. I cleaned house and got a haircut, while Dave did a little walk about. We met up at Federation Square at Transport Bar for a beer and live band. Then we went into the square and watched some of the Australian Open on the jumbotron. Then we walked along the Yarra River, stopping to feed a swan and step inside the Crown Casino to take a look. We grabbed a salad for lunch and then walked over to the Arts Center to see Absinthe. Unfortunately, they had moved the theatre we were meant to be in over to the Rod Laver Arena and there was no way to get there in time with all the Australian Open traffic. So, we missed that an opted to sulk and chat on the Yarra River a bit. We watched about 200 ladies board a boat for a hen's party (bachelorette party). then we went back to Fed Square to grab coffee at Greenhouse. The concept / decor was much better than the coffee. Then we meandered back up Swanston Street to our house.

Just Another Day in Melbourne

Today was just any other day. I did have some small adventures. Adventure #1 was when I was walking down St. Kilda Road and saw this crew of window cleaners at the L'Oreal building. Since the front of the building is curved, they can't use a platform, so they were repelling down the building and cleaning the windows. Trippy.

That evening, we took the tram to Footscray for dinner with some of Dave's work friends. Australia is infamous for these severe warning signs. This one on the train was pretty funny. 

At dinner, we were entertained by Nicky and Killian (Tom's kids) who are so adorable I will steal them one night.

The Great Ocean Road

Saturday we woke up and did a bit of house renovations and US business calls and then we packed up the car (our darling little Apple) and headed to the Great Ocean Road (check out the photos). This is a beautiful coastal drive (similar to Hwy 1 in CA). The beaches in Australia are so amazing. The water colour is almost indescribable. We passed through Geelong (with only a bit of misdirection) on to Torquay where we stopped at the famous surfing spot, Bells Beach.

Bells Beach is amazing. The terrain is so different. We went down a thousand stairs to reach the beach at the bottom. The first part was your typically sand beach. But as we climbed the rocks and went around the cliff, the rocks were covered with this strange seaweed. It basically looked like strings of grapes with little bumps. We watched the surfers and then climbed back up all the stairs and were on our way to Lorne.

Lorne is truly like a Mediterranean city with hills and buildings and expansive ocean views. We had a burger at Bottle of Milk for lunch and then headed to a local hotel with a roof top bar for a drink and a chance to take in the view.

On we go, through Anglesea and to Apollo Bay. After another bit of misdirection, we found our hotel, The Beacon Point Ocean View Villas. We had a great villa with a kitchen, living room, balcony, large bathroom and separate bedroom. We purchased a bottle of champagne at check-in and enjoyed the ocean on the deck before heading to explore more and get dinner.

Our explorations took us to the Cape Otway Lighthouse. We got there after it closed, but did the small hike and caught a glimpse of the lighthouse. On the trip out there, we ran into a koala bear sitting in the middle of the road. Such a strange sight, coming from the US where you don’t see that every day. I tried to take his photo, but he ran away. They are very cute and you want to scoop them up and hug them, but you can see they have big claws. On the way back, we took a diversion off the main road and saw tons of koalas paired up in trees sleeping and eating leaves. They are too cool. We also saw some wallabies, which are a smaller version of kangaroos. They have darker fur and really small heads.

Then we headed back to Apollo Bay for dinner. We ate at La Bimbo. It was very good – we had a bit of tapas and some Asparagus and Leek Soup. We were pretty tired, so we went back to the hotel to get some sleep.

The next day, Sunday, we woke up and got some breakfast in Apollo Bay and then did the rainforest hike. It was a short trail, but really cool. Then we made the trek back to Melbourne. We stopped at the arts & crafts fair in Anglesea at bought some microbrew.

Marisa and Holly in Melbourne

This weekend, I was super lucky to be able to catch Marisa before our departure to San Francisco. Her business meeting in Singapore was well-timed with Dave's Fri 19 Dec departure to San Francisco. So Marisa came to Melbourne on Sat 20 Dec and we had a fabulous girls weekend. 

I had a cold, which might have slowed us down a bit, and poor Marisa took the red-eye from Singapore.  But, we have a grand time.

On Saturday, we walked around Lygon Street a bit and went to breakfast at Balzari which is my all-time favorite breakfast place on Lygon Street. Then we walked downtown. We saw this crazy display of garden gnomes at the Old Melbourne Gaol. My sister is insane over them, so we had to stop. It turns out it was part of an art installation to raise awareness about homelessness and the gnomes represented each homeless person. And then we had our nails done in Carlton and then we came back to the apartment and took a big nap. 

We also went to the Melbourne Museum and saw a ton of cool aboriginal art and a graphic design poster exhibit I had been wanting to check out. 

Later that night, we tried a new restaurant on Lygon Street called Cupido (super yummy tapas) and we very impressed and then went to see Roman Gare at the Novo, which was a good movie

 (even if I fell asleep). 

On Sunday, we walked around Brunswick Street. Marisa took a ton of photos of the graffiti around that area. Check out her Facebook page. We had some breakfast. And then walked/trammed it to the Yarra River. We sat on a lovely restaurant patio and drank wine and watched the river. Ahhhh bliss. Then we went to Brunetti's downtown (which is a smaller version of the one on Lygon Street) and had some to die for pastries. Needless to say the above 80-degree temperatures we not making us feel the holiday spirit - even with Beach Boy-esque holiday tunes following us everywhere. 

On Monday, we each departed to go back to SFO. A great weekend. Thanks Marisa.

Quick Post

Over the next few days, my posting may be sporadic as we get our internet setup at the apartment. The work visa people are putting me through the hoops to finalize my work visa. I have to get another CT scan and then follow-up with a doctor's appointment. 

I am also adjusting to the heat. Man, it is hot. And they are playing Christmas carols and displaying Christmas decorations. I am just not feeling to Christmas-y right now with the heat. Luckily our apartment has AC.

We officially moved in last night, so that was nice. Pretty good overall. We scored on buying everything outright from the landlord. 

What I Learned Today

Today was my first day at work. I learned a ton by going through the 250+ emails I had in my inbox and navigating the office on day one. Most importantly - you can sometimes find lollies and chocolate in the breakroom (lollies are candy by the way). Also there is a sign up for footy tipping (oh I thought it was a foot fungus too but in reality it is an office sports betting pool.) There is also a deal on Christmas hampers from Myer's (huh?). So I figured out a hamper is a basket (not a place for dirty laundry.)

At lunch, I pulled out my big pack of Extra gum (purchased at SFO) and asked anyone if they wanted some gum. They were amazed at the jumbo pack of gum. Something not found here. 

As we were driving back from our new apartment, I was asking Dave if he was going to start spelling Australian (utilize vs. utilise) and he said "yes". When I am here I am going to do everything reasonable to fit in. As he says this, he turns into the wrong lane of traffic. I laughed so hard at the timing. There is NO WAY I could drive - it is too much of a brain warp - like trying to write backward all day or something. 

The Outdoor Room

Dave and I have discovered this incredible TV show (on the 5 channels we get here at our Quest apartment) called The Outdoor Room where they makeover backyards. Oh but these are soooo cool. Our check out the host, Jamie Durie's site.

Discoveries in Melbourne, Part Two

Here is a random assortment of things I learned today:

• How to rent an apartment (see my previous post)
• Flat white will get you coffee with steamed milk
• Full cream=half and half. I found this out as I put full cream on my cereal this morning, ate the whole thing thinking it was Vitamin D Milk (which I never eat so I wasn't super surprised by the creaminess). So much for eating a high bran, fruit-infused healthy cereal.
• A question that has been burning in my mind since our visit here - why is Burger King called Hungry Jacks here? A nice man in the Vodaphone store told me that there was already a restaurant called Burger King in Australia when Burger King decided to open up shop here - so they had to find a new name and settled on Hungry Jacks.
• I am told McDonald's has a super larger menu here than in the States and other countries. It includes a large menu of lighter options, deli sandwiches (similar to Subway), and McCafe with a large assortment of coffee drinks.
• What we refer to as a cashier's check is called a bank cheque here.

Discoveries in Melbourne, Part One

Today was my first full day in Melbourne. What a blast. I got up and went to Lygon Street. I had a small breakfast of eggs and coffee and then went to ANZ to open a banking account. The banker was very helpful and I managed to get everything done. 

Then I took the tram to work. There was an accident in the CBD and I had to hop off, walk a few blocks and hop on. So, I am still a little unsure of the exact time from each tram stop, but it is not far. I checked out the new office building. Very nice. Then I decided to take Charles (my recruiter) up on his offer for a visit. 

I thought a short walk from 380 St. Kilda Rd to 566 St. Kilda Rd wouldn't be far - but no, it was very far. I did make it. I got there as he was leaving to lunch with a co-worker. I joined in and had a nice time. Then I trammed it back to Victoria Market. I was there about 5 minutes before they closed. It would be a bummer but that place is going to be so cool. I am going back tomorrow for sure.

Then I walked home and changed into some comfortable shoes and walked to Safeway (yes, they have Safeway here). I bought some food for dinner. I got home and Dave was here. We went to Chris' temporary apartment at Quest (one of Dave's co-workers who just relocated from San Diego for a drink and chat. He seems very nice.

Then we came back here, cooked dinner and watched Leatherheads. All in all a fabulous day. Here are my discoveries:

• I am still unsure how to order black coffee with milk. I thought it was a flat white, but that wasn't an option on the menu where I was. Sigh. I ordered a Mocha because it was the only thing I understood.
• My AUS savings account has an over 6% interest. No minimum balance. I don't even think my US savings account draws interest. 
• Things that are the same: Target, 7-11, Safeway
• Things that are different: TAB (a place where you go to place bets and play the lottery)
• The flies are bad here. At least it isn't mosquitos. They get worse with the heat. The joke here is that you need a gnat hat (I might have to consider it).
• Lamb is the same price as ground beef.
• The eggs at the grocery store are not refrigerated. They are just on the shelf where you would find cereal. 
• The wine and beer are separate from the grocery store - you have to check out twice. 
• They have a lot of "tropical" flavored cereals.

The biggest a-ha is how I feel here. I little out of place and very wide-eyed at everything. It is a great experience. You sort of feel in awe of locals who have everything so figured out and sort of excited to learn it all piece by piece. Life in the States is all figured out - I know how to mail a letter, get a cell phone and such. But here - things are either complete different or slightly different. 

More tomorrow. I will bring my camera. We are going to sign the lease for the apartment and have a happy hour planned at a local brewery with Dave's friend Chris. 

Learning More Aussie

Thank you, thank you, thank Mr. David Holland for all the new vocabulary.

• ute - SUV, sports utility vehicle
• hoon - hoodlum
• chockers - full up, busy
• bonnet - engine
• boot - trunk
• que - line
• skippy, boomer - kangaroo
• flat white - latte
• dodgey - sketchy
• root - doesn't mean I am cheering for you - that is for sure
• pike - flake, piker is a person who flakes out
• If you ask for lemonade, you will get a Sprite
• Don't say fanny pack

Frustrating Moments

(This is an email I received from Dave)

Gawwd, I love spending hours and hours looking for drivers for my camera, ipod and such. I've literally spent 4 hours or more trying to get a %$#@' driver for this camera. So, with that, I think in the box near the front door, there should be some discs, one of which will hopefully be for this Panasonic Piece of Crap. Not feelin great today. Someone rented the room downstairs and they of course smoked and made nose until 12:00. Luckily, they check out today. I've many many frustrating dealing with citibank, ANZ, Bank of America, Panasonic, ipod. This whole weekend has been lost to failed attempts with misinformation and I'm tired and upset. Arghhhhhhhh

And to top it off, the email bounced the original version of this back to me because the subject was only "Drivers".

Oh wait it didn't like the title, "Frustrating Moments" either.

I think I'm going to throw this out the window now.

Entering the Twilight Zone

(Here is an email I received from Dave)

Yeah! at least one of us can start. At an internet cafe now. 30 minutes ago I bought a good very heavy cast iron type pan from Ikea -which I found on my walk to the brewery - score! I needed something for cooking the incredible lamb and beef here. I also walked through a cool park along the Yara River.

In a Twilighty Zoney kind of way, Melbourne is both very similar to and different than San Francisco. The doctor yesterday talked my ear off told me why. As it turns out, Melbourne was also a gold rush town. That's why it has so much diversity in culture similar to SF. There were rises and falls of the city similar to SF. On the flip side, it's the obvious yet seemingly insignificant details that throw my mind for a loop at times, like that the sun is in the wrong place or that people walk on the wrong side of the side walk.

You'll see when you get here.....Mwahhhhahahaha

Learnin' A Little Aussie

Luckily, we have a wonderful freelancer here at work named David Holland who is from Sydney. He is teaching me Aussie. I am tracking our vocabulary here. Thanks David!

• Budgie Smugglers - man in a speedo (as Jeff Mich says the American version of that is Banana Hammock). That rather large man should not be wearing a budgie smuggler at the beach.
• Bogan - Australian Redneck. If you say the word "crikey" in Melbourne, they might think you are a bogan.
• Figjam - Arrogant person. Bob is such a figjam because he thinks his new BMW is better than our 1999 Ford Festiva. Figjam stands for: F@%& I am good, just ask me.
• If you order a lemonade, they will bring you a Sprite.

Meet Apple

Today is car day -- I sold my car today and Dave bought us one in Australia. Meet Apple - our little red 1999 Ford Festiva. I am laughing so hard I can barely write this post.

Kicking It In Nacogdoches

I have been at Starbucks most of Monday and Tuesday - working to the T-Mobile HotSpot and drinking Shaken Iced Tea Lemonade. I have managed to make a huge dent in some work documents I needed to write and send a wire transfer to Dave in Australia. 

Step 1: Go to the Western Union location - in my case Kroger grocery store. Step 2: Fill out a form and give them cash or a debit card. Step 3: They process. Step 4: The receiver goes to a Western Union location in their area - in this case Australia Post and picks up the money with the ID Number from the form <---- that is important.

Anyway, I made sort of friends with my Dad's feral cat friend - Mr. Tinkles. My sister named him Mr. Tinkles because when he first started visiting us, he would tinkle at the sight of humans. He doesn't do that now, but he still isn't into touching. I shot these through the window.

Visa Woes

So the Visa application process is complex, at best. We got a letter from our Visa case manager saying they needed more proof of our relationship. So I spent Wed putting together more photos on the blog that go back to our first date and getting my former boss to notarize a letter saying how long he has known us. What drama. Last night we found out the Chest XRays were done incorrectly as there was no passport photos attached (which the doctor told us would be fine) so now we have to go back to the doctor and get the paperwork completed again.

Moving to Melbourne

Well, it is official and the cat is out of the bag (meaning I have told my boss) that Dave and I are moving to Melbourne, Australia. 

So, Dave got this sweet job at an Australia biotech company. We met a lot of the people he will be working with when we were in Australia, and it seems like a great place. Plus the offer and experience are too good to pass up. 

Dave's job starts October 13, 2008, so we are frantically trying to get all the house renovations completed and get him on plane. I will go a little later in the year (at least before Christmas) just depending on the upper house foundation fix, finding my replacement at work, and finding a new gig in Melbourne.