St Kilda Sunday Market

Phill, Daniel and I went to The Espy for their $10 all day breakfast special. We laughed through breakfast, then walked along the bay at the St Kilda Sunday Market. I've been meaning to go since I got here, and we stumbled into it this avo (afternoon) - the last Sunday I'll be living in St Kilda. How perfect. The sidewalk was lined with artwork, jewelery, wood carvings, etc. After sufficiently appreciating the market, we caught the tram up to my new house in Brunswick East. It's about a 40 minute tram ride from my current place to the new place so I'm sure we entertained a number of people on our long ride. The last picture is in our courtyard at the back of the new house. Daniel was busting a move to some Britney Spears song as he sang to Pippie Longstocking/Punky Brewster (aka Nellie). Phill bonded so much with the new roomies that I left him there around 7 PM when I decided to head home. I was desperate for a shower and enjoyed the jacuzzi jet spa tub for the first time!

Happy Birthday to Me

Gerber daisies from Camilla


Tracey and Cassie at URS


New housemates Daniel and Jade


Kari Anne, Gabe, Tim


The rabbits: Phill, Jade, and Nellie


Sam, Hacky, and their friend


Laine, Susan, Steven (aka Forest), Linton


Casey and me


Nellie the nuzzler


Lisa, Cassie, and Phill

Nellie, Jade, Linton, me, Norelle with the pavlova

What a weekend! Friday I received a second set of flowers delivered to the office. These beautiful gerber daisies were from Camilla, who was mid bike ride across Iowa at the time. These thoughtful people are just too good to me. Then, two girls from work, Cassie and Tracey, sang me happy birthday (loudly) in the middle of the office and gave me two sets of great funky earrings. Thanks to everyone who has really gone out of their way to make me feel special and loved, being away from home and not entirely settled here yet. Friday Night Drinks were followed by a bar outing at Bear Brass, just down the promenade from the office. I drank nearly as much water as beer, so I was thankfully in top form for the big day.

Saturday started with my sister and parents getting set up with skype - YAY!!! That was birthday present enough for me, but I proceeded to open the presents they sent me with them on the phone. It was great having my entire family on the other end. They are so good to me. Katie and Lisa went shopping for me, which is just fabulous and telepathic. I had just told Cassie at work on Friday that the only thing I miss from home is my wardrobe, as I dejectedly feel forced to wear the same clothes all the time. The other loot was pretty fabulous as well, including my parents buying a camcorder to send me videos of Jack. Can't wait.

The day was great and relaxing with final preparations for the party that evening. Phill and I started the party - were the party - for a little bit. That's when a terrible sinking feeling starts to set in that perhaps no one will come. They did, but had they not, I'm confident we could have had a phenomenal party on our own. Casey came bearing gifts from the USA food store - three varieties of wild rice, which I had complained I was unable to find at the market (grocery store). Others came bearing Australian gifts (flowers, lemingtons, chocolates, candles, soaps, etc). Norelle and Linton made me a pavlova birthday cake. It's a meringue style traditional Australian cake that's crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside, with fresh fruit on top. Delish! There was some glass breaking, pashing, and dancing, as was expected. The party was raging until around 4 AM when we ran out of drinks. Some of the people moved onto bars, but I called it a night, a good night.

High Fashion & Flowers

I got out of the office today, as my boss and I went to visit a site I'm working on (drainage for a road widening project) - see how effective the existing drainage is? Australian law required us to wear obnoxiously bright orange shirts, vests, or jackets with bright yellow and silver reflective strips and huge blue "URS" letters on the back. I felt pretty spiffy. It was a little drizzly and really windy, but it was still great to get out from behind a computer.

This afternoon I received flowers from my wonderful URS-Austin friends, which was incredibly sweet and thoughtful of them (my birthday is coming up on Saturday). Phill and I are having a little shin dig at the house on Saturday. We'll see if I have any friends...

Liam Finn

Tuesday night, I met my new housemates Jade and Daniel and two of their friends in my new neighborhood at the East Brunswick Club Hotel (bars and pubs are called hotels here, remember?). We saw Liam Finn play, who is the son of Neil Finn of the band "Crowded House", which is wildly popular here and playing at ACL Fest I believe. Liam Finn played at SXSW - so many connections back to Austin - I love it!!. Jade and Daniel's friends were W-I-L-D. One of them nuzzled me in a weird but funny dancing/hugging/rubbing kind of way when we were first introduced. She's a crazy one - she carried on conversations with the band throughout the concert (she was the one that answered when they asked the audience questions). They suggested that she should join them on stage for comic relief. We were "those" people - the obnoxious loud crazy people. We were having so much fun and dancing everywhere while others just seems to be mellow and watching calmly. I love my new housemates. Phill is wondering why I am already spending so much time with the new roommates, telling me I can't forget about him, and trying to make plans in the future (which kills him!). It will be strange not coming home to Phill every day. We've had a good run and I am sure there are many more good times ahead for us.

eBay Exhilaration

I realize this is not an experience unique to Australia, but given the fact that my first experience was in Australia, I thought it may be appropriate to include in the blog. I am going to become obsessed with ebay. I love it. I am about to move from my current furnished flat into my new house with a completely empty bedroom... meaning I need everything for my bedroom. I've been looking for good deals for over a week now. I found a bedset that I liked at lunchtime Tuesday (on ebay with bidding ending at 6:40 PM that day). I thought about it all afternoon, decided it would be a good deal, and decided to put my bid in around 6:20 PM. I should have waited until 6:39 PM. I am learning strategy here. My co-worker Rocco tipped me off to bidding just over the amount you're willing to pay. For example, if you're willing to go up to $100, you may enter $101.25, because someone else may also set their limit at $100, but you'd win the item for only $1.25 extra. The other bidding on my bedset didn't start until about five minutes before the bidding ended, at which time, I had a few co-workers crowded behind my computer and cheering me on in the "race". Mine was the winning bid for the first five bids, then I lost it. I increased my bid once, then lost it again with only 30 seconds to go. Having previously decided that my original cap was the most I wanted to spend, I cracked under pressure and raised my bid a SECOND time. Oh the drama. I ended up spending about $70 more than I originally intended, but am still a very happy ebay winner. I'm looking forward to recovering my purchase mid-week next week. By the way, I got a headboard/bedframe, nightstands, dresser, and TWO queen mattresses. Yes, who wouldn't want two mattresses? It actually ended up being perfect because my new housemate Daniel is shopping around for a bed. One for me, one for him, perfect.

Richmond Gets a Second Chance

My first three visits to Richmond have been at the end of the day, in the dark, and I have been unimpressed. Today I made it my first activity of the day (though already in late afternoon) on a sunny beautiful day, and it won me over. I strolled along Bridge Rd, which is lined with discount outlet stores. CHEAP. I need to make a return visit and do some real shopping. Casey came to meet me there. We were planning to have an early dinner at a mexican restaurant but it wasn't open yet and we were too impatient to wait. We ended up at a yummy burger restaurant.

Pip's Going Away Party

Saturday night I went to Pip's going away party at Old Colonial Inn on Brunswick St in Fitzroy (close to my new digs!). I met Pip at Cassie's birthday party at our flat about a month ago and we clicked right away. She is moving to Japan to teach English for a year (she has a Japanese degree from uni). She's the one in the center of most of these pictures. In the last picture is Beck, Pip, Chris, and Nathan - the people I talked to for most of the night. Chris is Pip's boyfriend and the lead singer of CWQ, the band whose EP launch (CD release) we went to in the CBD a few weeks ago. Beck and Nathan actually live just down the road from Phill and me in St Kilda. It was a very diverse group of people, but I really enjoyed it. One guy I met at the party, Mark, is already excited about his upcoming visit throughout the U.S. with the first stop in Austin for SXSW. I'm amazed at all the people in Australia who know of SXSW when I didn't even know about it until I moved to Austin. One of Pip's friends, Brooke Batsan (nicknamed "Bats") adopted me as her new foreign friend. She lived in Europe for a few years and is determined to give me the full local experience. I exchanged numbers with a few people, so more friends and social activities to come! Yay!

It was one of the coldest nights of the year so far, 2 degrees Celsius. It's hard to get motivated to go places when it's so cold. It helps that my flat is so cold that I thought I may be warmer walking outside than sitting in my living room. In any case, it took some walking and waiting to get a tram to get to the party. The bar was cosy and warm, but wouldn't you know much of the party ended up settled in the courtyard outside - in the FREEZING cold. What is wrong with these people?!

Phill has a tendency to get really excited when he drinks, then crash completely with no notice. He was literally sleeping at the party, and begged me to take him home. I was having fun but decided to do the honorable flatmate thing. Cassie, Phill, and I left the party around 3 AM but somewhere between Fitzroy and home, Cassie convinced Phill to go to some bars in Pahran. How/if he remained standing and awake, I have no idea. I was unpersuaded and continued the taxi ride home.

Puppy Fix

I met Casey at Victoria Market this morning to walk around and do some shopping. I didn't buy anything except one very tasty albeit messy orange. Katie, save up! I predict you won't make it out of Vic Market with less than six purses. Then we went to a travel agent to get some information and advice regarding a trip to the outback (Uluru otherwise known as Ayers Rock, The Olgas, Kings Canyon, etc). We ended up walking to the office to do a little more research on prices, timeframes, etc. Funnily enough, our educated conclusion matched the itinerary/spreadsheet I had prepared about a month ago within $5 with travel on the same days of the week and sites to visit blocked out in the same way. Yay for the spreadsheet trip planning!

I got the scare of my life as we were sitting at Casey's computer - a large dark animal came cantering towards me out of nowhere (from below the desk through the cubicle in the next aisle over). I just about fell off my chair in shock. Turned out to be a coworker's 4 month old rescue puppy (black lab mix) who he'd brought to the office with him. I LOVED him. He was so sweet and cuddly and playful. I tossed the ball around for him and wrestled a little with him on the floor and pet him and hugged him for 20 minutes or so. He was a really sweet dog, Padlay I think his name was. The guy and his wife live close to where I'm moving so I offered/pleaded for occasional walking privileges!!! I miss Jack and have sadly come to the conclusion that he is better off staying with my parents in San Antonio. I'm looking forward to seeing him at Christmas time. In the interim, I'm going to have to adopt random people's dogs to tide me over.

I'm headed out for Pip's going-away party shortly (she's the one moving to Japan). The party is in Fitzroy, close to my new home. Too bad I don't have a bed there yet! Soon...

Are you a local?

Some Fridays, a group of 6-8 girls from the office assemble for a sit-down girls lunch. Yesterday we had a mystery guest honor us - one of the girl's boyfriend who lives in Tasmania. I don't think he was the least bit phased being surrounded by a bunch of chatty women. It's nice to have a very socially active office.

I went out with a couple of the girls after Friday Night Drinks. Emily, Tracey, and I went to a great restaurant down an alley way in the CBD for dinner. It was a moderate priced Italian restaurant, Il Solito Posto, with a chalkboard menu and a published wine list. At least they have priorities. Delicioso!

Then we went to see the movie "Evening" at Dendy Cinemas on the east edge of the CBD. It's a theater that shows a lot of independent films along with some mainstream movies. The theater had a very steep grade, we sat about half way back, and looked slightly down towards the big screen. It was an odd feeling, as I don't think I've ever looked down at the movies before.

Last night I was helping a group of people navigate through the city on the tram, which I found to be very confusing when I first started using it. I was happy to help just as many others have helped me. They were from Australia (Newcastle, which is in the country), yet mid-conversation they asked me if I was a local! Hmmph. So funny.

Menu #1

I had some Americans over for dinner Wednesday night - all people I know through work (as pictured above L to R: Casey, Emily, Mike & Tera and their daughter Madeline, and me). We allowed Phill to crash the party as well, despite being from Nottingham. At one point in the evening, Phill told Madeline a story, but rather than reading it, he made it up as he went based on the pictures. It ended up being really entertaining for the entire group. Kids or not, you should try this at all your future dinner parties - it could be the next big thing!


I served fillet mignon, potatoes, and green beans almondine, which is affectionately known among my family as menu #1. If you've ever been to my parent's house, that's probably what we had for dinner - our favorite!! Mike took charge of the grill and the steaks were cooked to perfection. Y'all may be proud to learn that I ate my steak cooked medium and even tried medium rare. Yes, it is better than medium well and well done steak.


As has consistently been the case with all entertaining at our house, the evening entailed much wine and dancing!! Long live the dancing queen!!


This evening we also celebrated the conclusion of my house hunting!!! I will be moving into the last place I saw, #12, with the super fun housemates. Woo hoo!!!

#12 - A Winner Maybe??

What a relief!!! Monday night I looked at three places and I think I found one I like! I thought the day would never come.

#10 - Incense Headache
The first place I visited Monday night after work was in a happening part of Richmond, just a few kilometers from the office. The location was pretty great being so close to the city with trams super close to the house and a grocery store just down the street (things you think about when you have to walk to the store and CARRY your groceries home). Brett is the guy who lives there who e-mailed me a map and directions both from the city and from St Kilda where I live now. It seemed like a lot of effort, which made a good first impression. We instantly hit it off, had a great conversation, lots of things in common. The house was older and a bit cluttered. Brett had burned incense before I arrived, which I hate, and left me with a headache for the remainder of the evening. No plans to live there, but maybe we can hang out...

#11 - Hippie Enviro Freaks
The next house was a pit, which I should have expected based on the low rent. The girls were really environmentally conscious (over the top), one of whom is in fashion and designs and makes clothing out of recycled garments and materials. The other teaches kids about the environment/recycling/etc. The house felt just as you may imagine it would - like the inside of a goodwill store. You know how much I love those! I felt as though hemp and an herb garden would grow uncontrollably and strangle me in the night.

#12 - Dream Chasers
Ahhh!!! Finally! I think I found a place!!! It's a house in North Fitzroy/East Brunswick. It's a little further north than I thought I wanted, but it's a cool house, and best of all, I LOVE the people who live there. The guys from work are all telling me that it's a really great location, one where many of them have lived before, and they're telling me all the good stuff that's nearby. It's a four bedroom house. Three other people live there - a girl and two guys. Jade (26) works for a TV show ("Thank God You're Here" - most similar to "Whose Line is it Anyway?" - it's funny), Heath (27) is in a band that's signed (it's called Children Collide - they have a myspace page), and Daniel (26) does hair education at Aveda. I love that they all have jobs doing what they really want to do in life. It's so inspiring to see people pursuing their passion. I first went to their house Monday night and met Jade and Daniel. We had a really great conversation and I REALLY liked them. They texted me five minutes after I left saying that they really liked me and wanted me to meet the other guy if I was interested. So I went back tonight to meet Heath. We shared a couple bottles of wine and Jade had cooked a squash, spinach, feta pie. Again we had so much fun - easy conversation, lots of laughter. Daniel asked if I wanted to be a color model. Ummmm, YEAH! Bribery, it works. They are supposed to let me know in the morning for sure if they want me to move in, but I feel good about it. I think this may be the one! The kitchen is huge and beautiful - wood floors, granite counter tops, wood cabinets - NICE - and it's open to the dining area which has two huge glass doors that open to a very well landscaped good sized courtyard, which will be so great in summer! The living room is in the works, and my room is kind of interesting (may have been a formal dining room at one time??). It has doors to the living room (closed obviously) and a rounded entrance for which a door is being installed (curtain only for now). My bedroom is pretty big, has really tall ceilings, and a chandelier with a dimmer. The carpet is really dirty (stained, not needing to be vacuumed). I've found dirty carpet to be the case in a lot of homes in Melbourne - especially rentals where they just don't care, so I think I can look past it. I have no built in robe/closet, but Jade has an extra one in her room that I can use. There is an oddly placed shower opposite a toilet back by the kitchen on the first floor - my room is on the first floor and the other bedrooms are all upstairs with the other bathroom, so I'd have the shower to myself, or can share the one upstairs. The best part is definitely the housemates - I really like them and can see us having so much fun. I feel so good about the place. I was so excited last night that I couldn't sleep (and that is NEVER a problem for me).

The Search Continues

The search is exhausting - I saw five places today between 11 AM and 7 PM. Going to work is much easier! I found a couple possibilities along with the crazies - phew!

#5 - A normal one
My day started in Princes Hill/Carlton North on the opposite side of the city from where I live now. It was a beautiful sunny day (though still cold), and I saw lots of people running and walking dogs on my way to the house. It was in a very residential area, a little further north than I wanted and about 1 km from the closest grocery store. The house was very cute from the outside. Sally is a radiographer at the children's hospital and bought the place a few weeks ago. She seems nice and completely normal. Woo hoo! The house has super tall ceilings, two huge closets in a big bedroom and a giant bathroom, with a courtyard in the back. The primary drawbacks were only one loveseat for seating in the living room, no central heating, and not being super close to cafes, shops, pubs, etc.

#6 - Mr. Clean
My second stop was in the ultimate location - half a block from the train station and Chapel Street shopping, only two train stops from the city, and right in the middle of the action. It was a beautiful townhouse, well decorated with granite counter tops, wood floors, and my OWN bathroom. It was far and away the best place I've seen. BUT... James was a little over the top. He said he requires a very clean home environment. I was happy to hear this because I like it clean too, until he went on and on about every item that must be granted the highest attention to detail (eating only at the table on a placemat, closing the toilet lid before flushing, not using the dishwasher as it wastes energy and may store a dish he wants to use, the way in which a dish should be washed, the fact that the bathroom must be spotless 24/7 given it is the guest bathroom, and on and on). The thing is that I didn't disagree with anything he said, and would probably keep the house exactly as he would prefer, but the fact that he was so overbearing and demanding with his preferences made me weary that I would feel him lording over me and be uncomfortable bringing others into the house.

#7 - Creepy old guy
Oh wow! Just down the street from the 'perfect place' was a dodgy dungeon hole of a place. My intuition told me it wasn't going to be good, but I went anyway. An older guy answered the door (late 40's - early 50's?) and I cautiously followed him into the apartment. He showed me the pet possum on the deck, and there was porn showing on the TV in the living room with teddy bears lining the back ridge of the sofa (??). I just thought to myself, how can I get out of here as quickly as possible? He immediately followed that thought with asking me if I liked the place and wanted to move in. I was flustered and muttered something about continuing to look at options as I made a move for the door.

#8 - Foreigners
The next place was also in South Yarra, but closer to the city and opposite the Botanical Gardens. A German architect lives there and I met some of his German friends who were over for coffee. The conversation was easy and the place was comfortable. The room was large with three great windows wrapping around a curved corner and a huge BIR (built-in robe). The small galley kitchen, minimal living room furniture, and distance from a grocery store were the cons on this one.

#9 - Fertile lemon tree
My last stop of the day was a house in Richmond with two girls who work in the city. They were really great, and I think we'd become good friends. It was pitch black by the time I got there, so I couldn't really get a good feel for the neighborhood. The room was large with wood floors but had no closet of any kind. They reminded me that IKEA is just down the road. There was a huge courtyard in the back with a 'very fertile lemon tree' and a peach tree. One of the girls owns the house. My first visit to Richmond did not win me over (granted, it was at the end of a long day), but I've been told my many people that Richmond is a really great place to live with lots to offer, so I'm willing to reconsider.

The Search

I've begun searching for my next home. Anneli is returning sometime in August, and I suppose she will want her room back. I'll be sad to leave this place as I've become so accustomed to my routine (location, commute, grocery shopping, the neighborhood). I'll miss Phill, the beach, and my prostitute friends (KIDDING!). After visiting other neighborhoods, I'm excited to step it up a little from grungy/dodgy to funky/swanky. I look at this venture not only as a search for lodging, but also as a search for friends - ingenious, though so far less rewarding than hoped.

There are a couple websites I've been using to find potential housing, mostly flatmate finders. However, I discovered Gumtree (Australia's version of Craig's List) after going to lunch with some people from the 5th & 6th floors on Friday (I work on the 3rd floor, so I withstood a little grief from my group about disregarding group loyalty). Readings, a local bookstore on Lygon Street in Carlton, is renowned for posting available house shares. I stopped by their postings windows around noon today, along with a crowd of other home-seekers. There seem to be far more people searching than places available. Yikes! After taking down contact info for a dozen or more places, I went to lunch with Alex, a friend from work who lives only a few minutes from there. We went to a great cafe just a couple doors down from Readings.

So, here's a run down of the places I've seen so far:

#1 - Prison with project neighbors

The first place was a house in St Kilda, a 5 minute walk down the road from where I live now. The house was located on a dark street with overgrown grass parkways and bars over the windows. The house interior was well kept with an open floorplan, a large kitchen and dining room, two courtyards, and a decent sized bedroom. Alex was a mechanical engineer with a great Aussie accent, who openly admitted that the neighbors across the street could be a little dodgy and wondered if it was project/low income apartments or something of that nature. Ummm, I'm going to go ahead and pass on that.

#2 - Slick salesmen in swanky maze

I visited the second place on the same night, and it couldn't have been more different than the first - thankfully. As I walked along Chapel Street, then Toorak Road, I passed swanky well-lit shoe stores, cafes, and other upscale shops. One of the shops was named Digbys (Jack's given name), and I passed by a dog park shortly thereafter. It was fate! Surely this place would be great. It was located between South Yarra and Toorak, two of the richest, snootiest neighborhoods in Melbourne. Wouldn't you know I just loved it? The apartment building is on a tree-lined side street with easy access to the trains and trams. It's on the fourth level, with a maze of stairs to the top. There is a fountain in the center of an atrium, with the stairs all stacked on one side of the atrium, with a ring walkway encircling the fountain on each level that must be traversed before reaching the flight of stairs to the next level. Can you picture this at all? I felt like a gerbil completing the maze before I reached the apartment on offer. It was adequate, but not exceptional. The bedroom was smallish and the closet was in the hall!! However, it was filled with two good looking men in suits, both in real estate and easy talkers (dressed for the occasion - ya right).

#3 - Large screens in beach-side retirement villa

The third place I visited was a townhouse in Port Melbourne, a block from the beach, and probably only 2-3 km from the city, a pretty amazing location. Adrian stumbled to the door to give me the grand tour, a great feat for him after a big night out for his best friend's birthday. He was showered and trying - I gotta give him credit for that. The townhouse had wood floors and a huge courtyard with a great barbie out back. There were two MASSIVE flat screen tv's - one in the living room and one in the dining room/kitchen area. The room was a good size with a giant closet, with more closet/storage space in the hallway. The other roommate Mike is moving to France in three months, and Adrian was only convinced he'd be there for the next six months or so... not sounding too permanent. I decided to head over to Bay St, the main drag in Port Melbourne, since I hadn't explored the area yet. Granted it was noon on a Saturday, BUT it felt like a retirement community/beach resort. I saw a slew of older people, all very well outfitted and groomed, with upscale shops around every corner. It didn't have the youthful edge I'd enjoy.

#4 - Garage sale dump site in Little Italy

The fourth visit was to a large apartment in Carlton, off of Lygon Street, where all the Italian restaurants are located. It's location is PRIMO, directly across from a park and only a couple blocks from the northern edge of the CBD. I could walk to work in 20 minutes from this place. I would have an average size room with a large closet and my own bathroom (they call this ensuite here). There was also a balcony off the room, with one side facing into the living room, and the other 2" from a brick building wall (ooh la la!). The entrance seemed promising, with marble floors, which led to a gigantic lounge area FILLED (overflowing) with junk furniture - FIVE older-than-old couches with holes and stains and uck oozing out of them, three crap tables with unbalanced, peeling tabletops, and other piles of junk everywhere. I felt like I was in a thrift store or garage sale, not a home. Uck!!

I'm so OVER the house hunt. PLEASE, let me find something soon.

Homesick

Skip this one if you're hoping for an exciting read. Last night I went to a bar with some coworkers after Friday Night Drinks. I actually left the bar shortly after arriving because I really didn't feel like being there. I had no desire to strike up conversation with anyone. I didn't feel like "being on", bar talk, and surface conversations. I felt like I might have been equally excited walking into a bar full of strangers as I was to be surrounded by people I barely knew, certain that no deep conversations or connections would come of this evening. I chose to go home early on a Friday night over socialization in the city - something is clearly wrong.

The last week or two have been hard. I don't remember the last time I felt this way - I'm homesick, big time. My mom assures me this has happened every time I move somewhere or start something new. I have a way of forgetting the hard times and thinking that my life is and always has been fabulous. This time I'm documenting it to remind myself. I'm confident that in 6 months (or hopefully sooner!) I'll be wrapped up in an exciting life in Melbourne and have forgotten this feeling. I am missing my family especially Jack, friends, and a busy social life. There are great people all around me, but I am lonely, missing the true deep connections I've shared with so many of you in the U.S. I am so lucky to have Casey and Phill who get to hear everything - poor them. I'm sure they're as anxious for me to make other friends as I am.

I am coming to the devastating conclusion that it would probably be better for me to leave Jack with my parents in San Antonio than to bring him here, which is killing me. The first problem is that I have been unable to find accommodations which would allow a dog - a gigantic problem in itself. But I also believe that he has a better quality of life with them (getting five walks a day and filet mignon for dinner) than he would have with me (long days at work, only one person doting, and future travel issues). I'd love to spare him the miserably long crated flight and 30 days quarantine as well. This is REALLY HARD. Every time I think about living the next two years without Jack, I just sob and go into meltdown mode. I'm really not sure what to do. What's best for Jack? What's best for me? Does my vote count extra??

Melbourne Museum

Casey, Phill, and I went to the Melbourne Museum in Carlton Gardens on Sunday. Not being a history buff or museum connoisseur, you may be surprised to hear this was actually my idea. I surprise even myself. The museum is in the modern building, and the older more ornate architecture is that of the Royal Exhibition Building across from the museum, which is on the world heritage list and hosts international exhibitions and other conventions.

The museum had an exhibit on The Great Wall of China. It was really interesting to learn about how the wall was constructed. The wall was 20 feet tall and length estimates range from 1,500 to 4,000 miles. Some parts of the wall are stone, and some are earth fortifications with clay or brick lining. It was amazing to learn that a compacted earth wall would take six men two days to construct a 5' high, 6' long section of wall. Casey got excited about the clever tactic to direct all drainage to the protected territory to support vegetation growth on only that side.

Phill's excitement came later when we came across a set from the TV show "Neighbors" in the Melbourne section of the museum. Phill was beyond ecstatic to stand in their kitchen set with script lines on the countertops. "Neighbors" and "Home and Away" are two wildly popular series here (they seem like ridiculous soap operas to me, which is scoffed at by adorning fans). The section on Melbourne/Australia was probably the most interesting part for me, but my peak excitement came when we concluded our exhaustive tour of the museum (we also saw the Aboriginal history, forest, mind & body, science & life, animals, and the all important children's galleries). The whole museum was filled with kids and their lethargic parents prompting them to move it along. The worst parental offenders were nearly passed out in the children's gallery. It was really humorous. I empathized. Nearly four hours in a museum was beyond my quota (definitely for the day, probably for the month and maybe even for the year). Check.

Footy

I went to my first footy game today. Footy is Australian Rules Football. If you know me at all, you know you should definitely not rely on me to explain the intricacies of any sporting event. However, you CAN rely on me to describe banners, pom poms, fashion, surprise guests on the field, and the total disregard for timed quarters.

First, I should tell you that I truly enjoyed watching the footy game, which came as a little bit of a shock to me. It was a really good game between the Western Bulldogs (who happen to be from Footscray, where I had my training earlier this week) and Port Adelaide. It was amazing to watch because there would be a 20 point spread between teams, and all of sudden, the other team would gain a few point lead. The game moved constantly with no stopping of the clock - ever. The 25 minute quarters last an indeterminate amount of time beyond the 25 minutes based on time the ball is out of play following a goal. In the fourth quarter, there were heaps of goals, and the game therefore lasted 7 or 8 minutes longer, which was an incredibly exciting end to the game. The score went from 95-68 to 114-111 to 133-113 in a matter of minutes, with the Western Bulldogs ultimately claiming victory. Yay!

Footy fans faithfully prepare huge banners, through which the team runs onto the field for warm up prior to the game start. Loyal team supporters were staked behind the goal posts at each end of the field. When their team scored, they would loft massive pom poms up and down (probably 4' long ribbons attached to broom handles). If the opposing team was attempting to kick a goal, they would use the poms poms for distraction. Other fans sported jackets, jerseys, or primarily striped scarfs with team colors. Notice the skimpy footy uniforms, compared to NFL padding and helmets? They still tackle, and I'm told the game only stops if a stretcher is brought onto the field. It's amazing the randoms they allow on the field during game play. Runners are permitted to deliver messages to players from the coaches while the game is in play. Waterboys also bring water bottles onto the field for players further from the action.

This game was played at the Telstra Dome, which has a retractable roof (closed today). The other stadium, the MCG, is open air. I was very thankful to be at Telstra today since it was raining and cold (8 degrees Celsius outside, and a whopping 14 C inside). The field seemed HUGE - not only longer than a normal football field, but also much wider due to the oval shaped field also used for cricket.

Casey and I were frozen by the time the game ended, and walked around the Crown Casino to warm up. We had dinner at a restaurant among the slot machines and table games, then saw "Oceans 13". I had some kind of mexicana pizza with guacamole on it, which was surprisingly good. The casino has a gold club movie theater with luxury seating and food and beverages served during the movie. Sounded like an upscale version of Austin's Alamo Drafthouse, but the $37 price seems a little too lofty.

Social Club Trivia Night

Last night was trivia night at Pug Mahone's, an Irish bar in the city. The Melbourne URS office has a Social Club (SC), to which employees may contribute $5/month if they choose. The Social Club plans various events including surf trips, winery tours, ski trips, trivia nights, etc, with discounted or free entrance for SC members. About 60-70 people went, and there were 6 teams I think - ours finished somewhere in the middle. Shockingly, I contributed a few correct answers. Not at all shockingly, I supplied a nearly equal number of incorrect answers. Whoops. I saw something I've never seen at a bar before - masseuses offering massages to various bar patrons. Hmmm... perhaps an easy market to target?

On Thursday, I was greeted by a five year old doing cartwheels and handstands in the hallway by the printer at work. I later came to learn that the kids had two days off school, and it is completely normal for parents to bring their kids to the office (for the entire day) when the kids have the day off. In response to my reaction that this would be rarely accepted in the U.S., I was told "well, we care about kids in Australia".

Aussie Speak

DISCLAIMER: This is all second hand information. I take no responsibility for the spelling, accuracy, or completeness of information presented herein. That said, enjoy these Aussie to American translations:

EXPRESSIONS:
* I don't give a stuff about that = I don't care about that
* Why don't you have a (serious) think about that? = think about it
* How you going? = How are you?
* you're alright / no worries = response to thank you (they don't say you're welcome)
* I'm not crash hot about (blank) = I'm not fond of or excited about (blank)
* I reckon = I think
* cheers to us, we deserve it = what to say when you want another drink
* good on you OR well done you = good job, way to go
* jammy = charmed, lucky, blessed
* two dollars, twenty, thank you = a store clerk asking you to pay $2.20
* bugger = darn
* I can't be bothered = I don't feel like it
* dry as a dead dingo's donger = dry
* take your bat and ball and go home = stormed off, left angry
* handball = dump work on someone (footy expression)
* let it go through the keeper = don't answer a question (cricket expression)
* hooroo (don't pronounce the 'h') = goodbye

FOOD:
* take away = to go
* tea tonight = dinner/supper
* biscuit = cookie
* lollies = candy (hard or soft)
* roll = 4" long wrapped sushi or sausage
* dead horse = sauce
* tomato sauce = ketchup
* stock = broth (chicken)
* pumpkin = squash
* mince = ground hamburger
* chips = french fries
* crisps = chips
* sultanas = raisins
* capsicum = red bell pepper

TRAVEL:
* return = round trip (plane ticket)
* petrol = gas
* UTE = car with truck bed behind it
* hire a car = rent a car
* swag = rolling bed (tent/sleeping bag combo)
* bushwalking = hiking
* holiday = vacation

PEOPLE:
* blokes = guys
* sheilas = girls
* mate = platonic friend
* partner = significant other (not necessarily same sex)
* bogan = stuck in the 80's
* scullie = white trash
* seppo = American person
* kiwi = New Zealander
* pom = English person

SOCIAL SCENE:
* hotel = pub/bar
* juiced OR wenkered = drunk
* bottle shop = liquor store
* pot = small glass of beer

MISCELLANEOUS:
* diary = calendar/planner
* bum bag = fanny pack
* fringe = bangs (hair)
* bathroom = where you take a bath, not where you use the toilet
* notes = bills (money)
* post = mail
* pigeon hole = mail cubby
* tea room = break room, lunch room
* lift = elevator
* nappie = diaper
* dummy = pacifier
* sickie = sick day
* CBD or City = downtown
* uni = college, university
* new start = new employee
* clark = clerk (store)
* billabong = water hole (small lake resulting from a dried up river bed)

SONG:
* "Waltzing Matilda" - look up the lyrics - they make no sense to Americans

Lots of interpreting here all the time, and I thought Australians spoke the same language?! If this is what I've learned in a month, what will my vocabulary look like in two years?

An Ethiopian 4th of July

Happy 4th of July, all you Americans! Hope you enjoyed the day off - I had to WORK. It was a rather fun work day though. I had my last day of training in Footscray. We whizzed through the agenda and spent the better part of the day chatting. The rest of the class took great joy in giving me an education in Aussie speak (words, phrases, expressions, songs) - I will assemble a list and post soon. We finished early and I spent a few hours wondering around Footscray. Every shop sign and restaurant was Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, Ethiopian, and other ethnic marvels. I wandered through shop after shop of 'tat' (trashy garage sale paraphernalia) and wondered how they ever sell anything, let alone stay in business.

Phill met me in Footscray for dinner. We went to an Ethiopian restaurant, Lalibela, that his co-workers highly recommended. Neither of us had ever eaten Ethiopian food, so we didn't really know what to expect but were excited to try it. Phill joked we would be served fresh air on plates. Cassie suggested we would be chasing two peas around a plate. No. We ordered two traditional dishes - a chicken dish and spicy beef wa-ts stew, along with injera (pancake bread) and Ethiopian beer (St. Georges lager). We had been told the injera was similar to naan or roti, but it was disappointing, tasting like a wimpy wet flavorless sponge. We wondered if it should have been cooked (more/at all), but I suppose they knew what they were doing. They poured both dishes onto a huge platter lined with injera and you tear off pieces of the injera to scoop up the meat. There is no silverware, so this is an eat-with-your-hands kind of place. I didn't care at all for the chicken dish which tasted more like indiscriminate mush. The spicy beef was quite flavorful and good, but I'd order it over rice next time. The beer was excellent.

Change of subject. I think I've probably explained this before, but in case I haven't, I live on Grey St in St Kilda, which is suggested to be the height of the red light district. The area has been gentrified over the past 10-20 years and is beginning to outgrow that reputation. I've never felt unsafe or uncomfortable walking home (it is a busy, well lit street). That said, I have witnessed some "culture". Since I walk along this street several times daily, I see the same girls often, and have exchanged greetings with several of them (can't be rude!). Well... a couple nights ago, I said hello to one of the girls and kept walking as usual. She called out for me to hold up, and I thought to myself, what can she possibly want? She said that she'd seen me several times and told me I had a pretty face, that I reminded her of her sister, and we actually had a short conversation. So there you have it. Now I am making friends with the prostitutes.

Trains, trams, and buses...OH MY

I had training today at Victoria University in Footscray, which required THREE modes of public transport. Until now, I've survived exclusively on trams, but today I had the joy of experiencing trains and buses as well. The trains were actually really great - quick and clean with a lot more room than the trams. The train station in the first picture is the Southern Cross Station in the city. Its funky, wavy, blue lit ceiling is entertainment enough during the wait for the right train. Footscray lived up to its run down, seedy rep but they're supposed to have phenomenal Ethiopian food. Will I ever be there at supper time? Hmmm, not so sure. The training was moderately interesting. The model was similar to one I used in grad school, not terribly challenging. The teacher was Indian and I think it was more work for me to interpret him than the program.

I sat next to Willie Wonka (from Charlie & The Chocolate Factory) at training today. What a look alike! Old, crazy hair, big nose, the whole deal. He was nice though. That reference is a tad ironic because our office is located next to Eureka Tower, the highest building in the southern hemisphere. At the top of their skydeck, there's a clear bubble cube that "breaks through" the top side of the building. I haven't experienced it just yet. I would have been missing the full experience without Mr. Wonka. Timing is everything!