The Tan

The Tan Track, commonly called the tan, is a 3.8 km gravel track through the Royal Botanical Gardens just south of the Yarra River near the center of Melbourne. It's THE PLACE to run. Not being much of a runner myself (at all), I'd never been. I went Thursday night with Julia, the leader of the Urban Life group that met the previous Thursday. Let me clarify right away that we walked. It was a beautiful walk, one that we decided we'll take again soon. I really enjoyed getting to know Julia as well. We shared many similarities in travel, career, and future perspectives.

As you've probably noticed, I've become very excited about being healthy. I organize my life around it actually. I've declared that by the end of 2008, I will complete a triathalon. I am confident in my swimming abilities, am gaining confidence in biking, and now need to develop the running component. Hosi... help!

Big Day Out

Ready for "Big Day Out" with my fancy schmancy last minute ticket

My posse: Joe, Tom's brother, Liam, Tom (Joe and Liam are music junkies and are both in their own bands)

The Texan group Spoon brought a little yeehaw to Melbourne


New discovery Billy Bragg was mainly a one-man show including spurts of political commentary but sang one ditti with my other new discovery Kate Nash

My roommate Heath's (on right) band Children Collide scored a 5pm timeslot at Big Day Out - pretty sweet gig

My favorite show of the day was Arcade Fire


Bjork brought a lot of color, flair, and "zank ju's" (her way of saying thank you) to the stage

Big Day Out is the closest thing Australia's got to Austin City Limits Music Festival. It's a one-day show that rotates through all the major cities around here: Auckland (NZ), Gold Coast, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, and of course Melbourne. The line-up is reminiscent of ACL Fest, which is a big deal in Australia. A lot of bands are reluctant to make the long voyage out here so they typically have fewer opportunities to see big name bands. It's interesting to compare ticket prices of professional sporting events and music festivals/concerts with those in the U.S. The sporting events are far more affordable here (with a pro footy game costing as little as $20 and Australian Open arena tickets costing $70 with ground tickets at only $30); however, this one day music festival ticket cost $140, around the cost of a 3-day pass to ACL festival. The prices seem to be reversed from the U.S.

Big Day Out has been sold out for months (45,000 capacity), but I snagged a spare ticket from a co-worker on Thursday. Yes! I was stoked since I don't want to miss a single thing in my Australian adventure and because my roommate Heath was playing at the event. I went to the festival with our neighbor friends from down the street - Joe, Liam, Tom, and Rory. We lucked out with perfect weather - a super sunny day, not a cloud in the sky, without being smoldering or steamy. It actually cooled off a little too much once the sun set. There were 8 stages set up around the Flemington Racecourse (also the site of the Melbourne Cup and Royal Melbourne Show) with different styles of music pumping throughout the day. Highlights included: Arcade Fire, Billy Bragg, Kate Nash, Silverchair, Rage Against the Machine, Spoon, Regurgitator, Gyroscope, and of course Children Collide (see bigdayout.com.au for a complete listing/timetable). Big Day Out also included theme park/thrill rides, a variation from ACL Fest. I got a little too much sun today and will probably be feeling a bit like a lobster at work tomorrow, but I have to communicate my great appreciation of Australia Day which resulted in a paid holiday for me to attend a music festival. Good country, Australia.

Australia Day

Joe's band, Liam's band, and a couple other bands took turns playing in between the JJJ radio countdown of the top 100 songs from the past year

The slip 'n slide, an integral component of any Australia Day bbq I'm told

The roommies: Dan, Jade, me

Jade sports her Aussie Aussie Aussie (Oi Oi Oi) headband in honor of Australia Day

Saturday was Australia Day, which is a day "to celebrate what's great about Australia and being Australian", a day to bbq and drink beer, an excuse for a day off work. We celebrated at a house party in Thornbury with bands playing throughout the day, a bbq going in the yard, and a slip 'n slide set up in the adjacent park. The Great Ocean Rd crew was all at the party, many of them performing in their bands. Dan, Mark, and I disappeared for a quick bite to eat at Grill'd in Fitroy. We ran into a common friend of the three of us, Sean, who seemingly knows everyone in Melbourne. I was meant to meet up with a couple different friends in the city Saturday night but the past two days wore me out; I had to take a miss which I hated doing.

Boxing Night Out

See the opening on the left side of the building, one floor from the top? That's the office crew enjoying a Friday afternoon bbq on the sixth floor deck of our office.

Mick, Adrian, Kristel, me, Thomas, Frenchy, Tom


Des, Adrian, Kristel at Red Hummingbird

Saccha, Steve at Red Hummingbird

The boxing crew headed out for a night in the city following class and a few extra rounds on the bags Friday evening. We started with dinner at a Japanese place I recommended. The food was awesome but the room was sweltering, reminding us all too much of the steamy boxing room. The two french boys were shocked and dismayed when their identical orders arrived as a single fillet of fish with nothing else. We teased them that it looked like a French serving. From there we headed out to a couple bars, starting at the nearby Red Hummingbird, which I like because of the third floor open-air deck with a view out over the city. We didn't make the dress code cut at some of the more upscale places and ended up at a bar called The Joint on Elizabeth and Collins. The night was in honor of Kristel's last night for the next 3 weeks. She's going home to Amsterdam for a visit, which will be very sad for me as she is my normal boxing partner - by far the most skilled girl and more skilled than many of the guys. I've already convinced one of the better guys to partner up with me in her absence.

Urban Life Group

I attended Planetshakers (the mosh pit church) again this past Sunday and was invited to attend an Urban Life Group (small group/bible study) in Maribynong Thursday evening. In line with my intentions, I rode my bike to and from work every day until Thursday evening when I was too nervous to tackle a new longer route into unknown territory. It took an hour on the tram which climbed and descended many hills. I was thankful I'd not ridden. There were around 12 people at the girl's house including three guys and the rest girls, three of which live in my neighborhood which will be uber convenient for me snagging a lift home. Everyone was in their 20's and 30's which was a relief since I'd been surrounded with 18 and 19 year olds during my past two visits to church. I was a little surprised to hear multiple people speaking in tongues Thursday night, but the people were very genuine and friendly, and I got a good feeling from the group. They meet every fortnight, and I think I'll check it out for a while.

Dena's Bday Lunch

Cassie, Mhairi, Mel, Dena, Carmel, Emily, Hanya, Alex, Cara, me, Tracey

Dena blows out the birthday candles on these gourmet mini cupcakes with Mel, Mhairi, and Cass to her right

There's a big group of girls from work that frequently unite for lunch or other social outtings. This day we went out to celebrate Dena's birthday. We went to a greek place close to work, Othello's, where I devoured the most amazing pizza I've had in Melbourne - with lamb from the spit, spinach, mushrooms, tomoatoes, and tsatziki sauce - yum.

Australian Open

First match of the day between Vincent Spadea (USA) and David Ferrer (Spain, ranked 5th)


#1 ranked Justine Henin (Belgium) meets Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) in the middle to flip a coin for the serve

Russian Maria Sharapova not only claims 5th seed but also monopolizes the advertising contracts. Her serve was the most beautiful in my underinformed opinion.

Ana Ivanovic (Serbia, ranked 4th) whacks the ball on the practice courts

Serena Williams (USA, ranked 7th one spot ahead of sister Venus) starts her warm-ups on the practice court

Some of the open air courts boasted backdrop city views

I woke up this morning and decided I'd like to see some famous people play tennis in a world renowned sporting event. It's a good thing I live in Melbourne because it was a short trip into the city and along the river to make this a reality. What kind of surreal world do I live in where I have access to all of these amazing opportunities? I have to say a couple weeks ago I didn't give a hoot about the Australian Open. I figured I'd go 'to go' at some point, but something happened to me. I saw a couple amazing televised matches with top Australian players Casey Dellacqua and Lleyton Hewitt and I got sucked into the sport. I was up past 3 AM last night watching Lleyton duke it out! Today did not disappoint. I met Casey at the Vodaphone arena where we proceeded to watch a few indoor matches and wander around the grounds viewing practice courts as well as singles and doubles open air matches. Famous tennis players whizzed right by us on the sidewalks with balls in hand and bags slung over shoulder. Ana Ivanovic (Serbia, ranked 4th) stopped practicing to sign autographs. I hit my threshold for tennis around 5PM today when I started getting restless. What an amazing opportunity though!

Pimp My Ride

Having not been on a bicycle since I was around 12, today may qualify as a monumental day. I bought a new decked out men's hybrid bike with commuter wheels. It's pretty too - charcoal gray and silver. I have a coordinating charcoal gray and black helmet, water bottle, and D-link lock. It IS all about how you look, right? Okay, I also upgraded to a nice gel seat, added a rack on the back to carry my gym bag, and lights on the front and back for safe riding at night. My plan is to ride to and from work as much as possible. This seemed a little daunting at first thought but I've been building my stationary biking skills at the gym and today's 12 km ride home from the bike store was no problem - I'm not even sore. First bike ride after nearly 20 years, including riding on the left side of the road and through the city with lots of cars and trams. I loved it - every second. I felt like I was about 10 again and I'm looking forward to many more rides. I'll get some pictures up soon.

Interesting fact: I read today that the number of bicycles sold (1.5 million) exceeded the number of cars sold (1 million) in Australia in 2007.

Fiji in 15 hours

What can a person do with a 15 hour layover? Well... you could clear customs in Fiji, make a fast friend at baggage claim, meet a friendly cab driver to give you the insider's view of the mainland on your way to the port, take an island explorerer cruise on a high speed catamaran, swim and snorkel in paradise, eat a Fijian buffet, be seranaded upon arrival and departure, buy a few souvenirs, and be back in time to wait and then wait some more for a flight running on Fiji time (late and sloooooow). That's what I did and I would highly recommend it.

My first flight left San Antonio at 11AM Monday and I did not arrive in Melbourne until 5AM Thursday, so with that kind of marathon voyage, a dip in the ocean mid-trip is very enticing and nearly essential. We deplaned into an open air deck leading to a small non-air conditioned customs and immigration room. The air was sweltering and muggy. Those not yet in shorts quickly wished they were. I met Heidi at baggage claim. She's a photographer from Quebec who lived in Melbourne a few years ago for a year, has traveled extensively, and was en route to a wedding in Melbourne. She invited me to tour the capital city with her, but I counter offered the cruise and won out. She was an excellent cohert in crime for our adventure packed day. It was not nearly enough time, but given our initially shaky start with storm clouds and rain (EVERYWHERE I go!!!), we sucked out a stunner of a day. Our catamaran jetted past island after island with smaller boats coming along side the catamaran to transfer those wishing to disembark at or return from each island. Most islands were small with a single resort monopolizing the island. Others were larger with hills for climbing and trails for walking. We stopped off at Treasure Island. Heidi repeatedly shouted out, "Jen, we're in paradise" as we floated out into the warm Fijian water. I cannot begin to explain the amazing blues, greens, and aqua colors of the water. We swam away from the shore only about 20 meters and encountered amazing snorkeling with giant brilliant colored fish, even better than what I experienced at Hanama Bay in Oahu. The Fijian people were extraordinarily friendly and helpful, accomodating in every way. I wish we'd had more time, but what a way to spend a day!

Malaga & Cedar St

me, Clay, Michelle


Camilla, Dan, Frank, Susan


me, Jill


Mike, Sarah, me

My week in Austin was a whirlwind one. What an amazing thing it is to be surrounded by so many wonderful people in my life. I arrived Tuesday morning, got Jack settled in at Michelle's house (deluxe 5-star accomodations, very accomodating of extra house guests!!) , and was greeted by a large group of the Austin URS crew to head out for lunch. It was a mad rush from then on to catch up with as many people as possible. I know I missed a bunch of you and I'm sorry. I wish I'd had longer. To those of you I did see (URS or ex-URS, UT grad school, BSF girls, FEMA friends, and significant others), I treasure your time and willingness to work around my crazy schedule. People assumed that things would be 'same old same old' when I returned to Austin, but not at all. I have friends getting married, several with new babies or pregnant, a few who've purchased houses, changed jobs, moving to Vegas, etc. My friends lead amazingly active, full lives and I'm so happy to be a part of them. Thanks for making my visit amazing!! My close FEMA friend Camilla flew in for a quick visit - THANK YOU!

I hit up all my favorite restaurants in Austin - Z'Tejas, Kerbey Lane, Iron Cactus, Salt Lick, etc. I accidentally and happily stumbled onto my friend Sharla's non-profit coffee shop (Domincan Joe's) benefiting the Dominican Republic when meeting a friend for an afternoon coffee - awesome place Sharla! Friday, Camilla and I raced up to Waco to visit my youngest sister Lisa who is studying interior design at Baylor. Her skills were put to the test in her shoebox sized ensuite, which was beautifully customized, arranged, and decorated with every square inch of space perfectly utilized. Friday night was a great last night out with friends at Malaga, a tapas and wine bar on 4th St, with a stop by Cedar St to sing along and dance to the infamous 80's cover band Skyrocket. The next morning entailed breakfast at Whole Foods and a trip to the dog park at Towne Lake before returning to San Antonio for my final few days in the U.S. The Austin visit really reminded me of how much I love that city and all my friends there. I'll be back!

Shooting Range

Even with bull riding, loads of mexican food, bbq, and a margarita, a trip to Texas could not possibly be complete without a visit to the shooting range with my dad. My dad and I shot not only his revolver and semi-automatic, but also his 12 guage shotgun. We flung clay pigeons and took turns receiving a wicked kickback to the shoulder. It was awesome. I later balanced my manly activities with a long awaited pedicure with my mom. It was a perfect last day in San Antonio before heading off to Austin to catch up with friends.

Elizajack

Unfortunately, the holiday season brought with it a few sickies to include Katie getting strep, followed by me getting tonsilitus, followed by Jack needing to have his anal gland expressed (not an uncommon problem I've learned - he's fine now). His curious tongue couldn't stay away, hence the E-collar and the nickname Elizajack so dubbed by his Auntie Jill because of the Elizabethan collar. Poor Jack was beside himself, not sure what to do. He was a sight for sore eyes with a cone head and a sagging butt. Due to a shot of anesthetic from the emergency vet, Jack's rear legs kept giving way until he became alert enought to be jolted back into standing position. The vet did commend his health, saying he was in perfect shape (thanks Dad for all those long walks!!). The collar came off the day before I left, so I was thankful for one last day of cuddling with my normal buddy. As often as we could, Jack and I snuck off to a giant dog park filled with more than 50 dogs on the weekends. Jack made lots of friends.

A Truly Texan Happy New Year

My sister Katie and I have a tradition of celebrating New Years in a different city each year. To date our travels have included Las Vegas (2003), Austin (2004), New Orleans (2005), New York City (2006), and San Francisco (2007). This year, with my return from Australia, we decided to stick around in good ole San Antonio. We kicked up our heels at Cowboys Dancehall with Katie's friend Autumn. Woo! Only in Texas would a single bar combine bull riding, pool tables, a country concert (Jack Ingram), and a massive two stepping dance floor. I even rode the mechanical bull stone sober. A whacked thumb, a couple scraped fingers, and a very soar tush later, I'd ridden the bull for what I deem approximately 12 seconds. No one counted! Having spent the past seven months in Australia, such a country/Texan experience seemed only appropriate.