Thursday, February 21, 2008

Randomness

Hi boys and girls,
It's been quite a while since I've written a post so here it goes. I'm not now, nor have I ever been, as organized as Christy so I don't have a thought provoking topic or funny title or anything like that. Just lots of random thoughts.

1. There were so many cool pics from our trips with Ray and Marcia and just from generally living here that I had to put some more online - watch the slideshow or check them out here to see the descriptions: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8437412@N03/sets/72157601794987955/

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

2. I've been keeping busy with CHISIG events here in Melbourne (Computer Human Interaction Special Interest Group - computer dork society stuff) and ultimate frisbee. I also joined the Monash Bushwalking (ie. hiking) club, and they do some kayaking and things, so I'm hoping to go out with them soon before our 'summer #2' is done down here in April or so.

3. I proved I'm still a stupid male by suggesting to Christy that we go do a pool session last Thursday to practice our kayaking (for you other stupid guys out there, that was Valentine's Day). Needless to say, we went out to dinner instead at a Indian/Nepalese place - yummy.

4. March will be a bit busy as we are heading to a 3 day music festival (Golden Plains if you want to check out the lineup), some Grand Prix car races where Kiss is playing and a few other concerts (Jack Johnson - he's playing in the park about 10 min. from our place and Wilco - sweet).

5. I continue to bike to take the train/bike to work everyday - there's no end to my feelings of self righteousness about not owning a car :) All joking aside, I do enjoy it, even when I have to ride home after 2 hours of running at ulimate frisbee

6. I'm continually and utterly amazed by the diversity of people that I meet. In the last week, I've met two post-doctoral students from Spain (one does some type of mechanical engineering, nanotechnology research) out camping that rock climb and happen to work at Monash Uni, doctors of protein crystallography (who create 3D models of things like malaria molecules) that I build software for as a part of my job, and, just last night at frisbee, I drank beer with a mathematician from Istabul that lived in Madison, Wisconsin but now lives here, a guy from Brunei, Malaysia that lived in Perth (West Australia) that now lives here, a guy from Jersey who now lives here, a couple from Colorado visiting Oz for about 4 months and of course, lots of good ol' Aussie blokes.

7. Australia slang term of the day: Shout: turn to buy - a round of drinks usually ("it's your shout")
8. Lastly, if this video doesn't put you in a good mood, then I don't know what will:



Bye for now,
Sweany

Monday, February 18, 2008

Cathedral Range State Park

Hi everyone! Here's some pictures of our camp trip to Cathedral Range State Park this past weekend. It is located about 110km NE of Melbourne. The weather was awesome, we did a great hike, we saw some wildlife, we met some good people, and overall, it felt really great to get out into nature again. I'm always amazed how easily going camping can seem to level my emotions back out. It helps that I usually get to go with the best camping partner ever (I'm typing, of course, about Andy, in case some of you missed that one). :) This Friday we are celebrating with our friend, Ash, who is soon to be moving to the Philippines as an Australian Youth Ambassador. Sunday we fly to Tasmania, where we will spend 6 days exploring this small island state of Australia. We have heard and read nothing but amazing things about Tasmania, so we are super excited to be headed there for some backpacking, sea kayaking, exploring, and actual February 29 birthday spoiling and celebrating. Anybody have anything special planned to honor the fact that there is actually a February 29 this year?? And on a Friday no less! Don't even think of telling me something along the lines of, "Oh, I didn't realize." I won't stand for it. Cheers! Love, Christy

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

"Sorry Day" in Australia

Hello everyone. Hoping this finds you all very well and happy.


An extremely historic event took place in Australia today, as Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, on behalf of the Australian government, gave a moving speech, apologizing to the Aboriginal peoples of Australia for all of the wrong-doings that have been done to them throughout history. In particular, the Stolen Generation was acknowledged, and forward-thinking goals were introduced. I feel that it was an honor to be in this country as this event took place.


Continuing on within the topic of politics - the news here is very thorough in keeping us up-to-date with US politics. We are keeping up with the presidential election and all of the news about the mortgage crisis, recession, etc. I must write that I am continually impressed by Australians' knowledge of US politics and government. On numerous occasions since our arrival (nearly 6 months ago already!) I have been involved in passionate discussions about the politics and policies of the United States. There honestly seems to be more interest in US politics held by Australians than by United States citizens themselves. This has been a very sobering fact to recognize and think seriously upon. Another interesting fact, and one which I believe should be imposed upon US voters: all eligible voters in Australia must vote; if they do not vote, they are fined.


Well, now that I've lightened my conscious of those topics, on to what Andy and I have been up to. Since my parents left on Feb. 1, things have been pretty quiet around our apartment and there is not a whole lot to report. We have had a couple of very chill weekends of mostly staying home. I've started working 2 days/week at a small, family-owned fruit & veggie shop at the end of our block. Having overcome my initial personal feelings of 'loser' for this being the only work that I can apparently secure in Melbourne, I am really loving the experience. The pros far outweigh the single 'loser' con. Pros: 1) it takes me about 3 minutes to walk to work, 2) there is very little, if any, stress in working there, 3) the owners of the shop are 2 young brothers, both with young families that I have already met, and they are all very sweet people to spend time amongst, 4) I get produce at 1/2 price, 5) the customers that frequent this sort of small, neighborhood shop are very friendly, and my days working there are filled with numerous pleasant interactions. A wise friend wrote me recently in response to my lament about the whole 'loser' feelings: "I think your job sounds great for where you are at in this phase of your life. Sometimes our jobs play a huge role in our lives and other times our jobs are simply jobs so we can enjoy the other sweet things in our lives." Very well stated, and very taken to heart. I love my new job. I am still officially employed with the substitute teacher agency as well, but as the new school year started just 3 weeks ago, I have had no substitute calls yet.
Andy's job continues to go well. I dislike writing on his behalf, so I guess if there's anything he wants to share, he'll have to do just that.


The weather has been on-and-off rainy and cool, which is a bit early for autumn here already. It is forecasted to be a spectacular weekend, so we are planning on renting a car to get out of town and go exploring and camping this weekend. That's really about it from us here in Melbourne.


Depending upon your own personal preference, either "Cheers!" or "Boo!" to Valentine's Day. Either way, don't forget to hug the ones you love and tell them so.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Love, Christy

Monday, February 4, 2008

Friday, February 1, 2008

Hi everyone - Happy February! By now, my parents should be about 4 hours into their long journey back to the US. I shed a few tears this morning as they pulled away, and then, as if I needed another reason for an emotional breakdown, that David Duchovny/Minnie Driver movie Return to Me was on TV this afternoon. You know that movie - the one where David's wife dies in a car accident and their dog keeps waiting at the door of their home for her to return, and then David meets and falls in love with Minnie, who just happens to be the woman who received his wife's heart in her heart transplant surgery...yes, that is the one. So, I write this blog with a few serious cries good and out of the way. On to the positive!
Isn't it Super Bowl weekend? For us it will be Super Bowl Monday, as it will be broadcast over here on Monday morning at 10am. "Super Bowl Monday" just doesn't seem to have quite the same ring to it as "Super Bowl Sunday" always does.
Huge congratulations to some of our dear friends on recent engagement announcements and some other dear friends on surviving their first holiday season with baby boys. You all know who you are. These engagements lead me to a brief run-down of travel plans that we have so far, just in case some of you are beginning to look at flights to come visit us here in Australia. We'd hate to miss you! Andy and I will be in Tasmania 2/24-3/1. It looks like Andy will be making a quick trip to the Minneapolis area sometime in June. We will both be making a trip to the Portland and Duluth areas toward mid to late August. Then we'll be visiting central Australia 9/4-9/11. By that time we'll have been living here for a year, and Andy and I have declared that "all bets are off" as to where we'll be living following the September central Australia trip. Andy is definitely pulling for some time in New Zealand.
Ahhh - New Zealand. New Zealand was incredible. We're definitely looking forward to spending more time in that country. But I am a bit ahead of myself in sharing about our trip with Ray & Marcia. Back up to January 5th- (I promise I'll try to keep it as concise as possible, but there really is just so much to share! Get yourself comfy is what I suggest):
Jan. 5 - we took the train from Melbourne to Geelong, and spent the afternoon strolling the harbour, eating fresh mussels, and eating* (again) at a local pub called The Bended Elbow British Ale House.
*I will refer to 'eating' multiple times throughout this trip description*
Jan. 6 - our 6am flight took us to Sydney. Ray & Marcia spent the day touring the ferries and Manly Beach with some friends they had met in Melbourne, while Andy and I ferried around the harbour and enjoyed late afternoon in The Rocks historic district.
Jan. 7 - we spent most of the day at Bondi Beach. It was gorgeous. We saw the Spanish Harlem Orchestra perform at Sydney Opera House - definitely one of the many highlights of this trip.
Jan. 8 - we were on an all-day Blue Mountains bus tour trip. I got to pet a koala and we saw our first crocodile. That night Ray, Andy, and I had dinner at the Lowenbrau Pub in The Rocks district and wandered around a bit while Marcia stayed in.
Jan. 9 - we visited Sydney Tower and then boarded the massive Princess Sapphire cruise ship around 3pm! This ship has a passenger capacity of 2670, and we believe this sailing was sold out. It literally took us (all of us) days to find our way around the ship. There were 6 pools and 8 hot tubs, a casino, a shopping area, multiple bars, restaurants, and nightclubs, an entire spa area, an internet cafe, a library, a movie theater....ok, you get the picture. This ship is like a massive luxury moving town! It was incredible to even be standing on board this ship, looking around Sydney Harbour, looking at the Sydney Opera House - it really felt like a dream. We pulled out of Sydney around 9pm that night.
Jan. 10 - day at sea. Andy was a good sport and dragged himself out of bed at 5:30am with me to watch our first at-sea sunrise. My mom and I spent hours lying beside the pool. Lots of eating.
Jan. 11 - day in Melbourne. As Melbourne is old news to us four, we stayed on the ship and lazed around. Played some shuffleboard, caught the afternoon movie, etc. Lots of eating.
Jan. 12 - day in Hobart, Tasmania. My parents excursioned (not sure if that is a proper use of that word) to Port Arthur, while Andy and I toured Hobart on our own. Lots of eating.
Jan. 14 - day at sea. Lots of eating.
Jan. 15 - day at sea. Lots of eating.
Jan. 16 - Fiordland National Park scenic cruising. Without a doubt, this was the most spectacular event of our entire trip! It was quite unbelieveable that this ship could be maneuvered up and down the sounds that we visited. And it was quite unbelieveable that we were doing it, and with my parents by our sides. We had a splendidly clear, warm day in an area that receives rainfall over 200 days/year. The pictures only hint at the magnitude of this region of our world, and I must recommend to everyone that you go to see this majestic location. The only downside to this day was that I was now fighting a pretty serious sore throat and nasty cold that was making me feel miserable, and the boat was rolling pretty good at times. Poor Marcia even threw up in a plastic bag as we lounged on the back deck. This event will stay with me forever! My poor mom and I, quite ill, while our two men sleep away in deck loungers at our sides :) Despite our illnesses, still lots of eating.
Jan. 17 - day in Dunedin. Andy and I were scheduled to do an afternoon sea kayaking trip, but the weather was rainy and a bit windy, so our tour was cancelled. Last minute we jumped aboard my parents' excursion that took us on an afternoon bus tour of the city of Dunedin and provided us a visit to Larnach Castle. Lots of eating.
Jan. 18 - day in Christchurch. My parents had an all-day bus & train tour of the region, while Andy and I did some Class 3, 4, & 5 white water rafting on the Rangitata River. Another huge event for us on this trip! 28 people from the cruise ship went on this excursion, and 6 of them found themselves out of their raft, floating down some pretty serious rapids at one point during the day. Andy and I definitely think some of these people had litle idea of what exactly Class 5 river rafting meant, and they certainly ended up experiencing much more than they had bargained for. Thankfully everyone survived and, although they were a little bit rattled, ended the day with smiles on their faces. One lady told me, "My kids are never going to believe that I did this!" This same lady was one of the 6 that had gotten tossed out of her raft, and she had slight wounds to her arms and face to prove it. During slow periods of the river, I would put my hand down in the blue-gray glacial water and think to myself, "I'm rafting in New Zealand," while trying to soak up our surrounds all the while. Really great.
Jan. 19 - day at sea - We're starting to get sad that our cruise is going to come to an end. Lots of eating. My dad and I played Bingo in both the morning and afternoon sessions, and even bet on some wooden horse racing, but came away in the hole every time.
Jan. 20 - day at Tauranga - all 4 of us did an all-day bus tour to the town of Rotorua, visiting a geothermal reserve, a Maori cultural lunch and musical/dance performance, and, wait for it......the Agrodome! And you know what? I have to type that the Agrodome was pretty cool. We saw 19 different breeds of sheep and a sheep-shearing demonstration to boot! Andy and I agree - we have never known so much about sheep as we do now.
Jan. 21 - our ship docks in Auckland. We disembarked at 10am, and by 10:45 we had picked up a rental car and were on our way to the beach town of Hahei, along the northeast coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Auckland. At 2pm we checked into our beachhouse, strolled along the beach, shopped at the local grocery store, grilled burgers for dinner, and beach strolled some more. We were a little bit disappointed, as the weather was kinda overcast and misty, and campers that we chatted with told us that we had just missed a solid month of superb weather and calm, tranquil waters, but it was impressive none the less. Not quite as much eating, now that we don't have a 24-hour buffet (or trough, as Andy and I prefer to call it) or our usual 8 restaurants providing 5-course meals to choose from each night, but we got by.
Jan. 22 - all 4 of us hiked to Cathedral Cove. Beautiful - both the hike and the destination. Strolled around Hot Water Beach. Visited Purangi Winery - by far the most laid-back, chill winery I have ever visited. If I ever go missing (by choice, of course) you could probably find me there. Took an off-the-beaten-path route on our way back to Auckland, checked into our hotel near the airport, returned the rental car, and cheers'd ourselves for a vacation well done. We landed back in Melbourne on the 23rd around 9:45am.

Whew! Well, that is going to have to just about do it for my blogging today. Hope you enjoyed the pictures and vacation recap.

To my parents - you are terribly missed already. Thank you so much for everything, and for being here with us for the holidays especially. It's nearly like you had the chance to live in Australia with me, not just visit us, and that remains quite unbelieveable and will always be a blessing. I'll start work on our next folder of travels real soon :)

Hugs and kisses all around - Cheers!

Love, Christy