The beaches are lovely -but don't just take my word for it. There are apparently cameras on all the beaches to broadcast the current wave conditions for all those internet-savvy surfers. You can look at most all of the beaches in real time video updates. Here is Avalon Beach, the one I posted my little video clip from. If you want to see more, on the left hand side select New South Wales (that's the state Sydney is in).
I also found an article concerning cultural differences between Americans and Aussies. It's a long read, but pretty interesting. It's interesting to note things that are fundamentally different between the cultures.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
More Bright Flora and Fauna
This pretty, bright flower is an Australian Bottlebrush. It doesn't smell, but all the jasmine around here perfumes the air.
This is a King Parrot. Apparently they are pretty rare aroun
d here, but we've seen 2 since we've been here. He was on the deck railing briefly, but unfortunately the dogs were on the deck too. I could only get a picture when it flew into the nearby tree. Sorry it's not the clearest image, but it's so bright and unusual I wanted to share it with you all.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Puppy Love
I'm so very happy to see our boys again. They are in good health, haven't lost any weight, and seemed to be well taken care of by the quarantine station. I'm so glad for that. They jumped all over me when they saw me. (Especially Ender, who whined and licked me a lot too.) They are world travellers now, but I guess they didn't forget me after all.
We loaded up their large airline crates (which happily looked very intact, like they hadn't bumped about at all -no dents, damamge or scrapes so the boys didn't get banged around looks like.) Spoiled Ender sat on my lap most of the way back, and he was so happy sticking his nose in air conditioning.
Roland took the drive home pretty calmly, watching things pass by the windows. We brought them to their new backyard and the first thing the did was run around it checking out the fence. They really seem to enjoy jumping on the big rocks in their new home and sniffing around in all the bush. Roland -kind of the rock!
I found them some of the cutest dogbowls at the $2 shop, but I think now I'm going to use both bowls for food and get them a larger bucket for water. They drank 3 bowls of water yesterday with all the excitement.
Naturally, they are very exicted that cats live around here. The cats are noticably less excited. Thor hid under the barbcue yesterday as the dogs came home, Babushka pretended to be a statue on the handrail (and actually avoided detection), and Kavika refused his customary shimp dinner on his screened-in porch at all last night because although he is secure and on the next level up of the house, he overlooks the dog pen and the dogs can see him. Hopefully the cats will get used to the boys soon and realize they are free to come and go as they please but the dogs are confined to their pen. Time, and a strong fence.
We took them for their first walk yesterday when V came home for his break. They loved it -lots of hills, a dogpark, and we even walked them along the bay. They were startled when they tried to drink the bay water (it's salt water). It was really funny because they refused water from a bowl after that until we proved to them it
wasn't salty but splashing their mouths with it. They will just have to learn not all water is tasty. :)
They really wanted to play with all the dogs in the dogpark, but we want them to get a bit more settled before we let them loose. (In the dogpark, it's a place they can just run and play and not wear leashes.) *Crossing my fingers no one will decide to pick a fight (Yes -that means you Roland!)*
People in the dogpark are super-friendly. Today I took them to the park again after walking V to the bus stop for work. A lovely lady with 2 beautiful black and white border collies (Bonnie and Clyde) came over and talked with me at length, wanting to know all about the boys, exclaiming how pretty they were, and giving me advice on local vets and trainers to check into. It's nice to be a dog person here -there are plenty of friendly people happy to talk about dogs.
Here were the gates before painting: bright pink. (Notice the rain pouring in the background and dripping off the roof.)
Happily the fence was actually finished when they got home -I finally got the painting done and dry. (Not that I had the hard part of actually building the fence -just the curse of rain that painting outside brings.) Here is a pic of the finished gates with two very happy puppies in front of it.
I'm so glad the boys are with us finally. I have company all day now and companions for my daily walks. Now, if only they could getthrough the night without barking. But, they have to get used to the fact that it sounds like a jungle here too; I didn't sleep the first few nights either.
Cheers from all of us!
We loaded up their large airline crates (which happily looked very intact, like they hadn't bumped about at all -no dents, damamge or scrapes so the boys didn't get banged around looks like.) Spoiled Ender sat on my lap most of the way back, and he was so happy sticking his nose in air conditioning.
Roland took the drive home pretty calmly, watching things pass by the windows. We brought them to their new backyard and the first thing the did was run around it checking out the fence. They really seem to enjoy jumping on the big rocks in their new home and sniffing around in all the bush. Roland -kind of the rock!I found them some of the cutest dogbowls at the $2 shop, but I think now I'm going to use both bowls for food and get them a larger bucket for water. They drank 3 bowls of water yesterday with all the excitement.
Naturally, they are very exicted that cats live around here. The cats are noticably less excited. Thor hid under the barbcue yesterday as the dogs came home, Babushka pretended to be a statue on the handrail (and actually avoided detection), and Kavika refused his customary shimp dinner on his screened-in porch at all last night because although he is secure and on the next level up of the house, he overlooks the dog pen and the dogs can see him. Hopefully the cats will get used to the boys soon and realize they are free to come and go as they please but the dogs are confined to their pen. Time, and a strong fence.We took them for their first walk yesterday when V came home for his break. They loved it -lots of hills, a dogpark, and we even walked them along the bay. They were startled when they tried to drink the bay water (it's salt water). It was really funny because they refused water from a bowl after that until we proved to them it
wasn't salty but splashing their mouths with it. They will just have to learn not all water is tasty. :)They really wanted to play with all the dogs in the dogpark, but we want them to get a bit more settled before we let them loose. (In the dogpark, it's a place they can just run and play and not wear leashes.) *Crossing my fingers no one will decide to pick a fight (Yes -that means you Roland!)*
People in the dogpark are super-friendly. Today I took them to the park again after walking V to the bus stop for work. A lovely lady with 2 beautiful black and white border collies (Bonnie and Clyde) came over and talked with me at length, wanting to know all about the boys, exclaiming how pretty they were, and giving me advice on local vets and trainers to check into. It's nice to be a dog person here -there are plenty of friendly people happy to talk about dogs.
Here were the gates before painting: bright pink. (Notice the rain pouring in the background and dripping off the roof.)
Happily the fence was actually finished when they got home -I finally got the painting done and dry. (Not that I had the hard part of actually building the fence -just the curse of rain that painting outside brings.) Here is a pic of the finished gates with two very happy puppies in front of it.
I'm so glad the boys are with us finally. I have company all day now and companions for my daily walks. Now, if only they could getthrough the night without barking. But, they have to get used to the fact that it sounds like a jungle here too; I didn't sleep the first few nights either.
Cheers from all of us!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Hooray!!!!
My puppies get out of Quarantine today -hooray! I'm off to pick them up. My kind Aussie Dad is driving me the 3 hours it takes to get them and then we'll all be together.
I'm one happy girl today!
I'm one happy girl today!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Furry and Feathered Friends
So, you know there are gorgeous beaches around. How about some cute animal pictures, without even leaving my house?
Furry Friend #1:
This little guy is a ring-tailed opossum. He sleeps the day away in the bamboo roof above the deck and outdoor light. That's just a few feet from where I've been painting on the deck the last few days. He's really cute, but he's breaking through the bamboo, which is not the best. There's actually a smaller one just to the right of the green beam here, but he's not broken through the bamboo as much so he's harder to see. A whole family of them live here around the house. The camrea flash woke him up and he blinked sleepily at me for a minute, before closing his eyes and dropping back off to sleep.
Furry Friend #2:
Okay, so this isn't an unnusual animal -or is it? Meet Thor everyone!
He's one big cat. That is a normal-sized bench seat he's barely hanging on to. He is unique as far as cats go because he's so much like a dog. We even call him the puppy kitten. He loves to be petted, he comes when you call his name, and begs when you have food. Incredibly, he'll eat just about anything. He came up the other day and took a bite out of a rice krispie treat right out of my hand (called a rice bubble here). Cheeky guy. I've never seen a cat eat a rice krispy treat! He's keeping me company until my dogs get out of quarantine. Unfortunately, he's enough like a cat to think he owns the place, and we are his people. Apparently he also terrorizes the neighborhood dogs, so I hope all will be peaceful when our boys arrive on Friday.
And, last but hardly least,
A Feathered Friend:
Look, it posed for a picture! These gorgeous little things are always about feeding from the flowers in the bush or begging for apple bits on the deck. It's a Rainbow Lorikeet and I like them very much. They will eat right out of your hand, but are a little timid so you have to be very still and calm for them to stick around. Beautiful, aren't they? They aren't caged here, they are the locals.
Furry Friend #1:
This little guy is a ring-tailed opossum. He sleeps the day away in the bamboo roof above the deck and outdoor light. That's just a few feet from where I've been painting on the deck the last few days. He's really cute, but he's breaking through the bamboo, which is not the best. There's actually a smaller one just to the right of the green beam here, but he's not broken through the bamboo as much so he's harder to see. A whole family of them live here around the house. The camrea flash woke him up and he blinked sleepily at me for a minute, before closing his eyes and dropping back off to sleep.
Furry Friend #2:
Okay, so this isn't an unnusual animal -or is it? Meet Thor everyone!
He's one big cat. That is a normal-sized bench seat he's barely hanging on to. He is unique as far as cats go because he's so much like a dog. We even call him the puppy kitten. He loves to be petted, he comes when you call his name, and begs when you have food. Incredibly, he'll eat just about anything. He came up the other day and took a bite out of a rice krispie treat right out of my hand (called a rice bubble here). Cheeky guy. I've never seen a cat eat a rice krispy treat! He's keeping me company until my dogs get out of quarantine. Unfortunately, he's enough like a cat to think he owns the place, and we are his people. Apparently he also terrorizes the neighborhood dogs, so I hope all will be peaceful when our boys arrive on Friday.And, last but hardly least,
A Feathered Friend:
Look, it posed for a picture! These gorgeous little things are always about feeding from the flowers in the bush or begging for apple bits on the deck. It's a Rainbow Lorikeet and I like them very much. They will eat right out of your hand, but are a little timid so you have to be very still and calm for them to stick around. Beautiful, aren't they? They aren't caged here, they are the locals.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Laughter is the Best Medicine
I was very happy to finally find an Aussie version of Aleve, aka naproxen sodium, in the local Chemist. However, medicines in general shock me here. For one thing, they are sold in extremely small quantities. In the states it was common to buy headache/muscle ache medicines such as in bottles of 80-100 pills, and larger bottles with 150-250 pills were also available. However, in Australia it is common to purchase 20-24 pills at a time.
In the states it costs about $8 US for a bottle of 200 pills of a typical generic brand of Aleve, and I believe $12 for the brand name. In Australia it costs about $10 AUS (which is ~$9 US) for just 20 pills of the same thing. That means it's roughly 10 times as expensive here. Each time I have a headache and take 2 pills, it costs me $1.00. I'm hoping I don't have many headaches. I also found it extremely funny that naproxen sodium is marketed over here as a menstrual relief drug.
Enjoy your cheap and bountiful medicines, USA!
In the states it costs about $8 US for a bottle of 200 pills of a typical generic brand of Aleve, and I believe $12 for the brand name. In Australia it costs about $10 AUS (which is ~$9 US) for just 20 pills of the same thing. That means it's roughly 10 times as expensive here. Each time I have a headache and take 2 pills, it costs me $1.00. I'm hoping I don't have many headaches. I also found it extremely funny that naproxen sodium is marketed over here as a menstrual relief drug.
Enjoy your cheap and bountiful medicines, USA!
Being a kid again
In many ways being in another country is like being a kid again, whether you're just traveling or newly living there. Think about it. You go to the post office and need to ask things like "How do I mail a letter?" and "Where do I write the return address?". You approach a candy counter, read the names and look at the pictures, and just pick one and see if you like it. You try new pop and drinks, sometimes liking the result and other times trying not to spit it back out rudely.
Stewardess and I once had an interesting drink experience while traveling in the UK. We purchased a lemon/fruity drink called a squash. We though it was odd that people put squash in a fruit drink, but we bought it and each had a sip. It was awful! I think I vaguely remember spitting, and a lot of puckering. It turned out that "squash" meant it was a fruit juice concentrate. It was not meant to drink plain, you were supposed to add about 3 parts water. :) (Stewardess can kill me later for telling everyone this story.)
It really is like being a kid again really, only you're much taller than a kid so people look at you funny when you don't know how to do simple tasks. (Until you open your mouth that is. Then upon hearing your accent they ask you if you're having a nice visit.)
So, being a kid again here is one of my first new things I really like: Pouring Custard. So Aussies have this stuff that comes in a bottle like a little carton of milk. It's refrigerated, yet it's served hot or cold. It tastes a lot like vanilla pudding, only runnier. I have had it poured over fruit, and it sure is yummy. You'll all have to taste it when you come. What's not to like -it's custard!
One more fun discovery is a "Choc-top", which is a vanilla ice cream cone with the top dipped in chocolate shell. It is sold in movie theaters. Oh, and if you want one without the chocolate (i.e. a plain vanilla cone) you order a "choc-top without chocolate". Don't ask me why you don't just order a vanilla cone. They have quite a variety of movie snacks, but just like America it's pretty pricey.
Another difficulty with traveling is the quantity of food. I am trying to get used to using grams and liters here in Australia. Sure, we used those units in chemistry labs, but in small quantities and generally powdered solids and solvents only. I have no idea how much tea 100 grams is, or how many kilograms of carrots I want. Luckily I haven't had to order any quantities of sliced sandwich meat or amounts of steak or chicken yet. In Germany once I ordered a half-pound of cherries from a fruit stand because it was the only unit of measurement I knew how to say in German. I mean, most classes don't teach you how to say fractions like "1/4" or "3/4", you know? I split the cherries with a friend.
Cheers everyone!
Stewardess and I once had an interesting drink experience while traveling in the UK. We purchased a lemon/fruity drink called a squash. We though it was odd that people put squash in a fruit drink, but we bought it and each had a sip. It was awful! I think I vaguely remember spitting, and a lot of puckering. It turned out that "squash" meant it was a fruit juice concentrate. It was not meant to drink plain, you were supposed to add about 3 parts water. :) (Stewardess can kill me later for telling everyone this story.)
It really is like being a kid again really, only you're much taller than a kid so people look at you funny when you don't know how to do simple tasks. (Until you open your mouth that is. Then upon hearing your accent they ask you if you're having a nice visit.)
So, being a kid again here is one of my first new things I really like: Pouring Custard. So Aussies have this stuff that comes in a bottle like a little carton of milk. It's refrigerated, yet it's served hot or cold. It tastes a lot like vanilla pudding, only runnier. I have had it poured over fruit, and it sure is yummy. You'll all have to taste it when you come. What's not to like -it's custard!
One more fun discovery is a "Choc-top", which is a vanilla ice cream cone with the top dipped in chocolate shell. It is sold in movie theaters. Oh, and if you want one without the chocolate (i.e. a plain vanilla cone) you order a "choc-top without chocolate". Don't ask me why you don't just order a vanilla cone. They have quite a variety of movie snacks, but just like America it's pretty pricey.
Another difficulty with traveling is the quantity of food. I am trying to get used to using grams and liters here in Australia. Sure, we used those units in chemistry labs, but in small quantities and generally powdered solids and solvents only. I have no idea how much tea 100 grams is, or how many kilograms of carrots I want. Luckily I haven't had to order any quantities of sliced sandwich meat or amounts of steak or chicken yet. In Germany once I ordered a half-pound of cherries from a fruit stand because it was the only unit of measurement I knew how to say in German. I mean, most classes don't teach you how to say fractions like "1/4" or "3/4", you know? I split the cherries with a friend.
Cheers everyone!
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Honk! Watch out!
Ha! Lucky you all weren't in Australia today. I took to the roads for my first driving lessons. That's right -time to cower in fear... I'm driving a large vehicle with a very wide turning radius, on the wrong side of the road, and the best part -it's a stick! I killed it only 3 times though. I expected it to die a while lot more. My patient Aussie-Dad was giving me instructions and my Aussie-mum was in the back, seatbelted in. Brave souls. There are far too many pedals and in all the wrong places. At least I didn't hit anyone, yet.
It was my first driving lesson since the car has been in the shop getting converted to "gas" -LPG. The LPG is equal in price to gas in the USA roughly, whereas "petrol" here is twice as expensive as fuel in the states.
Unfortunately another person was getting driving lessons in the same parking lot at the same time. Scary eh? It was even more scary once you saw that it was a 7 year old kid sitting in his dad's lap. I so was better than the little kid. I mean, all he had to do was steer, and I had to reach all those pedals!
It was my first driving lesson since the car has been in the shop getting converted to "gas" -LPG. The LPG is equal in price to gas in the USA roughly, whereas "petrol" here is twice as expensive as fuel in the states.
Unfortunately another person was getting driving lessons in the same parking lot at the same time. Scary eh? It was even more scary once you saw that it was a 7 year old kid sitting in his dad's lap. I so was better than the little kid. I mean, all he had to do was steer, and I had to reach all those pedals!
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Airline Circus
Anyone else have their heads spinning when they try to book airline tickets? It seems like every day I check, and every day they change. If there are so many airplanes going standard routes, how come there are so many different companies trying to sell me tickets? And how is a one-way ticket so much more expensive than the cost of a round-trip?
I never knew you had to be in the USA to use Priceline. Too bad considering I have found some of the best deals through them, but you can't fly from OZ to the USA, just USA to OZ. (Planes only fly one way?)
Jetstar has some really great prices, but it only gets you to Hawaii. :( Then I end up piecing together flights from Oz to Hawaii, then Hawaii to LAX, then LAX to my hometown, and it all gets a bit much. (Especially since I'm going to have to carry all of my own bags this time!)
But, I'm happy that I get to fly home for Stewardess' wedding. :) Maybe I'll get tickets figured out soon. It's surprising that they are sooo much easier to book from the states to here than vice-versa.
PS. Love the map-thingy for visitors Sparquay, thanks!
I never knew you had to be in the USA to use Priceline. Too bad considering I have found some of the best deals through them, but you can't fly from OZ to the USA, just USA to OZ. (Planes only fly one way?)
Jetstar has some really great prices, but it only gets you to Hawaii. :( Then I end up piecing together flights from Oz to Hawaii, then Hawaii to LAX, then LAX to my hometown, and it all gets a bit much. (Especially since I'm going to have to carry all of my own bags this time!)
But, I'm happy that I get to fly home for Stewardess' wedding. :) Maybe I'll get tickets figured out soon. It's surprising that they are sooo much easier to book from the states to here than vice-versa.
PS. Love the map-thingy for visitors Sparquay, thanks!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Rain Rain, go away
I awoke to a beautiful sunny day today. V left for work around 11 and so I put on my old clothes and was all ready to paint the gates today for the dog fence. (They are currently bright pink.) Like magic, as soon as I had paintbrush in hand the heavens opened up and dumped water. Grrr....
So I came inside to write e-mails to some people, like my lovely Sis. And a few paragraphs in, *Pfffzzztttt* out goes the electricity. Stupid rain.
So I spent the day inside reading a Terry Prachett book with a fat black and white cat on my lap. I ate a lunch of cold leftovers and lamented the loss of electricity. No electricity, no cup of tea. :(
I am glad we had some nice weather when I first arrived so I got to go to the beaches. There's lots of flooding in Sydney atm, and actually all over Australia. But not to worry. We live on a very steep hill and in a tall house.
To answer some of the comments: (And I love hearing from you all!)
1. So you live in the bush?
We don't live out in the wilderness or anything, but people in Australia are VERY into "native species" and "natural gardens (yards)". They love their native animals and plants and need the plants to provide homes and food for the animals. We actually live in a very posh neighborhood with views overlooking a bay and even the ocean on a clear day. That is, if you can see through the trees, which are illegal to chop down even in your own yard.
2. Do leeches hurt?
I cannot speak from personal experience yet, thankfully, but leeches do not hurt. In fact most people do not notice them or maybe feel something squishy between their toes. Their unfortunate side effect is what they are known for in history - secreting an anti-clotting enzyme as they bite which causes you to just bleed and bleed. It is only a small wound, but it will not stop bleeding for some time.
So I came inside to write e-mails to some people, like my lovely Sis. And a few paragraphs in, *Pfffzzztttt* out goes the electricity. Stupid rain.
So I spent the day inside reading a Terry Prachett book with a fat black and white cat on my lap. I ate a lunch of cold leftovers and lamented the loss of electricity. No electricity, no cup of tea. :(
I am glad we had some nice weather when I first arrived so I got to go to the beaches. There's lots of flooding in Sydney atm, and actually all over Australia. But not to worry. We live on a very steep hill and in a tall house.
To answer some of the comments: (And I love hearing from you all!)
1. So you live in the bush?
We don't live out in the wilderness or anything, but people in Australia are VERY into "native species" and "natural gardens (yards)". They love their native animals and plants and need the plants to provide homes and food for the animals. We actually live in a very posh neighborhood with views overlooking a bay and even the ocean on a clear day. That is, if you can see through the trees, which are illegal to chop down even in your own yard.
2. Do leeches hurt?
I cannot speak from personal experience yet, thankfully, but leeches do not hurt. In fact most people do not notice them or maybe feel something squishy between their toes. Their unfortunate side effect is what they are known for in history - secreting an anti-clotting enzyme as they bite which causes you to just bleed and bleed. It is only a small wound, but it will not stop bleeding for some time.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Deja Vu
Living in Australia this year feels a bit like stepping back into last year. Tv programs like Kid Nation and Survivor China are airing "all new" episodes. Movies out on DVD in the states are hitting theaters soon. And I am very unpopular when I suggest that I know the endings already. :P
Some things that are brand new to me: paralytic ticks (so know which spots belong on you and which ones don't -these things are TINY and hard to see but nice and harmful), and now since it rained the last 2 days, leeches. I thought V was just trying to scare me with the leeches, until on the way to the movies today a friend described how she found one between her toes and was bleeding everywhere. Apparently they are just in our little area (way outside of the city) and they go away when the rains go away. I hope that's soon.)
Hope I didn't lose too many visitor after reading that. The beaches still are great -the ticks and leeches are just in the bush. :)
Cheers!
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