Ben Folds at the Opera House

We had such a fun time last night! After getting into our best clothes, we headed downtown for a late dinner and ice cream for dessert. We walked down to the harbor... as the water danced in the moonlight (it was very romantic). I wish I could have taken some pictures of the Opera house at night with the moon and the bridge in the background, but we did not bring our nice camera. Inside the Opera house is amazing, everything is so big, modern and sleek. When I made a visit to the ladies room, an older woman was giggling with excitement about how fancy and wiz-bang the bathroom was. We were a little early so we waited near our entry door... we could hear Ben Folds practicing! Before heading into the music hall everyone wrote their name and favorite song onto a little pice of paper. Then, before Ben came on stage a lady brought all the slips of paper onto the stage. It was just Ben and his piano nothing fancy... just my kind of concert. He did not have a set list of songs, he would just reach into the pile, call someone's name and play their favorite song. Neither of our names got called, nor did our favorite song get played, but it was still an amazing concert in a beautiful Opera House. The night ended with the luxury of a cab ride home!

something surprising

So my mom wanted to know what was surprising about Australia. Lots of things were surprising.

I did not expect Australia to be so in love with the USA. It seems like almost everything said on TV is in reference to the US, if not ripped straight from the US headlines. They even joke about being the "American Followers"...

I was taken aback by the enormous trees. They look so pre-historic. The bark on some trees looks smooth to the touch and has coloring like camouflage. They also have palm trees mixed in with pine trees and some trees that look like giant pineapples.

I was surprised (although in retrospect it makes sense) to see almost equal parts Asian population to Australians. On campus the Asian community is much larger than the local Australian community. In Tyler's office alone there are 2 people from Malaysia, 1 from India and 1 Australian. We were disappointed when we could not find any Mexican restaurants or even buy Mexican foods at the grocery store... but why would we... they do not have the Hispanic influence that the US has... they have an Asian influence. When you are walking down the street you will see at least one of the following... an Indonesian restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, a Thai restaurant, a Kebab shop and a McDonalds or KFC.

Back to School!

I am really looking forward to starting two more classes from MSU, this Fall (even though it will be spring here)! I am taking EDCI 547 Information Inquiry and Educational Change as well as EDCI 546 The School Library Media Specialist. Then I will only have one more class and an internship until I am a certified Library Media Specialist! It will be nice to have projects, papers and educational information to read on a daily basis. Wish me luck!

The truth about McDonalds

There is this commercial that they play that makes me want to barf every time it comes on. They show an egg McMuffin... but with some sort of black sauce oozing out the sides. I looked it up and it turns out that the black stuff is barbecue sauce. It does not sound appealing to me, but whatever. Sorry Sarah, but they do not but beets (they call them beet roots) on anything. They do have what is called a "lean burger" which is half veggie and half beef. I got it once... it was no good. The fries and the nuggets taste the same... but all the beef tastes like sausage. Also, I was outraged to discover that they charge 50 cents for any condiments (ketchup, sweet and sour, etc).

Thank You Apple Store!

A couple of weeks ago my computer battery decided that it would not charge anymore. It is a year old and only has 40ish charges on the existing battery (which is not very much)... Tyler tried to get an appointment at the Apple store. This weekend we finally found time to go and have my computer looked at by an apple "genius". It turns out that I simply had a bum battery. The genius checked out my warranty and it turned out that we were a week and a half past our one year warranty. My heart sunk knowing that we would not be able to afford a new one. The next thing I know the genius is coming back with a new battery on the house! WE LOVE YOU APPLE! YOU ARE THE BEST!

deodorant

It is funny how sometimes the smallest things seem like the biggest things. They do not sell stick deodorant for men. They only sell the spray kind. Who wants their pits to be feel wet and sticky... Thank You Kathy and Ben for sending Tyler his favorite kind of deodorant and for slipping me a special little treat as well (a pop-tart)!!!

i went on a walk...

I went on a walk... I was lucky because when it started raining I had my umbrella. I was unlucky because when I slipped my shoe broke and I was still a long way from home.

Keep the questions coming about Australia. I will be answering all of them shortly.

i love packages!

My mom and papa sent me a package full of American goodies. The best part is, this time, we knew just where to go pick it up. They don't deliver the packages to our apartment, we do not know why... Thanks mom and papa!

it must be rubbish week

Last week, it was big news that in New Zealand someone sent out emails and posted posters all over the cities declaring RUBBISH WEEK. So everyone put all their rubbish in piles on the streets to be picked up. The only problem was, it was not rubbish week, it was a hoax. This week in Sydney, all sorts of people have been putting their rubbish on the curb. I don't know if it is a hoax or if it really is rubbish week.

we got a vacuum!!!

Last weekend we marched out to the good old Randwick Royal Shopping Centre and purchased a vacuum. I originally wanted a Dust Buster to suck up the large amounts of dust bunnies that attack our apartment everyday. I don't know where they come from, but I have never seen so much dust. Long story short, they did not have Dust Busters but they had this vacuum. So we bought it. It is awesome!

life in Sydney

Things are slowing down quite a bit, now that we are simply living in Sydney... so I am opening up the floor for any post suggestions. What would you like to know about Sydney and/or Australia? Post a comment or send me an email with your suggestions.

hard worker

Tyler went to work 26 days in a row! He is doing such a great job of balancing everything that comes his way. Right now he is finishing revising a paper that will be published from his master's research, working on writing a paper for his PhD that he started when we were still in MT, working on several new projects in Sydney, he gave his first lecture on hydrologic modeling, he is helping his office mates with bits of their projects, and he still does the dishes.

Happy Birthday Papa!!!

My Papa is the best because...

he has a super sweet airplane

he loves history

he gets really tan in the summers without even trying

he can really pull off the beard (I think he should grow it back)

he makes the best party mix (peanuts and M&Ms)

his favorite place in the world is the same as mine (the cabin)

he is always so proud of whatever I do

when I was a kid, he used to hide his sweets behind the lima beans in the freezer

he is a Hibernian and proud of it

when I was a kid, he always told me "NO" to having animals... but whenever I brought one home, he never made me take it back (not even the chicken I hid in my closet for a month)!!!

a cold winter's day in Sydney

just kidding, we got some westerly winds that brought warm 25 degree weather (77 F)! It was predicted to be as hot as 28 degrees.... So we decided to make a trip to the beach! We walked along the water (one time a big wave came and soaked us up to our waists... well my waist, Tyler's knees). I was treated to a strawberry milk shake (which apparently means strawberry milk). We dug a big hole and then put our feet inside, and we watched lots of people play in the freezing cold waters. All in all, it was a wonderful day!

Sydney Fashion

Trends must be huge here... Everyone wears the same thing. The girls all wear leggings, flats, and harem pants. The boys all wear skinny jeans and pointed toe shoes. I can buy into the leggings and flats... but thats it!

Food

The food here is not the best. Cheese for instance does not really have a taste (and yellow cheese does not exist). Everything tastes either really bland or really spicy. We have both lost a bit of weight since arriving on this continent. But, I have a feeling that when we get home we may be gluttonous for the first few months. Here is a list we have compiled of things or places we would like to eat when we get home: (the list is in no particular order)

Macaroni and Cheese from a box

Mackenzie River Pizza 

Little Caesars Pizza 

Marshmallows 

Santa Fe Reds

La Parrilla 

Macaroni Grill

Tillamook Sharp Cheddar 

The Garage 

Taco Bell, Taco Treat, Taco Time....

Montana Ale Works

Ted's Montana Grill

Verde enchilada sauce from a can

beef jerky 

Best Wok

Bay Burgers 

homesick

I am finding myself homesick for the first time in my life. Yes, I have missed people before, but I have never experienced homesickness. Although (other than the time I spent with Mel in New York) I have never lived outside of Montana. I miss Montana. I miss the mountains, I miss the fresh air, I miss the slow pace, I miss being able to drive to the store whenever. I miss talking on the phone, I miss my family and friends a lot...I miss everything. The thought that I am so far away from home is unsettling. I really thought that I would love living in a big city. In retrospect, I don't know why I thought that. I don't like big crowds of people, I don't like feeling rushed, I don't enjoy public transportation, and I don't like loudness. 

Well, the good news is that now I know. It turns out that Tyler is much more adaptable than me. And for those of you who thought that we would stay here forever, don't worry. And for those of you worried that we would live far away from home.... you don't need to be afraid any longer. 

The Australian National Museum

Tyler in an typical jail cell

We ventured to the city for some shopping and decided to check out this museum. Inside we learned all about the complete history of Aborigines, the dinosaurs found in Australia, the evolution of the animals found in Australia, plants and insects, all the birds found in Australia, minerals and rocks, endangered and extinct species of Australia, and the effects of mankind (pollution) on the environment and animal life. It was a really Wiz-Bang (australian slang for cool) museum! We were glad that we took the detour. 

oh, I almost forgot

So when we went to the airport to head off to Cairns, we had our passports out, our toiletries neatly tucked in a ziplock, and our american ways strictly intact. To our surprise, no one ever checked our tickets, our ID's or our luggage (yes we stuck it though an X-ray... but it was so fast and we did not have to separate anything). When we got to the airport we simply went up to a machine and typed in Smith, then we had a list of first names to choose from in order to select our tickets. So we thought when we went though security someone would verify our ID's and match our tickets... but no. Not to mention, that anyone can go inside to the departure gates. Families can wait for loved ones right inside the gate. What?! We were so surprised. 

Apparently the motto in Australia is that "if you act afraid and vulnerable, then the terrorists win". Last week a terrorist plot was uncovered and stopped! They have a lot of people working undercover investigating. A group of reporters walked right onto a military base in Sydney and took pictures for an hour before anyone stopped them. They wanted to see how secure the area really was. The spokesperson announced on the news that "if they put walls and fortresses around every possible terrorist site, everything in the city would be surrounded, and what good would that do?" I think a secure wall around a military base, would be a good idea. 

Australia, you are a little too laid back for my liking. 

sorry about that

I am so sorry that I have not posted anything this week... I have had a bit of a stomach bug that has left me in bed since last saturday. I am going to continue to take it easy for a while... but I should be back to posting next week! Thanks for all the support, I am blessed to have so many people checking in with me daily! 

SAGE!!! I miss you! Work hard for me during session three! Make me proud! 

Happy Birthday Dan!!!

Dan is the best because: 

he has the best smile

he has always looked out for me

he is an amazing father

he loves to sing

he is a role-model 

he supports his family

when he plays the wii, he puts so much effort into it, you would think he was playing the real thing

he is great at home improvement projects 

he is passionate about so many things

he is the best big brother a girl could ask for

 

i read a book

Last weekend we decided to go on an adventure looking for a book store! We ended up taking a bus to a big mall about 15 minutes from our neighborhood. We were going to take pictures for documentation, but were soon very overwhelmed by the large crowds of people in every direction. In this mall there was a Target, Big W, K mart, Myer and a million other small stores. And a book store. I found a good book that I read and loved.  "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas", by John Boyne was a captivating read! Tyler is now reading and loving this book as well. 

back in sydney

So we are back in Sydney. Not much had happened since we returned. I did lots of laundry, when grocery shopping, rearranged the apartment, and cleaned the bathroom. Tyler has been working hard juggling a few different projects so he has had a lot on his mind. The "school holidays" are over, so campus is completely full with people. I hope summer is going well for everyone, and miss you all so much! 

Cairns in general

Overall it was a fabulous week away from the city. I felt the way I do when I go to the cabin for  a week in the summer. I ate PB&J or Raman noodles for lunch, I wore my swimsuit everyday, I was lazy and took afternoon naps, I watched fireworks (it just so happens that Cairns was celebrating itself that week), and swam a lot. It was nice pretending that I was somewhere close to home. We experienced things this week that we may never experience again, and for that I am more than thankful! 

Green Island and the Great Barrier Reef

We took a fast catamaran boat from Cairns to Green Island. It took about 45 min to take us to this Great Barrier Reef destination. 

Once we got to the island we boarded a glass bottom boat and took a tour around the island. The pictures do not show the beauty.... or the two turtles or lots of the small colorful fish that we saw.

Once we were done with the boat tour we spent the rest of the day exploring this small island. It took about 45 minutes to walk around the entire thing. I wanted to go swimming but the water was really shallow for a long way out. 

Right before we departed the wind picked up and it started to rain. Let's just say that the ride home was not a pleasant one. We did everything we could not to toss our Tim-Tams!