I’ve been commuting down to Melbourne for work this month. Prior to Christmas, Melbourne was also in fine holiday form and here are some snapshots taken downtown. The Myer department store does a Macys kind of thing with store windows that families queued up to see as a Christmas tradition. (But alas, no snow!)
And the message is perfectly clear on the outside of the Flinders Street train station as shown below.
And who wouldn’t get into the spirit after hearing the Australian Girls Choir?
MBD had a great idea to get away from the house and walk down the beach today! A nice steady breeze made for beautiful waves, enthused surfers, and these two beach beauties that I came upon whilst strolling along.
I originally wrote this post on 22 December and didn’t finish. I’m posting it so I can get on with my blog without it sitting on my shoulder going, “Finish me, please finish me!” Enjoy. More this afternoon…
Yes, we are still here and doing well. It has been one of those crazy weeks where you know you are living life but you have no idea which way is up.
Here is a Reader’s Digest version of what has happened in the 8 days since my last post: (sounds vaguely familiar from grade school: “Father, it has been 8 days since my last confession…..see, the good little Baptist girl DID listen!)
, and a awesome Cuisinart kettle 
. Sad to say, we are actually getting used to the instant coffee. Needless to say, there was not an open linen store in sight!Hooning
Have you hooned today? Most adults and definitely LOTS of teenagers have been guilty of hooning.
What is hooning you ask? Well I am sitting at the same cafe as yesterday during my FOUR DAYS OF FREEDOM reading The Daily Telegraph. I came across a brief article entitled “‘Jealous’ cop tails Tomic.” The picture is of a very handsome young man who turns out to be “Australia’s top-ranked male tennis player.” (how come his name does not sound familiar to me? Oh that’s right, Sam Stosur is AUSTRALIA’S TOP-RANKED TENNIS PLAYER PERIOD!) Anyway, the article states that young Tomic is “claiming police harassment after being pulled over for allegedly hooning in his $150,000 luxury sports car.” The article also talks about alleged traffic breaches. What the hell???? I cannot for the life of me deduce what the spoiled rotten tennis player is guilty of. So I went to my bread of life at the moment: Google.com.au. Lovely….
So here’s what I’ve found:
The word “hooning” comes from Down Under, basically describes doing burnouts, sliding sideways through corners, and any other general mucking about in a car. Otherwise known as having fun :]
Well alrighty then. Add that one to your pocket dictionary.
For your daily enjoyment, here is a picture from UNDER the Harbour Bridge. Just to understand the mammoth size of this structure, look for the fully grown actual size man in the lower left corner. The Opera House looks like a dog house compared to the bridge.
MBD spent the day at the Star Time Studios “St Aloysius Summer Spectacular Workshop – 4 days.” (http://www.startime.com.au/WhatsOn.aspx) It was supposed to be just a trial day today because she was bound and determined that she wouldn’t like it and definitely NOT going back. I picked her up at 4:00 and OF COURSE we are staying the full four days! Friday afternoon we will experience a full Academy Awards Ceremony. Can’t WAIT!
More later!
Yep, we found our home in Australia! WhooHoo! It is located in Balgowlah in northern Sydney.Here is a picture of the backyard of the property and a description from the website.
This amazing tri level townhouse is peacefully placed at the rear of the block yet ideally situated only footsteps to Balgowlah shops and the stockland shopping complex. Only 5 years old, it offers spacious outdoor entertaining areas ideal for summer, complete with inground spa.
OMG, it is BEE-UTE-TEE-FULL! The house is 3/4 furnished with great den and diningroom furniture, cool barstools, 2 beds (AUK & Q,) with FABULOUS patio furniture, hot tub and a bad ass barbie! It was a whirlwind of a day. Their rental market availability here is 1/2 of 1%! SNAP! The process starts with viewings which last 15 minutes only and then you are off to the next. We had an incredible consultant named Susan Brown who drove us all over northern Sydney. She is a mum of 4 children ranging in age from 9 to 21. She was so much fun, extremely knowledgeable and someone who understood the Smith Family dry humor. Go figure. It was very important for us NOT to say anything bad about the homes while we in them lest we ruin the relationship she has with the agent. Obviously this is not a consumer’s market here. The agent is “doing us a favor” by opening up the homes so we can see them. We mustn’t be late and if we were running behind, it was imperative that we call the next agent and explain our situation. The upside to this is the agents did the same for us if they were running late. Such a polite and entitlement free country!
This home was number 3 out of 8 we were to see today. After lunch and the 5th house, Susan cancelled the remaining 3 showings. We had found our home, it was available now, there were no pending applications and the value for the money was A-MAY-ZING! It already has a microwave and refrigerator, in fact it has TWO refrigerators! One is downstairs in the storage area before you get to the car park underneath. Once you find what you want, you must go for it. So we went to the agency, filled out the application, added MWH’s offer letter with salary, his boss’s info in order to confirm the offer and salary, 2 references, a copy of our current mortgage, a copy of MWH’s passport and driver’s license, and our first and only born child. Or at least it felt like it! Of course by that time of the day (15:00 after leaving the apt at 09:30,) they could have any child they wanted, mine or one of the ones across the street at recess in the local school. Our consultant feels we should have no problem getting the home (I think I promised my kid and at least 2 others of their choosing to unsure this.) The next major step is to get the lease signed by MWH next week while he is in Melbourne. Well all-righty then…do you think if I offered 2 more heathens, they would let me forge his signature? No worries. They’ll email it to him, he signs it and emails it back. Please do remember that I am a financial nobody over here and my signature is worthless in Australia.
When Susan receives the final lease, hopefully no later than Tuesday or Wednesday, we will head over to the local school and fill out an application for MBD to attend school AND another application with the Australian Government to ALLOW her to attend public school. Oh, forgot….the government also wants $4,500 because she is an international student wanting to attend their public schools. Once again, go figure. These applications must be completed and turned in no later than Friday week, 16 December. Why, you ask? School is out for summer holidays and they shut those schools down tight for six weeks. They won’t step foot back in them until the Friday before school starts on Monday. The country celebrates Australia Day with a national holiday on 26 January, administration returns to school 27 January and the kids return on 31 January.
Wish us luck with our endeavors! Or at least remember that Santa Claus wears shorts in Australia!
Toodles
The permanent address will be posted on my profile on Facebook and we hope to be in the new house next weekend.
It is totally weird to write about yesterday while you (the reader) are still IN yesterday. Hard concept to comprehend.
So anyway, MBD and I got out yesterday in search of a free WiFi cafe…don’t get me started. More on WiFi or lack there of later. I found an app for the iPhone that supposedly lists all of the free WiFi cafes close to my location. We headed up to Darling St. in search of Circle Cafe. Never found it. Now I have a frustrated daughter who wants to get a cab back home 4 BLOCKS AWAY! This is what automobiles have done to our lives. She hates the walks but has been very willing to get out each day. To make matters more challenging, the suburb we are temporarily located in (Thank God!) is extremely hilly (think San Francisco.) So I suggested we cross the street and go down the hill on the other side. MBD hopefully asked, “Is it shorter that way?” Oh well…..
We made our way down the street admiring the awesome shops and what they had to offer. This one caught my eye:
We moved on farther when I spotted a hardware store. The linoleum floors in the apartment are nasty gross (meaning a broom won’t touch them and there is not a vacuum in sight) and I am desperately trying to find the equivalent of the Swiffer Mop from the states. Well let me tell you, that hardware store looked like they were going out of business but the proprietor was busy at the desk pricing new items. Things were on the floor that had fallen from the racks but they had just been pushed to the side. Dust was collecting on and in between all of these things. Yuck. The only redeeming item there was a beautiful parrot sitting on top of her cage. I pointed it out to MBD and continued walking down that icky aisle. I went back up the other side (evidently the shorter distance according to MBD) and there was no Swiffer in sight! Dagnabbitt! Well I rounded the desk to make my way out and came upon this:
What a beauty she was! She really liked MBD’s pony tail holder and promptly bit me when I tried to remove her. She eventually moved to my shoulders but was more interested in my Vera Bradley roller bag. (Before any of you snicker, remember we were headed to an internet cafe. The roller bag was needed.) She (yes, I DO know it was a she because the owner called her one as in, Me:”It’s really going for my colorful bag.” Owner: “Yes, SHE is.” So there) nibbled every surface of the VB and before she could take a dump, I moved her back to her cage. Off we go.
So we moved on down the hill (the shorter distance to the apartment….) and I asked if she wanted to stop and have some lunch. That was a negatory, Houston. We DO NOT want to stop for lunch. At the bottom of the hill in the city centre, I decided I woud take lunch home so I wouldn’t have to make it when we got back. We stopped at this great place that had mounds and mounds of every kind of salad you could think up, tons of filo pastries and hot chicken and sides in the back.
I ordered a serving of tabouli and a chicken mushroom filo pastry. MBD ordered the caesar salad. Uh huh, you read it right. MBD ORDERED LETTUCE FOR LUNCH! And for our treat, we ordered a serving of the buttered garlic sliced potatoes. OMG, that was the most delicious food we had ever tasted. We decided it was SINFUL but that didn’t stop us from eating it. Get this, MBD took a few bites of the potatoes but immediately went back to her LETTUCE! I didn’t have the heart to tell her along with the salad and chicken were tiny pieces of anchovies. I guess she’ll find out if she reads this.
Toodles!
Good Wednesday morning, Australia and Good Tuesday afternoon, America!
As some of you know, my family has slept with a “sound machine” since MBD was a baby. In fact, our original STILL WORKING 11 year old Conair Sound Machine is at my parents’ home in TX as I grudgingly write this post. Why did we leave such a classic piece of machinery, you ask????
Welcome to my world of 240V electronics. You would be amazed at what is and is not usable with 240V. Some of the 120V items we left in the states include hairdryer, expensive flat iron, all clock radios, small kitchen appliances (think toaster, hand mixer, etc,) my beloved Vornado fan (bought in Chicago BEFORE I was married,) and practically anything else that plugs into an electrical outlet. Computers, cell phone, iPads, iPhones and such, you ask? All will work here with a $12.78 adapter. But hold on there buddy, you DON’T HAVE CELL SERVICE HERE!!!! Cellphones are called a mobiles here, pronounced mo-BILE.
I especially miss my favorite coffee maker….AND they don’t make American coffee makers in 240V!! This instant coffee thing is for the birds. I can’t gripe too much about the coffee tho since I haven’t explored other avenues. Anyone have any comments on a coffee press? How does the dang thing work? It looks to me like you end up with coffee grounds in every cup.
What DOES work here, you wonder? Outside of computers, cell phones and iPads, the only electric appliance I brought that works is a tiny (think 2 inches here) cheap flat iron I bought at TJ Max for MBD’s bangs. Go figure. It has become such a “joy” to flat iron her entire head of long to the middle of her back hair with a 2 inch iron. Lovely.
So as you move about your afternoon today, stop and take a look at each electrical item you use to see if you can bring it with you when you come to visit us. (hint, hint) Converters you ask? Absolutely, we have them here and they will convert your 120V appliance to 240V for the low bargain price of more than $700 AUD. It makes you put things into perspective – I KNOW that is our favorite and most beloved sound machine but I think I paid $29.99 US for it back in 2000.
I do believe I have found a solution tho. Last night MBD slept for almost 12 hours! There are TONS of “white noise” apps on the iPad and iPhone. I downloaded an app called Sleep Pillow onto the iPad, plugged it in (with the adapter no doubt) and turned on some rain for the night. Worked like a charm….just like when she was a baby!
Have a fabulous afternoon!
Toodles!
Hello world!
I moved our blog to this new domain because some of my computer challenged family and friends were having trouble with the Google Blogspot. I want to make this simple and very easy to use. Let me know what you think……I think????
It is Tuesday morning, 6 December here in Sydney. It is also day 3 of rain, cold and overcast skies. This makes it difficult to get the transplanted 11 year old out the door. Sunday we stayed indoors and saw My Wonderful Husband (MWH) off to Melbourne for the week. Yesterday I got My Beautiful Daughter (MBD) out on a short walk to see if we could spot the harbour bridge. It was a great walk through parks, neighborhoods and alongside a shipyard. We eventually crested the hill to spot the bridge through houses and trees. MBD took a picture which I will post later once she agrees to send it to me. Needless to say on the way back, we were rained upon! Oh well, cold rain never hurt anyone….right?
On the walk we decided we might start a list titled: You Won’t See That in the States! I think I’ll make it part of this blog so we can update it on a regular basis. Look for it soon.
This Friday we will begin the search for our permanent home here in Sydney. We will concentrate on the Northern Beaches and specifically in Manly. It is a great family oriented suburb with a fabulous beach and great schools! We quickly decided that Balmain was not for us. It’s a great artsy place but very expensive and very isolated from the city. Hense it lacks greatly in public transportation (PT.) When you don’t have a car, PT becomes very important.
It was a $60 AUD taxi ride to get to and from the mall last Friday. We needed to go back on Saturday so I researched how to get there via PT. Two walks and three bus rides later, I was no longer interested in going back to the mall. Luckily one of the items we needed (MBD’s new iPhone) was available on the main street in Balmain. Also happening in Balmain on Saturday (every Saturday for that matter,) is the Balmain Market. Tons and tons of booths set up by local people to sell their wares. I assumed it would be a big fresh produce market but it was not. We did explore each booth and ended up in this lovely church at the end. It is the St. Andrew’s Congregational Church.
St. Andrew’s (http://www.ohta.org.au/confs/Sydney/STANDREWSCONGREGATIONAL.html) was opened in 1855. The food section of the market was located in what is probably the community hall of the church. We enjoyed homemade Thai Chicken and Vegetable Dumplings and a wonderful dish called Gozleme. It is a Turkish meal. It was fabulous to watch two traditional Turkish women roll the dough, add ingredients, oil the griddle, flip the pastry, cut it and serve it with a lemon. Definitely NO extras laying around!
Gözleme is a savory traditional Turkish hand made and hand rolled pastry. Fresh pastry is rolled out, filled and sealed, then cooked over a griddle. The name derives from the Turkish word göz meaning eye. Traditionally, this is done on a large flat griddle. Gözleme varieties include:
MBD chose the spinach and fetta cheese one and ate almost 3/4 of the foot long by 1/2 foot wide meal. Yes, you heard me….she ATE GREEN VEGETABLES!!!! I do believe Australia suits her.
Toodles!
After months of planning, tons of packing, frantic cleaning for open houses, three garage sales, and tearful goodbyes, we are finally settled into our temporary apartment in Balmain, New South Wales. The apartment is OK and will be fine for us as we look for more long term housing. This photo is from our balcony and the view is of the Anzac Bridge. Our location is directly west of the Sydney Opera House (although there are a couple of harbors between the two points.)
We were able to walk the 1/2 mile to Woolworth’s for grocery items, but it appears that other stores will require a car to access. The silver lining to that is the peace and quiet that surrounds out little neighborhood. The master bedroom looks out directly at a palm tree! Mads is enjoying the unusual bird calls that we hear outside, and a little bird with a yellow beak even tried to hop into the apartment yesterday to visit us!
I am off to Melbourne Monday morning to start working with a new client down there. Life goes on!
The Smiths in Oz 