Kimberley Adventures in Four-Wheel Drive

The last week has been very fun and very full on. Day 2 was a long, fun and hot day – the entire group of 25 went on a 4 wheel drive course, well really it was more of a “essentials of Kimberley driving” course. I dusted up on my manual driving ability (now using the left hand to shift!) and even gave a lesson to two others ("don't ride the clutch!!!"). I learned how to use snatch straps to pull vehicles out, how to change a tire, how to drive on various types of sand and gravel, etc. Funny how my country girl upbringing, along with snow driving, has served me well. Our instructor was a very interesting and smart man from the country near Alice Springs. He knew everything there is to know about differentials, shafts, all sorts of crazy smart mechanical talk…..yet he was barely literate and didn’t learn to read anything at all until his 30s when his wife taught him. He asked a few of us in the car that we must have been good in school to get our kinds of jobs and it ended up being quite an enlightening conversation.

Day 3 we spent a long day in the classroom, quite a change up from 4 wheel driving fun the day prior. We spent the evening getting ready for camping (groceries, equipment checks, packing). And then we were off early on Day 4!! Our caravan included 8 white four-wheel drives, quite a sight to behold.

We headed south on the Great Northern Highway from Kununurra and called into Warnum and Halls Creek. The first night was spent near a beautiful water hole and the second night on our guide’s family land closer to Hall’s Creek. “Going bush” means going out in the wilderness without the creature comforts, and we were definitely in the bush.

All 25 of us are spread out amongst various towns in the Kimberleys, and at various organisations in those towns. Jawun partners with Indigenous owned companies in communities that have the same values that Jawun promotes. One of the mob from Westfarmers is working with me at the organisation in Broome, which is an Aboriginal owned investment trust. Our supervisor for the next month came all the way to Halls Creek to pick the two secondees up and drive us across the Kimberleys to Broome. We stopped in to see an Aboriginal family on a station (ranch) to talk about some business ideas, and also jumped into a beautiful water hole to cool off. We made sure to pick up a stone, rub it all over ourselves especially underarms, and throw it into the water before jumping in. This is the Aboriginal way of letting the spirits know that you are coming into the water, sort of an introduction if you will. The spirits then know you are coming in and will protect you. If you haven’t been there in a long time, you should do the ritual again in case the spirit has forgotten your scent. This is a sacred place to the local mob, and we had approval from the elder woman. We camped an additional night at Windjana Gorge in the Leopold Ranges, which was spectacular. The big group camping was good fun, but having only 3 of us at this point was a real treat.

The next morning on the way to Tunnel Creek, we shredded a tire and my knowledge was put to the test!! The two boys made me do most of the work. Lazy bums. But I’m pretty confident in my ability to change a tire now! We finally got to Tunnel Creek and spent an hour wading around in waist deep water and exploring the tunnels and caves. Quite amazing really.

We finally hit up the famous Gibb River Road, which is a pass that is inaccessible during the “wet”. We are currently nearing the end of the dry, so it is getting hotter and more humid, the tourists are disappearing, and in a few months the wet will officially start and make some of this country inaccessible.

After a bumpy ride on the Gibb River Road, a quick stop for lunch in Derby and a look around the port, we arrived in Broome on Sunday evening feeling hot, sweaty, dirty, and wet (from wading around the tunnels with our shoes and clothes on). The rest of the Broome secondees were arriving by plane a few hours after we arrived, and it was nice to get the rooms sorted and have a very long shower!!

Monday morning was straight to work at the organisations we are all assigned to. A few of us caught the sunset at the famous Cable Beach and went for a little swim. However I was afraid of all the jellyfish I was seeing everywhere. Turns out these particular ones don’t sting so it would be fine - Can’t make any promises on the crocs though, sure hope I don’t get eaten!!!

Kununurra - Day 1

I was thinking about starting an actual *live* blog for this trip. Usually when I blog of my travels, I write down tons of notes, thoughts, comments, and funny things, and then when I get back I compile them into sensical stories or themes. That’s why it takes so long for me to post a blog when I get back (plus putting up some photos as well). I suppose that is what I’ve always thought writing a book would be like.

Well the journey I’m on this time is not just a trip or a holiday. This is an experience I’m likely not to forget. I’m going to be feeling happy, sad, excited, frustrated, annoyed, angry, hopeful, and despondent. I think I will try to write and actually post what I am feeling, what I did that day, things that bothered/astounded me etc. It doesn’t have to be long and I won’t get to it every night (as I’ll be camping in the bush etc). Also don't judge me, as feelings are just feelings and you have the benefit of not experiencing it for yourself.

Today I flew from Perth to Kununurra via Broome. When I arrived in Kununurra I was happily shocked at how swank our accom will be for the next 3 days. We had dinner as a group tonight. There are 25 of us total, with 8 to go to Broome, some to Warnum, Halls Creek, and some staying in Kununurra. I didn’t get to meet everyone at dinner and it was a bit overwhelming because there are so many. The group going to Broome should be fun and seem to be keen to see as much as possible too.

The "A" marks the spot where I am right now - still in Western Australia, but barely (almost to the border of the Northern Territory). More to come soon.

Tasmania

I am now 3 trips behind on my blog. So much for my new rule about blogging before leaving on the next trip!! This blog finds me almost ready for my next adventure - the much anticipated visit home after a year and a half. I'm sure I'll get around to writing about it sometime in the next year.

First things first - at Christmas 2011 I visited Tasmania, as I introduced in my previous blog. Tasmania is an island and an Australian state about 150 miles to the south of mainland Australia (although the state also includes hundreds of other smaller islands). The population is a mere 500,000 covering an area about the size of Maine or Portugal. It is named after Abel Tasman, the Dutch explorer who "found" it in 1642, although he originally named it Van Diemen's Land. The first settlers were the British in 1803, mostly convicts and their guards - around 75,000 convicts were transported to Tasmania between 1803 and 1853 (more on this later). It became a state in the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.

I flew from Melbourne into Launceston, Jenni and Don's home - who so kindly were hosting and sharing their Christmas with me. After dropping my bags, we went for a jaunt in the Cataract Gorge, which is a beautiful gorge cut out by the Tamar River, literally steps from downtown Launceston. This was my introduction to Tasmania - very fitting - an effortlessly beautiful place no matter where you look. I should also mention here that I think that Jenni had literally scared the crap out of her sons by joking for several years about setting me up with either of them. Mind you, they had never met me until now and I'm sure they thought I was a weird, psycho, ugly, single crazy American out looking for an Australian husband. Poor guys. Who wants to be set up by their parents, right?!


Cataract Gorge in Launceston

Cataract Gorge in Launceston


Jenni took me on a bit of a tour to the Tamar Valley wine region and Bridestowe Lavender Farm, both beautiful areas. That night, we went to their friends' annual Christmas Eve party. Unfortunately I had a bit too much champagne at the party (nervous drinker!) and was quite hangover for Christmas the next day. My mom would be so proud. I am really so embarrassed, and didn't even want to write about it, but I couldn't just conveniently leave it out and have Jenni or the guys call me on it! I like the grog, it is in my Irish and German blood after all! Although I think we no longer have to worry about Jenni trying to set me up with either of her sons hahahah!! On Boxing Day (26th), we drove to their beach house at Turners Beach (near Devonport), then made our way to Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake for a hike and sightseeing. The area around Cradle Mountain is very beautiful and all the towns have a little something special.


Tamar Valley Wine Region in northern Tasmania



Bridestowe Lavender Estate



Don and Jenni with Mount Roland in the backdrop



Cradle Mountain

The following day we drove to Hobart, which is a pretty drive through little towns and farming communities. Hobart is the most populous city in Tassie, and the big annual event is the "Sydney to Hobart" yacht race which starts on Boxing Day in Sydney Harbour and ends in Hobart on the Derwent River amidst the Food and Wine Festival. This is considered to be the most famous and difficult maxi yacht race in the world and has been going since 1945! Hobart is beautifully situated on the Derwent River with Mount Wellington overlooking it all.


In Hobart where the yachts race in along the
Derwent River for the Sydney to Hobart Race



Amazing view of Hobart from Mount Wellington


We spent the night in Hobart, which was a bit of a walk down memory lane for Don and Jenni as they met in college there. While they went back to Launnie and get on with their lives, I rented a car to explore some places on my own. In about 2 hours I pulled into Port Arthur, on the Tasman Peninsula, one of the most significant and fascinating  places in Australia's settlement history. From 1833 to 1853 it was the destination for criminals (mostly Irish and British), often who were secondary offenders after their arrival at other prisons on mainland Australia. It was the most undesirable punishment. It seems as if Tasmanians don't really want to talk about this history - and there is SO much more to Tassie than Port Arthur - but it is fascinating and the top tourist attraction for a reason. I would assume that most Americans have even heard of Port Arthur, either through movies, or at least learned about it after the sad massacre in 1996.


Port Arthur from the water - this would be the way the prisoners
would have witnessed their new "home" for the first time

If you're curious about the history of Britain sending prisoners to Tasmania - it's a long story but here's a condensed version. London in the 1700's was a bad, bad place with terrible poverty and working hours, even for little kids (just read Charles Dickens). Lots of people were stealing wares and food. For a long time people, even children, were hanged for these crimes. As thinking evolved that execution was too harsh for some crimes, soon there was not enough room for all the criminals. "Transportation" became a common punishment for dealing with this, and 60,000 criminals were sent to the British colonies in America. Once the Revolution took place, Britain had to look elsewhere. Luckily for them, Captain Cook had just returned from his famous voyage that had claimed Australia for the British Empire. The "First Fleet" of 11 ships, with ~775 convicts, arrived in Port Jackson, NSW (now Sydney) on 26 Jan 1788 (after a first fruitless stop at Botany Bay). (January 26 each year is now celebrated as Australia Day.) As the population expanded (of both convicts and free settlers), more prisons were opened in various places, and Port Arthur was opened in 1833. It replaced a prison on the west side of Tasmania, Macquarie Island, which was particularly bad.

Being on the Tasman peninsula, the prison was naturally secure. The 30 meter wide Eaglehawk Neck, the strip of land connecting the peninsula to the rest of Tassie, was fenced, guarded by soldiers, mantraps, and half-starved dogs (even out in the water on little buoys!) Most of the time the convicts didn't even make it that far if they tried to escape. They had arrived in the hull of a boat after many weeks sailing, were disoriented, and surrounded by water and forests. If they tried escaping south, there is NOTHING except freezing water all the way to Antarctica. The only way to the Tasmanian mainland was Eagleneck Hawk to the north - but even if they happened to get "lucky" in their choice of direction, they weren't likely to make it past.


Beautiful Tassie - the bay to the right is one side of Eagleneck Hawk,
a 30 meter strip of land connecting the Tasman Peninsula to the rest of Tasmania


Port Arthur was an example of the "Separate Prison System" which switched its focus from physical to psychological punishments (using food  and solitary confinement rather than lashings, for example). Port Arthur was also where the boys were sent - some as young as 9 - to Point Puer, a separate small island just off the coast of the regular prison (this was the British Empire's first boys' prison). The other island near Point Puer is the "Isle of the Dead" where approx 1,600 bodies are buried. Entire volumes of books have been written about prison reform and the role (positive and detrimental) that Port Arthur played. It is an important part of Tasmanian and Australian history, and the tourist site is actually very well-done in my opinion.

My last few days were spent driving along the east coast and exploring Freycinet National Park, including the gorgeous hike up to the Wineglass Bay lookout. My drive also included Swansea, Bicheno, through amazing soaring mountains and forest-filled valleys, to Scottsdale and back to Launceston. I also got to see a Tasmanian Devil, which are endangered and only exist in Tasmania. Believe me when I say, these are very ugly animals.

I would love to go back and explore more of the west coast. I don't know when I'll fit that in though!!!


Tasmania - the purple line shows my route



Tasmanian Devil

The famed Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park

How the heck did I end up here, anyway?

The time for Christmas 2011 was approaching. Not just any Christmas, but my first Christmas away from my family. I'm 33 years old and have never been away from my family during the holidays. I may not have always been with them on Christmas morning, but always made the trip within a few days. For someone that travels as much as me, it's funny to think that I had spent 31 of 32 Christmases in Wisconsin - one year when I was like 14 the whole family did Christmas in Florida. For all intents and purposes, this was a big one for me. Chrissy #33 in Australia (#34 will be as well, in case you're wondering).

Luckily, I have some amazing friends here in Australia! Not just in Perth either. I didn't want to face it alone, which wouldn't have been a problem with all the lovely people in Perth who invited me over to share their holidays. But with the office closed for 2 weeks (haha America!), I wanted to travel. Hence the trip to Melbourne (see previous blog), and then to Tasmania to see my friends Don and Jenni. Let me tell you a little story:

In 2008-09 the American economy had a major downturn, those were some tough times. I survived the cuts at work, but things still weren't great even after all the downsizing (and it was pretty hard long hours for the remaining). The firm offered voluntary sabbaticals to those still employed - many law and consulting firms offered this as a way to retain talent but cut costs during a slow time. (I thought sabbaticals were just for professors to write books?) Despite many family members and co-workers thinking I was crazy, I decided to do it. When else in my life would I be able to take an extended period off to travel while still getting a (small) income? (This was before I moved to Australia, mind you. This stuff just doesn't happen in the US.) So I took 8 weeks off, paid at 20%, with a guarantee of my job upon my return. July and August 2009 were a great time - spent with friends, family, my nephew, lots of time in Wisconsin on the boat, lots of gym time, in a wedding in Philadelphia, visiting NYC.....and most significantly, I booked a last minute trip to Spain and Portugal. 

In Spain, I met Don and Jenni, these crazy Tasmanians who were just a blast. We got along splendidly and made jokes about them setting me up with one of their sons. We also talked about how I wanted to work abroad, specifically in Australia but that it hadn't come to fruition (I had been in global mobility talks with Australia when the GFC first hit). In a random twist of fate, Don and Jenni had JUST met a man while vacationing in Morocco who also works for my company in Melbourne! We had a blast for those few weeks and have kept in touch ever since. And I got that guy's (Peter) contact details. I kept in touch with him via email, and he contacted me about a job in Perth a year later. Timing is sometimes bad but forces your hand and to decide what you really want - at that exact time, I had just accepted another job offer and was supposed to start within the month. I almost didn't respond to the Australia job, but I couldn't let the opportunity pass and ended up working it in my favor (although burned a big bridge with the other firm when I rescinded....oh well) and here we are. Isn't life just funny - although it wasn't funny at the time, it was extremely stressful! And it all happened really, really quickly. On a related note, I finally met Peter in person in Melbourne - and I paid for his well-deserved lunch!

That was a long intro into my blog about Tassie. But it's a good story about hard things turning out well, timing seeming bad but being good, exploiting tiny opportunities, small decisions having big outcomes on the direction of your life - that last idea is what the compass tattoo on my ankle is about, if you didn't know. So now you see why I had to go visit Don and Jenni! They are the link that brought it all together. So I boarded my flight from Melbourne and flew across the Bass Straight to Tasmania. More to come about the trip in my next post!

Don and Jenni in Spain 2009

Mad about Melbourne

In December (2011), I finally made my long-awaited trip to the city everyone kept telling me I'd love. Melbourne - which is pronounced "Mel-bin" by these crazy Aussies (why? I still don't know. Jason Bourne would assassinate anyone who tried calling him "Bin") - is known as the cultural capital of Australia. It is the second most populous city after Sydney, and there's a bit of rivalry there going back a long while.

Now before I dive right into all the interesting things about Melbourne, I need to explain why this city fascinated me so much. The average American, having not really researched Australia before, probably has not heard of Melbourne. Sorry Melbourne, but it's true. To most Americans and I dare say a lot of other outsiders, Australia has one major city with a weirdly shaped opera house (which we're not sure if they actually do opera there), and a cool bridge (but not as cool as the San Fran Bridge), that hosts awesome fireworks on New Year's Eve. We watch the Sydney fireworks with the interest of "someday maybe I'll go there", literally HOURS before even getting the beer or showering for our own NYE parties. We think that the Great Barrier Reef is right off the coast of Sydney, that there are kangaroos everywhere, and that the rest of the country is a red desert full of giant insects that will kill us - with three exceptions:

1. In the middle of the country there is a massive red rock in the desert sort of like Stone Henge.
2. There must also be a swamp where both Crocodile Dundee and Steve Irwin taunted crocs and snakes.
3. We have no idea where or how this is possible in a hot desert, but there is also that mountain that the "Man From Snowy River" rode down.

So imagine my surprise when I found out that the second biggest city (4.1M) is Melbourne (which still gets a laugh every time I say it wrong), a culturally significant metropolis and the capital of the state of Victoria (there are states in Australia? another thing most Americans don't know.) Melbourne was founded in 1835 by settlers from Tasmania (then called Van Diemen's Land....read more about Tasmania in my next blog). It had a major gold rush in the 1850's that pushed its population over Sydney's, and made it the center of commerce and one of the world's largest and wealthiest cities. The population of Australia TRIPLED during this time. Many settlers came from Europe (notably Ireland) and China to try their hand at finding gold. It was also the seat of government when Australia became federated in 1901, until 1927 (when the capital moved to purpose built Canberra, in an attempt to make both / neither Sydney or Melbourne happy).

It's such a cool and vibrant city that whenever I told anyone at work that I was visiting, they got nervous that I would want to transfer. Then they'd say, "The weather is so crazy there! It's so cold, oh yeah you like cooler weather, you'll like it! It gets all types of weather in just one hour! The coffee is SO much better there! ohh the shopping is great!" It seems like Perth has a bit of a crush on Melbourne. They talk about it way more than, say, Sydney.

I was lucky enough to have a friend from Perth who had recently moved to Melbourne, and she and her roommate were awesome enough to let me crash in their apartment. But first, upon my arrival, we spent the weekend driving along the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne to Lorne. It is a really beautiful drive along the Southern Ocean (and a bit harrowing for the driver who doesn't really get to enjoy the sights).

Along the Great Ocean Road

Great Ocean Road near Lorne

The rest of the week, I explored Melbourne and it lived up to all the hype. Laneways of coffee houses, open air cafes, artwork, trams, shops, shoes, lunches, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Federation Square, Queen Victoria night market, great restaurants, cool places for drinks at night. Melbourne is filled with all these different neighborhoods that each have their own personality (Fitzroy, Richmond, Toorak, Prahan, St Kilda, etc.) I went to the top of the Eureka sky deck (88 stories up) and looked down over the city. I hadn't been in such a tall skyscraper since leaving Chicago. On a beautiful day I took a tram down to St. Kilda to the beach. One day another friend (who moved from Perth - pattern?) and I drove out to the Dandenongs (a low mountain range with beautiful forests of Mountain Ash trees). Back in the city, I walked around the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Grounds), which is by far the most famous stadium in Australia. Both cricket and Aussie Rules Football ("footy") are played there. Melbourne (or Melbs, as people call it), is a major sporting city - cricket, horse racing (the famous Melbourne Cup), the Australian Open, and get this - TEN of the 18 AFL teams are based here. Which, as a Chicagoan for 7 years, I ask - are you crazy? Even the Cubs / White Sox rivalry was enough to cause problems!

Melbourne, overall, was worth the wait and I hope to spend some more time there. Who's in?

The famed MCG

Leafy streets with a downtown tram

One of many Laneways

Flinders Street Station

Melbourne skyline from across the Yarra River

Melbourne from the Eureka Skydeck

St Kilda's Beach on a nice day

Phuket and Phi Phi Paradise

New Rule - I have to finish blogging about my last trip before I leave on the next trip. Since I am leaving for the holidays to visit Melbourne and various cities in Tasmania, I am forcing myself to write this last blog about my Thailand trip in Sept/Oct! I have to start this post by reminding everyone that Thailand (along with other countries along the Indian Ocean) suffered extensive damage and lives lost in the 2004 Tsumani (caused by the Indian Ocean earthquake in Dec 04). An estimated 230,000 people were killed, 8,000 in Thailand alone. So during this part of my trip, I always tried to remember that Dec 04 was not that long ago.

 

I flew out of Chiang Mai to Phuket, which is Thailand's largest island and a major tourist destination. In a weird way I wanted to see what all the fuss was about and decided to stay at Patong, the craziest most touristy part of Phuket (not normally my thing). Upon arrival, I walked along the beach and also found myself at Bang La Road, which is the famous pedestrian street/scene. There, I found the (in)famous "lady boys", many old white men with young Thai girls (and boys), and also had many whispers in my ear to watch "ping pong show". Secretly, I desparately wanted to see the famous ping-pong shows but I just couldn't bring myself walk down a dark alley with a strange Thai man by myself. I'm too embarrassed to even elude to what a ping pong show is, so you'll just have to find out for yourself. I'd like to take a moment and make a note to Asian (descendent) girls who are visiting Thailand. Don't be upset with me, as I am just an observer of human-kind. But girls, please cover it. If you dress revealing-ly (slutty) in Patong, don't be upset when men mistake you for a lady of the night. A tactic that some Chinese couples were using was to dress in matching outfits. The louder and uglier the outfits, the better (rainbows, Hello Kitty, etc). This helped them find each other in the crowd, but also made it crystal clear that the girl was taken.

 

All in all, I could only handle Patong in very short bursts. I'm not surprised as it is really not my scene. Not to mention it rained almost the whole time I was there....not just rained, but poured. It would stop raining, I would go walk around and then it was a constant barrage of "tuk tuk?" "massage?" "look in here" etc. (Although the fake product shopping did provide me with the thrilling experience of buying a LV and a Prada from the "back room" for the first time....I didn't know if I was being led to the good stuff or to my death.) Now I can also say I've survived a monsoon. To leave Patong, I had to wade through knee-high water with rolled pants and holding my shoes and bags. I don't even want to think about the diseases I could get from that water. Remember Chiang Mai and the flooded hotel? However, these are the risks of traveling at somewhat off-peak times to avoid the crowds. I have to admit, I was glad to be leaving Phuket and heading to the paradise island of Phi Phi.

 

The Phi Phi (said like "pee pee") Islands are technically 6 islands, with one main island (Phi Phi Don) that is the biggest and the only one inhabited. The second largest island is Phi Phi Lee, which is more famous, as it is home to THE beach in the movie "The Beach" with Leonardo DiCaprio (Maya Bay). Before I could enjoy Phi Phi, I had to get there via ferry. The good news is, I think I've pretty much outgrown seasickness, or at least I have my rituals to prevent it. The bad news is, I don't think I'll ever outgrow my gag reflex when other people vomit. (To my future children, I'm sorry in advance for gagging when you get sick.) It was a very rough and rainy morning, and it all started ok with me abiding by my sea-travel rules - minty gum, watching the horizon, being outside if possible, and listening to my iPod LOUD and concentrating on the music. As the 90 minutes passed, things started unraveling around me. Once the first girl went, it wasn't long before others followed. Probably at least 10 in all. PLEASE people, I implore you. If you normally get seasick, don't eat a huge meal before boarding. If you feel sick go outside - it will either make you feel better or at the very least you will be sick outside instead of inside the boat with the rest of the people. And parents, for crying out loud, sit with your kids! And clean up their mess if they get sick, instead of just moving to a different location! Friggin people.

 

After all that, the rain cleared up and my arrival to Phi Phi was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. The cliffs still had a mist over them from the rain, like we had arrived in some mystical place. The islands in the Andaman Sea just rise up out of nowhere with jagged straight cliffs. I had booked a private bungalow which was one more stop away from the main town (yes, by boat). There are only water taxis here, no cars; and just some golf carts on the resort grounds. I felt some apprehension as all the young or single people got off at the town, feeling that maybe I should've stayed in town with the rest of the singles. But how do you know when booking these things how you will feel? When I booked, I wanted to be as far away from civilization as possible. I was fed up with work and life and people and just needed some time away.

 

I loved Phi Phi, and I even loved staying on the secluded part of the island. It did become reminiscient of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" at the restaurant - "How many? Oh just one? Are you sure? Only you?" but I just decided to suck it up and enjoy the privacy, silence, and sheer amazing beauty around me. Hiking, a massage, accidentally burning myself by the infinity pool, etc. Looking around Phi Phi, it was not hard to forget about the earthquake and tsunami. Much of the infrastructure has been rebuilt; and now there are memorials, signs pointing out the Tsunami Evacuation Route, and warning alarm siren towers. 

 

You may have noticed that I did a lot of flying on this trip (6 flights total). On my last leg from Singapore to Perth, not only was I in the middle of the middle section, but even worse was that my neighbor was a British woman in her late 40s. Normal sized at least. But she seriously complained and moaned about everything on the face of the planet. ("It's all bloody rubbish, my flight was late from London so I didn't even get time to stretch my legs, rubbish, traveling is rubbish, airlines are all rubbish, this airport is crap, etc etc etc.") I guess I just don't understand whining about traveling as if someone has tried to slight you personally. Maybe I've traveled so much that I expect things to go wrong. Louis CK says it best - check out his take on it:  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1CZTLk-Gk). Since I have moved to Perth where Brits outnumber anyone else (sometimes maybe Australians!), I have to share a joke. How do you know a flight has arrived from England? The engine is off but the plane is still whining.

 

Other Observations

• Sometimes eating out alone can be wonderful, and sometimes it can get old. But you can't just get stuck talking to anyone, so pick your conversations wisely. These annoying american frat guys sat down next to me and started telling drunken stories. All the while, one guy facing me (I had my back turned away) would throw in comments like "I can't tell if she's hot" and "oh yeah she is kinda cute, ima talk to her" - literally a foot away from me. I was finally making a run for it and he turned around to talk to me. And I made up some fake accent ("no english") and got the hell outta there! Could not listen to them for another minute. 
• Fish spas - where they eat calluses and dead skin off your feet. That is freakin disgusting, I don't get the appeal. Seems like a good way to spread bacteria.
• VERY IMPORTANT: It doesn't matter where the tropical island is - White women should never ever ever I repeat never get their hair braided into rows and beads. If you have a friend that wants to, do not let them do it. (Remember the Friends episode where Monica does it?)

Rain and more rain in Phuket, And then more rain, and then a flood

Like Hell I would leave my hubbie here!

Gorgeous Phi Phi Island

Tsunami victim's memorial at the hotel

My beautiful last day....burned myself to a crisp which
made for a super awesome flight home

More Phi Phi beautifulness

Everyday Life Series - 1

I really wanted to start a series of blogs about my everyday life here in Australia. There are lots of little things that happen or just general observations that make me think, "I should blog about that" but I always wonder if people want to hear about regular life stuff or if it will be boring. 

 

Guess what? Most days, I get up, go to work, come home, maybe do something else at night (gym, band rehearsal, something with friends....depends on the night), eat something, and go to bed. Just like a day anywhere, really. But that is being too simplistic. The truth also is, even if I don't notice them at the time, I face little challenges every day that in the end, will add up to me being different. Maybe not better, but definitely different (and I hope better too). Most of the time it's funny stuff like language, food, driving, funny things that happen at work, etc. I'm just doing my best to get by, be good at my job, meet new people, and not have people laugh at me (too much) and my silly American-isms, or cause any driving accidents.

 

After nine months, driving on the left has become so natural that I don't think about it much.....so natural that sometimes I scare myself because I'm NOT thinking about it, therefore I must be doing it wrong. I no longer think round-a-bouts are strange, and frankly I kind of enjoy them. My language is starting to slowly adjust. I don't have to think twice anymore when someone asks me, "how ya going?" or proclaims "good on ya!". The words "reckon" and "mate", and ending a sentence with "hey?" are now part of my daily language. I try, but pretty much fail miserably, to talk in kilometers instead of miles, Celsius instead of Fahrenheit, and kilos instead of pounds.

 

At work, my head no longer spins at the notion of a career break or long-service leave. The sight of a 2-ring binder full of A4 paper no longer makes me giggle. But I still don't know what all the paper sizes are (A4, A5....buncha more A's?) I know the system makes more sense than ours, but I still just refer to A4 as "almost 8x10".  I mostly self-correct my spelling but it is a conscious effort (humour, organisation, theatre). The date annotation is still hard for me.....21/9 is easy (Sept 21), but what about 2/9? I jump to Feb 9 straight away. Another die-hard habit is that summer, to me, will ALWAYS be June-August. But here it is opposite. So when I say I'm going home next summer, we are talking about different times of the year!

 

But some stuff I think about is more personal. I've actually always really enjoyed my time alone, and recharge from it in order to be my normal happy, social self. Most would say I was already extremely independent before moving here. In fact, I may have been called "annoyingly independent" by an ex. And now being so isolated and really not depending on anyone for anything (although I appreciate any help, I never really expect or ask for it)....I'm afraid I might be past the point of no return. Will I ever be able to stand another person enough to have them around all the time? Will I be able to travel with a spouse / boyfriend and not get to do exactly what I want to do at all times? Have I completely overshot independence right into spinster crazy cat lady? While I'm on a roll, what in the world am I doing with my life? Am I really going to stay in Australia, this far away from my family? FFS, is this even doing anything for me? Should I just move back to Wisconsin (forget Chicago) and start having some babies like a normal 32 year old? If I DO just move back in another year and this hasn't really progressed my career, then what in the hell am I wasting this time for? I haven't even met my nephew! As you can see I can sometimes get a bit manic over the whole thing.

 

To remind myself that I am normal and these are all normal feelings, I like to refer back to the psychological steps that happen when moving to a foreign country - honeymoon, negotiation, adjustment, and mastery. The Honeymoon period is when you think everything is amazing and are giddy with excitement. Definitely over that. The Negotiation phase is when you stop just being excited to be there, and have some anxiety about all the choices you've made (the "Expat Blues"). You may even start to recall how great your home country is compared with the new country. There can be some psychological effects in this phase resembling depression, that are hard to understand what is wrong. And I know I've been (or am) there....weight gain, sleeplessness, crying while doing sit ups at the gym are all probably good indications of that one. But don't worry, I am fine:)  A crazy person doesn't recognise that they are crazy. Adjustment is when you start to return to basic normal living again, getting more into routines, and can appreciate good things about both places. I'm honestly probably at the beginning of Adjustment, with some slippage back into Negotiation on a bad day every once in awhile. Which is pretty normal. This is NOT a waste of time....even if all I get from it is 2 awesome years in Australia, tons more friends, more work experience, and lots of cool travel. Sounds pretty amazing to me.  

Side view of the KPMG building - only 8 stories

My work area (before I got my big screen)

A rainbow view from the office; rainy day in winter, out over the
Convention Centre and the Swan River, to South Perth

View of the CBD down St Georges Terrace (where my office is)