Master Planless

Because I'm new here and want to experience as much as I can, I find myself constantly booking myself up practically every minute of the day. If I don't have something planned, there's all these things I "should" be doing. I actually had last Saturday free, so I wanted to do something fun. The original plan was to head to Lancelin to try my hand at "sandboarding" (snowboarding on sand dunes), but it was raining so I thought I'd instead take a little country drive to see what I could find.

I drove up the Great Northern Highway about 2 hours to New Norcia, which is the only monastic town in the entirety of Australia. The town is named after Norcia in Italy (the other namesake of the town is apparently in Arkansas). Two Benedictine monks settled the town in 1847.The buildings do have a Spanish style, and there was a machinery shed that displayed a lot of old machinery that the monks used to make their famous bread and olive oil (both of which I bought), as well as tend to the land. The port they make is also quite good. There is really not much else there, but as with most of what I do, the trip was more about the journey than the destination.

As I drove out of town to the south admiring the beautiful scenery, I had a WTF moment. Something in the hills that I hadn't heard about, and just didn't fit in with the rest of the spanish architecture in town. As I was blinded by the sun, the thought crossed my mind that this was a UFO. Or a weather satellite. One of the two for sure.

The New Norcia Space Station is a 35 meter (40 yard) antenna and was built by the European Space Agency in 2003. There is a similar station in Spain and one in progress in Argentina, so there will be 360 degree coverage of deep space missions. Apparently this site in WA is a key place because it is at the perfect latitude and is remote from big cities to prevent any radio interference (no wonder I couldn't get any radio stations). Of course I knew none of this at the time. After New Norcia, I lazily spent the afternoon driving back through the Chittering Valley. There are several wineries and a very beautiful landscape. I mostly just stopped when I saw something I wanted to take a photo of, or a swing I wanted to swing on, or a trail I wanted to explore. Sometimes it's so nice to not have a plan.

Wherever you go, there you are

I've been informed several times that I haven't been very good at keeping this darn thing updated. In response I usually joke about how I'm having too much fun to write about it. That's partially true. But also true, and what people may not want to know, is that my life is actually a little boring (well at least during the week). Yes, it is exciting that I'm here and get paid (well) to be here. But let's not forget that I still have the same work, career, social, romantic etc pressures and concerns - one might say they've been compounded in a way. One thing I've observed in my travels is that life is essentially the same everywhere (at least in developed countries where our basic needs are met...let's not go there for now). One of my strongest memories capturing this sentiment was walking back to my flat in London, in the rain of course, looking at all the faces passing by. They all looked the same; had the same things and pressures on their minds. It brings to mind the REM music video to "Everybody Hurts". I remember my 21 year old self thinking, "How can they be so sad? Don't they know they live in LONDON?!" And I know that's what you must be thinking of me now.

 

Let's not feel too sorry for me though:) I have been very lucky to have done a whole lot of traveling in my life. (Well, luck is only one component, the rest is making it happen.) My dad laughs at me when I talk about my ever-growing list of places I want to see. He says that most people have a bucket list, but that my bucket list is only one item - I want to do and see it ALL! It's true - the more I see the more I want to do, but it gets me thinking. What a reflection of society, but particularly I think of people my age. And particularly of women my age. I don't mean to leave the men out, please don't stop reading guys. You might learn something. I'm having a hard time putting this in words, but I want to make some sort of commentary on this culture of "more more more" in which I've been an active participant. For some people it's about money, but for me it has been more about experience - particularly for the last 5 or 6 years I have been running around trying to make up for time that I thought I lost. Turns out you can't really make up for lost time, because there is no lost time. It's just time. But this general idea that women (or anyone) can "have it all" is a little concerning, even arrogant and selfish. Choices must be made somewhere along the way. I wouldn't give up my experiences for anything (and wow have I had some awesome ones!) but it also gets me thinking about what I want out of life....no clear answers yet....but here's to hoping that someday I find myself wanting to be exactly where I am. Even the fact that I am longing a little for "contentedness" (if that's a word) says a lot about how far I've come. Now let's not pretend I had to go across the globe in search of clarity; sounds a little too "Eat Love Pray" for me, and I hated that damn book. I'm just saying we can all use a little kick in the ass once in awhile, have you had yours lately? The best and most meaningful ones are from yourself, by the way. For now, signing off as a stranger in a not-so-strange-but-different land.

PS In all seriousness, I started this blog with the intent to write about my experiences and the fun things I'm doing, and it has turned very introspective. But a blog is a somewhat self-centered by nature.  I don't blame you if you don't want to read about me me me me me me.....so then don't read it! It's my blog and I'll do what I damn well please!

Food for Thought in Margaret River

I'm having a hard time keeping my blog up to date with all the fun things I've been doing! (You know, I actually have that pesky thing called work that takes up my time as well). Earlier, I spent a week on Bali, an Indonesian island, which is a whole different topic for another time. Back in WA, last weekend I drove down to Margaret River for a few days. I had intentionally kept the weekend free of plans, hoping that I could take a trip out of the city. I'm the type of person that really needs to get away in order to keep myself sane, even as much as I love the city. I guess it's the small town / country girl in me. So I booked a last minute B&B near Dunsborough, threw some clothes in a backpack, and drove off early on a beautiful Saturday morning.

Ahhh, Margaret River. I loved this section of WA. Although it is a city, Margaret River refers to the entire region of southwest WA that is a wine and food lover's paradise. Beautiful Mediterranean climate, amazing rolling field after field of vineyards and wineries with tastings galore, and stunning coastline from end to end. A place like this would surely attract hoards of tourists in normal situations, but given the isolation of the region, the numbers are enough to keep it busy but not overcrowded. 

On the trip from Perth, the landscape gradually but dramatically changed until I realized I was smiling a whole lot just from looking around. I made a stop in Busselton to stretch my legs. I had no problem getting a nice walk in, since at 1.1 miles, the Busselton jetty is one of the longest in the world (jetty means pier / dock to my American readers). The jetty was built to assist in the export of timber (due to the shallow waters), as the city had become a major port for the tall timber industry. Thought my dad would like that part. Now it is a tourist attraction and has an underwater observatory at the very end.

The entire coast is riddled with caves as well. I decided to visit the Ngilgi Cave, just west of Dunsborough (pronounced Neel-Gee). The cave is named after a good spirit in Aboriginal stories of the area, who won a battle against an evil spirit (Wolgine) and saved the local people. The Wardandi aboriginals in the area still come to the cave before it opens to the public to honor the good spirit.

I then drove down Caves Road, which offers beautiful sights of many vineyards, and made it to Prevelly Point about an hour before sunset. Prevelly has a popular surf spot so I settled in and watched the surfers ride some waves. The point is popular for sunsets over the Indian Ocean and soon the park had groups of people (locals and tourists) with bottles of wine or a few beers on their blankets. Unfortunately, I personally did not come prepared. The thought crossed my mind to flirt my way to a Heineken from the guys next to me, but it was soon to be dark, with me driving on the opposite side of the road through an unfamiliar and very wooded area, so I refrained.

From there I drove into the actual city of Margaret River and had dinner....probably the best burger of my entire life. I might actually drive the 3.5 hours back there just for dinner one night (a restaurant called MUST Margaret River). I did finally allow myself a glass of Cab Merlot from the region, which was superb. Sure wish I could remember what it was.

Sunday I started the morning shopping at the Margaret River Olive Oil Soap Company and the Margaret River Chocolate Factory. I was informed that there was an old fashioned wine stomp happening at Voyager Estates, a winery just south of Margaret River. All that flashed in my mind was that "I Love Lucy" episode and I was officially hooked. The wine stomp was a great time and a nice community event, although I didn't stay until late afternoon when the actual stomping was to occur. I had to get back to Perth to prepare for the coming week. However, I plan on visiting the area many times - next time, I'd like to drive farther south to Augusta, which is where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet, and watch the whales migrate. Next time I will also hopefully do a wine tour or be with others so I can partake in some wine tastings!!

It really makes me sad to think that I only visited Napa Valley once, and that was 10 years ago before I had a real appreciation for wine and food (now it's pretty evident on my waistline!) The trip also made me think about all the places within 3 hours of <insert city I've lived in> that I never took the time to visit or seldom went there. A few examples I can think of are Devil's Lake near Wisconsin Dells, Galena, IL, or pretty much anywhere in northern Wisconsin. So for my readers - if you've read this far - why don't you take a trip in the local area you live in? I know there are always a million excuses; work, kids, "I'm tired"...I'm sure I've used them all (well not the kids one). But try to make it happen before the opportunity isn't there anymore. Just food (and wine) for thought.

Day Trippin'

I was able to spend a fun Sunday on Rottnest Island with two lovely ladies, Anna and Iveta. Rottnest (aka “Rotto” in typical Aussie style of shortening everything!) is located 18 km (11 miles) off the coast of Western Australia, nearest to Fremantle (south of Perth). We took a ferry with many other people headed there, which took about 30 minutes on a very windy and wavy day. (No worries, I didn’t get sick....but someone else did, which smelled lovely!) Rotto is a very popular holiday destination for West Australians, and many go over for a day of relaxation, like we did. Note: All of the information contained in this blog is a combination of online research, personal experience, and from my own personal tour guide, Anna.

Along with day trippers, Rotto is also popular with school leavers (graduates) who celebrate at the end of their exams in November (called “Leavers week” or “Leavers”).

Rottnest got its name from a Dutch captain, who called it “Rattenest”, meaning Rat’s Nest in Dutch. The rats he was referring to were not rats at all, but Quokkas. Quokkas are small marsupials in the macropod family, same as kangaroos and wallabies. I have never seen one before this, mostly due to the fact that they are pretty rare, only found in southwestern Australia and mostly just on a few islands such as Rottnest. To me, they kind of look like a cross between a tiny kangaroo and a rabbit.  They are nocturnal so we only saw a few, but they are really not afraid of people.

The Dutch were not the first to find the island though, as is usually the case. The Noongar Aboriginals called it “Wadjemup,” meaning “the place across the water.” 

The island also has more history than just a tourist destination. It was used as an Aboriginal prison for men and boys up through the 1930s. It also has quite a military history in both World Wars in housing enemy aliens (WWI - German and Austrian, and WWII – Italian). Also during WWII, several sites were manned with large guns for defence of the Fremantle Port. Fremantle was the major base for the Allies in the Indian Ocean, and any enemy could be attacked from the island before coming into range of the port. We didn’t take a look at any of the guns or military sites, but maybe next time I’m there. We did have a laugh about the railroad, wondering why such a small island needed one….turns out it was to transport ammunition to the guns.

Now the island is mostly recreational. No cars allowed (except for a few delivery trucks for the businesses, and buses). Basically it is for relaxing, snorkelling, swimming, and cycling. We spent the day riding bikes, looking for quokkas, taking pictures of the beautiful coastline, and swimming in the Indian Ocean – not a bad way to spend a Sunday!

How to speak (West) Australian

This is not the same English language that I learned in America (or should I say “learnt”). It can also get confusing because there are so many POMs or Pommies here (British – ya know, Prisoners of her Majesty) and they speak British English. I speak American English (Yank English). Aussies speak…..something else altogether, but more similar to Pommie English. Also there are many regional differences (I'm told); just like America, where north / south / east / west / city / country all have their own ways of speaking. The first basic rule is to shorten everything and put an “ie” or “y” at the end.

The basics:

·         H is hay-ch – hard to spell out my name!

·         Z is zed

·         Replace z with s (organisation)

·         Sometimes replace i with y (tyre)

·         Reverse r and e (centre, theatre)

·         Replace o with ou (behaviour)

·         Sch say like sh (schedule = shedule (no k sound in there))

People

·         Bloke = guy

·         Mate = friend

·         Mum = mom

·         Nanny or nana = grandma

·         Poppy or pop = grandpa

·         Bub = baby

Clothing

·         Pram = stroller

·         Nappy = diaper

·         Dummy = pacifier

·         Bathers = swimsuit * however there are regional differences – on the east coast they would call a swimsuit “swimmers” or “togs”

·         Boardies = board shorts

·         Jumper = sweater

·         Jumper (in sports) = jersey / uniform

·         Purse = wallet

·         Bag = purse

·         Mobile = cell phone

·         Thongs = flip flops

·         Jocks = men’s underwear

·         Knickers = women’s underwear

·         Frock = dress

·         Fringe = bangs

·         Fancy Dress Party = costume or dress up party (pretty common actually! They might base it on a letter, like you have to dress as something that starts with A (angel, apple, etc)

·         GHD = good hair day which is a hair straightener

Food

·         Tea = dinner

·         Brekky = breakfast

·         Morning or afternoon tea = snack

·         Lollies = candy of any kind

·         Long black = coffee

·         Short balck = espresso

·         Flat white = latte (coffee in general is way different here. There is no “drip coffee” like Americans drink to be found anywhere. It is also VERY expensive.)

·         Biscuit = cookie or cracker

·         Nibbles or nibblies = snacks

·         Eskie = cooler

·         Chips = fries (like French fries)

·         Capsicum = red bell peppers

·         Bottle Shop or Bottlo = liquor store (drinking age is 18 here!)

·         Champers = champagne

·         Shout = to buy a round of drinks

·         Maccas = McDonalds

·         Hungry Jacks or HJs = Burger King

Travel and other misc stuff

·         Bush = the country

·         Lift = elevator

·         Toilet = bathroom / restroom. It is commonly asked where the toilet is, which may be found inappropriate by Americans.

·         Car park = parking lot

·         Footpath = sidewalk

·         Petrol = gas (for a car)

·         Trolly = shopping cart

·         Boot = trunk (of the car)

·         Rubbish = trash

·         Rubbish bin or just bin = trash can

·         Holiday = vacation

·         Annual leave = vacation (in terms of taking days off work)

·         Superannuation = similar to 401k or retirement (referred to as “super”)

·         Surname = last name

·         Cyclone = hurricane

·         Hire = rent (as in “Hire a car”)

·         Jetty = pier / dock

·         Telly = TV

·         Footy = football

·         Pressy = present

·         Chrissy = Christmas

·         Barbie = bar-b-que

·         Mossy = mosquito

Greetings and other phrases

·         Ta = thank you

·         Cheers = thank you or good-bye or used when signing off on an email

·         Good on ya = good for you

·         No worries and no drama = no problem, not a big deal

·         Arvo = afternoon

·         Tomoz = tomorrow

·         Can’t be bothered = I don’t feel like it

·         Keen = want to, would like to (as in “are you keen for a concert on Friday?”)

Then there's the very common usage of words like brilliant, lovely, gorgeous, or you beauty (pronounced as youuuu beeuuuty!).

Adult stuff

·         Bloody (insert swear word of choice)

·         Pissed = drunk

·         Sunday session or “Sunday sesh” = Sunday Funday (drinking at the pub on a Sunday afternoon)

·         Bum = butt

·         Fanny = vagina (so NEVER say “fanny pack”, instead say “bum bag”….not that I’d ever have to worry about saying fanny pack.)

Also something unintentionally funny would be: Rubber = eraser (like on a pencil). If erasing something, one would say “rub it out” which a (young, silly) American may find hilarious.

School

Uni = college. In fact, college would generally refer to high school here (Trinity College is a boys prep school). High school is generally referred to in years – “year 12” would be senior year in high school. So when I say "I went to college at...." it doesn't mean the same thing. I should always say "uni" but it just sounds funny to me.

Well that's all I can think of right now! Needless to say, it's been fun (and funny). One night I was having a hard time and a friend pointed out that at least I didn't have to learn another language. I would argue that point, at least a little!

Why? Because I'm Perth it.

Why did I want to do this? What brings me here? I wish I would’ve prepared my “elevator speech” in response to this question instead of my typical MBA introduction. Every time I was asked this dreaded question, I stumbled my way through it instead of having something eloquent prepared. How to explain it? Without getting super personal too soon? There are ONLY about a thousand reasons. Here are my top ten, and why they don’t work. I made a table for your reading pleasure – I am a consultant, after all.

Reason	Why It Doesn’t Work
Working internationally is something I’ve always wanted to do	Sounds insincere and like something a sorority girl says
After certain mistakes in my life, now I grab every chance that comes along to make myself happy	Prompts questions, too personal, may sound selfish and like I’ve recently been on Doctor Phil
I’m single and childless; this is the time to do it!	Sounds somewhat (back-handedly) desperate
I needed a change	Sounds like I need a self-help guru / book / therapist
I wasn’t satisfied professionally	Sounds like I should’ve left the firm
I want more work / life balance	Sounds lazy and that I don’t think Aussies work as much as Americans
I would like to enjoy some warmer weather	Move to CA or something, dude
Perth’s economy is booming and there’s a lot of good projects for us	Sounds like I’m cashing in on others’  hard work / good fortune / better foresight
It was a great opportunity to expand my business network, skills, client base, and breadth of industries I work in	Sounds like a crazy robot kool-aid drinking consultant
I want to marry an Australian (or at least not an American)	Sounds…..true (kidding! Or am I?)

I hope that was amusing for you. On a more serious note, it is very hard to explain why I’m here. I will admit that I’ve already asked myself a million times why I’m doing this. It is not easy. So far I’ve had feelings of euphoria partnered with extreme loneliness within seconds of each other. My co-workers may be starting to think I’m manic-depressive. Self-reflection and exploration shouldn’t be easy if you want to learn anything from it. It’s funny how this experience has brought up some old insecurities and self-conscious feelings I thought were long gone (and that I was too old to worry about).

The funny thing is, I’ve only been here for 2 months. I’ve gone much longer periods without seeing family, being too busy at work to really see friends or heaven forbid try to have a relationship. The lifestyle I led in Chicago (working a lot, being on the road a decent amount, being without family) could be quite isolated when I let it. (Key phrase: when I let it.) Here, I think it’s something to do with the finality of knowing it will be a REALLY long time. And let’s be honest (hope my mum doesn’t read this)…it’s probably unlikely I’ll be going back in two years, or even four years. I don’t really have an exit strategy, or even know if I want one yet. So here’s the famous loneliness question - what is life without people to share it with? This idea is explored in some great movies like “Into the Wild” and “Up in the Air.” When I am feeling my normal happy self, I like to think that I am just expanding my circle around the whole world, so I have LOTS of people to share it with! Who knows who I will meet or where this life will take me? There, that sounds more like me.

So far I have met AWESOME people here, and will continue to do so. I can’t believe how lucky I am sometimes, the people at work are amazing and welcoming – they’ve really become my extended family and take care of meJ.  I’ve met some great friends outside work too. Although this decision may seem completely out of the realm of possibility for many people (the ones who think I am crazy), it is actually a pretty common thing. Particularly people in business, and especially non-Americans. Most of my friends in Chicago didn’t think a thing of the decision. It all is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose.

So maybe I don’t need to rattle off such a long list of reasons I’m here. The only reasons I need aren’t explainable. Mostly…..just because I wanted to, and because I can. Which is pretty cool. 

This is a walk in the park

A few Mondays ago was a public holiday here in Perth, Labour Day. I did enjoy my day off after a brief (several hour) stop into the office.
After the office, I walked up into King's Park, which is the largest inner-city park in the world at 1,000+ acres, including bigger than Central Park in NYC. King's Park sits on top of Mount Eliza (more like a big hill) and overlooks the Swan River, the city of Perth, and surrounding areas. I must have spent 4 hours in the park, and still want to go back for more. Here are some views from / in the park.

There were many people out and about in the park; families having picnics, people walking/running/biking, lots of kids, many tourists taking photos, people sunbathing, looking at the war memorials, eating at the cafes, etc. The weather could not have been more perfect, with the sun shining brightly, not a cloud in the sky, but the extreme heat of the past month fading into the 70s and 80s, with a nice breeze. Even with a lot of people enjoying the park (it is supposedly the most visited spot in Western Australia), upon a little exploration there were many footpaths winding through very remote areas of the park.

I just walked. I didn't listen to my iPod, I didn't talk on the phone, I didn't text or check Facebook. I just walked and listened and was alone with my thoughts, which I haven't done in a really long time and I would bet it's something you haven't done in awhile either.

The natural surroundings brought back some memories from when I was a northwoods girl instead of a city girl (or when I'm pretending to be a northwoods girl when on vacation). Things like being on the boat on Lake Metonga with mom and Nick and hearing the trees rustle when the wind blows through. Childhood memories of being on the back of my dad's 4-wheeler and Tracey on Grandpa Fred's going through some piece of land they wanted to buy, and feeling the sunlight trickling through the trees like a natural strobe light (shade, sun, shade, sun).

There's nothing wrong with feeling a little nostalgia now and again....I don't think I would be a normal person if I didn't ever have feelings of isolation under these circumstances. It is not lost on me that I put down my boss as my "in case of emergency" contact. It's funny but my walk in the park was fabulous and a little lonely at the same time. My solitude is not unique to Perth, I was alone in Chicago too (as far as being away from family), but I had a great social circle of friends. The circumstances do make me feel it a little deeper.

Back to my life in Perth - I don't want this post to worry my parents! I still love it here. I still know I made the right decision, for many reasons that I'll elaborate on in my next blog. Cheers for now.