Wow, okay, so we were really bad and did not update at all for a very long time....oops!
Well, just to keep things written down and in order I'm going to list a few things we've done since comic con.
We continued to work as much as possible. Linds became the regular morning 8-4p regular at the Catholic Leadership Center. I took over as night shift supervisor for about a month, give or take a week.
We moved from Jenny's house where we were renting a room to a house in Bentleigh East where we house sat for three weeks and looked after, Jasper, a very fluffy and clingy cat.
That saved us some money and gave us a chance to be on our own for a few weeks with the freedoms of a kitchen.
We saw Les Miserables for my, Brittney's, birthday. But it was also Lindsey's first time seeing it on stage and the Aussie cast were incredible. Just fantastic.
We also gave in and saw Wicked. Linds had been trolling the seats and prices and found some front roll balcony seats that were $40 cheaper than everything else in the balconies due to 'restricted viewing.' Ha! restricted viewing meant not seeing a few characters briefly as they danced. We lucked out. That performance was also amazing. It actually brought Linds to tears during Defying Gravity, and she's seen it two other times!
Linds made a friend through the CLC/Pinnacle. Allison Brown went to CIA in California and they hit it off. We talked Allison into staying in Melbourne for a while and she is going to be the new regular at the CLC when we leave. We ended up hanging out with her and her boyfriend, Jerome, a lot after we moved into the hostel for our last two weeks.
Pint on Punt is an Irish pub that has the cheapest hostel prices. So, we lived above a pub for two weeks with four other girls. It was an experience.
Hmmmm, let's see. We had a few drinks at Robarta's on Fitzroy street near St. Kilda beach and then ate at Apartment 29 just down the road (they have giant jenga!). Allison and Jerome are great to hang out with and we hope to stay in touch with them. Allison is going to learn how to make chocolate in Belgium and they'll live there for 3-4 years. So, that's a trip we would like to save up for :)
Linds and I also found this Thai place on Bridge Rd right next to Hoddle street called The Piano. It had the best pork belly and crispy duck. The. Best. and of course they had a gorgeous piano and the music was great.
Allison also ended up introducing us to Messina gelato. (located on Smith street between Victoria parade and Johnston street in Fitzroy/Collingwood). It has the best gelato and the craziest combination of flavors ever! super delicious. We invited Deb from work with us one day when we all got off at 4 from the CLC and we spent a good hour and a half there. Soooo, good.
We also made it to Chin Chin's! they have my favorite two dishes and cocktail in all of Melbourne. The soft shell crab and the pad seuw. Linds got a drink with jasmine infused vodka and it came with an adorable pink rose petal floating on top. But it was also super delicious. The rule of Chin Chin though is no reservations. You show up and wait, which can be fine if you don't mind hanging out in the bar in the basement :)
We never did manage to make it to the zoo or try the tram restaurant, but we did eat at some fantastic places and hang out with some of our favorite people before we left.
We still have one whole day left and Linds works 8-4. I worked on packing and am going to meet Allison for one last day at Messina before going to the CLC to say goodbye to everyone. Deb and Pat are going to have dinner with us and then that's that.
Long days of travelling ahead and 7 flights left until we are back in Indy, but it'll be worth it to finally get back home.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Monday, July 7, 2014
Oz Comic Con
We went to Comic Con just to see Jason Dohring, two Game of Thrones actors, and Arthur Darvill (just me, linds hasn't seen Doctor Who).
We spent over an hour in line and we got so worried we wouldn't be able to get a seat at the stage we needed. Conveniently, everyone we wanted to see were all one after the other on the same stage so we were super lucky. Pretty much, super lucky all around because we got our tickets and went straight in and the stage area we needed wasn't even half full. We got to get some awesome seats and I got to see the panel with another actor I like, Dante Basco. He's mainly a voice actor now and he voiced Zuko in the Last Airbender. And for the next two panels they didn't clear the room so we kept getting better and better seats as people left after each panel.
So, we were super close to the stage for when Jason Dohring came in. He's played in Veronica Mars and guest starred on a lot of shows we watch including, Lie to Me, Supernatural, and Ringer.
He wasn't the best speaker, but we didn't really care too much. I mean, it was Jason Dohring :) He did tell a story about his time on set with Jensen Ackles and Jared Padelecki from Supernatural. Apparently they have a gym in this giant trailer that follows them around to each location (they're super fit) and he said he went to slap Jared on the arm in a 'hey, buddy!' way but he hit him and his arm just reverberated all the way down his arm and up to his shoulder :D
After Jason was the Game of Thrones panel with Daniel Portman (Podrick) and Kristian Nairn (Hodor). They were hilarious. Also, Daniel had the most amazing Scottish accent, sigh.....OH! and Kristian is also a DJ from Ireland, which we hadn't known before.
Unfortunately after the GoT panel we were cleared from the room because they had started a line for Arthur Darvill an hour before his panel, but we just hopped in at the end and went back inside. Of course, we weren't as close as the last three panels but oh well. It was super cool being in the same room as the man who played Rory on Doctor Who. There were also a lot more people cosplaying in Doctor Who outfits than anything else. Too many Weeping Angels for my taste :/
After Arthur's panel we were done with seeing people on stage and we went to walk around the World Exhibition building where all of the booths and vendors were inside. So many people dressed up, we saw a lot of Star Wars outfits, superheroes, villians/monsters, and cosplayers from favorite shows. It was truly an experience. But we had to work the night shift later from 11-5am so we grabbed some lunch after our exploration of the comic con world and went back home for a nap. If we ever get the chance do go to a comic con in the States it would be so worth it :)
We spent over an hour in line and we got so worried we wouldn't be able to get a seat at the stage we needed. Conveniently, everyone we wanted to see were all one after the other on the same stage so we were super lucky. Pretty much, super lucky all around because we got our tickets and went straight in and the stage area we needed wasn't even half full. We got to get some awesome seats and I got to see the panel with another actor I like, Dante Basco. He's mainly a voice actor now and he voiced Zuko in the Last Airbender. And for the next two panels they didn't clear the room so we kept getting better and better seats as people left after each panel.
So, we were super close to the stage for when Jason Dohring came in. He's played in Veronica Mars and guest starred on a lot of shows we watch including, Lie to Me, Supernatural, and Ringer.
After Jason was the Game of Thrones panel with Daniel Portman (Podrick) and Kristian Nairn (Hodor). They were hilarious. Also, Daniel had the most amazing Scottish accent, sigh.....OH! and Kristian is also a DJ from Ireland, which we hadn't known before.
Circus OZ!
Ohmygosh! ok, so we went to the Circus Molly's last night in Australia. We first went out to dinner at Margo's, a restaurant in Crown Casino that is amazing. Then we walked along Southbank to Birrarung Marr behind Federation Square. As we walked along the river towards the Big Top we could hear bells. There were so many of them and they were playing just a random song. I got a video of it. There were these really tall metal poles that were all lit up outside the entrance where the bells were being played from. It was cool.
We got our tickets and went inside. Every seat in that place was super close and a good spot to see everything. And you can't go to the Circus without buying some kind of food. We got donuts :) 5 sugar coated donuts for $3, woot woot!
The name of their new act was called 'But Wait! There's More!' The entire show was great! So many cool acts and the thing was super hilarious too. There was one part, and I'm going to try and convey just how funny it was, but I won't succeed. You really had to be there to get it, but I guess this will just help us remember better :) Okay, so at one point they were doing an act where there was a 'judge' with a buzzer just like in America's Got Talent and the rest of them kept running out and doing something different trying to win. There was an older guy doing some BMX tricks and he always had his bike with him and at one point he came running out with the bike on a leash and a whip, and he started turning in circles and snapping the whip in an imitation of training a horse. It was going really well and we were wondering how he could keep that bike up and pulling it around so well while snapping the whip, but then the bike fell and at first we were like 'uh oh' but then two others ran out with a black cloth and stricken expressions and covered the bike while the man stood in the center with his mouth open and another came out with this board where he stood next to the fallen covered bike and snapped it against the floor. It made it sound like a gunshot and the man in the center let out this whimper/sob and ohmygosh, we lost it. They totally 'killed' the bike for falling down. It so doesn't sound as funny retelling it but we could not stop laughing. Everything happened perfectly and it was so ridiculous :D
sorry guys, it seems I can't upload that video of the bells. Anyways, that was our night at the circus! :)
We got our tickets and went inside. Every seat in that place was super close and a good spot to see everything. And you can't go to the Circus without buying some kind of food. We got donuts :) 5 sugar coated donuts for $3, woot woot!
The name of their new act was called 'But Wait! There's More!' The entire show was great! So many cool acts and the thing was super hilarious too. There was one part, and I'm going to try and convey just how funny it was, but I won't succeed. You really had to be there to get it, but I guess this will just help us remember better :) Okay, so at one point they were doing an act where there was a 'judge' with a buzzer just like in America's Got Talent and the rest of them kept running out and doing something different trying to win. There was an older guy doing some BMX tricks and he always had his bike with him and at one point he came running out with the bike on a leash and a whip, and he started turning in circles and snapping the whip in an imitation of training a horse. It was going really well and we were wondering how he could keep that bike up and pulling it around so well while snapping the whip, but then the bike fell and at first we were like 'uh oh' but then two others ran out with a black cloth and stricken expressions and covered the bike while the man stood in the center with his mouth open and another came out with this board where he stood next to the fallen covered bike and snapped it against the floor. It made it sound like a gunshot and the man in the center let out this whimper/sob and ohmygosh, we lost it. They totally 'killed' the bike for falling down. It so doesn't sound as funny retelling it but we could not stop laughing. Everything happened perfectly and it was so ridiculous :D
sorry guys, it seems I can't upload that video of the bells. Anyways, that was our night at the circus! :)
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Penguin Parade!!!
Okay, so after our big trip we were pretty tired but there was only a week and a half left till Molly had to leave and there was something Linds and I had been wanting to do since we got to Melbourne. So, we book a day trip with a group to take us down to Phillip Island. Melbourne is at the top of a bay shaped like a U and Phillip Island is at the tip of the bottom right corner just before it opens up into the Ocean.
Our morning started off relatively well. We had to take two trams out to a place where we could be picked up but we were able to stop in this really cool cafe connected to this bike shop. It's a little hard to describe but the atmosphere was great and the coffee very good. We were the last ones so after we hopped on the bus and everyone had a chance to introduce themselves we were off! To our disbelief we drove right passed our house as we made our way onto the motorway that would take us south. Lindsey got the coveted seat up front and was chatting with our driver, Jason, and he said he would drop us off right there on our way back because we were the only one's in St. Kilda and he didn't need to go back that way :)
*side note: we saw an amazing full rainbow on our way too because it was raining in Melbourne, but slowly let up as we went further south.
When Jason's awesome playlist wasn't keeping us entertained (a playlist straight out of a 1967 chevy impala driven by two brother's) he would give us information about places we were stopping at or passing by. For example: Cranbourne is a town south of Melbourne and is an aboriginal word that means 'crane stalking through water.' In the 1850's people found a bunch of meteorites in that area and the largest weighed 3 1/2 tons, a world record at that time! Some people are still trying to find more even today.
Molly and I made a friend along the way. Her name was Evelyn and she was from New York! Yay America :) She was working in Sydney for 3 months but came to Melbourne to sightsee. She was much fun to be around and helped us take pictures with each other (we returned the favor of course).
Our first stop was just a rest room break at a place called Tooradin, which is another aboriginal word meaning 'monster residing at the waterhole.' Pretty creepy, huh? It didn't help that there was a lake right beside the restrooms and cafe. But, luckily, we survived and were on our way again.
Our official first place of interest was called the Maru Wildlife Park. It was super cool! So many animals and we got to feed the wallabies (soo soft and cute and adorable) and the kangaroos. Molly finally got to pet a koala and get her picture taken. It was an all around very fun place. Dingo's, wombats, peacocks, wallabies, koala's, kookaburra's, kangaroos, etc. We got to see them all.
Once our time with the animals was done we sat at the picnic tables out front and had lunch where we got to chat with some of the people on tour with us. There was a couple on honeymoon who were adorable. The woman especially was hilarious and so funny! She kept trying to feed the whole bus all the chocolate she bought at Haigh's the day before. Seriously though, she had a hoard and was just giving it away! I took the chocolate almonds :)
Which, ironically, led us to our second place of interest which happened to be along the road just after we crossed the bridge onto Phillip Island. The Chocolate Factory!!! mwahahahahahaha
The had made penguins out of chocolate :) I think everyone bought at least one thing. Linds and I got some Tia Maria chocolates that were soooooo delicious (we totally made them last for a good two weeks as we rationed them).
*a historical and important fact to know about Australia's history: the aboriginal people did not gain citizenship in Australia until 1967. Before that there is a whole era where children were being taken from their families to 'breed the color from them,' ugh, and they are called The Lost Generation because the aboriginal people passed down knowledge and history through stories and verbal accounts. Nothing was written down. With these children being taken from their families too young to learn their history or heritage most of the aboriginal culture has been lost.
Phillip Island was gorgeous and full of wildlife. We stopped at a wildlife preserve called Swan Lake and took a mini hike to see the swans and other animals. Wallabies were everywhere around the island, and we stopped at a place called The Nobbies which was absolutely stunning. It's along the coast line and you can look out to your right and see the bay where it leads up to Melbourne and to your left, the ocean. There were a few rock formations and the furthest out apparently has over 20,000 seals that live on it! We got to look through a telescope to see 'em lounging around :) There were also a lot of penguin burrows around because we were really close to the beach where the penguins come back after a day out at sea catching food.
Which brought us to the end of our day. It was getting darker and the penguins would be coming back soon so we made our way to the Penguin Parade! We caught a quick bite to eat and then got a seat on one of the benches on the beach. It was like those metal bleachers you would sit on at a soccer or football match at school, except we were on a beach waiting for the sun to set so we could see tiny little blue penguins :) It was great. The sky was gorgeous as the sun set and the excitement of everyone was so infectious. These penguins grouped together to form 'rafts' so that they could be safer together as they rode the waves in onto the beach. Then the would huddle there for a moment or two to assess things and if they felt safe they would make a break for the grassy surroundings and make their way to their burrows. We were also allowed to walk along the boardwalks they had and watch as hundreds of them hiked along their little worn paths back home. One even got on the wrong side and needed to cross the pavement right before the building. The park rangers and employees had to clear a space and stop everyone from leaving so the little guy could get across and under the rope. It was so cute :)
And that was it. It doesn't sound like much, but we made a lot of friends and had so much fun. It felt like a family by the end and we were actually sad to say goodbye. It was a really good day.
Our morning started off relatively well. We had to take two trams out to a place where we could be picked up but we were able to stop in this really cool cafe connected to this bike shop. It's a little hard to describe but the atmosphere was great and the coffee very good. We were the last ones so after we hopped on the bus and everyone had a chance to introduce themselves we were off! To our disbelief we drove right passed our house as we made our way onto the motorway that would take us south. Lindsey got the coveted seat up front and was chatting with our driver, Jason, and he said he would drop us off right there on our way back because we were the only one's in St. Kilda and he didn't need to go back that way :)
*side note: we saw an amazing full rainbow on our way too because it was raining in Melbourne, but slowly let up as we went further south.
When Jason's awesome playlist wasn't keeping us entertained (a playlist straight out of a 1967 chevy impala driven by two brother's) he would give us information about places we were stopping at or passing by. For example: Cranbourne is a town south of Melbourne and is an aboriginal word that means 'crane stalking through water.' In the 1850's people found a bunch of meteorites in that area and the largest weighed 3 1/2 tons, a world record at that time! Some people are still trying to find more even today.
Molly and I made a friend along the way. Her name was Evelyn and she was from New York! Yay America :) She was working in Sydney for 3 months but came to Melbourne to sightsee. She was much fun to be around and helped us take pictures with each other (we returned the favor of course).
Our first stop was just a rest room break at a place called Tooradin, which is another aboriginal word meaning 'monster residing at the waterhole.' Pretty creepy, huh? It didn't help that there was a lake right beside the restrooms and cafe. But, luckily, we survived and were on our way again.
Our official first place of interest was called the Maru Wildlife Park. It was super cool! So many animals and we got to feed the wallabies (soo soft and cute and adorable) and the kangaroos. Molly finally got to pet a koala and get her picture taken. It was an all around very fun place. Dingo's, wombats, peacocks, wallabies, koala's, kookaburra's, kangaroos, etc. We got to see them all.
Once our time with the animals was done we sat at the picnic tables out front and had lunch where we got to chat with some of the people on tour with us. There was a couple on honeymoon who were adorable. The woman especially was hilarious and so funny! She kept trying to feed the whole bus all the chocolate she bought at Haigh's the day before. Seriously though, she had a hoard and was just giving it away! I took the chocolate almonds :)
Which, ironically, led us to our second place of interest which happened to be along the road just after we crossed the bridge onto Phillip Island. The Chocolate Factory!!! mwahahahahahaha
The had made penguins out of chocolate :) I think everyone bought at least one thing. Linds and I got some Tia Maria chocolates that were soooooo delicious (we totally made them last for a good two weeks as we rationed them).
*a historical and important fact to know about Australia's history: the aboriginal people did not gain citizenship in Australia until 1967. Before that there is a whole era where children were being taken from their families to 'breed the color from them,' ugh, and they are called The Lost Generation because the aboriginal people passed down knowledge and history through stories and verbal accounts. Nothing was written down. With these children being taken from their families too young to learn their history or heritage most of the aboriginal culture has been lost.
Phillip Island was gorgeous and full of wildlife. We stopped at a wildlife preserve called Swan Lake and took a mini hike to see the swans and other animals. Wallabies were everywhere around the island, and we stopped at a place called The Nobbies which was absolutely stunning. It's along the coast line and you can look out to your right and see the bay where it leads up to Melbourne and to your left, the ocean. There were a few rock formations and the furthest out apparently has over 20,000 seals that live on it! We got to look through a telescope to see 'em lounging around :) There were also a lot of penguin burrows around because we were really close to the beach where the penguins come back after a day out at sea catching food.
Which brought us to the end of our day. It was getting darker and the penguins would be coming back soon so we made our way to the Penguin Parade! We caught a quick bite to eat and then got a seat on one of the benches on the beach. It was like those metal bleachers you would sit on at a soccer or football match at school, except we were on a beach waiting for the sun to set so we could see tiny little blue penguins :) It was great. The sky was gorgeous as the sun set and the excitement of everyone was so infectious. These penguins grouped together to form 'rafts' so that they could be safer together as they rode the waves in onto the beach. Then the would huddle there for a moment or two to assess things and if they felt safe they would make a break for the grassy surroundings and make their way to their burrows. We were also allowed to walk along the boardwalks they had and watch as hundreds of them hiked along their little worn paths back home. One even got on the wrong side and needed to cross the pavement right before the building. The park rangers and employees had to clear a space and stop everyone from leaving so the little guy could get across and under the rope. It was so cute :)
And that was it. It doesn't sound like much, but we made a lot of friends and had so much fun. It felt like a family by the end and we were actually sad to say goodbye. It was a really good day.
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Sydney, Alice Springs, and Uluru
So, June was a pretty busy month for us. Molly, my friend from IWU, came to visit us for 3 1/2 weeks. Linds and I kept up with work that first week she was here, but we did manage to go to the Australian ballet performance called Croma. It was a mix of classical and modern ballet. My favorite was the third act when they used rapiers, it was cool. And the last act was just pure fun.
We also went to the Aquarium, which turned out better than Linds and I thought it would be. It doesn't look to big from the outside but when you go inside all the levels just keep going further down.
A week after Molly arrived though we were off to Sydney! An early morning flight got us in around 10:30 which meant we couldn't check into our hostel yet. So we dropped off our luggage and headed out for lunch and a walk around. We didn't make it far before we were walking past the Lion King theater and just had to go inside and see if they had any cheap last minute tickets......they did :) We splurged because Lion King is awesome and we had heard great things about the Australian cast. The ladies at the desk were also super helpful when it came to good food places. They suggested a locals favorite nicknamed Grapes on the Roof. It was a very small little Chinese dumpling place that had hung up grapes and vines along their ceiling. It was super cute and also really really good. My favorite was the pork buns but the dumplings lived up to their reputation. I believe the real name was Chinese Dumpling House and it was a short walk from Paddy's market.
Which we walked through to get to China town where we found the magnificent N2 gelato shop. soooooo goood! they use liquid nitrogen to make the gelato and the whole shop looks like a chemistry room with beakers, and the employees where googles and gloves and lab coats. It was pretty innovative.
We checked out Darling Harbor for a quick second before going back to the hostel, which was the Railway YHA. We got to stay in a remodeled train car and the YHA is always a safe bet when you're looking for cleanliness and security so it was a good place. Also super close to the train station itself!
After getting settled and changed we took a bus out to Bondi Beach. It is one of the more iconic beaches of Australia and even though it was pretty cold with it still being winter it was also really really pretty. We stayed for a little while and then took the bus back to get ready for Lion King. And it worked out in our favor to stay close to the theater because the pub across the street had meal deals for ticket holders! Woot Woot. $13 meal and drink. super nice :) We had a pretty good night. The show was amazing.
Saturday had us up early enough to walk to Pancakes on the Rocks in Darling Harbor for breakfast. Even if we had to walk in the rain....we did it for pancakes :) Which also worked out really well because the Maritime Museum was just across from the restaurant which was our next stop. After that we walked to the Art Museum and then down to Mrs Macquaries Chair which looked out onto Sydney Harbor. We had some pretty amazing views of the Harbor bridge and the Opera house as we walked through the Botanic Gardens.
And then it was time for our Opera House show! We saw Patygarang performed by the Bangarra Dance theater. That was really cool. It was based off of a diary by an explorer/sailor that came into contact with an aboriginal tribe/village. And it was all about first contact, learning about each other, tensions, and how the land would always belong to the people who were here first.
Afterwards we walked through the Rocks area which is really cool. A lot of old buildings and stores that had been there since Sydney first became a city. They always have markets going on down there too with a lot of cool artifacts, clothing, and food. Linds and I couldn't resist getting corn on the cob :) just like the markets back home.
We were pretty wiped after that but didn't want to waste half the day it felt like. Even though it gets dark around 5:30-6 it still felt too early to turn in. We could have gone to fireworks over Darling Harbor but the possibility of seeing an independent film that would only show in Sydney was too much for Molly to pass up so we all went to the Sydney Film Festival and saw Snowpiercer starring Chris Evans. Which pretty much ended our adventures in Sydney.
Another super early flight in the morning had us calling a cab and leaving at 5:30 the next morning for our next stop....Alice Springs!!!!!
Ohmygosh! Alice Springs was pretty cool. We stayed in Alice Lodge Backpackers hostel and Alice Springs is small enough we could pretty much walk anywhere in ten minutes or less. So, we headed to the Botanic Gardens first because we heard the cafe had some good food, which they did! Linds got this iced coffee that was pretty awesome too :) We hiked up the hill, saw some wallabies, and got a good look out over the town and surrounding mountains. It was super cool.
Then we walked to the Reptile Center where we saw a lot of cool animals and even came back a little later for the reptile talk and close encounters. We got to get up close and personal with a goanna, bearded dragon, blue tongued skink, and an olive python. Everyone had the chance to touch or even hold all but the goanna. So, Linds being afraid of snakes decided to have one of the biggest wrapped around her to try and face her fear of snakes......she's braver than I. She did it though and lasted a pretty long time :)
After that adventure we headed out to the super market to get some snacks for our campervan road trip the next day. And even hiked up Anzac hill with our groceries since it was getting dark too fast to come back. Molly just made soup that night, but Linds and I head out to the restaurant inside one of Alice's resorts and had a mini dinner.
The next day had us packing up our stuff again and walking to Wicked Campers Rental office.
I was pretty nervous about trying to drive in Australia so Linds took the first shift. It was a manual campervan so we were worried about stalling the car in front of the guy renting it out to us but Linds was awesome and we survived!!! hehehehe, at least until we got to the petrol station and couldn't figure out where the petrol tank was. That was a fun experience. But we felt better after two other people we asked for help couldn't find it either....or, once we did, how to open it. We caved and called the guy back at the office for help. Five minutes later we were on our way to Uluru!!
Driving in that campervan for about 1,000 km was an interesting and fun experience. I'm super glad we did it! We ended up jamming out to songs most of the way and taking pictures of the passing landscape. It's about a 5 hour trip to Ayers Rock Resort which also had the campground we would be staying at just outside the nature park. We bought our passes into the park first and drove out to the dune viewing of the Olgas, then drove to the base of Uluru just to at least get up close and personal before we watched the sunset. Watching the sunset and sunrise is supposed to be one of the biggest experiences when you go out to Uluru and the Olgas. It was pretty cool. But my favorite part about being out in the middle of nowhere Australia was stargazing later that night.
We decided to get some meats, cheeses, dips, and bread and do a version of our Roman picnic in the back of our campervan. Unfortunately, even in the middle of Australia's desert it was still winter and freezing cold so I couldn't stay outside staring at the stars for too long, but it was soooooo amazing.
Our plan was to get up and drive to the sunrise viewing area, but Linds and I didn't sleep very well and I let the alarm go to snooze one too many times. We made it ten minutes after the sun officially rose over the horizon. oh well, we could still see how the sky changed colors and the rock went from dark purple to pink and the to red so we call that a win :)
Then it was back to the campground for some much needed showers and to pack up our stuff and then we drove back to the base of Uluru. There was a bit of confusion and we went in thinking that what they called the Mala walk was interchangeable and also meant the base walk. So we thought we could walk around the entire base of Uluru in an hour and a half. But they were two different things and the base walk was supposed to take three and a half hours. :/ oops
Molly went one way while Linds and I went another and after an hour and a half we met up in 'the middle.' Linds and I are super walkers and made the base walk in 2 hours and 15 minutes! woot woot :) but man that was pretty intense and the flies only got bad towards the end. We're pretty proud we did it though! We munched on popcorn and watched two guys get nabbed by park rangers for climbing the rock when they weren't supposed to. that day was really really windy and they could have easily been blown off and died which is why the climb was blocked off, but they did it anyway. I would have done it if I could have but it looked crazy.
Once we were all cooled off and back at the van we packed up and headed out. We needed to make it to our designated camp ground before dark. With so many nocturnal wildlife our insurance on the campervan did not cover us if driving at night. Unfortunately we were behind by 40 minutes and just had to turn the brights on, keep an eye out, and pray. We were worried when we saw a giant black spot too close to the road but thought 'nah that's too big to be anything that can move into the road. that must be a boulder or something.' nope! noooooo, it was a cow. A giant cow that could have killed us. thankfully we made it safely to Stuart's Well campground which offered free campervan parking. But it was also super sketchy and we've pretty much seen one too many criminal minds episodes to feel safe there. Our reaction to fear though apparently is to giggle incessantly. We survived the night though and peeled out of there once the sun was up. It was only an hour back to Alice Springs which gave us enough time to pack up our stuff and clean the van.
We dropped off the van with no problems and walked across the street to get our airport shuttle pick up and then it was just one more flight back to Melbourne.
A packed 6 days of travel that left us weary and longing for our own beds but it was one of the best adventures ever!
Stay tuned for our day trip out to Phillip Island where we saw penguins!!!!!
We also went to the Aquarium, which turned out better than Linds and I thought it would be. It doesn't look to big from the outside but when you go inside all the levels just keep going further down.
A week after Molly arrived though we were off to Sydney! An early morning flight got us in around 10:30 which meant we couldn't check into our hostel yet. So we dropped off our luggage and headed out for lunch and a walk around. We didn't make it far before we were walking past the Lion King theater and just had to go inside and see if they had any cheap last minute tickets......they did :) We splurged because Lion King is awesome and we had heard great things about the Australian cast. The ladies at the desk were also super helpful when it came to good food places. They suggested a locals favorite nicknamed Grapes on the Roof. It was a very small little Chinese dumpling place that had hung up grapes and vines along their ceiling. It was super cute and also really really good. My favorite was the pork buns but the dumplings lived up to their reputation. I believe the real name was Chinese Dumpling House and it was a short walk from Paddy's market.
Which we walked through to get to China town where we found the magnificent N2 gelato shop. soooooo goood! they use liquid nitrogen to make the gelato and the whole shop looks like a chemistry room with beakers, and the employees where googles and gloves and lab coats. It was pretty innovative.
We checked out Darling Harbor for a quick second before going back to the hostel, which was the Railway YHA. We got to stay in a remodeled train car and the YHA is always a safe bet when you're looking for cleanliness and security so it was a good place. Also super close to the train station itself!
After getting settled and changed we took a bus out to Bondi Beach. It is one of the more iconic beaches of Australia and even though it was pretty cold with it still being winter it was also really really pretty. We stayed for a little while and then took the bus back to get ready for Lion King. And it worked out in our favor to stay close to the theater because the pub across the street had meal deals for ticket holders! Woot Woot. $13 meal and drink. super nice :) We had a pretty good night. The show was amazing.
Saturday had us up early enough to walk to Pancakes on the Rocks in Darling Harbor for breakfast. Even if we had to walk in the rain....we did it for pancakes :) Which also worked out really well because the Maritime Museum was just across from the restaurant which was our next stop. After that we walked to the Art Museum and then down to Mrs Macquaries Chair which looked out onto Sydney Harbor. We had some pretty amazing views of the Harbor bridge and the Opera house as we walked through the Botanic Gardens.
And then it was time for our Opera House show! We saw Patygarang performed by the Bangarra Dance theater. That was really cool. It was based off of a diary by an explorer/sailor that came into contact with an aboriginal tribe/village. And it was all about first contact, learning about each other, tensions, and how the land would always belong to the people who were here first.
Afterwards we walked through the Rocks area which is really cool. A lot of old buildings and stores that had been there since Sydney first became a city. They always have markets going on down there too with a lot of cool artifacts, clothing, and food. Linds and I couldn't resist getting corn on the cob :) just like the markets back home.
We were pretty wiped after that but didn't want to waste half the day it felt like. Even though it gets dark around 5:30-6 it still felt too early to turn in. We could have gone to fireworks over Darling Harbor but the possibility of seeing an independent film that would only show in Sydney was too much for Molly to pass up so we all went to the Sydney Film Festival and saw Snowpiercer starring Chris Evans. Which pretty much ended our adventures in Sydney.
Another super early flight in the morning had us calling a cab and leaving at 5:30 the next morning for our next stop....Alice Springs!!!!!
Ohmygosh! Alice Springs was pretty cool. We stayed in Alice Lodge Backpackers hostel and Alice Springs is small enough we could pretty much walk anywhere in ten minutes or less. So, we headed to the Botanic Gardens first because we heard the cafe had some good food, which they did! Linds got this iced coffee that was pretty awesome too :) We hiked up the hill, saw some wallabies, and got a good look out over the town and surrounding mountains. It was super cool.
Then we walked to the Reptile Center where we saw a lot of cool animals and even came back a little later for the reptile talk and close encounters. We got to get up close and personal with a goanna, bearded dragon, blue tongued skink, and an olive python. Everyone had the chance to touch or even hold all but the goanna. So, Linds being afraid of snakes decided to have one of the biggest wrapped around her to try and face her fear of snakes......she's braver than I. She did it though and lasted a pretty long time :)
After that adventure we headed out to the super market to get some snacks for our campervan road trip the next day. And even hiked up Anzac hill with our groceries since it was getting dark too fast to come back. Molly just made soup that night, but Linds and I head out to the restaurant inside one of Alice's resorts and had a mini dinner.
The next day had us packing up our stuff again and walking to Wicked Campers Rental office.
I was pretty nervous about trying to drive in Australia so Linds took the first shift. It was a manual campervan so we were worried about stalling the car in front of the guy renting it out to us but Linds was awesome and we survived!!! hehehehe, at least until we got to the petrol station and couldn't figure out where the petrol tank was. That was a fun experience. But we felt better after two other people we asked for help couldn't find it either....or, once we did, how to open it. We caved and called the guy back at the office for help. Five minutes later we were on our way to Uluru!!
Driving in that campervan for about 1,000 km was an interesting and fun experience. I'm super glad we did it! We ended up jamming out to songs most of the way and taking pictures of the passing landscape. It's about a 5 hour trip to Ayers Rock Resort which also had the campground we would be staying at just outside the nature park. We bought our passes into the park first and drove out to the dune viewing of the Olgas, then drove to the base of Uluru just to at least get up close and personal before we watched the sunset. Watching the sunset and sunrise is supposed to be one of the biggest experiences when you go out to Uluru and the Olgas. It was pretty cool. But my favorite part about being out in the middle of nowhere Australia was stargazing later that night.
We decided to get some meats, cheeses, dips, and bread and do a version of our Roman picnic in the back of our campervan. Unfortunately, even in the middle of Australia's desert it was still winter and freezing cold so I couldn't stay outside staring at the stars for too long, but it was soooooo amazing.
Our plan was to get up and drive to the sunrise viewing area, but Linds and I didn't sleep very well and I let the alarm go to snooze one too many times. We made it ten minutes after the sun officially rose over the horizon. oh well, we could still see how the sky changed colors and the rock went from dark purple to pink and the to red so we call that a win :)
Then it was back to the campground for some much needed showers and to pack up our stuff and then we drove back to the base of Uluru. There was a bit of confusion and we went in thinking that what they called the Mala walk was interchangeable and also meant the base walk. So we thought we could walk around the entire base of Uluru in an hour and a half. But they were two different things and the base walk was supposed to take three and a half hours. :/ oops
Molly went one way while Linds and I went another and after an hour and a half we met up in 'the middle.' Linds and I are super walkers and made the base walk in 2 hours and 15 minutes! woot woot :) but man that was pretty intense and the flies only got bad towards the end. We're pretty proud we did it though! We munched on popcorn and watched two guys get nabbed by park rangers for climbing the rock when they weren't supposed to. that day was really really windy and they could have easily been blown off and died which is why the climb was blocked off, but they did it anyway. I would have done it if I could have but it looked crazy.
Once we were all cooled off and back at the van we packed up and headed out. We needed to make it to our designated camp ground before dark. With so many nocturnal wildlife our insurance on the campervan did not cover us if driving at night. Unfortunately we were behind by 40 minutes and just had to turn the brights on, keep an eye out, and pray. We were worried when we saw a giant black spot too close to the road but thought 'nah that's too big to be anything that can move into the road. that must be a boulder or something.' nope! noooooo, it was a cow. A giant cow that could have killed us. thankfully we made it safely to Stuart's Well campground which offered free campervan parking. But it was also super sketchy and we've pretty much seen one too many criminal minds episodes to feel safe there. Our reaction to fear though apparently is to giggle incessantly. We survived the night though and peeled out of there once the sun was up. It was only an hour back to Alice Springs which gave us enough time to pack up our stuff and clean the van.
We dropped off the van with no problems and walked across the street to get our airport shuttle pick up and then it was just one more flight back to Melbourne.
A packed 6 days of travel that left us weary and longing for our own beds but it was one of the best adventures ever!
Stay tuned for our day trip out to Phillip Island where we saw penguins!!!!!
Friday, May 30, 2014
Calories? What Calories?
It has come to our attention over the past week that most Australians do not know what s'mores are. This has resulted in chaos and disbelief. We, as children of America, are blessed in ways we have not yet known til now.
Linds and I were finishing dinner and talking with our fellow tenant in Jen's house about s'mores. We first asked her if she knew what they were and she said no so we proceeded to tell her all about the gooey chocolate deliciousness. At first she tried to rationalize why most Aussie's wouldn't know about s'mores and said it was probably due to the fact that most don't have bonfires because of the chance of wildfires and therefore would not roast mallows over an open flame.
Of course Linds and I were already on a tangent about the different kinds of s'mores and what else you could roast over a bonfire and her only response was 'You certainly don't care about how many calories there are do you?' she said with a bit of a chuckle.
Silence.
Linds and I could only stand and stare and think 'Who cares about calories? They're s'mores!!!!'
Ah well.....
We love food too much.
Which brings me to my next point.
I would love to write an ode to bacon wrapped scallops.
It will be called An Ode to Bacon Wrapped Scallops.
I don't know how to write an ode but I'm sure I can figure it out.
I'm also researching a lot about how to make cool, fun, and tasty cocktails. I feel like this would be an acceptable hobby for me when I get home. I could collect all kinds of different glasses and ingredients and at each holiday make themed drinks. And not just alcoholic cocktails but mocktails too, for the kids of course, because most holidays involve family getting together. I don't know. It's an idea.
This post is more of me rambling than anything. Works picked up and we have a lot of fun things planned in the month of june so there will definitely be more posts then.
Linds and I were finishing dinner and talking with our fellow tenant in Jen's house about s'mores. We first asked her if she knew what they were and she said no so we proceeded to tell her all about the gooey chocolate deliciousness. At first she tried to rationalize why most Aussie's wouldn't know about s'mores and said it was probably due to the fact that most don't have bonfires because of the chance of wildfires and therefore would not roast mallows over an open flame.
Of course Linds and I were already on a tangent about the different kinds of s'mores and what else you could roast over a bonfire and her only response was 'You certainly don't care about how many calories there are do you?' she said with a bit of a chuckle.
Silence.
Linds and I could only stand and stare and think 'Who cares about calories? They're s'mores!!!!'
Ah well.....
We love food too much.
Which brings me to my next point.
I would love to write an ode to bacon wrapped scallops.
It will be called An Ode to Bacon Wrapped Scallops.
I don't know how to write an ode but I'm sure I can figure it out.
I'm also researching a lot about how to make cool, fun, and tasty cocktails. I feel like this would be an acceptable hobby for me when I get home. I could collect all kinds of different glasses and ingredients and at each holiday make themed drinks. And not just alcoholic cocktails but mocktails too, for the kids of course, because most holidays involve family getting together. I don't know. It's an idea.
This post is more of me rambling than anything. Works picked up and we have a lot of fun things planned in the month of june so there will definitely be more posts then.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Working in Australia
We really really like working in Australia. Linds and I both have experience back in the States working within the hospitality industry and while not every state and every venue is going to be the same we have noticed some differences.
For example: Working in the States there is always an attitude of 'when you're at work. you. are. at. work. whatever you're supposed doing, you don't socialize or dilly dally or do something else first. and if you've gotten everything you were supposed to do done, then find something else, look busy, clean everything again. make sure you are always moving'
And really when you read that it's all common sense to us like 'yeah of course why would you dilly dally or socialize while working?' but here's the thing.....
Every single place we've worked at has blind sided us with this different view of how to act at work. And there's no way to explain this correctly or make it sound like a big deal at all, because until you actually experience something like this first hand it won't makes sense or even matter at all to you. But it has made an impression on us and that's why I thought I'd share, because it's a very subtle thing but it's also made the biggest impact on us as an employee in hospitality.
Okay so here's the thing, when we show up to work 98% of the people we work with are always happy to see you and greet you and generally feel really good about making you feel comfortable as they show you the ropes. I think it goes back to the culture where most people as a rule treat each new person as a friend until proven otherwise.
Then throughout work we have been told over and over again that we 'work too much' or 'work too hard' and Linds and I have stared at them like they're crazy because we haven't done anything out of the ordinary for us. Most co-workers, and even most of the time it's a supervisor, make it a point to socialize while working. They want to know our names, ages, how we like Australia. I've even had an in-depth conversation about the political and social differences between our two countries and why those work or do not work and whose is better, etc...
The biggest thing though are the breaks. Every single place makes it their personal mission to ensure every person gets at least one break. The airport in Brisbane made sure we got three! (15 minutes at the beginning, 30 minutes to eat, 15 at the end). And even if are not scheduled long enough for an proper 30 minute break we are always told to get a drink, and not just a glass of water, oh no, we're allowed to have any soft drinks, tea, or coffee and take the few minutes in back to chug it down.
Most places also insist that we eat too even if we're not on break yet. It's like if there's leftovers from a platter during a banquet it's common knowledge that it is free game till it's thrown out.
This all seems probably a bit weird and unprofessional but the best part about all of this is...it's not. We all work just as hard, with just as much dedication and motivation. In all honesty I feel even more better about going to work knowing I'll be taken care of. And that makes my attitude better throughout my whole shift which reflects back to the customers.
And again I think that stems back to each nations culture. America has a really big thing about all 'work and no play' is what gives you a better life. Here in Australia there's always a holiday to go on (I mean they took two weeks off for Easter). Travelling is encouraged and life in generally is pretty laid back. In the States I feel like we're pressured to go to school, make it into a good college, get a degree, maybe even a masters, and have a job lined up straight out of graduation.
It's part of the reason I decided to come here with Linds. I didn't want to get stuck somewhere yet. Too worried about finding a job straight away and taking the first one that came up. I still don't feel ready, but I am more excited to get back home and into the field I studied while at college. It'd be nice to start building up experience and learning more about the criminal justice system and how I can help.
Linds is forever stuck in hospitality but she likes it there and I think her experience here in Australia and as a front of house employee will make her a better chef and co-worker in the kitchen.
Anyway, thought I'd share. It's just something that we discuss quite a bit and I didn't do a very good job at explaining but oh well :) at least I tried.
For example: Working in the States there is always an attitude of 'when you're at work. you. are. at. work. whatever you're supposed doing, you don't socialize or dilly dally or do something else first. and if you've gotten everything you were supposed to do done, then find something else, look busy, clean everything again. make sure you are always moving'
And really when you read that it's all common sense to us like 'yeah of course why would you dilly dally or socialize while working?' but here's the thing.....
Every single place we've worked at has blind sided us with this different view of how to act at work. And there's no way to explain this correctly or make it sound like a big deal at all, because until you actually experience something like this first hand it won't makes sense or even matter at all to you. But it has made an impression on us and that's why I thought I'd share, because it's a very subtle thing but it's also made the biggest impact on us as an employee in hospitality.
Okay so here's the thing, when we show up to work 98% of the people we work with are always happy to see you and greet you and generally feel really good about making you feel comfortable as they show you the ropes. I think it goes back to the culture where most people as a rule treat each new person as a friend until proven otherwise.
Then throughout work we have been told over and over again that we 'work too much' or 'work too hard' and Linds and I have stared at them like they're crazy because we haven't done anything out of the ordinary for us. Most co-workers, and even most of the time it's a supervisor, make it a point to socialize while working. They want to know our names, ages, how we like Australia. I've even had an in-depth conversation about the political and social differences between our two countries and why those work or do not work and whose is better, etc...
The biggest thing though are the breaks. Every single place makes it their personal mission to ensure every person gets at least one break. The airport in Brisbane made sure we got three! (15 minutes at the beginning, 30 minutes to eat, 15 at the end). And even if are not scheduled long enough for an proper 30 minute break we are always told to get a drink, and not just a glass of water, oh no, we're allowed to have any soft drinks, tea, or coffee and take the few minutes in back to chug it down.
Most places also insist that we eat too even if we're not on break yet. It's like if there's leftovers from a platter during a banquet it's common knowledge that it is free game till it's thrown out.
This all seems probably a bit weird and unprofessional but the best part about all of this is...it's not. We all work just as hard, with just as much dedication and motivation. In all honesty I feel even more better about going to work knowing I'll be taken care of. And that makes my attitude better throughout my whole shift which reflects back to the customers.
And again I think that stems back to each nations culture. America has a really big thing about all 'work and no play' is what gives you a better life. Here in Australia there's always a holiday to go on (I mean they took two weeks off for Easter). Travelling is encouraged and life in generally is pretty laid back. In the States I feel like we're pressured to go to school, make it into a good college, get a degree, maybe even a masters, and have a job lined up straight out of graduation.
It's part of the reason I decided to come here with Linds. I didn't want to get stuck somewhere yet. Too worried about finding a job straight away and taking the first one that came up. I still don't feel ready, but I am more excited to get back home and into the field I studied while at college. It'd be nice to start building up experience and learning more about the criminal justice system and how I can help.
Linds is forever stuck in hospitality but she likes it there and I think her experience here in Australia and as a front of house employee will make her a better chef and co-worker in the kitchen.
Anyway, thought I'd share. It's just something that we discuss quite a bit and I didn't do a very good job at explaining but oh well :) at least I tried.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Some Silliness and Some Seriousness
Month 6, week 3, and however many days. Just when we we in agreement that living together was not hard, we were never really tired of being around each other all the time, and reading each other's mind was a common occurrence daily....it happened.
Brittney snapped.
There were tears.
And I just now realized I've been changing point of views faster than a chicken running around with its head cut off (that's a real southern saying. i googled it).
Anyway, it's been raining here for the past two days nonstop. I normally think the sound of rain was soothing, but there's a tin roof part and chimney right by our bedrooms and the tinkling sound is more irritating than soothing. There's also a leak in my ceiling which scared us both half to death the other day. I've moved into Lindsey's room for the time being.
We've exhausted all our tv shows. Caught up on Arrow, Castle, Criminal Minds, Big Bang Theory, Supernatural, and Shield for Me. And we've even gone out to the movies twice now! First to see Captain America 2: Winter Soldier and then to see Divergent.
Now we're moving onto books. Which may not be the best idea cuz we seem to have the least patience for stories that don't go our way.
Case in point....Linds has been yelling intermittently over the past four hours as she's burned her way through one book and has started the sequel. It's kind of entertaining actually. The two books I read the other day started off fine and ended in a great big ball of fire. The whole plot fell apart with consistent characterization used as the kindling. BOOM!
I'm just waiting for the fourth book in the Game of Thrones series to become available through the library and am going to through myself into the world of Stephen King until that day arrives. I've never actually read anything by him before so this should be interesting.
So that brings us up to how I, Brittney, snapped. Complete loss of all sanity. There was nothing left to do but laugh hysterically as Lindsey burped so loud it shook the bed and reverberated off the walls.
Laugh and laugh and laugh :)
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I have this favorite spot in the house. It's right at the top of the stairs. There is a floor to ceiling window only about two feet wide that faces in the direction of downtown Melbourne. I like staring off at the city all lit up at night. We're high enough that there's no houses or trees to block the view and it feels like I'm looking out of the turrets of a castle at this far off glittering city.
Sometimes I'll catch the view as the sun sets, or on a clear night with stars hanging in the sky and the moon shining off to the side, or, like today, when it was so cloudy and misty from the rain that you could barely see the outlines of the skyscrapers but you knew they were still there.
I've been trying to take pictures of the view but I just can't seem to capture the feeling of space and depth and colors right. Because when I take a picture the city is too far away you can't make out the details of the buildings like I can just by looking out the window. And it doesn't capture the fact that I'm standing at the top of the steps surrounded by darkness and silence and just watching the lights of the city and thinking that it's like a living breathing being.
If only I could paint I'd probably be able to do it better.
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I've also started treating facebook like a blog lately and I'm sorry for that, but there's just so much I want to share!
For example, there's this waltz Anthony Hopkins (the actor) wrote like 50 years ago and never gave it to anyone until recently and there's a video of this orchestra playing it for the first time and half of the video centers on Anthony Hopkins' face as he listens to it played for an audience of hundreds of people that just can't stop themselves from smiling and dancing. It's amazing! The Waltz Goes On
And then there's this list of examples where artists have used social experiments as an explanation for art (or it might be the other way around) and some are cool (#1) and some are a bit idiotic, but there are three that are really disturbing when it comes to what human beings will and will not do to another. http://listverse.com/2013/05/31/8-crazy-experiments-passed-off-as-art/ If you want to read it the three I'm talking about are numbers 8, 6, and 4.
Oh! and Cassidy is going on a trip with the Timmy Foundation to the Dominican Republic in June! How awesome is that?!!! Not to mention she's graduating high school in two months :)
Lindsey let me cut veggies tonight for dinner and I made brownies and cookie dough for dessert. I didn't mess anything up either which is a good start.
We also watched A Far Off Place last night which brought back so many memories! I'm pretty sure Aunt Susan introduced us to that one :) I distinctly remember laughing until I cried when the kids steal the Ostrich egg and are being chased by Mama Ostrich. The Lilo and Stitch movie made an appearance too and if that isn't the funniest/cutest movie ever! It's very interesting re-watching movies as an adult after not having seen them for a while. They're still really entertaining and I get more jokes now and the story lines are even more meaningful. And now I'm getting off topic, but that's a common theme with these posts. I just start typing and next thing you know I'm jumping all over the place.
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That's pretty much it for now. The most exciting thing all week was free ice cream cone day at Ben and Jerry's and we got two cones! Chocolate Therapy is my new favorite flavor. It definitely worked wonders :)
As always, thank you for the love and support. We miss everyone and love you bunches xoxoxoxo
Britt and Linds
Brittney snapped.
There were tears.
And I just now realized I've been changing point of views faster than a chicken running around with its head cut off (that's a real southern saying. i googled it).
Anyway, it's been raining here for the past two days nonstop. I normally think the sound of rain was soothing, but there's a tin roof part and chimney right by our bedrooms and the tinkling sound is more irritating than soothing. There's also a leak in my ceiling which scared us both half to death the other day. I've moved into Lindsey's room for the time being.
We've exhausted all our tv shows. Caught up on Arrow, Castle, Criminal Minds, Big Bang Theory, Supernatural, and Shield for Me. And we've even gone out to the movies twice now! First to see Captain America 2: Winter Soldier and then to see Divergent.
Now we're moving onto books. Which may not be the best idea cuz we seem to have the least patience for stories that don't go our way.
Case in point....Linds has been yelling intermittently over the past four hours as she's burned her way through one book and has started the sequel. It's kind of entertaining actually. The two books I read the other day started off fine and ended in a great big ball of fire. The whole plot fell apart with consistent characterization used as the kindling. BOOM!
I'm just waiting for the fourth book in the Game of Thrones series to become available through the library and am going to through myself into the world of Stephen King until that day arrives. I've never actually read anything by him before so this should be interesting.
So that brings us up to how I, Brittney, snapped. Complete loss of all sanity. There was nothing left to do but laugh hysterically as Lindsey burped so loud it shook the bed and reverberated off the walls.
Laugh and laugh and laugh :)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have this favorite spot in the house. It's right at the top of the stairs. There is a floor to ceiling window only about two feet wide that faces in the direction of downtown Melbourne. I like staring off at the city all lit up at night. We're high enough that there's no houses or trees to block the view and it feels like I'm looking out of the turrets of a castle at this far off glittering city.
Sometimes I'll catch the view as the sun sets, or on a clear night with stars hanging in the sky and the moon shining off to the side, or, like today, when it was so cloudy and misty from the rain that you could barely see the outlines of the skyscrapers but you knew they were still there.
I've been trying to take pictures of the view but I just can't seem to capture the feeling of space and depth and colors right. Because when I take a picture the city is too far away you can't make out the details of the buildings like I can just by looking out the window. And it doesn't capture the fact that I'm standing at the top of the steps surrounded by darkness and silence and just watching the lights of the city and thinking that it's like a living breathing being.
If only I could paint I'd probably be able to do it better.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I've also started treating facebook like a blog lately and I'm sorry for that, but there's just so much I want to share!
For example, there's this waltz Anthony Hopkins (the actor) wrote like 50 years ago and never gave it to anyone until recently and there's a video of this orchestra playing it for the first time and half of the video centers on Anthony Hopkins' face as he listens to it played for an audience of hundreds of people that just can't stop themselves from smiling and dancing. It's amazing! The Waltz Goes On
And then there's this list of examples where artists have used social experiments as an explanation for art (or it might be the other way around) and some are cool (#1) and some are a bit idiotic, but there are three that are really disturbing when it comes to what human beings will and will not do to another. http://listverse.com/2013/05/31/8-crazy-experiments-passed-off-as-art/ If you want to read it the three I'm talking about are numbers 8, 6, and 4.
Oh! and Cassidy is going on a trip with the Timmy Foundation to the Dominican Republic in June! How awesome is that?!!! Not to mention she's graduating high school in two months :)
Lindsey let me cut veggies tonight for dinner and I made brownies and cookie dough for dessert. I didn't mess anything up either which is a good start.
We also watched A Far Off Place last night which brought back so many memories! I'm pretty sure Aunt Susan introduced us to that one :) I distinctly remember laughing until I cried when the kids steal the Ostrich egg and are being chased by Mama Ostrich. The Lilo and Stitch movie made an appearance too and if that isn't the funniest/cutest movie ever! It's very interesting re-watching movies as an adult after not having seen them for a while. They're still really entertaining and I get more jokes now and the story lines are even more meaningful. And now I'm getting off topic, but that's a common theme with these posts. I just start typing and next thing you know I'm jumping all over the place.
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That's pretty much it for now. The most exciting thing all week was free ice cream cone day at Ben and Jerry's and we got two cones! Chocolate Therapy is my new favorite flavor. It definitely worked wonders :)
As always, thank you for the love and support. We miss everyone and love you bunches xoxoxoxo
Britt and Linds
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
All the blurry video's!!!!
St. Patrick's Day
Soo I told Linds that if worked called and asked if I was available I would say no on St. Patrick's Day so we could go out and have dinner in an Irish Pub. Unfortunately, I have a problem saying no to people, especially work, so I ended up working.
So we had brunch at an Irish pub instead :) A full on Irish breakfast with the best tasting rasher bacon. Linds tried the black pudding while I refused. I just can't do it, it's gross. Anyway, this year's St. Paddy's day passed by quietly. Not too many Irish here in Australia (or Melbourne at least).
Managing to get lots of work so far (even if one shift gets cancelled it's almost guaranteed you'll pick up an even longer shift the next day).
Lindsey spent almost an entire day making lists and calendars and budgets for us while researching possible travel options. We have so many travelling plans that are actually possible now and it's super exciting! She's also able to cook now that we have a kitchen to do it in and are able to go to the store when we want. I think I'm spoiled.
Anyways, here's some of our pics from brunch :)
So we had brunch at an Irish pub instead :) A full on Irish breakfast with the best tasting rasher bacon. Linds tried the black pudding while I refused. I just can't do it, it's gross. Anyway, this year's St. Paddy's day passed by quietly. Not too many Irish here in Australia (or Melbourne at least).
Managing to get lots of work so far (even if one shift gets cancelled it's almost guaranteed you'll pick up an even longer shift the next day).
Lindsey spent almost an entire day making lists and calendars and budgets for us while researching possible travel options. We have so many travelling plans that are actually possible now and it's super exciting! She's also able to cook now that we have a kitchen to do it in and are able to go to the store when we want. I think I'm spoiled.
Anyways, here's some of our pics from brunch :)
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Half way!
So we're halfway done :) nearly 6 months have gone by since we arrived in Australia and now we're here in Melbourne.
The first three days were a bit stressful. Linds and I stayed in a hostel the first 3 nights so that we could look for places to rent and actually visit the rooms first (a very good idea) and get through transferring our files from Pinnacle.
It was actually one of the best hostels I've ever stayed at. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but it used to be a hotel way back when which is why it made such a great hostel. The place is called Nomads All Nation Backpackers. the only downside was no elevator but alas we've gotten used to roping random passerbys (always a guy) to help us carry our duffels :D
the place was great and super helpful. (also had some of the cleanest bathrooms in a hostel ever!)
That was probably one of the things that kept us sane because our room search was not working out. Most places would be taken by the time someone could get back to use, the bonds were always super high (round $800-$1500...ew). We went to see three places.
Behind curtain #1! this apartment was above a pizza restaurant with four other rooms holding 6 other people. We would make 8. the guy also said there wasn't a bond (yay!) but that we had to pay $900 upfront plus start paying rent but that we'd get that $900 back............dude that's pretty much a bond (even though you're not using a bond agency that's still a security deposit) ugh
#2 this place had a really big and nice room. unfortunately there were 10 other people living in this house and we would have to pay a $700 bond plus first weeks rent $370 plus $75 for cleaning deposit (ugh)
#3 pretty house, very nice lady, so big and spacious and our own upstairs with room and bathroom (I was already sold) plus it had the lowest bond we'd ever seen and weekly rent which includes unlimited wi-fi and all bills.
Guess which one wet took :) It was the last day in our hostel and we were desperate but also we got a good deal.
So, we metaphorically shook on it, Linds and I spent our last night back at the hostel, then spent Friday in our Victoria RSA (responsible service of alcohol) class, then dropped all our documents and stuff at pinnacle before moving in :) yay!
Unfortunately we hit a bit of a snag because the lady at pinnacle we talked to on Friday misunderstood us and our desperation for work right away and told us even if we didn't pay for a police background check to work for one of their main clients, Crown, we would still get work....yeah, no, we spent four days waiting for a call and didn't get one.
So, Wednesday morning Linds called and spoke to someone else and she basically said if we could scrape together enough money to pay for the background check she could give us both work the next day. So we scrambled to put on clothes, jumped on the train, and spent 3 more hours filling out a background check and going through two inductions. But in the end we got a lot of work for the next 3 days :) We'll have a combined check of $1000 for next weeks paycheck since the end of the week is Sunday. That should cover rent, student loans, another food run, and starting our saving up again.
Today has been our good turn about day :) We both worked this morning and Linds had a double shift so she's at her second job today now. She's gonna be tired but this morning was super easy and fun so I think she'll be good. Besides it's nothing like her 16 hour day doing the Soundwave festival (that was so hard).
Also.....for those of you who know about Game of Thrones (either the books or the show) prepare yourselves (or not cuz I already posted pics on facebook)
The Iron Throne came to Melbourne today on it's tour through Australia to promote season 4 :) Linds and I were gearing up for it and freaked out when we had to work today. But we got up early (shocker I know) and made our way to Federation Square (right across the street from the main train station) and the whole time Linds kept asking 'Okay, it's either not set up yet or there will be a ton of people. Which do you think?' and I honestly couldn't say. I wasn't going to get my hopes up that we'd get to see it let alone take pictures but what do you know? It was there :D There were just finishing setting up and there was barely a crowd! I mean Linds and I were in our work uniforms but we were only like 10th in line! guys! we sat on the iron throne :D spleeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!
The first three days were a bit stressful. Linds and I stayed in a hostel the first 3 nights so that we could look for places to rent and actually visit the rooms first (a very good idea) and get through transferring our files from Pinnacle.
It was actually one of the best hostels I've ever stayed at. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but it used to be a hotel way back when which is why it made such a great hostel. The place is called Nomads All Nation Backpackers. the only downside was no elevator but alas we've gotten used to roping random passerbys (always a guy) to help us carry our duffels :D
the place was great and super helpful. (also had some of the cleanest bathrooms in a hostel ever!)
That was probably one of the things that kept us sane because our room search was not working out. Most places would be taken by the time someone could get back to use, the bonds were always super high (round $800-$1500...ew). We went to see three places.
Behind curtain #1! this apartment was above a pizza restaurant with four other rooms holding 6 other people. We would make 8. the guy also said there wasn't a bond (yay!) but that we had to pay $900 upfront plus start paying rent but that we'd get that $900 back............dude that's pretty much a bond (even though you're not using a bond agency that's still a security deposit) ugh
#2 this place had a really big and nice room. unfortunately there were 10 other people living in this house and we would have to pay a $700 bond plus first weeks rent $370 plus $75 for cleaning deposit (ugh)
#3 pretty house, very nice lady, so big and spacious and our own upstairs with room and bathroom (I was already sold) plus it had the lowest bond we'd ever seen and weekly rent which includes unlimited wi-fi and all bills.
Guess which one wet took :) It was the last day in our hostel and we were desperate but also we got a good deal.
So, we metaphorically shook on it, Linds and I spent our last night back at the hostel, then spent Friday in our Victoria RSA (responsible service of alcohol) class, then dropped all our documents and stuff at pinnacle before moving in :) yay!
Unfortunately we hit a bit of a snag because the lady at pinnacle we talked to on Friday misunderstood us and our desperation for work right away and told us even if we didn't pay for a police background check to work for one of their main clients, Crown, we would still get work....yeah, no, we spent four days waiting for a call and didn't get one.
So, Wednesday morning Linds called and spoke to someone else and she basically said if we could scrape together enough money to pay for the background check she could give us both work the next day. So we scrambled to put on clothes, jumped on the train, and spent 3 more hours filling out a background check and going through two inductions. But in the end we got a lot of work for the next 3 days :) We'll have a combined check of $1000 for next weeks paycheck since the end of the week is Sunday. That should cover rent, student loans, another food run, and starting our saving up again.
Today has been our good turn about day :) We both worked this morning and Linds had a double shift so she's at her second job today now. She's gonna be tired but this morning was super easy and fun so I think she'll be good. Besides it's nothing like her 16 hour day doing the Soundwave festival (that was so hard).
Also.....for those of you who know about Game of Thrones (either the books or the show) prepare yourselves (or not cuz I already posted pics on facebook)
The Iron Throne came to Melbourne today on it's tour through Australia to promote season 4 :) Linds and I were gearing up for it and freaked out when we had to work today. But we got up early (shocker I know) and made our way to Federation Square (right across the street from the main train station) and the whole time Linds kept asking 'Okay, it's either not set up yet or there will be a ton of people. Which do you think?' and I honestly couldn't say. I wasn't going to get my hopes up that we'd get to see it let alone take pictures but what do you know? It was there :D There were just finishing setting up and there was barely a crowd! I mean Linds and I were in our work uniforms but we were only like 10th in line! guys! we sat on the iron throne :D spleeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!
I also uploaded some new pictures from my phone. I tend to take a lot of better pics from there cuz it's easier to get out and put away so make sure you guys check those out on facebook. Mom has reminded me that I need to label them better. I tend to forget sometimes not everyone is here with me :) Sorry!
Anyways, this is a start of a good last half of our journey and adventure here in Australia. Work is going to be good now that we've got a start, the city is pretty cool with lots to do, we have a few friends from the island here, and we have a good roof over our heads (with a few puppies to give us kisses when we need them). Our plan is to hunker down for the next 3 months, work a lot, and save up so we can do some more fun things in June, July, and August (not too mention maybe a trip as we leave Australia, hopefully to Asia, but if not it'll definitely be to Hawaii).
As we've said before, thank you for your love and support! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Brittney and Lindsey
Till Next Time :)
Monday, February 24, 2014
A New Post: The Musical
Opening scene: Lindsey and Brittney are walking throughout Brisbane. Along sidewalks, crossing streets, over (and under) a few bridges, up hills, down hills, a few parks were foraged through, and last, but not least, standing with the wind whipping their hair back from their faces as the ferry ferries them along the river.
In the background you can hear Disney's Hercules I Can Go The Distance playing..."I will find my way. I can go the distance. I'll be there someday. If I can be strong. I know every mile, will be worth my while. I can go most anywhere to feeeeel like I.....beloooooooooong." (mostly sung as we made our way back home and to our bed)
this was a lot funnier on four hours of sleep and limping home after work today. but inspiration struck and you will now be subjected to a blog post containing a lot of music/movie/tv show references. maybe a few links if your lucky.
Soooooo, a quick update as to the major events since last post:
1) Moved to Brisbane (officially)
2) Started working (sporadically)
3) When not working marathoning tv shows aka. Arrow, Game of Thrones, Supernatural
4) Dad and Kathy (and friends) arrived! Which meant a lot of walking to show them around, Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo (honestly there were tears involved at one point), and the Gold Coast sunburn laying at the beach (only Brittney was sunburned cuz she's a dork and fell asleep)
5) Work!!!! soooo much work (at least compared to the two months of nothing)
A more elaborated version....
1) Moved to Brisbane
We are in this really cool Queenslander house with a couple soon moving to Denmark, their german shephard, and two french girls. Some drawbacks to our room include rare use of AirCon and loud noises waking us before 8, which for me is unacceptable and makes me cranky. For example, hammering, jet spraying water on the windows to clean them, a weed whacker in place of a mower, the grating caw of a crow just outside our window, motorcyclists who rev the engine till their screaming past along the street. The list goes on.
But we can walk practically anywhere (unless working at the airport) which has saved us a lot and gives us more freedom to do whatever. We've practically seen all of Brisbane from the streets and river.
2) Work
Pinnacle People is a temporary work agency that gives you a call or text when a client/venue needs more help. You let them know if you're available and bam! work schedule commences. Most of the time we don't know until the day of but we were lucky this past weekend to schedule a full three days of work (even better cuz two of those days were on the weekend which pays round $30 an hour)
But our feet hurt which leads me to song #2!
As adapted from Les Mis: RED! the blood that stains our feet! BLACK! the color of our skin! RED! the color of our burns! BLACK! the color of our uniforms!!!!!!
hehehehehehehe again it was funnier earlier (also embellished a bit. we're not actually bleeding or too bruised. but we do have to wear all black most of the time and our feet certainly feel bruised and I did get a pretty good burn scar so.....)
3) Marathoning tv shows
self explanatory really
but here I will add links to songs we've been listening to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avikdfBO9rw Pompeii by Bastille
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-TE_Ys4iwM Story of My Life by One Direction (really the video is so adorable)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjwZAa2EjKA Uncondiontally by Katy Perry (music video is the best ever)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2U0Ivkn2Ds Say Something by A Great Big World ft. Christina Aguilera (actually pretty sad song add watching the vid and tears!)
Song list isn't as great as the one before but still thought I'd share.
4) Dad and Kathy!!!
Linds practically ran the whole 30 mins it took to walk to their hotel. We didn't even have a set time to meet. We just guessed and started walking and of course we're awesome so we got there right as they finished checking in. Got the best hugs :)
It was weird though because it almost felt like any other weekend when we would go over to Dad's or go on a vacation. Will probably feel different when we actually have to say bye in Sydney but in Brisbane we just got to hang out and show them our favorite spots. (Although Linds and I didn't realize how much we rely on walking till we kept taking taxi's home every night)
Steve Irwin's Zoo was pretty cool. The exhibits were so big for the animals to move around in and you could get super close to them at the same time, the koalas and kangaroos for instance. (which reminds me, I need to upload my photos!)
We saw the Croc show in the Crocoseum and they played a video of Steve Irwin talking about how amazing wildlife is and wanting to share it and how amazing his life is because he gets to teach and be a part of this whole big movement getting people involved and learning about wildlife and the whole thing just hit pretty hard cuz here was this amazing guy who just loved what he was doing in life and loved his family and the fact that we were sitting in a place he was a part of and so invested in was really mind blowing. The whole show was pretty amazing too :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE1HDSipRxU
5) Working
Saturday: The Soundwave Festival (dozens and dozens of bands at the RNA showgrounds). Linds had to be there at 6 am until 11 pm. I only had to do 11-11. Long day but pretty cool to be a part of. Everyone was super nice too. We helped cater behind the scenes to band members, crew, staff, security, etc...
Cass offically hates us cuz I met one of her favorite band members from A Day to Remember.
Sunday: I took Linds' shift at the airport cuz she worked longer Sat so that was a good 9 hours. I got off at 9:15, caught the train at 9:30, was home by 10:15 and in bed after a much needed shower and food around 11:30. Then awake again at 3:30 just to go straight back, with Linds in tow this time.
Monday: Another 8 hours for both of us this time. We really can't wait to get paid come Friday :)
That kinda brings us to now. Tired and amazed we actually managed to get up this morning. If anyone knows us it's that we can sleep in quite a bit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0iw89L6aFo
Anyway, that's what's been going on. We are leaving Brisbane behind and heading for Sydney of Thursday (two days away). After that it's off to Melbourne (been trying to find a place to live but it's proving difficult without being able to inspect places so we are going to wait till we are there). Hopefully transferring our Pinnacle files won't be too much of a hassle and maybe Linds will get an actual chef position (she's already been contacted by a few people!)
fun excerpt: Sunday night Linds made me some food (well for both of us actually) while I took a shower and as I sat down she said she got me a surprise. She pulled out a giant Pepsi bottle. I was so happy :) Caffeine!!!! it's the simple things in life
extra fun excerpt: we went to this Eat Streets Market (similar to a Farmer's Market) a ferry ride away but every food vendor or crafts vendor was in a shipping container and there were some piled on another to make it feel like you were walking through a maze of them. So much good food there and live music. We were in heaven really. I splurged and bought a book for $8 and Linds and I split a Brie and Pear Crepe, so delicious.
In the background you can hear Disney's Hercules I Can Go The Distance playing..."I will find my way. I can go the distance. I'll be there someday. If I can be strong. I know every mile, will be worth my while. I can go most anywhere to feeeeel like I.....beloooooooooong." (mostly sung as we made our way back home and to our bed)
this was a lot funnier on four hours of sleep and limping home after work today. but inspiration struck and you will now be subjected to a blog post containing a lot of music/movie/tv show references. maybe a few links if your lucky.
Soooooo, a quick update as to the major events since last post:
1) Moved to Brisbane (officially)
2) Started working (sporadically)
3) When not working marathoning tv shows aka. Arrow, Game of Thrones, Supernatural
4) Dad and Kathy (and friends) arrived! Which meant a lot of walking to show them around, Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo (honestly there were tears involved at one point), and the Gold Coast sunburn laying at the beach (only Brittney was sunburned cuz she's a dork and fell asleep)
5) Work!!!! soooo much work (at least compared to the two months of nothing)
A more elaborated version....
1) Moved to Brisbane
We are in this really cool Queenslander house with a couple soon moving to Denmark, their german shephard, and two french girls. Some drawbacks to our room include rare use of AirCon and loud noises waking us before 8, which for me is unacceptable and makes me cranky. For example, hammering, jet spraying water on the windows to clean them, a weed whacker in place of a mower, the grating caw of a crow just outside our window, motorcyclists who rev the engine till their screaming past along the street. The list goes on.
But we can walk practically anywhere (unless working at the airport) which has saved us a lot and gives us more freedom to do whatever. We've practically seen all of Brisbane from the streets and river.
2) Work
Pinnacle People is a temporary work agency that gives you a call or text when a client/venue needs more help. You let them know if you're available and bam! work schedule commences. Most of the time we don't know until the day of but we were lucky this past weekend to schedule a full three days of work (even better cuz two of those days were on the weekend which pays round $30 an hour)
But our feet hurt which leads me to song #2!
As adapted from Les Mis: RED! the blood that stains our feet! BLACK! the color of our skin! RED! the color of our burns! BLACK! the color of our uniforms!!!!!!
hehehehehehehe again it was funnier earlier (also embellished a bit. we're not actually bleeding or too bruised. but we do have to wear all black most of the time and our feet certainly feel bruised and I did get a pretty good burn scar so.....)
3) Marathoning tv shows
self explanatory really
but here I will add links to songs we've been listening to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avikdfBO9rw Pompeii by Bastille
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-TE_Ys4iwM Story of My Life by One Direction (really the video is so adorable)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjwZAa2EjKA Uncondiontally by Katy Perry (music video is the best ever)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2U0Ivkn2Ds Say Something by A Great Big World ft. Christina Aguilera (actually pretty sad song add watching the vid and tears!)
Song list isn't as great as the one before but still thought I'd share.
4) Dad and Kathy!!!
Linds practically ran the whole 30 mins it took to walk to their hotel. We didn't even have a set time to meet. We just guessed and started walking and of course we're awesome so we got there right as they finished checking in. Got the best hugs :)
It was weird though because it almost felt like any other weekend when we would go over to Dad's or go on a vacation. Will probably feel different when we actually have to say bye in Sydney but in Brisbane we just got to hang out and show them our favorite spots. (Although Linds and I didn't realize how much we rely on walking till we kept taking taxi's home every night)
Steve Irwin's Zoo was pretty cool. The exhibits were so big for the animals to move around in and you could get super close to them at the same time, the koalas and kangaroos for instance. (which reminds me, I need to upload my photos!)
We saw the Croc show in the Crocoseum and they played a video of Steve Irwin talking about how amazing wildlife is and wanting to share it and how amazing his life is because he gets to teach and be a part of this whole big movement getting people involved and learning about wildlife and the whole thing just hit pretty hard cuz here was this amazing guy who just loved what he was doing in life and loved his family and the fact that we were sitting in a place he was a part of and so invested in was really mind blowing. The whole show was pretty amazing too :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE1HDSipRxU
5) Working
Saturday: The Soundwave Festival (dozens and dozens of bands at the RNA showgrounds). Linds had to be there at 6 am until 11 pm. I only had to do 11-11. Long day but pretty cool to be a part of. Everyone was super nice too. We helped cater behind the scenes to band members, crew, staff, security, etc...
Cass offically hates us cuz I met one of her favorite band members from A Day to Remember.
Sunday: I took Linds' shift at the airport cuz she worked longer Sat so that was a good 9 hours. I got off at 9:15, caught the train at 9:30, was home by 10:15 and in bed after a much needed shower and food around 11:30. Then awake again at 3:30 just to go straight back, with Linds in tow this time.
Monday: Another 8 hours for both of us this time. We really can't wait to get paid come Friday :)
That kinda brings us to now. Tired and amazed we actually managed to get up this morning. If anyone knows us it's that we can sleep in quite a bit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0iw89L6aFo
Anyway, that's what's been going on. We are leaving Brisbane behind and heading for Sydney of Thursday (two days away). After that it's off to Melbourne (been trying to find a place to live but it's proving difficult without being able to inspect places so we are going to wait till we are there). Hopefully transferring our Pinnacle files won't be too much of a hassle and maybe Linds will get an actual chef position (she's already been contacted by a few people!)
fun excerpt: Sunday night Linds made me some food (well for both of us actually) while I took a shower and as I sat down she said she got me a surprise. She pulled out a giant Pepsi bottle. I was so happy :) Caffeine!!!! it's the simple things in life
extra fun excerpt: we went to this Eat Streets Market (similar to a Farmer's Market) a ferry ride away but every food vendor or crafts vendor was in a shipping container and there were some piled on another to make it feel like you were walking through a maze of them. So much good food there and live music. We were in heaven really. I splurged and bought a book for $8 and Linds and I split a Brie and Pear Crepe, so delicious.
As always, thank you for the love and support.
We love you!!!!
Britt and Linds xoxoxoxoxox
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Christmas, New Years, and job searching
Merry Christmas and Happy New Years!
It's been awhile hasn't it? but I will try my best to think back and update all of you on our holidays in Australia :)
Jeff's mother and father are amazing and were so welcoming. We are very blessed to have this wonderful family take us in for the holidays. Christmas was a strange affair for Linds and I though with no snow, no pre-TSO music blasting, and no fondue, but we made do.... :D We did get to go to mass on Christmas Eve and that made us really happy. Jeff's nephews are also fun to be around and we got to meet them a few times. Christmas involved opening presents and a lunch/dinner buffet on the front verandah. As most of you probably saw our pictures we also all have paper crown hats on our heads...yes that's a traditional thing here :)
Mostly the two weeks after leaving Daydream we've been pretty busy visiting new towns, shopping for presents, and actually going to the movies (finally!). Jeff lives near a town called Canungra and it's mostly at the base of a mountain area. The towns up on top of Mount Tambourine remind us of Gatlinburg a lot! We've also traveled to the Gold Coast a few times to shop and go to the beach. There was even a day we went to a waterfall up on the mountain and laid in the small creek on some rocks for a while one day to just cool off.
We've also experienced a new lifestyle being at Jeff's parents house. It's a bit out of the way so it's quiet and more wildlife can be seen. We've seen kangaroos hop through the yard, fed the exotic parrots and other birds (see facebook pictures), listened to kookaburra's laughing (creeeepyyyyyy), and watched a few foxes trot through the yard (soooo coool), and apparently there are koala's and we've heard them but we have yet to see them (oh well). OH! also Jeff and I saw an owl! (Linds and Amelia were in Brizzy).
By the way, Brisbane (aka Brizzy) is awesome. We really really like Brizzy. It's super clean and there are so many options for public transportation. It reminds us of a smaller cleaner Chicago with the river running through it and the different neighborhoods. We're trying to find a job in the middle of the city in order to rent a place so it's easy enough for us to do whatever we want when we want. While we've been so very lucky to be able to stay with Jeff and his parents we are also very very dependent on all of them for transportation and food which is starting to really get to Linds and I. (job searching pretty heavily this morning as a result)
But I'm getting ahead of myself.....New Years!
Linds was pretty adamant about having a proper New Years. Finally out of school and able to spend a few nights in a city made for a wonderful New Years Eve (NYE). We were able to spend two and a half days and two nights in New Farm, Brisbane. That gave us the opportunity to explore Brizzy to our content. We shopped for a proper dress for me (because apparently Linds said I needed one) and got a b-day present for Jeff (he's part child so we got him some juggling balls), and we spoiled ourselves by doing a double feature at the cinema :) (Hobbit was amazing!)
NYE was spent at Kangaroo Point, a cliff point overlooking the river to watch the fireworks and at Alfred and Constance, a tiki bar close-ish to our accomodation that was free to get into for the night. It was a cool little place that didn't get too crowded but had enough of a party crowd to mingle and dance with. It even had taxi's come up regularly through out the night that we didn't have to walk back after having danced the night away :)
The next day I, Brittney, took a train back towards Jeff's where he picked me up and Linds met up with Amelia to try out a kitchen job north of Brizzy (unfortunately that didn't work out too well).
Now that the holidays and b-days are over it's been pretty uneventful...save for the scorching heat! It's been over 100 degree's for the past couple days and yesterday got over 120 degrees! all we could really do was sit or sleep in front of a fan all day and chew on ice. I put a wet washcloth in the freezer and took it out every now and again to put on the back of my neck. While I don't like the snow it would feel really nice right about now.
So that's been our life for the last 3 weeks. An adopted family Christmas, a fun NYE in the city, and now job searching. So far we hadn't applied for much as we thought a job at a hotel was going to work out for all four of us and a place to stay for free opened up but after a week of waiting, interviewing, and waiting some more it all fell to pieces. So, it's back to our original plan. Linds and I are applying for any front of house, kitchen (linds), and even receptionist at hotels in Brizzy so that we can get our own place to stay until at least April.
At the moment we are feeling a little frustrated and pressured, but looking back I cannot see us taking any other journey. Daydream was getting too miserable for us and I think we had a wonderful holiday with friends that we desperately needed. But now it's time to get back on our feet and get back to work.
Jeff and Amelia are in Brizzy for the weekend and thankfully Jeff lent us the use of his car so we are able to come into town whenever we need, which is why we are spending a few hours at the local cafe with free wireless internet :D Just applied to about 5-6 jobs each in Brizzy, caught up with our emails, and just having some fun browsing for a little while. Not much to do back at the house other than read (oh and apparently watch cricket.....we really don't like cricket). I've finished quite a few books while staying at Jeff's. I'll actually list them for you cuz they were all pretty good!
1) Ken Follet's A Night Over Water (really should be made into a movie, it would be awesome)
2) Court of the Air (really really only for those who like fantasy steampunk sci-fi. pretty full on story)
3) The Parasol Protectorate series (I finally finished book 4 and 5. For those who like 19th century London society but with werewolves, vampires, and ghosts thrown into the mix)
4) American Gods by Neil Gaiman (AMAZING!!!!!) gosh I love Neil Gaiman
Welp, that's all folks :) Thank you for all your love and support and we hope you are all safe and sound with the weather out there!
Love Brit and Linds
It's been awhile hasn't it? but I will try my best to think back and update all of you on our holidays in Australia :)
Jeff's mother and father are amazing and were so welcoming. We are very blessed to have this wonderful family take us in for the holidays. Christmas was a strange affair for Linds and I though with no snow, no pre-TSO music blasting, and no fondue, but we made do.... :D We did get to go to mass on Christmas Eve and that made us really happy. Jeff's nephews are also fun to be around and we got to meet them a few times. Christmas involved opening presents and a lunch/dinner buffet on the front verandah. As most of you probably saw our pictures we also all have paper crown hats on our heads...yes that's a traditional thing here :)
Mostly the two weeks after leaving Daydream we've been pretty busy visiting new towns, shopping for presents, and actually going to the movies (finally!). Jeff lives near a town called Canungra and it's mostly at the base of a mountain area. The towns up on top of Mount Tambourine remind us of Gatlinburg a lot! We've also traveled to the Gold Coast a few times to shop and go to the beach. There was even a day we went to a waterfall up on the mountain and laid in the small creek on some rocks for a while one day to just cool off.
We've also experienced a new lifestyle being at Jeff's parents house. It's a bit out of the way so it's quiet and more wildlife can be seen. We've seen kangaroos hop through the yard, fed the exotic parrots and other birds (see facebook pictures), listened to kookaburra's laughing (creeeepyyyyyy), and watched a few foxes trot through the yard (soooo coool), and apparently there are koala's and we've heard them but we have yet to see them (oh well). OH! also Jeff and I saw an owl! (Linds and Amelia were in Brizzy).
By the way, Brisbane (aka Brizzy) is awesome. We really really like Brizzy. It's super clean and there are so many options for public transportation. It reminds us of a smaller cleaner Chicago with the river running through it and the different neighborhoods. We're trying to find a job in the middle of the city in order to rent a place so it's easy enough for us to do whatever we want when we want. While we've been so very lucky to be able to stay with Jeff and his parents we are also very very dependent on all of them for transportation and food which is starting to really get to Linds and I. (job searching pretty heavily this morning as a result)
But I'm getting ahead of myself.....New Years!
Linds was pretty adamant about having a proper New Years. Finally out of school and able to spend a few nights in a city made for a wonderful New Years Eve (NYE). We were able to spend two and a half days and two nights in New Farm, Brisbane. That gave us the opportunity to explore Brizzy to our content. We shopped for a proper dress for me (because apparently Linds said I needed one) and got a b-day present for Jeff (he's part child so we got him some juggling balls), and we spoiled ourselves by doing a double feature at the cinema :) (Hobbit was amazing!)
NYE was spent at Kangaroo Point, a cliff point overlooking the river to watch the fireworks and at Alfred and Constance, a tiki bar close-ish to our accomodation that was free to get into for the night. It was a cool little place that didn't get too crowded but had enough of a party crowd to mingle and dance with. It even had taxi's come up regularly through out the night that we didn't have to walk back after having danced the night away :)
The next day I, Brittney, took a train back towards Jeff's where he picked me up and Linds met up with Amelia to try out a kitchen job north of Brizzy (unfortunately that didn't work out too well).
Now that the holidays and b-days are over it's been pretty uneventful...save for the scorching heat! It's been over 100 degree's for the past couple days and yesterday got over 120 degrees! all we could really do was sit or sleep in front of a fan all day and chew on ice. I put a wet washcloth in the freezer and took it out every now and again to put on the back of my neck. While I don't like the snow it would feel really nice right about now.
So that's been our life for the last 3 weeks. An adopted family Christmas, a fun NYE in the city, and now job searching. So far we hadn't applied for much as we thought a job at a hotel was going to work out for all four of us and a place to stay for free opened up but after a week of waiting, interviewing, and waiting some more it all fell to pieces. So, it's back to our original plan. Linds and I are applying for any front of house, kitchen (linds), and even receptionist at hotels in Brizzy so that we can get our own place to stay until at least April.
At the moment we are feeling a little frustrated and pressured, but looking back I cannot see us taking any other journey. Daydream was getting too miserable for us and I think we had a wonderful holiday with friends that we desperately needed. But now it's time to get back on our feet and get back to work.
Jeff and Amelia are in Brizzy for the weekend and thankfully Jeff lent us the use of his car so we are able to come into town whenever we need, which is why we are spending a few hours at the local cafe with free wireless internet :D Just applied to about 5-6 jobs each in Brizzy, caught up with our emails, and just having some fun browsing for a little while. Not much to do back at the house other than read (oh and apparently watch cricket.....we really don't like cricket). I've finished quite a few books while staying at Jeff's. I'll actually list them for you cuz they were all pretty good!
1) Ken Follet's A Night Over Water (really should be made into a movie, it would be awesome)
2) Court of the Air (really really only for those who like fantasy steampunk sci-fi. pretty full on story)
3) The Parasol Protectorate series (I finally finished book 4 and 5. For those who like 19th century London society but with werewolves, vampires, and ghosts thrown into the mix)
4) American Gods by Neil Gaiman (AMAZING!!!!!) gosh I love Neil Gaiman
Welp, that's all folks :) Thank you for all your love and support and we hope you are all safe and sound with the weather out there!
Love Brit and Linds
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