Welcome to Oz

Heading Home

2007-11-25T12:55:00.000+11:00

I haven't blogged here for a while but just noticed I never really posted about coming home. And I'm someone who likes conclusions and happy endings...On our final night at Long Island Resort, we took advantage of happy hour before dinner (see photo) and then after our meal, took a stroll on the peaceful beach...the moon was glowing and surrounded by a hazy, milky sphere. It was just beautiful. A band played typical wedding reception covers (Mustang Sally, Brown-Eyed Girl, etc) while people hung out by the bar. On September 23, we traveled from Long Island Resort to Airlie Beach, then to Brisbane and on to Melbourne, retracing our stops during the two week vacation. Upon leaving the Long Island Resort, we actually met a staff member from Eugene, Oregon! Of all places, I least expected to talk to someone about 'the Ducks' on a tropical resort in Queensland, Australia. It's always meaningful to find those connections when traveling.

We left Melbourne on September 25 and arrived just fine on September 25 in Portland. (I love time traveling!) Three days later, I drove to Seattle for my last library school residency (yep, I graduate with my MLIS in December!). And now we've been home in Portland two months. We had a wonderful party last week in which about 18 friends came over and ate mini-cupcakes and drank wine from Tasmania and Australia, and viewed our Aussie DVD slideshow. V won a miniature koala bear and $5 AUD for answering our trivia question. People ask us how it is to be back. And both of us feel "mixed"...our home in Portland is wonderful, but we miss Australia. Hopefully we'll get to return someday.

Long Island Resort

2007-10-22T15:11:00.000+10:00

Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef

2007-10-17T14:07:00.001+10:00

We went from Airlie Beach to a 50 ft. sailboat for three days/two nights. We got stinger suits (as you can see in the photo) to ward off the thumb-size, slightly visible stingers while snorkeling. We were there with three other couples plus five others, including our skipper, Steve, and decky, Suzy. It was an international group- two from Melbourne, one from Hong Kong, two from Newcastle, U.K., one from Scotland, one from Switzerland, one from Ireland, one from Wales...then Steve was from Sydney and Suze from the French Riviera. Steve and Suzy are opposites in looks. He is a middle-aged big, burly, tough man while she is short and petite, dark, and soft-spoken (but also strong). They get along well. He steers the boat and she helps with ropes and things on deck, cooks, cleans, and hangs out. Words can't describe how incredible it was to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef. We learned the GBR is the only living thing that can be seen on earth from outer space. It was very surreal. Unfortunately, these photos I took with my waterproof camera don't really show the bright colors and variety of life under the water. When we returned from our first snorkel outing, Steve offered to take some more experienced people out for more, particularly to dive with snorkel gear on. I surprised myself by asking if I could go and they let me- as we were reaching the spot in the raft, Steve told us "Now, there are bities here" and I laughed nervously, not knowing whether to believe him (I chose not to at the time, and never saw any, but believe he wasn't joking because there are sharks in the area). I tried learning to dive but it was hard without filling my snorkel tube with water so after a while, I just delighted in snorkeling more. The whole experience was amazing and one of the best things I've ever done. That night, we could see the Milky Way from the deck of the boat as we talked with each other about our home countries.

Relaxing in Airlie Beach

2007-10-17T11:37:00.000+10:00

We arrived at Airlie Beach in Queensland with no problems. The airport was the first we'd ever seen with a grassy outdoor waiting area! Our place was up a big hill but thankfully not as high up as some of the luxury resorts, since we were on foot. Airlie Beach is built around tourists with lots of little shops bursting with trinkets, sunglasses, hats, sunscreen, surfer brand clothing, and skimpy swimwear (or "swimmers", as they call them here). The place we stayed was a mixture of families, retirees and hip, young couples. It was comfortable but definately not modern- the decor was "grandma-esque" with wicker furniture, floral cushions, faded framed posters of beach scenes and parrots. But it had a big balcony looking out and down over the main street and toward the water where four dozen or so boats of different types floated all day and night. A few islands could be seen in the distance. Palm trees were everywhere and many loud birds, including a group of cockatoos that regularly visited our balcony (usually before dinner) to say hello. The town has a man-made, fairly large lagoon area just beyond the shops where tons of beachgoers lay out in the sun or swim (some topless). We also had a pool and hot tub at our complex so we used that more- less crowded. Mark got a cold so we lounged close-by a little more than originally planned. I found a large bead store and went several times during the week- bought several ocean-inspired beads for centerpieces for necklaces. We found ourselves wearing swimsuits, tank-tops, shorts and flip-flops all day. Very relaxing. It was tempting to check email, but we mostly managed to ignore it. I read Mark Twain's travel book "Following the Equator" which Mark had read before me. We both find his observations about Australia very accurate. His writing is so witty and humorous and delightful.

The days merged together and soon we lost track of time. One day I went to the grocery store and got sidetracked when I stumbled upon an arts market with local produce, art, jewelry and hippie-style clothing. Five or six camels with saddles rested on the beach, waiting to give rides to curious tourists. Our last night in Airlie Beach, we dressed up (which meant putting on something other than swimmers) and had a nice dinner at a seafood place called Shipwrecked. Then when we got home we watched a film on tv called "Candy" starring Heath Ledger as part of a heroin-addicted couple trying to make things work. It was a good film, although predictably depressing, but my major complaint was Heath and his lead actress Abbie Cornish looked like Calvin Klein models for most of it (despite what the user review says on IMDb). They appeared slightly sweaty and ragged while trying to get clean. Anyway, that night, the moon was a beautiful silver sliver in the sky and I tried to capture it with my camera.

The following day I did something I'd always wanted to do, and laid in my bikini by the poolside, slurping a fruity strawberry daquari and relaxing. (I recommend it). That night, in the bathroom, I discovered a big black bug that appeared like a cross between a beetle, grasshopper, cricket and cockroach. I found it as I flicked on the light...actually I heard it first, crawling on the wall, which freaked me out. It is an unmistakeable sound. I told a sleepy Mark about it and, aware that he was half-asleep, put a sticky note on the door warning "Beware of Bug!". It seems silly now, but at the time I was imagining The Metamorphosis by Frank Kafka- except the bug and I were clearly separate beings. And I'm glad it stayed that way.

Snapshots of State Library of Queensland

2007-10-08T03:35:00.001+10:00

Photos from my visit to the State Library- I am happy to report that either I was sneaky about taking these, or they have a more relaxed policy on photography. The poster image is interesting- trying to convince people to take less showers due to the drought in Australia. It was hanging in the foyer of the library. The second from top photo is an outside view of "The Corner", an appropriately-named space for children.

My Day in Brisbane

2007-10-08T02:28:00.000+10:00

On September 10, Mark spent a full day at the Brisbane office meeting with people, so I was on my own. After sleeping in, I got up and walked across the Goodwill pedestrian bridge to the City Botanic Gardens, made in the early to mid 1800's. This garden flooded for the eighth time in 1974 - after that, a newer, bigger botanic gardens was created on Mount Coot-tha (a flood-free site, see yesterday's post for photos). I spent the entire morning at the City gardens. I saw a mangrove area along the first path, then walked up to the cafe and sat down for a latte and orange-poppy seed muffin. What a wonderful morning! A group of a dozen older ladies were all dressed up and exchanging gifts and having 'high tea'. I enjoyed reading at the cafe, then exploring the rest of the gardens and taking lots of photos. Near the pond area, I saw several ducks and more of the bearded dragon-lizards up close- they freeze when approached (although they look like they could bite your toes off quite easily) so I was able to get some very good shots. Near lunch time, I walked to Alice and Edwards St, and discovered a bookstore in a large basement...of course I found books I couldn't resist buying...two on Aboriginal tales and myths. I found a lunch spot at Picasso's (across from the bookstore) and had a garden salad and sparkling wine. The afternoon was more wandering around, along Queen St, stopping to look at St. Stephens Cathedral, and window shopping. Toward late afternoon, I went to Brisbane's City Library and was immediately chastised by a security guard after snapping a photo. I decided not to risk them taking my camera but I wish I had more photos...the spaces seemed very well-designed, extremely modern, and reminded me a little of Seattle Public Library on a smaller scale. Neon-colored ends on bookshelves, lots of blonde wood, clear windows, flat screen monitors, escalators, and a transparent meeting room that seemed to "float over" the first level. There was a reference area where people take a number then chat with a reference staff member while seated in a comfortable chair (a great idea!). I walked over to the State Library of Queensland next but by this time, I'd walked around for seven hours and was tired (I should've visited earlier in the day). I mainly saw the "Information room" with groups of computers. It seemed very modern as well. I think both libraries were fairly new, which helps them to feel modern (the Central library in Portland has an older, classic look to it, with marble, fancy rose carpet, big, dark wooden tables, etc and a rich history). I like both modern and older styles- I think they each have things to offer. After going back to the hotel, I went down the street to the Batavia teashop, where I sat outside at one of the wicker tables with wide, cushioned wicker seats. I ordered a vanilla chai, which came to me on a wooden tray with a pitcher of chai, a pitcher of soy milk, and a spoon with honey so I could create my own tea, mixing in the right proportions. It was very relaxing, sitting and sipping chai out of a generous round cup, watching people pass by. Later, I took myself to dinner at Ahmet, a Turkish restaurant, where I had Turkish bread, a glass of shiraz, rice, a dish with potatoes, lamb, peppers, eggplant and more. The decor was stunning- multi-colored transparent cloth draped across the ceiling and down along the walls; rich, shining fabrics on each table along with a fabric-covered low bench seat, and vivid paintings of Turkish women hanging in various spots. For dessert I had some sweet and crispy baklava.

Mount Coot-tha Botanic Garden

2007-10-07T14:57:00.001+10:00

Welcome to Bris-Vegas!

2007-10-07T13:48:00.000+10:00

So I'm going to try and tell you about the vacation we had in Queensland, based on what I wrote in my journal since it's been a few weeks. Early on Sept. 8 we got up and in the darkness- in a cab speeding toward the airport- we leave Melbourne and our comfortable apartment behind. We caught a 6:00 a.m. flight to Brisbane, aka "Bris-Vegas" due to its close proximity to the Gold Coast, and the fact that gambling abounds here (one of the first impressive old buildings we see, the old Treasury in downtown Brisbane, now houses a casino). I looked out the plane's window right before landing and see several aqua colored bodies of water and tan patches of land. The airport is dominated by the Virgin-Blue airline. We took a cab to our hotel but couldn't check in yet (too early) so we walked around the Southbank neighborhood we're staying in and came across a gorgeous archway of bright red-purple flowers. It looked as if someone spray-painted the whole area with bursts of dark pink and purple. We stopped for coffee and raisin toast in the bright sunshine, then walked around some more, finding a bench to sit on in a little park near the St. Johns Cathedral. Here, we watched the antics of an ibis perched on a roof while two smaller, black birds scolded and dive-bombed him repeatedly. The birds here are very loud. We went inside the cathedral, which was quiet and had a stained-glass corner dedicated to American and Aussie alliance during the war. Hand-made individual cushions with various Australiana scenes covered the hard wood pews. Next we walked over by the Brisbane River, and saw a stunning view of the Story Bridge. Stopped for lunch, where I had a lovely salmon sandwich and peach iced tea at Eagle St. Pier. We took a ferry back over to Southbank (locals also use ferries to get around the city here, it's not just a touristy thing). We wandered through an Arts market and found ourselves by the same floral arbor/archway. There were several recreational pools here, full of young children wading or swimming, or just chasing the nearby Ibis'. Checked into the hotel room- very modern, with a flat screen tv, king sized bed, red, green, orange and brown abstract art on the walls, and a little kitchenette. After a nap, we went to dinner at Gandhi Curry House, which had an amazing lamb curry, spinach potatoes with garlic and peppers, the best naan I've ever tasted, and a refreshing mango lassi. Couldn't resist sharing a dessert of fried bananas with vanilla ice cream and whipped topping.

Woke up the next day to warm, soothing sunshine--what I call "flip-flop" weather. It automatically puts me in a good mood. Had fun walking around our neighborhood some more and visiting a cute tea shop which served tea but also had treasures for sale like fabric-covered hand-bound journals, shell jewelry, and more. Mark and I boarded a City Tour bus, which traveled around to various sights and we got a much better feel of the city. We got out at the Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens and saw a couple of lizards sunning themselves as well as a beautiful display of bonsai plants/trees. They had a picturesque Japanese Garden (but not as impressive as the one in Portland). After Mark went out and met some coworkers from the Brisbane office and I took a nap, we found some Japanese food for dinner. It was delicious.

More Brisbane

2007-10-03T11:38:00.000+10:00

Brisbane Snapshots

2007-10-03T11:10:00.001+10:00

In case anyone is still reading this--- after returning from Seattle and figuring out how to get my vacation photos from my laptop with no internet to my desktop with an internet connection, I am finally posting some photos from vacation. After seven hours of trying to learn Dreamweaver today and create a new website for my MLIS Portfolio (due in the next week), I think I'll add additional posts with commentary for each place we visited sometime later. My brain is a bit tired. People have been asking what is hardest to adjust to now that we're back in the U.S. The weather is a big one- just getting a few weeks of summer-like weather in, then returning to Fall in Portland, where it's cool and rainy has been disorienting. Driving was weird the first few times, but more than that, remembering which way to look while crossing streets is an adjustment. Our 2 bedroom apartment seems huge- and we are having trouble remembering where things are. But it's so nice to be home. I've already been to Powell's Books twice and made three or four trips to Freddies (grocery store).

Honey, We're Home...

2007-09-26T14:30:00.000+10:00

We got back home today after 20 hours of travel- from Melbourne to Los Angeles, then on to Portland. The trip went smoothly except for the bulk of our luggage not joining us until tonight (they nicely delivered it to our place). I got maybe an hour's sleep so looking forward to catching up the next few days. I saw a wonderful movie, "The Namesake" during the flight, based on Jumpa Lahiri's book of the same title; I recommend it. It is surreal to be back, and we are getting reaquainted with our home. The cats will be making their own trip from Colorado via plane sometime in the next week and we'll enjoy getting reaquainted with them, too. What did I miss the most, you wonder? My immediate answer is our cats and our friends/family...I also missed biking/walking around the neighborshood, being able to find exactly what I need at the grocery store, browsing at Powell's books, and my very comfy bed.

Going Home

2007-09-24T10:59:00.000+10:00

We've returned from our sunny vacation in Queensland and are back in Melbourne for one last day. We fly home tomorrow morning- and we're both really looking forward to being back in a beautiful city we know well, surrounded by familiar sights and people. We actually met a staff member at the Long Island Resort who was from Eugene, OR! Our vacation was incredible and very relaxing- for me, the best part was swimming among all the coral and vibrant fish in the Great Barrier Reef. Amazing. I didn't want to get out of the water. I will post alot of pictures after we get home. Love, Rebecca

Goodbye, Melbourne

2007-09-07T09:08:00.000+10:00

http://www.jacksons-camping.co.uk/kidstuff/images/jet-plane.jpg

Our last day in Melbourne has arrived and as you can see, we're doing test runs of our flight to Brisbane (notice who is in charge here- ha ha!). Mark is having his final day at the office. We're ready for a sunny vacation in Queensland! Yep, we're leaving- on a jet plane- don't know when we'll be back again....actually, we'll be back through here on Sept. 23-24 for a couple days before flying home to Portland. But we'll be in a hotel, living out of our suitcases. Yesterday morning I did instant messenging with friend Mary who lives in Garnett, KS. It's just amazing to me how she can be there in Kansas, and I in Aussie land, and we have instant communication! (A few weeks ago, I got to see her and the family via webcam, which was really a treat). Yesterday afternoon I went to the Booktalk Cafe in Richmond and traded in some books. Today I'll go to the city library one last time, and stop by a cafe for some flat white. I'll probably walk around the Botanic Gardens one last time- it has been one of my favorite places here in Melbourne. So, my friends, it's time to stop blogging for now (we won't have laptops with us on vacation although I'm sure when we get home I'll be posting vacation photos). What an amazing experience it's been! Thanks to you all for continuing to read my reflections on life in Oz.

One Final Go...

2007-09-05T08:04:00.000+10:00

Photo: http://gridskipper.com/travel/melbourne/index.xml

Sadly, we only have 3 days left in Melbourne. We leave early on Saturday morning to fly to Brisbane, where we'll spend a few days seeing the city before traveling on to the Whitsundays. We've been taking the photos off the fridge, doing laundry, reading the last of the library books, and enjoying our favorite restaurants one more time. I'm going to miss this place, despite longing for our home in Portland.

Last night I decided to give being an Aussie one final go (as they would say here)...yep, I tried Vegemite, a barley spread well-known by Aussies, used mostly on toast or sandwiches. It looks like dark chocolate, but let me assure you, it tastes nothing like it. Perhaps tar would be a better visual description. From the website, "in 1922, a Melbourne man named Fred Walker had the bright idea of using yeast extract left over from the manufacture of beer to create a wonderful source of vitamin B and tasty new spread that every Australian will grow up with. But it took many years for the product to become a success..." (Really? I wonder why.) You can read more about it here. The word that came to mind while trying it was "powerful"...but not in a good way. An article I read likens it to "salty diarrhea", which is closer...Let's just say I'm leaving vegemite behind for the Aussies to enjoy. In 2006, there was a rumor that vegemite was banned in the United States, and Australians entering the country were being searched for it. This led to anti-American comments in the press, but it turned out to simply be a rumor: "The U.S. FDA later stated that although it is technically illegal in the U.S. to add folate to food products other than bread or cereal, there were no plans to investigate whether Vegemite contains folate..." (Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegemite)

Rugby video

2007-08-30T16:57:00.000+10:00

Here's a video of the Melbourne Storm vs. Brisbane from the rugby game we went to a few weeks ago...I just got the uploading to work. It's a bit shaky but gives you the idea.

Outdoor Art-Docklands Area

2007-08-29T08:46:00.000+10:00

Most of these were taken in the Docklands, a newer part of Melbourne that reminds us of the Pearl district in Portland. Except it's built along the waterfront, and you can watch sailboats, speedboats, and ships. (And there's no Powells Bookstore). There are great outdoor art sculptures here as well as high-end condos, restaurants, and shops. Lots of rich-looking people walking around in their designer clothes. It was a nice, sunny day and we had fun walking around the area. The top photo is a funky bridge, and the red balloon is just something I spotted near a picnic area where a group was having a party-- it made me smile.

Scenes from Southbank

2007-08-29T08:33:00.000+10:00

Walking through Southbank, on the way to the Docklands last Sunday, we saw a colorful march for detainee rights, a poster advertising GB's upcoming appearance in Sydney (can you tell how people feel about him?), a seemingly concrete-covered busker, and a set of outdoor sculptures.

Thank You!

2007-08-28T19:51:00.000+10:00

South Melbourne beach
Beach treasures
Beach view

My new hat!

Just a reminder that Mark and I will be moving outta our digs here in Melbourne by Saturday, September 8, so any mail you want to send should probably head our way by this Thursday. Usually things take 5-7 days to get here- sometimes longer. It seems like just yesterday when I was posting our address and pleading you all to send us mail. A huge thank-you and virtual kiss to everyone who has sent us cards, letters, etc.! It has really helped with being so far away from our friends and family. And, I was so excited to get this handmade hat in the mail today from our dear friend, Kari! She is a fabulous artist and very crafty. (Bet you didn't think men's briefs would look so good on my head!). You can't tell from the photos, but the top has a little plastic green alien on top! I love it!! I'll be the most popular girl on the beach...

Travel Feature

2007-08-27T08:20:00.000+10:00

View from hotel, Oceanside
Flowers and ShorelineBreathtaking Perspective
Waves, Rocks and Birds
Beach Sunset

Jeff, Danny, me, Mom
Bride and Groom

My dad sent me an email last week about the Wichita Eagle (newspaper in Wichita, KS) needing Oregon coast travel stories. We both decided to submit one. They had to be 200 words or less, which was challenging. It was a fun experience, though, thinking about how to capture my admiration for the coast in as few words as possible while including the wedding story. We also submitted some photos (see above for photos, all taken by my dad). None of those got published, but both stories did! They're in the "Travel" section of Sunday's paper, or you can read them here. Ps: they didn't do much editing but it bugs me that they changed my wording from "the ocean and I were strangers" to "I and the ocean..." It just doesn't seem to read quite the same.

Beautiful Day

2007-08-26T08:28:00.000+10:00

The Espy

Looking up at Town Hall
Front view- Town Hall

South Melbourne Town Hall

Looking away from beach area
Palm trees at St.Kilda beach

View from Beach
St.Kilda beach

Yesterday was beautiful; we spent a few hours in the sunshine at the St. Kilda Beach, enjoying 70 degree weather....a prelude to our upcoming Queensland trip. It was so nice to just lay in the sand, read, and watch the cute dogs and children frolicking near the waves. We also stopped by Hotel Esplanade, aka: the Espy, a well-known bar/music venue, and had a snack and tasty beverage. As we were walking home, we spotted a majestic building in a South Melbourne neighborhood and found it was a town hall built in 1880, in an area formerly known as Emerald Hill. Apparently, the hill where the hall now stands used to be a green island with swamp-land around it- that's why it acquired the name Emerald Hill. Mark also read on a sign that the building had formerly been the South Melbourne library.

Jewelry & Melbourne Art

2007-08-23T09:26:00.000+10:00

Painting by Nicole Rose-"Melbourne"
Photo by Warren Lansley-"The Link, Melbourne"

Here are three more recent creations of mine...the double-stranded necklace is a new attempt...I got the idea from looking at some jewelry at the local Sunday Arts Market, very similar to Portland's Saturday Market. We purchased a few pieces of art to take home from local Melbourne artists on Sunday (see above). It's really great to be able to talk with the artists themselves, and buy it directly from them. It will be a cool reminder of our time here.

Graffiti Art

2007-08-20T20:52:00.000+10:00

Ever seen graffiti on a wall or billboard, and thought 'there's more to that than vandalism?' I'd never consider graffiti as art in the past, but that began shifting with my first trip to San Francisco in 1997-98, my senior year in college, seeing the ocean and the graffiti art portraits lining the beach. I took photos of the colorful images- I still have the one of the Bob Marley tribute mural I snapped while leaving the city in my friend Laurie's pickup (we were in S.F. for a mutual friend's wedding and did a quick road trip from Lawrence, KS). Last summer, while in Amsterdam with a group of other UW students doing research, I was again fascinated by the idea of graffiti as art when one of the students researched Dutch hip-hop and graffiti artists (particularly Laser 3.14 in Amsterdam), interviewing them about their work and photographing graffiti among the canals and abandoned apartment buildings and sidestreets of central Amsterdam. After moving to Oz, I found that Melbourne has an active graffiti art community. I watched a documentary about it the other day, a discovery at the library that intrigued me. It makes a distinction between mere 'tagging' (signing one's identifying signature on public spaces just to cause damage) and graffiti as art. In this film, graffiti is also called 'street art', 'pictures on a wall', 'public art', and 'reclaiming space'. It was described as "livening up the place", "visually stimulating" and "creating a dialogue". Many of the artists use it to express their opinions about local politics or social issues, and graffiti on a large billboard or other advertising space is seen as an expression against redevelopment, and our advertisement-saturated, commercially influenced society. A wide array of public art is on display around Melbourne and graffiti is both alive and well--like it or not. There is even an outdoor gallery here in Hosier Lane, called CityLights, and an indoor, independent gallery in the same area called 'Until Never' featuring unrespresented, street, political, experimental and conceptual artwork. The Melbourne City Council has debated what to do, as $200,000/year is spent cleaning graffiti; the conversation continues as different approaches are attempted in various communities around Victoria. The MCC distinguishes between types of graffiti- tagging, stencilling, protest slogans, and graffiti art (which this article defines as "complex illustrations in graffiti style painted on large surfaces"). Perhaps the best thing, in my opinion, is that it sparks the conversation among community members, families, policymakers, and artists--conversations about "what is art?" and "how do we decide which art gets public space and attention in our community?" It is a complex, worthwhile question. The first six photographs (from bottom) were taken in the Richmond neighborhood, and the others are from Hosier Lane in downtown Melbourne.

Goggles!

2007-08-19T09:18:00.000+10:00

Mark and I have both been swimming in the small pool here to get ready for our vacation in Queensland, where we'll be swimming and snorkeling and also sailing for a few days. Here are my new goggles, purchased at the "Big W" (aka Walmart). Yesterday Mark bought some board shorts, an SPF shirt, and a straw hat as well as a couple of beach towels. We're looking forward to sunshine! We'll be staying here for 9 nights and then going on a 3 day, 2 night sailing trip, and also staying at this resort for 4 nights. We haven't had a summer vacation together for two years, so it'll be nice (Last summer I was doing research and sightseeing in Amsterdam with other University of Washington students). We just celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary this week and were remembering our time in Oceanside, Oregon fondly. The beach ceremony was lovely, and we spent the rest of the day relaxing and playing at the ocean, then had a spontaneous weenie roast on the beach that evening. Who knew we'd be in Oz four years later?

More Jewelry

2007-08-16T10:17:00.000+10:00

2007-08-16T08:47:00.001+10:00

Here is another version, to compare with my last post. Which one looks more like me? And here is Mark, aka Mark Simpson.

Bored?

2007-08-15T18:34:00.000+10:00

Here are a few suggestions if you're bored, as I was today, or putting off things you know you should be doing, as I was today. Just a few things I discovered while surfing the web. 1. Go here to transform yourself into a Simpsons character. (See mine above- it's clearly me but without the nosering) 2. Go here for a cute kitty photo, or watch the whole slideshow. Better yet, try to put a hat on your own kitty and photograph them. 3. Play virtual dress-up with Spacegirl. 4. Ask Jupiter, the black feline oracle, all your life-long questions and be amazed. 5. Relax after choosing an ambient desktop environment (May I suggest the 'library lullaby' one?) 6. Dream of wearing all this cool jewelry. 7. Become crafty. 8. Play with naughty naughty pets. 9. Read Powells books blog. 10. Check the time in Tokyo or Guatemala. 11. Check out favorite storybook characters. 12. Get inspired to make banana bread. 13. Pick out some adult footy pj's. 14. See what my favorite little folk singer is up to. 15. Think up a good title for a cartoonist.

Melbourne Storm

2007-08-14T20:55:00.000+10:00

Some of you have asked how much longer we have in Oz...four weeks left in Melbourne (Mark's last day at work is Sept. 7, and we leave for our two-week vacation in the Whitsundays (Airlie Beach area) in Queensland the next day. I wanted to see a rugby game here, so on Sunday afternoon the weather cooperated long enough for us to enjoy a match where the Melbourne Storm played the Brisbane Broncos at the Olympic Stadium in Melbourne. The game's history goes back to 1800's in Great Britain, and was favored by the working classes- in fact, there is a documented historic division between working classes and upper classes who were involved with rugby. The first Aussie club was formed by Sydney University in 1864. The British and Aussie rules differed and evolved over time. If you'd like more in-depth reading go here. There were about 13,000 at Sunday's game and although we still couldn't explain all the specific rules to you, it was interesting to watch. Like the footy match, if someone got injured, they usually just kept on playing while a medical staff person attended to the person on the field. I've posted some photos, and will try to post a little 'movie' I took but it was only my second time using the video feature so it's not very good. Mark and I found some good seats and I got some coffee and one of the sugary, jelly-filled little donuts they were selling. One interesting thing is the players throw the ball backwards to a teammate who tries to run with it but gets tackled by two or three members of the opposing team, who are able to hold him down (but not too long or they'll get penalized). Besides the actual game, the atmosphere was much like sports I've seen in the United States. They have too-tiny seats you have to try to squeeze into. They have silly mascots riding on flame-shooting scooters and running around signing autographs for the kids. They have slightly inebriated middle aged adults yelling at various players on the field, and groups of teenage men shouting things like "Brisbane are wankers!". They have angry rock music blaring. They have bleach-blonde cheerleaders in tight outfits, and little kids that come onto the field during halftime and play a "mini" game of rugby (if you're a boy) or do a "mini" cheer routine (if you're a girl). The adult cheerleaders had the sponsor's name, Jim Beam (whose slogan is "the stuff inside matters most") across their rears. Thank god the little girls didn't. As Mark observed, "Nothing says family fun like rock n' roll, flames, and girls in leotards with liquor ads on their butts". It doesn't take much for me to get cynical at major sports events. I'm glad we went though. It's stuff like this that has made us feel more like part of a community here and less like we're constant tourists. And Melbourne Storm won the game so there was a happy vibe in the air as people walked home.

Jewelry

2007-08-13T17:38:00.000+10:00

Here are some recent creations of mine...I've recently learned how to make earrings and am still practicing wrapping the wire. My mom brought me some good tools and a bead holder, which is great since I left all my beading supplies in Portland. It's challenging to get a good photograph of these, especially showing the detail. Let me know if you have any ideas about how I could take better jewelry photos. The backgrounds you see here are a wooden coffee table, a dinner plate, a black throw pillow, and my live model--myself.

Weekend

2007-08-13T08:38:00.000+10:00

The photos of sunset in Melbourne (above) were taken in the past week, from our balcony. Had a great weekend with Mark, although the weather is back to being cool and overcast with threats of rain. Saturday we both took a nap and I made banana bread. It filled our small apartment with that wonderful fresh banana smell! In the afternoon, we walked over to the National Gallery of Victoria (International) and saw some of the free exhibits, like the travel photography, international art, and some really cool Egyptian artifacts (carved stone, little amulets and beads, painted caskets, bowls, and tools). We also went inside St. Pauls Cathedral, on the corner of Swanston and Flinders. I didn't have my camera with me, but it had an amazing pipe organ, mosaic tiled floors, and stained glass. I found out there is a series of free organ concerts there starting later this month, so I hope to attend at least one of them. To our disappointment, the 'Black Sheep' film at MIFF was sold out so we didn't get to see it. We had fun making a new recipe Saturday night, Veggie lasagne, with eggplant, zucchini, red pepper, and Spelt organic lasagne noodles, among other ingredients. Very tasty. Yesterday we layed around the apartment until about 2 p.m., then walked over to Olympic Stadium for a rugby game (I'll post photos and commentary later this week). I've been listening to "The Corrections" by Jonathan Franzen on audio...it's nice to do so while I'm making jewelry and it's really entertaining so far.

MIFF

2007-08-10T09:55:00.001+10:00

The Melbourne International Film Festival has been going on this month; I've gone to a couple films so far and hope to see a third this weekend. We saw Night, an Australian documentary about "the universal nature of night". The cinematography was stunning and I loved the music as well. The film ended with audience applauding, so I think most enjoyed it. Yesterday I saw Lady Chatterley, which I was interested in from reading the D.H. Lawrence novel, and because it had a female director. It's a huge 'awakening'/love story. It was good- I thought the lead actress was very talented- but a bit long, and no applause at the end from the audience this time. I actually liked the book more. Some people left before the end, and I heard people muttering, 'well, it was French' as we were exiting the theater. Tomorrow night, we hope to catch a New Zealand film, Black Sheep, which is a combination horror/comedy about sheep who've become "savage killers". It looks pretty crazy, along the lines of 'Shaun of the Dead' perhaps.

What the...?

2007-08-08T15:12:00.000+10:00

You won't hear me complaining much about living in Australia, because it has been truly wonderful and I'm so fortunate to be here, experiencing it all and not having to work somewhere like my last job, full of silly politics and mean-spirited gossip. (Nothing like working full time shelving books while in graduate school for library science and thinking, "is this what it's like?" But that's another story...) Moving to Melbourne has been one of the best things Mark and I have done so far in our life together....however, since I don't have any American friends here to listen to me vent, I'm going to gripe on the blog (and I won't know if you don't listen, but I'll choose to believe you are). It's just a day where I'm letting things get to me. The weather here is driving me crazy lately. It's changing so rapidly I don't know what to expect anymore. The week mom was visiting us was mostly beautiful and fairly warm; last week was awful- cold, bitter wind, and rainy- and today I could be walking around in shorts, flip-flops, and a tanktop. Not knowing that it was 17 outside (that's about 63 degrees for all you Fahrenheit peeps), I put on my winter courderoy peacoat, scarf, and hat to go to the grocery store this afternoon.

Maybe it was the combination of walking home with a bursting backpack plus another heavyweight canvas bag of groceries and this attire that got me so grouchy. I always get more than I can handle (literally) at the store...and even though I know I do it, that apparently isn't enough to stop me. This is the one time during the week I miss having a vehicle. I've developed a few methods of carrying groceries home. One is to bring as many bags with me as I can and then try to balance out the weight so I am carrying lots of bags, but stuff is distributed okay. A bit unwieldy when walking around though. Another method is just to try and buy the minimum and make several trips to the store in one week, but I usually don't like this--I'd rather spend time doing almost anything than dodging other grocery store customers in narrow aisles, trying to find the pinto beans (there usually aren't any).

Mark and I often go together, which is my favorite approach, because he lets me carry the lighter bags despite my occasional protests and we can carry more home as a team than by ourselves. But, like today, when I go solo, I only take two bags with me to the store, looking over my list beforehand, and telling myself I can successfully stuff all of it into these bags when deep down, I know I probably can't. The grocery clerks clearly think I'm a bit off as I say "no, I brought my own bags" taking out my canvas ones and rejecting their advice that I put some produce in their plastic (choke, choke) ones. Sometimes they ignore me entirely (it's the accent, I reckon) so I abruptly transfer my diced tomatoes. muesli and eggplant, bananas, milk and canola oil (etc) to my backpack as soon as they put it in their stupid plastic bag. Once outside the store, I usually hobble over to the nearest bench to "readjust" my load. Today that didn't help-it was just really heavy, and I got grouchier and overheated in my winter garb as I slowly made my way home, past all the sweaty kids riding bikes, past the ducks swimming contentedly on the Yarra River, past young couples licking gelato while taking cute photos of each other, past businessmen having a leisurely beer with lunch at the fancy patios in Southbank, past the BMW sales office and the vast Crown Casino...until I finally get to the lobby of our building and into #285 on the 28th floor, put the groceries away, and sink into the couch. Whew.

Usually there are one or two ingredients that are almost impossible to find. And some things have different names. Skinny milk is skim milk. Tasty cheese is cheddar cheese. (Light & tasty is cheese with less fat). Tomato sauce is ketchup. Capiscums are peppers. When there's something I feel confident I can find, like baking soda, there are about six different kinds and I cannot figure out why you'd pick one over another one and my eyes glaze over as about three other people are trying to get by and I'm thinking, is the banana bread I want to bake really worth all this? (usually out of stubborness, the answer is "yes"). Today at the organic food store as I was waiting for someone to price-check the noodles I was buying, the checkout girl tried to figure out where I was from...or was just being nice, bored, or a mix of both. I don't think about it much anymore but people seem regularly surprised by my American accent and start asking questions. The conversation went like this:
COG: So, how's your day going?
ME: fine, thanks...It's really nice outside.
COG: Yeah, I know. So do you come here often? (I swear she actually said this).
ME: Um, not on a real regular basis, but sometimes.
COG: Oh, are you visiting?
ME: Well, I'm living here for a while, but I'm from the U.S.
COG: (smiles) Oh, okay. That'll be $3.95. Ta!

Sometimes I get a bit 'smartin. At a cafe recently the cashier immediately started grinning when he heard me order...he said to us, "You must be from the U.S. I sarcastically said, "Oh, and how'd you guess that?" (smiling so he'd know I was teasing). "I don't know", he replied, smiling back and then asking "whereabouts?" "Oh, west coast, near Seattle" Mark answers (we've learned more people are familiar with Seattle than with Portland). Anyway, having typed all this out and coming home with all the required ingredients to make a tasty batch of banana bread (despite being confused by the baking soda and feeling like an idiot), I'm much better and realizing my life is pretty damn good. Thanks for listening...

2007-08-07T10:52:00.000+10:00

Australian Garden

2007-08-07T09:14:00.001+10:00

We stopped by the Australian Garden, aka Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, while heading back to Melbourne with my mom on her final full day in Australia. The Gardens were established in 1970 after a history of sand mining and extraction, grazing and timber felling. The place was much more extensive then we realized when we began walking around- from the visitor centre, it was hard to tell just how much ground it covers. And it is still being developed. In another ten or fifteen years, many of the plants will have grown taller or more robust and it may look quite different from these photos. The garden has a vast diversity of landscapes- from a red sand garden, to a dry river bed, to a eucalypt walk and more. I don't know much about plants, but it was a delight to walk around and read about the various types and their environments. Some Aussie plants are poisonous, as discovered by Captain Cook's expedition in 1770 in Queensland. If you'd like a guide to different plants, start here- this site also has some great photos. I have thought about bringing back some plant/flower seeds for those of you who like to garden, but am hesitant since I have no idea if they'd grow. But am willing to buy some, so email me if you'd like to try it. The other photos I've posted above this entry is of a bandicoot (a type of marsupial) and a bird we saw while having some lunch in the car before driving home. There are about 20 different species of bandicoots, but they are apparently in a population decline. The one we saw was fairly small. I'm sure the botanic gardens area is a good habitat for them as it's away from urban development. The bottle is from a ginger (nonalcoholic) beer I had- I just love the label on it, and thought I'd share.

I luv Koalas

2007-08-07T08:59:00.000+10:00

Scenes from Phillip Island

2007-08-05T10:17:00.000+10:00

Healesville Sanctuary

2007-08-03T08:46:00.001+10:00

Dingos

Wildlife Hospital
Healesville Vet talking about Devils

Kangaroos

Ibis(?)

Curious Duck

Emu
Emu with Parrots
Koala Sleeping

Cockatoos
Entrance to Healesville

Tasmanian Devil babies

Wallaby

I thought about calling this one "Bring on the Koalas!" because we saw several up-close last weekend at the Healesville Sanctuary, and even more the next day at Phillip Island. But that wouldn't be quite fair to the other cool Aussie animals we got to meet. These photos are from the Healesville Sanctuary- a few turned out dark because at one point it was pouring rain and we were hurrying through. At the wildlife hospital where they treat injured animals, we got to hear a presentation by a veterinarian discussing the Tasmanian Devil mouth cancer problem. Although I didn't get a photo, we saw platypus too- they were much smaller than I thought. Healesville successfully bred a platypus in 1943 (only one of two places to have done so). We also saw a kookaburra, and its laugh accompanied us several times on our walk through the grounds. Oh, and if you'd like some koala photos of your own, I'd suggest this site. (Ps: If anyone is bored and finds a really good, comprehensive guide to Australian wildlife online (animals, birds, and ocean creatures), preferable with photos, let me know. I am looking for an all-purpose site I can use to identify wildlife I see. I'd hate to mislabel our photos).

2007-08-03T08:39:00.000+10:00

I made mom pose next to one of my favorite little stands in Melbourne, Lord of the Fries. It sells thick greasy fries with all kinds of different toppings. It's on the way to our grocery store and makes me smile every time I pass by. Before we move, I'll have to sample some.

Royal Botanic Gardens

2007-08-01T09:44:00.000+10:00

We walked through the Royal Botanic Gardens one morning, and then met Mark for lunch at a nearby pub. While leaving the Gardens, I looked up into the trees and saw these big reddish-brown and black furry blobs- and realized upon looking closer, they were sleeping flying foxes (aka bats)! We were amazed that they somehow held onto the thin tree limb without falling, even swaying in the light breeze. If you look closely at the second photo from the top, you can see them, about halfway down (you may have to click on the photo to enlarge it). If you can't see it, go here for a closer view. There are more than 60 kinds here in Oz, and they like eucalypts and figs, two tree types that are common here. Although they are somewhat creepy-looking, they are beneficial to the environment here, and help spread tree seeds and pollinate flowers of native plants.

Crabs, Fish, Frogs, and More

2007-07-31T19:28:00.000+10:00

Creature from the Black Lagoon

Seahorse

Coral
Sea Dragon

Ray

Starfish and friends
Hermit Crab

Lionfish

I couldn't resist going back to the Melbourne Aquarium during mom's visit here. I'm glad we went, because the second time around I saw much more and got better photos. Here are some of the best ones, a few of which mom took. We got to see a dive feed in the oceanarium where two divers feed the big fish, sharks, rays, and turtles, and we also heard a talk about ocean life. I'm not going to try and identify all the creatures in the photos, but I've labeled some of them. You can visit some of the creatures at the aquarium yourself by clicking here and choosing "Animals @ MAQ". There is a great guide to Australian fishes here with a step-by-step guide to identifying them, as well as photos and factual information.

Immigration Museum

2007-07-31T17:28:00.000+10:00

Last week we toured the Immigration Museum here in Melbourne. Like many countries, the Australian immigration policy has changed back and forth at different times, depending on the political climate and perceived needs of the country. I found the first cartoon summarized some of the anti-immigration policy really well. The Aboriginal presence here before English settlement is illustrated in the other cartoon. (Very similar issues as the Native Americans in the United States). One way Australians kept people out was to require a dictation test, as you can see above. Although they didn't want to appear outwardly racist against non-Europeans, this test assured most applicants would fail because they hadn't mastered all possible European languages. The museum also includes a Discovery Centre, which is basically a research library focusing on immigration, family history, and cultural research. It seemed like a valuable resource for the community here. The displays did a good job of personalizing the history, by telling various family stories and providing interactive elements, such as a world map showing various flight routes by Australian airlines. You can read a bit more about migration here. The government has some basic information here on relocating to Australia, and what to expect. One of the challenges to immigrants has always been that Australia is so far away from other countries. We have even felt this in the electronic age, and I've made an extra effort since we've been here to stay in touch with our American friends and family. At times, the physical distance has translated into emotional distance as well. It would make me hesitant to relocate here permanently, even though I've really enjoyed the country and culture so far.

St. Patrick's Cathedral

2007-07-30T21:37:00.000+10:00

Organ

Mosaic floor

St. Catherine
St. Francis

Mom and I visited St. Patrick's Cathedral, a beautiful Gothic-style church in Melbourne. The design is based on old English cathedrals, and it was built in stages- completed by 1939. It has sculptures of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Catherine of Siena outside, and stunning stained glass, gold, mosaic tile, and an impressive pipe organ inside. It was very cool and dark when we entered and there were just a few others there. It took us quite awhile to walk around. I was in awe of its large size (as if it could house giants) and of course, its beauty.

Finding a Furry Friend

2007-07-29T17:54:00.000+10:00

These ultra-cute koalas were just inside the Koala Conservation Center at Phillip Island. We saw plenty of the real thing, so I'll be posting more photos later. Tonight is mom's last night in Australia- we're all wishing she had a longer time to visit. There is so much to experience here, just around Melbourne. More photos of mom's visit to come...

Touring Around Melbourne

2007-07-27T19:25:00.000+10:00

Parliament Ceiling

Inside Parliament Parliament Tour- Legislative Council Room
Inside- Gold Detail
Inside- Legislative Assembly Room

Entrance to Parliament
Vestibule
Vestibule Tile

Front View-Parliament

Mom with flowers
Aussie Poppies
Sculpture outside Conservatory

Australian Coat of Arms at Treasury Bldg.
Conservatory at Fitzroy Gardens

English Coat of Arms at Treasury Bldg.
Treasury Bldg: Australian Flags

City Circle Tram
Melbourne Palm Tree
Statue of Sir William John Clarke

Birthday-Concert Photos

2007-07-25T08:48:00.001+10:00

African stiltwalker outside concert
With mom at Bistro Vite for dinner

Inside Arts Centre

32nd Birthday

2007-07-25T08:23:00.000+10:00

Mom and I
Blowing out 32 candles
Goodies from a local bakery
Lighting up the dessert

With flowers from Mark
Flowers, Birthday Girl, and Mark

Mom arrived in Melbourne on Sunday morning--what an amazing birthday gift! She was scheduled to come Saturday, but due to heavy fog in Melbourne, her plane turned around and went back to Sydney where the airline paid for a hotel and meals for one night so they could try it again the following day. (There is a much longer story here, but I'll spare you). Sunday was beautiful, and with no fog. After our trip to the airport to meet mom, we went to the St. Kilda neighborhood for lunch, and after eating, walked around a bit before getting some desserts from a local bakery for the evening celebration. In mid-afternoon, we went to the Arts Centre, and attended a free concert featuring Indigineous musicians. Before the concert, we watched an Aboriginal man explaining the meaning behind face and body painting, and another one who made music with a gum leaf. The two hour concert had a wide variety of performers, including African and Aboriginal musicians, jazz singers, rappers; some sang modern and others, more traditional music. After the concert, we had dinner at Bistro Vite in the Southbank area and returned for dessert at our apartment. It was a fabulous day!

Last of Sydney Photos

2007-07-23T09:41:00.000+10:00

These were pieces of old buildings in Sydney that have been made into an artpiece, very interesting to walk around and look at. The rest of the photos are from Manly Beach, which we visited last Sunday. It is a short ferry ride from Sydney- Manly has the feel of a little beachside resort. Lots of seagulls were out, and as you can see, I couldn't resist photographing them. There was one whose leg was broken, facing the wrong way, but he was fighting for scraps as well as the rest of 'em...I affectionately referred to him as "one-leg" and watched him for some time. (Nothing like a disabled seagull to pull at your heartstrings). Although we didn't take a "water taxi" anywhere, I thought it'd be fun to share the photo with you...much like a regular taxi but built for zipping around the harbour. The photo of me leaning against a lightpost is back in Sydney, at Martin Place.

State Library of NSW

2007-07-20T15:10:00.000+10:00

Inside NSW Library
Oz tapestry inside NSW library
Statue of Matthew Flinders
Mitchell library
Close up: Statue of Flinders and cat, Trim

I got to visit the State Library of New South Wales, a public library in Sydney started in the early 1800's, holding over 4.7 million books and materials. Unfortunately my visit was brief because much of it was temporarily closed for refurbishment. Inside, they had an excellent bookshop with tons of Australian books and other merchandise (I still try not to buy books here because they are so pricey, but it was fun to browse). Outside I enjoyed seeing a statue of the Australian explorer Matthew Flinders, and behind him, another statue of his cat, Trim, who went along on voyages. The library has different sections, and the Mitchell library houses the Australiana research collections.

Sunday in Sydney

2007-07-20T13:52:00.000+10:00

Diana, goddess of purity
Apollo

Theseus and the Minotaur in front of Archibald Fountain

Obelisk in front of Hyde Park
On steps at Memorial
Sydney Tower

Soldier Sculpture inside Memorial
View from Memorial
Facing Anzac Memorial

Mark in entryway
Inside view

Sunday morning after a tasty breakfast of eggs, toast and tomato at the Old Vienna Coffee House (inside QVB), we walked to the southern part of Hyde Park, where we saw the Anzac War Memorial. It is architecturally interesting- built in Art Deco style in the early 1930's, it has pink granite on the outside, and has an inside domed ceiling covered with 120,000 little gold stars (hardly visible in my first photo). Mark and I were both curious about the sculpture of the soldier inside the memorial- it looked to us like a Christ figure, but is meant to be a "deceased youth" or soldier held on his shield by mother, sister, and wife figures. You can read about the controversial nature of the design here. We walked under the canopy of fig trees to Archibald Fountain, a tribute to Australia's role in the Great War in France and known as the "finest public fountain in Australia". It depicts classical Greek and Roman figures: Apollo (beauty & arts), Diana (purity & charity) and Theseus (sacrifice for humanity).

Saturday night in Sydney

2007-07-19T11:32:00.000+10:00

Saturday before dinner we walked over to the Opera House and although we didn't go inside, we were able to walk around it. There were many people there, taking photos as you can imagine. It felt like being at an impressive church- very beautiful, serene, spiritual and light. After getting back to our hotel room, we relaxed a little before taking a cab to Amo Roma Ristorante, an Italian restaurant on George Street in "The Rocks" area of Sydney, near the Harbour Bridge. We'd had this place recommended to us and it was also in the guidebook. Although not as good as I'd hoped (they were very busy, service wasn't great, and it had a crowded, loud atmosphere), our dessert (Bianco & nero) was fabulous, and caused near-by diners to ogle. The man next to us was talking loudly about life in Seattle, WA and how his parents who are friends with Bill Gates' parents get all these special privileges, like private jet rides, etc....(we didn't feel like interrupting to tell him we were from Portland). We walked back to the hotel after dinner, briefly thinking about going to Marble Bar, which was in the guidebook, but after seeing a line of people waiting to get in, decided to call it a night so we could get up early Sunday and have a full sightseeing day before flying back to Melbourne.

2007-07-18T18:25:00.000+10:00

Sydney Beaches

2007-07-18T17:26:00.000+10:00

Grafitti artist
View from Bondi Beach
Swim Pool at Bondi
Bondi Beach 2
Bondi Beach 1

In the afternoon on Saturday we took the Bondi Explorer tour bus, which mainly stops at different beaches around Sydney, including Watsons Bay, Bondi Beach, Bronte Beach, and Coogee Beach. It was a bit cool but sunny. We hopped off at Bondi Beach and did a scenic coastal walk from there, through Tamarama, and ending at Bronte Beach, where we caught the bus back to Circular Quay. I couldn't stop taking photos, it was so picturesque. There were lots of surfers out as well as families. I did see one brave soul in a skimpy bikini but brrrrr. The wall next to the walkway at Bondi Beach is covered in grafitti, but I have a feeling that it is allowed because they seemed more like planned artworks and a guy was there with a dozen spray cans working on a piece (see photo). Reminded me of San Francisco. I was surprised to see a large swimming pool right beside the ocean, but later read that it is part of the Bondi Icebergs Winter Swimming Club, designed to help local lifeguards stay in shape during the winter season (see photo). Most swimmers we saw were in wetsuits. Go here to see a really cool blog of area surf photos. It's interesting to learn the meaning behind different names here. Bondi comes from the Aboriginal word, "Boondi", meaning roughly "water breaking over rocks". Coogee Beach is believed to be derived from "koojah", the Aboriginal word for "smelly place" or "stinking seaweed", named because of the decaying kelp on the beach (source: Wikipedia/audio tour).

2007-07-17T20:39:00.000+10:00

Kayaking in Sydney Harbour

"Look, ma-I can balance the Opera House on my head and smile at the same time!"

Portrait of Happy Girl with Opera House

Sydney Harbour Bridge

2007-07-17T19:59:00.001+10:00

Sydney Opera House View from Bridge

Stairway to Bridge
Bridge Climbing

Sydney Harbour
View from End

Close-up with Opera House in background

On Bridge, looking up

One of the highlights of our Sydney visit was seeing the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge, and then walking over it after lunch. Locals call it "the coathanger" and it's the widest long-span bridge in the world, taking eight years to build. You can read more about it here. I took alot of pictures from different perspectives, and we had great views of the harbour and Sydney Opera House while walking over it. Many people pay around $200 to climb it, but I was pretty sure my fear of heights would be a problem.

2007-07-17T12:32:00.000+10:00

Bridge Perspective

Luna Park area
Entrance to Luna Park
Sydney Harbour Bridge

Morning in Sydney!

2007-07-17T11:21:00.000+10:00

Entry by State Theatre

Inside the QVB
Inside the Strand

The Royal Clock
The Great Australian Clock
Tiled floor

Monorail
Sydney Pub

Sidewalk art
Queen Victoria Statue

We made our way to the Avalon airport on Friday afternoon via a cab then shuttle bus, hoping to catch an earlier flight to Sydney. Ours was scheduled for 8:30 p.m., but there were two earlier than that- when we found out it would cost a few hundred $ more to get on one of those, we opted to wait the four hours in the airport to catch our 8:30 flight. This airport is 40 minutes from the city, and closer to Geelong than to Melbourne. It is very small, with few distractions, so fortunately we both had books to read. The flight to Sydney went smoothly, and it was only about an hour later we were at the Sydney airport. Took a cab to our hotel (in city center) and promptly fell asleep. At brekkie the next morning in the hotel restaurant, I ordered some muesli and a flat white, and had to repeat myself a couple times before the waitress understood me. (I'm still always surprised by this!) R to Mark: "I wonder why she had trouble understanding me; I thought I was speaking pretty clearly". M to Rebecca: "It's because you sound like Barry White". (We both crack up- my voice is especially low due to my lingering cold).

Saturday morning, we began wandering around the city, stopping first the Queen Victoria Statue. Nearby is a wishing well with a stone from Blarney Castle and a talking sculpture of Islay, Queen Victoria's dog. Next we saw the Queen Victoria building (aka QVB), built in 1898 and revitalized as a shopping mall in 1986. It houses two stunning clocks, the Royal Clock and the Great Australian Clock. We rode on an old-style elevator and saw replicas of the British Crown jewels (very shiny) and Queen Victoria's coronation gown. We also stopped by the Strand Arcade, another fancy shopping arcade from the late 1800's. Both buildings were beautiful- very colorful and ornate. We tried to see the State Theatre, but couldn't figure out how to get in. (I took a photo of what I thought was an entryway but now that I've seen the website, I think it was just next door). Then we hopped on a red Sydney Explorer bus--for $40/person this bus takes tourists around the city with an audio commentary, stopping at 27 different sights, such as Sydney Opera House, Chinatown, Fish Market, Chinese Gardens, Aquarium, and many others. It was by far the best thing we could've done to see the city- and the same ticket includes rides on the blue Bondi Explorer bus, which goes around to harbour and beach locations, stopping at 19 different places including Bondi Beach, Coogee Beach, Oxford Street, Hyde Park, and others. We took the bus over the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the Luna Park area, and had a lovely scenic lunch of salmon and fish and chips by the beach at Ripples restaurant.

Longing for Summer

2007-07-11T11:10:00.000+10:00

With Danny in Oceanside
Oregon Coast Beauty

Sabine trying to stay cool

Oregon coast

Portland Blooms
View from Mt.Tabor

Aslan on his window perch

Well, I'm almost back to normal...still haven't been out of the house much, except for a few quick errands. Mark and I watched two great movies the past couple nights- an independent film called A Love Song for Bobby Long (go here for summary) and The Good Shepherd (it didn't get the best reviews but we really enjoyed it). Both are intense in their own unique ways. I'm really missing Portland this week. I've heard summer is in full swing, and miss our usual summer activities: walks around the neighborhood, bike rides on my 'Sweet Tomato' shiny red bike along the Waterfront, sitting outside with a good book and glass of lemonade, planting flowers in pots around the duplex, going to hear live jazz & blues at the Blues Festival, grilling brats on our tiny back patio, going to the Farmer's Market, wearing sandals, walking to Mt.Tabor, making jewelry, eating fresh salmon burgers outside at the Kennedy School, hiking in Forest Park, going to Cannon Beach or Oceanside for some lazy weekends...so in honor of summer in Portland, and because I don't have any new ones from here, I'm posting a few photos I've taken from home.

Sneeze sneeze Cough cough

2007-07-09T17:22:00.000+10:00

I have been sick for a week, starting with a sore throat and concluding with a 102 degree fever last night. Oh, and much sneezing, coughing, and blowing my nose in between. I feel better today after sleeping twelve hours, and my temperature is back to normal. (Luckily, Mark hasn't caught it so far). So the blog has been on hold and I have no new photos to post. Any photos from the past week would show me in my green and red Paul Frank Julius pajamas, blowing my nose every minute, watching daytime tv, sipping hot tea, sleeping, sneezing, coughing, reading, slurping soup, taking medicine...and wishing I was eight and my mom was taking care of me. I will spare you. The most exciting piece of news? My mom finally got her passport and so her visit to Australia is a sure thing now! She is coming right before my birthday in less than two weeks. Also, Mark found a new place for us to rent movies- a mini-mart about a block away- that is cheaper ($2-3) and has a much bigger selection! Since going to the theatre is pricey here, ($14-15/ticket) and there's not alot we like on tv, we tend to rent. (Our beloved Mythbusters show has stopped airing here!) Sometimes I'm able to find stuff at the library but it's never a reliable thing. I am constantly reading and have finished four books in the past week and a half, including a Russian classic, Dead Souls, by Nikolai Gogol. Published in 1842, it is about a Russian character who tries to gain wealth by scheming and meeting landowners from whom he can buy deceased serfs from at cheap rates, then use them as collateral (pretending they are still living) to purchase an estate. It is a very funny and interesting story, and a surprisingly easy read. Due to the author's background and title as well as the premise, I expected it to be somber and hard to relate to, but it is isn't at all.

Melbourne museum

2007-07-04T09:47:00.001+10:00

Visiting the Melbourne museum on Saturday was fascinating but we ran out of time to see all the exhibits. You could easily spend two full days here. They have great displays on dinosaurs, bugs, marine life, and mammals as well as a virtual room where you put on 3-d glasses and watch a variety of short science videos. I was surprised to see the live owl-type bird above when we walked in the forest gallery, a temporate forest habitat for live birds. At first I thought it was stuffed because it was perfectly still, but then after I stopped to watch it, it kept turning its head in small movements. The museum also has an IMAX theatre, children's gallery, and Australia gallery. PS: Happy Fourth of July to all our friends and family in the U.S.! It's just another day for us in Oz.

Aussie Outlaw

2007-07-03T08:52:00.000+10:00

Face to face with a scary mannequin
Ned Kelly's armor

First floor view inside prison
Ned Kelly's deathmask (left) and armor
Inside a cell

On Saturday we toured the Melbourne Gaol, a bleak 1841 prison and site of 135 hangings, including Ned Kelly. He is the most well-known Australian outlaw (or folk-hero, depending on your perspective), much like our Jesse James in the U.S. He was known as a horse-thief, bank robber, murderer, gang-leader, and was put to death in 1880 after a long, dramatic shootout with police. The Ned Kelly story has inspired films (one stars Mick Jagger as Ned Kelly), many books, artworks, a game, a maze, and songs, such as Midnight Oil's "If Ned Kelly was King". I'm hoping to read Peter Carey's book "True History of the Kelly Gang" (2000), which won a Booker Prize, while I'm here. One of the creepiest things in the prison were the deathmasks of people who had been executed there, along with their stories. Another was seeing the gallows which is inside the building on the second level. After an hour inside the building, we were ready to get back out into the fresh winter air.

State Library

2007-07-02T21:21:00.000+10:00

Here are some photos I took of the State Library of Victoria, the one with the excellent "Mirror of the World" book exhibit I saw a couple months ago. The library has an impressive level of collections on six floors with several reading rooms, an art gallery, a genealogy room, and a cafe. It contains over 1.5 million books and 16,000 serials. You can see photos of the outside here. Walking inside, I feel very small and a bit overwhelmed by the beauty of the building and the vast information it houses.

Aussie Lingo

2007-06-29T19:22:00.001+10:00

I haven't written much about the difference in language here, partly because I have limited exposure to it- mostly through salesclerks and waitresses- but also because it's much more subtle than going to a non-English speaking country. Yet it is different, so here ya go...some of the main words I've learned since living in Melbourne:

brekkie (breakfast), chips (fries), bloke (guy), sheila (woman), to book (to make reservations), boot (trunk of car), tucker (food), bush tucker (Aboriginal food), bushwalking (hiking), busker (street performer/musician), daggy (unfashionable or goofy), dodgy (sketchy), donna (comforter or bedspread), "how're you going?" or "owyergoin" (how are you), "give it a go" (try it), "good onya" (good for you), "ta" (thank you), lollies (candies), hire (to rent), jumper (sweater), mobile (cell phone), nappy (diaper), beanie (hat), wanker (jerk), uni (university), drink driving (drunk driving), petrol (gasoline), winge (whine or complain).

We occasionally have trouble understanding people here, and surprisingly, people sometimes have trouble understanding us. I saw a film recently called "Paris, j'taime", a compilation of 18 shorter stories linked together by the themes 'love' and 'Paris'. It was lovely, and full of various unexpected situations. The stories represent all different kinds of love (love for child, love for substances, love for partner, love for drama, love of conflict, love at first sight, etc). Some of them are about cultural misunderstandings. One of the stories has a young man having an entire conversation in French with an English speaking peer who hardly understands a word. Another story, starring Margo Martindale, is of a middle-aged American woman (fanny pack and all) who speaks awkward, basic French and takes a solo trip to Paris. Her narration detailing the trip to her French class back home has a comical effect, as we experience the city from her lonely but endearing perspective. The film was directed by at least seven well-known filmmakers, and has a host of star actors and actresses. I recommend it, especially if you've never seen Paris yourself or just want to live life through some interesting characters for a couple hours.

Delicieux!

2007-06-28T15:53:00.001+10:00

Last night I went out for dinner with Miriam, a coworker of Mark's who's here for just four weeks from Southern CA. She has been an interesting, fun person to hang out with and sadly her time in Melbourne is almost up. We had a smashing dinner at Belgian Beer Cafe Eureka, just a few minutes walk from our apartment building in Southbank. Ah, mussels! Ah, frites with mayonnaise! I enjoyed a big bucket of Roquefort black mussels steamed with blue cheese, baby spinach and cream. The frites were tasty, and other than being a bit on the salty side, very similar to what I had in Brussels and Amsterdam last summer. Accompanying our meal with glasses of Chimay Blue, and bites of fresh bread, we had a wonderful conversation and it was especially nice to be inside a warm, comfortable pub with the wind howling so forcefully outside. We split a creme brulee for dessert, and had a fruity apple beer to wash it all down. (Photo: www.seafarmers.com.au/images/Webmuss.jpg)

What I've Been Up To

2007-06-27T13:57:00.000+10:00

I've been staying in the past couple days...yesterday I read, napped and worked out. Today-again- there is no sun. The wind and rain began last night and it is mid-afternoon now. There is a gloomy-gray and wet, windy look to the cityscape out my living room window. You can hear the wind howling around the apartment tower we live in. Instead of going out exploring, I am enjoying the library materials I checked out last Friday. Just finished watching a music documentary, Ben Harper's "Pleasure and Pain". It took me awhile to become a Ben Harper fan. I'd heard about him from friends, but it's not unusual for me to catch onto a really good musician/music group late in the game. Growing up, we were somewhat restricted in music taste; Christian rock like Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant or this, or harmless pop rock like the Beach Boys, Debbie Gibson (now, embarrassingly, Deborah Gibson) and Tears for Fears. Though I can hardly blame things on childhood upbringing anymore...Just the other day I was listening to the Radiohead Album, "The Bends", thinking how great they are and how I wasn't completely clueless about cool modern bands- then realized it was made in 1995- twelve years ago, when I was about 20. (How time flies, mate!) Anyway, the documentary with Ben Harper is great. Beyond the numerous cliche clips of him getting in and out of tour buses and getting hyper over his afro or buying a cool pair of shoes, it illustrates his close ties with family and the musical heritage he grew up with. It has an interesting segment of him discussing the types of guitar he plays and why. It shows his great versatility, musicianship, and refusal to answer silly media questions like "Are you easy to work with?" I only own two of his albums, "Diamonds on the Inside" (2003)and the 2006 "Both Sides of the Gun" (which is really two albums in itself) but I listen to both constantly and have probably played his song "Amen Omen" daily for the past year... And I'm still not sick of it. (My old college roomie, Mary, is probably having flashbacks if she's reading this...when the Counting Crows recorded "Mr. Jones" I played it over and over in our dorm room until she had to stage an intervention which included excessive teasing). So if you're a Ben Harper fan, go get it, but make sure you have about three hours to truly appreciate all of it, including live performances and bootleg tracks. I've also been watching Mythbusters and listening to Jack Johnson's "In Between Dreams" and Lizz Wright's "Dreaming Wide Awake". I'm reading The Rough Guide to Sydney in preparation for a weekend trip to Sydney a few weeks from now. Also, a dark, strange book called The Electric Michelangelo by Sarah Hall. The author is only a year older than I am and this is her second book--the writing style is sophisticated and unusual, in a way I don't know how to describe.

Finding Fitzroy

2007-06-22T10:55:00.000+10:00

Our quest to experience local Aussie talent continued last night as we wandered over to the Rob Roy Hotel in the Fitzroy neighborhood to hear comedian-musicians Josh Earl, The Bedroom Philosopher, and Indie band, The Raylenes. Wandered is the right word, too. After a tummy-pleasing dinner of grilled cheese and tomato soup at home, we caught the 96 tram and ended up riding it waaay past our stop...it's hard to see where you're at on a tram at night in an unfamiliar neighborhood....we got off, and started walking back the way we'd come and I finally asked a friendly guy locking up his bike where Brunswick street was. Yep, we were quite a few stops past it. I thanked him, and he smiled, offering a genuine Aussie "no worries!". We caught the tram back the other way and got off near Gertrude Street, walked a few blocks and then spotted the Rob Roy on the corner. Fortunately, we'd started out early since we'd no idea how popular this show would be. Well, we walked into a hole of a bar and were two of about ten people in the room, including some of the performers. The show hadn't started yet, giving me enough time to get a glass of wine and reminiese with Mark about our days going to the Bottleneck in Lawrence, which this bar reminded me of-I'm not sure why. Decor was random, and had a 'we don't care' kind-of vibe. The main room included a single couch upon which two very large people were snuggling; a stuffed red Elmo doll above the bar; a huge black and white poster of Johnny Cash giving the finger; a few small circular tables with bar stools; and two disco balls, the larger one directly above the stage and the other in front of it. Soon Josh Earl the comedian/librarian took the stage and I was immediately struck with how small he was- not just short, but small with a small guitar to match. It's interesting how you learn about someone via media and listen to their stuff, then see them in concert and they present a very different image from what you imagined. That happened to me at a Liz Phair concert a few years ago. I'd imagined her as this tall, intelligent, 'take no prisoners' feminist singer and up close, she seemed more like a ditzy sex-kitten type. But soon, Josh Earl's performing reinforced my original impressions of him; he sang songs mostly about relationships (the failure of them, especially with women who pronounce library "liberry"), music, and somehow managed to create a rock n' roll song about Melville Dewey, inventor of the Dewey Decimal classification system (lyrics which I cannot repeat here, but which included a hilarious chorus ending with dewey? we do). He was witty and real and a bit self-conscious on stage. Another comedian/singer, The Bedroom Philosopher, performed next and my first impression was he was on drugs he was so full of energy and well, just weird, really strange. He looks like Austin Powers. But once he played a few songs and made me laugh (he brought up the Austin Powers image after a few songs), I decided he was mostly very charming and funny and smart in a too-intelligent-for-his-own-good way. Both comedians are from Tassie (Tasmania) and in their mid-20's and were definately worth getting lost in an unknown neighborhood and backtracking for. The Raylenes, a local Indie band, were fairly good but never ended their songs together, which bugged me. I think they are quite popular here. Tonight, we're heading back the the Paris Cat jazz club for a Gian Slater performance. She's a young jazz vocalist here who has a breathy, smooth voice and I'm looking forward to hearing her again.

Whole New Gastronomic Experience

2007-06-20T16:00:00.000+10:00

We walked quickly through Chinatown in the light rain on Sunday to find lunch, and spontaneously picked a restaurant called Pepper Chilli. We had just finished viewing the Australian Impressionism exhibit at the art museum and as we contemplated lunch options, it began to rain. I started dreaming of hot tea. The art show was interesting, but took a certain kind of energy. It was fairly crowded, so we were required to slowly inch along in a line of people to see many of the paintings. Those listening to the self-guided audio tours never seem to be aware of anything else around them, so we'd had to wait patiently for them to move aside to read the small print near the art work. (Why is that print so tiny, anyway? It does nothing to encourage someone to understand the art, since you have fight the crowd to get up so close to read it)...Pretty soon I was only looking at every other painting, then maybe half in a group of six, and- by the final room- just the largest ones with the biggest explanations. I love Impressionist painting, so I occasionally felt a pinch of guilt when doing this, as I do while reading an anthology of stories and I decide to skip over a few of them, but it enhances the ones I do spend the time and energy to absorb. Anyway- at the restaurant, which has Peking, Shanghai, and Szechuan cuisine, we got a table and ordered a pot of hot tea. To our surprise, there was no menu and no explanations; the waitresses just started coming by with trays and carts of steamy, tempting dishes. Although the sign outside had advertised "Yum cha" we had no clue what it meant. We soon suspected there were some rules associated with this we were equally clueless about. The website was "spot on" in suggesting "why not let us surprise you with a whole new gastronomic experience". We gave enthusiastic nods to several dishes before starting to wonder how much all this was going to cost. Each time we approved a dish, it was immediately placed on our table and the waitress stamped or scribbled something on a section of the bill. It's an interesting experience to dine and not have any real sense of the food or the prices. The five or six dishes we tried were absolutely delicious, which made it challenging to restrain ourselves when more carts came by. This is not a good restaurant for indecisive diners- in a couple instances, our failure to decide quickly resulted in the waiter moving on to the next table. My favorite was a dish with thick, white noodles and thin slices of meat- it tasted like peanut butter. Other favorites were the dumplings, and of course, the hot tea. It ended up being a wonderful meal, and good experience for those of us who like to think we're always in control and knowledgeable about other cultures (I don't know anyone like that...). Here is another take on it. I'd go back to Pepper Chilli in a heartbeat. And our bill? About $30 each, a reasonable price for a nice meal for two in Melbourne.

Winter Morning in Melbourne

2007-06-17T19:50:00.000+10:00

I woke up Friday morning, earlier than usual, right after Mark left for work. Peeled off three blanket layers in our drafty bedroom and went out to the warmer living room. Peeking between two blinds, I noticed my normal balcony view had almost completely vanished. Fog had taken its place, enveloping the landmarks I'm accustomed to. I took a quick shower and excitedly pulled on my black corduroy peacoat (new to me, but used) and pale green beanie (stocking hat); circled my favorite handmade green scarf around my neck (crocheted by Amy), grabbed my library books (The Short History of a Prince by Jane Hamilton, among others...) and stepped out into the winter morning. I immediately noticed the chill in the air and my own warm breath visibly exhaling out to merge with the rest of the world. I walked consciously, affectionately thinking of this second winter season in a row; noticing all the other hats, scarves, and coats on schoolgirls, careerwomen, businessmen, wrinkled retirees, and others making their way across Princes Bridge at 8:53 a.m. Halfway to City library, I vowed to control my book intake- last time I filled my green-gray backpack full of books and movies, vaguely aware that they would tempt me to stay in the apartment forever (a reality when one is unemployed and left alone all day). The tall tops of modern buildings in the central business district were hiding somewhere behind the fog, making me feel part of some surreal movie set. Entering the library, I slipped a book and DVD into their return slot and then wandered across the hall to the cafe, Journal, to continue my weekly Friday ritual of a flat white and accompanying sweet treat. Journal has generous, communal tables so you can sit by yourself but still feel part of the scene. Last time I came here, one middle-aged woman was streaming tears while discussing relationship problems with her middle-aged, consoling female mate. Another woman, strikingly beautiful and smartly dressed, passionately voiced frustration regarding her current job to a sympathetic colleague. She just wasn't feeling a creative drive. I ate my fresh, fruity muesli and eavesdropped. I tried not to stare. This time, I was one of several people alone, scattered around the table, reading newspapers and sipping coffee. The butter melted into my fruit toast with burnt edges and I went over my reading list. If I'm lucky there will be one book I want checked in, and a Mythbusters DVD we haven't seen yet. The Mythbusters show has become a weekly favorite since we've moved here. I walked back to the library and upstairs to the fiction, wondering how long the winter fog would last. Of course I broke my vow and came home with four books and two DVD's in the end. What a perfect morning. (The fog finally cleared off in the afternoon but eerily returned that evening).

Shipwreck Museum & Maritime Village

2007-06-15T17:02:00.000+10:00

We tried to see whales in Warrnambool but didn't spot any; it is early in the whale season and we didn't have our binoculars. The biggest tourist attraction in Warrnambool, besides whales, is Flagstaff Hill, a replica of an early Australian coastal port- complete with lighthouse, cannons, a bank, nautical supply shop, cute ducks, boats, and more. I am happy to report there were no mannequins, which the usual "replica towns of days past" seem to always have. Somehow in my adulthood I've developed a fear of being alone with them in intimate spaces. I think it began with the almost life-size dummy in the bathroom at Rimsky-Korsacoffee house in Portland. I don't go there anymore because I am honestly afraid to use the bathroom (and I hear I'm not the only one!) Anyway...the museum offers a detailed look at the many shipwrecks that have occured in this area of Australia, including an 1878 Loch Ard wreck which only two teenagers and a huge earthenware peacock statue heading to Melbourne for the Great International Exhibition survived. Although we weren't there at the right time to see the "spectacular sound and laser show" at night, I admit I had fun taking sheep photos and exploring the little village, despite being a bit grouchy about it (sorry, mate). And, as you can see, I even got into the spirit of things on a refurbished ship named the Rowitta.

1000 Degree Fire

2007-06-15T16:00:00.000+10:00

Sometimes the best experiences traveling are the ones you don't plan. Signs or people or landscapes just beckon to you and somehow, you take a moment to listen. This was my experience visiting the Saltmarsh studio/cafe and gallery near the Merri River in Warrnambool. We had gone to Thunder Point lookout to view the waves and passed this little place coming back. Maybe it was the flash of colorful glass in the window, or the OPEN sign, or just a fleeting wish to warm up for a few moments. We shyly entered, and were the only ones there besides the smiling barista behind her counter stacked with baked goods. I ordered a flat white and we sank down into a fluffy cushioned sofa seat in the middle of the room.

We were surrounded by a wall of shiny, vivid glass artpieces made by the owner, Glenistair Hancock. After the coffee was served, he came over to chat, asking where we were from and noting that there is a special kind of glass in Portland, Oregon and that there was lots of great glass art there (who knew?). As we continued talking, he stopped sweeping the floor and came over and sat with us, discussing the best places to see in Melbourne. He was very friendly, very genuine and clearly loved meeting people. The building is made of mostly recycled materials and built by him and his wife, Tina. We didn't get a glass -blowing demonstration, but his pieces are created right there in a 1000 degree furnace in the studio part of the building. I got up and admired the handmade vases, bowls, figures, and jewelry and regreted I didn't have an extra $160 to spare on glass art. I always admired my grandma's collection of glass art paperweights, and the famous Tiffany glass windows, vases and lamps. Soon, the cafe was full of locals and we were ready to move on. It was a wonderful start to our final day on the coast.

Koala Sightings

2007-06-14T16:55:00.000+10:00

I've liked koalas ever since my uncle brought me a stuffed animal koala bear with its arms wrapped around a baby koala in the hospital when I broke my leg in kindergarten. It got alot of love over the years. Our favorite part of the weekend away was our visit to the Tower Hill State Game Reserve, a restored wetlands with indigenous plants and wildlife such as koalas, emus, falcons, and grey kangaroos. Tower Hill was created after a volcanic eruption thousands of years ago. Settlers ruined much of the natural habitat, but a very detailed 1855 painting of Tower Hill was used to identify original plant species, and even location of habitats. Driving along the Great Ocean Road, I had already spotted several koalas in eucalyptus trees but we were flying by with no stopping place. At the reserve, we enjoyed walking two different paths, and it was a short time before I noticed my first koala, sleeping high above us on a branch! It was quite a thrill. Later on, when we sat down on a log for a snack, we looked up and there was a koala only 25 ft. away, balancing on a branch fairly low to the ground, munching on leaves! We sat for a good half hour (all of us chewing our food) just mesmerized by this unique experience to watch a koala in action. Koalas are such an essential part of Australia, yet their habitats have often been destroyed by housing development. You can be a foster parent to your very own koala here, or just listen to them grunt. In the third photo from the bottom, you may be able to see the emus near the water. We didn't see any kangaroos (except while driving we saw a quick glimpse at the back of one), but the koalas made our day! Other koala related news- one of Mark's coworkers says that a koala lives in his parent's backyard outside the city. And there is a gorgeous photo of Bindi Irwin and family in today's paper holding a koala while at the Australia Zoo in Queensland with the Dalai Lama. She's often popping up in the news around here, usually in khaki with an animal in her arms.

Good Morning, Port Fairy

2007-06-14T10:05:00.000+10:00

Can you spot the coffee junkie here? I couldn't resist getting my fix at Rebecca's Cafe in small town Port Fairy, population 2600, located just west of Warrnambool. Sadly, I'd already eaten brekkie so didn't get a taste of those tempting looking treats in the case. This coastal town was settled in 1835 and it's one of the earliest settlements in Victoria. What the guidebook claimed was true- we were "immediately at peace in hospitable Port Fairy", and found ourselves walking around Griffiths Island, on the beach towards a very inviting looking 1859 bluestone lighthouse, still in operation with an automated light. I really enjoy looking at traces of sea life washed up onto the beach- in the beach photo above, I'm holding one of the many seashells we saw scattered in the sand and along the shoreline. If you look closely in the first and third photos from the top, you'll see a heron we came across on our walk.

Twelve Apostles

2007-06-13T17:59:00.000+10:00

After a delicious lunch of a fresh salmon sandwich and sparkling wine at Cafe One 5 Three in Apollo Bay, we continued driving west and just past Princetown, stopped to see the famous "Twelve Apostles", a group of stunning natural rock formations close to the shoreline. It is a very heavily promoted sight around here, and the name was even changed in the 1950's to attract more people (It was formerly known as 'Sow and Piglets'). Interestingly, there are only seven rock formations now, and no one knows if there were twelve originally, or (as my guidebook suggests) "the formation was named by a drunk with double vision". A few formations have collapsed over time as their bases eroded. The lookout spots were crawling with people- Mark commented that "it's like the United Nations out here" because there were so many different nationalities and languages surrounding us as we all tried to get our postcard perfect photo. Trying to just enjoy the scenery was almost impossible as everywhere we turned we were in the way of a camera lens. The cool thing to do is take a guided helicopter ride-only $80/person for 8 minutes (we passed). It was beautiful, but not a place to calmly reflect on the beauty of nature with photographers organizing informal family photos, cameras clicking, and helicopters and planes flying overhead. On the short walk back to our car, I was pleasantly surprised to see a vivid rainbow in the sky over a lush, open field. In fact, we continued to see rainbows each day of the trip. Along with the grazing livestock, windmills, wooden fences, open fields and trees, I couldn't help being reminded of Kansas.

Bell's Beach

2007-06-13T17:13:00.000+10:00

In honor of Queen's Birthday, our 3-day weekend (affectionately referred to here by Aussies as "long weekend") was spent exploring the coastline west of Melbourne along the Great Ocean Road. The Great Ocean Road is essentially a war memorial connecting coastal towns in southwest Victoria; it was started by soldiers returning from WWI and was completed in 1932. Our plan was to drive from Melbourne to Warrnambool, where we'd booked a motel for two nights. We got our rental car early Saturday and hit the road, first stopping at Bell's Beach, a well-known surfing spot between Torquay and Anglesea. It hosts an international Ripcurl Pro surfing contest every Easter. There were a few surfers out in the waves, but it was probably colder than they'd like. I imagine it's a much busier place here in spring/summer season. The final scene in the film "Point Break" is supposed to happen here, but it was actually filmed at Cannon Beach in Oregon, one of my favorite spots to relax on the Oregon coast.

Melbourne Beach

2007-06-08T10:59:00.000+10:00

I went to Melbourne Beach the other morning to walk around, it was a beautiful winter day and not many people around since it was during the week. I had fun watching birds and sorting through shells. In the top photo, you can see the Spirit of Tasmania in the background, which is how we traveled to Tasmania last month.

Toilet Savvy

2007-06-06T09:48:00.000+10:00

I promised a friend of mine that I would report on the toilets here. He wondered if they flush the opposite direction. Sorry to disappoint, but I have yet to see one that does. But unlike toilets in the U.S., most of them have a button instead of a handle to push for flushing. Pressing a big button to flush your poo is way more fun than jostling a handle, if you ask me. From what I can tell, the water comes from both front and back of the bowl. But I'm no potty expert- here's another take on it. It's very common in Australia for toilets to have two buttons, one for a 'half flush' and a bigger one for a 'full flush' depending on how much needs to be flushed, I guess. Check out the photo here. What strikes me as funny is the language; instead of women's or men's bathrooms, they say "male" or "female toilets". Okay, it isn't that funny. But there is the funny flyer I found one day posted on a pole at Flinders Street Station, pleading for the return of a missing toilet named Anita. Clearly, this proves that Aussies are more attached to their toilets than Americans are. Or have a better sense of humor? Seriously, in case you're ever here and need a public toilet, don't despair; just review this handy map. Be sure to read the frequently asked questions, such as "How can I use the Toilet Map with my Global Positioning System (GPS) device?" Something we're all wondering, I know. There is even a way to search for your 'favorite toilets' after you've registered the map. You'll be the best toilet navigator on the block!

Walk Around St. Kilda

2007-06-05T17:43:00.000+10:00

We walked around St. Kilda, a suburb of Melbourne by the beach, over the weekend. It has a relaxing atmosphere if you stay close to the beach; otherwise it is full of crowds on the weekends. There's a little botanic garden featuring local indigenous plants and a subtropical rainforest conservatory as well as tons of shops and restaurants. We passed by four or more cake shops which would have been tempting if not for the ice cream and sliced fresh fruit we'd just enjoyed. The big clown face is "Mr. Moon", whose mouth is the entrance of Luna Park, an amusement park built in 1912 that has the oldest operating roller coaster in the world.

Children's Garden

2007-06-05T14:06:00.000+10:00

Some photos from my wandering around the Children's Garden at the Botanic Gardens last week. Not many children during my time there, so I was able to photograph in peace.

Tapas and Jazz

2007-06-03T21:13:00.000+10:00

Last night we went out for a celebration- the end of another quarter in grad school and the beginning of summer break! We found this delightful tapas place which just opened this year on Little Collins Street and enjoyed trying Pacific oysters, yellowtail Kingfish pancetta, roasted mushrooms and garlic cream, morcilla and 'green egg' tortilla, and churros and dulce de leche for dessert! I passed up the 'twice cooked octopus and pickled cucumber' after having flashbacks to the squid salad in Williamstown. Everything we consumed was delicious and I'm hoping we'll be back sometime in the near future. After our meal, we found a jazz club, Paris Cat, where an American singer named Alison Wedding was performing a final gig before moving to New York. The Paris Cat is located in a small alleyway called Goldie Place off a main street and only visible by a metal cat sign above the entryway. It is a small, new basement jazz club here and has a great ambiance, with crushed deep brown velvet curtains hanging on the walls and intimate clusters of tables and chairs. The show was fabulous- Alison performed with a bassist and pianist and sang a mix of original compositions and jazz standards, including one of my favorites, "Willow Weep for Me". She is one of the happiest looking jazz vocalists I've ever seen; it was really obvious she loves what she does, appreciates the musicians she's performing with, and that made the show especially great. She had another talented Melbourne vocalist, Gian Slater, perform on one tune- so now I have another local musician to follow.

Footy

2007-06-02T09:44:00.000+10:00

Footy Match

Bombers come onto field

Richmond Tigers

Ferris Wheel in Southbank, enroute to match

Night Photo of Bridge to MCG
Inside the MCG

Last Saturday evening we went to our first Footy Match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (aka, the MCG or as the locals say, "the G"). The original intent of the game was to keep cricket players in shape during the winter season. The game quickly spread to New Zealand and South Africa. Australian rules football is kind of like U.S. football but more fast-paced- I won't even pretend that I understand the rules. It is the most highly attended spectator sport in Australia, and Melbourne in particular loves its sports. The game culture here is familiar- sports fans are decked out in their teams colors, drinking cheap beer and munching on greasy fries, and testosterone-filled young men acting bold and sometimes carelessly; we were almost in the middle of a fistfight upon leaving the bleachers; before that, we had watched as a drunken twenty-something lad tried to jump onto the field, and instead fell flat on his face before 61,000 people as about eight police officers handcuffed him then marched him out of the stadium. (This behavior carries a $6,000 fine). Mark and I had no problems buying tickets right before the game, and, once inside the stadium, approached a stadium worker to ask where we could sit with general admission tickets. He replied and we both smiled and nodded, walking off and discovering after quick consultation that neither of us had understood a word he said. Regardless, we found some seats and after a cool pre-game show featuring singers and Aboriginal dancers and some fireworks, the match between the Essendon Bombers and Richmond Tigers commenced. I decided to root for the underdogs, the Richmond Tigers, although both teams are from Melbourne, representing different neighborhoods. The players don't wear much padding, and have long striped knee socks, short sleeved jerseys, and shorts on. The umpires were in neon yellow and staff carrying water run up to the players during the game. A couple players got injured but they didn't stop the game like we're used to. They just try to get the player quickly off the field. I was happy to see my team, the Tigers, were winning until the final five or ten minutes when the other team overtook them and won the match, 92 to 84.

Time to Par-tay

2007-05-31T17:43:00.000+10:00

I'm officially on summer break after turning in my last assignment today. So time to party- though hopefully not like this. My celebration will probably involve a good dinner and a film, or if I get really motivated, perhaps a club with live music. And if this afternoon is any indication, I'll be spending my more of my free time reading books like this or this one. And, or course, continuing to explore Melbourne. Hooray for summer! (which is actually winter here...)

What I'm Learning in Library School

2007-05-29T10:30:00.000+10:00

I don't usually share what I'm doing in library school beyond just complaining about the workload, or telling people what courses I'm taking and how long it is before the quarter ends, but I thought I'd post something about my "Information in Social Context" course because it's full of really cool, thought-provoking topics. We've been discussing intellectual property issues such as copyright, liability, intellectual freedom and censorship, as well as ethics, privacy, and scholarly communication. Whew! One of my classmates posted this hilarious take on copyright basics using Disney clips. And not only is it funny, its informative and accurate.

I just finished writing a paper on the Lawrence Lessig's The Future of Ideas: The Fate of the Commons in a Connected World. I had to read it for a book report assignment in this same course, but am really glad- it was a thought-provoking book about increasing control of the Internet and how this affects its original development as an open resource. Lessig argues that strict control creates a loss of creativity and innovation, therefore negatively impacting its quality and the ultimately hurting the public good. I recommend it, especially if you're interested in intellectual property issues in the digital world, or just learning about some ways the Internet is controlled that the average person may not be aware of. For more information on the author or other books he's written, you can check out his website. If you'd like to read my paper on the topic, email me at bookey13@juno.com.

2007-05-27T23:09:00.000+10:00

Cataract Gorge

2007-05-27T22:49:00.001+10:00

Walk through Launceston

2007-05-27T22:44:00.001+10:00

Tasmania, pt.3

2007-05-27T21:13:00.001+10:00

Top of Children's Fountain

Dome View
Children's Fountain Autumn Dahlias

Fountain Swan

Japanese Snow Monkeys

Getting Checked Out

Huge Ferns
Entrance to Park

Mark and I did a walk around Launceston last Sunday morning after a fabulous breakfast (brekkie) of fresh fruit and muesli, toast, coffee, etc. at the Metz in downtown. The walk took us through City Park, where I was delighted to find Monkey Island, a large enclosure of Japanese snow monkeys. Mark had to tear me away from watching them. I can't tell you why exactly they were there, but we read that the park has a long history of having monkeys. We admired the children's fountain, and mix of beautiful fall foliage and bright flowers. We went to the Queen Victoria museum and art gallery at Inveresk and enjoyed some cool art exhibits, including 20th century Chinese prints, vivid art by Tim Burns, and a collection of John Glover's books (he was one of Australia's most well-known landscape painters and very well-read). They also had an interesting exhibit on Tasmanian Aboriginal shell necklaces- very striking and intricate.

We walked along the marina and decided to hike around the Cataract Gorge area. It was steep uphill at first but then went downhill- breathtakingly scenic and worth the sweat. We walked through the gorge and took a break at an outdoor cafe where a resident peacock was wandering around. This hike made me really love Launceston and Mark and I joked about moving there and becoming Tasmanians. It is such a beautiful place. We spent the rest of the afternoon soaking in the pools at the Aquarius Roman Baths, a group of therapeutic pools and saunas. What a great way to enjoy our last few hours in Tasmania. After an hour flight from Launceston on Sunday evening, we were back in Melbourne.

More Devil Photos

2007-05-23T21:50:00.001+10:00

Visiting the Devils in Tasmania

2007-05-23T21:02:00.000+10:00

Malaga and his warm handler
Petting Malaga

Close-up of Malaga

One of the highlights of Saturday in Tasmania was touring the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Facility at Cradle Mountain. It is a small center, open just a year now, with a space for educating the public about Tasmanian Devils and outdoor habitats where seven of them actually live. We learned it is an "insurance population", meaning that they want to preserve and hopefully increase the number of healthy animals in the area. Devils are in danger of extinction in Tasmania because of a facial tumor disease which has rapidly spread (by facial contact) and has reduced the population in half over the past ten years. They have a field monitoring program there, and basically offer talks and tours to support the care of the Devils and the conservation research they're doing.

As you can see, we got to pet a Tasmanian Devil named Malaga, a two year old male. It was an experience I never expected to have. He was held by the worker for quite some time to keep him calm before she brought him over to us. He liked the warmth of being indoors and up against her and stayed fairly still. He was very soft but we could only touch his back so he wouldn't freak out and bite. We had to keep our movements slow and our voices lowered. They have fairly poor eyesight, but a great sense of smell. Follow this link to see the other Devils living at the center. Parks and Wildlife offers good basic info about them here, including an audio clip of what they sound like. Or maybe you'd prefer the animated version.

Tasmania, pt.2

2007-05-22T17:28:00.001+10:00

Path around Dove Lake

Dove Lake
Beginning, Dove Lake Hike

Cradle Mountain area

Having some brekkie
Our Tassie License Plate

We got off the Spirit in Devonport, Tasmania on Saturday morning after passing through customs and found the rental car office. Mark and I were a bit anxious about driving around an unfamiliar area on the opposite side of the road and steering from the right of the vehicle, but he'd gotten a chance to practice in Melbourne once so we hoped it would be okay (and it was- especially since I didn't drive). The Thrifty rep warned us the forecast called for rain, and when we told her we were headed to Cradle Mountain, she told me, "pull your beanie (hat) down a bit more" and "when the weather in Devonport is dreadful, it's shocking on Cradle Mountain". Everything sounds more serious with a British or Aussie accent....we decided to continue with our plans. We went into Devonport for brekkie and found an unusual spot decorated with old records and and album covers. (Sadly, a McDonalds was the first landmark we saw when entering the city). Then we drove South to Cradle Mountain, in Lake St Clair National Park which is a designated Wilderness World Heritage area, meaning it is protected due to its diversity of features. The drive was beautiful. Lots of open, green areas with cows, horses, and sheep grazing. There was little traffic because it was Saturday and still early.

We started the hike about 11 a.m. and it was cool but dry. We decided on the Dove Lake Circuit, a 1-2 hour hike around Dove Lake and were rewarded with beautiful views of Cradle Mountain spires surrounded by fog. It felt like we were in a scene from 'Lord of the Rings'. The landscape was interesting- rainforest with bush grasses, moss, ferns, and buttongrass, a cool bushy plant with bulbs sticking up off the ends. About halfway through the hike, it rained, but we had worn layers with raincoats and hats so although we were a little soaked by the end, it wasn't a big deal. We dried off in a little cabin and shared some trail mix and water. It had taken us an hour and a half to do the hike. After stopping by a local supermarket for some bread and cheese, we headed to Launceston, a two hour drive from the park, and the second largest city in Tasmania. We got there with 'no worries', checked into our hotel, and celebrated Mark's birthday with dinner at the Cock 'n' Bull, a British pub in downtown. Mark had fish and chips, and I had a lovely plate of bangers and mash. The bartender asked where my "accent came from", and seemed to know where Oregon was, which was nice. Although we saw one nightclub, we decided to head back to the room. Instead of dancing the night away, we did the next best thing- watched a tv show called RocKwiz, filmed in Melbourne, in which well-known musicians and members of the pub crowd team up to answer trivia questions about rock music. They have a rockin' house band that plays excerpts from songs and the contestants have to press a buzzer to answer...then we watched a weird, sweet little Swedish film, 'Music for One Apartment and Six Drummers' where a group of six friends go into each room of an elderly couple's apartment while they're out walking the dog and play music with ordinary household stuff they find. I recommend it. I never would have considered a book or electric mixer a musical instrument but this is proof.