Krispy Kremes Down Under, Baby Vomit, and US's eternal conflict with... Canada?

September 16: Today certainly hasn't had too many horrible incidences so far, but I wouldn't say it has gone off without a hitch. I have managed to laugh my way through it all though, which I suppose is a good thing. It started off this morning when I got up. I got up a little later than I meant to, for the first day, I actually could have slept in (for some reason, every morning, I have been waking up around 7). I had already packed most everything and planned to just use the small towel provided by the hostel for the shower so that I could cram my towel into my packing. I got up, gathered my clothes, and went to take a shower. Almost at the end of it, I realized I had completely forgotten to get this smaller towel from the hanger in my room and was now down the hall from it without any way of drying off. Being resourceful and ever vigilant not to freak out when I have lots of things to do, I used my clothes I had been wearing to the shower to dry off with. This, of course, isn't ideal and wasn't the most pleasant shower experience I've had, but I got dry enough to put my other clothes on and make it to my room to sop up my dripping hair. Dressed and packed, I went downstairs, leaving behind some of the food I had bought that was not easily packable for my new roommate (who was the sweetest one I've had, from Korea, and has been offering me food and Korea candy since she moved in last night), as well as two boxes I bought at the post that totaled 7 bucks (I don't know what I was thinking. I didn't need them yet, and there was no way to fit them in anything). I grabbed my bags and pillow case and went downstairs to check out. I was a little early (as usual), so after check out, I had to hang around for the shuttle to pick me up at 10 minutes after 10am. I have the ticket out in my hand so I will be ready. As usual, with idle time, my mind begins wandering, and I begin to question if I remembered to pack things like my converter or my phone. I begin rummaging through my carefully packed and basically spring loaded bags, having to repack after my neurotic self identifies each thing that I knew I had already packed, but was second guessing. After doing this about 4 times, I realize I now do not know where my shuttle ticket is. I looked on the ground and the couch around me, then I begin again rummaging through bags. I locate it wadded up in some carry-on clothing. I decide to stop doing this and instead watch the circle of French and Norwegian smokers blocking the entrance to the hostel outside with a cloud of smoke and hipster clothing. Finally, the shuttle arrives about 25 after, and I am loaded on an almost completely full van. I am sad about leaving Sydney. I have to admit that besides the Koala Sanctuary, there is not a lot I am looking forward to in Brisbane, and I also have several other things I want to do in Sydney when I return in December. I supposed I could have stayed a few days longer in Sydney, but everything is already booked, and like I said, I will have about 5 days at the end of my trip to become reacquainted with Sydney. The bus stops one more place and we pick up a family with a daughter and son going back to Brisbane. The children had to sit in the back behind me and the parents sat up front. I listened to the children play "I spy" in the back seat and remember doing stuff like that with my brother. Again, I am a little sad. I shake it off the best that I can, and watch the scenery of Sydney flying past me. At the airport, I am told my flight is delayed by 25 minutes and offered to get another flight. I tell them it is ok, after all, I don't have anything else scheduled today, and I cannot check in until 2pm anyway. I walk around the airport a while, openly laugh out loud when I see they are selling NC's own Krispy Kreme in the Sydney airport (I'm not so far from home after all), and locate the food court. I see a Hungry Jack's (their version of Burger King), but this is a no-no, so I grab a sausage roll and a hashbrown. I also spot this fabulous Australia delight, it was delicious! Grandma had warned me to be drinking my milk, and since this has the equivalent of calcium, it's the next best thing. After eating (and spotting more amazing M&Ms- have I mentioned this before? For some reason, Australia has better M&Ms than us, or at least more variety. There is a "mix-ups" bag that has three different kinds, and they also have orange and I picked up a crunchy mint today, it's excellent), I find a spot near my gate and begin people watching. The family from the shuttle is here too, but I find out they are boarding the flight before me. While that flight is boarding, a woman walks by me with a baby whispering "please down spit up." I look at the baby, who is salivating profusely, and like some skilled sniper, is able to time her move and accuracy with expert skill. A la Ben Stiller in "Meet the Parents," the baby vomits right as the mother is walking past me, hitting the seat next to me and marking one of my carry on bags as hers forever. "Oh, no," the woman says, as she continues walking. She doesn't even noticed that her little darling has upchucked on my bag, but continues to line up for the plane. I laugh at the ridiculousness, grab my water bottle, and do the best I can to scrub the nastiness from my bag strap. I am currently still waiting to board the plane, schedule for boarding in about 10 minutes. I will let you know if the rest of my day is as delightfully comical as the first...


(later on) September 16: I am here is Brisbane, and trying to stay positive. I had booked a mixed dorm, but found out from the other girls in the room that it is all female (not that is really matters, but I was trying to experience something different. The girls kind of looked at me weird when I acted confused about their not being dudes in the room. Well, when I got there, it looked messy enough for them to be dudes!). One girl is from Sweden, the other is from Canada, and they tell me there is also two French, one Denmark. The Canadian said we were supposed to be enemies. With Canada? I hadn't heard this. Not the greatest first impression of the girl, but whatever. This hostel, at least compared to Base, is very crappy. But I am trying to stay positive and friendly. I finally did meet some Americans on the shuttle from the airport. They were middle aged ladies from North Dakota, and when I heard them talking to one another, I knew. I asked if they were from the states, and the lady hesitated, probably fearing some unwarranted retribution or remarks like Canada gave me, but I explained I was American too, and we began talking. They seemed to like me and were jealous of my trip. One of the ladies gave me $20 dollars before we parted and told me to get a nice dinner. It was only about 20 minutes, but it was kind of a recharge for me to see Americans (well, until Canada smashed it tonight- positive thoughts, Courtney. Positive thoughts.) I am trying to plan out my time in Brisbane so I will know what I am doing each day so I will have a countdown to Melbourne (and the Melbourne girls!) I think that tomorrow is going to be spent exploring the city. One (and maybe the one) good thing about this hostel is it has a free shuttle. Of course, if it had a better location, it wouldn't even need the free shuttle. Base Brisbane is smack in the middle of everything, but no, I wanted to branch out from Base (positive thoughts, huuuuuuu). Anyway, my general plan: Friday 17: wander aimlessly, make sure I make my way to the Botantical Gardens, find anything free that I can do. Saturday 18: XXXX Bar Tour and cookout (even though it's a Queenlander beer, according to people in Sydney) Sunday 19: Cat Ferry or dinner cruise Monday 20: Koala Sanctuary Tuesday 21: maybe squeeze in something quick in town, wash clothes and pack, reflect and plan Wednesday 22: Leave for Melbourne. I have enjoyed talking to the one French girls about her plans. She is going to rent a camper to drive up to Cairns and see the rain forests and such. She gave me some tips on tours to take to see the Blue Mountains when I come back around to Sydney. Anyway, I'm going to bed soon. G'day.

Lonely...

For the first time on my trip, I felt lonely today. I don't know if it's the fact that I was going on 3 hours of sleep, that I spoke to my parents this morning, or that I have been gone about a week now (maybe all three), but it crept up on me this afternoon packing my bag for Brisbane. I felt the horrible sinking, sad feeling in my stomach. It was inevitable, I think, and even when I go sit in the lounge with about 20 people around me, it was still there. I haven't met single other American yet, which might also be aiding the feeling, and I've watched the 6 girls I bonded with leave yesterday, and the 3 Scottish guys, who were more familiar to me than really bonded, leave this morning. And I will be leaving the familiar hostel faces tomorrow- Jessica, who first took the step to talk to me when I was clearly by myself in Coogee, and Mario and Sam, who I've spent a couple nights in the past week partying with. It's not like we are all big buddies or anything, but I have been living under the same roof with these people for a week, and it's a strange feeling to be moving on. I know I will probably feel the exact same way in the new hostel and the one after that, it is an inevitable thing though. I took a break from packing and had a good cry, which actually made the feeling go away. Sometimes I think crying can have that affect, maybe that's why it's ingrained in us to cry when we have this feeling. Don't worry about me though, this is a normal occurrence in this type of situation. And it's not something I won't be able to overcome by tomorrow, it's just something that was bound to happen, and may happen several more times throughout the trip. But writing about it a little helps too. I will talk to you all again in Brisbane.

Sushimi and Chop Sticks, and a Gaffe Night

I don't want anyone to misunderstand the title, I have used chopsticks before. But usually, it's for like the first 5-10 minutes of the meal. I end up getting frustrated or tired of eating tiny bits and give up and ask for a fork. Today would be different.

Today was the first day of non-perfect weather in Sydney. It was overcast when I got up, and it started being rainy later on in the day. I ran out around 10 to find a post office to buy stamps and boxes to send stuff in. On the way back, I spotted several places I would be interested in eating lunch. I got back to the hostel right as it started raining. I wrote 6 postcards and put stamps on them, hoping I would find a post box at some point in the day. I decided I wanted to go to a Japanese place for lunch, craving some sushi. I found this little hole in the wall place (literally down steps and crammed in a very small place. It was also slam full- which I thought was another good sign.) I ordered my food, teriyaki chicken and sushi combo and a ginger beer (much to my dismay, turned out to just be ginger ale, but was bottled and very good).


My food came and was amazing. I had never had the full sushimi stuff before, usually getting the sushi rolls packed with avocado or some other stuff, and I didn't really know what I was ordering would be that, but when it came, I wasn't going to not eat it. As you can see, I finished most everything but my rice. It's probably the first time I have been really full since I've been here. A strange combination of nerves, no time, and trying to save money has led me to eat only two meals a day, and sometimes not come close to eating a whole meal. Everything I've ordered out, I've tried to eat most of, but I have only tended to buy one meal a day and eat other stuff in my room. It probably is saving a lot of money doing this.



My clean plates!

Last night I went to a club called The Gaffe with other people in the hostel. Andrew, an Australian I met and was talking to at Scary Canary before we left for The Gaffe, told me the Black Eyed Peas song was an omen- that I would have a good night. Andrew was right. I talked to lots of people, did a little drinking and dancing, met a guy from the Netherlands named Rob, and the only hiccup of the night was that I ended up missing the hostel bus back to Base. No worries, I caught a cab. I got in about 4 am, and could only sleep until about 7am today. It's cool though, because I will probably have an early night tonight since I have to checkout tomorrow and catch my Brisbane flight. I plan to spend my last day in Sydney on the harbor again, and maybe splurge for a nice meal at one of the restaurants on the harbor, even though I definitely spent quite a lot of coin last night, haha. Next time you hear from me, I will be in Brissy! G'day!



IMAX up the road from my hostel.



View of my hostel (Base Sydney) and Scary Canary from across the street.

Experience Vegemite...

At my most recent stop by Woolworth's, I decided to look around a little more and found some pretty unusual stuff. Chips of strange favors like ham and chicken, and candy bars I have never even heard of. I decided to pick up some of this stuff, and I will report on the candy bars as I try them. Today, I gave the chicken chips a whirl...



My reaction: they are decent, but do not scream chicken to me. They are more herbs than chicken flavored. I guess it's like when you get chicken flavored rice and stuff like that. None of that stuff actually tastes like chicken.



Up next, the big contender, every Aussie's pride and joy: Vegemite.



Clearly, I am not expecting too much from the initial smell, I haven't heard great things from Americans who have tried it, but they got so many other things right so far, how could Aussies screw up on this one?



Do I dare combine these to flavors? Am I tempting some cataclysmic event to occur? I thought I remembered chicken flavored chips and Vegemite as one of the signs of the Apocalypse.



DU DU DU! Moment of truth...



Maybe I will just touch my tongue to it first, just to get a hint of the flavor...



Mistake! Bad Mistake! I toss the whole chip in my mouth to chew...



Ack! NO!



HUHHHHH!



Help me, raspberry schwepps!






Well, in conclusion, I am not a big fan of Vegemite. Maybe it's one of those things that has to grow on you, I mean, a lot of people hate beer when they first try it. And this is essentially leftovers from brewing beer, with lots of salt added. I guess I will keep the jar in case I am stranded somewhere, in desperate, and I mean desperate, need of sustenance. I suspect it will also ward off thieves and small children, unless those thieves and children are Aussies.

Hyde Park, Night Cruise in Sydney Harbor, and Manly

I didn't write yesterday because what I thought would be an afternoon harbor cruise turned into an all night dance party and drink-fest. I spent yesterday morning at Hyde Park quading and trying to plan out what I would be doing next week in Brisbane. I spent most of my time watching a group of goth-ish high school aged kids messing around in the grass. I really hope they were drunk- the girls were wearing very short dresses, and kept falling down and rolling around showing their underwear. They would shriek and run around and push each other down. I don't know if it's a cultural thing or if I'm not giving them a fair chance, but I have observed an disproportionate number of girls that do anything to be the center of attention, even if it is insanely annoying or childish, even girls my age. Another side note- Australia, or maybe it is just Sydney (I will let you know) is very environmentally conscious. Every toilet I have seen has a half flush function, just in case you do not require extra water. And their buses have printing on the side, explaining how environmentally friendly they are. And when I bought a ticket for my Qantas flight, I was give the option to pay 98 cent more to offset my carbon footprint created by my flight. How nice for them to be so environmentally aware and conserve natural resources, without ulterior motives or political reasons- just do it because it's good for the world. After my afternoon in the sun doing planning and social observation, I ran by Woolwirths again to pick up some stuff and got back in time to get dressed for the cruise. I went down to Scary Canary, the meeting point for the group going to the cruise. I bought a beer, and took up my usual position watching the boys play pool. We got a group together, and walked down to the harbor around 5pm. We met at a restaurant called pontoon and pushed together 3 tables to make room for everyone. We went around the circle and introduced each other, telling where we were from. I, of course, was the only one from the US. There were 6 girls that knew each other, and they were on a girl's weekend from Melbourne, who invited me to sit with them. There were 2 guys from New Zealand, 3 guys from Scotland, and Mario and Sam and Jimmy who all work at the hostel. We got a free drink at the bar and the girls ordered wedges, which are eaten with sweet chili sauce and sour cream. We spent about an hour there hanging out and talking, then when the boat was ready, we walked back down the harbor. The sun was setting, so I got some amazing shots of the opera house and the bridge all lit up for the night. There was a cash bar on the boat, so everyone was ordering drinks. There were 2 levels- the bar level and the dance floor. The dance floor had loud, loud music, and strobe lights, it was intense. We circled the harbor and drank and danced, it was lots of fun. When it was over, we walked back together as a group to continue the party at Scary Canary. Sam, from London, and has been here 5 months but hasn't left Sydney or this hostel yet (and is now employed there) insisted I wear his sailor hat for the walk home. I danced with all the Melbourne girls some more, then we watched TV in the common room, and went to their room for cake. We ran into the french guys that I met the other day, and to prove I had learned from my previous experience, I forced a 2 kiss cheek greeting on the person I had met the other day and he laughed. They were carrying around a bottle of Jack Daniels, apparently drinking it straight from the bottle. When I told them it was my favorite, they offered me a swig. I then went to Mackers (McDonalds- my 2nd trip since being here, they love their Mackers) with 2 of the Melbourne girls and Sam. They all ordered food, but I refused, saying that it was my goal to not each American food (or chains) while here. Sam ending up force feeding me a nugget and fries (he was feeding everyone at the table) so I guess I broke that rule (I think there is an exemption that says if it is fed to you by an Aussie, it doesn't count). We then walked back to the hostel and called it a night. I rode the lift with Sam, and he requested not one, but two good night pecks. I went into my room, realizing I had a new roomie, and that her first impression of me would be me coming in at 2am. Whatevs. I went to bed, then a few minutes later, the person in the top bunk climbed down. I realized it wasn't my normal roomie, and although I wasn't sure because I was watching through closed eyes, I think it was a dude. He grabbed something from the drawer under his side of the bed and left. He wasn't in the bed with the new roomie, just in the top bunk over my bed. I guess they thought it was going to just be the two of them, so he could sleep in the room too, but I ruined that plan I guess, haha.

Anyway, fast forward to this morning, I am a tired from last night, but for some reason cannot sleep anymore past 7am. I get up and take a shower. My roomie is still asleep around 8:30am, so I am on the computer a while, then go downstairs to call my Grandma. I am meeting the Melbourne girls at 10am to go to Manly. I meet up with them checking out, and they store their luggage in my room. Everyone is dragging this morning, after all, they were right there with me last night. We start walking toward the harbor and stop at a place called Vivo to get brekkie. I have an open face sandwich with amazing bread and ham and tomato with melted cheese on the top- maybe it was more amazing because I was hungry, but it was great. We continue walking and stop to shop a little. We get to the harbor and ride a ferry to Manly. Manly is a little town with shops and restaurants and a tiny beach area. We sit on the shore a while, then go get fish and chips, they tell me this is a very Australian thing to do at the beach. We also have a cheesecake for Beth's birthday, one of the girls. We ride the ferry back and walk back to the hostel in time for them to catch their shuttle to the airport. I got their contact and will be visiting them again in Melbourne, because my Melbourne girls know how to party. I'm trying to decide what to do this evening. I plan on writing postcards because tomorrow I am going to seek out a post office, but I don't know if I want to go to the Canary for dinner or not. Now that I was part of a group for a while, it will be harder to become the loaner again, haha. I am sitting in the common area near the bar and they are pretty much DJing for me- Chili Peppers, The Killers, and now Foo Fighters- maybe it's a sign. Cheers!

PS- Hulu cannot stream in Australia- can I make it 3 months without my TV or Arrested Development? At least allsp.com still works...

Opera House, Vegemite Scrolls, and French Greeting Faux Pas...

I haven’t decided yet if I am somehow going to have a daily blog entry or what, but I definitely have to make one for today. I decided since I snoozed away most of the evening last night in a jet-lagged stupor (seriously, I’ve never felt like that before. I had leaned over for a second sitting Indian style on my bed and closed my eyes and basically slept for 2 hours. I woke up, kind of mad that I hadn’t planned everything, then fought sleep for about an hour more while I decided how I would spend the rest of my week. I finally gave up and passed out around 10:30pm.) I woke up this morning around 8 am, both of my roommates still asleep. I grabbed my stuff I had gotten together the night before, crept out of the room, took a shower and dressed, and was out of the hostel by around 8:30. I had decided I would get a good breakfast, since I technically didn’t eat dinner last night (wasn’t the plan, see the above info on the jeg-lag stupor), so I walked around looking. I finally found this little cafe called “bona fide,” it wasn’t too expensive, so I went in to get some food and coffee. Remembering that book I red before I left which warned me almost no restaurants were sit-down and be waited on restaurants, I tried to order at the counter. “Are you eating in?” the girl asked. “Yes,” I said in a probably confused tone. “You can have a seat, I'll bring you a menu.” Thanks alot, Rusty. There was only one other couple in the cafe, but this was no indication of it’s food quality. Feast your eyes on this meal: Eggs, toast and bacon. And the toast is no ordinary American slice of wheat or white toasted. It’s a nice artisan bread with butter. And that ain’t your ordinary skinny bacon. That is a nice, thick bacon, practically ham. And a grilled tomato! Also, I ordered a short black, forgetting what this means. I probably wanted a tall black, or even a tall white, but a short black is a tiny cup of very strong, almost thick coffee. You almost have to chew it. Dan would love it.







After my magnificent breakfast, I continued on my journey toward the harbor. The walk wasn’t bad, a mile or two, and the weather was gorgeous. I was diligently following my google maps directions when the harbor caught my eye to my left. It wasn’t the correct way, but the Opera House is on the harbor, so I would make it there eventually, right? I went down some stairs and spent my time walking along the harbor, taking in the sights of the bridge and noting all the nice restaurants. I turned a corner, and the Opera House popped out right at me! There it was, like saying “I’m here, where have you been?” I immediately started angling along with all the other tourists to get the best shots of the building. It’s crazy that these two iconic structures- the bridge and the opera house- are so close together. You knock out two of your Sydney and Australia “must-sees” in one clean sweep. What almost ruined the whole experience- they were playing a Fleetwood Mac song on the loud speakers outside. Are you kidding, Fleetwood Mac? I like Fleetwood Mac as much as the next person (which is marginally), but it wasn’t completing the moment. Finally, they started song good, old-fashioned, in another language so I had no idea what they were saying, opera. Exactly what was needed. After avoiding the musical Fleetwood disaster, walking clean around the structure, and taking a picture of every angle that seemed “artistic,” I decided to go inside. Since I hadn’t scheduled a tour ahead of time, I knew I wouldn’t be able to take one (no t that I didn’t try last night- and the website tells me today I am registered to buy tickets now if I want. Thanks Sydney Opera House). I thought about maybe getting tickets to a show, but I wanted it to be opera, it’s the only thing that seemed appropriate. The only opera option was Sunday afternoon, tickets starting at $69. And guess what- all the $69 dollar tickets are gone. I instead browse the gift shop, find a shot glass that was begging to join my collection, then discover my favorite part of the opera house- the bathroom! It was so great, dimly lit, with rows of roomy stalls with doors that had a wave shape. And not one, not two, but three rows of toilet paper to chose from! And look that this amazing sink! I was afraid to turn on the faucet, after all, there is no sink bowl, where will the water go? But magic, it all falls nicely to the back of the sink. (Am I so super lame to even begin to claim my favorite thing about the opera house was it’s bathroom? I don’t care, it was super cool.)

After my invigorating bathroom experience, I went on to explore the rest of the area around the Opera House. There were these two floating platforms were along the side of the opera house. They are kind of cool, and appear to exist only for fishing and throw-unsuspecting-tourists-into-the-water purposes. Each wave that came by rocked it, so you almost had to have surfing stills to stay aboard. After deciding I would stop tempting fate, I left that area and spotted the Botanical Gardens somewhere I didn’t know they would be-right beside the opera house. So we are now knocking out three Sydney must-sees? What am I going to do the rest of the week? (If my hostel had it’s way, I would be drunk the whole time. I’m not complaining- yet- but this is definitely a party hostel. Every organized event involves drinking. And I saw some families with kids checking in today. They must not have read the website carefully.) Anyway, figuring I will find something else to do on my botanical garden day, I ventured in. It was gorgeous, and definitely calling me to have an old school quanding day here in the Sydney harbor, like I did at UNC. Lots of people and families with babies walking around, laying in the grass, enjoying the amazing weather. And the birds walked around, you almost tripped on them. Here is a kid that was chasing around one of these birds. After thoroughly enjoying my botanical garden walk (I will be back before I leave Sydney), I walked back through the harbor and found a shop that I was interested in. I bought some gifts, not to be mentioned yet here as the recipients may be reading, and keep walking back down the harbor. I was getting ready to go back up the stairs, but spotting a nice bar, decided I needed to drink a beer at Sydney harbor. I bought my beer and sat outside, continuing to enjoy the amazing day (note the almost empty glass in my self-pic).

I next went to Sydney Museum, only because I spotted it on the way to the harbor. Admission was only $10, so I checked it out. There were a few interesting exhibits on the Aborigines and some good information on the development of Sydney. I also had planned to hang out in Hyde Park some too, but I saved that for tomorrow. I went to Wollworth’s, which was essentially a 3 story Walmart (only three story because it needed the stories to fit vertically, not any bigger than Walmart) and got a few things so I wouldn’t die of scurvy or have to eat breakfast out every morning (it would add up, if I kept going to places as nice as Bona Fide). I also stopped on in a small shop almost to my hostel because I saw bananas as I was walking by. SIDE STORY: I had a leg cramp last night, and had to get out of bed to stand on it. I must have woke up my Russian roommate, because she sat up. I told her I was having a leg cramp. “Do you ever get leg cramps?” I said, maybe trying to be friendly, but also trying to make sure there wasn’t a language barrier to what I was saying and her think I was weird or trying to attack her or something. “Yes, sometimes, but not... only when I am doing something... like walking.” She got up and went to the restroom, after what I considered was kind of a snotty remark about my leg cramp or my wimpiness or both, while I continued to nurse my freaking out leg muscle. I finally got it under control and went back to bed. She came back in shortly and said “That was interesting.” In my head, I say ‘B, if you’re going to make some other remark about my leg cramp, prepare to be served an American can of whoop ass,’ but I actually say “What was?” She says “Someone was in the bathroom showers with a guy. He tried to get out of there, but saw I was in there. Hostel sex.” I say, “Ha, that’s crazy,” as college memories of these kinds of situations flood back. Anyway, back to present- Along with my leg-cramp-soothing bananas, I spot this crazy Australia creation: its like a cinnamon roll, but it’s made with cheese and vegemite and called a scroll (don’t you love it?). I decide immediately I have to try this and added it to my pile on the counter. I will probably have it tomorrow morning and report back as to whether it is in fact edible.

I went to dinner at the Scary Canary (for real this time). I had been offered to go on the Oz Party Bus to 5 bars with 5 drinks free for $30, but being by myself, this will inevitably be awkward, end badly, or both. Plus, I do not think I am over this jet-lag thing yet. Did you know as I am typing now in Australia around 5pm, it is actually 3:36am in North Carolina? I belkeve it, I could do some 3:30 am sleeping right now. I will probably sleep in a little later tomorrow (since I basically accomplished Sydney in one day today), hang out in Hyde Park, then I have bought a ticket to a dinner and cruise on the harbor that starts tomorrow at 3pm. Anyway, dinner at the Canary tonight was pretty good. They like to add weird stuff to hamburgers though, and completely leave off cheese! I had a couple of beers and was watching the rugby game on TV. It's official, rubgy is both awesome and hot. I must have looked pathetic sitting alone, because a French girl named Susan came over to talk to me. It was nice of her, even though I wasn't the only one sitting alone having dinner. It is just not me to approach total strangers and have dinner with them, not if I don't want it to be a completely awkward experience. And that may never be me. But it was a nice thing to do. I found out she was 19, living here for 7 months, staying in the hostel while looking for an apartment, and the two guys she was with were French also. I met one of them, and committed a huge French faux pas (probably). The guy leaned in, so I was assuming he couldn't hear me because we were in a loud bar. I began telling him my name and he jumped back quickly. Susan said, "we do this in France," then did the double kiss on each cheek thing. "Oh," I said, and did it, saying "muah" to ensure he knew I was doing this correctly. It was pretty hilarious to me. It sounds like a riot outside. It's either the Oz Party Bus or the rugby crowd celebrating, maybe both. I want to be there and I don't at the same time.

Oh, two more things (sorry, this entry is really long)- I spotted a guy in my hostel wearing a UNC hat. I remembered Jory’s warnings to try not to hang out with Americans, but dying to know where he was from (I mean, what are the odds? I’m on the other side of the world- has word of our awesomeness made it this far?), I got his attention and asked if her was a UNC fan. “Yes, I love all college basketball actually, but UNC is my favorite.” There was no real accent, so I asked if he was from the states. “Canada, actually.” Yep, it’s me, the lone American. I told him I went to school there. He asked about the basketball, and the ticket system. His name was Graham. I just thought it was random. The other thing- I have noticed, like I said yesterday, Australians listen to American music. But everywhere I hear music playing, I have already heard these two songs at least 3 times, meaning they must be favorites for some reason- Katy Perry’s California Gurls and Train’s Hey Soul Sister. Don’t ask me why, I’m not too fond of either, but everyone is very into these in particular. Maybe they will grow on me too. G’day.

Goon and Sausages in Coogee

Ok, I think I am excited about this trip.
I’ve only been in Australia for about 10 hours, but I have come to a few conclusions Australians, or at least about people in Sydney. They aren’t so different from Americans except: drinking boxed wine and vodka openly in the park and in front of an entire class of children does not seem to be frowned upon in the least; the school children wear uniforms: the boys ties and slacks, the girls dresses, but despite these nice clothes are allowed to run about and frolic and play rough like I don’t think American children do anymore- everyone is always afraid they will break a bone or something; and sex and sexual innuendo is not just something pulled out occasionally for comic relief in certain company, it’s pretty much their entire language. Allow me explain these conclusions further.

So let me tell you about my afternoon of “sausages and tomato sauce,” “goon,” and the party bus. When I checked in, I was told there would be a free beach barbecue (which means cookout). I was down, after all, I had no plans yet, and what better way to meet some people I would be living with? So we met in the lobby at one pm, but the bus was way late, and I ended up standing in the middle of the room, feeling like I looked really dumb because it seemed like everyone else was traveling with at least one other person they knew. About 1:30, the bus arrives. This is no ordinary bus. This says “Oz Party Bus” on the side. We all load on, and I end up having to stand for the trip. This trip is narrated by the bus driver throughout, interspersed with sexual references and mostly inappropriate music (I loved it, by the way). One song, sung by an Australian, was about men not wanting to have to put up with girls, but just wanting to have sex with them. It suggested asking if they screwed on the first date, does their dad own a brewery, just awful, boy stuff. They also played the “G’Day” song that I think I have heard before. Anyway, we finally arrive at Coogee, and I have to say, I was impressed. I wish we had more parks like this in America or NC. Just a nice park with gazebos and grills and a beach- what more could you ask for? I really think the sand part of the beach is man-made though, because the majority and surrounding area is rock and the sand seems oddly out of place. I also need to research the type of trees there. They were evergreen, but seemed to grow upward branches, opposite what you expect to see in American Evergreens. The water was COLD, so we didn’t get in. Sorry, no pics, I was too flustered and jet lagged to get it together, but it is a nice little park. I was sitting alone in the sand wondering if I took some of the boxed wine, or goon, being offered would I fall asleep immediately, when I was approached by a girl named Jessica and asked if I was traveling alone. I told her I was, and she invited me to sit with her and her friends. I found out they all work and live at the hostel. Most of the people running this event were in the same situation. They are all fun and crazy, which I suspect adds to this type of job. We drank goon in tiny plastic cups, which Jessica explained is called goon because that is slang for pillow, and once drunks have finished the box of wine, they can blow the bag up and use it as a pillow. Stay classy, Australia. (I love it) They were making sausages, which I found out were just hotdogs, but a little longer that I’m used to, and maybe a little tastier too, though it could be because I hadn’t eaten since my 5 am airplane french toast. We could put tomato sauce (ketchup) or barbecue sauce (yick!) on it. And they were slathering it on, they go heavy on the sauce. The girls I was hanging out with decided they wanted more than their sausages, so they walked to the McDonalds across the street and I joined. I didn’t get anything, since I vowed only Aussie food, but I did make note of the differences in the McDonalds menu in Oz. And I loved that the girls called the fries “chips.” Yes! (I probably seem like such a weirdo. I have realized I have been studying people very closely while I have been here, listening to how they say things, because sometimes, when they are talking fast, it is near impossible to understand them.) Anyway, after some red rover played by throwing a nerf football at the backs of people while they are turned around (again, I can’t see being played in America, such wusses), more sausages and goon, it started raining so we got back on the party bus. Again, they played more music, but this time they played Tenacious D’s “F*&# Me Gently,” then “Sweet Caroline,” then “Don’t Stop Believing,” then “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Am I still in America, circa 1996? I mean, they are classics, but does Australia have it’s own music? I just seems strange that this is their party bus music.

In this same vein, it seems I am already a novelty. I have told 3 Australians, tentatively, that I was from the United States. The responses , none of which have been really negative, were each different. Jessica was pretty indifferent to it, perhaps because she wasn’t sure where North Carolina was located, but didn’t seem too interested. The second was a male who works at the hostel. He seemed surprised and said he didn’t see a lot of Americans, mostly Canadians (or maybe Americans lying to be Canadian). The third also agreed Americans were uncommon, but also made reference to the fact that all they knew was the stereotype of Americans. Then he recalled someone who visited the hostel, either from North or South Carolina, he thought North. He said they person had explained the difference, that North was larger or more populated or better in someway than South. “Yes,” I agreed, nodding. “North Carolina is just better.” “That’s what I thought,” he said. “What’s the capital of North Carolina? Isn’t the capital of South Carolina Kansas?” At least we know Americas aren’t the only nationality that sucks at geography, like the Iran and the Iraq, such as (Miss Teen South Carolina, for those that needed the reference).

Anyway, such was my first day in Australia. I like these hostel people, although at the same time, I get the feeling they are kind of like the kids that worked at the club in dirty dancing- they are all pretty attractive, thoroughly involved in each others lives because they live together, and are pretty much here to kiss my and all other patrons butts. But everyone can enjoy some butt kissing every now and then, especially from some male with a nice Aussie accent.

My plan for tonight is to plan the rest of my days in Sydney out so I will know what I am doing each day, and maybe grab a bite and a drink in the Scary Canary, a bar hooked onto this hostel. I have a coupon for a free shot, mine as well. That is, if my uber jet-lagged self can make it. I am laying on my stomach as I am typing this and having trouble resisting laying my head down and closing my eyes. But give me two days, I will be fine. Cheers! (Yes, in my head, I am already talking with an accent, but it has a swig of Irish too, maybe because of the guys I was talking to today)

Stale Taste of Recycled Air...

5:02 pm EST Sept. 8: I am midflight on my way to Detroit. I just dropped my airbourne tablet into my cup provided by the flight attendants (yes, I am that passenger) and declined the $9.95 wifi (per flight! I would be racking up 30 bucks of wifi by the time I reached Sydney!) I love my window seat. I forgot how much I love looking out while flying. And no one sitting beside of me. All 3 seats are mine! I also seem to love taking off, which most people hate! It's almost surreal to me. It's kind of like a roller coaster, and for a split second, you contemplate what it would be like if for some reason your plan didn't go gliding off into the sky, but instead resulted in in a fiery inferno on the tarmac. And maybe it's just me, but I find myself accepting that possibility and just hoping for the best...Again, maybe that's just me.
I will be arriving in Detroit 15 minutes ahead of schedule, according to the pilot. I had my mother drop me off at RDU this afternoon 2 hours ahead of departure. Why do they act like it takes hours to get through security? Maybe some days, it does. But today, no lie, it was 15 minutes from the time I dropped my checked bag off at the counter and got tags for my carry-ons and passed through security shoeless, praying all boarding passes and passport made it safely out the other side of the x-ray machine (I guess I was expecting it to eat them?) to when I made it to my terminal and sat down. After catching my breath (freaking out again, as I have been all day), I decided it was dumb to sit for an hour and a half waiting to board when I would be sitting on the plane at least that long. I picked up all my stuff, checking and double checking that I had all my bags, and walked around. I decided I needed to get some water, and maybe some gum too, to make it through the pressure changes in the plane. I also saw my favorite chocolate covered pretzels, and decided I deserved some of those too, and picked them up for later. $8.45 and a bathroom break later, I was back at my terminal. I watched them roll in the incoming flight and deplane the passengers (I know there's a better word for that). It was only a little while later, after throwing our stuff under the plane (me sending up some good thoughts that my detergent, shampoo, and conditioner, if making it through security, would stay sealed), they asked us to board the plane. It was very efficient, we were all boarded in like 15 minutes!
One last thing for my update for RDU-DET, what is the deal with everyone using the bathroom on the plane? Is it because it is a novelty or something? Because I peed twice before boarding, wanting to avoid attempting to pee in a 18 x 18 box while juggling my carry-on and my laptop, plus it's only an hour and a half flight. Can you not go that long? Anyway, we are already "desenting," I will check in later!

10:15 pm EST Sept. 8th: I'm not as big a fan of this flight as I was the RDU-DET. For one, the plan is at least twice the size and slam full. It ups the anxiety level quite a few notches. Although I am enjoying my seat-back screen thingy, even if they are trying to make me pay $2 for one episode for Curb and $6 for Prince of Persia and Sex and the City 2 (good luck). The funniest thing about the movie selection is that they have "Babies," which Dan and Hines can tell you if they ever read my blog, is a documentary about babies all over the world, and apparently Time Warner Cable must have a hand in making it because they will advertise this film to you constantly over and over during their in demand channels, even for stuff like South Park. Also, apparently their complimentary viewing selections were a couple of episodes of TV stuff (the office and how the world was made on one channel, how I met your mother, psych, and the middle on the other), but isn't on demand, so I missed the ones I would want to see. I'm giving how I met your mother a whirl because Hines has been raving about it, and he's usually ok with this stuff. Anyway, I have also been using this screen to watch our progress. Looks like we are currently over Kansas, about to enter Colorado. They even keep track of when they expect us to land, which seems to vary greatly from 9:35 to 10:15 (yikes!). This flight is originally scheduled to land at 9:32, and is currently showing 9:41 to land, which I think I can deal with. They apparently begin boarding that flight at 9:40, even though we are not scheduled to take off until 10:35pm. I am just crossing fingers and holding my breath that I catch it. Yes, it's not the end of the world if I do miss it, but I just want to be done with this travel and there, and if I get bumped to a later flight, or at the worst, the next day, it will just be more to deal with. Also, I am getting dried out from this constant recycled air, so I have to battle between toughing it out and drinking water, which will inevitably leave to needing to pee. Such is my current situation. Anyway, I will be checking in again soon, hopefully on my way to Sydney! YAY!

10:06 am EST Sept. 9th: I think I am beginning to understand why they refer to Australia as Oz. I feel like I have been traveling through several Kansas tornadoes over the past five hours, and between jet lag, the fact that I have been traveling now for almost 24 hours, and the fact that it has been dark outside the entire LAX flight has added to the confusion and deprivation. And the fact that I was fed dinner at 10:30 pacific time, or like 1:30 EST, then was fed again just just now, of which I could only eat the apple and milano cookies, adds to the weirdness (How can I ever get on Sydney time if they wake us when we’re supposed to be sleeping and fed us at insane hours?) I can’t decide whether it is better to have it dark outside during this turbulence or not. I have slept less than three hours, I think. When the turbulence wakes me from sleeping, I have been dreaming I am riding on a bumpy road in a car, which is what it feels like. You just have to keep the fact that this car is a jumbo jet, and instead of being on a bumpy road, it is 30,000 feet in the air out of your head. The couple next to me, also making the trip for the first time to vacation for two weeks, called me “ballsy.” I think that’s about right. Anyway, I will update again once I get to Sydney, through customs, and have a clearer plan. I am hoping, nay, demanding that this update occur over some type of coffee drink, the stronger, the better.

7:45 am (Sydney Time) on September 10th: I am sitting in Sydney airport, having been completely waved through customs (maybe I have a nice face?) and taking about 30 minutes to clean out my pack in the bathroom- my shampoo and conditioner completely exploded, and my soap detergent leaked a little. I managed to salvage the soap, but I think I will just pick up little containers of shampoo and conditioner as I go along. I had to use one of my shirts to mop up the mess because the bathroom had only air dryers for your hands. I wrapped this shirt in one of my plastic bags, I will just have to wash it before I wear it.
I don’t really know what the plan is. I cannot check in until 2pm, which is 6 hours away. Should I get a prepaid phone? It’s kind of cool to be unreachable, but at the same time, if I do make friends within the country, I will not be able to reach them. I think I will hold off on the phone for now. Also, I stink! I guess it’s been over 24 hours since I showered, and I’ve been sweating a lot, running from plane to plane and fretting endlessly. Also, there are already a lot of hotties around me, and I am just in the airport. I think I’m going to like it here.

I Will (Or Not) Be Missing You...

With less than 48 hours to go until I will be departing for Australia, I decided it would be a good time to reflect on some things I would miss on my trip away from the country I've always know. And also to mention the things I will love to be leaving for a while...

THINGS I WILL MISS:
My family
My friends (all of them, even the one with red hair and the annoying one who leaves 20 minute voicemails)
DVR
Copious and free internet (I'm told it is sparse and expensive in Australia)
Mexican food (I'm told it is horrible or non-existent in Australia)
Margarita dinner dates with the red head mentioned above
College Football (I'm going to try and replace it with Australian Rules Football. It's hot guys in less padding and clothing and with more running and smashing, aka sheer torture, right?)
The Food Network
American Television in general (I will be hulu-ing whenever possible. Fall is a bad time to miss TV.)
Fall weather and leaves (My favorite season. Why did I pick this time of year?)
Diet Dr Pepper (I don't know, will they have this?)
Silver Lining Beers
A private bedroom
A private bathroom
Privacy in general
Two Guys Named Chris on Rock 92
Chapel Hill
My clothes I left behind
My stuffed Bunny
My farm
OCRCC
Lots of birthdays (including both my parents and Grandmothers and a 25th that is kind of a big deal)
Grilling and cooking for my family
Halloween (Apparently not big down there)
Thanksgiving (but not too much, I will be hot-air ballooning in Alice Springs that day!)
Speed dial
Not having to use country codes for calling
Mom's breakfasts on Sundays
Kicking Dad's butt on Wii

THINGS I WILL DEFINITELY NOT MISS:
Having a schedule
Having anyone to answer to
Tipping (I'm not planning on being a tight-wad, it's not practiced in Australia)
Driving on I-40 and traffic
Headaches and eye aches brought on by too much work computer
Jeff Dunham (or even billboards or posters or commercials mentioning Jeff Dunham)
Grits, Oatmeal, and just about anything with that consistency (yes, I realize I am going to the country that glorifies Veggiemite, so I shouldn't be expecting much)
The Duggars and all the multiple birth shows in general
Actually, all reality shows in general
America's current political climate (I'm gonna give the Aussie multiple party system a whirl)
Boring dollar bills (see blog below with pic of Australian dollar)
Allergies (actually, I might still have them in Australia, we will see)


So, even though my "Miss" List is a lot longer than my "Not Miss" List, I think that I will survive. Think about it this way: it's a great thing that I have so much to miss. I will be coming back to everything I went without for 3 months. And who knows, by then, I will probably have a nice long list of "Miss" from Australia too!

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Arvo (Aussie Talk for "Afternoon")...

Yesterday morning was great. I went over to New Hope and gave a presentation on Australia to second and fifth graders (which can be amazing on your ego, since they gasp at every picture you provide that comes sliding or bouncing into your powerpoint.) There was lots of inquisitive and thoughtful questions, and one girl that was very concerned about me staying in an underground hotel for fear that the walls would fall on me while I was asleep (I was made to promise that I would check them each night before falling asleep). One of the fifth graders even taught me a little about Tasmanian devils because he had done a project on them in second grade. Then I ran some errands and picked up my favorite Chinese food from a buffet to eat for lunch when I got home. So the morning was a wonderful, marvelous, very good, no bad experience. I suppose that was it's purpose, to create a marked contrast to the afternoon that followed.

I don't know if it was my allergies, the fact that I got up so early, or the pound of Chinese vegetables and noodles I had consumed, but I ended up taking a nap after lunch. After I woke up, I was feeling groggy, but I knew I needed to wake up because my mother wanted me to attend a taco bar with her and some of her friends for dinner. In preparation before she picked me up, I re-did my makeup and do what I always do when there is a possibility I will be carded for purchasing margaritas or other spirits- I checked my wallet to make sure my license was there. It wasn't. In that second, my mind raced and I freaked. Don't I need my license to board that plane next week? How will they ever let me on the plane? Can I get a replacement this soon? It's Labor Day weekend! They are closed Monday! And NCDMV, in their infinite wisdom and foresight, has for some reason changed their rules so that the convenience of sitting and waiting for your license to be printed within ten minutes at the DMV office has somehow and for some reason been transformed into waiting at home for ten days for it to arrive by mail. I DO NOT HAVE TEN DAYS!!!

Frantic, I tore apart my room looking for that tiny card. The last time I remembered having it was on Saturday night when my mom and aunts and grandma and great aunt and second cousin took me to dinner. Was it possible that I drove around all week without it? I looked in the purse I carried that night, emptied the box I had been piling everything for Australia in, looked under everything in my room- no license. At this point, I was crying and almost hyperventilating. I called mom and told her to go without me, I had to find it. She offered to come help, but if I couldn't find it, I didn't think she could. Her and her friends stayed on hold with the DMV to find out what I needed for another license while I continued to scour the house and began trying to located my birth certificate in case I needed it. I turned on my netbook and tried to apply for my license online, but it required you to know your license number, which I didn't and I knew was incorrect on my checks, so I had no way of finding it out. My last chance was to go to the DMV and and request it in person. I couldn't find my birth certificate and didn't want to involve my father, so I grabbed my passport, hoping this would qualify and looked at the clock: 4:17pm. The DMV closes at 5pm. I needed to leave now.

On the way to the DMV, trying to drive as fast as I could to get there but to avoid attention and being pulled over since I didn't have a license, I got a call. It would be my mother I suspected, but no, it was Dad. Did someone tell him what was going on? I answered, figuring I would find him in the same emotional state that I was, which would not help at all. He told me that Grandma and Pop had checked the mail and my tickets for the plane were not in it. Great. More fabulous news. He offered to look up the AAA number for me to call, so while driving frantically to get to the DMV before 5pm, dad gives me AAA number to call and ask where my tickets are. So I called AAA and found out that because it was an online ticket, I would have to remember to log on 24 hours before my trip and retrieve the ticket. I texted dad to let him know so he wouldn't call me while I was in the DMV.

I got there right at 4:30pm. I walked in and looked around. The waiting room was full- not a good sign. I tried to sign in, but there was no sign in book. I felt the hyperventilate feeling rise again. Do they not take anyone new after 4:30pm? Was this it? Ignoring signs on the door not to come in until called, I opened the door to the testing and meeting room and asked someone who finally acknowledged me. They said they would be with me in a second. I sat down beside two people, trying to calm down and control my breathing. A man finally came out. He asked them what they needed first. The man explained he needed a replacement license because he was going to be flying soon and he didn't want the airlines to freak out- the exact same situation I was in. The man then asked me and I explained that I needed a replacement license. He said I would need 2 forms of ID. "Does a passport work?" I said. "That's one," he said. I shuffled through my wallet, offering college IDs and credit cards. He explained I needed something with my address on it. I happened to have a credit card statement. "That should work," he said, and handed me and the guy numbers. I talked to the couple, explaining I was in the exact same situation with them. The girlfriend, right as they were called, offered that she had lost her license before and ended up finding it less than a week later. They then disappeared behind the coveted door. I was finally called, approved for a new license, declared myself an organ donor, and had to straightened my frazzled and red eyed self up enough to take a picture that I would have to live with for a while. He gave me a temporary paper license to use until I got mine in the mail, so at least it was on the way. And I found out that all I would need to get on the plane was a passport, so at least that wouldn't be a problem. But since I wanted to drive some in Australia, I would have to have my parents mail it to me sometime in Australia.

I looked more throughout the night as I was packing for Australia, but no license. Then, right before bed, it happened. It's like something clicked in my brain. I hadn't even considered it earlier when I was searching my room frantically crying and hyperventilating. I knew exactly where it was. I pulled open my pool bag, reached into the side pocket, and pulled out my driver's license. Crikey.

So concluded my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. But something I need to remember- I will have terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days, even on my trip. And if this was a test, I crash-and-burn failed. I need to focus on remaining calm and breathing. I did not yesterday afternoon. Granted, if I needed my license to board the plane, it was good that I went and got the temporary ASAP yesterday, but my freaking out helped none, and even hindered the process of solving the problem. But I haven't done any of this before, and despite all the research I have done, there is still a lot that I do not know about this trip, so there is potential a lot of unpredicted things could happen. I just have to remember what Alexander taught me- terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days happen- even in Australia.