Small Adventures in the Land Down Under

Humans should have gills, too.

2007-11-07T20:33:00.000+11:00

Well, I have just returned from my trip to Cairns in one piece. The only injuries sustained were flipper blisters and a sting by some unknown coral resident. I am now a certified scuba diver! I'm officially an Open Water diver and an Adventure diver, meaning I am allowed to go to depths up to 30 meters (98 feet). Yep, that's pretty deep. The 5-day course consisted of 2 days in the classroom and the pool. We started out in 1 meter deep water and then moved on to 4-meter deep (12ish feet). Most of the skills I learned were death-prevention skills - taking my regulator out of my mouth and putting it back in, taking my mask off and putting it back on, breathing off of a buddy's regulator as I would do if I were to run out of air. On the morning of the 3rd day, we got on a boat and took a 3 hour trip out to the Great Barrier Reef! The first and second days we completed 2 training dives each and then I was certified by the end of the 2nd day!
It was SO COOL to swim with the fish! Part of our training, we had to kneel on the bottom of the ocean and do the regulator, mask skills, etc and at one point a fish came swimming up to me and stared at me for a while. I wanted to touch it but I saw that it had teeth so I changed my mind. It got a little frustrating controlling buoyancy so I didn't sink to the bottom or shoot to the top, but I kept reminding myself of how many face plants I did while trying to learn to ski. Now, i can make it down a blue-black without my face touching any snow. That was encouraging.
Being on the boat was amazing. I got a little sick on the first day. I carried around a vomit bag for the most part of that day, but never had to use it, thank goodness. Sunsets were gorgeous and at night I could see every star in the sky! I even saw lots of shooting stars. It was interesting because the southern hemisphere has different constellations than we're used to in the northern hemisphere. Orion is on the horizon but he's upside down. That messes with my mind a little bit.

I met tons of really awesome people in the course. There were people from Canada, South Africa, England, Belgium, Ireland, Germany, and Holland. They were all about my age and passing through Cairns on trips through Australia. We had a lot of fun scuba diving together.
I rented a camera on one of the dives, but the fish wouldn't stay still long enough to get a good picture. I also forgot to turn on the flash. Oops. It was still really fun. I saw a giant clam which is as big as a man's torso - don't want to put your hand too close to that thing.
A few of my favorites...

The first night, we weren't able to do a night dive becuase we weren't yet certified but we were entertained by watching reef sharks hunt fish around the boat. The second dive we did a night dive were you couldn't see a thing. We all had glow sticks attached to our oxygen tanks and flashlights. None of the sharks came out of hiding, though. I did see a stingray or 2. It was a little disconcerting as we were descending under water and our guide was sweeping quickly with his flashlight. I think he was looking for sharks. Sweet.

On our deep dive training dive, we went down about 100 feet and we all almost ran out of air. That was a rush.

So yeah, there ya go. I can cross scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef off my list of things to do before I die. I definitely want to go back. There's roughly 400 kilometers of reef along the Australia coast. I saw maybe two of those kilometers.

Listening to: Coldplay

Shark Bait (oo! ha! ha!)

2007-10-31T20:20:00.001+11:00

I apologize in advance for my lack of blog posts for the next week. I will be swimming with sharks, stingrays, and jellyfish with an oxygen tank strapped to my back. I hope to return with both legs, both arms, and at least one hand in which to hold my new scuba certification.

Great Ocean Road

2007-10-30T18:04:00.000+11:00

When I woke up Saturday morning, the last thing I expected would be thatI would be riding in a helicopter later that day. That was the highlight of my bus tour down the Great Ocean Road from Geelong (about an hour southwest of Melbourne) to Port Campbell. We stopped at Bells Beach, Kennet River, the Otway National Park, and the famous Twelve Apostles (of which there are only 7 still standing). This is where I jumped in a helicopter with a couple I had met on the trip for an aerial view of the southern Australia coastline.

All in all, the trip was pretty good. The major drawback was the fact the trip was way too rushed. We didn't get to stop that often and when we did, we only had about 10 minutes to snap a quick photo. It wasn't even enough time for me to realize where I was. Next time (yes, there will be a next time), I'm going to make a weekend out of it. There are tons of bed and breakfasts and campsites along the way. There are also lots of hiking and biking trails along the way. Mucho fun for David and Jennifer one day :)

I think I can see Antarctica! Wait...ok....maybe not.

In other news, I'm not a fan of the Melbourne spring. My allergies are killing me. I just had a 10-minute sneezing fit. And, there seems to be a plague of flies of Exodusian (is that a word?) proportions. OK, that might be an exaggeration, but there's always at least 2 dang flies on my face! I don't know why they like my face so much. I'm sure I look special walking around swatting the air in front of my face all the time.

I played badminton again today. I'm going to be sore tomorrow.

I'm having an absolute blast in Australia. As happy as I'll be to start my real life again, I am going to miss everyone here so much! Good times.

Listening to: The Fumes

3 Weeks!!!!

2007-10-26T19:18:00.000+10:00

Three weeks from right now, I'll be thinking seriously about getting on a plane the next day. My time here has been amazing and I'm going to miss everyone I work with, but I'm really looking forward to going home. I'm antsy to start lab work again. Yes, you can read right. You did not hallucinate. I'm ready to get back to the lab.

I gave my 5th and final presentation today! It went well. I think. Who knows. It was the last one. That's a relief.

Tomorrow, I'm taking a bus trip down the Great Ocean Road! (per Stephanie's advice). Stay tuned for pictures.

David sent me roses again today! :D

Interesting Australia fact of the day: ummm.....I got nothin'

Listening to: Nickel Creek

I miss you!!

2007-10-23T11:35:00.000+10:00

If you're reading this and I know you, consider yourself missed. I am having the time of my life in Australia but I am counting down the days until I see my friends and family again!

Sydney!

2007-10-22T18:18:00.000+10:00

This past weekend, I did something I've wanted to do for a long time. I took a trip all by myself. I had an absolute blast! Traveling alone is quite freeing. Due to my lack of personal mode of transportation, getting there was an adventure in itself. I had to walk to the bus stop, take a bus to the train station, take a train into the city, a shuttle from the city to the airport, a plane from Melbourne to Sydney, a train to Circular Quay wharf, and a ferry to Cremorne Point, and then walk to my hotel. Whew. Then I had to do it all again in the opposite direction going back.

My first evening, I had fish and chips (of course) at a 24-hour restauarant that overlooks the harbor. Saturday morning, I did the BridgeClimb. THAT was an experience. I was in a group of 12 plus one guide. Three people in my group were viciously afraid of heights and at one point, all 3 were shaking uncontrollably. Thanks to steps, handrails, and being connected to a static line, it was quite safe, but quite a rush! I had an amazing 360 degree view of Sydney from the very top. Like my sexy BridgeClimb hat? I begged and begged to keep it but they wouldn't let me....

The history nerd in me was thrilled beyond measure at the walking history tour of the historical section of Sydney - the Rocks. This was the first convict colony of Australia.

Saturday night, I had a lonely romantic dinner at an Italian restaurant on the wharf with a view of the Opera House lit up at night. Then, I saw the Westminster Abbey Choir perform at the Opera House!! Boy choir, pipe organ, 13th century-esqe robes, the whole shebang. Flippin' sweet.

Sunday, I went on a guided bike tour around Sydney. I hadn't ridden a bike in years, so I looked a little special at first, I'm sure. About 3 minutes into the ride, we were going up a hill. I forgot to change gears and my bike stopped and I smacked into a fence. Special. I got the hang of it. It was just like...riding a bike. We weaved through crowds of tourists and I didn't knock down a single unsuspecting child or adult. Through this tour, I got spectacular views of Sydney Harbor, Darling Harbor, the Botanic Gardens, Chinatown, and Hyde Park. We even rode across the harbor bridge! Halfway, we stopped at one of the oldest pubs in the Rocks - worn sandstone walls and a wooden floor and ceiling and prison cells in the basement. sweet.

Traveling alone enables one to meet all sorts of interesting people. In my Rocks tour group was a guy who had just moved from California to Melbourne to do IT consulting. He was a history nerd just like me. One afternoon at lunch, I met a really sweet elderly couple who were sitting at the table next to me. They were locals and were just over at the harbor for the day. I also met a couple from france and a guy from New Zealand.

I'm playing badminton tomorrow with Larry from work and some "guys from down the hall." I dont' know who these people are. This should be interesting.

I'm tired. I think I'll eat a TimTam.

Listening to: Counting Crows

Thoughts 3

2007-10-16T19:40:00.000+10:00

Here are a few thoughts. None of which are worthy of an entire blog...

There is a huge plethora of Asian food in Australia. All better than what one would find in the US. Maybe something to do with the geographical locality? More than a coincidence methinks.

I gave another seminar today. This time it was at RMIT (royal Melbourne institute of technology). It went swimmingly. My best one yet. 3 down, 2 to go!

I met David's brother Dan last week! :) He was in Melbourne on business. We went to dinner along with one of his co-workers. We ate Nepalese on Lygon Street. mmmmmmm.....

I have 4 1/2 weeks left. I love it here, but I'm starting to get a little homesick...

It's really windy here. I don't brush my hair more than once a day. It's a waste of energy. I'm getting used to the wind-blown look, anyhow.

I haven't yet figured out a way to get a live koala past the US Customs officials. That's a tough one.

Wearing dress shoes all day results in bad foot odor. I'm ready to go back to tennis shoes.

My iTunes store isn't working. That makes me sad.

I have located a USA Foods store. I'm thinking about visiting it to get my Dr. Pepper fix.

Before my seminar this morning, I was introduced with a brief bio including the fact that I obtained my B.S. from LSU. After the seminar, a student on one of NanoVic's collaborative projects approached me and said "too bad your Tigers went down this week." !!!!!!! I almost gave him a hug. Turns out he's from Indiana and did his undergrad at USC (booooo!!!!) I have never in my life been so excited to meet a USC fan or to talk about my Tigers' loss. We proceeded to talk about college football and the BCS while I should have probably been having scientific conversations with other attendees. oops....

I've bought too many souvenirs. My bags were over the weight limit on the way here. Looks like I'll be mailing some stuff home.

My boss is a fan of the Boss (Bruce Springsteen). That's appropriate.

Interesting Australia fact of the day: The Prime Minister decides when the election will be held during the election year.

Listening to: 311

Kangaroos! Wombats! Koalas! OH MY!

2007-10-14T17:41:00.000+10:00

I just returned from a girls weekend in Healesville, Victoria with two colleagues from work and 3 others. We stayed in a cottage in the woods about 10 km from the nearest town, where the term "town" is somewhat of an overstatement. As we were driving on the windy roads through the woods where the bright headlights were required and the little bars on my cell phone slowly disappeared, scenes from various horror movies flashed through my mind. We finally arrived and made it through the night unscathed. Whew! Good times :)

Being in the middle of nowhere was really amazing. Away from the city, we could see stars!! The night sky is different in the southern hemisphere than in the northern hemisphere. I spotted the famed Southern Cross constellation!

After spending Saturday morning puttering around the shops in Healesville (I found Junior Mints and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups!!!!), we visited a couple of wineries in the area. We attended free tastings at the Yerring Station and Chandon wineries. The area was BEAUTIFUL!!! I kept a lookout for kangaroos bounding around, but apparently they only come out at dawn and dusk.

Just in case you were wondering, kangaroos and koalas are real!!! I learned about these strange marsupials in early elementary school and have always wanted to see one. Having not seen a single member of either species after 7 weeks in the land Down Under, I was beginning to lose faith that they even existed. My faith was restored upon a visit to the Healesville Animal Sanctuary :) The people I was with laughed at me and said I was like a kid in an amusement park bouncing as fast as I could toward to koalas. MY GOODNESS KOALAS ARE ADORABLE! Definitely my new favorite animal. They're nocturnal, so people mostly only see them sleep all day, but a couple were awake and crawling (slowly) around the trees looking for more eucalyptus leaves to munch. They look all cute and cuddly but I hear they're pretty vicious.

Kangaroos are quite possibly the strangest looking animal I have ever seen.

Other fun animals included wombats, flying foxes, and large birds of prey.

On our way home, we stopped at a little cafe in Yarra Glen and I had the best BLT sandwich I've ever had.

I had my first crumpet this weekend. And yes, I had it with tea.

Next weekend: SYDNEY!!!!!!

Interesting Australia fact of the day: Australia is the only country that is allowed to eat their national animal - the kangaroo. They're also allowed to eat the emu, which accompanies the kangaroo on the Australian coat of arms. I think I feel a kangaroo steak coming on....

Listening to: Nickel Creek

I can't think of a title for this one

2007-10-07T20:09:00.000+10:00

Since I'll be going out of town the next two weekends, I decided to take the "chill approach" to this one. The plan was to just...well....chill out. I was going to go to the city on Saturday but negotiating the bus/train system just seemed like too much work. So I just layed around. And developed a headache. I needed to get out, but what was I going to do? There's nothing in walking distance where I am other than the University campus on which NanoVic is located and it's not overly exciting. I was lamenting my woes to David and he suggested that I go take pictures around the campus. Hey, it was an excuse to get out and do something, and it was a beautiful day. So, armed with my iPod and my camera, I went for it. I had a blast. They're not anything special, but it was fun. I've posted a few. Do I smell a new hobby?

Oh, by the way, this is where I work.

Today, my late morning and early afternoon were spent with my blood pressure through the roof as I listened to LSU make a SPECTACULAR comeback against Florida. Oh, how I am missing college football. It's an empty feeling when LSU wins a HUGE game and there is no one to celebrate with. No one here really cares. Oh well. I care and they are still undefeated!!! WOOHOO!!! GEAUX TIGERS!!!!!!!!!!

I headed over to Brighton Beach this evening to catch the sunset. It was gorgeous. I found a semi-secluded grassy area overlooking the bay with the sun directly across the water from me. I just sat there for about an hour an a half watching the water, reading, and taking pictures. A great way to end the weekend.

Interesting Australia fact of the day: Seinfeld is a popular TV show here. Everyone can relate anything to Seinfeld. Just like home :)

Listening to: Coldplay

I'm Lovin' It

2007-10-06T12:14:00.001+10:00

They put nutrition facts on the side of every single McDonald's burger and fries boxes.

That's mean.

I like pina coladas.....

2007-10-05T17:13:00.001+10:00

I left work today at 4:45. Too early for a Friday? Right on time for a Friday? That is both up to debate and not the point of this blog anyway. Since I have a 15 minute walk back to my room after work, I decided to leave right then to beat the rain that was being foretold by the cloudy sky. I take a few steps out the door, light drizzle...nothing I can't handle. Right at the halfway point, the deluge comes. Buckets of rain. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. I'm sure I looked really special running down the street in a skirt in the pouring rain. It didn't help that I was wearing glasses and couldn't see anything. As I was running, I thought to myself "Self, when was the last time you were caught in the rain? This doesn't happen every day. It's just water. You won't melt...you're not THAT sweet. Enjoy it." So I stopped and walked a normal pace the rest of the way home. The looks one gets when he/she walks into a building looking like a drowned rat is quite amusing. Everyone takes extra effort to not to touch you as you walk by as if water will kill them. The best part was as I was unlocking my door, a guy looks at me and says "You look wet."

Noooo.....really?

Here's your sign. (ref. Blue Collar Comedy)

Interesting Australia fact of the day: Melbourne is like Houston without the smell. The weather is just as unpredictable.

Listening to: The Rain Song by Led Zeppelin

Geelong rules Aussie rules football

2007-10-02T21:33:00.000+10:00

This weekend was it. The big one. The AFL Grand Final. The Aussie rules football version of the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, it is too much like the Super Bowl in that the only way to get tickets is if you belong to a corporation. Die hard fans are left watching the game on TV. Somewhat reminescent of the BCS National Championship as well. So, needless to say, I was not one of the lucky ones to get a ticket, but I watched it in the 2nd best seat in the house - a Melbourne pub. Jeanette, Pete, and I went to the Golden Gate in South Melbourne and met up with some of their friends. The game was between the Geelong Cats (from Victoria) and the Port Adelaide Power (from South Australia). The Cats were the favorite simply in the fact that the fans of AFL were trying to will the cup to return to Victoria, the original home of AFL. Before settling down in the pub, we strolled down to the TAB to place a bet on the game. I weaved through all the old men intently watching horse racing and placed 2 $5 bets. One that Geelong would win and one that Geelong would win by a margin of 20-39 points. Geelong won by 119 points. The largest point difference in AFL Grand Final history. OK, I lost that bet. I thought I was being brave by betting that they would win by as many as 20 points. I made $2.50 on the bet that Geelong would win (the odds were pretty lame). So, I ended up only losing $2.50. Not too bad. I've never bet on a sport before, and I'll more than likely never do it again. I'll just chalk it up as one of those once in a lifetime experiences one must do when Australia for the Grand Final.

I finally had good food!!!!!!!!!!!!! Before the pub we went to Nando's and I had one of the yummiest chicken burgers I've ever had. THEN, after the game, we walked into some random noodle bar and had the best Chinese noodles I've ever had. Aaaahhh....long overdue satisfaction.

Today, I booked my trip to Sydney! I'm going in a couple of weeks and staying 2 full days. I'm not sure what I'll be doing yet. The only thing I've booked so far is the Sydney harbor bridge climb (Sssshhhhh.....don't tell my mom. She'll probably freak out)

Interesting Australia fact of the day: Bell peppers are known as "capiscums"

Listening to: Guster

Thoughts 2

2007-09-27T18:51:00.000+10:00

I don't really have anything worth devoting an entire blog. So here are a few thoughts....

Being without my beloved coffee, I have decided that I REALLY like black tea with milk and sugar. Do I see a new favorite caffeinated beverage?

I really miss college football. This is the Tigers' year and I have to miss it. Grrr....

I'm reading a 1136-page book on European history. It's flippin' sweet.

I'm hoping to go on a backpacking/hiking trip but I have to see if it pans out. I'm not allowing myself to get excited until it's set.

I've started running again. I don't really want to die while SCUBA diving due to a lack of aerobic capacity. Maybe I should start swimming, too. Hmmm.....

The weather here is amazing.

I miss David.

I miss my friends.

I don't miss lab work.

Monday is casual day in the office. But not for me. I'm giving a presentation in the city. Therefore, I will be in a suit on casual day. Awesome.

How should I go down the Great Ocean Road? Rent a car or take a bus tour?
Car rental = higher risk of loss of life (thanks to driving on the wrong side of the road), higher excitement level (due to the risk in loss of life), move along at my own pace
Bus tour = lower risk in loss of life, $100, more view of the coast while driving, no choice on what to do when, possibility of being the only one under 55, possibility of meeting fun people, no chance in getting lost
Hmm....that's a tough one.

Smokey Bacon flavored Pringles are good.

Interesting Australia fact of the day: Their tax year is July-July. Taxes are due at the end of October.

Listening to: Death Cab for Cutie

Oh American food....how I miss thee!

2007-09-26T18:49:00.000+10:00

Today was marked by yet another culinary dissapointment. I have never had the look of pure joy on my face as I did when I found Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in my neighboorhood Coles Supermarket this past weekend. I decided to try it out today. Survey says.....OK. Just simply OK.

The following is a list of the foods that will be consumed within the first week upon returning to the USA 8 weeks from now...
(in no particular order)
1) Freebird's regular cayanne burrito with white meat chicken, refried beans, mixed cheese, lettuce, sour cream, mild sauce and alternating hot sauce and bbq sauce with each bite.
2) Chuy's
3) Pizza. Any pizza with a sufficient amount of tomato sauce and cheese.
4) Kraft Macaroni & Cheese
5) Escalante's queso
6) Juicy hamburgers. I had a hamburger here once. The people i was with raved about how good it was. I thought it tasted like...nothing.
7) Red Robin fries with barbecue sauce and ranch dressing
8) Gumbo
9) Brewed coffee
10) Frosted Mini Wheats cereal

The two food groups that have a higher yummy factor in Australia than in the US are: chips and chocolate. Hmmmm....what to do? Improve my short-term quality of life by living off of a meal of alternating sweet and salty? I'm considering it.

Interesting Australia fact of the day: Calendars start with Monday. It makes sense. But it confuses me.

Listening to: Johnny Cash

It's official.....

2007-09-25T11:54:00.000+10:00

I'm going SCUBA diving at the Great Barrier Reef November 2-6!!!!!!!

Interesting Australia fact of the day: The Great Barrier Reef is off the coast of Queensland, Australia.

Listening to: My repressed squeals of excitment.

Weekend Adventures

2007-09-23T19:36:00.000+10:00

This weekend was bound to be a good one. Too bad Friday afternoon's schedule prevented me from looking forward to it. I gave a seminar to a group of clinicians at the Peter MacGellum Cancer Research Institute in Melbourne on Friday afternoon. I didn't find out about it until the Monday before. Needless to say, much frantic presentation preparation occured last week. The seminar went really well. No one in there had ever heard of nanoshells before and they all seemed really excited about it. They also asked a lot of questions which I had not thought about before and had a lot of good ideas. Most of these people were oncologists and they are so knowledgable in the field of cancer in both the disease itself and treatment options. They brought a much bigger-picture perspective to the conversation than academic researchers would. I gleaned lots of interesting ideas from the experience. 1 seminar down....4 to go!

Friday night, Jeanette and I met Al at the Corner Hotel pub in the formerly-run-down-but-now-trendy Richmond neighborhood for dinner and the watch the footy. It was a semi-final game so the place was pretty crazy. It was fun to be in a buzzing sports atmosphere where I really don't care about the outcome of the game. It's nice to be able to observe without my blood pressure going through the roof. Then we went downstairs to see The Fumes and The Vasco Era perform. Wow. Amazing. The Fumes is made of 2 guys: a guitar player and a drummer. The guitar player has long hair and a beard a la 1976. The music is basically Australia meets Southern rock. Sweet. We then went to a couple of more bars in the area. One of which included a live 80s cover band. College flashback. Whoa. Since the trains had stopped running by the time we went home, we took a taxi. My first taxi experience ever. I am so deprived...

Saturday night Carol invited me to a friend's house for dinner. They grilled pork sausage (better than the sausage you get in America), pork chops, and lamb steaks. MMMMMMMMMM. The big "barbecue" side dish here is roast potatoes, which always induce salivation. I was about to explode after dessert thinking the dinner was over. Then they brought out the cheese platter. Apparently that's the way meals are concluded here. Fancy cheese and crackers. Next time I know to leave room for not only dessert but also for cheese! I experienced another first that night. A cat sat on my lap. I have never allowed this to happen in my life. I've never been a huge fan of cats, but I figured since David likes cats, I'd better learn to tolerate them :) I guess the 6-month old cat sensed that I was at least willing to form a truce that it crawled over on my lap and curled up. That was most definitely a first.

Next weekend: The footy Grand Final. The pubs will be hoppin and the barbies will be hot!

Interesting Australia fact of the day: All Americans are known as "Yanks." When the bouncer for one of the pubs asked for my ID, I showed him my Texas drivers license and he smiles and says "oh, you're a yank?" I smiled sweetly and said "no, I am a Southerner" :)

Listening to: Counting Crows

:)

2007-09-19T17:28:00.001+10:00

This morning just wasn't my morning. I was really exhausted and down when i woke up. It didn't help that it was rainy and windy so my little umbrella kept blowing wrong side out during the walk to work. I almost pulled a Mary Poppins. I vented to David about my woes when I got to work this morning. Things started looking up by lunch time. I made lots of progress on putting my presentation together and a morning cappuccino did a lot to remedy my sleepiness. I was only one of 3 people in the office during lunch today. I didn't feel like spending money, so I opted to stay and eat my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Someone rang the doorbell to the office and since I was closest and there weren't many people in there, I answered the door. This was the first time I have ever answered the door. (I'm a little timid because I'm afraid I won't be able to understand whoever is at the door). It was a delivery guy with a long silver box and said he was looking for Jennifer. I said "that's me" but apparently I looked really confused, because he pointed out the sticker on the box that identified it was from a flower delivery company. I immediately knew what it was and a huge smile spread across my face. It was a beautiful rose from David to brighten my day! This isn't the first time this has happened. My first week here, a guy came to deliver flowers exactly 2 minutes before I was about to give a presentation. Both times, the other ladies in the office have "oohed" and "ahed" over the flowers and have said things like "Wow, Jennifer, you got yourself a good man." I just stand there beaming and say "I know"

:)

Interesting Australia fact of the day:
Shocking (adj.): bad, repulsive
Example sentences: She looked shocking in that skirt. ; This weather is shocking.

Listening to: Bob Dylan

Thoughts

2007-09-18T22:52:00.000+10:00

I have recently discovered the joy in walking 25 minutes to the grocery store, buying only as much as will fit in my backpack, and walking 25 minutes back. Good for the soul.

I have to give a seminar to a prestigious cancer research institution on Friday. That gets filed under "not so good for the soul."

I work with both a Larry and a Bob. (a la VeggieTales) One day they were both late for a meeting. Someone asks "who's missing?" Someone else says "Larry and Bob." I start laughing. No one else gets it. Good for the soul.

They sell "Texas BBQ Sauce" flavored Pringles here. Good for the soul.

Listening to: Caedmon's Call. Good for the soul.

Interesting Australia fact of the day: All Australian citizens are required by law to vote in every election. Not good for the soul.

A Day in the City

2007-09-15T18:23:00.000+10:00

G'day mates! Today I ventured out in the city purely for fun for the first time since I've been here. The day got off to a bad start when the bus driver was really rude and sarcastic to me when I tried to buy a $10 bus ticket with a $20 bill. I don't think it would have killed him to be a little nicer, but ya never know. If he would have just nicely said "oh, i'm sorry, we can't take bills that large" he might have just keeled over and died right there on the spot. Who knew? Anyway, I arrive in the city shortly after 8 am. Nothing was really open yet so I just sauntered around getting my bearings around the city. I went to this little cafe to have breakfast and it was sorta yummy. (I've come to the conclusion that the food here just isn't quite as good as American food. Bummer). I sat outside and the breeze was nice.

Then I went over to Starbucks. Oh how my heart leapt with joy at the taste of my grande non-fat sugar-free vanilla latte! MMMMM..... I again sat outside and just watched people and birds (equally entertaining) and enjoyed the lovely totally-opposite-to-Houston-this-time-of-year weather. After enjoying my cup of joe, I browsed around a bookstore with lots of old and rare books. I bought 2 (of course) and I'll more than likely be back to buy more. They had a lot of obscure Australia history books that you probably wouldn't find in your local Barnes and Noble, so I decided to take advantage of the situation.

Next, on to souvenir shopping. I was really hoping to blend into the crowd and avoid the whole "touristy" look, but that totally went down the tubes when I started walking around with a Hard Rock Cafe bag and another bag with a big kangaroo on it that says "Australia the Gift." Eh. The constant picture-taking probably gave it away hours before anyway.
The next item on the agenda was lunch. I strolled over to the Southbank of the Yarra River and had fish and chips on a bench looking over the river. How totally stereotypical. Good times. Relaxing.

I spent the greater part of the afternoon in the Immigration Museum located in the old Customs Building built in 1850something. The front was undergoing a face lift, so I don't really know what the old Customs Building looks like on the outside. I, being the total history nerd I am, absolutely loved the museum.
Then, it was time for home. When the streets were too crowded to really walk, I decided it was probably time to skedaddle.

Things left to do in the city: Yarra River cruise, Melbourne Museum, Aquarium, Queen Victoria Market

Interesting Australia fact(s) of the day 1: Criminals were sent to Australia from the British Isles from 1788 til 1851. The gold rush of the 1850s brought another wave of immigration. Around this time, there was also a large number of people emigrating from China. In the late 19th, early 20th century, there was a major push by the British government to populate Australia. There were signs in London that said "Go to Australia! Perfect climate!" as well as offers for boys to move to Australia to work on the farms in exchange for huge compensation for their families back in Britain. Displaced Europeans moving to Australia after World War II brought the most recent major wave of immigration. In the mid-20th century, immigration laws were eased in order to allow more non-Europeans to enter.

Interesting Australia face of the day 2: Aussie kids do crazy things with their hair that I never before thought possible. I have never seen so many rat tails, spiky mullets, pink hair, and just pure crazy-colored bushes of hair on heads in my life.

Listening to: Pink Floyd

I found this on a bathroom stall door

2007-09-12T15:44:00.000+10:00

I have no words. Special.

Interesting Australia fact of the day: Australia is the driest inhabited continent receiving only more yearly rainfall than Antarctica.

Listening to: Damien Rice
Reading: Europe, A History by Norman Davies; Desiring God by John Piper

Survey says......yuck

2007-09-11T18:33:00.001+10:00

I did it. I finally got up the guts to try this interesting substance held near and dear to Aussie hearts - Vegemite. They sell vats of this stuff in grocery stores about as ginormous as the largest tub of peanut butter you've ever seen. Ingredients: yeast extract, salt, mineral salt, malt extract, color. It has the texture of smooth peanut butter but maybe a little thinner. It's brown. It's basically unidentifiable. A very small jar was bought for me the first day I arrived and people at work have been asking me for 2 weeks "have you tried Vegemite?" My answer was always no. Until yesterday. I spread a thin layer on a cracker (or "biscuit" as they say here). It's salty and tastes like....well...i don't know exactly. I can assure you it is not pleasant. David witnessed this taste test live on Skype. He found my facial contortions quite amusing :) Well, at least now I can say I've tried it....

Interesting Australia fact of the day: Their 2 dollar coins are smaller than their 1 dollar coins. Go figure.

Listening to: Rush of Blood to the Head by Coldplay

Australian Rules Football

2007-09-09T13:48:00.001+10:00

Last night, I experienced my first Australian Football League game, or "footy." I was lucky to get tickets since it was a playoff game. Carol (a co-worker) is a member of the MCG so she had dibs to the tickets. It was between Collingwood (a Melbourne suburb) and Sydney. The Collingwood Magpies and the Sydney Swans, that is. Yeah... Anyway, I hear that Collingwood is the team that everyone loves to hate and I figured being an LSU fan, I could relate :) So, I went out and bought a Collingwood scarf. The game is more different from rugby than i expected. It's like a combination of soccer and football. They basically run up and down the field trying to kick the ball between the uprights. They pass the ball to each other by kicking it or punching it. If the ball hits the ground, it's basically a free-for-all and whoever comes out of the pile with the ball gets it. It was easy to keep up with and MUCH less boring than soccer. They actually scored! :) Collingwood won 125-90 or something like that. Way fun.

I planned on spending the day today in Melbourne, but I woke up with a nasty head cold this morning, so I figured it'd be best to stay in. I guess I'll have to put off my Melbourne excursions til next weekend.

I tried to watch the LSU game today over Skype. David faced the webcam toward the TV, but it was too jumpy and I couldn't see what was going on. I couldn't find a way to get live video online, so I have to settle for listening to it online. I'm talking to David on Skype while he's watching the game. It's like we're watching the game together, awww.... I think I'm turning him into a Tiger fan, MWAHAHAHAHA! (evil grin)

Interesting Australia fact of the day: Kangaroos are like deer. They get stunned in headlights, get hit by cars, and the car ends up more injured than the kangaroo. I have yet to see one of these animals in real life.

Listening to: LSU kicking Virginia Tech booty

I don't think we're in America anymore, Toto.

2007-09-07T19:06:00.000+10:00

I've experienced my first true tear-jerking disappointment tonight. I've been craving pizza for about a week. Not any sort of fancy shmancy gourmet pizza. Just some good old American mass-produced bad for you pizza. Last weekend, my heart rejoiced in finding a local Pizza Hut in the yellow pages. When I called, they answered the phone! When was the last time you did not receive an automated message when ordering pizza? I dont' think I can remember that far back. I asked them if they deliver to Monash University (where I'm staying). The person who answered the phone seemed really confused at my question and asked me to hang on while he asked someone else. The final answer was "no." They're about 2 blocks away. WHAT?!?!? What pizza place doesn't deliver to a university just minutes away?!? Goodness. I don't have a car and I can't really ride a bike carrying a pizza.

So, tonight I decided to embark on a pizza treasure hunt again. I found out they have Dominos and when I called, they delivered to where I am!! Again, there was much rejoicing. Now even those of you who turn your nose up at the thought of Dominos, just wait until you are 8,000 miles away from your familiar pizza places and even your mouth will water at that lovely red, white, and blue design. I called and wanted to order 2 pizzas. 2 mediums. I was hungry and wanted food for the weekend. They said they only have one size - large. Sweet! OK! I ordered half Hawaiian and half pepperoni and 2 cokes thinking they were the 20 oz size. $23. OK, that's about normal. When the guy shows up, he gives me two HUGE Cokes (1.25 liters each) and an eetsy bitsy tiny pizza (see picture). I was slightly disappointed. It's the size of about an American small, but cost the same as an American large! I ate it but it wasn't easy. The pepperoni tasted like fish. Probably because they offer a "prawn" pizza. Prawn is a fish. Um, yeah. The Hawaiian half was ok. Word to the wise: Abandon your cravings for American food when in another country. It'll probably be better for your health anyway ;)

On another note, McDonald's is better here than in the US.

Interesting Australia fact of the day: They frequently put egg on pizza.

Listening to: Foo Fighters

I'm a week and a half in!

2007-09-05T19:08:00.000+10:00

I've spent the past 3 days in the city at the COMS (commercialization of micro and nano systems) conference. Wow that was exhausting, but definitely a good experience. On the first day, I gave a presentation on nanoshells to a group of about 50 old white men in suits. Slightly nerve-racking (sp?) As is usual when I get nervous, I squooshed a 15-minute presentation into about 7 minutes! Oh well. My audience apprediated it I'm sure since i was the last in the group and the session was already over time. I was asked more questions than anyone else in my session. They were really psyched about the technology. After the presentation, I was approached by 6 different people telling me it was great and wanting to know more! I spoke with a guy from NASA Johnson Space Center for a while. What a great networking opportunity! As most of you know, I LOVE to talk and do it quite often, so I was definitely in my element being approached left and right by people excited about the research! I gave the presentation in a room 46 floors high with ceiling-to-floor windows yielding an amazing, and fairly distracting, view of the city (see pictures).

So out of the city and back in the office tomorrow and Friday. I may get to sneak back into the city on Thursday. We'll see. I take every chance I can get.

I have been told that a fellow Nanovic employee has gotten ahold of tickets for me for the Australian Football League (affectionately known as "footy") game on Saturday. It's a playoff game so it should be pretty crazy! I tend to like hyped-up sporting events so should be fun!

I miss Mexican food....but not as much as I miss David...

Interesting Australia fact of the day: They don't drink regular brewed coffee here. A "coffee machine" is an espresso or cappucino machine, or similar. When I ask for just black coffee, they look confused. So, I've resorted to chai latte as my signature drink.

Listening to: Coldplay

FINALLY!

2007-09-02T19:30:00.001+10:00

Hello to all my soon-to-be-faithful readers! I know many of you have been scratching your heads in utter confusion and unable to contain your anticipation of my first blog entry. Well, to make a long story short, it took a bazillion years (ok, only 7 days) to get my internet set up where I currently reside. It's not fully up and running yet, but it's better than nothing. Something about a proxy prevents me from being able to use Skype and Google Talk, etc. It is very frustrating. I miss David and want to talk to him on Skype. Hopefully the internet business should change soon. What's a proxy anyway?

So, I arrived in Melbourne last Friday at 8 am and I am just now recovering from jet lag. No more waking up at 4 am! yay! There is, however, a bird that makes the strangest bird noise I have ever heard and likes to sing in my window at approximately 530 every single morning. That was exciting. The bird sounds like a cell phone ring. I kid you not.

My first week at work has been amazing. I'm working with a great group of people at Nanotechnology Victoria (NanoVic) developing commercialization strategies for some of their new technologies. I had lunch at a rather "posh" restaurant last week meeting with patent attorneys. I must say, I had a big cheesy grin on my face walking through the heart of the city with a business suit on (or it might have been a grimace from my awfully uncomfortable shoes).

I am finally getting used to this driving on the wrong side of the street business. It no longer totally messes with my mind to sit on the left in the front seat of a car and not drive. I'm also learning to look RIGHT before looking left when crossing a street. I figured out how to work the bus system. I must say, the public transportation system here is pretty freaking amazing. Makes me realize exactly how much Houston has to be desired in the area....

Today Jeanette (co-worker/mentor and personal Victoria tour guide :) ) and I went to St. Kilda for the day. It's basically a beach area on the bay just south of Melbourne. You can see the city across the bay from the beach. It was GORGEOUS. The warmest temperature today was about 70, not a cloud in the sky, cool breeze. Anyone jealous? hehe ;) We met up with Al, one of her friends and had lunch in this restuarant right on the beach and then just walked around and enjoyed the weather.

I'm giving a presentation on nanoshells at the Commercialization of Micro Systems (COMS) conference tomorrow. That should be exciting. I should probably be working on that presentation right now instead of writing a blog. So, yeah, I guess I'll do that. Stay tuned. More excitement to come, I'm sure :)

Interesting Australia fact of the day: a bicycle or car tire is spelled "tyre"

Currently listening to: Smashing Pumpkins
Currently reading: Europe by Norman Davies; The Face by Dean Koontz