Shark Bait (oo! ha! ha!)

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

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!!!!

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!!

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!

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

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!

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

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

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

That's mean.

I like pina coladas.....

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

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