Helter Skelter

  First things first, sorry about the pity party. We're actually doing quite well, all things considered. Moaning about lack of a social life is pretty silly when you look at what else is going on in the world. The most immediate thing I'm thinking of is the earthquake in Christchurch. We didn't feel it, but it's big news here in Australia. The ties between the two countries are quite strong. As the Prime Minister said in a speech, New Zealand is family. As of Friday, 113 are confirmed dead, but over 200 are still missing. All in all, the month we've been here has been a rough one for Oceania: flooding, Cyclone Yasi, and now the earthquake. Our prayers go out to those affected. I feel very blessed that my family is together, safe and sound.

Now for an A-team update. Alanna tried out for the school swim team two weeks ago, and secured a slot. Thursday was the Swim Carnival for 9 local schools. One advantage of me not working was that I was able to take her and a friend to the meet, and stay all morning to watch them. It was worth it. Alanna did great, and I met a number of other nice moms, including one who moved from the UK two years ago, and who has a son in each of my girls classes.

3rd place, breaststroke

Friend, classmate and teammate Charlotte

10 yr old freestyle medley team

   Moving on to other topics, let's revisit the grocery store, shall we. I think I already discussed how the trolleys require a gold coin ($1 or $2) to unlock them. You get the coin back when you return the cart. Did you know the trolleys are 4-wheel drive? Yes, the wheels can go independently, making them oh-so-fun to steer. The stores are much smaller as a whole, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Do you really need 60 kinds of cereal? Well, bad example. There are some other differences. For example, you'll often find a whole section of fresh meats strictly for pets!

Lovely meat display...all for Fido and/or Fluffy

 They don't take coupons, in fact I haven't seen any coupons. And some product names are different. Peppers are called capsicums, cantaloupe is a rock melon, cilantro is coriander. Cheese is mostly white, and mostly "Tasty cheese" which is cheddar. Chips, er crisps, come in all sorts of interesting flavors. Besides the ever-popular chicken flavor, honey soy chicken and BBQ chicken, there's sea salt and balsamic vinegar, lime and cracked pepper, sweet chili and sour cream, and the list goes on. Another popular snack are rice crackers, in many many flavors. If you are living a gluten-free life, Australia is the place to be. They have quite a phobia about gluten. They are also big on GI index, listing it on many products. High on the plus side, foods here seem less likely to have artificial colors, preservatives, or the dreaded high-fructose corn syrup. Milk is different too, coming in 1, 2, or 3-liter sizes. Oddly enough, skim milk is most expensive, whereas the full-fat stuff is cheapest. Go figure.

 Another new product for us is not so much an Australian one, but a Jewish one that we were introduced to by one of Alanna's friends. The girls now request Challah bread on Fridays. I've heard it makes fabulous french toast, so we're looking forward to trying that, assuming the girls don't eat it all before Saturday morning.

   Andy and I joined the, sing along with me now, YMCA. It's inexpensive by local standards, walking-distance, and very uncrowded. All good things. The only downside is the weights are in kg. The conversion isn't a problem, it's just that the increment is too big in some cases. For example, it's a big jump from 5 kg dumbbells to 7.5 kg for shoulder exercises for me. Still, the membership included a free session with a personal trainer, who designed a program for me, and I feel much better now that I'm getting in regular workouts. Another advantage of not working I suppose. I am getting lots of walking in thanks to the twice-a-day walks to school. Perhaps because of the exercise, or perhaps because of the regular schedule (no more getting up at 4:45 am), my middle-of-the-night insomnia hasn't surfaced since I've been here.  Not only that, I seem to be allergy free. I used to have a Kleenex box in every room of the house. Here, I never use them. Not sure if it's the wonderfully clean air, or maybe the hardwood floors of the house (that I am able to keep clean in all my spare time). Whatever the reason, I do feel better physically here.

  On Thursday, I took Alanna to a free trial Jazz dance class. She loved it, and declared it her "new thing." Aliya watched the class too, and wants to take a class on Saturday. Since they aren't in a sport yet, the dance classes are something fun for them to do.

  Speaking of kids, another tidbit I want to share. It seems that most of the families we've met have three children. Another expat explained it to me. The saying goes, you have one child for the mum, one child for the dad, and one for the country! Until just recently, there was even a 'baby bonus' to help subsidize babies. We're not going to go along with that program, but from what I hear, this is a great country to have a baby. Andy's pregnant coworker is quite looking forward to her 5 days in a private hospital room with 200 channels of TV and a menu of dishes to choose from.

 Cheers!

  

She Said, She Said

   It ain't what she said, it's the way that she said it....Aliya came home today with the clear beginnings of an Aussie accent! Yesterday it wasn't there, today it was. Tomorrow marks two weeks of school, so it's happening pretty fast. She wasn't even aware of it. I kept asking her questions trying to get her to say the words that sounded noticeably "Aussie." (Yes, I know Ben and Annie, she's the one with the accent..that's enough out of you!) Low-quality video below, listen for the words Rainbow and No.

   It's up and down for her, like all of us. Last night she was in tears because we read "Franklin's Surprise Party." I expected a birthday surprise party, but it was a going away party. That reminded her of our going away party (thanks again, Roger, Julie, Quan and Allison) and made her oh so sad. Couldn't stop the tears as she cried about not being able to hug her best friend for a year. She cried about having to learn different words. She apparently asked her teacher if she could go to the bathroom and the teacher looked at her confused. She had to ask if she could go to the toilet. Broke my heart, since I was feeling a bit out of sorts myself...
   Today I met a lovely woman for coffee. Another ex-pat who's been here 1.5 years. She's the chairperson for the American Women's Auxiliary for the Royal Children's Hospital. It was nice to talk to someone who felt exactly the way I did. Feelings like, Why in the world did I give up my job and all our friends and family to come halfway around the world. Thank you Miriam!
   Also a big shout out to all of you who read and even comment on the blog, who sympathize via Facebook, who email and Skype us, who send cards and packages (let me know if you need suggestions on what to send ☺). Knowing that you're all out there helps enormously!
   And in case you miss me as much as I miss you, you can check out one of my last projects at work. Of course, I just showed up and asked a few questions. Ben, Benson, and especially David did all the hard work putting it together. You can see it here: Fedora Farms Case Study 

You're Going to Lose that Girl

A while back, Alanna read a book of activities that included a suggestion that it would be fun to drive or bike around with a parent and take random turns until you get lost, then have to find your way home.  After mass on Sunday, we decided to have a go at this.  Alanna, Aliya and I hopped on our Razor scooters and headed out to get lost.  At each intersection, we had to decide which way to go, in the hopes of becoming ever more lost (of course, I had my Blackberry with GPS and GoogleMaps, so we weren’t going to get too lost). 

From our house, we headed south a ways, then turned east, keeping an eye out for interesting stores, parks, etc.  Before long, we happened upon the train station, and I convinced the girls that we should hop the train and ride up one stop, from the Ormond Station to the Glen Huntley Station.  Not having enough change on me, I decided we’d be scofflaws, and ride the train up without paying (yes, bad dad).  We got off at the Glen Huntley station, and wandered around for a bit, having dessert at a coffee shop (an awesome chocolate brownie), then heading over to Safeway to find snacks (no success), then over to Subway for lunch (Aliya had a turkey sandwich and Alanna had a cucumber sandwich with the cucumbers on the side).

After that, we decided to continue our law breaking ways, and rode the #67 tram out to the end of the line, mostly so the girls could see that the tram doesn’t actually turn around when it reaches the end of the tracks.  Rather, the driver walks from one end of the tram car to the other, then reverses the motor and heads back the way he came.  We rode the tram the other direction, and got off at a stop a bit closer to home, then scootered toward our house.  Naturally, we had to stop off at the nearby park, which has become a fun way to get our dog fix.

You see, each afternoon and evening, the local cricket oval turns into a giant bark park, so we head over to play with whatever dogs are there.  Not surprisingly, we’ve gotten to know more dogs (Brownie, Blackie, Ginger, Oxley, Lucky, Lady, etc.) than people (Mark, Josh and an old lady who seems drunk most of the time), and the owners have warmly welcomed us and let us pet and play with their dogs.  Very cool.  In fact, visits to the Cricket oval (dog park) have become a routine part of our evenings. Aliya even persuaded Alexi to buy some doggie treats to feed the dogs.  I’m sure it won’t be long before the girls are begging for a dog.  But our landlord won’t allow dogs, since the house has nice hardwood parquet floors.

After having fun with our four-legged friends, we headed home, weary from the long ride, and free from the long arm of the law that failed to catch us freeloading on the train and tram.

I'm So Tired

  Every parent knows "sleepover" is a misnomer and should really be called "stayover." But of course, the lack of sleep wasn't important...just that the birthday girl had a good time. And she and her friends did. To be honest, before school started, we weren't sure how we were going to handle her birthday. On the second day of school, however, she settled on her three best friends and confirmed that they could come to a sleepover party on Friday night. I was a bit surprised because a) it was a Friday night, the start of Sabbath in a very Jewish neighborhood and b) the parents didn't really know us, but happily, it did work out.
   Preparations were fairly minimal, but did require me to venture out a bit. I drove to the next neighborhood over, Elsternwick, and successfully found a parking lot and started shopping. It's very much reminiscent of small town America in the 50's, in my mind, because of the main street and all the little, specialized shops lining the street. It's just how they shop here. There are little to no big box stores here. No more going to Target, getting my Starbucks fix, then buying groceries, cleaning supplies, clothes, and a bday present all in one fell swoop. 
   I found an Officeworks and picked up some blank CDs. I wasn't sure if they did party favors here, so Alanna and I decided to simply make a CD mix of some of her favorite songs. Cheap and easy. I also stopped into some dollar-type stores for party decorations. Finally, I hit up an Asian deli and found some edamame. I was thrilled about that. Neither grocery stores nor Costco seem to carry it here. Oh, and a quick stop for some produce. Bananas are up to $6/kg, but I bought some anyway for the bday girl.
   Friday was a busy day for me. After walking the girls to school, I headed home to get the car. I went to my fellow expat's house (Tierney, the one who flew to Melbourne with her family on the same flight as us), and we drove to the Prahran  Market to meet up with some other expats for coffee. They were with the AWA, American Women's Auxiliary, a social/volunteer group associated with the Royal Children's Hospital. After coffee (a skinny flat white), Tierney and I did a bit of shopping. 
   Next stop, back to school to pick up Alanna. She was trying out for the swim team. I volunteered to help with the timing, and since the bus was overcrowded, I agreed to drive her to the pool, a few kilometers away from the school. The tryouts were for 10-12 year olds, but since Alanna is in Year 4 they let her try out. She did pretty well in the freestyle, didn't want to swim the backstroke, and came in first in her heat in breaststroke. The PE , er, Sports, teacher said that the top two freestylers and top swimmer in the other categories get to compete in the big local swim meet. I was busy timing, so I don't know if there was another heat for 10 year old breaststroke. Regardless, she had fun, did well, and got to get out of school for a bit, so it was all good.
   Back to school, pick up Aliya, home again, and get ready for the party. Decorations were simple since the balloons had been delivered and Andy had put up lots of streamers. The girls arrived at 5, and immediately we realized we need to get some rugs for this house. Their voices combined with the echo-chamber of our house made for a very loud evening. Alanna loved her "pressies" which were a red lava lamp, an iTunes gift card so she could buy games and music for her iTouch, and a "meter of art" kit which included paints, brushes and paper. 

Party girls

   Dinner was the classic party fare: pizza. We figured out best shot for getting American style pizza was to go with Dominos, conveniently located. It was fine, but we were a bit shocked to see that a "large" pizza was smaller than a medium pizza back home. Andy actually had to go back out and get two more pizzas!  I didn't have cupcake or cake pans, so I couldn't make anything, and I didn't know of any great bakeries, so dessert was make-your-own ice cream sundaes.

Sundae Sundae Sundae

   All in all, a successful bday party. Saturday we took it a bit easy, since we were all tired. We did meet up with Tierney's family to try High-Tech Burrito, and I'm so glad we did. Melbourne is famous for its food, and has many ethnic flavors to choose from, but it is sadly lacking in Mexican food. High-Tech Burrito was fabulous, and I really enjoyed my made-to-order carnitas burrito with pinto beans, on whole wheat tortilla, with extra cilantro and salsa. Yum. No liquor license--a margaritas would have made the meal perfect-- but I'll take what I can get. Not the closest location, but nice to know we can get our California/Mex food when we crave it.

   Sunday, we went to the closest Catholic church. We should have known something was up when the sign listed only one mass per week. Nevertheless, we showed up, along with maybe 50 others, none of whom were under the age of 70. Now, some of my very favorite people are over the age of 70, but since we were looking to see what options were available for Aliya to make her First Communion, we realized we were going to have to go elsewhere. I think we'll have better luck with a Church that has a Catholic school attached. 

   Hard to believe we've been here a month now. Sometimes, I almost forget I'm in Australia, until I hear the accent. I've gotten more comfortable with driving. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten in the wrong side of the car though. I miss my garbage disposal and ice-maker (they just don't seem to have them here) but mostly I miss our friends and family.

Carwash

   Recently, Andy took the girls (and the car) to the carwash. Here's his report:


This past Sunday, when the temperature hit a hot and sweltering 35C (95F), we decided that the car needed washing.  Not so much to clean the car, which was getting dirty, but more to hose each other down and cool off.  So Alanna, Aliya and I put on our bathers (swim suits) and headed to the local do-it-yourself car wash.  After vacuuming the car, I drove it forward into the carwash bay.  After dropping a few coins in the machine, I handed Alanna the spray nozzle, pressed the button for “Pre-Wash,” and let her take aim to hose me down.  Little did I know that the “Pre-Wash” contained a foul-tasting soap.  Blech!  At least it was a cool spray.  We then proceeded to wash the car, waiting until the fresh water rinse to hose each other down.  And boy did we.  We spent most of the rinse time spraying each other, and barely managed to rinse the car.  Near the end, as we were drying the car off, Aliya commented, “Hey, we’re just like your car wash servants.”  Smart kid.  She realized that the chance to hose each other down was just a ruse to wash the car.

Rain, Part Deux

   Friday, Feb 4th was an unforgettable day for the A-team. The girls woke up early and dressed in their school uniforms for the first day of school. You can see their personalities reflected in their choice of uniforms. Alanna chose the shorts and polo shirt. (Can I tell you how happy Andy is that their school colors are blue and gold? Sigh.) Aliya chose the prison convict gingham dress.

Ready for the first day of school

No hats, no play!

      Despite the light sprinking of rain, the A-team happily (if a bit nervously) walked to school. Because of the rain, we weren't sure if we should go right to the classrooms, so we checked with the office. We were told to go into the courtyard and stand behind the witches hats. ??? Andy figured out they meant safety cones, which makes sense when you think about the shape.

     6.5 hours later, I was waiting in the same courtyard. The day was a definite success for both girls. I so wish I had brought the camera. Aliya came down the steps holding hands with her "Australia best friend." Alanna came running towards me with a new friend in tow as well. After a quick conference with her dad, Annaliese came over for a playdate, and the three girls had a great time. Aliya was disappointed not to get a playdate, but she cheered up when we arranged for her new friend to come over on Monday.

   Annaliese's dad showed up around 5 to pick her up. He brought some Challah bread, which the girls tried and immediately proclaimed "the best bread ever." I looked it up online and saw that it's a traditional food on the Sabbath. Annaliese is Jewish, like most families in our neighborhood. I think I have a lot of learning to do. I had some good friends growing up who were Jewish, but I probably wouldn't have known they were Jewish if they hadn't told me. (I'm clueless that way. Though I vaguely recall joining the yearbook photo for a Jewish group, but I can't verify it since my yearbooks are all in a container awaiting shipment.)  
   Around 6, it began to rain, hard. The girls, not used to seeing much rain in SoCal, decided it would be fun to play in. After a minute or two they were completely soaked, so they headed up to the bath. A few minutes later, Andy yelled that the ceiling was leaking. Thinking that the bathtub had overflowed, I ran upstairs to check on it. Nope, that wasn't the problem. The problem was the heavy rains were overwhelming the roof drains. With no outlets, the rain came down through our recessed lights. The next hour or so was a flurry of activity, involving every single pot, pan, trashcan, and towel that we had in our meagre possession.

It's raining, it's pouring

    As if that weren't enough, the courtyard outside started flooding. Soon the level rose up to that of the doors, and water started seeping in. Andy went outside periodically to clear the drains of leaves and other debris, but it was simply too much rain. 

   Thankfully, nothing of ours was damaged. The floor is a bit warped, and I suspect the ceiling will need some drying out, but it could have been worse. In fact, our landlord, who lives behind us, did have it worse. After hearing some swearing coming from that direction, Andy went over to offer help. Turns out the houses behind us are lower than the street level, which was flooding massively. The driveways for those houses are cut out from the street, with no lip or inclined edge to stop water. So the water was pouring down their driveways, into their garages, and into their houses. Our landlord has carpet in his ground level, and it was completely soaked!

   The next day, we found out the storm was the tail end of Cyclone Yasi, which headed south after devastating Queensland. According to www.theage.com.au, Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs (where we are) were hardest hit. Some areas got 7 inches in a 24 hour period! After seeing photos of the flooding, I realized that once again we got lucky.

Rain

   Since we've arrived in Australia--strictly a coincidence, by the way--the people of Queensland have had a run of bad weather and bad luck. First up, lots of rain leading to massive flooding, the worst in 50 years there. Three-quarters of the state was declared a disaster area.
   Next up, Cyclone Yasi, the biggest cyclone in 100 years. I thought this comparison with Katrina was very interesting. Pretty similar stats, although Yasi was bigger in size. Perhaps the most shocking to me is the death toll, which now stands at one for Yasi. The man suffocated on generator fumes. On the flip side, three baby girls were born, and no, I don't think any of them will be named Yasi.

   I don't know what else to say about it, other than our thoughts and prayers go out to those people in Queensland. It's the biggest news in Australia though, so I wanted to mention it here. It hasn't affected us personally, yet. Let's see what happens with the proposed levy and to the price of produce. Some of you may know that Alanna loves bananas. She even asked Santa for some in her stocking. I just read at http://www.theage.com.au/ that prices are already doubled in some markets, and one store is even limiting customers to 1 kg, which is four or five bananas. Worse: "It is feared bananas prices could skyrocket to $15 per kilogram with more than 75 per cent of Australia's banana crop wiped out by tropical cyclone Yasi in north Queensland." Yikes. I know, small hardships compared to what the Queenslanders are going through.
  I wanted to also share a link that I got from Ben's site, some incredible photos of the damage and devastation: 
http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/cyclone-yasi/gallery.htm   We're actually dealing with a bit of flooding ourselves, at our house back home. Tree roots are blocking our main sewer, and caused water/sewage to backup out of our downstairs shower. It got into the hallway and office floor before the tenants noticed it. Looks like we'll be replacing at least part of the laminate flooring, and of course, there will be a big plumbing bill for both the temporary fix and the longer-term one.
   Finally, today the girls started school. Hopefully that will ease some of their misery. They've been a bit bored and lonely. If nothing else, they are past the first day of school, which they have been nervous and worried about for over a week.
   Cheers, see ya next time.