Jul 2008

Just a few semi-unrelated notes for those of you who love Starbucks as much as I do:

• Starbucks here have meat pies and sausage rolls and salmon wraps and cheesecake (multiple kinds)...and when looked at altogether, their food selections here are definitely more international. It makes sense, yes, but it's still something to report about, as the drinks, music, and every other product they sell is exactly the same as in American stores. Well, except for:

• Interesting fact: Australia's iced venti cups are smaller than American iced venti cups (20 oz to the US's 24 oz). After discovering that, I just about burst into the American national anthem out of patriotic pride.

• For those of you who may not know, I could be considered a chai tea addict in something like 49 states and 10 countries. BUT you will be happy to know that due to budgetary concerns, I have cut back and have averaged about 1.5 Starbucks chai's per week since I arrived! I'm so proud, I feel like treating myself to a chai in celebration! Oh, wait. Defeats. Purpose.

• You know how there is typically at least one Starbucks, if not more, within every square mile in Gilbert/Mesa? Well, I was a little worried that I would go through withdrawal until I saw first a map of Starbucks and then witnessed for myself that they are everywhere, at least in the CBD (central business district). There is even one in Bondi Junction! Even if I am trying to stick to a budget, the mere fact that they are for the moment accessible is like a built in "Melanie security blanket".

• And finally... In recent news, Starbucks announced that it is closing 61 of its 85 locations in Australia. Which happens to interfere with not only my chai security blanket, but my hopes of working for them as well. Ah, well. I guess when they told me they weren't hiring, it wasn't because of my uncool accent after all.

And that wraps up your Starbucks lesson for the day! Happy chai's to you!

I am proud to say that my quest to have my picture taken with a koala is at an end, and not even two weeks into my trip! Meet my new koala buddy:

He was exceptionally sleepy, so I don't think he'll remember meeting me. I learned today that because eucalyptus is so low in energy, koalas sleep about 20 hours a day. Hmm...I think I've met a few humans who could pass for koalas.

If you couldn't tell from the title, Megan and I went to Taronga Zoo in Sydney today. The weather was cold, but I don't think the penguins minded so much as we did. We saw seals, wallabies, a platypus, kangaroos, tigers, lions, bears, meerkats, red pandas, and a dozen other types of animals that escape my memory. Unfortunately, I was spoiled after being able to get up close to the koala. I had an overwhelming urge to pet a kangaroo, ride a giraffe, and take home a platypus, but I figure they probably frown on that sort of thing.

In other news, we drove across the Sydney Harbour Bridge for the first time tonight! Alright, so we didn't really drive; we took a bus. But it was amazing to know that we were riding across that amazing structure, and with the lights of the city all around us.

Here are some more photos to leave you with:

Shh...Don't wake the koala!

Going in for the kiss!

See the cute Aussie!

Hello from Sydney!

Alright, it's time for a few updates on my basic needs for survival:

Accomodation
My program sponsor put me up in the Sydney Central YHA Hostel my first two nights, which if any of you has spent time in a hostel, you will know can be fun and, at the same time, not conducive to long-term stays. Megan had to book her stay separately, so we weren't in the same room, and we each shared with three other girls and two sets of bunk beds. The communal bathrooms were worth it when considering that the hostel had a pool, sauna, movie room, several common rooms, and a view of the city from an upper level deck. But...however much fun it was to be in the middle of the city, after only two nights, we were ready to find a place to unpack.

Lo and behold, by the end of those two nights, Megan and I had found a place to live! Our luggage-clad travels between downtown Sydney (in the middle of a World Youth Day parade and the arrival of the Pope's entourage) is enough for a story in and of itself, so for now we'll skip over to the apartment itself. We are now sharing a cute little flat in the Double Bay area with two sisters, Jessica and Lucy. It's only a 2-bedroom apartment, so Megan and I are sharing a room, but considering that we didn't pack our entire lives into our suitcases, it is the perfect amount of space for the two of us. And how's this for a plus - it's about midway between the center of the city and Bondi Beach! Our roommates are very sweet, and I've discovered that Lucy shares my love for all things Jane Austen and Pride & Prejudice, so I believe we'll get along just fine.

Just for kicks, check out the crowd we had to fight to get our luggage-laden selves down to the train station:

Work
After spending most of the first week getting settled into our new home and figuring out the best ways to get around, we are ready to get serious about the part that will make our trip most worthwhile - making money! Er, I mean...getting to know more Aussies and their culture by working alongside them! Yeah!

Megan and I have had one real job interview each, and though mine said they would have a place for me, I haven't heard back as of yet. No worries - I've spent a considerable amount of time reworking my resume. Apparently, Australian employers like it if you spell things correctly. As in, Australian English...which bears more resemblance to British English than our more relaxed American spellings. Organisation, metre, centre, etc. Also, they don't use some of our educational terms, such as GPA's. Huh. Who knew?

Anyway, no job yet, but the search continues in earnest after I print out these resumes and dare to venture out in the rain. Will keep you posted. (Note to self: add umbrella to shopping list.)

Miscellaneous
Got my cell phone set up. Important for hearing back from potential employers. Also opened a bank account and got my Australian debit card. Wow - money in a foreign bank account. Sounds shady. I'll have to work on perfecting my innocent look. Which is difficult with Megan following me into the elegant bank lobby with a video camera. Looked like she was casing the place. (Another note to self: whistling innocently in a fancy foreign bank does NOT make you seem innocent.)

Found the local library, and let me tell you - the view is to die for! See a view of the courtyard below. Unfortunately, they won't let me get a card without jumping through hoops. Ah, well. I'll shrug my shoulders and remind myself that I didn't come to another country to hole up in the library.

Travel
We finally saw the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House the other day! We took a ferry ride across the harbour, and despite the wind & chill in the air, we had a blast! It's funny - I looked forward so much to seeing the Opera House, but it was the Bridge that floored me. It was magnificent! They have climbing tours and I'm looking forward to reaching the top one of these days!

Well, that's about it for now. I uploaded a handful of photos, so check them out in my photo gallery!

P.S. As I discovered from my Uncle Bud, if you want to know when I update my blog with news or photos, you can subscribe to it. Cheers!

Imagine this...two girls, one shopping trip, a dozen plastic bags filled with enough food to feed us both for the next month, and a long walk home...uphill. Two broken jars later (farewell, soy sauce and spaghetti sauce - you will be missed), our arms are killing us and I am seriously reconsidering the merits of the local bus system. But on the bright side, a few more such trips and perhaps these sore arms will turn into something I'll actually be able to flex! Yeah, mate!

I'm not opposed to walking. I love it, in fact. It's the only semblance of exercise that doesn't typically cause me to gasp for breath after approximately 30 seconds. (In case you're wondering, yes - I really am THAT out of shape. Running + Melanie = Bad Idea.) So even though my legs have been sore every morning this week, I refuse to give up:

I will walk from one side of Australia to the other if it means saving $7 in train fare!!!

Alright...so I must confess I haven't actually walked from coast to coast, but I have walked to and between Central Sydney and several of its suburbs, with several unintentional detours through residential neighborhoods. Here's one thing I've learned in my treks, particularly throughout Bondi (pronounced like "bonzai," only trade the "z" for a "d"): If you stop someone on the street to ask for directions, they are probably not from Australia. All the actual Aussies are on their cell phones or in their cars. I think they have tourist radar. Probably open their phones and pretend to be talking to their mum as soon as they see a tourist in need of directions glance their way. Oh, and other tourists seem to be realizing the above fact as well. Megan and I have been asked for directions on more than one occasion. Not sure why they didn't stop after noticing the very touristy "Top 10 Sydney" guide book I was holding.

One thing I have definitely noticed after having walked most everywhere in the past week is this: It makes you slow down. Obviously, it takes longer to get places, and you therefore have to schedule more time in your day and plan to do less each day than you otherwise would. I love it. It's like slowing down your hectic life for a figurative warm pot of tea. And you know how I feel about tea!

P.S. I'll be posting pictures soon. I don't have an easy way to download them to the computer at the moment.

I've been in Sydney, Australia, for 5 days and here is a sampling of what I've learned thus far:

Ask at least two different people for directions. "Just up the road" or the variation "just around the corner" probably means a few miles, while "too far to walk; you may as well take the train" is probably referring to a 5-minute walk down the street.

If this mild weather is as cold as everyone keeps saying, Australians wouldn't last a winter in Flagstaff or Minnesota. Pardon me for saying, but Aussies seem to be about as wimpy in the cold as Arizonans.

Ausralians shorten everything! Thankfully, someone told me right away that "this arvo" means "this afternoon." Basically, just shorten everything and add "ie" or "o" to the end. (chockie = chocolate, hollies = holidays, uni = university, milko = milkman) I could go on and on but I won't. Sometimes it's best to smile and nod and hope you later come to understand what you actually nodded to.

If you want to dress like an Australian, buy a few pairs of tights. They seem to be all the rage right now. (But guys, please leave this fashion to the girls. Thank you.)

EVERYBODY has TEA here! And they offer it to me wherever I go. I feel like I'm in England - it's awesome!!!

After carefully considering how to keep my immediate family in the loop with every last detail of my trip while simultaneously trying to be considerate of those who have better things to do than to read too-frequent emails from me (as well as to avoid the assumption that I believe my life to be utterly fascinating to read about), I have opted to begin a travel blog! Should you be interested in following along with me on my working holiday in Sydney, Australia, simply save the link to this blog (www.aussie-mel.travellerspoint.com) in your favorites and check back as often or as little as you please!

In case you are new to this sure-to-be-too-brief chapter in my life, here is my trip in a nutshell: I am from Gilbert, Arizona, and have just begun a four-month working holiday in Australia along with my good friend, Megan. Moving to a new place long enough to worry about the basics of finding a job, a place to live, a grocery store, and a Starbucks is one thing. Trying to do it in another country, particularly one I have never been to? Well...I have certainly been looking forward to the adventure! At least as one person has put it to me, "you couldn't have chosen a 'foreign' country more like America other than America itself"! But is that completely true? You'll have to follow along with me on my journey to find out!

So without further ado:

Welcome to my little corner of the world...on the other side of the world!