Moist Chocolate Cake and a Zoo Adventure

I know, I know…I haven’t written a whole lot lately. It’s just kind of been a normal lifestyle these past couple of weeks—starting work, figuring out the city, running, hanging out. On Monday, my mom’s friend Sandra arrived from the States, so we actually rented a car to pick her up from the airport (the taxi would have cost the same, so why not have a car and be able to cruise around for a little bit?) and on Sunday after my run we drove up along the coast to the Northern Beaches, getting out along the way to go on little hikes through Palm Beach and Avalon. The coast was BEAUTIFUL; completely unlike Florida—not touristy, calm…the only sights in view were a little lighthouse in the bluffs afar and two lone paddle boarders silently pushing their oars through the blue ocean water...granted, it IS winter here, even if it is 60 degrees…I understand the summer will be MUCH wilder! We drove past the town of Turramurra, where last year a teenage boy was bitten by a great white shark and his dad, a member of the beach lifesaving crew, immediately knew to put a tourniquet on his leg to stop the bleeding and save his son, who still continues to surf to this day. Although it was slightly rainy, the drive was spectacular, and we winded along cliff-side roads, observing the mansions atop bluffs of breathtaking views of the vast Pacific.

The rest of my week was spent working, where I am beginning to become comfortable with the Oaks bartending experience. Unlike my work in America, this establishment is known for its prestige and presentation, amongst one of the finest hotels in Sydney, it is absolutely necessary that I pour a beer in TWO pours, not one, creating the perfect head on each beer. Also important is the art of mastering how to constantly look busy on an eight hour shift even when there is nothing to do. I have therefore perfected the art of folding a towel over and over, reshifting glasses, wiping down the countertops until they glisten, polishing already sparkling wine glasses, and smiling until my teeth hurt. The owner, a cute little old man who was in Darwin last week on a fishing trip, returned this week to find a strange American girl behind the bar and we instantly hit it off, talking about travels and him always saying cute little things to me like, “that’s a good girl”. Not to mention that I have become quite a fan of the regular customers, who come into the Lounge Bar at 5 pm everyday and order their middies of cold beer (usually VB or Carlton Draught), yelling to me, “hey Chicago!” Apparently that is my new name with the locals. They comment often on my “funny accent” and everyone always asks first if I am Canadian as to not offend me…as if being American was the most repulsive thing on the planet. In fact, a nice old man at the bus stop today found it necessary to comment on the fact that he was glad we were not like the other Americans, straight from the “septic tank” of the world. Thanks, buddy. We appreciate that vote of confidence.

Which brings me to today’s adventures…my birthday and the Taronga Zoo. I have been to several world-famous zoos in my lifetime, including San Diego, Minneapolis, Audubon…but this zoo was AMAZING…not just for its wildlife, which was magnificently unique to this area of the world…highlights include kangaroos, pandas, koalas, wombats, kimono dragons, 11 of the 15 most deadly snakes on the planet, glorious birds of every color, platypus and echidnas…it also sits atop a cliff overlooking the entire harbor of Sydney, so as you sit and watch the best bird show on the planet, condors and eagles soaring above your head, you gaze out onto the harbor and across to downtown Sydney’s skyline and Harbour Bridge. It truly was the most idyllic view imaginable and the perfect way to spend a birthday, leisurely strolling amongst Australian wildlife whilst taking in the views of one of its spectacular cities.

For dinner, I wanted nothing more than to cook…call me crazy after a long and tiring day at the zoo, but lately I have become engrossed in cooking and baking, studying cookbooks and wanting nothing more than to perfect the art of savory and delicious healthy food plus the occasional perfectly moist chocolate cake (since I am running at least 30 miles a week, I can afford a few more calories...and if they come in the form of chocolate cake, seriously, how can I argue?!?!). So I decided on marinated salmon steaks, baked sweet potato fries dusted with a savory cinnamon blend, the true, authentic Spanish version of aioli sauce, prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, and a Better-Than-Patrick –Swayze chocolate cake (unfortunately, Heath bars don’t seem to exist in this country, so I had to improvise with a combo of crushed Twix and Crunch bars…but I figure, the slightly disappointing alteration was about right given Patrick Swayze’s current state of being…). Anyhow, I made it all myself (minus the grilling of the salmon) and it was delicious; I must say, the chocolate cake, after having absorbed the chocolate and butterscotch syrups, was about as moist as one might dream of…that, plus my first beer in about five weeks, and I was a happy girl.
I work tomorrow and Saturday and then Sunday I have a 12-miler before next week’s exciting City-To-Surf competition, the nine-mile race that goes from Sydney’s downtown district all the way to the famous Bondi Beach, with over 70,000 competitors! I am not nervous; by this point, nine miles seems like a walk in the park. For my birthday gift to myself, I officially signed up for the Melbourne Marathon. As long as everything goes as planned, barring any sickness or injury, I will compete October 11th in the marathon competition in Melbourne. Nervous, but excited…T – 71 days!

So…working and running and figuring out life. That’s the gist of it. Here’s some recent pics. Missing you all! Much Love ♥♥♥