Whitsundays and Fraser Island

Long overdue. What else can you expect from someone having the time of her life?

Last time I was just leaving Townsville, headed for Airlie Beach, where I ended up spending a good four days hanging about, reading a book in the hammock of my hostel, watching outdoor movies at sunset on a tarp whose backdrop was the entire Airlie Beach Bay, playing trivia for free bottles of champagne, and walking beautiful national forest treks overlooking the Whitsunday Islands.

What are the Whitsundays? Only the most beautiful 74 islands on this planet. After my days in Airlie, I boarded a sailing vessel, "Summertime", for a three-day, two-night cruise around these islands. When we visited what is officially named the second best beach in the world, Whitehaven, I knew that this trip would truly be something special. The sand is as white as you could ever possibly imagine, containing 97% silica, it is the perfect exfoliant, leaving your skin feeling silky smooth. My shipmates and I wandered the less frequented section of the beach alone, our own special spot in paradise. We put on wetsuits (to protect us from the deadly box stinger jellyfish) and spent hours splashing around in simply the most beautifully blue water I have ever seen.

The rest of the trip aboard Summertime was just as magical. We snorkelled in some of the most untouched coral in the Great Barrier Reef, swimming alongside sea turtles, spotting white-tip sharks, and finding Nemo. Our ship is the only vessel in the area that has inflatable kayaks, which we took out one morning as the sun rose to spot stingrays and more turtles floating alongside our boat. Back aboard the vessel, we would hop into our jacuzzi at the front of the ship, warming up before being served our giant Aussie BBQ and heading off to our small cabins underneath the ship. It was nothing short of perfection.

After my trip to the Whitsundays, it was hard to imagine anything as unique or exciting. But only a day later, I was headed to Rainbow Beach, where I met the three strangers who would accompany me to Fraser Island on a self-drive, three-day safari. The next morning, camping gear packed into the back of the giant Land Rover they give us to take to the island, the four of us headed off to the ferry for our adventure. Darren, the 6'7" dingo-chasing, full-of-life Brit, Chris, the 19 year old, always-smiling German, and Sarah, my dear friend from Scotland. An interesting crew to say the least, we arrived on the island, hopping into the 4WD and driving on the sand to our first destination. The island is the world's largest sand island and the beaches have been converted into highways. Nothing quite like driving along the beach in an SUV with speed limit signs stuck into the sand dunes, other cars driving along the shore, waves crashing.

We spent three days on Fraser, exploring the beaches and inland lakes with our SUV. We would drive on back roads, figuring out how to navigate in the dry powder, getting stuck, driving over giant boulders, into streams...quite the adventure. Then we would get out of the car, go on a nice walk and find ourselves smack dab in front of the most beautiful, pristine, secluded lake. The waterways are so clean that we drank the water straight from them. It was something out of a fairytale, as the three of us found ourselves alone on Basin Lake, nothing but nature surrounding us.

Our nights consisted of setting up camp...and since I was the only one with any real camping experience, I became somewhat of the camp mother, showing them how to set up the tents, cooking the meals, teaching everyone how to make S'mores. (Can you even imagine living in a country that doesn't know what a S'more is? The omission of this tradition should be an international crime!) We sat around the fire, drinking goon (cheap boxed wine), telling stories, meeting aborigines who live on the island, and chasing the world's only purebred dingoes (wild dogs).

After the sailing and Fraser, I was BEAT. So I decided to come to a little resort town on the Sunshine Coast. In Noosa the past few days, I have been relaxing, taking long walks in the national forests, visiting the world-famous Eumundi markets, and staying in a quaint guesthouse with only eight other lovely people from around the world.

Life continues to surprise me. I think I may have had my long-awaited epiphany, but perhaps I'll keep you all in suspense for now. All I know is that around each corner is another wonder and I am so so so lucky to have the chance to see what I have seen.

Love you all :)

Good 'Ol Maggie

Prior to leaving Atherton, I spent an amazing day with some friends from the Lodge, driving over to the jungle-top town of Kuranda, where we jumped off twenty-foot ledges into deep gorges atop a giant, cascading waterfall. As the tourists looked on from their “viewing platform”, we stood atop the waterfall, swimming and enjoying our own private viewing of the magical wonder. After this glorious day, it was even harder to say goodbye to Atherton, but it was time to move on, so I packed up and grabbed a bus to Townsville.

In Townsville, I wandered along The 5-kilometer Strand, ambling along the coastline path, lined with tropical palms, giant fountains, and several rock pools and lagoons. I found it interesting to see that they had several boxes along the way full of vinegar for the box-stinger jellyfish, a real threat here to swimmers in the summer months. That evening I grabbed some fish and chips at the local pub, Molly Malones, and met what would soon become my family for the next couple of days. Carl and Allie, from England, were traveling with the Aussie Drew, and we instantly hit it off, as I eavesdropped on their conversation about movies and “that guy who dances around naked in the bedroom”, jumping in and screaming, “It's Tom Cruise and the movie is 'Cocktail'”. Duh. What followed was a few more drinks, a lot of laughs, and an agreement to pick me up the next morning to go to the famous Magnetic Island just off the coast of Townsville.

Indeed, at 9:30 the next morning, we were off to the ferry station, where Drew and Carl purchased Canadian Club and Coca-Colas to drink at 10 in the morning. I thought to myself, “oh boy, this is going to be a long weekend.” Upon arriving on “Maggie”, we went our own separate ways to our previously-booked hostels, only to reunite later when the three amigos showed up with motor bikes for us to ride around the island. I hopped on the back of one, where we drove to Horseshoe Bay for a quick lunch and then on to Alma Bay for a swim in the warmest ocean water I have ever felt. We spent the entire day driving around the magical island, swimming, stopping at lookouts that were beyond breathtaking and visiting rock points with hundreds of rock wallabies (small, kangaroo-like animals). That night we found ourselves at the local community center cheering on a teengage band and the best beat-boxer in Australia. As the locals wondered, “who are these tourists crashing our party?”, we danced and cheered to this peculiar party we had found.

Back on the dirt bikes in the morning, the boys dropped Allie and I off at a hiking trail, where we ascended the hill to the forts that Australia built on the island during World War II. The forts were not only impressive; the views from atop were literally amazing. On our way down, we kept our eyes pealed for a koala, as we had been told they often frequent this area. Sure enough, there was one, in the tree, only five feet from where we were standing. We watched for nearly a half hour, standing mere feet from the little guy as he sat passively watching us, trying to keep his eyes open. I had to pinch myself; I was watching a koala in the wild!

The great day came to an end with the Townsville Air Show, which we could view from the island's pier at Picnic Bay. Ironically enough, we had planned a picnic for the night, so we set up a wide array of cheeses, meats, wines, pates, and fruits, and watched the US fighter planes soar above us, twisting and turning, followed by a 45-minute fireworks display over the ocean. Wow.

It was so hard to say goodbye to Maggie and to my little family the next day, but it was time to move on...a quick visit to the local markets before hopping on a bus to Airlie Beach, where I am now. Tomorrow I have a 3-day, 2-night sailing cruise in the famous Whitsunday Islands, including Whitehaven Beach, named the second best beach in the entire world. I am thrilled and loving this adventure, but of course miss you all.

Potatoes, Pubs, and Possum

I am in Atherton, living at a traveller's lodge with 50 other people from all around the world! All are here to work the farms, as Australia grants a second-year visa to backpackers who work 88 days on a local farm. I am not sure that is what I am after, but I wanted the experience of working on a farm nonetheless...so here I am.

Atherton is a small country town in the Tablelands, beautiful lands with small mountains, rolling hills and miles and miles of farm land. After a long day's work on the potato fields, nothing is more satisfying than watching the sun set over the mountaintops as the tractor pulls us back to the shed.

I have been working on a potato harvester. Seriously. It is the dirtiest, most filthy job I have ever had; I come home COVERED in orange soot and find dirt in the strangest of places even after I've had a good shower. Atop the harvester, we are six girls, pulling the bad/rotten potatoes off the conveyor belt. It is pretty mindless work and makes for a boring, eight hour day, but it is satisfying. I mean, I never thought I'd be doing this! On my harvester are two French girls, a German, a girl from Israel, and one from Ireland. It makes for interesting breaks, hanging out and eating our sandwiches, talking about cultural differences and just life in general. It is truly the most amazing part of travel--I can never get enough of other people's stories.

In addition to potatoes, I have been working the local country pub. This is WAY different than my pub experience in Sydney--much more laidback and, well, local. The bar has been in the owner's family for generations, dating back to the 1800s, where boxing matches were held in its common area. It was used as a base for the Australian soldiers in World War II and is just oozing in personality and history. We have a great time on Friday nights, dancing to the loud music and hanging out with the local rugby players.

I have made some good friends here and will be sad to go, but I feel compelled to keep moving and see something new. I have met people who have been here for six months because they got "stuck" in what feels comfortable here; I don't want that to happen so I'll probably leave next week.

Until then, I will enjoy this unique experience, cooking Mexican feasts in the backyard for 30 house mates, learning Korean, and chasing opossum out of my room in the middle of the night.

Brush with Death Episode Two

After the bike/snake episode, you would think I'd already had my dose of danger in Australia. But brush with death episode two came on a tour that I took into the Atherton Tabletops. Absolutely stunning lands, we visited breathtaking waterfalls, swam in crater lakes and rivers home to amethystines (Australia's version of the anaconda), learned about the rainforest, mountain biked, canoed, sang, tasted Vegemite for the first time (awful!!!) and slept in a quaint lodge in the middle of nowhere. It was fabulous.

On the trip, I must brag, I spotted TWO platypus in their natural habitat! This is such a feat because the platypus is a very shy creature and 92% of Australians have never even seen one! It was so much smaller than I thought, but so darling and cute!

The brush with death came on our canoe trip to Lake Tinaroo, where our guide Matt popped onto shore to help pull up our canoes and an inland taipan came surging at him, mouth open, ready to attack, as his eggs were mere feet away. In twenty years as a guide of some sort in the rainforest, Matt has only seen a taipan twice in his life and they are noted as the single most venomous snake in the world. It is very rare to see one and you know it's a bad thing when even your guide, who loves snakes, is visibly shaken by the episode. After hitting it away with a canoe paddle, Matt screamed for us to paddle away, as the snake slithered into the water, where Matt was sure it would enter our boats to attack, as it was clearly threatened and feeling very territorial. Screaming at the top of our lungs and panicked, we paddled away. After five minutes, Matt then had the audacity to ask us to get back onto that very shore and take a nature walk, assuring us that the snake had "left the area". After MUCH encouragement on his part, we reluctantly agreed, but I spent the entire walk on the lookout for any slithering creatures in the tall grass.

As if that weren't enough excitement, yesterday I dove in the Great Barrier Reef! My second dive ever (don't worry girls, no puke this time!), it was AMAZING, MAGNIFICENT, MAJESTIC, GLORIOUS, WONDERFUL. Words cannot describe the wonder that is the reef and the abundance of life that I saw yesterday, including stingrays, reef sharks, sea turtles, barracudas, clown fish (Nemo), and fish of every shape and color. It truly is a wonder of the world.

Today I head to the Atherton, where I have tentative arrangements to start working on a potato farm!!! As long as there are no inland taipans, I'll be ok!

**I have pictures but will download them at another time!

Brush With Death Episode One

So...for those of you who don't know (which is a lot because, I know, I've been really bad about this blogging thing), I have decided to start travelling (it severely annoys me that this word can be spelled with one "l" OR two). Not that bartending wasn't great or I didn't enjoy Sydney, I just woke up one day and realized, "I came here to travel. What the hell am I doing?" I was restless and itching to see this beautiful country, so I booked a flight to Cairns.

Now, where is Cairns?, you ask...almost to the very most northern point on the Eastern coast of Australia. This way as it gets hotter (remember, we just finished winter; September 1st was their first day of spring!), I can just continue to travel down the coast towards cooler weather (not that Sydney is cool, per se, in the summer, but a heck of a lot better than the tropics!) So I am in Cairns; known for its proximity to the Great Barrier Reef, it is a very touristy town (it reminds me a lot of the Keys, except I hope not to puke on a dive trip here). There are a TON of adventure tours right up my alley...it's been hard deciding what I want to do, amongst options that include white water rafting, diving, snorkelling, sailing, visiting the rainforest, taking the world's largest skyrail, skydiving, etc. I am still deciding, but will write all about whatever adventures I choose!

So I knew this trip was blessed from the get-go when I packed up my bags, left my house in Lane Cove, walking up the giant hill with my pack to get the bus downtown to the airport, when another bus pulls up along side of me, asking me if he can give me a lift to the bus stop. (Bus drivers in Sydney are NOT known for their warmth, so I was shocked!) I didn't think I looked like I was struggling too much, but how completely generous of him to offer, so I hopped on and was up at the stop in no time; a perfect start to a great trip!

My flight was scheduled at 3:20 and got in to Cairns at 6:20. This ought to give everyone a more accurate pic of exactly how big Australia is; I always thought of it as this little island, but it is around the same size as the States--so flying from Sydney to Cairns is like flying Chicago to Florida. Weird. Anyhow, the hostel van, painted in hippie, psychedelic images, pulled up to the airport to pick me up. When I arrived at the Dreamtime Traveller's Hostel, I knew I had made a good choice...I've stayed in a lot of hostels in my day, but this ranks pretty high up there. Immediately, I was told to set my bag down and join in the Aussie BBQ that was going on; we were served kangaroo and crocodile and several salads. I befriended some Germans (there are a lot here!) and they loved practicing English with me. Then began the fire show...yes, the fire show. At the hostel. Wow. Three complete and total hippies got out their fire rings and started dancing around to crazy music, which of course included Pink. Have I mentioned that all of Australia is OBSESSED with Pink...no clue why. Anyhow, they danced for a good 45 minutes. It was totally casual, with our lawn chairs and benches forming a ring around them, only feet from their balls of fire. After the show, there were lessons if you wanted to learn (for free!) and also you could try playing the digiridoo (sp?), the aboriginal music stick.

This morning, I went for a long run along the Esplanade, admiring the tropic mountains, looming in the background, the mist of the morning settling in around their valleys, the Pacific to my side. Then the manager Chris helped me to make some decisions about possible tour options and suggested I rent a bike (I told him I wanted adventure and exercise!) So off I went to the little bike shop, where David hooked me up with mountain gear. I had originally planned a short little jaunt to the Botanic Gardens and back, but somehow let David convince me to ride out into the mountains to see the Crystal Cascades. All he gave me was a hand-drawn map, a helmet, and a bike, saying I'd have no problem. Two hours later and I hadn't even started the climb, winding in and out of little tropical villages and interesting tropical neighborhoods in which I suddenly began to be aware of the color of my skin, seeing as I had not seen any whites for miles. Thankfully, I had a bike and FINALLY found the road to the Cascades...a 9 km jaunt out, and 9 km back...after what had already been at least 10. So I began the climb and it was beautiful, rolling hills and valleys becoming more and more tropical as I climbed into the jungle (legs burning from the morning run).

About halfway into the 9 km is when I had the FIRST BRUSH WITH DEATH of the trip. I was riding along, in the designated bike alley to the left (opposite side of the street remember!)when suddenly I realized there was a GIANT GREEN SNAKE two feet in front of the bike and I was going to go over it; thoughts raced in my mind how I would run over it, it would retaliate, biting me in the leg, I would be poisoned, alone, stranded in the jungle, left for dead...(yes, all this in a matter of seconds). So I swerved to avoid it, not paying attention to the camper van barreling along beside me. Honking and cussing out the windown, the van just narrowly missed me and I just barely missed the snake. So much for the Aussie mentality "they won't bother you if you don't bother them". Perhaps not, but they still may cause my death.

I finally reached the waterfalls and realized I had to walk another 2 km to even see them, a sign reading, "BEWARE: STINGING TREE. IF IN CONTACT, SEEK MEDICAL CARE IMMEDIATELY." In combo with the snake incident, I began to feel like I was certainly not in my own country anymore. Lots of people were swimming in the cascades, but I had not brought my suit, so I admired the falls and rested before my trip home.

Dying of thirst, I stopped to get a water and ask the easiest, most flat way home. What ensued was a flatter route indeed, but what must have been at least another 12-15 km ride. When I passed the airport, it was like a vaccuum of air sucking me in as the planes took off and I started to REALLY feel tired. Then I hit a pot hole and my chain came undone, so I pulled aside into a hardware store to fix it. Full of grease and near tears, a mechanic finally noticed and came over and helped me to fix it, smiling and encouraging. Helpful angel #2. At this rate, I may just find one a day!

So now I'm finally back, around 30 km later...amazing that all this has happened in two days time. I will stay in Cairns for a while and then move on to get seasonal work on the banana plantations for a while to make some extra cash (plus, who doesn't want to say they've worked on a banana farm!...ok, maybe a few of you...). Basically, I'm going where the wind blows me.

So until the next gust....

Blue Mountains and City2Surf

Every so often, you meet people with whom you immediately connect and are able to find an instant comfort and shared love of some common interest. Yesterday, I had such an experience. When I first told the faculty at Carmel High School in Mundelein about my departure to Australia, several staff members suggested that I contact a Carmelite brother in Melbourne who used to teach at the school. This brother, Sean, then suggested that I contact Denis, a brother here in Sydney. After our first meeting, Denis and I discovered we were both runners and avid hikers and so he invited me to come with him and his old friend Tom to the Blue Mountains for a hike. What ensued was one of the highlights of my stay here in Sydney.

We caught the train from Central to the mountains in the rain, fearing that our day would be ruined by the wet drizzle. About twenty minutes in, Tom joined Denis and I on the train. A 79-year-old man who has lived in Wentworthville, west of Sydney, his entire life, Tom is a walking encyclopedia/historian of everything Australia. As we ascended into the mountains, Tom pointed out historic sites and could connect some convict or event to each mountain town that we passed through. His anecdotes and love of Australia left me smiling. Both Tom and Denis joked that if the rain continued we would have to forego the hike and spend the day touring pubs (perhaps it was at this point that I thought they were my kindred spirits!). But the Gods were smiling on us for as we stepped off the train into Wentworth Falls atop the Blue Mountains, the rain suddenly let up and the sun began to creep out from behind the clouds. Stopping at the old post office converted into a lovely little café, the three of us sipped on coffee before our trek.

Crossing over into the Charles Darwin walk, we entered bushland with unique vegetation and colorful birds flitting around, happy to be out after a cool rain. Tom and Denis pointed out colorful flowers, including the national flower, the beautiful yellow whittle. We spied a vibrantly colored scarlet rosella bird, with a bright blue body and red chest, as we winded through what I can only compare to a Japanese Zen garden. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, the path opened up and we came to a lookout point of the entire mountain range, a vast expanse stretching before us. Named the Blue Mountains for the blue haze that comes off the eucalyptus trees in the summer, we took in the serene sight as we peered down at the Wentworth Falls, cascading down the mountainside. Then we headed off on a trail, scaling down cliffs and steep stairs, underneath the waterfalls and along the ridges of the mountains. Denis forged ahead with me in the middle and Tom in the rear. We paused every so often to discuss an interesting tree or catch another breathtaking glimpse of the mountains. After a good three hours, the route became more interesting, as around every twist and turn another waterfall seemed to await us, trickling down the mountainside as we winded in and out of its rocky pools. At the very end, we began our climb up from the gorge, ascending hundreds and hundreds of steep stairs. We stopped every couple minutes to catch our breaths, but I remain amazed that a 79-year-old man could not only complete a 5-hour hike amongst steep cliffs and gorges, but that he could climb steps out of it faster than most of my fit 28-year-old friends. What a trooper! Denis and Tom mean serious business! At the top (finally!) we stopped to eat some sandwiches that Tom’s wife, Pat, had packed for us…a complete and total stranger, she had made wonderful ham and veggie sandwiches out of pure love…another testament to the Aussies seemingly open-armed, welcoming nature. We walked back to the train along a storybook lane lined with trees and little mountain cottages, complete with fairytale chimneys and wrought-iron gates. Taking the train back down, I was exhausted but Tom continued to amuse me with his commentaries on each town, so I had to stay awake to listen.

At Wentworthville, Tom went his separate way as Denis and I went up to the church, where Denis showed me around before we headed over to Tom and Pat’s for dinner. Again, Tom and Pat, who had never met me prior to yesterday, had graciously invited me into their home, Pat cooking an amazing veal osso bucco for us that we enjoyed as we enjoyed each other’s company. Denis, later, drove me all the way back to Lane Cove, and I marveled at how lucky I was to have made such a connection with such wonderfully kind and caring people. Denis not only drove me all the way home, but had earlier come in to Central just to meet me at the train station, making sure that I got on the right train out to their suburb. I am so grateful for this hospitality! What wonderful new friends!

Denis also bought me a copy of the City2Suf as an official souvenir of my race this past weekend. A nine-mile event with over 75,000 people, we made world record history for the largest timed running event in the world. It was amazing to round the last corner and come down the hill onto the famous Bondi Beach, complete with thousands more spectators and fans and surfers in the background. An obstacle course to get around all the walkers, I was pretty happy with my time of 78.04 for nine miles. Seeing as I actually ran probably more than nine miles, with all the weaving in and out of crowds, I figure I averaged just around 8-minute-miles, which for nine miles isn’t too shabby for a training run where I wasn’t really racing hard. So I was happy to see the results!

In all, it’s been a great couple of days. Here’s a few photos of my trip to the Blue Mountains!

What Makes Australia Australia?

Australians may speak English, but there sure are a lot of funny things about this country. People at work may make fun of my accent or the fact that I eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but then again, there’s always this…the stuff that makes Australia uniquely its own:

1.The casual “how are you?” that we so often use back home is actually referred to as “how you going?” Excuse me? How am I going? Well, first of all, where am I going? Second of all, how am I getting there? Could be by bus, ferry, train, car. You tell me.

2.In America, the average restaurant hopes that you dine IN their restaurant, with the mentality that once there, you’ll spend more money on drinks, etc. Here, to dine IN actually costs more, causing most Aussies to opt for the take-away method instead. (Note: always referred to as take-away never take out.) In an average diner-like establishment, a meal that you take away is approximately $2 cheaper than a meal that you eat in. The only possible motive that I can provide is that most establishments are BYO, where you can bring your own booze (wine, beer, whatever you choose). There is usually a corkage fee, but the restaurants must think that since they’re not making a profit on alcohol, why go through the hassle of having to serve you when they can just stuff it in a sack. This, however, does not explain the cafés likeminded mentality; how strange that it costs me fifty cents extra just to sit here and have a coffee? It’s not really any more trouble for you to serve me…in fact, it saves plastic and paper that you would use on my take-away container, hence more earth-friendly, which I thought was a bandwagon Aussies claim to support. And wouldn’t you think I’d be more likely to order a second coffee if I sat here and sipped for a while…???

3.Which brings me to point three. Coffee here is AMAZING, but there is no such thing as an endless cup or pot of coffee. Every coffee is handmade especially for you, with heated milk and a beautiful froth on top. Aussies love their coffee and a watered-down pot of Denny’s black just won’t cut it. In fact, there is one Starbucks downtown and most of the time I pass it, it’s completely empty. That coffee does not measure up to the fine Italian espressos that most Aussies prefer. I have, coincidentally, become a coffee snob. And there are a million different names—it’s not just “coffee”, it’s a flat white (coffee with heated milk, no froth), a cappuccino (froth and chocolate on top), a latte (served in a glass mug with no froth), etc. Why do I know the difference? Well because a) I’m becoming slightly addicted to my morning cup of joe (take-away style of course) and b) I actually have to make it at the Oaks! Yes, I have perfected the art of the finest coffee making thanks to a giant espresso machine and several hours of training. My only fear is returning to the States…will I have to invest in an espresso machine and year’s supply of good espresso beans in order to passify this now addictive need for a good flat white?

4.Okay, so what is WITH the clothes here?!?! Seriously…most of the girls dress SUPER cute and VERY fashionable. Especially if you’re down in the CBD, central business district; I don’t feel comfortable unless I’m in a fabulously cute outfit and boots. EVERYONE wears the following: oversized shirt, black leggings, flat boots. EVERYONE. And it’s cute and all, but seriously, it’s getting kind of carbon copy. But I digress…if you stray from the CBD and into the suburbs, you will be quite baffled by the wide array of wardrobe selections. Yes, it’s a big city, so I suppose you see it all...but seriously, FLANNEL SUITS??? Where on earth can you even buy a flannel suit? Not just plaid, but FLANNEL. Not even Paul Bunyan owned a flannel suit. And why is it that on a brisk 50 degree morning, most Aussies can be seen in FLIP FLOPS. Yes, I get that Havaianas are the “in” sandal, but aren’t you FREEZING? How is it that I’m from Chicago, where it blizzards in winter, and yet cannot even BEGIN to think about wearing a flip-flop on this brisk, chilly morning? And the kids…my only explanation for how Aussies can wear flip flops all year is that they start them young…these poor little toddlers on a cold, winters morning in Capri pants and a t-shirt. Aren’t they freezing? Do Aussies have thicker blood??? And finally, the winner of them all…the Asians favorite look, the go-to in their closet: the colored tights under jean shorts with peep-toe high-heeled sandals. WHY, oh WHY? And ladies…don’t even think about wearing anything but a skinny jean. Just don’t even try. Thank God I owned a couple pairs before I came.

5.Yes, to answer the question…they really do use the word “mate”. Some more than others, but it is not uncommon to hear “g’day mate” upon entering a shop or even meeting a friend for coffee. Another of my favorite expressions is “no worries”. It’s used all the time and has rapidly become one of my favorite things to say. And then there’s always their form of thank you—while “thank you” does exist, it is most often cut short at “ta”, an expression I have become quite fond of saying upon exiting a shop or even the bus (it is common to thank bus drivers prior to exiting the buses here!)

6.Asians. They’re EVERYWHERE. They are the US version of Mexicans. Not that I have anything against diversity or the race itself, but I have never, ever seen so many Asians in my life. I mean, geographically speaking, it makes sense. We live near Mexico, we have Mexicans. Australia is close to Asia, they have Asians. But I could never ever imagine the multitude. It is so vast that the white man seems to be a minority, especially in certain areas of the city. However, the large Asian population means one thing: GREAT FOOD. Sushi is amazing and the choices between Thai, Vietnamese, and Japanese are endless. The other day, I ate at my first sushi train restaurant. You sit down at a counter and a moving strip circles in front of you, complete with hundreds of different plates of sushi and choices. The plates are color coded, so you know how much each costs, and there is a description of what the plate entails. You wait until you see something you like, you grab it off the train, and you continue to do so until satisfied…this can be addictive…far better to limit yourself to an amount to spend or a number of plates to consume. The two boys next to me were up to almost thirty plates by the time I left; they kept leaning over and suggesting things to me…I figured after trying that many, they must surely have some idea of what they were talking about!

These are just some of the things I could think of off the top of my head; my promise that there are many more to come! Annoyed as I might get at them making fun of Americans, I have rather enjoyed getting to know the unique complexities of the culture that makes them so different! Looking forward to finding new ones today!