The First Month Down Undaaa

Greetings to all- It’s me! Hilberger, my new Ozzie nickname given by Australian friends Kye and Lee. I want to start with all the quirky things that make Australia, Australia. They love to “abrev” aka abbreviate or shorten words. Water is wader, gum is chewy, chicken parmigiana is Parma, spaghetti bolognaise is spag boll. Instead of “how are you doing?” it’s “how ya going?” which I love, I am always going! Sunnies are sunglasses, bikinis are bathers and sunscreen is factor 30. I am addicted to Papaw which is the best chap stick and made from papaya. It seems to be an Aussie fav. I love the fact that throughout my time here, I been welcomed everywhere. Not one Australian has been cruel to me. Throughout my travels in Europe and so on, when I said where I was from I have had negative responses about my country, esp. when Bush was President. I don’t know if Obama has changed the world view of Americans, or if it’s just the fact that Australians love Americans? Heck, they still have the Flintstones and Jetsons on TV here so I really can’t make a clear hypothesis on this matter…Of course I know you all have been dying to ask: Have you had vegemite yet??? I have, and I LIKE IT! In case you don’t know what Vegemite is check it out- http://www.vegemite.com.au/vegemite/page?PagecRef=1 I’ve clearly made the mistake of thinking it’s compared to Nutella and drenched my first slice of bread with it. Big laugh here if you know what a massive mistake that is, in the case of Vegemite, less is more. Tim Tams are another fav of mine and I can not stop eating them. They are the most addictive cookie I have ever had, they compare to Girl Scout Cookies, except you can get them all year long! Dark chocolate Tim Tams are my favorite, and Kye and I have done the late night “Tim Tam Slammers” which involve dipping the cookie into hot coca where they just melt in your mouth- mmmm!!Now we can’t forget about the beer, and no I don’t mean Fosters. (I have yet to see Fosters in any bar here). All the beers are very flavorful and heavy. This could be a problem since beer loving/drinking has been in my family thanks to my famous Grandma Fran. “I love Beer!” is a statement that I hear regularly in all family gatherings. Beers called Chang, Tiger, Pure Blonde, and Carlton Draught are some of my favorites. Beer and Meat Pies go very well together and tomatoes sauce (ketchup) is a great addition on the top of the pie. Just make sure to not look at the ingredients of the Meat Pie, you might see it come back up ;)The weather hasn’t been too warm since I’ve arrived in Melbourne, and to no surprise Melbourne is known for having 4 seasons in a day. There have definitely been a couple days where I’ve had to cuddle up and watch episodes of Prison Break and Entourage (bought in the streets of Thailand) to wait for a warmer, sunnier day in Melbourne. I have been bouncing between 2 different apartments. Kye and Lee live in Elsternwick and Chelsea and Trish live in St. Kilda. Both companies have welcomed me with open arms and have been so amazing to put me up for so long. They are about 20 mins walk apart with a pit stop through a lush botanical garden. I enjoy staying with both, getting my dose of each city. Elsternwick has a yoga studio where I have been taking yoga classes. There is also a Vodka Bar with every type of vodka you can imagine. My favorite drink has pepper vodka and lime- it’s so spicy and refreshing! I’ve also had amazing Indian food in Elsternwick for Kye’s birthday and have a new addiction to butter chicken with naam. I have to admit that St. Kilda is def a more happening city. There are tons of shops, cafes, bars and all sorts of young people- travelers especially. St. Kilda has a Sunday market and an amusement park called Luna Park which is right on the beach. I can definitely spend a lot of time up and down Ackland Street and spend a quite a bit of money! Carlisle Street and Chappell Street also have great boutiques and coffee joints. Melbourne is known for having the best coffee in the world, (sorry Melbournians it ain't) but I let them think that! There is no such thing as drip coffee here- the only thing close is called a “Flat White” which is espresso and water with steamed milk. I made the mistake of asking for drip coffee once and got this crazed look of disgust so have ventured off to the world of flat whites and lattes. Cie la vie Coffeemate creamer, I have missed you…I have also spent some time in downtown Melbourne. We have gone to a couple night clubs and parties in the city. I am actually going to attend a conference in the city tomorrow about natural birthing, breastfeeding and healthy lifestyles. Deb (Kye’s Mum) travels throughout the country educating nurses and schools about this curriculum. I might be able to jump on board with her group and get to see different parts of the country. I am really excited for this opportunity. More to come about this….I am still freaking out when I am driving with anybody. The steering wheel and driving on the opposite side of the road hasn’t yet settled into my brain. There have been numerous times when I’ve squeaked “WATCH OUT!” when it’s dark out and I forget that everything is switched. Lets just say I’ve turned down numerous attempts to drive for the sake of my own sanity. One thing I am looking forward to is Melbourne Cup Horse Races. It’s nothing compared to Hollywood Park, sorry folks. The entire state of Victoria gets the day off work to attend the races. Women wear the most outrageous outfits and things on their heads called fascinators. Check out some pics- http://images.google.com.au/images?gbv=2&hl=en&um=1&ei=yDflSonjIZCe6wPSitS3Cw&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=fascinators&spell=1&start=0 After the races end, I head up to the top of the country to Cairns, in Queensland. I plan to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef and bounce around the Whitsunday Islands. I will be gone for 3 weeks trekking up there alone. I am excited, nervous and just plan anxious to get up there and get some serious sun! Don’t worry I will wear plenty of sunscreen and hats. Did you know it’s a rule for every child in the schools here to wear a hat when they go outside! The sun is that harsh! The music here is phenomenal. I really enjoy the radio stations because they don’t play a lot of pop music. I haven’t heard much American stuff so my addiction to electronic and alternative/folk music has been growing. I am going a music festival December 5th right when I get back from Cairns. I get to see my favorite band Cut Copy!! Check out the flyer- http://www.stereosonic.com.au/ I am really into Florence and the Machine at the moment- check them out. More to come (hopefully)my encounters with Roos (kangaroos) Koala Bears, Wombats, Didgeridoos, 8 mile long beaches, Great Barrier Reef snorkeling, finding an Aussie mate, BBQ’s with snags and rissoles, my attempt at Netball, Cricket and lawn bowling….

Tall Girls ALWAYS get upgraded!

I left the good ol' USA on October 4, 2009 after spending the day in a beer garden of my hometown of Manhattan Beach. I said my goodbyes to all- friends, family, school teachers, volleyball coaches and of course the dirty ex-boyfriends. As we pulled up to LAX, the last words I heard my mom utter were, "Please don't do drugs in Asia, you will end up in prison. Just like that movie Brokedown Palace". That was the last thing I heard my lovely Mother say.

As I walked up to the Virgin Atlantic counter, I tried to hold back my sniffles and tears, a beautiful woman (in an sexy Australian accent of course) asked me if I was moving to Australia. As I nodded my head yes, she said, "I think you deserve to be moved to business class- you are sooo tall, it must be hard in a normal seat to sit for so long".

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!

I secretly jumped for joy and wanted to high five the security guard but had to hold back my cheers and squeals for the sake of airport security. I walked on the plane and remembered a little blue pill my mom had snuck into my pocket from our neighbors the doctors. AMBIEN!!! I tillted my head back and swallowed it whole. I knew 14 hours was gonna be a whole lot better with the help of business class- complementary champagne, foot massages, warm towels, heck- they probably even have fortune tellers wandering throughout the aisles for all I knew! I was upgraded for the first time ever! I grabbed my seat and sank down into the plush and cushy seat, extending my 37 inch legs without any obstruction. AHHH, it felt marvelous! The kind old woman next to me started chatting me up, asking why I was headed to Australia and what I would do there yada yada...but for some reason (it could of been the beer garden mixed with goodbyes) but I felt my head nodding and the next thing I know.....

I am being nudged awake asking what I wanted for breakfast! I HAD SLEPT 12 HOURS STRAIGHT! I completely missed all the perks of business class and even misplaced my little welcome basket. FAIL.

But, I still made it safe (and VERY sound) to bloody Melbourne Australia. This is where my journey begins...