Yesterday (Mon Dec 29)...I showed Sujin how to feed the animals then we cleaned and reorganized one of the sheds. While we were reorganizing, Rhys drove up with an envelope in his hands - it was a letter from one of my friends! What a nice surprise! Oh yeah, Sujin and I caught the ducklings sneak into the garden again! They are small enough to squeeze through the fence and eat the lettuces when we aren't around. Those little buggers. When they saw us coming, they made a lot of noise --- the parents on the other side screaming at their kids to come back over and the kids frantically telling them "ahhh, they're coming! they're coming! help us!". The ducklings scurried around wildly looking for an escape back to safety. They all made it back except for one. That one was losing its mind with fright and waddling around in desperation for an escape route. As I tried to catch him to put him back, he panicked even more and the quacks became more frantic from both sides. Finally, he found an opening in the fence and squeezed on through back to his family.
In the evening we had soft shell tacos for dinner since Allison's neice is visiting with her best bud. Afterwards, we played Wii Fit....my calculated age is 34 yrs! Hahaha.
Today (Tues Dec 30) was quite an exciting day. The ducks all come up to me and quack loudly when they know I'm there to feed them. They get so close that I was able to touch a duckling very briefly before he ran away. Ducks don't like to be touched and the parents don't like it much either if you get close to their babies. The babies are so cute and they are gettng bigger. Only 2 weeks ago they were yellow...now they are turning white and their tail feathers are developing. Soon they will be too big to fit through the fence to eat our lettuces!
I was excited to hear that I had a package to pick up at the post office! The funny thing is the mailman wrote on the pick-up stub that the package is for "Neville". Hahahaha! Ohhh boy, this is not the first time people have messed up my name! I was told that Neville is a very common name here. Um, ok. Anyways, Allison took me to town and I got my package. I got a whole bunch of goodies...all varieties of Pop Rocks! Australia has strict laws on foods and other organic materials (like wood) sent into the country because they have such a fragile ecosystem. So candy is the only thing that's safe I guess.
Today I also layed newspapers around the garden bed and covered them with a layer of sawdust and another layer with woodchips. This is to prevent weeds from growing because sunlight is blocked out, the sawdust supposedly sucks up nitrogen, and the woodchips are heavy enough to prevent the wind from blowing the sawdust away. Furthermore, it looks nice.
From the living room window in the wwoof house I can see the chickens. I was observing the "Chicken Pecking Order". This is their fight for dominance and it happens more than once every day. I observed 2 chooks flap their wings, jump up and chest bump each other (just like the males of the human species do occasionally). Then they stared each other down beak-to-beak with foreheads touching until one walked away. The one who walked away came back and this time, they both lowered their heads and had another intense stare-down. Finally, the one who surrendered last time turned away again.
A weird observation I have noticed but forgot to mention are the bathrooms here in Oz. Firstly, no one says bathroom, restroom, or washroom. It is referred to as the toilet or sometimes dunny. Secondly, the toilet has 2 buttons to flush - a 1/2 flush and a full flush. It makes sense since there had been a 7 yr drought in this country. Thirdly, the toilet is separated from the sink and shower. So the toilet is in a tiny room by itself. Adjacent to that room is another room with the sink and shower. These 2 rooms are in no way connected to each other - they have their own doors. Hmmm, so you can imagine how clean that doorknob for the toilet is, eh? Hehehe.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Aussie Foods Galore - vegemite, roo
Hey All! I had a lot of different foods over xmas and I've been eating eating eating. I also have to talk about the other foods I've had here but neglected to mention before...
Thurs Dec 25 - When the family came back, we had a traditional aussie xmas dinner (the neighbours ended uo not coming). We had prawns (served cold and whole with the heads attached and the eyes staring back at you), ham, plus the stuffing and mashed potatoes that I had made. Everyone loved my stuffing! I wasn't sure if people would like it since it's a unique recipe and it was my first attempt at making it. But Rhys and Allison want to make a WWOOFers cookbook and collect recipes from WWOOFers that visit them -- they want my stuffing recipe! Cool! After dinner, I learned an aussie card game called 500.
Fri Dec 26 - I went out to weed some thistles in one of the paddocks when Cara came around parading a dead bunny in her mouth. She really didn't catch it herself because she isn't fast enough to catch a rabbit and sometimes she won't notice a rabbit is nearby until it had already run away. Well, Cara just went up and down the field proudly clutching the dead rodent and showing off. The bunny appeared freshly killed with its head missing (decapitation is the MO of a fox). How lovely.
The day after xmas is also Boxing Day, where stores sell things on special. Ahhh, it's so nice to have Boxing Day again! We have it in Canada but I've been deprived in the years I was in NY. This day is also Women's Day Off according to tradition in Allison's family. All the women are to relax and do nothing because they had been busy cooking and preparing for xmas. So I got the day off too (except for the weeding I did in the morning). Hence, while the guys were trying to figure out how to assemble a greenhouse, us girls relaxed in the house and watched The Princess Bride. Afterwards, we all went to the dam where some of us swam. I went to see the dam and later on I went for a jog (much needed exercise after all that eating!).
I found out that Bella the annoying neighbour dog had broken Nicky the duck's water container when she leapt into it. Bella had scared all the animals and now one of Nicky the duck's girlfriends is MIA. We don't know where she is. That dog was so hard to control - we tried to bring her back to her house but she would come back (and her owner wasn't there). So we tied her up and she managed to break loose. Then we put her in a cage and she dug a hole in the ground to escape. So finally, she had to be tied up IN the cage. She was like freakin' Houdini! She's like those happy-go-lucky neighbours who always drops by and don't know how annoying they are. Basically, next time she comes around she's going to the pound and her owner will have to pay to bail her out.
Sat Dec 27 - I helped Allison lay hay in the garden today because it prevents weeds from growing and it decomposes to provide nutrients to the soil in additon to looking pretty.
I got started on sewing one of the banners with a sewing machine today. Rhys taught me how to use the sewing machine. Yep, I came to Australia to learn how to sew from a big burly man. LOL
Sun Dec 28 - This morning the french guys left for a road trip up the east coast to Byron Bay and will return on Friday. They left the house a mess with garbage and clothing (including nasty underwear) lying everywhere (no exaggeration) and Allison and I had to clean up because visitors are coming and I cannot live in a pigsty. Boy, I am extremely bitter that I had to clean up. Don't get me started! Grrrrr.
Well, one of the visitors that came today is a new WWOOFer. Her name is Sujin from S Korea and she is nice...very polite and respectful. We tried bbq'd kangaroo sausages for dinner. Allison had bought them at the supermarket and the package called them "kanga bangas". Hahahaha. I liked that. The roo meat is dark and has a verrry strong taste. Kinda similar to liver. Ugh. I mean, it's okayyy. But I wouldn't be hunting kangaroos to eat them so no need to worry about me killing cute little kangas. Although I wouldn't refuse a roo stir-fry or burger or kebabs because they may taste different from the sausages...
Tonight we saw the many stars in the country sky. It was so dark outside and the stars were plentiful and magnificent! I saw the Milky Way and the big dipper. I also saw the Southern Cross, which is made up of 4 brightly lit stars in the shape of an upsidedown kite - you can only see this in the southern hemisphere! How special is that?
What are other aussie foods I've eaten? Vegemite! This is a black paste that is made from the remnants of beer -- it's concentrated yeast extract. It is rich in Vitamin B and is an excellent cure for hangovers. Aussie kids bring vegemite sandwiches to school everyday for lunch - like our equivalent of peanut butter and jelly. Although it is eaten differently than PB&J. You have to take a piece of toast, spread some butter over it and then put on a thin layer of the vegemite. It's true, it's quite disgusting. It is very bitter. I actually prefer Marmite (the Kiwi/NZ version which is milder).
I've also had pudding cake....yum, sooo good! It's pudding that is boiled into a cake and it contains many dried fruits in there. Like a fruit cake but good! (The fruit cakes back home are horrible). We had this for xmas dessert. Traditonally, you would place silver coins in the cake for the kids to find (they'd be baked in).
Thurs Dec 25 - When the family came back, we had a traditional aussie xmas dinner (the neighbours ended uo not coming). We had prawns (served cold and whole with the heads attached and the eyes staring back at you), ham, plus the stuffing and mashed potatoes that I had made. Everyone loved my stuffing! I wasn't sure if people would like it since it's a unique recipe and it was my first attempt at making it. But Rhys and Allison want to make a WWOOFers cookbook and collect recipes from WWOOFers that visit them -- they want my stuffing recipe! Cool! After dinner, I learned an aussie card game called 500.
Fri Dec 26 - I went out to weed some thistles in one of the paddocks when Cara came around parading a dead bunny in her mouth. She really didn't catch it herself because she isn't fast enough to catch a rabbit and sometimes she won't notice a rabbit is nearby until it had already run away. Well, Cara just went up and down the field proudly clutching the dead rodent and showing off. The bunny appeared freshly killed with its head missing (decapitation is the MO of a fox). How lovely.
The day after xmas is also Boxing Day, where stores sell things on special. Ahhh, it's so nice to have Boxing Day again! We have it in Canada but I've been deprived in the years I was in NY. This day is also Women's Day Off according to tradition in Allison's family. All the women are to relax and do nothing because they had been busy cooking and preparing for xmas. So I got the day off too (except for the weeding I did in the morning). Hence, while the guys were trying to figure out how to assemble a greenhouse, us girls relaxed in the house and watched The Princess Bride. Afterwards, we all went to the dam where some of us swam. I went to see the dam and later on I went for a jog (much needed exercise after all that eating!).
I found out that Bella the annoying neighbour dog had broken Nicky the duck's water container when she leapt into it. Bella had scared all the animals and now one of Nicky the duck's girlfriends is MIA. We don't know where she is. That dog was so hard to control - we tried to bring her back to her house but she would come back (and her owner wasn't there). So we tied her up and she managed to break loose. Then we put her in a cage and she dug a hole in the ground to escape. So finally, she had to be tied up IN the cage. She was like freakin' Houdini! She's like those happy-go-lucky neighbours who always drops by and don't know how annoying they are. Basically, next time she comes around she's going to the pound and her owner will have to pay to bail her out.
Sat Dec 27 - I helped Allison lay hay in the garden today because it prevents weeds from growing and it decomposes to provide nutrients to the soil in additon to looking pretty.
I got started on sewing one of the banners with a sewing machine today. Rhys taught me how to use the sewing machine. Yep, I came to Australia to learn how to sew from a big burly man. LOL
Sun Dec 28 - This morning the french guys left for a road trip up the east coast to Byron Bay and will return on Friday. They left the house a mess with garbage and clothing (including nasty underwear) lying everywhere (no exaggeration) and Allison and I had to clean up because visitors are coming and I cannot live in a pigsty. Boy, I am extremely bitter that I had to clean up. Don't get me started! Grrrrr.
Well, one of the visitors that came today is a new WWOOFer. Her name is Sujin from S Korea and she is nice...very polite and respectful. We tried bbq'd kangaroo sausages for dinner. Allison had bought them at the supermarket and the package called them "kanga bangas". Hahahaha. I liked that. The roo meat is dark and has a verrry strong taste. Kinda similar to liver. Ugh. I mean, it's okayyy. But I wouldn't be hunting kangaroos to eat them so no need to worry about me killing cute little kangas. Although I wouldn't refuse a roo stir-fry or burger or kebabs because they may taste different from the sausages...
Tonight we saw the many stars in the country sky. It was so dark outside and the stars were plentiful and magnificent! I saw the Milky Way and the big dipper. I also saw the Southern Cross, which is made up of 4 brightly lit stars in the shape of an upsidedown kite - you can only see this in the southern hemisphere! How special is that?
What are other aussie foods I've eaten? Vegemite! This is a black paste that is made from the remnants of beer -- it's concentrated yeast extract. It is rich in Vitamin B and is an excellent cure for hangovers. Aussie kids bring vegemite sandwiches to school everyday for lunch - like our equivalent of peanut butter and jelly. Although it is eaten differently than PB&J. You have to take a piece of toast, spread some butter over it and then put on a thin layer of the vegemite. It's true, it's quite disgusting. It is very bitter. I actually prefer Marmite (the Kiwi/NZ version which is milder).
I've also had pudding cake....yum, sooo good! It's pudding that is boiled into a cake and it contains many dried fruits in there. Like a fruit cake but good! (The fruit cakes back home are horrible). We had this for xmas dessert. Traditonally, you would place silver coins in the cake for the kids to find (they'd be baked in).
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Christmas Day is hot!
Last night, we had a HUGE northern Xmas dinner! Pat made several entrees (appetizers): zucchini with hard boiled egg bits, mint and olive oil drizzled over top; soft cheese wrapped in slices of smoked salmon with chives tied around each roll; smoked salmon with lemon pieces and dill over bread. There was also the roasted chicken from the supermarket (so no chooks were killed on the farm - this time). Pat also made zucchini au gratin (like a lasagna); garlic green beans with mushroom; and a peach upside-down cake. As for me, I made garlic mashed potatoes with chives and the stuffing my dad used to make (bread with bacon, celery and lots of sage!). I also finished putting the final touches on the pavlovas that were started the day before. For each pavlova, I took 3 of the meringue buds and put them in a circle. Then I put on whipped cream and sprinkled it with berries (cranberries, blueberries, rasberries). We also had some rum balls for dessert. Of course, we didn't make one dent in the food! There was also white and red wine too. There was sooo much. We'll have some tonight along side the aussie xmas food. We want everyone else to try it.
So Pat did make a lot of food but he says that was verrry little compared to how xmas dinner is done in France. Over there, they start eating in the early afternoon and go on all night! They have several apparitifs which are before the entrees (appetizers), then the entrees, then a main, then alcohol as a break, then another main, etc. Phew! His family will have fresh oysters, fish, turkey, etc. You name it, they probably made it. The French sure know how to eat well!
Today is Christmas Day and it is hot out there....probably mid-20's Celcius? It is sunny and there are lots of xmas stuff on tv. It really doesn't feel like Christmas to me because it's summer here! I'm barefoot, wearing shorts and a tank top!
I am still full from last night and I am waiting for the family to get back from Sydney so we can have xmas dinner again. The neighbours Brett and Sasha will join us.
So Pat did make a lot of food but he says that was verrry little compared to how xmas dinner is done in France. Over there, they start eating in the early afternoon and go on all night! They have several apparitifs which are before the entrees (appetizers), then the entrees, then a main, then alcohol as a break, then another main, etc. Phew! His family will have fresh oysters, fish, turkey, etc. You name it, they probably made it. The French sure know how to eat well!
Today is Christmas Day and it is hot out there....probably mid-20's Celcius? It is sunny and there are lots of xmas stuff on tv. It really doesn't feel like Christmas to me because it's summer here! I'm barefoot, wearing shorts and a tank top!
I am still full from last night and I am waiting for the family to get back from Sydney so we can have xmas dinner again. The neighbours Brett and Sasha will join us.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Christmas Down Under
Hey all! Let's go over my adventures of days past before talking about today - Christmas Eve.
Mon Dec 22 - After a night of singing carols at the town chruch and being disappointed they didn't have Aussie Jingle Bells, I was on a mission to find a CD of Aussie Xmas carols. Allison took me into town and searched several stores and couldn't find any. Damn. But here are the words:
Christmas here is during summer so backpackers go to the beach on Xmas day and you see Santas in shorts and t-shirts. Some Aussies don't eat turkey or hot dinners for the holiday so instead, they have cold food such as "prawns" (I've been corrected each time I said "shrimps").
So after failing to find a xmas CD with these fun songs, I went back to the farm and watered the many newly planted trees with Pat, one of the french wwoofers. We had to tread through long grass that reached up to my chest...this is snake territory. They love tall grass and sun. I was careful to scan the ground around me while I heavily stomped on the ground to warn the snakes I was coming. They can't hear but they feel the vibrations and move out of your way. I saw a snake slither away from me as I approached. I just managed to see the last 4 inches its brown tail....thank goodness! I'd hate to see its head.
While in the paddocks, I gave a go at driving the yute. Pat was so brave to sit with me and guide me through because not only do I not have a license but this thing is a manual car with a hard clutch! I wasn't too bad....I mean there were no disasters but I can say that I prefer automatics.
For dinner, I gathered some greens for a salad from the garden. I noticed that some of the lettuce was eaten up so I thought we've been eating a lot of salad. Days later, we learned that the ducklings managed to squeeze through the fence and eat the stuff in the garden while we weren't looking!
I tried feeding the chickens by hand today and it didn't hurt until they got a hold of my fingers. No blood was drawn so it was ok.
Tues Dec 23 - I helped Allison in the kitchen today and she taught me how to make pavlovas. It's a meringue dessert that's popular here. It's basically meringue which is baked carefully and then whipped cream and fresh berry mix drizzled on top. We only baked it today and the rest goes on tomorrow.
Cara's (dog) friend Bella (neighbour's yellow Lab mix) came to play today. Bella just came over by herself -- she's really cute but wayyy too much energy! She doesn't listen and jumps on people. She slobbered on my arm; I've never had slobber that thick on me before it was difficult to wash off. We bring her back to her home and she is back before you know it! She scares the ducks and geese (Nicky the duck ran away somewhere to hide for the night). I love dogs but this one is too much! (Her owners aren't home...I reckon they went away for the holidays).
Wed Dec 24 - Today is Xmas Eve and everyone is gone except for Pat and I. We decided to stay on the farm and have a traditional northern hemisphere dinner of roast chicken, mashed potatoes (garlic and chives), stuffing, etc. Rhys and Allison went to Sydney to her family's while Nicky (the other french WWOOFer) went to Bondi Beach for a touristy Christmas on the beach. And no, we did not slaughter any chickens for our dinner! We got one from the supermarket instead. We had permission to take 2 from the farm but we didn't after all. Tomorrow when everyone comes back, we are going to have an Aussie Xmas dinner of cold food (prawns and ham, etc). Because...it's summer here.
Bella the dog came back today. She was tied up and she escaped by breaking the rope! She is really too much and she gets sweet Cara into trouble. They are cute together...a black and yellow Lab playing together. But really, Bella has too much energy for us.
Alright, I should go now to gather the celery, sage, chives from the garden for my mashed potatoes and stuffing. It's so wonderful to eat fresh food!
Mon Dec 22 - After a night of singing carols at the town chruch and being disappointed they didn't have Aussie Jingle Bells, I was on a mission to find a CD of Aussie Xmas carols. Allison took me into town and searched several stores and couldn't find any. Damn. But here are the words:
Dashing through the bushA yute (or "ute") is a pickup truck that is actually a car if that makes sense. So imagine a car with 2 seats and the back is open and flat (no walls surrounding the flat area). An esky is a cooler where you keep cold drinks, a boot is the trunk of a car, thongs are flip-flops/sandals.
In a rusty Holden Ute
Kicking up the dust
Esky in the boot
Kelpie by my side
Singing Christmas songs
It's summer time and I am in
My singlet, shorts & thongsCHORUS:
OH, JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS
JINGLE ALL THE WAY
CHRISTMAS IN AUSTRALIA
ON A SCORCHING SUMMER'S DAY
JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS
CHRISTMAS TIME IS BEAUT
OH WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE
IN A RUSTY HOLDEN UTEEngine's getting hot
Dodge the kangaroos
Swaggy climbs aboard
He is welcome too
All the family is there
Sitting by the pool
Christmas day, the Aussie way
By the barbecue!CHORUS
Come the afternoon
Grandpa has a doze
The kids and uncle Bruce
Are swimming in their clothes
The time comes round to go
We take a family snap
Then pack the car and all shoot through
Before the washing upCHORUS
Christmas here is during summer so backpackers go to the beach on Xmas day and you see Santas in shorts and t-shirts. Some Aussies don't eat turkey or hot dinners for the holiday so instead, they have cold food such as "prawns" (I've been corrected each time I said "shrimps").
So after failing to find a xmas CD with these fun songs, I went back to the farm and watered the many newly planted trees with Pat, one of the french wwoofers. We had to tread through long grass that reached up to my chest...this is snake territory. They love tall grass and sun. I was careful to scan the ground around me while I heavily stomped on the ground to warn the snakes I was coming. They can't hear but they feel the vibrations and move out of your way. I saw a snake slither away from me as I approached. I just managed to see the last 4 inches its brown tail....thank goodness! I'd hate to see its head.
While in the paddocks, I gave a go at driving the yute. Pat was so brave to sit with me and guide me through because not only do I not have a license but this thing is a manual car with a hard clutch! I wasn't too bad....I mean there were no disasters but I can say that I prefer automatics.
For dinner, I gathered some greens for a salad from the garden. I noticed that some of the lettuce was eaten up so I thought we've been eating a lot of salad. Days later, we learned that the ducklings managed to squeeze through the fence and eat the stuff in the garden while we weren't looking!
I tried feeding the chickens by hand today and it didn't hurt until they got a hold of my fingers. No blood was drawn so it was ok.
Tues Dec 23 - I helped Allison in the kitchen today and she taught me how to make pavlovas. It's a meringue dessert that's popular here. It's basically meringue which is baked carefully and then whipped cream and fresh berry mix drizzled on top. We only baked it today and the rest goes on tomorrow.
Cara's (dog) friend Bella (neighbour's yellow Lab mix) came to play today. Bella just came over by herself -- she's really cute but wayyy too much energy! She doesn't listen and jumps on people. She slobbered on my arm; I've never had slobber that thick on me before it was difficult to wash off. We bring her back to her home and she is back before you know it! She scares the ducks and geese (Nicky the duck ran away somewhere to hide for the night). I love dogs but this one is too much! (Her owners aren't home...I reckon they went away for the holidays).
Wed Dec 24 - Today is Xmas Eve and everyone is gone except for Pat and I. We decided to stay on the farm and have a traditional northern hemisphere dinner of roast chicken, mashed potatoes (garlic and chives), stuffing, etc. Rhys and Allison went to Sydney to her family's while Nicky (the other french WWOOFer) went to Bondi Beach for a touristy Christmas on the beach. And no, we did not slaughter any chickens for our dinner! We got one from the supermarket instead. We had permission to take 2 from the farm but we didn't after all. Tomorrow when everyone comes back, we are going to have an Aussie Xmas dinner of cold food (prawns and ham, etc). Because...it's summer here.
Bella the dog came back today. She was tied up and she escaped by breaking the rope! She is really too much and she gets sweet Cara into trouble. They are cute together...a black and yellow Lab playing together. But really, Bella has too much energy for us.
Alright, I should go now to gather the celery, sage, chives from the garden for my mashed potatoes and stuffing. It's so wonderful to eat fresh food!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Killer Snakes, Spiders, and....Horses?
Yay! I was going through internet withdrawal and I am so excited I can come online today! I have so much to update you guys...
Tues Dec 16: I met the neighbours Brett and Sasha who actually live about a 10min drive away. Tuesdays are pizza night so they brought over pizza and we ate together. After tea (as Rhys calls 'dinner'), they wanted to catch Rys' new horse. This new horse is about 6 yrs old and apparently not used to humans. She had always been a baby machine and she may even be pregnant now - but no one knows since she won't let anyone near her to do an ultrasound. She is quite wild, really. She is black with some white on her chest and face so her name is Domino. Sasha is the horse expert out of the group so she tried to get close to Domino to pet her. The plan was for the rest of us to surround Sasha and the horse in a circle and we had to stretch out our arms to appear bigger. Of course, me being the smallest the damn horse came right at me when she tried to escape! I saw her galloping my way then stop to decide whether to go left, right or straight. By this point, she was about 15-20 ft away from me. As soon as she started to run again (towards me), I ducked behind a tree to my left and she ended up veering to the right. Second time around, we tried holding big branches to appear even larger. I had something in my eyes and started to tear up so Allison (who also dislikes and is scared of horses) took over my spot while I went off to the side. And guess what....the darn horse ran right at her! Allison let out a blood curdling scream which scared Domino into running the opposite direction! Yep, so I almost got trampled and killed by a horse on a farm in australia -- nope, not a croc nor a snake but a generic horse.
Wed Dec 17: There were many trees planted in the fields on the farm which are surrounded by sheets of felt material to prevent weeds from growing around the plant. These are called weed mats. I looked under these mats and had to remove any weeds that started growing. Under them I saw little frogs, spiders, a baby snake that moved really fast, a a baby mouse! The scariest part was walking in the tall grass because this is where snakes like to roam. The brown snake is common and shoots venom in 1 in 8 bites. Hence, when walking in the paddocks you must stomp to make noise so the snakes know you're around and they get out of the way. That night, I saw a huge spider about the diameter of 3 pennies. This is actually a baby spider and apparently it's harmless - it eats the smaller bad spiders.
Thurs Dec 18: I learned how to start making the banners (medieval flags) using fabric. I will be getting a banner of my own with Domino the horse on it as a reminder of my bravery in the face of death. Hahaha. Speaking of that evil horse, John the horse nail trimmer guy came to try to fix Domino's feet today. This guy has had 30-40 yrs experience and he couldn't get the horse to calm down after 2 hrs! Domino tried to bite and kick and managed to give John a nasty rope burn on his face. Domino did manage to destroy the nearby plastic water container with one of her powerful kicks. John said she's a lost cause andwouldn't recommend anyone to tame her because that would be cruel to the trainer. However, Rhys really likes this horse and believes he can do something with her. Allison hates Domino. I just stay away now and I don't like her either.
Fri Dec 19: I went over to the neighbours Brett and Sasha's place to help them remove old branches from a tree. They live in a beautiful picturesque area with rolling hills and an olive and cherry orchard next door. They have 3 white horses and dogs and a cat. Now, there's some debate on how to deal with a snake bite but this is what Sasha said: you should carry with you a large white guaze bandage at all times. She then demo'd what to do if bitten. If you are bitten on the hand then you should wrap the whole arm snug enough to slow the blood flow, keep calm and call 000 (911). Also, don't clean the bite so the doctors know what bit you. But Allison says that's the old way and nowadays we should just call 000 and we live close to a hospital anyways. Any venom that may be there will take hours to kill you so there's plenty time. Apparently, there's only venom in 1 in 8 bites.
After helping Brett and Sasha clear the tree branches and put up fences, we watched a young woman do her equestrian training. It was cool to watch that.
That evening, we went to the Old Goulburn Brewery where the bartender is an ex-priest. He was not a very expressive man....very stoic. I tried one of the home-brewed beers and he asked if I wanted him to add some lemonade in there since I found it a little too strong. Hehehe, I said it was quite alright. This brewery is also a Bed and Breakfast and they have live bands at night. This is basically the locals bringing whichever instruments they have and just playing together. If there aren't enough musicians, they will pull you up on stage to play something. Thankfully, there was enough players that night so we didn't have to go up. They played accordians, banjos, tube whistle, etc.
Today I also held a chicken upside-down to transport it from the adult coop to the chick dome. The adult chickens need to be there to teach the young ones how to scratch the earth. Once you hold a chicken upside-down, it just hangs there very docile. We're gonna have one of them for Christmas....I can't wait to see how it's all done!!!
Sat Dec 20: We went to the Goulburn Brewery afternoon market. I bought a yummy rasberry & rhubarb jam from a nice old lady and a bag of sesame covered peanuts from a lovely old Italian woman who also sold delicious Italian cheeses. On our way home, we stopped by the donut shop to get some fresh hot cinnamon sugar donuts. Yum! They are like beaver tails back home (or funnel cakes in NY).
In the early evening, Pat (one of the french wwoofers) and I went to play tennis. The cheaps balls that Rys had bought broke after 10 min so we went to Kmart (yes, there's Kmart here!) to get better ones. We didn't play any matches since we both are beginners but it was great exercise that I needed! I'm still sore by the way.
I also mowed the grass on a sit-down mower. This was my first time and it was so much fun! For dessert after tea (dinner), I tried 'coconut ice' which is made of coconut and heaps and heaps of sugar! It was made by Allison and Owen (Rhys' son)....Owen loved it but the rest of us thought it was wayyyy too sweet! It was like eating a block of cake frosting!
Sun Dec 21: We helped Allison clean the houses by washing windows and the kitchen floor. Then I had an aussie lunch of scones (which I helped make) with ham, jams, avocado and cheeses. Yum! For tea (dinner), we went to a Hall across the town church for some snags on a barbie (bbq sausages) and sing Christmas carols. Some were aussie carols which I didn't know. I hear there are other versions like Dashing through the Bush...I want to get a CD of those!
Tues Dec 16: I met the neighbours Brett and Sasha who actually live about a 10min drive away. Tuesdays are pizza night so they brought over pizza and we ate together. After tea (as Rhys calls 'dinner'), they wanted to catch Rys' new horse. This new horse is about 6 yrs old and apparently not used to humans. She had always been a baby machine and she may even be pregnant now - but no one knows since she won't let anyone near her to do an ultrasound. She is quite wild, really. She is black with some white on her chest and face so her name is Domino. Sasha is the horse expert out of the group so she tried to get close to Domino to pet her. The plan was for the rest of us to surround Sasha and the horse in a circle and we had to stretch out our arms to appear bigger. Of course, me being the smallest the damn horse came right at me when she tried to escape! I saw her galloping my way then stop to decide whether to go left, right or straight. By this point, she was about 15-20 ft away from me. As soon as she started to run again (towards me), I ducked behind a tree to my left and she ended up veering to the right. Second time around, we tried holding big branches to appear even larger. I had something in my eyes and started to tear up so Allison (who also dislikes and is scared of horses) took over my spot while I went off to the side. And guess what....the darn horse ran right at her! Allison let out a blood curdling scream which scared Domino into running the opposite direction! Yep, so I almost got trampled and killed by a horse on a farm in australia -- nope, not a croc nor a snake but a generic horse.
Wed Dec 17: There were many trees planted in the fields on the farm which are surrounded by sheets of felt material to prevent weeds from growing around the plant. These are called weed mats. I looked under these mats and had to remove any weeds that started growing. Under them I saw little frogs, spiders, a baby snake that moved really fast, a a baby mouse! The scariest part was walking in the tall grass because this is where snakes like to roam. The brown snake is common and shoots venom in 1 in 8 bites. Hence, when walking in the paddocks you must stomp to make noise so the snakes know you're around and they get out of the way. That night, I saw a huge spider about the diameter of 3 pennies. This is actually a baby spider and apparently it's harmless - it eats the smaller bad spiders.
Thurs Dec 18: I learned how to start making the banners (medieval flags) using fabric. I will be getting a banner of my own with Domino the horse on it as a reminder of my bravery in the face of death. Hahaha. Speaking of that evil horse, John the horse nail trimmer guy came to try to fix Domino's feet today. This guy has had 30-40 yrs experience and he couldn't get the horse to calm down after 2 hrs! Domino tried to bite and kick and managed to give John a nasty rope burn on his face. Domino did manage to destroy the nearby plastic water container with one of her powerful kicks. John said she's a lost cause andwouldn't recommend anyone to tame her because that would be cruel to the trainer. However, Rhys really likes this horse and believes he can do something with her. Allison hates Domino. I just stay away now and I don't like her either.
Fri Dec 19: I went over to the neighbours Brett and Sasha's place to help them remove old branches from a tree. They live in a beautiful picturesque area with rolling hills and an olive and cherry orchard next door. They have 3 white horses and dogs and a cat. Now, there's some debate on how to deal with a snake bite but this is what Sasha said: you should carry with you a large white guaze bandage at all times. She then demo'd what to do if bitten. If you are bitten on the hand then you should wrap the whole arm snug enough to slow the blood flow, keep calm and call 000 (911). Also, don't clean the bite so the doctors know what bit you. But Allison says that's the old way and nowadays we should just call 000 and we live close to a hospital anyways. Any venom that may be there will take hours to kill you so there's plenty time. Apparently, there's only venom in 1 in 8 bites.
After helping Brett and Sasha clear the tree branches and put up fences, we watched a young woman do her equestrian training. It was cool to watch that.
That evening, we went to the Old Goulburn Brewery where the bartender is an ex-priest. He was not a very expressive man....very stoic. I tried one of the home-brewed beers and he asked if I wanted him to add some lemonade in there since I found it a little too strong. Hehehe, I said it was quite alright. This brewery is also a Bed and Breakfast and they have live bands at night. This is basically the locals bringing whichever instruments they have and just playing together. If there aren't enough musicians, they will pull you up on stage to play something. Thankfully, there was enough players that night so we didn't have to go up. They played accordians, banjos, tube whistle, etc.
Today I also held a chicken upside-down to transport it from the adult coop to the chick dome. The adult chickens need to be there to teach the young ones how to scratch the earth. Once you hold a chicken upside-down, it just hangs there very docile. We're gonna have one of them for Christmas....I can't wait to see how it's all done!!!
Sat Dec 20: We went to the Goulburn Brewery afternoon market. I bought a yummy rasberry & rhubarb jam from a nice old lady and a bag of sesame covered peanuts from a lovely old Italian woman who also sold delicious Italian cheeses. On our way home, we stopped by the donut shop to get some fresh hot cinnamon sugar donuts. Yum! They are like beaver tails back home (or funnel cakes in NY).
In the early evening, Pat (one of the french wwoofers) and I went to play tennis. The cheaps balls that Rys had bought broke after 10 min so we went to Kmart (yes, there's Kmart here!) to get better ones. We didn't play any matches since we both are beginners but it was great exercise that I needed! I'm still sore by the way.
I also mowed the grass on a sit-down mower. This was my first time and it was so much fun! For dessert after tea (dinner), I tried 'coconut ice' which is made of coconut and heaps and heaps of sugar! It was made by Allison and Owen (Rhys' son)....Owen loved it but the rest of us thought it was wayyyy too sweet! It was like eating a block of cake frosting!
Sun Dec 21: We helped Allison clean the houses by washing windows and the kitchen floor. Then I had an aussie lunch of scones (which I helped make) with ham, jams, avocado and cheeses. Yum! For tea (dinner), we went to a Hall across the town church for some snags on a barbie (bbq sausages) and sing Christmas carols. Some were aussie carols which I didn't know. I hear there are other versions like Dashing through the Bush...I want to get a CD of those!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Living it up at Cockatrice Farm
Hi all! Sorry for the long lag...I haven't had internet access since I got to the farm. I've been so busy and we don't get internet everyday. We're kinda restricted now since the guys dowloaded some movies and our hosts got a huge bill in the mail! That was before I arrived. I am trying to write on a french keyboard (Pat, one of the french wwoofers is nice enough to let me use his laptop). This keyboard has the letter keys in the wrong spots! So this is very difficult for me to write. Please bear with me. Let's start from Tues when I left for the farm from Sydney....
On Tues Dec 9, I took the suburban train from Sydney to Goulburn; a town ~3 hrs south of Sydney. (Before leaving Sydney, I had a meat pie with peas, mash and gravy on it. It's lean beef pie with green peas, mashed potatoes and gravy piled onto the pie). As for the train ride....luckily, I met a nice elderly lady named Nettie from Holland who now lives in Oz. She told me to sit in the front car of the train because at one of the stops, they detach half the train and only the first half continues on whereas, the second half stays. I would've been stranded if she didn't tell me! The conductor does announce this but you really can't hear anything over the intercom. When I got to Goulburn station, Rhys (one of the wwoof hosts) was there to pick me up. We stopped to pick up pizza since Tuesdays are pizza nights. Back at the farm (about 15 min from town), I met Allison (Rhys significant other) and the 2 french wwoofers Pat and Nicky. Allison was so happy to have another female in the house and she taught me to sew some stuff as practice. I'll be making banners later on.
Wed Dec 10, Nicky showed me around the property and how to feed the animals. There are chickens (a rooster who makes noise at 5 am each morning, silkies who are strange looking, and regular ones), ducks with ducklings, geese (one of them was decapitated by a fox 2 days before), other weird looking geese (one named Nicky who tries to go in the house....Nicky the french guy bought that one), a baby horse named Rev and a female coming soon. There's also Cara, the ultra friendly black Lab who follows us around. She loves getting dirty and she reeks. My first task was painting the white in the flowers on a fence that will be used for medieval festivals. The fence is purple with white flowers. I will be putting 4 layers of paint over the next few days.
Thurs Dec 11, I fed animals, painted more and removed some weeds called Tussex: they are yellow hairy looking grass. Pat and I went out to remove these with a tool that looks like a hoe on one end and a spike on the other. We had to hack into the ground and remove the Tussex from the roots. It's hard work! We only have to weed 1 hr per day. We work 4 hrs per day in 2 shifts. We take a break from 12 to 3pm so that we're out of the sun. So great Rhys and Allison care about our well-being!
Fri Dec 12, I woke up early around 7am because Rhys and Allison wanted to bring me to Canberra, the country's capital. They work there so they dropped me off on their way to work. I got some breakfast at a cafe called Coffee@Helen's....I ordered a mocha and the BEST french toast with maple syrup I ever had! The french toast wasn't overfried and I could taste the egg in it. Yum! I then took a hop-on hop-off tour bus around Canberra since the streets are so loopy and confusing. It was a rainy day so I didn' t see too much. I visited the War Memorial, Parliament, and the National Museum. I learned in Parliament that all EXIT signs must be green...it's illegal otherwise. However, they did pass a special law so that the Senate can have red EXIT signs. The public can also sit in on a Parliamentary debate to hear the colourful things that the politicians sling at each other. After work, Rhys and Allison took me to a glass blowing place but unfortunately, it was quiet that day so I didn't see much going on. We also went for some yummy chocolates in Canberra before heading back home.
Sat Dec 13, Rhys and Allison went to Sydney to visit Allison's family so us wwoofers were left alone at the farm. I did another coat of paint on the white flowers and then the guys and I watched some DVDs. We saw I am Legend, he Will Smith movie.
Sun Dec 14, I painted the fence in the horse paddock a blue colour (it was rusted red). It was so windy that paint blew all over me. It was tough getting that off until Rhys came home with some turpentine for us. Great...now I have tiny blue spots on my brand new windbreaker. It's been windy and cold here lately.
Mon Dec 15, this morning I awoke to see that the chickens had escaped! Nicky helped me round them up. Later on, I found a straggler chicken and I caught it to put it back in its coop. My first caught chicken!!!! The guys went to work today so I continued painting the fence blue in the horse paddock. Just now, Rhys' new horse came and I showed the man where to put the horse. She's in the field next to the baby boy horse so that they can get to know each other through the fence. This one is one of those worker horses with the big hooves (Clydesdales?). Cara the dog is next to me snoozing....she snores a bit, it's so cute.
Oh by the way, Cockatrice Farm.....a cockatrice is a beast with the head of a chicken and the body of a dragon. I don't know if it's a medieval mythical animal or it was made up by Rys and Allison.
On Tues Dec 9, I took the suburban train from Sydney to Goulburn; a town ~3 hrs south of Sydney. (Before leaving Sydney, I had a meat pie with peas, mash and gravy on it. It's lean beef pie with green peas, mashed potatoes and gravy piled onto the pie). As for the train ride....luckily, I met a nice elderly lady named Nettie from Holland who now lives in Oz. She told me to sit in the front car of the train because at one of the stops, they detach half the train and only the first half continues on whereas, the second half stays. I would've been stranded if she didn't tell me! The conductor does announce this but you really can't hear anything over the intercom. When I got to Goulburn station, Rhys (one of the wwoof hosts) was there to pick me up. We stopped to pick up pizza since Tuesdays are pizza nights. Back at the farm (about 15 min from town), I met Allison (Rhys significant other) and the 2 french wwoofers Pat and Nicky. Allison was so happy to have another female in the house and she taught me to sew some stuff as practice. I'll be making banners later on.
Wed Dec 10, Nicky showed me around the property and how to feed the animals. There are chickens (a rooster who makes noise at 5 am each morning, silkies who are strange looking, and regular ones), ducks with ducklings, geese (one of them was decapitated by a fox 2 days before), other weird looking geese (one named Nicky who tries to go in the house....Nicky the french guy bought that one), a baby horse named Rev and a female coming soon. There's also Cara, the ultra friendly black Lab who follows us around. She loves getting dirty and she reeks. My first task was painting the white in the flowers on a fence that will be used for medieval festivals. The fence is purple with white flowers. I will be putting 4 layers of paint over the next few days.
Thurs Dec 11, I fed animals, painted more and removed some weeds called Tussex: they are yellow hairy looking grass. Pat and I went out to remove these with a tool that looks like a hoe on one end and a spike on the other. We had to hack into the ground and remove the Tussex from the roots. It's hard work! We only have to weed 1 hr per day. We work 4 hrs per day in 2 shifts. We take a break from 12 to 3pm so that we're out of the sun. So great Rhys and Allison care about our well-being!
Fri Dec 12, I woke up early around 7am because Rhys and Allison wanted to bring me to Canberra, the country's capital. They work there so they dropped me off on their way to work. I got some breakfast at a cafe called Coffee@Helen's....I ordered a mocha and the BEST french toast with maple syrup I ever had! The french toast wasn't overfried and I could taste the egg in it. Yum! I then took a hop-on hop-off tour bus around Canberra since the streets are so loopy and confusing. It was a rainy day so I didn' t see too much. I visited the War Memorial, Parliament, and the National Museum. I learned in Parliament that all EXIT signs must be green...it's illegal otherwise. However, they did pass a special law so that the Senate can have red EXIT signs. The public can also sit in on a Parliamentary debate to hear the colourful things that the politicians sling at each other. After work, Rhys and Allison took me to a glass blowing place but unfortunately, it was quiet that day so I didn't see much going on. We also went for some yummy chocolates in Canberra before heading back home.
Sat Dec 13, Rhys and Allison went to Sydney to visit Allison's family so us wwoofers were left alone at the farm. I did another coat of paint on the white flowers and then the guys and I watched some DVDs. We saw I am Legend, he Will Smith movie.
Sun Dec 14, I painted the fence in the horse paddock a blue colour (it was rusted red). It was so windy that paint blew all over me. It was tough getting that off until Rhys came home with some turpentine for us. Great...now I have tiny blue spots on my brand new windbreaker. It's been windy and cold here lately.
Mon Dec 15, this morning I awoke to see that the chickens had escaped! Nicky helped me round them up. Later on, I found a straggler chicken and I caught it to put it back in its coop. My first caught chicken!!!! The guys went to work today so I continued painting the fence blue in the horse paddock. Just now, Rhys' new horse came and I showed the man where to put the horse. She's in the field next to the baby boy horse so that they can get to know each other through the fence. This one is one of those worker horses with the big hooves (Clydesdales?). Cara the dog is next to me snoozing....she snores a bit, it's so cute.
Oh by the way, Cockatrice Farm.....a cockatrice is a beast with the head of a chicken and the body of a dragon. I don't know if it's a medieval mythical animal or it was made up by Rys and Allison.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Leaving Sydney!
I'm finally leaving the busy city of Sydney and going to a farm to WWOOF! I cannot wait to get to a more peaceful setting. I will be staying with a couple who have some rare breed animals (I don't know which), organic garden, and medieval crafts. I will get a chance to learn how to make metal armour, woodworking, sewing clothes, banners, etc. Really cool. If it all goes well with the people, I may stay there for at least 2 weeks. I don't know what the internet situation will be like there so you may not hear from me in a while. However, if I do have internet access I will definitely make contact! As you all know, I'm an internet addict.
My train leaves in about 4 hrs and the ride is about 3-4 hrs long. I'm going south of Sydney...my goal is to eventually end up in Melbourne area for a bit.
See you all later and thanks for reading!
My train leaves in about 4 hrs and the ride is about 3-4 hrs long. I'm going south of Sydney...my goal is to eventually end up in Melbourne area for a bit.
See you all later and thanks for reading!
Lunch and Monstrous Flying Creatures!
Last night, I was looking for a bathroom to brush my teeth so I found the one on the top floor unoccupied (I never used that one before). I was in the middle of brushing when I heard something land on the wall in front of me. It was a water bug! Those things are harmless but look like cockroaches. Then I heard another one fly onto the door...and then another one. Three in total that I was aware of. Two of them started to play with each other. I was so skeezed out that as soon as I finished brushing, I ran out of there without even washing my face! Shudder. Gross.
Earlier in the evening, when I went to the hostel kitchen to make a cheese and tomato sandwich, I saw that someone had the audacity to steal most of my cheese! They grated it! At the last hostel I was at, someone stole my Tim Tams! Tim Tams are a popular Aussie chocolate covered biscuit...it's big hit here. Grrr.
Today, I met up with a friend whom I met through IEP. Mariah and I walked around looking for a place to eat when we stumbled upon a cute little Italian cafe. We ordered the tortellini mocadore, which had mushroom, ham, scallions and a cream tomato sauce. We had that with a piece of bread so sop up the sauce. Mmmmm!
Then onwards to the Bontanic Gardens to find those huge bats we had heard about! We walked through the Rain Forest Walk outside when I looked up and saw heaps of bats sleeping up in the trees! They were hanging upside-down with their wings wrapped around their bodies. One of them had awoken and flew up above our path. Then it made noises to his slumbering friends. That thing was HUGE!!!! It's wingspan was about the size of a large seagull! It was so fast, I couldn't capture that on my camera. If we were there at dusk, we would've seen them all fly around. But we don't want to be there when that happens!
After that, we walked over to Chinatown looking for bubble tea (tea with tapioca balls) since Mariah had never tried it. There was a Ten Ren Teahouse so we went there. We couldn't decide what to order since there were so many choices! I tried a tea called Osmanthus which was sweet and apparently popular with the female drinkers and Mariah ordered the green tea ice cream in green tea flavour. That one was delicious!
I have to pack up today for my trip to my first WWOOFing host tomorrow. I will be taking the train ~3 hrs south of Sydney. Yay!
Earlier in the evening, when I went to the hostel kitchen to make a cheese and tomato sandwich, I saw that someone had the audacity to steal most of my cheese! They grated it! At the last hostel I was at, someone stole my Tim Tams! Tim Tams are a popular Aussie chocolate covered biscuit...it's big hit here. Grrr.
Today, I met up with a friend whom I met through IEP. Mariah and I walked around looking for a place to eat when we stumbled upon a cute little Italian cafe. We ordered the tortellini mocadore, which had mushroom, ham, scallions and a cream tomato sauce. We had that with a piece of bread so sop up the sauce. Mmmmm!
Then onwards to the Bontanic Gardens to find those huge bats we had heard about! We walked through the Rain Forest Walk outside when I looked up and saw heaps of bats sleeping up in the trees! They were hanging upside-down with their wings wrapped around their bodies. One of them had awoken and flew up above our path. Then it made noises to his slumbering friends. That thing was HUGE!!!! It's wingspan was about the size of a large seagull! It was so fast, I couldn't capture that on my camera. If we were there at dusk, we would've seen them all fly around. But we don't want to be there when that happens!
After that, we walked over to Chinatown looking for bubble tea (tea with tapioca balls) since Mariah had never tried it. There was a Ten Ren Teahouse so we went there. We couldn't decide what to order since there were so many choices! I tried a tea called Osmanthus which was sweet and apparently popular with the female drinkers and Mariah ordered the green tea ice cream in green tea flavour. That one was delicious!
I have to pack up today for my trip to my first WWOOFing host tomorrow. I will be taking the train ~3 hrs south of Sydney. Yay!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
City Market, Paddy's Market, Fish Market
I ventured off to west of the CBD (Central Bisiness District) today, first stop being the City Market in Chinatown. It turned out to be a shopping mall...there was an IGA supermarket in there that sold both western and asian foods. I've been craving Indian food the last few days that I was excited to see a North Indian stand in the food court! I bought a vegetable pakora (fried veggie pancake) and 2 papadums (thin crispy wafers like chips). After looking around, I found myself in the chaotic Paddy's Market next door. Paddy's Market is basically a flee market with vendor stands everywhere. I couldn't stay too long because there was sooo many people milling around.
So I decided to go towards Darling Harbour and find the Sydney Fish Market. The Fish Market was crowded with people too. There are various stores with seafood all laid out on ice behind glass and workers opening oysters right there in front of you. Some stalls sold already cooked seafood....yum yum! I expected a bit more in terms of a fish market - I thought it would be like the one in Seattle (that one was a show in itself with the workers tossing fish to each other). Further down the market, there was a fruit store so I bought some oranges and cherry tomatoes and headed on back.
So I decided to go towards Darling Harbour and find the Sydney Fish Market. The Fish Market was crowded with people too. There are various stores with seafood all laid out on ice behind glass and workers opening oysters right there in front of you. Some stalls sold already cooked seafood....yum yum! I expected a bit more in terms of a fish market - I thought it would be like the one in Seattle (that one was a show in itself with the workers tossing fish to each other). Further down the market, there was a fruit store so I bought some oranges and cherry tomatoes and headed on back.
Chillaxin' at Bondi Beach!
I went to Bondi Beach with 3 of my roomates, the Swiss girl and 2 Koreans. We walked up to Hyde Park to catch the bus. We spent 15 min. looking around to buy bus tickets but couldn't find any since the express bus requires pre-paid. So we ended up catching the local bus and paid the bus driver $4. It took about 40 min to get to Bondi. This beach is well-known around the world but to the Aussies, it's" just another city beach". The sands were very pale yellow and clean. There were heaps of surfers riding the waves. We didn't go swimming because it was very windy and the water was quite cold. I hear that the water at Manly Beach is warmer (no, the guys there aren't more "manly"...there really is a place named Manly!).
On our way back, we managed to buy a bus ticket from 2 public transportation guys standing on the street. This time it was only $3. I'm glad I got to see Bondi Beach...it was quite nice. The water starts out greenish and turns blue as it goes out farther.
On our way back, we managed to buy a bus ticket from 2 public transportation guys standing on the street. This time it was only $3. I'm glad I got to see Bondi Beach...it was quite nice. The water starts out greenish and turns blue as it goes out farther.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Socializing and Bank Stuff
Last night I went on an outing with the IEP group. We went to the Glenmore Hotel for some drinks and food. I had 2 beers and fries...hmmm, very healthy. I met more Germans (a couple) and finally some other North Americans. I met 2 girls from Florida, 1 from Texas, and 1 from Toronto. The Americans I've met are here on the 4-month visa because they can use as many of those as they want whereas, the 1 year visa can only be used once. One girl from FL is working at a high end Italian restaurant at Hyde Park. The pay isn't the best but she gets to eat yummy food and watch people play the huge chess game in the park. She told us that we can get ice cream cones from McD's for only 30 cents! All the McD's here look like high end restaurants with nice decor and beautiful displays of pastries. Apparently, McD's in Europe are similar. On our way back to the hostel, we dropped into the McD's for an ice cream on a windy cold night.
This morning, I woke up to find none of the bathrooms had toilet paper. Ugh. But alas, I went into the guy's bathroom and stole their only roll. Hahaha. Sorry guys. I can't wait to go to my WWOOF thing next week and do medieval crafts! Yay!
I'm going to visit Hyde Park today to see the huge chess game and the Botanic Gardens to see the large bats in the trees. Tomorrow, I will be going to the famous Bondi Beach with 2 of my roomates (a Korean, and a Swiss). I turns out that girl who didn't really talk is Swiss. I got to talk to her last night and she's very friendly. I think a lot of people want to talk but are too shy because english isn't their first language.
I picked up my bank card today! Yay! Now I can leave Sydney! This city is too chaotic like NYC...I need peace. I heard that Melbourne is really cool. Apparently, Sydney is like Toronto (busy city), Melbourne is like Montreal (cobblestones, beautiful, cool, amazing.....biased, am I?), and Canberra is like Ottawa (BORING). I will see and let you know if this is true!
By the way, if you guys need to wire transfer money it can be a pain if you don't know what to do (because the bank people don't know either). I called the general number and I was told to either do it automatically on the phone with my phone code OR call my branch during their hours. Since I don't have my code on me, I decided to call my branch between 12:30am-9am Sydney time (9:30am-5pm EST). I got up early to call and my branch tells me I cannot do it through them. I had to fax a request. Arrrgh. So I faxed it and now hopefully everything works out.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Found my 1st WWOOF place!
I found a WWOOF host 2 hrs south of Sydney! I will be helping a couple with gardening and making medieval things such as armour, woodwork, sewing banners, etc!!! How cool is that? I will be taking the train down there next Tuesday. I can't wait!
Who am I rooming with now? There are 2 french women, 3 Koreans, 1 Chinese, and 1 white girl (who doesn't talk but stares). There are a lot of Koreans here because most of them were studying english on the Gold Coast and now they are just traveling. I always go to the hostel kitchen and tv room for breakfast and supper where I meet a lot of people. Last night, I met another German girl (there are many Germans too) who is also looking for fruit picking work. She said that there is not much out there - she called 30 places and nothing. She wants to WWOOF too and I told her that's a better bet right now. It's high season right now and very competitive because many students are off for summer vacation. So I will look for work next year and I will most likely go to the west coast since no one ever thinks to go there (thus, less competition!). And I will be able to meet up with my cousin while I'm there.
Looking for my next destination
Yesterday, I checked into another hostel which is cheaper but also ghetto. It's really not that bad if you compare it to other places I've stayed at and at least there are no cockroaches. I'm there for a week, I check out next Tuesday (today is Wed). I've been looking for WWOOFing opportunities -- Willing Workers On Organic Farms, where you work with a host in exchange for food and shelter. It looks like I may be headed off to a place 2 hrs south if Sydney where I can learn organic gardening, rare animal tending, medieval crafts.
So I've been sitting in Hyde Park lately and just reading my WWOOF book to look for hosts. The weather has been nice for that. Many office workers go to the park to nap or eat during lunchtime. I saw a group of people playing touch rugby today.
Last night at the hostel kitchen, I met 2 Indian men. One was making utthapam, which is a type of pancake with coconut. I tried some and it was delicious! I eat my breakfast (PB & J all the way!) and dinner in the tv room. There's only American shows/movies on. We saw Scream and there was also Family guy and The Simpsons. I feel right at home but also makes me miss home.
Today, I hung out at the park again. Ok, that's about it for now. Kind of a slow day.
So I've been sitting in Hyde Park lately and just reading my WWOOF book to look for hosts. The weather has been nice for that. Many office workers go to the park to nap or eat during lunchtime. I saw a group of people playing touch rugby today.
Last night at the hostel kitchen, I met 2 Indian men. One was making utthapam, which is a type of pancake with coconut. I tried some and it was delicious! I eat my breakfast (PB & J all the way!) and dinner in the tv room. There's only American shows/movies on. We saw Scream and there was also Family guy and The Simpsons. I feel right at home but also makes me miss home.
Today, I hung out at the park again. Ok, that's about it for now. Kind of a slow day.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
There IS such a thing as a FREE lunch!!!
I was so busy yesterday that I didn't have the chance to update my blog -- but here I am now with a super big blog entry to catch up!
Yesterday, I spent the whole day with my 2 German roomates (the french girl left to go to a host family). We went to the Sydney Aquarium where we walked in a underground see-through tunnel. The animals were HUGE!!! There were stingrays, sharks, turtles, and fish. Trust me, these things were humongous. The giant turtle is bigger than a man and they are actually 25% larger than we see them through the protective tunnel due to the curvature of the structure. Yikes.
Then onto the Taronga Zoo via ferry! We passed by the famous Sydney Harbour bridge and the Opera House. Magnificent. The zoo was awesome because we got to get close to the kangaroos and I was able to pet a joey (baby roo)! We also saw the koalas and I learned that they have 2 thumbs (I'm told they are vicious little buggers).
We were so exhausted from our day that we stopped by the grocery store and back on home. I bought groceries for ~$18 which should last me a couple of days. Yay!
Today, I woke up early for my 10am orientation at the IEP (Int'l Exhange Prog) office. I learned about what the office can provide me with in terms of helping me with taxes, resumes, housing, etc. Then I went to the Canadian consulate to register myself - that way, they know I'm in the country in case of emergency.
I discovered another strange thing about crossing the street at large intersections - that you can cross on the diagonal! That is so weird to me...I keep thinking I will get hit. But I just follow the crowd and I know I'll be ok.
Ok, about the free lunch. I was walking around today when I stumbled upon free BBQ at Martin Place, a plaza type area where you can sit on the steps and there's a Christmas tree in the middle. The food was given out by a Christian organization...I guess to promote giving at Christmas time. Now the strange thing is, they did not ask for anything nor were they trying to preach to us!!! They were just happily giving out food and coffee without a word about their faith! The Aussies have the right idea unlike the westerners. Now what did they have? Grilled snags and coffee. Snags are sausages and here it is eaten in a white piece of sliced bread with the snag sitting diagonal on the bread. Then it's topped off with tomato sauce (ketchup). As for coffee, it wasn't any cheap regular coffee either! They had their cappucino machine there and they asked me what kind of coffee I wanted. The woman behind me got a hot chocolate. Wow, I can't believe I got a delicious lunch for free! This is great! :D
Yesterday, I spent the whole day with my 2 German roomates (the french girl left to go to a host family). We went to the Sydney Aquarium where we walked in a underground see-through tunnel. The animals were HUGE!!! There were stingrays, sharks, turtles, and fish. Trust me, these things were humongous. The giant turtle is bigger than a man and they are actually 25% larger than we see them through the protective tunnel due to the curvature of the structure. Yikes.
Then onto the Taronga Zoo via ferry! We passed by the famous Sydney Harbour bridge and the Opera House. Magnificent. The zoo was awesome because we got to get close to the kangaroos and I was able to pet a joey (baby roo)! We also saw the koalas and I learned that they have 2 thumbs (I'm told they are vicious little buggers).
We were so exhausted from our day that we stopped by the grocery store and back on home. I bought groceries for ~$18 which should last me a couple of days. Yay!
Today, I woke up early for my 10am orientation at the IEP (Int'l Exhange Prog) office. I learned about what the office can provide me with in terms of helping me with taxes, resumes, housing, etc. Then I went to the Canadian consulate to register myself - that way, they know I'm in the country in case of emergency.
I discovered another strange thing about crossing the street at large intersections - that you can cross on the diagonal! That is so weird to me...I keep thinking I will get hit. But I just follow the crowd and I know I'll be ok.
Ok, about the free lunch. I was walking around today when I stumbled upon free BBQ at Martin Place, a plaza type area where you can sit on the steps and there's a Christmas tree in the middle. The food was given out by a Christian organization...I guess to promote giving at Christmas time. Now the strange thing is, they did not ask for anything nor were they trying to preach to us!!! They were just happily giving out food and coffee without a word about their faith! The Aussies have the right idea unlike the westerners. Now what did they have? Grilled snags and coffee. Snags are sausages and here it is eaten in a white piece of sliced bread with the snag sitting diagonal on the bread. Then it's topped off with tomato sauce (ketchup). As for coffee, it wasn't any cheap regular coffee either! They had their cappucino machine there and they asked me what kind of coffee I wanted. The woman behind me got a hot chocolate. Wow, I can't believe I got a delicious lunch for free! This is great! :D
Friday, November 28, 2008
Exploring Sydney
Well, I thought I wasn't going to have any roomates last night at the hostel until around 9pm. I was so excited to have company! In walked 2 young German girls (21 yrs old -- my, I feel old!) who seem to be best friends. I've met a lot of Germans traveling around the world. They are quite friendly...one is more outgoing than the other. About half and hour later, our 4th occupant arrived. She is also a youngin'...she is from France and she is quite timid. I will have to practice my french with her...I just have to get over my fear. It'll be a good way for us to talk since there's a bit of a language barrier.
My aunt was right -- food, including chinese food, in Sydney is expensive!!! I cannot believe it. Last night, I bought a small curry meat pie (with tomato sauce, aka ketchup, on it), small bottle of apple juice, and a large chocolate chip cookie for $8.20! Small bottles of water or juice will cost you ~$3! I guess I'll have to go back to the good ol' days of Ramen noodles. I really can't wait to get out of Sydney and go to the suburbs where things are cheaper and I can work. That won't be for a little while since I have to get some things taken care of in the city first.
So today is Saturday and I am sitting in an internet cafe that costs only $1/hr. I am in King's Cross and it is a dodgy part of town. Apparently, it's compared to soho in NYC but I don't see it. Maybe there are hip people who live here but there are also a lot of bums and perverts. I just walked down one street where every other store was a strip joint or adult place. I can see some cool stores in the mix too but I wouldn't want to be here at night.
I did find a cheap lunch today at a food court. $5 for any thai dish. I bought the broad noodle dish that I love...ate half and keeping the other half for supper. Hmm, maybe not since I'm getting hungry again.
I also passed through Hyde Park today, which is a big park in the city. It's sort of like Central Park. There was a decorated Christmas tree amongst a bunch of palm trees. How strange, eh? The weather here is nice and comfortable for summer. It's been a bit erratic where it'll be nice and sunny one moment then grey, windy and rainy the next. I've been wearing pants and a t-shirt with my windbreaker. That's how the weather is here.
There are a lot of people in Sydney. When the light is green, hoards of people will descend across the street in a tightly packed group. People are all over the place...it's like NY in that way. I've also noticed a lot of asians here. They all have that asian style way of dressing.
Oh yes, and about crossing the street: there are also letterings painted on the curb telling pedestrians to "look left" too. It all depends on the intersection. It's so confusing to cross the street. Don't worry, I've been looking BOTH ways when crossing. I'm just more aware of the right side now more than before.
Cheers!
My aunt was right -- food, including chinese food, in Sydney is expensive!!! I cannot believe it. Last night, I bought a small curry meat pie (with tomato sauce, aka ketchup, on it), small bottle of apple juice, and a large chocolate chip cookie for $8.20! Small bottles of water or juice will cost you ~$3! I guess I'll have to go back to the good ol' days of Ramen noodles. I really can't wait to get out of Sydney and go to the suburbs where things are cheaper and I can work. That won't be for a little while since I have to get some things taken care of in the city first.
So today is Saturday and I am sitting in an internet cafe that costs only $1/hr. I am in King's Cross and it is a dodgy part of town. Apparently, it's compared to soho in NYC but I don't see it. Maybe there are hip people who live here but there are also a lot of bums and perverts. I just walked down one street where every other store was a strip joint or adult place. I can see some cool stores in the mix too but I wouldn't want to be here at night.
I did find a cheap lunch today at a food court. $5 for any thai dish. I bought the broad noodle dish that I love...ate half and keeping the other half for supper. Hmm, maybe not since I'm getting hungry again.
I also passed through Hyde Park today, which is a big park in the city. It's sort of like Central Park. There was a decorated Christmas tree amongst a bunch of palm trees. How strange, eh? The weather here is nice and comfortable for summer. It's been a bit erratic where it'll be nice and sunny one moment then grey, windy and rainy the next. I've been wearing pants and a t-shirt with my windbreaker. That's how the weather is here.
There are a lot of people in Sydney. When the light is green, hoards of people will descend across the street in a tightly packed group. People are all over the place...it's like NY in that way. I've also noticed a lot of asians here. They all have that asian style way of dressing.
Oh yes, and about crossing the street: there are also letterings painted on the curb telling pedestrians to "look left" too. It all depends on the intersection. It's so confusing to cross the street. Don't worry, I've been looking BOTH ways when crossing. I'm just more aware of the right side now more than before.
Cheers!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
In Sydney Safe and Sound!
I arrived in Sydney about 2 hrs ago (it is 2:30pm on Friday) and I am now in the IEP office using the internet (IEP = International Exchange Program). These guys are great! They will brief me on things in an orientation on Monday. I will learn about cell phones, accommodations, jobs, etc. What a great support system away from home.
The city feels like the size of Montreal....I guess after being in New York City for so long, every big city seems small to me. One thing I must consciously keep in mind is to LOOK RIGHT when crossing the street! They drive on the left side over here. There are even large white lettering painted next to the curb reminding pedestrians to look right. I actually almost got hit by a car today (hey, there was no warning at that street).
Alright, I have to go take care of some things before they close at 5pm.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
My NZ pics are finally up!
Hey peeps, sorry for the long delay in uploading the photos from my New Zealand adventure! As some of you know, I had a computer breakdown in addition being swamped with things to take care of after my return. But now that I have switched over from PC to Mac, I have no excuses anymore! I will be sending an email shortly with a link to my photos so you can finally see them.
Happy Easter!
Happy Easter!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Back in the Big Apple
I landed at JFK airport at 10pm (EST) last night. It felt like time had stopped because I left NZ on Feb 9 and arrived in NYC on the same date. Yay, that means I have today to recuperate before going back to work on Monday. Well, not really. It's more about getting back into things by paying bills, doing laundry and groceries, retroactively updating this blog, uploading photos. I'll try to get as much done as possible.
Going through security at the Christchurch airport was quick and easy! No lines. Especially since there was an incident there the night before. There was an attempted hijacking of a plane that was landing in Christchurch (it was a domestic flight). The hijacker, a woman, had somehow brought a knife on board. A few people were cut but the suspect was eventually overpowered and arrested. I flew domestic to Auckland, where I caught my flight to LA. Once in Auckland, I had to pay a $25 NZ airport fee before I could go through customs and security. Customs and security in NZ is so fast because there are less people...it's great!
The flight out of Auckland was delayed due to mechanical problems. Thankfully, they caught it before we flew 12 hrs over the ocean! We were put onto another airplane, to my relief. There were many crying children going onto this lonnng flight. They are such annoying little buggers. One mother said she always brings a few earplugs with her for passengers sitting nearby in case her kid pipes up but she's "never needed them". Meanwhile, the kid (toddler) had been wailing for the last 10 min and "he's usually never like this". Sure, lady. I think airplanes should have a special area for families with small children. Like First Class, but in a sound-proof room.
Going through security at the Christchurch airport was quick and easy! No lines. Especially since there was an incident there the night before. There was an attempted hijacking of a plane that was landing in Christchurch (it was a domestic flight). The hijacker, a woman, had somehow brought a knife on board. A few people were cut but the suspect was eventually overpowered and arrested. I flew domestic to Auckland, where I caught my flight to LA. Once in Auckland, I had to pay a $25 NZ airport fee before I could go through customs and security. Customs and security in NZ is so fast because there are less people...it's great!
The flight out of Auckland was delayed due to mechanical problems. Thankfully, they caught it before we flew 12 hrs over the ocean! We were put onto another airplane, to my relief. There were many crying children going onto this lonnng flight. They are such annoying little buggers. One mother said she always brings a few earplugs with her for passengers sitting nearby in case her kid pipes up but she's "never needed them". Meanwhile, the kid (toddler) had been wailing for the last 10 min and "he's usually never like this". Sure, lady. I think airplanes should have a special area for families with small children. Like First Class, but in a sound-proof room.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Leaving a Happy Place
It is past noon on Saturday, Feb 9 in Christchurch, NZ. My flight leaves at 4:30pm for the long journey back to New York. Sigh...I really don't want to go back to the noise, smell, and chaos. I love where I am now where there are clean waters, fresh air, and relaxed atmosphere. Although, I will not miss the sun here -- the UV index is at 11 today (that's the 2nd highest on the scale). This is what you have to deal with when the ozone layer over you is depleted.
I haven't had the chance to update the blog in the last few days but I might do so when I get back home. I wonder if that's possible so that the updates will show the appropriate dates?
Last night, we arrived to Christchurch and went around town looking for a place to stay. There weren't any campsites so we settled on a motel. The nice Indian woman behind the counter said she had one more room left that we could have for $99 NZ. So $25 per person was quite the deal. She makes a phone call to someone and tells us we could look at the room first. We go off to the side of the building and go up a narrow metal staircase which led up to a metal roof. The roof had random clothes either hanging on clotheline or on the ground. We walked across the roof slowly in single file since the pathway for walking was also narrow. There was a glass sliding door to the room. When we entered, we were astounded to see 2 beds that looked like someone had recently rolled out of them (Alice said she should've checked to see if it was still warm). One of them had crumbs on it and the carpets on the floor consisted of several pieces laid down haphazardly. We thought we were entering through her house (it wasn't). But nooo, we continued on through to another room with 2 more beds in the same state. This second room had a kitchenette. Around the corner was a very nice, clean bathroom with a nice shower. Yep, this was our room. Of course, we asked the lady if she was going to clean it first and vacuum. Her reply: "yes yes. 2 minutes!". Oh boy, that was dodgy (sketchy) but we took it. We were hoping she wasn't going to just make the beds and leave it as that. Good thing is when we came back after supper, we noticed she did indeed change the sheets and everything looked presentable. If only we did not see it's initial state. Hahahaha.
One thing I will miss about NZ is that tipping is NOT done here. No tipping waiters and yet they are still friendly. How about that, eh? Whatever the price is written, that is how much you pay (No taxes added in the end like back home. Everything is included already). The unfortunate thing though, is there is a 15% surcharge on services during public holidays. How unlucky for us to hit very town holiday while traveling through. I was also amazed at the cleanliness of the campsite facilities and public toilets!
New Zealand is truly a wonderful country and I had a blast here. It sure was mighty expensive but I couldn't have asked for a better birthday!
See you all soon.
I haven't had the chance to update the blog in the last few days but I might do so when I get back home. I wonder if that's possible so that the updates will show the appropriate dates?
Last night, we arrived to Christchurch and went around town looking for a place to stay. There weren't any campsites so we settled on a motel. The nice Indian woman behind the counter said she had one more room left that we could have for $99 NZ. So $25 per person was quite the deal. She makes a phone call to someone and tells us we could look at the room first. We go off to the side of the building and go up a narrow metal staircase which led up to a metal roof. The roof had random clothes either hanging on clotheline or on the ground. We walked across the roof slowly in single file since the pathway for walking was also narrow. There was a glass sliding door to the room. When we entered, we were astounded to see 2 beds that looked like someone had recently rolled out of them (Alice said she should've checked to see if it was still warm). One of them had crumbs on it and the carpets on the floor consisted of several pieces laid down haphazardly. We thought we were entering through her house (it wasn't). But nooo, we continued on through to another room with 2 more beds in the same state. This second room had a kitchenette. Around the corner was a very nice, clean bathroom with a nice shower. Yep, this was our room. Of course, we asked the lady if she was going to clean it first and vacuum. Her reply: "yes yes. 2 minutes!". Oh boy, that was dodgy (sketchy) but we took it. We were hoping she wasn't going to just make the beds and leave it as that. Good thing is when we came back after supper, we noticed she did indeed change the sheets and everything looked presentable. If only we did not see it's initial state. Hahahaha.
One thing I will miss about NZ is that tipping is NOT done here. No tipping waiters and yet they are still friendly. How about that, eh? Whatever the price is written, that is how much you pay (No taxes added in the end like back home. Everything is included already). The unfortunate thing though, is there is a 15% surcharge on services during public holidays. How unlucky for us to hit very town holiday while traveling through. I was also amazed at the cleanliness of the campsite facilities and public toilets!
New Zealand is truly a wonderful country and I had a blast here. It sure was mighty expensive but I couldn't have asked for a better birthday!
See you all soon.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Last leg of the trip
We woke up early today for the long drive north from Lake Wanaka to Christchurch. Christchurch is where we will be flying out to go back home. Along the way, we stopped at a McDonald's for some food. I decided to try the Kiwi burger and no, it is not made with Kiwi meat. The Kiwi burger is made with a beef patty, a fried egg, lettuce, tomato, and red beet root. How interesting...but very good!
There was one point where we were very low on gas. It was a scary situation because the gas indicator needle was at "E" for a while and there was no gas station in sight! The gas stations are very far and few in between along the highways of NZ. It is not like back home. We stopped off to ask for the nearest gas station and we were told that there was one 15 minutes away. We were worried we wouldn't make it but luckily, we made it and it really was 15 minutes away!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
A lazy day at the Lake
We spent the day at Lake Wanaka today by bringing with us some crackers, mussels, cheese, nachos, salsa, hummus, and wine. It was difficult to eat in peace without a gang of ducks approaching to beg for food. These ducks are so used to humans that they are not afraid to come close. One poor little girl was feeding a duck when it nipped at her.
I went into the lake with Alice where she taught me how to float on my tummy. I still get nervous in the water. It is so wonderful to just relax by the water watching dogs run happily along the beach and swim in the water. There were many ducks and seagulls just hanging out by the shore.
In the evening, we went for some take-away fish n' chips and brought it back to the lake to eat. I love how the fish n' chips are wrapped in newspaper the old fashioned way. Mmm, so delicious!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Attack of the Keas
Early this morning, we were woken up by thumping and cooing noises on top of the van. We were visited by large brown birds the size of birds of prey. I reckon these were the Kea birds that signs around the campsite had warned us against feeding. There were four of them rocking the van. I peeked out the window and saw that two of them were pecking at one of the girls' backpacks. One of them was trying very hard to pull a towel out of the backpack. I didn't know whether to go out and save the bag or stay inside the safety of the vehicle. I decided to tap on the window to get their attention. It worked. They stopped what they were doing, stared at me then one of them started screeching. I was afraid he was calling for backup. To my relief, they flew away 1 minute later.
We drove from Fox Glacier to Lake Wanaka today. Along the way, we found a salmon farm and bought some salmon pate, sandwiches, chowder. Yummy!
We will be staying at Lake Wanaka for 2 nights. We will do some swimming and relaxing!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Greymouth, Fox Glacier, Goats
To our great surprise in the morning, our tents remained intact from the winds. We continued on to Greymouth, where we had breakfast at a cafe. After breakfast, we were on the road again going towards Fox Glacier. Along the way, Alice and Magda went looking for pounamu by the river. Pounamu (NZ greenstone) is a dark jade-like stone found along the west coast of the South Island. This stone is so hard that diamond cutters are used to shape them and the Maori used them in tools and weapons. The Maori consider the pounamu a treasure and it is popular as jewelry.
We camped our van at the gravel campgrounds of Fox Glacier. We met a young British girl traveling by herself in a van. She is going to University in Auckland but she's traveling the country for 6 months. She told us a creepy story that could've been from a B type horror movie. One day, her van had broken down in the middle of nowhere. She was met by a group of goats who chased her down the road for 3 km! With every swing of her handbag, the goats would retreat a little and then descend on her again. Eventually, they left her alone. Goats are creepy with those eyes of theirs. We had met a goat earlier today chained up on the side of the road. Alice cautiously tried to give it a carrot but he wouldn't take it. He then threatened to charge at us and that was when we said "goodbye".
Sunday, February 3, 2008
NZ on Horseback
Early this morning, I went horseback riding. The place to pay for it was at "Old McDonald's Farm" -- it is actually owned by a Mr. McDonald! Since I am not an experienced rider, I was given an old horse named Romper. Romper likes to eat a lot and she tends to do that to annoy novice riders. We went through the forest, a Kiwi fruit orchard, the beach, and crossed creeks. The other 3 riders in the group were more experienced, so they were able to make their horses run through the orchard and around the beach. I was perfectly content staying put with Romper and watching the others.
On the way to Greymouth, we decided to camp overnight on the side of the road next to the ocean. On one side of the road was forest on a cliff going up and the other side was a resting area next to the water. The view was spectacular with the sun setting over the crashing waves. The waves were incredibly powerful and never ending. Furthermore, it was extremely windy and cold! This made cooking very hard since the wind always blew out our fire on the stove. The bedding from the tent was flying out and we actually lost one pillow! The four of us went searching in the darkness with 2 flashlights and eventually, it was found. Sleeping was chilly and windy. The howling winds kept us up because we feared being blown onto the road.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Abel Tasman National Park
We departed Nelson for our next destination: Abel Tasman National Park. On our way there, we saw a Kiwi fruit orchard. The Kiwi fruits here are HUGE!
At the Abel Tasman, we took a water taxi from Marahau to Anchorage so that we can tramp (hike) our way back. The boat ride was fun and it reminded me of western Canada. Along the way, we saw Split Apple Rock -- which looks like...yep, a split apple. The hike back took about 4 hours and the beginning of it was especially hard due to the inclines and burning sun. Later on, the trail became much more bearable due to the shade provided by the various foliage.
Tonight, we are camping our van next to some horses. I will be going horseback riding tomorrow with one of the girls.
I noticed some interesting blue birds with red beaks hanging around near the horses. They are the pukeko bird (aka. Purple Swamp Hen). They are about the size of chickens and they have long gangly legs.
Friday, February 1, 2008
A huge jump into 30!
YES! We got to go up and skydive today! Alice and I were lucky enough to jump together! Alice went first, then I followed. We had photography and videos done. Our jump was at 13,000 ft with a free-fall of 9,000 ft. (approx. 50 sec). I was a bit nervous but also excited at the same time. Alice was fearless. I was ok until we had to step out of the plane...I was thinking "what the ... am I doing?!". But then we did it and it was all good. I guess it also helped that I only saw clouds beneath me. I did not feel like we were falling at all -- it was like being steady but with a lot of wind on me. I screamed when we jumped but I didn't hear anything. Hmm, either nothing came out or maybe the sound dissipated. When he opened the parachute, I felt like we shot up into the air. But in reality, we just stopped falling. Funny, eh?
After falling through the clouds, I saw the ground below. It was so beautiful and everything was so surreal. What an amazing experience! I would definitely do it again! So, who's turning 30 next...hmmm? ;D
Addendum:
Later that evening, Alice and I were "surprised" by our birthday Pavlovas with '3' and '0' candles. Thanks Magda and Kim!
Jumping out of a plane
It is 1pm on Feb 2 in NZ (but still technically my bday back home). I am waiting at the skydiving place for the skies to clear up. Funny thing is, Nelson is supposed to be the sunniest spot in NZ where the skies are clear 95% of the time. Except today. I really hope I get to do this on my birthday (and Alice too, whose bday is actually today!)
We went to the beach yesterday - it was gorgeous. The sands clean, water clear and turquoise blue, people para-sailing, and plenty of happy doggies playing. The Pacific Ocean was nice and warm.
After the beach, we went out for a nice seafood dinner by the water. All was scrumptious and the scenery breathtaking.
They are going to take a test run right now to see if the skies are good enough for the jumps. I'm crossing my fingers! Alice, Magda and I are going to skydive. Alice says "hi" to everyone!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Taking it slow in Wellington
It is Wed. Jan 30 at 3:30pm. I am in Wellington, the capital of NZ. Yesterday, we went over to someone's (people that one of the girls I'm traveling with know) place and had some yummy barbeque. I learned that they call sausages "snags" in Australia. A hot dog in NZ is a corndog (comes fried on a stick) and an American hot dog would be the hot dogs we all know in North America that comes in a bun.
The sun is especially strong in NZ - I hear that there is no ozone here. I burned a little yesterday and it stings a little in water. Sunblock is mighty expensive here too...they go for about $30 a bottle! It is recommended that we use a minimum of SPF 30 here. Good thing I brought 45 SPF from home! I have some on now.
We are going to look around Wellington a bit tonight and have dinner with some people we met last night. We will be jumping onto the ferry tomorrow to head over to the South Island. It's approximately a 3 hour ferry.
I just tried uploaded some pics from the rafting but it's taking forever. Sorry, looks like you all will have to wait a bit.
Cheers!
The sun is especially strong in NZ - I hear that there is no ozone here. I burned a little yesterday and it stings a little in water. Sunblock is mighty expensive here too...they go for about $30 a bottle! It is recommended that we use a minimum of SPF 30 here. Good thing I brought 45 SPF from home! I have some on now.
We are going to look around Wellington a bit tonight and have dinner with some people we met last night. We will be jumping onto the ferry tomorrow to head over to the South Island. It's approximately a 3 hour ferry.
I just tried uploaded some pics from the rafting but it's taking forever. Sorry, looks like you all will have to wait a bit.
Cheers!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Fun Packed Rotorua
It is Tues. Jan 29 at 10:30am. On Sunday, we went for our traditional Maori experience. We went into Maori terrritory as another "tribe". Once there, we were welcomed with the traditional Maori greeting where they showed their weapons and stuck out their tongues. They were testing whether we were friend or foe. They knew we were friends when our "chief" (some Irish lad on his honeymoon) accepted their offering (a branch). We then saw a cultural show and ate hangi (which was delicious!!!).
Yesterday (Monday), we went white water rafting on a track with the highest commercial drop for a waterfall in the world (7 metres!!). It was amazing, the scenery was just spectacular. We got a cd with pictures (and yes, they aren't the most flattering either). I will post them later on (maybe when I get back).
I cannot stay too much longer on the internet now since we are on the move again. Next stop: Lake Taupo then to someone's place that one of the girls know.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Roadtrip Anticipation
It is Sunday morning, Jan. 27 (8:45am). Yesterday, my cousin and her friends arrived in Auckland and we met up at the hostel. This is my first hostel experience and it's a great one. We have a 4-person room all to ourselves and everything is clean. We spent the afternoon planning our trip and our intinerary includes caving, Maori experience, hot springs, whitewater rafting, skydiving...
We decided to leave earlier than originally planned so that we can have more time in the South Island. I've heard that is where most of the cool stuff is. We will be doing some grocery shopping before heading out in about 2 hours. We have rented a van complete with dvd player, beds, camp bbq, cooler, blankets. It's a nice van....a little tight in the back but it's a good thing we're all tiny girls!
Today, we will be going to Rotorua for a Maori experience of hangi, which is a traditional meal that is cooked for hours in the ground. Oooo, I've been looking forward to this since I heard about it!
And so, the adventure begins! Yay!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Chillin' in Auckland
The flight from L.A. to Auckland was long but wonderful. I was lucky to get a window seat although I couldn't see anything because it was dark. Air New Zealand really knows how to treat their passengers. I was impressed with the food and the little extras we got. For dinner, I had seasoned chicken in a nice tomato sauce with some spinach and aubergine (eggplant). Furthermore, I was given a cute little wine glass for my wine! There was a choice of different types of red and white to choose from AND they also came around for refills. We could also have tea or coffee poured into our cute little mug. For breakfast, I had a cheese omelet with a type of hash brown and yummy mushrooms in that awesome tomato sauce again. In between the meals, they came around with water flavoured with real slices of lemon! What a contrast to the bare minimum I received on the previous flight.
Going through customs is a frightening thought when you don't know what to expect! The customs card you get on the plane to fill out was very colourful and detailed (but easy to follow). You are required to declare EVERYTHING or else face a $200NZ fine or possible prosecution and jail time! So if you say you have nothing but they search your bag and find something, you are in big trouble! Going through customs is a 3-step process here and they are quite strict. First, you go through customs and they scan your passport and ask you questions. Then you choose the line of your choice to either declare stuff or not. I declared the snacks I brought with me -- the Biosecurity Officer said what I brought was ok and she checked my hiking boots. Finally, I was directed to the biosecurity x-ray where my bags were scanned. Sounds frightening but it really isn't bad if you are honest. They were also very friendly people, which made the experience better.
It is noon on Friday, Jan 25 in Auckland --- I think it's 7pm on Thursday, Jan 24 in New York. I left NY on Wednesday and arrived in Auckland on a Friday---how weird is that? I am loving it here! The vegetation here is similar to that of California/Florida and the air is so fresh! Do you know what I hear? Silence. Yes, it's nice. I don't even know what that is anymore. Once in a while I'll hear a bird chirping which is nice. The weather is beautiful: sunny and warm (it's summer here). The people I have met along the way have been really friendly too. I've been told that I will not want to leave this paradise...and I think they're right!
Today, I'll be staying with my old roomate and we're going to go see some of the city. It is so nice to see her again. Tomorrow, my cousin from the west coast will be arriving with her friends. I think the last time I saw her was in 2001. I am so excited for our 2 week adventure!
We will be going around the country in a van so I do not know how often I will have access to internet. I'll be in Auckland til at least Monday so that shouldn't be a problem. But after that, I will try to write as often as possible. :)
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
En route to NZ
Wow-I'm going to the opposite side of the globe! I'm so excited to be going to New Zealand and immersing myself for two weeks in its natural beauty and culture.
When I stepped into the airplane at JFK, I had not slept in 24 hours. I always end up packing the whole night before an early flight-that's the procrastinator in me. My flight departed at 9:30 am for LA where I have an 8 hour layover. The flight to LA was 6 hours and we did not get a meal. Well, I guess I could have purchased a pre-made sandwich for $5 that someone should actually be paying me to eat instead. Anyhow, I planned ahead and bought a "gourmet" tuna salad sandwich (it was okay), bag of rosemary and olive oil chips, and a bottle of water for $12 at the terminal. It was either that or Mickey D's. I cannot wait to get on the next flight heading to Auckland, NZ! Mostly because I'll be flying Air New Zealand and I'll actually get fed! I guess they have to for a 13 hour journey. I wonder if they'll be offering kiwi-type food. I remember when I flew to India, they had given us Indian food, which was pretty good! In fact, they even over-fed us!
Now I have some time to waste at LAX. I have books to keep me busy. And I may even walk around and see what's in the duty-free shop. I'm writing this blog right now the old-fashioned way-with pen and paper. My best friend is gonna transcribe it for me as I dictate. Thanks a lot, Alison! :)
I will write again when I reach Auckland-I should be able to access a computer somewhere. Until then, later gators!
When I stepped into the airplane at JFK, I had not slept in 24 hours. I always end up packing the whole night before an early flight-that's the procrastinator in me. My flight departed at 9:30 am for LA where I have an 8 hour layover. The flight to LA was 6 hours and we did not get a meal. Well, I guess I could have purchased a pre-made sandwich for $5 that someone should actually be paying me to eat instead. Anyhow, I planned ahead and bought a "gourmet" tuna salad sandwich (it was okay), bag of rosemary and olive oil chips, and a bottle of water for $12 at the terminal. It was either that or Mickey D's. I cannot wait to get on the next flight heading to Auckland, NZ! Mostly because I'll be flying Air New Zealand and I'll actually get fed! I guess they have to for a 13 hour journey. I wonder if they'll be offering kiwi-type food. I remember when I flew to India, they had given us Indian food, which was pretty good! In fact, they even over-fed us!
Now I have some time to waste at LAX. I have books to keep me busy. And I may even walk around and see what's in the duty-free shop. I'm writing this blog right now the old-fashioned way-with pen and paper. My best friend is gonna transcribe it for me as I dictate. Thanks a lot, Alison! :)
I will write again when I reach Auckland-I should be able to access a computer somewhere. Until then, later gators!
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