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.
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