To all of you who have been so kind enough to yell at me (via email and otherwise) lately about my lack of posts...I'm sorry. I'm a delinquent. I know.
A couple of weeks ago we went to the Manly Sea Eagles Rugby League match against arch rival Paramatta Eels. Our friends, Paul and Amber are big Manly supporters (not "fans" - "supporters" here) and Paul told Clarice he was going with his mate who was a Eels supporter. We got tickets as well, and we all sat together on the "hill" side of Brookvale Oval - home of the Eagles and just down the main drag from our apartment. National Rugby League (NRL) is like the New South Wales equivalent of NFL football in the states - except that it is mainly confined to the states of NSW and Queensland. A few teams are located outside of NSW and Queensland, and more are planned, but the home of NRL is Sydney and Brisbane.
Anyway, I have pics, but they are on the camera so I'll have to add them later. We had a great time and Manly won going away. Paramatta scored first, but Manly are the better team and it showed mid-way through the second half with a series of impressive tries (touchdowns). If the Eagles make it, we are going to try and go to the Grand Final - the NRL SuperBowl.
Last weekend we went the other way with rugby going to the big Australia v New Zealand Rugby Union match. This is the big international match between the two nations. We saw them play Rugby League the day I arrived, but Rugby Union is much bigger in New Zealand and this is the versions they dominate. We packed into the ANZ Stadium (the Olympic Stadium) with 79,000 other screaming people, 20,000 of which were NZ supporters. It was a lot like and NFL game except there was no tailgating for hours outside the stadium and the match was over in 1 hour 45 minutes! Because rugby plays with 2 40 minute halves and the clock keeps rolling continuously, the game went much faster than I anticipated. AUSTRALIA WON!!! That brings them up to around a .333 winning percentage (I told you NZ usually dominates). People all over said that it was the best, most exciting match they have ever scene, and we really enjoyed it as well. Being sports fans in general, we are quick to pick up rules, tactics and nuances, and that continually surprises our Aussie friends. Every time we told someone we went to the match their first 2 questions were 1) did you like it? and 2) did you understand it? Yes to both, thank you very much.
Last part of this quick up date - I travelled thousands of miles to see my favorite music act of all time! Billy Joel is coming to Australia and we got tickets to see him in Sydney in December! How weird is that? He has not come to Australia in over a decade and then comes while I am living here. I tell you, the man loves me. Now if he would shock the world with a new rock album I could be really happy. Tickets cost an arm and a leg, apparently for any big name act, but it will be well worth it. I have not seen him live since the Storm Front tour when I was in high school. I'm pumped!
Ok, that should tide you over for a little. I have an new Livin' the Aussie Life to post on Friday, and I hope to have some recent pics up soon as well. Hope everyone is having as good a time where you are as we are here!
Jon
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Livin' the Aussie Life - Vol 1 - "Dining Out"
*Disclaimer: these posts are intended to give my American friends a look at what it is like to be an American living in Australia. No offense intended! :-)
I've decided to try and start a weekly posting about the differences between life in the USA and life here in Oz. Now that we have been here a couple of months and are past the "adjusting" period, I feel pretty safe in saying that life here is not terribly different than in the States, but there are some very obvious differences. For example, if you plan on having dinner out in Australia there are a few things to remember...
1) It is best to have a booking. Back in the States, if you wanted to go to Olive Garden (who does not even take reservations) you just go, put your name on the list, and wait until they call your name (I miss the buzzers!). Not so here. There are a TON of places to find everything from seafood to red meat, from Indian and Thai to Ethiopian and Italian. (What is Ethiopian food anyway? Do they just bring an empty plate and a bill?) The difference is most are very small and have limited seating, if any. Just popping in for a bite to eat is almost unheard of here. You will be asked if you have a booking (Aussie term for reservation) and generally frowned upon if you do not. Most places will still try and find a place to accommodate you, but not always.
2) Plan to eat when Aussies eat. I can't tell you the number of times we have been travelling and hunger in the middle of the afternoon to find nothing is open except maybe a McDonalds if you are lucky enough to find one. Restaurants are open from about 10-2 for lunch and then 6-whenever for dinner. Do not hope to find something to eat between 2 and 6. Just don't.
3) Plan to eat on Aussie time. When you do get a table, plan to be there a while. This is the most startling difference between the States and Australia. In the States the idea is "get 'em in, get 'em fed, get 'em out" - but here it is more "get 'em in and expect them to be a while". You will have plenty of time to peruse the menu, even if you've read the posted menu outside and know what you want. Servers here are payed much better than in the States and are not as reliant on tips to make a living, hence no hurry to get you out and another table in. Plus, they really push desserts on you. If you are in a hurry, be sure to tell the server you do not want dessert and to ask for the bill. Some places it seems like they won't bring the check until you ask for it. This slower experience is great if you are enjoying the company and the atmosphere - you don't have pressure to get out, but if you just want food and to be on your way you might as well get take away (take out, carry out, whatever you call it at home - its "Take Away" here).
4) Ask for tap water for the table. There are no free refills in the land of Oz so cherish that Coke/Sprite/whatever. And don't expect the gigantic glasses you have in America. No way. Sixteen ounce glass, tops. If you start drinking the Coke before the food comes, you will be asking for water to go with your food. If you wait, the ice in the Coke has made it flat. Either way, you end up asking for water. Most places have these wonderful bottles full of nice delicious H2O and they are happy to bring them. The only thing that is free so drink all you want. (Sidenote: The water is is wonderful. Don't buy bottled water, just drink the tap.)
5) Refuse the dessert menu unless you plan on ordering. This ties back into eating on the Aussie schedule, but if they bring a dessert menu they will give you plenty of time to look it over. Then they usually are not too happy if you don't order anything. Just get the check. If, however, you are interested in dessert, it has been wonderful in the vast majority of the places we have tried. (Insert no "Pizza Hut" jokes here...)
6) Tipping... I don't even know where to start. It is like learning a new language. Because servers are paid well, most everyone we have met tips very little - that is expected. Maybe a couple of coins on the table if the service and food we excellent (remembering Oz has $1 and $2 coins). Nowhere near the 15%-20% recommended in the States. Since I, and to an only slightly lesser extent Clarice, are on the upper end of the tipping scale, this adjustment has been really hard. When we went to a nice steakhouse the other night, I'm sure the server was pleasantly surprised when he went to clear the table.
That's about it. Prices are a little higher than at home, but that is true of just about everything. There is a take away place on just about every corner, and within walking distance I can find something to fit anyone's tastes and desires. Come, enjoy, and experience the wonders that are dining out in Australia. Just don't go with Clarice or you'll find the closest wood-fired pizza place! :-)
Jon
I've decided to try and start a weekly posting about the differences between life in the USA and life here in Oz. Now that we have been here a couple of months and are past the "adjusting" period, I feel pretty safe in saying that life here is not terribly different than in the States, but there are some very obvious differences. For example, if you plan on having dinner out in Australia there are a few things to remember...
1) It is best to have a booking. Back in the States, if you wanted to go to Olive Garden (who does not even take reservations) you just go, put your name on the list, and wait until they call your name (I miss the buzzers!). Not so here. There are a TON of places to find everything from seafood to red meat, from Indian and Thai to Ethiopian and Italian. (What is Ethiopian food anyway? Do they just bring an empty plate and a bill?) The difference is most are very small and have limited seating, if any. Just popping in for a bite to eat is almost unheard of here. You will be asked if you have a booking (Aussie term for reservation) and generally frowned upon if you do not. Most places will still try and find a place to accommodate you, but not always.
2) Plan to eat when Aussies eat. I can't tell you the number of times we have been travelling and hunger in the middle of the afternoon to find nothing is open except maybe a McDonalds if you are lucky enough to find one. Restaurants are open from about 10-2 for lunch and then 6-whenever for dinner. Do not hope to find something to eat between 2 and 6. Just don't.
3) Plan to eat on Aussie time. When you do get a table, plan to be there a while. This is the most startling difference between the States and Australia. In the States the idea is "get 'em in, get 'em fed, get 'em out" - but here it is more "get 'em in and expect them to be a while". You will have plenty of time to peruse the menu, even if you've read the posted menu outside and know what you want. Servers here are payed much better than in the States and are not as reliant on tips to make a living, hence no hurry to get you out and another table in. Plus, they really push desserts on you. If you are in a hurry, be sure to tell the server you do not want dessert and to ask for the bill. Some places it seems like they won't bring the check until you ask for it. This slower experience is great if you are enjoying the company and the atmosphere - you don't have pressure to get out, but if you just want food and to be on your way you might as well get take away (take out, carry out, whatever you call it at home - its "Take Away" here).
4) Ask for tap water for the table. There are no free refills in the land of Oz so cherish that Coke/Sprite/whatever. And don't expect the gigantic glasses you have in America. No way. Sixteen ounce glass, tops. If you start drinking the Coke before the food comes, you will be asking for water to go with your food. If you wait, the ice in the Coke has made it flat. Either way, you end up asking for water. Most places have these wonderful bottles full of nice delicious H2O and they are happy to bring them. The only thing that is free so drink all you want. (Sidenote: The water is is wonderful. Don't buy bottled water, just drink the tap.)
5) Refuse the dessert menu unless you plan on ordering. This ties back into eating on the Aussie schedule, but if they bring a dessert menu they will give you plenty of time to look it over. Then they usually are not too happy if you don't order anything. Just get the check. If, however, you are interested in dessert, it has been wonderful in the vast majority of the places we have tried. (Insert no "Pizza Hut" jokes here...)
6) Tipping... I don't even know where to start. It is like learning a new language. Because servers are paid well, most everyone we have met tips very little - that is expected. Maybe a couple of coins on the table if the service and food we excellent (remembering Oz has $1 and $2 coins). Nowhere near the 15%-20% recommended in the States. Since I, and to an only slightly lesser extent Clarice, are on the upper end of the tipping scale, this adjustment has been really hard. When we went to a nice steakhouse the other night, I'm sure the server was pleasantly surprised when he went to clear the table.
That's about it. Prices are a little higher than at home, but that is true of just about everything. There is a take away place on just about every corner, and within walking distance I can find something to fit anyone's tastes and desires. Come, enjoy, and experience the wonders that are dining out in Australia. Just don't go with Clarice or you'll find the closest wood-fired pizza place! :-)
Jon
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Canberra 3
Sunday we got up and tried desperately to go to McDonalds for breakfast. The McD's was located in the corner of a office building and the parking was impossible to find. We finally got in, ate breakfast, went to a petrol station for a fill up and were on our way. Sheesh! Such effort.
We started at New Parliament, guessing that it would be more crowded so we got there as soon as it opened. Let me digress for a moment - the word "crowded" almost made me laugh! How many of you have visited Washington DC? I defy you to go there on a sunny day and not be trampled by the mobs of people out seeing all that there is to see. When we went to DC years ago, we were a couple of the first to get into the Capital Building, but there were hundreds of other people lined up behind us. Canberra...quite different. A "large crowd" would be two families accidentally getting kind of close to one another.
New Parliament is meant to be accessible by the public. We walked right in the front door, stopped at the information desk to ask where to meet the free tour (FREE! Yay!), and took some photos as we made our way over to the tour's starting point. I know we were some of the frist people there, but our tour group was about 10 people. The guide was absolutely wonderful by the way (she gave me some resources to look at and compare Aussie governmental systems to the US for my American Government class). She took us around to the main places - both houses of Parliament, the main reception halls, etc. The tour lasted 45 minutes, but it was very worth the time. We learned a lot.
After the tour we took the elevator to the roof. That's right - the ROOF. New Parliament was designed so as to not take away from the structure of the hill. Instead of building the place right on top...they dug a big hole, built the building in the hole, and then built the sides up to make it look like the hill was before they started! Strange idea at first, and it does look unusual, but I'll bet they save a ton on heating and cooling! Anyway, from the roof you can see all the way down past the Old Parliament, over the water, down the Anzac Parade to the War Memorial. Go look through the slideshow on the right for pictures. The photo below was taken from the roof looking up the flag flying high above. One of my favorites.
After the New Parliament, we walked down to the Old Parliament...and paid $2 to get in. That's right - new is free, old and not in use you pay to get in. History has its price, I guess. It was built in 1927 and was designed to last for 50 years and then be replaced. It was in use until 1988 so it outlived its intended life. Boy did they need to move! Old Parliament was built for 300 people to work in, but when they finally moved in 1988 3,500 people worked there! Everything was small and cramped. They even, at one point, had to take out restrooms to make space for more offices! It had several additions built onto it, but even so it needed to be replaced. The most striking thing was how close the two houses of parliament were to each other - maybe 50 paces. I'm sure if an arguement got heated in one house the other could hear what was being yelled.
By the time we were done there we were "museumed out" and very hungry. We typed "pizza" into the GPS and found a food court at a mall across the river. We decided that we wanted to drive home in the daylight so we could see the countryside as we drove, so we grabbed food and left. There were a couple other things we might have done (the National Gallery, the science museum, etc.) but our feet were tired and the sun sets around 5:30 this time of year.
Well, the bush was pretty much what you would expect. Rolling hills, losts of cattle grazing, fences, and eucalyptus trees. Very pretty, but I imagine it would be even prettier in the spring. We took a small "walkabout" on a scenic drive through Goulburn (I think) where Clarice got a photo of "The Big Merino" as we drove past. I'm not putting the picture here, go look at the slideshow!
We got home late and tired, but we enjoyed the trip.
Jon
Friday, July 4, 2008
Canberra 2
UPDATE: I wanted a blog format that was wider and allowed more to be seen with less scrolling. Hope you like the change!
This could be a long post - there is so much to talk about. I think I'll break it into Saturday and Sunday. Lots more pictures in the slideshow to the right->
Saturday:
We started off on the north side of Lake Burley Griffen (names after Walter Burley Griffen who won the contest to design the capital). The first stop was the Canberra Exhibit for a quick "what do we need to see" and a bit of breakfast.
We walked all along the north bank of the water taking lots of pictures and enjoying the scenery. This one is of the National Carillion. A carillion is a musical instrument consisting of at least 22 bells. The National Carillion has 54 and is played about 2x a week.
Next we went back to the lakefront and walked down to the National Carillion to see it up close. They had a recital on Sunday, but we were inside Old Parliament so we missed it. Oh well. The Carillion is on an island easily accessible by a foot bridge. The whole lakefront is all open parks with trails and play areas for families. Because Canberra is less than 100 years old, it only has 300,000 people, but eventually it will look a lot like Washington DC and be a lot larger. Washington is, after all, over 200 years old - bit of a head start.
After all that walking around we were pretty pooped and hungry. We punched in "pizza" into the GPS and found Clarice's home away from home - Pizza Hut. We actually tried a local place, but one look inside and we said, "how about NO on this one." We ate in the car and then headed off to the Telstra Tower. Telstra is a big telecommunications company here in OZ, and they bought this tower that is situated on top of Black Mountain and overlooks Canberra. During the day I'm sure the views are spectacular, but it was dark when we got there. We saved it for late in the day because 1) it was open late - remember most things close by 5:00 and 2) I thought the city would be all lit up an beautiful at night. Well, it was...but the government buildings were not nearly as lit up as I thought they would be. We enjoyed it, but if I had to do over again I would go during the day.
After that we headed back to the hotel for some rest (my poor feet!) and to watch Australia play France in Rugby Union. Well, that and Wimbleton. We have 4-5 channels at our place and the hotel had more sports channels than that. I was a happy camper!
Day 2 tomorrow...or more likely when I get to it. Today is July 4th so HAPPY INDEPENDANCE DAY! Clarice should be home in a bit (had to work! Ha! Wait, so did I...) and we are going to the movies tonight. Better be good, costs about $30 just for the tickets every time we go...
Jon
This could be a long post - there is so much to talk about. I think I'll break it into Saturday and Sunday. Lots more pictures in the slideshow to the right->
Saturday:
We started off on the north side of Lake Burley Griffen (names after Walter Burley Griffen who won the contest to design the capital). The first stop was the Canberra Exhibit for a quick "what do we need to see" and a bit of breakfast.
We walked all along the north bank of the water taking lots of pictures and enjoying the scenery. This one is of the National Carillion. A carillion is a musical instrument consisting of at least 22 bells. The National Carillion has 54 and is played about 2x a week.
Next we crossed Constitution Ave and walked up the Anzac Parade. Anzac stood originally for Australian and New Zealand Army Corp, but now is more of a "spirit" or "sense of Anzac pride". I bought a book about the Anzac landing in WWI - the first Australian battle ever, and I'll tell you more about it when I learn it myself. There are lots of memorials and monuments along either side of the parade all leading to the Australian War Memorial.
Next we went back to the lakefront and walked down to the National Carillion to see it up close. They had a recital on Sunday, but we were inside Old Parliament so we missed it. Oh well. The Carillion is on an island easily accessible by a foot bridge. The whole lakefront is all open parks with trails and play areas for families. Because Canberra is less than 100 years old, it only has 300,000 people, but eventually it will look a lot like Washington DC and be a lot larger. Washington is, after all, over 200 years old - bit of a head start.
After all that walking around we were pretty pooped and hungry. We punched in "pizza" into the GPS and found Clarice's home away from home - Pizza Hut. We actually tried a local place, but one look inside and we said, "how about NO on this one." We ate in the car and then headed off to the Telstra Tower. Telstra is a big telecommunications company here in OZ, and they bought this tower that is situated on top of Black Mountain and overlooks Canberra. During the day I'm sure the views are spectacular, but it was dark when we got there. We saved it for late in the day because 1) it was open late - remember most things close by 5:00 and 2) I thought the city would be all lit up an beautiful at night. Well, it was...but the government buildings were not nearly as lit up as I thought they would be. We enjoyed it, but if I had to do over again I would go during the day.
After that we headed back to the hotel for some rest (my poor feet!) and to watch Australia play France in Rugby Union. Well, that and Wimbleton. We have 4-5 channels at our place and the hotel had more sports channels than that. I was a happy camper!
Day 2 tomorrow...or more likely when I get to it. Today is July 4th so HAPPY INDEPENDANCE DAY! Clarice should be home in a bit (had to work! Ha! Wait, so did I...) and we are going to the movies tonight. Better be good, costs about $30 just for the tickets every time we go...
Jon
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Canberra 1...
No pictures, they are on the other laptop, but I wanted to put up something about our weekend.
We left Friday after Clarice got off work...big mistake. It took us an hour just to get out of Sydney! Stupid rush hour... Anyway, we were both a bit tired, hungry and grumpy when we saw a sign for McDonalds in 30km. First of all, the sign was unsual as they don't have too many billboards on the side of the road like we do in the States. We decided to get some grub and that would make us feel better. A little while later I looked down and noticed we had gone 50km and no sign of McDs!! I guess the sign wanted us to get off at a town that had a McDs, but since none of the towns really butt right up to the highway (and it was PITCH black) we never saw it. Sad... I told Clarice and she said, "Let's just get off at the next Service Plaza that has food." Fine.
A bit later we see a sign for a Service Plaza with the "crossed fork and knife" symbol for food. Knowing how picky we are I was wondering what they would have. We came to the top of a gentle hill and Clarice give out a "YES!" Golden Arches beckon us to the Service Plaza. Normal to have in a US plaza, very strange here in Oz let me tell you.
We finally got in to Canberra around 9:15pm, about 1.5 hours later than we planned thanks to the traffic, so we decided to just stay in, watch so tube (they have cable!) and get some sleep for Saturday's big adventures.
Jon
We left Friday after Clarice got off work...big mistake. It took us an hour just to get out of Sydney! Stupid rush hour... Anyway, we were both a bit tired, hungry and grumpy when we saw a sign for McDonalds in 30km. First of all, the sign was unsual as they don't have too many billboards on the side of the road like we do in the States. We decided to get some grub and that would make us feel better. A little while later I looked down and noticed we had gone 50km and no sign of McDs!! I guess the sign wanted us to get off at a town that had a McDs, but since none of the towns really butt right up to the highway (and it was PITCH black) we never saw it. Sad... I told Clarice and she said, "Let's just get off at the next Service Plaza that has food." Fine.
A bit later we see a sign for a Service Plaza with the "crossed fork and knife" symbol for food. Knowing how picky we are I was wondering what they would have. We came to the top of a gentle hill and Clarice give out a "YES!" Golden Arches beckon us to the Service Plaza. Normal to have in a US plaza, very strange here in Oz let me tell you.
We finally got in to Canberra around 9:15pm, about 1.5 hours later than we planned thanks to the traffic, so we decided to just stay in, watch so tube (they have cable!) and get some sleep for Saturday's big adventures.
Jon
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