Damn that beautiful pink skirt!

Okay, so remember that beautiful pink, long and flowy skirt that I fell in love with in Sydney? Yeah well after I bought it... I was so excited that after flying back to Melbourne, I changed into it for a quick bite of lunch at the Southbank mall (just nearby). We enjoyed a sandwich and the went up the stairs to look at a few items in the bottle shop ;) but on the way down ... dun dun dun (imagine dangerous movie music) ... I looked down and noticed that the escalator had decided to have my skirt for lunch!!!

It was wedged very tightly between the edge of the step and the wall... and I tugged and tugged. As we got closer and closer to the bottom of the escalator, Mom started tugging too!! That beautiful pink skirt was NOT coming out!!! In earnest, Mom yells... "Take it off!!! Take the skirt off!!!" My eyes got so big because there was no way I was taking it off.... My undergarments were definitely inappropriate for a casino! haha! I look up and there are two people just above us watching in shock as my skirt gets further consumed! Finally as adrenaline kicks in (just before it got pulled off of me) I begin to tear the beautiful pink, long and flowy skirt into one long ... very long... shred of pink flowy material ... with part of it stuck in the escalator. Once my skirt had jammed the escalator, a very helpful man grabbed the material and ripped it so I could take the remaining parts home! Another lady offered to buy both my mom and I glasses of wine (p.s. good way to get free wine... wear a flowy skirt on the escalator) but in embarrassment of what could have happened (I'm imagining walking home from the Casino only half clothed) we just went home.


Lesson: Always carry an extra pair of shorts with you when you wear flowy skirts. ;)

Tuesday... it wasn't sunny but we went to the beach

Yes, so Tuesday the weather was terrible. The clouds covered the sky and the wind was blowing. Mom and I decided to go to the beach. ha! We met some Americans on the ferry to Manly Beach and were engrossed in a conversation the whole way there. Of course, we prompted them to tell us how wonderful the UT football team is ... as we do with every American that we meet here.

We strolled around the little beachfront property and ate lunch at a cafe and then got a mother-daughter manicure and pedicure with bright pink polish. Hey Dad, see what fun things you could have done if you had come with Mom? ;) hehe

That night we went to a musical at the Star City Casino called Menopause.
I'll let Mom tell you all about it:
There were probably 200 women and 10 men... and Jenna, the only person under 40 in this cabaret style showroom. It was the funniest show and dealt with the down sides of "the change." Menopause is a musical parody about the meeting of four women at a lingerie sale at Myer's Department Store. The four--a power professional, an aging soap opera star, a small town housewife, and a lost-in-the-sixties ex-hippie--have nothing in common except a black lace bra... and memory loss, hot flashes, night sweats, chocolate binges, wrinkles, plastic surgery, hormones, not enough sex, and much more. Some examples were: "It's my body and I'll cry if I want to," "I heard it through the grapevine, you're no longer 39," and "Heat Flash."
If anyone has a chance to see the show, I recommend it! It's great (for the ladies) and gives the young girls some thing to look forward to!


Jenna outside the StarCity Casino in Sydney

More Walking in Sydney

Monday we packed our bags and took a taxi to the next B&B we were staying in named the Sydney Harbour Bed and Breakfast in the Rocks. "The Rocks" is the oldest neighborhood Sydney located in the north east just next to the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Once a haven for convicts, this area is now the richest part of Sydney. The homes are all very old, some even being historical landmarks and the shopping is overwhelming. We ate at a little restaurant called the Gumnut Tea House where Mom tried a meat pie (one of Australia's most popular dishes) and I had a foccacia sandwich.

Mom bought a beautiful opal stone yesterday and we looked at a few other opals stores today and I finally found one that I liked too. Yay for getting Jenna an opal ring! ;) I went back to buy that cute skirt I wrote about yesterday and we couldn't find the store if it would save our lives. Finally, after walking up and down the streets trying to backtrack mentally, we found it! Bad news, it had been sold! Then the sales lady remembered they had one on a manequin in the window... I bought it! That's not the end of the skirt drama... there will be more on that in a later blog! Make sure you stay tuned !!

Places we visited : Chinese Gardens, Darling Harbour, and the Wharf where we had dinner.
I thought Mom was gonna fall over dead because we walked all the way home and it was quite a hike. Just to show you how tired she was, she held on to my belt while we walked up hills ... I felt like a pack mule!!! hahahaha

I think Mom almost fell over!

Sunday we woke up early and trekked through the botanical gardens toward Paddy's Market in Chinatown. Chinatown was crazy with the ongoing Chinese New Year celebrations (Year of the Dog). These highly recommended markets offered as many "cheap" trinkets and clothes as Mexico Markets! It was great. I even tried on a brown wig that I really kinda liked ;) Maybe someday I'll actually dye my hair that color ;) (don't roll your eyes Hadley!) We bought a few items but mostly we just looked.

Chinatown's Market

We came across a random hole-in-the-wall bohemian store where I fell in love with a long flowy pink skirt but convinced myself not to buy it...

We headed to the Opera House and Harbour Bridge and then to Darlinghurst for dinner. I was in such a mood for American food that we sought out the Hard Rock Cafe and thought of nothing better than FAJITAS! It was amazing. They tasted just like home with tortillas and guacamole! Aww yes, just what I needed! Not to mention that we ended the meal with the biggest presentation of a brownie sundae I've ever seen (it was mostly whipped creme so don't get jealous Zach!)

Finally we headed back to the B&B only after I thought Mom was going to kill me for making her walk the entire length of Sydney twice!

Headed to the "OTHER" great city.

There is a huge rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne similar to that between UT and A&M and there are good reasons for it. After much confusion, Mom and I arrived at Victoria Court Bed and Breakfast Saturday morning only to leave our bags and head to the beach. The bed and breakfast was so absolutely adorable! There were ferns and vines growing all over this antiqued 1800s building with only about 8 rooms available for rent. Mom and I stayed in a corner room which was decorated as cute as can be. The continental breakfast was served in a tea room with glass ceilings, a fountain, and many plants.



We took the train to Bondi Beach and eventually found it (with the help of two teenagers who reguarly go there) and spent the day baking in the sun and shopping at the crafts market. There were so many great items and I got a great bargain on a light green leather purse and a few pieces of jewelry. We walked the path through the rocks to Bronte Beach (about 45 min walk) where there were beautiful landscapes. We ate at Fatz Restaurant and enjoyed some risotto and a caesar salad.

Aussie Aussie Aussie Oye Oye Oye!!!

January 26th is one of the biggest public holidays in Australia... Australia Day!! I spent the day working at La Scala and then shopped a little with Mom before heading home and making dinner. We tagged along with the Canadians (flatmates) for a trip down to the Docklands to see the huge yachts in the harbour and the beautiful firework display provided for the city. About 4 glasses of wine later, Natalie and I were drunk as skunks and having a blast. Here are some pictures of the "interesting" artwork at the Docklands.


Natalie and Jenna at the Docklands






Friday night the flatmates and Mom fought through the crowds of avid tennis fans watching the Australian Open on a big screen in Federation Square to celebrate Gavin's birthday at the Chocolate Buddha. I read about this restaurant in the travel book Sarah G. gave me and it was a great atmosphere. Cafeteria style dining with Buddha statues all around gave the restaurant a very comfortable feel. We kept the night going by grabbing some ice cream from the Casino and watched the flame towers erupt at 10pm.

Touring the Mornington Penninsula

Mom has officially been here for 24 hours and we have already done so much. Yesterday I gave her the basic tour of the shopping and then we ate at Automatic (I've eaten there 3x since I've been here!) and drank coffee while enjoying the heat from the fire towers along the Yarra River.
Today we went on a bus tour of Mornington Penninsula. We started with a basic tour of the suburbs including Albert Park, Botanical Gardens, St. Kilda, and Brighton. Next, we headed to Nedlands Lavender Farm where we walked through the rows of fresh lavender and learned about the process of extracting the pure oils. The smell was fabulous and the scenery beautiful.









The next stop was at T'Gallant Winery where we basically sipped about 6 wine varieties and focused on the "woody flavors" of which I couldn't even taste! Then we journeyed to the next vineyard, Tuck's, which was basically us chugging different wines.

















Lunch was served at Ashcombe Maze, the oldest and largest hedge maze in the Southern Hemisphere. We definitely got lost in the 25-acre property and enjoyed the 200 different types of roses in the circular rose garden.









We stopped by Aurthur's Seat for a nice view of the beaches and the homes below. Brush fires in neighboring mountains made the air cloudy so the pictures aren't that great. The tour ended in the town of Mornington where we walked down a dock and looked at the fabulous water with boats floating.

Some Pictures to Help you Set the Scene

Melbourne is known for random pieces of art that no one except the artist knows what they are for.... just an example that is just outside my apartment.







This is the top of the Melbourne Arts Center about a 5 minute walk from my apartment. There are markets on Sundays and plenty of musicals/shows here.








Me, Meg, and Rachel (Trav's girlfriend) at a bar in Apollo Bay









Pratty, Ben and friends with Danny, Meg, Andy, and I at Blue Train in the Crown Casino. This where we heard of Danny's drinking stories on the Gold Coast.








12 Apostles up close.

I wrestled with a Crocodile!!!!

Okay, so no crocodile wrestling actually happened... in fact I didn't even see a croc but I needed to catch your attention so you'd read my next post! It was brought to my attention by Sarah that I have been slacking on the updates ... there's a good reason for that. Absolutely nothing has been going on with me.

Let's backtrack a little. I will try to find things that are remotely interesting...

North America Takes over the Flat ;)
I got two new flatmates and they are Canadians! Yaay! A flat once dominated by Brits (Nutella and Vegemite lovers) is now under the influence of North America, the land where peanut-butter flows from rivers ! Our poor British flatmate Gavin is out numbered when it comes to the proper way to pronounce words such as "advertisement," "docile," and "oregano." I really like spending time with them and the dynamics in the house are great. Natalie and Gei are really down-to-earth and outgoing and both played college soccer. I went for an hour run with them the other day and it was fabulous to have someone to challenge and push me to run.

BBQ
Stuart (one of the guys who visited us in Texas) has returned from Shang-Hai and there was a BBQ at Mic's house on Sunday to officially welcome him. The cricket was on the whole time I was there so I spent my afternoon on the computer. I am not a huge fan of the game... if you've ever watched it... what do you think?

Ready for a Change of Pace
I have been working every day and still not making 40 hours per week. I am very tired of this environment and ready for something that challenges me intellectually and pays a little better. I finally got an interview with the placement agency and that will be on Monday HIP HIP HOOORAY! Meagan's got a real job and it definitely makes me anxious to start one as well. Hopefully I get as lucky as she has and get a sweet hook-up/location.

Australian Open
Hmm... the Australian Open (Tennis) is in play right now and I really wanted to see Venus, Serena, and Andy Roddick play Monday and Tuesday but I was working. The ticket prices have gone way up now so I'm not sure I'm gonna make it out there. It is a huge deal in Australia and people fly from all over to attend the games. They are within walking distance from my house.. as is everything!

Mom's Coming!
Mom is coming to Melbourne on Monday (that's just 4 days from now!) and I'm so excited! I have already bought flights to Sydney so she can see both places and I have booked reservations to tour a lavender farm, wineries, and walk through some actual shrub mazes! There are so many other things I have planned as well! Make sure you check back to get her opinion of the activities!

I Saw the Penguin Parade...

The final leg of our journey to Phillip Island was the Penguin Parade, the most visited tourist site in all of Victoria. Every morning at 5 am, the smallest penguins in the world head out to sea to catch food for their young and every evening at sunset, they battle their way over Summerland Beach to their burrows in the sand dunes.
The conservationists have built bleachers on the sand as well as a wooden boardwalk that run over the sand dunes to view the Little Penguins. We sat on the sand about 30 feet from their route. The penguins nervously come on shore in groups of 3-8 and get pushed around in the crashing waves until they feel brave enough to make a run for it. Seagulls form a barrier along the sand trying to scare the penguins since they often mistake seagulls for sea hawks which might eat them. If a seagull is lucky, it might scare a little penguin enough to make it regurgitate the food it caught for it's young...

Wanna see what they looked like?

An interesting fact I learned is that the penguins have bluish-black backs with white tummies because when they swim on their tummies, the hawks above see blue water and blue penguin... the sharks below see white tummies and white sky... it's a camoflauge!

The penguins were so adorable ... about 1 foot tall and perfect pets! I really wanted to just pick one up and take it... but I guess that wouldn't be very nice. We were told to look under our cars before we left to make sure a stray penguin didn't end up there!

The drive was an adventure in itself because apparently people outside the US don't start driving at age 15 like we did and our flatmates who are 25+ have only been driving for 1 1/2 years... it was one of the scariest experiences I've ever had! Driving for an hour was "hard work" for them and they kept switching out... whereas we drive an hour almost everywhere we go! I'm sure they'd be amazed that I drive 6 hours home with maybe 1 stop! Yikes...

I fed Kangaroos at Phillip Island!

The next stop on our day at Phillip Island was the Wildlife Reserve where we saw Echidnae, Wallabee, Dingo, Cockatoos, more Koalas, wombats, Emus, Southern Cassowarry, Tazzy Devils, and Kangaroos!! The cassowary is the largest bird in Australia and resembles a dinosaur! It has a helmet on it's head and really bright colors with no feathers on it's face/neck The skin looked like a colorful brain and it's body was like an ostrich. It was hilarious because it would stick it's face in our feed bags over and over and take food.
The highlight were the free-range kangaroos... as soon as we walked out onto the plains, the kangaroos started hopping really fast right at us! I thought it was going to hop right into me! They knew we had feed and were going straight for it! We spent about an hour feeding, petting, and cuddling kangaroos and their little joey's. The joey's looked so funny sticking out of their mothers pouches but were so adorable! We got a few videos of the feedings and even one where every time I hopped up and down, the kangaroo did too. We hopped off together! It was adorable!

I Saw Koalas...

Meagan and I played pool and sang karaoke at Strike with a few friends from work and then bought our CommonWealth Tickets (Track and Field... women's polevault!) on Friday night before we hit the sheets in prep for our big day to Mornington Pennisula and Phillip Island with our flatmates...
Let me just say that our big day started off on a bad note! Meg's alarm clock didn't go off on Saturday morning so we woke up to Liann (our flatmate) banging on our door yelling "20 minutes, get up!" ... we jump up and race to get ready meanwhile everyone is milling about in the living room yelling "4 minutes!!" I come out of the room ready to go and the apartment is empty! I realize that our flatmates had left us! I ran down to the bottom floor and caught them just within voice reach ... walking to the rental car place to leave! They were so set on leaving at 7:30 to pick up the car even though it wasn't even going to be ready until 8am that they left at 7:29 and left us in the apartment because they "thought we weren't coming!" I was so angry because we had split all the costs with them and we had the tickets! What? Why wouldn't we go?
Needless to say, Meagan and I weren't happy at all and when we finally got in the car, we sat in the rental car outside our apartment and waited for 40 minutes while they figured out how to get to our destination!! Meagan and I are not fans of "hurry up and wait" but after an hour or so we were over the drama and trip was fun.
Mornington Peninsula was just over an hour drive away. We stopped at restaurant where we bought a couple of lattes and then strolled down by the waters edge and played in the sand. The walk was beautiful because the water was a million different shades of blue and there were little boats anchored all over the place.
A few detours later, we arrived at Phillip Island and grabbed a map from the tourist info spot. This is where I almost accidently stole a stuffed penguin that squeaked... oops! Meagan and I, the two who didn't pack a day's worth of food, ate at a Gourmet Fish and Chips shop called White Sands (grilled salmon and handcut chips!). Our first stop was at the Koala Reserve Park.... I took so many pictures of these adorable koalas sleeping in Eucalyptus trees! There were over 20 in the park and we saw about 16 of them hidden away. We even caught a film of a little one moving around just 4 feet in front of us!

Hook 'em and then B&G to a little R&B

Yes, Meagan and I went to our first Australian R&B club tonight, but first things first...

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN --- NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!

We had a great opportunity to watch the football game in Melbourne with Ben who studied at UT (and knew Danny, our other friend who came to Australia for a month). We got as much Longhorn gear together as we could, which I can tell you right now was not very much and watched the game at Billy's house in a really nice suburb, Toorak. Billy has a brother who studies at UT and so he's got more paraphanelia than a true-blue Texan! We did the typical,... drink beer and eat sausage sandwiches... with 6 UT fans and a girl from Houston that dates an Aussie. It was great and felt just like home! Oh, to be in Austin after that game. I'll bet it was CRAZY on 4th! I can't believe we won!... and why didn't it happen while we were in school?
These are pictures of the Australian UT Fans watching the game:







R&B Dancing at Odeon in Crown

Tonight we met up with a friend of mine from work named Lucky, a totally excentric Phillipino chick who dances amazing! She definitely schooled these two Texans on the art of "cage-dancing!" We had heard rumors that the clubs in the Crown Casino were ones to steer clear of, but considering that's where these girls were headed... we went with it. As we walked up to the line to get in (like Vegas) it didn't take long to realize we were the tallest people in line (girl or boy!) and stuck out like a sore thumb! Haha! The line was representative of the club ... but we enjoyed ourselves and danced up a storm. It was funny though because Meagan felt horrible when she accidently trucked over a tiny asian girl who couldn't have been more than 4'8"! hahaha! We felt like giants!

Happy New Year !!

I can't believe it's 2006! I hope you all had a wonderful New Year's Eve and ate enough black eyed peas to account for Meagan and I. We forgot to check the grocery store for a can of them... but considering the fact that hardly anyone we've talked to have even tried them, I doubt they are sold here.
New Year's Eve was such a long day! I started out working from 9-3pm and then headed home to chill out a little before getting all snazzy for the night. Yesterday the temperatures reached 43 C which is equivalent to about 115 F of dry, desert heat. I don't know if I've mentioned this or not, but our place, much like most places in Australia, has NO AC! Meagan and I invested in a small room AC that you fill with water but it basically just moves the air around. I came up with a plan to sit outside on the balcony and read in the heat and then come inside and take a cold shower and then I would trick my body to feel cool. It sort of worked. Meagan and I decided to enjoy a nice meal at one of our favorite air-conditioned restaurants "Automatic" across the street in the Crown casino. The air was literally burning our eyes because it was so hot... like a dry sauna. Oh geez... just to put the drastic weather changes in perspective, it was about 59 F and raining today!
The New Year's plan was to attend an organized party that we purchased tickets to in Albert Park with about 1000 other people. There was an open bar and a big dance floor with DJs pumping out music from 8pm to 4 am. We hung out with all our friends from Melbourne and found some cool girls to hang out with and be goofy with. No New Year's kiss for this girl... but the night definitely had it's fair share of drama. Meg and I headed out around 1:30 am ... walking home, hoping to find a taxi, confused about where we were ... but followed some drunken stragglers and hopped on a random tram in hopes that it might take us somewhere familiar. We were in luck, we arrived just ourside the casino. We wondered around a bit and had a slice of pizza before heading to the apartment for a hot night's sleep.
New Year's day was spent watching movies and vegging out on everything not healthy... it was wonderful but I think we're both about to make NY Resolutions of no sugar... for at least a week ;)