What's been going on?

It has been a while since I last wrote because I haven't really been doing anything at all! I have been working a lot trying to save up for the next leg of our journey and sleeping and drinking during the between times. My mind is racing with ideas of where my next travels will be and what I will do. Spain to teach english, touring Europe? Hmm

Work has been really fun so far. I usually work the night shift and afterward everyone hangs around the restaurant and has a drink... or two. Then I get a ride home and hit the sack only to wake up and head to La Scala for an 11 hour shift in which my flatmate Natalie (who works with me there) and the dishwashing guy (Fadi) keep me sane.

Last night Meagan, Stuart and I went to Mecca Bah for dinner and it was so fabulous. I am sure Meagan will go on and on in her blog next time she updates it ;) We had Mecca Bah Mule drinks (cinnamon, vodka, fresh lime mashed up with ginger beer and a cinnamon stick) They rock! and then we shared 4 Mezzes (chickpea battered mussels with almond skordalia, spicy sausage salad, etc) We skipped "Mains" and headed straight for dessert (flourless chocolate cake, Raspberry and Almond Tart, and Sticky Date and Banana Pudding)... sound interesting but were amazing! I think I sold them on the "cool-factor" of this place.

Hmm... Every day I am more astounded at how expensive things are in Australia... for example, the hair product I use every day, Aveda Be Curly, costs $16.00 in the US. I grabbed it off the shelf at an Aveda store here and then did a double take at the cost .... $46.00! I quickly put it back and had mom mail me 2 bottles of product!

Well I am starting to stretch for things to write about so I better wait for something more exciting to happen :)

Mjaddarah = lentils and rice

Hey guys! I officially have a new job ... and I really like it! I am working at Mecca Bah which is located in the Docklands right over the water - a nighttime hotspot. The restaurant has a Turkish/Middle Eastern cuisine and is designed to be shared (PF CHANGS style). There is a variety of Mezze (tapas) which are bite sized with interesting flavor combinations. For example: Boureks are minced lamb mixed with nuts and spices and wrapped in a very thin pastry, baked, and served over Tatziki (yogurt and dill sauce). Bastilla is the traditional dish of Moracco and is tender stewed chicken mixed with nuts and spices and wrapped in a similar thin pastry then dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar. The sweet/savoury flavors melt in your mouth and are fabulous! There are 50 other interesting combinations that I'm learning about but it's great!

The people who dine here are really nice and laid back. The first night I worked, I recieved about $130 in tips in a country where people "Just don't tip!" Most of it came from one young guy who was really cool and gave me a lot ... but all the waiters were really happy with me since we pool tips.

The waiters and managers are very eccentric and some of them are gay... which of course makes the place very lively and just "fabulous!" They thought that since I was from Texas I would be a "homophobe" but I just explained that I am from Austin, Texas ;) and it doesn't phase me. Everyone stays after work because we are allowed to sit around after work and have a free drink or two. It's great!

Mecca Bah

So it has been a while since I wrote because I have been really busy with work lately! I have spent every day at La Scala Ristorante since last Saturday when Mom left.... I definitely went to sleep at 4pm on Sunday afternoon after work and woke up at 11:30am on Monday! Mom must have worn me out... or was it the partying at Mecca Bah the night before?

Saturday night, La Scala's temporary chef, David invited me to meet up at Mecca Bah where he is a chef for a drink. I really haven't explored the bars in the Docklands and this is a Turkish restaurant with really interesting foods ... so I recruited Meagan to go with me. It was slightly awkward when we first got there because apparently it was a fancy restaurant and didn't have a "bar" to sit at so we just pretended to look at the menu and had a glass of wine (or in Meg's case a Mecca Bar Mule which was made of Vodka, ginger beer, with shredded lime, and a cinnamon stick) until David got off work. Needless to say, the bar closed and quite a crowd of employees had gathered at our table ... we drank until about 2 am ... on the house. The coolest part was that everyone was an "international!" There were a few Brits, a couple of Kiwi, Texans, Aussies, etc.

Five glasses of Shiraz later, I was drunk for the first time since I've been in Australia and we stumbled the 30 minute walk home. Man, I would never imagine walking home in Austin from a bar... much less walking 3o min, but we do it all the time here! Maybe that's why I wear flip-flops out! Oh yea, I also got an interview with the manager for a job there because they pay higher and the restaurant is more intense and a faster pace than La Scala.


I drank a whole liter of water at the end of the night... from a wine glass!






Tuesday, I got the job and I have a "trial" is tomorrow! Good luck to me since I already spent an hour on the internet looking up words like "harissa," "kofte," "kataifi," "harira," and "mjaddarah," which are all over the menu!

5 Funniest Moments of the Week

1. My dress getting caught in the escalator and almost getting ripped right off of me in the middle of a mall/casino (see previous post for more info)

2. Mom getting kicked by a kangaroo right on her thighs because it was hungry and greedy for more food!

3. Walking up to our room at the Bed and Breakfast at 10pm and seeing an old man in nothing but a Speedo exiting his room in search of the bathroom. Yeah... I just looked down but before Mom realized what he was wearing she had already said "How are you tonight?" He was pretty embarrassed (as were we) and he went back to his room to get a satin robe! ha! What made it worse was that our room key didn't work so he had to walk by us again and he even offered to help us with the key!

4. Driving behind a van on the way home from Phillip Island that probably had an international driving who clearly didn't know any of the rules of the road. He turned on his blinker every time he went around curves or the road bent at all.... he constantly went from low lights to brights every few seconds. The cars were all flashing him but I don't think he got it.

5. Watching a crazy guy throw his jacket on the ground and then do martial arts around it and then kicking it up into the air only to karate chop it back down!

Did I really drive in Australia?

Today I took Mom to Phillip Island (I described it a few posts ago when I went with the flatmates) and we rented a car and I DROVE IT! The thing is... Australians drive on the left side of the road where as Americans drive on the "right side" haha ... get it? Anyhow, I was very anxious when we left but felt really comfortable by the end. Too bad when I pulled the car into the lot to turn it in, I scraped the hubcap on the curb. Just my luck... when we arrive back in Melbourne... I mess up. Otherwise, it was a pretty smooth trip.

We had some lunch at a little cafe where they had, of course, foccacia and wraps. Every freaking restaurant in Australia sells those two things (in addition to: chicken parma, chicken schnitzle, caesar salad with an egg, and pizza). I guess I contribute to the problem because I think I order a foccacia in every restaurant.

We saw the Kangaroos and fed/petted them. The kangas had an affinity for Mom and kept harrassing her. Sometimes they would go after me, but after they stole the feed bag from me and ripped it to shreds, they had no interest. Mom however, had a full bag that they were very interested in. So interested in fact that one of the bigger grey kangas (about 5.0 ft tall) jumped up and KICKED her right in the legs! She even had mud marks on her pants to prove it! I can't believe she got kicked by a kangaroo!!! haahhahaha It was so funny...

Then we went to the Nobbies which are rock islands made from volcanic material for millions of years ago. There are sea bird breeding and thousands of fur seals on these rocks. There was also a really interesting area called the "Blow Hole" which is where the waves have corroded a part of the cliff to create a very deep cave. Every time a wave crashes into the cave, the air is compressed against the back wall and when the wave finally reaches the wall, the compressed air sends the water out of the cave at such a high speed that it looks like a whale's blow hole. It was beautiful.

At 9:15 pm it was time for the Little Penguins to head back into their burrows during the Penguin Parade (I talked about this one previously too). Mom got a kick out of watching those tiny penguins which are only 33cm tall waddle up to the grassy dunes to feed their young.

Mom leaves tomorrow... better go help her pack.