Off to the Races!!

If your husband comes home one day and says to buy a new fancy hat and a dress, you take him up on it!  The Sydney Carnival Royal Randwick Races are on in Sydney for the next few weeks.  www.ajc.com.au/ A group of Luke’s coworkers decided to get tickets.  So on Saturday, we all dressed up in suits, dresses, and fancy hats and went on our way to the horse races. 

I had a lot of fun shopping for hats for Erin and me!  I went to one of the big department stores.  When I got there, I couldn't believe how many others were looking, too.  Everyone was sharing opinions and a couple of the girls filled me in on how the day would go and which hats would be best. 

It was a perfect Autumn day and so nice to be outside all day experiencing a new adventure.  Betting on horses is something I know nothing about so when I bet on a few of the races I chose the winners according to their names most of the time!  J  Hey, it worked a few times, too!  We had a full day of the races and then headed to The Oaks Hotel (a popular pub by our apartment) with our group to finish out the night.  It ended with a big dance party and lots of laughing! 

I can’t wait to wear my hat to the next event!  Maybe even the Kentucky Derby one day!?

Erin and me

Richard, Anthony, Jason, Erin, me, Luke

Luke and Jason found Budweiser at the bar to order!

Erin, Jason, and Luke

Richard, Anthony, and Luke

Visitors

The last month has also been busy with our first guests making their arrival!

Luke’s ATO advisor, Bill, from K State came to Sydney for a week long visit in March so we met up with him a couple of times.  The first day we wanted to show him around the city, it poured on us the whole time.  We managed to make it to a few places and then made our plans for the next day with him. 

We took him to a rugby game to see the Rabbitohs vs. the Bulldogs.  I enjoyed my first official rugby game and started to figure out the rules as the game went on.  I’m sure we’ll see many more!  Then since it was Bill’s birthday, he really wanted lobster for dinner so we found a great restaurant that also had a perfect view of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.  We had a delicious dinner and a good time catching up with him. 

Bill got a birthday song and treat

Chris and Jessica Struzina were our first official visitors.  They have been here for the last 12 days and just headed back to the states this afternoon.  We were so happy that they stayed with us while they were in Sydney and then they went on their own adventures to Cairns, The Great Barrier Reef, and Uluru before heading back to spend their last night with us. 

I loved being their tour guide!  I took them on our coastal walk from Bondi Beach to Coogee so they could stay awake the first day and have some beautiful views.  Luke met up with us in the afternoon and we all did a tour of the Opera House which was amazing!  It was great to finally hear the whole history behind the building of it.  (another blog, another time!)  The next day they went on an all day tour to the Blue Mountains and Featherdale Wildlife.  The following day I got to go with them on their tour to the Hunter Valley which is the big wine country area 2 hours from Sydney.  We rode up in a little van with very comfy seats.  Our guide was very informative and the whole day was flexible and slow paced.  We enjoyed our wine tastings and a delicious lunch.  We all came home with many bottles of wine and I also got a jar of olives and olive oil from a winery that also had an olive vineyard.  I wish Luke could’ve joined us on this adventure.  I can’t wait to go back and take him!  The Struzina’s got to experience our modes of transportation and the craziness that can sometimes create, being caught in the rain without an umbrella, a few of our favorite cafes and restaurants, and a lesson on how to work our shower!  ;)  It was so nice to see familiar faces and catch up in person.  We hope they had as much fun as we did!  I need to get some of the pictures off of their camera when I am home to visit but here are a few from mine. 

Beach Walk

Our favorite background for pictures!

Inside the Opera House

Luke took this.  It turned out really beautiful!

Some wine vineyards

Ben Phillips, a childhood friend of mine from Kearney, has lived in New Zealand for the past year.  He and his girlfriend are traveling around Australia for the next month.  Last week Luke and I met up with Ben for dinner and drinks.  It was fun to catch up and laugh about old high school days! 

So…who wants to visit next????  We’re taking bookings after June!  J

Are you kidding me???

A few weeks ago Luke had to go out of town to meet with a client up in Newcastle.  They played golf one day so I got to explore another new city.  Except this time, I had to DRIVE to get back into the city!!!  I drove for a short distance back in December on one of our little out of town trips but this was my first time driving in full on traffic in an unfamiliar place…on the other side of the road!  ;)  I don’t know why, but I was a nervous wreck thinking about it.  Thank God for our Garmin!  It was helpful to hear directions especially when going around the numerous roundabouts when there were 3 or 4 lanes of traffic all at the same time and I needed to take the correct exit. 

Luckily, it was a successful day!  I made it into the city and found free parking at a park so I could walk around.  I found a coastal walk to do and then came to these “baths” which are just natural pools that are attached to the ocean.  It was sunny and warm so I enjoyed the next few hours.  Part of my job that day was to also find an accommodation for us for that evening.  We really wanted to stay in the Hunter Valley Wine Country but they were sold out everywhere because Lionel Ritchie, Santana, and the Doobie Brothers were all doing concerts there over the weekend.  We ended up finding a great little hotel with an ocean view. 

This sign was serious the next day when Luke and I did the walk out here!  Waves really were crashing up on the footpath.  Kind of felt like standing on the bridge waiting for the Monsoon to splash you at Worlds and Oceans of Fun! 

The baths

The ocean still crashes into the pools

We decided to drive back early the next afternoon.  We had a fun, short trip!  When we got back home we picked up a friend and went to dinner.  We took advantage of still having our rental car and drove to dinner.  On the way back home we were stopped at a light and the car behind us slammed into us.  We were so relieved that no one was injured.  Then both of us pulled over to the side of the road.  The guy that hit us admitted that it was totally his fault and then told us in a very arrogant tone that, “In Australia, we just exchange info and then our insurance companies sort everything out.”  Well, that wasn’t going to work for us so we told him we wanted to call the police.  By the way, the number isn’t 911, it’s 000.  Again, the gentleman informed us that, “In Australia, you don’t call the police.  They will be upset that you called if everyone is ok and both cars are drivable.”  Again, we told him we would like them to come.  After standing in the rain talking to this guy for about an hour, we realized he wasn’t so bad and that he just wanted to get home after a long day of working at the hospital.  And, yes, he was very aware of who Cerner was and so that topic was discussed for a bit.  He asked us several times in that hour if we could just all leave and he promised everything would work out.  Luke was so good!  He stayed calm and patient and said we weren't going anywhere until we talked to the police. 

In the time we waited for the police to show up, a tow truck came by to see if we needed help, a guy handing out fake tickets for having our hazard lights on since it was Earth Day during Earth Hour, was less than humorous to us, and then many people passed by with looks of horror of what the back of our car looked like.  The guy who hit us was driving a BMW that barely had a scratch.  When the police arrived they gave us the same info about not needing to be called in a car accident without injuries.  At least they were nice about it.  Then they informed us that they don’t like to come to the scene of an accident because “that’s when we give out tickets and people go to jail.” Then they gave Luke and the other guy a breathalyzer test where they had to speak into a device.  We were all thankful that no one had a drink!  The police gave us all of the info to call and get a police report for us to finish out the insurance paperwork with the rental company and the guy who hit us. 

By the time we made it home it was after 10pm.  Luke walked into the kitchen and said, “You’ve got to be kidding me!”  I came around the corner and saw puddles of water all over the floor, water streaking down the walls from the ceiling, lots of our belongings soaking wet, drawers were filled with water, and no power.  There was a large caved in hole in the ceiling, too.  Luke immediately unplugged the microwave as we were assuming all of our appliances had kicked off the power when they got wet.  We decided to go upstairs to the apartment above us to see if we could find out what happened.  The woman that came to the door acted shocked and said over and over that her kitchen was fine and she didn’t know why we would have a flooded kitchen.  Hmmm…so frustrated and exhausted, we headed back to our apartment and called our real estate agent because he is our contact for dealing with the landlord.  We were so glad that they called us back and said they would come by early the next morning to check things out.  So we spent our Sunday with them coming to survey the damage, Luke dealing with returning a wrecked rental car, and me cleaning and drying out our whole kitchen.  Our fridge had been off for too long so I spent a long time throwing out everything from the fridge and our very stocked freezer after my last big grocery trip.  I wasn't a fan of this part at all!  The landlord and realtor went back upstairs to check with the apartment owner above us.  When the woman told them that nothing was wrong they asked to actually see the kitchen for themselves and she finally fessed up that her dishwasher flooded her whole kitchen, too.  UGH!  Why she couldn’t have just said that in the first place is ridiculous!

A week before, we had some major storms with very strong winds.  This created a bizarre leak in our bedroom on the wall.  The water literally was coming through the paint on the wall and streaming down soaking the carpet!  When they sent someone out to look at it, he said it was from the direction of the strong winds and the outside of the building and roof would be repaired and fix the issue.  So we have two major projects coming up that the landlord is trying to set up.  Someone came a couple of days after the flood and repaired the ceiling but our landlord has decided she wants a whole new ceiling put in.  We have requested for all of this remodeling to take place when we are back in the U.S. so we don’t have to live with the extra chaos. 

notice the water streaming from the middle of the wall

Weird!!!

We’re pretty sure that our share of the black cloud has got to come to an end! J

Living

I realize that I have not posted a blog in over a month and a half.  I do apologize!  I had a few things I wanted to write about but “life” seemed to continue getting in the way of that. 

The weeks have honestly been disappearing into thin air.  I feel like I was just saying, “I can’t believe it’s February.”  Then, “I can’t believe it’s March.”  And now, “I can’t believe it’s the middle of April and I will be home for my first visit in less than 2 weeks!” 

So “life” has been getting in the way because I guess you could say we truly are LIVING here.  In every ounce of the word: We. Live. In. Australia. WOW!  Our days are filled with doing many of the same things that kept us very busy when we lived back in the states.  Luke is still working like crazy and then works a little more when he gets home.  And…then again in the middle of the night sometimes!  He really never stops but I know his hard work always pays off in the end and I appreciate his dedication because I know that is something I miss about having a job of my own. 

We have discovered that we really like poached eggs for brekky, love wine with any meal, and Thai food has become our new staple!  I can now honestly get anywhere in the city and figure out how to get back to the right bus stop to make it home.  Oh, the little things!  ;)  So, “living” has also involved becoming more and more settled and accepting of the changes that have come our way. 

We are spending more time with new friends and loving every minute of it.  I have a “Worry Free Wednesday” with a couple of my friends who are Luke’s coworkers.  Erin, Sarah, and I try to get together a couple of times a month to have a girl’s night.  We’ve all had our days or weeks of being in a funk and it has really helped to have others who are going through exactly the same feelings to listen and understand.  Erin only lives a couple of blocks away which is heaps of fun for both of us! 

Luke and I are still hitting the gym each week but I have changed up my workouts a little and several days a week I like to take different classes that our gym offers.  I am also now obsessed with Zumba!  I cannot believe this isn’t something I ever tried back in the U.S.  My friend, Ashley is an instructor in Lawrence which is how I first learned about it.  I am so glad it is offered here, too!  A couple of weeks ago Nathan Blake was here from New York and was the guest instructor in one of my classes.  Apparently, he is one of the major Zumba instructors in the world!  The creator, Beto Perez, is in Sydney this week.  On Tuesday, he did a massive master class in the middle of the city.  It was incredible and I was so glad I got to be part of it!  If you ever get the chance to try a class, I highly recommend it!  J

Luke completed his first triathlon a couple of weeks ago and did so awesome!  His work and travel schedule kept him from training for the bike and swim parts as much as he would’ve liked, but he still did an amazing job.  I was so proud of him!  There were over 4,000 participants in this Corporate Challenge event.  I cheered him on and ran around trying to take pictures of him during each of his events. 

That's A LOT of bikes!

That's the only spandex I could get him to buy!  He refused to get the budgy smugglers! ;)

Luke, Richard, and Liam

Waiting to get in the Harbour for the start of the race

Actually waiting in the water to begin

And they're off!

The bike was next

Hitting the finish line!

His team

Part of “living” in the past month and a half also included my frustrations and headaches with the never ending waiting and process of getting my approval to sub over here.  The paperwork process seemed to be an inevitable journey but it finally came to an end.  This was of course after they had somehow lost several pieces of my most important credentials and copies of certified paperwork.  Thankfully, they finally reappeared!  I finally received an approval email with details of the next step in the process.  I will have to do a 7 day orientation which includes observing in the classroom, team teaching, and independent teaching (somewhat like student teaching).  Then I will have a final interview with someone from the department of education here.  I had no idea that this was going to take so long but I suppose I can’t blame them because I would hope we would do the same thing for someone coming to teach from outside of the U.S.! 

The schools go year round here.  Their first break of the school year is April 9-26.  I started worrying about when I was going to be able to fit in this orientation considering I was heading back home for a little over a month.  When I called to sign up, the woman told me that the next available opening for the “course” to do the orientation was at the end of May.  When I told her I would be out of the country she said that wasn’t a problem and the next available date I could start was June 16^th.  This was PERFECT!!  I am so relieved and finally have this huge weight off of my shoulders.  The best part is that as soon as I get back from my long visit home, I will start my orientation straightaway.  It will be so good for me to be super busy as soon as we return and I will be excited to have this to look forward to.  I know leaving everyone will be very difficult once again and this should definitely make it not my only focus. 

With that being said, I am looking very forward to seeing everyone and having many celebrations of births, birthdays, anniversaries, parties, boating, Mexican food, and Angie’s wedding!  YAY!!!! 

As we approach our 6 month anniversary of being here, I know I am much stronger and accepting of living in this big city.  I have taken it in wholeheartedly and appreciate this experience.  It doesn’t change any feelings I have of missing family, friends, and my career, but it feels good to know that this was the right thing for us to do.  It has taken me a long time to say this out loud even though I’ve been feeling it for several months now. 

“Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at will change.”  When I came across this quote I immediately thought of our first visit here last August when we had finally made the decision to come.  I remember coming back home and everyone asking if Australia was so beautiful and amazing as everyone says.  I honestly think my bitter answer was, “It’s just a big city.  I’m sure there are beautiful parts of it but I didn’t see too many.” Wow, what a crappy statement!  I love this beautiful country.  I love the glistening ocean and the boats that occupy it.  I love the different birds that eat berries on the tree outside our bedroom window each day at 4pm, squawking the whole time.  I love the fragrance of the different flowers I walk past each day.  I love how the sun shines on the massive webs that the big (and not as scary) spiders create high in the trees.  I love walking across the Harbour Bridge at any time of the day, stopping to gaze at the Opera House and how beautiful the view is any direction I turn.  I love looking up to see the Southern Cross on a clear night.  I love having a coffee with Luke at a different café everyday if we want to.  This is such a short list of the many more things I have learned to appreciate about our new home.  I've come a long way, haven't I?????

We’ve had so many weird things happen to us and with the black cloud that has followed us around more than we would like, sometimes I have to stop and remind myself of all of these “beautiful” things that are always part of being here.  The weird things, well, that’s just part of “living” and we all experience those things from time to time no matter where we are in the world!