Another random way to meet people:
There is a Chess Room in the Downtown Melbourne Library. I was going to see the exhibits etc, but I decided to sit at a board and see if anyone would join me. Took about 30 min (I was reading a chess strategies book, to get ready for my upcoming loss), and I played three games! (won the first, lost the next two, if you must know)
Might be a cool place to meet random smart people in the city, or get discovered for my dream of being in the championship chess league. Bobby Fischer was American, right? Just like Deep Blue!
Addendum to the science museum: In the human body exhibit, there was a digestive system exhibit, along with a piece of poo (fake?) on display, and a button. If you push the button, you get a random fart noise. So, of course, there were kids running up and pushing the button multiple times... and yes, it was hilarious.
That is all.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Isn't 'The Nobbies' fun to say?
So, before I go into Vue de Monde for some hardcore kitchen work being unprepared, maybe I'll write a little bit to waste some time.
The lawn bowling was a success. I went to St. Kilda, wandered around the Sunday Market, which was filled with the same stuff at any artists market anywhere (Photography of the area surrounding it, earrings made of dice and stuff like that...), I wandered into the St. Kilda Bowling Club, which, apparantly, is the oldest bowling club in the country, at over 150 years old!
I sat for a bit on a bench, watching and being unobtrusive, while in front of me sat an older guy with a Maryland Lacrosse hat. I swear, I come thousands of miles away from where I grew up, and there's a guy with a Terrapins hat right in front of me. So, naturally, I start up a conversation. Jeff was his name, and this was the best thing I could have done. We chatted for hours about all sorts of stuff.. he's been all over the States, had lots of opinions on everything, and started introducing me to everyone in the club (at this point, Sunday Morning, all older, playing a tournament, and very much hungover from the night before). "Hey, this is Sean, he's a skinny chef!" Again, a few people thought I was Canadian, because I didn't have a strong accent... but I was drinking beer with them and listening to their talk about intra-club drama, inside jokes, and lewd comments about everything. This is a weekend activity I can see myself getting into.
So of course, Jeff and I started drinking as soon as the bar opened (12:30 PM), and one of the members let me use her balls, and I got to play around with the bowling. The idea is like bocce (I think), in that there's a little white ball that gets rolled first, and you have to get your bigger balls close to the small one, every one that is within a certain distance gets points. Totally different though, is how the balls roll. They are designed so that when they slow down, they will curve to one side, so you have to use that curve to get the ball where you need it, such as in between others, hitting opponents' balls out of the way, etc. It's very different, and a bit hard to get used to, but very very fun once you get the hang of it!
The rest of the day was alright. There is a HUGE horse race in Melbourne today (Melbourne Cup), and it is a public holiday, so everything is closed (except for bars/restaurants, of course). That being said, everyone just takes Monday off, and makes a 4 day weekend out of it. So, lots of drinking, all the bars were completely full by 4:30ish, and it was hard to even find space to move. I saw some pretty good bands, had a few beers, and headed back.
Yesterday, I took a few couchsurfers down to Phillip Island, where there's this "World Famous Penguin Parade!" Basically, Little Blue Penguins come in from their day in the ocean, fishing and such, and undertake a sunset/dark run up the beach to their homes to avoid any predators/birds of prey that would get them. These things are tiny (maybe 12-15 inches), so they can get picked off pretty easily. So, of course, we build two huge parade stands, lights, and every night have a large group of people watch this event (2000 were said to be there yesterday). They don't seem to be afraid of us, but they are scared to death of the seagulls that hang around to pester them/us. It was quite a sight to behold, packs of these litle things waddling up the beach a full speed, stopping when they get scared, until a ballsy one chases away a seagull. Sometimes, they'd make it halfway up the beach, get spooked, and haul ass back into the waves.. It was pretty cool to see. And, as you walk back along the boardwalk, you can see these guys reuniting with their chicks, feeding them, and waddling along a track, where they like to hide under cars. Go figure.
The rest of the island was alright. There was chocolate "factory" that bought huge blocks of chocolate and made them into smaller blocks of chocolate, a grand prix circuit, a lame town which the guy at the information center said would be better if they just bulldozed the whole thing... Just kind of a beach community centered around the Penguins.
Oh, and a koala conservation center, which had a few koalas in trees that you can look at and take pictures of, and a natural rock jetty called "The Nobbies," which is a place that gulls/terns/other seabirds nest and rear offspring (loud and full of bird poop), and seals come to sun/breed as well. Something about waves crashing into rocks which is nice for getting wildlife in the mood, i guess...
Still, The Nobbies is fun to say. Try it.
The lawn bowling was a success. I went to St. Kilda, wandered around the Sunday Market, which was filled with the same stuff at any artists market anywhere (Photography of the area surrounding it, earrings made of dice and stuff like that...), I wandered into the St. Kilda Bowling Club, which, apparantly, is the oldest bowling club in the country, at over 150 years old!
I sat for a bit on a bench, watching and being unobtrusive, while in front of me sat an older guy with a Maryland Lacrosse hat. I swear, I come thousands of miles away from where I grew up, and there's a guy with a Terrapins hat right in front of me. So, naturally, I start up a conversation. Jeff was his name, and this was the best thing I could have done. We chatted for hours about all sorts of stuff.. he's been all over the States, had lots of opinions on everything, and started introducing me to everyone in the club (at this point, Sunday Morning, all older, playing a tournament, and very much hungover from the night before). "Hey, this is Sean, he's a skinny chef!" Again, a few people thought I was Canadian, because I didn't have a strong accent... but I was drinking beer with them and listening to their talk about intra-club drama, inside jokes, and lewd comments about everything. This is a weekend activity I can see myself getting into.
So of course, Jeff and I started drinking as soon as the bar opened (12:30 PM), and one of the members let me use her balls, and I got to play around with the bowling. The idea is like bocce (I think), in that there's a little white ball that gets rolled first, and you have to get your bigger balls close to the small one, every one that is within a certain distance gets points. Totally different though, is how the balls roll. They are designed so that when they slow down, they will curve to one side, so you have to use that curve to get the ball where you need it, such as in between others, hitting opponents' balls out of the way, etc. It's very different, and a bit hard to get used to, but very very fun once you get the hang of it!
The rest of the day was alright. There is a HUGE horse race in Melbourne today (Melbourne Cup), and it is a public holiday, so everything is closed (except for bars/restaurants, of course). That being said, everyone just takes Monday off, and makes a 4 day weekend out of it. So, lots of drinking, all the bars were completely full by 4:30ish, and it was hard to even find space to move. I saw some pretty good bands, had a few beers, and headed back.
Yesterday, I took a few couchsurfers down to Phillip Island, where there's this "World Famous Penguin Parade!" Basically, Little Blue Penguins come in from their day in the ocean, fishing and such, and undertake a sunset/dark run up the beach to their homes to avoid any predators/birds of prey that would get them. These things are tiny (maybe 12-15 inches), so they can get picked off pretty easily. So, of course, we build two huge parade stands, lights, and every night have a large group of people watch this event (2000 were said to be there yesterday). They don't seem to be afraid of us, but they are scared to death of the seagulls that hang around to pester them/us. It was quite a sight to behold, packs of these litle things waddling up the beach a full speed, stopping when they get scared, until a ballsy one chases away a seagull. Sometimes, they'd make it halfway up the beach, get spooked, and haul ass back into the waves.. It was pretty cool to see. And, as you walk back along the boardwalk, you can see these guys reuniting with their chicks, feeding them, and waddling along a track, where they like to hide under cars. Go figure.
The rest of the island was alright. There was chocolate "factory" that bought huge blocks of chocolate and made them into smaller blocks of chocolate, a grand prix circuit, a lame town which the guy at the information center said would be better if they just bulldozed the whole thing... Just kind of a beach community centered around the Penguins.
Oh, and a koala conservation center, which had a few koalas in trees that you can look at and take pictures of, and a natural rock jetty called "The Nobbies," which is a place that gulls/terns/other seabirds nest and rear offspring (loud and full of bird poop), and seals come to sun/breed as well. Something about waves crashing into rocks which is nice for getting wildlife in the mood, i guess...
Still, The Nobbies is fun to say. Try it.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Boldy, and with Confidence
Happy Halloween!
I went as an American Tourist, complete with accent and everything. It was such a good costume, nobody had any idea I was in disguise...
Not much exciting going on.. Last night I boycotted any place that had Halloween decorations, so I went to this small pub, started chatting with these guys who were avid travelers as well (One was from Vienna, moved to Melbourne 5 years ago). They poured some beer from their pitcher for me, and we had a nice conversation. All these pubs have these awesome rooftop areas to drink/smoke/relax, and this is where we were.
Side note: Aussies can drink? Mayhaps, but they do it in 'pots,' which are about 10 ounces big. They look so freaking tiny, it's hard to believe that this actually counts... also, the people I've seen drink them pretty slow as well... Lastly, I saw a guy do an Irish Car Bomb (or whatever the aussie equivalent is) by dropping a shot glass in a pot... I mean, cmon. Even I can do one of those, probably...
After that, walked up and down Brunswick St, the kinda hip bar/club area, and wandered into this really cool pub. I got a beer, and heard some music going on on the other side of the bar. I asked a lady how I got to the music, and she pointed through a "Staff Only" door. So I went in. Turns out they were just doing a sound check, and it wasn't really open yet. Ha! I sat around, listened to the soundcheck, chatted with the merch girl and some of the band members, but left before the show started (I was half falling asleep, and the thunder was starting outside). On my way home, I stopped by a Jazz club, where the bouncer let me in for a song after I decided not to spend 15 bucks on the cover. Very solid band, and of course, right as I get up there, 3 minutes later they take a set break.
Oh well, what are you gonna do.
I will say though, nothing sobers you up like a walk/run through pouring rain. They have all this talk about a drought here, but if they actually used the rainwater that came down, they could flush all the toilets in Melbourne for like a month.. It's crazy!
Ok, Sunday. I'm gonna go try and crash a Lawn Bowling game. Wish me luck!
I went as an American Tourist, complete with accent and everything. It was such a good costume, nobody had any idea I was in disguise...
Not much exciting going on.. Last night I boycotted any place that had Halloween decorations, so I went to this small pub, started chatting with these guys who were avid travelers as well (One was from Vienna, moved to Melbourne 5 years ago). They poured some beer from their pitcher for me, and we had a nice conversation. All these pubs have these awesome rooftop areas to drink/smoke/relax, and this is where we were.
Side note: Aussies can drink? Mayhaps, but they do it in 'pots,' which are about 10 ounces big. They look so freaking tiny, it's hard to believe that this actually counts... also, the people I've seen drink them pretty slow as well... Lastly, I saw a guy do an Irish Car Bomb (or whatever the aussie equivalent is) by dropping a shot glass in a pot... I mean, cmon. Even I can do one of those, probably...
After that, walked up and down Brunswick St, the kinda hip bar/club area, and wandered into this really cool pub. I got a beer, and heard some music going on on the other side of the bar. I asked a lady how I got to the music, and she pointed through a "Staff Only" door. So I went in. Turns out they were just doing a sound check, and it wasn't really open yet. Ha! I sat around, listened to the soundcheck, chatted with the merch girl and some of the band members, but left before the show started (I was half falling asleep, and the thunder was starting outside). On my way home, I stopped by a Jazz club, where the bouncer let me in for a song after I decided not to spend 15 bucks on the cover. Very solid band, and of course, right as I get up there, 3 minutes later they take a set break.
Oh well, what are you gonna do.
I will say though, nothing sobers you up like a walk/run through pouring rain. They have all this talk about a drought here, but if they actually used the rainwater that came down, they could flush all the toilets in Melbourne for like a month.. It's crazy!
Ok, Sunday. I'm gonna go try and crash a Lawn Bowling game. Wish me luck!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Warning: Biology ahead!
So yesterday we went to the Healesville Sanctuary, one of three zoos around Melbourne. This one focused exclusively on local fauna, and I got to see/touch many animals that are only found in Australia. Kangaroos, lizards, platypi, Tasmanian Devils, etc..
It's interesting, thinking about how some of these animals evolved out here.. Let's start with the kangaroo. Marsupial, herbivore, lazy buggers. However, they have crazy sharp claw looking things! Why would they need them? I asked the keeper, and she was saying how they live in groups (mobs), and they use the claws primarily for fighting/dominance hierarchies. Maybe I haven't done biology in a while, but it seems like a weird trait to have just for fighting/dominance. You'd think those crazy powerful legs would be enough.
The Platypus is another odd one. It looks like a cross between a beaver and a flattened duck, it is a marsupial/mammal, but lays eggs that are leathery, like a reptile. One of the few mammals that lays eggs...
There was a bird in the Birds of Prey show (I can't remember what type) that uses rocks to break open Emu eggs. One of only two species of birds in the world known to use tools (the other being in Africa).
Lastly, the Lyrebird. A small bird with a gigantic tail (long and thin, not like a peacock), that uses it for mating displays (normal), but impresses females by dancing and mimicing all sorts of other birds/power tools/human speech.
Seriously, and odd collection of animals. Everything is a bit odd down here, I guess...
In other news, next week I'll be staging at Vue De Monde for three days before going to Vietnam... One of the best restaurants in the world, and I just walked in and asked. It's a shame that I didn't bring any of my stuff with me, but oh well...
Also, Halloween is tomorrow. Apparently it's a new thing down under, and only in the past few years has it taken hold, so it's not terribly big, which is fine for me. You all know how much I love dressing up...
It's interesting, thinking about how some of these animals evolved out here.. Let's start with the kangaroo. Marsupial, herbivore, lazy buggers. However, they have crazy sharp claw looking things! Why would they need them? I asked the keeper, and she was saying how they live in groups (mobs), and they use the claws primarily for fighting/dominance hierarchies. Maybe I haven't done biology in a while, but it seems like a weird trait to have just for fighting/dominance. You'd think those crazy powerful legs would be enough.
The Platypus is another odd one. It looks like a cross between a beaver and a flattened duck, it is a marsupial/mammal, but lays eggs that are leathery, like a reptile. One of the few mammals that lays eggs...
There was a bird in the Birds of Prey show (I can't remember what type) that uses rocks to break open Emu eggs. One of only two species of birds in the world known to use tools (the other being in Africa).
Lastly, the Lyrebird. A small bird with a gigantic tail (long and thin, not like a peacock), that uses it for mating displays (normal), but impresses females by dancing and mimicing all sorts of other birds/power tools/human speech.
Seriously, and odd collection of animals. Everything is a bit odd down here, I guess...
In other news, next week I'll be staging at Vue De Monde for three days before going to Vietnam... One of the best restaurants in the world, and I just walked in and asked. It's a shame that I didn't bring any of my stuff with me, but oh well...
Also, Halloween is tomorrow. Apparently it's a new thing down under, and only in the past few years has it taken hold, so it's not terribly big, which is fine for me. You all know how much I love dressing up...
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Getting in the Groove
So,
Over the past few days, I have:
1) Seen a man get bitten by a shark
2) Watched a seagull try to ingest an entire slice of pizza without chewing (birds don't chew anyways, I know)
3) Snuck into a Museum because a local told me to
Not a bad run, I think. We went to the Aquarium (Did you know that Australia owns much of Antarctica? No, I don't know why. Maybe they were just taking what was left, like the utilities on a Monopoly board...), which was very cool (Although I have found out that I really like the Boston one alot: They're the only aquarium that has an open penguin exhibit, instead of all sorts of plexiglass. I like the penguin calls. And playing with them.). While watching the feeding of the big sharks and rays in the main tank, one of the divers had is hand all the way in a shark's mouth to try and get them to eat. All of a sudden the diver started swimming backwards towards the edge of the tank, and blood was coming out. The girl talking said "I'm not sure what's going on...um...it looks like that's the end of the feeding session! Thanks for coming!" We found out later that the shark had bitten the diver, and he was alright. Still though, how often do you see something like that!
The next day (yesterday), I went for a walk South of the Yarra River, near downtown. I walked through the Royal Botanical Gardens, a stunning example of how varied and planned a garden could be in a city. It was a great place to meander through, and even just sitting and watching the black swans was a nice way to kill time (lots of birdcalls there). Also, I visited the Shrine of Remembrance, a WWI war memorial honoring ANZAC spirit (Australia and New Zealand soldiers qualities of courage, brotherhood, loyalty...), finished in 1931 to make sure the war was never forgotten (And a few years later.. WWII!). It is a very moving monument, and absolutely gorgeous to look at. While in the main Sanctuary, there was a guy complaining about how the memorial should be about the horrors of war, yet the carvings in the sanctuary seemed to "glorify it." (Soldiers pointing majestically, holding up flags, etc..) I think he missed the point a bit, and it begins to illustrate one of the major traits of Aussies. They love to bitch about things. Most of the time it's all in good fun, but it's a serious matter for them as well. There are countless shows on TV taking the piss (Making fun of) out of the day's news, celebrities, and anything else they can...
While walking around, I met a Tunisian Flight Attendant based out of UAE. She was killing time before her next flight, and walking around. I had nothing to do, could use the company, so I chatted with her for a while. I got all sorts of great stories about rich people that take falcons on airplanes (They get their own seat, with no cage or anything), how doing an hour of makeup for a flight is because of safety, and other interesting stories (she was pissed that she only got one day in Melbourne, but she was getting 3 days in Italy in a few weeks.. what a life).
Today I decided I was going to the Melbourne Museum, a kind of big museum covering science, aboriginal culture, history of Melbourne, and other stuff. I went to a little French Cafe/Takeout thing, and chatted up the (young) people behind the counter, asking for good places to drink/things to see. This German girl who just moved to Melbourne told me I could sneak in through the cafe at the museum if I didn't have any money. I had the money, but when a local (kinda) tells me something cool to do, I'm gonna do it! There was a gigantic line for buying tickets anyways, so I saved time in addition to money (easily 200 people long..). The museum was fun, I spent the majority of the day in there. It was very modern, very informative...
I'm really digging this town. I think this may be a very different trip than the one I did last year to Japan, in that I'm really getting to know one distinct area of the world, as opposed to traveling all over to see as much as I can. I will still get around (planning my trip to the Great Barrier Reef and Sydney now), but I think I'll be in and around this city for a while, and as long as I can still find things to do, that won't be a bad thing...
Over the past few days, I have:
1) Seen a man get bitten by a shark
2) Watched a seagull try to ingest an entire slice of pizza without chewing (birds don't chew anyways, I know)
3) Snuck into a Museum because a local told me to
Not a bad run, I think. We went to the Aquarium (Did you know that Australia owns much of Antarctica? No, I don't know why. Maybe they were just taking what was left, like the utilities on a Monopoly board...), which was very cool (Although I have found out that I really like the Boston one alot: They're the only aquarium that has an open penguin exhibit, instead of all sorts of plexiglass. I like the penguin calls. And playing with them.). While watching the feeding of the big sharks and rays in the main tank, one of the divers had is hand all the way in a shark's mouth to try and get them to eat. All of a sudden the diver started swimming backwards towards the edge of the tank, and blood was coming out. The girl talking said "I'm not sure what's going on...um...it looks like that's the end of the feeding session! Thanks for coming!" We found out later that the shark had bitten the diver, and he was alright. Still though, how often do you see something like that!
The next day (yesterday), I went for a walk South of the Yarra River, near downtown. I walked through the Royal Botanical Gardens, a stunning example of how varied and planned a garden could be in a city. It was a great place to meander through, and even just sitting and watching the black swans was a nice way to kill time (lots of birdcalls there). Also, I visited the Shrine of Remembrance, a WWI war memorial honoring ANZAC spirit (Australia and New Zealand soldiers qualities of courage, brotherhood, loyalty...), finished in 1931 to make sure the war was never forgotten (And a few years later.. WWII!). It is a very moving monument, and absolutely gorgeous to look at. While in the main Sanctuary, there was a guy complaining about how the memorial should be about the horrors of war, yet the carvings in the sanctuary seemed to "glorify it." (Soldiers pointing majestically, holding up flags, etc..) I think he missed the point a bit, and it begins to illustrate one of the major traits of Aussies. They love to bitch about things. Most of the time it's all in good fun, but it's a serious matter for them as well. There are countless shows on TV taking the piss (Making fun of) out of the day's news, celebrities, and anything else they can...
While walking around, I met a Tunisian Flight Attendant based out of UAE. She was killing time before her next flight, and walking around. I had nothing to do, could use the company, so I chatted with her for a while. I got all sorts of great stories about rich people that take falcons on airplanes (They get their own seat, with no cage or anything), how doing an hour of makeup for a flight is because of safety, and other interesting stories (she was pissed that she only got one day in Melbourne, but she was getting 3 days in Italy in a few weeks.. what a life).
Today I decided I was going to the Melbourne Museum, a kind of big museum covering science, aboriginal culture, history of Melbourne, and other stuff. I went to a little French Cafe/Takeout thing, and chatted up the (young) people behind the counter, asking for good places to drink/things to see. This German girl who just moved to Melbourne told me I could sneak in through the cafe at the museum if I didn't have any money. I had the money, but when a local (kinda) tells me something cool to do, I'm gonna do it! There was a gigantic line for buying tickets anyways, so I saved time in addition to money (easily 200 people long..). The museum was fun, I spent the majority of the day in there. It was very modern, very informative...
I'm really digging this town. I think this may be a very different trip than the one I did last year to Japan, in that I'm really getting to know one distinct area of the world, as opposed to traveling all over to see as much as I can. I will still get around (planning my trip to the Great Barrier Reef and Sydney now), but I think I'll be in and around this city for a while, and as long as I can still find things to do, that won't be a bad thing...
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Great Ocean Road. It's great. Really.
It totally deserves it's name. Maybe they should change it to the Stupendous Ocean Road, because the views, waves, rock formations, and driving road all create this great experience. I drove from the beach house in Wye River to the 12 Apostles, a rock formation created by water erosion on cliffs, creating different sized pillars just sitting off the coast. And that was right next to the Loch Ard Gorge, where a shipwreck occurred about 30 years ago, with only 2 survivors, and it's this beautiful range of gullys and gorges through erosion-created islands, a sapphire ocean, and views that take your breath away.
That's just one part of the coast. It's the kind of place where you want to get a really nice convertible, blast the stereo, and just cruise. Or use a bike. Lots of people on motorcycles were all over the place, and I can totally see why, except that if it was me, I'd be a smear on the road by now...
I also went on a tree walk through a temperate rainforest, which was pretty cool, but there was more fauna on the porch outside of the beach house (I saw koalas! They're lazy balls of fur, but with good reason. There's not many nutrients in Eucalyptus leaves...). I tried taking a walk through another section of rainforest, but the path was closed due to a landslide, and the "big tree" which was one of the center attractions of the hike was completely toppled over. I guess they're gonna have to change the pamphlet for that one...
I really don't know how to talk about it anymore... nothing absolutely amazing happened, but the experience of driving down that road, stopping at amazing sight after amazing sight is something that is unparalleled. It's easily one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my life. If you get down here, make it a top priority...
Now, back in Melbourne, I think we're going to the Aquarium today, and the trip marches on... only 10 days in... plenty of time yet...
That's just one part of the coast. It's the kind of place where you want to get a really nice convertible, blast the stereo, and just cruise. Or use a bike. Lots of people on motorcycles were all over the place, and I can totally see why, except that if it was me, I'd be a smear on the road by now...
I also went on a tree walk through a temperate rainforest, which was pretty cool, but there was more fauna on the porch outside of the beach house (I saw koalas! They're lazy balls of fur, but with good reason. There's not many nutrients in Eucalyptus leaves...). I tried taking a walk through another section of rainforest, but the path was closed due to a landslide, and the "big tree" which was one of the center attractions of the hike was completely toppled over. I guess they're gonna have to change the pamphlet for that one...
I really don't know how to talk about it anymore... nothing absolutely amazing happened, but the experience of driving down that road, stopping at amazing sight after amazing sight is something that is unparalleled. It's easily one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my life. If you get down here, make it a top priority...
Now, back in Melbourne, I think we're going to the Aquarium today, and the trip marches on... only 10 days in... plenty of time yet...
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Kookabura sits in the old gum tree...
So I'm sitting at the family beach house in Wye River, on the Great Ocean Road, Southwest of Melbourne, and Megan's brother and niece are sitting on the porch, surrounded by king parrots, kookaburas, and cockatoos. It's a freaking tropical zoo, they swarm to get birdseed (Raw meat for the Kookaburas), which is amply provided for them by Megan's stepmother. They crash into the glass to get our attention. They sit on the porch railing waiting for feeding time. It is wild. We in North America think of all of these birds as tropical, and here they are, just hanging out by the beach...
And what a beach it is. Obviously, the entire southern coast of Australia is beachfront (and cliffs above the ocean too), and there is this huge stretch of coastal road built after the Great Depression used to get people to the coast, and out surfing (among other things). This road is called the Great Ocean Road, and it is simply one of the most stunning drives in the world. Imagine winding curves through Eucalyptus tree forests, where sheer cliff dropoffs are all over the landscape, creating a winding coastline where you can see for miles. I can't do it justice, pictures can't do it justice, it's one of those things you really just need to see. While we were driving, it rained, so for part of the drive we had a rainbow in the ocean. I don't think I've ever seen an entire rainbow before... Beginning and ending in the sea.
Before we came out here, I spent some time in the Queen Victoria Market... one of the largest markets in the southern hemisphere. And what a market it is. 5 aisles of farm produce (an aisle being an entire city block, at least), an entire organic section, a food court, a meat/fish section the size of a mall, a deli section with meats/cheese/farmmade butter/bakeries/etc.. And that's just the food. There's a million silly trinket stalls taking up an area as big as the rest of the market...
I was walking through the deli, finding things for lunch, and decided I wanted some Smoked Tasmanian Salmon. I walk up to a stall, ask for some, and inquire as to the quality. "It's pretty good," the saleslady says.
"No No No. I don't want pretty good. What's better?"
"Um, we have some Awesome stuff..."
"Yes! I want Awesome stuff!"
So she goes into the back (of a tiny stall), gets an unmarked package, and gives me a taste. "Smoked ocean trout" It was awesome. Light, slightly briny, tasting like the ocean...
Some of that, some Aussie triple cream brie, and a baguette make lunch. Walked around the city, fell in love with it some more. Sat for a while at the Federation Bells, a bunch of differently toned bells that play for 3 hours a day (non-consecutive), and which you can submit musical creations online... very cool!
So, down to the pub now, and then I'm cooking dinner for 15 people tonight. You know me...
And what a beach it is. Obviously, the entire southern coast of Australia is beachfront (and cliffs above the ocean too), and there is this huge stretch of coastal road built after the Great Depression used to get people to the coast, and out surfing (among other things). This road is called the Great Ocean Road, and it is simply one of the most stunning drives in the world. Imagine winding curves through Eucalyptus tree forests, where sheer cliff dropoffs are all over the landscape, creating a winding coastline where you can see for miles. I can't do it justice, pictures can't do it justice, it's one of those things you really just need to see. While we were driving, it rained, so for part of the drive we had a rainbow in the ocean. I don't think I've ever seen an entire rainbow before... Beginning and ending in the sea.
Before we came out here, I spent some time in the Queen Victoria Market... one of the largest markets in the southern hemisphere. And what a market it is. 5 aisles of farm produce (an aisle being an entire city block, at least), an entire organic section, a food court, a meat/fish section the size of a mall, a deli section with meats/cheese/farmmade butter/bakeries/etc.. And that's just the food. There's a million silly trinket stalls taking up an area as big as the rest of the market...
I was walking through the deli, finding things for lunch, and decided I wanted some Smoked Tasmanian Salmon. I walk up to a stall, ask for some, and inquire as to the quality. "It's pretty good," the saleslady says.
"No No No. I don't want pretty good. What's better?"
"Um, we have some Awesome stuff..."
"Yes! I want Awesome stuff!"
So she goes into the back (of a tiny stall), gets an unmarked package, and gives me a taste. "Smoked ocean trout" It was awesome. Light, slightly briny, tasting like the ocean...
Some of that, some Aussie triple cream brie, and a baguette make lunch. Walked around the city, fell in love with it some more. Sat for a while at the Federation Bells, a bunch of differently toned bells that play for 3 hours a day (non-consecutive), and which you can submit musical creations online... very cool!
So, down to the pub now, and then I'm cooking dinner for 15 people tonight. You know me...
Monday, October 12, 2009
October showers...
Spring is definitely in full swing down here...
You know how people always say that they live in a place where you can never tell what the weather is going to be, and that it changes from minute to minute? Melbourne trumps all of those places, at least in the past few days that I've seen. It is a nice temperature in the morning, calm with clear skies, and then all of a sudden it's really windy. And then it clears up and gets hot. And then clouds appear out of nowhere and create a downpour. Maybe we should give up on the prediction of the weather, because it seems to be a fruitless endeavor.
Anyways, I'm definitely getting settled into Melbourne life, and the time zone. I went to an engagement party with Megan on the day I got in, after taking a quick nap for a few hours, and was immediately assaulted by English spoken as a foreign language. You can kind of tune out foreign language, especially if it is one that you don't understand at all. With Australia, everyone speaks English, so you're constantly listening, but not totally hearing everything that is said. This problem is compounded at a party, with loud music, and lots of people. Thankfully, everyone I met was very gracious with this, and one of Megan's friends even tried to help me translate, since just getting back from America herself, she was "fluent in Australian and American."
On Sunday, I went on a walk around the Yarra River (which runs right by the house), seeing the "falls" (glorified dam, not very big, but enough to create rapids which kids were kayaking down), and a converted convent which housed a bakery and a rotating modern art exhibit. It was a gorgeous day for a stroll (well, the morning, at least), and framed by a river that might have the Potomac beat in amount of sediment (Yarra is apparently an indigenous word which means upside-down, thus: the upside-down river), it was a nice way to stretch my legs after sitting in a flying tin can for 2 days.
We then joined Megan's sister and her sister-in-law for a jaunt into the city, to a craft show that was going on at the Royal Exhibition Center. The show was typical, and had some really nice quilts/crafts/artsy stuff, the building it was in is absolutely stunning. It's a UNESCO Heritage Site, built in the early 1900s, and it's Victorian to the hilt. Intricate painted walls/ceilings, huge arched headspaces.... Just an amazing building, and kept in amazing condition (I'm sure it has been retouched, but still...).
A chill evening followed, pastries at an Italian bistro, I made dinner for the family, and some relaxing to try and evade the jet lag.
Monday was a wandering day, where we took the tram into the city and meandered around Melbourne for a while. Melbourne is a great city, in layout and in feel. The Central Business District (CBD) is a grid, where there aren't many skyscrapers, so it has a very personal feel to it. Around the outskirts, there are tons of parks, art galleries, gardens, and other sights which create a constant vibrancy in the city's momentum. The architecture is a combination of old school Victorian and very modern creations, creating a really sleek but accessible feel throughout the city. For example, Federation Square is right to the South of the CBD, where the Melbourne Visitor Center is (Hardcore tourist center), and the Australian Center for the Moving Image (ACMI - Film museum), among other things. But the buildings are so modern (think NYC Apple store for the tourist center, and modern patchwork quilt for ACMI), and the open space in between so well planned out, it feels like a great place to sit and peoplewatch, which is exactly what goes on, it seems. Megan says there is tons of stuff going on there in the summer, so I anticipate that being a place I go to a lot.
ACMI was very cool, but the museum was too new, and things weren't exactly working 100%. We went to the Old Melbourne Gaol (Jail), where a lame "scary get locked in a cell" tour led to a kinda creepy, but pretty middle-ages style Jail, where apparently you can have a wedding ceremony/reception (Megan went to a wedding there.. As long as the sweetheart table isn't under the gallows, I guess it's ok...). We walked a lot through the alleys and arcades that go between the main streets, which struck me as really cool; the kind of place that you can get lost in and find all sorts of cool stuff off the beaten path. After getting tons of reading material for things to do in and around Melbourne (3 months is seeming shorter and shorter...), we headed back to the house just as it started to pour, and relaxed a bit before going to Megan's basketball game, where I got to push the buttons to put score on the board! Yay!
And yes, today is my Birthday (in Australia, at least), but it's really cold and windy outside, and I have a party with 12 people at a Greek Restaurant (and wherever else you drink around here) tonight, so Megan is out renting a whole lot of iconic Aussie movies, and getting some sort of green tea milkshake which supposedly is amazing... Also, I've learned from last time that you can't spend every day going balls to the wall, because you'll get worn out. 3 months is much longer than one month, and not enjoying the trip is terrible, even if it was jam-packed with things that have been seen/done...
You know how people always say that they live in a place where you can never tell what the weather is going to be, and that it changes from minute to minute? Melbourne trumps all of those places, at least in the past few days that I've seen. It is a nice temperature in the morning, calm with clear skies, and then all of a sudden it's really windy. And then it clears up and gets hot. And then clouds appear out of nowhere and create a downpour. Maybe we should give up on the prediction of the weather, because it seems to be a fruitless endeavor.
Anyways, I'm definitely getting settled into Melbourne life, and the time zone. I went to an engagement party with Megan on the day I got in, after taking a quick nap for a few hours, and was immediately assaulted by English spoken as a foreign language. You can kind of tune out foreign language, especially if it is one that you don't understand at all. With Australia, everyone speaks English, so you're constantly listening, but not totally hearing everything that is said. This problem is compounded at a party, with loud music, and lots of people. Thankfully, everyone I met was very gracious with this, and one of Megan's friends even tried to help me translate, since just getting back from America herself, she was "fluent in Australian and American."
On Sunday, I went on a walk around the Yarra River (which runs right by the house), seeing the "falls" (glorified dam, not very big, but enough to create rapids which kids were kayaking down), and a converted convent which housed a bakery and a rotating modern art exhibit. It was a gorgeous day for a stroll (well, the morning, at least), and framed by a river that might have the Potomac beat in amount of sediment (Yarra is apparently an indigenous word which means upside-down, thus: the upside-down river), it was a nice way to stretch my legs after sitting in a flying tin can for 2 days.
We then joined Megan's sister and her sister-in-law for a jaunt into the city, to a craft show that was going on at the Royal Exhibition Center. The show was typical, and had some really nice quilts/crafts/artsy stuff, the building it was in is absolutely stunning. It's a UNESCO Heritage Site, built in the early 1900s, and it's Victorian to the hilt. Intricate painted walls/ceilings, huge arched headspaces.... Just an amazing building, and kept in amazing condition (I'm sure it has been retouched, but still...).
A chill evening followed, pastries at an Italian bistro, I made dinner for the family, and some relaxing to try and evade the jet lag.
Monday was a wandering day, where we took the tram into the city and meandered around Melbourne for a while. Melbourne is a great city, in layout and in feel. The Central Business District (CBD) is a grid, where there aren't many skyscrapers, so it has a very personal feel to it. Around the outskirts, there are tons of parks, art galleries, gardens, and other sights which create a constant vibrancy in the city's momentum. The architecture is a combination of old school Victorian and very modern creations, creating a really sleek but accessible feel throughout the city. For example, Federation Square is right to the South of the CBD, where the Melbourne Visitor Center is (Hardcore tourist center), and the Australian Center for the Moving Image (ACMI - Film museum), among other things. But the buildings are so modern (think NYC Apple store for the tourist center, and modern patchwork quilt for ACMI), and the open space in between so well planned out, it feels like a great place to sit and peoplewatch, which is exactly what goes on, it seems. Megan says there is tons of stuff going on there in the summer, so I anticipate that being a place I go to a lot.
ACMI was very cool, but the museum was too new, and things weren't exactly working 100%. We went to the Old Melbourne Gaol (Jail), where a lame "scary get locked in a cell" tour led to a kinda creepy, but pretty middle-ages style Jail, where apparently you can have a wedding ceremony/reception (Megan went to a wedding there.. As long as the sweetheart table isn't under the gallows, I guess it's ok...). We walked a lot through the alleys and arcades that go between the main streets, which struck me as really cool; the kind of place that you can get lost in and find all sorts of cool stuff off the beaten path. After getting tons of reading material for things to do in and around Melbourne (3 months is seeming shorter and shorter...), we headed back to the house just as it started to pour, and relaxed a bit before going to Megan's basketball game, where I got to push the buttons to put score on the board! Yay!
And yes, today is my Birthday (in Australia, at least), but it's really cold and windy outside, and I have a party with 12 people at a Greek Restaurant (and wherever else you drink around here) tonight, so Megan is out renting a whole lot of iconic Aussie movies, and getting some sort of green tea milkshake which supposedly is amazing... Also, I've learned from last time that you can't spend every day going balls to the wall, because you'll get worn out. 3 months is much longer than one month, and not enjoying the trip is terrible, even if it was jam-packed with things that have been seen/done...
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Around the world in 60 hours, or why you should never fly Delta.
So, here it is, October 11th, and I got to Melbourne yesterday. But wait, you say, weren't you supposed to be there on Friday?
I got to Dulles Airport, and right after I went through security, the first leg of my flight to Detroit was on time. Right after I got off, not 10 minutes later, it was delayed an hour. So I tried to figure out my options. First, I asked for a flight on Virgin Atlantic, flying straight to LA, which I thought I had a chance of getting because I fixed their dot matrix printer (they still use those?). No dice, but had I already had a flight, I would have gotten free drinks. Oh well. After chatting with two Delta agents, I was left with the idea that I should stick with the flight, I'll still have 15 minutes to transfer in Detroit, and the airport wasn't that big...
So, biting my nails, I fly to detroit, and haul across the airport. I was running, and passing all the other people trying to transfer as well... Which felt great, because I can definitely run faster than most buisnessmen in suits. I get to the gate for my Detroit --> LAX flight, and there's a huge line. I was relieved, because now it was smooth sailiing. I would make all my flights, and I can sit back and focus on trying to sleep on the airplane. I strap in, try my best to ignore the RIDICULOUSLY chatty Korean woman talking the ear off the elderly man sitting next to me.. We taxi to the runway, and the captain comes over the loudspeaker: "We have an instrument gauge message here, 'insufficent fuel for trip,' and we're going to have to go back to the gate for this one..." Ugh.
Everyone worried about connections was let off the plane to chat with a gate agent (everyone else had to wait on the plane... security measures...) Out of the 10 of us sitting out there, 9 of us are going to Australia, and 6 of us were trying to get the same Delta flight in LA.
Now, I will make it clear here... Delta is in the process of merging with Northwest, and they are all running on the same name/uniforms/etc.. However, the airlines are still distinct. Northwest people can't use Delta machines (and vice versa), Delta service people can't help us with problems with a Northwest plane, yet in the spirit of corporate ideals, all trace of differences in signage for the benefit of the customer is gone, so you have no idea which line is the one that can help you...All for total immersion of Northwest into Delta. God Bless America.
So, my first two flights were Northwest, and going to Australia I was on Delta. The service desk in Detroit told us we would probably have to stay overnight in LA, but they would try and hold the plane in LA, because there were multiple people who would be stranded. An announcement would be made on the plane later. This is the shortened version. We were standing at the desk for about 1.5 hours, trying to figure out what was going on, and how to fix it. The plane, however, was all sorts of not fixed, and we left 3 hours (!) later than scheduled. So, we landed in LA at 12:30AM, when the Sydney flight left at 10:30 PM. Needless to say, the flight wasn't held.
But they didn't tell us that. No announcement was made on the plane. When we got off, nobody at the gate would help us, instead sending us outside of security to talk with the ticket counter people. When we passed outside of security, it was closed, so there was no way we were getting back in. We were never told that the flight wasn't held. A poor woman, who hated her job and her new bosses, stayed later than she was supposed to, with her mother in the hospital, so that she could help us get on new flights/situated with the hotel. She was a Northwest employee. The Delta employee stayed for 10 minutes, helped 2 of the 6 of us, and disappeared without saying a word. We were told that we were all booked on other flights the next day, but when two girls tried to confirm that by having the Northwest woman look up the info, it was found that they were not checked in on any flights. Those not flying Delta to Australia were up a creek, as "it was only Delta's responsibility to get the passenger to the terminal of the Delta ticket," they wouldn't help anyone with further flights get situated with the other airline. They made me call my Australian airline connection to figure out my Sydney --> Melbourne flight. Others taking different airlines into Australia were furious. No responsibility was taken on the part of Delta employees. No effort was made at all to help us with any of our problems. We stood at the desk for 2 hours, then were told that if we wanted to work with Delta on this, we had to come back when they opened, around 4:30AM.
So three of us did. I situated myself with two girls, one from Melbourne (convienent!), and one from Michigan, and we took the strength in numbers approach. We checked into the hotel and then headed back to the airport, where we spoke to 3 different representatives, getting three different results. My flight was rescheduled on Air New Zealand through Auckland, and that could not be changed, until we talked to the supervisor, who put me on the Delta flight that went to Sydney (same as my old one, just a day later). We were in the airport until 7AM, and we weren't the only ones having problems. It was almost as if there would be riots at the counter, with the way some people were yelling and causing a scene. The Delta/Northwest counters were understaffed, and the lack of acutal service when people were being "helped" caused such distress... I've never seen anything like it, and I will never fly Delta again.
Virgin Blue (my Australian transfer) was very accommodating, having no problem changing my flight as long as I had a document proving the delay in Delta's flight. What a difference when I got to Australia. People were nice, responsibility was taken, and people knew how to create customer rapport.
Anyways, back to LA. The eventual flight to Sydney was overbooked by Delta by 16 people! 16 people had tickets but no seats. It was the most amazing display of incompetence I have ever seen in an airport...
The day wasn't a waste though. After trying to sleep in the hotel, my body not knowing what time zone/sleep cycle to be on, myself and the two girls walked around Santa Monica and Venice, and met Chris/Katie for dinner. Much thanks to them for driving us back/picking up luggage/seeing us off at the airport, even while sick... I finally made it out to the west coast! (oh, and Scott, don't worry, I'm sure you were busy, and I just saw you that weekend...Loser)
There were points in the trip that I honestly had given up, and just wanted to fly back to MD and not even deal with ineptitude and planes anymore, but I'm glad I persevered. Australia is a land of wonderful people so far, even if I haven't gotten enough sleep to be able to appreciate it yet. It's been a day and a half, I'll update more in another post, but Megan is sleeping (more jet lag than me somehow!), and someone has to make dinner!
We'll see how often I update... I will try, but I'm not promising any sort of frequency. The days are really planned out, and my amazing tour guide has everything worked out... I'm meeting people, and the majority of them are like "Ah! So you're Sean..." And, I'm going out on my birthday with 12 people whom I don't know, but will quickly become my friends, I'm sure...
I got to Dulles Airport, and right after I went through security, the first leg of my flight to Detroit was on time. Right after I got off, not 10 minutes later, it was delayed an hour. So I tried to figure out my options. First, I asked for a flight on Virgin Atlantic, flying straight to LA, which I thought I had a chance of getting because I fixed their dot matrix printer (they still use those?). No dice, but had I already had a flight, I would have gotten free drinks. Oh well. After chatting with two Delta agents, I was left with the idea that I should stick with the flight, I'll still have 15 minutes to transfer in Detroit, and the airport wasn't that big...
So, biting my nails, I fly to detroit, and haul across the airport. I was running, and passing all the other people trying to transfer as well... Which felt great, because I can definitely run faster than most buisnessmen in suits. I get to the gate for my Detroit --> LAX flight, and there's a huge line. I was relieved, because now it was smooth sailiing. I would make all my flights, and I can sit back and focus on trying to sleep on the airplane. I strap in, try my best to ignore the RIDICULOUSLY chatty Korean woman talking the ear off the elderly man sitting next to me.. We taxi to the runway, and the captain comes over the loudspeaker: "We have an instrument gauge message here, 'insufficent fuel for trip,' and we're going to have to go back to the gate for this one..." Ugh.
Everyone worried about connections was let off the plane to chat with a gate agent (everyone else had to wait on the plane... security measures...) Out of the 10 of us sitting out there, 9 of us are going to Australia, and 6 of us were trying to get the same Delta flight in LA.
Now, I will make it clear here... Delta is in the process of merging with Northwest, and they are all running on the same name/uniforms/etc.. However, the airlines are still distinct. Northwest people can't use Delta machines (and vice versa), Delta service people can't help us with problems with a Northwest plane, yet in the spirit of corporate ideals, all trace of differences in signage for the benefit of the customer is gone, so you have no idea which line is the one that can help you...All for total immersion of Northwest into Delta. God Bless America.
So, my first two flights were Northwest, and going to Australia I was on Delta. The service desk in Detroit told us we would probably have to stay overnight in LA, but they would try and hold the plane in LA, because there were multiple people who would be stranded. An announcement would be made on the plane later. This is the shortened version. We were standing at the desk for about 1.5 hours, trying to figure out what was going on, and how to fix it. The plane, however, was all sorts of not fixed, and we left 3 hours (!) later than scheduled. So, we landed in LA at 12:30AM, when the Sydney flight left at 10:30 PM. Needless to say, the flight wasn't held.
But they didn't tell us that. No announcement was made on the plane. When we got off, nobody at the gate would help us, instead sending us outside of security to talk with the ticket counter people. When we passed outside of security, it was closed, so there was no way we were getting back in. We were never told that the flight wasn't held. A poor woman, who hated her job and her new bosses, stayed later than she was supposed to, with her mother in the hospital, so that she could help us get on new flights/situated with the hotel. She was a Northwest employee. The Delta employee stayed for 10 minutes, helped 2 of the 6 of us, and disappeared without saying a word. We were told that we were all booked on other flights the next day, but when two girls tried to confirm that by having the Northwest woman look up the info, it was found that they were not checked in on any flights. Those not flying Delta to Australia were up a creek, as "it was only Delta's responsibility to get the passenger to the terminal of the Delta ticket," they wouldn't help anyone with further flights get situated with the other airline. They made me call my Australian airline connection to figure out my Sydney --> Melbourne flight. Others taking different airlines into Australia were furious. No responsibility was taken on the part of Delta employees. No effort was made at all to help us with any of our problems. We stood at the desk for 2 hours, then were told that if we wanted to work with Delta on this, we had to come back when they opened, around 4:30AM.
So three of us did. I situated myself with two girls, one from Melbourne (convienent!), and one from Michigan, and we took the strength in numbers approach. We checked into the hotel and then headed back to the airport, where we spoke to 3 different representatives, getting three different results. My flight was rescheduled on Air New Zealand through Auckland, and that could not be changed, until we talked to the supervisor, who put me on the Delta flight that went to Sydney (same as my old one, just a day later). We were in the airport until 7AM, and we weren't the only ones having problems. It was almost as if there would be riots at the counter, with the way some people were yelling and causing a scene. The Delta/Northwest counters were understaffed, and the lack of acutal service when people were being "helped" caused such distress... I've never seen anything like it, and I will never fly Delta again.
Virgin Blue (my Australian transfer) was very accommodating, having no problem changing my flight as long as I had a document proving the delay in Delta's flight. What a difference when I got to Australia. People were nice, responsibility was taken, and people knew how to create customer rapport.
Anyways, back to LA. The eventual flight to Sydney was overbooked by Delta by 16 people! 16 people had tickets but no seats. It was the most amazing display of incompetence I have ever seen in an airport...
The day wasn't a waste though. After trying to sleep in the hotel, my body not knowing what time zone/sleep cycle to be on, myself and the two girls walked around Santa Monica and Venice, and met Chris/Katie for dinner. Much thanks to them for driving us back/picking up luggage/seeing us off at the airport, even while sick... I finally made it out to the west coast! (oh, and Scott, don't worry, I'm sure you were busy, and I just saw you that weekend...Loser)
There were points in the trip that I honestly had given up, and just wanted to fly back to MD and not even deal with ineptitude and planes anymore, but I'm glad I persevered. Australia is a land of wonderful people so far, even if I haven't gotten enough sleep to be able to appreciate it yet. It's been a day and a half, I'll update more in another post, but Megan is sleeping (more jet lag than me somehow!), and someone has to make dinner!
We'll see how often I update... I will try, but I'm not promising any sort of frequency. The days are really planned out, and my amazing tour guide has everything worked out... I'm meeting people, and the majority of them are like "Ah! So you're Sean..." And, I'm going out on my birthday with 12 people whom I don't know, but will quickly become my friends, I'm sure...
Friday, July 17, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Have you ever...
Seen a World-Rock-Grammy Nominated-Quirky band in the parking lot of a ski resort, while driving snow mixed with the light of 4 twirling sky-pointed spotlights provides the backdrop for the opening act, which was a duo of fire dancers?
Oh yeah...
The girl was twirling two hula hoops on fire at the same time.
The lead singer didn't have a bottle of water, he had a bottle of wine.
And the snow didn't stop...
How was your friday night?
Oh yeah...
The girl was twirling two hula hoops on fire at the same time.
The lead singer didn't have a bottle of water, he had a bottle of wine.
And the snow didn't stop...
How was your friday night?
Friday, November 07, 2008
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Sunday, November 02, 2008
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