kat's walkabout

America: This Time, It's Personal

2009-02-16T22:26:00.000-08:00

I should have posted here when I got home, because even though I was only in Los Angeles for a week and a half, there's a lot that went through my mind upon returning home after five months away. I won't dwell too long on it now, since I want to tell you all about my first four days in New York City. I had an exhausting and not-far-from-miserable flight home from Sydney, and while it was good to see all the familiar comforts of home, my week and a half in L.A. felt eerie, because everything was either too different or too much the same. I have a lot to figure out about being home, and my Real Life starting, and that's...a little daunting, but nothing I can't handle. Doctor's visits, a trip back to Universal to see my old coworkers, seeing my friends from home, and showing my Aussie friends around L.A. for an afternoon – it was a busy leg of the journey.

Last Thursday night I took a red eye to JFK airport, arriving in the wee hours. I took the Airtrain to Jamaica station, the Long Island Rail Road to Penn Station, and a taxi to my hotel which is in Midtown Manhattan (and like, a block and a half from Hell's Kitchen). I was worried I'd have to sit in the lobby and wait for the 3pm check-in time, but luckily there was a room free at 7:30am when I got in, so I was able to take a nap and wash up before Jamie got in on the bus in the afternoon. The hotel's really cute, and quite European. Only four small rooms per floor, but it is cozy and in a convenient location...during the day (more on that later).

After my nap, I took a walk to Times Square and ate a slice of cheese pizza along the way. It is a sign of how touristy I can get that I ordered cheese pizza, because I'm trying to do things that are particularly New Yorky. I just walked through some of the tourist trap shops, and then met up with Jamie. We had a rest as we were both travel-worn, and then took another walk together before coming back to the hotel to dress up for a dinner date. We are smart and did not want to seek out a nice dinner on Valentine's Day! In our coats, boots, and black dresses, we walked to Uncle Jack's Steakhouse which is only a few blocks away, and got some steaks, garlic mashed potatoes, and a mozzarella salad. Also, the bartender made us cocktails that involved Chambord and coconut rum, which were not too sweet, and quite refreshing.

From there, we walked twenty blocks (in heels!) to the Palace Hotel, home of Serena, Lily, and Eric Van Der Woodsen, and of course Chuck Bass. We wanted to have a drink at the hotel bar made famous by Gossip Girl, so we ordered Bailey's on ice. It looked nothing like the bar from the show, but we were having a good time. As the bar was closing, we heard the bartender say that the bar upstairs was still open for a few hours. Of course, we made our way to the 2nd floor, and that's where we found Gilt, the bar we'd been looking for. I did another touristy thing and ordered a Manhattan, which was 50% delicious (I should have gotten a Kir Royale), but their bar snacks were excellent. And their bathroom was behind a secret passageway hidden in the wall! We rode out last call and then had an impromptu photo shoot in the hotel courtyard (often filmed for the show) before taking a taxi home. Walking to the hotel at night and seeing the area surrounding it was strange, because we have a celluloid image of it, when the reality was much grittier. Lots of construction and trash bags everywhere. The Woody Allen effect.

On Saturday we walked (fifty blocks!) to the Met, and spent the rest of the day there. Oh, on the way, we ate some hot chestnuts and then got soup at an UES café called Eat. The Met was fantastic, obviously, and quite busy. Lots of couples, which is nice because I think museums are some of the best dates around. By the time we were done at the museum (even more walking and standing), it was very dark out, so we walked across Central Park to the Upper West and took the subway home. MOST CONFUSING PUBLIC TRANSIT EVER. I have had easier times taking the metro in places where I didn't speak the language or know the names of the neighborhoods. There was literally a sign above a train that said "Uptown & Downtown." That is not a thing. Also, everything about the subway was the worst.

We met up with Jamie's friend Andrew who lives in the East Village (more public transit crapnanigans), and sat at a bar chatting all night. The East Village was pretty cute, and it must be where HIMYM is set. The bar was plenty fun except for the ridiculously loud music, and ladies got cheap drinks for Valentine's. Taxi home, and slept in late. We walked to Hell's Kitchen on Sunday to get a bagel (NY!) and shmear, and I continued the food tourism by getting a slice of cheesecake (Oreo, because I'm still working my tastebuds into liking plain cheesecake), and a black & white cookie for later. After dropping Jamie off at her bus, I walked (only a few blocks) to the Empire State Building. I knew I'd be in line for a long time, but I didn't really have any other plans for the day, so I spent two and a half hours of my afternoon waiting in line, and was able to see the sun set from the observation deck. I didn't get a picture of it, but a NYPD helicopter hovered next to us for a little while, too, which was pretty cool.

This morning I got up earlier than I'd been doing, and walked to the MoMA. Along the way I stopped again at 30 Rock for some more photos, as well as Bryant Park to take a photo of the Fashion Week tents. The MoMA was just fantastic; at the time I was surprised that I liked it more than the Met, but I've always loved the Tate Modern in London, so maybe I'm just way more into modern art than I think. I even sat in the cold sculpture garden and did a little sketch, until my fingers went numb. And I bought gratuitously fluffy earmuffs!

My high school friend Eliza, who lives on the UES, was off of work today, so I took the subway (mildly easier this time) to her 'hood so we could spend the rest of the day together. We walked past some beautiful homes as well as the Guggenheim on our way to Central Park, where we strolled across to the Upper West as the sun was setting. We had a coffee at Columbus Circle and then walked to midtown to get dinner. We wanted Korean BBQ so a google search led us to Bann, which was Korean food for white people (the amount of Japanese items on the menu made me lol). However, the food was very tasty, just the right amount, and not overpriced. And we each had a cocktail called the "Asian Glow," which was made with soju. I followed it with a lychee martini so we could sit and chat some more. Apparently there's a Bann in L.A. too. It was so so good to hang out with Eliza, it's been way too long. Another craptacular subway ride home, and now here we are. Oh, and I sat next to Perry from Bravo's Make Me a Supermodel.

Three and a half more days in NYC, and then off to Philadelphia on Friday. So far, I have a mixed bag of reactions to this city. Some parts are quite lovely, and the weather has been so nice that I am much happier to be here than I would if it were all ice/snow/slush. Jamie put it really well when she said that no matter where we were, we felt as if we were in the crappy part of L.A., but we might be surrounded by $1M townhouses and upscale boutiques. It's really hard to get my bearings, not direction-wise (I'm finding it very easy to find where I'm going, on foot), but in terms of what kind of a neighborhood I'm in, etc. I love living in a city instead of a town, but L.A. and Sydney have something that NYC doesn't – breathing room. I have been having a great time here, and I hope to see more of the cool hangouts before I leave, but I certainly don't think it's the place I want to spend the rest of my life.

ETA: I have 5 more photos from Central Park, but blogger won't let me upload them yet! Stay tuned!

On my way...

2009-01-28T22:14:00.000-08:00

Well, I have a lot to say, and almost no time to say it. Today is my last full day here, and I am definitely sad. I miss Los Angeles a lot a lot a lot, but it is almost impossible to say goodbye to Sydney. This morning I got up early, drank a flat white, and walked from Martin Place to Paddy's Market. I did a little souvenir shopping and got a cheap-o chair massage at Market City in anticipation of the long day of traveling I'll be doing tomorrow. I had some tasty phở for lunch and then strolled around Circular Quay and the Botanic Gardens before coming home in the afternoon to finish packing. It was way too hot to stay out in the intense sun.

This evening I'm going to have the only acceptable last dinner one can get before leaving Sydney, a hot dog with mashed peas and potatoes at Harry's Café de Wheels. A little more strolling around some of the lovely city sights and then, alas, I will have to go to sleep and end this lovely day. I fly out tomorrow afternoon (Sydney time) and arrive tomorrow morning (L.A. time) thanks to the creepiness of the international date line. Friends and family in California, I can't wait to see you.

I will be keeping up the blog for a little while. There are a few more things about the last days of the journey that I want to share when I have the time, such as a review of the concert I saw at the Opera House the other night (The Swell Season is such a great band), and some ruminations about the whole trip. Also, I imagine there might be some interesting tidbits about life back at home, and the reverse culture shock that students are warned about when they go abroad. Since my gap year is continuing for a couple of months into a little more traveling on the East Coast and in Europe, I may well blog about those adventures on this site, also, because a walkabout doesn't have to be limited to one continent, now does it?

All my love, Australia. There are too many good things about you that I will miss, and I can't type about them right now because I'll get emotional and a girl's got to keep herself together. Not saying goodbye, because you all know I'll "smell ya later."

creepy-faced carny fun

2009-01-23T19:58:00.000-08:00

It's 102 degrees Fahrenheit today! Plus some steamy humidity! So, I'm going to go jump in the pool in a few minutes. Last night Jono agreed to go to Luna Park with me, despite years of regarding it as a less-than-worthwhile way to spend an evening, but we ended up having a delightful time. I've seen it sitting on the edge of North Sydney for as long as I've been visiting Sydney, and it was never open for business when I was a kid, so I decided I wanted to go, once and for all.

Jono and I met at Circular Quay and took the ferry just across the Harbour to the familiar creepy smiling face. It was your pretty typical carnival/fair type of attractions, but we got unlimited passes (which are cost effective if you go on at least three rides) and had a delightful couple of hours. I suppose if we'd gotten there a little earlier we could have gone on some more rides (because there were some annoying queues, but nooothing like at amusement parks in L.A.). We went on the Rotor (one of those cling to the wall using centrifugal force rides) and the merry-go-round, then went into the "Coney Island" area to ride the giant slides. We went on the tango twirl (just a spinny rollercoaster thing), but the park was closing as we got off of that ride, so there was no time to go on the Ferris wheel. Here are many photos (this was kind of a coupley photo-shoot, so brace yourself -- click to view full size):

birthday cake

2009-01-20T15:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Jono's birthday, so while he was at work I used his mom's kitchen to bake a cake. I found a recipe that integrated his two favorite flavors (he hasn't got much of a sweet tooth), and even though they're not my two favorite flavors, it was absolutely the tastiest cake I've ever made. I really look forward to using this basic recipe and switching up the components a little to suit different peoples' tastes.

White Chocolate Cake with Fresh Fig Filling and White Chocolate Ganache, Garnished with Dried Wild Figs

Ingredients for Cake:
-Melted butter (to grease, unless using a silicon pan)
-180 g butter, chopped
-185 mL (3/4 cup) cold water
-2 eggs (room temperature), lightly whisked
-115 g (3/4 cup) self-raising flour, sifted
-150 g (1 cup) plain flour, sifted
-155 g (3/4 cup) caster sugar
-220 g white chocolate, chopped

Ingredients for Filling:
-1/2 lb fresh figs
-1/2 cup granulated sugar
-juice of half a lemon
-2 tbsp sherry

Ingredients for Ganache:
-375 g white chocolate, chopped
-125 mL (1/2 cup) thickened cream

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 160º C. Brush 20cm cake pan (if metal) with melted butter. Line base and sides with non-stick baking paper.
2. Place chocolate, butter, and water in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until chocolate melts. Remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly.
3. Add sugar and egg and stir until just combined. Add flours and stir until well combined. Pour mixture into lined pan and bake for one hour or until moist crumbs cling to a toothpick inserted into center. Set aside for 30 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. To make ganache, place chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan half0filled with simmering water (make sure bowl doesn't touch water) and stir with a metal spoon until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour or until mixture is thick and spreadable.
5. To make fig sauce, chop the figs finely. Boil until tender (DO NOT ADD WATER), then add the sugar and lemon juice. Cook until smooth. Remove from the fire and add sherry. It should have the consistency of jam.
6. Use a serrated knife to cut cake into 2 layers. Place bottom layer on a serving plate. Spread with half of the ganache, and top with fig filling (see below). Replace top half of cake, and spread with remaining ganache. Decorate with dried figs.

It was nummylicious and I am glad it turned out so well! I gotta give a shout out to Arielle, whose advice about the flour-siftage helped immeasurably!

true love and corsets

2009-01-18T16:59:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Jono, Jo, and I drove to Jenolan Caves to attend the wedding of our friends Sam and Marnie. Shara was a bridesmaid, Andrew was a cool guy, and perennial fun gal Lyndal was there to bring the parta-ay. The drive to Jenolan was long and pastoral, and once we got within an hour of the caves, the perilous windy road was a little bit nervewracking.

Jenolan Caves House has a monopoly on caves tourism, and it's necessary to drive over an hour away to get to a motel, café, supermarket, or any fast food. As a result, the food and lodging available there were nothing to write home about. But, it was such an enjoyable weekend with friends, and the caves and the wedding were so beautiful that it was worth the trip.

We stayed in the Gate House, which is a backpacker style accomodation just a minute's walk from the main Caves House lodging, and much more affordable. We had our own bathroom, bedrooms, and a little sitting room, which was perfect for us all to bounce around in while waiting for the main event. Some of the photos I'm going to post are mine, some are Jo's, and some are from the official photographer. (Click to view full size.)

So, as you can tell, the wedding itself was awesome. Shara baked the cake, too! We were in the caves from Friday night through Sunday afternoon. On Saturday most of us had a bunch of time to kill while the wedding party was getting ready, so we drove to the "nearest" "city" of Lithgow, which was...a special place. We got some brunch and some snacks and experienced all the joys that small town Australia has to offer. [/deadpan]

On Sunday, Jono, Jo, and I took advantage of having come all the way out to the caves to actually...see the caves. Of course, the wedding ceremony itself had been inside the caves (imagine all those high heels and corseted ladies making their way to the ceremony up all the narrow stone stairs with very little lighting!), but we wanted to take an official tour and see a little more of the varied features within the caves. None of my photos came out that well, but enjoy a little blurriness:

If you'd like to learn more about the Jenolan Caves, please visit these links. All my best to Sam and Marnie for the future!

Now that's a knife!

2009-01-18T16:36:00.000-08:00

I am eating the touristiest, Aussiest meal ever right now: kanga banga sanga! That's kangaroo sausages in "outback grains & spices" bread with "tomato sauce."

I've enjoyed eating kangaroo meat a few times in the past, and it is a good meat to eat. Kangaroos are pesty here (read: sustainable), and it's a very low-fat meat, high in protein. Since it's a bit gamey, it's not the be-all and end-all of delicious meats, but it's definitely good to try. The wikipedia article for kangaroo meat is mildly interesting if you're a nerd like me.

"are those people or am i hallucinating?"

2009-01-17T22:21:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, while I was quite sick with the flu (or whatever) which I came down with when I was at the Blue Mountains, I took a day trip to Canberra to see the Degas exhibit at the National Art Gallery. I went to Canberra for a couple of days when I was a teenager with my parents, and it was a pleasant couple of days walking around the water, listening to the chiming carillon, and visiting Parliament. However, even as a young teenager I was aware of something which most Australians are exceedingly familiar with, and which I saw even clearer on this recent trip. Canberra is a ghost town.

The suspicion is that the population of Canberra increases greatly when there's an exciting exhibit on at one of the museums, and that's certainly the only reason I felt the need to revisit the nation's capital, which is about a four hour drive southwest of Sydney.

The Degas exhibit was definitely worth the trip. It was very well organized into a chronological display of Degas' work, and was complemented by a worthwhile audio tour which helped explain the links between Degas' early paintings and those of his influences, and the transitions between his experimental monotypes and his more famous portraits. I was of course quite familiar with his paintings of opera rats, laundresses, and horses, but developed a new found appreciation for a work which I believe I've seen before, but never gave as much attention as when looking at it while listening to the audio tour (click to view full-size):

The New Orleans Cotton Exchange, 1873

With my constant nose-blowing and hydrating to get myself through the low point of my cold or flu or whatever I had, I forgot to take any photos while I was in Canberra. But worry not, I did take a photo of the Big Merino in Goulburn while stopping for petrol on the way back to Sydney:

Also in Goulburn, I bought a nifty new novelty ice cream which I hadn't seen before: a Smarties push pop! It was vanilla ice cream with Smarties mixed in, and the handle was filled entirely with Smarties! One of my favo(u)rite things about traveling has always been the different types of candy and ice creams that are available around the world.

Oh, I just dug up a photo scan of a picture that I took in Canberra when I was there a few years back:
I know, it's really high quality photo taking that I do! Marvel at my mad skillz!

nom nom nom

2009-01-17T21:09:00.000-08:00

I have to post about some of the cool things I've done in Sydney lately, but right now I am starving and wanted to post a list of the foods I am going to eat as soon as I get back to Los Angeles (preferably all in one sitting):

In-N-Out cheeseburger animal style plus fries and a Neapolitan shake
cheeseburger from Fuddrucker's
menudo
spicy chicken sandwich from Jack in the Box
carnitas burrito
Jack in the Box 99 cent tacos
French dip sandwich from Phillipe's
Korean frozen yogurt with fruit and mochi
pozole
shrimp Po' boy from the L.A. Farmers' Market
fish tacos
matzo ball soup from Canter's Deli
decent bagel with cream cheese and lox
freshly baked Krispy Kreme donut that melts in your mouth
gallon of horchata
dad's penne bolognese
decent BBQ ribs
cubano AND medianoche from Porto's (with platano chips!)
Pirate's Booty and other treats from Trader Joe's
pita pocket with chicken, rice, tomatoes, and garlic sauce from Zankou
stuffed jalapeños

There are a million reasons why I'm not ready to leave Sydney. But I am really missing L.A. I know it'll be winter when I get home, which is a downer, but it will be refreshing to get behind the wheel again, to eat the foods whose absence in my life is driving me mad, and to see the places and people that I love. When I was living in Claremont, I took the 10 freeway into Los Angeles a number of times, and each time that I would round the bend where the skyline of Downtown L.A. would be revealed, I would get a swell of pride. I can't imagine what it's going to feel like to smell the Armenian bread baking in Jon's market, to revisit my former daily commute down Riverside Drive, or to do myriad other things I've taken for granted in L.A.

The only question is, how long after I'm home will I find myself doubled over with a craving for a hot dog from Harry's Cafe, my feet twitching with the muscle memory of walking from Darlinghurst to the Rocks for dance class, and my hand accidentally writing the word "colourful" or the date as "18 Jan 2009"?

hahaha

2009-01-12T02:32:00.000-08:00

So, every time I start writing a new blog post, I try to think of a mildly clever post title that has something to do with the subject...usually involving wordplay. Since this post is going to be about my trip to the Blue Mountains, I was thinking, "blue...blue...velvet!" But then all the Blue Velvet quotations I could think of were obscenity-laden. I'm sure this was of a lot of interest to you.

A little over a week ago I took the train to Katoomba and then connected to the Blue Mountains explorer bus. The train took a couple of hours, but was a fairly pleasant ride. It was, however, pretty unfortunate that the day ticket was so expensive. The train was only $17, but since the bus company is privately owned and has a monopoly on convenient mountains transport, they charge almost $40 for a bus ride which you only get to use a couple of times in between short hikes. Typical penny-pinching aside, the only other qualm with the day was that I was coming down with some kind of demon flu which plagued me all of last week.

But on to the good stuff! I'd been to the lookout point at the Three Sisters a couple of times in my youth, but I was eager to see a little more of the surrounding mountains, so it was cool to do a couple of the short hikes that were available to tourists. Because I was under the weather, I only had the energy for a little low-impact walking, but here are some of the photos I took:

These are the gorgeous flowers I had in my apartment last week:

So, it was a good day spent in the mountains. If I were to do it again, I might study the map of the hiking trails first, take the train out, and then plan to skip the bus. I'd also be sure to spend some time in Leura, where we picked up the train to come back into the city. It's got a handful of adorable cafés and restaurants, and a lolly shop full of candies both delicious (fizzy cherry coke bottle gummies) and devastating (anything Norwegian).

so this is the new year

2009-01-10T23:26:00.000-08:00

So, 11 days too late, how about a little recap of my New Year's Eve? I believe this is the third or fourth NYE that I've spent in Sydney, and what an incredible place to ring in the new year. It's the middle of summer, and the Sydney Harbour becomes the cent(re) of attention for fireworks. During the afternoon, Jono and I met up at Circular Quay to take the ferry to Manly. We thought it would be a great day for a ferry ride and a trip to the beach, and we were right. Of course, Circular Quay was packed full of tourists trying to find a spot to stand for eight hours and get a bit of a view of the fireworks above the Harbour Bridge.

On 31 December, the Botanic Gardens are shut down so that only ticketholders can camp out and get a good view of the harbour. Here's a couple of shots of the crowds, at about 4pm, at the Botanic Gardens and at the base of the Sydney Opera House:

When we got to Manly, there were more people around than I would usually see there on a weekday afternoon, but of course all the kids are off of school, and it's a holiday for most people. Nonetheless, the beach and the corso were very nicely populated, and it was not uncomfortable to find a spot on the beach at all. We had some mediocre fish 'n chips, splashed around in the ocean for a little while, then took our sandy butts back to the ferry to make it to the city in time for our fireworks plans.

We met up with Jono's sister Jo and another friend, packed a snack bag, and headed out. We knew that the trains and buses would be miserable on NYE, with all the revelers, so we just went one stop to Martin Place, where I took a belated photo with the giant Christmas tree in the center of the CBD:

We walked from there to Observatory Hill, where Jono and Jo's folks were camped out after watching the 9pm family fireworks. They were awesome enough to relinquish their excellent spot on the hill for us youngsters, so we only had to wait for about two hours before the midnight fireworks. Armed with beers, glow sticks (to find each other in the crowd...of people wearing glow sticks), chips, salsa, and sparklers, we had a great time chatting and scanning the cityscape of North Sydney (from the lit-up ships in the water to the eerie grin of Luna Park), waiting for 2009. This was the view we had:

Here's where we were camped out, facing North:

View Larger Map

And at midnight:

The bridge looked AWESOME after all the fireworks were done:

And now it's 2009 and there's a lot of mystery in store for me this year. If I continue to be some amount as happy throughout the year as I was ringing it in, then I will be very lucky.

2009!

2009-01-01T21:42:00.000-08:00

My original date to leave here was ONE WEEK from today! Unreal. I will be posting about New Year's Eve in the next day or so. Just wanted to say hello to the new year.

I'm dreaming of a HOT Christmas

2008-12-28T14:36:00.000-08:00

Milk and cookie for Santa:

It has been a packed few days. I was super busy in the days leading up to Christmas, preparing gifts and knitting and mailing and etc. etc. etc. On Christmas Day I spent the morning at the Lee house, and went to Jono and Jo's stepdad's family's house for Christmas lunch. It was tasty foods, and Jo and I went a little crazy decorating the sugar cookies I'd baked the night before.

Then, the three of us went down to Bondi Beach on the train (then the bus). We weren't sure how it was going to go. Thankfully we got there at around 5pm, so the weather was very comfortable, and the crowds were totally manageable. Just as we got off the bus, it seemed as though there were going to be way too many people. But as it turned out, security personnel were checking bags to make sure that no one brought alcohol onto the beach itself, so all the drunken revelers were on the grassy area between the sand and the street. There were many people, tourists and Australians alike, in swim suits and santa hats, and we had some good times splashing about in the ocean.

On Boxing Day, I had my friends over for a potluck and a swim. I had a really good time. We swam, sat in the jacuzzi, and then enjoyed the sauna for a bit. Then we ate leftovers and tasty foods, drank homemade egg nog (I am going to perfect the recipe and make it a holiday staple - SO delicious), and opened our Secret Santa gifts. And had Christmas crackers! I invited Mary, Amy's friend from studying abroad in India, who was totally cool. I love pool parties.

The next day I went with Jono and Jo to another pool party, and have been having a very summery time. I have a lot of plans of things to do this week, and will update as they happen. Last night I went to Govinda's and saw "The Wackness." I have to update my other blog about the movies I've seen in theatres lately, but I've been weirdly busy! And I'm still trying to figure out what I'm doing for New Year's Eve!

Lamington Cupcakes!

2008-12-07T19:35:00.000-08:00

One thing I love to indulge in here in Australia, that we don't have in the U.S. (along with Tim Tams and meat pies), is the delicious lamington. It's a spongy yellow cake with chocolate and unsweetened coconut, and sometimes cream and jam. I made lamigton cupcakes! They're from a mix I found at the store, but I cut one in half to add cream and jam and it was so tasty.

Also, here is my tiny Christmas tree:

Springtime for Turkeys and Stuffing!

2008-12-03T15:06:00.000-08:00

(sung to the tune of "Springtime for Hitler")

I am way way behind on blogging. But I will try to make up for it with photos of the Thanksgiving feast! I spent about a week preparing (getting recipes in order, cleaning, prepping, shopping), and two and a half days cooking. This was such a fun Thanksgiving. Previously, I think my favorite Thanksgiving dinner was spent eating samosas in the Sainsbury's department store food court in London, but I think this one has taken its place. (Right-click on photos to view full size.)

Here is the Thanksgiving dinner/coffee table.

With place-settings made from stickers sent by Mom!

Window decals! And see the "Happy Thanksgiving" banner in the reflection!

What is an American holiday without honeycomb paper decorations?

The dinner table centREpiece, sent by Mom.

Truly a thing of beauty. A 3.6kg turkey stuffed and surrounded with onions and celery. The skin is rubbed with olive oil and an assortment of Italian herbs. Delicious!

Clockwise from top left: cornbread muffins made with polenta, bowl o' turkey meat, green bean casserole, salad with baby corn & craisins & almonds & balsamic vinaigrette, stuffing with craisins & nuts & ham, sauteed mushrooms, pan gravy, cranberry sauce, and candied yams

And while I finished up with the cooking, I had my guests make hand turkeys! Behold, in all their glory:

My guests let me borrow a pie pan, a salad bowl, and a meat thermometer, and brought some wine and incredibly lovely flowers. I think the meal was a big hit, as it's pretty hard to hate a holiday based around gluttony. I also made mini quiche appetizers, which I sadly did not photograph. They were made with pie crusts, egg, onion, garlic, parmesan, mozzarella, and ham. And I put mini American flags in them! Wooo! Also I mixed together orange juice, Sprite, and cran-apple juice for some punch.

Dessert was a pumpkin pie (with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream), leaf-shaped shortbread cookies made with brown sugar and spices and orange vanilla frosting (and Autumn-shaped sprinkles), and way too much homemade egg nog. I think the egg nog went over well though, so maybe I'll make a smaller batch for Christmas. Sadly, I got no pictures of dessert. Sorry, mom and dad.

It was very sweet to hear what all of my guests were thankful for. Gainful employment, accomplishments in the world of academia, and romance. I was thankful for the exchange rate between the USD and AUD, but remain sympathetic to my Australian friends in their American travels. I have to give a big booming internet shout-out to my dear Jono, who was an invaluable help with the Thanksgiving meal. He came over early on Saturday and kept me sane and ahead of schedule while the yams needed candying and the green beans needed casseroling, and carved the whole turkey for me when I decided it was not something I wanted to do. And if not for him, there would probably still be a half-eaten turkey carcass sitting on my kitchen counter, as he did the lion's share of the after-dinner cleanup. I am thankful for him.

And very thankful to my parents, without whom I would not be here, and I would not be here, enjoying this incredible time in Australia. Thank you for sending me decorations, and giving me advice with the recipes and the cooking, and for being so nice and supportive over the phone and on the other side of the internet when I was stressing out about the meal. You've made it very comfortable for me here with my family on the other side of the Pacific. I look forward to making a Thanksgiving meal for/with you in the future. I'll try to do a better job of keeping up the blog.

Hippies & Aloe Vera

2008-11-10T16:19:00.000-08:00

Sunday was an absolutely fantastic summery day. I got to enjoy a delightful late breakfast in the suburbs (smoked salmon on scrambled eggs w/ chives on a thick slice of brioche) before spending the afternoon at the Newtown Festival. Highlights included x-treem unicyclists doing tricks, various mildly capable musicians being given a platform on which to get attention, and dozens of hippies hawking their wares. Also, there were ponies! I bought myself these nifty earrings:

Probably the best part of the festival was sitting in the grass eating melty, sugary poffertjes and sweating a bucket or two. Then a stroll and a beer on King St. in Newtown to wrap up the big day out.

Yesterday was gorgeous and sunny so I took my notebook down to the Botanic Gardens and free-associated for a few hours. I felt creative looking at the harbour and the trees, and it was a productive afternoon. And of course I got some lame sunburn, so now I'm dealing with that.

Today I'm getting a long-overdue pedicure, seeing a man about a turkey, and possibly taking a hip hop dance class (we'll see). Oh yeah, last week I started going back to ballet, thank god. It feels good.

Werewolf Bar Mitzvah...

2008-11-04T16:24:00.000-08:00

...Spooky, scary! Boys becoming men, men becoming wolves!

(Once again, you have to right-click on the photos to see them full-size.)

So, last Friday I had my eagerly-awaited Halloween party! I spent all week decorating and baking, and I think it was well worth it! We sat around and played drinking games while the "spooky sound effects" CD played on loop. Because Halloween is mostly a non-issue here, I got quite a few funny looks in the elevator and lobby of my building. Just because my head was cut off doesn't mean I'm some kind of freak. Yes, I dressed as some sort of zombie '50s housewife. Here is a photo after much of my blood had flaked off.

The dedication of the Aussies to their costumes was so cool, and made me feel very good that they were enjoying the dressing up. Guests included recording superstar Prince, arbitrageur and investment banker Gordon Gekko, the mercenary Jayne Cobb, a luchador, a cat, a sexy cat, and a tobacco water pipe.

Dia de Los Muertos ofrenda:

Creepy decals my mom sent me:
Spooky cobweb in the entryway:
Delicious food and LOTS OF CANDY:

Candy corn popcorn balls (these are ridiculous):

Roasted pumpkin seeds with cardamom:Pumpkin & feta muffins (that are pumpkin shaped!) and a cupcake:
Pumpkin-shaped cocoa krispy treats with Halloween sprinkles:
Sugar cookie scones with vanilla frosting and broken decorations:
Graveyard Sludge:
Jello shots with candy bones:

Also, the lovely flowers that are on my table this week:

My apartment!

2008-10-29T06:08:00.000-07:00

These photos are all larger than blogger will display, so right-click and "view image" to see them full-size.

The view from my living room window:

My wall of mirrored closet and a reflection of my bedroom:

My trapezoid-themed bathroom:

My desk:

The view from my bedroom:

The "entertainment center" and corner of Halloween decorations:

A sampling of the weird art in my living room:

Triangular kitchen:

jellyfish and geriatrics

2008-10-24T00:45:00.000-07:00

Two things I learned today:
1. Members of the Australian Navy sometimes wear short shorts. Captain Tightpants, indeed.
2. There is no hubris more annoying than that of an olive-skinned girl. I thank my Italian lineage for a shade which is often pale, but keeps a tan well and rarely burns. That said, I wear a light facial moisturizer with SPF most days to prevent wrinkles. Also, I've lately worn bangs which keep my forehead in the shade. Today of course I did neither, and came home with a perfectly pink brow. What a pain in the butt.

I met up with a nice French girl named Sandra this afternoon. She's newer to Sydney than I am so I thought we should eat at Harry's Cafe de Wheels. Woolloomooloo has a very special place in my heart. I've spent many chunks of my formative years there, heard INXS perform live there when I was a little girl, and I've eaten at Harry's more times than I can count. I remember when the Blue Hotel on the Finger Wharf was a W Hotel, and before that when it was just empty. And yet I never once noticed the thousands of jellyfish living in the water there until today. Curious.

Sandra quite liked Harry's, and we walked through the Botanic Gardens over to Circular Quay, up through the Rocks, and up to the observatory to chat and kill time for a few hours. It was very nice. She had to go to a meeting in the CBD and I made my way to the Dendy theater to catch the matinee of Brideshead Revisited with all the bluehairs. I really like that theater. For some reason I can remember every movie I've seen there. Adaptation, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, No Country for Old Men, and recently, Towelhead. I got a lot of inspiration for my writing this afternoon, so I'm excited about that.

Walking home via Mrs Macquaries Bushland Walk, I noticed something interesting. When I was a teenager traveling with my family, I would often think, "I wish I could come back here when I'm grown up with some great romantic love and look like a couple on a postcard." Picnicking at the Coliseum, peering off the side of the Eiffel Tower, or even watching the New Year's fireworks here in Sydney – I mean, I love that I got to experience those things, but a hopeless romantic seven years into girls' school I can't be blamed for thinking that. Today I passed a few dozen couples holding hands and sharing kisses in the dusky botanic gardens with a breeze coming over the water. At fifteen this would have made me so petulant. Today I felt glad to be experiencing a moment that only I had, something to store away as a personal memory. I don't know if I can adequately describe it, but there was a peace in my solitude that I think I'm finally old enough to appreciate. It was energizing.

But now I'm going to take a sea salt soak. I thought about going for a swim but I think it's too cold now. I want to feel like I'm floating for a little while, to clear my head so I can stay up all night writing.

quick one

2008-10-23T00:08:00.000-07:00

Don't have much to say, just wanted to post this photo of the flowers I bought last week. Skipping the Hash run tonight because of the weather. It's gray and rainy and a comfort food kind of day. I'm having my favorite "wrapped in a blanket reading a book" dinner of split pea soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. The book? Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. It's bitchin'. Also putting together secret treats for next week's Halloween party! Get excited!

Yankee Doodle Dandy!

2008-10-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

I am so glad I went to Noodle Nights in the park for dinner last night. It reminded me of I-Fest at CMC (which I am still devastated I only attended twice … maybe I'll go this year?) in that there were many stalls serving food from different cultures and a ton of people out enjoying it. I decided to come back a few nights next week and try something totally new each time. Last night I had okonomiyaki, a Japanese pancake with spicy beef and cheese, garnished with seaweed flakes. It was very good, but tasted similar to the Turkish gozleme I had recently.

Then I went to the Argyle to hang out with the American Expat group which was an interesting experience. There were people from other countries there, which I liked, because we all need a little variety. I was skeptical about meeting up with Americans simply because we're from the same country, but I looked at it as a chance to get a little nightlife and meet some new people. The Argyle was more posh in some ways than I expected it to be, so I'm glad I thought to dress up a bit. The night got me thinking about some of the specifics of being an American abroad, so I thought I'd share them with you.

1) "Seppo." A slang term for Americans because "septic tank rhymes with Yank." I'm not personally offended, of course, because I think it's more of a teasing moniker than an aggressive one. I just think it's weird. I mean, if someone from another country visited the U.S., I could never imagine throwing pejorative slang at them, but I know there are many people who would.

2) "That accent – are you Canadian?" "No, I'm from the U.S." "Oh, I knew you were one or the other, but I didn't want to offend you." Well, you certainly did. It's no bother to think I might be Canadian as some of the regional accents sound very similar. I think an Aussie would be much more offended to be mistaken for a Kiwi based on accent than I would. It's offensive to me that the person assumes I am ashamed to be from the U.S., and is giving me an out by offering the Canadian option. There's nothing wrong with being Canadian, but there's certainly nothing wrong with being from the U.S. either.

3) "Oh, you're American? [IMMEDIATE POLITICAL ATTACK]." Look, I get it. There's a really exciting and important election going on in the U.S. right now and it's international news. As an American citizen, I may have an interesting opinion to share with someone who'd like to hear that perspective. But that is clearly not why they've brought up politics after knowing nothing about me past my name and accent. They've brought it up to air some grievance that I can be held responsible for. I don't like to talk politics with people who I think are going to be disrespectful of views different from their own because it's like talking to the mean kid on the playground.

4) "Where in L.A. are you from?" "Glendale." "Oh, I have a sister who used to live in Riverside." This is just cute, and it could happen anywhere in the U.S. also. It's always the goal to find common ground with new people, and I'm sure I do the same thing. Last night I told a woman from the French Riviera that I'd been to Paris when I was younger. It's just conversation, but I love how we're all always flailing about to make connections.

5) "You have a very nice accent, but you don't sound American." "Oh? I mean, I think I do. I can't imagine what other accent I might have." "Well, you don't roll your R's." "Um, I'm neither Scottish nor Spanish." "I mean, you don't sound like George Bush. Everyone hates American accents because they sound like George Bush." Siiiiiiiiiigh. First of all, thanks for the heads up that everyone hates America, it's a nice thing to say to someone you've just met. Secondly, have you never seen a movie, news clip, or TV show that had an American person in it? They sound just like me, because I'm from California and we have a pretty simple American accent found in movies and television. The U.S. is a very big place. I don't sound like George Bush because I'm not from Texas. I don't sound like JFK because I'm not from Massachussetts. What a thing to say.

And what do I bring to the equation? Well I will say that I've been tipping a lot less while I've been here, which I should probably fix. I'm definitely someone who misses the lifestyle to which I am accustomed, so I'm always seeking out foods and media that I would have at home. I'm going to be celebrating Halloween and Thanksgiving because it's tradition. I could say that I should be fine without these Americanisms in my life, but I think the difference is the length of time which I'm here for. I've spent a number of Halloweens and Thanksgivings abroad, and it's never bothered me. One of my favorite Thanksgivings was one spent eating samosas at an Indian restaurant inside Sainsbury's department store in London. But this is my first time keeping my own place for an extended period of time away from home, and I want to celebrate these things. I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

On ons, Oom-pah pahs, and Pedophiles.

2008-10-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

I've had a great couple of days. On Wednesday, Lyndalcakes and Sharanoodle and I ate more chocolate than should be advised and then saw Towelhead at the Dendy. As always, conversation turned to differences in cultural concepts of beauty. Doy. Then after the movie we met up with Webbird for Greek dinner and they helped me decide on my ideal tattoo design. A bald eagle holding an American flag in one talon, and a nest with three eggs in it in the other talon. The eggs are painted with the Mexican, Italian, and Ukrainian flags. The eagle is grimacing, but proud, and the silhouette of the World Trade Center is reflected in its single tear. I'm thinking this would make a good chestpiece.

Yesterday I made my way up to the Rocks for my 2nd Hash run. As it was Oktoberfest, a couple of the runners were in lederhosen. I actually got to the meeting place a bit early and walked up the hill to the Observatory where there's a gazebo offering a view from the Glebe Point Bridge on one side to the Harbour Bridge on the other. It was sunset, and it was beautiful. I was thisclose to making out with myself it was such a lovely view. I felt the same way I did on my first full day here when I walked to the Botanic Gardens and was surrounded by sunlight and gorgeousness. Then I went back down the hill to meet the Hashers and they made me run, so I promptly forgot all good feelings and started to hate myself.

I hate hate hate running. I am worse at it than any other thing. My stamina will last me 1 city block before my knees and lungs start pleading for the sweet release of death. I felt particularly bad about being so pooped during last night's run because it was such a lovely track. Through the Rocks, the Botanic Gardens, Hyde Park with all its lights and people. I immediately fell behind, but Last Lix (a.k.a. Seth) hung back to tell me about a shortcut. I followed it to Hyde Park (I've figured out what the Hash chalk markings mean, for the most part), and then I lost the trail. So I created my own "scenic" journey back to the meeting place through the Pitt St. Mall, Martin Place, and up George St. Natural beauty at its finest.

To treat myself for getting lost and walk/jogging most of the way, I bought an ice cream cone before I met up with the Hashers. As I double-fisted an ice cream and a Toohey's, I kept making the same joke about having a "beer float," but I think that's an Americanism. What I would call a "root beer float" they would call a "root beer spider" apparently so my joke fell on deaf ears. People were glad that I'd come back after my virgin hash a few weeks back, so I got charged with getting lost, and had to "down down" a beer. Everyone was very welcoming and I could see how much they'd really become a family to each other. Then off to Löwenbräu for Oktoberfest. More beer, a wurtsalat, and a delicious pretzel with mustard. I'll have to go back there after the Oktober madness and get some yummy German food.

It was a very good time and I can't wait to go next week. Some of the Hashers have already reached out to me to help me get to some of the more suburban runs that are harder for me to find using public transport, or have let me know about upcoming parties and events that I might be interested in (especially since many of them are expats too). They're working on a Hash name for me, so hopefully I can get one next week! Then I can go to Hash in other countries and be all "Oh yeah my name's ________ and I ran with Sydney Thirsty back in '08."

Got some business to attend to today, and my first ever loaf of handmade bread is rising in the other room. This afternoon I'm heading back up to the observatory to take some photos and sit and enjoy the view. Then at 5 I'm going to Noodle Nights at Hyde Park and eating tasty Asian food, before meeting up with the American expat group for drinks at the Rocks. It should be a good day.

This. Is. Bliss.

2008-10-14T00:42:00.001-07:00

Just a quick post before I fall into a deep and fantastic food coma. The great experiment of making a Mexican dinner using ingredients purchased in Australia went down tonight, and it was definitely successful. There were a lot of ingredients I didn't have, so what I ended up with tasted exactly like a Del Combo burrito. This is an item I have only eaten between the hours of 3 and 5 a.m., while in a state of inebriated hunger so severe that only sitting in a parking lot in the Inland Empire eating the greasy meat/bean mush will make me happy. What I made tonight was warm tortilla + ground beef with taco seasoning + refritos + jalapeño slices. I also had some Italian cheese, Mediterranean style tomato rice, and avocados, but none of them looked or tasted right.

I'm so used to the uncooked tortillas that we've been eating at the Spada household, but the Old El Paso ones were fine. The refritos were manna from heaven and nothing less. I don't know why I love the pinto bean so much but it is just the most delicious thing. The beef was decent. I would make burritos or tacos with it again, though it's not my first choice. The big difference from what I'd usually eat is that there was no salsa. The stores only sell "mild" or "medium" which is like...I might as well just eat a tomato, and then kill myself from shame. But I am going to experiment with some recipes and try to make my own. I bought peppers and tomatoes, but I just need to get a mortar & pestle. I actually have the salsa that I brought in my suitcase (the favor from Kevin & Stephanie's wedding), but I'm rationing it to eat with the organic corn chips I found at the market (which are roughly similar to Trader Joe's tortilla chips). Rationing in this case means I ate half the jar in one sitting. And it's labeled "hot," but let's face it, it was medium, and I was inhaling huge scoops to compensate.

Topping off the meal tonight was horchata, sweet milk from the gods. My lovely parents sent me some powder to make aguas frescas, and I couldn't resist. What a fantastic half-hour I just spent eating. I was very close to taking my dinner out behind the middle school and getting it pregnant, but I think I'll save myself for the even better burritos I'll make next time.

Wine, cheese, and fresh flowers!

2008-10-11T00:34:00.000-07:00

Is there a nicer list of items to walk home with? I had a very lovely Saturday afternoon. I took my big Costco shopping bag down to Potts Point to get a whole bunch of groceries. I bought a bunch of ingredients to make my own Mexican dinner, which I will be doing tomorrow. More on that as it happens. Anyway, before I went to the supermarket, I found this tiny, incredible Italian market. There was a small restaurant in the back, and in the front, all sorts of imported goods from the motherland, fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses. It was fantastic.

Doing my grocery shopping I couldn't help but think that I could possibly be very happy as a homemaker. I felt this a little when I was at girls' prep school and not looking forward to four years of college, but when it comes to taking the time to pick out the perfect avocado and crafting a delicious meal, I feel very comfortable. Maybe I can be a Stephenie Meyer type, keeping a home while making millions on a book series. Except my books won't be terrible. Let's change this example to J.K. Rowling, then. Can't you just see me spending all day knitting, crocheting, cooking, and baking? I sure can. I also joined the cellar club at a local bottle shop for the one-time price of A$5 because they had a special on for members whereby I got a bottle of 2008 Secret Stone Sauvignon Blanc for A$16 and a free hunk of Fromager d'Affinois. I think this is the first time I've ever bought myself a bottle of wine, if we're not counting Modesto, CA classic Andre. I found a great deal on flowers, and got a huge armload of them for only A$10! As much as I like having fresh flowers on my table, I know nothing about them. These are the kind that look like the middle-ground between sunflowers and daisies. They're orange, red, and yellow. I'll post a photo tomorrow.

I've done a little bit of mingling the past week or so. Last weekend I volunteered at the Manly Jazz Festival for a few hours. There was absolutely nothing for me to do, but at least I got a free t-shirt and my first Big Mac ever? It was pretty cool to listen to the funk band, even though I'm not a big jazz person. That happened to be the day that the Manly rugby team beat Melbourne in a grudge match to win the Rugby Cup Finals, so I got to watch the win with Manly locals before I took the ferry home.

On Wednesday night I met up with the expat group at a place called Govinda's in Darlinghurst. It was a very cool place and I certainly intend to go back. Vegetarian Indian buffet and a single movie screen where you lay on futons and watch the film. The movie was Taken, the review of which you can read at my other blog before long. It was good to meet some new people and chat with some of the regulars. I saw a lot of these same people at Vivaz salsa club in the Rocks last night. The Spanish language, French language, salsa, nightlife, and expat meetup groups were gathered for discounted drinks and dancing. I ended up discussing philosophy ad nauseum with a couple of randoms all night, which was kind of a bust. But I have been craving night life for months, so it was just good to put on a dress and some heels and hit the town a little. Plus, my alcohol tolerance is just gone by now. Two glasses of sangria and one vodka cranberry and I was buzzing. Comparing my current drinking habits to my liver's abilities from sophomore year and I can't believe that was only three years ago. What happened to me?

As for tonight, I'm gonna cook up some zucchini fritters, give the apartment a clean, and enjoy the evening.

UPDATE a few hours later: The zucchini fritters were delicious, even better than last time. Unfortunately, I didn't trust that the tzaziki sauce was still good so I ate them on their own. Delicious dinner, two glasses of wine, and Alien vs. Predator on TV? I couldn't ask for anything more.

turn and face the strange...

2008-10-05T05:48:00.000-07:00

So, I have to admit, I'm still waiting for my time abroad to "Change My Life." Apparently this is what's supposed to happen when you live in a foreign country for a few months. I mean, maybe it's because I didn't go to a place with a different language or culture to get used to, or because I'm not here with other people new to the country, discovering the new place as a group and developing into a family, as the brochure version of students in other continents are supposed to be doing. But I just feel like put-put-put with no religious experiences or Morgan Freeman hobos-of-wisdom inspiring me to do great things.

That all said, I have definitely noticed a number of possibly-insignificant changes in my habits which will probably amount to something when all is said and done. I've been here a little over a month, living on my own. Three summers ago I lived in my own studio apartment, but it was on campus and there were other student workers living in the same complex, so I often shared meals and hung out with friends. Summer '06 was a pretty crazy time for me, though, so I think my living habits were uncharacteristic - more of a byproduct of circumstances. I've always been fine with a bit of clutter (shoes, clothes, books more strewn than they should be), but my solo apartment of summer '06 was dirty. Not just messy, but actually unclean. Gross.

Lately, though I usually catch up with dirty dishes at the end of the night instead of as they come, I've been extra-clean. My mother's neuroses have crept into my daily life (hi mom!), particularly handwashing. I'm able to pinpoint the last thing I touched whenever I'm about to eat, and then I have to wash my hands because ew. I saw a child touching the ground and then putting food in her mouth with the same hand and I wanted to smack her. I will be a good mother. I'm partial to wiping down all the surfaces in my kitchen every day or two, even though I infrequently use them. I give myself two weeks before I'm doing the same in the laundry and bathroom.

A big change in habits is that I'm rarely watching TV. There are two or three shows on TV each week that I want to tune in to, and otherwise I don't even think to turn on the tube. This is even a change from 2 weeks ago. The thing is, I discovered podcasts. So I've been listening to some L.A. radio via iTunes, as well as subscriptions to The Economist, This American Life, and a zillion history/science/nutrition/environment podcasts. So, yes, I have media streaming at me at all times, so that's no change, but this is the future and I live and breathe with the internet as I do with blood and oxygen, so what are ya gonna do? My enjoyment of TAL is a surprise to me, as I generally think NPR is increeeeedibly annoying and pretentious. And Ira Glass' voice certainly is. I can hear him smirking the whole time. But the stories are quite entertaining, so I think it's great radio. And of course, I buy the latest episode of Gossip Girl every week and watch ANTM on YouTube. This is still considerably ratcheted down from the 1,000 channels and TiVo HD I watch at home.

But some things never change...I still sing in the shower. Lately, it's been the Spice Girls even though I don't remember most of the words. Yeah, I'm pretty cool, you guys.

update

2008-10-03T15:46:00.000-07:00

Just a heads up that I added a couple of my own photos to the post about the Sydney marathon from the other week.

The Run That's Fun For Everyone!

Golly!

2008-10-03T02:30:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I've been here for over a month now! It feels like a pretty short time, but the prospect of three more months here seems like a long stretch in front of me. I'm sure I'll feel differently as the time goes on. A few things to share:

I made a large tote bag! It's intended use is for groceries, but it stretches so much with heavy things in it that it may be best as a beach bag or something. It's made of 100% cotton and has a piece of cardboard in the bottom. I took quite a few pictures so you can see how big it is. (For any crafters out there, here's a super rough tute with larger photos.)

Today I had a lovely day of pampering (thank you again, Mom and Dad!). I got a spa massage and facial, and then I went to the nail salon above the supermarket to get a pedicure (it was $40 cheaper than the one they wanted to sell me at the day spa!). I had an awkward language-barrier moment at the nail salon when nobody told me I was free to leave. So I sat in the massage chair with dry toenails watching music videos for about 15 minutes before realizing they were done with me.

Then when I got home, feeling relaxed and with pretty purple little piggies, I decided my bangs needed a trim. I have trimmed my own hair countless times. I have trimmed other people's hair. It's not that hard. Of course, I wasn't paying too much attention and cut them waaaay too short. So I brushed it out and restyled it, and I think I have a new 'do for the next few weeks until my bangs are an acceptable enough length to be sideswept as I want them. In the future I'll blow out and iron the ends better so that it looks like a real mod bob, and less like a rug. So, for those of you who've requested photos of my new longer hair, a camera-whore pic (with no makeup! shock horror!):

There were a couple more of me doing model poses to show off my new dress, but this ain't MySpace. My glasses look huge.

Finally, I've made my second disappointing foray into Australian Mexican food. The last few days I've been trying to sabotage my body by a) skipping workouts for no reason and b) eating just the most horrible food. I went to Tomatillo in the middle of Kings Cross, but I didn't want to commit to a burrito in case it was horrible. This turned out to be a good plan. However, they didn't have fish even though their sign advertised fish tacos. I was disappointed because it's nearly impossible to screw up a fish taco. Tortilla + fish + cabbage + sauce. Instead, I got a barbacoa taco. Horrible. Cold, flabby tortilla, chunks of beef just swimming in a sort of tangy sauce, about a pound of lettuce, and a clump of...I don't know, mozzarella? I ate about three bites before deciding it wasn't worth it. Also the proprietor was really creepy. I mean, my accent is a great conversation starter with Aussies and expats from other countries, but this is the first random Yank I've met (refuse to use new slang "seppo" as it is offensive) out of the blue who was like "Heh heh you know what barbacoa is..." I think I'm going to buy my own tortillas and cabbage, and then buy fried fish from a fish 'n chips shop and just breed the two. It's basically the same.

EDITED TO ADD:
I meant to posit something: I found out today that the supermarket sells kangaroo meat. Steaks, sausages, and mince. I've eaten kangaroo once or twice as a teenager, for the novelty factor. I remember it being quite gamey. Emu, on the other hand, was succulent and delicious. So my question is: should I cook some kangaroo meat before I leave? I mean, just to say that I cooked and ate a kangaroo steak/hamburger/hot dog? I'm known to be a fairweather eco-terrorist, and have failed at many attempts at vegetarianism in the past (because humans are omnivores and I think it is natural to eat meat). However, once I decided at age 8 to never eat lamb because they are just too cute, I never looked back. Deer and cows are cute too, but I've eaten them plenty. I could easily quit eating venison though. I would lump kangaroos into the category of so-cute-I'd-not-seek-them-out-to-eat. But should I, just this once?

Let's get one thing straight.

2008-10-01T13:30:00.000-07:00

Whatever you had for dinner tonight, or even yesterday night, it was nowhere as good as the dinner I made tonight (NOTE: This is a blog I prepared last week before I had my camera cord). But I'm going to backtrack to yesterday because I made a kickass dinner then, too. I've seen all these commercials for Jalna pot-set yogurt, and it looked delicious so I bought some, forgetting that I prefer vanilla to plain. So I had all this yogurt I didn't want to eat and needed a recipe to use it in. Last night I made fried zucchini & feta fritters with tzatziki sauce. The fritters recipe I found at this site. It made 4 fritters, and I'm going to buy another zucchini to remake this recipe in a couple of days since I have wayyyy too much tzatziki sauce.

FRIED ZUCCHINI & FETA FRITTERS (serves 2)
Ingredients:
1 small zucchini (grated)
1/4 cup feta (crumbled)
1/2 cup flour
1 egg
1 green onion (chopped)
1 handful dill (chopped)
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons oil

Directions:
1. Mix the zucchini, feta, flour, egg, green onions, dill, salt and pepper in a bowl.
2. Heat the oil in a pan.
3. Spoon the zucchini mixture into the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides.

It's a very simple recipe, except that I don't have a grater so I was using a carrot peeler to grate the zucchini, and that took forever. They were so tasty! Like marginally healthier latkes. As for the tzatziki sauce, I got the recipe from the Jalna website, but you could subsitute any low/no fat plain yogurt, or greek yogurt of course. Below is 1/2 of the recipe that I made, because I think what's below will yield enough sauce for 8 fritters.

TZATZIKI SAUCE
Ingredients:
1/2 of a medium continental cucumber
3/4 cup plain yogurt (fat free)
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 of a large clove of garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tbsp dill

Directions:
1. Peel the cucumber, chop in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Chop very finely or grate/shread.
2. Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Serve cold.

Then tonight I cooked a recipe which my dad had given me a couple of days ago. I was complaining about my boring eating routine, and he suggested I make fried Italian meatballs. They were INCREDIBLE. Here's the basic recipe, and you can make a ton of substitutions (turkey, spices, type of bread):

FRIED ITALIAN MEATBALLS (serves 4)
Ingredients:
1/2 kg ground beef
1 egg
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 slices bread
handful chopped parsley
salt, pepper, basil, oregano to taste
olive oil

Directions:
1. Moisten the bread and then tear it into teensy pieces.
2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and knead until well mixed.
3. Roll into 8 balls.
4. Pan fry until crispy brown on all sides.

The meatballs were pretty big, each about the size of a kiwifruit, and I could only eat 2, with side dishes. That's why I figure the recipe serves 4 if you serve up the appropriate side dishes. I baked some garlic bread slices from the refrigerated section of the supermarket (I think homemade would have tasted better - sliced french bread, margarine, garlic, salt) and made a simple caprese salad (mozzarella bocconcini, cherry tomatoes, basil leaves). I served the meatballs on a scoop of hot pureed tomato.

Now I have six of these left and I think I will make a meatball sub tomorrow. Or just toss 'em in some pasta! They were super easy to make except that my parsley/bread/onions were pretty roughly chopped, so that the meatballs wanted to crumble until I got them fried a little. They were very fun to make. I can't remember the last time I worked with raw meat, and it is pretty satisfying to eat the finished product. Kneading food is just fun - maybe I'll do something with dough in a little whilte.

The RUN that's FUN for EVERYONE

2008-09-21T02:56:00.000-07:00

...except for the people who finished the marathon while vomiting. There were a few of them. This morning I got up at 4:30 to take the train to Circular Quay. At 5:20 in the morning on a Sunday there were tons of people out and about and in the train stations. It was as busy as a weekday afternoon. About 5% of the commuters were in running gear, clearly heading to the Marathon starting point, and the rest of them were still rallying from Saturday night. I was the only girl my age not wearing high heels and a short skirt. It was pretty crazy.

Once I got to the Sydney Opera House forecourt, I joined the other marathon volunteers for a brief training. I got a cute green t-shirt with "EVENT CREW 08" on the front and the marathon logos on it. However, a child's size 16 fit me like a men's large. And I'm not that short! I also got this hat in white, and a sweatband for my head. The swag highlight for me was the two aluminum water bottles with the running festival logo on them. They're good for the environment, and I'm going to give one to my mom. (Someday I'll convince them to switch from prepackaged water bottles to a Brita pitcher!)

But on to the events of the morning! I was stationed at the Opera House forecourt, between the finish line and the recovery village set up in the Botanic Gardens. For the bulk of the morning I was on water duty, filling, stacking, and refilling cups of filtered water for the runners to pound through after making it through the finish line. It got ridiculously hectic when a) the runners drank the water faster than we could pour it and b) the ambivalent teenage girls, volunteering because their mom made them, were both unhelpful and inefficient. I was the only volunteer who understood that putting empty cups in front, where runners will grab them, and filling the cups in the back with water, doesn't make any sense. By the end of my shift I was drenched from the thigh down and I felt like I'd gotten a decent workout. It was definitely fun seeing and congratulating all the runners after they'd finished. I then did a stint helping return their belongings to them after they'd all rested and recovered, and finally returned to water duty. As the last dozen or so runners finished the marathon around the 5.5 hour mark, I and a couple of other volunteers waited at the finish line and handed them water and packets of Gu.

It was definitely an experience, tiring and invigorating. The looks on some of the runners' faces when they finished the marathon were really awesome. I realize that finishing a marathon is a lifelong goal for a lot of people, and it makes me recall my childhood, cheering on my mom as she ran the Los Angeles marathon or the Baker to Vegas relay. As I will continue to state, I'm really not a runner, but I definitely see myself attempting something like this in my life. Maybe if I keep Hashing regularly I'll be able to work up to running a 5k soon, and go from there.

When I got home, I instantly crashed for a 2 hour nap. I wanted to go swimming this afternoon but it was too cool by the time I awoke so I hit the sauna to relax my muscles. I have been dying for a massage; my back's all out of whack. Anyway, the run today raised over $1 million for charities (1)(2), and I was glad to be a part of it.

Look at all the people!

The big empty space in the middle is the post-finish-line area, and the Opera House can be seen in the upper-right corner. At this point I can be located directly at the edge of the trees, opposite the white medical tent.

Shot from the early morning walk over at 5am:

gwak...ay...mohl?

2008-09-20T02:52:00.000-07:00

I moved into my new apartment yesterday! The process was far from being stress-free, but now I am focusing on the positives. It's gorgeous! Tomorrow when it's sunny out I will take photos of my beautiful new home. 10th floor, lovely cityscape views, homey atmosphere. I can't wait for you to see the pics.

As for tonight...I made the common mistake of going to dance class hungry. It was a steamy hot day today so I didn't want to eat when I was going to be working out in a leotard and tights, but halfway through class when my lack of energy resulted in an inability to do any moves well, I regretted the decision. On the way home I decided to take a gamble.

The Guzman Y Gomez taqueria around the block from home has...intrigued me. My expectations were low, and I think that's good, because I found my dinner to be moderately enjoyable. The man behind the counter and those in the kitchen were all speaking Mexican spanish, so I felt good about eating there. Unfortunately the only options were "mild" or "chipotle," neither of which is my preferred style of Mexican food. I got a pork chipotle burrito (classed as "spicy") with guacamole, beans, rice, and cheese. I did ask the salesman if they had any aguas frescas hiding out in the kitchen, but to no avail. He started talking to me in Spanish though, so it must have been as refreshing to him to have a customer familiar with Mexican food as those aguas frescas would have been to my thirsty gullet. [Note to self: buy ingredients to make horchata!]

So, a detailed review of my first Australian burrito, broken down by ingredients:
TORTILLA: Good! Easily the best part of the burrito. But that's not a small compliment! A bad tortilla : a burrito :: a crappy bun : a hamburger. It tasted store bought (pre-cooked), but the texture was good, and it was warm.
PORK: Definitely not the carnitas we all know and love in the Ciudad de los Angeles. Little chunks of slow-roasted pork with (what I would deem) a mild chipotle sauce. If I were eating this in the restaurant instead of take-away, I certainly would have needed some of the GyG habanero sauces they had on the tables. The meat was really bland, spiciness aside. I don't know if they weren't cooking it with enough lard or what, but it didn't have much flavor.
RICE: Well-cooked with a good texture, but I have no idea what kind of rice it is. It's certainly not yellow rice you'd expect in a burrito, but I don't know what kind it is. It seems similar to Cuban rice, but is not that, so I don't know. It must be Asian rice or something. Tasty, though!
BEANS: Sigh. They're black beans. I mean, where am I, a Hooverville? Please. They were the only option! Could they not acquire pinto beans? Refritos are easy to make! Honestly.
SALSA: Decent. The pico de gallo was good, but as you know I needed a little more kick to it.
CONSTRUCTION: Unlike those losers at the incredibly overrated restaurant chain the U.S., Chipotle, the cooks at Guzman y Gomez knew to evenly distribute the ingredients within the burrito. Of course, it was a smaller handful than you'd get in L.A., so you could easily get all ingredients in one bite. It needed to be wrapped tighter, but I won't fault them because it may have gotten jostled when I carried it home.

So the verdict is that I'm giving the burrito a 3/5 for quality, a 2/5 for taste, and a 4.5/5 for presentation. Also, they sold Goya juices, so I'll give them a silver star for that. Aguas frescas would have gotten them a gold.

on ons, down downs, and blue suede shoes!

2008-09-20T02:18:00.000-07:00

Thursday night I experienced a pretty remarkable slice of kookiness. I was going to say a slice of Australiana, but it was certainly much more than that. Last week, my dear friend Arielle attended her first run with the Hash House Harriers in Vietnam, and encouraged me to try going to one of the Sydney clubs! Trying to explain the H3 tradition is a bit tedious, so I encourage checking out these sites. Basic summary: groups of people around the world run around on little maze/trails and then drink a lot of beer. So, I found out that the Sydney Thirsty H3 club was meeting up only a few blocks from home and I took my weak non-runners legs over to Rushcutters Bay park. Of course, the largest and noisest group had to be them!

I was the only virgin at the Hash, so they sang rude songs to me and paired me up with a buddy who would show me the ropes. Seth/Last Licks (they all have dirty Hash names) is a New Yorker who's been in Sydney for nine years, and he stayed with me all night so I would meet people and not get lost, etc. The group was about 35 people, with 1 Kiwi, 4 Yanks, and about as many Poms. I was definitely the youngest in the group, but I'm told the Thirsty Hash is the most inclusive group in Sydney (more women and young people).

And off we went! I am a horrid runner and it was definitely a challenge, but the structure of the Hash is such that all athletic levels can keep up with each other because everyone's trying to follow the trail. Seth was very good at slowing down when I was wheezing, teaching me how the Hash works, and asking me questions about myself. My answers would come back to haunt me when the whole group gathered at the finish. More rude songs and naughty words as the potato chips flowed and I was commanded to chug beers in celebration.

I did well.

But this night was a Hash like no other! It was the first ELVIS NIGHT in four years! Three of the runners changed into Elvis costumes, and then we all headed up the street to Elvis Pizza, a pizza parlour devoted to the Big Bopper. Oops, I mean Elvis. The walls were covered in Elvis posters and weird paintings of iconic figures like Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, et al gathered in the same place. We drank, we ate tonnes of pizza, and then...AUSTRALIAN ELVIS joined us. He represented bloated Elvis (who we all know is far superior to young Elvis) in a white bedazzled jumpsuit, a great wig, and a thick Australian accent. The Karaoke machine started playing the tunes and Australian Elvis serenaded the crazy Hashers. We sang, we danced, I pretended to faint when pretend Elvis took my real hand. It was a great night.

Rock out with your cock out!

So it was an incredible first time Hashing, and I definitely look forward to joining them again. They meet every Thursday nights at the same time as my ballet class, so I think I'm going to alternate between the two each week. More stories to come, I hope!

dos semanas

2008-09-15T03:06:00.000-07:00

So, I've been here a full two weeks now! I'd write a more thoughtful entry but I have a headache and just want to lay on the couch and watch 90210. I got up and worked out, and then I wanted to get down to George St. to see the "welcome home Olympians!" parade but I was too late. I did see all the confetti on the sidewalks! Maybe there'll be a parade when the Paralympians get back and I can make it to that one.

[Sidebar: Australian Idol is on TV right now and the judge just said to a contestant, "Right now people only see you as the Asian guy with the great voice, no one knows your name." More things you couldn't say on TV in the U.S.]

Anyway, since it was lunchtime and I was down at Cirqular Quay having missed the parade I decided to take the ferry to Manly beach. It was warm and beautiful but insanely windy. After an unfortunate lunch, I laid on the cool sand and enjoyed the feel of the sand between my toes. In light of recent events, I remembered to enjoy the gift of today.

On my way back to the ferry to head home, a gorgeous blonde woman named Crystal stopped me and asked for my help. And that's how I because a hair model! She's an aspiring stylist at Toni & Guy and needed a head to give a wash and blowdry to so she could be tested on it. I haven't been blown out in a long time and man is it a nice luxury. When I'm rich and famous I'm going to have someone on staff to blow out my hair every day. But the poor thing was so nervous about wanting to get it perfect that she burned my neck a little. She passed her test though!

So, I'm home, I bought some mini fruit pies from Pieface (the cutest/yummiest snacks around), and I'm ready to rest. Non sequitur: when I'm rich & famous, I'm also going to use exclusively Lush brand soaps/shampoos/lotions/etc. I can't think of a smell I prefer to a Lush shop. Freshly baked bread only wins when I'm hungry.

show us your paso doble

2008-09-14T03:26:00.000-07:00

So um, I just found out that the Sydney Dance Company, where I'm taking classes, is the very same place that a Mr. PAUL MERCURIO was once a principal dancer! I am dancing on the same marley (well, probably not) and barres as Scott Hastings! ¡Vivir en miedo es como vivir en medias!

miraculum!

2008-09-12T21:47:00.000-07:00

So last night I met up with this huge group of expats at the Menzies Piano Bar in the CBD. Unfortunately, I got there late (the buses here are never on time), and had plans to leave early, so I only had time for a few "Hi! My name's _____. I am from _____. Where are you from? When did you get here? How long will you be staying? What do you do?" conversations, but I did get to catch up with some of the folks I met last week at the Paddington Inn, so that was nice.

Left to get dinner and drinks a few blocks away with Jo and Johno, friends of Shara and Webber that I met last week also. I'd been craving Korean food for a while, which was great because that's what I got. First time drinking soju, and I know now not to have it after a few gin & tonics.

This morning I woke up feeling pretty tired, but the sun was shining and there was no way I was going to miss my ballet class, so I got myself out the door. It Was So Hot Outside. On the one hand, thank god, but on the other, wearing a long-sleeve leotard and tights underneath jeans and a long-sleeve shirt, and sweater, is not fun when you have any physical activity to do. So I took the bus to Cirqular Quay and walked to the wharf in the Rocks where the Sydney Dance Company is. Class wasn't that great because even though it was only Intermediate level, there were a lot of very advanced dancers in class, so I had a lot of trouble keeping up even though I knew all the steps. Next time I'll stick to the Elementary level, which is probably more my speed, or Beginners, to really focus on my muscle training and stretching.

On my walk back to Cirqular Quay, I cooled off with a mango shave ice and wandered through the Rocks outdoor market which is set up every weekend. I was hoping to find cool things for my family (hi, family!), but nothing caught my eye today. Then home for a shower and a change, and I am so happy to be in a sundress right now. It's a perfect Spring day. I packed up my laptop for a journey and walked through Kings Cross, down Darlinghurst Rd. to Macleay St. There's a small farmers' market at the El Alamein fountain every weekend, so I got lunch from one of the stands there. Piping hot Turkish gozleme with the works (beef, cheese, spinach, mushrooms, capsicum) made fresh while I watched. Delicious!

Now I'm sitting in this little park next to the Elizabeth Bay house and it looks like everyone from the neighborhood is out to enjoy the warm sunniness today. This is lovely.

new lease on things

2008-09-11T04:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I had an epiphany. I've been in a funk the past few days. This trip started out strong, with daily walks, working out, enjoying the neighborhood. Then it rained for a couple of days and I found myself sitting in my apartment in my pajamas not really doing anything. I was having trouble with my writing, and all the alone time was making me think too hard about too many big issues, and blah blah blah.

So tonight I finally got dressed and got out of the house and headed up to the Rocks to take a ballet class at the Sydney Dance Company. I've never been to a studio where the class had 50 people in it, and there were dancers of all ages crowding the hallways dressed for every genre. It kind of reminded me of the studio that Jodie goes to in Center Stage when she needs to shake things up and she sees Cooper (and then has sex with him) and also that creepy guy with the who forgot his dance belt at home and kind of looks like Michael Phelps. Except that this studio was larger and in an "old town" area instead of a metropolis high-rise.

But while we're talking about Center Stage, the high I got from attending this class made me realize that "life doesn't hold tryouts," and that I can't keep wasting my days. Walking back from the studio to Cirqular Quay listening to musicals on my iPod I felt so happy and young. And I have a new determination to get out and go somewhere every day. Tomorrow I think I'll take my laptop to a cafe somewhere and work for a little while. Then at night I'm heading out to another bar with a bunch of expats. This weekend I'd like to go to one of the outdoor markets that they set up around town. But for now, I'm home for the night, and Law & Order: SVU is on TV and then I'm probably going to watch Center Stage since I brought the DVD, so it's a good end to the evening. But if any of you talk to me on gchat or AIM or something about 10 hours from now, tell me to get off my ass and go do something!

I'm going to go to dance class and/or work out every day, and I'm going to go somewhere and enjoy the world every day, and I'm going to work on my writing every day, and I'm going to be so fit and talented and happy because I am the best goddamn dancer at the American Ballet Academy. Who the hell are you?!

New Obsession

2008-09-10T01:38:00.000-07:00

http://www.lerice.com.au/product.aspx?b=1011&ID=1042

Yoplait's "Le Rice." I cannot remember ever remotely liking rice pudding before this. It is delicious. I eat, on average, two little containers of it a day. It was on sale at Coles and looked interesting and wouldn't you know it - it is now the favored item in my fridge. Yum!

naughty girls with bad habits

2008-09-06T03:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, longer post tomorrow, but I have a few brief observations:

- I knew going in that there would be no Mexican food here, but the attempts at it are awkward and borderline offensive. There's this commercial on TV for "Old El Paso simmer sauces" that baffles me. First of all, I've never heard of a "simmer sauce" but I'm pretty sure it's not a holdover from Mayan times. Secondly, the commercial implies that there's a culture war being fought between children and their parents, in which young people hate spicy food. Apparently, Old El Paso simmer sauces are the only solution, when served in a dollop on top of a bowl of white sticky rice with a tortilla chip sticking out of it. What?

- My good ol' buddy DGMacphee told me about Summer Heights High last year, but I didn't get to see any of it until my Qantas flight over here. It's a mockumentary series about life at a public school where the creator Chris Lilley plays drama coach Mr. G, troubled bully Jonah, and private school exchange student and rich bitch Ja'mie King. I've caught clips on YouTube, and have since watched every episode of Lilley's previous show, We Can Be Heroes, on the internet as well. Ja'mie features in that one too. SO FUNNY. I always forget how politically correct we are in the U.S. until I watch TV in another country.

- When the weather report says it might rain, don't go for a run without bringing your bus pass. It will rain hard once you're far from home, and soak through your clothes.

literally walking about

2008-09-03T15:54:00.001-07:00

My first two full days in Sydney have been just fantastic. Seriously, since the moment I stepped out of the airport I've been trying to think of ways I can stay here forever. Certainly, the city needs an authentic burrito stand, and I think if I could open up the Oceania franchise of Taco Factory, the government would be more than happy to let me have dual citizenship!

On Tuesday morning, I woke up before the sun rose, and made it to the building's gymnasium just in time to see the sun spread its orange glow across the skyscrapers of the CBD, the reflective white tiles on the Sydney Opera House, and the glittering waters beneath the coat hanger bridge. I watched the news and got a great workout in, but it seems that I wasn't done abusing my old-lady-knees just yet. After breakfast I decided to walk to the new Apple store so that I could get the appropriate adapter for my laptop and, wouldn't you know it, I got lost about five minutes into my walk. Luckily, when I ended up at the McElhone stairs (built in 1870) which connect Potts Point to harbourside Woolloomooloo, I knew that there was a much nicer route ahead of me than the one I'd been meaning to take.

I strolled for a couple of hours along the waterside edge of the Royal Botanic Gardens, around Mrs. Macquaries Point, Farm Cove, and to the steps at the base of the Opera House. The morning light was so gentle and lovely on the second day of Spring, and I found I had no desire to listen to my iPod, which I usually prefer to do on long walks. But the sound of the water lapping at the rocks and the wind whistling through the trees mingled so well with the smells of jasmine and fresh-cut grass that headphones would have ruined the experience. Once at Circular Quay, I ventured into the Museum of Contemporary Art, where a portion of the Biennale of Sydney 2008 was being shown. Some of the art was very compelling, but as usual, my struggles with video art have followed me from film class to the real world.

After a lunchtime walk through the CBD with all of the business men and women congregating on George St., I found my way eventually to the Apple Store, and from there I walked to Darling Harbour. I sat in a bar and ate some seafood to pass the time until the ferry came, which I rode back to Circular Quay. The ferry ride from Darling Harbour is lovely, because you pass by some of the lovely homes in Kirribilli, the creepy entrance to Luna Park, and of course the bridge and Opera House.

Yesterday I also got up early and set off walking in one direction until I ended up at Bondi Beach. It was quite cold, but I drank a hot chocolate and bought a mobile phone, so it was a productive morning. I took the bus back into the city and ate a hot dog with peas and mash at the iconic Harry's Cafe de Wheels - it was heavenly. Took the McElhone stairs home, and after an afternoon rest, I found out that a group of expats were meeting for drinks in Paddington. On a whim, I decided to join them, and I'm so glad I did. I met some interesting people from Germany, England, Canada, and a number of other places, all looking to meet people in Sydney.

Today I'm having a day in with my screenwriting books and my new copy of Final Draft, so hopefully I'll get some work done today!

first day!

2008-09-01T12:46:00.001-07:00

I can't talk long because I may have forgotten to pack the most important thing: The Australian adapter plug for my laptop! So I'm maximising battery use until I find it in my suitcase or buy a new one. I woke up early this morning because the gym in my building has a view of the Sydney skyline, the Coat Hanger bridge, and the Opera House, and I want to see the sun rise over it on my first full day! I'm here safe, I went grocery shopping yesterday, and today I'm getting a bus/train pass, a cell phone, and exploring a bit. Just wanted to let you know I'm here safe!

no day but today

2008-08-30T11:14:00.000-07:00

In just a few short hours I will be eating my last In-N-Out animal style cheeseburger until 2009! All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go ... 'cause I'm leaving on a jet plane, etc. I have a few small errands to run before I leave, but otherwise I am all set! I'll be in touch once I've settled in in Sydney. I'll miss you all, but mostly I'll miss:

See you in January, City of Angels!

welcome!

2008-05-22T12:23:00.000-07:00

It was quite difficult for me to refrain from titling this introductory blog, "G'Day!" so I hope you all appreciate my sacrifice. Just popping in to reserve this space for my upcoming blog chronicling the four-ish months I will be spending in Sydney, NSW, Australia at the end of this year. Having just graduated from college, and spent my entire life either living with my parents in Los Angeles or traveling with my parents further afield, I think it's important and appropriate for me to take some time off to be on my own before I return to L.A. to start my career.

I will be leaving on August 30th, and probably not posting again until closer to that date, and my intended return date is January 9th. Why so long? The other major goal of this journey is to work on my writing, and while four months is hardly enough time to get a complete project completed in any way, it is certainly plenty of time for me to at least get a few of them off the ground.

Why Sydney? Well, I spent a considerable amount of time there throughout my childhood, and it has always been a place that's made me feel very much at home. I know I could be challenging myself more by going to a non-English-speaking country, but I mean - Sydney's bloody far away, after all. Still a challenge! And there's vegemite! Bleargh! I've never gone anywhere on my own, and I know it made my parents and I all more comfortable about this because I am familiar with the city, and we know that it's about as safe a place as a traveler can go (except Bhutan, of course). Also: koalas.

Why this blog? Well, I want to make an account of the interesting things I'll see and do, and especially the interesting people I'll meet. Everyone loves a travel journal, right? Also, I want a place to host tiny snippets of any writing progress I may want feedback on, or any little videos I may make. This will hopefully end up being a multimedia blogspace, so that I can come back with a compendium of info and stories in a variety of formats.

So, until then, farewell. I will continue to be working on my entertainment blog http://katexmachina.blogspot.com indefinitely. Enjoy!