Wisconsin Girl Meets Australia

It has been an incredible experience so far! I’m not really sure where to start. One of the first things I noticed was that the sun shined very brightly. The glare was so strong that my “sunnies” didn’t even help. (Australians tend to abbreviate their words.) The sky in general is different over here: it is a lighter blue, you can see the moon at 3:00 p.m., and I have already seen a rainbow! And the best part is, at night you can see 100 times more stars than you can see in the States, when the clouds aren’t in the way.

The next thing I noticed was that we were driving on the wrong side of the road. Once I got over the initial horror, and carsickness from the roundabouts, it became second nature. But those first few days were nightmarish. We have a car of our own now, lent to us by Lachlan’s Nana, and I have even driven it a couple of times. I can’t tell where I’m going yet, because all of the roads look the same to me. Australia is a very conservation-minded country. It saves a lot of electricity by not installing streetlights, for example. Never mind if you can’t see a bloody thing!

The houses are very interesting here and I couldn’t put my finger on what was different about them. Finally I realized it – the roofs! They are either made of corrugated iron or clay tiles. I still can’t stop staring at the roofs. But they are growing on me.

Speaking of houses, at the moment we are staying at Lachlan’s dad’s (Chris’) house. No offense to Chris, but it is a bit like living in the 18th century. We have one wood-burning heater in the center of the house, which we have to fill up with firewood every few hours to keep warm. But the warmth only exists in that room while the other rooms remain chilly. Conservation tip: why get a dryer when you have plenty of clotheslines outside? Yes, I have learned how to hang my clothes out to dry. The toilet is in a separate room from the shower and sink (more on toilets to come). Next time I will talk about the water, food, and coffee!

FLORA AND FAUNA

Ah, the serenity! We are staying in a small town called Crib Point, which is located on the eastern side of the Mornington Peninsula. The M.P. is similar to something like Cape Cod. It branches off into the bay just to the southeast of Melbourne. Anyway, there are rolling hills with heaps of farms and wineries on the M.P. I have seen the most beautiful (and fragrant) trees out here, and lots and lots of animals. They have the usual cows, sheep, and horses, but they also have deer and llama farms! They have way more birds too. I have gotten up close and personal with a couple of magpies, which are quite pretty for the crow variety. Unfortunately, I have yet to spot my first kangaroo or koala. But I’m looking feverishly.

NEWS FLUSH (OR HALF FLUSH)

I haven’t been keeping up with American news since we arrived. I have seen W on the telly once or twice, but I wasn’t listening. To explain the title of this category, it has to do again with that conservation thing. To save on water, most toilets offer the option of a full flush or a half flush, depending on what you think will work for the given situation. I have also been studying the way that the toilets flush over here, and I can honestly say that the water does not flow in the opposite direction. Basically a big waterfall comes out of the front of the bowl and forces everything down! There is no circular motion whatsoever. But, if you were to fill up the sink with water and let it drain, the water would circle in the opposite direction.

KANGAROO JACKIE

Jackie has 22 more days of quarantine. We have visited her three times now, and she seems more secure every time. I hate that she is stuck in there, but hopefully the time will pass quickly. At least she knows that we are here and she will keep seeing us. It will be so much fun to show her around and take her to the beach!

WORK-A-BERRA

We are both getting ready to look for jobs. Lachlan’s portfolio is nearly complete, and he already has a few job leads in the graphic design field. I think he will find a good job very quickly. I still have to find out about the auditions for the Melbourne Symphony, and make sure that I am prepared physically and mentally for such an opportunity. There seems to be plenty of violin shops and teaching studios in the city, so that looks promising as well.

MOVIE REVIEWS

The Upside of Anger
This was one of the movies that they showed on the long plane flight. It was a delightful film with beautiful acting by Joan Allen and Kevin Costner. The synopsis is that Joan Allen’s character’s husband has gone MIA, so she hits the booze and becomes a snarly, bitter woman trying to raise her three teenage daughters on her own. Kevin Costner is a washed-up athlete (as he usually is) who gets involved with her and tries to cope with her attitude problem. Her three daughters are all screwed up in their own ways as well. The movie is very funny and poignant – highly recommended!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.”
- Herm Albright (1876—1944)

Bob’s your Uncle!