I just have to say it is AMAZING what a little rain will do to a sunburnt country.
I do not have any picture for you, so you're going to have to imagine it. Ready?
Okay.
Picture in your mind a low, vast blue sky with speckles of white clouds. As you move down the horizon, picture tall, white gum trees, with long leaves pointing down towards the yellow savannah grasses, rustling in the wind.
And now? Now!
Parts of Canberra look like Ireland! Rolling hills of emerald with sheep munching happily on the fresh green grass. Even the gums, trees that have adapted to survive in drought and full sun, are green and thriving.
I love the yellows of Australia, the white of the gums, but this green... this lushness, brings back memories of America. Memories of summers as a child, running through the sprinkler and spraying friends with the hose. It reminds me of the lushness of Oregon, so wet that moss sprounts on cement. The dense foliage of kudzu, creeping across the state of Tennessee.
I find it interesting that I have fallen in love with a country so different from the one I know. Sometimes I forget that I'm in Australia. I mean, life moves on and you stop constantly focusing on omgomgomgIaminanothercountry!, but then a cocky or two goes squalking overhead or I glance across my deck and see the distant blue smudges of the Brindies framing a towering gum tree in my neighbour's yard. Suddenly I reminded to never take this. . . experience, this chance for granted.
I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains. ~ Dorothea Mackellar (1885 - 1968)
While we say January is the beginning of things, with our new years resolutions and our fresh starts, to me it feels like we're finally wrapping things up. Birthdays are over, Christmas is over, tree is down, New Years hang-overs are, well, over, and we all share a collective sigh of relief. Finally.We made it.
Which is why, I nearly always regret getting married in January.
That sounds harsh doesn't it?
But I'm not ready to celebrate in January. I'm celebrated-out. No more wrapping paper, no more fancy food. No more Christmas cards, Christmas parties, no more loud groups of people. Truthfully? By January I just want things to be simple. And peaceful. And quiet.
And this year, we had just that. There were no gifts, no cards, no one else. I reckon this anniversary was the best yet.
On Friday we (Richard, Asta, and I) made our way down the Monaro Highway through Cooma (And, it must be said, Cooma should be Aboriginal for "deadly boring.") and over Brown Mountain to Brogo, then to the Rocklily Cottages.
Serenity! Thy name is Clovelly. What can I say? I fell in love at first sight. First there was the horse gate with the name "Clovelly" printed on.
Then there was our first glimpse of the cottage:
I love the Australian sky. Love. It.
Then there were the lovely stained glass windows.
The sheets were crisp, the pillowcases smelled lovely, the verandah with it's views? Breathtaking.
We also had the privilege of seeing a wombat and Richard saw a large Grey Kangaroo early one morning near the cottages.
Rocklily Cottages (there are 2) are on 100 acres, pretty much in the middle of nowhere. The owners live elsewhere on the property with their 2 dogs and horses that have their run of the place. While we never saw the horses, we did hear them whinny in the distance. One of their dogs, Mr. Midnight visited us on Saturday afternoon.
We spent nearly the whole time just hanging out, playing scrabble, watching the birds, and giggling at Asta play King of his Domain.
However, we did venture out of the cottage a few times. On Saturday we drove down the Sapphire Coast to Bega, Tathra (pronounced Tarthra for you non Aussie's out there), and Murimbula.
On the way back from Bega to Brogo, we happened across two strange things. The first, we were just driving along the Jellat Jellat flat, between Bega and Tathra, when saw this:
What is it? Sheep? White cows?
Confused, Richard pulled over and we got a better look:
Yup. Washing Machines. 1000 of them. In circles.
After we came home, I Googled it:
ON the last day of 2006, a sculpture to be known as "Cyclone Eternity" appeared on Jellat Jellat flat, between Bega and Tathra.
The Cyclone was constructed using 1000 discarded washing machines, dryers and dishwashers, and was put together by about 100 volunteers who braved some of the heaviest rain seen in the Bega Valley for several years.
This project of the Clean Energy for Eternity group was the brainchild of Richard Moffatt's, an award winning metal sculptor,who had the idea of using whitegoods to create the sculpture as they use a lot of energy and water, and also demonstrate the disposable nature of our society.
The washing machine sculpture is meant to raise awareness of global warming with CEFE stated goal being to have 50 per cent renewable energy by 2020.
And then, nearer to Brogo we saw these mysterious things hanging in the trees. Of course, Richard had to stop and investigate. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of bats all squealing and squawking. As you can imagine, Asta and I stayed in the car while Richard took this picture:
On Saturday evening, we drove to Brogo dam, about 5 minutes down the road. We went with mixed feelings as we knew the water would be low due to the drought. And it was, but it was beautiful, too.
But mostly, we just stayed at the cottage. Richard took walks with Asta, I read on the verandah and listened to the birds - mostly Kookaburras - and enjoyed the view. Richard was able to get a photo of a Boobook Owl roosting near the cottage in a fig tree:
And lastly, I was able to record the Kookaburras on my mobile phone! This is three separate recordings that I have pieced together. I swear these are birds, not chimps. If you listen closely, toward the end you can hear the kookaburras in the background responding to the nearby ones.
It was truly the best, most relaxing anniversary ever.
Our trip down the coast earlier this month. Richard and I decided we would head down the coast to Narooma. We rested the first day in our accommodation at Broulee and the second day we headed to check out the beaches at Narooma. As we were nearing the ocean there, I saw this cemetery in the distance on top of this huge cliff. Richard and I set out to find it immediately.
When we finally made our way up there, we were not disappointed. We wandered our way through the cemetery reading the headstones. Some were very large, and others were very sad.
and then checked out the views:
We also spent a lot of time playing around in the rock pools. The first photo is a Nudibranch and the second is a Box Jellyfish
And then we decided to go to Ulladulla and Mollymook. We noticed there was a lot of smoke in the air, but did that deter us?! NO! So on the way we saw a lone fire truck near the road. Hmmm. And then, later, when we decided to head home we were turned back because a fire had crossed the road! We tried again an hour or so later and finally got through.
All in all, it was an awesome birthday - well if you ignore the part when I fell on the rocks at the beach (owww!). And the fires (scary!!). But, other than THAT, it was great.
When we returned, it was hurry, hurry, hurry and get ready for Richard's 30th birthday party! It was the first time his family in Canberra had been to our home all together and I was freaking out! But it went really well and everyone pitched in and helped me survive. (Thank you!)
And then? THEN it was Christmas. Luckily we decorated the tree before the birthday holiday because time went into fast forward after we got home. We bought our first fake tree this year. However, since our ceilings are like a million feet high, we went for the tall 7.5 foot tree. And then, because the tree was so big, we didn't have enough ornaments to decorate it. So, here we go. $99 decoration dollars later, neggie and then dressed (without garland, don'tcha know?):
It's not TOO fake looking, is it?
Anyway, Christmas. Right. So Richard and I opened our presents to each other that morning. And then we had Christmas lunch with Richard's mum and the all the siblings arrived and kids ripped open their pressies and we ate and we ate more and then we sat around and talked and commented on the cold weather. And then we had Christmas dinner with Richard's dad and Jill and her brother and his wife and her sister and her daughter. And so we talked and drank wine and talked and ate and ate dessert and then talked more. Then we headed for home, Richard was stopped and breathalised and then we made it home and fell into bed.
And then we rested on Boxing Day. And slept in. And then later took down the tree.
About this time every year I like to think about how fortunate I am. (Carefully, though. I don't want to jinx myself.) 2006 has been a really good year, the highlights being that we finally moved out into our own place and I received notification of my Australian citizenship approval.
As I have said before, moving to Australia has turned out to be a good thing for Richard and I, but it has not always been easy. Just the act applying for my spousal visa to migrate took months of preparation, not to mention the monumental task of packing and moving our belongs to Australia. All that, before we even set foot on the sardine tin airplane.
After arriving, I think I was in culture shock for a few days weeks . I didn't want to leave the house, I had trouble understanding people. And then I started looking for a job. SIX months and over 100 applications later, I finally found employment. And since then, things have really been looking up. Having that job unlocked wonderful things for us and everything began to . . . fall into place. My boss moved and offered us her house. Richard was able to find extra work so we could afford it. And somehow we manage to live in Australia, where things are generally more expensive - with less money - and we have a nicer home.
After the initial culture shock, I feel as if I have settled in and can honestly call Australia home. A lot of Americans have trouble acclimating to living here, but I have a few things they do not.
I have an wonderful husband who knows what it feels like to live in another country, whom I can talk to about how I feel without him becoming upset. He's supportive of my endeavors here, but would move back to the US with me in a heartbeat if I really wanted.
Unlike many Americans that move here, I get on with my in-laws. Richard's family have never treated me any different to any other spouse of a son or daughter. There has never been anything but acceptance and understanding from them. I honestly couldn't have managed as well without them, and their continued support. My relationship with them is very important to me. I am extremely thankful for a few of Richard's family members. Without going into details, I hope they know who they are.
I have learned to love being here without constantly comparing it to the US. There are awesome things about both places, but here is where I am. And honestly, there are some things that are better in Australia and there are some things that are better in the US. I've learned to just look for the positive and get on with it.
So where I am going with this, you say?
To be honest, I am not sure if I will continue the Down Under Diary after I become an Australian citizen next month. I have been here over 2 years now. Nearly as long as I have lived in the last 2 places in the US. I just don't really think about what life is like here anymore because I'm busy living it. Maybe I've lost my perspective. I'm not even sure this attempt shows the average person what life is like in Australia, though I hope it shows a little of what my life has been like.
So, should I continue to update, I may have to review my purpose. Maybe a new name is in order? A new look? I'm not sure.
Whatever the case. Welcome 2007! I'm ready for you.
I ask you, what's cuter than a little girl in a swimming suit of purple with white pokadots? Seriously!
One of the things I was often asked when people found out I was moving to Australia was, "Are you worried about all the dangerous animals?" I waded through warnings of snakes, sharks, spiders, dingos, Tasmanian Devils, and crocodiles. And while some of these warnings are real - Australia does have some extremely dangerous animals - you rarely hear of a fatal incident.
The things that people never warned me about were the birds, specifically the Magpies and the Plovers! From September to November these birds are like something from Hitchcock's imagination. These sweet voice Magpie minstrels, and the rata tat rata tat warnings of Plovers send school children and adults alike running, hands waving in the air, for safety. These birds will do anything to protect their nests and you better not go near. In fact, people are swooped so often in certain areas, the government have put up warning signs.
Apparently, Maggies do not swoop if they think you are looking at them. To help escape the swooping season, kids often paint eyes on their bike helmets.
Swooped! And Eyes in the Back of your Head!
Maggies tend to be covert and just fly right out at you, but Plovers will warn you (rata tat rata tat) when you invade their area. But Plovers are also more persistent - and have spurs on their wings! Spurs!
And you were worried about a little spider!
Seriously, though, there is nothing funnier than watching someone else be swooped - you know, from the safety of your own deck and all.
In other news, I survived my citizenship interview and am anxiously awaiting the results that are being sent to me via the post. The interview went well and I was able to recite the responsibilities and privileges of becoming an Australian citizen to the immigration officer successfully. They have booked me in for the Citizenship Ceremony on Australia Day, the 26th of January. I am over the moon about becoming a citizen on Australia Day. Now my only hope is that my FREAKING CONGRATULATIONS letter gets here soon before I freak out and they have to commit me. Please?
Also fresh in the What Else Is New is my weekend job. That's right. One weekend a month I am an official On Call Allocation Officer. Fancy, eh? What this means though, is that I am at the beck and call of every employee, client, and family member of a Nursing Agency. Need a shift filled? Call me! Want to know why you carer hasn't shown up? I'm your girl! Need to know when you're next on? Yup! You guessed it. Me again! And boy do they LOVE calling! Whew. But, the money is good and I can do anything one weekend a month.
I guess I did an okay job, though, because the week after my first weekend I was offered a full time position working Monday to Friday. It was very tempting, let me tell you. What with it's flexible hours, proximity to my house, and $6 extra dollars an HOUR. But, I turned it down. I love where I work now and they are considering me for a traineeships Certificate IV in Human resources. And that? Is where I really want to point my compass right now.
Other than that, my friends, life is going along swimmingly well. I'm giving Thanks to the Turkey Gods at my Inlaw's house tomorrow, as they have so graciously invited Richard and I over for dinner. I am anticipating there will be much eating, burping and then more eating. And I can.not.wait.
Oh! Richard and I bought our Christmas Tree today and we are slowly gearing up for the Holidays. After three years of celebrating the holidays while living with our respective families, there are simply not words to express how incredibly happy we are to be in our own house for Christmas this year. I plan to go large and maybe a little bit gaudy. I am also going cold turkey on the garland thing. The past three years I have been forced to wrap that silver crap about the tree, but this year? The garland madness WILL STOP. Instead? We will have lightly tinseled tree and we will bask in the glory of all that is not garland.
One of the things I enjoy about living in Canberra is the space. It's a beautiful city and you don't feel like you live in a "concrete jungle" as there are always plenty of trees and green spaces around you. Since the weather has warmed up, Richard and I have been walking around Commonwealth Park in the evenings. It's a great park, near Lake Burley-Griffin and full of trees, children's play areas, and wandering paths with plenty of benches in which to pause.
Richard always brings his camera to take photos and I just walk around enjoying the peace and quiet, thinking about how lucky I am to live here.
Here are some recent photos of the park:
One of the more interesting things about living in another country is missing the references and common sayings that everyone else seems to know. I've found many of these are related to movies and commercials. One such example is the term, "Not happy, Jan!" The first time I heard this reference, I was like, wha? And then I stumbled across this:
Australian television is the strange mix of American programming, bad Aussie remakes of bad American programming, a sprinkle of the BBC, and a dash of original, unique Australian programming. I've found that Australian television pushes the envelope a bit farther than US television. One example is Chaser's War on Everything.
And then there are the commercials, which are uniquely Australian. Richard remembers, and can still sing along with this one:
In Australia the seasons are marked at the beginning of the month instead of the equinox:
March 1 - Fall June - Winter September - Spring. December 1 - Summer
As you can see, we are well into Spring right now. But, instead of that nice Spring time weather, it's already feels like early summer. This last week the weather has been in the around 30 Celsius or 86 degrees fahrenheit. We've had to turn the air conditioner on at work.
But the most tell-telling time that it's warming up? Today was the annual doona put away day. Gone is the heavy, warm doona and out is the light the summer quilt that always feels a bit funny at first. What rituals do you do to mark the seasons?
I'm pretty excited about Spring/Summer, though. It's been a long, dark winter and I'm ready for some long evenings on our deck.
Okay, some pictures:
This is the elusive Ganggang I mentioned in the earlier post. The bird, to me, is half beautiful and sorta half ordinary, but special in that you don't seem them everyday. They are around, but seem to sorta do their own thing, so to speak.
And here are some photos of Michael (Richard's younger brother) and Karen's wedding last month, and a couple of their cute kids, Nathaneal and Charolotte. (And one of Asta running, because, really?? Who doesn't like dog pictures?)
The roses are blooming in the garden like crazy. I'll try to get a pic of those and our new table next.
