Dancing with Kangaroos

Oz Vocabu-slang #3

2010-05-08T17:08:00.000-07:00

Chook

(noun) a chicken.

Another of my favourite pieces of Aussie slang. It refers to either a live chicken happily living on a farm and cooked chicken sitting on my dinner plate.

Where are you from?

2010-05-01T19:04:00.000-07:00

When I lived in Canada I was from PEI. It was a simple answer to a simple question.

Now that I live in Australia it isn't so simple. The conversation with an Aussie (Oz) usually goes something like this:

Oz: Were are you from?
Me: Canada?
Oz: Where in Canada?
Me: Prince Edward Island
Oz: Is that near Vancouver? My cousin went to Vancouver once.
Me: No, it is on the far east coast.
Oz: (with a look of confusion) The east coast?
Me: Yes, the far east coast.
Oz: Is that the french part?
Me: No, past the french part.
Oz: (still looking confused) Past the french part?
Me: Yes, past the french part. (At this point many people still look confused and I often suspect they don't believe me. Sometimes mentioning our beloved Anne helps.)

I have only once had someone say they knew where Prince Edward Island was. I got quite excited and told them they were the first Aussie I had met that knew where it was. She said her cousin had gone there on a trip to BC. Sigh, wrong coast.

Crazy Hat New Years

2010-01-02T15:52:00.001-08:00

Gavin of Green Gables
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault

This year we spent New Years with our friends Kirbee and Leigh. They had a few people over for boardgames and mojitos. The theme of the party was Crazy Hats. I made my very own Anne hat but as you can see Gavin liked it and stole it for his own. Good times were had by all.

My Christmas Vacation

2010-01-02T15:47:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault

This year we spent Christmas at Ken and Sharon's home in Hornsby. On Christmas eve we were joined by our Canadian friends, Sarah, Al and Tucker. We fed lorikeets, ate snacks and sat in the hot tub.

Christmas morning we were up bright and early opening presents. Laura, a fellow Canuck and honourary Seymour, cooked the traditional Seymour breakfast, Christmas Morning Wifesaver. It was delicious.

After breakfast we prepared for more guests. Sharon's sister and her family joined us for Christmas lunch. We spent the day eating, playing in the pool, opening more presents, and finally, sitting in the hot tub.

It was a good Christmas.

Carols in the Domain

2010-01-02T15:33:00.001-08:00

Carols by Candlelight
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault

It is hard to get into the spirit of Christmas in 40C weather when you are used to snow and cold. In past years I have forced familiar Canadian traditions in hopes of feeling festive. Usually it only makes matters worse. It is too hot for baking. Carols about snow just make me homesick.

This year we stumbled on something Aussie that was just what I needed. Carols in the Domain. More than 100,000 people pack a downtown park and sing Christmas carols by candlelight. Local and international celebrities come out to sing and entertain. This year we enjoyed the Wiggles and Englebert Humperdink among others. We went with some Canadian friends, brought a picnic and had a great time. The candles remind me of the old candlelight services at First Baptist...ahh singing Away in a Manger with hot wax running down my hand...what could be more festive.

Interac / Eftpos

2009-12-16T12:53:00.000-08:00

When I do any shopping here in the land of OZ I usually use my bank card to pay. Here that service is called Eftpos. The system works exactly the same as in Canada. The procedure is a whole other kettle of fish. Here is what happens when I show a cashier that I am paying with a bank card:

The cashier takes the card from me.
They swipe the card for me.
They ask me if it will be on Savings.
I say no, it is cheque (not called chequing here).
They push the account button for me.
They then allow me to put in my own PIN number.
They give me my card back.

The first two steps make sense. I am sure it is painful for cashiers to watch shoppers continually swipe the wrong way. It is the following steps that boggle me. Isn't the whole idea of mounting the device on the counter facing the customer to allow the customer to enter their own information? Sometimes they don't even ask me what account I want they just enter Savings. It is one of those everyday things that always reminds me I am living in a foreign land.

I Knew I was Adapting to Life in Australia When...

2009-11-16T22:44:00.000-08:00

...I smelled ripe mango at the grocery store and my first thought was Christmas.

CBC Bar?

2009-11-04T13:04:00.001-08:00

CIMG5446
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault

On a recent walk in my neighbourhood, just past the House of Fetish, I noticed a bar with a logo suspiciously like the CBC logo. Interesting.

I Won! I Won! I Won...Third.

2009-11-02T21:11:00.000-08:00

My horse, Mourilyan, came third. A bit of a surprise. I think I win $6...and third place gloating rights. Not too shabby.

$2 on Mourilyan

2009-11-02T12:44:00.000-08:00

Today is Melbourne Cup day. The Melbourne Cup is Australia's big horse race. Everyone watches it. Workplaces have sweeps. My horse is Mourilyan. He isn't the favourite but I have a good feeling about him. I drew his name out of a hat so I have to make the best of it. Goooooo Mourilyan.

Red Dawn

2009-09-23T19:39:00.001-07:00

Red Dawn
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault

I woke up bright and early Tuesday morning. When I peered out the window I wondered if I had been transplanted to Mars. The air was orange. Gavin assured me I was not on another planet, it was was just a dust storm (just a dust storm?).

I went out and took a few pictures. I wasn't out early enough to get the really orange-red sky. I was early enough for there to be very few people noises. It was an eerie feeling being out in the quiet orangeness of the morning. There was an airless quality to the atmosphere. It felt a bit like I might be in a sci-fi movie...one where I might have to defend our house from zombies or a crazy virus.

When the air cleared (without any zombie attacks) there was a fine red dust on everything. Reminded me of home.

Oz Observation #5 - The Restaurant Bathroom

2009-08-10T19:48:00.000-07:00

I know I mentioned this in a previous post but thought it deserved a post of its own. So here we go:

In many restaurants in Australia you have to go through the kitchen to get to the bathroom.
Sometimes that bathroom is indoors - just on the other side of the kitchen. Sometimes it is outdoors -through the kitchen, down the steps, around the corner, past the dumpster, to the left along the short alley (or something like that).
When I say you have to go through the kitchen, I mean you have to go through the kitchen. You could actually have a stickybeak in a few of the pots on the stove, perhaps steal a spring roll or chat with the cook about how he gets the sauce just right.
Of course I would never do any of the things in point #3 because even though this is the way things are done it still feels wrong. I always ask a waitress permission to go to the toilet (even though no one else seems to and it makes me feel like I am in grade 4 again) and I feel really guilty walking through the kitchen (head down, try not to me seen).

Oz Vocabu-slang #2

2009-08-10T19:22:00.000-07:00

Stickybeak

(noun) a busy body.
(verb) to pry or to snoop.

This is one of my favourite pieces of Aussie slang. I don't know why. Perhaps it is the funny image of a person with a long beak that pops into my head when I hear it. Maybe it is the way it pops off the tongue (Say it, you'll see).

Canada Day Down Under

2009-07-26T03:17:00.001-07:00

Canadian Club Party
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault

Canada Day was well celebrated in Sydney. Two pubs had parties that offered caesars, Moosehead beer, and poutine. The odd thing they also advertised was pancakes. I have never thought of pancakes as particularly Canadian. After a little thought I made the maple syrup connection.

Due to other commitments we weren't able to make it to either of the pub parties. We did however make it to the Canadian Club luncheon where about 70 odd people celebrated Canada's birthday. Gavin and I also had a party at our house complete with Nanaimo bars, caesars, and a few other snacks ordered from OCanada.com.au.

I don't think I ever did so much to celebrate Canada Day while living in Canada.

My Very Own Curling Rink

2009-06-23T16:26:00.001-07:00

Wee Curling Rink
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault

I bought a curling rink for only $5 last week. Admittedly it will fit on top of the kitchen table with room to spare for chips and a drink. It even came with rocks and wee little brooms. There will be curling at our house for Canada Day. Let's hope I am better at this than I was at the real thing.

Canadian Club on the Rocks

2009-06-11T16:36:00.000-07:00

No this isn't my new favouite drink. The Canadian Club is a group Gavin and I have joined that, funnily enough, meets in an area of Sydney called 'the Rocks'. They meet once a month for drinks. Some months there are other events such as bush walks, wine nights, and picnics. The group seems to be mostly made up of Canadians and their Aussie partners though there are also a few Canadians over here for work and even a few Aussies who just love Canada. We've been along to a couple of meetings, met some nice people, and, gosh darnit, I just love hearing a familiar accent.

A Very Thin Visitor

2009-05-31T15:31:00.001-07:00

Flat Stanley and Gavin
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault

We had a very special visitor at our new house in Sydney a few weeks ago. His name was Flat Stanley. He was sent to us by my cousin Harrison. Gavin and I had a great time showing our guest around, taking some pictures, and keeping a journal. Some of the things we did were:

Walk across the Harbour Bridge.
Explore the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Eat crocodile pizza.
Watch a rugby game.
Visit the Opera House. We ran into another Flat Stanley on the steps.
Visit Luna Park.

At the end of two weeks we packed him and the journal up and sent him back to Harrison and his class at Southern Kings Consolidated on PEI. Check out some of the pictures from his visit.

Double Denim

2009-05-05T16:42:00.001-07:00

Gavin Turns 30
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault

Gavin entered his 30s on the 30th of April. How did we celebrate this momentous occasion? With a double denim party. Before coming to Australia I was unfamiliar with the term double denim. Double denim is when a person wears both jeans and a jean jacket (apparently it also call it the Canadian tuxedo). We had lots of denim jackets and jeans at the party. We also had denim hats, shorts, dresses, overalls, slippers and headbands. Good times. Check out the pictures.

I Smell a Rat

2009-05-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

I'm considering changing the name of this blog to Dancing with Pests and Vermin. First we had cockroaches, ants and slugs. Then then there was a million little spiders. Now we have a rat living with us. Not a little mouse but a big brown rat. He has just moved in. We chased him out the back door on Sunday but I think he is back. Hopefully he will like the little treats I have left for him.

Slug Shot

2009-04-04T15:01:00.001-07:00

Papa Slug
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault

We have moved. Gavin and I are renting a little house in the city. It is old and full of "character"...and pests. We had the usual cockroaches, ants and spiders. We have gotten them down to a manageable numbers. However we have one unexpected pest...slugs...in the bathroom. As you can see they grow 'em big here.

A Shocking Discovery

2009-02-12T13:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I headed to the grocery store to get Graham Cracker crumbs to make a pie crust. I went down the baking aisle. They were nowhere to be found. I thought to myself, perhaps they don't sell the ready made crumbs in Australia. I went to the cookie/cracker aisle. I walked up and down several times checking every package. There was nothing that even looked like a Graham Cracker disguised with a weird Aussie name. I ended up leaving with something I thought were going to be like Teddy Grahams but were not.

When I got home I did a Google search and made a shocking discovery...Graham Crackers do not exist in Australia. Now I wonder, what do they make cheesecake crusts out of?

Oz Vocabu-slang #1

2009-02-03T13:12:00.000-08:00

ice block (noun):

Flavoured ice on a small wooden stick; in Canada is called a popsicle.
Flavoured ice in a long, narrow, clear, plastic bag; in Canada is called a freezie.

In these hot summer months this word has come to frustrate me. There doesn't seem to be separate terms for these two items. If we have both of these things in the freezer and Gavin asks if I would like an ice block there always has to be a clarification of what I actually want. This clarification is always followed by a tirade (by me) about the need for two different terms for these fairly different things. Now we just keep one or the other item in the freezer.

7 Things

2009-01-27T14:23:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from my brother Dennis informing me that I have been tagged! There was a link to his blog. After reading the rules I wasn't going to participate as I have no friends with blogs to link to. Dennis has told me to do it any way. So I am.

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the original tagger and list these rules in your post.

2. Share seven facts about yourself in the post.

3. Tags seven people at the end of the post by leaving their names and links to their blogs.

4. Let them know they have been tagged.

7 Things:

During my elementary school and junior high years I had a lot of pen pals. I loved getting letters. I had pen pals from Illinois, New Hampshire, India, and Australia. I wrote to my Australian pen pal for several years. She loved Bon Jovi and Anne of Green Gables. I don't know where any of them are now.
I love Alanis Morisette. When she puts out a new CD I usually rush out and get it the day it is released.
I once had a roomate named Garfield. Shaun and Bryan, my other roomates, and I hoped he would be like the cat. Instead he worked at a strip club (after dropping out of his truck driving course), was a drug addict, "dated" a girl named Candy, and left with the DVD player and without paying his rent. We took our anger out on the dresser he left behind. We also had the locks changed.
I studied classical Greek for five semesters at university. At the time it seemed like a good idea. Sadly, I have now forgotten a lot of what I learned.
I think mangoes are better than candy...chocolate included.
Every year I try to read 52 books (one for each week of the year). I have never been able to do it. Some weeks I am able to read 3 books others weeks I don't get through any. I keep track of them in a little book. I always put a rush on at the end of the year but I never make it. Last year I managed 40 books. My highest was 43 in 2005.
The one country I would really like to visit is Russia. My husband is not so keen.

The tag ends with me as I have no blogging friends to link to.

Picture Perfect

2009-01-24T13:27:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my brother, Dennis, I have a new photo gallery. It is located at www.dancingwithkangaroos.com . From now on I will be posting photos here instead of on Flickr.

Tis the Season...

2008-12-08T14:58:00.001-08:00

Eight legged swimmer
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault

...for all things venemous at Orana Avenue. This fellow was fished out of the swimming pool on Saturday. He is a funnel-web spider. A little info on the funnel Web

They can survive 24-30 hours underwater.
They are ugly.
They look mean.
They are aggressive.
They are one of the three most dangerous spiders in the world.

Ssssnake in My Garden...No More

2008-12-03T22:30:00.001-08:00

Well, there haven't been any snake sightings in a nearly a week. I think I liked it better knowing we had a snake in the garden. Now it seems he as moved on to tastier pastures...but perhaps he hasn't...

Sssssnake in My Garden: Day 4

2008-11-27T13:33:00.000-08:00

I think I saw him yesterday. He was a few feet from his usual spot. It was a bit like a Loch Ness monster sighting. I could kind of see his head but it might have been a leaf or a bit of wood. When I went back later for a better look he (or the leaf/wood) was gone...

Seymour, Bill "Bubbles"

2008-11-26T15:23:00.001-08:00

Bill
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault

Peacefully in his bowl in Hornsby, NSW on November 24, 2008 of Bill "Bubbles" Seymour. Beloved fish of Ami and Gavin. Lovingly remember by all who knew him. Funeral and flushing took place in the downstairs toilet in Hornsby on November 24, 2008.

Sssssnake in My Garden: Day 3

2008-11-26T13:28:00.000-08:00

Despite the cold overcast day yesterday, Severus was still hanging around. His wee little snake head was poking out from under the stairs. Lucky we have friends who are trained snake handlers who just happen to be coming for a visit on Saturday.

Sssssnake in my Garden: Day 2

2008-11-25T12:59:00.000-08:00

The lady at Wires figured we wouldn't see our snake again, he'd probably move on by evening if we stomped up and down the steps he was hiding under. Yesterday he was back...in the same spot...not quite so shy and timid. He was all curled up having a lovely nap and sun bathing in the garden. He didn't even notice me walk by...twice. I think he has made himself very much at home. I suspect he'll soon be asking me to apply sunscreen to his back and make him fancy cocktails. We can't have that. If he doesn't move along soon we'll have to have someone in to evict him. In the meantime, we've given him a name, Severus. Severus Snake.

Sssssnake in my Garden: Day 1

2008-11-24T16:55:00.001-08:00

Snake in my Garden
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault

I noticed this fellow in the garden yesterday. He was quite little and very shy. He is a red bellied black snake. Gavin called WIRES and a very informative lady called me back to tell me not to worry about him as he is shy, we don't have a food source and he'll probably move on...oh, and yes he is poisonous...but they rarely bite. Hmmmm....

Ls

2008-09-01T18:20:00.001-07:00

LPlate
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault

Before leaving Australia last December I did what many probably believed I would never do. I got my beginner drivers license, known in Australia as my Learners or Ls (so called because of the yellow "L" plate I have to have on the front and back of the car when I drive). Before I can move of to my P1s (Red "P" plate for front and back of car) I have to log at least 120 hours of supervised driving. Things I have learned after logging 2 hours of driving:

It is a challenge to remember what side of the road to drive on. Aussies drive on the left?
I don't like going faster than 30km/h.
I hate driving.

Rabbitohs V Roosters

2008-09-01T17:50:00.001-07:00

Rabbitohs-Logo
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault

This past weekend Gavin took me to my first Rugby League game. We went to see my team, the Rabbitohs, play the Roosters. Sadly the Rabbitohs lost but it was an exciting game. I'm not a sports commentator so if you want a match report check out this link. Here a few notes about things other than the game:

I wasn't the only Canadian at the game. Pamela Anderson was also in attendance.
If you ever own a rugby team don't make them wear white shorts. They just look grubby after about 5 minutes.
I was pleased not to see anyone in high heels, a skirt or drinking wine. These there very common sights at the AFL and Rugby Union games we have gone to. Who dresses up for a sports game at an outdoor stadium?
Best chant by the fans during the game was "Russell is a wanker" (referring to Russell Crowe who is part owner of the Rabbitohs).
Best comment heard outside the stadium (while cutting through the parking lot) "Take a piss between the cars, mate". They do it between the cars, behind, signs, on trees. Everywhere.
Souths fans have a great passion for the game. The fellow two seats down from me was in tears when the score was somewhere around 14-0 for the Roosters. Ok he was about six years old but still...

Oz Observations #4: A Night at the Movies

2008-08-12T17:25:00.000-07:00

Last night Gavin and I went to the movies. Here are a few things I noticed:

Tickets and concessions are bought from the same person. A bit of a pain if you only want a ticket.
They don't have butter for the popcorn. Healthwise, probably a good thing.
The popcorn comes in a box which closes at the top. Very convenient when trying to manouver it and a drink and folding down your seat.
A popular concession is the choc top. I haven't tried one yet as I am not sure I can handle the cold ice cream in a cold cinema (see observation 5).
No heat in the cinema.
Seats were assigned.
Arms between the seats folded up. Good for stretching out for a nap?

My New boots

2008-08-12T17:22:00.001-07:00

New boots
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault

I left a not so hot Ottawa summer for an even colder Aussie winter. I don't think I have been warm since I arrived. While winter here is more like autumn in Canada (which is my favourite season) there is one factor that makes all the difference - heating and insulation. Or more correctly lack of these things. Getting out of bed when it is 6C in a house with no heat or insulation is very unpleasant. Gavin has bought me Ugg boots to make mornings (and evenings) a bit more bearable. Ugg boots are Aussie, cozy, very ugly, and not meant to be worn out of the house.

Nightmare in the Skies

2008-08-06T15:48:00.000-07:00

My Top 3 most hated (make me gag) foods:

Potatoes. Particularly if they are mashed and creamy.
Canned vegetables. Particularly canned peas.
Mayonnaise.

After a 5ish hour flight to Vancouver and a 4 hour wait for my flight to Australia, I boarded the plane at 3am (Ottawa time). I was tired and hungry. The supper served at the start of my 15 hour flight: Some sort of very salty beef with a side of extra creamy mashed potatoes and canned peas. Seriously, a dollop of mayo was all it needed to make it my worst meal ever. On the plus side, if the side dishes had of been even tolerable I probably would have thought the beef was disgusting. As it was, the beef was delicious.

Last Day in the Capital

2008-08-06T15:10:00.000-07:00

I had one day off between finishing work and returning to Australia. Here is what I did on the day:

9am - Visited Laurier House, former home of Sir Wilfred Laurier and William Lyon Mackenzie King. No, they weren't roomies. Laurier willed it to Mackenzie King who in turn willed it to the people of Canada. I recommend it to anyone visiting Ottawa. It is tucked away on Laurier Street and costs only $3.90 to enter. As I was the first visitor of the day, I had a tour guide all to myself. Interesting thing I learned - Mackenzie King collected chairs.
10:15am - Went to 1930: The Making of the "New Man" at the National Gallery. An interesting exhibition but quite dark. I also popped into the Contemporary Gallery. I unintentionally scared the heck out of some girls while viewing BGL: The Discourse of Elements. Quite funny. Finally, I zipped through the Canadian Collection to see some of my favourite pieces.
1:00pm - Met my roommate Rob for lunch. We went to the Pour House in the Market. A great place to people watch.
3:10pm - Went to the movies at the World Exchange. I had grand plans to see a movie that I figured wouldn't be released in Australia for a while. Sadly nothing I wanted to see was on so I went to Bride's Head Revisited. A bit long and quite depressing.
5:30pm - Arrived home and attempted to finish packing. All my bags were far over the limit. Got stressed. Had a glass of wine.
6:30pm - Friends arrive to say goodbyes. Ate, drank, and was merry.
11:50pm - Went to bed.

A Few of My Favorite Things

2008-06-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

Some of the things I miss about Australia (people not included):

The rice crackers. They aren't like anything I have ever found in Canada. They come in yummy flavours. If you leave them out over night they taste stale. The Canadian ones taste stale to begin with. They go very well with Copper Pot Chunky Dip.
Mangoes. Better than candy.
The restaurants along the Jetty in Coffs Harbour. Butter chicken from Oberoi's and spicy pepper squid from the Golden Crown.
The smell of the air. I don't know if it is the eucalyptus trees but the air smells different.
A few TV shows. Kath and Kim, Spicks and Specks and Rove.

Ok, I figured I better add the last two as the list was quickly becoming all about food. No wonder I put on a few pounds when I was there.

Visa Visa Visa

2008-06-12T13:27:00.000-07:00

I am now the proud possessor of a visa for Australia. Gavin and I decided I would complete my work contract before returning so I will be in Ottawa until August. That means I get to spend summer in Ottawa and thus miss out on most of the Aussie winter.

Pop Goes the Question

2008-03-13T13:07:00.001-07:00

The Ring
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault

On a Thursday night at the end of January I returned home to find a letter from Gavin. In that letter he asked me to marry him. Yes, was my answer. No, I didn't write back. I called. I figured he'd been waiting long enough while the letter crossed the world.

As he is on the other side of the world he offered to let me pick out my own ring. This is what I chose. I wanted something a little different so I chose a ruby. It took a while but I am starting to get used to having a ring on all the time.
The past two years have been pretty wonderful. I am pretty excited to get to spend my life with Gavin.

Crikey, Australia Zoo

2007-10-30T20:01:00.001-07:00

Australia Zoo
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault

One outing we did take while at Coolum was to Australia Zoo. This is Steve Irwin's Zoo. We caught the Australia Zoo bus from Coolum to the Zoo. They showed old episodes of "The Crocodile Hunter" on the ride there. What a guy.

When we arrived we headed to the Crocoseum for the morning show. The show was ok. The bird segment was surprisingly the most interesting part. The whole thing built up to the crocodile segemnt. In the end the crocodile came out but was not really in the mood for doing much.

After the show we wandered about checking out the kangaroos, koalas, wombats, tigers, elephants, aligators, crocodiles and much more. One of the best creatures was the Tasmanian Devil. No he doesn't look anything like the Warner Bros. version. He was pretty funny though. He spent his time circling his enclosure. Making it very difficult for anyone to get a good phot of him. Very amusing.

All in all it was a lovely day. The animals have nice enclosures and look healthy. The grounds are well kept and beautiful. The staff are informative. Conservation is stressed throughout the zoo. They are planning a huge expansion with a huge animal hospital, hotel, and safari. I reccomend it if you are ever in Beerwah.

What I did on my Spring Vacation

2007-10-30T19:31:00.001-07:00

Coolum
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault

Last week Gavin and I headed to Coolum with his family. Coolum is about an hour and a half north of Brisbaine. His parents have a holiday apartment there. The week was spent doing little other than eating, relaxing, and enjoying the scenery. Exactly how a vacation should be spent.

The "new" couch

2007-08-26T16:18:00.001-07:00

The "new" couch
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault

After months of relaxing on a not so comfortable futon ( a metal frame with very flat cushion) we have bought a "new" couch. It may not be the prettiest one (though I do like it) but boy is it comfy. It is long enough for Gavin to stretch out on and the arms are just the right height for a head rest. Best of all it was only $80.

Jumpy's

2007-08-26T16:03:00.001-07:00

Jumpy's
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault

There are not many things I miss from Canada that I can't get here. I don't have crazy urges for Tim Hortons or Beaver Tails. One thing I do miss though is Goldfish Crackers, particularly the Blasted BBQ flavour. They are soooo good. They don't sell Goldfish, let alone BBQ flavour, in Australia. I did however find an adequate substitute in Jumpy's. Tasty kangaroo-shaped crackers.

Coffee Fairy

2007-07-31T04:22:00.000-07:00

I now have a job. I deliver coffee to all the good people who work in the shopping centre near our home. The work is not too bad, it gets me out of the house and pays well. Coffee is a whole different thing here. There is no coffee from a big coffee urn, like you get at Tim's. Here every cup is made individually. If you want a cup of black coffee you order a long black. For an espresso you order a short black. Then there is the flat white which is a shot of coffee to which you add hot milk. I also make lattes and cappucinos and many other fancy schmancy drinks.

Surprise Date

2007-05-26T15:09:00.000-07:00

For my birthday Gavin gave me the Bob Evans CD Suburban Songbook. He had heard one of the songs on the radio and thought I would like it. He knows me too well. I love the CD. Last night as a surprise he took me to see Bob Evans at the Metro Theatre. The opening acts were Faryll Perkiss and Machine Translations. They were quite enjoyable. Bob Evans put on a great show. He sounded great and was very entertaining. Even Gavin thought it was a good show and when it comes to music we don't usually agree. I think I got myself a pretty great guy.

Mystery Box

2007-05-24T16:23:00.001-07:00

Aus Museum-FunnelWeb
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault

What is only 2" long and is so dangerous it has to be kept locked in a box within a box with a large red "Danger" sign? ...the funnel-web spider, of course. The one in this box makes his home at the Australia Museum. These are considered one of the most dangerous spiders in the world and they live in my backyard. I haven't had the "pleasure" of meeting one yet and I am hoping I never do.

Ami's Big Day in the City.

2007-05-24T16:05:00.001-07:00

HydePark-Turtle2
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault

Earlier this week I headed into Sydney to have a look around. I headed first to Hyde Park to have a look around and wait for the museums to open. Hyde park is a lovely place for a walk and a great place for people watching.

At 10am I headed to the Australia Museum. It is basically a natural history museum. Admission is $10. The exhibits are old school (lots of things piled in display cases) and not particularly exciting or informative. Though I did learn that more than 80% of Australia's plants and amimals are unique to Australia. With a statistic like that this museum should be much more interesting.

After lunch I walked to the Art Gallery of New South Wales. It has free admission. I had museum fatigue by the time I got there and so did not really take much in. It is free so I can go back.

By the time I left the gallery it was time to try to find my way across the harbour to Milson's point to meet Gavin. This took me through the Royal Botanic Gardens. Very beautiful (and also free). Upon exiting the gardens the easiest thing would have been to take a train across the Harbour Bridge. I thought it might be nice to walk across the bridge. It was about 4pm when I started looking for the way to walk across (I had been on my feet since 8am). After taking several wrong paths I was on my way at 4:45. It is a lovely view from the bridge and a nice walk.

All in all in was a nice day in the city. After all that walking I went home and slept like a baby.

Moth Writings

2007-05-20T18:32:00.001-07:00

Scribbly Gum Bark3
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault.

I have always liked to draw. Perhaps that is why I love the Scribbly Gum so much. It has all these "scribbles" over the bark. They are not just the natural pattern of the bark but the tunnels of the Scribbly Gum moth. It really does look like someone has been scribbling on the tree.

Cockroach Hotel: The Continuing Story

2007-05-12T22:50:00.000-07:00

We still have very big cockroaches at our house. We don't see as many as we used to, only about 4 or 5 a week now. I no longer scream for Gavin to kill them. I do that myself. All in all, I feel that for the most part I handle the situation quite well. There is only one thing that still disturbs me about them, when I wake up in the morning to find half of a cockroach (usually the tail end though not always) where there was no cockroach when I went to bed. What the heck happens to the other half?

Kyogle Part 2: Conversation with a local

2007-04-25T15:25:00.000-07:00

After spending the morning seeing everything I could possibly see in Kyogle I decided to spend the afternoon reading. I chose a lovely shaded bench just off mainstreet. The bench, in length, was about the equivalent of about 4 or 5 park benches. I sat at one end. No one else was sitting on the bench. Imagine my surprise when a woman sat down so close to me she was in danger of sitting on me. I tried to keep reading my book but she bemoaned her sore feet and sore back, obviously looking to strike up a conversation. I stole a quick look at her. I would guess she was in her late 60s early 70s. She wore a large, brightly coloured muumuu. Here is a portion of our conversation:
Me: "Oh, that is too bad" (about her back).
LL (Local Lady): "Yeah, I will take it to the grave"
There was silence so I continued reading
LL: "Can I ask you a question?"
Me: "Sure" I was not at all prepared for what she was about to ask.
LL: "Are those false teeth?" Yes, she was refering to my teeth.
Me: "No, these are my own teeth"
LL: "Really?"
Me: "Yes" At this point I tapped on them thinking that might convince her.
LL: "Fair dinkum?"
Me: "Honestly, they are real"
This continued for about a minute and a half at which point I could tell she still didn't believe me.
LL: "Do you think these are my real teeth?"
During our time so close together on the bench I got a good look at her teeth. They were brown and chipped.
Me: "I'd say those are real" Could they be anything but?
LL: "Nope, they're false teeth" She exclaimed this quite proudly.

The conversation carried on. I was made to guess a few more things (such as her husband's age, Eighty-nine, if you are interested). She asked a few more questions such as "How old are you?" (She thought I was 16), "Where are you from?", "Where in the world is Canada?". We said our good-byes.

After the our conversation I had two thoughts:

How could those teeth be false teeth? I always thought false teeth equalled teeth that looked too perfect.
She thought I had false teeth. She thought I was 16. Who has a full set of false teeth at 16?

Kyogle Part 1: Holy bats, Batman!

2007-04-24T18:45:00.001-07:00

Kyogle-bats3
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault.

A few weeks ago Gavin and I visited the little town of Kyogle. Neither of us knew how little the town was going to be. He was to spend the day in a training course and I was free to wander. Five minutes and I had seen pretty much everything on the mainstreet. I decided to wander a bit further and eventually found myself in a park. It was a lovely park. I could hear loud chirping at one end near a rail bridge and decided to check in out. I thought perhaps I might see some interesting birds. As I rounded the bridge I realized quickly it wasn't birds chirping but thousands of bats. Honestly there were thousands. Most of them were hanging upside-down but some were flying around to find a new branch to hang from. When I returned home I checked my Encyclopedia of Australian Wildlife and determined they were probably Grey-headed Flying Foxes. Big bats.

Oz Observations #3: Eating out

2007-04-22T22:24:00.000-07:00

1. When paying your bill you are not expected to tip (at most restaurants).
2. Tax is included in prices.
3. Many restaurants are BYO (bring your own...beer and wine)
3. Restaurants don't necessarily have bathrooms. The place we went to on Saturday night had one out back. To get to it I had to go through the kitchen and out the backdoor past the dumpster. Yes, that was through the kitchen where they were cooking.

But Trust me on the Sunscreen

2007-04-21T23:54:00.001-07:00

Sunscreen
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault.

Autumn has arrived in Australia. It is starting to cool down. I made it through the summer. I did get one wicked sunburn and quickly learned from that mistake. Checkout the size of the sunscreen container. That is what we Canadians must buy to avoid being roast Canucks.

Never Far From PEI

2007-03-31T17:30:00.000-07:00

While living in Ottawa I was never surprised when I met people from home or people from elsewhere in Canada who knew someone from PEI that I knew or at I at lease knew who they were. It happened a lot. I wouldn't have been totally surprised if it had happened in Sydney as it a big city and a popular tourist destination. I never expected it in Coffs Harbour but the other week I met an Aussie girl named Kate (a friend of Gavin's coworker) whose cousin was in my Grade 4 class and in one of my university classes. Small world.

Muttonbird Island

2007-03-29T16:59:00.001-07:00

Muttonbird-Coffs
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault.

How have I been keeping busy since arriving in Coffs Harbour? Reading and cleaning are much of my time. The rest is spent going for walks. One great place I found to walk to is Muttonbird Island. It is a little island (attached by a causeway) a short walk from our house. The island is home to mutton birds who nest in the ground but there is a path across it for people to walk. It is a bit of a hike up but has lovely views. Apparently from May to October you can see humpback wales off of it.

One Stop Shop for a D.U.I.

2007-03-29T16:24:00.001-07:00

Coffs-Gasandliquor
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault.

Since arriving in Australia I have noticed that drive-thru liquor stores are not uncommon. I was a bit surprised by this. However there is a place in Coffs Harbour that takes "convenience" one step further. It is a liquor store/gas station. Make no mistake, I do not mean a convenience store/gas station that happens to sell liquor. It is a liquor store that sells gas (or vise versa). Very interesting.

Champagne Birthday

2007-03-19T02:49:00.000-07:00

When I was about 10 my friend Sarah had her champagne birthday, that is she turned 9 on the 9th of November (or 10 on the 1oth, I can't quite remember). Her mom bought us fake champagne to mark the event. I remember sitting at their kitchen table on Bolger drive drinking my fake champers thinking I'd have to wait until I was thirty to have mine. I couldn't even fathom being that old. It seemed like a million years away. Well...now it is ten days away. In ten days I leave my 20s behind. Yikes.

Oz Observations #2: How to talk like an Aussie

2007-03-10T01:23:00.000-08:00

If a word ends with er (such as summer, surfer or beer) the er is changed to an ah sound (summah, surfah, or beah). Don't worry, the r sound isn't wasted. See observation 2.
If a word ends with an ah sound (such as vanilla, law or pasta) an r is added to the end of the word (vanillar, lawr, pastar).
Debut is pronounced dayboo. It kills me.

The Cockroach Motel

2007-02-23T22:51:00.001-08:00

Cockroach IPod
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault.

I considered changing my name for our house from the "Wee Banana" to the "Cockroach Motel" after I found a few of these guys. Luckily they have all been belly up.
Funnily enough, belly up in no way means they are dead yet. They still move their legs a bit. I covered one with a glass when I saw his legs move (too chicken to stomp on something so big and crunchy looking). While shifting the glass (so I wouldn't trip over it) he flipped right side up. I checked him again in an hour and he was belly up again. What is the deal with that?
I haven't found any smaller than the one pictured. Gavin assures me they are all coming out as a result of the exterminator's visit just before we moved in. I bought a huge can of Raid just in case.

The "Wee Banana"

2007-02-23T22:42:00.001-08:00

Coffs-Wee Banana
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault.

After a bit of searching Gavin and I have found a place to live. It is a little yellow house, which I have named the "Wee Banana". It is a cute little place in a prime location. We are less than five minutes walk from the grocery store, many pubs and restaurants, and the beach. What more could we ask for? Oh, the local brothel is a two minute walk.

Gone Bananas

2007-02-23T22:37:00.001-08:00

Sapphire Beach-Clancy8
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault.

Gavin and I have been in Coffs Harbour for two weeks. It is a small coastal town famous for being home of the "Big Banana", a large fibre glass banana, and a few banana farms. We have been lucky to be staying with a friend of Gavin's family at Sapphire Beach while looking for our own place. The house is pretty much on the beach. While Gavin went to work each day I had the tough job of hanging out at the beach with Clancy, possibly the world's friendliest dog.

Oz Observations #1: A visit to the grocery store

2007-02-08T16:25:00.000-08:00

Stores don't refrigerate eggs. At our local store eggs are to be found sitting on a shelf next to sweet and sour sauce.
They sell McCain products here. If I get a hankering for Superfries or frozen pizza I am all set. Sadly no Deep 'n Delicious cakes.
Kiwi fruit are more expensive here than in Canada.
They still sell decorative toilet paper here. You can get rolls with dogs, sea shells, flowers, frogs and much more. Perhaps it is still available in Canada but I haven't seen any since the light blue and pink rolls at my friends Danielle and Sarah's house in the early 80s.

Cucina Italiana

2007-02-08T14:58:00.000-08:00

Last night Kim, Gavin's sister, and I went to a cooking class at Cucina Italiana. I wasn't sure what to expect. I didn't really think it would be very involved or that I would learn anything I could do at home. Much to my surprise it was quite the opposite. It was a lot of fun too. Most of the dishes were made in front of us by the instructor. Her demonstrations were excellent and she was quick to answer any questions. She showed us how to make Tuscan Antipasti, a simple pasta sauce, scaloppine with herbs and smemifreddo al caffe.

The one thing we actually got to make ourselves was fresh pasta. We made ravioli stuffed with pumpkin. It was a lot of work but worth it in the end. Mmmmm.

The instructor, Luciana Sampogna, was what really made the evening. She was a small Italian lady with a big personality and a real passion for cooking. She gave great demonstrations, told intersting stories, and even scolded us if we didn't take proper care of our pasta dough.

Over the course of the evening we had a lovely dinner. Every thing was very tasty. We were giving copies of the recipes. I think I could manage to make most of it at home with a little practice. All in all a fabulous evening.

Birds at the Koala Park

2007-02-04T15:32:00.001-08:00

Koala Park - Shake a claw
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault.

Ok, as I admitted before, I am becoming a bit of a crazy bird lady. I am only going to reinforce that with the next statement...the birds of the Koala Park are so cool they are getting their own post. Admittedly when we headed to the cockatoo cage I didn't think it would be very exciting. I see them flying around the house every day. While they are pretty they are the noisiest birds I have ever come across. The Koala Park ones were different. They were friendly and chatty. Here is what they could say:

'ello
'ave a crackah (Interestingly, not "want a cracker" as per Polly)
bye bye
There was one who must have been a construction worker in a former life. He would spread his yellow crest like a mohawk, bop his head side to side, and then whistle the perfect "hey baby" whistle (I have no idea how to write that whistle sound).

There was also a corella in the cage who, when you say "shake hands", would stick his claw out and shake your finger.
See what I mean cool birds. Perhaps you had to be there.

Koala Park

2007-02-04T15:08:00.001-08:00

Koala Park - Ami and Chocca
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault.

Last week Gavin took me to the Koala Park. It is one place I have been waiting to visit since I arrived in Australia. I was not disappointed. It is a small zoo in Sydney containing mostly animals native to Australia. The main attraction, as the name implies, is the koalas. I was able to pet one at feeding time. Her name is Chocca and she is 11 years old. Some things I learned about Koalas:

They sleep 18-20 hours per day. This is not because they are drugged by the eucalyptus leaves they eat. They are just sleepyheads.
When they are asleep they look like they were taxidermied and stuck in a tree several decades ago.
While their fur is a bit bristly it is stiff quite soft.
They are kind of smelly.

The other animals we were allowed to pet were the grey kangaroos. We were able to go into their enclosure and feed them cheerios. Some observations about kangaroos:

They are soft.
They like cheerios.
It hurts if they accidentally bite you while you feed them.

There were a lot of other animals including a wombat, wallabies, emus, cassowaries, a dingo, penguins, an echidna, peacocks, and sheep. Check out the website and see what good celebrity company I am in having visited the place.

Australia Day 2006

2007-01-30T18:50:00.001-08:00

Australia Day 2006-2
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault.

January 26th was Australia day. It seems the thing to do here is have a BBQ or go downtown for festivities and fireworks. Sounds a bit like Canada Day, eh? In most ways it is though, at least at our bbq, I noticed a few differences. Here they are:

For the most part people didn't wear the colours of the Australian flag or any representations the flag. We did did have one guest in a flag t-shirt and I had a temporary flag tatoo but that was it.
There seems to be some tradition of men wearing Magnum PI shorts (shudder).
Australian radio stations play countdowns of the top songs of the year. Our party revolved around Triple J's Hottest 100. Everyone tried to guess the top songs of the year. Sadly, I didn't guess any correctly.

I think I can say good times were had by all on the 26th. I thought the countdown was a particulary nice addition to the day. Shots for getting a song wrong were a bit harsh. I better start listening for next year.

Good Bye Sydney...

2007-01-23T20:18:00.001-08:00

Opera House
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault.

...Hello Coffs Harbour. Yes, I am leaving Sydney already. Gavin just got a job in Coffs Harbour, a smallish town about halfway between Sydney and Brisbane. We are moving there in a couple of weeks. All I know about the place is that it is a popular tourist destination in the summer months and that they have nice beaches. So this will be move number eight in the space of six years. You would think I liked moving or somthing.

Stick Bug

2007-01-23T17:51:00.001-08:00

Stick Bug 2
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault.

One of the coolest things I've seen since being here is a stick bug. Yes, they really look like a stick. A sort of cartoony stick but a stick nonetheless. You always see them on nature shows in some far off place but now they are in my back yard. I feel like I live in a nature show with all the new birds and creatures I keep seeing.

New Years Eve 2006

2007-01-21T21:27:00.001-08:00

New Years 06-56
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault.

Gavin and I spent New Years Eve at a friend's place. Their apartment overlooks the Harbour Bridge so it was a perfect place to view the fireworks. I have to say they far surpassed any fireworks dispay I've ever seen. Check out the more of the pictures we took.

Crazy Bird Lady

2007-01-21T21:15:00.001-08:00

King Parrot 3
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault.

"Crazy Bird Lady" is fast becoming Gavin's new nickname for me. The birds in Australia are so different from those in Canada that I can't help getting excited when I see a new one. I have been able to feed Rainbow Lorikeets from my hand on the front balcony. A beautiful King Parrot, whom I've named Elvis, regularly visits the bird feeder in the back garden. There are Cockatoos everywhere. I am trying to take lots of pictures of them. You can view them at Flickr.

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

2007-01-21T21:12:00.001-08:00

Kalkari Kanga 5
Originally uploaded by ami_arsenault.

After arriving safely in Australia the first thing Gavin took me to was the Kalkari Discovery Centre in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. We took a walk on one of the trails. Upon spotting my first kangaroo I realized I was far from home. On our walk we also saw a swamp wallaby, a water dragon, some turtles, and lots of different gum trees. A very nice first outing in Australia.

A couple of weeks after our first visit to the national park we returned for a picnic and a took a walk through the mangroves. This walk was along a boardwalk a couple of feet over a muddy area. Scurrying across the mud were hundreds of little mud crabs. Fast little guys.