A Family Christmas...Down Under

I'm sorry that I haven't written anymore of my thrilling adventures (yawn) in the Land of Oz since...December 8th?! I've been, uh busy. Yeah, that's it...Busy! Getting prepared for the family's arrival on the 19th. You know the drill, converting a bachelor pad into a loving home, complete with doilies on the arms of the couch and sufficient rolls of toilet paper for a small, South American country.

They made it here just fine and after a quick shower and big seafood meal along the shores of the marina, the kids were off to Sydney with lots of my funny coloured money and my mobile phone (cell phone to us Yanks), not to be seen for 2 days. They did return for a day and spent last night in the big city again. They're supposed to return this morning (ha!) to join in the annual office tournament between the surveyors and the mappers. Each year the day before Christmas Eve, a different so-called sport is offered up so the surveyors can whip the collective butts of the mappers. The typical office vs. field workers, and you know who's in shape! This year it's lawn bowling.

We toured the office and when they saw my large, athletic kids immediately thought 'ringers!' One coworker did say divots in the lawn were frowned upon with me taking that to mean, divots in opponents were tolerated. It should be a fun time as Aussies are great to party with, just hard to keep up with. For example, we were invited to breakfast Sunday morning by Jan the lady at the front counter in charge of corporate travel and her husband who also works there. Another couple joined us, both from South Africa and both work at the company. Breakfast started at 9:00 and finally ended around 2:30 after some champagne and beer! Picture included.

As I can do for any of you who plan to visit, we thought surfing lessons for the kids would be a great idea. They really did like it and are planning on two more lessons before they leave, earning them some kind of certification, 5th class. Pictures are included as well. It is exhausting, even for my young and athletic kids so I'm glad that Holly and I simply laid in the sun and took pictures once in a while. Tough duty on the week before Christmas. If you visit, you too can learn to surf from a beautiful young instructor (Nick has already figured out her schedule), and I can provide you with a mobile phone and comfortable bed. No worries! I'll check into motorcycle rentals for the wilder ones I know, too.

Since the family is here, I hired (rented) a car. It's an Aussie Ford and has provided lots of opportunities for the family to laugh (and pray) while I'm learning to drive opposite of the rest of the civilized world (except England and Japan). It does take a lot of getting used to, especially driving on what we Yanks call, "The WRONG side of the road!" Another thing is the passenger side of the car seems to be too far over onto the side of the road...and often! (this is true for the Aussies and others who learn to drive on the RIGHT side of the road). For some reason, I just can't seem to keep the car near the centerline. But the gas, I'm sorry...petrol works and the brakes don't. Just another Island car to me.

Nick at least admitted that I was getting better, still crappy. Such encouragement from my children.

I will have more adventures soon. Have a great Christmas and New Year's! I'll try to have more interesting things more often as I continue my harrowing adventure into the land down under.

A near future expectation is watching the start of the Sydney-Hobart Yacht race from a waterfront, cliff side condo scored by the kids! An uncle of the the friends they've been visiting in Sydney has a big party every year to celebrate the event that is held on Boxing Day (the day January White Sales start to us, you know, the day after Christmas). More pictures of that for sure!

Hello from Holly - We've had such a great time seeing Craig and exploring his new environment. He made the 'flat' very inviting, including a decorated Christmas tree and lights in the window. His office workmates are a friendly bunch, and the office itself is very new and stylish. He also has very pleasant neighbors and we have shared drinks and stories with them. Haven't seen too much of the kids since they have Carly's host sis and friends in Sydney to play with, giving Craig & I plenty of catch up time. Last evening we drove down the coast to a nice little beach town for a delicious seafood meal. I ate 'bugs', which may seem unappetizing to you, but it turned out to be a creature that is somewhere between a prawn and a lobster, and was delicious. So, I highly recommend the accommodations here at Chez Berry, and have found the concierge to be most helpful. I suggest you book your stay soon.

A Short History

The first month I was here, the company paid for an extended stay hotel room while I looked for a place to rent, or as they say here...to let. And from most of the places I looked at, toilet was appropriate all right. In the end, I was able to find the flat that was the least expensive ($175/week) and the cleanest of anything I'd seen before. It is so different renting here than at home, I began to write a letter to the HR woman explaining that maybe a little help, especially for foreigners, might be beneficial. The HR woman is extremely nice, don't get me wrong. It's just that maybe a little more assistance in getting to understand the native ways would help. I hope this isn't too boring:

GETTING SETTLED IN WOLLONGONG

Banking
To open an account you will most likely need all documentation to indicate who you are; passport, driver’s license or other picture ID. In addition, if you are not a citizen, you will need to give them a copy of your employment contract and the front page of your visa or other information showing you are legally employed in Australia.

Transfer of money out of country is difficult. Most that I’ve contacted require a $27 fee per transfer while others simply refuse to do so.

You must open a bank account prior to the first pay period ending weekly on Wednesday. Pay is automatically deposited into the account you’ve set up with a one week delay.

Apartment Hunting
Most real estate agencies are opened during the week with some of them open half days on Saturday. Most are closed on Sunday.

It is best to begin your search immediately! The best on line resources are:

http://www.domain.com.au/
http://www.realestate.com.au/
http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/content/classifieds/

These sites also have notices to share apartments and houses.

Or you can stop by many of the several offices located around the CBD. Usually on Friday, they’ll have a separate list of available rentals but typically, these are listed on line as well.

For each application to let an apartment, you must provide myriad of documents:
ID can include; driver’s license, Medicare Card, Birth Certificate/Proof of Age Card, Passport, Current Credit or Debit Card with picture. 2 required.
Rental Receipts if currently renting; Rental Ledger from landlord or agent
Copy of the front page of current Residential Tenancy Agreement (TCA)
Proof on Income; 3 pay slips, Centre Link Statement, Bank Statement and Employment Contract. 2 required.
Confirmation of current address: Phone/Mobile, Electricity, Gas or Credit Card Statement with address. 2 required.
Homeowner: Council rates, Water rates or if selling, Selling Agent’s Details.

This is one of the systems that will rate you, another relies on a point system where you must score at least 100 in order to be considered.

This evaluation process can take up to a week although some claim 24 – 48 hours. Since an application with all the above supporting documentation must be handed in for each rental you’re considering, I would recommend you prepare several packets ahead of time that you can attach to each application form. You can not be pre-approved by a major real estate firm.

There is not a standard application form. Each Real Estate company has their own so the common information can’t be filled out ahead of time unless you obtain an application first (some can be obtained on line) and fill it out in advance leaving blank only the address and weekly rental rate or any other information specific to the property.

In order to view a prospective rental property, you must contact the agent to see if there is a scheduled ‘open for inspection’ time arranged. If not, the agent may offer a time to meet you at the unit you’re interested in viewing. Typically, they’ll want to make the trip for several potential renters, not just one.

Once accepted, you must pay a bond that is equivalent to 4 weeks rent plus 2 weeks in advance. The real estate agent typically accepts payments and no personal cheques.

I arrived mid-October and it seems that quite a few, inexpensive places became available near the beginning of November as students left the University of Wollongong for the summer. These were mostly located in North Wollongong, Wollongong West, Gwynneville, Keiraville and Fairy Meadows but certainly surrounding these areas as well.

This is a far as I got in my version of venting. As I mentioned earlier, even renting a damned DVD is an exercise in documentation. Are these troubled times similar to post war Germany or post 9/11 Amerika? Anyway, I've been out of the market doing these tasks so maybe these processes (upon processes) have been in place for a long time and as my Dad would say, "You sure have to go through a lot of crap to do anything anymore!" Now, I know the feeling. It's like the government just can't seem to regulate enough. Even the City of Seattle as a reward for having the highest percentage of people volunteering to recycle, they decided it was best to penalize those who don't and those who recycle improperly. What a system!

Keep the faith, a change is coming.

I have a TV!

It's been a grueling 2+ weeks without a TV but I broke down and bought a 26" (yes, even in Oz they translate TV size into inches most of the time)! A flat screed, HD Toshiba supposedly on sale but it has a great picture of course and in spite of Oz being about 5 years behind the US in HDTV, there are 'experimental' HD channels along with some programs who've actually made the jump into the 21st century. As always after spending 100's of $(AU) on a TV, I turn it on and wonder why I wasted money on an idiot box. It's fine, at least I get to watch what is the contemporary excuse for news.

As I may have mentioned earlier, the 'laundrette' (they're also called laundromats) in this country just require a payment at the end of your laundry because they don't waste time with coin-operated machines. On Monday, the second time I used the local laundrette, I finished up and rushed out without paying. I didn't realize it until about 9:00 later that night while folding socks and about died of embarassment. The two sisters that own it are very nice and I'd hate for them to think "those damned Yanks! Can't trust them!" I did drop the money by on the way to work the next day and fortunately the other sister laughed at the quandry with my laundry.

After paying this morning, I walked past one of the usual bushes however, I noticed it had blossoms on it. Plumeria blossoms! I wonder if they'll let me pick some to make a lei for my family when they arrive in 2 weeks and 2 days...not that I'm counting.

I'm getting ready for their arrival by buying beds and associated bedding among other homey, xmasy things. I even bought some doilies to put on the slightly used couch to cover the wear and tear on the arms. I also saw a large frying pan and mattress cover that I'd been looking for (to protect the occupant, not the mattress). Since I'd missed my train, I had time for an innocent beer or 2 at Dicey Riley's, "Wollongong's Irish Pub." I got me pint and begin to settle into my table when I attempted to put the shopping bag into my backpack. Naturally, I tried this before sip or 2 of VB (Victoria Bitter) and dumped it all on the floor. The guy at the next table began to rib me in the friendly Aussie way until the saw the frying pan and mattress cover fall out. What made them turn away was the doilies I'm sure. I guess they think I'm what they call...a 'pucker.' Maybe I shouldn't have said I was waiting for the train to Fairy Meadow.

Now, I don't know the origin of 'pucker,' but the local arboretum is a 'known' hangout for gays. I've been 'warned' but I don't care obviously, living on Gay Island for 2 decades. I just don't care. However, last Sunday when I took a walk through the arboretum, I noticed the name...Puckey Estates! Who came first? Anyway, it dawned on me that there might be a connection.

Please comment. Don't hold back. Also, you can get notification when I add something new if you're really my friend. No pressure there. Gotta go and finish my marinated top sirloin over sauteed rice. Yeah, life's tough here in the land down under. Tomorrow, I'm going to check out the local butcher shop and seafood shop! They're supposed to be the best! No more extra dead meat for me! Write, too my fmaily and friends!

I'm Still Not Dead!

It hadn't occurred to me that leaving a picture of a deadly looking, possibly man-eating spider then not posting anything for quite a while might make some people a little...nervous. Sorry, I've just been lazy, I mean, busy. Actually, in preparing to write another installment of my blog, I've over preparing a bit too much so now, on a wet and gray Saturday morning (it IS just like home, only about 20 degrees warmer) I thought I'd better you know that rumors of my demise are false...this time.

I've finally met my net door neighbor (Flat #2) Mark, and he's a very nice guy. As with most Aussies I've met, he wants to help me, especially when learning I don't have a car and ride the train into work. It's funny how most of the people look down on taking the train. Anyway, when he saw me with my little old man shopping trolley, heading out to buy a TV, he was horrified thinking about me lugging a possibly 32" flat screen all the way from town on the train. C'mon! It's only 3 blocks to the station from the store and 2 blocks to get home! No big deal. But he has a van and wanted to help so maybe later, after he picks up his new kayak, he'll run into town with me to pick it up. Mark is a Science teacher, specializing in Chemistry and Marine Biology. He's about my age, divorced for 12 years and has 3 kids who'll be around during the Christmas holidays. 2 beautiful daughters (I've met Ashleigh, 19? who lives with him) and his son who is 15 or 17 who lives with his Mum but hangs out here a lot. He seems like a nice kid, too although he's only waved at me, and he used all 5 fingers doing it. Mark's oldest daughter lives in Perth and she and her boyfriend will be here, too. The boyfriend is in broadcasting so I hope Nick gets a chance to talk with him about the Aussie radio and TV work environment.

So, just a slow, laid back Saturday morning (Black Friday to you). I called all the family just before they were going to sit down for turkey and the thought was making me so hungry for a turkey sandwich that I'm sure my brother Mark ate for me, and often.

My exploration of Oz is going very slowly as I'm still trying to prepare the little 2 bedroom flat for my family's arrival. I make progress a little bit at a time but often just sit here when I get home from work and begin preparation to write in my blog...like that's working either. It'll come together soon and with work gearing up, I'll really need the time off with my family for Christmas. For example, I tried to rent a DVD last week and in order to set up an account, I had to have 2 pieces of picture ID, and a combination of a bank statement, pay stub, rental agreement or some such crap, each valued at certain points that must total 100 just to rent a damned DVD for $1.95! I did get the account set up last night and rented 'The Core'which was a semi-sci-fi thriller. Or is that, sci-fi semi-thriller. I liked it, really.

It is weird here in that they demand all kinds of 'identification' for the simplest things and safety is a huge issue as well. Everyone wears bright, fire engine yellow-green wear for any type of maintenance or repair work. Mot people wear 'corporate' clothing with company names and logos. My ompany 'gives' us 2 shirts and any additional items, including pants, hats, etc. are additional. This country is very big on this stuff. When told of this, I did ask about styles of corporate boxers to an unamused coworker. They're serious!

Neighbor Mark caught me heading out the door on the way to the office to catch up on just the stuff my boss dumped on me yesterday, so I'll have to go in either later today or tomorrow for a few hours. I might just walk into work when I do go. It's not that far really and I've been 'forced' to do a lot of walking since I don't have a car. A $3,900 'ute' (no, not 'youth' as in My Cousin Vinney) which is Aussie for utility vehicle. As near as I can figure, anything remotely like a pickup, such as an El Camino to a flatbed truck is generally refered to as a ute. They have some great El Camino like cars too, some with crewcabs so you can fit 4 or 5 adults inside. Of course, some of these are really tricked out with tonneau covers on the back. They look like Ghetto Limos almost. Anyway, this is an old flatbed where the bed is aluminium with small, 1/2' walls that can be dropped down and locked upright. Pretty cool! Most flatbeds have that type of bed here. I'd get it if it was a crewcab so that the whole family would be proud riding around Australia in an old, crewcab ute. I'd put a bale of straw in the back to get that authentic look, too. Accessories really make the difference!

More, later.

A Midnight Visitor

Don't you just love the soft, muffled pitter patter of little furry feet around the home. Typically there're only four of those feet per critter, but Friday morning I got double the treat in one! This tarantula-looking little guy (about 5-6" across at the ends of his feet) was over the door on my way out. Fortunately, I do have a back door and he was on the outside. This is a Huntsman spider that aren't poisionous but can bite although rarely. Some of my coworkers said they'd play with them when they were kids and never got bitten by them.

I've been asked if the Aussies do anything for Thanksgiving. No.

They do have the 4th of July however (and the 4th of August, and the 4th of...)

I did call during the usual Teacher's usual Thursday afternoon 'shout' as you'd call here in Oz. It was great saying 'Hi' to the usual suspects. The fancy restaurant a few blocks from the house had changed to a pub which in these troubled economic times seems to make more sense. Murphy is my co-pilot, just when I leave they turn it into my alternate living room! I could've made them rich! I'll just have to look forward to hanging out at the Back Bay next summer.

Just a quick note on a Saturday morning. I think I've cleared the remanents of Friday night enough to go out and buy more used furniture in preparation for my family's arrival.

Strong and Bitey!

I'll provide more on this subject but earlier I wrote that it does take longer to do things here such as grocery shopping. It's only in getting used to different labels and terminology like when I was looking for some cheese. I like sharp cheeses but couldn't find anything labeled as such. I assumed that 'Sharp and Bitey' was Australian for sharp. There are others I'll write down and add to my blog if it's of interest to you. Some others are dog food brands. There's 'Blood & Bone' which I could see popular in agricultural areas but not for Fifi who lives in a penthouse. Also, 'Chum' which is odd because I've always been told that salmon (and it IS salmon) is bad for dogs as there's a parasite that doesn't die in the cooking process. Humans digest it, but dogs can't and eventually can develop problems and sometimes death, from them. I do know a lot of people who feed salmon to their dogs and don't seem to have any problems.

Another odd thing (I've mentioned that Aussies are progressive if not functional) is that most of their wines have screw tops. Even expensive wines have screw tops and to find a corked bottle is almost rare. Apparently not rare enough for me as I was all set to have a glass of red wine at home last night when to my horror, I realized I haven't bought a corkscrew yet. I do have a brand new can opener that hasn't been used yet as even the cans have pull rings, I think they call them. And Aussies loved their baked beans for breakfast, especially with a little BBQ sauce on them. Their BBQ isn't like anything I've tasted labeled as such, but it is good and I have a bottle in my fridge alongside the bottle of tomato sauce (ketchup) and mayo.

Speaking of the endangered species of the corkscrew and possibly the can opener, I once came across this situation several years ago of having a bottle of wine waiting for me, taunting me to open it, but I was unprepared! It was a late night and I had a long wait for the ferry so naturally, I thought a small sip of wine would make the wait a little for palatable. I did find screwdrivers, tire gauges, first aid kit (no corkscrew in there dammit!) and the usual stuff...but not the RIGHT stuff. So, I wheeled around and ran up to the Thriftway store on California and Fauntleroy to remedy the situation.

While surveying all the choices (3) and which one is the cheapest but will still easily do the trick, a woman came up to make a similar decision. I mentioned that I didn't have a corkscrew in my car and she looked at me with such pity, uttering these pearls of wisdom that I've since adhered to, "EVERY car should have a corkscrew!" Alas, my new flat doesn't...yet!

Also, as typical of us cheap Americans, the damned thing unscrewed while trying to get the cork out. It was the cheapest metal I'd ever seen and returned it for a better one at my first opportunity. The woman who gladly made the exchange for me after explaining the circumstances asked, "Well...?" "Well what?" I responded. "Well, did you get the cork out?" Obviously the wine laden path to the ferry late at night is well trod.

What this has to do with Oz I don't know. I guess I'm just trying to make myself feel resourceful and prepared somewhat for the adventure I'm on now.

By the way, the picture is near my new flat. Notice the train station about 2 blocks to the west and all the water about 4-5 blocks to the east, heh heh heh. I have sent this to some friends who now either hate me or promise to visit (those are the real vengeful ones). Joking.

'ere ya from, Mate?

‘ere ya from, Mate?

I stopped by a store near my new flat on my second night. Ok, a bottle shop for a couple bottles of wine. I guess they knew I wasn’t from around there when they asked what kind of wine I’d like and I responded “Both kinds.” As Mad Ted would’ve said, ‘they looked at me as if I’d had horns, poppin’ outta me head!’ So I got the question upon check out. No, not “Do you have ID?” I miss that one now, no he asked me where I was from. I told him, “Wollongong. I just move up here last night.” Again, another look that wasn’t quite daggers, rubber bullets, maybe.

Then I told him I’m from Seattle and he got very excited. In a year and a half, he’s planning on flying into Vancouver, B.C. and taking a road trip along the West Coast down to LA. I may give him some pointers like, “Stop in San Francisco to pick up some beautiful women. Yeah, they’re really women, trust me.” Just kidding. I did think maybe I should have him get in touch with Mad Ted and suggest he sail my boat down here for me. As I was leaving I said, ‘Jeez! I’ve been here for a month and I still have an accent?!” More rubber bullets!

Also we have a WINNER! Tamara asked if the spare bedroom was available the week of February 14th! She's the first one to ask to come down under! C'mon you guys, I'm going to have 2 single beds that can be pushed together with a full sized pad and bedding for those couples who are romantic or just not fighting at the present. My family will show up during Christmas vacation and they're the real winners, it's just that it's expected of them. How come when the call me a winner, they roll their eyes?