Dining Out

As a kid I loved reading and I loved watching TV.  These were my two favourite activities while on holidays.  I was often told, "Go outside and get some fresh air in your lungs."  The air in our house was probably fresher than the air outside in the city, but there was more implied.  

One of my favourite wake up calls was when Dad came in full of energy saying, "Up, up, up, up, up.  It's a be-yootiful day.  The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the [insert day specific activity here (eg. sheep are waiting in the yards)]" while his arms waved like he was levitating us out of be in time to his "up"s.

I think having a stationary office job makes you appreciate time outside, but I think I have an even stronger appreciation, because I've lived in London.  London has plenty of great things happening all the time, but it's also no secret that its weather is not a main attraction.

Now, when I get home from work and it's one of those still, just-comfortable evenings, I am dead keen to get outside and take advantage of it.  The same goes for when it's sunny at lunch time or any other chance I have.  Tonight was one of those nights, and today had one of those lunch times.  It's a good thing for our bank account that Lee and I have such busy evenings as my first thought is, "Let's go and eat outside in Lygon St."

I would love to sit on our balcony, feet up on the balustrade, looking out over the houses, but unfortunately our balcony is full of bikes.  Instead it was the grassy verge between the roads (it's hard to explain).  I made myself comfortable on the cooch grass, crickets in the background, an occasional insect buzzing past, and when I had finished, I lay back and searched for pictures in the clouds.

Eating outside is part of the culture.  Staying with Co-Head Coach Lu (and Pete) yesterday I was invited into their "dining room", which could also be called their balcony, for a delicious breakfast of pesto scrambled eggs and ricotta cheese in the fresh Sydney air.

Picture these:

- the verandah

- cafes spilling onto the street verge

- picnic and cricket/soccer/frisbee in the park

- the good ol' Aussie BBQ.

They are so much a part of the Australian lifestyle that we can take them for granted.  

I'm just glad I don't.  Thanks London.

Sunscreen and Sock tan

I am earning a crust again.  I'm still the Bread Eater in our partnership, but we can afford some pretty decent bread.
(As a quick aside, we were given Michael and Jan's breadmaker when they moved to Seattle, so we've been enjoying some delicious fresh-baked bread.)
This means that I no longer have as much of that dearly-loved Time.  In fact, looking at my calendar I'm starting to panic a bit.  We have come home and slotted into some previously-established habits, such as Monday night league and club training.  On top of that we have brought back some new interests, such as photography and are getting more involved in the professional scene in Melbourne too.  Having been away and isolated from our families, we're also keen to make sure that our connections with family are frequent too.

On Friday, it was announced that I was one of the lucky ones selected for the Australian Women's Masters team.  This means a trip to Japan at the start of July.  I am also the Co-Head Coach of the Women's Juniors team - which means a trip to Dublin at the start of August.  The preparation for these two events will be a fairly big commitment in the coming months.  Already I am seeing the outcome from full weekends outside with a developing t-shirt and sock tan, and last night experienced that familiar sensation of scraping layers of sunscreen from my face - still better than sunburn.

We thought we were busy before we left, but bringing back our 'full' life from London, plus time for friends and family, means we're approaching new heights.  I think the outcome will be a couple of tanned, fit and life-fulfilled Australians, and hopefully not two strung-out shells of beings.

Same, same but different

It's been a while since I've posted and in that time we've been acclimatising back into life in Australia.  In many ways we have just slotted back into where we were.  On the Frisbee side, I am lucky enough to be playing with Sporting Team Box Athletico United (luckily there have been no additional words added to the title since I left) and Lee has rejoined Chilly.  Both teams have evolved in the time we have been away, but as always there are big plans.

Lee is working at Praemium on Collins St again.  Praemium moved us to London and back again, so this is not surprising.  His role has evolved to include more management, leadership and, as a result, responsibility. His involvement and enthusiasm for work has doubled and I can see that he'll really reap the rewards.  I have also been offered some work by my previous company too, so I may be working within throwing distance of Lee again.

We are back in our place in North Carlton, realising just how beige it all is, how much stuff we really don't need and trying to work out how to get rid of the excess.  Our big plans to renovate are crawling along week by week.

As for cultural and social differences between Australia and the UK, I haven't noticed too many in addition to what I've noted previously - except maybe a propensity to play more country music - something that I'm not really complaining about.

Some lessons I am rediscovering about Australia, is the need to apply sunscreen every day, wearing a hat and walking in the shade.  I don't know if I'm sweating more than I used to, but I'm certainly noticing it more.  It's only 35 degrees!  I feel sorry for Lee who has to wear long sleeves everyday - although he does also roll them up everyday.

Australia Day Weekend

I'm home!  There's nothing quite like an Australia Day weekend in the bush to really feel like I have come home.  

Relaxing in the shade on the verandah, occasionally jumping from the deck into the pool for a round of laugh-out-loud or Stealth Marco Polo, the sound of the Hottest 100 on the radio; or 

Chewing on the medium-cooked, inch-thick, big-as-my-palm steak done on the barbie, the white cockies chattering and whistling in the gum above, as the golden sun sets, feeling the condensation pool around the cool drink in my hand; or 

Feeling the sweat accumulate on my back with the sun high above, feeling the full brunt of its strength against my skin and the heat from my hair making the 35 degree heat feel hotter, the smell and the grease of the Banana Boat sunscreen, cool grass between my toes; or

The smell of an incoming rain storm, the first cool, big drops, the intense darkness of the clouds, the penetrating heat slowly easing, the blowflies sheltering in drier areas; or

Sitting in the shade of a tree of the high sun, the click-click of the sprinkler, tasting a fresh muscato with a fresh salad, in great company, with a backdrop of green vines, big trees and rolling hills covered with yellow grass; or

Cruising down the highway with windows wide open, the rushing wind and road noise, hand on the back of Lee's chair, chatting or listening to an audio book, the crackle of the radio handset as the convoy drivers talk about existentialism (yes, actually).

Back in Australia

It's only fair that now I'm back from travelling that I notice differences in Australia compared to the rest of the world (sweeping statement as I haven't actually been everywhere else in the world yet).

Speeding
I have no idea why there would be any speed-caused accidents in Australia, because as far as I can tell, no-one speeds.  The locals tell me that speeding fines and demerit points are just so huge that it's just not worth it to speed.  Even doing 66km/h in a 60km/h zone is a $500 fine.  I find that easy to do accidentally, imagine if I missed a sign.

Expense
Going out to eat is expensive.  Hopefully that will help to curb our takeaway menu a little.  Fuel is expensive (compared to the U.S., but not to Europe).  We're trying our hardest to survive without a car.

Larrikans
I've missed this bloke.  (For those who don't understand this, it is a type of person, not an actual person.)  Yesterday I was greeted on the street with a smile and agreed that it was a "be-yoo-di-ful day".  This optimism and cheerful greeting from a stranger on the street I have really missed. 

The 'Burbs
Maybe it's because we're in the suburbs compared to across the road from a transport hub that we notice things like: trees everywhere and no-one out walking.  There is all this space and no-one in it.  I've blogged about it before, but this effects personal space.  When there was an issue with the trains, Lee noticed the Melbourne idea of a packed train is close to the number of people on a normal London train.

The Accent
This is driving me a bit crazy.  Previously it was the 'ay-ye' sound that seemed really pronounced, for example, "You don't say".  But now I'm hearing much more.  The 'er' pronounced 'a', as in, "Baker".  The nasal tones, from women in particular.  Part of the problem is that I can hear it in so many other people and cringe inside, but at the same time can hear myself reverting back to it!

Sport
It is everywhere!  I had forgotten Australians' fascination with all sports.  I turn on the radio or the TV and all I see is sport - if it's not tennis, it's cricket - if it's not cricket it's something else.  Isn't there anything else happening in the world?

Aussie Adventures begin

Having lost all my carefully crafted posts about New York, Washington and Seattle, I am feeling a bit sad and deluded.  Several hours worth of phone restoration has not helped.  It may be some time before I can bring you the tales from these adventures, but I will continue to keep you up to date on other happenings.

All our bags are packed we're ready to go..

This is it.  Our last day in London.  What started as a single year of adventures has become a 1 year 10 month adventure for Lee and a 1 year 8 month adventure for me.  We have been very lucky to have some very good times with really great people.  It is a bittersweet leaving for me.  The people I have met here have been great,we've managed to travel and explore so much and there will always be more to see.

We have learnt how to get around: Underground, buses, trains, DLR.  We have learnt to be understood, from the simple: pants/trousers, crisps and sweets, indoors meaning home; through to the phrases: "ah bless", "do y'know what I mean?" 

We've visited:
United Kingdom
Bath
Birmingham
Bourneville
Brighton
Bristol
Broadstairs  (I swear, we didn't just choose the 'B' places)
Cambridge
Darlington
Lake District
Leeds
Nottingham
Oxford
Portsmouth
Rye
Sheffield
Southampton
Windsor
Waymouth
Yorkshire Dales
Northern Ireland
Wales
Scotland
Belgium
Brussels
Bruges
Italy
Bologna
Florence
La Spezia
Liagnano Sabadorio
Milan
Pisa
Rimini
Venice
Australia
Austria
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
France
Germany
Greece
Lichtenstein
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Norway
Singapore
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
USA

I've been everywhere man!

And our adventures don't finish here.  

We are heading back to Australia via a couple of weeks in the USA.  First in New York and Washington, then across to Seattle to meet up with Lee's Dad.  I plan to continue to blog my way through that trip, plus through the adventures that we are bound to have in Australia once we move back.  So goodbye to London and goodbye to the byline, "Following Karen and Lee on their year(s) in London and everywhere else they go.."