"Ok, so you're from the middle east?" - Random traveller who was trying to understand where in Canada I'm from, after I explained that Toronto is not on either coast as they'd guessed, but east of the centre of the country, close to the US border.
"You want fresh water?" - A puzzled convenience store clerk to me, while glancing at the display of bottled water in the refrigerator, after I asked him if he knew where the nearby address of 1 Freshwater Place was located.
"It depends on which instructor we have!" - Me, laughing, to Simon, our bartending course instructor, after he asked the class which end of the American-style Boston shaker should be used to gather ingredients for a cocktail. Simon was standing right next to one of our other instructors, Jim, and the two of them had given us conflicting instructions!
And now, for a bit of a series...
"You can go visit Arch and Gaylene!" - My dad's excited first reaction to my travel plans back in March. Arch used to work with my father years ago, when he and his wife Gaylene temporarily relocated from Australia to Toronto.
"Eww!! You eat sponge?!?" - My sister Kersti-Li in 1989, in response to Gaylene's explanation of the ingredients in lamingtons - an Australian dessert that includes sponge (cake) - as re-told to me by both Gaylene and her sister Dianne independently. Kersti and I were both apparently squirming a bit at the thought!
"Actually, it's my birthday today as well." - Gaylene's sister Dianne as she was driving Penelope and I to Philip Island to see the penguin parade, after I told her that day was my mom's birthday so I was going to call her later to wish her well.
"No, not with me around!" - Me to Gaylene, in response to her question about whether or not the peanut butter cookies I was baking would last. It took a few seconds for me to realize she meant as in 'not go bad'... I never get to that point at home and didn't here either - I ended up making a second batch a couple of days later :)
"OMG, that's crazy!! That means it's been... almost 20 years!" - Me to Gaylene, after establishing that the last time I'd seen her and Arch was in the early 90s. She has just informed me that they moved back to Australia in 1991 and last visited Canada in 1993.
"How do you think we feel?" - Gaylene to me, in response to my shock and disbelief above.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
a month in Melbourne
After we finished the east coast and got back to Sydney, Penelope and I started looking online for an apartment in Melbourne, our next planned stop. The options were limited - some required longer term stays, some were too expensive, some were in undesirable locations... The selection was looking pretty grim. We began to wonder if we should cut our stay in Melbourne short to be able to afford a decent place for a shorter period of time. Just as we were starting to lose hope, an ad came up that was ideal given our timing, location and price criteria - Leyla was looking to sublet her place while she went on vacation for a month. A few emails and phone calls later, we'd managed to confirm that we would take it! The deal was going to start in a few short days so we rented a car and spent the weekend driving from Sydney to Melbourne.
We also spent the weekend doing something you shouldn't normally do while traveling - hoarding money - since we knew that payment for the apartment would be a bit of a challenge. The options available to us were bank transfer or cash, and since neither Penelope nor I have an Australian bank account we opted to go with the cash option. Since we both also have bank recommended withdrawal limits, this meant that we had to start stockpiling cash a few days in advance to make sure we'd have enough by the time we got to Melbourne. We met up with Leyla on Sunday afternoon to check out the place and close the deal. Sitting in Leyla's apartment, counting out bill after bill after bill to cover a month's rent plus a security deposit, it felt (and probably would've looked, to any outsider) like we were doing a drug deal! But instead of drugs, we got keys to Leyla's apartment and her promise to vacate it by noon the next day. I was excited! It had been over a year since the last time I'd stayed in one place for an entire month... and the prospect of not moving around for a bit had left me dreaming about some of the luxuries an apartment would provide - things like unpacking and being able to buy a normal-sized bottle of shampoo without having to carry it around at its full weight. :)
Melbourne has a lot to offer and some of the things I enjoyed there included great food and drink (sometimes in hard to find places!), the nearby Yarra Valley wine region, and the opportunity to connect with old friends as well as make some new ones. Part of my original plan was to spend several months in Melbourne and get a job bartending or in a café. After I got to Australia, my travel timelines shifted such that the working part of my working holiday visa is no longer part of the plan, since I won't be anywhere long enough to get hired. Even so, I was still interested in learning how to make espresso-based beverages and a proper cocktail, so I signed up for a barista course and bartending school. I really enjoyed both of these - there's something very satisfying about being able to make drinks properly. An added perk of bartending school was being able to enjoy a cocktail at any time of day with zero judgment :) The most challenging part of all of this was learning how to froth milk properly... it took some practice, but I got it. Never would I have guessed that I'd want to hear the compliment "nice milk!" - but I did. In fact, it left me beaming :)
One of the highlights for me was definitely the trip to Philip Island. I'd heard of this place before we arrived and it seemed a bit surreal - stadium seating on a beach to watch penguins come in from the ocean at dusk? How exactly did this whole thing work? When someone I hadn't seen since 1989 offered to take us there on a day trip, I was excited and curious to find out. Turns out everything I heard is true - every night penguins swim in from the ocean, coming back from their multi-day fish trip feasts. They gather in teams near the water's edge before finding enough group courage to waddle across the beach to their homes. The ones who've been home come out excitedly to meet them - especially the hungry young ones who've been waiting for food for days, and who can't identify their parents so they approach everyone who goes by! These penguins are tiny (~30 cm tall) and so cute to watch. Some of them are so full that they fall over! Cameras aren't allowed to protect the little creatures so you'll just have to see it for yourself.
Some other images:
We also spent the weekend doing something you shouldn't normally do while traveling - hoarding money - since we knew that payment for the apartment would be a bit of a challenge. The options available to us were bank transfer or cash, and since neither Penelope nor I have an Australian bank account we opted to go with the cash option. Since we both also have bank recommended withdrawal limits, this meant that we had to start stockpiling cash a few days in advance to make sure we'd have enough by the time we got to Melbourne. We met up with Leyla on Sunday afternoon to check out the place and close the deal. Sitting in Leyla's apartment, counting out bill after bill after bill to cover a month's rent plus a security deposit, it felt (and probably would've looked, to any outsider) like we were doing a drug deal! But instead of drugs, we got keys to Leyla's apartment and her promise to vacate it by noon the next day. I was excited! It had been over a year since the last time I'd stayed in one place for an entire month... and the prospect of not moving around for a bit had left me dreaming about some of the luxuries an apartment would provide - things like unpacking and being able to buy a normal-sized bottle of shampoo without having to carry it around at its full weight. :)
Melbourne has a lot to offer and some of the things I enjoyed there included great food and drink (sometimes in hard to find places!), the nearby Yarra Valley wine region, and the opportunity to connect with old friends as well as make some new ones. Part of my original plan was to spend several months in Melbourne and get a job bartending or in a café. After I got to Australia, my travel timelines shifted such that the working part of my working holiday visa is no longer part of the plan, since I won't be anywhere long enough to get hired. Even so, I was still interested in learning how to make espresso-based beverages and a proper cocktail, so I signed up for a barista course and bartending school. I really enjoyed both of these - there's something very satisfying about being able to make drinks properly. An added perk of bartending school was being able to enjoy a cocktail at any time of day with zero judgment :) The most challenging part of all of this was learning how to froth milk properly... it took some practice, but I got it. Never would I have guessed that I'd want to hear the compliment "nice milk!" - but I did. In fact, it left me beaming :)
One of the highlights for me was definitely the trip to Philip Island. I'd heard of this place before we arrived and it seemed a bit surreal - stadium seating on a beach to watch penguins come in from the ocean at dusk? How exactly did this whole thing work? When someone I hadn't seen since 1989 offered to take us there on a day trip, I was excited and curious to find out. Turns out everything I heard is true - every night penguins swim in from the ocean, coming back from their multi-day fish trip feasts. They gather in teams near the water's edge before finding enough group courage to waddle across the beach to their homes. The ones who've been home come out excitedly to meet them - especially the hungry young ones who've been waiting for food for days, and who can't identify their parents so they approach everyone who goes by! These penguins are tiny (~30 cm tall) and so cute to watch. Some of them are so full that they fall over! Cameras aren't allowed to protect the little creatures so you'll just have to see it for yourself.
Some other images:
 |
| A typical alleyway in Melbourne where you might find popular bars and restaurants... |
 |
| ...some of my attempts at free-pour latte art :) ... |
 |
| ...and my first creation in bartending school: A pina colada! |
Friday, September 24, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
under the sea
I remember discussing scuba diving with my real estate agent Octavio when my condo was being listed for sale. During our first meeting, after I told him about my travel plans he asked me if I'd been scuba diving before or was planning to go when I was in Australia. My answer: "Yeah, why not? I'm up for trying it out - plus I'm a good swimmer so it shouldn't be too hard." I am very comfortable in water - several years of competitive swimming, lifeguarding and water polo will do that to you - and figured this would all come in handy for scuba diving. Octavio loves scuba diving and was quick to point out, and emphasize, that swimming and scuba diving are completely different - so just because you're good at one doesn't necessarily mean you'll be good at the other. I was surprised at this, and remember wondering, how could they be that different? I jumped at the first opportunity to find out...
While in Port Douglas I signed up for a day trip to go out to the Great Barrier Reef. The boat was going to stop at two sites where passengers could go snorkeling and/or scuba diving, so I opted in for the introductory scuba dive at the first stop. On the morning of the trip, while making our wavy way out to the reef, the scuba diving instructor gave a briefing to cover key info required to survive the introductory scuba dive. Topics included how to communicate underwater (there are several standard hand gestures), how to equalize pressure (to avoid blowing your eardrums - hold your nose and blow out) and the basics on how to use the equipment provided. The crowd was divided up into groups of four for the first timers. It seemed safe and simple enough that I felt ready to take the plunge.
The first step was a test just below surface to gauge our level of comfort before officially going down. After gearing up with a mask, air tank, mouthpiece, weights and flippers, I was told to sit on the edge of the back of the boat and practice breathing through the mouthpiece while I waited for my one-on-one time with the instructor. I sat there, breathing in and out through the mouthpiece. It wasn't difficult, just kinda annoying (in a cumbersome way) so I kept cheating by taking it out and breathing normally (i.e. without it :) ). The guy responsible for herding the intro divers into the water noticed and had me start breathing through the mouthpiece again. Three times! I was happy when it was my turn to slide into the water and get started. After I got into the waves, my instructor Sean said I'd need to hold on to a rope and go one meter below surface to try out what we'd covered in the briefing. We both went underwater, with me holding the rope to guide my path and gauge depth. I thought I was doing ok at the beginning... breathing in, and out, and in, and out... and I was, right up until Sean made a hand gesture to ask if I was ok. I tried to make one in return to say yes and found myself accidentally communicating that I wanted to go back up to the surface (this is what a thumbs up means underwater - go figure!), which I then tried to follow up with other signals to indicate that my first hand gesture was not what I'd wanted to say. But we hadn't covered the signals I needed so I was trying to make some up! It wasn't working... This all took some brain power and time and at some point I noticed that I was lacking oxygen. In the midst of trying to communicate underwater I'd forgotten to breathe! And I'd let go of the rope, and was sinking further underwater, fast... I panicked. I couldn't wait for Sean's reply - I popped right back up to the surface and pulled out my mouthpiece, gasping for air. A wave splashed in my face. Sean followed me back up: "What happened? What did I tell you to do?" I wondered if he'd noticed my fear and felt a bit embarrassed that I'd had to come back up before we were done the test. I tried to hide it: "Umm, I'm not sure what happened. I guess I let go of the rope?" Sean gave me some pointers before suggesting we do a re-take. This time, when we slipped below surface I focused on two things: breathing continuously and holding on to the rope. Everything else was secondary. And I managed to pass the surface test! Two of the four people in my group weren't so lucky...
So then there were just two of us left in our group for the intro scuba dive. Sean gave us another quick briefing before we started, reminding us that we'd equalize as a group every meter on the way down and about the hand gestures we needed to know. When we slipped underwater, I knew that this time there'd be no opportunity to pop back up to the surface: I'd need to remember to breathe the entire time. We started the descent... I was doing ok with the breathing, and was busy looking around, trying to figure out if we were supposed to equalize yet. Were the others doing it? I couldn't tell. I didn't want to damage my eardrums and had no idea how far down we'd gone, so I went ahead and did it on my own. The descent continued... I was still breathing all right, but still there were no signs of group equalization. I continued to equalize on my own - pretty much constantly, along with reminding myself to breathe - and the next thing I knew we were at the bottom, next to some coral and just above sand. Sean made a hand gesture - one that hadn't been covered in the briefing. I wanted to address whatever he was saying but couldn't, because I literally had no idea what that was! Now that we were at the bottom I had the added complication of trying to avoid swimming into coral. At the same time I had to continue trying to figure out what my instructor was saying. And respond. And pose for the underwater photographer. And breathe. It's amazing how much more difficult things can be when your survival is at stake! Things that you take for granted on land - like your ability to breathe and communicate - are a challenge underwater. I'm not gonna lie - there were definitely a few split seconds of panic where I forgot to breathe because I was focused on something else - between the reef, the photographer and the communication attempts, there was a lot going on! I can totally see how people get overwhelmed and feel the need to head up for air at the surface. The whole thing passed very quickly and before I knew it we were climbing back into the boat. I'd barely had time to enjoy the underwater scenery! Luckily I got some snorkeling in afterwards...
Later that day, after we got back on shore I decided to get some exercise. Running on the beach, I found myself naturally breathing in and out through my mouth - a skill that just hours earlier had seemed so difficult and unnatural underwater that I had to constantly remind myself to do so in order to survive the dive. How is it possible that something that happens so instinctively and automatically in everyday life can all of a sudden make you feel like a fish out of water?
While in Port Douglas I signed up for a day trip to go out to the Great Barrier Reef. The boat was going to stop at two sites where passengers could go snorkeling and/or scuba diving, so I opted in for the introductory scuba dive at the first stop. On the morning of the trip, while making our wavy way out to the reef, the scuba diving instructor gave a briefing to cover key info required to survive the introductory scuba dive. Topics included how to communicate underwater (there are several standard hand gestures), how to equalize pressure (to avoid blowing your eardrums - hold your nose and blow out) and the basics on how to use the equipment provided. The crowd was divided up into groups of four for the first timers. It seemed safe and simple enough that I felt ready to take the plunge.
The first step was a test just below surface to gauge our level of comfort before officially going down. After gearing up with a mask, air tank, mouthpiece, weights and flippers, I was told to sit on the edge of the back of the boat and practice breathing through the mouthpiece while I waited for my one-on-one time with the instructor. I sat there, breathing in and out through the mouthpiece. It wasn't difficult, just kinda annoying (in a cumbersome way) so I kept cheating by taking it out and breathing normally (i.e. without it :) ). The guy responsible for herding the intro divers into the water noticed and had me start breathing through the mouthpiece again. Three times! I was happy when it was my turn to slide into the water and get started. After I got into the waves, my instructor Sean said I'd need to hold on to a rope and go one meter below surface to try out what we'd covered in the briefing. We both went underwater, with me holding the rope to guide my path and gauge depth. I thought I was doing ok at the beginning... breathing in, and out, and in, and out... and I was, right up until Sean made a hand gesture to ask if I was ok. I tried to make one in return to say yes and found myself accidentally communicating that I wanted to go back up to the surface (this is what a thumbs up means underwater - go figure!), which I then tried to follow up with other signals to indicate that my first hand gesture was not what I'd wanted to say. But we hadn't covered the signals I needed so I was trying to make some up! It wasn't working... This all took some brain power and time and at some point I noticed that I was lacking oxygen. In the midst of trying to communicate underwater I'd forgotten to breathe! And I'd let go of the rope, and was sinking further underwater, fast... I panicked. I couldn't wait for Sean's reply - I popped right back up to the surface and pulled out my mouthpiece, gasping for air. A wave splashed in my face. Sean followed me back up: "What happened? What did I tell you to do?" I wondered if he'd noticed my fear and felt a bit embarrassed that I'd had to come back up before we were done the test. I tried to hide it: "Umm, I'm not sure what happened. I guess I let go of the rope?" Sean gave me some pointers before suggesting we do a re-take. This time, when we slipped below surface I focused on two things: breathing continuously and holding on to the rope. Everything else was secondary. And I managed to pass the surface test! Two of the four people in my group weren't so lucky...
So then there were just two of us left in our group for the intro scuba dive. Sean gave us another quick briefing before we started, reminding us that we'd equalize as a group every meter on the way down and about the hand gestures we needed to know. When we slipped underwater, I knew that this time there'd be no opportunity to pop back up to the surface: I'd need to remember to breathe the entire time. We started the descent... I was doing ok with the breathing, and was busy looking around, trying to figure out if we were supposed to equalize yet. Were the others doing it? I couldn't tell. I didn't want to damage my eardrums and had no idea how far down we'd gone, so I went ahead and did it on my own. The descent continued... I was still breathing all right, but still there were no signs of group equalization. I continued to equalize on my own - pretty much constantly, along with reminding myself to breathe - and the next thing I knew we were at the bottom, next to some coral and just above sand. Sean made a hand gesture - one that hadn't been covered in the briefing. I wanted to address whatever he was saying but couldn't, because I literally had no idea what that was! Now that we were at the bottom I had the added complication of trying to avoid swimming into coral. At the same time I had to continue trying to figure out what my instructor was saying. And respond. And pose for the underwater photographer. And breathe. It's amazing how much more difficult things can be when your survival is at stake! Things that you take for granted on land - like your ability to breathe and communicate - are a challenge underwater. I'm not gonna lie - there were definitely a few split seconds of panic where I forgot to breathe because I was focused on something else - between the reef, the photographer and the communication attempts, there was a lot going on! I can totally see how people get overwhelmed and feel the need to head up for air at the surface. The whole thing passed very quickly and before I knew it we were climbing back into the boat. I'd barely had time to enjoy the underwater scenery! Luckily I got some snorkeling in afterwards...
Later that day, after we got back on shore I decided to get some exercise. Running on the beach, I found myself naturally breathing in and out through my mouth - a skill that just hours earlier had seemed so difficult and unnatural underwater that I had to constantly remind myself to do so in order to survive the dive. How is it possible that something that happens so instinctively and automatically in everyday life can all of a sudden make you feel like a fish out of water?
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
reality check
Something happened the other day that I wasn't expecting at all: I actually considered the possibility of cutting my trip short. This had nothing to do with being homesick or not having a good time - quite the contrary, I've been so busy enjoying every second of my trip that I haven't really missed anything from home except for people and hot yoga. But something happened back home that made me wish I was there to help out... It took a couple days for me to find out what was actually going on (it can be hard to reach people on the other side of the planet) which gave my imagination time to go wild with possibilities, leaving me in an unsettling state of constant distress... I was happy and relieved when I finally found out that everything's ok. Think I'm good to stick around here a bit longer now... :)
Monday, September 6, 2010
you live, you learn 3
- Spelling is optional.
- Things change. (Like my 3-digit luggage lock combination, randomly one morning without being reset... while it was securing my bag.)
- Sometimes the hardest sign to find is the one for the road you're on.
- All peacocks are male. The female is called a peahen. The generic term is peafowl.
- Rainforest smells can range from rotting vegetation to refreshing. You never know which one you'll experience next or how long it'll last.
- People here tend to say "double _" to spell things out. Of the dozen or so people that have read my last name as K-W-T-A-N when spelling it out loud, only one has noticed that this actually forms a different name.
- The great barrier reef is actually made up of over 2900 individual reefs.
- Crocodile tastes like chicken with the occasional hint of fish.
- During the Australian election campaign, the Prime Minister candidate debate was moved because it conflicted with Master Chef, a reality TV show that's a cooking competition.
- In Sydney, you need to hail buses in order for them to pick you up from the stop. You also need to pay every time you switch buses - they don't have the concept of transfers.
- Female butterflies mate only once in their lives.
- Some species of turtles breathe through their anus.
- Over 90% of people who get bitten by snakes in Australia were trying to capture or kill it.
- Swimming in water with crocs is considered normal for some Aussies.
- The Sydney Opera House tour was delivered live via poor quality headphones.
- Even though he lived for 25 years after construction was completed, the architect who designed the Sydney Opera House never saw the completed building.
- Wollemi pines were thought to be extinct for millions of years until a bushwalker found some near Sydney in 1994. (Prior to that, people knew they existed only from fossils.)
- Kangaroos like wasabi peas.
- Some things are worth repeating.
- Happy hour is fabulous at any time of day :)
- Things change. (Like my 3-digit luggage lock combination, randomly one morning without being reset... while it was securing my bag.)
- Sometimes the hardest sign to find is the one for the road you're on.
- All peacocks are male. The female is called a peahen. The generic term is peafowl.
- Rainforest smells can range from rotting vegetation to refreshing. You never know which one you'll experience next or how long it'll last.
- People here tend to say "double _" to spell things out. Of the dozen or so people that have read my last name as K-W-T-A-N when spelling it out loud, only one has noticed that this actually forms a different name.
- The great barrier reef is actually made up of over 2900 individual reefs.
- Crocodile tastes like chicken with the occasional hint of fish.
- During the Australian election campaign, the Prime Minister candidate debate was moved because it conflicted with Master Chef, a reality TV show that's a cooking competition.
- In Sydney, you need to hail buses in order for them to pick you up from the stop. You also need to pay every time you switch buses - they don't have the concept of transfers.
- Female butterflies mate only once in their lives.
- Some species of turtles breathe through their anus.
- Over 90% of people who get bitten by snakes in Australia were trying to capture or kill it.
- Swimming in water with crocs is considered normal for some Aussies.
- The Sydney Opera House tour was delivered live via poor quality headphones.
- Even though he lived for 25 years after construction was completed, the architect who designed the Sydney Opera House never saw the completed building.
- Wollemi pines were thought to be extinct for millions of years until a bushwalker found some near Sydney in 1994. (Prior to that, people knew they existed only from fossils.)
- Kangaroos like wasabi peas.
- Some things are worth repeating.
- Happy hour is fabulous at any time of day :)
Saturday, September 4, 2010
and i quote 3
"You're turning me on." - Message shown on the display of a Virgin broadband modem when you turn it on.
"Are you planning to go to uni?" - James, who tried to pick me up at Gilligan's in Cairns, making an assumption about my stage of life and next big decision.
"They're not the smartest animals, but they sure do taste good!" - Russell, our second WWOOFing host, appreciating select qualities of a cow that decided to cross the highway in front of our car, forcing him to slam on both the brakes and horn to avoid hitting it.
"Even if you win the rat race, you're still a rat." - Message on the front cover of a blank greeting card depicting a rat emerging from the bush only to be unknowingly overshadowed by an onlooking black cat.
"May contain butter." - Package of monounsaturated spread.
"Ah... it's the cold I'm detecting." - Produce seller at Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne to me, after I told him I was a Canadian with a bit of a cold in response to his inquiry about my accent.
"Ah... it's the cold I'm detecting." - Produce seller at Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne to me, after I told him I was a Canadian with a bit of a cold in response to his inquiry about my accent.
"Ingredients: Love, Purified Water..., Love." - Label on a bottle of cola-scented bubble bath I got, produced by a local company that puts the most important component of their products both first and last on all ingredient lists.
"Why are you there? Is it because your bed is there?" - My 4-year-old niece Maaja during a phone call home, trying to understand my motivation for traveling.
"We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love... and then we return home." - Australian Aboriginal Proverb
"We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love... and then we return home." - Australian Aboriginal Proverb
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