JP Down Under: Tomorrow, Tomorrow - It's Only A Day Away

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Tomorrow, Tomorrow - It's Only A Day Away

So after two days of freaking out over how much crap I have, how small my suitcases are, and balancing those things against the ridiculous luggage requirements from US Scare, I think I am finally packed. Janice (my sister for those of you who do not know her) came over for lunch, saw my first attempt at packing, said, "You really suck at this," and proceeded to repack most of my bags. Sweet. All it took was four of five of those space saver bags that suck the air out of everything, and I managed to use Jan's repacking skills to transform this thing into a new art form.
For those of you I have complained to about it, I now have what I hope to be three months of my life packed into three relatively small bags with weights of 42, 35, and 27 pounds according to my at-home scale. If things go the way they should, my bags should weigh that same amount at the airport. (The rationale behind that thought process is because I always weigh several pounds more at the doctor than I do at home, and I am quite certain that my home scale is the one that is right.)
So in about 16 hours, I will be headed to the airport to start this new little journey in my life. Everyone has been super supportive of my plans, and I am 100 percent sure that I am doing what I am supposed to with my life right now. Although I am really going to miss JJ (my cat) and Hobbes (Sally's cat) for the next three months... But I don't want to think about that, so I am off to finish loading every CD I can come up with onto my iPod for the 24-hour travel time...
The next time I post, I will be in Australia. So I will talk to you all "on the flip side!" (It's punny - get it?)

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07 September Spit Bridge to Manly Walk Comments

All right. I am finally adding some comments! The slideshow starts with a photo of some boats in the water:
[1] Here's a view from Spit Bridge, where the walk begins. [2] Once you cross under Spit Bridge, you get to where the nature hike begins. [3] Like all good nature walks, there is even a little waterfall. [4] A shot of the view from the trail. [5] Another view, back towards where the hike started. [6] Just to show some of the climbs and bridges that are a part of the trail. [7] And, of course, the beautiful views! [8] Another shot of some of the boats in the water. [9] If you look across, you can see the people out on teh beach for a BBQ. [10] A closer view of the start of beach. [11] And here we finally make it onto the beach sand. [12] Here are the folks I was on the hike with. [13] Left to right: Jamie, Manon, Lara, and Tariq. [14] And we even managed to find a starfish washed up on the beach! (Don't worry, we tossed him back into the sea.) [15] Another view across the water. [16] As we get higher up into the trail, you can see further and further out. [17] I thought this little scenic view was pretty cool. [18] As we venture back on the nature trail, we stumble upon some parrots. [19] Okay, so we gave up on the trail after an hour of walking and head out into the Manly jungles. Pretty nice neighborhood, right? [20] Here we are in Manly. This shot is taken from the beachfront, looking back towards the town. [21] Here is the Manly surf. You can tell we had some heavy rain storms the day before. [22] Another shot of the waves. [23] Here's a view along the beach. [24] Another shot down the other end of the beach. [25] The surfers were out enjoying the waves today! [26] I have no idea what this thing is, but it was kind of neat. [27] Downtown Manly on Sunday night.

17 August Royal Botanical Gardens Comments

As usual, the text descriptions of the above photos are below. The first photo starts with some buildings in front of the Harbour Bridge:
[1] A view of The Rocks. You can see the Harbour Bridge in the background. [2] Another view in The Rocks, going down the other end of the main street. [3] These tents are where the weekly market is held. Basically a big craft fair and flea market kind of place. [4] Another shot of the marketplace. [5] A better view of the market. [6] Here's the pub where I stopped in for a while. Billed to be "Sydney's Oldest Pub." [7] A different view of the Opera House from the other side of the Harbour (near the Bridge). [8] Of course, people watching by the Opera House is always entertaining! [9] At this point, I am pretty much behind the Opera House. This shot is across the water, a part of the Royal Botanical Gardens. (It's a big U around the water.) [10] Another shot to the other side of the Gardens. [11] Out across the point. I live somewhere in that direction. [12] And now we finally make it into the Gardens. [13] I just thought it was really cool to see the skyscrapers from CBD in the background of the Gardens. [14] Yes, that's a little train in front of me. Like a cross between London and Tweetsie, and that's pretty scary! [15] More views from inside the Gardens. [16] This section literally IS a Garden, with little plants and a random sphere thingie in the middle. [17] More from the "true" Garden section. [18] The sign in front claims this thing is a greenhouse. But from the looks of it (and from the looks of people walking around it), I think it is the largest stash of pot in the world. [19] Within the Gardens are some little nature trails. [20] Another photo from the Garden, looking back towards the waterfront. [21] What park would be complete without a fountain? [22] Or without birds. Although these Cockatoos are the loudest, most annoying things I have ever come across. [23] Wait, that one looks familiar. Have I seen him somewhere before? [24] Yep, sure have... [25] Another view across the Gardens, with the City in the background. [26] Kind of a random little rock ledge in the Gardens. [27] Now you can hopefully tell where the Gardens are located, on the other side of the Opera House from the Harbour Bridge. [28] Looking back across the water to where some of the earlier photos were taken. [29] More shots from across the water. [30] A different view of that earlier rock formation. [31] Looking back towards the City. [32] Another view across the water. [33] The rock formation known as Mrs. MacQuarie's Rocking Chair. She was either the mayor's or governor's wife. I think she used to watch the ships come in from here. [34] I got to the other side just in time to watch the sunset. [35] Another view of the sunset over the Harbour. [36] A close-up of the Opera House at dusk. [37] Maybe I should start selling my photography! [38] Kind of a cool little rock ledge along the waterfront. [39] Another shot back towards the City. [40] More sunset photos. Sorry. [41] One last shot of the Harbour View. [42] A final photo from the Gardens.

Canberra Trips Comments

The cool pictures you guys have been looking for. The kangaroos are about halfway through. The slideshow starts with a picture inside my MOtel room - you'll see the two beds.
[1] My random hotel room. I really do think it is almost the same size as my flat. And has two beds! [2] Seriously, this space is about the same size as my living/dining area in the flat! [3] The bathroom is definitely bigger! [4] Just to show you guys how cold it is, here's a picture of me. (One of very few you will get!) I am wearing a sweatshirt and a toboggan. Yes, while inside. It took a while for the heat to kick in! [5] Pretty standard hotel room. Although the area where this picture was taken from is the only spot of the entire room that gets warm, since the heater is directly over the bed! [6] The view from outside my hotel room. I have no idea what those things are... [7] And now you can see why I call it a MOtel. [8] It's really dark, but this picture is of the Parliament building in the middle of Canberra. [9] Here you go - Australian deer! More commonly known as kangaroos! [10] Yep, they just hang out on the side of the road! [11] You can see that the one in the middle was hopping across the field when I got this picture. Sweet! [12] This picture is of the Dickson shops right by my MOtel. If you look closely across the top of the picture, you can see the red and green lights that were strung across above the road. It was like Christmas decorations. In August! [13] The frony of my MOtel. As the sign says, it's QUALITY! [14] A shot of the roos from my second week in the Canberra suburbs. [15] I zoomed in as much as I could for you guys. But I think they could sense me. They all started standing up and looking over at me when I shot this photo. Hopefully it won't start a kangaroo stampede! Or would that be a HOPede? [16] Some pictures from the drive back to Sydney. Those animals are cows, in case anyone is confused. [17] The trip from Canberra to Sydney was really open and scenic. [18] Am I really in Australia, or did I end up in Iowa, and someone is just messing with me? [19] Some more of the scenery as I drove along. [20] It really does remind me a lot of a country road back in NC! [21] The mountain views are pretty cool, too. [22] Just another view of Australia's beauty... [23] As we get towards the end of my photos, you can see the sun is starting to set... [24] I just thought the sunset was absolutely beautiful. Hopefully the pictures do it justice for everyone! [25] I don't know why, but I was enthralled by the color of the sky as the sun was setting. [26] A final shot of the Australian countryside at sunset...

Hyde Park 10 August Comments

This slideshow starts with the first (more distant) picture of the fountain in Hyde Park:
[1] So here are some photos of Hyde Park. The fountain marks the center of the Park. [2] No matter what side you come from, the fountain is front and center. [3] A close-up view of the fountain. Don't ask me what it is - I don't know. Some war thing. [4] Beyond the fountain, you can walk through the Park under this cool canopy of trees. [5] The famed St. Mary's Cathedral is located next to Hyde Park. [6] A closer shot of the front of the church. [7] Hello? Is the Pope still there? Anyone? Anyone? [8] A shot of the entire front of the Cathedral. It really is quite a beautiful building... [9] The Cathedral is a pretty long building. And if you look close, you can see that the red banners on the street posts are for City2Surf, which will be taking place here tomorrow. [10] Coming from the opposite direction, a view from the tree canopy heading towards the fountain. [11] A shot as you get closer to the fountains from the longer side of the Park. [12] Here you can see the actual park part of the Park. [13] No, it is not a picture from the Park. But I did think it entertaining that these shopping carts were in the hall of the apartment as I got off the elevator. It just shows how ghetto fabulous my neighbors are. Why is it random? Because in order to bring these up, someone either had to walk them across a busy street or take them up an elevator, across a skywalk, back down an elevator, and around a street corner, only to come up the elevator to the fifth floor. Needless to say, random spot for them... Who are these people?

Bledisloe Cup 26 July Comments

Okay, this slideshow starts with a distant picture of ANZ Stadium:
[1] ANZ Stadium, coming out of the train station. [2] Slightly closer look at the Stadium. [3] I think this picture gives a pretty good idea of where my seat was in relation to the field. [4] The roof is open. If you look real close, you can see that there are people sitting all the way up to the top. [5] Pre-game warm up for the Wallabies. [6] Pre-game warm up for the All Blacks. [7] Welcome to ANZ Stadium, folks... [8] Another shot of the entire field. [9] I just like this shot because you can see the sea of yellow and green supporters! [10] The teams are about to be introduced here. [11] The teams running out onto the field. [12] National anthems. Although I obviously did not know the words to either one... [13] The All Blacks have some sort of pre-game dance ritual. [14] Seriously - it is supposed to be pretty intimidating. I didn't quite see it... [15] Kickoff! [16] One of the many scrums, which this one was pretty close to me. [17] Halftime entertainment: Hamster ball races! [18] Despite being rugby, I'm starting to feel at home at this game! [19] When the Wallabies score, there is fire! Fire! Fire! [20] Final score. [21] End of the game. [22] Teams congratulating one another on a great match! [23] I have no idea what these things are. They are in the front of the Stadium, and have names listed on them. I checked, and my name wasn't on there. Donors, maybe? [24] Final view of ANZ Stadium on the way to the train.

19 July In Balmoral & Mosman Comments

Starting with the photo that has a Corolla in the foreground...
[1] As you walk through the neighborhood, you can get a nice glimpse of the beach in the distance. [2] You can see across the water, a little further up the beach. [3] Looking out towards the Middle and North Harbour. [4] I think this view is of Middle Head, part of the Sydney Harbour National Park. [5] Here's the sandy beach,and part of the beautiful natural areas. This area is Rocky Point. [6] This is a view to the south from Rocky Point. This photo is the wharf. [7] Back towards the northeast, I think this view might be the Grotto Point Lighthouse. Although I am not sure what good it is to have a little lighthouse on the side of the cliff. [8] Some of the houses along the side of the Harbour. [9] Rough life, huh? [10] Yet another view of where the Middle Harbour meets the North Harbour. [11] As I said - Rough life, isn't it? [12] A better view of the beach. [13] A view from the beach. [14] I'm still a little hung up on the boats... [15] It must be nice to live somewhere that you can go sailing in the middle of winter. [16] Yes, if you look in the corner, you can see that some people actually camp on the beach. [17] I just had to get a shot of the kids playing along the shore. They were pretty funny to watch. Especially since the guy in the background is swimming in a full wetsuit. [18] Just behind the beach is a little playground with kids running around and playing. [19] Again, I like boats... [20] Another view of Rocky Point. Wonder where it got the name...? [21] Here is a shot of the Mosman Uniting Church, where I visited on Sunday. [22] Just to show you the monopoly money I have to get used to. The dollars are a funky plastic material, and are pretty self-explanatory (there are no bills smaller than a $5). The coins, starting at the top right: $2 coin, $1 coin, $0.50, $0.20, $0.10, and $0.05. Very few people take the $0.05 coin, so prices are usually rounded.

Birthday Dinner Comments

Okay, the photos for this slideshow start with a dark picture of a ship...
[1] Here's another photo of the ship where we had the little dinner party. I took this shot as I was walking to dinner. [2] Okay, at this table (right to left) are Paul (bowling teammate) and Sarah, who both work with me (they are a couple, as well) and are from the UK, and Lara (another co-worker) and her boyfriend, Tariq, who are here from Toronto. [3] Charlotte (who I work with) and her husband Dugald, both originally from Scotland. [4] On the left are Ollie (co-worker) and his girlfriend Loiuse, and Doug and his girlfriend Stacey. Doug starts in the office tomorrow All four are from the UK. [5] Nathan on the right - he's the one from Austin. On the left is one of Nathan's friends, here visiting from the US. I think his name was Jake. [6] Daniel (co-worker) and his wife (I think they're married). They are here from South Africa. [7] Martin (co-worker and bowling buddy) and his fiance, Halina, both from Ireland. [8] Here are just a few of us from dinner. Martin made me get in a photo to prove that I was actually here.

12 July In Sydney Comments

The descriptions below begin with the photo that says "Darling Harbour." Sorry, but this one is a long one!
[1] The trip in July 12 started off in Darling Harbour, which spans across one long bridge. [2] Obviously, there are tons of boats in the Harbour. This shot is the first part of the Harbour you see to the left as you walk in. [3] Panning around, you can see across the Harbour, with lots of shops and restaurants. [4] Looking back from the other end of the Bridge, this view is back towards the downtown area of the city. [5] On the opposite side of the bridge, there is a Maritime Museum, with a pretty cool ship permanently docked in the Harbour. [6] Another view from the other side of Darling Harbour, looking back towards the city. [7] Again, another view of the city from the Harbour. [8] A close-up of the famous Sydney Aquarium. They have duckbill platypuses there - How cool is that? [9] Here's a shot I took of the floating boat restaurant where the birthday dinner party will be held tomorrow. [10] This part of the city is the area over near Circular Quay. [11] I just thought the Australian flag on top of the building was pretty cool... [12] This building, which is right next to the Harbour, is where my office is in Sydney.. [13] A closer shot of the office building. [14] Here's a shot of the QVB (Queen Victoria Building), which is the mall I have to walk through to get from the train to the office. [15] As I told you, this mall is pretty huge! [16] This picture is of the Customs House over near Circular Quay. [17] A picture of the Sydney Harbour Bridge from Circular Quay. [18] Yep - There is an amusement park under the Bridge. [19] I zoomed in as best I could. If you look real close, you can see a couple of groups of people doing the Bridge climb. [20] A shot of the city surrounding Circular Quay at dusk. The photo was taken from near the Opera House. [21] Another photo of the city from the Opera House. [22] Across the Harbour... [23] The Sydney Opera House after the sun has set. [24] Another shot of the Bridge. [25] One last shot of the city. [26] Don - do you believe me now? I have an Australian beer in my hand - you can't buy this stuff in the US!

The Neighborhood Comments

This slideshow descriptions below start with the photo that has the blue car in the left corner:
[1] The cool part of the neighborhood is that in certain parts, you can see across the Harbour all the way to the city. [2] It's a little hard to see, but here's a shot along one of the streets right behind my apartment. [3] Another shot of the neighborhood behind my place. Pretty nice area, right? [4] There's a park (sports field) about 2 blocks from my flat. Apparently they play soccet there on Saturdays. [5] This building is kind of cool. I think it is an old church that they converted to the community center. [6] Another shot of the local cummunity center, just around the corner from my place. [7] A view of Spit Junction. If you see the"Design Store," that shop marks the corner of the street where I live. The skybridge is where my next two photos were taken. [8] The true view of Spit Junction. And yes, you can see the people driving on the left-hand side of the road. [9] A shot going back down Military Road. If you look to the right, the Hotel Mosman is my neighborhood pub. I'm not sure what the duck is for... [10] Here's a view from my apartment window. Not too bad, right? [11] Yet another view from my apartment window. [12] A close-up view. Yep, I can see the local pub from my apartment window. [13] If you open up the apartment window, lean out slightly, and look to the left, you can see a decent view of the city.

Morning Commute Comments

Scrolling through the photos, the below descriptions start with the darker photo of houses on the side of a hill:
[1] This picture is of the flats next to the wharf where I catch the ferry every morning. Pretty nice digs, right? [2] Once the ferry turns around and starts towards Sydney, these little "toys" are the first thing I see. [3] More sailboats on the start of the commute. [4] Here's a view of one of the ferry ports on the way from Mosman Bay to Circulay Quay. [5] Once the ferry gets into the open water, you can see across the Harbour, and see all of the fancy houses across the water. [6] This photo is part of Sydney. As you scroll through these next 4 photos, it goes from left to right across the horizon. [7] Part of the horizon view, this photo is downtown Sydney. [8] More of downtown Sydney, and you can see the Opera House as I get closer to Circular Quay. [9] We are getting close to the Harbour, and you can see both the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. [10] A closer shot of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. [11] This photo is the part of Sydney across the Bridge from downtown. If you are scrolling through these photos in order, these homes are to the right of the Bridge in the previous picture. [12] Turning back towards downtown after our final stop before Circular Quay. [13] Passing in the Harbour, here's a photo of what the ferry looks like that I ride on to work each morning and on the way home each night. [14] Getting closer to the Bridge... [15] A closer view of the famous Syydney Opera House. [16] As you get closer, you will see that the Opera House is actually not white, but kind of tan. I hear that the reason is because pure white would be too blinding during the day. [17] Man, that Bridge is pretty far up there! [18] Coming in to dock at Circular Quay. [19] A closer shot of Circular Quay. If you see the building in the center of the photo (it says "Circular Quay" on it), this building is actually the railway, and is where I catch the train after getting of the ferry.

The Apartment Comments

Scrolling through the photos, the below descriptions start with the photo coming in through the front door, where you will be able to see all three rooms of the apartment:
[1] As you walk in the door, you can pretty much see all the apartment has to offer. Living room and dining room straight ahead, kitchen on the right, bathrool to the immediate left, little office area to the left, then the bedroom is in the back left corner behind the couch. And yes, the bedroom is about the same width as the couch! [2] If you want to come over, we can have dinner and sit at the fancy dining room table! [3] Here's the kitchen in all its glory. (Photo taken from the bathroom door). [4] Yep - you now see all of the storage space in my kitchen. And yes, that square thing is my "oven," although it is more of a microwave. [5] The bedroom, with just enough space for my bed and two little nightstands (at least there are a couple of drawers in them). [6] The closet, although you really don't have a good picture of its size from this photo. Sorry! [7] Between the bed and bathroom is tucked this little study/office area. Right now, it serves as luggage storage, as there is nowhere else to put it! [8] Here's the bathroom. Killer shower! [9] Okay, bathroom slash laundry room. This photo was taken from inside the shower, if that explanation helps to give some direction. [10] Okay, so everyone wants to see the drain go backwards, I know. But they are more into power here. Most toilets have these two buttons. I will let you think about it - a smaller button, a bigger button. In some places, these might be marked with "1" and "2" dots, respectively. [11] The flatscreen HD TV is pretty nice, but I really just wanted to show everyone that I can still watch WWE wrestling over here. Woo hoo!