Brisbane Vernacular...

As with any area, there is a local "dialect" - similar to "y'all" when in Texas, Brisbane is no different.  We all speak English, but some of the words and phrases are slightly different, have different meanings or different pronunciations. 

Some of the items I have run across are (spelled for pronunciation):

Rosemary vs Rosemarie (the spice)
OREGano vs OreGANo
AllIANce vs ALL-e-ance

How are you vs How ya going (for a casual greeting)
To bundle up vs Rug up

Ice chests/coolers vs eskies
Cans of beer vs Stubbies
Koozies are (obviously) Stubby holders
black coffee vs long black
breakfast vs brekkie
motorcycle rider vs bikie (although this was used in reference to a gang member.  I'm not sure this is a generic term or specific to gang members???)
more expensive vs dearer

On restaurant menus, there are share plates or grazing plates (appetizers) and mains (our entree equivalent). I am not sure what an entree is yet.  It comes between grazing plates and mains.  Guess Robert needs to take me out to dinner more.  :)

And I'm not entirely sure what I said the other day other than "may I have a sack" and I was corrected and told it was called a "bag". 

It is very apparent when I open my mouth, I am not from around here. But  I have had only two people look at me and say "where are you from?" and they generally guess Canada (What's up with that?).  So - was I that hard to understand?  Did I say something really offensive?  Or do they just not get foreigners in the local stores in my neighborhood?

I hope I have accurately described things and not misrepresented the local terminology.  I honestly think it is fascinating and forces me to pay attention and listen closely when having a conversation. Not yet having had the good fortune to spend any time outside of Brisbane, I don't know if this is local to this area or standard across the continent. I plan to find out!

Tourist

There I was at the Farmer's Market this morning - one of the biggest one's in Brisbane and this little animal went running across the sidewalk in front of me.  I heard someone call it a possum.  Being the tourist that I am, I whipped out my phone and snagged this picture. 

Just wish I got  one of his face.  I am sure everyone around me thought "goofy tourist - don't they have possums where you come from?".  These appear to be a little more sleek than the possums in the US (that is if you can call a possum "sleek").

Leaning more about Consrevation

For the last three weeks, I have had a lot of time to observe various things in and around the city (ok - mostly in my neighborhood).  One thing I am consistently impressed with is the Australian commitment to conservation.  The US could learn a few things.

Mass transit here is fantastic.  You can choose between water taxi, bus, train or even easily rent a bicycle if needed.  Purchase a "GO card" with credit on it and you don't need cash to get around town.  Just scan your card when you get on and then again when you get off.  It is a very nice system that makes it easy to go into the city for dinner and you don't have to mess with parking or driving.

It is very easy to recycle - easier than anywhere else I have lived.  At your house, you are allotted a full size garbage can for recyclable materials and they accept most everything as recyclable.   Just load it up and wheel it to the curb.  Anywhere there is a trash can, just next to it is a recycle can.  Brisbane has made it simple.

People tend to carry re-usable water containers - No plastic water bottles around to discard.   Of course, bottled water is very expensive...that may also be why you don't see them in use.

Appliances are designed differently.  I now have the best dishwasher ever with regards to fitting more dishes in the racks.  Our clothes washer is "smart" enough to decide for each load based on bulk how much water is needed and how long the load will take to clean.  The  dryer has a reservoir that captures the water from the clothes.  This water can then be used for other things such as plants.

In general, cars are smaller...both engine and size wise.  Many of the streets here are narrow so the smaller size is a great thing.  I must admit, I do miss my V8 engine.  Of course I won't when I go to fill up the tank with petrol.  Last I checked, it was $1.60-ish/litre and my tank holds 54 litres. I'll have to send Robert to do that.  :) 

Must Get Bird Feeder

Our house has no yard, only a couple of small patches of dirt big enough to hold some bamboo stalks.  However, I believe we have enough vegetation in the neighborhood I can still have a bird feeder.  I have spent the last 10 minutes watching 2 Noisy Miner birds use our pool as a bird bath.  One of them is a pretty good diver.  Once the bath was finished, the electric wires were perfect for scrubbing their faces dry - just like a dog rubbing its face on the carpet. 

We also have some Rainbow Lorikeets that spend a lot of time two houses down.  These are the birds I really want to feed.  They have beautiful coloring when they open their wings and fly around.  I just wish they would sit on a branch and open their wings with the proper lighting so I can get a good picture.  So far, they are not cooperating. 

Both species can be noisy.  I can hear them in the afternoons over the AC, the TV and anything else in the house. 

The downside, both species like nectar, fruit, etc.  I can easily set some items like that out and attract all sorts of bugs. Unfortunately, we really don't have anything to attach a bird feeder to.  This will take some creativity. Must be time for a trip to the hardware store to see what my options are and what other creative people have come up with.  

Happy Days!

WOOHOO!!!!  The first three boxes of our stuff arrived today.  It took all of 30 minutes to unpack.  We have our bikes (still not functioning - where's the closest bike shop???), some kitchen supplies, a few more clothes and our big fluffy towels.

But the BESTEST THING OF ALL...????

I have have my pillow!!!!!

New Buddy?

There I was, in the heart of the Brisbane Central Business District (a.k.a CBD), sitting on a bench minding my own business people watching and something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye.  I turned around
and this is what greeted me.  He/She was approximately 1.5 feet away from me.

Driving Practice Today

I achieved a new milestone towards learning to drive in Brisbane - I drove by myself today.  I know - that sounds like small item but for me it is pretty big.  I think the most intimidating thing with the whole move is this driving on the other side of the rood...and yes...I am taking baby steps. 

I have a pretty set course around the neighborhood that I generally don't stray from.  There are plenty of traffic circles, 2 stop lights, lots of narrow streets, bicyclists and pedestrians.  Plenty to watch for. 

Today, there was a new obstacle.  The city has closed one of my turn around points and I had to go OUTSIDE of my "course" on new streets.  Luckily I had the GPS AND I got turned around and back on "course" before I hit any major divided, multi-lane roads.

I dread that first time I have to drive across the city.  It sounds like company in October though so I now have a deadline.

Ants Ants Ants

Right up there with driving on the left side of the road, I have probably most noticed the ants. They are everywhere.  I don't believe they bite like fire ants but they are just as busy.  I was amazed at the number of houses we looked at on our house hunting trip where we saw ants running around in the house.  The agent we worked wasn't surprised.  Apparently ants are standard here.

I'm not used to this. 

And as a bonus, we have giant flies that like to live in our house. (Maybe they eat the ants?) 

I have got to figure out where they are getting in at and put a stop to it.

I have to admit, I thought twice the other day before taking the little lizard back outside.  I think I would rather have him living in here eating the spiders and ants than outside.  But I let him go...

This also reaffirms our decision to rent a house that does have windows and not just shutters.  I expect the houses with shutters have even MORE visitors than we do.

Signs on my walk

Call me old fashioned, but when I find a route I like, I tend to repeat over and over and over.  Today was no exception.  I walked down to the river, over to the park, picked out a park bench with full intentions of reading my book.   Got sidetracked by the people and the birds and never got my book out.  However, I did try out my camera phone on the various signs along my route. 

Who hasn't seen a sign like this?

  and yet posted on the 2nd floor outside of the building.

Sign at the dog park..

Here's one that makes you wonder what agency is tracking this information - I have stared at this several times and assume it has been duly noted.

And then I stumbled across this one.  Who hasn't felt like they were in this situation before....

Wonder what I will come across next!

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

We took time out last weekend to visit the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Fig Tree Pocket (South Brisbane).  Unfortunately, we forgot to charge the camera before we went and didn't get very many pictures.  It was a beautiful day and a great place to visit.  This is the place I hope to be able to volunteer at.

Feeding the Lorikeets

Sheep dog hard at work

Wombat checking on visitors

Wild Kookaburra telling the captured Kookaburras what for

And the captured Kookaburras providing feedback. :)

Kookaburras are incredibly noisy.  In fact, many of the Australian birds we have seen and watched are.

BTW - While waiting for the sheep dog demonstration to begin, I was looking around and noticed Robert and I were the only 2 people in shorts and t-shirts.  Everyone else had on jackets, long sleeves and jeans.  After all, it is winter here.

Steer Left

I am amazed and appreciative of the fact that we, as temporary residents with a valid US driver's license, can use our US driver's license and not get a Queensland license.  I believe the US reciprocates but I am not sure.

Regardless....

We drive on different sides of the road. How trusting is that?

We attended Driver's Orientation class today.  We drove on a closed course and I zippity doo dah'd right through (and maybe over some of) the cones in the slalom course but that only happened when backing up.  :)

We discussed and reviewed road signs, driving etiquette in Queensland, general "rules of the road" and were promptly cut off by someone who had to be an aggressive foreign driver.  (I would take a guess regarding from which foreign city but would hate to offend someone.)

You should be proud - I only used the wipers for my turn signal one time.  Thank goodness we purchased a car that has the turn signal where I'm used to. 

For teenagers just getting their driver's license, there is a graduated system with letters ("L" for Learner) and colors (Green "P" or Red "P" for level of Permit) letting other drivers know they are still learning.

I'm tempted to request one of those for my car.  That way others would give me more room on the road.  But then I am sure we would have an increase in insurance cost.  It's costly enough as it is.

We did go for a nice drive through the country.  Of course the worst part of the day was when Robert told me he saw a Koala in the wild and I missed it.  

What My Houses Have Taught Me

I have lived in a few places over the last 30 years and each location has taught me at least one thing I need to be on the look out when searching for my next house. 

In college, I learned I never want to live in an apartment again.  I also learned that renting isn't that great either because I like to change things around (such as floor plans) now and then.

With my first house, I learned never to buy at the bottom of a hill with out proper drainage and that the washer and dryer need to be in the house - not in the garage.  I also learned what termites damage looks like (little varmints).

First time In Houston, I learned to pay attention to the locks on the doors.  If you can easily lock yourself outside, you will and that you need to have a method to get back in that does not include a lock smith.  Big kitchen sinks are a must also.

Our Alaska house taught me LOTS.  Number one - make sure the kitchen exhaust fan is more powerful than the smoke alarm.  Not that I burned MANY meals but apparently there was enough smoke from a hot oven I needed to keep a towel handy to fan the alarm occasionally.  It also taught me to think twice before buying a house that requires you to carry groceries up a long flight of stairs to the kitchen. Bread isn't a problem...it's the 20lbs of potatoes.  Consider the seasons and where you want your back deck to be in the summer.  Finally, a white glass stove top is the easiest thing ever to keep clean and a drain in the garage is nice in a snowy climate.

Back in Houston, I learned that a black, shiny stove top is the hardest thing to keep clean.  Fry 1 piece of sausage and you have to get the Windex out and scrub down the entire surface like a window until it shines.   I also learned that you can teach baby ducks it is alright to stand on my feet and give duck kisses when they feel they aren't getting the proper allotment of hamburger bun. 

Our new home has already taught me I don't ever again want black floors.  Regardless of how many times I sweep, I put the broom away, turn around and it needs sweeping again. I've also learned I have become accustomed to big items...but that's a whole other posting...

BTW - guess where the washer and dryer will are....In the garage.

Car Shopping

Since we had to sell both cars in Houston, now we have to buy at least one and probably 2 cars in a relatively short amount of time.  OK - we have 6 weeks to get at least 1 car BUT the company just doesn't understand.  It takes me MONTHS sometimes YEARS to decide what to get.

For example, I bought the Camaro in 1995 and hadn't seen anything I would even think about replacing it with until the new Challengers came on the market.  (And even then I didn't fall for it.)  We bought the Toyota in 2004 and were perfectly happy.  No thoughts of replacing it.

Now we must decide what to purchase for a commute car and a car we can comfortably ride in.  Neither can be too big because the parking spaces are tiny here and the lanes are cozy.  And yet one vehicle has to be big enough to ferry guests (and luggage) to various places. 

I can't really see life without at least a small SUV.  If we don't have one how will we get large purchases to the house and where would we put the bike rack?  But will an SUV fit in the garage? Of course it is only for a couple of years.  (BTW - there will be large purchases...that isn't going to stop!)

Back to searching....

Next Challenge...

When I started telling people we were moving to Australia and that I was going to be on leave, one consistent question went along the lines of...aren't you nervous, scared, etc? 

The answer is no...I have always liked change - the new and unknown and how will I react, what decisions will I make.  Granted, this is one of the bigger personal changes I have been through but we moved to the one country most like the US and most likely the easiest to transition to.  People are VERY friendly and always helpful.  I am well known at the coffee shop and the hardware store.  Making daily trips to those vendors right now.

In fact, today's blog is a test of how well I can write in a public area.  Does writing take precedence over people watching?  Guess we will see by how well this is written?  

Oh look -  I digress...

I do have to admit.  I am apprehensive over the next challenge scheduled for this weekend.

Driving on the LEFT side of the road.

Yep.

Even when I am in the passenger seat now, I concentrate on what to do if I was diving and panic because of the times I know I would have made the wrong decision.  The street markings are backwards to me and instead of the standard "look left, right and left again" rule, it is now "look right, left and right again".  (This is a good rule to remember crossing the street also.)

But I can't NOT drive here so I will hit this challenge head on and hopefully nothing else. I am going to give it a whirl this weekend.  At least in the neighborhood. And I am going to let Robert ride in the passenger seat to provide guidance.  :)

And I Thought Alaska Was Expensive

After arriving in Brisbane yesterday, we had a VERY busy day and by the end of it, we were tired puppies.  However, we sacrificed and went to the local grocery store.  Here are some price comparisons (keep in mind this is AUS $$ so you have to take these prices times ~ 1.09 to get the US price):

Bottled Water 24 pack of 600ml bottles - $10

1 Hass Avocado - $2.48

1 pkg 2 rolls (short) paper towels - $3.50

1 – 24 pk diet coke (12 oz) - $16

1 pound chicken breasts - $10.50

6 oz Philly cream cheese - $4

8 oz Jarlsberg cheese - $7.40

We may have to change some of our eating habits!

BTW – the tax rate here looks to be 10%.

On a different note, I tested the temporary washer and dryer.  The washer is a 5.5kg washer.  Translation:  one load equaled one each: bath towel, wash cloth, hand towel, floor mat.  No more.  This will take a lot of time to do laundry.  Lucky I’m on a leave of absence. 

Estate Planning

For years we have bantered about the fact we need to do estate planning.  The conversation generally went something like:

“We should do something.”

“You’re right. We should do something.”

And then we would do something ELSE, forgetting about estate planning until the next time one of us thought of it. 

Now, because of the move overseas, we finally did our estate planning.  We completed it.  It is done and we don’t ever have to revisit it again unless we choose to.  And, of course, I will choose to.  We forgot to put any clauses in about pets owned at the time of our demise.  (I know – I know – HOW could I, who has ALWAYS considered her dogs the equivalent of children, have forgotten future pets!!!  I blame the move and additional stress of the last few weeks.)

As with any endeavor that involves planning, this one was a learning experience. Of course the one thing I learned that I actually remember is depending on how you structure things, the federal government could get a lot of money.  We avoided that structure.

Another part of this exercise was to complete our Medical Directive to Physicians.  This generated the most discussion between Robert and myself.   This is the document which states what we want to have done with regards to life support and added something to the effect of – we really really mean it. 

Those are tough conversations to have.  And, once you make the decision, the proper thing to do is to let your family know your wishes but even our lawyer said she has never talked to her family.  In today’s busy world, who wants to take the family together time (such as Christmas, Easter, etc,) to discuss death – even as it is a part of life.  Our family generally doesn’t.

Robert keeps telling me he will go before me.  I keep telling him if he dares to leave me like that, I am cremating him, putting him in a box and gluing the box to the dash of the car.  (Hopefully no one will mistake it for an ashtray.)

Something to think about...

When living in Houston during 2004-2006, we were very lucky to find both a yard service and a cleaning service that were absolutely top notch and took very good care of us.  Of course when we moved back to Houston, we called the same companies.  Luckily, they were still in business and once again agreed to help us out.

I talked to the lawn service owner the other day and she voluntarily assured me they were going to watch the house and make sure there were no problems and thanked us profusely for our business.  She even told me she would take pictures if I wanted them to letting us know the yard was still in good shape. What great people.

Yesterday, I saw our house helper for the last time (well - until we move back).  We have become friends over the years and I have heard about her kids growing up, how she met her husband, what her life was like before coming to America, we celebrated when she became a citizen, etc. She always took care of Squirt and cried with me when we lost him. Before I left to run errands, she was in tears and thanked me for everything. I will miss our chats and our friendship.

What has stuck with me though is a comment she made about always treating her as a an equal.  How else would I treat her?  It bothers me to know there are still people in this country that don't treat others as equals.  That's very sad and shows how far we still have to go.

I am very thankful for the people that have worked in and around our homes over the last 15 years and will miss interacting with our current friends regularly. They have giving us time back in our lives which  has allowed us to do other things when not at the office.

PS - To the internet service person I yelled at this morning - I apologize for yelling at you. Please don't think it was because I was not treating you as an equal.  I have no problem yelling at anyone.

New Discovery

When not working, I am MUCH more interested in spending time on my home computer.  I went to the hotel last night and left it here at the house.  I think I had some withdrawals from it since I couldn't check my email, etc.  Maybe this will pass when I get an iPhone in Brisbane.

Last packing day and they are here already.  We filled 7 containers for the ocean shipment which is a very important number.  That translates into we can buy 3 container worth of new stuff overseas to bring back.  :)  Our air shipment, which covered a good portion of the floor in the bedroom, weighed 170lbs (30 lbs shy of what we could have taken) and fit into 3 boxes.  Our suitcases will weigh more when we fly over. 

The piano just came down the stairs in a controlled fashion.  We are never taking it up a set of stairs again.  While that doesn't help this crew any, the next crew will be happier. 

Down to the final house cleaning (Thursday), carpet cleaning (Friday) and bug spraying (Saturday).

Day 2

Packing continues.  The move crew is much more lively today.  I am not sure why unless they see the light at the end of the "stein" tunnel.  Most of the steins are packed now...well...except the ones in the master closet on the highest possible shelf.

Robert is giving me the time update in 15 minute increments.  It is just like pacing only different. 

We believe all of the export paperwork is complete.  There was the TSA form, the Australian import forms and the some other form I don't remember the name of.  That was last night's work.

We also completed the seller's disclosure statement for our house.  All that is left is the carpet cleaning, the bug spraying and the regular house cleaning.  (Not that we have dust or anything...)

Here We Go!

The packers arrived this morning.  I have only made approximately 27 changes in what we are taking and what stays.  Robert is pacing like a worried momma bear watching out for her bear cubs.  Back and forth...back and forth...  I am making notes of our experience (what to do, what not to do and what buttons to push) as Robert wants to publish a document for the next several families to move to Australia.

This pack and load has been completely different from any other move we have made to date.  All other times, the master bedroom was the last to go meaning we could stay in the house as long as possible.  This time, it was the first to get packed as the rule is - ocean and air first - rest of it later in the week.  I'm not exactly sure why except maybe that way we can't panic and put more stuff in the "go over" than we originally planned. (Besides - I fooled them and made my changes before they got the boxes sealed.)  I AM SO HAPPY we went ahead and made hotel reservations for this week.   I MAY have been a little cranky to have to sleep on the floor. 

Packing for a crated ocean shipment with limited space is also different than an in country move with the company.  Every available nook and cranny, every drawer, every cubby is filled with something.  There is none of this one item per box business this time around. 

At this rate, unless they bring a smaller crew tomorrow, it will take at max 1.5 days to finish.