Whale Watching

Since I know I suffer from motion sickness, I took medication before boarding the boat. When you have a history of queasiness and the company writes about it on every correspondence, it's a must. Still, I felt the uneasy feeling in my stomach as I held on to the shiny silver railing of the boat. I focused on the horizon to try and trick my brain into thinking I wasn't rocking on a boat. It worked for a while until I couldn't take my eyes off of the ocean's creatures dipping in and out of the big blue bouncing sea.

I watched as the backs of three humpback whales appeared out of the water, one by one, as if they were taking turns. Then their tails poked out. I imagined them feeling the air with their bodies like we would go to the sea to feel the water on our toes. A little out of our element but loving it all the same.

We found the whales almost as soon as we left the harbor and stayed with them for a couple hours. They were moving slowly, which meant the boat was also moving slowly, which meant it was rocking. The crew kept talking about how flat it was, while my stomach mumbled something entirely different. "If this was flat, I never want to be out on a rough day!" I thought.

I took deep breaths and tried to keep on eye on the whales gliding around in the water. It was very cool to see the whales just doing their thing out in the wild but I was very happy when it was time to put my feet on the sturdy ground.

Aussie-isms

My first in-person lesson on Australian slang was on the plane ride here with the little girl sitting next to me. She told me she had "heaps of friends" at preschool. She was adorable. 

heaps of - basically, how I would use the word "hella"

How ya goin'? - How's it going?/How are you?

do a wee - go pee (this is what the boys I babysit say when they have to go pee, or to be more exact "I'm doin' a wee")

good on ya - good job, well done, good going you

CBD - stands for Central Business District, what we would call "downtown"

lollies - candy

bogan - redneck

bottle shop - liquor store

mackas - McDonalds

arvo - afternnoon, particularly in text messages we've noticed

prawn - shrimp (You would never actually hear someone say "throw some shrimp on the barbie" They don't say shrimp!)

no dramas - like "no worries"

mate - dude

full on - extreme/very much so/out of control For example: I was in a bar at 9:30pm and overheard two people talking about their friend. Girl: She's already vomited. Guy: Yeah, she's full on.

sweet as - like we would say, "yeah, it was sweet as f***!" Also have heard good as.

Australians like to shorten sayings, words, and most people's names. Nicknames are common among friends, which I find absolutely endearing.

Also, this list just scratches the surface! There are TONS of slang words and things they just call different names. Part of the fun is discovering them yourself, so get on down here and explore the English language!   

Anonymous

My hands and feet were placed firmly on the grass, my butt was in the air, and my belly button was reaching for my spine. I rocked my weight from one foot to the next, alternately pushing down my heels to stretch my tightened calf muscles.

Running for the first time in eight months calls for some serious stretching. I was running outside in the perfect Sydney spring air and normally would have gone home to stretch. I usually get embarrassed by stretching in public but the air was so fresh I wanted to stay outside and breathe it all in. I ran under a huge gum tree for shade and started doing sun salutations.

This is something I would never do in my hometown. I would never just randomly start doing yoga by myself in a crowded park. But here in Sydney, I felt ok. I didn't feel embarrassed. I didn't feel awkward.

I realized even if people were judging me, I didn't care. Maybe it's because as I get older, I'm becoming more comfortable in my own skin. I'm finding out what I like and don't like and how to lead a balanced life. I'm figuring out what's really best for me and not relying on magazines or other people telling me what I should be doing. It's extremely gratifying and a process I'm sure will last my whole life. Making a conscious effort to be self aware makes me happier, more productive, and less guilty.

A big part of this process has been spending time in foreign countries where I can be anonymous enough to really, truly be myself. The cultural differences make me think in new perspectives about the same issues I had before leaving. The absence of a big support system of extended family and friends makes me feel empowered, accountable, and in control of my decisions.

I don't feel badly when I say no to an invitation to go out when I really need to just stay in and recharge. I feel more confident making life decisions, like where we're going to live after Australia. I'm less self conscious showing people art that I've made and I'm more confident in my writing. 

The power of being anonymous in a new place is strong. It's like starting fresh. You can be who you want to be. You can do what you want to do. And if you don't know who you want to be or what you want to do, it can help you find answers. It did for me. I still don't have all the answers (obviously) but I feel better about not having them when I don't and fulfilled when I do. 

Kayaking in Sydney

Sydney rests on one of the greatest harbors in the world. There are heaps of little inlets, beaches, and cliffs all around the city. With all this gorgeous water around there is no doubt tons of ways to enjoy it. Last weekend we rented some kayaks to join in on the fun.

We rented from Sydney Harbour Kayaks in Mosman.  

Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk

The Bondi to Coogee coastal walk is full of beautiful scenery. There are tiny beaches, epic cliffs, an old seaside graveyard, and even lawn bowling. We did the walk in a few hours and took our time taking in sights and stopping to get lunch along the way. It was a nice way to spend a sunny spring afternoon. I hope you enjoy the photos! :)

Bondi Beach

The Past Month

Well, I haven't blogged in a while. We've been so busy just living life and settling in our routines. Here are some things I've been doing lately. (It's a bit random! :)

We went out to visit Manly, taking the ferry to get there. Almost everyone had told us we had to go see it so we did. It was beautiful, but we forgot our camera. Whoops! I did happen to take a couple Instagram shots on my phone (above). 

Bondi to Coogee coastal walk

We walked the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk which was absolutely beautiful. It made for a great afternoon and there were places to swim and eat all along the way. It'd be cool to do it again when it's really hot and just hop in the sea every so often to cool down. (Side Note: There are actually quite a few of these coastal walks around Sydney. I walked a different one a while back in Vaucluse with the boys I babysit and it was gorgeous as well, with views of the opera house and the harbour bridge in the distance.)

I started oil painting and have a lot of ideas of things I want to paint. It's really fun to mix the colors and think about the layout and overall design of each piece. I've been checking out books from the library about art history and how to draw/paint. 

Also from the library, I checked out some world history books. I was looking into the State Department and working at US embassies around the world. You have to pass a pretty tough test to even be considered. I found a couple books from their reading list and I am actually enjoying them. I've always liked history and reading history in a non-fiction book is much more interesting than reading a school textbook. 

We went to see Australian Rules Football, affectionately named "footy", at the Olympic Stadium. It was super fun! The game is really easy to understand and follow so I was able to know what was going on pretty much all the time. That's not something I can say about a lot of other sports I've seen!

It rained like mad last weekend and into the early weekdays. It was nice when I got to stay home and listen to the drops fall from the comfort of my cozy bed. It was not so nice when I had to walk in it to work.

Other than that storm that passed through, the weather has been beautiful and warm in the 70's and sunny. I always take the boys I babysit out for adventures to playgrounds, parks, the library, or the museum and we always talk about what a beautiful day is. They are so cute. I feel lucky to be working with such a great family.

Coming up this weekend, we're planning on going to the Australian Museum Friday night (it's free for Art and About Sydney) and then kayaking on Saturday. It's looking to be a good weekend! :)

Surry Hills Silliness

Last Friday we went to see a band play at a club in Surry Hills. I think it's the only time I've ever seen a band opening for a DJ. Ha! The band was Gang of Youths and they were pretty good! It's always nice to see live music. We didn't stick around for the DJ. After the band finished up we left due to the high volume of young hammered people. I think 18 is a great drinking age, I just don't want to be in a club where the majority of the people are 18. What can I say? I might be getting a bit old! Although, maybe the band's name should have tipped me off...

Afterwards, we were walking around and saw this funny shop window.

It's little gems like this that make me so happy I remembered the camera! :)

P.S. About half of the guys at the club were wearing bow ties! I couldn't believe it! Is this common where you live too?? If it's a new trend, I'm totally for it. I think bow ties are awesome, even if it did feel a little like prom. ;)