And they told me I wouldn't like Sydney

Sydney Opera House


Me in front of the Sydney Harbour Bridge



A view from the pool at my hostel


Well, they were wrong!

My last day/night in Melbourne was marked by a lack of sleep that carried over into Sydney. Not even fatigue though could stop me from taking in the sites, sounds and meeting so many people within the first day.

After finishing work Sunday afternoon in Melbourne I packed my stuff and went to Andy and Oscar's flat (the English blokes I worked with) and we had a few going away drinks before I caught my plane.......... at 6am. Needless to say I didn't go to bed that night as I knew it would be harder to get up at 3am than simply not to go to bed. So I caught the flight and headed for Sydney.

About an hour and change later, and with about as much of sleep under my belt, the plane touched down to an utterly disappointing sight. I would compare the feeling to the one the Mcallister family had in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York when the family went to Florida, sans Kevin, for Christmas and arrived to a very un-Florida type reception. It was pouring rain. So, without much sleep but a healthy dose of excitement I got a shuttle bus to my hostel and settled in. Still unable to get sleep due to preparations I had to make for the next few days (lodging because the hostel was booked for New Years and still is, look for an apartment, exchange formalities with my Canadian, French and Finnish roommates, etc.). Managing to get maybe an hour of sleep in the midst of this I decided to hit the town with a new acquaintance and see a little bit of Sydney. After a late night I was finally going to get some good sleep. It had been somewhere in the neighborhood of 35 hours without REM sleep.

The next day I got to see what everyone comes here to see and doesn't leave without getting tons of pictures of. The Harbour Bridge and the Opera House came into view from behind the skyscrapers as I came closer and then into full view as I entered Circular Quay. To try and describe the amazing view wouldn't do it justice but the pictures would have to suffice. The bridge, a massive mesh frame of steel, arched over the harbor and the Opera House, with its white tile covering, reflected the sun to look like a snow covered field on a sunny day. I felt like the quintessential tourist as I asked strangers to take a picture of me standing in front of the rising structures but everyone else was as well so I wasn't alone.

After some hard searching and following up I found an apartment in Regis Tower on Harbour Street right below Darling Harbour. When I saw the view from the roof I knew this was where I was to live for my stint in Sydney. My apartment is on the 17th floor and the pool and hot tub, yes, pool and hot tub, are on the roof on the 18th floor. The work out room is also on the roof. This aspect of the place easily compensates for cramped space of the room. But before I move in I am in the hostel for another four nights, one of which (New Years Eve) I don't know where I'll be because the hostel is booked solid. But not knowing is half the fun.

One of the best parts about the first few days in Sydney is the people I've met. I went to karaoke with a Finn named Heidi, a German named Christian and some Dutch girls whose names I can't remember. My selection of Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond to end the night rocked the house even if my voice didn't. And of course I added the lyrics so common to every Bostonian singing them at one point or another in bars, concerts of Sox games ('Sweet Caroline.......Ba Da Daaa'). The Germans though are everywhere and about 1/3 of the people I've met are from the motherland. The English and French come in second and the Americans a distant last. I've probably met less than 10 Americans since I've been here in Australia.

Now I just have to find a job and start over again. I don't know how long I'll be in Sydney but if the first couple days are any indication of life in Sydney (which they probably aren't) I'll stay as long as I can.

Rockin Around the Christmas Tree

Slowly waking up on Christmas morning, the realization of what day it was took some reinforcing as I sluggishly gained consciousness. It was a round 9am and I did not want to get out of bed due to the fact that in two hours I had to be at work. Needless to say it was a very nontraditional Christmas for me but in my case working was actually better than sticking around the house with absolutely nothing to do. Whatever Christmas celebration I was going to have had to wait until work was over.

The restaurant was strikingly empty for the first few hours of the day but as mid afternoon came around the place got packed. Everyone exchanged 'Merry Christmas' and I actually received the only physical gift of the Christmas season. It was a little jar of Nutella. It is basically a creamy chocolate spread about the consistency of peanut butter. Upon hearing that I had never tried this much-loved spread a French girl (Marine) decided that I simply must try it. So, a jar of Nutella was my Christmas gift and I must say that it was very good.

Later on I met up with some blokes from work (Oscar and Andy) and had a feast of massive proportions. It was actually more of miniature proportions but it was exactly what the doctor ordered. Finger foods and such covered the coffee table in the living room of their 3rd floor apartment in St. Kilda; brie, humus, vegies, crackers, smoked salmon, prosciutto, sausages, stuffed capsicum, olives, caviar..... And while I was hesitant to try the caviar I actually kinda liked it. It tastes pretty much like tuna.

With plenty of food and drink I winded down the evening with a call to the fam at around 4am making it 2pm back in Boston. Overall it was a good Christmas and I enjoyed spending it here in Australia. I did kinda miss the snow though.

Great Ocean Road

This one is called London Bridge because it used
to have an arch to the mainland but it fell.


These are the Twelve Apostles (even though
there's not twelve of them).

My first real dose of some good old fashion Australian flora and fauna came two months into my trip as I travelled the Great Ocean Road. The road was built during the 1920s by returning servicemen from the first World War. The road is 243 K's which roughly comes out to be 150 miles long and stretches to the west of Melbourne along the southern coast of Victoria. The scenery was amazing and could best be described as a mix of the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California coastlines. Tall cliffs rise strait out of the waves crashing against the jagged rocks that seem to be still rising out of the ocean floor. You can almost see the tectonic plates in action as the slabs of layered rock diagonally jut out towards the cliff from the waves.

The road itself winds up and down and around the cliffs along the coast and is full of long views of distant rock formations stretching out into the water. There were a couple light houses and oddly designed houses perched on the cliffs that look as if they will crumble at any moment. The tour guide was knowledgeable about the road the history behind it but his ability to tell a story was lacking, which he attempted several times. We became buds though as the trip continued and shared our experiences of traveling we'd done, the jobs we'd worked, the people we'd met and yada yada yada. I also had some German friends on the trip as well who came in handy when an extra hand on the camera was needed. They were good company too.

The best part off trip though was easily the Twelve Apostles. The Twelve Apostles are a group of limestone stacks that rise about 150 ft out of the water. The area is a massive tourist attraction and the fly's love it. I have never been so surrounded by swarming flys in my life and it really tested my patience. Every time I would pause to take a picture and hold the camera steady there would be about 10 flys that would bombard my head. Despite the fys though the views were amazing as we could look out from the overhanging cliffs down to the beach and go down to the beach to view the rock faces from below. And although there is a lot of driving time involved in the trip the Great Ocean Road is a must. And while I leave for Sydney on the 28th it was a good last trip for my time in Melbourne.

Paintball

Yesterday some folks from work and I went on a trip to the local paintball center for a little shoot'em up. Never having been before the only thing I was expecting was to feel a little sting when the ball hits you. I had no idea that the little sting was not so little. It was an indoor course with all the usual barricades and walls to hide behind. We grouped up into two teams and let fly. As much as it hurt getting hit, especially at close distance and repeatedly, it was made up for when I got someone in my sites and pelted'em pretty good.

I had no idea how tiring it was or how out of shape I am. Running around the course while ducking and hiding behind barriers required constant crouching and getting back up which has left my legs in 80 year old condition today. My body might take a week of more to heal the welts but it was all worth it.

Christmas Time In Melbourne

This was during my trip to the Yarra Wind Valley
in front of the Chandon Valley Vinyard.



A view from the Skydeck in the Melbourne city
central


It is now 11 days till Christmas and I could not be more out of the Christmas spirit. It's not that people around me aren't excited or that the city isn't decorated and signs saying 'Merry Christmas' aren't all around. It just plain doesn't feel like Christmas and it is simply because there is no snow. Even in Boston having a white Christmas is usually not so but there is a certain smell in the air that always reminded me of the Christmas season. It is the unmistakable smell of smoke coming from chimney tops. That smell is obviously absent here as no one, in their right mind, lights a fire in 70 degree weather. But Christmas it is, regardless of the weather, and I will spend my Christmas morning.........working. The restaurant is open Christmas Eve/Day and Boxing Day (which is the day after Christmas and a national holiday). I work all three of them. The compensation is that you get paid double time and a half so I guess I cant complain.

I was working the other day though and a little boy decided that he wanted to know everything about the food and started to ask questions about each item on the menu. After he finished he completely changed subjects by telling me that I had the coolest accent he had every heard. For most of the time I've been here I am very aware of how people sound to me but not so much aware of how I sound to them. While I don't think my accent is cool (or even think I have one: "My accent is neutral" is what I jokingly tell people) I get a kick out of people imitating it. The Aussies can do a pretty good American accent while the French and Germans have a very hard time imitating one. I can do a decent Aussie accent but only with certain words and only sometimes. I have to be in the right mood.

As for the Christmas season in Melbourne it will be interesting to have a Christmas morning away from family but I am looking forward to the unfamiliarity of it. And after Christmas I am picking up and moving on to Sydney for the New Year and on. I am excited to see the fire works from the Harbour Bridge as I have only seen them on TV as the first large city on the globe to celebrate the new year. And since the weather will be ideal for beach trips I hope to finally learn how to surf at Byron Bay. The city is going to be packed as travelers from all over flock there for the New Year's celebration and it is sure to be a sight. I just hope I can find a place to stay.

The 411 on Aussie Restaurants

So after working in the restaurant bizz for many years I have found many peculiarities about how the way a restaurant is run and even how customers experience it. And I have found that the basis for way an American restaurant functions vs an Australian restaurant is the system of tipping. From what I can see almost everything about customer service stems from tipping. Waiters over here obviously get paid a decent hourly rate which is why people don't tip here. I should say that there is not a total absence of tipping however but when people do tip it is usually anywhere from 1 to 5 percent (or they are American and don't know they don't have to tip over here, stupid Americans). So the first difference is that I don't even introduce myself to my tables anymore as there is no need to try and establish a personal connection to better your tip. But most of the time when you approach a table there is no time to introduce yourself because you would simply be interrupting the customer in the middle of his/her order. The customer knows there is not going to be a courtship by the waiter and is ready to go. It is very efficient this way but it certainly is something that took getting used to.The second difference is that the only reason you need to maintain a quasi-attentive attitude towards your table is to move along the meal in order to get them out and the next table in. The only reason, generally, to approach a table once they are eating is to clear their plates once they are done or hand them the bill. Most people, unless they are consuming adult beverages, do not get a second drink (maybe because there are no free refills on sodas). Of course sometimes people do order coffee and desert for which I had to acquaint myself with the way coffee is named over here: long black, short black, flat white, long flat white, short weak white, long skinny black, etc. But not too difficult once you get the hang of it.The third difference is that a table is not really yours since there is generally no tip that comes along with it. A table can be interchanged among the staff like a pair of designer jeans among teenage girls. If I have a section of the restaurant and my shift ends I don't have to wait for my tables to leave, I just leave. Someone else takes over and there is no need to update the new server or transfer tables. So, as you can see, especially someone in the restaurant bizz, there is a lot about an experience in an American restaurant that differs that of an Aussie restaurant. And it all stems from tipping.

How ya going mate?

The settling in process is almost complete for my new Melbourne habitation. I live in a town called Alphington about 10 min NE of the city proper. The landlord is rumored to be selling the house though so there might be another move in the near future. That would make 4 moves in 6 months. The house is a great place though as its kind of old and has a lot of those strange corners and angles in the ceiling that give it some charm.

My bout with hay fever is drawing to a close as well. My head felt like it was about to explode for about a week and I have never had to blow my nose so many times in my entire life. I'm assuming it is the pollen and heat which I have never been exposed to that triggered it as I have never had allergies in my life.

The restaurant that I currently work in is in the Crown Casino Complex which is the big entertainment area that people go to in the city. The Greco European Grill as it is called is owned by Greeks, run by French and worked by Brits, Asians and myself. Oh, and there are two Australians (kind of ironic that they are in the minority). But I think it safe to say that I never want to work in a restaurant again (although I probably will). The happiness I felt when leaving the restaurant bizz when in the States is matched by the depression I feel every time I walk into this place. So, I am now waiting word about a position at the Melbourne Aquarium for which I had an interview a couple days ago.

Other than the work aspect of my new life in Melbourne I've been sampling the local fair, been golfing at the Yarra Bend Golf Course (shot a 43 which ain't bad for me), went on a wine tour to the Yarra Valley, visited the Melbourne Zoo and the Royal Botanical Gardens. I also went to the beach at Torquay (pronounced Tor-key). My opinion of the local fair is that it lacks in flavor but perhaps its just different from what I'm used to. I can only assume that the golf courses are easy given that I actually played well but then again I've only played one course (the cheaper one too). The wines were quite tasty and very palatable as the array of melon, peach and oak were very pleasing ( I have no idea what I'm talking about). The Zoo was amazing as I saw a Kangaroo for the first time as well as a Koala and a couple others that only exist over here. Did you know: Koalas sleep for 20 hours a day and eat for the other 4. Evidently the Eucalyptus leaves are so low in nutrition that they have to sleep so long for their body to carry out all its functions. They will sometimes eat themselves out of their habitat by completely stripping the trees of their leaves.

The weather has been hot but thankfully not humid. It feels as if I am in an oven sometimes as the cement just feels like its cooking you. It rains very infrequently and Victoria has been in a 13 year drought. But when it does rain its really just a moderate sprinkle. What's funny is that there are very few really tan Aussies as most people will try to stay out of the sun rather than lay in it. And sun screen is always a must, it doesn't matter how tough you think you are.

I'm starting to miss some things though, especially Boston, friends and family but I know that's something I'll get used to. I wish I had brought more now that I've set up shop but I know it would have been hard to get anything more here. The snowboard and golf clubs were hard enough. I've already read 3 books as finding anything to do that keeps you out of the sun for too long is key.

My New Home

The settling in process is almost complete for my new Melbourne habitation. I live in a town called Alphington about 10 min NE of the city proper. The landlord is rumored to be selling the house though so there might be another move in the near future. That would make 4 moves in 6 months. The house is a great place though as its kind of old and has a lot of those strange corners and angles in the ceiling that give it some charm.

My bout with hay fever is drawing to a close as well. My head felt like it was about to explode for about a week and I have never had to blow my nose so many times in my entire life. I'm assuming it is the pollen and heat which I have never been exposed to that triggered it as I have never had allergies in my life.

The restaurant that I currently work in is in the Crown Casino Complex which is the big entertainment area that people go to in the city. The Greco Eauropean Grill as it is called is owned by Greeks, run by French and worked by Brits, Asians and myself. Oh, and there are two Australians (kind of ironic that they are in the minority). But I think it safe to say that I never want to work in a restaurant again (although I probably will). The happiness I felt when leaving the restaurant bizz when in the States is matched by the depression I feel everytime I walk into this place. So, I am now waiting word about a position at the Melbourne Aquarium for which I had an interview a couple days ago.

Other than the work aspect of my new life in Melbourne I've been sampling the local fair, been golfing at the Yarra Bend Golf Course (shot a 43 which ain't bad for me), went on a wine tour to the Yarra Valley, visited the Melbourne Zoo and the Royal Botanical Gardens. I also went to the beach at Torequay (pronounced Tor-key). My opinion of the local fair is that it lacks in flavor but perhaps its just different from what I'm used to. I can only assume that the golf courses are easy given that I actually played well but then again I've only played one course (the cheaper one too). The wines are

Navigating around Melbourne

After a week of maneuvering around the city I think I know my way around pretty well. My comfort zone is slowly expanding as I venture into new areas of the city. But since the city is on a grid it makes it pretty easy to know where you are at all times.

I've secured an apartment in Fairfield and I move in on Friday. Its actually a house as the apartments are actually more expensive especially when living downtown. But till then I've been doing the hostel thing which has worn me thin. I don't mind it for a short while (couple days) but sharing a room with anyone is not my thing, especially 4-7 other guys. And living out of my pack is hard enough as well.

The weather has been fairly seasonal as in any given day it can be sunny and 70 one moment and rainy and 55 the next. But I guess that's just their spring weather. The summer is right around the corner and I hear it gets fairly hot, but no where near as hot as it gets in Sydney, Brisbane and Cairns farther to the north.

I'm starting to plan some trips and see a bit of the city now that I am acclimated to the town. I went to the Yarra Wine Valley for a day and saw some amazing vineyards and tasted some great wines (as well as learned a few pointers on tasting). I went to the Eureka Skydeck which is the tallest viewing gallery in the southern hemisphere. The Melbourne Aquarium was not bad with the Arctic Penguins and the sharks.

But despite my growing knowledge of the city I still find myself in situations where I have absolutely no clue what to do. For example, I was on the train (different from the tram) the other day and when I went to get off the train the door would not open. So, for two more stops I am standing in front of the door trying to trip some imaginary sensor that I think will open the door at each stop. Finally, I figure out that you have to pull on the door to open it. How dare they make me actually exert myself to get off the train! I'm used to the doors opening up for me! But apart from looking like an idiot on the train I've been watching the World Series at the casino here. It's just about the only place that will show the game and on the corner TV at that. The Melbourne Cup was on yesterday which is a huge horse race here. It's slogan is "The race that stops a nation". And indeed it does. About two hundred people gathered round the TVs in the casino to watch the race. It's basically a version of the Kentucky Derby and just about everyone puts money on it. But at times during the coverage it was more a fashion show that a race as the pre-race festivities were kind of in the style of the Academy Awards ceremony as reporters go around to everyone and ask the Australian celebs who they are wearing. Olivia Newton John say the National Anthem before the race too. I can't imagine how many times she's been under the knife.

Arriving in Melbourne

I can safely say that the trip over here was the longest night of my life, going by the hours at least. It was dark outside for something like 14 hours. Surprisingly though it did not seem to take that long. I was able to sleep on the plane for a decent part of the flight and read for the rest. I sat next to an old South African couple and the smell was not all that pleasant. The gentleman's glass eye was hard to avoid when making eye contact. Overall, the plane smelled, the flight attendants were annoyed and the food, well, the food tasted like synthetic fabric that had been marinated too long and then spiced to cover it up. Don't even get me started on the eggs.

I had a short layover in Sydney before arriving in Melbourne and hopped a cab to the hostel. After 6 years of school without living in a dorm room setting it finally caught up to me. I am sharing a room with 3 other guys; my favorite being Ken, a 69 year old Scotsman. The room is small along with just about everything else in the hostel but the people are friendly, except for the Germans. The hostel is having an ad lib Halloween party over the weekend and the girl at the front desk requested that I be "the toking American" at the party. That was the first time I had ever been asked to be a toking anything. Needless to say I don't think they know all that much about Halloween here.

The city is amazing though. The architecture is unbelievable and very modern with many public squares and statues. I sometimes feel awkward and am sure I stick out as a foreigner as I am not sure exactly how things work. It was only by trial and error that I learned how to swipe the metro card on the trams, when to cross the road (people actually wait for the cross walk signal here, a waste of time if you ask me), whether or not you tip your server and simply finding my way around city. It's very big and the metro system is very extensive. It will be a while before I figure out how to properly use it.

The Aussies are very nice though. When I was at the cell phone store buying minutes I was telling the guy about my just arriving here. After he helped set up the phone he invited me for drinks with his "mates" sometime. I can't ever imagine my cell phone agent doing the same in Boston.

So many things are backwards here though: domestic calls are more expensive than international, bottled beer is more expensive than draft, they wait for the cross walk rather than ignore it, there is free Wi-Fi at McDonald's and they drive on the left side of the road (which can be confusing when crossing the street). I think I like it here though. Now I just need to find an apartment, which they tell me is pretty hard to find.