September 8 - The Deliverance Train

At Lutan's suggestion, Mary and I took the train from Bendigo to Melbourne instead of driving. Lutan convinced us that taking the train would be so much easier than driving, and we wouldn't have to worry about parking, etc. So we agreed to take the train. We kicked ourselves later - we both had rental cars, and the drive is easy - only about an hour and a half.  The train ride was horrible! The train was packed with people, and it seemed to stop every 10 minutes and pick up more people! The 'country folk' really came out of the woodwork. Some were scary, some were smelly, and some were just gross. Mary said we were on the Deliverance Train!

So we called Lutan and complained that his idea was a very bad one, and we were not happy! He agreed to pick us up in Melbourne at 4pm on Sunday so we wouldn't have to take the train back. But when we got to the hotel at 4pm on Sunday, no Lutan. He didn't show up at 4, or at 4:30, and he didn't answer his phone. Finally he called, and said he fell asleep and was still in Bendigo. He said he could leave soon, and pick us up in Melbourne at 7pm. But that was too late for us, so Mary and I decided to risk taking the train back to Bendigo. Lutan agreed to pick us up at the Bendigo train station at six.

This time the train ride wasn't so bad. The train wasn't crowded, and it wasn't like the Deliverance train at all. It was a quiet ride, and Mary and I both took a little nap on way back. However, when we got to the station at Bendigo, Lutan wasn't there, and he didn't answer the phone (again). So we took a taxi from the train station back to the motel. Lutan's excuse was that he fell asleep again! He really caught a lot of grief from me & Mary, and from the whole team (because of course we told everyone) for leaving us, not once but twice!

BBQ in Bendigo

One of the guys had a BBQ at his rented house in Bendigo.  I had to ask if he was serving kangaroo, because they do eat them, it's not a joke.  Australia is the only country that eats both its national icons (the kangaroo and the emu).  But he said no, we weren't having BBQ kangaroo.  I would have tried it, but I was really relieved that weren't having kangaroo, after just seeing them playfully hopping around in the paddock.  They tell me kangaroo is very good if cooked properly.  It's very lean meat, similar to venison, but more gamey.  

The BBQ was great - with BBQ pork chops, sausages, and chicken strips, along with stir fry veggies and cole slaw.  Very much like a BBQ we'd have at home, and I felt very at home.  We ate, drank Australia wine, and laughed and told stories. 

Somehow we got on the subject of 'critters'.  Of course, Australia is famous for it's dangerous and unusual creatures.  I learned about the Huntsman spider, which is huge - the size of your hand - but not poisonous to humans.  Apparently it's just fine to have a Huntsman in your house because they eat bugs.  Several folks had Huntsman spiders in their bedrooms, and they were okay with that.  Sounds creepy to me.  Australia also has wombats, which are incredibly dense little creatures, and really mess up your car if you run over one.  I told them the story of the critters around my house, particularly about the beavers, which were eating my crape myrtles.  They said, what's a beaver?  And what's a crape myrtle?  Somehow I was surprised that they didn't know about either of those.  They are so common in the US, and hardly even interesting compared to giant spiders, kangaroos, and wombats!

Kangaroos!

I finally saw a kangaroo!  In fact, I saw a bunch of them, which is called a mob.  Around dusk, I drove down McIvor road about a half mile past my motel, and there were a bunch of kangaroos in a large grassy field.  I saw one hopping very fast first, then I noticed that it was moving toward a group of kangaroos.  I pulled over and parked the car and tried to walk toward them to get a picture, but they are shy and very fast.  They hopped away and I didn't get a very good picture.  But there were about twenty Kangaroos in the mob, all different sizes.  Some were very big, some were obviously younger and smaller.  As they hopped away from me I thought they looked like giant rabbits.  

Yanna

The team here struggled with my name.  The European pronounciation of Janna is Yanna, and I guess there are a few Australian personalites named Yanna as well.  So every time I was introduced, it was something different, Yanner, Yanna, Janner, etc..  So finally I gave in to it and declared that my Australian personality is Yanna.  That made it easy.  Now everyone knows me as Yanna, and I like that.  I feel very continental and somehow more free since I'm not just the same old Janna.  Now I'm Yanna and Yanna can do whatever!  I told the team here I was going home a new woman, with a new name and a tatoo.  I'm not really getting a tatoo, but that got a laugh.  The Aussies love a joke.  They said I'm a good stick, which is a compliment - like being a good egg.  So good on ya, Yanna, the good stick!

The Bendigo Bulge

The food in Bendigo is actually very good.  There are a number of excellent restaurants, especially Asian restaurants, also a lot of good steak and seafood restaurants, and bakeries everywhere.  They have bakeries like we have Starbucks - on every corner!  So the team working the proposal calls that extra poundage gained from good eating the ' Bendigo Bulge'! 

Last night I went with some of the folks on the team to eat at a restaurant on Weeroona Lake, called the Boardwalk.  But it was closed, so one of the mates (see how I've adapted) suggested the Dispensary,  a restaurant in an alley (or lane) in downtown Bendigo.  But we had a heck of time finding the right lane, and then the restaurant was closed.  So we ended up at a Thai restaurant located in an old bank and it was great.  The food was good, and the restaurant was gorgeous - it had the high vaulted ceiling of the old bank, with beautiful plasterwork and detail.  I took a picture, will upload later. I had a Thai beer ( I think it was called Chang) but I only had one for fear of driving on the left while impaired - or not driving on the left while impaired!  My aussie friends said I wasn't 'in the turps' since I only had one drink.  Something about turpentine, I guess.

Tonight is mild so I'm going running, hoping to counteract the Bendigo Bulge! 

fyi - still no kangaroo sightings, other than those sleeping giants at the Botantical Gardens.   The team plans to put one 'on the barbie' after the bid is finished, I can't tell if they're serious or not. 

Tuesday Note

Overall, I'm amazed at how much the same things are here as in US.  I've been looking for trinkets to bring home, and I find the same stuff in the shops as we have in the US.  Lots of Made in China crap, just like at home.  Last weekend I went into downtown Bendigo and explored the antique shops and gift shops and was surprised to find that the antique shops here have same stuff as at home.  I saw some of the very same stuff I've seen in the states, and much of it looks like it came from my grandmothers house.  I guess grandmother's houses are global in the 'stuff' content.  I'm not sure why this surprised me, but I didn't realize how global kitzch and old crap really are!  Still searching for some kitzch that is unique to Australia!

Saturday exploration

Saturday I decided to explore downtown Bendigo. Bendigo is lovely place, with lots of restaurants and shops and beautiful parks. Bendigo is a gold rush town, and has a long history around gold mining. Gold was discovered in Bendigo by two women. The secret got out when they went shopping with their gold (of course), then the gold rush was on. So in keeping with the history of the town, I went on a tour of the Bendigo gold mine. For $24 I went down into a gold mine, down 20 stories, which is level 2 of 17. Oh my gosh. I can't imagine going down to level 17! Level 2 was bad enough. I'm glad I can say I've been into a gold mine. But I have no desire to go ever go into a gold mine again. It's really dark and dirty and scary down there. Some of the folks on the tour thought the process was fascinating, but I felt more like the three year that starting screaming when they turned out the lights to show us how dark dark really is! The three year old was carried out of the mine, but I stuck it out. I'm so mature.

Between rain storms, I also explored the park downtown and some of the shops. First I went to the Bendigo Visitor Centre, which was very helpful and had an interesting interactive display on the history of the town. Then I went to the park downtown, which was really beautiful. But then the rain came, so no more exploring on Saturday.

Sunday adventure

Today I went in search of a kangaroo. How can I convince my friends at home that I went to Australia if I don't have a picture of a kangaroo? They folks at work tell me that the kangaroos come out at dusk, and usually show up in the grassy area around work but I haven't seen any there yet. So I went to the White Hills Botanical Gardens where they have some in a little 'zoo' area. I saw some wallabees, which are smaller and darker than kangaroos, and are active during the day. They posed for some nice shots. The kangaroos on the other hand, were asleep and didn't photograph well (they look dead). So the search for kangaroos continues.




I also took some pictures of the flowers and trees at the Botanical Gardens. It's early spring here so the daffodils are blooming. And weather feels just like early spring at home, like March. It's cold and windy and rainy. I'll be glad to get back to Huntsville and experience the September weather I'm accustomed to - warm and windy.

On a positive note, my driving is getting much better. I'm feeling more comfortable with driving on the left, although I still go to the passenger side of the car to get in. But today I successfully navigated several parking lots, roundabouts, and right hand turns. Success is measured by the number horns honking, angry hand signals, or screeching brakes. Today I had none of those. However, I have to say that on the whole, the Australia drivers are very polite and patient. I haven't seen many angry drivers even when I screw up. Yesterday I turned into the hotel parking lot in the wrong land and older couple on the sidewalk put their hands to their cheeks like "OH NO!" . But they weren't angry. Of course, they weren't drivers either.

Time to Go!

I was so nervous and scared about traveling half way around the world by myself. International travel. For the first time, all alone. To a place far away where I don't know anyone. But, it was sure to be an adventure (even if it was a work trip), and let's be realistic, it's not like I was the first one to ever go there. I also got some good tips and information from some folks at work that had lived in Brisbane for a couple of years working on the Vigilaire contract. And Australia is pretty easy because they speak the same language (but slightly differently) and the currency is the same denominations, and many things are kinda the same, except that they drive on the left. So off I go, leaving Huntsville at 5:oopm on Tuesday, flying to Atlanta, then to LAX, then boarding a Qantas flight to Melbourne. The flight left LAX around 11:oopm on Tuesday, and arrived in Melbourne around 8am on Thursday. Wednesday got lost, literally, never to be seen again!

The trip was a long, a lot of time sitting in airplanes, but overall not too bad. The Qantas trans-Pacific flight was really very nice. I flew Business class in a Boeing 747, which was awesome. The seat was so comfortable, fully reclining with lots of adjustments to the foot rest, knee height, the recline of the back and the seat angle. The seat in front of me had a nice big screen for TV, flight information, or movies. The flight attendants were very nice and helpful. My friends told me to try and stay awake as long as possible, then sleep as much as possible, with the goal of waking up in the morning in Australia time to ease the effects of jet lag. So I watched a movie, and managed to stay up until after 3am, which is a miracle for me! Then I slept and slept very comfortably. The flight attendant told me the next day I got the award for best sleeper! I thought, yes it's one of my best things, actually.

Going to Australia?!?

Got an email on a Friday morning: "You need to be in Australia next week for a proposal, for two or three weeks. When can you leave." Or something heart-stopping like that. My first reaction was No way, I don't know anything about that proposal and I don't want to travel all that way to walk in cold to a new assignment. However, after I learned the details of the task (which I can't divulge) I realized it was a perfect assignment for me and my attitude changed to YES Way! I'm going to Australia! Then all I had to do was .. well, I had to do a shitload of stuff to get ready in three days for a two or three week stay in AUSTRALIA, where its still WINTER!!!