Friday, December 31, 2010
This is what 15,000 pounds of fireworks look like
I was in a bit of kid heaven last night. Four barges of fireworks and the bridge fireworks and one barge directly behind us shooting some over our heads. Plus random fireworks shot off the top of buildings downtown.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Tasmania: Where country club means casino
I'm standing by my restaurant choice. I made reservations in Tasmania for my last night at the Terrace Restaurant at the Country Club. I assumed that meant golf course, but it really meant casino. I didn't see a golf course anywhere, but I also didn't look very far after seeing the black jack table. But back to the meal.
I went with the chef's choice which started with oysters with a splash of local truffle oil and lightly cook asparagus spears. I didn't get a picture of this but had a pictures of the oysters from lunch the previous day. These oysters were a lot different than east coast US oysters. They were extremely creamy and didn't have the salty brine flavor I prefer.
Next course was a bit of pheasant wrapped in nori paper cooked tempura style. There as a smear of spinach purée and nori salt. This was a little bland but the nori salt helped.
The next course was my favorite and unfortunately the picture didn't come out. It was a risotto with local blue cheese and rare venison. The venison was very well cooked but in hind sight was a little strange after seeing a deer locked up in the pen at the zoo. I mean it's a deer.
I knew I was going to like the next course when they brought out this silverware.
That's right, it was a cheese plate. There were three local cheeses, one hard cows milk, a double creme brie and one goat. They also had the typical quince paste but also had some dried moscato grapes and dried figs with chocolate powder. The figs were sweet enough but the white chocolate powder did add an interesting depth that wasn't just another layer of sweet.
I finished the meal off with that brownie sundae I've been searching endlessly for. It was a chocolate brownie with brown butter ice cream and chocolate sauce. There was also some honey coated popcorn, granola, pepitas and pickled rhubarb.
They also threw in a few petit fours for good measure.
To wrap up the trip, I went with a little Tasmanian Rock Lobster for lunch the next day. I had to stick to half because it was crazy expensive. I could have bought 3 chix lobsters in Boston for the price of half a Tasmanian lobster (also known as crayfish). I wasn't sure what I ordered at first.
All in all it was a good trip. What makes it last a little longer is the case ad a half of local wines that will be delivered later this week.
Life is good
I went with the chef's choice which started with oysters with a splash of local truffle oil and lightly cook asparagus spears. I didn't get a picture of this but had a pictures of the oysters from lunch the previous day. These oysters were a lot different than east coast US oysters. They were extremely creamy and didn't have the salty brine flavor I prefer.
Next course was a bit of pheasant wrapped in nori paper cooked tempura style. There as a smear of spinach purée and nori salt. This was a little bland but the nori salt helped.
The next course was my favorite and unfortunately the picture didn't come out. It was a risotto with local blue cheese and rare venison. The venison was very well cooked but in hind sight was a little strange after seeing a deer locked up in the pen at the zoo. I mean it's a deer.
I knew I was going to like the next course when they brought out this silverware.
That's right, it was a cheese plate. There were three local cheeses, one hard cows milk, a double creme brie and one goat. They also had the typical quince paste but also had some dried moscato grapes and dried figs with chocolate powder. The figs were sweet enough but the white chocolate powder did add an interesting depth that wasn't just another layer of sweet.
I finished the meal off with that brownie sundae I've been searching endlessly for. It was a chocolate brownie with brown butter ice cream and chocolate sauce. There was also some honey coated popcorn, granola, pepitas and pickled rhubarb.
They also threw in a few petit fours for good measure.
To wrap up the trip, I went with a little Tasmanian Rock Lobster for lunch the next day. I had to stick to half because it was crazy expensive. I could have bought 3 chix lobsters in Boston for the price of half a Tasmanian lobster (also known as crayfish). I wasn't sure what I ordered at first.
All in all it was a good trip. What makes it last a little longer is the case ad a half of local wines that will be delivered later this week.
Life is good
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Not a bad view
I had quite the full day. Spent the morning zip lining between trees in hollybank. The longest was 400 meters with 34 meters of elevation change. It was directly into a cold rain which made it hard to appreciate the view. But was a pretty cool experience regardless.
I then spent the afternoon driving around the west Tamar Valley tasting wines. They are all cool climate wines which makes the perfect weather for Pinot Noirs. It wasn't a bad afternoon sipping wines and eating cheese with this view.
Wrapping up my last night with another nice meal with all local produce and local wines, of course.
I then spent the afternoon driving around the west Tamar Valley tasting wines. They are all cool climate wines which makes the perfect weather for Pinot Noirs. It wasn't a bad afternoon sipping wines and eating cheese with this view.
Wrapping up my last night with another nice meal with all local produce and local wines, of course.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Oprah was right
I was a little skeptical of
Oprah bringing 300 of her craziest fans to Australia because of the chaos that would ensue. While it did, what a great way to show the US what this country has to offer. After seeing first hand the Great Barrier Reef and having been in Tasmania for all of two hours now, the scenery is unbelievable.
Great view with a local wine and fresh local oysters.
The drive into Launceston was a pretty good first example of why the food here is supposed to be so good. Wide open pastures for the animals and good cold water for the seafood.
Oprah bringing 300 of her craziest fans to Australia because of the chaos that would ensue. While it did, what a great way to show the US what this country has to offer. After seeing first hand the Great Barrier Reef and having been in Tasmania for all of two hours now, the scenery is unbelievable.
Great view with a local wine and fresh local oysters.
The drive into Launceston was a pretty good first example of why the food here is supposed to be so good. Wide open pastures for the animals and good cold water for the seafood.
Random things in cabs
I get you could leave a phone or wallet in a cab as they slip out, but wouldn't you know if you didn't have shoes on when you got out?
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Marathon Dinner
Four hours and Forty minutes. That's how long dinner took for only 12 courses. It almost got to the point where I couldn't appreciate the food because it was taking so long. We had a 25 minute wait between the second and third courses. Those courses were oysters with a rice wine vinaigrette and kingfish hamachi. Nothing that had to be cooked, but still took 25 minutes. But I'm getting off course.
The restaurant, Tetsuya's, is probably Sydney's first fine dining restaurant. It's been open for quite some time and has had the title of Sydney's best restaurant (though it has slipped compared to newer restaurants that have opened). The menu was a set 10 course meal, but we opted to add on the pacific oyster course.
The meal started with a cucumber soup with sheep's milk ice cream. The cucumber soup was very good, but the ice cream was a bit too rich. There wasn't enough acid to help cut the fat. It was a good start.
We then moved to the pacific oysters with a rice wine vinaigrette. They were good plump oysters with a sweet flavour. The vinaigrette was a little overpowering for the oyster's flavor, but it worked. This was paired with a Japanese sake. I'm not a huge sake fan, but everyone else said it was good. The sake was also paired with the next course which was kingfish hamachi with black bean paste and orange zest. The black bean paste added a good warmth and depth to the raw kingfish.
We then moved on to a course that I don't fully remember. It had an avocado soup with two types of fish and osetra caviar. It was very good, but every time the waiter said the type of fish, I couldn't understand. This was paired with probably my favorite wine of the night which was a light Riesling. I couldn't get a list of the wines, but all but one were Australian.
Next we moved to the signature course. The confited Tasmanian ocean trout. This was good, but a very large portion. Too big for my liking. It was covered with a seasoned seaweed and sitting on a bed of green apple and celery. It also had a quenelle of ocean trout roe. They paired this course with an Aussie Gewurztraminer.
The next course was pretty ho hum. It was a white fish with raw bean sprouts and an emulsion of fish stock and olive oil (fancy mayo). This was the first course that really lacked any seasoning. It could have benefited from a pinch of salt. Don't remember what wine this course was paired with.
We then moved into the meat courses. The first was definitely my favorite. It was a crispy pigs tail wrapped in iberico ham with a bit of Tasmanian rock lobster. I'm a salt fiend and this one was spot on with the porky goodness of the pigs tail and the salted cured ham and the sweetness of the lobster. Perfect. They served this one with the only non Australian wine. It was a Spanish red that was similar to a Cabernet Franc, but not. That was the description we got. Very informative.
The next two meat courses could have benefited from salt. The first was a quail breast served with something I can't remember. They chose an Aussie Sangiovese for this one. The description again was "like a Chianti, but not." The last meat course was a slow braised Angus grass fed beef braised for 40 hours. A person without teeth could have eaten this with no problems, but again needed a bit of salt. They served this one with a Hunter Valley Shiraz that was rather blase.
By this time we were a good four hours in and sitting on chairs that look like you could buy them at Ikea. Needless to say, not something you want to sit in for four hours. The brought out the first dessert course which was a blood orange and black pepper sorbet and summer pudding. I was a big fan of the sorbet. The summer pudding tasted like a run of the mill strawberry shortcake. These courses were paired with dessert wines that I have a hard time mustering down. Well that and it was already quarter to midnight. It got to the point where I had to ask the waiter if they could fire the last two courses a little quicker or else we wouldn't be out before 1am. The second dessert course was a white pear granita with white pears and a bit of either amaretto ice cream or almond biscotti. Not sure which, but it was a nice light refreshing course.
I wasn't sure what was coming last, but I was wishing they ended with the granita. That was until they brought it out. It was an amazingly smooth textured carrot cake with a cream cheese ice cream and salted peanuts sitting on a dollop of caramel. I could have had two or three of those, easily.
Overall the food was good, with a few misses for me. But with 12 courses that's going to happen. The restaurant space itself was pretty blah. It felt like we were sitting in a large conference room with a few random sculptures around. The furnishings didn't come across like a fine dining restaurant. The tables felt like bar tables and the chairs were horrible. My back was getting pretty sore by the middle of the meal. The service itself left a little bit to be desired as well. They were pretty good with our table but I saw numerous times where they'd bring courses out to a table when a few people weren't at their seats. They wouldn't bring everyone's dish out at the same time. They'd bring it in waves. It just seemed pretty loose for a fine dining establishment. The wines on the whole were nothing special. They were good matches with the food, but didn't seem like anything you couldn't find at your local bottle shop.
It was a good experience and I'm glad I can check it off my list, but the price vs value just wasn't there. But I did learn a valuable lesson. Next time I book a reservation at a restaurant serving a 10 course tasting menu, I'm certainly going to ask that they have it completed in 2 hours max. My meal at Alinea was under 4 hours (though just barely) but that was for 24 courses. And I'm going to stop in to test the chairs before booking.
The restaurant, Tetsuya's, is probably Sydney's first fine dining restaurant. It's been open for quite some time and has had the title of Sydney's best restaurant (though it has slipped compared to newer restaurants that have opened). The menu was a set 10 course meal, but we opted to add on the pacific oyster course.
The meal started with a cucumber soup with sheep's milk ice cream. The cucumber soup was very good, but the ice cream was a bit too rich. There wasn't enough acid to help cut the fat. It was a good start.
We then moved to the pacific oysters with a rice wine vinaigrette. They were good plump oysters with a sweet flavour. The vinaigrette was a little overpowering for the oyster's flavor, but it worked. This was paired with a Japanese sake. I'm not a huge sake fan, but everyone else said it was good. The sake was also paired with the next course which was kingfish hamachi with black bean paste and orange zest. The black bean paste added a good warmth and depth to the raw kingfish.
We then moved on to a course that I don't fully remember. It had an avocado soup with two types of fish and osetra caviar. It was very good, but every time the waiter said the type of fish, I couldn't understand. This was paired with probably my favorite wine of the night which was a light Riesling. I couldn't get a list of the wines, but all but one were Australian.
Next we moved to the signature course. The confited Tasmanian ocean trout. This was good, but a very large portion. Too big for my liking. It was covered with a seasoned seaweed and sitting on a bed of green apple and celery. It also had a quenelle of ocean trout roe. They paired this course with an Aussie Gewurztraminer.
The next course was pretty ho hum. It was a white fish with raw bean sprouts and an emulsion of fish stock and olive oil (fancy mayo). This was the first course that really lacked any seasoning. It could have benefited from a pinch of salt. Don't remember what wine this course was paired with.
We then moved into the meat courses. The first was definitely my favorite. It was a crispy pigs tail wrapped in iberico ham with a bit of Tasmanian rock lobster. I'm a salt fiend and this one was spot on with the porky goodness of the pigs tail and the salted cured ham and the sweetness of the lobster. Perfect. They served this one with the only non Australian wine. It was a Spanish red that was similar to a Cabernet Franc, but not. That was the description we got. Very informative.
The next two meat courses could have benefited from salt. The first was a quail breast served with something I can't remember. They chose an Aussie Sangiovese for this one. The description again was "like a Chianti, but not." The last meat course was a slow braised Angus grass fed beef braised for 40 hours. A person without teeth could have eaten this with no problems, but again needed a bit of salt. They served this one with a Hunter Valley Shiraz that was rather blase.
By this time we were a good four hours in and sitting on chairs that look like you could buy them at Ikea. Needless to say, not something you want to sit in for four hours. The brought out the first dessert course which was a blood orange and black pepper sorbet and summer pudding. I was a big fan of the sorbet. The summer pudding tasted like a run of the mill strawberry shortcake. These courses were paired with dessert wines that I have a hard time mustering down. Well that and it was already quarter to midnight. It got to the point where I had to ask the waiter if they could fire the last two courses a little quicker or else we wouldn't be out before 1am. The second dessert course was a white pear granita with white pears and a bit of either amaretto ice cream or almond biscotti. Not sure which, but it was a nice light refreshing course.
I wasn't sure what was coming last, but I was wishing they ended with the granita. That was until they brought it out. It was an amazingly smooth textured carrot cake with a cream cheese ice cream and salted peanuts sitting on a dollop of caramel. I could have had two or three of those, easily.
Overall the food was good, with a few misses for me. But with 12 courses that's going to happen. The restaurant space itself was pretty blah. It felt like we were sitting in a large conference room with a few random sculptures around. The furnishings didn't come across like a fine dining restaurant. The tables felt like bar tables and the chairs were horrible. My back was getting pretty sore by the middle of the meal. The service itself left a little bit to be desired as well. They were pretty good with our table but I saw numerous times where they'd bring courses out to a table when a few people weren't at their seats. They wouldn't bring everyone's dish out at the same time. They'd bring it in waves. It just seemed pretty loose for a fine dining establishment. The wines on the whole were nothing special. They were good matches with the food, but didn't seem like anything you couldn't find at your local bottle shop.
It was a good experience and I'm glad I can check it off my list, but the price vs value just wasn't there. But I did learn a valuable lesson. Next time I book a reservation at a restaurant serving a 10 course tasting menu, I'm certainly going to ask that they have it completed in 2 hours max. My meal at Alinea was under 4 hours (though just barely) but that was for 24 courses. And I'm going to stop in to test the chairs before booking.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
My Unending Quest for Comfort Food
Since I've gotten down here, I've been trying to find the foods from the states that label themselves as "American" food. I should wise up, but anytime there is a glimmer of hope. That balloon eventually gets popped.
You can probably see where this is going. I found a pizza place in my neighborhood that advertised a "Chicago Style Deep Dish." Not just that, but an italian sausage deep dish. I think my brain translated the description into the perfect Gino's East pizza. The pizza fully covered in a layer of sausage and slices of cheese topped by chunky tomato sauce. Well, that's not what was delivered. Sure it had a high crust, but the pizza toppings looked like a regular pizza. Imagine taking a regular pizza, not putting the toppings to the edge and just propping that extra crust up into a cup shape. Well, that's about what this looked like. Once I got past the appearance, I tried a slice. And boy was it waaayyyyyy off. The italian sausage was precooked links that were sliced. And there certainly was no fennel in the sausage. The cheese was grated and not nearly stringy enough and the sauce was basically chopped cherry tomatoes. I don't know who thinks that can pass for Chicago Style Deep Dish, but I'll certainly let everyone know if I find out.
I did have a hot dog at Harry's Cafe de Wheels last weekend. And it was as close to a hot dog as I've come, but it doesn't come close to a Ball Park or Herbrew National and certainly not a Vienna Beef. I would probably liken it to a good dirty water dog (at best).
And what worries me is that I've made it my mission to find something that closely resembles the US version of something. I have two items on my list to try. A pub across the street from me just opened up a restaurant. One of the items on the bar menu is chicken wings. Now they make no mention of buffalo wings, but (as usual) I've played it up in my mind as buffalo wings. Because who would really eat just chicken wings? There's also a restaurant opening a few blocks away called the Jazz City Diner. Normally, I probably wouldn't have even noticed (unless it starts getting good reviews), but it's billing itself as "New Orleans influenced modern American cuisine." Remember the restaurant name has Diner in it. This aught to be interesting. I haven't seen any sort of a menu, but I'm game to try it once (maybe twice), but if those two experiences are let downs, it's off. I'll just have to expand my search to the suburbs.
But there is an upside. I'm headed to Tetsuya's tonight which is probably the first fine dining restaurant in Sydney that put this city on the map. I have high hopes, I hope I'm not let down. Fingers crossed...
You can probably see where this is going. I found a pizza place in my neighborhood that advertised a "Chicago Style Deep Dish." Not just that, but an italian sausage deep dish. I think my brain translated the description into the perfect Gino's East pizza. The pizza fully covered in a layer of sausage and slices of cheese topped by chunky tomato sauce. Well, that's not what was delivered. Sure it had a high crust, but the pizza toppings looked like a regular pizza. Imagine taking a regular pizza, not putting the toppings to the edge and just propping that extra crust up into a cup shape. Well, that's about what this looked like. Once I got past the appearance, I tried a slice. And boy was it waaayyyyyy off. The italian sausage was precooked links that were sliced. And there certainly was no fennel in the sausage. The cheese was grated and not nearly stringy enough and the sauce was basically chopped cherry tomatoes. I don't know who thinks that can pass for Chicago Style Deep Dish, but I'll certainly let everyone know if I find out.
I did have a hot dog at Harry's Cafe de Wheels last weekend. And it was as close to a hot dog as I've come, but it doesn't come close to a Ball Park or Herbrew National and certainly not a Vienna Beef. I would probably liken it to a good dirty water dog (at best).
And what worries me is that I've made it my mission to find something that closely resembles the US version of something. I have two items on my list to try. A pub across the street from me just opened up a restaurant. One of the items on the bar menu is chicken wings. Now they make no mention of buffalo wings, but (as usual) I've played it up in my mind as buffalo wings. Because who would really eat just chicken wings? There's also a restaurant opening a few blocks away called the Jazz City Diner. Normally, I probably wouldn't have even noticed (unless it starts getting good reviews), but it's billing itself as "New Orleans influenced modern American cuisine." Remember the restaurant name has Diner in it. This aught to be interesting. I haven't seen any sort of a menu, but I'm game to try it once (maybe twice), but if those two experiences are let downs, it's off. I'll just have to expand my search to the suburbs.
But there is an upside. I'm headed to Tetsuya's tonight which is probably the first fine dining restaurant in Sydney that put this city on the map. I have high hopes, I hope I'm not let down. Fingers crossed...
Sunday, December 5, 2010
A Fortnight in Melbourne
Well, maybe not a fortnight but I did just book tickets for the quarterfinal matches of the Australian Open in Melbourne. I've never been to a professional tennis tournament before, but after seeing last years interviews with the fans on TV, I think the Aussie Open is a more of a party than anything else.
I had looked at tickets for the finals, but my jaw hit the floor when I saw the prices. I thought I was over sticker shock down here, but that one blew me away. Especially looking at going to the Men's and Women's finals. At least at the quarters, I'll get to see more players and matches at about 3/4 the cost. I just have to make sure to stock up on sun screen before heading down there.
I guess I'll have to start looking for an American flag to bring in case Andy Roddick makes it that far.
I had looked at tickets for the finals, but my jaw hit the floor when I saw the prices. I thought I was over sticker shock down here, but that one blew me away. Especially looking at going to the Men's and Women's finals. At least at the quarters, I'll get to see more players and matches at about 3/4 the cost. I just have to make sure to stock up on sun screen before heading down there.
I guess I'll have to start looking for an American flag to bring in case Andy Roddick makes it that far.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Better late than never
Thanksgiving came and went this year. It was a little strange and didn't really feel like a holiday. But, to keep the spirit alive I did cook up a turkey dinner with all the fixins yesterday for a few friends. I was able to secure a turkey a few weeks ago through the butcher from the farmer's market and had it delivered on Friday. It spent all day Saturday in the brine waiting to be cooked off.
It turned out that the turkey was the easy part of the meal. Walking through the grocery store last week I realized just how few "American" products that I'm used to relying on weren't available. The store didn't have any sort of french fried onions or cream of mushroom soup so there wasn't a green bean casserole. I was planning on oven frying some onions and making a type or green bean casserole but when push came to shove, that seemed like a bit too much work on Sunday morning. So instead I just blanched off some fresh beans and fried them up in a little chili oil.
Stuffing was the other difficulty. There wasn't any bagged stuffing to mix in so I had to pick up a loaf of bread early in the week and let it get stale through the week. Since the bagged stuffing usually has a far amount of seasoning in it, I added some fresh pork and fennel sausage to the mix for a bit more flavor. I cooked that off and it turned out quite well.
The gravy was pretty spot on as well. The and the potatoes were pretty standard. I couldn't find any sort of frozen hash brown so there weren't any cheesy potatoes. But I did make some corn bread from scratch which people seemed to like. All in all, it was a pretty good meal with plenty of left overs for the week. I'll just have to find a few creative ideas for them so it doesn't get old after a day or two.
I've also been trying a little experiment to see if I can go without a microwave. For the most part it's been going pretty well. Day to day I don't use one that much and it's not too much of a hassle to re-heat items on the stove or in the oven. But this morning was probably the first day where I would have like to have one. A little stuffing and gravy would have been a great way to start out the morning, but since I didn't plan on firing up the oven early enough I had to go without. Oh well, just more for dinner.
Hope everyone else had a great Thanksgiving.
It turned out that the turkey was the easy part of the meal. Walking through the grocery store last week I realized just how few "American" products that I'm used to relying on weren't available. The store didn't have any sort of french fried onions or cream of mushroom soup so there wasn't a green bean casserole. I was planning on oven frying some onions and making a type or green bean casserole but when push came to shove, that seemed like a bit too much work on Sunday morning. So instead I just blanched off some fresh beans and fried them up in a little chili oil.
Stuffing was the other difficulty. There wasn't any bagged stuffing to mix in so I had to pick up a loaf of bread early in the week and let it get stale through the week. Since the bagged stuffing usually has a far amount of seasoning in it, I added some fresh pork and fennel sausage to the mix for a bit more flavor. I cooked that off and it turned out quite well.
The gravy was pretty spot on as well. The and the potatoes were pretty standard. I couldn't find any sort of frozen hash brown so there weren't any cheesy potatoes. But I did make some corn bread from scratch which people seemed to like. All in all, it was a pretty good meal with plenty of left overs for the week. I'll just have to find a few creative ideas for them so it doesn't get old after a day or two.
I've also been trying a little experiment to see if I can go without a microwave. For the most part it's been going pretty well. Day to day I don't use one that much and it's not too much of a hassle to re-heat items on the stove or in the oven. But this morning was probably the first day where I would have like to have one. A little stuffing and gravy would have been a great way to start out the morning, but since I didn't plan on firing up the oven early enough I had to go without. Oh well, just more for dinner.
Hope everyone else had a great Thanksgiving.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Back in the game
I had a somewhat productive weekend. And by weekend, I really only mean Sunday. The most productive part of the weekend was finding out that the closest golf course is only a $10 cab ride away. Which means I might get to play more than once a year now. A few of us went to the range for a little bit to enjoy the nice weather. After not hitting a ball since last December, I was pretty impressed. I think I'm ready to hit the links for real.
That got me looking to see if there were any "amateur" golf tournaments around the Sydney area. I figure in a country with only 22 million people, that has to bump up my ability strictly based on numbers, right? I didn't find too much but I did find a Mid-Amateur tournament every November. Based on this years results I think I'd have a chance to be in the top half, maybe even third. I just need to do a few things:
1) Play enough to get a handicap (again)
2) Get the handicap down to below a 7.4 at some point by the end of summer when registration rolls around
The only other productive thing I figured out this weekend is that this summer, I'm NEVER going to leave my place without being fully covered in SPF30. This whole not having an ozone to protect you down here really makes that sun hot.
That got me looking to see if there were any "amateur" golf tournaments around the Sydney area. I figure in a country with only 22 million people, that has to bump up my ability strictly based on numbers, right? I didn't find too much but I did find a Mid-Amateur tournament every November. Based on this years results I think I'd have a chance to be in the top half, maybe even third. I just need to do a few things:
1) Play enough to get a handicap (again)
2) Get the handicap down to below a 7.4 at some point by the end of summer when registration rolls around
The only other productive thing I figured out this weekend is that this summer, I'm NEVER going to leave my place without being fully covered in SPF30. This whole not having an ozone to protect you down here really makes that sun hot.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
More daily updates to come
I've been on a bit of an app spending spree lately and, as a result, I'm hoping to be able to post more pictures from around town.
Let's see how this goes over the next few days.
Let's see how this goes over the next few days.
Monday, November 15, 2010
'Tis the Season to be Mary
Well, it's one week till Thanksgiving and we've started to push 90 degress. And I must say, it's pretty nice. Sure it's been strange seeing Christmas decorations up at the stores since mid September, but there's no holiday down here between the Queen's birthday in June till Christmas as an acceptable date to put up Christmas (sorry, holiday) decorations. It will however, take a bit of time to get used to walking to work and walking past the department store windows and hearing Christmas music blasted on the street at 8am. Hearing Dino sing about it being cold outside just doesn't seem to work here.
Still working on Thanksgiving plans down here, but I was able to get the butcher at the farmers market to order a turkey for me for the day. I have to have turkey, stuffing and gravy, but I'm trying to figure out some other lighter, summer options to go with the meal. After all, there's a decent chance it will be 90 out. At this point the only thing I've come up with are margaritas and I'm not sure how well those would go with gravy. We'll just have to see how this works out.
And while it doesn't quite feel like the holidays are approaching with the weather, traditions are traditions so I picked up a copy of Christmas Vacation. I probably won't be able to light my apartment up with 25,000 imported Italian twinkle lights, but I'll have to find something.
Let me know if anyone has any summer options to go with a Thanksgiving turkey.
Still working on Thanksgiving plans down here, but I was able to get the butcher at the farmers market to order a turkey for me for the day. I have to have turkey, stuffing and gravy, but I'm trying to figure out some other lighter, summer options to go with the meal. After all, there's a decent chance it will be 90 out. At this point the only thing I've come up with are margaritas and I'm not sure how well those would go with gravy. We'll just have to see how this works out.
And while it doesn't quite feel like the holidays are approaching with the weather, traditions are traditions so I picked up a copy of Christmas Vacation. I probably won't be able to light my apartment up with 25,000 imported Italian twinkle lights, but I'll have to find something.
Let me know if anyone has any summer options to go with a Thanksgiving turkey.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
First visitors just about done
It was too bad last week had to wrap up. It was a great week with family, if only the weather would have cooperated back in Sydney. The main highlights were definitely up in Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef. The landscape up there was so unexpected, that it made for a great, relaxing escape. It would probably be like going to Hawaii, but it will only take me two and a half hours (not to rub it in or anything). Getting to snorkel in one of the great natural wonders of the world one day and then get up close with Koalas and Kangaroos the next was pretty cool. Despite trying to take on a rock with a Hyundai, and losing, it was a great few days up there. The 85-90 degree weather didn't hurt either. Though, I will be going through quite a bit of sun block over the next 6 months.
We had less on the agenda back in Sydney. We pretty much just wandered Sydney and my neighborhood as well as some of the beach towns. We did drink our fair share of Australian wines along the way, which were very good. We even went down to the Opera house Sunday night to catch some of the ARIA awards which were being filmed outside on the steps. We heard some of the music, though not knowing any of the songs. We went down with the expectation of watching the fireworks around the Opera house. And as the time approached when they were supposed to start, we realized that they were in the opposite bay with a large hill blocking the view. It was a bit of a bummer, but at least the weather was perfect.
I have plenty of pictures from this past week and a half and will try to get a bunch more posted this week.
We had less on the agenda back in Sydney. We pretty much just wandered Sydney and my neighborhood as well as some of the beach towns. We did drink our fair share of Australian wines along the way, which were very good. We even went down to the Opera house Sunday night to catch some of the ARIA awards which were being filmed outside on the steps. We heard some of the music, though not knowing any of the songs. We went down with the expectation of watching the fireworks around the Opera house. And as the time approached when they were supposed to start, we realized that they were in the opposite bay with a large hill blocking the view. It was a bit of a bummer, but at least the weather was perfect.
I have plenty of pictures from this past week and a half and will try to get a bunch more posted this week.
Monday, November 1, 2010
This is Queensland
We've been up in Queensland now for three days and it has been pretty cool. I didn't really know what to expect, but the landscape up here is so completely different than what I expected. When you land, the airport is right on the coast and inland are mountains covered with trees. There are random mountains every which way you look as well. It's quite a site. I have taken a bunch of pictures but can't upload them from my iPad so I'll post the when I get back to Sydney.
We caught a 6am flight to gtg up here and just messed around the first day. Spent some time picking up groceries to BBQ for the first few nights and spent some time down at the beach. There are warning signs as you approach the beach to watch out for stingers and crocs. Luckily, we saw neither. The water was probably around 80 degrees and not quite as refreshing as you'd hope when it's 90 degrees outside. But I'm not one to complain.
We got up bright and early the second day to head up to Port Douglas to go snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. The drive was up a very scenic two lane highway and at times bordering a rock mountain. About 20 minutes away there's a big ole rock just off center in the road. I'm panicking as I approach it because if I swerve right I'm in incoming traffic and if I go left I could go off the road. This being My second time driving I panic and decide to play chicken with the rock. I'm going to split the uprights. Well, I missed. I didn't judge the right side of the car very well and crushed the rock. The tire took about 30 seconds to deflate and I pulled over. Where I ended up was probably the most inopportune spot. Right after a very curvy road where we were a sitting target. I immediately got out of the car and ran back to try to get people to slow down before slamming into the back of the car. Luckily we got the tire changed and were back on the road in about 20 minutes.
We were the last people to board the boat, but we'd made it. We journeyed about 90 minutes to the first spot, Turtle Bay. The hope was to see turtles but we weren't so lucky. We did how ever get to snorkel with a few white tip reef sharks which despite being docile still look like sharks, especially when they swim at you (or just close to you.). We also got to see a few Nemo, a massive school of parrot fish, a very large fish I don't know the name of and countless other types of fish and coral.
The second stop had some amazing coral "gardens.". And try were right on the edge of the Continental Shelf. So we were literally on the edge of Australia. We saw a few giant clams, sea cucumbers and many other fish I couldn't recognize. But the sites were amazing. I didn't get sea sick on the boat at all, but after every snorkel stop I'd feel a little queezy. I think it was more bobbing out in the middle of the ocean that got my stomach going. We hit one final stop and got a few pictures (again I'll post them when I'm back in Sydney) before venturing back to land. It sounds like we were just under 30 miles off the coast, just bobbing along with our heads down. While we never saw anything dangerous, it was tough not to think of Jaws as you got to the edge of a reef and saw just blue water fade to nothing. I had an 18 inch parrot fish swim pretty aggressively at me (maybe more near me) but that got me to do a knee jerk reaction so I'm glad we didn't see any sharks.
I was sure cautious driving back and as we got close to the apartment we rented, I saw a stick on the side of the road. Not wanting to risk it, I swerved to the right. As I did that, the stick moved. Turned out to be crocodile probably between 3 and 4 feet long.
Today, we went into Cairns and messed around and swapped cars. Not much was happening so we drove up to Kerunda for a walk though the forrest. The neatest part was the drive up the winding mountain, but we did it. Everyones resting now before heading out for dinner and to spend some quality time with a few nocturnal inhabitants. We're hoping to het a few pictures with kangaroos tonight, so hopefully I'll have some to post tomorrow.
I did post a few pictures to Flickr which you can get to from the photo stream up top, but I'll try to get more tomorrow after walking through the rainforrest.
We caught a 6am flight to gtg up here and just messed around the first day. Spent some time picking up groceries to BBQ for the first few nights and spent some time down at the beach. There are warning signs as you approach the beach to watch out for stingers and crocs. Luckily, we saw neither. The water was probably around 80 degrees and not quite as refreshing as you'd hope when it's 90 degrees outside. But I'm not one to complain.
We got up bright and early the second day to head up to Port Douglas to go snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. The drive was up a very scenic two lane highway and at times bordering a rock mountain. About 20 minutes away there's a big ole rock just off center in the road. I'm panicking as I approach it because if I swerve right I'm in incoming traffic and if I go left I could go off the road. This being My second time driving I panic and decide to play chicken with the rock. I'm going to split the uprights. Well, I missed. I didn't judge the right side of the car very well and crushed the rock. The tire took about 30 seconds to deflate and I pulled over. Where I ended up was probably the most inopportune spot. Right after a very curvy road where we were a sitting target. I immediately got out of the car and ran back to try to get people to slow down before slamming into the back of the car. Luckily we got the tire changed and were back on the road in about 20 minutes.
We were the last people to board the boat, but we'd made it. We journeyed about 90 minutes to the first spot, Turtle Bay. The hope was to see turtles but we weren't so lucky. We did how ever get to snorkel with a few white tip reef sharks which despite being docile still look like sharks, especially when they swim at you (or just close to you.). We also got to see a few Nemo, a massive school of parrot fish, a very large fish I don't know the name of and countless other types of fish and coral.
The second stop had some amazing coral "gardens.". And try were right on the edge of the Continental Shelf. So we were literally on the edge of Australia. We saw a few giant clams, sea cucumbers and many other fish I couldn't recognize. But the sites were amazing. I didn't get sea sick on the boat at all, but after every snorkel stop I'd feel a little queezy. I think it was more bobbing out in the middle of the ocean that got my stomach going. We hit one final stop and got a few pictures (again I'll post them when I'm back in Sydney) before venturing back to land. It sounds like we were just under 30 miles off the coast, just bobbing along with our heads down. While we never saw anything dangerous, it was tough not to think of Jaws as you got to the edge of a reef and saw just blue water fade to nothing. I had an 18 inch parrot fish swim pretty aggressively at me (maybe more near me) but that got me to do a knee jerk reaction so I'm glad we didn't see any sharks.
I was sure cautious driving back and as we got close to the apartment we rented, I saw a stick on the side of the road. Not wanting to risk it, I swerved to the right. As I did that, the stick moved. Turned out to be crocodile probably between 3 and 4 feet long.
Today, we went into Cairns and messed around and swapped cars. Not much was happening so we drove up to Kerunda for a walk though the forrest. The neatest part was the drive up the winding mountain, but we did it. Everyones resting now before heading out for dinner and to spend some quality time with a few nocturnal inhabitants. We're hoping to het a few pictures with kangaroos tonight, so hopefully I'll have some to post tomorrow.
I did post a few pictures to Flickr which you can get to from the photo stream up top, but I'll try to get more tomorrow after walking through the rainforrest.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
You know what they say...
...About the only two things to count on in life, death and TAXES
I spent this morning trying to prepare my first set of Australian taxes for the 6 weeks I was getting paid locally. Let me tell you, that did not go well.
I should preface this by saying I do my US taxes by using Turbo Tax. And I make sure I get the discount coupon from Costco before buying it. I love it, it's simple. Plug your numbers and go.
Not so much down here. There no central place to get the information you need. I had to search for the equivalent of my W-2 and couldn't figure out if I was paid interest on any bank accounts down here during those six weeks. Then I didn't know what to qualify as income. And then it got to the section on Foreign Investments. Now, I was under the assumption that any income I made in the US during my time down here would be taxed by good 'ole Uncle Sam and not good 'ole Uncle Macquarie (I don't know who he was, but his name is on everything down here so I assume he was pretty important). But, I guess I was wrong. Apparently, all my rental income from the states is going to be taxed down here without all the "benefits" of having a mortgage, and there's a pretty good chance I'm going to get dinged by Uncle Same come April 2011. Damn you double taxation.
By the way, did I mention that they're due on Sunday? That's right, the 31st of October, Halloween (which people don't openly celebrate down here - along with Cinco de Mayo, but I won't go there). So, I was in a bit of a panic because I quickly learned what I thought would be a simple process is turning into a lengthy ordeal. Of which I don't have time. Seeing as though there will probably be drinks after work tonight and then I have my first set of visitors landing tomorrow AM and heading up to the Great Barrier Reef on Saturday.
I searched everywhere for information on how to file an extension and came across a phone number. After being transferred a few times I came across a nice person who let me plea my case and then nicely asked when I "thought" I could have them done by. That's right, I got to pick my own date. So I've gone from Halloween to the 23rd of December.
And again, not to switch topics, stores have had Christmas decorations up for three weeks now. Since the beginning of SEPTEMBER. Now I get they don't have Thanksgiving to use as a buffer and don't really celebrate Halloween, but a Christmas as a season for 4 months is a little ridiculous.
But back to taxes. So yeah, bottom line, there's no Turbo Tax for the Australian markets that takes into account foreign income. Looks like I'll be looking for an accountant in the next two weeks.
I spent this morning trying to prepare my first set of Australian taxes for the 6 weeks I was getting paid locally. Let me tell you, that did not go well.
I should preface this by saying I do my US taxes by using Turbo Tax. And I make sure I get the discount coupon from Costco before buying it. I love it, it's simple. Plug your numbers and go.
Not so much down here. There no central place to get the information you need. I had to search for the equivalent of my W-2 and couldn't figure out if I was paid interest on any bank accounts down here during those six weeks. Then I didn't know what to qualify as income. And then it got to the section on Foreign Investments. Now, I was under the assumption that any income I made in the US during my time down here would be taxed by good 'ole Uncle Sam and not good 'ole Uncle Macquarie (I don't know who he was, but his name is on everything down here so I assume he was pretty important). But, I guess I was wrong. Apparently, all my rental income from the states is going to be taxed down here without all the "benefits" of having a mortgage, and there's a pretty good chance I'm going to get dinged by Uncle Same come April 2011. Damn you double taxation.
By the way, did I mention that they're due on Sunday? That's right, the 31st of October, Halloween (which people don't openly celebrate down here - along with Cinco de Mayo, but I won't go there). So, I was in a bit of a panic because I quickly learned what I thought would be a simple process is turning into a lengthy ordeal. Of which I don't have time. Seeing as though there will probably be drinks after work tonight and then I have my first set of visitors landing tomorrow AM and heading up to the Great Barrier Reef on Saturday.
I searched everywhere for information on how to file an extension and came across a phone number. After being transferred a few times I came across a nice person who let me plea my case and then nicely asked when I "thought" I could have them done by. That's right, I got to pick my own date. So I've gone from Halloween to the 23rd of December.
And again, not to switch topics, stores have had Christmas decorations up for three weeks now. Since the beginning of SEPTEMBER. Now I get they don't have Thanksgiving to use as a buffer and don't really celebrate Halloween, but a Christmas as a season for 4 months is a little ridiculous.
But back to taxes. So yeah, bottom line, there's no Turbo Tax for the Australian markets that takes into account foreign income. Looks like I'll be looking for an accountant in the next two weeks.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
The Fear of Public Transportation
I didn't get that first surfing lesson in this weekend because it rained all weekend. It was looking like Saturday was going to be a good day with rain coming later, so I decided instead to head up to Ikea for some meatballs. Sure, I had to pick up a few other things, but stopping off for the meatballs was a good way to start the day (or nurse the hangover). But I'm getting a head of myself.
The train system in Sydney is efficient, but you have to know really well where you're going and on what lines you want. Figuring out which trains run off which platforms and which train on that platform (there can be more than one) you want can be a little confusing. So I got on the train that I thought was the correct train with my directions. It was the right train, however I had what turned out to be the wrong stop in my directions. I was careful about watching the stops so I didn't miss it and sure enough got off and immediately had a sense of "where the hell am I, this isn't familiar." I thought about getting back on the train, but thought I might be going the wrong way so I held off. After a bit of walking I figured out I got off the train a few stops early. I decided to walk since it was only 20 minutes away (though not sure about the roads) when all of a sudden the sky opened up. Lightening crashing every couple minutes and just pouring. And of course, I didn't have an umbrella because it was sunny and not a cloud in the sky when I left. I made it back to the train station, semi dry, and sat for the next train.
I was hoping Sunday would be a little better, but it was raining when I got up and continued most of the day. I had a few things to take care of and made a quick trip to Chinatown for lunch, but other than that laid pretty low.
I got the house booked for my trip up to the Great Barrier Reef next weekend. Found what looks like a good snorkeling outfit for a day. Have a few other ideas, but will see what everyone feels like once we get there.
The train system in Sydney is efficient, but you have to know really well where you're going and on what lines you want. Figuring out which trains run off which platforms and which train on that platform (there can be more than one) you want can be a little confusing. So I got on the train that I thought was the correct train with my directions. It was the right train, however I had what turned out to be the wrong stop in my directions. I was careful about watching the stops so I didn't miss it and sure enough got off and immediately had a sense of "where the hell am I, this isn't familiar." I thought about getting back on the train, but thought I might be going the wrong way so I held off. After a bit of walking I figured out I got off the train a few stops early. I decided to walk since it was only 20 minutes away (though not sure about the roads) when all of a sudden the sky opened up. Lightening crashing every couple minutes and just pouring. And of course, I didn't have an umbrella because it was sunny and not a cloud in the sky when I left. I made it back to the train station, semi dry, and sat for the next train.
I was hoping Sunday would be a little better, but it was raining when I got up and continued most of the day. I had a few things to take care of and made a quick trip to Chinatown for lunch, but other than that laid pretty low.
I got the house booked for my trip up to the Great Barrier Reef next weekend. Found what looks like a good snorkeling outfit for a day. Have a few other ideas, but will see what everyone feels like once we get there.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Status Quo
I haven't really had much going on lately, so I've been a little absent from posting. I keep telling myself that I'll take the camera out in my neighborhood and grab some pictures, but I keep forgetting or find something else to do. Now that the weather's shaping up, maybe I'll actually carry through.
I do have my first set of visitors coming through in a few weeks. It will be good to see some familiar faces, but also give me a reason to venture to other parts of Australia. Not all details are set, but we'll be going up to Cairns which is the main hub for getting out to the Great Barrier Reef for a few days. Being the main point for the GBR, I think it's pretty touristy but I'm hoping to find a few things away from some of the families. We'll definitely take a day and head out to the outer reefs to do some snorkeling. I'm hoping that box jellyfish season hasn't started because I really don't want to have to deal with those. That doesn't sound like a fun way of spending some vacation time. But there is some gear you can wear to protect yourself.
There's a pretty diverse climate up near Cairns. I guess just an hour drive away, there is a true rain forest. I have no idea what all is in there, creature wise, but I have heard the crocs are quite plentiful. The scenery along the coastal drive is supposed to rival California's Highway 1. Spend some time at the beach and eating and drinking along the coast.
The weather is starting to warm up here and consistently stay warm. Granted, there were massive wind storms on Saturday that uprooted a few large trees near my place and kept the temperature in the 50s. But we're looking like mid to upper 70s for the upcoming weekend. If that does in fact hold true, I'm thinking about taking my first or I'm sure many surfing lessons. I hoping this is one of those things where I'll surprise myself how not horrible I'm expecting to be. Should be entertaining either way.
I do have my first set of visitors coming through in a few weeks. It will be good to see some familiar faces, but also give me a reason to venture to other parts of Australia. Not all details are set, but we'll be going up to Cairns which is the main hub for getting out to the Great Barrier Reef for a few days. Being the main point for the GBR, I think it's pretty touristy but I'm hoping to find a few things away from some of the families. We'll definitely take a day and head out to the outer reefs to do some snorkeling. I'm hoping that box jellyfish season hasn't started because I really don't want to have to deal with those. That doesn't sound like a fun way of spending some vacation time. But there is some gear you can wear to protect yourself.
There's a pretty diverse climate up near Cairns. I guess just an hour drive away, there is a true rain forest. I have no idea what all is in there, creature wise, but I have heard the crocs are quite plentiful. The scenery along the coastal drive is supposed to rival California's Highway 1. Spend some time at the beach and eating and drinking along the coast.
The weather is starting to warm up here and consistently stay warm. Granted, there were massive wind storms on Saturday that uprooted a few large trees near my place and kept the temperature in the 50s. But we're looking like mid to upper 70s for the upcoming weekend. If that does in fact hold true, I'm thinking about taking my first or I'm sure many surfing lessons. I hoping this is one of those things where I'll surprise myself how not horrible I'm expecting to be. Should be entertaining either way.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Sydmeladperbrisho, Yep, you read that right
Now that I've been in Sydney for 6 months, I figured it was about time to read Bill Bryson's "In A Sunburned Country." A lot of people told me to read this when they found out I was moving and I must say, this book is pretty spot on. I hadn't read any of his books before, but everyone said it was a funny read. While I have found it funny, I'm more finding comfort in the fact that other people see the oddities that occur in every day life down here, that are "normal" and it's not just me.
It goes through all sorts of life from trying (or admitting defeat in trying) to explain how the Aussie government works, to all the poisonous creatures the size of your pinky that can kill you in minutes, to the comedic history of this vast continent. Despite becoming one commonwealth just a little over a hundred years ago (1901), they didn't seem to learn much from the rest of the developed world. One of my favorite parts of the book was the 11 year battle between people to come up with the name of the Capital city, Canberra. They tried to mimic DC in giving the capital it's own city, but choose a location 40 miles off the main highway connecting Sydney and Melbourne. And if you've looked at a map, that's in the middle of nowhere. Anyways, here is a list of names that were seriously considered for the name of the capital city, Myola, Wheatwoolgold, Emu, Eucalypta, Opossum, Gladstone, Thirstyville, Kookaburra, Cromwell and Victoria Defendera Defender (seriously). But my favorite because of the sheer creativity involved has to be Sydmeladperbisho. Some genius thought it would be a good idea to take the first syllables from every territory's capital city and combine them.
If anyone is planning on visiting or wants a more eloquent depiction of Australia than what you're getting on this blog, definitely give it a read.
I will leave you with my favorite question I've received so far about life here versus the US. And I quote, "Do they have banana bread in America?" I kid you not, that was an actual question someone asked me.
It goes through all sorts of life from trying (or admitting defeat in trying) to explain how the Aussie government works, to all the poisonous creatures the size of your pinky that can kill you in minutes, to the comedic history of this vast continent. Despite becoming one commonwealth just a little over a hundred years ago (1901), they didn't seem to learn much from the rest of the developed world. One of my favorite parts of the book was the 11 year battle between people to come up with the name of the Capital city, Canberra. They tried to mimic DC in giving the capital it's own city, but choose a location 40 miles off the main highway connecting Sydney and Melbourne. And if you've looked at a map, that's in the middle of nowhere. Anyways, here is a list of names that were seriously considered for the name of the capital city, Myola, Wheatwoolgold, Emu, Eucalypta, Opossum, Gladstone, Thirstyville, Kookaburra, Cromwell and Victoria Defendera Defender (seriously). But my favorite because of the sheer creativity involved has to be Sydmeladperbisho. Some genius thought it would be a good idea to take the first syllables from every territory's capital city and combine them.
If anyone is planning on visiting or wants a more eloquent depiction of Australia than what you're getting on this blog, definitely give it a read.
I will leave you with my favorite question I've received so far about life here versus the US. And I quote, "Do they have banana bread in America?" I kid you not, that was an actual question someone asked me.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Customer service at it's finest (?)
I know I've talked a few times about the lack of customer service here, but I figured I'd give everyone another example. After the run on Sunday, I hobbled up to Oxford street to look for a few suits. I found a store that had one that seemed reasonable. Found the right jacket size, but couldn't find the right size pants. So I asked the sales person if she had any other sizes anywhere. She said there should be one. I tried on another size and when I came back, I saw her holding the right size but then gave it to someone else. I asked her if she found them and she said yes, but that she had in fact given them to someone else. I was so confused at that point, I didn't know what to say. She told me I could go online to buy them if I wanted. I guess that's what I get for expecting the matching suit pants to be next to the coat and not on another rack. I was so blown away by that experience that I put everything else I was going to buy on the counter and walked away.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Walking with a little hitch in my giddyup
I was pretty happy I only had to contend with 8 steps on my way to work this morning. Two to get on the bus, two off the bus (yes, I took the bus this morning) and four to walk up to the escalator. It took most of yesterday afternoon to recover from the half marathon, but all things considered, I'm feeling pretty good today.
The run certainly wasn't the most put together race I've ever done. The start didn't have a clock for me to see when I crossed the start line and there were no clocks around the course to help clue me in. I have an app on my phone that tracks time and distance using GPS, but I'm not fully confident in the distance part. I'd say about two thirds of the way in, I start to feel a few blisters forming on the arches of both my feet. Not was I wanted at that point. But I popped a few Clif Blocks and kept on going. I did walk a little bit longer at the water stops and tried to check my phone to see where I was at, but I think that was more of an excuse to walk a little bit. But, after crossing the line in 2 hours 3 minutes and 42 seconds, I'm wishing I didn't walk that extra bit. I was really hoping for a sub 2 hour finish, but I guess I'll have to wait for next time. I think it also would have helped to know the course better. The loop where I thought we finished was actually right off the bat. That really confused me, having no clue how far I'd been running. Here's a map of the run from my phone. According to the GPS I had on me, with all the weaving in and out of people, I ran 13.96 miles. Which, at that time, I'd be perfectly happy with.
The run started at the top by Kirribilli and came down towards the city. I wish I had paid more attention to the scenery running across the Harbour Bridge, but since this was the first long run I've done without any sort of pacing tool, I was trying to get a sense of my speed than anything else. The course then went through the Botanical Gardens and then to the highway. This was when I started noticing the blisters as we went up and down on and off ramps to Pyrmont. I thought at this point I was slightly ahead of where I needed to be, but I could actually feel the individual blisters forming and squishing. But I powered on as best I could. As I came down to the last kilometer, I was feeling pretty spent. There was a lady who forced me to run. I didn't catch her name or number, but I definitely want to thank her. She kept me going for that last stretch, onto the cobble stones of Circular Quay and around the corner to finish at the Sydney Opera House.
As cool as it is to finish the Chicago Marathon near Buckingham Fountain, this was probably a little bit cooler finishing right on the steps of the opera house on the harbour. It was some confusion at the finish line. Nothing was really setup well to keep people moving. Everyone picked up a bottle of water and then spewed out into the gardens. No food and certainly no beer. I had to wait till I walked the 3 miles back to my apartment for that. You might be asking why I had to walk another 3 miles. Well, apparently all buses were off that day since most of the downtown streets were cut off or affected in some way. And since there aren't any train routes that get close to my place, I had to hoof it. But I did walk along the marathon course and help cheer those people on. While I'm glad I did the half this year, I'll definitely be doing the full marathon next year, with a proper training schedule. After I plunked down on my couch I decided to add up all my training from when I arrived in Sydney back in April to come up with a total. And with pretty good record taking (mandated by the gym), I ran 13.5 miles at the gym since July, 8.75 in August for the City2Surf and roughly 2 when I first got down here in May. So for running only 24.25 miles, I feel pretty good about my time. With a proper running regiment, I think I can probably knock a good 10 minutes off that time. We'll just have to wait and see.
The run certainly wasn't the most put together race I've ever done. The start didn't have a clock for me to see when I crossed the start line and there were no clocks around the course to help clue me in. I have an app on my phone that tracks time and distance using GPS, but I'm not fully confident in the distance part. I'd say about two thirds of the way in, I start to feel a few blisters forming on the arches of both my feet. Not was I wanted at that point. But I popped a few Clif Blocks and kept on going. I did walk a little bit longer at the water stops and tried to check my phone to see where I was at, but I think that was more of an excuse to walk a little bit. But, after crossing the line in 2 hours 3 minutes and 42 seconds, I'm wishing I didn't walk that extra bit. I was really hoping for a sub 2 hour finish, but I guess I'll have to wait for next time. I think it also would have helped to know the course better. The loop where I thought we finished was actually right off the bat. That really confused me, having no clue how far I'd been running. Here's a map of the run from my phone. According to the GPS I had on me, with all the weaving in and out of people, I ran 13.96 miles. Which, at that time, I'd be perfectly happy with.
The run started at the top by Kirribilli and came down towards the city. I wish I had paid more attention to the scenery running across the Harbour Bridge, but since this was the first long run I've done without any sort of pacing tool, I was trying to get a sense of my speed than anything else. The course then went through the Botanical Gardens and then to the highway. This was when I started noticing the blisters as we went up and down on and off ramps to Pyrmont. I thought at this point I was slightly ahead of where I needed to be, but I could actually feel the individual blisters forming and squishing. But I powered on as best I could. As I came down to the last kilometer, I was feeling pretty spent. There was a lady who forced me to run. I didn't catch her name or number, but I definitely want to thank her. She kept me going for that last stretch, onto the cobble stones of Circular Quay and around the corner to finish at the Sydney Opera House.
As cool as it is to finish the Chicago Marathon near Buckingham Fountain, this was probably a little bit cooler finishing right on the steps of the opera house on the harbour. It was some confusion at the finish line. Nothing was really setup well to keep people moving. Everyone picked up a bottle of water and then spewed out into the gardens. No food and certainly no beer. I had to wait till I walked the 3 miles back to my apartment for that. You might be asking why I had to walk another 3 miles. Well, apparently all buses were off that day since most of the downtown streets were cut off or affected in some way. And since there aren't any train routes that get close to my place, I had to hoof it. But I did walk along the marathon course and help cheer those people on. While I'm glad I did the half this year, I'll definitely be doing the full marathon next year, with a proper training schedule. After I plunked down on my couch I decided to add up all my training from when I arrived in Sydney back in April to come up with a total. And with pretty good record taking (mandated by the gym), I ran 13.5 miles at the gym since July, 8.75 in August for the City2Surf and roughly 2 when I first got down here in May. So for running only 24.25 miles, I feel pretty good about my time. With a proper running regiment, I think I can probably knock a good 10 minutes off that time. We'll just have to wait and see.
Monday, September 13, 2010
5 Days and Counting
I'm coming down the home stretch for the half marathon on Sunday. I've been staying true to my training goal of running as minimally as possible to see how the run goes. It kind of feels like the first half marathon I did and the first marathon, for that fact. But, all things considered, I'm feeling pretty good for the run. I was planning on doing a nice easy week. Eating right, staying away from the booze and trying to do everything as easy as possible before Sunday.
But, I knew that was going to be just a dream. This is Australia, after all. This past weekend hit me pretty hard. I went to my first Rugby match and it was a game between the Australian national team (Wallabies) and the New Zealand national team (the All Blacks). The game was out at the 2000 Olympic Stadium which was pretty cool. Granted it was dark and we had already had a few, I wasn't able to see much. But it's a quick 20 minute train ride to the stadium so I might have to head out and look around.
But on to the good part. At the stadium, the concessions seem a little more lax than the states. You can order 4 beers at a time, instead of the two you get at stadiums back home. So, as soon as we got there we all separated. And when we made it to the seats each of us had picked up the max. For the five of us that went, we had more beers than room on the ground below us to store them.
For my first game, it was a good one. The Wallabies had the lead for the first 75 minutes, only to lose the game in the last 5. Pretty tough way to lose, but it was a good game. One of the best parts was that there were no TV time outs. The game that should take 100 minutes with halftime, took 100 minutes. After watching a few live sporting events down here, I think I'd be OK seeing sponsors on teams jersey's if it meant fewer TV timeouts.
So that put me out of rhythm for the week leading up to the run, and it's just getting worse. We're meeting with a few vendors this week which is going to take away a few of the nights I was planning to go to the gym to get geared up. But that doesn't look like it's going to happen. So, I guess my carb loading will consist of barley and hops.
Such is life. If this is anything like 2006 you'll probably be able to find me sitting on my couch with a beer on Saturday night trying to get some sleep before the 6:20am start time (here's hoping I make it)...
But, I knew that was going to be just a dream. This is Australia, after all. This past weekend hit me pretty hard. I went to my first Rugby match and it was a game between the Australian national team (Wallabies) and the New Zealand national team (the All Blacks). The game was out at the 2000 Olympic Stadium which was pretty cool. Granted it was dark and we had already had a few, I wasn't able to see much. But it's a quick 20 minute train ride to the stadium so I might have to head out and look around.
But on to the good part. At the stadium, the concessions seem a little more lax than the states. You can order 4 beers at a time, instead of the two you get at stadiums back home. So, as soon as we got there we all separated. And when we made it to the seats each of us had picked up the max. For the five of us that went, we had more beers than room on the ground below us to store them.
For my first game, it was a good one. The Wallabies had the lead for the first 75 minutes, only to lose the game in the last 5. Pretty tough way to lose, but it was a good game. One of the best parts was that there were no TV time outs. The game that should take 100 minutes with halftime, took 100 minutes. After watching a few live sporting events down here, I think I'd be OK seeing sponsors on teams jersey's if it meant fewer TV timeouts.
So that put me out of rhythm for the week leading up to the run, and it's just getting worse. We're meeting with a few vendors this week which is going to take away a few of the nights I was planning to go to the gym to get geared up. But that doesn't look like it's going to happen. So, I guess my carb loading will consist of barley and hops.
Such is life. If this is anything like 2006 you'll probably be able to find me sitting on my couch with a beer on Saturday night trying to get some sleep before the 6:20am start time (here's hoping I make it)...
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
A Day in the Life
I wish I had more exciting things to share, but seeing as though it was a regular two day weekend here, it was pretty low key. But it seems people check after a long weekend so I'll try to at least give those few people an update of things to come.
This was another low key weekend, but that's going to change this weekend. I've been to two Aussie Football League (AFL) games and just starting to get the hang of the rules. This weekend we're going to my first rugby match. I don't really know what it is, but there's a Tri Nations on going battle and on saturday we're going to see the Australian national team (Wallabies) take on the All Blacks (New Zealand's national team). From watching rugby on TV I'm guessing it's going to be a long, but fun night.
On another bright spot we spent all week trying to get good tickets to the U2 concert in December with Jay Z opening. There was originally one show and we had a heck of a time with tickets. We couldn't get what we wanted, then tried for the next best thing but we weren't satisfied so we passed and tried for more but they got progressively worse. I scratched the idea and decided to scalp some on the floor for way more than they were worth. But then, luck happened and they announced a second show. Tickets went on sale today and the guys in the office was able to two tickets in the front row while i came up empty handed. I gave up and 5 minutes later tried once more and low and behold, I got one too. Face value. So we have tickets in the VIP section of the stage. Can get there right before the show and go right to the stage, please pass Go and collect $200 on your way sir.
The weather is clearing up too. We've had a few 70 plus days and even had the outlook appointment pop up to book surf camp. The water is stil a little cold but it's looking like the first of October I'll be learning to surf. The half marathon is also coming up in a week and a half. Still haven't been running that much, but my "schedule" says it's the cool down phase so I'll just continue at the gym. I'm trying to find a way to post during the race (if things are going well of course), so I'll let everyone know if i can.
Hope everyone had a nice relaxing three day weekend and enjoyed the end of summer because its my time now.
This was another low key weekend, but that's going to change this weekend. I've been to two Aussie Football League (AFL) games and just starting to get the hang of the rules. This weekend we're going to my first rugby match. I don't really know what it is, but there's a Tri Nations on going battle and on saturday we're going to see the Australian national team (Wallabies) take on the All Blacks (New Zealand's national team). From watching rugby on TV I'm guessing it's going to be a long, but fun night.
On another bright spot we spent all week trying to get good tickets to the U2 concert in December with Jay Z opening. There was originally one show and we had a heck of a time with tickets. We couldn't get what we wanted, then tried for the next best thing but we weren't satisfied so we passed and tried for more but they got progressively worse. I scratched the idea and decided to scalp some on the floor for way more than they were worth. But then, luck happened and they announced a second show. Tickets went on sale today and the guys in the office was able to two tickets in the front row while i came up empty handed. I gave up and 5 minutes later tried once more and low and behold, I got one too. Face value. So we have tickets in the VIP section of the stage. Can get there right before the show and go right to the stage, please pass Go and collect $200 on your way sir.
The weather is clearing up too. We've had a few 70 plus days and even had the outlook appointment pop up to book surf camp. The water is stil a little cold but it's looking like the first of October I'll be learning to surf. The half marathon is also coming up in a week and a half. Still haven't been running that much, but my "schedule" says it's the cool down phase so I'll just continue at the gym. I'm trying to find a way to post during the race (if things are going well of course), so I'll let everyone know if i can.
Hope everyone had a nice relaxing three day weekend and enjoyed the end of summer because its my time now.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
The sea was angry that day, my friends...
Last night, we went out for a co-worker's birthday and had a few drinks and some dinner. We stopped by Rockpool Bar & Grill for burgers and wine. They have probably one of the most extensive wine lists in the city and most of them are priced out of a normal persons budget. So we decided to try a Cotes du Rhone since those usually are pretty reliable wines and easily drinkable. The burger was good as expected (though still sweeter than any burger in the states). But that was off set by the salty (but still somehow sweet) tempura textured onion rings.
When the waiter brought the wine over, I knew there was going to be a problem. He uncorked the bottle and gave it a quick whiff and the look on his face was priceless. He was definitely not expecting that smell. So he brought it over to the sommelier who apparently said it was good. He poured a little to taste in the glass and everyone got the same displeasing aroma, sewage. It was horrible. So we told him we thought there was something wrong with the bottle but he assured us it was fine. The sommelier came over and told us that this is a typical aroma for Cotes du Rhone. None of us were drinking the Kool Aid. And, for the first time every, I sent something back at a restaurant. But thankfully, it was less eventful that an old man, trying to send back soup in a deli.
But I think the wine gods are laughing at me now. Because on the way to the office this morning, as I got closer to the building I could smell a rather foul odor. Same smell, only everywhere. I tried to avoid going outside today because of the smell, but had to go to Camperdown to pick up the two cases of wine I one in last weeks wine auction.
Hope everyone has a fun and relaxing Labor Day back in the states. And make sure to think of me as I'm sitting at the office on Monday.
When the waiter brought the wine over, I knew there was going to be a problem. He uncorked the bottle and gave it a quick whiff and the look on his face was priceless. He was definitely not expecting that smell. So he brought it over to the sommelier who apparently said it was good. He poured a little to taste in the glass and everyone got the same displeasing aroma, sewage. It was horrible. So we told him we thought there was something wrong with the bottle but he assured us it was fine. The sommelier came over and told us that this is a typical aroma for Cotes du Rhone. None of us were drinking the Kool Aid. And, for the first time every, I sent something back at a restaurant. But thankfully, it was less eventful that an old man, trying to send back soup in a deli.
But I think the wine gods are laughing at me now. Because on the way to the office this morning, as I got closer to the building I could smell a rather foul odor. Same smell, only everywhere. I tried to avoid going outside today because of the smell, but had to go to Camperdown to pick up the two cases of wine I one in last weeks wine auction.
Hope everyone has a fun and relaxing Labor Day back in the states. And make sure to think of me as I'm sitting at the office on Monday.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
The Costco Gods have Smiled upon me
I went out to eat last night with a few friends to a dodgy little spot called the Nippon Club. These places are apparently pretty typical around Sydney. It's a members type of bar with restaurant, but open to anyone. You sign in when you get there and they give you a little name tag of sorts. Picture a Knights of Columbus, but only slightly more kept up, but still dated.
The Nippon Club, as you might guess, has a sushi restaurant as well as a bar. The place itself feels like it's right out of the 1950s. The cozy bar area has one TV and two speakers playing a random assortment of music (the Austin Powers theme song was on when we were leaving). They have the obligatory slot machines that you'll find in most bars around the city as well. In back was the restaurant with what looked to be a small karaoke setup and piano. Thankfully, the night didn't go that route. The sushi was good and fresh and reasonably priced. They also had Sapporo on tap, which was a nice touch.
But the sushi wasn't the best part of the night. One of the other people there is an American expat and he told me that Costco has plans to open a store in Sydney. When I got home, after a few too many beers for a Tuesday, I looked it up and sure enough, Costco is currently building a 150,000 square foot warehouse with plans to open sometime in (hopefully) early 2011 about 30 minutes from me. I'm hoping that the store opens on a weekend so I can camp out and be the first person in the store. This also means that I'll need to take a few more test drives in a car over the next couple of months to make that drive a little easier than the one to Ikea. Which, by the way, ended up costing me an additional $85 in tolls and late fees which I didn't realize I had accumulated during that short trip seeing as though there were no visible sensors that I drove through. Oh well.
That's it. Just thought I'd share my big news for the week.
The Nippon Club, as you might guess, has a sushi restaurant as well as a bar. The place itself feels like it's right out of the 1950s. The cozy bar area has one TV and two speakers playing a random assortment of music (the Austin Powers theme song was on when we were leaving). They have the obligatory slot machines that you'll find in most bars around the city as well. In back was the restaurant with what looked to be a small karaoke setup and piano. Thankfully, the night didn't go that route. The sushi was good and fresh and reasonably priced. They also had Sapporo on tap, which was a nice touch.
But the sushi wasn't the best part of the night. One of the other people there is an American expat and he told me that Costco has plans to open a store in Sydney. When I got home, after a few too many beers for a Tuesday, I looked it up and sure enough, Costco is currently building a 150,000 square foot warehouse with plans to open sometime in (hopefully) early 2011 about 30 minutes from me. I'm hoping that the store opens on a weekend so I can camp out and be the first person in the store. This also means that I'll need to take a few more test drives in a car over the next couple of months to make that drive a little easier than the one to Ikea. Which, by the way, ended up costing me an additional $85 in tolls and late fees which I didn't realize I had accumulated during that short trip seeing as though there were no visible sensors that I drove through. Oh well.
That's it. Just thought I'd share my big news for the week.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
I miss Costco... There I said it
Living in a country with only 22 million people makes a few chores a little more difficult than I was expecting, namely shopping for clothes. Things that I took for granted back in the states are turning into un-needed adventures.
Take this weekend for instance, I went out to try to find a few suits and came back empty handed. I found a few, but none of them fit. The size I'd normally buy in the store was way too big and the next size down fit with the exception of the sleeve lengths. I swear, it came halfway up my forearm. That was just the jacket too, I didn't even bother trying on pants at that point. It didn't even seem like there was enough fabric to let out the sleeve length to make it somewhat normal. And I haven't had to have many suits tailored to know how big is too big where they can't take it down a size. So needless to say, I'm still looking.
I then went to look for a few dress shirts and pants. Easy enough you might think. Wrong. Since Australia only has 22 millions people, imagine that half of them are men and then, at most, half of them wear business shirts on a regular basis. That means they only need to make shirts for 5.5 million men. With that small of a number, I quickly found out they don't do dress shirts based on neck size and sleeve length. They do them based on Small, Medium and Large because they don't have the demand to make them all in specific measurements. Frustrating, but at least the sleeve length was normal. That and there aren't many options seeing as there are only 5.5 million people. So you walk down the street and see everyone wearing the same shirt.
Then I went looking for undershirts (and this is where Costco comes in). Buying in bulk has it's advantages. Buy a six pack of undershirts for what, $30 maybe $40? Not so down under. The only package of undershirts I found had 2 and was $90. I was blown away to the point where I couldn't justify buying them. I'm sure in a few days I will just accept it and buy them.
The other reason I miss Costco, bulk food (and the samples). I've stopped paying attention to prices at the grocery store because there aren't any other options, but here's a little run down of what some typical foods cost:
Take this weekend for instance, I went out to try to find a few suits and came back empty handed. I found a few, but none of them fit. The size I'd normally buy in the store was way too big and the next size down fit with the exception of the sleeve lengths. I swear, it came halfway up my forearm. That was just the jacket too, I didn't even bother trying on pants at that point. It didn't even seem like there was enough fabric to let out the sleeve length to make it somewhat normal. And I haven't had to have many suits tailored to know how big is too big where they can't take it down a size. So needless to say, I'm still looking.
I then went to look for a few dress shirts and pants. Easy enough you might think. Wrong. Since Australia only has 22 millions people, imagine that half of them are men and then, at most, half of them wear business shirts on a regular basis. That means they only need to make shirts for 5.5 million men. With that small of a number, I quickly found out they don't do dress shirts based on neck size and sleeve length. They do them based on Small, Medium and Large because they don't have the demand to make them all in specific measurements. Frustrating, but at least the sleeve length was normal. That and there aren't many options seeing as there are only 5.5 million people. So you walk down the street and see everyone wearing the same shirt.
Then I went looking for undershirts (and this is where Costco comes in). Buying in bulk has it's advantages. Buy a six pack of undershirts for what, $30 maybe $40? Not so down under. The only package of undershirts I found had 2 and was $90. I was blown away to the point where I couldn't justify buying them. I'm sure in a few days I will just accept it and buy them.
The other reason I miss Costco, bulk food (and the samples). I've stopped paying attention to prices at the grocery store because there aren't any other options, but here's a little run down of what some typical foods cost:
- Half gallon of milk - $4.19
- box of cereal - $6
- Pint of blueberries - $10
- Tomatoes - $5/lb
- Ground beef - $7.50/lb
- 2 liter of coke - $3.50
- loaf of bread - $4
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Even the politics make it feel like 2000
This past Saturday was the major election and as of this morning, there is still no winner. If only I better understood how a winner was chosen, it might make sense. Let me back up and little and explain how I think it happened.
About two months ago, the previous Prime Minister was challenged by his own party. In the span of 12 hours, the Prime Minister was out and there was an election with a new Prime Minister elected. It almost seemed like a challenger walked into the PM's office at night, challenged him to an "Over the Top" style arm wrestling match and in the span of 30 seconds, there was a new Prime Minister.
Then, the ruling party that just ousted their Prime Minister apparently felt that their party was in a good place, so the new PM Julia Gillard, scheduled a general election for August. There wasn't a set election, they just decided that they were in a good place with Australians and felt they could win, so they announced an election. Well, that apparently wasn't the case.
So Saturday the country was forced to go to the polls, literally. Apparently, if you're a registered voter you're REQUIRED to vote in all elections or face a fine, about $400 for a federal election. Imagine the voting results of everyone in the US was forced to vote. But what this also does, it allows anyone who wants to run to pretty much create a party and run. Now, you're not fully voting for a particular person, but rather their party. And if that party wins enough seats, the person running becomes the Prime Minister.
What apparently is going on is that neither of the two major party's won a simple majority of the lower house seats to be declared winner, a hung parliament. I think they're split at 73 a piece and needing 76 (I think) to "win". There were a few seats that went to the smaller, grass roots party's. Now, apparently both major party's are trying to convince these smaller party seat winners to sway to their side to get the majority so that one of them can be appointed the Prime Minister.
And that's where Australian politics is at the moment, from my eyes at least. Another interesting bit is that one city elected a 20 year old to be a Minister of Parliament. Not sure what this role is, but I think it's the lower house. That's right, they have their own Doogie Howser politician. I still haven't figure out if the kid graduated college early, or never went. But either way, he won.
About two months ago, the previous Prime Minister was challenged by his own party. In the span of 12 hours, the Prime Minister was out and there was an election with a new Prime Minister elected. It almost seemed like a challenger walked into the PM's office at night, challenged him to an "Over the Top" style arm wrestling match and in the span of 30 seconds, there was a new Prime Minister.
Then, the ruling party that just ousted their Prime Minister apparently felt that their party was in a good place, so the new PM Julia Gillard, scheduled a general election for August. There wasn't a set election, they just decided that they were in a good place with Australians and felt they could win, so they announced an election. Well, that apparently wasn't the case.
So Saturday the country was forced to go to the polls, literally. Apparently, if you're a registered voter you're REQUIRED to vote in all elections or face a fine, about $400 for a federal election. Imagine the voting results of everyone in the US was forced to vote. But what this also does, it allows anyone who wants to run to pretty much create a party and run. Now, you're not fully voting for a particular person, but rather their party. And if that party wins enough seats, the person running becomes the Prime Minister.
What apparently is going on is that neither of the two major party's won a simple majority of the lower house seats to be declared winner, a hung parliament. I think they're split at 73 a piece and needing 76 (I think) to "win". There were a few seats that went to the smaller, grass roots party's. Now, apparently both major party's are trying to convince these smaller party seat winners to sway to their side to get the majority so that one of them can be appointed the Prime Minister.
And that's where Australian politics is at the moment, from my eyes at least. Another interesting bit is that one city elected a 20 year old to be a Minister of Parliament. Not sure what this role is, but I think it's the lower house. That's right, they have their own Doogie Howser politician. I still haven't figure out if the kid graduated college early, or never went. But either way, he won.
Monday, August 16, 2010
After two hours in line, an hour in a store and an hour on the phone with a call center in India...
...I finally picked up the new iPhone. It was quite the stressful two weeks that culminated in my patience ready to explode standing in line. Even though the phone has been out for two weeks here, I still had to get there 45 minutes before the store opened to wait in line. Once in line, I at least brought along a magazine to help pass the time, but by the time that ran out (two hours to be exact) I was still waiting. The worst part was when there were only three people in front of me. Of the three apple employees ringing people up (for a line of 100 plus - talk about great customer service) two of them decided to leave while the third was having a solid 10 minute conversation about nothing with the person buying a phone. Needless to say, my jaw was clenched and the vein in my forehead was very visible.
I thought it was a victory when I got the phone, but then head to deal with Vodafone. It took upwards of another hour to just get a micro sim card for the phone. By the time I got that, I didn't have the patience to wait for iTunes to upgrade at home. So I called a few friends up to try a new restaurant just down the street from me called the Wine Library. I walked in and was in heaven. A wall packed with 300 plus wines and a charcuterie aging room. I sat down and waited for the other people to arrive. Only one other person ended up coming so we sat and drank and ate and drank some more and ate some more. An all around good afternoon.
Today, one of the other people who was going to meet up stopped by to grab a drink and struck up conversation with the bartenders. And low and behold, they remembered us. Which I suppose is a good thing. They remembered us as the two Americans (damn accent) that stuck around for a few bottles of wine and two meals. And as I look back at the afternoon, it really did end in the evening with multiple bottles of wine and two meals. And seeing as though they remembered us, I'll have to stop by again soon to capitalize on the recent visit. And to order the chicken liver parfait and homemade fennel salami.
Oh and of course, the wine.
I thought it was a victory when I got the phone, but then head to deal with Vodafone. It took upwards of another hour to just get a micro sim card for the phone. By the time I got that, I didn't have the patience to wait for iTunes to upgrade at home. So I called a few friends up to try a new restaurant just down the street from me called the Wine Library. I walked in and was in heaven. A wall packed with 300 plus wines and a charcuterie aging room. I sat down and waited for the other people to arrive. Only one other person ended up coming so we sat and drank and ate and drank some more and ate some more. An all around good afternoon.
Today, one of the other people who was going to meet up stopped by to grab a drink and struck up conversation with the bartenders. And low and behold, they remembered us. Which I suppose is a good thing. They remembered us as the two Americans (damn accent) that stuck around for a few bottles of wine and two meals. And as I look back at the afternoon, it really did end in the evening with multiple bottles of wine and two meals. And seeing as though they remembered us, I'll have to stop by again soon to capitalize on the recent visit. And to order the chicken liver parfait and homemade fennel salami.
Oh and of course, the wine.
Monday, August 9, 2010
How many drinks per week do you have per week, on average?
You know that uncomfortable question you have during a physical when the doctor tries to gauge how much you drink? It's hard to pin down an exact average so you end up guessing, and erring on the low side just to be safe. Well, I had a checkin at the gym over the weekend and it started to turn into one of those uncomfortable conversations where I felt I had to lie a little bit to make him feel better. I didn't really set any goals for myself when starting to work out other than to help strengthen my running. I didn't have any weight loss targets or anything like that, I just wanted help getting into shape.
So when my trainer took my measurements this time around there was some improvement, but I guess not as much as he would have wanted for me. It was rather awkward because he started asking questions about how many times per week I go to the gym, if there's room to pick up the intensity and then we went to nutrition. While I didn't get the exact "drinks per week" question, I did feel like I was being judged a little bit for my eating. But frankly, I workout and run so that I can eat and drink what I want. I think I forgot to include that "goal" in my initial sit down session. My next weigh in isn't for 10 weeks so I guess I'll really need to up the weights and hope that helps the improvement.
But frankly, I'm getting exactly what I wanted from the program. And by the results from the run on Sunday, I'm pretty happy. They finally posted results in the newpaper (but not online) and I was just outside the top third percentile for finishing. I came in number 23,089 out of 67,974 finishers and clocking in at just under 9:30 miles. For not running more than 2 miles at a time in the past 12 months, I'll take it. Now I'm just deciding if I have enough time to ramp up for a half marathon in a few weeks. As you can probably tell, the marathon goal for this year is pretty much out the window at this point. I'll have to settle for 2011.
So when my trainer took my measurements this time around there was some improvement, but I guess not as much as he would have wanted for me. It was rather awkward because he started asking questions about how many times per week I go to the gym, if there's room to pick up the intensity and then we went to nutrition. While I didn't get the exact "drinks per week" question, I did feel like I was being judged a little bit for my eating. But frankly, I workout and run so that I can eat and drink what I want. I think I forgot to include that "goal" in my initial sit down session. My next weigh in isn't for 10 weeks so I guess I'll really need to up the weights and hope that helps the improvement.
But frankly, I'm getting exactly what I wanted from the program. And by the results from the run on Sunday, I'm pretty happy. They finally posted results in the newpaper (but not online) and I was just outside the top third percentile for finishing. I came in number 23,089 out of 67,974 finishers and clocking in at just under 9:30 miles. For not running more than 2 miles at a time in the past 12 months, I'll take it. Now I'm just deciding if I have enough time to ramp up for a half marathon in a few weeks. As you can probably tell, the marathon goal for this year is pretty much out the window at this point. I'll have to settle for 2011.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
I'm number xx,xxx
I can say that I've successfully completed the worlds largest "fun" run. The annual City2Surf run took place yesterday. It's a 14K run from downtown Sydney along the coast and ends at Bondi Beach for me and 79,999 of my closest friends. I was rather unprepared for the run seeing as though the longest I've run in about a year was 2 miles and I'm pretty sure I walked half of that. But I will say that the CrossFit program I've been doing for the past 6 weeks is definitely helping. I was able to power through the whole race, including the 2K long Heartbreak Hill, and finish with a respectable time. Now I don't know exactly what time that is because results won't be posted until Wednesday. Again, the technology here is a little behind.
Here's a rather choppy video of the start to get an idea of what 80,000 people look like. They sent everyone off in 5 different waves and this is just the start of the elite group. There were still 79,000 people to come. I don't know exactly what time I crossed the start line because I was trying to get around all the people walking already, but it was probably somewhere around 18 minutes after this group.
The post race party was pretty lacking though. After the finish, there was Gatorade and water, but no food and worst of all, no beer stand. Next year I'm going to have to weasel my way into one of the corporate tents on the beach. I certainly didn't let that stop me though. I met up with a few friends and we did a little day drinking along the beach in Bondi and followed that up with dinner at a restaurant on the beach in Coogee. It was a family style dinner with 5 or 6 courses and all the beer and wine you could drink. Needless to say we're all feeling a little fuzzy headed today.
If I can find more pictures of the run, I'll try to post them. And if any one's looking for a good get in shape program, I'd highly recommend finding a crossfit gym.
Here's a rather choppy video of the start to get an idea of what 80,000 people look like. They sent everyone off in 5 different waves and this is just the start of the elite group. There were still 79,000 people to come. I don't know exactly what time I crossed the start line because I was trying to get around all the people walking already, but it was probably somewhere around 18 minutes after this group.
The post race party was pretty lacking though. After the finish, there was Gatorade and water, but no food and worst of all, no beer stand. Next year I'm going to have to weasel my way into one of the corporate tents on the beach. I certainly didn't let that stop me though. I met up with a few friends and we did a little day drinking along the beach in Bondi and followed that up with dinner at a restaurant on the beach in Coogee. It was a family style dinner with 5 or 6 courses and all the beer and wine you could drink. Needless to say we're all feeling a little fuzzy headed today.
If I can find more pictures of the run, I'll try to post them. And if any one's looking for a good get in shape program, I'd highly recommend finding a crossfit gym.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
5 Days and 7 Visits
So I stopped by the Apple store a few times today (let's just say I was lucky to have meetings just down the street) and each time there were lines. Ridiculous lines that weren't moving. The last time the line looked short, but it turns out they stopped the line as they ran out, again.
I'm hoping to pick one up before this weekend because I'm going to give the City 2 Surf 14K run a shot on Sunday and I'd like to have some sort of GPS device to help me translate kilometers to miles without having to think too hard. I haven't been able to quickly translate miles per hour into kilometers per hour and on a 9 mile run, I don't want to over work the brain. If it has to work too hard, I might have to stop at a bar to quiet it a bit. And while I'm certainly not as prepared as I'd like to be, I figured I should give it a shot anyways. I don't have the miles under my legs to feel comfortable with the distance or the hills, but I have been hitting the gym about 4 days a week and am feeling in pretty good shape.
Speaking of the gym, I have a 6 week status check in on Saturday. It feels similar to the Biggest Loser weigh in without the cattle scale. They take all your measurements and compare those to the last check in, measuring everything from height to weight to body fat percentage. I am rather curious to see if there's been any improvement from the first week. With the pain that those kettle balls have given me, there better be some decent improvement.
In true Matt training fashion, instead of hitting the gym tonight or going for a run, I'm going to see Miike Snow. I've heard he puts on a pretty good show so it should be a nice Wednesday night, most likely with way too many drinks. But hey, what else do I have to do, other than wait and hope Apple gets more phones in tomorrow.
Oh yeah, and work.
I'm hoping to pick one up before this weekend because I'm going to give the City 2 Surf 14K run a shot on Sunday and I'd like to have some sort of GPS device to help me translate kilometers to miles without having to think too hard. I haven't been able to quickly translate miles per hour into kilometers per hour and on a 9 mile run, I don't want to over work the brain. If it has to work too hard, I might have to stop at a bar to quiet it a bit. And while I'm certainly not as prepared as I'd like to be, I figured I should give it a shot anyways. I don't have the miles under my legs to feel comfortable with the distance or the hills, but I have been hitting the gym about 4 days a week and am feeling in pretty good shape.
Speaking of the gym, I have a 6 week status check in on Saturday. It feels similar to the Biggest Loser weigh in without the cattle scale. They take all your measurements and compare those to the last check in, measuring everything from height to weight to body fat percentage. I am rather curious to see if there's been any improvement from the first week. With the pain that those kettle balls have given me, there better be some decent improvement.
In true Matt training fashion, instead of hitting the gym tonight or going for a run, I'm going to see Miike Snow. I've heard he puts on a pretty good show so it should be a nice Wednesday night, most likely with way too many drinks. But hey, what else do I have to do, other than wait and hope Apple gets more phones in tomorrow.
Oh yeah, and work.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Damn you nokia
Well, it's been 5 days since the new iPhone came out here and after 5 trips to the Apple store, I'm still empty handed. I'm beginning to think I'm under the spell.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Restaurants, Part I
This post is more for my record, but I figured there's probably no better spot than here to mark down the restaurants I've been to (and will get to) while I'm down here. The food situation has improved, but I think that's partly because I've accepted the price tags and am more surprised when something isn't sweet than when it is (ie, ketchup, salsa, pasta sauce, etc).
Fix St James
I've been here a few times now and some of the wait staff recognize me. The food is good, but nothing too original. The wine list is probably their speciality.
Rockpool Bar & Grill
Australia doesn't do burgers very well, but Rockpool B&G does put up a nice full blood wagyu hamburger. However, I would suggest getting the pickles, beetroot and ketchup on the side because of the sweetness. If they have a roast pork sandwich on special, that is definitely worth getting as well. This place has a strong wine list as well.
Spice I Am
Thai restaurant that wasn't anything special. It seemed more like a mass produced chain restaurant than an authentic (though I haven't been to Thailand yet).
Kammadhenu
I'd never had Sri Lankan food before, but this was fantastic. It may have been the 2 for 1 cocktails before hand, but of the 8-10 different courses we tried, only the salt cod missed the mark. We went with everything from Roti's, to baskets, to curry's. I'll definitely to back for more. And, it's BYO which makes it all the better.
Baravian Bier Cafe
They have a schnitzel special on Tuesday's. Haven't tried anything else here other than copious amounts of beer.
Belgian Beer Cafe
This cafe has half priced mussels on Wednesdays. Good after work spot for drinks and a heaping pile of mussels. Solid Belgian beer list as well.
Il Baretto
This is a small italian spot down the street from me (BYO as well). The specials looked pretty good when I was there, but by the time I got there around 8 they were all sold out. I'd probably try it one more time if I could get the specials, but everything else was pretty basic.
BBQ King
Good peking duck served in two courses. Not the classiest of joints, but worth it for the duck.
Gumshara
Excellent japanese ramen, in a food court no less.
Prasit's Northside Thai
Small Thai takeaway place around the corner from me. I've only had the curry's so far, but they've been good and reasonably priced.
Pompei's
This is a well known pizza spot in Bondi. I haven't had much pizza here yet, but it was definitely better than the looks of the fast food pizza places I walk past on my way to work. Though, they could do a bit more with the toppings.
Hurricanes
Stopped here for ribs on the 4th of July. The ribs were good and the sauce wasn't too sweet (the complete opposite of what I was expecting). It was a little cool, but sitting next to the high powered propane heaters made it feel close to summer.
Sean's Tapas
Good, though probably not 100% authentic. The paella was extremely small and could have had a bit more flavor. The pork belly squares were pretty spot on though.
Now for the bucket list of places I want to get to:
Marque
Berta
Buzo
Wine Library (judging by the wine by the glass list, charcuterie plates and this is almost exactly halfway between my place and the beach, there's a good chance I'll have my own seat at the bar by summer)
Bentley Bar and Grill
Quay Restaurant
Fix St James
I've been here a few times now and some of the wait staff recognize me. The food is good, but nothing too original. The wine list is probably their speciality.
Rockpool Bar & Grill
Australia doesn't do burgers very well, but Rockpool B&G does put up a nice full blood wagyu hamburger. However, I would suggest getting the pickles, beetroot and ketchup on the side because of the sweetness. If they have a roast pork sandwich on special, that is definitely worth getting as well. This place has a strong wine list as well.
Spice I Am
Thai restaurant that wasn't anything special. It seemed more like a mass produced chain restaurant than an authentic (though I haven't been to Thailand yet).
Kammadhenu
I'd never had Sri Lankan food before, but this was fantastic. It may have been the 2 for 1 cocktails before hand, but of the 8-10 different courses we tried, only the salt cod missed the mark. We went with everything from Roti's, to baskets, to curry's. I'll definitely to back for more. And, it's BYO which makes it all the better.
Baravian Bier Cafe
They have a schnitzel special on Tuesday's. Haven't tried anything else here other than copious amounts of beer.
Belgian Beer Cafe
This cafe has half priced mussels on Wednesdays. Good after work spot for drinks and a heaping pile of mussels. Solid Belgian beer list as well.
Il Baretto
This is a small italian spot down the street from me (BYO as well). The specials looked pretty good when I was there, but by the time I got there around 8 they were all sold out. I'd probably try it one more time if I could get the specials, but everything else was pretty basic.
BBQ King
Good peking duck served in two courses. Not the classiest of joints, but worth it for the duck.
Gumshara
Excellent japanese ramen, in a food court no less.
Prasit's Northside Thai
Small Thai takeaway place around the corner from me. I've only had the curry's so far, but they've been good and reasonably priced.
Pompei's
This is a well known pizza spot in Bondi. I haven't had much pizza here yet, but it was definitely better than the looks of the fast food pizza places I walk past on my way to work. Though, they could do a bit more with the toppings.
Hurricanes
Stopped here for ribs on the 4th of July. The ribs were good and the sauce wasn't too sweet (the complete opposite of what I was expecting). It was a little cool, but sitting next to the high powered propane heaters made it feel close to summer.
Sean's Tapas
Good, though probably not 100% authentic. The paella was extremely small and could have had a bit more flavor. The pork belly squares were pretty spot on though.
Now for the bucket list of places I want to get to:
Marque
Berta
Buzo
Wine Library (judging by the wine by the glass list, charcuterie plates and this is almost exactly halfway between my place and the beach, there's a good chance I'll have my own seat at the bar by summer)
Bentley Bar and Grill
Quay Restaurant
Surf School, Here I Come
It's been a pretty low key past couple of weeks. The rain has stayed longer than I would like which has hindered some exploring. I've also realized that of everything I bought before I left, the one thing I forgot to pickup was a Sydney/Australia travel guide. I need to go pick one of them up this week to help me find places to explore. The weather did ease up this weekend at times. So I took advantage of it and went out to Bondi to meet up with some friends for lunch and spend the day near the beach. They had the Winter Fest going on and actually setup an ice skating ring just above the beach. If you look to the far left of the picture, you can kind of see people skating (by the white globes).
I also spent some the afternoon walking around the area and stopped to watch a group of surf schoolers. While the water is cold this time of year, maybe low 60s, watching the class is really making me want to start taking lessons. I was initially shooting for a weekend surf school in September, but now I'm thinking I might have to brave the cold to take a few lessons first. I figure I should get some training in before summer when the beach is packed with 30,000 people.
I'm hoping to get to the zoo next weekend to start to see some of the crazy poisonous animals this country has just crawling around, from a distance of course. I'll make sure to bring the camera for that trip. One one local animals that are everywhere are Flying Foxes. I didn't want to grab a picture from the internet and ruin the surprise of what these things look like for everyone before I can get picture myself. They're pretty creepy, rather large and just about everywhere. Search if you want, but I'll try to get a picture of these creatures. Let's just say I haven't been keeping my window wide open in the event one of these things gets close.
I'm hoping to get to the zoo next weekend to start to see some of the crazy poisonous animals this country has just crawling around, from a distance of course. I'll make sure to bring the camera for that trip. One one local animals that are everywhere are Flying Foxes. I didn't want to grab a picture from the internet and ruin the surprise of what these things look like for everyone before I can get picture myself. They're pretty creepy, rather large and just about everywhere. Search if you want, but I'll try to get a picture of these creatures. Let's just say I haven't been keeping my window wide open in the event one of these things gets close.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
What I learned this past weekend
I know, it's been a while. It's just been pretty boring. Not much going on. You know how winter is.
But, on an upside I am starting to feel like more of a local. I stopped by a restaurant last week and some of the people working there actually remembered me, and what I ordered (that was a little weird). I feel like I have the starting of a new Franklin Cafe, only it's not as good of value and there's no bar to eat at. I tried their "Winter Wine." I wasn't really sure what it was, but since it came from a large glass fermenting cask I figured it had to be fresh. I wish I had a picture because it seemed like the wine equivalent of bath tub whiskey. It was a big glass jug (like what I used to ferment homebrew in) with a long tube that they used to siphon the wine out. There was also a litre of olive oil floating on top as a protective layer to keep the oxygen out. Pretty ingenious and made about an hour or two away. To top it off, it was a pretty good house wine.
But on to the list of things I learned over the past weekend:
But, on an upside I am starting to feel like more of a local. I stopped by a restaurant last week and some of the people working there actually remembered me, and what I ordered (that was a little weird). I feel like I have the starting of a new Franklin Cafe, only it's not as good of value and there's no bar to eat at. I tried their "Winter Wine." I wasn't really sure what it was, but since it came from a large glass fermenting cask I figured it had to be fresh. I wish I had a picture because it seemed like the wine equivalent of bath tub whiskey. It was a big glass jug (like what I used to ferment homebrew in) with a long tube that they used to siphon the wine out. There was also a litre of olive oil floating on top as a protective layer to keep the oxygen out. Pretty ingenious and made about an hour or two away. To top it off, it was a pretty good house wine.
But on to the list of things I learned over the past weekend:
- I still don't fully understand Aussie Rules Football. I went to my first Sydney Swans game last weekend (yeah, they all have horrible names like swans and roosters). Every time I thought I understood the game something strange happened and the ball went to the other team. Out of bounds is only a concept. Half the time the ball crossed the line play continued. There are also quarters but they ran anywhere from 27 to 32 minutes. Sure there could be stopage time, but there were never any injury timeouts or anything that had a long pause in the game.
- Hot dogs here is a general term. I went with the Aussie Dog instead of the meat pie at the game because I had to try one. And it will probably be the last time. It had a bright red casing but was white on the inside (definitely not answering to a higher authority). Plus add on raw onions, sweet ketchup (it's not called sweet ketchup, but it just tastes really sweet) and tasty cheese. I think it's just cheddar, but all the shops call it tasty.
- When at an outdoor bar with a pool (the upside of winter), stay away from the edge, no matter what. Now I didn't go all the way in or frankly how it happened, but I definitely had a wet leg for a part of the night. Thankfully it was more of a roof top kiddie pool, but my food definitely hit the bottom.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Hotel Hoffman is Open
Hotel Hoffman is officially open for business, taking reservations through email or my old cell phone number (now rings to my apartment phone here). It's located a short 25 minute walk to the Opera house and Darling Harbour, 10 minute ride to some great beaches and a 10 minute walk to some of the best restaurants in Sydney (or so the locals say, I can't vouch for all of them yet). Room service is limited, but with the small farmers market outside on Saturdays it will have fresh, local food. Pictures will be posted later this week.
I did do a little venturing out a few weekends ago and went up to Watson's Bay to do some walking around. Watson's Bay is right on the head of Sydney connecting the ocean to Sydney Harbour. It's a quick ferry ride from Circular Quay through the harbour, which was quite a nice view of the shoreline (and the houses that line the shorelines).
Once I got up to Watson's Bay I grabbed some fish and chips and then walked around for a bit. There was a great view back to the city as well as the jagged cliffs along the shore.
Today was the coldest day in Sydney over the past few years (a brisk 41 degrees) so I'll have to hold off on the bridge climb until it starts to warm up.
I have a few more pictures, but I'll post them on my flickr site later this week (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mbhoffman/).
Friday, June 25, 2010
International Haircuts
There's something nerve wracking about getting a haircut in a new country. I remember getting a haircut in Rome a few years ago and getting a euro mullet and then having to figure out how to get it fixed when I spoke zero Italian and the girl spoke zero English. While I didn't come out with a euro mullet here, it was just as scary. The girl cutting my hair this go around kept going shorter and shorter and shorter to "get it even." The problem is that if it goes too short I end up looking like Alfalfa after a few weeks. So, it's been a few weeks and guess what. Yep, Alfalfa.
The weeks wrapping up and it was a rough one. Not the work as much as the "meetings." I knew going in that the Aussies liked their beer, but I completely misjudged what like meant. We hit up a Bavarian bar on Tuesday for beers and schnitzel (I think the schnitzels is the national food of Australia) with a vendor. Beer turned into more beer and turned into more beer. Then last night, we met up with some other people in the industry down here for some drinks. Those beers of course lead into more beers. At least after all that we ended up in Chinatown for some peking duck and dumplings.
Thankfully, the weeks over. Not much on tap for the weekend. The Wallabies are playing Wales on Saturday so I'll probably end up at a pub with a few people to catch the game (rugby union, that is). Trying to find a place to go on holiday in August sometime, so we'll see if anything else pans out. And if the rain holds off this weekend, hopefully I'll be able to go out and sightsee a little more. Hopefully something interesting will happen that I'll be able to report back on.
The weeks wrapping up and it was a rough one. Not the work as much as the "meetings." I knew going in that the Aussies liked their beer, but I completely misjudged what like meant. We hit up a Bavarian bar on Tuesday for beers and schnitzel (I think the schnitzels is the national food of Australia) with a vendor. Beer turned into more beer and turned into more beer. Then last night, we met up with some other people in the industry down here for some drinks. Those beers of course lead into more beers. At least after all that we ended up in Chinatown for some peking duck and dumplings.
Thankfully, the weeks over. Not much on tap for the weekend. The Wallabies are playing Wales on Saturday so I'll probably end up at a pub with a few people to catch the game (rugby union, that is). Trying to find a place to go on holiday in August sometime, so we'll see if anything else pans out. And if the rain holds off this weekend, hopefully I'll be able to go out and sightsee a little more. Hopefully something interesting will happen that I'll be able to report back on.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
My hope for food is restored
My hope for food in Sydney improving has been restored, finally.
With the World Cup in full swing and games at god awful times down here, we've been forced to stay up till the wee hours of the morning to catch as much of the US games as possible before crashing. Friday/Saturday's game was at a reasonable midnight here so a bunch of us went over to Start City Casino to catch the game in the sports bar. We stopped off for a few drinks at Darling Harbour and then grabbed some food at Ken's Tapas bar in the casino. The food was, all in all good. Portions were a little meager, but the food had some decent flavour to it. Now, this could be because I was able to clean up at the tables in a scant 45 minutes, but I'd consider checking out a few other restaurants there.
I also ventured around Chinatown a little bit yesterday. I think Chinatowns around the world are probably one of the safest (if you're adventurous) bets for a good meal. Sure, you'll find a bunch of new and odd items on the menu (if they even post the menu in english) but if you take a gamble you probably won't be disappointed. And the prices are so much more reasonable than other lunch spots, especially around Sydney. I stopped off at a local food court and found Gumshara. It's a small ramen noodle shop that had no one waiting in line. Usually this would be a turn off, but after reading the signs, I took a gamble.
And boy did it pay off. Apparently, the chef is "classically" trained in Japan to make ramen. He takes 120 kilos of pork bones (260 pounds) and water to make his stock. Nothing else. The marrow and collagen in the bones give it a very intense flavour as well as turning it into a thick broth. If he sold that alone, I'd probably take a few litres home to keep in the freezer. One of the items on the menu was a pork spare rib ramen. Now, I didn't ask why but on the menu it says only two are available each day. I figured by 2pm they'd be gone, but thankfully there was still one left.
Other than crisping up the skin on the spare rib, I'm not sure how they cooked it. But frankly, it didn't matter. The only thing left in the bowl at the end was the bone. I'd be hard pressed to try anything else in that food court after having that for lunch.
I've also started to venture deeper into my neighborhood to see what's around. I've been taking different routes to the gym each night to see what's around. And in just this past week I've found 3 or 4 worthy restaurants/wine bars that I've added to the list to try. The neighborhood has a very strong cafe culture on weekends, but there are also quite a few small restaurants with only 20-30 seats. Hopefully I'll be able to get to a few of them these next few weeks and hopefully the food quality continues to go up.
With the World Cup in full swing and games at god awful times down here, we've been forced to stay up till the wee hours of the morning to catch as much of the US games as possible before crashing. Friday/Saturday's game was at a reasonable midnight here so a bunch of us went over to Start City Casino to catch the game in the sports bar. We stopped off for a few drinks at Darling Harbour and then grabbed some food at Ken's Tapas bar in the casino. The food was, all in all good. Portions were a little meager, but the food had some decent flavour to it. Now, this could be because I was able to clean up at the tables in a scant 45 minutes, but I'd consider checking out a few other restaurants there.
I also ventured around Chinatown a little bit yesterday. I think Chinatowns around the world are probably one of the safest (if you're adventurous) bets for a good meal. Sure, you'll find a bunch of new and odd items on the menu (if they even post the menu in english) but if you take a gamble you probably won't be disappointed. And the prices are so much more reasonable than other lunch spots, especially around Sydney. I stopped off at a local food court and found Gumshara. It's a small ramen noodle shop that had no one waiting in line. Usually this would be a turn off, but after reading the signs, I took a gamble.
I've also started to venture deeper into my neighborhood to see what's around. I've been taking different routes to the gym each night to see what's around. And in just this past week I've found 3 or 4 worthy restaurants/wine bars that I've added to the list to try. The neighborhood has a very strong cafe culture on weekends, but there are also quite a few small restaurants with only 20-30 seats. Hopefully I'll be able to get to a few of them these next few weeks and hopefully the food quality continues to go up.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Summer : George : : Winter : Matt
One of the local TV channels this past weekend had a Seinfeld marathon. They played every episode back to back. to. back. from the first season to the last. One of the episodes I caught was the Summer of George. To help me get the seasons straight in my head when talking to locals, I've decided to proclaim this the Winter of Matt. To really try to get my butt in gear for the marathon, I signed up at a local gym with a CrossFit program. I'm new to the whole CrossFit thing, but from what I've gathered is that it is intense, non-stop circuit training with trainers constantly yelling at you to go faster. I'm pretty sure I could pay someone to work out for me at Equinox for what I'm paying here, but I've come to accept (but still won't stop complaining) about the costs here. Seeing as though when I hobbled into the grocery store on my way home last night after the first training session I found a PINT of blueberries for $9.99.
Now that I finally have internet at my place, I'll try to post some pictures over the next few days.
Now that I finally have internet at my place, I'll try to post some pictures over the next few days.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Baby it's cold outside...
Well, I know I'm not going to get any sympathy for this comment, but it's been getting cold here. Sure, by cold I mean 8 or 9 Celsius (46-48 for you in the other hemisphere), but it can be cold (cool might be a better term) early in the morning. Since it has been getting cooler, I've been looking for restaurants and bars close by my place so I don't freeze travelling across town. And luckily, there are three bars within spitting distance of my window that seem alright.
I was at one, the Flinders Inn, last week. This is a new bar that is going for the feeling of a "dive bar like you'd find in the US". I don't know which dive bars the owners went to in the US to get the decor, but I don't know if they went to the right ones. Their main dive bar selling point is the ability to carve anything you'd like into their bar. And while the music is rather eclectic, it was comical to hear "Baby It's Cold Outside" playing in June and seeing everyone put on their wool coats, hats and gloves to go outside for a smoke.
After last weekend's driving adventure I couldn't find any place worth risking my life to drive to this weekend so I'm going to sit tight in Sydney for the long weekend. I'm planning on taking the ferry up to Manly to check up the beaches up north. Sydney is also one of 5 or 6 FIFA Party Cities around the world so Darling Harbour is going to have two massive floating TVs in the harbour for all games. Bear in mind, game times here are 9pm, midnight and 4:30am. And of course, the Aussie vs Germany and US vs England games scored the coveted 4:30am time slot. But, there are plenty of bars advertising they'll be open all night for all games. So I'm debating if it's best to charge through the night or wake up and head to a bar then.
I also signed up for a Run Like Hell training session tomorrow morning. It's a program helping people prepare for the City2Surf run in August. Not really sure what it entails, but I'm guessing it will hurt, a lot. And seeing as through marathon training isn't going so well, having some motivation would probably be a good thing.
Oh, and Happy Queens Birthday everyone. Make sure to have a spot of tea crumpets on Monday in celebration. I'll probably be sleeping off one heck of a hangover.
I was at one, the Flinders Inn, last week. This is a new bar that is going for the feeling of a "dive bar like you'd find in the US". I don't know which dive bars the owners went to in the US to get the decor, but I don't know if they went to the right ones. Their main dive bar selling point is the ability to carve anything you'd like into their bar. And while the music is rather eclectic, it was comical to hear "Baby It's Cold Outside" playing in June and seeing everyone put on their wool coats, hats and gloves to go outside for a smoke.
After last weekend's driving adventure I couldn't find any place worth risking my life to drive to this weekend so I'm going to sit tight in Sydney for the long weekend. I'm planning on taking the ferry up to Manly to check up the beaches up north. Sydney is also one of 5 or 6 FIFA Party Cities around the world so Darling Harbour is going to have two massive floating TVs in the harbour for all games. Bear in mind, game times here are 9pm, midnight and 4:30am. And of course, the Aussie vs Germany and US vs England games scored the coveted 4:30am time slot. But, there are plenty of bars advertising they'll be open all night for all games. So I'm debating if it's best to charge through the night or wake up and head to a bar then.
I also signed up for a Run Like Hell training session tomorrow morning. It's a program helping people prepare for the City2Surf run in August. Not really sure what it entails, but I'm guessing it will hurt, a lot. And seeing as through marathon training isn't going so well, having some motivation would probably be a good thing.
Oh, and Happy Queens Birthday everyone. Make sure to have a spot of tea crumpets on Monday in celebration. I'll probably be sleeping off one heck of a hangover.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Stay Left, Stay LEFT, STAY LEFT!!!!
This weekend had a new milestone. It probably took a good day maybe two off my life with the amount of stress that I put on my body in a short 7 hours yesterday.
That's right, I rented a car. I had a few last things I needed to get from Ikea that I couldn't take on the train (namely a table and chairs and TV stand), so I rented a car. And not just any car, but a bright shiny blue wagon.
Just to fill people in first, I didn't have a car for the 6 years I was in Boston and it was only the this past year that I had a ZipCar membership. In a given year, I could probably count the number of times I drove using just fingers (and maybe toes). So, needless to say I was a little nervous driving a car not just in a foreign country, but this was my first time driving backwards. And no, I don't mean in reverse. I mean driving on the left hand side of the road and the drivers seat on the right hand side of the car. And for the people who thought I drove slow in Boston, you would have been dying of laughter when I saddled up behind gramps on the freeway because it was a comfortable speed for me.
Once I made it from the airport (should have gotten the navigation unit in hindsight) back to my place I thought I had a pretty good handle on it. Of course I got lost and never made it to the highway from the airport so driving on the highway up to Ikea was interesting to say the least. The best thing that the highways had were raised reflectors that would rumble as I drifted out of my lane. That and my coworker who came along for the ride saying "Oh god" every time I got a little close to a curb, sidewalk or another car. I had a hard time judging where the left hand side of my car was (as you can tell by how far I am from the right hand line the parking job above). I would constantly drift into the left lane (or sidewalk) and would have to quickly move back. I also took a few short cuts over curbs when going through the round-abouts and left hand turns. The scenery, I was told, was pretty nice on the drive up, but don't really remember much other than my mantra of the day being "Stay left." Even after 7 hours, I still had a hard time training myself to remember the small things:
- The blinker is on the right hand side of the steering wheel
- Wind screen lever on the left hand side
- The mirrors were useless to me because I kept looking above and to the right for the rear view mirror and looking out the side view mirrors was just confusing
- Getting into the drivers seat and not the passengers seat
- Learning when I could turn on red
Overall, I thought it was a success. I returned the car in one piece, I was only honked at twice, avoided one potential disaster when someone opened up their door into oncoming traffic (ie. me) and I had to quickly swerve to not take off their door and I didn't use my horn or flip anyone the bird. But that was probably because I was too nervous to take my hands off the wheel.
I tried to hook up a video camera in the dash for all you, but couldn't get it mounted to stay. However, I did get one picture of a bottle shop (liquor store) that was pretty entertaining.
If you look closely, it's a drive in bottle shop (a little taste of the midwest) and they're pretty proud that it's the last one before the freeway. Thankfully I didn't see anyone drinking and driving, but I guess I'll have to keep my eyes peeled next time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)