Elsja Down Under

Letters February 4, 2010

Dear Jet Lag,

I hate you. I really do. You make me so tired. You cause me to sleep through my alarm for over 10 minutes. TEN!! While this may not seem a lot to some people, let it be known that in an entire year, my alarm only goes off probably 10 times total! I always wake up before my alarm goes off, so to sleep through it for over TEN MINUTES is just not right. You cause me to wake up with a massive migraine and hangover feeling even though I only had 2 glasses of wine last night. Two glasses of wine plus jet lag = feeling like I drank 2 bottles of wine. NOT NICE!

Dear US Economy,

I hate you too. I thought I was immune to your black pit of misery and despair- but no, you finagled your nasty tenticles into my life as well and you’ve put a big damper on all my plans for 2010.

Dear Vaccination,

You made me feel like I had a migraine in my arm for about 36 hours. That was a week ago. Now, thanks to you, my arm is STILL sore. It’s not terrible, but enough to piss me off.

Dear Stupid OC Housewives,

Ok of course I’m not talking to all OC housewives- there are definitely many of you I like. I’m just speaking to the pathetic, fake, backstabbing trashbags. You are all scum. People like you often make me happy that I don’t live in this yuppy, stuck-up county anymore.

Dear Bob at Sir Speedy Printing,

You sent all your customers an email today asking “how is your 2010 so far?” Do you REALLY want me to answer that question? I know you just want some business- but what if I reply to your sales pitch email and just say “shitty.” I wonder what you would say to that.

Dear Andrew,

I miss you.

Yes, I am having a bad day.

Airplanes for Dummies January 28, 2010

In case you need some explanation…

A Perfect Day

The sun was nice enough to peep out from behind the clouds for just one day this week.  Of all the days for the sun to make an appearance, Tuesday the 26th was the most optimal day. Why? Because Tuesday was Australia Day… the Aussie equivalent of the 4th of July.

Our day consisted of the typical Australian traditions- a BBQ and lots of drinking. This year we had an added bonus… a swimming pool. I have to say that pools are one of the biggest things I miss from California. It just seems like pools in this country are quite rare and so people typically just go to the beach. While the beach is nice, there’s nothing like lying on a raft in the water for hours on end without having to worry about fish, sharks and seaweed. A big thanks goes out to Alex, Brendan and Kristin for hosting such a fun party!

Australia day was my perfect type of  day. Summer sun, good friends, a refreshing pool, delish food and beverages and of course, Andrew.

Why can’t every day be just like this one?

For more fun in the sun pics- CLICK HERE.

Wedding Update January 24, 2010

With just over 7 months to go, I think we are in pretty good shape with the wedding planning. In all reality, I think I’m way ahead of where some people would be at this stage, but I still feel like there is so much to do. Some things I have NO idea about… like transportation, men’s tuxes and how to do my hair but at least I have most of the big stuff under control. Here’s a little recap on all that we’ve (i.e. I’ve) done to date.

Set the date.    Bought the dress.    Picked the venue.    Booked the caterer and rentals.    Booked the DJ.    Booked the photographers.    Bought the bridesmaid dresses.   Started purchasing accessories.  Reserved a florist.    Nearly finished with the invitation design.    Partially completed our wedding website.    Figured out what we’re doing for favors.    Set up a cake tasting appointment.   Nearly finalized the guest list.    Started looking into blocking hotel rooms for out of town guests.   Got the guest book all sorted out.    Designed the centerpieces.    Picked some of the music.   Wrote out a tentative schedule of  the day.

I still am not sick of it all. I still am not stressed.

I want to plan our wedding forever and ever.

Happy Things January 20, 2010

Because I have nothing else to write about, I’m writing about things that make me happy this week.

Picnics by the beach with Andrew on Sunny Sundays.

Wedding planning- how can you NOT like picking colors and music and flowers and all that wonderful stuff?

Farmville on Facebook… yes, I know, I’m pathetic.

Walking down to the park by the ferry and reading a book in the afternoon sun. Summer is wonderful.

Planning to see my family and friends in CA in less than 2 weeks.

Planning to see Kimbo, Stu and lots of wild animals in Africa this March.

Lots of people having babies- as long as they aren’t mine, they make me happy.

Reading endless wedding blogs and hoping that maybe our wedding will be fabulous enough to be displayed on some random blog out there.

Andrew huggles.

Going to bed. Right now. That makes me happy.

Aussie-ism Slips of the Tongue January 14, 2010

I’ve definitely picked up some Aussie-isms since moving here over 2 years ago. I think them in my head quite often, but I don’t usually speak them out loud. Really I like to think I’m just picking up Andrew-isms but when I was home in June last year my friends quickly pointed out that ‘yeaaauuuhhh’ (probably best if you hear it, not read it) is definitely not just something Andrew says. They all laughed at me and said it was totally Aussie.  But really, that didn’t count as a slip of the Aussie tongue. Honestly, that was just picking up how Andrew talks- it doesn’t necessarily represent all Australians… at least I don’t think it does.

I just don’t think I verbalize many of the Aussie-isms I pick up. I feel that’s because I find it quite annoying when Americans move here and within 2 weeks they’ve acquired an accent, have started spelling differently and start referring to their moms as their mums. I still refuse to write or say “mum” unless I am specifically writing it about an Australian person’s mum. Like today for instance, I was writing an email to Andrew’s brother and I wrote “my mom and your mum blah blah blah…” Yes, I really did spell it differently when I was referring to my mother versus his mother. I clearly filter what I say and write depending on the person I’m talking to. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with picking up the lingo and slang after a few years, but I guess I tried so hard not to be one of those lameos that thinks they have become an Aussie the minute they walk through those airport doors that now it’s actually weird if I say something that sounds Australian.  

So my first official slip of the tongue occurred this week when I was speaking to American clients back home. I said “How are you going?”  No, I didn’t say “how are you doing?”  This was definitely ” how are you going.” I guess it’s good that at least I said how ARE YOU going instead of the traditional “how ya’ goin’?”  I also suppose it’s good that it took me over two years to let that one slip to an American. I was shocked when I said it  and immediately thought “they must be so confused… they won’t know how to respond.” I don’t even remember if they did respond because I was too busy pondering my verbal slip.

But I promise… even though I let that one spill out, I will NOT be saying brekkie, pressies, bikkie, cozzie, dunny or any of those other EEEE words any time soon. Those ones still drive me nuts. Maybe in another two years…

1 Year Left January 11, 2010

I have until the end of this year to finish my 101 goals.  I know for a fact I won’t accomplish them all but I’m not too worried. The fact that I will complete A LOT of my goals by 12/31/10 is still an achievement to me!  Here’s a little update of a few more things I have finished in the last few months.

#87. Buy a fondue set and use it. Although I did this, it wasn’t a pleasant experience. First of all, the brie in this country doesn’t melt. I don’t know why but the recipes that I made quite easily back in the US just don’t seem to turn out the same here. Secondly, we had to use liquid fuel stuff to light the burner and unfortunately some spilled on my hand and then my hand proceeded to catch on fire. I’m not joking, it was actually up in flames! It also caught the table on fire and now there is a big burn mark on Yorky and Brendan’s table. Luckily my hand is ok. Hurt like hell but no scars! Not surprisingly, I haven’t pulled the fondue pot out since.

#94. Go through my clothes and donate anything I don’t wear. I did this ages ago and I really need to do it again, but since I DID do this at least once, I’m marking it complete.

#9. Go to a yoga class once a month. While I did not go once a month from the beginning of the project, I ended up going to WAY more than the 33 classes I would need to fulfill this goal, so I’m marking it as complete.

#27. Buy cloth grocery bags and decline plastic bags. While I’ve only used them once (I’ve only been shopping once), at least I took the initiative and bought 5 of them. They are much easier to carry as well!

#6. Read 10 books. Not only have I finished this, I’ve almost finished # 103 (Read 10 more books). I won’t go into a full book review on each since  I’ve already blogged about a few but I’ll at least say if  I liked it or not. Here’s a list of the first 10 that I got through.

• Eat, Pray, Love – great- but i think I liked it so much because I hadn’t read ANY other books in years. Looking back I’ve read way better books since this one. I’d still recommend it.
• The Last Lecture- Everyone should read this, it’s really short and easy to read and puts your life into perspective
• Not Without my Sister -Depressing and not too spectacular. Don’t bother.
• Twilight  – xoxoxo
• New Moon- Not as good as twilight but still wonderful
• Eclipse – Even more wonderful
• Breaking Dawn – Fabulous
• Body Surfing – Lame, not worth your time.
• Why we Suck – Super funny and true, I love this kind of humor.
• The Host – Pretty good, but not as good as the twilight books

I’m looking forward to finishing many more items this year. I know quite a few will be checked off due to some of our wedding festivities so that makes things a bit easier. I have to admit though, having only 1 more year to complete this stuff doesn’t seem like nearly enough time!

I Live Here January 10, 2010

I don’t know about you but I love vacationing in tropical places with beautiful crystal clear water. When planning a trip I scope out pictures of the beaches to try to find the spot that looks the best. I’ve been to places like Cancun, Costa Rica, Maui and Fiji and the gorgeous clear oceans always make me so happy. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that I no longer have to take a vacation to enjoy these fine beaches. They are right in my own back yard!!

Yes… I live HERE:

This discovery took place on Saturday when Andrew, Mike, Hayley,  Ben and I went on the Bondi to Coogee walk (now I’ve completed 2/5 of#7 from my 101 list). It’s a 12km round trip trek with the most amazing views (clearly). I had heard a lot about the walk in the last 2 years that I’ve lived here but never quite made it past Tamarama.

I always knew Australia had beautiful beaches but come on… these are amazing! Look at that water! Why haven’t you all come to visit me yet? We could actually go to these beaches!

Unfortunately I did not get to go in the water since the purpose of our visit to paradise was to go on this long ass walk. So instead of a bikini, I was wearing tennis shoes and a sports bra. I think this beach is calling me back though… anyone up for a day in the sun in the next few weeks?

Check out a few more pictures if you want to see what else you are missing while you are all sitting in the cold US winter.

2009 Review January 5, 2010

Looking back on 2009, I’m filled with happiness and sadness. For a lot of people, 2009 was one of the toughest years they’ve had in a long time. I had to watch a lot of people around me suffer and struggle so I feel VERY fortunate that Andrew and I actually had a good year even through all the chaos of the world. We did a lot of fun things and reached some really big milestones in our life and for that I am truly grateful.

Let’s look back on some of the great things that happened in 2009.

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Andrew got promoted to captain

My parents came to visit and we had an amazing time

Amanda and Stephen came to visit

Andrew and I visited California

We went snowboarding

We got engaged!!

We bought an apartment

Andrew and I both turned 29

A few of my best friends got engaged

I was able to be back in California for Thanksgiving

Andrew and I went to Perth for Christmas

Of course there were a bunch of little great things that happened as well, but I thought I’d just reflect on the major ones. 2009 was a big year for us and I hope that 2010 will be even better! Best wishes to you all for a happy new year!

The Greatest Show on Earth January 1, 2010

No, I’m not talking about the circus. I’m talking about the Sydney Harbour fireworks on New Year’s Eve. I do believe that Sydney is probably the most amazing place to be to ring in the new year. Watch the video below and I’m sure you will find it hard to disagree. I recommend viewing in full screen mode. It’s a bit long but well worth it. Grab a cup of tea or a glass of wine and check out the view I had last night.

 I hope you all had a wonderful New year’s Eve and happy 2010 to you all!!

A Cross-Country Christmas December 28, 2009

I think 2009 was a really tough year for so many people. Between the economy, illnesses and injuries, relationship challenges, lost jobs and all the other unfortunate things that happened to family and friends, it feels like it will be good to have 2009 over and done with. So it seems only fitting that we should all end the year on a good note with my favorite holiday, Christmas. I think Christmas should make us all happy and put us in the right mood to start the new year off fresh and positive. Maybe we spent a little too much or ate a little too much, but it wouldn’t be Christmas without a few less pennies and a few more pounds, right?

Our Christmas was spent on two sides of a continent, literally. First we started off with a really nice Christmas Eve at Andrew’s cousin’s house. We had a wonderful BBQ and then enjoyed a fun Secret Santa/Kris Kringle gift exchange. We played the version where you can steal other people’s presents and so it made the game super exciting even though we had a $10 limit (it’s pretty hard to find decent gifts for $10). We headed home that night and Andrew and I had our own little Christmas together. We sat in front of our glittering tree and opened all of our presents for each other and also the ones that my parents gave us. It was a bit sad because it’s the first time in my life that I’ve had to open family presents without my family actually watching.  It’s something I’ll get used to eventually but I’m sure it will take some time.

On Christmas morning we woke up bright and early and headed to Andrew’s dad’s house. Each year everyone gets together for a breakfast BBQ to chow down on bacon and tomato rolls. I’m lucky and I got a very special (and delicious) omelette since I don’t eat bacon. After we all cleaned up we sat down to have our annual Christmas Kris Kringle gift exchange. Veronica was my secret Santa and she got me a set of appetizer plates which I had asked for. Yay, thanks VK! 

After a busy morning, Christmas was still just getting started.  Once Kris Kringle was finished Andrew, his mum and I headed toward the airport and jumped on a flight across the country to Perth. We arrived just in time to enjoy a delicious traditional Christmas dinner at Andrew’s aunt and uncle’s house. Dinner was followed by a family game of trivial pursuit and then we made our way to Andrew’s Nana’s house where we all spent the night. The rest of the quick weekend getaway included Andrew waking up at 4:50am to go for a run (even with the time difference he’s still nuts), lunch in Fremantle, a warm evening BBQ, a morning at the beach and finally a flight back to Sydney. The trip was short but sweet.

Being away from  my family and friends on Christmas is never easy, but having so much to do this year and spending it with ALL of Andrew’s family made it much more special. If you’re interested in seeing photos from this year’s Christmas festivities… click here. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Best wishes for a fabulous 2010.

Fat Monk December 23, 2009

We tried a new restaurant this week. It was so good that we had it again, 2 days later.

Fat Monk is a Thai/Asian restaurant in Cremorne. We decided to try it out on Monday with our friends Mike and Hayley and tonight when our other friends felt like Asian food, we suggested that we go back there.

I’ll get straight to the point:

Decor: 10 – Super cool decor. A combination of cow hide ottoman cushions, raw wood walls, funky paintings of Buddha and an awesome wrought iron chandelier with red shades somehowall really goes together. It’s super funky and it has total character. You would think a place like this would be totally overpriced and trendy- but that’s not the case at all! Even the servers wear cute little Asian outfits. Super cool!

Value:  7-8-  It’s not the cheapest Thai we’ve had but it’s not the most expensive either. I’d say the rice is a little overpriced at $3 for a little bowl, but other than that, everything is pretty comparable to other Thai in the area.

Service: 10- I’m going to make a bold statement and say it’s the best service I’ve had in Australia. They don’t put jugs of water on the table, they actually come around and refill your glasses. You never have to ask for more water either! When the glass is getting empty, they magically appear to fill it for you. They even came around to refill our wine glasses and  the food comes out really quickly too.

Taste: 9- While I still think Thai Intra might be my all time favorite Thai food, I would go as far as saying that this is probably my second favorite so far. It’s not oily like some other places we’ve had. The dishes had tons of fresh veggies and the chicken is super delish. It’s great!! We’ve been twice now in one week, I think that says a lot right there.

As an added bonus, we can walk there from our house. It’s a bit of an uphill trek, but it’s close enough to walk so we can at least burn off 1/18th of what we are eating.

I definitely recommend giving it a try if you haven’t already.

A Few of My Favorite Things December 20, 2009

My best friends and I have a series of emails that we like to send around from time to time called “Things I Can’t Live Without.” When one of us finds something really awesome, we send around emails detailing our fabulous finds. Sometimes they include make-up products, sometimes we send our favorite food items, etc. In the spirit of Christmas, I figured I could share a few of my latest favorite things with the whole world.

1. Benefit Pocket Pal – Awhile back I was looking for a reddish lipstick that would just sort of tint my lips red without looking like a $2 hooker. I really struggled to find exactly what I was looking for. I knew I basically just wanted a rosy, natural tint. I even mentioned to the girl that I could use something like Benetint but I didn’t want to carry around that little jar in my purse all the time. So I was super stoked to discover this awesome tint/gloss combo the last time I was in the US. I also just found that there is a Benetint mini as well! Who knew? I think I’ll buy the mini next time because the I don’t really use the gloss part of the pocket pal.

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2. Swiffer Dusters – If you read this blog you will have caught a little glimpse of my hatred for dust. I hate that I have to dust every few days to keep the house looking clean. I hate the fact that when I dust with washcloths, I can actually see little fibers flying around in the air and then settling back onto the surface I just wiped down. When I was in California, my mom gave me one of these little wonders to bring back with me. I love them! They do a really good job of picking up the dust and lint and I love that I can just run around and do a quick touch up job in between my full dusting jobs. I’ve now added a new item to my “stock up while in California” list… Swiffer duster refills. Good thing they can squish easily into my bag.

3. Ferrero Raffaello – I think these are known as Ferrero Garden in the US. These things are seriously little bites of heaven. I could easily become super tubbo if too many of these things are sitting around the house. I’m not one of those girls that likes to receive chocolates as valentines or anniversary gifts, but I don’t think I’d mind getting a few of these delightful morsels from time to time.

Ok so it’s just a few things… but they are all great and worth sharing with the world. If you have any items you can’t live without, please share! I’m still looking for Christmas tradition ideas from my last post as well!

I’m Dreaming of a Humid Christmas December 16, 2009

It may take me some time to get used to combining Christmas with Summer. I’m trying to listen to Christmas music every chance I get since I only have a few more weeks before the holidays are over. So yesterday when work was finished I plugged in my ipod and headed up the hill on my way to the beach. I huffed, I puffed and I sweat in the sun as I listened to “White Christmas” and “Sleigh Ride.” I don’t know about you, but I feel like there’s something really wrong about listening to “Baby it’s Cold Outside” when in fact baby it’s quite hot and humid outside.

I should be drinking pumpkin spice lattes and egg nog. Instead I’m eating watermelon and drinking iced tea.I should be wearing scarves and hoodies and enjoying the scent of burning fireplaces in the cool, crisp winter air.  Instead, I’m putting on my bathing suit and summer dresses and enjoying the scent of the sea salt on muggy summer afternoons.

The only thing that reminds me that Christmas is next week is the colorful Christmas tree standing in our living room. Even that seems out of place when I’m sweating here on my couch in shorts and a t-shirt. I just don’t know if I’ll ever get used to a summer Christmas. In fact you’ll probably see a blog just like this one next year… and the year after.

Since the days of roast turkey dinners and warm spiced cider are pretty much over for me I’ve decided we’ll just have to start some new festive Christmas traditions of our own. I feel like getting married will be a good starting point for us to begin creating these new traditions. I’ve already decided I want to have a Christmas party every year. My parents always had a party every year as far back as I can remember. It is one of my fondest memories from Christmas as a kid. Many times our parties would fall on Christmas Eve and the adults would let us stay up until midnight to see if we could hear the bells of Santa’s sleigh. I figure we can start of with small get togethers and work our way up to larger, more lavish parties once we actually have a decent house and higher incomes. Maybe we can also create some yummy, summery Christmas recipes to enjoy every year. I don’t know what all we will end up doing, but do I know that I need some ideas to help me adapt to this new version of the holiday season.

Any festive Christmas traditions for soon-to-be newlyweds would be greatly appreciated!

Dear Neighbors, Part 3 December 12, 2009

Dear new neighbors,

Andrew told me about you two while I was away. First to you Mr. Man neighbor- Andrew mentioned that everyone in the apartment could hear you beating your girlfriend. Evidently people heard the thuds and your poor girl was screaming and crying. Neighbors were yelling at you through the windows telling you they could hear you beating her and you still didn’t stop. Luckily some people had enough sense to call the cops. Clearly you are a douchebag.

When I returned last Saturday and heard what sounded like some serious sex occuring in the late afternoon, I actually thought I was hearing our other neighbors. But this sex did not sound like the sex that we usually can hear. You guys sounded REALLY into it. At least you did Ms. Lady neighbor. Yes, it partially did sound like you were being beat up- but when I heard “YEAH, YEAH” I figured you just like it rough. When I went into the bathroom again, I could hear you crying. Why oh why were you crying? Maybe you were just playing along out of fear because your creep boyfriend would beat you up again if you don’t fulfil his sleazy desires. I have never even met you but already I can see that you two have some SERIOUS issues.

I’m not sure what went on in the following 40 minutes but when Andrew and I returned from picking up dinner and a movie, your drunk trash boyfriend was on the ground being handcuffed by 5 cops.

While I do enjoy interesting neighbors, I don’t enjoy guys who beat up and possibly rape their girlfriends and wives. No one in the building wants to hear that. Someone needs to head to rehab and/or jail and someone else needs some major counseling. Good luck to you both.

P.S. I do like your Christmas stockings that you’ve hung in the window.