Look!

My new web banners are up on the NBL website... check it out! There are 4 that rotate I think every time you load the page.

not the milkman's child?

i was catching up on my brother's blog today, and i had a HUGE grin when i read this paragraph...

"This weekend was the first time in over a month that I've had the chance to really just be in Prague, without any kind of rehearsals to attend or trips to think about. And it made me realize something (I might start an entire new blog called "Evan's realizations" because I think I already have enough content for it. But that was not the realization). I am in love with this city. It's not like a "I loved studying here" or "I had a great semester here" or "This place is so pretty" or "I want to visit again" (all of those are true, but after a while you kinda become desensitized to how awesome the place is in those senses). It's more of a "this city owns a part of me" kind of thing. I want to live here again, not just in a college-student-studying-abroad-wishes-he-could-just-party-constantly way. And I could live here, really live and work. I don't feel like that about anywhere but Chicago."

i guess he and i are a lot more alike than i ever gave us credit for!

Happy ANZAC Day!

So, yesterday was ANZAC day. (click the blog title for the wikipedia explanation of ANZAC day.) I guess comparably it's like our Memorial Day, but of course, in true Aussie fashion, any holiday here means you drink. So, at about 2pm i met my friends at the bar, only to find i was walking into insanity! the place is huge and it was packed!! people were waiting 20 minutes to get a drink at any of the 4 bars, the ATM line was over an hour, and clearly getting food was just simply not even considered. somehow i found the boys, out back near a huge crowd that were screaming and cheering... no idea what was going on. Apparently there's an ANZAC tradition to play this game called 2-up. this bar was one of the ones in the area hosting it, hence the crowds. there was a crowd of people in a circle standing on grandstands and the balcony and the ground around this center area where two older guys were moderating this game. the old guy was dressed in a hilarious sparkly gold suit and funny hat and waving his arms everywhere, and the other slightly younger one was in a red velvet suit and matching hat. in one corner of this little area, someone from the crowd stood with a flat wooden stick that had 3 coins on it. he/she had to toss the coins above everyone's heads and, when they landed, whichever side (heads or tails) had the majority face up won. here's where it got nuts: the rest of the crowd is screaming before the coins are thrown, holding up different dollar values - some on their heads, some by their butts. if you wanted to bet heads and you had $5, for example, you'd yell "5 on heads, 5 on heads!" until you make eye contact with someone else in the crowd betting the same dollar amount against you. then the person betting heads takes the other's money to hold onto until the coins are tossed. once the bets are cut off and the coin tosser is about to throw, everyone chants either "head 'em up!" or "tail 'em up!". if the coin tosser does a bad throw (aka, not high enough, rolls off the playing area, etc.), the ENTIRE crowd starts booing! one of our friends was trying to convince me to get in the middle and throw, but i didn't think i could handle being booed by that many people:) people were betting $50 a toss or more! it's such a funny concept though, because really the "house" doesn't benefit at all, and it's just an exchange of funds amoungst the crowd! in reality though, i guess the bar wins because everyone that won was using their winnings to buy more drinks:)
so that was most of the day, till about 10 (yes, 8 hours!)... Wazz, Paul, another girl Amy, and I took the bus back to Coogee at that point and because they were all WAY too drunk to get into the CBH (our usual after hours spot), they gave up and we went to the Rugby Club for free drinks:) somehow, this turned into a debacle! Amy was behind the bar at one point and started spraying Wazz with soda water from the drink dispenser. Wazz of course fired back, and it turned into all out war! Paul grabbed me, kicking and fighting, and held me in the line of fire; somewhere along the lines a bucket came into use; and, at one point Amy accidentally started spraying Coke and Lemonade! I fought with as much as i could -- even grabbed onto the door handle while paul was trying to drag me by the legs -- but in the end we were all incredibly wet and VERY sticky! the bar was a little bit of a mess too:) don't worry, there are pictures and video of all this! well, some anyway cause most of the time i was fighting with paul for my life!:)
Happy ANZAC day!

Virginia Tech...

Even the front page of the newspapers here is about the insanity a VT... Something I found interesting though was the letters australians wrote in regarding our ridiculous "right to bear arms". I know this is all anyone is hearing on the news, but I felt the need to email these to show you what people in a country so similar to the US think of us:

"Australians can be thankful that they do not have the same obsession with firearms as Americans. The tragedy at the Virginia Tech university campus yesterday would not have happened if guns were not so readily available to just about anyone in the US. Isn't it time for the Americans to amend the Constitution giving ordinary citizens "the right to bear arms"? When that Constitution was written more than three centuries ago, American needed guns to protect themselves against the natives. But nobody other than the police, security officers and the military needs to bear arms in the 21st century. I hope the next US president has the courage to change the gun laws in that country."

"'He was just a normal-looking kid,' said a fellow student of the mass murderer at VT. Was the commentator aware that US ails are filled with tens of thousands of 'normal-looking' people? Decidedly abnormal - at least in the eyes of sane and honest Americans - is that in the state of VA, the only 'character reference' that is required before you are able to stock up on an arsenal of lethal weapons is a current drivers' license. It looks as though Baghdad is not the only dangerous environment for US citizens."

"The latest massacre in the US comes as no surprise. If students know anything about US foreign policy since WWII, they only have to recall a few names - such as Guatemala, Vietnam, cambodia, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Chile, Nicaragua, Grenada, Libya, Panama, El salvador, Yugoslavia, Haiti, Afghanistan and Iraq - to know that if you don't like someone, you either bomb the hell out of them, machinegun them to death or sell someone else the weapons to do the job for you."

Also, in a press conference at our office today (about something ENTIRELY unrelated), the head of Basketball Australia was asked if they would start thinking twice about sending players to study and play in the states (one of the australian bball players was at VT). His response, and my American friend and I were a bit upset by this, was something along the lines of, "as a father, yes i would think twice. i think it's very important to consider the gun control laws in the US before sending our loved ones over and potentially putting them in danger."

Honestly, i'm not one to get too vocally involved in politics, but this is truly absurd that an international student (who wouldn't even have a valid driver's license!) got a hold of TWO hand guns?? what on earth is the purpose of allowing civilians to own handguns -- cause they're definitely not for hunting animals! It's really hard to sit here and listen to people in a country that is so culturally similar to the US consistently bash us -- and honestly, for good reason, in my opinion. how come the rest of the world has it figured out that there is no need to allow guns in everyday society and we can't seem to get past the fact that because it was written into the Constitution over 200 years ago that it should still be valid today? Conservative Jews understand that certain customs and beliefs in judaism that were once strictly believed might not be applicable in society today -- so shouldn't that apply to other absurd laws? For example, the town of Evanston used to have a law outlawing bowling alleys for religious reasons...

I'll end my rant with this: what finally made me burst into tears about this (because normally i would just be pissed off and not-so-much emotional) was hearing the story of Professor Librescu who managed to survive the Holocaust, and died years later saving his students from another soulless psycho -- on Holocaust Memorial Day.

My summer vacation

Ok, so not really "vacation", but I have figured out (i think, haha) what I'm doing when i get back to the States.

For those who live in the greater LA area, mark your calendars for the weekend of May 19-21! I'll be arriving in LA from Sydney a few days before that and staying till monday or tuesday. Dance classes and A-list parties are a requirement for this time period.

For those in the greater Chicagoland area, mark your calendars for May 23-28ish! I'll swinging through to trade clothes and pick up a car and there will be a Cubs game in there somewhere. (hopefully)

For those in the western PA area, after chicago, I'm off to lovely Woodward, Pennsylvania. Where is that, you ask? Well, it's in the absolute middle-of-nowhere-Amish country, about 25 minutes from State College. Why the hell am i playing with amish people this summer? I'm actually going to be playing with famous gymnast and action sports athletes! haha:) I'll be coaching gymnastics and helping orchestrate visiting teams, coaches, and athletes at Camp Woodward (aka, gymnastics and action sports mecca!) I was there a few years ago when i was working on Gravity Games and i really wanted to go back and get back into coaching. Plus, let's be honest, that lifestyle is perfect for me: high energy every day, active, and surrounded by athletes. I pulled some strings (yes, i'm good at that) to get in touch with the camp director, who assured me that i'll be involved in a lot more of the behind-the-scenes management and hospitality stuff associated with running the camp -- and not just coaching.

i better get to see everyone in all those areas this summer!

best discoveries ever!

The two reasons I can now officially live here:

1) lactaid! yes, i found lactase enzyme caplets just like lactaid!
2) the equivalent of No Pudge Brownies. (these are chocolate chip muffins and chocolate cake though, but whatever, all tastes the same)

happy. yes, very very happy:)

an interesting bus ride

Ok, this happened a few weeks ago at this point, but I still thought it was worth writing about...

I was waiting for the bus home after the gym one night, and the other girl waiting with me was a Muslim girl. I'm struggling now to remember where exactly she said she was from, but that part is relatively insignificant, minus the fact that english was her second language and she was very strictly Muslim. We started chatting, commiserating about how long we'd been waiting for the bus and why the previous one had mysteriously just not come (public transportation can be a huge pain in the ass here...).

I asked her why she was in Sydney.

She was 23 and had come with her husband, who decided he wanted to work for 6 months abroad. She hadn't really wanted to come, but was obligated to follow him. She was doing some studying while she was here, and also working at a local fast food place. She told me this was the first time in her life she'd worn jeans. She also told me how much she was dreading getting up the next morning at 4:30am.

Why, I asked, are you getting up at 4:30am? (thinking that seemed a bit early for any uni classes.)

To pray, she said. I pray 5 times every day, but it's been hard with school and work because I get to work at 4:30pm and i'm done at 10, so I can't pray before dinner or after. So, I go home now and pray for a long time, then get up in the morning and do it again. Plus, I cook for my husband.

(I'm reminded how much i love the feminist movement at this point!)

We chatted more on the bus, mostly me asking her questions. I asked her why she prays 5 times a day. She said, because I have to...

She told me that tonight was the first night she was ever out alone after dark. Slightly shocked, I asked why.

Because it's not safe in my country, she said. The women always have to have a man with them if they want to go out after dark. The men are OK, but women should never go out alone. It's not safe.

Yikes...

We chatted more and somehow got to the topic of drinking. She told me she's never had a drink. Of course I asked why. "Because I'm not supposed to."

Why?, I asked again. (this was entertaining for me.)

Because they say so. (they??...) yes, because alcohol makes you do bad things.

ok.

(talking about food now) she complained that she was getting fat as she got older because all their diet is is rice and meat and fish -- not pork though. I said I really liked sushi and mediterranean-type cuisine, and that I didn't eat pork either. I decided to throw in, at this point, "because I'm not supposed to."

Why?, she asked.

Oh, because i'm Jewish, I said.

Silence for a minute... I was VERY interested in how this conversation was going to go.

she says tentatively, so, do you believe in just one God?

yes, I said.

Oh, she said.

I should also say that earlier in the conversation she made a reference to Ramadan, and was very shocked when i not only knew what that was, but also that they fasted during the day for it. it didn't surprise me that she knew nothing about judiasm, and probably had never met a jew, but i was really really interested in what went through her head right as i said that. I'm sure the only thing she's ever heard about jews was any of the fighting going on in the middle east and all the negative stereotypes that come along with that. Unfortunately, the bus ride ended right at this point (talk about bad timing!), and I haven't run into her since. I'm really really hoping to run into her again sometime soon...

Swimmin' with da fishes

Ok, i've been a little slack in the writing, sorry, but it's been because I've had a visitor! Scott finangled his finals schedule so he could spend a week and half out here with me in Sydney. He had to spend most of the days during the week wandering the city without me, but last weekend we took an AMAZING trip out to the reef off the Whitsunday Islands.

We left Saturday afternoon from Sydney, and I learned that in the airport here if you check in at the self check-in and aren't checking any bags, you really don't get asked for ID... little scary. We also had all our toiletries and razors in our carry-ons -- imagine that! Those were the days... Anyway, we got up to Airlie Beach around dinner time Saturday night. We had to be at the bus stop at 7am Sunday morning to leave for our trip, and genius that I am, I forgot that my phone didn't switch back the hour time difference when we got to Airlie Beach; so, the next morning when we went to check out (at what was actually 6am), we were a little confused why the girl who works the front desk was lazily rubbing her eyes and questioning why we wanted to leave at that time. We figured it out about minute later. Hey, it's the only time i've been early to something in my life!:) To pass the hour we wandered down to the lagoon and actually watched a beautiful sunrise over the water and mountains (or maybe large hills?).

We got to the marina to board our boat and the VIP treatment began! It was pretty funny: we asked someone if we were in the right place to board for the "ReefSleep" and immediately we were escorted by our hostess, Heidi, to the front of the line of everyone else boarding the boat. While everyone else milled around, we were sat down and offered coffee and tea. Then Heidi informed us that we were being upgraded from the bunk room (it was cheaper) to the honeymoon suite! We about died laughing at that, but hey, we weren't turning it down! After a VERY rough hour on open water (I can proudly say I was the first of many onboard to puke into my little barf bag), we approached ReefWorld - a pontoon that's been anchored on Hardy Reef for the past 18 years. The water was relatively flat out by the reef because the coral blocked most of the currents (thank god!), so I managed to keep down food the rest of the trip.

The boat was incredible! There was a sundeck, picnic area, snorkel ramps, mini-store, underwater viewing chamber, kitchen, and sleeping quarters for the crew. There were only two sleeping rooms for guests (one with the bunks, one for the "honeymooners"). One of the more cool little toys out there were two "semi-submersibles". They looked like submarines, but never went below the surface. It was another way for people to get to see the reef, essentially. You go below deck and sit on the benches inside and look through the glass bottom while they drive the little sub around various parts of the reef -- getting very very close to it at times! There was also a platform below the boat for scuba divers that they could mechanically adjust the height of -- which of course they had to raise when i went down there because I couldn't touch the platform without the water going over my head.

As part of our VIP package, Scott and I got to do 2 dives! They have quite the set-up for intro diving. First, you learn all the scuba skills standing on the platform under the boat. Then they sit you on the edge of it underwater and you practice them again. Then you simply swim forward from there and grab onto the ropes directly in front of you which lead to a little underwater ropes course over to part of the reef. It was definitely a smart idea for people who'd never dove before! The videographer at this point was swimming around us, and just before he got a shot of me and scott waving to the camera, I noticed he'd written "Just Married" on his little underwater clipboard... Again, we laughed:) Back on our scuba ropes course, we got to hold starfish, sea cucumbers, and a few other reef creatures, then took pictures of "Nemo" in an anemone before retracing our rope path back up to the boat. There was a HUGE wrasse that is always swimming nearby and apparently the dive crew have adopted as a pet. We pet him a few times as he circled around us. Our guide actually held the fish's head between his hands and kissed it on the mouth! I think the crew need to take turns getting off the boat more often...

At 2:30 that afternoon, the boat we took out to ReefWorld started to head back to shore and Scott and I were literally the only two (plus all the crew) still out on the reef. The tide was low at this point, and the reef was sticking out of the water. (check out my ofoto pics to really see the difference!) To best describe, Hardy Reef is essentially a circle shaped reef, with the coral forming the outline of the circle and the middle just being water. So at low tide as the water level drops, all that water in the middle has to escape somehow. This is what Heidi and Tiff (the hostess-in-training) called "The Waterfalls". We took a ride about 1/4 way around the reef to see... they really were 3 channels where the coral separated and all that water from the middle could rush out of the middle of the reef, essentially creating a strong current and rapids. It was SWEET!

After that, Heidi and Tiff escorted us on a private snorkel tour out past the normal snorkel boundaries. We got an incredible view with the tide so low because we could get closer to some of the lower pieces of the reef wall (the "drop-off" in Finding Nemo), and these had some of the more unique and colorful corals. Unfortunately and unbeknownst to me at the time, the underwater camera i was using at this point was halfway filled with water... Fujifilm will be receiving a very upset note! But, as VIP treatment entails, Heidi simply handed us a new one when we got back to the pontoon. Still missing all those pictures, but at least we got a few more out of the deal.

Appetizers/dinner that night was just for me and scott and served at the picnic area staring right at the sunset... yeah, i was pretty much in heaven:) Not expecting too much from food cooked on a permanent pontoon, we were both shocked to see a huge plate of veggies, cheeses, and prawns, followed by steak (for scott) and fish (for me), salad, garlic bread, and pretty much open bar. Ridiculous. After dinner and sunset, Heidi put two big beanbag chairs in the viewing chamber and we all chilled and watched the fishes.

The next morning was our ride on the semi-submersible, followed by dive #2, and then a couple hours snorkeling. I decided that to avoid being cold and scraping myself on the coral during the snorkel i'd wear a stinger suit AND a wetsuit... not something people do when snorkeling and i looked utterly ridiculous:) The stinger suit was a bright blue, full-body piece of nylon that even covered my head and hands! on top of that was the short, black wetsuit. Scott called me a smurf :)

The way home wasn't nearly as rough as the way out there, and this time i did manage to keep everything down. (yey!) We got some gorgeous pictures of the Whitsunday Islands on the way back this time too! I haven't quite figured out how to post a link to my pics yet on this crazy blog thing, so if you haven't seen them yet, just shoot me an email and i'll send the link your way.

more updates to come soon... (sooner than 2 weeks, i promise)

the sun shines again

Wow, a much better mood this week! Apologies to those of you that i scared with my abnormal behavior last week! :)

So anyway, my weekend turned out to be quite perfect! Friday night I was supposed to meet my friend, John, and his friends in Coogee, but they were running about an hour late. So, to entertain myself, i wandered into the newer of the Coogee bars, Cushion. (oh, sorry, i'm tossing terms around. Coogee is the yuppie beach town that we always used to go out in when i studied abroad here. Once the school year starts it's flooded with American study abroaders and the aussies start calling it "little america"... all my favorite jappy girls and frat boys!) But anyway, I was at this newer lounge bar that faces the water and is just my style. I went in and ordered a drink and proceeded to just relax, enjoy my specially made cocktail, and wait for the crew. One of the things i love about traveling, and it was like this in europe too, is that i absolutely don't think twice about going to a bar alone. in fact, i love it! inevitably i end up talking to people in the bar or making friends with the bartenders (NEVER a bad thing!). this was a "make friends with the bartenders" night. there were two guys behind the bar who were semi-bored and very entertaining. One started making up drinks and offering them to me to try. Then i challenged his skills and told him to peel an apple from the fruit bowl in one peel. he proceeded to try and fail with every apple in the bowl, and then moved on to cutting them up and eating them -- offering me pieces as well. Eventually my friends got there and we headed off to go dance to the cheesy hiphop remixes at the bar next door. One of John's friends was a crazy, wirey kid who danced all over the place and decided we should attempt to salsa to the house music they were playing. ever try that? it doesn't really work...

Saturday i went back to coogee to watch the Ironman Series on the beach! There was a women's race and a men's, and it consisted of a swim, paddle of sorts while kneeling on a surf board, and a kayak - all around the same markers in the water. The order of the events switched each time, which i thought was nuts because you really have no way of training transitions. The race started with 18 participants, and the bottom 6 finishers were eliminated. The top 12 had 5 minutes to recover, then did the whole race again! -- in a different order!! Again the bottom 6 competitors were eliminated, and again the top 6 had a 5-minute recovery period before competing a third time! Each race took about 10-15 mintues and the whole thing finished in an hour. I can honestly say this was the first athletic competition i've watched that i had NO desire to ever try...

Sunday i decided to try two dance classes back-to-back at the Sydney Dance Company. Street Jazz and Jazz Funk Hiphop. Street Jazz scared me a bit at first, but i ended up really liking it! JFH was awaful. The girl teaching did mostly modern/jazz movements - no funk or hiphop -- and for those that ever saw me compete floor in gymnastics... i'm not graceful. it wasn't pretty.

This week has kicked off with a bang and i've been crazy busy! I hopefully secured myself a summer job coaching gymnastics and cheerleading and acting as housing director at the huge gymnastics/action sports camp in PA. i'm WAY too excited:) Thursday morning Scott gets here (yey!) and I also have an interview with Octagon Sydney! Most likely not for a job, just an internship, but i'm aiming to impress the hell outta them and make them hire me! (that sounded confident, right? ok, good... i'm trying.) :) work is busy this week as we put together the final details for the huge annual awards dinner friday night. Oh, and i have a new website banner up on our homepage! www.nbl.com.au... check it out!:)

what makes me smile....

So, I was having one of those days yesterday - you know, the ones where it's not like anything specifically bad happens, but there's also nothing specifically good either. I haven't been sleeping great for whatever reason, and I'm sure hormones had something to do with my mood somewhere along the line, but regardless, I left work just kinda grumpy and unenthusiastic. My friend, Destiny, and I were planning on going to a hiphop class at the Sydney Dance Company later in the evening, but I decided when I got home from work that I wanted to just go outside and run/walk until then. I figured moving around and fresh air would help. (I think sitting in a desk all day is starting to get to me... my shoulders are knotting in enthusiastic agreement right now.)
So, I ran into the city - always a mistake at rush hour because you're more worried about dodging people on the sidewalk than cars. I got near the Botanic Gardens (which is just east of circular quay and the opera house, and where i used to run to and take fabulous sunset pics) and realized that the gates were all shut for the night. Great. It was about dusk at this point. There wasn't really a sunset because it's been cloudy/rainy the past few days, but the light of the day was at that point where it's just light enough but all the street lights and night building lights have come on. i was rounding a bend on the path at this point, trying to figure out some other way into the gardens and all the sudden i found myself standing at an elevated point just southeast of the opera house and looking right at it and the rest of the harbour... when i say i stopped dead in my tracks i'm not joking. Now, i've seen the opera house and the bridge a million times - day, night, sunset, you name it! - but for some reason, last night was the most incredible view i've ever had! There were hundreds of people lined up on the watersedge, having a cocktail, taking pictures of the giant cruise ship also docked in the harbour, and just relaxing; and for some reason, the lighting on the opera house was subtle enough at this point that it really brought out its true beauty. I stopped running and just stood there with a big grin:)
Still not feeling 100% happy (because at this point i'd only gotten to run stopping and starting for about 15 minutes), i decided to cut through the wharf and up to the harbour bridge and over it. I made it across the bridge and stopped to stretch quickly before turning around - and by this time it's completely dark out - and again, i froze. Maybe it was just me being a total sap (yeah yeah, i am, i know), but the timing of snow patrol's "chasing cars" on my ipod just completed Moment #2. I just stood there for a minute staring at the beauty of this city and breathing...
it's moments like those that remind me how much i love it here - when something as simple as seeing an iconic building lit up at night can change my entire mood.
Lisa the Sap, signing off....

fabulous weekend!

This was definitely one of the best weekends I've had in Sydney so far. (ok, well, this time around!)

Thursday night I met my friend Rachel in an area called Liechardt (pronounced: Like-heart). It's known as the Italian part of the city and has a collection of fabulous restaurants! We grabbed a bottle of cheap wine and wandered over to the "Italian forum" -- a nice area resembling a piazza with restaurants all around the outside and apartments above it. We took a quick wander around, checking each menu and trying to decide on a place, when Joe, the friendly host at one of the restaurants, informed us that we shouldn't come into his place but should instead go across the piazza to the other place we were debating and tell them he sent us. Is it normal that the host of one restaurant told us to go to another because "it's better"... hmm, probly not. So, Dante's it was and it was definitely fabulous! We made friends with the host and waiters (of course!) and they had an entertaining time telling us jokes and providing deep insight and widsom on love and life. do i bring that out in people or something?? anyway, for the foodies out there, i had Tasmanian salmon drizzled with olive oil and served over couscous with raisins and almonds with sun dried tomatoes on top. SOOO yummy!

Friday night was the BBQ with Rachel and her friends. Nothing too crazy but Rachel was bent over a toilet by 1:30 after going shot for shot out of a whiskey bottle with her 20-year old brother. She spent the rest of the night apologizing to everyone for nothing and trying not to fall over... it was pretty funny:) I spent the night talking to her boyfriend, his friend, her brothers, and a couple of the girls. fabulous people and great conversation turned into 4:00am somehow! those nights are the best, don't ya think?:) plus, her boyfriend and i have organized a karaoke night for the musically challenged. i'm excited:)

Saturday was the Mardi Gras parade... i'm not talking mardi gras like beads and boobs in new orleans -- though i guess there are both in this one. Mardi gras in sydney is a gay and lesbian pride celebration. so, beads and boobs, but also thongs (i'm talking guys), drag queens, high heels (still talking about guys), butts (yeah, still guys), and lots of leather...
It was definitely a much bigger deal than 4 years ago and now they sell tickets to get a seat on the street along the parade route! The rest of the population of Sydney was stuck standing on milk crates trying to see over the fencing they put at the outside of the street. Needless to say, my basketball player stature (sarcasm) didn't allow me to get to see a ton, but i could hear it all! RuPaul was the kickoff act of the parade! "work, cover girl!" I wish i could try to describe the amounts of people dressed in drag and leather and do it justice, but you'll have to take my word that you've never seen anything like this! At one point I jumped on a nice guy's milk crate with him (does that sound weird to anyone else?) and could see a bit down the street. 4 lanes of street flooded with people, lights, fireworks, and bounded by multiple storied buildings with people packed on the balconies. I'm hoping the couple pictures i took will come out -- particularly the sign held by the gay Jews saying "Jews make the cut!" :) One of the girls in my program, Destiny, and I wandered down Oxford St. while the parade was finishing up and decided to join the rest of the population by stopping in the bottle shop, buying a bottle of wine, and pouring it out into Starbuck's cups to drink as we walked down the street. i love screw-top wine! and can you say ghetto superstars?:) She stopped to bum a smoke from a guy who we found out had just moved up to Sydney. We asked him how he was liking it. His response: "i've had sex twice today, went for a surf, and now i'm drunk... i love it!" sigh, i love australia:)
After the parade, in the middle of the mass exodus on Oxford st., we managed to find a friend of mine and a couple of his mates, and they took us to a great hiphop club!! yes, HIPHOP!! For those that don't understand the significance here, aussies don't do hiphop - only house music, which i hate. Alana and i tried to find a bar that played hiphop while she was here, and we lasted 3 songs before being completely scared of the guys that were getting closer and closer to us and running out of the bar... So you can imagine how overjoyed Destiny and I were at finding this place! Cloud 9:) We finally left at 3, exhausted and starving, and stopped at Hungry Jack's (Burger King, but for some reason not called that). Yes, i ate that. (scott, don't even think about making a comment...) They actually have healthy options here and i had a plain grilled chicken breast on a honey wheat roll. only i would still think about healthy options at 3am... anyway, finally got home and in my usual fashion, made it to the couch and passed out sitting upright. i'm such a rockstar sometimes:)

Sunday was spent having coffee and relaxing on coogee beach with my friend John (beach is pronounced Kuh-gee, not COO-gee...), and then an incredible night with Destiny and Chris (one of the guys from our program who was up for the weekend from canberra). We decided to take him to Bondi Beach and found a cute restaurant with outdoor seating (sidenote: i LOVE warm weather!). After a very tasty dinner and the two of them polishing off about a bottle of wine each, we were delivered the LARGEST bowl of gelato i've ever seen! (maybe we should have thought about the fact that the restaurant was called the "Gelato Bar Restaurant" when we ordered the large...details) A charming little old aussie man felt it was necessary to come over to our table as the bowl was being put down and tell me that i should be careful because that would make me fat (as he motions by pinching and pulling out on his sides). gee... thanks. so, just to spite him, we polished the whole thing off :) at that point, a ridiculous lightning storm was moving closer to us and we decided it would be a GREAT idea to go down to the beach and watch it -- and it was!! the three of us ran like little kids through the sand, chasing the seagulls, and frolicking in the water while shreaking in delight every time we saw a huge bolt of lightning shoot down :) talk about just enjoying your surroundings!! at midnight we finally decided it was time to catch the last bus back to the city...
:)

cool projects!

Well, i haven't gotten myself into quite as many ridiculous situations as the previous report, thanks to work starting and keeping me busy most days of the week, but I have gotten to work on some pretty cool projects here! In fact, the most recent one is actually online at www.nbl.com.au. i did the banner graphic with the players and the "2007 Grand Final" writing at the top of the page:) I also got to make the cover for the Grand Finals media guide, and create the slideshow for the annual league awards dinner! Basically i've been playing in photoshop a TON... who knew all those hours i spent fixing pictures would actually turn into something beneficial!:)

Last week we got to see an NBL game (probably will be my only one, unfortunately). It was definitely a different experience! Picture a DIII school with about a high school playing level... Unlike in the states where most of the pro teams have arenas that are also used for entertainment events, here it's the opposite. Some of the teams don't actually have permanent venues and even so, they're mostly entertainment venues used for sport. So a few of the typical stadium items were obviously missing: jumbotron, electronic signage around the arena, stadium concourse... quite weird! It definitely felt like more of a theatre than a stadium. The other obviously missing part of the game (well, obvious to me) was promotions. Normally there are promos run at every quarter break, timeout, halftime, etc. and the prizes are usually sponsor-donated. The only sponsored promotion at the Kings game was a Philips cheering contest for a set of headphones. Philips is actually a league sponsor, not even a team sponsor. (sorry, that was completely uninteresting to anyone not working in sports...)

Up for this weekend is a BBQ with my friend, Rachel's, friends. Rachel and I met in Europe actually, when i was travelling, and wreaked some quality havoc in the city of Athens - but she's from Sydney so now we get to hang out again! Saturday is the huge Mardi Gras festival... it's not like the Mardi Gras you're thinking... this one is a gay pride parade complete with nudity, drag queens, and some bold political statements! I'll be sure to get some pics posted...

my first blog!

ok, so i decided to join the rest of the world and use a blog instead of email (hotmail has been getting on my nerves!). i just sent the following as an email, but since i need something to post, i'm putting up here too!:)

The Semi-Summarized Updates from Down Under:

FIJI (jan 22-25): well, primarily a logistical nightmare, but quite beautiful! We learned that pretty much everyone working on the islands is psuedo-related - which means they basically can all screw you over money-wise and there's nothing you can do about it! we had some knowledge of this going in, but nonetheless there were definitely some additional dollars tacked on where they probably shouldn't have been. anyway, in our half-daze at 5am (fiji time), La and i decided that we only had enough time for one island, so we chose one in the Yasawa chain of islands, called Waya. The Yasawas are further north than the islands most people we knew had gone, but we liked the idea for that reason - and because these islands are known to be younger, more volcanic, and have prettier overall scenery. Definitely were! Waya has 3 villages on it, and i think 2-3 resorts. The villagers on the island essentially are all related through their great-great grandparents (who apparently were all cannibals, according to the Fijian guy that took us trekking up a mountain... good thing to learn when you're alone on a mountain top! gulp!...) we spent most of the days laying in the very hot sunshine, sleeping in the shade in a hammock (the BEST pastime ever!), or taking random trips to the nearby village. we got a tour of the village the first day by one of the locals. we actually had to make sure to wear a sarong and t-shirt in order to blend in more with the locals. nonetheless, the little village kids stared at us like a sideshow attraction. the village was pretty incredible - completely self-sufficient! they grew all their own fruits and vegetables, and killed animals they'd raise for meat. there was a small boat they'd take to the mainland to get some staple items, but they survived for the most part on stuff they grew. the mountain climb, described to us as "an easy walk up the path," was not quite the stroll through the park the locals made it out to be! our guide did it barefoot, while alana and i literally climbed hand and foot up the dirt and hugged a rock for dear life! obviously the views at the top were worth it, but we were laughing at how much we had to struggle to get up there. our accommodation was little less than we'd hoped... food was included because obviously there's no restaurants anywhere on the island. anyone who knows my tummy knows that that's always bad news... thank god for protein bars! they were at the end of their supplies when we got there, so until lunch the last day, we literally ate: pasta, ramen noodles, french fries, toast, and rice. yeeeeeah. our private "burre" (little thatched hut) that we paid extra for was far from what we expected... it had mosquito netting over the beds (which apparently is normal, and the "better" the place you stay, the less holes in the netting!), a shower, and a toilet inside. the "doors" for both were ratty shower curtains falling off their hooks -- which was highly entertaining because you could see right into the hut! also, the water doesn't really run -- like, small trickle at best from the faucet -- so i "showered" using our water bottles, filled up from the outside spicket. i literally lived in my bathing suit and washed by jumping in the ocean for 2 days. stinky!! our last night in Fiji turned into quite the interesting adventure... (note: this will sound REALLY sketchy but it wasn't as bad as risky as some may think...) ok, so we met an aussie on the boat on our way back to the main island, where we were supposed to be crashing at a hostel and leaving for the airport early the next morning. this guy was hysterical and such a typical aussie that he definitely got me excited for getting back to sydney! he's the executive chef at a place called Turtle Island (www.turtlefiji.com) which goes for $2500/couple/night, minimum 6 night stay. all celebs and honeymooners. prior to that he was the executive chef at a restaurant called Jordan's in Darling Harbour - also one of the more expensive places in sydney. we had a great chat with him on the boat ride, and it turned out that he was on his way back to sydney for a few weeks to visit his girlfriend and friends and was on the same flight as us the next morning. somehow or other he decided La and I were quite entertaining (go figure!), and told us he'd get us our own room at the sheraton that night so we could relax and clean up from our 2-day island adventure. we clearly thought this sounded a little nuts (why on earth would he offer to pay for a hotel room for two random girls he just met??.... yeah....), but upon talking to him further realized that he just had cash to spend! he paid for nothing while he was working on the island and got a local rate at the hotel. we obviously had quite a few backup plans should something turn out WAY wrong in this situation, but everything was incredible! we had an amazing night at a GORGEOUS hotel -- watched the sunset in the pool on the ocean, had an amazing authentic japanese dinner (on him again! plus it was really neat eating dinner with a chef and listening to him describe his opinion of the food and wine), and got a little drunk at the hotel bar (ok, i was a LOT drunk cause i'm a lightweight, but whatever). the next morning we all departed for sydney! sadky, we didn't get to run into him again while we were here, but i'm hoping to have a chat with his girlfriend about hooking me up with a job at one of the posh restaurants in Darling Harbour, where she's still a manager!
SYDNEY (with Alana, jan 25-feb 8):La and i were incredibly lucky to have an amazing friend who let us stay with him and his roommate in their apartment in maroubra beach. we were literally a 2 minute walk from the beach! Cam (our friend from college 4 years ago) was actually moving out of his apartment february 5, and his awesome roommate (Wazz -- short for warrick) told us we could continue to stay with them until feb 8 when we left for our respective locations (La back to LA and me to cairns for orientation). so it was a bit hectic and the new roommate had two more roommates when he was moving in. these guys are the best:) we got to sydney the day before australia day (which is jan 26) and spent australia day with wazz mostly, tagging along with him and friends to BBQs, the beach, and various bars. it's sort of like fourth of july, but probably with a lot more alcohol... :) anyway, had a great day of sunshine and new friends and fun drinks! we spent the rest of our time hitting up all our old haunts and realized that all the bars we used to think were cool weren't so great anymore, and remembered that they don't really listen to hiphop here -- it's all house music at the bars. very disappointing! we went to a hiphop class at sydney dance company (just like old times), wandered oxford street and people watched at a cafe till 1:30am (all i have to say is drag queens...), did the coogee to bondi walk (a gorgeous cliffside walk through the major beaches on the east coast), shopped the markets, and caught up with old friends. it was so strange going out to the same places we went when we studied here and then running into people we knew from back then! apparently people don't leave:)i had a fanastic birthday weekend too! friday night we took our friend Cam to dinner, then managed to hit 10 different bars that night! (only drinking at about 2, but really just popping our heads in to reminisce) :) that was also the night we ended up people watching on oxford street (the dupont circle, or belmont & halsted, of sydney). saturday night La and I dressed up and went to a nice dinner in darling harbour. we ended up sitting next to a table of 4 guys, one of whose birthdays it was that night (feb 3). they brought out a huge chocolate cake and sang to him, and wished him a happy birthday -- telling him that mine was the next day. 5 minutes later, our waiter brought us each a piece of their cake! they had told him it was my birthday too and wanted to share:) it was adorable, and i got cake for my birthday! after that we wandered to a bar with a great view and 130 different cocktails on the menu. cocktails in australia are incredible because they mash up so much fresh fruit in them! its sometimes like drinking an alcoholic smoothie:) yummy! so, the bartender made up a drink for me for my birthday that had fresh mango, raspberries, and passion fruit, plus butterscotch schnapps, vanilla vodka, vodka, and triple sec, and shaken with apple juice! :) put it this way: we got the drinks 15 minutes before midnight to toast in my official birthday, and i had to get another before midnight because i'd finished mine while we were waiting for La's drink at the bar! it was so yummy:) sunday (the actual bday), we walked from coogee beach to bondi beach, spent the day laying out, shopped the bondi markets, and went to a yummy dinner and a drink with our friend Cam. did i mention i LOVE that i got to spend my birthday warm on a beach???:) i'm such a warm weather person! monday morning we roused ourselves earlier and headed to the rugby club with the boys to watch Rex grossman play like an ass in the superbowl -- not a good bday present from you, rex! did anyone see any good commercials?? we didn't get those here...La and i followed one of the Lonely Planet walks on the north shore of the city one day and were amazed at the incredible houses all on the water! they go for somewhere in the millions... (talk about something to strive for, sheesh!) neither of us had been over to that area before, so it was very cool to see a new part of the city -- especially when we thought we knew it pretty well!
MELBOURNE (jan 29-feb 1):halfway through our time in sydney, we went to melbourne for 4 days and had a fantastic time shopping our way through the city! we stayed with La's cousins out in caulfield (jewish suburb south of the city) and they were wonderful! totally hysterical and entertaining too:) we spent one whole day shopping at the markets and fun stores in the city, spent another on a great ocean road tour, and the final one wine tasting in the macedon ranges. the great ocean road tour was just like i remembered, but it was nice to have pictures in the sunshine. wine tasting was incredible! there were only 5 of us: me and La, and a cute danish family of 3. i was WASTED by lunch, of course. we ate at this delicious restaurant/vineyard where we got to taste all the wines before deciding which one we wanted to accompany our meal. the meal was tapas style but quite gormet, and dessert was the largest, fudgiest piece of chocolate cake i've ever laid eyes (or mouth) on! :) i learned that wines from victoria are not as sweet as ones from NSW because it's not as warm there (makes sense obviously). it was interesting though to taste some drier semillons and reislings. their unwooded chardonnay is delicious too! and for the pinot drinkers in the house, that's the specialty of the region. so look for pinot noir from victoria at your local wineshop!:)
CAIRNS - ORIENTATION:the same day La went back home, i flew up north to Cairns for the official orientation for my program. (yes, i FINALLY started the real reason i came out here)... there were 8 of us doing the internship program and everyone was actually pretty great! we had two formal orientation sessions regarding expectations and preparation for the workforce here, and spent the rest of the time enjoying ourselves! Cairns was having horrific weather -- tornadoes and storms for 2 weeks straight! -- but we were INCREDIBLY lucky and got the first sunny day in two weeks to go out snorkeling and diving on the reef! i'm not certified as a diver, and i initially wasn't going to do scuba dive, but the reef ended up being further below the water surface so i thought it might be cool. um, yeah, it was!! they basically show you the basics and then say, OK, let's go! so it was me and one instructor and since i was comfortable he just let me swim around and took me everywhere! we chased a sea turtle and i pet it:) we touched all these different kinds of coral and anemone (nemo's home!), picked up sea cucumbers, saw stingrays, stuck our hands in giant clams.... it was surreal! so yeah, big fan:) the underwater pics are fantastic too!! yey for kodak disposable underwater cameras! (i'll try and post them soon... but this internet situation SUCKS)
SYDNEY:headed back to sydney february 10 and finally moved into my "flat" at the unilodge! it's actually a hotel and apartments, in a sorta dodgy part of town, but not too bad. there will be tons of american study abroad students very soon, which i'm dreading. the room is a bit of comedy... no AC which SUCKS at the moment. our beds are lofted and you go up a very narrow spiral staircase to the little platform. they're both TINY and on REALLY rolly wheels though, so they move all over the place! we definitely played a little bumper beds when we first arrived!:) the "kitchen" is a mini fridge, microwave, and sink and we have absolutely no dishware, cookware, or utensils -- or really anywhere to cook anything either. the "gym" is a small area near the indoor pool (that part's nice!) that has a treadmill, 2 ghetto cross trainers, and a weight machine.... uuuuh, yikes?! clearly i joined a real gym so as not to lose my mind! i started work on feb 13 and it's been awesome. out boss is a total nutcase and is without a doubt more energetic than i am! (though his is fully caffeine induced.) he's been really great about asking us what we're interetsed and letting us get work to do in the areas we like. it's a pretty small office, considering there are four organizations and staff housed under one roof: basketball australia, the australian basketball association, and men's & women's national basketball leagues (like, NBA and WNBA). everyone seems great so far and it's definitely really relaxed (which i clearly LOVE!). the commissioner of the NBL (the mens pro league) is actually an american who started the sports management program at University of Oregon. it's so neat to be working in the same office as the commissioner (like saying David Stern and I work together); but at the same time, basketball here is NOTHING like it is in the US. it's definitely more of a 2nd or even 3rd tier sport. I worked the women's grand final game today, mostly doing promotions and setting up the corporate post-game party. LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED it!!!!!! it felt much more like a division III college game than a pro game (especially a championship), but that was part of what i loved:) the venue was SO ghetto -- about 45 minutes outside of sydney and no AC! apparently the olympic venue, which they wanted to use, was already booked for today. not sure why they wouldn't just try another day, but whatever. so yeah, very very hot and sticky, but so much fun being out on the court again throwing out balls and revving up the crowd! (ah yes, i'll always have a little of that cheerleader in me!) ;)
so that's pretty much it so far i think. if i remember any other fun stories i'll add them in, but the rest of them mostly have to do with the nightlife, so i'll spare you:)hope all's well back in the states!Cheers,Lisa:)