I am staying with a wonderful couple, Christ & Eliane. In just a few short days I already feel like they are family. They have been a tremendous help in getting me oriented with our suburb, Cammeray.
They have gone out of their way to accomodate my dietary restrictions and drive me to where I need to go. So far I have been able to get a new cell phone with an Australian mobile number, a new bank account, and a library card. I have filed for my Tax File Number (TFN) which allows me to work and have my employer tax me correctly as a visitor here on a visa. Hopefully that will arrive soon. I have been to Office Works (like an Office Max or Staples) as well as Target and several grocery stores. Office Works even has it's own mascot, Ollie the bear.
Target here is not nearly as large as the stores in NC, but it still carries a little bit of everything you would expect to find. Overall everything here is slightly smaller. The stores, the vehicles, the houses, and the food portions. It has made me realize how much Americans love their super-sized everything, just because they can.
Let me pause a moment and tell you how amazingly easy it is to get gluten-free food here. There is a wide selection in all of the grocery stores. Nearly every restaurant has GF substitutions if not entire sections of their menu devoted to GF and vegetarian/vegan options. It has been wonderful to got get strange looks. Cashiers and waiters are very familiar with what a gluten allergy means and what items on their menu would not be safe to eat. While I have been cooking and eating most of my meals at the apartment, I have not gotten sick at any of the restaurants or cafes from cross-contamination either. Sunday night I had my first experience eating a kangaroo burger. It was delicious and tasted a bit like a cross between turkey, ground beef, and venison. Please excuse the messiness of the picture, we were hungry and cut into the burger before remembering to take a picture of it. The red colour is from beetroot, not blood.
The weather here has been lovely. Mostly sunny with highs in the mid to low 70s and lows around 55F. We keep the windows open most of the day to let the fresh air inside. I have been walking around in short-sleeve shirts because after NC's rather cold winter this feels quite warm. The brisk walks also keep me warmer. When I go into stores it has not been uncommon for a clerk to ask if I am cold without a jacket. As I have looked around I realize that most people are starting to wear coats and scarves. The tree leaves are just starting to show their colors.
This is Crows Nest, another suburb just west of where I'm living. It has a lot of cute shops, restaurants, and all of the bank branches on these one-way streets that start to form mini strip malls.
Below is St. Leonards Park. As you can see most of the trees are still green and lush.
The season is shifting into autumn here, so the Aussies are starting to feel cold after their warm summer. I have been warned that most people do not have heaters for the winter. They cope by wearing layered clothing and putting a few extra blankets on the beds because the temperature really doesn't ever drop that low. Everyone is already commenting on how cool it is getting. I guess it's all about perspective and what you are used to.
Today I tried the bus for the first time. Except for the fact that I just missed the bus I needed, so I had to wait 30 minutes for the next one, it was a pleasant experience. The drivers were friendly, the interior was clean, the stops were well-marked, and it literally dropped me off in front of the beach.
Chris drove me by Balmoral Beach on Saturday when it was pouring rain, so it was hard to see much other than the high tide. Today it was sunny and warm, filled with many families taking advantage of the pleasant weather.
I saw a lot of children and teenagers at the beach. Tomorrow is an Australian holiday (Anzac day) so I think a lot of people were getting a jump start on their holiday.
They have gone out of their way to accomodate my dietary restrictions and drive me to where I need to go. So far I have been able to get a new cell phone with an Australian mobile number, a new bank account, and a library card. I have filed for my Tax File Number (TFN) which allows me to work and have my employer tax me correctly as a visitor here on a visa. Hopefully that will arrive soon. I have been to Office Works (like an Office Max or Staples) as well as Target and several grocery stores. Office Works even has it's own mascot, Ollie the bear.
Target here is not nearly as large as the stores in NC, but it still carries a little bit of everything you would expect to find. Overall everything here is slightly smaller. The stores, the vehicles, the houses, and the food portions. It has made me realize how much Americans love their super-sized everything, just because they can.
Let me pause a moment and tell you how amazingly easy it is to get gluten-free food here. There is a wide selection in all of the grocery stores. Nearly every restaurant has GF substitutions if not entire sections of their menu devoted to GF and vegetarian/vegan options. It has been wonderful to got get strange looks. Cashiers and waiters are very familiar with what a gluten allergy means and what items on their menu would not be safe to eat. While I have been cooking and eating most of my meals at the apartment, I have not gotten sick at any of the restaurants or cafes from cross-contamination either. Sunday night I had my first experience eating a kangaroo burger. It was delicious and tasted a bit like a cross between turkey, ground beef, and venison. Please excuse the messiness of the picture, we were hungry and cut into the burger before remembering to take a picture of it. The red colour is from beetroot, not blood.
The weather here has been lovely. Mostly sunny with highs in the mid to low 70s and lows around 55F. We keep the windows open most of the day to let the fresh air inside. I have been walking around in short-sleeve shirts because after NC's rather cold winter this feels quite warm. The brisk walks also keep me warmer. When I go into stores it has not been uncommon for a clerk to ask if I am cold without a jacket. As I have looked around I realize that most people are starting to wear coats and scarves. The tree leaves are just starting to show their colors.
This is Crows Nest, another suburb just west of where I'm living. It has a lot of cute shops, restaurants, and all of the bank branches on these one-way streets that start to form mini strip malls.
The season is shifting into autumn here, so the Aussies are starting to feel cold after their warm summer. I have been warned that most people do not have heaters for the winter. They cope by wearing layered clothing and putting a few extra blankets on the beds because the temperature really doesn't ever drop that low. Everyone is already commenting on how cool it is getting. I guess it's all about perspective and what you are used to.
Today I tried the bus for the first time. Except for the fact that I just missed the bus I needed, so I had to wait 30 minutes for the next one, it was a pleasant experience. The drivers were friendly, the interior was clean, the stops were well-marked, and it literally dropped me off in front of the beach.
Chris drove me by Balmoral Beach on Saturday when it was pouring rain, so it was hard to see much other than the high tide. Today it was sunny and warm, filled with many families taking advantage of the pleasant weather.
I saw a lot of children and teenagers at the beach. Tomorrow is an Australian holiday (Anzac day) so I think a lot of people were getting a jump start on their holiday.
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