Adventures with Public Transportation

So far I really enjoy public transportation.  I am sure that after awhile I will miss not being able to just jump in my car and fill the back of my car with Target bags or visit friends without having to first look at a tram schedule.  But right now it seems very metropolitan….and it’s relaxing to not have to drive!!! 

Kelly is working at a new client this week which is in the suburb or Mt. Waverly so she wanted to practice how to get there on public transportation.  This seemed like a pretty good idea as she got lost on her first day of work and ended up having to go back into the city to take a taxi!  When she told me where the client was, I realized that I have a client later in the year that is located in almost the exact same place so I decided to “practice” the route with her.  We found out that the commute would take nearly an hour and we would have to take a tram, train, and bus to get there!!!

Our adventure started a little after 1:00 on Sunday.  We went to a tram stop just a few blocks from Kelly’s apartment.  Our tram came within just a few minutes – so far so good!  The tram ride was around 20-30 minutes and then we had to get off at the Malvern train station to take a train to Oakleigh.  We successfully bought the Zone 2 tickets we needed and made it to the correct platform for the train. By now we are thinking this is really easy.  Not sure what we needed to practice for!  We arrived in Oakleigh  and followed the signs to where we would catch the bus.  All of the bus stops are located just outside the train station so it wasn’t too difficult.  Unfortunately this is where the “adventures” begin.  We arrive in Oakleigh around 2:10 and then realized that the bus we needed to catch only comes once an hour on the weekend (more during the week).  We had just missed the 2:05 bus so we were going to have to wait until 3:05.  We contemplating just trying to walk to the client as it said it was only a 6 minute bus ride (which didn’t seem too far).  Instead we decided to get some food because we hadn’t had lunch yet.  Luckily there were plenty of sidewalk cafes very close to the train station and we decided on one that had delicious Greek food!

 We made it back to the bus stop and didn’t have to wait long before the bus arrived.  Good thing we did not decide to try to walk to the client site, as a 6 minute bus ride is actually quite a bit further than you might think!  The trouble with a bus is that they don’t call out what the next stop is.  So we had no idea where we were supposed to get off.  The directions told us to get off on Ferntree Gully/Gilby Road.  The good news was that we were on Ferntree Gully (hoping the bus would not turn!) but how were we supposed to know where Gilby Road was?  We were both laughing very hard while frantically trying to look out the window and figure out when to request a stop. Luckily Kelly saw the street that her client was located on and signaled for a stop.  We never did figure out where Gilby Road was.  Fortunately we got off at the right place and easily found both of our clients.  AS we had feared, the bus back also ran only once (or maybe twice) per hour.  We ended up sitting on the sidewalk by the bus stop for about half an hour, the whole time laughing that our one-hour commute practice was taking us all day. 

We made it back through the reverse route without any trouble, but we definitely weren’t looking forward to do that commute on a regular basis.  I’m sure you’re all wondering……Kelly did manage to make it back there on Monday all by herself.  As for me, when I got to work on Monday and looked at my schedule I realized that my client in Mt Waverly had been taken out of my schedule.  So I spent 4 hours on public transportation for nothing…………..except the pleasure of Kelly’s company of course!!!!

Other random thoughts for this week:

·         After softball games when we shake hands, people say “thank you” instead of good game.

·         One drawback of public transportation…the rain.  I have learned that I must always keep my umbrella in my bag!

·         Cricket might be the most boring spectator sport ever.  However, I am going to try to learn the rules and plan on going to the Ashes Test (Australia vs. England)

·         My shipping container is not due to arrive until Dec. 18 and then has to clear customs which will take approx. 2 weeks.  I can’t wait for the rest of my shoes to arrive! J

·         There are insanely loud birds outside my current hotel room.  I wish I could upload an audio clip of them.  I think listening to them may be making me go slightly crazy.

·         I did not have any turkey or pumpkin pie today for Thanksgiving, but I did eat some creamy butternut pumpkin, which was delicious!

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead!

Wow! What a busy weekend!  This probably contributed to my sore throat and stuffy nose, but that’s okay – I can sleep when I’m dead!  

Drinks….

I would have to say the weekend really started on Thursday this week. Thursday afternoon our start group took a tour of the CBD (and we got paid for this!).  We learned some Melbourne history and found some fun shopping/drinking establishments in just a few of the many laneways around the city.  After the tour we headed to Collins Quarter for drinks (free!) with some partners.   I needed to leave early to check into a different serviced apartment in St. Kilda because the one I was currently in was full for the weekend.  The group convinced me to come back after checking in.  Amanda made me pinky swear, so I had to come back!  I don’t think anyone thought I would actually come back because they all started cheering when I walked in.  I think people should start doing this every time I walk into a room J

Theater….

After work on Friday, Kelly and I met Summer Anderson to see the musical Hairspray.  Summer is in Australia studying abroad for the semester and was in Melbourne for the week.  I worked for Summer’s parents at House Doctors in college and had told her mom to have her call me.  I’m glad she did because Kelly and I had been talking about wanting to see Hairspray but we probably wouldn’t have done it otherwise.  The show was amazing!  The lead actress was great – I wish I had dance moves like her!

Sport…….

Saturday morning we played beach volleyball in the Corporate Games.  Kelly and I played on one of the Ernst & Young teams.  Neither of us were thrilled to have to get up before 8:00 on a Saturday, but once we were there the early hour was quickly forgotten.  Saturday was a gorgeous day for some volleyball at the beach!  We played 3 games and had a great time, despite only winning one game.  My volleyball is coming in my shipping container and now I cannot wait until it arrives!

Food and friends…..

After volleyball Kelly and I met Justin and Kiz and their friends, Trevor and Claire, for lunch and some drinks at “The Espy Bar” in St. Kilda.  They were so much fun!  I especially enjoyed Claire’s story about her night with her personal trainer and Trevor making fun of Claire’s stupid comments and then pulling out his phone to show that he actually writes them all down!  We were excited to have some Aussie friends and decided we are going to get them to invite us to one of their BBQ’s soon (hint, hint if you are reading this Justin and Kiz!  Justin - I know you have nothing else to do at work at the moment!)

More drinks….

What else would I be doing on Saturday night??

I don’t want to bore anyone so I’ll save my Sunday adventures for another post.  And an apartment post really will be coming soon!

Back to Work!

My month long unemployment has finally come to an end L  I started my new job on Monday, November 15 (also the first day of a new job for my brother and my parents’  35^th wedding anniversary!) What a good day!

The Friday before work started, Kelly brought me to an EY social club event.  The Melbourne office has a social club that costs $10/month and they organize all kinds of activities throughout the year.  I was able to sign up for the social club so I didn’t have to pay the $45 non-member entrance.  Unlimited drinks from 5-10 and finger food…for only $10 - sounded like a good deal to me!  I met quite a few people and even met a few people who I would be working with on one of my engagements.  I also met one of the girls who would be starting with me on Monday.  Here is a picture from Friday night:

Although I have been at EY for 4 years, I still felt nervous about starting in Melbourne.  What if everything was different?  What if the people I started with weren’t friendly?  I quickly realized that I had nothing to worry about! My start class is made up of 9 people:  4 from the UK (Charlotte, Valerie, Emma, and Graham), 1 from Germany (Verena), 1 from New Zealand (Naesan), 1 from Canada (Amanda), 1 from France (Jean-Julien), and 1 from the US (ME!).  We spent the morning getting to know each other and the Melbourne office and most importantly getting set up on Lotus Notes and Sametime!  After lunch with our buddies (like peer advisors in the US), we were shown to the floors that we were assigned to and had the rest of the afternoon to just get set up.  That was the easiest first day ever! 

I think I have already been nominated as the party planner of the group (it’s just like Minneapolis, without Rachelle!)  With Kelly’s prompting, I emailed my new group to see who wanted to have drinks after work.  8 out of 9 joined (Graham thought the invite was for the following day!) and we wandered into a small bar in one of the many laneways.  We had a few drinks and then moved on to dinner at a Thai restaurant on Lt. Bourke Street.  The group also had lunch together on Tuesday and dinner at an Italian restaurant on DeGraves St that night.  Here is a picture of our group (minus Emma and Amanda):

I am so glad I got to start with a big group of people.  I can tell we are going to have a lot of fun over the next two years!

In other news:

·         Our softball team is now 2-0 and I haven’t struck out yet!

·         Kelly and I signed a lease on an apartment (I’ll dedicate a whole blog to that process, including pictures, soon)

·         Matt, Kelly, and I are going to Fiji Jan. 1-7!

A Day at the Races and Other First Impressions

I was greeted in Melbourne by sunshine, blue skies, and a man in a suit holding a sign with my name on it (sorry everyone, I did not get a picture of him).  I arrived on a Friday morning, but because I had spent the prior 4 days in Korea and had a pretty good sleep on the plane, I was ready to explore to the city!  And most importantly I was ready to see Kelly!!  Kelly was my BFW (Best Friend at Work) at EY in Minneapolis. Kelly moved to Melbourne at the end of June.  As soon as we were reunited it felt like we hadn’t been apart.  That’s how it’s supposed to be with great friends right?

On my first night in the city Kelly took me to dinner with “the French” on Friday night – some fellow EYers and spouses who are from France.  Saturday was spent at the races.  The week I arrived was the Melbourne Cup Carnival.  We attended Stakes Day which is the last day of the Carnival.  It was so fun to get dressed up and go to the races. Next year I am definitely getting a big hat! 

I don’t start work until Nov. 15, so this week has been spent mostly exploring the city.  I now feel pretty familiar with the CBD area (downtown) and to some extent St. Kilda also (where we plan to live).  I at least know how the trams that take me to St. Kilda from CBD!

  Tuesday night I had dinner with my friend Chhing who was part of the Contiki trip I took in 2004.  Chhing and I had dinner on Lygon Street which would be considered the “Little Italy” of Melbourne.  After dinner we walked around the Docklands.  The Docklands is a fairly new area with lots of restaurants and bars along the Yarra River.  

On Thursday I took the free bus that circles the city back to the Docklands to the Harbor Town Shopping Center.  There are lots of outlet shops there and the prices are much better than shops in the city.  Also on Thursday I met up with my friend Justin for coffee.  Justin and his wife Kiz were part of the tour group I was with this summer in Africa.  Kiz was sick so she could not join, but I am looking forward to seeing her soon!  It’s so great to already know people in the city!

Here are some of my random thoughts from my first week:

·         I find myself eavesdropping on people’s conversations a lot just because I like to listen to their accents.

·         The money here reminds me of Monopoly money so it is very easy to spend it.  I need to remember that I have been without a job since Oct. 13!  The smallest bill is a $5 so change also adds up fast with $2 and $1 coins.  Matt reminded me that dropping change on the ground is more dangerous than it used to be!

·         Diet Coke costs about $2.20/can or $3.50/bottle.  This should hopefully motivate me to cut my caffeine addiction.

·         Kelly and I saw two penguins in St. Kilda – this just solidifies why I want to live there!

·         I haven’t had any Tim Tams yet.

·         People here are way trendier than I am.  I need to find a bar that will let me in wearing a kickball t-shirt and flip flops (yes, I'll be wearing pants too).

·         Subway is one of the cheapest food options so I have been there several times.  So noticeable differences:  green peppers = capsicum (I knew this one from Annie!), they have sweet chili, hot chili, and tomato sauce.  Who wants ketchup on their sandwich?  You can add pineapple to your sandwich.  And they have smoothies which are pretty good!

My computer is not letting me upload pictures at the moment so I will add more later! 

First Stop - Seoul!

Okay everybody, here it is…the widely requested and highly anticipated first submission of my blog, “Livin’ in the Land of Snags and Tinnies.”  I have never written a blog and do not claim to be funny or eloquent but I will do my best to fill you in on life down under.

First I should explain the blog name.  I wanted a blog name that was somewhat Australian but not too cheesy.  I asked for help from my Australian friends,  Belinda and Annie,  because I think they are hilarious and I knew they would come up with something entertaining.  I combined a few of their suggestions to come up with “Livin’ in the Land of Snags and Tinnies.”  Snags = sausages and Tinnies = cans of beer.  I like sausages (keep your mind out of the gutter Jody) and I like beer…..so it seems this title was fitting! 

Now that you are up to speed on my blog title let’s back up a few days.  On Oct. 30 I left the US and few to Seoul, South Korea to visit my friends Jon and Amber Scearcy (and baby Lincoln!). I did not have a lot of time in Seoul so we packed as much as we could into 3 days.  Amber was a great tour guide and I was impressed by her knowledge of the city – and her ability to tell a cab driver how to get to her apartment. – I would have been lost without her! Here is a brief recap of my time in Seoul:

Nov. 1 – Jon had the day off for Samsung Founding Day so he got to join us for my first day in the city (I think every company should have their founding day as a holiday – it’s a great idea!)  We started the day with a waffle.  Waffles don’t make me think of Korea but there are waffles everywhere.  We tried a waffle with ice cream (vanilla and green tea) and fruit (kiwi, oranges, and bananas).  Delicious!  As you continue reading you will see that most of this vacation revolved around food:

We continued our day by visiting a palace which I cannot remember the name of but it was massive and beautifully painted (see picture below).  It was at the palace that I realized Amber wasn’t lying when she said Koreans love Lincoln.  Girls asked to have their picture taken with him, everyone would stop and ooh and ahh over him, take pictures, etc.  I have never seen anything like it!

I had my first Korean BBQ for lunch.  Like most Asian countries they eat with chopsticks but they at least provide you with a spoon.  My chopsticks skills are not great, but they improved greatly during my visit.  Our waitress held Lincoln during our meal so Amber could eat (this happened at nearly every restaurant we went too).  They really believe in high-quality customer service!

That night Amber and I took the recommendation of several of her friends and visited “Doctor Fish.”  Doctor Fish is located in a coffee shop.  For approx. $2 and the price of a cup of coffee you get a 15 minute fish pedicure.  The fish eat the dead skin off your feet!

Nov. 2 – Today was the day of markets and street snacks.  Amber and I visited the Namdaemun and Dondaemun markets.  Our big purchase for the day included 5 street snacks.  There was so much fried food it reminded me of the Iowa State Fair!

Nov. 3 – Today Amber took me to the Rodeo Drive of Seoul.  We started our trip with breakfast at Butterfinger Pancakes (the cream cheese and mozzarella pancake was our favorite) and ended our trip with a stop at Royal Cupcake.   That afternoon we took a trip to the Seoul Tower for a view of the city.  The Tower was cool – I think my favorite part was the locks of love.  People purchase locks and hang them on metal trees and fences to symbolize the promise of lovers that they will stay together.  My final meal in Seoul was at one of Amber’s favorite restaurant.  We had a green onion and seafood pancake and a bulgogi hot pot.  The bulgogi hot pot was my favorite and a great end to the! trip!

That’s my trip in a nutshell.  I could have added a lot more but I am sure you are all getting bored by now.  The Scearcy’s are great hosts – if you are friends with them and have the chance you should definitely go visit!!!  Stay tuned for my first “Australian” post as I adjust to life in Melbourne.