Good Arvo!

"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body; but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, red wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming..."

There are a few obvious cultural differences I learned and was quick to adapt to when I first moved to Australia. For one, coffee and alcohol lingo. As a lover of both these types of beverages, this was a must.

Many times I've tried to order a standard coffee with skim milk, but failed and ended up with an extremely bitter espresso or long black (espresso with water). Now, my wiser self knows to order a cappo or a skinny mocha because let's face it -the Starbucks cheap coffee that I used to crave is known as "watered down processed coffee" (as my workplace so kindly put it) and no one is going to serve this. Since coffee knowledge is a must in order to work in hospitality in Australia, I've been given numerous lessons at work....so now onto bigger and better things! I can make a cappo, latte, mocha, mochachino, long black, short black, affogato, baby chino....I can even make them strong/weak/hot/skinny...impressed yet?! Just still working on the burnt milk I get criticized for once every other day...

Alcohol lingo is pretty simple. Pitcher = jug. I've gotten used to it, but unfortunately - the "jug" jokes em and I get every so often by creepy men while waitressing aren't quite so funny. A pint of beer here looks smaller than I think it should be, but this is probably due to the fact that a pint averages to about 8 AU dollars...so watch out, your spare cash can disappear pretty quickly! Schooner - glass smaller than a pint. Pot - looks like a toddler's size cup....and yes, I judge any man who orders this.

Other cultural differences I thought I'd get used to pretty quickly, but unfortunately still haven't quite caught on...

1. Driving on the opposite side of the road. This will be interesting when we rent our car in two weeks...but what really gets me is the driver being on the right side of the car. I STILL, 3 whole months later, try and hop into a cab on the wrong side! I've definitely scared cab drivers one too many times for my liking. Also, passing people on the sidewalk has the same rules. Over and over again I play the game with the person walking towards me of who will pass to the left or pass to the right....haha let me tell you, this can get pretttty awkward.

2. I love the Aussie accent, as well as the English and Irish (when I can understand them). But some words are sooo funny! Aluminum is pronounced "AL-YOU-min-ME-Um" and my personal favorite - Oregano, which is pronounced like origami with an "0" at the end. When I move back home, I don't think I'll ever continue to say tomato sauce instead of ketchup, or prawn instead of shrimp....haha but for now I've conformed just so I don't have to deal with the judgemental stares.

3. Different sayings:

• "How you going?" This took me long enough to figure out that people were asking me "how I was doing" rather than a mumbled question asking where I was heading...
• "Ta. Ta" Ummmm excuse me?!? I was completely confused when people nodded there head at me and said ta....now, I feel bad how during my first days of waiting tables I reacted with a weird, confused look before walking away. "Ta" means thank you.
• Aussies shorten everything. Brekky = breakfast. Footy = football. Arvo = Afternoon. Stubby = short beer bottle. Swimsuit = swimmies. Standard rule of thumb, take off the ending of a word and add a 'y' or "ies" ending.
• Beautiful. You? BEAUtiful! The sunset? BEAUtiful! This sausage roll? BEAUtiful!!!! Aussies love this word, and especially when it comes to describing food!
• "What's the craick??" This is Irish, but I decided to mention it anyways. I'm pretty sure it means "What's the fun?" or "what are you up to". I've recently learned that when there's not much going on a good response is to say, "ehh, not much craick mate". Or I think this is what you're supposed to say....I'm still working on it.

The reason I came to write this random blog - Last month, I started working at a catering company called Food & Desire. The company is well renowned and holds events for many celebrities and upscale business parties. (Kasey Tympanick - I think this should be another reason for you to come visit!) The main venue is this BEAUtiful building in Albert Park - palm trees line the front entrance, a deck wraps around along the backside, and it's location is perfect...right on the lake with a breathtaking view of the skyline of Melbourne CBD. In the times I've worked there, I've catered for weddings, bat mitzvahs, disco balls, cocktails parties....and everytime I've experienced the feeling of "holy crap, I can't believe I'm here right now". I've had so many different experiences - from funny misunderstands and awkward conversations...to fist pumping at a music festival...bartending at a beach wedding by St. Kilda pier...to listening to the Australian Girl's Choir at an event during sunset over Albert Park lake...these are moments I would have never gotten to have if I wasn't here, right now. SO...even though I like to complain that I have to go into work on a Saturday night or that it's not going to snow this Christmas or that I miss my family....how great can life sometimes be?? So next time you're stressed at work or worried about getting your holiday shopping finished in time...take a step back and a deep breathe, you may realize that your day might not be so bad after all!

Cheerio, g'day, cheers, good arvo and talk to you soon! xo

Christmas in July

September. October. November....and now DECEMBER. I can't really grasp that I've now lived in Melbourne for over 4 months....some days it feels like I just got here, other days it feels like I've been here for ages. The weather doesn't really make it easy to tell how much time has passed either. I've now experienced my hottest day in Australia - 32 degrees celsius (97 degrees F), but all too quickly it was raining and back to 16 degrees (60 degrees F) by the end of the week. I travel across the world and I STILL live in the unpredictable weather of Columbus, Ohio. Haha typical.

The holiday season snuck up on me this year - most likely because it's warm outside and Melbourne's Christmas decorations look to me more like 4th of July has taken over the city rather than Santa Claus is coming to town. I just finished my Christmas shopping last week in the city; I was walking in the rain and looking at the palm trees decorated with red and silver stars....and that's when it really hit me on all the traditions I'll be missing out on this year.

Upper Arlington's night out before Thanksgiving. My dad's initiation into the drunken santa club. Black Friday with my mom and sisters. Christmas cookies - fighting over the fact that I want to make more this year, then never actually having time. Rudy getting lost in the snow trails. Falala lifetime with my mom. Scarfs. Mittens. Cold weather. Spiked hot chocolate by the fire. Picking out the Christmas tree. Four Families Christmas Party. Secret Santa. My mom's cooking. Looking for Christmas lights with Kel. My Ipod filled with 108 Christmas songs. Christmas Eve Party. Sneaking more baileys in Grandma Rita's drink. Family. The Night Before Christmas. Mimosas. Board games all day. Crying that the day is already over...

There are endless traditions that we create each year, some we keep close by for the years to come and some are just there to make funny stories. I've had my mopey moment, so now it's time to embrace the new traditions and memories I have yet to create. Christmas in Australia - santa hats and red "swimmies" on the beach, good friends (one flying all the way from Ohio to see us...can't wait to see you, Kyle Melling!!!), drinks and cooking a Christmas dinner full of American/Canadian/English traditions...yorkshire pudding with roast turkey this year??? Should be interesting!

My holiday season started out with an American gathering for Thanksgiving. Six of us got together to drink, listen to Christmas music all day and make our first Thanksgiving meal without adult supervision. Well, the stuffing of the turkey and taking out it's "giblets" was pretty disgusting...but I survived! Considering what Megan and I thought was going to be a disaster as we desperately searched the isles of 3 grocery stores the previous day (Aussies don't believe in canned pumpkin or cranberries).....Thanksgiving this year turned out to be one of the most fun I've celebrated so far! A pounding headache at work the next day and a pretty bad burn from the oven (warning - don't try to balance red wine and a hot pan at the same time) were basically my only regrets.

Sooooo...as I've continued to be lacking with communication and many of you have been asking...what have I been up to this past month?? Working, aussie rap concerts, working more, music festivals, still trying to get my mom to figure out the time change, making good friends and better friendships, reuniting with old friends (Shout out, Megan Ware), discovering scary spiders, coping with Melbourne weather and embracing new traditions.

Tomorrow Megan leaves to go back to the states, which not only makes me really sad but nervous for the two new roommates we will have to meet. On the bright side - one of my favorite people in the world comes to visit next week for Christmas!! Two more weeks of Carlisle street, then off to a New Year's vacation up the coast with Emily, Kyle and Chris!! So cheers to the holiday season and to whatever new or old tradition this year may bring you :)

Missing everyone back home, xoxo