Directional Dilemma

East........West........East.....

This was my mantra today. East as I walked away from the front of the house; West as I walked towards the front of the house. The mowers engine drowning out all sounds except those simple words emanating from the depths of my brain. (East)

I had hypothesized that if I repeated the appropriate direction whilst (that's the Australian version of 'while'...properly pronounced, it sounds like “while” + “st”) I mowed, the feeling of being directionally challenged would fade (I'm so glad I can still find ways to amuse myself). (West)

So, as I mowed even columns of grass, I attempted to right myself...as would a small boat on turbulent seas. (East)

A myna bird caught my eye, interrupting my mantra. Hopping along a swath of newly mowed lawn, looking for insects stirred up by the noise, vibration, or my thoughts [smile]....undisturbed by my presence – or for that matter – the presence of the lawnmower...which I feel is a far greater danger to mankind, birdkind, and the general environment than I...foraging for food, concerned only with what was in the present. Aware, but unafraid. Talking it all in stride. (West)

It's a curious thing, birds and newly mowed lawns. Regardless of country, state, city or town, birds love to graze on newly mowed grass. I ponder this for a moment. (East)

How did the birds in Australia learn about foraging in this manner? Did the birds from St Augustine sent word via the gulls (we know how chatty those gulls are)? Maybe the words came to Australia from Florida via Iowa and California. Gulls are everywhere. They congregate at Wal-Marts and Targets, eat at the best outdoor cafés, and holiday EVERWHERE. (West)

The perfect postal bird (no offense to the many pigeons out there...but pigeons must admit to an overwhelming sense of complacency bred into their newest generation...its all that white bread, and no real exercise). (East)

I think it must go like this....a giant network of gulls playing “Post Office”. You know the game...one person starts by telling another person something...that person tells another...and so it goes...it could have started anywhere...here to New Zealand, to South America, to Latin America, to Mexico, well, you get the picture...bird word travels where there are gulls! (West)

I do enjoy the birds here. Yasmin and I saw a Kookaburra two days in a row down at the duck pond along the Merri Creek path. We have Rainbow Lorikeets screeching in our neighborhood. The Myna birds chortle and sing for attention (as well as keeping me company whist [smiles] mowing), and the doves coo throughout the day. Wattle and Magpie may be the best bird names, and Sulfur-crested Cockatoo's entertained us one evening in Torquay. I have yet to see a penguin, a large wild parrot, and various other indigenous birds, but now that I have my bird book, I look forward to each new sighting. (East)

Ah, yes...my inner compass dilemma. This is my second venture to the Southern Hemisphere; my first being to Uruguay, South America. I traveled there with one of my best friends, Paula, to visit with her friends and family. In the two weeks we were there, I didn't worry myself too much with directional inconsistencies...the sun rose over the ocean and set over land...just like the east coast of Florida. (West)

But here in Australia, I'm slightly turned around. Melbourne is situated on the Southern coast of Australia just north of Tasmania, which means the sun rises over land and sets over land (more like Iowa). Okay...I can work with that...but there is one sticking point...the sun in in the NORTHERN sky, not the SOUTHERN sky...that's the crux...that's what throws me just a little left of center...it keeps me confused just enough to never quite “get” what direction we are heading. (East)

I do try and remember landmarks and points of interest...the CBD (central business district) is South of Yasmin's house, Murray Rd runs East and West, Preston Market is East of Yasmin's house, and Torquay is Southwest of Melbourne. All of this marking and planning is fine until we are in an unfamiliar area...then all bets are off....I am slowly surrendering to this, my directional dilemma, and don't let it occupy my mind too much. (West)

But it is one of the lingering differences I have felt whilst here in Australia. There are so many new and wonderous things to experience, though, it really does take a back seat to this dilemma.... (East)

More to come......

Sounds of Silence

(Thank you to Tracy Hodge and Megan Jericho for this photo of Kakadu, AU)

Sunday morning, Coburg North a suburb of Melbourne in the state of Victoria.

Squaaawwwk, screeeeech, chortle, coo, chirp, whistle – whistle – whistle- woop, cheeeeep – cheep – chirp, coo – coo – coo, dogs bark and warn away, cat next door mournfully meows to be let back indoors, the clock rhythmically registering the passing of a moment, cars racing in the distance, a truck pulling away from a red light, coo – coo – coo (I have to buy a Bird book showing me the birds of Australia), wind passing through my hair, someone closing a car door, a leaf dropping from a tree onto patio bricks, birds celebrating the morning the day the moment (I'm not sure), a fly scooting past my ear, myna birds taunting, parrots vying for space food a mate (again, I don't know), cawing of a raven (probably at the myna birds), larks, doves, screeching, tick tock, GIANT fly, a plane, a truck, cars (things are starting to stir up), creaking of the house warming up in the sun.

I sink into myself. Thoughts. A rumble. A peace. A different kind of silence. I remember that the silence of life lies in between the chirps and chortles, the creaks and groans, and truck engines. The dynamic symphony of life balancing with the silence in between. This is a good thing to remember. A comforting daily experience. Like a cuppa.


PS I went to Borders Bookstore and got that Bird Book...fascinating.

The Preston Market

I realize I just posted to my blog the other day, but I HAVE to tell you about today's WONDERFUL experience.

Now, before all my TM buddies get too excited, this was not a “Number One” experience during my meditation. I am still doing my program, but this experience was definitely here in the relative world!

Since my last post, we have continued to have showers on and off...some during the night...others in the afternoon. Today, (which happens to be Saturday) Yasmin and I decided to tackle some home projects. We took out the kitchen sink, removed the old faucet, and installed a new one...we tended the garden...we did some house cleaning...we ate some breakfast...showered...and went to the Preston Market.

A little background...Preston is the adjoining suburb to Coburg North (where Yasmin's house is located). About 1km east of the house is a large market place called Preston Market. The market opened in 1970, and is located right by the Preston train station. You can find just about anything there. Household goods, Chinese vendors, Indian food vendors, sushi, coffee shops, cafe's, clothes, electronics, etc. The fresh food is abundant, and ranges from organic to local to ethnic. It is a bustling place that is open from Wednesday to Saturday. It seems like most of the local population is at the Preston Market, especially on Saturday.

So, since EVERYONE was there, Yasmin and I decided to meld into the madding crowd. We stopped at Gordy's Wood Fired Pizza (located at the market, but accessed from a storefront facing the parking lot) and ordered a large vegetarian pizza (could we please substitute pineapple for peppers [capsicum here in Oz]? “Sure,Sure...no worries.). Needing some money to pay for our meal, we walked to High St and visited our respective ATM's. Pizza was waiting for us upon our return (I think I am beginning to LOVE Gordy's). We had a wonderful, mouthwatering pizza (I think there should be a law that ALL pizza places should make their own dough from scratch...and use fresh ingredients...that's not asking too much, is it?).

After fortifying ourselves, we decided to venture into the bowels of the market and pick up a few veggies. Let's see....how to describe this...hmmm...Macy's on Black Friday...no, not ethnic enough...last minute food shopping at Publix...no, not loud enough....I know...standing amidst a screaming throng of football fans (Aussie rules or NFL), and trying to make your way to the restroom with no time to spare.

Well, there may have been a little more shoving/jostling at Preston Market. You get my point.

It seems that around 2:15pm or so on Saturday, most of the vegetable vendors are trying to rid themselves of produce which will not last until Wednesday's market. So imagine this. Every person there trying to get the produce they want at the best available price. But you have to have the reaction time of an Olympic athlete. Here's how it went.

ONE DOLLAR...ONE DOLLAR...ONE DOLLAR...BOX...ONE DOLLAR...(Cheryl) "zucchini?"...ONE DOLLAR...(Cheryl, thinking 3 for a dollar) "OK"....he puts the whole box (about 12) of zucchini's in a bag and holds out his hand. At this point you better put money in that hand, or your bag of goodies could end up in someone else's cart.

So off to the races we went...in addition to the zucchini we got a box of tomatoes ( $2 ), a cantaloupe (called rock melon - $1), asparagus (about 1kg - $1), 3 mangos ($1), 2 ears of corn (.50cents), and 3 heads of lettuce ($1). We passed up the strawberries, capsicum, apples, oranges, beans, and many, many other fantastic buys because I don't think we could have eaten them before they became too ripe.

But it was an adrenaline rush. Pure and simple. We were engulfed by people of all nations. They were tall and short. Round and thin. Loud and subdued. They were in burkas, t-shirts, jeans, shirts, shorts, and pants. They were speaking English, Lebanese, Chinese, Indian, and more dialects I wasn't sure what country they came from. It was a microcosm of the world...and yet it wasn't. It was exhilarating and exhausting. I thought of my Mom and how she would have been in her element. How she would have loved the insanity of it, how it would have reminded her of winning big at the casinos. I thought of this and smiled, because I realized how, at that moment, I was my Mom, and I was every one of those people at the market.

Yes. Today was a WONDERFUL experience.

Summer Rains, 15 years of Drought, and Bob's your Uncle

Being here in another country, I am slowly acclimating my mental perception, physical presence and intellectual ear. While the intellectual ear has been the most enjoyable aspect of my acclimation, whether its trying to understand someones Australian accent, or trying to remember the vernacular of Melbournites, the most important acclimation has been to the needs and concerns of the Australians themselves.

One of the most basic of needs for life is water. Here in Melbourne, water, the lack of, the collection of, or the distribution of, is on everyones mind.

The facts are this:
1. Melbourne has a population of approximately 4 million people (and growing)

2. The average yearly rainfall 653.1mm (26.12 inches), the current rainfall is at 605mm

3. The Dams (which store Melbourne's water supply) have a capacity of 1,810,500 megalitres (approx 476,477,368 gallons) are collectively currently at 37.9% full

4. This November, Melbourne's low temperature is approximately 5ºC ABOVE average, and the high temperature is approximately 6ºC ABOVE average

5. Melbourne has had drought conditions for about 15 years.

Melbourne is at stage 3 water restrictions which include:

1. no watering of lawns at any time

2. no hand held hoses on vehicles

3. you can use tap water to clean your vehicle's windows, mirrors and lights

4. you can use dripper systems or hose (must have a trigger nozzle) for gardens between 6am and 8am, and 8pm to 10pm (even number houses can water on Saturday and Tuesday, and odd numbers can water on Sunday and Wednesday)

5. Every person is asked to use no more than 155 litres /day (about 41 gallons). The restriction may increase to 100 litres/day (about 26 gallons), but voluntary action is preferred to actual legislation.

Now for the good news.

1. Although the Water Storage is at 37.9% capacity, this is up from 33.8% last year.

2. This November is shaping up to be one wet month (about 75mm or 3 inches) so far. Rather than getting lots of gentle rainy days though, we have had massive rainstorms which do not always fill the reserves, but do green up people's lawns and gardens. Last Sunday, many suburbs (townships like Coburg) of Melbourne received a month's worth of rain in one day. Today, Thursday 26 November, we have had several strong storms move through the area, including a couple of thunderstorms.

3. Many people install tanks to capture rain water from their gutters. Throughout the neighborhood, you can see signs saying “Tank Water In Use”.

Melbourne is not necessarily leading the “Green” charge, but solar panels can be seen on people's roofs, recycling is commonplace, mass transit is available (buses, trams, and trains), and most roadways have bike lanes. The politicians argue about setting CO2 emission levels (most electric is generated via coal power), and what legislation should be set concerning global warming.

But what is interesting is that climate change is front page news. I'm not saying every Australian believes that we are in the midst of a dramatic global climate change, but the newspapers cover climate change as real and news. In fact, in Wednesday's paper (I am referring to 'The Age' newspaper), pages 4 and 5 are dedicated to climate issues and how the government is going to deal with business and personal demands and cost. It is refreshing to see a country of 20 million people dealing with environment concerns in an open manner. Right now, the leader of the Liberal party (which, I have learned, is the equivalent of the Republican party in America) is under tremendous pressure because he is siding with the Labor party's (loosely like the Democrat party in America) emission trading deal. The Labor party is the party in power right now in Australia. Only time will tell if the government will enact laws to restrict emissions and conserve resources. Considering that the government is saying the population of Australia is slated to increase by 15 million people by by the year 2056, every move is critical.

OK...now for the lighter side of life here in Melbourne. A Few of my favorite expressions from OZ....

Bob's your Uncle (don't worry Dad, I know you are still my father!) - this means “everything done and dusted” according to my expert translator, Yasmin Horsham.

Take Away – as it pertains to food; we Americans know it as “take out” food

Football – during the Australian winter this means AFL or Australian Rules Football. No pads, no helmets, no stoppage of play. Soccer is called soccer. If you are from NSW or Queensland, football refers to Rugby. Go figure.

Feral – gross, yukky, dirty, stinky, etc.

Give Way – on a street sign it means “Yield”

Way Out – Exit

Tomato Sauce – Ketchup

Ta – thanks

Darling – used in place of 'Honey' or 'Sweetie'

No Worries – used in place of 'no problem' or 'you're welcome'

Ahhhh, relearning 'proper' English according to Yasmin! Will write soon...see you later...love from the land of Oz.

Cuttlefish - How exactly does one cuddle a fish?

First, I must apologize for my writing delay. It's funny how one thing can lead to another, and all the while, time keeps on ticking. Next thing you know, a week or month, or year has passed. A good reminder to make sure that you do not procrastinate, if you know your thought is the right thing to do, take the time to do it. Fit it in to your day, your life, your routine...the Nike corporation was right...”JUST DO IT”.

Enough about Tiger Woods (who, by the way, was in Australia last week playing in the Australian Masters – Australian's are just ga-ga over him – and he won!).

ANYWAY...

Yasmin and I are in Torquay (pronounced “Tore – Key”) for the next few days. I have had the lovely opportunity to meet her parents, Tony and Kath, and sink my toes into the pristine waters which lap up on the south Australian coastline.

And what a coastline it is. From afar you can see the turquoise water and the deep dark blue water form a line of demarcation not far from shore. Up close, the water is cool and crystal clear (except for various pods of seaweed and kelp). Now when I say cool, I mean about 15C (C for Celsius). Which, I believe, is the perfect segue for a discussion (not really a discussion, unless you choose to comment, this is more a one sided dialog...which at times can be lonely...I'm not whining, just saying...). So...without further ado...Celsius...

Here in Australia, the metric system is in full use. Actually, the metric system is in full use in most of the world. I grabbed this fact from Wikipedia:

“According to the US CIA World Fact book in 2006, the International System of Units is the official system of measurement for all nations except for Burma, Liberia, and the United States."

Ergo, when in Rome...yadda, yadda, yadda...but seriously, I have to convert to metric. Yasmin and I developed a simple system for converting temps, which may come in handy if you are going to read my blog. Here it goes...every one (1) degree C equals 1.8 degrees F. That being said, every 5 degrees C equals 9 degrees F. Here's a handy chart:

Celsius Fahrenheit
0º 32º
5º 41º
10º 50º
15º 59º
20º 68º
25º 77º
30º 86º
35º 95º
40º 104º

Australia has experienced quite a heat wave this spring...temps in Melbourne have already hit 36º, and in Adelaide, the temps have hit 40º. Remember, it is spring here...kind of like our May month.

So, now that you are all metric savvy, I will only refer to temps in Celsius...more on centimeters and kilograms later....

Back to the coastline of Australia. Today was a gorgeous day with the temps hovering around 20C. This morning, Yasmin and I drove Jemmah (her beautiful border collie) to the dog beach. The sun was bright, the skies bluer than blue, and the breeze off the ocean a bit “fresh”. We walked along the shore, throwing rocks into the water for Jemmah to bound after, when I spied something white against the tan colored sand. I called Yasmin over and asked her what it was. A cuttlefish, was her reply. Intrigued, I started collecting them as we walked along. Having never seen a Cuttlefish, I looked it up on the web when we got home. Here's what I learned.


“Cuttlefish belong to a group of animals known as cephalopods. Cephalopods are a sub group of a much broader group of animals known as mollusks. Most mollusks possess an external shell consisting of one or two parts, such as oysters, abalone, scallops and snails. The shell in most cephalopods has been reduced in size (or completely lost) and shifted to the inside of the body to form a structure more like a backbone, and it is this cuttlebone which is often seen as cuttlefish washed up on the beach. The giant Australian cuttlefish is one of the largest cuttlefish species in the world, and can reach up to 60cm mantle length and weigh up to 5kg.” from the Government of South Australia PIRSA Fisheries website.

Here are some of the cuttlefish I found along our walk. I placed my foot in the picture to give you some sense of size.



I found some VERY large cuttlefish “backbones”, but they were broken, so I did not photograph them. I will be on the look out for large “cuttlebones” on all future outings.

I must leave you now...I am having FISH AND CHIPS with Kath, Tony and Yasmin...well, not really. Yasmin and Tony will be having curry vegetables with Udon noodles, compliments of Yasmin, and Kath and I will be having fish and chips compliments of the fish and chips shop. Yum. Will write with more frequency.

Melbourne Sunday Morning

Tea and Crumpets

Before I delve in to Sunday morning tea and crumpets, I must first thank nature for supporting me in my Internet endeavors. Let me explain. Yasmin has been in the US since late April 2009. Upon her return at the end of October, she stayed in Torquay with her parents until several days before my arrival. Having just 2 ½ days to ready herself (and the house) for my arrival, meant not checking her email. A couple of days after arriving, when I was able to focus my attention on more then just eating and sleeping, I attempted to use Yasmin's Internet connection. For some unknown reason, the connection would not work, and our attempts to use her Mum's connection failed also.

Soooooooo, until that problem was rectified, we were going to explore the use of the local public library, and/or an Internet cafe we saw on High St in Preston, the next town over. I had decided to boot up my laptop and start a new document in OpenOffice Writer, when I had a small, yet satisfying epiphany. I would check for any nearby wireless connections.

And so, piggybacking on the “AP” unsecured wireless connection came to be. I am being entirely truthful when I write that I am indebted to whomever and wherever this connection springs forth. I am aware of my nefarious deed, and promise to only use the connection for email and posting this blog. And know, that this is only temporary. So, to the One Who Owns the “AP” wireless network in Coburg, Victoria, my deepest gratitude to you. You have ensured my connection to my friends and family, and eloquently removed any and all vestiges of my personal anxieties. Well done, and regards from Cheryl, the Alien in Australia.

And now, back to the story...

Yes, Virginia, there are such things as crumpets, AND you can buy them at the mini mart. Quite interesting, these creatures of the bread and muffin world. Looking a bit like a moon scape on one side and a pancake on the other, crumpets are a perfectly thought out and constructed breakfast/tea muffin. I say breakfast muffin because I enjoyed my first crumpet during Sunday morning breakfast. Allow me to digress for a moment...

Sunday mornings have to be my favorite morning of the week. A morning that you can casually wend your way through with no disparaging looks from ANYONE. It is the one morning of the week where, not only can one quietly immerse themselves into themselves, it is expected. Whether your church is down the street, or at home, we find our quiet spot and sit. Ergo, Sunday morning is sacred to me for many reasons. Back to our story...

The beginning of our Sunday was not to find the elusive crumpet, but to garner the biggest prize of Sunday morning...the Sunday newspaper. We took a roundabout walk...partially through the neighborhood, partially through a grassy water pipe easement. Once we got to the store, we picked up the Sunday newspaper (we chose “The Age”, one of the major papers in the state of Victoria), and perused the aisles for some bread for toast.

There, right next to the English Muffins, were the Crumpets (I just LOVE that word! CRUMPET...sounds like TRUMPET...and, according to Yasmin, Scrumptious...especially with melted cheese and tomato!). Crumpets are perfect because all the little holes on the top allow whatever is smeared on it to soak into the entire crumpet! We snagged a bag, and were off. Back at the house, we put on the kettle for tea, cut up some melon, and toasted some crumpets. HEAVEN. We set up outside on the porch, opened up the paper, and listened to the birds cackle and sing to the morning. PERFECT. Nothing left to say.

Travel Day November 2, 2009

The Departure

LAX Monday November 2, 2009 8:45p (scheduled departure 11:05p)

My sister and brother-in-law, Jeanne and David, endured evening traffic on the 405 to deliver me to Tom Bradley International terminal. To say that most of humanity was in the terminal would be an understatement. Think of an open market in Bali or Costa Rica where everyone has an agenda, and no one is coordinated with anyone else.

Big breath, exhale. After checking in at the ticket counter, and turning my bags in for the TSA x-ray, I went to a sushi restaurant and grabbed a roll and hot green tea. Ate the sushi, took the tea. Stood on the security check line for quite a while, but since I still had a couple of hours before take-off; “no worries”.

Got to the gate (123), along with the other 449 passengers (really, the plane holds 450 passengers), and decided to stand while I was waiting to board. The thought of 15hrs on board the plane was daunting, so standing was one way to take my mind off the trip. As I looked around, I realized how every other passenger had a story, a perception of what was going on, and trepidation about the 15hr trip. Actually for some of the passengers, this was merely one more leg of their trip. One couple, traveling with their daughter (she looked about 2 yrs old), was on the second leg of their trip, having started in NY. Depending on the length of their layover, they would be traveling for about 24 hrs.

This made me think about a comic routine I saw once where the comic stated the obvious about air travel. He said isn't it strange that we complain about the length of our plane trip; the layovers, delays and cancellations. I mean, we are traveling across the country, the world, to other countries. Here I am taking a trip around half the world (7943 miles; 12782 km)...a trip that would take me weeks, if not a month, by boat and I'm whining about 15hrs. Well, I was going to be encased in metal flying over the ocean...which has a 5 minute whine allowance attached to it.

The Plane Trip

I was seated in 84C...about 3 rows from the very back of the plane. My thought is that every child ticketed on that flight was in this section. They cried and howled. Or maybe that was me. I had taken one Melatonin upon boarding, and was VERY sleepy, so the noises could have been coming from anywhere! The Melatonin relaxed me enough for me to fall asleep...before takeoff...in fact, I barely remember the takeoff. I slept for 6 or 7 hours. The rest of the plane trip was uneventful...save for the howling children, the “faulty” lavatories, and the lack of immigration forms. But, once again, “no worries”.

The Arrival

We landed early...9:20a (Wednesday November 4, 2009) and sat on the runway for 20 minutes waiting for an open gate. That should have been my first clue! Got off the plane, and immediately noticed two things. The first was that there were no “EXIT” signs...there were “WAY OUT” signs. The second thing was there was no Spanish. Every sign was in English only. I was not in Kansas any more. So I got an immigration form, stopped to fill it out and take a bathroom break, and continued to the immigration line. We did the Disney World snake line, and after about 40 minutes, I stepped up to the counter and was admitted into Australia! Then I got my suitcases, put them on a trolley, and got on ANOTHER line. This only took me about 15 minutes. I was directed to the security x-ray (for luggage) where I unloaded both my suitcases (the weight allowance was 23kg per bag...I was allowed 2 bags...one of my bags weighed 22.5kg the other 21.5kg) and my computer bag...as I started around the machine to pick my bags up, the worker asked for my handbag as well. Picked up my bags, put them back on the trolley, and exited the immigration area...FREE AT LAST! I looked for Yasmin...no Yasmin...I pushed the trolley towards the coffee shop where she said she would wait...no Yasmin...now I was getting a little anxious...what if she was in an accident, or stuck in traffic? Breathe. I thought to myself...”Let's just have a cuppa and relax.”...it was then I realized I forgot to pick up my handbag from the security check! So, now I had to locate someone who could get back into the secure area...found airport personnel who directed me to INFORMATION, (on the way there I FOUND YASMIN :-) who had returned to her car to get her phone because I was so late in getting out of immigration) who directed me to CUSTOMS....where I found someone who could go back into the secure area...and who returned my handbag!!!! Lack of sleep kept me fairly sane, and finding Yasmin helped me to relax. Remember, I thought, “No Worries”.