Good ON ya! = Good for you!
Fairdinkem = Still haven't figured out what this one means yet.
Have a Britney = Have a beer. Britney Spears; beer
Take a David = Take a shower. David Gower; shower. (I don't know who David Gower is)
How ya goin? = How ya doin?
Meant = supposed ("It wasn't meant to break")
Have a feed = Get some food
This arvo = This afternoon
I have picked up a few Aussie-isms myself. I end some of my sentences with, "hey?" now and I call my friends mates. It always sounds awkward when I hear myself say it, but I'm trying to fit in, hey? G'day, mates!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Kangaroo Sandwich, anyone???
Outside of the zoo I haven't seen a kangaroo yet....but I ate one! I had my first taste of kangaroo last week in the form of a burger. It wasn't too bad, either! It was a little chewy, but tasted similar to steak. I don't LOVE steak, so I didn't love the kangaroo. But it was alright.
Monday, February 18, 2008
The One Month Mark
I've been in Oz for a month now, and even though my awful sense of direction is still working against me I am getting around the city a little easier now. I'm learning the train schedules and how to use the bus. Gracie, Katie and I had to learn the hard (and embarrassing) way the other day when we got on a bus at Bondi Beach to head back home and the bus driver started to drive off then stopped and said to us, "What are you doing on here?" (Doors open) "You have to stay. Get off." Apparently, we were on the wrong bus. Ours pulled up about 20seconds later.
I picked up a part time job at a gym a couple of doors up from my apartment. It's called Bayswater Fitness and it's a lot of fun. I'm the only girl working there at the moment, and the only straight person. I work with a bunch of gay men and it's always entertaining with them; never a dull moment.
We've made friends with some of our neighbors in the apartment building so we've been having a lot of fun at home lately. We lost a roommate (Julia) and gained a roommate (JoHanna....still largely referred to as "new girl").
Next weekend some of us are planning a trip to Canberra. It will be nice to get out of the city for a little while!
I miss you all! More updates on the way. Please e-mail me and update me on your lives and any US news that I should know. HaileyHerdlinger@aol.com
I picked up a part time job at a gym a couple of doors up from my apartment. It's called Bayswater Fitness and it's a lot of fun. I'm the only girl working there at the moment, and the only straight person. I work with a bunch of gay men and it's always entertaining with them; never a dull moment.
We've made friends with some of our neighbors in the apartment building so we've been having a lot of fun at home lately. We lost a roommate (Julia) and gained a roommate (JoHanna....still largely referred to as "new girl").
Next weekend some of us are planning a trip to Canberra. It will be nice to get out of the city for a little while!
I miss you all! More updates on the way. Please e-mail me and update me on your lives and any US news that I should know. HaileyHerdlinger@aol.com
Monday, February 4, 2008
Quick Update: Apartment Living
Sydney is still incredible. My apartment is actually a lot of fun now. Well, for the most part. It's almost like a sorority house at this point. My two Canadian friends Gracie and Katie moved in and two of the guys moved out, so it's me, 3 German girls and 2 Canadian girls. Gracie, Katie, Catarina, Nora, Julia, and me. Oh, and Tree. Don't forget Tree. Tree is the 39 year old Thai man that lives in our living room. That's right, our living room. He's set himself up a fort with sheets and shower curtains all around it. You can see it in the first picture below. That's our living room (some of the people live there, some were just visiting before we all went out) and that's Tree's house in the back corner with the flowers. Awkward? Yes, we all think so too. We're working on the situation at the moment. The rest of the girls are all really sweet and a lot of fun.
We've had a lot of rain over the past few days so I haven't gotten much beach time. :( It's hard to do anything when you don't have a car and it's pouring down rain outside. We have 2 dvds in the house: Dirty Dancing and The Notebook, so we've started wearing those out already.
If anyone feels the need to send a care package then I can give you my address! :) Just e-mail me: HaileyHerdlinger@aol.com
Miss everyone!
We've had a lot of rain over the past few days so I haven't gotten much beach time. :( It's hard to do anything when you don't have a car and it's pouring down rain outside. We have 2 dvds in the house: Dirty Dancing and The Notebook, so we've started wearing those out already.
If anyone feels the need to send a care package then I can give you my address! :) Just e-mail me: HaileyHerdlinger@aol.com
Miss everyone!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Some funny conversations with Aussies
Aussie: Did you bring your cozzie?
Me: My what?
Aussie: Your costume.
Me: Oh, cozzie means costume? Um, no...what do I need a costume for?
Aussie: No, your swimmers!
Me: ???
Aussie: Your BIKINI!
Me: OOOHHH, swimsuit!!!!!
Aussie: I'm supposed to go to their house for tea tonight.
Me: Aw, tea? That's cute.
Aussie: Not actual tea, I mean dinner.
Me: Oh, yeah we just call it dinner. Have you ever heard of 'supper'?
Aussie: Yeah, but I've never had it.
Aussie: Did a mozzie get you?
Me: A mozzie? Is that short for mosquito?
Aussie: Yeah, we're lazy so we shorten everything.
Me: Aussie, cozzie, mozzie....I see that.
Me: Can you pop the trunk?
Group of Aussies in car: (blank stares)
One Aussie: I think she needs you to unlock the boot.
ENTIRE conversation with a southern Australian
Aussie: (talking, talking talking)
Me: Smiling and nodding and understanding NOTHING.
Note: my roommates are German and Taiwanese...there is very little English spoken around here
Rob: Are you going to try to find the grocery store today?
Me: Yes, I think I'll ask my roommates where the closest one is.....and then nod like I understand and go find it myself.
Lying Aussie in the ocean: Don't touch the things that look like leaves. They're the most poisonous creatures out here and they can kill you.
Me: (Picking up leaf in ocean) you mean like this?
Lying Aussie: WOAH, you're in heaps of trouble now! There is only a 5% survival rate if you touch those things.
Me: I'll keep my fingers crossed
Lying Aussie: Nah, they'll be rotted off by then.
Me: My what?
Aussie: Your costume.
Me: Oh, cozzie means costume? Um, no...what do I need a costume for?
Aussie: No, your swimmers!
Me: ???
Aussie: Your BIKINI!
Me: OOOHHH, swimsuit!!!!!
Aussie: I'm supposed to go to their house for tea tonight.
Me: Aw, tea? That's cute.
Aussie: Not actual tea, I mean dinner.
Me: Oh, yeah we just call it dinner. Have you ever heard of 'supper'?
Aussie: Yeah, but I've never had it.
Aussie: Did a mozzie get you?
Me: A mozzie? Is that short for mosquito?
Aussie: Yeah, we're lazy so we shorten everything.
Me: Aussie, cozzie, mozzie....I see that.
Me: Can you pop the trunk?
Group of Aussies in car: (blank stares)
One Aussie: I think she needs you to unlock the boot.
ENTIRE conversation with a southern Australian
Aussie: (talking, talking talking)
Me: Smiling and nodding and understanding NOTHING.
Note: my roommates are German and Taiwanese...there is very little English spoken around here
Rob: Are you going to try to find the grocery store today?
Me: Yes, I think I'll ask my roommates where the closest one is.....and then nod like I understand and go find it myself.
Lying Aussie in the ocean: Don't touch the things that look like leaves. They're the most poisonous creatures out here and they can kill you.
Me: (Picking up leaf in ocean) you mean like this?
Lying Aussie: WOAH, you're in heaps of trouble now! There is only a 5% survival rate if you touch those things.
Me: I'll keep my fingers crossed
Lying Aussie: Nah, they'll be rotted off by then.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
AUSTRALIA DAY long weekend
Bondi Beach=GORGEOUS! This is the most popular and probably the most tourist-packed beach in Australia. I went with Gracie and Katie (the Canadian girls) a few days ago and it was so beautiful. I think it was on a Wednesday, so it wasn't TOO packed. The waves were HUGE and we didn't even go out in the water past our knees because we were scared of getting slapped around by the ocean.
After we left the beach we rested, showered up, and went out for the night with 2 girls from Holland who are staying in Katie and Gracie's hostel. On my way home I was thinking it was about 12:30am; I looked at my phone and realized it was closer to 5am! Wow.
The next day (or...that same day I guess) was January 26th: AUSTRALIAN DAY!!!!! I took a train up to Central Coast which is about 2 hours north. My new friend Glen lives up there so I met up with him and after his friend fixed my computer (thanks, Bret!!!) he took me out with a big group of his friends to a bar called Beachies. It was fun and it was cool to get out of the city to see a little quieter and calmer Australian atmosphere. I stayed the night up there and the next day we went to look at Soldier Beach (below) and a place called The Entrance on the lake where there are a lot of resort areas and there were plenty of festivities going on for Australia Day.
Later that afternoon/evening, I took ANOTHER train and went south past where I live and into a place called Cronulla where I met up with some other people who wanted me to celebrate Australia Day with them. By the time I got there, they were all pretty much smashed since they'd been drinking since 10am. Cronulla wasn't too impressive, but the people were hilarious and all decked out in their Australia gear and flags. Glen bought me an Aussie t-shirt that I wore, so I totally looked like a local.
I stayed the night in Cronulla then went back to Sydney (finally) and laid on Bondi Beach with the Canadians and Glen. I was pretty exhausted by the end of the day!
For some reason-I think it's because Australians are the self-proclaimed laziest people in the world-most Aussies didn't have to work on Monday, even though Australia Day was on the previous Saturday. So early Monday morning I had plans to SNORKEL!!!! Adam Lulay's roommate Doug-who I met in California-put me in touch with a friend of his named Phil who lives in Sydney. Phil picked me up at 9:30am with 2 of his friends to go snorkel in Clovelley Bay. I haven't ever snorkeled before, so it was really cool. And the waves were pretty choppy in some areas, so it was a good workout too! I saw some really pretty fish and a couple of Blue Gropers which are HUGE, and no one is allowed to fish in that area so the fish are really tame and not skiddish around people. You could almost reach out and touch them before they'd swim away.
Overall, it was a pretty fun Australia Day weekend!
After we left the beach we rested, showered up, and went out for the night with 2 girls from Holland who are staying in Katie and Gracie's hostel. On my way home I was thinking it was about 12:30am; I looked at my phone and realized it was closer to 5am! Wow.
The next day (or...that same day I guess) was January 26th: AUSTRALIAN DAY!!!!! I took a train up to Central Coast which is about 2 hours north. My new friend Glen lives up there so I met up with him and after his friend fixed my computer (thanks, Bret!!!) he took me out with a big group of his friends to a bar called Beachies. It was fun and it was cool to get out of the city to see a little quieter and calmer Australian atmosphere. I stayed the night up there and the next day we went to look at Soldier Beach (below) and a place called The Entrance on the lake where there are a lot of resort areas and there were plenty of festivities going on for Australia Day.
Later that afternoon/evening, I took ANOTHER train and went south past where I live and into a place called Cronulla where I met up with some other people who wanted me to celebrate Australia Day with them. By the time I got there, they were all pretty much smashed since they'd been drinking since 10am. Cronulla wasn't too impressive, but the people were hilarious and all decked out in their Australia gear and flags. Glen bought me an Aussie t-shirt that I wore, so I totally looked like a local.
I stayed the night in Cronulla then went back to Sydney (finally) and laid on Bondi Beach with the Canadians and Glen. I was pretty exhausted by the end of the day!
For some reason-I think it's because Australians are the self-proclaimed laziest people in the world-most Aussies didn't have to work on Monday, even though Australia Day was on the previous Saturday. So early Monday morning I had plans to SNORKEL!!!! Adam Lulay's roommate Doug-who I met in California-put me in touch with a friend of his named Phil who lives in Sydney. Phil picked me up at 9:30am with 2 of his friends to go snorkel in Clovelley Bay. I haven't ever snorkeled before, so it was really cool. And the waves were pretty choppy in some areas, so it was a good workout too! I saw some really pretty fish and a couple of Blue Gropers which are HUGE, and no one is allowed to fish in that area so the fish are really tame and not skiddish around people. You could almost reach out and touch them before they'd swim away.
Overall, it was a pretty fun Australia Day weekend!
Monday, January 21, 2008
Side Notes
-My hair dryer and the converter I was using were plugged into the bathroom outlet the other day...not even turned ON, just plugged in...and all of a sudden I heard POP! Long story short: thanks, Adam for letting me borrow the converter, but you won't be getting it back. When I left the bathroom, none of the outlets worked! OOPS!
-Oprah comes on at 7am.
-I'm getting used to walking by birds and not freaking out. Any bird that's flying still freaks me out if it's too close, but the pigeons, seagulls, and these scary-looking black and white birds are all over parks and are too stubborn to move when you walk by them...so I'm used to it.
-It's the coldest summer here in 15 years. Good timing, Hails.
-I'm going to attempt to learn to surf at some point.
-Everyone here (at least in my hostel) LOVES the Simpsons.
-Just because someone refers to you as "Love", doesn't mean they're you're friend. I learned this when I accidentally hit a man in the head with my umbrella.
-Rufus Wainwright (sp?) is playing here in a few days. I love him, but tickets are too expensive for me to go.
-Toilets have a half flush button for #1 and a full flush button for #2
-Spanish is worthless here. I need to learn Chinese!
-Everyone told me that people call girls "sheilas" and guys "blokes", but a couple of Aussies told me that only the rednecks use those terms.
-Oprah comes on at 7am.
-I'm getting used to walking by birds and not freaking out. Any bird that's flying still freaks me out if it's too close, but the pigeons, seagulls, and these scary-looking black and white birds are all over parks and are too stubborn to move when you walk by them...so I'm used to it.
-It's the coldest summer here in 15 years. Good timing, Hails.
-I'm going to attempt to learn to surf at some point.
-Everyone here (at least in my hostel) LOVES the Simpsons.
-Just because someone refers to you as "Love", doesn't mean they're you're friend. I learned this when I accidentally hit a man in the head with my umbrella.
-Rufus Wainwright (sp?) is playing here in a few days. I love him, but tickets are too expensive for me to go.
-Toilets have a half flush button for #1 and a full flush button for #2
-Spanish is worthless here. I need to learn Chinese!
-Everyone told me that people call girls "sheilas" and guys "blokes", but a couple of Aussies told me that only the rednecks use those terms.
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