Last night we went rollerblading! It was a lot of fun and we got some pictures, too. They're on facebook...I also put on some pictures of my friends here so you can put some faces to the names you're hearing about!
Just click on this link and it will take you to them!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2876&l=ed021&id=507133874
This one's gonna be quick... I'm basically just letting you all know that I am having a Canada Day party tomorrow!! Woohooo!! I think it's going to be a good time. Josh, Jaz, Jaya, Jas and Rob are coming, and we're having pancakes, bacon & eggs, and maple syrup for lunch, with these drinks I've concocted that are DELICIOUS and super cool. I'll take pictures (trust me, they're THAT cool...) but they've got whipped cream on top and then on the whipped cream I used food colouring and drew the Canadian flag with a toothpick!
I loved it.
Other than that, for dessert, I made chocolate cake which will also be decorated in red & white, which is fun. And it could possibly have a flag on it too... we'll just see how that all goes!
Well, I think that's about it. Oh yeah, did I mention that I started a full time job? I'm temping for the Department of Natural Resources, which is where my aunt works but we're at different branches. I'm there for at least two weeks, but possibly and probably longer. I'm so thankful to God that I've finally got a job because it took so long!
I figure that God knew I needed a month off, eh? : )
So that truly is it. I will keep you updated on any further developments on anything exciting in my life, but for now that's about it!
Love,
Bec*
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
another update!
Hey all!
Well, this one I am HOPING is going to be short because a) I don't have a heck of a lot to say and b) It's pushing 11:30 pm and I am up at 6 tomorrow morning.
I have great news! I got a job! I signed up with a temping agency yesterday (Wednesday) and within about an hour of signing up, I had a job opportunity! Turned out that it was way too far away but that was alright, because then another one for today popped up! I was sitting at the table in my PJs, eating THE most delicious breakfast I've had in ages (it's mostly been Cheerios for the last good long while) when the phone rang. It was Bridget, who wanted me to come into the city for a job today!
So, I made it into the city at 10:02 am. (I was supposed to be at the place at 10:00 am) This, however was not my fault because I got the earliest train I could after she called. This part, however, IS my fault. As many of you know, I am incredibly "directionally challenged". It is, more or less, a (medical?) term I have given myself to basically say that I can't find my way out of a paper bag. It's rather pathetic, though very much amusing.
I wandered around, went in not one, but TWO circles, about a kilometre each, and ended up 15 minutes in the opposite direction...of the train station... which is about 15 minutes walking to the place I was supposed to be. Argh!
So there I am, walking the streets of Brissie, laughing to myself, because hey! I can't even get from point A to point B without going in a GINORMOUS circle first. And because by the time I got there, I figured it'd be about 4:00 pm and I may as well start looking for another temping agency because would they call me back? Um, no. : )
Did I mention that I laugh when I get nervous or worked up? : )
Once I arrived, things went well and I had a good day. I was really close to where my aunt works, so I made my way over there after work and met her and we rode the train home together.
I also managed to score a 2-week deal with the Department of Natural Resources in Woolloongabba where I'll be doing reception! Can't wait. And I start tomorrow morning, so that's a very good thing!
Other than that, I'm having a Canada Day party on Sunday and Jas, Jaz, Josh, Jaya and Rob are coming! We're all excited about that. And tomorrow we're going rollerblading... should be tonnes of fun!
Anyway, I should run. My bed beckons.
Love you all,
Bec*
Well, this one I am HOPING is going to be short because a) I don't have a heck of a lot to say and b) It's pushing 11:30 pm and I am up at 6 tomorrow morning.
I have great news! I got a job! I signed up with a temping agency yesterday (Wednesday) and within about an hour of signing up, I had a job opportunity! Turned out that it was way too far away but that was alright, because then another one for today popped up! I was sitting at the table in my PJs, eating THE most delicious breakfast I've had in ages (it's mostly been Cheerios for the last good long while) when the phone rang. It was Bridget, who wanted me to come into the city for a job today!
So, I made it into the city at 10:02 am. (I was supposed to be at the place at 10:00 am) This, however was not my fault because I got the earliest train I could after she called. This part, however, IS my fault. As many of you know, I am incredibly "directionally challenged". It is, more or less, a (medical?) term I have given myself to basically say that I can't find my way out of a paper bag. It's rather pathetic, though very much amusing.
I wandered around, went in not one, but TWO circles, about a kilometre each, and ended up 15 minutes in the opposite direction...of the train station... which is about 15 minutes walking to the place I was supposed to be. Argh!
So there I am, walking the streets of Brissie, laughing to myself, because hey! I can't even get from point A to point B without going in a GINORMOUS circle first. And because by the time I got there, I figured it'd be about 4:00 pm and I may as well start looking for another temping agency because would they call me back? Um, no. : )
Did I mention that I laugh when I get nervous or worked up? : )
Once I arrived, things went well and I had a good day. I was really close to where my aunt works, so I made my way over there after work and met her and we rode the train home together.
I also managed to score a 2-week deal with the Department of Natural Resources in Woolloongabba where I'll be doing reception! Can't wait. And I start tomorrow morning, so that's a very good thing!
Other than that, I'm having a Canada Day party on Sunday and Jas, Jaz, Josh, Jaya and Rob are coming! We're all excited about that. And tomorrow we're going rollerblading... should be tonnes of fun!
Anyway, I should run. My bed beckons.
Love you all,
Bec*
Sunday, June 24, 2007
G'day mates!
Well, it's been another wonderful week, and I highly doubt you'll be hearing anything but that for the rest of the time I'm here!
I can hardly believe I've already been here for a month... time has flown!
This weekend was a great weekend, starting on Thursday.
Uni's just ending now, so most of my friends are in exams or just finished exams. Anyway, one friend, Jaya, was finishing on Thursday, so after he was done his exam he came over and picked me up to show me around Brisbane! We went for a walk on Kangaroo Point, which was cool because I'd seen it all from the river last week but it was interesting to see it while walking! We found a crazy tree that had a big whole in the centre of it... big enough for a few people to sit in! So, we decided that we are going to get a bunch of us together to have a picnic in a tree! Haha, doesn't that sounds great? : )
On Friday, Jaya, Josh, Claire, Mike and I went to Coollangatta, to the beach. It was a gorgeous day and we played "footy" on the beach for a while, then went for a walk. I'm living in Brisbane, which is in Queensland, and we went to the border of Queensland and New South Wales. It was cool! It reminded me of A Walk to Remember. After we went to the border we went out for pizza, and then they all dropped me off in Nerang, which is where Zoe & Martin live (Auntie Cassie's brother & sister in law). I spent the afternoon with Sofia, their youngest, and we had a great time!
Saturday didn't turn out the way we were planning on it, but it ended up well! Cassie has a friend who gives her a pedicure & manicure every once in a while, named Rebecca. She came over and we were going to go shopping but it ended up that we just sat around and talked until around 4 pm. Jas came and picked me up for a night at the drive in!
The drive in was hilarious. There were eight of us: Jas, Jaz, Josh, Jaya, Mike, Joel, Natasha and me, so we took three cars. Joel & Natasha went together, the boys went together, and then us girls went together! Jas was incredibly prepared, which was hilarious and wonderful for us! She borrowed her parents van, so that she, Jaz and I could watch the movie from the comfort of a van. She also brought blankets and pillows and tonnes of food.
Anyyyyway, we all made it safe & sound, and once we arrived the boys decided that they didn't want to sit in their tiny car, but rather squish into the van with us! We fought for the van but somehow we managed to get shoved out of the van by the guys, with them taking our spots. After lots of positioning of the van, and people pushing each other around we all managed to get spots in the van where we could see the screen.
Take note that I didn't say COMFORTABLE spots in the van. : )
We watched Shrek the Third (hilarious!) and Bridge to Terebithia, which we renamed the Road to Toowong (an area in Brisbane).
On Sunday, I went to Arana Hills in the evening and afterwards we all went out to Hungry Jack's, which is basically our Burger King. It's the same logo and same food and everything, just with a different name!
Everyone tends to leave that around 9:30 pm or so, and a bunch of us still wanted to do something, so we all made our way over to the Pancake Manor.
Hilarious, eh? It's a pancake joint that serves pancakes and crepes 24 hours a day. It's built in an old church and it's a really cool place! Anyway, I was there with Josh, Jaya, Keith & Rob, and Rob started going on about how there was noooo way I'd be able to eat the long stack pancakes and so on and so forth. Well, clearly they do not know me.
I'm not a huge eater in general, but as soon as you pull out the whole "Oh, a girl couldn't do that!" I will do it, just to prove you wrong. : )
So, I ordered a long stack of pancakes (4 huge, thick, ridiculously stuffing pancakes), after making a deal with Jaya that IF I ate it ALL, he'd pay for my meal. Once I agreed, Josh told me that he's never even finished the long stack of pancakes and he, like many guys, prides himself on his appetite. Loooovely. : )
Well, I ate it. It was probably the fullest I have ever been and I have not eaten anything since, but I got a free meal, and a good time out of it. : )
We all had to laugh when I was almost finished and one of the guys asked me when I would have stopped eating normally. I started laughing really hard and managed to get out "Probably after...one."
So, it's now Monday and I went for a walk this afternoon. Aunt Cass & I are hoping to watch a couple movies tonight, and I'm hoping to get together with Jaz and/or Jas later on this week. I'm sure this weekend will be super eventful as well, and I'll keep you updated. : )
I'm going to try posting more often on here, too, so that my posts aren't as long as they usually are. We'll see how that goes, though. : )
Love you all,
Bec*
I can hardly believe I've already been here for a month... time has flown!
This weekend was a great weekend, starting on Thursday.
Uni's just ending now, so most of my friends are in exams or just finished exams. Anyway, one friend, Jaya, was finishing on Thursday, so after he was done his exam he came over and picked me up to show me around Brisbane! We went for a walk on Kangaroo Point, which was cool because I'd seen it all from the river last week but it was interesting to see it while walking! We found a crazy tree that had a big whole in the centre of it... big enough for a few people to sit in! So, we decided that we are going to get a bunch of us together to have a picnic in a tree! Haha, doesn't that sounds great? : )
On Friday, Jaya, Josh, Claire, Mike and I went to Coollangatta, to the beach. It was a gorgeous day and we played "footy" on the beach for a while, then went for a walk. I'm living in Brisbane, which is in Queensland, and we went to the border of Queensland and New South Wales. It was cool! It reminded me of A Walk to Remember. After we went to the border we went out for pizza, and then they all dropped me off in Nerang, which is where Zoe & Martin live (Auntie Cassie's brother & sister in law). I spent the afternoon with Sofia, their youngest, and we had a great time!
Saturday didn't turn out the way we were planning on it, but it ended up well! Cassie has a friend who gives her a pedicure & manicure every once in a while, named Rebecca. She came over and we were going to go shopping but it ended up that we just sat around and talked until around 4 pm. Jas came and picked me up for a night at the drive in!
The drive in was hilarious. There were eight of us: Jas, Jaz, Josh, Jaya, Mike, Joel, Natasha and me, so we took three cars. Joel & Natasha went together, the boys went together, and then us girls went together! Jas was incredibly prepared, which was hilarious and wonderful for us! She borrowed her parents van, so that she, Jaz and I could watch the movie from the comfort of a van. She also brought blankets and pillows and tonnes of food.
Anyyyyway, we all made it safe & sound, and once we arrived the boys decided that they didn't want to sit in their tiny car, but rather squish into the van with us! We fought for the van but somehow we managed to get shoved out of the van by the guys, with them taking our spots. After lots of positioning of the van, and people pushing each other around we all managed to get spots in the van where we could see the screen.
Take note that I didn't say COMFORTABLE spots in the van. : )
We watched Shrek the Third (hilarious!) and Bridge to Terebithia, which we renamed the Road to Toowong (an area in Brisbane).
On Sunday, I went to Arana Hills in the evening and afterwards we all went out to Hungry Jack's, which is basically our Burger King. It's the same logo and same food and everything, just with a different name!
Everyone tends to leave that around 9:30 pm or so, and a bunch of us still wanted to do something, so we all made our way over to the Pancake Manor.
Hilarious, eh? It's a pancake joint that serves pancakes and crepes 24 hours a day. It's built in an old church and it's a really cool place! Anyway, I was there with Josh, Jaya, Keith & Rob, and Rob started going on about how there was noooo way I'd be able to eat the long stack pancakes and so on and so forth. Well, clearly they do not know me.
I'm not a huge eater in general, but as soon as you pull out the whole "Oh, a girl couldn't do that!" I will do it, just to prove you wrong. : )
So, I ordered a long stack of pancakes (4 huge, thick, ridiculously stuffing pancakes), after making a deal with Jaya that IF I ate it ALL, he'd pay for my meal. Once I agreed, Josh told me that he's never even finished the long stack of pancakes and he, like many guys, prides himself on his appetite. Loooovely. : )
Well, I ate it. It was probably the fullest I have ever been and I have not eaten anything since, but I got a free meal, and a good time out of it. : )
We all had to laugh when I was almost finished and one of the guys asked me when I would have stopped eating normally. I started laughing really hard and managed to get out "Probably after...one."
So, it's now Monday and I went for a walk this afternoon. Aunt Cass & I are hoping to watch a couple movies tonight, and I'm hoping to get together with Jaz and/or Jas later on this week. I'm sure this weekend will be super eventful as well, and I'll keep you updated. : )
I'm going to try posting more often on here, too, so that my posts aren't as long as they usually are. We'll see how that goes, though. : )
Love you all,
Bec*
Saturday, June 16, 2007
there's a reason they call it (Surfers) Paradise...
Soooooooo... I lost 200 photos off of my camera.
Yep, that's right. 200, just disappeared into thin air. Vanished.
Awesome start to the day, eh?
Haha, well... that does mean that the first half of my day is not documented... my apologies, because we climbed a mountain and, well, I have no proof at all that it happened.
Anyway, even though that happened, and I was quite disappointed, the show must go on, and go on it did! Now, let me just give a little disclaimer here as I've had a couple complaints about how I write too much... : )
I fully understand that you all lead wonderfully busy lives and that you may not have all the time in the world to sit down and read my rantings and ravings about the spectacular-ness of Australia.
HOWEVER, I cannot and will not promise to be short winded, haha, because when on earth has that ever happened???? : ) So, if you can't read it all today, that's alright. Split it up into a few days, or skim, or something! Just don't not read this because I go on forever!!!!
I'm also aware that there are a few people who enjoy reading reading my rantings and ravings about Australia's spectacular-ness, even though, I admit, I do talk waaaaaaaay too much, and those people are kinda my target. Don't get me wrong! If you think I talk too much, join the club, but I really want you to read too! I just really am not very good at all at getting straight to the point. That is why this is quite possibly, an d most likely the longest disclaimer you have ever, or will ever read. : )
Anywayyyyy... shall I get on with it? I think so too. : )
So, today was the day we were going to the Sunshine Coast/Surfers Paradise! We spent part of the morning climbing this mountain I mentioned, which is about 60 miles north west of Brisbane. There are a few of them, and you'll see them in my pictures, and they're called the Glasshouse Mountains. The one we climbed was only about 280 metres, which is nothing of course, compared to the Rockies, but here, they are mountains. : )
After that we went on a really scenic route, stopping along the side of the road for pictures at lookouts. It was gorgeous. The greenery was absolutely incredible! We went for a walk in a rainforest, which I also have a bunch of pictures from, but I'll put all the explanations with the pictures so it'll make more sense to you!
Anyway, here's the link for the photos and I really hope you enjoy them!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2709&l=9426b&id=507133874
I love you all! Keep in touch...
Bec*
Yep, that's right. 200, just disappeared into thin air. Vanished.
Awesome start to the day, eh?
Haha, well... that does mean that the first half of my day is not documented... my apologies, because we climbed a mountain and, well, I have no proof at all that it happened.
Anyway, even though that happened, and I was quite disappointed, the show must go on, and go on it did! Now, let me just give a little disclaimer here as I've had a couple complaints about how I write too much... : )
I fully understand that you all lead wonderfully busy lives and that you may not have all the time in the world to sit down and read my rantings and ravings about the spectacular-ness of Australia.
HOWEVER, I cannot and will not promise to be short winded, haha, because when on earth has that ever happened???? : ) So, if you can't read it all today, that's alright. Split it up into a few days, or skim, or something! Just don't not read this because I go on forever!!!!
I'm also aware that there are a few people who enjoy reading reading my rantings and ravings about Australia's spectacular-ness, even though, I admit, I do talk waaaaaaaay too much, and those people are kinda my target. Don't get me wrong! If you think I talk too much, join the club, but I really want you to read too! I just really am not very good at all at getting straight to the point. That is why this is quite possibly, an d most likely the longest disclaimer you have ever, or will ever read. : )
Anywayyyyy... shall I get on with it? I think so too. : )
So, today was the day we were going to the Sunshine Coast/Surfers Paradise! We spent part of the morning climbing this mountain I mentioned, which is about 60 miles north west of Brisbane. There are a few of them, and you'll see them in my pictures, and they're called the Glasshouse Mountains. The one we climbed was only about 280 metres, which is nothing of course, compared to the Rockies, but here, they are mountains. : )
After that we went on a really scenic route, stopping along the side of the road for pictures at lookouts. It was gorgeous. The greenery was absolutely incredible! We went for a walk in a rainforest, which I also have a bunch of pictures from, but I'll put all the explanations with the pictures so it'll make more sense to you!
Anyway, here's the link for the photos and I really hope you enjoy them!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2709&l=9426b&id=507133874
I love you all! Keep in touch...
Bec*
Friday, June 15, 2007
Another wonderful weekend on its way!
Hey everyone! Just a quick update...
I'm sitting here at Malyon College, which is where my uncle goes to school. I had to update a list of contacts for his church's conversational english class. It's a great idea -- there are a number of international people in the area and so his church has come up with this class that meets every Wednesday and teaches (for free!) conversational english. I think it's fantastic. A great way to reach out to the community!
Well, I went out last night, for mini-putting and coffee, which was a great time. I have made a few friends here who are super cool, and I'm really looking forward to spending my summer with them! It's funny, a lot of the people I meet down here are so similar to people at home, just different faces & different accents!
There's one guy, specifically, who is SO familiar to me, that if I met him in Canada I would be SURE I know him from somewhere. He's never been out of Australia though, and this is my first time here, so I have no idea who it is that is soooo close to him, but it's a really odd feeling!
So my uncle finished his semester today (Woohoo!) and so we're going to celebrate tonight, if he lets us cook dinner. Haha. Tomorrow we're hoping to make it to the Sunshine Coast, which is about the same distance away from Brisbane as the Gold Coast, but in the opposite direction.
On Sunday my aunt and I are planning to go on a river cruise, while my uncle's at a meeting, and I think it sounds like a wonderful time! Here's hoping it doesn't rain this weekend! : )
In case you can't tell, I am loving it down here, and I'm feeling right at home already. The people here are so welcoming, especially the few I was out with last night. It's so great to be somewhere with people your age, and feeling like you're fitting in completely.
Anyway, I should run, but I'll keep you updated. Keep up with the comments! I should hopefully have some more pictures up from this weekend, and maybe some pics of my new "mates", too!
Love,
Bec*
I'm sitting here at Malyon College, which is where my uncle goes to school. I had to update a list of contacts for his church's conversational english class. It's a great idea -- there are a number of international people in the area and so his church has come up with this class that meets every Wednesday and teaches (for free!) conversational english. I think it's fantastic. A great way to reach out to the community!
Well, I went out last night, for mini-putting and coffee, which was a great time. I have made a few friends here who are super cool, and I'm really looking forward to spending my summer with them! It's funny, a lot of the people I meet down here are so similar to people at home, just different faces & different accents!
There's one guy, specifically, who is SO familiar to me, that if I met him in Canada I would be SURE I know him from somewhere. He's never been out of Australia though, and this is my first time here, so I have no idea who it is that is soooo close to him, but it's a really odd feeling!
So my uncle finished his semester today (Woohoo!) and so we're going to celebrate tonight, if he lets us cook dinner. Haha. Tomorrow we're hoping to make it to the Sunshine Coast, which is about the same distance away from Brisbane as the Gold Coast, but in the opposite direction.
On Sunday my aunt and I are planning to go on a river cruise, while my uncle's at a meeting, and I think it sounds like a wonderful time! Here's hoping it doesn't rain this weekend! : )
In case you can't tell, I am loving it down here, and I'm feeling right at home already. The people here are so welcoming, especially the few I was out with last night. It's so great to be somewhere with people your age, and feeling like you're fitting in completely.
Anyway, I should run, but I'll keep you updated. Keep up with the comments! I should hopefully have some more pictures up from this weekend, and maybe some pics of my new "mates", too!
Love,
Bec*
Sunday, June 10, 2007
: )
I'm not even sure if I'm going to be able to say everything that I want to about this weekend... hmm... where to start?
This weekend was incredible. I went out with a young adults group for tacos and games on Friday night, which was a good time. The group was mostly couples, mostly married and so although I had a good time, it wasn't a perfect fit. It was really great though to meet people who were my age (give or take a bit!) and just hang out, and to see what Aussie young adults do for fun!
On Saturday morning, my aunt and I made our way to the Gold Coast. Ohhhh my goodness! Absolutely breathtaking. The whole day worked out perfectly. There was a lot of traffic on the way, as we were initally going to go to Byron Bay which is further than the Gold Coast, and so we decided to just stay on the Gold Coast for the day and see what it had to offer us! Well, we stopped about 1:30 pm and went out for lunch, where we got hands down, THE most delicious lunch we have ever had. Mine was a spinach and feta fritatta, which was soooo wonderful. I honestly did not eat until about 8:00 pm or so that night! haha.
Anyway, clearly you don't want to hear about my food choice, so I shall move on!
We made it to the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, which is located in Currumbin (duh!?), which is a part of the Gold Coast. I was pretty excited to make it there, and I was really looking forward to see the animals that you don't see in Canada, like dingos, kangaroos, all that jazz. Well, I got to see koala, dingos, kangaroos, crocodiles, tazzy devils and a million other things. It was awesome!
I actually got to get a picture of me holding a koala, which was sooo cool! I know that they're really vicious in the wild, but this one, Dooda, was SO cute! He cuddled right into my neck when I picked him up and he was so soft and sweet. Apparently koalas sleep 19 out of 24 hours each day, and so it was quite exciting that I got to see him awake, as well as a number of the other koalas, awake and eating.
Right before we left, we went to the lorikeet feeding. My aunt was saying how neat of an experience it was, so I was also looking forward to that. Anyway, I fed the lorikeets and they sat all over you! They would land on your head, arms, all over, and just hang out even if you didn't have any food! It was so funny, and all of the kids there loved it!!
At the end of that, we went back to the beach just in time for the sunset, where I took loads of pictures. I can't even explain the beauty of it all. It's really something spectacular. My aunt and I were talking about how we find it so hard to understand that people can see the ocean, and the sunsets, and these incredible animals and all of the beauty of nature and NOT believe that there's a higher power... a powerful and wonderful and creative God who brought it all into being.
I think looking at the ocean and the gorgeous skies above it can give you such perspective... I mean, if your head is ever getting too big, or you're feeling like such a hot shot, just step outside at sunset, and look around you, and you'll see you're nothing but a tiny little critter, in the midst of a huge world... and yet God, for some reason that you really can't describe as anything but love, was willing and did give up his son as a sacrifice for our sins. What an incredible God we have! I am so thankful to be here.
Well, on Sunday, I went to church with my aunt and uncle, and I was feeling a LOT better than I was last Sunday, so it was great meeting new people and talking to people I've already met, and getting to know them. After every Sunday service you can stay for a "cuppa" and a chat with people from the church. A "cuppa" is basically a "cuppa" tea or coffee, or whatever, but they just leave out the "tea or coffee, or whatever." : )It's a pretty familiar phrase around here!
Sunday afternoon my aunt and I watched Pride and Prejudice (which I LOVE!) and then I was off again, to another church in the area. I went to their evening service, which is for youth and young adults, and it was absolutely incredible. The worship service was fantastic, and then the fellowship after was perfect. I felt right at home right away, and I've made some friends from the group already! I'm so thankful that God has been and continues to open all of these doors for me, allowing me to have such a wonderful summer break! I really couldn't ask for anything better!
I especially got along with a girl named Jas, and she and I will hopefully be hanging out at some point this week. She's a regular in the group and so she'll be introducing me to a number of other people, and so hopefully in no time I'll be the social butterfly I am at home, here. : )
Well, I think that's about all I had to say! I thought I'd get it out while it was still fresh in my memory! I've uploaded some pictures from the Gold Coast onto Facebook, so check them out! : )
I haven't put the captions on yet (it's after midnight and I'm exhausted!) but if you're interested in seeing some pics, go to:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2612&l=b0b2d&id=507133874
It should work! If it doesn't, let me know and I'll figure something else out!
Love,
Bec*
This weekend was incredible. I went out with a young adults group for tacos and games on Friday night, which was a good time. The group was mostly couples, mostly married and so although I had a good time, it wasn't a perfect fit. It was really great though to meet people who were my age (give or take a bit!) and just hang out, and to see what Aussie young adults do for fun!
On Saturday morning, my aunt and I made our way to the Gold Coast. Ohhhh my goodness! Absolutely breathtaking. The whole day worked out perfectly. There was a lot of traffic on the way, as we were initally going to go to Byron Bay which is further than the Gold Coast, and so we decided to just stay on the Gold Coast for the day and see what it had to offer us! Well, we stopped about 1:30 pm and went out for lunch, where we got hands down, THE most delicious lunch we have ever had. Mine was a spinach and feta fritatta, which was soooo wonderful. I honestly did not eat until about 8:00 pm or so that night! haha.
Anyway, clearly you don't want to hear about my food choice, so I shall move on!
We made it to the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, which is located in Currumbin (duh!?), which is a part of the Gold Coast. I was pretty excited to make it there, and I was really looking forward to see the animals that you don't see in Canada, like dingos, kangaroos, all that jazz. Well, I got to see koala, dingos, kangaroos, crocodiles, tazzy devils and a million other things. It was awesome!
I actually got to get a picture of me holding a koala, which was sooo cool! I know that they're really vicious in the wild, but this one, Dooda, was SO cute! He cuddled right into my neck when I picked him up and he was so soft and sweet. Apparently koalas sleep 19 out of 24 hours each day, and so it was quite exciting that I got to see him awake, as well as a number of the other koalas, awake and eating.
Right before we left, we went to the lorikeet feeding. My aunt was saying how neat of an experience it was, so I was also looking forward to that. Anyway, I fed the lorikeets and they sat all over you! They would land on your head, arms, all over, and just hang out even if you didn't have any food! It was so funny, and all of the kids there loved it!!
At the end of that, we went back to the beach just in time for the sunset, where I took loads of pictures. I can't even explain the beauty of it all. It's really something spectacular. My aunt and I were talking about how we find it so hard to understand that people can see the ocean, and the sunsets, and these incredible animals and all of the beauty of nature and NOT believe that there's a higher power... a powerful and wonderful and creative God who brought it all into being.
I think looking at the ocean and the gorgeous skies above it can give you such perspective... I mean, if your head is ever getting too big, or you're feeling like such a hot shot, just step outside at sunset, and look around you, and you'll see you're nothing but a tiny little critter, in the midst of a huge world... and yet God, for some reason that you really can't describe as anything but love, was willing and did give up his son as a sacrifice for our sins. What an incredible God we have! I am so thankful to be here.
Well, on Sunday, I went to church with my aunt and uncle, and I was feeling a LOT better than I was last Sunday, so it was great meeting new people and talking to people I've already met, and getting to know them. After every Sunday service you can stay for a "cuppa" and a chat with people from the church. A "cuppa" is basically a "cuppa" tea or coffee, or whatever, but they just leave out the "tea or coffee, or whatever." : )It's a pretty familiar phrase around here!
Sunday afternoon my aunt and I watched Pride and Prejudice (which I LOVE!) and then I was off again, to another church in the area. I went to their evening service, which is for youth and young adults, and it was absolutely incredible. The worship service was fantastic, and then the fellowship after was perfect. I felt right at home right away, and I've made some friends from the group already! I'm so thankful that God has been and continues to open all of these doors for me, allowing me to have such a wonderful summer break! I really couldn't ask for anything better!
I especially got along with a girl named Jas, and she and I will hopefully be hanging out at some point this week. She's a regular in the group and so she'll be introducing me to a number of other people, and so hopefully in no time I'll be the social butterfly I am at home, here. : )
Well, I think that's about all I had to say! I thought I'd get it out while it was still fresh in my memory! I've uploaded some pictures from the Gold Coast onto Facebook, so check them out! : )
I haven't put the captions on yet (it's after midnight and I'm exhausted!) but if you're interested in seeing some pics, go to:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2612&l=b0b2d&id=507133874
It should work! If it doesn't, let me know and I'll figure something else out!
Love,
Bec*
Friday, June 8, 2007
Lost in Translation? : )
G'day mates! Haha, I love how no one even tried to figure out what I was saying! That's okay though, I'll give you the translation now!
Here's the Aussie paragraph:
Well, the blokes and sheilahs are gonna have some chooks and snags off the barbie this arvo, maybe with some avos and bundy on the side. The banana benders and cockroaches will be barracking the aerial ping pong if it's a beaut game. Hopefully though they'll have nothing to big-note about since they have buckley's chance of winning that one.
...and in Canadian:
Well, the guys and girls are gonna have some chickens and sausages off the BBQ this afternoon, maybe with some avocados and Bundaberg (the infamous Australian beer!)on the side. The banana benders (People who live in Queensland) and cockroaches (People who live in New South Wales) will be cheering for the Australian Rules football if it's a good game. Hopefully though, they'll have nothing to brag about since they have hardly any chance of winning that one.
Crazy, eh?
Well, it's 10:41 am here for me, and we're just about to leave to go and see the Gold Coast/Surfers Paradise! Need I say that I'm excited?
Anyway, I just thought I'd translate that for you... and I'll be back to tell you about my day and my C&C experience last night either later tonight or hopefully at some point tomorrow! I'm also hoping I'll have some pictures for you soon enough! And I have a funny story about Aussie slang... and how I got lost in translation! : )
Thanks for all the comments! It's so wonderful to hear from you all!
Love,
Bec*
Here's the Aussie paragraph:
Well, the blokes and sheilahs are gonna have some chooks and snags off the barbie this arvo, maybe with some avos and bundy on the side. The banana benders and cockroaches will be barracking the aerial ping pong if it's a beaut game. Hopefully though they'll have nothing to big-note about since they have buckley's chance of winning that one.
...and in Canadian:
Well, the guys and girls are gonna have some chickens and sausages off the BBQ this afternoon, maybe with some avocados and Bundaberg (the infamous Australian beer!)on the side. The banana benders (People who live in Queensland) and cockroaches (People who live in New South Wales) will be cheering for the Australian Rules football if it's a good game. Hopefully though, they'll have nothing to brag about since they have hardly any chance of winning that one.
Crazy, eh?
Well, it's 10:41 am here for me, and we're just about to leave to go and see the Gold Coast/Surfers Paradise! Need I say that I'm excited?
Anyway, I just thought I'd translate that for you... and I'll be back to tell you about my day and my C&C experience last night either later tonight or hopefully at some point tomorrow! I'm also hoping I'll have some pictures for you soon enough! And I have a funny story about Aussie slang... and how I got lost in translation! : )
Thanks for all the comments! It's so wonderful to hear from you all!
Love,
Bec*
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
It's true!
I walked into the "toilet" today and something on the wall caught my attention. A little gecko thing! Haha. I can't say for sure what it was because I'm not sure, but it was like a tiny gecko...only about the length of my pinky! So cute! It's funny that here you find geckos on your wall, when at home we find spiders.
I think I'd take a gecko any day. : )
So, a number of you have been asking me different questions about Australia, and I will answer one of them right now. IT'S TRUE! Water really does go down the drain the opposite way here! Crazy, eh? It blows my mind. Perhaps I'm easily amused, or perhaps that's really cool, but either way, I enjoy it. : )
Things are good here. I went out looking for a job yesterday and went out for lunch with my aunt. I had a great day! Today it's pouring, which is wonderful because there has been hardly any rain for the past 2 years. We'll take what we can get. So, here I am, cuddling up with a warm cup of tea, and telling you about the exciting and not so exciting things about my life! : )
Tonight I'm hoping to go to a young adults group, which I'm definitely looking forward to. I can't wait to meet some people my age! I think it will be a great time. Australia is such a wonderful country.
We were planning to go to someone's house for a BBQ on Friday and then out to see one of the guys from the church who's in a band play, but I guess that fell through or something, because now we're going for tacos and games! Sounds like fun to me!
There's not really a tonne going on here right now, though I'm sure things will be picking up soon. I thought I'd leave you with some fair dinkum Aussie slang before I left though! : )
Fair dinkum: True, real, genuine.
Aerial pingpong: Australian football... the rugby players and others make fun of it!
Arvo: Afternoon
Brisvegas/Brissie: Brisbane, where I'm staying!
Chokkie: Chocolate
Apparently they love to put "ie" on the end of things... for example, my aunt Cassandra is usually Cassie... Australia is Aussie... Rebecca is Beckie or Rebeckie... : )
Well, that's all for now. I'll be back soon though. Oh yeah, and anyone can make comments now, so please comment even if you don't have a google account!
If any of you can 'translate' this for me I'll be extremely impressed. : )
Well, the blokes and sheilahs are gonna have some chooks and snags off the barbie this arvo, maybe with some avos and bundy on the side. The banana benders and cockroaches will be barracking the aerial ping pong if it's a beaut game. Hopefully though they'll have nothing to big-note about since they have buckley's chance of winning that one.
Let's hear what you think : )
Love ya!
Bec*
I think I'd take a gecko any day. : )
So, a number of you have been asking me different questions about Australia, and I will answer one of them right now. IT'S TRUE! Water really does go down the drain the opposite way here! Crazy, eh? It blows my mind. Perhaps I'm easily amused, or perhaps that's really cool, but either way, I enjoy it. : )
Things are good here. I went out looking for a job yesterday and went out for lunch with my aunt. I had a great day! Today it's pouring, which is wonderful because there has been hardly any rain for the past 2 years. We'll take what we can get. So, here I am, cuddling up with a warm cup of tea, and telling you about the exciting and not so exciting things about my life! : )
Tonight I'm hoping to go to a young adults group, which I'm definitely looking forward to. I can't wait to meet some people my age! I think it will be a great time. Australia is such a wonderful country.
We were planning to go to someone's house for a BBQ on Friday and then out to see one of the guys from the church who's in a band play, but I guess that fell through or something, because now we're going for tacos and games! Sounds like fun to me!
There's not really a tonne going on here right now, though I'm sure things will be picking up soon. I thought I'd leave you with some fair dinkum Aussie slang before I left though! : )
Fair dinkum: True, real, genuine.
Aerial pingpong: Australian football... the rugby players and others make fun of it!
Arvo: Afternoon
Brisvegas/Brissie: Brisbane, where I'm staying!
Chokkie: Chocolate
Apparently they love to put "ie" on the end of things... for example, my aunt Cassandra is usually Cassie... Australia is Aussie... Rebecca is Beckie or Rebeckie... : )
Well, that's all for now. I'll be back soon though. Oh yeah, and anyone can make comments now, so please comment even if you don't have a google account!
If any of you can 'translate' this for me I'll be extremely impressed. : )
Well, the blokes and sheilahs are gonna have some chooks and snags off the barbie this arvo, maybe with some avos and bundy on the side. The banana benders and cockroaches will be barracking the aerial ping pong if it's a beaut game. Hopefully though they'll have nothing to big-note about since they have buckley's chance of winning that one.
Let's hear what you think : )
Love ya!
Bec*
Sunday, June 3, 2007
I'm baaaaaack!
Wow, a lot of things have happened since I last wrote! Let me try to catch you up a little.
Hmm, where did I leave off? Well, I think I was on my way to Sydney, if I'm not mistaken. I made it safe and sound to Sydney, although I was extremely sick on the way there. I managed to get through the flight, thankfully, and also chatted up my poor neighbour. I think he enjoyed it though, and he definitely seemed like a nice man. He was only staying in Australia for 5 days, which absolutely blows my mind, as I am perfectly happy to not step foot onto another plane for another three months. Ahhh, the poor guy.
Anyway, once I arrived in Sydney, things got slightly complicated. Oh right, did I mention that I didn't sleep on the plane from San Fran to Sydney? That's right. I spent about 14 hours on a plane, overnight, and the absolute maximum amount of sleep I got was about one hour. Ah, yes. How lovely. Anyway, I managed to make it through to Sydney, which was great, but once I arrived things started to unravel slightly. As I was only flying from Sydney to Brisbane, I was told to go towards the domestic transfers area, where I would have to pick up my baggage, make my way to security, get my visa, go through security and customs, and get to my flight... in about 45 minutes.
Well, turns out, after getting my visa, waiting around FOREVER for my bags, and going through customs, that, in fact, I was flying on an international transfer and therfore was in entirely the wrong area of the airport.
Lovely.
So, I went and talked to a wonderfully helpful security guy who told me where to go, and took me as far as he could. That was great. I made my way upstairs, and then got lost again. Haha. I looked around forever for those screens that tell you the departure gates and everythig, but I couldn't find any. Anyway, I eventually found one, thankfully, and realized that I had absolutely no idea where Gate 35 was! (I was looking between gate 50 and 65 or something like that!) I asked another wonderfully helpful security guy and he helped me find my gate.
Now, downstairs in customs, a man told me that I would be able to get my boarding pass upstairs at my gate, and that my baggage would be transfered through, so I wouldn't need to worry about any of that.
As I arrived at my gate, I walked up to the man at the desk, and told him very nicely that I was told I would be able to get a boarding pass here. He looked at me, really snobbishly and said, "Nope, I can't get you on this flight now. You needed to go to the transfer desk."
Please, keep in mind, that I had now been travelling for close to 36 hours and this was the last leg of my journey (only a 1 hour flight!) and so I wanted nothing more than to just get to Brisbane and see my aunt and uncle. Also, keep in mind the fact that I had no sleep, that I was sick, and that I had been oh, so misdirected for the last hour and a half or so.
So, instead of saying all of that, I said, "Oh...okay..."
And the tears started coming.
Then the poor man just looks at me, like it's his fault that all of this happened. You know, this poor little puppy dog-like Canadian girl is sitting here crying because he can't get her on a flight. So, he all of a sudden cramps up (like men do around girls crying!) and says "Oh, um, well, uh, let me see what I can do."
And within about 2.5 minutes I am sitting comfortably in seat 63A. Gotta love it.
Well, once I got to Brisbane, my aunt and uncle were right there to pick me up and take me home, and what a relief it was!
Amazingly enough, I have not needed to deal with jet lag at all!!! It is possibly the most beautiful thing in the world! We went to "The Chemist" yesterday, which is basically a pharmacist. Apparently Aussies are huge fans of going to the pharmacist instead of going directly to a doctor. I got some cold/flu medicine I've been taking and it seems to be working well!
My uncle Paul preached today in church, which I thought was wonderful, as he's studying at Malyon College here in Brisbane, to be a pastor. I met some wonderful people at church this morning, especially some young adults. They're having a BBQ and one of the guys in the C&C group plays in a band, so we're all going to go to one couple's house and t hen to go see him! It sounds like a wonderful time, and from who I've met, they've seemed to be really great people.
The culture is pretty different here than in Canada, which I find sort of surprising. I thought it was going to be very much similar to Canada, and in a lot of ways it is, but in others it's quite different.
Words here are taken very differently as well. It's funny... as soon as I arrived in Sydney, I looked for a washroom, and they don't exist. They're called Toilets here. I find that slightly amusing. And it's not Men and Women labeled washrooms, it's Male and Female.
Another thing is that the toilet is in one room and the bath/shower and sink are in another room entirely! Weird, eh? Oh yeah, and you know in Canada how if we go into a home and it feels warm and comfortable, we would call it "homey"? And if we're being condescending or whatever, it's called "homely", right? Well, it's the exact opposite here. So I'm going to have to watch out. : )
I was talking to my aunt today, and we were walking outside, and I said something along the lines about "It's so good when you have people rooting for you!"
Well, "rooting" here, has the same or similar connotation of "the f-word" in Canada. Oops! You can count on me to come out with something like that! Hopefully it won't come out again!
I got to meet aunt Cass's brother and his wife and kids today, which was a load of fun. They have three kids. Olivia, 5, Max, 3, and Sofia, 1. They are cute. Crazy running around and all that, very energetic, but a wonderful time. It was so fun to play with kids. I think kids always make me feel at home wherever I am... : )
So, Australia is fantastic. I love every aspect of it so far. I haven't taken any pictures but I'm hoping to soon enough! I'm just getting settled in right now. My aunt and uncle are wonderful - very similar to my family at home. It's great, and I feel very comfortable with both of them.
I'm happy about this trip and I'm feeling that it's come at exactly the perfect time. It's going to be a great time to get things in life straightened out, and figuring out priorities and goals and whatever else for when I'm back in Canada.
I think that's about all I have to say so far, but please keep keeping in touch! : )
Love ya!
Bec*
Hmm, where did I leave off? Well, I think I was on my way to Sydney, if I'm not mistaken. I made it safe and sound to Sydney, although I was extremely sick on the way there. I managed to get through the flight, thankfully, and also chatted up my poor neighbour. I think he enjoyed it though, and he definitely seemed like a nice man. He was only staying in Australia for 5 days, which absolutely blows my mind, as I am perfectly happy to not step foot onto another plane for another three months. Ahhh, the poor guy.
Anyway, once I arrived in Sydney, things got slightly complicated. Oh right, did I mention that I didn't sleep on the plane from San Fran to Sydney? That's right. I spent about 14 hours on a plane, overnight, and the absolute maximum amount of sleep I got was about one hour. Ah, yes. How lovely. Anyway, I managed to make it through to Sydney, which was great, but once I arrived things started to unravel slightly. As I was only flying from Sydney to Brisbane, I was told to go towards the domestic transfers area, where I would have to pick up my baggage, make my way to security, get my visa, go through security and customs, and get to my flight... in about 45 minutes.
Well, turns out, after getting my visa, waiting around FOREVER for my bags, and going through customs, that, in fact, I was flying on an international transfer and therfore was in entirely the wrong area of the airport.
Lovely.
So, I went and talked to a wonderfully helpful security guy who told me where to go, and took me as far as he could. That was great. I made my way upstairs, and then got lost again. Haha. I looked around forever for those screens that tell you the departure gates and everythig, but I couldn't find any. Anyway, I eventually found one, thankfully, and realized that I had absolutely no idea where Gate 35 was! (I was looking between gate 50 and 65 or something like that!) I asked another wonderfully helpful security guy and he helped me find my gate.
Now, downstairs in customs, a man told me that I would be able to get my boarding pass upstairs at my gate, and that my baggage would be transfered through, so I wouldn't need to worry about any of that.
As I arrived at my gate, I walked up to the man at the desk, and told him very nicely that I was told I would be able to get a boarding pass here. He looked at me, really snobbishly and said, "Nope, I can't get you on this flight now. You needed to go to the transfer desk."
Please, keep in mind, that I had now been travelling for close to 36 hours and this was the last leg of my journey (only a 1 hour flight!) and so I wanted nothing more than to just get to Brisbane and see my aunt and uncle. Also, keep in mind the fact that I had no sleep, that I was sick, and that I had been oh, so misdirected for the last hour and a half or so.
So, instead of saying all of that, I said, "Oh...okay..."
And the tears started coming.
Then the poor man just looks at me, like it's his fault that all of this happened. You know, this poor little puppy dog-like Canadian girl is sitting here crying because he can't get her on a flight. So, he all of a sudden cramps up (like men do around girls crying!) and says "Oh, um, well, uh, let me see what I can do."
And within about 2.5 minutes I am sitting comfortably in seat 63A. Gotta love it.
Well, once I got to Brisbane, my aunt and uncle were right there to pick me up and take me home, and what a relief it was!
Amazingly enough, I have not needed to deal with jet lag at all!!! It is possibly the most beautiful thing in the world! We went to "The Chemist" yesterday, which is basically a pharmacist. Apparently Aussies are huge fans of going to the pharmacist instead of going directly to a doctor. I got some cold/flu medicine I've been taking and it seems to be working well!
My uncle Paul preached today in church, which I thought was wonderful, as he's studying at Malyon College here in Brisbane, to be a pastor. I met some wonderful people at church this morning, especially some young adults. They're having a BBQ and one of the guys in the C&C group plays in a band, so we're all going to go to one couple's house and t hen to go see him! It sounds like a wonderful time, and from who I've met, they've seemed to be really great people.
The culture is pretty different here than in Canada, which I find sort of surprising. I thought it was going to be very much similar to Canada, and in a lot of ways it is, but in others it's quite different.
Words here are taken very differently as well. It's funny... as soon as I arrived in Sydney, I looked for a washroom, and they don't exist. They're called Toilets here. I find that slightly amusing. And it's not Men and Women labeled washrooms, it's Male and Female.
Another thing is that the toilet is in one room and the bath/shower and sink are in another room entirely! Weird, eh? Oh yeah, and you know in Canada how if we go into a home and it feels warm and comfortable, we would call it "homey"? And if we're being condescending or whatever, it's called "homely", right? Well, it's the exact opposite here. So I'm going to have to watch out. : )
I was talking to my aunt today, and we were walking outside, and I said something along the lines about "It's so good when you have people rooting for you!"
Well, "rooting" here, has the same or similar connotation of "the f-word" in Canada. Oops! You can count on me to come out with something like that! Hopefully it won't come out again!
I got to meet aunt Cass's brother and his wife and kids today, which was a load of fun. They have three kids. Olivia, 5, Max, 3, and Sofia, 1. They are cute. Crazy running around and all that, very energetic, but a wonderful time. It was so fun to play with kids. I think kids always make me feel at home wherever I am... : )
So, Australia is fantastic. I love every aspect of it so far. I haven't taken any pictures but I'm hoping to soon enough! I'm just getting settled in right now. My aunt and uncle are wonderful - very similar to my family at home. It's great, and I feel very comfortable with both of them.
I'm happy about this trip and I'm feeling that it's come at exactly the perfect time. It's going to be a great time to get things in life straightened out, and figuring out priorities and goals and whatever else for when I'm back in Canada.
I think that's about all I have to say so far, but please keep keeping in touch! : )
Love ya!
Bec*
Friday, June 1, 2007
Last 'til Australia!
I have now been up for close to 20 hours, in 3 (soon 4!) different time zones, and it's probably not necessary for me to say it, but I am EXHAUSTED. I am also starving. I realized as we were landing in San Fran that I have eaten half a bagel and a muffin since this morning at 5:30 am. Oops, haha. But with all these nerves, I'm not sure how well eating would have gone over! I have some rice crispie squares in my bag, and I'm thinking I'll pull them out in a minute.
What a day it has been. I am so thankful to God for making everything go through hitch-less, and I am very excited to meet my aunt and uncle on the other end.
So, I made it to Chicago, made it to San Francisco, and thankfully I sat beside a very nice man from California, which allowed me to get somewhat of my daily quota for talking in. Honestly, I had no idea that I would be as talk-deprived as I am. That, in and of itself, makes it worth having a travel buddy! : )
I am now sitting in San Fran, just about to board my next flight, which is the whopper flight. Oh yeah, 14 1/2 hours... I think. Maybe more. Anyway, to be completely honest, the sooner I get on, the sooner I get off, so I'm feeling good : )
The flight to San Francisco was beautiful. The sun was just setting and the colours were incredible. I have had a window seat on both flights so far, so it will be really nice if I can keep up with that!
Well, I think we're boarding soon and I need to switch some carry-on stuff around, so this shall be my last until I'm safe and sound (Lord willing!) in Brisbane. Thank you all sooooo much for the Facebook messages, MSN messages, emails, and comments. I hope you're all enjoying my "adventure" and I'm thinking that once I get out of these airports I'll have something more exciting to say.
Love,
Bec*
What a day it has been. I am so thankful to God for making everything go through hitch-less, and I am very excited to meet my aunt and uncle on the other end.
So, I made it to Chicago, made it to San Francisco, and thankfully I sat beside a very nice man from California, which allowed me to get somewhat of my daily quota for talking in. Honestly, I had no idea that I would be as talk-deprived as I am. That, in and of itself, makes it worth having a travel buddy! : )
I am now sitting in San Fran, just about to board my next flight, which is the whopper flight. Oh yeah, 14 1/2 hours... I think. Maybe more. Anyway, to be completely honest, the sooner I get on, the sooner I get off, so I'm feeling good : )
The flight to San Francisco was beautiful. The sun was just setting and the colours were incredible. I have had a window seat on both flights so far, so it will be really nice if I can keep up with that!
Well, I think we're boarding soon and I need to switch some carry-on stuff around, so this shall be my last until I'm safe and sound (Lord willing!) in Brisbane. Thank you all sooooo much for the Facebook messages, MSN messages, emails, and comments. I hope you're all enjoying my "adventure" and I'm thinking that once I get out of these airports I'll have something more exciting to say.
Love,
Bec*
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