They grow 'em big around here

We're smack in the middle of summer here, and the fruits and veg in our weekly organic basket are unbelievable, steroid-sized and delish. Definitely not the typical produce we were used to seeing in our local Ottawa grocery store.

Since we're planning to be here for a limited time (3yrs - the length of my scholarship), I have to admit that I spend too much time thinking in terms of "I'm not going to miss this one bit" (usually referring to the cost of living in Sydney, or the fact that my name seems to be unpronounceable to most aussies) or "How am I going to live without this when we go back home?". Being able to eat these amazing, fresh and delicious fruits and veggies year-round definitely falls in the category of something I'm going to really miss.

The lettuce in our basket this week:

Our fridge, after we've packed it full of this week's delivery....and yes we do eat more than just green stuff, yogurt and diet coke.

Snow Day

No, of course we're not having a snow day, but today the temperature topped out at 35+, and although our ocean-side apartment usually keeps cool if we open the windows and patio doors wide to let the sea breezes in, today is the exception to the rule. It's like being inside a dryer outside, the wind is hot and strong. So, just like having a snow day in Canada, today we're hiding out in our apartment, leaving only for an occasional run to the beach to cool off.

Last week, Vic's parents headed back home and we're no longer spoiled by having family around. We had a great visit, and of course there's always the side benefit of having free babysitters! Gus is on summer holidays right now (school's starts again next Thursday...and I'm counting down the days!). So, since they left I've been splitting my time between dragging him around on study-related tasks and dropping him off at various parents' houses (with promises to provide child care for their kids on other as-yet unspecified days in the future) so that I can run downtown to survey people who inject drugs for my thesis. After making my own schedule for the past year and a half, being tied down to a more rigid schedule is making me crazy! It's also gotten me a little worried about having to go back to a 9 to 5 job at the end of all this. It will be a difficult transition, that's for sure.

Luckily my parents are coming in a week from now, so we'll once again have family around, plus there's also that free babysitter thing. We've already lined up one night out, where we're going to see Carus Thompson at the Vanguard. Can't wait!

Very exciting for us is that most recently, our little suburb was in the paper, this time for a good reason (usually it's mentioned because of an arrest of one or more members of an infamous surfie gang in our 'hood). The article was about how our suburb is being gentrified, and is becoming all about the lattes and organic veggies, but also about how many of the locals are nervous about the changes and are worried it will turn into a Coogee or Bondi (two of the more popular and very busy beachside suburbs in the area), and how they enjoy the feel of it, just as it is. One local described it as "a bit bohemian and a bit ghetto", which is an apt descriptor and I'm happy to be a part of it while we're here in Sydney.

...and a Happy New Year!

It's been a busy couple of weeks. But not crazy-busy, it was definitely a nice busy. We had a great Christmas, very low key, involving the usual stuff (opening presents, a big yummy breakfast) along with a Christmas swim at our beach and a visit to Chinatown for supper. Christmas was followed by a little mini-holiday in the Blue Mountains with Vic's parents who are visiting from Canada.

Although we only spent a few days away, we fit a lot into that short trip. We started out with a stop in the Blue Mountains, then on to our cabin by the Jenolan caves, hit up some cave tours and went fossicking. During that little trip, I amassed over 100 pics of trees (I love the gum trees and can't stop snapping pictures of them), the mountains, kangaroos (there were kangaroos living outside our cabins) and caves. Here's a sampling of just some of those pictures.

Gus, sporting his spy glasses he got for Christmas:

Christmas supper in Chinatown.

The sign on the scary railcar that took us down into the valley in the Blue Mountains.

View from the valley:


A paper gum:
The kangaroos hopping and grazing outside our cabin.



The road to the Jenolan Caves.

Gus, trying his hand at fossicking. Fossicking involves panning for gold and/or digging for sapphires, opals or other gems, usually done on a recreational basis. In our state (NSW), you don't need a license to fossick, and there are nine areas where you can fossick without having to get prior permission by the landholder. Yesterday we were describing our first fossicking trip to an Australian friend and he told us about people that he went to school with that would spend their summers fossicking and apparently they were able to make a living at it. Based on our first go at it, it wouldn't be something I could (or would want to) make a living at (it was pretty mucky and sweaty), but Vic and Gus say they're keen to try it again. Keep your fingers crossed for gold.


Happy New Year all!