Vocabulary Lesson #1

Friends have commented that I've used some words unfamiliar to the average American. So it's happening already -- assimilation! As a twentysomething in London, I used to send my parents "vocabulary lists" to help them get a feel for the culture. It worked well then, so I will try it in Perth also. Here's my first installment.
Flat
Apartment. Our flat is on the seventh floor of a 16-story building, overlooking the Swan River.

Lift
Elevator. "Vince, please hold the lift for me while I lock the front door of the flat.”

Queue
A line formed by people waiting for something, like the bus or at the grocery checkout. “The queue to buy tickets to the George Michael concert was wrapped around the block.”

Macca’s
McDonalds. “A commercial on a local radio station blares, 'Get your refreshing frozen Coke only at Macca’s!'”

Postbox
Mailbox belonging to the Postal Service. “Ma’am, you can drop your holiday cards in the postbox just outside.”

Petrol, Petrol Station
Gas, Gas Station. "There is a BP Petrol Station at the end of our street. You don't have to pay first, just pump your petrol and pay when you've finished."

In case the numbers are too small to read, the current price for unleaded (not premium) is about $1.13 per litre, or approx. $5 per gallon.


Long Black, Flat White
Styles of coffee. Long Black is a small black coffee akin to espresso. Flat white is the same coffee with a bit of milk in it. “At the sidewalk café, he ordered a long black and a flat white to go with their breakfast.”

Zebra (Pronounced zehbruh) Crossing
A specialized crosswalk, defined by wide black and white stripes (think Beatles Abbey Road LP). Drivers MUST stop immediately for pedestrians in this kind of crosswalk. “There is a zebra crossing in front of the Atomic Café, our favorite place to relax.”

Australian Wave
The waving motion people make when swatting the flies who invariably accompany hot weather. “He did the Australian wave for what seemed the hundredth time, and regretted not applying bug repellent before going for his morning walk.”

Fremantle Doctor
The name for the cool breeze off the Indian Ocean which blows into Perth every afternoon from the direction of Fremantle, a coastal town to the west. “On particularly hot summer days, I eagerly anticipate the arrival of the Fremantle Doctor, which occurs about 3:00pm and refreshes me.”

Until next time,
Anita & Vince

Shopping - It's an Adventure!

At the Checkout

The scene: Time to go grocery shopping. I start by taking the lift from our 7th floor flat to the car park in the basement of our building. Enter the car on the right hand side, shift using my left hand, and engage the turn signal which is on the right side of the steering column. Exit the car park and drive in the left hand lane to the store and park in a narrow parking space in the lot. I could have parked on the street, but I haven't yet mastered parallel parking in reverse :-> I enter a popular market called Cole's, and proceed to the row of grocery carts. They are about 3/4 the size of US grocery carts, and locked together. I take out a $1 coin and insert it into the red slot at the front "child's seat" section of the cart and it separates from the others. I'll get the coin back when I return the cart.

I cruise the aisles, searching for foods that are familiar. Hmm... Uncle Toby's muesli bars, Tim Tam biscuits, king prawns, Sea Kist tuna steak, and... vegemite. It really does exist! It's a small brown jar filled with brown goo the consistency of syrup. Smells to high heaven. Keep going, past the Heinz beans and Gravox gravy mix and ... yes, it's Old El Paso! Crispy taco shells, taco sauce and flour tortillas. There's one brand of most items, but about 5 brands of yogurt and 100 kinds of feta cheese (I'm only slightly exaggerating). I select a quart of "Hi Lo" milk (lowfat), which is the largest size available, and go to the meat counter for some scotch fillet aka ribeye steak. It comes in pieces about the size of a fist and weigh - did I mention we're metric here? - about 150-200 grams each. On the way to the checkout stand I pass the drinks section and decide to buy a bottle of Diet Coke, but a 50cl bottle costs $2.50 Do I really want it? Yeah, throw caution to the wind.

There's a queue at the checkout, but soon it's my turn. There are food displays all around the checkout stand, but not a magazine, candy bar or gift card in sight. I load my fantastic fresh veggies onto the child-sized conveyor belt as the cashier rings up my purchases. "How yer goin'?" she asks with a smile. The total for 9 items is $87.66.  Trying not to choke, I fish through my wallet and retrieve a yellow ($50), red ($20), blue ($10) and purple ($5) note, plus a dime-sized, extra-thick gold coin ($2), a 12-sided silver coin (50 cents), a 10-cent coin and a smaller 5-cent coin. They don't use pennies here, they just round up or down and assume it will even out eventually.  "Did you bring a carrier bag with you?" Bring my own bag? Nope. "Would you like to pay 10 cents for a plastic bag?  I can't bring myself to pay for something that's always been free. I notice there are at least 4 different designs of "recycle" bags for sale for 99 cents each. Not bad, so I buy a cute red one, and notice that all profits from the sale of the bags go to local charities. My purchase will help someone else too.

So... friendly people, tasty but expensive food, really expensive imported stuff like Coke and anything that isn't straight from a Western Australian farm. Small quantities and little packages. Works great on the small stove tops, small ovens and even smaller storage containers. Almost everything is smaller here. With prices like these, we waste almost nothing. I thank the cashier, take my bag and return my cart to get the $1 coin back. I'm going to need it!

Getting Better

December 17th - later in the day

When filling up with gas, I found a Christmas CD set for sale in the convenience store. I played the carols while running errands, and the Christmas spirit is starting to take hold. We put up the fiber-optic tree which is actually quite pretty. I received a "snail mail" Christmas card from my Mom, which made us both feel cared for. I got a lot of Christmas shopping done and successfully made pot roast. Feeling so much better!

Homesick!

8 days until Christmas and it's 90 degrees outside. Haven't received a single Christmas card, no Christmas carols to speak of, and our little Christmas tree is still in the box. As my fellow expat and friend Lyn says,
a move like this involves a process - anticipation, excitement upon arrival, bewilderment, frustration, homesickness, and eventually adjustment and acceptance. She's right, and today's stage is homesickness. There was a short children's program at church last Sunday and both of us were imagining Owen in a similar role back home. A picnic was scheduled for the afternoon, but the weather was so hot (105+) that they moved it indoors because even the natives couldn't handle the scorching sun.

To alleviate some of the homesickness I tried to bake chocolate chip cookies. My cookie sheets are too large for the oven. The "chocolate bits" here are not the same as Nestle's tollhouse, and to top it off I burned the lot. Will I ever figure out what "forced air" means and when to use the top-and-bottom heat instead of just the top?

But it's still beautiful, and we attended a Christmas party last week and I got to meet the people Vince works with. We had a lovely time, and even got to dance a little. I know things will get better, but meanwhile will somebody please email or send me news from home?

Christmas in Perth

I'm still amazed at how different things can be here, though they appear the same. Christmas trees in store windows, carol singing, holiday parties... But while everyone is glad to have a reason to take time off and celebrate with family and friends, I have seen almost no references at all to the sacred origins of this holiday. Toto, we're not in the Bible belt any more! Interestingly, there are "heaps" of pictures of Santa in the snow and on a sleigh, even though it's upwards of 90 degrees these days. Aussies make turkey dinner for Christmas, but it is served cold, often with ham and various salads, and lots of beer. I'm told by several Australian ladies that they serve a big seafood dinner on Christmas eve, with Prawns (shrimp) cooked on the barbie. There are churches here, but not many people attend them, and the references to Christmas are of Santa, Reindeer and presents.

Advertising is low-key. No super sales or late store hours, relatively few commercials and hardly any Christmas music except for some humorous Australian carols. A candlelight Christmas concert is planned, but it is downtown and I don't know how popular it will be. Christmas here seems to be an opportunity for family to spend time together, and Boxing Day (December 26) is usually spent watching the Boxing Day Test Match or the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Most businesses will close for two weeks, from December 18th and returning on January 4th. It is considered unthinkable to work during this time, and many Aussies will go "on holiday" with their families. Popular destinations include any beach, Margaret River vineyards, Swan River Valley, northwest Australia (Broome and environs), and those who can afford the airfare will travel to Sydney or Melbourne. We hope to explore more of Western Australia during the break.

So... we've been slow to catch the Christmas spirit. I did bring some ornaments from home, and we purchased a 4-foot artificial tree which will probably go up this weekend. On Sunday our church is having a pre-Christmas picnic on the river bank. We have been instructed to wear hats and lots of sunscreen :) We miss you all and hope your Christmas preparations are progressing well. And in the spirit of silly Christmas Carols, here's one for your collection.

The Twelve Days of Australian Christmas

On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
A kookaburra in a gum tree
On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Two cockatoos, and a kookaburra in a gum tree

Three parakeets.........
Four great galahs.......
Five opals black......
Six 'roos a-jumping........
Seven emus running.......
Eight koalas clinging.........
Nine wombats waddling........
Ten dingoes dashing.......
Eleven snakes a-sliding.......
Twelve goannas going.......

Worshipping the International Way

We have found a home church in Perth! It is in a part of Perth called Victoria Park, and attendance is about 60 people on Sunday mornings. It is called the Christian Reformed Church of Perth and is one of 5 of them here. Their doctrine lines up quite closely with ours, and the congregation is one of the friendliest I have ever come across. Yes, it sounds a lot like Spring Cypress Presyterian Church!

There are some interesting and fun differences. First, the majority of families are of Dutch descent, many of them first generation Australians. Second, many of the members are related to one another, either extended family or by marriage or both. The pastor, Rainier Noppers, jokes that the church directory comes in two volumes: A=Z with a second one just for V (van Der Noot, etc.). We have been made very welcome here. On our first Sunday, a husband and wife invited us to coffee at their home after the service. Last week, we had lunch at the home of our Pastor and his family. Which brings us to another interesting practice within this denomination. These 5 churches share their pastors by rotating them among each other. The "home pastor" of each church preaches one Sunday per month at a different church, and two Sundays per month at his home church, with one Sunday off per month. The idea behind this is to give the pastor more time to spend on pastoral care and less time preparing sermons (because he can give the same message twice - once at his church and once at any church he visits). A novel approach which has its merits. The congregation hears a variety of different messages and preaching styles, and people (we hope) come to church to hear the message, not just the speaker. Worship music? Each pastor brings his own music with him. Our pastor has musically talented teenage children, who play the piano and guitar during the service. There are several young families among the membership who enjoy the newer hymns, but the members who are a bit older have trouble keeping up with the tempo, resulting in praise songs sung at about 2/3 speed. The visiting pastor we heard recently brought pre-recorded instrumental versions of the hymns, which he controlled from the pulpit. Let's just say that we worship the Lord in song and voice, but in a less technologically advanced manner!

Many church members grew up in either Holland or South Africa and speak English as a second or third language. There are some Australian families who are members, and we are the only Americans worshiping at this church. I look forward to the day I can stop asking these lovely people to repeat things for me! Our accents may be different, but we share a love for God and his Word.

We are really enjoying this church, but we also miss our family at SCPC. We wish you all a most blessed Christmas and hope that some of you will email us photos of some from this year's holiday programs.

Lots of love and a blessed Christmas to all,
Anita & Vince

P.S. Today's temperature: 34 degrees (100F). How was the snow?

Kangaroos & Cricket

The thermometer registered 33 degrees centigrade, letting us know summer is definitely here! Perth weather is a bit tricky -- the cool breeze from the ocean makes you forget how intense the sun's rays are, resulting in sunburns and worse. Sunscreen is a must. Vince and I spent the weekend investigating our neighborhood on foot. First the zoo, which is one block away from our apartment. We headed straight for the kangaroo enclosure, hoping to catch the kangas at play. They were mostly laying around sunning themselves. I coaxed a younger "roo" to wander over and to my delight, he decided to snack on the branches in front of me. I was close enough to pet him, but caution took over. As if on cue, after a few photos he decided he had posed long enough for us and returned to lounge land.

Next, the park which is across the street from the zoo and next to the golf course. We happened upon a cricket match in progress, and I couldn't resist snapping a few pics. Full cricket gear for a friendly neighborhood game. As soon as I learn more about the game I'll report back. I still don't understand how it works, but I pledge to figure it out.

Cricket and Kangaroos

Last stop, the beach. There are 19 beaches in Perth alone, but we checked out Scarborough Beach, which boasted beautiful white sand, clear blue water and high winds that afternoon. Windsurfers were making the most of the day. Here are some photos to help you forget that it is winter in the US. Guess Santa will come in on a surfboard this year...

Scarborough Beach

Getting Settled in Perth

Australia --it's gorgeous, the weather is beautiful, and we feel so blessed to be here. Vince has been extremely busy at work since the day we arrived. We arrived late on Thursday, November 12th about 11:30pm. The next day Vince went to the office and I pounded the pavement, looking for estate agents and a place to rent. We were told it would take a month to find a place, but I found a place my first day! (Definitely a God thing) It's a two-bedroom flat on the 7th floor of a high-rise building on the south bank of the Swan River. We have a fabulous view of the Perth skyline, and we enjoy watching folks rowing, sailing and jetskiing on the river during the weekends. There is a path along the river where we can walk or bicycle, and we are literally a stone's throw from the trendy restaurant area of the city. It is very different from life in the 'burbs, and we are making the most of it :)

If you want to send snail mail (Christmas cards?), our address is:
30/87-89 South Perth Esplanade
Perth WA 6151
Australia

The IT guys at Vince's office are working on getting us a phone number that can be dialed locally but reach us here in Perth. I will keep you posted!

Today I will regale you with tidbits and stories that are informative and amusing and maybe both! We'll start with the car... we are renting a white Hyundai Elantra which is almost new. That is, until I hit a pillar in the parking lot while trying to get out of a postage stamp-sized parking space. The only damage was a small chip of paint removed, but then the next day I hit a fire extinguisher attached to the same pillar while trying to back out of the same parking space. Arrgh! Vince came up with the brilliant idea of backing into the space when returning, so I won't have to deal with said pillar any more. I was mildly gratified to observe that it took him several attempts to back into the space successfully. We are both improving with practice. Then there is driving on the road... it's not too hard to drive on the left side, as long as you (a) remember "passengers to the curb" which is Australian for "look to your left to make sure you don't hit anybody," (b) take care when turning right (turning left is easy) and (c) keep in mind that turn signals are on the right side of the steering column and windshield wipers are on the left. We are keeping a running tally of how many times we turn on the wipers instead of signaling. Vince is ahead, 11-7.

Having a car is very convenient, but the public transportation is so good that you don't need to use the car in the city. Parking costs are exorbitant, so we just take the ferry across the river to the CBD (Central Business District) when we want to spend time downtown. Vince takes the ferry to work every morning. Our flat is literally steps away from the ferry dock, and his entire commute is less than 20 minutes. Once the ferry docks on the other side, he catches the Blue Cat bus which drops him off in front of his building. Buses are free in the CBD, which keeps them flowing smoothly (don't have to wait for folks to find their money or make change) and encourages people to use them.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, which is just another workday here. We've been invited to dinner at the home of some new American friends (also from Houston), and my task is to make a pumpkin pie. There is a store which sells "foreign food" and it just might carry canned pumpkin. If not, I'll think of something else. Food -- another topic for another post. Meanwhile, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Lots of Love from Vince/Dad & Anita

P.S. Check out our photos of Perth via this link

First Views of Perth

Photos of Hong Kong

For various reasons it has taken a while to upload photos, but here is a start. Follow the link to photos we took during a stopover in Hong Kong on the way to Perth. I should have Perth photos by tomorrow! Hope all is well and Thanksgiving preparations are in full swing!

Hong Kong

First Impressions

Day 4 in Perth and I finally made it across the river to the CBD, or Central Business District. It's a small city by American standards, but it is packed with skyscrapers, indoor and outdoor shopping malls and even several parks. There is quite a bit of green space, which makes urban dwelling very pleasant and offers tourists many photo opportunities. I was on a quest for hangers, in preparation for the move to our flat. Unsure where to start, I took the blue CAT bus line (buses are free in the CBD) until I saw something that looked like a mall. Within minutes I found a Target, of all things. I've never been so happy to see that red and white logo! It's very different from what we're used to in the States. Foods like fresh meat and produce are fairly reasonably priced, but "finished goods" like towels, clothing and furniture are very expensive. Electronics (computers, etc.) are almost prohitively expensive. Not sure how anyone can afford the computers and cell phones, but with a robust economy and low unemployment, there is a way.

On Saturday we journeyed to Fremantle, a coastal city about 20 miles from Perth. It reminded me of the old town section of Galveston before hurricane Ike smashed through it. There is a charming old train station and many shops, as well as an impressive World War II memorial and an active sailing community. My favorite spot was the market which sold spices from huge barrels and at least 25 different varieties of olive oil. They're on the metric system here, so I will need to be careful what I ask for until I get in the habit of thinking in grams and liters. There were many jewelry shops there also -- Australians are enamored with opals, which are mined locally.

The weather is similar to Houston in spring and it has been quite humid. This is rare for Perth, I am told, and is caused by the unusually high amount of rainfall they received during the winter. It is relieved each afternoon by the "Fremantle Doctor," the name Australians have given tot he daily breeze which rushes in from the ocean each afternoon around 4:00pm. Temperature is recorded in centigrade, and it has been hovering around 25 degrees (about 80 F) since we arrived.

I hope to post pictures in the next day or so, as soon as I can get them uploaded. Meanwhile, it's time to get packed up again for the move to our new flat! There is a second bedroom, so anyone who can make it here for a visit is welcome to stay with us. Until next time...

28 Hours to Paradise

We're in Perth at last. Our route was Houston to San Francisco, then to Hong Kong and finally to Perth. We had an 8-hour layover in Hong Kong, we decided to get out and go exploring. We took the express train from the airport to the island and a short taxi ride to "The Peak." Hong Kong is very hilly and this is the tallest one, affording spectacular views of the city skyline, both in HK and Kowloon. We walked the 3-mile nature trail which felt like being in the middle of a rain forest. I'll post photos as soon as I can upload them from my camera! We had just enough time for a quick lunch and a ride downhill on the Peak Tram. All that walking tired us out enough to sleep during the last leg of the flight from HK to Sydney. Interesting... the seats in this aircraft were "sleep pods" which extended out into actual beds. I felt like I was on board the starship Enterprise but appreciated the ability to rest. We arrived in Perth at 10:30pm, a little disoriented but happy to be here.

It is beautiful here. We're staying in a "serviced apartment" on the bank of the Swan River, which runs along the south border of the city. Vince takes a ferry across the river to work. His door-to-door commute is less than 20 minutes! Within 24 hours Vince was at work and I found us a flat to rent. It's in South Perth, a stone's throw from the ferry and very close to "Mends Street," which is considered quite trendy and has lots of great restaurants. We have already enjoyed meals at the Tandoori and Italian eateries. Our hotel room features a tiny kitchen, so we can make coffee and cook meals here. A good thing, since I haven't seen a Starbucks anywhere. I think we're going to love this place!

A New Adventure

It was over a dinner of pot roast and veggies when Vince asked "how do you feel about living in Australia for a while?" I think "woo-hoo!" covers it. So begins our adventure. We're not there yet, but visas permitting we will depart next week. Meanwhile, we've packed and stored our furniture, sent ahead an air shipment of clothing and other necessities, and arranged for a wonderful family to house-sit for us and take loving care of our two cats, Oscar and Finney.

For most of my life I have lived far away from family members: Boston, London, Houston, and now Perth. Same for Vince, whose siblings are in San Antonio. I used to write letters, but it gets harder and harder to find the time. Email made things easier, especially when Dad joined the online revolution. Now I'm asking family and friends to take it one step further and follow this blog. I know you can do it!

Vince will be managing the Australia and New Zealand practice of his company for the next 9 months or so. I will be in charge of household affairs, travel/vacation planning, social calendar, blogging, and helping Vince be successful in this business endeavor. I hope this blog will entertain and inform and perhaps inspire its readers. Please use the comment section to stay in touch, or send emails to me at vetteroo@gmail.com .

More to come later!
Anita