The Queen is Coming! The Queen is Coming!

Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh are at this moment winging their way to Western Australia for a State visit. The Queen will officially open the 2012 CHOGM (pronounced "choggum") meeting. CHOGM, which stands for Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, has brought heads of state from as many as 54 member countries and of course their entourages. The better known members include Canada, India, Bangladesh, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, Uganda, many of the Carribean Islands, Nigeria and many other African nations. For a complete list, follow this link. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member_states_of_the_Commonwealth_of_Nations

Perth feels like the center of the universe, or the police universe anyway. Security is tight and police presence is highly visible.  Streets are blocked off and the airport has been chock-a-block since the weekend. CHOGM 2011 has been billed as the largest ever gathering of world leaders in Australia and the biggest international event to be held in Perth for almost 50 years. There is a feeling of excitement in the air, and many local business are getting a boost - florists, caterers, limousine drivers, hotels, restaurants, and my favorite - fireworks providers. We've been treated to a sparkly show at least 4 times this past week!

CHOGM isn't all that exciting to the average Perthian. Every two years, Commonwealth leaders meet to discuss global and Commonwealth issues, and to agree on collective policies and initiatives. All of this will take place in the Parliament building and other venues which are closed off to the public. They'll have their meetings and finish with a leadership retreat. The festivities begin this Friday, October 28th and last through Sunday the 30th.

Thanks to the publication Perth Now! for these photos of the Queen's arrival in Australia. She began her visit in Canberra, Australia's capital.

The Queen, however, arrives tomorrow, and all Perth is aflutter. 1,000 people are expected to be at the airport to cheer for her. While she is here she will host a garden party on Thursday, attended by invitation only. On Friday she is hosting a "sausage sizzle" (Australian for barbecue) and the whole town is invited. We will be able to see the festivities from our balcony, and that will probably be as close as we get. Over 20,000 people are expected to attend.

Our mahjong group has decided to join in the fun. Since none of us received an invitation to the garden party, we have decided to throw our own! Invitations were sent and on Thursday while the invitees are dining on cucumber sandwiches and tea, we will be partying as well, although I imagine our fare will be slightly more pedestrian than theirs. One little twist : everyone attending our party is requested to dress like the Queen. I have raided my wardrobe for a frumpy dress, sensible shoes and of course, a strand of pearls. I bought a hat and some fancy trim to add to it, and am looking forward to toasting Her Majesty with some of my favorite ladies. Pictures and details to follow on Friday! 

Back in Blog Mode Again

Yes, it has been a long time. We've been on holiday, Mom hasn't been well, and we were without computer for a few weeks. I even thought about giving up on the blog. But I can't let go of this cyber thread that connects me to family and friends. Communication can be difficult - most of y'all are at least a dozen time zones away and your day is my night -- but I can tell you stories here that you can read at your leisure. September was spent living out of suitcases and I've spent much of October recovering from our travel to Kuala Lumpur, Los Angeles and Houston. I've taken enough photos to keep me scrapbooking for at least another 5 years!  Here are some of my favorites.

I was able to get some serious grandbaby-holding time. Ethan was teething and drooled all over my shoulder. I wore it with pride!

Father and son, having the time of their lies and making great memories. 

Granddad and Owen at the arcade.

We celebrated Vince's sister Jeanette's birthday during the Vetter family reunion in San Antonio. Left to right: Jeanette, husband Charlie, Vince, and his sister Carina. Note vintage family photos and diagrams behind Jeanette and Charlie.

Souvenir shop treasures at Santa Monica pier. The smiling starfish with shades caught my fancy, as did the paper clip surfers.

Vince, aka surfer dude, helping Mom choose wigs to wear during chemo. Who knew it could be so much fun?

More blogs are on their way. The Queen is coming to Perth later this week and the town is all a-twitter. There are more police than civilians on the roads, and the city has been spruced up for her visit. My mahjong group has planned a special tea party in her honor, or should that be "honour." Can't wait to share the invitation and photos!  I plan to post more tomorrow. :-> 

Mom's Making Progress

Sometimes I need to take a timeout from talking about Australia and talk about home, family and things close to my heart. It has been a busy few weeks for our family. Mom has made the rounds of her family doctor, radiologist and surgeon, not to mention all kinds of tests in preparation for surgery. Stress test - good. Breathing test - check. Last week she was admitted to hospital for two procedures. The first one involved searching for evidence of any cancer in her lymph nodes, via a very tiny camera inserted via the throat. Good news - nothing in the lymph nodes and the only side effect was some difficulty talking. The following day (Thursday) the surgeon removed a portion of her lung. She spent a little over a week in the hospital, hooked up to various machines which pulled fluid out of the lungs (since the one which was operated on can't do it for itself while healing) She's also using an inhalation therapy machine, which pumps medicine into her lungs, which loosens phlegm which settled into her chest from the surgery. And don't forget the oxygen machine. All this technology... it makes me aware of the amazing number of things our bodies do for us all the time and which we take for granted. It also increases my (already great) appreciation for research and innovation in medicine. Imagine how much slower her recovery would be if her lungs had to clear themselves while in such a weakened state. The surgery itself would probably be as dangerous as the cancer. Such visionaries... I'm in awe.

I am pleased and relieved to report that my mother is home from the hospital and continuing to recover. Her diabetes contributed to her extended hospital stay. She didn't have much of an appetite (it hurt to eat, not to mention trying to negotiate all the tubes and wires), which made her blood sugar levels a bit unstable. Insulin shots helped to smooth those out (another research miracle), and now her task is to maintain a regular eating schedule, rest, and let her body heal.

Mom's surgeon seems to think that chemo will not be needed, but her GP has referred her to an oncologist for his opinion. I'm grateful for that. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it isn't there. That will take place in a couple of weeks. In the meantime she is receiving lots of get well cards and family support.

I hope to write again soon with even better news. For now, I will end by saying I am extremely grateful to my sister Dianne, who faithfully sends informative emails describing the details of doctor visits, surgery, recovery progress, and easy to understand explanations of the complexities of surgery, disease, and medical equipment. Thank you, sweetie!  Thanks also to everyone who has called, emailed and written their interest and support for me, Vince and especially my Mom. It is appreciated and it is helping. You bless all of us.

Twice a Child

No matter how well you prepare yourself, you're never really ready for the moment when your parents stop taking care of you and you have to start caring for them. This moment has come for my sisters and me. It occurred when we learned that my Mother has lung cancer.

I doubt I'm saying anything new to most of you, but it's my turn to go through the experience. It sure is weird. My parents were barely 20 when I was born, which makes them younger than the parents of most of my peers. I now understand the jittery nerves and breath-holding moments that happen while you're waiting for news from the doctors. How big is the "spot"? What exactly is a PET scan? Will it hurt? And of course, what are Mom's chances of survival? And what quality of life will she have? My Mom was a pack-a-day smoker for 50 years, so this is not exactly unexpected. Still, we all naturally hope and pray that a miracle will happen and Mom will be spared the trauma, pain and ultimate surrender that often accompany this diagnosis.

When my parents divorced my Mom found herself a single mother with 4 little girls under the age of 10, with only enough child support to afford the most spartan of conditions for us. She went back to full-time nursing after a 9-year break, took correspondence courses to update her medical knowledge, and made sure we all did our homework, brushed our teeth and did our chores. She even co-led our Girl Scout troop for a year. Mom's a real survivor, but she fell apart when the doctor told her that the dime-sized spot on her lung that he had been keeping an eye on had grown and it was time to do a biopsy. Sometimes having medical knowledge is a curse -- Mom knew that meant he suspected cancer. My youngest sister Dianne lives about a half-hour drive from Mom. By interesting coincidence they both have the same physician (GP). It has fallen to Dianne to receive the panicked phone calls, sift through the tears and garbled phrases, and communicate the news to her sisters. She has done a fantastic job providing clear and timely information. Thank you, sweetie!

In times of crisis, you learn new things about your siblings. I'm the oldest, so people expect me to take charge in moments like this. But I'm halfway across the world so I can't do it. Geography somewhat dictated our roles, but it's the youngest who has been the most parental. Granted, Dianne has three grown children, so she is probably also the best qualified. The sister I thought could handle it the most easily took the news especially hard. These are good things to know about your family.  Mom's in the no-computer-for-me camp, so I don't have the luxury of Skype, but in lieu of being there I have racked up a few hundred minutes on my cell phone in the past few weeks. Vince and I do our best to make her laugh and get her to talk about her fears. It seems to help.

It has been three weeks since that first difficult conversation. Many others have occurred since then, but yesterday we received the good news. Although the spot on my Mom's lung is indeed cancer, it is encapsulated and the nodule has not metastasized. Tomorrow Mom, Dianne and the doctor will discuss treatment options, which will most likely include surgery followed by chemotherapy. Belt and suspenders, Vince calls it. I wish I could be there.

When Life Imitates Scripture

I am so proud of my husband. Well actually, I'm always proud of him but I'm especially thrilled to be Mrs. Vetter (or Mrs. Vay-tah, as our Dutch church friends say) at the moment.Vince preached a wonderful sermon at church this past Sunday.

I'm not sure who was more surprised to see Vince in the pulpit - himself or the congregation. He has given sermons before, but not recently. So there he was on Sunday, before a rapt audience, telling them all about how Gideon and his army won a victory in spite of ridiculous odds.

We've been studying the book Judges in our weekly Bible study for the past several weeks, and Reinier, our pastor, has been preaching from it for the past month or so. There have been a number of lighthearted discussions about how even scaredy cats like Gideon can demonstrate that when God is behind you, it is possible to overcome anything, even 35,000 warriors. Reinier was planning to preach on the way Gideon used tests to make sure he could trust that God was asking him to do something. Then Reinier caught the "creeping crud" and was unable to give the sermon himself.

Well, now... several months ago Vince let Reinier know that he was available to give a sermon should he ever need someone on short notice. And here was an opportunity. But what timing -- in the middle of a really busy time at work and only 3 days to prepare. But nobody else stepped in to do it, so Vince was our guy. He read and edited, practiced and practiced, stayed up late rehearsing, and I got to hear it a dozen times or so before Sunday. I even got to help -- I pointed out that his description of how the Midianites "had been womping down on Israel for years" might be hard for our Dutch and South African crowd to understand (he changed it to "beating up on") By Saturday it sounded great to me, but of course I am biased.

Sunday came and it was time to deliver. Vince mouthed the words to the hymns but did not sing (if you've heard Vince sing before, you will understand), led the service, and then it was time for the sermon. I had been a little nervous up to this point. The average age of our congregation is around 70 years old, and they are very set in their ways. They like their sermons straight up, their hymns slow and traditional, and they're not very good with change. But there they were, enthralled with this Texan who smiled and thundered in turn, and who brought Gideon's fears, prayers and victories to life. By the end of the sermon you could have heard a pin drop. Afterward, he received many compliments such as "well, you did a lot better than I thought you would." High praise from our church members, and they meant every word!

Vince did a great job. I know it's not just my opinion, because the elders have already asked if he would be willing to give another sermon when the pastor is on vacation. And Reinier joked that he's going to have to acquire a Texan drawl. Good on ya Vince. And Reinier, we're lookin' forward to seein' ya back in the saddle real soon.

Day #11 - and Enough Already

Writing every day has been a real challenge, not to mention interesting, occasionally overwhelming, and certainly an exercise in self-discipline. When I reached Day #10 and found myself at a loss for appropriate subject matter, I had a rethink about why chose to crank out 30 blog entries in 30 days. The purpose was to get out of a slump and restore my credibility as a friend, family member and correspondent. I'm very pleased to announce that I have won the battle with writer's block, and I hope those of you who have (rightfully) assumed I had abandoned this blog will give it another go. And for those who hung in there during my dry spell, thank you very muchf or your patience :-> 

The Internet is filled with stuff nobody wants to read, and when we return to Houston this blog will probably acquire that status. Meanwhile, however, I will continue to write something of interest or humor at least once a week.

Day #10 of 30 - Eating Out

According to an online restaurant guide (Dining in Perth), there are more restaurants per capita in Perth than anywhere else in Australia, with at least 32 different styles of cuisine. I don't count Mexican because I haven't yet found a "Mexican" restaurant that serves anything faintly resembling those delicious south-of-the-border offerings we love so much. But that's another story.

I could not find out how many restaurants there actually are in Perth, but they do seem to be everywhere. The average restaurant is small and homey (about 20 tables) and with a delicious, specialized menu. Haven't seen any Cheesecake Factory-style menus here - most places have less than 15 main dish courses. Which reminds me - they have a different dining vocabulary than we do.

Entree:  this is what Americans call an appetizer. Paté, prawns (shrimp), soup, etc.
Main: The main course
Salad: Salad is generally served with or after the meat
Dessert: sometimes called a Sweet. 
Cheese: Many Australians prefer cheese to sweets after dinner

You can order an entree as a main if you want to eat a lot of it, and you can occasionally get a main in entree size if you ask. Portion sizes are small in comparison to the average American belt-busting ones, and it is considered bad form to ask for a doggie bag. You'll be met with a blank stare, and when you explain what you want, you will often be told that "we just don't do that here." If pressed, they will probably do it for you, but don't expect a warm welcome the next time you visit.

That sounded rather negative, but in fact, eating out in Perth is quite delightful. The food is super-fresh and well flavored. All the produce is from local farms, and there is a plentiful local meat, fish, poultry and seafood. The coffees are fabulous, and the desserts are too. There are some interesting favorites, like sticky date pudding (a rich, chewy cake often served with caramel or butterscotch sauce), pavlova (a soft, billowy meringue with marshmallow consistency), and chocolate cake, which tends to be dense and flourless. Guess which course is my favorite?  There are many wonderful fish to try like emperor, pink snapper, barramundi (Perth's answer to tilapia), salmon, and something called dhufish which sounds strange but tastes mild and good. 

Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce - yum!

In spite of this abundance of lovely restaurants, we don't eat out much. It's just too expensive. Dinner for two usually costs well over $100, including dessert or coffee (people usually choose one or the other) but without wine. If you eat out 3 or 4 times a week like we used to do in Houston, you won't be able to afford much else. A nice alternative is to try one of the bajillion little cafés for breakfast or lunch. There's almost always one or two within walking distance, and they have a way of making an omelet and toast look and taste fit for a king. Or just have a coffee. This seems to be a favorite pastime of Perthians. Cafés are perpetually occupied with small groups of people having a coffee or a "cuppa" (cup of tea) and a chat.

There is a special procedure to follow when eating in a restaurant. I prefer to think of it as a restaurant's rhythm or style, but it can be overwhelming at first.

1. Make a booking (a reservation). If you don't book ahead, you might get a table but it will be accompanied by a look that says "you got lucky this time, but don't try it again."

2. Arrive at the restaurant, give your name to the host or hostess, who will seat you.

3.  Within 5 minutes (usually), a "drinks waiter" will come over and ask if you would like anything. Chilled tap water is served on request, in a large corked bottle and small glasses (no ice). If you don't order wine now, you may not get another opportunity.

4.  5-10 minutes later, depending on how busy it is, another person will come and ask for your order. This is the "entree waiter." Don't ask about the specials of the day. That's the job of the "mains waiter."

5.   A few minutes later your "mains waiter" will visit, describe the day's specials (there are usually 2 or 3) and answer your questions about the menu. Main dishes generally come a la carte, so don't forget to order the sides like vegetables, potatoes, rice, etc.

6. Your entree will be brought to you by yet another waiter. If you require more water or drinks, let this waiter know and they will summon the drinks waiter back for you.

7.  10-15 minutes later your main will arrive. It might be brought by the same server who brought your entree, but not always.

8. The "mains" waiter will probably stop by and ask how your food is. At the end of the meal, they will return and ask if you'd like any dessert or coffee. In some restaurants, the owner or night manager may do this. Gives them a chance to talk to their customers and make the restaurant experience more personal.

9. Coffee. A beautiful ending to the meal. Almost every restaurant we've tried makes not only coffee but latte, cappucino, macchiato, espresso shots, but... they don't do decaf. You'll have to get by with herbal tea if caffeine isn't for you.


10. All those waiters, and none of them will bring you a bill. You have to go up to the front of the restaurant (or maybe the bar), tell them your name or summarize your order, and they will find your order ticket and charge the appropriate amount. You can linger a moment longer with coffee, but you'll be expected to leave once your "docket" has been paid.



When eating out, no tipping is required! For the reasons mentioned in yesterday's blog, waiters do not receive tips. We kept forgetting this at first, and Vince would get some funny looks from the employees. Then they would hear his accent and nod their heads -- "they're American, they don't know."  (But they would still smile and say thank you!) When I found out how much a server earns ($20-25 per hour), I stopped tipping. It is logical to assume that without the incentive of earning a tip, service would be poor. Not so. Because these jobs pay so well, they are highly sought after. And the restaurant community is a close one: if you mess up at one restaurant, word will get around and it will be hard to find another position. Traditionally you start at a small café and work your way up to the more upscale restaurants, with pay going up accordingly. I suppose the exorbitant prices we pay for restaurant meals goes to pay all the charming and efficient waitstaff. So... even though it costs an arm and a leg, it's still worth it. We are helping the economy (unemployment is 5.8% here) and making Australian memories to take back with us.