Fathers' Day Sports

Happy belated Fathers' Day!

For those of you who didn't know (this included me until less than a week ago), Australians celebrate Fathers' Day on September 1 or the first Sunday in September. I'm actually not sure which one it is, but it happened this past weekend, so it's one of those. 

I participated by going out to lunch with a coworker's family - her mother, father, brother, sister-in-law, and nephew were all present. We joined them at a Chinese restaurant and had "yum cha," which is what Australians call dim sum. Lunch was delicious but we had to hurry out of there because the men were going to the Roosters game as a gift.

A brief history of the last week

Whew! I'm way behind on posting, and I'm pretty exhausted for a Sunday evening, but for good reason. I'm trying to find the line between living and blogging, and when I double, I'm choosing doing rather than writing.

However, it's September 1st, and it's almost Rosh Hashanah, so what better way to ring in the new year than diving back into the blog. I'll throw some pictures in for those of you who are here to skim.

When I arrived last Friday, I struggled through customs (15 hours on a plane will do that to you). Australia has a "fast pass" where you can scan your passport (if you have a electronic passport) and get a ticket, then go to a quicker line where a computer scans your face and lets your into the country. After 3 tries, I got my passport to scan, got two tickets, and eventually made it through the gates without a passport stamp.

I know some of you are bored already. Have a photo of the Sydney Opera House.

Commercials

Things that are better in Australia: commercials. I saw this one yesterday at the cinema, and it was even better on the big screen. How can you not want to go there?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoMp-V_CRdc

Breakfast

Being here four days (it already seems like forever) means I have many, many updates, since I could write on and on about the smell of the water and the color of the sky just because they're so new. Unfortunately, I don't currently have time to do that, so this will have to suffice.

I'm currently living in a hotel until my coworker moves out on Friday and I take over his apartment for a while. This is lovely because someone makes my bed and picks up my clothes and folds them. I am excited to actually unpack, but that will come soon enough. 

One of the other great things about the hotel (I have a cool view over Darling Harbour for the sunset, so that's nice) is that I get breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Since this is Sydney, the clientele comes from all over - Oz, Europe, America, Asia. As a consequence, the buffet has to cater to all types. There's always yogurt, some kind of hot egg dish, pancakes or waffles, and fruit. Then there are also what Americans think of as "lunch meat" - salami, turkey, etc. - that's eaten in the morning in many parts of Europe, along with bread products. In Oz apparently everyone eats mushrooms and tomatoes at all times, so those are available along with potatoes and has browns, and cold cereal. Finally, there is miso soup and congee, along with rice and assorted toppings. 

My typical breakfast has evolved to something like this:

• coffee
• orange juice
• kiwi fruit
• melon
• croissant or mini muffin
• eggs or bacon (somehow I never get these at the same time)
• hash browns
• a few slices of salami
• miso soup
• pickled ginger

I'm not really sure how this happened, but I'm a big fan of the "soup for breakfast" option and want something like that in the States. I think it's because when I wake up I want to eat something but I'm not really awake enough to chew yet. That's the soup theory and I'm standing by it (and potentially making it happen after I move out of this hotel). 

From the air

Written from my window seat on my 15 hour flight:

We have 20 minutes until landing, which is quite a feat given how long I’ve been on this plane. It’s been long enough that my ipod is dead – I switched to listening to my phone, which will become a glorified ipod anyway, and I’ve switched again to local files on the computer to save battery. The view from the window, unfortunately, has mostly been black. The best part (when I woke up this morning at approximately 4 am Sydney time) was seeing the full moon reflected in the water. The sky is just changing from black to a deep, rich blue, and I can just make out the pink clouds on the horizon if I stretch to look backwards past the wing. 

New Jersey

Longtime readers will notice there's something slightly different about this site now. I've changed the color scheme. I felt like it was time, but I'm not entirely happy with it, so it might be an ongoing process.

Right now I'm stuck in the limbo that is New Jersey. It's wonderful to see my family, but absolutely terrible for working as I am actually half a world (and 14 time zones) away. It's challenging to call during business hours, to say the least. However, it's nice to be able to have some quality time here before I'm gone for so long, and get some good food to boot. I'm also doing a multitude of other fun things, like giving my brother Macklemore tickets for his birthday (which I'll miss later this fall) and seeing his jaw drop. I'm also going to see "Let It Be" on Broadway, which should be entertaining if nothing else.

Other than that, it's mostly delaying a lot of emails to send later, and figuring out what to pack for "summer" in San Francisco and then SUMMER in Australia. Wish me luck!

Packing up

Every time I pack I realize just how much stuff I have an how little I really need. I'm planning on spending a month in San Francisco (my visa got delayed) and six months in Australia bringing only one suitcase and a backpack, as well as a laptop. I will still probably end up bringing too much stuff. That's the thing about stuff - it weighs you down and makes it harder to move around. I remember this every time I travel and forget about all the things I keep around my house for no apparent reason. One day perhaps I'll improve and actually throw things away, rather than just moan about putting it all in boxes. I'm doing a better job than I have in the past, but the idea of putting everything I own in boxes and suitcases is paralyzing.

I know from experience, though, that once I leave I won't think at all about any of the things I've left behind. I might long for the people and the places but none of the stuff is essential. Perhaps when I get back I'll pare down my possessions to 100 or 200 and emulate minimalist bloggers and people who make that a priority.

The issue I've always thought would hinder me is the lack of colorful options available when you cut your stuff. At that point it makes sense to wear only gray and black and decorate your home in a few colors, but that doesn't jive with my personality and has always interfered. I'm realizing that's a thin excuse and I should get a better one, or walk the talk and cut back to the essentials: some clothes, a cast iron pan, a computer, and some headphones. And all my glasses - beer just doesn't taste the same out of anything else.