Australia Day Weekend

January 26th is Australia Day, and similar to Labor Day in the US, we get Monday off of work.

Saturday

To celebrate, we did a 3k/5k fun run/walk on Saturday morning and about half of Darwin showed up. After handing out prizes for the best costumes, we sang the national anthem, which apparently ISN'T "Waltzing Matilda." The anthem started out strong, but by the last verse several nearby Australians joined us in looking puzzled over the words. Overall the race was good fun and there was a traditional sausage sizzle afterwards (what we've since learned is just a hot dog with a slice of bread instead of a hot dog bun). For as popular as sausage sizzles are here, you'd think the person who introduces hot dog buns to Australia would stand to make a fortune. Try to say sausage sizzle 5 times fast.

So the race begins and a wide mass of people tries to narrow itself onto a foot path. This process takes awhile and Jenni quickly gives up all hope of beating her fastest 5k time. As we round the first bend, there's a group of indigenous australians sitting near the toilets (Blackfellas -- this is a term okay to use only in the NT where 10% of the population is indigenous and in everyday speak white people are whitefellas and black people are blackfellas. Anywhere else in OZ it is NOT an appropriate thing to say). They're obviously getting a huge kick out of all these silly sweaty whitefellas packed together in their running shorts. A couple men make fun of us as we run by... imitating our gaits and serious expressions. It's all in good fun. But one woman is obviously not amused and as we approach her we are met with full force of her loud accusation: "This is OUR territory!" This is OUR territory!"

And that's the thing about Australia Day. It's meant to commemorate the first British Colony established in Sydney by Captain Phillip. Some people call it "Invasion Day" and associate it with the loss of indigenous culture. So Australia Day's US equivalent is somewhere between Columbus Day, in terms of meaning, and the 4th of July, in terms of "national pride."

Saturday afternoon we bought a car, a 1999 Honda CRV.

Sunday

We spent all day Sunday cleaning and cooking in preparation of our first hosted dinner. David cooked enough food for a small army, or at least way too much for our 5 guests. Ceviche, tacos, salsa, burritos, chicken quesadillas... David did his best to bring Latin America to Darwin. And, of course, it was good!

Monday

But by Monday we're all worn out. Even the cats seem exhausted, although Hugh had quite the adventure this morning. Still working on our morning coffees, Hugh comes trotting into the house with something about a foot long protruding from either side of his mouth, "Look what I caught," he seems to say. What he's got is called a "ta ta" lizard because as you walk down the foot path these lizards scurry out of your way on their hind legs, waving their arms good-bye.

After much chasing and growling, "It's my lizard, leave me alone," Hugh dropped the lizard for a split second and we pulled him away before he had a chance to get ahold of Ta-ta again. It ran away, probably distressed, but still alive and in one piece. It didn't bother to wave.

Little Man Shorts Addendum

David has developed a theory behind the meaning of the "little man shorts." After witnessing a team of electricians at work, he noticed that the lead technician was indeed wearing a pair of short shorts. The lowest member on the team, presumably a new employee (first year), was wearing capri trousers. Capri trousers for those who don't know, extend to about mid-shin. It would appear from this system, that the longer you work with a company then the shorter the trousers are. Starting as an apprentice or intern, you are forced to wear full-length trousers. When you are a team lead, then you are probably allowed to wear short shorts. From this order, it can only be concluded, that the CEO of companies are wearing bikinis. Although, there is no empirical evidence to support this at this time.

Little Man Shorts

After much clamoring, at least the type of clamoring a mid-1980s rock band would get at a county fair, here's our much anticipated new post. Not too sure where to begin. Since the last post, we've gone through a cyclone, moved into a dorm, our application was accepted on a townhouse, Jenni started work, David took late afternoon naps, and a row between India and Australia has captivated the cricketing world (we're certain it was of great concern to the US news media). India was so upset by this, they took to burning effigies of the umpires in the streets. Who says cricket is boring?

Cyclone Helen
A cyclone is the same thing as a hurricane, or a typhoon, depending on your location. Darwin was caught on the outskirts of a Category 2 cyclone a couple of days after the start of the New Year. Winds got up to about 100kms per hour, and the peak happened about 1 or 2 in the morning. We ended up sleeping through, occasionally being woken up by a few crashing sounds. We know that's pretty anti-climactic, and definitely not a story worthy of the tabloid-like Northern Territory News (whose cover story mantra is "Crocs, Crashes, and Crime," some add a 4th C of "Crap").

It is amazing the community that can be built up in a few short weeks. We received a number of phone calls making sure we were doing alright and prepared for the storm. There wasn't much damage around the neighborhood we were staying at the time, but after driving around, we could see a number of upended trees. This was probably more a mixture of the heavy rains softening the ground a couple days prior to the cyclone, than the cyclone winds by themselves. Power was out until the afternoon, but we can safely say we survived, and it was definitely something that neither of us had been through before.

House
Jenni started her job at CDU on the the 7th of January with the usual mixture of excitement and nervousness one has when starting a new job. The week was a success, and she thinks her co-workers like her because everyday last week she found little presents on her desk. Like Friday she found a king cobra snake with a bow on it in her drawer. And like any well-meaning group of people, they were quick to question David's masculinity when they found out he'd followed Jenni to Darwin and her dissertation was on masculinity.

But to his credit (or discredit), David fought the good fight with the real estate companies that week, scheduling viewings and turning in applications. None of that work paid off, and our application was accepted on a property Jenni had applied for a week and a half ago. We were really lucky, because it's a beautiful property and a lot of people were interested. The owner decided to give us a chance, and gave us a 3 month lease. We wanted a year lease, but this way we can prove we are good tenants (we'll have to teach Hugh not to spray the walls) and get the year lease at the end of 3 months. We were getting pretty nervous last week, because we hadn't heard back from anyone, and the cats were set to arrive on the 18th. We did learn a few things about renting in Darwin for anyone who might be moving here. For one, don't move here around the holidays. Come a few days after the New Year, as the agencies (and everything else pretty much) are closed from the 24th of December until the 3rd of January. This was frustrating, but mostly because we had expected to be looking for a place. On the other hand, it was a great opportunity to see the town and practice driving on the left. We also learned having copies of reference letters from previous landlords was useful, and job offer letters. Having pre-made copies made us, in appearances only, look organized. Anyway, here is a map of the neighborhood we will be living in.



And a few photos (Note Jenni's office is actually in the closet).



American Government
Everyone here wants to know who is going to win the US election. They ask us questions like, "So what exactly is a primary?, Who gets to vote in a primary? What's the difference between a caucus and a primary? How many years can a congress person hold office? Why was West Wing canceled?" And so on. Mostly these questions reveal our complete ignorance of the American Political system. So if you have any nuggets of wisdom to share with us so we can appear informed, that would be very helpful. Our strategy of looking it up on Wikipedia is working so far, but we think they're on to us...

Little Man Shorts
Unfortunately we're not brave enough yet to provide a photo of this phenomenon. Yet.... see future blogs for the "little man shorts photo montage." Jenni thinks what we've termed "little man shorts" is the number one greatest thing about Australia. The style here, mostly worn by late middle-aged blue collar working men (i.e., the guys who work at the Power Company and climb phone poles for a living), is very similar to that found in San Fransisco's Castro District. It consists of the following items:

1. Button down shirt (halfway buttoned, of course, and always untucked). Usually the company logo appears above the front pocket.

2. Socks pulled up to the knees underneath calf-high leather work boots.

3. Short shorts that end just below the crotch. High school girls would be sent home for wearing something less provocative.

Now picture yourself in a clothing store. A gruff, burly man's man walks in. He could strike a match across his unshaven face, light a cigarette, put it out on his hand, and then eat it. He walks up to the Perky Store Clerk: "Ha ya goin'? Anything I can help you with?''
Man: ''Ummm, Yar. You got any of them there Hot Pants?''
Clerk: ''Of course, they're over in the men's section, next to the guns.''
Man: "Do they come in blue? I want them to match my huntin' boots.''

Jenni is encouraging David to buy a pair.

Boxing Day

Yesterday was boxing day, a completely new and unfamiliar national holiday to us. We're not entirely sure of its significance, but it seems at one time it was the one day a year where rich people had to be nice to their servants. We like to envision it as the day servants used their masters as punching bags. Regardless of its past significance, now boxing day is associated with SHOPPING! The closest day we have to it in the states is the day after Thanksgiving - Black Friday. The stores even open up at 6:00 in the morning. Although in Darwin that probably means they opened at 9:00 instead of 10:00 in the morning.

We decided to venture out to the mall, and the rest of Darwin was kind enough to join us. We were looking for some furniture and white goods to fill that townhouse we have yet to find or move into. The mall was really like any other mall. The stores look the same, sell the same clothes, and shop for their music at crappystoremusic.com. The only difference seems to be in names of the store. And yes, that party like its 1985 style is very popular here too. It was good fun, but a bit overwhelming at the same time.

Mostly at David's prompting, likely spurred on by his fetishism of anything 19th century European, we've started to watch cricket. Currently there is a big match-up between India and Australia in Melbourne (pronounced Mel-bun). Bryson, in his book In a Sunburned Country, gives a more than adequate description of cricket, so we won't tread on his toes. A lot of people describe cricket as boring to watch, but it is still interesting to us because we haven't the slightest idea what is going on. Apparently an inning lasts until all the batsmen are out (10), which means the innings can span multiple hours and, most often, days. One time the game had to end because the Australians needed to catch a boat back to Australia from South Africa. The nice thing is you can pick up the game after having been away for four hours and nothing really has changed. When the first inning ended, the Australians had scored 343 runs. Apparently 350 is the mark of a good inning.

A sense of frustrating idleness is settling in this week. We desperately want to find a place of our own, but all the real estate agents are closed until January 2nd. Most things hinge on having an address of our own, or proof of a residence. We've taken advantage of the lull in that we've been able to explore a bit of Darwin and the surrounding area, but most things that we could take care of are already done. So we're spending our time socializing with Jenni's co-workers... clearly out matched in alcohol consumption, but learning a good deal about what it means to be a "Territorian." So far that means rehashing the three C's of the local news: Crocs, Crimes, and Crashes. Yesterday we learned that speed limits on major highways were a recent introduction by the liberal party. Most locals took it as an attack on their civil liberties; their right to "drive at any speed we damn well please." Apparently some feel the same way about drinking and driving.

How much is that froggy in the toilet?

After the initial shock of "What the heck did we get ourselves into?!" we've decided it is time to do our first blog from Darwin.

Now the moment you have all been waiting for - yes there are actually frogs in one of the toilets. Two at last count, although we think one was flushed. We've named them Basil II and Hugh II to replace our cats who are currently hating us from quarantine in Sydney. (Yes, we did manage to get approval for the cats. We'll fill you in on the details below.) Back to the frogs. They seem to stay in the inner ring where the water shoots out. The first time David used it, they prevented the flush and about five minutes later from the other room we could hear it go. They are actually a pretty decent size, about the size of a hand.

On our first adventure out we headed to the local bus stop. There was an obviously intoxicated aboriginal man and he started to speak to Jenni "How ya goin' my lovely?" He introduced us to his wife who clarified, "I'm not his wife, I'm his friend." He asked us where we were from. Once he heard Colorado, he belted out a couple of verses of "Rocky Mountain Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighhhhh Colorado." 'Tis truly a small world. He even knew John Denver's real name. David still doesn't know....

Everyone we met has been extremely kind and helpful. Helen (the person who picked us up at the airport) and her partner Michael have loaned us a "clunker," and David has actually been driving. We drove down to the central business district of Darwin, with Jenni chanting her mantra "Keep it on the left side of the road, keep it on the left side of the road." It was helpful. Complicating matters is the clunker is a manual, so David is having to learn to shift left-handed and drive on the "wrong"side of the road. The gears are in the same place, but the turn signal and windshield wipers are switched, so David is constantly signaling his turns with windshield fluid.

We were warned by Australians prior to our move that people in Darwin are a bit "unique." We met one such person in line at the bank. A wiry old man, at 5' 3" and maybe 100lbs, behind us in queue grabbed a handful of sweets the bank employees were handing out and explained to us how much he loved chocolate. "Ah luv chocolate. It's really good with Scotch. I like to sit at home and eat chocolate and drink mah Scotch. I'm out of Scotch. That's why I'm at the bank. I need more Scotch." He also explained his predicament to the bank teller.

THE CATS

We got the cats in. Here's a quick timeline of events leading up to the final approval.

1. Thursday -- Find out cats cannot go to OZ due to CSU Vet clerical error. Cry, tear out our hair, wear sackcloth bags, beg friends and relatives to take the cats.
2. Friday -- Vets call OZ embassy in US and are told the cats can go, "No worries mate. We'll get it all right." All we need is a LETTER from OZ (keeping in mind, Friday in US is Saturday in OZ).
3. Saturday -- No LETTER from OZ.
4. Sunday -- Sunday evening in US, Monday am in OZ. Still no LETTER. We e-mail and then call the woman bureaucrat who is supposed to write us the LETTER. She is annoyed that her authority had been undercut by her manager, "Your vet went to my manager and overrode my decision. You are very lucky." She sends us a form to complete before we can receive the LETTER. We complete and fax the form. And three hours later (10:24pm US, 4:24pm OZ) we receive the LETTER in an e-mail. The LETTER has the wrong microchip number for Basil (gee, guess even bureaucrats can make clerical errors). She corrects the error and, by midnight we fax the form to the USDA.
5. Monday -- 8:00 Cats begin their journey. Basil is excited to be making the big move. He yowls in anticipation all the way to the airport. 6:00 LAX, we take a Cab from airport to Qantas freight. Cats begin to wonder why we didn't just leave them at home...

Moving Day

Yep, Monday was moving day. We had everything for the flight packed up in our suitcases, so all that was left were the items to be shipped. It is a 2 1/2 month journey for our "personal effects;" which means they will take the crates to New York, cross the Atlantic Ocean, go through the Suez Canal, take a giro copter from Siam to Jakarta, and eventaully make it to Australia where they will reach Darwin via Camel Train (insurance unfortunately does not cover bandit attacks).

Our movers were two gents, Ron and his silent partner Luis. Ron enjoyed regailing us with his previous moving experiences. These stories were usually followed by "Ain't that right Luis?"; and Luis would respond begrudgingly with an inaudible grunt "..." We did learn, after purchasing several hundred dollars of extra insurance (the moving company only covers $0.60 per pound -- so about $1600 --), that should we make a claim on any damages incurred during the move, Ron will be charged for the cost and money taken out of his pay check. It is really comforting knowing we have this insurance, and it is particularly heartwarming to meet the man who will be reimbursing us. It does beg the question - Where is the money we're paying for insurance going? This isn't Soviet Russia for crying out loud! We don't see any bread lines around here!

Anyhoo, our minimalist decor/American Furniture Warehouse's finery is now on its way to Darwin Australia. We're next!

And what can we expect when we get there?

Well, we'll be house sitting for Jenni's boss, Tess. Tess and her partner have provided important instructions for "surviving" in their home, which include:

1) Muzzle the dog whenever we take her for a walk. She's on her third notice from the city council.
2) In case of typhoon do not stay in the house. It's the least safe place in the neighborhood.
3) Please bag up and throw away the rotting rat carcases in the back yard.

and my personal favorite...

4) Watch out for the frog who lives in the toilet, especially after the "morning flush."

So clearly we're excited. Already we're becoming familiar with Australian lingo. Our real estate agent tells us there are many nice apartments on Frangipangi street in Humpty Doo.

Our next blog should come from Darwin, provided the apocalypse doesn't happen. Although given what we've heard about monsoonal flooding and the frog population, were not sure we'd notice.

Jenni's Outsourced Health Insurance Experience.

So I call our new Australian health insurance provider's customer service line to request they send our membership card to our US address. The conversation went something like this: (The following is a dramatization and may or may not depict the actual conversation).

Jenni: "Yes hello, I was wond - "
Outsourced representative: "Hello I am talking to you."
Jenni: "Yes, I wanted to-"
Outsourced representative: "You want to check on your insurance policy, I am capable of checking this."
Jenni: "Yes, I do nee-"
Outsourced representative: "The current policy you have is not what you need. I will change that."
Jenni: "But I--"
Outsourced representative: "Do you want to being injured with inadequate policy?"
Jenni: "Uhhhh. Okay."
Outsourced representative: "Good everything has taken care of. Your coverage will begin in 6 months. Have a nice day." Click.
Jenni: "Hello?"