Monday, September 22, 2008

the things I love about Australia

I had a fabulous time in Australia. it was even better than last year! I love it there and would have no problem becoming an Aussie myself one day. here are some of the things I love down under:

* Koalas! look how adorable they are! they are so cuddly and sweet. I couldn't stop oohing and aweing at them. if I were rich, I would have paid to hold one. it's my goal for next year. :)



* lawn bowls. ever heard of it? you have to roll an oblong ball across the turf and try to hit the white ball on the other end. I have to admit, I got pretty good at it. the ball curves when you roll it, so there is some skill involved. there's gotta be somewhere in the states to play. it's tons of fun.
* the Daintree Rainforest. It's amazing. I love trees, and I have never seen any like these. I don't think I saw any that were similar. tons of different kinds, tons of different heights, and barely any space between them. you can't even see the sky. I love it there.



* the people. to be honest, I don't think I've ever met nicer folks! they are all incredibly cheerful and welcoming. it seems they are all more real and down to Earth than we are here in the states. I want to start an Aussie-style American organization and teach everyone their manners and way of life. if we took our time like they did, we'd all have less headaches, heart attacks and ulcers. most of us would have better relationships too!



* Aussie slang. here are some of my favorites:
swimmies, or swimming costume - swimming suit
good on ya - good for you, or nice job
thongs - flip flops. we had some fun confusion over this one. :)
jumper - jacket
sunnies - sunglasses
rubbish - garbage, trash
bite your bum - be quiet
bush - middle of nowhere, desert
bushie - someone who lives in the bush
cheesed off - annoyed
chemist - pharmacy
boot - trunk of a car
cobber - a male friend
bloke - derogatory name for a male
brekky - breakfast
canopies - appetizers
in a tic - in a second
lollies - candy
mum - mom
no drama, no worries
petrol - gasoline
pressie - present or gift
rice bubbles - rice krispies
torch - flashlight

see?! when people talk like that, how can you not love them?

* meat pies. SO yummy!! and sausage rolls too! this place in Kuranda had the best meat pies ever made. flaky thick crust and tasty fillings. some of them had mashed potatoes on the top!



* driving on the wrong side of the car AND the road. it was hard to get used to, actually it was really scary at first. but, then it was fun. I got the hang of it, and it started to get exciting. I just had to keep my mind on it or off I would go in the wrong direction, or my windshield wipers would be moving instead of my blinkers going on.

* the fun animals and wildlife reserves. check out these wallabees. alligators, lions and tigers! and I saw so much more!







* the accents. I probably shouldn't say this until I have been to more countries, but the Aussie accent has to be my favorite. SO CUTE!

I can't wait to go back. and if you ever get a chance, you have to go. Australia is amazing!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

one more rant

ok, just one more. for now, anyway. :) Keith Olbermann is amazing, and his "special comment" last night left me speechless. It's something that has needed to be said for years, as it is a situation that has been getting worse and worse every year. Thank you Keith Olbermann for pointing this out, and doing it so well. his right to do this without fear of losing his life or his job is one of the reasons I love America. enjoy!

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

enough!

did you listen to Obama's speech at the DNC? if not, here's your chance! despite how crazy my life is right now, I am doing the best I can to follow the general election, and every time I get a chance to listen to a speech or read into the headlines, I am consumed by some pretty powerful emotion. I usually have to keep this bottled up in respect to almost everyone around me, so when I read this post on dooce.com, it made my day. granted, I would put things a little differently than she does, and use different language, but I felt a lot of pride reading this and I am in awe of her ability to put the exact things I feel into words. if you're interested at all in why I have absolutely no interest in McCain and Palin, please read her post called And... boom.

PS - I am really far behind on my blog, sorry about that. hopefully I will find time on Sunday to post about Australia and the last minute trip to Seattle I took last weekend.