It seems like it was only a short time ago that I said goodbye to my family and friends, and set out on this amazing adventure. But now, here I am... with 18 more get ups until Heather and the kids fly into Sydney and we begin our Aussie Adventure together. The image of them coming through the gate at Sydney International Airport (hope I get the right one, hey Diana?? ha ha!!), has kept me going for a long time. I miss them like crazy and can't wait to have them all here!!!!!!!
The year truly has flown by and I honestly can't wrap my head around the vastness and amazing-ness of this experience.
Right now, I'm in report card mode so I'm trying not to think too much about goodbyes or packing, as I just can't believe that I'll be leaving Dubbo in just 24 days.
Being at the end of my year, people are starting to ask if I would stay longer if I could, am I sad to go, will I be back, did I love it?
My response is a difficult one because I do love Australia and am so grateful for this year that I've had. But, home is home. This has been an incredible holiday, but at some point, your thoughts start to return to real life and home. Canada will always be my home, but the other countries that I have been fortunate enough to live in, Japan and Australia, will always hold a special place in my heart. The people I met in Japan are friends that I still keep in touch with. I would love to be able to see them all again! That will be true for Australia! I have been so lucky to have made new friends here and there are going to be many tears when I leave. I truly will be sad to leave each and everyone of them. But, I look forward to emails, text messages and visits as soon as they possibly can. My friends here have become friends for life :)
I will of course have much more to share as my final days get closer and closer, but for now, I must direct my focus back to report cards so that I can finish them and enjoy my last few weeks with amazing friends!
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Reflecting on time with Mom and Dad
Well, it's been just over a month since Mom and Dad left hot and sunny Australia and headed back to the snow and cold of Alberta in November. I actually started this post 3 weeks ago, but just haven't had a chance to sit down and type. It's report card time, packing time and winding down/up time. I wanted to take a minute to reflect on the time I had with Mom and Dad and it's got me thinking about just how busy we were when they were here. My whole theme of this year has been "Go BIG or Go Home!!" and that was definitely true with Mom and Dad.
After our incredible 2 week adventure of Southern Australia and the Outback, our adventures didn't stop. We returned to Dubbo, only to be invited out almost every other day with the wonderful friends who have become my Aussie family. Mom and Dad visited school every couple of days, bringing Rice Krispie Squares or other treats, being good sports as the kids asked every possible question and more. Dad was a particular hit with the kids as he told stories of hunting, cougars, bears, etc. Remember, some of these kids are on properties and are kids who love the bush - piggin and roo shooting included. Many aren't bush kids but those ones that are, couldn't stop asking questions! Mom and Dad came to enjoy the kids, just as I have, and they were sad to leave and say goodbye to them. We've since Face Timed a couple of times so that the kids could say hi to Mom and Dad, and they could see their smiley faces!
No visit to Dubbo is complete without a visit to the Taronga Zoo. We had a beautiful day, but not too hot for Mom :) so we spent it touring around this incredible facility. We enjoyed the morning rhino talk and feed, the giraffes, the Aussie animals (wombat, echidna), tortoises and meerkats. The highlight was definitely the Siamang, probably the loudest of the ape/monkey family. The zoo has a male and female and now a baby. They didn't even know she was pregnant because they're so aggressive and territorial, that the keepers can't get close. On the day we were there, the keepers were feeding the Siamang, so they had taken their little boat out to one of their two islands, dropped the ropes so they couldn't get across, and then was leaving their feed for the day. The Siamang were not happy with this and so they were going off!! Their sounds can be heard almost 5 km away in town!
Dubbo is a great location for day trips! Orange and Mudgee have been my favorite - Orange for food and markets, Mudgee for food and wineries. Mom and Dad and I took a Sunday drive to Mudgee to enjoy a couple of wineries and lunch. The first winery was Robert Oatley which I had visited before and where I particularly enjoyed their Gewurtztraminer wine. They call it Traminer because it's easier to pronounce - ha ha! Dad of course enjoyed the reds here and enjoyed chatting with the lady about the many wines they had and asking many questions. There was no one else there so the lady was happy to chat and even told us about her recent trip to America.
The next winery was di Lusso which was recommended for amazing wines, pizza, and atmosphere. We didn't actually have any wine because I was driving and Dad felt he had tried enough at the winery before. However, the pizza was amazing!! Wood fired pizza while sitting on this beautiful patio overlooking the beautiful Australian landscape - a perfect way to spend my last visit to Mudgee and a day with Mom and Dad.
On our drive home, Dad and I were of course on the lookout for critters. We drove around a lizard that was enjoying the heat of the road in the afternoon and then decided we should go back for some photos. As we started to back up, a vehicle came driving along and drove over the lizard. We saw him do a flip underneath the truck and thought he was a goner! Dad walked back to check on him, with the camera in hand, and somehow, that lizard was still alive!! This is a photo Dad took before shuffling him off the highway to the safety of the bush.
Mom and Dad also acted as supervisors on one of my class excursions. We were studying forms of communication and so did a walking tour of some communication providers in Dubbo. We visited one of our local papers, Photo News, where everybody got their own front page photo printed off for them. Mom, Dad and I got one of the three of us, with the headline "The Cardinals Take Dubbo By Storm". Then it was off to the radio station and the post office. The kids loved having them along and so did I :)
We spent a weekend away, visiting Bridget's family in Orange. We had a feast, as always, at George and Linda's and enjoyed a lovely night with new friends. The next day, we travelled through Bathurst to the Blue Mountains. Bathurst is known for Mount Panorama, the race car circuit. So, I had to take Mom and Dad for a drive around that before making our way into the "mountains".
Next, it was off to the Blue Mountains to see the Australian Three Sisters and the beautiful scenery that is the Blue Mountains National Park. Funny enough, the Blue Mountains aren't actually "mountains" as Dad found out. While Dad was reading up on the Blue Mountains, he learned that they are actually dissected sandstone plateaux with gorges of up to 760m. It is called the Blue Mountains because of the blue haze that the eucalypt trees emit. The Greater Blue Mountains areas were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. Dad found a reference to the Grand Canyon with regards to the Blue Mountains, whether it was the size or the age... it's too late to call him and ask so next time you chat with him, make sure YOU ask him :)
We stayed in Katoomba which is where the Three Sisters are found. It is one of the most popular towns in the Blue Mountains for its spas, restaurants, breathtaking views and so much more. We decided to visit Scenic World which takes you into the canyon on the world's steepest railway, back up out of the canyon on a cableway, and across the canyon in a gondola. It was such a cool way to see the area and while it's totally touristy and every tour bus and tourist probably stops there, it was pretty cool!
I of course, was ecstatic to have Mom and Dad with me in Dubbo. I hadn't had company/roommates since Diana and I loved having someone else in the house. Mom would wave goodbye in the morning as Dad drove me to work, after she had made me breakfast and organized my lunch. I was totally spoiled and I loved it!! When I got home from school, I could debrief about my day and then Dad would make us drinks as we prepared dinner and talked about our busy schedule. I loved every minute of it.
Mom and Dad really enjoyed Dubbo! They loved meeting my friends and talking to people they met. Dad met all of the neighbours and even managed to get invited out to a neighbour's farm to check pig traps. He was Mr. Social Butterfly, which is ironic for those of you that know my mom :) They totally understood why I love Dubbo so much and they said that they were so happy that the exchange had taken me here because of the wonderful city it is. They too can now say, first hand, just how incredible country hospitality is!
We finished off our time in Sydney, getting to enjoy a day in the city and dinner with my cousin, Michael, and his girlfriend, Dawn. We saw the sights around Circular Quay and enjoyed the delicious-ness of Pizza E Birra, before we had to say a final goodbye :(
So, as you can see, it was a very full, very busy, absolutely amazing Aussie Adventure with Mom and Dad. I'm so grateful that they were able to come and that we had so much time together. I enjoy travelling with Mom and Dad and having them here, sharing this with them, meant the world to me.
Where to next?? I think Africa is in the books for the 3 of us.... but that's a few years off :)
After our incredible 2 week adventure of Southern Australia and the Outback, our adventures didn't stop. We returned to Dubbo, only to be invited out almost every other day with the wonderful friends who have become my Aussie family. Mom and Dad visited school every couple of days, bringing Rice Krispie Squares or other treats, being good sports as the kids asked every possible question and more. Dad was a particular hit with the kids as he told stories of hunting, cougars, bears, etc. Remember, some of these kids are on properties and are kids who love the bush - piggin and roo shooting included. Many aren't bush kids but those ones that are, couldn't stop asking questions! Mom and Dad came to enjoy the kids, just as I have, and they were sad to leave and say goodbye to them. We've since Face Timed a couple of times so that the kids could say hi to Mom and Dad, and they could see their smiley faces!
No visit to Dubbo is complete without a visit to the Taronga Zoo. We had a beautiful day, but not too hot for Mom :) so we spent it touring around this incredible facility. We enjoyed the morning rhino talk and feed, the giraffes, the Aussie animals (wombat, echidna), tortoises and meerkats. The highlight was definitely the Siamang, probably the loudest of the ape/monkey family. The zoo has a male and female and now a baby. They didn't even know she was pregnant because they're so aggressive and territorial, that the keepers can't get close. On the day we were there, the keepers were feeding the Siamang, so they had taken their little boat out to one of their two islands, dropped the ropes so they couldn't get across, and then was leaving their feed for the day. The Siamang were not happy with this and so they were going off!! Their sounds can be heard almost 5 km away in town!
Dubbo is a great location for day trips! Orange and Mudgee have been my favorite - Orange for food and markets, Mudgee for food and wineries. Mom and Dad and I took a Sunday drive to Mudgee to enjoy a couple of wineries and lunch. The first winery was Robert Oatley which I had visited before and where I particularly enjoyed their Gewurtztraminer wine. They call it Traminer because it's easier to pronounce - ha ha! Dad of course enjoyed the reds here and enjoyed chatting with the lady about the many wines they had and asking many questions. There was no one else there so the lady was happy to chat and even told us about her recent trip to America.
 |
| http://www.robertoatley.com.au/home/ |
The next winery was di Lusso which was recommended for amazing wines, pizza, and atmosphere. We didn't actually have any wine because I was driving and Dad felt he had tried enough at the winery before. However, the pizza was amazing!! Wood fired pizza while sitting on this beautiful patio overlooking the beautiful Australian landscape - a perfect way to spend my last visit to Mudgee and a day with Mom and Dad.
 |
| http://www.dilusso.com.au/ |
On our drive home, Dad and I were of course on the lookout for critters. We drove around a lizard that was enjoying the heat of the road in the afternoon and then decided we should go back for some photos. As we started to back up, a vehicle came driving along and drove over the lizard. We saw him do a flip underneath the truck and thought he was a goner! Dad walked back to check on him, with the camera in hand, and somehow, that lizard was still alive!! This is a photo Dad took before shuffling him off the highway to the safety of the bush.
Mom and Dad also acted as supervisors on one of my class excursions. We were studying forms of communication and so did a walking tour of some communication providers in Dubbo. We visited one of our local papers, Photo News, where everybody got their own front page photo printed off for them. Mom, Dad and I got one of the three of us, with the headline "The Cardinals Take Dubbo By Storm". Then it was off to the radio station and the post office. The kids loved having them along and so did I :)
We spent a weekend away, visiting Bridget's family in Orange. We had a feast, as always, at George and Linda's and enjoyed a lovely night with new friends. The next day, we travelled through Bathurst to the Blue Mountains. Bathurst is known for Mount Panorama, the race car circuit. So, I had to take Mom and Dad for a drive around that before making our way into the "mountains".
Next, it was off to the Blue Mountains to see the Australian Three Sisters and the beautiful scenery that is the Blue Mountains National Park. Funny enough, the Blue Mountains aren't actually "mountains" as Dad found out. While Dad was reading up on the Blue Mountains, he learned that they are actually dissected sandstone plateaux with gorges of up to 760m. It is called the Blue Mountains because of the blue haze that the eucalypt trees emit. The Greater Blue Mountains areas were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. Dad found a reference to the Grand Canyon with regards to the Blue Mountains, whether it was the size or the age... it's too late to call him and ask so next time you chat with him, make sure YOU ask him :)
We stayed in Katoomba which is where the Three Sisters are found. It is one of the most popular towns in the Blue Mountains for its spas, restaurants, breathtaking views and so much more. We decided to visit Scenic World which takes you into the canyon on the world's steepest railway, back up out of the canyon on a cableway, and across the canyon in a gondola. It was such a cool way to see the area and while it's totally touristy and every tour bus and tourist probably stops there, it was pretty cool!
I of course, was ecstatic to have Mom and Dad with me in Dubbo. I hadn't had company/roommates since Diana and I loved having someone else in the house. Mom would wave goodbye in the morning as Dad drove me to work, after she had made me breakfast and organized my lunch. I was totally spoiled and I loved it!! When I got home from school, I could debrief about my day and then Dad would make us drinks as we prepared dinner and talked about our busy schedule. I loved every minute of it.
Mom and Dad really enjoyed Dubbo! They loved meeting my friends and talking to people they met. Dad met all of the neighbours and even managed to get invited out to a neighbour's farm to check pig traps. He was Mr. Social Butterfly, which is ironic for those of you that know my mom :) They totally understood why I love Dubbo so much and they said that they were so happy that the exchange had taken me here because of the wonderful city it is. They too can now say, first hand, just how incredible country hospitality is!
 |
| We met the mayor of Dubbo, Clr Mathew Dickerson, and shared some gifts from Rocky Mountain House. |
 |
| Sam was getting ready for a petting zoo he was setting up for a special day at school. Mom and Dad got to feed them after their baths, as they were getting ready for the big day. Mom and Dad went to Sam's school for the special day also. |
 |
| That's Merino enjoying dinner! |
So, as you can see, it was a very full, very busy, absolutely amazing Aussie Adventure with Mom and Dad. I'm so grateful that they were able to come and that we had so much time together. I enjoy travelling with Mom and Dad and having them here, sharing this with them, meant the world to me.
Where to next?? I think Africa is in the books for the 3 of us.... but that's a few years off :)
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Halloween in Dubbo
I'm catching up on the last couple of weeks, as it was a busy time with Mom and Dad, and honestly, I was more concerned about spending time with them than anything else :)
In Australia, Halloween is becoming a celebration that more and more people are taking part in. 10 years ago, so I'm told, there was nothing to do with Halloween in the stores or anywhere. Last year in Dubbo, my students told me that some of them went trick-or-treating. They were either given snack food from people who weren't expecting them, lollies from people who had embraced Halloween or were told to "Get lost!! We don't celebrate that American holiday!" That's quite the diverse reaction, but in a country that is becoming more influenced by America (people here don't say the States or US, they say America), Halloween was more of a celebration this year than ever before. The shops had decorations, Halloween candy and even imported easy to carve pumpkins (that'd be our pumpkins from back home). I really wanted a pumpkin but at $3/kg, I just couldn't do it!
In my class, of course Halloween was a celebration! Come on, it is every year and I get away with it because I say it's just my birthday party... that's if anyone has a problem :) I've been trying to share things from Canada with my students and to me, this was another celebration to share from back home. My students dressed up in costumes, watched Disney's Sleepy Hallow, ate Halloween cupcakes and learned all about the history of Halloween. It was a great day at school and even better, because my students were so excited and because I had Mom and Dad there to celebrate with me.
For my birthday festivities, which always seem to go for more than one day... even still at my age :) We had my birthday dinner on October 30th with Bridget and Geoff. For our birthday dinner, we always get to choose whatever we'd like to have. I chose Mom's homemade BBQ hamburgers, potato salad and cheesecake. YUM!! First time I've had homemade burgers all year and they were delicious! We were lucky enough to share a few dinners with Bridget and Geoff, while Mom and Dad were here. I have become an honorary member of their family and their house is the one I go to for a sleepover or whenever I need a mommy or daddy cuddle. Yes I know, I'm 36, but I still need those cuddles! Bridget and Geoff have been instrumental in my Aussie education this year, teaching me about everything Aussie, especially sport! For my birthday gift, their family gave me themed gifts: Aussie things I love - Turkish Delight and Galahs! There are lots more things I love of course, but these are definitely in the top 5!
For my actual birthday day, we headed out to the dam with my other Aussie family, the Parishes, and Bridget and Geoff. We met there for a boat ride, an amazing sunset, and Jacki's infamous birthday cakes and lollies tray! The Parishes have become very dear friends also and they have welcomed me into their lives and home. Whenever I need kid time, a sisterly chat, puppy cuddles and just a chance to process things, they're who I go to.
The lead up to my birthday was an emotional one, as I was starting to think about the fact that mom and dad would be leaving soon. I was also thinking about the fact that it would be my first birthday/Halloween without Heather and Todd and the kids. Usually on Halloween, I would take the kids trick-or-treating (of course they're too old and cool for that now lol), but we would all end up at my place or at the Weavers when the night was done. We would order take out, have some drinks and raid the kids' candy bags for our favorites! Those memories made this birthday particularly hard.
However, I was incredibly lucky to have Mom and Dad here, and to be able to share it with wonderful, new friends.
In Australia, Halloween is becoming a celebration that more and more people are taking part in. 10 years ago, so I'm told, there was nothing to do with Halloween in the stores or anywhere. Last year in Dubbo, my students told me that some of them went trick-or-treating. They were either given snack food from people who weren't expecting them, lollies from people who had embraced Halloween or were told to "Get lost!! We don't celebrate that American holiday!" That's quite the diverse reaction, but in a country that is becoming more influenced by America (people here don't say the States or US, they say America), Halloween was more of a celebration this year than ever before. The shops had decorations, Halloween candy and even imported easy to carve pumpkins (that'd be our pumpkins from back home). I really wanted a pumpkin but at $3/kg, I just couldn't do it!
In my class, of course Halloween was a celebration! Come on, it is every year and I get away with it because I say it's just my birthday party... that's if anyone has a problem :) I've been trying to share things from Canada with my students and to me, this was another celebration to share from back home. My students dressed up in costumes, watched Disney's Sleepy Hallow, ate Halloween cupcakes and learned all about the history of Halloween. It was a great day at school and even better, because my students were so excited and because I had Mom and Dad there to celebrate with me.
For my birthday festivities, which always seem to go for more than one day... even still at my age :) We had my birthday dinner on October 30th with Bridget and Geoff. For our birthday dinner, we always get to choose whatever we'd like to have. I chose Mom's homemade BBQ hamburgers, potato salad and cheesecake. YUM!! First time I've had homemade burgers all year and they were delicious! We were lucky enough to share a few dinners with Bridget and Geoff, while Mom and Dad were here. I have become an honorary member of their family and their house is the one I go to for a sleepover or whenever I need a mommy or daddy cuddle. Yes I know, I'm 36, but I still need those cuddles! Bridget and Geoff have been instrumental in my Aussie education this year, teaching me about everything Aussie, especially sport! For my birthday gift, their family gave me themed gifts: Aussie things I love - Turkish Delight and Galahs! There are lots more things I love of course, but these are definitely in the top 5!
For my actual birthday day, we headed out to the dam with my other Aussie family, the Parishes, and Bridget and Geoff. We met there for a boat ride, an amazing sunset, and Jacki's infamous birthday cakes and lollies tray! The Parishes have become very dear friends also and they have welcomed me into their lives and home. Whenever I need kid time, a sisterly chat, puppy cuddles and just a chance to process things, they're who I go to.
The lead up to my birthday was an emotional one, as I was starting to think about the fact that mom and dad would be leaving soon. I was also thinking about the fact that it would be my first birthday/Halloween without Heather and Todd and the kids. Usually on Halloween, I would take the kids trick-or-treating (of course they're too old and cool for that now lol), but we would all end up at my place or at the Weavers when the night was done. We would order take out, have some drinks and raid the kids' candy bags for our favorites! Those memories made this birthday particularly hard.
However, I was incredibly lucky to have Mom and Dad here, and to be able to share it with wonderful, new friends.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Honk If You Stop For Wildlife! Honk! Honk!
One of the funniest moments of the whole trip, was this quote from Dad "Honk if you stop for wildlife, honk, honk!!" He comes up with some good ones I tell you and I am still laughing about this one!
It was on the road between the Clare Valley and Broken Hill, after seeing so many emus and wild goats, that Dad pulled the car over to get some photos of the crazy emus running through the scrum. Out of the blue, he said these words and it summed up our trip in some ways.
As I've said before, the wildlife in Australia is fascinating and seeing Mom and Dad get excited about roos and koalas, reminded me of what I was like when I first got here and honestly, am still like today.
Our running total became a sort of game, so here it is...
Echidna 2
Wallabies 50+
Penguins 500+
Kangaroos - didn't count but HEAPS!
Dolphins 4
Porpoises 2
Humpback Whales 2
Seals 1
Sea Lions 70
Koalas 16
Emus 200+
Lizards 15
Brown Snakes 2
Pelicans
Wedge-Tail Eagles
Galahs, Cockatoos, Kookaburras and other birds
Here's some photos of a few of the critters we saw along the way...
It was on the road between the Clare Valley and Broken Hill, after seeing so many emus and wild goats, that Dad pulled the car over to get some photos of the crazy emus running through the scrum. Out of the blue, he said these words and it summed up our trip in some ways.
As I've said before, the wildlife in Australia is fascinating and seeing Mom and Dad get excited about roos and koalas, reminded me of what I was like when I first got here and honestly, am still like today.
Our running total became a sort of game, so here it is...
Echidna 2
Wallabies 50+
Penguins 500+
Kangaroos - didn't count but HEAPS!
Dolphins 4
Porpoises 2
Humpback Whales 2
Seals 1
Sea Lions 70
Koalas 16
Emus 200+
Lizards 15
Brown Snakes 2
Pelicans
Wedge-Tail Eagles
Galahs, Cockatoos, Kookaburras and other birds
Here's some photos of a few of the critters we saw along the way...
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