Sometimes we have to have talks with ourselves on important matters and decisions. I had one such talk with myself this morning. My recruiter phoned to say the French engineering company I have done some temping for wanted to bring me in for five weeks work starting next week. This would mean I would have to forfeit seeing my cousin and her Kiwi whilst they were in New Zealand. Not an easy choice. After a long talk with myself I decided I should give up the trip and take the job. I reached this conclusion for a plethora of reasons. One I would be able to successfully pay my rent out here continuously in Australian dollars, two I would be able to enjoy Melbourne fully (try out all the restaurants I have been wanting to go to, take weekend trips around Victoria) and three I would have money in my British savings account for when I get home. Oh and of course the company is very reputable and will look ace on my CV! I assure you all it was no easy chat but these kind of talks never are. I am still going to try very hard to make it to New Zealand before my visa expires. I realised the other day I know three people in Wellington, who knew!
In other travel news my parents have booked their tickets out to see me!!!! It will be the longest gap we have ever been apart. I am so, so glad they are all set to go! And as an amazing added bonus my brother in NYC will be joining us for a portion of the trip!!!! Besides my brother in Sweden this will be our first family trip in years. And even more importantly the first proper holiday my parents have taken in who knows how long! For those of you who are curious the following has been planned. My parents will arrive on the last day of March after having spent two days in Singapore. My friends just did something similar and they said it helped heaps with the jetlag. Once they arrive we will get our rent a car and head straight out to the Great Ocean Road. We will spend a night in Lorne the foodie capital of the route. We will get back either on the evening of the 2nd or the 3rd. My brother arrives hopefully on the 3rd! We will try and do a wine tour of the Yarra Valley region, something I have not had a chance to do yet. We will then spent Easter together on the 4th one of my families favourite holidays. The lamb is going to be exceptional this year! On the 5th we all pack up to head up to the Great Barrier Reef for four days!! I am particularly thrilled about this portion of the holiday as I was not sure I was going to have a chance to make it up there before I left. We have been given advice to stay in Port Douglas about an hour out of Cairns. It looks magical. I truly can not think of a time when my family has ever taken a beach holiday together. I grew up on museums, cities, and countryside holidays. The trip will end with four days in Sydney. I could not be more possibly excited!! And the icing on the cake is one of my really good friends from college just booked her ticket out to see me for a week in April!!!
A friend from the book club is on her way over to have wine in my garden and then we are getting celebratory Thai food and cocktails! Saturday I am having a potluck dinner at my house. One guest has just informed me she is making caramel cupcakes with caramel buttercream and a chocolate cake! I suspect the night to be as equally tasty as my birthday picnic potluck! Hooray!
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Thursday, February 18, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
It feels as if an incredible amount of time has past since I last updated. Last weekend was very busy as I mentioned but a lot of fun. After I finished my temp job on Friday I went and met my friends from Amsterdam at the Belgian Beer Garden, somewhere I have wanted to go for sometime. It was fantastic! Absolutely massive garden and really, really tasty bar food. I had a lamb hotdog that was so flavourful I could have happily eaten another! The beer selection though was not impressive. I think Belgos has spoiled me when it comes to Belgian bars with their immense selection. I am going to be returning in two weeks for a meet up with the ‘America Club’. Later that weekend I put on my glad rags for a night on the town. I thought considering my friend had her birthday at a cocktail bar the cocktail bar was not all that. Great atmosphere but when they only list two different kinds of wine and a couple of beers you are lead to believe the cocktail list is going to be long and diverse. Seven different kinds does not add up to long and diverse…None the less a great night!
It has been very muggy for the last couple of weeks so on Sunday my friend Hugh and I headed out to The Dandenong’s (a mountain range about an hour out of Melbourne) for some fresh air. It was remarkable how much cooler it was up there. It was very quaint with lots of little towns and the world’s biggest cuckoo clock. We were very tempted to climb the 1000 steps at Ferngully but opted against it as we had no water on us. I hope I get a chance to do them before I leave. In the evening I bought us very tasty gelato. I had probably some of the best mint chocolate chip I have come across.
On Monday I went and met the Buddington Sisters (the first family I spent Thanksgiving with in Melbourne) for Roo Night. There is a pub a few suburbs over that has a $12 special on Monday nights that include a fillet of Roo and a glass of red wine. It had been forever since I last saw them as Mere had her baby on New Years Eve (3 weeks early!)!!! I got to meet Felix on Monday! I honestly don’t think I have ever held such a young baby before. I adored every minute of it. Wednesday was johnlast.com and Jemma’s last night in Australia. We had modern Mexican food in St Kilda. When I say modern I should explain I had goat cheese and aubergine quesadillas. They were pretty tasty! It was so much fun having the two of them out here and I am sad to see them leave. Last night the other Buddington Sister and I had dinner at my place. She arrived in Australia a month after I did and unfortunately has had a next to impossible time finding work. Regretfully she is heading back to the US of A tomorrow. Very sad news indeed! I made us 24 hour marinated lamb ribs, corn and served watermelon. She treated me to a delectable cocktail around the corner. I know it is not the last time I see her!
This week I have been temping at a South African bank in the heart of the CBD. And when I say heart I mean it! They are on the 49th(out of 50) floor of a building on Collins Street with 360 degree views of the city. It has been overcast the last couple of days but hopefully it will clear when I am in next week so I can get some photographs. There are a couple of Miró paintings dotted throughout the office. When I got the role my recruiter made sure I was not scared of heights! It has been a great role so far with lots of variety and overall very friendly staff. They also have fantastic free food and beverages which we are all entitled to. Free breakfast, check! Free beverage with lunch, check! There is wine and beer in the fridge that I understand will be served later today. Will let you know! Melbourne is rather small sometimes! It is the first city I have ever lived in that I regularly run into people I know. I mention this because it turns out the gentleman I am covering for is the boyfriend of my friends, friends from Amsterdam (She is from Melbourne but has lived in The Netherlands for the last couple of years) that I met last week!! There I am at the Belgian Beer Garden gushing to my friends Talc and Hans that I got some great work lined up and he was right across from me! When I showed up this week to start work he walked up to me as I was engrossed in my novel and said “I knew it was you!!!” . Not many Swedish Americans in Melbourne called Kiki I guess! The only negative aspect of the role has been nothing to do with the company but my carelessness. All the temp jobs I have done out here have a two tap sink with hot and ice cold water. The taps are right next to each other and it is easy to press one whilst pressing the other. Unfortunately that is exactly what happened this morning. I was pouring myself a cold glass of water when I by mistake pressed the hot and in the process scolded my left pinkie. Three and a half hours later it still burns! I have been very well looked after but am still so frustrated at such a silly accident. I don’t think it is going to peel.
Another busy couple of weeks coming up so will have lots to share soon!
P/S For those of you who have not heard, I have been living in the third most livable city in the world for the last seven months!!
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It has been very muggy for the last couple of weeks so on Sunday my friend Hugh and I headed out to The Dandenong’s (a mountain range about an hour out of Melbourne) for some fresh air. It was remarkable how much cooler it was up there. It was very quaint with lots of little towns and the world’s biggest cuckoo clock. We were very tempted to climb the 1000 steps at Ferngully but opted against it as we had no water on us. I hope I get a chance to do them before I leave. In the evening I bought us very tasty gelato. I had probably some of the best mint chocolate chip I have come across.
On Monday I went and met the Buddington Sisters (the first family I spent Thanksgiving with in Melbourne) for Roo Night. There is a pub a few suburbs over that has a $12 special on Monday nights that include a fillet of Roo and a glass of red wine. It had been forever since I last saw them as Mere had her baby on New Years Eve (3 weeks early!)!!! I got to meet Felix on Monday! I honestly don’t think I have ever held such a young baby before. I adored every minute of it. Wednesday was johnlast.com and Jemma’s last night in Australia. We had modern Mexican food in St Kilda. When I say modern I should explain I had goat cheese and aubergine quesadillas. They were pretty tasty! It was so much fun having the two of them out here and I am sad to see them leave. Last night the other Buddington Sister and I had dinner at my place. She arrived in Australia a month after I did and unfortunately has had a next to impossible time finding work. Regretfully she is heading back to the US of A tomorrow. Very sad news indeed! I made us 24 hour marinated lamb ribs, corn and served watermelon. She treated me to a delectable cocktail around the corner. I know it is not the last time I see her!
This week I have been temping at a South African bank in the heart of the CBD. And when I say heart I mean it! They are on the 49th(out of 50) floor of a building on Collins Street with 360 degree views of the city. It has been overcast the last couple of days but hopefully it will clear when I am in next week so I can get some photographs. There are a couple of Miró paintings dotted throughout the office. When I got the role my recruiter made sure I was not scared of heights! It has been a great role so far with lots of variety and overall very friendly staff. They also have fantastic free food and beverages which we are all entitled to. Free breakfast, check! Free beverage with lunch, check! There is wine and beer in the fridge that I understand will be served later today. Will let you know! Melbourne is rather small sometimes! It is the first city I have ever lived in that I regularly run into people I know. I mention this because it turns out the gentleman I am covering for is the boyfriend of my friends, friends from Amsterdam (She is from Melbourne but has lived in The Netherlands for the last couple of years) that I met last week!! There I am at the Belgian Beer Garden gushing to my friends Talc and Hans that I got some great work lined up and he was right across from me! When I showed up this week to start work he walked up to me as I was engrossed in my novel and said “I knew it was you!!!” . Not many Swedish Americans in Melbourne called Kiki I guess! The only negative aspect of the role has been nothing to do with the company but my carelessness. All the temp jobs I have done out here have a two tap sink with hot and ice cold water. The taps are right next to each other and it is easy to press one whilst pressing the other. Unfortunately that is exactly what happened this morning. I was pouring myself a cold glass of water when I by mistake pressed the hot and in the process scolded my left pinkie. Three and a half hours later it still burns! I have been very well looked after but am still so frustrated at such a silly accident. I don’t think it is going to peel.
Another busy couple of weeks coming up so will have lots to share soon!
P/S For those of you who have not heard, I have been living in the third most livable city in the world for the last seven months!!
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Friday, February 5, 2010
There has to be something said for having summer in February. A warm Christmas was a bit too strange though I did love my dip in the ocean that day. A warm New Years is amazing not having to worry about lugging around layers with you wherever you go. And as for the last five weeks being overall sunny and warm it has been a treat! This time of the year in the Northern Hemisphere is just the worst! It just seems that winter is never going to end when it snows for the seventh time. When I was living in Amsterdam I even had a party to celebrate this bleakness that I fondly called ‘February Sux’. It was a resounding success. But down here I am going to picnics, barbecues and rooftop bars in the blazing sunshine. And boy does the sun blaze down here. By my standards I have a lick of colour. I even have a few awkward tan lines from various cuts of my dress collection necklines.
This morning I was called in for 5 hours temporary work at the French engineering company that I have worked for before. It is always a pleasant experience working here. And now that I have been in a handful of times people recognize me and say hello which is kind. Also a little side story to today related to my journey into the CBD. I went to go catch the train but as always I was there about ten minutes early. I sat down next to a man who had a beautiful bike with him. Vintage look with creams and dark chocolate colour scheme. It was so beautiful I was moved to compliment him! This struck up a conversation where I learned he too had lived in the Netherlands (never Amsterdam) and of course I had to share my boat living experience. We continued to chat as we hopped on the train about different beers we liked. He mentioned he owned a few cocktail bars in the city including one I had heard good things about. He unfortunately did not have a business card on him but wrote down their names the old fashion way. I have since Googled them and they look fantastic! Also I found his name and put that into Google and it turns out he is a bit of a bar owner extraordinaire with the internet raving about his work. Me thinks I would like to find him again!
It appears to be birthday season as I am going to two parties this weekend. Tonight was meant to be a picnic but we are having a wet and grey day here so she has moved it to a bar in an area of town I don’t know that well. The birthday girl is a Limey who is sponsored and here to stay. She is one of the many people I was put in touch with when moving out here. Tomorrow afternoon one of the Swedish girls is having a goodbye party as she is about to move to Queensland with her newborn baby and Australian husband. It will be good to see the Swedish kids again as I have not seen most of them since my birthday and the carol service I went to in December. In the evening one of the American girls I get along with from the ‘America Club’ is having birthday drinks at a cocktail bar in the city.
I continue to have a heavy stream of visitors at the moment from London, India and Amsterdam. It has been fantastic catching up and has included some very tasty meals. A particular highlight was the Japanese restaurant johnlast.com, Jemma and I went to in my neighbourhood on Wednesday. We started off with a mixed sashimi/sushi platter with a very fresh selection of raw fish. For my main I had melt in your mouth soft shell crab. This was all washed down with a few bottles of sake. Something I had only ever had once before. I think I like it too now as I believe it is a very mellow alcohol and complimented the food perfectly. I am very excited also because the restaurant advertised starting this weekend they will be serving dim sum every Sunday from 12-3PM.
Have a wonderful weekend readers!
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This morning I was called in for 5 hours temporary work at the French engineering company that I have worked for before. It is always a pleasant experience working here. And now that I have been in a handful of times people recognize me and say hello which is kind. Also a little side story to today related to my journey into the CBD. I went to go catch the train but as always I was there about ten minutes early. I sat down next to a man who had a beautiful bike with him. Vintage look with creams and dark chocolate colour scheme. It was so beautiful I was moved to compliment him! This struck up a conversation where I learned he too had lived in the Netherlands (never Amsterdam) and of course I had to share my boat living experience. We continued to chat as we hopped on the train about different beers we liked. He mentioned he owned a few cocktail bars in the city including one I had heard good things about. He unfortunately did not have a business card on him but wrote down their names the old fashion way. I have since Googled them and they look fantastic! Also I found his name and put that into Google and it turns out he is a bit of a bar owner extraordinaire with the internet raving about his work. Me thinks I would like to find him again!
It appears to be birthday season as I am going to two parties this weekend. Tonight was meant to be a picnic but we are having a wet and grey day here so she has moved it to a bar in an area of town I don’t know that well. The birthday girl is a Limey who is sponsored and here to stay. She is one of the many people I was put in touch with when moving out here. Tomorrow afternoon one of the Swedish girls is having a goodbye party as she is about to move to Queensland with her newborn baby and Australian husband. It will be good to see the Swedish kids again as I have not seen most of them since my birthday and the carol service I went to in December. In the evening one of the American girls I get along with from the ‘America Club’ is having birthday drinks at a cocktail bar in the city.
I continue to have a heavy stream of visitors at the moment from London, India and Amsterdam. It has been fantastic catching up and has included some very tasty meals. A particular highlight was the Japanese restaurant johnlast.com, Jemma and I went to in my neighbourhood on Wednesday. We started off with a mixed sashimi/sushi platter with a very fresh selection of raw fish. For my main I had melt in your mouth soft shell crab. This was all washed down with a few bottles of sake. Something I had only ever had once before. I think I like it too now as I believe it is a very mellow alcohol and complimented the food perfectly. I am very excited also because the restaurant advertised starting this weekend they will be serving dim sum every Sunday from 12-3PM.
Have a wonderful weekend readers!
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