rubgy
plentiful public restrooms with dual flush toilets
tropical flavor mentos
pies
lots of big coins
syringe deposit boxes in bathrooms
chilled drinking fountains on trains
fruits and vegetables on steroids
Friday, July 10, 2009
you can't get it in australia
Black people
good peanut butter
fat people
litter
black pepper
orbit gum
toilet seat covers
paper towels in bathrooms
good peanut butter
fat people
litter
black pepper
orbit gum
toilet seat covers
paper towels in bathrooms
byron bay sucks
We woke up to gray skies and heavy clouds. It was chilly and felt like rain. After going to the supermarket and buying yet more food, we set off for the famous lighthouse and the cape walk.
Byron Bay IS pretty, but I was not entirely impressed with it. It is a surfer's town. It is like Huntington Beach, or Venice Beach, or any number of small coastal towns like it in the world. None of these places are very fun when it is cold and rainy. We saw a number of people surfing, or heading to the beach to surf, or taking a surf lesson from an orange-suited instructor. Everyone else was either doing the same walk we were, or listlessly hanging out in cafes or stores.
The walk was strenuous and the beaches pretty, but not the garden of eden that Lonely Planet makes it out to be. There were a lot of rocks that looked tide-pool worthy, but it was so damn cold there was no way I was going to walk down there and risk getting splashed by a wave. The headlands were covered with wild grass and wildflower plants (not in bloom) and variously placed tropical trees. We climbed to several lookout points and tried to spot Migaloo the albino whale. S/he is known to hang out around these parts. We made it to the most easterly point of the Australian mainland (and took a picture, of course). We saw the famous lighthouse and ate our tuna lunches beneath it.
That was when it started to rain. A light drizzle at first, which is when we started on the end part of the trail, through a tropical forest. I had my umbrella and Naomi had her bright blue plastic poncho, so we were fine. The tropical forest was awesome. It was shady and quite darkened because of the canopy of green above us. There were palms, eucalyptus, types of cacti, ferns, yellow bottle brushes, and other plants I couldn't identify. We were the only ones on the trail. You could hear the rain pitter patter on the leaves of trees, could hear branches shake in the breeze. Our path was on inlaid stone which gave way to sand halfway through. The jungle was thick and you couldn't see out.
When we emerged from the forest, the rain was coming down hard. We raced back to our hostel but shoes and jeans still got soaking wet. I was quite grumpy because we were staying in the worst hostel in the world which didn't have an inside and was as cozy as a bowl of ice. I tried to read in the reading room but it had no heat and the floor was cold and the lights were very dim. They were out of mugs in the kitchen so I could not drink hot tea. Byron Bay sucks. Lucky for Naomi, I found the TV room which was carpeted and be-couched. I watched an awful movie that I'm ashamed to admit I've already seen (Music and Lyrics) and then both of us returned to eat dinner in front of the Australian news.
We planned to leave early the next morning, which wasn't soon enough.
Australian thing of the day: Flavored tuna. They love their tuna here. Ten shelves at the market are full of various tuna flavors, the amount of space reserved for pasta in the US. Tuna is sold out of a can, with a pull-top lid, already flavored with spices or vegetables or tomatoes. You eat it straight out of the can and don't have to mix it with anything to make it palatable. I got sun-dried tomatoes and basil. It was seriously awesome. I am not a big tuna person, but I know it is good for me, and I would buy cans of this and eat it all the time if they sold this at home.
Byron Bay IS pretty, but I was not entirely impressed with it. It is a surfer's town. It is like Huntington Beach, or Venice Beach, or any number of small coastal towns like it in the world. None of these places are very fun when it is cold and rainy. We saw a number of people surfing, or heading to the beach to surf, or taking a surf lesson from an orange-suited instructor. Everyone else was either doing the same walk we were, or listlessly hanging out in cafes or stores.
The walk was strenuous and the beaches pretty, but not the garden of eden that Lonely Planet makes it out to be. There were a lot of rocks that looked tide-pool worthy, but it was so damn cold there was no way I was going to walk down there and risk getting splashed by a wave. The headlands were covered with wild grass and wildflower plants (not in bloom) and variously placed tropical trees. We climbed to several lookout points and tried to spot Migaloo the albino whale. S/he is known to hang out around these parts. We made it to the most easterly point of the Australian mainland (and took a picture, of course). We saw the famous lighthouse and ate our tuna lunches beneath it.
That was when it started to rain. A light drizzle at first, which is when we started on the end part of the trail, through a tropical forest. I had my umbrella and Naomi had her bright blue plastic poncho, so we were fine. The tropical forest was awesome. It was shady and quite darkened because of the canopy of green above us. There were palms, eucalyptus, types of cacti, ferns, yellow bottle brushes, and other plants I couldn't identify. We were the only ones on the trail. You could hear the rain pitter patter on the leaves of trees, could hear branches shake in the breeze. Our path was on inlaid stone which gave way to sand halfway through. The jungle was thick and you couldn't see out.
When we emerged from the forest, the rain was coming down hard. We raced back to our hostel but shoes and jeans still got soaking wet. I was quite grumpy because we were staying in the worst hostel in the world which didn't have an inside and was as cozy as a bowl of ice. I tried to read in the reading room but it had no heat and the floor was cold and the lights were very dim. They were out of mugs in the kitchen so I could not drink hot tea. Byron Bay sucks. Lucky for Naomi, I found the TV room which was carpeted and be-couched. I watched an awful movie that I'm ashamed to admit I've already seen (Music and Lyrics) and then both of us returned to eat dinner in front of the Australian news.
We planned to leave early the next morning, which wasn't soon enough.
Australian thing of the day: Flavored tuna. They love their tuna here. Ten shelves at the market are full of various tuna flavors, the amount of space reserved for pasta in the US. Tuna is sold out of a can, with a pull-top lid, already flavored with spices or vegetables or tomatoes. You eat it straight out of the can and don't have to mix it with anything to make it palatable. I got sun-dried tomatoes and basil. It was seriously awesome. I am not a big tuna person, but I know it is good for me, and I would buy cans of this and eat it all the time if they sold this at home.
train day
Last night, every single person in our room went to the bathroom between 4:30 and 5:00 am.
We are spending the day traveling from Sydney to Byron Bay, 10 hours by train. Early in the morning, we get on the train and unload our packs, sleeping bags, and 4 bags of groceries. Naomi and I had a giggling fit about the amount of food we brought for our 12 hour trip. Enough to feed us for 3 days. In case you are wondering:
We unpacked it all and it barely stayed up on our TWO meal trays long enough to take a picture. Then we put it away and picked at it throughout the day, barely making a dent.
The beginning of the route is seriously the windiest, slowest train I have ever been on. Part of the route goes through the Great Dividing Range Mountains, and that windy slowness is understandable. But miles and miles of the trip takes place over flattened fields and through relatively flat forests. The train S-curves through these parts as well, never going above 40 mph. It is as though the railroad engineers decided to follow the contours of an imaginary river EXACTLY. This commute it going to take us 12 hours but it could probably be shortened in half if they relaid the tracks in a a straight line and then the train could quit meandering and speed up. Also, then I could on the train without getting dizzy.
Twenty minutes outside of Sydney, we are in wilderness. Lush hills of eucalyptus and bush. Green, green, green. Hills for miles. Fog filling the valleys and lazily smoking upwards. Feels like rainforest.
Lush, green forests make way for pasture land and rolling hills, scattered trees. Sheep and cows grazing.
Lots of eucalyptus forests.
Pastures and farmland turn into small towns with grassy fields and rivers.
What do we do on the bus? We read and eat. We see one black guy on the train. This is the most exciting thing to happen all day. We vow to never take an all-day train again.
Australian thing of the day: Coconut bread, which is probably Taiwanese, but it counts since I ate the whole bag along the Australian countryside. Coconut bread feels like a cloud on your tongue, warm, light, and sweet. I would eat this for breakfast every day if I had a Taiwanese bread machine.
Australian thing of the day 2: Orange flavored MMs. Just like the regular ones, with a shot of orange flavor. Worth the inflated overseas price.
We are spending the day traveling from Sydney to Byron Bay, 10 hours by train. Early in the morning, we get on the train and unload our packs, sleeping bags, and 4 bags of groceries. Naomi and I had a giggling fit about the amount of food we brought for our 12 hour trip. Enough to feed us for 3 days. In case you are wondering:
- salad
- pasta and sauce
- oranges
- yogurt
- tuna
- crackers
- cookies
- peanuts and walnuts
- trailmix
- tea and sugar
- chocolate bars
- V8
- lettuce and spinach (that's in addition to the salad)
- peanut butter
- nutella
- peanut butter sandwiches, already prepared
- coconut bread from the Korean bread store
- cheese
- water bottles
- MMs
We unpacked it all and it barely stayed up on our TWO meal trays long enough to take a picture. Then we put it away and picked at it throughout the day, barely making a dent.
The beginning of the route is seriously the windiest, slowest train I have ever been on. Part of the route goes through the Great Dividing Range Mountains, and that windy slowness is understandable. But miles and miles of the trip takes place over flattened fields and through relatively flat forests. The train S-curves through these parts as well, never going above 40 mph. It is as though the railroad engineers decided to follow the contours of an imaginary river EXACTLY. This commute it going to take us 12 hours but it could probably be shortened in half if they relaid the tracks in a a straight line and then the train could quit meandering and speed up. Also, then I could on the train without getting dizzy.
Twenty minutes outside of Sydney, we are in wilderness. Lush hills of eucalyptus and bush. Green, green, green. Hills for miles. Fog filling the valleys and lazily smoking upwards. Feels like rainforest.
Lush, green forests make way for pasture land and rolling hills, scattered trees. Sheep and cows grazing.
Lots of eucalyptus forests.
Pastures and farmland turn into small towns with grassy fields and rivers.
What do we do on the bus? We read and eat. We see one black guy on the train. This is the most exciting thing to happen all day. We vow to never take an all-day train again.
Australian thing of the day: Coconut bread, which is probably Taiwanese, but it counts since I ate the whole bag along the Australian countryside. Coconut bread feels like a cloud on your tongue, warm, light, and sweet. I would eat this for breakfast every day if I had a Taiwanese bread machine.
Australian thing of the day 2: Orange flavored MMs. Just like the regular ones, with a shot of orange flavor. Worth the inflated overseas price.
july 5
After the game we went to THE GROCERY STORE which thrilled both of us beyond belief. I love foreign markets. We wandered up and down the aisles and probably spent a good 20 minutes ogling at their selection of tuna. We left with tons and tons of food.
After eating dinner back at the hostel, I got a call from Julian, Glenda's cousin. He came by and the three of us went to a bar and talked about how much he hates Australians. I drank Australian beer which was gross, just as gross as American beer. Julian was a wealth of information and provided us with several awesome Michael Jackson jokes. Which I have dutifully reprinted below.
Q: When does Michael Jackson know it is time to go to bed
A: When the big hand touches the little hand.
Q: How does Michael Jackson pick his nose?
A: From a catalogue.
Micheal Jackson went swimming in Sydney Harbor. Do you know why he didn't drown? He was holding on to a buoy.
Did you know that Michael Jackson thought that Boys II Men was an ordering service.
And my favorite cringe-worthy MJ joke, from Benja many years ago:
Q: What's the difference between Neil Armstrong and Michael Jackson?
A: Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, and Michael Jackson touches little boys.
After eating dinner back at the hostel, I got a call from Julian, Glenda's cousin. He came by and the three of us went to a bar and talked about how much he hates Australians. I drank Australian beer which was gross, just as gross as American beer. Julian was a wealth of information and provided us with several awesome Michael Jackson jokes. Which I have dutifully reprinted below.
Q: When does Michael Jackson know it is time to go to bed
A: When the big hand touches the little hand.
Q: How does Michael Jackson pick his nose?
A: From a catalogue.
Micheal Jackson went swimming in Sydney Harbor. Do you know why he didn't drown? He was holding on to a buoy.
Did you know that Michael Jackson thought that Boys II Men was an ordering service.
And my favorite cringe-worthy MJ joke, from Benja many years ago:
Q: What's the difference between Neil Armstrong and Michael Jackson?
A: Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, and Michael Jackson touches little boys.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
electrical storm
Hm. I just plugged in the computer charger, with the Australia plug and surge protector on the end, and the wall socket sparked and smoked. I took it out immediately, and thank goodness it wasn't connected to my computer. There are smoke marks on the output of the surge protector. Maybe it wasn't ready for 240V? It says the max voltage surge is 330V. I'm scared to plug in my computer, ever.
aussie rules football rules
On Sunday we had planned to go to the Jewish Museum and then the Australian Museum. We took the train to Kings Cross and started walking around, trying to find that famous Coca Cola sign. I have to report that I was sorely disappointed by it. I was expecting a metallic, glittering, stand up cursive affair, like the one in Strictly Ballroom. The two-dimensional plastic poster was boring. Baz Luhrman's Sydney is much more brilliant.
Just as we passed the red and white sign, we spotted a bunch of people wearing red and white clothes. They were all walking in the same direction. We followed them. We decided to go to a rugby game!
Or so we thought! The playing grounds were called "Sydney Cricket Grounds," and there was a bit of worry that we might be held captive to a long and slow cricket death match. Judging from the kids' balls they had brought, which were football-like but slightly bigger and rounder, we decided on rugby. The first half of the game we spent trying to figure out how points were scored. In rugby, we decided, you earned 6 points by getting the ball through the middle posts, and just one point from the side posts. In rugby, you did not wear helmets or padding or any protection at all. During halftime, I turned around and asked a fellow what sport we were watching. With real concern in his eyes, he informed me that this was an Australian Football League game.
THESE ARE THE RULES TO AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL, AS FAR AS WE CAN TELL.
Just as we passed the red and white sign, we spotted a bunch of people wearing red and white clothes. They were all walking in the same direction. We followed them. We decided to go to a rugby game!
Or so we thought! The playing grounds were called "Sydney Cricket Grounds," and there was a bit of worry that we might be held captive to a long and slow cricket death match. Judging from the kids' balls they had brought, which were football-like but slightly bigger and rounder, we decided on rugby. The first half of the game we spent trying to figure out how points were scored. In rugby, we decided, you earned 6 points by getting the ball through the middle posts, and just one point from the side posts. In rugby, you did not wear helmets or padding or any protection at all. During halftime, I turned around and asked a fellow what sport we were watching. With real concern in his eyes, he informed me that this was an Australian Football League game.
THESE ARE THE RULES TO AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL, AS FAR AS WE CAN TELL.
- The players must wear short shorts. That is their only rule. They are pretty much allowed to do whatever they want to get the ball through the goal posts – run, walk, throw, catch, bounce, tackle, block, grab, punch, etc. You can grab a player's groin and box him in the nose while grabbing the ball from under his shirt. Anything goes. They are pretty strict about the shorts, though.
- The referees, who also wear short shorts, must sprint across the field at Olympic speed when handling and out-of-play ball. They need to practice their running and backwards throwing year round if they are to qualify for referee-ship for the season. No out of shape refs here, nosiree.
- Spectators must wear tons of Swan flair, hats, sweaters, scarves, flags, shirts. It is best if you wear all of this at once. If you don't have official membership gear, you can just wear a lot of red and white.
- During quarter breaks, you must leave your seat and buy food. If you are buying beer, you must spill half of the cup while walking back to your seat.
- Don't you dare eat broccoli at the game.
- The winning team fans will stand and sing their team song at the end of the game.
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