8K Pride

This past weekend, I ran in Gladstone's own "Botanic to Bridge" 8K race. 

I should emphasize that I am not, by any means, a runner.  Some people enjoy running- saying that they love the "runner's high" and that it clears their minds.  I am not one of those people.  I've never experienced this so-called "runner's-high," and you better believe that my head is not clear when I run.  In fact, it's pretty much just the opposite- I am hyper aware the entire time I am running that I am indeed running, that it hurts, and basically reasoning with myself the entire time not to stop.  However, all that aside, I know what a great workout running is, so I'd been trying to run just once a week over the past few months and ever so gradually increasing my mileage. 

I've known about this race for several months and had the idea in the back of my head that it really would be fun to participate.  There isn't really much in the way of community events like this in Gladstone, so I really thought it would be a good experience.  However, as much as I hate to admit it, I didn't sign up until the last minute or even mention it to anyone, basically because I wanted a way out.  Isn't that terrible? 

At any rate, I signed up exactly one week before the race, and off I went on Sunday morning.  I was pretty nervous, as the furthest I had ever run was 4 miles... once... ever.  And the 8K race is approximately 5 miles.  I had just two goals for the race:
1.) No walking
2.) Finish under one hour

Sunday morning I met up with my friend, Jackie, and her husband.  It was fun to have someone to participate with even though we all ran separately at our own paces. 

How cruel is it to start a race with a giant hill?!

Jackie and I: BEFORE

 

 

Sea of blue

Aside from the giant hill to start off the race, and a couple other pretty steep hills, the race went surprisingly well!  I met my two goals (!), and I was so proud of that!  And of course, I'm really glad I decided to run the race.  It's crazy to think that I ran the farthest I had ever run before! 

Not that I was counting down or anything...

Pounding pavement

8K Finisher!

Jackie and I: AFTER - We did it!

Expat to Expat Q & A {August Questions}

Linking up with Belinda and Bailie for this month's Expat to Expat Q & A!

1. What is your favorite food store in your city and why?
Well, to be quite honest, there aren't a whole lot of options.  However, I am pretty loyal to one food/grocery store here in Australia, and that is Woolworth's.  And since it's Australia and everything here is required to be abbreviated, I meant to say "Woolie's."  When I first moved, I was actually kind of nervous about what grocery shopping in another country would be like.  The first couple times, were a little overwhelming and did take like 2 hours, but I've since found that this store does for the most part have most things I need.  Don't get me started on Mexican food ingredients though...

Looks mostly the same as grocery stores in the US...

Except, I'm still getting used to seeing items like this:

 

2. For your answer to number 1 is it ok to buy the store brand items or do you pay extra for a name brand?

I've never been finicky about brand name versus generic.  I pretty much always just buy what is cheaper... and sometimes that is surprisingly the brand name.   

 

3. What do you think is the best way to get about your city? i.e. bus, bike, car, etc.
 

For being a small town, you would think getting around by foot or bike would be a good option here.  Unfortunately, this isn't the case.  Although it is a small town, things are pretty spread out, making a car absolutely necessary.  A bike could be useful in some instances, however, from about September through November, bike riding can be somewhat of a dangerous adventure.  You see, during that time of year, a native bird here- the magpie- is in the middle of its mating and nesting season.  These birds are extremely territorial during that time, and are known to literally stalk and even sometimes become aggressive to people on bikes or those walking/running.  It sounds made up, but it's true!  People brave enough to ride bikes during this time don't do so without ridiculous-looking zip ties poking out of their helmets as a magpie deterrent.  This is no joke, people!

 

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 4.. Which store do you turn to for basics like toilet paper or cleaning supplies?

 There's not really anything similar to Target or Walmart here, which is where I bought those items in the States.  Here, I usually buy basics like TP or cleaning supplies at the grocery store, or sometimes even the pharmacy (which they actually call "the chemist" here).   

 

5. Where do you think is the best place in your city to get a cup of coffee (or beverage you prefer) and catch up with friends?
 

Since Australia has a lot of British influence, morning and afternoon tea/coffee are a pretty big part of daily life here.  So for a small town, there are a surprising number of coffee shops to choose from.  I myself don't like coffee, but I've become quite a chai tea latte aficionado since being here.  My favorite coffee place is probably "The Hungry Cow."  I love this place because it has tons of outdoor seating, and their chai lattes are great.  They also have a really great lunch and dinner menu as well. 

David sitting on one of the many cow seats you can actually sit on at the Hungry Cow

 

Plus these questions from Emma, at Adventures of a London Kiwi:

• What was your “eureka, I’m practically a native” moment?

Truthfully, I don't think I've actually had one of these "eureka" moments yet, in fact, someone jokingly called me "fresh off the boat" just the other day.  I do still feel like a fish out of water most of the time.  Although when I do meet someone from the US who has just moved here, then I do feel pretty "native" in some ways. 

• Does your real accent get in the way?

Yes! I notice this mostly at work.  Although, it's not so much the "accent" that gets in the way, but more the difference in American English vs. Australian English.  There are SO many words and phrases that differ in these supposed "same" languages.  I can't tell you how many "stupid moments" I've had at work when someone asks me something or asks me to do something for them and I have no idea what they're talking about.  Same goes for when I'm communicating with students.  If I tell them to throw something away, go to the restroom, use an eraser, write the letter z or h, or share markers- I get blank stares.  I'm still learning to instead say: put your rubbish in the bin, go to the toilet, use a rubber, write the letter "haych" or "zed," share your textas. 

Evolution of a Sunset - 1770

These photos were taken from the balcony of our amazing beach shack in the town of 1770.  Although we were on the East coast of Australia, we were able to watch the sun set over the ocean because we were on a bay that was actually west-facing.  At any rate, this sunset was one of the most beautiful I've ever seen.  I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking...

Can you spot my mom sitting on the beach?

 

 

 

 

 

I mean seriously.  Is this real life?!

Laugh, Kookaburra, Laugh!

Australia is all over the place when it comes to its creatures and creepy crawlies.  They've got it all here... freakishly scary, adorably cuddly, and even deadly creatures.  So far, I've managed to limit my animal encounters to those of the huggable variety.  And I hope to keep it that way. 

 

However, I've recently added a new animal to my Aussie obsession list.  While not exactly huggable (although I probably would cuddle the crap out of them if I thought I wouldn't peck my eyes out...), these guys are my current faves.

 

Meet our neighborhood kookaburras! 

 

Tell me I'm not the only one that grew up singing the "kookaburra sits in the old gum tree..." song?  Isn't that random that American kids learn that song?  To be completely honest, I think for a long time I thought that song was about a made up bird.  But now I have these guys in real life in my own backyard! And I'm afraid I might be turning into a crazy bird lady because of it.  Oh, and also important to note- these birds really do LAUGH!  Their song/call absolutely sounds like a bunch of monkeys laughing (in my opinion).  In fact, they laugh their little kookaburra heads off every day- sunrise and sunset just outside our house.  You can't see them in this video, but you can hear them laughing.

 

 

There are anywhere from about two to six kookaburras that like to visit our porch ledge in the late afternoon.   

 

Imagine my excitement when I discovered that one of our neighbors feeds them each afternoon and invited me over to help one day.  They are carnivores FYI, and LOVE kangaroo meat. 

 

Said neighbor is out of town right now and has asked me to water her plants every few days.  So I've taken the liberty of taking over kookaburra feeding duties at her house as well.  Yep, that means I actually bought kangaroo meat.  Sorry 'roos!  They are so tame and will let you get within just a few inches of them.  It's so cool!  Definitely never thought I'd see a kookaburra in real life, much less feed them in my own backyard! 

 

 



This one was trying to impress me by fluffing up his feathers.  It totally worked.



Didn't get the best photo of it, but they have a really pretty blue stripe on their wings.


 


Staring contest.

 


This is a photo of what my finger looked like about 0.025 seconds before I got bit.  It was totally my fault... I was too focused on taking a photo that I forgot I had food in my hand.



G'Day Grants!

Finally getting started on recapping my parents' visit to Australia.  Here's a look at their first couple (very jet lagged) days here in Gladstone. 

As if the fourteen hour flight wasn't already long enough, my parents were unfortunate enough to have a flight delay that involved them having to land on some random island that I had never even heard of near (ish) the coast of Australia in order to refuel (kind of scary, right?).  Luckily, they were still able to arrive on the same day... just about 7 hours later than scheduled.  Needless to say they were exhausted, but we were so excited to have them here finally! 



Welcome basket & the embarrassing airport greeting sign I made :-)

The next morning, we went for brunch at Gladstone's own Gecko Valley Winery.  As you can tell from the photo below, this vineyard is still in major recovery mode after some pretty major bush fires two years ago.  But it's still a pretty spot nonetheless. 

 

 

The rest of the day, I played drill sergeant tour guide and tried to keep my parents moving and out and about in hopes of quickly getting over jet lag.  My motto was, "no naps allowed!"  I'm so mean :)  So off we went for the grand "tour de Gladstone."  This mostly included exciting things that I didn't take photos of like, driving past the school where I work, pointing out landmarks such as the ever exciting K-Mart, and driving down the one street that is "down town" Gladstone.  Oh small town life... So glamorous.  But we did make it to some of Gladstone's more scenic spots, such as The Auckland Lookout Point. I actually discovered this place pretty recently, and it has a great view of the harbour (look at me spelling things like an Aussie- sheesh), the marina, and a few lovely industrial eyesores that can't be overlooked. :-) 



Auckland Lookout Point

Auckland Lookout Point


 


Auckland Lookout Point

Next up was a quick stop at the Marina, which is actually one of my favorite parts of Gladstone.



Spinnaker Park at the Marina

We ended the day with a visit to Canoe Point so that my parents could get their first glimpse of the Australian Pacific Ocean!  We ended up being there at such a pretty time of day- the lighting was awesome.  And we got to see a pretty amazing sunset!  I don't think I'll ever get over what a strange feeling it is to watch the sunset over the ocean here and think about my day ending and a new day just beginning "back at home."  Usually this makes me feel kind of lonely thinking about my friends and family, literally on the other side of the world.  But this time it was such an awesome feeling to finally have some of the people I love most on my side of the world to experience it with me! 



Heading down to Canoe Point



 

 

My First Video: Sights & Sounds From Oz

It's been nearly two weeks now since my parents came to visit us in Australia.  They were here for two weeks, and I think we managed to squeeze in about as many authentic Australian experiences as possible!  I'm still working on blogging about all that we did, but until I can get those posts finished up, here's a little video that I put together of some of the highlights of their trip. 

I know this video is far from fancy, but I have to brag a little bit because I have never edited or arranged a video before.  But with a few hours and a free "Microsoft Movie Maker" download, I managed to teach myself a few tricks and create something that I'm actually pretty dang proud of :-)  Any video experts out there have any tricks or suggestions of other programs to use for next time?

Enjoy!

Big Skies

Recently, I've noticed how extremely beautiful the skies here in Australia can be.  And now, I'm a little obsessed with trying to capture it with photos.  I don't know what it is, but I feel like in other places I've lived, I've never really noticed the sky like I seem to be noticing (and appreciating!) it here lately.  Maybe it's just that this is the smallest town I've even lived in, so the skies are definitely a lot clearer and less smoggy (although smog/sand in the sky does actually make for some incredible sunsets).  Not really sure what it is, but I just now seem to be a lot more aware of the beautiful sunrises, sunsets, blue skies, and amazing clouds. 

Looking at the skies also seems to make me get all reflective.  At times, it makes me feel so tiny and so truly far away from my home and my loved ones.  But other times, it can be comforting when I think about how it really is the same big sky.  It's fun to watch the sunset here and think about that same sun rising (and beginning the very day that I just ended) just a couple hours later in the US.  It's fun to live in the"future." :-)
*All photos un-edited and taken with my i-Phone.

This is actually a sunrise. I was particularly grumpy one morning, until I opened the shade above our bed and saw this.  I guess being up early enough to watch the sunrise isn't that bad.

 

Loved the two lines of wispy clouds this day.

 

Can't get over how BLUE the skies always are!

 

This is my favorite! 

 

This is the same sky as the photo above, just a couple hours later.

 

A particularly fiery sunset.  I loved that I could see the moon above Mt. Larcom at the same time.