Under the Sea

Another beautiful day out on the Great Barrier Reef yesterday!  All the companies take their customers to different part of the reef, and I’d say this part of the reef was much better than my last trip.  This company (Reef Magic Cruises) has a “pontoon” (named Marine World) anchored out there, so the boat docks alongside Marine World and gives everyone more space to move around while we’re out all day.  So instead of scuba diving and snorkeling off the side of the boat everyone goes out from Marine World.  Another cool thing about this trip was that there is a glass bottom boat and a semi-sub and you can take trips on them throughout the day.  I attempted an introductory dive again and the dive instructor Jim was fantastic, such a nice guy.  There were only about 10 of us doing the dive and I was in the first group of 4, so as soon as we docked at Marine World I put on my stinger suit (it’s jelly fish season here in Cairns right now and since the suit covers you from head to toe it also protected me from sunburn which I appreciated) and headed to the dive platform.  Jim asked me while we were getting all our scuba gear on what had happened last time I’d tried diving.  I told him about my ears and he said we’d give it a shot.  I made it a lot deeper this time, but I was a bit gun-shy I guess about saying my ears had equalized.  As you make your way down (holding on to a rope) you equalize your ears as you go.  He kept giving me the “ok” sign to see how I was doing.  I wasn’t really feeling my ears pop like they usually do on an airplane, so I kept giving him the “sorta ok” sign.  In hindsight, since they weren’t killing me like they had been the time before I should have just kept saying “ok” as I worked my way down and once I got to a point where they actually hurt and I couldn’t get them to stop then tell him it wasn’t working.  Since I still hadn’t given him the “ok” and there was apparently quite a ways left to go he took me back up, telling me it wouldn’t be fair to everyone else to get further down and then have to bring me back up (you only get so much time in the water and I was slowing them down), which I totally understood.  He told me I might have thin eustachian tubes and that I should try the helmet diving instead and see how that goes.  I don’t know if that’s standard procedure or if that was just because I was there on a famil request (you wear a wristband so all the crew basically knows) and they wanted to make a good impression.   Kelly, the girl up top who helps you in and out of your scuba gear, told me she had trouble as well at first and it took her a week in the pool just trying and trying to finally be able to do it – so on the bright side, there might still be hope.  Anyway, I got out of the water and heard the announcement that the semi-sub was leaving soon so I decided I might as well hop on that before heading out to snorkel.  It was pretty cool, I was of course the only person on the boat that wasn’t dry.  Quite a few people come out on the reef and never actually get in the water, so the boat trips are a great way to still see the reef.  When we got back it was nearly time for lunch and the lunch they provided was amazing.   I couldn’t believe the variety of foods they had: vegetarian lasagna, pasta salad, potato salad, Caesar salad, two kinds of curry, a variety of fruits, a meat tray, bread and rolls, plus sushi and shrimp!!

I tried the “helmet diving” right after lunch.  I couldn’t believe how heavy the helmets were, thankfully they were a bit lighter once fully submerged, but I’ve got bony shoulders and they’re a bit sore to the touch today from where the helmet was sitting.  Since I didn’t have to worry about getting my ears to pop and trying not to hold my breath (that’s a huge no-no in scuba diving) with the helmet on I was able to get them to pop and had a good time.

 With the helmet diving you basically walk (maybe 15 feet) along this submerged walkway about 3 or 4 feet underwater, and stand there while Jim feeds the fish.  I even got to pet the huge Maori Wrasse that hangs out at Marine World as well.  The helmet dive is a great option for those with ear problems (you’re not as deep as when scuba diving), glasses, or those that just don’t want to get their hair wet.  After all that I got to do lots of snorkeling and since I’d figured out my camera settings, I got much better photos this time around.  I just love being in the water and snorkeling is so incredibly relaxing.  You can’t hear anything and there weren’t actually that many other snorkelers so you weren’t running into people all the time either, it was great.

 God is truly a master artist, because the colors and patterns on the fish I saw were astounding, the most beautiful shades and that’s only their looks; not to mention the complexity of the coral and how they reproduce and the fact that fish breathe underwater, I mean, let’s be honest – that’s pretty cool….

On the cruise back to the port I ended up sitting inside and chatted with this lovely, older Aussie couple, Allan and Pat.  They were so incredibly sweet and I just loved how they joked and teased one another.  For some reason he reminded me a bit of a since-departed friend of mine, Mr. Baker.  I had wanted to go up top and watch the scenery once the boat was under way, but I decided to just run up and take a few photos and then come back and chat with them.  They were on their own and had told me earlier, when I’d asked if I could sit at the booth with them for the head count, that no one had sat there all day so I was free to sit down.  All in all it was an extremely enjoyable trip, made all the sweeter by the fact that it only cost me $25.  And that my friends is the perk of selling tours.

A Surprising Sandwich

Monday morning was slow in reception so I was able to call home and talk with my parents and Grandma.  Sadly, I didn’t get to talk to my Grandma too long since the French couple from last weekend came back to book 3 more tours with me.  I don’t get a commission from the tours I sell, but when we sell tours I’m more likely to be granted a Familiarization Tour (“Famil” for short) later on, so I’m hoping to get a free Harbour Cruise out of the deal.  Anyway, by the time I called my parents back they’d already taken my Grandma home.  Despite the brevity of our phone call, I was able to collect this conversational gem.  I’d asked Grandma if she’d won anything at Bingo recently.  *The first time she’d ever played at her nursing home was the last time I saw her before I left and she’d won the jackpot at the end, which equates to about 25 cents.*  She replied that she had played, and she’d won 10 cents.  I congratulated her and asked if she had already spent it or if she was saving it for a rainy day.  Without pausing to think she replied, “I’m saving it for when my granddaughter comes back from Australia and I’ll buy her a lollipop.”  She’s always got an answer.

Monday night was Rav’s birthday dinner and it was pretty good fun.  I knew a few of his friends that were there, so that made it feel less awkward; I’d met Murray, Steve, Ray, and Mick before and they’d all come to volleyball since I’d first met them.  There were about 12 of us total, I think, and we had dinner at a Turkish restaurant, so that was pretty neat.  Spent most of the dinner chatting with his friend Murray because he was sitting beside me and Rav was busy chatting with an old friend who just happened to be up from Brisbane for a few days visiting.  Murray is an interesting chap, he’s also a med student, graduating this week, but he used to create films and documentaries and had entered them in film festivals and such.  After dinner about half of us headed to the Salt House, but thankfully we didn’t stay too long – I’d been up early to work in reception and hadn’t slept well the night before so I was “knackered” as the British say.

After another early morning in reception yesterday morning I managed to catch a brief nap in the afternoon – it’s so stinkin’ hot here now and I should have turned on the AC, might have got a better nap that way.  I headed to the library and was reading the paper when Louis showed up.  He’d told me he’d made sandwiches for dinner and we just needed to run to the grocery store because he needed to buy some peanuts and milk.  After our quick trip to Woolworths we stopped by Bohemia so I could change for volleyball and then headed to the courts.  There are picnic tables and BBQ areas all along the esplanade, so we grabbed an open table near the courts and he pulled out the sandwiches.  As I pulled mine out of the container he started telling me what was in the sandwich.  I nearly fell off the bench, I couldn’t stop laughing.  In fact I’m still chuckling as I write this – no joke, there were cucumbers, egg, lettuce, sausage, peanut butter, and jelly.  And maybe cheese, I can’t quite remember.  He said something to the effect of, “you love PB and Jelly”.  He knows I eat peanut butter on my pancakes and that I have PB & Jelly toast for breakfast most mornings, so he must think I eat PB&J on everything.  Thankfully he hadn’t overdone it on the PB&J, but it was definitely the most unique sandwich I’ve ever eaten.  Volleyball was good fun; Steve, Ray, and Mick came, along with all the usual people.  I won’t bore you by listing out all the names, but Pukari and Caterina were there as well so the four of us were able to chat and play at the same time.  I managed to stay injury free for the night, so that’s always a bonus.  Well, I’m off to the GBR again tomorrow – a famil request, so I’m only paying the levy fees, which is awesome, because the trip would otherwise be costing me almost $300!  Hope you all are enjoying your fall weather, because, although I enjoy the constant sunshine, the humidity on these 92 degree days sometimes gets to me….

Revelations from Rav

On our way back Thursday evening (we’d gone to a hiking trail and ended up sitting by a little waterfall chatting), Rav mentioned that he’d gone to “Bernie’s Jazz Piano Cafe” the day before and that it was a great little spot and he wondered if I’d want to go with him the next evening.  I’d walked past the place several times and it looked like such a cool place, with a live jazz band playing every night, so I said, “Sure, why not!?”  We weren’t meeting up until 8pm the next evening, so since I wouldn’t be going to volleyball it seemed like the perfect opportunity to go to the night market and check out the opal necklace options (a friend asked me to buy one for her sister and I just haven’t gotten around to checking yet).  I headed to the library around 3:30pm to read the newspaper and finish my book.  Louis showed up around 4:30 and after chatting for a bit he decided we should go back to his house for dinner.  I’d had no idea he didn’t have to work (he usually works at 5pm), so off we went, pushing back my opal sourcing plans once again.  *My apologies for how long this is taking Amy.*  Anyway, we had a nice dinner on his back porch again – I love talking with him because I always learn random facts about Korea from him.  Plus, because he’s not a native English speaker he always comes up with the funniest phrases.  Sadly, I can’t think of a good example at the moment that would prove my point…  By 7:30pm Louis had dropped me back at the hostel and I quickly changed and headed off with Rav (surprisingly, I have quite the social life here).

I loved the jazz cafe and definitely enjoyed the live music; it was a bit loud for such a tiny venue, but they musicians were great.  Rav doesn’t drink so we had some cranberry juice and enjoyed the music.   Two of his friends, Ray & Murray randomly showed up at one point which I found hilarious.  Murray claimed Rav had told him to come, in person of course, because Rav had text messages showing that he had not invited him – his friends are funny.  Murray asked me what the Constitutional Amendment for the day was, as if we have a rotation of amendments and corresponding days.  We chatted about volleyball for a bit and then the band came back from their break and they decided to leave – I think they were heading to crash their other friend Mick’s dinner with his girlfriend….  Anyway, by around 10:30pm he decided we should go for a walk down the esplanade, and despite being tired I figured a short walk couldn’t hurt.  It did not end up being a short walk though – we walked the whole way to the other end of the esplanade and about halfway back he decided we should sit at some picnic tables and chat.  He’s very chatty, in case you haven’t picked up on that yet.  I can’t say that I was totally shocked by his revelation, thankfully I’m old enough to realize that guys don’t usually go to so much effort to hang out with a girl if they aren’t interested in them; but at the same time I never felt like we were going on dates – which I guess is because we weren’t.  I always paid for my own dinner or movie tickets or whatever and we just enjoyed our conversations with each other.  In his words, “I take relationships very seriously, and I don’t want to start something I can’t finish,” which, for a 22 year-old I thought was pretty wise.  He didn’t want to regret not telling me how he felt even though he knows I don’t live here and won’t be around much longer.  He told me I wasn’t a heartbreaker; he’d remember me mentioning that fact in an earlier conversation.  Thankfully he didn’t ask me if I felt the same way about him, because he might have changed his mind after hearing my answer.  Thankfully, his revelation didn’t make things awkward, because his birthday is on Monday and he really wants me to go along to the celebration.  Thankfully I have met his friends a few times and they’re all really nice, so hopefully it will be fun, whatever it is we do.  He finishes school next Friday and heads back down to Brisbane on Saturday to spend the holidays with his family.  Hmm…my life in Australia is so strange…  In other news, jellyfish season is starting here in FNQ so hopefully my free (or at least discounted) reef trip comes through before the season is in full swing.   The coral spawning should also be happening within the next week or so and I’ve heard it spectacular to see – only happens once a year in Nov. or Dec. around the full moon.  There are other conditions that have to be just right, but the experts seem to think it will be sometimes next week.

Australian Pancake Palooza

Back when we had dinner at Louis' house, during our Korean pancake making experience I found out that Emma loves pancakes and Pukari is terrible at cooking pancakes.  So, I volunteered to make pancakes for them some morning when Emma and I were both off work.  It ended up taking a few weeks before our schedules aligned, but Wednesday night when I got back from volleyball I had a text from Emma saying she didn't have to work the next morning and would we be able to do our pancake breakfast.  I quickly texted Louis and Pukari to see what time would work best for them (the both work night/early AM shifts) and it was decided that 10am would work.  Thankfully I'd purchased pancake mix the day before, anticipating that some day soon we'd finally be able to get together.  So yesterday morning after a quick trip to buy milk and syrup, I headed back to the hostel and started mixing up pancakes.  I should have taken a photo of the kitchen with my varied assortment of items - hostels aren't known for their cooking utensils.  I didn't have a whisk and there were no mixing bowls.  I had purchased measuring cups several weeks ago because there weren't any and I found that to be rather inconvenient.  Anyway, with three skillets on the stove and the insert to an old rice cooker for my mixing bowl I was able to whip up a batch of buttermilk pancakes (well, several batches really).  Louis came early and helped me get everything ready, Emma brought coffee and honey plus 2 of her friends from her hostel, and Pukari supplied the beverages.  By 10am we were ready to dig in to our feast!  It was a fun morning and everyone really enjoyed the pancakes and I was happy to be able to host everyone.

Day 250

I did my first tour booking yesterday.  I've done the leg-work before, but never had anyone actually decide to book.  Of course, the couple came in 10 min. before my shift was to finish and since Ethan doesn't speak English that well he couldn't really take over for me.  Thankfully they did book so I didn't feel as if I stayed longer than necessary for no reason.  Louis had the day off, so once I was finished we went out for some lunch and then to a coffee shop by the pier and sat talking until it was time for me to go to church and him to go to choir practice.  I had planned on going to volleyball afterwards, but I was so tired from not sleeping very well the last few nights and getting up early that I decided to skip it.  We had a guest speaker, Graham Sercombe, at church and I really enjoyed his sermon.  He brought out some really interesting points about the passage in Luke 5 when Jesus tells Peter to cast his nets on the other side of the boat.  When you've grown up hearing the stories it's sometimes too easy to forget to put yourself in the story - how would you be feeling and what would you be thinking in such a situation?  They're real stories and the characters have the same natural, human responses we might have in a similar situation.  After being out all night fishing and catching absolutely nothing Jesus tells them to go back out.  There's no engine on the boat, they have to do everything manually and I'm sure even empty nets are heavy - they had to be tired!  There they were, professional fisherman, being given advice by a professional carpenter about how to fish!!  At that point it became a battle of logic vs. faith; going back out was completely illogical and yet they did and were blessed with the catch of a lifetime.  As if that wasn't amazing enough, Jesus then calls them to be fishers of men and they leave everything - their boats, nets, and the catch of a lifetime to follow Him.  It would be like winning the lottery and just throwing the ticket on the ground for someone else to claim...  Anyway, the speaker went over so by the time I joined Ruth and a few other people for the weekly dinner after church and had chatted for a bit it was 8:15pm.  Too late to go to volleyball anyway, so it worked out in the end.  Well, I hope you enjoyed my sermon notes from the message last night.  If you'd like to hear the sermon you can listen or download it here.

Happy Monday!

Where's the line?

Something I've struggled with since coming to Australia, and my blog suddenly having readers, is knowing how much to put out there.  Where's the line between being open and honest and having some privacy?  On one hand everything I blog is on the internet for anyone and everyone to read, but at the same time 98% of my blog posts in the last 8 months have been for friends and family back home.  The tricky part being that I don't actually know who reads my posts; it could be my 10th grade math teacher, my chiropractor, or friends of my parents.  I guess I'm just always trying to balance letting you all get a glimpse of my life in Australia, letting you know what I'm up to, but at the same time realizing that for many of the readers, they would never know this stuff about my life if it was all happening back home.  Maybe sometimes I'm just more aware that blogging can make my life a bit of an open book, and I don't even know who is reading it...

After spending an annoying amount of money yesterday afternoon buying clothes and shoes that fit the dress code for the staff agency I headed to the library.  I was able to see Louis for a bit before he headed off to work; he works about 2 blocks from the library so we often meet up there.  Anyway, I'm still trying to help Michael get his phone working, but it's difficult because he can be so ornery and he's started drinking again so he doesn't even remember our conversation from when we first started the process.  I don't really have much experience with Australian mobile phone networks and processes so it's a bit confusing.  I have to call the company today and try to get it all straightened out - he wants to keep his old phone number, but the transfer won't go through for some reason.  Anyway, due to the phone company drama I arrived at volleyball a bit later than usual.  When I arrived two of Rav's friends (Ray & Steve) were there playing so I played a couple games against their team.  They had gone one other night before I'd met them in hopes of meeting me (I guess Rav had told them I play volleyball all the time), but I hadn't been there.  I, of course, heard all this second-hand from Rav after their failed mission.  It was a really fun night at volleyball - everyone was super easy-going and just playing for fun.  I have a semi-funny, but mildly embarrassing story about burning hot tofu, but I think I'm going to keep that one under wraps.  I hope you all had a fantastic Reformation Day (or Halloween, depending on which event you celebrate).  As always, feel free to comment or shoot me an email.

A Lazy Halloween

It's been a few days, but I just haven't felt like blogging, and to be honest don't really feel like it at the moment either.  Caterina, Pukari, Emma, Rith, and I all went to the movies Wednesday night to watch "The Judge", so that was a lot of fun.  It was definitely better than "Gone Girl" so that was a plus.  I got an email yesterday morning from one of the staffing agencies I'd visited when I first arrived in Cairns telling me I had an interview this morning.  I had no idea what the job for which was being interviewed was, but it turned out to be for temp work in the Food & Beverage category.  So despite my lack of experience in that realm I was accepted and filled out all the paperwork to be an employee.  No idea how much work I'll be getting or how often, but hopefully it will be good and it should fit in with my teaching job at Nova and my working at Bohemia.  I just have a feeling it will cut into my volleyball time and I really don't want that - but I guess you can't have it all and I have had three months of volleyball already.

The cut on my foot is looking a bit better - all the scrubbing I have to do after it gets sandy and dirty at volleyball and then my laps in the swimming pool in the morning seem to be helping (or at the very least, not making it worse)...  It still looks gross, but I think it might finally be starting to heal.  I had a photo to show you all but it's just so gross looking I couldn't post it.  It looks a bit like a brain or something...very Halloween worthy.  I have discovered though that if I put a bandaid on the cut and then wear a sock it helps keep the bandage on and if the bandage does come loose the sock keeps the dust and dirt out.

I got to talk with my Dad and Cricket on the phone today; Crickett even sent me a photo of my puppy, who is no longer a puppy and whom I have never actually met - but isn't she cute!?

And just for the record, Halloween is pretty much a non-existent holiday in Australia.  They don't do trick-or-treat and only a few random places have any sort of decorations.  They also don't have Thanksgiving either (found that out this morning while reading the paid holidays at the staff agency).  Well, that's all I've got at the moment...maybe I'll feel up to writing something interesting tomorrow, but don't hold your breath :)