Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Australian Reptile Park


Today I was at the Australian Reptile Park which is at Gosford, about 70 km or an hour's drive, north of Sydney. This is a zoo where you can see not only reptiles but also all the typical Australian animals such as kangaroos, wallabies, Tasmanian devils, platypus, wombats, parrots and koalas.
As you can see, I already bought myself the mandatory "Indiana Jones" hat :)

What I really liked best was the area where you can pet and feed the kangaroos. They are too cute!

But they also showed the more dangerous animals -- snakes, crocodiles, spiders, etc. I'm sure you have heard the horror stories of the deadly fauna in the land Down Under. Well, I survived the first week without meeting any of them. And well, 20 million people live here and don't feel that the "lucky country" is constantly threatening their lives. So once again, no worries.

New home


I moved into my new home and everything's fine. Got all furniture very quickly and am settled. The only thing that I still struggle with is my new Internet connection (wireless broadband) which still isn't working. I'm typing this from my housemate's computer and will add more to this posting once I'm back online.

We are sharing this house with 6-7 people. The main tenant and her boyfriend are Australians, then there is one girl from Taiwan, her boyfriend from New Zealand, one guy from England, one more girl from Australia and me from Germany. And there is Milly, the cat (20 years old). Everybody is very friendly and so life is quite pleasant here. They really integrated me quickly into the "family". We have 5 bedrooms and share the kitchen, laundry, dining room, livingroom, and garden.

The location is really good, too. To go to the city, it's 8 minutes walking uphill to the main road where the bus stop is, and from there 10 minutes by bus. And there are also buses that go to North Sydney where I'll go to the office in January. And there is a park just down from the house, good to relax with quiet and trees and green.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Christmas on the beach

Skype makes it easy to Internet-phone with my family at home in Germany, so I don't feel much alone.

I spent Christmas the Australian way: on the beach, enjoying the sun, sand and surf. Today I was at Manly beach, which is one of the finest and most popular beaches around here. I've also been to North Head, which is one of the two "entrance gates" to Sydney Harbour. You can stand on top of the cliffs and enjoy the view, Sydney is in the distance to your right and the endless blue Pacific Ocean to your left.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Found my accommodation

After inspecting two more places today -- the two best I've seen so far -- I made my decision. It is a room in a beautiful house at an excellent location, let by a very nice Australian couple, Peggy and Lochy, who told me "welcome aboard". I will move in on Friday.

What's great is that I'll have my own bathroom, directly accessible from my room. A so-called "en-suite". The one and only disadvantage is that the room is unfurnished, so I'll need to buy a mattress and a bed frame on Friday. Luckily the shops will be open on Boxing Day and there will even be special discounts on that day. And my new landlords say they are going to help me shopping.

I'm really happy, everything is going so well. Today is Christmas Eve. I escaped the German Weihnachtsstress and my present is a new and wonderful country to live in and explore. This year 2008 is ending really special and sometimes I think I'm dreaming.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Google's street view

I'm still busy checking out rooms for rent. I already have 4 offers to choose from, and two more appointments tomorrow. Getting to an address is really easy with the navi, but also Google Maps is a wonderful helper. They have the "Street view" feature here. If you haven't seen it, here is an example of one of the places where I'm going tomorrow.

Größere Kartenansicht

Click and drag inside the image to look around. This is really great to get an impression of an unknown street and area.

North Sydney

North Sydney is not the northern half of Sydney, it is a specific suburb, the other main business district, with skyscrapers and nowhere to park your car. This is where a lot of companies, especially the IT companies, have their Sydney offices.

This morning I had a look at my company's office there, to say hello to the people. They are located in a 22-floor-building, with the NCR logo on top, using 4 of the floors. Nice view, and very friendly people who welcomed me.

Back on the streets in North Sydney I heard the sound of a saxophone playing, and then I saw a sight that made me wish I had taken my camera with me. It was a christmas tree, the size of a man, on wheels, with a face and arms, playing the saxophone. In between the breaks he would wave "Merry Christmas" to the passers-by. And no, it was not a robot. It was a cheerful adult man in a whole-body-costume.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Xmas in AU

Some people asked me whether there were any christmas decorations now in Australia. Yes, there are. Plastic christmas trees, more like a cone than an actual tree. The picture on the right gives you a pretty good example. This is one of the nicer ones. There are uglier ones too. ;)

Most of this decoration is in the shopping centres, supported by pop music versions of christmas songs. Naturally, something like a German Weihnachtsstimmung just can't really come up in summer. But no worries. I hear the snow has melted in Germany and there won't be White Christmas either. And this morning the TV showed snow chaos in the US. So Australia is not a bad place to be at the moment...

I had my TomTom navi checked and it turned out that what was broken was not the navi but the cigarette lighter in my rental car. So I went to Hertz and got a new car today (same model but a nicer colour), and everything's working again now.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Nature and the City

Today was sunny, blue skies, so I put on my sun-screen and I spent the day at the Royal Botanic Gardens, a beautiful park, free entrance. The sign on the entrance says:

Welcome
to the
Royal Botanic Gardens & the Domain
Please walk on the grass
We also invite you to smell the roses, hug the trees,
talk to the birds, and picnic on the lawns.

Isn't that nice? Doesn't it make you feel welcome?

The lovely park has wonderful big and old tropical and subtropical trees -- I've always loved these, with their bizarre aerial roots, ever since I first saw them 15 years ago in Florida. There were also lots of birds, especially Ibis-like ones, but they didn't really listen when I talked to them. And there were hundreds of big bats hanging in the trees, re-wrapping themselves like packets from time to time with their wings. Their bones protrude through their thin and stretchy hairless black skin. They are called Grey-headed Flying foxes because their face resembles a fox.


As you can see from some of the pictures I'm posting here, I'm playing around with Hugin, a free "image stitching" software to make panorama pictures, and Sydney really invites for lots of such panoramas.

There is a photographer's rule I once found out that says: every tall building looks nicer from a distance, and especially so when there is some water between. It also applies to the skyscrapers of the Central Business District. I actually have a personal dislike for oversized business buildings, especially of the usual glass-and-concrete sort. But from a certain distance they do look nice. And thanks to the harbour, Sydney is blessed with as much water as you can wish for. So I really enjoyed the scenic ride on two of the ferry lines that are part of Sydney's public transport system.

In the evening I had an appointment with someone who offered a room in a shared house. It was okay, but I hope to find something better before I make a decision in the next days. In any case it seems to be a lot easier and less complicated to find a shared accommodation here in Sydney than in Germany.

On the way back, my new navi decided to suddenly black out and will no longer do anything. So I'll have to complain about it at the store. Hope to find the way back there without it. Bloody technology. It's so great when it works. When it works.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Shopping

After a good night's sleep and breakfast, I feel much better. Today I wanted only to relax, but the weather didn't really encourage going to the beach, so I drove out north and did some shopping in a giant shopping centre.

I also went ice-skating. No, I'm not kidding you. These big malls seem to have everything.

One of the things I bought was a TomTom GPS navigation system, and so now I can easily find my way around. I went to a headland called Middle Head, and spent an hour at a small beach there (including a short swim) until it got too cold and started to drizzle.

Both the urban landscape and the streets I've seen so far remind me very much of the United States, much like California actually. There are clear signs everywhere, even a newbie like me can find their way quickly. The main difference to the U.S. is that the spelling of words is British English here (so I also try to follow it in this blog). The traffic lights make a funny sound when the light turns green for pedestrians to cross. It sounds like a Laser pistol immediately followed by a machine gun. Obviously designed to make the waiting folks jump and bolt across without idling!

The view of downtown Sydney from across the harbour is as stunningly beautiful by day as by night. Sydney has originally started south of the harbour, but now encloses it from all sides. Actually I find the term "harbour", which normally suggests something bay-like, a bit misleading for a complex dentritic shape as that of Port Jackson.

Sydney has 4 million people but is not comprised of districts like other big cities in the world are. Instead, Sydney consists of more than 600(!) independent suburbs, only one of which, at the centre and not much bigger than the 599 others, is called "the city". I wonder whether the locals here know the names of all these tiny suburbs. BTW, the population is really as multi-cultural as expected. The biggest minority are clearly the Asians (if taken together as one group).

Some more things that the writer found notable: Most windows are the Anglo-American type that open by pushing one half upwards. The electricity is the same as in Europe, but the power sockets are like this. Luckily I have an adapter (for my notebook and mobile phone charging cable). The sun rises in the East, is in the North at noon, and sets in the West. So it goes from right to left here. You enter the car on the right side, drive on the left, and also the pedestrians pass another on the left, surely without realizing they are following this convention. In cafés and pubs, don't wait for a waiter, but be your own waiter: make your order to the person at the counter and pay immediately, no tips expected. Many small restaurants won't sell you a beer but they allow you to bring your own alcohol in to consume (indicated by the letters "BYO"). The exact counterpart of the Bavarian Biergarten tradition where you can bring your own food as long as you order the beer from the bar). By the way, there actually is a Bavarian beer pub in the city, and a Löwenbräu place right at The Rocks. So I should not become homesick anytime soon! ;)

Birds make noises like you will only hear in a zoo in Germany, such as a high-pitched squeaky Aaaah or a low, very raspy Ääääh Ääääh. I saw wild parrots, beautifully coloured, just at arms-length sitting in a bush having dinner from the blossoms, not shy at all. When the dawn falls, other animals begin to make funny sounds. At some point at the evening, there is a loud echoing of bangs: fireworks are twice every night, but from the hotel I can't see them as there is no view of the harbour/city. I can see stars, but they are all unknown, except for one familiar constellation: Orion, the hunter. He is making a headstand. His "sword" hangs up from his "belt".

I wouldn't be too surprised to learn that here it's the mouses who catch the cats. ;)

Friday, December 19, 2008

Arrived!


I've arrived in Sydney. I'm typing this in a very tired state, having had no sleep for ?? hours -- I can't calculate now.

Everything went well, I got my rental car at Sydney Airport, drove right into the heart of the city and through (without GPS, and with left-hand-traffic and a right-hand-steering-wheel), over the famous Harbour Bridge and to my hotel.

I've had my first meal here, my first shower, chats, walks -- I walked on foot back over the bridge and spent a couple of hours wandering through the city. I also successfully got some important things done - fully opened my bank account, bought a SIM card for my phone, and registered for WLAN access at the hotel, which is from where I'm typing this right now.

There would be lots of first impressions to put down, but they'll have to wait, I need to catch some sleep now.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Leaving Germany


Today is the date I marked with a big red cross in my calendar last summer. It seems like an eternity ago. My pockets are promisingly empty. No single key to take with me. Everything is safely stored away, and all my existence is boiled down to my body and 27 kg of luggage: 20 kg permitted check-in baggage plus a carry-on bag.

Can you imagine shrinking yourself -- including what "belongs to you" -- until you nearly become a point in space? This is a little how I feel today. An astronomical singularity from which -- perhaps. hopefully -- a new something can expand from scratch. A life that will resemble the old but will also be different in unknown ways.

It was a good, cleansing experience to free oneself from "ballast" and to concentrate on the "bare essentials". The thought of facing some months without the myriad of little things I had collected to make my life pleasant and comfortable fails to scare me. I take a little secret pride in being able to "let go" like that. Certain things I can and will re-buy in the new continent, but I don't expect to find myself shopping much for things such as household items for example. I will have to make do with less, and all on my own, and that's a pretty good challenge.

Honestly, I have no specific expectations and no clear plan to follow. If I were religious I'd say I trust in God, but I'm not, so I just trust in opportunities that will come up. Unexpected ones will be the most welcome. My improv theatre really helped me in taking this approach. And I have already begun to use the popular Australian phrase: "No worries."

My flight is with Korean Air. From Munich 10 hours to Seoul, 5 hours break, and then another 10 hours to Sydney. Not too long for a trip half around the globe actually. The same journey had taken the first Europeans who made the way 8 months by ship. I'm leaving Wednesday night and when I'll arrive it will be Friday morning, due to the 10 hour time shift.

My parents drive me to Munich Airport. The fields are still snow-covered. Bye, bye, Germany!

Omi's 95th birthday

Yesterday we had a great family party to celebrate my granny's 95th birthday. We had homemade cakes and coffee, a nice dinner, a poem, a song, flowers and presents. And even the mayor of Königsbrunn, Herr Fröhlich, came to congratulate my dear Omi.

And it was also now the last and final of my own farewell parties. More good wishes from everyone for my Australian adventure, and someone (I mustn't say who because it is illegal in Bavaria ;) even released a sky lantern in the shape of a red heart, full of good wishes, for me.

Monday, December 15, 2008

On foot

I deregistered my German car. I didn't sell it yet because I don't know how long I will be gone. So it will wait for my return. Hope the time and weather won't do much damage in the meantime.

2 days to takeoff.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Hotel in Sydney

I found a charming and affordable accommodation in Sydney where I will stay for the first week: Glenferrie Lodge. Located in Kirribilli close to the harbour, north of the bridge, in what looks like a quiet street.

Ah and BTW, the Australian Prime Minister lives just 100 metres away. :)

Saturday, December 13, 2008

More snow

Everything went so smooth in the last days with my last preparations for Australia, it was amazing. There were mainly financial and paperwork items to tick off my to-do list. I returned my apartment to the landlord in perfect condition and got my full security bond back, and I successfully sold my kitchen to the next tenants.

Last night gave us 10 cm of new snow -- look our garden, isn't it beautiful? I had a lovely afternoon relaxing in 4 hours of sauna at Königstherme. Now I feel like a newborn human being!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

ImproCity

Last time fun playing with my improv theatre group in Augsburg!

You guys rock. I'm really proud of you all. Keep up the good work and be brave. :)

Countdown to my takeoff: 7 days.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Saint Nicholas Day

On the 6th of December Germany celebrates Saint Nicholas Day. St. Nicholas comes to bring small presents to all children. But beware - he has a rough companion, Knecht Ruprecht!

One of the two was me tonight - guess who? (Answer: the more fun role! ;)

Friday, December 5, 2008

Final day in the office

My last day in the office at NCR Augsburg! I can't count how many times I was wished good luck and a great time in Down Under. I will really miss my colleagues!

The team has as much heart as humor. They presented me €€€ and $$$ so that I can buy my usual Friday morning Leberkäs while I am away from home (with a list of addresses where I can find this South-German speciality in Oz). I was really moved.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Advent Sunday

In Germany there is a tradition of having an Advent wreath with four candles on it: in the four weeks before Christmas, each Sunday one more candle is lit until all four are on.

Today was the first of these four Sundays, so the first candle was lit.

Raisting

Yesterday I was invited to a dance night in Raisting, south of lake Ammersee.

There were dance performances from various cultures of the world. Heidi sang Somewhere over the Rainbow; we all learned a Hawaiian dance; Anita, Stephan, Barbara and I played some Irish Folk, and afterwards there was free dance, where I was introduced to a technique named Contact Improvization -- thanks a lot Judith, I greatly enjoyed the evening!