Hua Hin

To thank us all for our hard work and dedication, the owners of my school treated us all to a weekend in a nearby beach town called Hua Hin (pronounced like Wa Heen). The trip included vans down, a night at a hotel on the beach, dinner, drinks, and transport to markets, temples, etc. All employees got to go for free, and any additions had to pay 1500 Baht (45$). Ryan came as did three British ladies who are down visiting Ms. Chris.
As this was probably our last stay at a Thai beach, Ryan and I were a little nostalgic, but got over that pretty quick cause its also our first anniversary so we had to fit in some fun too!
On the way down we stopped in a town called Petchaburi to take the train up the mountain to see the King's Temple. There were monkeys running around and one stole Ryan's water bottle while he was reloading batteries into our camera! The poor thing was just a baby and could hardly even lift the bottle let alone carry it off anywhere!

The rest of the tour included panaramic views of the town, the King's house atop the hill and views of the temples.


We arrived at our hotel around 2 or so and quickly threw on our bathing suits and grabbed our towels to catch the sun while it was still out (its winter here now so the sun is setting around 5). The beach in Hua Hin stretches out for miles of white sand and is dotted with resorts. Our hotel had a private beach so we all got really nice beach chairs and served right at the ocean's edge!
For dinner we went to a nearby seafood restaurant (I told you I was eating seafood now!) that overlooked the ocean and down the beach. It was fantastic food and we were visited by Mr. Brenden and his beautiful little boy, Finnan.

(Brenden's parents were visiting from England and had been down in Hua Hin for a week so Brenden had already planned on being down there before he learned of our school trip).
After dinner we were off to the night market and then back to our hotel where we sat by the ocean for drinks and laughter well into the night.
I woke Ryan up bright and early in the morning as I knew our crew was due to check out at noon and I wanted some more sun and surf before we left. We had a tasty breakfast overlooking the ocean and then moved down onto our beach chairs.


It was a windy day and the ocean was nice and warm so Ryan and I enjoyed some giant waves (although we were fighting a pretty strong current) and caught as much sun as we could before checking out. We had one last meal by the ocean before saying goodbye to the Andaman Sea and heading off to our first market of the day.
I won't bore you with the multiple stops we made that day, but our final stop would prove to be the most memorable and deserves a story.
Our last stop was the floating market. It was a little quieter at night but we weren't there for shopping.

This is the time of year in Thailand when all the fireflies come out, so we hired a boat and set off in search of fireflies. Expecting the North American firefly, we were pleasantly surprised when our driver turned off the engine and we noticed the trees twinkling like someone was flashing tiny Christmas lights off and on. It was breathtaking! There were millions of tiny little fireflies twinkling in the trees, it was really magical.

The little tiny bug is one that we caught! (look along the finger with the ring on it)
We tried to take a video, but the lights are so tiny you can't make them out. You can hear us all Ooh and Aah though!!

Well, it's not much to look out, but we have about 6 more videos just like this one!

Vietnam and Cambodia

Well, I can't believe we only have a month to go. This year has gone by so quickly and we have seen so many incredible things I can't believe we will soon be leaving it all behind.
Our trip to Vietnam and Cambodia was absolutely amazing. This was one trip that I really wanted to do while we were over here and while we were crunched for time, we were thankfully able to squeeze it in.
Since we will be home shortly, I will save all the really good stories so that we have something to talk about when we get back. Since I have been keeping you all up to date I am sure most of our stories are old news!
Anyway, our trip was a whirlwind holiday. We flew from Bangkok to Hanoi, took the train to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh), and then took a bus through Cambodia to Seam Reap for our last stop at Angkor Wat. We were going to try and take a boat up the Mekong into Cambodia, but were unable to find anything in the one day travel allotment we had allowed ourselves. While we saw some beautiful countryside we wouldn't have seen otherwise, we both agree that next time we are flying to all of our destinations! (Yes, Ryan said he would rather fly 60 mins than take an 12 hour bus ride!!)
Our first stop was Hanoi. In Ryan's words, it was like Bangkok on Red Bull. This city was chaotic. It was completely overwhelming, and this is from two people who have been living in a crazy city for the last 11 months, I don't know what people who come straight over from Canada think! There were just so many people crammed into a tiny little spot. They all seemed to get about their business, so I suppose it was an orderly chaos, but it was truly a sight.



We stayed in the Old Quarter. It was very much like China Town in Bangkok, only there was no break from the madness. We lucked out with a very nice hotel, and while our room did not face the outside, we soon discovered this made for a much quieter night's sleep.
After our first night we were picked up in the morning for our overnight stay in Ha Long Bay. Ha Long Bay is a World Heritage Site (therefore preserved) and is absolutely beautiful. It was just miles of limestone rocks jutting out of the Sea. We stayed on a Junk, which is a really neat Asian ship. We stayed in a tiny cabin, but had our own bathroom. It was small, but clean and we had a good night's sleep.



In the morning we took out kayaks and got to kayak under caves and through all the rocks. It was really neat.
After our cruise, we headed back to Hanoi where we enjoyed another dinner before heading off to the train station. We spent two nights and one full day on the train. Again, we had a small room, but this time we had to share it with two others. They were Vietnemese and kept pretty much to themselves. Ryan and I watched the scenery, read, played cards, and caught up on our beauty sleep, preparing ourselves for our tour of Saigon.
We arrived in Saigon at 5am and while our room wasn't available, the hotel staff let us leave our bags in the lobby so we could begin our city tour. We started at the War Crimes Museum. They had all sorts of pictures and memorabilia from the war. Some of it was very graphic and when we got to the part about the after effects of the Napalm and Agent Orange I had to leave the room. There was just too much disfiguration and I couldn't handle it. There was also a mock-jail where they held POWs. I didn't know they had wax figures in the cells, and it was super creepy. We didn't take pictures b/c I told Ryan that the picture in my mind was bad enough, we don't need to show anyone else.
The museum was really well done, but it was a little one-sided. You could definitely read the propaganda between the lines. We saw the same thing when we visited the Ho Chi Minh Museum. While I am sure we were not reading direct translations, there was definitely an air of propaganda about.
The rest of our city tour included City Hall, Reunification Hall, the Notre Dame Cathedral, and several markets of course. What is really neat is they sell a number of things left over from the war. While it is hard to tell what is still real, you can get some really neat items made from shrapnel, casings, etc. There is a huge market for US Standard issue zippo lighters that were found after the war. Still, there are some morbid things like US dog tags for sale . . .


I really liked Saigon. The people there were really friendly and seemed to be very happy (they were always smiling!). In Hanoi we always felt like we needed to watch our back, there was just a slight negative atmosphere. But in Saigon everyone just seemed to enjoy life. We had to catch ourselves a few times, as people came up to speak to us, just for the sake of trying out their English - in Bangkok this usually means they are trying to sell you something - but in Saigon they just wanted to meet us. Plus, they all got a really big kick out of me. I kept telling Ryan that I think these people think I am somebody else. I mean, we live in an Asian country and I don't get stares like I did in Vietnam (friendly stares though, not like the ones I was drawing in Jakarta). One guy tried to get Ryan to buy some jewerly for his "fashion lady" so we figured they thought I was a model or something! Ah well, it was good for the ego!
After our city tour we booked a trip out to the Cu Chi Tunnels. These are a series of tunnels the VC built for use originally during the French War and then again in their War with the US. The tunnel system is so extensive the VC could live under there for weeks on end, they included kitchens, hospitals, sleeping quarters . . .
The scary bit was walking up to the tunnels where they had on display all the booby traps and whatnot they had set up for the enemy.





Yes that is Ryan and I shooting an AK-47. We could hear the guns firing the whole time we were walking past all the booby-trap exhibits, it really made you feel like you shouldn't stray too far off the path.
Also, sections of the tunnels have been made wider so that the average tourist can fit through them!
With our Saigon adventures coming to a close, we headed out for our last night. A memorable dinner at a tasty restaurant and then drinks at the Apocalypse Now bar.
The next morning we woke up at the crack of dawn and headed off to catch our bus for Seam Reap.
The bus ride was very LONG. We had a number of stops so we didn't sit on the bus all day, but after a quick stop in Phenom Phen, and several bathroom breaks later (one that did not include a bathroom and I got to go in behind a bush in front of 30 or so other people!) we were very happy to arrive at our hotel: the Majestic Angkor (12 hours later!). Again, we saw a lot of the Cambodian countryside, and although Cambodia is said to be one of the poorest countries in this region the homes did not look desolate and the people looked very happy.
Our hotel in Cambodia was gorgeous. We had paid a little extra for a nice hotel to end our trip with (still nothing by Cdn standards) but were not expecting the first rate hotel we got. The staff were great, the food was yummy, and our room was spectacular! On our arrival they had put fresh roses around our room and thrown rose petals on the bed. The bathtub was filled with rose petals, lotus flowers and orchids, and various buds were placed in decorative spots throughout the room. Our room smelled so nice, it really was the perfect place to end our trip.
Day One in Angkor saw us renting a tuk-tuk and driver for our 10-hour or so tour of Angkor Wat (for only 15$ - we gave him a nice tip!). Angkor Wat is really a series of temples that were built around the 1200s. It was so surreal walking around the grounds imagining what they must have looked like over 800 years ago. These ruins were so old that there were trees growing out of them! At times we really couldn't believe what we were seeing and although they look fake, I guarantee you our pictures are real!


The steps don't look so steep from this angle, but the guy coming down the newer staircase was cursing up a storm and looked at me in a very confused way as if to say "how could you even think of attempting to climb up that ancient staircase!".
(Oh by the way, at these temples we actually were allowed to climb on them, so before you go thinking Ryan and I hadn't read our pamphlets properly again you can rest assured that we were allowed - albeit at our own risk!)







This last picture is our last dinner in Cambodia. One thing that we have found here in good old South East Asia is that sometimes the translation into English doesn't turn out so good. Case in point: the menu said Chicken in Green Paper. I asked our waiter "what is green paper?" He tried to explain, but I told him I would be adventurous and try it for my self. I was a little disappointed to discover my meal was a simple (but tasty) chicken and green pepper dish! Nonetheless, it did get a good laugh from us! Ryan's meal is a traditional Cambodian curry served in a coconut.
I really think that out of all the trips we have had since we came over here, this one tops the list. We met a number of really interesting people, saw some really cool things, ate some great food, and made a number of really good memories.
I will tell you how much I have grown over here. Not only did I eat a lot of seafood, but it was actually enjoyable (its way better fresh from the ocean); and I didn't even flinch when we walked past the stall selling pig's heads in the market in Hanoi (ew, pretty gross eh?)

My Kids

Well, I suppose it's time for you all to meet my new batch of kids. They are all super cute and I am going to miss them terribly. They are super smart; sometimes I forget they are only two and three.
For those of you that don't know, I teach at an International Pre-School. We go on the British Curriculum and the pre-schools are the foundation stages that prepare children for year 1 (our Grade 1). As an International School, there are only a limited number of Thai students elligible, but a lot of students have farang moms or dads so they don't count as part of the Thai allotment. (There are a lot of Thai women that marry foreigners). As it is now, my class is made up of 15 kids: Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Austrian, Thai, Thai-American, and I think that is it. They are all at a pretty basic english level, but I swear, most of them speak better than many two and three year olds I know back home.
Ok here are some pics (by the way, some are from a normal school day, but the pics where we are in pjs is our Teddy Bear Picnic Day):












Well, Ryan just informed me that dinner is ready, so I hope you enjoy the pics!
Btw, we are off for a Vietnam/Cambodia whirlwind holiday, so I will get to those stories when we get back at the end of the month.

Muay Thai (Thai Boxing)

Well I know a number of you have been waiting for this one, but life continues to be hectic as usual leaving me little time to relax let alone make a blog entry . . .
We have recently had an influx of Canadian visitors from Intermap and have been making the rounds of dinners, drinks, and Thai cultural evenings to keep our guests properly entertained. After the temples were viewed and the local cuisine tasted, we decided to take them all out for a night of Muay Thai, or Thai Boxing as it is known by the less informed. We have been meaning to go to an event since we got here, but now that our time has become limited and the idea of home is looming over our heads, Ryan and I are more intent than ever in making our Thai experience all that it can be. That said, Ryan and I suggested we show our visitors an authentic Thai night - the boxing arena.
Ryan had one of his employees arrange the tickets for us and we ended up with VIP ringside seats! We were very excited to be finally going, let alone being so close to the action. Although I will say, I was more than a little nervous about being sweated on!

For those that don't know, Muay Thai is a type of boxing that allows the use of punches, kicks and knees. Before each match, the fighters perform a ritual dance in which they bless their trainers, their opponent and I guess their being there? After they both dance, the fight begins - it lasts 5 rounds and is judged very similar to other sports of the same.


As some of you know, I am a fan of Ultimate Fighting, so I had an idea of what I was getting myself into. Of course, Ultimate Fighting is a bit more intense (and bloody) than Muay Thai, but there was an awful lot of knocking around going on. The first two rounds were kind of lame - the fighters just appeared to be feeling each other out (or perhaps putting on a bit of a show to make the crowd feel they got their money's worth) but then the third, fourth and final rounds were quite intense.



The energy in the arena was absolutely incredible - we have a video, but I am going to have to remember how to post those again. Everytime a puch or knee was thrown the crowd would cheer or groan in unison. It was a really amazing experience. The best part was the live music that was played throughout the match. The music would begin when the fighters did their dance, and then as the fight began they would play with a bit more vigour. Then, as the fighting became more intense, the music would become faster and louder - it really added to the whole experience.
Ok, try number one:

The main event that night was a Championship match between two fighters. It was a really good fight, although one guy appeared to forfeit in the end. I think we need to learn a bit more about the rules of Muay Thai before we go see it again since we couldn't understand why he seemed to give up. We figured that he was so far down in points that he couldn't win - unless there was a knock out - so he just conceded. Maybe it is the Western culture influencing us, but we couldn't understand why he wouldn't just go for that knock out punch . . .
After the seventh fight we had had enough and were ready to head out. The main event was over and there were still three fights to go, but we were tired and had seen enough. I think one can only take so much of seeing two men pound the crap out of each other! Plus, it was a little odd watching them; the heaviest fighter was 125 lbs, and most averaged around 105-110, so often it was like watching children fight. They all seemed so small and fragile (but man could those men fight!)
By the end of our night, we had seen one man's face swell up so that he looked like he had grapefruits growing under his skin, and another man carried out on a stretcher, but for the most part the fighters didn't appear to get too hurt. It is a very exciting and exhilirating sport to watch live and I will definitely not pass up the opportunity to go again. And the best part: no, I did not get sweated on (although I did cover my beer a few times for preventative purposes!)

Another trip to the hospital

With the idea of coming home looming before us, Ryan and I are becoming somewhat sentimental about the unique things that make Bangkok such a great place to live. This past week there have been innumerable times that we have said to each other: I am really going to miss ________ (fill in here).
Saturday, we made another trip to the hospital (my arm is acting up again and I needed a referral for physio). We were walking through the hotel-like corridors listening to the lovely, relaxing background music when we came upon the source of the tune. There, around the corner was a string quartet! And here we are, chumps in Canada, having to listen to the radio over the loudspeakers no less!! So there we sat with our complimentary water and newspapers, sitting in our cushy plush chairs in the waiting room, barely enough time to enjoy our surroundings (wait a minute, didn't I say we were at the hospital?) when the nurse came over to escort us into the doctor's office. Honestly, I am going to be really sad next time I have to wait an hour and a half to see the doctor back home! After a quick check the doc discussed my options and agreed that at this point physio would be best. Another nurse ushered us over to the nearby physio clinic where we were seated in another plush waiting room. This time we actually had a bit of a wait, but they apologized profuesly and insisited that the next time I come I won't have to wait. Of course poor Ryan had a long wait as I spent nearly 2 hours getting ultrasound, massage, electrode therapy, and heat therapy. We still forget that once you see the doctor here, they just send you right along to your next stop - no need making an appointment for days later and then having to wait again another day! After making my next appointment we headed off for lunch at our favourite Italian place (which just happens to be just down the road from the hospital) and then returned home to enjoy the rest of our Saturday.

The Moms are Going Crazy

Well, I have officially been back to work for two weeks. While my new batch of kids are settling in nicely to their new environment, the new batch of Moms have a different story to tell!
Our school is structured like most International Pre-schools in Bangkok: a guard at the front entrance, and fencing around the perimeter of the school so that the children are free to play and explore in a safe and secure environment. The fence around the garden is a nice white picket fence with some nice hedging all around it. Really quite nice for a school garden (playground) if you ask me. However, to new Moms this set up means they have to be extra sneaky when they come to spy on their children! And no, I am not joking ;)
We have had this problem before, especially with the younger students (they can start at this school at 18 months). The seperation anxiety is not only for the children, but in most cases, more severely felt by the parents. It often appears that the children get to the point that they cry when Mommy leaves because they know she will be upset if they don't! But if you ask me (and most other sane people in this world) seperation anxiety is a natural stepping stone that all children (and parents) must go through. However, there is a BIG difference between the healthy and non-healthy variety!
Now I know my readers out there are all at different points in their lives: some are new Moms, soon to discover the heartbreak of leaving your child with strangers for the first time, some are experienced Mother's who have been there, done that, and ever so happy for the freedom that it has brought, and some don't have children, but have watched friends and family go through the stepping stone with varying degrees of sanity. Of course, many are men - most of whom, from my experiences, believe that woman are nuts to not want to leave their children in the capable hands of strangers for a few hours! Whichever you are, I am sure we can all learn from the craziness that has taken over the parents at Mulberry House International Preschool.
As usual, on the first day of school, we have a selection of new parents. All seem quite normal upon first glance. (Understanding that my school is a private school, and most parents are quite wealthy) Moms come dressed in their high heels, hair freshly done, dresses neatly pressed - Thai mothers really like to do it up when they go out in public. Everyone is eager to speak with their child's new teacher, and understandably, a little anxious about leaving their child for the first time. As we have all dealt with this before, us teachers are ready and explain to all the new parents that we understand this is very difficult for them, assure them that their child is in good hands, and explain that it is best that they leave school grounds. Not only is it disturbing for their child to see their parent behind the gates, but it upsets the other children as well. Of course, these normal, sane mothers all agree with our logic and agree to leave the school and only return when it is time to pick up their child. Thinking we had nipped it in the bud this year, us teachers gather our children and start off the new year with high hopes.
The first day went smoothly for me: my parents seemed to listen to me and I didn't have any problems. Poor Mandy had Mothers and Nannys trapsing in and out all day, constantly disrupting her classroom and upsetting the children. At break, when the children are all out in the garden, one child saw someone creeping behind the bushes and started crying for his mother. Of course this set off a chain reaction and the others started to cry too. We hurried our kids back into the classrooms and settled them down once again. That afternoon a letter went home to the parents asking them not to remain in the parking lot and to leave the school grounds.
Day 2: All my parents appear quite normal. A little more difficult to say goodbye to Moms and Dads, and a lot more difficult to say goodbye to sons and daughters, but I think all my parents are still going to listen to our instructions about leaving. At the break, we see people crouching behind the bushes and take turns sending them off school property.
It was not until my kids were playing happily in the soft gym when one of my kids started pointing and saying "Mommy! Mommy!" We look out to where she is pointing and low and behold, there are her parents crouched down behind the bushes peering through the fence. I leave my kids in the capable hands of my TA, and start walking across the garden when . . . the parents start running away! I open the gate and berate these parents for upsetting their daughter and my class. I explain that not only are they disrupting my class, but now I am out here speaking with them instead of teaching! (Now the father is American, and VERY imbarrassed at having been caught) Both are apologetic and promise it will never happen again. They swear they didn't think their little girl would be able to see them . . . did they honestly believe that children are so daft they cannot make out the people hiding behind a picket fence? Its not like the thing was solid! Other teachers heard the events of my day and told their own stories of Moms hiding behind trees (although they are pregnant and their tummies were not quite hidden) and Moms peering over the fence when their child is not looking . . . come on Moms, give your kids some credit - they see you!
Again another note got sent home.
By Thursday my class was nicely settled, or so I thought. One of my kids was late, and by the time he arrived my kids were all quietly doing the activity I had planned for them. I watched as my late kids mother walked him around the garden for half and hour. Finally she scurried out and handed him to his nanny to bring to class. Of course by this time my class was tidying up to get ready for snack time - how can anyone expect a poor child to settle down when everyone else is cleaning up to leave the classroom? So there we are cleaning up when all of a sudden I feel someone watching me . . . (the front of my class has big patio doors and large windows to let a lot of light in, the back of the class has small windows just below the ceiling) I look up and there is a face peering down into my classroom!! I was dumbfounded! First of all there is about a foot of space between my class and the fence behind it, hardly enough room for a person. Second, it is FILTHY back there. Because there is so little space, no one goes back there and no one cleans it as you can't see it from the outside - so it has thick layers of soot and dust. Third, what was she standing on? Did she bring her own box to stand on so she could spy on her kid? I walked over and cracked the window open and yelled at her to get down and wait for me in the parking lot. I took my kids into the canteen and once they were eating left them once again in the hands of my TA to go berate another parent.
I marched straight out and demanded to know what she thought she was doing? She explained that it was perfectly harmless as no one had spotted her. I came back with: do you think its harmless for me to be out here dealing with you instead of inside with your son? She gave me a sob story about why she is such a protective mother and I explained once again that we are very capable and her son is actually quite happy. She replied "but he was upset in the class . . . " and I countered "well what do you expect when you bring him in late, right when we are about to leave the classroom. He hasn't had any time to settle in for the day since you wouldn't give him the chance!" Happily, she came to understand my point - or so I thought.
Friday everything appeared to be going smoothly. After several letters sent home and numerous talks with the parents, finally things seemed to be under control . . . until we were out in the garden. One of the TA's comes over and says there is a mother standing over at the guards office and she keeps peering in through the fence. We head over and we catch none other than my new mother hiding behind the guard's wall with her compact mirror outstretched in one hand so that she can peer through the fence without being seen!!! Can you imagine! This is a forty year old woman, hiding behind a wall, peering through a small mirror, through a fence, trying to see if her son needs her! I don't think there is anything else I can say about this. I still don't believe that this happened. I was so flabergasted I didn't even know what I was going to say to this woman. Finally, I decided that it shouldn't be me who speaks to her and I got the director of the school. I told her that I have spoken to this woman twice and she has received letters from the school asking her not to be on school grounds. I no longer have the time or patience to deal with this as I am supposed to be teaching children, not dealing with their insane parents. The director went out and received another sob story (albiet different from the one I got . . .) and somehow it was decided that her son should now come 5 days a week instead of 3. Hmmm, if Mom wasn't ready for her little boy to leave her for 3 days, I really doubt she can handle 5, but oh well, at least we have the problem solved. Honestly, if you are not ready for your son to go to school, don't send him. This poor little boy is so clever and really good. He was really happy and enjoying himself - but his Mom wasn't ready to let this happen and has made it as difficult as possible for the poor little guy. Sadly, he is her whole world, and he is looking for more. Really, I think the kid was so happy, just to get away from Mom for a few hours! Unfortunately, the little one had an accident and hurt his mouth on the weekend, so he didn't come at all for his second week of school. Of course, this means we will be starting from scratch when (if Mom can finally let go) he returns.
If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I would honestly think this was an old wives tale to scare new Moms into letting go and giving their children a chance when they send them to school, or daycare, or wherever. I still don't believe it and I was there!
All I can say is, THANK YOU to all my normal parents, you don't even understand how much easier you make my job!!
By the end of week two, the only crier we have is one little girl who spent all last term crying in the baby class. Another lesson to be learned - if you keep treating your child like a baby at home, it will be more difficult for him or her to deal with being treated like a child at school. This poor kid gets so much attention at home, never left to play independently, Mom can't even read a book in the same room because the girl will cry if she is not played with. But then they expect her to magically gain some independence when she comes to school? Unfortunately, we have some more crying to deal with, because I am not putting up with this for long. We started weening her off adult attention last week - no one is allowed to pick her up, or cuddle her, or let her sit on thier lap, or feed her. Its tough love, I know, but she knows that if she stops crying one of us will come play with her for a bit. If she stops crying, she can have a cuddle. But if those tears are pouring down, she has to sit on her chair by herself - of course one of us is always nearby, but we have 14 other kids to worry about and I am not about to ruin everyone's time just so one girl can have unlimited attention. I have explained everything to Mom, and she is in full support of my actions. Luckily, my plan has started to work and she is getting better - unluckily a weekend came up and we will be starting fresh on Monday.
Well, all I can say is with all this practice I should make a great Mother! Of course, it is easy to be critical when it is not your child, and when you get to see the results of how one raises a child. I can only hope that when it is my turn I remember what I have witnessed and remember to be strong and allow my child to develop and grow - and I think the hardest one: not to always pick up the little one when he/she cries - because they are smarter than we know and they try to train us just as much as we try to train them. Luckily for me, I have told Ryan all the crazy stories from school, so when it is our turn I will have him saying . . . remember little so and so? You don't want our kid to be like that do you?

Australia

Well I know everyone has been anxiously awaiting some photos from Australia, so here they are. Sorry, I am going to be lax on the stories, I am still recovering from the nasty cold I got while we were there and am trying to rest up before heading back to work tomorrow. But at least you will have some pics to tide you over.
We had really nice weather for the most part - it is the end of winter there, so we averaged about 20 degrees and sunshine everyday. It would have been perfect weather had we not been living in the tropics for the last 7 months! Really though, we adjusted quickly and Ryan did make it into the ocean for quite a number of early morning surfing sessions before starting our day.




This last pic is actually Jeff hitting the end of a wave and his house is one of those dotting the cliffside. I lost track of which bobbing head out there was Ry and Jeff so I just started snapping when I saw someone get up, when we got home and examined the pics it turned out I got Jeff!
We stayed with my friend Jeff Driver, who moved to Sydney in April to work for the company that made Happy Feet. He lives on the cliffs overlooking Bondi Beach and needs about 2 minutes to walk to the surf.





And yes, it got warm enough one day for me to get some sun too!

It was absolutely gorgeous there, so it took some motivation to get us to leave the beach and head out further into the city.
We took a walking tour we found in the Loney Planet guide to get a good view of all the highlights.

We started at Hyde park where they have the ANZAC memorial - a memorial to the war vets from WWI, it was a massive structure and quite impressive really. After strolling through the park, we stepped into St. Mary's Cathedral, then off to the Royal Botanical Gardens where we saw some gorgeous orchids and some curious looking Venus Fly Traps. The highlight of the gardens were the Flying Foxes, AKA the largest bats I have ever seen in my life!! Surprisingly I was more fascinated than afraid of these massive creatures - there were so many of them and they were flying around at the tops of the trees, so I felt somewhat safe.

These bats fly around Sydney all the time, but I only noticed it one other time - when we were walking home from the pub and one dive bombed me! Of course Ryan thought I was making the whole thing up until he heard the thing move around in the tree it landed in and started making this really eeire chirping noise . . . and yes, this time I was VERY AFRAID!
After the gardens it was off to the Opera House and then around to the Harbour Bridge.




After a day of sightseeing we didn't feel too bad about more time on the beach. So we walked around on the rocks . . .


. . . and then took in a lunch at a cute little kiosk overlooking a nearby beach:

We did find time to celebrate at night too:



This last one features me, winning $100!!! Ryan handed me some change and said "here, why don't you get rid of some of our change in one of those machines before we head out". $1 and one button pushed later, and I won! We were all very impressed and slightly shocked. I literally pushed one button and the machine just kept giving me free rolls and going automatically. After about 10 minutes the guys wanted to leave, but I said "no way!" I didn't want to walk out on possible winnings. Finally a staff member came over and we asked what was happening with the machine and he said I was winning and to come see him when the machine finally stopped. I am still not sure how it happened, but we came out $100 bucks up!
We also managed to squeeze in a rugby game:

This was the first game of ARC, the Australian Rugby Championship - a new league for up and comers; the guys who are just about to play for the national team.
Our last Sydney highlight was the Aquarium, which is well worth your trip if you are there. It is very interactive and well done. We were quite impressed, and will probably never go to another aqaurium as the odds are it will not even compare.

This sign was on the ledge over the croc tank. It, among several other signs, became the humour on many of our outings. Aussies make funny signs.

The octopus gets coloured balls to play with to keep his brain active - they are very intelligent and get bored easily.

This is the tunnel through the seal tank. It was really cool to watch the seals play and swim right over you. The shark tank had the same tunnels.



This is a Pineapple Fish - he was really cute.
The aquarium also had some coral reef exhibits that allowed you to touch the coral and some creatures that live in and around the reef. We touched coral, sea urchins, star fish, and I touched a little shark.
With our Sydney adventures finished, we headed off to the Blue Mountains for more sightseeing and hiking, or bushwalking if you are Australian.

This is the famed Three Sisters. The blue haze in the mountains in the background is where the area got its name. The Eucalyptus trees gives off an oil that reacts with the sun giving off the bluish haze.




This was a really steep train ride down into the botom of the cliffs. It used to be used when they mined coal in this area. We rode the train down and then walked around the rainforest seeing traces of the old mining ruins.
Here is Ryan being a happy minor after a long days work.

Everything on the table was nailed down, so I guess they had a lot of theft.
Finally we headed off to our wine tour. Since we were staying close to Sydney we headed off to the largest wineries in the area, the Hunter Valley. I was looking forward to seeing where all the Aussie wine I like gets made, but it is mostly Southern Australia that I drink, so we were introduced to a whole new line of Aussie wines, all as yummy as anything else from this beautiful wine making country!
We don't have any pics of the wineries, its winter so it looks pretty boring. The trip was definitely a highlight. We booked a tour that made a number of stops teaching us different tidbits of Aussie history and culture.
Our first stop was Tea with the Kangaroos! We went to this little outcrop where Kangaroos, Wallabies and Emus ran around with you! There was supposed to be Koalas in there somewhere, but I only saw a stuffed one in the gift shop.

I accidently spilled my tea on this guys bum, but he didn't seem to notice! Roos are surprisingly soft, and these ones didn't seem to mind people wandering all around them. The ones in the surrounding trees were a bit more skiddish though.

These are baby Emus and they are the cutest baby birds in the world. We should have taken a video 'cause these little guys were really entertaining to watch.


Here is a big Emu. He tried to steal Ryan's muffin while he was taking a photo.
Oh yes, and the Opera House at night:

Well, believe it or not, that was the rushed version of our trip. I think I put in most of the highlights, so I hope you enjoy the pics. Any other stories you want to hear will have to wait, I'm going to have a nap ;)