Coming To An End

*Chad*

WOW we have a lot to catch everyone up on. Once again, I apologize for this being so delayed. It’s as if time began to sprint away from us both beginning in May. That being said, the next few posts will get you caught up so keep reading and enjoy.

It seems that Melissa and I just left the US yesterday, heading for an adventure of a life time in South Australia. We left knowing that we had a long year ahead of us but we never thought that our time at Flinders Medical Centre would go by so quickly. Now, we are back in the States making the readjustment, we have graduated from OIT, and we have finished our ARRT exams with flying colors. When I sit back and think about everything, it still doesn’t seem real. Our biggest announcement is that Melissa and I are now engaged. It’s taken me a long time to find the right time, the right place and the nerve to ask Melissa to share the rest of her life with me. During our layover in Auckland New Zealand I took Melissa to the very spot we first met 5 ½ years ago. With shaking hands and a knot in my throat, I dropped to one knee and asked Melissa is she would “spend the rest of her life with me.” I must have surprised her because I had to ask a few times before she said yes. I had prepared a few things that I wanted to say prior to the big question but I was such a mess that I couldn’t get them out. Melissa and I have been through a lot over the years and we have managed to wade through it all. Although we don’t always see eye to eye, I love Melissa and I love us more than I thought I ever could. I love her drive and motivation. I love her attitude and her smile. I really love her laugh and that face she gets when she instantly falls in love with the ugliest dog you have ever seen. I’m thankful to have her in my life and I sincerely look forward to our next adventure, whatever it may be. I only hope that I can make her as happy as she makes me.

But I’m getting a head of myself a bit. The few weeks prior to our departure from Australia were chocked with things to do, people to see and even a few exams to finish for our degree program. Melissa and I must have packed and re-packed our bags a hundred times before our flight home. We were faced with having to pack our year-worth of living into two bags that couldn’t weigh more than 23 kilos a piece; it was like the riddle from hell! While we tried desperately to sort out our riddle, it was also important for us to spend time with our new family and friends before we shipped off. It seemed that each week we had a dinner or a quick night out with a different group of our coworkers. Whether it was chatting over Italian food with ten of our friends or just a quiet night out with Ash and his girlfriend, or even dinner with our Chief Radiographer and our Department Manager; we loved every minute of it! Our only regret was that we didn’t spend more time with everyone before that point. One of the highlights was a going away party at Michael Fullers home.

Melissa and I knew that something was a foot when we would get random questions from Michelle (our Chief Radiographer) regarding shoe size! The cat was partially out of the bag. We knew that Michael was planning a massive going away party complete with homemade pizza from his wood oven but we had no idea what they had actually planned.  The night started off with Sarah coming to pick us up on her way to the party. As we arrived at Michael’s place I was instantly greeted by a massive amount of pizza essentials and plates of deserts. Melissa and I spent some time talking with fellow coworkers before delving into the process of making your own “gourmet” pizza. I say gourmet but mine are always a bit on the tame side when compared to other peoples designs. Some people made pizzas with everything they could find: some literally looked as if they shook the refrigerator out onto pizza dough. After we had a few pizzas down, Michael and Edmund sat Melissa and I down in front of our friends and coworkers for some embarrassment. I had thought that we had made it through an entire year with no embarrassing events or hazing. I was wrong. Melissa and I sat while Edmund walked us through a mock wedding ceremony complete with a “Right” marker for Melissa (because as the wife, she will ALWAYS be right) and a “Left” marker for me (because as the husband, I will ALWAYS “Loose”). The mock wedding was overseen by ‘Father Michael’- complete with a big black afro and a white collar! 

After the embarrassment, we were presented with going away gifts and a few words from Michelle that almost brought tears. After going through our gifts and thanking everyone we went back to the food. After a bit we noticed that Michael was corralling people into his music room for something. Then it happened! Our clinical instructor and our fellow coworkers sang us a good bye song! I was shocked and slightly embarrassed yet again. But it was actually good! Despite the embarrassment, the evening was a success and we left feeling good about our year in Australia and a little sad to be leaving our Australian family behind.  

The Quick Approach

Time is dwindling down now, and the days are getting shorter and shorter!! It is one of the most exciting, yet saddest times of our whole year here.  As home-time gets closer and closer, my excitement builds to get back to the states.  I am looking forward to seeing my sisters, spending some time with my Mums, and returning to the old routine of my Dad leaving 6 voice-messages in a row complaining about me never answering my phone (: 

Not to mention that being able to drive a vehicle to the grocery store, and get to the gym and back in a couple hours rather than half the day, is what daydreams are made of at this point.  Add in the prospect of getting the boards over and done with, finding a job, and receiving that first paycheck, and my-oh-my!

On the other hand, however, it is quite sad, and a bit regretful that we must leave Adelaide. We’ve grown quite fond of our Flinders family, and our Repat family, and it will be a bit sad to not see them each week. And to think that we are leaving a ripe opportunity to get a good job here in Australia, and going home seems a bit bitter-sweet. Our fellow radiographers here make quite a bit more money than us state-siders, get a LOT more vacation time, and, well, have quite a few less responsibilities than us Rad Techs.  We are quite torn to leave the fertile opportunities here, and return to a desolate job market back home.

However, we will both keep our fond memories, and possibly return in just a few short years to work in Australia again, if all bodes well.

I LOVE Food!

*Melissa*

For those of you who may know me on a personal level, you know I love food. And food has been the hot topic of conversation this past week, as Chad and I gear up to go home, and start visiting our favorite hot-spots for a final farewell.  Not to mention all the chatter about how excited we are to return to our favorite morsels back home. So, I wanted to share with anyone who may find themselves in Adelaide where to find the TASTIEST grub!

Best Sushi- Sushi Train.  For variety, price, and tastiness!!  However, quality does vary – the location on Gouger Street is much fresher and cleaner than the one near Rundle St.

Best Japanese – Tomiko, Glenelg.  Wish we had discovered this place sooner!  Always smells delicious!  Tepanyaki Oysters, crumbed sweet & sour pork, twice glazed teriyaki barramundi, and even some yummy sushi being driven around on, what else, a toy train track!!  (Complete with engineer waving hello!!)

Best Schnitzel- Seaview Fish & Chips, Brighton.  Hands down. Their gravy, crispy fries, and tender chicken absolutely cannot be beat anywhere in Adelaide.  Trust me – we’ve tried to find a comparison and it can’t be done!!

Best Brekky- ARGO, Norwood.  There are few places that Chad and I are willing to routinely travel 2 hours on the bus first thing in the morning for. And ARGO is one of them.  My only complaint is that they are SOO good that it can’t stay a secret, and it is always packed and hard to find a seat.  Great lattes, and tempting deserts, with a tasty treat I can only describe as an elephant-ear disguised as a donut!! Mmm Mmm!!

Best Hot-Chocolate- Bracegirdles.  Should be of no surprise. Although Cocolat and Chocolate no.5 come in close, I find them a bit too sweet, so that they almost taste artificial.  Bracegirdle’s is the perfect balance of chocolate without being too sugary or heavy.

Best Coffee-  ARGO, Norwood.  There are TONS of coffee options on every corner, and they are all quite decent.  However, if you’re really looking for amazing coffee, I insist you must go to THE WORKSHOP in Darling Harbor, Sydney.  Sorry Cibo, Hudson’s, and Gloria Jeans ):

Best Cupcakes-Cupcake Café, Norwood. Insanely overpriced, but obviously worth it, because Chad and I have downed around a dozen since we’ve been here. Chocolate is the best – with any topping you like- as long as somewhere in the description it says ganache. While you’re at it, you can even get yourself some ridiculously priced American candy, too!

Best Bakery-3 –Way TIE!!    Of course you could have guessed that this category would have a tie!!  Bluebird Bakery, Brighton.   Although the owner has always been a bit off-putting, she seems to have lightened up in the last month or so, and it was never enough to keep me from coming back!  DELICIOUS gluten-free cakes, tasty donut holes. Rheinland’s Gourmet German Bakery, Marion Center.  That damn owner is always standing there shouting about his $5 boxes when we go for groceries after work, and they are hard to resist!!  Delicious donuts, fluffy mousse cakes (bought one for a party), and tempting pastries. Brighton Bakery, Brighton.  Phenomenal donuts that I could stuff my face with every day – the only thing stopping me is the bellyaches I get after an indulgent jelly-filled donut, an iced round, or their tasty gluten-free orange almond slice.  Great choice for bread, as well!  (they are one of the few bakeries that have gluten-free bread in the whole city!)

Best Noodles/Stir-fry- Indochine, Glenelg.  Forget Wok in a Box, or Red Rock- Indochine has an enormous selection, is rarely jam-packed, and taste’s amazing. You even get %15 off of takeaway!! How can you beat that?  The wait-staff is always great, too – the only problem we’ve ever had is the ambiguity on how and where to pay the bill (the signs say at the table – but they never bring the bill!)

Best Pancakes- Pancake Kitchen, CBD. I put this in here mainly for Chad who loves pancakes, and I will graciously admit that out of all the pancakes we've had (even Pancakes on the Rocks in Sydney)  this place is far superior.  Try with the drunken bananas and you've got a winner!!  Or, you can aptly choose the Canadian or American Big Brekky, which will suit just as well!

Best Italian- Bochelli’s, CBD. Although we didn’t try them all, the best Italian we’ve tried is this place – great parmigiana, and amazing calzone’s!

Best Pizza- Michael Fuller’s Gourmet Woodoven. Sorry, but for this one you’ll need a special invite!  Roll your own, and top it how you like, but be prepared to share!! Get fancy, with things like Tandoori chicken and tsatziki, and you’re in for a treat!  He might even let you leave with some leftovers in your own cardboard pizza box!  (:

And, for all the controversy I’m sure we sparked, I will conclude with the fact that these restaurants are all easily accessible by public transit!  Your welcome, tourists (:

And Adelaide, I will miss your food!

Blue Mountains and My Defeat

*Melissa*

Tuesday was an adventure.  We had big plans to hop on a 7am train for a big day in the Blue Mountains.  However, after a crappy night of sleep, which the hotel found to be a fitting night to do construction, we woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and already an hour behind schedule we didn’t have time for breakfast.  We grumpily hurried our ways through the streets, trying to read a map to take us to the train station.  We finally made it (just missing the next train) with little to comfort us but a few less-than-best Krispy Kremes and a greasy Hungry Jack’s Menu (Better known as Burger King in the States).

            By the time we boarded the train, my blood was full of sugar, and I regained my excitement to be getting out of the city and into some amazing natural scenery.

We arrived in Katoomba where we were welcomed with an absolute downpour. Chad broke down and bought a raincoat before boarding our “hop-on-hop-off double decker sightseeing bus”, and our adventure began.

            Our first stop was Scenic World, where there are 3 attractions. The first is a Sky Bridge that takes you across a little valley to Scenic World central. Once there, you take your second ride, on the “steepest train in the country” down to the rainforest.  This, in reality, is a 10 second ride that takes you down about 30 feet.  Granted, it probably is the steepest 30 feet any train goes down in Australia. The third ride takes you back up from the rainforest floor in another little carriage with amazing views of the valley.

            I am intentionally not saying too much about the beauty of this place, because it is truly too hard to put in to words.  This area is absolutely breathtaking – even in the on and off rain and the 10 degrees (yes – TEN DEGREES) it got down to.  We only got a small taste of the area in the few hours we had, but I will DEFINITELY come back to this place.  I will try to get some pictures up, but truly, I think everyone should come experience it for themselves!

By the time Wednesday came, I had succumbed to defeat. The sun was out, and shining bright, and the freezing cold chill the only reminder of the rain we’d had the previous few days.  But, I was feeling absolutely lousy.  I often say that it is impossible for me to fly on an airplane without getting sick, and this was coming to be no exception.

We had the better part of the day to explore before our flight back to Adelaide, and started with breakfast at Pancakes on the Rocks (they ain’t got nothing on Adelaide’s Pancake Kitchen!).  After experiencing the strange “aussie-style” of pancakes with ice cream and too much sugar, we wandered our way to the Sydney Fish Markets.  Everything looked amazing, and I really wanted to be hungry and excited about so much fresh fish everywhere, but my heart wasn’t in it.  I tried to put on a good show, but that didn’t last long.

We ended up wandering to the shopping center, where we encountered enormous crowds and a never-ending parade: it was ANZAC day.  Not something that Chad and I had been aware of when we booked our flights, or we would have simply gone home that morning.  The Workshop was closed, to my great dismay, and we tried a cupcake shop that was far below par compared to our Mini Monet’s and the Cupcake Café.

The most exciting discovery we made, though, was a Westfield Center with 6 floors, and as you went up in the levels, the price of the stores went up.  I say this in jest, but it honestly seemed to be the case, and I have never felt more out of place!!  Awesome food court at the top – I wished we had discovered it sooner!!

I was quite happy to finally make it to the airport that night, and eternally grateful that our Chief at work, Michelle, came to our rescue and generously came to pick us up from the airport.  She had recently returned from an overseas holiday and had the same dreadful sickness as me, too!!  THANKS MICHELLE!!

Manly Monday

*Melissa*

Monday we woke up to the kind of weather we had expected in Sydney all along – soaking wet. This was much to our disappointment, as our plans were to head out to Manly for the day.  We pulled ourselves up by the bootstraps, cinched down our hoods, and went anyways.

I must mention that before braving the ‘rough’ harbor seas, I had to get a coffee.  I discovered possibly the best coffee I have ever had in my life at a little alcove called “The Workshop” nestled between all the big stores, and definitely recommend them to any coffee drinker who happens to find them self in Darling Harbor.

The Ferry ride to Manly after that was just lovely – we sat on the deck in the back of the boat, avoiding the cold winds and bitter wet spray coming from all directions.  It was gorgeous scenery the whole way, and well worth my $11 just for the ride alone. 

Our hearts sank like anchors when we docked in Manly, however. We had been looking forward to “OceanWorld”, where we were originally going to swim with the sharks in the tank (until we saw that it was a bit more costly than we had originally planned on).  Over in the corner of the harbor was a sun bleached little hovel with a big ocean world sign on it.  I would expect this place to maybe sell some fish, but it definitely didn’t look like it would hold anything bigger than an octopus – any definitely not multiple! We were so stunned at the sight, which we didn’t even get around to going in at all.

            We wandered around town, trying to duck under shop awning and storefronts to avoid the crying clouds, and Chad quite happily explored each and every surf shop we stumbled upon (several, if you’re wondering.  Manly is Surf shop central!!)  We put off lunch so we could get “shopping” out of our blood, and avoid having to return to the same places later in the rain.

            Much to our disappointment, after debating for an hour over where to finally eat, everything had closed down. One of the most frustrating things about Australian restaurants (at least in smaller suburbs or cities) is that they close right after lunch until 5 or 6 pm.  So, if you wait till after 1 or 2 to eat, you are flat out of luck!

            Grumpy, hungry, wet, and frustrated, we were at a loss at what to do. In lieu on hanging around sitting in the rain, we got back on the ferry to head back to Circular Quay.

The Rocks

Sunday was the final day of the conference, and Chad and I were excited to explore outside of Darling Harbor.  We got an early start and caught some of the morning sessions, including one of the most interesting ones, called “Messages from Chernobyl”, in which the speaker talked about the liner non-threshold radiation risk diagram, and how – really – it’s false.  I’m sure that means absolutely nothing to those of you in any other profession besides Radiology, so… moving on…

After having our minds woken up by these final early sessions, Chad and I hurried back to the room to kick off our heels and our fancy clothes, put on our walking shoes, and went out to explore!!  Our first stop was Circular Quay, where we would explore “The Rocks”, and see those iconic monuments of The Sydney Harbor Bridge and The Opera House.

The ferry was a welcome difference from the usual trains and busses, and totally worth the fare. We wandered through the gorgeous streets of “The Rocks”, admiring the kooky little alleyways, the amazing stones, and funky old buildings. We wandered through the market, and devoured some “Mini Monet Cupcakes” (that almost came close to Norwood’s “Cupcake Café”). We oogled at the bridge, and were surprisingly unimpressed with the Famous Opera House (surrounded by Construction, I might add). 

By far, the most impressive area of Circular Quay was the Botanic Gardens.  The gardens are ENORMOUS, and seem to stretch on forever, and they would definitely be somewhere I would spend a lot of time if I lived here.  They were green, gorgeous, and full of amazing little creatures.  I was SO excited to see my first wild Kookaburra wildly trying to crack a big nut at the base of a gum tree.  And then, to top things off, we got to the café which was nestled beneath some trees housing hundreds of enormous flying foxes!!!  Branches filled with brown furry bats hanging upside down, stretching their enormous black wings and bouncing around with their claws.

To top off first “touristy” night, we had booked a dinner cruise on “Sydney’s only and oldest) authentic wooden 3-mast tall ship”.  With a light drizzle, and a chill in the air, we sailed around the harbor admiring the city lights.  Although the overall experience left a lot to be desired – not to mention that there were a few real jerks on board – it was still a nice, enjoyable evening. We had “snags”(hotdogs) & peel-your-own prawns on board, and after we disembarked and ferried back to Darling, we treated ourselves to some good ol’ American deserts at the Hard Rock Café… which I won’t go in to detail on how quickly we devoured them!

The Big Moment

*Melissa*

I think we revised “Radiographic Practice and Education at the Oregon Institute of Technology, USA” about as many times as there are words in the title!!  Our presentation for the Sydney ASMMIRT Conference had to be absolutely perfect – not to mention, we had to cut down our original presentation of 45 minutes down to 12 minutes, while still maintaining the same information.  This was an incredible feat. And so it was, last Thursday, our bags were packed and we were heading to the great golden city, the Florida Keys of Australia: Sydney. For better or for worse, our presentation was in its “Final Version”, and we would be presenting it to our International Audience the following day.

*Chad* 

We touched down in the not-so-golden city, greeted by rain, grey sky, and an unimpressive ride to our accommodation; I thought I was back outside of Portland Oregon.  Once we reached our destination, we met up with some of our Flinders family and headed to the Sydney Convention Centre to check in and make sure that our presentation power point would work on the big screens. Melissa and I both walked into the Centre in amazement, overcome with the knowledge that we, two little American students, would be presenting to an Australasian audience in the heart of Sydney. It was at that very moment that the nerves kicked into over drive.

After sorting out the minor details we found the room we would be presenting in the next afternoon. You couldn’t have asked for a better location. The room was on the second floor of the venue boasting an almost panoramic view of the beautiful and bustling Darling Harbour. I was amazed! For me, that moment was very powerful. I realized that all the years (yes YEARS) of planning, hard work and sacrifice had landed us to this place. I was proud to be a student from the Oregon Institute of Technology, proud to have achieved our goal and most importantly, proud of Melissa and I for having the fortitude and determination to see this endeavour through. This all may sound a bit pompous but keep in mind that I was a kid that cared nothing for school during my younger years and, in fact, barely graduated high school.  I’m getting off topic here.

After a few minutes of staring at the sky scrapers, the harbour, and all the people wondering about, Melissa and I took off to explore the local area before the sun went down on our first day in Sydney. 

The next morning we got up early and slapped on our finest broke college kid attempt at professional attire and made our way to the conference. If you can believe, I was so nervous I had little to no appetite (rare I know). The conference was opened in the aboriginal tradition with a song played on the didgeridoo in an attempt to ward off evil and bring success to the delegates. 

The opening ceremony was followed by a presentation from a group of radiographers from Christchurch, New Zealand. The group had been working in hospital on the 22 of February 2011 when the 6.3 earthquake rocked the city. The presentation was an emotional eye opener into the demands of disaster response from a radiographer’s perspective. It was amazing to hear the stories especially considering that the disaster robbed them of friends and family only a few short months ago. Our hearts definitely go out to the people of Christchurch.

The rest of the morning was a blur of more presentations, trade show events and then a lunch break. My nerves still kept me from eating so Melissa and I retreated to a secluded area of the convention centre to get a few more practice sessions in before our time slot arrived. After reading through our cards for the one thousandth time, we began to feel some resemblance of confidence creeping in.  

Our session began with an introduction from a representative from the Queensland Health department as Melissa and I took the podium. The twelve minute presentation seemed to take less than a minute and before we knew it, it was time for questions. Of course we only had one actual question. We tend to tell ourselves that people where just blown away with the public speaking skills that we demonstrated….at least that’s what we told ourselves.  With a massive weight off our shoulders, we spent the rest of the day attending meetings and talking to vendors about new equipment. 

Footy Fever

*Melissa*

Oh wow. It has been too long.  It’s not JUST that we’ve been busier than bees in the middle of spring, it’s that time has just been picking up speed the closer we get to graduation!

We had perhaps the quickest month ever at Repat Hospital.  It was a lovely little get-a-way from Flinders where it felt like we were visiting old friends at work all day.  We were there from “Adelaide Cup Day” until “Good Friday” – so it made for two 4-day weeks, adding to the speed that the month seemed to soar by at.

Chad and I had a splendid little weekend getaway as well, where we were able to visit McLaren Vale and Willunga one last time.  Terribly sad, but an awful nice little break.

Perhaps the most exciting thing that happened around this time was also our night at an Aussie Footy match! I had been graciously “hired” by Dr. Wycherley to proctor the radiology consultant exam.  After which, he mentioned that he was headed out of town, and offered Chad and I to take advantage of his season footy tickets and go see the game that night.  Much to my surprise, I had to convince Chad that we should go.

Aussie “Footy”, for all us “yanks”, is Australian-Rules Football.  Sort of slightly resembling American football, but without all the helmets and padding, and with a lot more action, speed, and excitement.  We caught the free “Footy Bus” to take us to AAMI stadium – something Dr. Wycherley had promised would be quite exciting in and of itself.  Fans were decked out in colorful garb, all awkwardly containing their resentment for the people standing next to them wearing the opposing team’s colors.

Chad and Melissa outside AAMI stadium

Although we didn’t understand everything that happened throughout the game, it was an incredible experience, and an awesome game; we watched St. Kilda (Melbourne) play Port Adelaide, and every time Chad or I looked at each other and said “There’s no WAY St. Kilda will be able to recover”, sure enough, the regained the lead.  In the end, coming straight down to the wire, Port Adelaide won by ONE POINT!  The crowd went absolutely bonkers, and there were at least 3 gentlemen behind us that I was sure were going to have an aneurysm from yelling so hard.

We rode the footy bus home; SO glad we had taken up the offer of the tickets, and hoping we might get a chance to see another game before we go.

This, however, was only a minor break from our preparations for the looming event of the ASMMIRT Conference in Sydney.

Minchin Madness

*Chad*

As Melissa has previously written, February was our 5^th year anniversary. It’s hard to believe that we have had 5 years together already. We have shared hopes, dreams, miles, kilometers, adventures and challenges all while pursuing this higher education thing! I don’t think I would change a thing; after all, life is the journey as well as the destination.

Needless to say, this year we have been strapped for cash so we had to come up with a way to celebrate our time together without breaking the bank. Before we left for Australia, Melissa and I happen to catch a quick glimpse of a musician by the name of Tim Minchin. That particular night Tim was performing his “Taboo” song on the Conan O’Brian show. Tyler, Melissa and I laughed until it hurt. On a whim, we thought that we would google the guy and see if he was coming to Adelaide any time soon. As luck would have it, he was playing the Adelaide Entertainment Center the day after Valentine’s Day! That was perfect for me, I could wrap our anniversary and Valentine’s Day all into one fun filled night, allowing me maintain my tight-wad status while coming off as a decent boyfriend! And, thanks to some donations (thanks again everyone) we had some spare funds for tickets. Luckily, we managed to get a couple of the tickets before both shows sold out. I was completely unaware that Mr. Minchin had such a large following.

The night of the show Melissa and I took the train into the city and then caught a tram out to the Entertainment Centre. We had thought it would be a good idea to try and get to the place early so that we could find our seats and get comfy before the hoards arrived. Naturally, dealing with public transport, we managed to just barely make it to the venue on time. As we did the zombie walk with the rest of the people qued up, we had the chance to do bit of people watching to try and get a feel for the type of evening we might be in for. To my surprise, the crowd was very diverse. People from all ages and walks of life showed up to see the show. Melissa and I even noticed one of our senior radiologists in attendance.

The show got underway with Tim Minchin singing at the top of his lungs from inside a cage while the South Australia Orchestra played behind him! I knew right then that the show was going to be a good one. I really enjoyed seeing the shoe-less artist smashing away on his piano as the orchestra played perfectly. Some of the songs had a very intense personal feel to them but just when you thought you might be seeing the overly serious artists side, he switched things around and left you laughing. I don’t think I could pick out a single favorite; I loved seeing Taboo performed live and I really enjoyed the self-deprecating humor of “I can have a dark side too”. The evening was fantastic! That being said, those of you thinking of searching for Minchin’s music on youtube, be aware that his comedic/musical styling’s can be irreverent and, at first go, might even seem offensive. But, that’s part of the draw. I just wish we could have had Tyler (aka Paul) and the rest of you with us to enjoy the night. Next time!!

Where Have We Been!?!

March already… The MIDDLE of March! That little groundhog popped up and saw his shadow (how would he not if he comes out any time other than noon?) and the month of leprechauns and rainbows ran hot on his heels. And now, April showers are quickly approaching.

I know it has been well over a month since you’ve heard from us, and I feel terrible! It has been an incredibly rough time for us, though, too!

February was a busy month. Chad and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary together. 5 whole years!! It has been an amazing journey – quite impressive to look back on it all and to think that just over 5 years ago, we were here in Australia just one state over, beginning our lifelong romance! We celebrated a bit late by treating ourselves to one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen (Chad will divulge those details later!)

We were allowed only a brief moment of revelry, however, as we were swimming through an overwhelming amount of stress. Chad and I were frantically trying to work on our “Case Study” project for Uni (school), and simultaneously prepare our presentation for the Sydney ASMMIRT conference. On top of all of that, my health was progressively spiraling downward.

By the end of the month, we were finally in the clearing after submitting and presenting our case study project, and I was forced to experience the health care system from a - foreign – patient’s point of view. My “nut shell” observation is that, although the doctors were lovely, the overwhelming majority of receptionists treat the patients like crap – ESPECIALLY if you DO NOT have a medicare card. Apparently, paying up-front is the biggest inconvenience that the front desk could ever be confronted with. If anyone could explain this to me, my ears are open…

When March arrived, we decided it was time for a vacation. My health was getting under control, the school term was ending, we were switching hospitals again, and a new housemate moved in. Not to mention that good ol’ Australia had yet another public holiday coming up – the Adelaide Cup Day. For those of you back home, this is the equivalent of the superbowl for Adelaide. What better time to escape for a 3-day weekend and a holiday?

We rented a car – which was absolutely blissful to escape the shin splints that accompany speed walking to the bus stops multiple times a day, only to wait a half hour for a late bus. We journeyed southeast for a fancy dinner at “The Victory” Pub, and a night in their cozy cottages on the hill. I can’t describe to you the loveliness of an area to yourselves for the night.

The next day, we journeyed back home through Willunga, stopping to enjoy the scrumptious-ness of Lavender Brownies at the Market, picking up some other goodies along the way. Then in McLaren Vale we stopped to seek out a delicious cider I had tried on our wine-tour, and I haven’t been able to find since. We had to go straight to the vineyard – Oxenberry Farms – where we tried some yummy wines, and spent a bit too much on bags of booze. I will definitely be disappointed with the fact I can’t get my hands on that stuff in the states! Definitely a name to keep your eyes open for, wine-o’s!

We were able to make it to Mt. Lofty for a refreshing, incredibly steep hike. I got to meet a little bandicoot at Waterfall Gulley, and we were able to enjoy some delicious meals that we just miss out on without a set of wheels. It was quite possibly the un-healthiest diet we’ve had in the last six months… or in short – it was lovely!!

As it all came to an end, we concluded our 3^rd term, and began our very last with a month at the Repat.

Stone in Hand Weighs Two in Bush

*Melissa*

Things are a bit wonky here. If you were to ask me my height and weight, I would promptly respond 5’3 ¾ , and 110 lbs (okay, that’s my goal weight, anyways). And that’s because I’m from America, the last stubborn country who refuses to give in to the rest of the world and switch to the metric system. So being here, I would expect nothing else than to be given confusing numbers in strange measurements like kgs and meters. But this is not the case.

Many of you may not know that only 30 years ago, Australia ran on the imperial system. Distance was given in miles and yards, people and things were measured in inches and feet, and you bought your baking goods in bags of lbs and ounces. It wasn’t all that long ago that AUS gave in the peer pressure of essentially every other country in the world and started teaching kids to think in more practical measurements.

This fact is particularly useful when talking to the older patients who ‘rock up’ to the imaging department, and you’re spared the odd looks if you let your American shine through by asking them to shuffle a few “inches” to their left. But it doesn’t prepare you from dishing out the odd looks when you ask questions requiring a response in measurements.

Let’s put it this way: Stones are something you throw at old factory windows, hands are something you use to type blog postings, and a foot is something you walk with…. Oh, well that last one is ours, isn’t it?

But seriously, I have never heard such a mixture of measurements – does anyone really know how much a stone weighs? Or how many inches or feet or what-have-you are in a hand? And have you ever tried to continue your workout routine at a gym that only has weights in Kg? It really does your head in! (and by the way it makes you feel puny going from lifting 45 lbs to 20kg!!)

I like to think that being able to think in metric measurements is akin to being able to speak another language – to be able to look at something and think “oh, yeah, that’s about 18 cm”. And, hey, at least Chad and I will be a little more prepared for when the US finally succumbs to the metric pressure!

Wine-O'Clock In The Morning

*Melissa*

It just doesn’t feel right to be poured a glass of wine at 10 o’clock in the morning. Don’t get me wrong- I am always up for trying new things – including new wines – but even I feel a bit guilty swirling a glass of white an hour after downing a crepe for breakfast.

It was something that had been talked about since a month or so after we got here, one of those things that’s brought up as “yea, we’ll have to do that some time!” as a friendly saying to make you feel included; one of those things you wish would really happen, but quickly realize won’t: a wine tour with the co-workers. Lo and behold, however, after 7 months our co-worker Ben pulled through, planning and organizing a weekend wine tour for me, Chad, and all our co-workers who were interested!

Bright and early Saturday morning, we gathered in groups at designated pick-up points and awaited our bus – yes, our bus. There were 19 of us, and we filled all but one single seat on that bus and headed into the Adelaide Hills towards McLaren Vale for a day of wine-tasting, and a yummy lunch.

Chad and I, being new to the wine world got a bit more excited about the wood-fired pizza buffet advertisement at the first winery we stopped at, but enjoyed being introduced to the many varieties of wine we never knew existed, including Port (“old fortified” here), dessert wines with names I can’t spell, rose’(my favorite), semillion, savingnese, etc.

We visited Woodstock wineries (where I found most of the ones I enjoyed), Shottesbrook (fantastic white, but the rest – eh. I enjoyed the free-roaming Rhodesian Ridgeback more than anything!), Gemstone (organic wines – where only the really expensive ones were any good, of course), and Kangilla winery (where Chad ACTUALLY found a red wine he liked!). I’d be interested to know if any of these are heard of in the States?

It was lovely to spend some time with folks outside of work – and I was so glad that we got to experience the McLaren Vale wine region with people we knew, rather than some random drunkards or a Hen’s party! We had some great Italian food at a place called Oscars, some great wine, and great company. What more could you ask for in a weekend?

Sadly, I must admit, more-so than the wines, the best part of the tour (for me) was a delicious “grapple-cider” over lunch and the Bracegirdle’s chocolate fudge brownie I took home for dessert!!

Sticky Fingers and the Phomite Phenomenon

*Melissa*

I’m a bit of a germaphobe. And I’m realizing that my kind are a bit pampered in the US. The first thought that pops in to most people’s mind at this point is the obvious question of the career I’ve chosen. But forget all about that for a moment.

I enjoy the average day – the same things you do. I go to the gym, I do grocery shopping, I sometimes have no choice but to use a public restroom. I have a job where I use a copy machine, I deal with papers that are passed around through many sets of hands. And, I am unlucky enough to rely solely on public transport.

I have never realized how much I take for granted most of these “daily life” tasks back in the states. The sliding glass doors open for me walk in to the grocery store. A metal stand beckons with the current weeks ad. I grab one, simultaneously retrieving a wet antibacterial wipe from the plastic tub on top of the rack, before fetching a shopping cart or a basket.

Nothing is more nauseating than a bench freeing up at the gym, only to walk over and see a shimmering layer of sweat and oil left behind by the last man’s shoulders/back/chest – or the worst – buttcheeks. Back home I could speedily spray a quick layer of cleaning solvent over them, and wipe it vigorously with a towel before letting my own skin touch the cushion. I find my eyes are furtively pining for those cleaner bottles each time I go to the gym; I have had to buy my own cleansing wipes, and try to use those where I can (don’t even get me started on how black they often are after cleaning the grips on pulley-bars and row machines!)

Even the silly and often frustrating ‘ass-gaskets’ are amiss here, and after sitting in on a frightening conversation with one of the doctor’s, I have found myself returning to my childhood days – where Mum stood outside the stall doors saying “Did you cover the seat with toilet paper?” The doctor had made a valid point – in a country where “superbugs” are rife, and the most common route is transference through the excretive digestive tract - dirty toilet seats are a primary trasmission spot. Gloves, hand sanitizer, gowns: none of those protect you from the toilet seat, and all seems to be forgotten when it comes to the stalls.

To top it all off, I did the one thing germaphobes probably shouldn’t do – I watched ‘Contagion’ – happily bringing the word “phomites” to a broader audience than Professor Gary Zimmerman’s classroom at OIT. I personally recommend that everyone see this movie, if simply to bring awareness to germ transmission among the greater population, but it didn’t do much for this bus-goer, aside from making me cringe to sit in shorts, and create some interesting expressions when the bus-driver takes off before I’ve sat down, forcing me to brace myself by grabbing one of the poles (watch the movie!).

As for that timely question of the career field I’ve chosen – being constantly surrounded by germy things, and interacting with buggy patients daily, being touched by and having to touch: wet things, squishy things, slimy things, sticky things, smelly things, bloody things, rotting things (think diabetic toes) – I prefer to focus on the artistic side of the job. That delicate balance of black and white, the challenge of first-time perfection on every shot, and the excitement and suspension of hearing some of the most bizarre and incredible stories of injuries you could imagine. THAT is why I chose my career field.

And look at it this way: at least in a hospital environment, there is a greater focus on cleanliness, and a wider availability to those oh-so-lovely sanitizing agents, glaring back at you from every angle reminding you to de-bug your hands. After all, I may wash/clean/sanitize my hands and my work surroundings 15-50 times per day… how many times a day do you clean your keyboard, and scrub between your fingers?

Back to the Daily Grind

*Melissa*

It has been nearly two weeks since our return to work. The holidays certainly were lovely – we had a car for a brief moment; we did a bit of exploring the town; we did a bit of traveling; we had a few “first times”. But that is long gone now – no more car: it’s back to the bus; our exploring has come to a halt; it is simply that: Back on that roller coaster ride of “Life as a Foreign Extern”.

Now that we are steadily plowing through the 3^rd quarter of our externship, the dynamic at work has certainly changed. We are in a state of “limbo” – we are students, are we still required to annoy our coworkers to come listen to us identify our patients (or – as some still prefer – identify the patient themselves. Not a great boost of confidence i.e. trust). Yet as the same time, we are there just as often as every other full time employee. We are seen as a radiographer, but we are seen as inferior students. Weare familiar with everything that we are allowed to do – but because we are not allowed to do quite everything, we get met with quite a bit of frustration from nurses and other support staff who see us as employees, and expect us to be able to do/answer everything.

This last bit had been quite the “spot of bother” for me in particular lately. Although the great majority of the “supporting staff” is wonderful and lovely, there are a couple which irritate me to no end. They pretend to not know my name, and never address me – only the other “official” radiographers. Just last week I had one who kept saying “thank you ----“ and using the official tech’s name, even though I was doing the tasks. But I must be the cordial one, and smile, and be polite. When you’re not getting paid it all gets a bit tiring on some afternoons.

We have a special course at school, our “extern prep” course, right before we leave Klamath Falls. We get warned about all the aspects that might come up, and get reminded about all the common sense things:

don’t get involved in gossip, don’t take sides, be on time, show up for work, don’t argue with the techs, etc. And amongst other things we get to question some of the students who are on extern at the time. One of the most common things they mention is how bad it is to not be getting paid.

We have made it over 7 months before starting to really be bothered by this side-effect, but it’s definitely starting to kick in. By far the most frustrating thing about externship thus far, however, is not the missing paycheck (although it is up there – don’t get us wrong!). Chad and I have both

agreed that the most frustrating thing about externship is our lack of independence. It is Flinders student policy that we are not allowed to perform any exams without (as I mentioned above) having another tech there to identify the patient, and then that tech must “complete” that exam when we are done. There is nothing worse than having a bench full of requests, and not being able to do a single one of them because you do not have a chaperone.

The worst thing about the lack of independence, however, is the detriment it has to your confidence. It is incredibly difficult to build confidence in our skills because we are constantly having our positioning and our methods tweaked around a bit (very few radiographers

can watch you do an exam without touching SOMETHING – ANYTHING). So, if we have a new trick we want to try, we rarely get the chance to try it out. Even after completing our “competencies” – proving that we are competent enough to complete a particular exam independently, there are some touchy techs who just won’t let you complete it on your own. This gets to be a real pain, sometimes, as is the most common thing that gets us down.

Outside of work, we are back to the “not much” response to what we’ve been up to. We did manage to make it out to the “Schutzenfest”, though. Adelaide’s “biggest international festival” – and what is compared to a mini-Oktoberfest. I figured since we missed the Greek festival, we might as well go to the German one; have a Kransky and pint, see some German stuff.

Boy! Let me tell you about Australia’s festivals: LOTS of people, drinking A LOT, and sitting around on the grass for hours on end. I think this is pretty much Australian culture in general, as this is how our co-workers describe cricket matches as well. It was literally hundreds of people lying around all day long on the grass, drinking lots and lots of beer. It was a bit unnerving wandering around amongst so many drunken people staggering along in herds. And that was literally it – cigarette, beer, and kransky booths. And a place to buy a Schutzenfest hat with a beer stein on it. Nothing German at all.

We did a few loops, had a stein of Cider (no beer for us!), and a cheese Kransky, and watched some drunk people win al lot of money for holding up a jug of beer for as long as they could (called “The Strong Arm Competition”) and called it quits – not surprisingly, seeing a few people passed

out drunk on the sidewalk on the way back to the train station.

I think from now on, we might skip some of these “Cultural Festivals”.

Sashimi

*Melissa*

Luckily, the tuna ‘farm’ wasn’t too far outside the Bay, so we didn’t have to suffer so much turbulence, and after a very informative talk about Tuna, we arrived at our destination!

The first thing that hits you as you step onto the dock and look into the blue-green waters is the size of the dark shadows darting around at high speeds. You keep imagining those cat-food looking tins you se

e on grocery store shelves, and that little cartoon fish with the accent and try to compute that those enormous creatures darting around before you are the same fish.

We were shown how to feed them by holding the head of a small sardine under the water from the dock, and immediately, you see a splash and the sardine has disappeared. These tuna are faster than a Porsche, and have a supernatural ability to NOT touch you. I figured I would give it a try. I crouched down on the dock, holding a smelly sardine by the tail, reached out as far as I could, and dipped his head in the water. I waited, the fish’s head bobbing in and out of the water, the wind rocking the dock and causing waves, and the suspense was building. And then – WHAM! Water splashed in my face, and Chad captured the sheer look of terror in my face as I yanked my hand away. And then it stung. The little bugger had nipped my fingers!! The tuna man helpfully advised using a pair of tongs to hold the fish out after that.

After that, it was time to take the plunge – getting into the water and getting up close and personal with what I was hoping would be dinner. So, wetsuits on, goggles down, we dove in.

I will admit I was a bit nervous – much more so than with the sea lions earlier. These creatures were big, and fast, and we were in a confined space with them. They were fidgety and spastic, and that made me uneasy. As I put my face down in the water, entering the fish world, my heart skipped a beat. The tuna were darting everywhere – each one over 3 feet long, flashy yellow along their backs by their dorsal fins.

I swam around, getting more and more comfortable with them, and then a sardine appeared just in front of my face. This barely had time to register before two monstrosities came for it, zooming past my face, and shocking the algae out of me. I popped my head out of the water to see the tuna man chuckling, as he did the same to the others who were swimming face down. This was Chad’s favorite thing- and I ended up spending some time tossing sardines in front of him to test the tuna’s human avoidance skills.

I got a bit nervous about half way through our time with the tuna, when- swimming casually along- I realized that the sardines we were feeding the tunas were shiny, and a silvery gold color. I looked down at my toes, realizing also that my toes were a silvery gold color. And shiny. Too afraid to sound dumb, asking whether the tuna were attracted to the sardines by the smell or the appearance, I kept my lip shut, and began swimming with my toes lifted from the water, concerned they would mistake my little digits for food. I’m sure I looked a bit sillier doing this than I would have asking the question, but hindsight is always 20/20, eh?

As we set off back towards the Port, they concluded our Tuna tour with a sampling of sashimi. Thin, decadent pink slices of raw tuna. A quick dip in a bit of salty soy sauce, and this was easily the tastiest tuna sashimi I have ever eaten! We got back, happily admitting that our day’s tours were well worth the trip.

For the very special “Birthday Dinner” we decided to venture back out to Coffin Bay to get some fresh seafood. With Port Lincoln being the “seafood capital of Australia”, it was incredibly difficult to find a seafood restaurant! We ended up going to a place called “The Oysterbeds” overlooking the Coffin Bay Harbor. The weather was perfect to sit outside on the patio, admiring the gorgeous blue water, the white sails, and the rolling green hills framing it all.

I couldn’t believe the food – we didn’t order a single thing that either of us has ever tried before: Some poached oysters, kingfish sashimi, Port Spencer Bay Bugs, and a tuna escabeche salad. Every single thing was fantastic – and I am officially a Kingfish convert (it was AMAZING!) With belling brimming full of fishy food, we drove home with the sunset – even forgetting for a brief while how bad our muscles were aching.

It was easily my best birthday yet!!

Birthday Trip to Port Lincoln

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Puppy Dogs of the Sea

*Melissa*

It hurts to move. It hurts to sleep. It hurts to sit still. My neck, my back, my arms, my abs, my KNEE – It’s hard to name a body part that doesn’t hurt. But you’re sadly mistaken if you think my Birthday fun stopped there!! Oh no – a brutal war was waging between our eyelids and our lust for adventure the next morning, as we awoke early to make it to our “swimming with sea lions” boat.

We were the last ones on, and probably looked the roughest, but we settled in to our seats. We set off, not really prepared for the 1.5 hours ride it would be before arriving near the island we were destined for. We learned rather quickly that we are not exactly made out for sea-faring – not to mention that every lump and bump we hit sent shivers of pain through my whole neck thanks to my kiteboarding whiplash.

With grey faces, the boat finally slowed, and stopped by the Hopkins Island – the “juvenile” sea lion island. Immediately we spotted some sea lions wandering into the water, and before we knew it they were splashing by the boat – obviously knowing that some “playmates” had arrived for them. Everyone jumped happily into the freezing cold waters to humor them.

Sea lions are not seals – sea lions look like puppy dogs, and have those puppy dog eyes to go along with it. They would swim up next to you, blow a few bubbles to say hello, and dart off – checking behind to see if you were following them. Occasionally they would swim below you, upside down, watching you, before settling in the seaweed to watch you. They were absolutely adorable, and it was amazing to have these truly wild creatures come up and interact with us like that, completely unprompted!

The ride back was a rough one – especially for Chad, who spent the whole 1.5 hours standing at the back of the boat, trying to stay composed. We hadn’t eaten breakfast, and thanks to our faulty sea-legs, we hadn’t eaten much on the trip over, so luckily the ride remained uneventful.

We had a brief break back at our hotel in the marina to nibble on some snacks and drink some non-salt water before we returned for the second leg of our adventure – the Tuna!