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.