A Christmas Tribute

A piece of Okla'home'a that travels with me.  

Piece sign:  handmade out of Oklahoma Ivory by my Grandpa Cliff King

State of Oklahoma:  handmade out of Oklahoma wood by Cliff Wallraven 

Bird:  a going away present from my brother, Devin, and sister-in-law, Ashley

The men in my family are very talented and I am so proud to wear such beautiful carvings.

Christmas Morning Glee!

Christmas morning, December 25, 2010.  Jenni is cooking....everything homemade: bisquits, sausage balls, eggs, ham, gravy....yumm!  It was a bit of a chore finding all the ingredients she needed at the grocery store yesterday.  Like eggs in the cereal isle and shortening by the butter, but we managed!  I am cleaning a bit.  We have the house to ourselves.  It is 67.64 degrees fahrenheit (19.8 degrees celsius).  Perfect day for the beach with friends this afternoon.  We are blaring the Glee Christmas album I just downloaded :) Merry Christmas friends and family!  Love you all.

xoxo, C

All I want for Christmas is a monkey :)

When I was a little girl I used to ask for a monkey for Christmas.  I guess I didn't realize that was not a normal gift to ask for ;)

Waiting on the first tram...excited for Zoo Day!

On December 23, 2010 Jenni and I spent the day at the Melbourne Zoo.  It was great weather for a perfect Christmas-Eve-Eve at the zOo!  This is something we've been wanting to do for a while and both finally had a day off at the same time.  It took 2 trams to get there (apprx 45 min.) We got a bit mixed up between the two trams, but once we finally found the second tram stop the driver ended up being a breath of fresh air!  He announced things as we passed them and was very energetic and funny....it was quite the tour!  I wanted to share some awesome animal pictures with you guys....enjoy!

The second tram with the enthusiastic driver.

Busy day in Melbourne City

Just arriving at the Melbourne Zoo.

The Lion King

Three little turtles.

Baby bear eating a bone

Ring-tailed Lemur.  It has a beautiful long black and white striped tail.

Ginger sisters...... like me and Jenni!

umm...you have a little drool dripping from your lip, Ma'am.

Bongo:  Some African tribes believe that to eat or touch a Bongo will cause spasms similar to epileptic seizures.  This folklore has helped the Bongo to survive.

Red-haired Kangaroo

This picture was taken for my Koala-loving friend, Lisa.

Red-winged Parrot

My mum's favorite...the Elephant.

I bought this as my Christmas present to myself :)

Location Location Location

Arrow= new house     Peace sign= Boheme

Jenni and I have chosen to move to 18 Mary Street.  The location of the house just couldn't be better!  It is literally less than a 3 minute walk to work, located just right around the corner from Boheme.  This also means we are right off of Bridge Road close to everything we could possibly need, including public transport.  But don't worry ladies, we have invited the handsome Irishman out for drinks and he elatedly accepted our offer ;)

Decisions, Decisions.....

It is still rainy here, off and on.  We are actually enjoying it because it keeps it a bit cooler at night :)

Mine and Jenni's RaInY DaY pictures

Jenni and I have been on the hunt for a new place to live for the last week or so.  We were forewarned that James was looking for a more permanent housemate and now he's found one.  We are searching through Gumtree.com which is a website that is more backpacker/short term renter friendly.  We lined up two houses for viewing today.

This afternoon we visited the first house at 1A Bennett St.  A nice looking Irishman, Dave, age 30, owns the house and is renting out his extra bedroom.  He is an Electrical Engineer for the tram system and has lived here for 8 years.   He has a very clean, modern, and spacious house only a 15 minute walk from work.  The room we would be living in has HEAPS of closet space and a big comfy bed!  This is a good thing since, even though we are backpacking, we manage to fill an entire closet and set of drawers.....thanks to Lauren's good packing skills ;)  He was very welcoming and we assume he would be a good time since he IS Irish!  

This evening Jenni checked out the second house at 18 Mary Street.  I had to work at 4 p.m. today so it was all up to J-Pow to give it a look.  She says it was a very nice, newly renovated house, where we would live with 2 other girls, age upper 20's.  It is only a 3 minute walk to work (good, but not good for the bum!)  The room we would live in has nice wooden floors, BUT only 2 twin frameless mattress could be supplied. 

We have a decision to make because both have offered us the rooms.  It's time for us to list our pros and cons and hopefully choose the right one.  We will make a decision by tomorrow and move into our new place on Sunday :)

Sugar and Spice........

.......and all things nice, that's what little girls are made of!

On Sunday, December 12, 2010 I skyped with my brother and sister in law to hear the wonderful news of my new baby NIECE due in May 2011.  

So here is the part that gave me chills......I wanted them to have a boy at first because my family is very lacking in little boys. haha.  Then, two nonconsecutive nights I had dreams of playing at my parents house with the new baby, which was a GIRL!  It gets even weirder......I was skyping with my parents who told me the sex of the baby before Devin and Ashley did.  The conversation went as follows:  

Me: "so what is it?! Boy or girl??"

Mom: "well your dreams were right! It's a girl!"

Dad: "well if your such the little dreamer, then what was her name in your dream?"  (being facetious as usual)

Me: "oh gah, I don't even think she had a name in the first dream, but the second was, ummmm, Abby."

Mom: "They've decided to name her Abigail Elizabeth Oglesby!"

Ashley says her and Devin wanted a name that is "classic with a cute shortened nickname."  I think they hit it right on! Abby it is! I am a bit bummed to attend the showers and birth only through skype, but she will be at such a fun age when I get back and won't even remember me being gone :)  I can't wait to meet her!

Little Red Wattlebird

Every morning Jenni and I are waken up by a very unpleasant sound.  The Red Wattlebird is a large, noisy honeyeater. Did I mention, NOISY?  The common name refers to the fleshy reddish wattle on the side of the neck. The plumage is grey-brown on the body, with prominent white streaks and yellow on the belly. The face is pale and the tail is long with a white-tip. This bird is very NOISY. The Red Wattlebird's range extends throughout the southern areas of the Australian mainland and it is a very NOISY bird.  


I am not sure if I have mentioned yet that this bird is quite the noisy little guy.  
It has several distinctive but unmusical calls including coughs, a harsh 'yac a yac' and a loud 'chok'. 


Watch this 16 second video and imagine this wretched sound right outside of your window.  If only I had a blow gun.......
Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata) - An adult perched on a branch and calling before flying away. Australian Raven can be heard calling as well | the Internet Bird Collection

Rainy days, Best friends forever forever, and grapes!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

The best part of this rainy day is that I skyped with my BeSt FrIenD today for the first time since I've been in Australia!  Lauren and I got to spend the week before I left together in Duncan while I was staying with my parents.  But it probably wasn't as fun as she hoped since she ended up packing my bags for me! I think my mother would agree with the statement, "what would I do without my Lauren?!" I had a blast talking to you and your house looks so pretty with all your Christmas decorations.  We tried to 3-way with Cemby, but they figured it out just as we hung up so we'll definitely all 3 chat next time.  We talked about everything from recent happenings to being separated in high school classes for being too "giggly" together!  There is never a dull moment with this duo or as my dad likes to call us, "the retardo twins." Love you Lauren.  You will forever be my BFF4E ;)

Rain rain go away, please make these creepy creatures stray

Well, we thought we were coming to Australia right as summer begins.  Little did we know that we arrived during a massive rain period after a nearly 15 year drought!  It doesn't rain everyday, but it often rains off and on throughout the days.  The good thing is that I don't think we were quite prepared for the heat, so the days that there has been no rain we sweat to death at night.  We have not become accustomed to not having air conditioner yet.  The bad thing is we walk everywhere we go....rain or shine!  As mentioned before, ThAnK YoU Lauren, Rhonda, and Cemby for my handy dandy rain jacket!  Who would have thought it would be my most valuable piece of clothing :)

  Also, the rain has welcomed many little house guests to our home......slimy little snails.  I have recently discovered that not only do I think snails are super strange and ugly creatures;  they make me a bit uncomfortable.  I can now say that I have showered with one of these yucky little guys!  There was one on the shower wall and I was too creeped out to touch it so I just begged Jenni to sit in the bathroom with me to try to turn my attention away from it while I took a record breaking fast shower! haha  James (our roomie) stepped on one today while I was taking a photo for him out front of our house.  I was shocked and said, "I took a shower with a snail for nothing?!" haha  I didn't want him to think I was a nature hater if I moved it.....little did I know he didn't like them either.  Even our earth-friendly roomie doesn't like them because he says they eat his garden.  Hopefully there will not be many more rainy and snail-filled days here in Melbourne.  It looks like we may get some sunshine later in the week.

Everyone smiles in the same language. -- Author Unknown

Greetings from the land down under!  I haven't blogged in a few days and this is the time where the saying "no news is good news" is befitting :)  The only thing wrong is that my feet hurt from being on them all day and I am wondering where my Australian boyfriend is so he can give me a foot massage! haha.   

Things seem to continue to get better the longer we are here.  I am enjoying work and the people I work with.  I worked all night tonight and have a double shift tomorrow and work Saturday and Sunday mornings.  I got paid for the first time yesterday (I get paid every Wednesday) which made all the hours seem well worth it.  Next week I will get a change in scenery on Thursday night because Harriet, an Aussie girl I work with, and I are going to work Carols by Candlelight.  This is an Australia tradition that is a free event where people come together to enjoy great food, sing Christmas carols, and see Santa Claus!  I am excited to celebrate this wonderful holiday with Aussies and see the similarities and differences in the way their holiday traditions! Tonight at work a group of women had maybe one glass too many of red wine and walked out of the restaurant singing Christmas carols....it made me smile :)   
So the great news is that Jenni got a job at Boheme too!  She had a trial today and I am so proud of her for proving herself in the field of hospitality.  This is her first waiting job and I know she will be great.  Tomorrow night we work together so it should be a fun night!  This will be a good way for us to meet locals and make money at the same time.  Way to go Jenni!

Our German guy friends left for Sydney Tuesday on a Greyhound bus.  To see them off we all went to the beach Monday night, enjoyed some beers, and MANY laughs!!!  I seriously haven't laughed that hard since I can remember!  It was one of those nights where the silliest things had J and I laughing so hard there was no noise, just convulsions :)

Nothing shows your character more than what you laugh at.

The best way for you to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one.

Friday, November 26th, I worked my first day of my first job in Australia! 

Of course I wish I could be on vaca for a year and NOT work, but since I have to this is a fun place to be!  The restaurant is called Boheme and is located in Melbourne, Australia in an area known as Richmond.  Boheme is only a 15 minute walk to and from and I am enjoying the exercise.  There are many regulars and it is ALWAYS busy!  The menu is quite a bit different than a comparable American restaurant would be.  The good news is I can wear anything I want as long as my hair is back and my shoes are close-toed, the owners are both named Mark (what a silly name :) JK, Dad) and are fun and very involved, and all the girls have been very welcoming and helpful!  The bad news is that there is an array of different yummy desserts that make me crave sweets more than I already do! 

I am the only American working there and sometimes have a hard time with some people's accents, as do they with mine.  A girl I worked with yesterday said very quickly, "I'm gonna pop into the loo."  It took me a second and then I realized she meant she was going to the restroom so I would have our section alone for a minute haha.  Also, I really count on catching people pointing to the menu as they order because Aussies pronounce things VeRy differently. But people in Australia are very similar to home, in that they tend to be very kind, helpful, and friendly :)  One couple even came back today after a couple of hours and said that as they were shopping after brekky (breakfast) they came across a new restaurant that had a 'now hiring' sign since I had mentioned that we were still on the job hunt for Jenni.........how nice, huh!!!  

Well, today was my third day and my feet hurt real bad, but I am glad to be making money.  I work everyday this next week except Monday and have a double on Friday.  Lots of work= lots of money to continue my travels :)  It is surprising how willing one is to trade in their 'back home luxuries' of life in order to be where they want to be at that moment.  I feel grateful to be here, be able to work, and learn things about another culture.  

Happy TuRkEy Day!

November 25, 2010 Thanksgiving Day 

Jenni and I shared a delicious Thanksgiving dinner together on a rainy night in Australia.  Since turkey is not easy to come by here we had two of our favs...pizza and wine!

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.  ~William Arthur Ward

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.  ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

On this 25th day of November in the year 2010 I am thankful for many things. It is ironic to say "I am the luckiest girl I know" and actually feel that I AM the luckiest girl I know.  When it comes to friends and family I definitely have the best there is!  

To Jenni, thank you for being my travel partner and confidant.  You have been so supportive and I feel very lucky to have you by my side during this exciting and life changing experience.  We will NOT look back in 30 years and say "I wish I would have traveled."  Thank you for living out your dreams with me.  Thank you.

To all my friends, you know who you are because you are most likely reading this blog.  Thank you for always being there though thick and thin.  Thank you for all the laughs and tears and all the fun. Thanks for putting up with me when I am loud and crazy and just laughing with me instead of at me ;) I can truly say that if I never make another friend that I am perfectly blessed with you all in my life!  Thank you.

To my family, I definitely believe that the man I marry will be lucky to marry into my family!  I am so proud of my family and feel so blessed to have such loving and benevolent people in my life.  Thank you all for your support and generosity while traveling.  I hope you all eat lots of yummy food at Aunt Jeanne's. Enough for you and me! I love you all.  Thank you.

To Kristin and Devin, one of the luckiest days of my life, or as a German guy I met in a hostel in Australia would call it, "destiny", was when I waited on "the cute blonde family" at Hideaway.  I am so grateful to have you in my life and hope that I will have such a loving family as you do one day.  I can't even say "thank you" enough for everything you have done for me and have been there for.  Everything from the fun Vegas trips and "special treats" to the nights of bonding tears and life talks :)  You two are family to me and always will be.   Thank you.

To Noah and Olivia,  you are the sweetest, most thoughtful, funniest, kids and I am so happy that I have been able to be a part of your family.  I miss you both a lot and will always be your "miss Candy"  ;)  If my kids are even half as AwEsOmE as you two are, then I will be the luckiest mommy in the whole world.  I love you two in a circle ;)  Thank you for all the laughs and fun times you have given me.  Thank you.

To my Mom and Dad,  where do I even begin.....To start, Thank you.  I will never be able to show you the thanks that my heart feels.  Mom, you are my angel sent to me from Heaven.  You are my mother and my friend.  I can share stories with you and talk to you as if we were old friends, yet you are the only person who can put me back in my place and guide me in the right direction.  I thank you for that.  Dad, you are my Hero and my best friend.  I look like you, I am stubborn like you, I think cars are not frivolous things like you ;), I love watching movies like you, and I am proud to call you My Dad for so many reasons that I can not express through words.  You two are the hardest workers, yet the most selfless people I have ever known, and I am so proud of you both.  Thank you for molding me in to the young woman I am today.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my loved ones.  I am sending my "thanks" to you from 9,000 miles away from home!

Rudolph the red-nosed Kanga!

A Christmas painting on a store window made me laugh a bit :)

As you all know, I have been on the search for a job.  Well the bad news is that we are foreigners here so we are not the "ideal employees" being that we are travelers and only looking for a job for a short time.  I have handed out several CVs (resumes) and hadn't had much luck....until now!  Jenni and I had an interview today at Hotel Balaclava, which is a pub in St. Kilda not too far from the beach :).  Pat was the man's name who interviewed us and he was very pleasant and assuring and told us he'd call us on Friday.  Then I had a trial set up for 5:00 pm today, Wednesday, at a cool restaurant called Boheme in Richmond.  A trial is where I went in and they showed me the ropes and I was quickly put on my own to see if I could handle it.  Well I did handle it and I was offered the job!  The website of the restaurant I now work at is www.bohemerestaurantbar.com.au so you can check it out.  Boheme is only a 15 minute walk from where we live so that is definitely a plus whereas the Hotel Balaclava is a 30-45 minute tram ride.  Now we are finishing up the hunt for Jenni.  She is interested in a bit more of a chill scene like a cafe or coffee shop.  She brought her CV to a really cute cafe with delicious food just around the corner from where we live today and we can't wait to hear back! I know she will find something awesome and I will keep you posted.  If I am offered that job on Friday as well I will have a tough decision because there are positive and negatives of both. Either way 

I have my first Aussie job! 

There are several things different about Australia from the States, not only in the hospitality industry, but in general.  A few include:  
1.  Carding someone before serving them alcohol is offensive and employers don't want 
     you to ID, which leads me to.....
2.  Legal drinking age is 18
3.  You are paid 15-20 AUD$ per hour for waiting tables vs. $2.16 US, but tips are not 
     compulsory
4.  There are 5, 10, 20, 50, $1, & $2 Australian coins.  Most things ring up with uneven 
     cents so they round, for instance $3.96 would just be $4 and $8.23 would be $8.20
5.  Food and alcohol, along with most everything else, is MUCH more expensive here
     examples: Bottled beer is double the price here in Australia.  apprx.  8 AUD$ per beer
                     Canned sodas and candy bars are 2.50 AUD$.....and the list could go on!
6.  Light switches are upside down
7.  Electrical outlets have to be switched on and off
8.  Aussies drive on the opposite side of the road
9.  Public trams are many Aussies means for transportation
10. In a grocery store it is rare to see a brand or item that we have in the US
11. Sprite is called lemonade and lemonade is called lemon squash
12. Entrees at a restaurant are appetizers and what Americans call Entrees are called 
     "mains" here
13. It is uncommon to have air conditioner 
14. Instead of saying "your welcome", Aussies say "cheers" or "thanks, cheers"
15. Friends are called "mates"  
16. Australian deer have these funny little pouches on their bellies ;)






                  

Down by the Seashore, where life is a little easier

Instead of rubbing it in too much, I won't continue to blog about all the time we spend at the beach.  I will just share some not so beautiful photos ;)

I was laying in the grass underneath my favorite tree in St. Kilda

Jenni and I at St. Kilda Beach

I remember just lying in the grass, staring at the clouds, wondering where they drifted off to after they floated over Oklahoma. I never would have imagined that one day I would follow one of those clouds and find myself in Australia. 

 If your eyes are blinded with your worries, you cannot enjoy the beauty of the sunset.

 This picture shares my feeling of serenity

Jenni and I 

The House With the Purple Fence

On November 19, we found our first place in Australia to call "home".

22 Appleton Street, Australia

walking into the back yard

side view of house

cumquat tree

side porch

backyard garden