Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Under the sea
Fleur, Arthur (art-yooo-ur), Kathi (Kay-tee) and I rented a car with the intention of going surfing in Tourquay. Fleur and Arthur came to pick me up around 8:30 and then we headed over to the surf club to pick up some rack straps and boards. There, we met Kathi strapped the boards on and off we went.
Getting out of the city proved to be a bit harder than expected. Fleur's map reading skills and Arthur's sense of direction (and Kathi and my backseat driving) led us to the docklands and then to a dead end behind a semi-truck. Luckily, when we asked the quasi-deaf, Aussie old man driver of the truck for directions, he graciously offered us to follow him because he was heading the same way.
So we followed him... around the building, past the docklands, and onto the freeway towards Bendigo? Bendigo!? Right when I was beginning to realize that Bendigo was inland and the opposite direction, I saw something that confirmed my suspicions: a sign for the M1 free way (the one we wanted to be on) slowly slipping out of eyesight behind us... I was sure this man who we trailed was out of his mind. Arthur trusted him because he was Aussie. Fleur was with me and I'm pretty sure Kathi was just laughing at all of us. So, we continued on our likely 'wild-goose chase' of a mission...
After about ten minutes we were all in accordance: this old fart was trying to either lead us into the outback or take us on some ridiculously localized and remote back route. Regardless, we decided it would be best to pull over and ask for directions... which we did, therefore losing our trusty elderly Australian guide, at a petrol station whose employees didn't speak English or know what town we were passing through. In conclusion, shit out of luck!
After assessing our (lack of) options and reading the map left, right, upside down and backwards, we decided we would just continue on the way the OFTD (old fart truck driver) had lead us. So we drove... and drove... then we saw it! A sign for Geelong! Woo hoo! So the old man DID know where he was going... I guess lesson learned there is you should always trust ancient locals, for they have the best knowledge of the land.
We were on our way... Cruising down the freeway. Felt like your typical road trip: free, happy and fun. Fleur put on some popular songs from Holland: Shenkie in da Koelkast was one and I cannot remember the others. Then, my favorite part of the day happened...
Fleur put on "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid. The beginning of the song started with the Caribbean style marimbas or steel drums or whatever they are... then when the chorus came on, we all started singing!
I sang "UNDER THE SEA..." (English)
Fleur and Arthur "DIEP IN DE ZEE..." (Dutch)
Kathi "UNTER DEM MEER..." (German)
It was so amazing! We all had this cross cultural reference... It was something we all had in common: we all grew up watching Disney movies and singing the songs, but in completely different parts of the world. I don't know why it touched me so much... Maybe it was because I finally felt like I was really traveling; immersed in a different culture. I loved it!
Kathi, Fleur and Arthur!
---------------------------->
When we got to Tourquay beach, the waves were HUGE! It was very windy and the conditions were anything but good. I ruled out surfing that day... But we had already come all this way... We had to get in the water!
Arthur swinging Fleur around... Pre sufing haha.
We decided to head to Bell's just to experience the massive conditions to their fullest extent. The waves were ridiculous there-- at least 10 foot sets were rolling through! The guys out there looked like tiiiiiny little ants...
Yeah... it was quite large.
Everywhere else was either too blown out... Or too massive to surf. We asked around and people told us of this place called "Fisherman's" that was usually good on a huge swell...
So we went there! Sure enough, it looked like a lot of fun. So we suited up and jumped in...
It was really fun! Still getting to know my board better, loving it more every surf. Well, I think that is about it...
Oh, wait, no there's more. Fleur, Arthur and Kathi dropped me off at the train station because I had to get home for a soccer game...
I felt so content. I was pleasantly tired from surfing, watching the world fly by out the window as I listened to good music and stayed comfortable and warm in my sweatpants. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and enjoyed the moment. A few times I opened my eyes and looked out the window; every once in a while I would catch a quick glimpse of the reflection of my face, relaxed and satisfied, overlaying the beautiful scenery that passed and I would smile even bigger. Everyone else on the train probably thought I was crazy, smiling to myself and all, but I could have cared less. I could have ridden that train forever!
Thats it for today...
(We won our soccer game 10-2)
(I had my first night of work last night... I like my job so far!)
Peace and love, food, friends, family and everything else that's good...
MIR!
Getting out of the city proved to be a bit harder than expected. Fleur's map reading skills and Arthur's sense of direction (and Kathi and my backseat driving) led us to the docklands and then to a dead end behind a semi-truck. Luckily, when we asked the quasi-deaf, Aussie old man driver of the truck for directions, he graciously offered us to follow him because he was heading the same way.
So we followed him... around the building, past the docklands, and onto the freeway towards Bendigo? Bendigo!? Right when I was beginning to realize that Bendigo was inland and the opposite direction, I saw something that confirmed my suspicions: a sign for the M1 free way (the one we wanted to be on) slowly slipping out of eyesight behind us... I was sure this man who we trailed was out of his mind. Arthur trusted him because he was Aussie. Fleur was with me and I'm pretty sure Kathi was just laughing at all of us. So, we continued on our likely 'wild-goose chase' of a mission...
After about ten minutes we were all in accordance: this old fart was trying to either lead us into the outback or take us on some ridiculously localized and remote back route. Regardless, we decided it would be best to pull over and ask for directions... which we did, therefore losing our trusty elderly Australian guide, at a petrol station whose employees didn't speak English or know what town we were passing through. In conclusion, shit out of luck!
After assessing our (lack of) options and reading the map left, right, upside down and backwards, we decided we would just continue on the way the OFTD (old fart truck driver) had lead us. So we drove... and drove... then we saw it! A sign for Geelong! Woo hoo! So the old man DID know where he was going... I guess lesson learned there is you should always trust ancient locals, for they have the best knowledge of the land.
We were on our way... Cruising down the freeway. Felt like your typical road trip: free, happy and fun. Fleur put on some popular songs from Holland: Shenkie in da Koelkast was one and I cannot remember the others. Then, my favorite part of the day happened...
Fleur put on "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid. The beginning of the song started with the Caribbean style marimbas or steel drums or whatever they are... then when the chorus came on, we all started singing!
I sang "UNDER THE SEA..." (English)
Fleur and Arthur "DIEP IN DE ZEE..." (Dutch)
Kathi "UNTER DEM MEER..." (German)
It was so amazing! We all had this cross cultural reference... It was something we all had in common: we all grew up watching Disney movies and singing the songs, but in completely different parts of the world. I don't know why it touched me so much... Maybe it was because I finally felt like I was really traveling; immersed in a different culture. I loved it!
Kathi, Fleur and Arthur!
---------------------------->
When we got to Tourquay beach, the waves were HUGE! It was very windy and the conditions were anything but good. I ruled out surfing that day... But we had already come all this way... We had to get in the water!
Arthur swinging Fleur around... Pre sufing haha.
We decided to head to Bell's just to experience the massive conditions to their fullest extent. The waves were ridiculous there-- at least 10 foot sets were rolling through! The guys out there looked like tiiiiiny little ants...
Yeah... it was quite large.
Everywhere else was either too blown out... Or too massive to surf. We asked around and people told us of this place called "Fisherman's" that was usually good on a huge swell...
So we went there! Sure enough, it looked like a lot of fun. So we suited up and jumped in...
It was really fun! Still getting to know my board better, loving it more every surf. Well, I think that is about it...
Oh, wait, no there's more. Fleur, Arthur and Kathi dropped me off at the train station because I had to get home for a soccer game...
I felt so content. I was pleasantly tired from surfing, watching the world fly by out the window as I listened to good music and stayed comfortable and warm in my sweatpants. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and enjoyed the moment. A few times I opened my eyes and looked out the window; every once in a while I would catch a quick glimpse of the reflection of my face, relaxed and satisfied, overlaying the beautiful scenery that passed and I would smile even bigger. Everyone else on the train probably thought I was crazy, smiling to myself and all, but I could have cared less. I could have ridden that train forever!
Thats it for today...
(We won our soccer game 10-2)
(I had my first night of work last night... I like my job so far!)
Peace and love, food, friends, family and everything else that's good...
MIR!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Words to live by:
1. Try a donut with bleu cheese on it.
2. Never cook green beans at 4 AM without the cooking fan on.
3. Don't try to pull off a plastic bag as a shirt.
4. Don't eat surf wax; it does NOT taste how it smells.
5. Don't get drunk to the point where you can't tell the men's from the women's bathroom (or gym locker room).
6. Don't skip your morning tutorial and then run into your tutorial leader on campus later that day.
7. Try not to get caught by a male security guard, three girls in a stall in the womens' bathroom, with a bottle of vodka that you brought in your shoe...at a gay bar.
8. Always remember, the number 8 is the best number in the world.
DISCLAIMER: The information contained on or linked to this blog post is general information. Nothing in this blog post is or purports to be advice. You should not rely on any information on or linked to this web site. If you need advice, you should seek personal professional advice based on your own circumstances.
2. Never cook green beans at 4 AM without the cooking fan on.
3. Don't try to pull off a plastic bag as a shirt.
4. Don't eat surf wax; it does NOT taste how it smells.
5. Don't get drunk to the point where you can't tell the men's from the women's bathroom (or gym locker room).
6. Don't skip your morning tutorial and then run into your tutorial leader on campus later that day.
7. Try not to get caught by a male security guard, three girls in a stall in the womens' bathroom, with a bottle of vodka that you brought in your shoe...at a gay bar.
8. Always remember, the number 8 is the best number in the world.
DISCLAIMER: The information contained on or linked to this blog post is general information. Nothing in this blog post is or purports to be advice. You should not rely on any information on or linked to this web site. If you need advice, you should seek personal professional advice based on your own circumstances.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
And then I looked around the room and realized that I was the only American....
And it made me happy :)
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Do what you like, like what you do.
I just made an Asian stirfry. On that subject... I shall tell you about my soccer team! I am currently on the indoor soccer team (futsal) called the Melbourne Unicorns. I know the name is amazing... I am the only white girl on our team. They call me their "token white girl" haha. Most of the girls are from some type of Asian descent.
This was before I was on the team... But can't you imagine me right there in the middle, blonde. I think I stand out a bit.
So far, the team has been so fun. We practice once a week and play a game once a week. We have been winning a lot so far... If we win the next two games, we will be on to the finals! I have a good feeling about it.
As for today, I went surfing with Tom, Fleur and Alex. Actually, I ended up surfing with just Tom, Lockey and a few other Aussie boys because Fleur and Alex needed to rent boards, so they went to another place.
It was semi windy and there was a really strong current so I kept getting swept parallel to shore. Needless to say, there was a lot of paddling involved... AND a very very small takeoff zone, so you had to paddle A LOT to stay in the right spot. My arms are very sore, as is my back. I only ended up getting one good one, which was enough for me. I like my new board. I think it is going to take a bit of getting used to, but I'm up for it!
I went to another gay bar with Jake on Friday! Fleur, Coen and Camille accompanied us. Once again, it was quite a fun and ridiculous (in a good way) scene.
I went job hunting on Saturday! Got offered two jobs... Well I at least got a trial run. I got offered a job at the first two restaurants I went to! I turned in one resume at this place called Cafe Cavallari, then went next door to Cafe Notturno. As I was speaking to the manager at Cafe Notturno, the manager from Cafe Cavallari called me. Lucky! I guess I just came in at the right time... I'm going to have a trial at Notturno on Monday and Cavallari on Tuesday. I'm going to be a server too... Should be interesting! Pays really really well though AND under the table.
As for tonight... I am writing my first essay. Exciting story, huh? That's the wrap up! xx
This was before I was on the team... But can't you imagine me right there in the middle, blonde. I think I stand out a bit.
So far, the team has been so fun. We practice once a week and play a game once a week. We have been winning a lot so far... If we win the next two games, we will be on to the finals! I have a good feeling about it.
As for today, I went surfing with Tom, Fleur and Alex. Actually, I ended up surfing with just Tom, Lockey and a few other Aussie boys because Fleur and Alex needed to rent boards, so they went to another place.
It was semi windy and there was a really strong current so I kept getting swept parallel to shore. Needless to say, there was a lot of paddling involved... AND a very very small takeoff zone, so you had to paddle A LOT to stay in the right spot. My arms are very sore, as is my back. I only ended up getting one good one, which was enough for me. I like my new board. I think it is going to take a bit of getting used to, but I'm up for it!
I went to another gay bar with Jake on Friday! Fleur, Coen and Camille accompanied us. Once again, it was quite a fun and ridiculous (in a good way) scene.
I went job hunting on Saturday! Got offered two jobs... Well I at least got a trial run. I got offered a job at the first two restaurants I went to! I turned in one resume at this place called Cafe Cavallari, then went next door to Cafe Notturno. As I was speaking to the manager at Cafe Notturno, the manager from Cafe Cavallari called me. Lucky! I guess I just came in at the right time... I'm going to have a trial at Notturno on Monday and Cavallari on Tuesday. I'm going to be a server too... Should be interesting! Pays really really well though AND under the table.
As for tonight... I am writing my first essay. Exciting story, huh? That's the wrap up! xx
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
The "PRIME" of Your Life
My 20s... Everyone keeps telling me these are "the best years of your life". "Live it up while you still can". Honestly, when people tell me this, I get scared. It also makes me want to prove them wrong. Surely, I cannot deny that these years have been some of the best of my life, but I think it a fallacy that getting old makes you less content. Or at least you can make it a fallacy... it's like a self fulfilling prophecy! Physically yes, we might be at our prime in our twenties, but mentally, you can be sure I'll be living it up until grandmahood.
I read Dan's blog. His is full of incite and he's very good at analyzing ("analySing" in Australian) his experiences. So far I feel like I have just been telling stories, which isn't bad, but I guess I should share some of the things that I think I have learned... because as I have been told, these ARE the best years of my life and this is supposed to be a life changing experience.
First and foremost, I have always thought that you should never take life too seriously. Only, I really get to apply that here in Australia. Ready for the cliche? Here it goes: "life is too short" to worry about pleasing everyone, finish every reading assignment, hold a grudge, not be the first to say hello, not go skinny dipping, not eat that piece of chocolate or not tell someone you love them. So cliche... but rather true.
Also, right now I am doing really well sans boy. If you know me well, you know that I have been in many a relationship... which can lead to dependence, reliance blah blah all that stuff. Being devoid of an hombre has been fine! I think it is allowing me to really experience things for myself; strengthening my sense of ME. I feel like I already had a pretty good idea about that, but I guess you can always get to know yourself a little better, ha!
What else... little things don't matter here. Back home, you get the occasional drama (holla back Santa Cruz!). It's really inevitable... small town, same people, it can sometimes create sticky situations. DISCLAIMER: This is not to say that there is no drama in Australia! Only that I have not yet experienced any... DISCLAIMER 2: Of course, I have only been here a month and a half and sometimes it takes time for drama to develop, so yeah, I know, it's really not fair to compare the two. BUT, I am thoroughly enjoying myself here and in the moment, I have virtually no problems, SO I am just gonna go ahead and do it. It's hard to explain anyway... but most people seem to not take life too seriously here. It's like... in the States, people live to work. Everything you do is to find a high paying job for yourself in order to have a big house, fulfill the American Dream (generalization!! but we all know it runs true in some cases... and on varying scales). Here I feel like people work to live... Your job is not your life, just your means to an end... You aren't defined by your job. I don't know if that makes sense really... But this has nothing to do about le drama... Straying from my point!
Basically, people don't stress over things that don't matter here. Being away from home makes me realize (realiSe) how much people let the little petty things get in the way of their contentment... It's like sometimes they can't see the big picture.
What else... being stuffed into an uncomfortable situation can sometimes have a remarkable outcome. You gotta start somewhere...
Meh, now I'm just ranting. I'll be back with a fun and exciting story sometime in the near future...
Peace, love, and um... green beans? I love green beans.
Oh, and have I ever told you that I love YOU?! Ha.
I read Dan's blog. His is full of incite and he's very good at analyzing ("analySing" in Australian) his experiences. So far I feel like I have just been telling stories, which isn't bad, but I guess I should share some of the things that I think I have learned... because as I have been told, these ARE the best years of my life and this is supposed to be a life changing experience.
First and foremost, I have always thought that you should never take life too seriously. Only, I really get to apply that here in Australia. Ready for the cliche? Here it goes: "life is too short" to worry about pleasing everyone, finish every reading assignment, hold a grudge, not be the first to say hello, not go skinny dipping, not eat that piece of chocolate or not tell someone you love them. So cliche... but rather true.
Also, right now I am doing really well sans boy. If you know me well, you know that I have been in many a relationship... which can lead to dependence, reliance blah blah all that stuff. Being devoid of an hombre has been fine! I think it is allowing me to really experience things for myself; strengthening my sense of ME. I feel like I already had a pretty good idea about that, but I guess you can always get to know yourself a little better, ha!
What else... little things don't matter here. Back home, you get the occasional drama (holla back Santa Cruz!). It's really inevitable... small town, same people, it can sometimes create sticky situations. DISCLAIMER: This is not to say that there is no drama in Australia! Only that I have not yet experienced any... DISCLAIMER 2: Of course, I have only been here a month and a half and sometimes it takes time for drama to develop, so yeah, I know, it's really not fair to compare the two. BUT, I am thoroughly enjoying myself here and in the moment, I have virtually no problems, SO I am just gonna go ahead and do it. It's hard to explain anyway... but most people seem to not take life too seriously here. It's like... in the States, people live to work. Everything you do is to find a high paying job for yourself in order to have a big house, fulfill the American Dream (generalization!! but we all know it runs true in some cases... and on varying scales). Here I feel like people work to live... Your job is not your life, just your means to an end... You aren't defined by your job. I don't know if that makes sense really... But this has nothing to do about le drama... Straying from my point!
Basically, people don't stress over things that don't matter here. Being away from home makes me realize (realiSe) how much people let the little petty things get in the way of their contentment... It's like sometimes they can't see the big picture.
What else... being stuffed into an uncomfortable situation can sometimes have a remarkable outcome. You gotta start somewhere...
Meh, now I'm just ranting. I'll be back with a fun and exciting story sometime in the near future...
Peace, love, and um... green beans? I love green beans.
Oh, and have I ever told you that I love YOU?! Ha.
Monday, August 17, 2009
What a weekend... WOW
I got a call this morning. When I say morning, I mean 5:50 in the morning. Hence, the fact I am awake right now... If it had been anybody other than my dad calling to tell me I was the only one missing from our family reunion, I would have been a bit pissed. So yes, it is 7 AM, but that's okay. Now I can be productive...
Where to start... This past weekend: "surf" camp. I got back last night from the craziest weekend of my life. It's one of those things you look back upon thinking, "did that actually happen?"
I'll tell you first, that there were no waves--literally .5 feet. This is the reason behind the "quotations" around surf in "surf" camp. No surfing took place. Some measly paddling... maybe. Secondly, nobody actually surfs in "surf" camp. Everyone goes for the partying, a fact that was unknown to me. Another fun fact, there were 40 beds for the 80 people that joined the camp... Sounds like a recipe for mayhem, huh?
The journey started at 1:30 on Friday where I met in the parking lot with Fleur to leave for Bancoora Life Saving Club, which I soon figured out was in the middle of nowhere. I can't complain about the location of the accommodation... it was right on the beach surrounded by awesome "bush" (for lack of a better word).
The bunks were stacked three high and three across. Fleur and I made sure to claim one as soon as we got there. We knew we would be sharing... The one we managed to commandeer was on the very top on the end.
Onward and outward... we arrived around four. Fleur and I took a romantic beach walk before sunset. The beach stretched on forever and ever. Along the way we met a few old fishermen and collected some shells.
We were so happy to be away from the city! We had no idea what we were in for when night rolled around...
We started off the night with some box wine (a.k.a. GOON). Goon is the cheapest (and dirtiest) form of alcohol here in Australia.
Yup, that's the stuff.
By the time the sun had set, we were starving. Breakfast and dinner were included in the fees we paid. We headed in for dinner. At around 8 o'clock, the common room was buzzing with young people. Everyone was chatting but at the same time eying the kitchen to see what should emerge. 8:30, still no food. My tummy was grumbling. I was talking to Fleur and some others, when suddenly a pan of garlic bread was slammed down on the table behind me. IMMEDIATELY people stormed the table, grabbing, pushing, clawing. Like animals that hadn't eaten in weeks. This is when I realized I would have to fight for my food. If you were there at the right time, you got to eat. Otherwise, it would be stale bread that we brought from home for dinner! Next round of garlic bread, I was ready. Full on football stance, hands up, ready to go. Mmm, that garlic bread was good.
God, I talk too much... I'll try to condense this.
I was tired and ready for bed at this point. Lack of sleep and food coma took over. It was 11ish when I headed to bed. Fleur and I crawled into our tiny bunk, which according to this German girl had been claimed by her hours ago. Fleur and I decided that since we went to bed before her, that it was logical that the bed belonged to us. Here we are curled up in our tiny uncomfortable sky bunk:
It didn't take long for the rest of the people to start to rage. They didn't come for the surfing; they came to stay up to 4 AM, listen to techno and get naked. Seriously though, they came to get naked (not that I am opposed to nudity at all... I love being naked, but they took it to a-whole-nother level). Fleur and I tried to sleep, we really did, but as you can imagine, the 80 people that were trying to fit into these 40 beds were far from quiet. It might be a bit un-PC, but it reminded me a bit of a small scale World War III... I just need to get my point across. Also, the fact that there were so many people from all over the world runs true with my comparison. If you can imagine a small war minus weapons and physical fighting, you can imagine my nights at the "surf" camp. Fog horns were going off, people were yelling, farting, things were crashing and booming and squeaking, creaking, bass was bumping, naked people were poking me telling me I was lame for trying to sleep. Honestly, it got past the point of annoying... onto hysterical. I was delirious. It was 4:30.
7:30 AM.
"WAKE UP EVERYBODY! ITS TIME TO SURF! DO YOU HAVE A SURF LESSON?" I felt a someone poke me on my back. I cracked an eye. "DO YOU HAVE A SURF LESSON?" Someone yelled in my ear. I shook my head. "OK!" I turned over.
Really!? People were awake?! People were still yelling at 7 effing thirty in the morning?! I'm not sure what time I actually got to bed... I reckon around 5.
I couldn't fall back asleep. Fleur and I got up. Breakfast time! Breakfast consisted of toast. Yes, the weekend was very carby... in terms of food. Lots of carbs. Luckily, Fleur and I had stopped by the store so we had a secret stash of green beans and carrots. heh heh heh
Time to surf!
Biggest wave of the day. ha ha.
Like the day before, there was no surf... regardless, I decided to surf. 10 foot foam board, tiny waves, good people, once again can't complain. Oh, did I mention it was sunny?
After our minisurf, we had a tailgate party in the parking lot of this small convenient store.
This is Fleur and this other Dutch guy named Coen (pronounced KOON). He is hilarious and happens to be gay. He provided much entertainment for this trip... He taught me many dirty Dutch words like "Lachen Pipen". Also, I learned how to say "poop in your shoe"... "poopi ees coon" (spelling is DEFINITELY wrong... sorry Fleur, I tried).
That night, Fleur and I had a plan: we would get hammered drunk and therefore be able to get a good night sleep and make it through all the noise. Plan failed. The punch that the surf camp provided DID get me tipsy (tipsy enough to participate in one of their multiple 'nudie runs'...) but it also had a whole case of redbull in it... That combined with the alcohol AND lack of sleep = Miranda getting drunk, nudie run, eat, eat, eat, more eating, sleeping from 11 to 12, waking up to more yelling, naked people, farting, bass etc... in the same exact situation as the night before. Fuck.
Once again, no sleep. Once again, can't complain. The whole weekend was a bit comical... That's all I can say. C'est la vie. It happened. Or did it? Was it a dream? I made some new friends, barley surfed, got no sleep, but all in all, I would say that I had fun. That's all that matters.
Thanks to our faithful driver, Dave Dixon, I was able to get this photo to show you the true surf camp:
Ha ha. This was before the clothes came off....
Lastly, BIG NEWS! I bought a surfboard!!! Yahoo... on the way home, I stopped by my roommate Bianca's father's surf shop! He was so so sweet to me... He hooked me up with a board, a bag, a leash, two things of wax and a wax comb all for 300 dollars. Best deal ever... Plus, I love my board. It is 6'3, rather wide and very beautiful. It has a Koi fish on it for good luck... When picking it, I immediately felt a bond between us. I think we are in for a good, long, Australian relationship together.
That's all folks... How to wrap this up... I realized this morning as I was halfway between sleep and thought that the best way to live life is like cooking without a recipe: loose plans, lots of new and experimental ingredients and not too much seriousness. I dunno if that makes sense... but I've found that most of the time it turns out to be something delicious! If not that, at least it's interesting. Ha ha, k, I'm out!
Where to start... This past weekend: "surf" camp. I got back last night from the craziest weekend of my life. It's one of those things you look back upon thinking, "did that actually happen?"
I'll tell you first, that there were no waves--literally .5 feet. This is the reason behind the "quotations" around surf in "surf" camp. No surfing took place. Some measly paddling... maybe. Secondly, nobody actually surfs in "surf" camp. Everyone goes for the partying, a fact that was unknown to me. Another fun fact, there were 40 beds for the 80 people that joined the camp... Sounds like a recipe for mayhem, huh?
The journey started at 1:30 on Friday where I met in the parking lot with Fleur to leave for Bancoora Life Saving Club, which I soon figured out was in the middle of nowhere. I can't complain about the location of the accommodation... it was right on the beach surrounded by awesome "bush" (for lack of a better word).
The bunks were stacked three high and three across. Fleur and I made sure to claim one as soon as we got there. We knew we would be sharing... The one we managed to commandeer was on the very top on the end.
Onward and outward... we arrived around four. Fleur and I took a romantic beach walk before sunset. The beach stretched on forever and ever. Along the way we met a few old fishermen and collected some shells.
We were so happy to be away from the city! We had no idea what we were in for when night rolled around...
We started off the night with some box wine (a.k.a. GOON). Goon is the cheapest (and dirtiest) form of alcohol here in Australia.
Yup, that's the stuff.
By the time the sun had set, we were starving. Breakfast and dinner were included in the fees we paid. We headed in for dinner. At around 8 o'clock, the common room was buzzing with young people. Everyone was chatting but at the same time eying the kitchen to see what should emerge. 8:30, still no food. My tummy was grumbling. I was talking to Fleur and some others, when suddenly a pan of garlic bread was slammed down on the table behind me. IMMEDIATELY people stormed the table, grabbing, pushing, clawing. Like animals that hadn't eaten in weeks. This is when I realized I would have to fight for my food. If you were there at the right time, you got to eat. Otherwise, it would be stale bread that we brought from home for dinner! Next round of garlic bread, I was ready. Full on football stance, hands up, ready to go. Mmm, that garlic bread was good.
God, I talk too much... I'll try to condense this.
I was tired and ready for bed at this point. Lack of sleep and food coma took over. It was 11ish when I headed to bed. Fleur and I crawled into our tiny bunk, which according to this German girl had been claimed by her hours ago. Fleur and I decided that since we went to bed before her, that it was logical that the bed belonged to us. Here we are curled up in our tiny uncomfortable sky bunk:
It didn't take long for the rest of the people to start to rage. They didn't come for the surfing; they came to stay up to 4 AM, listen to techno and get naked. Seriously though, they came to get naked (not that I am opposed to nudity at all... I love being naked, but they took it to a-whole-nother level). Fleur and I tried to sleep, we really did, but as you can imagine, the 80 people that were trying to fit into these 40 beds were far from quiet. It might be a bit un-PC, but it reminded me a bit of a small scale World War III... I just need to get my point across. Also, the fact that there were so many people from all over the world runs true with my comparison. If you can imagine a small war minus weapons and physical fighting, you can imagine my nights at the "surf" camp. Fog horns were going off, people were yelling, farting, things were crashing and booming and squeaking, creaking, bass was bumping, naked people were poking me telling me I was lame for trying to sleep. Honestly, it got past the point of annoying... onto hysterical. I was delirious. It was 4:30.
7:30 AM.
"WAKE UP EVERYBODY! ITS TIME TO SURF! DO YOU HAVE A SURF LESSON?" I felt a someone poke me on my back. I cracked an eye. "DO YOU HAVE A SURF LESSON?" Someone yelled in my ear. I shook my head. "OK!" I turned over.
Really!? People were awake?! People were still yelling at 7 effing thirty in the morning?! I'm not sure what time I actually got to bed... I reckon around 5.
I couldn't fall back asleep. Fleur and I got up. Breakfast time! Breakfast consisted of toast. Yes, the weekend was very carby... in terms of food. Lots of carbs. Luckily, Fleur and I had stopped by the store so we had a secret stash of green beans and carrots. heh heh heh
Time to surf!
Biggest wave of the day. ha ha.
Like the day before, there was no surf... regardless, I decided to surf. 10 foot foam board, tiny waves, good people, once again can't complain. Oh, did I mention it was sunny?
After our minisurf, we had a tailgate party in the parking lot of this small convenient store.
This is Fleur and this other Dutch guy named Coen (pronounced KOON). He is hilarious and happens to be gay. He provided much entertainment for this trip... He taught me many dirty Dutch words like "Lachen Pipen". Also, I learned how to say "poop in your shoe"... "poopi ees coon" (spelling is DEFINITELY wrong... sorry Fleur, I tried).
That night, Fleur and I had a plan: we would get hammered drunk and therefore be able to get a good night sleep and make it through all the noise. Plan failed. The punch that the surf camp provided DID get me tipsy (tipsy enough to participate in one of their multiple 'nudie runs'...) but it also had a whole case of redbull in it... That combined with the alcohol AND lack of sleep = Miranda getting drunk, nudie run, eat, eat, eat, more eating, sleeping from 11 to 12, waking up to more yelling, naked people, farting, bass etc... in the same exact situation as the night before. Fuck.
Once again, no sleep. Once again, can't complain. The whole weekend was a bit comical... That's all I can say. C'est la vie. It happened. Or did it? Was it a dream? I made some new friends, barley surfed, got no sleep, but all in all, I would say that I had fun. That's all that matters.
Thanks to our faithful driver, Dave Dixon, I was able to get this photo to show you the true surf camp:
Ha ha. This was before the clothes came off....
Lastly, BIG NEWS! I bought a surfboard!!! Yahoo... on the way home, I stopped by my roommate Bianca's father's surf shop! He was so so sweet to me... He hooked me up with a board, a bag, a leash, two things of wax and a wax comb all for 300 dollars. Best deal ever... Plus, I love my board. It is 6'3, rather wide and very beautiful. It has a Koi fish on it for good luck... When picking it, I immediately felt a bond between us. I think we are in for a good, long, Australian relationship together.
That's all folks... How to wrap this up... I realized this morning as I was halfway between sleep and thought that the best way to live life is like cooking without a recipe: loose plans, lots of new and experimental ingredients and not too much seriousness. I dunno if that makes sense... but I've found that most of the time it turns out to be something delicious! If not that, at least it's interesting. Ha ha, k, I'm out!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Mmmmm...
Today:
Weather: SUNNY!
Step one: Grocery shopping at Coles with Dan and Cam...
Step two: Grocery shopping at the Vic Market...
Step three: cook, munch and EAT!
Lesson learned: Grocery shopping makes me 100 times happier than shoes or clothes shopping.
I'm so sore from climbing...
I got my belay card yesterday. Back home you have to to take an extensive class and test to get it. Here they show you the knots and you're up the wall! So much fun! I'll be going a lot I reckon (I am starting to talk like an aussie ahhhh).
Sam and his friend John-o made Camille and I sushi last night! It was so good! The four of us finished a foot high pile of sushi. Mmm... then we had wine and TIM TAMS (a chocolatey Australian cookie that I have become addicted to). What a good day!
LOVE!
Weather: SUNNY!
Step one: Grocery shopping at Coles with Dan and Cam...
Step two: Grocery shopping at the Vic Market...
Step three: cook, munch and EAT!
Lesson learned: Grocery shopping makes me 100 times happier than shoes or clothes shopping.
I'm so sore from climbing...
I got my belay card yesterday. Back home you have to to take an extensive class and test to get it. Here they show you the knots and you're up the wall! So much fun! I'll be going a lot I reckon (I am starting to talk like an aussie ahhhh).
Sam and his friend John-o made Camille and I sushi last night! It was so good! The four of us finished a foot high pile of sushi. Mmm... then we had wine and TIM TAMS (a chocolatey Australian cookie that I have become addicted to). What a good day!
LOVE!
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