07 July, 2011
When life brings you lemons dress them up and play a game
Today the kids and I were invited to lunch at a friend's house. Christine, is a member of St. Simon Peter Parish and kindly welcomed us with open arms. What a treat to be in an actual home with regular home furnishings. We lunched on hamburgers, cookies, chocolate cake, coffee, tea and milk. Fun was had by all, but the crowning touch for the children was picking lemons from her lemon tree. Lemons are in season here now and they are beautiful! Some are the size of large oranges stateside. Everyone got to pick one and bring it home. They were so excited! They immediately gave names to their lemons and starting being absolutely silly. When we pulled up at our house I found myself saying, "If your lemon is now your new best friend, why don't you take him around back and show him the pool?" The lemons enjoyed a tour and a nap on the air mattress with a doll blankie. Oliver's quickly sported a sock hat and I couldn't help but wonder why I packed ANY toys at all in the shipping container when children can entertain themselves with boxes and fruit. I hope the children won't be too upset when their new friends become lemonade or lemon tart tomorrow.
06 July, 2011
We are the Rieckens and would like to apologize in advance
I am slowly meeting people. I've become accustomed to speaking to strangers in fact. While at the grocery store I often ask the poor person who happens to be in ear shot something inane like, "Excuse me, is this sour cream actually sour cream like you would put on a baked potato?" I've never bought sour cream in what looks like a small carton for whipping cream before. Turns out, just like the kind woman at the store with the lovely accent said, "It's beautiful!" The creamiest (I know this can't be good for me) sour cream.
Today I met our neighbor to the east, under a more distressing situation. "Hello, I'm Erika Riecken your new neighbor. I'm so sorry, but my daughter Zoey has just bitten your son. There luckily isn't any blood. I'm not sure why she did it, but I wanted you to know that we do not accept this kind of behavior and she has made an apology and been punished." Belinda was very congenial and we chatted for some time on the front step. I probably should have apologized too for my children teaching her children how to play "toilet tag." Aussies play tag but not TOILET TAG. That was something new. I'm so proud.
Today I met our neighbor to the east, under a more distressing situation. "Hello, I'm Erika Riecken your new neighbor. I'm so sorry, but my daughter Zoey has just bitten your son. There luckily isn't any blood. I'm not sure why she did it, but I wanted you to know that we do not accept this kind of behavior and she has made an apology and been punished." Belinda was very congenial and we chatted for some time on the front step. I probably should have apologized too for my children teaching her children how to play "toilet tag." Aussies play tag but not TOILET TAG. That was something new. I'm so proud.
"Sing to the Mountains. Sing to the Sea!"
A five minute drive west from our house lands us here, the Indian Ocean. This was our first official outing with just "Mum." I've become familiar enough with driving on the left side and with our roads/surroundings to venture out this afternoon. AND, the weather was cooperating. I sat by the pool with my lunch today and my pastey white Minnesota cheeks got some color. In reality, it is still only 60 something but lovely in the sunshine.
We had intended to also go to the Joondalup library but Oliver's wet pants lead us to stop home first. He was mortified to sit in his undies for the ride home. Upon arrival at home, we found neighbor kids wanting to play so the library trip was postponed.
02 July, 2011
House Music... and Zombies
I am still adjusting to the sounds that out house makes in the small hours of the night.
It is raining tonight (it currently being 6:00am and still dark out due to the Winter sun, I can still call it night). And there is a drain pipe that goes down the side of our house in the patio area. So you can imagine that when it rains there might be some noise that comes from this drain pipe...
Our house has almost no furniture yet. The shipping container won't come for 6-10 weeks. So there is a terrible echo throughout the house.
(You can see where this is going?)
When the rain slows down, this drain pipe makes a gurgling noise... much like a zombie outside of your door wanting to come inside and eat your brains....
Which echos through the entire house...
and apparently, in the case of an Australian zomb-pocolipse, I will be the only one awake for it.
Now that I know the source of the brain eating freak's gurgling call, I can go back to bed... but not yet back to sleep. So instead of finding another hour of sleep, I blog. My irrational fear of drain spout noises will hopefully translate into some minutes of reading pleasure for you.
Also, I can hear the toilet tank running (it doesn't seal properly and perpetually fills) from across the house. This however, has a financial, and not a survival, aspect to it.
Trying to return to sleep now. Good night zombies.... wherever you are.
It is raining tonight (it currently being 6:00am and still dark out due to the Winter sun, I can still call it night). And there is a drain pipe that goes down the side of our house in the patio area. So you can imagine that when it rains there might be some noise that comes from this drain pipe...
Our house has almost no furniture yet. The shipping container won't come for 6-10 weeks. So there is a terrible echo throughout the house.
(You can see where this is going?)
When the rain slows down, this drain pipe makes a gurgling noise... much like a zombie outside of your door wanting to come inside and eat your brains....
Which echos through the entire house...
and apparently, in the case of an Australian zomb-pocolipse, I will be the only one awake for it.
Now that I know the source of the brain eating freak's gurgling call, I can go back to bed... but not yet back to sleep. So instead of finding another hour of sleep, I blog. My irrational fear of drain spout noises will hopefully translate into some minutes of reading pleasure for you.
Also, I can hear the toilet tank running (it doesn't seal properly and perpetually fills) from across the house. This however, has a financial, and not a survival, aspect to it.
Trying to return to sleep now. Good night zombies.... wherever you are.
01 July, 2011
My Homeland's Birthday Party, Celebrated Abroad
Though we are half a world away (I guess a full world away would be right back where we started), we still celebrate America's birthday. We will be joining the American Women's Club of Western Australia for their annual party.
Money changers
My mother always claimed that I could get into line at the bank and know everyone in line's life story before I got to the teller. Today that personality trait made me $140 and a bottle of Margaret River (Australian) wine.
I was "in line" at the bank getting some money out to put a down payment on a new van. The line at my bank involves checking in at a computer. The computer spits out a number and then they call the number. This way you get queued up for the teller that can best help you.
While I waited for my number to be called, I noticed a lady who looked to be lost. I asked if I could help. She was looking for the money changing counter. There is a sign outside of the bank that advertises the exchange rates and she was looking for where to change her money. As we were looking thorough the options on the computer screen a bank employee helped direct her to the dedicated money changing counter. Problem solved.
Then my number got called and I was at the window next to the lady. I overheard her complain about the rate that the bank offered her on AMERICAN DOLLARS. It turn out that they charge a commission and a changing fee on top of the advertised rate.
"Ma'am," I said. "I have American dollars that I can trade for you at the market rate." We sat down in the bank lobby and exchanged information. I called Erika to find out how much American currency we had and called the lady on her cell to see if that would suit her needs.
She drove up to our house at dinner time and we made an exchange of AU$1,400 for US$1,500 (which is the going market rate within a dollar). She drove all the way up to us AND brought us a bottle of wine as a "welcome to Australia" present.
She saved about $140 in exchange fees and so did I. The bank lost out on $280 total.
As for her life story, she is going to visit her daughter in New York City next week and is a mortgage broker. We will call her in a year when our lease is up, perhaps.
You are never alone if you are not afraid to talk to strangers. And you are never without friends if you are not afraid to be kind to strangers.
And the wine was good. :)
For you bible thumpers out there: Link
I was "in line" at the bank getting some money out to put a down payment on a new van. The line at my bank involves checking in at a computer. The computer spits out a number and then they call the number. This way you get queued up for the teller that can best help you.
While I waited for my number to be called, I noticed a lady who looked to be lost. I asked if I could help. She was looking for the money changing counter. There is a sign outside of the bank that advertises the exchange rates and she was looking for where to change her money. As we were looking thorough the options on the computer screen a bank employee helped direct her to the dedicated money changing counter. Problem solved.
Then my number got called and I was at the window next to the lady. I overheard her complain about the rate that the bank offered her on AMERICAN DOLLARS. It turn out that they charge a commission and a changing fee on top of the advertised rate.
"Ma'am," I said. "I have American dollars that I can trade for you at the market rate." We sat down in the bank lobby and exchanged information. I called Erika to find out how much American currency we had and called the lady on her cell to see if that would suit her needs.
She drove up to our house at dinner time and we made an exchange of AU$1,400 for US$1,500 (which is the going market rate within a dollar). She drove all the way up to us AND brought us a bottle of wine as a "welcome to Australia" present.
She saved about $140 in exchange fees and so did I. The bank lost out on $280 total.
As for her life story, she is going to visit her daughter in New York City next week and is a mortgage broker. We will call her in a year when our lease is up, perhaps.
You are never alone if you are not afraid to talk to strangers. And you are never without friends if you are not afraid to be kind to strangers.
And the wine was good. :)
For you bible thumpers out there: Link
License to Drive
I spent some quality time at the licensing bureau of Western Australia today. I found that the licensing bureau here is the same as it is anywhere. Yu dimly queue up and pay money. I could have been in Minneapolis or Timbuktu.
I was in the office to transfer the title to my new car (new to me, it is old, old, old in calendar years) and to register it for another six months.
While there I inquired into getting an Australian driver's license and this is what I found.
American drivers licenses are valid here for a period of ninety days. If you are going to stay longer, they prefer, but do not require, that you get your license before the ninety day period. There is no test for adults. Yu dimly fill out a form (know your height in centimeters) and pay a small fee of $36.20.
For people on medications (like me, I am a diabetic) you will be required to get a little note from your doctor that says that your pills aren't going to cause you to drive off the road. So, a new adventure begins as I have never visited a doctor in another country before.
More to follow on this, I am sure.
I was in the office to transfer the title to my new car (new to me, it is old, old, old in calendar years) and to register it for another six months.
While there I inquired into getting an Australian driver's license and this is what I found.
American drivers licenses are valid here for a period of ninety days. If you are going to stay longer, they prefer, but do not require, that you get your license before the ninety day period. There is no test for adults. Yu dimly fill out a form (know your height in centimeters) and pay a small fee of $36.20.
For people on medications (like me, I am a diabetic) you will be required to get a little note from your doctor that says that your pills aren't going to cause you to drive off the road. So, a new adventure begins as I have never visited a doctor in another country before.
More to follow on this, I am sure.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)