Wrong Bus Stops, 3km walks and Chocolate Factory Tours - sounds like a scene out of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory eh?

G'day,


[Happy April's Fool - this post is about March 31 & April 1, 2009 who doesn't love combo posts?]

On the 31st I had a mix-up of a day. I got up late - I overslept my alarm clock by almost an hour. But so had everyone else this morning so it was interesting. I was rushing around and then missed the bus I needed to get to Magill. I was supposed to go to the ending day of the DV/Self-Defense class, but knew I wouldn't make it in time since I had gotten up late. I missed another bus in the city because it was leaving just as I was arriving. I finally got to Magill and discovered Morgan there - the end of Self Defense class was LAST week. Which was a bummer and I would have missed it either way. So I spent the day blogging (or trying to) and catching up on my schedule and emailing stuff back home. I've been having some real issues with my Wartburg email account and it's just a big pain in my ass really.

I chatted with Andrea and we squared away the night to go and see He's Just Not That Into You. Morgan and I caught a bus back to the city and then off to our house to change quick before the movie. We came back, I dropped my computer off, changed and then caught a bus back to the city. There we met up with Ellie and took a bus out to the Greater Union Megaplex... only we never made it. Online it said to get off at stop 29A. Well 29A never presented itself, but 29 did and then 30. So we got off even though I said this didn't look anything like the Marion Mall (I've been there before) so we walked across the street and asked these two men that came out of a Thai restaurant that was reserved for a private party where the Greater Union Megaplex was at. The older man offered to take us in his car, but the younger man said no. They said it was 5km down the road and when you get to the end go left on Sturt Rd. So we started walking... Ellie didn't like this idea too much, but then again she's had a lot on her mind and had a rough day transportation wise. I kept trying to call Andrea to let her know what we might (no might about it we were going to be) late. She was driving so she didn't answer her phone. I think we walked almost 3kms before Andrea came and picked us up. She was already at the theater when I was able to get ahold of her. She was willing to drive around and find us. We ended up walking through: Glenelg, Kensington, Hove and Brighton. There was another on in there too, but I don't remember the name. We made it back to the theater, but were too late to get into a movie. 9:30 is when movies are last shown at this theater. It was a bummer that we missed out, but then again there is always another time.

April Fool's - April 1st

[Sadly, I don't think that April Fool's is a big deal here...]

Today I got up and went into work at Sefton. I cranked out a few contracts, paperwork, etc. and laughed with Andrea about last night's events. I got my weekly exercise in man. I got some solid work in before I headed off to catch a bus back to Parkside to go to Haigh's Chocolate Factory where we had booked a tour. The tour lasted only 20 minutes, but it was one of the best tours of my life. We went in and sat in a little room with 20 other tourists - most Australian, others from different countries. There was a girl there who had summered in Okoboji - small world! So we got some free tasting of the milk chocolates and dark chocolates... CHOCOLATE LIKE I'VE NEVER TASTED BEFORE! We were given the history of how Haigh's was started.

Basically, the third generation of Haigh's went and lived in Switzerland with a family for a year as a tutor for their son while they taught him everything they knew about making chocolate. They helped him purchase machines since nothing like that was being made in Australia. This family gave Mr. Haigh the secret to making chocolate - and they were the only family out of 10 that would help him. Thank God they did, or I wouldn't be here writing this. We got to tour the factory and see how everything is made. We learned where they get their beans from, how they use them, etc. There are 60 full time employees who are trained in every aspect of the chocolate making from the hand-wrapping of all candies, to the shining of the chocolates to sorting the boxes and labeling. It was so amazing to see and I don't think I would be getting a tour like that at Hershey's or Nestle's anytime soon. I wish we could've taken pictures, but that's not allowed. I did discover some photos on the walls when I went to find the toilet. So enjoy the ones I've posted. I didn't buy any chocolates that day, but plan on going back. I might bring some back so you can taste some real chocolate - and Haigh's doesn't export. Bummer.

After the tour, Ellie and I headed down Unley Rd and did some shopping and window browsing. I bought a new purse because my zebra stripped one from Sassy's went all dodgy and broke on me. Once again - don't buy a purse at Sassy's. Seriously. I got some gifts for people and then Ellie and I got Unley Civic Library cards. Whoo! I love libraries and owning library cards. :)

Enjoy the photos of the factory!

The sign out front welcoming us to the centre and factory.

All of these eggs are individually hand-wrapped... take that Hershey's!

Another photo on the wall... I love the way the chocolate is falling in this one!

A photo of the beans that are used in making their chocolate.

The Haigh's factory and visitors centre

Cheers.

Good-bye Mt. Gambier and the fresh farm air!

Howdy!

[This post is about Sunday, March 29th, 2009 - read the March 28th post before this one!]

So everyone one else was waking up at about six to go and see the cattle herded onto a truck to be sold off. Jess and Ellie tried to wake me up to see if I wanted to go, but I guess informed them that I was staying right where I was. I don't remember any of that - I was sleeping! I did wake up about five minutes after they climbed into the ute to go see the cattle. I really wasn't too keen to go and see the cattle herded onto a truck - I've seen it before and have seen other animals done the same way. It's hard coming from a farming community to not have seen something like that before you know? Sleep was of the essence anyway or I would have been one growly bear the rest of the day. Plus I was achey from horse back riding the day before and knew if I didn't get more sleep there would be a giant black bear growling around the farm and the countryside of Australia.


I ended up getting up and making beds and getting my stuff around to leave for the day. I chatted with the girls and Emil when they arrived back and while I had brekky I talked to Maren. Maren is originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota and has been in South Australia for 29 years. She talked about the differences she noticed between Australia and America. Strollers are called prams here and there are a lot of other words associated with babies that differ. After the chat, I went to shower and got ready for church. We road to church in Amil's car and got to see Mt. Gambier in the daylight hours. It is a small country town with 33,000 people. It doesn't feel any bigger than Dysart really.

We went to a church that was/is located in a school. The service was held in a big gymnasium with chairs set up in rows. I could tell that many of the people in the congregation are farmers because the sermon, songs, etc. were geared towards harvest, growth, seeds, etc. It was a really good service and I enjoyed it. The only downside is that the projection screen was used a bit too much for my liking, but what can you do? After the service there was morning tea and conversations. I met many people and the food was delicious. I couldn't get over how good it was and I had to stop eating before I ate it all.

I ended up ducking out a little bit early so that I could call my mom since it was her birthday in the States. I was hoping to catch her since she had tried calling earlier and I had missed it. I was practically in tears because of it. I have a very good relationship with my mother and it gets hard when I can't talk to her for weeks at a time. I was able to get a hold of her (she was on the other line with my sister) and chatted with her for a bit. She said that the entire family was together last night and tried calling me, but since I was on the farm and had NO reception, I didn't know that they were calling. I cried a little, I haven't talked to my brother or sister since I came to Australia. Only on facebook, but that's not really talking you know? Anyway, after that I got up on all my Dysart knowledge and was back in fullswing. I chatted some more with my mom and then hopped in the car to go and order some fish and chips.

We ordered our butterfish and chips and then hopped back in the car and headed off to some quick sight seeing before coming back to get the food. We saw the Valley Lakes, Lady Nelson, and the Blue Lake in daylight. We went back and got our food and then headed to the Gardens. There I met Amil and Marty's oldest brother Philip. His wife and daughter were there as well as a couple who were expecting their first child. It was a really good lunch conversation and the butterfish was AMAZING! We got more fish and potato chips than we ordered, but hey that's okay. Marty ended up finishing what Amil couldn't eat.

Then we journeyed down to the sinkhole with the garden in it. It was quite extraordinary. I've never seen anything like it before. There were 100 ft. palm trees, giant ferns, a cave and a shit-load of kudzu just hanging down from the top of the sinkhole. There was a man-made waterfall and all kinds of flowers. It's unreal. We took our time in there and then we headed back on up to ground level. We said our goodbyes and went back to Amil and Marty's to pack-up and head to the Naracoorte Caves.

We ended up not going to the Naracoorte Caves and instead played a game of cricket. Ellie and I learned how to bat correctly and then we took our turns bowling and batting. It was a fun (and sweaty) afternoon. I think cricket was the best way to end our time on the farm. Before we left I went and saw Phoenix, Honey and the other horse (I can't remember his name for the life of me) and bid them farewell. Phoenix was being a pain and wouldn't let me touch her so Amil and I got some oats and then I fed the nameless horse, Phoenix and Honey. It was a good way to top of the weekend. After that we loaded up and hit the road for Adelaide.

On the way back I said I wanted to stop and look for the St. Hilary vineyard. I don't think the other two believed me that I had seen the sign, until Ellie yelled from the front seat - St. Hilary!!! So we stopped so I could get a picture with it. Glorious! We stopped at a truck-stop place for tea and then headed back out on the road. We scooted into Malvern at about 10:30pm. I was off to bed after bidding Jess good-bye and thanking her for driving to Mt. Gambier. I must say, the city air was quite depressing after having fresh farm air all weekend long. Gosh I can't wait to get back to Iowa! :)

Enjoy the photos of the day.

The Valley Lakes

Taking a picture with a giant fern

The garden in the sinkhole

The view from the bottom of the sinkhole

Playing some cricket in the driveway

This is Phoenix - isn't she beautiful?

Giving Phoenix (as well as Honey) some oats

Me with the St. Hilary vineyard sign

401 km left to Adelaide!

The sunset on the way home

Cheers!

A Weekend Farming in Southern Australia

G'day,

Today we got up and left a little later than I think we had planned, but that's okay. Kaylene and Tammy made us pancakes and they were delicious! We kicked off, but had to stop at the petrol station because Jess' car had no oil. After that episode we hit the road for the last leg of our trip to Mt. Gambier. We had some good tunes, drinks (non-alcoholic - especially after last night!) and some munchies. On the way there I happened to spot a vineyard that had St. Hilary as the name of it! I think the other two thought I was seeing things, but I was serious.

We arrived at Amil's at about 1-ish in the afternoon after getting lost and realizing the road sign for getting to their house was missing. We had a quick lunch of sliced corn beef and other veggies. It was good and then it was time for the tour of the farm. We drove in the back of a 1963 Valiant through and around bumpy fields. I knew my body would kick me for it later. We got to see all of their cattle (although I know we didn't see any cows...), windmills, farms, etc. It was a long afternoon. We stopped by where during the week people are sorting spuds (potatos) we got to see how the machines work and that kind of thing. Terry (a spud farmer - who happens to also be the local celebrity) went into detail about the sizes of spuds, kinds and how Maccers (McDonald's) wants them to be in order to buy them. He also talked about how he had a crossbreed between two types of spuds that makes them white. It was really interesting. We got to ride in his potato trucks and I fell out of one. I was trying to climb down and just sort of slide/fell out of the truck. I did land on my feet so that was good. Amil was there (as was Ellie) and he just kind of watched my miss the steps. I just have a nasty bruise on my left forearm from it. Oh well. I just won't look at it since bruises make me queasy. We ventured to see some 1940s (and earlier) horse drawn buggies and on the way back I got cut trying to climb over a barb wire/regular fence. I didn't know I was cut until I got ready for bed, but yeah. I'll have to post pictures of that endeavour later.

I got to go horseback riding!!!! I was so excited because it has been forever since I have been able to ride. I rode Star - who honestly hasn't been ridden very much lately since she didn't respond to anything that I asked her to do. She also has gotten a bit too chubby for the saddle and it kept sliding around which meant that I was leaning all over the place. Let's just say it didn't make for the greatest or smoothest ride. But who cares? I got to ride her and then take her back to the pasture after Jess had a go on her too. I then hung around Phoenix, Honey and the other horse for a while too before heading inside. We ate supper with the family (the CORN WAS AMAZING! I miss CORN!) and then did a quick devotional before heading off to Mt. Gambier.

On the way into town there were all of these kangaroos jumping across the road. (Remember, their nocturnal!) They have kangaroo crossings here, we have deer crossings at home. Kind of crazy if you think about it. They are allowed to get permits and shoot them since they overpopulate. I did see a dead one earlier in the day. When we got to Mt. Gambier, we went and saw the Blue Lake at night - and it was black. It was really beautiful with the night sky and stars. We saw the tower, the old hospital (it's a beauty!) and then headed into the town. We walked the street and decided to go bowling after the cinema had no good selections of movies that hadn't already started. Bowling was a good time, it was the first time that lights and music (not from a jukebox)have been played there. I lost in the first game and came in second to last in the second game. After that we headed back to Roseort to go to bed since the cattle trailer was coming early in the morning and we were to be ready by 7am.

We left Keith with this in the rearview mirror - John Deere is worldwide!

Our home for the weekend

Riding Star

In a potato transporter - and the one I fell out of.

Underneath a "potato combine"

Jess climbed a windmill - obviously we didn't...

Ellie and I on the "motorbike"

Saying hello...

Riding around in the back of the '63 Valiant - did I mention that it was through fields?

Sitting in a tire

Jess, Ellie and I at the bowling alley

Bowling shoes

Marty, Jess, Ellie, Emil and I

Cheers.

McLaren Vale Wineries...

Hello to you,

[This post of of Sunday, March 22, 2009]

Today I woke up and got around to head out to the wineries in McLaren Vale. I didn't go to church this morning because I am going tonight. E, M and I are going to LCC's Executive Director's house and she and her husband are going to take us to the wineries. We caught a train at about 10:55 ish and rode for a while. I decided I really like the train, but I still like the bus too. We arrived at the station and Yvonne and Richard met us and whisked us away to our first winery . The place was amazing! And they were having an end of the bin sale so we were able to get wines cheaper! Heck yeah. The lady (pictured below) was very helpful when I was tasting wines. I really don't like wines, but I was up for the challenge. Turns out, I despise reds (I already knew that) unless their fortified but I love whites! Especially desert wines!!! We spent quite a bit of time at the first winery before moving to another winery also owned by the Lloyd Brothers. They own olive groves as well so this was more of an olive shop than anything else. I bought some desert wine here.

We went to another winery/restaurant later that was just as good as the first one. I ordered a margherita pizza.

(I'll finish this later when I have time!)

View from the train

The first winery and it's selections

The view from the first winery

Tasting some more wines and liqueors

Jason (in the background) was our bartender

The wines in the barrels

The fields - this gets really green in Australia's winter

The view from where we ate lunch

Cheers.

Like A Scene... Out of a Movie!

Hello,

Me with the sunset - I know it doesn't look real, but it is!

The pier at sunset at Brighton Beach

This is one of my favorite photos...

Helen and Peter with us and our gelati

This is the sunrise the next day. God is good!

Cheers.

Koalas, Kangaroos, Pelicans, and Bandicoots - Oh My!

Hey everybody!

So on Friday I went into the Magill office since we were going to the Cleland Wildlife Park later that afternoon. This was quite a change for me since I have been going to the libraries (Mitcham, Unley and State) to try to reread all of the information that Andrea has given me over the past few weeks. On Friday morning, I had a meeting with Helen and Ellie (Helene kept running in and out of her office and joining - she is a very sought after woman!) about our last remaining month and what we would like to do. Helen and Helene are going to the Outback (Alice Springs) to meet the people that they are doing the MoneyMatters tender with and to see what type of facilities they will need, etc. We through some dates back and forth, but didn't fully decide anything. The three of us (M, E and I) are trying to go with so that we can see another part of the country since we haven't done that since we've been here. I then checked some emails and did some more reading and at about 2 o'clock we headed out to Cleland Conservation Park. The ride there was fun - there is this one road that is like a rollercoaster and I got some video footage of it (which is not going to be posted:). We paid to go in and then started our Australian animal journey!

While we were at the park we saw:

• Tasmanian Devils
• Komodo dragons
• geese (they had lime green beaks)
• pelicans
• koalas
• wallabies
• lots of birds in the aviaries
• kangaroos
• emus
• bandicoots
• dingos

I know I saw more animals, but I didn't get to see a wombat or echidna. Ellie, Morgan and I shared a bag of food among us and fed the animals. We wandered through the park taking photos and interacting with the animals. The kangaroos are so SOFT! So are the koalas! The bandicoots didn't look anything like Crash Bandicoot - which is a video game I played as a young kid. Unfortunately, we only made it through half of the wildlife park since the place closed at 5pm. We went back to the office and dropped Helene off so she could get her car and then we were off to our home. We had a few minutes before we headed back to Helen's house to grab a bite of tea at the beach. Check the next blog for that entry!

In the meantime, enjoy the photos of scenery and seeing some Australian wildlife!

A view of the city and the ocean on the way through the Hills

The Adelaide Hills (view from the car)

He was posing for me!

Feeding a kangaroo

One of the Pelicans

The Dingos

Mac the Koala and I

One of the lazy kangaroos - he was so soft!

The Tasmanian Devil

A mama Western Grey Kangaroo and her joey!

Cheers.

The Oldest German Town in Australia - Hahndorf!

Hello there,

[This post is about Monday, 16 March 2009 - And it's quite lengthy!]

Today I woke up to find that it was still raining! I got up and was at Helen’s house by 7:50 so that we could leave for work. It took us over half an hour to get into town because the traffic was so bad. The Clipsal 500 (v8 racing) starts Thursday this week so that means that traffic has been blocked off on many of the main roads in the city – thus creating havoc for all of the commuters during peak traffic hours.

I arrived at the office and did some reading for school and waited for Di to come and pick me up. We were heading to Hahndorf today. She has a monthly meeting that she goes to at the nursing home/retirement facility and I went along to be a tourist for the morning.

Hahndorf is the oldest German town in Australia and is the home of famous painter Hans Heysen and his famous (in her own right!) daughter Nora Heysen. It is also known for its wonderful bakeries. Hahndorf is located in the beautiful Adelaide Hills.

Di arrived a bit late because of traffic (I told you it was causing problems!) and then we were off. We stopped at the Magill Shopping Centre so that she could grab some goodies for morning tea and then we journeyed on. On the way up to Hahndorf we discussed the issue of mobile phones here. Not necessarily the phones, but those who are in control - the companies. To get a mobile (which I am trying to do) one must know the ins and outs of the Australian mobile system. Telstra and Optus are the big wigs. Vodafone is not as big and Virgin Mobile is on about the same level as Vodafone. Prepaid is better than being on contract (at least in my case – and most Australians I’ve talked to about this) since the contracts are usually for 24 months and are they are hella expensive. Now Optus and Telstra LOVE contracts – seriously! I am sure the other companies do too, but these two biggies make a killing. Di and I discussed the contract and prepaid phones and in her case having a prepaid was much easier. She said that it has taken years for the companies to finally offer prepaid options for customers and that for the longest time it was contracts only which makes it tough for some people to even own a mobile.

This weekend I had gone to the ‘Yes’ Optus at the Unley Shopping Centre to see if they had any deals. I was there for over half an hour and walked out without a phone. The phone I had looked at getting said $49 dollars, but when I asked about purchasing it and then buying some minutes it was suddenly $539 dollars. The phones were contract phones, but that wasn’t labeled anywhere in the shop. I asked how it could be sold for $49 dollars when that wasn’t really the price. So basically if you were to buy the phone I was looking at (and this phone would have worked back in the US with U.S. Cellular and that was why I was looking at it) you would be paying $49 every month for 24 months for purchasing the phone. There would be minutes that come with that, but you know, conditions apply. But if you do the math, that equals up to $1,176. So where does the $539 come in? Talk about false advertising. Why not just pay for the phone once and then pay for your minutes, smsing (this is texting) and whatever else you want to do on your phone. Maybe the girl selling didn’t know what she was talking about (I thought she didn’t), but if so then she needs to figure it out and quickly. So after grabbing a brochure with all of their info I jetted out of there. No to you, ‘Yes’ Optus and your dodgy service.

I told Di this story and she said to try Telstra so I asked her, if after we return from Hahndorf, if she would drop me off at the Telstra so I could just ask some questions. She agreed. We arrived in Hahndorf a little after 9:30am. We went to the nursing home/retirement facility where I met Sue. Sue comes to these monthly meetings, works with Di and that’s all I know about her. She seemed very nice and helped Di and I carry stuff into the building. After helping with that I was off to experience Main Street of Hahndorf.

I was the only person around it seemed like for the first 20 minutes. It was so nice, quiet and peaceful. This is one of those small little country/mountain towns that is just so quaint and dainty. It’s absolutely breathtaking too. It reminded me of this town I went to this past summer up in Big Bear Mountain. My mom and her best friend Kathi would have been in heaven here! Anyway, at about 10 or 10:30 the shops begin to open and that’s when the town springs to life!

The view of Hahndorf's main street (this was leaving town)

There were so many people – those who live there and the touristy types too from all over Australia. I heard some man exclaim “Krieke! Look at those ducks!” and it made me smile. And laugh a little too. I took it that he was from up north and that they must not have many wooden ducks just hanging around outside shops. I stopped into the store next to the wooden duck place and they had Dr. Pepper! This excited me quite a bit and I was even more shocked when the price for the can was $2.00! I can’t find that anywhere. So when I asked the man for a can and how much that would be (you know for the total of my bill) his response (in his slightly creepy voice) was, “For you love, I will sell it for $3.00. Is that too much for you?” I replied, “Yes it is. Have a good day.” And I turned around and walked out. What is with dodgy people, man? If the sign says $2 then sell it to me for $2. Just because I open my mouth and you realize that I am American does not mean that I want to pay more for whatever it is you are selling. $3 for a can of pop is just outrageous. So I will cherish that last can of DP that I have sitting in the fridge and enjoy it like hell when I can have a whole case in the US.

This store's name reminded me of Harry Potter so I had to take a picture

I want my mail to come in this!

The other shops I ventured into were wonderful and I enjoyed just strolling up and down the street browsing. I bought some fudge (milk chocolate and mint chocolate) from a little fudge shop, some hand cream and lip balm from this Beeswax store, and some High Top bread and hot chocolate from Otto’s bakery. I almost caved in and bought a pair of UGGS for $89 dollars – which is really good if you think about the $150-$200 you’ll pay for them in the US. I told myself before this trip that I was going to get a pair of UGGS because they originated and are made in Australia. What do you think sheepherders wore in the wintertime here to keep their feet warm? I just couldn’t decide if I wanted black, light purple or these really cool brown ones. I’ll have to wait until next time – or just the next UGG shop I see.

I went back to the nursing home/retirement facility at about 11:45 because that’s when Di said to arrive back. I met a couple of retired men there and we discussed the pros and cons of Australia and the United States. They were quite knowledgeable and were great to talk to. They were telling me about the winters up in the mountains and what the city looks like at that time of the year compared to now. After cleaning up and chatting some more Di and I were off.

Di took me on a short excursion around Hahndorf. I got to see the St. Paul's Lutheran Church and let me tell you – the walkway is LONG!

St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Hahndorf

People come from all over Australia to have their weddings done there. Di then took me to see where the first church of St. Paul’s was and it is now a museum. There are retirement cottages behind the church that St. Paul’s owns and maintains. We then stopped by this cute little church of the New Apostolic denomination. I took some photos and we debated on whether or not it was Anglican. I honestly wouldn’t be able to tell you if it was or not, but we found out it was Anglican. There are only three churches in all of Hahndorf - St. Paul’s, St. Michael’s and the Anglican church. We putsied around some of the backroads and I got to see some real 1970s Australian houses. I learned about pug-and-pine houses where the walls of the houses are made out of mud, straw and pine on the bottom and then wood on the top.

Did we have any houses like this in the US? Someone has to know, because I don’t and Di and I want to know. Email me or get it to me somehow. Thanks! (I am assuming that Bill Wilson will know the answer and tell my Mom who will in turn tell me, but someone else could prove me wrong :)

The first St. Paul's church that's now a museum

The New Apostolic Church that as it turns out is actually Anglican.

The cornerstone of the church.

Then we journeyed up into the hills to see Hans Heysen’s house which is kept up and open for the public. But it would be my luck that they are closed on Mondays so I didn’t get to see his artwork or his daughter Nora’s. I did get to see the outside of their house and the area that they lived in – The Cedars. This place is gorgeous and I wished I lived there! I learned about Australia’s involvement in World War I and how Hahndorf’s name had been changed to Ambleside because it was German and there was a lot of Anti-Germanism going on. It was changed back to Hahndorf in 1935. Other towns were not as lucky to have their names changed back. Verdun is just down the road from Hahndorf and it is now named after a battlefield in France. I was told what it’s German name was, but I can’t remember it and I couldn’t pronounce it when I was told it.

The view from Heysen Rd - where Hans' house is

The sign of The Cedars & Hans Heysen's home

After our failing attempt to see Hans’ house we took the freeway back to Adelaide. On the way back, I got a crash course in Australian government. I thought that the US and Australian governments were very similar – no way. Australia never has taken its Independence from the British like we have. Instead Australia is known as the Commonwealth (which I knew this) and freely acknowledges that they are part of the British Empire. They do have a constitution... and it has vibes (that was a Castle joke.) They are no longer required to be in the British Empire, they can choose to do so. So they are. The Queen of Britain is the Queen of Australia and the Queen of Canada. She had to be given the title Queen of Australia – she just couldn’t say that she wanted to be queen here and give herself the title.

The Prime Minister (PM) is not elected by the people as our President is. The people vote for their person holding a seat in Parliament and the party that is the majority (which would be the Labors right now) would then appoint whom they want as the PM. Kevin Rudd is the PM right now, but tomorrow it could be someone else. Di said that after the election, the very next day all of Australia knows whom the new PM is and that he or she starts his job that same day. It’s not like in the US where we have the long waiting period where the one President is a lame duck and nothing is being done. Di mentioned how a lot of Australians think that is just weird and a waste of time and energy. I totally agree with it. I know that there has to be time to appoint who is going to be the new Secretary of whatever and to fill the Cabinet, but come on. America is known for its efficiency – why can’t we be efficient in this matter either? Anyway, it has to be someone from the majority party though who can be the PM (so it couldn’t be the Liberals or the Greens). So all of the Ministers (there is the Environmental Minister, etc. not just the PM) right now are Labors. [Another side note: the Environmental Minister – Peter Garret - used to be the lead singer in an Australian rock band (Midnight Oil) and they performed at Sound Relief - which was a benefit concert that raised $5 million for the bushfire victims]. On a more local level, the people vote for their local parliamentary person and then the majority party members appoint the Governors as well. There is the House of Representatives and the Senate, but their roles are very different from ours in the States too. I learned so much more, but I can't remember it all exactly so I will have to ask Di and then update for you!

I did ask Di if she thought Australia would ever become a Republic. She said yes she thought it could happen if the Queen died. Many people don’t like Prince Charles so if Queen Elizabeth were to die, then Australia would become a Republic so that they don’t have Charles as their King. People here have a very strong attachment to the Queen. She also mentioned that if Aussie became a Republic happen then she thinks that the Governors and other positions within the government here would be gone. It was a really good conversation and I learned so much and it really helped to make more sense of how the government is run here. I was comparing the two countries before and thought they were similar, not so much really.

Di did drop me off at Telstra where I waited for at least 15 minutes before a service representative started talking to me. Once again, customer service wasn’t all that great. I could buy a phone for $79 and get a month free of calls, SMSing, etc., but as we all know, conditions apply. I just didn’t feel like I was getting a deal. And their operation is a lot like Optus’ so I left and wandered down to the Unley Shopping Centre where there is an ALLPHONES stand. I walked up and told the girl working what I wanted and she hooked me up. I got a Vodafone for $59 and got $30 worth of credit, which is actually like $130 worth of minutes. And I got $10 free worth of bonus minutes! I also got some headphones with my mobile since it comes equipped with FM radio. I was REALLY excited about this because I go through headphones like it’s my job. I listen to my MP3 player constantly and thus go through a lot of headphones. The new Nokia ones will work out alright I think.

I headed over to the Unley Library since it’s right across from the Shopping Centre. There I tried to register my phone online, but it didn’t work out quite right. Oh well. I was able to use the computer for a bit to figure out class schedules, email home, do some research for Andrea and whatnot. After that I journeyed back home. On the way home I walked past this building that had an old-school windmill in the middle of all of these buildings. I thought that was kind of hick-ish (in Australia – the term for hick is bogan) and people make fun of me for being from a farm state? Right. I’ll try and take a picture of it the next time I go by it. I spent the rest of my day cleaning the house, doing dishes and making a video montage of photos that I am going to try and upload within the next few days I just need the internet to be able to encode it properly.

The windmill in the city

Cheers.