HFDU - 4th Edition

Originally sent: August 5, 2003

Hello again all! It seems like just yesterday that I sent out the 3rd Edition, but I suppose it has been a couple of weeks. I hope this email again finds all of you well and enjoying the summer back in the States. The weather here has gotten cold, windy, and rainy, especially on my 10 minute walk to and from the tram stop in the mornings and evenings. I've learned the tram schedule though, so I can plan it to where I get there right when the tram does so I don't have to wait outside! I've struggled a couple of times with not having a car as there are times I just want to hop in a car and run errands, and I can't do it. It's hard for me to depend so much on others to get me places, but I suppose I'll manage as I know others do.

The past two weeks have been good. I feel more settled than before and have spent some good times with my group at work. One Friday night we had the Melbourne office's Social Club drinks night where my company rented out a bar for the evening and provided us with appetizers (which the Aussies call entrees) and drinks for a few hours. It was nice to mingle with everyone and meet new people and know that everyone there was from my company. I still am getting used to the increased level social activity with co-workers, but I love it! This past Friday night we had a drinks night with just my group so it gave me the opportunity to bond more with the people that I will be working with. It was also "results day" where everyone gets the results from the C.A. (Certified Accountant) exam, so needless to say, it was quite an event!

This past Sunday we had our company Footy Day where my group played other groups in the firm. It was a great day with everyone, including partners, bringing out their families to cheer on the group. And we won!! The Aussies take their footy very seriously so I was relieved that my group won "the championship". We now get to place the coveted office Footy trophy in our department for a whole year. My company audits one of the professional footy clubs here in Melbourne so we got to use their training ground for the game as well as their practice jerseys. That was a neat touch!

A spent an entire day with my flatmate this weekend just being girls. Picture this: low 60's, perfect blue sky with no clouds, heated seats in a convertible with the top down, and driving along the beach highway eating an ice cream cone. It was perfect! We were thoroughly enjoying ourselves. We also went shopping for my ball gown and were very successful. I am really excited about the dress and can't wait to wear it in a couple of weeks. And it only took us an hour to find!

Last week I attended a Starlight Foundation meeting at my company's offices. Starlight is similar to the Make-a-Wish Foundation in that they grant wishes to sick children. So, I am going to be a wish granter! What a fun and rewarding opportunity, and my company supports it 110%. I'm glad that I was able to get involved with the community activities so quickly here as I would have missed that from the Houston office. The wish granting process is continual and whenever I make one wish come true, they give me another child. You do it on your own time and develop relationships with the children and their families in order to make the wish as special as you can. I am very much looking forward to this!

I discovered through another American that there is a USA Foods Store right outside of the city that imports non-perishable food items from the States. I thought that I would check it out to see if there was anything that I desperately wanted. The food was quite expensive, so I didn't buy much, but I left with a couple of cans of pumpkin pie mix (remember the Thanksgiving feast that I am cooking for all of the Aussies), a couple of cans of Rotel tomatoes, but no Velveeta cheese :-(, ranch dressing, Tony Chachere's (yea!), Crisco sticks (to make the best ever chocolate chip cookies), and my American friend grabbed some Reese's peanut butter cups and Dr. Pepper. It was fun to be in there and see what the store stocked based on the demands of the Americans in Melbourne. This store will have to become a luxury every few months as I'll go broke if I shop there all the time. Besides, I need to become an expert at cooking Aussie style for when you all come to visit! I hope you all like eggs because they put them on everything here.

Speaking of food, the Aussies eat a very late lunch here. For those of you who have worked with me, you know that I have to force myself to wait for 11:30 to roll around before I eat. I get hungry so early! My co-workers in the Melbourne office don't leave for lunch usually until 12:45 or 1:00 -- it kills me!! But, the good thing is that there is a lot less of the day left when we get back from lunch and the afternoon goes by very quickly. And I know I've said this before, but the food in Melbourne is fantastic. You can literally go to any place in town, even a hole in the wall, and the food is delicious! It's great because you can walk along a street shopping or jogging, and see a little cafe or Thai restaurant and just decide to stop in, and you know the food will be good.

Angie and I are all settled in our apartment and my shipment from home arrived so now the place feels homey and comfortable. Angie and I have developed the bad habit of staying up late at night chatting and learning about each other for hours! We feel like a junior high students at a slumber party, and then we realize that it's midnight and we have to go to work in the morning. We have fun though, and it's nice to relax at home and hang out with my flatmate! I have really started missing my girlfriends though. Although I'm developing friendships over here, it will take time to build the close relationships that I had back home. So girlfriends, you better come visit quick!!

Well, lastly, I've compiled another short list of Aussieisms for your amusement:

Aussie/American:
knackered/tired or exhausted
fringe/bangs (the Aussies really can't get used to this one!)
serviettes/napkins

Don't forget to keep checking the website for more pictures. I would love to hear from everyone so feel free to drop me a line anytime (hint, hint). Hope everyone is well and keep in touch!