Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Just when you think you know a place…


Returning to Australia has been a wonderfully comfortable and familiar experience with more than a dash of new surprises. Living here for 13 months previously, I thought that nothing would surprise me on my return. Turns out I was wrong. Shops have closed and new ones have replaced them, bathrooms have been remodeled (yes, I notice this stuff), friends have gone and it turns out that I still have a great deal to learn about the Australian culture. Todd has a whole new group of friends that I must introduce you all to  - sorry Mom for the new names. 

-      Vivi - Todd’s last housemate; an engineer from Columbia
-      Sonja- Vivi’s friend; from Germany
-      Pete – Sonja’s housemate; electrician from England
-      Jason – Todd’s new housemate

They are all incredibly nice people and I am looking forward to getting to know them, although I can’t help but get a bit nostalgic.

On the new experiences front: I went to the doctor with Todd the other day and it was so incredibly different.  We sat in a waiting room with doors all around.  There were names and numbers on each door and Todd was told to wait for door number three. We waiting for around thirty minutes before he was hurried in… and hurried out 3.5 min later, prescription and referral documentation in his hand. I felt like Todd just went to a vending machine, put in some money, and out popped a prescription. I don’t know why it was so unsettling; maybe because this rushed atmosphere seems out of place in laid-back Australia.

Of course the important things are still the same: the beach is even more beautiful than I remember and Todd and I are having a blast together J

In other news, I have a little herb garden out on the patio, I am cooking up a storm again, and I already feel like these months are going to fly by.

This weekend Al (old friend- yay!) is coming to visit the Goldie and we are going deep sea fishing on Sunday so I will definitely have lots to jabber on about. Till then… xox. 

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