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Celebrations

2012-03-11T18:43:00.005-07:00

Friday morning I drove Joel to work and then headed out to Helensvale for my trial day at Another Dyemension. One of the staff brought her mom in for me to use as a model instead of the owner. I foiled, cut, and upstyled her hair. I felt really happy with my work and the owner, Joanne, was very impressed and said she was happy with my work. I felt very confident and relaxed going into this trial, unlike my trial at Heaven. The staff were all super friendly and helped me out whenever I needed.

Joel has got his tools all unpacked and lovingly organized. All the other mechanics are pretty impressed by his supplies! He stayed late on Friday to set up and the foreman was impressed by how organized he is.

On Saturday I was lucky enough to Skype onto the wedding of my very good friends Jill and James. I really wish I could have been there to celebrate in the flesh, but glad I could still be a part of it from afar! Thanks to Lisa for bringing her iPad and being my camera lady! I had a freak out that I wouldn't be able to see it, as five minutes before the ceremony my internet time ran out! I grabbed my credit card, recharged for another hour on rip off rate jimojo, and made it just in time! All though the sound was a little bumpy on my end, I got to see it all and it was a beautiful wedding. I skyped into the reception later and got to toast the new Mr and Mrs Genyn. All the best, you two are awesome!

I was really missing my friends after that and feeling kind of down, so I headed upstairs to the roof to read. My phone rang and it was Joanne, the owner of the salon I trialed at - I got the job!!! The staff voted and out of all the girls who trialed they all picked me! Jo was so happy with my work and said I was her secret pick from the first interview. That made my day! I go in on Friday for a color class (they have just brought in a new organic color line from Europe) and we'll figure out my schedule from there! I feel like this salon will be a good fit for me as it's run in a similar way to Applauz.

Sunday morning I woke up to breakfast made by Joel. It was a gorgeous morning so we sat outside on our balcony to enjoy the sunshine.

We spent the day running errands and grocery shopping. Still trying to figure out which store has the best prices. We did some comparisons but it's a tough call. Around 5:30 we headed to the beach for a walk. I love the colors of the sand and water at this time. There's a slightly pinkish tone due to the setting sun.

Not much planned for today. I picked up some magazines to read and will be at the library for a few hours catching up on all my internet time. I can't wait till our Virgin tops up again on the 23rd!

Brutis' Big Adventure and My Thoughts On Oz Drivers

2012-03-08T02:47:00.003-08:00

This morning Joel and I drove into Brisbane to pick up his tools from the airport. As usual, Melba does not know that work has been done on the map, so she got us lost. We made it eventually (after much gas wasting and circle driving) and got all the paper and payments made. While we waited for the tools to come out of their quarantine inspection (EVERYTHING gets quarantined upon arrival to Oz) we headed to The Sizzler for lunch. Not sure what Sizzler is like in the US, but here it is like a Ricky's with a salad and dessert buffet. This is where Australia's 31% of obese people hang out. Joel liked his food, but I will never go back there again. After lunch it was back to the unaccompanied cargo area to load up Joel's tools in Brutis. Joel was happy to have his tools. Brutis was not happy to carry the extra 300 Ilbs. It was a long drive home.
Now for my rant on Australian drivers. They don't know how to use their signals, unless they are fighting you for the last parking spot ("I've been there for five minutes with my signal on!"). Roundabouts? No need to signal here either, it's funner for incoming traffic to guess which exit you'll be taking! They cut in front of you when a lane ends in the last second, even though there was a sign pointing the lane end for quite some time. Left hand turns (right hand turns in Canada) are not permitted unless the left turn light is on, which is a long wait most times. Joel thinks this cuts down on car accidents as the drivers are so clued out. If you adapt the Aussie road rules, prepare to get some angry looks from fellow Aussies who do these things themselves only five minutes before you do!
On the job front, I have a trial at a salon tomorrow. I'm going to be doing the managers hair. I hope it goes well and I get the job! Even though it's only part time, I would love some money. No other leads though. I spent yesterday applying at various hotels. I was tipped off that they have an employment center that helps you find jobs, so I went there to register today and hope for some help. After waiting in line, talking on the phone to an advisor, speaking to two more people in house, I learned that I had wasted my time (and people there are clued out about their jobs) because this service is only open to Australian residents. Grrr. Also the Gold Coast has a record low unemployment rate right now of 10%. Every time I hand in a resume I can tell the employer is thanking God they have a job, even if they hate it. Alot of businesses are closed due to the slower economy- I see these signs all over the place.
Nothing else really new to report. Life thus far is pretty boring, as we are pinching our pennies. I did go for a walk along the Nerang River yesterday as the weather was so beautiful. This river runs all through the Gold Coast. People boat along it, but you better not fall in- there are sharks lurking in the water.
Also for anyone following the news and worried about flooding, we are fine here. The state bellow us, New South Wales, is having a lot of problems though, and I think some of the rivers north of us are at record highs, but we are fine. There was a cyclone warning on Tuesday, but it blew off the coast and the warning was lifted. I've been told because we sit on the ocean, there isn't much worry for floods, as opposed to a city that sits on a river.

PS- I give up on the pictures, this internet is way too slow!

Updates

2012-03-04T21:02:00.004-08:00

I'm writing today from the library, as our monthly ten MB of internet is already gone. (I was feeling lonely and downloaded some TV shows to iTunes, which promptly used up all our internet.) After a very foul mouthed conversation to Virgin from Joel (which was actually pretty funny on my end, maybe not the Virgin guy's end) we learned that we are out of internet until our plan tops up on the 23rd. Guess I'll be investing in some more Jimojo so I can Skype in to Jill and James wedding! Internet really is a rip off here.

Last week my days were either really awesome or really crappy. I forget what I did on Wednesday day, but in the evening we befriended a younger couple who live in our building, Hamish and Michelle, in the hot tub. Michelle was actually born in Kelowna, but moved to New Zealand when she was seven. It was so nice to actually have someone to talk to! Joel made us a taco fiesta for dinner and I went over to Cole's and picked up various Cadbury's chocolates for dessert. Selection of treats here is stellar! So many different sweets then at home, plus a very creative bakery. My next dessert purchase will be chocolate iced cupcakes with mini egg toping and sponge cake inside, mmmm.

Thursday I went for a job interview. It was a small salon with a good vibe and everyone seemed very friendly and welcoming. The position is for part-time work and is up in Helensvale, which is at least a half hour drive. The owner really liked me said she would call me this week after the rest of the interviews. I think the fact that I have no clientele is going to be a big deciding factor, since I'd be competing with two juniors for clients.

Since I had to drive to the interview, I had Brutis to myself for the day. I drove out to Robina and found a Kaisercraft Outlet. They have a crop every Tuesday, so I plan to go tomorrow. Maybe if I hang out there enough they'll hire me? The store is huge and has more Kaiser then I ever knew existed! Next I went to my new favorite mall, Robina, and did some shopping on my leftover splurge money. I found a store called Sportsgirl that I am in love with and bought a new top and necklace. By the way, how bolla is Robina!?

On Friday I hit the pavement. I walked all over Broadbeach and Surfers applying for jobs. I tried everywhere, restaurants, ice cream shops, a spa, gyms, clothing stores, hotels, but no one is hiring "at the moment" so mostly I just filled out application forms. On the bright side I know my way around really well now and am a pro at the bus. I came home at four o'clock feeling tired, hot, and very down on my luck. I headed to the pool to cool off and read. As I sat on the edge and flipped open my book, a girl swam over with a vodka for me. She was on vacation from New Zealand with a bunch of her travel agent co-workers, so I hung with them and shared their vodka till Joel got home. Just the pick-me-up I needed!

On Saturday it rained, but Joel was determined to go for a game of golf. I stayed home and colored my hair. (This is a difficult task without a 360 mirror or Merrisa.) Later Hammish gave me a call so I headed over there to visit and enjoy some cider. They are so funny! They plan on doing the same thing we are doing next year in Canada, so we spent alot of time sharing travel highlights of our respective countries. When Joel finished his game he joined us for Bundaberg (local rum), beer and barbequed kangaroo. We headed out later and did some club hoping, which ended early (one am) as the bouncers thought Joel was too drunk to continue partying. I promised him I wouldn't divulge the dirty details of our night, but if you've partied with Joel before you can use your imagination to fill in the blanks... Looking back today, it was quite funny. I made some random new friends, including some Meter Maids, and told many stories about the Great White North. Sadly my hockey playing "relatives" do not impress quite so much as at home. Might have to expand into rugby... Also learned that for $2, you can touch your hair up with a flatiron in the bar bathrooms.

Yesterday was hangover day for Joel. It was a sunny day so went to the beach with Hammish and Michelle, then ate some greasy McDonalds (called Maccas here). They have these awesome smoothies here that we don't have at home, but otherwise the menu is pretty similar. After last night Joel has vowed never to drink in Australia again. I give him two days to change his mind.

Today Ashley, a friend from home who is going to school nearby, picked me up for lunch and a tour of her Uni campus. She is also having a hard time finding jobs and has been commuting to Brisbane for work.

Though I am not feeling so positive about the Gold Coast job scene, Joel is loving his job at Audi. The bosses always tell him they love his work and what a hard worker he is. He think this is funny because it is super slack here compared to what he's used to at home. His tools arrive on Thursday so he's looking forward to getting a bigger variety of jobs.

I found out the Gold Coast is Oz's sixth largest city with a population just over 500 000. Pretty small if you think about it. But that's almost twice as big as their capital, Canberra (which is apparently not so nice).

Top Ipod Songs

2012-02-29T10:40:00.001-08:00

Last year in my Project 365 album I included a list of the most played songs on my ipod each month. I believe hearing certain songs can bring back strong memories and I love hearing older songs that "take me back" to a certain day or period in my life. I also love sharing cool songs with people (Dewey and I do this quite regularly). I will be posting my favorite songs every month. I hope you like them and if you have a song you love, feel free to share it!
So I missed the boat on getting this started last month (I was way too busy), so here is a backlog of my favorite songs in January and February.

Top Songs for January:
Big in Japan- Martin Solveig and Dragonette
Lonely Boy- The Black Keys
Island in the Sun- Weezer
Tongue Tied- Group Love
Feels So Close- Calvin Harris
Raise Your Glass- Pink
Empire State of Mind- Jay Z ft Alicia Keys
You and I- Lady Gaga (actually this is ALWAYS number one!)

Top Songs for February:
Stay the Night- James Blunt
Could You Be Loved- Bob Marley
Count On Me- Bruno Mars
Paradise- Coldplay
Don't Worry, Be Happy- Guy Sebastian
Every Rose Has It's Thorn- Poison
Sail- Awolnation
Big Jet Plane- Angus and Julia Stone

Scrapbooking Down Under

2012-02-27T20:45:00.007-08:00

When I saw these SMASH books at Treasured Memories I knew they would be the perfect way to document my travels in Australia. They are journal sized albums with patterned paper, so they didn't take up much space in my suitcases. I brought various embellishments and scraps from home, and I'm going to be getting crafty using only what I've got as scrapbook products are limited here! (Very glad I stocked up on my mini alphas and some beautiful My Mind's Eye mini paper packs before I left.) I brought my selphy photo printer (which I LOVE) with me to print out my pictures. It felt so good to be creative the other night and work on this! Scrapbooking always picks me up when I am down.

PS- Happy Leap Day! I'm going to spend my day back at the beach again. Yesterday I went to the library and stocked up on some books. I plan on doing this often, that way I save money and don't end up with tons of stuff when we move again. Any recommendations?

Surfers Tour

2012-02-27T20:11:00.006-08:00

The sun finally decided to come out yesterday. I slept in, watched part of the Oscars, then went exploring through Surfers. Here's a look at our new neighborhood:

Heading down the Gold Coast Highway into downtown Surfers. When crossing the street, look right, then left.

Tall towers. The Chevron Renaissance Hotel and Apartments.

There's a walkway that connects the two towers with a large tv screen covering it. You can sit in this little square and watch big tv events at night.

The new Hilton Hotel.

One of the main streets, Thomas Drive, and the Clock Tower Hotel.

Orchid Avenue. All the clubs in Surfers along here, so it's bumpin' at night, pretty quiet in the day. Clubs stay open till "late"- four o'clock or whenever people decide to leave.

Cavill Avenue. Buskers are here on the weekends.

The beach.

Not sure what this building is, but construction is still being completed.

The Q1.

Last night we met an older couple at the pool who we chatted with for some time. (The wife lived in Joel's hometown of Kitimat for awhile!). They have been living here for over thirty years now and just love it. They told me to take a day off here and there in my job search and enjoy the beach, so that's exactly what I did today!

I sat in the sun and read my book. It was a perfect day. I even went in the water for a bit! On my walk home I got some good news- one of the salons I applied at wants me to come in for an interview on Thursday! Positive thoughts...

Rain Is Better Than Snow!

2012-02-25T17:49:00.003-08:00

It has been raining here almost non-stop since Friday. Heavy rain, cloudy skies, and strong wind. The sun looks like it's trying to come out today. I hear that a big blizzard hit back home, so that makes me feel slightly better.

Yesterday I went in for my trial day at Heaven Salon. It reminded me very much of Eveline Charles, but smaller. After my first hour I knew I didn't want the job. I didn't feel my creativity could be used to it's full potential there and the staff didn't make me feel very welcome. There you are either a stylist or colorist and up to three people can work on one client, which I don't care for. Too much of an assembly line. I like working on a client from start to finish. I would be working every Saturday and Sunday, which wouldn't give me time with Joel or the ability to go exploring on weekends. They wanted me to come back today and Monday for more training. I need a job badly and I feel bad for turning one down, but I know I wouldn't be happy going there everyday. There really aren't any salon jobs open, so I applied for a few more Junior Reception jobs. I think this would be more stable hours. Hopefully something comes up there soon!
Last night I was missing some of the small comforts and friends of back home. I scrapbooked, Joel BBQ'd burgers, and we watched Fubar 2 in bed eating ice cream. It is such a random movie but always makes me laugh so hard. Today is going to be a chill out day. Hoping to do some more scrapping and get some pictures up of what I've been working on!

Possible News and Aussie Fashion

2012-02-24T03:42:00.012-08:00

The last two days have been cloudy and rainy. I woke up this morning to a torrential downpour and decided to stay home and play on Pinterest instead of job hunting (especially since yesterday was filled with "not hiring now, don't even bother applying"). I got a good news text from Joel- Audi is looking for a receptionist! So I typed up a new resume fitted for a reception position and emailed it in. I also had an email response from one of the salons I'd applied at with a contact name and number to call and set up an interview. I decided I should get myself out of bed and be productive, so I called and had my very first interview today! It went really well and I got a good vibe from the salon. I go in tomorrow for a "trial day". I'll do a haircut and color and see how it goes! This salon operates differently then at home. I'd either be a colorist or a stylist, not both. Not sure which I'd choose as I like them both equally. I asked about work attire and the owner says to think of it as a "day club" and dress like I was going out, wear as short of skirt as I like (this is common in Australia for clothing- the shorter the better!). Now don't jump to conclusions, the staff there were not dressed like hooches, just very trendy. I'm excited for a potential job but also a little nervous! I've been at the same salon for so long that it will feel different to become part of a different niche.
After my interview I decided to wander through some of the shops, so I thought I'd blog about what's in style here right now. Some of the stores in Surfers main strip are pretty junky, but there's a mall near us called Pacific Fair that has some neat shops. Sadly there is no BCBG in Australia, but I did find a department store called Myer that I'm in love with (they also carry my Benefit mascara, which I didn't think I could get here!)
As far as clothing goes, the big color here right now is orange. Not scary orange, but tangerine. I am not usually an orange fan, but I am loving this color and am going to buy myself a tangerine dress when I find the right style! It looks awesome paired with navy, camel or light brown accessories.

There are pretty little printed dresses everywhere, in light, flowing materials and bright colors. They are almost always worn with a belt.

I've also noticed alot of girls wearing striped dresses and tops.
As far as shoes go, the big trend is suede. There are tons of strappy wedge sandals, colorful peep toe stilettoes (some color blocked), and little ankle booties. I wish I brought my grey Express booties now for fall! Mom, you might have to send them to me.

For accessories, the biggest thing is belts. Big or little, it doesn't matter. Lots of light brown colors and navy. Feathers are everywhere on earrings and necklaces.

Although it's stays pretty warm here all year, the locals notice "the cool down" in winter and there are tons of awesome printed tights around! I hate wearing tights in our winter because it's too cold to walk around outside, but here I'm all for it!

I can't wait till I have a job and get my first paycheck, I'm definitely going shopping!
I did a very Australian thing on my walk home today- I walked barefoot. I think this is really gross but people here do it in stores, restaurants or on the streets, it doesn't matter. The only reason I did it was because it was raining so hard my feet were getting wet and sliding out of my stilletoes. My feet did not feel nice and I will not be doing this again. If I have to be walking on rainy days I will be buying a pair of rain boots!

A Total Downgrade and Sights of Surfers

2012-02-22T03:47:00.003-08:00

Don't laugh...

Introducing...

BRUTIS!!!!!!!

Yes, this is our loser new car! It's a 1990 Subaru Touring wagon. My Dad thinks this is especially funny for two reasons: one- I hate white cars, and two- my Mom used to have a Subaru wagon (called Snoopy) that I used to hate so much I'd kick the tires every day in hopes that it would die. (It eventually got hit and was written off to my great joy).
Let it be known, I had no say in the choosing of this car. Joel found it on Gumtree. It was a cheap price and in good condition mechanically. He thought the wagon would be good for lugging all our stuff around (since it was a tight squeeze in our standard size rental car). The previous owner dropped it off at four yesterday, which was too late to get registration and plates. Since Joel started work today, I got the lucky job of taking care of this and returning the rental car. Last night we headed to a parking lot so I could practice shifting, reversing and parking (since everything is backwards to what it is at home).
My first mission this morning was to get car insurance. The bright side of having a POS car? Our insurance is only $17 a month! Next stop was to the Queensland Motor Vehicles and Registration Office. I reversed perfectly out of our stall (I wish someone saw!) then headed out. Melba was in a bad mood today and majorly mislead me. Eventually I made it to the registry office, only to learn I had to go get proof of address from the bank, to show I'm now a Queensland resident. By this time I was getting PO'd with Brutis- the gear shift is pretty touchy so it's hard to tell the difference between first and third. Also he is very noisy when you rev the engine, but has no power. So to the bank, more struggle with Melba, back to the registry, fill in forms, wait in line. Now Brutis is registered with plates.

Then I went to Audi and swapped Brutis with the rental car. More misleading info from Melba as I looked for a gas station to refuel at. Finally returned the rental, enough driving for one day for me! But I'm proud to say I can drive a right hand drive standard on the left side of the road!
I went for lunch at Starbucks, then walked around Surfers looking for jobs. I learned that in the last few months the recession has hit Queensland. I guess tourism has suffered as less Brits have been coming over due to their low pound. That explains why so many stores and salons are now up for lease.
I was able to take a few shots of some of the major sights in Surfers. This giant Ferris wheel gives great views of the city. It seems to run at very odd hours of the day and night. It gets lit up with white lights when it's dark outside and looks pretty cool. There is also a slingshot ride.

The Q1 building. It is the world's second tallest residential tower (after one in Dubai) at 77 stories high. There's an observation deck up top, which is lit up in different colors each night. You can climb from the 77th floor to the top spire!

Interesting facts from the grocery store:
1- Eggs are not refrigerated. No one knows why.
2- You cannot buy Kraft Dinner or Hamburger Helper here, however they do sell Old El Paso Taco supplies
3- Rice Krispies are called Rice Bubbles

Blah

2012-02-20T00:44:00.002-08:00

Today was pretty much a a write off day. It started at 2:20 am when we heard a loud, alarm clock sounding bell ringing. It was the fire alarm. As we struggled to get dressed and out of bed it stopped. I checked in the hallway and our neighbor, who also just moved in, wasn't sure what was going on either. No one else seemed to be up, so we decided to ignore it. I went out on the balcony to check things out and the fire brigade was arriving. Lucky for future reference, they are two blocks away. Our other neighbor went down to check it out and turns out it was a false alarm. A drunk coming home from the bar thought it would be funny to pull the alarm perhaps?
I fell back asleep but was woken two more times- once at 6:45 when Joel got up for work, again at 8:00 when he called me for work visa info.
I spent the morning looking for jobs online. No new hairstyling jobs, but seems there are quite a few receptionist jobs available. French Connection is also hiring part time, might be fun (and good discounts). My Mom gave me a call and it was nice to have a chat.
Once Joel was home we had lunch and ran errands. He was productive- got new work boots. Once again, Melba mislead us on our next destination, Glamaco. This is a beauty supply "wholesaler". I say wholesaler because the public can buy non chemical supplies and products here. The prices are ridiculous! Color and developer are over twice the price they are at home! Glad I brought some of my own. They do have a variety of styling products, which I can get up to 30% off, in case I don't get a salon job and need something.
There are only two scrapbook stores nearby and I wanted to check them out. As per my luck, they are both on google map, but no longer in business.
We came home and Joel was pouty (he is ready to throw Melba out the window and drive over her) so he had a nap. I was feeling grumpy too and my keyboard is giving me grief. I did a work out enjoying our view and it did make me feel better. Also the thought that it is 30 degrees in February! I decided I'm going to enjoy some of my moscato wine and left over pasta on the patio, and maybe some scrapbooking, which I've been itching to do.

The Weekend and Byron Bay

2012-02-19T02:21:00.006-08:00

Friday night we went out to the local Hard Rock to celebrate Joel's new job. The food was great, but the prices were high! There was a set of Elvis's karate pants, so of course I needed a picture!

Surfers gets pretty busy on the weekend. There are tons of buskers that set up and play music or sing. Some are good, some are not. Alot of the stores are open late (like 10pm late) on Fridays and Saturdays. This weekend there was a sand sculpture competition going on, and all the entry's were built along the main boardwalk. This years theme was "Pirates in Paradise".

On Saturday Joel bought us a used BBQ for $40 on gumtree (Aussie kijiji). It's a coal burning BBQ, different then what he's used to. He grilled up an awesome supper, then we picked up some wine to pre-drink before going out. We bought a "semester pass" through one of the party groups here that gives us six months worth of free cover and drinks (limited) at Surfers hottest bars. Every Sunday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday the group does a crawl of about five or six clubs. We joined the group at the third bar, Shooters, which I wasn't that impressed with. We did get up and join a couples dance contest. First round was country-western, which we rocked, second round was break dancing, which we were eliminated from. Next stop was Vanity, which is super nice inside and more my style. We weren't feeling the party scene that night, so headed home. The nice thing about the night clubs here is that they are all air conditioned. The gross thing is that they still stink- lots of people don't seem to wear deodorant here!!!
This afternoon we drove an hour south to Byron Bay. This is a small surf town that many people recommended seeing. (It reminded me of a town you'd see in Hawaii.) It's the most eastern point of mainland Australia. We drove up to a viewing point with an old light house and the view was amazing. We checked out the beach here too, which Joel is in love with. The waves are a little calmer then at Surfers and it's a good place to learn to surf.

A Postcard a Day

2012-02-17T19:30:00.000-08:00

I decided a fun thing todo while we're over here is send a postcard to someone different every week. I know I like getting mail that's not a bill, so I thought this would be a nice surprise for my friends and family. Anyone who' like some sunshine mail let me know!

Big News!

2012-02-17T00:53:00.000-08:00

Last night Joel helped me get signed up on seek.com.au, an online job finding site. There weren't alot, but a few salons that are hiring!!! I dropped off resumes at som paces today, which looked alot nicer then some of the other salons I've gone by.

Joel found some cheapie cars online last night so we looked at one today. We bought it, but won't get possesion till Tuesday (the current owner is getting some work done to it on Monday so it will be problem free for us). I'm not going to give away any juicy details yet, but stay tuned for some photos! We already have a name picked out. It starts with B, that's all I'll share for now!

Joel had an interview at Southport Audi. His interview went really well and the foreman and servince manager really liked him. Half an hour later they called him and he got the job! We're both so happy that one of us has a job! He starts on Tuesday and will be working 8-4 Monday to Friday. Yeah! We're going out to Hard Rock Cafe tonight to celebrate.

Moving In

2012-02-15T22:48:00.000-08:00

We checked out of our hotel first thing yesterday morning and headed over to our new home! We decided to get set up later in the evening, when things are closed, and continue on the job search. I've been feeling pretty discouraged with this, as half the places I've called are either no longer in business or not hiring. Joel finally made up a resume and started looking for postings. We were both getting grumpy and needed a time out for lunch (still no groceries). David, the building super, recommended a place nearby called the Elk. It is a really chill little place with an interesting menu and friendly staff. I think this might be a local hangout for us.
After eating we both were feeling better. I had found two salons that were hiring, so went to drop off resumes. Fingers crossed something comes up! One of the salons was in a nice mall nearby, so we went and picked up a few more things for the apartment, then had a nice super at a little Asian place nearby. We filled our rental car up with gas and prices here are ridic!

Today we went for a great breakfast at the restaurant here in our building, Kesh. I had some fresh fruit which my body was craving badly!

Then off to the bank to pick up our bank cards. We also went to Cole's for groceries. It was a big shop today, as we needed all sorts of food staples. We have the world's tiniest fridge so it was tricky fitting everything in it!
More job searching today. No leads for me, but Joel has two interviews! One at Audi tomorrow and at another shop on Tuesday. Yeah!!! I'm starting to stress about not having a paycheck (and having to pay rent, buy house stuff etc is making a dent in our savings), so I hope he gets one!
Here are some pics of our place. Keep in mind that we cannot hang anything on the wall (unless we patch up the holes when we move out) and that we are on a limited decorating budget! Maybe Jill (www.tiltstaginganddesign.com) can help me?

Our building, the Marrakesh

The pool area

The indoor pool and spa

Front entry

The view from our rooftop terrace- we can see the beach from up here

Our dining area

Our tiny kitchen with even tinier fridge!

Laundry closet- the lint trap is weird on this dryer compared to back home

Entry way

Bathroom

Living room. Yes, it's messy (Joel) . The couch is super ugly so we covered it with the old quilt for a slightly better look...

Bedroom

That's the closet we will be SHARING! Amazingly we fit both our clothes in here. I love Joel for giving me extra hanging space and rolling his t-shirts!

View from our balcony

In other news... I saw and killed my first spider! Not sure what it was. It was small an black and kind of jumped.

Happy Anniversary!

2012-02-15T22:16:00.001-08:00

Tuesday was Valentines Day and Joel and I's third anniversary. I woke up to my chef cooking me breakfast, my favorite chocolates, and cards from my sweetie and my parents (which Mom had tucked away for me).

Since we got married on the beach (in Ocho Rios, Jamaica) I decided there was no better way to celebrate then by going to the beach. It was too windy to swim, so we just walked along the shore.

While walking down the beach we got a call from one of the apartments we had applied at, the Marrakesh. We got it! Extra reason to celebrate. We can move in tomorrow. We headed over and got all our rent papers signed and got the keys. It's a one bedroom unit, fully furnished including our own laundry, and the building is super nice. It has an indoor and outdoor pool and hot tub, a rooftop terrace and a gym. It's just on the border of Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, so it's a little quieter area then being on the main drag. It's only a block from the beach! The supers are really sweet. We had originally planned on renting a two bedroom, as that's what we were used to back home, but quickly learned that the two bedrooms in our budget were in not so nice buildings. This one is a decent size, we'll just have to be very organized.

(More pics to come later)
We decided to head back to the mall in Robina to pick up some home stuff. The apartment comes with basic kitchen supplies, but we needed to buy our own linens. It was fun to pick out new things! We got nice towels, sheets and pillows, as well as some hangers and a T-fal (called Te-fal here) pan for Joel. I can't wait to use our new pillows- the ones at the hotel are crap!
After shopping we unloaded all our new purchases at the apartment, then headed back to the hotel to chill in the hot tub. We showered and got dressed up to go out for a nice dinner, then walked into Surfers. At this point it was nine o'clock, still a reasonable dinner time in Canadian restaurants. In Australia, however, it is not. After walking up and down the main strip, we realized that all the restaurants had stopped serving food! Only a few pubs serving booze only were open. We were both super hungry and had no food left in our fridge so had to go to the only place that was still open- McDonald's. How romantic. At least we were able to take our food and sit outside overlooking the beach. Most importantly, we were together. (Last year Joel was in BC with in dying Nana). We will have a dinner in lieu tomorrow.

I Hate Aussie Internet!

2012-02-13T02:18:00.001-08:00

Today was a bit of a frustrating day. We started by looking at two more places- one super tacky, the other very nice. One of the realtors was a bit slow and thought our accents sounded British. Right... We put an offer on the nice one so now are waiting to hear back on two places, hopefully by tomorrow. I'm ready to unpack my suitcase! I applied at two salons. I'm a bit disappointed, half the salons I've looked at online are now out of business!
Next we went back to Australia Fair, a nearby mall. I actually hate it, it's very ugly. We tried to get an internet stick (hotels here don't have wi-fi and stupid Jimojo is too expensive). Since we have no address yet we can not get one! Joel was getting annoyed now. We wanted to apply for jobs, so found a McDonalds (they all have free wi-fi) to search the net at. Since we were there I decided I deserved a McFlurry. They didn't have my usual oreo, but I could choose from marshmallow, bubblegum, or double fudge. I went for the fudge. The fudge was hot! It cost me double the price as at home.

Anyway, the internet didn't work! Now Joel was pretty PO'd. We tried another McD's, still no luck. So off to Starbucks. However as Melba is outdated, she took us to a random office, not a Starbucks. By now Joel was miserable so we gave up. To lift our spirits, we headed out to Robina. They have a fancy mall there. We were able to get an internet stick there! Unfortunately the stores all close at 5:30, so that was all the shopping we got done. We did however get massages from the mall massage chairs- much needed!!! Anyway, this mall looks pretty awesome, Southgate beware!!! The only store they are missing is BCBG, but I am told there is one somewhere in Australia.

Tonight we went back to our favorite Italian takeaway restaurant. Got some good wine at our liquor store. Who told me booze was expensive here??? My wine was eight bucks- good yellowtail stuff too!
On Saturday night we did end up going out. We walked from our hotel on Chevron Island to downtown Surfers. (We are actually in Gold Coast City but no one calls it that. The neighborhood you're in counts as your area). We found a nice Italian place and had a great supper. Dad, just want you to know, our dinner was only $60 at this nice place! That includes two glasses of booze each, an ap and dessert. Pretty happy when that bill came out! And no tipping the waiters here!

Yesterday we didn't do too much as it was Sunday and most things are closed. We went for a few more groceries at Coles. They don't have any of the laundry soaps or toilet paper we're used to at home, so had to try something new. Then we drove out to Broadbeach (the neighborhood south of Surfers) and walked down the beach. It is not as blue as the Carribean, but the water sure feels nice. It was good just to hear the crashing of the waves.

We both started getting a little panicky last night. We still don't have jobs, a home, or a car yet. We have to check out of our hotel on Wednesday. Today we get the car rental extended for another week. I printed out resumes and every salon in Surfers so tomorrow I hit the streets!

Settling In

2012-02-10T14:51:00.000-08:00

Yesterday it was time to hit the pavement and start looking for a place to live. We had two showings set up in the morning, but thanks to Melba we ended up way off course and missed the first one. After that we literally walked the whole of Surfers and just went into any building that we liked the look of to see if they had any furnished apartments available. It was a long day of looking and walking in the hot sun. Found a few place we liked, but some are higher then our intended budget.

Today is a chill day. Joel left this morning at six am to go golfing. I'm sitting outside on our huge patio enjoying the morning and going to be reading my Aussie Cosmo. Later we're going to drive down to Burliegh Heads, another suburb of Gold Coast City. As it's Saturday maybe we'll do something cool tonight.
I'm finally able to upload a few more pictures, so here's an update.

The beach at Surfers Paradise.

The view from our hotel of downtown Surfers. At night all the building get lit up.

Day one's grocery receipt. Aldi is not as fancy as what I'm used to at home. There is no cereal that I eat at home here! Have to be adventurous...

We're Here!

2012-02-08T03:25:00.000-08:00

*The internet is super slow at our hotel, so not sure how many pics will load up.*

Good evening from Paradise! We landed in Brisbane yesterday afternoon and so far so good! Our flight from Vancouver was a breeze thanks to some immovane. Luckily we had a night flight, so by the time we arrived we weren't too jet lagged. I believe we are eighteen hours ahead from Edmonton, so I am writing from the future!
We rented a car at the airport and I'm so glad! We have so much luggage it would have been a nightmare to carry it on the train. Joel adjusted pretty well to driving on the left side of the road. The only thing he had trouble with was the signals- they are on opposite sides fhen in Canada so every time he signaled he turned on the wiper blades.

It was sunny when we arrived but when we arrived in Surfers Paradise it was clouding up. Our hotel is nice but has no elevator, so we had to carry three fifty pound suitcases and golf clubs up three flights of stairs (well Joel did, I took the carry on size stuff). Our hotel is nice and has a huge balcony with a view of downtown Surfers. After settling in we decided to cruise around and check out our new home. We did check out the beach, but it starting raining so we didn't go in the water.

We also had our first grocery experience. I heard mixed reviews on the prices, so here's the truth! If you go to a large supermarket, it's basially the same as home. If you go to a corner convenience store, it is way more. (I will post some receipts later for anyone curious). We also stopped for booze. My bottle of champagne (would I drink anything else?) was twelve dollars (this is including tax) and Joel's six pack of Heineken was about the same. Something cool here- some restaurants allow you to bring in your own booze! We found a nice Italian place nearby and I enjoyed my champagne thinking of my Mom (champagne is our thing).

This morning we were greeted at six am by bright sun in our windows. We headed out for breakfast, then it was time to get down to business! First stop- ANZ bank to open our own Aussie bank accounts. My Opi would be proud- he told us to check them out as he had an account with them thirty years ago and they had awesome interest. They still do today at 4.9%. I got a pink card. When we got back to the car we had a parking ticket!
Next stop was the mall for phones. Our GPS, Melba, is outdated so this took some "recalculating". Once there we got pay as you go plans with Virgin. Joel got a cheapie phone. I had my LG unlocked before leaving home, but when I put in my new SIM it is still locked to Rogers! So no texting me yet, sorry.
In the afternoon we looked at our first apartment. It was a total dive, despite what the realtor said. We have two showings booked for tomorrow and a few more next week, so fingers crossed.
Currently Joel is cooking dinner and this evenings plans are to write resumes, check out salons and look at cars for sale.
Oh, I almost forgot! Here are the top news stories for today- 1)a bank was robbed by a lady wearing a straw hat with black paint on her face. 2) a bottle bin was robbed by an old man. I thought that was funny compared to all the murders in Edmonton!

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

2012-02-06T22:36:00.000-08:00

See you next year Canada!

One More Day: Raise Your Glass

2012-02-05T22:07:00.000-08:00

I can't believe we're already leaving tomorrow! This has been a crazy week of packing, mini panic attacks, surprises, tears and goodbyes. I can't wait to get on that plane tomorrow and know everything is in line and we are on our way! Here's what I was up to my last week...

On Monday the Applauz staff took me out for a goodbye dinner at Nello's south-side. I have such wonderful co-workers! My boss, Jacki, got me a Coach key chain and wallet- my first Coach items ever!- which I was pretty excited about. Russ surprised me with a Pandora bracelet with beautiful charms. I also got some cash for the trip and nice goodbye cards from the other girls. I think I'm pretty lucky to have co-workers that care so much about me!

I spent all day Tuesday with my Mom. She helped me get a start on my packing (basically she packed my first suitcase while I worried about what to bring). Let me tell you, packing your life into two suitcases is no easy feat! Then we went out to do what we do best- shopping! My favourite store, BCBG, was having a big 60% sale, so we didn't do too much damage to our wallets. After we picked up Auntie Faye and went to dinner at Continental Treat. We always go there for Cosmopolitans so we had to go one last time before I leave. (The staff there know us as the "Cosmo Chicks".)

Wednesday after work Merrisa and I headed out to Mrkt for appetizers and drinks. This was supposed to be a monthly ritual, but this is only the second time we've got around to doing it! Now we'll have to do wine dates via skype.

Friday and Saturday were tough days. On Friday I had to say goodbye to some of my favorite clients and then it really hit me that I was leaving. I had my last shift at TM and some of the regular ladies surprised me with a going away gift. It feels good to know I've made so many friends there! I will definitely miss being at TM- I always looked forward to being there. My shifts were always full of laughs and good company from the staff and croppers, and it was my stress free, chill out zone. And I love all the fun product of course!

Saturday was my last day at Applauz. I did ok saying goodbye and packing up, but when I went to say goodbye to Merrisa the tears started and they kept on going when I said goodbye to Jacki. I've been working there for the last six years and it's always been a great place to be, so it was sad to say goodbye. After it was goodbye to my Grandpa and most of Joel's family. It was a long and emotional day and it felt so good to crash in bed after!

Today I went to Jill's Bridal Shower. It was a good shower with some fun games and awesome swag in the gift bags! Jill made me an awesome going away card. I will sure miss KK and

Jill-i-an!

Somebody else I will miss alot? My car! not sure what's happening with it yet, but my Mom really wants it so I'm hoping she can buy it!

Now I'm all packed. Both my suitcases weigh in at 49.6 pounds. I've got a backpack (I swear I'm not a loser, my laptop wouldn't fit in anything else!) full of entertainment for the flight and a little suitcase full of clothes and make-up in case my luggage gets lost (a constant fear of mine). Tomorrow I'm going to relax and enjoy my last few hours with my family!

One More Week: Getting Closer!

2012-01-30T11:43:00.000-08:00

Last week was another busy one. I've been fighting a flu bug and have not had my regular energy, which has made me get really panicky about going (I'm prone to panic attacks). Now it's time to start thinking about packing, which is a tough enough task for me for a week or two, let alone a whole year! How am I going to pick which shoes I love most to bring and which stay behind??? I was also starting to feel bad for leaving people behind. I worry that my parents will get lonely, I'm sad to sell my beloved car Wolfie, and that people will fill the gap I've left behind. I had a nice talk with my Dad and he helped calm me down. He said everyone can take care of themselves here and that there is skype and phones and texts and if he gets really lonely he can come visit. He said don't stress about everyone in Edmonton, just enjoy my time and adventure away. I'm still stressing about packing, but amazingly that little talk lifted a big weight off my shoulder.

I've also been saying goodbye to all my clients. Since we booked this trip so quickly, alot of clients have been getting surprise announcements that their appointment today is their last one with me for a year! Everyone is really excited for me. A few are sad and are trying to figure out if they can fly down to Australia for a haircut and write it off as a business expense! I am very lucky, my clientele is full of wonderful people who I always look forward to seeing. Here are two of my very favorite blondes, Amber and Robin (they are identical twins). They love my family and joked that they would adopt my parents while I'm gone.

On Sunday Mom threw a family "Bon Voyage" party for Joel and I. It was weird to say "see you next year" to people I'm used to seeing all the time! We had prosecco, appetizers, and Aussie colored cake pops, which were so good.

My Godparents, Greg and Barb.My speical boy cousins, Jeff, Will and Paul.
They are all younger then me but much, much taller.My cousin Larissa.

Two More Weeks: Last Winter Weather

2012-01-23T20:32:00.000-08:00

In honor of Joel and I leaving, nature decided to give us a going away present- snow and minus forty degree weather! It lasted almost a whole week. The weather has been so mild this year that the drop in temperature was a big shock to everyone. My poor car didn't start Monday morning and I ended up having to get a new battery.

On Saturday I headed out to Wainwright to visit my long time friend Cherlynn and her kids, who are my adopted nieces and nephews. It was Taela's fifth birthday party on Saturday and all three kids were baptized on Sunday. I'm Nathans Godmother, along with Cher's brother Mac.

After Cher and Nick took all the Godparents and Grandparents out to lunch. I was really surprised- she made a nice goodbye toast to me and had a going away card for me signed by the whole family.
Skyla is two and a half and she always has to try on my shoes! She is so cute, but I can never catch her smile on camera. She is the comedian of the bunch and loves to sit on my lap.

Nathans is so sweet and cuddly. He's almost four months and is smiling and laughing alot. He loves to be held, especially if you walk around and rock him.

Taela is my number one fan. She always wants to be just like me and says I'm her "very best Auntie Vic ever!" When I stay over she always comes downstairs and wakes me up super early because she can't wait to play with me.
The girls were both so sad when I went home today. They cried and cried and tried to block the door so I couldn't leave. Taela was especially sad. I told her we'd talk lots on skype but she said that's not the same. Her reason? If she tries to give me an Eskimo kiss (our special thing) on skype she will break the computer screen with her nose!

Three More Weeks: Getcha Getcha Ya Ya Da Da!

2012-01-15T20:28:00.000-08:00

This week was busy! I've been working some extra hours to fit in clients for their last appointments, but I took Friday and Saturday off for a rowdy weekend in Canmore. It was my good friend Jill's stagette party, so thirteen girls headed to the mountains for a rowdy girls weekend. Much drinking and dancing was involved.

On Friday we spent a few hours in the hot tub, which was overly chlorinated and everyone's swimsuits ended up bleaching to lighter colors! KK's was the best- it went from light pink to lilac.

After enjoying some drinks and aps we headed out to The Drake for some more drinking and crazy dancing. We owned that dance floor! Can't wait till the pictures surface from that...

On Saturday we all slept away the day. Then at three o'clock it was time to get our glam on. The theme of the night was Moulin Rouge so we had some great costumes!

After a fun surprise for Jill courtesy of the bridesmaids, it was off to Banff to party at Aurora. Our group was very popular- we had perve row sitting in front of the speaker where we spent most of the night dancing. Unfortunately we had one casualty. Poor Brad, our blow up hunk, was thrown into the crowd and trampled on. At least he went out with a bang!

It was so nice to have a weekend away from everything! The bridesmaids did a fantastic job planning and organizing and it was the best stagette I've been too. It was such a fun group of girls it makes me really sad that I'll be missing the wedding and party of the year! Promise I'll make it up to you though Jill-i-an...

Four More Weeks: The Goodbyes Begin

2012-01-15T20:14:00.000-08:00

We're officially one month away- time for the goodbyes to begin! I joke that I'm on my Goodbye Tour because I'll be away visiting someone each weekend. The first goodbye I said was to Dewey, my baby sister. She's been in school/living in New York for the past five years, so usually it's me said to say goodbye to her. I don't know when I'll see her next, so for once it was her sad to say goodbye to me!

Over the weekend I flew out to Kelowna to see my grandparents. While waiting for my flight out of YEG I checked out all the upgrades that were recently unveiled and I was very impressed! Finally catching up with the world! There are tons of new stores and I found the Barbie version of me. Tempted, but no, I did not buy her.

My trip started with a free shuttle ride, thanks to some new friends I made on the drive. The driver said maybe he should color his hair blonde and he'd have such luck too! My Omi was so happy to see me! As my Opi has a bad hip and doesn't get out of the house much, she was so happy to have a girls weekend out with me. We did some shopping at Orchard Park Mall (where she treated me to a new dress from Guess, one of my favorite stores and I introduced her to the wonders of Sephora), went for lunch and wine, and she shared more stories from her childhood with me. I love when she shares her memories with me- she really had an interesting life and I feel like I understand her better after hearing more about her.

Right now I am busy, busy, busy! I have a giant to do list which is never ending and I'm constantly adding to.

The Countdown Begins: Five More Weeks

2012-01-15T19:45:00.000-08:00

This year Joel and I are off on a big adventure- we'll be spending a year away living and working in Australia. We're going February 6 on a Work and Play Visa, which allows us to work as much as we want there to supplement our travel. We're starting out in Surfers Paradise, which is right on the Gold Coast near Brisbane. The plan is to find jobs, rent an apartment and live there for the first six months, with some side travel of course. From the on... where ever the wind takes us (and our wallets...)!
We started off 2012 in Banff with Dewey (my sister), Dean (Joel's BFF) and their respective dates. NYE in Banff was cold and busy. The main street gets closed off in the evening for pedestrians and everyone hoards there to watch the fireworks. We got there at eleven and didn't want to stand outside for an hour so headed to the only place with no cover- McDonalds. Before midnight we headed outside. It was so cool to be in the mountains and here the fireworks boom around us.

The first day of the year was spent snowboarding by Joel and Dean, sightseeing Lake Louise by the rest of us. While waiting for the boys to finish, we ended up having a two hour nap in the upper lobby of Chateau Lake Louise. Once they were done, it was a LONG, tired drive back to Edmonton.