Longing To Be Comfortable

Arlo and I are finally in Glen Helen. It will be our place of work, sleep, and all other ways of spending time for the next several months. Glen Helen Resort is located deep in the outback, a little less than two hours west of Alice Springs, Australia. It's basically smack dab in the middle of the country.

We've been here for a little over two days, and it has been endless amounts of learning. I've got a decent amount of experience waiting on tables and working the bar in America, but today was proof that I have much to learn in Australia. Slang and accent are two difficult obstacles when trying to understand people. Today, someone ordered "CC and dry" at the bar. I knew CC was Canadian Club, but I didn't know that Dry stands for dry ginger ale. Also, they call "jack and coke" "jacks and coke", which sounded to me like "jackson coke". It was a long seven hours of asking people to repeat themselves and asking my co-workers for help. Thankfully, they're all very friendly and patient! My deepest desire right now is just to feel comfortable, but it's really hard when I have a new place to live in, a new country with a new desert environment, and a new job with people I can barely understand. It's a lot of work, but I just have to keep reminding myself that it's worth it. Nothing good in life comes easy!

Aside from all of the verbal confusion, I love it here! We're right in the middle of a national park, and nature is everywhere. The Glen Helen Gorge and West McDonnell Ranges are literally right behind the resort, and look incredibly majestic at sunset. I'm going to upload some pictures this weekend so you can see!

I should be able to post more often now that I have the time. I'll be working quite a bit, but I literally have nowhere else to go expect the occasional trip to the town (every couple of weeks).

I'm very happy my bed is comfy! The room is in no way 5 stars, but the bed is at least a 4.

Time to sleep in it!

ChooChoo!

Ritz crackers dipped into a small vat of Nutella make for a wonderful train snack!

If only I had a small vat of Nutella instead of this half-empty 400g jar...



I guess I've got a lot of catching up to do with this blog! I thought I was going to have more time to write than I would have time on the internet, but it turns out I've had less than I've expected of both. Arlo and I spent about 10-12 hours a day exploring the city, and when we got back to the house, we chatted with our hosts until we all went to sleep. I managed to upload a bunch of pictures, but didn't have the chance to reflect on my days in Melbourne.

Right now, we're on board The Overland. It's a train that will spend the next 10 hours delivering us to the next leg of our journey, Adelaide. The view out my window right now is perfect. We're finally getting out of the city and suburbs, and into the picturesque, rolling countryside that everyone thinks of when Australia comes to mind. Many fields are filled with flocks of sheep and squared off by rows of trees. This pattern repeats and rolls over the horizon, where I assume there are more fields of sheep. I've seen a few cows and the occasional horse, but I'm sure there are more sheep packed into this country than Mexicans in a minivan.

JUST KIDDING! There are more...


No kangaroos yet.



Time has been flying by, and it's hard to keep track of the days. This is partially because I'm still a bit disoriented in this country, but also because I've been running around the city without a watch or something to keep time. I think that's probably the best way to explore, though. Time restrictions might make life easier sometimes, but they're not fun, especially when you don't need them.


Anyway, I think I'll buy a watch in Adelaide... hah

Lagged, Confused, and Excited

I'm sorry to say that I don't think I'll ever be coming back to America. It's not that I don't miss you all, or that this place is too awesome to ever leave (though it's close). The flight is just too long and terrible to endure. I may be able to make it back someday by hopping from country to country, taking little chunks at a time.

I'm half kidding.

My experience of Australia so far has been nothing short of incredible. Here are some things I noticed, and some comparisons with America/Americans...

• The people seem much nicer here. If you look confused, people will walk up to you and ask if they can help. They seem much happier than Americans. I'm sure part of that is due to the booming economy and minimum wage of about $15, but people here just don't sweat the little things.
• Prices are a little less than double what things cost in America. The Australian dollar is about six cents more than the American dollar. The only thing that's cheaper is milk. We bought 2 liters today for $2 (think a 2 liter bottle of soda). 
• The metric system is weird, and I think it's going to take me a while to get used to. 
• Cars drive on the other side of the road, like in England. Walking across the street is dangerous, as we're used to looking left and then right. Even walking is weird, because we're used to passing people on the right. 
• We're not in the same rhythm with this place yet. There are many similarities with America, but the vibe is totally different. 
• Pints are not 16oz, they're 20oz. And the other sizes you can order are schooner, pot, mid, and a few others. 
• Australian's aren't usually difficult to understand, but some of them tend to run their words together. Tonight we ordered some fried chicken, and neither of us could understand what the employee was asking us, even after he repeated himself 5 times. Finally, another employee told us he was asking if we wanted our food for here or to go. I guess I don't quite get the accent yet.
• They sell kangaroo meat in the grocery store.
• Thrift stores are called op shops (opportunity shops) or second hand shops. 
• Melbourne is locally pronounced Mel-bin, not Mel-born. 
• We're 10 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in the US, so it's 12 mindnight right now for me while it's 10am for most of you. When I get to my workplace outside of Alice Springs, I think I will be 11 hours ahead instead of 10.

I've got more, but I need to figure some stuff out before tomorrow. We walked about 10 miles (or 16 kilometers!) today, and will likely do the same tomorrow.
This place is just so much fun!

This Is It

In Australia, my internet access will be a little spread out, so I won't always be able to update when I write things. This post, for example, was written before our first of three flights, but I'm in Australia right now! More on that later. But now you understand how things will pan out from here on.


A year's worth of meticulous planning, months of 60-hour work weeks, countless hours spent researching and writing emails, and several minutes of sorrowful goodbyes with family and friends have lead me to this.

The game of hurry up and wait.


I've been in the airport since 2pm now. It's 5pm. My plane leaves at 6:45pm. You do the math. I'm definitely not complaining, though. Everything has been smooth so far. Nice and boring. Lots of waiting. Normal airport stuff.


Arlo, Fia (Arlo's Mom), and I got into NYC at about 7am this morning. We had a lovely breakfast, and then walked around the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It was rainy/misty, and it seemed we shared the whole garden with only a few others. It was so peaceful and relaxing... the perfect morning before a long, long flight.


Waiting...

RSA and Our Itinerary

Phew! I just spent the last 3 hours completing a course for my Responsible Service of Alcohol certificate for Australia. It was set up like a power point presentation with an overly enthusiastic woman guiding me step by step, accompanied by obnoxiously upbeat music that I couldn't mute without also muting the narration.

*sigh*


But that's all water under the bridge now! That's the game for these last few days in America. Get as much water under the bridge as possible before time runs out! Yesterday I visited my Grandma, had dinner with a great friend, and spent some quality time with my Mom - all people I'm dearly sad to leave behind. My list of things to do, people to see, and food to eat shrinks gradually along with my time left before May 1st at 6:45pm. Its a sad, yet wonderful thing.


Just so you all can get an idea of where I'll be and when, here's my itinerary:

Flight #1
Qantas Airways Flight 0108
Departs: JFK     6:45 PM     Tuesday, May 1
Arrives: LAX   10:00 PM     Tuesday, May 1

1hr 50min Connection Before Flight #2

Flight #2
Qantas Airways Flight 0108
Departs: LAX     11:50 PM     Tuesday, May 1
Arrives: SYD     7:40 AM     Thursday, May 3

1hr 50min  Connection Before Flight #3


Flight #3
Qantas Airways Flight 0421
Departs: SYD     9:30 AM     Thursday, May 3
Arrives: MEL     11:05 AM     Thursday, May 3

We'll be couchsurfing in Melbourne for 4 days and 5 nights (May 3rd-May8th).
On May 8th at 8:05AM, we'll be taking the train west to Adelaide.

Train #1
Melbourne to Adelaide on The Overland
Departs: 8 May 2012 at 08:05AM
Arrives: 8 May 2012 at 05:55PM
9hrs 50mins Ride Time

We'll be couchsurfing in Adelaide for 4 days and 5 nights (May 8th-May 13th).
On May 13th at 12:20PM, we'll be taking the train north to Alice Springs.

Train #2
Adelaide to Alice Springs on The Ghan
Departs: 13 May 2012 at 12:20PM
Arrives: 14 May 2012 at 01:45PM
25hrs 25mins Ride Time

We'll be hanging out in Alice Springs until our ride comes to pick us up and take us to work at The Glen Helen Resort in the West MacDonnell Ranges.

Good Times Ahead!

A New Journey

Oh dear, it seems I've fallen off the face of the earth...

I apologize for the lack of recent updates, and also the absence of my last promised post that would recap the tour of the tours. Honestly, my heart wasn't really in it after that last one, and I'm thinking more along the lines of the fact that I'm gone - outta here - leaving the country - in less than a week! My mind is a scramble of thoughts about last minute buys, last minute get rid ofs, and how the hell I'm going to fit all I plan to take with me in this:

My travels to Portland, OR and back have taught me a lot about what I don't need. It's incredibly liberating to travel lighter physically and mentally. I'm the kind of person that has to know the location of my belongings at all times. I'm constantly checking my bag or pants pocket for my keys, money, camera, etc. This kind of subconscious behavior is good for not losing things, but it's always taxing on the mind. I don't know if having fewer things will make this better, especially because I'll be in a foreign country, but it will certainly make carrying everything around easier. The deterioration of my pack rat lifestyle is slowly reassuring me that I'll never end up on an episode of Hoarders.

And by the way, if you didn't already know, I'll be going to a place where I will see and eat plenty of these:

More later...

Tour of the Tours - Installment SixWeyerbacher Brewery - Easton, PA

Something to consider when picking a brewery to tour is its proximity to your house. I've gone to breweries as far as 5.5 hours away, and was able to make a very nice trip out of the whole thing. If you're going the distance just to see how your favorite brew is made, do some poking around on the internet and see what else you can do in town. There are several breweries along the Jersey Shore (Kane, Carton, East Coast Beer Co), but I haven't gone to any of them yet because I'd like to make a nice beach day out of it. And I want to check out Flying Fish and Triumph on a Philly trip. I love beer, but hoofing it any farther than 30-45 minutes just for a tour is a bit much. I'm not making an 11 hour round trip just for a look around and a sample of beer.

If you're too strapped for time to drop a couple hours on a brewery trip, check out your local bars and liquor stores for when they might be sampling. I was at Freebridge Wine & Spirits in Phillipsburg, NJ a few weeks ago when Flying Fish was in town. I got to sample a few beers, talk to one of the brewers, and I even got a free pint glass with my first Flying Fish pint purchase! Of course, I didn't get to see where all the magic happened, but getting to sit down and share a brew with one of the guys that makes it every day is usually not something you get on a tour.

Few are the people who are lucky enough to have a brewery in their hometown (unless you live in Portland, OR where the breweries outnumber the citizens). I boast, and count myself amongst them, as the closest brewery is only a stone's throw away - an 8 minute drive across town. Weyerbacher Brewing Co is one of the many badges worn proudly on Easton, Pa's 260 year old chest. I admit, my loyalties lie with the town across the Delaware River, but I swell with pride when my glass swells with local beer.

Weyerbacher Brewery - Easton, PA

I tried to get the above shot without Kilroy peeking from behind the tap, but I didn't want to look like a creeper taking 12 shots (pictures - not liquor, you drunk!) just to get the one I wanted in a very, very crowded room of thirsty samplers. And such is the downside to a town that highly supports its small businesses. It's like PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWER, ity bity living space. I've been to this place several times, and it's always packed. I can never seem to try more than one or two samples when I visit, because it's not worth elbow wrestling the other patrons just to get to the bar. With only 3 hours for touring, sampling, and growler filling a week, (on a Saturday, no less) I don't even think there's a time to go when it would be relatively quiet. If you go and expect to get a taste from the taps, bring your elbow pads and stomping boots. It's going to be ugly!

If crowds aren't your thing, maybe you'd be glad to know that expansion is on the horizon! They're going to have 40% more physical space, an actual tasting room, and dearly needed extra hours for touring and the like. As it currently stands, the tasting room is a small section of the warehouse that has been cornered off by a few racks of beer bottles and swag. It's functional, but only barely with the big increase of visitors since they started brewing in South Side Easton in 1995.

The brewery is located on the far side of an industrial warehouse district, separated from the Lehigh River by a few blocks of houses. The feel of the place is a bit bland and seemingly non-permanent. The only decoration is the swag that's out for sale, and perhaps a banner or two. I don't think anyone really cares what the brewing area looks like, but the tasting room should look nice! And it should be a room. It looks like they quickly set up shop in a corner, and haven't made many efforts to enhance its appearance. But I guess there's no time for fashion when the business is busy tripling in size over a 7 year period. Now that their current space is maxed out, the much needed remodeling and expanding of the sampling area can take place (and perhaps more importantly, expansion means more beer!). Even though the tasting "room" isn't the best, I'm glad to know that the brewery's priority is beer and not appearance.

If you have ever sat down in the wrong classroom on the first day, and had no idea what the teacher was talking about once class started because the material was way over your head, then you would know how I felt on the Weyerbacher brewery tour. This is the AP Rocket Science class of all brewery tours. I've been on many tours, and I know a decent amount about the processes, ingredients, and such, but the things the tour guide spoke of made me wonder if I was in the wrong classroom. Beware: This is a tour for brewers, not drinkers! People on the tour with me were asking odd questions about equipment and techniques, and the tour guide gave them equally confusing, jargon-filled answers. I don't think every tour given here is like this, I think I just happened to jump in with a group where everyone happened to be a home brewer. It's a good thing I was touring a brewery, because I definitely needed a drink afterwards!

Back at the crowded, free-for-all tasting area, I sampled two brews before pushing my way out of there. Living in the same town as Weyerbacher has allowed me to try a few of their pints at local bars that I wasn't brave enough to get a sample of at their brewery. I can't quite pin point it, but they're all kind of... yeasty? No, that's not it... it's kind of a cloudy, muddy taste. Like, in the way that both make things indiscernible. I can clearly taste the beer and what it's supposed to be, but it's not crisp to me. I feel like I can almost chew it. Maybe it's Easton's water? Who knows... maybe it's just me! But it's definitely not a bad thing, just different. It's subtle at first, but the more varieties I try, the more I feel I could cut it with a knife. It's weird, and I think I like it. More tasting research is needed before I can come to a conclusion.

Another thing about their beer - it's just too flavorful! Isn't that crazy? It's like trying to finish a big piece of very rich chocolate cake. The first three bites are to die for, but the last three bites are what kills you. No, a pint of Weyerbacher isn't 2,000 calories a pop, but the taste becomes too much after a few mouthfuls. I thought it was just Merry Monks', their Belgian style golden ale, but it's almost everything I've tried so far. I admit, it's growing on me, but it's definitely no session beer.

I'm chalking all of this up to my taste buds changing. Weyerbacher beer is definitely high up there in quality, but it just isn't balancing on my teeter-totter of a tongue right now. I used to be all about the sweeter, citrusy ales and wheat beers. I still like them, but now I'm branching out to some of the less sweet pale ales and stouts. I honestly miss Sierra, a milk stout from their Brewers' Select series, which they don't make anymore. Other than Sierra, I haven't found a Weyerbacher beer that rests well on my palate. At the same time, I also haven't tried them all. I guess my best advice for myself is to keep trying, especially since the place is so close!

I know I've said some things that might make you question my loyalty, but I really do like Weyerbacher. I like what they stand for, where they're located, how they run their business, and how creative they are with their beer. Creativity can be expensive! It takes bravery to offer something different in a failing economy where people are holding onto the things they know for dear life. The brewery's impending expansion is living proof of their success, and as consumer, I'm proud to play a part in it. Definitely check them out now, or in Oct/Nov 2012 when they're fully expanded and equipped for the big crowd they always draw.


Keep Tasting!