Wednesday, 31 December 2008
A Christmas Story and Snow Globes
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Happy New Year
(1) What brings you and yours pleasure?
Someone I feel this is very close to question number three, although perhaps pleasure is more superficial than meaning hey?
(2) What are your inner gifts?
These seem to be constantly changing these days. I so feel that becoming an expat has made me a better person and helped me to be able to look outside of myself and develop more of a concern for others. At the moment, and at the risk of being immodest, I would say my gift of late is in bringing people together and helping others to feel more settled here in Adelaide. I'm also really chuffed with something someone else said about me on another blog. Alaskan Dave has this to say about my blog:
"How did #5's blog change your life?
I think that Suzer's blog has inspired me to get a bit more connected with folks around the world. As there is a great many cool people out there and it's nice to get to know a few of them."
How nice is that? I'm glad my ramblings inspired someone---really great:)
(3) What gives your life meaning?
At the risk of sounding cheesy, my marriage, as well as my connections with others, are what give my life meaning. That and travel (although I don't seem to be getting much of that in lately).
All of that being said, a Happy New Year to all, although I don't put much stock in this holiday. Steve and I will be going out to a couple of parties tomorrow night, and it will be nice to catch up with some people. Will be my 1st time being a designated driver in Adelaide, on the one night of the year I prefer not to be out on the road!
Monday, 29 December 2008
The Whispering Wall
Wednesday, 24 December 2008
Tuesday, 23 December 2008
Monday, 22 December 2008
I've Been Tagged
Opinioneater: I met Jen through the Expats in Adelaide group. Well, actually I met her because someone else I met through another blog and subsequently invited to the Expats in Adelaide meet up sent Jen. Anyway, Jen is a fantastic writer and fellow foodie, and sadly (to me anyway) she is repatriating to the US soon. I haven't had nearly enough time to get to know her:( Hopefully she keep up with her blog and share more stories about food, politics and places.
A Free Man: I haven't had the chance to meet this fellow in person yet. He is another fellow Yank expat in Adelaide who writes about life in general and shares his favourite music with his readers. His take on things is blunt, honest and humourous at times, and he either has more time or better writing skills, or both, than me.
Carrie: Well, in all honesty, I don't know who she is. She must have found me randomly.
Debbie: Debbie is one of the creators of Blog Around the World, which is well worth checking out. That is about all I know of Debbie at the moment.
Ella: Ella found me through BatW (above). Ella is crafty; have a look.
Erin: Aussie Erin is another expat from the US, although she lices in Sydney. I'm quite sure we met through Yanks Down Under. She writes about her expat adventures as well, and her Thanksgiving pics are to die for!
Lilly: Lilly found me through Where the Blog are You, which is a site for Australian bloggers? (Hey I'm not an Australian, yet, but I live here and I blog, a lot of the time, about Australia.) I don't read her blog often enough. She has a lot of insights worth reading.
Elsja: And on to another American expat in Oz. Elsja is great although I haven't had the luck to meet her in person yet. I follow her blog, which are the witty and very humourous updates on her life in Sydney with her pilot.
Louisa: Louisa also found me throuth WTBAY, in fact I think she may be the creator. Go have a look. It's a good project.
Dina: Dina is the writer behind This Marriage Thing, which I absolutely adore. Who knows how to be a wife, I say? How many of us had proper role models, or had enough insight into our parents' relationships even if we did? I'm pretty sure that I found Dina's site through a google search for sites about marriage.
Honourable mention:
The below peeps don't have blogs but they deserve a mention anyway.
Muddiah: This is my mom and she has consistently followed my blog from go.
Steveg: A buddy back in Leeds who I wish was here with his fantastic wife Paula.
All being said and done, my commenters belong to a small world, but that's ok. Perhaps that's the wrong way to say it. Most are Aussies or Yanks who live Down Under, but our world view is certainly not small.
Have You Ever Had to Beg?
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
International Migrant's Day
"On 4 December 2000, the General Assembly, taking into account the large and increasing number of migrants in the world, proclaimed 18 December International Migrants Day. On that day, in 1990, the Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.
Member States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations are invited to observe International Migrants Day through the dissemination of information on the human rights and fundamental freedoms of migrants, and through the sharing of experiences and the design of actions to ensure their protection."
There is even an entire website dedicated to this day. Migrant, by definition, means to move from one country or region and settle in another. To whose of us who have always counted ourselves amongst those more privileged, becoming a migrant can be a humbling experience and on this day more than others, it's a good time to reflect on this. It's a time to "express support and solidarity with all migrants", according to Diversity at Work:
- "Worldwide, an estimated 130 million people live outside their countries of origin.
- In 2004-05, Australia's population increased by 110,100 persons through migration, representing 46% of total population growth for the year.
- In Australia 25% of the workforce was born overseas. "
To all my migrant friends (and myself at the moment) I think the most important issue at the moment is finding work. It's more of a challenge for many of us as employers are put off by visa issues and concerns, a perceived idea that non-native English speakers are not as capable, and a general bias and passive (and sometimes active) discrimination against foreigners. Survival comes first and with an entire host of issues immigrants have when arriving in their new country, first and foremost in importance is finding a means of sustainability. My best thoughts and wishes that those of us who are looking all have some luck with employment in the new year.
Monday, 15 December 2008
Right Speech
- to abstain from false speech, especially not to tell deliberate lies and not to speak deceitfully,
- to abstain from slanderous speech and not to use words maliciously against others,
- to abstain from harsh words that offend or hurt others, and
- to abstain from idle chatter that lacks purpose or depth.
It's not always an easy concept to live by, but as words have such important effects, it is something to keep foremost in one's mind. I can think of two incidents that happened this weekend where right speech was not used; one by me, and the other by my husband, neither to do with each other. Not using right speech can waste time, energy, and cause unnecessary upset. Thinking about what you say along these lines, even just a little bit more, can make a world of difference.
Saturday, 6 December 2008
Fixing the Porch
Sunday, 30 November 2008
I'm not old!
Thursday, 27 November 2008
Happy Thanksgiving Ya'll
- First and foremost, I'm thankful for my husband
- I'm thankful it will have only been 2 years since I've been home by the time I visit. I hear way too many stories of people who've been here for 5 or more years and haven't been able to make it home for various reasons
- I'm thankful that I get to go out to Norwood today to meet up with Tamara for lunch and make a trip to Chili Mojo (and hopefully pick up some frozen Mexican food to bring home)
- I'm thankful for the invite to a Thanksgiving dinner at a fellow expat's house
- I'm thankful to all of the people who've made Expats in Adelaide a success, mostly because it's been so fantastic to meet them all and feel a part of something here, as well as feel like I've done something constructive that's added to my personal happiness
- I'm thankful that I'm an expat, and that that has changed my life so much, in so many positive ways, allowing me to be the person I've always wanted to be
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Six White Boomers and other Aussie Xmas Oddities
Sunday, 23 November 2008
Friday, 14 November 2008
Central Market
1 bag of 5 apples
1 bag of 3 lemons + 2 apples
1 bag of dates
(All 3 bags above for $2)
1 bag of 4 gigantic pears, a type of which I don't know the name but look like an apple but taste like a pear ($1)
1 bag of 3 small sweet potatoes ($1)
1 head of broccoli (70 cents)
3 bananas ($2.20)
Grand total: $6.90
My usual veg shop for the week costs $10-13!! I typically buy more veg than fruit but these items were a steal and we still have some corn, potatoes and green beans from last week's shop.
Thursday, 13 November 2008
Kayaking
Saturday, 8 November 2008
Another Golden Nugget & Gratitude
Occasionally, I remember to have a look at a blog called This Marriage Thing and just spotted something called The Gratitude Project. I'm doing #3 & #4 in this post. I don't know if I'll have a chance to say thank you three times a day for 10 days to my hubs, but I can try. I do always try to thank him for what he does do, because I sure nag him enough on the things he doesn't;) I'm contemplating doing the grocery shop alone today, even though I don't feel like I should have to. It's something we always do together and I did it myself last time. I have had time off work; hubs told me today I should do it myself because 1) I'm the housewife right now and 2) he has things to do. Now, the things he has to do are pick up an engine for his car and play with his toys (he's building up a car). Marriage is tricky. Do you let it go, and not think about the right and wrong all the time, in order to stick to fighting the fights that matter, or do you refuse to have food in the house because you think hubs should go with? I guess there's no right answer. While I think the old man should take an hour out to assist, I don't feel like nagging all day, so I think I will go it alone. Perhaps I'll get some gratitude in return.
Modified to add: My husband, who didn't even know about The Gratitude Project (until I told him afterwards) thanked me 3 times Saturday for 3 different things, and told me what a good wife I was. (Perhaps doing things like taking over grocery shopping responsibilities once in a while is a good thing!)
Friday, 7 November 2008
Expats for Obama
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Linus in the Pumpkin Patch
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
Monday, 20 October 2008
Now that it's Summer....
- Beach bbq!
- BBQ/party at the house (once the porch is complete)
- A lazy Sunday in a beer garden with friends
- Some time up at Mt Lofty, including the Botanic Gardens there, which I have yet to see
- A hike somewhere, perhaps at Waterfall Gully (perhaps not all the way to Mt Lofty as that takes 3 hours!)
- Attend an Adelaide United game
Sunday, 19 October 2008
Gazzanats
Thursday, 16 October 2008
Oh boy am I in for it
I Finally Have Some Wheels!
Update: The car is home. She has some cosmetic defects and you can tell the last owner or two didn't take very good care of her interior, but she runs fine. Sorted out registration today ($730!!!) and am working on insurance, while the hubs is finding me new(ish) tires. Coversation between the two of us last night below regarding getting the car insured (keep in mind for the last 6+ months the hubs has not allowed me to drive his car because it is not insured, and told me that if I wanted to drive it, I had to insure it). While I love that he found me a good, reasonably priced vehicle, I must poke a bit of fun at him.
Hubs: "Well you'll have to add me to the insurance."
Me: "Yeah right! And why would I do that?" (Hubs is a bit of a petrol head and I would so not let him put that stress on my new baby.)
Hubs: "It will help my insurance rating." (Hubs was about one speeding ticket away from losing his license when we got back in Oz...4 in one year will do it.)
Me: *ROTFLMAO* "Dream on!"
The things men try to get away with!