other side of the world

Check it out. I'm almost officially on the other side of the world!


So it has been another super busy week, but we did find time to go to a soccer game and a cricket match!

The soccer game was played at AAMI stadium. It was the last qualifier for Australia and Saudi Arabia. The Saudis needed to win to clinch a spot in the next round.

AAMI stadium


ME!



It was a good game. Australia scored, then it was called back for offsides. SA scored. Then Australia scored. Then SA scored. 2-1 at half, Saudis lead. Then Australia scores to even it up, but NOOOOOO, off-sides again! SA almost scores to seal the win, but they miss. Then Australia comes back and gets 3 goals in 3 minutes to win 4-2. Great game.

Friday was also a national team match for Australia, this time it was in cricket. The Aussies had made it through on points to the finals but Sri Lanka needed to beat them to go through, where they would play Australia again for the cup. Don't ask me what cup. It wasn't a world cup, some other tournament. Anyways, we walk up to the Melbourne Cricket Grounds and we are told our gate is on the exact opposite side. So we walk around all of these empty gates to get to ours. There are probably 200 Sri Lankans coming and going out of this game because at this time its ~7pm. The match started at 2:20. Everybody is drunk. I guess thats what you do for 8 hours at a cricket match. So we push our way through and find our seats. This guy Andy we have been working with got us the tickets. We sat down net to his friend who just happened to be from Austin, TX. He moved here 9 months ago for work. Him, his wife and two kids. So that was cool. We got to complain about how everything isn't like it is in America. Here are some pics.



Well A pic. The rest are on my camera. I'll post them later.

So we learned some rules and I think I 70% understand cricket now. Mike started falling asleep so we left at ~9:30. There were 10 over left and the score was something to something else. Turns out it was actually close. I can never tell in an 8 hour game whether its close or not. We checked the next morning and Sri Lanka won by 9 runs! like 245 to 236. So this week they play each other 3 more times for the Cup.

Oh here is a picture of the guys I am down here with. Arif, my manager on my right, Mike, other engineer, on my left.



If Arif looks especially happy its because he just made $30 playing roulette at lunch. Don't know if I mentioned that. Australians LOVE to GAMBLE. There is an entire fox sports channel dedicated to race betting. Every other bar has horse races on in the other room. As Arif says 'we bet on anything that moves'. OHHHHH Australia... I'll never figure you out.

St Kilda

St Kilda



So I am officially an international criminal. We hopped the tram down to the beach. The only problem was the automated ticket machine was broken. Now worries, we will buy a ticket on the tram right? Nope, tram ticket dispenser only takes coins. So we illegally rode the tram for free! Woops! We didn't get caught though, so that was good.

Then we found a resturant named 'Donovan's' on the beach.



Oh ya, I got a free hat too. There was a Greek Fest going on down the street from our hotel so we stopped by for a few minutes.



I can see why Melbourne is the skin cancer capital of the world. IT'S HOT. REAL HOT. So hot people bring tents to the beach. I didn't get sunburn though so I was pretty proud of myself for that.



You know those funny looking hats with the flap in the back? People wear those here. It seems like half the people are really concerned about skin cancer and the other half could care less because their skin looks 30 years older then they are. Also I would say half the people down here smoke. So basically 3/4 of the population are most likely going to get some kind of cancer. Like Mic Dundee said 'That's not cancer, THIS is cancer'

We bought a Bocce ball set and played that for a while, then walked down to a restaurant and ate some food. When we were walking I saw the pier that Fi and I walked down two years ago when we were there.... Memories

Then I went back to the hotel and fell asleep at 9pm because I'm an old man who gets winded from playing bocce ball on the beach.

:)

Aussie words

So they talk a little funny down here. These are some colloquialisms I noticed.

Aussie words:
Not bad - means good. It takes a lot for an aussie to same something is good or great.

Keen - means you like it

Ya a'right - means ok. also means you are all right. also sometimes used as a compliment when you do something well: 'you know Brock, sometimes ya alright.' But there is always a 'sometimes' put in front of it when used as a compliment.

Using the word Theory to describe things, especially when things aren't actually theory's, such as 'The theory is if you have more lanes, there is less traffic'. Or, 'The theory is you use the straw to transport the water from the cup to your mouth'

No worries - your welcome. Or Don't worry about it.

Land down under

I have been super busy with work but I'll try to post more pics soon!

On Sunday we took a stroll down by the Yarra River.


After work on Friday we went out and had some beers. I tried Coopers which is a beer from Adelade. It was pretty tasty.




Then we played some locals at ping pong and I played one of them at this really weird version of pool. The balls were all 2/3 size and there were only two colors, red and yellow. Maybe it was billiards? There was still an 8 ball though. This Aussie, he must have been 19, beat me two games in a row and as we were about to start a third game his parents walked in. I guess in Australia you drink with your parents on Friday nights. Anyways he yells out, 'Mum, dad, I'm beating an American at pool.' His dad yells back, 'good job son, just like the presidents cup in '96'. What is the presidents cup? Apparently we lost to Australia at it in the 90s and they are still riding high on it? He was so excited, it was like the Olympics for him.



Then we made our way back to our hotel which is by China Town. And walked on down to a hole in the wall place called the 'Super Inn'. Arif loves the place, Mike hates it. But Mike is too nice to say no so we went.





It was pretty good. It seemed real authentic. I judge something being authentic by how weird of dishes they have. Super inn has: jellyfish, suckling pig, some skins i think. It was a weird menu. But they had chicken and stuff too. I liked it. He said he can't see what they're doing so he doesn't trust their meat. He ordered vegetables.

Ok, hopefully I am motivated and keep blogging and don't procrastinate until the last few days I'm here.

Marriott Melbourne

We finally landed in Melbourne Saturday morning. Picked up our car, drove to the hotel and settled in. Here is my room!



I was able to stay awake until about 4pm, slept untill 11pm, ate some dinner, went back to bed until 6am this morning. Then I discovered there is an awesome espresso machine in the hotel.



I may have been a little too excited for it. Tripple shot espresso wasn't a great idea.

This afternoon I went walking and saw a bar that Fi and I went to when we were here!



Its called the elephant. Makes me miss Fi!

So tomorrow it is off to work. Which is going to be hard because customer meetings are the worst. Lots of questions, being overly nice and making small talk. But hey, I'M IN AUSTRALIA!

Lets find some warmer weather

Did you know Rick Bayless has a restaurant in Ohare? I had a chicken sandwich. It was pretty tasty. Also, I saw Liv tweet about being in gate C but when I tried calling her her phone went to voice-mail. Oh well.

Flight from ORD to LAX was fine. I sat next to my manager Arif and watched 3 episodes of the wire. I was planning on being productive, writing songs or reading those books I've been meaning to read but traveling just makes me want to do the least strenuous activity. I get a lazzzyness that wont go away and I just end up napping or watching movies. Mike, the other Motorolan I am traveling with was sitting across the aisle next to a guy who had no joke 7 gin and tonics on the flight. We laughed about after we exited the plane.

So guess who I was sitting next to on our flight from LAX to Sydney? Yep, gin and tonic guy. But he didn't seem drunk which means either those drink were real weak or he is an alcoholic. So anyways, the guy sitting next to me is named Greg, he works for food processing equipment manufacturing company in Demoins Iowa and loves Jin and Tonic. He had 3 more on our flight from LAX to Sydney. I asked for an OJ and it came with champagne, because I guess everything in business class comes with champagne?



One thing I learned on the trip was do not fly United international unless you are flying business or first class. When Fi and I flew to Australia two years ago we flew Air New Zealand and coach on there was way better then what i saw on United. Maybe its just the plan i was on but coach couldn't choose what they wanted to watch. On Air New Zealand we had like 20 movies to choose from. Also I have heard Qantas is good.

I was able to pick up some Vegemite when we switched planes in Sydney.



Check out my golf score.