Oops...

So...it's been way too long since my last post. Earlier this week I got messages from two different people asking "Is everything OK? You haven't blogged in a while." It's been getting harder to talk to people at home, now that the time difference is only 17 hours instead of 19 hours. Basically I am now one day minus 7 hours ahead, instead of one day minus 5 hours ahead which means that now its midnight at home in California when it's 5 in the evening here.

Life is really starting to pick up and get going. We've just gotten university ethics approval for one of our dog training projects, so I've been really involved in getting that up and running. I'm also grading student assignments for the course I'm tutoring, so that's been a big part of my life the past couple of weeks as well. In Australia, they call it marking - and I was really confused at first, but I think I've figured it out.

Speaking of figuring things out, I have a couple more interesting observations on Australia:

Courtesy of: abramowitzesdownunder.blogspot.com

• There aren't mail trucks. The postman rides around on a motorcycle with neon yellow sacks of mail (see picture).
• "H" is pronounced "hay-ch". Well enunciated. I probably wouldn't even have noticed if it hadn't been that every time I say I'm doing my PhD (pronounced pee-aich-dee), people do a double-take and then go "oh your P-HAYch-D".
• Ketchup is actually tomato paste - and tomato is pronounced to-MAH-to. Like when you say "to-MAY-to, to-MAH-to" but wonder who ever says to-MAH-to? British people, and therefore Australians.

I've also finally made it to the Asian grocery store in Bendigo. I was so happy to find Aloe juice and 沙茶酱 (Chinese satay sauce). I made Ma Po Tofu that evening and it actually turned out surprisingly tasty!

Yummy!

Meet Audrey

It's Easter Holiday, which is also mid-semester break. Students get one week off from classes, and the University is closed for Good Friday, and also the following Monday and Tuesday.

Turns out basically EVERYTHING was closed for Good Friday - including the grocery store...

Luckily, I have a small fuzzy warm monster to keep me busy the next couple days. This is Audrey, Pauleen's 4 month old Lagotto puppy who has come to stay with me and learn about life off of the farm. It's been a lot of fun having a puppy around - I forgot about all the crazy mischief puppies get into! Today, I went downtown to the pet store (which was luckily open for 4 hours this weekend) and picked up some rope toys and rawhide chews for poor Audrey who is teething and needs toys other than her stuffies.

So far, she's been rolling around on the ground chewing on her rawhide for over an hour. She seems happy, and I don't have to be upset at her for wanting to chew on the walls or bed frame!

I survived!

The last two days have been crazy, busy, and tiring -- but I came home to two great things!

Sage! Unfortunately my phone camera is
too slow for good pictures.

Yesterday morning, I left home around 6am for an Animal Ethics training day in Melbourne. The training program ended at 1pm, and Jess, Nick, and I went to Jess's house to discuss our current project and the next steps we need to take to keep on track.

I got to meet Jess's new bird, Sage, and her two foster baby ringtail possums - who were absolutely adorable.

This morning, I had a meeting with someone from the service dog training group to figure out what I need to do in order to get trained up as a puppy raiser. Certain some fun things to come from this!

I had tutes in Bundoora again today. It's always interesting to see how different classes can have such different opinions - maybe just because certain ideas get brought up first. I really enjoy challenging their thoughts, even though they might think I'm a little nuts. One of the hardest things with the tutes is getting my second class (from 3-5pm) to keep participating through the entire class time. It's the end of the day and we're presenting such thought-provoking things and asking them to discuss when people are having a hard time just keeping their brains turned on, let alone critically think. I want to say that's why my first tute is so much more enjoyable - but I had a little chat with my second class today and hopefully next time is better.

It's 3 weeks until I need to be down in Bundoora for tutes again, next time only for a single day so it should be less tiring. My two hour drive home this evening resulted in good things though. Got home and found that my American snacks had arrived, and I've received my first scholarship payment from the university!

Tada!

Things are looking good - and we have a long weekend coming up. It's Easter weekend so we get Friday - Tuesday as university holidays. I'll probably go hang out at Pauleen's for at least a couple days and do some training/play with her dogs... should be fun!