First of all, it was wonderful to wake up and find myself laying in a huge, comfy bed instead of a hard, upright chair to sleep on. I think I fell asleep almost immediately the night before, and it was great to be able to finally relax. My room is just beautiful, I left the window open overnight so the breeze could come in and keep me a bit cooler. It's so nice to have windows that open! Unfortunately though, it was raining when I woke up, so it made it a challenge to think of what all we could do for the day.
For breakfast I tried a cereal called Weetbix, which is basically a square of cereal you pour milk on and top with some sugar. I know we have some types of cereal that are to be eaten the same way, like shredded wheat, but this actually tastes a million times better (because I generally don't like shredded wheat but I loved Weetbix!) Their milk containers are different as well, not so clunky and more long. It's so interesting, there's just a bunch of little things that are different here but you really notice them when you come into contact with things that aren't the same. Another VERY interesting thing about bathrooms here is that the toilet is actually in a totally different room! So if you say, "I'm going to the toilet," you literally mean you're going to use the toilet in it's own seperate room. The bathroom itself has a sink, and a shower, and a bathtub (the bathtub and the shower aren't connected) but you can't find a toilet in there. The first time I went to use the toilet, even though I knew it wasn't in the washroom, I went in there and Cameron laughed at me. I think that'll take some getting used to.
We decided that we'd go for a drive again to the same places we saw the night before, but this time in the daylight. Unfortunately because of the weather I didn't get a chance to get out and go experience the ocean this day either, but I did enjoy seeing all the buildings in the light. I also spotted a police car, which is WAY more decorated and noticeable than any in Canada (it has a checkerboard pattern along the side so you can really spot it in a crowd) and an ambulance, which is really just a minivan. Transportation is much different here, there aren't as many trucks on the road and the ones that you do see are extremely strange looking. The most popular type of truck they drive here is actually called a Ute, and it looks exactly like a regular car with the 2 back seats missing and turned into an open box! The bottom is low and almost against the ground and it has to be one of the weirdest looking vehicles I've ever seen.
We decided to go out to lunch this day, and picked a spot called 'Ribs and Rumps'. The problem with this restaurant, however, was that it was open to the street (which a lot of them are here in Australia) except it was a freezing outside and I hadn't dressed for it. We tried to sit down to order, but I just couldn't handle the winds. Next time, I'll remember that even if I'm going to eat 'in' a restaurant, it doesn't necessarily means it's a building! The next place we drove to was 'The Groove Train', and although it was also open to the street it was a lot warmer inside and no problems to eat at. I tried my first carmel milkshake, and had a really nice lunch. I can't wait for it to be a beautiful day out and spend time at a restaurant like that again because I can understand how wonderful it would be to have it opened up like that to the street. After lunch we drove to Woolworth's (a grocery store like Safeway) at Robina Town Center and got this Milo cereal, which was made to taste similar to the drink powder Cameron brought for us to try in Canada.
We drove around a bit more before coming home and picked up a few games for his Wii and when we arrived it was almost time for dinner. It was a pretty special meal, actually, because it was my very first time trying lamb. Cameron's mom roasted the lamb in the oven along with pumpkin, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, cauliflower, and broccoli. The whole house smelt delicious as soon as we walked in. My mom had told me about her previous experience with lamb, where she basically said, "It tasted just like a little baby lamb smells," so I can't really say I was expecting much more than to be completely disgusted by it. Fortunately for me, my mom must have just had some terribly cooked lamb before, because this was AMAZING. The taste of it was almost equivalent to the meat that you'd find in any good donair. There was a little bit of gravy on it, but I could have eaten it completely plain. The pumpkin was great too, I've never eaten it outside of a pie but it was just perfectly cooked and a really great meal.
After dinner we just stayed around his house, playing Guitar Hero on Cameron's Wii until bedtime. Just before bed I had talked to Cameron's parents about all of the strange creatures Australia is home to, and how terrified I am of most of them. They let me know that most of the things I'm afraid of don't ever make their way into someone's home, so not to worry. One of the exceptions, however, is something called a Cane Toad. The closest thing I've ever seen to a toad was a frog, and the frogs I've seen are all about the length of my thumb, if that. Cameron's dad said that a cane toad would be MUCH bigger than someone's hand, which I really can't even imagine. Then he told me they always have cane toads in their backyard! His dad went outside for literally 20 seconds and came back in because he'd already found one. I went outside and saw this medium-sized toad sitting in his garden, it was just a baby but still much bigger than I've ever seen. The toad is actually poisonous to most animals and in some cases, to humans, so I'll make sure I don't go playing around with them any time soon.
That day overall was quite enjoyable, despite not really doing much of anything new. It's just nice to be somewhere different and to see what unique things the country has to offer.
On Saturday, October 9th, I awoke to pretty much identical weather to the day before. I can honestly say, I didn't expect Australia to feel just like home, weather-wise! For breakfast I tried the Milo cereal I bought the day before, which was quite good. We stayed around home for a few hours, just being lazy until lunch time. For lunch, Cameron's parents went out and got meat pies and sausage rolls, very traditional Australian foods that I don't know if I've even seen in Canada but are extremely popular here. Apparently at football games, you can find most people with a meat pie in one hand and a beer in the other. These were AMAZING! I thought they would be similar to a beef pot-pie, but it was absolutely nothing like it. Just ground beef in a really delicious sauce baked into a pie shell, and for the sausage roll it tasted like a finely ground up hot dog baked in very flaky pastry. It really was delicious.
After lunch Cameron drove us to Pacific Fair, which is very much like a mall except half of it is found outside and half of it is indoors. I really will have to take a picture to show just how unique all of the stores are here. Everything is so beachy, I tried to go clothing shopping but I am trying to get a sense of the fashion around here so I can gets clothes to blend in and not stick out as a tourist. Mind you, my Canadian accent probably gives that away to begin with. Something I really needed to get and finally did get was sunglasses, so now I have both sandals and sunglasses and I can feel a bit more prepared for the sunny days (if they ever happen).
On the way home Cameron took me down the 'scenic route' which was a way longer but a so much more beautiful way to get back. We drove right along the beach, close enough to see surfers catching the rough waves the rain and winds would create. We parked for a few minutes and watched a guy who was just learning to surf trying to ride the very small waves the ocean made as it connected to one of the rivers. It was a really nice drive, and I loved getting to see the ocean closer up. I'll say it again, I can't wait to finally touch it! It feels like it's almost torture to actually be here, fulfilling a dream of mine, and the one thing I always wanted to do is impossible until the weather brightens up.
For dinner that night, Cameron's brother and his wife came over again to eat with us, so the table had to be extended and it was a pretty full house overall. His dad did the barbecuing, and from what I can tell he is quite well known for his talents with a grill. I've never seen so much meat being cooked on there, we had sausages and rissoles and lamb chops, and it all smelt wonderful. It was already dark out by the time he started cooking at 6, and a bit cold, but the atmosphere is nice. It was when I was standing outside then, watching the food cook, that I realized what a beautiful view of the city that Cameron and his family had from their house. You can see all of downtown and the lights in every direction.
When we all sat down, it was so much fun. His family is very friendly and talkative, I love his grandma because she will say pretty much anything she is thinking and she's just too funny. She reminds me of what my mom will be like in 40 years. I tried a bit of everything with dinner, there was SO much on the table to choose from it felt like a buffet. I had coleslaw that Cameron's grandma made (which tasted better than KFC), a 3 cheese potato bake, garlic toast, lots of salad, a rissole (which is like a beef patty) and a lamb chop. The lamb chop was delicious, so I've decided that I quite enjoy lamb. I know that when we went into Woolworth's there was row upon row of lamb to buy, and in Canada I've never even seen it in stores, but I hope my mom can find some place that will sell it!
After dinner all of Cameron's family tried the hot chocolate I brought them and really enjoyed it, and we just sat there and talked for a while. Once his brother and sister in law went home, we all just went to bed. I honestly cannot believe that I'm getting tired and going to sleep at 9PM these days, but it's nice to get up early and the sun comes up so quickly that it just feels natural. I hope I can carry my sleeping habits back to Edmonton! That was another fun day, I'm just enjoying being here and I hope it only gets better.
Roast Lamb from Day 2
Complete dinner plate from Day 2
The Barbecue (and Cameron's Dad) from Day 3
The city from Cameron's backyard
The dinner table from day 3
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