Whale Beach

WHALE BEACH

We drove up to Whale Beach for a late lunch and an afternoon of sun, surf, and breeze.  The scenery is stunning, the waves impressive to us Long Island Shore denizens, and the sand nearly uninhabited.  Larry walked the beach from one end to the other. Nicole joined him for half the walk.  And Carla walked to the ocean's edge for a toe dip before heading back to the beach chair and Kindle.



Carla and Kindle



Admiring the sights





Nicole and Larry



If you'd asked me on December 31, 2009 where I'd be on December 31, 2010, I'd have said Farmington, CT.  Who knows what 2011 will bring?

Our First Trip to the Doctor

Nicole spiked a fever of 38.4 yesterday (101.4), and so I spent the morning today figuring out the Australian healthcare system and our insurance provider.  Turns out, things are a lot more straightforward than in the US.  We can go to any doctor we want; there are no preferred provider networks or discounted coverages.  We do have to pay at the time of the visit and then file for reimbursement, so that's a bit of a pain.  Some doctors, though, have this thing called HICAPS where you just swipe your card and the claim is filed automatically.  So that will be something to look for.

The next step was figuring out what kind of doctor to call.  Based on research, a family practice seemed the best place to start. (Every other kind of doctor is a specialist.) The other day, while walking around Roseville, I had spotted a family practice and jotted down the number.  We got an appointment for noon today. Easy peasy.

The doctors office was... hmmm... small.  Ancient.  Lots of old people sitting in chairs.  We got there 10 minutes before our appointment to fill out all the forms.  Only, in AU, THERE ARE NO FORMS.  We didn't fill out a thing.  Just sat down and waited for Nicole's name to be called.

The doctor, Dr. Chen, diagnosed tonsillitis (he told her that her right tonsil was pustular) and prescribed an antibiotic called Klacid (clarithmycin).  A quick swipe of the credit card ($40 for the office visit) and we were on our way.

We strolled down the street to the Chemist to fill the prescription.  While there, I mentioned that I was looking for some additional thermometer sleeves (the things you slide over the digital thermometer).  They didn't have them, but the young ladies instantly pulled out their order book to see if they could find some for us.  Very friendly, very personable.  The pharmacist filled the prescription in about 3 minutes and came around to the register to ring us out.  Very different experience from CVS.  Another swipe of the credit card ($18.20) and we were on our way home...

...where I filled out my very first healthcare claim form so that we can be reimbursed for our expenses today.

Hopefully the antibiotic kicks in quickly and Nicole starts to feel better soon. Tomorrow is New Year's Eve and it would be great to be a part of it.

Wildlife Encounters

This morning, Larry called me downstairs to view an unexpected overnight guest:

Leopard slug - 4-5 inches long - crawling in my kitchen

And the other day, the very curious kookaburra in our backyard got as close as he could to give us the onceover.

Yes, that's him sitting on the corner railing of our upstairs deck.  This is right after he bashed a dead rodent against the ground to eat it and right before he knocked another kookaburra off "his" branch in the tree they like to sit on.

Yet Another Public Holiday

Larry assures me that the mall traffic and parking scarcity are all uncommon and extraordinary because of the season.  We went (yet again) into Chatswood, where it took longer to find a parking space than it did to drive from our house to the carpark.  We did manage to accomplish two items on our to do list: we purchased a home phone and an extension cord.  We did not manage to purchase lounge chairs for the upper deck.  More driving and shopping will be needed.

The highlight of the day, in addition to spending quality time with Larry, was the dessert he treated me to after our lunch at Sushi Train.  (Sushi Train is Larry's favorite place to eat here - conveyor belt sushi.)  The dessert is called Roti Tisu (pronounced almost like "rotting tissue"....) a Malaysian delicacy that looks something like this:

It's a hollow, upside down, cone of paper-thin layers of fried dough, coated in caramelized sugar and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.  It was GREAT.  You eat it by peeling each crunchy, delectable, layer until it's gone.  MMMMMM.  Maybe going to Chatswood continually just got more bearable!

We walked around our little village of Roseville, exploring the amenities.  There must be around 8-10 restaurants in a 1/2 mile radius, not to mention 4 dentists and a family medical practice.  There is a relaxation spa type place, two pharmacies, a small grocery (very small, I'm hoping Italian), and a bakery.  There are a couple of cafes that look like good places to grab a coffee or tea and a snack.  Can't wait for everything to be open again after the holiday season!

What I Found Doing Laundry...

The other night, we were enjoying the fresh evening air with the terrace doors wide open, when suddenly, a large moth flew in and scared the **** out of Larry and Nicole.  Without a butterfly net to catch it, Larry trapped it in the laundry room.  We promptly forgot all about it.

This morning, I collected the towels and dirty laundry and began sorting whites from colors. (Note: I never did this at home. For some reason, I find myself sorting here.)  As I reached for the bottle of detergent, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the moth, perched on the side of the bottle, wings vibrating slightly.  I confess myself startled.

After flicking the moth into the sink and putting a plastic bag over it to keep it contained, I poured the detergent and started the laundry.  I went to get 2 plastic cups with the hope of capturing the moth and throwing it outside.  It did not fit into the cup!  The wingspan must have been about 7.62 centimeters (3 inches to us Americans).  It started fluttering around the room. 

I quickly called my husband (who is vacuuming - also something not generally seen in the US) who decided that quick, decisive action was called for. He sucked it up into the vacuum!

Before all the fluttering, cup catching, and vacuuming, however, I had the presence of mind to take a picture of it:

Isn't it pretty?  I assume it's a moth and not a butterfly since it flew into the house at night.  Maybe some insect lover out there can shed some light?

*** UPDATE ON THE MOTH: It's a Granny's Cloak Moth.

Anyway, I'm sure it won't be the last buggy thing I find around the house, and I'm grateful that my first insect adventure was so mild.

Driving on the Left

Just took our shiny blue car out for my first outing behind the wheel.  Larry only gasped once or twice (I apparently hug the left pretty closely). Used the windshield wipers a couple of times instead of the blinker... but didn't hit anything and returned safely home!

Christmas in Sydney

Christmas Eve brought an unusual sight:  three camels walking down the street in Manly, a popular beach town north of Sydney. How often do you see three wise men parading down the street on camels?

After watching Balthazar, Caspar, and Melchizadek, we headed across the street to watch the Christmas surfers and the kids playing ball on the beach.  It's a beautiful beach. 

Larry took us to dinner at Ribs and Rumps, a place he's enjoyed since he got here.  He reeeeeaaalllly enjoyed his ribs.

We went home to watch Scrooged, one of my favorite Christmas season movies, and one that they don't show so much in the US anymore.  And on AU TV, it's unedited, so all references and language are intact (very mild).  Love Bill Murray, love the movie.

Christmas morning brought a mix of joy and concern.  Concern because I learned that my mother was hospitalized after fainting and trouble breathing.  She sounded terrible and said she'd never felt so sick.  Joy because we were able to celebrate the holiday together after 7 weeks apart.

Gone are the Christmas mornings when we had to body-block Nicole from the tree.  She was the last one awake, in fact, and we had a leisurely gift-opening time.  We managed to take the obligatory family photo - only this year, we were missing Jasmine.  And the house is a little stark without all our personal belongings.

We attended church at 10:30 at St. Andrews right in Roseville.  We get to be Anglican for a while!  How exciting is that??!! The service was lively, upbeat, and joyful.  The message inspired and informed, all about the humility and inclusivity of God.   We are looking forward to regular attendance here and getting to know the other members of the congregation.

After church, we walked to the train station and headed off to Sydney.  It's the most walking I've done in a long time, Joy would be so proud!  It was an uphill 15 minutes to the station, then a ton of walking around the city to see the big Christmas tree and Darling Harbour, and then a 15 minute downhill back to the house. I don't know how often I'll be doing THAT.



Nicole in front of Martin Place tree.




Larry and Nicole at Darling Harbour.



Carla in front of bird fountain at Darling Harbour.



Most stores are closed on Sundays - how odd to us Americans - and the crowds were negligible.  Nicole and I had enough of walking by about 3:30, so we headed back to the Wynyard station and headed home, where we enjoyed our Christmas presents.  Nicole began setting up her new Zune while I got to read the incredibly complicated instructions for the new game Larry bought.  Drunk Gnomes trying to save a sinking submarine....enough said.

And today is boxing day.  A big shopping day in Australia, I guess, and a public holiday as well.  Larry has the whole week off, and we will be planning day trips and other activities to see the area.  Maybe I'll even drive the car!