Maybe in Oz

A couple weeks ago we enjoyed a nice long weekend away with our good friends Mae Lee and Bruce.  We took a quick flight up to Newcastle (just North of Sydney) and made a 30 minute drive to Nelson Bay. Mae Lee and Bruce on the ferry We enjoyed a Friday night dinner at the local gold club, where we had to show id to prove that we lived farther than 5 km away.  Otherwise, we would have had to join the club to get in.  Strange place. On Saturday morning we took a ferry ride from Port Stephens across Nelson Bay to Tea Gardens.  It was a pleasant one hour ride during which we enjoyed the views of the bay, the mountains, lots of pelicans, and even a few jumping dolphins.   View from the ferry - lots of pelicans on the shore Jumping dolphin from the ferry In Tea Gardens we had morning tea (that's tea meaning snack) of coffee and scones with jam and cream while we watched a kayak race and enjoyed some sunshine.  Then we took a slow wander arou...

6 Sept 2014 Suzannah and Phil, thank you so much for letting me stay with you this weekend and once again being amazing hosts/tour guides!  I'm so happy I get to come visit on my work trips and extra grateful I got to spent this weekend with the both of you (plus 3 other new friends!). Today nd yesterday were absolutely perfect!  Dinner and the Lego Movie were exactly what I needed after the long week, and the farmers' market/winery/jazz/pizza/sunshine/beach/pier/shelby&sally/lighthouse/chocolate/wetlands/shopping/pub/AFL "final were amazing!! Looking forward to brunch downtown tomorrow and some exploring before I fly out :)  Can't wait to see you both next time and return the favour if you make it back out to Perth (will have to start researching now in hopes of finding anything close to as great as today). Everything is awesome! Amber P.S. Happy early birthday Suzannah :) P.P.S. Glad you love pelicans as much as me! I thought I was the only one :) ...

Suzannah & Phil- Melbourne round 2 was of course a blast!  From multiplying kangaroos to getting lost amongst the graffiti streets of downtown Melbourne, it's always an adventure when I visit.  It's so nice to have you guys just a little bit closer to me now and I will be back again.  Looking forward to our next adventure together as you guys are always excellent tour guides.  Take care and come back to Singapore anytime!  Keep travelling, keep exploring and keep being my view into the cool things to do in Oz.  See ya next time! Missy Mom and Joey Good night to go on a roo hunt! Footy match - Go Cats! Bear Ballet at the National Gallery Street Art in China Town

My 10 days in the USA: Steering wheel on the left Outlet shopping Gets dark really late Automatic flush toilets.  and automatic sinks.  and soap.  and paper towels! mmm Chipotle American bacon More shopping More American bacon Mexican food Happy hour Raspberries, blueberries, and cherries, O My! Orange bell peppers Clam chowder Cool ranch doritos Steak wrapped in American bacon Blue cheese salad dressing Giant Texas flags Christ Church.  As in the church, not the city. Dead skunk.  Don't miss that one! Amazon.com Peaches Fabric Family Friends Babies Sheba Winston

After landing in Singapore we found the doctor at the airport and got some X-rays of Phil's rapidly swelling wrist.  Not broken, says the doc.  I continue to be amazed at the cost of healthcare in countries outside the US.  All up, this visit was around $120 AUD.  I can't imagine how much it would have cost someone in the US without insurance. Singapore skyline After the doctor we headed to our friend Missy's place to drop off our bags.  Then we headed into town for a happy hour with some colleagues from the office there.  It was really bizarre for me seeing all these people I knew from the San Diego office who now live in Singapore.  Definitely a small world.  Then Phil and I wandered around and explored this giant 7-story mall that actually turned out to be two 7-story malls next to each other.  Living in Australia, we are rather deprived of shopping so we were both surprisingly happy wandering around the malls.  We even found a...