From Now to January......: Coke with ice, please!

I don't have a variety of photos to share, just some photos from around campus and a few from our tour of the Gold Coast Hinterland. Taking photos has been somewhat difficult, either we are walking in the evening and it is getting dark or the light is harsh or I don't have my camera with me. We have some plans for the upcoming weekend and I am hoping I will have some great photos to post next week. However, I do have a few to share and some random thoughts about living in Oz.

Today, was a funny day. I have had a headache for the past few days, not sure if it is tension related, weather or perhaps since it is spring, allergies. After a restless night, I decided what I needed was a nice foot massage! I had discovered a place called Happy Feet in the shopping center. It is kind looks like a nail salon, several cushy chairs to sit in for the foot massages and then tables with curtains for privacy if you want a body massage. Before I had a combination neck, shoulder, back massage with a foot massage, this time I decided I really needed the 50 minute foot reflexology treatment! I headed to bus stop, got on the bus and the bus driver did not know the route! A few minutes after we left our stop, I was looking out the window thinking "I have never seen that house before", when suddenly the driver shouted out, "am I going the right way?" All the UQ students started laughing and some kid replied, "you are suppose to stay on Hawken Drive". I realized we were going by the golf course, so I was wondering what he was going to do? We came to a round about and he actually went around it twice before deciding which way to go. One of guys got up and stood beside him to give him directions, but he got off at one of the stops. Oh boy, what next? Suddenly, he stopped and started backing up! He had missed his street. Everyone was just looking around, like wow, I can't believe this is happening! Finally we made it the shopping center. I got to Happy Feet and the young lady actually remembered me, which made me feel special, but is probably because I had given her a tip and I am not sure they tip in Australia. I know they don't in restaurants. So anyway, I am sitting in my cushy chair and suddenly this big burly Aussie sits down for his foot massage. I had to keep from giggling. I could tell he was a regular customer by the way his technician was talking to him. After my massage, I was feeling better, but still had a slight headache. I decided what I really needed was a coke with ice. Soda is expensive in Australia, just like in Europe. The difference here; soda is even expensive in the grocery store. Not a big deal, because I try not to drink a lot of soda, but in Europe when I had my cold and was feeling so lousy I would regularly go to the little market and pick up a 88 cent coke and take it back to the apartment and have a glass with ice. When I would have a coke at a cafe I always asked if they had ice before I ordered. Usually they said yes, most the time I would get one or two cubes. Once I got a 1/2 glass of ice!! He knew I was American and liked my ice. But back to today, after my massage I decided to go to McDonald's in the food court, I figured that was my best bet for a fountain coke with ice. I ordered a small coke with ice and the girl said "with ice?" I said "yes" and she smiled at me and said "most say no ice" I told her I was American and liked my ice. I got my coke, with about 3 ice cubes in it. Oh well, at least it had some ice in it. I have been told Americans have an obsession with ice and I am sure I put more ice in my drinks then most, but to me if a drink is suppose to be cold I want it cold and a coke that is not cold is pretty yucky. As hot as it is here I am surprised that people don't use more ice in their drinks.

Last Thursday, we went to the Gold Coast for a conference. We were there for 2 nights, so it gave me a chance to walk on the beach and sit by the pool while Rick worked...poor guy. We had yummy Thai food with some of the UQ faculty and sat through a brutal conference dinner. We had breakfast at the hotel, typical breakfast buffet, not too bad, but in my opinion the scrambled eggs were gross. I usually don't eat scramble eggs in the a buffet because they are normally powder eggs, but these eggs were not powder, I am sure they were real eggs, but I not sure I can even describe how they looked. Kind of runny, tiny curds. I have noticed they are like that in Europe as well. I once ordered scrambled eggs in Scotland and never again did I order scrambled eggs outside of the US. I just think we do scrambled eggs better, but I could not figure out why. But just now as I am working on this blog I figured it out. I have the television on, watching an Australian cooking show and they are scrambling eggs. They are using a whisk while cooking the eggs, stirring vigorously while they cooked. No wonder they turn out the way they do! Beside not getting enough ice and runny scrambled eggs, no other complaints here about the food. The fruit is absolutely wonderful, Rick and I are probably eating twice the fruit we normally eat because it is so tasty. We are enjoying the variety in ethnic food and Rick now understands why I love the iced coffees. I really enjoy having a pot of tea and freshly baked scones with jam and clotted cream. That is why I am walking so much!

Week three is winding down, I managed to get to two art museum this week, lived through the several days of really hot weather and a huge rain storm. Rick is busy as usual, presentation at the conference, meetings with faculty and the Queensland Tourism organization. Fun, fun, fun.