G'Day!

Welcome to our blog! It's our way both of keeping a record of getting to know our new home, and also of keeping everyone at home in touch with what we are doing.

Love Wendy, Andrew, George and Anna xxx

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And if you already have a google account - why not leave a comment today?

Friday, November 30, 2007

The End of Something...




What a busy time. The school year is coming to an end, Christmas is nearly here, and we are moving house. I might have a nervous breakdown!

School ends on 11th December, and the children don't go back until the beginning of February. George will be in Year 6, which is the first year of Middle School at St Lukes. Everything will be quite different for him. He will have to be at school by 8.20am each day (more of a challenge for me, than for him, to be honest), he will be allowed to wear long trousers (wow) and he will have to deal with a timetable. But he has lots to look forward to as well. More basketball for a start. And he has been picked by the school to be part of a team on a television quiz show called 'It's Academic'! How exciting is that? I hope that this will put to bed his idea that he is not good at anything. He got a terrific score in his Basic Skills Test (like SATs) for literacy, putting him in the highest category in the State, and above the school average score. He didn't do so well in numeracy, but still had a very credible score. We are very proud of him, and especially of the way he has grown in confidence this year.

Anna goes from strength to strength, doing well at school and in all her various interests. We are seeing a lot of changes in her though - her body is changing, and with it, her attitude to us - and particularly me. She likes to spend time in her room now, listening to music and trying on all her clothes, and I have become quite the most stupid and embarrassing person on the planet. A lot of the time, she can barely bring herself to look at me, and she is increasingly rude - especially when her friends are there. However, she is still my beautiful and wonderful little girl, and I know it is all a stage she has to go through. I reckon the trick is not to take it too personally! Not always easy...

And so to moving house, I collected the keys for the new property today, signed the lease and gave them a huge bond cheque. In order to do this, I unexpectedly had to go into the city, and on the way back to the ferry I thought I would look in some of those awful souvenir places. Well, they were full of the usual old tat - chocolate koalas, flags, kangaroo skins etc. But by far the most disturbing thing I saw was a CD which was a 'uniquely Australian arrangement of Pachelbel's Canon' on DIDGERIDOO.....I was thinking of buying it for my dad for Christmas. I'm sure he would have loved it.

But I digress....we are now well into the moving process and I am knackered and bored of it. We have been moving all the bits over for 4 days and the furniture will go on Thursday. I was initially a bit worried about the new house when we got the keys - houses look so dingy with nothing in them - but now we have got some stuff in there, I can see it is going to be good. It is certainly very large, and one thing I do like about moving house is that you can get organised again.

I bought a step counter last week, and have been wearing it for the last 4 days. You are supposed to do 10,000 steps per day to lose weight. I've done 15,000, 13,000, 17,000 and yesterday 24,780. I think this must mean that for a couple of days I can remain entirely motionless in my bed without any detriment to my health, or weight. Super!

We are going to be without an internet connection for a while when we first move in, but I'll update whenever I am able.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Bend it Like Beckham




Today is a big day in Sydney. The LA Galaxy are playing an exhibition match against Sydney FC, and David Beckham is in town. The city has gone mad. They have filled Telstra stadium (83,000 peeps), and that doesn't normally happen for football here. Everytime the man touches the ball, the crowd go crazy. And there are a lot of women there with banners saying things like 'Bend Me, Beckham!' Not very sporting if you ask me. And of course, if anyone is going to bend for Beckham while he is here, it ought to be me.

Course, if you say football here, they think you mean rugby league. You have to call football soccer, and although it is not a big spectator sport here, lots and lots of people play it - men and women. In fact, on the whole, I'd say that Australian sporting culture is all about taking part, and not necessarily watching. Whereas, in the UK, it is pretty much the reverse - all about watching and very little about playing.

So you'd think, wouldn't you, that Australia would have a lower rate of obesity than in the UK. Wrong. The rate is higher. Now, I have to say, that there is very little evidence of this where I live. I've never seen so many people running, everyone plays sport, and everyone is a member of the gym. Everywhere sells healthy food, and most people are eating it. And I have only met one person since I got here who smokes (which has reeked havoc with my social smoking habit....there is no one to beg a fag from....). This all must mean that in other, probably less affluent areas of Australia, there are some very very fat people.....

I read in a magazine the other day, that Australian women have the second highest number of sexual partners in the world. Guess which country has the highest? Interestingly, everyone I have asked this question of (including English people), have said the United Kingdom. Not a very flattering supposition for us ladies, that people think we are the world's biggest slappers. But they are wrong. I guarantee you will never, ever, guess who are. The turkish. I kid you not.

There are lots of things I need to find out about Australia. For example, something that has been exercising my mind whilst doing the ironing lately, is what the teenage pregnancy rate is here. I'm curious, because contraception is not free, and I'd like to see what impact this has. But at the same time, they have a very open and robust approach to sex education. I've been told that part of it involves parents also attending, and a session where parents, children and teachers are encouraged to become comfortable with the use of words relating to sex. This is done by making everyone shout as loudly as they can. 'Penis!!!!' they scream. 'Testicles!!!!!' 'Vagina!!!!!!!'. Can't wait - especially if the headmistress is there, as she is so prim and proper they call her The Queen.

I suppose that with this approach, contraception might never be needed.....

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Catch Up Session...



Grandad, George and Anna



Andrew having a go on the surf ski



Anna and Georgie on the beach this weekend





I did think that after we moved out here, we would have a bit of a quiet time socially, on account of us not knowing anyone. But people here are so very friendly, I'd say we at least as busy on that front as we were at home - hence the lack of blogging just lately.

So much has gone on in the interim that I barely know where to start!

Grace and Bob came back from Melbourne having had a wonderful time driving down the coast, looking at the fantastic scenery and leaving clothes in motels all over the country (only joking Bob!). Did I say the previous weekend was hot, and we had friends Julie and Simon with their children Freddie, Tess and Finlay over for a BBQ?? I don't think I did.....Julie and Simon are English but have spent the last 7 years living in Bangkok, arriving in Sydney around the same time as us. Currently they are living in the house we are about to move into in Mona Vale (more on that later!) and that is how we met. I'm trying to think of what else we did that weekend but it seems like such a long time ago now!

So back to this weekend! It was Grace and Bob's last few days with us, and we packed it all in. I picked them up from the airport and then took them to Balmoral beach for lunch. We were amused by a very cheeky bird who came into the cafe and was pecking at the cakes on the counter. Don't think the staff saw him, but I bet he will be back!

That evening we had supper at Julie and Simon's, which gave G & B the opportunity to see where we are moving to, and they seemed pleased, although we are all sad to be leaving this place. Living here has seemed somewhat surreal, it's so wonderful - perhaps in the new house I will stop feeling as if I am on holiday all the time. Although I doubt it....

Saturday we took ourselves off to Avalon Christmas markets, bumped into lots of people we knew, and although I intended to buy lots of pressies, I actually only really bought a very large carved giraffe. Yes I know....look - I had a moment, ok?! Its called Humphrey by the way.

Speaking of Christmas, I'm pretty much on top of it now - just a few more gifts to go, and then I'm done. I wanted to get it all done before we move, as I'll have enough on my plate getting the house organised before everyone arrives for the festivities!

What else has been going on?? Well, we spent the day on the beach at Mona Vale on Sunday, where it was hot but with a good sea breeze. I even went in the sea! In the evening we had a lovely meal at Deck 23 overlooking the beach at Dee Why.

And - oh my god! - I forgot to mention the party we went to on Saturday night! It was friend Nadia's 40th birthday party, held in her very glamourous and modern pad with lovely views at Curl Curl. The theme was White and Bling, so there was a lot of tasteless jewellry about (mainly on the men), and a lot of women floating about looking very chic in white. There were ice sculptures of naked women's torsos which had plastic tubing and funnels leading to strategic places from where you could drink a shot of vodka, and many many lobsters and oysters. I felt like perhaps I had stumbled into someone else's life!

Then - this bloke turned up in a purple cloak. Suspecting that it was a stripper, which I always find a bit excruciating, I slipped away to the pool area, from where I could still just about see into the sitting room. But this was not a stripper. Oh no......it was much, much worse! Suddenly the man threw his cloak off and was already stark bollock naked. At first I thought it was just a very bad strip show, but from where I was standing, with no clear view (thank god) of his genitalia, he appeared to be doing something very dodgy indeed. And then I realised. It was the man from Puppetry of the Penis. Now. I know people who have been to see their show at the theatre, and it has been hysterical. But imagine him being feet away from you in the incongruous setting of someone's sitting room. There we all are, at this glamourous party, and there is a bloke at the end of your nose turning his tackle into the Eiffel Tower. Absolutely classic! Certainly a party we will never forget (especially as Andrew ended up in the pool at about 2.30am fully clothed and ruined his mobile phone!). Well done Nadia for organising the 40th party to end all parties!!

Of course this means that I need to put in some serious thought about my own fortieth next year...

Andrew flew off to South Korea on Monday morning, and Grace and Bob went back to the UK, so the children and I have been alone. Andrew has promised me to spend the week practising a few Puppetry of the Penis moves, and will be doing a show for me when he returns. I absolutely promise not to post any photos on here of this memorable event....

PS I went kayaking yesterday at Bayview, which was tremendous fun. But today - oh my God - my arms ache!!

Monday, November 12, 2007

Christmas is coming



I did an odd thing today. i sat in the garden on the daybed, soaking up the sun, and wrote some Christmas cards. Very incongruous. One should not be sunbathing whilst preparing for Christmas. And yet the shops are full of cards, gifts and decorations. I have no sense of it being near Christmas, and haven't yet developed any sense of urgency about it - despite the fact that I will be catering for 15 and we will be moving house between now and then. It just doesn't feel right. To be honest, I no longer have any inate sense of which month we are in - I no longer naturally know that it is November - I have to tell myself. Psychologically for me, it's about mid to end June. No particularly helpful given everything that needs to be done.

And I am confused about the approach to the festivities here. Christmas cards here are generally snow scenes, thatched cottages in the snow, Santa and some icicles - you know the sort of thing. I had to search high and low to find cards which I thought represented the real Australian deal - sun, sea, sand and kangaroos. But I wonder what makes them produce cards like that, and why they associate Christmas with weather conditions which never take place here. It's not as if everyone here is European!

I have made some decisions about things though. I won't be cooking a roast turkey dinner. We'll be having seafood, salads and that sort of thing. I think. Unless I come up with something else between now and then. We'll be going to the beach at some stage, and a lot of the day will take place outdoors. This is all assuming that the weather is good - which apparently isn't at all guaranteed. In fact, I'm told that Christmas Day has a bit of a reputation for being a bit damp. Which is disappointing - but we'll keep our fingers crossed!

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Busy busy busy



Anna and Georgie all dressed up for Trick or Treating

For all of you who have cruelly contacted me and asked me to post a picture of me as black as the ace of spades, I have bad news. The tan has faded nicely, and is in fact almost gone. For a few brief moments I did indeed have the golden glow I was hoping for, and I'll probably do it again (especially if it carries on raining).

So back to what we've been up to.....after our return from the Hawkesbury, Grace and Bob took the train up to the Blue Mountains for a couple of days, leaving me to restore order in our home. We did all the usual things - swimming (lots of moaning as usual), netball (won), basketball (also won). I had the tan, as you know.

The tan was part of my plan to look gorgeous (hahahahahaha) for a very hectic social calendar. Thursday saw me glowing with friends at the Altitude Bar in the Shangri - La Hotel for Nadia's 40th birthday. This bar, as well as being very luxurious with waiter service for your Strawberry Bellinis, has the most spectacular views of the harbour from its position on the 36th floor of the hotel. I felt a bit like a film star. Then we were off in our chauffeur driven car to Hugos in King's Cross (which is the Sydney equivalent to Soho). A great time was had by all, and I didn't get home until 2.45am. Luckily I was sober. Friends from home will find this surprising, but I do seem to have become Captain Sensible about drinking. I didn't have anything after about 10.30pm except water (we went out at 6pm), and even ordered a Peach Bellini which I had a couple of sips of and then left because I knew it would be one too many. And this for a person famed for her exploits when three sheets to the wind. Goodness me....

Andrew very kindly put the children on the bus for me the next morning to allow me to have a lie in, and I got up at 11am and went straight to the gym feeling very chirpy. Then it was rush rush rush to get home and ready to go to the Opera House with Andrew and Grace and Bob. We had dinner at Circular Quay and then saw a program of Rachmaninov played by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Ashkenazy. It was wonderful, and so nice to be enjoying an orchestral concert. We were pretty tired afterwards, but I took everyone to the Altitude Bar so they could see the view. Andrew didn't like it, and we couldn't get into the reserved seating area we had been in the night before, where the view is best, so it was a bit disappointing, but Grace and I did have a strawberry mocktail which was quite the loveliest thing I've ever drunk.



The Year 4 Mum's Posse

Then the next morning I was up early being picked up to go with Sharon and Maria on the Yea 4 Mum's Weekend Away. This took place at a resort in Ettalong Beach up on the Central Coast, but the town is accessible from Palm Beach by ferry in 25 minutes. It's a very pleasant trip on a nice day, and going somewhere by boat always seems a bit of an adventure doesn't it? We had a real laugh, as you will be able to see from the photos, but the real highlight for Maria, Sharon and I was the completely insane lift system. The hotel rooms had those key cards and the cards also had to be used to operate the lifts. There were 10 of us on trip with rooms on various floors, and the reception people failed to tell us that our key cards were programmed to take us only between the 2nd floor where our room was, and the ground floor. As a result, we spent sometime in the lifts, travelling up and down at the whim of other travellers, unable to make it to the 3rd floor. Irritation soon turned to hilarity (particularly when given that we had consumed a fair bit of champagne), and by the time we gave up and went to ask what the problem was at reception, we were pretty much beside ourselves.



Sharon busting a few moves to the band at the Ettalong RSL Club!

But the fun in the lifts did not stop there. After more champagne in Leisa's room, Maria and I dashed off for a quick shower and scrub up before we all went off for dinner. We jumped in the lift, confident that as we were going to our own floor there shouldn't be any problems. No such luck.....after initially making encouraging noises, we found that we were not going anywhere, and the lift door wouldn't open. We were still rather giggly, but the realisation that we might be stuck was slightly dampening the humour, so you can imagine our relief when it suddenly set off. We were slightly irritated when it failed to stop at the second floor, but at this stage it wasn't all that surprising. What was surprising, however, was to step out the lift on the ground floor and find that we were in the kitchens....Naturally, it wouldn't take us back up, so in the end we crept out, hoping that we might be able to find our way back to reception without being seen....however, we were soon spotted and escorted out, much to the amusement of all the staff. By this stage, Maria and I were laughing so much we were barely coherent, so the discovery that we were in the kitchens of the RSL club next door to the hotel was almost too much for us to bear. We had to walk out the club into the street, and walk round the corner to go back in the hotel and all in all the trip from the 3rd to the 2nd floor had taken over 20 minutes!

I swear that is the sort of thing that can only happen to me....



Ettalong Beach



Sharon and Maria doing a bit of modelling on Ettalong Beach - lol