Question Time

Given that yesterday was the 20th and my flight is on the 23rd, I thought that it might be a great idea to actually go see some of Canberra. Sure, I've been to Civic and all that, but Parliment House....not so much.

So, I hopped on a bus and went down there. Pics of these would accompany the post, but I left my digital camera back at the dorm. Aren't I smart.

First I went to Old Parliment House, which has been turned into a museum. Its very cool to learn about the history of the building and government. I really liked the exhibit on the press gallery, me being a media nerd and all.

You see, unlike Washington D.C., Canberra's a small place. So, ministers and journalists kind of would run into one another, alot. One quote from a journalist was that he felt that the press could sway votes in a way because of this interaction. The ethics of that won't be debated here, but its a point to ponder.

After Old Parliment, it was off to New Parliment House. The new digs the government has are nice. Again, this is where pictures would come in handy.

I started off going to the Senate, which is red in colour. This was to represent the red in the Outback. I arrived just in time to see a vote, and after it was taken just about everyone left. Some guy began giving a speech on small business, and all the while, Senators were just getting up and moving off. At one point, two Senators who had been chatting during the speech laughed, which caused a retort from the small business advocate. They apoligised...and left. I almost felt bad for the speaker.

One of the cool things about the Senate (and Parliment in general) is that there is a lot of pomp and circumstance with everything. There's tradition that carries over from the Brithish Parliment. In the Senate, they have the Usher of the Black Rod, which is a guy, carrying a black rod, that leads the President of the Senate around.

After listening to an intellectual property debate (something far less interesting then I had hoped it would have been) I decided I'd had enough red and went out into the foyer. I picked up my ticket for Question Time and headed into the House of Representatives.

Here, it was green, representing the forests of Australia. A nice touch. The public galleries were full, and at 2:00 the Speaker interuppted a representative's speech and promptly began Question Time.

I didn't know what to expect, really. And what I got was a solid hour of entertainment. Question Time is hilarious.

For example, the first question was to the Prime Minister and it dealt with economic growth. John Howard replied to the question and made every attempt to make Kevin Rudd (leader of the Opposition) look real bad. He mainly attacked the fact that Rudd had used two incomparable sets of figures to try to demonstrate a lack of growth. All the while, he's speaking in this sort of condescending tone. The best line of the whole answer was, "We'll talk about something the Leader of the Opposition knows nothing about: progress."

Of course, the representatives are not quiet during this. They heckle the speaker (one Labor Party member called Howard a crook during one of the PM's answers). They get a warning from the Speaker of the House, but that doesn't really stop them. The best part of the day came when a rep. asked Howard if he knew if the findings from a voting poll had been given to certain people. When Howard responded that he had not authorised the release of such information the Labor Party roared, basically calling Howard out on dodging the question.

A little while later, Howard was asked a very similar question by Labor, to which one member of the Liberal Party promptly stood up, prompting a shot from the other side, "Ah, THERE SHE IS!" She pointed out that the same question could not be asked twice, but the Speaker allowed the question anyway.

And so it went for about an hour. Occasionally, Liberal members would ask the Government (Liberal party) questions. These were used to attack Labor's policies and tactics. I was hoping that the Opposition would be asked some questions, but they were not.

(Sidenote: In Australia, and possibly elsewhere, the party in power is known as The Government, while the minority party is The Opposition. If we used the system in America for Congress, right now the Democrats would be the Government, the Republicans the Opposition.)

In addition to being more entertained than I thought I would have been (lets be honest, its politics...) I kept wondering how George Bush would handle Question Time. The most he has to put up with is Democrats booing him at the State of the Union a few years ago, and that was a controversy. Regardless of your opinion of his politics, its pretty much agreed that Bush is not a gifted speaker (you can, after all buy Bushism calanders) so I reckon that something like question time would be an...interesting experience for Bush. We'll leave it at that.

I do not have any pics from inside the chambers, as they didn't allow cameras, but I will have some of the building up later, either tomorrow or Saturday which means they're coming from America.

I'll have one more post from Australia at least.

Cheers,

Alan

Happy Queen's Birthday

BTW, there's a brief update on the Neighbours post, which is essential Australia-loving goodness.

Anyway, I'd be a bad blogger if I didn't post about the Queen's Birthday. The Australian's celebrated it yesterday, even though its, well, not her birthday. Or even really the Queen anymore, as Australia got that whole independence thing down.

Basically, the day was a reason to take the day off (public holdiay) and shoot off fireworks, which are temporarily un-illegal for a weekend. Kind of like how two-up was only played on ANZAC Day, but with more explosions.

How did I celebrate? Well, I watched the footy (Cronulla over St. George) and studied for the exam that I just got done owning. And I watched the fireworks as well. It was especially fun when one started shooting in random directions. Nothing quite like sheer terror to help you celebrate the monarchy!

From what I could tell, Australians were more pleased that they got the day off then that it was the Queen's Birthday. No real ceremony or anything. Just a Long Weekend (which meant double demerits on car liscences) and fireworks.

In honour of Queen and me finishing my exams, here's a random YouTube clip which has nothing to do with Australia.



Alan

Neighbours

Have you ever watched a TV series that has one-dimensional characters, sub par writing, and bad acting? And then have you wondered why its still on the air (see Anatomy, Grey's)?

Then you have been in my TV state of mind for the past five months while I've watched the hit drama series, "Neighbours"

Neighbours has been on the Australian airwaves since 1985 and since then has been churning out low-budget drama five nights a week. Neighbours is a soap opera that details the lives of the families on Ramsey Street in Erinsbourough (as Wikipedia points out, a near anagram of Neighbours...). Filmed in Melbourne, you can even tour the set, which is a must for big fans of the series. Personally, I watch it to kill the time before Big Brother comes on (post on this later this week)so I decided against the tour whilst in Melbourne. (I FINALLY worked "whilst" into a post!)

The problem with Neighbours, and any other Australian made show, is that as soon as an actor becomes big or a writer catches a break, he or she isn't working in Australia any more. They're off to London or LA. This is part my observation, part discussing this manner with Aussies. In show business, Australia is like minor league baseball. Maybe that example is a bit extreme, but you get the idea.

Though, as much as Neighbours is, in my view, a really bad show, its wildly popular, especially in the UK. If you're aching to see what's going to happen next between...I don't even know the characters names, so, yeah. Anyway, if you want to view the show, you're out of luck. Oxygen had shown it in the States for awhile, but has since dropped it.

You might just have to come to Australia, though I strongly recommend having slightly better reasons for making the trek. It is after all, just a show.

A show with a catchy theme song, anyway. (click on Neighbours, on this page)

UPDATE: Youtube of said Theme song. Whee!


That's when good neighbours become good friends,

Alan

See, they're just like us

A big concern down here is the Americanization of Australia. And its true to a certain extent. America does influence the culture down here. However, one fast food company has made a stand...



Alright, so its not that big of a stand. Hungry Jacks is still Burger King, with Whoppers and everything. Why not just Burger King? As always, Wikipedia knows all.

Delicious.

Alan

Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash

So, I figure'd I would actually show you guys a picture of the Australian money. After all, it is awesome. Basically, if you think its weird that the US's new twenties have a colour other than green on them...get ready for a good 'ol fashioned mind blowing.

Like, woah, man.

Not pictures are the 50 (which is yellow) and the 100 (which is green). They are not pictured because, as a uni student, I am not allowed to possess such currency notes, as it may entitle me to meals other than two minute noodles.

One thing you will notice about all the bills is (outside of the colour) the clear spot in each of them. In every bill, there is a bit of plastic inserted into paper. I'm guessing this is an anti-counterfiet measure. Its also made out of polymer, which I found out at the always academic Wikipedia.

Personally, I've taken a liking to the 10 dollar note, as I must agree with the man's fashion regarding hats.

I could totally be on the ten dollar bill.

The other thing you might notice is the bills get smaller as the value decreases. I'm fairly certain the Euro does the same thing to help the vision impaired. Thats pretty cool.

Along the side of the bills, I displayed the coinage used by the Aussies, and this coinage has been a source of frustration for me. At the top are the two dollar coin and the one dollar coin. Guess which one is smaller?

If you said the 1-dollar coin, congratulations: you have more sense of logic than the Australian mint. Instead, the two dollar coin is relatively small, and is therefore a good candidate for getting lost. The added benefit is my habit of finding coins during my room cleaning has become slightly more lucrative.

The most unusual coin is the fifty cent piece. Its by far the largest coin, and does not have round edges. Instead it has flat edges. This makes it easy to find, and easy to handle.

Currency isn't the most exciting topic I've discussed here, and I really don't have much more to add. Though, the value of the Australian Dollar is gaining, which while I'm usually totally opposed to this, now that I'm a little under four weeks from coming home, I'm openly cheering on the Aussie dollar to reach unparalleled heights...sometime around June 23rdish.

Because, just like Pink Floyd, I think I need a Lear Jet.

Alan

Why you should visit Cairns.

Cairns doesn't have a great beach, and there isn't a lot to actually do IN Cairns.

But, it does have some spectacular sunsets.



And...



More Cairns pics...and possibly another round of GBR pics later this week.

Until then, Happy Memorial Day.

Alan

Trying vegemite

You've asked for it, I have finally delivered. Its time for the vegemite post.

For starters, it could be argued quite easily that Vegemite is a big a part of Australian culture as are Qantas, rugby, and akubra hats. Possibly bigger, because outside of the bush, no one wears akubra hats.

The Aussies love Vegemite. It might be its own food group. So, it was time to see what all the fuss was about.

First off, there is a right way and a wrong way to try vegemite. Most people when trying Vegemite stick their finger in it and put a big dallop of it in their mouth. After all, it LOOKS like chocolate, so why not? Let me ask you this: if you knew a guy who had never had butter before, would you tell him to just put a big glob of it in his mouth? Of course not. You would tell him to put it on toast first. Same with vegemite.


Yes, in fact, I did eat this.

Vegemite has a distinct scent to it. Its hard to describe. It doesn't smell like vegetables (nor mites, not that I know what they smell like) Whatever it is, it doesn't exactly scream "eat me" when you take a whiff. Think the opposite of a good wine.

Anyway...its time to chow down.


Hey, YOU try taking a picture of yourself while eating Australiana.

First reaction: This is really salty. Whodathunk it? Vegemite is salty. Then it tastes kind of like vegetable paste. I know, you're thinking, duh...thats what it is. But honestly, the secondary taste is exactly what you might expect out of a vegetable paste. In fact its not that bad.

Then the aftertaste comes and...well, the after taste, which lingers longer then an unwanted drunk guy at a party, is not enjoyable. That said, I struggled valiantly through. I was determined to eat the whole piece of toast. But, eventually, Vegemite won. The half eaten toast is the result of my battle with Vegemite.

In general, visitors to Australia hate Vegemite. Its found to be disgusting, repulsive, and just all out nasty. I found it to be not that bad. In all honesty, it wasn't terrible. Would I eat it again? Hell no! Did I spit it out or spew because of it? No.

My reccomendation: if you come to Australia, try it. You have to try it at least. Actually, according to the last part of this article, its available in the US, though I've never seen it. At any rate, try it.

And Mom, yes, I know that right now you're remembering all those times I refused to try (insert food here) and no I'm not taking you up on those offers.

At any rate, to close out, here's a YouTube clip of Vegemite's latest ad campaign.



We all enjoy our Vegemite for breakfast, lunch, and tea...

Alan

State of Origin

Don't worry dear readers, pics from Cairns are coming. However, I found a place in Canberra with free wireless that I can actually log onto. Plus, that place serves pancakes. So, tomorrow, I'm taking the laptop there and will post the pics and the like.

However, I feel I must talk about State of Origin. Mostly because it deals with sports, and that to an American, this whole idea is really weird for reaons I'll get into.

State of Origin is a rugby league match between Queensland and New South Wales. The plyers on the teams are from those two states. Hence, they play for their "state of origin."

State of Origin is huge. Its been discussed in the rugby league shows and websites for the past month. Players try to get selected for origin, as representing your state is a high honor.

In a way, its sort of an equivelent of an all-star game. Its the best players from a particular region. However, unlike all-star games back in the States which are usually laid back, exhibition matches, State of Origin is a fierce rivalry and its played with a great deal of passion and energy. No one takes the game lightly. As evidenced by the following pic.



A few things to keep in mind...the NRL season is in its 11th week, nearing the halway point. Origin was played Wednesday, week 11 starts Friday. No rest for the weary. Also, they play this game two more times, in the middle of the NRL season.

To use an example, this is like the best college football players from Texas and California getting together in mid-October for a clash to see whose supperior. They play the game Wednesday, and then go back to their campuses and play a regular game on Saturday. Could you imagine it if the NCAA instituted this? It would be insane, the idea would probably be ripped to shreds. Coaches would scream and yell about it.

Here, its a tradition and a well anticipated event. And, just like any other good rivalry, the two teams can't decide on the official record for State of Origin. Ironically, the United States (not exactly a rugby league hotbed) is involved.

In 1987, after Queensland topped NSW 2-1 in the series, the teams went to California to put on a show for the American public. Try to grow the game there a little bit. Queensland, having already won, took the match as an exhibition game. New South Wales on the other hand, wasn't to happy about losing the series and told its players to view this as the deciding match. The result was a 30-18 win for the Blues (New South Wales).

Now, the Australian Rugby Leauge and the two state rugby league bodies had decided that while the match would not count in the overall standings, it would count towards players stats. Then, after the match, the ARL said that it would count towards the overall standings. Just to add to the confusion, here are two quotes from the ARL President back in 1987.

'It's an exciting experiment but the match isn't and won't be billed as an exhibition match'."

"There is absolutely no doubt in my mind it was an exhibition game and should not count towards official match scores."

You can see where the confusion lies.

At any rate, the match last night was fantastic. NSW jumped out to a 18-6 lead at halftime, thanks in part to a fantastic try by Jarred Hayne just at the end of the first half. Hayne (an Eel, BTW. Go the Eels!) blocked a kick from Queensland at about midfield. It went off of him, but backwards, negating the possibility of a knock-on. He then collected the ball and sprinted down the sideline. Just as he was about to be knocked out of bounds he kicked the ball into play and gave chase. Hayne won the race to the ball, put it over the try line and put the ball down (got to do that for a try) to secure a thrilling four pointer, and increase the Blues lead.

But, the second half was all Queensland (nicknamed the Maroons) who scored a few brilliant tries as well as a rubbish one due soley to a horrible NSW mistake. Queensland had kicked the ball down field, but it was going to go into touch (out of bounds) for a 40/20 kick. (That is, a kick from behind Queensland's 40 metre line that goes out of bounds past the NSW 20 metre line. This results in a scrum feed for Queensland, and would have given them a great chance to score). So, the Blues player dives on the ball, and tries to keep it in play, so from the ground passes it to a teammate. The teammate wasn't ready for the pass, and it bounced past him. The Maroons scooped up the ball and scored a bizarre try that gave them the lead and ultimatley the 25-18 win.

It was an awesome game. You could feel the excitement in the crowd, and the level of play was excellent.

Australian Beer

I just wrapped up a couple of assignments. What better way to kick back and relax then have a few beers? Hell, whats a better way to do assignments then over a few beers? (Answer: Better? None...wiser? A lot of ways...)

During my time here I've tried to drink a variety of beers from Australia. This is for two main reasons. 1) I'm in Australia, might as well see what the locals drink and 2) beer I'm used to is heads expensive. Think 20 bucks for a six pack of Sam Adams.

At first I was a bit scared to try the beer down here (my first six pack was a very, very expensive Guiness) because Lonely Planet says something to the affect that the beer is chilled so cold so its still refreshing regardless of taste. And indeed, the tap at Uni Bar of Toohey's New says that its Super Chilled. And yes, its refreshing and quite good, but once it warms up a bit, its not the greatest beer to drink.


So, here's a crash course on beer in Australia. It might be more extensive had I not taken up a liking to Bourbon and Coke.


Tooheys New.

Part of the Aussie Big Three (their version of Budweiser, Miller and Coors) and, at least in the ACT and New South Wales is the most popular beer. Its a major player in sponsorship, and it has some great ads.



Overall, the beer has got an alright taste to it. Its nothing special, but it can be refreshing after playing some Ultimate or if your on the cheap and still want to get your drunk on.

Carlton Draft

Its fairly popular, but I think more so down in Victoria. Its a good beer, and I prefer it to Toohey's New. Has a nice flavour to it, though its different from American Beers. Ditto the good ads.



**Note to the people on Facebook, as always with YouTube clips, come to the actual blog to view the clips. If you don't, you will regret it and possibly loose sleep.

Not much else to say, its a good beer and I like it. Wanna fight about it?

Victoria Bitter

A proud supprter of the three time defending World Cup Cricket Champions (w00t! Australia...FTW!) Vitoria Bitter is, despite its name, not that bad of a beer. I haven't had a lot of it, because they don't really advertise, and the first time I mentioned that I kind of liked it an Australian guy looked at me as if I had no taste in beer. That and, while enjoyable, it wasn't as good as Carlton Draught. But, they do sponsor the cricket team. That counts for something.

XXXX (Not a porn site, trust me on this)

XXXX is a Queensland Beer, which I bought a six pack of because it was a beer I had heard of while in the States. I opened the six pack during Old Res Wedding, while in a state of absolute blitznitude. Now you know how when you're drunk things taste incredible? Take for example, nachos. Now, everyone loves nachos. They are already amazing. Drunk nachos? INCREDIBLE. That doesn't even describe it. Drunk nachos are amazingly awesomelly, gift-from-God, great. Things taste better whilst drunk.

Upon drinking my first XXXX, I remarked, "This is the worst beer I've ever had." It was like the opposite of drunken nachos. There's still one in my fridge. I'm afraid to drink it.

In other words, I don't reccomend this beer.

Toohey's Old/Carlton Black

Back in the states, I'm a fan over darker beers, such as Amberbock. So, I figured darker beers over here would be great!

Not so much. They have a distinct flavour to them, but its one that isn't quite as refreshing as a dark lager thats American brewed. I didn't find these beers to go down as smooth as I'm used to, and they can be difficult to drink. Though the folks at Beer Advocate disagree with me, I didn't like Carlton Black or its Toohey's cousin.

In a related story, I count Amerbock as one of the things I miss from the states.


Beez Neez

Here's the story. I was at the Lighthouse, a local watering hole. I had been watching the footy, and drinking Carlton Draught. I was having a good time. Then I went to the bar to order another drink, when I saw Beez Neez on tap. the tap said "Honey wheat beer". I thought, "Honey? Beer? Benjamin Franklin was right! I ordered one.

And, from the first sniff (I'm one of those weird people that smells their beer before they drink it) and taste I have loved this beer. Its got a good beer flavor, and then a nice, sweet aftertaste. Its got a microbrewery feel to it, and I like that. Again, I disagree with the fine folks at Beer Advocate who claim Beez Neez is "worth a try". Its beyond that. I would consider it a must drink if you're down here. Got to try it at least once, right?

I will probably count Beez Neez as one of the things I miss when I return home.

A few notes about the post, some of those sites might ask for a birthdate to enter. Drinking age in Australia is 18, so if you're under age...well, feel free to log in anyway. Alan in Oz: Corrupting youth since 2007.

I also linked to Beer Advocate twice. For anyone that enjoys beer, or wants to enjoy beer more its a great site. Reviews of beers, tips on how to enjoy the flavor of beer more, and just all in all its general beer greatness.

Its Sunday, so no absolute blitznitude tonight. Which is to bad, because all this talking about beer has made me thirsty.

Oh, and Happy Mother's Day!!

Alan

Higher education in Australia

I should probably be doing other things, like school work, but I'll blog about doing school work instead. Besides, I have a fairly good idea of how things are going to go in terms of the big essay thats due, so I'm not all that worried.

Anyway, here's my view of higher education in Australia. In general, its more independent then American college is, and that has its perks and its drawbacks.

In a typical class, you'll have one lecture and one tutorial (discussion) a week per class. So, you're in class for eight to ten hours a week. Most people get Friday off, and if you're awesome like I am, you get Monday off as well. There's something like sixteen weeks in a semester, so I'll go to Uni for about 48 days...probably closer to 45 with public holidays.

At least at UC, a lot of the content is put up on WebCT. Now, we have WebCT in the states, but not to the degree that its used here. Lecture notes get posted, lectures are streamed, and the professor will interact with students on the forums. Does this happen in the States? For some classes, yes. This has happened in all four of my classes here. Given that at SIU, a lot of courses don't even use WebCT, I found this to be interesting.

As far as grades go, you basically get three shots at grades. Tutorial participation, an essay, and then a final exam. Some courses do give out homework, and there are weekly readings, but that hasn't happened in my courses, or at least the weekly readings isn't tested on.

Now, I come from the American education system who, if students had a motto, might be "Slack off to win." The professor isn't going to test you on your readings? Why am I reading it then? There are more important things to do, like video games and drinking. Maybe you do some readings, but if there isn't a sense of urgency around it, people don't bother.

Here, you're on your own for the most part. And if you don't do the readings, it doesn't hurt you now but it probably will later on. I'm starting to realize this. To me, its hard to get into the flow of my classes because I'm used to having homework and things due every week or so. Here, that sort of thing doesn't happen and what I did normally back in the states doesn't work here.

The moral of the story: if you study abroad, do the readings!

That said, I'm pretty good at studying at the last minute and doing school work under pressure. So, two points to me.

After essays I turned in and tutorials are done its time for final exams. This is going on in the states now, and I remember this week to be actually fairly relaxing with a few bursts of stress when I would take tests. I'm sure others have a different version of Finals Week (one that includes no sleep and/or pulling of hair).

Here's a great alternative: spread out finals over three weeks. Thats what they do here. All the finals take place at the gym, and so they have to spread them out over three weeks. Why do they do this? I don't have a clue. Its possibly the most inefficiant way to run a finals schedule. Plus, they only do two tests a day, each one lasting two hours.

So basically...my final three weeks are going to be easy as pie. I'll study, do some sightseeing around Canberra, get around to posting about Vegemite. Those sort of things. I only have two exams in three weeks.

Considering I find exams to be low stress anyway...I can't wait for finals here. Three weeks of nothingness! Awesome.

To those back in the states, enjoy the exams. I'm enjoying Australia.

Alan

Kangaroos...a third perspective.

The other night I was walking back to ressies with my friend Joel. It was after ultimate frisbee, so it was dark and also prime kangaroo watching time.

By now, we've seen a lot of kangaroos. And while they're still awesome, its not the "oh my God, look!" moment it was in February. We hear this weird sound, kind of like a grunt and a scream. I have no idea how to describe it.

Joel: Was that you?

Me: Uh...no.

Then we look over to the bush where there are kangaroos. But they weren't grazing. They were fighting. The whole boxing kangaroo thing...absolutely true. And its awesome to watch. Though nothing as spectacular as this...it was similar.



Facebook readers, you may have to come to the website to watch the YouTube clip.

A few housekeeping details. The dreaded words "Uni work" have reared their ugly heads once more and I'll be busy for awhile. Posts when I can, but it might be a few days.

Alan

ANZAC Day

Yesterday was ANZAC (Australia New Zealand Army Corps) Day in Australia and New Zealand. This is the Australian version of Memorial Day. Throughout the country, thousands of people attended Dawn Services and parades to mark the occasion.

I did not attend a Dawn Service as, it happens at dawn. I did watch a few of the west coast ones on TV, and they are quite moving. A good combination of religious and patriotic, not heavy on either side.

After the dawn service, its a public holiday so...people drink. A lot. I went with a few mates to the Labour Club and the place was packed on a Wednesday afternoon. I mean, packed. The Labour Club is a members only club where people can go and eat, drink, gamble, or just watch some TV. I go as a guest of someone, and have enjoyed my trips to the club.

The main attraction of the day is a game called two-up. Its pretty much simplest gambling game ever. You have a guy whose the spinner. He has a small wooden bit that has three coins on them. The spinner flicks the coins into the air, and which ever face is showing twice...that side wins.

So, people bet on this. People will say, "10 dollars on head!" and they'll find someone who wants to place ten dollars on tails. The spinner does his thing, and whoever wins the toss keeps the money.

I was told that Australians played this game in the trenches in WWII, betting cigarettes, which makes the game make a bit more sense. Add to the fact that its only legal on Anzac Day and you get a lot of people cheering on coins.

The best part is, anyone can be the spinner. You just get in line and you get to do it. Here's where the game becomes awesome. When you're the spinner you put down a bet, say ten dollars, that you will toss heads. This is called the pot. Someone in the crowd matches the pot. If the spinner throws heads...he keeps the money and gets to spin again. Throw a tails, and the spinner loses the money and can no longer be the spinner.

First time I spin...heads. I get to keep going. Now, the money isn't mine yet. To collect it, I need to throw three heads in a row. But, each time, the value of the pot increases. So, my ten dollar bet was now twenty.

I have to add, the best part of two-up is that every roll (or toss, spin, hand, I heard it called all these things) half the crowd cheers and the other half groans. Its awesome.

I throw heads again. Its up to forty. Then, some bloke makes a side bet on the pot, adding another 20 bucks to the equation.

"COME ON SPINNAH!!!" yells the Ringmaster. Thats my cue.

I step in the ring, the crowd is cheering (I'm not joking, they love their two-up) and flick the coins in the air. The Ringmaster looks over the coins...

"HEADS!"

Now, I'm not known for my math skills, but I do know that probability was about to go to tails. I had won three in a row, and even though I could keep spinning and collect money at a reduced percentage if it came up tails, I decided to keep the 100 bucks and buy more beer.

Later on in the evening I was joking around with some Aussies about Anzac Day and I said, "So basically, you remember your vetrans as early as possible and then get pissed and gamble for the rest of it?" I fully expected to hear, "Nah, its much more then that," but the general consesnsus was, "Yup."

So, I spent ANZAC Day in a fantastic mood, which is how most of the people I saw spent it. A good day though. I think it beats the American Memorial Day tradition of camping any day of the week.

Come on spinner,

Alan

The Touch Footy Post

Its been asked for, maybe even demanded. And now, I bring you the touch footy post.

Right now most of you are thinking, what is footy? Is Alan getting some hot Australian action that he's not telling us about? In reality, footy is another name for rugby so you can go ahead and feel silly now.

No one realls calls rugby "rugby" down here. Its footy. Channel 9 even advertises for Friday Night Footy and Monday Nght Footy (which to my delight, does not feature John Madden.) You don't ask if the rugby's on, you don't say you're watching the rugby. Its footy. Not that if you call it rugby, the locals will look at you strange, but you learn pretty quick that rugby is referred to as footy.

So, as you can guess, touch footy is....touch rugby. Given what you know about rugby (not a lot, I'm presuming) you're probably wondering how touch footy works. Wouldn't you just get touched over and over again with everything ending in a draw?

Not if you use league rules! There are two forms of rugby, and we'll get into those a while later. But, in league rules, after a tackle (or in this case touch) the defense must back up 10 metres and allow the offense some space to advance the ball.

Other than that, standard rugby rules apply: pass it backwards, five touches till turnover, ground the ball on the try, and don't drop the ball. A rule I became familar with in this evenings comp.

I've delayed writing this post because I wanted to actually get a feel for the game before I wrote about it. The first week I was confused as confused could be. I knew to pass backwards, but the defense backing up part? What was that?

So, I'd run a bit, we'd get a tackle, back up a little before hearing the ref, "back with me, white shirt!" (I was wearing a white shirt, but you figured that out.) So, I did a lot of running, a lot of not figuring out the game, and we got killed something like 10-3.

The next two weeks I gradually got in the flow. I was able to read plays a bit, get some good runs (with the ball even!) and had a lot more fun, though I swear the ref backs up more then 10 metres. This especially sucks when the other team goes on a long run on the opposite side of the field. Because, you then have to run that distance (not after them, you stay spread out to maintain a line) plus the additional ten metres. Because if your team makes a tackle whilst offside...its another 5 touches to the other team.

Personally, I thought touch footy would make a great fun cross country practice. (A practice where you run to keep your legs fresh, but not neccesarily work them because there's a meet coming up. In high school this was usually a game of Ultimate played seemingly 20 aside)

This week, my team, the mighty Pink Salmons (record 0-3...2 by forfit since we didn't have enough girls on our team) showed up to the oval to take on the Lions. This was sure to be an amazing clash that would wow the UCU Touch Club for years to come.

The score was tied 1-1 in the first half when the Salmon used some brilliant running to get close to the Lions try line. I slipped out to wing (close to sideline). My friend Beela gets on a run but just as he's touched (and has drawn the outside defender in) he passes the ball out to me. I'm thinking "Holy s***! I'm about to score a try!" Knowing I had to ground the ball, I glance up to judge how far I had to run before grounding.

At that point the ball hit me square in the hands and fell to the ground. Somehwere, John Madden is informing the world how you can't take your eyes off the ball.

Later in the half, the score is now 2-1 in favor of the Mighty Salmon. Once again, we've gotten the ball close to the try line, once again I'm on the wing. Once again Beela has drawn in the defense and throws me the ball.

"Don't drop it again, moron." I said to myself. It worked, I secured the ball, sprinted across the line, and put the ball down. I had scored a try, I was God of Touch Footy. As Kenny Maine might say, "I am amused by the simplicity of this game, bring me your finest meats and cheeses."

I was then promptly offside on the ensuing tap (starting the next possession). I was no longer God of Touch Footy, but I'd still take some of those cheeses.

Later on in the half, the Lions are threatening the Salmon try line. They send a ball out wide, which goes over its intended target and right onto my fingertips. The ball hits my hand, falls to the ground. I'm thinking "Lateral! You can pick this up and run!" So I do. I scopp the ball off the ground and sprint off for the try line. This is sweet.

Have you ever wondered what goes through a football players mind while he's running down the field with a defender chasing him. If its anything like how I felt its something like this:

"I'm going to score! Wahoo! Nothing between me and the tryline! Unless that guy catches me! (look back) No, I can beat him! I'm totally getting my second try of the game! (look back) Dude, he's gaining. He's fast. My high school nickname was the Sloth. Afterburners...go! Now slide, ground the ball! Aww man...I think he got me a metre from the try line."

The two of us (myself and the defender) now await the teams to come down the field. Except they aren't coming. Instead, I see the ref waving us back down there. I jog back down the field where one of my teammates informs me, "You dropped the ball."

Yeah, even that little brush off my fingertips was a "knock-on" which brought the ball over to the other team. My fellow Salmon were impressed with my run, even though it didn't count. That made me feel a little better, but having to go from second try of the game to playing defense right away....not as fun.

Overall though, touch footy is a fun game. If you want more information, here's the Australian national site.

Here's what the highly academic Wikipedia has to say about it.

I might buy a rugby ball over here and teach the game to you guys back home. Besides, throwing and kicking a rugby ball round is fun. We shall see.

Oh, and in the excitement of the three posts yesterday I forgot to mention...THE EELS WON!!! A thrilling golden point win over the Wests Tigers. A joy to watch.

Till next time,

Alan

Wolfmother!

Last post of the day, promise.

Wolfmother is an Australian band what is starting to make it big. They play metal, and they will rock your face off. Ever since I got here, a lot of people were excitied about Thursday because Wolfmother would be playing at the UC.

Except me, because I couldn't get a ticket.

Until I went to Creative Writing, and my friend Lyndsey said she had a ticket but didn't want to go. Next thing I know, I have a ticket to the show.

It was awesome. In person they were simply amazing, the crowd was into it the whole night, just a fun concert. I especially liked their cover of Communication Breakdown, because I knew the words! This led to an interesting conversation with one of my friends.

Her: Is this a single they released in America?

Me: (trying not to show my amazement of her lack of rock knowlege) Uh, no...its Communication Breakdown, by Led Zeppelin.

Maybe you had to be there. Anyway, here's a pic from the show!



More pics below from the Sydney trip. Have a good weekend!

Alan

(EDIT: Here's a link to their website.

Skyfire

Every year Canberra holds Skyfire, a huge Fireworks display over Lake Burley Griffin. By the looks of it, everyone in Canberra was there. Not joking, it seemed like everyone in the city was there.

A few friends and I went down to Commonwealth Park to watch the event. In the center (or centre!) of the lake there were five barges full of fireworks. This meant that this was going to be awesome.

At 8:30, a fighter jet (with afterburners on!) flew over head, to start of the festivites. It was quite the sight, one that I wish I had captured on camera. Being inspired, I pulled out my camera and started to take pictures.

20 minutes of fireworks, synced up with music from various movies. The playlist included Star Wars, Back to the Future, Superman, the matrix, and Afternoon Delight (the version from Anchorman, including the cast complimenting themselves on how good they sounded)

Afterwards, seeing how the entire city was there, it took us one hour to get out of the car park, and about an hour and a half to get back to Uni.

Then, we ate pancakes at a place with free wireless internet. All in all, a good night.

Alan

(pics when I can get to a computer with un dodgey Internet)

(update: here's some more pics!)

Kangaroos...a different prespective

As I said in one of my previous posts, I came across kangaroo meat while in the grocery store. Considering that the animal is on the national coat of arms the only sensible thing to do was to purchase it and eat it.

Of course, when confronted with a new food, there's the inevtiable question of how to cook it. Is there a special way to prepare kangaroo? Is there an Aussie recipie that people really like?

I asked the people on my floor about this, and the general consensus was..."I don't know, I've never had it."

Since kangaroo looks an awful lot like a steak, this left me with one option. Put some oil in a frying pan and have a go for it. This was the suggested way of doing it anyway.

Kangaroo cooks fairly fast (especially if you're like me and you like your meat to be a bit on the rare side) and in no time I was eating a national symbol.

So how was it? It was amazing. I didn't put any sauce or merinade on it. A little salt, but thats it. So, I was getting the full intended flavor of kangaroo. Its very juicy, has a good tender flavor to it. It tasted pretty much like a steak, which is good because as my friends might know, I have a fondness for a good steak.

The meat was fairly inexpensive, it was easy to cook, and to top that off, it tasted really good. Thats a triple win in my book.

Plus, as I just found out, its good for you! Quadruple win!

Kangaroo steak has CLA power

The post on vegemite is coming. I might actually buy some just to relive the experience. And trust me, its an experience.

Alan

Meat Pies and other foods

I went to the grocery store today and found some interesting things. Such as...

~Eggs are not refrigerated in stores. This scares me. Also, all the eggs are brown, hardly any white eggs, so its the opposite of what you would find in the states. It does say to refrigerate the eggs once you buy them though.

~They don't have 1% or 2% milk. They just have milk. I hope the Aussies version of mil is of the 2% variety.

~Cheddar cheese is a light yellow, instead of orange. (What? Americans dying food? Never...)

~Kangaroo meat is fairly cheap. I bought some because I felt obliged to. I have no idea how to prepare it. I'll figure it out though. Looks pretty good though, so we'll see. Perhaps this website can help me out.

After shopping, I was a bit hungry. Since I've arrived I had heard about how good meat pies were, and that I needed to try one. My friends are downright shocked when I tell them I still haven't had one.

So, this particular day, that needed to change. I got a beef pie.

And it is massively delicious.

Nice flaky crust, filled with nice tender beef. You realize why the meat pie is big down here. Its awesome. I can't wait to have another one.

(Side note: When I told one of the guys on my floor that meat pies aren't popular in the States, he referred to America as a third world country.)

Restaurant note:

As my friends back in the States might know, I am a fan of the fast food places. They might not be good for you, but hey, you can't beat a cheap quick meal.

Down here, they have the typical American staples: McDonalds (referred to as Mackers), Burger King (Hungry Jacks, the logo is the same though), KFC, Subway, etc.

Of course, I didn't want to try something I can get back home. Thats not what this trip is all about. So, I tried Oporto.

These guys make the best chicken sandwiches I've ever had. GOt a nice little kick to them as well. The company was started by a Portogese immigrant. According to the story on the bag...well, its actually on the website, so here you go.

Oporto’s founder Antonio Cerqueira opened his first Portuguese-style chicken restaurant in North Bondi in 1986, stunning the locals' taste-buds and quickly gaining a growing army of fans.

If Oporto went into battle tommorow...I'd be on the front lines.

Their website could be viewed here: Oporto

On a sidenote, yes, I've tried Vegemite, but it is deserving of its very own post.

Until then, cheers!

Alan

Thongs

First off, if you're on Facebook, and don't join this group, I'm going to be sad.

Students Against Alan Hoffmann Being Eaten By Kangaroos.

It might be an SIUC only group, but the concern is appreciated.

So, here's your first bit of Australian slang: thongs. While down here I've been asked why I don't wear them, have heard people be advised not to wear them to a party, and have seen more of them then I ever thought possible.

Of course, I'm talking about sandals.

Considering its a balmy 30 degrees outside today, and is likely to be in the high 20s to low 30s for awhile (think Celsius, people!) I decided to buck with my normal anti-sandal ways and buy a pair. They were cheap (12 bucks) and are fairly comfortable. I put them on half way through my walk back to the Ressies and was amazed at how nice it felt.

Of course, this bit of terminology is still a bit weird to me, leading to this quasi-awkward (for me) conversation with the woman at the register.

Her: So, whats your mailing code?
Me: (thinking, thinking pulls out wallet to look) Sorry, I'm an international student, I forgot it.
Her: No worries.
Me: 2507.
Her: Where you from?
Me: The states.
Her: Is this your first pair of thongs?
Me: (trying not to giggle, because I'm obviously 12 years old) Yeah.

Then it was off to the grocery store for some supplies, including Peach Tea. I haven't seen this in the States, but I haven't looked for it either. Its basically what it sounds like, tea with peach flavoring. I had this on the airplane, and I think it changed my life.

I feel like you need to know these things.

Other notes...

~I have class three days a week. This is what is known as awesome.

~Have not heard back from the rugby club, but have from the Ultimate Frisbee team. Going to throw with them tomorrow.

~Rugby jersies are just as expensive as anyother sports jersey. An Eels one goes for about $120. I've decided to become an Eels supporter because, lets face it, that nickname is awesome. I bought an Eels polo, in which I look quite dashing.

Cheers!

Alan

Kangaroos

Just like the United States has squirrels, Australia has Kangaroos.



Took this picture last night while walking around campus. There's a video too, but YouTube is sucking the fun out of things and taking forever to load it up. (Just a few minutes though!)

Once I can, I'll imbed that vid onto the site, and you can enjoy some awesome kangaroo hopping.

UPDATE: Here's the YouTube video!



What, you want more Kangaroo? Fine, here you go.


While this second one isn't as exciting, you do get to see how the kangaroos "walk". They're still close to the ground, and they slowly push forward with both hind legs. Its still kind of a hopping motion, but acts as more of a crawl over the ground.

I love my digital camera.
Alan

O Week...or Australians and Alcohol.

G'day Mates!

(Note: yes, they actually do say that down here, its not just some Crocodile Dundee inspired sterotype. In fact, one of my friends wanted to hear my Australian accent and had me say "G'day Mate" He was rather impressed with it, actually.)

So, this is O week. O week is Orientation Week where we get acclimated to Uni life and things like that. So, guess what? I'm still not in class. They start on Monday.

So, what are a bunch of college students to do while waiting for classes to start? Well...the Ressies Rulebook gives us an idea.

UCRS believes the enjoyment of alcohol is an adult privilege and recognises it as an established part of Australian lifestyle. UCRS therefore permits the responsible consumption of alcohol on Ressies.

Basically, that means drink up. The drinking age in Australia is 18, so almost everyone at Uni is of legal age. In fact, there are two bars on campus. My friends I were wondering why they didn't just have a liquor store on campus. Its a cash cow waiting to happen.

The first night of O Week (Saturday) about 70 of us are in the green room at International House (I live in Old Ressies) Its your basic get to know you kind of thing. You know stand up, say your name, where your from, and what your studying. Maybe something interesting about yourself.But, don't forget your drink! Beer, liquor, wine, you name it it was in that room. And if you didn't have a drink one of the SRs (like an RA back in the states) will make you a Screwdriver on the spot. I find it to be kind of weird, but got used to it fast.

Not only did we drink at this, we played massive drinking games. Including the largest game of "I Never" you've ever seen. I never has to be the greatest get to know you game ever created.

Yesterday, at about 5:30, I had happy hour with some people out in front of the ressies. When I told the Aussies that this sort of thing would never happen in the States, they told me to move.


This might be why, at the International Students lecture, we were advised not to try to drink an Australian under the table. You will fail miserably, and feel terrible the next day. I have no intentions of trying.

Lets see here...they do sausages down here. I've had one a day thanks to O Week festivities. Not bad either, I like it.

I've also signed up for a few clubs. I found the Ultimate Frisbee guys, and got on their mailing list. Then, after circling around the courtyard a few times I decided to go to the rugby table. I've never played, I'd probably get killed, but what better way to learn the sport but to play it? So I signed up for it to.

Hey, you only live once, right?

On classes...

Here's something you'd never hear them say at Orientation in the states: Avoid Buying Textbooks. But, its actually in the International Students "Tips" section. I'll see what I can do.

Also, you go to a class lecture once a week and then a tutorial once a week. This is fairly relaxed. Also, you can skip the lectures if you want, they don't take attendence. I do have to go to 80% of the tutorials though in order to avoid deportation. I'm sure I can handle it.

Also, its really hard to get an A here (or as they say an HD, High Distinction) Its the top 2% of the class. I hope to get one, but I'm not going to be upset if I don't get it. The saying here is P's (Passes) get Degrees...which is something American students can relate to.

The Grade system is High Distinctions, Distinctions, Credit, Pass. Just so you know.

I think that should just about do it for now. I promise to report on more than just alcohol next time. Maybe a post on the slang I've picked up on is in order.

Till then...Cheers!

Alan