The (Late) Thanksgiving Post

In the theme of Thanksgiving (I know it's late, but come on it was only last week), I've tried to remember some of the memorable potlucks that I've been to. For the maybe three of you who don't know, a potluck is a party where instead of the host providing all the food and drinks, everyone is required to bring something instead. It's a pretty good way to spread out the costs as well as find out what kind of strange foods your friends eat. Luckily enough (for me and for you too) I haven't attended a lot of parties where I've been required to bring food so this should be a short post and then you can all go back to enjoying your leftovers (ours are already gone). Also, if you were wondering (which you probably aren't so you can skip my excuses), I did manage to finish both Splinter Cell as well as newest Call of Duty game. I wish I could say I was reading more... but I haven't. Oh, and I've been catching up on all those TV shows.

So, in no particular order but as they come to me:

Nes's House Gatherings
Sure I'm pushing this one, but here we go. Whenever we gather at Nes's house, typically everyone just chips in for pizza (one of them guaranteed to have sardines) while we sit around and drink. Usually, everyone brings beer or alcohol in some form or another. I remember for a while there we were always stocked with Coronas and some form of whiskey (at least that's what I remember drinking). I know that shouldn't really count as a potluck, but we've done it so many times that it was the first thing I thought of. Now that I think about it, I do bring chips every once in a while. Oh, and that time when my brother and I brought chicken katsu. Yeah, I think that happened. Anyways, we've definitely done the pizza thing a lot. And the drinking. But those are stories for another time, when I've properly chronicled all of those.


The Elementary School Reunion
A while back, someone set up a group on Facebook for our elementary school class and with that we were able to hold a reunion. Unfortunately, we got together on a Friday when most people either had class or work. Luckily, I was unemployed and poor so I had some free time. Besides, meeting people I hadn't seen for a decade or so sounded like a great idea. At the very least they wouldn't know how much of an asshole I'd become. Or at least hopefully would've forgotten how much of an asshole I was. Just kidding, I don't remember what I was like back then. Anyways, I grabbed Angelo and Bryce and drove off to Ala Moana Beach Park (at least that's where I think it was at). And for this one I brought Fried Noodles from Leeward Drive Inn. Stupidly, I had forgotten to bring plates and forks but someone else did, I don't remember who.

photo credits to... someone

By the way, you know the anticipation you feel before you're high school reunions? Actually, I don't either but I've watched Grosse Pointe Blank about a hundred times so I assume I know what it's like. (John Cusack. Contract Killer. High school reunion. Watch it!). You start wondering how much everyone has changed and how much they've stayed the same. You wonder if they'll still remember that math class you had together? It's the same for elementary school reunions... you know but slightly different. Obviously most of them are going to get taller. But will they be taller than you? (they weren't). Will they remember that time we got caught eating all that glue? (that's a lie, I never shared my glue). And I gotta say, I was kinda disappointed. Everyone seemed exactly the same as how I remembered them. Maybe we don't really change in just ten years? or maybe I just couldn't see the changes? Whatever it was, it was fun to see all those people again.


Marie's Get-Together
Have you also been noticing the lack of dates attached to any of these events? Yeah I've noticed them too. I'm pretty bad at remember dates. But moving on... I remember bringing Cold Ginger Chicken from One Plus One Drive Inn that night. The funny part is I'm pretty sure I had just started eating cold ginger chicken just recently so it was still a pretty new food for me to enjoy as well. I wasn't even sure if anyone else ate it. And here I was bringing it anyways. I'm not sure of the reason we all gathered on the roof of Marie's apartment building. I do remember that one of the rules of the common rooftop area was that no alcohol was allowed. Not a big deal for present day Alan ... Okay, that's a lie, but it's less of a big deal for present day Alan than the Alan of just a couple years ago (I'm sure you remember him). I remember it feeling awkward being at a party without some form of alcohol in my system. The strangest part, as sober as I know I was, I can't quite seem to remember a whole lot about the party.


The International Pot-Luck Dinner
Strange that I remembered this one last, even though it was the only one that I actually cooked the dish I brought. Back when I was studying abroad, the dorm decided to have an International Potluck dinner. Thus we were all tasked with bringing something from our home country. Sure I could've just run down to the store to buy some Coke or a bag of chips, but I had gotten slightly less worse at cooking recently (at least I wasn't getting food poisoning from my meals). Fortunately, one of the other Hawaii people made spam musubis so I didn't have to spend all that time cooking and shaping rice into rectangles and messing with the nori. Instead, I just made the simple Spam Fried Rice complete with spam, shoyu, eggs, onions, and that instant rice I'd been buying from the One Hundred Yen store. The funniest part, I can still see a couple of you picking out the spam as you scooped it from the bowl.

Australia Trip +1: Aftermath

One of my favorite parts of traveling is crossing time zones, mostly for the whole "lose a day, gain a day" thing. This time, I was gaining a day. I know it sounds stupid, but I like to think that I'm traveling back in time.

Anyways, my brother reluctantly picked me up from the airport that morning once I landed. In return I bought him and the rest of my siblings breakfast with the extra American cash I didn't exchange as well as distributed their souvenirs before taking a nap. Note to self, it's a bad idea to scarf down an entire breakfast plate as quickly as you can when you haven't eaten for almost 20 hours.

The next day, I got to work expecting the typical practical joke, as is tradition. I didn't expect this

I'm sure you've all already seen the video, but if you didn't watch it, here's a pictures to give you a visual

As you can see, my desk and file cabinet were wrapped in saran wrap, chair covered in post-it notes, and Bieber pictures hung from the ceiling. I did like the "G'day Mate" written on the white board just to keep an Australian theme. And luckily, it only took the next hour to rip off all the saran wrap as well as flip the file cabinet back around.

But, as I said, it was a good trip. It's too bad it'll be a while before I take another one. 2 reasons specifically. First, gotta save up that money. Secondly, with all the work my co-workers did to cover while I was gone, it's only fair that they get a chance to go on vacation before I take another one. Luckily, a couple of them already have taken or else have a vacation lined up soon that I could probably do something as early as next year. You know, as long as the first requirement is met.

Also, to answer Aurora's question, "what's one word to describe Australia?", I'm gonna go with the one word I learned over the trip, "Exposure". Because with all the stuff Australia was throwing in our faces from the moment we landed - all the food, activities, people - it was blinding. And I learned that if you don't limit what your seeing, (filter, if you will), you'll forget that the point is to have fun and enjoy and you'll miss out on that one, perfect picture.

And yes, it did take me two months to come up with that. But I do have an English degree and I'll be damned and my pride shattered if I'm beat by a word.

Australia Day 5: 3 Sisters, 2 Good-Byes, 1 Long Plane Ride

After shaking off the initial shock of seeing both Taryn and Aurora's beds empty (as well as the shampoo bottle missing), I remembered I was supposed to meet Ben and Ai at Central Station. Luckily, I packed up most of my stuff the night before so all I really needed to do was drop my sheets off at the lobby.

With Ben and Vanessa's directions, I managed to navigate my way from the station at Circular Quay to Central. A lot harder than it sounds as I was now dragging an unfamiliar suitcase along with me as I weaved in and out and between strangers. After a breakfast at Hungry Jack's (aka Burger King), and another train ride through what Ben described as "the ghetto", we ended up at Blue Mountains. Vanessa and Glen picked the three of us up and we drove up into the mountains to see Three Sisters.

Turns out the Three Sisters are a natural rock formation (get your minds out of the gutter)

Though I gotta say, it wouldn't be the worse foursome

 It was also super windy. Add that to being up there in elevation and this was now the coldest I'd ever been throughout the trip. I'm not joking. Not cold enough to see my breath, but cold enough to send a chill everytime the wind cut through my jacket.

A legitimate fear the wind would take me over the fence

You know that superpower that manifests in everyone when you travel to a foreign country? That one that allows you to stare at a crowd of strangers and pick out the one person who is actually from your country? Ai showed it off by grabbing a guy to take our picture only to have him be a Japanese tourist as well.

From Ai's camera

But the coolest part of the trip up the mountain was that I finally found it! My Holy Grail, if you will. It took me five days and dozens of toilets flushed, but I finally found one. The one flush delivering a counter-clockwise rotation

 

 My trip was complete

We went to lunch at a spot Vanessa and Glen had been before, a garage turned restaurant. Sorry, no pics, I was kinda hungry at this point. So hungry in fact, that I completely ignored Glen's warning that you couldn't eat the steak sandwich without a fork and knife. It all just fell apart in my hand, but it was so good.

We walked around the town (I guess that's what it was) visiting small specialty shops in the area. A chocolate shop, wood-crafting shop, and a toy store.

I still wish we had more time, but unfortunately, I still had a plane to catch. Vanessa and Glen took Ben, Ai, and I to the train station where we waited for the station manager as well as the unlocking of the bathroom door. The three of us rode the train back to Central. From there, we rushed to the next platform where the train to the airport was leaving from, possibly knocking over a few kids with Taryn's suitcase along the way (I don't know for sure, I didn't stop to look). I said goodbye to Ben and Ai and then I was on the train.

After getting checked in, I wandered around the airport looking for more last minute souvenirs to buy. Also, as I was going through the security checkpoint, I made a shocking discovery - only in American airports do you have to remove your shoes! I asked the security guard about removing my shoes and he gave me that "kid, are you stupid?" look (trust me, I've seen that look too many times). The American lady in front of me tried to explain to the guard what I meant as I cringed, hoping they wouldn't arrest me as well when she got to the words "shoe" and "bomb". I also got to watch some guy get his hands randomly swabbed for explosive chemicals.

It was a roughly ten hour flight and I forgot to pack food to snack on, though I did buy another notebook. Remember, I hadn't eaten since noon and my flight was at 6pm. Add those ten hours for the flight, another hour to get through customs once I got off the plane, and maybe an hour I was expecting it to take to get home from the airport and we are looking at almost 20 hours consuming nothing but airplane bathroom sink water. Luckily, all the walking combined with the hunger that was starting to set in allowed me to sleep most of the flight. Though I did come really close to just throwing what was left of my Australian dollars at the flight attendant for a bag of chips.

By the way, did you notice that once I was on my own, the pictures stopped? I am still horrible at remembering to take pictures. Hopefully I'll get better before whenever it is I take my next trip

Australia Day 4: So Many Stops, So Little Time

Thinking back, today was a major traveling day to try to pack as many last minute adventures into the last minute. First off was the ferry ride to Manly Beach, another popular tourist beach. The day was bright and sunny with a nice breeze. Perfect beach weather. But no, I was still not going in the water. We hung out on the wall and took a bunch of pictures. I once again thought about taking some sand, but I wasn't sure what the previous occupant of the extra ziploc bag in my backpack was... and why it had left black stains on the sides. Is it weird that in just four days in Australia, I've spent more time at the beach than I have in the past year back home? Anyways, here's Manly Beach

One day I'll develop a steadier hand so these videos aren't so shaky. Not that I'm promising more videos... it's just that I know how much you'd rather do something other than read. By the way, all that bright and sunny got me in trouble a lot with my picture taking as I had no idea my camera had an exposure feature (I think I'm saying that right). Simply meaning the difference between this

 and this

A lot better, right? (also, thanks for the camera lesson, Aurora... and I assume Jacob for teaching her)

I guess one day I'll learn how to fully use a camera I've had for four years already. From the beach, we went on to explore the rest of the Manly area, where almost every shop was "Manly". Manly Seafood. Manly Bookstore. Manly Nail Salon. Manly Bottle Shop. You get the picture. I picked up a notebook from one of the street vendors to add to my ever-growing collection of unused notebooks (though since this is my first leather-bound one it was completely worth it).

except that it stains everything blue

Having eaten nothing all morning except for some stolen oranges Taryn claimed were free, it was now time for food. We found the least crowded restaurant for lunch. Not an easy feat as it was nearly noon on a Sunday and every local and tourist had descended on Manly. They were marketing something as the "Aussie Burger" which I took to mean "Pick me, this is how Australians eat their burgers!" The only differences I could spot - it came with an egg and beets.

The egg was a nice touch as the yolk broke as I bit into it and it oozed on my hands and the plate. It was the beets, however. I don't really care for them, not because of the taste or consistency, but strangely enough because they ooze their purple juices everywhere, soggying everything it touches (that's a word right? soggying?). I'm not sure why I have a problem with that but not with the egg yolk. But I had to have it. It sounded too interesting to pass up.

I also couldn't resist taking a picture of this

When we got back to The Rocks, we made our way to the Sydney Bridge Pylon. Back when we, i.e. Aurora and Taryn, were planning the trip, we could've walked up to the top of the bridge for $200, at the cheapest (we'd have to climb at night). The night before, we found out we could instead climb the tallest pylon for the same view and at a fraction of the price (I forgot exactly, but I'm pretty sure it was under $10). And, luckily, the bridge to get to the pylon was right behind the hostel. Up on the pylon, we could see the entire harbor, caught an aerial view of the Opera House, and, if you look closely through the glass railings, you can see lines matching buildings in the distance to their names (which was the coolest part, I think).

its too bad not all the names would show up in the picture

We headed to an Art Museum next. I'm never sure on how to describe art museums, or art in general. So, I'll just say that I used this trip as a moment to steal ideas and inspirations I'll hopefully one day turn into stories. Side note: I haven't been writing for a while. I just bought Devil May Cry about a month ago, the new TV season just started, and I got to reading again. I'll try to make the time again.

From there, we said goodbye to Eileena as she got on a train back to the airport and we went last minute souvenir shopping, mostly for food stuff, like jerky and Timtams and candy. Oh, and cigarettes

I really wish America had adopted the new carton design, it makes me want to collect them all (I grew up with Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering, after all). But at $15 a pack, I'd probably quit.

Oddly enough, we still hadn't eaten what I'm almost certain is the national food of Australia, Meat Pies. The best were supposedly at Harry's Cafe de Wheels. Yeah, we could have easily just gone to one of the chain franchise shops, but the original is always the best. But first, we needed to get there. We once again resorted to vaguely following Google Maps from the hostel all the way to Harry's. It was a long walk and the hunger just made it worse. I still can't explain how we managed to get there, with all the twists and turns and the one elevator ride (no, I don't know how the three of us ended up on a rooftop). But we made it! and I gotta say, it was worth the walk.

Chili Pie with extra chili

As satisfying as that meal was, especially after the journey there, we took a cab back because, well, fuck walking anymore.

Then came the worst part of the day, packing. Since Taryn and Aurora were heading off to Cairns the next day and I was returning home, it was decided I would take one of their bags back with me. I had only brought a duffel bag and backpack so another piece of luggage wasn't too bad, especially since I paid to check-in 20kg (yeah, I thought I was buying 20lb forgetting the rest of the world uses the metric system and I was actually buying closer to 40lbs). So, after deciding on what they would leave with me, what I could move from my bags to Taryn's bag, and finishing a bottle of wine we bought earlier from a bottle shop, we headed to the roof lounge for one last view. And a smoke, which, if you've been paying attention, makes my first and only cigarette all trip! Then it was back to the room as I had one last day of adventure while the other two needed to be at the train to the airport at 3am (or some other god awful hour like that).

Oh, and in case you're wondering, John (the other roommate) was in the room the whole time while we argued about what to pack and swigged that wine bottle empty.

Australia Day 3: Souvenirs

I woke up with a slight hangover (I never said the technique was guaranteed to work). I popped some Tylenol and that stopped the pounding in my head but unfortunately did not stop the pounding of children's feet running in the hallway. As far as I can recall, this substituted as this morning's alarm clock (I actually can't remember too much about the morning).

and yet there was so much more than vegetables

Anyways, the four of us jumped on the bus and headed off for some souvenir shopping in Chinatown. I did mention in my last post that Eileena was joining us, right? One second while I check.... okay, and I did. Let's carry on then. It turns out Market City was a huge swap meet, except indoors. And with multiple levels. And no... I didn't get any pictures of the inside. Mostly because it was super crowded and I was far too busy looking at all the things for sale. We spent most of our time on the first floor, but there were so many stalls, I'm trying to think where to begin. First off, there were your typical, everyday vendors. Mostly T-shirts, trinkets (bottle openers, lighters, magnets, key chains, etc), and jewelry. So many jewelry vendors (luckily I'm able to space out at will or I might've been bored out of my mind everytime we stopped at one). Oh, and a couple stalls offering massages. We managed to wander around for hours just looking at all the different stuff on sale. And I think it was at one of the stuffed animal vendors that I once again got to participate in the "guess my ethnicity" game. Here's the play-by-play. She started by launching right into Chinese and when she noticed my look of confusion, she guessed the old standby of Filipino (understandable since I get that a lot). Her second guess, Indonesian (making that the first time I've ever gotten Indonesian). Finally, she just gave up and asked. When I mentioned I was half-Chinese, she offered me the stuffed kangaroo, "$15. But for you, $12" which I took. I needed a souvenir for my sister after all. At least I think she still likes stuffed animals. Whatever, she'll always just be a little kid to me.

But this is Australia. Where's the Australia stuff? you ask. Well, there were also the Australian trinket vendors. Boomerangs, didgeridoos, paintings, pelts, and kangaroo scrotums. Yes, kangaroo scrotums. Kangaroo scrotum keychains, lighter holders, and even bottle openers

if they weren't almost $20 each, I would've bought one for everyone

Upstairs was a food court area as well as more of the upscale vendors in actual shops. No, none of you got anything from these stores. I went classic cheap on all of your souvenirs.

As you probably noticed, we hadn't eaten anything all day. We went to a Malaysian restaurant across the street and scarfed down dishes. I'm still not sure how to describe Malaysian food, mostly because taste is my worst sense. A lot of the dishes had a spice to them and I'm sure they could have been hotter, which I'm glad they weren't (sadly, I have a super low spice tolerance). Well, here's pictures Taryn took and hopefully your eyes can describe it to your stomach. Also, if you're wondering why I'm always using pictures someone else (usually Taryn) took, it's because I'm terrible at remembering to take pictures... as well as remembering that I even own a camera. Besides, this is the Era of Social Media. Why would any party need more than one camera when we're all going to share the same pictures anyways? But we're going off topic again. Here's your food

After lunch, and a very much one-sided debate, we were now off to the absinthe bar. According to Aurora's plan, we were supposed to have headed there after the beach walk on our first day, but we were so exhausted we abandoned it. Since we had a couple hours to kill before pizza with my former Plume-ers, Aurora suggested now was the time to go.

Sorry, what I'm remembering now was a really long walk. From the Malaysian restaurant, we followed Google maps as it lead us across a park, under a bridge, and through a shady-looking neighborhood. I'm gonna rank it as the 3rd longest walk for this trip (#1 being the Bondi trek and #2 still to come). The neighborhood had that old, brick-and-mortar, I-think-someone-is-watchng-me-from-the-window feel. The bar itself looked like any old specialty shop (I'm thinking seamstress), you know, if you removed everything related to absinthe. However, AbsintheSalon was an absinthe bar, from the glassware in the window to the green light above the door, and you could tell just from the outside that this was going to be an experience.

We needed to be buzzed in. Yeah, buzzed in. I can't remember the last time I needed to buzz in to get anywhere. The hostess brought us inside through the front room and into the back. There were several tables, some of them with people already sitting at them but all of them with the same glass water-contraption in the center.

You know, this thing

We each chose a different brand of absinthe from the selection as the host recommended. And this is where I "possibly" made another error in judgment (aka "Alan being a dumbass") by choosing another absinthe on the menu rather than what the host recommended. My choice, it turns out, had the strongest, and somewhat harshest taste of the four. This was only "possibly" a mistake since I'm not sure if I would've liked his recommendation either. I'm not sure, but I think the best one was either Taryn or Eileena's choice. Whichever it was, the important thing was that I managed, after just one cup, to walk away with a decent buzz, which is really all that matters.

thanks AbsintheSalon for the picture

Oh, and as much as I would like to leave out me being yelled at again while on vacation, I shouldn't (if I didn't tell you, it happened previously on the Seattle trip a couple years ago, but that's a story for another time). Especially when it was slightly deserved. I'm not sure how it came up, but I remember bringing up the green fairy you're supposed to see whey you drink absinthe (after all, everything I know about absinthe comes from Eurotrip). Picking up on this, our host teleported next to us (seriously, where did he come from?) and immediately began schooling me on everything Absinthe and how it differs from "that filth, absinth" (his words, not mine). He carried on this rant for about five minutes and as much as I would like to share his knowledge, as I said before, we were going to have dinner with other former Plume-ers, so let's carry on.

Sometimes, I still can't believe it's been 4 years (I have no idea who took this picture)

 So, once again, we hopped on the bus back to The Rocks where our hostel was located. Because, luckily, the place we were going was right next door. But that wasn't the only surprise - we got a new roommate. As I said, the Indian guy left that morning... oh, I forgot to mention that. Well, the Indian guy left that morning and we happened upon our new roommate from Colorado. He was in Australia backpacking as well as to study... um, I think it was geology... rocks, maybe?

Anyways, Taryn invited him to join us to pizza... topped with authentic Australian animals! Did you really think it was going to be just regular pizza? The strange part was that a couple of the Australians (I don't remember who) said they've never eaten kangaroo or crocodile before. Though I guess that's not so strange considering there are things in Hawaii I haven't eaten though I've lived here all my life. Meh, I guess that's just one of those things

And back to the story (sorry, almost went off track there again). We met up with all my former Plume-ers: Vanessa, Jane, Ben, and Mel as well as Glen, Leon and Ai (it was a huge table). Oh, and the pizza? It was good. Honestly, the kangaroo pizza kinda tasted like a steak pizza would (though that might be just how it was cooked) but the crocodile... it was bad. The meat tasted... I'm trying to think of the word.... different? strange? Something like that. I can see now why they are so hard to kill. I mean, I wouldn't be that motivated to challenge a crocodile especially if I knew it would taste like that. Pizza pics once again courtesy of Taryn's camera

Kangaroo pizza

Crocodile pizza

Colorado John (that's his name) left after a slice or two citing jet lag and Mel, Leon, Ben, and Ai (everyone who rode with Mel) left next, but not before Ben got the people sitting next to us to take a group picture for us

The rest of us grabbed dessert at a famous chocolate shop nearby and hung out on the Opera House steps. It was nice hanging out and catching up with people I hadn't seen for 4 years (though technically we saw Ben 2 years ago and Vanessa just last year). Hopefully it won't be another 4 years before we all meet again, though it probably will be. Before we split, we exchanged some gifts and souvenirs (some of which I still have yet to give out to the other Plume-ers back in Hawaii). Also, we took this picture (with Taryn's camera)

 

This seems like a good way to end this post

Australia Day 2: Vineyards and Ivy

Now I remember why we slept so early yesterday. We needed to wake up early and catch a quick cab ride to the pick-up spot. Pick-up to where you ask? Well, thanks to her great planning skills, Aurora knew that what we needed on this trip was one epic adventure... and today was that day. The three of us were going WINE TASTING! Luckily, thanks to the taxi ride, we got to the spot early so we had time to grab breakfast

The other breakfast of champions

By the way (not that it matters), this morning was also the coldest I've ever been so far on this trip. I even managed to entertain myself for a good five minutes or so just watching my own breath in the cold.

The van was full so I walked around to the right side to climb into the passenger's seat. Did you spot what I did wrong? If so, you probably live in a country that drives on the left-hand side of the road (aka the wrong side). I opened the door to find myself staring at a steering wheel, which I blame completely on still being half asleep. Sam, our tour guide and driver, shared that another American actually climbed into the seat and sat there before realizing he was on the wrong side... and also that it's only Americans who make this mistake. Also, if you're wondering how I remembered the tour guides name, it's because I wrote it down as my ability to remember names is still terrible.

But that's enough of me doing stupid things (we'll have more time for that later). The first stop on the tour was a wildlife petting zoo. We got to see all the national creatures of Australia:

Kangaroos, family picture style

Koalas (as well as one of the few pictures of myself)

Emus

and this fucking thing (I'm starting to see why people hate birds so much)

I promise, I didn't touch him. He just started screaming at me

Then it was off to the chocolate factory where I got that spiced chocolate. You know the one. "oh, this is good. it's sweet and (pause) oh, what the hell is that! it's spicy!" Yeah, that chocolate (I got a good laugh when handing it out). Then we got to the first vineyard.

Honestly, most of the vineyards looked pretty much the same with the fields and fields of grapes so just imagine that image everytime I say the word vineyard (mostly because I don't feel the need to post pictures of each vineyard we went to... it's a lot of work). Also, as I tell you about the wine tasting, keep in mind that in my lifetime, I've probably drank enough wine to pour into a wine glass with what I know about it used to top it off. Luckily, my experience in drinking picked up the slack for my lack of knowledge.

I would like to say that I learned fairly quickly the art of wine drinking, though it took me a glass or two to remember to drink it in three sips for the best taste and all day to learn how to swirl it in the glass (and I still have no idea what exactly I'm supposed to be smelling when I sniff the wine). We got to sample about six or seven wines at the first vineyard. Also, just to debunk the myth, you do not need to spit out the wine once you drink it (as a lot of you have asked me). A couple whites (which I liked the best), a couple reds, and a sparkling wine (I think that's the right word... it was carbonated which gave it an interesting fizzy, soda taste). Then we got back in the van and headed off to the second vineyard.

The second vineyard is where I made my second mistake of the day  - not pre-ordering my lunch. See, the second place had a variety of places we could grab lunch at and me, being a dumbass, decided that I would rather look around instead of just ordering from the one place everyone else was (I still ended up with a sandwich from that shop anyway). This sadly meant getting my food late and not getting to try any of the wine at this place. Aurora and Taryn managed to get a taste so if you're really that curious, please feel free to ask one of them. And yes, I guess I could've managed to eat really quickly then rush over to the wine tasting and just start gulping one after another but I'd already been scolded for my classlessness (and would continue to be scolded throughout the rest of the trip... I guess one day I'll learn manners and such).

I gotta say, it was a pretty good sandwich. Tour guide Sam gets credit for this picture

Another van ride later we were at the third and final vineyard of the day.... I don't remember a whole lot about this place. I remember being entertained by the guy leading the wine tasting. I think he was giving the typical history of the place and wines as well as mixing in a joke here and there. Other than that, there was more wine to be drunk. And cheese to be eaten. Oh, and crackers.

As a bonus, we were also going to a BEER TASTING! Luckily, there wasn't any learning to be done at this place, just "tasting". And by tasting I mean they actually gave us a glass of beer, at a discounted price, but still a glass of beer. And, once again, I should remember more but the only things I can recall was drinking ginger beer and that Russian IPA beer pouring like motor oil. This was then followed by a long, and sometimes terrifying, ride back to our hostel. Terrifying? Yeah, only because back home you can't go making left turns whenever you want. So yeah, being in the front seat I was freaked out a little every time I saw the van turn into what I thought would be oncoming traffic.

Normally, this would be the end of a great day. I would stop writing, go to bed and pass out while you would finish reading, close your browser, and wait patiently until I finally took the time again to write the next chapter (or else just scroll over to your open porn tab). Well, you're in luck because there's more. So take the time to pop in some eye drops (and pause that video if you do have it already open and buffering), while I stretch my fingers for a bit (plus all this wine talk has made me a little thirsty... too bad I didn't bring any back).


And we're back. As I was saying, the day wasn't over yet. We got back and then immediately, we were off to Ivy. Well, not exactly immediately. You see, Ivy is a classy place. So classy, in fact, that our tour guide actually called up the bar to find out the dress code for us. And by us, I mean me. Because classiness has not yet become a style I'm prepared for. I quite literally threw on a clean pair of jeans and the one dress shirt I brought with me and I mistakenly thought I was ready to go. As somewhat of an adult, I can say that I've been dressing myself for a long time now and I'd like to think I've been doing a half-decent job at it. So imagine my surprise as I walked to the door only to be immediately stopped with a simple, "Umm, no." For the next ten minutes, Aurora and Taryn critiqued me from bottom to top, turning me into their personal Ken doll:

1. Why don't you have a nicer pair of shoes?
2. Roll up your pant legs
3. Tuck in your shirt (okay, that one I should've known, but I was hoping to get away with it)

Pictured: Classy Alan

I think the only thing I got a compliment on was that I actually owned a belt. Oh, and the sports jacket you see in the picture, that belongs to our 4th roommate, an Indian guy who had come to Australia to study. He suggested I take it, believing that I wouldn't get in without it. Then HE brought up the one thing I thought we were all going to ignore or at least forget about - "I'm surprised none of you mentioned his hair yet." That's when I realized he hated me. You see, I HATE combing my hair. I know, I'm 25 and this should be something I've accepted needs to be done in situations like this, and maybe one day I will come to terms with it, but that night was not yet that time.

The most traumatic moment of my life

Aurora did what she could with her limited supplies and even less of my cooperation to make my hair look like that of an adult. If you would like, please feel free to badger Aurora and Taryn's friend Eileena who also joined us that night and for the next couple of days (and who I allegedly met before but, in a drunken haze, can't seem to remember) to post up the video she made of the hair-combing incident. No, but seriously, if you are reading this, please post it. If I thought it was funny to watch what appears to be Aurora picking ticks out of my hair then I'm sure there are others who will to. Besides, there's enough embarrassing stuff of me online that one more won't make a difference.

Finally, we got to Ivy. Right, I promised a description. Well, one section is an open air with a long, rectangular pool in the middle which guests can actually go swimming in (this was not only confirmed by Mel but also when a couple people started jumping in) and pool chairs around the sides. This was where the four of us met up with Ben, Ai, Mel, and Leon (pics from Ai's archive of pictures):

The club section looked a bit more familiar. Well, at the very least it was indoors which made it familiar to me. There was a dance floor and bar on the bottom floor and a set of stairs leading to the lounge and bar upstairs. It was weird not tipping for every drink though it did save me a couple dollars. Unfortunately, it did lead to a looong wait time on some of my drinks (which I blame on the lack of tipping... I'm a great tipper). It was also difficult paying as the more I drank, the less I could remember what bill and/or coin was what. We also met a couple more of Ben and Mel's friends (I don't remember any of their names).

Like this guy... I have no idea who he is (Ben gets photo credit)

I don't exactly remember. I do remember the four of us taking a cab ride back to the hostel (because fuck walking at that point). I remember two guys yelling at each other outside, "Get over here. I'm gonna fuck you up." (Ahh, the soothing sounds of home). And I remember putting trust in my semi-proven hangover prevention method (which just simply involves drinking some water... as well as forcibly puking out whatever might still be in me). And so ends Day 2. You're welcome

Australia Day 1: Opera House and a Death Stroll Along the Coast

And now we can start with the actual trip. After peeling the Breathe-Right strip from my nose it was time for some sight-seeing. The first stop: obviously the place closest to us, the Sydney Opera House. We must've got there early since it really wasn't as crowded as a place of that size should've been. We got to roam the outside of the opera house while taking pictures and searching for that one perfect spot. You know the one. It's on all the postcards. You know, with the steps and the entire Opera House front. Well, we couldn't find it. Or at least I couldn't find it (if either of you two did, please post the picture so I don't just sound like a crazy person believing that such a thing exists). But I did get these pictures, so that's just as good.

 Today would also mark the first time on the trip that an old Chinese woman would randomly start speaking to me in Chinese (it's always the older women, no idea why). I'm not sure why it happens, but it does. I just nodded along and smiled and then she walked away.

Then we went to eat! Luckily, the Opera House has its own Opera Kitchen.

 

(thanks Taryn for all three of those pictures) I'm not sure what all the foods were, but it was good. I did feel tricked at first when I got the salmon roll with chips because I actually got chips (expecting fries) ... until I ate them. Crunchy, kettle-cooked style. So that made everything ok again. But outdoor food leads to seagulls. Fucking seagulls. Once the table next to us emptied, they swarmed the plates like piranha at a special olympics swim meet. (side note: it's really hard to write the horrible, heartless jokes like that one with Apink playing). We even needed to bat away a couple the found their way to our table.

But that's enough of the Opera House because now it was time to meet up with Ben and Ai at the famous Bondi Beach. A day before we left for Australia, I suggested that Ben and Aurora get in touch with each other since they were the ones doing most of the planning (and that concludes all the planning I contributed to the trip). One bus ride later (and coincidentally running into both Ben and Ai on the bus) we were at Bondi Beach. Is it sad to say that though I live in Hawaii, this was probably is the first time I've visited the beach in years? The sand was super soft but there was no way I was going in the water. Though it's an Australian winter, it's still winter. And still cold enough to keep our jackets and shoes on while we walked the beach, even though it meant dumping sand from our shoes whenever we could.

Ai's camera. Photographer: Unknown

Ben's camera. Photographer: Unknown

Thanks again Taryn for the pic... and whoever that guy was that took it

Ben had suggested we go on the half-hour coastal walk (which links two beaches together), which I guess is a pretty popular thing to do since we saw a lot of people along the way. It took me a while to realize many of them were dressed in jogging shorts and tank tops. Work-out clothes. We were just in our regular clothes of jeans, jackets and backpacks. And so we trudged along the trail, all the while spurred on by Ben's encouraging words/outright lies, "We're almost there. Just another 15 minutes" and "The end is just over there." I was reminded of the stereotype that everything in Australia is deadly and this apparently applies to their tourist traps as well. There was even a graveyard near the end (that's not foreboding at all). And so three hours, two beaches, and one long flight of stairs later, we finally finished.

"How 'bout some fish and chips. Bitches."

To apologize for his huge miscalculation of time (because 3 hours isn't even close to the half hour he promised even if you try rounding up), Ben treated us to some chips, where I discovered the greatest thing Australia has to offer (at least in the top 5): Chicken Salt! Yeah, I'm not joking. Imagine the "Chicken in a Biskit" flavoring put into a salt shaker that you can sprinkle onto anything, magically making it taste just like "Chicken in a Biskit." I know I've probably already told everyone back home how great this stuff is and all you guys do is look at me with that puzzled look but I'm not joking. Another thing I'm disappointed in myself for not bringing back home.

Another bus ride later and we found ourselves back in the city at the Pitt Street Mall (at least that's what I remember it being called ... I'm too lazy right now to google it). Literally a huge shopping area bordering a street. A whole street. Honestly, besides that, I don't quite remember anything else from that night. I don't remember what we ate. I think the only thing I remember after that was catching the free bus back to the hostel and passing out. I know that seems like an anti-climactic way to end a post about such a fun-filled day, but seriously, I can't remember. Maybe I didn't write this soon enough and now the memory's gone. I'll try to get the rest written up before my memories are wiped clean.

Australia Day 0: Flight and Arrival

As promised (a week or two late but still as promised), here is the first part of The Australian Chronicles (though, really, there are no words to describe how great the trip was for me). Normally, I would start at the most interesting parts to catch your attention so you don't leave (please don't) but I think this time I need to start from the beginning (seriously, please don't leave).

Hopefully this is enough to catch your attention, though it's a story for another post
Also, thanks AbsintheSalon for the picture

And so let's begin. My brother begrudgingly agreed to drive me to the airport and promised to drop me off by 6am, which he delivered because, if you know my brother, time is of no issue, importance, or concern when you drive like a maniac. Though, neither is the safety of your passengers or everyone else on the road but when you've got a deadline, trust me, you'd rather have him behind the wheel than myself. What I haven't told him yet was that the flight was delayed so really, I didn't need to get there until 7am.

The rest of the wait was pretty forgettable. Aurora and I waited around the airport until we could board. My hopes of having an empty seat next to me were dashed once I saw the guy sitting in the window seat (I always aim for an aisle seat on planes). And then came the most dreaded moment of the trip: the flight. Unless you've traveled with me, you don't understand - I rarely, if at all, sleep on planes. No, I don't know why, but it happens often. I just can't sleep. And this is a 10 hour flight. Allow me to emphasize: TEN HOURS! I would sleep for a bit, wake up thinking I've been asleep for at least 2 hours, look at the clock... and only 30 minutes have passed. Around hour 6 I was getting so restless that I would go to the restroom just to stand there and enjoy the change of scenery (because there's only so long I can stare at the back of a chair). An hour later I was making a trek up and down the aisle in coach class and I gotta say, people look weird when they sleep. But eventually the screens started to display that it was only two hours until we landed and the world started to feel alright again. (Strangest part of the flight: that guy next to me didn't get up once. not to pee. not to walk around. he just sat there. all. flight.)

Finally we landed. As is the case on most of my travels, nothing ever starts on a good note and this time was no different as I lost my passport within ten minutes of landing and passing through customs. I ended up leaving it on one of the currency exchange machines and luckily someone turned it in to the Customs Officers so I did get it back. But, like I said, not a good way to start the trip, especially since we didn't even claim our bags yet.

At least I got my money

Then came the wait for Taryn's plane to come in. Luckily, the airport has free wi-fi and a McDonalds. Side note: is a Quarter Pounder really the same when Australia uses the metric system? And when our traveling trio was complete, we took the train out to Circle Quay (I'm still not sure how to pronounce that. Sort of like "key" if I remember). And then came The Ascent. If the flight killed me inside then the walk to the hostel beat me physically. And what's worse is that it was only that particular walk which I hated. It's not like I dreaded every return back to the hostel where we would have to walk the literal uphill battle, just this one. I think it was because of all the luggage. But later we would find shortcuts, either through the use of side-streets and alleyways or by just cutting straight through the lobbies of other hotels (I swear the Shangri-La Hotel staff thought we were staying there).

Also, thank you Aurora, not only for the planning, but also for booking us at the Sydney Harbour YHA. That was a great find. The nicest of the two hostels I've ever stayed at. Clean, private bathrooms, and I didn't worry about getting lice from the sheets. And wi-fi (especially helpful to me since I still don't own a smartphone). Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of it but I'm sure you can look it up yourself. And that pretty much concludes the arrival into Sydney. We did do some wandering around the area that night, checked out the view from the roof, and I was sternly threatened to wear those extra strength Breath-Right strips every night.

Oh, and if you're wondering, toilets in Australia do not flush counter-clockwise. Why? Because they are too busy delivering a superior flushing experience compared to their American counterparts

And if you're wondering about the lack of commentary on the video, well, they frown upon you talking loudly to yourself as well as recording videos in the men's restroom at the airport (I told you that I would let you know as soon as I did).

History of Children's Court

      Has anyone told you about it yet? The building on Albion Street? As a mage, you should feel the importance of a building like Children's Court. It's not a long story and I'm sure I could finish it on our way to the meeting.
      First off, Children's Court has always existed. Don't listen to anyone who tells you otherwise. It may not have always looked like that, but it's always been. Only about fifty years or so did the brick and mortar facade appear. And when I say appear, I mean appear. One day its just an odd patch of green in an urbanizing landscape, the next it's this huge building covering a city block. And the ordinary people just accepted it, believed that it was always there, but they just never took the time to notice it. And the best part - none of it's even real. Real to the sight, the touch and all the other senses, but it's still just an illusion. Trust me. No brick walls. No concrete pillars. No steel gates. Still the same grassy clearing surrounded by a perfect circle of trees that it was back when this entire area was woodlands. No, you can't go in to confirm that. It's a tomb now, after all.
      What's it like inside? Think back to that perfect day as a child. The perfect weather, not too hot or too cold. The breeze on your skin. Perhaps a pool or a lake next to a grassy field. Perfect down to just the right amount of clouds in the sky. And now imagine you had all the time in the world to play, the day and your youth never ending. That's Children's Court. It's Neverland, though by comparison, Neverland would be your neighbor's backyard with its leaky inflatable pool, cat feces in the sandbox, and broken glass in the corner where the drunkard throws his empty bottles.
      But back to the story. As I said before, Children's Court has always existed. Close to two centuries ago, when people began to settle in the area, a group of kids found the clearing. Eventually they grew up and another group of kids claimed it. Then they grew up and another group came in. And this is the cycle Children's Court followed, constantly being passed on and never belonging to one group for more than one summer.
      And this cycle carried on up until about fifty years ago or so, when one of those groups came back. Magi. Yes, it is strange that magi, even as young children, would wander into an enchantment but they had. And they remembered. They remembered that the same magic that gave Children's Court its Neverland qualities also amplified their own abilities. But why'd they come back? Some say they were just a bunch of adults who were looking to go back to the way things were. My guess? Power, plain and simple. When you're a kid, teeming, overflowing with that kind of raw power, power that dictates fates and shapes worlds, and then you grow up and that ability starts to fade, trust me, you want it back. And it would've been interesting to see what they would have done with it, you know, if not for the war.
      Names? Well, hold on a second. You're going to want proof of this. I got a picture here and if you look close enough next to the bottom step, carved into the brick. Lord of Red. Zero King. Sisters Fox and Wolf. Grey's Talon. Mr. Dice. It's called Children's Court, after all. And when you're eight years old forever, what did you expect the founders of the new Children's Court to name themselves?
      They started to amass a following. Some kids from the city, but mostly other adults who couldn't, or just didn't want to, function in society. People who just didn't want to accept that you can't go back. They corrupted Children's Court with their addictions, fetishes, perversions, and vices.
      Then came the war. The Circle took notice and decided to deal with what they considered a threat to the magical society. They sent in a task force of Hunters to deal with what they thought were just a couple of eight year olds running amok in Children's Court. Yeah, they were wiped out in one night. Six in body bags and the seventh in a dozen glass mason jars. But that's what you get for going up against children, after all. Kids, they don't yet know pain or loss or even death. They're unafraid and always ready for a game. The Circle spent the next ten years amassing casualties while trying to kill almost a dozen children. Children's Court took no fatal losses.
      Who won? No one. Stalemate. Turns out kids will eventually get bored and when you've been winning the same game for a decade, it's time to find a new game. One day Children's Court just stopped its offensive and instead set up a barrier to stop anyone else from coming in. The Circle set up their own barrier to stop anyone from coming out and thus the Tomb of Children's Court was established. No one's sure how long either barrier will hold but I know one thing for certain, whatever game they're playing in there, they better finish fast. Nothing last forever, after all. Not even Neverland. It's a rule. There's a price for everything and the currency of Children's Court is years, one year of your life for one year in Children's Court. Imagine, eight years old forever, until you run out of years to pay with. And those founding members of the new Children's Court I told you about, they were in their twenties when they took control, and, after spending fifty years trapped inside, I'm not sure how many more years they've got left. If they've got a new game, you can be sure it's almost time to play again.