liberatedfish’s posterous

So...  I haven't been a very good "travel blogger" as of late.  Manly, because it doesn't feel like we're "traveling" anymore.  Brisbane continues to feel more and more like home, and the small ins and outs of our life here don't seem as interesting to share anymore.  Hold up, you say?  not true, you say?  I hear you!  loud and clear.  I'm still here, still rocking out everyday.  Still silly little me.  I can't promise consistency, but here are some pictures and stories from the last couple months.

1.  I did a month long prac with 8th and 11 graders.  it was long and grueling... there are no pictures.  you wouldn't want to look at them anyway.  It would just be a lot of clumps of hair slowly piling up as I ripped them from my head.  :)  but, I survived had a break... and am back to the studying thing.  School is as full on this semester - but my classes are better, in general.

2.  We went to New Zealand.  it was incredible... there are pictures (like hundreds of them) up on my facebook account - which, in essence makes this old old old news that no one cares about anymore.  I have attached a couple for your viewing enjoyment.  If you want more... go to facebook, become my friend and look at them there...  :)

3.  We got cats!  this happened before prac - but hey...  isn't it good to know now?  They are very cute, very fun, very nice to come home to and very goat-like in their tendency to eat the corners of my text books.  they also happen to be very cute when sleeping.

4.  We are training for another 10K.  Yay!

Life if good, school is going by rapidly, we are looking forward to traveling to the UK... and happy that the weather continues to be nice. 

that's about all from here.  I still miss people like crazy - but, after NZ we suddenly don't feel like we will be here forever.  and that's nice too. we're practicing being in the moment, enjoying where we are...and living life to its fullest... Goat-cats and all.

           

Click here to download:

bad_bad_Rachel.._where_have_yo.zip (9579 KB)

After much ado...  Lo and behold!!!  WE DO other things besides school and work!!!  It's AMAZING!! 

So, I just finished up three big mid-term assessment projects which have been looming over my head for a while.  And while it's not yet technically mid semester break... I decided to not do anything school related all weekend.  This left room for lots of other fun stuff!  We hung out with friends on Friday night (although I didn't have the camera and there are no pictures.)  We went to our new favorite Vietnamese/Chinese restaurant - YUM.  We went out with a group to a rugby game at Suncorp stadium...  our first live pro-sporting event in Australia. Quite loud. Quite fun.  Then, OH!  Then...

We had a craft day...  with our friends Angie and Ben (and their pug, Brian).  Zach and Ben brewed beer.  Angie and I made dresses.  It was good fun.  All projects took longer than expected... and we're not even sure how the beer turned out.  BUT... the dress, looks not so bad.  It's a little funny in places, I won't lie.  But, considering I hadn't sewn a thing since a pillowcase in 7th grade, I would say it was a success.

I even figured out how to put in a cinch elastic AND darts.  When I say 'figured out', obviously I mean that I tried something out without testing it on another fabric first and hoped that it worked.  Crossed my fingers and went for it.

That's my style.

I have yet to wear the dress as it was rainy and cold today.  But, I'm super excited... as you can see... it has bugs on it.  How cool is that?  Plus, I would never ever ever be sad about cooler weather.  I wouldn't want to jinx myself like that. 

Hope you enjoy!

                     

Click here to download:

Who_crafted.zip (18419 KB)

My dad made fun of my blog posting.  It's true.  Mr. NON-technology himself had the gall to laugh at my blogging.  Alas, his complaint is that a recipe and a table doesn't give him much insight into my time here.  And, tis true, I have been very lax in my blogging updates.  And, I suppose I should just be happy he knows how to GET to my blog.  :) 

Recently, a woman from my CELTA program sent along some pictures of our last day.  Most of the people who actually read this blog know already how grueling the program was.  8am - 6pm each day, 8 teaching practices each with 10 page lesson plans to boot, and 4 long written assignments.  Oy.  I didn't speak to anyone besides the 10 other candidates, the tutors, and occasionally Zach for over  4 weeks.  Needless to say, there wasn't a lot of picture taking during this time.

However, on the last day, one of the women in the group took some shots of us. It makes it seem all happy go lucky...  but, heck, it's the last day of class!!  Here we are in our little study classroom. And on the last day of the course, we were very graciously taken to lunch by the school at one of the little cafe areas next to our building. There is a picture of that too...  notice all the beer and wine!  We were pretty spent by this point.

By far, the CELTA has been the most difficult and rewarding thing I have ever done.  It's a big deal to get in, let alone make it through (one woman in our group dropped out after a week).  Hopefully soon I will be getting my official results. 

And this week, I have begun my Graduate program.  I promise I won't make you wait a year before I have more things to post about.  :)  Perhaps I will take a really in depth picture journal of my study habits. 

     

Click here to download:

For_shame..zip (264 KB)

Hello, you should try this at home.

Get a head of cauliflower.

Slice it vertically about 1/4 inch thick. There will be some big lacy pieces, small lacy pieces and a bunch of tiny bits. Keep it all!

Toss it in olive oil to coat.

Lay it out on baking sheets so that the pieces don't overlap. It will likely take more than one if you have a larger head of cauliflower.

Roast in a 425 (F) or 220 (C) oven for about 10 minutes or until brown on the bottom. Flip the pieces and roast for about 10 more minutes, mine took about 15 - 20 on each side. You might also want to rotate your pans if your oven has hot spots.

When it's all nice and brown put it all in a bowl and toss with sea salt.  And I mean pretty brown, some burnt stuff is super yummy.

Devour. Also good with tahini!



YAY.

So, here I am during my orientation week confronted with the fact that I'm looking for something creative to do. Perhaps I was ready to do some nesting after being in this apartment for 3 months. The place looks pretty cozy, in spite of the fact (or, maybe because) that we have a full sized ping pong table in our living room.  However, the place is in need of some touches that make it feel... loved.  IKEA furniture can only get you so far in the "unique" arena.  So, I am taking on the challenge... one small inexpensive project at a time. 

First off, I can't do too much...  it's a rental, it's a rental that we won't even be in for more than 2 years, it's relatively small and because of the ping pong table the "rearrangement" options are pretty much nil.  Oh, plus, whatever I do needs to be the most bang for the buck. So I went to my trusty friend the internet to find a good project.  One that didn't need too many start up materials (that's always a pain).  And, one that attacked an eyesore that would make the apartment feel really good.

Luckily, I have many crafty friends.  First, I drew some inspiration from my good friend Betsy, she makes amazing jewelry.  The way she lives, loves, and works inspires me.  Then I went to check out another friend's blog...  for some more visual stimulus.  Next, I found out that another friend just started her own interior design company...  what luck, I thought.  And it was.  They have their very own blog and I tooled around looking for visual goodies.  There I founds this... (linked to from her blog)  which led to the table project you see below. 

Let me know what you think.   :)

           

Click here to download:

Project_Time.zip (9812 KB)

oh, but I do say:  Yay for health insurance.  I got new glasses!  we are still on the hunt for Zachary... there isn't the same variety for men's eyewear.  We will keep looking, though as we both are/were due.  Anyway, these are mine!  Oh, and Tom actually picked them out.  Funny, that.  And all the sales people here are really really nice.  And the doc was really really nice.  oh, and: they're covered.  Thanks to Zach, Jeremy and Cardno.... thank you thank you thank you!  I can't wait for Zach to get his pair... we'll be the coolest kids in school.  And the cutest.  :)

ps.  I can actually SEE now.  it's amazing I wasn't bumping into things before. 

     

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who_me_you_dont_say..zip (4589 KB)

Okay, okay... I'm a liar.  I am making it a two-part-post.  However, because I am annoyed with Gmail and still respect Tom's privacy, I'm not including those other pictures.  You will just have to deal.  I did throw in the big blue "sculpture" which is a privacy separator in the court yard.  And, everything looks close, but it's really not....  the courtyard is pretty big. 

Anywho, there you go.  This is where we live.  I must remember to take the pictures in a lower resolution so I can fit more into one email.  And people think google can do everything.  Psha.

           

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the_flat_-_continued.zip (10222 KB)

Ah, the homestead.  I have a request to post pictures of the flat.  I guess I thought I had, but me thinks not.  So, here tis.  Now, the floor plan will give you a little background.  You walk into the big main room which opens up to the balcony and kitchen on the right.  At the other end of the big room is the hall with storage closets and the main bathroom.  The end of the hall is Zach and my room on the right (with another balcony over looking the courtyard) and Tom's room on the left (which is slightly larger, and has it's own bath.  Hopefully, the pictures will make sense of it. 

Now, we don't have a great deal of furniture.  But, it's getting there.  It's pretty nice having laundry in the actual flat... quite difference from living in NY.  And, the double balcony makes for a good breeze when there's one to be had. 

Right now you are seeing bits and pieces of the Christmas celebration about to occur, what with the snowmen plates on the walls/doors/windows.  Thanks to a little package from Oregon and some tape, there are snowmen everywhere you look! 

It's a modest place, but it's enough space for some kids who came with only some suitcases.  And, they neighborhood is full of fun things.  That will be saved for another post.  They guys are gunning for a ping pong table in the main room.  (There is a space behind the couch that Zach is on which is about equal to the space in front of the couch... only with nothing in it!) 

What isn't pictured?  Well, okay, I did take more pictures of the place, but google only lets me send a certain amount of Gs at a time.  So, I had to edit - as I didn't think the flat was worthy of a two post-special (I mean, it's not Byron Bay!)  So, the rest of Zach and my bath isn't pictured.  It's quite big - like 1/2 the size of our bedroom; room for a double clothes hamper, a full bath tub... etc.  Also, the pool you see is in the court yard of our building, and the shot after it is looking straight down outside the bedroom balcony window into the rest of the courtyard.  It's pretty.  I took pictures of Tom's room intending to put them up - then thought better of it, as it might make him uncomfortable.  But, it looks about the same as ours, a bit bigger... and the bath is a stand up shower. 

So, there you have it: where we live.  Where we sleep with fans turned on high, and game nights with new Brissy friends happen. 

                   

Click here to download:

the_flat.zip (16871 KB)

So, we're getting closer!  It's very exciting!!!  We have gotten a little box from Oregon, and a big box from Oregon (thank you a million times).  There is a multitude of presents under the tree.  It's definitely Zach's year, as my dad would say.   :)    I can't wait for coffee cake and morning Skype (if we ever get internet). I can't wait for Zach to have a much needed break from work, and for me to have a break from pre-course tasks, which by the minute make me want to call and cancel my registration to Cambridge CELTA. 

Aloe plants are funny Christmas trees when you celebrate Christmas in hot hot hot weather.  Plus, one can hang ornaments off of the 'branches'.

Here you have it...  now you can fully appreciate, envision, and delight in our Aussie Christmas.  We have little tastes of each of our Christmas traditions. There will be full documentation of all the wrapping paper tearing, happy giggling people, coffee sipping, robe wearing, present playing with to come.  oh!!!  and stockings!!!!

Yes, we will be turning on the AC that day.  It will be cold for Christmas!

         

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Australian_Christmas.zip (8394 KB)

So enough chatting about sunburn; here are some other pictures from the day.  Byron Bay is, um let me think... yes, quite possibly the most beautiful beach I have ever been.  Mmmm, it may be rivaled by the beach I went to in Corfu, Greece (ah, Greece - but, hell, I'm probably also being nostalgic... ah, Corfu... or maybe it's just as lovely).  The water is warm and clear, the soft fine sand continues into the water forever.  There is a mountain range around the bay which turns blue and purple with the hazy heat.  The town is lazy beach fantastic, and the fish and chips are cheap and delicious.  Plus... it's huge. There were lots of people, and lots of space.  It didn't take long to get away from the crowd, and it's easy in the water to feel small.  The land that hugs the bay is wide. 

There was one look out point where we watched snorkelers.  Then, we drove up up up to look at the lighthouse (at the eastern most point in all of Australia).

Getting outside yourself here is easy; and to remember how lucky we are is a great reason to go to the coast.

Oh, and a water proof camera doesn't hurt either.

                   

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I_just_couldnt_help_myself..zip (16616 KB)