8. Coffee & Treats

As most of you might know, I am not an avid coffee drinker like the rest of the human world. Not only does it stain your teeth, but it also stunts your growth…or so I’ve been told. However, my resistance to the caffeine fix has probably had zero affect on my height as I’m barely 5 foot tall ;p  Again my travels to this wondrous country of Australia, particularly Melbourne, has changed my views on the daily routine of grabbing a cuppa (aka cup of coffee). Aussies have the most unbelievable culture around it. It’s astonishing to me why someone would pay approximately $4 for such a fix, much less take time out of their busy work schedules to get up early and grab one on the way to work in the numerous cafes. Yes they do have Starbucks, but why would anyone go there if so many other options exist. But it’s not just any black drip coffee (aka long black) you would find in a 7 Eleven that’s been sitting or one you’d fix up at home. The barista (coffee expert extraordinaire) will take approximately 4 minutes to grind freshly roasted coffee beans, hook it up to some $35,000+ machine, take only a shot of it and finally heat and pour your preferred milk to perfect drinking temperature with a desired amount of froth to make a splendid cup of a flat white, cappuccino or my new favorite a latte. Perhaps what drew me in the most is the art that is made with the pouring of the milk into the cup. In the beginning, I started drinking a cappuccino with 3-4 teaspoons of our delicious Columbian sugar cane called Panella. But sooner or later I found myself putting less and less sugar. Now I enjoy a latte with zero sugar and zero cocoa. It’s a good thing I work in a café that serves some of the best coffee I’ve had, otherwise I’d still be a non-coffee drinker. And dare I say that Starbucks has nothing on the cafes in Melbourne.

Now with coffee also comes treats or pudding as they call it. I try to stay away from sweets, but once in awhile I can’t resist. Some bloke told me about these cookies (aka biscuits) while I was at Whitsunday called Tim Tams. I almost wish he didn’t because they are irresistible! A few of them are a bit too sweet for my taste, but the dark chocolate ones are the best. Thick crispy wafer like pieces layered and covered in chocolate. Mmmm. Among the pudding category also lie the unbelievable tiramisus, scones, mini pecan pies (only from the Pie Face though), gelati, and the numerous treats you can choose from the plentiful bakeries surrounding every small suburb and the city. Aussies even make Tim Tam Gelati ;D  How bout them apples, eh?

In contrast if you’re not a coffee drinker they have these things called Iced Chocolates. Forget a milkshake and grab one of these bad boys. My favorite version is a scoop of vanilla gelati, a scoop of Tim Tam gelati ;p, the mixture of cocoa powder and milk, and finally topped off with a sprinkle of cocoa = heaven! Talk about a dentist’s worst nightmare. These I seldom drink because lets face it, this aging body can’t handle the calories.

But now I find myself in a bit of a problem...finding something back home that’s just as good as this coffee ;p So coffee fanatics let me know of some of your favorite spots…besides Starbucks.

Searched the city for this and finally found this heavenly piece of Tiramisu on chance.

Don Damon's beautiful work - Cappuccino

Our infamous Blackbird Social...I made up the name too ;)

7. Tennis

Having picked up the game early in my teens, I wished I picked it up much earlier as I did soccer. I think I could have been great at it, world ranked may be not that far but hey anything could have happened. I used to watch the games on TV back when greats like Stefi Graf and Agassi were still playing. I never thought I would actually get an opportunity to watch a top tennis player LIVE, much less more than one player at a Grand Slam event at the Australian Open. Funny how the US Open is a mere flight away to NY, but I haven’t made it to one. Yet it took a flight about 9,000 to 10,000 miles away from home to get me to a Grand Slam. Lucky for me the tickets were not as expensive as I thought they would be to attend. I was working on most days the tournament was here, but believe you me I definitely took a day off work to attend. I went during the second day of the tournament to check out all the no names and some of the bigger names work their way up to the top. The day was like any other Melbourne day, hot one minute freezing the next. I was dressed in layers when the sun decided to show up to make me almost regret that I bothered. My friend Kieran and I met up and were there early to watch Li Na play. She beat her opponent in straight sets. What a great athlete. After walking around, I realized quickly the venue for this event was pretty enormous with various areas of entertainment, food & beverage spots, pro stores, memorabilia stands and cool spots with lounge lawn chairs to watch the big names on a big screen. We watched a bit of Andy Roddick and Venus Williams on the screens while drinking a lovely cup of wine served in a plastic cup no less, classy huh? While roaming the venue I also randomly ran into a friend I had met in Sydney when I first arrived, such a small world. It was a really neat experience, but next time I’ll get a 5-day ground pass for only a $100.

It was a crazy turn of events this year as many of the top players were knocked out of the tournament early by these so called “no names.” Although the first time I attended will always be remembered, I’d have to say the highlight of the event is when I had the opportunity to watch top players, Nadal and Djovich play each other later on in the tournament. It seemed outrageous at the time to pay $100 dollars to see this match but at the end of it, it was definitely worth it. The atmosphere in the Rod Laver Area was amazing. Fans were going nuts. It was fun to yell and root for Nadal, especially when I told Rhett’s friend Nate to yell things in Spanish like “Te Quiero Nadal, muy guapo!”  Guess you had to be there but it was too funny. Learning Spanish was great fun for Nate ;p Plus the umpire told him to stop because he’d yell them at inopportune times. Overall, they were incredible athletes to watch with their precise and varying shots, speed, agility and determination. And while the outcome of the match was not favorable for Nadal, he was a very gracious loser. I felt like he should have won just because of this great speech. Hehehe. 

When I do get home, hopefully I’ll get an opportunity to make it to NY to see the US Open real soon and perhaps back here to watch the Australian Open once again. Also, for you tennis fans…keeps your eyes peeled for hopefully who will be a top player in the next few years, William Boe-Wiegaard. I had the privilege of meeting this humble guy while working in my little cafe right around when the Australian Open began. He was the #1 US Amateur Player...but now he's world ranked and moving on up with the ATP rankings!! http://www.willboe.com Shows me that hard work and determination can make any dream come true :)

6. Surf

What can I say about the sport and activity I love most. I came here to Australia mainly because it is surf mecca of the world. This should be at the top of the list but unfortunately I haven’t gotten to surf as much as I thought I would. Crazy how I’ve traveled across the world to score some of the best surf and I find myself exploring other things. There is more to life than surf, right? Often I get asked, “Why have you come to Australia? Are you on holiday, working or studying here?” It’s really funny because people look at me with utter confusion when I say I’ve come to Australia to surf…and the instant reply is “Your in the wrong place!?” Yes, I know most surfers live and surf the Gold Coast, but I don’t think people realize just an hour and a half away from here (like a trip to the OBX) is Bells Beach! I’ve seen some crowded days but even if it were, there are so many spots down in Torquay to surf with a handful of your mates in the water that it trumps the overcrowded beaches in Bondi or Manly (FYI – it’s still not the Gold Coast). With regret I went to this place on the Gold Coast called “Surfer’s Paradise” which was a complete joke of the name. Zero surf! I wish I had done more research because a famous break such as Snappers is located not to far from there. Though to be honest, I don’t think my ability to surf could compete with the caliber of guys that do surf there. And after surfing spots like Bondi and Manly, I can say the waves here are ALOT more intense in power than good ole VB. Even on what Aussie’s consider small days, I often felt the fear like the day I got my butt whooped trying to surf Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica during a good swell. Nevertheless, I still pushed myself to get out there and just paddle out. When I finally did make it past the break, I’d give myself a pat on the back and sit for a few sets before I attempted for a wave. Needless to say, I really needed to be in tip top shape.

However it’s okay if you’re a beginner to intermediate surfer like myself, there’s a spot to be found in OZ for any skill level. It doesn’t need to be the biggest and baddest wave as long as it was fun. It did not take long for me to discover a treasure. When I first put my eyes on this spot I felt like Bruce Brown in The Endless Summer, finding that never-ending wave. As luck would have it, I found this secret spot while I was there to see the Little Penguins. Now I’d tell you the name of the spot but I’d have to kill ya ;P Any surfer knows the value of a good secret spot. You’ll just have to come back with me to OZ so I can show you…wink wink. I didn’t get to surf it the first time, but I promised I’d be back to surf that spot. I’ve done it only twice now (none of which is what one would consider a good day or a decent day of surf) except that it was the days I had the longest rides of my life! And if you know VB you don’t get to score very long rides, the waves often close out or just too weak to push ya. I was satisfied to my heart’s content. And sometimes for the soul, it’s enough to get in and get wet.

But before I got to surf this spot though, I had the opportunity to go to the west coast of Australia. My buddy Broughski and I went to surf just south of Perth in an area called Margaret River. We camped out for about 4 days, exploring the great west. I thought I wouldn’t make it because this was my third time ever camping in my life…LOL…yes I know, crazy, but it was fun. We went to different spots during the day, cooked dinner on the open fire and chilled out til the fire slowly died. Next time I’d definitely spoil myself and sleep on an air mattress and go when it was a bit warmer. It was pretty chilly at the time of year we went, but I guess I’d rather have the cold then a hot sticky mosquito infested summer night. The west coast not only had beautiful scenery and a chillax lifestyle, but the surf was pretty amazing! We went surfing a few days before the swell came in which was great because the next day was just out of this world. I don’t know how those guys and ladies were paddling out when this swell came in. Bombs were going off and you could see the spray miles away and even hear the rolling thunder of the waves. Insane! Broughski and I were hot to trot to pack all our things to watch the show. The parking lot was almost full when we arrived at 10am…everyone came to watch! I could have watched all day, but we had a long drive home. The show was a great way to end the trip.

Although I have not surfed as much as I’d like, I’m glad to have experienced the spots I did get to surf. I surfed long fun waves with barely a soul, I didn’t have an encounter with box jellyfish nor the sharks that are known for inhabiting these beautiful waters and I didn’t get injured. I also had an opportunity to attend the oldest surf competition in the world (next to VB’s ECSC) at this year’s 50^th Rip Curl’s Bell’s Beach Pro. I saw the women’s heats, the freestyle competition with the likes of Kelly Slater, Occy, and Steph Gilmore to name a few and the ringing of the infamous Bell Trophy. Lastly, on the way home after the competition I got to meet some of my favorite surfer’s in Surf City where they were having autograph signings. The best part is knowing there’s always my next go round in OZ to surf these spots again ;D

5. The Footy!!

What can I say but...I LOVE THE FOOTY!! Now back home everyone has their favorite NFL team, baseball team, NBA team, or NHL team, just to name a few of the most popular sports in America. But here is Australia...particularly in Melbourne, the majority barrack (aka "root") for a team in Aussie Rules Football (AFL). I thought American football and baseball fans were bad...man, the Aussies bring it to a whole nother level. The hats, beanies, scarves, jackets, jerseys, flags, socks, shorts, pins, etc.; name it they've got it and they sport it too. Not only do teams' colors come alive on game day, but the smack talk between the rivalries. For the majority there are the normal excited fans, but I've heard and seen some pretty intense things happen on and off the field. All that aside, the great thing about this sport, besides the hot guys that wear tiny little shorts and sleeve less jerseys to show off their caliber of guns, is the active participation of the community and the players. Most of the footy teams are neighboring cities and get moral support and funding from their members. I love seeing the fans/members, young, old, and all those in between rockin their team spirit walking about the city on game day. The sport is thrilling to watch as everyone on the field is always on the move. Not the stop and go mess when watching the NHL. Now don't get me wrong, I do like watching the occasional NFL game, but AFL is just better. No pads, no helmets, no breaks in 30 minutes of play...just men on the field in tip top condition passing the ball to kick a goal. I could go on a long spiel of how the game is played and all its terminologies, but all you need to know (or at least its my favorite part) is when a goal is scored and the umpire steps behind the middle of the two tallest poles and sticks both of his arms beside his waist, points and shoots out his fingers pretending he was the baddest cowboy in town...POW or what I would say, Cha-Ching! I know it sounds silly, but it's the best part (leave it to a girl to pick it is as the best part of the game...hehehe). The crazy thing about the sport, besides the rough play, is the player’s salary doesn’t even compare to that of an NFL or other professional player’s income in America. It is rougher and more physically demanding than most sports. A player runs for 4 quarters, each one lasting about 25-30 minutes, with only 4 substitutes during the whole game and season. There’s roughly 10-15 minute break between each quarter and a longer break during half time. Otherwise, during the entire game, the guys are constantly running, punting, passing, etc. Water boys even come out onto the field to bring water to the players so the game can continue with as little stoppage as possible. And if 4 players were to get injured in someway during the season, then only a few, if any, could be substituted for another player on the field. That is tough but a hell of a game! (Personally though, the foolish thing is how much we pay our players, yet were making budget cuts to schools. It doesn’t make much to me, but that’s a whole other argument.)

I first started to watch the sport just on television and sadly missed an opportunity to see the semifinals last season before I left for the west coast of Australia. On the other hand, this season I’ve attended about 10 games, thanks to Rhett who has season pass tickets to every game (I can’t even begin to thank him for all the games I’ve attended). They are so much fun…especially watching what all the crazy things the fans do and say. I’ve been trying to keep tabs on how the teams are doing so I can finally pick a team that I’d like to barrack, but it’s been a crazy season of ups and downs. Some teams have started strong is the pre-season, but are now slowing down. Usually a girl would pick a team because of the team’s colors (which sadly and honestly I have taken into small consideration…lol) or be a bandwagon fan of the top team like the Collingwood Magpies, but I want to watch the games and see which team is actually decent. Now almost at the tail end of this year’s season, it’s about time I picked a team. After yesterday’s game there’s no doubt in my mind I barrack for the Essendon Bombers. They are not doing too well this season BUT the only team this season that has beaten the undefeated Geelong Cats! I am definitely one for rooting for the underdog, even though I do like the colors of the Cats better ;) I’m excited to see how the season will end. I would even go so far to say that I’m so in love with this sport, I’d be willing to pay top dollar to fly back and see the Grand Finals (which happens to be very close to my birthday…hint hint). Until then…GO BOMBERS!

A bunch of geezers in their Western Bulldogs get up.

Me and Liz at the last Essendon game I attended and her first one in Melly...I'll miss the live matches!