Here I Sleep At Night Looking up at the Southern Skies

On a Big Island in the Great Pacific

I didn't want to start off my blog with a big 'i'm homesick' but necessity added with an heapful of lonliness compells me to say it, 'i'm homesick.' well, i should probably tell you where i am so you can judge for yourself whether i'm justified in saying that. home is toronto and sick is in brisbane, australia. there's a big gap between home and sick, an ocean and half a hemisphere, not to mention 2 seasons ahead (winter here) and 14 hour time difference (we're not even in the same friggin day!

i tell myself, this is a great opportunity, to see the world, to see australia on the cheap since i'm working here for the next 3 months.. it's great! it's great! beaches are great (ahh.. sunshine coast, gold coast every weekend)! weather is great (20-25 degrees)! but this time, telling myself it's great isn't having that lasting effect i was hoping for.

i miss a lot from home... cheap asian/korean/japanese/everything else food.... food is expensive here and shampoo cost 9 dollars whereas in canada it cost 4! good thing i stocked up on the essentials in hk before i got here...

here's my pro/con list for brisbane thus far (this is in consultation with the other ex-pats working in my office.

pros

- fact you can tan in winter on a multitude of beaches along the eastern coast of australia and it's always sunny and warm

- air is nice and we got a service apartment upgraded (2 floors 2 beds 2 baths windows in every room, facing the story bridge and brisbane river, big ass balcony with a six person table, fully furnished, fully decorated)

- people are really friendly here.. and the accent is milder than expected

- there's way more asians here than i expected (both working and students)

- nice to be able to take the city cat (river boat) up and down the brisbane river

cons

- roads are hard to navigate, won't even attempt to drive here

- things are super expensive (food, cell fones, internet, essentials etc.)

- no good food, everything seems to have mutton in it (bought a pizza in the grocery store (bbq meat) and it had mutton in it along with pork and beef etc... i can't stand mutton.

- being so far away from home, away from my heart

- it's winter here so the sun sets at 5pm (totally offsets the great weather we have here)

all in all, i'm just one big complainer, bad at adjusting to changes, but i'm telling myself to take every opportunity to see what australia has to offer and to that end i've been sightseeing like crazy.... going to the australia zoo this weekend and then byron bay (?) next weekend.. saw the gold coast last weekend.. been up to mount coo-tha (?) and saw brisbane from the top all lit up at night.... really nice.. kinda like seeing los angeles from the top as per the american ex-pat that came along with us... i'm going to run every night along the brisbane river and eat healthy... cuz there really isn't much to eat lol.... i'll update when i can. cheers! (i'm not a poser, just ended that for ur amusement). later!

to err

No day is so bad it can't be fixed with a nap.

What is the most important thing that i will need for my condo? The cost conscious me have been deliberating on this tidbit for a while now. It was a toss between a flat screen tv & a mattress. you may think that is very sad that the two things i value most is sleep and tv. but! if you understood that most of my childhood was spent horizontal on the couch in front of the tv or on my mattress reading books, then you would understand a little bit of me.

my mom and I followed the directions as given by my dad to the nearest sleep country store in my area. when we got there it ended up being a sleep comfort store. minor difference but it's just not the same without christine magee to greet me with that overused but never tiring jingle of a slogan 'why buy a mattress anywhere else'.

We went through the sleep comfort store and then we got new directions from dad and went to an actual sleep country store. we were explained the differences between firm & soft beds and how back support is the same for both. we were introduced to the different brands offered: certa, sealy, spring air and the importance in the coils, the gauge of the wire used and how they are spaced and how for a person of my weight the difference between the top of the line, the ones hotels use, would be nominal to me so why pay the prize difference. i had to agree with her on that one. who knew there was so much involved in a good night's sleep?? haha. I tried each one and felt very much like goldilocks.

T h i s   b e d   i s   t o o   b i g. This bed is too small. This bed is just right.

This bed is too hard. this bed is too soft. This bed is just right.

I settled on a really nice queen size bed which is so comfortable. a much needed improvement over the twin i've been sleeping on for the last 15 years. i've outgrown it literally. i've never had a queen bed to myself. i think i'll need some body pillows. i sleep on my side and tend to stay on one side. can't wait till they deliver it to the condo. i'm tempted to think how i'll jump on it. that's all i can think about right now.

To Me You Are Perfect

Merry Christmas Everyone!