More "noticeables"...........

It seems Sydney siders love to wear converse sneakers......with anything. They also love to, for some reason, wear brown or tan boots with their black outfits. I don't quite get it, but ok. When I watch people get off of the other trains, on the other platforms, in the morning it is like a sea of black blobs and then..........tiny specks of brown or tan. They also love to read the newspaper. AND they also love the iPhone - all of them.

Other vet clinic "noticables".....when they do pre-anesthetic blood work they just mean a mini chem and electrolytes. No CBC......I am not too sure that I agree with this. The next is if a client has an intact male dog and they don't want to neuter them (or desex them as they say here) the client can have some sort of implant put into the dog. I don't know how much I would trust it, but supposedly it works. (Might have to do some research to see how it works exactly)

Hmm...I think that is all that I could remember for this week!

Blue Mountains this Saturday! Can't wait! The weather better stay nice!

Dinner by the Harbor!

Last night another intern, Sisi, and I decided to actually go out to eat instead of make something in the kitchen that was already being occupied by party-goers. We picked out a Bavarian place that was somewhat set back, but still by the harbor in a place called The Rocks. The menu sounded awesome and they had mango beer. I am not a beer drinker at all. I personally think it looks like pee so therefore I don't drink it, BUT mango beer sounded kind of awesome and hey, it's beer in Sydney, right? Sooooo, we set off after I had to do a lot of convincing her that walking to catch a train, switching trains at another station, and then walking dinner was NOT THAT BAD. Sisi, I am finding out, hates to walk and because of this she walks e....x.....t....r...e...m....e.....l.....y slow. Drives me nuts, but at least I have someone to walk around with. Ok so anyway.....we get to the place and of course there's a major long line forming. I was more than willing to wait. I was in no hurry, where was I going to go anyway? But the wait of course was an hour or more AND they were checking IDs at the door. It wasn't a club, but I guess maybe because it was a Saturday night?? So I was still fine with that. I bring a form of ID with me anyway (just in case someone should ever ask for it when I use my credit card), but guess who doesn't? Yup, of course. Sooooo now it is decision time again. I am not a picky person when it comes to food, all I ask is that it isn't spicy. The prices are all pretty much the same unless you go to an extremely fancy place, but who wants to do that? So we walk all the way to opposite side of the harbor - over by the opera house - and we look at evvvvverrryyyy single menu. Finally, found a place! It was a half outdoor/indoor place called the Searock Fish Cafe. We sat outside with the outdoor heaters and had a nice view of the water and bridge. The service was actually good too. I ordered the seafood risotto and it was very yummy (Sisi went the boring route and ordered fish & chips). Then we had dessert at a Belgian place called Guylian Belgian Chocolate Cafe. I am not a big fan of chocolaty things so I got a coconut cake dessert. It was ok. I would have been happier if it were like a slice of apple pie with some ice cream, but it was a fancy place and they did not have that. HMPH! (Sydney needs a good ole Jersey diner)

So that was dinner on Saturday night by the harbor! I am hoping that we attempt the German place again, because now I really want to go there. It's not a place that you can just walk in a go to by yourself - otherwise I totally would.

seafood risotto

coconut cake

\

Coat!

So I never thought Sydney would be cold judging from the temperatures on weather.com, but it does get cold when you walk a bazillion miles to your work every morning and evening so I had to get a coat. Now, if you knew me, you would know that I don't really need a coat of any kind, but what's one more, right? Just like I don't ever need any clothes either. Sooooo here is the coat I got. At least I got it in a color that I don't have!! It was originally $69, but was on sale for $44.90. :-)

Noticeable things, words.........

After being here for 3 weeks now you start to notice the normal or typical things and words that are used. For starters people, or city siders as they are called, are ALWAYS rushing to get somewhere. I suppose it is a lot like the fast paced NYC or NJ, but they sure do like to get places fast. This is something I am still getting used to because I don't function at these high speeds. I don't run up or down the escalator to catch a train that I know is not coming for another 5-6 mins - it's just not right. I don't speed walk or run down the sidewalk to a store or cafe that I know is not going to pick up and move by the time I get there. It's just strange. Australians also don't seem to be very polite when it comes to exiting or entering a train. No one waits for people to get off the train before getting on. They all crowd 2 inches in front of the doors before they even open and then it's just this big mass of people moving at the same time to get on/off. They also don't seem to follow the ladies first or women with children first rule. If you're not quick enough people from behind will quickly dash in front of you and cut you off. Drives me nuts. I can't get on or off the train if I see an elderly person or parent with a baby or stroller that should be able to get on/off first. But people don't care, they'll cut you off while you are being polite and waiting. It's all very odd. They also don't say "bless you" or anything after someone sneezes. I find it hard to do when I am work so I just try to ignore the fact that someone sneezed since you won't get a response either way.

Around the animal hospital.......I noticed that raw diets are somewhat the norm here. This something I still have a hard time with. Like yes I know dogs descended from wolves and wolves are carnivores and they eat fresh meat and what not. BUT our furry friends are not wolves and they have evolved over years and years and years so their digestive tracts are not used to those types of diets. I know there are "raw diet" fanatics out there and yes, some of it makes sense and I did, for about 5 seconds, think about putting my allergy dog on one IF I could not figure out what his issues were, but it's just not AS good for them. A lot of the patient check in sheets will have boxes checked off what their pet eats and most of them have the "meat" box checked off. The meat we feed in the hospital is raw kangaroo meat. They have a brand specially packaged for pets. I was kind of grossed out at first, but now it's like an everyday normal thing to slop this raw meat in a bowl and stick it in a cage. I've also noticed, because Sydney is a city and most people live in apartments, that  they mainly have small dogs or cats. I never realized how much of a big dog person I am until I worked here when I have only seen like 6 or 7 big dogs the whole 3 weeks.  I love all creatures great and small, but there is just something about being around a big goofy lab, golden, or boxer that makes working with "small" animals so much butter. The cool thing about seeing a lot of cats here is that I am seeing all of the breeds that you don't typically see in the US. Here, the average U.S. grey tabby, black, or tuxedo kitties are the rare ones. Your everyday cats here are the burmese, siamese, korat, rex, and any other breed like that. A lot of the cats also seem to be mostly outdoor cats as the ones we see all come in for some sort of fight wound repair. Maybe it is me, but if I had one of those expensive breeds I would definitely be keeping them indoors.

Everyday terms/words..........
my all time favorite has to be the word/expression Cheeky...it basically means "being fresh"
bench: counter top
tin: can of something
rubbish: garbage
bloods: blood work
reckon: think
give it a go: exactly what it says
trolley: movable lift table
jumper: sweater/sweatshirt
swab: gauze square
lollies: any type of candy except for chocolate
heaps: LOTS of something
desexing: spay and or neuter
meths: methylated spirits - used instead of isopropyl alcohol (smells just as bad)
lovely: means what it says....they just say it a lot here
when they don't really like something they just call it annoying
I am sure there will be more words/sayings to come, but for now those are the ones I hear the most.

So that's why it's so expensive here!

So I finally found out why it is soooooooo expensive to live in Australia in general. The minimum wage here is $15.75 and everyone who makes the lower end yearly salaries still live pretty comfortably - so I have been told. Australia does't really have too much of a rich/poor difference like we do in the States. Everyone is pretty much in the middle with, of course, a few exceptions (none of them being veterinarians - sad). The prices are still pretty crazy and unreal to me. I saw a 13lb bag of Eukanuba large breed weight control for $50 (before the markup). My dogs could never live here because I could never afford to feed them. Their 28-30lb bags cost $50 in the States.  It's just nuts! I have to go to Target this weekend to buy a coat and I am afraid to even see the price tag. People at work said that Target was having sales, but I don't even know if they know what the word "sale" means. Microwave meals were on sale at the local food store......the price for them was $6 and change. They are pretty much the same meals I can get for a $1.98 at Walmart - the only difference is the store name.

So that is that! It's expensive to live here and I am glad I am only here for a short time.....otherwise I would go broke!

All over Sydney and Manly Beach!

Since the weather was actually nice I was able to get and explore some more of Sydney. On Saturday I went on a free walking tour which lasted 3 hours. It was GREAT! It made me feel so much better about walking around and finding places. Our guide was awesome too. She, of course, knew a lot and would tell us anything we wanted to know. She told everyone, on the tour, that they had to try kangraoo at least once before they left Australia. I can check that off the list! She also told us that going to the zoo was a must too so hopefully I will get there this coming weekend (depending on the weather of course!). 

So Sydney, in general, was pretty much built up by convicts. The few people in the Sydney area kept on asking the U.K. for money to get started, but they of course said no everytime. So the people had no choice, but to use convicts (some were as young as 7yrs old because back then you were an "adult" at age 7). The whole operation was funded by the rum business because someone noticed how the convicts loved to drink rum. So that put the bright idea into someone's mind and that person hired 3 business men who set up a rum business and then Sydney was born. :-)  The Town Hall area where our tour started up used to be a HUGE mass grave, but someone decided that, that was "not so nice" and they got rid of the bodies and built the Town Hall building. 

That's pretty much most of the "history" parts that I can remember. All in all it was a pretty good tour for being free.

Then on Sunday I went with another intern (outside of Sydney) to a place called Manly. It was a small little beach town with a strip of stores and places to eat. The beach was small and full of surfers and the water was pretty and clean. The surfers were the only ones in the water due to the fact that they could go in the cold water with wet-suits on. I am sure it would have been a whole lot nicer if it wasn't winter here. Manly itself is a nice place, but I have to admit.....a lot of the beach towns back home are nicer. The main GOOD thing was that I saw a lot of dogs and their people! Oh, and the crepe cafe that we went to for lunch had amazing food. :-) :-)  The walk to Shelly Beach was also nice, but that beach was not very impressive. It was still a good day and not a bad ferry ride to it either.

So my plans for this weekend will hopefully include a trip to Target to get a winter coat (as if I really need another one), trip to the zoo, and I have to find the Hard Rock Cafe store. :-)  Maybe I can fit int he aquarium too.  I am also still on a mission to find "cheap Uggs".....still hasn't happened yet. I am convinced that they don't exist. HMPH. I am also still debating the whole bridge climb thing.............

That's all for now! (pictures are on facebook)

Money!

So since I haven't gone anywhere yet (besides work and Sydney Park) I figure I would show you some pictures of Australian money. :-)  The notes (aka dollar bills) are kind of cool because they are made of a plastic material so they can go through the washing machine without getting ruined. The highest note that I have received is a $50 note and the smallest that is made is a $5 note. They decrease in size along with the amount. The size decrease was done so that the blind could tell how much money they had collectively.

notes in decreasing order of amount and size

other side of $5 note

other side of $10 note

other side of $20 note

other side of $50 note

Change is called "shrapnel" here and it adds up fast!! They have 5, 10, 20, and 50 cent coins. PLUS they have $1 and $2 coins. Everything except the $1 coins are my least favorite since the washer and dryer ONLY take the $1 dollar coins......and those are the hardest to get when receiving change. It's quite annoying actually. The coins start out little and then get bigger and then smaller in size again. The Queen is on the back of all of them and supposedly her age decreases/increases in some order, but I can't figure it out by looking at them.

5, 10, 20 and 50 cents. Then $1 and $2.

 

 

 

That is all for now! I didn't get to go to China town tonight for dinner as planned because the other intern I was going to go with is sick. And since I don't know the area I figured it's best not to walk around there at night  by myself (since these parts of Sydney get pretty full of the druggies, drunks, and drug dealers at night......oh my!). Looks like it is also a no go for Blue Mountains since the group that was planning it has no longer said it was back on. I am sure I'll get to Blue Mountains at some point even if I have to book the trip by myself. It's ok though, I found another intern who lives in another section of Sydney to go to some markets with. We have to take a ferry there so it should be interesting. Cross your fingers for the weather!!

Yup, rainy days are dreary.....even in Australia

So it's been raining pretty much since Saturday late afternoon, which means we can't do too much (or I can't do too much since running to the "bottle shop" and buying alcohol is not my thing - Sydney is a party city if you haven't figured it out by now). The power went out a few times last night.....that was quite annoying, but it supposedly happens every now and then just for the hell of it. I've just been watching movies and doing my research project on the urinary system.

Today we have off for the Queen's birthday. Her birthday is in April or sometime around there, but it is celebrated today. I was hoping to do a FREE walking tour of Sidney today, but it looks like the rain doesn't want me to. Hopefully it will be nice this coming weekend because anything free in this expensive city is welcomed by me! (Now I understand why there are so many homeless people at the train station entrance sleeping on the ground or begging for money and food) The group of interns, that are also in this building, tried to plan a trip to Blue Mountains today, but it got cancelled yesterday due to the rainy forecast for today. I wanted to go and was more than willing to actually spend some money on the day trip. As of now it looks like the trip will be next Sunday depending on the weather. There is also some market place that I found online (things to do in Sydney) that I'd like to go to and see if they have the "cheap Uggs". Hopefully they do because I have to come back from Australia with something other than a $23 t-shirt that says "I saved a shark".  There is also China town which I want to go to because I heard they have pretty good, cheap, food.

Food is extremely expensive here and perhaps more expensive than when I lived in Grenada. In Grenada I could spend $50 or less for the week, but here it is around $100 and it's not like I buy much. I am back to buying milk in a box....it's definitely preparing me for vet school again! I also got the chance to buy kangaroo meat...it was cheaper than chicken (go figure) and it actually tasted pretty good.

Well that's all for now. Just RAIN.  They forgot to tell us to bring our rain boots!

Sydney Park!

I got the chance to walk through Sydney Park this morning. After I got of the train I either had a choice of walking down one alley or the other. Both were equally empty, graffiti covered and kind of scary, but I chose one and luckily it was the one that lead me to the intersection for the park. I had to go to the Fed-Ex warehouse to pick up a package and walking through the park was the easiest way to get to it. This park is HUGE and very green! There were TONS of dogs running around - most of them off leash - and people everywhere. There was even a little dog paw wash station.There were many paths that went uphill, downhill, and around in every direction.  There were a few little streams and a couple of lakes and surprisingly none of the dogs found their way into them.  There was even a section for those extreme exercise people to do boot-camp style training. I am pretty sure I will revisit this park. :-)  If anything it is a nice place to walk.

Now that I have access to money again I can go and get some food for the coming week.......after the food store I think I might check these tents on the corner and see what they are selling. Tomorrow will be a trip to Bondi Junction to go to the Kmart and see about finding a bathrobe. I have to look up what they call bathrobes here because people don't seem to understand what I am asking for. :-/  Catch you all later. (sorry this blog may be boring, but I am not a "writer" and will only post every so often - or as I go to new places) :-)

Sydney!

I made it to Sydney! I have been here for almost a week now. It's not a bad city. The place I am living in is called Jack's Place. It is pretty much like living in a dorm full of loud college kids.....again. The sign says clean up after yourself, but every morning when I walk down to get my breakfast I seriously don't want to set foot in the kitchen and wish I didn't have too. ( I have yet to smell the odor of bleach :-( )  There's also no central heat in this building so it is a little chilly here.

The people here are very nice. I just have one complaint though....they give horrible directions. The streets here are basically lined with little coffee shops/food shops, chemists (pharmacy), strip clubs, brothels, and upscale clothing stores. And you can usually find them in consecutive order repeating down the street. People seem to dress up here every day, all day so I am sure I look odd to them in my hoodie, jeans and sneakers. It's also gotten quite cold here and I didn't think that it would be.  I might actually have to buy a coat since it gets very chilly when I walk back and forth to the train stations.

My job is pretty nice.  It's weird being a tech or "veterinary nurse" here. They are basically assistants. They don't do the same things as we do in the US.  I was told it is sort of illegal to intubate a patient here unless you're a vet. Techs can only do that if there is an emergency and airway needs to be established. They also don't get to do much of what I learned in tech school. I do a lot of observing here. They also seem to rely on machines for monitoring during anesthesia which now makes me nervous because of what I now have learned.      The vets and vet nurses that work at the clinic are all extremely nice and really love what they do. I would also say that there is much less of the "cattiness" and backstabbing that you find in the US clinics which is DEFINITELY a nicer environment to work in.  Here in Australia everyone is considered equal. It doesn't matter what degree or initials you have attached to your name - you are no better than anyone else.  Doctors are not greeted with Dr. so and so.  You simply call them by their first name. It's something that I am getting used to. I come from the "respectful" background so I find it hard to speak to a doctor without placing "Dr." in front of their name. It's pretty cool though. The place I work at is also not as busy as the other animal clinics so I have to get used to the slow pace or learn how to stretch tasks out. So far I've watched dentals (which techs don't do) and a cruciate surgery (no biggie - saw tons of them at the other clinics), but the coolest had to have been surgery on a HUGE Australian bat. A tiny piece of bone in its wing was removed, but it was cool to see a huge bat up close. I also got to see some ultrasound and heart echoes. I look forward to seeing more procedures as they come in!

So that is pretty much Sydney...so far.  I'm not a partier like my fellow interns. They are all still in undergrad so going out to bars and getting drunk is their thing right now. I think I am the oldest of the interns. It's alright. I know how to get around and go places on my own and hey, I'll actually remember doing it. :-)  I saw the Vivid Sydney light show and that was pretty cool. Not sure what I'll get to see next since I only have 2 day weekends while everyone else has 3, but I am sure I'll see some other places at some point! It may not be New Zealand, Bali, or Thailand, but I'll get somewhere. :-)

That's all for now!

RainForeStation and Great Barrier Reef!

On June 2nd my whole orientation group got to take a trip to RainForeStation. There we got to hold a snake (no, of I didn't), pet some wallabies, feed/pet kangaroos, and hug a koala bear! :-)  Sure we could probably see all of these animals in one of many zoos int he U.S., BUT how many people can say that they actually touched them???? It was AWESOME! During our trip there we also got to ride on a duck boat (no duck noise makers though), watch Aboriginal dances (even watched some of the intern students do the dances too) throw a boomerang and play a didgeridoo. That was cool, but of course my favorite part was petting/feeding a roo and hugging the koala bear. Can't go wrong with animals!

On June 3rd we all got to go aboard the Passions of Paradise catamaran which took us to two spots on the Great Barrier Reef.  We all got to snorkel and, or, scuba dive. So most of I am pretty much scared of the ocean and refuse to swim in it so this was a BIG day for me. I actually snorkeled and loved it (probably because the water was clear as anything and there were a bazillion other people doing it too that I could probably out swim). :-)  I also tried on scuba gear for 10 mins, but didn't like the way the equipment felt breathing wise and also didn't want to spend more money (yeah, I was cheap - but I did get a  t-shirt that supports not killing sharks). I also saw a little shark while snorkeling, but I buddied up with another student and decided that if she didn't freak out I wasn't going to. :-)  The Great Barrier Reef is awesome, beautiful and extremely colorful. I would definitely snorkel again and if I had actual scuba lessons I would probably do that too (just not in NJ!)! I am kind of disappointed with the brand new canon camera that I got because it just didn't take as nice of pictures as I would expect from a canon camera, but I still got pictures! Just imagine the colors to be brighter and the pictures not so fuzzy. ;-)  After our day on the reef we went out to dinner (it was paid for by the program) and I got my ever "different" food!  I had a camel burger. The sheet said it was either going to be crocodile or camel - chef's choice. I was really hoping it was going to be crocodile since camels are cute and all majestic looking and I didn't really want to eat one, but of course it wasn't crocodile. So I ate it anyway and guess what? It was good! It had a weird chewy texture, but it was not bad at all. Who knows what will be next?!

Oh yeah......everyone still says "no worries".  I also heard "cool bananas" - means the same thing as "cool beans".  You hear "give it a go" a lot. I can't remember all of them - maybe I should be walking around with a voice recorder - lol. :-)

Now it's on to Sydney!