As close as I'll probably ever get to "livin' the dream" - experiencing a work week Down Under (Sydney Part V)...

Family,
And a good evening to you from across the globe after another GREAT DAY in the Lion City.  The Bull hit the treadmill tonight, where I am pleased to report a major upgrade at Fitness First.  Now I have to admit that, after joining, I was a little surprised that they didn't have the newfangled "plug your i-Pod into the docking station and charge it while you run" type treadmills, but they rebounded big today by rolling out the new model - a treadmill with touchscreen Solitaire and Connect Four!  Oh yes, Sammy the Bull ran 4 miles (at an 8:07 pace - don't think I was slacking) whilst playing Solitaire (I won 2 games, but clearly it's engineered so that you don't have to start over very often) and getting my ASS KICKED in Connect Four.  Who knew how much strategy was involved?  My only injury?  Rubbing the glass so much on the touch screen that I have blisters on my fingertips.  Yes - Fijian Golfer.  Go ahead - get it out of your system.

As I look at the three trim people in this photo, my first thought
is:  "Does the fleece make me look fat?"  I then hear Matt
Miller's voice:  "No, no, no - your face does."

Also, I simply gotta mention something.  The ridiculously long finger nails that all the dudes have here?  I can live with that.  The speed at which people walk?  I can live with that (barely).  But seriously, what is up with people SLEEPING AT THE GYM?  I mean, it's a rare day when there aren't multiple people PASSED OUT by the pool, in the chairs in the breezeway (some in WORK CLOTHES, mind you), or just LAID OUT on the floor.  And what amazes me is not only the fact that some of them clearly came to the gym, changed into the "Fitness First" gear, and then just went STRAIGHT TO SLEEP WITHOUT WORKING OUT, but it's also the LENGTH OF TIME they are passed out.  Seriously - I saw one dude last week who's mouth was open enough to park a Volvo in there when I arrived, and he was in the SAME POSITION (in his HOT blue banana hammock to boot) NINETY MINUTES LATER when I left.  I mean seriously...

Anyhoo, on the "travel widow" front, the Bull has settled into a routine:  work, exercise, blog, Skype, and then watch a movie.  The last 2 nights have both been winners, with Sunday's feature being "Red" (SO entertaining), and last night's being "Battle:  Los Angeles."  You know, I thought "Battle" would be terrible, but it was actually really entertaining.  Picture the cinematography of "Black Hawk Down" (and the action), but give more action (and less drama) than "Independence Day" (which I thought sucked).  Bottom line - it was worth the free rental.

Okay, so it's back to Sydney.  On Wednesday, I kicked off my 3 day work stint (don't worry immigration authorities - I was just there for meetings :-)) in Sydney with the BEST commute I'll ever have.  I picked up a flat white, bought my ferry ticket, and 2 minutes later I was sitting outside in the gorgeous sunshine as the ferry pushed away from Manly and headed for the Central Business District (CBD).  The ferry (same as the one I'd taken before) was just BEAUTIFUL - such a crystal clear day, and I really can't tell you how cool it was to dock between the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge before walking the 4 blocks to our office.  There, on the 41st floor, I settled in for three FANTASTIC days of work (Wild Card, don't worry - I was WICKED productive - just ask the good Doctor...) and had an absolute blast.  I was the only guy in the HR department (on the 41st floor, so with a nice view of the streets and the harbour in the distance), and when I showed up Sharon laid out the ground rules for me:  "I am in charge, Sam.  I make the rules, and I have decreed this a stress-free week.  There is to be no stress in here.  If you feel stress coming, go out and get a coffee, then come back."  I am happy to report that I was compliant every minute in the office.

The gang was great.  3 of the 5 people in the office are currently planning weddings, and so I learned about all KINDS of important topics that I never knew existed when Jenny and I got married.  And whilst there were plenty of topics that I found myself mesmerized by, let's just say that I now COMPLETELY understand the value of "expressing" ahead of the ceremony.   Wow...

The Northern Beaches are BEAUTIFUL, always with a row
of Norfolk pines (such super green needles) just off the beach.
Throw in a full moon, good, food, and good company, and
all is right with the world.

Seriously - the work days were terrific:  amazing commute in, great coffee (nobody does a flat white like the Aussies), a nice Spinach Fillo (AWESOME pastry, so probably about 12,000 calories), lovely weather, great lunch spots, and a terrific crew who welcomed me in and was a pleasure to work with.  It was EXACTLY like I thought and hoped it would be, and I must say that I do hope someday Jenny and I will be able to live and work down there.  Now is definitely not the time, but if we ever were to go abroad again, obviously Sydney would be very high on that list of possibilities.  But even if it never happens, I can say that I was fortunate to do it once, and it was everything I thought it would be.

Date night! 

Evenings were great as well, as we got a chance to go out with Dean one night (Manly Hotel - that was some guuuuuuuuuuuud pizza), Dom one night (great Asian wok meets Lebanese place overlooking the beach with a full moon hanging over the water), and then (thanks to a babysitter) have a couples date night!  We hit the Manly Wine Bar (which was really cool.  J-Wade - think "Beach Blanket Babylon" - just without all the chains and bizarre owner...wait...that didn't come out right...) for a glass of red (Aussie wine - so tasty and SO cheap after Singapore - it's the one thing that's a discount!) before rolling over to this GREAT Mexican joint for some excellent burritos.  Mexican twice Down Under.  That brings our total on Mexican (violating my law to never eat it outside of North America) consumption since being expats to 6:  twice in Singapore, twice Down Under (both count even though one was homemade and featured kangaroo meat - it's no more strange than the others), once in the Isle of Wight (who wants the quazzydillahs?  Say WHAT?), and once in Norway (where they had to ask the bar downstairs if they'd ever heard of a margarita being "frozen").  Truth be told - they were all tasty. 



I absolutely LOVE this photo - sorry to be sappy, but the look
on my face pretty much sums up every day of life with Jenny -
I love you, Muffin!

On Friday I met Jenny for lunch (ooooh, forgot to mention that I got one of the WICKED GOOD massive sushi rolls for lunch on Wednesday - so guuuuuuuuuuuuuuud - peppy cheekies) before she went on a Sydney photo shoot (but she'll have to tell you about that) about town.  We met outside the office after work and nipped over for a pint of James Squire at a local pub, knocking back one schooner (an American pint) before having a second with him (Rugby World Cup on the telly - all was right with the world) and then running to catch our ferry.  Dinner was at home, and we kicked back with some vino and a Cooper's sparkling ale (popular Down Under - that's one you can get in the states).  We hit the sack about 11, as this was the all important sleep night - 2 days before the big race on Sunday.  Granted, beer wasn't a GREAT idea, but at the time I thought a) I'm ready, and b) I'm on vacation - what's the worst that could happen?  Ah, famous last words...but you'll have to stay tuned for the rest of the story, when Sammy wraps up his version of events on the Southern Continent.

Lastly for the evening - CONGRATS, DARSHAN!  Granted, I'm a bit late with the well wishes, but better late than never, right?  AMAZING STUFF!

Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print.  Chat tomorrow!

Love,

Sam and (I really, REALLY hope still dry and having a blast - I'm taking her radio silence to mean she's livin' it up...) Jenny

A wander around arguably the most beautiful city in the world - Sydney Part IV...

Family,

And a good evening to you from across the globe after another GREAT DAY in the Lion City.  The Bull hit the gym tonight, logging 45 minutes on the treadmill, which covered 21K.  That, however, is NOTHING in comparison to the likes of the one, the only, the house plant, the donkapotamus himself - Matt Miller, who completed a THIRTY-ONE MILE RUN this weekend in a shade over 5 hours.  I may hate the guy, but I gotta admit - he was more than a CNN doctor this weekend...just sayin'...

T-bone - you should recognize this.  If not, keep reading...

Okay, so it's time to pick back up where we left off with Sydney.  Tuesday was my last day before 3 days in the office, and I needed to pick up my race packet from the expo.  As Dommy was running with Jenny in the Bridge Run and needed to collect her packet as well, we rode in with her.  Given that this race was billed as "the biggest running spectacle in Sydney," I thought the expo would be HUGE.  So imagine my surprise when I rocked up to find the WORST EXPO EVER.  Seriously - it was 1 tent with a few boxes of bibs, you do NOT get a t-shirt (shocking, since the race was almost $100 USD to enter), there are NO stands giving out free stuff, there are no ads for upcoming marathons, there are no guest speakers, and there's nothing set up of any kind to walk through or look at.  I was absolutely in shock - even SINGAPORE does a better expo than this.  The worst part was actually the bib pick-up.  Here was the conversation (NOT JOKING):

Sammy the Bull (StB):  (after picking up his packet) "So just a question about the start..."

Old, Clueless Volunteer Dude (OCVD): (cutting me off) "Ah, you've run this before.  You know all that stuff, right?"

StB:  "No, it's my first time." 

OCVD:  "Really?  Oh, well, it's all in the race guide."

StB:  "Yeah, but if I'm going to the starting line and I live in Manly, what's the best way to get there that time of day?"

OCVD:  "Eh, there's a bunch of ways.  You could go by bus, taxi, ferry, train - you name it."

StB:  "Cool.  So the trains are running that early?"

OCVD:  "Eh? Oh no - trains don't run that early."

StB:  "Oh, okay.  What about the ferries - you're saying I can take a ferry?"

OCVD:  "What?  A ferry?  Oh, I don't think so.  That's too early.  I don't even think they go there."

StB:  (trying not to punch his dingo ass in the face) "Sooooo, really, it's a bus or a taxi I guess.  Are there buses on the main street in Manly?"

OCVD: "Eh, I don't know.  Buses that early...hard to tell.  Not sure if you could get one."

StB:  (biting lip and considering if they deport you for putting morons out of their misery) "Soooooooo....taxi.  Taxi it is."

OCVD:  (NOT JOKING)  "Yep!  A taxi would definitely get you there."

StB:  "Thanks."

The day did get markedly better after that, however, as Jenny and I had a stroll around the city to enjoy it properly.  We started with a stroll through Hyde Park (T-bone, yes - I once again took the Lonely Planet photo - you know you love it...), which I had always remembered as one of the best "Poet's Walks" on earth.  Seriously - the walk from the fountain to the Anzac Memorial is one of the prettiest stretches of real estate anywhere, and the trees swaying in the breeze and shading everyone reading, playing, and drinking their flat whites was just about perfect.  I walked as slow as I could to enjoy every minute - which, it should be noted, is still 4 times faster than people in Singapore walk.  Sorry, couldn't let that one go...

We then reached the Anzac Memorial, which was every bit as somber and impressive as I remembered.  War Memorials, particularly WWI and WWII, bother me quite a bit, leaving me rather silent and typically close to (if not in) tears.  This one was no exception, as it's always tough to reconcile the perfect day filled with the sounds of children playing against the horror and bloodshed of so many, particularly during the Anzac run through Gallipoli.

We then headed up to King's Cross, where we saw the flat Jenny lived in a decade ago when she came to Oz on a Summer Program through UCF and met D & D for the first time (their story about trying to guess which American couple was Mike and Jenny was QUITE hilarious).  We then strolled around Wooloomooloo (yeah, say that 4 times really fast) harbour, stopping for lunch at the Wooloomooloo Hotel.  This place was GREAT, complete with a new microbrew for me - Vale Ale - SO GUUUUUUUUUD...peppy cheekies.  The weather was amazing, the sun shining, the food delish, the scenery spectacular, and all was right with the world.

After that it was into the Botanic Gardens, where we took a stroll past Ms. Macquarie's chair and wandered through the gardens for the better part of an hour before finally ending back up at the Opera House steps for about a basquillion photos.  We also stopped by Opera Bar, where we had a beer and watched the sun set beyond the Harbour Bridge, the light radiating and changing colors against the Opera House.  It was then the ferry back home for dinner and an early night, as Wednesday was a work day for Sammy.  However, given that I'd ALWAYS wanted to say, "Ah, I've gotta go to the Sydney office tomorrow," I didn't really mind too much.  In fact, it was an INCREDIBLE experience, but that'll just have to keep until tomorrow.

And yes, I realize that once again I've gone overboard talking about how great Sydney is.  But I'll say it again - you've just gotta see it:  then you'll be hooked as well.

Ray - just in case the issue is in doubt, let me
say it again:  "YOU CAN'T HIDE SEXY..."

And lastly, as I mentioned in my previous post about the rugby - "REAL MEN DRINK HALF PINTS."  Don't judge - it was hot, and you can't do a pint of the black stuff warm...just sayin'...

Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print.  Chat tomorrow!

Love,

Sam and (hopefully dry and livin' it up in Railay) Jenny

A smashing weekend for the "travel widow"...

Family,

And a good Sunday evening to you from across the globe after another GREAT DAY in the Lion City.  The Bull's had a great weekend despite being a "travel widow" (Sarah - full marks for that one - good line), and he's about to settle in for a night of Skyping, cheese, chips, and movie watching.  On the whole, life is guuuuuuuuuuuudddd. 

Yesterday was a bit of a blur, as I spent a solid 5 hours in 2 bars watching the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals.  I caught the first one at (where else) Boomerang, where I had a GREAT spot at the bar (even a seat) before the TALLEST 6 PEOPLE IN SINGAPORE showed up and stood right in front of me.  It was all fine at the beginning - they'd booked a table for 12 and were casually trickling in.  However, when their EIGHTY-SEVEN CLOSEST MATES joined them, it got a bit crowded.  Emma joined me for the second half, and luckily we both found holes to watch the game through. Owain - how BIG was that game? Wales played AWESOME - I am liking them for the final!

Between matches we rolled over to another bar (Muffin - we hit Hannibal - the "European Bar and Grill" right by our house) and (SHOCKINGLY ENOUGH) found a seat RIGHT BY a television.  Emma and I looked at each other with mild shock, thinking that something was clearly wrong and that there was NO WAY this table wasn't spoken for.  Sure enough, there was a teeny problem the wait staff.  There was no dedicated waiter, which meant that, when you wanted food, you had to hog tackle somebody wearing all black and and apron.  I couldn't find one, so I went to the bar thinking that, since that's where the menus, staff, and register is, they could help me.  Silly Sammy - applying logic to a problem...

I sauntered to the bar and waited for about 10 minutes (amidst a sea of people wearing the Wales flag), at which point the bartender said he couldn't serve me food and sent me to the register.  I then walked over to the register, and after another 10 minutes got to the head of the queue (it was seriously like the last helicopter leaving Saigon), only to have the MANAGER tell me he wouldn't take me food order.  "You must find someone to help you!" he barks at me, to which I of course had a rather snarky comment filled with four letter words (but nothing about his mother, to be fair).  He then points to a server, and I BLITZ this guy.  But all's well that ends well, and soon enough I had a guuuuuuuuuuud burger and some simply DELISH chicken wings (although they had the same flavor as a chicken sandwich from DQ - if I could have just had a Dilly Bar, all would have been right with the world.  And yes, T-rowe - that was for you...).

We watched the rather disastrous England performance and hung out until about 7 PM or so, at which point we called it a night and I made the 3 minute walk back to the condo.  I was SO excited, as I had all this time and a slew of DVD's from Bali to start cracking through.  Last night's selection was "Watchmen," which I'd wanted to see for about 5 years but was SO disappointed in.  That movie was utter DONKEY TRASH - seriously WEAK effort.  Tonight's feature will be "Red," which I've heard good things about.  Fingers crossed.  I sacked out well before midnight, sleeping like a LOG until about 10:30 AM today.

Today was another day filled with Rugby, as I made the walk down the length of Orchard to visit Muddy Murphy's.  This "Irish Pub," apparently assembled in Ireland 15 years ago (to confirm specs) before being dismantled and shipped to Singapore is right beside Orchard Towers (aka "4 floors of whores"), but don't worry - it was a totally normal place.  I met Sarah and Eliza (Muffin - you were missed!) and a few of their other friends for the Oz vs. RSA match, which was a cracking game!  Full marks to the Wallabies, although I do think that the Springboks played better.  Next weekend is gonna be AWESOME, as the Wallabies and the All Blacks go head to head for a spot in the Final - it doesn't get much better than that. 

I had a beer with my "full english breakfast" today, a first for me but no complaints.  That being said, after my first full pint, I switched to half pints of Guinness, which Sarah found absolutely hilarious and made no end of jokes.  She also got a terrific photo which I'll be sharing - I must confess, it was less than manly, but the half pint is REALLY cute and teeny...

Not a whole lot else to report - the weather was AMAZING today - humidity actually at humane levels.  I walked for 40 minutes and barely broke a sweat, which was a shocker.  The way back was even more pleasant.  Dare I say that, had I not wished to be so lazy, I could have run outside BEFORE 7 PM.

Also, in some less than stellar news, after 14 wonderful years on my wrist, the band on my watch has given out.  Luckily it happened at home, so I was able to catch it and put it in a safe place until I can get to a store and have it looked at.  Truth be told, it just needs a new pin in a single link, so I'm hoping someone can fix that pretty quickly around these parts.  The bigger question is what's it gonna cost me...

Miller - it's almost 7 AM, COME ON!  I want to hear the results of the run, man!

Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print.  Chat tomorrow (and yes, I PROMISE I'll write about Sydney)!

Love,

Sam and (no doubt face down in some tom yum soup right about now - funk soul brother...) Jenny

Back to Sydney and around for Part III - A trip to the Hunter Valley...

Family,


And a good Saturday evening to you from across the globe after another GREAT DAY in the Lion City.  The Bull woke up about 9:30 today, but I'm really scoring that as 7 AM, as there was a 2.5 hour window between 3:20 and 5 AM where Sammy was WIDE AWAKE after his alarm went off.  The girls were up at 3:20 and out the door just before 4, and I was left lying there in bed with a mind and body screaming, "Wait, it's the weekend - you ALWAYS do the early flight - why aren't you headin' to the Budget Terminal for your staple of McGriddles and coffee?"  I logged 4 miles on the treadmill at an 8:07 pace, and the run felt easy most of the time.  I will definitely stick between 3-6 miles for the rest of the year, as it a) takes so much less time, b) I really need to built up a much stronger cardio base, and c) it enables me time and energy to cross-train a bit more.  Not that I'm going to be "clipping in" anytime soon, but I do enjoy biking - simply because I can continue reading "Noble House" whilst working out.

So, when we last left you Down Under, the Bull and Striker had roamed the city throughout Saturday, walking around Darling Harbour, by the Opera House, and some of the other haunts.  In this post, however, we're going on a road trip - out to the Hunter Valley!

So a little back story here - the Hunter is the wine region closest to Sydney, about a 2 hour drive away.  I loved it, as the countryside once you leave the city is not only GORGEOUS, but it honestly reminded me of East Tennessee (Rice - it goes back to the point you made so long ago...) in many aspects - rolling hills, fields of green, cows and barns scattered throughout - lots of similarities.  What was NOT similar, however, were roadsigns that said KANGAROO CROSSING NEXT 15 KILOMETERS.  Seriously - you always see it in pictures, but that sign really is everywhere.  Unfortunately the only 'roo we saw on the drive up was a dead one (HUGE) on the side of the road, but I'm happy to report we fared better the next day.

The boys drove up in one car, with the girls following in the other.  We reached the Crown Plaza (part of the hotel chain that Dean works for) in the afternoon and checked into our Villa, which was EXTRA AWESOME.  Seriously - this place was GREAT - a huge place with 3 bedrooms, a massive kitchen, and a bathroom you could play baseball in.  However, the lodging was not the featured attraction - it was time to hit some wineries!!!!  And so we rolled out for the day, hitting 2 wineries and procuring 3 bottles between the four of us.  I wasn't a big fan of the first place (Bartolo), but Dommy LOVED their sparkling wine (neon pink in color).  The second place(Huntington Hill), however, was EXCELLENT, and we sampled some GREAT stuff - most notably some simply fantastic Shiraz bottles (Shiraz and Vardelho are two popular grapes there, but Shiraz is more common in Victoria - "groovy grape" land.  The featured grape of the Hunter is semillion, which we didn't try until Monday - SOOOOOO GUUUUUUUD...peppy cheekies...) including "Heavy Metal Shiraz" - normally not available for sampling. 

We rolled to a third winery that was closed for the day, but their cheese shop was still open!!!  Sammy was in HEAVEN - I bought 4 kinds of cheese (for ~$40 - worth every penny), and they served as a DELISH appetizer for us prior to our FANTASTIC dinner.  The girls hit the grocery store to procure the goods, whilst Dean and I showed them how Fathers (and Fathers to be, knock on wood) roll when it comes to feeding the kids, getting their baths, and putting them in their pj's.  I was on food duty, and I was bloody LEGEND when it came to scooping up that fruit with the spoon - Sammy V, beware - you will be powerless against my airplane-spoon game.

The girls in action, with Dommy showing that yes, mothers
really can do ANYTHING with one hand...

When the girls returned, Jenny had a surprise that I was thrilled about - KANGAROO MEAT!!!  Now for those of you rolling your eyes, DON'T HATE - it's 99% lean and WICKED tasty.  However, as Dean and Dom are vegetarians, we had to cook in separate pots.  I think Dean was more broken up about the fact that his guests were "eating the national symbol," and he had some GREAT lines about us "flesh eaters salivating every time we saw the kangaroo sign on the roads" over the next couple of days. :-)  All joking aside, the meal was GREAT, complete with chili-filled cheese, bleu cheese, GREAT Aussie cheddar, and of course the featured dish - Mexican!  That's right - you haven't liven until you've had tacos stuffed with kangaroo meat - for us it was the culmination of culinary fusion.  Sooooooooo guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuud....

We spent the night catching up and polishing off a few bottles of wine before sacking out around 10:30-11.  Yes, it was an early night, but again Sammy the Bull learned about his potential future when, at 6:30 AM, there were two beautiful but wide awake children running around.  However, once again D & D sacrificed and kept them in their room until about 8:30, when we finally stirred. 



We like to call this the Jones "J Crew" Christmas Cover...

We rolled out about 11:30, hitting a pair of other wineries before rolling over to a pub for a GREAT lunch.  Also, they had Bluetongue, a local beer in the Hunter that I'd never heard of.  And so Team Taylor and Team Aussie had a DELISH lunch with a spectacular view looking out at the mountains surrounding the area.  And the best part?  There was a MOON BOUNCE! :-)  Seriously - Charlotte was a kid in a candy store, bouncing around like a Jack Russell Terrier in there - it was SO CUTE.  Games for the kids, booze for the adults, someone else driving on a perfect day - it pretty much was the greatest thing EVER.

We then rolled back to Sydney, passing a field of kangaroo on the way home!!!  That was just AWESOME, as I'd never seen them in the wild before.  It was a terrific end to a brief but fantastic getaway, and I was all smiles as we rolled back into Manly, feeling at peace with the world and thrilled about the fact that I had still one more day off before going back into the office.  We'll talk about that last day tomorrow - stay tuned. :-)

Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print.  Chat tomorrow!

Love,







Sam and (most likely on a beach with a Chang in hand) Jenny

Welcome to Singapore Cuz Megan & Elizabeth!

Family,
And a good evening to you from across the globe after another GREAT DAY in the Lion City.  IT'S THE WEEKEND!!!!  But since the Bull's still fighting a cold and sounds like the fog horn used when the Golden Gate Bridge is socked in, I'm gonna lay off the sauce for tonight. 

So first off, apologies for no blog last night.  Terrier - I told the striker that her "publish rate" was NOT meeting expectations and then threatened to put her on a C-Web metrics tracking plan to ensure adequate progress was being made.  That being said, she's officially got family in town and leaves for Thailand in 10 hours, so I can't fault her too much.

The last 2 days have felt like an absolute time warp, all of it starting at 10:35 PM Wednesday night when Jenny said, "Well, I'm off to the airport."  Muffin was making the journey to Changi to pick up Elizabeth, a friend of her cousin Megan whom I'd never met (and she'd only met once).  I tried to sleep whilst Jenny was away, but between a busy week, fighting the cold, and the sudden absence of Muffin Puffin, it just didn't happen.  And so, when they arrived back at 12:40 AM, I was up to greet them!  Jenny then slept in the spare for the better part of 2 hours before waking back up about 3:30 just in time for the arrival of CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUZ!!!!!  The house got quiet about 4 AM, at which point everyone was EXHAUSTED. 

Now here's the fun part of the blog.  Jenny posted pictures earlier with the intention of writing about the girls activities.  I got bits and pieces of the story, and I think that the day was essentially Clarke Quay to the Flyer, followed by the Marina Bay Sands and then (my fave) the Merlion, but since she's not here to defend herself (busy packing), let's see if I can put appropriate captions for each photo...

Actually, WAIT - I don't want a caption on this - I need to
ask a question - WHY THE HELL IS JENNY THE ONE
IN LEIDERHOSEN?  Is that a bratwurst in her pocket or...
no, I can't do it - too disgusting...

The girls breaking out the "gorilla" for the first time - after all:
ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES.  They are holding up well,
considering it's about 14 Basquillion degrees...

Jenny makes some derogatory comment about the Merlion and
how Sam's obsessed with it.  She then follows this up with a
description of the "Merlion Hotel" and how it was almost as
random as something you'd see by Wu Wee Wee or Wee Wu Wu...

The girls sneak to the top of Ku de Ta at the Marina Bay Sands
on the premise that "we're going to have a drink" - well played,
ladies!  All the view, none of the expense!

Food court at the Flier (Hawker stall, obviously), at which point
Megan looks over at Jenny and says, "I really don't like Asian food -
is there a Subway?"

I got home about 6 PM, at which point the cooking for dinner had already commenced.  Clearly handy in the kitchen and ready to make some magic happen, Elizabeth asks me, "Where are your pots?"  Of course, since I've only cooked TWICE IN 10 MONTHS, I have no idea.  However, the 5th cabinet I open strikes gold.  She then asks, "And bowls?  Anything to keep the veggies in?"  Again, I'm STUMPED, but finally I find the ONE BOWL in the condo (behind all the stolen pint glasses, for the record).  Luckily she didn't ask for anything else, as I'd officially expended all my knowledge.  The girls then whipped up some GREAT pasta for us, which went down nicely with a bottle of Shiraz-Malbec and some hummous (don't knock it - it's all Mediterrenean...).  Later in the evening, I did have the distinct pleasure of introducing Elizabeth to Amarula (Grimshaw, aren't you SO proud? I gave 'em the story and everything!), and soon thereafter the bottle was no more (to be fair, I'd already killed most of it :-)).  We then had a HILARIOUS evening of story telling, and all I'll say is the phrase "newt and bat wing" might very well be the BEST line I've heard in months - Full Marks to Sister Hauzer.  

Today was a good one as well, as the girls went to Little India and Chinatown, whilst the Bull went to the mafia joint in Vivo with his old team for lunch.  Nancy was allowed to order one "new dish" for Sammy's tastebuds, and she thought that she'd get the last laugh.  However, when it came out, I grabbed the chopsticks, picked up a piece of what could only be described as basted, sauteed rubber, and said:  "This is OX STOMACH."  I then popped one in to show how tough a man I was, only to realize that it was JUST AS BAD AS THE LAST TIME I HAD IT.  Holy @#$% that stuff is AWFUL.  However, the wasabi and salted egg shrimps were AMAZING!  Well done, Adeline - I am impressed.  The best line of lunch?  When Jasmine (from Korea) is talking about eating live octopus and how the tentacles cling to your teeth and tongue as it tries to claw its way back up after you swallow.  And when we suggested, "Couldn't you just stab it first?", she replied, "No, it's not as tasty if it's not moving around and fighting."  WOW.  She's sweet and innocent folks, but watch out - that girl might be dangerous...

All was not lost in the food department, however, as I had a GREAT (if unlikely) dessert - Durian mochi!  That's right, sports fans - the stuff that almost had Jenny hurling in the streets in Bali was even tastier when stuffed into a gelatinous ball of flavorless rice.  Seriously, it's a lot better than it tastes.  Actually, truth be told - the photo of me eating the Durian mochi (I had 2, for the record) might be one of my favories from my time here, as I look like I've just been shot out of a cannon and forcefed tacks, which to be fair is how I feel on occasion after getting knocked around in the metro.

Make NO mistake about it - if this blog gets published,
then THIS is the cover - PRICELESS...

I got home about 6 PM, at which point we watched a CRAZY electrical storm before I wandered back into the fray to pick up pizza from Boomerang.  You'll notice that theme a lot this weekend, as I'll be there both Saturday and Sunday for the Rugby World Cup Quarter finals. 

Owain - Cymra am Byth!!!!

Aussies - GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Wallabies!!!!  (Sorry Lynda and Martin...)

Miller - Good luck this weekend, dude.  Seriously - be careful, run strong, and in the immortal words of John "The Penguin" Bingham:  "Start slow and taper off."  Oh, and you are a MEGA NTAC Nozzle...

Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print.  The Bull is riding solo for the next 6 days, so he's gonna get Sydney cranked out, beginning with our Sunday and Monday adventures Down Under!  Chat tomorrow!

Love,

Sam and (Thailand bound...again...) Jenny

Sydney Part 2

Hello Family and Friends -

It's time to catch-up on Sydney!  So Sat we had a leisurely morning (correction, the Taylors did, not the Jones.)  I could hear the kids waking up about 6:30am but just rolled over and went back to sleep.  Sorry D&D!  :)

About 9:30ish we rolled out of bed to some coffee and muesli.  Dommy was out for a run and Sam decided to go running as well.  I did not, however, and enjoyed being lazy, catching up with Dean and playing with Charlotte and Jacob.  Having kids around made us realize just how long it actually takes to get ready and out of the house each day.  All of our friends with kids tell us the same, but until you witness it, you really have no idea! 

So we left early afternoon and headed down to Manly Wharf with the intention of all of us heading into the city.  The weather wasn't the greatest and the seas were really rough.  Charlotte had fallen asleep by this point, and Dean had a charity event that evening and only had a few hours free, so Dommy decided it made more sense not to go.    :(  So Sam, Dean and I took the 30 minute ferry ride into the city.  It was a rough/cold ride, but Sam and I were determined to brave the weather and sit outside the whole time.  We had to on our 1st journey into the city right?

We split up with Dean and then walked around the Rocks, eventually ending up in Darling Harbour.  I recognized quite a bit from my time here in 2002, but everything looked shinier and newer then I remembered.  I think they had built quite a bit since then.  We walked the length of the entire harbour and then found a pub where we caught a bit of the rugby world cup.  We then found some great burgers for dinner, before heading back on the ferry to Manly.


All in all it was a great day!  We got to spend time with Dean & Dom and the kids, and also got to see the gorgeous views of Sydney coming and going on the ferry.  The weather was a bit colder than we expected, but made for some great photos with all the cloud-cover.

Stay tuned for more Sydney adventures...

Love,
Jenny and (hard at work again) Sam

Welcome to Subway! Where we HATE YOU...

Family,

And a good evening to you from across the globe after another GREAT DAY in the Lion City.  So first off, the Bull is happy to report that he got (at least somewhat) back on form in the running aspect last night, logging 20:20 for a 5K (yes, Dinger - ain't no summer vacation gonna save you from the Hurricane...).  That's under 6:40 a mile, and I'm really pleased with that.  It was the first time that running has felt good and truly been fun in over a month, and it felt LOADS better than the Sydney run.  I'm pretty much gonna stick to 5K's and 5 milers for the rest of my time - in between long sessions of beer and chicken wings, of course...

So I realize that we are behind on Sydney, and I promise we'll get to it.  Jenny's going to give you another installment tomorrow, and then I'll take over again starting on Saturday or Sunday (once Muffin Puffin abandons me again).  However, I simply had to relate a CLASSIC moment that happened to me today.  I'll let all of you be the judge - have I become "that expat," or would you too have reacted this way.

So I'm in line at Subway (of course - after all, it is a Tuesday), which is HEAVING because of a new coupo'n deal.  It should be noted that Sing Sing LOVES it's 80's music, but today achieved a new low when Ghostbusters" came on after "Material Girl."  That really should have been a first sign indicator.  Anyhoo,I order my usual:  "Footlong tuna on parmesan o-ray-gone-OOOO - cheese and toast, lah."  As you've all seen and can appreciate, the sub then moves through a very sophisticated assembly line involving 1 chick cutting the bread, another scooping the tuna, another applying the cheese, and then a fourth throwing the sandwich into the oven for 2.5 seconds.  So far, all was humming along.  But THEN - I got to the homeboy with the veggies.

I ask for cucumbers, at which point the guy grabs about 3 tons of lettuce.  I cut him off with a rather polite, "Wait!  No lettuce, please.  Just cucumber," and he looks at me with true "I hate you" contempt.  He throws the lettuce back into the tray (such a powerful expression of his hatred of the man - I think he should protest on Wall Street) and then proceeds to give me the rest of my veggies.  When he asks which sauce, I say mustard, at which point he grabs something that LOOKS like mustard on the outside and proceeds to dump a BUCKET of something creamy onto my sandwich.  I ask him what that is and he says, "Honey Mustard."  (Let's pause here for a second, shall we?  Who the @#$& orders HONEY MUSTARD with tuna?  PLEASE tell me if you know someone, because I would LOVE to meet that person).  I then say, "I asked for mustard, sorry," and what does homeboy do?  Roll his eyes, grab the regular mustard, and dump about a GALLON of it on top of the tuna.  He then closes the sandwich and passes it onto the gal at the counter, who has no idea what's just happened and can't tell by the "I can't wait to burn all of your houses down" look on my face.  She rings up the meal and I say, "No - that guy needs to make me a new sandwich.  This is NOT what I asked for."  You could have heard a pin drop in that place.

NO ONE knows how to handle this situation.  They can't just charge me for it because I don't want to pay.  They can't start over because I'm no longer in line.  And they can't let the next guy through because they've already rung up my sale but can't take the money until I take the sandwich.  It is a standoff more epic than the battle for Helms Deep.  And how to we break the stalemate?  Throw all the veggies off my sandwich, add a few new ones, and put on FOUR GALLONS of mustard.  The guy was ready to stab me.  It.  Was.  AWESOME. 

Truth be told, I do feel I'm losing my humanity in leaps and bounds at this point.  I can no longer tolerate people cutting me off to get onto the subway before me.  I used to just let things like this roll off me, but the fact that it's SO DELIBERATE and happens in almost EVERYTHING YOU DO has just rocked me off-kilter.  You see, over here there is a section where you stand to allow people on the train to exit first.  I pride myself on getting right at (but NEVER over) the line, and I wait for folks to pass through.  Periodically you have a 700 year old man or woman who just goes right into the middle, gets run over by EVERYONE exiting the train, and then walks on - I'm fine with those folks.  This is technology they never dreamed would exist, and I can accept that they might not really understand the concept of things like electric doors, orderly lines, etc.  However, the dude that puts an elbow into you to move in front of you just before the door opens and MOVES you out of the way?  Yeah, I can't really abide that.  And so I've started knocking a lot of people around lately (only after they start it).  Yesterday a 60 year old lady in a full sari tried to push past me.  Yeah, she got body-checked.  Mom - I promise you I'm still an okay guy.  I was fine in Australia, as things flowed on a very even keel.  I've just hit a breaking point that won't be fixed until I'm once again staring at chicken casserole, strawberry salad, and you spaghetti.  And speaking of home cookin'...

Tonight Muffin and I met up with Nancy and John for dinner at Smokey's BBQ.  This place was AMAZING - run by an American cat with a smoker in the back, they had brisket, pulled pork, and ribs that just fell OFF THE BONE.  Seriously - this place had proper food, and the price was right.  And best of all, they even had Archipelago Brewing!  I tried the new "smoked IPA," which was good - but only for a half pint.  Luckily it's cooler right now (owing to some MASSIVE storms that have been sweeping through - probably remnants of the typhoon), and so you can get a darker beer down - no way I could have killed that puppy in May or June.

And last but CERTAINLY not least - CONGRATS TO THE RICE CLAN ON THE NEW ADDITION!!!!!!  CAN'T WAIT TO MEET BABY JACK!!!!!  WE LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!!

Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print.  Chat tomorrow!

Love,

(Potentially heartless) Sam and (still wonderful, compassionate, and HOT) Jenny