On Wednesday, Australia celebrated AUSTRALIA DAY! 
Australia Day is very much like Canada Day. Everyone gets together with their friends and family. They have BBQ’s; go to the beach, and have a few drinks! I spent my Australia in Brisbane with my new roommate and some of his friends. It was a fun filled day with LOTS of food, and drinks. We played some cricket, and lawn bowled. From all my years of playing softball, I was quite the natural with cricket, except I hit it over the fence more than once, and sort of ruined the game for everyone.
The night before, I went to my first Cricket game. It was Queensland vs. South Australia. It was a fun experience to be apart of, but I can't say I will be willing to go to another game anytime soon. I didn't really know what was going on as I am not familiar with the game, and I got quite bored. 
Thankfully the beer and the burgers were tasty enough to keep me entertained for 4 hours. After the Cricket game we met up with my friend Sarah from home.
The next few days I spent with Sarah in Brisbane. The floods have cleared from downtown Brisbane, but you can still tell that there was some sort of disaster there, as some parts have lots of branches and garbage and most places by the river are still extremely muddy, and the smell is horrible.
The people of the city however, seemed to continue to go about their day. If you were to arrive in Brisbane without the knowledge of the flood you would have no idea that anything ever happened, as the people of the city seemed completely back to normal, and continued on with life on a happy and positive note instead of moping around in their cities tragedy. It was nice to see a city so upbeat and positive.
We walked around the city all day. Brisbane is such a beautiful city. I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it, and I encourage anyone who is in Australia to definiately check Brisbane out! Don't be afraid of the floods from whatever the media is telling you! I promise it is now completely safe, and beautiful.
Later that night we made an amazing dinner...
We made Kangaroo! It wasn't completely cooked properly, but next time we cook it, we will be pros!
It was still very yummy!
We then went out to see a comedy show which was filled with funny Australians, and a headliner who was American. It is great to be able to hang out with a friend from home.
Sarah will be moving to Surfer's Paradise this week so I will now constantly have an amazing friend to hang out with, and keep me company from being too home sick.
I have been working at Domani's for just about 2 weeks now, and so far I have learned so much as a bartender. There are many different things that I have found to be quite different and interesting and I thought I would share them with you.
Random Facts:
-People call "Sprite" lemonade. When questioned about this, they say that "Sprite" is just a Coke's brand name and that really, it is called lemonade. I have never heard this before, and this could get quite confusing as in North America, lemonade is lemon juice mixed with sugar.
- a "shot" is called a nip
- half pints are called "pots" and full pints are called "schooners"
- a popular drink to get is called "lemon, lime and bitters" or "LLB", which is simply lemonade (aka sprite), lime juice, and this stuff called "bitters"
- "Fosters" is NOT Australia's famous beer. People actually HATE that people around the world associate Foster's as their national beer of choice, as they actually do not consider it a favourite at all. Since I have been around to many bars and restaurants in Oz, I have YET to see Fosters on a tap ANYWHERE! Canada, we are being FOOLED!!! Some of their favourite beers include, VB (Victoria Bitter), Tooheys, Carlton Draught, Pure Blonde, XXXX Gold, and Crown Lager just to name a few. Also the typical imports like Heineken, Stella and Corona are also popular choices., unfortunately no Canadian beer.
- Beer bottles are called stubbies
- They also have Redbull, but they have their own variations of Redbull such as "V" and "Mother". Some bars even have "Mother" taps so it is easy to make "Vodka Mothers" without using cans. How amazing would it be to have Redbull taps?
That is all of the random facts I have for now...I will keep my eyes and ears open for new ones to add!
On Wednesday I finally was able to move out of the hostel and into my new apartment!!!
I am so excited to be taking a break from hostels for a while, and be able to unpack my things, and have my own space and privacy. I am however sharing with a roommate, but I am lucky that he is a laid back and easygoing guy, and so far he is easy to live with.
I am located in a Suburb in the Gold Coast called Main Beach. Main Beach is about a 15-minute walk down the beach into Surfer's Paradise. Main Beach is a typical place where people come to stay on their holidays, so there are lots of families, and couples around who are on vacation. My place is just a long 3-minute walk to Domani's, the restaurant that I am working at. The restaurant frequents these vacationers and wealthy locals. It is a cute little resort town, and very laid back and relaxing. It sort of reminds me of place like Niagara on the Lake, filled with little boutiques, fancy restaurants and cafes.
Let me show you a tour!
This is my room.
My living room.
My bathroom.
My kitchen.
My dining area.
My breathtaking view from my balcony.
Yes…I can see the ocean!
This little pathway takes you right onto the beach!
So far, I think the balcony is my favourite place to be. It is perfect for sitting outside in the morning eating breakfast, it is perfect for wasting lazy afternoons reading, and it is the best spot to have a few drinks in the evening.
Who wants to be my first guest?
I have been in Surfer’s Paradise for just over a week now, and I love it. Surfer’s Paradise is an extremely touristy place, as it is one of the most popular places for Ozzie’s to come and vacation. It is filled with restaurants, cafes, expensive stores and beautiful beaches. A lot of people call Surfer’s Paradise, Australia’s Miami.
I have decided that Surfer’s Paradise looks like a place I would like to stay and live and work for a while. I started to look for apartments, and was lucky enough to find a beautiful one in a suburb called Main Beach, which is about a 15 minute walk down the beach from downtown Surfer’s. I will be moving into my new place, which is shared with a male roommate next Friday! Stay tuned for pictures!
I have also started my job hunt. I decided this time that I wanted to take a chance on the hospitality industry. In order to work in a restaurant or in a bar, you must receive an RSA, (Responsible Service of Alcohol Certificate), much like our SmartServe in Canada. In order to receive my certificate, I had to do an online course, which took about 2 hours, and then complete an online test. The course was fairly easy and pretty straight forward, and I passed! I then started out on the job hunt! Near my new apartment, there is a street that has at least 10 different upscale restaurants and cafes, and is only a 5-minute walk from where I will be staying, so I decided to try here first. Within the first day of handing out my resume, I got a call to have a “trail” at a café. In Australia, most jobs have “trails” where you come in and work for a day, without getting paid, so they can see you in action, and see if you are worth hiring. At 9 am the next day, I went in for my café trail. The trail was fairly successful, and the manager said he would like to see me the next day to train me how to make espressos and different sort of coffees, since I have never been trained on an espresso machine before. Later on that day, I got a call from a restaurant asking for me to come in that night for a trail from 5-midnight for a serving position. So at 5 o’clock, I walked into the restaurant ready to start work. I talked to the manger, and he informed that they did not call anyone in, and that I had the wrong restaurant! He mentioned that if things didn’t go well at the restaurant I was suppose to be at, that I should come back and he could possibly give me some work. So I apologized, thanked him, and walked out to the actual restaurant I was supposed to be at. As soon as I stepped out onto the street, the manager from the restaurant I had mistaken, came running out at me and said, “Wait, come back inside, we would like to talk to you.” So I went back inside, and he questioned me on what the other restaurant had offered me for the night. I explained that I was there for a trail from 5-12 and that it was for a serving position. He bargained with me, and offered that if I stayed and worked for them for the night, not only would they actually pay me for my work, but they would consider hiring me, as they were also looking for someone full-time. I took the instance as a sign of fate that I had walked into the wrong place, and decided to stay and work for them for the night. My job was to cocktail, and work the crowd, as the entire street of restaurants were hosting a charity event to raise money for the victims of the Queensland floodings. I ended up having such an amazing night, and really enjoyed the staff, and the atmosphere of the restaurant. At the end of the night, the manager said that he was extremely impressed with my performance of the night, as I was just thrown into an extremely busy floor, and was able to handle it with confidence. He called me his “angel from above” as I walked in at the right moment, when they needed someone the most. He then offered that I could take the position if I wanted, and that I could come in the following day for actual training. This was such an amazing thing to happen, and I feel so lucky that I was able to get such a great job, at a fantastic restaurant so quickly.
I am now proud to say that I am a bartender at Domani’s Italian Restaurant in Main Beach. The restaurant serves Italian, and Ausralian style food. Which is a lot of different pastas, and seafood. I have never been a bartender before, but I am really enjoying it so far. A lot of things are different here in Australia, as they called pint’s Schooner’s, and 14oz glasses pots. A lot of the lingo is quite different, and the drinks are completely different too. Thankfully the most common drinks are draughts and rum and cokes. But I am excited to learn new Australian cocktails and spirits, and hopefully bring back some new material to Canada! The only thing I am struggling with at the moment is trying to get the right drink when people order. Some of their accents are so strong, that I must ask them numerous times to repeat what they order. This however is always quite humourous, and never that big of a deal. Most are just fascinated that I am from Canada, and sometimes even quite relieved that I am not American…(no offense to those who are American). So far I am really happy with this job, and am enjoying meeting a lot of the locals, and making new friends with my new co-workers.
As I am sure most of you are already aware from seeing the news, but for the past few months, Queensland has been suffering from crazy amounts of rainfall, which has result in massive flooding in Queensland’s Capital and largest city Brisbane. Many people have lost their lives, and lost their homes. It is a terrible natural disaster that has affected the state of Queensland. Thankfully, I was not apart of these floods, but it did hit a little too close to home, as it is only 45 minutes away from where I am right now. For the past 4 days, it has been nothing but beautiful sunny weather, but when I had arrived, it was pouring for about 5 days straight. The rain here is so different from anything I have ever witnessed in my life. When it rains…it literally pours. I have never heard rainfall so hard, with so much at one time that at some points you can’t even see what is it front of you as it acts like a blinding sheet. I have never been so close to a natural disaster before, and it is eye opening seeing the devastation first hand, as many grocery stores have no produce or breads on their shelves, and many fast food places have limited choices on their menus as most of their suppliers were from Brisbane. Hopefully in the next few weeks’ things will clear up, and start to heal for those who were affected in Queensland.
If you are interested in checking out the restaurant that I will be working at, here is a link to their website: www.domanisrestaurant.com.au
On Thursday, January 6th, my Vavo passed away at the age of 84. She was such a wonderful lady, so full of love and so full of happiness. I was devastated that I could not be at home surrounded by my family, and that I could not be there for them, but I was able to be strong and deal with this difficult time.
My Vavo was such a selfless person, and always was more concerned about others, rather than pleasing herself. She was the most amazing mother, who moved from Portugal to Canada, and raised four kids on her own. She is such an inspirational woman, and was able to successfully make it on her own, and produce such a loving tight knit family.
Vavo was the center of our family, and we all adored her. She will continue to be in our hearts. We will continue to live through her generous and caring actions, and will continue to be the strong and loving family that she created.
I will forever miss my darling Vavo, and will never forget her smile, her contagious laugh and her warm presence. She will always be in my thoughts, and she will continue to be one of the most amazing ladies I have ever known.
Rest in Peace ♥
Byron Bay is a small little beach town with a lot of heart, and a lot of spirit. Everyone is so laid back, and chilled out. It is the perfect stereotype for the “surfer lifestyle”. Everyone around town walks around in bathing suits, with surfboards, and bare feet. Even in the supermarkets people were in bare feet. I actually started to feel a little out of place, as I noticed I was one of the few who actually had “thongs” (flip-flops) on.
Byron Bay’s beach was beautiful and the water was so perfect. I stayed at a place called “The Arts Factory Lodge”, where their motto is to “Relax, Rejuvenate, and Recycle”. This hostel was very different from any of the hostels that I have stayed at as most of it is set outside on 5 aches of land, and it is extremely laid back, peaceful and full of hippies! At the Arts Factory, there is always something going on. They have bongo lessons, didgeridoo making, special spiritual massages, and themes for every night. The first night I was there they had a talent show where people were able to sing, and perform. Some people were extremely talented; some were just there for a joke. The second night, they had a trivia contest where they had half knowledge about Australia, and half universal knowledge.
I was lucky enough to room with some amazing people from the UK, Italy and Melbourne. We all quickly became a tight knit group, and had a blast playing all-nighter card games, and heading out on the town.
Everyday the Arts Factory also has a “bush tucker walk” where a guy named Cockatoo Paul takes everyone around the property and tells you about certain plants, and what you can do with each one in a survival situation. There are some trees that have fruit you can eat, water you can drink, bark you can use as toilet paper, bark you can use for rope, and some you can even use for smoking paraphernalia. 
Paul was one crazy but hilarious guide, as he has this bird he carried on his shoulder, and he uses the most absurd examples, and swears a lot. He was a riot!
The Arts Factory also has a pool, a spa, a tennis court, hammocks throughout their property, a recording studio, a movie theatre, a bar, and a spa. It was a backpacker’s paradise!
One of the days in Byron Bay, I went to the Hippie Capital of Australia, a tiny town called Nimbin. In the 60s, many hippies resided in Nimbin, and never left.
This town is full of hippies, and good energy.
The Nimbin Museum showcases the hippie lifestyle, and is a really cool place to see many news articles, and videos. The museum is filled with many poems, songs, articles of clothing, paintings, and other bits of their history and lifestyle.
Everyone seemed very peaceful, and relaxed. It was a pretty far out experience.
Byron Bay had a bar called Cheeky Monkey’s where instead of having a dance floor, they have benches and tables where everyone dances. It is the funniest thing I have ever seen, but really fun. It wasn’t the safest thing for people to do, as many people would keep falling through the cracks of the tables and benches. But it was so different from any place that I have been, that it was quite entertaining to be apart of.
Friday morning, I then headed to Surfer’s Paradise where I am planning on staying for a few months to work and live.
Thankfully the beer and the burgers were tasty enough to keep me entertained for 4 hours. After the Cricket game we met up with my friend Sarah from home. 
The people of the city however, seemed to continue to go about their day. If you were to arrive in Brisbane without the knowledge of the flood you would have no idea that anything ever happened, as the people of the city seemed completely back to normal, and continued on with life on a happy and positive note instead of moping around in their cities tragedy. It was nice to see a city so upbeat and positive. 
Later that night we made an amazing dinner...
We made Kangaroo! It wasn't completely cooked properly, but next time we cook it, we will be pros! 
It was still very yummy!
We then went out to see a comedy show which was filled with funny Australians, and a headliner who was American. It is great to be able to hang out with a friend from home.
Sarah will be moving to Surfer's Paradise this week so I will now constantly have an amazing friend to hang out with, and keep me company from being too home sick. 
