Election Frustration/Rant

Most of you will know that I am a pretty private person especially when it comes to political views. I'm very much a person who can sympathise with how certain points of view may be more appealing to certain people and think it's their prerogative to think what they want. So you can imagine my growing frustration with people here constantly having their own opinion about what the US should do and asking me (and sometimes interrogating me) as to what I think.

Now I have become very good at pretending like I don't hear what they say, but a classic example was last night at work when my boss was talking with a customer about how Americans would be completely stupid if they didn't vote a certain way... now you can then imagine my disgust when they proceeded to interrogate me about who I am going to vote for. Frankly it's none of his damn business!

Being abroad during the last two elections has given me an appreciation and almost sickening understanding of how closely this is watched and commented on by other nations. This one seems to be much worse than the last one. Given the current environment and the continuing impact we have on each other I can understand why so much attention is given to our election. What I don't like or understand is how people how have never lived (let alone visited) the US can so easily form opinions about our government and country based on what they hear on Fox News. Personally I think it's ignorant and just plain stupid - as I would be to pass judgment on Australians for the way they vote and the way their government acts.

This frustration has been growing and will probably continue till after the election is over, because then the questions will simply turn from who I am going to vote for to what I think about who has been elected. Maybe this will teach me to be abroad during presidential elections... I will not get off my soap box.

Pictures from Camping - As promised

Now I must warn you that I am looking damn sexy in these pictures, so please do not get any thoughts or dreams of you knowing a world famous super model someday... it won't happen. :)

Still excited about bush walking (I'm on the far left)

Four hours into it and surprisingly still smiling

S'more Time!!

Nothing will stand between me and my s'more!!

Packing up camp

Wombats, Spiders, and Ticks... Oh My!!

Forewarning: I know everyone wants to see pictures of me - I will post more pictures once I get pictures from other people, as it's hard to take pictures of me when hiking...

This last weekend I went camping for my Leadership Concepts and Skills class and surprisingly enjoyed the entire thing. I had to brush off the long lost skills - like putting together and taking down tents, peeing in the bush... drunk, and other vital things - but came out with a very pleasant experience.

The trip started on Saturday when we left school at 7AM for our camp site. We camped in an area called Kangaroo Valley which is south of Sydney by about 2 hours. So we arrived at the camp site just after 9AM and then we got to it. After having to haul all our gear (tents, chairs, food, and everything else) up to the site we set up camp. Once we had lunch and everything was set up we broke into teams to begin the fun....


Our first task was to all learn to read a map and use a compass. Seeing as how this was the first time camping for some people there was a bit of a learning curve with the compasses and maps. Once we had mastered those skills we set off for an afternoon of orienteering. Orienteering is when there are markers placed in random/strategic places throughout the bush and you have to navigate yourself from one point to another. Now this sound pretty straight forward and is when you are thinking of most of the forested areas we have in the states... but bring that to the Australian bush and it's a whole new game. There were times when we literally could not see more than five feet in front of us because the brush was so thick. Add to this the fact that it's spring so there are snakes and ticks and the picture gets even better.....


My team did really well and was able to do some major orienteering (over 6Ks of tracking) and finally made it back to camp exhausted and hungry at 7:30PM. The night proceeded with some massive steaks, drinks, and S'MORES!!! Now as you know from previous posts there was a bit of searching that had to be done to find graham crackers, but I managed. So I was able to show some people s'mores and give them a taste of true American camping. Needless to say they loved it!!


Sunday was more task oriented (aka less walking more thinking) and ended with a gorgeous canoe ride. Over both days we lucked out on weather - it was sunny with a few clouds so not too hot - especially considering it rained all last week. After two days of activity, no showers, peeing outside, and dealing with all sorts of animals we ended the day with seeing lots of kangaroos and wombats on the bus ride home. Considering what we learned and experienced I would say this class has been worth the tuition payment. :)

Christmas in September?!?

OK so we all know how outraged people in the states get when stores put out Christmas items before Thanksgiving.... here they have been out for at least the last 3 weeks. I'm not talking minor displays ducked back in a random isle - full on displays at the end of the isle. There are even stockings and other things usually left for the last minute shopping people usually do. Apparently they like to do their last minute shopping early here.

Will try to take some pictures and post them - hopefully that won't break security proticals.

Bringing Smores to Australia

Next weekend we are going camping for my leadership camp and I must say the thing I'm most excited about is smores!! I've found all the equivalent ingredients here in Australia. Which for those of you in the states sounds like it would not be a problem. However they don't have or know what graham crackers are... I've found out that the equivalent is something called a digestive cookie. Now I'm sure you're having the same reaction that I had - YUK! But am willing to give it a go and see what happens as there isn't really any other option.

I'm doing a test run this week just to see how good they are so we'll see. Eitherway I will report back on the success and the weekend away.

Australian Spanish

So with working at a Tex-Mex restaurant I have developed a surprising skill that I wouldn't have imagined - that is to understand Australian "Spanish". Before I elaborate let me just highlight the fact that Mexican food is not big here, so I often have people coming in who have no clue what the food is on the menu.

Now with that said, I have heard some really odd pronunciations of standard Mexican names. Here are some spelled out versions of what I've heard...

For fajitas (normally pronounced fa-hee-tas), I get...
fa-gee-tas
fa-gi-tas

For quittos (normally pronounced kee-tos), I get..
quit-os
qoo-tos

The pronunciations are compounded by weird rhythms and speech patters... luckily people usually respond well to my repeating the correct pronunciation, but there are definitely some Napoleon Dynamite moments. :)

Cutest Nieces EVER

OK so I know everybody does this when new kids enter the family, but my new nieces are the cutest!! They are already showing the true McClelland fight and have been going through the roller coaster that most premature babies go through. Kirsten is doing well and Mary might actually get to go home soon! :) Lila is still working on eating a bit more before she can go home. My brother tells me they are already looking different, one having dark hair and the other with light. Will post more as we know more information, in the mean time here are a couple snaps.

Lila Grace and Mary Elisabeth

New Skills of the Resume

So I finally found a part time job (yay!) at a local restaurant. So yes I am going against my personal goal never to have to work in a restaurant but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do. It's a local Tex-Mex place which is owned by a Canadian of all people and the cooks are all Indian... Needless to say it doesn't live up to my standards of any sort of mexican food - but hey it's money.

Tuesday was my first official day of waitressing - and after 6 hours my feet were killing me and I had come to the conclusion that the years of typing have rendered my hand writing illegible. So I have a couple points to work on but all in all it was a good night. I work again tonight and will most likely be a standard Thursday, Friday and Saturday worker. Considering I don't have class on Friday this will be an excelent way for me to 1) make money and 2) not spend money by going to bars. :)