Full-on

October and November have been full on, a grateful change from August where I was just working as a waitress every night. The weather is leading into summer but still ranges from 18 to the perfect 26 to 34 degrees. Yes, I talk in Celsius now. And kg. Although I still mix up writing dates, looking the right way before crossing the street, and understanding km and cm conversions. Some of the best moments:

1) NaNoWriMo- I finished a 50K book. Granted, nobody will be allowed to read it... possibly ever. It is tragically bad but there are some glimmers of purpose and promise starting to show. I have a greater understanding of what it takes to write a book and a much higher respect for authors, even authors with crap books. It is tough!

2) TESOL- I have started taking an online TESOL certification course. I have no idea where it will lead. So far I have learned what it means to be a good teacher and that, like most Americans, I have no idea about proper English grammar.

3) Sculpture by the Sea- Over 100 sculptures were placed along the cliffs between Bondi and Coodiee beach. It made for a gorgeous backgroup to some beautiful pieces.

4) The Races- Went to see the horses race at Ranwick Race Course. Won once. I felt sophisticated and European in my fascinator and couldn't help thinking of My Fair Lady throughout the day.

5) One of my friends works at the Sydney Opera House and she has given me tickets to a couple of shows. One had an intense story line, one was a classical opera, and one was based on "Of Mice and Men" I learned that I prefer the more classical Italian operas.

6) Thanksgiving- The American Expat group hosted a pot luck Thanksgiving dinner, under the Harbour Bridge, in the rain. An interesting side note: Most Aussies I have talked to think Thanksgiving is a bigger holiday than Christmas in America. I can say that in my brief pole of fellow Americans no one has agreed with this. Interesting how cultural mentalities are misunderstood. However, when I watch tv (where most ideas of America are grounded) every sitcom has a Thanksgiving episode and far fewer have Christmas episodes so it is understandable.

This is the longest that I have been away from my family and I miss them terribly. I always went home for Thanksgiving and Christmas and it has been a tradition for years to go shopping with my mom on Black Friday. My little sister is now engaged, my little brother is getting ready to graduate college. In exactly 19 days (maybe 18 since I cross the international date line) I will get to see my family. :D That smile isn't big enough.

7) Organized a hike to the "Grand Canyons" of Australia, the Blue Mountains with 44 people. I miss the Fall with the leaves changing color, the pumpkin carving, and the corn mazes, but at least there is still hiking here.

8) Went Paddleboarding. At first our legs were shaking but almost everyone got the hang of it by the end. There were surprisingly few oar fights.

9) Organized a scavenger hunt around Sydney. I got to wander around the city looking for places for the teams to find. I enjoyed creating the event and working out all the details. There were 39 contestants and even in the rain it seemed like the teams had fun. Plus as judges we got to make them do funny things wheelbarrow races in a very public place.

10) Moved Apartments. I was living with 9 other people in a 2 bedroom flat. We had nationalities from all over the globe. Even with my extroverted nature I am surprised I lasted as long as I did. That makes 4 jobs and 3 apartments in 5 months for those keeping track.

11) Met with some people about sponsored jobs. There isn't a lot more to say about that yet because I am still trying to figure out this part of the transition.

December is already filling up with Chrissy parties, optimistically more stability, and Hawaii with my family!

Novel

"Let's go on dreaming, though we know we are." ~'So Close' from Enchanted

November is National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo is an online community of prospective authors who try to write a complete novel from scratch during the month of November. I will be joining them, along with my friend AM and my mom. I have a basic idea of some of the characters and some thoughts on the plot running around in my head. No official outline yet but I'll see what comes out.

I wrote stories all the time as a child. Some where dark like a murder mystery based on the 13 Dead End Drive board game. Others were light and happy as in the case of Tommy the Go-Cart. Then the desire got lost. Correction, I ignored it. In college I started comparing myself to friends who also loved to write. I saw and envied the way they captured normal moments with a descriptive flare. I didn't form complexly worded sentences or tap into the depth of the tortured artist. So I thought I couldn't be a writer; that is was just a childish dream.

But then I started this blog and realized that while I don't write in a style suitable for the classics such as Les Mis or Rebecca, I have a style all my own; a style which captures my optimistic nature, mimics the way my brain thinks complete with topic jumps, and an easy style that people can relate to. Though I guess since I am starting my TESOL certification (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) I should change that last phrase to "and an easy style to which people can relate." My blog has brought back my love of writing as a way of storytelling, and the old dream of being a writer.

As the goal is 50,000 words in a month this will be my only blog entry for November. Every word written here is one not written in my novel. Being an author is still a childish dream and I'm thankful it is. All the best dreams are made when we are children and don't understand limitations.

SCUBA

SCUBA is short for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. I've wanted to get certified since my sister and I went snuba diving with the sea turtles in Hawaii years ago. Snuba is similar to scuba in that you are completely submerged but the air tank is on a raft on the surface instead of on your back.

I'm getting my PADI certification with True Blue Dives over three Thursdays at the local beaches in the eastern suburbs.

Dive #1: A snorkel dive just to get (re)acquainted with the concept of breathing while your face is in the water.

Biggest Challenge: Relaxing when breathing.

My brain goes into the annoying, although appropriate, habit of trying to not let me die. Breathing in while your face is underwater goes against that idea logically. I could hear each ragged breath. The first breath was a timid trial and the second actually brought air to my lungs.

Scariest Moment: Swimming next to jellyfish.

First they are difficult to see unless you are right next to them. Second they have translucent trailing pieces that can hurt you. My Australian friends love talking about all the things that can kill you in this country but in a calm relaxed manner. In fact, I bring up box jellies or snakes purposely just to see their faces light up with pride. I'm adding the jellyfish lake to my list of places I want to visit. Nothing like facing your fears to help move past them.

Most Enjoyable Moment: Realizing how much easier it is to swim with flippers.

Dive #2: Scuba Intro Unlike other scuba certification classes, True Blue Dive takes you right into the ocean, no pool time.

Lesson #1: How to assemble all the pieces of the equipment and how to carry 70 pounds on your back to the shore.

Lesson #2: Hand signals.

Lesson #3: How to clear our goggles and regulator while submerged.

Lesson #4: How to move up and down without relying on the BCD. The buoyancy control device is a fancy vest attached to the air tank that can fill or deflate.

Scariest Moment: The first breath after clearing the regulator while submerged.

After a bit, my brain almost ignored the "Don't breath underwater" rule. But after taking the regulator out of my mouth, letting it fill with water, putting it back in my mouth, and clearing it, my brain reinstated the rule. Each and every time.

Funniest Moment: Getting into the ocean

We had to get our flippers on while standing in ankle deep water (knee deep when the waves hit) while also balancing on rocks with 70 pounds on our backs and then make it past the submerged rocks that kept coming out of nowhere and into the open ocean. I got stuck on more than a few rocks. Ocean +6 Jen +1. I gave myself a point since I did technically make it to the ocean even though my execution was a bit awkward.

Most Enjoyable Moment: Petting a shark.

Some might think that this would be the scariest moment but he was only about three feet long and I stayed away from the teeth. Then we followed him to an overhang where there were four more larger sharks just hanging out. They eat shells not people so as long as our fingers didn't end up in their mouths it was okay. Sharks are coarse like sandpaper not slimy like fish. And I'll admit the fact that I'm more scared of jellyfish than sharks is a bit odd.

At this point I don't think Scuba will be an obsession but check back with me after dive #6. I want to get certified so I can go to the Great Barrier Reef with some friends. Plus, no matter where I am in the world, when the desire to scuba hits me on a whim, I can just go.

Walkabout

A walkabout is an Australian rite of passage for Aboriginal men. It may originially have just been a trip across the Outback for boring reasons such as business meetings but it has come to be viewed as a spiritual trek. When you go out into one of the most unforgiving environments on the planet, it becomes spiritual.

The concept of the walkabout remains in Australian culture. Teenagers and young adults are encouraged to travel, to "walk about" the world before they come back to Oz. The term 'gap-year' is used quite frequently, and while not a strickly Australian concept, it is something that is looked upon favorably here.

There is something about this country that stays with you. Everyone I spoke to about Australia before moving here said they wanted to spend more time here or wanted to come back for another visit. Two of my friends who did a wilderness excursion into the outback with NOLS, talk about it fondly, like it happened only last year. It is a country that leaves it mark on your heart. Yes, that might seem a bit melodramatic, but if you've ever been here... you know.

I'm on my own walkabout. I have no idea where I will be in a year or what path to take. There are still so many options that I am stuck in a Paradox of Choice. I can't figure out what ice cream flavor I want much less figure out my future. And this too is part of the process. I've come to realize that intentionally creating my life applies in spite of the uncertainty, now more than ever.

The topic of failure has come up a lot in conversations, blogs I follow, and the constant whirl of thoughts in my head. As a generation we don't know how to fail. Everyone gets trophies in sports; teachers can't write in red pen.

But real self esteem comes from knowing when (not if) you fall on your face, you have the strength to get back up and try again. In those moments it's about whether I give up or get up. I'm learning when to quit things that aren't good for me and when to persevere. I'm learning how to balance the desire for financial security with the motivation to fully experience this country. Years from now, no matter where I end up, I'll be sharing stories from my walkabout.

Festivals

Australians love festivals. Each one is promoted heavily and attracts thousands of people. In the past 3.5 months I've been to the aroma (coffee) festival, the winter festival, the "Art and About" festival, the Brazilian festival, and the night noodle markets at the food festival. Next week I am going to the Fringe Festival.

The highlights of the festivals for me have nothing to do with the festival itself but the people I went with. I don't really like trying new food and I hate coffee and I refuse to spend $40 to skate around a really tiny portable ice rink. But I do like trying to get more free samples of chai latte, developing a whole documentary on homelessness in Australia, forming a circle under a tree because enough tables aren't available, or trying to imitate the samba.

Visas

I’m a little overwhelmed by the visa process. Hopefully by writing it out and sharing in my blog I can gain a little clarity.

(Found this sign near the Kings Cross fountain. Accurate picture of how I feel right now)

Recently, I’ve been going to a lot of networking events and immigration lawyers. While I have been working, I haven’t been hired at a job that can lead to sponsorship and the ability to stay in Australia after June 2012. Fellow Americans seem to fall into four categories: They are here on a Work and Holiday Visa and only plan on staying a year, they are a student, they or their spouse work for an American company that moved them here for 6-18 months, or they have been here more than four years before the immigration policies changed. It seems difficult to find a sponsored visa once here. It may have something to do with the first question on every application being “Are you an Australian citizen or permanent resident?”

Basically, I have four options:

1. Option A Work and Holiday Visa: I can approach this year as a sabbatical or gap year. Filler jobs are easy to get and pay surprisingly well since Australia has a living wage versus a minimum wage. I can take the whole year, travel around Australia (scuba!), NZ (absailing!), and the little known country of Vanuatu (volcano surfing!) then move back to a random city in the US and start again.
2. Option B Student Visa: Because the US has such strict immigration policies, I cannot stay longer by working at fruit picking, nor can I take a single course at a time to get a student visa. I would have to be a student full time for at least two years. I don’t have the money or desire to get another degree.
3. Option C Employer Sponsored Visa: I can work at filler jobs while applying to companies that may provide me with a temporary (4 year) employer sponsored visa. This would allow me to stay in Sydney, hopefully doing something I love. It isn’t easy to get. Employers and the specific job have to qualify based on a select list. Companies don’t like to have all their inner workings reviewed by the immigration office. Not saying it is impossible, just highly unlikely. If it doesn’t work out, option A moves into effect.
4. Option D State Sponsored Visa: Because I have my MSW, I can qualify for a state sponsored visa. This area of immigration has changed drastically in the past few years, even just within this past year. When I applied for my initial visa a year ago, an MSW gave me a lot of points on a skilled assessment test, helping move my application along. By the time I moved here, however, social work was removed from the Sydney SOL (Skilled Occupation List). Therefore without an Employer Sponsored Visa I cannot stay in Sydney. In order to get a State Sponsored Visa, I have to be sponsored by the Western Australian government, who just added social work to their SOL yesterday. It is an expensive process but would allow me to stay in Australia an additional three years.

I have to make a decision soon to start the appropriate visa application. Unfortunately I cannot pursue both option C and D at the same time. I have to choose a path. Do I keep trying for an Employer visa hoping to beat the odds? Or do I go for the more expensive State Visa which has a better chance of success but I would have to move to another city just as I’m finally hitting my stride in Sydney? Or do I just drop it all and take the easy way out, the gap year.

…

…

…

I still have no idea. Bummer.

Slang

I've met people from all over the world, drawn to each other by common outlooks on travel and adventure. Often conversation trends towards accents and slang words. Endless time can be spent repeating each other trying to echo the accents.

Most Aussie slang can be understood by taking off a syllable or two and adding an 'o' or a 'y' to the end of the word. Apparently, according to my friend A.H. this is the same style as the Cockney slang. Must be something related to the prison background. I have yet to figure out if this is something that shouldn't be brought up or it should with pride. I'm sure there is more but because so much of conversation is actually non-verbal sometimes I don't pick up when slang is being used because the context is clear.

Some slang I've easily adopted:

'Oz' Pertaining to the land of Australia

'Aussie' An Australian, also a way of doing things that is distinctly Australian.

'No Worries' It doesn't matter, also used as you're welcome

'Ta' Thank you. I love this one because it sounds so similar to 'Tea Da' how I used to say thank you as a child.

'Roo' Kangaroo

Kiwi Someone from New Zealand

Sunnies Sunglasses

Others I've heard:

'She'll be apples' It's okay. It will work out.

'Seppo' An american. Insulting. A nickname for Americans is Yankee which can be shorted to Yank. That rhymes with septic tank and shortened to Seppo.

'Arvo' Afternoon

'Relo' Relatives

'No dramas' The younger version of 'No worries'. Slang of the slang as it were.

'Ranga' A redhead. Short for orangutans.

'Squib' Coward. Something those of us in the SAAG Meetup (Sydney Action & Adventure Group) group refuse to be.

'Middy' A drink of middle size.

'Maccas' McDonalds

'Bottlo' Liquor store

'Chips' french fries in the States

'Westie' Someone from the western suburbs. Insulting use: uneducated, not classy.

'Fair Dinkum' genuine

'Footy' Either Rugby, Australian rules football, or soccer. I have no idea which.

'On ya mate' Not sure and didn't ask. Seemed sarcastic.

'Jumper' Sweater, sweatshirt, light jacket, or cardigan depending on what is needed.

'Servo' Gas station

'Loo' or 'Dunny' Toilet

'Knackered' Tired

To easy Said when taking someones phone number or answering any kind of question

Blow'n A blow in, a commuter or someone not from the area

Ones I'm waiting to hear:

'Beano' A celebration

'Chinwag' A conversation

'Jingoes' surprise

'Rack off' Go away

'Billabong' Watering hole