Ahhhh, life down under... It doesn’t get much better than this. Warm weather and lots of sun are only made better by a people who seriously know how to kick it back and relax. Of course by the time I came back to consciousness after my long slumber, it was Christmas Eve and there was lots to do! Actually, there was nothing to do which was quite to my liking. Definitely not feeling quite in sync with the local schedule, I desired 
nothing more than a good relaxing day. After getting some groceries, we did just that with a short break to go to a Christmas Eve carol and children service at a small Anglican church. The service was an interesting mix of Anglican tradition and story/song to keep the kids interested. The priest was friendly and welcoming to all, and it felt good to keep at least one tradition from Christmas at home; although regardless of how friendly the priest, it still wasn’t Grace. I went to bed that night quite happy that while the family may be separate for Christmas this year, the three of us had made our own little family and kept some Foster traditions alive.
nothing more than a good relaxing day. After getting some groceries, we did just that with a short break to go to a Christmas Eve carol and children service at a small Anglican church. The service was an interesting mix of Anglican tradition and story/song to keep the kids interested. The priest was friendly and welcoming to all, and it felt good to keep at least one tradition from Christmas at home; although regardless of how friendly the priest, it still wasn’t Grace. I went to bed that night quite happy that while the family may be separate for Christmas this year, the three of us had made our own little family and kept some Foster traditions alive.Christmas morning!!! Of course, they’re a little different these years from when I was young and couldn’t wait to wake everyone up at some ungodly hour. We woke at a civilised hour and opened presents as we had breakfast. I honestly was not expecting anything except the deposit in my account mom had told me would be my Christmas present. But mom being mom, she had mailed a small parcel in advance for me, and Jenny contributed with a stocking and some other gifts. Completely unexpected, but gave me a nice feeling for sure. I certainly have a thoughtful family. The rest of the day we spent watching classic Christmas movies (A Christmas Story, Charlie Brown’s Christmas and others) while Jenny laboured over supper. It was a labour of love, and at supper time she was beaming as we admired the magnificent spread on the table. Recipes from mom in hand, she had made a wonderful Christmas dinner; I was happier than ever for not being in a hostel over Christmas. It was an uneventful day, just the way Christmas is supposed to be, and I loved it.
Boxing Day was a different story. Jenny had heard that the cricket Boxing Day Test Match was quite the Australian tradition, so we decided to watch Australia take on Pakistan in the first of five matches at the Melbourne Cricket Grounds. Of course, cricket is not all that big back home so I wasn’t sure what to expect, maybe something like baseball. If you watch the highlight reels or advertisements on Australian TV it seems like quite an exciting game with lots of running, crazed fans body painted on every
inch of legally displayable skin, and tons of cheering. Cricket is SO not that exciting. In fact, cricket is one of the most boring sports I have ever witnessed (with the exception of golf; that was never meant to be a spectator sport). On the field there is the occasional moment of action, but with a vague understanding of the rules, it was a tad confusing and there didn’t seem to be anything remotely exciting about it. Fine, like the commercials show, it’s the action in the stands that make it exciting, right? No...not quite. The fans here are quite sedate, clapping politely when the opposing team made a good catch, and even in the ‘crazy’ section where all the body paint was, the festivities were limited to a rather un-insane wave. We stayed for two hours of the match which continued who 
knows how long, and set about exploring some of the city. Jenny had seen a lot of it already of course, but she seemed enthusiastic to show me some of the city she called home for the past year, and I was happy to be shown around, taking in the sights of a city which was growing on me by the minute. We walked to the sombre Shrine of Remembrance for the Australian soldiers who fought and died in WWI and conflicts since; to the stunning Royal Botanical Gardens in the height of its glory in the beginning of summer; through the busy Central Business District, and back to her apartment. She went to work for the night and I sat around and was lazy. Being lazy was excellent.
inch of legally displayable skin, and tons of cheering. Cricket is SO not that exciting. In fact, cricket is one of the most boring sports I have ever witnessed (with the exception of golf; that was never meant to be a spectator sport). On the field there is the occasional moment of action, but with a vague understanding of the rules, it was a tad confusing and there didn’t seem to be anything remotely exciting about it. Fine, like the commercials show, it’s the action in the stands that make it exciting, right? No...not quite. The fans here are quite sedate, clapping politely when the opposing team made a good catch, and even in the ‘crazy’ section where all the body paint was, the festivities were limited to a rather un-insane wave. We stayed for two hours of the match which continued who 
knows how long, and set about exploring some of the city. Jenny had seen a lot of it already of course, but she seemed enthusiastic to show me some of the city she called home for the past year, and I was happy to be shown around, taking in the sights of a city which was growing on me by the minute. We walked to the sombre Shrine of Remembrance for the Australian soldiers who fought and died in WWI and conflicts since; to the stunning Royal Botanical Gardens in the height of its glory in the beginning of summer; through the busy Central Business District, and back to her apartment. She went to work for the night and I sat around and was lazy. Being lazy was excellent.On the 28th, Jenny and Paul had planned a trip to Phillip Island to see the Koala Conservation Centre and the nightly Penguin Parade amongst other stunning sights. Collecting a rental car, we set out on our day trip driving south east of Melbourne, eventually making it to Phillip Island which conveniently has a causeway attaching it to the mainland. This was my
first exposure to the Australian coast and it was as stunning as I had imagined it might be. We made it to the Koala Conservation Centre and did a walk through the forest, coming face to face with koalas. Talk about cute! And when you think they don’t get any cuter, you see a young one! I’m not 100% sure why there is a Koala Conservation Centre as the population isn’t endangered at all, the populations very healthy in the wild. While the conservation status differs by Australian state, the national population is healthy and the federal government has them listed as non endangered, but it is noted that a close eye should be kept to make sure the population stays that way. In a little twist, the USA government has the koala listed as a threatened species – right, because they would know 
better than the country that actually has them. The Koala spends 16-18 hours of the day sleeping, and the rest eating. They eat half a kilogram of eucalyptus leaf a day, obtaining approximately the calories from one bowl of non sugar breakfast cereal and due to a slow metabolism, the eucalyptus they eat today will come out the other end in 20 days. Sloth aside, they are unbelievably cute and the urge to take one home is difficult to fight off. Unfortunately, koalas don’t like being handled and will scratch and bite if you try to touch it. Oh, and it is protected from handling by Australian law as well... From the conservation centre we went to the famous Philip Island Penguin Parade. Blue penguins (or small penguins) are another un-endangered species that is under protection by Australian law. They are also almost as cute as koala bears, although only from afar watching them waddle, not so much up close. Reaching an average of 14” tall, they are the smallest of the penguins and live only in Australia and New Zealand. Here you pay to sit in bleacher like seating to watch them as they come out of the ocean after a day of fishing. They come out of the water in small groups, checking the beach for danger, proceeding cautiously if none is apparent, retreating quickly if they spot anything that spooks them. Oddly, the presence of around 1000 tourists on bleachers does not bother them but that’s because they are keeping an eye out for aerial predators. The presence of sea gulls 
doesn’t bother them either, as the gulls suspiciously eye them waddling by. The second a gull takes flight however, every penguin on the beach simultaneously flees back to the safety of the water. The gulls do not pose a risk themselves, but the smart little penguins aren’t taking chances. After watching this incredibly cute display for over half an hour, you get the chance to walk the boardwalks through the park and watch the penguins return to their nests. As with all species of penguins, they are monogamous and nest with only one mate unless their mate dies. Once they are in the safety of the grass, they make their specific call which their mate hears and returns, helping them to find their way back to the nest. When they reach the nest (it could be either the male or female who spent the day way fishing) they preen each other briefly in a fantastic display of partnership and then return to the nest where earlier in the season they would have had an egg or chick. The sound as you walk down the boardwalk is amazing, the calls of hundreds of penguins around you searching for their mates. Still, the penguins are not bothered by the presence of hundreds of humans on boardwalks just above the sand and fearlessly scurry under the boardwalk to find their way home. Unfortunately because a good number of people don’t know how to disable the flash on their cameras, the safest policy is to forbid any photos at all, and a camera out of its pouch will get you a warning from the constantly patrolling park staff. Thus, I have no photos of the wonderful event, but I hope I will get another chance to catch penguins in the wild where I can go shutter happy and take millions of photos to share with you like I did with the koala photos – although we both know you love the cute photos...
first exposure to the Australian coast and it was as stunning as I had imagined it might be. We made it to the Koala Conservation Centre and did a walk through the forest, coming face to face with koalas. Talk about cute! And when you think they don’t get any cuter, you see a young one! I’m not 100% sure why there is a Koala Conservation Centre as the population isn’t endangered at all, the populations very healthy in the wild. While the conservation status differs by Australian state, the national population is healthy and the federal government has them listed as non endangered, but it is noted that a close eye should be kept to make sure the population stays that way. In a little twist, the USA government has the koala listed as a threatened species – right, because they would know 
better than the country that actually has them. The Koala spends 16-18 hours of the day sleeping, and the rest eating. They eat half a kilogram of eucalyptus leaf a day, obtaining approximately the calories from one bowl of non sugar breakfast cereal and due to a slow metabolism, the eucalyptus they eat today will come out the other end in 20 days. Sloth aside, they are unbelievably cute and the urge to take one home is difficult to fight off. Unfortunately, koalas don’t like being handled and will scratch and bite if you try to touch it. Oh, and it is protected from handling by Australian law as well... From the conservation centre we went to the famous Philip Island Penguin Parade. Blue penguins (or small penguins) are another un-endangered species that is under protection by Australian law. They are also almost as cute as koala bears, although only from afar watching them waddle, not so much up close. Reaching an average of 14” tall, they are the smallest of the penguins and live only in Australia and New Zealand. Here you pay to sit in bleacher like seating to watch them as they come out of the ocean after a day of fishing. They come out of the water in small groups, checking the beach for danger, proceeding cautiously if none is apparent, retreating quickly if they spot anything that spooks them. Oddly, the presence of around 1000 tourists on bleachers does not bother them but that’s because they are keeping an eye out for aerial predators. The presence of sea gulls 
doesn’t bother them either, as the gulls suspiciously eye them waddling by. The second a gull takes flight however, every penguin on the beach simultaneously flees back to the safety of the water. The gulls do not pose a risk themselves, but the smart little penguins aren’t taking chances. After watching this incredibly cute display for over half an hour, you get the chance to walk the boardwalks through the park and watch the penguins return to their nests. As with all species of penguins, they are monogamous and nest with only one mate unless their mate dies. Once they are in the safety of the grass, they make their specific call which their mate hears and returns, helping them to find their way back to the nest. When they reach the nest (it could be either the male or female who spent the day way fishing) they preen each other briefly in a fantastic display of partnership and then return to the nest where earlier in the season they would have had an egg or chick. The sound as you walk down the boardwalk is amazing, the calls of hundreds of penguins around you searching for their mates. Still, the penguins are not bothered by the presence of hundreds of humans on boardwalks just above the sand and fearlessly scurry under the boardwalk to find their way home. Unfortunately because a good number of people don’t know how to disable the flash on their cameras, the safest policy is to forbid any photos at all, and a camera out of its pouch will get you a warning from the constantly patrolling park staff. Thus, I have no photos of the wonderful event, but I hope I will get another chance to catch penguins in the wild where I can go shutter happy and take millions of photos to share with you like I did with the koala photos – although we both know you love the cute photos...Now around 10:30, we departed for the city, stopping for supper on the way (see mom, they weren’t feeding me well!) and arriving back at the apartment around midnight. I enjoyed crawling into bed after a long day, and I’m sure we all dreamt of cute animals all night long; talk about cute overdose in one day!
The 29th I had a dental appointment to take care of a little problem which is unfortunately still unresolved, but seemed alright at the time. Afterwards, Paul and I took a run to the store for groceries and I got the stuff to make my not so famous spaghetti. I enjoyed an afternoon on their covered 
balcony (the benefit of warm air without the harsh sun) while doing some blog writing before making supper. My spaghetti was generally enjoyed all around, and I think I got the thumbs up from Jenny and Paul. The 30th I spent doing absolutely nothing except more writing and lazing around before joining Jenny and some of her colleagues at a wonderful dessert shop around 9PM. Brunetti’s is a chocoholic’s fantasy land. Making all variety of gourmet dessert, at least a hundred varieties of sweets from truffles to cake, liquorice to fancy puddings, it’s one of those difficult decisions in life. It brings a whole new meaning to “kid in a candy shop”. Again I did absolutely nothing on the 31st but laze around (it’s amazing I didn’t catch up on my blog!) and it was terrific. I spent almost four months speeding around Europe and taking in as much as possible with occasional breaks and down time; but in general it was a busy period. Relaxing in the warm weather was fantastic, and it was so perfectly timed in the middle of my trip.
balcony (the benefit of warm air without the harsh sun) while doing some blog writing before making supper. My spaghetti was generally enjoyed all around, and I think I got the thumbs up from Jenny and Paul. The 30th I spent doing absolutely nothing except more writing and lazing around before joining Jenny and some of her colleagues at a wonderful dessert shop around 9PM. Brunetti’s is a chocoholic’s fantasy land. Making all variety of gourmet dessert, at least a hundred varieties of sweets from truffles to cake, liquorice to fancy puddings, it’s one of those difficult decisions in life. It brings a whole new meaning to “kid in a candy shop”. Again I did absolutely nothing on the 31st but laze around (it’s amazing I didn’t catch up on my blog!) and it was terrific. I spent almost four months speeding around Europe and taking in as much as possible with occasional breaks and down time; but in general it was a busy period. Relaxing in the warm weather was fantastic, and it was so perfectly timed in the middle of my trip.Of course the 31st was New Years and you can’t not celebrate such an occasion! In Australia, Christmas is a quiet holiday for close family, whereas New Years is an insane holiday for many friends to get together and have an wickedly good time. We enjoyed a quiet time in the apartment watching movies and sipping champagne which was popped 
before midnight (sorry to all you traditionalists). Small as our party was, there wouldn’t be much in the way of post midnight celebration so we sipped champagne waiting for the New Year to officially be upon us; 15 hours before everyone back in Atlantic Canada. Consider this: not only was it a different day for me than everyone back home (which it still is for seven hours every day since I’m now on New Zealand time), but for 15 hours, it was a different year for me than everyone back home. Now if that doesn’t blow your mind, I don’t know what will! When 2010 finally did come, we finished the movie and went to bed. It might have been anticlimactic, but we had exciting things to do the next day!
before midnight (sorry to all you traditionalists). Small as our party was, there wouldn’t be much in the way of post midnight celebration so we sipped champagne waiting for the New Year to officially be upon us; 15 hours before everyone back in Atlantic Canada. Consider this: not only was it a different day for me than everyone back home (which it still is for seven hours every day since I’m now on New Zealand time), but for 15 hours, it was a different year for me than everyone back home. Now if that doesn’t blow your mind, I don’t know what will! When 2010 finally did come, we finished the movie and went to bed. It might have been anticlimactic, but we had exciting things to do the next day!
What, You don't fancy a fine game of cricket? Where else can you enjoy a sporting event where gentlemen dress in white to ensure their cleanliness. Oh wait ... lawn bowles. I get your point. Yawn.
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