Another day, another blog.
The Aussie rules football was good but the rules a bit confusing. A half pissed guy sitting next to me tried to explain the rules but all I understood is that it was invented to keep the cricketers fit out of season...sort of explains the shape of the pitch.
Something that was mildly amusing that is worth sharing came from me using one of the girls computers in her room. We were all in her room and I asked if I could check my hotmail. As I typed in "hotmail" up popped the autofiller. It appears that she has been a regular visitor to ww.hotfreesexstories.com. I did the right thing and announced it to everyone else in the room and watch her try all the standard comments I used when my sister did the same to me..."it must be a virus" she said. Bollocks!
Other than that, i've reached the last $11 dollars of the money I brought with me and my credit card didn't work in the supermarket this evening, so I am officially living on supplements that I have taken from the hospital :-( At least I can honestly relate to the patients when I prescribe the supplements to them now!
Monday, 28 July 2008
Thursday, 24 July 2008
Aussie rules
This week has been ok. Getting used to the hospital and getting to know all the staff and wards slowly. They still won't let me anywhere near patients because I haven't had my second Chicken Pox vaccination. I find out tomorrow if my serum levels of the antibodies are high enough to give me immunity from the deadly virus. It is such a pain. In other hospitals they would let me have patient contact but if anyone came in with shingles I should run a mile....but not here. Other than that i'm sitting at a desk learning a lot about surgery, chemo and radiotherapy.
Anyway, I find out tomorrow at 11am what my fate is....fingers crossed.
Aside from work, the girls have planned a surprise for my 22nd birthday this Friday. I had a vague idea that it was something to do with an Aussie Rules match (they wrote a summary of the rules in my birthday card) but wasn't quite sure what they had planned. That was until I met one of their supervisors this afternoon at the other hospital. The first thing she said to me was..."so you're going to the MCG on Friday" (the Wembley Stadium of Melbourne). This instantly destroyed a week's worth of whispering and secrets for the girls. I found it funny but the woman was pretty mortified when she realised what she had done and saw how annoyed the girls were, lol. She couldn't stop apologizing.
The match is sold out so it should be an amazing atmosphere, even though i probably won't have a clue when or why to cheer.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Anyway, I find out tomorrow at 11am what my fate is....fingers crossed.
Aside from work, the girls have planned a surprise for my 22nd birthday this Friday. I had a vague idea that it was something to do with an Aussie Rules match (they wrote a summary of the rules in my birthday card) but wasn't quite sure what they had planned. That was until I met one of their supervisors this afternoon at the other hospital. The first thing she said to me was..."so you're going to the MCG on Friday" (the Wembley Stadium of Melbourne). This instantly destroyed a week's worth of whispering and secrets for the girls. I found it funny but the woman was pretty mortified when she realised what she had done and saw how annoyed the girls were, lol. She couldn't stop apologizing.
The match is sold out so it should be an amazing atmosphere, even though i probably won't have a clue when or why to cheer.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
Accents
I've just eaten a lot of kangaroo steak and I actually feel sick. It does taste good though, looks like beef, similar texture and a slightly gamey taste. Nice. From a nutrition point of view it is low in saturated fat, high in monounsaturates and high in Iron. Pretty lean in other words.
So, i've done two days in the Peter Mac Cancer hospital in central Melbourne. Its been good so far but they won't let me anywhere near patients yet. Not because they think i'm going to harm them (although that is a possibility) but because I haven't had Chicken Pox as a kid. I'm told its because of all the immuno-compromised patients at risk...but it's pretty obvious they are just being a bit anal about it. So i'm stuck in an office until Friday treating "virtual patients" with my supervisor. lol.
I'm still going through the small talk phase with all the resident dietitians in the department, telling them where i'm from and how i got the chance to come out here, where I live blah blah...
When I meet new people who don't know me a recurring comment seems to keep coming up, for years now. Apparently I don't have an English accent despite having lived in a leafy suburb in NW London for my entire life. And before you say it, no it's not an Australian one. So far i've had South African, Irish, Australian, New Zealand, and just "foreign" after giving a presentation at uni. Today, however, tops it all. Someone said I had an American accent! Anyone who knows me will find this as ridiculous as I did.
Anyway i'm off to the gym and sauna now to work off some of that Kangaroo. Its so handy having a gym 3 floors below my room, no excuses!
So, i've done two days in the Peter Mac Cancer hospital in central Melbourne. Its been good so far but they won't let me anywhere near patients yet. Not because they think i'm going to harm them (although that is a possibility) but because I haven't had Chicken Pox as a kid. I'm told its because of all the immuno-compromised patients at risk...but it's pretty obvious they are just being a bit anal about it. So i'm stuck in an office until Friday treating "virtual patients" with my supervisor. lol.
I'm still going through the small talk phase with all the resident dietitians in the department, telling them where i'm from and how i got the chance to come out here, where I live blah blah...
When I meet new people who don't know me a recurring comment seems to keep coming up, for years now. Apparently I don't have an English accent despite having lived in a leafy suburb in NW London for my entire life. And before you say it, no it's not an Australian one. So far i've had South African, Irish, Australian, New Zealand, and just "foreign" after giving a presentation at uni. Today, however, tops it all. Someone said I had an American accent! Anyone who knows me will find this as ridiculous as I did.
Anyway i'm off to the gym and sauna now to work off some of that Kangaroo. Its so handy having a gym 3 floors below my room, no excuses!
Sunday, 20 July 2008
Sunday Blues
I don't know why I hate Sundays so much. Maybe its because its cloudy and I think I have SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) - two winters in one year isn't going to help, lol. Maybe its because I actually start my placement tomorrow - the reason I am here. Or maybe its because for the third bloody day in a row the girls have dragged me around bargain shop after f*****g bargain shop to slowly upgrade their cutlery sets and buy more shoes. Jesus!
I think living with 3 girls is beginning to turn me into a metrosexual. Today for some reason I actually bought a "man-bag" for work. "It's a bargain", they kept saying until I finally caved in. I am in desperate need an injection of pure, unadulterated, testosterone / lager fuelled male orientated BANTER! (and maybe a game of darts?)
I really don't want to start work at the hospital tomorrow. It is going to be so difficult. Not only is my dietetic knowledge limited by default, but ALL of the food and food culture is different here, as you may have noticed if you read my "Pub Culture" post. I just came back from the supermarket with a load of bananas with red tips waxed onto them...what is that about!!
I think living with 3 girls is beginning to turn me into a metrosexual. Today for some reason I actually bought a "man-bag" for work. "It's a bargain", they kept saying until I finally caved in. I am in desperate need an injection of pure, unadulterated, testosterone / lager fuelled male orientated BANTER! (and maybe a game of darts?)
I really don't want to start work at the hospital tomorrow. It is going to be so difficult. Not only is my dietetic knowledge limited by default, but ALL of the food and food culture is different here, as you may have noticed if you read my "Pub Culture" post. I just came back from the supermarket with a load of bananas with red tips waxed onto them...what is that about!!
Thursday, 17 July 2008
Name a price
It has finally rained. When its cloudy and the wind picks up it actually feels like chirstmas here. Apparently some people have christmas parties at this time of year because it feels more festive than the long, hot 41 degree December days. So the girls might be organising that soon :-/
Yesterday we all met up with a true Melbournian ,who my friend Alice met while travelling from Perth to Melbourne. Real nice guy. He gave me an Aussie rules football shirt of the team he supports as his Mum gets him a new one every year. So I am now officially a fan of the Saints (St. Kildas - the Brighton of Melbourne...but in more of a scenic comparison rather than gay!)
So he took us to this restaurant where you pay what you think the food was worth. I went with about $3.50 and was planning on coming back with change for the tram home. Shockingly, it was pretty good and the portions were huge. And of course it was B.Y.O so I went to an off licence and bought what they call a "goon bag". Its one of those 4 litre boxes of wine, but all the tramps take the bag out of the box and sip on it all day. No wonder cos I got 4 litres of white wine for £5. Even the homeless are better off out here!
In the end the girls insisted I pay a half decent amount so I reluctantly parted with the equivalent of £5 for the meal. lol. The guy who took my money looked pretty pissed off.
Right, i'm off to buy some Kangaroo sausages from Safeways. They are meant to be really nice, so that's my dinner sorted for the next 3 nights. Cooking is such an effort here. The kitchen is shit and I dont have any untensils so i've been slowly stealing things from restuarants including so far: a plate, a pint glass, a normal glass, a knife, a fork, a spoon, salt and pepper. I still need a frying pan but that might be more difficult to sneak out of a restaurant .
Yesterday we all met up with a true Melbournian ,who my friend Alice met while travelling from Perth to Melbourne. Real nice guy. He gave me an Aussie rules football shirt of the team he supports as his Mum gets him a new one every year. So I am now officially a fan of the Saints (St. Kildas - the Brighton of Melbourne...but in more of a scenic comparison rather than gay!)
So he took us to this restaurant where you pay what you think the food was worth. I went with about $3.50 and was planning on coming back with change for the tram home. Shockingly, it was pretty good and the portions were huge. And of course it was B.Y.O so I went to an off licence and bought what they call a "goon bag". Its one of those 4 litre boxes of wine, but all the tramps take the bag out of the box and sip on it all day. No wonder cos I got 4 litres of white wine for £5. Even the homeless are better off out here!
In the end the girls insisted I pay a half decent amount so I reluctantly parted with the equivalent of £5 for the meal. lol. The guy who took my money looked pretty pissed off.
Right, i'm off to buy some Kangaroo sausages from Safeways. They are meant to be really nice, so that's my dinner sorted for the next 3 nights. Cooking is such an effort here. The kitchen is shit and I dont have any untensils so i've been slowly stealing things from restuarants including so far: a plate, a pint glass, a normal glass, a knife, a fork, a spoon, salt and pepper. I still need a frying pan but that might be more difficult to sneak out of a restaurant .
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
Pub Culture
Today we ventured out to Melbourne centre one more time. This time we went to the Docklands, which is sort of like the Melbourne equivalent of the London Docklands....lots of new high rise flats, restaurants, bars, water and seagulls. Also saw the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) which looks pretty impressive from the outside (the Meblourne equivalent of Wembley)....really have to try to organise a night out to watch the Aussie Rules Football, even if it is just to see the inside of the stadium.
I've found that pubs are a bit different here. First of all a lot of them are called Hotels, even though they have no rooms to sleep in. A bit confusing if you are actually looking for a hotel for the night! Secondly, a bitter is not a bitter...it is a lager. Thirdly, you can't ask for a pint. I asked for a bitter (actually a lager) and she replied: "do you want a pot, schoona or a stubby". I replied "just a pint is fine, sweatheart". Ok, I didn't say sweatheart.
So she basically called me a Pommy Bastard (apparently a term of affection despite the word bastard!) and explained that:
A) a pot = less than half a pint (the ones you see in Neighbours)
B) a schoona = about half a pint
C) a stubby is a bottle of beer
and D) they dont fucking do pints
I think i'll stick to the wine next time.
I've found that pubs are a bit different here. First of all a lot of them are called Hotels, even though they have no rooms to sleep in. A bit confusing if you are actually looking for a hotel for the night! Secondly, a bitter is not a bitter...it is a lager. Thirdly, you can't ask for a pint. I asked for a bitter (actually a lager) and she replied: "do you want a pot, schoona or a stubby". I replied "just a pint is fine, sweatheart". Ok, I didn't say sweatheart.
So she basically called me a Pommy Bastard (apparently a term of affection despite the word bastard!) and explained that:
A) a pot = less than half a pint (the ones you see in Neighbours)
B) a schoona = about half a pint
C) a stubby is a bottle of beer
and D) they dont fucking do pints
I think i'll stick to the wine next time.
Monday, 14 July 2008
BYO
Thought I would put up a quick post for the day. I spent the entire day walking around Melbourne CBD taking pictures of almost everything. Its got an amazing skyline with the Yarra river running right through the middle. Almost like a mini London...but a lot greener. The weather has been pretty amazing too. It is the middle of winter and it reached a sunny 18 degrees. No tan though.
In the afternoon I met my first cousin once removed, I think?! She is my Dad's cousin, anyway. So she took me for a slap up curry to make me feel more at home. They definitely know how to dine out here! They have something called "BYO" at almost all restaurants, which as you have probably guessed means you just bring your own alcohol and save a sh*t load on the bill. Not only that but that have something called Bottle Shops which are Off Licences. BUT they are drive-thru. You drive into what looks like a Car wash entrance, but when you get into it there are fridges up to the ceiling all around you filled with every beer you can think of. Then you don't even get out of your car, you just un-wind the window and someone serves you! I couldn't believe my eyes!
AND to top it all off...when you get to the restaurant the first thing they say to you is what "complimentary drink would you like?" So a free drink at every meal! We ordered champagne so they ain't fussy.
Shapla...if you're not reading this already, things need to change.
In the afternoon I met my first cousin once removed, I think?! She is my Dad's cousin, anyway. So she took me for a slap up curry to make me feel more at home. They definitely know how to dine out here! They have something called "BYO" at almost all restaurants, which as you have probably guessed means you just bring your own alcohol and save a sh*t load on the bill. Not only that but that have something called Bottle Shops which are Off Licences. BUT they are drive-thru. You drive into what looks like a Car wash entrance, but when you get into it there are fridges up to the ceiling all around you filled with every beer you can think of. Then you don't even get out of your car, you just un-wind the window and someone serves you! I couldn't believe my eyes!
AND to top it all off...when you get to the restaurant the first thing they say to you is what "complimentary drink would you like?" So a free drink at every meal! We ordered champagne so they ain't fussy.
Shapla...if you're not reading this already, things need to change.
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