Wow, we're starting "this is our last time we will do X in Portland."
Today was our last haircut/color in Portland. We'll miss you, Blanton!! If anyone needs a wonderful hair stylist, please call Blanton at 503-701-7782.
It's official!! On July 28 we were notified that our 457 visas for Australia were approved, and we were finally able to book our flight! We leave for Sydney on August 15.
This is really happening!!
I'm a little late posting pictures... The movers were here Thursday July 22 to pack and load everything we're taking to Australia into the shipping container. Four guys arrived at 8:30 am, and they were all done by 4 pm! In the end, the container was only half-full.
The 20-foot shipping container in front of our house
Inside the container, still loading
Matthew and "the can" - they really do call it a can, like in "The Wire"
Amanda and the Aerobed at the end of the day - now that our bed is in the shipping container, we're sleeping on an Aerobed for several weeks.
Cassandra, an octopus at the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, has selected Labor's Julia Gillard over Tony Abbott in Australia's upcoming federal election for Prime Minister.
Article and photo at Sydney Morning Herald: Gillard's chances get a legs-up.
Just to confuse me, Aussies spell labor without a 'u', but spell humour with a 'u.'
The moving company packers are coming tomorrow! Everything that's going into the shipping container to Sydney goes in tomorrow and Friday. Then, it goes from Portland to Seattle, and leaves on a ship out of the Port of Seattle on 31 July. It will arrive in Sydney on 21 August and then has to clear Australia Customs & Quarantine. We won't see our stuff until at least 9 September.
pom or pommy = a British person; supposedly shortened rhyming slang, pomegranate a near enough rhyme to immigrant. See this Wikipedia article for various etymologies.
bench = kitchen counter
Still trying to wrap my brain around the seasons in Australia - Christmas in summer?!
January
January in Australia is a midsummer month of the Sydney Festival, Australian Open and Australia Day (26 January).
2011 Public Holidays: New Year’s Day Saturday, 1 January; Additional Holiday Monday, 3 January.
Sydney weather in January:
Average high 25.9°C (78.6°F); Average low 18.7°C (65.7°F).
February
February is the last month of the Australian summer, with generally warm weather in most of Australia, tapering to cool as autumn approaches. The annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival takes place in February.
Sydney weather in February:
Average high 25.7°C (78.3°F); Average low 18.8°C (65.8°F).
March
The first month of the Australian autumn, March is a period of various festivals and holidays.
Sydney weather in March:
Average high 24.7°C (76.5°F); Average low 17.5°C (63.5°F)
April
April in Australia is mid-autumn with temperatures starting the slide into winter. Anzac Day is celebrated in April and Easter celebrations may occur in April also.
ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Day marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. 25 April has become the day Australians remember the sacrifice of those who died in war.
2011 Public Holidays: Good Friday, Friday, 22 April; Easter Saturday, Saturday, 23 April; Easter Monday, Tuesday, 26 April (Substituted public holiday for Easter Monday); Anzac Day, Monday, 25 April.
Sydney weather in April:
Average high 22.4°C (72.3°F); Average low 14.7°C (58.5°F).
May
May in Australia is the month before the onset of the southern winter.
Sydney weather in May:
Average high 19.4°C (66.9°F); Average low 11.5°C (52.7°F).
June
June in Australia is the beginning of winter, which also sees the start of the ski season during the Queen's Birthday holiday weekend.
2011 Public Holiday: Queen’s Birthday, Monday, 13 June.
Sydney weather in June:
Average high 16.9°C (62.4°F); Average low 9.3°C (48.7°F)
July
July is midwinter in Australia and one of the best months for skiing and other snow activities.
Sydney weather in July:
Average high 16.3°C (61.3°F); Average low 8.0°C (46.4°F)
August
August in Australia is the last month of the southern winter. However, in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains and the Victorian Alps, you'd hardly know spring is just around the corner.
In NSW, there is a Bank Holiday the first week of August. In 2010, it’s Monday 2 August.
Sydney weather in August:
Average high 17.8°C (64°F); Average low 8.9°C (48°F)
September
September in Australia is the first month of the southern spring and it’s a season of regrowth and flowers.
Sydney weather in September:
Average high 19.9°C (67.8°F); Average low 11.0°C (51.8°F)
October
October is midspring in Australia. The flowers are in bloom, the weather is warm, and the sand and surf of Australia's beaches beckon.
Sydney weather in October:
Average high 22.1°C (71.8°F) 23.6; Average low 13.5°C (56.3°F)
Labour Day is during the first week of October. In 2010, Labour Day is Monday, 4 October.
November
The last month of spring, November in Australia is best known as the month of the Melbourne Cup.
Sydney weather in November:
Average high 23.6 °C (74.5°F); Average low 15.6°C (60.1°F)
December
December is a month of holidays. There are there two public holidays (Christmas Day and Boxing Day), quite a number of businesses close down for the Christmas season, and school terms end before Christmas, so it’s holiday time for large numbers of Australians.
December 2010 Public Holidays:
Christmas Day Saturday, 25 December; Boxing Day Monday, 27 December; Additional Holiday Tuesday, 28 December.
Sydney weather in December:
Average high 25.2°C (77.4°F); Average low 17.5°C (63.5°F).
Sources
http://goaustralia.about.com/od/discoveraustralia/Discover_Australia.htm
http://www.industrialrelations.nsw.gov.au/About_NSW_IR/Public_Holidays.html
http://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/anzac/anzac_tradition.asp
http://www.mardigras.org.au/mardi-gras-2010/events-calendar/index.cfm
Little Penguins are so cute - Rescued Penguins Return to the Wild - ZooBorns
Matthew decided that if he got the job at Google, one of the things he wanted to do to celebrate would be to get poutine from the Potato Champion food cart on SE Hawthorne. If you haven't had poutine, it's "Canadian comfort food" -- fries with gravy and cheese curds.
I hadn't had it before and was skeptical that it would be so drool-worthy. But man, it was good!
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