I made Banana Bread

For the first unsupervised time by my mom, I made banana bread! I got a little carried away and decided to add a few goodies to the rather boring online recipe that was offered in my google search. I added crushed peanuts, two scoops of melted peanut butter, dried fruit and lots of cinnamon. I just tried it and I am over the moon pleased with myself of making something so delicious. This is a first for me and I hope to pick on thing to bake every week^.^

An afternoon in Fitzroy

Lucy was visiting Melbourne this weekend with two of her lovely girlfriends that are also British. After getting home from work at 2am Saturday morning, I still sprung out of bed to catch the bus and train into the bog city. The train ride was quite interesting. I met these three Aussie guys who told me within 3 minutes of meeting them that they were on their way into the city from their farms for the “Sex po” I thought I had misheard them and asked them to repeat what they had said. One stated again “the sex po! We’ve been looking forward to it for months!” I clarified that this was indeed a sex expo and apparently there was nothing to be shy about. I do love that about Aussies, they’re so honest, open and down to earth, at least in this area and in my experience here.


We got to Melbourne and parted ways, I wished them luck with meeting their favourite porn stars and made my way over to federation square to meet Miss Dann and her beautiful friends.

We all started walking the city as part of the tour around, lucky for me they wanted to go to Fitzroy, which is by far my favourite place in the city so far. It is grungy, funky, trendy and a little creepy at times.

We picked one of countless numbers of cafes to sit at for our midday coffee and teas. I ordered a “skinny flat white” Which is a little bit like a latte but with less milk, the skinny part of for skinny milk.

Continuing our walk around we went by too many adorable shops, cafes, bars and one street second hand market. I practised self control and didn’t buy one material item. I did splurge on two pieces of Baklava and the man remembered me from last time and gave me three more for the girls to have! So lovely and terribly delicious^.^

Before I knew it the day was over for me and I had to get the train back to Geelong just in time for monsoon rain and work.

Great Ocean Road

Within my first few days in Geelong, I had found a brochure for a tour of The Great Ocean Road. It described a long but scenic drive along the coast. The bus picked me up early in the morning and most of the people on the tour were independent travellers, so it made making friends for the day super easy.

We started at the most famous surf beach in Australia, Bells Beach. It’s surrounded my massive cliffs and looks very intimidating if that were to be the first place you learn how to surf! They hold the annual surf competition there and apparently the small town swells with people and the farms become populated with tents.

Passed the beach we saw about 30 wild kangaroos jumping around , we couldn’t stop for pictures because we were on a strict time schedule that had already gotten off to a late start. So although I don’t have a picture of a kangaroo, at least I saw a whole bunch in the wild of Australia.

The coastal drive was incredibly beautiful and everyone on the bus was in really good spirits, dispite the morning cold and windy weather. Our next stop was at a naturally inhabited Koala Park. They were hanging in the trees eating eucalyptus with no sort of captivity. It was really difficult to capture them in a picture because they were so high up in the trees. They looked so cuddly and cute!

Just off the main road on the drive was a beautiful rainforest called the Otway. We got out of the bus for a short walk around part of the Otway. I’ve never seen such beautiful trees before. It looked like some place where Big Foot lives. The smells and sounds in this rainforest were delightful and I would have loved to have seen more.

The main attraction was the 12 apostles. There are actually only about 8 left now but they are large parts of the cliff that got separated and stand alone on the beach. They are being demolished at at fast past due to the waves, rain and windy. The Australian government are thinking of replacing the missing ones with some sort of fake plastic modelling, so I feel lucky to have seen at least some of the real ones. Standing down on the sand and looking up at them was a magnificent way to view them.

Yes! we even saw a Koala!

New Home

I feel happy and comfortable in my new home with my three lovely Canadian roommates, in Geelong.
Our home has a lemon slash sometimes lime tree and an orange slash sometimes lemon tree.
Did I mention we also have a big back deck and a hot tub?

Furoshiki for me!

I met my new Australian/Egytian friend Erini in my Primary teaching program. I thought she was adorable when she sat down for lunch her tupperware wrapped up in Japanese cloth. Erini spent two years living in Japan and took a few classes on Japanese traditions.

I went into Melbourne to meet Erini for a coffee in a cute cafe in a rainy alleyway on Sunday and tried another coffee with a name I had never heard of.

I got back to school on thursday and she gave me some homemade cookies her mom had baked and wrapped it up with my very own Furoshiki!

How lovely!

Coffee and apple pie

After three full days observing classrooms at an Australian Primary school my fellow Canadian friend Rosa and I decided we should treat ourselves. I splurged on a $4 skinny latte and she got a delicious apple pie. It was a cute little area that closes around 6pm so we made it just in time to sit outside and enjoy a little sun.

I mean i KNOW you'll like me!

Job interview


I decided I didn’t like the idea of working in the mall, even though the bus time schedule corresponded nicely with those hours. Everyone was only looking for Christmas staff and I wanted something I could have until June when I leave. I took a walk down to the waterfront in the city and put my resume in at three different restaurants/bars.

There was one in particular that I thought looked really lovely. It looks like a very large home that over looks the harbour. I went in and was introduced to one of the owners who I think is from Turkey. She was a tiny woman covered in flour. She had such energy and strength it was almost intimidating. She didn’t look at my resume and told me to come in on Friday for a ‘trial’ two hour shift with no pay. She said that after the two hours, if I like the job and she likes me then I can stay and begin to be paid. I said to her

 “ oh I think I’ll like it here and I think you’ll like me”

She responded, “You think? No no no, you have to know! You have to be confident!”

(in a strongTurkish accent)

“okay, I know you’ll like me!”

“yes beautiful, that’s more like it!”

I really enjoy her because she starts every sentence directed at me with “okay gorgeous…okay beautiful” It’s rather lovely.

I went for the trial shift and got the job. It feels nice to know I will have money coming in.