For your amusement. PS penguins are hilarious.



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It's been awhile since I've provided an update on life in Melbourne.  It is summer now and I've been getting out to the beach more since it's a little warmer.  The late sunset also allows me to go to the beach after work, while it's still light outside, assuming I don't choose to work late.  It's a great opportunity to read a book or journal article. 

 The other beauty of the beach is that I'm allowed to bring alcohol... at least until 8pm.  Suffice it to say, I'm not the only one that takes advantage of this. 

The other big activity for November is Movember.  The idea is to raise awareness for Men's health, particularily in regards to prostate cancer and depression.  I've tried to spur conversations at lunch and have put up mustache pictures with information on men's health in the caption in Facebook.  I have also created a Mospace page : http://au.movember.com/mospace/1456382 to get donations for research and awareness.  Surprisingly, I have actually started to raise some money.  Also, it's a great excuse to grow a mustache.  I'm halfway through the month.  We'll see if it's long enough to wax and curl in December.  Here's hoping.   

 

Greatest Achievement to Date

My greatest achievement in the lab so far is the purchase of an espresso/flat white machine.  During my last position in New Zealand, I was spoiled with a great coffee maker.  I have changed my definition of great coffee since coming to the Southern Hemisphere.  Here, they have what they call long blacks and flat whites.  A long black is hot water mixed with an espresso and this tastes, surprisingly, great. A flat white is frothed milk, without foam, mixed with an espresso.  The milk gets to a creamy texture as it is heated and the baristas create designs between the espresso crema and the frothed milk.  I've tried making such designs and have failed miserably. 

To the point, I noticed that my new lab had no coffee machine.  The only thing available was freeze dried coffee.  I can handle one of those a day, but anything more and it just tastes horrendous.  So, I have become a coffee snob.  Interestingly, the majority of the lab is interested in good coffee and most people go and buy a $5 coffee from the cafes at least once a day.  I calculated that I was spending over $100/month on coffee.  I mentioned to the boss an idea for increased productivity, a in-lab coffee machine.  My charm worked and within a week we had a coffee machine ($700).  Prior to this, everyone stated to me that the boss would never buy the lab a machine, but no one bothered to ask.  Unfortunately, I am now in charge of the machine, hence the Uncle Sam poster above the machine.  Therefore, I am in charge of bean purchasing and money handling.  My favorite so far is Griffiths (www.griffithscoffee.com.au), but others in the lab prefer McIVER'S (http://www.teaandcoffee.com.au/), specifically the Jamaican blend.  I chose the Cuban blend, just so that I could say I was enjoying some Cubans.  Plus, you can't get it in the States, so it has that sense of doing something naughty.  Anyhow, the standard coffee for the machine is now the Jamaican blend, despite my preferred Griffiths. 

The machine did not come without pain and conflict.  Once it arrived, I got an earful from an individual in the lab who complained about the machine to everyone.  I think a coffee bean may have done something bad to this person at a younger age, or something.  They had a vendetta against the coffee machine and me.  It was really odd.  They stated that I couldn't handle the care of the machine or money collection.  Within a week, I won them over, with a well oiled machine and consistent smell of coffee that diffuses throughout the offices.  It sure beats the other smells around the blood lab. 

Scaring the Aussies

 Halloween came and went in Australia.  It isn't a major celebration here.  The bigger celebration is the subsequent day, Melbourne Cup Day.  It's a day that (almost) everyone gets off from work, so that they can go to the track and do some betting.  The entire nation stops for a 3-5 minute horse race.  Is that better or worse than dressing up and eating candy?  I guess each culture is different.  One thing that fascinatoes me about Melbourne Cup Day is that all of the girls put funny hats, called fascinators.  Anyhow, enough about the cup.     

The group of researchers at the hospital all got together for a Halloween celebration.  I'd like to think of it as a celebration of the USA.  I chose to be as scary as I could to the Aussies.  I figured what could be scarier to them than an All Black.  Just kidding, Australian friends.  The best costume was a rubiks cube and Ruby the rivoter. 

Halloween is funny here because only part of the population celebrates it.  This is problematic when you only get 1 or 2 sets of children at one's house.  First it's startling to look outside and suddenly see a werewolf coming up your driveway.  Secondly, most people aren'e prepared with candy.  Lastly, most houses in Australia and New Zealand are surrounded by walls.  The gates to the walls are typically locked.  Therefore, it's difficult for kids to walk up to a door and ask for treats.   I know it was for me.