sorry!!

hi guys,

i didn't realize people were really reading this... but i love that you are! I have been yelled at by a few folks about being a slacker in the updating department so I will pledge to update more often.

And I should have, as I have so much to share! Where to start?

First, the communication quirks at work just keep comin'. It's hilarity, really. One great example happened the other day: You guys know that my roommate/friend's name is Dawn, and at work I've mentioned her here and there as well. Well the other day I sent an email to some of my colleagues about an event that was happening...I was trying to figure out if it was a work-only thing or if I could invite Dawn... anyway not long after I sent the email I heard some hysterical laughing coming from my colleague Sarah. For the past three weeks she thought that Dawn's name was Donna, and I was just calling her "Don" for short. Now, the way I pronounce it, "Don" and "Dawn" sound the same. Don, Dawn, John... all the same. The Aussies pronounce Dawn really, ummmm.... lower and longer? I don't know how to explain it, or to do it myself. But the point is, they find it HILARIOUS how I pronounce her name. Now every day I hear them trying to say "Dawn" the way I do in this nasal twangy voice. It's hard to explain, but it was pretty funny.

Along those lines, it does make sense because they give nicknames to EVERYONE: Adam = Ads, Sarah = Sares, Andrea = Andy, Laurel = Loz (yes, I have my own nickname! I am excited about it). Regular words have nicknames too: breakfast = brekky/brecky/brekkie, brecki, reservation = rezzie, umbrella = brelly, tv = telly, football = footy. Not everything is "ie'd": Afternoon = arvo, presentation = prezzo. I think I've literally heard someone say "Don't forget to bring your brelly to the prezzo this arvo." Ridiculous.

Other fun stuff: "windscreen" is windshield (when i think of a screen, i think of something semi-permeable...do we really want that for our vehicle??), pram is a baby stroller, nappie is a diaper..... there are so many more. I will try to write them as they pop up... these little things make me smile throughout the day.

As for work, overall it is going really well. I am getting more acquainted with our clients and where we are in our work; I have been trying to implement some process/operational components to the team to help in streamlining things a bit. I am seeing some inefficiencies that won't really be scalable, so we're working on getting things buttoned up before we bring on more work. Overall, the work is really good. It's very similar to what I've done in the past, so I am definitely in a comfort zone...and my colleagues are great. The biggest challenge is literally me being a foreigner---how to understand the area codes when I dial the phone, how to lower my expectations of technology and IT, how to hold back a bit so I don't run people over with my big American personality. :-) So those are the big challenges that I'm having, and they are fun ones overall, but definitely still challenges. I think it's helping me become more well-rounded and see myself in another environment, which can't be a bad thing.

What else? My friend Andy came down from Sydney for the long weekend. It was Anzac Day. I'm starting to get a better understanding of the Anzac history, but here's a good overview for the history junkies. Anyway so we had a 3-day weekend so Andy came down to hang out with me and Dawn. We had a great time! We ate great food and drank great wine (some of my favorite pastimes), and yesterday Andy and I went on the Eureka Tower in downtown Melbourne. It's a skydeck on the 88th floor of the highest building in Melbourne. It's similar to Seattle's Space Needle or the Empire State Bldg. It has the highest elevator in the southern hemisphere... and it felt like it! You can get a 360 degree view of the city and surrounding areas...We went right when the sun was going down, so it was dark but really beautiful. I would like to check it out during the day as well.

Then last night Dawn's friend James invited us to see this Australian band play at a local venue...and they were awesome!!! I loved them. They were kind of Flogging Molly meets Green Day meets reggae. Sounds a little weird maybe, but awesome. The band is called The Go Set. Check 'em out.

Dawnie and I are now going to "rug up" (dress warmly) and go to the grocery store. I hope all is well Stateside!