Hailey Down Under

Quick list of things that have happened over the past couple of weeks:

- I went to Japan for a whopping four days... too short, but I did get to see my host family, which was amazing. My host mom had my favorite curry waiting for me when I got there. Seriously like getting a little piece of home.

- I moved into my apartment (finally!) and received all of my possessions I'd packed away over 2 months ago. My wonderful bed was assembled and I'm happily enjoying sleep in my queen size bed (I'd been on a twin the past several weeks). And most importantly, I unpacked all of my pictures and put them on various shelves, tables, and walls. It makes me glad to be surrounded by familiar faces. :)

- I had a team offsite with all of the other industry analysts, which was a nice way to get to know everyone better.

- Signed up for two races in August... a 7k and a 14k. Figure it'll kick start me into exercising again!

- Signed up for a pilates class at work.

- Am strongly considering a ceramics course at a community college to help with the making friends thing.

Pics to come soon of my apartment... just need to hang some pictures and buy furniture first! :) But seriously, people need to start visiting me now!

So, admittedly, it's been a while since I've last written. I didn't think anyone would care but then my adoring public (ha) started making comments to the contrary and I was shocked. That said, there is some logic behind why I've been pretty quiet on here for the past 3+ weeks.

I have been really homesick. Like, almost unbearably so. Every time I go abroad, I seem to forget that this happens. I truly believe that I am a difficult person to get to know and love because, well, let's face it, I'm a weirdo. Plus I don't let people in very easily. My trust bar is probably unacceptably high (no, no... I don't need therapy :P). My post a little while back about how I was adapting better than I expected was clearly a bit premature. This homesickness has resulted in me not posting for the following reasons:

1) I hate admitting that I'm weak. This reaction may seem absurd to most but I think I'm a pretty prideful person who never likes to let on that things are bothering me.

2) I felt really uninspired.

3) I felt that if I did write, I would be inappropriately morose and I really didn't care to bring anyone else down. Reading depressing notes about me would likely make people feel sad.

I can't really say if my homesickness this round is better or worse than what I experienced in Japan. Honestly, I think my brain has blocked out the negative stuff there. Also, as limited as it was, I did have a network of sorts in the way of 13 other fellows who were sharing a rather unique experience. The network that I would have thought would be the most natural and logical here has turned out to be not so much that way. My weekends have been far quieter here than they were in LA. It also isn't helping that events are going on there that I would like to be a part of. It's rough hearing about things you would have done if you were in another place and time.

I'm trying to be patient on the friend making, but I think anyone who knows me well is aware that trait is not one of my virtues. That said, some events of the past couple of weeks have been promising:

1) Last weekend I went to a happy hour on Friday and got know some of my coworkers a bit better. I also met some nice people who were friends of friends and aren't associated with Google.

2) Saturday night I met up with my mom's best friend from college. Her step-daughter was performing at a club in downtown Sydney and was really good. Very Joni Mitchell-Carole King-esque. She plays the guitar and piano and also sings... I'm always jealous with people who have that kind of talent. Check her out here: http://www.myspace.com/alexikaye I met some other lovely people that evening whom I hoping I can build some deeper friendships with.

3) I met up with a guy at Starbucks last night to talk about Google and moving here. My old boss from LAT connected us as she'd briefly worked with him at her new gig. He has a lot of connections to Oxy people in NYC, which I found totally random but totally hilarious. It was nice hearing that someone else has had some of the same growing pains I have.

In other news, things are work are getting a bit less fuzzy. It's a lot of learning by doing. I get an assignment and will then typically bug my functional mentor, Kate (who oddly enough has the same deep love of Coldplay I do and has a ton of b-sides I'd never heard before. Big win!) and then she points me in the right direction. I'm learning a ton.

I head to Japan next week for our annual regional sales conference. Short trip of four days but I'll be staying with my host family for a night when I first arrive. I'm hoping seeing them and being in some familiar surroundings will help put me in better spirits.

I'd like to end this on a more positive note than I started. Despite the heartache I've experienced as of late, I must say that I am constantly finding great things in Sydney. The people I encounter are incredibly warm and friendly; it's absurdly beautiful (even though it's been raining for the past three weeks); the food is pretty delicious; and I'm walking a lot more than I ever did in LA, which has thankfully helped keep off the pounds that I should be packing on thanks to the Google cafeteria.

Also, to kick myself out of this rut, I signed up for the company City2Surf race (14K run from downtown to the ocean) as well as a 7K race the weekend prior. Running always seems to help clear my head (it certainly helped a bunch in Japan), so I figure setting some goals for August will help.

Okay, that's it for now. :) I'll try to write more often, really.

In an email I received today from the relocation company:

"Should you require a comprehensive unpack and setting up service, we can arrange a complete valet unpack service through our partnership with the Australian owned 'Finishing Touch' unpacking service. We can provide experienced ladies skilled at transforming your house full of cartons into a comfortable new home"

Amanda, I picture you rolling your eyes.

-More rugby than one could possibly ever need to watch.

-Cricket. Specifically, a match of South Africa vs. Afghanistan. Seriously, is there THAT much demand for that here? Can I also say that I have NO clue how cricket is played. Matches can go on for WEEKS. If you think a 14 inning baseball game is bad...

-One evening I flipped to a channel where tall, gangly women were playing a game where they had to toss a ball into a basket on a tall post. Basketball, you might ask? No no, there was no dribbling involved. I had to sit around until the break to discover this was Netball.

-Australian Idol is AWFUL.

-A music game show that involved contestants singing words from a bagel cookbook to the tune of a famous song. Teammates had to guess the song. Meatloaf was a guest contestant.

-Master Chef... a show essentially like Top Chef, except episodes air five days a week, or something equally crazy. It's kind of like when Who Wants to Be a Millionaire became so popular that ABC had the brilliant idea to air it at every possible moment.

-ABC Family shows air on Fox here. Weird, right?

-American Idol is the ONLY show from the states that airs with any kind of consistency of when it airs in the US. It comes on just a few hours after it does back home. I believe everything is else is at least a couple of weeks behind. Thank God for IP address blockers that allow me to keep up with LOST.

-I'm pretty sure The Simpsons is on about 12 times a day. I won't complain about that.

I'll update this as I discover more... and likelihood is high that I will not be paying for TV when I move into my new place. haha.

I'm fairly certain, no matter the city, the act of finding a place to live is... well... unbearably painful. It's a universal truth of sorts: You must see 800 crappy, rundown, godforsaken apartments or homes before you find THE ONE. In Japan, I saw many a hole in the wall and had little guidance in English before I settled on my tiny but cute place with a kind old lady landlord who was helped me translate the kanji on my bills. In LA, I looked at some hovels in Korea Town that were without parking ("Oh, you can pay $150 a month to park at the Ralph's a mile away.") before I found my gloriously large studio on the edge of WeHo. Sydney has proven no different. Let me tell you about a few gems I've seen.

I should also point out that rent prices in Sydney seem about comparable to NYC prices. It's that nuts. Also, rents are advertised on a per week basis. Why? Who knows. I find this particularly odd considering most companies in Australia pay monthly, not bi-weekly as in the states. Oh the great mysteries of life.

Anyway, I started my search on a couple of different sites... the equivalent of Craigslist that seemed suspect on many levels and a classier site with less options. Initially I was looking at moving in with randos. I figured that I didn't really care to furnish yet another apartment that I would eventually move out of and would have to sell every cute piece of furniture at pennies on the dollar. Also, aside from my family, I don't have a whole lot of friends in Sydney. Roomies can help in that area... or so I hear.

I picked a couple of neighborhoods to hunt through that various people had recommended. Everyone seems to have an opinion...

"Live in Glebe or Balmain... they're very cute artsy towns."

"Don't live in Balmain... the commute is long. Live in Darlinghurst or Surry Hills. You'll be close to all the nightlife"

"Don't live in the CBD (Central Business District)... you'll never leave. Live on the North Shore. It's beautiful and you'd have a short commute."

"Don't live on the North Shore. You'll be at the mercy of the ferries and public transit!"

Needless to say, this was all a bit confusing.

First apartment I checked out was in Glebe. I knew it was right near the shopping center my cousin had taken me to a few times, so that already seemed familiar. Armed with walking directions carefully written down from Google Maps (at this point, no printer and no smart phone. I know. Life's rough), I set off. Lemme just tell you something. I love working for Google and all but sometimes the walking directions for Maps are just plain AWFUL. I couldn't believe how lost I got finding this place. Thankfully there happened to be cute maps by a museum that helped me out. I got to the place a few minutes late but the building was nice enough, the unit itself was new, the girl living there and I got along really well, I'd have my own bathroom, she had a massive TV and classy furniture, and she seemed tidy. "Fantastic!," I thought. "First apartment I've looked at and I'm totally set!" Not so fast. I walked into what would be my bedroom. There was no way in hell my queen size bed and dresser would fit in that room. Big bummer. Some suggested that I sell my stuff and get smaller stuff. I didn't really see much logic then in having sent my stuff across an ocean. Let me also say that this place was $290 a week, just to give you a sense of what you get for your money.

I then went home and scoured sites and emailed people like there was no tomorrow. Sadly, I got very little response. However, one place in particular looked really cute online, was reasonably cheap ($245-265), and was in the gayborhood. Ah, yes. One visit away from having the search be over! I called up the occupant and was on my way 30 minutes later.

Wow. Ya. That's all I can say. Wow. I WISH I'd taken pictures because what I'm about to describe can really only be appreciated in real life.

So I get to this very Victorian looking place. Promising. Already looks cute from the street. The gregarious Kiwi occupant invited me and showed me around. What I noticed immediately was that this Victorian style home had clearly been gutted by someone who considered themselves an architect. Nothing of the original building remained inside. Quite sad, actually. The door to this place immediately opened into a tiny living room with a futon and a TV. "Sorry, it's a tad bit messy, my 2 roommates are moving out. Let's go upstairs."

Up one flight of industrial stairs, and the guy showed me a rather Japanese inspired bathroom - odd. "Since it's usually 2 guys and a girl here, we usually give the girl her own bathroom." Hmmm, well, that's a plus. He shows me the open room on this floor and while I THINK my furniture MIGHT fit into this room, he tells me that someone else has already claimed it.

Up another flight of industrial stairs and we're in the attic and the pricier room at $265 a week. "So you'll see you have a great view." The great view consisted of two skylights. The roof was also pitched at such an angle that there is no possible way my wonderful four post bed would fit. At this point, I'd already written the apartment off, but I let the kind man finish the tour.

Down we go, one, two, three flights of stairs into the basement. At this point you may be thinking "Hmm, does this place have a kitchen?" Ah, funny you should ask. The kitchen was in fact in the basement. But what was more amazing was what was truly the centerpiece of this flat. World's best architect built the centerpiece first and the rest of the apartment around. It was...

a teal
ceramic tiled
6 foot deep
hot tub.

Yes, a hot tub. In the middle of an apartment. "It costs us a ton of money to run it. Like $400 a month."

"Oh wow," I said.

"Ya, and the chemicals are a bit strong."

"Ya, I think I smell them."

"Ya, they have a funny way of wafting up to the other rooms. Oh, but by the way, your bathroom would be the one back there."

Um, okay. So these guys expect me to go from my room in the attic to the bathroom in the basement. Yes, that makes a ton of sense. I politely thanked the man and moved on. Sigh.

After that I saw a reasonable enough place in Surry Hills with two amiable guys. The room they had for me would fit my stuff. However, I'd have to share a bathroom. With a guy. Queenie put it well, "um, no. You've lived alone. You can't share a bathroom, let alone with a guy. It's bad. Do not do it." That place was also $275 a week. Are you understanding how little you get here now for your money? $275 a week and I don't even get my own bathroom. Sigh.

Finally, this past weekend I checked out a place on the north shore in the cute (and fairly affluent) neighborhood of Neutral Bay that belongs to my cousin's friend. I'd already heard the price of the place and thought it was out of my budget but figured I'd go along because it'd be polite.

I took a seven minute bus ride across the Harbor Bridge and found the place. As I walked in, I immediately thought "Oh riiiiight. You LOVE living alone." haha. Well, the unit is a very cute 2 bedroom, 1 bath apartment in an older apartment building. The owner had recently remodeled the bathroom and kitchen and they looked great. Also, the place is fairly furnished. I was in love. She then proceeded to drive me around the neighborhood where I noticed all kinds of cute shops and restaurants.

Once I got back to my hotel, I immediately started building out a detailed spreadsheet to figure out if I could afford this place. Well, it looked as though I could given I wouldn't be paying for a car and I also get some lovely benefits from Google that would offset some fees.

Long story short (who am I kidding, it's a bit late for that), I verbally agreed to this place this morning. Yay! Not sure exactly when I'm moving in just yet, but I will have a second bedroom - perfect for all of my eventual visitors. So come on down, south of the equator, everyone!

Whew, okay, it's after midnight. I need sleep. And FYI, I didn't reread this, so I expect typos gallooooore!

Also, my phone finally got activated today (yahoo!) and I should have a US number soon that you'll be able to call and text me on.

Nighty night! :)

I'd say my adjustment to Australia has been very good. I don't know if it's that things are somewhat familiar, that technology has improved, or that I jumped into my job immediately, but the transition thus far has proven much smoother than my Fulbright year. I haven't gotten too homesick just yet. TV shows seem to help a bunch (Thanks Forrest, there's been a whole lotta Sex and the City lately... Sorry, Karen, I know that's a sore subject, haha). Webcam dates with some of my favorite people also help. All that to say that this weekend in particular made me aware that being 15.5 hours away from the west coast has some serious disadvantages.

A good many of you readers out there know that I went with my family to see my grandparents just before I flew to Sydney. I feared the inevitable truth that it was possible for them to pass on while I was gone and it'd be entirely probable that I wouldn't be able to return very quickly. It was a nice visit, short, but I was grateful to see them both.

However, what many of you don't know that my grandfather passed away while I was mid-flight. In a perfect world, I would have been able to hop on a plane to fly back and be near my family, but given that I only JUST started work, it was a bit tough to say, "Hi, thanks for bringing me out here and putting me up. I'm going to be leaving now." The service was held this weekend and I wish I could have been there to say goodbye.

Because my life is so topsy-turvy at the moment (the only consistent routine I've developed thus far is the 8 or so hours I'm at work and my weekly shopping trip with my cousin), it's really hard to sort through my feelings. I'm sad about my grandpa, but it's not completely realized grief because my life doesn't really feel like my own right now... if that makes sense (I'll go ahead and pretend it does). It's a bit of an out-of-body experience, for lack of a better description. I get up, go through the motions of my day, and that's about it. I don't feel too settled since I'm living out of a hotel room and I don't have a firm circle of friends at this point. Anyway, missing the service this weekend only put into perspective how far away I am from the familiar people and places I love. It would have been nice to be around people who know me and would help me grieve. It's kinda hard to say to people you've only just met, "Hi, can I have a hug?"

Of course, being far away means I'll miss lots of birthdays and traditions. It's really odd for me not to have dinner and TV with Forrest on Wednesdays, to miss watching the NBA playoffs with my favorite Laker fans, and to not go to happy hours and Father's Office with work people. That stuff kinda pales in comparison to missing my grandfather's service, but you get the idea.

Don't get me wrong... Sydney and Google are lovely and I'm grateful for the opportunities and the experiences I'll have here. Everyone has gone out of their way to help me find a place. I just sometimes wish I could pop home a little easier.

Sorry this post is kind of a downer... just felt like getting my thoughts down.

I'd been forewarned that the learning curve at Google is steep. Those people weren't kidding.

After completing nearly two weeks at my new job (I had the pleasure of having Monday off for ANZAC day), some things have gotten clearer:

-I now understand how to find most my way to most of the conference rooms on my floor.

-I should avoid the micro kitchens as much as possible because new, not-good-for-me snacks get placed there regularly. For instance, today there were FULL SIZE Cadbury Caramello bars. Like bars, with the surface area of a brick! That isn't a SNACK! Also, these things labeled "Bliss Ball Chocolate Orange" showed up. They look like over-sized chocolate golf balls, rolled in coconut. Iwillnotgetfatworkingatgoogle. I'm just going to repeat that as a mantra.

-I know how to take a screenshot using a Mac now. I needed to google to figure it out though.

-I set up a network printer and shared drives.

I have to take these small wins and appreciate them because, really, there is SO MUCH TO LEARN. People have told me that I won't feel comfortable until six months in... and then at a year, I'll think back to the six month mark and realize how little I actually knew. I have a product knowledge test in 4 weeks or so that I feel woefully behind in preparing for. Perhaps I'll study this weekend...

That said, it's incredible to me how nice and helpful my coworkers are. Everyone has a friendly opinion about where I should live, where I should bank, or how I should travel. The office feels very collaborative, which is nice. I've generally been leaving work at 6:30 or so. People tell me to go home. Today, one person stopped and said "You always leave late. You should stop that." I replied, "I don't know, I guess I'm just so used to staying at work until 7 or 7:30... old habits die hard." Her eyes got big with amazement and she said, "Ya, no, you have to stop that. We don't do that here." How refreshing...

I had my first client meeting today, which was pretty interesting. It was essentially a brainstorming session with a bunch of tourism board heads. Gave me a good sense of how different the online market is here compared to the US. Very eye-opening. I didn't say much during the meeting as I didn't feel prepared to have a meaningful discussion about their challenges. However, at lunch, I talked with one of the heads about Facebook, Twitter, and FourSquare marketing, particularly how it's worked in the states. He seemed to appreciate my thoughts. Small win for me!

Anyway, I'll leave you with a couple of pictures. I've already been berated on Facebook for them, so my apologies if these aren't new to you. I'll work on snagging some more soon! :)

The view from my desk:



Life's rough, I know.

My favorite conference room. It's called "Down Under" and the title is even upside down on the door. When I got my tour, I was told that the furniture has never fallen:



That's it for now. Time to look for more apartments. For the record, I HATE apartment hunting. But I suppose that's a story for another blog entry...

Bye!