It's Been A While.

A long while.
I've been so busy. I'm so tired.
I just wanted to write this to say that I miss you all. I love being here SO much, but there are moments where I wish I could just get a hug from family or friends. And some cheese enchiladas.
We are going to hike in the Blue Mountains tomorrow. That's Australia's main mountain range. When people say "We're going to the snow" (and yes, they really say it like that, like it's a destination--I find it quite endearing), they usually mean somewhere in the Blue Mountains. It's going to be a 5 hour hike. Terrific adventure I'm sure. Did I mention it's getting really cold here? The weather is quite fickle though. Can't seem to make up its mind.

I saw Regina Spektor in concert last week. Oh yeaaaahhhhh. Be jealous. You should totally be jealous. Our seats were stage left in the second row. It was elevated above the stage (like a box seat) and when she played the piano, she was basically looking right at us. Oh, and did I mention it was at the Sydney Opera House? Oh yeaaaaaahhhh. Fantastic experience. She's so talented. And the drummer she brought along was excellent. He was actually part of the opening act, Jupiter One, who we actually met after the show. (Oh yeaaaaaaaahhh.) We were so hyped about just having seen Regina. They came out and this is how it went.
"OH MY GOSH HIIIII!"
"Hey guys!"
"WE'RE AMERICANSSS! WE'RE AMERICANS TOO!!!" (gestures and maybe some giddy jumping were most likely used at this time)
"Oh yah? Cool cool! Where are you guys from?"
April and I shouted over everyone, "TEXAS!"
"Oh we just came from Texas! Played at the Southwest by West (or something like that) festival. Best four days of my life!"
That's right. You heard him. Best four days of his life spent deep in the heart of Texas. Drink it up.

Now that I've got my Texas pride out, I'll tell you some of the differences here in a quick and incomplete list because, hey, I've got to sleep sometime.

1. They say heaps. A lot.
2. They add hey onto the end of sentences and at random times. For example: You're
going out tonight hey?
3. Oi is another way to get someone's attention.
4. Mcdonald's = Macca's
5. The bacon is more like ham, but still delicious.
6. The accent. We may both speak English, but it's not always comprehensible.
7. Football. They don't wear pads here.
8. The seasons. In case some of you haven't caught on yet, I'm in the southern
hemisphere right now, and it's getting cold.
9. Biscuits. They're not a breakfast food, and they are not good with gravy or bacon. You know why? Because they're cookies. Cookies = Biscuits. They don't even really have biscuits here. They have scones (which are quite good).
10. Not only do they drive on the left side of the road, they prefer to walk on the left side as well. For the first time last week, I did this without thinking.
11. The lack of Mexican food. Like what the heck? As funny as this is, this is one of the things that makes me recognize that Australia is NOT America. Yes, it's been quite Americanized, but that does not mean it will ever border Mexico, or have a large Hispanic population.
12. Internal heating. Most places don't have it, including my room. My room also has an open fireplace and chimney, that I can't use.
13. Thrift stores. They're called op shops. Or salvos.
14. Trees. They're mostly not deciduous. They have some eucalyptus ones that remind me of mesquite trees, without the thorns, and a lot taller. They're also good for making confetti (too hard to explain, but quite fun).
15. Politics. No specific party is ingrained and integrated into their Christianity, which is how it should be.

Let's talk about indigenous peoples. We've been focusing a lot of attention on the Australian Aboriginals, but have you thought about our indigenous peoples? I think we need to re examine how they are treated by culture, the government, and the church. Robert Twiss-One Church Many Tribes. Read it.

Love you. Miss you.