Out and About in Melbourne

So as much as it sounds like all we did on our Melbourne trip was sit around, enjoy cocktails and feed swans, we actually did leave the house and see some of this exciting city.  Here are a few of the things we did:

Southbank Promenade:
One sunny afternoon, we headed down to the Southbank Promenade for lunch and a stroll.  The riverwalk is adjacent to Melbourne's CBD (central business district) along the Yarra River and is home to many restaurants, pubs and street performers.  We stopped to watch a comedian/magician and two guys doing the whole throw swords while on stilts kind of thing.  The kids were of course enthralled, after the second one, us adults were admittedly itching to move on!

We had a great meal at the World Restaurant & Bar (seriously, I cannot get enough of the Fish & Chips in this country) and sampled some James Squire beer.  It was a delightful lunch with our delightful companions!

 

Werribee Mansion and Park:
Located just a few minutes from our friends' house, Werribee Mansion is a 19th century Victorian mansion built by the Chirnside Family and now open to the public for tours.  With over 60 rooms, many of the family's original items such as furniture and clothing are on display.  The most interesting yet disturbing room was the billiards room.  It displayed many of the family hunting trophies, notably rugs made out of tiger, jaguar and lion, a stuffed dog, a hippo head end table and a rhino foot stool.  As you can imagine, Sophia was horrified.  Really, really horrified. 

The grounds of the park were beautiful, and the kids all enjoyed running free.  We wandered through the Victoria State Rose Garden and circled the Italian Grotto (the signs warning of snakes freaked me out of course!).  Many people were around, busy setting up for what we found out was a beer festival scheduled for the next day.  Alas, we couldn't attend, but were still impressed with what looked to be a great event!

 

Shadowfax Winery
Also located in Werribee Park is the Shadowfax Winery.  Deb had never been there, so we stopped on our way back to the house (obviously that's the ONLY reason we stopped).  The winery had a really lovely lawn complete with bocce, picnic tables and ample shade.  We didn't stay for long though, so just opted for a tasting inside.  The winery also has a restaurant with an impressive menu - I have a feeling there will be a girls lunch in Deb's future! 

Jason wasn't thrilled with the wine, but as usual, I seemed to like everything I tasted.  I have never pretended to be some wine conneisseur.  It always amazes me that there is a bucket for spitting out or throwing your wine away - what a waste!  The only negative I could find about the place was that it was named for a horse in "Lord of the Rings"...possibly the worst movie ever made.   Well at least I think it is, I couldn't get through the whole thing.  The kids sat at a table and chatted the entire time, drinking water the staff offered them.  Love those kids.

Melbourne Zoo

Of COURSE we had to go to the Melbourne Zoo.  Sophia's life would not be complete without visiting every zoo on the face of the Earth.   Highlights of the zoo included the always adorable Meerkats, the Asian Elephant Trail (Sophia especially loved the baby elephant), Wild Sea exhibit and the Orangutan Sanctuary.  But by far the coolest moment of the day was the HUGE brown bear.  When we walked up to his habitat he was standing about 30 feet away in an alcove in the rocks stretching tall.  I swear he looked over at us immediately (Sophia to be exact, she was the first to get there) and headed straight for us.  He came up right to the wall like he was a dog.  It was CRAZY!  I will never forget that big guy.  After spending a couple of hours, we capped off the trip with the required ice cream for all!

Williamstown
Another interesting spot Deb and John took us to was Williamstown.  Originally Melbourne's first sea port, it has recently been renovated into a popular family and tourist destination.  Surrounded on three sides by water, the main street is lined with shops, restaurants and bars.  The adults sat down at an outside table and enjoyed a beer and a chat, while the kids ran and played at the playground across the street.  Before we headed out the kids got yet another ice cream and I eyed up some clothes at a cute boutique, but ultimately resisted the urge.  We didn't have time, but any potential visitors take note - there is a railway museum located in North Williamstown as well as the HMAS Castlemaine, a restored warship, available for touring at Gem Pier.  And on the third Sunday of every month, there is a 100-stall craft market open from 10am-4pm.  Lots to do!

Melbourne Cricket Ground
No visit to Melbourne, especially during the Christmas season, would be complete without a visit to the Melbourne Cricket Grounds for a Boxing Day Test Match.  This year, Australia faced off against Sri Lanka and Jason wasn't about to miss an opportunity to check out the event.  Part cricket match, part fraternity party, Boxing Day was a "boy's only" event during this visit, and John and Jason were joined by John's brother, Tom, and their friend Graham.  Australia played very well, as they both bowled and batted on the first day of the match (very uncommon, apparently).  Jason ate the obligatory "meat pie", drank pints of mid-strength, participated in the wave (booing at the MCG Club section) and actually managed to squeeze in some time to learn a bit about the game.  By the looks of John and Jason upon returning home, however, it was obvious the meat pie and mid-strengths were the top priority.

Campbell's Cove 

Finally, as our time wound down in Melbourne, and we prepared to leave Australia and our friends behind, we visited a lesser known area of Melbourne called Campbell's Cove.  Only a short drive from John and Deb's house, and just a few miles from Werribee Mansion, Campbell's Cove is a small coastal area on the Port Phillip Bay, and is apparently recognized as Melbourne's "first nude beach".  Honestly, we stopped because Deb thought the houses were interesting, and she didn't even know it was "clothing optional" (yeah right).  She was right though, it truly is a fascinating little area.  The coast is dotted with small shacks, nearly one on top of another, with the sand and surf just a few feet away.  We didn't stay very long, as the "wildlife" quickly showed itself (and I mean, "showed itself").  Luckily the kids stayed in the car as we walked down to the beach, so only the adults were exposed to the show.

 

So that's it for Melbourne, folks!  Until next time...thanks for the memories Deb and John!



Making Memories in Melbourne

Many years ago (AKA many wrinkles ago)

My friends, this is looooong overdue.  I seem to go through phases with my writing -  I write a lot, then take a long break.  It's really like everything else in my life and it's always been like that - all or nothing.  I'm 40 and it's never going to change.   So I apologize in advance for all future erratic posting!

In 2003, Jason and I moved from our small rented rowhome in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, to our first purchased home in the Philadelphia suburb of West Chester.  Whenever you move into a new home you cross your fingers and hope you win the big gamble - your neighbors.  In this case, we hit the jackpot.  Some friendships are just meant to be, and we became fast friends with Aussies Debra, John and their young son, Josh. Sophia was born just three months after we moved in, and as it turns out, Deb and I took turns being pregnant for the next two years.  Deb with her son, Ryan, and then me with Cooper.  Can't a couple of fun ladies share a bottle of wine!!??   It was torture I say!  (like pregnancy isn't torture enough)

The townhouse where it all began!

So for four years, we traded weekend nights at our respective homes, shared many holidays and get togethers with them and their gaggle of international friends (with a few random Americans thrown in - it was quite a group!) and even vacationed together in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  Life was good (and even better when Deb would come home late from her retail job and knock on my walkout basement door with a bottle of wine and two glasses, thus relieving me from my late night sewing).

Alas, we moved a little farther away from West Chester and eventually they returned to their home city of Melbourne.  We've kept in touch via Facebook but admittedly that is all.  An actual visit to Australia was something that seemed so far out of reach, but sometimes it's just funny where life takes you...

So fast forward to this year.  We were too far from home to spend Christmas with our actual families, so what better time to visit friends (who feel like family) in a country we've always wanted to see?  So the plans were made to spend Christmas in Melbourne.

A very popular pasttime!

After a wonderful four days in Sydney, we took the short flight to Melbourne (and you must pronounce it "MELBUN" or the locals will look at you like you have one eye) and drove our rental car out to their resort neighborhood of Sanctuary Lakes in Point Cook (about 20 min from the airport, and Jason was thankfully a much better driver at this point in the trip).   The neighborhood gave off a lovely first impression, highlighted by a large lake and golf course with an eclectic mix of homes.  This would definitely be a nice place to spend ten days!  When we arrived at their house (with Josh and Ryan in the driveway awaiting our arrival!) it just got better.  Their home was situated right on the water, with a large outdoor patio area, both covered and uncovered.  The kids were delighted to find a trampoline, basketball net and most of all...a ton of black swans, ducks and a couple of pelicans. 

 

 

Feeding the swans and ducks became a daily occurrence, actually more like several times a day.  And I admit I took part in many of these feedings. How often can you feed a black swan right out of your hand?  Thank goodness Deb is the most prepared and organized person I know - she had a never ending supply of bread in her freezer!  

We arrived on December 23, and spent the first day just reconnecting and relaxing.  We felt no urgent need to get out and see much of Melbourne, instead we really just wanted to hang out and enjoy being together.  The kids just played and played, we barely heard a sound out of them (the entire 10 days).  Even though Cooper didn't remember them at all, you never would have known by how they all got along, and even though they ranged in age between 7-12, everyone found plenty in common (Minecraft for Cooper and Ryan - of course).

Yes, we were quite "happy" at this point!

You may be wondering when I'm going to get around to talking about Melbourne, but honestly that's the least important thing on my mind now.  The best part of visiting the Vogers - their friends and family!!  I got to hang out with one of my favorite people - Deb's mom Barbara!  This chic lady not only has a knack for great conversation and great shoes, but she also showed up with the world's biggest water guns as gifts for every child.   Best part about that - they couldn't fit into our luggage -  tons of fun for future Voger guests and none of the hassle for us!

We also got to spend time with Deb's dad, Ray, sister Michelle, her son, Sean, and her boyfriend, Geoff.  And let's not forget about Aunt Pat!  What a demure, shy lady from the outside, but once you got talking to her....quite the firecracker!  Who doesn't love hearing about the shenanigans at the local assisted living facility!? So between the family members and the special kangaroo and koala stockings Deb and John bought for us...we were right at home.  A special shoutout also goes to John's dad, Slavko, for being a good sport about the silly hat we made him wear at Christmas dinner.

Geoff, Slavko, John, Deb, Michelle, Sean
Jason, Barbara, Ray and Pat

Cooper, Josh, Ryan and Sophia
(Love the shirt choice Coops!)

Speaking of Christmas dinner, neither Deb nor I had ever made stuffing before (real stuffing, not Stovetop...because that would be a travesty at such a special meal).  So we embarked on the great stuffing experiment.  And I must say it was the greatest stuffing ever made.  It all comes down to one ingredient - BACON.

Jah, Pania, me and Deb

And as usual, there was no shortage of friends at the Voger house.  Pania, Jah and Owen (and their daughter Narissa) joined us for a very fun New Year's Eve (gotta love discovering the pics on the phone the next morning, I'm still trying to figure out who hijacked my phone), and came back for an equally fun New Year's Day!  Card games, dice games, pool games, dart games...anyone see a theme here?  The biggest surprise was the New Year's Eve neighborhood fireworks - a fitting end to a fantastic evening (well it was the end for the kids, us adults kept it going for quite a while longer).

Our hangout for most of the day.

 

At least we got some exercise!

 

One of the more amusing moments was our New Year's Day breakfast.  We were woken up by all of the kids offering us a menu.  They had spent the early morning hours planning, typing and printing quite the comprehensive menu for us - check it out!  My selection was a grilled cheese sandwich.  The best value was definitely the prawn platter for five cents!  Even little Narissa got involved in the food preparation, and believe it or not, someone really did order the pasta bolognese (nice work on the spelling kids!).


So after drinking almost the entire Voger inventory of wine and beer (including John's homebrews), it was time to go home and regenerate some liver cells (and begin "no wine January" for me).   We had a lovely time in Melbourne, but more importantly we renewed our friendship with great people.  Hopefully they will make it to Singapore, but even if they don't, rest assured, we will be back to visit them! 


Next post - proof that we just didn't sit around drinking the entire time.  All about some of the fun things we did in Melbourne!

See you next time, Voger Family!  Miss you already!

Goodbye Dragon...Hello Snake!

On Sunday, February 10, we said goodbye to the year of the dragon and hello to the year of the snake.  In my case, or anyone else who's a "Tiger", this wasn't necessarily a good thing... but more on that later.

While living in the US, I was aware that the Chinese New Year (CNY) did not coincide with the traditional January 1 New Year's I had always known.  I knew there was no countdown or Big Apple drop in Times Square, (or pickle drop if you're from Dillsburg, PA).  No New Year's Day full of college football bowl games.  And sadly, no Mummers parade!

To be honest, I really had no clue what CNY entailed, or what its significance was.  Living in Singapore, I have now only just scratched the surface of what it means to the Chinese community, but I figured I would share what I've learned.....because it's really quite interesting.  (Disclaimer - I've been lucky to be inundated with information about Chinese New Year, as well as guidance and suggestions for what I should and shouldn't do for Chinese New Year from local co-workers - but I fully expect I will misrepresent something in what follows.  If I have, I don't mean to be disrepectful, so please don't hold it against me!)

To begin - the basics.  Chinese New Year is celebrated on the first day of the Lunar New Year, which is why it shifts a few days or weeks each year.  Its literal translation is "Spring Festival" and New Year's Day marks the first day of a fifteen-day festival - the longest on the Chinese calendar.  Each day of the fesitval has meaning, and most are associated with family visits and/or prayer to various deities.

Box of Oranges and Red Envelopes

But even before you get to New Year's Day and the 15 days of festival that follows, there are various actions one should perform to prepare for a year of prosperity, good fortune and happiness.  Luckily, two colleagues in the office have patiently educated me on the traditions, practices, cuisine etc. surrounding most Chinese holidays, and CNY is no exception.

In the weeks leading up to the new year, local shops - in particular in Chinatown - promote items to recognize and celebrate CNY.  These include baskets, lanterns, mandarin orange "bushes" and other decorations for the home.  Shops also begin to sell fresh mandarin oranges, which are meant to be presented in pairs to colleagues or friends when visiting and celebrating.  (Don't offer one as it's disrespectful, and don't offer four, as the word "four" in Chinese sounds a lot like "death".)  Decorative red envelopes are also a common sight.  Like many Chinese celebrations, these envelopes are used to present gifts of cash - also to be given in even number denominations.

And when the final few days before the big day roll around, things get serious... and here are a few examples that I found interesting:

• About a week before CNY, you should wear red clothing to work or school. 
• About five days before CNY it is good luck to make a deposit to your bank account. 
• In the last few days prior to CNY, families spend a significant amount of time cleaning their home, sweeping away any bad omens to make way for good luck and fortune.
• On New Year's Eve, you should eat fish and firecrackers are usually lit to chase away evil spirits, again in order to prepare the home for good luck and fortune. (Damn...just remembered that Jason and I went out to dinner that night and both ate beef.  But it was really good.)

Once New Year's Day arrives (also known as the "first day") families reunite, most often honoring elders by paying them a visit.  On this first day, it is important that all the mops, brooms, etc that were used to clean the home be neatly put away, and one should not wash their hair (Thanks for the heads up, Jason. My clean hair will curse me!).  Both are precautions to ensure you don't accidently wash or sweep away the good luck and fortune that has come your way on New Year's Day. 

On the "second day" families continue to visit with elders and traditionally this day is when daughters would visit their parents (whereas the first day consisted of visits to the husband's family).  Interestingly, the second day is thought by some to be the birth day of all dogs - and as such they are offered special treats.  Ironically, this year, our beloved Jessie turned twelve years old on that day, and she was absolutely spoiled with treats!

The third day is often the last day recognized as part of the "holiday", and the final day that businesses are closed.  It is associated with "the god of blazing wrath" and it is typically viewed as bad luck to have guests or to visit others.  I say typically, because Jennifer, the kids, and I were invited to my bosses house with other colleagues (nearly all of Chinese descent) on the third day.  So far, I have not felt any "blazing wrath".

Yusheng - before mixed together

Today, the fifth day, I joined my colleagues for another celebratory lunch in Tiong Bahru, one of Singapore's oldest housing estates.  We had a very traditional CNY meal consisting of bee hoon crab, roasted chicken, abalone, whole fish, sea cucumber, cereal prawn, shark fin soup and Yusheng - a Singapore creation of shaved vegetables and raw fish, with a honey based dressing.   (Note, these pictures are representative of our meal, but admittedly, I borrowed them from google images as I didn't snap pictures throughout our meal.)

Shark Fin Soup

Though Sophia was not real happy with my eating shark fin soup, it was really quite good, and most of the other items I have eaten before.  Bee hoon is essentially an asian take on angel hair pasta, and the chicken and whole fish are pretty self explanatory.  The cereal crusted prawn was quite good, though it was not shelled - and you had to be careful not to eat a head, though even they weren't too bad as long as you didn't get an eye stuck in your teeth.


I had never tried the abalone (a variety of sea snail) or sea cucumber, and honestly, I don't know that I ever need to try them again.  The abalone was actually much better then I anticipated, but the jelatanous texture of the sea cucumber was pretty much exactly what I thought it would be.....blah!

Abalone and Sea Cucumber

Bee Hoon Crab

After a few toasts to everyone's health, good fortune and a prosperous year of the snake, we concluded dinner with a very nice apple, pear and grape dessert before heading back to the office for the remainder of the day.

Now...I mentioned when I began this post that the coming year of the snake was not neccessarily a good thing for me.  That is because my Chinese astrology animal, the tiger, is in indirect conflict with Tai Sui - believed to be in charge of the world's affairs, good fortune, etc.  In other words, my Chinese Horoscope for the entire year is crappy.  If you haven't already, find out what your Chinese Astrology Animal is, and what the year of the snake has in store for you. (Oh boy, I looked it up and Cooper and I have a direct conflict next year!  He is a rooster and I am a rat.  Save your comments please.)

Luckily, my Chinese tradition advisers (co-workers), have informed me that something can be done about this conflict and potential bad fortune through a series of temple visits, prayers and feng shui... so stay tuned for next week's post if you want to hear more about it!

Meet the Newest Member of our Family...

We added a new member to the Ludt family in Singapore today....but to explain how it came to be, I have to go back a few months.

War Memorial Park

One afternoon this past October, Jennifer, the kids and I were on our way to Marina Bay to walk around the harbor, enjoy a fruit popsicle by the Merlion and ultimately take a ride on the Singapore Flyer.  On our way, we made several stops on what turned out to be a day full of art, culture and history.

First, we visited the famed Raffles Hotel (we still have yet to have a drink at the Long Bar), a large British colonial style hotel, arguably one of Singapore's most well known icons.  Next, we stopped by War Memorial Park, built in 1967 to honor the Singapore civilians who were killed during World War II by the Japanese.  At the park, Sophia and Cooper impressed Jennifer and I with their ability to read part of the war memorial plaque written in Chinese characters (I guess the hour of Mandarin a day is actually paying off!).

Raffles Hotel

Our final stop before heading to the Singapore Flyer was the Esplanade Mall, a durian-inspired building (it is the "King of Fruits", afterall) that houses retail shopping as well as a concert hall, a theatre and various other art and performing arts venues.  The Indian holiday, Deepavali, had just passed and Sophia and Cooper were quick to spot a Kolam outside - a geometric drawing made of colored rice, believed to help bring wealth and prosperity.   

Kolam outside Esplanade

After Sophia and Cooper educated us on the Kolam, we walked inside the Esplanade, where we (unknowingly) met our newest family member.  The Esplanade was celebrating its 10th Anniversary by displaying a large piece of artwork on the thirteen steps that greet visitors entering the building.  The artwork, comprised of about two hundred resin cat and dog statues, was designed and created by Singaporean sculptor, Chua Boon Kee, and called 《猫狗的事，政府管了，我们也管》 - or -  "In the Affair of Cats & Dogs, the Government's Involved and So Shall We".

Officially, the art is described as "promoting a proactive spirit in the community" and is in response to a light-hearted comment made by Singapore's Prime Minister stating, "the minister should not be doing everything, including culling cats and saving dogs."

For us, the statues were interesting, unique and cute.  We spent some time trying to explain our perception of the artist's intent to the kids (be responsible for yourself - don't expect someone else to take care of you) - but at the end of the day, it was art.  We respected and agreed with the sentiment, but mostly we thought the dogs were adorable, regardless of the intended message.  A small sign provided details on the artist, his inspiration and a note about the possibility of "adopting" one of the sculptures by making a donation to the Esplanade.

The next day, I called the Esplanade to inquire about donations and adoption.  We really did like the art and were interested in making a donation, but the $2,000 price tag was a little steep (OK, REALLY steep).  The kids were upset we weren't going to adopt a new dog (statue) but understood how expensive it was and forgot about it.  Later that week, I came across an article about Chua Boon Kee, and an opportunity to receive a dog or cat statue directly from the artist by writing a personal letter describing why we wanted one of his sculptures.

I figured, "Why not?" and wrote a brief note (Jen:  Brief?  When are you ever brief ?  You could make a great politician, except you're too honest.)  describing our move from the US, our love of dogs and how much we all liked the art.  I had almost forgotten about the letter and artwork when I received a call from the Esplanade on Tuesday evening this week - nearly three months later.  Like our children's Chinese instruction, my marketing know-how (BS writing style...call it what it is) paid off, and we had been selected to receive a dog statue - for free!

Today, Jennifer and I once again headed to the Esplanade - this time to meet with staff at the exhibit office and collect our adopted dog.  As you can see by the attached pictures, there were about 10 different styles of dogs making up the exhibit.  While the opportunity to own a unique piece of art - something that would forever remind us of our time in Singapore - was great, I'd be lying if I said we didn't have a favorite style / breed of dog from among those that made up the exhibit.  Sure, the Shar Peis, Daschunds, Beagles and Huskies were cute - but the Jack Russell style sculpture was by far a favorite for the kids, Jennifer and I.

After waiting a few anxious moments for the staff to meet us at the Esplanade office, we were led to a small meeting area, where, standing on the table before us was our very own Jack Russell statue.  We were so excited and couldn't wait to get him home to show the kids.  We had almost forgotten he was a piece of art and were about to pick him up and carry him out of the building with us, like he was our pet....when the staff helped us wrap and pack him safely in a box for transport home.

Once we were home with the kids, we slowly unpacked the statue and the kids were ecstatic (we pretended we didn't know which one they had given us).  Next up, two very difficult decisions....where to display him and what to name him!

So - we're pleased to introduce the newest member of the Ludt family in Singapore - Red (Red Rover).