Turns out I should have asked

After our trip to the Virgin Megastore, we went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. I wasn't too hungry, so I wanted to order something along the lines of vegetable tempura (which I realize is Japanese, but I figured they'd have something that was similar). The vegetarian menu had two choices that looked good: Fried mixed vegetables and Fried fresh vegetables. I didn't ask what the difference was.

Well, I should have. The fried fresh vegetables, which is what I ended up ordering, was a huge mound of broccoli that apparently had been steamed and then bathed in oil. The mound consisted almost entirely of broccoli leaves and stalks. I saw two florets (this is what I think the top part with the little green beads is called) in the pile. Needless to say, I was glad Kate had extra fried rice, and I was especially glad I wasn't very hungry.

So I learned: be sure to ask. If you don't, you might end up with seven servings worth of broccoli leaves bathed in oil for dinner. Yuck.

We Love Australia!

I don't have time to describe all of our adventures so far, because I have no idea how much this session at the Internet station will cost. Here's the highlights of the last few hours. We happened upon the Reserve Bank of Australia (the equivalent of our Fed) just before the Currency Museum was to close. But when I told the guard about my job, he was enthusiastic and helpful and gave us a private tour of the museum, and then, and then!!, before we left, he showed us some of the currency and coin he has in his own collection. (He had some of it with him because some friends of his from Minnesota were going to come by to see it, but they didn't show.) Once he was done showing us, he actually gave us some of it!!

At the Virgin Megastore, I was ordering a copy of what's supposed to be a classic Australia pop/punk album from the '80s, called Born Sandy Devotional. The "teller" asked us where in the States we were from, and when Kate said, "Ohio," he replied with "Oh, I've been there." Later, he asked, "Which state is where Disneyland is?" "California," we replied. "Oh, then I haven't been to Ohio. What's in Ohio? Is that where Drew Carey's from?" "Yes." "OK!"

Australia!

When I graduated college, I said that I wanted to try and leave the United States every year. I spent parts of 2002 and 2003 in Japan, I went to England and Ireland for a short vacation in 2004, and in 2005 I moved to Berkeley for grad school. No, I don't consider moving to Berkeley leaving the country, but if you spend much time here, you will soon realize it is its own planet. In 2006, I spent a few days in Vancouver, BC, and tomorrow at 10:40 p.m., I get on a flight out of San Francisco International Airport. Fifteen hours later, I will be in Sydney Australia. I don't come back until the third of September.

So what will I be doing all that time? Here's the itinerary:

We don't actually get to Australia until September 10, at 6:20 a.m.! Yeah. We're going to explore that city for eight days, and then we're off to Melbourne for another nine. Then Cairns (to see the Reef, the rain forest, and to hit the beach), Alice Springs (for Ayers Rock and the Outback) and then it's back to Sydney for our flight home. We're also going to rent a car so we can drive to Ayers Rock and to other attractions. I am more than a little nervous about this, but so is my companion, Kate. And one reader did tell me that it's not as bad as you think, because the steering wheel is on the opposite side, too. But hey, it'll be an adventure, right? That's the whole point.

I don't know how much I'll be able to post while I'm gone. I'm sure there will be Internet cafes, but I make no promises, especially of pictures. Of course, once I get home (and out of bed), I'll post loads and loads and you'll be sick of hearing about my trip. So, my three loyal readers, please be patient with me and I'll be sure to keep you as entertained as possible from Oz.

One of my co-workers witnessed this in person.

And you can watch it here.

I think you'll like it, if you like Kevin Smith.