One Year in Hobart

We've done it! We came up on our one year "Hobartversary" as Gavin put it. Here are some random notes on the last year:

1. We LOVED all the visitors - and welcome more of course
2. Still not loving the warm weather at Xmas idea - I need snowmen, mittens, and hot chocolate to feel festive; not BBQs, sunnies, and cold beers.
   
3. Coffee is good here, and not monopolized
   
4. Beer can be good - you just have to know where to look
5. Wine is great, particularly Pinot Noir and the whites in general
   
6. Tasmania has great fresh produce...I wish it was utilized more in restaurant meals - tired of seeing meat, mash, and breaded in the descriptions
7. Craft stores are few and far between...I long for a Michael's, JoAnne's, and Ben Franklin
8. There are many outdoor adventures to be had... although winter puts a damper on activities (even more than in Seattle)
9. Kayaking has become a new favorite that we will pursue more now that the weather is turning
10. Limitations because of the smallness of Hobart can be very frustrating
11. The job market sucks here - as it does everywhere (particularly hard because Hobart is small, and being new without connections)
    
12. We have met some amazing and wonderful people!
13. The cat's have adjusted well. Enjoying lizard hunting and sunbathing when possible
14. It rains more here than Seattle (although this winter has been over the top apparently)
15. The music scene is good - especially if you want bluegrass or folk
16. We miss Seattle and our family/friends terribly
    
17. We have alot of this island still to explore
    

Your Nan's Version of Baby Got Back

Gavin and I ventured to North Hobart this afternoon for the Hot Jazz Festival, put on for free by a few of the neighborhood's bars and cafes. Luckily the rain took a break today, and we were able to stroll to the venues without taking a second shower.

We started off at The Crescent - a cozy, aged pub. The first band was just finishing as we got there (Angela Bryan Quartet). The next band was why we stopped there- self described as New Orleans/Dixieland, I though they would be fun and get us energized for our next stops. The lead guy (trombone) sang a few of the songs.... I pictured him being a hit on karaoke night at the senior center. The musicians were really good though- clarinet and trumpet especially. He sang one song called Sweet Patootie (Not Fats Domino), he apologized for the rude lyrics (which made Gav and I both giggle). The song was basically, Baby Got Back but more to your grandma's taste :) It even references the woman's dimensions- big breasts, tiny in the hips, and then a big nice bum (I can't remember the exact lyrics). I couldn't keep the grin off my face as I looked around to all these ladies tapping their toes and sipping their wine spritzers.

Next we went to the Republic Bar (a place we have frequented). We ate a super tasty lunch consisting of a Lebanese platter (falafel, hummus, beetroot dip, tabouleh, etc) and a Sri Lanken beef curry pie. YUMMY!!! The band that was up was called Royal Jelly, and featured the clarinet player from the last band (remember that Hobart is small). They were really talented young guys, and we stuck around for a few songs after we finished our meal.

On to a cafe called Onba, a place I have passed a hundred times but have never ventured in. Now, I seriously regret that. The smell of fabulous coffee and delicious chocolate treats hits as soon as you open the door. We made our way upstairs to the cozy music lounge, complete with plush chairs and ottomans all around. It was of course standing room only- in fact we didn't make it to the top, we stood on the stairs. The band, Cardinal Swing (gypsy jazz), was sounding pretty awesome. I think we wished we would have made it there sooner because we only got to hear one song from them before they gave up the stage. Now we have someone to look out for in the gig guide.

We tried a couple other places on our way back to the car- places were definitely filling up for the evening, and neither one of us much in the mood for crowd wrestling. So, we headed home. Nice music, and tasty lunch...today has whet my appetite for spring an summer to come with all of its music fests and outdoor dining!!! Come on summer, weeeeee're waiting!

Coffee Culture vs. Cafe Culture

On Friday, I sat outside at a cafe and enjoyed a delicious turkey sandwich and a soy latte. As I sat by myself watching all the people hustle back to work, kids chase pigeons (no, I don't feel bad for the birds), and other cafe goers, I started comparing this experience to coffee drinking in Seattle.

I currently live in a city that *gasp* doesn't have a single Starbucks (the entire state actually)! Now, this isn't a bad thing at all, when living in Seattle I mostly avoided Starbucks and opted for the neighborhood cafe (Java Bean or Besalu).

Here in Hobart we have much more of the European style cafes with outdoor seating, small tucked away tables inside, and tasty treats to share with your coffee. This is not to say we don't have the chains - we have a few that are somewhat like Starbucks, but not quite. I really like going to get coffee here - at the cafe just down from our house, the guys remember me... and Gavin gets the same welcoming treatment at the cafe he frequents near work. This comfort and familiarity is amazing!

I recently heard that Starbucks has started to open up Starbucks shops in disguise as "neighborhood cafes". This did not sit with me well. The whole reason why neighborhood cafes are good is that you know the person serving you is probably the owner or at least has more invested in the job than the resulting paycheck- they work hard and actually care that they serve a quality product. This is absolutely not to say that everyone working at Starbucks are uncaring robots- hey I worked at a Barnes and Noble Starbucks while in high school and I loved it. My manager was passionate about her job (almost to a fault), and she taught me how to make an excellent latte if I do say so myself. And almost every year I buy my mom the Christmas blend because its her favorite (and the rest of the year she is happy with her folgers) :) .

Ok, enough of that. Tomorrow, lunch and coffee at Magnolia Cafe - Smoked salmon , capers, and cream cheese bagel and a soy latte.

Winter and Other Things

OK, well it's August and it is cold... I am still trying to wrap my head around this temperature/month switcheroo!
Some random things:

1. I am actually excited about seeing baseball and football highlights on the sports news - weird yes, but rugby and cricket can only take you so far
2. I love how cold and windy it has been lately
3. I am reading Alice and Wonderland, and it is really good
4. Saw Coraline the other day, I think the book was better but I am not sure, hmmmm
5. Gingerbread men and elephants in July = happy tummy
6. Crocheting is a great habit/hobby that I have rediscovered... now to just complete projects instead of just starting them
7. We go to Malaysia on holiday soon!!! I need to start planning because I have no clue where I want to go/ what I want to do.
8. I do know that I want to snorkel, see monkeys and orangutans, lurk in the jungle, and shop at markets
9. Why is David Letterman the US night show chosen by Australian TV??? Stupid stupid stupid (I love that Gavin hates him too)
10. I had to call and ask permission from our rental agency to put picture hook sin the wall - waste of time
11. Gavin does NOT like the change in Cadbury chocolate, but still eats it like a hungry monkey :)
12. We (Gavin) made a snowwman on Mt Wellington
13. I miss watching Anthony Bourdain on TV

OK, lets leave it at a nice round 13 hehehe :)

Moving

Alright, so we have moved. Not far, just down the road, but man is it still a pain in the tush! We have swapped one Northwest sounding address (Cascade RD) for another (Washington ST). We are still in South Hobart, which means spitting distance to the Cascade Brewery - woohoo!

I have taken pics of the house (empty of course), but have misplaced the camera. Gavin and I are rockin it on camp chairs at the old house, since there is no power at the new place. We have a fun night of beer, pizza on paper plates, and boggle/tv ahead of us. I am not looking forward to the cleaning that awaits us tomorrow.
Now for the pictures (granted the house is not completely set up, but hey):



The view from our living room!




The Living Room



Kitchen



Bathroom




Master Bedroom (Purple wall, brown bedding = Chocolate Box)

Crafty

I have been really productive lately when it comes to scrapbooking (not much else though). I took a class at my local scrap shop, we did 12 layouts in 5 hours...well almost. I had to finish 3 of them at home, but I have to say that quantity is still pretty impressive. Here are a few of the pages (sorry for the awkward shots, I don't have a scanner):

**************************************************

I have also started to scrap my 2004 France/England trip- FINALLY. I guess late is better than never. I am really happy with these Paris pages, the style is fitting the scene well.

Brother

I have been a little behind on the updates, so here are a couple! First, my brother came to Australia to travel around and of course visit us. Billy spent a month in Oz, touring Sydney, Byron Bay, and Tasmania. From what I could tell he absolutely loved it. Granted, when he got to Tassie the pace was a bit (ALOT) slower than he was used to in Sydney. Here are a few highlights from Billy's visit with us:
Billy and Michelle on top of Mt. Wellington - luckily it was a clear day, and we could see the view!


A super cute pademelon at Mt. Field



Billy in leg irons at Port Arthur.


Billy and Michelle at Wineglass Bay- a very nice, but hot day.

Billy's visit was tons of fun! I know that he is looking forward to coming back. Hope these pictures entice the rest of you to visit.