Red & White

Notes from a Burned Out Shanadian

Christmas in the Summer

I know for a fact that PEI has already recieved at least one substantial snowfall (the fact that it was subsequently washed away by rain is inconsiquential to this particular observation). Now, I'm not going to lie, the weather in Australia is enviable in comparison - sunny most every day with temperatures ranging from the mid twenties to the mid-thirties, but part of me misses the white blankets of snow, the slushy sidewalks, the cold crispness and the deep darkness that settles in just as you are leaving work. Then there's the warmth of the woodstove and the valid excuses to stay snuggled under the comforter for an extra ten minutes in the morning and the radio announcement confirming that everyone must stay off the road (and therefore not go to work). And finally. how am I ever supposed to remember it's the holiday season when it's SUMMER?!?!?! That, by the way is my excuse for not doing any Christmas shopping this year.OK, I lie. I am trying to do some via the Internet right now., but it will be minimal. I figure most of you will understand if you only get a card from me . I am half way round the world after all!

Parties & More Parties

DId I mention lately that my social life here is like nothing I've ever had before and, quite frankly, I think I'm getting too old for all this hullabaloo. Not that this has stopped me from continuing to take part in aforementioned hullabaloo. I just think it takes me longer to recover than it used to...

So last Friday I met up with a Kiwi guy that I might go travelling with and we proceeded to drink a lot. Well, really he drank a lot and I pretended to drink a lot, but was really nursing the beers he kept pouring. So, we shall see. I'm not sure we have the same intentions in our travelling - I get the idea he's up for lots of surfing, seteak and beer. Possibly not in htat order. On the other hand, he's thinking of buying a car and seems to know loads of people around Oz to couchsurf with. Stay tuned for more on Shan's Adventures in '07

Last Saturday i went to a house party. It was good fun and I met some interesting people. I realised how rare it is to meet people whom I can actually have a genuinely engaging conversation with. I suppose if I were a little more mainstream ( and let's face it I watch The Biggest Loser, so I'm not a complete loss in that regard!) and a little less concerned aboout things like politics and the environment I wouldn't have so much difficulty. But, hey I am who I am. Afterwards we went to the center of dirtiness and Debauchery in Sydney - also konwn as King's Cross. Honestly, I didn't think it lived up to the hype, but that may be because it was absolutely raining buckets and the cover charge to the bar we chose was $15 and I didn't stay long...

On Tuesday night I went to another Christmas party - this one was at a bar and there were free drinks and nibbles. My kind of scene. Met another friend from the Northern Hemisphere! I think my circle of friends is about half North nad half South.

Baking Off

So the last monht at Citibank has been bloody gluttonness. Every Friday has meant another team bakeoff - two teams in Cards pitted against each other in a battle of the bakers! WEll, yesterday it all came to a gloriously gorging end. 4 teams competed in an 'Iron Chef' style finale - the ingredients to be incorporated into the four dishes (one ingredient in each) were: Chilli, condensed milk, almonds and lychees. I did not get a chance to bake this time round, but took my job as 'name card maker' very serioulsy and created some slightly corny descriptors for our creatiosn: The Pie Who Loved me ( Banoffi Pie), Bake on Through to the Almond Side (Almond Fingers), It's a Mad Mad Mad Madeleine World (Lychee & Rose Madeleine cakes) and Chilli Chilli Bang Bang. And what was the final result? Our team won by a LANDSLIDE (28 votes out ofa possible 33 - the other 5 were shared amongst the other three teams)

To Be Continued After I do Some Christmas Shopping...