We're starting to get into a routine here in The Alice. Greg gets up around 4 a.m. to get ready for work (some things don't change), but he's usually home no later than 5:30 p.m. Our sea shipment has not yet arrived. We have been told it can take anywhere from two to four months -- it has to clear customs once it arrives in Australia before it is sent on up to Alice. Most of our stuff is in the sea shipment. We are living off the little bit that we sent ahead in air freight and the 'welcome kit' provided to us by the housing folks. Our house is furnished, so we really have everything we need. The welcome kit has a couple of plates, silverware, glasses and a few cooking items. I can't even remember now what we shipped in sea freight, so when it comes it will be like Christmas! And we may not get it until Christmas! Actually, it's a good excuse to put off cooking for a little while longer. :-)
This is the first day that I turned on the air conditioner. It's about 99 degrees. But it's dry so it doesn't feel too awful. Once the sun goes down it's very pleasant - as low as 55 degrees at night. Today marks 148 days since it last rained in Alice - a record. Some locals are resorting to rain dances:
Unfortunately, the metric system is confusing to me. Kilometers vs. miles. Celsius vs. Fahrenheit. I continue to go to weather.com in the U.S. to check the weather for Alice.Wish I had paid better attention in class back when we studied the metric system!
Access to and availability of technology in Alice is a challenge. And it is very expensive. There is no wifi available in the homes. We have ordered broadband service for our home, but it takes weeks to be installed and activated. Greg and I invested in one plug-in USB port that has been installed on my computer. It was really expensive, so we just got one. And now we are sharing my laptop while at home. Pain in the arse. Even when we are connected, it is not reliable -- it cuts out frequently, particularly when we try to connect with someone back home. Greg has a cellphone for work, but I don't have one. No. Cell. Phone. I am NOT connected like I'm used to being. In some ways it's frustrating and in some ways it's freeing. Haven't decided if I'm going to get a mobile. Once we get broadband service in our house I'll be able to use my iPad again.
I'm starting to catch on to the Aussie slang. Everything has a nickname or is shortened. For some reason, bell peppers are called capsicum. That is taking some getting used to. Arvo is afternoon. Maccas is McDonald's (and yes, there is one here). Rego is vehicle registration.
A few pictures from around our house and town:
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| These have been parked in front of our house for a few days. |
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| Our mailbox. |
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| Springtime! Bush in front of our house. |
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| Thanks Stevie for the cool notebook. I bring it everywhere. |
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| I no longer use a purse, just this fun bag (thanks Megan!). |
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| My grocery haul for the day. $61! Things are expensive in the Outback. Magnum Bars were on sale. |
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