Coober Pedy

We had a quick stop over in Adelaide yesterday. We enjoyed catching up on our journaling and reading in the park (Tara and I decided to read some classics that we hadn't gotten to yet..she's working on "Great Expectations" and I'm getting to "Age of Innocence.") The best moment was when we were swinging and spontaneously began singing a few songs. Euphoric. We heard some shouting nearby and discovered a footie game (Australian football), a game I actually had to play for a couple of weeks during high school gym class! We were easily entertained by its fast pace and constant activity, not to mention brutal interactions, between the players.

We took off for Coober Pedy at about 6 p.m. The small city lights quickly faded away to red sand and sparse shrubbery. Also, our phone reception quickly faded. One elderly lady we met, Evelyn, in Adelaide, said that Coober Pedy is often considered "the end of the world." A lot of movies are shot here for that reason...

We met Merv Richards at the station in Coober and he brought us to his home, which is an old opal mine and completely underground!!! He's a fascinating character and has many connections to the film industry. He'll be taken us out to William's Creek shortly. William's Creek is the smallest town in Australia...three permanent residents...let the adventure begin! Needless to say, internet and phone will be a bit sketchy for the next month and half, so don't worry overly much...it is "the end of the world."

Here is Merv's website with pictures of the area and his home, where I am currently.

http://www.aridzone.net

Miss you all and love you!

Melbourne

We are heading out to the Outback this evening at six (like 2 in the morning central US time...I think...I always do that math wrong somehow...). Melbourne has been quite an adventure itself, as Tara and I fretted about if we truly had this hotel job or not. It was a holiday weekend and the Outback people run on what we call "Native Time" back home (apparently when there is a public holiday here it really means that no one does anything and nothing is open). Nevertheless, Tara and I kept ourselves busy...here is some of our adventures in the cold, very rainy city of Melbourne...

1. This city is known for it's little cafe culture...there are a lot of hidden alleyways chalk full of good little coffee shops and bistros. I wanted to have that true Melbourne coffee experience at least once so I dragged Tara to one of these streets the other day. The first place we went, the barista's ignored us for at about 6 or 7 minutes and all we wanted to know is if we order from the counter or sit down and wait for them to come to us. They were sooooo snooty. So we left. The next day we tried again in a different location. We knew we needed to sit down and they would come to us for this one but we were seated there for at least 15 minutes before we flagged down a waitress (the place was not that big either). Then our chai tea latte orders didn't come for at least a half an hour. We even noticed our snooty waitress hanging out with friends smoking while we were waiting for our drinks. Sooo weird. So then we went to Starbucks later and the people there are sooo friendly. They ALWAYS want to know our names (of course that's for the order but still....). Our accents are hard to understand I guess because the names on the cups always come back slightly off. Like for instance "Tara" has been "Tera" or "Terah" or "Kiara" and "Joy" has been "Joan" and "Joice" and "Joey." Today we did totally fake names. I did "Evie" and it came back "Ivy." Oh the little things that entertain us. Needless to say, we've enjoyed our coffee expereince more at good ol' Starbucks than if the famous cafe's.

2. Our roomie this time around was from Spain. Her name is Christina. We had great fun going out with her one night. We met up with our Irish friends we met in Sydney (after a very frigid couple mile walk...yeah we're still trying to live cheaply but I for sure thought I was going to be hospitalized with frostbite)...and they took us to this very small bar/venue where a gypsie band was playing. I'm always astounded at how people can be so creative and share such beauty with others. They seemed to be just making it up as they go (pretty sure they were ) and even our Irish friend, Stephen, starting adding his own stuff on the piano, having never played with them before. For some of the songs, a man rapped too and it was just such an interesting mix of genres but meshed somehow. Wish you could have experienced it. It was glorious to listen to and watch all the VERY colorful characters that gathered there.

3. Tara and I mastered the public transportation, the Tram, and proceeded to take it everywhere. It rains spontaneously here and so we were often caught in a sudden downpour. We'd find either a store to shop in or a tram to ride around to wait out the horrid weather. We took the Tram to St. Kildra one day and walked the seashore. It was windy but the sea was refreshing. We ate a cute little place where we agreed could have been our best meal yet. Nothing too fancy. But of course, as we rarely eat "real food," anything tastes pretty spectacular! We met some older aussie men cleaning their boat and had a nice chat. They thought we were a bit crazy going out to the Outback.

Well we're not really sure when the next time we'll have internet so this might be the update here for a bit. We'll be in Adelaide tomorrow and then Coober Peddy on Sunday. Then we'll be picked up there either Sunday or Monday. THEN we'll finally be "home" for the next 5-7 weeks. Cheers! Wish us luck!

Shout out

Here's a shout out to our friends we left in Sydney:

Marjan (Holland!)...roomie we'll miss you!
Patrick (German...ha!)...thanks for being the best free tour guide
And Franzes (Austria =0))...you made Sydney a "happy" place

The Outback

Here is a very quick update...our lives are soooo prone to change on the dime. Adriana from William Creek Hotel in South Australia contacted us yesterday morning and asked us to come work out there for a time. We'll be doing housekeeping, bar work, and other physical labor. They provide accomodation and food and pay by the hour. We plan on being there between 5-7 weeks. First we're going to Melbourne for a couple of nights, then to Adelaide, then taking a bus to Coober Peddy where they will finally pick us up. So here is our next adventure!!! Here is a websited to check out William Creek....quite an adventure...

http://www.williamcreekhotel.net.au/

The Luck of the Irish

Well we really aren't that lucky in the whole department of jobs. We have this SEMA thing but the start date is undetermined (sometime in the next 2 weeks) and the duration is undetermined...approximately 5 but who knows. So once again Tara and I are unsure about what we are going to do...we aren't sure if it is worth it to hold out for this job with so many unclear variables (I guess it depends on "other aspects of the project" and when they get done before we can do what we were hired for). We were having a frustrated moment and luckily they called us before we signed a lease for an apartment for five weeks. We were going to mourn the night away with Tim Tam's and hot chocolate but we got a text from a gentleman we had met the previous night....a Irish folk musician. His band was playing at a local venue and he wanted us to come check it out...our names were on the list...how can you pass up a free folk Irish show??? So with little information to help us find the bus to get there and a few queasy moments (the bus ride was a little rough on my stomach...Tara thought for sure I was going to lose my Tim Tam's all over her), we found our way to this little Irish pub in a laid back suburb. Best decision in Sydney so far. The band Grada was phenomenal (check them out) and we danced our little hearts out of melancholy! The guys in the band chatted us up afterwards (which I personally loved hearing their Irish accent) and we laughed and made merry. One of our best little adventures yet.

We aren't going to starve!

Tara and I had an interview at this place called SEMA today. They do different projects for different clients...don't really know. But anyway, the interview consisted of ten of us sitting in a room, filling out paperwork, then taking and watching everyone take a typing test (sooo nerve racking and I know how to type!), and then take a short multiple choice test about some instructions they gave us. Ummm yeah. We have college degrees. We were laughing at ourselves for even being nervous. On our walk home, they called us and offered us the job!!! It is temporary, about 5 weeks, pays decently, and we can work together. We'll be correcting standardized tests for the Education Department. Lots of data entry. We don't care though. It's just nice to have something and be able to move on from our hostel living. Also, this morning, a woman we've been in contact with from the Outback called and was talking about us job sharing out there (as there is only one spot open). She said she'd be in contact with us. She sounds like a chummy momma character. That would give us a way different experience for sure. So we for sure have something but if we have both then who knows what we'll do!!! Thank you for all your prayers. We certainly are feeling pretty blessed after our slump there for a bit. Hope all is well. Hit me back and let me know what's going on in your lives. corjoy@bethel.edu or facebook or post below. Love!!

Small Boat, Big Sea and Big Boat Aussie

A couple of things we've experienced thus far are a couple of interesting worship services. We were sitting on the steps of a huge library looking at a map the first day we were in Sydney and someone passing by asked if we needed help. We were trying to find where Hillsong Church was located. The woman helped us and then invited us to her church called Small Boat Big Sea in Manly. We just happened to be in Manly the next evening so we decided to seek it out as we were feeling the need for spiritual renewal. The church was like a house church. There were about 30 adults and a handful of kids. Everyone rotated with doing during aspects of church like praying, giving a message (more like leading a bible study discussion). They start every service by having a potluck meal together. Everyone was so incredible welcoming and engaged us and made us feel very welcome. People were offering their services and encouragement. They fed us even though we brought nothing (we didn't know). The coolest part was when they had someone share their testimony of sorts or just more like their background and what they are doing now. Then, different people piped up and affirmed them in who they were and how they saw that person sharing God's love (they called it "sending" the person). Very beautiful to witness. The second service we were part of was this last Sunday. We finally made it to Hillsong Church. Very Mega Church like and an exact opposite of Small Boat. It was cool to walk into the foyer and hear all of these different languages and people mingling from all walks of life. The service was almost like a theater production. The graphics and visuals were astounding. The worship was very good and there were at least twenty people on stage. At one point they went "online" with the other campuses for some announcements and I thought I was watching a news show with news anchors. The pastor's message was more like hearing a motivational speaker at a conference...not bad, just different. The people were once again very welcoming and accomodating. It was of course to fly under the radar there but we connected with a couple of people to get more info.

Anyway, Tara and I awoke with some tentative good news. A data entry temp job called me and asked us to come in tomorrow for an interview/typing test. We are trying not to be too hopeful but if it does work, we'd be very grateful. We don't know much about it. Sounds a little brain numbing but we are definitely NOT picky. We're still throwing out apps and calling places. Last night we went to the Opera House to witness the light show they are putting on. It was pretty and a good walk. Tonight we're thinking of going down Oxford Street, a funky/alternative part of town. We trying to keep it cheap and just people watch for the most part. We did get a free pass to go to the Sydney Aquarium and we did that on Sunday. It was fun to see Sydney's sea life up close and personal. Tara loved it, as she is a more passionate animal lover than I but I must admit I was getting into it a bit.

We continue to have crazy little moments. Like when Tara and I were crossing the street and a bus breezed by here and missed her literally by inches. As a delayed and dismayed reaction, I reached out and pulled her to me. Really if she had tripped or stumbled to her left at all she would have been laid out flat...crazy Sydney drivers!!!!