Not in Sydney

This is what it looked like on the East Coast of the United States over the weekend.
Remind me that when I go back, it'll be spring.

[Photos taken by my amazing significant other, who I did not ask permission from to steal his photos- opps! Sorry honey.]

Let's Eat: Homemade Guacamole

For the record, I'm baffled about why black beans are (1) so hard to find and (2) so expensive here. I've been using red kidney beans as a replacement, but I miss black beans for their (1) deliciousness and (2) cheapness. Only 9 weeks until I'm eating yummy inexpensive black beans in America again.

Speaking of America - my good friend/former coworker Megan is doing a 21-day vegan jumpstart to get back on the "eating healthy" track for the new year. Here's her progress so far.

Good luck Megan! [And everyone else trying to stick to their new year's resolutions/goals!]

His and Hers: Longest/Shortest Day

His

Hers

His

Hers

I'll go home when the snow is gone. But I wish it'd hurry up, I miss him.

Monday Morning Cute: Postal Penguins edition

Despite the postal workers strike here in Oz [just in time for the holidays!] I received this adorable mailer last week from my mom. Mom was worried with all the air mail and customs stickers she had to put on the package that the penguins wouldn't be visible. But they were! So cute.

A Color to Heal Us

Pantone revealed Turquoise 15-5519 as the Color of the Year for 2010. Why? Apparently, the color is part of "restoring our sense of wellbeing" over the next year.

I can get behind that.

[Photo was taken north of Sydney on the beaches below where the zoo is located.]

Australian Thanksgiving Recap

This was my first Thanksgiving abroad. [!]

While I've lived abroad before [Turkey, Jordan] I've always managed to be in the States in Novembers of years past.

The last three, I've been the Thanksgiving hostess: last year [2008] for a dozen "orphaned" friends in DC with nowhere else to go, the year before [2007] in Pittsburgh with work friends, and the year before that [2006]- perhaps my favorite Thanksgiving- when both of my parents came to Pittsburgh and stayed with me.

This year I was determined to continue my hostessing, despite my geographic predicament. Australia is not America, late November is late spring not late autumn, and well, its hot and they don't grow cranberries here! So I invited three friends over [the maximum amount of people that can fit in my tiny flat*] who seemed game for this most festive of American holidays.

I epically failed at making a plum upsidedown cake [see photo above of the gooey mess that resulted from my having a convection oven and not a real one]. To salvage dessert I bought mini frozen apple pies [note: finding a frozen pie without animal fat in it is almost impossible at the Kings Cross Coles and apparently in Australia in general].

The stuffing was a big soggy, but the choice of stuff tomatoes as a main dish was a big hit. There were honey-glazed carrots, haricot verts with crushed walnuts, a leafy green salad, garlic mashed potatoes, and heaps* of white wine. Overall, it was quite tasty I think.

I forced everyone [as tradition dictates] to say what they were thankful for. Collectively, the responses were: proper* friends, the good health of family members who have been ill, steady jobs, loving partners and families of choice [guess who that was? hint: me!], and human capital**.

I don't celebrate Christmas, but Aussies sure seem to be into it. So I think I'll go to the beach. Or hiking. Or down to the coast of NSW. Or something. I'll keep you posted.

[Others who celebrated near and far: David in Paris, Meaghan in Seoul, and Courtney in Uganda.]

* look at all my Aussie English!
** no joke, he really said that. It was bril.

2010 Day Planner: Year of the Bicycle

I have been hunting for a day planner for the upcoming year.

I'm too much of a scribbler for an e-planner [I would have an Outlook or Google calendar if I worked in a real office or had to share it with anyone, but I'm a lone ranger these days].

I wanted something that would fit in my bag easily, that did not have a soft cover [they rip, tear, fall off- you should see my 2009 one and the stapling/taping that has had to occur to keep it together. It's a war victim, a veteran, and its almost ready for a discharge with distinction for good service].

I also wanted to see my full week when I open it to a random page. This criteria has been difficult to manage in the land of Australian day planners [diaries as they call them]. Diary? Am I a 14 year old girl who needs to keep "secrets" or draw hearts around someone's initials?

<3> CAC <3> [heaps]

Last week, I found what I've been looking for. Available in pink or blue from the Swedish style company Kikki-K, this day planner embodies the theme I want for 2010: the year of the bicycle.

Confession? I am 23 and I do not know how to ride a bike. But this year, I am going to learn.

My boyfriend is going to patiently and carefully teach me and once I get good [and I will! I am determined!] we are going to take the bike trail from Pittsburgh to Greensburg and it will be a fantastic.

World AIDS Day

December 1 is a day of remembrance.

If you don't do anything else today, please take time out to remember and be aware.

If you are in Pittsburgh and you want to do something more than remembering: the Student Global AIDS Project is hosting the 5th annual [I think it's the 5th? I'm getting old] Inter-Course (International-Discourse) event on Friday 4 December at 8 pm in the William Pitt Union to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS not only in the Pittsburgh community, but in the world.

I'm not a feminist BUT: Shameless Self-Promotion

I was a fellow at IWPR last year. I learned a tremendous amount there and got to work with some of the most inspiring women [and men] in DC who do research on women's rights. One of the projects I started working on in May 2008 just got published in a report.

Apparently, the US and Australia are the only two high-income countries without paid parental leave [read more here]. Which is UNACCEPTABLE, and we need to work on changing that.

While I am not currently working on gender issues, I champion everyone who does. And I look forward to getting back in the field soon.

[Congrats to Kevin and Allison on the release of the report!] :)

Croatia

Shawna, one of my amazing roommates from college now lives in Switzerland [where she will be starting grad school next year!]. Recently she took a trip to Croatia and I sweet talked her into letting me steal some of her incredible photos [there are so many more I will post in the near future].

I'm not a feminist BUT: Really America?

I understand that posting this gives her more attention and that will only prolong her sticking around- but I am just so flabbergasted by what the people in this video say that I felt like I needed to share my outrage.



Yeah. Really? Really?

Monday Morning Cute: Foreign Cats Edition

Three adorable cats and a kitten (!) under a stack of chairs in Croatia.

[Photo taken by Shawna, one of my incredible college roommates, more photos from her trip coming soon!]

I used to live here

My former [sniffle] neighbor Jane took this picture last week at her apartment [which is directly below my old apartment]. Absolutely beautiful- makes me miss living there even more than I already do.

Not only is Jane awesome, but her blog is fantastic.