After
weeks debating what to do once our Thailand visas had run out, we
decided our best option was to go somewhere where we could use a
computer without a per minute rate, sleep in a bed that hadn't been
slept in by a thousand others, and as ridiculous as it sounds, relax
for a few weeks, while getting our bearings and figuring out what our
next move was. We felt the winds from the north stirring, so we allowed
them to carry us back to the little island we had once inhabited. The island of Oz.
Ian's parents picked us up from the airport, and in a way it felt like
we had never left. It always does feel that way though, doesn't it? We
got right back into the groove of Australian life. I had almost forgot
about the three Bs. Beer, Barbecue, and Bread. What? Something OTHER
than stir-fried rice and cheap Thai whiskey? My system almost shut
down. Before we had even put our bags down, the questions started
rolling in. How long are you staying? Where are you going next? We
weren't altogether sure ourselves, but we were aiming toward Korea
in approximately three weeks. Although everyone was really supportive
about the idea, undoubtedly, some were very surprised that Ian of all
people would consider teaching in Korea
for an entire year, and questioned how realistic we were being. "What
if you don't like it out there?... A year is a long time." "How will
you be able to teach English if you don't speak any Korean?" We
definitely had the same doubts.
Within days the suits we had had made in Vietnam
finally arrived. It became painfully clear what a bad idea it was to
have gotten fitted for suits while trying to recover from hook-worm.
Nothing came even close to buckling, buttoning or zipping up. Sigh...I
blame it on the three Bs. Meanwhile, Ian's suits fit like a glove, of
course, so it was only necessary for him to model them (just to be
sure), while gloating about his freakish metabolism. No, no bitterness
here.
The weeks flew by. We used computers, slept in proper
beds, and ate as much bread as we could handle. Ian was able to work
for a few weeks, which eased our minds a bit. From the moment we
landed, our savings were under constant attack. How had we forgotten
how incredibly expensive Australia
is? While Ian worked, I spent days going through our thousands of
pictures. Pretty much the most tedious thing I've ever done. It was a
nice surprise to find out we were missing a bunch of photos that should
have been on a CD we had had burned for us. Tip: Never let someone else
burn your cards to CDs while in Asia. Apparently, they don't care whether they have burned your pictures or someone else's onto your disc. Lesson learned.
The highlight of our stay was a short trip up to Mt. Hothom
to visit Ian's sister Maree, and her boyfriend Orm. Maree and Orm live
in a little mud brick cottage that Orm's father had built decades ago.
Although it lacked electricity and an indoor toilet, it made up for it
in charm. We had a great time hiking,(Ian saw a bunch of platypus in
the river next to their place) barbequing, and bonfiring. For two days
Orm and Maree built up a bonfire the size of a house. They invited over
their neighbors, who weren't exactly close by since Orm's driveway
alone is 14 km long and is surrounded by remote kangaroo country. We
found out pretty quickly that kangaroos were not the only creatures to
inhabit the area. One of the first things Maree and Orm told us after
we arrived, was about their resident bat. They told us so casually that
I don't think it completely registered until we woke up that night to
the sound of flapping wings only inches a above our heads. Around and
around and around our room it flew, for what seemed like hours. It even
let out the occasional squeak to let us know how appreciative it was
for the audience. Odd, yet somehow it fit the atmosphere so well that
we didn't really mind.
In the meantime my visa for Korea was
supposed to be processing, but there were problems with transcripts,
problems with photos, problems with passports, not to even mention all
the red tape with Ian's visa. Weeks of frustration and uncertainty
followed until all of a sudden everything was processed and we were
instructed to board the next plane out of Melbourne. We were delayed
almost a month, but were still almost panic-stricken when it was
confirmed we were actually GOING! Some quick packing and even quicker
good-byes, and we were back on a plane, off to start our next chapter.
