by ·Comments Off on Reality…

Well reality sure has set in today. Today is the first real time I have thought to myself, “What did I get myself into?”

Pretty much today was a madhouse at work and it was one of those days when you get frustrated for no real reason (well I have lots of reasons but nothing that is life threatening etc, nothing that I can control) and you get all down. Now normally back home, I would have some form of support network. My friends, my family. But over here, I am a little bit on my own.

This is good usually, but on days like today, I just need a good hug, some kind words and just to be there for you. So it kind of adds to the lonelyness a bit. I don’t want to hassle my new co workers to much and I can’t really chat to anyone at home all to often due to the time differences. So things can be a little tough. I need to get my US support network up and running and there is always one place I can go to at any time of the day for something nice to say. May sound silly but there is always someone around on twitter for me to have a quick message or two from.

I guess having access to twitter means that I have friends all over the world who are just as kind and as caring as my friends back home and over here. Even though they aren’t physically able to give me a hug right now or anything like that, I know they mean it and they want to help.

News from over here though is that things are progressing. I am adjusting, I have kind of found one area that I am liking. At the moment I am staying in Renton with a co worker, she has offered to let me stay here with her and her husband for a week or so (although due to last minute plans may need to adjust that by a day or so). I like Renton. More on that soon though. Maybe tomorrow night, if the weather is good. Till then I will find my solice in a tub of diet jelly…. Lemon flavour i think tonight!

by ·Comments Off on Trying to Understand an Obsession

I managed to make it through my first week at work, and did it with ease. I am settling in well. The desk is almost set up, but something just feels not right, I will work that out in the next few weeks I am sure.

One thing that has puzzled me since I got here to Seattle and I noticed it a little bit back in October as well (never on the last two times before that for some reason) is that Seattle is obsessed with Teriyaki. Now don’t expect me to turn this into a blog that goes out to find the best Teriyaki. To be honest, I don’t really LOVE teriyaki. Its good, I do enjoy it, but I don’t think I live Seattle style.

I have had it a few times over here now, at 3 different places now. The first one was at Rikki Rikki, its always good there. But not as cheap. Then I found a place at Issaquah at the Fred Meyers out there and it was pretty good to, and cheap! But I was so puzzled everywhere I looked it was Teriyaki here, there, everywhere. They have a few different chain type places but it is mainly little mom and pop joints.

So I looked into it. Why is a city obsessed with Teriyaki. Apparently stems back to Japanese immigrants modifying a Yakitori sauce to the american tastes. Either way, Seattle’s dish is now Teriyaki. It is usually pretty cheap, served with rice (white or brown) and a kind of like coleslaw salad thing as well. Pretty good value for around the average of $6-7 and probably better for you than maccas etc

So I was thinking… if Seattle loves Teriyaki so much, where is the best place to eat it??? So I did what I usually do when I need resaurant recommendations here. I tweeted @SeattleMaven. She works for Seattle Tourism and is prolific on Twitter and her recommendations have NOT failed me… EVER! She wasn’t sure so she put it out to twitter. Responses came back.. Teriyaki & Wok on Capitol Hill was the answer. So I figured… why the hell not review it! Well Kinda..

So today I decided to head up to Capitol Hill for my weekly treat, It was gonna be Chicken Teriyaki and then a short drive over to Bluebird Microcreamery (but thats a whole other story). Being Capitol Hill it was either going to be somewhere dumpish or somewhere slick and modern looking. Capitol Hill is kind of like the Valley back home. Hipster central, but also a lot of places that have not seen the best of times. What I found though was more of like a Drive through looking place.

From Expat Life

Walked in, fairly empty (but it was Saturday around 2:30pm as I was having a late lunch). Menu was HUGE!! lots of Different options but I stuck to the simple “Teriyaki Chicken Bowl” rather than the expected plate and also ordered a Side of Vegies (I love my vegies). Service was quick and I didn’t wait long at all.

From Expat Life
From Expat Life

The Chicken Came out first before the Vegies (no picture of the vegies sorry). The chicken looked good and a decent serving for $6.29 (plus tax). It also came with a Squeeze bottle of Sauce as well for anyone wanting extra (ahhh what the hell! I gotta try the sauce for the review right?) Lots of Chicken and plenty of Brown rice (that makes it healthier right?). It was about the right temperature to my liking as well but the rice wasn’t as sticky as I prefer for something like this.

From Expat Life

The sauce was pretty good. Very thin compared to what we would get back home, however I think thats more the style over here. A little bit sweet like Teriyaki should be but not overly so. If it had of been thicker I don’t think i would of needed to add extra. It was a little bit lighter so maybe that goes with the thin sauce?

From Expat Life

To be honest, It was good. For a good, cheap, honest, filling meal that is slightly more healthy than your normal Deep Fried fast food (I am sure there is a boat load of sugar in that sauce) its a good option. Teriyaki & Wok was damn good if your up in the Area. One of the better Teriyaki’s I have had (not that I have had many here in Seattle yet) but if I was hungry, in the area and up for something tasty.. I would go back…

I would give it a 4.5 out of 5 on Mal’s scale of Seattle Teriyaki (yep making it up), the best time to go though it seem’s would be during lunch Monday to Friday as they have quite a number of Bowls for cheap.. Wonder what Teriyaki Tofu tastes like.

From Expat Life

Would I drive 20 mins across town to get it… maybe.. Choosing it as a treat.. yeah it was a good option when followed by this 😉

From Expat Life

by ·Comments Off on A Week has passed

Well it has been 7 days as a resident over here and things are going well. I am settling into work pretty easily (been only a few days) and I am slowly fitting in (hell it’s only been 3 days so far at work these things take time).

But the thing that has been the most fun I would say for a foodie like me (well for the kind of person like me that is) is adjusting to all the new foods. You may think “what the hell is he talking about” Well you have to remember the way things are in aus is totally different to over here. To give an example, I was trying to buy a loaf of bread. Now back home there are heaps to choose from in a good healthy grain/rye bread and some really yum brands (like Helga’s, Lawsons). These kinds of breads just don’t exist. Sure there are wholewheat or some basic grains but just not the same kind 🙁 What I did find though was a Russian Dark Rye, this made me happy 😀 I loves me some dark rye!

The thing that has had a bit of an impact though is the snacks. I usually eat 2 or 3 snacks a day in the 400KJ (100 Calorie) range. Back home this was really tough to manage as just about all the snacks were well over this and it was tough to find anything that was even remotely tasty, so it was always the same things over and over. Boring.

Not over here. they have what is called 100 Calorie packs. In just about every good yummy treat you could think of. Hell I went a little bit crazy. Managed to get some crazy Yoplait yoghurts with flavours like Key Lime Pie, Boston Cream Pie or Strawberry Shortcake. 10 packs for $6 DEAL! Then after I bought it I remembered I was house sitting so have to eat them all BEFORE I leave. woops! Then there are the museli bars. Back home there is like 1 brand (Uncle Tobys Crunchy) that I can eat. Not over here, there are thousands. I picked up some Peanut Butter & Chocolate Museli bars with 100 Calorie bars. These are great with a coffee 😉

Don’t even get me started on the choices for treats, god damn this is going to be tough! But I am up for the challenge, this week the treat is going to be some fantastic ice cream, and a blog post about something that I didn’t really know about before I came to Seattle last time.

by ·Comments Off on First Few Days…

Ok So I am here, I am alive. You may all now breath easily. It has been a pretty full on few days. The flight over was extremely full. But thankfully I had exit row, and a middle seat free. So yes I wasn’t in Business or Premium Econ, but I had space, I had relative comfort (apart from the freezing cold) so I can not complain!

The flight on Alaskan was pretty damn good, can NOT complain about a flight that was pretty much the same as any back home for a short 2 hour domestic hop. I flicked in and out of conciousness for most of the flight. I had been trying to finish off my 2nd book and had I been awake I may have been able to. But not now (expect a Review up tonight).

At the moment I am house sitting in Kirkland, Washington. Right on Lake Washington. The view from this place is amazing!!! In the first afternoon I managed to knock off all my essential paperwork (Social Security, Bank, Phone) in a matter of hours thanks to arriving around mid day. I then topped off my journey with a dinner at Rikki Rikki, a japanese place that Kirk and Anna (the bosses at my new work) got me hooked on last time and a couple of scoops of ice cream on the walk back to the apartment.

Yesterday I had been planning on doing a bit of shopping but that got put to the wayside when I got a last minute tweet from a friend from Twitter who was going to be in town. I dropped everything and went in to see her (and managed to forget her present in the mean time). Damn! But otherwise I have just been organising stuff, getting things sorted on this end, today I am off to do some of that shopping for stuff that I need to get to make my life a bit easier.

Some comments, yesterday it rained. Yes I need to get used to it, Just wish it would rain AFTER I go for a run, or at least it can rain lightly like yesterday when its not so cold! It was roughly 45F for most of yesterday which is NOT a good temperature in my opinion.

Anyway time for breakfast, and then its off to pick up my rental car that I have for a couple of weeks.

by ·Comments Off on A New Journey Always begins with just one step

Well today is the big day. I write this to you whilst sitting in the lounge at Brisbane Airport (Ahh the benefits of being an airline elite flyer) contemplating what I am doing, if it’s the right decision, is it the smartest thing?

I guess I can look back two and a half years ago. Back to a decision I made, not of the same magnitude but one that would in the end change my life for the better. This crazy decision back then to commit myself to such a huge task does give me a bit of hindsight.

I know i have the resolve to do just about anything. Someone said to me yesterday, that I have proven I have the resolve to achieve things I set out to. Thing is, I just have to stop doubting myself. I need to look at this move not as a leap of faith but more of a first step in a new journey, a new challenge to sink my teeth into.

I guess for now I can reflect on the last few days. The fun times, those last few happy moments like a final coffee with friends, a run through the streets around my neighbourhood or a final meal with the family. I am pretty sure I have said it before, but it is the little moments that make this all special. Life is an ever changing thing and these little moments just make it all the more special.

As I sit here in the lounge getting one last vegemite hit, I try not to think about all the things I will miss. If I sat here and listed them I’d probably make myself feel worse, so with that I leave you all. I will catch you on the flip side!

Current Location: Air New Zealand Koru Club, Brisbane International Airport

by ·Comments Off on Final Days

Well the last of my days in Brisbane are coming fast. The last week though was pretty full on with the trip to Sydney and the final few days at work.

Was so happy with how the last few days went. I didn’t want a big deal made of things, it’s just not who I am anymore. I would rather slip away, quietly, with as little fuss as possible. This is what happened so that made me happy. I left a number of things at work, donated you could say, to the team. An old stereo, my old cheap coffee machine, my old disgustingly dirty keyboard. These things will be better used there than me carting over the other side of the world.

One thing that did annoy me was that it was super busy last night and since I was expected to work till the very last minute of my shift, didn’t give me much chance to say farewell to some people, ah the joys of working in a call centre.

Today though, Brisbane really turned on the weather for my going away :/ Thanks so much Brisbane! Guess you’ve decided to prep me for the time ahead. Didn’t bother me all to much though because my going away was indoors at the London Club in Teneriffe. It was great to get a final catch up with so many people and I am going to enjoy my next few days off. Got a few catch ups with people and no work till I begin my first day at the new job on the 7th.

4 sleeps till the big day.. Am I excited? Heck yes. Am I scared? Hell yes! This is a big move but I am up for it. A new challenge, a new life, a new adventure. Bring it on!

by ·Comments Off on Away we go….

The song that goes “I’m leaving on a jet plane, don’t know when I’ll be back again” is totally and utterly perfect in my situation. The dates are set and I am leaving to begin my new adventure.

My last day at work will be the 27th of April, which is also the day of my 8 year anniversary at work. So i finish up exactly 8 years to the DAY that I started. I mean seriously how wierd is that. I then begin the packing process over the weekend as my flight over to Seattle will leave on the 2nd of May. Once in Seattle I am sure it will be a whirlwind of paperwork and trying to settle in for the first week weeks/months but I am prepared… well kind of.

It is exciting yet scary for me, to be stepping off on this whole new adventure, but it is a big big step. I have never lived out of home before, so there is that step but I can manage. I think the biggest/scariest part is that I am moving to a whole new country, with a new way of life to live, new people to meet (and thanks to twitter I am already starting to get a base of people over there) and it is a challenge I am willing to meet.

I already have some trips planned for when I hit the US (couple of trips to vegas, still tossing up birthday plans) but the one thing I am looking forward to is the new opportunities in life, the new adventures and the new challenges. So as my time in Australia rolls towards an end, I start to look at the people close to me etc and start to think… What can I do before I go. One thing on my bucket list is to cook a meal for those people I cherish the most. I would have to say that would be my parents. I mean seriously they have done a lot for me. So today I am cooking them a couple of meals. My aunt was up for her annual easter trip so we had a big family breakfast and I cooked, but dinner tonight, I will cook. Nothing extravagant, nothing overly special, just a small family dinner, nice and casual, its those little things that count right?

by ·Comments Off on Mega Stress…

Well the Visa Interview has come and gone. The Stress was just way to much to handle and I think I did some stupid things on Wednesday that I should not have done. Nothing overly stupid like forgetting things, just not using my brain properly when I should of.

But the trip was worth it. I flew down on Tuesday afternoon, after getting moved to an earlier flight, then that flight gets delayed by an hour so I dont end up getting down to Sydney any earlier. After a $30 cab ride from my hotel to the Sofitel and back again to pick up all the official paperwork. It was a long long day being up at 430am and not having dinner till about 1030 at night (although I will say the Ox Tongue bento box I came across was DELICIOUS!!!!).

Wednesday morning was spent after a work out, relaxing my nerves by walking from my hotel near Central Station all the way to the US Consulate (bad move #1). This calmed me down and after a coffee and some interview prep I was ready to go. After heading up to the Security area of the Consulate and being told I was to early and to come back. I did some more waiting and after a while went back to check in. Security was a bit more strict (as expected) and after being chastised for my paperwork and being told that going with an attorney is always a waste of paperwork (whatever lady!) I was into the Consulate properly.

The interview went well and it kind felt like a non event. It was over so quick I wasn’t sure what was going on. But I was over the moon. First thing now. Get some food into me! After heading off and having some amazingly good Sourdough Toast I packed up all my stuff at the hotel, checked out and headed off to have my lunch with my sister and my first nephew Braedon.

All in all, so worth all the stress to have that Visa Approved. Now a little bit more waiting while the powers that be organise my departure date etc. So at the moment I wait a little bit for a date to go, but till then, the big stress is over!

by ·Comments Off on Sydney Bound…

I posted a few weeks ago revealing details of my intended new adventure, moving to the USA. Well it is update time. After the last update my Equivalency for my job had come through. This meant that my life & work experience gave me the equivalent of a Bachelors Degree and this would fulfil the conditions of an E3 Visa to the USA. Well the good news is all the paperwork for the Visa is now complete. There is but one step to go before I will have a visa, hot off the press, in my passport.

As with any actual visa for the USA (Visa Waiver doesn’t count) you need to go to a US Consulate to have the visa physcially issued and go through an Interview process. Well with all my paperwork in hand I was able to pay the Visa Fee ($390!!!!) and organise my appointment for my interview. Thinking that I may have to wait several weeks, I was totally shocked when the first available appointment was THIS WEEK!!! So I snatched it up without having to go through all the painful paperwork and then have to sit and wait, tapping my feet. Hurry up and wait is something, although I am used to, I hate with a passion. This was perfect!!!

So now with plans to fly down Tuesday afternoon, pick up all my documents from another hotel in Sydney (rooms at the Sofitel were just WAY to much) and then make my way to where I am staying (Mercure Sydney). Then first thing Wednesday morning, I will be toting my big folder full of documents to the US Consulate in Martin Place, no doubt going through a mass amount of security and then hopefully not to late after, I will be approved to head to the USA. Then I can spend the afternoon relaxing, possibly catch up with my sister and nephew and fly home!

Then the real journey will begin. As yet I know that an actual date for leaving has not been set as it was dependant on how long I would have to wait for the interview, but I know it will be sooner rather than later!

Let us hope and pray it all goes well. And just to show you just how much paperwork I am required to take with me, heres a shot of the back up paperwork. All the originals are currently flying their way over from Seattle via a personal courier (someone from the company I am going to work for was already heading over so two birds, one stone).

C360_2012-03-18-11-53-53