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Oceania » Australia » Victoria » Melbourne » Lilydale
July 2nd 2010
Published: July 2nd 2010
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That last entry probably benefited me more than you, and I'm sorry if it was hard, but thanks for listening.

Now for something that actually tells you what we're getting up to over here, which is the whole point of this blog, I guess...

Mooroolbark



Sarah’s parents were wonderful hosts, easing me gently but deliberately into Australian life, and affording us our own space within their home. Not wishing to outstay my welcome though, we followed a friend’s advice and investigated the possibility of house sitting, the theory being that we could experience living together in our own place - something we’ve actually never done before for longer than a week - without committing more time or finance than we have available, what with me being an unqualified immigrant with a limited visa.

Eventually we found a website that would advertise our availability to a large pool of house owners for a reasonable 12-month fee, and I wrote a creative paragraph about the qualities we would bring to the task. On the down side, I assumed, we’d never house sat before. On the up side, a couple in their late 20s (yeah yeah, I know, but Sarah’s only 28) who can describe themselves, albeit somewhat creatively, as a teacher and an administrator, trumps a boy in his late teens looking for a convenient party pad. Wow, being old is actually working for me!

Well, my words, along with those of our referees (thank you Mike and Rosie) must’ve hit the spot, because we were inundated with emails. Admittedly the festive season was approaching, and many of the openings were only for a couple of weeks over the holidays, but it was still pretty exciting, and we accepted a two-week assignment in Frankston, about an hour south of Lilydale. It turns out we were a bit hasty though, because the very next email was an absolute godsend.

Mooroolbark is just one stop on the train from Lilydale, so very handy for Sarah’s family and friends and the work I’m currently doing. When a lady named Karen asked us if we’d be willing to live in her house for six months while she and her family took a caravan around Australia, we were pretty excited. Forgive me, but I lied to the Frankston lady to save face in liberating us from that commitment, and I really hope she found someone else to step in…

So, we’re living rent and bill free in a pleasant house (lots of character, and some décor that Sarah would perhaps not choose herself…) with a pool and a huge garden. What’s the catch? Well since we’re doing Karen a favour, everyone’s a winner and there isn’t one really… unless you count seven chickens, two cats, a dog, a rabbit… and an old lady! Allow me to explain.

Annie is Karen’s mother. I think she’s 88, or thereabouts. Her real name is Dorothy but everyone calls her Annie - it’s one of those nicknames derived from small children’s inability to speak properly, because it’s easier to say than ‘granny’, you see? Anyway, she lives in a studio flat at the far end of the house, and we’ve got the rest to ourselves. She’s confined to her bed but has a huge television on the wall, and carers come in every day to top up medication and deliver food. All we have to do is pop in every day and check that everything’s ok. She’s almost totally deaf, so it’s pretty much a question of listening until she says goodbye! She’s a very sweet lady.

Now, onto the Mooroolbark Menagerie: Shelley, Cartman, Ginger, Tallulah, Gonzo, Barney, Tawny, JC and The Three Fluffies. It’s our job to feed them, walk them (where applicable) and collect their eggs (ditto…) and we’ve got into a pretty efficient routine with it by now. I do all the chicken stuff because Sarah finds chickens creepy; Sarah does anything that involves talking in that silly baby voice to which animals seem to respond, and we share the rest.

Shelley is the dog, and she’s unlike any dog I’ve met before, in more ways than one. First of all, she’s a Blueheeler, one of two ‘native’ Australian species of domestic dog, meaning, I think, that they (and Kelpies) were bred here from scratch by the early convicts, and before that there were just dingoes. The ‘blue’ is a sort of dolphin colour created by white hair over a black undercoat, but she has jet black ears, and ginger ‘trim’ - feet, eyebrows etc.; she looks quite extraordinary. Another eye opener is her energy. She’s indiscriminately enthusiastic about everything and everyone in her vicinity; Blueheelers are traditionally working dogs, so she never tires of long walks. Also, she can hoover up a steak that would take me 10 busy minutes to eat in under 10 seconds.

Cartman and Ginger are the cats, and they’re unlike any cats I’ve met before, in more ways than one. Well, one way in particular, actually. They are fat. SO fat. We’re talking about some SERIOUSLY fat cats here, you know?

…that’s as far as I’d got before writer’s block kicked in - see previous post. To bring you up to speed: Tallulah’s the rabbit, after Bugsy Malone’s mate (geddit?); I named the Three Fluffies Angel, Nicky and Christian (the latter two after mates who flew home from Australia); and we’ve now left Mooroolbark after a successful, but at times stressful, housesitting adventure.

You see? Who needs frequent blogs? I just caught you up six months in four lines! Seriously though, more from me soon, and I mean SOON, because you kids back home, you just love it and I can’t go depriving you of these here words, right?

Much love

Toobz
“You know it makes sense… What’s the worst that can happen? It’s gonna be huge!”

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2nd July 2010

Some additional comments on decor!
I would just like to add some more thoughts on decorations in the house. The house was left in the 70s, a bar in the living room, brown shag pile carpet, wood panelling everywhere and ever single room had a multitude of knick knacks. The most amazing knick knacks from a stuffed small dead shark to really ugly china monkeys. So it wasn't just not to my taste it was not to anybody's taste. Photos to follow
2nd July 2010

ur blog
Hiya hunny, just caught up on ur blogs with Wendy (invisible Chris's Wendy)!!!! she's looking afta him well, miss u loads n u just made me bloody cry xx take care n have fun, love to Sarah xx

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