Brent left Australia to go back to Canada today, so needless to say I’m pretty sad-- but at least I have lots of good things to write about! Brent is still waiting for some paperwork from Toronto before the Australians will make a decision about his visa- so we are still playing the waiting game. We aren’t sure how much longer we’ll have to wait after the paperwork comes through- but we’re hoping it won’t be too long.These past few weeks have been really busy, so I haven’t had much time to write my blog. I had an exam on September 28th covering respirology and hematology- which I think went well. I got 94% on the multiple choice section, but still haven’t got my mark back for the long answers- although it is only PASS/FAIL right now, so marks don’t really matter anyway. I only have one more exam until summer holidays- so I’m pretty excited about that!!
After the exam, we had a week off school for Australia’s Labour Day. Brent and I packed in an unbelievable amount of stuff into the week off- and it turned out to be just AMAZING.
The first Saturday off, Brent’s friend, Alphabet, took Brent and me (plus one friend from school) up to the Hunter Valley (a few hours north of Sydney) for a day of wine tasting. I’m not sure how many wineries we visited- but it was a very full and fun day.
On our drive home, we also saw tons of kangaroos (as well as some dead ones at the side of the road :(…), wallabies and –even a wombat. Brent spent quite a while chasing kangaroos to try and get some good pics- but they were a little too fast for him. He he he.
On Sunday, Brent and I volunteered at a GIANT outdoor concert in the city called Parklife. There were 35000 people at the concert, plus about 2000 more “fence-jumpers”. 
We were ‘medics’ for the day- and I got Brent as my partner, which made my job easy since he was much more qualified than every other medic there.
We saw a lot of “fence-jumpers” who either injured themselves by trying to get over the fence or by security, who chased them down (and weren’t particularly gentle once they caught them). We also saw A LOT of not-so-smart kids who overdosed on alcohol, GHB, or ecstasy. There were about 70 people sent to the hospital by ambulance- almost all of which were drug overdoses. Parts of the day were interesting for sure, but after 14 hours we were sure glad it was over. 
Monday morning Brent biked down to Kings Cross to pick up our rental car while I packed up our stuff. We left pretty early, but still managed to get a parking ticket in the 5 minutes that we spent lugging our stuff down the stairs to the car (since the elevator in my building was broken). Parking tickets in Australia start at $80- so needless to say it wasn’t the best start to the trip. Luckily, things only got better! :) 
The rest of Monday was spent driving up to Byron Bay (about 9 hours north of Sydney)- with a short stop in a small town called Taree. One of my good friends from school (Martha) is from Taree- and invited us to stop by on our way through. It was a nice little visit- and Brent and I got to meet her family, eat some strawberries and brownies and tell stories about how cold it gets in Canada. :) 
We didn’t get to Byron Bay until past 9pm- and unfortunately we had booked a place at what ended up being a horribly dirty and uncomfortable hostel. There was a nice write up about the place in our Rough Guide- but it was definitely not very accurate. Anyway, we just decided to go right to bed and wake up early so that we could get out of there as soon as possible. 
Tuesday we were up early, so we went to visit a few different beaches (which were all beautiful). We also had a great breakfast and then headed up to visit the lighthouse and walk to the ‘most easterly point on the Australian mainland’. We saw heaps of dolphins while we were there!
At around noon we headed up to the Gold Coast and Surfer’s Paradise. I’d heard lots about the Gold Coast- and it was ok- but it made me think of what Miami beach might have been like about 25 years ago. We stopped at a quiet, but gorgeous beach- called Mermaid beach- to bodysurf some waves- and then headed to one of the biggest surf lifesaving clubs in Australia (called Northcliff) for lunch. The Gold Coast was a nice place to drive through, but I was glad that we weren’t staying long. 
We kept driving (through Brisbane) that afternoon until we got to the Sunshine Coast. The Sunshine Coast is where Brent lived for 5 months when he was here a few years ago. It is a beautiful place. We stopped at one of the beaches just before the sunset and saw the biggest JELLYFISH ever that had washed up on the sand. 
There are shark nets about 500m off shore everywhere in Queensland, but they didn’t make me feel much better after seeing what kinds of things still get through!Brent is still in touch with his old roommate (Peter) from the Sunshine Coast, so we ended up staying over at his place for the night. Peter and his girlfriend had just bought a brand new puppy- so it kept us very entertained for the better part of the night. They also took us to dinner at a nice Thai place on the ocean- which was delicious.
Wednesday morning Peter and his girlfriend got up early to go to work, so Brent and I got an early start too. We went to visit Brent’s surf lifesaving coach for a while and then headed back to the Kawana Waters beach where Brent trained everyday while he was here. It was another BEAUTIFUL beach. 
For lunch we had famous ‘Works burgers’ (with everything you can imagine including an EGG on it) at Mooloolaba Beach. We went for another quick swim at the Alexandra Headlands- but Brent caught a wave right into a wall of shells, so we didn’t stay there too long.
We drove up to Hervey Bay (across from Fraser Island) that night and checked into a much better YHA hostel- where we paid the same amount as in Byron Bay for our own little enclosed cabin- which was still basic but much more comfortable! We had a cheap dinner at the hostel, played some chess and booked some tours for the next few days. 
Thursday we went on a whale watching tour in Hervey Bay for most of the day. We saw tons of humpbacked whales and had a great lunch on the boat. We hadn’t planned it- but it ended up being prime whale watching season (since the whales migrate down the coast each spring)- so we definitely got lucky. 
That evening we went for a swim in the ocean at Hervey Bay. The water wasn’t that great looking, but the sand was super soft, and the water was really warm, so it ended up being just perfect.Friday was probably my favourite day. :)
We went on a full-day guided tour of Fraser Island. I’m sure it would have been even better if we had enough money and time to camp and rent our own 4X4, but we definitely saw enough to know that we want to go back. We had a really knowledgeable guide who took us all around the 170km sand island. We walked through rainforests, swam in freshwater creeks, drove along 75-mile beach (which is a HUGE beach that is also a highway and a runway), visited the Maheno shipwreck, saw the coloured sands, and spent a while at a very famous freshwater lake called Lake MacKenzie(where you can polish your jewlery with the sand). It was a GREAT day and I really didn’t want to leave the island (at least until I heard about all the deadly animals and bugs living on it).
That night we had dinner at a popular Mexican restaurant in Hervey Bay which we decided was probably the BEST Mexican food we had ever had!
Saturday morning we got up early and headed over to the beach where there was a master’s surf lifesaving carnival/competition going on. Brent’s old club was there, so he was happy to see a lot of the men that he used to train with. It is amazing to see the number of masters still involved in surf lifesaving here- definitely something you would NEVER see in Canada. 
After a few races, we decided to start driving back towards Sydney since I needed to be at the hospital by Monday. We ended up driving about 11 hours that day and making it all the way down to a town called Port MacQuarie, which is about 500 kilometers north of Sydney along the coast. We stayed in a Quality Inn motel that night, watched a movie and ordered in some pizza. It was a nice treat after our week of hostels.Sunday morning we headed over to a well-known, but quiet beach in Port MacQuarie called Shelly Beach. It was beautiful and the waves were perfect for body surfing. :) We swam there for about an hour before tearing ourselves away to go back to Sydney.
At the end of it all, we had driven 2700 kilometers in 7 days.This week has been a bit of a blur since I have been trying to keep up with school (we are in cardiology block now), but also trying to spend as much time with Brent before he had to leave. It is weird being here by myself again- but I have lots of good cooking ideas now and I have a surf board and a commuting bike to keep me busy… so I’m hoping these 6 weeks will go by fast. It’s pretty strange, but my little box of a room almost feels too BIG now that Brent is gone. :(
Luckily, I have more visits to look forward to very soon! Uncle Tom will be here in about 3 weeks and then Mom will be here a few weeks after that! Very excited! :)
Anyway, sorry for another VERY long blog but thanks for reading it! Brent also has a link full of pictures incase you are curious to see more! http://picasaweb.google.com/brentmc77
Miss you! xox
A few weeks ago, on one of my days off, we decided to go to the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre for a swim/workout. It’s only a few suburbs away from my apartment, and takes about 15 minutes to bike to.
The complex is absolutely beautiful and was practically empty when we were there- so I’m sure we’ll be going back. We had a good swim and then relaxed in the hot tub and sauna for a while (to get our $$s worth… he he he). 
On our way home, we biked over to the fish market near Darling Harbour and got some fresh giant prawns for dinner! 
School has been good, but busy! I had my first OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Exam) exam last week at the hospital. It’s a practical exam that consists of 4 different stations- each consisting of about 6 minutes of interacting with a real patient while a doctor (examiner) watches you. We could’ve been tested on anything that we’d done this year, but the 4 stations I was tested on were: taking blood pressure, a respiratory/occupational history, an orthopedic (HIP) examination and a drug and alcohol history. I think the stations went well for me, but we haven’t got our results back yet. I’m still really enjoying hematology, but am pretty happy that it will be over in a week so that I won’t have to travel so far EVERY day!
We practiced on plastic arms again- and then on each other. Nick and I were partners again, but this time he managed to miss the vein on my left arm completely and then go right through the vein on my right arm. Needless to say I have some big bruises covering my forearms now.
Brent is also finally finished with his New South Wales Ambulance testing and interviewing. There was a bit of a delay since they managed to lose his aptitude and personality tests that he wrote- but everything got sorted out eventually. His driving test, medical and physical assessment and interview all went really well, though. And on Friday, they offered him the job! Unfortunately, we still have to wait to see if immigration will decide to sponsor his visa- so more waiting before we can make any plans!
Since the past few weeks have been a little stressful, we decided to treat ourselves to a night at the Opera House on Friday. I got some cheap tickets from a friend in my class who had ended up with a few extras somehow. The show ended up being just amazing- and was also sold out. It was in the main concert hall and we saw an Australian Band, known as the Whitlams, playing with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. 
We both really loved them! We also had a nice dinner at a little pub in the Rocks before the show.
It was fun to see, but even after playing for a year in high school, I still really had no clue what was going on. Hopefully I’ll be able to figure it out sometime in the next 4 years!
We had some kebabs as a late lunch and then headed off on the Coogee to Bondi walk- which is a very popular 5km walk along the shoreline from one beach to the other. It took us about two hours since there is a lot of up and down and we stopped to take lots of pictures. It definitely doesn’t feel like you’re in Sydney when you’re on the walk!! I would highly recommend it! 
Friday evening, my friend Martha, from my clinical school invited Brent and me over to her place in Annandale for dinner. She made a huge Kangaroo salad for us which was just amazing. The kangaroo meat was SO good- I couldn’t believe it! It tastes like very tender beef- but better (and it’s healthier for you!). We ate in her backyard at a little table in the middle of a very cozy, beautiful garden that looks over the Anzac Bridge.
On Saturday, Brent and I decided to volunteer for Unimed for the day. The event we were working at was the ‘Eastern Australian National Drag Racing Competition’ held in western Sydney. It was an interesting experience and luckily no one got hurt- so we didn’t have to do any work. It’s always nice to go to things like that once in your life. He he he. In the morning they even had drag races for 8 to 12 year olds!!! 
I had a great day at the hospital last Monday, even though it was VERY long! At our clinical procedural skills we learned to take blood (venepuncture)! I took some blood from Nick and he took some from me (after practicing on plastic arms, of course). I only have a small bruise on my arm which isn’t unexpected since it was our first try! 
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In the afternoon we got to see five different patients with different blood disorders and we got to ask them questions and examine them. We saw two patients with CLL (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia), one patient with a clotting disorder and one with myelodysplasia. The last patient that my group saw was really neat! He had a kind of hemolytic anemia that was only activated in the cold! So, as long as he stayed warm he was ok. His doctors have suggested that he pick up and move to Queensland as a treatment. I wonder how Canadians with this condition manage to survive!?! Brent was disappointed when I told him that he couldn’t catch this disorder. Nick also managed to take his camera into surgery last week, so I thought I’d show you a few pictures from some of the things we get to see. This surgery was a facial reconstruction of a man who was in a plane crash and apparently “used his face as an airbag” (so the plastics doctors say). %5B1%5D.JPG)
On Tuesday, Brent rented a car so that he could practice driving for his test next week. I had Grand Rounds at the hospital in the early afternoon, so Brent drove out to the hospital for some free lunch and for the Rounds. I think he actually thought it was pretty interesting! Hopefully he’ll come out for them again.
Tom will be happy to know that we have finally bought some bikes!! We had been to a few different bike shops, but hadn’t had any luck finding a reasonably priced commuting bike. Last week, after visiting a few bike shops (including one particularly sketchy one), we were approached on the street by one of the ‘workers’ at the shop who had followed us after we had left. He rode up beside us on his bike and said “Hey, can you guys kept a secret??” We stopped on the street and we didn’t really know what to say, so he just said “Keep walking!”. At the corner of the street he told us that he had some bikes, but that’s he’d lose his job at the bike store if anyone found out. Then he handed Brent a piece of paper and rode off!! We thought it was pretty strange, but we were pretty desperate for some bikes, so we ended up emailing him. Brent thought he seemed ok, so this yesterday we arranged to go out to his house in a western Sydney suburb to see his bikes… and LUCKILY it turned out to be just perfect. It really wasn’t sketchy at all. The guy actually rebuilds bikes from parts that he gets from old bikes or from a place that makes wheelchairs from recycled bikes. He also races bikes. Brent and I each found old road bikes (with thicker wheels) that we liked- so we got them (each for under $100). The guy also put on straight handlebars for me since I was uncomfortable leaning forward so much. PLUS, he even switched our breaks so that they would be ‘North American style’ and we won’t fall over our handlebars when trying to stop suddenly (and instinctively). He also gave us some free locks and tubes. We rode them back to Newtown from his place. Unfortunately, we have to leave our bikes locked up outside since I don’t have room in my place and the first night leaving them out, one of Brent’s wheels got popped (probably by the same kids who smashed the window of the Porsche that was parked beside our bikes). We’re hoping it’s not a regular thing.
The dinner Alice made us was just AMAZING. We couldn’t believe it. She made us homemade soup, some chicken wings and some HOMEMADE pizzas that were so good. She also baked some amazing brownies and sponge cake and even made us popcorn while we all watched a movie together. It was a great night! 
Speaking of Tom- he has booked a flight here for early November, so it will be great to see him out here! Hopefully Mom will be coming too!
