Upside Down For Christmas, by Beth

Special thanks to Beth Hayhoe for the text and pictures in today's post. Readers are in for a treat, and more than a laugh or two I suspect.

Apparently, one of the guest privileges at the Wilkin’s Australian home is the honour of adding to Christie’s famous blog documenting life for them since it was turned upside down. I found out about this privilege after I jokingly offered to sneak in a blog post.

Now I am worried. While I fancy myself a writer, and have been repeatedly cajoled to restart my annual Christmas Epistle (which took an indefinite hiatus several years ago, with a different good reason for a couple of years followed by sheer laziness), I am worried about posting my thoughts for all the world to see. I have waited until I am no longer jetlagged, and have been well fed on this great Australian Christmas day, so that I don’t write anything I will regret. Unlike when I speak in public, when I am never entirely sure what I am going to say until it pops out of my mouth, thankfully the blog offers the opportunity for revision. I am pretty sure that Christie has ultimate veto authority anyway, so you should be safe reading on if this made it to the blog.

Some might tell you that the real reason I am writing right now is the flurry of clean up activity in the kitchen that I am avoiding. We have eaten a fairly authentic Australian Christmas meal including prawns (don’t call them shrimp here...kind of like Texas, nothing is ‘shrimp’ here), oysters, great steak and various salads all new to me, but delightful to my tastebuds. I think that the real reason for no turkey is the desire to keep the oven use during a typically humid and warm Australian summer day to the minimum. Imagine cooking turkey for the Canada Day weekend, or July 4th?

We survived the plane trip here....though the air, activity and lack of sleep managed to make my curly hair completely straight by the time I arrived. At least I had not pulled it all out. The only thing that looked worse than us near the end of our trip was the state of the onboard Economy class facilities, (they wouldn't let the likes of us into the ones in first class...the tickets are about 5 to 10 times the price).

After 36ish hours of travel time, lost passports in Sydney (yep, my fault, and I did kind of kind of lose it and cry while my dear son was wisely praying instead) and the joy of wearing the same clothes containing inevitable beverage spills for two days without a shower, things have gotten better and better.

In the Los Angeles Airport, the second of our four stops enroute to Melbourne.

We are thoroughly enjoying all the new sights and sounds here. Beyond the expected differences of the Australian accent, people driving on the wrong side of the road, water going down the drain the other way, the lack of snow and heavy coats, we have noticed a few other interesting differences.

Driving on the wrong side of car and road.

During my first trip into a darkened room, I thought that the light switches had been installed by a confused electrical contractor, but soon found that in fact, all the light switches are upside down. People are remarkably friendly and love to tell you about their amazing country, but do not wish to be disturbed as you walk along beside their house or garden. I am so used to stopping to talk to gardeners whose skills with plants amaze (for those of you who don't know me, I am pretty good at helping people stay alive, but plants....not so much), but am met with cold stares here if I try to do the same. We find people tramping around anywhere (including church and nice restaurants) in their thongs. Now before you Canadians or Americans try to picture this, thongs here in Australia, are usually referred to as flip flops where I come from. I still can’t bring myself to call them thongs, since my mind still pictures particularly skimpy underpants.

Probably the most annoying difference between our houses and Australian ones is the miniscule size of the washing machines. This is particularly noticable when two families stay together with four adults and seven children, and go to the beach every day. By the end of the week I was seriously thinking about those tiny camping shammies to replace the large beach towels. Christie and I got lots of exercise each day at the beach house running up and down the stairs to see if the incredibly small, and incredibly slow washing machine was ready to disgorge its three items of clothing for a new load. If I lived here, I might have to break down and get used to smelly, dirty family members. (Editor's note: Beth didn't say so, but she did the majority of the laundry by far).

I did of course expect to hear the lovely Australian accent which I had previously only heard in movies or a few Aussies I have had the privilege of working with. However, now that I have had a chance to hear it for longer periods, it seems that the biggest difference about this accent is something that would be carefully corrected in Canada by a Speech Therapist. It seems, to my uneducated ears, that the biggest difference is a virtual lack of R’s. Who knew that Ross and Christie in fact live in "Melbun"? Think of the money we could have saved on Meghan, if only we lived here. Think of how much easier kindergarten must be learning only 25 letters! The computer keyboard here intermittantly tries to be Australian, but loses the M instead of the R. It seems to be working now, but I spent one day typing emails desperately thinking of words with no M's. Alas, it seems that Tim Hortons will never make a foray into Australia, because they could never have the annual RRRRoll up the RRRRim contest during the season of Lent.

As a strange difference which may be entirely in my mind, I feel like I am sleeping on the wrong side of the bed. I plan to try the other side to see if it helps, or maybe I should sleep with my head at the other end. It is a hard concept to explain to my children that we are “upside down” compared to our usual understanding and not falling off.

As many of you know, Ross and Robert have been friends since they were in their formative years. Unfortunately the formation hasn’t always brought out the best characteristics in either of them. Some might even say that they have a history of goading one another into a quite impressive amount of mischief (an unfortunate fire at the Wilkin’s and a prodigious amount of chocolate consumed at the Hayhoe’s, and entering forbidden classrooms at conferences, to name a few). It seems that in spite of less hair, fancier clothes and more spending money, the years have not changed them completely. They have gained new ways to get into mischief now that they are big boys. They have an astounding ability to be completely oblivious to the goings on around them while gazing intently at their blackberries, and manage to make “joking” comments about household role expectations at times when the ladies are the most tired. However, all in all, it is an amazing friendship that has survived first a distance between two New Brunswick cities, then provinces, then countries in the same continent, then countries across the pond, and now countries in a different hemisphere. It is a joy to see them giggle like little girls over remembered tales of their escapades which have undoubtedly improved over the years.

Ross and Robert circa 1985.

Robert and Ross holding all the Hayhoe kids' shoes.

Hayhoe kids scampering in the surf

Ross and Robert oblivious to the beautiful women that they brought with them, and to the beautiful surroundings.

The good news is that Christie and I get along quite well too. We have managed to bond over our silly husbands' comments, our love of books, our astounding lack of directional abilities that require a gps to keep us from becoming lost, the love of our children, the desire to be good Moms, and the wish that our kids could forget all of our bad mother moments (I am sure that I have more of them than Christie). I obligingly had one at the house we shared at the beach for the week, so that Cameron no longer thinks that I am “the most amazing adult ever” (this epithet he bestowed on me because of my love of playing outdoor sports with small children and playing in the surf, a love that his parents do not share). Cameron would be truly amazed if he met our friend Ruth who takes our children one night per week. She may well be the most amazing adult ever in both kids and adults eyes. We are both very good at rolling our eyes at our husbands at opportune moments, which of course they never see, since their blackberries seem to be much more beautiful than us.

Beth tossing children into the surf.

Christie and I also share a love of taking photos of our family and the stunning scenery that we see in our travels. It may be difficult to tell in ensuing years whether we were in fact present with our families at home or on vacation, since we are most often found on the wrong end of the camera. Christie has been trying to convince me that I should get a great camera like hers, even to the rare event of letting me use it (she first broke down when she needed a picture of her whole family, and has let me get my grubby hands on it several times since). I currently have a waterproof, drop proof, ice proof and dirt proof camera that the” waterproofness” seems to be wearing off of since its first trip into the surf here. I have been borrowing my children's identical cameras since then, though we have managed to lose Jason's with his floating strap too. While I am certainly tempted by the great photos of she gets on her camera, I am held back for now by my knowledge that it is more likely Christie’s skill and not just the camera, and because of my distinct difficulty with the combination of electronic devices and water; (those who know me may remember that I once leaped into the water at our cottage to rescue my camera that had bounced in....with my blackberry in my pocket.)

I am sneaking this in when Christie isn't looking.

A rare photo with both Christie and I in the same shot....since we had to rope in an unsuspecting stranger to take this.

It has been great to see the younger generation get to know each other too....perhaps in twenty years they will be taking the opportunity to travel to exotic places because of friendships forged here. I think that occasionally Ross and Christie would like to trade for our children, not because of any difference in amount of squabbling, cuteness, or smartness, but for the sole reason that our children have gained the endearing qualities of being able to sleep in if they have stayed up late as well as sleep in the car, skills which theirs have never acquired.

Meghan sleeping in the car after the exausting morning of travelling, fighting with siblings and throwing up over the gaurdrail into the lovely scenery on the Great Ocean Road.

James and Jason and Cameron seem to get along quite well, with Jason reading to James, and them all playing basketball or trying to teach Jason cricket in the yard. (As an aside, I would not recommend trying to learn the rules of cricket after 2 days with no sleep. Cameron was obligingly teaching me about it, but the more he spoke, the less I understood. Thanks to a website Christie has found moderately helpful, I now understand a little more, though am not sure I want to get into any sport that takes the entire day, and stops for tea in the middle). Jason has spent every waking moment that he is not reading, eating, knitting, or playing with his friends, plunking away at the piano. I think we need to get this boy piano lessons.

Jason reading James his current favourite book, "The Lions storyteller Bible"

Jason pretending to be taller than Cameron.

Jason learning the intricacies of Cricket from Cameron.

Meghan and Sophie have bonded over Sophie’s American Girl dolls, and Calico Critters with their incredible imaginations and great sense of play. They also love exploring, which entertained them for hours at the beach place we rented. They have been seen wearing various costumes that they have devised with their existing clothes, holding pretend GPS's and going to places unknown. Thankfully their joy of exploring did not result in us losing them on a hike when the “exploring” made them get considerably far ahead of us. One day they also spent "cleaning" and "cooking" at the beach house, while pretending they were maids in a castle. If only this could translate into actual cleaning and cooking, Christie and I could sit back and enjoy our cups of coffee while they are still warm, and imagine that we are Queens.

Exploring in character.

Tired explorers:

Plotting the escape of their American Girl Dolls from a WWII orphanage.

Meredith and Katie, in spite of their two year age difference, seem to be getting along well, perhaps because Meredith’s cousin Katie is the same age this Katie. They have a shared disdain for the silly younger ones, while secretly loving them, and an incredible ability in bringing the worst out in their Moms, while still having endearing little girl tendencies at times. They have been seen head to head over an ipod game and trotting off to find wifi access to get their emails. Their knowledge of electronic equipment and reliance on "devices" is surpassed only by their Daddys'. Unfortunately, Meredith has learned that friends, unlike Mothers, are not always “religious” about the sunscreen application, and Meredith has been snapping at us whenever we give her shoulders a loving squeeze for the last few days.

Katie and Meredith sightseeing on Great Ocean Road.

Playing some mind numbing game on Katie's ipod.

All in all, our families have gotten along remarkably well. Well enough, Christie says, that they feel free to fight like siblings at times. While I am sure that we are all secretly looking forward to our times travelling around the country with only our own families during the next week, I am sure we will be equally happy to see one another again near the end of the Hayhoe's Australian journey. On Christmas afternoon we had eight adults and twelve children and teens in this three bedroom house, with almost no fighting, and no serious injuries. A Christmas miracle to be sure.

Robert, Beth, Meredith, Jason and Meghan at Loch Ard Gorge on the Great Ocean Road.

Ross, Christie, Katie, Cameron, Sophie and James at Loch Ard Gorge.

Seven friends aged 5-13.

My new favourite photo of The Three Happy Hayhoe's, taken by photographer extrordinaire Christie Wilkin.

We have enjoyed Aussie twists on food, tried some entirely new things and tried to figure out how to cook what they call bacon (like some combination of "regular bacon" and Canadian back bacon), and add "cream" that is the texture of sour cream at home to our coffee. I have given up and gone to drinking all of my coffee black. Our children had no difficulty in learning to like a favourite treat here called TimTams (nope, not from Tim Horton's). They are a chocolate covered wafer kind of cookie, which occasionally can be seen with a small nibble off opposite corners, dipped in milk and used as a straw. I believe that this is called a Tim Tam Slam. We have had many trips out for ice cream, kind of like when friends come to our cottage during a Canadian summer.

Thankfully I have tried both Vegemite and Marmite on previous occasions from friends of mine, so have not been forced to try this national staple.

One of the best parts of our trip so far has been the incredible number of typical Australian animals that we have seen in the wild. Apparently we have seen more Koalas than many Aussies. At first glance, when a kangaroo sits in your yard, it can be mistaken for a deer; until it starts to hop. I won't include too many pictures of this, because I think Christie has a whole post planned to show just how privileged we have been in this! One of the best quotes I can give you, is after Christie and I scurried across a road after a lumbering Koala and I said excitedly, "I am so excited!", and Christie squealed with the most delight I have ever heard from her, "So am I!"

Truly, we were all very excited to see the Koala's so close! This little fellow was being lured off the road after he got a sore leg after a fall from his eucalyptus tree.

Startlingly cute!

We have also met some incredible Aussie friends of Ross and Christie’s, and want one in particular to come and decorate our house for Christmas if we are having a lot of people over! I also hear that she makes shopping, a dreaded experience for me at the best of times, a much more than tolerable experience. I am looking forward to the rest of the trip, the warmth of the sun and the people, and the variety and beauty of God’s creation that never ceases to amaze me wherever I travel.

Great Ocean Road view.

The ocean never ceases to amaze me.

At least 12 km Rainforest walk with Robert and Beth from Erksine Falls to Allendale near Lorne. We left Ross and Christie with 7 children. They forgave us (I think).

More rainforest. Cool day, but very humid in the dense wood.

We crossed the river about 20 or 30 times during our hike.

Loch Ard Gorge on the Great Ocean Road. This spot reminds me of some of the views from New Zealand in the Lord of the Ring movies.

We eleven have shared laughs, meals, ice creams, colds, rooms, likely some bad habits, and much more, and enjoyed almost all of it! We hope you enjoy the pictures!

Sight seeing on Coast near site of one of many shipwrecks off the coast of Australia. We came back later and could see much of what is left of the 120 year old shipwreck at this site.

One view towards ocean in Lorne at the rented Beach House.

If you managed to slog through all of my ramblings, then as they say here down under, "Good on ya". Enjoy it, because now that I have finished writing, posting, and inserting pictures and realize how time consuming it is, it may be my last one ever!

Sunset near Lorne on the Great Ocean Road. Christie and I managed to escape together to take sunset photos. We mistakenly thought the guys would have the kids tucked quietly in bed by the time we returned.....

Now the sunset of this blog post.

Signing off from my first ever blog post, This is Beth Hayhoe (known on wii, as “the Mom”)

Comments

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From Marion McLaggan: This really was a treat to read Beth's blog.. and yes I did have a laugh or two! Thanks for including this in your wonderful blog Christie!!

From Becky Giebel: I truly enjoyed reading Beth's perspective on Australia, the lovely Wilkin family, her lovely family and the great photos! Thanks Christie!

Posted by: Christie | 12/27/2011 at 06:38 AM

Well done Beth! You are indeed an excellent writer and you have whet my appetite for the great Australian adventure!

Posted by: Amy Smith | 12/27/2011 at 03:07 PM

Hi Beth ... what a great travelogue and its so nice to hear from you. I, too, adored the magnificence of all things Australian, most especially the Great Ocean Road. A wonderful trek it is ... but I hear the 12 Apostles have been reduced in number! Hope, too, you're enjoying the different constelations in the southern sky. If you can identify the Southern Cross (that is also found on the Aussie flag), then 'good on yah!", 'coz I found it challenging ... its no Big Dipper. Have fun ... and keep up with the shirts, sunscreen and hats!!!(slip, slop slap, I think it goes). Cheers, mate!
Mary!

Posted by: Mary McAllister | 12/28/2011 at 11:24 AM

Hi, Beth! Thanks for the blog entry! I just sat and read this out loud to Bruce and Carolyn on the last night of their visit to my home in the Finger Lakes. We enjoyed the photos! Say hi to the others for me and have a wonderful time! I'm jealous about the koalas!

Love, Trudi

Posted by: Trudi Cook | 12/29/2011 at 12:31 PM