Day 3
Well, we finally made it. Not too bad a trip, though this time I didn't sleep nearly enough. I am starting to feel the drag. Got to the hotel, and it is so much the same it is spooky. We jammed a piece of paper into the switch trigger (the electricity is off in the room unless something is inserted into a slot near the door, including AC) and by the time we get back to the room (I am sharing the room with a co-worker) it should be nice and chilly in there.
Came in long enough to get our stuff and to verify we had connectivity, etc. Nice when there are this many folks here. Not nearly as much work to do.
I AM PUNCHY! I know I am tired, and there's no easy way around it. I will keep pushing until 10 or so and then just fall over.
Venue food. I love it, but damn! Tim-Tams, Pringles, Ice Cream, you name it, we've got it. High in calories, starches, and sugars. Not sure how I am going to cope with that, but I sure intend to try. It is bad enough that I am in Australia without this temptation. In case you didn't know, Australia loves their chips. That's a Commonwealth phrase for Fries. We went to a Greek restaurant for lunch today, and even the Greek food came with a side of chips. I jokingly say you can get Lasagna and a side of chips, but it isn't too far from the truth.
We walked to the grocery store and "Big W" prior to coming into work. Big W is somewhat like Wal-Mart. I mean, it says it is the low price leader, always. It uses the smiley face to show lowest prices, etc. It is a Wal-Mart. But, much like Hungry Jack's is a total ripoff of Burger King here in Australia, maybe someone came to the US, took notes on an untrademarked in Australia business model, and came in and implemented it here. The concensus is that the store really is a Wal-Mart, but that for cultural reasons, using that as the name wasn't a good fit. Who knows?
Since we're staying in a corporate apartment style hotel, the room has a kitchen with a reasonable set of dishes, and a refrigerator. That means I get to buy some breakfast foods and then eat in the morning instead of having to get breakfast on the way to work. Always preferred for me.
As I mentioned earlier, Greek was on the menu. Special props to Sandy Berman for her suggestion of Tsindo's here in Melbourne. She and I had dinner there one night last year, and I wanted to take the guys to it this year while we still had time. The food is awesome, especially if you overlook the side of chips.
Ok, I am beginning to fade. The talk is Hofbrau Haus tonight. We'll see how that goes. I am not sure I am that interested in eating there, but I will want to be part of the team. Tomorrow night is the Barbeque. I hope to be back on the grill, assuming the role I did last year. I love to cook, and it lets me really avoid conversation unless I want it. Not to be anti-social, but I do like to keep to myself when in uncomfortable situations, and if I have an excuse for doing so, then I love it. More again on Day 4.
Cheers!
Came in long enough to get our stuff and to verify we had connectivity, etc. Nice when there are this many folks here. Not nearly as much work to do.
I AM PUNCHY! I know I am tired, and there's no easy way around it. I will keep pushing until 10 or so and then just fall over.
Venue food. I love it, but damn! Tim-Tams, Pringles, Ice Cream, you name it, we've got it. High in calories, starches, and sugars. Not sure how I am going to cope with that, but I sure intend to try. It is bad enough that I am in Australia without this temptation. In case you didn't know, Australia loves their chips. That's a Commonwealth phrase for Fries. We went to a Greek restaurant for lunch today, and even the Greek food came with a side of chips. I jokingly say you can get Lasagna and a side of chips, but it isn't too far from the truth.
We walked to the grocery store and "Big W" prior to coming into work. Big W is somewhat like Wal-Mart. I mean, it says it is the low price leader, always. It uses the smiley face to show lowest prices, etc. It is a Wal-Mart. But, much like Hungry Jack's is a total ripoff of Burger King here in Australia, maybe someone came to the US, took notes on an untrademarked in Australia business model, and came in and implemented it here. The concensus is that the store really is a Wal-Mart, but that for cultural reasons, using that as the name wasn't a good fit. Who knows?
Since we're staying in a corporate apartment style hotel, the room has a kitchen with a reasonable set of dishes, and a refrigerator. That means I get to buy some breakfast foods and then eat in the morning instead of having to get breakfast on the way to work. Always preferred for me.
As I mentioned earlier, Greek was on the menu. Special props to Sandy Berman for her suggestion of Tsindo's here in Melbourne. She and I had dinner there one night last year, and I wanted to take the guys to it this year while we still had time. The food is awesome, especially if you overlook the side of chips.
Ok, I am beginning to fade. The talk is Hofbrau Haus tonight. We'll see how that goes. I am not sure I am that interested in eating there, but I will want to be part of the team. Tomorrow night is the Barbeque. I hope to be back on the grill, assuming the role I did last year. I love to cook, and it lets me really avoid conversation unless I want it. Not to be anti-social, but I do like to keep to myself when in uncomfortable situations, and if I have an excuse for doing so, then I love it. More again on Day 4.
Cheers!
posted by Derek Botti at
4:19 AM
2 Comments:
Glad you made it safe and sound. Looking forward to reading about your adventures!
Hi Derek,
Good to see you're enjoying Melbourne again! Couple of points on your post...
Hungry Jacks is owned by Burger King. The story goes that when BK wanted to come out to Australia, a guy already had the trading name registered. He attempted to sell it to BK for some ridiculous price, but BK decided that they would market in Australia under a different, more localised name, Hungry Jacks. The registration ran out for the other guy, so BK started bringing out BK branded restaurants. They failed to catch on, so all BK restaurants are again now called Hungry Jacks in Australia.
I love lasagna and chips! It's a great combination! Call me a philistine if you must, but this was a staple of mine every Saturday night back in 94/95.
Also, since I run the review website you linked to on Day 6 for Squires Loft, I'd love it if you could provide a review for Hofbrauhaus. If you would rather not do it on the site, then pop it in a comment here. I'm personally interested to see what you thought.
Thanks again for the link, and enjoy the rest of your stay in Melbourne!
Guy
(FoodGod Project Manager)
PS: Try "Stavros" in Albert Park for Greek food if you get a chance.
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