There's no place like Aus, there's no place like Aus

It's been over 24 hours since the Australian Adventurers have returned to the great state of New Jersey and I can tell you for sure, WE MISS YOU AUSTRALIA!!!

The time we spent with you has gone by so fast. We've made so many friends, had so many great experiences, and created many memories, never to be forgotten! I for one will be returning with Nicole to share all of these wonderful experiences and to introduce her to so many awesome people! You're going to love her!

I want to keep in touch with everyone I've met so I will be creating an email list to do mass mailings to keep you updated on my American Adventures! So, just to be sure I have your address, send me a message! BrandonHans@hotmail.com

It's getting warm here in New Jersey and the flowers are blooming. Soon it will be beach weather and the summer tourists will crowd the streets! I like it though, just more people to meet! Say, we could use a couple more Australian tourists : )

Come to the Jersey Shore. I promise to show you all a good time!

Keep in touch and I'll do the same!
Much Love from your Jersey Boy,
Brandon

So many great experiences!!

G'day all you blogfans!
So sorry that we have not written more but we are quite busy from morning until we drop into our beds at night. We have had an interesting and exciting time since our trip to Canberra. Just an update, Brian's hand is fine. After Canberra we moved on to our new hosts in Dee Why. We loved seeing all of the lovely beaches and sights in that zone. And Brian even had a chance to fly his Kite. We also got an opportunity to go to a recording studio to put some of the music we have been performing into a CD format. This was made possible by our many new Rotary friends who have donated their moneys because they believe in us as musicians. The recording process was amazing and we even threw in some Aussie influence ( I will leave it at that just as a tease so that you want a copy of our debut album).
During our final week we are staying with Families very close to the city. It has presented some great cultural opportunities. Brandon went to see the band " Korn" in concert at Darling Harbour yesterday and he even had backstage passes ( I for one cant wait to hear what a great time he had). Gina went to see the ballet Swan Lake at the Sydney Opera House. When asked if she had a good time, her reply was...." I was at the ballet- at the Sydney Opera House- of course I had a great time!". She described the event as magical and she even saw fireworks over the Sydney Harbour coming from a wedding party that evening. I was taken by my hosts to see the New South Whales Warratahs smash the Lions from South Africa in Rugby. I had a blast. I had no idea what was going on at first but I picked up the game rather quickly. The man to the left of me at the game had some colorful descriptions about where the referees head might be located. At one point he told the Ref to go back to northern Ireland ( which I guess means he did not agree with the call ?!?). I see that the Aussie rugby fans are even more passionate than our American football fans. Those rugby players are some tough blokes- no pads. It makes American Football ( or American Footie) seem like a game for little girls. But it was a fantastic experience that will give me a lifetime of memories. Well I need to get going we are off to climb the Harbour Bridge today... that will be thrilling! Off to another busy day.

. . . full house . . . again!

No worries, mate

Loyal readers, casual inquirers, and other followers -

After an extended period with limited internet access, I'm finally able to sit down and write a new post. We are currently in Canberra (CAN-b-ra, like bra, with a hiccup between the b and r), in the lovely Hotel Kurrajong. How lovely, do you ask? The bathroom has a multi-voltage/multi-national outlet for electric shavers, and the ethernet port comes pre-plugged with its own network cable. And if that doesn't make you go, 'wow they've thought of everything', I don't know what will.

As you read in the last post, we went kayaking yesterday, which was fantastic, then sailed on a yacht, which was, exciting (more on that in a minute), and went to a pub to sample the local music scene, which was very loud, but quite fun. Overall, yesterday was a very good day.

Now, I'd like to set the record straight regarding a certain incident on yesterday's exciting yacht ride. Two people were called to action to assist in a tricky docking to pick up two additional passengers. James (son of Brandon's host family) and I went to shove off from the dock when the boat tilted suddenly, and my right hand got squished against the dock pylon and the cable sail support. James was less lucky, and he got caught against the canopy frame. We found out this morning that his leg is fractured in 3 places, but, as he was walking on it last night (albeit gingerly), I doubt it will slow him down any.

As for my hand, I really don't think anything is broken, but regardless, it was fortunately my right hand (my bowing hand, not cello-fingering hand). As of this moment, I can move my fingers without problem (I'm typing this blog post as proof), the swelling is starting to go down, the cut is closed, and it isn't turning crazy colors (sadly), but it still really hurts to touch it. It's more annoying than anything. I'm going to give it another day or two to get better, and if it doesn't, I promise I'll have it x-rayed. (I really don't think it's broken.)

It was nobody's fault but my own (and maybe the ocean), and as a direct result, I have learned to keep all limbs in the boat. But really, I'm fine. It could have been worse, but wasn't, and next time, I'll know what to do. (or not do, which ever the case may be)

Until then, no worries.

Cheers,

Brian

VIEWS FROM AUSTRALIA

AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURERS SEND GREETINGS FROM SYDNEY

Good Morning Gov. Boots and Fellow Rotarians in Hershey,

It is 10:15 on Friday, April 11th, the sun is shining and the temperature is in the mid 60s. Today is the beginning of our mid-program break. Jonathan is attending a vocational session with Target Stores, Gina, Brian and Brandon are kayaking while I am catching up on e-mails and the BLOG.

This afternoon, we will join Rotarian John Root on his yacht for a tour of Sydney Harbour. It promises to be a wonderful experience. Tomorrow we join our Hosts and Guides the Brands and Fentons for a visit to Canberra, Federal Capitol of Australia.

On Monday, we jump right back into the program with our 6th Australian Adventurer's Performance, sponsored by Beecroft Rotary, with just a small crowd of 130 expected.

The reception of this first time ever Musical Focus Team has been extraordinary. The excellent well coordinated and comprehensive efforts Governor Monika Saville, GSE Chairman, John Cameron, GSE Coordinator Janet Grundy, her Area Coordinators, our Host Families, Rotary Clubs and Rotarians have made to provide us with significant vocational, cultural, physical and social opportunities illustrate their dedication to Rotary and all it means. Their warmth and friendly approach to a group of Yanks has made all of us very comfortable.

In regard to the team, Governor Boots, you will be very pleased to know that two classically trained vocalists, a cellist and a multi talented keyboardist, guitarist and songwriter have been a sellout at each performance. It is not unusual to see several attendees from one performance be there for a second time or in the case of DG Monika, DGE Tony, DGN John, PDG Bruce and Coordinator Janet Grundy 3,4 even 5 times. WOW!!!! Their ability to relate to each other and create music that highlights each other's talent is extraoordinary. Encores are common. They have bonded as a team, care for each other, are extremely cooperative and are a pleasure to work with.

Enjoy the Conference and know that your GSE Team is alive and well here in Sydney Australia and tell Lee I will see her in two weeks.

dmzdrpz

The Beauty of the Central Coast!

Yesterday we got a late start ( finally!) by meeting at 10 AM instead of our usual early start time. We actually got even more sleep than that because daylight savings time ended yesterday and that meant we could set the clocks back. We spent the morning seperately with our hosts for breakfast. I was treated to a deligthful breakfast at an outdoor cafe. I can honestly say that the eggs benedict were the best I have ever had. The Kincumber Rotary club that is hosting us planned and executed a wonderful day for the team. We met at a wharf and boarded the Cocatoo Ferry. We were amazed at the beautiful homes and landscapes we were able to see as the ferry leisurely sailed through the water. Michael Hunter ( one of the many gracious hosts we were blessed with) gave us all the history on the area while on board the ship. We docked at Ettalong and walked a short distance to our destination for lunch. We dined outdoors while listening to the smooth sounds of a local Jazz group. After delicious food ( and drinks!) we returned to the ferry. Seeing the water at sunset was even more breath taking. Once we docked we all said our good byes and went our separate ways. I spent the evening with my hosts Eric and Wendy. Thankfully they kept the evening very simple and even let me have time to take a much needed nap. We had a quiet dinner of spaghetti at home and I called it an early night.
Our time on the central coast is coming to an end. The trip continues to be a magical experience that will be hard to top in this lifetime. Thank you to all of our hosts who have gone so far out of their way to make this GSE an enriching and valuable excursion.

We really are celebrities . . .

Some pictures of the last few days

Here's a look at the sights that we have seen in the past few days. Marvel at the beauty that is Australia!

A Red Hot Day!

Good Day from Australia!!! Guess what? It's another beautiful day here and the GSE Team is absolutely adoring our home away from home! Every day is magical and full of surprises. We are learning so much about the culture and taking it all in.
Ok, well, time for an update!

We went to an Aussie bbq yesterday and sampled the local tucker; prawns, cheese, delicious friut, Aussie burgers with the works (including beet root!), sausages, delicious desserts and of course a huge selection of Aussie wine and beers. As the night pressed on, we were the ones to be entertained as The Red Hot Chilli Mammas took the stage and delighted the audience in 4 part harmony! Their upbeat songs and charasmatic choreography created a fantastic show for the 30+ crowd. The GSE team also performed and was able to expand our set with some off the cuff material. The crowd truly enjoyed us as we enjoyed playing music for them. The Aussies are such a fun-loving group of people, it's hard not to be happy here!

We spent the morning paddling around in the surf, riding on a "rubber ducky" and surfing the big swells of Avoca beach! This legendary surf spot is the home of several world champion surfers and the views are just incredible! I was told that when big storms come up from southern Australia, swells can reach 20-25 feet!!! They have jet skiis that pull surfers out to ride these monsters to shore. I am honored to have had the chance to paddle out in these waters.

For lunch, our host families surprised us with a picnic, which we ate on the rocks at the base of the 3 points. These huge rock formations are what Captain Cook saw when he first discovered Avoca. We are staying with the best people in Australia and we are certainly getting spoiled out here!

I woke up early today in order to go paddling... unfortunately, I forgot to set my clock back and woke up an hour earlier than I had too!!!! No worries! It gave me the opportunity to write to you!

It's now time for me to hit the surf so have a great day in Jersey, or where ever you are and Ooroo until next time!

. . . and perform they did . . .

The Eagle has Landed

Maybe The Dingo Ate Your Baby!

This is Gina, posing as Jon...Day 3, it's only Monday!? Here.

Ok, I'm going to bed so here's Jonny!

We woke up this morning at 3... then 3:15 then 3:45... jet lag is getting better but it is still present ( I am hopeful that goes away by the time we return to Jersey). We finally got up and dressed around 6:30. For Breakfast this morning I had a bowl of Kelloggs Rice Bubbles. This is the Aussie version of Rice Krispies. But they don't have Rice Bubbles treats- I think they are missing out. We started early by loading into our host Graeme's Land Cruiser and heading out to Featherdale Wildlife Park. On the way we saw some amazing birds called Galas( beautiful gray and pink parrots- I am not too sure of the spelling)... they looked like something right out of a pet shop. We enjoyed the wildlife park immensely! Many of the animals were right out on display to pet and feed. We were able to pet a koala and feed kangaroo, and the emu was able to knock Brian down and steal Brian's ice cream cone. One of our favorite animals to see were the Dingos. They are a dangerous animal here in Australia capable of great harm, but we enjoyed listening to them sing. We also saw the most venomous snake in the world the inland Taipan (strangely enough they would not let me pet it). Its comforting to know that we are spending a month so near the ten most venomous snakes in the world. We also marveled at the beauty of the golden pheasant. It looked like a mythical creature of some sort- maybe a phoenix.
After our visit with the animals we went to see a historic church called St. Matthews. It was interesting because it was designed by a convict architect. The stained glass art work was amazing to look at. After the church we took a scening drive to Wiseman's Ferry Inn. The group dined ( and drank) a delicious pub lunch. We enjoyed sampling many of the local beers ( I loved the dark beer). During the ride back to our hosts we laughed until our faces hurt- Brandon must have snapped 100 pictures of himself in his new hat ( narcissism is a quality he is proud to display). We would have asked him to stop but he's just too pretty.
I too am growing sleepy.... maybe I will let Brian finish our day's summary.....

Jon says we're only up to the rehearsal, but I'm honestly too tired to say much. We rehearsed in the afternoon, which was great fun, then went to our first presentation. Everything that could go wrong did, from personal mistakes, to the PA system breaking down. It was a bit scary, but we pulled it back together, and it was received well.

I don't know what else to say. Good night everybody. Let me hand off to Brandon...

G' Day Mates! Yes it is very late here and we are all about to hit the sack, but I just wanted to say how much we are enjoying our stay here Down Under. The Aussies have been nothing but hospitable and more than kind. Our debut performance did go well tonight despite the PA shutting down twice, remedied by a swift stab by the cello and my guitar strap coming loose in the middle of Mary Mary. Brian played a stellar pseudo guitar solo on it too! Good job!

Alright, the scotch (scotchy scotch scotch I love scotch) has hit us all and our beds are calling.

Until tomorrow, or actually, your two days from now back home... this time change is very confusing isnt' it?

: )

Has it really only been two days?

Hey everybody. It's Brian again, writing for the group. The jet lag is subsiding. Surprisingly, the beer might actually have helped. Maybe. For some reason, the three of us all woke up at 4am, separately, in different areas of the hotel. This makes sense, because after all, it was 1pm in NJ. Fortunately, we were able to go back to sleep.

For breakfast, we had food, and our first (and most definitely only) taste of vegemite. A month is not nearly long enough to acquire the taste for it, but it will probably be long enough to get the taste out of our mouths. (Me - Salty dog food. Brandon – Salt, then, eew? Jon – Looks like mud, only mud tastes better. Gina - I wouldn't eat this deep fried and covered with ice cream.)

The group parted ways for the first time today. Brian went to a chamber concert in Turramurra (Tarra-marra, despite the U's), while the others ate lunch at a classy establishment on Oxford Street called Bite-Me Burger before heading to the first host families. (They tell me the burgers were delicious.) Brandon even ate the pickles. Apparently that's a big deal.

We were reunited later in the afternoon, for some tea, which means dinner. Interestingly enough, no tea was actually served. We had lamb stew, and a sample from our host's expansive wine cellar. After dinner, we went to the Hillsong church.

Overall, we were completely blown away by the quality, and quantity, of what's being done there. We went to what we were told was a small service, of only a few thousand people, probably 75% of which were under 30, which is amazing. They really get it. The people are there because they genuinely want to be there, and it showed. The presentation was slick, but it was a means to an end, not the end in itself. A lot of “mega-churches” like that can get so caught up in the production that they forget that there's a reason for what they're doing. They didn't. The message was inspiring, and accessible, but not shallow. The music was passionate, but not forced, which unfortunately, is rarer than it should be. http://www2.hillsong.com/ for more information on what they do. Check out our video for a few seconds of what we saw.

For dessert, here's a short list of crazy things from the past two days that we've noticed. Telephone poles are octagonal, not round. There is nothing wrong with offering someone a beer at 7:30am. Sydney is hard to navigate, even for locals. The toasters lower your bread in automatically. You're more lost after asking for directions than before. Some grass looks like Astroturf, but isn't. Gina really, really hates spiders. Toilets don't actually swirl backwards, they just kind of, ssskkoosh straight down.

Time for bed. Good night.

asontudchasnotudhasoncduaoe - aka, jet lag

28billion hours on a plane, and we got here two days from yesterday? I don't understand it either.... Either way, it's 9pm tonight, but my computer still thinks it's 6am, and my body (our bodies, according to everyone else) is extremely confused.

After the customs-sniffing beagle found Brandon's hidden apples (thank you, Mrs. Hans), Brandon was deported. We will miss him. Mostly his guitar. Not really. Fortunately, they let him stay with only a slap on the wrist, instead of a $225 AUS fine. (3 minutes later, he was almost fined $1000 AUS for video taping in Customs...Actually, 10 seconds after that, the same officer also almost fined Dick the same amount, for the same offense.)

But despite all of that, it's been a lot better than it sounds. After clearing customs, we were met by an extremely enthusiastic crowd of Aussies with a big wooden welcome sign. They swept us off to the Hughenden (pronounced hyew-en-den) Hotel on Queen Street (do they realize they drive on the wrong side of the road down here?), and taught us the proper terminology for ordering coffee. (flat white, long black, and many others...)

We spent a few hours exploring the area surrounding the hotel, (thank you Janet for being our tour guide) including a good chunk in the best toy store we've seen in this country (see attached picture). We ate lunch in a market, and toured a $3.5 million house, which we decided not to buy. (Ask the others about the, apparently, extremely inappropriate painting in the basement, which I [Brian] missed completely.)

We wrapped up the day with one last walk to the park, followed by dinner, which ended up being back in the hotel, for many reasons. We sat up on the roof porch, until we were chased off by the GIANT BATS. Locals call them flying foxes, we know them as fruit bats. (Gina is dismayed that they don't eat the ridiculously oversized spiders that hide, in mass quantities, in practically every tree, but that's another story entirely.) They didn't actually chase us away, but they gave me quite the start, because they're seriously the size of sea gulls... only bat shaped... which I was not expecting.

Then we played cards (Jon cheats), sampled Australian beer, learned that tipping is confusing (not for drinks, or meals, but for both, if the drinks are wine, if service was really good, and it's a big deal, and they do a good job, and other factors we can't comprehend), quoted movies, discussed music theory (music people, you know what we mean. non-music people, we're sorry), and lit candles in observance of Sydney's hour of darkness to save the earth (kudos Australia on being green, rest of the world, get on the ball).

So far, it's been a great trip. We'll let you know tomorrow if beer truly does cure jet lag.

Somehow, I doubt it.

Australia here we come!!!!

With less then three days until we leave there is so much to do. Packing and planning for our month away is exausting! I know that when I look back on this preparation it will have been well worth the time I put into it. I am constantly remembering one more thing that needs to be done or an item I simply must not leave out of my luggage. I am so anxious to start our adventure and meet with the many Aussie's that have planned our ambitious list of activities. Tomorrow night we will get to meet with the In-bound Australia team from district 9680. They are scheduled to arrive in New Jersey this evening. I am anxious to probe them with questions about their flight, the jet lag ( I hear it's a nightmare coming from there to here), and all the wonderful things and people we will experience in their fine country. Time is flying so fast now! When I said the next three weeks would be the longest of my life I was wrong. I am honestly not sure where the last three weeks have gone. I am sure that our GSE team is ready to go "Down Under". District 9680...... I hope you are ready for Jersey!

Location Map and D7500 Visit Activities in D9680

Hi everybody--to assist the arrival participants and others, attached is a location Map and Flags for the local Zone hosting arrangements in D 9680. Please take time to visit the locations and click on the Itiniery Tag to see what is on and when--this will lay out for you a list of Rotary/Vocational and Cultural activities during your month long stay.
We wish you an exciting and worthwhile visit to our State.

Map and Activities

Almost ready!

Today our crew (the Aussie Adventurers) met to hammer out and fine tune our cultural presentation and our musical presentation. As a group we were able to get a lot decisions made. I know that we are going to put on a great musical presentation for our Aussie audience. Of course we have a long list of things that still need to be decided or completed before we depart but thank goodness there is still time. I am getting so excited for us to depart on what I can only say is the opportunity of a lifetime. It is obvious that the Australian rotarians have gone to great lengths to plan our unique GSE. It goes without saying that I cannot wait to embark on our amazing adventure. The anticipation is in a word AGONIZING! While we have a lot to prepare, I can tell that the next three weeks will be the longest of my life!

A message to the New Jersey Team!

GSE Team 7500 to Australia,

I am so happy with the way things are going. This trip is going to be one to remember. Thanks Dick for pushing us to be our best. As musicians, we can sometimes be over confident and skip over the necessary polishing up of our rehearsals. I'm sure with the energy and ideas you give to us, we will shine "down under" !!!!

Gina and Jon, you're voices sound spectacular and Brian, I am so excited to hear how your solo pieces are coming along. As for the song choices, I think with the arrangements of instruments that we have, our selections will be a hit with the audience!


Things are shaping up!

Cheers,
Brandon

Welcome from D9680 GSE Team

Sydney is ready and waiting for you ...... and we have just been voted Best City in World again. Janet and her team have been doing a wonderful job to prepare for your GSE and I know you will enjoy our Rotary hospitality and vocational visits. Unfortunately, the D9680 GSE Team will not get to spend any time with you as we will be enjoying your district's hospitality in New Jersey. Australians love a good beer and therefore, on a musical note, I hope you enjoy the attached musical rendition by VB Orchestra (click on link and if you'd like to know more).

Australia Bound

Thank you for the opportunity to conribute to your very attractive Blog site and track your progress and upcoming adventure--we are having a wonderful time with your Michigan colleagues, they are mid way through their visit at present and looking forward to a few days R&R after a busy two weeks.
I am sure they will have some great stories to relate to you on return.
My colleague Janet is doing a wonderful job planning your visit and Iam sure you will be kept on the go throughout with some exciting opportunities for vocational and cultural exchanges.

Look forward to seeing you all soon.

What is Group Study Exchange (GSE)?

An unique cultural and vocational exchange program of the Rotary Foundation for young non-Rotarian business and professional men and women between the ages of twenty-five and forty. The program provides travel grants for teams to exchange visits between paired Rotary Districts in other parts of the world.

During the four week duration of the program, our team, consisting of a Rotarian Team Leader and four Team Members will be fully immersed into the cultural, economic, vocational and social life of their hosts. Team members come away from this experience with a better understanding of life and business outside their home country. They observe their vocations as practiced in Australia, develop personal and professional relationships, share ideas and interface on a daily basis with their Rotarian Host Families.

Who are the "Aussie Adventurers"?

Generally a Group Study Exchange Team has a wide variety of vocations and this team is no different. HOWEVER, in this case there is a distinct focus. District Governor Kathleen "Boots" White wanted something out of the ordinary for her GSE Exchange. Everbody had to be musically oriented, well almost everybody. The Team Leader was excepted. The idea was to search out and locate four musically oriented business and professional non-Rotarians who had music in their blood.

We have Brian, an expert on the cello, Gina and Jonathan, two classically trained vocalists specializing in opera, and Brandon, a multi-talented songwriter, guitarist and keyboard specialist. Then, there is Dick, The Rotarian Team Leader, who admits to singing in the shower!

Since selection, our four musicians have been working together to develop a quartet style that highlights each individual's talent. At the Mid-Year Conference in late January, with only one rehearsal, they simply blew the one hundred-plus attendees away.

Our goal is to provide our Australian Hosts, an image of New Jersey, its people, its history and its talent.