The first ten days

So rather than try and make a bunch of mini-posts talking about my first ten days in Melbourne (hence the oh so creative title) I figure I will just put it all in one spot. So here goes, random thoughts:

Everything sounds better with an Aussie accent (although to them, I'm the one with the accent)

Driving on the other side of the road is not as hard as I thought

Remembering to get in the car on the correct side is a lot harder than I thought

The whole car is backwards from what i'm used to, so i have repeatedly turned on my windshield wipers instead of my turn signal

It doesn't matter which side of the road people drive on, most people on the road are idiots

Good first impressions: this past Friday I went to teach some Shabbat songs to an eighth grade class and while I had the guitar slung over my back, I leaned down to pick up something, and got full-on whacked in the face with my own guitar. Swift.

Later on, in the evening, I was in my apartment juggling. i have brought with me what are called 'exerballs', basically weighted juggling balls of about 1.5 lbs each, and so I was juggling those and somehow, and i'm still not sure how exactly this happened, managed to drop one of them, while standing, onto my 'happy place'. If you are having difficulty visuallizing this, imagine taking a one pound package of sugar (or something similar) and dropping it on your (guys) or someone elses (ladies) junk. Owie.

The apartment (aka flat) that I am staying in was previously occupied by an elderly woman. The decor has not changed. It is a little weird to look around 'my' apartment and see doilies (sp?) and ceramic figurines all over the place. I have this strange urge to put plastic over the furniture....

I went to my first Aussie Rules Football game (aka footy) last weekend. Its kind of a chaotic mix of soccer, American football and basketball, but it is really fun to watch and I am quickly becoming a fan.

Despite the fact that I have only been watching the sport for a week, it has not stopped me from criticising what I see as poor play when I catch a bit on tv. like I have a clue.

A lot of the songs that are used in services are familiar, but often tweeked just enough so that inevitably at some point in the song I am singing the wrong thing

I walked into a random cafe last weekend and discovered it was run entirely by Israelis. I got to carry out my whole transaction in Hebrew. It was awesome. The coffee was good too!

The Simpsons and Family Guy are regular tv programs here. Hell yeah.

I know I am on my way to becomming a rabbi because in my very first sermon I said something that pissed someone off, but they asked someone else to tell me. In all fairness, it wasn't even my thought, it was Mark Twains, so why are they bitching at me?

The area that I live in is affectionately (I think) referred to as the ghetto, the shtetl or the bagel belt depending on who you ask. Jews everywhere.

There is a large Orthodox community in Melbourne, enough so that when I walked to synagogue last Saturday, I felt a bit like I was back in Jerusalem. Lots of black hats.

Sadly most of the people I passed did not return my 'good shabbos' greeting. but it made the few that did that much nicer.

the Dali Lama has been hanging out around Australia for a week or so. He is on tv a lot. I need to try and laugh as much as he does.

I think thats all I've got for now.

peace.