Week One ... living at Yulara

We are settling into life as a resident of Yulara. Funny place Yulara.

It is strange the things that become sort after and important, depending where you are living. For example, milk crates are like gold here. Even I was excited when I found one! If you are asking why milk crates are so important, here is the answer... Milk crates can be used as book shelves, clothes holders, pot plant holders, seats, coffee tables, etc. Living in an area where the nearest furniture store is over four hours away, means that a milk crates are almost a currency. Of course we are not supposed to use them, which of course makes them all the more valuable!

Alcohol is another interesting thing here at Yulara. Despite alcohol being outrageously overpriced here, even with a resident discount card, (for eg, a 2 litre cask of wine costing over $24.00), people seem to be continually drinking. To combat the cost of alcohol, there appears to be ‘Alcohol Runs’ into Alice Springs, which are semi-regular drives to Alice (remember it is over 4 hours away, and that is one way!) which are for the sole purpose of stocking up on a number of peoples’ beer, wine and spirits - people put in their orders, pay their money, and then collect it a day or so later!

Weekends in Yulara are not on the usual Saturday and Sunday. It appears that Wednesday is the new Saturday, with a disco occurring every Wednesday night at the residents club (yes... a disco – please note that I have not attended this disco yet, although I am looking forward to remembering the 80’s). Most of the residents up here are busy working for the tourists on Saturday and Sunday, so I suppose that is why Wednesday has become the big night to go out!

It is very social here in Yulara. Kristy and I have been welcomed and embraced by the community here. They all want to help and they all want to chat. Everyone is very open and friendly. We have been out visiting quite a lot. Everyone is chat chat chat, so you can imagine how Kristy totally fits into this place! She is soooo not shy, just converses with everyone immediately and is talking with everyone about everything. I find I am not talking about myself as much as everyone else. Perhaps people think I am being dark and mysterious, but the truth is that I find it hard to get a word in edgeways! I think I am just going to have to take the plunge and just start yakking on!

Ohhh, and I had an adventure! I was at Garry’s and Sue’s. They live about 10 minutes walk from where Kristy and I live. Kristy had gone to work and I had dropped into Garry’s for a little bit, which turned into a long bit, where I was given food and wine. It was late when I left. They gave me a loaf of homemade bread for the road (as you do!). I was actually quite grateful for that loaf of warm, just-out-of-the-bread-maker bread because the desert at night is very f%#@ing cold and I was only in a singlet and shorts. I hugged that damn loaf of bread to me all the walk home. However, I got a teeny, tiny, little bit lost going home! I am not good with directions at the best of times, let alone in the desert, in a strange new place, at night, in the dark! I thought, “At least I won’t be hungry,” and then I realised that the loaf of bread (which was keeping me warm and assuring me of a meal) was also a beacon for any dingos in the area! I rang my mother, who spoke to me as I worked out how to get back home. I was not attacked by any wild dogs, and the loaf of bread was there for Kristy when she got home from work (and I am not kidding, she cut a slice that equated to a quarter of the loaf, covered that with jam and ate in within 3 seconds!)

Because I saw how much Kristy liked that home-made bread I decided to go all earth-mother on myself last night and I made my own bread (and I didn’t even use a bread maker!). It was good bread!

Kristy is liking most aspects of her job. She is still getting used to working nights. Although she has adjusted to sleeping-in in the mornings quite well! She just had 2 nights off work (her weekend is Wed and Thurs) and we kinda partied one of her nights off and then the other night, we stayed home and watched DVDs (mostly because Kristy was hung over and recovering from the first night off she had!).

I am doing the cooking at the moment. Last night I made Pad Thai, and it was an extremely chilli Pad Thai! Kristy is loving the chilli in the cooking at the moment, which is lucky because this one was a burn-your-face-off Pad Thai. We are now waiting for the burning ring of fire at the other end. To add to it, I made a curry tonight. Yep, we will sure be feeling that warm glow soon as those meals depart from our bodies.

It looks like I have two jobs up here – one a casual position and one a part-time position. The part-time position is working at the Resort Spa – yes, it is Linda Wilson, beautician (as Mel pointed out to me – it rhymes). I will initially be doing massage there, and the manager, Julie, is going to teach me how to do facials – HOW EXCITING!!! I have paid out many dollars over the years to get facials, and now I will be able to do them myself! Oh YAY!! I am also going to learn how to do body wraps, and maybe some other things. I am very, very much looking forward to this job (cross fingers it is as good as it sounds). Looks like I will have 3 days a week working at the Spa.

The other job that I will be doing is catering. I will be doing the catering for the sunset tours at the Rock, when tourist pay a lot of money to see the sunset and get drunk on champagne that I serve to them. I am quite looking forward to doing this job, even though the money is crappolla. It will be social, and I can chat to people I will never see again, and I can smoozz up to the Americans who may give me big tips!!!

I have struggles with iTunes tonight – it is driving me a bit demented. Not the iTunes itself, but the syncing it onto to my iPhone. Why won’t it play the game???!!! Grrrrrrr. I am, however, determined to have music on the damn thing. So I will post this blog and keep working on the iPhone/music situation.