The Mo is No Mo

Hello again. It is now December, and the Mo [from Movember] is no more. I did, however, want to pass along some additional photos for posterity. The first is with the volleyball team from the Melbourne Corporate games. We won 2 out of our 3 games, a pretty good showing for a bunch of workaholics.

The next three photos are of me and the some of the team leads from the project. We went out for a rolloff dinner for a few of the team members, including Larry. Larry and I have continued to play golf on the weekends. He will be heading back for Beijing soon, once the US gives him back his passport!

Anyhow, just a short note for today.

Take care, and I hope everyone is looking forward to the holidays.

Your friend,
Matt

p.s. Still hard convincing myself that Christmas is so close with it being as warm as it is here… several of the stores are playing Christmas music, including Starbucks. Hard also not being around friends and family.

New Sports/Old Sports

Greetings from the greatest island in all the land. It has been a great few weeks, and am looking forward to reporting out on some of my adventures.

Larry and I ventured out last weekend for another round of golf at Kingston Links (http://www.kingstonlinks.com.au/html/index.htm ) just south of Melbourne. The course was in great shape and the scores for the day were equally as good. Larry, who has been playing less than a year, shot a 95 or so. I had a 84 (43/41). I think my score was due in large part to the new putted I purchased on Saturday with a portion of my winnings from the poker table the previous evening. I’ve included a few pics from the course.


Sunday was the day of new sports. I traveled to St. Kilda beach (20 min tram ride) with Ethan for my first Lawn Bowling event. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawn_bowling It was a great day on the lawn, and the game was quite fun and relaxing. You can get an idea of the facilities via the picks below. The game was basically a cross between bocce ball and bowling. What a great combo.

We continued our evening with ‘a few’ additional beers down at St. Kilda beach with the 15 or so folks that met up for the bowls. I got a crash course in Cricket from the guys that had been down for several months. I think I’ll need several more crash courses before I’ll be able to understand/enjoy that game. I’ve included a shot from the beach, and a pic with Ethan and the infamous “Ute” vehicle with which he is infatuated. To me it is nothing more than a glorified El Camino.

This weekend, the one wrapping up now, was pretty laid back. I went into the office yesterday to help out for a few hours. Last night was dinner at my favorite steak place, Squires Loft, http://www.squiresloftcity.com.au . The best steak I have had since getting here.

On Sunday I played in the Melbourne Corporate Games as part of the 6-on-6 mixed volleyball event. We went 2-1, not too bad for a bunch of workaholics. The real sporting event started up at 12 noon here (8pm Saturday back east). The IRON BOWL!!! I was able to watch the final quarter, as my beloved Auburn Tigers held off the University of Alabama Saban 17-10. It was the sixth year in a row. I memorialized the event with a pic from the living room.

Don’t look to hard at the photo. Yes, that is a mustache or “mo” as they call them here. I am participating in the annual rite of passage known as Movember. http://www.movember.com/au/home/
Don’t worry Stephanie, it will be gone before you next see me.

Until next time,
Matt

p.s. This place is starting to grow on me more each day. You can’t image how refreshing it is to be surrounded by some of the happiest, most pleasant people in the world. It is highly contagious.

Work/Life Balance

Hello again from Melbourne. The weather continues to get better each day, with it averaging around 25C these days. The final racing day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival week was completed this weekend. A 100-1 long shot took day the Emirates Stakes race. Incredible win.

I am starting to get my head around the work, which is allowing me to settle more into the non-work life down here. I am never really able to get comfortable in a new setting until I can get my thoughts straight on what brought me here, which is to try and make a difference for a client down here.

The photos down here are some random shots from the office here at 485 La Trobe St in downtown (aka Central Business District) Melbourne. In the distance you can see a bit of the see. I didn't realize how accessible and visible the water was from my previous visit.

We have found a way to make the most of the late evenings at work on Friday by combining a little business (lead planning sessions) with a little pleasure (case of beer). I snapped the photo below on Friday evening at the office.

I got out for another round of golf with Larry on Saturday. We played down at Sandringham Golf Link, just south of Melbourne in a town called Cheltenham. I shot my best score in years, posting a 87 (43/44). http://www.sandringhamgolflinks.com.au/index.htm

There would not be much of a life to balance without a little college football on Sunday mornings. I setup shop at Starbucks this Sunday to watch the Auburn/Georgia game on my PC via the Slingbox (http://www.slingmedia.com) we have setup at my friend Pete's condo. Resolution on the game over the internet was great. Outcome of the game was not. There is always next year. One more small, insignificant, game left this year versus the Crimson Tide. Fear the other hand.

Until next time, all my best.

Your friend,

Matt

p.s. One of the hardest things about focusing on the moment (inside and outside of work) is the fluidity associated with the business I am in. One quick series of events and my journey is over. I try to tell people all the time that we can't be bogged down by those things we can't control. I think I need to eat some of my own dog food.

p.p.s. Taught my lead here a new saying: "You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig." He wrote it on his whiteboard.

Melbourne Cup Week

Hello friends and family. I am wrapping up another great weekend here in Melbourne. I got moved into the new apartment, which is right in the heart of the city. We tried to get a place that had easy accessibility to lots of stuff and I think this is the one. I have attached a few pictures, one of the living room and one from the balcony.

On Tuesday November 6th Melbourne has a public holiday for a horse race. Yes, a horse race. http://www.melbournecup.com/melbourne%2Dcup%2Dcarnival/ Got to love this place!

The Melbourne Derby was held this weekend (Saturday) and I of course had to make an appearance. Here are a few shots from the track. The thing I loved about this track was that you could sit right against the rail, so we had an awesome view of the races. I met up with a group of Accenture folks for the event.

The weather was a little chilly today, but it should be warming up soon.

Cheers,
Matt

p.s. It doesn't take long to realize that no matter what continent you are on, nothing can replace the comfort that friends and family bring into your life. It is great hearing from people and getting pictures, etc. in email.

Full Swing of Things

Greetings, this time from the largest island on Earth. After landing in Sydney I had a quick flight over to Melbourne. The trip from LAX to Sydney had been shorter than normal due to "thin air". It was only 13.5 hours instead of 14. The memories of Melbourne started to come back to me as soon as the cab ride into the city. I started to recognize several of the landmarks and the buildings around downtown, although there seemed to be more buildings and a lot going on.

Work got started off good last week, getting up to speed on all the working going on down here. The team seems in good spirits despite the rigor of the project. I met up with a few guys from the project team to watch some football over a slingbox connection. People from the states are definitely football deprived here.

The beers are as good as I remember. My favorite, James Boggs - http://www.boags.com.au/, was a good treat during the week.

Friday night I went to a happy hour with the team and then tried my hand at poker at the Crown casino. Here is a shot of the Yarra River, just on the south side of the city. The Crown is one of the buildings in the background. I had a good night, although I ended up losing money.

At the happy hour I had a beer with a colleague from Bejing, China, Lanxiang "Larry" Ye (pronounced 'yeah'). He invited me to play golf on Saturday, which I gladly accepted as Larry had an extra set of clubs I borrowed. Larry and his friend Enze Zuo were great hosts. They were also pretty good golfers (101 and 100 respectfully) having started golfing for the first time within the past year. Here is a shot of Larry and I overlooking the course(http://www.standrewsbeach.com/p/golf/gunnamatta.htm).

Before golfing Saturday I inspected a potential apartment over in the city center. It was nice. I am going out with an agent on Monday to inspect 3-4 others and will be selecting one for longer term housing. I am excited to get this behind me.

I got to keep track of most of the college football games via the slingbox, ESPN, and ESPN 360. I even was able to watch the Auburn/Ole Miss game. People in Alabama and Mississippi couldn't even do that!

I'll get more pics and less words in the next few posts to increase interest levels!

Cheers,

Matt

p.s. I am finding that people here are almost nicer than I remember. I remember them being nice, but it seems almost like a euphoric state of being at times. I tend to be somewhat shy by nature, and am working on being more relaxed which is helping me feel more comfortable in my new environment. Ultimately, I think shyness begets awkwardness and more tension. No worries!!!

Heading for the Outback

For me, an international departure is always an interesting time and somewhat of a testing period. More than anything, however, it is a time for reflection. In a weird way it is a time to evaluate what you have become as a person. There is just something powerful, or moving, or whatever, about leaving your homeland. I often wonder what soldiers who are flying into a war zone think as their flight takes off… I am overwhelmed by the thought of never returning ‘home’. What did Grandpa or Papa feel? What did my cousin Tom Jones feel?

Right about the time I get to deep into these thoughts and recollections, the buzzer goes off indicating that we have reached cruising altitude. I grab my laptop to try and capture my thoughts, as raw/unedited as possible. I no longer fear the unknown adventures and challenges ahead of me, worry if I packed enough socks, or care about what kind of car I used to drive . The thoughts that inundate my mind are of the friends and family that have graced my life each day.

I wish I could have seen my friends Raul and Troy before heading out, or my neighbors Michael and San and Lisa and Bobby… could use another day in Bermuda with Drew at the Grand Slam of Golf; golf, beach, steam? What about another day at the lake with Pete? I wish for another few hours with Carol and Justin, and their son Cole, or maybe another day with Lee and Jeanmarie and their daughter Kiya. What about another day in Montgomery with Mom, and the family? If only I could be there to help Grandma and Mom move into their new house… that would mean the world to me. Another round of golf with Dad and Tyler would have been nice. My attention turns quickly to Stephanie, and I again am overwhelmed by what-if scenarios. Was it really important to put together those shelves last night and replace the toiler seats today? Uh, no. Another few hours together would have been special. How will we handle the months apart? The only way to justify it, for me, is to think about the wonderful opportunity we have before us. Thinking about the incredible days we have ahead brings me peaceful thoughts.

Australia has always been on my mind since my haphazard visit back in the fall (fall for the US) 2000. For that trip I found out on a Friday, and left the following Monday for Australia. That was a 5 week trip. It seemed so easy then to pack my suitcase and jump on a plane heading down under. Maybe I expect more now out of myself, more out of the experience, more out of making the best out of this opportunity. Obviously the length of stay, 12-18 months, has a big difference.

I hope this blog will help Stephanie and I stay connected with those that fill our thoughts each day. We hope you enjoy the adventure with us. Here’s to good beer, good people, and unending adventures. Australia, HERE WE COME!!!

Cheers mate,
Matt


p.s. I am reading this book (“90 Minutes in Heaven”) and wanted to call attention to an interesting learning in Chapter 10 (“More Miracles”). Quick background synopsis: Preacher injured critically in a car wreck, survives in a series of miracles, and is confounded to a long/painful recovery. In this chapter, the preacher is confronted by a fellow preacher about his ability to let people help him. I think that a lot of us fall into trap. When we don’t allow others to help us, or show us good will, or do us a favor, we are stripping them from the satisfaction of helping out someone in need. It isn’t bad to let someone help you.