Woe to a weekend past- is it the next one yet?

Another beautiful day here in Australia. Rob and I were saying over the weekend that we aren't very good Australians yet. We ventured out for a walk on Sunday in t-shirts and sweatpants (yes, very scruffy), only to find that wearing anything more than a cotton tank-top and shorts was entirely overdressed. The weather is hotter than anything we've experienced. Even growing up in humid DC in the summer, this was unexpected. Partly because it's October and that doesn't seem natural to us, and partly because well, it's Australia, and we have some things to learn. We also have on our list a) a big bottle of sunscreen to put by the door and b) a big bottle of mosquito/fly repellent to be easily accessible in the same place. Apparently the ozone layer over Australia is verrrrry thin, so we have to be extra careful. The "apply every 2-3 hours" with sunscreen is something that people take very seriously. Thank goodness we have baseball hats coming in our air shipment soon, they are more than just a fashion statement here, they're survival! And the bugs, well, that's just something that comes as part of the Aussie package, luckily the only thing we can find to complain about so far :)

Had a great weekend, just fantastic. Went to a party, saw two movies, went for a great walk to explore the beach, and discovered a huge mall, which is only exciting because they don't have them in Holland. I have to say, the movies we saw were excellent. First, Body of Lies, the new Leo DiCaprio (new here at least, I think the movies run a little behind), and Russell Crowe. This was possibly the best movie Rob and I have seen in the last three years, which is why I mention it. There are times in it you might think, uughhh, I don't want to see this (scary factor/violent factor) but actually in the end you will be really glad you put in the time. So good.

The other movie we saw was possibly the saddest movie I have seen in years. Called Sleepers, it starts Robert DeNiro and Brad Pitt, and is just the most awful, heart-breaking, tragic movie I can remember. It was an incredibly good film, very thought-provoking, but so intense and horrible. Basically, it was about the torture and rape of young boys at a juvenile detention center in upstate New York in the 60's. Who knows if it is a true story, but certainly the prison system wasn't well-regulated for years, and guards abused their privileges constantly. Sadly, this probably still happens in many places in the world, to a variety of people. This movie really made me want to do something to help the exploitation and suffering of people at the hands of those who have authority over them. I think I'm going to have to take some action to help against this, whether it's volunteer work or part of my career. I've started looking into being involved in organizations that help prevent sex trafficking, and will continue to look into ways I can help.

On a lighter note.... :)

We are ready for another weekend. This one we are taking a three day-er, and hopefully hopping on a ferry down to Tasmania. A whole new country to explore! Are there really Tasmanian Devils and do they really whirl into tiny little cyclones? I'll let you know. Apparently it is a beautiful country. Great outdoors, beauiful hiking, fantastic wine. The Aussies call it Tassie, which is adorable. I think we'll have a fantastic time.

Signing out and hoping you all have a glorious tomorrow (which is already today here, so mind-boggling!)

Sandra and Rob