It's great having friends over.

Hello there,

Robyn and I currently have a visitor here in Australia. Thanh has come to us from Boston. It's always great getting together with friends. Catching up and sharing memories is fun over a cup of tea. Since she's been here, She and Robyn have been all over Brisbane shopping and checking out the local sites. Coming home from work and going out to dinner has been nice as well.

This past weekend, Robyn, Kayla, Thanh, our mutual friend Jay and I went out on an exciting trip. We went out to Lady Elliot Island. The Island is part of the reef with coral for a base. We stayed overnight on the island, meaning we slept on the Great Barrier Reef. Thanh and Jay watch Kayla while Robyn and I dove the Great Barrier Reef. It was fantastic. I saw a few sharks, an eel and the usual fish. What was different was the shear volume of it all. It was like an underwater coral mountain range with hills and layers. Simply beautiful. I now know why they talk about the Great Barrier Reef with such awe, I will join those ranks. I ran out of air and had to surface 10 minutes before Robyn. She saw this great Turtle that was the size of her. She could have rode it, it was so big. The creature life there is just so amazing.

The next day I went snorkeling with Thanh and Jay. We saw 3 Manta Rays that were no less than 6 feet across.

Next we came across 4 different turtles. Here you can touch them and scratch their shells. (It helps clean them.) We also saw an eel and the usual fish. It was great.

After that we flew back to the mainland to hop a barge to Fraser Island. It is the world's largest sand island. There is a base of only sand. The island is huge with the only rain forest to grow on sand in the world. We had nice dinner with the five of us. The next day we took a tour of the island. The island has many clear freshwater lakes, beautiful beaches and forests. The water is so clear, to can barely see the water flowing down a powerful river or creek. There is also a half sunken ship that was marooned on the island after a cyclone hit it.

Now I know we have heard of squeaky cheese, but now we've seen and heard squeaky sand. the beaches on Fraser Island squeak when you walk on them. It's quite a novelty.

Robyn and I also took a quick trip in a small plane to see around the island. As we were up in the air we tried looking for whales, but did not see any. When we got back to the bus though, we spotted to from the shore as we were driving along. Check whale watching off our list!!

Now that we're back home and I'm at work, things have settled down a bit. Kayla can now High Five and Low Five people. She does it with this huge smile. Also, last night, While waiting for our food at dinner. Kayla was smacking the table. So I smacked it once and she repeated. Then I did it twice and she did it twice. She copied the number of table hits perfectly. She is changing into a little girl right in front of our eyes. She has gotten a lot more interactive lately. She always looked around quite a bit, but now looks as if she is trying to figure something out, follows activities. It really is amazing. She also broke some more teeth. She has 3 teeth on the top that has come through. I'm going to miss her 2 bottom teeth only smile, just like I miss her toothless grins when she was smaller. I love being able to be home and watch her grow up.

That's all for now,
Speak to you soon,
David

Our trip to Uluru

    So we just got back from Uluru. It is also known as Ayer's Rock. We spent the weekend there. As we got off the plane, we had to adjust our watches back a half hour. At Uluru, they have a half time zone difference between them and Brisbane or Sydney. It was weird to know that we were out of sync with the rest of the world.
  The tours were nice. The first day we got there we booked our tours with SEIT tours. This was a really good choice because the tours were small and the people were more like us. After booking the tours and getting dinner to go, we walked out to a tall sand dune to watch the sun set and change the colors of Uluru. It was amazing. The sky turned many different colors, from red to orange to purple.
    The next day we got up at 5 am to get to Kata Tjuta for sunrise. Seeing the sun come up over Uluru and the seeing the rocks of Kata Tjuta change was really an experience. Seeing nothing around you but these 2 big structures, which change as the sun rises is something else. We then went on to hike Kata Tjuta. The guide explained the local flora and fauna. We saw Euros, which are just smaller than a kangaroo. We saw a wild camel and the local birds. The guide then explained how these massive rocks were formed in the middle of a desert.
   After that we headed to dinner. There is a fancy dinner there called 'the Sounds of Silence' in which you watch the sun set with Uluru, have a nice fancy dinner and then listen to a star talk since all the stars are nicely visible if the clouds are minimal. Reading up about it in our guide books and on the Internet, we wanted to go. The only problem we had was that they wanted us to pay an extra $84 for Kayla. We explained that she would not be eating and that she was only 9 1/2 months old, but they said that all kids until the age of 12 pays that rate. We opted for the other 'tour dinner' with AATKings. We went into the national park to the official Uluru sunset location, as opposed to outside the park further away with the fancy dinner. After snacks, wine and the sunset, we went to dinner which as a nice BBQ. They had sides of beef sausage and a kangaroo kabob. After dinner, we gathered around the campfire for a 'surprise' star talk. We guide had a powerful laser pointer and pointed out the major constellations, starting with Alpha and Beta Centauri and the Southern Cross. It was a great talk. At the end, he broke out the marshmallows and we roasted them over the bonfire. Then it was off to sleep.
   The next day, we woke up early again to go to Uluru for sunrise. We were right next to the rock as the sun came up and got a real close up view of Uluru as it went through it's color changes. As with the other sunrise hike, SEIT tours provided a nice breakfast. The other tour companies really did not offer a breakfast. We then proceeded to walk the 14 kilometers (8.4 miles) around Uluru. Kayla was in her seated backpack. She got a great view of the whole walk, but fell asleep twice. :) We heard the tales of the local aboriginal people as to why Uluru is shaped the way it is. It is a fascinating culture.
   After our Uluru hike, we went back to our room, napped and played with Kayla. We then went out for a nice dinner. Kayla had her first meal at a restaurant. She had fish with a baked potato and a side of vegetables. Quite a little meal for her. She ate it with gusto enjoying the different flavors. For dessert, they came out with a little ice cream for her. It was her first taste of ice cream. I'm pretty sure she's hooked.
   The next day was our last. We went out to the camel farm. Kayla and I rode a camel. Yes she has now ridden a camel, an elephant and a kangaroo. (Not to mention all the other animals she has petted and played with.) after the camel ride, we went around the shops and then boarded the bus to the airport.
  Overall, it was a wonderful experience.

Speak to you soon,
David

There is nothing like family

So it has been a while since I've typed up my last blog. Things here have been busy. My family came over for Passover. It was fantastic.
First parents came over with Jonny. They all played with Kayla and let Robyn and me relax for a bit. Later my siblings came and we had a grand time. The Seder at my place went well as did the one in the shul on the second day. Afterward we went to the Koala sanctuary and pet some kangaroos and koalas. Next was Surfer's Paradise and hitting the beach. We had a great time. I drove this minibus to get everyone around. It was really something else to see me drive this massive bus on the 'wrong' side of the road. Mom kept talking to the passenger thinking he was driving. It's nice just being around family. They enjoyed seeing Kayla grow up.
When we went to Sydney, we explored the city, climbed the bridge and saw a show at the opera house. Then back in Brisbane, we chilled and saw Thor.
While we did a lot, having the family there as just great. Michelle flew in for only a few days. It meant a lot to me that she made this much effort to see Robyn, Kayla and I. Elliot and I had a great walk by the river and discussed life like we usually do. Ariel and Jonny added their own touch to the holiday and we loved every minute of it.
Spending time with the family like this reminds me why I could never live that far from family. They enrich my life. I love them and was really glad they came to visit.

How Much is a Surgeon Worth?

     In a system where the bill is paid by either insurance or the patient, the surgeon is seen as bring money into the hospital system. The insurance company or the patient pays the hospital for the use of the operating room and recovery room, as well as any staff and materials used. This generally means that if a hospital has room for another surgeon, it will try to get that surgeon to operate there. The added revenue helps the hospitals bottom line and allows it provide care that is uncompensated, like for those unable to pay. This system is the US model and one that is seen in the private hospitals in Australia.
    Another model is the public hospital model. In this model, the surgeon is very expensive. The operation performed is staff intensive. If an implant is used, it can be very costly; easily more than $1000. The surgeon here utilizes a lot of resources, but does not replenish the pot, as no one pays for any of the services provided, but the government. The government's subsidizing of health care is governed by taxes and a budget. It does not take into account the changes of health or illness seen in its population. However, when health care costs start to enlarge, one way of cutting back is to decrease operative rooms available. This means less operating and thus less money spent. The patients, people in the community, have to wait longer for their surgeries that are not emergent. They still get the emergency surgeries that are required, but if it can wait, it generally will.
     So in answering the question in the title, the surgeon's worth depends on where he works. In this second system, the surgeon has very little worth and thus bargaining power, because he is seen as a drain on the system. This is in direct contrast to the private model, where surgeons are a boon to the system. Asking for better equipment or staffing is tied directly to this.
     The health care provided in Australia is of good caliber and if the patient want surgery quickly, they can elect to go to the private system at any time. Overall, I think it is a good balance of private vs public systems at work, however, I am struck by the large shift in value of the surgeon fro system to system.

Doing well in Brisbane

So we've now been settled in Brisbane for about a month. We've developed a routine that seems to work well overall. Robyn , Kayla and I are all doing well.

I've been bike riding to work practically every day now. While I'm still not a huge bike riding fan, I'm at least a decent rider. So I'm not danger to people around him. I could not make that claim a month ago. The workout in the morning is also nice. While it's only 20 minutes each way, it makes me want to take the stairs more. Also now that I'm being a bit more conscious of my health, I've drastically reduced my drinking of Coke to only  about a can a day.

Operating here in Australia has been great. I've done quite a few complicated surgeries, with great results, as well as walked a few residents through other cases. I enjoy the balance of teaching and operating that I have achieved here. I hope to continue that once I am settled back home in Richmond, VA

Robyn has developed some nice friends here and has regular hang out times with many of them. Most of her week now has regular standing get-together times. She's busy now planning Passover at our place and figuring out where in Sydney we're going to go with my family.

Kayla is learning things at an amazing rate. She is super-mobile crawling and climbing everywhere. She still has a great smile with only 2 bottom teeth, but we think she's teething. So we'll see some more soon.

My family is coming over for Passover and we are really psyched to see them. It's been way too long since we've been together.

Well that's it for now,
Speak to you soon,
David

David Galpern's Thoughts: Kayla's growing up so fast

David Galpern's Thoughts: Kayla's growing up so fast: " I was looking at pictures of Kayla on Facebook recently. She has grown up so much. You don't really see it da..."

Kayla's growing up so fast

      I was looking at pictures of Kayla on Facebook recently. She has grown up so much. You don't really see it day by day but looking back over 7 months of pictures really brings it home. I remember her in hospital being born. She was so small and fragile. Now she crawls like a fiend, is dieing to stand up by herself. She loves to look at books and explore what's around the corner. She hates being alone and loves to make new friends and talk.
      Every day when I come home from work, it seems like we're doing something new with her. Robyn has been amazing with her. Robyn takes her to play dates, the library and all around town. Kayla gets to soak up as much input as she can process. I'm amazed at both my wonderful ladies.
      The big event last night was trying chicken with apricots, which she really likes. Robyn has been preparing all her meals from scratch and grinding it into baby food. Kayla is loving all the new tastes and sensations. After eating, she'll still her thumb in her mouth and then smear some left over food all over her face. :)
      Bath time is a lot of fun. Kayla now sits up in the tub and plays with shampoo bottles happily in the water. She comes out with this crazy curly hair that somehow just straightens when it dries.
     Last night, we had another HUGE development. Kayla slept in her own room for the first time. We moved her crib from our room into her room. She slept soundly until her usual 4 am wake-up. She dealt with not having Mom and Dad right there like a champ. It was amazing.

I love being able to watch my little girl grow up.

That's all for now,
Speak to you soon,
David

Back in Australia

Robyn, Kayla and I have been back in Australia for about 2 weeks now. We're happy to be 'home.' Things are settling in nicely for now. I'm regularly bike riding to work everyday. Robyn has some days slotted in for get-togethers with other moms in the neighborhood. On Fridays, all the fellows and their families get together for dinner to drink and talk and have fun. The houses are rotated weekly so as not to be overly burdensome to one family. This Friday it's at our place for Mexican night!!
     Work is going well. The cases are interesting and the patients are nice. So far the outcomes have been great and the patients thankful for their operation. Once I get a little bit more of an experience, I'll write a blog comparing and contrasting the differences in the American and Australian medical system. Yesterday I operated on call and fixed to patients bad fractures. It was rewarding work.
     Looking back on all our recent travels, I'm glad we did it, but am also glad to be done for now. Travelling, like anything else you enjoy, is great in short bursts. Too much of it and it wears on you. We plan to stay in Brisbane for a while, taking day trips on the weekends to the beach or national parks to see the country. The craziness with the flooding and then my registration/visa issues worked out well to allow us to see this part of the world, but now it's time to study and live locally.

Thanks for reading,
Speak to you soon,
David

Thailand Wrap-up, Now Back in Australia

After Chiang Mai, we went to Bangkok. We had a very nice time there. We met Chark and Gem, friends of Robyn's neighbors. We saw the 'Ancient City,' which is a miniature version of Thailand in the shape of Thailand. It preserves the architecture from years ago. It really is something else.

The next day we went to the palace and Wat Pho. The emerald Buddha was something else. It had on it's 'winter outfit.' The palace grounds were well done with amazing Thai architecture. Wat Pho held some amazing Buddhas and was great to experience.

Chark took me to see Muey Thai fighting. We sat front row right behind the judges. There were 3 knockouts out of 7 fights. It was great. They also held an exhibition of all the 'big' moves. It was great to see. I got some video of it. I want to thank my great wife, Robyn, for taking care of Kayla so I could go to see the fights.

We then went to the flower market, the floating market and around the city in general. We went to see some jewelers and gem stores.

Then on to Phuket. I went diving on one day. The diving was at Shark's Island and Anemone Reef. It was nice, but not the great diving that the guide book recommended. There were better dives in Hawaii and the Galapagos. Robyn opted for a spa day. She had a day of pampering. We bought some more souvenirs and had great last few days. Kayla played in the pool. She likes the water.

Kayla's really moving now. She's learning to crawl. She gets up on all fours and is launching forward. She is really mobile. She also started sleeping through the night it Thailand. We were really excited. She's now  not sleeping all the way through in Australia, but we think once she gets used to the new time zone, she should be OK.

Overall, we really enjoyed Thailand. The only disappointing thing we talked about was the taxi cab drivers in Bangkok and Phuket. In Chiang Mai, we had Percy and he was fantastic. However when we got to Bangkok and Phuket, we could not arrange for reasonable rates for the taxis. When we were at the palace we tried to get a taxi back to our hotel. They said no. The traffic at the hour was too much and they would only take us for what equalled 3 times the meter rate. Another day, all the taxis we got in flat out refused to take us to the hotel. The hotel was in the middle of the city, not anywhere far. It was crazy. We even got in a few cabs and the just puled over and told us to get out; they were not going to drive into the city traffic. It was maddening. In Phuket, the drivers from the hotels wanted 3 times the meter rates to drive into town. Again we were amazed at the price disparity. In the town everything was amazingly cheap. We paid more for a drive into the city than we did for 5 hours of massage. I just feel that while most Thais are nice and polite, the cabbies really ruin the feel of the culture. If you manage to put this one thing aside, Thailand was a great trip.

Speak to you soon,
David

Finished Chiang Mai, Now in Bangkok

We have left Chiang Mai for Bangkok. We had a really great time overall. After my last post, we went to play with tigers. (pictures to be posted on Facebook.) we played with tigers ranging from 3 months to 2 years old. They were so much fun. Kayla even got to play a bit. Robyn didn't want her to initially, but it worked out in the end. We took 300 pics alone with the tigers. Don't worry, they won't all be up on Facebook. After that we spent the rest of the day at the craft factories to see how all the souvenirs are made. The silk and umbrella factories were especially interesting. We bought some things and really had a great day.

The next day, I toured some more wats and the rest of the city while Robyn and Kayla took the day off and relaxed. The next day we played with elephants and rode one to the hill tribe people. We've seen the long neck tribe and a few others.

I remember as a kid, going to Ripley's Believe It or Not and seeing the display about the Long Neck tribe. I can't believe that I've actually been to their village. Every now and then, Robyn and I stop and reflect on how great our travels are. This was one of those moments.

Our time in Chiang Mai was great in no small part to our fantastic tour guide/driver. His name is Thanitsak. He was reasonable priced and took very good care of us. He reserved an elephant for us, while other tour groups had to forgo the elephant ride because their driver did not reserve an elephant. He took us to great local places to eat. Really an overall great experience. If you are ever in Chiang Mai, call use him at 08 1952 4895, or e-mail at Thanitsak_72@yahoo.com. He also goes by the name Percy, as it is easier for Americans to remember. Let him know I recommended him.

Now an update about my little love, Kayla. She is growing up so fast. She likes playing with the animals, tigers and elephants make her smile. Me too. She is almost crawling. She gets up on all 4s and falls forward. She likes to push herself backwards. She's really getting around. Kayla also likes to wiggle and balance when we hold her. She's getting to be a real handful. 

We have started her on small amounts of real food. She loves to eat and try new flavors. She enthusiastically eats her whole plate of banana or porridge. She sucks on carrots and cucumbers. She likes exploring her world.

Well that's it for now,
Speak to you soon,
David

Our trip halfway through Chiang Mai

Thailand has been really great so far. We are currently in Chiang Mai. It is in the northern part of the country. 

We've been to the Sunday night market. What an experience that was. People selling any kind of souvenir you can think of. They also had food stalls, but all the food was Thai. Pad Thai and Pad Se Ew for a dollar for a large plate. Many different kinds of meat on sticks and/or deep fried. The desserts were also interesting. A banana rolled up in a pancake. (I got one of those.) waffles, ice cream (but not the usual American variety, 'ancient' ice cream instead.) We had a blast walking around. They had dragons made out of rope that were really nice. People were carving soap into flowers; they were really amazing. Chopstick sets and hand made decorations, lanterns... It was all there. We really enjoyed seeing it all. The bargaining was also fun!

Then yesterday, we went to the local palace and a few wats (or temples.) We got a private guide and car driver for the day. He was amazingly cheap but knowledgeable. He used to be a Buddhist monk trainee. We started off with an authentic Thai breakfast. Robyn had a rice soup and I had a rice porridge. Then on to the Doi Suthep temple. We really enjoyed all the history and images. I had Kayla in a backpack carrier and every 2 feet someone stopped us to talk or play with Kayla. They would just walk up and start to play with her hair or feet. They meant no harm, it was just a different culture. A few people asked to pose for a picture next to her. We got a blessing from a Buddhist monk, basically to agree to just be good people and for some good luck. After that on to the palace, which was beautiful. On the top, I had this waffle that had coconut baked right in. This waffle was AMAZING!!! I loved it. Next we went to the Jade Factory and picked up a few pieces for Robyn and the house. From there, we went around the city, seeing different wats and learning about Buddha and his history. They have a temple where you can spend as much time as you want with the monks discussing anything, so I think I'll do that on Sat morning or late Friday. I also got a fish foot treatment, where you put your feet into a fish tank and they clean away all the dead skin cells. It was weird, but nice.

Today, we went for a cooking class. Robyn took the class, while I took care of Kayla. She made 6 courses, that were all Thai. We started off in the market, buying provisions, then back where we had a taste of local fruit and vegetables, like dragon fruit! They gave us a nice cookbook with recipes and pictures of all the spices and vegetables so we could get them back home. From there, for each course you got to chose from 3 options and make it. Robyn really had a great time, as did I. At the end, I got an hour course in Thai fruit decorating. It was really nice. We are now back in the hotel, planning Wed which will probably include Tiger petting and craft shops. Thurs is looking like elephant trek day and Friday may include some more of the city or shopping. We'll see.

Still working on my work visa, we'll see how that goes.

Speak to you soon,
David

Our Trip to Thailand: A Starwood Experience

Hello everyone,

Robyn, Kayla and I arrived in Thailand yesterday. We landed in Phuket and went straight to the hotel. Kayla and I crashed while Robyn stayed up for a while. Today, I spent the day lodging my Australian Work Visa and then we went into town. Robyn also realized that we could Skype on the iPad for free with people back home. It worked out beautifully.

Phuket was great. Robyn and I both got a 1 hour massage with Kayla on a third bed just hanging out for under $20 total!! We walked around the markets and bought a few items. I got a Sim card with a Thai number. We think when we're in Chiang Mai and Bangkok, we'll buy A LOT of stuff and ship it home. We really like the quality of goods here and the pricing. We're off to Chiang Mai tomorrow.

Now for the reason for the title of the post. If you have ever talked to me, you know I'm a huge fan of the Starwood Members Program. There are a ton of benefits. They include usually free room upgrades and late checkouts among many other things. Sign up Now. There are 9 different brands in the program, but we prefer the Westin. They have the Heavenly Bed Collection. Robyn and I argue about every mattress we sleep on except for these. We hope to buy two Queen Mattresses when we finally buy a house (hopefully, soon :) )

The really best reason we like the Starwood Members Program though is the massive return on points. Take this trip for example. The flights to Thailand from Brisbane were $2062 for Me, Robyn and Kayla in total. That would have cost no less than 60,000 points per person. This leaves each point being worth about $0.017 ($2062/120,000 Points)

Now look at the hotel rates. I'm staying in Thailand for 17 days. The travel agent told me that she could book my rooms for the whole trip for $4000. This included breakfast. When I went online, using just cash, I could book the same rooms for $3100, not including breakfast. If I used the 'cash and points' system, I paid $720 and 44,000 points for the whole 17 days. There was a savings of $2380 by using the Starwood hotel points. These points are worth $0.054 ($2380/44,000 points) (If you look at the travel agent rate, they are worth $0.075 ($3280/44000))

Now just looking at the flights versus hotel: 120,000 to save $2062, or 44,000 to save $2380. You know which one I chose.

Now there is one more added benefit to this. With the discounted rates on the rooms, I avoid paying taxes on the 'real' room amount. In Thailand the VAT is 7%, so I'm not paying an additional $166 (the $2380 I saving by using points x 7% VAT tax)  in taxes. This tax amount is another reason why I prefer to use the Starwood program.

Lastly, I get all these points by using the American Express Starwood Card. This is how I get all these points I spend. There is a $45 yearly fee, but well worth it when you look at the savings. When you use the card you get 1 point for every dollar you spend, and more at any starwood hotel. If you spend $30,000 a year, you get bumped up to gold level right way for a year. This card beats other AMEX Cards, like AMEX BlueSky because I get more value per point this way (~$0.05/point) and I don't pay tax on the higher room rate. With AMEX BlueSKY, you take $100 off of the post tax rate for 7500 Points (Worth $0.013/point). You can apply for the AMEX Starwood Card on your own, or I can e-mail you a link so we both get rewards, just let me know you are asking for the link.

I know it seems like an advertisement, but I just want all my friends to use their money wisely and get the most out every dollar they spend. Let me know what you think. If you have any better ways of saving money or using points, please post a comment on this blog, so we can all learn.

So just to recap, we're having a great time in Thailand and I really like the Starwood program, because otherwise I could not afford all this travelling on my own. :)

PS Fiji's hotels were paid on just points.

Keep in Touch,
David

Our Time at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Yesterday, we visited the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. We met many of Australia's native animals. There were these large bats called Flying Foxes. They fly all around our area at dusk and are pretty cool to see. We saw a platypus, a couple of dingos and a whole bunch of koalas. We, (meaning me, Robyn and Kayla!!) got to pet 3 dingos and 2 koalas. I also pet a snake. We took a picture with one of the Koalas. Now that I think about it, we should have gotten a picture with a dingo.

Even though they were badly hit by the flooding, they rebounded nicely. Areas were roped off, but all the animals were accessible. We felt like we got the full experience, even though they suffered. I admired their work ethic.

We had a great time and really enjoyed the experience. This was not the only 'zoo' that we visited that lets you play and touch the animals. I only wish the zoos back home in the US would let you regularly interact with the animals. I would highly recommend the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary to anyone.

Check Out The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Here

Well that's it for now. Speak to you all soon,
David

Kayla's First Bite of Food and Her First Fever

Kayla had her first bite of solid food yesterday. We smashed up a piece of banana and she ate it. At times she looked like she liked it and took the spoon all by hersef. She ate it with gusto. At other times, she made a 'what is this? Yuck!!' face. I think overall, she liked it though.We're really proud parents.

Check out the video

Last night, Kayla felt hot. Robyn bought a thermometer and Kayla's temp was 101.7. Robyn cuddled and cared for her, gave her Tylenol and the fever broke. As parents, we did not freak out. Kayla is now fine, just a bit cranky. Her first fever at 5 1/2 months, not bad. She was adorable during her fever. She was just a cute, quiet lump. I love her so much.

I don't think the fever is related to the first feeding. We're going to give it a couple of days before we try again.

Otherwise, things are going great. Got registered by APHRA, but need to get my work visa. One step closer to working. :)

A Thought on the Fijian People

    Now that we're back home, I have had a bit of time to think about our trip to Fiji. It is amazing how many people came up to us and just picked up Kayla. Whether we out shopping or Robyn was getting a pedicure, people would take Kayla and just wander around with her. We had to ask them not to leave the store we were in. They were just friendly; we never had any fear of them taking her, but it was still a bit odd. Kayla for the most part did not cry, as she tends to do now. The Fijians would all want to hold and play with her, regardless of if we were shopping in their store or just passing by.
    Here are two pictures of them holding and playing with Kayla:

Kayla with some Fijians

Kayla Playing with some Fijians

        Robyn at times would say 'No' as we wanted to continue shopping and not worry about Kayla. This however did not stop them as they would continually play with her. It's obviously cultural and meant with nothing but love. We enjoyed the attention Kayla got and the warmth of the Fijian people. I can't wait to go back.

Fiji: the last Day

It's amazing how your priorities change when you become a parent. Yesterday we went to Mana Island. It is a small island in the South Pacific. We choose it mainly for two reasons, it has some nice dive sites and it had a pier so we could easily get the stroller (or pram) onto the island. All the other small adorable islands required you to go from boat to boat to beach. We wee very happy with Mana island. Usually our first desire is to arrange for some scuba diving. We love comparing sites to previous sites, like Hawaii, the Galapagos, Costa Rica and even Boston (David went, not Robyn) just name a few.

Now with a 5 month old, we were able to set something up theoretically, but wanted to take Kayla into the ocean for the first time. She liked splashing in the water and even drinking a bit of it. She did not like standing in the sand because t kept on shifting in the water. She floats well, but likes to stick her head in the water. (As if he really knows what she's doing :) ) We got her hair braided and she looks adorable.

Here are just two pictures, the rest are available from the link below:

  
                                                                           Before

                                                                              After
                                                              Our Brisbane and Fiji Pics

There is no other way we would have wanted to spend the day. We even got a little snorkeling in. We took turns. All in all a great day.

Today we are checking out of our hotel and flying back to Brisbane later tonight. We hope the area is recognisable. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for reading,
David

Fiji: The Escape Continues

So today was our second day in Fiji. When we woke up, the sun was shining and it was a hot 90+ Degrees. We had a nice buffet breakfast and spent the day by the pool. Kayla could stand up in the kiddie pool with her shoulders above water. At last weight on the airport scales coming here, she's 14.5 pounds. Lunch by the pool was nice and relaxing as was the swim. At around 5, we went back to the room, cleaned up and napped. Dinner was nice and eaten while watching the sunset. Kayla slept through most of dinner. Now we're at the Sheraton to access the Internet and listen to some music. Heading home now to get ready to go to Mana Island. It has white sand beaches, snorkeling and scuba diving galore. I'll put up some pics on Monday when I have a bit of free time with an Internet connection.

Also for those of you wondering, I am still not credential led to work in Australia yet. FedEx has been paralyzed by the flooding. Oh well.

Speak to you soon.
David

First Day in Fiji

Got to Fiji safe and sound. Slept and relaxed for a bit. Spent most of the day in Nadi, getting supplies and trying how togo scuba diving with Kayla. Finished with Dinner on the beach. It's a tough life. Tommorrow, I'll go into some more details and put upsome pictures on facebook with Robyn.

Heading out to Fiji

Today my wife Robyn and I, were in Brisbane looking at the flooding of the Brisbane river. The beautiful beach would soon be under water. The power to our building was going to be cut and we would lose hot water. We were told by our super that we may lose water altogether. My friends from the hand surgery fellowship offered their homes to us to stay in, but we knew it would be too cramped.
Reviewing all our options, we decided it would be best to head to Fiji for a few days while everything calmed down. Once we secured the tickets and hotel, we went for another walk to survey the damage. It looks that all of South Bank in Brisbane would be destroyed. Robyn noted that when we get back, she would like to volunteer to help restore the area. We dropped all our food off to my friends, because it would all spoil in the fridge.
After a quick visit to them, we drove to the airport 7 hours early. This was so we could get to the airport at all. At that time, there was only one road open and it was in the process of flooding as we drove past it. We sat in the airport, bought a few books, had dinner, checked in and are now waiting for our flight.
During my next entry, I will give a bit more background of how we ended up in Australia and about our stay in Fiji.