holidays

Turning twenty-eight with the iPhone

Finally, the iPhone has launched – a day before my twenty-eighth birthday to be exact.

I remember I started dreaming about something like the iPhone not long after I bought my first mac for my design business almost three years ago now.

How great it would be to have a phone that synchronised with the contacts on my Mac, that would double as a PDA/organiser, that would also synchronise with my Entourage calendar and perhaps also my email if I was lucky. Maybe I could even use it to surf the Internet?

Then whilst chatting to my dear friend Sensei Tim and sharing with him this fantasy of mine, I was informed that Apple did intend to launch such an invention and that it would be called the iPhone.

That was at least two and a half years ago. Since then, I have Googled iPhone at least every week to follow the latest news as to the development of this particular gadget.

When the first generation iPhone finally launched in the US, it was exciting yes, but it was also tantalisingly out of reach. (Indeed, why does the US always get the best things first? It frustrated me to read of US users complaining about the so-called flaws and limitations of the machine – at least you got to use it! Geez, enough whinging already.)

And so the wait continued and seemed to just stretch on and on. Every third or fourth day, I would Google ‘iPhone launch in Australia’, ‘Australia iPhone’, ‘when will iPhone arrive in Australia’ or some other permutation or combination of those words that would hopefully deliver the exciting news that the iPhone would soon be available in Australia.But again and again, I was disappointed. It was like one protracted and drawn out engagement that refused to reach its fulfilment. I almost became convinced that Steve Jacobs Jobs would never launch the iPhone here and that Australia would be destined to be an iPhoneless nation.

The thought was saddening, but I did not lose all hope. I continued my futile Googling week after week, along with hitting the Apple Australia homepage every day on the off chance that there might be unexpected ‘official’ announcement.

And two weeks ago, there it finally was.

“iPhone 3G. Coming soon. 11 July.”

I couldn’t believe it. I checked again to make sure it was the Apple Australia homepage I was on, and not just the US one. And it was! I still couldn’t believe it.

My anticipation these last two weeks has been feverish, to say the least. In fact, for the first time in our marriage, I was probably more excited about something than Rick was about the LandRover Defender.

And today – or more correctly, yesterday – the iPhone 3G is finally here in Australia. And it is not just the first generation or the second generation iPhone, but it is the 3G iPhone. The real thing. Capital R, Capital T, as my favourite Friends character Chandler would say.

Waking up on the second last day of our Port Macquarie holiday on Thursday, the first thought that dawned on me that the iPhone was now officially on sale in Australia.

I snuck out of bed whilst Rick slept on and visited SMH online. It was just so exciting to read the latest iPhone news that it actually sent shivers down my spine.

As for Rick, he simply couldn’t believe that I had woken up before him for perhaps the second time in our marriage.

Thank you Apple for timing the iPhone 3G launch so brilliantly with my birthday.

Turning twenty-eight is no easy milestone for a girl who still remembers what it was like to be eighteen.

But to be able to do so with an iPhone in hand just makes it a tad more glamorous, a tad more fun and a tad more organised.

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Cows, not ‘moo moos’

Acacia House down in Milton turned out to be all that Mike and Nikki had said it would be.

The ‘cream room’ we stayed in was simply gorgeous: ivory quilt cover, old-fashioned english lamps, white lacy tissue box, electric blankets, antique-style armchairs, dark mahogany wardrobe and dresser, thick emerald curtains and a beautifully finished ensuite with wooden panelling, gold trimmings and fluffy soft towels. It was perfect luxury – not overly extravagant and with just the requisite amount of comfort.

For dinner the first night, Rick made the same ‘dish’ that he’d cooked for us on his camping stove at Bicentennial Park when we were dating: rice noodles stir-fried with char siu, brocolli and a handful of other fresh vegetables. It was just as delicious and satisfying as the last time, even though the stove refused to work properly and we ended up having to cook it indoors on the induction stove top. Nonetheless, we still ate it outside on the patio so that we could enjoy the chill of the windy night and ‘relive’ our very special date at the park those two and a half years ago.

The second day was my birthday and after we had some mushroom soup in the late afternoon, we spent an hour or so ‘exploring’ the farm so to speak. Even though we didn’t get past the first paddock (or 30 metres from the house as Rick insists) it was still good fun and a great learning experience for me – especially the part where Rick both showed and taught me that cows don’t bite and generally don’t come charging at you. There were lots of ‘cow pat’ to be trod on though, but luckily both Rick and I managed to avoid them with great skill.

(Note to self – Rick prefers the term “cows” to my cuter slant on the word: “moo moos”. Apparently he would be rather embarassed should I ever say this out loud in the presence of others. Yet to be tested. Watch this space.)

In between our little ‘expedition’ and food experimentations, a lot of our two days at Acacia House was spent just lazing on the front verandah enjoying the sweeping views of the vast land before us. Spending quiet times like that with Rick always reminds me just how much I love him and how God couldn’t have blessed me with a better man and husband. I really pray and hope that we have many, many years of marriage together.

Question of the day by Ronnie: “What happens to cows when it rains?”

Rick: “They get wet.”

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Soup or sauce?

As Rick and I sat waiting in the Don Jon café on Sunday night for our char-grilled beef scotch fillet to arrive, the friendly waitress who’d greeted us at the door suddenly turned up at our table with two miniature-sized cupfuls of what looked like soup… or sauce.

Rick and I looked at the dwarf-like cups, then at each other and then back at the cups again. Without even speaking, we knew already what the other was thinking: Was this soup (but we hadn’t ordered any entrees) or sauce (but why would they serve it before the beef in a little cup on a saucer)?

Without wanting to embarrass ourselves, we tentatively poked at the mixture with our forks and tasted it in an attempt to work out what it was. Rick was quite adamant that it was sauce but I insisted that it was some sort of chowder.

In the end, we decided to risk the embarrassment of appearing like a couple of ignorant Sydneysiders (which admittedly we were) and took the plunge by quietly asking the waitress what exactly we were supposed to do with the contents of the cups. Unfortunately, the waitress didn’t appear to understand our question (and rightly so, one might say) but even worse (to our shame), the couple on the table next to us overheard us (what were they doing eavesdropping anyway) and informed us quite heartily that it was potato bisque – a complimentary appetiser.

As we thanked the waitress for her ‘help’, she quietly told us that she’d accidentally brought up two extra cups of the bisque for us and meekly asked us whether or not we would want them as well. Why not, we said, as we silently grinned at each other, secretly pleased with ourselves that we’d managed to score a rather delicious entrée completely free of charge (clearly, Rick ain’t a slower learner when it comes to picking up Asian habits).

It almost made us feel better about the whopping $31 which we were paying for each of our steak…

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A little peace, a little indulgence

There is something about being away from home that enables one to feel completely relaxed and at peace. This weekend, Rick and I indulged ourselves in a little R&R by heading up to the Blue Mountains for a romantic bed & breakfast treat. It was our first ‘holiday’ together since our honeymoon back in July and it was truly worth it.

Staying at the gorgeous Tablelands Bed & Breakfast helped immensely. I was impressed from the moment we stepped into our garden apartment studio. Not only was the décor of the room rich yet modern (in particular, the luxurious blue carpet made the entire studio feel so warm & cosy), the owners had out-done themselves in attending to the most intricate of details to ensure that we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. From the basketful of cereal boxes carefully laid out in the kitchenette to the fragrant-smelling toilet roll that was folded down to a point in the bathroom, the studio resembled five-star hotel accommodation in every respect. What’s more, not only did we enjoy the privacy of our own studio, we also had access to the beautiful guest room in the main house, which had sweeping views of Sydney. No kidding. We could actually make out the outline of the CBD in the distance. It was absolutely breathtaking.

My verdict on the weekend? Retreating to a comfy bed & breakfast place is a worthy investment for any marriage.

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