The cyclone hits

First let me say that we're safe.
The storm hit Friday.  Power went out towards the end of the storm, and stayed out for 5 days.  We count ourselves lucky in that regard, as some people will be without for up to one month.
Cell service has been very spotty.
So we've felt really "off the grid".  But, we're back up and running.
I thought I'd talk in this blog about the storm itself, never having been in a tropical cyclone.  Next time (maybe tomorrow) I'll write about after the storm.

Several people around have said to us "Oh, you'd have been through cyclones before (meaning tornados), so you should be right."  (Imagine in Aussie accent)
No, actually, they're quite different.
Tornados come on fast and, typically, leave fast.  The destruction can be much more violent, destroying even the strongest of buildings.  But they generally run a smaller, sometimes oddly selective path. 
A cyclone (or hurricane to you Northern Hemispheries) comes as a strong, often slow moving storm, with plenty of warning.  It moves slowly, and lasts for a relatively long time.  The destruction to strong buildings is less, but the immense area affected brings destruction on a grand scale.  The sustained powerful wind brings down vegetation, fells old trees, drops buckets of rain, lifts the sea swell, and covers the area in debris.  Windows are broken, houses are flooded, powerlines are downed, trees crash into houses, roadways are covered.  For over sixty miles around.

We spent Thursday preparing, and went to bed expecting the storm to hit around 8:00.  It was an uneasy sleep knowing what was coming.
At 11:30 the rain was so heavy that our building fire alarm came on. 
At around 4:00 I got a text message from the city recommending evacuation in certain areas (not us) due to the road closures that would come from flooding.  Tricia checked the flood maps on the city website and called the information hotline, and it seemed that we would not be flooded.  As I went down to check the building, neighbors were loading their car to evacuate.  Needless to say, we couldn't sleep after that.

As the morning began, we had offers from many friends to evacuate to their homes further away from the sea and higher ground.  But we stuck it out in our home.  The owners assured us that the cinder-block walls and safety glass windows would hold strong.  And they did.

We watched the news, and the updates kept us in anticipation as the storm both slowed and intensified.  The time to arrival was moved from 8:00 to 10:00 to 11:00.  Will kept asking "When's it going to start?"  And slowly it strengthened, growing from a category 4 to a category 5, the strongest on the scale.
The rain and wind was present all day, gradually lifting in intensity through the morning.  It finally peaked in strength for us around 12:00 and continued until 2:00.  Two solid hours of strong winds, flooding rain, and watching trees fall outside our windows.
Power went out at 12:30.

Around 2:00 the winds slowed, the rain lessened, and we all took a deep breath.
I was in contact with a friend, another ER doctor who lives here and works in Rockhampton.  We were to be on-call to be deployed to the Yeppoon ER if needed.
Thankfully we were not. 
Once the rain settled down, we were able to get out and have a look around. 

Blue sky in the distance

Our beach

We mourned the large old trees that fell during the storm.

The palm tree pointed out in the video

Poor eucalyptus is bleeding

We walked to Will's school, and viewed the damage there (very little, remarkably).

And we finished the day in darkness and quiet, thankful that the storm had gone and we were safe and together.

Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!

Another first!  A cyclone is headed our direction.  Growing up in West Texas, a cyclone is not something of which we are accustomed.  Needless to say, life is pretty exciting around here.  Cyclone Marcia is currently a category 4, possibly becoming a category 5 when it hits the coast early Friday morning.  Yesterday, I went to the store for hamburger buns. Fortunately, I thought that maybe I should get a "few" extra items to have on hand, just in case. 

A "few" items

Today the girls had their opening mass for school.  As I sat in the pew with my new friend, Eileen, she suggested that we might want to be prepared for a power outage. She recommended that we make sure we have some torches (flashlights) and batteries available. She also offered their home if we felt in danger in ours'.  As soon as mass concluded,  I ventured to Big W to get the essentials:  flashlights, batteries, a small portable gas stove, gas, rubber boots, and lanterns.

Stocked up

And while I was at the shopping center, I thought maybe I should get a few more items for the pantry, so I headed for Woolies.  Boy am I glad I had the thought yesterday to get a "few" items.  There were several empty shelves.  No more cold milk, no more loaves of bread, no more bottled water.






No more bread

No more water

No more milk

Almost no toilet paper.  Yikes!

Torches going fast

Don't worry Mom, we are all stocked up with several days worth of food, but I did buy a few boxes of almond milk, just in case. 

All loaded down with my "just in case" items, I headed to the car.  On my way home I had the thought of possibly needing to fill the car with gas, just in case.  As I pulled into the gas station, I realized lots of people where thinking about the "just in case."  Lines were quite long and there were attendants outside directing traffic around the gas pumps.  Finally feeling more prepared, I headed home.  Much to my surprise, I got a text from Peter announcing that he too would be home soon. Watching the weather, Henk, one of the  Rocky ED doctors, sent him home, just in case.  The road between Yeppoon and Rocky is known to flood, and Peter did not want to be stranded.  About the time he arrived home, a few more of our new friends, Corne` and Natalie along with their children, came by our house and brought us a lovely flower and some words of cyclone advice.  We followed their advice and moved all of our outdoor furniture.  They also offered words of reassurance and calmness, having experienced such an event. We are grateful for wonderful new friends who are kindly helping us find our way here.  As of now, the kids have been picked up from school and all schools have been canceled for tomorrow. We are at home, hunkered down,  just in case, waiting for the storm to pass.  We will update tomorrow or Saturday (or when we have power) with the rest of the story...

Settling in for the storm,
Tricia




We're at Yeppoon



Tropical Cyclone Marcia

Medical alphabet soup

When I was accepted into medical school, my parents gave me a new Stedman's Medical Dictionary.
It's not a small pocket book.  No, the Stedman's is a grand book every bit equal in size to a Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.  That pretty much solidifies the argument that medicine has a language all it's own.

 Our decision to move to Australia, of all places, was made in part because we, like many Americans, are bound by our dependence on the English language.  Thus, a move to Australia felt safe enough, in that we would not have to learn a new language.  But, just as we have had to learn a new twist on English, I have had to learn a new twist on "Medical". 
Not just new words, but the abbreviations are maddening!  I'll show you what I mean.
First, however, I must point out that I discuss here out of love, humor, information, entertainment.  Not, in any way, critical.  I mean, how could I be critical of a top-tier medical system that provides compassionate care to such a diverse population spread across a vast amount of land?  Well, I can, but I won't just yet.

Let's start with you, the patient.
Dial 000 (Triple zero)
If you call for the ambulance, you get QAS.  (Queensland Ambulance Service)
  Staffed by the "Ambos"
If you call the police, you get QPS.  Don't confuse the two.

QAS may then bring you to the ED.  (Emergency Department)

There, you will be seen by a nurse and a doctor.
Now, in order of level of training, the doctor could be an SMO (Senior Medical Officer, like me), a PHO (Principal House Officer), a RMO (Resident Medical Officer), or an Intern.
If you need a specialist or admission to the hospital, you will then see the Registrar or their supervisor, the Consultant.
If you have to have surgery, the Surgical Registrar will take you to Theatre.  No, you will not be going to see a musical, you will be in the "Surgical Theatre".
But wait, you may have heard of going to a Surgery.  That's different.  That's where you see the doctor in their office, or "Surgery".
If you need to see your family doctor, you will go see your GP (General Practitioner) in the GP Surgery. 
If you get a prescription, you take it to the Chemist.  And if that prescription is paid for by the government, it must be a PBS drug.  (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme)
Confused yet?

I work at CCH&HS (Capricorn Coast Hospital and Health Service).
I've also been working some at RBH (Rockhampton Base Hospital).
Not to be confused with RBWH (Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital).
If you go there, you might go by RFDS (Royal Flying Doctor Service).

If you break your arm, you'll likely get a backslab (not a splint).

If it hurts, you might take Panadol (paracetamol), which is the equivalent of Tylenol (acetaminophen).  Or you could take Brufen (ibuprofen).
If you have chest pain, you won't get nitroglycerin (NTG), you'll get glyceryl trinitrate (GTN).

In my relatively brief time in Oz, I've had the privilege to work in a small local hospital, as well as a very large regional hospital.  I've seen a wide variety of cases, from runny noses to snake bites, cattle-related injuries, train injuries, heart attacks, embedded fish-hooks, Ross River Fever, flying fox bites, and on and on. 
But, as I had hoped, this is exactly what I needed to snap me out of the complacency that can come without new challenges.  The challenges of learning new names, new ways of treating illness, new places to practice, and new types of illness has been a wonderful experience so far.
And as I always remember, I am truly grateful for this country, this hospital, and these wonderful people of Australia who have welcomed our family with open arms.
C-Ya M8!

First Days of School

St. Ursula's College

We DID it!  We made it through the first two days of school.  I didn't think it would be a big deal.  The kids were excited about making new friends. 
We had completed the enrollment interviews, so the kids were somewhat familiar with their campuses and were happy about the school choices we had made. 
Uniforms, school shoes (unfortunately not very attractive), backpacks, and lunch boxes had all been purchased. 
Booklists (school supply lists) were bought, including some different items... A4 display folders, document wallets, 30cm ruler, exercise books, Break Through! The Bible for Catholics, slimpick wallet, A4 binder book, Australian Pocket Oxford Dictionary.  Understand all that?  Luckily we were able to take the booklists to the local "News Store" and they would get all the supplies together for us, and then give a 5% discount for purchase.  What a great deal...we received a discount and were able to figure out what all the items were using the process of elimination when we compared each product to the items on the list. 
I thought I/we were all ready to go. 
As we all packed into the car to begin another phase of this adventure, I realized I was NOT ready.  I lost it.  The kids have been out of a traditional school for the last 8 months, by my side the entire time, and I thought I was ready for them to be back in the routine.  WRONG!  This day was far more emotional than any first day of kindergarten.  I was leaving my children at new schools in a new country and they did not know a single child.  YIKES!  I also realized how much I was going to miss them. 

Day 1, with the girls in their "sport" uniform

First, we drove to Sacred Heart, Will's new school, which is very close to our home.  His school is quite different than the schools to which we are accustomed.  Every grade level is in it's own building, and all the doors open to the outdoors.  Another different aspect is that there is not a cafeteria. All the students each lunch at the same time and they eat outdoors, sitting on the bleachers, picnic tables, or anywhere they can find a spot.  The Tuck Shop, which is very similar to a concession stand, is located in the large shed (covered basketball court) and is only open 3 days a week.   We walked Will up the sidewalk and into his new classroom.  There were excited children all around, getting name tags and choosing a desk.  His teacher greeted him by name and immediately introduced him to another boy, his "partner", but I wasn't ready to leave.  As I looked at Will to say goodbye, tears began to form for both of us.  I quickly gave him a hug and left.  Ouch!  That was tough. 
We then headed across town to St. Ursula's College.  I think it is called a college because it is also a boarding school.  The first day of school for the girls was a day of orientation for new students, so parents were invited to stay for the initial orientation.  As we sat and listened to all the information, I looked over and Maggie was in tears.  She had been so excited, and now tears.  UGH! As all the parents began leaving, Maggie pleaded with me to stay. 
I stayed for most of the morning.  I went on the tour of the school, which is similar to Will's with the various buildings and all doors being outside.  After the tour, I assured Maggie that she would be okay and I left...in tears.  As I was leaving, one of the administrators with whom we had our interview assured me that she would make sure the girls were okay.  I was only gone for an hour when it was time to pick up Grace (short day for the older girls).  I arrived at her school and there was a big smile on her face!  She got in the car and talked nonstop about the great day she had.  A couple hours later we went back to get Maggie.  Smile.  She was thrilled that she had made three new friends and had a wonderful afternoon.  Finally, we went to get Will. Once we got him, he informed us that he too had a great day and made several new friends.  He even learned the popular playground game of handball.  A little like four-square for us oldies.  Another boy even told Will that he was really good!

Handball

Handball











So HAPPY everyone had a good day.  Whew!  It was a rough one for this mom. 
Today we woke up and everyone was happy to go to school.  No tears!  Grace started her classes and likes some better than others.  Maggie continued to make new friends.  Will enjoyed some more handball.  Success!

St. Ursula's school uniform (from their website)

Day 2.  How do our girls match up with their uniforms?  Do they look like "Ursies"?  Pretty good, we think!

So thankful for welcoming schools, caring teachers and administrators, and our wonderful happy kids!
-Tricia


Happy Australia Day!

Today, Monday the 26th, was Australia Day.  It's the official national day of Australia, and commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet of British Ships arriving at Port Jackson, New South Wales, and the raising of the Flag of Great Britain.
As we've experienced with everything Australian, it all feels very familiar, with just enough differences to keep us confused.  As it seems, this holiday is similar to our 4th of July (Independence Day), with the differences being a little less patriotism, and a lot more alcohol.  (Hard to believe, I know)
A colleague at the hospital told me it's "just an excuse for everyone to party and get pissed".  That's drunk for you "Yanks", as we're known.
Honestly, though, all we saw were big groups of families having a good time, celebrating, picnicking, relaxing, and enjoying good company.

Our day started lazily, as this was my first day off in 7 days.  Not complaining, as work is becoming quite fun, and I told Tricia "I could just as easily go to work again today".
So we eased out of the house about 10:30 and headed to Yeppoon's main beach, where there was an all day beach party.  And although hot, the weather was great for summer.

It felt very similar to the "4th on Broadway" celebrations in Lubbock, as there were booths, goods for sale, carnival rides, face painting, carnival-type food including Fairy Floss (cotton candy), and a main stage with acts going on all day.

Again, though, a few differences...
We made it just in time to see the judging of the sand castle competition.  None of that in West Texas, unless it's lake mud.

 We watched the progress of the chalk-art competition.










We saw the rowing competition just off the beach.

And we saw the parade of sailboats from the marina.

After walking along the beach and dipping our feet in the ocean, we moved on up to the amphitheater where we watched a few bands, ate an Icy (slush), and had some lunch.  Will had a corn dog, of course (called a "Dagwood Dog"), and the rest of us had Thai food from a food truck.
The afternoon was really hot (38 degrees today!), so after lunch, we headed back to the house to swim in the pool for a while, then take a nap.

After resting, we loaded back in our "wagon", and made our way back to the main beach just in time for the magic and juggling acts on the main stage. 

After the "magic", there was a great band called Club 28.  From James Brown to AC/DC, they were really entertaining, and kept our toes tapping.  Some braver people danced, but the kids told us we were forbidden.  Wouldn't want to embarrass them!  The band even played a song some might recognize.

Next was the Australian National Anthem.  It's a bit surreal to be in another country when they sing the national anthem.  But I must admit I'm growing to love this country.
After that, the countdown to the fireworks.

I believe we've had a proper Australia Day!

Now it's off to bed, because tomorrow is the kids' first day of school.  Uniforms and backpacks are ready!

So, in Aussie style, three cheers for the country that has taken us in as visitors, "aliens", and adventurers!
Hip Hip... Hooray!
Hip Hip... Hooray!
Hip Hip... Hooray!

Big Deal or No Big Deal

Summer ticks on down under...
I've had one week of work, and I'm looking forward greatly to learning all of the differences between U.S. medicine and Australia medicine. So far, the paperwork has been my stumbling block.  No better or worse here, just different. But I'm still pretty clueless, so I'll avoid that subject for now.

I thought it would be fun to reflect on our move from Texas to Queensland, enjoy a little humor, and play a little game of Big Deal or No Big Deal.  Before we moved, there were differences we thought would be a Big Deal or No Big Deal.  Since we arrived, all of that has changed.  So here we go...

No Big Deal:  Driving on the left side of the road.  A little practice, and it's a snap.
Big Deal:  Walking across the road.  Here, you look right for the first half, and left for the other half.
   The next time you cross the road, think about it!

No Big Deal:  Steering wheel on the right side of the car.
Big Deal:  Turn signal on the right side of the steering wheel.  After a couple times accidentally using the wipers to signal a turn, you start to learn.  Until the next day, when you do it again.

No Big Deal:  Snakes and spiders.  I know it's only been a month, but we haven't seen a thing.
Big Deal:  Flying foxes.  By day, they sleep in the trees by the creek.  In the evening, they come out by the thousands!  And they're huge!  And carry diseases!

No Big Deal:  Grocery shopping.  Woolworths is no United, but it's good enough.
Big Deal:  Finding ways to substitute ingredients here with what we would use in the States.  Tricia will probably write more about that sometime.  (What's a capsicum?  Bell pepper.)

Big Deal:  No Hershey's chocolate.  You don't think you'd miss it, but you would.  You would.
No Big Deal:  No root beer.  They have "sarsaparilla".  It's close enough.  And the candy shop sells cans of Dr. Pepper.  Woo hoo!

No Big Deal:  No U.S. TV, unless you want reruns of Friends.  Although we did find the Tonight Show. Occasionally we fascinate ourselves with a show about a little old Australian veterinarian, and we try in bits to watch Cricket (which is ALWAYS on).  But we have found a way to watch current U.S. TV online.  And we're actually reading books now!  That's a big plus!
Big Deal:  No DVR.  It's available, but we don't have it at our place.  I hate commercials.

No Big Deal:  Not many quick places to grab food, and even less with drive-thrus.  We're loving the "take away" option, to go eat at by the beach or at home.
Big Deal:  Most places do not have fountain drinks.  It's all here, just in bottles or cans.  Oh for a good Coke on ice from a fountain!

No Big Deal:  The weather.  It's hot and humid, but with the breeze coming off the ocean, it is actually quite nice.  In church, the windows are open, there's no air-con, and it's just fine.
Big Deal:  No thunder!  It'll probably come, but as yet it's rained several times without a hint of thunder or lightning.  Maggie is loving that!

No Big Deal:  Living in an apartment.  Big enough, safe, covered parking, nice pool, barbecue grills, and directly across the street from the beach.
Big Deal:  Did I mention across the street from the beach?  Remember, look right, then left, then cross over to the beach.

There's a lot more on our horizon, from travel to school to work to sports, etc., so I'm sure we'll have more to add to the list.  For now, I'll leave you with pictures of some of the local wildlife.
Cheers,
Peter

Flying fox (from a very safe distance!)



Magpie (feed it, and you'll have an annoying friend for life)

Masked lapwing

Galah (my favorites)

Happy New Year!

Well, we've ended 2014 with a bang!
What better way to spend New Year's Eve, than surfing lessons?  Naturally!
Up and out the door this morning, we headed north toward Bangalee.  Just off the road, at our turn, we were so excited to see our first kangaroos in the wild!  Apparently very common, we were amazed.  We stopped the car, rolled down the window, and took pictures.  Luckily there were no locals around to see us, because they'd probably think we were nuts.

And further down the road, we parked and waited for Pat with Capricorn Coast Learn 2 Surf.
Loaded down with swimsuits, towels, extra sunscreen, water bottles, and the camera, we piled in his landcruiser.  From there he drove onto the beach, and a couple miles north we started seeing the waves get bigger.  There were a few other people out, surfers, dog-walkers, people with fishing poles, but we had no trouble finding a big open space for us beginners.
After unloading the boards, we had a lesson and practice session on the beach before heading into the water.  The waves were nice, the sun was bright (we're all a little pink), and we had a great time.  Pat, our teacher, was a really cool guy!  Patient, laid back, safety conscious, and he had great surfing stories.  I don't see how we could have learned without him.
Of course, Will picked it up pretty fast.  The girls all did great.  Me... not so much.  I thought for sure I'd be good, especially since I was a skateboarder in my younger days.  (That's something an old person says)  Maybe I need more practice.
Two hours later, and we were exhausted.  Another guy in the water said to me "This is why you never see a fat surfer."  What a workout!

Sunburned, tired, thirsty, covered in sand, wet, Pat took us back to our car.  He gave us all a certificate and Queensland Surfing bumper sticker.  Again, great guy and great time!
And we were off back to town.
Next stop... Ice Cream!

After showers, naps, and dinner, we were ready for more action.  We headed into town to sit by the beach and watch fireworks.  A little far away, but at least we saw fireworks.
Back home, we watched a movie and forced ourselves to stay up until midnight, so we could beat our American friends and family at saying "Happy New Year!"  I must say, if you've never watched the Sydney fireworks show, it is amazing.  I think that's making the list for next New Year's Eve!
Here's to a great 2014, and an even better 2015!
-Peter