Retail with a view

I had only about 3 minutes in Sydney's Queen Victoria Building when I was in town last week, but I managed to take a couple cool snaps. Pierre Cardin once deemed this building the most beautiful shopping center in the world. It goes without saying I will be back very, very soon.

And I'm off the carbs again. Thanks, Max.

I first heard about Max Brenner chocolate when I worked with Candy Industry magazine. I first tasted it in Melbourne. And I returned for more in Sydney.

Okay, I'm getting dramatic. It's just chocolate.

But then again, it's not. A Hershey bar is just chocolate. A Max Brenner Chocolate Toffee Frappe? That's more of a borderline narcotic.

Max Brenner, or the bald man as he's affectionately known, is a chocolate freak. I don't really know how else to put it. His life is chocolate--and it's not just about how it tastes, but how it feels, looks, smells, sounds. It's an indulgent, sensory experience that has little to do with moderation.

His cafes are beautiful--rows of pristine chocolate pieces in glass cases, small tables cramped together for a real urban feel. But I enjoy Brenner's unique way of presenting his chocolate drinks almost as much as the drinks themselves. When I was in Melbourne last winter, I tried the dark chocolate hot chocolate with crunchy waffle balls. Unbelievable. But what really set it apart was that it came in a Hug Mug,"a specially designed mug for the chocolate drinking ceremony. The mug is shaped specifically for hugging in both hands so that it creates the ultimate drinking experience of coziness, warmth and fragrance."

Sold!... To the curly-haired chick who is a slave to outlandish marketing tactics!

It was a hot day in Sydney when I returned for round two, so I went for a frappe, which is served in an Alice mug. Brenner drew inspiration from this quote from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland:

"She found a little bottle on it ('which certainly was not here before', said Alice), and round its neck a paper label, with the words Drink me beautifully printed on it in large letters. Alice ventured to taste it, and finding it very nice (it had, in fact, a sort of mixed flavour of cherry-tart, custard, pineapple, roast turkey, toffee and hot buttered toast), she very soon finished it off."

I've met a few folks like Brenner before, and they're all men, oddly enough. When you think of chocolate addicts, women mostly come to mind. However, my time at Candy Industry allowed me to meet some men in the biz who were just mad about chocolate. And the strangest part about it all was that these guys were healthy. In fact, they looked great! Leads me to believe that they either have metabolisms like juiced up lab rats or chocolate maybe isn't so bad for us after all.

Regardless, after downing my frappe and inhaling my chocolate chip and almond cookie, I've decided to take it easy on the stuff for awhile. I suspect I just needed one last choco fix before I mustered up the guts to tell carbs to take a hike for the summer (though come to think of it, I am going home in four weeks to winter...).

If you ever do have the chance to stop in one of Max Brenner's cafes, though, I would highly recommend it. Really, if hot chocolate topped with crunchy waffle balls doesn't appeal to you, you need your head--be it bald or otherwise--checked.

I MET DENTON!

AND I BET NONE OF YOU KNOW WHAT THAT EVEN MEANS!

Okay, I'm worked up.

I've written about Andrew Denton before. But in case you still have no clue who I'm referring to, Mr. Denton is arguably Australia's most recognisable television personality. If you've never heard of him, please YouTube him now. Seriously, don't even worry about reading the rest of this post. I'd recommend viewing his interview with Steve Irwin. But be warned, after watching that interview, you'll likely be parked in front of your computer screen for the next quarter century because you'll want to watch every episode. It's that good, folks.

Andrew Denton has interviewed just about everyone you know and a hell of a lot of those you don't. Today's taping was the third I've attended. So far I've seen interviews with a politician, a model, a paralympian, and a man who started a quirky online dancing sensation. But today's subject was my favourite--Philippe Petit, a tight-rope walker. Petit was absolutely lovely. An extraordinary man who views the world much differently than most of us. In many ways, I'm quite jealous of him. I've never encountered someone who exemplifies the real meaning of living in quite the way Petit does. He's a man with wings.

That's what I love so much about Andrew Denton's show (which is called Enough Rope if I didn't mention it before). Earlier today, I would've thought Philippe Petit was some pompous French restaurant in L.A. But now Petit has inspired me to try approaching things a bit differently. Sure I'm not hopping up on any tight wires any time soon, but I see the metaphor lurking.

Most importantly though, Andrea, Jenny and I had the opportunity to chat with Mr. Denton after the show. He's a real charmer--he asked us plenty of questions and didn't rush us even though there were a group of people waiting for snaps.

As a journalist, it's refreshing to meet someone like Andrew Denton. There's a nasty stereotype that journos are pushy, cunning, perhaps a bit unethical. But I am proud to be a journalist knowing Andrew Denton joins me in the trade. His show reminds me why I chose this career--to listen to people's stories and send them out to the world.

The Ecto Cooler of spiders

This creepy, little, neon spider was hanging out on one of our clothespins this afternoon.

Thoughts of home

I just finished the first draft of my thesis. (Well, not entirely. It's still sans conclusion. But really, when you're writing something this big, the conclusion's almost half-enjoyable to write.)

Now all I have to do is edit it! But before I do that, I think it's best to take some time away from it. So I've let my mind wander to what I'm looking forward to most back home. I know I'm going to be pretty down on November 17th when I have to leave Australia, but I think I'll feel okay about it if I keep these things in mind (and they are in no particular order).

1. Seeing my family for the first time in 9 months (doesn't sound like painfully long, but it is the longest I've ever been away from them).

2. Holding Ollie (Note to parents: HE'D BETTER BE FLUFFY!)

3. Using a dishwasher.

4. Using a proper washer and DRYER.

5. Sleeping in a proper bed in a perfectly humidified room.

6. Target.

7. Manageable food prices.

8. Driving a car again!

9. Driving down the Eisenhower toward Chicago.

10. GETTING A JOB IN CHICAGO.

11. Trader Joe's and everything associated with it (No Pudge Brownie Mix, Mustard Won Ton chips, fruit strips, chili, Trader Joe's O's, frozen edamame, frozen orange chicken, frozen jasmine and brown rice...so much more than I can't even remember).

12. Angry Chicagoans...well, they're not really angry. I like to think they're passionate.

13. Watching movies with my dad.

14. Going to Four Seasons.

15. Hanging out with my grandma at her place.

16. Going out to lunch at Rebos with my mom and her friends.

17. Michigan Avenue.

18. J. CREW!!!!!

19. Getting my own apartment in Chicago.

20. And decorating it.

21. With Ikea and anthropologie and Urban Outfitters furnishings.

22. Polite people.

23. The el.

24. Driving around with my dad, listening to good music and him quizzing me on the artists and song titles.

25. Archie's.

26. Eating steak three nights a week.

27. My entire family getting together at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

28. My mom's cooking.

29. Especially her egg casserole.

30. Seeing my friends again.

31. Eating good pizza.

32. Going to TCBY with my twin sisters.

33. Minerva's.

34. SUPERDAWG.

35. Cosi.

36. Panera.

37. Panchero's.

38. Iowa City.

39. Argo Tea dates with Meg.

40. Relaxing in the sun room at about 6:00 pm with my mom, dad, Ollie and an occasional twin.

41. Not having to write a thesis.

42. Having the opportunity to go to Cubs games.

43. Not having people make fun of my accent or where I'm from.

44. Orbit gum.

45. Normal-tasting skim milk.

46. Not having to constantly consider time zones when I want to talk to someone.

47. American Cheerios (yes, there are Australia Cheerios--I think they're too sugary).

48. Cheap iTunes (Aussie iTunes is a complete RIP OFF).

49. Helping my grandma put up her Christmas decorations.

50. Eating dinner at home with my whole family, with Ollie standing up on Katy's chair, whining for food.

51. Chicago's lakefront.

52. Giddy Fest.

53. Concerts in Chicago.

54. The ability to go to my friends' weddings.

55. Not ever having to watch 'Today Tonight' or see crap Aussie commercials ever again.

56. American efficiency.

These are just a few things that popped up real quick. I've undoubtedly missed heaps of things, but I guess that happens when you've been away for awhile.

Not quite ready for you, October

Today is the first day of the last full month I'll spend in Australia...for now :)

Ah yes, how fast it's all gone by. And still so much to do! My thesis, namely. Speaking of, I should get back to work on that.

I'm taking tomorrow off to take advantage of the wonderfully warm weather and heading to the beach--something I'll never be able to do in October back home. I have to soak up as much precious time with the Tasman as possible before I head back the only 'ocean' I've ever really known--Lake Michigan.