Today was the first time I drove a car out here in Australia. They drive on the opposite side of the road with the steering wheel on the right of their cars. My hands were definitely at 10 and 2 when I was on the road. Andrew agreed to let me take his car if I would drop him off at the V8 races. There is some huge race here this weekend -- it's their version of Nascar. There's been parades downtown for it, which I attended, and these people seem to get up for it. The city is actually quite the party city. There is a strip downtown Darwin full of clubs, bars, and things of that nature. Jermaine and I are both avoiding that stuff for now, because we're both too focused on basketball at this present time. It's good to have a fellow teammate who's real driven, and he is. He even threw out some Proverbs 27:17 on me, and said "as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." I thought okay, I can roll with that. We're both focused on improving right now.
We usually get basketball workouts in at the Stadium during the day, and then hit up a 24 hour hour gym to lift and get some cardio in around 11 or midnight. Every now and then we'll also hit up the trails along the ocean/beaches for a run. If I'm not working out with him, I'm probably with Buster Perkins, a 29-year old, 6'5 guard from Little Rock, Arkansas. He plays for another team out here. I usually don't work out with the competition, but as far as I'm concerned, he's team America. He's also played in four countries so he's got a lot of wisdom for me in regards to playing basketball overseas. So between my personal workouts and my time getting after it with Jermaine and Buster, I should remain in good shape. I've also gotten back to my healthy ways.
While I was at college my senior year I lived on Ramen noodles and Mac n' Cheese. I can eat whatever I want here. So my diet out here has consisted of whole grain cereal, lots of vegetables, chicken or turkey, almonds and nuts, protein powder, vitamins, water, and juice. So I'm back on my health game and it feels good. But the town does have every restaurant I could possibly want and Chinese food (my favorite) just down the road. So if I choose to spend some extra cash on good food, I can do so. My coach and my GM also grill out a lot, like I said in the last blog. So if I ever want brats, burgers, or grilled chicken, it's there to be eaten.
I've learned quite a bit of the lingo out here just from listening to my GM and his friends. There are quite a few differences from what is commonly said in Australia and what is the norm in America. For example, here are just a few out of several I've learned thus far:
- They don't say "your welcome." Instead they say "cheers," "no worries," or "it's okay."
- "Mate", of course, is used all the time.
- If you're messing around, you're "muckin" around out here.
- I've heard the phrase "I reckon" more in the last week than I have my entire life.
- If you're a bandwagon fan you're a "switchbacker."
- Yes they do say "barbie" for barbeque
So the lingo is different, as is the city from anywhere I've lived before. There is quite a bit to do and see. They seem to love their sports here. They are huge followers of the AFL (Australian Football League). Their version of football is not like American football. I guess it's a tie between rugby and our football. I've learned the rules and enjoy watching it myself. But they don't just watch, they play. There are rugby stadiums every single mile down the road. There are a lot of soccer fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, and there is even a squash center. There are stadiums all over the place. There are also quite a bit of places to shop. The malls are always packed -- the places to be. There's about four movie theaters too, which I'm all about.But my favorite part so far is the professional massages by the beaches. I got my first real massage the other day for an hour and a half. It was well worth it. I prefer the relaxation of the beach area to the craziness of the city following my workouts. I like to workout and then hit up the beaches where I can work on my writing. I imagine I'll hit up the strip eventually, but for now, it's all business. Practices, I believe, start next week. It's almost time to get after it.
p.s. There are some crazy bugs and animals out here I will post pictures of eventually.
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