31!

Tuesday was my 31st birthday.  The above picture is from before going out to dinner on Wednesday.  Ben had to work on my birthday so we went out the day after to Hallam's Waterfront.  The pants and shirt I am wearing were sent to me from Sarah and Hannah.  Thanks girls!  We had a great dinner.  We started with half a dozen oysters with different toppings.  One was a three cheese topping, one was deep fried oyster with wasabi mayo and one was topped with ginger and shallots.  I had crumbed trevalla for my main which was a mild flavored white fish.  Ben had a seafood pasta dish with pink fish and mussels.  We also shared a fennel panzanella salad with raspberry dressing.  We had a butterscotch and Bailey's ice cream parfait for dessert.  We want to come back to this restaurant for lunch sometime because it overlooks the river and since it was dark we weren't able to see much of it at dinner. 

Aussie Coffee and Tea

We've found that Australians really like their coffee and tea.  Every hotel we have stayed in here has had a full tea service in the room with an electric kettle, tea cups and saucers, and a variety of tea bags.  The electric kettle is neat because you just fill it with water, plug it in, and the water is hot in just a minute or so rather than putting a tea kettle on the stove top. 

The coffee is different than what we are used to because Australians do not brew their coffee and the drinks are all espresso based instead.  If you want to make coffee at home, your options are instant or to use a french press, also called a plunger here.  We have been using a french press at home but when we are out and Ben wants his typical black coffee he orders a long black which is a double shot of espresso mixed with hot water.  A flat white is a shot of espresso with steamed milk and no froth.  I order cafe lattes which are the same as a flat white but with foam.  There is also a coffee flavored milk drink sold cold in the grocery stores in cardboard milk cartons.

When we are home having coffee or tea we have been enjoying these Koala cookies:

A Long Walk and Culinary Adventures

We had a great walk today along the North Esk river (it joins the South Esk to create the Tamar River in the center of town).  We walked about 1.4 miles, then reached the Heritage Forest park, and came back to the car along Invermay Road.  All told, we totalled almost 4 miles.

After our barbecue with friends over the weekend, we decided to extend our culinary adventures and try grilling kangaroo at home.  Our grocer had fillets marinated in "Bush Plum."  The steaks turned out excellent, very tender with a good flavor.  It was a little smoky, somewhere between beef and venison.

I did some research on kangaroo meat, and it has an interesting history.  There are no farms in the country.  Instead, the government has a program for culling to keep the wild population in check.  The meat is very lean with only 2% fat, and high in linoleic acid (which is supposedly good for you).  Interestingly, 70% of the meat is exported.  Next on the list is "kanga bangas" (sausages)!

First Shift

I had my first shift yesterday.  Our house is only a short 10-minute walk from the hospital--what a nice commute!  I met up with the director at 8am and met the registrars and students that were on for the day.  After an orientation to the department and computer system, I started seeing patients and supervising the registrars.

Interns and junior registrars are expected to go over patients more thouroughly with the consultant (me) than more senior registrars.  The senior registrars often see patients and figure out what to do with them on their own.  This is different than the States where every patient has to be seen and examined by the attending.  There are more registrars than I had in Chicago, so I don't need to see as many patients on my own.

Thankfully, the medicine is the same in Tasmania as it is in the States.  (We're all the same species!)  Most of the challenges will be process issues (How do I get this done?).  Another challenge is different names and availability of medications.  For example, acetaminophen (Tylenol) is not available.  Instead, a related drug call paracetamol is used.

Overall, a pretty good day.  I'll be working eight 10-hour shifts per fortnight, so it shouldn't take to long to get up to speed.

Kangaroo on the Barbie

Today we drove out to Lilydale (about 30 minutes away) for our first Australian BBQ.  We went to the home of a couple that a contact from the hospital knows and thought we would like to meet. Two other couples also came over that were friends of theirs.  One of the couples had an adorable 7 or 8 month old baby boy.  They have a gorgeous place on 3.5 acres with multiple ponds, sheep, chickens, and even a playtpus in the pond which we didn't get to see because they are very shy.  We had shish kabobs, potato salad, green salad, and a choice of meat including lamb, chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, and kangaroo!  Ben and I both tried the kangaroo and it was delicious!  It was like a tender beef steak with a very mild flavor and was marinated in a BBQ sauce.  It was a beautiful day and we were able to sit out on their deck and look out over their property while eating.  It was fun to be around Australians and we may get together with them next Saturday for Australia's version of the Super Bowl, the AFL (Aussie Rules Football) Grand Final if Ben doesn't have to work. 

Licensed!

After many delays, my license has been approved.  The visa was finalized last week, so I'm now eligible to work.  I'll have my first shift in the ED at Launceston General Hospital on Monday morning.

Hobart

Here are a few pictures from our walk around Hobart.  The city was founded in 1803 as a penal colony.  This makes Hobart the second-oldest city in Australia.  Hobart was founded after the British became worried about French explorers in the area.  The city is founded at the mouth of the Derwent river, giving Hobart an excellent natural harbor.