Poker Night - Chez Smith

Bex - The Card Shark!
Adam organised a poker night at our apartment after most of his work mates expressed a desire to have a pizza/poker night. So all of the team descended upon our apartment for 'the big game'.

Initially Jen and myself, being the only girls, decided that we'd keep ourselves occupied with a chick flick and a few glasses of wine. Our husbands' however had other ideas! Yep, they stumped up the $20 stake money for us each and told us that we were in! Oh God! I haven't played poker in ages, normally get impatient and end up betting wild crazy amounts of money to keep it interesting, only to lose it all! To make matters worse I can't remember anything about what makes a good hand! Jen has never played before, so is in an even worse position than me! Could this be a cunning ploy to lure us in and spit us out?!

Determined we were going to give it a good go we looked up the poker hands on line, tried to commit as much to memory as possible and had a practice round to ease us in. The game was now for real, with only a slight pause in proceedings for pizza. As the night went on, people were having to buy in for another $20 (the betting was rather crazily high in the beginning) Slowly but surely, one by one the players began to drop out as all their stake money and other buy ins had been lost. In the end Adam, Jen, Sam, Ross and myself were the only players out of 9 to take any money home.

It turns out that I actually did rather well considering my initial reluctance to play! I in fact was the ‘big chip winner’ and managed to win $120 profit! I had a rather big smile on my face as the chips were being counted and Jen and myself found it rather amusing that the two reluctant lady poker players actually ended up doing pretty good!

Crazy Gym Equipment And Other Adverts!

Adverts On TV

Since being in Sydney I've noticed that they are all obsessed with keeping fit. Ok, I know I can't talk and am also obsessed with the gym and personal trainer at the moment, but at least I'm not fooled by the cheesy American adverts for gym equipment (that actually look like instruments of torture or complete jokes - a la 'The Apprentice' exercise machine task) that claim to give you the body of a model after just a few workouts! To make matters worse they actually have something called 'Advertorials' during TV shows that advertise all manner of crap including these exercise machines!

Imagine that you're watching a programme just like the UK's 'This Morning' (Here it's called 'The Morning Show' on channel 7) And as you're watching, Phillip and Fern's Aussie counterparts suddenly become the equivalent of QVC presenters and launch into an 'Advertorial' with other actors/presenters to advertise crazy products, only idiots would buy! To name a few...

Exercise Machines

(I've added links so you can watch and laugh at the adverts/advertorials!)

• Cardio Twister http://www.cardiotwister.com/
• Ab Circle http://au.video.yahoo.com/watch/4816694/12850855
• Aero Pilates Performer XP http://au.video.yahoo.com/watch/4816693/12850819

Other Random Crap!

• The Snuggie https://www.getsnuggie.com/flare/next?tag=os
• H20 Steam Mop

I've also posted a link to the 'The Morning Show' Site where you can watch all the hilarious 'Advertorials' that have been aired recently! Go on ... you know you want to!

http://au.tv.yahoo.com/the-morning-show/advertorials/-/page/2/

Fashion Freaks!

Spotting Awful Trends On The Street

I really like looking at what other people are wearing. It allows you to pick up some really good ideas as well as make you think 'Oh my god, what were they thinking?!' I've noticed some terrible 'Oh my god, what were you thinking?!' mistakes on the streets of Sydney recently.

Firstly, what is it with men and skinny jeans?! It looks fine on women, as long as they're not on the porky side, but it just looks completely wrong on men. For a start it looks jolly uncomfortable in certain areas of the anatomy and I just don't think it looks attractive. What's more and even worse is the man who wears his skinny jeans half way down his crotch so you can see an underpanted bottom and underpants in full view out the top of the waistband. It actually looks like the guy has got dressed in the dark and mistakenly put on his girlfriend's jeans because they're too tight and far too short in length, that they have to wear them so low slung (God I sound old!)

I saw a particularly horrendous example of this fashion no no on the bus into Sydney city centre. Sadly I didn't have my camera on me so there is no photographic evidence. I tried my best on google images to recreate it, but failed miserably. Any way this guy literally had his waist band around his crotch. The jeans were so tight they looked like they had been sprayed on and he couldn't sit down, he actually opted to stand! His t-shirt and jumper were therefore too short and he kept trying to pull them down to cover his underpants!!

The next fashion nightmare I spotted was whilst I was walking around the city. As well as enjoying looking at the clothes people are wearing I also love looking at the shoes they're wearing. I didn't however enjoy looking at this particular pair of shoes! The were just like gloves for feet.

After further research on the internet, I found out that these things are the next new thing in sporting footwear! They're called 'Vibram Five Fingers'. I know I certainly won't be wearing them. If you like them, and I very much hope you don't! You can find out more on the web site.

http://www.fivefingers.com.au/public_panel/index.php

Mad Money!

Getting Used To Aussie Money

As you will probably know from going on holiday, it can take a bit of time to get used to a different currency. What does each coin/note look like and what is its value? I feel pretty secure now in knowing the different values of the notes and coins and what they look like. It now means less embarrassing moments in shops, rooting through my purse, trying to find the correct coins or notes to use.

I did suffer one embarrassing moment when I was out shopping very early on and whilst I was still settling in and getting a feel for everything (Well that's my excuse anyway!) I had gone into the city and wanted to find some nice cards to send to Laura and Emma. I found the perfect cards in a book store (the books here are astronomically priced, by the way. I will be stocking up back in the UK and possibly via Amazon, if I am able) One was a card with cupcakes and bears on for Laura and the other, a card with some rather fancy Christian Louboutin esq style shoes on the front, for Emma. Feeling very pleased with my self I set off over to the cash desk to pay. Now each card was priced at $5.99 so a total price of $11.98. Perfect, I've got $12 cash on me. After I paid for the cards, I waited patiently for my receipt and change. I got the receipt, but no change! What's going on? I ask for my change...

"you don't get any change!' was my reply.

"Surely, I'm owed 2c change!' I said.

"We don't have coins lower than 5c' I am told.

"Oh, right. I reply in dismay. Spot the English Pommy eh!

How very bizarre! Why on earth would they advertise something as 99c and you not be able to pay the exact money or get the correct change! No wonder Australia rather smugly announced the other day that they have officially not gone into recession, unlike the rest of the world. Obviously not, if they're managing to keep all the change owed to poor customers all over the country. I bet it really mounts up. Why not just say that the blinkin' cards are $6 each instead of $5.99?! Note to myself - Pay by card, at least then you are charged the correct amount and end up saving money!

Just in case you wanted to know a pub quiz fact, apparently they did have 1c and 2c coins, but phased them out in 1990! Below are pictures for your own reference and a web link to a page that will tell you all about the history of money in Australia.

http://www.aussie-info.com/tourist/money2.php

The Domestic Goddess Does It Again!

Baking Gingerbread Bears

Don't worry, I haven't made any more mistakes with weights and chicken! I am in fact very pleased with myself right now. Adam and myself recently bought and ate a gingerbread man each from the little deli shop over the road. It was very tasty but at about $4 per gingerbread man I decided that I could probably do just as good a job but for a lot less. Possibly a case of 'famous last words' but I thought that being the 'Domestic Goddess' that I am, it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Armed with my ingredients list I went to stock up on the few bits and pieces that I needed and also to buy some gingerbread men cutters. Knowing how much 'crap' there is in the kitchen, I felt certain that I wouldn't need to buy a rolling pin. There is after all every kind of utensil, dish, bowl etc that you could possibly think of (some of which, I'm not actually sure what they are supposed to be used for!)

Once in the shop, I found all the ingredients that I needed and then went to look for the cutters. I couldn't believe it, they didn't have any gingerbread men cutters! However, I was soon able to overcome my dismay when I noticed some teddy bear cutters! Fantastic, I can make gingerbread bears :)

Once home, I began to measure out and organise my ingredients and equipment. No bloody rolling pin, would you believe it?! I had to nip back out over the road to buy one. Anyway... the recipe was pretty straight forward to follow and I remembered the greasing the baking tray and coating it with a light dusting of flour trick that mum showed me when I was little.

The recipe seemed to make rather a lot of bears but that's ok, because I'm going to send some into the office with Adam. He tells me that they will be gratefully received and eaten.

Hobnobbing At The Gym (No Not The Biscuit!)

Training At the Gym

I'm becoming a regular gym bunny at the moment, and hopefully it will last this time! Having had many, many failed attempts at a fitness regime in the past, I've actually lasted longer this time than any other! Ok, ok, I know it's only been about 4 weeks but I've been having 2 sessions a week with a personal trainer and 1 or 2 a week on my own! No longer am I waking up, the day after a session unable to walk up and down stairs. Adam even thinks I'm getting pretty hardcore with the stuff I'm doing at the gym. Hopefully the results should start to be visible fairly soon. I can definitely notice a difference with my ability and fitness level at the gym, now I want to see toned bits!

Any way, you'll be asking the question, why 'hobnobbing at the gym' for a title? Well... I was in the gym this morning for my normal Monday session with the trainer. I was probably about 1/2 way through my session and in the process of doing some exercises with some weights when somebody caught my attention. Huummmmm, I thought to myself as I continued my exercise, I'm sure I recognise that person. As they walked closer, I knew exactly who it was, and just like any star struck person would do, I stopped my exercise and exclaimed to my trainer "Oh my god, it's Tony from Home and Away!"

"Who?" she said.

"Tony, you know, from Home and Away?!" I replied

"I don't watch Home and Away." She said "but we do get quite a few celebs working out in here."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Holden_(Home_and_Away_character)

As I continued my session I made sure that I was able to make secretive glances over towards 'Tony' to check that I wasn't mistaking someone else for him. Nope, definitely him. He looks a lot shorter in real life and, dare I say it a little older. To be fair who does look their best when at the gym sweating it out?! Maybe I'm being a little harsh. I know I'm certainly not at my most attractive when in the gym.

Anyway, I hope to be able to do some more celeb spotting at the gym in the future. It may have to be Home and Away spotting as I'm not really clued up on any other Aussie celebs apart from Neighbours actors and they're based in Melbourne. I'll keep you posted, although I'm pretty sure that I won't be seeing 'Alf Stewart' in the gym any time soon!