A "changing of the seasons" update!

Ok, we've been MIA a bit lately, but rest assured we've been busy. With the approaching season shift (almost spring), have come some rain, flowers, spectacular weather, loud kookaburras outside our house, and interesting opportunities...

Brian's job has been going fantastically. His co-workers and bosses are really taking to him and trust him be independently responsible (as the sole Networking guy) for multiple projects, at once. In fact, they sent him up north to a remote site up in the forests today to fix some things. They even trusted him take their brand new Subaru Forester (largest car in Aussie) to drive up there! It's very possible that they will be so impressed by this "American bloke/Yankee" that we might get sponsored sooner than we'd hoped for! We're still waiting it out and will let you know as the process gets going.

Brian also just bought his tickets to the Indy 300 races coming up in October! They will be taking place on the gold coast, and are 4 full days and nights of various motor races, car shows and entertainment. He is really looking forward to going with Nick the Kiwi and some other car guys to this exciting event. On the weekends he has been having fun taking our ghetto car on long road trips into the outback! Most recently, he got about 6 hours inland (out to the boonies), and saw heaps of kangaroos following his car, hopping full speed! ("Only in Oz!")

In the rest of his spare time, he is trying to get his hands on an Iphone here. Their first version ever (in Aussie) came out just last month, and all of Aussie has been anticipating this for a few years....therefore Brian came home empty handed :( The worst part is that he knows they are EVERYWHERE back home, and not only are they almost $800 here, he can't even find one!!!! Whilst he cries to himself a little, he happily grills up some tasty food on the barbie we just got!

I (Summer) am now an expert at job hunting, interviewing and finding my way around the city on foot/bus/train! :) While in the midst of the job hunting and interviewing, I took some advice from some actors back home in AZ, and searched around for a talent agency to make some extra cash. I got a few gigs back home being the "token Asian girl" in some random ads (that have to be politically correct), and it paid pretty well! After asking around and quickly figuring out which agencies here are "dodgy", I interviewed and signed with Ego Management Talent Agency (non dodgy).

Now obviously I've never wanted to pursue acting seriously, I just thought it would be a good way to kill time/make cash/make friends. Interestingly enough, the agency sent me to an audition for a walk on role on a dramatic TV show called "Sea Patrol". I didn't take it especially seriously, but then some mates of mine thought I was crazy that I had never heard of this TV show. ("What?? You've never watched SEA PATROL!?!") I started to realize it was big, like how Law and Order and CSI are in the States. (It's not my fault I didn't know, they get American TV shows here, but we didn't Aussie TV at home!)

Many of you will laugh at this next part...I got sent to read for a role of a "Chinese woman"! This was hilarious to me since I don't think I look very Chinese in the least, but the role paid extremely well so I thought I'd give it a go! So how did it go? Let's just say that my Japanese accent and my Aussie accent is even remarkably better than my Chinese accent! It was a good experience, and cool to get behind the scenes of the Warner Bros. Studios here...but for now I think I'll try and stick to more theater and less TV/film. The agency even tried to send me to do a commercial for a big theme park called Dreamworld, but since I get so motion sick on rides, I had to refuse :( But I sent flatmate Dustin in my place! :)

However-I did manage to get booked to be in a Queensland Government commercial promoting "Anti Binge Drinking", which we'll be shooting the week of Sept 8th. I'm happy to be making some actual money and hopefully meeting more cool people! Too bad most of you live far away and won't get to see the commercial/blackmail me with it!!! haha! ;)

While I'm not doing ridiculous gigs like anti binge drinking campaigns, and being obssesed with Australian Idol, I've lined up some office temp-ing gigs to bring home some cash until we can figure out if we'll get sponsored by B's company. Once sponsored, my opportunities for working in non for profits increase immensely, since they will know that we are allowed to officially stay in this country for a few years....I'm still keeping my eyes and ears peeled, though. (Thank you if I listed you as a "referee" on my resume and people here are calling you to ask about me!!)

So, that's the latest update! (happy, moms?) Besides all this, we are looking forward to this weekend's Riverfire fireworks show over the river....and seeing our favorite New Zealand reggae band, Katchafire next weekend for some pre-birthday festivities! Other celebrations we are sending good wishes are for: Renee, Gavin, Kimo, Tito and John's birthdays...Marianne & B's wedding, and John and Susan's wedding anniversary!

Lastly...thank you to everyone for paying a bit extra for postage, thinking of us, and stopping off at the post office so that we can get awesome mail and care packages all the way down under! We LOVE getting mail from home!! Oh, and keep those bumper stickers coming from all over the world! The funnier and more random, the better! (The one featured above isn't actually on our car, I just thought it was funny).
-Sum & B

**A Happy Labor Day to Patti, who was in labor...ON Labor day with Summer for 29 hours, 25 years ago. Love you, Mama!