Published in newspaper, wheee!

The scanned article is uploaded below here!  Hope to see you at the sausage sizzle if you are local to the area :-)

The scanned document is a half page from the newspaper and is huge, my apologies lol!

The summer snag

One aspect of being Australian is the humble sausage, they are incredibly popular here and don't take long to disappear off the BBQ hotplate!

Cotton Tree Meats have come on board to support my sausage sizzle fund raiser on the 30th of October!  So if you would like to sample some top quality butcher's fare, come on down to Home Hardware Kawana, at 290 Nicklin Way, Warana and grab a snag.

A big thank you to Cotton Tree Meats for your support!

There was a great segment on A Current Affair tonight, about the legend of the Sausage.  To watch the video, click on this link:

http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/video/#50e17aec-6174-45de-a6f1-2f61ee98899b

This also acknowledges the source that this video was taken from (it's the teacher in me LOL).  If the link takes you to another story, you should just be able to click on the 'Summer Snag' story link on the page.

Have an excellent day / evening!

Nicole

And the generosity continues...

One important thing that a sausage sizzle needs is bread, and a local business at Warana has been kind enough to assist me with my sausage sizzle.

Check out this link to Warana Beach Bakery if you get a chance, there's many excellent breads and pastries on offer.  If you are coming along to the sausage sizzle, the bread will come from this bakery.  I spoke to the staff the other day, and I'm all set to pick up ten loaves on the Saturday morning. 

I am still in the process of organising 250 sausages (phew!) but am still in contact with the butcher's shop, so will need to write more about that one at a later date.

Have an excellent day :-)

Another thank you :-)

My gratitude is extended to Collection of Rainbows, based at Aussie World.  This local business has taken one of my collection tins to place on their front counter. Thank you so much! 

The preparations for the Sausage Sizzle are coming along nicely, I will post more when I have a moment, work has been quite busy!

Nicole ox

Thank you!

A big THANK YOU to Lionel and the team at Home Hardware Kawana for agreeing to host my fund raising Sausage Sizzle on Saturday the 30th of October!  If you are in the local area, please drop by for a sausage on bread, buy a ticket in the raffle or to talk to me about my up and coming cycling adventure.

More details to come when I know them :-)

Changing money

The accepted currency in Cambodia is the US dollar, even more accepted than their local currency, the Riel.  I had an interesting time getting hold of some US dollars.  Decided to do so now, even though it is officially three months before I will be in Siem Reap.

The reason is the current strength of the Australian economy, the Aussie dollar is very strong.  When I hopped on the Yahoo Currency Converter just before, the official exchange rate is one Aussie dollar buys 97 US cents.
I don't think it has ever been this good that I can remember in my life!  When my family and I travelled to the USA in 1994, I think we were buying 65 US cents with one of our dollars.

Here's an extract from Monday's Courier Mail, where David and Libby Koch talk about currency exchange and rates (I typed directly from the newspaper):

While the Media quotes the currency based on the wholesale interbank rates (which are the best) there is a huge variation on offer.  Our research in the past week has found:

• The difference between the interbank and your rate should be no more than US3c.
• Never convert currency at a shopping centre Travelex branch (oops! That's what I did :-(

That's why I got 88 US cents for my dollars and a $20 commission!  Rather, the article suggests that you order your money off the Travelex website and pick it up at the branch to get a far better rate.

Whoops! Oh well I learned the hard way I guess....

I did try to pick up my currency from Australia Post (best rate closest to interbank and no commission) but they would only order it in large bills, like 20's and 50's.  The best thing I can have are the small notes that I got, no higher than ten dollar notes.  For many people in Cambodia, $20 US could be a months wages! There is no way in the wide world I'm going to take huge notes into the country and expect the local shops to change them for me.

One more task done in the entire process of getting ready!

Responsible Tourism

The credits for this post have been taken from the Lonely Planet website: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/cambodia/travel-tips-and-articles/12039

One of the aspects of this journey is that it is a responsible tourism venture.  Our group seeks to tour through Cambodia, making as little impact on the local environment as possible, while taking part in projects that support and sustain the local communities that we visit.

I've enjoyed reading a number of websites and guides in preparation for the trip.  Whilst browsing on the Lonely Planet website, I found this great article about dining in local restaurants that helps support local people and sustains training and a formal qualification that they can take with them.  I think I want to eat at places like this!  All information has been copied and pasted from the link above:

Cambodia

Friends International operates four restaurants run by former street youth in training. Three of these are in Phnom Penh and one is in Laos. At these restaurants, students learn hospitality skills in a real restaurant environment. When you dine here you not only get a great meal but also help these students gain the skills and confidence to work in the hospitality industry.

• Friends the Restaurant, near the National Museum, is famous for its frozen shakes and daiquiris, its Asian and Western tapas and its incredibly friendly staff. After you’ve had your fill pop next door to the Friends and Stuff store to snap up a snazzy silk skirt or lamp made in the school just behind the shop front. Treat yourself to a manicure and know that your dollars are training someone with a career to keep them off the streets.
• 
• Romdeng, also run by Friends, is set in a beautifully decorated colonial mansion with a leafy garden and swimming pool.
• Café du Centre, the third Friend’s restaurant, is a French-style bistro in the gardens of the French Cultural Centre.
• Lotus Blanc serves fine French and Asian cuisine to support vocational training for children formerly surviving by scavenging the dump.
• Boddhi Tree Umma, opposite the harrowing Tuol Sleng Museum, will feed you up like the Buddha with a roasted aubergine, goats cheese and mango chutney sandwich. They also offer guesthouse-style suites that allow you to stay off the beaten track and can include cookery courses and market tours. Staff often come here after family crises to be trained in this positive environment.
• The Green Orange Cafe in Battambang provides a safe alcohol- and drug-free space for children of all ages to meet and socialise. Green Orange staff are from the area and the café provides much needed employment to the village of Ksach Poy, as well as raising funds for other community projects. By using local ingredients, the Green Orange Café (named after the famous Battambang Orange) seeks to benefit the local economy in an environmentally responsible way.

Although I have 9 weeks of work left, all I can think about is my trip.  Patience, patience I'll get there :-)