Shareen Abbasy

As many of you know, my good friend and college roommate, Shareen Abbasy, passed away on March 17 of this year. Shareen was an inspiration, not only to me, but to most who were lucky enough to cross her path.



Shareen passed away shortly after my arrival in Brisbane. Although the thought crossed my mind a number of times, I decided not to share my stories of Shareen through my blog. Shareen was an incredibly courageous 26 year old woman. It did not seem appropriate to share thoughts immediately following her death on blogspot.com.

Now, as I, along with several others, attempt to raise money in her memory, I have decided that rather than just entering the ChipIn Widget found below, I should share a few words on one of the most amazing people I know. Although words are enough to fully appreciate just how special Shareen is, I have added a few photos of her to this post as well.

I met Shareen in the fall of 2002 at Colby College. Shareen was rooming across the hall from me and my roommate Shannon Emerson. Shannon and I were immediately taken by Shareen's smile, friendly demeanor, and positive attitude. After getting to know Shareen a bit better, she informed us of her battle with cancer the year before. She was not originally a member of our class, but the class of 2004. After completing her first year at Colby, Shareen discovered she would be taking a year off from school to undergo treatment and recover.







Over the next seven years, Shareen was diagnosed with cancer three more times. In February 2009 Shareen decided to turn down all treatment and live the final month of her life with her family and friends in her New York City apartment.

I arrived in Brisbane on March 1, 2009. On February 26 I flew in to New York to be greeted by Caitlin Chamberlin, our fourth college roommate, and Shannon. The following morning we hopped on a train to meet with Shareen and at least twenty other friends and family members in her tiny New York City apartment.

Shannon flew in from Texas. I flew in from Oregon. Shareen's mother and brother of course came from Massachusetts. Jackie flew in from California. Catherine from Italy. Dinah landed the following day from Washington. Friends and family from throughout the state, country, and world had heard of Shareen's diagnosis and within two days were at her side. This should give you an idea of just how special this one woman was.

Yes, we all knew she was sick. And yes, we knew this might be the last time we got to see Shareen's smile and hear her laugh, but the thing is, this wasn't the first time we had all flown in to see Shareen, and oddly enough, it would not be the last.

In 2002 Shannon and I formed a bond with Shareen that was unlike any other friendship either of us had ever known. In 2003, our junior year, Shareen studied abroad in France for the entire school year. Shannon, Caitlin and I spent our first semester together on campus and followed Shareen's lead and headed overseas for the second half of the school year. Upon our return to the U.S. in May, Shareen informed us that upon her return from France she discovered she was sick once again. That summer Shannon and I headed into Boston to visit with Shareen. Within two months she was on the road to recovery, but she would not return to Colby until the spring semester of our senior year.

During the fall of 2004, aside from a brightly colored poster placed on Shareen's bedroom door that read "Bee Happy!", Shareen's room in our quad remained untouched. Caitlin, Shannon, and I traveled to Massachusetts to visit with Shareen at her home. In late January 2005 Shareen returned to Colby to spend one last semester with us and complete her college career.





Early one morning in May 2005 my cell phone rang, followed by Shannon's, and then almost immediately after Shareen's...the four of us were late for the Baccalaureate ceremony. We had been sitting in our quad, toasting each other with wine and champagne, eating chocolate and laughing. We were the only four late for the "optional" ceremony.

A few days later the four of us marched at graduation. Shareen was honored at the ceremony for her accomplishments and hard work. After taking a year and a half off to recover from her illness, in addition to studying abroad for entire year, Shareen graduated with honors in 2005. What an amazing accomplishment.





On April 18, 2009 Shareen's family held a celebration in Shareen's honor in New York. Although Shareen had been buried a month earlier in Long Meadow, MA, her friends and family gathered once again, coming from across the globe, to celebrate Shareen's life.

On April 18 Shannon read the following sonnet, one of Shareen's personal favorites, at the service:

Love Sonnet LXXXIX, by Pablo Neruda

When I die, I want your hands on my eyes:
I want the light and the wheat of your beloved hands
To pass their freshness over me once more;
I want to feel the softness that changed my destiny.

I want you to live while I wait for you, asleep.
I want your ears still to hear the wind;
I want you to smell the sea's aroma that we loved together,
And to continue to walk on the sands that we walked on.

I want what I love to continue to live,
And you, whom I love and sang above everything else,
To continue to flourish, full-flowered:

So that you can reach everything my love directs you to,
So that my shadow can travel along in your hair,
So that everything can learn the reason for my song.

In honor of Shareen a tree will be planted on June 7 on the Colby College Campus. In addition to this tree, a plaque will be dedicated by Shareen's mother Diana, brother Jamil, and members of the Colby College Class of 2005.

Shareen's memory will continue to flourish, full-flowered on the campus she called home for a number of years.

Colby College alumni, I know Colby holds a special place in your heart for one reason or another. Colby is so special to me because of the time I spent with Shareen, Shannon, and Caitlin. Please donate to to the Shareen Abbasy Memorial Fund by clicking below.



Maybe there is someone in your life that is always there to listen, always sends a birthday card on time, always emails you a funny joke or story just when you need it most. Maybe there is someone in your life that encourages you to be yourself, that loves you for who you are. Maybe there is someone who you think of when times are tough and you do not believe you can take another step. The person that was all of those things to me, and I am sure to many others, was Shareen Abbasy.

Suck back or Slam?

I just had my first Tim Tam Suck Back (or Tim Tam Slam). I don't think I will be able to eat another meal today. My stomach is aching. The chocolaty, coffee treat was intense - an explosion in my mouth!

Conor introduced me to Dark Chocolate Tim Tams when I arrived in Brisbane. It might have been one of the first things I ate after landing in Australia. A Tim Tam is a chocolate biscuit (or cookie) made by Arnott's. I am convinced Arnott's is responsible for all biscuits produced in Australia. Their name is on every package in the snack aisle in the grocery store. Two layers of malted biscuit, sweet cream filling, a coating of thin chocolate - that's a Tim Tam.

There's Original, Double Coat, Chewy Caramel, Classic Dark, Crush Honeycomb, Crush Mint Crisp, Crush Cookies N' Cream, the list goes on and on...

Here are a few of the most recent Tim Tam advertisements:






Now, suck back or slam? Conor first introduced the concept to me as a "Suck Back". Many refer to the treat as a "Tim Tam Slam" - which makes sense with the rhyming and all. (But suck back is initially much more intriquing and fun to say.) Either way, the process is the same. You bite off the two short ends of the biscuit, dip one end in a mug of coffee or hot chocolate, and suck the sweet cream from the center of the biscuit, as if the biscuit were a straw. The hot beverage causes the treat to melt in your mouth, as well as dissintegrate between your fingertips. Quickly toss the chocolate mush in your mouth and enjoy!

Whoa.

That Classic Dark Suck Back should have been lunch, not paired with my afternoon cappucinno.

While we are on the topic of tasty treats, Cadbury just realised another advertisement (similar to the Cadbury Gorilla commercials I posted a few weeks back). For those of you who enjoyed the gorilla, give this crazy scene a whirl.



Ridiculous, I know.

Not a follower on Tomorrow Mostly Sunny, become one!

This Post's Recommendation:
Beverage: Gimme! Coffee

'Roo too!

Apparently my last post did not include enough information for some readers. You see, the shark sighting was really quite terrifying, but Conor and I managed to keep a cool head. The fin belonged to what we believe to have been a bull shark. Check out this National Geographic video for more information and a close up view:



After much story-telling and discussion, many locals agree that we should have reported the spearos when we reached shore. Apparently this group of men was acting quite careless - they should have informed the other divers and snorkelers in the area of their actions, as well as the shark sighting. Luckily I caught sight of the fin soon after the spearos did. The shark was only 30-35 feet from us at that point. Can you imagine if we had not seen the shark and stayed in the water? Catching a glimpse of a fin is one thing. Coming nose to nose with a 500 pound predator is another animal all together.

After Conor jumped back in the kayak, we got settled and attempted to rationally discuss the commotion taking place around us. We stared down into the water and watched the fish for a few minutes. They did not seem to be disturbed and were still hanging around the coral and rocks. In hindsight, we wish we had seen the shark again. It's probably better that we didn't though. We don't know how long he was or if he had friends with him - but it would have been cool to check him out a bit more. We floated in the kayak about five feet from a large rock, looking for the beast, prepared to jump from the kayak if necessary. I told Conor I was ready to paddle back to shore. He wanted to stay out in the water for a while longer. I figured we should paddle as hard as we could while the spearos toyed with the shark.

Snorkeling takes a lot out of you. After paddling for about five or ten minutes my arms felt like they were going to fall off. I was dead weight in the kayak. (That's probably one of Conor's favorite nicknames for me - this time it was spot on.)

While hanging out on Stradbroke we were lucky enough to see a handful of other animals up close. While hiking we saw a number of dolphins swimming and jumping along the coast. We also saw a turtle pushed inland by the tide. On our way back from the coast/beach we came across a kangaroo standing in the middle of our path. He was a small guy, about as tall as Conor, and absolutely beautiful. He hopped away slowly and continued to stare at us from the bush for a few minutes before tucking his head back into the weeds.

Conor wants to go back to Stradbroke again this weekend. One day was not enough. I think we might try to get our hands on a tent and camp out the next time we head to the island. It is raining in Brisbane now and unfortunately, the bad weather is supposed to continue for the remainder of the week. Maybe we will wait another couple weeks before we head for the ocean.

On a brighter note, Annie and Jamie Parks are coming to visit in June. Just this week we (Annie) booked an apartment on Hamilton Island for the four of us for three nights. We have definite plans to see the Great Barrier Reef! Snorkeling, kayaking, and sailing galore in early July - I cannot wait! It will also be very nice to welcome our first guests from the States!

Straddie and the Shark

It's Sunday evening and I am beat. After sleeping in until about 10 o'clock this morning, Conor and I made a couple cappuccinos (on our new espresso machine!) and a batch of pancakes. Mmmm...Sunday morning breakfast. We hung out on the balcony for about thirty minutes together before I had to get dressed and hustle off to work.

I just got home, and although I only spent about six hours on my feet today, I am tired. We had quite the adventure yesterday on North Stradbroke Island. I think it might take me (and probably Conor too) a few days to recover.

Yes, we went to North Stradbroke Island. Yes, there was a shark sighting. Before I jump into the details, let me tell you a bit about North Stradbroke Island. First of all, it's gorgeous. I don't think I have ever been anywhere as beautiful as this particular sand island (the second largest in the world). By this point I have posted several photos of sandy, white beaches and turquoise waters. Our little digital Canon does not do Straddie (as the island is known by the locals) any justice. Still, you be the judge.



It takes about an hour and a half and $25 to get to Straddie from Brisbane. Conor and I were up and moving by six o'clock on Saturday morning and hopped on the Ferry in Cleveland, QLD around 9am. The ferry ride out to the island was a million times better than our boat trip to Moreton a few weeks back. (I didn't feel nausea in the slightest!) It was a beautiful day - clear blue skies, temperatures in the mid-eighties. When we arrived on the island, we boarded a little bus and headed to Point Lookout, the hot spot for whale watching and surfing.

Point Lookout is home to about four cafes, a general store, and a surf board rental hut. We had breakfast and walked along the rocky coastline for about an hour before heading south to rent a kayak and some snorkel gear.







Unfortunately, we missed the guided morning kayak and snorkel trip hosted by Straddie Adventures. The crazy local behind the counter seemed pretty comfortable renting Conor and me (and one other couple) a couple kayaks and some gear and pointing us towards the best snorkeling spots for a few hours though. I asked Barry, our wonderful "guide", if it was safe for us to be out in the open water on our own and if there had been any shark sightings in the area recently. He was certain we would be fine. As certain as any local could be.

The water was incredibly warm and clear. Conor and I paddled for about twenty minutes before reaching our target, a couple large rocks about 500 meters from shore. There were two other boats anchored near the rocks and we noticed a few other snorkelers and some divers swimming about. Conor threw on his gear and jumped in. Even though we were quite far from shore, you could still see the ocean floor - the water was amazingly clear. After a few minutes I jumped in too and Conor and I "duck-dived" for about an hour. There were fish everywhere and beautiful coral growing on the rocks. Conor and I even saw a couple wobbegongs, which are one of the eight varieties of carpet sharks. We didn't have a camera with us - man, do I wish we had! - but here is a photo I found online.



After playing around in one spot for over an hour, Conor and I decided to kayak around to the other side of the rock. I jumped back in the kayak and while I was adjusting my gear and the paddles, I overheard the divers making quite a bit of noise. I looked up to see one diver in the boat, the second jumping aboard, and then the two of them reeling in the third diver at great speed. Behind the third diver, a large, silver fin, moving with great speed.

Here are some tips from the Australian Government in regard to shark attacks:

Shark Attack
Shark attacks occur rarely. Only a few of the 450 or so shark species have been known to attack people. Unfortunately, some attacks are fatal.

There are some easy and commonsense precautions to take that can help reduce the risk of a shark attack. This risk minimisation advice is reproduced from the Australian Shark Attack File.

Do not swim, dive or surf where dangerous sharks are known to congregate.
Always swim, dive or surf with other people.
Do not swim in dirty or turbid water.
Avoid swimming well offshore, near deep channels, at river mouths or along drop-offs to deeper water.
If schooling fish start to behave erratically or congregate in large numbers, leave the water.
Do not swim with pets and domestic animals.
Look carefully before jumping into the water from a boat or wharf.
If possible do not swim a dusk or at night.
Do not swim near people fishing or spear fishing.
If a shark is sighted in the area leave the water as quickly and calmly as possible.

Based on this advice, can you guess what went wrong in our particle situation? It turned out that these "divers" were not just scuba diving, but were spearing the larger fish feeding on the smaller fish dwelling around the rocks. The blood in the water had attracted a large shark. The fin was the length of my forearm and hand (fingertip to elbow). Don't worry, the third diver made it out of the water. The fish on the end of his spear most likely did not.

As soon as I saw the fin I motioned for Conor to get back into the kayak immediately. I think he thought I was kidding at first. Do you know how hard it is to balance a kayak while your partner throws his body over the side (never mind while a shark is circling 30 feet from where you are swimming)? Conor and I have been tossed from our kayak before and after several attempts are usually able to climb back in. It's crazy what happens to your body when adrenaline kicks in. Conor was back in the kayak within seconds and I balanced the boat while he put his life vest back on and grabbed his paddle. We sat by the rock in utter disbelief for about a minute, staring down into the shallow waters below us. Conor whistled to the "spearos" and confirmed that we had just witnessed a potential shark attack. The three men (yes, stupid, stupid men) informed us that we should not be worried and that they were going to try to catch the shark. Continue disbelief.

After a couple minutes, we decided to paddle back to shore (through the open water) while the spearos distracted the shark and teased him with the freshly caught fish they were storing on board. I have never paddled/moved so quickly in my life. Although we never feared for our lives, we were both terrified.

We're safe though. We made it back to shore. And we made it back to Brisbane. I will write more later in regard to our trip. In addition to sharks, we saw a great deal of wildlife and had a fabulous day trip.

This Post's Recommendation:
Television: The Office

Freedom Fries?

French fries. Who doesn't like French fries? I am sitting at The Chelsea (my favorite coffee and French fry spot) reading through a handful of emails and researching possible travel destinations for the upcoming winter months. Although it is the "busy season" in Australia (because it is spring/summer in the northern hemisphere and everyone is planning their summer holidays) and hotel/flight prices are high, there are several "secret" getaways we have learned of since arriving in Brisbane, and we are itching to see everything and anything!

Many smaller coastal towns have great deals during June, July, and August. I am already thinking about Byron Bay again (the Sandals Hotel is running a winter special!). I also have my eye on a resort in Noosa. Brisbane is decent for living, working, and eating, but as far as leisure and adventure activities go, you must travel to the coast!

Conor and I are actually heading to the coast again on Saturday. We are going snorkeling off of another sand island, North Stradbroke. We had such a wonderful time in Moreton, we figure while the water is still warm, let's get back in! Also, the humpback whales have been spotted off the coast and I am dying to see them traveling north.

I spent the last few days at the West End French Twist. We have an opening date in sight for our new store! On May 28 we are scheduled to open our doors (which happen to be located about three doors down from The Chelsea) to the public. I sit at The Chelsea sometimes and stare at the construction workers installing our walls and counters, etc. Maybe it helps them work faster? Probably not. I am really looking forward to full time work. I stopped working in the States on February 10 - it will be nice to have a pay check again.

One of our refrigerators at the West End store was switched off accidentally the other night. The cooler was still turning itself back on when I left work last night and a handful of the staff were instructed to take home all items containing cream or custard. So, I trotted home with a large, cake-size mixed fruit tart, a few custard slices, eclairs, and mousse! Gosh, what a lucky day to be at work! Conor and I enjoyed a sample of each item last night while watching an episode of The West Wing. I had Conor drop the tart off at his office (which is located across the street from my new store) this morning. I figure a little advertising for our new location couldn't hurt.

This Post's Recommendation:
Food: French Fries and Corn Chowder (but not together)

Sand Islands

For his birthday, Conor's parents sent him a Wild Dolphin gift voucher. The voucher included a boat ride from Redcliffe Jetty to Moreton Island, a snorkeling excursion in the bay, a round of boom-netting, lunch, and a little bit of dolphin and turtle watching.

Conor and I woke up early last Sunday morning and hopped on a train to the coast. (It is ridiculous how inexpensive it is to travel on public transit from the city to the coast - $12 round trip.) We arrived in the small coastal town around 8:30am, downed some eggs and toast, and jumped on the boat! Unfortunately, for the first time in my life, I experienced a touch of nausea while traveling the 27k from the mainland to Moreton Bay...



We did not opt for the underwater camera this trip. Although we might have gotten a few good shots, we were advised by one of the Wild Dolphin crew members to skip the camera purchase this time around. The Queensland Coast has been getting quite a bit of rain this fall (yes, it is fall in Australia - currently a chilly 75 degrees) and the sediment is still settling in the bay. I took this shot of Conor right after he climbed out of the water. You can see a glimpse of the wrecks in the background.



This shot might give a better view of the wrecks (as well as the newer boats anchored in the bay). The ships were actually placed along the bay to provide a barrier between the beach and the strong waves - no, they didn't sink twenty meters from the beach. There are thousands of fish living in the wrecks. We swam along with the schools through the coral-lined metal and steel. I even saw a small shark! He was only a meter or so in length, but still quite spectacular!

After snorkeling we each jumped on the boom net. It was somewhat silly, but a lot of fun. Everyone has probably thought it or done it at one point - why not get towed through the warm, turquoise water by a boat? Shark bait, indeed.



After playing in the water for a couple of hours we spent some time on the island. It was nice to get off of the boat and walk around on solid ground. Conor went for a swim and I lounged on the beach for a while. The weather was awesome and the water was about 75 degrees. It was a great trip (aside from the nausea).

These shots aren't the best (we're both a little windblown in the first one), but they might be my favorite from the trip.






We finished off the day with a walk along the Redcliffe shoreline and a couple ice cream cones. When we arrived back in Brisbane that evening we walked to West End and had a fabulous dinner at Sawadee Ka, a delicious Thai restaurant with probably the best service in Brisbane.

Moreton Bay gets a thumbs up. Next island adventure: North Stradbroke!

Moreton Island is the third largest sand island in the world - North Stradbroke Island in second place and Fraser Island in first. All three of these islands are located along the Queensland Coast. Yes, you guessed it, a sand island is largely or completely made of sand. These islands are known for their beaches and beautiful white sand. In June the humpback whales make their annual trip North. Point Lookout located on North Stradbroke is a very popular whale watching spot - we're looking forward to that trip very much. In fact, we might just drag Jamie and Annie along!

She's a Vegetarian...

I have turned into a very poor blogger. My apologies. I suppose exciting things have happened over the past few weeks and there is no reason why I have only posted a few times in the last month. I promise to be better at blogging from this point on.

I became a vegetarian just over two months ago. I suppose I am really just a "semi-vegetarian" or a "pescetarian", as I do eat white fish and salmon on occasion (as well as eggs and dairy). Why did I decide to stop eating meat? Well, to be completely honest, I never really ate much red meat or pork to begin with. I always liked the occasional piece of steak, and I typically prepared poultry a few times a week, but no more than that. Conor hates pork products and as a result I never kept them in the house, let alone prepared them. Giving up meat was something I could do easily. Although that might not be the best reason to do something, it definitely helped inspire me to do further research. I don't want to bore anyone with my thoughts on vegetarianism, but if you have a second, read through the three reasons why I became a vegetarian.

Reason Number One: Ease
Being a vegetarian in today's world is quite simple. There are so many meat alternatives. Don't like tofu (I absolutely love the stuff!)? Look to other "no-meat" items like sausage, minced meat, and veggie/bean burgers as a substitute. Conor's boss is a vegetarian and a few weeks ago she prepared meat-less spare ribs. They were amazing! Their appearance and texture was incredibly similar to meat ribs and they tasted great. It is very easy to find meat-less items in all grocery stores (and you know what, tofu is much cheaper than chicken or steak!)

Reason Number Two: The Environment
The mass consumption (and therefore production) of meat is unsustainable. I would never lash out against anyone who chose to enjoy a nice filet on occasion. My problem is with people who eat meat every day (and in copious amounts). Animal agriculture produces almost 20% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. That's approximately five percent more than the world's transit. (I won't get started on transit, but those of you eating meat for lunch and dinner and driving distances that are easily walkable, should be embarrassed.)

Cows produce a lot of waste. Cows, therefore, produce a large amount of carbon dioxide. Poop is just the beginning though. Think of all the grain, grass, and water required of animal agriculture. The animals are consuming more vegetables (grass) and soy than the average American. Nevermind the amounts of water consumed and used to grow the grain and grass...

Here's a clip from an article in The Independent:
"The 400-page report by the Food and Agricultural Organisation, entitled Livestock's Long Shadow, also surveys the damage done by sheep, chickens, pigs and goats. But in almost every case, the world's 1.5 billion cattle are most to blame. Livestock are responsible for 18 per cent of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, more than cars, planes and all other forms of transport put together.

Burning fuel to produce fertiliser to grow feed, to produce meat and to transport it - and clearing vegetation for grazing - produces 9 per cent of all emissions of carbon dioxide, the most common greenhouse gas. And their wind and manure emit more than one third of emissions of another, methane, which warms the world 20 times faster than carbon dioxide."

Reason Number Three: Health
If you don't do it for everyone else, do it for yourself. Cutting meat out of your diet even slightly will help improve health. I will keep this last point short and sweet. Some studies show that those who consume a diet of fish and vegetables and even those who consume fish, vegetables, and the occasional piece of meat have a much lower mortality rate than those who have a diet rich in meat. Vegetarians are also less at risk for some forms of cancer and heart disease.

On a side note, in terms of living longer, studies show that meat-eaters and vegans have similar mortality rates. I'm not preaching vegan, don't misunderstand my reasons for vegetarianism. I think it's extreme and unnecessary. If you are vegan for religious or ethical reasons, that's one thing. Aside from that, I think most vegans deny their bodies necessary vitamins and minerals.

Although I have been busy with work and Conor and I have done some traveling, I have been spending my time reading articles from the New York Times (attempting to keep up with current events in the States) and delving further into the environmental effects of eating meat. Since literature is something that has been consuming my time, I thought I should blog about it. Keep reading Tomorrow Mostly Sunny - I promise I will put the soap box away for my next post.

This Post's Recommendation:
Stop buying/drinking bottled water