tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155037672012-02-17T04:02:14.715+11:00Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.comBlogger861100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-53745371402005164102011-09-29T10:07:00.001+10:002011-09-29T10:09:03.276+10:00

Here's a slideshow of some pics from our recent weekend in Shanghai!

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-57838051424672788602011-05-09T16:57:00.002+10:002011-05-09T17:16:42.405+10:00

So it's been over 5 months since anything was written here. I'll summarize. In December/January, Mum Stevenson made the trip down under to visit. Work and work travel seemed to fill in the following months - Jen stayed in Oz, while Dan spent a bit of time in Hanoi and Hong Kong. All of the travel got the best of us both and we have been battling colds and the flu for what seems like months.

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-5008484108205490272010-12-31T11:11:00.006+11:002010-12-31T17:02:05.402+11:00

I have never really felt compelled to put together an end-of-year list; however, I feel like this year was pretty special. 2010 was a pretty big deal for Team Stevenson. We became Australians in 2010. The year was dusted with fantastic music, food, travel, art and family. For us, the year 2010 set a new standard by which all future years will be measured. So in the spirit of celebration, I hope

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-56828300412846567292010-11-28T13:56:00.006+11:002010-11-28T14:10:28.775+11:00

Hi everyone! I realise that it's been a long time since we posted, but it's not been from lack of exciting events! We have just returned from a three week holiday to South America where we visited a hacienda in Ecuador and role horses to Cotopaxi volcano, spent 8 days aboard a catamaran sailing the Galapagos Islands, and then we hiked 45km along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu! Enjoy our pictures

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-79142410236872839362010-08-16T21:38:00.003+10:002010-08-16T21:47:45.146+10:00

Jen and I took Friday off and hopped down to Tasmania for the weekend. I'm still working on getting some of the photos up, but here is a quick slideshow of what has been uploaded so far. You can also click on the flickr link above to get another view.

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-45989781627321948552010-08-08T15:24:00.006+10:002010-08-09T11:30:41.637+10:00

This Sunday, Jen and I ran the City2Surf race - stretching from Hyde Park in Sydney (a short walk from our place) to Bondi Beach. If you don't know City2Surf, it's the largest timed running race in the world with 80,000 participants enrolled this year. The race is a mix from pretty serious runners - Olympians, professionals, etc. to people who dress up in costume to make the run. The route takes

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-83385171654894736082010-02-16T12:32:00.002+11:002010-02-16T12:34:57.622+11:00

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-18709864130409893142009-12-12T10:55:00.002+11:002009-12-12T11:02:30.190+11:00

Company Chrissie party last night. As per usual, snow was not in attendance. It was not missed.

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-10903418661746643362009-10-03T10:12:00.007+10:002009-10-03T11:06:44.478+10:00

Remember doing analogies like that on the ACT & SAT? Well, October in Sydney is all about food with the kickoff of the Sydney International Food Festival. We got a sneaky start last night with a 'sugar hit' of mango bread and butter pudding with coconut creme brulee, garnished with coconut brittle. Last night's dessert scored only 2.5 stars from me, but luckily I woke this morning with a hunch

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-40733493860542243692009-08-08T07:39:00.003+10:002009-08-08T07:43:37.016+10:00

Jen and I just returned from our trip to the South Island in New Zealand. I've stuck a slide show below with pictures from our trip. Hope that you enjoy!

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-26939130339588692142009-07-20T16:02:00.002+10:002009-07-20T16:10:43.835+10:00

Sydney Aroma festivalOriginally uploaded by TeamStevensonIt is winter, but you'd never guess from the weekend that we had. t-shirts, driving with the top down, walks through the park - all through the tint of sunglasses.Saturday was perfect, but we retreated to the indoors a bit early. I attempted Thomas Keller's Cream of Walnut Soup. Like the weather, this too was absolute perfection. Homemade

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-30381215133257206942009-06-29T18:50:00.002+10:002009-06-29T18:54:56.281+10:00

Iranian Election Protest - SydneyOriginally uploaded by TeamStevensonJen and I went down to the Sydney Winter Festival a few days ago. From Hyde Park to Martin Place there was a river of protesters flooding the streets of Sydney with green signage and Iranian flags. The chants were civil, but passionate - and the sight evoked a lot of personal reflection. I've been riveted to the news about Iran

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-25935512822882407612009-05-09T12:09:00.003+10:002009-05-09T12:11:36.561+10:00

final bits of summerOriginally uploaded by TeamStevensonWinter is blowing in. The low this morning was 13C (55F). I'm wearing gloves every morning now on the rides in to the office. Apples are flooding the fruit stands, and it's dark when I get home from work.Click through to our flickr stream or use the link at the top. I've put a few new pictures up there. Expect some updates coming through

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-48409102010701661632009-03-10T23:05:00.003+11:002009-03-10T23:10:18.151+11:00

The blue bar going through the header picture in the last blog template made my eyes itch. The site was in need of an update. The new pic up top is one that I took last weekend at Hyams Beach, about 3 hours south of Sydney.  We rented a little cottage and worked to squeeze the last bit of summer out before autumn marches in with chilly mornings and clear nights. Hope that you like it!

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-2104194821385326742009-02-26T20:48:00.004+11:002009-03-10T16:39:44.151+11:00

Big Hotdog, Big BoatOriginally uploaded by TeamStevensonWent down to Woolloomooloo after work to grab a bite and check out the Queen Mary 2 Ocean liner that just rolled back into town.It's the biggest "Ocean Liner" ever built, but not the biggest cruise ship. Still, it looked about as big as the USS Kitty Hawk when that came into port.Given the choice to be on the water with a motor, though - I'd

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-16861897897068985682009-02-11T10:25:00.000+11:002009-02-11T10:26:15.351+11:00

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-6565243541593826042009-02-08T10:56:00.004+11:002009-02-08T11:04:48.866+11:00

Bushfires are an annual occurrence that we deal with here, but this year is worse than the norm. Temperatures have reached well into the 40s (100F) and there hasn't been rain in a while.  The picture above shows the smoke over the city yesterday morning from nearby fires.

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-58091112696491575732009-02-07T11:21:00.002+11:002009-02-07T11:24:06.709+11:00

Here are some pictures from our recent trip to Fiji. It was a short 4 nights, but we really had a fantastic time. We've got some video as well, so I'll try and put a little something together once I find the right song.  I'll take suggestions in the comments.

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-20399407640751880032008-12-08T09:11:00.004+11:002008-12-08T22:55:13.745+11:00

Jen and I were out for a walk on Sunday morning and we came across this thing sitting just outside the Chinese Garden in Darling Harbour. I took this picture with my phone, as it was the only thing that I had around, but I thought that it was definitely outside the norm of what we'd expect to find walking around the area just a short way from home. Update: I'm told by people who work with me,

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-10867384327548389652008-12-07T12:08:00.003+11:002008-12-07T12:35:48.010+11:00

I grew a moustache during the month of November. Not because it looks cool (it didn't), but to help raise money for a good cause. Learn more about it here.  Enjoy the video, and try not to read too much into the music selection.

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-54531176953910087272008-11-05T22:13:00.002+11:002008-11-05T22:17:20.859+11:00

How to Win Friends and Influence PeopleOriginally uploaded by TeamStevensonThis picture is posted primarily to remind Jen that her husband is quite the catch, and certainly worth rushing home for. The rest of you should probably click the photo to view it a little bigger. It's a good idea.

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-92230691376061980962008-10-25T17:59:00.011+11:002008-10-25T18:31:18.378+11:00

If you've not had the opportunity to witness a butcher in his element, it's truly remarkable. This morning we walked up the hill to our local butcher where as part of the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Month, a forequarter of grass fed black Angus was butchered to the bone.Forgive the pictures - as they were taken with my phone, but make no mistake - this guy could shave the peach fuss off of a

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-31937441464610057592008-09-29T22:17:00.001+10:002008-09-29T22:17:41.510+10:00

Summer ArrivesOriginally uploaded by TeamStevensonI woke up before six without the alarm this Saturday morning, probably anxious to get to the farmer's market down in the Rocks. The weather is getting better and better these days. We hit the beach on Sunday - two weekends in a row now.I've got an "I Love Sydney" T-shirt that I wore on Sunday night to celebrate.

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-14806176178045860212008-09-06T08:41:00.002+10:002008-09-06T08:56:37.818+10:00

Spring has arrived in Sydney. These birds showed up on our balcony to give us the message - and to torment kitty.In other news, to keep you all up to date on our terribly exciting times, I made a pork loin. I didn't make it, I just cooked it. But it was delicious. In fact so delicious, that there was no time for pictures when it came out of the oven. Come visit. I'll make you one, too.

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-73573087050208537552008-06-22T14:30:00.007+10:002008-06-22T17:50:41.957+10:00

That's 'thank you' in Thai.  If you had a minute to see our video of Thailand and Cambodia, you probably saw the note to our friend Ek at the end.  That's Ek above on the right, with his friend Piak on the left. Ek is one of those very special people you meet in life -- completely pure of heart and incredibly giving. He serves as the best example of what it means to be a good, honest and loving

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-7696396573447198372008-06-21T22:32:00.002+10:002008-06-21T22:36:57.647+10:00

In addition to the pictures that I'm slowly getting up on Flickr, here is a video highlighting some of the wonderful times that we had on our trip.

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-903770725632996232008-06-15T21:28:00.003+10:002008-06-15T21:32:32.704+10:00

Jen and I have recently returned to Sydney this morning from a trip to Thailand and Cambodia. As we go through the pictures, we'll be putting them out on flickr, so please follow the link and check them out. Once time permits, I'll try to put together something a little more professional - but this should suffice in the short term.

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-9831957614483724502008-05-06T18:46:00.002+10:002008-05-07T09:46:40.336+10:00

It's been over a month since I wrote anything here, so I figure that I can give a quick update on what's been going on. I usually don't blog about anything on the professional side of my life. I prefer to keep that sort of talk off of the Internet. It's usually far from glamorous - and it doesn't add to any allure and excitement that you might normally read about on the site. That said, there

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-49240581990497554742008-03-23T21:05:00.005+11:002008-04-05T05:15:30.921+11:00

Geez, you people are ruthless. We realize that we're way behind on the blog, and hope that this post will make up for some lost time.Over Easter, we went to South Australia. The mission was to enjoy the long weekend and to tick the box on two of the places out of our 1,000 Places to See Before You Die book: The Barossa Valley and Kangaroo Island.The picture above is taken at Flour Cask Bay, on

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-24870001251915685502008-03-11T19:10:00.006+11:002008-03-19T20:41:21.978+11:00

Mardi Gras is a pretty big deal here in Sydney. It's pretty big in New Orleans, too - and St Louis even had a decent parade, but there's definitely something different here in the Harbour City.That's the hint. Give up? This year, Sydney celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras parade.It's not as dangerous as those parades I remember as a kid. The Shriners made those parades

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-68904371301165771382008-01-29T21:34:00.000+11:002008-01-29T21:56:03.433+11:00

Jeez, it's been ages since I posted here. Apologies if you've been checking back every now and then - only to find the same old, same old. Jen and I spent Christmas back in the States, visiting family and friends. And generally doing things that we don't get the opportunity to do when we're living in Australia. We returned to Sydney in mid-January, I am solidly back to the daily grind, but Jen

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-68815304721898702022007-12-08T07:14:00.000+11:002007-12-10T16:02:19.990+11:00

I overestimated my ability to swim in open water. I underestimated the power of the sea. Nonetheless, last Sunday I put in my registration to take part in the Annual Bondi to Bronte Swim. Bondi Beach is arguably Sydney's most famous beach, and a couple kilometers South is Bronte Beach - another beautiful spread of fine sand and surfworthy swells. I would swim from one to the other...or at least

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-59709826698832659922007-11-10T08:20:00.000+11:002007-11-10T08:22:48.685+11:00

Don't mess with this, she prowls the urban jungles of Sydney.

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-76435351431335883292007-11-07T17:36:00.000+11:002007-11-08T19:26:28.444+11:00

Ok, I get it. I suck for not posting. Here I go.Late SeptemberTraveling back home to Missouri. It had been one-year to the day that I had stepped foot on American soil. It had been less for Jen, as she was back in Kansas City for a wedding last December, but for both of us it seemed overdue. Circumstances were sober, as family on both Jen and my sides are fighting through the symptoms of age and

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-43920615101062061892007-10-21T17:24:00.000+10:002007-10-21T17:32:26.774+10:00

It's been ages since we posted, and I blame it on shame and embarrassment. You'll notice that the blog has a new banner. That's because I realised that the catchy "151 Degrees South" tagline is not at all accurate. We're 151 degrees East of the Prime Meridian, not South of the Equator, which doesn't sound nearly as exotic. So now we're just Team Stevenson again, as I'm significantly more

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-40981345424568476512007-09-07T21:51:00.000+10:002007-09-07T22:19:20.100+10:00

So the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation is meeting in Sydney this week. It essentially means that you can't spit in this city without hitting a president or prime minister. If you live here, you've been given the day off. We've all been encouraged to leave town for the weekend. Those of us still here are struggling to figure out what to do with our time, as it's similar to Paris in August. The

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-89678796217134875322007-07-31T20:22:00.000+10:002007-07-31T20:41:20.383+10:00

Jen and I have run into a number of animals as we've bounced around. Most are logical with the surrounding we find them in. We see a lot of possums in the park. We see deer at the farm, rats in the city, camels in the desert and elephants in India. So far, we'd only seen penguins in the zoo. Sunday night, we met up with a few penguins on the boardwalk at the beach. I didn't see that coming.

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-44302786221726000052007-07-07T16:32:00.000+10:002007-07-31T20:49:03.692+10:00

I hate to be rude, but this has got to be the ugliest baby I think that I've ever seen. Someone should put a blanket over this kid's face. Just repulsive. In other news, the USS Kitty Hawk was tugged into Sydney Harbour this week and is docked at the Australian Naval Shipyard at Woolloomooloo, also home to Harry's Cafe de Wheels. We took the bike out to see what the fuss was about. This last one

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-40034551535680930622007-06-30T16:13:00.000+10:002007-07-01T12:22:39.943+10:00

Flickr was just the first installment. Enjoy the second.

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-67298241391936109332007-06-19T21:23:00.000+10:002007-06-30T16:28:42.856+10:00

Team Stevenson took advantage of a short week in Australia last week with a crew of friends(Queen's Birthday Observed) and headed up North to Queensland to sail the Whitsunday Islands along the Great Barrier Reef. I've got tons more pictures and detail that I need to do a proper post on, but to get us started, here is Jen relaxing on the boat. We've got more pictures available on Flickr, so

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-29481909666619859942007-05-20T17:39:00.000+10:002007-06-30T16:28:57.815+10:00

Jen and I have been working too hard. We took the bike out for a full day away from laptops and where the roar of the V-Twin exhaust drowns out mobile phones. We had breakfast at a place called Strangers with Candy and sat next to Anton Enus, who is a news anchor for SBS in Australia. We like that about Sydney. It's small enough that you don't feel lost in a crowd. You see familiar faces,

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-41087622165300786912007-05-12T16:22:00.000+10:002007-06-30T16:29:08.999+10:00

Okay, for all of the people that have been asking about pictures of our place, I've finally come through. I got a new camera, and this is a good excuse to have a play with it. Click on the pic below to get to the rest.Sydney Flat

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-12743505015620050032007-04-22T07:38:00.000+10:002007-06-30T16:29:14.936+10:00

Because it's been over a month since we've posted, and at the friendly urging of our friend Sam, here's an update on what's been up with us lately. Last weekend, we went to the Sydney Royal Easter Show. It's essentially like a state fair, or so I'm told by Jen. I've never actually been to a state fair. So while I'm out of my comfort zone because of things like deep fried cheese on a stick, Jen

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-34316994610886857042007-03-17T08:09:00.000+11:002007-06-30T16:30:56.436+10:00

Sydney Rock oyster with Vietnamese dressing and baby coriander2005 Delgado Zuleta 'La Goya' Manzanilla, Jerez, SpainSmoked salmon terrine with pickled cucumber and beetroot sorbet2006 Domain Day Garganega, Mt. Crawford, South AustraliaPan fried scallop with cauliflower puree, cauliflower beignet and macerated sultanas2005 Albert Mann Pinot Blanc Auxoerrois, Alsace, FranceCaramelised belly of pork

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-57262239654575306002007-02-17T22:32:00.000+11:002007-06-30T16:29:39.618+10:00

Jen and I have both had jobs that require a bit of travel - Often at short notice, always for longer than we'd like to be apart. For us, travel seems to add some degree of intensity to all emotions. Movies on airplanes are 20 times more capable of jerking tears than the same film from the view of our couch. I guess the brief is, that being apart is never fun.In attempt to squelch the melancholy,

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-37845977159230560792007-02-11T08:53:00.000+11:002007-06-30T16:29:50.112+10:00

Last Sunday, Jen took off on a work trip to Bangkok. The picture below is Wat Arun วัดอรุณ (temple of the dawn). I've got no idea if she's actually had a chance to see this thing, as she's been putting in some pretty serious hours - although I do know that she was able to escape for a bit this weekend and take a boat trip on the river. This is the first time that either one of us has ever

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-48814941764547096272007-01-21T18:38:00.000+11:002007-06-30T16:30:03.344+10:00

After reading several reports from our Stateside friends & family on ice storms and power outages, we thought that it might be appropriate to brave the elements as well.Since we've moved back to Sydney, I've been trying to ship my motorcycle down. I've run into a few snags around import permits and compliance laws. Long story short, there's a bike for sale in the US - and we've christened the

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-73991500585875942182007-01-01T16:01:00.000+11:002007-06-30T16:29:39.618+10:00

First attempt at posting video. Hope you all enjoy our 2006 review and have a wonderful 2007!

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-72747884467943226862006-12-26T08:24:00.000+11:002007-06-30T16:30:09.915+10:00

Christmas Eve rained like mad. Weather projections cited a low pressure system that would undoubtedly cast clouds and pour over our dreams of a Christmas picnic. The picture below is Christmas eve. We were trapped under a bridge on the way back home from the Fish Market. Weathermen 1, Stevenson 0. We'd never cooked lobster before, so we took a few chances here.I'd say that we didn't do too bad.

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-71730421950166084612006-12-16T18:58:00.000+11:002006-12-16T19:37:57.536+11:00

5:47am - Kitty wakes Dan up. She's spinning the toilet paper roll, leaving a white pile on the floor. I can't shut the bathroom door, because then she'll just meow and try to open the door on her own. She has mastered cabinet doors, but ones with knobs still give her some trouble. So as of 5:49 now, I'm up for the entire day.10:02 am - Jen and I walked down to Fratelli Fresh to do a little

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-38553328320793608562006-12-13T22:18:00.000+11:002006-12-16T18:40:00.218+11:00

Just in time to miss Thanksgiving, Jen hopped a plane back to Kansas City to spend time with family and take part in our good friends Dana & Neil's wedding. Back in Sydney now, we're anxiously awaiting the release of our US shipment from Australian Customs & Quarantine. Our goods hit Aussie shores over a week ago now, so any day that phone should ring and we will be able to commence the final

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-37340916024155151252006-11-19T19:45:00.000+11:002007-06-30T16:30:39.520+10:00

Balmain is one of our favourite neighbourhoods in Sydney. The best way to arrive is by ferry, dropping you off at a wharf with one of the most amazing views in the city. Walking up from the ferry, you pass several cafes, bakeries, some of the most incredible flower shops, and the lawn bowling club. At the top of the hill, you stumble into Balmain Market, home to trinkets galore and a decent hall

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-29791557244025096582006-11-06T22:16:00.000+11:002006-11-06T22:39:30.481+11:00

The level of difficulty in keeping a blog up to date is highly underestimated. I've been doing a much better job of reading friends' blogs than keeping my own current. There's plenty to report, though - as we're getting moved into our new place in Sydney. Our things have arrived from the UK, but our Kansas City possessions are still braving the high seas. Kitty's out of quarantine, she made

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-62836012226657307762006-09-22T07:45:00.000+10:002007-06-30T16:31:16.412+10:00

As you may have noticed, there's been a bit of a redesign on the blog. We hope that you enjoy the new look. I think that it's a tad more flash than the previous view. Why the change? Glad that you asked. We're celebrating.Jen and I are moving back to Sydney. I'm already 151º South right now, actually. Jen will join me mid-October, just in time to usher in our second summer of 2006.This move

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1157716339508539502006-09-08T21:30:00.000+10:002007-06-30T16:31:16.412+10:00

Sincerest apologies for our poor record of keeping you all up to date on all that's been going on. Since the trip to Germany in the last post, Jen's been to Chicago, Toronto and Dublin. I've only done a quick turn-around in Kansas City, but we have managed to sneak a trip to Southern Wales in during the UK Late Summer Holiday.This was my first driving experience on the left, steering from the

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1155483973063837742006-08-14T01:01:00.000+10:002007-06-30T16:31:16.412+10:00

Re-read that headline for the clever wordplay of the day. When Jen's parents came to visit us a couple weeks ago, we took a weekend and flew over to Germany. In Kassel, we met up with some Humburg relatives (Betty and Götz). We really couldn't have asked for better hosts. A couple remnants of their warm hospitality: I'm still spending a fair amount of time in Germany for work, so I decided to

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1155191877369592832006-08-10T16:25:00.000+10:002007-06-30T16:31:16.413+10:00

The last post on Paris was a bit weak, in an attempt to prop it up - here are a few more pictures from last month's trip. The first is probably the most photographed gargoyle on Notre Dame, my dinner of escargot in the second, Notre Dame's facade in the third, and finally Jen and Dan from the Eiffel Tower.

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1153956074009384802006-07-05T09:03:00.000+10:002006-07-27T09:21:14.023+10:00

So last year, I had fear that I was setting the bar too high. Sydney is a pretty amazing stage to host a wedding anniversary celebration. Seaplanes and the Pacific Ocean are a tough act to follow. In retrospect, it probably would have been smarter to take Jen to China Town, start year three with some steamed dumplings and san choy bow. Rather than playing it safe, I got ambitious and took

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1151354973298565532006-06-23T06:40:00.000+10:002007-06-30T18:06:48.797+10:00

On a short break last weekend, Jen and I found ourselves in Portugal. Jen had to be in Lisbon for work, so over the weekend I flew out to meet her. We spent a day or two in the city and then drove down to the South coast to a lazy fishing village called Salema where we soaked up some sunshine and ate non-stop seafood. Below, we're posing at the end of our beach when the sand was replaced by rocks

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1150116666635541572006-06-12T22:40:00.000+10:002007-06-30T18:06:48.798+10:00

Holidays in the UK seem to have very unoriginal names or logic behind them. The US has memorial day, a day set aside to remember those individuals in the Armed Forces who have died in service for the country. On the same day, the UK has "Spring Bank Holiday" where it is generally accepted that no one will be solemnly remembering anything in particular, other than which stores are open for sales

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1147255070342940732006-04-18T19:51:00.000+10:002007-06-30T18:06:48.798+10:00

Jaipur was our favorite city in India. We took a car from Agra to get here, through hours of impossible roads. Jaipur is the capital city of Rajasthan, which is a lot of desert. The horse and cow-drawn carts were gradually replaced by camel carts and the occasional elephant. Above: I love the colors in this picture, it's from a wedding that was being celebrated next to our hotel.Above: Hawa

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1146477253846506042006-04-16T19:41:00.000+10:002007-06-30T18:06:48.798+10:00

From Delhi, we took a train to Agra. We met a beautiful family on the train platform. Dr. Singh & his wife were quite gracious in helping us decipher the system of coach assignments and schedules. We arrived in Agra after midnight, only to find that the driver we had arranged was AWOL. When you’re travelling in India, it’s a bad idea to appear confused. Confusion is an open invitation to be

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1146302551154399302006-04-14T19:10:00.000+10:002007-06-30T18:06:48.799+10:00

Jen and I started out in India’s capital city, Delhi. Delhi has something like 15 million people. It’s the first time I can remember seeing another human in every direction I turned, at any hour of the day or night. People everywhere. People dotted on desert horizons, people crammed into and on top of buses. People in trains – on journeys for hours where there is not room to sit, and no seats

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1145981415017092062006-04-13T01:23:00.000+10:002007-06-30T16:31:53.247+10:00

India has the ability to bring about the very best and very worst in a person - all in the course of 30 seconds. Jen and I just returned to London after a 10 day trip to Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and back to Delhi. I've got a few pictures shown below, but will spend time doing a proper post a little later.Above: Jen and I at the Taj Mahal, Agra. above: Sheets to keep the ground cool at Jama Masjid,

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1143884312880357922006-04-01T20:18:00.000+11:002006-04-01T20:38:32.916+11:00

"Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, where have you been? I've been to London to look at the Queen. Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, what did you there?I frightened a little mouse under the chair." After tremendous help from my sister, Jen's parents and our vet, Kitty packed her bags and boarded a flight for London's Catwick airport. She had a layover in Detroit, which she was not impressed with, and then on for the 8

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1143115916950062162006-03-23T22:56:00.000+11:002007-06-30T16:31:53.248+10:00

Jen and I could not be disheartened. We did not see the Queen, as she was returning from our adopted home of Australia. She was on official business ushering in the Commonwealth Games. We did not see the ghost of Henry VIII. We did not see a Corgi, nor did we see any Knights of the Garter. Windsor Castle did not disappoint; however, as Jen and I visited Her Majesty’s abode with our first guests

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1139739984413972882006-02-12T21:10:00.000+11:002007-06-30T16:31:53.248+10:00

Nor was it photographed in a day. Jen and I took four days to visit the Eternal City last week, took over 400 pictures and still didn't come close to capturing everything in the lens. Rome's 2,759 year history captured our imaginations and overwhelmed our sense of time. The pictures below are the Colosseum at night, the map room in the Vatican museum, St. Peter's Square from atop the dome of St.

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1139126576328467512006-01-28T18:30:00.000+11:002006-02-05T19:05:25.023+11:00

Jen and I had a brush with several celebrities last weekend. Quite a few are no longer alive, so your assumption that we're at Madame Tussad's Wax Museum is correct. To the left, you see an incredibly lifelike Julia Roberts. Below, Hitler's got me in a headlock. And further below - Jen is enjoying some royal gallivanting with Prince William and Princess Diana .

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1137925109926418252006-01-22T20:51:00.000+11:002006-01-24T21:24:10.216+11:00

"Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box." - Italian ProverbHopefully avoiding morbid judgment from our friends and family, Jen and I visited Highgate Cemetery over the past weekend. Highgate was built in the early 19th century to accommodate London’s growing need for more burial space, and was one of seven private cemeteries created in Inner London.The most famous

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1137318502333659292006-01-15T20:36:00.000+11:002007-06-30T16:33:09.499+10:00

The exciting point of what's been a very lazy weekend was a trip to Borough Market yesterday. Of all the markets we've been to, this had by far the most interesting variety of foods that we needed to come back and study up on. below: pheasants hanging on hooks below: Octopus in a seafood display below: Mountain of some of the greatest brownies ever

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1136669565834637192006-01-08T08:10:00.000+11:002006-01-08T08:32:45.846+11:00

Go figure, it was a rainy day in London, so Jen and I opted to hit a couple museums. We went to the British Museum first, as it received the highest (3-star) rating in our Frommer's guide to England (Thanks Mom). The Rosetta Stone is a big deal, I guess. I was more impressed because every time we'd consider fighting the crowd to get a 2 second glimpse, I magically smelled french fries. Don't know

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1134644319458685922005-12-15T21:23:00.000+11:002007-06-30T16:33:46.885+10:00

We're in. There are still a few touches that still need to happen, but 72a Upper Street in Islington will feel like home in no time at all. Over the past weekend, we indulged a longing for Christmas with a daytrip to Stratford-upon-Avon. The lack of the Charlie Brown Christmas music has gotten to us, so we visited Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare is buried, and attended a carol service. We

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1132833840772482212005-11-24T22:55:00.000+11:002005-11-24T23:04:00.780+11:00

Nothing much new to report, Jen and I went to the Tower of London over the past weekend, took a browse at the Crown Jewels and let the Beefeaters show us around. It was a good time, we had a beautiful day - so we really enjoyed ourselves. With respect to the flat, our move-in date was pushed back until December 12. We're still planning to move into the flat that is pictured in the post below,

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1131295130740224722005-11-07T03:27:00.000+11:002007-06-30T16:34:02.732+10:00

We arrived at Heathrow on Thursday morning, and settled into the extended stay hotel in Bayswater. The schedule has been hectic, and both Jen and I are still edging off the jetlag. We do have some good news to report, though. We will soon occupy the 3rd floor of the building pictured below. Our flat shares a foundation with a restaurant called Cuba Libre, which we've yet to try. We're pretty

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1128258217129464732005-10-02T22:53:00.000+10:002007-06-30T16:34:02.733+10:00

Qantas flight 149 leaves Sydney at 9:45am on Thursday morning. 13 hours and 20 minutes later, it lands in Los Angeles - still on Thursday, 3 1/2 hours earlier than it took off. Jen and I are on this flight, as it marks the sad end to our stay in Australia. We have vowed to each other that we will one day pick up where we left off and again make a home in Sydney.We are moving our home from 33º

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1127026752541099062005-09-18T16:59:00.001+10:002007-06-30T16:34:48.171+10:00

Went today to Woolloomooloo for lunch. Woolloomooloo, besides being fun to say, is home of the Royal Australian Navy and Harry's Cafe de Wheels. Directly above, you'll find a Harry's meat pie topped with heaps of mashed potatoes and tomato sauce (which is the closest thing in Oz to ketchup). Other pie toppings pictured include gravy and mashed peas.

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1126872799233259972005-09-16T22:13:00.000+10:002007-06-30T16:34:25.578+10:00

The camel's name is Condi, but not after US Secretary of State. Here we are in Kata Tjuta National Park, home of some of the most amazing wonders on the planet. In the background, you can see Uluru, or Ayers Rock. Check out the satellite photo.Camel snout is quite breathtaking, isn't it? Camels thrive in the Australian outback. There are apparently over 700,000 feral Camelus dromedarius roaming

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1125403981460678232005-08-30T21:48:00.000+10:002007-06-30T16:34:48.171+10:00

About a fortnight ago, this pelican ate a toddler that was walking too close with some fried calamari rings in his hands. Such a horrible shame, really - as the seafood you find at the Sydney Fish Market is truly top notch, and you hate to see it go to the birds like that.The Fish Market is easily the best place to find newly dead fish in Sydney. The aquarium is the best place to find ones still

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1125050309088006572005-08-26T19:58:00.000+10:002007-06-30T16:34:48.172+10:00

There's something different about us in these pictures. I'll give 8 Chinese Yuan to the first person who guesses correctly.a) Jen and I quit our jobs and decided to move to China to work as tour guides of the Forbidden City.b) We were having bad hair days, so we got some hats. The rest was thrown in for free.c) Can you say, "Harajuku?!"In truth, we visited the Chinese Gardens in Sydney - donned

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1124521191425685272005-08-20T16:51:00.000+10:002007-06-30T16:34:48.172+10:00

View from Hyde Park -- Sydney's largest cathedral, St. Mary's.

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1124520443663973892005-08-14T09:46:00.000+10:002007-06-30T16:34:48.172+10:00

The Royal Botanic Garden is one of our favorite spots in Sydney. It's massive -- in fact, after spending weekend after weekend strolling through the gardens, we're sure there are parts we still haven't found. Just last weekend we came across this small clearing in the back of the gardens filled with sulfur crested cockatiels and rainbow lorikeets. They were crowding around anyone with food. Of

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1124581869318574252005-07-31T09:51:00.000+10:002007-06-30T16:34:25.578+10:00

Jen and I are posing here at Cape Tribulation, where the Daintree Rainforest meets the Coral Sea. Take note of Jen's hat - quite sassy-chic, huh?To get here, we had to fly into Cairns (pronounced 'Cans' because Australians have a passionate hatred for the letter 'R').The suspense on this trip was thick, as we were on constant lookout for the cassowary, which is a threatened species of flightless

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1124321124330178792005-07-24T09:25:00.000+10:002007-06-30T16:34:48.172+10:00

I'm reasonably proud of this picture. I caught all of these girls wearing their identical skirts (or school uniforms or whatever) as they peered over the sea wall. I fooled with the shadows and the lighting a little bit - this was about as good as I could get it with the tools I've got.Harbour Field Trip

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1124586109265935822005-07-04T11:01:00.000+10:002007-06-30T16:34:48.173+10:00

For our second anniversary, Jen and I splurged and took a seaplane up the coast to a restaurant on the Hawksbury River. This is me at the controls. I watched Top Gun the night before, so I felt reasonably comfortable guiding that bird to touchdown.Beautiful DessertsFantastic Views

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1124584618850604652005-06-29T10:19:00.000+10:002005-08-21T10:39:30.190+10:00

"Australia's remoteness created an environment unlike any other on Earth. Quartantine helps protect it. Food, plant material and animal products from overseas could introduce some of the world's most serious pests and diseases into Australia, devastating our valuable agriculture and tourism industries and unique environment." - Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, Marketing

Jen and Dan Stevensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03767836445452649797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15503767.post-1124592985038156672005-03-24T12:42:00.000+11:002007-06-30T16:34:48.173+10:00

There's a big bridge in Sydney, connecting the north and south sides of the city over the harbour. If you wear these funny suits, they'll let you climb it.When Dan's parents came to visit us, Dan's dad, Dan and I decided to take on the Harbour Bridge and check out the view from the top. They're pretty careful about protecting the motorists and pedestrians below from falling objects -- no

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