I'm Baaaack!

Season's Greetings Everyone!

Apologies for my looong hiatus. I've been jet-setting around the world visiting family and friends and have hardly had a moment to catch my breath! Thankfully, the suitcases have been unpacked, the presents purchased and wrapped (well most of them), the Christmas tree trimmed and the cookies baked so I have a moment to relax and reflect on the year that has past. It's hard to believe that this time last year I was getting ready to embark on my big adventure to law school in australia and now it's all over. It's almost overwhelming to think about the past year, moving to Australia, finding a house, starting university, catching swine flu(!), meeting my incredible boyfriend, graduating first year law, and then my post-semester travels. What a busy year!

After leaving Sydney I flew to California to visit my best friend from elementary school and her hubby in their gorgeous new flat in San Francisco. We had just the best time shopping and enjoying the festive atmosphere of the season! My favourite day was the day we drove to Palo Alto for a tailgate party and a football game. Tossing the old pigskin and tucking into a yummy bbq of burgers and sausages filled the void of North American culture I'd been missing while living in Australia.

Lets not forget the bag of chips that was large enough to fit a medium sized toddler. Gotta love Costco! The weather was a perfect sunny and 10- 15 degrees and aside from this total tool who was sitting in the row ahead of us at the football game, the company was perfect. At least Stanford's spectacular come from behind win deflated his (the moron in front of us') sails. Every time we cheered for Stanford he'd turn around a glare, even when his team was winning! I guess we showed him who got the last laugh! After Stanford won, we all flooded down onto the field in the new, and amazing, state of the art stadium and listened the the (rather eccentric) band's on-field revelry.


What a day to remember!

Season's Greetings Everyone!

Hopefully I'll be back soon to tell y'all about my other trip, this time to jolly 'ol England!

Merry Christmas!

First Year: Done and Done!

That's a wrap folks! First year is in the bag- well I think it's in the bag- apparently marks are released mid-December, however barring any unforeseen disasters I will be starting second year law school next March. Needless to say, as of the invigilator calling "time" on the last exam, it was time to PARTAY!

We made a bee-line to Manning pub and proceeded to enjoy a few cold ones in the warm early afternoon sun... It was a perfect ending to a perf... well interesting year!

There were many ups and downs, but thankfully mostly ups! Just to name a few....

Obviously moving to Australia to go to the University of Sydney to start my dream of going to law school...

Next, finding an awesome house close to uni, and lucking out with some inexpensive second hand furniture (except for a brand new, comfy bed- thanks Mum!) and new friends looking for a willing recipient of some no-longer-needed household items...

Then, finding gainful employment in Sydney and, while I was there, making some great friends whom I'm so glad I met!

Being treated to a fantastic weekend away in the Blue Mountains.

Meeting a group of amazing girls at uni and being able to help, support and learn from each other every step of the way.

And last but not least... meeting my wonderful boyfriend Nicholas! He and his family have been so wonderful to me. We have so much fun together and as Nick will soon be back from Darwin, I am looking forward to us actually living in the same city next year!

Lastly I have to say a BIG Thank You to all of my family and friends who without their love and support, I would not have been able to do any of this. In particular my Mum, Dad and Stepmum who kept me in the loop this year at home with lots of emails and phone calls and a computer to do everything on! And, my best friend's in-laws who, not only believed in and supported my idea of going to law school in Australia, but offered to adopt Bailey (my puppy). If not for being able to feel secure in the fact that my darling baby was in such competent and loving care, I wouldn't have come to Australia. I hear she is doing great and has finally graduated to level 2 of puppy pre-school!

Cheers to one down, two to go!

Half Way There!

2 down... 2 to go! I have an exam tomorrow. Yes on a Saturday... then, one on Monday and then I'm free free free until next year!! Wow- I can't believe I'm almost there. It still seems like a huge mountain to climb but in just three days it will all be over. I can't believe it! Some parts of this year have flown by, others have crawled (hello being sick with swine flu for three months!) but overall it's been an amazing experience! I am so looking forward to my trip home to visit my wonderful friends and family and then to come back and catch the last month of Australian summer. Wah hoo! The weather right now is GORGEOUS so it's going to be quite an adjustment to arrive in Toronto in the middle of winter. There is lots of snowboarding to be done so I am looking forward to that but I will miss the beautiful sunshine, long days and hot weather... not to mention my new friends here in Australia (both human and canine.) Check out Nick's dog, Tiki (above)- he's a little camera shy but so cute!

Gotta keep my eye on the prize until Monday when I can enjoy a little less of this

and a little more of this!

See y'all on the flipside!

Cinema in the Park: Breakfast at Tiffany's!

Is anyone else one of those people who, when discussing movies is always hearing "oh my goodness, you haven't seen 'X ' ?!?!" (insert classic film everyone has seen). Well as someone who just saw Dirty Dancing and Pretty Woman for the first time last year, I can safely say that I am definitely one of those people. In light of this you can imagine my delight when Nick's Mom and sister invited me to their local town Breast Cancer benefit- an outdoor screening of Breakfast at Tiffany's. Not only was I excited about getting to enjoy their lovely company, and contribute to a very worthy cause, but I got to cross another classic film off my list!

The setting for the evening was a little grassy parkette at the end of the road from the house (a very convenient location!) In terms of the screen, I wasn't sure what to expect, but as a point of reference, after the home-theatre sized screens at the local Newtown cinema in Sydney, something similar in size would not have surprised me; however, lo and behold, the screen was HUGE! The sound and picture quality was excellent and made for a very enjoyable "movie in the park" experience.

Nick's mom and sister were very organized and prepared with picnic mats, pillows, throw blankets and lawn chairs and even a backpack picnic basket with compartments for the plates, cups, cutlery etc.!

After setting up we settled down to scoff our yummy picnic of barbecued chicken, bread rolls, veggies n dip and cookies and brownies for dessert.

After dining at our very civilized and lady like picnic (complete with cups of tea with dessert) we settled in to watch the film. It was most enjoyable! One of those movies where I wonder what took me so long to get around to watching it! Audrey Hepburn was utterly fantastic as the main character and I found the movie very funny and entertaining to watch. What I really liked about it though was how layered the film was with symbolism and poignant lines. One of our favourites was when Holly is referred to as "a phony, but a real phony." Such great script writing! I guess that's why some people say things like "they don't make 'em like they used to..." Well I don't know if I'd necessarily agree with that being a universally negative thing (after all I love a good Jen Aniston chick-flick once in a while,) but I can see what they're saying.

All in all a great evening. The only sad part, (besides having to quash the urge to high tail it to Tiffany's myself) was watching the film made me miss my youngest sister Sophie, who often dresses up as Audrey Hepburn for Halloween and I think, bares a striking resemblance!!

Feelin hot hot hot!

Happy (belated) Halloween everyone. Amidst the days getting longer, the tropical heated breeze and the odd presence of Christmas greenery and carols in the mall, Halloween was a mere blip on the radar. If it wasn't for all the photos of friends' costumes and Halloween parties posted on facebook, I probably would have forgotten about it all together. Such a shame as it's one of my favourite celebrations! Here are a couple of pictures from last year:

A pumpkin I carved at the Crawfords' house. At $20 for a pathetically small carving pumpkin here, I was happy to look at a photo of a jack-o-lantern and call it a day.

This is me being a kind of burlesque cow girl last year. Classy as usual.

Ah well... there's always next year. More importantly, with Halloween out of the way it's now the official start to the Holiday season!

Incidentally November started off with a bang. 37 degrees today!!! I felt like I'd fallen into an oven. I can't remember the last time I experienced that high a temperature. It was unbelievably hot! I arrived at the library at 9am and was already sweltering. When I emerged from the air conditioning at 7pm it was still hot hot hot. I was so happy to have brought my swim suit. I swam at the outdoor pool next to campus until it was dark out and thankfully a tiny bit cooler for the walk home.

Lots more studying to do so that's all for now.

Happy Travels Kristen, Jen and Rachel!!!

Arn't good friends just the best? Last night the stars aligned and two of my bestest bestest friends since high school who are travelling in Egypt, just happened to be in an internet cafe when I was on Skype here in Australia! What are the odds of that happening? Not high, especially since I'm generally not on Skype unless it's a pre-planned appointment, and it was about 1 am...Anyhow, I was so thrilled to get the chance to chat that I didn't even feel tired. One of the things I love about really great, old friends is that no matter how long it's been since the last time you saw each other or even emailed, when you do talk it's like everything is exactly the same and you don't skip a beat. It was so nice to see them (on video) and hear their voices; although I still miss them terribly I think it was just enough to hold me over until we're together in person: December, when I'll get to see Kristen in Toronto, and next February when Jen and her sister Rachel, also a great gal and a good friend, will be making their way down under as part of their 'round-the-world tour.' I'm so looking forward to showing them around Sydney. I'm already devising an itinerary:

-Bondi Beach for some celebrity spotting and budgie smugglers!

-Glebe for brunch in a funky cafe

-Newtown for some Asian food and people watching

-The Rocks Saturday Market

-The City for the Opera House tour (I've heard it's well worth it)

-Coogee to Bondi Coastal walk (Did it once and I'm dying to go again!)

-Oxford Street for a little of the nightlife that I hear so much about but never get to go...

-Walking across the Sydney Harbour Bridge (cause I've always wanted to...)

-Any other suggestions??

Until then, Good Luck Girls and Happy Travels!!

Top Ten Reasons Nov 25th can't come fast enough:

Ok so no offense to Australia but, in the words of lovely Dorothy- there's no place like home!

I'm booked to fly to San Francisco on November 25th (25th November if you're Australian) for a week and then home after that and I am starting to get to the point where I'm making X's on my calender... I haven't even started studying for exams (which are in 2 weeks- eep!) but already my mind is already daydreaming about getting home to my loved ones back in Canada :)

It's been a while since I've made a top 10 list, so here it goes...

Top Ten Reasons I am Looking Forward to Flying Home:

10. My Stepmother's homemade culinary delights: Bread, marmalade, cookies, steam pudding, trifle, Yorkshire pudding, did I mention trifle? mmm trifle...

9. The weather matches the season (although winter isn't my first choice) I won't constantly be confused by the awkward clash of weather, season and holiday- Easter in the fall??? I don't think so.

8. Snowboarding!!!

7. Starbucks. I know I'm gonna get flak for this one 'cause the "funky" "independent" cafes serving "real" coffee is something Sydneysiders pride themselves on to no end, however as a non-coffee connoisseur I think Starbucks tastes great and for my four bucks I get a beverage that's not only hot (as opposed to the luke-warm temperature everyone serves here, ostensibly because that's how coffee is "supposed" to be served) but a cup is larger than the size of a thimble and lasts more than 3 sips.

6. Driving. No more vomit commit bus for me!!! Up until 2 weeks ago that was just a nickname for the late bus. Horrifically, it actually came true when, one morning on my way to work, just after I'd gotten on, someone puked ALL OVER the floor of the bus. I was sitting in the back where everyone had pushed to to get as far away from the smell (which was at the front) as possible. Still the stench was excruciating and I had to stay on for about 15 minutes of it cause had I gotten off I would have been late for work. It was so bad the driver put the bus out of service so that people wouldn't get on but he continued the route for passengers already on the bus. That was the longest 15 minutes of my life!

5. Canadian beer!!

4. Partying with all my friends- you know who you are!!!

3. Seeing the parentals.

2. Reuniting with my Bailey- I miss her soooo much! I miss her new mom and pop too and they've been so amazing with her for which I am eternally grateful!

1. SLEEPING.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Guess who made another appearance this weekend?! Nick flew down from Darwin for his second whirlwind trip and I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. We had a very full weekend planned and certainly made the most of every last moment :) First, I picked him up at the airport and whisked him off to Glebe for breakfast at one of my favourite cafes- Clipper! The shabby chic decor (think vintage bikes on the wall and mismatched dinnerware) and long communal bench tables match the homemade tone of the menu- lots of yummy porridge with fruit compotes and free range egg options. We decided to enjoy the beautiful weather and dined outside, basking in each other's in-person company in the warm sun (hey five weeks is a long time to have to deal with temperamental skype connections and buzzy phone lines!)

That evening, after a roast lamb made by yours truly, we went to Star City Casino's Astral Bar. Located up on the 17th floor, we were treated to stunning panoramic city views, incredible cocktails (my ginger pear number was delicious!) and an amazing band too! My friend Tom, whom I met through one of the first girls I met here in Sydney (he's her boyfriend) is a jazz pianist and his band was playing at the Astral Bar the evening we were in Sydney. It was a perfect choice for our night out on the town. As it was a Thursday we were one of the only parties there, but the bar didn't feel empty; how could it with the vast lights of the city below sparkling through the floor-to-ceiling windows? The waiters were wonderful and it felt like the band was playing just for us. We even started an impromptu dance floor where Nick twirled me around in my new pink dress... with the surrounding lights of the city and the old fashioned glamour of the bar I felt like I'd stepped into a 1940s movie!

After a perfect evening out in Sydney (Nick didn't even bat an eyelash when, due to my directional challenges, I took us along the...ahem... scenic route to get back to the main road) we packed up and took the train down the coast to Nick's house.

Nick's family very generously offered to host Thanksgiving dinner, their first one ever! I was very grateful to be able to have Thanksgiving dinner with such lovely people and thankful not to have to miss out on my favourite dinner of the year. The turkey Nick's sister ordered from the local butcher was beautiful and it was lots of fun getting right in there and cooking together. Nick's mom is a great cook- everything tasted delicious! For dessert we made a traditional Steam Pudding which was utterly divine, especially with the warm custard poured over top. mmm... drool.

After such a lovely (and filling!) dinner we were looking forward to the evening's events. Nick made plans for us to see a concert at the Brass Monkey in Cronulla. We arrived early (can you tell this guy's a good influence on me or what!?) and so had time for a lovely walk along the beach and some lollies from the local store.

The Brass Monkey had a great atmosphere; warm, intimate and friendly, and we topped it all off by scoring really good seats! There were three different acts and they were all really good but the final one, an indie folk band called Dead Letter Chorus from Newtown in Sydney (aka my neighbourhood) was amazing! Nick bought me the CD so that I can listen to their songs when I'm studying for exams and trying to remember what it feels like to have fun.

On our final day together, we took a lovely long walk down to the beach near Nick's house. Imagine growing up five minutes from here.... No wonder it's so hard to say goodbye! Well all good things come to an end and so our weekend was over. Even though it will be three and a half months until our next in-person hello, I'm very happy and grateful that Nick was able to visit for the weekend and I hope he enjoys and makes the most of his last couple of months in Darwin before moving back to Sydney (yay!) next year.

Ahoy Matey!

All Aboard?

Have I mentioned lately how great it is to live in this amazing city? At the drop of a hat one can go from staring glumly at her not-quite-yellow, not-quite-green walls to bam! On a boat in the middle of the ocean in a varsity sailing regatta! I was one such lucky person this week as a last minute drop out helped me change my mind about not entering this year's regatta with the university sailing team. What can I say? The team needed me, the forecast looked ok and my assignment wasn't that interesting, so I said yes! Yes to one day of unbelievably perfect sunshine and 14 knot breezes and yes to one day of less than perfect weather but a fun time nonetheless. Not knowing what to expect I left my camera at home on Day 1 of the race so all the pictures are from rainy and overcast day 2, but I think the clouds give a nautical mood to the photos anyway.

I was really impressed with the Yacht Club- The Royal Prince Alfred. It was nautical and cozy yet new and spacious and didn't have that musty, damp feel common to some clubs.

The outdoor picnic and patio area was a really pleasant place to sit and have a hot latte after my 2 and a quarter hour public transport ride to Newport at 6:30 in the morning aka before the rain started! (But it's not as though I would go around hinting that I'd like a car... I mean maybe if Christmas were around the corner or something I would but.... hey wait a minute.... lol. If only people here drove on the right side of the road!!)

Where was I? Oh yes, the regatta. Skippers Afloat was our home away from home for 2 days as we waiting in the middle of the ocean bay for our turn to race. My partner and I completed 9 races on day one, and 1 on day two before it was called off due to high wind conditions.

Other (larger) boats certainly enjoyed the big wind. There were some amazing catamarans zipping about around our little pacer dinghies.

At first we had four fleets out, but ended up with two by the end due to broken bits n' pieces.

Our fleet out on the water.

Our fearless 'Skippers Afloat" skipper steered us through the storm using the trusty steer through the window technique! I say, a couple of windshield wipers would go a long way on this boat!

As you can imagine, the 60 hungry sailors devoured our catered lunch each day with fervor I usually reserve for Thanksgiving dinner. Fortunately I clawed my way to the table before the ham was gone 'cause I think I would have starved rather than be forced to eat some of this stuff: Vegemite. No offence to the Aussies who love it (and they all do- must be genetic) but it smells like stale beer which I have to brace myself just to pour down the drain, never mind putting it in my mouth!

Lots of nice boats to admire, but it makes me miss sailing at home with my Daddy.

I'm supervising the hauling up of the anchor. Hey someone's gotta do it!

And after all that I got to make the 2+ hour journey home again. At least there was some pretty scenery to look at on the way out to the bus stop.

Trips n' Things

Good news! In just three weeks Nick will be on his way home for a visit and I am soooo excited! It's somewhat unexpected to find myself not only with a boyfriend in Australia but a (temporarily) long distance one at that, but I am loving every minute of it. Nick and I have so much fun together, just look at us here- having a gay time eating our Gaytimes! (Australian ice- cream on a stick, covered in smashed cookie). Nick bought us these at a gas station when we were on our way back to Sydney from his house down the coast- so sweet!

It's great to have something to look forward to as I am currently in the midst of trying to finish two assignments which are due in the very near future whilst keeping all of my work commitments and not losing touch with all of my new friends. As they say "keep your eye on the prize," I suppose the prize being finishing my first year of law school. I still don't feel like it's possible for me to be ready for the four exams I have in November but I know I'll get through it. The trips I have planned for the end of the year to San Fransisco, London and then home will be enough motivation for me to survive. Here's hoping!!!

ARMAGEDDON!!!

So this morning: An unbelievable strange red light filtered through my window at 7am. I blinked twice to see if I was still dreaming, and then panicked, having decided that there was something seriously wrong with my my eyes. When I looked away and my room seemed it's usual colour, my next thought was Y2K is here, just a few years late! HOLY CRAP WE'VE BEEN NUKED! Luckily for my eyes, and the existence of the continent but unluckily for my lungs, it was what is being called a "red dust storm." What they heck is that? I remember signing up for heat, and I'm learning to deal with the rain and recently the extreme temperature swings, but a dust storm? Last I checked Sydney was not a desert! Anywho it's unfortunate timing since last night I wandered into the kitchen for a late night glass of water only to find the floor swarming with little black baby cockroaches. I swiftly grabbed what I thought was the Mortine (roach kill spray) but actually was oven cleaner!!! I didn't notice until this morning when the fumes from the previous evening's massacre were still hanging heavy in the air. Gag ME!!! Of course this happens to be the first day in history where opening the windows is ill-advised. Choosing between a layer of red dust over everything or noxious air fumes, I figured dust+ fewer toxic fumed might be a bit better than no dust + copious toxic fumes so I opened the french doors but jeez! I feel like going back to bed and waking up with this all having been a strange dream.

Beautiful Beautiful Sydney

Although this not the first time I've moved to Australia (it's the second), leaving my many and dear friends in Canada was still very difficult. My only consolation was the expectation that, like my last trip to Australia, (studying at the University of Wollongong for one semester in 2005,) I would meet some nice people but not make any real, lasting friendships. This, I mused, would make it all the more likely that I'd enjoy the Aussie experience before being on my merry way home again. Well. Lo and behold I couldn't have been more wrong! No offense to Wollongong, but the friendships I have made while at Sydney Uni have far exceeded anything I ever imagined or could have hoped for.

I feel as though I am not just a visitor anymore but that I belong in this big beautiful city. It's like even thought I'm foreign, I still fit in with the glamorous sydneysiders to whom spectacular sunsets and whale and dolphin sightings are an every-day, no big deal occurrence. Of course I still incessantly take pictures like a tourist but my friends just grin and pretend to object (but deep down I know they like the pics!) For me, getting to know this city as a local has been a much more satisfying and deep experience than the weekends where I'd take the train in from the Gong (usually alone) to explore. This past weekend was no exception. Two of my besties from work and I went to Darling Harbour at dusk for a night out on the town. It's quite a glamorous area and I can see why! Everything was just that little bit more posh and polished than what I'm used to in grunge-chic Newtown. Highlights included enjoying a pre-dinner glass of vino at sundown, our table overlooking the spectacular view of the harbour.

Eating the MOST amazing half rack of pork ribs I've ever had. Hurricanes Restaurant is famous for their ribs and even fix you up with a full torso bib! The meat simply fell off the bone it was so tender and the sauce was finger- and plate- licking delicious!!!

Luckily the bib protected my (new- on sale!) dress and I was good to go out for a dance at Bungalow 8 to work off all those ribs.

One of the girls introduced me to my new favourite drink- Vanilla vodka and orange juice. Yum! It's like dessert in a glass!