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!

Pinch Me!

In light of my latest hospital visit (last night, 7 hours, don't ask) I feel the need to report on something fun. I may be allergic to law school at this point (seriously, if RPA Hospital gave out frequent-flyer miles I'd be able to get a free boob job or something by now) but I am certainly not complaining about my amazing boyfriend! He was home from Darwin for the weekend and we filled every bright sunny moment of it with bright sunny memories :)

First, I picked him up from the airport. (Please excuse my appearance- Nick took the red-eye so it was 7:30 in the morning.)

Did you know that in the domestic terminal a non-passenger can still go right up to the gate?! Of course I got "randomly selected" at security for a bomb search n' swab, but I passed with flying colours! (no pun intended.) After Nick greeted me by sweeping me off my feet Hollywood style, he gave me a present from Darwin-a gorgeous piece of aboriginal art. It's a crocodile and some lilies and I love it!

Next we left Sydney for the trip down the coast to Nick's house. Ahhh fresh air at last! We rounded up the doggies and took them for a run on the beach before heading out for a scrumptious lunch.

Since the restaurant was out of the item I'd ordered, the chef concocted a special dish- raspberry and custard french toast with marscarpone cheese- just for me! It was utterly delicious.

I was impressed with the coffees we'd ordered too. Nick's Cappuccino was a decent size (as opposed to the thimble sized coffees that usually get served at breakfast places here) and my latte was positively tall! Nice latte art too.

Being the great guy that he is, Nick didn't complain once while I browsed around a couple of cute boutiques. I love going to the shops in new places. Even though I rarely buy anything it's fun to see what's for sale and dream!

The next day we lunched with a couple of Nick's mates at this amazing restaurant overlooking the ocean. The main seating area is outside in this lush green garden and the tables look out right to the cascading cliffs and crashing ocean waves. What a stunning sight!

That evening we drove back to Sydney for a party with students from my law faculty. We ate dinner at Prague- a Czech restaurant in Kings Cross. The food was tasty but very... dense, as I suppose is to be expected. I quite enjoyed my dish- a combination of meat, a sweat creamy sauce, sour dough bread, cranberry sauce and whipped creme, but having tried it once, I probably wouldn't need to order it again. We met up with my classmates at Hugo's Bar in the cross and danced the night away!!!


The next day we went back down the coast to watch Nick's mom and sister play in their Grand Final Netball Match. I'd seen snippets of netball on TV but never watched a whole game before. All the matches on TV are in an indoor arena so you can imagine my surprise when we pulled up to a mass of outdoor courts! The sun was beating down on us, it was about 30 degrees and I'd not come prepared to sit in the sun! Thankfully I managed to locate some sunscreen (well Nick fetched some for me) so after that I was fine. The game was super exciting! Our team lost but it was a pretty close game until the very end.

On Nick's last morning we (Nick, his mom and sister, and I) hiked up the mountain next to the beach near the house. Again it was a hot sunny day (winter? What winter?) perfect for a hike in the woods.

We brought 3 of the doggies who were bursting with excitement in the car ride to the entrance of the trail.

At the top we enjoyed the magnificent view- including a pod of dolphins gracefully gliding in and out of the water in the distance.

On our way down Nick spotted this huge Goanna Lizard in a tree!

After having worked up a sweat and an appetite, a dip in the pool and a classic Aussie barbie for lunch hit the spot!

Ahhh... perfect company, weather, activities, food... What more could a girl ask for?? It was sad to say goodbye at the airport and although I miss him right now, it's only 6 short weeks until Nick is back again. I am already looking forward it :)