Well...after the action packed Australia Day weekend in Melbourne, it was back to work that week...ended up working in Paramatta over 3 weeks in total and made a change to my bank account, with money actually going in, instead of careering out...and to use a popluar phrase...it kept me off the streets

Due to Ed's departure a week earlier...I had a spare ticket with me to which turned out to be my final live Cricket experience of the Summer, watching Australia Vs England...I ended up going with Rowan (Bilksy), who used to work with my brother a few years back and was a member of the now legendary Status Quotec 5-a-side, which I played for too...was awesome to catch up with him after a few years...he was also a fountain of knowledge on both cricket, and life in general...felt bad for him, cos it was his first game watching Australia all Summer, and they ended up losing, but after all Ed and I went through in Melbourne and Sydney...i was just amazed to see an England victory...speechless in fact.  Met up with his bro, Richard after the game and he gave me a copy of Bill Bryson's Down Under...what a country...!!!  Since reading it, ive realised how poor this journal is in comparison...but im not getting paid to do any of this...sooo

Bilsky managed to sort me out with a ticket to go watch the Sydney Swans play Essendon in a pre-season AFL game...Bilsky's bro, Rich, tried to teach me the rules of the game...now I know how Kerry felt when I tried in vain to teach her the rules to Cricket...tho to be fair, I actually managed to follow the game...I did get a little bit too excited whilst watching the Umpires go through their flag-waving '...it's good' routine...was awesome.  I even managed to get a free frisbee out of it too...and any day that happens you can chalk up as a success...tho the guy that handed them out only gave it to me 'cos he quote 'liked my accent'...Good lord

His whole family has been awesome to me in actual fact...I worked a couple of days in a place called Epping, where Bilksy's Dad owns a bookshop called, Banjo Books (just near the train station...a fine establishment indeed)...and I got a complimentary hot chocolate, just 'cos I was a mate of Bilsky...and if you thought I couldnt top that...I gave Bilsky another visit to say my goodbye's before I left, and Sarah, his fiance greeted me with a massive signed artwork of Stephanie Mackintosh (Sky from Neighbours) album cover...OH MY GOOD LORD BABY JESUS...!!! Man i was overwhelmed...speechless (and that doesnt happen often)...basically her brother works really closely with 'Sky' on her album, you can even see him on her reality TV show...and I had mentioned my love of Neighbours...as I regularly tend to do, to anyone who will listen...and he got that signed and gave it to Sarah...couldnt believe it...awesome...!!!

...and to top it off, Bilsky even put a few (prawns) on the Barby at his housewarming, a favourite of mine...so therefore...The Bilky family and extended family...i salute you....!!!  His family must think im the biggest free-loader ever, but thats what you get by hanging round with a bunch of Patels...(hahaha sorry Kajal, Nilma, Shivani...Hiren, u kno its tru)

In between working the odd days, Ive been taking time out to see the endless stream of relatives that I seem to have here...being a single male asian on holiday makes you hot property in the Sri Lankan world and my mobile has been ringing off the hook to get a piece of the action.  Relo's have been calling to get me to come over and feed me up and to get me to stay over, so they can report back to my mum back home and tell her how well they've looked after me...now, im not complaining, far from it, a good feed and a comfy bed is fine by me...but yeh has warranted a certain amount of tact and good diary keeping...

It has been good spending time with my lil (and not so lil) cousins tho...one highlight was watching my 9yr old cousin, Rohan, play cricket for his club...he ended up taking a wicket and making 27 Not Out, and was Man of the Match...he scored 4 fours in total, and I was standing on the sides like a proper proud Dad...was great...i even went to his teams end-of-season picnic and played in his father/son cricket game...he bowled me out pretty comprehensively (on three occassions, no less)...tho i was batting left-handed...i wish thats about as embarrasing as it got, but i got bowled LBW by a 7yr old cousin, Christina...a girl...lol.  I owe Rohan a great debt as he's provided me with moments of amazing comedy value...like listening to him sing along to Chris Brown...the sight of a 9yr old reciting the words to 'Run-it', singing about 'fly honeyz' and 'shorties' that he's gonna get with tonight, while his Dad is driving the car, is wrong on so many levels...but so right...!!!

Also caught up with an older cousin, called Logan, and he took me down to chill down by the Opera House after he finished work...having a few cold one's while watching the sunset over Harbour Bridge is something I could definately get used too.

Im in my final days of my Sydney adventure now...its been good taking time out from the crazy non-stop change of the back-packing world...and really nice to see my family again...but im sooo looking forward to meeting up with Ed and Matt in Cairns...flying out on the 7th March, before we do a mini-tour of Cape Tribulation...have to admit i've been looking at Ed's foto's of the East Coast with a certain amount of jealousy...am itching to get into the swing of things again