8th jan - 4th feb

to all the people on the list

today is a sunday and i have just finished work and thought i had better get my fingers ready to update you on my latest activities.

charlotte left me 2 weeks ago today and it has been rather strange without her. we lived for so long in each others pockets that even when she went to new zealand i felt so lonely! she had a fantastic time in nz even though it rained pretty much every minute that she was there. two new girls moved into our lovely appartment (who i met in an internet cafe in manly) on the 8th when i last sent you an email. i couldn't have hoped for nicer, tidier flatmates!! when char got back it seemed like we just didn't have enough time together to do all the things on our list before she went! we decided to go on a trip to see cousin sally (our mum's cousin) in springwood on the way to the blue mountains. sally infact came with us over to australia when we were 18months old and has lived there ever since! sally & steve took us to see the 3 sisters and to a beautiful lookout point in the blue mountains where you could see for miles. the weather that day reached 42degrees so we were quite happy just to sit in the air conditioned car!

i also had a few last minute photoshoots that week which was great for me but meant that poor charlotte had to spend the days at the beach! hehe. on her last night, we went with char's friend gemma (from uni) to this lovely thai restaurant called iTHAi and then headed onto to our favourite hotspot, CARGO for a really good night. this bar overlooks darling harbour which is so beautiful at night (and the perfect place for romance - or non-romance as my case may be). so anyway, charlotte left the next day and we... i mean i, spent the morning packing (yes, you don't have to tell me how disorganised this girl is). charlotte's friend gemma came too an we all had a little sob as she walked through the door to customs. i stood waiting there for a little while thinking it could be like one of those movies where they've made a mistake and they come running back and all live happily ever after... but in the end we just moped over to the bus.

now im on my feet (i only shed 1 more tear) and have started a new job in a gourmet cafe in the city centre. its good because i was starting to have nightmares about running out of money and it gives me at least a bit of an income (im a bit of a spender) for fiji and NY. i also have a photoshoot this tuesday for a magazine in amsterdam somewhere down the south of the coast which is very exciting. apart from working and photoshooting, i have been spending time at the beach, lunching and partying (a little). last friday evening i went on john & janne's little sailing boat with their son peter & his wife alice and a team of keen sailors (they weren't muscly men with little white hats though). we took part in the weekly race across the harbour (well i jus sat there looking pretty... and eating... and drinking!) it was lovely as we finished just as the sun was setting and then finished off the evening with a delicious meal at john & janne's.

this friday something a little stranger happened to me. after i went to pay the rent, i was feeling a little bit hungry (i had just finished work) and so went and got a nice sundried tomato & cheese bread from the bakery in the shopping centre. as i walked out of the shops after having taken 2 bites, i felt something fall against my hand and the bread fell to the floor as a magpie swooped off with a hUGE chunk in its beak! i was pretty shocked as you can imagine and stood there as 3 more magpies came and squawked at me as they surrounded my poor tasty bread!! not knowing whether to laugh or cry i walked to the bus stop with just a brown paper bag in my hand. oops!
i hope this still all sounds interesting to you, even though im not moving around much and you haven't forgotten me. i love the place im staying and the friends i have made and feel so at home that it is going to be so hard to leave. the weather has mostly been amazing with most days reaching at least 30degrees but still some unpredictable mornings and we even had rain!

the next part of my journey begins on february 15th when i leave for new zealand so WATCH THIS SPACE                                             please leave messages on the message board on www.statraveljournals.com/emmakoch and have a look at the photos.

don't miss me too much,

emma xx