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05/11 - Once in the pouring rain I headed to my Hostel - Glebe Village Backpackers. Met Angie there who was also staying there. Made my bed and fell fast asleep!!!
06/11 - After the longest lat in in a while, we finally got up and headed to see Darling Harbour, the Sydney Harbour. Could see the Opera house in the distance and it was cool. Im finally here I thought to myself! Had a wonder around the city. Headed back to the hostel for food, internet and all boring bits and pieces!!
07/11 - Headed to the Opera House properly and had lots of photos taken by it! Said goodbye to Ang who was heading to Newcastle to see her family. Got a mobile phone!!
08/11 - Day spent in the Botanical Gardens. Met Luci after work and headed to her place in Randwick near Coogee. Went out in the evening to Coogee which was eye opening! Far from being a backpackers place - its like home! It very expensive and its time to workl I think!!
Emma's 1st Month
Wow! I’ve been in Sydney for 4 weeks now and its gone way to quickly. At first I didn’t know what I had done. I was used to things being a lot more quieter in New Zealand and certainly more backpacker-er-ish! Sydney is a massive city and you loose that traveling feel almost straight away even though half of Sydney is made up of foreigners!! It didn’t help arriving in Sydney in the piddling rain.Rain! Cold! This wasn’t what I was wanting!! I was expecting sunshine and blazing heat!! Apparently that all kicks off in December. Spent the first few days in a hostel in Glebe, which was ok. Had a wonder round the city and I’ve seen almost all the famous sites in Sydney. Even though I see the opera house everyday on my way to work it still makes me smile. There is just something about it and I realize I’m doing something that I’ve always wanted to do! I’m finally here!!
I met Luci, a girl I met in Fiji and stayed with her a few days. She showed me around Randwick and Coogee which is where she lives and I fell in love with the place too! We celebrated her birthday by drinking too much! The Irish sisters, Rachel and Nicola who I’ve been traveling with since Fiji came over from NZ. You have probably seen lots of piccies of them by now! So with them, I moved back into a hostel in the city where I spent just over 2 weeks I think. Man, that was more than enough time! Working and living in a hostel is a no go combination! Trying to sleep so that you are up and out by 8am and having drunk groups of people jump on you, sing or even stumble in at 4/5.. 6am is a nightmare! Saying that I’ve made more friends that way and they seem to be a laugh.
I’m working now. Back for AMS which is a god send really. It’s actually quite hard to find work here at this time of the year as everyone is coming over for the summer season. I also passed my RSA test – responsible service of alcohol!!! Yes I know….. I passed!! It now allows me to work in a pub so that’s another option. At the moment all I want is money so that I can start traveling again so office work is best paid. I’m office assistant which is just basically looking after the office and everyone in it! I would say receptionist but the phone never rings and no one eve comes in to the office! So its things like arranging all international flights, fixing things! Stationary stuff, post, buying milk & fruit for the office. I like the way you get free fruit over here – not many offices do it back home do they? I’m trying hard to stay away from the biscuit tin but it’s nice to order them!! It’s a small office with at the max 9 in at one time but that is very rare. All apart from 3 are ozzie! The rest are UK! They have just offered me a 6 month contract which is cool. They did offer me 2 jobs! One here and one in Melbourne. I wanted to be here for Xmas and New Year so I chose to stay put even though they did offer to pay for my flight!!
My apartment is lovely. The people I live with are Blanka (Czech girl) her fella Jereme, who is ozzie and at the moment an ozzie girl called Nina. Nina is only staying a few weeks as the room belongs to Ollie and he is coming back soon. Looking forward to meeting Ollie!! Its very clean and they are very quiet! I think it’s a blessing in disguise to be honest as I’m less likely to spend too much with them! If they were party animals then who knows how much money I would be spending! I’m spending far too much as it is! Blanka did offer me a glass of wine on Monday night as it was my first night in with them, I politely declined (not drinking in the week at the moment) and then she said well we have vodka!!! What!! Vodka on a Monday night – now she is the crazy one!!! They all seem lovely though and looking forward to spending some time with them. This week has been busy and I’ve bought a few bits for my room to make it more "Emma"! I’ve printed off a load of piccies so if you guys have any recent ones to send me – do it! I went and bought a full length mirror and guess what! It was really windy, put it to one side whilst waiting for the bus and it fell!!! What a waste of money! I can’t afford to have butter fingers at the moment! Was so hacked off I just left it there!!
Really getting back to normality here and even got an ozzie bank account! Not that there is much in there and with the tax almost being 50%, I’ll never have much in there!! The tax over here is ridiculous! But hey, I need the money!
Weather is ok at the moment. It gets very windy here but I think it’s to do with the fact that we are on the coast line. The evenings are chilly, it gets cold quick and those long sticky evening that we get at home are none existent in Sydney. And it gets dark really quickly! I’ve noticed that about the southern hemisphere. When the sun goes down, that’s it! So its dark at about half 8 over here at the moment. So that is one thing I miss about home, the late evenings. Have had a few really really hot days where its reaches over 35 degrees. The train home is not nice! Been burnt and learning my lesson the hard way when I peel! Im getting better!
Highlights so far….
U2 concert – all I can say is wow! It was amazing! Never been to sure a huge concert before. They love U2 over here and to go with 2 Irish girls was fun! Saw Kayne West too! Awesome!
Being taken around in a Ferrari – yes I know you’ve all heard the story and so has everyone I’ve met so far!!! I’ll shut up now! Ha! Was thinking to myself I wonder what car he comes in and I was thinking I hope its something like a BMW – wow! Emma got better! Woo Haa! Everyone is jealous over here!! Ha ha!! He also helped me move which was very nice of him – no Ferrari this time!
Getting tickets to Australian Idol – the final! It was held at Sydney Opera House. You had to win tickets in but the pass we had allowed us to sit on the steps in front of a stage and screen and watch everything. It was wicked! Saw lots of famous people apparently! I have no idea who they were! Some girlie band called young Diva’s walked passed us and last years Idol was there too. Saw the judges etc and more random ozzie’s! All good though. Was a fun Sunday afternoon and all free! The fireworks were unbelievable! Ive never seen fireworks like that before. I cant wait for new year but I have a feeling I’ll be very emotional if they are like the ones I saw then! I couldn’t speak for ages! The winner was an Irish fella! Odd I know! The other contestant was Jess who was an ozzie girl.
At the weekends Ive been at the beach which is a highlight for me as you know how much I love the sea. The transport over here is good so its easy to get from place to place. Even though I live about 20 mins out of Sydney – about the same distance maybe from Sonning Common to Reading – the buses are 24 hours! Been to Kingscross and its just like the one at home! Full of odd people, ladies of the nights and has that seedy feel to it. Worth an experience that’s for sure! Bondi is a cool place too. I like to watch the fella’s surf! Going to check out Marubura as the waves are better there and more surfers hang there!
Ive seen the bats that hang in the Botanical Gardens – honest, the size of puppies! They are huge! I was on the bus home and they flocked over the city! Their wing span can be at least a couple of metres! They are so cute though!
Missed out on meeting Jonny Knoxville – Im gutted! The girls went to the Premier and shock his hand! A mate got Borat to sign her chest at his Premier! Im just waiting for the next few weeks when Daniel Craig turns up for his Premier of James Bond. I know he’s short but I just want to see him!
I live near Randwick racecourse so every morning on my way to work I see the jockey’s talking their horses around the track! Whats even better is that I live near a stadium and the rugby players practice on the outside pitches! I like going home and seeing them! Cricketers too but hey…. bothered! We’re loosing the cricket big time!
And here we are – December! It doesn’t feel like Christmas at all and am trying to get in the festive feeling but its not happening. We watched the lights come on in Sydney last week and this weekend I think we are heading to the harbour to watch Christmas carols and lights and stuff! My Christmas day is going to be spent on Bondi Beach at Gatecrasher! I cant wait!!! Something that you would never do at home is it?! New Years Day, Judge Jules is coming to our local Coogee Bay Hotel. Which has just won pub of the year for the 2nd year. It’s a huge place and got loads of bars, has a club and the best beer garden ever! Its walking distance so I can stagger back home. Not sure on New Years Eve. It has to be Sydney Harbour really doesn’t it? All places that have tickets sold out months ago and were going for stupid amounts of money. There are a few places for free which means we have to be there by midday at the latest!! What ever happens, I’ll be doing pretty much what half the world will be doing in Sydney and watching the fireworks. Aiming to go on a dinner cruise in Darling Harbor for Xmas eve. Just need to get tickets. Pretty much everyone Ive met and are in Oz for New Year/Xmas will be in Sydney so really looking forward to seeing how many people I bump into! Which is quite a common thing so I was told and have no realized! When I was in Fiji and went to the Robinson Crusoe Island. I ended up hooking up with 2 lads from London, a lad from Basingstoke and a girl from the UK who is originally ozzie but was living in NZ! Anyway Simon and John, the London boys – I bump into all the time! Met them on more islands in Fiji, met them again in NZ. When I got here on my first day I bumped into Simon and now just randomly bump into them now and again! Right! That’s taken me pretty much all morning to write on and off! More piccies should be up very soon.
Season’s greetings from Sydney!
Well girls and boys, we’re here and it’s Christmas. I still can’t believe its Christmas already and to think I’m here in Sydney to celebrate still seems unreal yet only 4 more sleeps and I’ll be able to open the only present I’ve got from my mum!! The Australian’s don’t seem to celebrate Christmas like we do at all. I’ve seen a few Christmas tree’s in the city and that’s about it! My desk at work is decked out with cards and Christmassy bits! I think the most bizarre-est thing was on Sunday. I was lying on the beach sunbathing listening to the choir that they had on the grass area singing carols.
Nothing much has been going on in he passed for weeks or so. Im working hard still and have just joined a gym – surprisingly Ive settled down a bit too easily here and doing the normal things that you would do at home but its nice. Nice to be doing it somewhere different. Highlights so far… or low lights – having a tooth pulled out. Never have I ever had teeth problems and then when I come traveling!! I have to say though the dentists here are far nicer than back at home and far cheaper!
Have been given a list of things to do by one of my boss’ so me and Luci dressed up and went to the Shangri-la Hotel on Saturday. Its on the 36th floor, which is at the top and it over looks the whole of Sydney. Its absolutely breath taking! All the lights twinkled for miles and you could see all the boats with their Christmas parties. There was a diamond martini which would set you back $10,000! I could only wish and we only stayed for a few cocktails. They were however, the best cocktails Ive ever had in my life. Hoping that a nice boy will take me there again one day!!!! We went back to Luci’s house and her Irish flat mate convinced us to have wine with him and his girlfriend… the following morning we threw out 6 empty bottles and I ended up with an Irish Rugby top!!
Been doing a lot of walking. Me, Luci and Jo spent a whole day walking starting at 10am and home by 6.30pm! Started off at the opera house, went through the Botanical gardens where Emma saw her favourite things at the moment – bats! We walked for miles and miles! Ended up in Kings Cross, then went to Bondi Junction, walked to Bondi – stopped for a beer. It had to be done on such a lovely day and then we did the 5km walk back to Coogee taking lots of photo’s on the way!
I break up from work tomorrow – yippee!! I cant wait! Xmas Eve we have booked ourselves onto the Darling Harbour Cruise which includes all food and drink! Christmas Day is Gatecrasher on Bondi Beach. What a way to celebrate Christmas day, on a beach and dancing!! Oh the simple things!! No real plans for New Year, just heading to Sydney and going to try and find a place to perch and watch the fireworks. Apparently you need to be there by midday though! The theme this year to celebrate Sydney Bridge being 75 years old is Diamonds of the Emerald City so it’s the Wizard of Oz. There are fireworks for the kids at 9pm and apparently there is a yellow brick road to follow! Im going to try and look for it seeing as Im a big kid at heart! New Years day will be spent at the Coogee Bay Hotel with Judge Jules so that should be fun. Looking forward to it all and I may not actually see one piece of turkey over the whole time!!!
Well that’s all from me until the New Year! I hope you all have a great time whatever you do. Enjoy the break off and have a drink for me!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Speak in 2007!!
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