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Current location: 5mins from Bondi Beach, Sydney.
Weather: 26 degrees Celsius, slight breeze.
Bondi suburb reminds me of some of the upstate towns in New York or Connecticut; streets are wide and have been re-tarmacked a billion times and phone wires drape over them wherever you look, crossed with coastal holiday resorts in the south of France, like Nice. There's a parade (Campbell's) that runs parallel to the honestly, fairly unremarkable beach, selling smoothies, Mexican food, souvenirs and surfwear. I'm told each Sydney suburb has it's own identity, and that Bondi's is that of a colony of fitness freaks and C-List celebrities (ex-Home and Away stars and the like), but more on that later.
If anyone's not aware, my former coursemate and geography kindred spirit Charlotte (now known as Charlie) decided that, after 4 and a half years of acquaintance, she'd be willing to put me up for a while in her new home. Charlie's studying for an MA in Development Studies at the University of Sydney and working for Green Peace at the same time. She lives with two guys, a Brazilian and a Kiwi, here in Bondi where I am sat. Apart from me there's another lodger too, making us 5.
That's is for the fact-finding mission, I think.
For the first couple of days here I've felt pretty rotten; I either picked up something on one of my flights or managed to belatedly obtain the 'flu that's been going around those I know in the UK. Still, I dragged myself out of an amazingly long sleep and went to have a look around to see what goes down in Bondi at the weekend.
What goes down in Bondi at the weekend is what goes down in Bondi every other day, from what I can see. Surfing. EVERYONE surfs, and I'm not even exaggerating! We saw 4 and 5 year old in their rashies and boardies with miniture boards heading down to the beach. There are surfboards on every other 4x4, old skool Beatle or family estate that goes past, it's kind of like being in a film! But so far I've not been on a board...
I've have been in the sea though: Saturday afternoon, after spending some time on Bondi and deciding that (after dipping our feet in) the sea was too cold, we got the bus 'round to Watson's Bay, where the Pacific Ocean meets Sydney Harbour. There are absolutely unbelievable views from the clifftops, and, of course, a park called Robertson's Park (just as there are in all the best places!).
I was thrilled to find that they sell Mountain Dew here. Remember? That flourescent yellow/ green feintly lemonadey-tasting fizzy drink that they banned in... when I was in Year 8 (I remember because I used to get it from the can machines at school)... because it contained some hyperactivity-inducing colouring? Well it's here so I can get high again. Excellent.
Actually, the food is fantastic. Supermarkets are a little strange, but you can buy your lunch/ tea for little more than a couple of items would cost you, and it's yum. I've always wanted to eat Chinese food out of those little cardboard boxes that they have in US TV shows, and now I have. Well it was Thai actually, but never mind.
On Saturday at the beach we bumped into an old housemate of Charlie's from Sheffield. And I've had messages from one of mine who's living and working in Sydney for the time being. Small world.
Apparently it'll be easy to find a job here as most people who're travelling are heading up north for the winter where it's warmer, or fleeing the country. And I've just been told that the minimum wage here is about $20 (£10)/ hour, which is alright!
This is actually more musings than a travelogue, really, and it probably will be until I leave Sydney in a few months' time. But hopefully I'll get some weekend trips in and there'll be a bit more to say than just random mutterings.
My final random muttering is to say that I've mostly been listening to Band of Horses (to help me sleep on the plane and for the connotations the band now has for me...) and the slightly-saccharin sunny piano-pop of Jack's Mannequin, which seems to fit Bondi perfectly.
That is all. Apart from to say that I have habitually been checking the toilet seat for spiders before sitting down every time, but I'm yet to find one!
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