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Ok...Ive been a bit rubbish with this over the past few days, after being all smug with myself for being so good with it!!! I now have absolutely loads to write about...luckily, I made notes in my paper journal that I can reffer to!!!lol.
Just thinking of the best way to do this actually...its probably best if I just do all the days seperately in tis one entry and use sub-headings for the different days...yep, I will do that, Im clever aint I ???lol.
4th January
Had a bit of a stressful day, as Marie and I decided that now would be a good time to start looking for a new place to live, as we were scheduled to move out on the 8th (hallelujah!!hallelujah!!!) We phoned an agency called the furnished property group first thing in the morning, and they had us in their office by 11am and took us to see a share house and a little apartment outside of the city, which were both really nice, but had a minimum lease of 2 months, which was fine for me, as I am now planning to stay here in Sydney a wee bit longer to earn some more money (working on the proviso that I actually get a job that is!!!lol), but Marie is leaving in about a month, or maybe a bit less now, so really it was a bit pointless in us actually looking at anything at all together!!!
We both got a bit stressed and had a bit of an argument about it, but eventually realised that it wasnt sensibe to look at places together as we have different needs and stuff, so we will look for places seperately.
We decided to extend the stay at this god forsaken place for anothet week, just in case we had trouble finding anywhere, which I was not overjoyed with to be honest, but it sis make sense, as its better to be safe than sorry!!!
We were both absolutely knackerred from looking at places at the end of the day, so we decided to stay in and do a big fat nothing that night, but I had a bit of amusement, as Mum called me from Bondi, (Did I forget to mention that she had moved there from the city??) and said that she had randomly bumped into the new years eve guy that had randomly accosted us at midnight,and decided to chat to him and inform him that I had his sunglasses!!!
Its so random how you bump into the same people all the time when you are travelling!! Actually, I have now affectionatley begun to refer to it as the "international backpacking stalkers network" as it happens so often!!!hehe.
Anyway, apparently, he was playing dumb, and pretending that he didnt remember a thing, but Mum said that she got the distinct feeling that he was just doing it because his mates were all there, and she thought that he rememberred full well what he had been doing!!!hahaha.
So she told him that I was going to meet her in Bondi the next day, and that I would bring the glasses with me to deliver to him! (Its a good job that I didnt want them anyway as they were too big, but I could have sold them or given them away by then...I hadnt though!!) Which he seemed pretty pleased about, but he should learn not to give his things to random women that he meets in future as they may all not be as honest as me!!!hehehe.
5th January
As planned, I went to meet Mum at Bondi at midday, as it was a bit of a scorcher, and we hadnt been to the beach together for a while. I was a little apprehensive at the prospect of having to get myself from the city to Bondi via Bus, alone, as I had never done it before, but I somehow managed to do it, which I was very proud about!! ( Really, I should be used to it by now, all this navigation stuff!! Im way too happy when it goes right, but, its a big thing for me!!hehehe)
We lay on the beach for a few hours, baking away, although obviously, I was wasting my time,a s when I returned back later, Marie was startled to learn that I had been to the beach and thought that I was lying when I said that I had been, as she said with bemusement "But..you are still so...white..."(Thanks Marie, as if I didnt have enough of a complex about being partially albino already!!!hahaha)
It got a bit too hot after a few hours, and Mum wanted to go back to jump in the showers at her hostel before the stampede of sun worshippers, pissheads, and surf dudes all trampled eachother underfoot to get in there.(turns out she had perfect timing, as the stampede began shortly after her exit from the shower!)
I was then sent to room 50, directly above the room that Mum was staying in, to deliver the sunglasses to the guy from New Yeras Eve, (whos name I still dont know!!), and was a little nervous to knock on the door...
He answerred it, though, wearing nothing more than the smallest pair of boxer shorts that I think I have ever witnessed, which was a little uncomfortable, as I didnt quite know where to look, but he seemed really pleased to have his glasses back, and was really nice, and shook my hand and was very apologetic for "not rememberring" what he had been like on the night, (yeah, right, he soo rememberred!!hahaha), so I siad no probs and then toddled off back downstairs and left him to enjoy his newly reunited sunglasses in his state of semi dress!!!
Mum and I then headed off to the internet cafe to get some mail done etc, but I had to rush back alone as I was bursting for a pee, and Mum gave me the keys to her room so I could get in.
As I was coming out of the toilet, feeling very relieved, the man with no name, and allegedly no memory, was just walking past, and stopped to chat to me again, and was very greatful again, which was lvely of him, although I was still thinking, why dont you just admit that you do remember???lol.
He asked me if he could take me out for a drink as a thankyou, but I wasnt sure if he meant as a date or what, so I said I was sorry but I had to go back to the city soon, but it was lovley of him to offer, and he went off again.
By the time that Mum had finally finished on the computer about 2 hours after she began, we were both ravenous, as we hadnt eaten all day. and decided that as it was Mums last night in Sydney, we would go and have a nice sit down meal at the Curry House, which we wouldnt normally do, and it was lovely, and we were stuffed for once!!
On the way out after we payed the bill, Mum went to wait outside whilst I went to the loo again, and when I emerged, I was surprised to see her chatting to an elderly Polish woman, who looked a little bit like a cross between a fortune teller and a madame, and Mum was making her excuses and quickly grabbed my arm and squeeled, "here she is, this is my daughter, we have to go!! Bye!!" Which I found very curios...
It turned out that in the short time that I was in the loo, the woman had sent over her dog as a decoy to mum to instigate conversation, and then invited her to join her and her son at their table just over the way, saying "my son...he like you very much, and he want you to join us for dinner..." which I initially though "aww, thats sweet" about, until Mum ponted out "the son" to me, who happenned to be morbidly obese,and very "unfortunate" looking, and was quite blatantly obviously a 40 year old virgin!!!lol. If anybody remembers the old cover to the old Fatboyslim album "somewhere between the gutter and the stars" with that big bloke on it, he looked a bit like that...I was very jealous that I hadnt been stood there on the lucky spot and been invited myself!!!hehehe.
Jeesh....I leave her alone for 2 minutes...lol.
I could not stop laughing for about 15 minutes after that, and as I waited with Mum for my bus back to the city, we thought that it was just bloody typical that it would have happenned to mum!! I joked that they were probably like that creepy character out of the League of Gentlemen, Papa Lazaru, and wolud have abducted her and made her join a travelling show,and said "your my wife, now..." and renamed her Dave if she would have been stupid enough to accept!!!lol.
It was rather creepy that they had actually trained the dog to go over there to instigate a conversation....eurgh...its just wierd!!!
6th January
Mum and I met in the late morning and after doing nothing specific for a while, I went along to the Travellers Contact Point in the city to pick up some mail that turned out to be my Australian Bank card,. and my medicare card, 2nd attemt. (1st attempt failed as apparently the Australian authorities changed my name to Laylock without me knowing...but they changed it back now, so its all good!!)lol.
Whilst we were there, I though that I may as well have a look at the accommodation notice board to see if there was anything interestin on there, and one immedaitely caught mine and Mums eyes, that looked really good...and actually had photos on! (which is highly unusual considerring the usual standard of the places...lol)
The place looked really nice, and the price and location was good, so I gave them a call then and there, and as it happenned, the guy that manages the place, Craig was there as I spoke and siad that I could go there straight away and have a look at it!
So off we popped, and walked to Chippendale, the suburs that the place is in, which is only about a ten minute walk to the city, which is ideal, and we looked at the room, which was a bit basic, but, it was ok. It was in a share house, which is good for meeting people though.
I mentioned that I wasnt actually looking for a place immediately, but in a weeks time, and luckily, Craig realised that there was another room that he had that would be available from then that he hadnt even started advertising yet. It was only accross the road from the one we were in, and so we went to have a look there. And it was a much nicer place, which was really modern and furnished really nicely; again, in a share house. The room was much nicer, and I met my potential roomate, who is from Germany, and seems like a nice, quiet girl (which is a good thing!!)
I decided that it would be stupid not to take it, as it was perfect for what I was looking for, apart from the fact that it meant that when Amber comes in a few weeks she wont be able to stay with me, and will have to stay in a hostel instead. (I had endevoured to find a decent place within my budget that would allow her to stay, but it proved impossible, as all the agency owned properties have fire regulations and rules about guests and stuff...which I suppose is a positive thing in a way as it is safer, but it happens to be a bit of a pain in the arse in this instance!!!)
At the end of the day though, as long as I spend loads of time with Amber when she is here, thats all Im bothered about, and the place is really close to the centre so it will be really easy to see her all the time!!!(Im getting really excited about her visit now!!!)
So, I went and payed the deposit, and signed the tenancy agreement and it was all done, which Im really glad about, as it was a weight off my shoulders!! I did have visions of being homeless in the city as its still really hard to find decent places due to the sheer number of peeps like me that sre hangin around the joint, so I am doubly pleased that the place is so nice, as well!!!
However, the day wasnt all that good, as it was Mums last day in Sydney, which I was really sad about, as it meant that Im not going to see her for about 5 months now, if present plans are kept, so I went to the bus station with her to see her off when she caught her bus to Surfers Paradise- the first stop on her roadtrip up the coast.
I was very emotional, and had a little cry as I gave her a card that I had bough her, and a little lucky charm to keep her safe....and of course, some choccy for the journey!!! lol. It was hard to say goodbye knowing that we arent going to see eachother for such a long time, but luckily, whilst we are both in Oz it will be easy to keep in touch, and it is just another challenge and part of the experience I suppose! Its good though, as we will be doing loads of cool things that we can tell eachother about when we get to South Africa, so I have to keep a positive outlook about it!
After getting back to the room and feeling a bit depressed, I had a text from my friend Louise asking me to go out, so I though I might as well to make me feel better. I didnt plan on staying out that long, but I ended up staying until closing time, as I got talking to a really nice guy, but when I got back I was sooo shattered!!!
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