Ok, i've been a little slack in the writing, sorry, but it's been because I've had a visitor! Scott finangled his finals schedule so he could spend a week and half out here with me in Sydney. He had to spend most of the days during the week wandering the city without me, but last weekend we took an AMAZING trip out to the reef off the Whitsunday Islands.
We left Saturday afternoon from Sydney, and I learned that in the airport here if you check in at the self check-in and aren't checking any bags, you really don't get asked for ID... little scary. We also had all our toiletries and razors in our carry-ons -- imagine that! Those were the days... Anyway, we got up to Airlie Beach around dinner time Saturday night. We had to be at the bus stop at 7am Sunday morning to leave for our trip, and genius that I am, I forgot that my phone didn't switch back the hour time difference when we got to Airlie Beach; so, the next morning when we went to check out (at what was actually 6am), we were a little confused why the girl who works the front desk was lazily rubbing her eyes and questioning why we wanted to leave at that time. We figured it out about minute later. Hey, it's the only time i've been early to something in my life!:) To pass the hour we wandered down to the lagoon and actually watched a beautiful sunrise over the water and mountains (or maybe large hills?).
We got to the marina to board our boat and the VIP treatment began! It was pretty funny: we asked someone if we were in the right place to board for the "ReefSleep" and immediately we were escorted by our hostess, Heidi, to the front of the line of everyone else boarding the boat. While everyone else milled around, we were sat down and offered coffee and tea. Then Heidi informed us that we were being upgraded from the bunk room (it was cheaper) to the honeymoon suite! We about died laughing at that, but hey, we weren't turning it down! After a VERY rough hour on open water (I can proudly say I was the first of many onboard to puke into my little barf bag), we approached ReefWorld - a pontoon that's been anchored on Hardy Reef for the past 18 years. The water was relatively flat out by the reef because the coral blocked most of the currents (thank god!), so I managed to keep down food the rest of the trip.
The boat was incredible! There was a sundeck, picnic area, snorkel ramps, mini-store, underwater viewing chamber, kitchen, and sleeping quarters for the crew. There were only two sleeping rooms for guests (one with the bunks, one for the "honeymooners"). One of the more cool little toys out there were two "semi-submersibles". They looked like submarines, but never went below the surface. It was another way for people to get to see the reef, essentially. You go below deck and sit on the benches inside and look through the glass bottom while they drive the little sub around various parts of the reef -- getting very very close to it at times! There was also a platform below the boat for scuba divers that they could mechanically adjust the height of -- which of course they had to raise when i went down there because I couldn't touch the platform without the water going over my head.
As part of our VIP package, Scott and I got to do 2 dives! They have quite the set-up for intro diving. First, you learn all the scuba skills standing on the platform under the boat. Then they sit you on the edge of it underwater and you practice them again. Then you simply swim forward from there and grab onto the ropes directly in front of you which lead to a little underwater ropes course over to part of the reef. It was definitely a smart idea for people who'd never dove before! The videographer at this point was swimming around us, and just before he got a shot of me and scott waving to the camera, I noticed he'd written "Just Married" on his little underwater clipboard... Again, we laughed:) Back on our scuba ropes course, we got to hold starfish, sea cucumbers, and a few other reef creatures, then took pictures of "Nemo" in an anemone before retracing our rope path back up to the boat. There was a HUGE wrasse that is always swimming nearby and apparently the dive crew have adopted as a pet. We pet him a few times as he circled around us. Our guide actually held the fish's head between his hands and kissed it on the mouth! I think the crew need to take turns getting off the boat more often...
At 2:30 that afternoon, the boat we took out to ReefWorld started to head back to shore and Scott and I were literally the only two (plus all the crew) still out on the reef. The tide was low at this point, and the reef was sticking out of the water. (check out my ofoto pics to really see the difference!) To best describe, Hardy Reef is essentially a circle shaped reef, with the coral forming the outline of the circle and the middle just being water. So at low tide as the water level drops, all that water in the middle has to escape somehow. This is what Heidi and Tiff (the hostess-in-training) called "The Waterfalls". We took a ride about 1/4 way around the reef to see... they really were 3 channels where the coral separated and all that water from the middle could rush out of the middle of the reef, essentially creating a strong current and rapids. It was SWEET!
After that, Heidi and Tiff escorted us on a private snorkel tour out past the normal snorkel boundaries. We got an incredible view with the tide so low because we could get closer to some of the lower pieces of the reef wall (the "drop-off" in Finding Nemo), and these had some of the more unique and colorful corals. Unfortunately and unbeknownst to me at the time, the underwater camera i was using at this point was halfway filled with water... Fujifilm will be receiving a very upset note! But, as VIP treatment entails, Heidi simply handed us a new one when we got back to the pontoon. Still missing all those pictures, but at least we got a few more out of the deal.
Appetizers/dinner that night was just for me and scott and served at the picnic area staring right at the sunset... yeah, i was pretty much in heaven:) Not expecting too much from food cooked on a permanent pontoon, we were both shocked to see a huge plate of veggies, cheeses, and prawns, followed by steak (for scott) and fish (for me), salad, garlic bread, and pretty much open bar. Ridiculous. After dinner and sunset, Heidi put two big beanbag chairs in the viewing chamber and we all chilled and watched the fishes.
The next morning was our ride on the semi-submersible, followed by dive #2, and then a couple hours snorkeling. I decided that to avoid being cold and scraping myself on the coral during the snorkel i'd wear a stinger suit AND a wetsuit... not something people do when snorkeling and i looked utterly ridiculous:) The stinger suit was a bright blue, full-body piece of nylon that even covered my head and hands! on top of that was the short, black wetsuit. Scott called me a smurf :)
The way home wasn't nearly as rough as the way out there, and this time i did manage to keep everything down. (yey!) We got some gorgeous pictures of the Whitsunday Islands on the way back this time too! I haven't quite figured out how to post a link to my pics yet on this crazy blog thing, so if you haven't seen them yet, just shoot me an email and i'll send the link your way.
more updates to come soon... (sooner than 2 weeks, i promise)
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
the sun shines again
Wow, a much better mood this week! Apologies to those of you that i scared with my abnormal behavior last week! :)
So anyway, my weekend turned out to be quite perfect! Friday night I was supposed to meet my friend, John, and his friends in Coogee, but they were running about an hour late. So, to entertain myself, i wandered into the newer of the Coogee bars, Cushion. (oh, sorry, i'm tossing terms around. Coogee is the yuppie beach town that we always used to go out in when i studied abroad here. Once the school year starts it's flooded with American study abroaders and the aussies start calling it "little america"... all my favorite jappy girls and frat boys!) But anyway, I was at this newer lounge bar that faces the water and is just my style. I went in and ordered a drink and proceeded to just relax, enjoy my specially made cocktail, and wait for the crew. One of the things i love about traveling, and it was like this in europe too, is that i absolutely don't think twice about going to a bar alone. in fact, i love it! inevitably i end up talking to people in the bar or making friends with the bartenders (NEVER a bad thing!). this was a "make friends with the bartenders" night. there were two guys behind the bar who were semi-bored and very entertaining. One started making up drinks and offering them to me to try. Then i challenged his skills and told him to peel an apple from the fruit bowl in one peel. he proceeded to try and fail with every apple in the bowl, and then moved on to cutting them up and eating them -- offering me pieces as well. Eventually my friends got there and we headed off to go dance to the cheesy hiphop remixes at the bar next door. One of John's friends was a crazy, wirey kid who danced all over the place and decided we should attempt to salsa to the house music they were playing. ever try that? it doesn't really work...
Saturday i went back to coogee to watch the Ironman Series on the beach! There was a women's race and a men's, and it consisted of a swim, paddle of sorts while kneeling on a surf board, and a kayak - all around the same markers in the water. The order of the events switched each time, which i thought was nuts because you really have no way of training transitions. The race started with 18 participants, and the bottom 6 finishers were eliminated. The top 12 had 5 minutes to recover, then did the whole race again! -- in a different order!! Again the bottom 6 competitors were eliminated, and again the top 6 had a 5-minute recovery period before competing a third time! Each race took about 10-15 mintues and the whole thing finished in an hour. I can honestly say this was the first athletic competition i've watched that i had NO desire to ever try...
Sunday i decided to try two dance classes back-to-back at the Sydney Dance Company. Street Jazz and Jazz Funk Hiphop. Street Jazz scared me a bit at first, but i ended up really liking it! JFH was awaful. The girl teaching did mostly modern/jazz movements - no funk or hiphop -- and for those that ever saw me compete floor in gymnastics... i'm not graceful. it wasn't pretty.
This week has kicked off with a bang and i've been crazy busy! I hopefully secured myself a summer job coaching gymnastics and cheerleading and acting as housing director at the huge gymnastics/action sports camp in PA. i'm WAY too excited:) Thursday morning Scott gets here (yey!) and I also have an interview with Octagon Sydney! Most likely not for a job, just an internship, but i'm aiming to impress the hell outta them and make them hire me! (that sounded confident, right? ok, good... i'm trying.) :) work is busy this week as we put together the final details for the huge annual awards dinner friday night. Oh, and i have a new website banner up on our homepage! www.nbl.com.au... check it out!:)
So anyway, my weekend turned out to be quite perfect! Friday night I was supposed to meet my friend, John, and his friends in Coogee, but they were running about an hour late. So, to entertain myself, i wandered into the newer of the Coogee bars, Cushion. (oh, sorry, i'm tossing terms around. Coogee is the yuppie beach town that we always used to go out in when i studied abroad here. Once the school year starts it's flooded with American study abroaders and the aussies start calling it "little america"... all my favorite jappy girls and frat boys!) But anyway, I was at this newer lounge bar that faces the water and is just my style. I went in and ordered a drink and proceeded to just relax, enjoy my specially made cocktail, and wait for the crew. One of the things i love about traveling, and it was like this in europe too, is that i absolutely don't think twice about going to a bar alone. in fact, i love it! inevitably i end up talking to people in the bar or making friends with the bartenders (NEVER a bad thing!). this was a "make friends with the bartenders" night. there were two guys behind the bar who were semi-bored and very entertaining. One started making up drinks and offering them to me to try. Then i challenged his skills and told him to peel an apple from the fruit bowl in one peel. he proceeded to try and fail with every apple in the bowl, and then moved on to cutting them up and eating them -- offering me pieces as well. Eventually my friends got there and we headed off to go dance to the cheesy hiphop remixes at the bar next door. One of John's friends was a crazy, wirey kid who danced all over the place and decided we should attempt to salsa to the house music they were playing. ever try that? it doesn't really work...
Saturday i went back to coogee to watch the Ironman Series on the beach! There was a women's race and a men's, and it consisted of a swim, paddle of sorts while kneeling on a surf board, and a kayak - all around the same markers in the water. The order of the events switched each time, which i thought was nuts because you really have no way of training transitions. The race started with 18 participants, and the bottom 6 finishers were eliminated. The top 12 had 5 minutes to recover, then did the whole race again! -- in a different order!! Again the bottom 6 competitors were eliminated, and again the top 6 had a 5-minute recovery period before competing a third time! Each race took about 10-15 mintues and the whole thing finished in an hour. I can honestly say this was the first athletic competition i've watched that i had NO desire to ever try...
Sunday i decided to try two dance classes back-to-back at the Sydney Dance Company. Street Jazz and Jazz Funk Hiphop. Street Jazz scared me a bit at first, but i ended up really liking it! JFH was awaful. The girl teaching did mostly modern/jazz movements - no funk or hiphop -- and for those that ever saw me compete floor in gymnastics... i'm not graceful. it wasn't pretty.
This week has kicked off with a bang and i've been crazy busy! I hopefully secured myself a summer job coaching gymnastics and cheerleading and acting as housing director at the huge gymnastics/action sports camp in PA. i'm WAY too excited:) Thursday morning Scott gets here (yey!) and I also have an interview with Octagon Sydney! Most likely not for a job, just an internship, but i'm aiming to impress the hell outta them and make them hire me! (that sounded confident, right? ok, good... i'm trying.) :) work is busy this week as we put together the final details for the huge annual awards dinner friday night. Oh, and i have a new website banner up on our homepage! www.nbl.com.au... check it out!:)
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
what makes me smile....
So, I was having one of those days yesterday - you know, the ones where it's not like anything specifically bad happens, but there's also nothing specifically good either. I haven't been sleeping great for whatever reason, and I'm sure hormones had something to do with my mood somewhere along the line, but regardless, I left work just kinda grumpy and unenthusiastic. My friend, Destiny, and I were planning on going to a hiphop class at the Sydney Dance Company later in the evening, but I decided when I got home from work that I wanted to just go outside and run/walk until then. I figured moving around and fresh air would help. (I think sitting in a desk all day is starting to get to me... my shoulders are knotting in enthusiastic agreement right now.)
So, I ran into the city - always a mistake at rush hour because you're more worried about dodging people on the sidewalk than cars. I got near the Botanic Gardens (which is just east of circular quay and the opera house, and where i used to run to and take fabulous sunset pics) and realized that the gates were all shut for the night. Great. It was about dusk at this point. There wasn't really a sunset because it's been cloudy/rainy the past few days, but the light of the day was at that point where it's just light enough but all the street lights and night building lights have come on. i was rounding a bend on the path at this point, trying to figure out some other way into the gardens and all the sudden i found myself standing at an elevated point just southeast of the opera house and looking right at it and the rest of the harbour... when i say i stopped dead in my tracks i'm not joking. Now, i've seen the opera house and the bridge a million times - day, night, sunset, you name it! - but for some reason, last night was the most incredible view i've ever had! There were hundreds of people lined up on the watersedge, having a cocktail, taking pictures of the giant cruise ship also docked in the harbour, and just relaxing; and for some reason, the lighting on the opera house was subtle enough at this point that it really brought out its true beauty. I stopped running and just stood there with a big grin:)
Still not feeling 100% happy (because at this point i'd only gotten to run stopping and starting for about 15 minutes), i decided to cut through the wharf and up to the harbour bridge and over it. I made it across the bridge and stopped to stretch quickly before turning around - and by this time it's completely dark out - and again, i froze. Maybe it was just me being a total sap (yeah yeah, i am, i know), but the timing of snow patrol's "chasing cars" on my ipod just completed Moment #2. I just stood there for a minute staring at the beauty of this city and breathing...
it's moments like those that remind me how much i love it here - when something as simple as seeing an iconic building lit up at night can change my entire mood.
Lisa the Sap, signing off....
So, I ran into the city - always a mistake at rush hour because you're more worried about dodging people on the sidewalk than cars. I got near the Botanic Gardens (which is just east of circular quay and the opera house, and where i used to run to and take fabulous sunset pics) and realized that the gates were all shut for the night. Great. It was about dusk at this point. There wasn't really a sunset because it's been cloudy/rainy the past few days, but the light of the day was at that point where it's just light enough but all the street lights and night building lights have come on. i was rounding a bend on the path at this point, trying to figure out some other way into the gardens and all the sudden i found myself standing at an elevated point just southeast of the opera house and looking right at it and the rest of the harbour... when i say i stopped dead in my tracks i'm not joking. Now, i've seen the opera house and the bridge a million times - day, night, sunset, you name it! - but for some reason, last night was the most incredible view i've ever had! There were hundreds of people lined up on the watersedge, having a cocktail, taking pictures of the giant cruise ship also docked in the harbour, and just relaxing; and for some reason, the lighting on the opera house was subtle enough at this point that it really brought out its true beauty. I stopped running and just stood there with a big grin:)
Still not feeling 100% happy (because at this point i'd only gotten to run stopping and starting for about 15 minutes), i decided to cut through the wharf and up to the harbour bridge and over it. I made it across the bridge and stopped to stretch quickly before turning around - and by this time it's completely dark out - and again, i froze. Maybe it was just me being a total sap (yeah yeah, i am, i know), but the timing of snow patrol's "chasing cars" on my ipod just completed Moment #2. I just stood there for a minute staring at the beauty of this city and breathing...
it's moments like those that remind me how much i love it here - when something as simple as seeing an iconic building lit up at night can change my entire mood.
Lisa the Sap, signing off....
Monday, March 5, 2007
fabulous weekend!
This was definitely one of the best weekends I've had in Sydney so far. (ok, well, this time around!)
Thursday night I met my friend Rachel in an area called Liechardt (pronounced: Like-heart). It's known as the Italian part of the city and has a collection of fabulous restaurants! We grabbed a bottle of cheap wine and wandered over to the "Italian forum" -- a nice area resembling a piazza with restaurants all around the outside and apartments above it. We took a quick wander around, checking each menu and trying to decide on a place, when Joe, the friendly host at one of the restaurants, informed us that we shouldn't come into his place but should instead go across the piazza to the other place we were debating and tell them he sent us. Is it normal that the host of one restaurant told us to go to another because "it's better"... hmm, probly not. So, Dante's it was and it was definitely fabulous! We made friends with the host and waiters (of course!) and they had an entertaining time telling us jokes and providing deep insight and widsom on love and life. do i bring that out in people or something?? anyway, for the foodies out there, i had Tasmanian salmon drizzled with olive oil and served over couscous with raisins and almonds with sun dried tomatoes on top. SOOO yummy!
Friday night was the BBQ with Rachel and her friends. Nothing too crazy but Rachel was bent over a toilet by 1:30 after going shot for shot out of a whiskey bottle with her 20-year old brother. She spent the rest of the night apologizing to everyone for nothing and trying not to fall over... it was pretty funny:) I spent the night talking to her boyfriend, his friend, her brothers, and a couple of the girls. fabulous people and great conversation turned into 4:00am somehow! those nights are the best, don't ya think?:) plus, her boyfriend and i have organized a karaoke night for the musically challenged. i'm excited:)
Saturday was the Mardi Gras parade... i'm not talking mardi gras like beads and boobs in new orleans -- though i guess there are both in this one. Mardi gras in sydney is a gay and lesbian pride celebration. so, beads and boobs, but also thongs (i'm talking guys), drag queens, high heels (still talking about guys), butts (yeah, still guys), and lots of leather...
It was definitely a much bigger deal than 4 years ago and now they sell tickets to get a seat on the street along the parade route! The rest of the population of Sydney was stuck standing on milk crates trying to see over the fencing they put at the outside of the street. Needless to say, my basketball player stature (sarcasm) didn't allow me to get to see a ton, but i could hear it all! RuPaul was the kickoff act of the parade! "work, cover girl!" I wish i could try to describe the amounts of people dressed in drag and leather and do it justice, but you'll have to take my word that you've never seen anything like this! At one point I jumped on a nice guy's milk crate with him (does that sound weird to anyone else?) and could see a bit down the street. 4 lanes of street flooded with people, lights, fireworks, and bounded by multiple storied buildings with people packed on the balconies. I'm hoping the couple pictures i took will come out -- particularly the sign held by the gay Jews saying "Jews make the cut!" :) One of the girls in my program, Destiny, and I wandered down Oxford St. while the parade was finishing up and decided to join the rest of the population by stopping in the bottle shop, buying a bottle of wine, and pouring it out into Starbuck's cups to drink as we walked down the street. i love screw-top wine! and can you say ghetto superstars?:) She stopped to bum a smoke from a guy who we found out had just moved up to Sydney. We asked him how he was liking it. His response: "i've had sex twice today, went for a surf, and now i'm drunk... i love it!" sigh, i love australia:)
After the parade, in the middle of the mass exodus on Oxford st., we managed to find a friend of mine and a couple of his mates, and they took us to a great hiphop club!! yes, HIPHOP!! For those that don't understand the significance here, aussies don't do hiphop - only house music, which i hate. Alana and i tried to find a bar that played hiphop while she was here, and we lasted 3 songs before being completely scared of the guys that were getting closer and closer to us and running out of the bar... So you can imagine how overjoyed Destiny and I were at finding this place! Cloud 9:) We finally left at 3, exhausted and starving, and stopped at Hungry Jack's (Burger King, but for some reason not called that). Yes, i ate that. (scott, don't even think about making a comment...) They actually have healthy options here and i had a plain grilled chicken breast on a honey wheat roll. only i would still think about healthy options at 3am... anyway, finally got home and in my usual fashion, made it to the couch and passed out sitting upright. i'm such a rockstar sometimes:)
Sunday was spent having coffee and relaxing on coogee beach with my friend John (beach is pronounced Kuh-gee, not COO-gee...), and then an incredible night with Destiny and Chris (one of the guys from our program who was up for the weekend from canberra). We decided to take him to Bondi Beach and found a cute restaurant with outdoor seating (sidenote: i LOVE warm weather!). After a very tasty dinner and the two of them polishing off about a bottle of wine each, we were delivered the LARGEST bowl of gelato i've ever seen! (maybe we should have thought about the fact that the restaurant was called the "Gelato Bar Restaurant" when we ordered the large...details) A charming little old aussie man felt it was necessary to come over to our table as the bowl was being put down and tell me that i should be careful because that would make me fat (as he motions by pinching and pulling out on his sides). gee... thanks. so, just to spite him, we polished the whole thing off :) at that point, a ridiculous lightning storm was moving closer to us and we decided it would be a GREAT idea to go down to the beach and watch it -- and it was!! the three of us ran like little kids through the sand, chasing the seagulls, and frolicking in the water while shreaking in delight every time we saw a huge bolt of lightning shoot down :) talk about just enjoying your surroundings!! at midnight we finally decided it was time to catch the last bus back to the city...
:)
Thursday night I met my friend Rachel in an area called Liechardt (pronounced: Like-heart). It's known as the Italian part of the city and has a collection of fabulous restaurants! We grabbed a bottle of cheap wine and wandered over to the "Italian forum" -- a nice area resembling a piazza with restaurants all around the outside and apartments above it. We took a quick wander around, checking each menu and trying to decide on a place, when Joe, the friendly host at one of the restaurants, informed us that we shouldn't come into his place but should instead go across the piazza to the other place we were debating and tell them he sent us. Is it normal that the host of one restaurant told us to go to another because "it's better"... hmm, probly not. So, Dante's it was and it was definitely fabulous! We made friends with the host and waiters (of course!) and they had an entertaining time telling us jokes and providing deep insight and widsom on love and life. do i bring that out in people or something?? anyway, for the foodies out there, i had Tasmanian salmon drizzled with olive oil and served over couscous with raisins and almonds with sun dried tomatoes on top. SOOO yummy!
Friday night was the BBQ with Rachel and her friends. Nothing too crazy but Rachel was bent over a toilet by 1:30 after going shot for shot out of a whiskey bottle with her 20-year old brother. She spent the rest of the night apologizing to everyone for nothing and trying not to fall over... it was pretty funny:) I spent the night talking to her boyfriend, his friend, her brothers, and a couple of the girls. fabulous people and great conversation turned into 4:00am somehow! those nights are the best, don't ya think?:) plus, her boyfriend and i have organized a karaoke night for the musically challenged. i'm excited:)
Saturday was the Mardi Gras parade... i'm not talking mardi gras like beads and boobs in new orleans -- though i guess there are both in this one. Mardi gras in sydney is a gay and lesbian pride celebration. so, beads and boobs, but also thongs (i'm talking guys), drag queens, high heels (still talking about guys), butts (yeah, still guys), and lots of leather...
It was definitely a much bigger deal than 4 years ago and now they sell tickets to get a seat on the street along the parade route! The rest of the population of Sydney was stuck standing on milk crates trying to see over the fencing they put at the outside of the street. Needless to say, my basketball player stature (sarcasm) didn't allow me to get to see a ton, but i could hear it all! RuPaul was the kickoff act of the parade! "work, cover girl!" I wish i could try to describe the amounts of people dressed in drag and leather and do it justice, but you'll have to take my word that you've never seen anything like this! At one point I jumped on a nice guy's milk crate with him (does that sound weird to anyone else?) and could see a bit down the street. 4 lanes of street flooded with people, lights, fireworks, and bounded by multiple storied buildings with people packed on the balconies. I'm hoping the couple pictures i took will come out -- particularly the sign held by the gay Jews saying "Jews make the cut!" :) One of the girls in my program, Destiny, and I wandered down Oxford St. while the parade was finishing up and decided to join the rest of the population by stopping in the bottle shop, buying a bottle of wine, and pouring it out into Starbuck's cups to drink as we walked down the street. i love screw-top wine! and can you say ghetto superstars?:) She stopped to bum a smoke from a guy who we found out had just moved up to Sydney. We asked him how he was liking it. His response: "i've had sex twice today, went for a surf, and now i'm drunk... i love it!" sigh, i love australia:)
After the parade, in the middle of the mass exodus on Oxford st., we managed to find a friend of mine and a couple of his mates, and they took us to a great hiphop club!! yes, HIPHOP!! For those that don't understand the significance here, aussies don't do hiphop - only house music, which i hate. Alana and i tried to find a bar that played hiphop while she was here, and we lasted 3 songs before being completely scared of the guys that were getting closer and closer to us and running out of the bar... So you can imagine how overjoyed Destiny and I were at finding this place! Cloud 9:) We finally left at 3, exhausted and starving, and stopped at Hungry Jack's (Burger King, but for some reason not called that). Yes, i ate that. (scott, don't even think about making a comment...) They actually have healthy options here and i had a plain grilled chicken breast on a honey wheat roll. only i would still think about healthy options at 3am... anyway, finally got home and in my usual fashion, made it to the couch and passed out sitting upright. i'm such a rockstar sometimes:)
Sunday was spent having coffee and relaxing on coogee beach with my friend John (beach is pronounced Kuh-gee, not COO-gee...), and then an incredible night with Destiny and Chris (one of the guys from our program who was up for the weekend from canberra). We decided to take him to Bondi Beach and found a cute restaurant with outdoor seating (sidenote: i LOVE warm weather!). After a very tasty dinner and the two of them polishing off about a bottle of wine each, we were delivered the LARGEST bowl of gelato i've ever seen! (maybe we should have thought about the fact that the restaurant was called the "Gelato Bar Restaurant" when we ordered the large...details) A charming little old aussie man felt it was necessary to come over to our table as the bowl was being put down and tell me that i should be careful because that would make me fat (as he motions by pinching and pulling out on his sides). gee... thanks. so, just to spite him, we polished the whole thing off :) at that point, a ridiculous lightning storm was moving closer to us and we decided it would be a GREAT idea to go down to the beach and watch it -- and it was!! the three of us ran like little kids through the sand, chasing the seagulls, and frolicking in the water while shreaking in delight every time we saw a huge bolt of lightning shoot down :) talk about just enjoying your surroundings!! at midnight we finally decided it was time to catch the last bus back to the city...
:)
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