St. Paddy's Day

Monday was St. Paddy's Day here in Sydney, Australia and I celebrated by meeting up with some friends of mine. Nick and Alex are two blokes from London, England that I met in Fiji. They've spent the last month in New Zealand and came to Sydney on Sunday. So they called me up and we decided to get together on St. Paddy's Day. They were staying in Darling Harbour and the only bar I knew down there was called the Pontoon Pub so we decided to meet up there after I got off work (8:30pm). Cassie came with me and we met up with the boys (who had already started drinking). Cassie and I had dinner while Alex drank 4 pints of guiness in order to get everyone a 'free' hat. Well done Alex I say, we had fun with those hats!

After dinner and drinks at the Pontoon Pub, we decided to walk around Darling Harbour (gorgeous at night) and then we headed to George St (CBD) to see if we could find a rockin Irish Pub. We found one on King St and I think it was called O'Brian's but I dont really remember. On the way there though some chick stole Nick's hat so Alex and I took up the pursuit down the street chasing this biotch down. I got the hat and Alex accidentally got one of her shoes (she was carrying them). He threw the shoe in the air and we kept running. How dare she think she could steal MY friend's hat! paaah.

We did reach the pub without further incident and after standing in line for only a few mins we were in. It was a nice pub, 2 levels with sticky floors and many people dressed in green. I got the honours that night as I was the only one of us four who is actually Irish. Funny enough, I'm the only one who didn't drink beer, I'm a wino baby. I must mention that the wine here is fantastic. I've had several different kinds (all Australian) and they've all been fantastic. The cost for a glass of wine varies from $6-8, so not far off from Canada's prices. They were playing great music and we danced and talked and made fun of the couple making out beside us. We mostly shared our travel stories and plans.

As I had to work the next day at 8:30am, we headed home around 3am (this was early), the boys walked us to our bus stop down at Circular Quay and Cassie fell asleep on the bus. I got 5 hours sleep but it was worth it.

The 'Spider'

Okay, I hate spiders. You probably already know this, what you don't know is the scary incident I had one Friday morning. Warning, some readers may find this disturbing (dad).

Cassie was at work and I was ready for work and killing time by watching some tv on the couch. I heard something drop from the couch and I looked down to see a nailfile. Curious as to where it came from, I dropped to all fours and looked under the couch. BIG MISTAKE. All I saw was legs and I backed away from that couch as fast as I could. The legs were HUGE, like tarantula size. A million things started running through my head, like "ok, if I were in Canada this would be no big deal because realistically we have no spiders this size.' But lets get real here-I am in Australia where spiders of this size DO exist. I was terrified. I could not leave that spider, no way would I ever sleep again. So I carefully moved the couch and looked behind it-nothing. I moved the couch back and grabbed a broom (damn I'm brave...). I shoved the broom handle under the couch and felt the spider! I dropped the broom and raced to the front door. After my heart resumed a proper speed I started to think logically. No way would a spider feel like it did-that big and I think I rolled it over...I peeked at the couch and saw nothing. I gave it one more shot and managed to pull the spider into view. I ran away but kept it in sight. Looking at it I noticed that it wasn't moving. I sat and watched it for 10 min before deciding it was definiately...a FAKE. I was so pissed off but you have to understand what a freekin scary incident this was. I was so upset that I had to leave the flat. Realizing that Cassie would come home to a disturbing scene, I texted her that the spider was rubber. Walking to the bus stop on my way to work, a leaf fell off a tree and landed on my shoulder...I had a mini-freak out on the sidewalk. Thankfully no one was around to witness this (I think) but that incident had me creeped out for the rest of the day. Later that night I made Cassie pick up the rubber spider and throw it off the balcony (she did-laughing hysterically the entire time). She agreed with me that she would have done the same in my position. I f*^#ing hate spiders and whoever put that goddamn thing under our couch has just earned themselves some bad karma.

Sydney, Australia

Alright, I've been in Sydney almost a month now and I LOVE it. Its an amazing city filled with nice people, great sites, incredible weather and really good food. For those of you not aware I am working as a nanny. I started off working 10-12 hour days 6/days a week but now I'm down to 4-5 hour days as Nicholas (the 5-year old) is back to school. Fun parts of my job include driving around Sydney, meeting other nannies from all over the world, living one on one with Australians, interacting with locals and learning their culture and oh yeah, playing with a kid! You guys know how much I love kids and although this one can be difficult, we've already bonded and we have great times. Kids do say the darndest things.

The other day I was talking to Jyo and she asked me to describe Sydney and I actually had to pause and think...how would I describe it? So let me try.

The City:
Sydney is HUGE. With a population around 5 million, I dont feel intimidated. Sydney is modern with its artsy, European areas like The Rocks (down by the Harbour). I find it one of the safest cities I've ever visited. There are cameras everywhere (buses, sidewalks, stores) litereally and I've never felt watched or preyed on at any time. The local transportation is awesome, buses have their own lanes and if a bus cant get you there...a train or ferry will. I absolutely love train stations thanks to my travels around Europe (2001/02), so I try to take the train in place of the bus as often as I can. Nothing like feeling naseous filing down a steep escalator deep underground, or the rush of a breeze as a train approaches or the general sounds and smells of a train station. I'm so weird eh? Anyway, crosswalks are awesome here because all traffic stops and you can cross the street in whichever direction you choose. You get places faster. And the ferries are smaller than my Vancouver island ferry so you feel a little cramped. There are no restaurants or cafes of any kind because...you're at your destination within 30 mins. And I've never seen water sparkle as it does here.

Fashion:
OMG, 80's is back. I've never seen so much day-glo in my life. You literally need sunglasses to walk into a store here as neon pinks, blues, greens and yellows eat you alive. I shop everyday as the prices are reasonable and there is a store that sells Billabong clothing (my favourite) every two steps. Loose fitting tops are very stylish as are Ugg boots but I've yet to price them. You pretty much see people casual in the Bondi area but if you head into the CBD (Central Business District) around Martin Place you will see suits everywhere. The standard flow is pretty much a white top and black pants. It's insane but a great place to guy-watch. I love men in suits.

Bugs and local wildlife:
No mosquitos as of yet, which is a huge relief as Fiji was swarming with them.
Spiders are everywhere. I have been unable to discover the name of the spider pictured but they are everywhere and in every size. Literally you walk down a path and you will spot 10 from standing in one position. They freak the crap out of me. My friend Jackie (US) has lived here for 3 years and she was telling me about the large brown huntsman spiders that look like tarantulas (not poisonous) and I was extremely grateful not to have encountered one...well I did. I saw one yesterday and the day before. They are F&#*ing huge and they jump from ground to wall in the blink of an eye. Luckily I recognized it and picked a different route. I didn't have my camera with me unfortunately but I have a feeling I haven't seen the last of them. Gekos are as common as ants. They are cute and you see them everywhere but tinier than the large ones in Fiji. Bats are visible from early dusk on and they are so cool. Cockroaches are disgusting and they are the size of the palm of your hand. They scurry across the sidewalks at night so I have taken to walking down the middle of the street. I had one run across my thong (flip-flop) and I kicked and lost the bug and my shoe. We have green parrots that live outside our flat and they are cute. And I spotted my first cockatoo this morning at the bus stop. I have yet to see kangas as I will have to go to the zoo to see them. That's coming up.

Sports:
Sydney is huge for their sports. Football is none-existant here but 'footy' (rugby) is very popular as is cricket. I have no idea what either are but I am learning. Nicholas just started rugby and his older brother Wil is filling me in. Nic's dad Lance is teaching me about rugby as well. He is surprised I dont know more about it as Canada has an excellent team (well I knew that much). I asked Nic one day if he had ever played hockey and he answered, "what is that?" I nearly drove off the road.

Language:

Its taken me a bit to get used to their language here but I'm getting better. I've learned that elevators are lifts and garbages are bins and that capsicorns are green peppers. Working in an Australian home with locals has taught me quite a bit but I still ask questions. Like, what is a jumper (a jacket apparently) and sorry, which room is the parlour (TV room apparently) and its toilet - not washroom (working with a 5 year old teaches you that proper wordage is important). Mainly Cassie and I watch the commercials and laugh at how Australians pronounce things (it's knock-ia instead of nokia) but really we love them. Its great.

Food:

I havent sampled a lot of it yet. I did branch out and I ate some street-meat, a kebab and it was damn good! Cass and I ordered Thai one night and I dont think we said one word to each other the entire time we ate. The Pad Thai was excellent and we inhaled the spring rolls. We'll be ordering that again soon! The average cost of a meal here is $17. A Cheap meal would be fastfood @$7.50 (Oporto Chicken). The locals eat cereal called Weet-Bix (delicious) and Cruskits (crackers) with Vegemite (some kind of yeast extract). Vegemite is like a staple here and I finally tried it today and it was the nastiest thing I have ever tasted. It was a cross between very, very salty and...poo. I'm sorry but I dont know how to describe it. Disgusting.

So that about rounds up my general description of Sydney. You guys will have to remind me to tell you about the day I got lost driving around Sydney. I was stressed and in awe of this great city. I'm very comfortable driving here and I know my way around really well now-must say I'm impressed with myself. I just feel very 'at home' here and...I feel like I really fit. I know that must sound confusing and weird but that's the only way I can describe it right now.

If you ever get a chance to visit Australia, Sydney is a must-see.

Mardi Gras (Blow my whistle Bitch!)

So Sat night was Mardis Gras here in Sydney Australia and it was a blast! I had to work that day but they let me off at 4 so that I could join in the fun. Luckily my employers live next to Oxford street and the parade was on that street so I walked along and then met up with my flat mate Cassie and our friends Katie and Saskia. Because I had been working, we had to stop and get me some food and I...wait for it...ate street-meat (Pete would be proud). I was so hungry and this man was bbqing sausages (barf) and chicken and beef kebabs and I bought a chicken kebab (skeptical that it was chicken but please remember I was starving) and he put it on a giant hot dog bun with onions, tomato sauce (they dont call it ketchup here) and mustard. I have never tasted anything so divine. It was so good that the girls decided to get one too. It just happens that the guy had planted himself outside a bakery which was housing some divine cheesecake...so we all split cheesecake and it was one of the best spur-of-the-moment meals I have ever had. Mmmm.

The parade was crazy, the streets were wild. You can see me trying to get a shot in the picture to the left. Never have I ever seen so many people in one place before. Men in skirts, fairy costumes, glitter and make-up like you wouldn't believe.Everyone was dressed wildly and drinking openly. Of course we joined in with THAT! lol. The first bottle shop (liquor store) that we came across we loaded our bags up with liquor. There were so many drag queens and men in assless chaps that after an hour I got used to it. It was hard to see huge men in heels (walking better than I do). Still it was great fun. I loved how everyone was so friendly to one another and willing to share view space for the parade. We were watching the parade and then looked up and a massive...flock? of bats were flying overhead and it was really cool. It was a beautiful night, perfect for a parade. We could have done without the fat man shaking his, um...tenders at the audience, poor Katie's eyes popped out of her head over that. But really, anything went that night and people were topless, pantless, and really over-the-top. It was hilarious. The parade theme this year was 'worlds' and there were some incredible floats, over 200 apparently but we didnt stay to see them all. (Dykes on bikes)

After awhile we left the parade and hit up a pub called The Three Wise Monkey's and it was real nice, 3 floors with live music and we met some Kiwi guys but they were rather weird so we ditched them and then went and had dinner before catching the bus home. Poor Cassie, her feet were covered in blisters and I had shin splints so bad. We did so much walking it was crazy. Apparently it was the largest turn out for Mardis Gras Sydney's ever had. I'm so glad that I was there for it.
Check out the fairy! LOL