Two weeks gone already

Coogee Beach
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Hard to believe I’m here over two weeks already!! Some ways feels like more, some less. Work is going good, very busy and a lot of new stuff to get my head around, but its interesting, and so far, everyone’s been really nice to me, so I’ve nothing to complain about.

Really starting to get to know my way around Sydney too – got stopped for directions twice this weekend, and both times knew where to direct people. OK I was lucky – one person wanted to go to Newtown, which is where I lived with Elaine, the other wanted to know where the QVB was and that’s where I got the train every day when I lived with Elaine, but still it felt good….well that’s until I was waiting for a bus for 20 mins when the driver told me I was standing on the wrong side of the road!!!

Me at Bondi
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Moved into my new place on Thursday. Was really nice staying with Elaine, so will miss that, but will still see her loads. The new place is fab. Staying with a couple called Lauren and Sam. They’re friends of Sarah from work in Dublin. They are so nice and making such an effort to make me fit in. They brought me out with all their friends Friday night to a local pub, all really really friendly. Was my first proper night out in the pub to so that was good too. I’m slowly getting to know the beers. We have Tooheys New in work on Fridays, so I like that, but also like Pure Blonde and Carlton draught….actually this is me…I’m not fussy!!! Anyway, Lauren and Sam’s apartment is really nice. Its on Darling St, which is the main street in Rozelle – my room face the street so is a bit noisy, but it’ll be good for me to get used to night time noise for the three months backpacking…I’m sure anyone that’s ever shared a dorm room with me before and had to listen to me complaining about the noise will agree with that!!!! My room is huge though, and I’ve got my own huge balcony overlooking the street. I’ll attach pictures if I can. I only have dial up internet in the house, but its not too bad. Broadband here is a lot slower than home anyway, so wouldn’t have made much sense to get it and I can upload photos and stuff like that in work. Plus sometimes we can piggyback for free on the broadband of one of the businesses across the road from the house for free – handy!

Bondi Beach
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My first two weekends here have been fairly quiet and tame. Really just trying to get my bearings and do some exploring while the weather is still nice enough. Last Saturday I did the Coogee to Bondi cliff walk. It was a gorgeous sunny day, but not too hot for a long walk either. I did the walk last year with Mary so knew where I was going, and was even brave enough to do the cliff bits but I veered away from the edges!!! It is all so pretty, and it was the first time since I’d arrived that I really felt like I was in Australia. Chilled on Bondi for a while, was a bit too breezy to sunbathe on the beach, so chilled on the grass behind, then went for a walk around and reminisced over my romantic time there with Mark last year (bleurghh….). On Sunday it was still really warm so went for a long walk around Sydney park which is just near where Elaine lives, and then that night we went out for dinner with some of her mates.

Sydney Harbour Bridge
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This weekend was equally quiet. Was a bit hungover yesterday morning (Saturday) after Friday night’s drinking. Lauren brought me exploring around Rozelle. It really is a lovely area. It has a lovely market, fresh fruit and veg shops, health shops, massage parlours (not the seedy kind) and second hand and bohemian type clothes shops. Seems like a really safe area too. We then went to watch Sam play a soccer match somewhere miles out of Sydney. Oh yeah, forgot to mention their hyperactive dog, Leo. I think he’s got ADD. And you all know how much I like dogs. He is trying very hard to be my friend though (as in jumping round and round in circles to impress me), so I’m trying to be nice. I did play fetch with his rubber ducky for half an hour this evening though, til I tired him out, so that’s massive progress for me. They have a cat too, but he doesn’t like people, so that’s the kind of cat I like!!! Lauren and Sam are going to Asia for three months at the end of June, so I’ll have to look after the cat then, but luckily the dog is going to friends of theirs! Went over to Elaine’s last night cos silly me left all my underwear there when I was moving out!! Clever I know…and bikinis don’t make the best underwear you know!!! Anyway, had a lovely evening drinking wine with her.

Sydney Opera House
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Today I did the touristy stuff around Sydney. I’d done it all last year too, but it was such a lovely day it was really nice to go walk around Circular Quay and the Opera House and Botanical Gardens and all of that. Weather here is definitely getting colder, mornings and evenings are very cold, but middle of the day is lovely, especially since Friday, like there was people properly sunbathing in the botanical gardens today, and its been clear blue skies and all of that.

Been hearing loads about the elections over here. It was on the news today and in the papers. Bertie and the greens doesn’t sound too bad at all. Any other news from home? Keep my updated anyway. Thanks for all the comments. Some of ye are flippin’ hilarious!! As I said, I don’t have much to report on yet …and yet I still manage to write this much crap….bet ye just can’t wait for when things get exciting!! Promise I’ll try keep them short and sweet, and I’ll keep updating ye. Missing ye all loads xxx