My Birthday Week

Birthday cake
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So how up my own arse am I writing a blog entry all about the week of my birthday??!! But I can't come up with any original blog titles so this will have to do!!

The last two weeks have been really busy. Now, that I'm on countdown to leaving Sydney, and I know loads more people, every week is just getting busier and busier.

One word of advice, no matter what Maire tells you, don't eat a spoonful of wasabi!!!

Enda and Maire came up to Sydney to stay with me for the weekend of Live Earth. They were my first proper visitors to my flat, so I was really excited about showing them around, and showing them how I've become settled here. Plus it was of course, great to see them again. As Enda's birthday was the Wednesday before and mine the Wednesday after, we had a mini birthday celebration on the Friday night when they arrived.

Helen, Maire, Enda, Lou - birthday celebrations
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Saturday was the Live Earth concert. It was in Aussie Stadium, really good venue for a concert and easy to get to. My flatmates and their sister and girlfriend went too, so there was a big bunch of us. Unfortunately we didn't know too many of the acts but we still had a great day. I wouldn't rate it highly compared to festivals at home, mostly cos of the music, but also the organisation. Beer queues were up to two hours long. We usually went mid-act, seeing as we didn't know too many of them!! Compared to the other Live Earths where they had huge worldwide names, the aussie one was a bit tame with people like Missie Higgins, Sneaky Sound System, Jack Johnson and the reformed Crowded House the main draws. I have to say I really enjoyed Sneaky Sound System (I Saw a UFO.... and ...I've got lots of pictures in my head....) Its a pity they were on so early in the day. Also have to say for a "green" concert, they could have done a lot more, all of the beer was in plastic disposable glasses, as were most of the beer holders. The greenies were giving out 1000s of leaflets (OK mostly on recycled paper) and all the food was the usual fast food greasy grime that you usually get at these kind of things.  Biggest event of the day (for me anyway) was dropping my phone down the toilet...clever I know. Luckily it wasn't a portaloo, so I did manage to fish it out and save the sim. My cousin Michelle gave me her old phone last week, so I'm back mobile again thankfully.

Lou dancing at Live Earth
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Sunday, Enda, Maire and I went to the Sydney Tower Restaurant with three of their friends. Unfortunately the day was very overcast and cloudy but the view is still very impressive. As we were all wrecked from the day before it was a nice chilled way to spend the day while still doing something touristy for Enda and Maire's short stay in Sydney, and of course another excuse for me and Enda to celebrate our birthdays!! One word of advice, no matter what Maire tells you, don't eat a spoonful of wasabi!!!

Chai tent - Live Earth
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I got such a fuss made of me for my birthday. Seriously, I've never had a fuss made like this at home. I don't know whether its cos they're just bigger into birthdays over here or cos everyone felt sorry for me cos I'm away from home. I'm not complaining anyway - it was great!! My team in work got me loads of chocolates and a nail voucher, and we went out to lunch to a yummy pancake place. Then the whole office gathered in the kitchen in the afternoon to sing me happy birthday and present me with a massive cake. My family were great - they've got me a digital photo frame for when I go home. Can't wait for that, you'll all have to sit through hours of just staring at it when I get it set up!! And the wonderful Mark surprised me with a big flower arrangement - don't I have him well-trained!!! The night of my birthday, I went out for drinks and dinner with my flatmates and sister&girlfriend and my new Irish friend Claire and aussie friend Kate. And the day after my cousins had a big family dinner for me out in Robert and Michelle's house where I got my third birthday cake (I Know, who ever gets 3 birthday cakes!!!) and I went home laden down with presents!!

Leaf tattoos - Live Earth
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Friday we had trivia day with work, which was really just an excuse for us to dress up like eejits and get very drunk!! Our team came third (or 2nd last) in the quiz, but I think we were the winners in the drinking stakes!! Drinking started at 1pm and finished for me around midnight, with lots of beer, vodka and shots in the middle. It was great fun. Got some funny photos too (check facebook for them all).

Sunday me and Helen (flatmate) went to a Sydney Swans game in Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). The Swans were playing Melbourne team Carlton. Tadgh Kennelly plays for the Swans and Setanta O'hAilpin plays for Carlton so having the Irish element made it more interesting, not that it wasn't anyway. We had fantastic seats, courtesy of Sharon and Helen (the girls' sister and her girlfriend) who have season tickets...although the company left something to be desired. The guy beside me was the fattest ugliest most ignorant guy I've ever seen. He spent the game snorting, coughing (without covering his mouth), spluttering, spitting food, belching and roaring obscenities and chants that nobody else could understand. Anyway, the Swans won the game 162 to 100, which apparently brought them back into the top 8 which is a good thing!!

Live Earth loves Oxegen poster
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The weather is really cold here at the moment by the way. Yesterday morning was the coldest morning in Sydney CBD in 21 years at just 3C. Lots of people in work had to scrape frost off their windscreens for the first time ever...bless. Hope its starting to get better for you lot at home. Everyone in Sydney keeps telling me its not normally as cold/windy/wet in winter as it is this year...My theory is, its always like this in winter, and there's a massive conspiracy, perpetuated by Home & Away to make us all believe its always sunny. Speaking of Home & Away, all the men are lost at sea, one of them won't make it, and Pippa is back and Sally just refused Brad's marriage proposal!!