Social Life in Sydney

Me entertaining myself at the Golden Stave lunch
see all photos »

Its been a while since I last updated you all, mostly because life in Sydney is now normal. I don’t feel like a tourist any more. I’ve been busy almost every day, but just doing normal stuff like working, drinking, shopping, etc. Most of what I’ve done of interest since I came back from Melbourne has involved nights out (and alcohol of course) and since most of you don’t know the people and the pubs I don’t know how interesting it will be.

So work is going really well. I’m over half way there now. Took me a while to get settled and figure out what I was at, but seem to have got the hang of it now and have been out with a few of the people outside of work, so that helps. For the first six weeks or so I tried to restrain from drinking during the week, but that went down the swanee last week!! So my weekdays have mostly been working, maybe doing a class in the evenings and til Lauren and Sam went travelling chilling with them in the evenings. They moved out last week – I was very sad to see them and Leo go, and two English girls moved in. Natasha and Helen, they are lovely, and the three of us seem to getting on really well. The three of us have just had a glass of champagne each with dinner (on a Thursday night and all).

I’m over half way there now.

Me and Ruth and a pint of Guinness on her birthday
see all photos »

The weather has  been awful. It was the wettest June on record I think. Cold like at home, and just raining all the time. However, knowing you guys at home were suffering the same in the  middle of summer made it a little easier to bear!! It got better this week though and we had temps in the mid 20s during the week.

Anyway, what have I been up to? Well the weekend after Melbourne was Ruth’s birthday. So we went out to a pub called the AYH in Ultimo. Was a great laugh – the barman there is Irish so we had a good laugh and when we came back the following week, he remembered us and everything we drank!! We went to a really fancy pub in the Rocks that night too called the Argyle, where drinks cost more than they do in Ireland!! Crazy stuff Ted!! That Sunday I met Elaine for “one” drink in a gay bar on Oxford Street, which turned into about ten, and I had only had breakfast that day. I think she and her friend wanted to see my reaction to all the gay men girating against each other. I didn’t open my gob too wide. We’re very cosmopolitan in Dublin too ya know!

Me and the work gang
see all photos »

Two weeks ago I had Lauren and Sam’s leaving party in Zanzibar in Newtown. Their friends are so nice and really make an effort to make me feel welcome. However, I did fade about 3am, when the rest of them stayed up partying in our sitting room til 9.30am. Poor Dingo (the cat) was scared so clutched to me all night. Can you believe how friendly I’ve become with the cat and the dog?! I’ve surprised myself more than anyone. Leo is gone now but me and Dingo are great friends, she comes in and jumps into bed to wake me every morning at 7am (well its actually just cos she wants breakfast!). I had two birthday parties the night after Lauren and Sam’s and then dinner with them and their friends on the Sunday.

Ruth and Denis drinking posh drinks
see all photos »

Then the last week has just been an ongoing drinking session, or actually more like an ongoing trivia session!!! Been to three trivia nights in the last week. I must know everything about the geography of Asia and famous Aussie faces and rules of rugby at this stage . Went from coming last on Tuesday night to coming third, last night (Wednesday). Last Thursday went out with my new flatmates and their friends to a trivia night – me and ten English people…

Friday went to a fancy charity lunch through work. It was the Golden Stave association who are the entertainment industry people in Australia. Was a load of shite really, but we made our own entertainment!!! Friday night was Ruth and Denis’s leaving drinks. I was so sad to say goodbye to Ruth…my only Irish friend in Sydney, and I really miss her in work. But I soon replaced her (just kidding if you’re reading this Ruth) – I made a new Irish friend on Saturday. Mary Murray put me in touch with her friend Claire, and Claire couldn’t believe it when I said I hadn’t been in an Irish bar since I arrived, so off we headed to PJ O’Briens. You know, maybe cos I’ve become settled here and haven’t really been feeling homesick I had kinda forgotten the crazy silly fun us Irish people have. Its so unique to Ireland, really you can’t get it anywhere else…that’s why I think there’s no direct translation for “craic”, cos good craic is only something you get in Ireland, or when you’re surrounded by Irish people. I’ve been really happy hanging out with the aussies, and I’m so glad I’m doing it this way and experiencing the real country, but at the same time, it is so nice to get back to being Irish and just enjoying the pure silly fun only we seem to able to have!!!

Leo and Dingo
see all photos »

Anyway, the night was great craic altogether. We ended up bumping into Mary Murray’s other friend Claire, and her cousin Sinead who I was down in Melbourne with a few weeks earlier. We drank lots, watched the whole crowd go mental when they replayed the penalties from Italia 90 when Ireland beat Italy. It was mad – the whole crowd were going crazy, jumping, singing, swiniging from the balconies. I thought this was crazy enough, til I found out PJs show the exact same footage every weekend night and its always the same people there!!! Me and Claire ended up going to Scruffy Murphys, which is just a that – a really scruffy Irish nightclub which you would have to be really drunk to enjoy…but we were so that was fine!!

Me and Lauren at their farewell drinks
see all photos »

Last night I had my second Irish experience. Tony, my uncle, and his wife Denise, were organising a trivia night for the Kilkenny Association over here, so I went along. I hadn’t seen Tony since I arrived. Even though I was practically the youngest person there, it was still a good laugh…well mostly cos our team came third, and we won loads of wine. I also came third in the raffle and won a huge basket of fruit, so a very productive night overall! Tony and Denise even dropped me home afterwards, after being overly generous all night buying me drinks (which I can still feel the effect of).

Sam and Jesse's skinny competition
see all photos »

So, that’s it. The build-up is on now for the exciting weekend to come, so watch this space and I’ll keep to updated on Live Earth and all the rest soon. xxx