tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26788302474760292922024-03-05T17:53:53.964-08:00Word UnderOur Year in AustraliaPaigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.comBlogger164125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-80522265509312871192013-02-25T14:32:00.001-08:002013-05-22T22:06:11.946-07:00I'm Still Here...<div style="text-align: center;">
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No, I haven't fallen off the edge of the planet! But I have decided to close this blog. It was started as a travel blog to document my year in Australia and I'd like to end it that way. </div>
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Thanks to everyone who has loyally read my posts over the last year! </div>
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Victoria xxx</div>
Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-78404414780681472772013-02-04T16:38:00.000-08:002013-02-04T16:38:06.925-08:00Word Up <div style="text-align: center;">
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This blog was started as a travel blog to document my year abroad, but I've had so many people asking about it ending that I have decided I will continue with some updates here and there.<br />
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First up, this posts title. Word Up. My blog was called Word Under because I was in the southern hemisphere. Now I'm back in the northern hemisphere therefore I'm up. <br />
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I've been home for just over two weeks now. I've been so busy! So many people to see and catch up with and tons of things to organize and sort out for life back in Edmonton. I did a giant purge of my closet and got rid of a ton of stuff I hadn't worn in years. It felt good to do this but the good feeling was promptly followed by purgers remorse. How much money had I spent over the years on that stuff that I never used? Hope Goodwill will give it all to good homes. Mom took me shopping yesterday so I have a few new things to fill the holes in my closet...<br />
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Weather-wise I've been OK. This is the most asked question. Yeah, it's been cold (temps between -20 to -30 Celsius last week), but I'm from Canada and this is nothing new or scary for me. Yeah, I love warm weather and summer better, but after a year away I kind of missed the snow! (Never in my life did I think that would happen). I even spent an afternoon outside with my parents at the Ice on Whyte Festival (winter festival here featuring ice carving competitions for you non-Edmontonians). The only thing I've struggled with since being home is driving! I spent the last year driving on the left side and having my signals, wipers and shift on the opposite side. My first night I had to retrain my brain which side things were on and to remember to KEEP RIGHT! I still get confused on left turns... <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dancer ice sculpture at Ice on Whyte</td></tr>
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My first week home was spent solely with Dewey, as she went back to NYC less then a week after I returned. It had been over a year since I last saw her so I had to get my fill! When she left I felt so sad and didn't know what to do!<br />
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I've caught up with most of my friends. I met up with the Applauz and TM girls. I went to TM for a LNC with Jill and was like a mini celeb! It made me feel so good that I was missed and even better that so many of the ladies had been following my blog! <br />
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Last weekend I headed out to Wainwright to see Cher and the kiddos. My Godson Nathan was only a few months old when I left and I didn't think he'd remember me, but when he saw me he ran straight to me and gave me a hug! Best moment of the trip. I had a little belated birthday party for Taela (as I was flying in on her actual birthday) and Cher had a little welcome home party for me with her mom and Tammie. Taela and Skyla were so happy to see me that they fought for my attention the whole trip and got in trouble for not sharing and playing nice with each other. They had to make me "sorry" cards for being bad- so cute! On my way home I got in a mini accident. I caught some ice on the highway near Tofield, went for a few spins and ended up in the ditch. I was fine and so was the car. Some kind strangers pulled over and towed me out of the ditch- thank you so much!!! (I've also really noticed how kind and polite people are here- they say thank-you and sorry and you're welcome. So great.) <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing in the snow with my girlies</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mainstreet Wainwright</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading home in the snow on Highway 14</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taela's sorry card- so cute!</td></tr>
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Today I went to keep my sister in law company at the hospital. Her water broke last night (two months early) so now she has to wait in hospital till contractions begin. Poor thing is getting pretty bored and antsy. All is good with baby and we hope she comes soon safely.</div>
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It feels so good to be back in Canada and have my friends and family only a short drive away, but I feel a bit of a let down being back in Edmonton. Originally when we left our plan was to settle in Calgary so I had said my goodbyes and made peace with leaving Etown. It is a little sad coming back and slipping into old routine as if I was never away at all. I think this will go away when I get my life organized and in the long run it is so important to be near my support group.<br />
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Joel is home tomorrow afternoon. I picked up some Valentines decorations and made him a sign so he feels welcomed when he comes home. Hope he likes the surprise! As I'm back at work tomorrow his Mom will be picking him up at the airport. I see him after work and treat him to his requested welcome home dinner- Panago pizza and McDonalds McFlurries!<br />
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Also I now have instragram! For those of you who want to follow me check me out:<br />
victoriahunt767</div>
Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-4844254237489677932013-01-23T02:00:00.001-08:002013-01-23T02:00:12.690-08:00Back to the Great White North<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been home for four days now. My body is still out of sync with time zones so I can't fall asleep till after two am (even though I'm so tired) and I usually sleep till noon or later. It feels good and weird to be home at the same time, it's hard to explain. Good because everything still feels comfortable and normal, weird because it doesn't feel like I was ever gone. Not as much has changed as I thought (I was worried I'd come back and things would be so different I'd get reverse culture shock). Even the cold hasn't scared me off!</div>
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My main priority this week has been hanging out with Dewey. She is going back to NYC on Friday so I need to make up for our year apart in one week! We've been mostly busy purging old clothes etc (as that is our favorite hobby). In the past few days I've also caught up with some cousins, the Applauz staff, my Grandpa, and gave much needed haircuts to Dewey and my Dad. Hopefully some shopping with my Mom is soon to come!</div>
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I've even got a start on organizing my life as I now have a job! As of February 5 (or 7, not 100% sure yet) I will be back to work at <a href="http://www.applauzhairdesign.com/" target="_blank">Applauz</a>. I will be working part time for now, every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. So for anyone interested (which better be anyone in the Edmonton area!) call and book an appointment with me! I will be doing some promos and will post more info soon. Also going to be taking over the website so stay tuned.</div>
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Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-25668862512853872872013-01-23T00:51:00.001-08:002013-01-23T00:51:04.849-08:00Welcome Home!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
My trip home started in Sydney on January 19. I had all my stuff all packed up neatly and ready to go (and underweight might I add!) the night before. Joel is staying two and a half more weeks so he drove me to the airport. I didn't even bother saying goodbye to Brutis because I will never, ever miss that piece of junk! </div>
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Got myself all checked in and ditched the two big suitcases and just had
to carry the small one and my loaded back pack around the airport and
through security. By the time I got to my gate there wasn't too long to wait. But wait, this was an Air Canada flight, so it was delayed- twice. They really took their time "cleaning and painting". I have no idea what or why they were painting, but they are special.</div>
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Finally aboard the plane I had a nice aisle set on a new 777. How did I know it was an Air Canada flight? When I asked the flight attendant to help me find an overhead bin for my bag she refused to help! Good to know some things never change...</div>
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I was served a disgusting dinner of chicken (? it was grey and tasted barf-tastic), mushy veggies and rice. Good thing I brought my own snacks. I decided to adjust my clock to AB time so I could sleep and start to adjust to the time change. There were NO good movies to watch till kill the first few hours, but luckily I had downloaded some Teen Mom (guilty pleasure... I know, I know). At 10:30 pm AB time (which would only be 4:30 Sydney) I popped a sleeping pill and awaited a long, deep sleep, just like I did on the way out. Deep sleep I got, but only for an hour and a half. Popped pill two. More sleep, but only for an hour. I thought three pills would be a bit excessive so I turned on my ipod and drifted in and out of a half sleep till 3:30 am. After that I gave up and watched Modern Family till breakfast was served (thank God this was edible as I was starving by this point.) Finally at 7:45 we arrived in Vancouver.</div>
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Usually I get the grumpy, nosy customs guy who always want to know what I spent to the penny and why (as I'm usually over). I was all geared up with a list of my spending (under the limit!) and a cheery smile for how happy I was to be in this great country. But Van now has a self serve custom kiosk so I didn't talk to anyone! Oh well. Then off to pick up giant suitcases and lug them off to the next check point.</div>
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I grabbed a quick snack then headed for my gate. Just as I was turning my laptop on some person comes up to me with a sign and says "I'm here for one Spicy Chicken!". It was Dewey!!! (Spicy Chicken is my nickname from her. Long story.) I was so shocked and confused I didn't quite understand what was happening! She had flown out to Vancouver earlier in the week to take some dance classes and had planned to come back home on my flight (in the seat next to me) as a surprise. Well it definitely worked! She couldn't tell anyone she was going or post on facebook etc so I wouldn't find out. Best surprise ever, even if it did take me a few minutes to realize what an awesome surprise it was (and a couple other passengers got about ten minutes of gripping entertainment).</div>
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Our Van to E-town flight was also delayed. Oh well, I had company so no big deal. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out the new Ugg earmuffs I brought back. Fresh from the sheep lol.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good to see some real mountains again!</td></tr>
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When we landed in Edmonton the rest of the family was waiting. Dad had signs made but was too embarrassed to hold them up till the last minute! Oh well. My first order of business- Tim Horton's donut and hot chocolate! Can't get anymore Canadian then that. It was snowing on the way in so I got to walk outside in a fresh snowfall. I never thought I would ever in my life say this, but I was happy to see some snow!</div>
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When we got in we had a second Christmas. I had brought back Aussie goodies for everyone and had a few goodies to unwrap (such as a Coach purse!) and a sticking full of Sephora goodies. Score!</div>
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In the evening Jill threw me a Champagne Shower at her new house. As soon as she saw me at the door she got super excited and ran over screaming and picked me up in a hug. It took ten minute for her to calm down lol! I was super excited to see her too. Heads up Edmonton, double trouble is back!</div>
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Anyway, awesome get-together with some of the other TM gals . Jill had all kinds of goodies, balloon decorations, initialed champagne glasses, and Canada pins for me. We were all encouraged to wear pink and gold, champagne colors. Everyone brought a bottle of champagne and we drank it all!</div>
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We had some dance offs (including an epic Gangnam style around the kitchen) and some of the girls left early. Even though I had like no sleep I was ready to keep going! So Jill, KK and I headed to Hudson's South for more dancing. The bouncer asked if it was my birthday and I told him no it was my getting out of jail party. He looked at me like yeah right so I told him it kind of was as I had just escaped the convict island. Then he got it right away. We kicked it old school for a few more hours then headed home. Tired as I was I still did not fall asleep till four am.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love these two so much!</td></tr>
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<br />Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-35694184082962743992013-01-21T00:43:00.002-08:002013-02-07T20:17:17.824-08:00Goodbye Sydney!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Friday began with some record heat- 46 degrees and high humidity! I love the heat and warm weather, but this was unbearable. I didn't even want to leave the house so I spent the day finishing my packing and watching online TV downstairs in front of the AC. It was a long and boring day but there was no way I was going outside.</div>
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Tonight's plans were to get a nice photo with the Opera House and have a Farewell Dinner with Christina and Josh. Just as Joel got home from work at five there was a storm and it started pouring rain. Luckily it had stopped when we left but it didn't change the temperature at all. We made it to Circular Quay no problem and got our pictures. Thanks to the random photog stranger for actually doing a good job with these!</div>
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The original place we were going for dinner had no AC! We spent half an hour walking around the Rocks finding somewhere cool that didn't have ridiculous prices. Finally found a little tucked away place just off George St. and had an awesome dinner. We sat and chatted with Christina and Josh forever- a little sad as I don't know when we'll see them next! They are taking a super yacht course in March and are hoping to get placement on a North American yacht somewhere. I hope so too! Christina's family all live in Northern California so at least when they go for a visit we can easily fly to them.</div>
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After our dinner it had finally cooled down a bit. Joel had something very romantic planned- putting a Love Lock up on the Harbour Bridge. (Read more about that <a href="http://wordunder.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/milsons-point-and-harbour-bridge.html" target="_blank">here</a>). Aw! So we walked across the bridge (my feet were killing me- six inch stilettos is not such a great idea for bridge walking) and found the perfect spot across the water overlooking the Opera House. Now even though we are leaving, a special piece of us will always stay behind in Sydney.</div>
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This was the best ending for my time in Sydney. The first time I visited Sydney my first stop was Circular Quay and it's amazing views at night, so it was fitting that this was also my last view and memory of the city.<br />
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Our train ride home was very delayed. We are five stops home from Circular Quay, which is usually a fifteen minute journey. Today the trains were all delayed because of the extreme weather. It took over an hour to get home. The trains were moving at a snail's pace and sometimes stopping in the middle of a tunnel (which really gave me anxiety). We'd have to sit at each station for ten plus minutes waiting for previous trains to move ahead and clear the tracks. Many angry passengers. </div>
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I love Sydney and it will always have a special place in my heart. I had no regrets or sadness leaving because I got to experience every aspect of the city, really get to know it and made it my own. I will probably never return, but when I think of it it will always be of happy memories.</div>
Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-31745532774767162742013-01-21T00:22:00.000-08:002013-01-21T00:49:20.878-08:00Australia- The Good, The Bad, The Ugly<br />
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When we first came to Australia we really didn't know much about the country aside from the stories we'd heard from our friends and families experiences. We planned on making good money (everyone said how high the wages are) and seeing the whole country. Wages can be better, but you've got to be able to find a job first! We didn't do any research on our first city, the Gold Coast, just knew it was summer and a great beach all year long. I wish I would have looked into the city a little more because there was not much of a job market for me and besides the beach, golf, and party lifestyle there's not alot going on up there. Moving to Sydney was a savior for me, much more my style and so much to see and experience. We were hesitant to move here in the first place because everyone kept saying how expensive it is to live there. Well it is expensive, but so is the rest of the country. Sydney and the other bigger cities are where the jobs are. Both of us found good paying jobs within a week and had other offers. Living here gave me totally different perspective of Australia. We lived in Oz for almost a year. If I could have changed things I would have spent the whole time living and working in Sydney, then traveling the rest of the country when I could. Moneywise we would have been alot better off this way.</div>
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Now that our year is over I thought I'd summarize the highs and lows of the trip, what I'd recommend future travelers to visit or to skip, as well as an honest opinion of life in Oz.</div>
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<u>My Favorite Oz Experiences:</u></div>
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<b> Sydney</b></div>
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If you can only see one city in Oz this is it! I fell in love with this city and could go on and on about it for hours. The beautiful harbor, the bridge and Opera House, the old, historic buildings mixed with the new skyscrapers, the fabulous beaches, the culture, entertainment and fabulous restaurants, this city has it all. </div>
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<b>The Barossa Valley</b></div>
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Even though I was here in winter it is still such a beautiful place. There are over eighty-five wineries to explore and they are all have free tastings!<b> </b>And Jacob's Creek is here- best wine ever!!! I could have just as easily visited the Hunter Valley near Sydney or the Yarra near Melbourne, but I wanted to come here as none of my friends had been. The Barossa is near Adelaide, which is a smaller city, but I really enjoyed.</div>
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<b> Koala Cuddling</b></div>
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<b> </b>You can't come to Oz and not do this! They are so cute. Make sure you visit a wildlife sanctuary so you can see all the native animals of Oz.</div>
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<b>Great Ocean Road</b></div>
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Amazing strip of road just outside of Melbourne. It's just one of those places that really makes you say "wow". It's easy to get here from Melbourne, so if you are spending time there make sure you rent a car and take a day to do the drive.<b> </b></div>
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<b>Canberra</b></div>
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Most Australians hate this city, but I thought it was very pretty. I like to make a point of visiting a country's capital city and the Parliament here is very different looking. It's filled with museums that are all free and is laid out similarly to Washington DC. From Sydney you can drive easily to Canberra and spend a day or two here<b>, </b>that's all you need.<b> </b></div>
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<b>Jervis Bay </b></div>
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Two hours south of Sydney, this is the best beach in Australia! Yes, it met up to my high standards. White sand and turquoise waters. It's a beautiful drive down through green hills and lush valleys. There are many scenic lookout points and wineries around, so this would be a nice weekend getaway from Sydney.<b> </b></div>
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<b>New Zealand</b></div>
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I know this is not part of Oz but I enjoyed it alot more then many places here! We spent a weekend in Queenstown and I fell in love. It was such a beautiful place landscape-wise and there was so much to do. If you are in Australia it is easy to hop on a plane and spend some time here. Alternatively, book your return flight home from here and enjoy a pampered flight with Air New Zealand.</div>
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<u>My Least Favorite Oz Experiences:</u></div>
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<b>Queensland</b></div>
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There are lots of nature and outdoor adventure things to see and do here. If you know me at all that is the last thing I want to do, so this is why the state does not rank well for me (I am city girl through and through!). The beaches are nice, but in my opinion not as good as my beloved Caribbean beaches. Even going up to the world famous Whitsunday beaches didn't impress me as much as everyone said they would. Brisbane, their biggest city, is pretty disappointing. I never made it up north to Cairns, which everyone seems to love, but I thought if the Whitsundays weren't a highlight this probably wouldn't rank too high for me either. If you like outdoor activities like sailing, snorkeling and bush walking and want to see the Great Barrier Reef, this is the place for you. I have a very biased opinion on Queensland as I didn't enjoy living here at all and became very negative about everything. Maybe if I'd just come as a traveler I would feel differently.</div>
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<b>Nimbin</b> </div>
Everyone
I talked to said to visit Nimbin. Although it's beautiful drive out,
this place was a big disappointment. There is nothing to do here and
it's dirty. Buy your special cookies elsewhere.<br />
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<b>Long Roadtrips</b></div>
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Short trips here and there are fine, but if you do anything over three hours prepare for a nightmare. Because of the heat driving here seems worse then back home. Also speed limits aren't as high as in North America and tend to change alot in hopes you won't slow down and the police can ticket you. Lots of times exciting road side attractions are few and far between. Oz is a big country and people don't realize that. Flights around the country are pretty reasonable (with Jet Star and Tiger) so save the stress and fly.</div>
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<b>Large Roadside Attractions</b></div>
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You've got nothing on Alberta, Oz!<b> </b></div>
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<b>Budget Accomodation</b></div>
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We tried to cut down on costs in a few places and it was not worth it. One night in a hostel is tolerable, but I need my own space and a clean shower that doesn't have someone else's hair on the walls.<b> </b>We spent an awful first week in Sydney in a sharehouse and it was a nightmare. <b> </b>I am too much of a princess.</div>
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<u>Mixed Thoughts:<b> </b></u> </div>
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<b>Melbourne</b></div>
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I spent a few days here and am not sure what to think. I didn't hate it, but didn't fall in love with it as much as Sydney. It's one of those cities you get to love the more time you spend here. It is definitely a place you should visit because there are some nice sights and there is alot to do<b>, </b>but I think a few days are sufficient. The beach will disappoint you.<b> </b></div>
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<b>Byron Bay</b></div>
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This seems to be everyone's favorite place. It is beautiful, but it just didn't amaze me as much as I thought. Maybe because I only spent a day here and wasn't feeling that good? The view from the lighthouse was spectacular, the beaches good but not my favorite. If you're going to be up that way, for sure visit. </div>
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<u>Things I Wanted To See:</u></div>
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<b>More of New Zealand</b></div>
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<b> </b>Such a
beautiful and amazing country and I don't know that I'll ever make it
back. Very different to Oz. We had planned to spend our last ten days here originally, but things changed with all our visa complications and we didn't end up having the money. I regret not spending more time here, but am glad I at least had a quick trip to Queenstown. I'll never return to Oz, but NZ I would for sure. I love the Kiwis!</div>
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<b>Hobart, Tasmania</b></div>
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Convict island! I really wanted to spend a weekend here in the summer, but again due to visa complications and money it didn't happen. I had so many clients tell me what an interesting place it is. Oh well.</div>
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<b> </b></div>
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<b>Ayers Rock and The Outback</b> </div>
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It doesn't get any more Aussie then this! The only reason we didn't end up going is because it is so expensive- return airfare for one is over a thousand dollars!</div>
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<b>Darwin</b></div>
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I really only wanted to see Darwin because of the history. It was bombed by the Japanese in WWII and it would have been interesting to see how they've memorialized that.<b> </b>The fact we didn't make it up doesn't make me feel sad or regretful though.</div>
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<b>Perth and Margaret River</b></div>
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Dewey spent six months here on exchange, so that was what made me want to visit. The beaches here are supposed to be very nice too. Again, not sad I didn't make it out.<b> </b></div>
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If you are planning a trip to Oz, bring lots of money!!! This place is expensive and rips you off in any way. Don't worry too much about the spiders. I never saw anything more then a Daddy Longlegs in the house and only saw two bigger ones outside. Might be different if you go up north, but don't let people scare you with spider tales. Same with snakes. I imagine if you are out in the bush you'll see some, but I never did. Be prepared for cockroaches though. Those buggers come out when the weather gets hot and you'll find them inside and out.</div>
Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-56327828024762794992013-01-17T05:34:00.004-08:002013-01-17T05:49:27.311-08:00Reflections<div style="text-align: center;">
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Tomorrow is my last day in Sydney and I'm feeling bittersweet. I'm so excited to go home (I'm already envisioning the moment I walk off the plane and am greeted by my family) but also a little scared for what's next to come. We're going home to no house, no cars, no jobs, and will have only a small amount of money to get us started. But we will have tons of love and support from our family and friends. It will be weird at first because so much will have changed in a year. All the little things that slowly change day by day are going to seem like major changes to us. Construction that started when we left will be finished, favorite restaurants and hang outs will be closed, babies will have grown to toddlers, people will have changed. It won't be the exact same as when we left. But in my heart I know that going home is right. I love Sydney, but staying here would never feel like home. I would always know that someday there would be a return date. I know Edmonton isn't as exotic as Sydney and it will be tough living through those bitter Alberta winters. But in the end there's no place like home. Traveling and being away for a year has really made me appreciate all the good things about home, things I never would have stood back to notice before. I'm so lucky I got to experience what I did. There were alot of things I hated, but also some amazing moments. Those are the things I'll hold onto and look back at and think how amazing I did that.</div>
Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-43366488218098374002013-01-16T00:45:00.001-08:002013-01-16T00:45:23.934-08:00Let's Go Surfing<div style="text-align: center;">
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I had a surf lesson at Maroubra Beach this afternoon. I had been surfing before in Hawaii, exactly ten years ago (!), and thought while I had the time off it would be cool to say I'd surfed in Oz.</div>
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I picked Maroubra Beach instead of the typical Bondi because it was half the price. $55 for a two hour surf lesson? That's a good deal. There were five others in my class. We started on the beach getting to know the basics. This was boring because I remembered all this from before. I just wanted to get in the water! (Especially since we had to wear black, full bodied wetsuits and it was thirty degrees). There were tons of blue bottled jelly fish on the beach so our
instructor had to give a lesson on what to do if one attached to you. These guys can't kill you, but they do sting and it does hurt.</div>
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Once we got in the water I had no problem standing up on my board, just knowing which waves were good to catch and when to start paddling. Maroubra is a good beach for beginners as it has a pretty gentle swell. I didn't feel as much of a rush as I did when I was surfing last. Maybe because at sixteen I wanted nothing more then to be a surfer and I was fulfilling my teenage dream?</div>
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Two hours ended up being too long for me and I got bored. Next time I would just rent a board as opposed to a lesson so I could ride as long or as short as I please. </div>
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I have two more days left in Sydney and I've run out of things to do! I've crossed off everything that was on my "To See" list. I'm all packed and have a big pile of clothes to take to Goodwill. Now I'm just getting antsy and anxious to leave!</div>
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Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-85425959767318459582013-01-14T19:02:00.001-08:002013-01-14T19:02:47.289-08:00Yoga By the Sea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Another day off and what to do??? Quite honestly I'm ready to come home. I've got both big suitcases packed (will be giving away a few things that didn't fit to Goodwill) and just a few things aside that I'll need over the next few days. Packing this time wasn't so scary and I'm proud I've been able to let go of a few old clothes I've not been wearing. When I get back to normal priced clothing I'm planning on doing some shopping!</div>
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I got up early-ish and headed out to The Icebergs Pool in Bondi for a yoga class. Yoga wasn't right on the beach, but over looked the water and you could hear the rush of the ocean. Pretty amazing way to relax into yoga right? I haven't been to a yoga class in a while and it felt so good to stretch out. It was a nice, sunny morning and the sun felt great on my face.</div>
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The Icebergs Pools are built right into the cliffs on Bondi and are a Sydney icon. The pools have regular pool water in them, but are constantly being filled with water from the ocean that sprays in from over the rocks. Refreshing way to swim!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3vztXArg3OVSG7xJi81d9h-w9aKl_ecbdHNA-J1BbCor4PuTlhHv95zBQik074AalxgCpg_-vf_pMVX77m6eUMEF1Jhse_jp_uggVDAc7HgIDLCD2HhoCq6EfgnXxT4nQ6L0kBxkb8SU/s1600/IMG_1176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3vztXArg3OVSG7xJi81d9h-w9aKl_ecbdHNA-J1BbCor4PuTlhHv95zBQik074AalxgCpg_-vf_pMVX77m6eUMEF1Jhse_jp_uggVDAc7HgIDLCD2HhoCq6EfgnXxT4nQ6L0kBxkb8SU/s400/IMG_1176.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's what my yoga view was.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzygUCjqu4x1H2zxlTlsIMaAATBMBhtnM1YFVu9bMo7fuCHdUSa8b-tmS6_fxdFTaz8ROHYDUU8MQwU-42RJ_gD-VPzQEp-qY2B2XKk2UJGOGiORgU4g9j_G0PfTHzD59tU1k3mTBiNDT/s1600/IMG_1178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzygUCjqu4x1H2zxlTlsIMaAATBMBhtnM1YFVu9bMo7fuCHdUSa8b-tmS6_fxdFTaz8ROHYDUU8MQwU-42RJ_gD-VPzQEp-qY2B2XKk2UJGOGiORgU4g9j_G0PfTHzD59tU1k3mTBiNDT/s400/IMG_1178.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iceberg Pools with beautiful Bondi Beach in the background.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2on5IdhKuGQ2i96HuRBxKeJAw-E01ggSnR95E8i0OEl-nR6bAQPH8RxTpWNmWbUoikT_qlxrhJ50x2jNm_3qALo11j_lB8WEdFs7XesBy_NppCwrmARsOKE7R9VeuV-M2gvFfhvExC49/s1600/IMG_1179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2on5IdhKuGQ2i96HuRBxKeJAw-E01ggSnR95E8i0OEl-nR6bAQPH8RxTpWNmWbUoikT_qlxrhJ50x2jNm_3qALo11j_lB8WEdFs7XesBy_NppCwrmARsOKE7R9VeuV-M2gvFfhvExC49/s400/IMG_1179.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See the ocean water crashing in?</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZWxy3vpKEXXjhyphenhyphenBWU4W2zlRZR9J_Jpo6fcb1tLbpWpc5DSUfZfyGy3TACvmBMNDn6sFnv4vx54FLWyiQLS9PFSaL-0pbOgVH5A1AIlW_IfK2FrU0-3WM0adzB9gT5Nzj7B4JV0mwKno3/s1600/IMG_1180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZWxy3vpKEXXjhyphenhyphenBWU4W2zlRZR9J_Jpo6fcb1tLbpWpc5DSUfZfyGy3TACvmBMNDn6sFnv4vx54FLWyiQLS9PFSaL-0pbOgVH5A1AIlW_IfK2FrU0-3WM0adzB9gT5Nzj7B4JV0mwKno3/s400/IMG_1180.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzlJz1oEGp44X9n91nWoK4mr2zxBX-tsZph_Q1mRTqI0j0Xb7sH2OM7BG5zJadzpAsBFvvyXAKFMphHfdw1k-l6BWehJKRyN-g7pcd84O0e4ne9vPmGTtv-I3Mkdr3u6adid1MFHQzTEDw/s1600/IMG_1184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzlJz1oEGp44X9n91nWoK4mr2zxBX-tsZph_Q1mRTqI0j0Xb7sH2OM7BG5zJadzpAsBFvvyXAKFMphHfdw1k-l6BWehJKRyN-g7pcd84O0e4ne9vPmGTtv-I3Mkdr3u6adid1MFHQzTEDw/s400/IMG_1184.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXbK26A3mvHzuZ4B53lnSNEmJKRy8r5ziDqoXx1FdD4cz-yFFqQ-JxcS9VV_AIu1ymvRBVh3qIRppDgR9HRfY63LZTzLwl1WzxEXN15VEpTcCvxZDCkNhGcECidcBnTLr0w3D5tuyh09Yd/s400/IMG_1175.JPG" width="266" /> </div>
Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-9496683693120292902013-01-13T23:34:00.000-08:002013-01-13T23:34:53.801-08:00Garage Sale and Farewell Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyrQiAYCvmJw8NmxPHGYc_jOxOpal8Q-a641KaPnzmL84AGX8uQHl57rHCxYkCvUGbrxcLtVzQxEU4GoOl9KKCXr_1OSfJ3eYZGybmEqZLCt03tPJYiGcc2ZpGLdXzkcuhU59akZ4nx5o/s1600/252134_10151630523346982_253005916_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
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I spent the whole of Friday prepping for our big garage sale! I organized and labeled everything and got it all nicely laid out. Amazing what we've all collected in a year! I put up signs around the neighborhood and had a few banners made (and balloons bought to put up in the am).</div>
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<img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB3mC903L4AExrH3uyEwostUUI_Gp3y_RDhAgOOoGrhFhlXHDsx5H8hwSZrXMHNp3ah5oVZZp45mfDQx5eDwvPd4-RqS6xOh9FMZPEeQElqdx40_o1VlNwSJIbVcijSs-O20-WjKTP9MQ/s400/IMG_1133.JPG" width="400" /></div>
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We had our sale on Saturday and we actually did pretty good- we made
$300. Didn't get rid of everything, but I'd say about 85% of our stuff sold. It ran from 8-5 and we had people waiting outside the door before
eight. Aussie's apparently love a good garage sale. Steady traffic and lots of purchases till one, then hardly anyone. We were getting so bored waiting. Around 4:30 we took down our signs and we had three more stragglers who picked up most of the leftovers. Success!</div>
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Saturday night was my staff goodbye party. I met with the girls after work at my favorite bar, Opera Bar, which sits on the lower concourse of the Opera House and overlooks the harbour and the bridge. I was so glad most of the girls could make it out. It's an awesome staff and the girls all had such wonderful things to say about me and I feel like I am genuinely missed. We had a night of wine, laughter, and amazing views, then saw some fireworks go off behind the bridge once it was dark. The perfect send-off.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From L-R: Koren, Shannon, me, Christina, Nadia, Murianne, Alicia, Eithne, Laura and Elaine</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That was our kick ass view for the night!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eithne and I</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laura and I. She says she misses her "bubble of happiness" at work already, aw!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Murianne and I</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elaine and I</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nadia, Alicia, Shannon and I. We were teaching Nadia how to photobomb.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Koren and I</td></tr>
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I'm so glad I got to meet and get to know all these girls and hope to keep in touch!</div>
Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-44077695248663849862013-01-11T02:01:00.000-08:002013-01-11T02:01:53.180-08:00On The Train...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thought I'd do a little ode to the train and Sydney transit. It stressed me out in the morning when it's full of commuters, relaxes me when it takes me home from work in the evenings, and makes me text everyone I know when I'm coming home from a night of drinking.</div>
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For me it is quite a convenient system. (However I'm told that this is not the case when you live outside the central area of the city). It's a ten minute walk to Redfern, the nearest station, and I can get anywhere I want on one direct train line. Getting into the city takes ten minutes or less. I usually buy a weekly pass from Redfern to Wollstonecraft (where Christina lives and I spend most weekends) and it costs me $26 (single return fare is $4.60). This allows me to travel as much as I want between these stations, which allows me all of the city and North Sydney stops. However if I wanted to go out to Bondi, I would have to buy a separate ticket as it is not on my route. Annoying and odd. Another way Oz rips you off I guess. The trains here run only till one am. Not convenient on a weekend. When the trains is ready to depart a train officer comes out and blows an annoying whistle to signal the driver it's safe to close the doors. Watch out for this if you're walking past said officer. </div>
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Historic fact: the first underground train stations were opened in 1926 and are still kept fairly vintage looking. There were previous stations above ground prior (including a mortuary station that is currently under refurbishment) but sounds like the underground line through the city is what really connected them all together. Redfern was built in 1906.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My homestation, Redfern</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyCvHcwtK6U2e6RyH3LHt9ul12bK7IftvC0XLnQRqLWdDDlce-xmV-xGrJTmOIGx4cSyPnp3Y-i9rEvrRfb2OsNAT6e4-EoQbgE2Tl0WwsNG6HJBTo7ECW_DDPIiVw0v1v_uxo34XCMQ/s1600/IMG_0684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyCvHcwtK6U2e6RyH3LHt9ul12bK7IftvC0XLnQRqLWdDDlce-xmV-xGrJTmOIGx4cSyPnp3Y-i9rEvrRfb2OsNAT6e4-EoQbgE2Tl0WwsNG6HJBTo7ECW_DDPIiVw0v1v_uxo34XCMQ/s400/IMG_0684.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Train arriving at Martin Place. They all have two levels. Some are newer then others. New ones have AC and nicer seats. Old ones smell like homeless people and are covered in graffiti.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLKU9jFvhmt0VzyIH2mVMsTyvsH1vvcw7yWIBlUngNUcMwOYCbOE-OhdvKiCGvnD4pFmcDeKP70GG39aBBAe9nfk13NF6Jp3q080xOTjc-7SFQdjur4WKac-zkFAbs13rOnm7RoqjN7Q/s1600/IMG_0744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLKU9jFvhmt0VzyIH2mVMsTyvsH1vvcw7yWIBlUngNUcMwOYCbOE-OhdvKiCGvnD4pFmcDeKP70GG39aBBAe9nfk13NF6Jp3q080xOTjc-7SFQdjur4WKac-zkFAbs13rOnm7RoqjN7Q/s400/IMG_0744.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most of the city stations feature the stations name in big letters on the wall so you know where you're at. Martin Place is where I catch the train to and from work.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Train schedule at Redfern</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside of an old train</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">City rail map</td></tr>
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<br />Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-48406352855959061532013-01-10T18:30:00.001-08:002013-01-10T18:30:24.962-08:00Day Trip to Canberra: The Nation's Capital<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since we arrived in Oz I have wanted to visit Canberra. Why, most Aussie's might ask (they think it's the most boring place in the world)? For one, it is the capital of Oz! I love visiting the capitals of other places and always try to hit them up when visiting a new country, state or province. Second, none of my friends who've traveled here have made it out there. I wanted to see some of the less popular tourist destinations to add some unique stories to my trip.</div>
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Joel made a big stink about sharing the car, so yesterday morning I hoped on the bus ($55 round trip, probably cheaper then gas in Brutis) and had a nice air conditioned, three hour drive out. Was probably better I didn't drive because I could take a nap and not stress about Brutis misbehaving. However not having a car to store things in made me have to once again rely on a backpack to carry my stuff. Here I am safely in Canberra with my pack and old faithful Lonely Planet guide. </div>
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My original plan was to buy a local bus ticket for the day to get to all the sights. But lucky for me the coach was heading to the National Gallery with some art lovers and took me too, dropping me off close to where I wanted to start. Score and savings of bus fare! The National Gallery is an art museum of sorts. I went in and took a quick peek, got bored, and continued onward.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aboriginal art</td></tr>
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<br />I walked up the Federation Mall towards the Old Parliament House. This was built in 1927 and was used till the new one was finally complete in 1988. Some background information on the city: in 1908 it was decided Canberra would be the capital as a compromise between rival cities Sydney and Melbourne. Prior to this not much was going on here besides farming. It was a planned city, built for government (and built by an American might I add). Very similar layout to DC if you've been. In 1913 it was given the name "Canberra" which means "the gathering place". Once Parliament House was opened in 1927 the government moved in from it's previous site in Melbourne and opened shop. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixsUo3r-mX0efPvNR-CCtr3YQJQdbSPUnLxUNszArDkCqAnjKTgzRRpLJqFWmoVB5JofXwm3OJt_ICC-YSV2yRm3Frd4pbZOBX3jCX_6AjqHHQyh3u1e0RptZilz88sVM0iidfw4Ut0D4/s1600/IMG_1091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixsUo3r-mX0efPvNR-CCtr3YQJQdbSPUnLxUNszArDkCqAnjKTgzRRpLJqFWmoVB5JofXwm3OJt_ICC-YSV2yRm3Frd4pbZOBX3jCX_6AjqHHQyh3u1e0RptZilz88sVM0iidfw4Ut0D4/s400/IMG_1091.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Parliament House. It now houses the Museum of Australian Democracy</td></tr>
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This is the Australian Coat of Arms. It features a kangaroo and an emu. They chose these animals not just because they can be found all over Oz, but because neither one can walk backwards, only forwards. Australia wants their government to only move forward, hence their anthem "Advance Australia Fair".</div>
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<img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMP1V-GEpmqap9wjLbZ96INnC8p4iK3rVuq9eIG1zK__TATGKHNefvghVQXZC9d9jL6KFYOBc8MEYtOi0z9kmY4PlIYcsbHvvcmfS7E-YOZSLqV-8pvrL33QrTZ9NVFTbsB5b9hI-bjRA/s400/IMG_1090.JPG" width="400" /> </div>
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From Old Parliament House you look north along the mall and see the National War Memorial. These three places, along with the new Parliament Building, all line up with each other. Sorry, not the greatest photo.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpoFqUYaWH225eKbJjdweP1G45nrY0qK1d43WnBrqmawyEFzdO69dkQeuN_Y_MO_oyPJ80FTuRVAWiO6kNEnnGIq3_5gTR1b0eqA4b_TaSKT34JXYAezy14EMm33oGcw_sVBmjxAUXQTQ/s1600/IMG_1092.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpoFqUYaWH225eKbJjdweP1G45nrY0qK1d43WnBrqmawyEFzdO69dkQeuN_Y_MO_oyPJ80FTuRVAWiO6kNEnnGIq3_5gTR1b0eqA4b_TaSKT34JXYAezy14EMm33oGcw_sVBmjxAUXQTQ/s400/IMG_1092.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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Heading south of Old Parliament is the new, current Parliament. It's a bit strange looking compared to most government buildings. It's actually built into a hill and from the front is supposedly the shape of a boomerang. There's a giant flagpole on the roof. It's inside and outside were designed with elements of Australia's landscape in mind.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front entry</td></tr>
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There are free guided tours so I decided to check it out.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5aGxfNy5hDpwI9Pmuxb7Vw2e8ADRjGiHA97mNVmGz57jiDX1iHOJlE2c8Av5KVRb7h6VelSbO2ZXgSXJ0qYXsJ8eZJBLuzc636Veq6iIhb3_oMMlD7zyX6CXCRALxXwYkMN5nbAXB8Q/s1600/IMG_1099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5aGxfNy5hDpwI9Pmuxb7Vw2e8ADRjGiHA97mNVmGz57jiDX1iHOJlE2c8Av5KVRb7h6VelSbO2ZXgSXJ0qYXsJ8eZJBLuzc636Veq6iIhb3_oMMlD7zyX6CXCRALxXwYkMN5nbAXB8Q/s400/IMG_1099.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House of Representatives. Where current PM Julia Guillard hangs out. It's this color green to represent the gum trees.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRzORAc9Gsnw-hjlhkBokbacQlCeNVk5LDjQ7_h6dcr0feNRvXtxYAkcrg91Sl82arY33tMs0kBLzlUU6y7pgWW4kIVJQT2hRfIcrfFOPKdrR0OQczagfDCZVDc9n2yjmZqdD6fuiOkQ/s1600/IMG_1102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRzORAc9Gsnw-hjlhkBokbacQlCeNVk5LDjQ7_h6dcr0feNRvXtxYAkcrg91Sl82arY33tMs0kBLzlUU6y7pgWW4kIVJQT2hRfIcrfFOPKdrR0OQczagfDCZVDc9n2yjmZqdD6fuiOkQ/s400/IMG_1102.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interesting central hall</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNzAKURPuyG0KHsVr5en_WXud1x5XIAQBDr3evEYPfr3lhQ5JL7VMXjLU0XQIEyL5mBZpfQKtC5isAuRdvposISY4BK2btim4YJStfO5LD0OqI_jzaISwGPKC-w3WNyW9X8fp1p8NqGgI/s1600/IMG_1103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNzAKURPuyG0KHsVr5en_WXud1x5XIAQBDr3evEYPfr3lhQ5JL7VMXjLU0XQIEyL5mBZpfQKtC5isAuRdvposISY4BK2btim4YJStfO5LD0OqI_jzaISwGPKC-w3WNyW9X8fp1p8NqGgI/s400/IMG_1103.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Senate. It's this color to represent the red earth at the countries core.</td></tr>
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You can take an elevator up to the roof to check out views of the city. Now you can better see that the roof is covered in grass!</div>
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From here I decided to walk to the War Memorial at the other side of the Mall. There is a lake in the middle, Lake Burley Griffin, so I had to walk all the way around. Got my exercise for the day! The lake is man made, damned of from the Molongo River. There is a giant jet fountain in the center, a memorial to Captain James Cook. It pumps water up to 147 meters. Pretty awesome! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the opposite end of the lake is the National Carillon.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To the west is the Telstra Tower, Canberra's lookout tower. They have to join every other city and Oz and have one too!</td></tr>
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I walked all the way around the lake, which ended up taking an hour in the hot sun. Now here's the view of the mall looking south.</div>
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Now a walk down ANZAC Parade to the War Memorial Museum. This is basically a carry over of the Mall. It's lined with memorials from all the different wars Oz was involved in and all the soldiers etc who lost their lives in war. At the end is the War Memorial. I love looking through WWI and II memorabilia for whatever reason, so this was a must see for me.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the courtyard of the museum. Straight ahead is the eternal flame and in the dome is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dome above</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WWI Roll of Honor, lined with poppies</td></tr>
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The museum was pretty interesting and I stayed for about and hour and a half. I loved looking at the old artifacts and propaganda. Interesting to learn about how the war affected Australia, as in school I've only learned about the North American and European side. Tons of soldiers were taken into prisoner of war camps in WWII and most never returned. </div>
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All in all, I quite enjoyed Canberra. It's not a huge city (pop 350 000) but it was easy to get around and quite pleasant looking. Pretty well all the museums here are free and it's very pedestrian friendly. One day was definitely enough here. If you enjoy history and museums, this will be an enjoyable stop.</div>
Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-79697428731688290252013-01-09T00:30:00.003-08:002013-01-09T00:32:59.967-08:00Milsons Point and The Harbour Bridge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Much cooler day today, only twenty two degrees. After a leisurely sleep in I took a ferry out to Milson's Point. I walked around Lavender Bay and checked out Wendy Whiteley's Secret Garden. This was a derelict park for awhile, filled with remnants of old train cars. Local artist Wendy Whiteley took it's clean up on as a personal project, turning it into a nicely landscaped garden, and it is now a relaxing spot for locals to sit and enjoy the view.</div>
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From here I walked back to Milsons Point, the start of the norther approach to the Harbour Bridge.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This park sits on land where homes were demolished in the 1920s to make way for the bridge</td></tr>
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Onto the bridge. Talk about building a bridge to connect Sydney's north and south sides began in 1815, however nothing got further then that till the 1910s. There was a competition held between several design companies to decide what the bridge would look like. In the end the "coat hanger" design won. Building of the bridge didn't begin till 1923 and was completed in 1932 and employed many Sydneysiders during the Great Depression. It was built to hold six lanes of traffic, tram and train lines and pedestrian pathways on both sides. On March 19, 1932 the bridge was officially opened. There was a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate. The ribbon was to be cut by the NSW premier, however before he got a chance a random military guy rode in on horse and slashed it with a sword. The ribbon was retied and the premier cut it again as planned. In 1998 the BridgeClimb was opened and in 1993 New Years Eve fireworks began being shot off the bridge. Other fun facts- Crocodile Dundee actor Paul Hogan worked as a painter on the bridge before becoming famous. Can you imagine how long it takes to refresh the paint on this baby?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little windy up here. My self photo didn't turn out as well as planned.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks random stranger for a bit better shot.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are many of these locks along the bridge. Couples will put them here to cement their love.</td></tr>
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Speaking of bridges, I will be back at this one in ten days!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High Level Bridge, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada</td></tr>
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<br />Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-54944245530328372322013-01-08T03:42:00.001-08:002013-01-09T00:39:13.690-08:00A Day at Bondi<br />
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I finally had a beach day at world famous Bondi! I've been wanting to do this since we've got here but everytime I'd planned to go it's rained. Today was supposed to be hot so I got up early to hit the beach before the sun got too strong. I was at the beach before ten, rented an umbrella and set up camp. Going early and on a weekday is probably the best time to be at Bondi. It wasn't too busy when I got there and I got a prime spot near the water, but after eleven thirty it was packed!</div>
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I'd been to see Bondi before but not actually enjoyed it's beach and I have to say it was pretty awesome. And I even went in the water all the way! It was really hot (42 degrees) and it felt so good to be in the cool water and have the waves crashing around me.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bondi Bathers Pavillion</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see the Iceberg Pool in the distance</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is a long wall between the beach and parkade that has been turned into an art wall. It features memorials to the Bali bombings in 2002 in which many Aussies were killed.</td></tr>
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The suburb of Bondi is not that impressive. The main street is lined with palm trees and features some old buildings and colorful stores fronts, but once you get past that the neighborhood's not that exciting. Sounds like there are some fancy homes in this area as well, but I didn't see any on the ride from the beach to the junction. There are tons of young backpackers from all over the world who stay here. When I first came to Sydney this is where everyone assumed I would be living.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrYF_WiooQEV91AX66O8U_g4LTaOA_goCPUALS8NA9f68zeOlubxT3F-5dTUiQAuqnQsJCqcuFd48DsO2SkbYltj4H7gw3G2VaBTZ1kfQEu8r47k7lwqHJaOedNtRGvLRCsJOlyf8ajYU/s1600/IMG_1063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrYF_WiooQEV91AX66O8U_g4LTaOA_goCPUALS8NA9f68zeOlubxT3F-5dTUiQAuqnQsJCqcuFd48DsO2SkbYltj4H7gw3G2VaBTZ1kfQEu8r47k7lwqHJaOedNtRGvLRCsJOlyf8ajYU/s400/IMG_1063.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main strip of Bondi. The apartments to the right are supposed to be "the best apartments in the world". An Aussie would say that.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCT391aFA0sfmYyR6TbvCTB4Dr86xMJEHisci74brn5piIaEHPh6a4OA4_cU-0jG6Y1mKKGHqgT-wCGyzav0qBUxsDPWtWAh8XElxpq32z-eYH7ckr0zumeKhA-fbeKN_CV8zDeLdFmOs/s1600/IMG_1042.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCT391aFA0sfmYyR6TbvCTB4Dr86xMJEHisci74brn5piIaEHPh6a4OA4_cU-0jG6Y1mKKGHqgT-wCGyzav0qBUxsDPWtWAh8XElxpq32z-eYH7ckr0zumeKhA-fbeKN_CV8zDeLdFmOs/s400/IMG_1042.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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About twelve thirty the sun was getting too strong so I took the (airconditioned) bus and train home. I got started on some packing (one suitcase packed to fifty pounds) and got most things ready for our garage sale on Saturday.</div>
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It's almost eleven pm now and it's still over thirty degrees outside. We carried our mattress downstairs to sleep in front of the AC tonight because it's unbearably hot upstairs. Who doesn't put an air conditioning unit upstairs where the hot air rises too??? The idiot who designed our place apparently. Just another mark on the list of stupid ways built things.</div>
Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-36400918317574689962013-01-08T03:08:00.000-08:002013-01-08T03:08:40.780-08:00My Paid Vacation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Freedom has never tasted so sweet! Great start to my "holiday"by a beautiful day at the beach. We went down to Bronte beach with Christina and Josh and were lucky enough to find a shady area. Still love this beach- the water is a nice color and the sand white. It isn't as soft as the Caribbean but one of my favorites in Oz. It was super busy today. We had to drive around for twenty minutes looking for parking and had a long walk from the car to the beach.</div>
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<img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfk0LxsDQkO_H2ekvHJsyjVLpj8WxmGWpWP4vXO9ebypJQf4dvHJGx2cVOH8ds97_HvPszVURr3NY0e-Gp4v1O8J02-K9kfrA5yort8rNxxYadZpkqikybMy76VFdMluKIByqHBLsKK4I/s400/IMG_1024.JPG" width="400" /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYtnHiFX8B6qnhh2hk0raj_ewpJ3oPqh9wlg8NwO1tRlF1Dcs-2LIcIJmNl1LP1sgpPh4FRmpyfoFNZJb21oKeJ-NoiKquqe5urBVxIwAp46U-0x3ljuOSlGMiBArY5Qyx2mB1QKHwqI/s1600/IMG_1020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYtnHiFX8B6qnhh2hk0raj_ewpJ3oPqh9wlg8NwO1tRlF1Dcs-2LIcIJmNl1LP1sgpPh4FRmpyfoFNZJb21oKeJ-NoiKquqe5urBVxIwAp46U-0x3ljuOSlGMiBArY5Qyx2mB1QKHwqI/s400/IMG_1020.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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On the walk back to the car we walked past a cool ceremony, Waverly Cemetary. It sits on a cliff and looks right over the water. Tons of old graves (1877) with intricately designed tomb stones. There are many prominent people buried here, such as a former Oz PM and some US civil war veterans. Recently it was used for filming in the upcoming "Great Gatsby" movie. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzQYkBgMhXRmXpjq02hHa-WU7fbhRMW4MmQb0Ep9iVhYRdU2GOdjnJW5iWol7JCIep5bpgA9JE5DE-kjkcEgvaR5tdbsOUvC6IGkV37ihWL-j0ZaCWs9EsCy8ROf5ti9BbfhxlVN8QcSQ/s1600/IMG_1025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzQYkBgMhXRmXpjq02hHa-WU7fbhRMW4MmQb0Ep9iVhYRdU2GOdjnJW5iWol7JCIep5bpgA9JE5DE-kjkcEgvaR5tdbsOUvC6IGkV37ihWL-j0ZaCWs9EsCy8ROf5ti9BbfhxlVN8QcSQ/s400/IMG_1025.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zy9KFDB1g7ZX2Eu0T8DmfNlWz4KQmcOjUH21RRwuhWnyvjRtNjZ4u5gtsTBLSOCu1s8ErdYUfxuAbfnoGdg_WehU3RRQPYPrCnuPAyLMG42C0DswRkSJkbBkCVBdeh-YXz-_OknTGII/s1600/IMG_1026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zy9KFDB1g7ZX2Eu0T8DmfNlWz4KQmcOjUH21RRwuhWnyvjRtNjZ4u5gtsTBLSOCu1s8ErdYUfxuAbfnoGdg_WehU3RRQPYPrCnuPAyLMG42C0DswRkSJkbBkCVBdeh-YXz-_OknTGII/s400/IMG_1026.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yesterday I went to meet with Elaine for brunch then headed to the Rocks again. I had to meet with someone who bought my fall coat on gumtree (score!) and wondered through an area I've not yet explored. So many hidden little areas here.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFi1RHUvY-uC-pMDYtzmQMJekVlT0DyYH4jtDSn2FtmrdY8yKdvAWc_cXwC8MmW_Qd-Ma0sEz6HAzKI1H3-ykYL2OgcbJLSg5nvg2OsRqGrJEyf3m_tlBuourgTFS2yxfU8LEWRGIRhk/s1600/IMG_1032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFi1RHUvY-uC-pMDYtzmQMJekVlT0DyYH4jtDSn2FtmrdY8yKdvAWc_cXwC8MmW_Qd-Ma0sEz6HAzKI1H3-ykYL2OgcbJLSg5nvg2OsRqGrJEyf3m_tlBuourgTFS2yxfU8LEWRGIRhk/s400/IMG_1032.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcv-e_pwBK23W-xPY6rz4dyVM1-oN3oFLknZGLXh1KMQ5u6Mc_FEpJJBgKnux0OBDwBLocrC7NDhczAiScRrQaXvHSzGaKZ9l291engcFQMhs4GP7CbumyBp-JqT0tcGCHv8MzEKWsp8A/s1600/IMG_1028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcv-e_pwBK23W-xPY6rz4dyVM1-oN3oFLknZGLXh1KMQ5u6Mc_FEpJJBgKnux0OBDwBLocrC7NDhczAiScRrQaXvHSzGaKZ9l291engcFQMhs4GP7CbumyBp-JqT0tcGCHv8MzEKWsp8A/s400/IMG_1028.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU78ewcAqwpRGTj9wBozSI9HTFnm9ydgKizG8r8eP8OvzQrQ3W_EmxqAQfqEEsfzpnjvAO0j9NE8IWaFPTXf0eyKv2RcjEjDi4hDabx5tb9V29IKeronjKwGi3Doib0ZnpD1YUF5Ax7n8/s1600/IMG_1031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU78ewcAqwpRGTj9wBozSI9HTFnm9ydgKizG8r8eP8OvzQrQ3W_EmxqAQfqEEsfzpnjvAO0j9NE8IWaFPTXf0eyKv2RcjEjDi4hDabx5tb9V29IKeronjKwGi3Doib0ZnpD1YUF5Ax7n8/s400/IMG_1031.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Random installation art. </td></tr>
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On the way back to the train in Circular Quay I stopped at Customs House. Formally a customs point, it is now part of the NSW library. They have a miniature mock up of Sydney displayed under glass floor. My pics didn't turn out well but it was pretty cool.</div>
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaOIU-P0owLEo3JxwJ824o2mkOsze8qdLchvfl5p2rLM0O_X_zoSUCQ2AMjfbB5Ub7Y_x2vOplrmb_6oh9qHqbbZvNLouUC90R0tZ7_1DKPTwLHPQuk0tocST8NowgXKAGgmHH3vgJ_s/s400/IMG_1033.JPG" width="266" /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LHanON1rKs9TDRFqcd0vt1ZQynqHl6pcS351Dc7cprWHt2svnsJS4kAzWXxUB0qi2NaItiJd9ZBz9PBWPS8O3zor8DIq4GHgjoo3agUyZxBhr4VlQPgaggJ6nNCPsD0DB7y44KOPgVE/s1600/IMG_1034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LHanON1rKs9TDRFqcd0vt1ZQynqHl6pcS351Dc7cprWHt2svnsJS4kAzWXxUB0qi2NaItiJd9ZBz9PBWPS8O3zor8DIq4GHgjoo3agUyZxBhr4VlQPgaggJ6nNCPsD0DB7y44KOPgVE/s400/IMG_1034.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNL6ChxeRcUMCbUoXuBwzovS4ZOy-i7kkhzbPPTJQ5ymq_XeDy7qOFweniAZx3B4R5PM3_iK_EQeZSR2t-xEBX72Hzk4Tw79ucVClJjBhivlvYTGDqgEB7u5LofWrcRg3AZ_ikNiZACIw/s1600/IMG_1036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNL6ChxeRcUMCbUoXuBwzovS4ZOy-i7kkhzbPPTJQ5ymq_XeDy7qOFweniAZx3B4R5PM3_iK_EQeZSR2t-xEBX72Hzk4Tw79ucVClJjBhivlvYTGDqgEB7u5LofWrcRg3AZ_ikNiZACIw/s400/IMG_1036.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's Circular Quay!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDfZ3KduK2v8bhRBtDBnSvoDvTBb-cKXugcJ3b9q70L9Gvg4xbpJBr92wW9INJlTDHuFJW8mjt9OIGtEsMrQFuH4jdXcs1h4wJuGSDlh8oAL1klb0TcTNSS-koylQuGQmRk884VAmVw8/s1600/IMG_1037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDfZ3KduK2v8bhRBtDBnSvoDvTBb-cKXugcJ3b9q70L9Gvg4xbpJBr92wW9INJlTDHuFJW8mjt9OIGtEsMrQFuH4jdXcs1h4wJuGSDlh8oAL1klb0TcTNSS-koylQuGQmRk884VAmVw8/s400/IMG_1037.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the second level</td></tr>
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I started going through some stuff last night to start packing and came across all my mail. I didn't realize I had received so much! Thanks to all my penpals xoxo.</div>
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<img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixiFdpgzG6aWTdZWzeG0c48TMpMQidlXRP2yT0bJOJguDnBdYKmxDMjDuTWadtka-47P_NZUz455VztvOl-RfwovFscrAPj6kYNzd7dYuPMiaREnjihOhAoO7uRTyBcJLJx0GHVRmwq40/s400/IMG_1038.JPG" width="400" /></div>
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<br />Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-63744668753316800152013-01-05T17:42:00.001-08:002013-01-05T17:42:28.823-08:00The Blue Mountains<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On Saturday after I found out about my new found vacation, Joel finally took me out to the Blue Mountains!!! It was a perfect day, sunny and warm. The Blue Mountains are about an hour and a half away. Would be an easy drive, but Brutis decided we'd enjoy not having any AC, so we had to drive with the windows down. By the time we got to the lookout point at Katoomba we were both hot and thirsty. </div>
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But I finally got to see the mountains and The Three Sisters! Compared to what we're used to back in Alberta, these were more like big hills then anything. And the Three Sister rock formation was smaller then I had imagined. But looking at the pictures now it is still pretty amazing. We didn't stay long because it was SOOO hot, like forty degrees. There was a glass bottomed cable car that goes across the valley but I'm chicken of heights and didn't want to do it. Joel was not in a touring mood either. Honest to God, this is our last sight seeing trip together. From now on we just do the all-inclusive thing and if I want to sight-see I'm going with someone else. We walked around to see the views and I got my pictures. Note Joel is not in any. He didn't want any pictures of his face. But then he pouted the whole way home because he wasn't in any. </div>
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<img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi879qD5Qmn0fd5tui5q_AF_mFUqT1_4mLtbqNzV-5Xjg2u5mzvLvFc6uo7IVUS8aJ2Ro8dVYEbVWtC88PA3JGkBQEtfpHu7FRFnKJhkswJF-jJ4EYVUNyEofZBBlpoWrfM9fEufHUaCd0/s400/IMG_0999.JPG" width="400" /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGn6Aj2ThidXseJbbUq88HykLsnVAosUGePbtUS2M9SFKI2drT5-YqPAls_BK4ogojJdcV-Y-jAqFnLgWj6zD0C5mWJg5qFT3763BJ3Ah0MzJBDhKS0NrvUKnMwbSmhiDo6SM8i4ItaM/s1600/IMG_1000q.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGn6Aj2ThidXseJbbUq88HykLsnVAosUGePbtUS2M9SFKI2drT5-YqPAls_BK4ogojJdcV-Y-jAqFnLgWj6zD0C5mWJg5qFT3763BJ3Ah0MzJBDhKS0NrvUKnMwbSmhiDo6SM8i4ItaM/s400/IMG_1000q.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SxpFJBN-VLa9GxqN8lYFS_igDKIF1ndxZn8A7oMycf48mog_NFOFJ-15hXpWafEZx0Uh7Y12IRjnD7-RzP8V5PPxMMWcxpYSMj2Zwk-1Nu9RiViOEdr5IqLyPP2LuVV2C2JEOoZhXVQ/s1600/IMG_1004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SxpFJBN-VLa9GxqN8lYFS_igDKIF1ndxZn8A7oMycf48mog_NFOFJ-15hXpWafEZx0Uh7Y12IRjnD7-RzP8V5PPxMMWcxpYSMj2Zwk-1Nu9RiViOEdr5IqLyPP2LuVV2C2JEOoZhXVQ/s400/IMG_1004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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We hit up the gas station for water
and Popsicles and headed back to Sydney. Here is proof that Joel did accompany me on this trip.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ANZAC Bridge</td></tr>
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When we arrived back in the city Joel was in a better mood and decided we should go to Bondi to cool off. We drove over, got some Cold Rock, and sat along the beach wall watching the water and the people.</div>
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It has finally hit me that I have TWO WEEKS OFF in one of the greatest cities it the world!!! I woke up today and realized I have no schedule or set wake-up time and I can do whatever I want. So I've started to make a list of more things to see and do. I would love to travel to a few other places (I really would like to see Tasmania and more of New Zealand) but unfortunately those flights are not in our budget (we need some money when we get home to get started again). I'm planning on doing a day trip out to Canberra, a trip to Sydney's Northern beaches, a surf lesson, and just plenty of beach time. Here's the fabulous forecast for the next few days:</div>
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Today it's off to my favorite beach, Bronte, with Joel, Christina and Josh, woo hoo! </div>
Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-43701011176002464992013-01-05T17:15:00.002-08:002013-01-05T17:15:43.421-08:00Not Such a Happy New Year...<br />
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On our way home Joel ended up getting in a fight, as drunk boys do. I'm not going to go into details , but he got beat to the face pretty bad and we ended up in an ambulance to the hospital. He was mad and hurt, I was freaking out and scared. He is ok now, just had some big hits to the face resulting in bruises, bumps, cuts and sidewalk rash. I felt bad for him but not too bad as he should know better. The doctor gave him a note to take the rest of the week off work and rest up. He's already looking way better.</div>
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On Wednesday I had to go back to work and today was the day I had to hand in my notice of resignation. I was still feeling pretty upset about everything that went down on New Years and was scared to tell my bosses I was leaving. I had a lovely panic attack as soon as I got off the train to head to work. I told Andy, the business side boss, and he took it pretty well. He said he understands that we couldn't get a visa through Joel and he's sorry he's unable to sponsor me (they are frozen as sponsors and don't know how long it will take for it to unfreeze) and sad to lose me as I've done so well in such a short period of time. Then the fun part began- telling the rest of the staff and saying goodbye to my clients. This is tough, especially when the clients love me so much and try and offer more suggestions to how I can stay and get upset at the government for not allowing perfectly good people to stay. I don't want to tell them part of the reason we're going home is because I don't like their country. After lunch my other boss Steve (aka Slimey) had a talk with me in which he basically made me feel guilty for leaving. I think he was just mad because I didn't tell him first.</div>
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Thursday was my eleven hour day and I was fully booked. By 8:30 when I left I was sore from standing all day and emotionally drained from telling so many people what was happening. I went home to bed right away. I woke up during what I thought was the middle of the night, but only ended up being eleven o'clock. I couldn't get back to sleep because I was just feeling so upset about the last few days and stressed about all the things that have to get done in the next few weeks, and the fact that we really have no plan for when we get back. You name it, I can stress over it. They don't call me OCV (Obsessive Compulsive Victoria) for nothing!</div>
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I was going to call in sick Friday morning, but I had a special client I wanted to personally say goodbye to. I should have just stayed home though as I was a mess and a zombie due to lack of sleep. At one I asked to go home sick. Work said no problem, just get a doctor's note and they could pay me for the hours I'd miss. I was dealing with so much I couldn't take it anymore. I had a meltdown when I got home and then crashed.</div>
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Yesterday morning I got up early and went to a walk in clinic for my note. The doctor gave me two more days off to relax from all the stress I'd been dealing with. I emailed the note to work. A few hours later I got a call from Andy. He said it's too confusing to tell clients I'm sick for two days then leaving and it makes Detail look shady by having so many stories, so not to come back to work. They will pay me my regular pay for the next two weeks. At first I was shocked and shaken up because they basically were nicely firing me, even though I had given notice first. I've never been fired. When I calmed down I realized now I have two weeks off paid to relax, get my stuff done, and enjoy as much of Sydney as I can. Pretty sweet! Dewey said think of it as a goodbye gift from Slimey for being a douche. Time to see the city, courtesy of Detail...</div>
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Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-76909456246483360322013-01-05T16:51:00.002-08:002013-01-05T16:51:29.456-08:00Happy New Year!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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New Years Eve day is not a stat holiday and I had to work. It ended up being pretty busy and the day flew by fast. We were able to move some clients up so I could leave at six instead of seven.</div>
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New Years for us was going to be with our Sydney BFF's Josh and Christina. Joel headed to their place early to pregame, as all three of the had the day off. I took the train over after work. We ordered in some Thai takeout and I busted out my favorite Innocent Bystander Moscato to chill out after my busy day. We ended up playing a funny board game called WTF, telling funny stories of our past, and having a dance off. Things got a little rowdy when "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy" came on and everybody had to dance on the furniture. This has got to be my favorite self timed photo ever!</div>
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At eleven o'clock we headed over to the train station to catch the train back to the city. As usual on drinking nights we made some random friends. Tonight consisted of an Aussie rapper named Geo. Once on the train Josh decided it would be a good idea to preform the Haka dance (as he is from New Zealand). For those of you that don't know, this is a traditional Maori war dance. The All Blacks (NZ rugby team) preform this before each game. Joel got right into it too (even though he's never seen it before) and the two boys were dancing and chanting away. Josh had me video it on his phone (if it gets a million views on youtube we can make some money!) and I can't wait till that video surfaces! Anyway, the boys were a big hit (all the tourists thought it was cool to see some "authentic Australian dancing" on NYE) and the whole car clapped and cheered for them and wanted their pictures. </div>
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We got off the train and walked to the Observatory Hill, which we all agreed would be a great place to watch the New Years Fireworks. By the time we got there it was full, so we had to find a new place. We walked down the hill and ended up finding a sidewalk with a nice clearing in the trees exposing the bridge. There weren't bad crowds here so sat down and made ourselves at home. The bridge was lit up with flood lights which alternated colors. This itself was cool enough.</div>
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Right before midnight a countdown started up, then the fireworks began. Even though we didn't have the prime viewing spot, holy s*^% those fireworks are good! They were coming off the bridge and four different barges along the harbor. We didn't know where to look there were so many! Huge booms of explosion, bright colors and funky shapes. Best. Fireworks. Ever. You can check out the real deal <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6lWArihfm0" target="_blank">here</a>. Every year there is a guest designer and this year it was Kylie Minogue. I had a couple mini bottles of champagne in my purse so we busted those out as we watched in awe.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Harbor Bridge still lit up after the show.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What the fireworks looked like from the front of the bridge in Circular Key.</td></tr>
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After the fireworks were over we walked down the street to The Hero of Waterloo. Yup, the final stop on my ghost tour! Christina and Josh had done this tour previously and Hero's became their favorite place after! This is where things started to get rowdy. Joel made some friends with some Lebanese guys, who he must have told he was also Lebanese, and he became their god! They were dancing around together, cheering go Lebanon, and buying each other drinks. The highlight is when Joel picked one up and spun him around! Also in our new posse was an Irish couple and a couple middle aged ladies who were enjoying salsa dancing with Josh. At one point Josh decided to stand up on a table, do a mini strip show and take off his pants. The crowd went wild, the bouncers did not. Luckily they just said don't do it again. We stayed till close to two then moved on as it was starting to quite down. We walked back through the Rocks to the train station and the streets were a mess, littered in streamers, hats, bottles and cans.</div>
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From here on the night took a big turn and got a little hazy...</div>
Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-88647180830467376532013-01-05T16:28:00.001-08:002013-01-05T16:28:40.021-08:00Mosman, Balmoral Beach, and Dinner at Jamie's<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Only a few more weekends left in Sydney so time to make the most of things! Today I woke up earlier to explore one of the northern suburbs of Mosman. I'd been wanting to do this for awhile but it was never nice enough on the days I'd planned. Beautiful day today so I was set!</div>
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Took the train to Circular Quay and saw this guy, the token Disco-Abbo-Digeredoo man! Everyone who comes to Sydney sees this guy (or one of his buddies). </div>
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I caught the ferry out to the Tarronga Zoo. As it was a Saturday so did
every tourist and their stroller. It was a zoo getting to the zoo,
ha! When I got across I caught a bus going out to Balmoral Beach so I didn't have to deal with them too long. I got the pictures of the city that I wanted (one of the best views from the zoo). </div>
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I got off the bus at Balmoral and was impressed with the beach right away. It's in a little cove so there are just small, gentle waves. The water is blue and the sand is white. It's a bit of a hidden beach, one that mostly locals only know of, so wasn't very busy. This neighborhood would have been built up and popular to live in the 1920s and 30s. There is an old bathers pavilion dating from that time and a neat little island you can walk out to via a bridge. This is for sure one of my top beaches in Sydney. I sat here for almost an hour just enjoying the sun and the water. It was so peaceful and relaxing.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, I did put my feet in the water here!!!</td></tr>
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When I felt I'd had enough sun I went for a walk through Mosman to check out the houses. I could take my time since Joel wasn't with me! Beautiful Victorian era homes here, most with names. Reminded me of Old Glenora or Ada Boulevard back home. I spent an hour walking around winding through the homes. If we were to stay in Sydney this is definitely the area I'd want to live in.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the little bays with ferry access to the city.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical style Sydney home </td></tr>
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Turns out the ferry station I planned on departing from only has one ferry to the city an hour and it was just pulling away as I got close to the terminal! So I had to walk back to the madhouse of the zoo and ended up getting a little lost. Was getting grumpy and hungry by the time I arrived back at Circular Key. I had some souvenir shopping to do so popped over to the Rocks Market and my favorite Aussie souvenir store. This actually calmed me down. For some odd reason I love going into the tourist stores! If anybody wants something from Oz now is your chance to tell me!</div>
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Joel was home and rested from golf when I got home. Tonight was date night (thanks to some xmas money from our parents!) and we decided to try out Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurant. We got there early, 6:30, but there was still an hour and a half wait. We got some drinks and chilled upstairs in the bar. When we finally got a table (more like two hours later) service was very quick and efficient. The food was awesome and the prices were pretty reasonable, considering Jamie Oliver is a celebrity chef. I had the Truffled Tagliatelle and Joel the Truffled Turkey. Amazing! We went all out and got dessert too, panna cotta for me, brownie for Joel.</div>
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<br />Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-49176153771096962912013-01-05T16:06:00.000-08:002013-01-05T16:06:00.429-08:00The Rocks Ghost Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One thing on my list to do in Sydney was a ghost tour of the Rocks. It's Sydney's oldest neighborhood and full of alot of history. I though a ghost tour would be a more exciting way to learn the stories of the area then a regular walking tour. Joel wasn't interested so I went on my own Friday night after work. I made it to Circular Quay a few minutes early so took the time to catch some great photos of my favorite sights as the sun set.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gLHsz6fREDL3EuRnVtGuxU8OWTImCNKNNBClQpMGlhO-3Z7oJa-wV8nX60yqgNi3c5leugZswpCAEHvbqkgKt_DfpSNtQU0xZvJJyv2eMG37xWxpt3GqFNYmrno3g85_pvpexh1aMRw/s1600/IMG_0861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gLHsz6fREDL3EuRnVtGuxU8OWTImCNKNNBClQpMGlhO-3Z7oJa-wV8nX60yqgNi3c5leugZswpCAEHvbqkgKt_DfpSNtQU0xZvJJyv2eMG37xWxpt3GqFNYmrno3g85_pvpexh1aMRw/s400/IMG_0861.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLp484RrB7KsBN_vKUzIpK2W_KsUwdQgXeG4d2JJAAG3odaXdQxzpXjBBN51Lob2nXftHNJ4X3u7cd4qDGNuXQrdUejUpj3a4NoGWVKFvZ4vLu8IpXGBWZGYR8u2G2grRSJCr84-6YO-E/s1600/IMG_0863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLp484RrB7KsBN_vKUzIpK2W_KsUwdQgXeG4d2JJAAG3odaXdQxzpXjBBN51Lob2nXftHNJ4X3u7cd4qDGNuXQrdUejUpj3a4NoGWVKFvZ4vLu8IpXGBWZGYR8u2G2grRSJCr84-6YO-E/s400/IMG_0863.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div>
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The tour started at Cadman's Cottage, the oldest standing residential building in Sydney built in 1816. It originally sat right on the shore line of the harbor, but the waterline has since moved. It was originally home of the Sydney Water Police and a convict who had earned his freedom, John Cadman. My guide was Ghostguide Lachlan and I got to be one of the lucky two lantern holders on the tour (the other was also a blonde lady, go figure?). He had the keys to the cottage so we were able to go inside. Creepy! Lots of deaths here. The smaller building to the left is where all the dead bodies found in the harbor were send to rot. There is still lots of activity in this house.</div>
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From here we walked into the Rocks through some hidden alleyways and into locked areas that are not open to the public. Some serious stuff went down in this hood! In the early days the convicts would move here once they earned their freedom. It was also full of sailors, gangs and prostitutes. Sounds like you wouldn't want to be walking around here once it was dark. There were lots of stories of mutilations and many of the dead can still be found walking the streets or lurking in windows.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5wooTWpLKLuIBlneCA3esBaSLyVB0_9LS9PCN0xeD7-Z65dRZwt-DlSKTTJdkCpk5eEB-vydFa17RDF3NSAwEXpN-y4jFiTDRn6kF4D1nqoCWK7JFLZRJYLTODETtqyBukmHck4CWQQ/s1600/IMG_0864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5wooTWpLKLuIBlneCA3esBaSLyVB0_9LS9PCN0xeD7-Z65dRZwt-DlSKTTJdkCpk5eEB-vydFa17RDF3NSAwEXpN-y4jFiTDRn6kF4D1nqoCWK7JFLZRJYLTODETtqyBukmHck4CWQQ/s400/IMG_0864.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the coffin makers home. Supposedly lots of people can catch faces in the windows with their cameras. Doesn't look like I did.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back laneway leading up to the Suez Canal. This was one of the areas you'd want to walk against the
walls in just in case someone yelled out "Guardy-loo!". These lanes
tended to get pretty gross when it hadn't rained in awhile...</td></tr>
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In the late 1800s there were tons of street gangs in The Rocks, the most famous being the Rocks Push Gang. They would hide razor blades in their shoes and slide them against the Achilles tendons of unsuspecting sailors hooking up with prostitutes on street corners. They would then beat them with socks filled with sand till the sailor was unconscious, run off with his valuables, empty the sand from their socks and put them back on to hid any evidence. They were so good the police couldn't ever catch them or book them for jail time.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIs2yCWKtXBDUOQjkZE2sgqPwFb9e1PeWhafJqefa36mYDJvavgfj7T9U-oMpseZtQzX1JrwFd3-LJ3SEhOB8IgTLycgTKUFj-pGtPis-1mxnOvWhyphenhyphenYUIkny4K2HgvP79xQ-2p3hR2QAU/s1600/IMG_0867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIs2yCWKtXBDUOQjkZE2sgqPwFb9e1PeWhafJqefa36mYDJvavgfj7T9U-oMpseZtQzX1JrwFd3-LJ3SEhOB8IgTLycgTKUFj-pGtPis-1mxnOvWhyphenhyphenYUIkny4K2HgvP79xQ-2p3hR2QAU/s400/IMG_0867.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old and new buildings of The Rocks</td></tr>
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This next one was creepy. A husband and wife lived here and when the hubby
went out to work for the day she would have many gentlemen visitors. One day hubby
caught her in the act, cut off her genitals and face and left her
hanging from the wall. He ran away and was never to be seen again. Supposedly lots of activity here as the wife remains to seek her revenge. I have some "orbs" in my picture but I think that may camera just needs a clean. </div>
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Next stop was The Rocks Dig. This is a big dig that began in the last twenty or so years and all sorts of interesting history and artifacts have been unearthed. It sits below the YHA. All kinds of creepy stuff happened here. Creepiest story was in the 1900s when the bubonic plague hit Sydney. People who had caught the plague would develop large cysts from the waist up and starting vomiting green bile. They would either die or go into a coma. The doctors often couldn't tell the difference. Many people were buried alive (as coffins found in The Dig had scratch marks on the inside). If you were wealthy enough you could have a bell attached to the buried person's wrist so when they woke up and tried to escape a bell would ring, calling people to the rescue. Hence the saying "Saved by the bell". I took a few more pics here but still no luck on any faces, smoke or definite orbs.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprR3yOuXgtbiM4cAIJ5FkqaBXXS8qPOHhXl6tvbL8ocL-xR-DAgPrDehrceaosYwZ9OdlsrQTZC4eLRdGM2GLb4hbTCHamB_JSFHmHiRe7du5XtTgQ-dQV3MOF1p4YwsHG5NsFFUyW-E/s1600/IMG_0871.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprR3yOuXgtbiM4cAIJ5FkqaBXXS8qPOHhXl6tvbL8ocL-xR-DAgPrDehrceaosYwZ9OdlsrQTZC4eLRdGM2GLb4hbTCHamB_JSFHmHiRe7du5XtTgQ-dQV3MOF1p4YwsHG5NsFFUyW-E/s400/IMG_0871.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Next we headed up the hill to the Sydney Observatory. There was a young boy who was brutally beaten and mutilated on the iron gates here. Once a month people see a gaunt young boy in old fashioned clothes walking around the Observatory looking for help. </div>
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The hill was also the site of the city's hangings. People would be tried for crimes (often petty ie stealing sugar or meat) a hung from one of the trees. I didn't feel too creepy being up here (I had my trusty lantern for safety!). I did get some awesome night pics of the bridge and the full moon that happened to be out. Turns out the bridge is haunted as well. There was a man who literally got built into the bridge during construction! Sounds like he's a playful guy and people will often see him through the rear view mirror sitting in the backseat of their car. Also learned that Luna Park (whose lights you can see in the distance) was closed for quite a few years as some people died on a ride that caught fire.</div>
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<img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Nw_rlO50JGWf9CZL09Qk-EpJZm74DQQqWPC5UCpJd8XZ7iY3At3KSJQeQBZUIo6W6oRH8BKkjku6Q8yJeO_n4YJ5Dc8y73_L8aDrincN08lhMTfuCsY7gWFNmk5wZnH1x2oyceRO1E0/s400/IMG_0874.JPG" width="400" /></div>
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Last stop of the tour was to the Hero of Waterloo Pub, build in 1843. Young men would come here for the free rum that was served. They would drink and eventually pass out at the bar, as there was a type of drug in the rum. They would be thrown down the stairs by the barman where they would be smuggled down a tunnel and taken aboard sailing ships as involuntary recruit. There was also alot of rum smuggling going on through this tunnel. The Hero of Waterloo still is a functioning pub today. It looked pretty cool but I wasn't going to sit at the bar and drink on my own, so headed home.</div>
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The tour was very interesting and I learned alot more about early Sydney then my visit to the Barracks Museum, but I was disappointed I didn't see any ghosts. Leaving the tour I didn't feel scared, but once I got home and retold some of the tales to Joel I had a hard time sleeping! </div>
Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-15181478755632694352013-01-05T03:43:00.000-08:002013-01-05T03:47:25.575-08:00The Hulk Comes Out to Play on Boxing Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Of course Boxing Day had to be crappy weather too. It didn't rain, but it was cloudy and windy all day. Joel got up in the morning for a Boxing Day comp at Eastlakes. When he got home we skyped with both our families, who at eighteen hours behind were still celebrating Christmas. We were planning to head out to Watson Bay to watch the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Races (a big event that happens every year) but Joel got off golf too late and the boats were long gone. I still wanted to check out the area (it's supposed to have great views of the city) and thought we could have a nice date since we both had the day off. Wrong.</div>
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Watson Bay is an eastern suburb, north of Bondi. Melba got quite confused in her directions and ended up leading us on a road headed towards the Harbor Bridge that we couldn't u-turn out of. As you know, Joel gets road rage on the best of days. Well today was the last straw. After some choice curse words to Melba and some slams on the horn he turned into the hulk, ripped the horn off the wheel and threw it into traffic behind us on the bridge. I couldn't believe he did that! I said how do you expect to sell the car without a horn??? Don't think he thought that one through. He said it would be ok, we'd just turn around after the bridge and go back for it. And what, stop in the middle of the bridge in busy traffic to pick it up? Yeah right, lost cause I said. Well we crossed the bridge, turned around, went back through the toll and headed towards where he thought it landed. God must have been on our side today because we found it! It had landed near the meridian in a bus lane. So he turned on the hazard lights, slowed down and made me open the door to pick it up. It had been run over by another car, but we got our horn back! We both peed our pants laughing about this for the next few minutes.</div>
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Finally Melba did lead us to the right place. There is a national park at Watson Bay with a nice lookout point that would have been perfect to watch the sailing race from. Oh well. This is a pretty famous point and people come here for the view, to make out in their cars, or to commit suicide off the cliff.</div>
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Watson Bay is a pretty neat neighborhood. It was developed in the mid to late 1800s so there are still some interesting old homes around. We took a walk along one of it's beaches to check out the view of the city. This enclosed little harbor is full of lots of private boats.</div>
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On our drive back home we cruised through another older neighborhood along the water called Vaucluse. This is one of the most affluent neighborhoods in Sydney as it's so close to the CBD and overlooks the water with homes winding through the hills. There is a combination of beautiful old estate homes and huge modern mansions. I made Joel park the car so we could get out and check out the views. I think the neighbors were embarrassed to have Brutis parked in their street! I would have loved to have walked around and explored more but Joel had had enough touring for the day so we headed home.</div>
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<br />Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-36255880474459621982013-01-05T03:12:00.000-08:002013-01-05T03:12:33.529-08:00Christmas Down Under<div style="text-align: center;">
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Christmas morning we woke up to MORE pouring rain. This was the most rain Sydney has had on Christmas Day in over forty years. We were invited to my co-worker Koren's for Christmas lunch and a pool party near Penrith. Since that's towards the Blue Mountains we were going to get up early and check out Katoomba in the morning before lunch, but due to the rain and heavy clouds decided it wouldn't be worth it and went back to bed. Second failed Blue Mountains trip because of rain.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pouring rain. The stupid little truck to the left is always parked on the road in front of us and we hate it. It rarely moves. We tend to stick notes under it's wipers hoping the owner will freak out thinking that they've got a parking ticket.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
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Koren's family was running late so she said not to rush coming out. Perfect, more sleep. Around two we got ready, carried all our booze and food (Joel had made heaps of mango pasta salad and coleslaw the night before) out to the car in the pouring rain and headed through the city to pick up Christina and Josh. Christmas Day in Sydney is what I imagine a regular day looks like in Asia. Seriously, the CBD was full of Asians with cameras standing in the middle of the road taking pictures. </div>
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From Christina and Josh's it was about an hour's drive to Korens. They live way northwest. Hard to believe that area still counts as part of Sydney. Lunch was at her in-laws place and we got to meet various relatives from both Koren and her husband Simon's sides. Also adopted into the family for the day was Shannon, another co-worker, who's family is all in Melbourne. Even though it was too wet to head into the pool we still had a nice afternoon with lots of food, Christmas crackers (complete with festive hats and cheesy jokes), and entertainment from Koren's little niece and nephew (who were hilarious). We had traditional Aussie Christmas dessert, Pavlova and Plum Pudding. Plum Pudding is Australia's version of fruit cake- it's always there but no one wants to eat it. We ended up staying till eleven pm chatting with everyone. Her father-in-law had been to Canada so he took out an atlas to see where we're from and had plenty of questions to ask about the rest of the country. Her family was so great and I'm so happy they included us in their Christmas feast! Christmas away from home and without my family wasn't so bad.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L-R Koren, me, Shannon, Joel, Josh and Christina</td></tr>
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Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-58816687380570553812012-12-25T00:00:00.000-08:002012-12-25T00:00:13.422-08:00Merry Christmas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Merry Christmas from the Land Down Under!</div>
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Is this not the funniest Christman card ever? </div>
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This is totally what we'll be doing today...</div>
Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-7915006155093026812012-12-24T04:55:00.000-08:002012-12-24T04:56:37.567-08:00Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Christmas Eve Day is here! I woke up feeling very festive and excited. (Too bad I had to work from 9-7...). I left the house at 8:15 and it was already like 30 degrees and 100% humidity (hence the wavy bangs). Ridiculously hot. Anyway, thought I should grab a Christmas picture with a palm tree this morning. (No, I didn't get to decorate one) Turned the ipod to my Christmas mix and rocked all the way to work. It was pretty quite in the city as most people are now on holidays.</div>
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Since Edmonton is eighteen hours behind I was able to skype into my family's 23rd celebrations back home on my lunch break! Not a great connection today, but good to see everyone. Dewey said it's not the same without me and I should come home now. Soon Dewey, soon. Everyone bragged about how good the broccoli mushroom casserole was (it's a favorite) and wasn't I jealous I missed it and I pulled out my leftovers and said haha I have my own! Anyway, I got to chat for a bit with each guest and was offered prosecco (another recent addition to the 23rd) by my Mom. I wish. Before my lunch ended they all sang me "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". So cute. </div>
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I had a good day and Andy told me again how proud he was of me- I surpassed my quotas big time last week. Awesome! Then I promptly felt bad because I'm going to have to tell him I'm leaving pretty soon...</div>
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In the late afternoon I got another panic attack. I've been getting them again the last few days out of the blue. I think it's because deep down I'm stressed about what's next. I'm leaving a good paying job here and going home to who knows what city or job back in Canada. I know that is totally the right choice, but my poor brain just likes to stress and over-think things.</div>
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We were supposed to go out to another co-workers for drinks tonight but we just didn't feel up to it. Joel picked up a bunch of groceries and made up some cold meals for our Christmas feast at Koren's tomorrow. We ate chocolate mousse from Coles, the closet we could get to a DQ ice cream cake in Oz. It was so humid and muggy all day and the sky finally burst and we had torrential downpour for like an hour. I'm praying it's sunny for our long awaited trip to the Blue Mountains (which is near Koren's) and pool party tomorrow. The Weather Channel says otherwise.</div>
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<br />Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678830247476029292.post-36076900925132618412012-12-24T04:39:00.001-08:002012-12-24T04:59:29.560-08:00The 23rd<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In my family the twenty-third of December is the highlight of Christmas. All the cousins, aunts and uncles who we don't see on Christmas Day get together at Mom and Dad's for a night of good food, baked goods, caroling (featuring the kids on the stairs), and presents (and youtube viewing in recent years). We've been doing it since like 1997 and every year someone new gets added into the mix. This was the first year I've missed it. I wanted to do my own version so we got together with Christina and Josh and cooked up a good feast, North American style. Christina and I did all the cooking (and Joel did the meat as neither of us wanted to touch raw chicken). Be proud people- I made TWO dishes that were very edible! My Mom's traditional 23rd meal, broccoli mushroom casserole, and marshmallow salad. Christina made some awesome mashed potatoes and stuffing and Joel did up two Christmas chickens and a festive punch. We gathered make shift decorations from around the house and I used my mad staging skills (props to Jill) to create a festive table display. Josh worked all day so we gave him candle lighting honors when he got home.</div>
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Another awesome night- I love hanging out with these two! We didn't sing, but we did listen to Christmas tunes and bust out the youtube (Talking to Americans anyone?).</div>
Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647530825301054733noreply@blogger.com0