Crickey!

My fascination with the Sydney Opera House is akin to that of my love for the Eiffel Tower. I have quite a few pictures of the iconic building now -- I find it to be very majestic. Last night, after going to Ryan's Bar and Orbit Lounge Bar, we went to the Opera Bar, which has incredible views of the Opera House -- there were fun prints that were being projected onto the white outer shell (if you will) which made it even more fascinating. The Orbit Lounge Bar was also unique in that it slowly rotates around, giving viewers a complete 360 degree view of Sydney. We were out with a group of John and Pete's friends -- all of whom are so nice and funny. There is always lots of great banter with the Aussies. 

Yesterday, Desi and I woke up around 9:30, took our time getting ready, and then walked along to the Collaroy bus stop where we got a lift to Wynyard stop, then sprinted to get our next bus that took us to Town Hall. We met up with Pete, James and Andy, two school friends whom Pete works with at KPMG. Pete had made reservations at East Ocean Restaurant, a Yum Cha restaurant, which is what Americans refer to as Dim Sum. The food was absolutely delicious -- I am currently riding on a tofu high. Peter's friends were really funny -- terribly sarcastic, which Desi and I loved.

We parted with the boys on George Street and walked down towards the harbour -- stopping by Woolworths so I could find some ABC (Almonds, Brazil Nuts, Cashews) Spread -- which ended up being small and rather expensive, and probably something that I could find at Whole Foods. Or at least I hope I can. The next stop was at Myre, which was a big shopping center filled with expensive makeup designer labels. Granted that the majority were brands we have in America, Desi and I still managed to have a great time walking from counter to counter trying on blushes, eyeshadows, perfumes, etc. It's a girl thing.

After we were all done up, Desi and I continued on our path towards the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), which is right  next to the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. There were a few exhibits that I really enjoyed and some I thought were a bit bizarre -- which, in all honesty, was probably the artist's intention. MCA closed at 5 PM, so we got kicked out, and knowing that we had half an hour to spare before John got off work, we wandered around the city some more, eventually stumbling into a large group of men in business suits (ow ow!) at Ryan's -- ironically where we had plans to meet up with everyone later on. 

I am so sad that today is my last day in Sydney. I never want to leave! Melbourne is going to be very fun too -- I'm excited about seeing the Pattens. But getting back to America and going back to school?! Not looking forward to that one teeny tiny bit. Almost done though -- I need to keep thinking positively.

Lots and lots of love,

Ailee

Crocodile Dundee

We got in late last night, so I’m writing about yesterday’s adventures while sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal, looking out at the amazing views from the Burns’ home.

Yesterday was a “lazy day” for Desi and I, in that we both needed to get some laundry done, so we dedicated the morning to that effort, knowing that we wouldn’t get home until later that evening, and we didn’t want to have clothes in the dryer when Mrs. Burns arrived back at the house. Around 11:30, we decided that the clothes dryer was taking too long, so we reverted to the Australian (and British!) alternative – the clothes line. We hung up our stuff, then grabbed a quick bite to eat at the house, and afterwards, we walked along the main street to the Collaroy bus stop. Only ten minutes after arriving, our bus pulled up and we hopped on, sat for about 40 minutes, then got off at Wynyard station. As soon as we got on steady ground, off we went to find a coffee shop. And of course, we were in luck – what’s more is that we found big coffee cups, something that is a sort of rarity here.

We walked down Erskine and along Sussex until we arrived at our destination – Sydney Aquarium. Desi and I spent over 3 hours roaming around the Aquarium – looking at sharks, turtles, platypuses, lizards, dugongs (true story), a crocodile and alligator lesson (sans the actual animals??), and just about every character from “Finding Nemo.” It was really a great aquarium, although I must admit, I haven’t been to that many. When we left the aquarium, it was beginning to sprinkle rain, so I pulled out my trusty $5 umbrella that I had bought the previous day, and it was all sorts of broken. Three of the legs had detached from the cloth, and one of the legs was completely snapped in half. Just what I needed. We made do with this makeshift umbrella, if you will, and walked swiftly towards John’s office at Chifley Tower. While waiting for John to finish work, Desi and I sipped on a glass of pinot noir at Bacco, a nice little Italian bar at the bottom of the building. Our bartender was Italian, and Desi learned the Italian word for “sunflower” – Girasole (like gee-rah-sole-lay). As soon as John arrived, we packed up, and headed out of the building to go and meet John’s group of friends for dinner. However, we heard the beckoning call of “BURNSY!” just as we were walking out of the tower and saw John’s friend Dave sitting at Café Chifley, having drinks with colleagues. We joined him for about thirty minutes, and Desi and I chatted to the friends, while I interjected intelligent financial comments such as “Mutual (pause) funds?” I was raking my brain for terminology from my intro class – yikes. After leaving Dave and his friends, we met up with Tom, and headed to Cargo Bar, stopping via Hotel Wynward for a bathroom stop. At Cargo Bar, we ordered food – I got a delicious goat cheese and pine nut salad – yum. While sitting and eating, Tim Page, Andrew (or Das), Gus, and Ed showed up, and we had some good banter, which sadly had to end around 10:15 because everyone needed to pack up and head home in order to be alert for work the next morning. We walked to the bus stop at Wynyard with Gus and Tom, then got on the 185 and headed back to Long Reef. We were all “knackered” when we got back to the house, but after 8 hours of sleep I feel nice and rested and ready for my second to last day in Sydney (ah!).

Amour d’Australie,

Ailee

State of... Oregon?

Wow, I cannot believe that I’ve been here for seven days now. I don’t want this vacation to end – seriously. Today was a very good day, except for the rainy weather. Apparently this is the wettest May that Sydney has seen for 70ish years. Just my luck.

Desi and I got up around 8 today, got ready then Mr. Burns drove us to the bus stop at Dee Why. In our race out the door, we forgot our umbrella, and given that there was 90% chance of precipitation today, Desi and I knew we were in for a wet day if we didn’t find a substitute. We were pointed in the direction of the “Two dollar shops”, which are the equivalent of our Dollar Store. After rummaging through a random assortment of odds and ends, Desi and I bought ourself some really, really classy (sarcastic) umbrellas for $5. Yes, I know, how can you have a $5 umbrella at a $2 store? Crazy Aussies.

We were riding along on the bus when Netta called and said she would be willing to be our personal tour guide for the day. Desi and I happily took her up on her offer, hit the “Stop” button on the bus, and got off at Neutral Bay, where we grabbed some coffee while waiting for Netta to arrive.

As soon as Netta got to Neutral Bay, we were off on a daylong adventure around Sydney. We drove about for a bit, before heading to Paddy’s Markets, which are little indoor markets with cheap souvenirs and an eclectic assortment of trinkets. While Desi got some Sydney gifts and Netta got a decorative fan for her room, I got food. Classic. I bought some delicious chili cashews, dried fruit mix, and wasabi peas. Yum.

After Paddy’s Markets, we went by Netta’s house while waiting for Tim to call because we were meeting him for lunch. I am in love with Netta’s little dog named Allie – too adorable. We met Tim in Lane Cove (where Netta lives) at a restaurant called “Rice Kitchen”. I got a delicious tofu dish, or should I say bean curd, given that this is what Australians, like the British, call it.

From lunch, Desi, Netta and I went to University of Sydney, where Desi and I were privileged enough to attend our very first Australian lecture. The two of us clearly demonstrated our nerdiness as we were really excited about this opportunity. University of Sydney is where Netta is studying, and it is the most prestigious “uni” in Sydney. It was really interesting to walk about the campus, and the lecture was very engaging – the professor was speaking about nuclear weapons -- darn Americans dropping bombs on Japan. I wanted to wave my British passport at every mention of this historical event. During Netta’s second class, Desi and I went to a university café called Zabeli where we got two cups of coffee (that took about 5+ minutes to brew, yikes).

Around 6 PM, we jumped in Netta’s car and headed towards Tim’s house, where their group of friends was meeting to walk the State of Origin (not State of the Union, nor State of Oregon) – which is a local rivalry rugby game. The two teams playing were New South Wales and Queensland, and much to everyone’s dismay, except perhaps Mr. Tyndale, Queensland won.

Another fun and cultural day in Sydney – only a few more days. So sad. I am excited about my next trip though. Earlier today, I talked to Mr. Greg, whom I’m staying with in Melbourne, and it made me so excited to hear his familiar New Zealander voice :)

Tons of love,
Ailee

I'll have a Sydney On "The Rocks"

My sixth day in Sydney got off to an early start, as Maree, Desi and I were off to the city via bus today. It was my first public transport experience in Australia, and unlike my excursions with Andrew last summer in Europe, things went pretty smoothly. Mr. Burns drove us to Dee Why, which is a neighboring suburb and we bought our bus tickets at a news agent (like a small convenience store). The bus arrived shortly after and we stood in line to get on (bizarre), then smooshed in like sardines and then sat for about thirty minutes, after which we arrived, hopped off, and made a beeline for the nearest coffee shop. Desi was very Australian in her request for a "Flat white" coffee, while I was just like "Black, coffee, large, please." The lady laughed at my request and said that I was definitely an American -- apparently the Aussies don't like black Americanos.

We then walked down George Street to an area that is called "The Rocks." We did lots of window shopping, stopped by a few stores, went and took pictures next to the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Sydney Opera House, then went to The Rocks Discovery Museum, which was really interesting. Desi is a museum-pro -- I think that comes with being an Art History major who is looking to study art conservation at grad school.

Around 12:00, Maree headed off to uni, and Desi and I started walking towards John's office because we were meeting him for lunch. After finding his building, we went to a local cafeteria area, where we picked a restaurant called "CBD Noodles". I got a delicious tofu dish that I really enjoyed. At about 1:15, John needed to get back to work at J.P. Morgan Chase (fancy shmancy), so we split, and Desi and I headed off down Macquarie Street, stopped by The Mitchell Library, then went into The Mint Shop, and finally made it to St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral. Desi and I went and sat inside for awhile, having a great chat as always. After half an hour, we walked down the street to the Australia Museum, grabbed a drink at the cafe, then decided that we would prefer to go to the New South Wales Art Museum, so we pulled out a map and made our way in that direction. The Australian art work was really incredible, as was the European collections. I even saw a painting that I think my Grandma has in her house -- a beautiful piece by Hugh Ramsay. Desi talked to one of the ladies at the information desk about art conservation programs in Australia -- success! There are two good options, one in Melbourne and one in Canberra.

At 4:30 we started the trek back to the bus stop, grabbed a bus, and went to Dee Why, where Desi and I got off and walked for thirty minutes back to the boys' house. I cleaned up my room, organized some stuff, checked my e-mail, and voila, I'm writing a blog post. I can hear pots and pans clanging about upstairs, so I must go and help now!

Love from the Land Down Under,
Ailee

Blue Mountains, Really Blue?

What a fantastic day I've had today. After a really relaxing run through the "headland" next to the Burns' house, I showered, got ready, and Maree, Desi and I jumped in the car for a 2-hour drive to Katoomba, which is another suburb outside of Sydney. Katoomba is home to The Blue Mountains -- majestic mountains that give off a blue haze, which is caused by mie scattering which occurs when incoming UV radiation is scattered by particles within the atmosphere creating a blue-greyish color to the mountains. We walked down to the Three Sisters, which are a series of high mountainous peaks that have a wonderful view down into the mountains and trees. We then drove to the main site of the The Blue Mountains, where we ate lunch at a cafe overlooking the valley. The three of us then purchased mountain ride passes that allowed us access to a "car" to take us down to the trails at the base of the mountains and a cable car to get us back to the top. Well, let's just say we didn't quite expect the mountain ride down to be so... vertical. It was legitimately a straight drop downwards -- Desi had never been on a roller coaster, until 2 PM today. Although a little scary, the experience was great. It is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the steepest funicular ride in the world. No big deal or anything.

We walked for about thirty to forty minutes on the winding paths, reading signs and listening to audio recordings along the way that told the history of the region, specifically about the coal mining that took place in the mountains less than a hundred years ago. Too bad the miners did not have the funicular ride to get them to the bottom like we did.

After we took the rather steep cable car ride to the top, we wandered through the shop, trying on ridiculous hats and being silly, as three grown-up girls should. Desi, Maree and I then went to Leura, a neighboring suburb, and stopped at Leura Gourmet for a cup of coffee. We wandered down the quaint little streets, stopping into a few places for a browse. After about 45 minutes in Leura, we climbed back into the car and hit the road, braving the traffic on the return ride home to the Burns'. Lots of great chat in the car -- love having girl time. Back at the Burns' now, about to go and help with setting the table and getting dinner out. Another fantastic day in Sydney, another 100 pictures to be uploaded to Shutterfly shortly.

Avec gros bisous de Sydney,
Ailee

Bondi Beach and Baptisms

In case I haven't said this enough yet, I love Australia. Everything is beautiful, and the people are so friendly. The thought of having to leave to go back and do my last classes (Campaigns nonetheless!) is so upsetting, mais c'est la vie. 

We scrambled out of the door this morning, into the car, and zipped on over to Peter's "touch footie" game. It was the final round, but sadly his team didn't win. I sat and chatted with Janette (Netta), who is one of the Burns' friend's girlfriend. In my typical observing manner, I managed to talk the entire time and did not really watch too much of the game -- whoops. Netta had her little white furry dog with her and it made me miss Lady and Missy back home in Houston.

After the game we headed into the city (at least I think it was "the city"-- I am constantly disoriented) and stopped by Harry's -- an iconic Australian pie shop. Then we did a very scenic drive around the rest of the city -- taking a tour past some of Peter and Johns' favorite Sydney night spots (cultural, I know). We maneuvered around the harbour and after about 20 minutes in the car arrived at Bondi Beach. For my entire life I thought that it was pronounced "Bondee" but learned that it is actually "Bond-eye". What an amateur American mistake for me to have made. Anyways, we parked the car and walked down the beach, of course taking 2,000 pictures and videos to capture our first steps on this world famous sand. After our frolicking on the beach, we split up, and Desi and John went to their friend Wayne's house, while Peter and I headed back to the city where we drove around waiting for Peter's girlfriend, Maree, to finish off a class project at "uni." While driving around, Peter dropped me off with Tim Tyndale, whom I met during his stay with the Burns in Austin, and his brother Liam, and we went to their church, which is called C3 Church. I had watched podcasts of the services before, so it was pretty neat to actually experience Phil Pringle in person. I thoroughly enjoyed the message, and Tim and Liam's little sister, Imogen, was getting baptized, which made it even more special.

After church, Tim, Liam, their "mum" and I all jumped in the car and drove to the Tyndale's house, where Imogen was celebrating her baptism and her departure tomorrow for her "gap year". She is going all over the world -- Tokyo, Europe, India, etc. (so jealous). Their house is incredible. It is on the beach, and we went down their "inclinator", which is a little carriage machine that you get in at the top of the hill and it takes you down to their house -- very cool. Imogen had a bunch of friends over, and Netta, Tim's girlfriend, was there, so it was a night of good conversation. I love meeting new people. Tim's mum served up quite a feast -- I even met a very interesting girl who is a vegetarian who gave me some advice about how to make good hummus and also recommended that I try ABC Spread, which is apparently Almonds, Brazil Nuts, and Cashews all put together in a delicious buttery spread. I definitely need to try that before I leave.

I just got home and everyone is headed to bed, so I am going to join them. I think that Maree is taking Desi and I on an adventure tomorrow so I need some rest!

G'dnight mates!

Lots of love,
Ailee

Upside-Down Bowling

Off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Aus. Yes, this song has been sung a time or two (or twenty) so far on our trip. Desi and I somehow manage to relate some lyrics to whatever is going on during the day -- a true life musical.

We're having a late start to the day -- it's 11 AM, and the ball is only now rolling. We went to one of Peter and Johns' friend's house last night for his birthday celebration. They all played beer pong, which was brought over by Peter, John and their friend Tim Page from their travels to America. Apparently it caught on pretty quickly and their entire group of friends love it -- too funny. They were shocked that a Texan (moi) had never played before. After a few hours at Tom's house, we hopped in cabs and went to "the city." We went to the Civic Lounge, where blearing techno music played for the entire duration of our stay. I am not normally a dancer, and absolutely never a good one, but last night I decided that since I knew only about eight people at the Civic Lounge, that I should just go ahead and let loose. Let's just say, I'm glad that nobody was video taping my uncoordinatedness. But I had a blast, and besides the awful music, I say that last night was one of my favorite "going out" nights of my life -- and although the number of those nights are severely limited, that's still saying a lot.

Yesterday was a rainy, rainy day in Sydney, so we did what our little group does best -- bowl. I have gone bowling with the boys on numerous occasions -- random outings, Brittany's birthday bowling, farewell bowling, you name it. We drove to the AMF bowling center (same brand as back home) and played two games, and as much as I hate to admit it, I lost twice. Ugh. I told the boys that I just can't bowl upside down (even snapped a picture of in a handstand with a bowling ball to emphasize the difficulty). After bowling, we came back, ate lunch, then went for a long drive along the beaches, stopping at a beautiful restaurant that has scenic views over the ocean. We had a glass of wine and sat chatting while watching the sunset (at like 4:30, it's bizarre). So many pictures have been taken -- I love my new camera (thanks mom and dad!).

We're off to Peter's "footie" game -- must jet!
Love from Aus,
Ails

G'Day Mates!

Well, well, well. It's day two in Sydney, and I am in love. Truly. This city is absolutely fantastic -- from the scenic views to the incredible accents. I arrived in Australia yesterday morning, bright and early. After a 16-hour flight from Los Angeles (an 2 additional hours because of fog in Sydney that postponed our descent), I was greeted by the beautiful faces of Desi and John. I cannot explain the feeling of excitement that I felt seeing two familiar faces after nearly 24 hours of travel. We hopped in the car and drove back to the Burns' house, which was about 20 minutes away from the airport. I walk through the front door and am greeted by the most stunning view. Their living room has giant glass windows that look out onto the beach -- it is literally breathtaking. Desi, John and I ate some breakfast (Australian's have Wheatbix, not Wheat-a-bix, weird??), then hopped back in the car and drove down the coast line, stopping randomly to take pictures with the white crashing waves and the crystal blue water. We continued on until we got to Manly, which is a little suburb of Sydney with adorable little stores, cafes, and a beautiful beach. I got to see my first Australian Speedo, worn by no other than a 90-year old -- woo whee.

After strolling down the main street, or "corso" as Australians call it, we stopped on the Manly Wharf and ate lunch at the Manly Wharf Hotel, which had a section of the restaurant out on the wharf, so we ate outside -- the weather was perfect. I got a delicious Mediterranean Vegetable Salad, one of the ingredients being "capsicum", which is the Australian word for bell pepper. So unusual, but I'm learning so many new words, I love it! To accompany our meal, I ordered a glass of Fat Tree Champagne, and Desi drank Coopers beer, and John had a glass of Carlton Draft. We were definitely celebrating the 10 days that were to come -- I still can't believe that I'm in Australia! It is such a dream come true.

We hopped in the car after a few hours in Manly, and went back to the Burns' humble abode, where Desi and I got reconnected with the world via e-mail. Then came dinner, which was also very tasty. I was very impressed with John's help in the kitchen, as he whipped up a delicious assortment of veggies, rice, potatoes, and "spicy yoghurt chicken". I finally got to meet John's parents over dinner, and the conversation was lovely -- lots of good banter. Circa 8:30, my eyelids began to feel very heavy. Luckily, Desi noticed the wave of tiredness that I was experiencing, and we cleared the table and it was recommended that I go to bed. Needless to say, I did not argue.

I woke up at 4 am, but managed to go back to sleep until 8:20, when I bound out of bed, threw on some tennis shoes and went for a good run along the beautiful coastline. I cannot believe that the Burns' actually live in this place -- it is definitely a dream vacation site. I was met by Desi after my run, I showered, we ate some breakfast outside on their balcony, then got into the car and headed along the coast (a few more scenic stops on the way) until we reached Balmoral, another suburb of Sydney, where the Taronga Zoo is located. After going on the safari last year, I swore I would never go to a zoo again, but today was incredible. We got to see so many fascinating and exquisite animals. I want a pet koala bear! We were hit with two bouts of rain, but were likely enough to go inside to the cafe for lunch during the first and were on our way out of the zoo for the second. Besides those two quick showers, the weather has been fantastic. It's "winter" in Australia -- but you would never know that from going outside. Desi wore a dress today and I was in shorts. If only Texas had winters like that!

John, Desi and I are now relaxing before going out for a night "on the town". I will write again soon!

Love from Down Under,
Ailee