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