Steak and Sydney

So. We've been in Sydney now for over 2 weeks I think and I haven't blogged about any of it. Not because I haven't had time. I've had a whole heap of time I could have done it in. I just haven't really felt like it. You know, it's strange. I feel like I'm living here (which I guess I am) and I'd never feel the need to do an online diary at home in London, so I guess I haven't really felt the need to here. So, I've picked out a couple of highlights (Allen Dodd and Smash Hits) and they've got their own blog entry, but the rest I'll scramble in to one. Ready? Let's go...

We arrived in Sydney with the van. We were bang excited when we turned up and straight away drove over Harbour Bridge (tick) and snapped the Opera House (tick) and were then like "great - there's nowhere to park." So we headed over towards Bondi Beach and camped at a car-park at nearby Clovelly for 2 nights. So this was our bedroom...



...pretty nice, eh? Hmmmm. You'd think, wouldn't you? Until you get up at 3am to go for a quick wee outside the van (when you've got to go, you've got to go) and find a dodgement man parked up in a car next to you. Think he thought I was there for other reasons. Bow Wow. Anyway, apart from that it was all good. Who am I kidding? It was horrible. The van was cold at night and then like a sauna / light box from 5am. So I was glad when we gave it back on day three.

We then headed in to the centre of Sydney City to a hostel called MAZE. It's well named. I think it's fair to say that pretty much everyday I've been there now I've got lost. It's full of winding passages and loads of rooms which just seem to go round and round in circles. It's also full of cockroaches and grub. Anyway, it looked fun and was fairly cheap so we booked in.

There we met the Kiwis who we became firm friends with after dragging them along to Indie Night in Kings Cross. I don't think they really wanted to go. I think they were scared to say no. Anyway. This is them...



That's me, Tim, Ben, Carmen, Andrew and Dave. And we love them.



So that was Indie Night which has become my favourite night out on a Thursday (it's the new Friday.) We went the following week too with people we'd met there the first week (Ricky and Tracey) and Jason who is the events organiser at Maze. Here we are drinking champs, sweetie...



So apart from that, the rest of the time in Sydney has been spent doing these things:

a) Seeing Adam Williams who I worked with at Sugar. He's living here now. You know it, darl.

b) Hanging out at free BBQ's on the beach on a Saturday avo...



c) Recovering from another bout of tonsillitis. I got it bad. Had to see a doctor and then Duncan got it worse. I actually thought he was going to die. I've never known anyone so sick.

d) Looking for an apartment. The plan was to get one whilst here. They're quite easy to get for a really short time but it's sooooo hit and miss. For instance, our friends Ricky and Tracey have landed a plush new apartment for 6 weeks. Cheap as chips. Dishwasher, swimming pool, spa, sauna, gym. You dig? But a lot of them are one room, crammed full of people with a seedy, weird landlord. We've got until Dec 1st to find somewhere but it doesn't look hopeful. Failing that we'll stay at the cockroach-infested MAZE. If we do, imagine me in this squeaky bed until January 3rd...



e) Working. Not a Dolly Parton 9 to 5 but just a bit of freelance. Obviously at Smash Hits (did I mention that?) but I've also had a few assingments with That's Life! magazine. Think Bella. Think Chat. Oh the glamour! Anyway, they're paying me over $100 an hour so I shouldn't scoff.

f) Checking out the sites. Snapped this whilst taking the ferry across to Manly one night. The sites are everywhere. You don't have to go to any effort to see them here like you do in London, which is always a bonus if you're lazy like me.



g) Eating $5 steak. Wondered where the steak would come in didn't you? Yeah, so basically there's this Irish bar a stone's throw from the hostel called Scruffy Murphy's. It's 24 hour and the place everyone heads for in the early hours when the other clubs have chucked them out. Not that that's ever happened to me, you understand. Anyway, I discovered that they do an evening meal for $5. So we ate steak last night. And it was delish.

h) And finally seeing old friends (Kelly and Tom that we met in Brazil live here and Suzi, Minnie, Bex and Ben from South America also) and making new ones. Loads of them...



So that's my love affair with Sydney in a nutshell. I love it here. I do wish we had our own place as the grimey, hot hostel is getting to me a bit (there's no air con - the place is like an oven). But the city never sleeps and there's always a new person to make friends with. And more importantly there's cheap steak. Of course I love it.