The last few days have been good - I've decided to take some french lessons to brush up on what I learned in high school and they've been really good so far. One of my favorite second hand bookstores is closing down tomorrow! So sad. I got three books for A$16 though! My friend Lauren arrived this morning from Melbourne and is staying until Monday morning. We did the customary Opera House and Darling Harbour tour and finished off with mexican food for dinner at King St Wharf. Have attached some photos that I took through my sunglasses - who needs [View Full Entry]

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Last day in Melbourne and I'm waiting for breakfast places to open along Southbank. It has been an amazing week... the more I think about it, I don't know where I'm going to be in 2007. I'm at the point in my life where I want to know what my long term plans and goals are, but yet I'd like to have options to be flexible and spontaneous. To update: Tuesday when I last updated, I wrote something asking where the Melbourne Central pyramid went - don't worry guys, it's still there. it was just hidden. and I was in the [View Full Entry]

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I am in Melbourne right now - got here Sunday morning. I have to make this quick as I only have 10 more minutes here in the internet cafe. I AM HOME. That was my first thought as I took the bus into the city... over the past two and a half days I have constantly been berating myself as to why I chose Sydney over a city that I've loved before and now love again. I am planning on going back to Toronto in January to do a year at George Brown for Sport and Event Marketing, then I'll work [View Full Entry]

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Alright, so the topic being Manly, I have to say how brilliant it is that there is a suburb that they named Manly. It is named such, and I quote from my helpful DK Top 10 Sydney book: "because Governor Phillip felt the Aborigines he met here in 1788 were 'manly'." I will only make one comment about the boys, in that they are indeed manly out there... but it may be due to the board shorts and the surf, but the sun tends to make people look healthier, I think. I just had to include a picture of a restaurant [View Full Entry]

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Wow. Two days have gone by. Yesterday I did a temp job up in Pyrmont where I filled in as a receptionist while everyone went to watch the Melbourne Cup on telly. Makybe Diva won for the third consecutive year! Amazing. It's funny how you get caught up in the excitement when you're here - even in Sydney. I can't even begin to imagine what it would have been like in Melbourne. The day was boring though, only about 8 people called in the 5 and 1/2 hours i was alone, so the rest of the time I read Vogue, wrote [View Full Entry]

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Another beautiful day after the rain! We got up early this morning, lay around and read, and then went for breakfast, followed by the Aquarium again. I love these fish - they have such personalities. This time I actually saw the platypus! So exciting! Some of the kids though, my gosh... there were kids who really loved being there, and then there were the ones who were absolute buggers that their parents didn't even try to control. We watched the fairy penguins for awhile which was cool... I remember back in Melbourne how we used to go up to Phillip Island [View Full Entry]

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After a brilliant sleep in this morning, Jacqualine and I woke up to pounding rain outside. There went our plans for a good day at the beach! Managed to make it out of the apartment in early morning, had a yummy grilled bacon with cheese and bacon, and then set off into the rain, stopping briefly to purchase cheap umbrellas at a bargain store. Very saavy, very fashionable. Walked up to the Queen Victoria Building and had coffee and crepes on the balcony - when we got there, there was a man singing opera on the top level! So utterly cool. [View Full Entry]

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So happy! My friend Jacqualine came up from Melbourne today. She's staying until Tuesday and it gives Kenji a break from having to entertain me. :) We've known each other since I was about 10, when we were at the same holiday program (day care) while our parents/family worked. Attached some photos. We walked everywhere - had lunch at Darling Harbour, then just went walking all around town. Headed to the Chinese Garden in that area, which was so pretty. There were so many weddings going on today! Brides everywhere with bridesmaids in tow in pretty dresses. Did some shopping around [View Full Entry]

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Here are some photos since I arrived in Sydney. Three other things I realized today: - Smith's chips... their thin cut roasted chicken chips. soooo good. - Watching Neighbours and Home & Away too often can be classified as a sickness. - Love the mangoes here, had totally forgotten how fabulous they are! [View Full Entry]

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Today was a relaxing and fun filled day! It was gorgeous outside when I awoke, around 29 degrees (sorry to everyone in North America... but I had to mention that little fact). I headed down to Bondi Beach for the day and spent a few hours lying around in the sun, listening to music and reading yet another book about Roma. I really do believe I will return there! Even with this change of location, I've read a book about a Sydney woman who moves there on a whim, now I'm reading about Cleopatra and her involvement in Roman politics, and [View Full Entry]

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