Seeeeeeeedneeeeeeeee

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I kinda forgot how intense the Australian accent is. (Note that Paul got confused for an Australian today, by an Australian, which was amusing.) It's not "Sid-nee" but "SEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED-NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE." I shouldn't probably laugh too much though, as I was constantly mocked at work with my "wa-der" needs rather than "wat-er."

Yesterday was a bit tiring, as we felt a bit jet lagged even though the time difference is only three hours from Singapore. Think the issue is that you're not exhausted enough to fall straight asleep, but you end up staying awake until the wee hours, and are forced to wake up at what feels like an ungodly hour. Should be up and running as normal. Yesterday we met up with Paul's friend Alyssa at Paddington Market, which was really cool. The market is amazing and they have a lot of nice things - too bad I spent all my money in Singapore!

Last night we met up with Andy, and it was really good to catch up and hear about the rest of their time in India. Looks like we'll get to see him and Anita in New Zealand, so that should be fun too. Andy also told us THE most hilarious story about something that happened to them in India. I think you can't really appreciate how this could happen unless you've been there, but I hope you find it as amusing as I do.

Andy and Anita were walking around somewhere (can't remember exactly where) when they came across some sort of event, with a stage, microphones, etc. The peeked inside and of course, as is common in India whenever locals see foreigners, were ushered inside and put in the front row. It turns out it was some sort of event/awards ceremony celebrating Indian women and women's issues, so they stayed to see some of it. Anita started talking to someone beside her and mentioned that they were Irish, and the person pointed out that an Irish NGO was sponsoring the event.

Once this is established, the next thing Andy and Anita know, they are dragged up onstage, presented with gifts (yes, gifts), even though they are in no way linked to this Irish NGO - they are merely Irish - and then Anita is passed a microphone, and asked to give a speech! Stunned, Anita mumbles something about "good work, and thanks for having us" and they fled off the stage. Hilarious! The gifts were bowls, in case anyone is interested.

Today we spent most of the day near the waterfront and at The Rocks, checking out the markets and sights down there. Sydney is a really pretty city, and the waterfront is gorgeous - easily one of the post picturesque ones I've seen. We just came back from dinner at a place called bills (www.bills.com.au), which is one of four restaurants owned by Australian celebrity chef Bill Granger. Bill is my hero - we have a couple of cookbooks by him, as he's all the rage in the UK, and his recipes are amazing. Our favourite is a coconut bread, but sadly it is only on his breakfast menu (and apparently it's near impossible to get in for breakfast anyway.) So we managed to get a table for dinner, and it was outstanding. I had a Wagyu beef burger (yes yes, I know...) and the beef was so unbelievably tender! I don't tend to eat beef, but I do like the occasional burger, and this was well worth it. Paul had a gorgeous pasta dish and the pasta was cooked perfectly - al dente and not the usual mush you're often served. Dessert was a chocolate pudding for Paul, and a pavlova for me. It is a bit out of character for me to order a dessert like that, but I was full and it seemed lighter than some, and it was outstanding - served with yogurt cream and fresh strawberries. Excellent, memorable meal all around, and in the same price range as many Sydney restaurants, so definitely worth it. Check out the link to his site, as there are a few recipes (but you'll need one of the books for the coconut bread!)

Tomorrow is an early day as we need to head to the Canadian consulate for Paul's visa. Not sure what else we're up to, but we'll be meeting with Paul's friend Jools at night. Now we're on the way to see Andy again, so I must head off.

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