Remember even though the outside world might be raining, if you keep on smiling the sun will soon show its face and smile back at you.

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Hi again everyone!

Not really much to say this week, the weather's been quite rubbish so I've not been doing much...

Sunday 4th October
So after I've written my last colossal blurb to you lot I've had a bit of lunch and am on way to watch the rugby in a pub with some of Vicky's mates (thankfully one of which is a bloke, Jon!). It was VERY welcome to have a bit of masculine banter with someone that afternoon. You may also be wondering why on earth Gary Mallett is watching Rugby?! Fact is, Sydney's "Eels" team had made the final for the first time in a buzzilion years and were up against the Melbourne "Storm"... I figured with the rivalry between the two cities being so big (think, Scotland/England, Edinburgh/Glasgow, Aboyne/Banchory!) the chat in the pub must be quite good and everywhere we went was packed. Eels however, just like Scotland would, failed miserably and lost against Melbourne Storm lol.

We headed into Sydney city centre and visited a few pubs, Vicky caught up with more School friends and then we went home for another early night still being jet-lagged. They say it takes one day for every hour difference, hopefully I'll be back upto speed by midweek.

Monday 5th October
Pissing down with rain all day, sat about the house watching telly, relaxing, facebooking, playing with the birds.

Tuesday 6th October
I wake up really early (like 7am, which is becoming regular, only a month ago I was getting home from work at that time haha!) and, hold the press, there's sun bellowing through the curtins.... surely not!! It's gonna be nice today!! I jump on th elaptop while tuning the telly to the weather and sure enough it's gonna be around 19 degrees today! Up, shaved and dressed I scam a lift with Vicky and her Mum to hit the city centre (about 20 min drive... driving here is like spain, MANIC!). Vicky and Daph's office is on Sussex St, bang in the centre of Sydney so it's absolutely ideal. I introduce myself to everyone at AHN (Australian Homestay Network) and answered lots of "what is Scotland like?" or "oh, you packed the weather with you?!" type comments and questions. I then stick my Ipod in me ears, get some smooth summertime reggae blaring, and go head out to get myself lost in the beauty of Sydney!!!

I follow Sussex St right along the harbour front, past Darling Harbour (bit Edinburgh festivally type area but with more shops!) and past some docks round to what I'm hoping is the harbour bridge if I remember my map correctly!! I turn a corner to be greeted with roundabout, this roundabout has a crushed car in the centre of it with a huge boulder on it's imploded roof! Obviously an art installation but a humorous one at that, quite typical of Oz. There's probably some deep road safety message surrounding it but I thought it was hilarious, especially as it's mainly industrial on this street and only a handful would see it i'd imagine. V Funny.

I continue walking, regretting the heavy bottle of sparkling water i had in my rucksack making my shoulder's hurt already, and am finally greeted with the Harbour Bridge. I'm not sure how I missed it but turning the corner I was pretty much underneath it! I still can't get over the size of this feat of engineering and I'm keen to learn about how/when it was built. I'm going to book myself onto a bridge climb at night I think. Proper professional job with training before hand, harnesses, no cameras etc. They walk you in groups up one side of the arches, stop at the top to view the city, and then walk you down the other side. Terrified of heights though i am, I'm not missing that! Walking under the bridge with traffic and trains thundering over ma heed I then view the opera house reflecting like a solar panel in the distance! The sun is now in the centre of the sky and I'm absolutely roasting!

I walk round "The Rocks" (no actual rocks, just the name of the cove where this lot is parked) and poke my nose about the Modern Art Museum of Sydney (bit taxing for me, never really was a fan!). Fin my way at a ferry port... At first I thought it was some cheesy tourist thing but it soon dawned on me it's a kosher form of public transport too, that means it is of course, like the budgie, CHEAP! $5 (£2.50) takes me across to North Sydney, around to some other port and back to Darling Harbour where I started. I sit for a beer, read a bit of my Sydney guide to see what else is about that area. Think about the maritime museum but it turns out to be shut so I simply wander about the nice fountains, birds, gardens of that area. Chiiiiillleed!!

I head back to AHN's office and Daph, Vicky and myself head to pick up one of the investors in the company to have dinner, and ultimately give Vicky the "pep talk" of a lifetime. As CEO of AHN, I don't think Vicky really understood just how huge the changes in her industry were going to be and how fast they were happening (i won't bore you, but I did find it fascinating over dinner). David, the investor (one of many) and I clicked quite well over dinner, he had a keen interest in what I did as a hospitality manager and was very useful in comparing AHN's role and responsibilities to restaurants/bars/clubs so i'd understand a little better. He was very interested in Scotland also so I did my bit for the Tourist Board and sold sold sold! The next day I discover he's spoke to Daph (who is director of AHN) and suggests they hire me and get me trained up to help in whatever way I can. An offer i am considering, but aren't really in any hurry to work yet. Weekends off though.... hmmm.... a concept I'm not used to

Wednesday 7th October
Rain. I notice on the net that Fat Freddy's Drop are playing next Sunday at the Forum.. I buy tickets with bells on!!!

Thursday 8th October
1 week in! Cloudy day, take loooong walk about the local area, Concord and discover it has absolutely nothing to offer lol. Lots of housing, a lake (Canada Bay) and no way to walk around it that I could navigate. Aching, i return home unsuccessful in finding a pub to meet some locals in.

Friday 9th October
Daphne decides we're having seafood for tea, hit the Sydney fish market.... WOW! Dad, you'd love this. The size of fish of all sorts is unbelievable! Wish I'd have taken photos for you, I will be returning. A nice french lad called Gregory who works for Vicky recommended I go to a market in Chinatown. This place is massive, with the cheapest of dodgy electrical gear, bags, clothes, fruit, veg etc. I invest in a couple more bits and bobs for the house and a couple of pairs of shorts for if/when the sun comes out. I then return to AHN's office to join the staff in presenting Daph with a birthday cake on the eve of her birthday and crack open some cheap fizz to get the weekend started. Vicky, Greg and I hit a couple of bars after office time, talk music (greg's into his music too). House music seems pretty big here, especially in the bars, reminds m a lot of Opal Lounge in it's heyday before the students took over. I introduce Greg to Havana Club 7yr Old rum, grab a kebab (they're GOOD here!) and taxi it home. Pass Out.

Saturday 10th October
Wish Daphne a happy birthday! Vicky's got the day off so we hit the Museum of Australia. Not a big place but did find out lots about native Oz, wildlife (i don't want to run into any of them spiders, or snakes for that matter!). We had every intention of going to my friend Pete's nightclub later on, bit like an Opal Lounge in Sydney (The Lincoln) but decide a DVD and an early night is the better option. I meet up with Lou Doyle from the Scotsman, he's married to an Edinburgh girl called Claire and have just given birth to 3 month old Jack, who is an absolute sweetheart. We're chilling in the closest thing I've seen to a proper pub since I've got here... all the bars here are your sort of stylish cocktail bar or a gastro/wetherspoons type boozer. Pub's win my vote.

Sunday 11th October
Head out for lunch with Daphne and her pals for her birthday, nice sunny day for a few brews outside on the lakeside balcony of the Sydney Rowing Club. Not sure how it happened but Daph's mate Sue suggests I start a career in writing adult books?!!?! I then discover she is heavily involved in the Adult industry and even has her own political party "SEX" hahahaha. Lots of beers knocked back, bit of wine and sunshine, good banter. Pizza delivered for dinner and and a lot of YouTube watching Vicky's dad, Daphne's ex husband Clive Turner in numerous B-movies from the late eighties/nineties. Type in The Howling 7 for a good laugh, he's the ozzy in the cowboy hat with ridiculous long red hair! Fave Quote - "Why don't you get that hair cut?" Clive - "I'm waiting for the price of wool to go up!" Quality script....

So the sun's pearing through today, Daph's shortly going to be home to feed the birds shortly then I'm going to try the maritime museum again.

Watch this space!

Miss u all.

Gary xx

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