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Published: November 27th 2006
What follows is a bunch of stories about some of my good times here in Sydney. Some of the stories are funny, some are boring... but they were all good events. They don't really even scratch the surface of what all has gone on. Though nothing terrible wild and exciting. Mostly healing and making new good friends
$26 Suit Saturday night I found myself dancing to bad 80s music and having a great time. I owe it all to my $26 suit. Daz ended up with an extra ticket to his Black Tie Christmas party, and he offered it to me. I looked into getting a monkey suit but that was $150, not really worth it in my book. I was told that I didn’t really need a formal suit. Most people didn’t even wear ties. I just needed a coat, shirt and pants. So the next day I headed up to St. Vincent DePaul’s, a thrift store. The store in Randwick didn’t have anything that fit. Oh yeah, neither do any of my mates here. But the lady at the local store suggested I hit the bigger store nearby. Here I managed to find a black pinstripe jacket, pants,
and a grey shirt. I also found an awesome silver tie. All for only $26 and very flash. I was in for the party.
It was a really great party. Met lots more cool people that I don’t remember their names and probably will never see again. I wasn’t so thrilled on the music. I remember blowing up when the band said they were going to play a new Killers song. Then they actually played Franz Ferdnand’s “Take me out.” I just thought the band should know who and what they were playing. At this point I sort of felt like I was in the Mask. This $26 suit had gotten me in a place I wouldn’t normally happen to be.
It was a fun feeling though, and the party was great. One of the best times I’ve had out in Sydney. This weekend I’m wearing the suit out again… why not. I might as well get my money out of it before it goes back to the thrift store. I might even wear out my dancing shoes.
The Weekend This last weekend was a big celebration/going away party. The main event was Saturday which involved a
night out in The Cross, Kings Cross. We had a great group of people out with us, lots of pictures and adult beverages. Some of the things I recall: Trying to explain that a Jagr Bomb does not have ice and a straw… still drank it. Standing on Bondi Beach at 6:30AM not watching the sunrise because it was cloudy. Really that was it. It was a great night, with lots of fun stuff… but nothing really to report.
The Footy One of the first weekends I spent here in Sydney was Labor Day weekend. It is the long weekend for the start of the Aussie summer. It is also Championship weekend for Aussie Rules Football and Rugby League. Two of the big football type leagues over here. The third big league is Rugby Union. Rugby Union and Rugby League are very similar. The biggest difference is League has downs and seems more boring to me. Aussie Rules, or Footy as it is known, is a much faster and very different game. I actually enjoy this game quite a bit. It is fast paced with lots of scoring. In the first half one team was up by almost 40
I think, they only one by 1 or something like that. It was a good sports weekend. I also got to watch a NFL game on Monday morning. Good sports weekend.
Opera House My sister Katie came out for a week or so from Bryan Landsiedel’s wedding. Her and I spent a few days together touring the city. The highlight was going to the Opera House and taking a tour. It is quite an impressive structure. We also took in a play, The Hospital, or something like that. It was an awful play. The next time I’m going to the Symphony or going to see an Opera. But at least I can say I’ve seen a performance in the Opera House
The Olga Olga was a girl that I was sort of set up with one night when we all went out “clubbing.” Yes, I was clubbing. Anyway the short story of the night is that when I went to kiss her good night she turned her head and gave me the cheek. The next day she was telling her friend that I was nice and didn’t try anything. To which my answer was I tried to kiss
her and go the cheek. The real result of all of this is that I’ve created a new Aussie term…. The Olga, whenever you turn your head to avoid a kiss.
Biking One of the neatest ways to see the town is to get a couple of mountain bikes and ride downtown early on a Saturday morning. My mates Clinton and Daz are big fans of this. They like to go and ride down all kinds of stairs. I guess I’m just too scared and generally walked around. But I did get good pics of them on the stairs and jumping. For me it was just fun to have the ride and it really was a different way to see some of the sites. We rode around the piers and the Opera House and who knows where else
Randwick Junction Where I’ve been staying, Randwick, is a pretty good location. It is sort of a bohemian neighborhood, like Virginia Highlands. It is only a 15 minute walk down the hill to Coogee Beach, and a 10 minute bus ride into the heart of the city. It is funny to meet people on the streets or in restaurants. Their
immediate reaction when I tell them I am on holiday is, “What are you doing in Randwick? Why aren’t you in Coogee or Bondi.” The area has a very local feel, not touristy, which is nice. I actually don’t really consider myself so much a tourist in Sydney. I haven’t really been doing touristy things, that much.
I did go on the Bondi to Coogee walk last week. I went for some exercise and to get some pictures. I realized that I haven’t taken many pictures since getting here and I might want some pics of the stunning coast line. I also took in the Sculptures by the Sea. For the month of Nov, local artists are selected to put up sculptures and other pieces of art along a section of this walk. It is very popular. The walk was packed with people sculpture peeping. Many of the sculptures were pretty ingenious as well. Lots of pics.
My Girl This is really more of a sailing tale than a Sydney tale but I don’t think it has been told yet.
The music I hear in bars around here is very strange. It seems to be either Techno
pop or 80s and earlier pop. I hear lots of Jackson Five, that everyone seems to know and loves to dance to. I guess each his own. That isn’t to say there isn’t good music in Sydney. I just haven’t looked for it. Pete Yorn was here in town when I first got here. U2 and Pearl Jam were both here last week, as was Kylie Minogue. But this night the song that brought my flashback was “My Girl.” I just had to stop what I was doing and smile.
The flashback:
I remembered a morning back in June. We were on the sailboat sailing to Fiji. We had just spent 48 or so hours in a storm, and today’s dawn was sunny. For some reason, Paul actually slept in the morning, so I got to start the morning radio work. I had sort of been banned from it because I threatened to sing. Well this morning I got the chance and when it was my turn to talk, I started in with, “I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day.” I can’t sing real well, and it sure got a laugh. Hearing that song in the bar, just made
me think of that trip and the people on it… and it was a great memory.
Nasi Goreng In my time here in Sydney, I’ve watched a lot of TV. I spend my days doing nothing, but walking and swimming, at night I need to relax. Ok, I really just haven’t been capable of doing much at night. Anyway, they have some really good commercials here that I thought I would share.
One is a ANZ bank commercial about security. Another is Carlton Draught, with a big, old overweight guy doing the “Flashdance” dance trying to get a job at the brewery.
The best commercial though, involves a little kid sitting in the back seat of a car. He asks his dad “Why did they build the Great Wall of China?” His stumped dad responds with “That was during the reign of Emperor Nasi Goreng. It was to keep the rabbits out….. too many rabbits in China.” The next scene is the kid in class and the teacher announces that he is going to do his report on China.
Now that is funny. But what is even funnier is that Nasi Goreng is Indonesian fried rice.
Oh yeah, the commercial was for Bigpond Broadband internet.
On a side note, I went to the Powerhouse museum today. They have a big exhibit on the Great Wall of China. That exhibit was cool, the rest of the museum was not so great. Ok pretty bad. I had more fun laying in the park watching a 5 day Cricket Test Match. Trust me cricket can make baseball seem like a mile a minute game.
Shout Outs I have to give thanks to my mates here in Sydney, Clinton, Darren (Daz), and Ants. They are a great bunch of guys to hang around with. They are always giving me advice: “Don’t eat there, I got food poisoning.” “That is a good sushi place.” “Take this bus.” “You Idiot.” I think the last one is just generic good advice sometimes. They are also the reason I ended up in Randwick and found a good physio to get better. I had met Clinton this year at Waitomo Caves in NZ. He told me when I was in Oz again to look him up. Poor guy didn’t know what he was in for. I almost moved in.
I need to give
cudos to Pete and the staff at the Physio department and at the Unigym. You spend 8 weeks, 6-7 days a week at the Physio/gym and you get to know people. They are good people and got me fixed up pretty good.
I do wonder though. If I was leading a truly normal life, working 8 hours a day. Would it have still taken 8 weeks to heal. Faster or longer. The world will never know… kinda like a tootsie pop.
Tummy Apparently ‘Tummy’ is an acceptable Aussie word for one adult to say to another. It was first said to me by Keely, one of the Physios. I just laughed when I heard it. But since then I’ve heard it said many times, by all sorts of people, physios, fitness instructors, men and women. I still can’t help but giggle like a little school girl when I hear it.
Goodbye Sydney Well it is Monday night. I’m supposed to be on a plane right now for Johannesburg. But I’m not. I’ve decided to postpone my flight until Wednesday night. Just a personal decision based on well good times and good people. But Wednesday I’m out
the door. I mean it really.
Sydney Pics
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Clinton
non-member comment
Thankyou - Mad Mike
Mad Mike - It was our pleasure (speaking on behalf of Daz,Ants and I) that you landed here with us in Sydney.Although you tend to have much etiquette for the female population, and morals which we do not always support it has been fun times and theres always a place to stay if you return. But I'm sure well venture to Atlanta sooner than later so you can show us your neck of the woods.Just remember some aussie/kiwi slang sayings and spread them around the world: chop,shalacking,good sorts and of course last but not least SLAPPERS.