Oh dear, it’s been a long time since my last update (sorry mum!) which means I have loads to write. And the reason I haven’t written is because I’ve been doing loads of things….which means I really do have LOADS to write. Eeep, hope I can remember everything. This is gonna take a few hours, here it goes!

Christmas. Seems like a long time ago now, but since I haven’t written anything about my xmas over here, my 1st xmas in Sydney, I should really start with that. I had a couple of parties in the run-up. I had a salsa xmas party, which was great fun, got to dance with loads of guys (some were nice too!) and just let my hair down and have fun whilst practicing those moves. We also had a physics xmas meal in which went pretty well too, although was very tame compared to my London colleagues who know how to party (photos on facebook).

On xmas Eve Farzana invited a few of her friends round for dinner. We cooked up some food between us and I was expecting us to sit round the table and eat together. Well, that never happened!  We started off on the terrace, and as more alcohol got drunk decided dancing was a good idea. I set my iPod up on some speakers and it was great how everyone decided to have a go at DJ-ing – they managed to find things on there that I never even knew I had and songs I don’t often play got aired, which is always fun. We went from the Eagles ‘Hotel California’, to Billie Jean, to ‘Rythm is a Dancer’ by Snap! I also had to play ‘Raoul and the King’s of Spain’ by Tears for Fears to Farz’s mate Rahul with the unfortunate effect that we all ended up with this song stuck in our heads for weeks afterwards. You can get the song stuck in your head too, by clicking here (opens in new window).

It was a very fun night and a great way to start xmas (photos on facebook). I unwrapped most of my presents from home at the stroke of midnight! Most people crashed at ours overnight, so after a lie in we headed to Manly beach with a picnic hastily concoted by myself and Farz. The day started off overclouded, but by mid afternoon it cleared to sunshine and we spent a very pleasent few hours sat on the beach. I loved looking up and down and seeing all the families and friends sat on the beach celebrating xmas wearing various xmas hats. It was all quite surreal (photos on facebook)

In the evening we just chilled out watching films on TV – very much what I’d normally do for xmas really. I was really just waiting for my family to skype me though, so I could see them on xmas day. They did and all sat there looking  bit sleepy as they’d just got up. I made them unwrap my pressies on skype so I could see!

I had a fun xmas, felt pretty happy and not really homesick. However, there was something missing. It wasn’t really xmas for me. Its a bit of a none event here in Oz. They have a bit of a build-up, the shops start selling tinsel and xmas lights go up in the streets. But it’st not the same big deal as it is back home. It is so grey and dull in England at this time that we all cling onto xmas as something to look forwards to in the dark months. Xmas lights actually mean something when the sun sets at 3:30pm. Here I never really saw them as I was most often at home by the time the sun set late in the evening. I heard not one xmas song in the shops. I had no mulled wine. Who wants to stuff themselves silly with chocolate and roast dinners and xmas pudding when it is 30 degrees outside?

I also missed out on spending xmas with my family together in my sister’s new house. I regretted that, I would have loved to have been there, all together with my sister and her cats. So I’ve decided – 2 years celebrating xmas away from home is enough. Next year I want to go home for xmas, despite meaning I’ll sacrafice some of the Ausie summer for our grey British winter. I need that grey British winter for xmas – it makes xmas something to cuddle up to and emmerse yourself in!

Boxing day was another great day. A girl I work with, Tania, knows I love sailing and knows I am a stray over here at xmas with no family so she invited me to join her on a booze cruise to watch the start of the Sydney-Hobart race. Those is the sailing world will have heard of this – it is one of the big race events on the sailing calendar with yachts racing south down the coast of Australia from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Sydney (the yacht club I belong to)  to Hobart on Tasmania. It unfornately became synonymous with tragedy in 1998 when 6 sailors died in severe weather conditions (more here). 

It was a blisteringly hot day, and a very pleasant cruise on the boat. There was just one coach-load of friends on a rather large yacht, so not crowded at all. We sat on the deck in comfy chairs swigging beer waiting for the start of the race. It was very exciting – lots of helicopters and motor boats flitting around the yachts trying to get a good view. Wild Oats and Scandia stood out as huge impressive boats – not surprisingly they came 1st and 2nd. The start was awesome – all the boats milling around – then suddenly they were heading all in the same direction towards the start line. They were going too fast! I saw several boats pull very questionable tacks right across the paths of boats behind them in order to lose ground  to avoid crossing the start too early. I saw all the front runner’s sails flap as they tried de-power to time it just right – then the cannon fired just as they reached the line, timed to perfection by some of the skippers, and they close-sheeted the sails and took off. We tracked them for about half an hour…but had to turn back home. I couldn’t think but wonder how amazing it must be to be one one of those yachts right at that moment – surrounded by TV cameras and boats and helicopter in the middle of an exciting race. I admit, I was jealous!

The next two days were the weekend. I didn’t really do much – some shopping and generally lounging around! I went to work for the three days in between xmas and new year. There weren’t many physicists, but there weren’t many patients either so we weren’t too busy and it was a pretty easy few days at work.

On wednesday my good friend Martin arrived from England! I took the morning off work to meet him at the airport and get him settled at home. I felt a bit guilty leaving him to go to work, but I think he appreciated the time to sort himself out after 36hours of flying and stop-overs! He happened to arrive on New Year’s Eve…..so me and Farz took him (and ourselves!) to watch the famous Sydney fireworks on the harbour. I thought it was cool how Martin’s first ever view of the harbour bridge and habourside would be when it was lit up with fireworks.

We got a fantastic spot right next to the bridge with an awseome view of the fireworks. It was stunning – fireworks sprung out from the bridge like bright streamers, but they were also going off on the harbour behind the bridge, and also a spot to our left down the harbour and even from the tops of the sky-scrapers in the CBD (we were on the north side of the shore so got great view of those too). Photos on facebook.

Making our way home was hard work. We had to get across the bridge…but it was closed to pedestrians because funnily enough they’d set off lots of explosives from it so had to make it safe! The only way across was to get on a train…..which about 1million other people wereo trying to do! However, by walking to the stop one up from the view point we managed to beat most of the crowds and managed to get onto a train. It went across the bridge….and decided not to work anymore so we were stuck there half an hour as they tried to fix a door problem. We got fed up and decided to get off and walk home. This is an experience in itself as I’ve never before seen Sydney full of drunk people with no traffic on the roads. People were strewn all over the place, lying in the middle of the road just because they could! Me and Martin went for a drink at a local pub – it was about 2am by this time but we were keen to keep going. Eventually we went home.

New Years Day was gloriously sunny. So, after a slap-up full English breakfast at the local pub what could be more perfect that taking my English friend to Bondi beach to recover for the day. Christmas may have been a let down in Oz – but New Year suits the sunshine. We set off quite late, so got back quite late. But decided to head out for food anyway and I took him to one of my favourite locations – Circular Quay. It was nice to see Sydney in a civilised state again after the drunken chaos that was New Year’s Eve! All trace of rubbish and drunkeness had been removed (the same can be said of Bondi beach, where I know a lot of people partied, but it was all clean when we got there). It was gone 10pm when we found a place to eat – a lovely Italian place with a terrace lit up with fairylights and an impressive backdrop of the bridge and opera house. It was a very delicious meal, and nice atmposphere – they didn’t even hurry us up to leave despite us staying until gone midnight drinking wine.

On the 2nd took Martin into the city to explore and to show him my favourite bits. We walked through Circular Quay in the daytime for a change, and looked in to see what shows were on at the opera house. I took him to the Botanical Gardens, another favourite of mine., where we got lunch. LOTS of lunch! SO much we were given a large box to carry itall in which amused us and the guy who served us congratulated us on our choices! I took him to see the amazing fruitbats – thousands clinging upside down in the trees. I like seeing the parrots and the Ibis’s – just so unlike anything you see in England.

I decided Darling Harbour was a good place for dinner, so I took us through the Rocks (nice old part of Sydney) and down George St to Darling Harbour where we found a bar and had some very good cocktails. I called Farzana and she came and joined us – Martin getting amusingly drunk on his cocktails which he claimed where the best he’d ever had. We went for dinner at a Malaysian place which I’ve always liked – particaularly the HUGE buddha which greets you as you enter. It does excellent food very quickly which was perfect for us as we were heading to the cinema afterwards to see Benjamin Button. A strange tale, and a very entertaining couple of hours. 

On saturday we threw a party! It was originally planned because Martin thought he was arriving on the 1st – which would have meant he would have missed celebrating new year’s eve (although he actually arrived a day earlier). We were due a party anyway!

Me and Farz spent most of the day cooking up delicious things and filled the table with our efforts. It all looked pretty tasty, if I do say so myself! The party was brilliant – just the right number of people and all the right amount of food (every scrap got eaten!) and alcohol (we had a few bottles left to enjoy but not a fridge-full!). I don’t really remember many specifics of the party. I just remember I flitted around from person to person chatting and having fun. I really enjoyed myself and was completely oblivious to security turning up twice to say they’d had complaints from neighbours! Even did a bit of dancing. The last guests left around 3:30am. I think that’s a sign of a good night – nothing worse than when everyone leaves by midnight! Me and Farz congratulated each other the next day – pleased we’d managed to put on such a good night!

Got a rude awakening by Tony, Nadia and Jarrad who came to collect Jarrad’s car which he’s left at mine. Was pretty funny having them all turn up again! Then me and Martin went to get some recovery Yum Cha from China town. Wow, green tea is such a hangover cure!!! Then we got the ferry to Manly beach where we intended to spend the rest of the day. However when we got there found out that there was a strong wind blowing off from the pacific. We tried to stay there, but I got cold in the wind and fed up of sand blowing all over me, so we moved to the beach on the harbour-side instead. This was much more pleasnt. It was sheltered here, the sun felt hot again and no more sand blasts! We stayed there until about 7pm – and were treated to a stunning sunset over the cityscape on the ferry on the way back home. I think we got a take-away curry from Maya, my fantastic local Indian restaurant, and brought a film back to watch – Kite Runner (very good film), with some wine.

The next day Mike arrived!! He didn’t arrive until the evening though. In the morning I had planned to go to the pool but made the mistake of sitting in my hammock on the terrace and decided I didn’t want to move! Martin went to the pool by himself instead and I enjoyed a bit of me time. In the afternoon we headed back to Darling Harbour for some more cocktails. We also planned to have a chocolate based snack at the Lindt cafe, to keep us going until Mike arrived as we weren’t sure if he’d want to eat or not when he arrived. Unfortunately their kitchen had closed, but we could still get a mocha and a cake from the counter so we did that and sat outside.

We took a strole home – I fancied the walk. Then realised it was time to meet Mike at the airport so hailed a cab and got there just in time. Well….perhaps a couple minutes late as Mike had already gone through customs and was about to phone us when we spotted him and ran up to him!

We let him get showered and sorted before going to a local Thai restaurant for food. Then we came back and had a few beers on the terrace in the dark with the crickets chirping all around us. It was very good to be chilling out, chatting to old friends in the warm evening.

Now starts a week of things I had booked and planned and tried to keep secret from them to add an element of surpise to our daily activities! We went into the city again so that Mike could experience it and had lunch at the opera bar with that amazing backdrop of opera house and bridge again. We also went back to the botanical gardens to chill out in the sun before our evening adventure: climbing to the top of the Sydney Harbour bridge at twilight!!!!

The bridge climb was bloody brilliant and both Mike and Martin thought so too. I’d heard the twilight session was the best, as you go up in daylight – watch the sun set over the city at the top and go back down in the evening with the city all lit up before you. That is exactly how it happened, and couldn’t have timed it better. The sun was sinking lower and lower as we were climbing up, all kitted out in jump suits with headlamps and radio headphones and even a fleece each. As we got to the summit, taking in the amazing views, the sun slipped below the horizon – a ball of orange in the clear sky. The city lights started to come on, and by the time were were making our way down again we had the beautiful glittering city to guide us. The fruitbats took to the skies too, flocks of them winging overhead, jet black against the orange sky.

It finished late, and we were hungry. There was only one place still serving food at 10:30pm on a tuesday night – Pancakes on the Rocks, handily near the bridge. So we went there and had much needed savoury pancakes, yum!

On the wednesday we had another exciting trip – we went to the Blue Mountains to stay for a couple of days. We took the train to Katoomba, a 2 hour trip which gets very scenic as you leave the city and enter the Blue Mountains themselves. We found our apartment, a very nicely presented studio and by the time we’d got sorted we left to explore around 3pm. We walked to Echo point – a great look-out point for panoramic views across Grand Canyon-esque valleys covered in green plants with a haze of blue around them…….

…I’ve got to stop here. I’m going out for dinner! I shall write part 2 at a later date……

bye xx