Back to the Aquarium

Photos:

• Top left: Platypus...at last!
• Top right: Thought the sign over the croc cage was pretty funny.
• Bottom left: This fish is definitely real, even though everyone at the aquarium thought it was a statue. You have to look really closely for a while to see it's gills move, otherwise it doesn't move at all.
• Bottom right: Melon soda with a scoop of ice cream. Doesn't come close to a root beer float, but it was still pretty good.

Yesterday was a nice change of pace. The first time I met Carla's roommates, we were discussing how the platypus didn't come out at all during our trip to the Aquarium, and how that was really disappointing. Turned out that one of the roommates works at the Aquarium and told us to come back sometime. So yesterday Francis and I went back. Let's just say that our admission price to the Aquarium was *really inexpensive*. (And just so we're all on the same page, when I say *really inexpensive*, what I actually mean is free.) So that was nice. Saved me about $27, and all we had to do was look, um, inconspicuous when making our entrance.

And this time, the platypus was out! Two of them, actually. AND to make it even better, the crocodile was out, too. The roommate who let us into the Aquarium had just finished his shift, so he was also able to go through the Aquarium with us, which was awesome because it was like having your own personal tour guide. This trip was definitely better than the last. (Except for the part when I dropped my digital camera. It still works, but now I'm walking around with a camera that's duct-taped on one end to hold the batteries in.)

After the Aquarium, the three of us went for lunch at a Japanese restaurant in the Galleries Victoria. I didn't get anything to eat because I'd had something before Francis and I left the apartment, but I did order the drink pictured above.

Next, we went back to St. Mary's to try and get a look inside the crypt. Unfortunately, it was already closed for the day by the time we got there, but that's only another reason for me to go back again...

We decided to finish up the afternoon with a trip back to the Art Gallery of NSW (see my post from Sunday). Francis wanted to show us some paintings that he'd looked at in his art class the week before. Then we went downstairs and took a look at the Asian art gallery, which was interesting. I got to see some furniture from the Ming dynasty in China; and those of you who went to college with me know just how much I can appreciate that. :)

~~~

And now for today's list: "Important Australian Words and Phrases to Know"

• Sultana = raisin
• "Good on ya, mate" = "Way to go!"
• session = (TV) season
• kerb = curb
• chemist = drugstore
  
• Flat white = regular, black coffee
• "Yeah yeah yeah, right right" = yes