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

I Guess You Could Say I Have a Ferry Addiction...

Photos:

• Top left: A look at The Rocks from George Street
• Top right: Sydney Observatory and garden
• Middle left: view of Sydney Harbour bridge and The Rocks from Observatory Hill
• Middle right: doorway in a neighborhood in The Rocks
• Bottom left: Museum of Contemporary Art; I think these are images from Israel
• Bottom right: Pitt Street Mall

Yesterday we started out at The Rocks Market, once again. But this time I found lots of cool stuff to take home with me. Spent about an hour there before heading off to the Sydney Observatory, which is just up the hill from the market. Entry is free, but we soon found out why: who wants to pay money just to see a bunch of really old telescopes? The best part about it was the view of the city we had from the top of the hill.

Returning to The Rocks, we went to the Museum of Contemporary Art after a walk through some of the quieter streets of the area. The museum is another free attraction that we decided to check out and was fairly interesting.

Ate lunch downtown and went (window) shopping after that. Then Carla and I separated and she headed home, while I went to the internet cafe to write yesterday's post. I had thought about going to the evening service at the Garrison Church, but it was dark out and the church is in a less-occupied area of The Rocks--I wasn't sure if I should go there alone at night. Maybe next week?

Instead I returned to Circular Quay and once again took the ferry to Neutral Bay. I got to the pier just as that ferry was boarding, and didn't want to wait 1/2 an hour for the next ferry to Darling Harbour, so that was a quick decision. (Plus, it's the only ferry I'm familiar with that goes round-trip, returning to the Quay at the end.) I've decided I really like taking the ferry at night--if you get far enough away from the reflection of the city lights on the water, it sometimes looks like the ferry is floating on nothing at all. Freezing cold on the harbour at night, though.

Took the bus back home and spent the night watching movies with Carla and her roommates.

Rainy Day in Randwick

Photos:

• Top left: a park in Sydney through a rainy bus window
• Top right: grey skys over a building in Carla's apartment complex
• Bottom left: got a peek at some blue sky towards the evening
• Bottom right: Yay for clean laundry!

Yesterday was the wettest day I've seen here so far. I came downtown to use the internet in the morning and then went back to Randwick to do a little grocery shopping. Nothing like a little ice cream on a rainy day...

Not much to say about the rest of the day, really. Carla didn't feel like going out in the weather, and we both had clothes to wash anyways, so we stayed at her place all afternoon and did laundry. Later, a friend who had just returned from a week and a half in western Australia came over and told us about his trip. Watched the Simpsons and that's about it. Didn't stay up late because we planned to get up early this morning, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow if you want to hear about that...

And now for the latest edition of my lists: "Languages I have watched the news in since coming to Australia."

• English (BBC, local Australian news, as well as news from the States)
• German
• Greek
• Spanish
• Italian
• Portugese
• French
• Arabic
  

I guess it all goes to show just how "international" the city of Sydney can really be. (Never mind that I couldn't understand every word of the German, Greek, French, Arabic and Portugese broadcasts; they were fun to listen to anyway.)

Back to the Market...and the Ferry

Photos:

• Top left: Paddy's Market
• Top right: outside St. Andrew's Cathedral
• Middle left: inside St. Andrew's Cathedral
• Middle right: a bit of Australian fashion for you... (see list at end of post for further clarification). Trust me, pretty much every young woman in Australia dresses like this.
• Bottom left: a much closer look at the Opera House
• Bottom right: a view of the city from yet another vantage point. The trees to the left of the Opera House are all part of the Royal Botanic Gardens (see yesterday's post).

After picking up lunch yesterday morning, I made my way over to St. Andrew's Cathedral, which was apparently the first cathedral in Sydney to be completed. The foundation stone of St. Mary's chapel was laid much earlier--in 1821--but the foundation stone of the St. Mary's cathedral wasn't laid until the same year that St. Andrew's was consecrated (1868). St. Andrew's is again a beautiful example of architecture in Sydney but, as I've said about the other churches I've been to, still doen't hold a candle (pun intended?) to St. Mary's.

Went back to Paddy's Market after I left the cathedral. Did some more looking around, but still no purchases have been made. Decisions, decisions.... But at least now I have a better idea of where to go to get the better prices.

Next, I spent a while walking around the central shopping area of the city--a few blocks from Paddy's and Chinatown. Mostly all I ever end up doing is window shopping, but I did find a quirky little ring for just $1.

Continued walking once again towards Circular Quay, which seems to be pretty much always where I end up when I don't really have any specific ideas about where to go next. On a whim, I took the ferry towards Neutral Bay. The name pretty much tells you how exciting it was, too. But yet again, I got exceptional views of the Opera House and the city. I know that everyone at home is probably getting sick of me posting pictures of the Opera House and the skyscrapers of downtown Sydney, but I have to say in my own defense that the pictures don't really do it justice; I wish everyone could have the chance to see it for themselves. It's spectacular.

But anyways.... Took the bus home as usual from Circular Quay. Made myself some instant soup for dinner and wrapped myself up in my fleece blanket. TV is (unfortunately) the most exciting thing to do in the evenings here, unless you're willing to go spend a lot of money at a restaurant or the cinemas, etc. I watched "The Simpsons" with two of Carla's roommates, Francis and Tetsushi. Then watched "Temptation," a game show that gets addicting really fast. (If only Dan hadn't paid $15 dollars to get a crack at the jackpot, he might still be returning for another win on Monday. Shame...) Later, I guess one of the channels was making an attempt at some sort of Guy Pierce marathon, because they showed both "The Count of Monte Cristo" (love that movie!) and then "Memento," which I fell asleep halfway through. It was pretty late though...

And now, once again, I have a list for you. This list is entitled "Characteristics of Australian Fashion" (refer to the photo above):

• Skin-tight, extra-long tapered pants
• Knee-high boots (with the pants always tucked inside)
• Polka dots
• Navy, red and black

In other words, I might not stick out as a foreigner just because I'm wearing jeans, but the fact that my jeans are boot cut and not tucked into my boots would be the dead giveaway.

Royal Botanic Gardens

Photos:

• Top left: view of the harbour from Mrs. Macquarie's Chair
• Top right: view of the garden and city from edge of harbour
• Middle left: palm trees in the garden
• Middle right: statue at one of the garden gates
• Bottom left: I have no idea what kind of flower this is...
• Bottom right: You have no idea how cold it is in Carla's apartment. When Carla took this picture I was wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt under my sweatshirt, two pairs of socks, and a scarf. Not to mention the fleece blanket and cup of tea that I can't do without.

Yesterday, after getting in my daily e-mail fix and purchasing a smashing wool coat for $19.95 (about $15 US), I made my way over to a McCafe for the first time in my life. When I first saw them here last week I didn't quite know what to make of them, but now I wish we had them in the states. It's still run by McDonalds, but it's a lot more like a Starbucks than anything else. You can get cappuccinos, pastries, panini, etc. None of that Big Mac stuff. (You have to go around the corner to the regular McDonalds, if that's what you want.)

I got a grilled chicken and avocado panini for pretty cheap, as well as a cup of hot water (I carry tea bags with me at all times; you have no idea how much money that saves me on buying drinks here) and took it over to The Domain, a huge park near downtown. Found a place just outside the Art Museum to sit and eat.

After that, I made my way over to the Royal Botanic Gardens. Saw some pretty incredible native Australian plants, trees and wildlife and also got a spectacular view of the city/harbour from a different vantage point.

Later in the afternoon, I made my way back to the Art Gallery of New South Wales for a look around before heading home. Didn't spend a lot of time there, but I had a chance to look through a couple rooms of 19th century European and Australian paintings/sculptures. The next time I go back I plan on looking through the Modern and Aboriginal exhibits.

Spent the evening at home with Carla, once again watching game shows and then an episode of Law and Order (one of my favorites!). I had Carla take a picture of me so I could show everyone how cold it is in her apartment.

And to conclude...another list. Even though this one's probably not as good, it is definitely inspired by my actual experiences. Today's list is "Peanut Butters that I Have Tried."

• American: Pretty much two thumbs up.
• Italian: Nonexistent. So I guess I shouldn't really claim to have tried this one...
• Australian: nothing to write home about. (Though, ironically, that's exactly what I'm doing right now.)

The Hilarious-est Crypt I've Ever Visited

Photos:

• Top left: Coles. The grocery store I've been to nearly every day since I arrived.
• Top right: outside Hyde Park Barracks
• Bottom left: Spire of St. James Church with Sydney's AMP Tower in the background
• Bottom right: inside St. James Church

After my daily visit to the grocery store, I spent yesterday morning running around trying to find a computer with Firefox that didn't cost $5 an hour. Success came at last when I found an internet cafe right across the street from Hyde Park that has absolutely everything (right down to Skype and AIM, etc.) and costs less than the place I'd been going to in Randwick. The only downfall: it takes at least 30 min. to get here. I think it's worth it, though, because it gives me a reason to get downtown earlier in the day.

Finally got my newest posts published (see entries for Monday and Tuesday) and then spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the Hyde Park/Macquarie Street area. I started off at St. James Church, which is directly across the street from the Hyde Park Barracks. Nice looking church, although I'm not sure I'll find anything else here that's even remotely close to St. Mary's. Felt a little awkward in the church as I was the only one there besides the organist, and my shoes kept making this squeaky noise that echoed. Inside the church, the blue and red light that you see on the right (which I think looks kind of like a Pepsi vending machine in the photo) is actually a chapel that has 3 walls made entirely of stained glass. They hold services in there at least once a day.

Before leaving, I made my way downstairs to the "Crypt Shop," which is what they've named their gift shop because it is, literally, in the crypt. For the record, the name is far more entertaining than anything you can find inside. I also found it slightly humorous that they've converted two of the other crypts underneath the church into bathrooms. So where you look expecting to find some sort of burial place, you actually see a sign for "Female toilets." But something tells me that nobody else thought it was quite as funny as I did...

Farther down the street was the State Library of New South Wales, where they currently have exhibits of early nineteenth-century panoramic sketches of Sydney, Aboriginal Sydney 1770-1850, and a collection of centuries-old illustrated manuscripts, etc. I think you can take a look at the things on display by clicking on the link above to the library's website. After the library, I walked back to Circular Quay and caught the bus home.

And now...

As I have a habit of making random lists, I will conclude today's posting with one of the several that I have compiled over the last few days. Today's list is entitled "Things I Never Expected to See All Over Sydney But Are Nevertheless Here in Abundance," and it goes as follows:

• Wig shops, including stores like "Wigs on Wheels," "AAA Wig King," "Ahead in Wigs" (get it?), "Freedom Wigs Australia"...well, you get the idea.
• Mexican sailors (yes, you read that right). The Mexican Navy Sailing Ship "Cuauhtemoc" has made it's way to Sydney, but I missed my chance to get a tour of their ship.
• Turkish food. Sorry folks, no good explanation for that one, yet.
• Asian people. But when you think about it, it makes perfect sense: I keep forgetting that I'm a lot closer to Asia now than I've ever been before. Let's just say that even if Mandarin Chinese was the only language you spoke, you probably wouldn't have any problems getting around Sydney.

The Chinese Garden

Photos:

• Top left: Harris Street. This is actually what a fairly typical residence looks like here in Sydney.
• Top right: Chinese Garden, looking across the Lake of Brightness (which is ironically some of the darkest water I've seen in my entire life).
• Middle left: More Chinese Garden
• Middle right: Took a picture of myself in the garden.
• Bottom left: Looking through a window.
• Bottom right: Reflection in the Lake of Brightness.

Yesterday, I set out with the sole intent of visiting the Chinese Garden in the afternoon. I got on a bus that I thought would take me near there, and then promptly began writing in my notebook. Forgetting that I would need to pay attention in order to know when to get off the bus, I ended up on the other side of Darling Harbour from where I wanted to be. I got of the bus and started walking, thinking that it would only take a few minutes to get back to the other side. I was wrong, but at least my walk took me through a really pretty residential neighborhood (see pic of Harris Street).

When I finally arrived at the Chinese Garden, I was excited to have the chance to take some pictures and enjoy the scenery. By the time I left, I felt like I'd gotten some great shots, but I didn't enjoy the garden as much as I'd wanted to: you don't really feel like you're in a garden in China when you can see skyscrapers towering over every tree and you can hear rush hour traffic over the sound of the waterfalls. In addition, there was also building in the garden where you could go rent "traditional" Chinese clothing and then take pictures of yourself. So there were *white* tourists in robes everywhere you looked. I think I'll actually enjoy looking at the photographs more than I did the actual experience of walking through the garden...

After leaving, I walked back to the Aquarium, where I caught the ferry back to Circular Quay. (It's the same thing I'd done the day before, only going the other direction.) Caught a bus back to the apartment and concluded the night watching Australian game shows with Carla.