Oh, Syd can you Ney...

Lovely to be in Sydney for realz this time. (On Oct 28 I was here for 13 hours, and then headed straight to Perth after a bit of delusional sight seeing). I landed yesterday afternoon and was delighted to talk to the Information people at the airport…so very helpful. By the end I was “Miss San Diego” awaiting her coach to the hostel. Joel told me that the Jolly Swagman was not a good choice, but I must admit that although I believed him I stayed there anyhow as they had a free shuttle and a good price. A safe and relatively comfy place to lay my head (sans bedbugs) is all I’m after, plus friendly fellow/sister travelers and good tour ideas. Voila! I can practice my French (and have) and Italian (very slightly) and once I reveal myself as an English teacher, it’s all over. Oh! They say. My English is so bad! No, it’s not, I say. My French is so bad! No, they say, it eez no! C'est pas vrai! And so we have a fan club for one another and work on expressions and accents. I taught an Italian pilot to say “howzitgoin” and five minutes later, processes firing, he comes back with “You use the present continuous, no?” A+, Cap’n!

Upon my escape I head to bed and the tales of the youngins in my room: Ashley from Vancouver-ish, Jesse from Seattle, Christina, also Vancouver, a flight attendant. I can hear my 25 year-old self in their voices and comments and surefire way of speaking and pronouncing “Bondi Beach” Bondee Beach, although it is Bond “eye.” I keep silent because there is really no need to be right; and who is right, anyhow, but these happy Aussies around us? I have been having fun saying “Cairns” though—I ‘ve heard it several different ways: “Canes” with a hint of an r…”Cans” with no r…and Care-nnnz (mostly from my fellow countrypeople). I just say Czzzz.

Speaking of, I love it up there, and until this morning still felt like I was on the dive boat.

I am at Roy’s Famous (what’s the Famous part, I wonder?) in delightful Potts Point, Sydney, where I’ve been for the last couple hours. Today has been great. I woke up at 7, went running, ended up in the Botanic Gardens for hours, walking, reading about the Cadigal people (aboriginals who were here first), found my eyes leaking heavily with each sentence about suppression, devastation of culture, smallpox, and on and on, but hopeful about gaps getting bridged and peace being made, doing yoga (this was one my favorite spots to do it…this time, in downward dog, I could see the Opera House through my legs! After that I made my way back, did laundry, got sorted, and headed to Roy’s. I chatted on the phone to my new local friend, Shane; had a glass of red wine and some amazing pasta; a cappuccino; and now I’m uploading pictures, writing, and polishing my lesson plans. I'm down to protein in the morning, lots of water, some fruit, and a big meal around 3. Works like a charm for my wallet and my Hudson jeans. ;-)

I’m off to Hong Kong on Sunday, and until then I have a full plate of fun ahead. Tomorrow I’ll do the Bondi Beach to Coogee walk with Shane the restless sailor (this is a great story, how I know him; I met his good friends Tim and Michaelle at LAX on the way here, and they told me he’d be a great contact to know. Turns out they were very right, and he and his friend and brother were kind enough to share their potatoes, pumpkins, carrots and wine with me last night. An autumn feast! Perhaps it was early Turkey Day, since I'll be in Beijing on the real one. We had great discussions about cross-cultural observations and travelling); Thursday I’m off to the Blue Mountains (and a lovely Victorian hostel that smells much less like shoes than does the Jolly Swagman, with a purple bedspread and almost my own bathroom, lots of trees, and older people); Friday I have a conference call/lesson with one of my favorite clients from Qualcomm; and then I meet up with Aunt Liz for a walk and dinner! She arrives Friday and we are so excited to meet up. Saturday we’ll go to Hunter Valley winetasting, and Sunday I am off to HK, where begins my teaching and a succession of amazing hotels.

I find Sydney to be such a neat mixture of cultures, streetscapes, bohemian to bankers. I see a little of DC here, a bit of San Fran there, a tad NYC, splash of Seattle, and a whole lot of mellow, happy Aussies.

Still have to share about adventures in the Daintree Rainforest, Cape Tribulation, Wujal Wujal, Cooktown, and bush pubs...I saw a frolicking wallaby and kangaroo!!
Consistent things exist in every state, despite vast differences: toilets are the same everywhere (half- and full-button flush options); light switches, too; love of beer is everywhere; “G’day, mate” and “How ya goin?” and “No problem at all” – wonderful things to rely on no matter where I tread next.

Wish you were here!