Limited internet access

Will update as much as I can.

Cheers, mate.

P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney

There's nothing like the comforts of home in a foreign country.

After checking in to the hotel the Madeline, Liana, and I grabbed some coffee from Starbucks, and hit the city. We rode the monorail and had the chance to see the city much like how we saw Melbourne. It was nice to be off of our feet for a while. I feel like we haven’t stopped walking since I’ve arrived in Australia. Don’t get me wrong I love the exercise, but my feet are beginning to reject all this walking.

So it couldn’t have been a better day for us to climb the bridge, as in the Sydney Harbor Bridge. The girls and I were scheduled to climb at 4:15, so we had a lot of time to kill. Liana showed us around Sydney, and we actually got the chance to visit the Sydney Opera House. I couldn’t believe that there were actually multiple buildings; that’s right, they aren’t all connected. We also bummed around the harbor for a bit and checked out some local cruise ships. We tired to think of a full proof plan to sneak on the ships, but sadly we failed.

If you put all the buildings of the Sydney Opera House together
they form a perfect circle. 

I guess it was for the best, because we found a great café. They had amazing sandwiches, though we all wished we had ordered wheat bread. Still the food was great, and we were in a great spot to people watch. We spent a good hour at least just watching people pass us. After that we wandered around the city some more looking for jewelry shops where Madeline could find a pearl ring; apparently Australia is known for their pearls.  Our search ended in defeat, but it was finally time to make our way to the bridge climb.

We weren’t far from the bridge, which was a relief; I think all of us were beginning to get tired. But the girls and I were ready to climb the bridge. Well, kind of.  When we first got there we had to check in, and the guy helping me couldn’t find my reservation. As if I wasn’t freaked out enough about climbing the damn bridge, now I had to worry that I booked it at the wrong time/day. Thankfully, he found my reservation. All we had to do was wait now until it was our turn to climb.

Liana, Madeline, and I waiting to climb the bridge.

It wasn’t too bad; we only had to wait like 30 minutes. They also had this great video that would show us what to do. If you missed it the first time it ran on a seven-minute loop. (That was sarcasm for you who don’t understand Australian humor.) The video was awful, but I was too nervous/excited to climb the bridge I didn’t really notice.

It actually took them longer to train us for the climb than we had to wait. They take us through everything slowly so that nothing goes wrong. I didn’t mind it. If anything I think it helped to calm my nerves. First we had to sign some forms.

One of the few smiles I could force while walking on the bridge.

Then it was time for the suits. They were surprisingly comfortable, but add that with all the supplies we had to walk with... Let’s just say that it was pretty heavy. After you have the harness on they strap everything to you. Sunglass, hats, jackets, everything needs to be securely attached to you, so that it doesn’t come off and cause car accidents down below. After climbing the bridge I can understand why; it was super windy up there.

But that wasn’t what was bothering my the most.

To get on to the actual bridge you have to walk on this creepy walkway, and climb ladders to have cars zooming past you at 100 km/hour. It didn’t help that you could see directly below you. Now, I am terrified of heights, and so is Liana. You can imagine how this went. But seriously, I think both of us did a good job getting past that area.

The girls and me striking a pose on top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

Once we got on to the bridge I was amazed by the view. I completely forgot how high up I was. The walk wasn’t bad. We stopped four times to take pictures. However, my feet still hurt. After our climb we took a taxi back to the hotel.

It was already late and we were famished. The girls and I met up with Liana’s friends Emma and Erin. We went to China Town for dinner. We all decided that Nine Dragons would be a great place to eat. They had a cheap dinner deal that came with a lot of food. Well, thankfully it was a cheap place, because the service was awful. We got three napkins to share, our food came before our drinks, and the waiters ignored our requests. Thankfully tipping isn't required in Australia. 

After a day like that the three of us were exhausted. We watched two and episodes of Summer Heights High before we crashed.

Cheers, mate. 

Sovereign Hill

Sovereign Hill is a place trapped in time. It dates back to the 1850's, and let me tell you the 'hill' is no joke. It's more like a mountain paved out of tiny rocks. Walking was a bit of a challenge, but it was so worth it. Liana's dad Rodi took us girls, and the four of us made our way through time. It was quite entertaining. We saw the school, and a bunch of other places.

We even watched gold get remolded, and we took a ride down into a restored mine. The ride down was so relaxing. It was pitch black; you couldn't see you own hand if it was two inches in front of your face. We also had a chance to pin for gold. If this excursion taught me anything it's that I could never be a miner, or live in the 1800's. It was hot and there was no air conditioning. Don't even get me started on the tiny 'houses' they used to live in.

The day took a lot out of me. I actually fell asleep on the car ride home. We then bummed around for a bit, and actually ended up watching Sex and the City. Liana's mom has the whole set. We didn't even make it through season one, before I passed out.

Cheers, mate.

P.S. I also had fish and chips for dinner. Well technically it was shark and fries, but hey it was delicious.

Zoo time

I can't remember the last time I went to the zoo. I'm not even 100% sure that I have ever been to a real one. Let me just say I love the zoo. The animals are so cute, and even though they smell I can't think of anything better than seeing a tiger up close. The zoo was full of interesting animals like otters, lions, bears, giraffes, and anything else you can possibly imagine. However, my favorite was the penguins; not only are they my favorite animal, but they are so small and cute. I cannot wait until we get to see them on Phillip Island. I might die, or maybe just try to steal one instead. Watch out little guys, I'm coming for you.

While the zoo was awesome, all that walking had really tired me out. I hadn't showered in 24 hours and with the sun as an added factor I think I smelled worse than the animals, and that's saying something. Well after a well needed shower, the girls and I got ready to out to the city for some dinner. We went to Lygon Street in Melbourne; it is the Italian section of the city. You would think I would feel right at home, but the people outside the restaurants were so obnoxious. They would try to convince you to eat at their place and talk your ear off. I don't where I want to eat, but if you're going to annoy me chances are I won't be going where you work. That being said as annoying as they are one guy offered us 20% off the bill, and we got free garlic bread. (Yeah, I was surprised also that you didn't automatically get it for free.)

Well, the dinner was delicious. Liana and I split a bottle of red wine for dinner, and I also had pasta with avocado in it. It was one of the better Italian restaurant meals I've had. My mouth still waters just thinking about it. Emma, Madeline, Liana, and I didn't want to end our night after dinner, so we said goodbye to Erin and Catherine who headed back to Moonee Creek. The fearsome foursome headed out for an adventure, and that's what we found. We spent a good 20 minutes looking for the Rooftop Bar. We found it, but only after walking in just about every other direction. Maddie's feet were not happy about that.

The walk was worth it. We ended up finding the bar, and Liana and I hit up the bar immediately for some beer. I don't remember the name, but it was Italian. (I'm sensing a theme for my night.) It wasn't bad, but I just am not the biggest beer fan. I moved on to spirits for my next few drinks. Again, I tried to find myself a man, but that failed. I talked to Liana's friend Liam about Australian boys and he informed me about how Aussie men prefer to be picked up. I needed to have the balls to to go up and start the conversation. Well he thought it would be a good idea to try to pick up the bartender. It wasn't I failed miserably, and made myself look so stupid. I cringe at the thought of it. I had a few guys actually approach, but I have zero game. You could say I have the swagger of a cripple.

Emma drove us home at 2:30, and I was more than ready to go to bed. I had barely gotten my contacts out before my head hit the pillow.

Cheers, mate.

Boxing day

I've never understood the allure of Black Friday shopping. Then again, I have never been an actual shopper. I was on the working side; and I hated it. Today, however I changed roles and joined the masses of people on the hunt for a great deal. It seemed to be fun at first, but than I heard the dreaded beeping of the sensor machines and the roar of the crowd. It brought back all the horrible memories my working days. Days I dread returning to.

I did, however, find some great deals and got a few things. I don't think they were worth all the pushing, shoving, and rude people crowding the mall. I can't described how relieved I was to finally make it back to Liana's and crash on the couch.

The day wasn't over though. Maddie, Liana, Aidan, Jordan, and I had another adventure we had to go on. We took a walk on the wild side in search for some kangaroos, and we found them alright. There were at least 30 of them in their mob. (That's what a group of kangaroos is called; a mob. I'm not kidding). It was really cool to see them. Some of them were even boxing each other. Aside from the roos we saw heaps of butterflies and other bugs, but that was about it.

After every adventure the explorers need a victory meal. That's exactly what we had. Emma's house wasn't far away, so we went there for dessert. She had left over chocolate cake from Christmas. We ate outside, and let me just say her house has a beautiful spacious set up. The layout confused me a bit though. It wasn't anything like the architecture we have in the states. We sat and talked for a bit with Emma when Erin arrived. Out of all the Aussie she has my favorite accent; just the way she talks seems so different. She's also hysterical. She went swimming with her phone and broke it; maybe she needs to tell the story so it's actually funny.

Well, as the sun began to set it started to get colder so we went inside. It was then someone suggested going to see the Christmas lights around the neighborhood. I must say they were nothing like I had expected. The majority of them were just like the ones back home, but then we would see houses that put the normal houses to shame. These houses were not only covered with Christmas lights, but they had window displays you could go up to look at. One house had things move when you clapped. It was unreal.

At this point it was pretty late, and I was ready for bed. So we headed back to the house, and I pretty much jumped into bed. It's kind of sad because John came over last night. (He's the boy their family is jokingly trying to set me up with.) Oh rats. Next time.

Cheers, mate.

Merry (white) Christmas from Down Under

Christmas morning with Liana's family.

If you know me, then you must know that I am not the biggest fan of Christmas. The commercialism makes my skin crawl, and the added stress to impressing family members with elaborate gift is too much for me to bare. Most people would be upset to find out that they would be spending the holidays away from their family. I was actually excited to by-pass the drama this year. Don't get me wrong. I adore my family, but I can't take everything that comes with the holidays.

Here's a thought why don't we just go on vacations for the holidays.

No presents. No drama. Just me, my family, the beach, and I can pretty much guarantee a white Christmas. That's right, even in Australia I can't escape the weather. It wasn't snow, but the citizens of Melbourne did get heaps of hail. The downpour lasted for at least 10 minutes; even buddy came inside for shelter. It definitely was an adventure. It was pretty entertaining to see all the Aussies freak out over the hail. Apparently they haven't had a hail like that in more than 10 years. Then Brad pointed out that insurance doesn't cover hail damage. Sorry guys.

It is unfortunate for all the people who came. Let's see if I can get this right. There was Liana, Maddie, Diane, Brad, Georgia, Liam, Aidan, Grandma, Grandpa, Matt, Daniel, Mauve, Karen, Lilly, Sam, and I know I'm missing a few other aunts and uncles, I just can't think of their names. It definitely was a big family Christmas. We all sat down for lunch, which might I say was delicious, and before we ate we opened up these bon-bon christmas firecracker things. They were pretty cool. Each one comes with a bad joke, a crown that you wear, and a other little surprise like a puzzle or measuring tape. I don't know what the crowns symbolize in the pack, but I like to think it's meant to make one feel like royalty. After all, we did feast like kings. I think I'm still full from yesterday.

Christmas bon-bons, the prize is inside.

We all had a huge lunch at the Keighran-Neri house. I would compare it to the Christmas dinner my family eats every year, only with more vegetarian options. There was so much food that I had to try a little bit of everything. Okay, maybe a lot of everything. I restrained myself from grabbing seconds, but dessert killed me. There was a mouth-watering tiramisu, and some other mango dessert from Brazil. Everything was just amazing. I debated finding a nice quiet place where I could give in to my food coma, but I couldn't bring myself to get up. I'm sure I dozed off a few times, but can you really blame a girl?

I wasn't prepared at all for what would happen next. Liana, Madeline, Liam, Aidan, and I would all go over to Liana's dad's house for another feast, of the dinner kind. Rodi made an amazing vegetarian lasagna with pumpkin. I swear I can still taste it. But that wasn't the only thing there. In fact, I would venture to say there was probably just as much food for half the amount of people. His mother kept trying to feed me all night; little did she know my stomach was about to burst if I ate anything else.

We then went into the family room and curled up on the couch for some R&R and to watch the Christmas classic National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. It's official, I can quote the whole movie in my head. It was a great way to feel at home in a foreign country. The long day finally ended when Liana's mother picked us us to bring us back to bed. I'm going to be honest, I don't remember falling asleep. That's how tired/full I was.

Cheers, mate.

Merry Christmas Eve

My beach bums and I left paradise and returned back to Liana's home. It felt great to come back after a day full of shopping and driving. We might have left Torque, but I will always have a reminder of the beach with me, well in my jewelry box anyway. In the mist of all the beach shops I found a beautiful turquoise bracelet, and I'm proud to say it was a steal. We actually did quite of bit of window shopping, and me and Madeline both found something.

We all found something at Mackers to eat, even though it got the better of all three of us. It was nice not to worry about dinner. The only thing standing in the way between me and Diane's delicious meal was Christmas mass.

Madeline and I joined Liana's family at a local Catholic church. It was surprisingly similar to the services we have back in the states, however some of the words in the prayers were different. There was also the fact that we were all sweating in the heat. That certainly doesn't happen in Chicago.

After sweating like a 'sinner in church' it felt great to come back to the house and have dinner waiting for us. I tried lentil patties, which were delicious by the way. There was also a yummy salad, and fish. I forget what the fish was called, but I would compare it to tilapia.

Then we all sat down to watch Carols by Candlelight. It's an Australian Christmas special. The crowd actually lights candles. It's pretty cool to see. I can't wait for Christmas to come tomorrow. Well, I'm expecting Santa to come any minute now.

Cheers, mate.