The Last of the Visitors...

Hello Hello!

Well, Joe left yesterday and after realizing I have no more visitors and it is just me and Oz for the next three months, I got a bit homesick! That's right, homesick! Who would have thunk it huh?

Joe's trip to Australia was great- it gave me an excuse to get out of Sydney and see a bit of the Gold Coast. We jetted off to Surfer's Paradise early Saturday morning,5 September. We flew into a gloomy Gold Coast Airport and were quite anxious as to what the weekend would bring with the weather, the company and, for Joe's sake, the surf!After our 45 minute bus ride from the Gold Coast into the heart of Surfer's Paradise, the sun broke away from the clouds and gave us a gorgeous day. Unfortunately, the winds were a bit strong and the surf was not up to par so we just spent a lazy day at the beach, in the jacuzzi and wandering the wacky and tacky Surfer's boardwalk.

That night, after an all you can eat sushi buffet dinner, I came down with a nasty bug and had fevers all night. With that said, we woke up at 4:15 in the morning and spent all of Sunday repeating our Saturday's activities! Only, this time we went to the beach, I fell asleep a bit too long on my back and got a nice sunburn that turned into quite a tan by the time we got back to Sydney (sorry Mom)! I figured I was up to go out on the Sunday night as we could not come all this way to Surfer's to not go out once! After an nice Italian dinner we found that Surfer's isn't that party city we thought it was because it was dead on a Sunday night!! So, with that said, we went to all the way up there and didn't even go out once!! The bright side of that is that it made for quite a cheap trip!

After making it back to Sydney early Monday morning, I went off to class for a couple of hours and Joe wandered the city. That Tuesday consisted of me going to the doctor's office, writing a paper, and going to class. Joe on the other hand had a much better day than me- he went to Manly with a friend of ours from home on the ferry and had a day filled with surfing. After that, he went to the infamous Scruffy's b(an Irish pub) with some friends and I found myself working on a paper all night. Fun Stuff!!!

Wednesday was much better! I went off to work and had my long day of classes, Joe went to the Museum of Contemporary Art and then we went out with some of my girlfriends in Paddington that night.

Thursday we spent the day at Darling Harbour and Friday was spent wandering around the city. I felt a bit badly as Joe was my second visitor and I was not coming up with very good activities. Unfortunately, we didn't make it to the Blue Mountains but Joe says that is just his incentive to get back out here at some point in his life- he wants to hold koalas!

All in all, I think Joe had a great trip and I was happy to show him my new (though temporary) life here in Sydney. Joe was also able to meet all the Golds (every generation) and have some good home cooked meals while he was here.

So, now that the visitors are gone, I had a lot of time to think and get a bit nostalgic- not always a good thing! So, with that said, I miss everyone at home much more than I had originally thought. Hopefully though, I think this little phase will pass as I have much to keep me busy- school, work and Fraser Island in 2 weeks! Also, Rosh Hashanah starts this weekend which means a few days of good old family fun which will be a good change of pace.

Well I miss everyone oodles and will post some more before I leave for Fraser on the 26 September, I'm sure!

Love to all! xoxox

$6 Lunch Specials, City Walkabouts and Footy

Hello, Hello!

Well, Lawdie left me today to head home to The States and I must say, I loved having my partner in crime with me in my new favorite city. Lawdie was here for 10 days and I don't think I have done more in such a short period of time than I did with her!
Despite arriving at 6:45am on Friday morning, Lawds was a trooper and allowed me to show her around Circular Quay, the Opera House, The Botanic Gardens, and George Street. Despite a full day of walking, traveling and only a short nap, Lawds and I hit the town and had a great first night together down at Darling Harbour at the Cargo Bar. Now, despite not paying for a single drink and dancing the night away, the one thing we learned was that the 20-something year old, too cool for school, investment bankers are not quite our type and called it a night at a mere 3am! Did I mention Lawdie had arrived at 645am? Ahh what a trooper!

The following day, the two of us woke at a reasonable hour, went for a quick run around the Uni (killing two birds with one stone- exercise and showing Lawds my new campus), walked through Chinatown, down to Darling Harbour and around to the Opera House. Well, Lawdie fell in love with Chinatown (she is kind of obsessed with Asian food) and we stopped for the best Chinese meal I have ever had at a hole in the wall place Lawdie's tour book had suggested. We walked our meal off walking through the rocks to Circular Quay and decided that it was a perfect day to grab the ferry to Manly. After staying at Manly for just over an hour, we decided to call it a day and head home. That night,we found ourselves at Kings Cross- the seediest, most guido area Sydney has to offer. Our 2 hours in Kings Cross was enough for us and we ended up at the Ivy in the CBD.

Sunday called for the Cooggee to Bondi Coastal Walk and we ended up laying out in the 26 degree weather- and they say its winter here?

The following week, while I was at class or work, Lawdie entertained herself with wandering the city, neighboring suburbs and frequenting Chinatown regularly. She also became quite keen of the $6 lunch special at the Thai restaurant down Kings St. I think she went in twice one day even- aw, I knew we were friends for a reason!
After becoming a regular at the local Thai restaurant, we knew we would have to be working off all the great food somehow so, we took to running together each day around the city! We have now run along the Harbour, the Botanic Gardens, Uni, and the park just down the street. Hopefully, I can keep this running thing up as I think I want to compete in a race when I return to the States....

Lawds and I found ourselves at an Irish pub in the city with some Uni friends on Tuesday and that was by far one of our best nights! This pub had a live band playing classic rock and, needless to say, Lawdie and I were in the middle of the dance floor dancing and singing along to each song. We had such a great time and didn't talk to anyone that came our way! It was the best workout we've had since we've been here!

After learning the city in the day and the night, Lawdie's trip came to a close (but not before she grabbed a lunch special to go to keep her satisfied on the plane)! It was great to see Lawds, show her around, and catch up with an old friend! I am definitely going to miss having my partner in crime with me but, all good things must come to an end. I have to admit though, it will be good to get back on track with my eating habits- Lawdie and I are not the best influences on each other when it comes to eating. Gotta love the fat kids!

Another thing Lawdie and I learned during her visit was the difference between rugby (footy) and AFL...us yanks had no idea what the difference was. The one thing we took away from the stunned guys that were explaining the differences to us was that one wears tshirts and one wears tanks! Ha, leave it to the girls to understand the uniform aspect but nothing else. Aw well, at least we know which one is which when they're on the telly now!

Back to school today and I am a bit behind on reading however, I know I will catch up within the next few days and hopefully get a bit ahead as I have another visitor coming in a couple of weeks.

Work begins again tomorrow and I can't wait to see whats in store for me there. I always love going to work- I dunno if its all the perks or being surrounded by designer clothing that gets to me but, whatever it is, I love it!

I am definitely starting to miss the family and wish they were here with me but, alas, this is what going abroad is all about.

Hope this keeps everyone entertained for a bit! Love and miss you all!

Peace, Love and Free Drinks!
xoxo

beaches, visitors, and free clothes

So after officially being dubbed the worst blogger of all time by my family, its about time I get my blog on!
So much has happened since my last post I'm not quite sure where to begin...
Ill start with school as this is the whole reason I'm here right? Well, classes are fantastic despite having only 1 Australian professor (I have to travel to the other side of the world to be taught by Americans?)Although there is a good amount of reading for all 3 of my courses each week, it hasn't been hard staying on top of it all while still enjoying all the social functions Sydney has to offer.
In my tutorials (discussions to all you septic tanks), I am a bit scared to talk to be quite honest as people have already made it clear how they feel about Americans and our view of the world. I must say, I've had to remind people that I am Australian as well so I'm hoping they don't judge me too harshly! Also, I am quite upset with my parents and the fact they chose to raise us in the States- the education system there is definitely not up to par! All in all however, I'm doing very well in school and couldn't be any happier with how it is all turning out!
Work is fantastic as well. I received my first perks last week that came in the form of 2 blazers! And, my boss put Lawdie and I on the guest list for a private event at a posh club in the city- ah life is good! Just today I put in an order for a few dresses from a designer that decided she couldn't afford to pay my boss but she can pay her in clothes instead! Hey, my boss isn't paying me any money so at least I was able to order the clothes! So, come summer I should be sporting a completely free and fashionable wardrobe! Ugh, my life is so hard!
Dad arrived last Tuesday so it was good to see the ol' papa bear in his old stomping ground! We took a trip down the southern coast, past Wollongong and then went west to the Kangaroo Valley. Well, the one thing I discovered was that calling it the Kangaroo Valley is just false advertising- there's no bloody roos there let me tell you! So, needless to say, I was a bit disappointed with that part of the road trip but the sweeping green mountains and plush bush made up for it I suppose.
The beaches in and around Sydney are to die for! Coming from someone who grew up on the beaches of southern California, let me just say that we have no idea what a real beach is! White sands and clear blue water is not something that you can only find in Hawaii- every beach here is a tropical paradise.
With all the exploring, night life and socialising I've been participating in, I think its safe to say that I have found my new home! I am definitely sold on living here but, unfortunately, I must graduate at UC Davis first. So, yes, I will be coming home for winter and spring quarter but, I think I am changing my ticket so that I can be here for New Years Eve.
I love and miss everyone and will do my best to be more prompt with my blogging- no more 2 week waits.
Peace, love and Bondi Beach
Xoxo

Canberra, Wine Tasting, Opera Houses, Harbour Bridges Oh My!

Hello Hello!

I know it has been a while since my last blog but, with the family and friends here it has been hard to keep up!

So Bex arrived on the 17th and it has been a whirlwind ever since! We decided that we'd get out of the city and head to Canberra, the capital of ACT (Australian Capital Territory). Well, although this is supposed to be a city and a capital, it was nothing more than a sleepy town with a few large buildings and great museums! After being somewhat shocked by the lack of activity and slow country lifestyle this city had to offer, Becca and I spent the day wandering the Parliament building, the National Archives Museum, and the National Portrait Gallery. While getting our exercise in for the day with all the walking, we picked up some fun facts as well from our enthusiastic Parliament tour guide like: Why are the Emu and Kangaroo on the Nation's Government seal? (Because their kneecaps are "backs-to-front"- they are only able to walk forward and Australia is a forward moving country.)

After wandering about the Parliament building and grounds, we made are way down to the National Archives to gather some family history. After learning about our great grandfather, Adam McAlister and his heroic war accomplishments, we walked to the National Portrait Gallery where I saw the Vanity Fair exhibit.

We realized that we had done everything there was to do in Canberra in one full day and jumped on a bus to Sydney the first thing Monday morning. Good thing we made it back in one piece because I think it is safe to say our bus driver was still drunk from the night before. Becca and I thought we were gonners a few times on that 4 hour bus ride home and wanted to kiss the ground as soon as we jumped off but the Central Bus Station is not the cleanest place in the world.

We spent the rest of the day with rels and did a nice coastal walk with Brian along the cliffs that afternoon where we got to watch jumping whales just off the shore!
Adam arrived on Wednesday morning with a friend and we immediately went to play with Jordy and Layla. After a quick game of checkers between Adam and Jordy (Jordy loves to play checkers 'cause he thinks he's pretty sly when it comes to cheating but, he's really not!), we took the train into Circular Quay with Shelley and the kids.

Wine tasting was the following morning. After the scenic ride up through the mountains and into the Hunter Valley we arrived at our first two wineries where we all got a little knackered! We had lunch, went to the Smelly Cheese shop, continued onto our 3rd winery and called it a day just in time to see the rainbow over the mountains!

The rest of the week was comprised of family outings and dinner plans. Let me just tell you, none of us were deprived of food! Becca and I had to walk everywhere everyday just to have the possibility of fitting into our pants the next day! (So glad I bought that gym pass!)

Bex and Adam have since left- Becca arrived in LA on Monday and Adam is currently skiing in New Zealand (or at least I hope he is- he has yet to contact me).

I started school on Monday and have loved every day since! I went on a pub crawl Monday night and am not disappointed with the Sydney night life! Work is still going well and I have to try to contain myself because I am constantly wanting to order clothes! Hopefully that itch will be scratched soon as the new lines are coming in and the old ones will be ready for ordering!

I had a bit of an accident yesterday at the gym which is pretty funny! I was running on the treadmill and obviously not paying attention to my feet when I ate it and fell in front of the morning gym rats. I wish someone had videotaped it as Im sure i could win some money on America's Funniest Home Videos for it! I wasn' hurt badly unless a broken finger and some cut knees count for anything?

Dad arrives on Tuesday and Im sure we will be taking some road trips during his stay!

I will try to keep in touch more frequently! Love and miss everyone! lots of hugs and kisses to all.

Pub Crawls, Treadmill Falls, and Veggie Pies!

Bex 'n Lex in Sydney!

It’s Becca – I’m Lex’s guest blogger!

I arrived in Sydney on Friday morning…it was cold and wet. Getting through immigration and customs was fine, but we had a luggage problem. United couldn’t get the cargo door open. We waited for over half an hour for the luggage before it finally came out on the carousel! Lex has been sick the past few days and had been staying with Susie and Brian. It was a nice surprise to have the three of them at the airport waiting for me.

On the way home from the airport, we swung by Shelley’s to pick up Jordy for the day. Shelley and Steve just built a beautiful new house. It seems like many of the houses in Sydney are built with the bedrooms towards the front of the house, with a great room that opens to the yard in the back of the house. Their house is no exception! It looks great.

Jordy is now 5 years old and a total delight. He was so excited to be with Granny and Papa, and immediately told us that his job was to make the fresh orange juice. As soon as we got home, he pulled a chair up to the counter and started getting the juicer working! After breaky, Brian went to tennis, and Susie, Lex, Jordy and I went to Watson’s Bay for a little walk. We went over to Camp Cove – there was no one on the beach! We couldn’t resist being in Watson’s Bay and not stopping at Doyle’s. We sat on the wharf and shared some fish ‘n chips. I’m sure the fish ‘n chips will get the best of us in the next couple weeks…

Last night we stayed at Ronni and Irving’s. We had a lovely Shabbat dinner and spent some QBT together. It was nice to have some one-on-one time! We could hardly keep our eyes open and were asleep by 10:30. Yup, that’s right kids…in bed at 10:30 on a Friday night. We rock.

Today we spent the morning with the family, and checked out the Paddington Market in the afternoon. “Paddo” is a newly gentrified suburb that’s known for their upmarket boutiques, cafes, etc. The Paddo Markets are where up-and-coming designers debut their wares before “making it”. After perusing the markets we met Irving and Ronni for afternoon tea at the most devine little Italian café. We’d tell you more about it but we’ve been sworn to secrecy about its name and location for fear that the masses will discover it and ruin it…

The weather’s been absolutely perfect today and now we’re off to Circular Quay for a little walk-about and a drink. We’re off to Canberra for a few days tomorrow. More to come later.

Xo,

Bex and Lex

Rainy Sunday Walkabout

So, despite the gloomy weather, I decided to have a bit of a walk around the city today. I took the bus from my place in Newtown to the Queen Victoria Building where, after a nice hot chocolate, I walked through the shops the historical building had to offer. After realizing I couldn't afford any of the high end retail, I wandered across the street to a book shop where I sat down with a couple of books on walking Sydney. I bought the best one I could find and started my day long adventure.

I decided, as I was already at the start point, that I would do the Darling Harbour to the Sydney Opera House walk. I walked down to the harbour from the QVB and crossed the Anzac Bridge and walked down along the water front from Darling Harbour through to the Rocks, underneath the Harbour Bridge, along Circular Quay and to the Opera House. I debated whether to keep going up to the Botanical Gardens but realized that all the bats would be about and opted out of that one.

After completing this hour long walk, I contemplated catching a bus back to my room but decided it was way too early to call it a day and continued my little walk about. As I was making my way up through the city, a woman approached me asking for directions to the Opera House. The fact that I could give her the correct directions with street names and all made me feel like a real Australian! I suppose that means that I am settling in quite nicely and am starting to learn my way about this massive city.

After finding my way in another shopping center- its like my body has a GPS for shopping centers- I went and had a Middle Eastern lunch (and sat all by myself). After my delicious meal I decided to call it a day and started wandering up George St. to catch the bus to take me back to uni. Well, despite being dropped off there, I could not find the correct bus stop! I decided to keep walking 2 blocks further up hoping to find it. Well, 5 blocks later I was thinking I would have to catch a taxi home but, then, in front of the UTS building (half way home), I found the bus stop!

I've decided that every Sunday I will do one of Sydney's Best Harbour & Coastal Walks (according to the Sydney Morning Herald). Because the gym is closed on Sundays and I need to keep up the physical fitness with all this yummy food around, I figured it'd be a great way to see and learn the city while keeping in shape! (I'm so good at multi-tasking!)

Well I miss everyone! Becca arrives on Friday morning so we are sure to have a fab time! I can't wait for Adam and everyone to arrive! I've already created a list of all the things I want to do while I'm here so I'm sure we'll knock a couple of things off the list with all the visitors!

Hugs, Kisses and great Sydney walks!
xoxox

1st Week In Oz

Hi all!
Well, this is my first blog ever so bare with me while I work through all the kinks and learn all the blogging lingo.

So, I arrived in Sydney Sunday to a clear, nippy winter morning. Despite how much I was freaking out before arriving, I was surprisingly calm stepping out of the airport and into my new home for the next 6 months. After a nice cuppa tea at my cousins' house, I moved into my room at the Sydney University Village and was left to unpack and unwind. While the rooms here look so nice on the university website, it is obvious that they do not hire a cleaner after each tenant moves out which was not so nice to move into. Anyways, to make a long story short my first night in Sydney was nothing to write home about.

The next few days were me waking at 530am and wandering about King St in the early morning rain and cold. While this does not seem like a fun thing to do, the company on the streets at that time are quite interesting and there was never a dull moment.

I started my internship with Cirqlate Publicity on Tuesday and I am in love. On my first day, I picked clothing for 3 magazine shoots and have not looked back since! One of my favorite parts of the internship is being able to order designer clothes for a fraction of the retail price- my hunt for the best bargain shopping is over! So, I have done 2 days there so far and my boss and coworker are great. I could not have asked for a better job for the next 6 months.

I have been spending a lot of time with Susie and Brian as well. Brian is interested in setting me up with all the male Jewish guards in Sydney- I suppose I will never feel unsafe? The rest of the family have been great as well.

No major plans for the weekend just yet but that could change at any moment. More people are moving into the Village each day so anything is possible I guess.

Well, that's all the news I have for now. I will update with pictures as soon as my sister arrives with my camera charger next week! Love to all. I miss everyone and please keep in touch!

Hugs, Kisses and Aussie accents!