SYDNEY

I feel compelled to admit that Australia/New Zealand were never very high on my list of places to go in the world. But, having spent nearly a year in Asia, I felt like I needed to travel outside of the realm of that cultural paradigm before returning home. And since I was so close to 'the bottom of the world' I decided to go for it. I now find myself thinking, "Why did I wait so long?". As much as I enjoyed Melbourne, Sydney blew me away and I had a fantastic time. This is due, in part, to the fact that Aussies are all so bloody friendly, but also because I was wined and dined by various people throughout my stay. This is not to take away from the city itself which is shiny, vibrant and pulsing with a kind of energy that makes you want to dive right into it. And dive I did...

The Jacaranda trees are in bloom

I wish this was in smell-o-vision

Quintessentially Aussie

Affectionate Spotted Python at Darling Harbour

My hotel was in Kings Cross, a neighborhood that is in mid-transition from grimy to fabulous so the mix of people there is a show in itself. Execs, backpackers, hookers, twenty-something-party-animals, junkies, tourists,...all rubbing shoulders on the sidewalks.

Across the street from my hotel

 After years of trying and never quite making it for one reason or another, I finally went whale watching. This is just the very end of the season for whales here, but from our tiny little boat, a few kms off the coast, I was lucky enough to spend about an hour watching a mama Humpback and her calf. Unforgettable. (No pics though. The sea was a bit rough and gray, making the whales almost impossible to see in a photo.)

I also took myself to see the Australian production of "Mary Poppins" which turned out to be one of the best feel-good musicals I've seen in years. Brilliantly designed and executed with a top-notch company that didn't give anything less than 100% through the entire show. 

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On a blazing hot spring afternoon, Kate's sister Danielle and her husband took me to Bondi for an annual event called Sculpture By The Sea. Hundreds of sculptures of all shapes, sizes and mediums dot the coastal walk from Tamarama beach to Bondi beach. So many, in fact, that we couldn't see them all before the heat took it's toll and we all staggered down to Bronte beach for a refreshing swim in the Tasman Sea. Below are some of my favourites...

Lions...seems to be a theme these days...

On another afternoon, Kate's ex-girlfriend, Deb, took me to Opera Bar at The Sydney Opera house where we lounged about drinking champagne.

On my last night in Sydney, I had dinner with Lou (from Hair & Make-up dept. in LK Singapore) who was visiting her brother who lives just a few blocks from my hotel.

Lou in the kitchen making her specialty...

a phone call for Indian take-away

It was only when I was staggering home afterward that I realized that getting up at 6 a.m. the next morning was going to be unwelcome and particularly unpleasant. Damned champagne !

As someone who has grown up having 'white Christmas', even after the years I spent in Bermuda, it's still hard for me to wrap my head around Christmas without snow, or at least enough cold to require hats, parkas and gloves. The fact that the stores all have the holiday decorations out continues to play with my mind, particularly when I see the lavish, animated displays in the big department store windows.

Ten points if you can name this Christmas Carol

(Mom, you know this one!)