It's hard to believe that we've been traveling (please note: American spellings throughout this entry) now for over five months... The time here in Sydney has really flown by! We are keeping super busy soaking up all the city has to offer; it sounds cliche, but there's so much to see and do, we are running our tails off to pack it all in!
Sydney is a fantastic city, but in all honesty, it reminds me so much of southern California: a very similar look and feel to San Diego! Stunning beaches, 70's and 80's architecture, lots of tanned beach babes and laid back surfer-dudes types, sipping on non-fat chai lattes from Starbucks... it's a bit like life in Orange County! The pace of life in the CBD (Central Business District) is fast and furious: our apartment is on the 20th floor of the Aston Building, at the corner of Martin Place and Pitt Street, two major downtown pedestrian malls chocked with shopping, cafes, and underground retail malls... From 7am to 7pm, the place is an absolute mob scene, but after business hours, it becomes a bit of a ghost town... The energy can be fantastic though, and we have the best noodle bars, coffee shops, and little boutique shops within a two-minute walk from our front door! Despite all this, we are trying to limit the shopping and eat in as much as possible, not only to take full advantage of our decked out kitchen, but to save a few quid in the process... Trying to budget for the remainder of the year is an on-going challenge, but I feel as though we are doing great at the half-way mark.
I've certainly noticed a distinct difference in attitude between Sydneysiders and the rest of the Australians we've met across the county. In both WA and Queensland, the locals seemed so open and interested, very sincere and willing to put down what they were doing and have a chat... People in Sydney seem to be a bit more dismissive, noticeably less friendly, and are lacking some of that stereotypical Aussie "warmth." We've received a somewhat distant reception here, but in some ways I think this just has to do with being in a really big town, like trying to compare funky, folky Kansas City with a place like, for example, Los Angeles (a beautiful city that I loathe). I think that I'm starting to realize that I prefer a slightly slower, friendlier pace to life that's more common to medium-sized cities, and I'm reminded of why being in LA started to drive me insane after less than a year of living there... Sydney is certainly photogenic, but I wouldn't want to buy a house here... Queensland is another story altogether!
We've been back and forth quite a bit to the other side of Sydney Bay, to the upscale suburbs of Mossman, Neutral Bay, and Manly... Absolutely gorgeous scenery and the ride on the ferry to Circular Quay has to be one of the most visually spectacular commutes to work in the world... The water in even the busiest, most commericalized area of the bay is crystal clear... The famous tourist attraction of Darling Harbour is exactly that: touristy. We spent less than an hour there before hightailing it back to the relative safety of downtown.
I spent most of last week sorting out travel plans for Asia, starting at the Chinese consulate here in Sydney... We (thankfully) received our visas with no issues, and are good to go for our entry into Beijing in March... Our fabulous friend Saz, who's currently living in Bangkok, has decided to join us for our big Cambodia trip, and the two of us have been working back and forth by email to sort out all the arrangements in Siem Reap (Angkor Wat)... I'm glad that everything is booked and now all we have to do is show up!!! Can't wait to see both of our Moms, who will be joining us in Thailand on 24 April.
Something Exciting: My sister and her family are moving to St. Louis! Julie's husband Byron received an amazing offer to head up his law firm's offices in St. Louis, and they've decided to make the move! I am really happy for them and think this will be a great change of scenery for the kids. I'm sure that Keller will miss her dance school in KC, but I am sure there are some great opportunities waiting for her in a new city. Kansas won't be the same without them!
Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and Paul has requested a lemon meringue pie as his special treat, so I am off to Woolworths to pick up the ingredients... My first attempt at lemon meringue! His Mom's recipe is amazing, so I've got some big shoes to fill... On a side note: it is so funny to me that several massive supermarket brands that are no longer big names in American retail (for example: Woolworths, IGA, Safeway) are still going strong here in Australia! Saying that I am off to do a shop at Woolworths sounds like a flash back to 1978.
For those of you that don't know the Australian TV series Kath and Kim (the incredibly foxy morons in the first photo played by Jane Turner and Gina Riley), Paul and I have both become absolutely addicted to the entire series... Our local Video Eze branch has become our source for endless entertainment, and if you haven't yet experienced Kath and Kim, it's never too late... check it out! http://www.kathandkim.com/
More soon! X Jason
