Australia Recap

A sad but bittersweet post, the Australia sector of this journey has come to an end.  4 months ago I was on a plane headed down under all by myself, no set travel plan, and nothing more than 4 nights booked in a hostel.  That plane trip from the states was very exciting yet scary at the same time.  Leaving all my family and friends behind and heading to a place that truly was foreign to me, all on my own.  Today I have four great months of memories and friendships that will last a lifetime. Crikey what a trip!  It isn't till I step back a bit and think about what I've accomplished till I really feel how awesome and unbelievable this trip was. Yes, I had a bit of aid in the groundwork with the trip as far as getting my visa and such, but it was me in the end that really made everything happen.  I secured my first job in another country, something not many Americans, especially my age, can say that they've done. I went solo, maybe the best call of this entire journey.  Yes, in some places having a friend from back home to share some great memories would have been cool, but honestly, travelling the world is all about meeting new people and learning about yourself.  Thanks to the heaps of international travelers and a very well laid out backpacking network in Australia, meeting new people was not difficult if you just made a simple effort.  Travelling solo forces you to be outgoing. This trip would not have been the same without the heaps of great people I've met along the way. Meeting new people and hearing their stories is just as mesmorizing as some of the most beautiful Australian destination. I have made contacts from all over the world and will eventually see them all again, whether showing them around the great state of California or in their respective countries. My friends from England, Sweden, Germany, Italy, and Holland have all invited me to their countries and offered accomodation.  I will undoubtedly take them up on their offers when I do eventually make it back over to Europe.

Maybe the best part of this trip is that I absolutely have no regrets.  I would not do anything different on the trip.  My time in Sydney, my travel itinerary, etc. For the time I had in Australia and the funds available, I did everything I wanted to do and that is the important part.

Working in Australia was quite the experience.  Although it was in the travel and transportation industry and (hopefully) quite the deviation from a future career path, my job at Gate Gourmet was a memorable one.  It really shows that I can excel at anything I put effort into.  Well even if I didn't "excel" like the fast moving Koreans, I still never got fired and I think thats a plus in anyones work career.  Learning the ins and out of airline catering was fascinating and is something I will always remember on any flight I board.  And yes, I will still eat the airline food, regardless of packing thousands of trays, tray after tray and seeing how it all comes together.

Things Learned

Well travelling around with international people you see and learn things about the world. I learned some aussie words, but definitely picked up on some common/slang German, Swedish and English(UK) words.

Also, and I got a feel for this in Europe almost 3 years ago, Americans don't have the greatest reputation among outsiders.  I think this may all be due to bad media and terrible stereotypes that sometimes can lead to be true. Europeans are fascinated about Obama, that had to be the most common question I recieved, "what do you think of Obama." Did get a bit annoyed after awhile with that question.  But yes, I think American movies, TV shows and just our modern culture can sometimes lead to false accusation of American lifestyle.  Another common topic was gangs. Whenever LA was brought up, the topics of gangs and Compton always came along. I always told people you can't talk anything if you have never actually visited a place.

As far as things learned about myself, well heaps.  This has been a great individual experience.  I've never been one for horoscopes or star signs but it is right on.  I've seen on this trip, that my Aquarius personality is right on.  Aquarians are usually pretty independant and adventurous.  I wouldn't really have classified myself as adventurous before this trip, but now I would. Maybe it is due to the fact that this is the first time I truly have been on my own, and I think that is where my adventurous self comes out.  I constantly find myself always trying to explore new places and never wanting to miss out on an opportunity and will make the extra effort to make it happen.  This trip has improved my lifestyle.  I can't even remember the last time I slept past 10 oclock in the morning. (actually yes I can, when I was working). Let me rephrase that a bit. WHEN I AM TRAVELLING, I wake up early so I can make the most of my time, no matter how tired I am or how big of a night I had the night before.  I can't afford to piss days away when there is so much do to. I think travelling has made me healthier.  Let me first make clear that I am in no means in shape.  BUT, I would say I am far more active than usual while travelling. I have walked hundreds of miles of the past 4 months and I feel pretty good.  I am thankful that I never got sick at all during this part of the trip, especially in my one month travelling the coast and Melbourne. I think being sick while backpacking would be the worst possible thing that can happen.  So I must have treated my body pretty well never to feel under the weather, with the exception of a hangover here or there.  My eating habits over the past 4 months have been suprisingly pretty good. Thinking back on it, I probably ate better on this trip than I did any year in college (except for freshman year in the dorms).  I found myself eating almost 1-2 pieces of fruit everyday and eating breakfast, lunch, dinner almost every day of the weak. Yea, being on a pretty strict budget I couldn't afford 5 star meals every night with every ingredient possible, but I made the most of it. I also discovered I am taking less of the things I don't like out of my food and eating them.  Mostly vegetables.  Things I never used to eat I have started eating, and I dont really know why.  They include mushrooms, capsicums, cucumbers, and tomatoes.  Out of these 4, tomatoes have made way into my taste buds the most.  At times I still don't like eating them but sometimes they can be quite tasty and can really improve a certain meal, sandwhich, or salad.

Highlights of the trip

Here will be a quick rundown of some of my favorite things/nights/travel spots on the Trip

- Spending time relaxing at my favorite Sydney destinations, Manly Beach, Coogee Beach, Darling Harbour, Sydney Harbour, The Botanical Gardens

- Losing my debit card in the first weeks of being in Sydney and finding it without any harm done
- Newtown Festival the second week in Sydney
- Working at Gate Gourmet
- Pearl Jam and Ben Harper Concert at Sydney Football Stadium
- Living at Home Backpackers in Sydney and meeting new people outside on the deck every night, the best night was Wednesday, Free Wine and Cheese Night
- That 1 night I got kicked out of Scruffy Murphy's bar for my "swaying" dance moves
- Times out at the Sydney bars with my favorite friends
- New Years Eve overlooking Sydney's Harbour and a multimillion dollar firework show

- Taking the long Greyhound bus rides and listening to some epic playlists on my Ipod, favorites were The Grateful Dead, Bob Marley, and Creedence Clearwater Revival.
- Byron Bay
- Meeting up with my German girlfriends in Brisbane and cooking and eating that great dinner at the hostel
- Noosa National Park Bush Walk
- Day trip to Croc Hunter's Australia Zoo
- Fraser Island 4 wheel trip beach camping trip.

- When I urinated on a guys leg after he got stung by a blue bottle jellyfish
- Australian Day and partying and dancing in the rain on Magnetic Island
- The Magnetic Island bush walk in the pouring rain
- The Great Barrier Reef snorkel trip
- The hot wings and Blue Sky brewery in Cairns
- Kuranda adventure bushwalk and Barron Falls

- Great Ocean Road trip out of Melbourne
- Returning to Sydney, seeing all my friends for one last time

2 downsides of the trip

Well these are the two, and I think if these are the worst of it, it shows I didn't have to bad of a time.

-Night and morning in Surfers paradise after that one unknown strawberry shot before the pub crawl that put me down for the count and made my life and bus ride a living hell.

- This next one has been bottled up by me for the past 2 months.  I hate to think about it, but it happened.  I was involved in a large backpacker scam with 6 other of my roomates while I was staying at my apartment in Surry Hills, Sydney. None of us received our $300 dollar security bond back.  We all got played by our shady and shitty landlord.  This is something that I saw coming, I never signed a contract or anything. Like most of the time, I am partially to blame.  But anyhow what happened to me and my roomates is a very common thing in Sydney. These shady apartment renters taking advantage of backpackers.  I was given constant excuses that the owner was out of the country and couldn't get my money back till he came back.  My other roomates were told to give them their bank details and it would be transfered to them. Well those promises were never followed thru. We all got shafted.  Moving On, this was obviously right before I was taking off for my east coast trip, always having money on my mind.  $300 backpacking goes a long way but I did my best to not think about it.  I couldnt let something ruin my time.  Yes it sucks now, it sucked then, and it was worth about 1 and a half weeks accomodation, but I tell myself this.  Come a couple months I will hopefully have a job, that $300 dollars will be about 1 - 3 days work...no need to ruin a trip over 3 days work, just not worth it. Yes, extremely unfortunate it happened and yes I tried to put up a bit of a fight but got nowhere and eventually it wasn't worth my time, stress or effort.

Thats it, and I always try to look at the bright side of life. Im alive, I am travelling the world, I am healthy and am right where I want to be.  Just another learning experience in my life and a warning to other backpackers, be aware.

Final Thoughts

Despite the above, everything on this trip was flawless.  Some of the most memorable 4 months of my life and proud of myself I made it happen. I always wondered what Australia would be like and it always interested me.  Well I conquered it, well not all of it, but a good chunk. Pretty big country.  I like the fact that I have travelled more around Australia than I have travelled the in the States.  The world is where its at, there is so much to see and learn from it. New cultures, new places, new food, who wouldn't want to experience it? I see this trip as a 5th year in college, because to be honest, I think you can learn just as much in the outside world than in a classroom or textbook, if not more.

It's been a great one Australia, hope to see you again someday mate.

Back To Sydney, My Home Away From Home

Day 1 (Friday)

My flight to Sydney from Melbourne was an hour delayed.  Haven't been too lucky with the flights around here, and flying is definitely not as conveneint as traveling by Greyhound.  All the transportation to and from airports,city, checking in, a bit more complicated than just hopping on a bus at the local bus station.  Anyhow, once again my passport was not checked at all, not at service desk, security check point, or before boarding.  Like the old days I guess back in the states. Also, anyone is allowed thru to the gates, meaning you can go meet your relatives or friends right after they get off the plane, like it used to be back home 10 years ago.  Anyhow, this time I flew on Virgin Blue and paid 50 bucks for my short 1 hr flight from Melbourne to Sydney.  Pretty good airline, although I always seem to have leg space problems, plus the seats did not recline at all.  Fairly uncomfortable sitting straight up the entire flight, especially when I wanted to sleep a bit.  There were tvs on the back of everyseat and started off watching Everybody loves Raymond.  Had some laughs but unfortunately after about 5 minutes in the air did it prompt to swipe my credit card to continue watching.  Unfortunate.  Anyhow, heard great things about Air Zealand, my upcoming flight. They supposedly have free tv viewing for the entire flight, comfortable seats and leg room, and FREE alcohol. I've never heard of such a thing but some kiwis I met last night brought it up.  Definitely looking forward to sippin back a few brews on my way to Lord of the Ring territory.  I've always been one to really try and get my moneys worth.

Anyhow, got off the plane around 630 I quickly got my pack and headed for the train.  This train line was the same one that I took to work everyday for 2 months.  It was a great feeling as all the memories came back.  Being back in the place I called home for 3 months put a smile on my face.  Anyhow, I then made way to the hostel, of course Home Backpackers, the hostel where I spent over a month and where I met all my great friends, many of them still there awaiting my return.

After sharing some drinks with people out on the deck, I made way back to the train station to hop on a train to go to a bbq with all my old coworkers from Gate Gourmet.  The people that were my work family for 2 months, it was great meeting up and seeing most of them again.  Lin, whose house it was held at, had prepared a massive dinner that was excellent, and supplied all the beer.  She did not want any money for the event and it was very kind of her.

At the bbq was also my long time no see German friends, Timo and Rebecca, was great seeing them.  Anyhow after the dinner was over, everyone was starting to feel pretty loose after their drinks.  Most of us, well atleast the young ones started playing drinking games.  Safe to say we all had a great time.  Happy I got to see all my old airline food packing friends.

Most of the Make and Pack GG Crew

Day 2

With my return to Sydney, I was welcomed with maybe the shittiest weather in all 4 months Ive stayed in the city.  Forecast showed rain every day, and that it has.  I have officially cancelled my trip to the nearby beautiful Blue Mountains.  Unfortunate but heard its not worth the trip if the weather is bad.  Besides I have had a pretty good share of bush walks and sightseeing the past 3 weeks and will have the best to come in New Zealand. Not very bitter at it at all, plus gives me more time to spend my last couple days here soaking in my favorite city spots and catching up with friends, and best off all save some additional money. I spent the day walking around in the pouring rain with Anda, my favorite Dutch buddy. We went to Paddys Markets and took care of some souvenir shopping.  We then headed for Darling Harbour where there was a scheduled skateboard competition, but due to the rain it had been cancelled. It was sponsored by Mountain Dew so still scored a few free Mountain Dews out of the deal.

When nighttime came around, it was still pouring rain, absolutely pouring.  With not much else to do, we started the night off with some beers and goon.  We then met up with Timo and Rebecca and headed out for the bars in the rain.  Not too great of a scene out at the bars but still had a good time with my close friends.  The rain had not let up either.  It was almost like nothing I have ever seen before. The streets were almost rivers, it was absolutely rediculous.  As I crossed the street the water literally covered halfway up my shoes, terrential downpours.  We ended the night at our favorite Kebab shop.  Timo snapped a picture of our favorite Kebab ladies.  They are great and hooked it up with a hefty amount of chicken and my favorite hot chili sauce. Will miss that late night great Kebab.

Day 3

Woke up after a pretty good sleep in. Was feeling pretty refreshed.  Headed to BreadTop, a cheap chinese bakery and picked up an apple roll, cinnamon donut twist, and a ham and cheese roll.  Paired with a chocolate milk from Coles and I had myself a pretty good morning-after breakfast.  Rain was off and on today, went to the library and tried to do some New Zealand planning but failed.  I have a good "idea" of my trip and think I will take each stop at a time. Gonna let this trip be a bit more spontaneous.

Since I was starting to realize it was my last few days in Sydney, I started attenting my favorite eatieries and places I liked the most around the Sydney.  For dinner I went to Shark Hotel for their fabulous 7 dollar all you can eat buffet with a drink included.  You may recall I had XMAS Eve dinner there.  It was once again excellent.  In the night, the hostel was putting on a movie night, watched the movie Couples Retreat with all my friends, pretty good movie, but not too hilarious.

Day 4

Today marked my first Superbowl Monday.  The Superbowl started at 1030am Australia time.  I had originally planned to get a group of friends and make way to the nearby sport pubs.  But after heavy consideration, ended up staying at the hostel.  The Tvs at the hostel are large flat screens and ended up saving heaps of money on beer.  Also picked up some chips and salsa and made myself a mini superbowl party.  Watched the game with all foreigners.  Had fun explaining them the rules as this was for most of them, their first time watching American football. Most of them found it pretty entertaining. I did miss out on a huge part of the Superbowl, the commercials.  Obviously, there were no American commercials, all australian ads.  Wasn't exactly the same without the great commercials.  Thought the halftime show with The Who was pretty great tho, they still got it and definitely enjoy their big hit songs. The game itself was pretty entertaining. Would have liked for Peyton to not throw that vital interception but congrats to the Saints.

The Superbowl took up most of the day. Was raining again today. In the night I met up with my old roomate Nigel and made way to the IMAX Theatre in Darling Harbour to see the highest grossing film in history, Avatar.  The most expensive movie ticket to date ($22), boy was it worth it.  Great movie, thouroughly enjoyed it and it definitely lives up to all the hype. But then again I saw it in supposedly the best movie theatre in the world. The Sydney Imax not only has the largest screen in the world but supposedly the best and most advance sound system to date. I sat there in front of this large screen with my dorky 3-D glasses, my 7 dollar popcorn and my coke that I snuck in, it made for quite the movie experience.

This is not even 1/2 of the screen size

After the movie, I said goodby to my old roomate and trekked for the iconic Sydney Harbour, just to soak in its beauty for one last time. I am not one to really enjoy the over populated tourist spots, but when nighttime comes and they have all cleared out, just sitting harbourside at one of the most recognizable views in the world, it is all so majestic.  I think it was then and there were I knew I was going to miss Australia, and especially Sydney.  It was the perfect place to spend my last hours in Australia.

Day 5

Plane left at 6 today so only had a half day to do some things. I woke up a little rain in the morning but cleared out by noon and actually got quite hot. I spent the day doing some last minute things. I closed out my Australian bank account and prepared my tax return.  I made around 6000 dollars working at Gate Gourmet but got heavily taxed at 29%.  Got taxed around 1900 dollars and will maybe get around 1200 of it back.  Will be great, but need to wait till June.  I then had to print out all my new zealand travel info and book some hostels for the upcoming days.

I ate my final lunch at my favorite harbour side fish n chips spot.  However, today i went for the calamari n chips combo and it was just as good.  Darling Harbour was looking beautiful as always today and took in the great harbor one last time.  

Well it was that time to head out. I made way back to Home Backpackers and said goodbye to all my friends there.  From there I headed to the train station and boarded my train to the Internation Airport.  Yep, on that great train line that I took to work everyday.  Thought it was a pretty fitting way to go out.

Final Thoughts on Sydney:

Wish I had made it to the Botanical Gardens one last time but the weather really wouldn't have allowed for a relaxing escape.

Truly love Sydney, the city I thought I hated the first 3 days I was there. Think its right to say it grew on me.

Hello There 2010!!

So I'm sure I'm not the only one who is saying this 5 days into the new year, but I'm still feelin the after effects of those new years eve party festivities. The hype definitely was needed for Sydney New Years because this city delivered one hell of a show. But even without their 5 million dollar firework display the night still would have been a success, the fireworks just added a little extra flavor, (besides who remembers the entire 12 minute show after drinking for 8 hours).

So here's how the day went.  I woke up new year's eve morning with a slight headache from the night before. As I was cooking breakfast around 10am, i saw on the news people already camping out around the city for the best views of the fireworks that were to come 14 hours later...I started to panic a bit. I originally planned to head out around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. I then proceeded to the supermarket to stock up for the day.  As I was walking back I was informed by my friends from the hostel were not going to the Botanical Gardens anymore.  I was pretty bitter about it.  I still knew a few people that were going to the gardens and figured I would just meet up with them. After about a half hour thinking about the situation, I gave in and decided to head to the place where all my "closer" friends were headed, Observatory Hill.  Looking back on it, I have no regrets at all.  Yes, I lost out in the spectacular view from the Botanical Gardens..but what is New Years without your best friends.  Turns out this place, Observatory Hill, was BYO,(Bring Your Own Alcohol), opposite that of the gardens where security checked your bags.  You can imagine the amount of money I saved on alcohol.  (You may be asking yourself, what about the bag of goon you hid in the gardens the day before...it may or may not still be there...i tried to direct my friends to it on new years but they had no success, will go see tomorrow)

Observatory Hill was on the opposite side of Harbour Bridge, not as picturesque (no opera house) but other than than, still a great view. I arrived around noon, the park was already 3/4 full.  The plus side..mostly all young people/backpackers, people picnicking and drinking, and entry in and out of the park. This was crucial as we often headed to the pub across the street for a round or two and could just cruise around as our spot was held by our blankets and other people from the hostel.

You can imagine the atmosphere of 5,000 people in this park in the middle of the day with the anticipation of the night to come.  Many already drunk, many still sober waiting to start drinking later, and ones like me, the keep it steady drinker.  Once it got dark, the ambiance was magical.  Sitting around with friends, playing games, just having a great time.  When 9 oclock rolled around we were welcomed with our first show of fireworks, the supposed kid show...well for being a kid show, it impressed.  The view turned out great as two barges were close by, and of course the harbour bridge.

From 9-12 things got a bit hazy, but I remember them shooting one or two fireworks every 20 or 30 minutes just to keep us entertained.

When 12 approached, there was a huge countdown (i think) and everyone went crazy.  Fireworks from all over lit up the sky.  There was the bridge, and then probably at least 6 or 7 barges in the harbour that were launch points, all firing the same firework with perfect synchronization. Will hopefully get a video up.

The show lasted around 12 minutes, seems shorter at the time, but according to sources, 12 minutes.

To condense this post, I will just say it was New Year 2010 in Sydney, one of the best new year locations in the world, the party continued on well after midnight.

After sleeping a good chunk of the day, I woke up feeling not too bad and thankful I didnt have to work.  The day was spent drinking heaps of orange juice, some internet and tv.  When dinner rolled around, Nigel and I finally made it to Wood and Stone in Surry Hills to try the Kangaroo Pizza.  This was the first time i tried Kangaroo and too be honest one of the first new foods I've aquainted my palette with in years..it was a nice welcome.  Had some great flavor to it, almost beef jerky like.  Anyway, glad I tried it and up next will be a Kangaroo kebab or burger i think

Happy 2010 to everyone, its been a great decade and another great chapter in my life.  Wish everyone the best in the New Year.

Can You Feel 2010?...I Can

Imagine This:

- Sydney Botanical Gardens
- A group of friends
- One of the most famous sights in the world, Sydney Harbour
- The largest and most technologically advanced fireworks display in the world.
(over 3,000 kilograms of explosive devices, including approximately 10,000 shooting comets and 100,000 individual pyrotechnic effects fired from Sydney Harbour Bridge and seven barges on Sydney Harbour)

What you get with all of this???....arguably the best new years celebration in the world.

Ever since I saw Sydney's new years celebration on the tv, I always imagined how great it would be to be there experiencing it live....well I am less than 36 hours away from that becoming a reality.

Walking around the city, I see hundreds of meters of steal fences/barricades, and an influx of tourists in the roadways....its here, The New Year and 2010 will be here in no time....but not until one extremely proper farewell to 2009. Tomorrow will be great, even if it does rain as the forecast predicts.

It will require some commitment however, I have heard rumors that the can reach capacity as early as 10 am New years eve morning. A group of friends and I were planning around getting there around 1 to 2.  Hoping for the best.  You are not permitted to bring alcohol in....so that leaves me from midday all the way thru the new year of purchasing drinks, most likely around 6-7 dollars a drink.  That is something that just wont be affordable. Following the advice from an aussie, I am minutes away from embarking on a covert mission. I will be taking a bag of goon to the botanical gardens and will be conveniently placing(hiding) it somewhere inside the gardens..where it will then stay for 24+ hours until I retrieve it tomorrow afternoon after passing security alcohol free. I will be seen as a hero and legend among peers and will have a great new year without a too  serious of a bar tab. 

Happy New Year, be safe, drink responsibly, and careful who you are next to come the New Year, don't make a mistake with the fat girl next to you.

Past Few Days

Well i thought I could hold out till the New Year for a new post but too much has happened the last few days to ignore it. (wouldn't want to forget some great moments)

2 days before Christmas had my off day from work and with only a few free days left in Sydney I knew I had to do something productive.  With the weather being average...a bit windy with several clouds I thought it was a great day to bid farewell to my favorite Sydney beach...Manly.  Im not sure if ill ever have the opportunity to go back there so I wanted to make sure I went there one last time.  It had been almost a month seen I had visited there.  So I hopped on the ferry and took in some great views of the city skyline/harbour and arrived in Manly within 25 minutes. I strolled the corso for about 30 minutes, got lunch and hit the beach for the next 4 hours.

Manly Corso

The waves were real small but knew this going into the day as I checked the surf report, but nonetheless there were a few sets that provided some great body surfing.  When i wasn't in the water I caught up on the latest aussie news and read part of my travel books, of course while glancing at some of the great looking women along the beach.  On a similar note, topless tanning is pretty popular here in Australia, must be from the influx of european travelers here in town.

My day in Manly was great and relaxing, and although the sun wasn't fully out I still had a great beach day and will definitely miss the sights and sounds of Manly beach.

After returning from Manly, my roomate Nigel and I decided to go to the Sydney soccer (football) game.  While watching the game I realized that this was a great aussie culture experience...one of my first.  I enjoyed the chants, team support and game atmosphere. Soccer isn't too popular here and the 40,000 capacity stadium was pretty empty, i would imagine the same amount of people that attend US soccer games. They played the Central Coast Mariners and won 1-0.

The next day was Christmas Eve.  Didn't do much in the day except plan more of my trip, (final details/tour bookings will be done by the New Year hopefully)

That night Nigel and I were originally going to follow thru on our mission to try our first Kangaroo Pizza, but we got word that day that this hotel was putting on a free christmas eve buffet.  The kangaroo pizza immediatly was postponed.  We headed there with a few people from the old hostel.  The "free" buffet was not totally free as you had to purchase a drink with your meal, but by that time in the night after already a few drinks, one or 2 more drinks were only gonna help the cause.  The meal was suprisingly great, one of the best  meals I've had yet. The meal was All you Can Eat which was a great deal for the price of a drink.  There was some delicious turkey, ham, polenta, ceasar salad, potato sald...etc.  It truly was a great meal.

After the buffet we headed to Darling Harbour to catch some Christmas carols by the tree and xmas eve fireworks.

I don't think I have ever seen fireworks on Christmas Eve but I was definitely a fan.  Although it was a very very short 5 minute display it was jam packed with fireworks and were synchronized amazingly with some great Christmas songs, including Hallelujah, Carol of the Bells and closed with Santa Clause is Coming to Town.  If anything, it definitely set the vibe for New Years Eve fireworks...gonna be great

After Darling Harbour we searched for some open bottleshops to continue drinks but failed, was pretty stuffed from the all you can eat buffet anyway.  We ended up walking thru the city to see the other tree and more light projected buildings.  You may recall the town hall projections I posted up a few weeks ago. These buildings were parliament buildings and the New South Wales Library.

After that we headed back to the apartment, shared a box of goon and opened up my Panetone that I bought that day, a true italian Christmas tradition, it was so great and definitely felt in Christmas spirit while enjoying it.

Christmas morning came in a hurry.  It came without any presents under the tree but without losing sight on the real meaning of Christmas I headed to church for the 1030 mass.  There I met up with my German friend and coworker Timo and his german friends.  The service was pretty good, but it was super hot inside the huge, beautiful cathedral. The choir was definitely the downside of service as they did not sing many of the typical great Christmas church songs (was real bummed about "Silent Night" not being played).  Anyway, all in all a good service and was out by a little after 12 (longer than preferred).

St. Mary's Cathedral

Timo and I in front of the Cathedral

At 3 oclock I started work and working Christmas couldn't have been any better. It ended up raining on Christmas and the popular thing to do is go and have a barbie on the beach with friends. When I asked my friends how their Christmas on the beach was, they all said miserable. Meanwhile I worked 7 hours and got paid around 41 dollars an hour. To top that, the chefs prepared us a great Christmas dinner, the notable food included a great tasty macaroni salad, salmon, turkey and cranberry, and free soft drinks. (yes, it was better than your average airline food)  I had the best of both worlds on Christmas. I made great money, had a great dinner, and worked with some great coworkers (including Timo and the other German backpacker girl)

After work we decided to celebrate Christmas evening with a few boxes of goon.  I headed over to Timo's apartment and drank with 4 german girls.  It was raining still so going out looked unlikely.  I learned that Christmas in Germany is celebrated on the 24th with the 25th, and 26th being post Christmas days but still time for family. Christmas night with the germans was real fun, with the highlight being Timo being upset about Hungry Jack's (Burger King) being closed and him not being able to get a soft serve chocolate dipped ice cream cone. He was so frustrated he threw his elbow back and broke the sliding glass door behind him.  After a few rounds of drinks and the sudden occurence of broken glass all the girls and I started laughing hysterically, leaving Timo in disbelief of what just happened and seeing his just earned christmas day pay go down the drain. Oh man it was great.

Well anyway, it wasn't the traditional Christmas for me but it sure was a good one under the circumstances. A few skype calls with the family made me feel right at home.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas.  

2010 is 4 days away...can't wait for the celebration, however it is currently supposed to rain here...BRUTAL

Take care everyone...see you in the New Year

Over and Out

Pearl Jam Concert Recap

The Pearl Jam concert in Sydney encompassed several new things, the first big concert I've atteneded in another country, the most expensive concert ticket I have ever bought and the first stadium concert I have been too. Well with Ben Harper and Pearl Jam as the headlines, it was sure to be a good night and it didnt dissapoint.

Before arriving in Australia, i already had the Pearl Jam concert on my calendar for Nov 22. It was a concert I was going to go to no matter what. Originally i was planning on doing a solo show since i didnt expect any other backpackers to fork over 120 dollars for a rock show, yet days before I met a french guy (Yann) at the hostel who said hed go. He was a huge Ben Harper fan and never really heard to much of Pearl Jam.

So we bought tickets a few days before and were set for the show.

On show day the temperature was a very hot 41 degrees celsius. That converts to 105 degrees fahrenheit. The 41 degree day was the 2nd hottest day of all time in Australia in November. It was quite hot and it will probably be a sign of the weather to come in summer. It was a bit odd since it was around 25 degrees the day before and a 20 degree rainy day the day after. But regardless, it was a hot hot day and it was time to get sweaty for a rock concert. we got a little gooned up before the show and took the short bus ride to Moore Park where the Sydney FOotball Stadium was located. Supposedly there were 35000 fans there so you can imagine the entrance lines were long and tons of people outside the stadium just talking with friends and hangin out before showtime. Yann and I managed to cut in line and were in the door within 10 minutes.

We had general admission tickets for the field area, the first act was Liam Finn, the stadium was pretty empty but thought this guy owned it. Plays sort of rock/melodic/jam/blues sort of music. He also had a woman backup singer and instrument player in the band, she wasnt bad either. THe energy was great and loved the tunes, going to look into his cds cuz I deifinetely liked what I heard

 

After Liam Finn, it was time to head to the beer gardens and get some grub before Harper took the stage. It was then when I realized I didnt like concerts at stadiums, especially with thousands of aussies. the lines for beer, oh man. First i would blame it on terrible organization from the even planners, not enough booths,beer locations etc. But we waited in line for about 25 minutes just for 2 $6 beers. And to top it off, you could not bring the beer back in the stadium field area. SInce we waited so long for beer the set had already started so rather than wasting our beers we had to stand at the gate and watch the stage from miles away while we finished our beers. Poor design or too many drunk aussies but that was definitely a buzz kill. But on the bright side, i bought a great meat pie(with added tomato sauce(ketchup)) that accompanied the 6 dollar vbs..it tasted great!

We then headed back in to catch the rest of the set. It was getting a bit dark so the concert ambience definitely picked up. This was my second time seeing Ben Harper and he was just like the last time, amazing, talented and absolutely jammed. He played mostly his new songs and there were a bit I didn't recognize. He didnt play to much of his popular singles and dont think the fans liked that as not too many were very active for his set, probly all waiting for Pearl Jam or maybe Harper isnt big here in Oz. He played a quick 1 hour set but in my opinion definitely an enjoyable one. The highlight of the set for me is when Eddie Vedder for Pearl Jam came out and sang Under Pressure, the David Bowie/Freddy Mercury song cover..it was pretty great.

 

After Ben Harpers set we debated about getting more beer since our alcohol buzz was dying. I did not want to go thru another 30 minute wait and take the chance of missing Pearl Jams opening so decided to just stay on the field. It was unfortunate but at the same time probably a good call, saved myself some money and the hell of trying to patiently wait in a beer line.

Well anyway it was now the start of Pearl Jam's set. Immagine a giant stadium, 35000 screaming fans, a giant stage with lights and banners, a 90 degree hot aussie night, and one of todays greatest rock bands...yea you can bet energy was high when the band took the stage.

 

Here is the setlist they performed.

About 4 songs in Vedder told the crowd he had contracted a bit of a flu in Melbourne and wasnt 100 percent. Personally i couldnt tell he was sick, thought he sounded great and gave it his all. The unfortunate part is that towards the end of the 2 and a half hour set his voice was absolutely drained and couldnt perform the planned 2nd encore featuring some of pearl jams biggest hits. I wasnt aware of this until the day after but in the moment what they played were great. The 2nd encore had alot of guest vocals and were all cover songs. For having the flu, i thought vedder was phenomenal and after seeing Pearl Jam for the 2nd time, think he is one of the best musicians out there today. He brought out Ben Harper for a few songs and absolutely jammed together. Vedder told the crowd that Ben "Sang like an Angel, and plays like the devil", couldn't agree any more.

 

 

 

Pearl Jams set closed with Rockin' in the Free World, definitely a crowd mover and great song to cap the night.

It truly was a great show and a great night, yet it would have been better had Vedder's voice been top notch but for what we got, it was still a great one. The beer situation sucked but all in all a good time and this show will definitely always have a special place in my fast growing list of attended concerts

I have videos from the show but uploads to youtube take a real long time with this weak internet here, so no guarantees ill post em, but u never know

The Month That Was

Well, a little over a month I've been here and I couldn't be any more pumped to be here right now. There are moments when I just look around and take in the idea of being in another country, working and meeting international travelers, what a legend I am. The days are going by quick, but on the flip side, i have pretty much the majority of my trip coming up, and that part will undoubtedly be the best. More on this later.

When I first arrived my main concern was meeting people and making friends...but 1 month in, I can honestly say its been easy and the people ive met and hung around with have been great. Meeting people is not even a concern anymore, that has all passed. The concerns now are arranging travel plans and getting by with work. Daunting tasks, but eager to get on with them.

As far as sights and sounds, I have really enjoyed Sydney. Had you asked me about the city my first 3 days here, I would have told you I hated it, but I have come to love this large and tourist infested city.  The tourist hot spots are alot of hype, but at the same time you cant ignore the great sights and beauty. As I have mentioned before, Darling Harbour and the Botanical Gardens are definitely some of my favorite places inside the city. The week I spent in Manly on the beach was another time to remember, looking forward to some beach days there during the upcoming december summer month

As far as the whole work aspect of this work and travel shindig, i am becoming more and more grateful for being employed right now. I immagined there would be alot of travellers here, but man, definitely not this many. Countless hostels around the city and countless number of backpackers that are doing the same as me, trying to work and travel. The job search was rough, as it always is, but for me, landing the job that was my first lead seems to be lucky. As the work is not what I ideally wanted, it is work and it pays well.  I'de much rather be doing what I am doing than to be like other travelers here desperately searching for work with money dwindling, I know how it feels. As far as my work and travel company, I have no regrets being a member, but their job service is absolutely worthless. I dont know if it is because of the current weak economy and little amount of incoming jobs, or the fact that there are soo many travelers, but the job service as part of the work and travel company have been far from satisfactory. Had it not been for me and my elegant internet job search techniques, I can bet I would still be unemployed. But it is a great hub to meet other travelers and use their extremely fast internet and they will eventually help me with my tax return papers and travel plans.  To anyone that might think of working and travel oz, if you can take care of all the paperwork/bank accounts/tax stuff yourself, dont join these work programs to help you find jobs, your better off on your own.  For me, those little things helped me out so in that respect, no worries about being a member

The nightlife in Syndey has been great.  Now that I am working, I dont have the freedom of going out any night I choose, so I most likely will be going out only 1 or 2 times a week.  But, the backpacker pubs/bars have been great.  I have yet to stumble into a real local joint, but pretty confident I won't find one in this main part of the city. As far as alcohol, the price is absolutely rediculous, more than double of what you would pay in the states. A box of goon for 10 or 12 bucks is my go to, but now with an incoming cash flow, I may splurge a bit on some brews. I currently have this theory that I can not get hangovers off of goon, I really haven't had one bad morning after the night.

I could go on for days, but I guess I will save it up for another time, possibly for a final final recap 3 months from now.

But as for now, I am excited for the summer weather to come in.  Every now and then it has rained, some pretty good lightning/thunderstorms too. I dont think I really know what too expect in regards to summer weather, but just been told that it get real hot and muggy.

I will continue to work, eat, and sleep with occasional nights out. I am now seeking other housing, not because the hostel isnt great, but because the rates are going up and they are booked for the holidays. I am actually going to look at a place tonight with a friend. 

Pearl Jam/Ben Harper concert on Sunday at Sydney Football Stadium, one of the more pricey concert tickets I have paid for, but think it will be a show to remember, not just because of the great bands, but because I've heard aussie concerts are crazy and the fans rock out big time

stay real

Sydney Royal Botanical Gardens

Headed back to the Botanical Gardens today.  Just as peaceful and tranquil as last time, except this time it was sunny with clear blue skys. Since I probably won't be living near the beach for awhile, this will be my go to relax spot on my days off if I don't feel like trekkin to the beach.  As always, click pictures to enlarge

Heaps to Update

busy weekend with little internet time, here is the delayed update. The weather has been off and on from Wednesday thru Sunday. It has rained every day since Wednesday. Monday now, bit windy but clear skys, setting up for a beautiful week

Here's the event list since the last update

Wednesday 
I had to go to get a physical exam for my potential job,  it was a short train ride to the medical center. I had a drug test, alcohol test, hearing/vision, you know the works. I was hoping all the goon in my system didnt show up in the alcohol test. First time I ever saw a doctor in another country..quite the monumental event

Thursday
Was hoping I was going to get a call from the employer saying I passed the exam and was going to get hired..never did. So rather than just wasting the day, i decided to take a rain stroll thur the royal botanical gardens.  The tropical weather greatly added to the beauty of these gardens. I was amazed to look up into the trees and see literally thousands of sleeping bats. Had some ace ventura memories come into mind regarding the white bat guano.  I then continued thru the gardens to get the view of the harbour the far point of the guardens. A great view, would have been better with clear skys but I know I will be returning to the gardens throughout my stay.  Notice, this view in the pictures is where I plan to be on New Years for the fireworks on the harbour.  gonna be sickner.

Heaps of Bats

Right next to the city

Great view..similar to the one I will hopefully have for new years

Friday and Saturday
Friday marked the day of my friend Ben's departure. He was able to catch a ride to Melbourne with a fellow backpacker, then explore and find new things there, maybe work.  It was a great 3-4 weeks with him and am hoping I will meet up with him again during the rest of my stay here. Plus he is now an avid reader of Joes down under blog...Ben have a good time in Melbourne..kill it.

That day, was really starting to get frustrated bout the job search...all jobs were looking grim, and didnt want to go into the weekend knowing i was still unemployed. Around 445 i got a call saying I passed my medical exam and was going to be brought on board sometime next week.  Definitely felt some relief at that point, (not passing the drug and alch test, but the job) and headed straight to the liquor store to buy some goods to celebrate.  Dont think I have mentioned my job on here yet, i am going to be working for an airline catering company called Gate Gourmet, more info in a job post once I start work

That night i was pretty happy about things and had a great night on the town. Went out with my new friends from the hostel, Anda the Indonesian guy from Holland, Nigel from England, and Carl and Linnea from Sweden.

On Saturday, weather was still shaky, raining of and on. I decided to head to a backpacker travel expo held in Darling Harbour.  Heaps of booths and brochures talking about trips to all over the world and inside australia. Got some good info for my upcoming travels

After, I did my daily newspaper reading in Darling Harbour and decided to finally go to this fish and chips place I have been eyeing. It ended up being excellent, probably will get it once a week. You get 2 pieces of fish, a large amount of chips(fries) and a drink for $8.50 which I find to be a great bargain for this citys local eateries, especially for being right next to a tourist hotspot.

Saturday night we hit the town again, because of my future income I would be earning, a 10 dollar box of goon didnt seem like to much of a splurge. The night ended with me being kicked out of the bar.  Bars/Pubs in Sydney are all very strict who they let in and around there bar. Ironically it was the same bar that found my debit card, the same one I watched the Melbourne cup...Scruffy Murphys.  In my defense, i found the whole thing BS, been way worse at other times and only walked/danced around while talking to my friends, but according to the bouncers I was too drunk. All my friends and I begged to differ, but I wasnt going to argue and complied with the bouncers. I literally did nothing but will be a good memory.  This was the third time someone in our group had been kicked out of the bar..so it is not like I was a rare case(same occassion, doing nothing just standing around. I must have had an extra sway in one of my dance moves.  Anyhow, I believe it marks the first time I got kicked out of a bar, and yes I feel it was unjust, it still happened. I dont usually post such events on this blog, but this blog is not only for readers, but myself. If i don't write it down, I might not remember this great achievement in my later years, but will graciously be reminded of it when I reread my blog posts down the road

2 Week Roundup

Well 2 weeks today since I arrived in Sydney...seems pretty long ago actually. The weather has not met my expectations yet but I know the best is yet to come. 

I've already had my share of memories, like watchin the Goonies at the hostel with a bunch of foreigners, trivia night at the bar with the paper airplane competition, and the great pub crawl.  I think its a great sign of what is to come as my travel and adventures continue.  

Some observations/points I'de like to make:
 - a disgusting amount of people smoke here...pretty annoyin walkin down the streets and constant cig smoke
 - found out its an offence to touch baked good(donuts, pastries) without using the provided utensil

 - items are expensive here.....6 pack of Beer - 15 dollars, Kit Kat and other assorted candy bars - 2 dollars or more. 
 - i've been to one beach, and and it was a damn good one
 - seen only 1 big spider, not sure if poisonous
 - need to go bush soon and see the outback as living in the city doesnt give me the aussie vibe im looking for yet
 - adjusting to the time difference/jet lag was not a problem at all for me
 - a netbook computer is one of the best travel companions
 - microfiber towel and a good toiletry travel bag is essential for a pleasant backpacking experience
 - ear plugs are needed to block out the annoying/snoring/foreign people talking in your 10 bed dorm room
 - ipod with some great rock playlists make walking around the city a good time
 - i walk an average of 3-4 miles a day...guaranteed. 
 - meeting people from all over the world is one of the most intersting things
 - dont trust the system in the hostel where you think people will not steal your food.

Thats about it...getting a job is officially at the top of my To Do list...hopin to get some solid work by the end of the week.

I'm stayin at a pretty good hostel right now...great proximity to all the happs around the sydney...the only problem is that there seems to be an influx of French in the hostel.  And as Harry Dunn would say, " I don't know Lloyd, the French are assholes"

A City With Sights

Rained off and on all day yesterday and the same today....decided to take a stroll thru the city last night and capture its beauty at night.  Click pics to enlarge

Darling Harbour

Darling Harbour

Sydney Opera House

Sydney Harbour Bridge