Welcome. This is Sydney.

After appropriately using up all the tissue paper available on the plane for my leaking nose (kudos to sinus, sniff sniff), I finally arrived in Sydney - my home for the next 7 months. Of course, seeing my dear Henry after 3 long long long months did contribute to (if not totally consume) the trepidation factor. Like I told domi, it was 'weird at first', but now it's better. After that whiff of aftershave, I was back at where it all started; with me weak in the knees. It's the seemingly insignificant things that add up to something so much greater, a fortiori, on a whole different spectrum altogether. Standing at the arrival hall with rose in tow, was the moment I had probably tried to play in my mind over a million times. Needless to say, it turned out nothing like I expected, owing to the fact that the airport was nothing like I envisaged, more of like a gigantic supermarket. Well, great for Sydney! Also, never in my wildest imagination would I have seen Henry in a BRIGHT METALLIC ORANGE car.

So it's a Holden Monaro. It's got a seven gear box, it's a 6 litre v8 monster with twin exhaust things. Basically for all those who aren't car-educated, it's some kind of racing monster that actually does purr very sweetly. That's Henry packing all my luggage in. Yes, all 35kg of it. ...


After I landed we cruised along to the South Head, which is the mouth of Sydney bay. Blue water. So so blue.


Well, since I'm at it, I'll just sum up how my week has been in general. Henry took Monday and Tuesday off to basically help me adjust to the.. well, culture and place and catch up too. We drove to Palm Beach, where we had lunch, buried our feet in the sand and pretended to be heroic voyagers on an expedition - to scale the rocks, basically.

On the remaining days of the week, I went down to town. Ok, so i've also swept and mopped the floor, done the laundry... and since it is SO out of character, I've rewarded myself with days in town. It's such a pleasure just wandering around the streets with my delirious obscurity, peering at the quirky Australians, while munching on sushi and chips. Of course the shopping is absolutely divine, not to mention the amazing weather to tide me by. What better way to enjoy a day of shopping than with the gorgeous horizon, some wind in my hair and a mega beef burger. Hmm.

I take a ferry to the train station every day, because we live across the harbour bridge from the city. So this is the view I wake up to almost every morning.


And lastly, just for kicks, my mega beef burger and I. Who would have thought I'd be able to consume something so colossal. I think I might return with actual body fat. YAY!



Noise: Red Rain by The White Stripes.