My flight to come back to the US left Sydney at 1:30 PM on Monday. It was a 16 hour flight to Dallas. It landed in Dallas at around 1:30 PM - also on Monday. (How strange is it to depart and land at the same time, on the same day - after 16 hours have passed?) I then had a 3 hour layover in Dallas before getting on a 1 hour flight to Memphis that arrived at 5:30 PM on Monday.
I was very nervous about the 16 hour flight. The longest flight I've ever taken was one to India a few years ago. That flight was long, but not that long. I had no idea how exactly that I would survive such a long flight.
Since I only brought a backpack on my trip, I had about 50 pounds of extra luggage I could bring back. Shane and Laura jumped on the opportunity to send a few things back with me. Luckily, this meant that Laura accompanied me to the airport. I was happy that we went together, because I was so nervous about the long flight.
Luckily, I was seated in a bulkhead row and there were no children in my section. Unluckily, the person directly behind me rested their feet on the back of my chair the entire flight. I didn't figure out that was going on until we were landing. But, the man next to me was very nice and nobody was seated between us.
Also, they gave us food non stop. That made things much easier for me. This was the food I remember. There was probably more, but it seemed like every hour or so, something was available.
Lunch
Pizza
Ice cream
A granola bar
Cheese and crackers
Breakfast
When we got off the plane in Dallas, I was relieved. I survived the flight and didn't feel too bad. Qantas did a great job. The flight was on time and the staff was friendly and helpful.
Everything that happened between getting off the Qantus flight and getting home with American Airlines was pretty disappointing. I've saved the details of that portion of the journey and may share them with you at a later time.
For now, I'm just happy to be home!
Showing posts with label Sydney. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sydney. Show all posts
Sunday, May 05, 2013
Saturday, May 04, 2013
Wrapping up my trip with a bow
Sunday was my last full day in Sydney. I spent the morning washing my clothes, packing, and preparing to go home.
Around noon, I had tea at an outdoor cafe in Kiribilli, the neighborhood where Shane and Laura live. It was a very warm day, so for the first time, I found myself feeling a little too warm. It was a nice change from so many of the cold days I had during my trip.
Afterward, I went to another nice part of Sydney to attend an event called an appathon. I got there a bit early and found a beautiful sandy beach that's very close to where the event was held. I also spotted a chocolate school. The school teaches students how to cook with chocolate. I wish I had found it before my last night!
The 48 Hour Challenge Appathon gathers digital technologists together for a weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) to work on a common cause. The 50 or so computer programmers and mobile marketers focused on 6 non-profits in Sydney. Everyone donated their time to help the non-profits come up with new mobile apps.
The Appathon was hosted by a cutting edge mobile app development agency in Sydney called Alive Mobile. I was impressed with the entire setup. The executives and employees were all smart, down to earth, and very happy. The location was amazing - you can see the water from their offices. And they were incredibly welcoming to me, offering me chocolate (from the school next door) and wine along with great conversation.
I went to watch the Appathon presentations to learn about what the teams built over the weekend. The apps had various purposes from fund raising to helping the a homeless person find an empty bed in a shelter. The energy at the event was wonderful. The appathoners were excited to help the non-profits and the non-profits were bursting with appreciation for the free help.
Here's a link to more information about the 48-hour Appathon. After attending the presentations, I think this event is one that Memphis should consider. We have many great non-profits here and a tech community that's rich with talent. But anyway, that's a discussion for another post...
After the presentations, there was an unexpected twist. I thought there would be networking and then everyone would go home. Instead, there was networking and then a guest speaker.
The guest speaker is named Sebastian and he has a website called 100 Things. He started by telling a story about being 27 years old, sailing through life with no real purpose, and suddenly having a close friend die. It was completely unexpected and it made him question whether or not he was doing what would make himself happy. If he were to die tomorrow, would he feel like he had lived a full life?
Sebastian is 31 now and since that incident, he has stopped working in a traditional job and has started pursuing things that are on his list of 100 thing to do before he dies. He told stories about a few of the things he has done to date, including delivering a baby and marrying a stranger in Las Vegas.
As he has gone along, he's been blogging about each experience. He has developed quite a following online and in turn, has been in the media quite a bit. He was also approached to write a book and so he did that too. Now, he's started to raise money for a non-profit called Camp Quality. At the end of his presentation, he confirmed that he's now happy and could officially look back with no regrets.
After Sebastian's presentation, I immediately went to meet him. I explained that I've been traveling for almost two months and given that it was the last night of the trip, the timing of the presentation was perfect. He gave me one piece of advice. It was to make choices about your job very carefully. It is often so easy to get pulled into something that leads us down a path that does not provide happiness.
He asked that we stay in touch and I hope that Memphis might find a reason to draw him in. Barbecue, perhaps? I'm certain Memphians would find his story to be inspiring.
Afterward, I headed back to Kirribilli to meet Shane and Laura for dinner. We went to a little Thai place near their house called Stir Crazy. We reflected on my entire trip and on the way everything was wrapped up so perfectly on my last day. And, it only made sense that my last meal of the trip would be Thai food!
Around noon, I had tea at an outdoor cafe in Kiribilli, the neighborhood where Shane and Laura live. It was a very warm day, so for the first time, I found myself feeling a little too warm. It was a nice change from so many of the cold days I had during my trip.
Afterward, I went to another nice part of Sydney to attend an event called an appathon. I got there a bit early and found a beautiful sandy beach that's very close to where the event was held. I also spotted a chocolate school. The school teaches students how to cook with chocolate. I wish I had found it before my last night!
The 48 Hour Challenge Appathon gathers digital technologists together for a weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) to work on a common cause. The 50 or so computer programmers and mobile marketers focused on 6 non-profits in Sydney. Everyone donated their time to help the non-profits come up with new mobile apps.
The Appathon was hosted by a cutting edge mobile app development agency in Sydney called Alive Mobile. I was impressed with the entire setup. The executives and employees were all smart, down to earth, and very happy. The location was amazing - you can see the water from their offices. And they were incredibly welcoming to me, offering me chocolate (from the school next door) and wine along with great conversation.
I went to watch the Appathon presentations to learn about what the teams built over the weekend. The apps had various purposes from fund raising to helping the a homeless person find an empty bed in a shelter. The energy at the event was wonderful. The appathoners were excited to help the non-profits and the non-profits were bursting with appreciation for the free help.
Here's a link to more information about the 48-hour Appathon. After attending the presentations, I think this event is one that Memphis should consider. We have many great non-profits here and a tech community that's rich with talent. But anyway, that's a discussion for another post...
After the presentations, there was an unexpected twist. I thought there would be networking and then everyone would go home. Instead, there was networking and then a guest speaker.
The guest speaker is named Sebastian and he has a website called 100 Things. He started by telling a story about being 27 years old, sailing through life with no real purpose, and suddenly having a close friend die. It was completely unexpected and it made him question whether or not he was doing what would make himself happy. If he were to die tomorrow, would he feel like he had lived a full life?
Sebastian is 31 now and since that incident, he has stopped working in a traditional job and has started pursuing things that are on his list of 100 thing to do before he dies. He told stories about a few of the things he has done to date, including delivering a baby and marrying a stranger in Las Vegas.
As he has gone along, he's been blogging about each experience. He has developed quite a following online and in turn, has been in the media quite a bit. He was also approached to write a book and so he did that too. Now, he's started to raise money for a non-profit called Camp Quality. At the end of his presentation, he confirmed that he's now happy and could officially look back with no regrets.
After Sebastian's presentation, I immediately went to meet him. I explained that I've been traveling for almost two months and given that it was the last night of the trip, the timing of the presentation was perfect. He gave me one piece of advice. It was to make choices about your job very carefully. It is often so easy to get pulled into something that leads us down a path that does not provide happiness.
He asked that we stay in touch and I hope that Memphis might find a reason to draw him in. Barbecue, perhaps? I'm certain Memphians would find his story to be inspiring.
Afterward, I headed back to Kirribilli to meet Shane and Laura for dinner. We went to a little Thai place near their house called Stir Crazy. We reflected on my entire trip and on the way everything was wrapped up so perfectly on my last day. And, it only made sense that my last meal of the trip would be Thai food!
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
Bubble wrapped laughs with a side of pizza
Saturday ended up as one of the most exciting days that I had in Sydney. I left in the early afternoon to do some shopping. The top item on my list: wine skins. If you haven't use these before, and you're a wine drinker, them you should try them. They are bubble wrap that's cut into the shape of a wine bottle with adhesive tape at the bottom. After visiting around 5 clueless wine stores who had never heard of them, I found a place with a huge supply. The guy working the counter was overly casual about them, as if they were a common item everywhere.
During my quest, I stopped for a cupcake and hot chocolate. Almost every country had them, and I wanted to try at least one before I went home. I got a carrot cake cupcake with cream cheese icing and a plain hot chocolate. The cupcake alone was almost $5. I think this may be a similar cost to Muddy's in Memphis, but I suspect it's a bit more. The hot chocolate was surprisingly bitter, so I found myself adding multiple packages of sugar to it.
I also stopped for a few other items including a grey tank and a few necklaces. While shopping, I visited the bottom floor of the department store Myers. They had a nice food court where I got an oddly tasting lemonade and another uncut sushi roll. I was able to stroll through the mall munching away on the roll. Australia is the only country where I saw these rolls. After trying them, I think that very country should adopt them. They're so easy and healthy. If I had not had the sushi option, I would have probably tried a cookie or an ice cream. The sushi was just as easy, but I felt so much better after eating it. (Oh, and they had an American food section in the store. Check out the photo below.)
Once I had found everything I was looking for, I headed to the O Bar. Its located on the top floor of a tall building in the middle of the city. It has a full 360 degree view and it rotates. Although it was decorated to look very hip, the staff was extremely welcoming to the less than stylish tourists. One of the hostesses actually sat down with me to ask why I was alone. When I told her about my trip, she told me about a cross country road trip that she took in the US. She also recommended other local bars. O Bar was hands down my favorite in Sydney. If you have the chance to check it out, you should go for at least a drink.
I received a text from Laura and Shane around this time that they were around the corner at another great bar, Frankie's. I walked over to meet them and Shane and I split my new favorite pizza. It was made with sausage, mushrooms, and most important- truffle oil. I want to try to make this in Memphis. It was heavenly.
After inhaling the pizza, we went into the main section of the bar where a country band was setting up. The band was made up of four men in their 60s and 70s. They were singing songs by Johnny Cash, George Jones, and other old country artists. As with most singers, you can't tell where they might be from when they're singing. For the most part, they sing with the accent of the country the music is from. But, their clothes looked very authentic and not the imitation of American culture like I'd seen in other places. I found out later that they were in fact Americans! After I left, they befriended Shane and Laura. They moved to Australia years ago and raised their children there. Apparently, they speak with southern accents while their children have Australian accents.
I headed out around 8 PM to go to the Sydney Comedy Festival again. Eddie Ifft was performing and I had heard that he was very good. It took two trains and a mile walk to make it to the theatre. Little did I know, it was located inside a warehouse district. That mile was one of the more uncomfortable ones of my entire trip. But in the end, I made it and Eddie Ifft was great. He's an American comedian who performs internationally quite a bit.
After the show, I visited a new bar called the Soda Factory. It had a long line outside to get in, so you knew it had to be fun. At the door, they had a woman wearing a poodle skirt and roller skates who was working. She reminded me a bit of Sonic in the 50s. To go into the bar, you had to walk through a big red door that I suspect used to be a door to a Coca-Cola fridge. Inside, the bar was packed and everyone danced the night away to 80s music.
I didn't get back home until almost 2 AM. By then, Shane and Laura were sleeping, so I did my best to tiptoe in. I fell asleep quickly, excited about what my last full day in Sydney might bring.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Grandma's Irish Kangaroo
As you can see, I'm quite behind. The last few days in Australia have been a real whirlwind. I hope to catch you up over the coming days on just what happened. I would like to also expand more on other stories and reflections from the trip.
I spent Friday spending quality time with Laura. As I've mentioned in previous posts, Laura is Shane's girlfriend. She was an incredible host and friend to me while I was in Australia. She's been following my blog for my entire journey, so I'd like to say a big thank you to Laura!
We started off the day by heading into downtown Sydney for a little shopping. I tend to be opposed to tourist shops, so I was looking for a few items that I could use in everyday life that would remind me of my trip. I found a cute ice cream scoop and finger nail brush. Neither item is glamorous, but I was in need of both. We also scoured pajama shops, but I couldn't find anything that I couldn't live without.
While in the pajama shop, Laura's friend Joan called us. She was down the street at the train station. We met her and together we walked to a local bar called Grandma's. The bar is located the basement of a building and is complete with doilies (instead of coasters) to set your drink on. We pulled up three stools to the bar where the friendly bartender started to make our drinks. I ordered a bison grass vodka with ice and a slice of lime. If you haven't tried this flavor of spiced vodka, you definitely should. The interesting thing though was the ice. I asked for a "little" ice. Ice in Australia comes in little blocks, so the bartender put my block of ice on a cutting board and proceeded to cut it down to a reasonable size with a knife.
A side note on the bars in Sydney: I quickly learned that Sydney and Melbourne are rival cities in every way. One of those ways in particular is the bar scene. Melbourne is known to be a foodie town, with tiny unique local bars that can be found in dark alleyways. In response, this style of bar is popping up in a big way all over Sydney. In my 10 days in Sydney, I went to at least 6 bars made in this style.
After a few drinks, Shane and Joan's husband Lindsey arrived and we headed to dinner at a local steak place. Every person got a different cut of meat for dinner. At Shane's recommendation, I tried the kangaroo. I was expecting something along the lines of the reindeer that I tried in Norway. Unfortunately, I think the kangaroo wasn't cooked quite right as it tasted off to everyone at the table. Luckily, this meant that everyone else at the table gave me a piece of their meat. In the end, I got to try 6 different cuts (5 of which were beef).
We ended the evening at an Irish pub. The pub had live music. It was reasonably decent as compared to just about every other live music I heard in Australia. Julie warned me in Melbourne that musicians in Australia sing both terribly and way, way too loud. I had hoped that she'd be wrong but by all accounts she was mostly right.
As a side note, Joan and Lindsey are Irish. Thinking back on my journey and my extended time in Ireland, I believe they are the first Irish people I spent time with. It was very nice to meet them and to learn more about their home.
I spent Friday spending quality time with Laura. As I've mentioned in previous posts, Laura is Shane's girlfriend. She was an incredible host and friend to me while I was in Australia. She's been following my blog for my entire journey, so I'd like to say a big thank you to Laura!
We started off the day by heading into downtown Sydney for a little shopping. I tend to be opposed to tourist shops, so I was looking for a few items that I could use in everyday life that would remind me of my trip. I found a cute ice cream scoop and finger nail brush. Neither item is glamorous, but I was in need of both. We also scoured pajama shops, but I couldn't find anything that I couldn't live without.
While in the pajama shop, Laura's friend Joan called us. She was down the street at the train station. We met her and together we walked to a local bar called Grandma's. The bar is located the basement of a building and is complete with doilies (instead of coasters) to set your drink on. We pulled up three stools to the bar where the friendly bartender started to make our drinks. I ordered a bison grass vodka with ice and a slice of lime. If you haven't tried this flavor of spiced vodka, you definitely should. The interesting thing though was the ice. I asked for a "little" ice. Ice in Australia comes in little blocks, so the bartender put my block of ice on a cutting board and proceeded to cut it down to a reasonable size with a knife.
A side note on the bars in Sydney: I quickly learned that Sydney and Melbourne are rival cities in every way. One of those ways in particular is the bar scene. Melbourne is known to be a foodie town, with tiny unique local bars that can be found in dark alleyways. In response, this style of bar is popping up in a big way all over Sydney. In my 10 days in Sydney, I went to at least 6 bars made in this style.
After a few drinks, Shane and Joan's husband Lindsey arrived and we headed to dinner at a local steak place. Every person got a different cut of meat for dinner. At Shane's recommendation, I tried the kangaroo. I was expecting something along the lines of the reindeer that I tried in Norway. Unfortunately, I think the kangaroo wasn't cooked quite right as it tasted off to everyone at the table. Luckily, this meant that everyone else at the table gave me a piece of their meat. In the end, I got to try 6 different cuts (5 of which were beef).
We ended the evening at an Irish pub. The pub had live music. It was reasonably decent as compared to just about every other live music I heard in Australia. Julie warned me in Melbourne that musicians in Australia sing both terribly and way, way too loud. I had hoped that she'd be wrong but by all accounts she was mostly right.
As a side note, Joan and Lindsey are Irish. Thinking back on my journey and my extended time in Ireland, I believe they are the first Irish people I spent time with. It was very nice to meet them and to learn more about their home.
Friday, April 26, 2013
ANZAC Day at Manly Beach
Thursday was fairly low key. It was a holiday here, ANZAC Day. The holiday celebrates those who served in the military for Australia. Although it sounds like Memorial Day, it's celebrated a little bit like Thanksgiving is in the US (in terms of excitement level).
I slept in late. For dinner, Laura, Shane, and I took two ferries to Manly Beach. Their friends Joan and Lindsey made us chicken tacos for dinner and we watched the ocean from their balcony.
I slept in late. For dinner, Laura, Shane, and I took two ferries to Manly Beach. Their friends Joan and Lindsey made us chicken tacos for dinner and we watched the ocean from their balcony.
Used Justin's and techie meet-up
Wednesday was an adventure. I started off by visiting the Museum of Contemporary Art. Like many other galleries, admission was free. To my surprise, there was an entire exhibit by Memphis photographer William Eggleston. It included photos from all over the South, but I didn't spot any photos from Memphis. The museum had a beautiful view of the water. It seems that almost everything does here.
Next, I headed down to Shady Pines Saloon. I had to take a bus there. Bus riding is far more complicated for me, since you have to know when to push the button to ask the driver to stop. Luckily, I found the stop on the first try. Finding Shady Pines however was a different story. The address for the bar is on one street while the entrance is on the alley of another street. It has no sign, and just a random door that you must walk through to get inside. The only marking on the door is a white sheet of paper with "Shady Pines" printed on it. Inside, I found a small bar filled with lots of whiskey, taxidermidy animals, and very old country music. They served peanuts in the shell at the old looking bar. The reviews said that this is a place you'd find in Texas. I picture it more as a place you might image Texas was like if you'd never been there.
On the way to my next stop, I went into a store called Route 66. I found USED Justin boots for $460 and new Wranglers for $150. These were along side rockabilly outfits.
Last, I walked to the meet-up group. It promised to be tech directors in Sydney. The group was fairly late, so I had left when I got a message that the group had arrived. I headed back to the nice Italian wine bar to find 3 other techies. I learned quite a lot about the digital culture here and the shortage for developers.
Afterward, I took a train home. Fortunately for me, Laura had made chicken tacos and had some left over. The day ended just as well as it started.
Next, I headed down to Shady Pines Saloon. I had to take a bus there. Bus riding is far more complicated for me, since you have to know when to push the button to ask the driver to stop. Luckily, I found the stop on the first try. Finding Shady Pines however was a different story. The address for the bar is on one street while the entrance is on the alley of another street. It has no sign, and just a random door that you must walk through to get inside. The only marking on the door is a white sheet of paper with "Shady Pines" printed on it. Inside, I found a small bar filled with lots of whiskey, taxidermidy animals, and very old country music. They served peanuts in the shell at the old looking bar. The reviews said that this is a place you'd find in Texas. I picture it more as a place you might image Texas was like if you'd never been there.
On the way to my next stop, I went into a store called Route 66. I found USED Justin boots for $460 and new Wranglers for $150. These were along side rockabilly outfits.
Last, I walked to the meet-up group. It promised to be tech directors in Sydney. The group was fairly late, so I had left when I got a message that the group had arrived. I headed back to the nice Italian wine bar to find 3 other techies. I learned quite a lot about the digital culture here and the shortage for developers.
Afterward, I took a train home. Fortunately for me, Laura had made chicken tacos and had some left over. The day ended just as well as it started.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Beach and ballet
Tuesday was fun. Laura and I visited my friend Lea on Bondi Beach.
On the way, we stopped by a big mall. Similar to other countries, the bottom floor of the mall is dedicated to food. They had a grocery store and many restaurants. We ate at a Japanese restaurant. I tried these giant sushi rolls I've seen everywhere here. They're like an uncut sushi roll, and everyone eats them as a big piece. After two, I was stuffed.
We took a bus from the mall to Lea's house on Bondi Beach. She lives there with her husband and two adorable children. Lea treated us to banana bread, tea, wine, and other snacks. We also took a long walk along the beach. It was really nice to see Lea and to meet her children.
After Bondi, I headed to the Sydney Opera House. I saw Don Quixote performed by the Australian Ballet company and accompanied by the Australian Opera Orchestra. Needless to say, it was pretty amazing. There were two intermissions where you could drink champagne and look out into the harbor. Below is a photo of the space.
Last, I headed to a bar that's at the top of the Shangri-la Hotel. It had a very nice view of the city. I asked for a recommended local beer and was given another German Kölsch beer. This time it was from a brewery called 4 Pines.
All in all, it was a very successful day!
On the way, we stopped by a big mall. Similar to other countries, the bottom floor of the mall is dedicated to food. They had a grocery store and many restaurants. We ate at a Japanese restaurant. I tried these giant sushi rolls I've seen everywhere here. They're like an uncut sushi roll, and everyone eats them as a big piece. After two, I was stuffed.
We took a bus from the mall to Lea's house on Bondi Beach. She lives there with her husband and two adorable children. Lea treated us to banana bread, tea, wine, and other snacks. We also took a long walk along the beach. It was really nice to see Lea and to meet her children.
After Bondi, I headed to the Sydney Opera House. I saw Don Quixote performed by the Australian Ballet company and accompanied by the Australian Opera Orchestra. Needless to say, it was pretty amazing. There were two intermissions where you could drink champagne and look out into the harbor. Below is a photo of the space.
Last, I headed to a bar that's at the top of the Shangri-la Hotel. It had a very nice view of the city. I asked for a recommended local beer and was given another German Kölsch beer. This time it was from a brewery called 4 Pines.
All in all, it was a very successful day!
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Art, Pizza, and Scotch
Monday exceeded my expectations. I saw and did many different things within just a few hours.
I slept in late, and when I got up, Laura and I walked to the Art Gallery of NSW. Shane and Laura live right on the water, so our choices to get there were to take a cab, take a train, take a ferry, or walk. We opted for walking and got the opportunity to walk across the Sydney bridge. Although it was only about a mile to get there, it took much longer than expected. Google Maps has a hard time locating your exact position in a big city. It takes some time to get the hang of ignoring the little dot that indicates where you are.
We walked through a beautiful park on the way. When we made it to the museum, we sailed right in. Like many other museums on my trip, the Art Gallery of NSW is free. The art was from many areas of the world and spanned a large range of time, but had more Australian art, as you can imagine. Australian art looks very similar to American art to me. As I learn more about the history of Australia, this makes sense to me. The gallery also had a few works by Picasso, Monet, and Giacometti.
After the gallery, we tried to check out a bar that's located on a top floor of a hotel. It's know for the view, but wasn't yet open for the night. Instead, we went to a bar called Frankie's where we drank local beer and had wonderful pizza.
After about an hour, my friend Matt met us. I went to high school with Matt in Oklahoma. He's living in Australia with his wife and baby, and working for a university in Sydney. It was nice to connect with someone from high school in such a random location.
After another hour or so, Shane and one of his colleagues showed up. We tried more different kinds of beer and ate three more pizzas. My favorite was a sausage pizza that had truffle oil on it. Yumm.
Monday night is live music night at Frankie's and this week was no exception. The band was okay, but they were so loud that most people in the audience were wearing earplugs. Luckily, Matt gave me his only pair to protect my ears.
After a lot of yelling over the band, we decided to go on to another bar owned by the same management as Frankie's. It's called The Baxter Inn and it specializes in bourbon, whiskey, and scotch. They are located in an alley and down some random stairs. It reminds me a lot of a library as they have rows and rows of bottles and a rolling ladder to reach them. This place was amazing. Definitely my favorite in Sydney so far. It was a great end to a great night.
I slept in late, and when I got up, Laura and I walked to the Art Gallery of NSW. Shane and Laura live right on the water, so our choices to get there were to take a cab, take a train, take a ferry, or walk. We opted for walking and got the opportunity to walk across the Sydney bridge. Although it was only about a mile to get there, it took much longer than expected. Google Maps has a hard time locating your exact position in a big city. It takes some time to get the hang of ignoring the little dot that indicates where you are.
We walked through a beautiful park on the way. When we made it to the museum, we sailed right in. Like many other museums on my trip, the Art Gallery of NSW is free. The art was from many areas of the world and spanned a large range of time, but had more Australian art, as you can imagine. Australian art looks very similar to American art to me. As I learn more about the history of Australia, this makes sense to me. The gallery also had a few works by Picasso, Monet, and Giacometti.
After the gallery, we tried to check out a bar that's located on a top floor of a hotel. It's know for the view, but wasn't yet open for the night. Instead, we went to a bar called Frankie's where we drank local beer and had wonderful pizza.
After about an hour, my friend Matt met us. I went to high school with Matt in Oklahoma. He's living in Australia with his wife and baby, and working for a university in Sydney. It was nice to connect with someone from high school in such a random location.
After another hour or so, Shane and one of his colleagues showed up. We tried more different kinds of beer and ate three more pizzas. My favorite was a sausage pizza that had truffle oil on it. Yumm.
Monday night is live music night at Frankie's and this week was no exception. The band was okay, but they were so loud that most people in the audience were wearing earplugs. Luckily, Matt gave me his only pair to protect my ears.
After a lot of yelling over the band, we decided to go on to another bar owned by the same management as Frankie's. It's called The Baxter Inn and it specializes in bourbon, whiskey, and scotch. They are located in an alley and down some random stairs. It reminds me a lot of a library as they have rows and rows of bottles and a rolling ladder to reach them. This place was amazing. Definitely my favorite in Sydney so far. It was a great end to a great night.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Comedy in Sydney
My second day in Sydney was very relaxed. Shane and Laura knew that I was quite tired from traveling and let me sleep in.
When I woke up. Laura made me a tasty breakfast and I did my laundry.
In the evening, we went to a comedy show. First though, we stopped at a bar for a beer. The bar had the word "hotel" in the name, but Laura explained that's normal here-- especially when a place is not a bar. Next, we stopped for pizza at a place appropriately named, " Eat, Love, Pizza."
When we finally made it to the comedy venue, we realized it was a huge space. The Sydney Comedy Festival just started. It seems to be all of the same comedians as those in Melbourne. Just relocated. We saw a comedian from the UK named Ross. He was a random comedian that stayed away from political issues, but was fairly funny.
Afterward, we caught a cab home and I fell right to sleep.
When I woke up. Laura made me a tasty breakfast and I did my laundry.
In the evening, we went to a comedy show. First though, we stopped at a bar for a beer. The bar had the word "hotel" in the name, but Laura explained that's normal here-- especially when a place is not a bar. Next, we stopped for pizza at a place appropriately named, " Eat, Love, Pizza."
When we finally made it to the comedy venue, we realized it was a huge space. The Sydney Comedy Festival just started. It seems to be all of the same comedians as those in Melbourne. Just relocated. We saw a comedian from the UK named Ross. He was a random comedian that stayed away from political issues, but was fairly funny.
Afterward, we caught a cab home and I fell right to sleep.
Quantus sucks
The Quantus flight from Melbourne to Sydney was nothing short of a small disaster. The flight was packed full, so I ended up in a middle seat in the back of the plane. Things were relatively okay until the plane started to shake and dropped down quite a bit. I held onto the seat in front of me just to keep from hitting the passengers next to me. In the US, the flight attendant would come over the speaker to apologize and reassure the passengers. In this case, the flight attendant came over the speaker laughing and apologized for ending the in flight entertainment. No explanation. At all.
Shane and Laura were both at the baggage claim to greet me. It was very exciting because although they have been dating for years, we have never met.
We took the train from the airport to their new apartment. They've only been in Sydney for six months and moved to a new apartment less than a week ago. It has an incredible view. Incredible. Really. It overlooks the water and bridge. There's a picture below.
After soaking in the amazing view, we walked to dinner. On the way, we stopped by their old apartment. The old one was equally beautiful only bigger, but with no view.
For dinner, we went to a local restaurant called "Your Place." It's Thai food, owned by an Australian and Thai couple. The food was probably the best Thai I've ever had. To make things better, the owners love Laura and Shane and gave us lots of attention.
After dinner, I fell asleep quickly. I think I'm growing very tired of public transportation.
Shane and Laura were both at the baggage claim to greet me. It was very exciting because although they have been dating for years, we have never met.
We took the train from the airport to their new apartment. They've only been in Sydney for six months and moved to a new apartment less than a week ago. It has an incredible view. Incredible. Really. It overlooks the water and bridge. There's a picture below.
After soaking in the amazing view, we walked to dinner. On the way, we stopped by their old apartment. The old one was equally beautiful only bigger, but with no view.
For dinner, we went to a local restaurant called "Your Place." It's Thai food, owned by an Australian and Thai couple. The food was probably the best Thai I've ever had. To make things better, the owners love Laura and Shane and gave us lots of attention.
After dinner, I fell asleep quickly. I think I'm growing very tired of public transportation.
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