So on Saturday, I went to the rugby match. Woo hoo! A group of us met up for dinner before heading over to the match, since we all live on the same side of the Harbour, and would have to catch the same train into town to get to the stadium.
I wore my rugby jersey that I bought the last time I was over here. So it’s a little old, but still has the team colors. And I have to say, I think I am going to wear this thing a lot more often! It gets lots of attention. I walked out of my flat to the bus stop, and a guy stopped me there and asked what time the game started. Then he asked if I was going. When I told him yes, he said I was lucky, that it was almost impossible to get tickets! I said, “Really? I must be lucky, then, because I just got tickets a couple of days ago.” He had this look on his face like, “Crap, I could have gone?” Then he walked away, and I think the look on his wife’s face told me that she was not happy that he thinks he could have gone to the match. Oops, my bad. So as I stood waiting for the bus, a woman came over and sat down on the bench at the bus stop and said something about the game. We started talking about how many people we had seen wearing clothes supporting the All Blacks (the New Zealand team). As we looked around, we saw several people wearing black. Maybe it’s just because black is such a popular color here, but I certainly would have made an effort to avoid wearing it, if at all possible!
We all got to the pub for dinner, and the food was pretty good. As we were getting up to leave, a couple of folks went to the restroom, so one guy and I stood and waited on them. There was a lady at the table next to us who asked if we were headed to the match. She then waved her Wallabies scarf in the air to show her support. We told her we were, and she said to have fun. I turned to her and said, “I’m sorry. Can I ask where you’re from?” Yeah, she was from Colorado. She’s lived here for something like 13 years, as her husband is an Aussie. So we chatted for a few minutes, and she commented on how good it was to hear an accent from home. As we were leaving, the guy standing with me said, “I think you made a new friend!” I laughed and told him that it was odd to hear the US accent, so you have to take advantage when you can. Although my new friend did give me a good tip. Apparently you do not “route” for your team. The word “root” here has an entirely different meaning, and I clearly would not want to suggest that I am “rooting” for an entire team of people. I’ll let you guys figure that one out on your own...
We got to the game, and everyone split up to go to their respective seats, since we were all spread out. The stadium was freaking awesome! I have added some photos to the blog page for you guys. For any of you into baseball, it reminded me a little bit of The Bob stadium out in Phoenix – one of those with the retractable roof. Although ANZ Stadium is completely open at the top, the way the stadium is shaped, it kind of feels like they just pulled the top back for the match. And you probably can’t tell from the picture, but people were piled into the stadium with seats all with way up to the roof line. (I had awesome seats in the lower lever, not too far from the field.) But the fans there were really into it, and there were people cheering for both teams. I didn’t see all that much black until the All Blacks scored. Then they all stood up, started waving their huge black flags, and made their presence known. The game was pretty close for a while, so everyone was really pumped up. The Wallabies ended up winning, so most people near me were really excited as we left the stadium. Especially the one guy near me who kept trying to lead the “Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!” chant.
I walked back to the train station and waited in line there. It was a madhouse! I was pretty happy that my friends and I decided to meet up at a different station, rather than trying to catch up leaving the game. But I was standing in line, and this woman behind me kind of grabs my arm and pulls on me. She said, “I don’t suppose you’d want to trade this jersey in for a black one now, would you?” I turned and laughed and told her no. Then her husband asked me if I was an Aussie. I said, “Nope, American.” They both got excited and started chatting with me. Of course, they had both been drinking a good bit during the game. But then the guy started telling me all about the Aussie coach (the coach is from NZ, so it was a big story line this week). I really don’t know half of what he told me, but the two of them were pretty entertaining.
I managed to have a relatively short wait for the train – the line moved most of the time while I was standing in it. So I got on a train and crammed in with a ton of people. One guy behind me was hilarious. He was almost doubled over in pain because he had to pee so badly. And he kept cursing himself for buying a small bottle of water, because he couldn’t pee in the bottle. (I don’t know if he really would have tried or not.) It took a while (probably an eternity for him), but he jumped off really quickly at the first stop, dragging his friends with him, saying they’d just get on the next train. Dude, I don’t think you are getting on the next train if it was as packed as this one!
After he got off and everyone kind of shifted around, I was standing next to 4 people who were talking, and I had no clue what they were saying because it wasn’t in English. I couldn’t figure out the language. Luckily, there was a very chatty older drunk guy on the train (who had been encouraging Mr. Full Bladder to use the water bottle). So once the pee guy got off, this guy moved on to the foreigners. He asked them where they were from. It took them a minute to answer, and I wondered if they spoke any English. Apparently they did, and said they were from Switzerland, but now lived in Sydney. They talked for a few minutes, and the drunk guy kept trying to convince them to go to some bar with him once they got off the train. Apparently one of the girls he was with worked there, and he was trying to pack the bar for her. So he then said, “Well, we’ve got folks from all over. I wonder if we have any more.” Uh oh. “Do we have any Yanks here?” He looked dead at me. I laughed and said, “Yep, I’m from the States.” So he started talking to me. Nice guy. Apparently he was from the UK and moved down here a while ago, and was quite excited to find someone else who had come down Under and supported the Wallabies (he was also wearing a jersey). We talked about the game a little, and then he told me I had to come visit him in Newcastle, because it was a beautiful area, and I needed to see it. He told me to come to the pub with him and he’d give me directions to his house, where I was welcome to come crash if I wanted to visit. Needless to say, I did not go to the pub.
I got off of the train and met up with my friends. A couple more folks joined us, as they had gone to the match but didn’t make it to dinner with us. As we were leaving the station, a drunk guy came running over to me and started yelling “Go Wallabies! What a game!” and gave me a high-five and a hug. One of the guys I was with said, “You are pretty popular here!” I’m telling you – the jersey made for some excitement outside of the match! I am going to have to wear it again and see what happens!
So we walked to a pub near the train station, and hung out for a while. The folks who were there were fun. One of the girls there was really cool – her boyfriend works with me. She’s a teacher in the UK, and is here until January when his assignment is over. She was fun to hang out with, though. Very into sports, very laid back. It also was nice to hang out with everyone and hear the stories about being new to Australia. Everyone there had just relocated in the past 6 months, so the stories were pretty funny.
We finally all looked at our watches and realized it was now 2:30, and we still had to get home from the city. Luckily we all live in the same general area, and managed to find a bus that would get us all back home. Although one thing I learned: I’m getting too old for a 3:30 bedtime.
With that said, I slept in a little on Sunday (10:00), and took a nap on the couch while the laundry was going Sunday afternoon. Probably a good thing; about 3:30 in the afternoon there was a huge storm, and it was really loud. You couldn’t tell from my window, but apparently there was hail. And the temperature dropped a good bit. For those of you who might have seen the report – No, it did not snow here. (There was sleet in the mountains, though.) Just hail. But I hear from Amy that there was a weather report in the US that showed the Aussies out playing in the snow, which was actually soft hail. Yep, that’s how we do it around here. 50 degrees and it’s “snowing.” Freaking backwards place...
Hola, Mates!
Just a little something for everyone to remember me by from the Charlotte office going away party...
About Me
- JP
- So here's a blog site that I thought would make it easier for everyone back in the States to keep up while I am working in Australia for the next three months. Posts read from the bottom up (most recent posts are at the top of the page). I will try to keep the photos updated... Keep the comments coming! I want to know how everyone is doing back home!
Southern Swirl Comment
Okay, Don... Ask and ye shall receive. I'm giving you a swirlie. Maybe now you will believe that I am actually here in the Land Down Under. I had to settle for a sink - I still can't find a toilet that flushes using the "swirl motion."
City2Surf Comment
I found a video clip of the City2Surf 14K route, for anyone interested in checking it out. It is not exact, but it is pretty close. And it doesn't quite do the race justice, especially since you really only see the road and not the surrounding scenery (or the steepness of the hills!). But it is still a pretty cool video. And no, there were not any cars or buses on the road with us as we ran...
Driving Commercial Comment
The above commercial is becoming one of my favorites. Enjoy...
Chicken Commercial Comment
My favourite local commercial. Are you one of the 14 Australians...?
And yes, the website shown at the end is real.
And yes, the website shown at the end is real.
07 September Spit Bridge to Manly Walk Comments
All right. I am finally adding some comments! The slideshow starts with a photo of some boats in the water:
[1] Here's a view from Spit Bridge, where the walk begins. [2] Once you cross under Spit Bridge, you get to where the nature hike begins. [3] Like all good nature walks, there is even a little waterfall. [4] A shot of the view from the trail. [5] Another view, back towards where the hike started. [6] Just to show some of the climbs and bridges that are a part of the trail. [7] And, of course, the beautiful views! [8] Another shot of some of the boats in the water. [9] If you look across, you can see the people out on teh beach for a BBQ. [10] A closer view of the start of beach. [11] And here we finally make it onto the beach sand. [12] Here are the folks I was on the hike with. [13] Left to right: Jamie, Manon, Lara, and Tariq. [14] And we even managed to find a starfish washed up on the beach! (Don't worry, we tossed him back into the sea.) [15] Another view across the water. [16] As we get higher up into the trail, you can see further and further out. [17] I thought this little scenic view was pretty cool. [18] As we venture back on the nature trail, we stumble upon some parrots. [19] Okay, so we gave up on the trail after an hour of walking and head out into the Manly jungles. Pretty nice neighborhood, right? [20] Here we are in Manly. This shot is taken from the beachfront, looking back towards the town. [21] Here is the Manly surf. You can tell we had some heavy rain storms the day before. [22] Another shot of the waves. [23] Here's a view along the beach. [24] Another shot down the other end of the beach. [25] The surfers were out enjoying the waves today! [26] I have no idea what this thing is, but it was kind of neat. [27] Downtown Manly on Sunday night.
[1] Here's a view from Spit Bridge, where the walk begins. [2] Once you cross under Spit Bridge, you get to where the nature hike begins. [3] Like all good nature walks, there is even a little waterfall. [4] A shot of the view from the trail. [5] Another view, back towards where the hike started. [6] Just to show some of the climbs and bridges that are a part of the trail. [7] And, of course, the beautiful views! [8] Another shot of some of the boats in the water. [9] If you look across, you can see the people out on teh beach for a BBQ. [10] A closer view of the start of beach. [11] And here we finally make it onto the beach sand. [12] Here are the folks I was on the hike with. [13] Left to right: Jamie, Manon, Lara, and Tariq. [14] And we even managed to find a starfish washed up on the beach! (Don't worry, we tossed him back into the sea.) [15] Another view across the water. [16] As we get higher up into the trail, you can see further and further out. [17] I thought this little scenic view was pretty cool. [18] As we venture back on the nature trail, we stumble upon some parrots. [19] Okay, so we gave up on the trail after an hour of walking and head out into the Manly jungles. Pretty nice neighborhood, right? [20] Here we are in Manly. This shot is taken from the beachfront, looking back towards the town. [21] Here is the Manly surf. You can tell we had some heavy rain storms the day before. [22] Another shot of the waves. [23] Here's a view along the beach. [24] Another shot down the other end of the beach. [25] The surfers were out enjoying the waves today! [26] I have no idea what this thing is, but it was kind of neat. [27] Downtown Manly on Sunday night.
17 August Royal Botanical Gardens Comments
As usual, the text descriptions of the above photos are below. The first photo starts with some buildings in front of the Harbour Bridge:
[1] A view of The Rocks. You can see the Harbour Bridge in the background. [2] Another view in The Rocks, going down the other end of the main street. [3] These tents are where the weekly market is held. Basically a big craft fair and flea market kind of place. [4] Another shot of the marketplace. [5] A better view of the market. [6] Here's the pub where I stopped in for a while. Billed to be "Sydney's Oldest Pub." [7] A different view of the Opera House from the other side of the Harbour (near the Bridge). [8] Of course, people watching by the Opera House is always entertaining! [9] At this point, I am pretty much behind the Opera House. This shot is across the water, a part of the Royal Botanical Gardens. (It's a big U around the water.) [10] Another shot to the other side of the Gardens. [11] Out across the point. I live somewhere in that direction. [12] And now we finally make it into the Gardens. [13] I just thought it was really cool to see the skyscrapers from CBD in the background of the Gardens. [14] Yes, that's a little train in front of me. Like a cross between London and Tweetsie, and that's pretty scary! [15] More views from inside the Gardens. [16] This section literally IS a Garden, with little plants and a random sphere thingie in the middle. [17] More from the "true" Garden section. [18] The sign in front claims this thing is a greenhouse. But from the looks of it (and from the looks of people walking around it), I think it is the largest stash of pot in the world. [19] Within the Gardens are some little nature trails. [20] Another photo from the Garden, looking back towards the waterfront. [21] What park would be complete without a fountain? [22] Or without birds. Although these Cockatoos are the loudest, most annoying things I have ever come across. [23] Wait, that one looks familiar. Have I seen him somewhere before? [24] Yep, sure have... [25] Another view across the Gardens, with the City in the background. [26] Kind of a random little rock ledge in the Gardens. [27] Now you can hopefully tell where the Gardens are located, on the other side of the Opera House from the Harbour Bridge. [28] Looking back across the water to where some of the earlier photos were taken. [29] More shots from across the water. [30] A different view of that earlier rock formation. [31] Looking back towards the City. [32] Another view across the water. [33] The rock formation known as Mrs. MacQuarie's Rocking Chair. She was either the mayor's or governor's wife. I think she used to watch the ships come in from here. [34] I got to the other side just in time to watch the sunset. [35] Another view of the sunset over the Harbour. [36] A close-up of the Opera House at dusk. [37] Maybe I should start selling my photography! [38] Kind of a cool little rock ledge along the waterfront. [39] Another shot back towards the City. [40] More sunset photos. Sorry. [41] One last shot of the Harbour View. [42] A final photo from the Gardens.
[1] A view of The Rocks. You can see the Harbour Bridge in the background. [2] Another view in The Rocks, going down the other end of the main street. [3] These tents are where the weekly market is held. Basically a big craft fair and flea market kind of place. [4] Another shot of the marketplace. [5] A better view of the market. [6] Here's the pub where I stopped in for a while. Billed to be "Sydney's Oldest Pub." [7] A different view of the Opera House from the other side of the Harbour (near the Bridge). [8] Of course, people watching by the Opera House is always entertaining! [9] At this point, I am pretty much behind the Opera House. This shot is across the water, a part of the Royal Botanical Gardens. (It's a big U around the water.) [10] Another shot to the other side of the Gardens. [11] Out across the point. I live somewhere in that direction. [12] And now we finally make it into the Gardens. [13] I just thought it was really cool to see the skyscrapers from CBD in the background of the Gardens. [14] Yes, that's a little train in front of me. Like a cross between London and Tweetsie, and that's pretty scary! [15] More views from inside the Gardens. [16] This section literally IS a Garden, with little plants and a random sphere thingie in the middle. [17] More from the "true" Garden section. [18] The sign in front claims this thing is a greenhouse. But from the looks of it (and from the looks of people walking around it), I think it is the largest stash of pot in the world. [19] Within the Gardens are some little nature trails. [20] Another photo from the Garden, looking back towards the waterfront. [21] What park would be complete without a fountain? [22] Or without birds. Although these Cockatoos are the loudest, most annoying things I have ever come across. [23] Wait, that one looks familiar. Have I seen him somewhere before? [24] Yep, sure have... [25] Another view across the Gardens, with the City in the background. [26] Kind of a random little rock ledge in the Gardens. [27] Now you can hopefully tell where the Gardens are located, on the other side of the Opera House from the Harbour Bridge. [28] Looking back across the water to where some of the earlier photos were taken. [29] More shots from across the water. [30] A different view of that earlier rock formation. [31] Looking back towards the City. [32] Another view across the water. [33] The rock formation known as Mrs. MacQuarie's Rocking Chair. She was either the mayor's or governor's wife. I think she used to watch the ships come in from here. [34] I got to the other side just in time to watch the sunset. [35] Another view of the sunset over the Harbour. [36] A close-up of the Opera House at dusk. [37] Maybe I should start selling my photography! [38] Kind of a cool little rock ledge along the waterfront. [39] Another shot back towards the City. [40] More sunset photos. Sorry. [41] One last shot of the Harbour View. [42] A final photo from the Gardens.
Canberra Trips Comments
The cool pictures you guys have been looking for. The kangaroos are about halfway through. The slideshow starts with a picture inside my MOtel room - you'll see the two beds.
[1] My random hotel room. I really do think it is almost the same size as my flat. And has two beds! [2] Seriously, this space is about the same size as my living/dining area in the flat! [3] The bathroom is definitely bigger! [4] Just to show you guys how cold it is, here's a picture of me. (One of very few you will get!) I am wearing a sweatshirt and a toboggan. Yes, while inside. It took a while for the heat to kick in! [5] Pretty standard hotel room. Although the area where this picture was taken from is the only spot of the entire room that gets warm, since the heater is directly over the bed! [6] The view from outside my hotel room. I have no idea what those things are... [7] And now you can see why I call it a MOtel. [8] It's really dark, but this picture is of the Parliament building in the middle of Canberra. [9] Here you go - Australian deer! More commonly known as kangaroos! [10] Yep, they just hang out on the side of the road! [11] You can see that the one in the middle was hopping across the field when I got this picture. Sweet! [12] This picture is of the Dickson shops right by my MOtel. If you look closely across the top of the picture, you can see the red and green lights that were strung across above the road. It was like Christmas decorations. In August! [13] The frony of my MOtel. As the sign says, it's QUALITY! [14] A shot of the roos from my second week in the Canberra suburbs. [15] I zoomed in as much as I could for you guys. But I think they could sense me. They all started standing up and looking over at me when I shot this photo. Hopefully it won't start a kangaroo stampede! Or would that be a HOPede? [16] Some pictures from the drive back to Sydney. Those animals are cows, in case anyone is confused. [17] The trip from Canberra to Sydney was really open and scenic. [18] Am I really in Australia, or did I end up in Iowa, and someone is just messing with me? [19] Some more of the scenery as I drove along. [20] It really does remind me a lot of a country road back in NC! [21] The mountain views are pretty cool, too. [22] Just another view of Australia's beauty... [23] As we get towards the end of my photos, you can see the sun is starting to set... [24] I just thought the sunset was absolutely beautiful. Hopefully the pictures do it justice for everyone! [25] I don't know why, but I was enthralled by the color of the sky as the sun was setting. [26] A final shot of the Australian countryside at sunset...
[1] My random hotel room. I really do think it is almost the same size as my flat. And has two beds! [2] Seriously, this space is about the same size as my living/dining area in the flat! [3] The bathroom is definitely bigger! [4] Just to show you guys how cold it is, here's a picture of me. (One of very few you will get!) I am wearing a sweatshirt and a toboggan. Yes, while inside. It took a while for the heat to kick in! [5] Pretty standard hotel room. Although the area where this picture was taken from is the only spot of the entire room that gets warm, since the heater is directly over the bed! [6] The view from outside my hotel room. I have no idea what those things are... [7] And now you can see why I call it a MOtel. [8] It's really dark, but this picture is of the Parliament building in the middle of Canberra. [9] Here you go - Australian deer! More commonly known as kangaroos! [10] Yep, they just hang out on the side of the road! [11] You can see that the one in the middle was hopping across the field when I got this picture. Sweet! [12] This picture is of the Dickson shops right by my MOtel. If you look closely across the top of the picture, you can see the red and green lights that were strung across above the road. It was like Christmas decorations. In August! [13] The frony of my MOtel. As the sign says, it's QUALITY! [14] A shot of the roos from my second week in the Canberra suburbs. [15] I zoomed in as much as I could for you guys. But I think they could sense me. They all started standing up and looking over at me when I shot this photo. Hopefully it won't start a kangaroo stampede! Or would that be a HOPede? [16] Some pictures from the drive back to Sydney. Those animals are cows, in case anyone is confused. [17] The trip from Canberra to Sydney was really open and scenic. [18] Am I really in Australia, or did I end up in Iowa, and someone is just messing with me? [19] Some more of the scenery as I drove along. [20] It really does remind me a lot of a country road back in NC! [21] The mountain views are pretty cool, too. [22] Just another view of Australia's beauty... [23] As we get towards the end of my photos, you can see the sun is starting to set... [24] I just thought the sunset was absolutely beautiful. Hopefully the pictures do it justice for everyone! [25] I don't know why, but I was enthralled by the color of the sky as the sun was setting. [26] A final shot of the Australian countryside at sunset...
Hyde Park 10 August Comments
This slideshow starts with the first (more distant) picture of the fountain in Hyde Park:
[1] So here are some photos of Hyde Park. The fountain marks the center of the Park. [2] No matter what side you come from, the fountain is front and center. [3] A close-up view of the fountain. Don't ask me what it is - I don't know. Some war thing. [4] Beyond the fountain, you can walk through the Park under this cool canopy of trees. [5] The famed St. Mary's Cathedral is located next to Hyde Park. [6] A closer shot of the front of the church. [7] Hello? Is the Pope still there? Anyone? Anyone? [8] A shot of the entire front of the Cathedral. It really is quite a beautiful building... [9] The Cathedral is a pretty long building. And if you look close, you can see that the red banners on the street posts are for City2Surf, which will be taking place here tomorrow. [10] Coming from the opposite direction, a view from the tree canopy heading towards the fountain. [11] A shot as you get closer to the fountains from the longer side of the Park. [12] Here you can see the actual park part of the Park. [13] No, it is not a picture from the Park. But I did think it entertaining that these shopping carts were in the hall of the apartment as I got off the elevator. It just shows how ghetto fabulous my neighbors are. Why is it random? Because in order to bring these up, someone either had to walk them across a busy street or take them up an elevator, across a skywalk, back down an elevator, and around a street corner, only to come up the elevator to the fifth floor. Needless to say, random spot for them... Who are these people?
[1] So here are some photos of Hyde Park. The fountain marks the center of the Park. [2] No matter what side you come from, the fountain is front and center. [3] A close-up view of the fountain. Don't ask me what it is - I don't know. Some war thing. [4] Beyond the fountain, you can walk through the Park under this cool canopy of trees. [5] The famed St. Mary's Cathedral is located next to Hyde Park. [6] A closer shot of the front of the church. [7] Hello? Is the Pope still there? Anyone? Anyone? [8] A shot of the entire front of the Cathedral. It really is quite a beautiful building... [9] The Cathedral is a pretty long building. And if you look close, you can see that the red banners on the street posts are for City2Surf, which will be taking place here tomorrow. [10] Coming from the opposite direction, a view from the tree canopy heading towards the fountain. [11] A shot as you get closer to the fountains from the longer side of the Park. [12] Here you can see the actual park part of the Park. [13] No, it is not a picture from the Park. But I did think it entertaining that these shopping carts were in the hall of the apartment as I got off the elevator. It just shows how ghetto fabulous my neighbors are. Why is it random? Because in order to bring these up, someone either had to walk them across a busy street or take them up an elevator, across a skywalk, back down an elevator, and around a street corner, only to come up the elevator to the fifth floor. Needless to say, random spot for them... Who are these people?
Bledisloe Cup 26 July Comments
Okay, this slideshow starts with a distant picture of ANZ Stadium:
[1] ANZ Stadium, coming out of the train station. [2] Slightly closer look at the Stadium. [3] I think this picture gives a pretty good idea of where my seat was in relation to the field. [4] The roof is open. If you look real close, you can see that there are people sitting all the way up to the top. [5] Pre-game warm up for the Wallabies. [6] Pre-game warm up for the All Blacks. [7] Welcome to ANZ Stadium, folks... [8] Another shot of the entire field. [9] I just like this shot because you can see the sea of yellow and green supporters! [10] The teams are about to be introduced here. [11] The teams running out onto the field. [12] National anthems. Although I obviously did not know the words to either one... [13] The All Blacks have some sort of pre-game dance ritual. [14] Seriously - it is supposed to be pretty intimidating. I didn't quite see it... [15] Kickoff! [16] One of the many scrums, which this one was pretty close to me. [17] Halftime entertainment: Hamster ball races! [18] Despite being rugby, I'm starting to feel at home at this game! [19] When the Wallabies score, there is fire! Fire! Fire! [20] Final score. [21] End of the game. [22] Teams congratulating one another on a great match! [23] I have no idea what these things are. They are in the front of the Stadium, and have names listed on them. I checked, and my name wasn't on there. Donors, maybe? [24] Final view of ANZ Stadium on the way to the train.
[1] ANZ Stadium, coming out of the train station. [2] Slightly closer look at the Stadium. [3] I think this picture gives a pretty good idea of where my seat was in relation to the field. [4] The roof is open. If you look real close, you can see that there are people sitting all the way up to the top. [5] Pre-game warm up for the Wallabies. [6] Pre-game warm up for the All Blacks. [7] Welcome to ANZ Stadium, folks... [8] Another shot of the entire field. [9] I just like this shot because you can see the sea of yellow and green supporters! [10] The teams are about to be introduced here. [11] The teams running out onto the field. [12] National anthems. Although I obviously did not know the words to either one... [13] The All Blacks have some sort of pre-game dance ritual. [14] Seriously - it is supposed to be pretty intimidating. I didn't quite see it... [15] Kickoff! [16] One of the many scrums, which this one was pretty close to me. [17] Halftime entertainment: Hamster ball races! [18] Despite being rugby, I'm starting to feel at home at this game! [19] When the Wallabies score, there is fire! Fire! Fire! [20] Final score. [21] End of the game. [22] Teams congratulating one another on a great match! [23] I have no idea what these things are. They are in the front of the Stadium, and have names listed on them. I checked, and my name wasn't on there. Donors, maybe? [24] Final view of ANZ Stadium on the way to the train.
19 July In Balmoral & Mosman Comments
Starting with the photo that has a Corolla in the foreground...
[1] As you walk through the neighborhood, you can get a nice glimpse of the beach in the distance. [2] You can see across the water, a little further up the beach. [3] Looking out towards the Middle and North Harbour. [4] I think this view is of Middle Head, part of the Sydney Harbour National Park. [5] Here's the sandy beach,and part of the beautiful natural areas. This area is Rocky Point. [6] This is a view to the south from Rocky Point. This photo is the wharf. [7] Back towards the northeast, I think this view might be the Grotto Point Lighthouse. Although I am not sure what good it is to have a little lighthouse on the side of the cliff. [8] Some of the houses along the side of the Harbour. [9] Rough life, huh? [10] Yet another view of where the Middle Harbour meets the North Harbour. [11] As I said - Rough life, isn't it? [12] A better view of the beach. [13] A view from the beach. [14] I'm still a little hung up on the boats... [15] It must be nice to live somewhere that you can go sailing in the middle of winter. [16] Yes, if you look in the corner, you can see that some people actually camp on the beach. [17] I just had to get a shot of the kids playing along the shore. They were pretty funny to watch. Especially since the guy in the background is swimming in a full wetsuit. [18] Just behind the beach is a little playground with kids running around and playing. [19] Again, I like boats... [20] Another view of Rocky Point. Wonder where it got the name...? [21] Here is a shot of the Mosman Uniting Church, where I visited on Sunday. [22] Just to show you the monopoly money I have to get used to. The dollars are a funky plastic material, and are pretty self-explanatory (there are no bills smaller than a $5). The coins, starting at the top right: $2 coin, $1 coin, $0.50, $0.20, $0.10, and $0.05. Very few people take the $0.05 coin, so prices are usually rounded.
[1] As you walk through the neighborhood, you can get a nice glimpse of the beach in the distance. [2] You can see across the water, a little further up the beach. [3] Looking out towards the Middle and North Harbour. [4] I think this view is of Middle Head, part of the Sydney Harbour National Park. [5] Here's the sandy beach,and part of the beautiful natural areas. This area is Rocky Point. [6] This is a view to the south from Rocky Point. This photo is the wharf. [7] Back towards the northeast, I think this view might be the Grotto Point Lighthouse. Although I am not sure what good it is to have a little lighthouse on the side of the cliff. [8] Some of the houses along the side of the Harbour. [9] Rough life, huh? [10] Yet another view of where the Middle Harbour meets the North Harbour. [11] As I said - Rough life, isn't it? [12] A better view of the beach. [13] A view from the beach. [14] I'm still a little hung up on the boats... [15] It must be nice to live somewhere that you can go sailing in the middle of winter. [16] Yes, if you look in the corner, you can see that some people actually camp on the beach. [17] I just had to get a shot of the kids playing along the shore. They were pretty funny to watch. Especially since the guy in the background is swimming in a full wetsuit. [18] Just behind the beach is a little playground with kids running around and playing. [19] Again, I like boats... [20] Another view of Rocky Point. Wonder where it got the name...? [21] Here is a shot of the Mosman Uniting Church, where I visited on Sunday. [22] Just to show you the monopoly money I have to get used to. The dollars are a funky plastic material, and are pretty self-explanatory (there are no bills smaller than a $5). The coins, starting at the top right: $2 coin, $1 coin, $0.50, $0.20, $0.10, and $0.05. Very few people take the $0.05 coin, so prices are usually rounded.
Birthday Dinner Comments
Okay, the photos for this slideshow start with a dark picture of a ship...
[1] Here's another photo of the ship where we had the little dinner party. I took this shot as I was walking to dinner. [2] Okay, at this table (right to left) are Paul (bowling teammate) and Sarah, who both work with me (they are a couple, as well) and are from the UK, and Lara (another co-worker) and her boyfriend, Tariq, who are here from Toronto. [3] Charlotte (who I work with) and her husband Dugald, both originally from Scotland. [4] On the left are Ollie (co-worker) and his girlfriend Loiuse, and Doug and his girlfriend Stacey. Doug starts in the office tomorrow All four are from the UK. [5] Nathan on the right - he's the one from Austin. On the left is one of Nathan's friends, here visiting from the US. I think his name was Jake. [6] Daniel (co-worker) and his wife (I think they're married). They are here from South Africa. [7] Martin (co-worker and bowling buddy) and his fiance, Halina, both from Ireland. [8] Here are just a few of us from dinner. Martin made me get in a photo to prove that I was actually here.
[1] Here's another photo of the ship where we had the little dinner party. I took this shot as I was walking to dinner. [2] Okay, at this table (right to left) are Paul (bowling teammate) and Sarah, who both work with me (they are a couple, as well) and are from the UK, and Lara (another co-worker) and her boyfriend, Tariq, who are here from Toronto. [3] Charlotte (who I work with) and her husband Dugald, both originally from Scotland. [4] On the left are Ollie (co-worker) and his girlfriend Loiuse, and Doug and his girlfriend Stacey. Doug starts in the office tomorrow All four are from the UK. [5] Nathan on the right - he's the one from Austin. On the left is one of Nathan's friends, here visiting from the US. I think his name was Jake. [6] Daniel (co-worker) and his wife (I think they're married). They are here from South Africa. [7] Martin (co-worker and bowling buddy) and his fiance, Halina, both from Ireland. [8] Here are just a few of us from dinner. Martin made me get in a photo to prove that I was actually here.
12 July In Sydney Comments
The descriptions below begin with the photo that says "Darling Harbour." Sorry, but this one is a long one!
[1] The trip in July 12 started off in Darling Harbour, which spans across one long bridge. [2] Obviously, there are tons of boats in the Harbour. This shot is the first part of the Harbour you see to the left as you walk in. [3] Panning around, you can see across the Harbour, with lots of shops and restaurants. [4] Looking back from the other end of the Bridge, this view is back towards the downtown area of the city. [5] On the opposite side of the bridge, there is a Maritime Museum, with a pretty cool ship permanently docked in the Harbour. [6] Another view from the other side of Darling Harbour, looking back towards the city. [7] Again, another view of the city from the Harbour. [8] A close-up of the famous Sydney Aquarium. They have duckbill platypuses there - How cool is that? [9] Here's a shot I took of the floating boat restaurant where the birthday dinner party will be held tomorrow. [10] This part of the city is the area over near Circular Quay. [11] I just thought the Australian flag on top of the building was pretty cool... [12] This building, which is right next to the Harbour, is where my office is in Sydney.. [13] A closer shot of the office building. [14] Here's a shot of the QVB (Queen Victoria Building), which is the mall I have to walk through to get from the train to the office. [15] As I told you, this mall is pretty huge! [16] This picture is of the Customs House over near Circular Quay. [17] A picture of the Sydney Harbour Bridge from Circular Quay. [18] Yep - There is an amusement park under the Bridge. [19] I zoomed in as best I could. If you look real close, you can see a couple of groups of people doing the Bridge climb. [20] A shot of the city surrounding Circular Quay at dusk. The photo was taken from near the Opera House. [21] Another photo of the city from the Opera House. [22] Across the Harbour... [23] The Sydney Opera House after the sun has set. [24] Another shot of the Bridge. [25] One last shot of the city. [26] Don - do you believe me now? I have an Australian beer in my hand - you can't buy this stuff in the US!
[1] The trip in July 12 started off in Darling Harbour, which spans across one long bridge. [2] Obviously, there are tons of boats in the Harbour. This shot is the first part of the Harbour you see to the left as you walk in. [3] Panning around, you can see across the Harbour, with lots of shops and restaurants. [4] Looking back from the other end of the Bridge, this view is back towards the downtown area of the city. [5] On the opposite side of the bridge, there is a Maritime Museum, with a pretty cool ship permanently docked in the Harbour. [6] Another view from the other side of Darling Harbour, looking back towards the city. [7] Again, another view of the city from the Harbour. [8] A close-up of the famous Sydney Aquarium. They have duckbill platypuses there - How cool is that? [9] Here's a shot I took of the floating boat restaurant where the birthday dinner party will be held tomorrow. [10] This part of the city is the area over near Circular Quay. [11] I just thought the Australian flag on top of the building was pretty cool... [12] This building, which is right next to the Harbour, is where my office is in Sydney.. [13] A closer shot of the office building. [14] Here's a shot of the QVB (Queen Victoria Building), which is the mall I have to walk through to get from the train to the office. [15] As I told you, this mall is pretty huge! [16] This picture is of the Customs House over near Circular Quay. [17] A picture of the Sydney Harbour Bridge from Circular Quay. [18] Yep - There is an amusement park under the Bridge. [19] I zoomed in as best I could. If you look real close, you can see a couple of groups of people doing the Bridge climb. [20] A shot of the city surrounding Circular Quay at dusk. The photo was taken from near the Opera House. [21] Another photo of the city from the Opera House. [22] Across the Harbour... [23] The Sydney Opera House after the sun has set. [24] Another shot of the Bridge. [25] One last shot of the city. [26] Don - do you believe me now? I have an Australian beer in my hand - you can't buy this stuff in the US!
The Neighborhood Comments
This slideshow descriptions below start with the photo that has the blue car in the left corner:
[1] The cool part of the neighborhood is that in certain parts, you can see across the Harbour all the way to the city. [2] It's a little hard to see, but here's a shot along one of the streets right behind my apartment. [3] Another shot of the neighborhood behind my place. Pretty nice area, right? [4] There's a park (sports field) about 2 blocks from my flat. Apparently they play soccet there on Saturdays. [5] This building is kind of cool. I think it is an old church that they converted to the community center. [6] Another shot of the local cummunity center, just around the corner from my place. [7] A view of Spit Junction. If you see the"Design Store," that shop marks the corner of the street where I live. The skybridge is where my next two photos were taken. [8] The true view of Spit Junction. And yes, you can see the people driving on the left-hand side of the road. [9] A shot going back down Military Road. If you look to the right, the Hotel Mosman is my neighborhood pub. I'm not sure what the duck is for... [10] Here's a view from my apartment window. Not too bad, right? [11] Yet another view from my apartment window. [12] A close-up view. Yep, I can see the local pub from my apartment window. [13] If you open up the apartment window, lean out slightly, and look to the left, you can see a decent view of the city.
[1] The cool part of the neighborhood is that in certain parts, you can see across the Harbour all the way to the city. [2] It's a little hard to see, but here's a shot along one of the streets right behind my apartment. [3] Another shot of the neighborhood behind my place. Pretty nice area, right? [4] There's a park (sports field) about 2 blocks from my flat. Apparently they play soccet there on Saturdays. [5] This building is kind of cool. I think it is an old church that they converted to the community center. [6] Another shot of the local cummunity center, just around the corner from my place. [7] A view of Spit Junction. If you see the"Design Store," that shop marks the corner of the street where I live. The skybridge is where my next two photos were taken. [8] The true view of Spit Junction. And yes, you can see the people driving on the left-hand side of the road. [9] A shot going back down Military Road. If you look to the right, the Hotel Mosman is my neighborhood pub. I'm not sure what the duck is for... [10] Here's a view from my apartment window. Not too bad, right? [11] Yet another view from my apartment window. [12] A close-up view. Yep, I can see the local pub from my apartment window. [13] If you open up the apartment window, lean out slightly, and look to the left, you can see a decent view of the city.
Morning Commute Comments
Scrolling through the photos, the below descriptions start with the darker photo of houses on the side of a hill:
[1] This picture is of the flats next to the wharf where I catch the ferry every morning. Pretty nice digs, right? [2] Once the ferry turns around and starts towards Sydney, these little "toys" are the first thing I see. [3] More sailboats on the start of the commute. [4] Here's a view of one of the ferry ports on the way from Mosman Bay to Circulay Quay. [5] Once the ferry gets into the open water, you can see across the Harbour, and see all of the fancy houses across the water. [6] This photo is part of Sydney. As you scroll through these next 4 photos, it goes from left to right across the horizon. [7] Part of the horizon view, this photo is downtown Sydney. [8] More of downtown Sydney, and you can see the Opera House as I get closer to Circular Quay. [9] We are getting close to the Harbour, and you can see both the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. [10] A closer shot of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. [11] This photo is the part of Sydney across the Bridge from downtown. If you are scrolling through these photos in order, these homes are to the right of the Bridge in the previous picture. [12] Turning back towards downtown after our final stop before Circular Quay. [13] Passing in the Harbour, here's a photo of what the ferry looks like that I ride on to work each morning and on the way home each night. [14] Getting closer to the Bridge... [15] A closer view of the famous Syydney Opera House. [16] As you get closer, you will see that the Opera House is actually not white, but kind of tan. I hear that the reason is because pure white would be too blinding during the day. [17] Man, that Bridge is pretty far up there! [18] Coming in to dock at Circular Quay. [19] A closer shot of Circular Quay. If you see the building in the center of the photo (it says "Circular Quay" on it), this building is actually the railway, and is where I catch the train after getting of the ferry.
[1] This picture is of the flats next to the wharf where I catch the ferry every morning. Pretty nice digs, right? [2] Once the ferry turns around and starts towards Sydney, these little "toys" are the first thing I see. [3] More sailboats on the start of the commute. [4] Here's a view of one of the ferry ports on the way from Mosman Bay to Circulay Quay. [5] Once the ferry gets into the open water, you can see across the Harbour, and see all of the fancy houses across the water. [6] This photo is part of Sydney. As you scroll through these next 4 photos, it goes from left to right across the horizon. [7] Part of the horizon view, this photo is downtown Sydney. [8] More of downtown Sydney, and you can see the Opera House as I get closer to Circular Quay. [9] We are getting close to the Harbour, and you can see both the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. [10] A closer shot of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. [11] This photo is the part of Sydney across the Bridge from downtown. If you are scrolling through these photos in order, these homes are to the right of the Bridge in the previous picture. [12] Turning back towards downtown after our final stop before Circular Quay. [13] Passing in the Harbour, here's a photo of what the ferry looks like that I ride on to work each morning and on the way home each night. [14] Getting closer to the Bridge... [15] A closer view of the famous Syydney Opera House. [16] As you get closer, you will see that the Opera House is actually not white, but kind of tan. I hear that the reason is because pure white would be too blinding during the day. [17] Man, that Bridge is pretty far up there! [18] Coming in to dock at Circular Quay. [19] A closer shot of Circular Quay. If you see the building in the center of the photo (it says "Circular Quay" on it), this building is actually the railway, and is where I catch the train after getting of the ferry.
The Apartment Comments
Scrolling through the photos, the below descriptions start with the photo coming in through the front door, where you will be able to see all three rooms of the apartment:
[1] As you walk in the door, you can pretty much see all the apartment has to offer. Living room and dining room straight ahead, kitchen on the right, bathrool to the immediate left, little office area to the left, then the bedroom is in the back left corner behind the couch. And yes, the bedroom is about the same width as the couch! [2] If you want to come over, we can have dinner and sit at the fancy dining room table! [3] Here's the kitchen in all its glory. (Photo taken from the bathroom door). [4] Yep - you now see all of the storage space in my kitchen. And yes, that square thing is my "oven," although it is more of a microwave. [5] The bedroom, with just enough space for my bed and two little nightstands (at least there are a couple of drawers in them). [6] The closet, although you really don't have a good picture of its size from this photo. Sorry! [7] Between the bed and bathroom is tucked this little study/office area. Right now, it serves as luggage storage, as there is nowhere else to put it! [8] Here's the bathroom. Killer shower! [9] Okay, bathroom slash laundry room. This photo was taken from inside the shower, if that explanation helps to give some direction. [10] Okay, so everyone wants to see the drain go backwards, I know. But they are more into power here. Most toilets have these two buttons. I will let you think about it - a smaller button, a bigger button. In some places, these might be marked with "1" and "2" dots, respectively. [11] The flatscreen HD TV is pretty nice, but I really just wanted to show everyone that I can still watch WWE wrestling over here. Woo hoo!
[1] As you walk in the door, you can pretty much see all the apartment has to offer. Living room and dining room straight ahead, kitchen on the right, bathrool to the immediate left, little office area to the left, then the bedroom is in the back left corner behind the couch. And yes, the bedroom is about the same width as the couch! [2] If you want to come over, we can have dinner and sit at the fancy dining room table! [3] Here's the kitchen in all its glory. (Photo taken from the bathroom door). [4] Yep - you now see all of the storage space in my kitchen. And yes, that square thing is my "oven," although it is more of a microwave. [5] The bedroom, with just enough space for my bed and two little nightstands (at least there are a couple of drawers in them). [6] The closet, although you really don't have a good picture of its size from this photo. Sorry! [7] Between the bed and bathroom is tucked this little study/office area. Right now, it serves as luggage storage, as there is nowhere else to put it! [8] Here's the bathroom. Killer shower! [9] Okay, bathroom slash laundry room. This photo was taken from inside the shower, if that explanation helps to give some direction. [10] Okay, so everyone wants to see the drain go backwards, I know. But they are more into power here. Most toilets have these two buttons. I will let you think about it - a smaller button, a bigger button. In some places, these might be marked with "1" and "2" dots, respectively. [11] The flatscreen HD TV is pretty nice, but I really just wanted to show everyone that I can still watch WWE wrestling over here. Woo hoo!
Friends & Family Comments
The above photos are a random collection of pictures of friends and family that have been passed along to me from various folks. You'll see several folks throughout this slideshow. If you have a picture you want me to add, just sent it along to me!
Pictures From Home Comments
The above slideshow is random pictures, mostly for my personal benefit. I want to see things from back home that I am missing while I am here in Sydney! Keep in mind - these photos will be updated for any pictures that you guys send to me during my stay overseas. So if you want to be features on my blog site, send me some pics!
Pre-Trip Photo Comments
This slideshow is just a little "Before" series of the good things back home. We'll see how these slideshows progress throughout the journey...
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1 comment:
I know you were in heaven - rugby, entertaining people to talk with, and lots of toboggans! What more could you want?
Just think how many conversations you'll start when you wear your Wake Forest football jersey for game day in a few weeks!
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