Attention Blog Readers!

PSA: I want to inform anyone and everyone (who actually reads this hot-mess of a blog) that I will be going on a short blogging hiatus due to my loving sister traveling approximately 10,000 miles - across the country and the vast Pacific Ocean - to visit her favorite, coolest, wittiest, etc... sister for Christmas and the New Year [maybe I should mention "vain" in there too...?]. 

We will be partaking in awesome activities during her stay, such as skydiving, learning to surf, expanding our cultural horizons by attending a Christmas orchestra at the Opera House (shout out: thanks Dad!), as well as some old fashioned sisterly bonding time. Words do not express how excited I am to see my freckled-faced BIG sister - but if there were words, I bet they would be along the lines of: OHEMGEE I'M SO PUMPED TO SEE MY BESTEST SISTER FRIEND I MAY EXPLODE WITH EXCITEMENT. 

See y'all in two weeks or so. Also, Merry Christmas ya filthy animals. 

SHE'S HERE!!!

What is Tropfest?

Summer is the best time of the year, and more accurately – summer in Sydney is the best place to be at the best time of the year. Sydney hosts many events and parties (some free, some super expensive) this time of the year, and it is very convenient that it falls within the holiday months. So, not only are you celebrating because summer is arriving in full force, but also everyone is merry and bright because it is Christmastime.

One of the kickoff events of the summer is TropFest – which is held on the second Sunday of December and is an Australian film festival that is held in one of the large public parks; and it is free for anyone to attend. The festival starts early afternoon with local and semi-famous Australian bands hitting the stage while fans and passerbys picnic in the park, whilst sipping on cider and soaking in the Australian sunrays. The film contest starts around 8pm, premiering the top 16 films that made it to the final judging.  In the past few years, TropFest was held at the Domain, a large grassy park near the Sydney CBD, but this year it was at Centennial Park, which is only a short walk from Bondi [obviously the TropFest gods sensed my arrival to Australia and decided to place the event to my nearest convenience].

Anywho, the top 16 films aired before thousands of people who gathered on this beautiful Sunday.  Some films were funny, some were serious, and others flat out did not make sense.  Every year there is a broad theme that the contestants need to incorporate in their film - this year’s theme: change. There were many pro-gay/lesbian films, as you can imagine, and others that simply threw a few coins in a shot sequence, defining the theme of “change” very literally. 

If you are interested, check out the winners and other finalists here. You must watch the winning film, entitled “Bamboozled”, as it was not only the first place winner, but an obvious crowd favorite [spoiler alert: it’s quite hilarious]. Although Bamboozled was not my personal favorite, it definitely deserved recognition of being a super creative and unexpected story.  Okay, okay, I know y’all are wondering my fave film (because this is my blog AND my opinion should always be factored in) – check it out here. Why, I choose this film, you may ask? Well, I didn't necessarily like the storyline per se, but I think the filmmaker narrated his story very creatively and unlike any of the other films. But, none of the judges asked my opinion for some reason... 

While you all are hibernating in the dead cold of winter, be sure to stay tuned for more summer activities that happen in the next months – sorry I’m not sorry.

A Place Fit for a King...

Epitome of Kings Cross

A few blog posts back, I wrote about the clubbing and bar area of Sydney’s Kings Cross.  The best words to describe Kings Cross are: ‘a beautiful disaster’. From rumors of organized crime and prostitution, to drag queens on every corner, to some of the best nightclubs in Sydney, Kings Cross is definitely one of a kind.  When I lived in Elizabeth Bay, I was only blocks away from the Cross, and needless to say, I saw some of the most interesting sights that I have ever seen.  As someone who holds her notepad in her phone as one of the most treasured applications of the iPhone, I would jot down scenes I would witness in Kings Cross at all hours.  So without further ado, here are the top KX sights I’ve seen during my stay in Sydney:

• A drag queen ordering a cappuccino.  This was witnessed on my way to work, which is around 8:30am.  Hey, no matter your profession, the mornings are always a bit easier to accept when accompanied with a cup of joe. 
• A koala-suited pervert.  While walking to the bars one night in the Cross, we passed by a human-sized koala swinging his hips… and umm… his koala privates.
• A different bachelorette party on every block.  Nautical themed, 80s themed, Great Gatsby themed, hot mess themed. Girls in electric pink boas, crowns and veils. Every corner, every weekend.
• An aborigine playing the didgeridoo for tips.  This is not a very uncommon sight for Australia, but in the Cross, it has been the only time I have seen an indigenous man didgeridooing alongside the beats of Snoop Dogg’s “Drop it Like It’s Hot”.
• The drunkest argument I have ever seen... at 8am.  Two very intoxicated squatters [I assume they were homeless by their lack of clean clothes, and their interest of aggressively drinking until sunrise – soz I'm generalizing] were in an altercation on my way to work one morning.  I walked passed as the Kings Cross cops were just arriving, but I did hear one of the drunkards scream, “DON’T TOUCH MY HAIR!” before kicking the other drunkard making him fall to the ground. It was way too much drama for my morning, to say the least.
• The musical stylings of the Funky Rabbit.  This sight was very similar to the human-sized inappropriate koala, except it was dressed as a rabbit and had its privates censored. The Funky Rabbit [fake] played the bass guitar and danced for tips on the corner - I wonder what his day job is...? [Naughty Koala perhaps?]

Now, if that doesn’t make you want to come visit the hideously awesome sights of Sydney’s Kings Cross, then I don’t know what will.

Inside the Birdcage

So a few weeks ago, I moved into my cozy new place above the flower shop in Bondi; I blogged about it and provided a picture of the outside for all to imagine the greatness of the flat. Since then, I have gotten a few requests for pictures of the inside of our flat, and I can now finally provide these! It's a lovely flat, but it lacks much needed storage space, so it took some time and innovation to finally clear the living room with clothes and shoes - hey, three girls live here, can you expect anything less?

Disclaimer(s): I only took photos of my room, so just imagine two other rooms that are slightly smaller and seemingly messier - no offense Bridget.  I also did not provide pictures of the bathroom, but yes we do have one, and yes the toilet water spins in the opposite direction.  Lastly, the house is this clean only because it was Thanksgiving and I did not have a part time job at the time - A.K.A. I was a housewife and trying out my domestic abilities. It was painful. 

Introducing, Insiders Look at The Birdcage...

Stairs up to the flat, accompanied with exposed brick and cactus

Walk into Living Area - Jade's surf board, not mine

Mantle, no fire

View #1 of Living Room

View #2 of Living Room / Kitchen

Kitchen / Dining Area (typically only one table)

Where the magic happens

Desk with memory board :)

Wardrobe

Australia meets Thanksgiving

As everyone knows, Thanksgiving is a wonderful American tradition in which we celebrated the foreign settlers and the Native American people coming together to share a feast around a big wooden table centuries ago. [We tend to leave out the part about how we repay the natives by slaughtering them in thousands and forcing the ones who complied to move to deserted real estate out west… too soon?] Anyways, the present day Thanksgiving tradition is primarily about indulging yourself with scrumptious home-cooked food while celebrating the things and people that you are thankful for.  As this is the first time I have been away from my family during the Thanksgiving holiday, it only seemed fitting to celebrate my favorite holiday with the friends I have made here in Australia.

I sent out recipes to friends with some of the traditional foods that my family sets out on our Thanksgiving table as inspiration for them to either make something, or bring a dish to share on the 28^th day of November.  On Thanksgiving, the table was surrounded by three Americans (including myself), and six Aussies excited about losing their Thanksgiving virginity. Homemade stuffing, coleslaw, salad, yams, bread rolls and a 4.5 kilo turkey accompanied with cranberry sauce (which took 3 grocery stores to find) all sat on our dining room table.  I will commend one Aussie in particular for taking on the challenge of making yams – a dish that requires a sharp eye to tell when to take out the dish prior to letting the marshmallows burn. 

Speaking of yams, they were a peculiar dish that the Aussies have never heard of before, questioning why Americans would need to add more sugar and butter to the already savory sweet potato, and then topping them with EVEN MORE sugar in the form of marshmallows.  Once they tried the yams, they understood its desire. 

Before we spoiled ourselves with the massive amounts of food on the table, I led the group as we all shared what we were thankful for – the cheesiest tradition of Thanksgiving, in which obviously had to be shared as well.  From friends and family, to Wu Tang Clan and Tyler the Creator, we all shared what was meaningful in our lives.  All in all, it was a beautiful meal and an even more beautiful memory as I got to share an American tradition with a bunch of Aussies.  I guess I will have to see if they can keep the tradition going after I leave [but let’s be honest, I was kind of the main dish on the table – sorry to overthrow you, turkey]. 

The struggle is real

Disclaimer: This may come as a scare for some, but the image you are about to see is real. Hipsters, beware.

Yes, your eyes through your non-prescription thick rimmed glasses are reading this clearly - $60 bucks for a case of PBR is a real deal in Australia. When you are used to using sofa change to come up with enough money for a PBR back home, this comes as a cruel, cruel reality check. I repeat - $60 BUCKS FOR A CASE OF PBR!! And the sad thing is, that is considered on the cheaper scale of beer prices. I know, I know, I can sense your sympathy from Australia...

...and yes, I ended up buying a 6 pack for $18. 

Life Learnings: Part 2

As the days turn into weeks, and the weeks into months, you would figure I have gotten this whole ‘living in Australia’ thing mastered.  If you have kept track of how long I have been here, you may have realized that Australia and I have our three-month anniversary coming up in about a week.   Time surely has flown by since I have gotten here…

Anyways, as I was saying, you would think that I would have everything figured out now that I am settled and living my new Aussie lifestyle, but there are some things that I still run into that are worth noting – mainly observations about food.  Every now and then, I miss American food (A.K.A Chipotle’s glorious burritos), but it has also been fun to learn about a proper Aussie diet – and to NOT rely on just pasta, tuna and eggs for survival. Thus, this brings me to my second piece of Aussie Life Learnings – Food Edition.

A rare find at Coles... in the U.K. section

• 'Silverware' is lingo from the mid-18^th century.  When asking for silverware at a restaurant in the city, the waitress looked at me like I was talking in a different language (which, actually, is very common for Sydney). When I corrected myself using ‘fork’ and ‘knife’ – while also charade-ing the motion of cutting steak – she laughed and brought me 'cutlery'.
• 'Serviettes' is lingo of the modern era.  Instead of 'napkin', which I find to be a very universal and common term, the Aussies use 'serviettes'.  Why they make fun of me for saying 'silverware' is beyond me... 
• Dr. Pepper fans are limited.  There are basically only four soda choices in Australia: Coke, Diet Coke, Fanta (A.K.A. Orange Soda) and Lemonade (A.K.A. Sprite – don’t ask, because I don’t know why either…). No Dr. Pepper. You see, I’m not a huge soda drinker, but sometimes I have a serious craving, and that craving is for Dr. Pepper (or Root Beer, but if Dr. P is not an option, fat chance you will find an A&W in Oz…).  Most all Aussies have heard of, and tasted, Dr. Pepper before, but their usual response when I speak of this wonderfully crafted beverage is “ick”, “ugh”, or “blegth” while also contorting their face as if you asked them if they wanted a taste of a sewage flavored cupcake.
• The importance of the avocado.  It should be a known fact that almost every meal is incomplete without the option of adding avocado for good measure.  We have a ‘rotating avocado’ system in my flat – that is, there is an avocado in the fridge at all times. 
• Mangos are a luxuriously delicious fruit.  When it’s $4 per fruit, you know it has to be damn good.
• Milk and cookies at bedtime is an ‘American thing’. I am my father’s daughter, that’s for sure.  Some nights before heading off to bed, I wouldn’t mind having a cold glass of milk accompanied with a sweet treat.  When I sat down at the table before going to bed one night, my flatmate commented on my oh-so-American bedtime tradition – a tradition that should be universal, if you ask me.
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Home is Where The FroYo is

Ever since I have started calling Sydney "home", there always seemed to be something missing.  When I lived in Charlotte, and also when I lived in Columbia, I always had a favorite FroYo (a.k.a. frozen yogurt, for those of you who don't speak abbrevs) that I could go to when the craving hit. Charlotte had a plethora of froyo shops that I could choose from depending on my whereabouts in the city, while in Columbia, I was always a loyal customer to Orange Leaf.

Yes, there is an abundance of froyo shops in Sydney, but most places I have been to have been only subpar.  At some places the consistency was off, while at others the froyo tasted too yogurt-y... And the worst of the worst shops just did not have the ideal mix of toppings - i.e. NO GUMMIE WORMS.

So, no froyo place had tickled my fancy, until I saw the Holy Grail - ORANGE LEAF IN BONDI. How did they know to put my favorite froyo place conveniently located only blocks away from my newly adopted residence? The froyo gods answered my prayers! [While also cursing my pocket and beach bod because now I will be a constant customer on the hot summer days...]

Speaking of the Opera House...

As a masterpiece of late modern architecture, the Sydney Opera House serves as a landmark to Sydney, as well as Australia as a whole. When you converse with anyone around the world about Australia, they are going to associate this kangaroo and koala infested country with the Opera House.  It is such an interesting building with an even more interesting history – but I won’t bore you with a history lesson so I’ll let you pay the $35 for the tour once you decide to hop over the Pacific and visit…

Instead, I want to talk about how nice the infrastructure is. I mean, we are talking about a building with the sole purpose to host fancy shmancy performances. From plays and musicals, to the symphony and hosting the most famous opera singers in the world, the Opera House has got swag. But, honestly, how does one classify this swanky building as being so superior from just another performing arts building? The answer: bathrooms.  Yes, you read it correctly – as a form of critiquing and comparing a fancy venue from an ordinary venue, I assess its fanciness by my personal standards, unofficially named the “Rank of the Restroom”.

Some typical observations to take notice are:

• Lighting – am I standing in front of a mirror produced by florescent lights that make me look like the girl from The Ring? Or, instead, is there a nice soft light that magically lifts the cheekbones and erases blemishes – which in turn boosts my confidence and perhaps produces the notion of wanting to take a mirror selfie…
• Mirrors – basically, is there a full-length mirror? If not, you might as well be in a McDonald’s bathroom.
• Technology – are the toilets automatic? How about the sinks? Soap dispensers? Hand dryers?
• Towels – first of all, there must be paper towels. I don’t mind hand dryers, but they cannot be my only option. Secondly, what quality of paper towel are we working with? The paper towels that feel like an actual towel are specifically made for the most prestigious bathrooms, and are only offered in Top Tier restrooms.
• Lounges – is there a sofa, or a nice lounge area in the restroom? How comfortable is said chaise lounge? I don’t really understand the point of a sitting area in a room specifically used to relieve oneself, but only the best-ranked restrooms offer this accommodation.
• Wild card – is there something about the restroom that makes it stand apart from anything you have ever been in before? Perhaps, the floor tiles, or countertops? Maybe you take special notice in the modernized faucets and sinks?

The restroom is such an interesting place to me.  Every venue has one (in accordance to the law), and yet every one is different.  Same purpose, yet a new atmosphere each time.

So I bet you are wondering now, what ranking did the Sydney Opera House get on Cary’s Rank of the Restroom scale??  Well on a standard 1-10 scale, I would give it an 8/10.  I had higher hopes for the hand towels, and honestly, the lack of comfort in the chaise lounge disappointed me slightly. But I can’t complain about the extra large full-length mirror and the amazing lighting making me look and feel like Australia's Next Top Model.

Until the next fancy shmany venue I go to in Australia, I will use the Opera House restroom as a benchmark for my Rank of the Restroom – Australia Edition. 

But Really, Wherefore Art Thou Romeo?

Everyone knows the story. Everyone has seen the play (or movie) at least once. Everyone pretended they understood Shakespeare’s language and logic when first reading it in middle school. Everyone longs for their Leonardo DiCaprio – um I mean, Romeo.  But not everyone can say they have seen the play at the Sydney Opera House…

  

I have wanted to go see a performance at the Opera House since the last time I was in Australia. It is one of those typical-touristy things you must do while in Australia, so it was exciting to get to cross it off my Tourist Bucket List. It was even more exciting that Romeo and Juliet was touring at the Opera House while me and some Americans could all experience the Sydney-cliché together! I mean, what girl doesn’t love Romeo and Juliet?  [If not specifically the play, the idea of forbidden love, etc etc – maybe not the committing suicide part – BUT STILL, IT IS A ROMANTIC STORY!]

Anyways, the play was great. It was more of a modern/rebellious teenage rendition of the play so it definitely appealed to my likings. I find Shakespeare somewhat difficult to follow, but the music and the modern twist of the typically posh scenes worked well for me.  For example, the play opened with a big party scene (where Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time) as the stage rotated around blaring Alt-J’s  “Fitzpleasure”.  But just like every Romeo and Juliet (no matter how modernized) adaptation, the second act was darker and more depressing than the first act.  Something you just can’t change about Shakespeare – poor sap.

The one thing that I will criticize about the play is that the casting of Romeo was only subpar. Okay okay, he was an amazing actor – anyone who can memorize and recite a leading role of a Shakespeare play I will consider a great actor. Butttt he certainly wouldn’t be my Romeo if I was Juliet, if ya know what I’m sayin'?  He was short – almost shorter than Juliet – and he did not seem to be in the best shape (tight clothes do not lie). Father Laurence was more attractive than Romeo! Not okay.

Other than the lacking luster of Romeo, it was an amazing evening at the Opera House.  We all looked fabulous and we all enjoyed a glass of sparkling before entering the show... basically we are now considered official Sydney socialites.

Ballin' in Bondi

Before I blog any further, I want to make a formal apology for the absence of any new blog posts this past week. I know, I know – I promised at least two posts a week, but sometimes I fall lazy, or the creative juices aren’t flowing as well, or maybe my personal life decided to become a priority…. Psshh. Mainly the reason I haven’t been blogging is because the internet at my current living accommodation has been suuuuper slow.  So slow it’s painful.  Dontcha hate it when technology fails you?

Anyways, I shouldn’t be worrying about slow internet for too much longer because I am moving out of my current housing and into an amazing flat in Bondi Beach.  Cue the jealousy… now:

• I am a 15-minute stroll to Bondi Beach. As in, it only takes 15 minutes from when I leave the front stoop of my flat until my toes are engulfed with the soft Bondi sand. 
• My flat is on top of a cute flower shop.  It’s just like how you picture it in the movies: I’m sitting in the window at dawn sipping a cup of tea while the morning breeze lifts the scent of roses and jasmine into the air of my flat. 
• A fresh market is only a block away. Fresh mangos, passion fruit, kiwis, apples, star fruit, pineapple, tomatoes, AVOCADOS  etc… all at the convenience of a short skip from my flat.
• Surfer boys. Bondi is known to be, not only a tourist location for everyone and anyone, but also it’s  a very popular beach for beautiful surfers. So. many. surfers. [And yes, I am in the market for someone to teach me to surf. Only qualification – must be cute, and Australian.]
• My flat is purple – yes, PURPLE!
• I get to witness Bondi shenanigans from only my window. The apartment is on the main stretch to Bondi, therefore, we tend to have a good stage for people watching – which is an extracurricular of mine. 

I have officially moved all of my clothes into the Bondi flat, I just need to tie up loose ends at my other location before I move for good. The big transition is occurring this week – slowly but surely.  Everyone knows that I am a special kind of packer (aka I need all the help I can get), so it has been difficult trying to plan when I should lug 75 kilos of clothes and etc across town.  YES, I KNOW – I OVERPACK! OKAY GOSH! But like I said, I only have little stuff keeping me in Elizabeth Bay, and will be an official resident of Bondi Beach by this weekend.