Merry Christmas from Down Under!

Balmoral Beach on Christmas Day

Best Christmas Gift: Russell coming from China

Tim, Jane, Me, Russ and Alex 

Quick Update

Hi everyone!

Sorry I have not posted in a few weeks. The past few weeks before the holidays have been so hectic between finishing up projects for clients at work, going to Christmas parties annnnnnd finding an apartment!  The vacancy rate in Sydney is one percent at the moment and my friends and I were looking in one of the trendiest neighborhoods in the city, Surry Hills.  It took us one and half months, but we found a great place right on the border of Darlinghurst and Surry Hills.  The apartment is centrally located and is near great bars and cafes, boutiques, parks, museums and art galleries.  I am so excited to live there! It will be my first adult apartment. I sign the lease Monday and pick up the key. I promise to post pictures as soon as we get it furnished and looking great.

I hope that you all are having a wonderful holiday season. Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah and Happy New Years! Expect a few new posts early this week and definitely more next year.

Kauri

Sculpture by the Sea

Bondi Beach

A few weeks ago I walked the Tamarama to Bondi walk with some friends and looked at the statues in the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition. The statues were made from every imaginable material.  One of my favorites was a giant sea creature made out of bottle caps. We had a great time taking pictures with many of the sculptures...

Slangictionary (Eighth Installment)

Busy as a one-legged man in an ass-kicking race: (phrase) very busy

Busy as a one-armed wallpaper hanger: (phrase) very busy

As ugly as a hat full of monkeys bums: (phrase) very ugly

Poms: (n.) British people

Avo: (n.) afternoon

Night at the Ballet

On Tuesday night I went to see The Australian Ballet at the Sydney Opera House with a few of my girlfriends.  It was a gorgeous summer night so we all met up at Opera Bar, which is situated next to the Opera House, and got a bottle of wine and a tasting plate.  It was my first time going to a performance in the Opera House and I absolutely loved it. I hope to make somewhat of a habit of it as long as my finances allow it. The inside of the Opera House is beautifully modern and the acoustics and unbelievable.  We were sitting toward the top of the theatre, but I could still hear the touch of the female dancers' point shoes on the stage.

Thanksgiving in the Summer

I am also thankful for cornbread. Next
year I want to try to make this  pumpkin cornbread. 

On Saturday Jane and I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for a large group of friends.  They were all excited to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving with two Americans. Australians have no comparable holiday outside of Christmas that is all about spending time with family and I think that many of them wish that they did.  Before we ate dinner we all went around and said something we were thankful for. Most of them did not know that that is one of the common traditions and I think they quite liked it.  I said I was thankful to be in Australia with all of them and for my wonderful friends and family back in the states.

Our 5 kilo (11 pound turkey)

Happy Turkey Day!

I hope that you are all having a wonderful day and watching lots of football and eating tons of good ol' American cuisine. I am celebrating Thanksgiving this Saturday and will be sure to post some pictures of my first solo attempts at Thanksgiving cooking.

Also, this made me smile...a pancake shaped like a turkey. This dad makes incredible pancakes for his daughter. It is worth checking out his pancake masterpieces. They are unbelievable!