some weeks later

July 12th

Sorry, it's been a little while since I updated this and I'm pretty sure I'll miss out some fascinating story from the past couple of weeks.

My leaving date is fast approaching and i don't feel I've done anything. I've not taken a ferry yet, or gone whale watching or been to Manly or, or, or...... However I did got to a drag show last weekend. New friend Nigel is leaving to work in Paris and Saturday was his leaving do which he very kindly invited me along to. Drinks and dinner were followed by going to the Imperial Club where they have the most famous/infamous/notorious? drag shows. Hmm, not quite the Lady Boys of Bangkok but entertaining enough. There were a total of 2 straight boys in our party and it was of course expected that I pull one of them. However several shots of tequila and something called cowboys saddles later and I was still resisting. Much to their disappointment obviously!!

Felt rough as the next day so the only option was to drink through it. I countered a camp and civilised evening with a testosterone filled drunken Sunday afternoon with flatmate Ben and his mates in the local pub. Much beer and filth later and we retired to the apartment where we spilled red wine and threw our memories away! My resistance, however, wasn't as strong as the previous night and ended up with a drunken fumble with a guy called Crazy! He reminded me of Richard Hammond including in the height respect. Oh just remembered that his name was Richard - maybe it was the man himself - oh yay!

So the Soccerroos are out of the World Cup :( At least that means I don't feel obliged to get up at silly hours of the morning to watch the matches. I got up for the Brazil game (2am) and the Croatia game (4am) but I couldn't manage the Italy game (1am) on Monday night after the previous 2 nights. I might try and catch some (I'm optimistic there!!) england games and the Tri Nations starts next week so I won't be short for spectator sport.

Sad woman that I am, I ended up in the pub on my own 2 Saturday nights ago. It was the 2nd S Africa vs Scotland (rugby) test. The local pub calls itself a rugby pub so I went there at 11am to watch it. It was showing on the 2 big screens and the football was being shown on the 2 small screens on the other side of the pub. I was the only one watching the rugby - so not only was I on my own but it was also very obvious that I was on my own. Ach who cares.

i had been out earlier for someone else's leaving do. we went to the minus 5 bar in Circular Quay. It's a bar made of ice - even the glasses are made of ice (imported from New Zealand!). You only get to stay for half an hour as it is about -16C. You have to wear a massive thermal jacket and 2 pairs of gloves and can only handle the glasses with both hands. There were fantastic ice carvings too but to be honest after about 15 minutes you'd seen all you needed to see and the novelty had worn off. Then it was off to a Chinatown for dinner to a restaurant that had all the live fish and seafood in tanks beside the tables. It was like something out of a B movie. these things were huge, especially the abalone - they are molluscs sucking on to the side of the glass and were bigger than my hand. Apparently they taste gorgeous and are quite expensive but I could do without seeing them alive. Kind of reminded me of genitalia - and not in a good way!

My free days have been spent nursing hangovers or exploring. Before the Ice Bar i'd been walking between Bondi and Coogee with Joanne. There's a great coastal walk between the 2 suburbs where you go from cliffs to beaches to cliffs again. I experienced my first $5 dollar steak. Stephen has been going on about these deals for weeks. You seriously get a steak for $5 (that's 2 quid) and it's not on the small side by any means. Crazy. Also encountered some crazy jellyfish scattered all over Bondi beach - which reminded me of the other genitalia. Must have sex on the brain.

Last Saturday I borrowed Ben's bike and went cycling around Iron Cove Bay, 5 Dock bay and Abbotsford Bay. It was soooooo good to be out on a bike again. It's totally the way to explore anywhere. I was warned that Sydneysider drivers hate cyclists and won't pay much attention to your safety but I managed to stay alive. Some cycle paths are being developed but I was constantly having to swap between them and the road. All the hills definitely hurt but they don't last too long. I got completely lost in the grounds of Rozelle psychiatric hopital but the residents were very friendly!