Week 18

Well you all know how the beginning of the week went, so here’s the rest. Tuesday was spent at Darling Harbour, admiring the Maritime museum and much modernised harbour, before heading over to Chinatown for a look around. Chinatown’s only little, but filled with restaurants and all sorts of interesting shops. If I had the money, and was not 14kgs heavier (d0esn’t sound like a lot, but I can certainly feel it and it pushed me up a few dress sizes) I would be coming home with so many beautiful Vietnamese, Indian and Chinese garments. Oh my, they are beautiful. Anyhow, whilst in Chinatown we visited the Chinese Friendship Gardens. The Gardens were a paradise with a beautiful, peaceful set up and a tea house that sold the most delicious pork buns.

On Wednsday mum and I jumped on the train for a two hour ride to the Blue Mountains. Unfortunately, due to thick mist and bad weather, the Three Sisters and the majority of the mountains were invisible behind a white screen. This was a little disappointing, but we did get to explore a wonderful old town and enjoy a delicious snack in the local tea house. I must say that I did enjoy that encounter immensly, not only for the wonderfully interesting musuem and shop attached, but als0 for the quite attractive young waiter in top hat and tails.

Thursday was spent at the popular surfing point, Manly. To get there however, we had to board the ferry and pass through the ‘heads’, the point where the sea meets with the river. Here the water is very rough and the boat bucked, drenching the front and all it’s passengers. This day I also re-injured my knee. Yes that pesky little injury seems to be an ongoing thing, so I am once again limping. I have a doctors appointment on Wednsday once I return home. On Thursday night we also took a Ghost Tour of the Rocks, where we had spent the afternoon exploring. The Ghost Tour was very interesting and the host was a cheerful, funny old man who resembled an Undertaker, even carrying that old black doctor’s bag. He told us many stories about deaths and murders in the area, not to mention some strange tales. One of these tales was about a Greek sea captain who lured a young woman to his room. The next morning, after the girl had returned home, the married man and felt so guilty he stabbed himself. After being taken to hospital, the landlady’s daughter went into the room to tidy it. (The tour had us act out some of the scenes, naming us as certain characters. One woman was the landlady’s daughter and mimed cleaning the room.) As the woman cleared away the sheets something dropped from them. (Here the tour guide a dildo onto the street and gasped aloud.) The sea captain had chopped of his own penis. There were many more stories, but that had to be the most memorable, after all, who can forget a glowing penis on the footpath.

Friday was a day where both mum and I were exhausted, we spent most of the day lolling around the hotel room, after spending the morning at Luna Park that is. Luna Park is much smaller than I’d come to believe, consisting of only a single stretch with only one of the original rides still in existence, a one hundred year old Carousel built in England. Later at night, whilst the streets of Sydney were pretty much flooded, mum and I had to venture out for dinner. After stumbling around the Cross, soaked to the bones, we stumbled upon a Japanese restaurant in the basement of a building. Juju’s was the best Japanese I’ve ever tasted and was set out in such a way that the patrons would sit on the floor in a traditional style. All the workers there were Japanese, except for one white Australian male who spoke fluent Japanese, and were all extremely friendly. Mum and I scored a seat at the bar and were able to watch one of the chefs prepare all the uncooked meals. It was delicious, I’d definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting the Cross.

Early Saturday morning mum and I met Patrick Weyland-Smith at the Central train station. He has grown so much taller and thinner and his voice has definitely changed, but he is still the boisterous and flamboyant Patrick we all know and love. We accompanied him to his music school where he and his band, ‘Pat and the Straights’, were practicing. They were pretty good, a great sound combination with a good dynamic. The rest of the day was spent at the Paddy’s and Rock Markets. I love spending time at the marketplaces, they always have such different items and I only wish my spending was not limited. Sigh.

So, I fly back into Perth tomorrow (Sunday) night at 8:45pm. Back to Bogansville, my family, my house and all my friends. It also seems like I might already have a job lined up for me, Wing Ho is desperate for waitresses, so I said if they needed an extra girl, I’m there. I can’t start dancing until my knee is all checked out, so there’s a hold up on continuing that. Oh, would anyone be interested in taking swing dancing classes? I believe they’re every Wednsday night at Hillman Hall.

See you all soon!

Oh…any ideas for a theme for my coming home party?