Getting a Groove in Sydney by Suzanne

We have now been here for 12 days and I feel like we are sort of getting into the groove.  We love the weekends, because Ethan gets to stay "home" with us and we do more tourist things.  Today, however, was a rainy Saturday.  We decided not to go do a pretty beachy place since it's not good weather, but instead walked a ways, much of it underground, to find a movie theater and we saw Madagascar III.  It was close to the Chinatown in Sydney, and we found some great deals there!  We now know that if there is anything we want to buy souvenir-wise, that is where we will go.  I did buy Elise some Ugg boots for the best price I have seen!  It was nice to be in a theater- it looked the same as they do in the states, and it was an American movie, even though my kids had seen it before.

One night this week we went to a Noodle Fest down in Hyde Park.  It was gorgeously decorated with so many lights, tables and chairs to sit at, and tons of Asian restaurants set up with booths to get food.  There was live music as well, a fun setting.  The food was overpriced and just OK, but we enjoyed ourselves.  These are the kinds of events that you get to take advantage of, living in the city.

We discover many more shops and food courts every day.  It amazes me how much goes on in a small city block.  There are tunnels full of businesses at almost every turn.  Escalators take you up or down so many levels under every building, many of them I've seen once and may never happen upon again.  We just discovered another grocery store that we didn't know about today right across the street from us.  We have to pretty much grocery shop each day, since our refrigerator is so small.  Plus with our small kitchen and limited kitchen tools, there is not a long list of meals that we can make.  We pretty much go meal to meal with what we feel like.

I've inserted a few more pictures of another outing to Darling Harbour this week.  There is a statue made for the 2000 Olympics that we stood by and one of the kids on a bridge over the harbour.

A few of the terms that are different here:  elevators are "lifts," trash is "rubbish," french fries are "chips," McDonald's is called "Mackers," and Burger Kings are "Hungry Jacks."  Swim suits are "bathers," and of course vacations are "holidays."

We are grateful to be in a place where English is the main language.  However, even though the aussies speak English, when they speak fast, it can still be hard to understand.  Ethan has contacts through his work where he is getting to know some Aussies.  Most of the people the kids and I see are other tourists.  We rarely see people who I think are Americans.  If I do think someone is from America, when I hear them speak they end up being from Australia for the most part.  There are many people from various Asian countries, both working here and vacationing here.  I did meet some girls from Switzerland at the pool yesterday.  It's just very interesting to be among so many people from all over the world.  In general, people are so similar in so many ways, yet so different in others!  On the ferry last week to the zoo, an asian family who didn't speak English was taking some pictures.  The older girl held up "bunny ears" to her baby brother while his picture was being taken.  Clearly this is a universal behavior of children!  :)

I got Brady's hair cut yesterday.  Again, there is a hair salon/barber on every corner.  The first one quoted me $30 so I went across the street and got one for $20.  I have to be honest, I was using him as a guinea pig, and had to test the waters before I need to get my hair done.  This place did a fine job with Brady's hair, so I may use them when it's my turn.  :)

I will post a couple pictures from Chinatown today to end the blog.  That's all I've got for now!  I know most people reading this are in the states, where fall is quickly approaching and it's getting cooler.  I felt a little of your fall weather today in the cool rainy weather here in Sydney.  But I think we'll be back to the warming spring/summer temps here soon and I welcome them!

Suzanne