17 January 2008
Week #2
So, we've been here for nearly 14 days now. This weekend is my last free weekend before I start work. (Believe it or not, i'm really excited to begin working!)
Last weekend Chris and I met up with some friends (Judith & Co.) and turns out one of Judith's friends just graduated from AGSM (his name is Noah). It's amazing what a small world it is - Noah is actually from Worcester, MA and he moved to Sydney a few years ago. So, we joined up with Noah, Judith etc. and went to this great concert in the park and met up with about 7 or 8 other AGSM students! There were some really interesting and friendly "mates" from his program who were from all different parts of the world - the UK, New Zealand, Africa, Venezuela and of course Worcester, MA. (Chris can fill you in on his first week of school)
The concert was right in downtown Sydney at the Domain which reminds me of the Hatch Shell in Boston. Only difference is... 100,000 people show up for these concerts, everyone brings wine, cheese and other fun snacks and just dances until the music stops! This weekend they have "symphony" music playing and the following weekend is "opera" music. These concerts and festivals are all part of Sydney's Summer Festival. Here's a link to other events - Sydney Festival Link
There's so much more that we've been doing, so i've added some more pics below... I'll write more later this week and next week is Australia Day which is their equivalent to July 4th. I'm sure we'll have pics and stories to tell!
Click here for more photos!
Thank goodness we're learning our way around the city!
Miss everyone and hope you enjoy the pics!
12 January 2008
Our New Apartment!!!
So Chris and I found an apartment yesterday and we signed the lease this morning over a cup of cappuccino! (Soy cappuccino for me). Turns out they don't just have regular "drip" coffee around here. Everything is espresso based. Delicious nonetheless!
The apartment is TINY, and when I say TINY... I mean NY apartments look HUGE compared to this. However, it's in a neighborhood called Potts Point which is EXACTLY where we wanted to live!
Click here for a Google map of our box... I mean, apartment...
Type in the following address: 1 McDonald St, Potts Point, NSW 2011.
It's this adorable neighborhood with great cafes, pubs, shops, grocery store (Woolworth's), great parks and great views of the harbor. Our apartment is in a 9 story building (we're on the 8th floor), and our view is UNREAL! We can see the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and downtown city. That's what sold us!
OUR VIEWS:
OUR STREET (MCDONALD STREET):
So one interesting thing we found while looking for apartments is that when it says "unfurnished" that actually means that there is no refrigerator. Very weird. So Chris and I will be buying a new refrigerator in the very near future... Go figure!
We spent the day at Manly Beach today which is a little North of Sydney. We'll post more pictures later of that venture!
Thank goodness Chris is willing to drive on the OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD! AHHHHH!
7 January 2008
Day #2 in Sydney - Coogee Beach and Pyrmont
Today was our 3rd day in Sydney and we ventured around to look at some neighborhoods we may want to live in. I went into work to meet some of the "mates" I'll be working with and everyone was super friendly and the office was GREAT! The Thomson office is in Pyrmont which is this up and coming area RIGHT next to our hotel. We had breakfast at a little bistro and then ventured on the bus to Coogee Beach.
We walked around Coogee which has a phenomenal beach. It was sooo gorgeous (you can see pics on the link below)! We then went to grab some lucnh and heard a bunch of American girls chatting about Delaware! Sure enough it was 4 girls who were doing a Study Abroad program from the University of Delaware. Talk about a small world! Who woulda' thought we'd meet fellow Blue Hens in Sydney, Australia!
Still having a blast, but anxious to find an apartment. We're renting a car tomorrow so that we can go to more neighborhoods...
More to come... In the meantime, enjoy our pics!
Link to more pics
