Earlier this month was the grand finale to the Mardi Gras season, the Pride Parade.  I was a volunteer along the route along with a lovely friend.  It was a long night, with the parade being almost three hours long.  But it was a lot of fun and I'm thrilled I got to be a part of it!  

Along with Pride, we've been busy planning our upcoming trip to Japan.  This is turning out to be more exciting that I would have thought.  

Initially we were going to do a 9 day tour.  There was a Travel Expo here and they had a great 2 for 1 deal on.  So we booked and thought we were ready to go.  Then, yesterday, they cancelled on us.  So now we're going it alone!  After a frantic ordering of guidebooks I feel better and am ready to start planning!  

I've also have the privilege of working regularly as a casual / substitute teacher here and am enjoying it.  There are a few noticeable changes in how things are done over here and it's been wonderful to experience new things.  I think both Australia and Canada are very similar in their ideals and goals, but they actual day to day operations have some interesting differences.  I'll post more on this in the future. :)

All of a sudden, it seems life has gotten very busy!  For one thing, I am finally teaching again!  YAY!  

On top of that, we're planning our anniversary trip to Japan in May.  (5 years married, and 15 years together.  We think that deserves a celebration!)

In the last few weeks we've enjoyed Australia Day:

Celebrated The Year of the Dragon:

And I've volunteered with this years Pride festival, Mardi Gras!  The Pride season (which is almost a month long) kicked off with the Fair, held in a beautiful park.  And by fair, they don't just mean picnics on the grass!  There were rides, food, and plenty of things to see and do! 

The Parade is on March 3rd, and I can't wait to be a part of it!  

In Canada, January is the middle of winter and it's usually the coldest month.  Here, thanks to being in the southern hemisphere, it's one of the hottest.  Did you know you can get heat-sick?  Who knew?

There were a lot of things going on this month, but most of them involved being outside in the direct sun in the middle of the afternoon.  After discovering that I am apparently quite susceptible to heat-related problems, these events lost a bit of their appeal.  

So it's been a bit of a quiet month.  

However, we did discover wonders the outdoor cinema!  It's a wonderful concept where they set up a large screen in the park and you pack a picnic and then settle in to watch movies outside under the stars.  

We went to The Muppets and we're looking forward to seeing a few more shows before the season ends in March!  

Another delightful treat we discovered was that there is a beautiful coastal walk from nearby Coogee Beach all the way to Bondi Beach.  It takes about two hours, but follows the coast the entire way.  In the early evening, when the day has cooled just a little, it's a lovely thing to do.  Sydney is full of wonderful things, but my favourite, by far, is being so near to the ocean.  

I hope to do this walk over and over while we're here!  Just because it's wonderful!  

Yesterday was the start of the Year of the Dragon, and I will update tomorrow with tales of parades, dodgy pizza, and harrowing escapes from the rain! 

Our first Christmas in Australia was a little strange.  Putting up decorations in the middle of summer is just odd, and so is Christmas shopping in shorts.  We were both a little afraid that it would be a wee bit depressing to be so far away from our families and friends.  However, we managed to make the holiday special and fun, even with just the two of us.  

We started off the season by attending Carols in the Domain.  It's a huge annual sing-along concert attended by somewhere around 800,000 people.  We went with a new friend and enjoyed a picnic feast while singing out hearts out!   

We also went to a stunning light show at St. Mary's Cathedral.  I was expecting a pretty little show, but it was amazing!  They had elaborate projections staged across the front of the cathedral set to music.  

On Christmas Eve, we started a new tradition of going for tea (because tea is one of my favourite things!).  We went to the Queen Victoria Building Tea Room and indulged in far too many scones and pastries.  I can't wait to do it again!  

Then, to prove how Australian we are now, we celebrated in true Aussie fashion by hitting the beach!

It may not have been the sort of Christmas we're used to, but it was sure a lot of fun!

The day we landed in Sydney we went for a walk downtown.  They had posters everywhere advertising Disney's Mary Poppins, which was playing at the Capitol Theatre.  Having just missed Wicked (in both Edmonton and Sydney!), I was desperate to go!  And I finally did!  :)

The Capitol Theatre is stunning inside.  It sparkles with old world charm and elegance.  Grand marble staircases take you to the upper levels, and ornate carvings decorate both the lobby and the theatre.  The ceiling is painting blue, and glitters with stars that dim when the show starts.  It's a very magical place to be.

Best of all, Mary Poppins was outstanding!  I completely forgot I was a grown up and got involved with the story, clapping along with the other children.  The Broadway version is quite different from the movie, but the same spirit is there.  I only have one photo from the show (taken before it started, of couse), but I don't need photos, because it's a night I'll remember for a very long time. 

I'm not sick enough to just be sleeping, but not nearly well enough to actually do anything.  So instead I'm housebound with the attention span of an ADD flee.  (I'm not sure about the normal attention span of a flee...  But I can't seem to focus on much of anything for longer than three seconds...  I think it's the fever.)

Ah well. 

One of the prettiest parts of Sydney is an area called Darling Harbour.  It's right in middle of the downtown area (called the CBD, or central business district by locals, or more commonly, just called "the city").   It's an entertainment center with restaurants, bars, shopping, attractions, and events.  They also hold festivals here and have random fireworks, which I rather enjoy.  Of course, the best part is that this is also where you'll find the Lindt Chocolate Cafe.  Mmmmm! 

Darling Harbour is home to both the Sydney Wildlife Park and the Aquarium.  Soon it will also boast a Madame Tussauds.

(Random aside: Did you know Madame Tossaud lived through the French Revolution?  She has a fascinating history and began her famous career as basically a news agent working with her family.  Her family's wax figures were of scenes of local interest, such as the royalty, politicians, and criminals.  People could pay to "see" the important happenings.  Later she made death masks after people were killed by the revolutionaries.  Eventually she was sent to the prisons, but made it out after the revolution and moved to England where she reinvented herself.) 

One of the first touristy things we did was check out the aquarium.  While not as impressive as the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, this one here is still quite nice.  Here's a few of the things that we saw.

Okay, having gone back and re-read this post, I must admit that I've jumped around a fair bit.  But I did warn you about the problems with my attention span.  I just can't seem to concentra- ....  Aww, the cat is being cute!

I hope you are having a better day than I am!

I have a cold, and have decided that sniffles in beautiful weather is just sad.  I also just lost the cleverly written post I was working on about the various places to see some of those quintessential Aussie animals.  So over all, I'm feeling rather pathetic and sorry for myself. 

So please excuse me if I skip over the part where I re-write everything, and just get right to the pictures.  Here are some shots from Taronga Zoo and the Sydney Wildlife Park.

The weather here is starting to warm up as we settle into spring.  The temperatures are hovering anywhere from the low to high 20's and everything is blooming.  There are also homicidal magpies to contend with, adding a sense of adventure to going outside.  (Magpies become very territorial during nesting season and will attack if they feel you're encroaching on their territory.  My dear husband got a nice head wound and a tetanus shot thanks to an angry magpie a few weeks ago.)

One of my favourite areas of the city is called The Rocks.  It's the oldest part of Sydney, home to first European settlement in 1788.  It is now a trendy locale for restaurants, pubs, events, and a weekly market.  It has delightfully charming old brick buildings and tiny little ally ways, making it feel just a wee bit enchanted.  It also happens to be the home of my new very favourite tea place!  Only open Friday - Saturday, there's a little Irish tea shop that makes fresh baked scones throughout the day!  Have a look!  Tell me this isn't the most charming place to sit and have a cuppa?!

Sitting in the shade of a giant tree, with sunlight gleaming off the hanging tea cups used for decoration, the very nice people here will bring you two scones with double thick cream and jam for the very reasonable price of $6.  I tried sharing once with hubby, on the basis that two scones equals one each...  But have since learned that then you wind up fighting over the cream and jam, so it's safer the whole way around if you just each have your own plate. 

Needless to say, anytime we are even remotely near The Rocks on a weekend I try finagle my way into tea! 

On that note, I think I'll get started on my day.  But here are a few pictures of The Rocks.  If you're ever in Sydney and need a friend for tea, drop me a line!

Okay, I admit it.  I pretty well abandoned this site for a while.  I wish I had a great excuse, but the truth is much more simple and not very interesting.  On one hand, I got involved with all the things to do here.  Trying to find a job, getting settled, unpacking, sorting out the cat...  It was a long list.  On the other hand, I was embarrassed having to put off China.  It's just not in the financial cards right now, and it took me a while to own up to that fact.  Having only very recently gotten out of debt, I'm not about to go jumping back in.  So that means doing things the hard way and saving up when I want something.  Being responsible isn't much fun sometimes. 

However, my ignoring tactics couldn't overcome the number of requests I've gotten from people asking where I went.  I'm truly flattered that people are still checking the site and wanting to know what's up with me.  So the least I can do is make an effort.  While I won't be able to tell you about China for a while, Australia is pretty interesting, and I'd be happy to share some of the goings on here.

On a very personal note: Thank you.  It can feel lonely on the other side of the globe from everyone I knew.  The messages from friends and people I've never even met make my day each time I get one. 

After a few weeks here, I'm feeling settled in and ready to go again.  Our house is starting to feel like a home, and I keep finding new things and places to feel excited about. 

Darling Harbour is one of my favourite spots in the city, full of restaurants, attractions like the aquarium, and the Lindt Chocolate Cafe (Mmm!).  I've also discovered Bondi Beach, which is the hip, trendy beach in the city.  I've started to make some friends, and am on the quest for a job.  The cat arrives next week, and when I know she's here safely I'll breathe a huge sigh of relief. 

I am currently trying to persuade a friend to come to China with me (a different friend) and am considering going in November to fit with her schedule.  She wants to tour, not volunteer, so I'd do my volunteering first and then meet up with her to see a bit of China for two weeks afterwards. 

Overall, now that things are said and done, I'm glad we moved.  It's been hard and, at times, sad and lonely.  But it's an adventure and what more can you ask for out of life?