Abroad Down Under

So the day after the Blue Mountains I had only another half a day of planned group activities. That Friday for lunch I had kangaroo pizza, crocodile pizza, and emu pizza. I will tell you right now that sausage and pepperoni are still better topping choices, but it was still fun to try everything. Kangaroo tastes like venison, emu like tough pork, and crocodile tastes like rubber. After that, I was free to explore. I went to drop my laptop off at the apartment and went to explore downtown Sydney. I found this amazing marketplace for souvenirs, clothes, and cheap produce called Paddy's Market. It's a blast and I go there all of the time.

On Saturday, a group of friends and I went to the beach!! We took the ferry across the harbous, passing the Opera house and Sydney Harbour Bridge on the way, to Manly Beach. So far it is my favorite beach (which I prefer over Coogee and Bondi beaches). And I will tell you something right now: I had on SPF 30 and STILL got a sunburn! The sun is absollutely INTENSE out here. You get burned even through your thin clothes, which is absolutely incredible. But at Manly, I found an ALDI, which I have decided is the greatest place to shop in Australia. I have one by my work, so I'll be frequenting there often.

On Sunday, I went pack to Paddy's and finished souvenir shopping. The Grider family Christmas card will have us all in matching Australia zip-up track jackets. lol After that, I went swimming at our awesome pool. We have 5 indoor pools, and one is a lap pool. I didn't have goggles, so I was going to get some the next day. After a shower, I went suntanning at the park by my house and managed to get a nice tan. But really, my skin needs a day off already.

Today, I went to a target and a Kmart in the Broadway district. I needed a three pronged converter, goggles, and since it's back to school time here in Aussie, I picked up a notebook (there normal sized paper here is actually longer than America's), some cute pens, and a cool little silverware set for my lunch. Also, I bought a four dollar backpack since the tote bag I was carrying broke completely on the way! Here in Aussie, no business person carries a briefcase, they wear a backpack. It's normal to go into grocery stores with backpacks, too. Right now, I'm off to go catch some rays after a nice Skype session with the fam and boyfriend.

Cheers!