Catch-Up

I've already been here for a week so I thought I'd catch you all up to speed on notable things i've done (and only notable. i promised no lunch reports. unless lunch is really good...) and things i've learned since being in sydney.

Notable Things I've Done:

1) Strolling Around Newtown Sunday afternoon

Newtown is my favorite neighborhood in Sydney that I've seen so far. It abuts the University of Sydney campus and feels a lot like Greenwich Village meets Astor Place. Interspersed in the sea of ethnic restaurants serving everything from Tom Yum to Injera to good ol' Pies (an Australian specialty) are musty used book stores and used record stores - a rarity in the era of the ipod. Men in Doc Martens with Mohawks rivaling Everest in heigh stop up the street holding hands with lithe girls in fedoras and skinny jeans. The side of almost every corner building is blanketed by graffiti, often evocative and ornate. My personal favorites was the vibrant portrait of the Hindu god Ganesh, a saffron map of Africa with borders meticulously marked (at least where borders can be agreed upon) and a cobalt Thomas the Tank Engine surrounded by his multi-colored locomotive pals (my number 1, obviously). 

Ganesh!

Newtown After the Storm

Thomas 

2) Went to the Sydney Aquarium on Monday

Monday was overcast (again) so we nixed our initial plan to go to the Taronga Zoo and instead headed to the indoor, aquatic equivalent: the Sydney Aquarium. We were lucky enough to get a photo op with Bruce of Finding Nemo fame, though sadly he refused to do autographs. Something about arth-bite-is... (wow, that was bad even for me. i appologize)

In addition to rubbing fins with celebrities we also saw Dugongs, an endangered relative of the Manatee. Apparently there are only 5 in captivity in the World so it was impressive that Sydney had 2 but that being said Dugongs are one of the more laughable critters i've ever seen. First off they are MASSIVE. We're talking Star Jones pre-gastric stapling, Sumo wrestling champion, massive. They are also adorable. Tongues lolling, they clumsily flop around, pressing themselves to the side of the tank to rest every 5 seconds or so. On a total aside, after sending a camera photo of one of the Dugongs whom I affectionately named Blubberbooty IV my Dad replied: "I think i was fixed up with one once...xxxooo, Dad". Sorry about it Dad.

Blubberbooty IV

Another thing I was reminded of when visiting the aquarium was my fervent love for Platypi.  I mean COME ON, how could you not become obsessed with an egg-laying, venomous (little known fact: male platypi have stingers on the back of their feet for hunting), duck-billed, beaver-tailed, furry, otter-footed mammal? When they first encountered it, European naturalists were so flummoxed that they considered it to be an "elaborate fraud" - a factoid that in turn baffles me. How could an animal possibly be a fraud? It seems those confuddled European Naturalists were giving our friends the platypi a bit too much credit. egg-laying and venomous and duck-billed and beaver-tailed and furry and otter-footed? Yes. Masters of costume design? Probably not (although with platypi, anything is possible). 

Silly Platypus going Bananas. 

Notable Things I've Learned:

1) Rugby Parties are the same World-wide.

Well maybe I'm overgeneralizing a tad considering I've only ever been to Rugby Parties in the US and now at University of Sydney in Australia but they were so incredible alike it was scary. Shirtless, sweaty ruggers happily pushing each other around and chugging beers while the girls try not to get mauled over. The only difference was the stench. Australian rugby players need a SERIOUS lesson about how to apply deodorant. So goodonya (good for you) American boys, you have one up on the Aussies. 

2)  'Strine is Crook! (Translation: Australian is Awesome)

The first thing you need to know when trying to speak 'strine is to abbreviate everything. E.g. Australia = Oz, breakfast = brekkie, cup of tea = cuppa, university = uni. 

Secondly: speak like Tigger and you'll fit right in. What do i mean? If a letter or number is repeated in a word (like l in balloon or t in committee)  Australian's always use the expression "double". So just as Tigger spells his name T-I-double guh-err, Aussies say double seven instead of 77. 

Here is some of my favorite 'Strine I've heard so far:

Boofhead ~ (n) fool

Daggy ~ (adj) unfashionable, goofy

D&M ~ (n) deep and meaningful conversation

squiz ~ (n) a look e.g. i'm gonna take a squiz at that dugong

narky ~ (adj) annoyed

nibblies ~ (n) snacks

furphy ~ (n) tall tale, exaggerated rumor

I plan to keep adding these as I hear more because they are just too good.

Anyhoo, I should go pack for Surf Camp but I'll check in when I get back on Sunday. 

Cheerio!