tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60918005718741976102024-02-03T09:01:19.158+11:00Enjoying-SydneyA blog about our new adventure in Sydney, Australia after living three years in Mumbai, India.Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-11968806416446356712011-05-20T14:55:00.002+10:002011-05-20T14:58:40.827+10:00Walk Safely to school day SydneyWalking is not something kids like to do. My kids are no exception. In Holland this wouldn't be an issue because children cycle to school and get enough exercise.<br />
<br />
It's different in Sydney unfortunately. Sydney is not a cycle friendly city. It's fine for people (mostly men in the thirties and forties) who don't mind hills and don't care to be run over by non-bike-friendly car owners. But the average child (and parent!) does mind. As a result, a large number of SUV's block the streets around the school every morning and afternoon and our children get more and more lazy. <br />
<br />
To promote a healthy lifestyle and to get kids out of the car, the Pedestrian Council of Australia has introduced a special '<a href="http://www.sustainableschools.nsw.edu.au/Default.aspx?tabid=728">walk safely to school day'.</a> According to the website:<br />
<blockquote>"Around a third of the car trips made in Sydney are less than 3 km and more than half are less than 5 km. Some of these can easily be done on foot given walking one kilometre at a comfortable pace takes 15 minutes!" </blockquote>We fall in the less than 3km category with two steep hills. We live quite near to the school and with the kids it takes me about 20 minutes to get there. Without the kids who stop every two seconds to look at something, it takes me about 10 minutes. No more excuses to use the car in the morning. Let's keep those feet moving! Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-51411149709042324262011-05-17T21:34:00.005+10:002011-05-17T21:47:39.785+10:00La Nina gone!This morning, I read the best news ever in the Sydney Morning Herald. La Nina is - almost - gone! After a few months of very unpredictable weather, the forecasters now confirmed that the weather pattern will return to 'neutral'. We've had a summer with very extreme weather and lots of rain. Hopefully this will now change.<br />
<br />
It was not too difficult for the forecasters to 'predict' a change in the weather pattern as we've had blue skies and no rain for the past two weeks. Today they finally felt confident enough to break the good news to the public. I suggest the government gives all Australians a day off to celebrate! <br />
<br />
Read the full article: <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/a-turn-for-the-better-as-la-nina-fades-away-20110516-1eq00.html">A turn for the better as La Nina fades away. </a>Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-13415274827553080222010-07-20T17:09:00.001+10:002010-07-20T17:12:13.079+10:00Winter in SydneyI'm fed up with the winter. The trouble is that winter in Sydney is quite complex. In the Netherlands it is much easier to endure. When you wake up in the morning you know it will be another cold day and you prepare for that by putting on a lot of warm clothes.<br />
<br />
In Sydney it's also cold but not the whole time. It can be really nice and sunny or freezing cold depending on the time of day and the weather. <br />
<br />
The Australian winter officially lasts from 1 June till 31 August. We are now half way and luckily the coldest period is already behind us. In August the average temperature is 17.7 degrees compared to 16.2 in July. At night, the temperature drops to eight degrees.<br />
<br />
The past few weeks the temperature was a little below average. One night it was almost below zero which is very unusual (and cold!). <br />
<br />
Our house only has a small gas heater in the kitchen. The rest of the house, including the bed rooms, is not heated. As I write this, I'm wearing a coat to give you an idea how cold it is.<br />
<br />
So far we have never had the heater on during the day. A few hours in the morning and in the evenings. Somehow it doesn't feel right to turn the heater on when the sun shines. <br />
<br />
We are not the only ones with a badly heated house. Everyone complains. "Sydneysiders" believe they live in a warm country and when they build a new home they forget to install proper heating. "Uhhhh, why do we need that?" <br />
<br />
In the city you see a great variety of winter clothes. Some people exaggerate and seem to think they live on the North pole wearing woolen hats and gloves. Others wear shorts and thongs as if it's mid summer.<br />
<br />
It is not easy to put on the right clothes and a mistake is easily made. One day I went for a walk along the beach wearing a winter coat and three layers of jumpers while people were sunbathing in bikinis and shorts. Ouch.<br />
<br />
I JUST HOPE IT WILL BE SPRING SOON!Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-90350411750114241012010-06-24T06:29:00.001+10:002010-06-25T07:02:09.204+10:00We have a new prime ministerTo my surprise, I read in the newspaper this morning that 'we' are likely to have a new prime minister today. I just came back from tennis, and I hear on the radio that the current prime minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, has stepped down. He will be replaced by Julia (nice name!) Gillard. This is an historical event as it is the first time Australia has a female prime minister. She is not married, no kids and she was born in the UK. <br />
<br />
Could this have something to do with the World Cup soccer? This morning, Australia beat Serbia with 2-1. Despite winning the match, they are out of the tournament because Germany beat Ghana. Only a few hours later, the prime minister (a man) has to step down to be replaced by a women. That's more than a coincidence.. <br />
<br />
I don't understand Australian politics. This makes a move to a new country always interesting because you learn a lot of new things. Australia is a western country and at first sight there are not much difference between the countries. But the longer I live here, the more differences I see. <br />
<br />
In the Netherlands, a political party does not have the right to replace its prime minister. I don't have a clue how that works here. I guess it's time for an online fast course Australian politics. <br />
<br />
Thirty seconds and a Google search later I know the answer. According to the website of the “Parliamentary Education Office” (www.peo.gov.au) the prime minister of Australia is member of the parliament. He is chosen by the party (or parties) with the most seats. And yes, this party can vote against the prime minister and replace him or her by another candidate. This explains what happened today. <br />
<br />
I like Kevin Rudd, he seems to be a very friendly person. I think it's a shame he has to go to make room for Julia Gillard. The things that I notice most about her are her heavy voice, strong Australian accent (I'm not sure what to make of her accent because she is originally from the UK), her big nose and red hair. Sorry, but for the time being she does not get my vote.Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-25502474637924173792010-06-23T14:44:00.003+10:002010-06-23T14:49:22.893+10:00Its dark outside ..I don't want to sound depressed but I guess I suffer from the "dark days before Christmas syndrome". This is not surprising because the days in Sydney are extremely short this week. Today it was already pitch dark at 4.50 p.m. Its also raining. Yes, enough reason to feel very depressed. <br />
<br />
I remember how lovely it is to be in Holland right now where the sun sets around 10 p.m. Even in December in Sydney, when its summer, it won't stay light that long. This is definitely something I miss.<br />
<br />
From now on the days will become longer again. Luckily I can see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. In December, the sun will set at eight p.m. This doesn't make the days as long as in Holland but it gets close.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBdqyOgKBpI5e1P6p4lwcVLHOO-fHnnlypJS_mUEpfy3g0FOKu76JmuR1gvZ2hXgc7x8G5Tk4LQqxZf0W3IoNc_-vqhBpVJN167oQivFdIfcFE1eVSsv62aW2ttmI7_21ixnFOxsLkH2RO/s1600/Sunrise_Varanasi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBdqyOgKBpI5e1P6p4lwcVLHOO-fHnnlypJS_mUEpfy3g0FOKu76JmuR1gvZ2hXgc7x8G5Tk4LQqxZf0W3IoNc_-vqhBpVJN167oQivFdIfcFE1eVSsv62aW2ttmI7_21ixnFOxsLkH2RO/s320/Sunrise_Varanasi.jpg" /></a></div>Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-15895465432539458772010-06-15T21:35:00.000+10:002010-06-15T21:35:25.682+10:00Dutch soccer in Sydney<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Last night the Dutch played against Denmark. We watched the match in the Holland House in Darling Harbour. It - almost - felt as if I was back in Holland. Lot's of orange and of course the Dutch food specialities 'bitterballen' and 'kroketten' and Grolsch beer. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Holland House is located next to the Fifa Fan Fest area. I can't help to feel sorry for the people who try to organise such a big event in a country where the majority of the people is NOT interested in soccer. The average Australian likes rugby or cricket, not soccer. The main supporters are the immigrants from Europe (Italians, Greeks, British, etc.). The fact that Australia lost it's first match big time (0-4) does not help a lot, I guess.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihDGZIsv1iyNz6izhkArsGoU0OaCjU667aMtKzWBIGeSQWn16ehqGxlFC8o2f3Nd8g-uWMzabZJ6z6KFxPa9v4BulGwESEpwaSA0L7n4mvK-8XR-q7DrkJCap0foAsfHUQceeV-kiSMLi2/s1600/Watch+Dutch+team+play+in+Sydney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihDGZIsv1iyNz6izhkArsGoU0OaCjU667aMtKzWBIGeSQWn16ehqGxlFC8o2f3Nd8g-uWMzabZJ6z6KFxPa9v4BulGwESEpwaSA0L7n4mvK-8XR-q7DrkJCap0foAsfHUQceeV-kiSMLi2/s400/Watch+Dutch+team+play+in+Sydney.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-2739424938916734612010-06-15T20:43:00.000+10:002010-06-15T20:43:26.617+10:00CanberraThis weekend we visited Canberra. We didn't really know what to expect but as a newcomer to the country we felt we had to go to the Australian Capital to know what it is really like. We went this weekend on a very short two day trip. It's 300 kilometers South West from Sydney and the road is not very exiting. It's just one straight line and you hardly pass any towns. The trip took us a little more than four hours because we took the tourist route in an -unsuccesfull - attempt to make the drive a little bit more adventurous.<br />
<br />
The city itself is not very attractive. There is a big lake which is nice. Despite a few attempts we were not able to find a city centre. The other thing was that we didn't see a lot of people. Because of the long weekend many people must have left the town to visit friends and family elsewhere.<br />
<br />
The best thing about going to Canberra are the museums. We visited the <a href="http://www.nma.gov.au/index.html">National Museum of Australia</a> on day one and <a href="http://www.questacon.edu.au/#canberra">Questacon</a>, a technology centre for kids, on day two. The kids loved it and so did we.<br />
<br />
I don't think it is worthwile to stay in Canberra for a long time. But a short visit to see the museums is definitely worth it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqj6yHKkS2mEppA3uRdgg7s2kWBvsbMkhyz9MTZQkBHoMoYNjo77LxxoFaVXsa_Edvma9SEM-fnGQxSwyQJ-OIlP6BwOW9UNp20F6-2inSTR_J1x6GYrLPmHzEHqDbUdO6lXsraSpX7HW/s1600/national-museum-of-australia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqj6yHKkS2mEppA3uRdgg7s2kWBvsbMkhyz9MTZQkBHoMoYNjo77LxxoFaVXsa_Edvma9SEM-fnGQxSwyQJ-OIlP6BwOW9UNp20F6-2inSTR_J1x6GYrLPmHzEHqDbUdO6lXsraSpX7HW/s400/national-museum-of-australia.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The National Museum of Australia</span></i></div>Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-34032016510547321352010-06-11T16:02:00.006+10:002010-06-11T18:06:04.834+10:00Long weekend<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
<div class="post-body entry-content" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 498px;">This Monday Australia celebrates the birthday of the British queen and everyone will have the day off. Although the ties with the UK are not as strong as they used to be, Queen Elisabeth II is still the reigning queen of Australia. Long live the queen!<br />
<br />
The weather will be good. It better be after all the rain of the past few weeks. In the morning it's chilly, this morning it was only 7 degrees in Sydney. In the evenings I use a blanket to keep myself warm but right now I enjoy the sunshine outside.<br />
<br />
In a minute I will take my bike to go to the shops to get ingredients for an Aussie pie, the favorite food here. Tonight I will try to make one myself. The recipie does not look to complicated. I will post a picture of the pies on the site tonight. </div><div class="post-body entry-content" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 498px;"><br />
</div><div class="post-body entry-content" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 498px;">A last thing. This is the headline of the article on the Dutch elections in the Sydney Morning Herald this morning: 'Dutch voters give anti-Islamic party boost'. It is unfortunate that it is also a boost for the reputation of the Dutch!<br />
<div style="clear: both;"></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="post-footer" style="color: #999999; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em;"></div>Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-68459155913070726872010-06-08T21:18:00.004+10:002010-06-08T22:00:43.342+10:00Where to watch the soccer world cup in Sydney<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">Soccer is not as popular as rugby and cricket but the Australians make an effort to make you believe something different. Sydney hosts one of only six official 'FIFA Fan Fest' sites in the world (see the <a href="http://www.sydneyfifafanfest.com.au/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Sydney%20International%20FIFA%20Fan%20Fest" style="color: #5588aa; text-decoration: none;">website</a>). Every match (64 in total) can be followed on one of the four floating maxi screens in Darling Harbour.<br />
<br />
The games will start at 9.30 pm, 2 am and 4.30 am. The Dutch team will play the first two games at 9.30 pm which is very reasonable. For sure I will not see the Dutch team playing against Cameroon on June 25 at 4.30 am.<br />
<br />
Australia (with Dutch coach Pim Verbeek!) plays it first game at 4.30 in the morning against Germany. I'm not sure how many fans will go to Darling Harbour to see this spectacle. I know where I'll be. </span>Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-90788322522693747042010-06-07T12:42:00.002+10:002010-06-07T12:45:15.861+10:00Monday morning exitement in Sydney"Oe, oe, oe, ahhhhhh!" A big adult Kukabara just flew inside the house through the open doors. After a few attempts bumping into the glass doors he managed to find the way out. The bird with his very long beak, now sits on a chair on the deck looking at me. He probably expects me to invite him in again. No way.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>The owner of the house used to feed the birds sausages. Even though it's been a few months since the birds were fed for the last time, I'm sure they still remember.<br />
<br />
</div><div>Just before my adventure with the Kukabara I had to remove a <a href="http://australianmuseum.net.au/Black-House-and-Grey-House-Spiders">black house spider</a> with the vacuum cleaner from our window. I just checked the internet and for a second I thought this was a funnel web spider because they look a bit similar. Luckily it's not, but it is not a friendly spider either so I'm glad it's gone. </div>Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-38546939874136653832010-06-06T20:38:00.001+10:002010-06-06T20:41:00.132+10:00SurfingToday it was very windy with a high sea. But when you go down to the beach you still see lot's of surfers. These are the really cool guys. Peddling until they finally catch the right wave. It can't get more Australian then this I suppose.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFhEbAC0piKhu9bdil7mbeKqzmL6-y5EIYty_-V_hfVCzHpZN_CIdRczzVT6fW53OmlZps5CFkDvwPKU7gYX77htnyae6d7C32Cdr2dnuFMSzHXW7vcMo7EBlaeMc32MrXMuB5QFJYm01/s1600/surfing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFhEbAC0piKhu9bdil7mbeKqzmL6-y5EIYty_-V_hfVCzHpZN_CIdRczzVT6fW53OmlZps5CFkDvwPKU7gYX77htnyae6d7C32Cdr2dnuFMSzHXW7vcMo7EBlaeMc32MrXMuB5QFJYm01/s320/surfing.jpg" /></a></div>Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-37277403664919856792010-06-02T08:56:00.005+10:002010-06-04T13:49:42.881+10:00Vivid Sydney 2010To keep the tourists coming, Sydney organised yet another festival, <a href="http://vividsydney.com/">Vivid Sydney</a>. Lights everywhere and old buildings along Macquarie street in CBD are beautifully illuminated. We went yesterday at 6 pm to see the spectacle. It didn't rain! These are some of the pictures I made:<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; white-space: pre-wrap;"><embed flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=nl&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fsvanderlingen%2Falbumid%2F5478757620980906449%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Dnl" height="192" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="288"></embed></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: auto;"><br />
</div>Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-88457161460200977272010-06-01T15:45:00.003+10:002010-06-01T16:01:24.051+10:00Wettest May month in Sydney in seven yearsThis morning I read in our newspaper that the month of May was the wettest month in Sydney in seven years. I'm glad because this means the past few weeks were unusual. I really started to worry.<br />
<br />
Today we have a dry day. Thank god! I even managed to play tennis this morning and I just spent some time outside reading a book which was nice. More showers are expected this week. I hope we are not heading for another record breaking rain month.<br />
<br />
Due to the rain we have not been able to read our newspaper for a few days because of the very bad throwing skills of the newspaper boy. Instead of throwing them under the car port (an area big enough not to miss) he manages to (deliberately?) make them land exacly in the water stream going down the road resulting in a soaken wet pack of paper. I believe the newspaper boy (we have never seen him.) doesn't like us. The Saturday edition of the Sydney Morning Herald came without the <a href="http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/26195">promised car flag</a> for the Australian soccer team (The Socceroos<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">) with Dutch coach Pim Verbeek. </span></span>Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-55443609700725410992010-05-30T19:56:00.001+10:002010-05-30T20:01:29.448+10:00It started with a blown fuseWe just had another busy weekend in Sydney. Yesterday the weather was very bad so we stayed inside a lot. Today was supposed to be worse but it turned out to be a really nice day. No rain and no storm as they had predicted. We spend the afternoon in the Royal Botanical Gardens where the kids spend over an hour to build a 'pretend' castle.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, we enjoyed ourselves trying to use as many machines (washing machine, dishwasher, dryer, microwave, bread machine and coffee machine) as possible at the same time. Unfortunately, the electricity system in our house can not really cope with this. The result was a blown fuse. What followed can be seen on the picture. Instead of telling what happened because that's just too easy, I ask everyone to come up with ideas. So, what happened here? That's the question of the day.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaLp3oxT5L4h1XOQ3jF7DPdmcNb3xk4w1Y4dOoRB5z3uhgyBVkOoHXcxEEEElgzin1nXZ5RXDtT9_yesuOjpX4qAbvHL44DIruOlUGLBB_NjbDiWu_oQey6Xg3hoLs7Aygz5CwoplCRDWr/s1600/IMG_5144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaLp3oxT5L4h1XOQ3jF7DPdmcNb3xk4w1Y4dOoRB5z3uhgyBVkOoHXcxEEEElgzin1nXZ5RXDtT9_yesuOjpX4qAbvHL44DIruOlUGLBB_NjbDiWu_oQey6Xg3hoLs7Aygz5CwoplCRDWr/s320/IMG_5144.jpg" /></a></div>Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-15005879346331270322010-05-26T14:17:00.000+10:002010-05-26T14:17:19.270+10:00Rain, rainSydney is a sad place today. It just does not stop raining. Very depressing. A few days ago people told me that they were looking forward to the winter. Not sure why. Especially because the Sydney houses are not build for cold weather which I define as anything below 18 degrees. We have this silly gas heater which is supposed to provide enough warmth for the entire house. Ha, ha. Not really. I think about joining the local fitness club just to be able to make use of their sauna facilities. The weather forecast for the next seven days doesn't look good. More rain... I want to emigrate.Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-77225910595644295892010-05-23T19:45:00.005+10:002010-05-23T20:21:40.247+10:00Baby crying room and Andre RieuCompared to India, where I was constantly confronted with things that interested or amazed me because I had never seen them before, this does not happen to me a lot in Sydney. Imagine my surprise yesterday when we went to the movies to see 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' in a small local movie theatre in Roseville, about 20 minutes from our house. This cinema has something I've never seen before: a baby crying room. A special key provides access to a room where you can let your child scream as loud as it wants and see the movie without disturbing anyone. Superb. The room has a hugh window (sound proof I assume) so you can just sit, relax and watch the movie. I'm not sure if parents are allowed to put their kids in the room, lock it and then join the other people in the theatre. Probably not.<br />
<br />
It's a funny cinema. The average age of the audience is 65+. Before the start of the movie, they show a commercial for a retirement home. Ha, ha. <br />
<br />
On July 19, they have a <a href="http://www.rosevillecinemas.com.au/moviedetail.asp?Mov_ID=M2789">very special 'live' performance</a> of Dutch artist Andre Rieu 'direct via satellite to a cinema near you'. They have two shows, one at 11 am and the other at 4 pm. Mmm. To play at 11 am Sydney time, means Andre Rieu has to perform at 3 am in Maastricht which is the middle of the night. Interesting. <br />
<br />
I read the announcement more carefully and noticed that, at the very end, it said: 'for the enjoyment of the Australian audience the timings have been changed'. Ahhhh. I think it should read instead: 'for the enjoyment of the people in Maastricht the timings have been changed'.Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-71848215347875816672010-05-16T19:42:00.002+10:002010-05-16T19:44:33.602+10:00Cycling in SydneyToday I finally bought a bike. It took me a few months to decide if I really want one here. Sydney is not made for biking. There are too many hills, the roads are too bad, and there are hardly any dedicated cycle ways. <br />
<br />
I don't know what made me change my mind but this afternoon we took the car to Padington to buy a bike. I don't regret it. We went down to Rushcutters Bay Park, near Padington. It's a beautiful park with a playground and a cafe (very important). We didn't cycle for very long, I think it was about two kilometers maximum but it was lovely. Julia still fits into a child seat and for Sebastiaan we bought one of these kids bikes which you can fix behind your own bike.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1s3NXmVgBkWNBueQGojZcZEtfPmZNZCM2foY7ZKdZxCUbedPJkCmm6TAHMSrRWFCwD4u3cJSb3hrEWT-E4k_5weJ0Pgk2GLYsnsxmnfmDpTapYaybXJoSKbnP6cHMY2O_B8YfXtIdRzS/s1600/Bikes_in_Rushcutters-Bay-Parc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1s3NXmVgBkWNBueQGojZcZEtfPmZNZCM2foY7ZKdZxCUbedPJkCmm6TAHMSrRWFCwD4u3cJSb3hrEWT-E4k_5weJ0Pgk2GLYsnsxmnfmDpTapYaybXJoSKbnP6cHMY2O_B8YfXtIdRzS/s320/Bikes_in_Rushcutters-Bay-Parc.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My new bike.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX8LkbcFjlG_8s5n_rVKXCjau1h19Q_BpboXexgtZlfxu6FVASM7Ts4wHOgGxpL17YevLAUGvXdJtn6VM1TaI0uCpcyzfSGZETp6bOEXIVIK9Q8P3IJ1qEh2lySd9arRLI9poCJt-_Cwjn/s1600/Coffee-in_Rushcutters_Bay_Parc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX8LkbcFjlG_8s5n_rVKXCjau1h19Q_BpboXexgtZlfxu6FVASM7Ts4wHOgGxpL17YevLAUGvXdJtn6VM1TaI0uCpcyzfSGZETp6bOEXIVIK9Q8P3IJ1qEh2lySd9arRLI9poCJt-_Cwjn/s320/Coffee-in_Rushcutters_Bay_Parc.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Coffee in the parc.</span></div>Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-21343949952362094822010-05-15T17:37:00.003+10:002010-05-15T17:48:59.560+10:00Pictures of arrival Jessica WatsonToday we decided to drive down to the North Head to see the arrival of Jessica Watson. Expected time of arrival: 11 a.m. We arrived a bit late and had a hard time to find a parking spot. Because of the large number of people who were expected to come, the city had blocked part of the street so we had to walk about two kilometers before we arrived at a viewpoint.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlq6wozRRxQb7krHlpomVvWYM3wdLXDE4o1D15W8BhR_1v1gXUMacXwyR9HqHQJGa6JucFkPDCTet3wbQPAQ9hZLG7kqiXT367AvBWMCNqNwxI8UIWOZwoUALbFx8ZyKtgpYuB-u0BSwL/s1600/IMG_5066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlq6wozRRxQb7krHlpomVvWYM3wdLXDE4o1D15W8BhR_1v1gXUMacXwyR9HqHQJGa6JucFkPDCTet3wbQPAQ9hZLG7kqiXT367AvBWMCNqNwxI8UIWOZwoUALbFx8ZyKtgpYuB-u0BSwL/s320/IMG_5066.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Jessica's is a great sailor but she needs to work on her time management skills. We had to wait for almost three hours before she passed the finish line just past North Head where we were. We were lucky because we came late. Other people got there already at nine in the morning.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKyYaVAsTO08l9RdAos7Up3oRy24Pf8MZ1tlt0Fo8Atw7khozTW6tPk6xd5KSzvidbNnSIEY5pq0VZZ7q5s6w-ddJXa-B7WZy9IArrUJ_dVbG5mVUKFM1XJCU2kBGxI_oZh3tpORIbQE2/s1600/IMG_5076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKyYaVAsTO08l9RdAos7Up3oRy24Pf8MZ1tlt0Fo8Atw7khozTW6tPk6xd5KSzvidbNnSIEY5pq0VZZ7q5s6w-ddJXa-B7WZy9IArrUJ_dVbG5mVUKFM1XJCU2kBGxI_oZh3tpORIbQE2/s320/IMG_5076.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivapYL95DnzpEYBSpG9MnD3CmcdMrrPJpIwMI33qEZoeYKBVzLmLPXA2KrbOWp_-n5m-uVreSp5koVXUQC7XbLDlJfgZLl-oKD2D3hr4wkhEBri7V2lE_oM52m1u9tvS9otA8ZGNKRzTJc/s1600/IMG_5088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivapYL95DnzpEYBSpG9MnD3CmcdMrrPJpIwMI33qEZoeYKBVzLmLPXA2KrbOWp_-n5m-uVreSp5koVXUQC7XbLDlJfgZLl-oKD2D3hr4wkhEBri7V2lE_oM52m1u9tvS9otA8ZGNKRzTJc/s320/IMG_5088.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There were some television crews and they provided a bit of entertainment. It's funny to see how the media makes up a story. The presenter from Channel 7 told the viewers at home that the spectators didn't mind the long wait and that the children were playing happily. Well, the children were very bored and hungry and not happy at all. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Around 2 pm the helicopters started making more noise and we could see lot's of boats. One of them - we were told - was the boat of Jessica Watson. But which one? After trying - unsuccesfully - to spot her we decided to leave and walk back to the car. We will watch television tonight to check if she actually arrived.. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3FRs7Uy0UTtQuKGhAg9Sj5q6t1hw7158NyIFkWfVm2bnvFFypvBni1Ao4bqCsIqWC-uBYDNVW6-goAg4n__RKKwuo7JpAOOcCp-u1HxTf7wRPPhb7NfE5ZizGQqJhVTEhbRz0iVn7dbsC/s1600/IMG_5084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3FRs7Uy0UTtQuKGhAg9Sj5q6t1hw7158NyIFkWfVm2bnvFFypvBni1Ao4bqCsIqWC-uBYDNVW6-goAg4n__RKKwuo7JpAOOcCp-u1HxTf7wRPPhb7NfE5ZizGQqJhVTEhbRz0iVn7dbsC/s320/IMG_5084.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMMOFfh9EDR0aXlMkutQpGH-qN2GNABy5N73WT8QP0sar1vsO5E3EKIz_3rDikXcQE3YFdLKGuhcFbVTCksiu1t8N5ydH2tUxxiwJcCtVAWkWznU8qeNYh4VuEAdqQwEWs58YbWkTXKGQ/s1600/IMG_5073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMMOFfh9EDR0aXlMkutQpGH-qN2GNABy5N73WT8QP0sar1vsO5E3EKIz_3rDikXcQE3YFdLKGuhcFbVTCksiu1t8N5ydH2tUxxiwJcCtVAWkWznU8qeNYh4VuEAdqQwEWs58YbWkTXKGQ/s320/IMG_5073.jpg" /></a></div>Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-64243603090951920222010-05-14T20:49:00.000+10:002010-05-14T20:49:33.754+10:00Sydney prepares for the arrival of Jessica WatsonSydney prepares for the arrival of Jessica Watson, the youngest person ever to sail around the world. Everyone is exited and you hear it non stop on the news. She is expected to arrive at 11.30 tomorrow morning. Streets will be blocked because the city expects many supporters who want to see Jessica and her boat. She'll be at the Sydney Opera house at 12.30. You can call it a media hype but of course it's a great achievement for such a young girl. This is the link to her <a href="http://www.jessicawatson.com.au/_blog/Official_Jessica_Watson_Blog/">blog</a> if you are interested.<br />
<br />
I think it's quite typical for Australians to be so exited. It's a sportive event and everyone here likes sports. Tomorrow will be another sunny day in Sydney and it will be great to see all the boats in the Sydney harbor to welcome her. <br />
<br />
In Holland there is another girl who wants to sail around the world, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/netherlands/6851636/Laura-Dekker-girl-who-wants-to-sail-solo-around-world-goes-missing.html">Laura Dekker</a>. She is only 14 years old but very determined. End 2009 Laura was placed under state supervision to prevent her from starting her adventure. This must be so frustrating for her.Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-14723473315369304612010-05-14T12:24:00.001+10:002010-05-14T12:27:54.698+10:00A Friday morning in Sydney<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>It's already the end of the week. This morning I had a meeting in North Sydney. To get there it only take me 15 minutes. How convenient! Because CBD is so small and expensive, companies move elsewhere and you see a lot of new business areas which are as attractive as central Sydney. To get from CBD to North Sydney you just pass the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It's as simple as that and the views on the harbour and the Opera House are just as nice.<br />
<br />
Of course, you find coffee places on every street corner, also in North Sydney. It's crazy this fascination with coffee. If you want to work in a coffee shop in Sydney, you first you need to follow a <a href="http://www.sydneybaristaschool.com.au/">Barista training course</a> where you learn about the basics but also about getting the right foam and decorations.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGh5BhwQwSkT9Sv8zMugxGGiQDeT27FtrWJjxpQZPkqc-r-k7FNkSxOix6XRoov5KydBVaqHPuW4LXr0i7lDG7-y1O_zIk-dWyZkFBRhY8iODys6T4FjvZsFxxMhU8QmyhcoFtJiP1-TOW/s1600/P5140002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGh5BhwQwSkT9Sv8zMugxGGiQDeT27FtrWJjxpQZPkqc-r-k7FNkSxOix6XRoov5KydBVaqHPuW4LXr0i7lDG7-y1O_zIk-dWyZkFBRhY8iODys6T4FjvZsFxxMhU8QmyhcoFtJiP1-TOW/s200/P5140002.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtdfVt8CQZhZsMpB1r1k34x05rYdRJL3ZWmde2MA-kmG5r8OQtl6AYbVoZEIBz_H2WFvI4ninZZsSbOo913aLLYax_N-vGRH4oHQRidQJN4tX4pk3vfkgVUVl64WneWL0T-pROhrSZQ1P/s1600/P5140004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtdfVt8CQZhZsMpB1r1k34x05rYdRJL3ZWmde2MA-kmG5r8OQtl6AYbVoZEIBz_H2WFvI4ninZZsSbOo913aLLYax_N-vGRH4oHQRidQJN4tX4pk3vfkgVUVl64WneWL0T-pROhrSZQ1P/s200/P5140004.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>This is a picture of the bus stand in North Sydney. The time tables are not always easy to read.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKOVo_BWGVqxuBir3A2Ec6g4VkUgrnxMcW8vRA1s1q7LdkjkNRhzx8MyyBl4tb3HZ8nX0VkYp1GQGKvIPDd-ItSZPL8N1nDYzGPoaYfyTcGcznssj1MH7VTcDZqsAlxbxB46f0rMhuELK/s1600/P5140005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKOVo_BWGVqxuBir3A2Ec6g4VkUgrnxMcW8vRA1s1q7LdkjkNRhzx8MyyBl4tb3HZ8nX0VkYp1GQGKvIPDd-ItSZPL8N1nDYzGPoaYfyTcGcznssj1MH7VTcDZqsAlxbxB46f0rMhuELK/s200/P5140005.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>And the weather forecast? Sunny but on the cold side. Today we have a beautiful blue sky as you can see on this picture.Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-19167745360914926672010-05-10T22:16:00.002+10:002010-05-10T22:19:39.473+10:00Mother's day in SydneyYesterday we celebrated Mother's Day. My highlight of the day was the awesome breakfast in bed consisting of a honey sandwich and glas of cold water served by my kids at 7 a.m. Very jummy and a good way to start the day.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>It's hard to ignore Mother's Day in Sydney. It seems to be a much bigger event here than in Holland. </div><div>To 'celebrate' we took a ferry trip to Watsons Bay to spend the afternoon there. On our way to the ferry at <a href="ttp://www.circularquay.net/">Circular Quay</a> we passed a few old buildings. Before living here I never realized how historic the city really is. The highrise modern buildings dominate the city but you also see many old buildings like the ones below: </div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzegl3sZF1Ev9YIk4OzGtO_OyQACNYfbVDGHtJvDELu6mrgrYgR24_f2IHipYWB0-sWSFw0FmtRl9PhKIjr54_x0kxitcIVrxW_hPlosiIQBeuUg6VSrQbq8d6KAkuCVFlcCBsttV23RDY/s1600/P5090410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzegl3sZF1Ev9YIk4OzGtO_OyQACNYfbVDGHtJvDELu6mrgrYgR24_f2IHipYWB0-sWSFw0FmtRl9PhKIjr54_x0kxitcIVrxW_hPlosiIQBeuUg6VSrQbq8d6KAkuCVFlcCBsttV23RDY/s320/P5090410.jpg" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>Watsons bay has a great playground for the kids and from the park you have wonderful view on the city in the distance. We were not the only ones to go to Watsons Bay. It turned out to be a very popular spot for a Mother's Day picnic. This is the queue in front of <a href="http://www.doyles.com.au/12201+0+doyles-on-the-wharf.htm">Doyles Fishermans Wharf</a> on Sunday at 2 p.m. I don't know how long these people had to wait for their take away fish and chips but I would not be surprised if it was over an hour. A nice way to spend Mother's Day.. </div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRrI-VJK4V7Um16HunDw4aCsgtNUa8naC1Vb1blIWDUe35rgDe9Ks06UOq4LuTPfaWQaewYinD8mf9-zU8NlNVgX3n_IgD1DFFuUK15VmVFstaO0on_2UuAqfm8DbwmMlvqqhBMJbVaPm/s1600/P5090413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRrI-VJK4V7Um16HunDw4aCsgtNUa8naC1Vb1blIWDUe35rgDe9Ks06UOq4LuTPfaWQaewYinD8mf9-zU8NlNVgX3n_IgD1DFFuUK15VmVFstaO0on_2UuAqfm8DbwmMlvqqhBMJbVaPm/s320/P5090413.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div>Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-18328234041893783072010-05-08T21:47:00.003+10:002010-05-10T13:22:07.166+10:00Sydney bridge climbToday we finally climbed the icon of Sydney, the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The weather was great, blue sky, no wind. We had a great time and I think we can now officially call ourselves Aussies.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0MA59K-WOm80KzEzSyaIUkl671TjP_4InbT3bgh7W8XCutG9Qnyw_YckN281ESytRtw_JPCZfRujg6kCHhzY5-d6GyVpJ8rd641Ugot9lQJmKffg287A7jKUwiJMCm6gbnaXhyphenhyphenE7vCaV/s1600/001_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0MA59K-WOm80KzEzSyaIUkl671TjP_4InbT3bgh7W8XCutG9Qnyw_YckN281ESytRtw_JPCZfRujg6kCHhzY5-d6GyVpJ8rd641Ugot9lQJmKffg287A7jKUwiJMCm6gbnaXhyphenhyphenE7vCaV/s200/001_1.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhir5FNS6KXBWKSClZXUQxv8azgdR12Ncgy40c3T2gR998Spdk0Al3Ro22l06rNx7mTAinEqmktPucU4wIkP8McO_iOcVrfT1iypjgFYbanYXECJvefSdiQrN1nyF2Oaj0j5hOve0YBXEVH/s1600/002_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhir5FNS6KXBWKSClZXUQxv8azgdR12Ncgy40c3T2gR998Spdk0Al3Ro22l06rNx7mTAinEqmktPucU4wIkP8McO_iOcVrfT1iypjgFYbanYXECJvefSdiQrN1nyF2Oaj0j5hOve0YBXEVH/s200/002_2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I organised the bridge climb because of Marcel's birthday. Surprise, surprise! A day with the two of us in Sydney without the kids. Heaven! So what else did we see:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Y0lhKxZfHHw-1K0pYPrG-GFE-sVmBUVNe4eM3ZlM6qI4Lvi-9ssEtGpStyQI-WTyv3FNwEPH9zsMVRuuPUJCqGqI3QD7x3aEX5A9RdDV85A0o-abtBS2MJBrvfqZqTsm8_UQ7TpNVuKk/s1600/IMG_5045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Y0lhKxZfHHw-1K0pYPrG-GFE-sVmBUVNe4eM3ZlM6qI4Lvi-9ssEtGpStyQI-WTyv3FNwEPH9zsMVRuuPUJCqGqI3QD7x3aEX5A9RdDV85A0o-abtBS2MJBrvfqZqTsm8_UQ7TpNVuKk/s200/IMG_5045.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Y0lhKxZfHHw-1K0pYPrG-GFE-sVmBUVNe4eM3ZlM6qI4Lvi-9ssEtGpStyQI-WTyv3FNwEPH9zsMVRuuPUJCqGqI3QD7x3aEX5A9RdDV85A0o-abtBS2MJBrvfqZqTsm8_UQ7TpNVuKk/s1600/IMG_5045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>This is this sign of the Glenmore hotel in the Rocks, the area next to the Sydney Harbour bridge. Downstairs it doesn't look very nice but if you walk up the stairs you reach the rooftop terras with great views and excellent food and drinks. It must be a popular place because I saw 'reserved' signs on a few of the tables. From the terras, enjoying a cold beer, you can see the roof of the Sydney opera house and of course the city skyline with the Sydney tower in the back. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gs_HuTZDChXWCYdZgTSiK0O40zdwCfrN6K-4Dr5o9LZsRApHR0LJLpuzofvllViuYRZ1BzI7RkRQBjTfLteDty3o2GQcM3Wi0LNaKZqhtglZxbLWGmovZDVc2PPGcvitx1WUE7eFM4iI/s1600/IMG_5041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gs_HuTZDChXWCYdZgTSiK0O40zdwCfrN6K-4Dr5o9LZsRApHR0LJLpuzofvllViuYRZ1BzI7RkRQBjTfLteDty3o2GQcM3Wi0LNaKZqhtglZxbLWGmovZDVc2PPGcvitx1WUE7eFM4iI/s200/IMG_5041.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYcImq4hSeTNcxx3_mO2mJuKbIddIW0rNHoqG1P1EkLJBg39nkA2AV3zkxDA8pituiKzDan5gCEGlSncX7AccaWVhEdVDJitauHuuh2Jm0wRkmfmNZUHa5XIDCOpCnFaaMoMZARNYn4XH/s1600/IMG_5044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYcImq4hSeTNcxx3_mO2mJuKbIddIW0rNHoqG1P1EkLJBg39nkA2AV3zkxDA8pituiKzDan5gCEGlSncX7AccaWVhEdVDJitauHuuh2Jm0wRkmfmNZUHa5XIDCOpCnFaaMoMZARNYn4XH/s200/IMG_5044.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After the climb we went to Kings Cross to do a walking tour with <a href="http://www.bouncewalkingtours.com/">Bounce Walking Tours</a>. Since I arrived here in Sydney I've never been to this part of town and I wanted to go somewhere new. There is tv show in Australia called 'Underbelly' and this tour takes you to the places which feature in this show like the nightclubs and other 'dark places'. Without having seen the show, the tour was very entertaining and I enjoyed walking there. I almost made plans to move to this part of Sydney because it's so lively. This is not exactly the case where we live. Oeps, I forgot that I have two young kids who may not like it here. Colin, our guide, told me that in this part of the city the ratio of dogs to kids is five to one. Interesting. So this is the perfect area to live if you have a dog and you don't like kids. Anyone? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-63185815137059666382010-05-07T21:06:00.001+10:002010-05-07T21:08:10.514+10:00Night zoo SydneyIn our garden and on the deck we get lots of visitors. Almost every night we see a few possums. They are very curious animals and they just sit there looking at us. In Australia possums are protected animals so they can pretty much do anything they like.<br />
<br />
This one was looking at us but just as a I tried to take a picture he took off. He may be back later tonight and then I'll try again.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojmgjspjHwWKHVK7NRqVFT6hCdS0BUFO_edY6kCZwEDny7QckuhTxSNQOWOyR3nm-t-gYL2LuYZF7JWRoTZRFZCHOUXQpGEOxZomw0sbBjIvkw3mB2WxJbbHHKqaThwAYrn546S9tu-aT/s1600/IMG_5038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojmgjspjHwWKHVK7NRqVFT6hCdS0BUFO_edY6kCZwEDny7QckuhTxSNQOWOyR3nm-t-gYL2LuYZF7JWRoTZRFZCHOUXQpGEOxZomw0sbBjIvkw3mB2WxJbbHHKqaThwAYrn546S9tu-aT/s320/IMG_5038.jpg" /></a></div><div><br />
<div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div></div>Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-43918664886925713332010-05-04T17:39:00.004+10:002010-05-05T20:14:59.901+10:00Flip Flop fashionI'm on my way to a first meeting for volunteering work at the Biennale of Sydney. I go by bus into town which will take me about 25 minutes. I then need to walk for about half an hour. For the first time I do this the Aussie way. I put my nice shoes in my bag and I'm wearing my white flip flops. They are easy to walk with and this way I don't arrive at the event with sore feet. During the day you see lots of women doing this, especially the ones wearing 8 cm killer heels to work. Feet happy, I'm happy.Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091800571874197610.post-1863706287951104182010-05-04T13:48:00.001+10:002010-05-04T13:51:28.560+10:00The 'pleasures' of renting a home in SydneyI guess we are quite lucky with our house because it's in a quite area and we have a nice garden and deck for the Aussie barbeques.<br />
<br />
Living in a rental home does have it's inconveniences though. You need to accept the house as it is because you can't make any changes. One of the problems I have is with the washing area. The floor in the washing area is very slippery and not straight and the washing machine keeps moving. Last week, when the machine was standing against the wall, I couldn't get any washing done because the machine did not finish the cycle because of an unbalanced load. I now moved it forward and I don't get the message anymore. Hoeree! The only problem is that the machine is now standing a bit awkward in the middle of the washing area. See picture.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSgnS91PTEX4PN-OS-Y-qZZ6N3J94ZuU8a6275FiBjBy7hqNoYLbMevjzerFfWL3OXkG5Wo1a98smFugWotJXQBvWIzMPyxlj_7sDvX3msCgqZZg7sQ26Y5O9LZPXKxIXD6VGSukIRJA8k/s1600/IMG_5020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSgnS91PTEX4PN-OS-Y-qZZ6N3J94ZuU8a6275FiBjBy7hqNoYLbMevjzerFfWL3OXkG5Wo1a98smFugWotJXQBvWIzMPyxlj_7sDvX3msCgqZZg7sQ26Y5O9LZPXKxIXD6VGSukIRJA8k/s200/IMG_5020.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Anyway, I decided to keep it this way because at least I get the washing done.<br />
<br />
Another problem with a rental home is that you don't know how everything works. It's getting colder now so I keep the door to the garden closed at night. As a result the fire alarm went off everytime I was cooking. Very annoying!! The other day I got so angry (the alarm makes a lot of noise) so I just ripped it from the wall to make it stop. Luckily there were no kids in the room. This worked. At least that's what I thought. Silly me.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPpm29d_S3GuJTRXKspFB53Tksauu4UgBge_FmEIivDpUkY2MVwXVx0MHHBPnARRzNAbQ3OSAc86DFfrP9d_FHWYNYaeybJ-Phy33Sxlwb8kLi8j0R3HVuWoMYuFaHhiqvv-9VU80h5hLF/s1600/IMG_5024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPpm29d_S3GuJTRXKspFB53Tksauu4UgBge_FmEIivDpUkY2MVwXVx0MHHBPnARRzNAbQ3OSAc86DFfrP9d_FHWYNYaeybJ-Phy33Sxlwb8kLi8j0R3HVuWoMYuFaHhiqvv-9VU80h5hLF/s200/IMG_5024.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br />
<br />
The next day a workman knocked on the door instead of using the doorbel. I didn't know why he did that but that didn't really matter.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Later that day I slowly started to realize what I had done. Instead of destroying the fire alarm I had completely destroyed the mechanism for the door bell. To stop the fire alarm from going off, all I needed to do was to take the batteries out. Oeps. So we now don't have a door bell anymore and we have an inspection of our house on May 25. Oeps again.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjKvqjqfU9K1kG4197y8yWHjBq7-eEzN-uHaycQUs6sOyIfw31IT1Eg6c73-a6wl2ITY-bE1kFydbuQh2GytgXd89oPBAQMwjbvnyoxGTKpMqdB4vjPtmNDoOUvzUj8BkZGMmxgln_y2w/s1600/IMG_5025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjKvqjqfU9K1kG4197y8yWHjBq7-eEzN-uHaycQUs6sOyIfw31IT1Eg6c73-a6wl2ITY-bE1kFydbuQh2GytgXd89oPBAQMwjbvnyoxGTKpMqdB4vjPtmNDoOUvzUj8BkZGMmxgln_y2w/s200/IMG_5025.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Sandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14010413749020980569noreply@blogger.com0