I think I am finally adjusting to the city noises at night. Lavender St. is lovely but it is a main through road and exit off the highway, traffic can be busy, especially in the AM and PM hours. On a more welcoming note, we hear all the cool birds during the day; like the screech of the cockatoos, the chirps of the rainbow lorikeets, the alien sounds of the crow, beautiful song of the magpie and jungle sound of the kookaburra. At night, we hear the high-pitched sound of the Ringtail Possum, or at least we think that’s what it is, never see them unfortunately.
While one of the most beautiful and livable cities on the planet, Sydney is also one of the most expensive. In fact, the townhouse next door to us, 30B Lavender St. just sold for $1.6 million and that is on the cheaper side!
This is a shot of Milson’s Point train station, a 5-7 minute walk from our flat, note our street is right off the M1.
So, apartment living continues to be a challenge. Everyday I have to buy ice for the cooler to keep the food cold, no fridge yet. Isn’t that crazy? Apartments here don’t come w/ a refrigerator, w/ the exception of some of the newer flats, you have to bring your own. I cringe when I wake in the AM to find dinner soaking in the water of melted ice, what a waste. To add to the frustration, I have no cooking gas yet either so no working stove/oven… :-/
On a brighter note, my debit card was ready at Commonwealth bank so I was eager to pick that up in the CBD. As I mentioned previously, lots of boutique and hi-end chain stores in the CBD. Ugg stores, everywhere, no big shock, but many of them cater to the tourist. I would love to buy a pair but they are only slightly cheaper here than at home. Really disappointed to learn that the soles of the “cheaper” ones are made in China, so you have to be careful of that scam too. Hope to find a store that is off the beaten path, where the locals buy them.
Did a little more grocery-shopping today and found crumpets at Woolworth’s, one of the major grocery chains, not like the department store we grew up with. Have never tried a crumpet before, this will be new! They look a little like english muffins. I also found Vegemite, but did NOT buy a jar, yuk! lol
Next up, desk assembly, after spending 2hrs at Lav Bay cafe for breakfast and to use their wireless connection to at least try to stay on top of emails and pay bills back home. Yes, you are seeing tomatoes for breakfast, a very British tradition that is alive and well here. ;-)
Finally, was going to get laundry done today too. The washing machines are in a ram-shackled out-building in the back of the apartment building. This was another tough adjustment that we took for granted, having our own washer/dryer in our own home. :-/ But all part of the adventure!
I have to say, coming from a bucolic life in the woods, it’s been an adjustment hearing all the city noises. Pretty much no matter where you are in the city, the noise is unavoidable. Even with all the windows closed, you can hear the trains in the distance and cars on the roads, revelers on the sidewalks. Apartment living is not something I’ve done in years either, parties on the first floor, doors creaking open and slamming shut. It is exciting but will need time to adjust and get used to it all. Fortunately since it is an older building, it’s pretty solid and absorbs alot of the noises!
So yesterday, Sunday, I got alot done but started feeling a little overwhelmed. Here I am alone in this foreign country, in a city where I do not know a soul. Everything was becoming a huge effort without a car, no internet and new area to become acquainted with. Thank God for the computer in the convenience store nearby. I mapped out a route to the closest hardware store, Bunnings (like a Home Depot but on a slightly smaller scale) in St. Leonard’s. Took the train from North Sydney and walked a short distance to the store. Bought a few basics, cleaning products, hardware and some potted lavender! Returned home and scrubbed the bathroom and kitchen and finished assembling the bed frame, a huge accomplishment. What a difference, sleeping in a clean bed OFF the floor. Washed the bed sheets and blanket, so much more comfortable now!
If the benefit of not owning a car forces you to walk more, I also found there are positives to not having the internet available every waking minute. In fact, as inconvenient as it was, I found it rather refreshing. I brought a few books and magazines I’ve been wanting to read, and started with Greek Fire, a guilty pleasure that I can not put down. I’ve also been writing these journal entries everyday, something I’d wished I’d done on other trips I’d taken. This time, I said, I’m going to stay committed to writing about our experiences living here. It would be regrettable otherwise, to not document this once in a lifetime opportunity, living in one of the most fascinating countries on the planet!
Our new bed:
Lots of cool stuff to tell about this fabulous city but one thing we noticed were fireworks every Friday and Saturday night. We don’t always see them but we hear them often, sometimes even on weeknights. They usually have them in Darling Harbor but sometimes you can see them from Lavender Bay. And more recently someone told us that the cruise ships will light off fireworks too when they come into dock for the night so that makes sense as to why we hear them so often. Pretty exciting!
It was so nice to be in our own place now but after the moving day from hell, poor, exhausted Jim had to leave the next morning for Tokyo! :-( So here I am in this cavernous apartment w/ minimal living essentials and worst of all, NO internet. I walked up to the corner convenience store to use their computer to set up DSLR2+ broadband internet service but it will take as long as 10-20 business days. From there I stopped by Lavender bay cafe for a cappuccino. A lovely view of Clark park, Wendy’s secret garden and the serene waters of the bay.
Clark park and Wendy’s garden below, are wildly popular locations for weddings. Since March is late summer/early fall, it’s wedding season weather. Beautiful location and we feel so lucky to live right across the street from all of it. This is the view from our apartment. The mature trees are nice but seriously block the view. I imagine come summer we’ll be happy for the cooling shade they’ll provide!
Back to reality and the flat to clean and unpack, till next time!
