Sydney suggestions

My parents are going to Sydney next weekend to celebrate (early) their 25th wedding anniversary.

Dad, Mum, here are a few suggestions for you:

- Getting into/out of town:
It's really easy to take the trains. Don't worry.

- Circular Quay:
From here you can go to the Opera House and the Royal Botanical Gardens on one side, and the Harbour Bridge and the Rocks on the other. You can also take a ferry to the Taronga Park Zoo here.
All good places to go and see.

At the Zoo, you get to see the animals really up close. This is a wallaby, not a roo.

- Try some Kangaroo meat:
I keep telling you, Kangaroo meat is really nice. Though I am not a very meat loving person, I am all for trying new foods, and one of the reasons I went to Australia the first time was to try their unique dishes. Unfortunately I was not able to try the crocodiles at the time, but I fell in love with the Kangaroo steak with cranberry sauce on the side, on our second night in Darling Harbour.

It may have been a long day touring around in the humid drizzling Summer weather...

- Bondi beach:
Dad might not like the crowd. Mum might not want to take a dip in the waters. But it is Sydney, and it is Bondi. Take the bus.

- Government House:
For some historical architecture admiration, take this free guided tour in the Royal Botanical Gardens, open 7 days 10.30am-3pm

- Free wi-fi:
This is particularly important to my mother, who cannot live without being connected; she is even worse than me! Just pop into any of the nearby McDos or Starbucks, which will be your easiest bet.

Whatever you guys end up doing, I hope you have heaps of fun!!

Graduate, a second time

So, I graduated again last week. 

Most of you probably didn't realise, even that this was my second time, because I graduated in absentia the first time round a few years ago, and because you were too busy at work to be able to come see me, anyway. 

I didn't know anyone at the graduation ceremony, the downside of doing a second degree in a weird time frame - finishing it in 2.5 years, then putting off the ceremony for a semester. 

The weather didn't help and my flu didn't help, either. Still, my parents were able to come up for the occasion, so we were able to spend some quality family time, which had been long overdue. 

I miss them already. :)

Talking science

Trying to attend more public lectures and events nowadays, to keep myself busy. Just a few notes from a science lecture I went to a few weeks ago.

- New Caledonian birds use tools in a way that is more sophisticated than our nearest cousins, the chimpanzees. Using leaves, they make spikes down the sides to pick out their food sources out of trees. Ingenious! The young seem to learn by trial and error, rather than being taught by their parents. Maybe they haven't got to that next step yet. In another few million years...

- Hippocampus look like seahorses. Revision from my science days

Humorous clip of Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie on the subject of language :)

Flu, flu, fly away

from here

I've been sick with the flu since last week. Fault of heating system at work blasting air conditioning to the max. Too bad that last week was also the week when my parents came up from Christchurch, for a bit of family reunion and also to attend my graduation ceremony on Friday the 10th.

Didn't help that the weather was as gloomy as you could get, raining every day. I got a lovely bouquet of flowers but still cannot smell its apparently strong perfume circling my room, because I am too busy blowing my nose raw all the time.

Hopefully I will be able to get rid of this unwanted friend soon, with the bright orange concoction above.

Flu, flu, fly away, I do not want you at all!

Dessert place: Milse

Behind Ortolana is another hidden cave of delicate sweet treasures, called Milse.
If you still haven't been, it's imperative that you do. Take your partner. Invite your little sister. Treat your mum - what did you get her for Mother's day?

Milse is the new hippest patisserie in town to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Be quick to get there if you want a  table, because this tiny place do not take reservations, and gets packed pretty quickly, especially on Friday nights. On Sunday evenings you may be more lucky. 

Once you score a table or a seat at the bar, you'll be given a menu, with all sorts of delights - tarts, gateaux, macarons, gelato pops... You mark the ones you want and hand them to the waiters. While waiting, sip on your sparkling water; so easy to pretend that you are in Europe, haha. 

I always get a macaron of the day with something else. The last time it was a fig tart with mascarpone, ooh, so good! The other thing I like about Milse is that they are open all day, until around 11.30pm on most nights (10.30pm on Sundays).

I'm taking the girls at the office here on Friday - they are so excited! 

Pink elephant

D: Pink elephant struggling to flee, though failing miserably. More like a dragon than an elephant.

Along comes a choco man gliding away from the little grubby hands of children, chasing for the chunks off his sweet head.

Dinner place: Ortolana

Where has the sun gone?

To New York, apparently, according to Y. To Rome, too, R tells me. Well, certainly away from Aotearoa/NZ, where it has been in constant wetness since last week. Eek. I am so grateful for my rain jacket but think I may also need rain boots to keep my feet dry.

When it used to be warmer, C and I had visited Ortolana for an early lunch. Ortolana is hidden in the Britomart courtyard, so had been out of my radar, but not any more. It is a small trendy place serving European style cuisine, mostly Italian. The sodas were so refreshingly lovely. I want the sun back!