The Long Weekend

Friday night I had dinner with my coworker Ben and his wife Helena (pronounced Hel-A-na). I had met her when we went to the observatory earlier in the week and she is really sweet. I thought dinner would be nice. Too bad we didn't meet earlier in my stay here. I have a picture of us at dinner in my photos. Friday lunch I met with the testing group here and that picture is in the photos too.

Well the first weekend in October appears to be Labor Day here so there have been a lot of special events going on here. On Saturday I wanted to catch this architecture walk that I read about in my guide book. It was just this short little mention but it said it was lead by a working or student architect so I thought it would be interesting. When I got there it turned out that the Saturday tour was only about Utzen the architect of the Opera House. I was really hoping for a more general tour of the architecture all around downtown but that tour is on Wednesdays while I'm working. But I read the description and it sounded good so I signed up.

WOW... I just don't even know how to describe it. If you live in Sydney or you ever visit here. You HAVE to take this tour. The gentleman who did our tour was so knowledgeable. And his perspective was so interesting. He refered to it as a conversation about how the architecture the people and the politics came together to give us the building as it is. And it was just amazing. I took more pictures of the Opera House because he showed us so many things that I just missed when looking at it on my own. The tour starts at the Museaum of Sydney so if you want to go on it start there.

Obeservations:
I think I like tipping. I think we get better service. I never though I would say that.
Everything here is fried. I ordered the grilled fish yesterday and it had breading that looked fried!
They don't eat veggies. I thought restaurant food in the US was low on veggies. Getting veggies here (excepting chips) is nearly impossible... or it costs 7 dollars.

Sunday I went to Manly. The weather was perfect. I had planned to go the weekend before but the weather turned and I waited. Good decision. So going to Manly is going to a beach town. It was very similar to being in Florida. Lots of souvenier stores and beach clothes stores. Lots of teens wearing not much more than their bathing suits. It was also the Internation Jazz festival though so it was WONDERFUL. I heard lots of different bands and really had a great time. I think I got a little too much sun exposure though my face was pretty red by the end of the day. There were also little vending tents on the beach... I think it was as part of the festival but maybe they are there every weekend. I bought one of those outfits that can be worn multiple ways. It is green and made out of sari fabric. I can really see myself wearing it so I have high hopes.

Today is Monday and I'm going with Colin and his wife to the Hunter Valley to go to the wineries. I'm not sure if I will try taking any wine home or not. I would have to pack it in my suitcase and that could be risky. Ben thinks that bubble wrap would protect it sufficiently. I'll just have to decide when I'm there.