Yesterday, I was lucky enough to go on a boat ride with my co-workers as a team-building activity. Although we didn’t do the usual team-building exercises, I think everyone had a great time. Clinton and I brought a case of beer, Alanna brought the wine and food, and James was the designated boat driver.

Yesterday we went to Coogee Beach for a BBQ, and I must say, a BBQ in December is pretty nice. Wan, our flatmate, and I visited the store in the early afternoon and bought a case of beer and $50 worth of meat. One of the nice things about the beach is that there are free BBQs to use: just push the button and away you go. After a few hours of eating, we took a short walk to the beach. I was nominated as the designated driver, so I took Wan and one of his friends back to his house to change. Shortly afterward, we were back at the beach and then on our way home.

First, don’t worry: it wasn’t me. The day began as usual: checking email, calling the United States, and taking care of business. I baked some muffins and scones. To get out of the house, I decided to visit one of the markets on Oxford Street in the city. I love markets. At about 2:00, I left the house and headed down Parramatta Road. An hour later, I had parked on a side street and was walking towards the market. It had more variety than the markets I knew in Taiwan, which often sold many of the same things, and I enjoyed looking around. One food vendor wanted to sell a few remaining kebab sandwiches and lowered the price from $8.50 to $5, so I picked up two.

I have several months of back entries to catch up on, but I find the way my “household” operates quite funny: there are three of us, and we sit in an MSN chat room. I used to do something similar when I lived in a huge house in Portland, but it is especially amusing in our two-bedroom apartment. I could even tap out Morse code to my flatmate right now.

I had arrived in Sydney! The flight wasn’t too bad, but shortly after landing I realised I hadn’t fully organised my transport or accommodation. I bought a phone card at the airport, where it cost $10 instead of $2 downtown, and jumped on a bus into the city. When I arrived, I stepped off the bus into steady rain and a cold breeze. After travelling through tropical countries for the previous two months, I was thoroughly unprepared for the Sydney winter, however mild it might be.