Men at Work and Manly

Phew. I made it through my first week of employment without any scratches (although maybe a bruise here or there!). Granted it was a three day week, but those are minor details. Minor!

So I'm working for Citibank in their Credit Cards division and more specifically, the Insurance Distribution section. I'm filling in for the Marketing Coordinator. It promises to be a hectic job, but I don't mind too much. I can handle it for the next four weeks !

The weekend was brilliant! It started getting fun on Friday at lunch. One of the women on the team was going on Mat Leave so we went to this very very posh French restaurant at the Hilton and had a lovely 2.5 hour lunch complete with wine and the such and paid for by the company. This was AFTER we had already had cakes and sausage rolls in the morning delivered in by St Michel's. After a couple of hours back at the desk we went to the monthly staff meeting where there were free booze, candy, chocolate bars and chips.

After work the drinks continued to flow, with workmates heading to the Coronation Hotel across the street. I swear I only intended to have one glass, but somehow one turned into two and after that I was being handed glasses of wine so I really couldn't refuse. The night got even more interesting when I randomly accepted an invite from a co-worker to go to a birthday part at the Coogee Bay Beach Hotel. Oh OK, twist my arm. So I danced some more, drank some more and eventually found myself left to my own devices. And that, of course, always spells trouble for me.....

Saturday I tried to repent my sins from the day before (the eating/drinking ones) by doing a long sessoin at the gym with my workout buddy, Brett. Of course later in the evening I had some more bevvies, so not sure how much the workout session helped. Saturday night Brett took me along to a club called Mylk, where he was to meet some 'straight' girls that he'd made friends with at a football game. There was $20 cover, but we were able to get in due to being on a guest list and the first round of drinks were also free! After awee while Brett got tired of teh straight club and we headed to Stonewall. My first gay clubbing expeience in Australia. It was brilliant, but there are way too many good looking gay guys. Very disproportionate representation of good lookin gay men vs straight men I say!

Sunday I was woken by Garth, my other flatmate who decided it was alright o barge into my room and jump on my bed at 9.30am. Not impressed. The three of us went to Chinatown for Yum-Cha (aka Dim Sum) and proceeded to pig out on copious amounts of eveything that was presented to us. Of course, after that Brett & I decided we might as well continue to be gluttons, so we bought candy and chocolate at Woolworth's and stuffed ourselves some more.

It's awonder they let us onto the boat to Manly - we probably posed a threat of sinking it, but anyways. Right,so I FINALLY saw the Opera House and Harbour Bridge and Circular Quay, and I am glad I waited. The sunshine was brilliant yesterday and it was definitely a 'wow' moment when I realised that I was indeed in Australia, far far away from everything and everyone I know. But I'm not homesick in the least :)

Manly is a kind of posh area of Sydney and you have to take a ferry to get there from the city. It has it's own beach and a great shopping area. It kind of reminded me of Miami, except there were loads of surgeres in the water and the sand was soooo soft. It was like walking in talcum powder. I waded in a wee bit, but the water was still kind of cold. It is winter after all. Capped off the night by having wine adn wedges with Brett and Peter on a balcony overlooking the ocean. It was the perfect way to end a magnificent weekend!

Of coures now I am sick. I know I have only myself to blame but it's no fun!

Oh - final note.I WAS going to send postcards to people whose addresses I had but somehow managed to misplace every single postcard I had bought. Sorry for the delay, I'll get on that asap.