Weekend Warriors
Currently posted up at my favorite cafe, Bondi Wholefoods with this in front of me...
The Monday blues don't currently apply to me because I still have a little time left on the funemployment train :) I spent months saving for my move (despite not actually committing to it), in the hopes that I could allow myself to explore my new home and get to know it a little before diving into a new job. Success!
Home! 19 Blair Street, Bondi Beach
The NFL is starting to getting more attention in the land down unda. The games now get broadcasted live here and peeps are starting to watch. However, you have to be game for a 4am wakeup call on a Monday morning. Oddly enough, Conor has been a die-hard Oakland Raiders fan since he was a wee one, so he's always followed the NFL. His bestie/roomie, Lombie, has family ties to Sacramento so has also grown up watching games, however with an affinity for the Niners. Recently, they got together with two other mates and started a podcast where they chat about the games and players, make predictions for the season, and give each other crap for the bold statements they make about their respective favorites. It's been a fun passion project for them and they recently when live with their website and podcasts (can check it out here, give them some love and like the page!), so Friday night we all went out for drinks to celebrate!
Before I arrived, I made it clear to Conor that I wanted to really get immersed in Sydney culture right away. I already knew I loved the city, but I wanted it to feel home-y, and not vacation-y when I got here (I guess getting a job would be the quickest way to get that done, but whatevs, baby steps). So, what did he suggest - other than adding vegemite to my morning avo toast - ? A rugby game!! This was actually quite perf, because I'm coming from San Francisco, where in the last 5 years I've been there, we've won two World Series, one NBA championship, and went to the Super Bowl. So needless to say, sports was a major part of SF culture and sharing a beer while cheering on our boys was the easiest way to feel connected to the city.
Rugby is quite the sport... It's a lot of very squatty, very muscly guys running around and beating the hell out of each other. I saw one guy get his pants ripped off and another guy had his face grabbed so hard, I thought it would experience the same fate as the aforementioned pants... But despite it being such a hooligan's sport, there was actually a lot of organization going on, and clearly a lot of skill. The infamous scrum, for example, is not just a big dogpile, like I had thought, but there's a very specific way they all have to hook and link up. And if they mess up, they have to redo it. And there's this thing called a "line out", where they literally throw each other in the air to catch the ball after it goes out. I laughed every time they did it, because it was like the biggest, muscliest men doing a cheerleader stunt.
Sunday morning, Con and I lazily picked ourselves up from the previous two days, and wandered down to the lobby of his apartment building where the cutest little cafe lives...
One of my favorite things EVER is dining alfresco. Though the list is long, it features prominently on my List of Obsessions, so this cafe and this particular morning were a real treat. And the best part was, when we finished and were ready to do what Sundays are made for - nothing, we didn't have too far to go! Made our way back up the elevator full of eggs, green tea, and coffee :)
