The Hills Are Alive!

Greetings, folks.

I write this blog entry with very bitter-sweet sentiment. As it turns out, I am moving apartments. With a heavy heart, I am leaving the wonderful neighbourhood of Surry Hills and moving to....BONDI BEACH! This post is an homage to my favourite things about my old stomping grounds of Surry Hills.

Surry Hills, sandwiched between Hyde Park of downtown and the chic shopping strip of Oxford street is a lovely area choc-a-block full of quaint cafes, boutiques, vintage stores (vinnies), and gourmet restos. I will sorely miss having all of these amazing options of entertainment available 24/7. This neighbourhood is so lively that my room mates call it "the resort" because we never have to go far for anything we want or need.

Some favourites:
-iCafe, my home away from home. They have free wireless here (a rarity in this odd country) so I often work from there. They know exactly what I like: a regular flat white and poached eggs on turkish toast.
-Shady Pines, a hidden gem of a pub: full of whisky and mastheads. Very reminiscent of an American saloon with fun beers on tap. (don't forget that we females shan't drink beer!)
-4 ate 5, located on the famed main artery of Crown Street. This restaurant is owned by my friends sister-in-law and serves DELICIOUS banana injected French toast
-SES fashion, a great ever-changing boutique store with affordable and stylish finds. Well who are we kidding...I don't have style!

So there you have it, my favourite places and memories of such a fun area of the inner-west suburbs. But alas, it's time to try something new and move to the beach. My new flat is a 10 minute stride to the most famous beach in the world and home to some of the best bars and restaurants. It will surely be a lifestyle change, but I am ready to be an "Eastie" as they say. I have been told that once you move east you never go back! We'll see....!

That Time of the Month!

Hello friends and Happy 4th of July to everyone!

Yes it is that time of the month: time to post a blog update on my life here in Sydney. Lots to write about due to the massive amount of great things occurring in the past 30 days!

First off, mazal tov to Michael Maze for snagging my sister as his fiancé! I was lucky enough to travel back to the States to help them celebrate their engagement in addition to seeing Shira graduate from high school with my 4 grandparents and all of my cousins save for Eitan. It was an amazing time home topped off with a quick trip to DC to see my friends and coworkers.

BUT I AM BACK AND HAPPIER THAN EVER!

Yes, it is still winter. And yes, the honeymoon phase has definitely passed here in Oz. Yet I am finding myself surrounded with great friends and even better adventures and stories that come with them. It's hard to believe I just passed my halfway mark here...but hey... things may change...

Unsurprisingly, this city is World Cup obsessed. Surprisingly, it is as not in-your-face as you would expect. Perhaps it's because the two game times are at outrageous hours due to our ungodly timezone (midnight and 4am). Even though the Socceroos left the tournament prematurely, everyone is still into it and happy to watch and put their lives on hold until July 11th (Hup Holland!). One guy in a bar even told me he'd call me after the games were over...! At least he was honest!

Winter now isn't as terrible as it was in early June. There were 2 solid weeks of rain which definitely didn't help things. What's nice about the Oz winter is that the sun still shines through despite the chilly temps. What is unfortunate about the weather here is that the Sydneysiders are totally unprepared for it and complain about it as though this is the first time they have experienced 55 degree weather. As an example, we experienced our coldest June day in 27 years. Everyone was freaking out about it...and rightfully so as there is no heat anywhere and the city is structured to be pedestrian-centric. (Again, I think the city planners forgot winter existed here).

Despite the weather, I have been out and about both in Sydney and in the New South Wales region. A few highlights from this month:

-My friends and I took a road trip to the Hunter Valley wine country in May. While there, we visited 3 vineyards and were able to taste the various bottled wines in the owners' boutique wineries. It was so fun and even educational. The awkward part was that we were the only ones who weren't spitting our wine once we got the "taste." I don't think our other, older tourmates appreciated our behavior by the end of the trip!

-Sydney is currently celebrating the 17th Biennale, which is in fact the fourth oldest in the world. It is Australia's largest and most exciting contemporary visual arts event. A highlight was my ferry trip to Cockatoo Island with friends to check out the sculptures and exhibits of over 50 artists. (note: this is not to be confused with a Biennial! When I was certain this was the biennial, I was dumbfounded to think that Sydney was only 34 years old. Don't worry, this confusion didn't last too long!)

-2 friends and I took a day trip to Watson's Bay. While there, we feasted on the ever-famous Fish n'Chips at Doyles and hiked up the cliffs to the Sydney Harbour National Park. This is a unique point in Sydney's many lookouts for you get a view of both waters: the harbour and the South Pacific.

-We had a pretty "bizarro" 4th of July celebration here. The Americans decided to celebrate Independence Day on Saturday the 3rd due to the fact that we have work/school on Monday. Whenever an Aussie would ask me what I would be doing on Saturday, I would reply "celebrating the July 4th." Now this is confusing on two levels: 1) it was the 3rd of July and 2) I always forget that the fourth day in July doesn't signify anything to anyone outside of the States. Full of singing, sparklers, American cookie cake and of course some burgers and dogs on the barbie, we had a great time on Coogee beach. Granted it was 50 degrees out, it was a gorgeous day nevertheless!

-Today I finally saw my first Sydney Opera House performance! It was a 90 minute-long dance performance put on by the troop Political Mother. I was expecting something along the lines of "Stomp" but got something a bit edgier instead. Overall it was pretty fascinating and definitely different.

-July is shaping up to be quite a hectic one! Lots of birthdays combined with going to New Zealand for a work conference plus Naomi is coming to visit! We will be going to the tropical northern city of Cairns to go diving in the Great Barrier Reef and ziplining through the rainforest. I can't wait for what this month has in store!

Til next time...

Domestic Australian Adventures... GoodOnYa!

Happy weekend friends!

Yes, it has been about a month since my last post and for those waiting with baited breath for this entry I apologize. There is always so much internal pressure to try to fit every happening and story into one of these posts so I end up putting it off for as long as I can!

Since my trip to Bali a lot of great things have happened. I was fortunate (and unfortunate) enough to get to travel a bit for work. Two weeks ago the Advisory Board hosted six regional meetings for all of our member hospital executives and directors. What this meant for me was an itinerary of this: airport > hotel > hospital/lecture hall > airport >next city. I went to Adelaide, Brisbane, and Melbourne (twice!). The last time I traveled to Melbourne I extended my ticket for the weekend and LOVED IT. I will most definitely be back! (Adelaide and Brisbane, sorry folks...)

Melbourne is very reminiscent of a Victorian, European city BUT with amazing/funky/modern architecture sandwiched in between the older buildings and tram tracks. Aussies often compare Melbourne to NY while Sydney is more a coastal California city (but better in my opinion). If you like shopping and coffee shops, "Melbs" is your town!


I visited with my old and dear friend Deb who is a native Melburnian. She did an excellent job of showing me around. What I saw/did:
-spent Friday night at Shira Chadasha, a progressive egalitarian/traditional minyan similar to my alma mater of DC Minyan.
-perused Queen Victoria Market (excellent and cheap produce, wholesale UGG boots, gluten free pizza, souvenirs, etc)
-walked to Federation Square (a massive open area overlooking the Yarra river. That day happened to be Buddha's birthday celebration so it was covered with altars, golden Buddhas, and delicious Asian food)
-browsed Aclan street (lovely drag of shops and cafes where we ate lunch)
-walked through Chapel street (another, longer drag with terrific shopping!)

A few other highlights since last the posting:
-I joined a running club. It's called rePUBlic runners and we meet every Tuesday night downtown at a pub called the republic. The idea is that you donate $5 to the charity of the week, run a 5k, and then enjoy a free drink on the pub! What a lovely way to run, be philanthropic, drink and socialise! (look I am already spelling like an Aussie)
-Finally made it to the north shore of Sydney. Sydney proper is south of the harbour and the north is formally called Ku-ring-gai. I took a ferry to Manly beach to meet up with my friend Jan who lives in one of the two Jewish settlements, St. Ives in the North. (if anyone is interested in the North v. East Jewish rivalry please inquire... it's quite fascinating!)
-celebrating Shavuot with yummy desserts, good friends, and boring board games (did you know I hate games?)
-My little Aussie cousin turned one! We celebrated by lunching in Centennial Park on a gorgeous Sunday.
-I was able to show my friend from work Robin around Sydney this past week as she was the event planner for all of our previously mentioned regional meetings. We sent her off with a "benda" (all-nighter) out on the town. I hope she enjoyed her time here!


Passing my two-month-aversary here I really feel like this is reality. No more naive frolicking around the city marveling at how nice people are and how great the weather is...false! Yesterday a bus driver slammed the door on my leg because I was too late to hop on and a cab driver creepily touched my face because "I looked cold." The autumn is rapidly turning into a wet winter and I am most definitely settled into my work and social life. I am still loving it here but not as a tourist... as a Sydneysider!

Cheers!

Special Location Post: BALI!

Hi friends!

It has sadly been too long since my last post, but up until I left for Bali things were quite ordinary and I was just settling into my apartment and worklife in Surry Hills.


From April 9-19 I was fortunate enough to visit my best friend Alex in Bali, Indonesia. Alex has been travelling Asia and Africa this year and I needed to see her on this side of the world before she galavanted off to Kenya!

The week spent in Bali was nothing less than amazing. Alex was a great hostess and tour guide as she was a complete local in her town of Ubud. We rented motorbikes for the week and were able to see so much of the Indonesian island through this mode of transportation. Save for one nasty bike crash, driving the motorbike was so fun and exhilarating!



A few highlights of the week in Bali:
-spending the day on White Sandy beach (a small beach in eastern Bali that is "off the map")
-worshiping in the holy water of Temple Tirta Empul
-biking to Lake and Mount Batur, an incredibly scenic region in northeast Bali which includes an active volcano!
-summiting Mount Agung, Bali's highest mountain (another volcano) at 10,500 feet
-2 hour massage and spa for only $15!
-haggling in the markets and shops in Ubud
-experiencing Animist Hinduism everywhere we went in Bali
-watching a traditional religious Kecak dance where Balinese chant and dance to reenact scenes from the Ramayana
-being with Alex and her Balinese and expat friends of course!

Please feel free to check out my facebook album of Bali here!


I am happy to be back in Sydney (hot showers, air con, no fear of tropical diseases, etc) but am really missing the cheap great food and amazing Indonesian Rupiah and how far it took me.

Today is ANZAC Day, Australia and New Zealand's "Yom Hazikaron" or "Memorial Day." Today all Australians mourn the loss of their members of the armed forces but with a twist. They have a somber ceremony in the morning but then proceed to the pubs and get drunk while playing Two Up. Two Up is a gambling game which is prohibited 364 days of the year but today it is legal as it was the most popular game of Australian soldiers during WWI. Should be an interesting day of mourning to say the least...!

Again, apologies about the lack of blog posts. Lots of things are coming up here so more to come!

Week in Review

Good evening readers!

I hope this post finds you well and enjoying your springtime. Things are hot as ever here and the fall (if they even have one) is still months away. I wanted to use this post to update you on my first full week here and to fill you in on some funny Aussie stories.

The first week was pretty good! Some lows scattered with mostly high points. Biggest high: I have an address! On Thursday I am moving in with two great Aussie girls to a neighborhood called Surry Hills. (see it on the map) The area is fantastic. Close to Hyde Park (our Central Park), downtown, and the Opera House. It is a short bus ride away from the beach and near all the best bars and cafes. To help you visualize, Surry Hills is a cross of Sheinkin Street in Tel Aviv and SoHo in NYC. A little too trendy for me you may be thinking, but this flat is super as are the flatties! (roomies)

So a big check off my to-do list for the week. WHEW!

Other fun moments of the week included my other girl blind dates. All three were great successes and I can't wait to spend more time with all of them. One was such a success she is now my roommate! It's turning out to be the best way for me to meet people here so if you know of anyone...set me up!

In addition to my promiscuous friendship lifestyle, I went to synagogue for Friday night in the Bondi area. Bondi has a huge Jewish population (more on that later though.) The building was so beautiful as were the services. The services were mostly the same as the Rabbi is a chabad imported Rabbi from Brooklyn. I also stayed with one of my new girlfriends for dinner and mingling afterward. The dinner was a delicious 3-course meal which was followed by trivia and other games. There were about 60 other young professionals there so the meal was pretty intimate. No, I did not meet anyone! Oddly enough my friend and I managed to sit at a table full of couples. They were all very friendly and will surely meet up with them again.

The rest of that weekend consisted of sleeping, reading, and the BEACH! I finally made it down to the famous shore. Wow. Seriously there is no beach like this one! Yes there's south beach, Malibu, Herzl, and even the near to my heart Siesta Key but how could I be missing out on Bondi Beach for this long?? The boardwalk is littered with fantastic cafes and (mostly) beautiful people so I had nothing to complain about. To take a break from the sun, I explored the Bondi Market which is their weekly Sunday artisan market. I felt as if I was transported to Nachalat Binyamin on a Tuesday afternoon because it was 80% run by Israelis! They had some fun cheap stuff so I am sure I'll be back soon.

Sunday ended with the famed "Coastal Walk." I walked from Bondi beach (the northernmost beach on the eastern shore) to Bronte beach (you guessed it, the southernmost). Incredible views! It's crazy to think that this coast is so accessible and ordinary for Sydneysiders (a resident of Sydney). What a great thing to call part of your city.

So now the Oddities Section of my post. The below are just funny things I have picked up on from my week here:

• In the beginning of the Sydney Olympics, there were so many vehicular/pedestrian accidents they had to indicate which way pedestrians should look before crossing the street (Aussies drive on the left side). I still find it daunting as I am constantly looking both ways!


• capsicum is pepper
• 
  
  rocket is arugula
• 
  
  tasty cheese...still working on what that is... but it's everywhere
• 
  
  pumpkin is butternut squash
• 
  
  Subway foot-longs are not 5 dollars... they are 7!
• 
  
  which leads me to this: Sydney is so expensive! A subway ride is minimum $3, a tiny coffee (short black) is also $3 but there is no tipping here (which leads to...you guessed it... terrible service!)
• 
  
  boy/girlfriend, wife, husband, gay/lesbian whathaveyou all = partner (so progressive!)
• 
  
  non-Jews pronounce the letter "H" as hay'che while Jews say proper ayche (good way to filter love, eh?)
• 
  
  higher education is one of the top exports for Australia. The unis are predominantly Asian as they all come in for 3-5 years for university and then go back home. You are a minority on campus!
• 
  
  girls don't drink beer. It's not because they find it unlady-like but since they never had a true college experience (everyone lives at home until they mostly get married) girls never acquire the taste or can tolerate much of it. When people see me drink beer they almost immediately know I am a tourist! Though I am sure there are a few other giveaways...
• 
  
  80% of what exists in Australia does NOT exist anywhere else in this world. I am no horticulturalist but that fact is staggering! So many beautiful flowers, birds, and mammals you can't find anywhere else. Amazing!

• 
  
  Once again...the Australian people are SO nice! But then again, I would be pretty carefree if one of the more high profile crimes in my country is tree vandalism. They have a hotline!

That's all for now! Take care and keep me in touch!

Getting settled...

Happy Tuesday everyone! (or for all back in the States/Israel happy Monday night!)

I have slowly been settling down here which has been a big learning experience. After 4 trips to Telstra (Aussie AT&T), I have my own mobile number here! 0488 440 930 call me anytime! (just mind the 16-hour difference...)

After running around the city for two nights, I think I have found my apartment! At first I thought I wanted to live by the beach in Bondi with all the Jews and falafel stands, but after a long night of schlepping through with my cousin (thanks for the lift, Jason!) I decided that city life is way more suited for me. The beach is absolutely stunning; there is nothing quite like the shore here. Incredible cliffs, deep blue waters, and beautiful people. BUT, I think I need to be where the action is downtown. The beach will always be a quick bus ride away, and especially in the winter (in 2 months or so) living on the water isn't essential.

Last night I ran around Paddington/Surry Hills to hunt for a room. I found a great one! They are still showing the place to two more people tonight so hopefully I will hear good news....til then I won't say much about it just in case.

So the past two days have been quite productive:

-finally got to see the Opera House

-went to the New South Wales Wine Festival

-checked out Paddy's Market (a big flea/indoor bazaar with fruits/veggies as well)

-tonight I am going on my first of many "girl blind dates." I have a mutual friend with this girl Rachel who has reached out to me, so tonight we are getting dinner in town. Should be fun and hopefully only good things will come!

Typical to the other posts- I have to reiterate how nice and accommodating people are! A few Jewish people showed me their apartments these past 2 days and I got seder invites from all of them. Additionally, one guy was nice enough to pick me up from Surry Hills, show me his flat in Rose Bay, take me to Vaucluse to see another flat, and then drove me alllll the way home to Drommoyne. He saved me either an hour on the bus or 50 bucks from a taxi! Do you know any strangers in the states who would do that??

More to come soon- hopefully an update on my living situation and maybe some chronicling of my girl blind dates! Keep in touch!

So far so great!

Hello Mates!

Per my post below, I am now a blogger! (we'll see how long this lasts) The title of the blog mostly speaks for itself, but I found that I was laughing to myself when I was filling out my customs form upon arrival in Sydney. Never have I ever marked down "Reason for visit: Business." How silly! I am here to live in Sydney to work?! Funny thought, I know...

Let's go over a quick update on my first two days in this lovely city:

-after a 15-hour flight from Los Angeles, I landed in Sydney to warm weather and even warmer people at 9am on Friday. Everyone is so nice and helpful! Yes, you will run into a few jerks along the way but the overall demeanor here is so kind.

-I took a cab straight from the airport to my cousins house in the suburb of Drummoyne (google map it, people). They have a scrumptious 9-month old Benjamin, see pic!

-By 11am, my cousin taught me how to order a coffee (long black is a tall coffee...don't ask!) The coffee here is SUPER strong! I need to be cautious and not drink it too often or else my double tall skinny vanilla lattes at you-know-where won't be strong enough!

-By 11:30am I figured out the bus system and caught a bus into the city. $3.50 later (no joke) I was exploring downtown and trying to knock a few errands off my list.

-Downtown Sydney reminds me of Montreal while the eastern suburbs SCREAM Beverly Hills. It is also a very international city. On the bus I heard Spanish, Russian, and Thai.

-LOTS of Thai people...which means LOTS of Thai food! I am in gastro-heaven! They have all my favorites here! (sour candy, gorgonzola cheese, balsamic vinegar and avocados...no I swear I'm not pregnant!)

-By the end of yesterday I was exhausted. I ate dinner with my family and then promptly passed out at 10pm.

This morning was great!

-woke up at 9am and ran 5k around the bay the house is situated on

-we grabbed an early lunch on Watson's Bay in the Eastern Suburbs and were able to eat fish and chips in the park by the water

-we took a mini-hike around the Sydney National Harbour and they showed me Rose Bay, Vaucluse, and Double Bay. Quite impressive homes!

A few Aussie "isms:"

-mate

-cheers

-no worries (like you're welcome or no problem)

-everything has an "o" at the end: avocado = avo, brunch = bruncho, Aviva = Avivo (just kidding)

Tomorrow should be a packed day:

-unlocking my iphone

-"investigating" (as they say) some flats for rental

-hopefully meeting Mikey Berlin on the beach for some surfing tournament!

Maybe one day I'll fit in some work...?