Public Holidays and Ping Pong

This weekend is a public holiday in the merry old land of Oz (for Waltzing Matilda's birthday or something), so yesterday after work I watched England play the equivalent of a Hollywood feel good movie in which they overcame the Scots in the final minutes of the game after being behind the entire match. So that was nice.

A little while later we ventured out to Oxford Street with the newest member of the 311, Jose from Spain and a bit later we were joined by our two Italian lady room mates (roomettes?). We visited a few places, like Pockets and Shady Pines. The rain did pour, but our sprits were not dampened, as we were out for the night, but our walking had hastened.

Nice...

And then onto ‘The Standard’, a place we stumbled upon by chance as we avoided anywhere that looked remotely gay (which is 90% of Oxford Street). The basslines were heavy(ish) and the beer did flow and Jose noticed some stairs and we said ‘upstairs we shall go!’

Then a peculiar place opened before us, cans of Carlton and OHSHIT IS THAT...?

BLOODY WIFF WAFF!? I mean, PING PONG!

I'm not saying this place was inspired by a youth centre, but when a bar sells cans and people play ping pong to Human League, Queen and House of Pain you have to question whether you have just blacked out and you’re having a crazy dream.

Eat my backspin Freud!

Good times had all round, plus Jose managed to nab a ping pong ball.

Today the weather is dreary, went to Coles earlier (everything carrots) and then watched the Grand Final (The Sea Eagles beat The Warriors) and saw Italy fail to upset the Irish as I chomped on a lasagne and drank pints of Boags!

Bye for now, or as they say in Italy, ‘Ferrari Totti Ciao’!

Brazilians, Rugby, Karaoke and Belgians

Sunday, after a few hours at work, Matteo and I went to meet Zoe at Darling Harbour to see some Brazilian festival and maybe watch a bit of rugby. The Brazilian thing was ok, a bunch of food stalls at one end of the area with a stage at the other end, not my sort of thing really, all that samba and odd looking mascots isn't my bag, baby.

Seriously, this has something to do with meat.

So we had a bite to eat at Pontoon and wandered around towards some big screens that were showing the England match, but we stopped off to watch some muscular men do muscular things (no homo)

And then we watched the first half of more muscular men doing muscular things before going to Helm (not a gay bar) to watch the second half in which England prevailed, but not before knocking some Georgian guy out and worrying everybody who was watching.

Work on Monday was probably the easiest day ever and... that’s about all that happened.

Tuesday was a day off! Hooray! I met Zoe on Manly beach and we were shortly joined by Jena and then Matteo, but they were not the only people I met there. I should probably mention I had a day off, I already did? OK, but some people didn’t, namely John and Phillip, now can you guess who happened to be working near Manly and sitting by the beach as I walked passed... No, not Dame Edna! It was John and Phillip! Before bumping into those guys I also bumped into Sebastian from work at the ferry terminal, which was kind of weird.

The beach was very windy, which was a problem, and a bit cloudy, so much like the beaches at home and like the beaches at home we stayed there regardless. The four of us went for a meal at the Ivanhoe as we watched in awe as Italy took Russia by the scruff of the neck and booted their arse out of the stadium.

We got the ferry back to Circular Quay, went our separate ways and that was it for the evening.

Or so we thought, as Matteo and I walked into the 311 we were greeted by our three Belgian lady roommates who informed us that they would like to go to World Bar. As we are gentlemen and all round nice guys we decided to accompany our roommates as we were well versed in the Tuesday night happenings in Kings Cross. First up, free drinks in Trademark, in which I met two more people from work (Gary and Tom, which means in my day off I met over half of the people I work with) then onto World Bar, where the Elephant Backpackers were in attendance and showing the Cross how we roll in Woolloomooloo.

Coolest kids in the building

The Belgian girls went back to Trademark with Matteo, I stayed as I promised a certain liebling that I would take to the stage with her. Now I’m not saying we were the best of the night, but when Amanda and I sang ‘Come Together’ (Amanda’s choice) we were awesome and when a few of us sang ‘Wild Thing’ (Amanda’s choice) we were straight up steak sauce!

I think the t-shirt helped

The karaoke stopped but we didn't, Matteo and the girls had since returned and as 2am crept around the corner the numbers dwindled and we walked back to the hostel. Today I have so far been to Coles, written a blog post and I am currently considering sitting in the botanic garden and reading a book in the glorious sunshine!

I Looked To The Sky, And What Did I See...?

...England losing to a bunch of pansy Argentines who can’t even take a boot to the head without bleeding like ‘aunt flow’. The mood of Cheers (yes ‘Cheers’) was a tense one for most of England’s opening match and it didn’t help having most of the place cheering on the Argies (Argentines have accents just like an Australian’s, FACT!) but it wasn’t long before ‘Swing Low’ was ringing in the ears of everyone courtesy of some very happy Englishmen (this one included).

Probably

Matteo and I had some pub food (I went for the schnitzel as it was a word everybody was saying whenever Wilkinson took a kick) 

Maybe just the first syllable.

then we were off to a house (20^th floor apartment) party, at which I met some students and was transported back to my uni days, courtesy of a French girl and her taste in 90’s BritPop and Queen. 

Her name wasn't Deborah, Deborah (because it wouldn't suit her) and it is now impossible to meet up in the year 2000.

The usual drinking, dancing, singing and being told by a Korean girl that I'm lucky I can speak English (which is true, considering I have had to live in England all my life) happened and then we went home a few drunken hours later.

Today I sat beside an Italian as Australia decided to play very well for the last 40 minutes of a rugby match and I didn't do much else, probably because I didn’t get enough sleep, but I’m not sure as I wasn’t wearing a watch last night. Work tomorrow morning so no late night parties tonight, also, there is a girl in the 311 who happens to be from Coggleshall, small world, yadda yadda.