Sydney

So I’m back from Australia & it was a stupendously good time. The break was essential to my sanity, and although Australia has not been on the top of list of places to visit, I’m beyond happy that I went!

Here are the key take-away points:

- Sonia & Keith seriously rock as hosts & parents. If I ever have children, that’s the attitude I wish for as a parent. I’d actually prefer to have children who are born as well behaved & lovely as Jyosna, requiring no effort on my part whatsoever, but if that’s not possible, I’ll settle for these two’s parental attitude. I miss the kids. Both of them have totally wormed their way into my heart. Sonia & I are largely convinced that Jannali, at 4 months, has more feminine wiles than the two of us put together. That kid reels you in with her coquettish smiles and, once you’re at arms length, gives you the “what’re you waiting for? Make yourself useful & pick me up, bitch” look. It works every time.

- Callum & Barry should collaborate and write a book called “eating & drinking your way through Sydney”. I had the best time hanging out with them!! Callum, sharing the enviable spot with S & K as my other Sydney host, is my male Adelle (the enormity of this compliment may escape him, though, having never met her, or seen us together). At the end of a couple of evenings together, I felt like a hyper child - overtired but over-stimulated and unable to put myself to sleep. I sleep too little as it is… if we lived in the same city, I would definitely need to alternate him with some duller/calmer friends, or some meditation.

- There’s no matching Keith’s cocktails. They kick ass. Keith is the “barefoot contessa” of mixed drinks (no comparison intended with Ina’s girth)… starting with the best ingredients, etc. etc. The best mixed drinks I’ve ever had in anyone’s home. And better than many bars.

- I did not notice if the water circles the drain clockwise or anti-clockwise.

- I am not as tall as I had previously thought. This has been a rather crushing realization.

- Nobody could explain why the equivalent of café au lait is called a “flat white”. I’d first assumed that it was the equivalent of a latte, but most places seem to do a latte AND a flat white. Weirdness.

- In most other places, one “becomes” pregnant. In Australia, one “falls” pregnant.

- The coffee shop close to work lists 2 items that nobody in the joint knows how to make.

- The dinner at Sepia ranks among the best meals consumed in my entire life. It also holds the distinction of being the only meal of my life that ended with a phone call from my mother announcing a death in the extended family.

- Sydney seems like a pretty safe city. The look & feel is a bit like SF. But the comparisons with SF have to end at the harbor & the temperature during “winter” months. For these things, Sydney kicks SF’s ass. I could probably live there (but not forever, as cocktail options are limited in most places. In fact, the mention of some liqueurs that are standard fare in SF bars could well elicit a completely befuddled look from most bartenders and customers alike). But then I can't really think of anywhere that I could live forever.

- Toasted banana bread with butter is really really good.

- “The seeker” (The Who) has been permanently ruined as a song for me. I will never again be able to listen to it without expecting accompanying plunking sounds from the guitar throughout the song and the crowd booing the band off stage after 2 minutes. Thanks, guitar hero.

- Aboriginal women are not trivial in size (I must include a disclaimer that my sample size was rather small and only consisted of the women in the Bangarra dance troupe).

- Duck tastes divine on a pizza.

- The Sydney office is the company's best office in the whole wide world because Barry’s girlfriend sends baked treats in with him twice a week or so.

- The historic (world’s steepest, supposedly) railway ride at Blue Mountains is a fantastic experience.

- I missed seeing the botanical gardens this time. It’s on my to-do list for next time. So are Melbourne & Hunter Valley.

- Apparently gin can be dry or floral. I have discovered that I prefer the floral variety over the dry. Keith is a master of comparative taste tests.

- The Indian habit of staring openly, unblinkingly, and without reserve has made its way across the seas rather smoothly & without any detriment to intensity, along with the bearers of said stares. Actual eye contact with, or any similar acknowledgment of, the object of regard is still studiously avoided, though. Another Indian heritage lovingly preserved.

- Orange curacao is not a good substitute for triple sec.