I know it's been too long since I dropped a line, more than 6 months actually, and all I can say is that I have been so focused on other stuff that it slipped my mind. Instead of painting you detailed pictures of what I've been doing the past 6 months I'm just going to keep it short and concise.
After inspecting what felt like 50 rooms in and around Sydney, Katy and I finally found a place we felt comfortable with, and in mid November we finally moved in to a room in a fresh new apartment in Hurtsville! We are sharing the apartment with the land lord which is a 20 year old girl who studies during the day and works late, and a guy that studies some computer stuff at UTS. We rarely see them so it almost feels like we live there by ourselves. But it is a great place, really happy here :)
Katy and I made a trip to Melbourne last week, a city that to me felt alot like Europe. Sometimes I could almost believe that I was back on the streets in central Gothenburg or Stockholm. The buildings around the city centre were clearly influenced by European architecture, and all the small cafes that flooded the streets really gave the city a very different atmosphere compared to Sydney and other cities and Australia.
I gave Katy a skydiving session as a birthday gift last year, so that's on our to do list.
I also went back to Sweden for the Christmas holiday. Sadly Katy couldn't come, but i made the most out of it. Saw my grandpa as much as I could, and also most of my friends. Got back to Sydney on the morning of New Years Eve, so had my first New Years Eve in Sydney, and I got to see the famous harbour fireworks! Truly amazing. Before the fireworks, we had a barbeque with some friend, including my sister and her boyfriend. All in all a very good night.
Saw Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream under a clear night sky a couple of weeks ago. Really fun!
On the 1st of October I had my graduation cermony. You will find a photo if you scroll down. Got my degree, and I guess that day markes the end of my academic career.
Katy and I took a 8 weeks introduction course to tango in September - October. Great fun! And yesterday I had my second chinese lesson while Katy is studying japanese!
The summer is all over us with temperatures in the high 30 and low 40. HOT is the word! And a cold beer after work has never tasted better. The down side is that I can't really get out during lunch for my training sessions, since it's just too damn hot. The temperature has to drop to around 25C for it to be bearable, anything higher than that and it becomes intolerable.
Today it's the Chinese new year, and I was invited to join Katy and her boss for lunch at this famous Chinese restaurant to celebrate the occasion. Had a great time with excellent food, but in the middle of eating we hear these drums from outside and within seconds a big dragon enters the restaurant. Well, see for yourself.
A very interesting experience!
I have also started reading a lot of books lately. Right now i'm reading the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming. Really good stuff! And quite different from the movies, both in story and style. Reading the fourth book right now, Diamonds Are Forever, and the book has few things in common with the movie, except focusing lightly on diamond smuggling. But before reading Diamonds Are Forever I read George W. Bush's autobiography, Decision Points, and i really liked it. It gives you an insight into the reasoning behind the major decisions he made, and it present a story that differs in many ways from the one being told in the media and on the internet. I would recommend it to anyone who has a strong opinion about the former president.
That's it for now, cheers!
Here are some random pictures from the past months
New Years in Sydney
Reading something
Graduation
Company christmas party
Participating in some game at a wedding
Taken at a fashion work shop. You could make your own outfit
for a paper model. Mine is to the very left.
