Salsa, tarot and yum cha
My weekend away with the girls was interesting, to say the least. This was our 8th trip away together - it's a yearly event (to different places each year) and we generally go in November, but due to 'stuff', we couldn't do it last year. That just means two holidays this year, and we don't mind that at all!
Five of us went. I have to say, this was the first and the last time I have or will ever book the trip again. Pleasing five women (including myself) is difficult, when everybody wants different things. Needless to say, there was bitching about the accommodation. Granted, there was no pool, but folks, we're near the beach, so get over it.
I had high hopes for the accommodation. It looked nice on all the internet sites I looked at. Like this one, for example. We think they made a mistake somewhere, overbooked, and had to put us in cupboards. Can't say I've ever been in a smaller hotel room. We had two rooms that interconnected. Even with the door open the entire time, we were squished. Not to mention, there were five of us, so we needed an extra fold out bed. Yeah, two rooms, five women, we share beds - we're cheap and hate spending money. However, we do like to get liveable rooms for what we pay for.
Breakfast both mornings was a buffet, but the soup nazis kicked us out not long after we'd sat down on the Saturday morning (apparently 'till 10am' means you get kicked out at 10am even if you only just sat down to your eggs and bacon), and we had to wait for a table on the Sunday, then had to beg for more eggs to be made. Ah yes, 'twas fun.
Friday consisted walking around pretty much aimlessly for most of the day in the heat. At Darling Harbour, only a few minute's walk away, we discovered there was a latin festival happening. Being that we all used to take latin dance lessons, we got excited. Unfortunately, when we went back, they weren't letting any more people in, so we missed out.
So off we went to Chinatown, which was around the corner from our hotel. I would relay some of the crazy things we said, or that were said to us, or that we saw, but it's just not the same in type as actually being there.
Since we missed the latin festival, we decided to get our tarot done by a Brazilian woman. Three of us got ours done. The other two girls weren't really impressed with what the woman had to say, but I was interested. Funnily, I kept drawing the same card over and over and the woman was as surprised as I was. My whole reading was to do with money. I didn't tell her anything, I just let her talk. She said pretty similar stuff to what the psychic said last year (in relation to money, anyway) and gave me similar timelines too. I'll let you know what happens.
We went to Manly beach on Saturday - caught the ferry across from Circular Quay. A couple of hours on the beach and I have to say, I'm really impressed with myself that I didn't get burnt. As soon as I lay down, I fell asleep and that was that. There was a jazz band playing where the ferries come in, so we got out of the sun for a while and listened to them. It wasn't till we got back to our hotel (a half hour walk from Circular Quay), that we realised one of the girls was so burnt, she looked like she'd had hot oil poured over her legs. By Sunday they had swollen really badly. I would have sat in a bath all day.
We split up on Sunday, because three of the girls are shopping fanatics and the other one and I did not want to be dragged around aimlessly all day, getting irritated. It was hot. Sweating, walking, and shopping in Chinatown where it's hard to understand people, is just not for me. So we opted for airconditioning and regular shops. I was determined to find something that fit me. And I was still looking for a pair of jeans. We weren't confident, because C (girlfriend of same name - confusing!) and I really detest shopping. After being asked by one store guy if I wanted jeans that "sit on your pubes, or just above them?", I was about to give up.
Till we hit Ojay. Lord knows how, but I managed to buy ten items from that place! C just wandered around the store finding me things. I stayed in the dressing room and just put on what she gave me. She's amazing. I bought everything she picked out. Granted, most don't fit me right and will have to be adjusted, but I found some that actually fit me and I can wear now. I even bought a skirt and a slinky red dress. This is a feat in itself because I only own one other skirt and no dresses. I know I have a pair of high heels somewhere....
Everything was really heavily reduced and I paid about $470 for $1000 worth of stuff. I am one happy girl! In another store, I found a pair of 3/4 jeans that were reduced to $20. No, they don't fit exactly right, but shit, for $20 it doesn't matter. I still couldn't find a pair of regular jeans though.
Satisfied that I'd done enough shopping (in under an hour, mind you!) to last me a few years, we went to meet up with the rest of the girls for yum cha lunch. Then they realised how much yum cha might actually cost us, so we opted for a regular chinese meal, which turned out really nice. I have serious issues about how disrespectfully one of the girls talked to the restaurant staff, and found myself being especially nice to them in order to compensate, but I'm not going to go on about it. Three days with some people is more than enough, no matter how nice they are in general.
The flight home was eventful. Well, not the flight itself. Having been told the flight would be delayed, then not, then that it would be, we had no idea when we'd get home. Finally, we got on board and taxied out to the runway. And stopped. After a while, the captain said there was engine trouble and we were being towed back to the gate and that they'd work out what to do with us. Um...let us off? An engineer came on board twice and twice they checked the engine and twice they thought it was working, but it wasn't. The pilot eventually said things were cool and we could take off. Meanwhile, we all just wanted to be let off that plane and be given one that worked. So, we took off and were fine.
Landing was another matter. I kid you not, we hung on like we were on a rollercoaster when we touched the ground. We were going soooo fast - too fast - and the plane actually skidded sideways at one point. Methinks the pilot was so worried about his engine that he forgot which was the brake and which was the accelerator. I thought we'd go off the runway - or hit a building.
We arrived pretty late and C was there to meet me. Even though he was only ten minutes from home, he waited there 2 and a half hours to pick me up. The guy has incredible patience!
My deductions for the weekend were:
1. Sydney sucks. Sorry, but it does and I used to live there, so I can say that. Melbourne rocks!
2. Three days is just long enough not to go nuts when you put five women in two small rooms the size of prison cells.
3. I'm proud (or sad?) to say I was the only gal who did not have something about my guy to complain about.
4. I actually missed Melbourne. I'm glad to be back.
Five of us went. I have to say, this was the first and the last time I have or will ever book the trip again. Pleasing five women (including myself) is difficult, when everybody wants different things. Needless to say, there was bitching about the accommodation. Granted, there was no pool, but folks, we're near the beach, so get over it.
I had high hopes for the accommodation. It looked nice on all the internet sites I looked at. Like this one, for example. We think they made a mistake somewhere, overbooked, and had to put us in cupboards. Can't say I've ever been in a smaller hotel room. We had two rooms that interconnected. Even with the door open the entire time, we were squished. Not to mention, there were five of us, so we needed an extra fold out bed. Yeah, two rooms, five women, we share beds - we're cheap and hate spending money. However, we do like to get liveable rooms for what we pay for.
Breakfast both mornings was a buffet, but the soup nazis kicked us out not long after we'd sat down on the Saturday morning (apparently 'till 10am' means you get kicked out at 10am even if you only just sat down to your eggs and bacon), and we had to wait for a table on the Sunday, then had to beg for more eggs to be made. Ah yes, 'twas fun.
Friday consisted walking around pretty much aimlessly for most of the day in the heat. At Darling Harbour, only a few minute's walk away, we discovered there was a latin festival happening. Being that we all used to take latin dance lessons, we got excited. Unfortunately, when we went back, they weren't letting any more people in, so we missed out.
So off we went to Chinatown, which was around the corner from our hotel. I would relay some of the crazy things we said, or that were said to us, or that we saw, but it's just not the same in type as actually being there.
Since we missed the latin festival, we decided to get our tarot done by a Brazilian woman. Three of us got ours done. The other two girls weren't really impressed with what the woman had to say, but I was interested. Funnily, I kept drawing the same card over and over and the woman was as surprised as I was. My whole reading was to do with money. I didn't tell her anything, I just let her talk. She said pretty similar stuff to what the psychic said last year (in relation to money, anyway) and gave me similar timelines too. I'll let you know what happens.
We went to Manly beach on Saturday - caught the ferry across from Circular Quay. A couple of hours on the beach and I have to say, I'm really impressed with myself that I didn't get burnt. As soon as I lay down, I fell asleep and that was that. There was a jazz band playing where the ferries come in, so we got out of the sun for a while and listened to them. It wasn't till we got back to our hotel (a half hour walk from Circular Quay), that we realised one of the girls was so burnt, she looked like she'd had hot oil poured over her legs. By Sunday they had swollen really badly. I would have sat in a bath all day.
We split up on Sunday, because three of the girls are shopping fanatics and the other one and I did not want to be dragged around aimlessly all day, getting irritated. It was hot. Sweating, walking, and shopping in Chinatown where it's hard to understand people, is just not for me. So we opted for airconditioning and regular shops. I was determined to find something that fit me. And I was still looking for a pair of jeans. We weren't confident, because C (girlfriend of same name - confusing!) and I really detest shopping. After being asked by one store guy if I wanted jeans that "sit on your pubes, or just above them?", I was about to give up.
Till we hit Ojay. Lord knows how, but I managed to buy ten items from that place! C just wandered around the store finding me things. I stayed in the dressing room and just put on what she gave me. She's amazing. I bought everything she picked out. Granted, most don't fit me right and will have to be adjusted, but I found some that actually fit me and I can wear now. I even bought a skirt and a slinky red dress. This is a feat in itself because I only own one other skirt and no dresses. I know I have a pair of high heels somewhere....
Everything was really heavily reduced and I paid about $470 for $1000 worth of stuff. I am one happy girl! In another store, I found a pair of 3/4 jeans that were reduced to $20. No, they don't fit exactly right, but shit, for $20 it doesn't matter. I still couldn't find a pair of regular jeans though.
Satisfied that I'd done enough shopping (in under an hour, mind you!) to last me a few years, we went to meet up with the rest of the girls for yum cha lunch. Then they realised how much yum cha might actually cost us, so we opted for a regular chinese meal, which turned out really nice. I have serious issues about how disrespectfully one of the girls talked to the restaurant staff, and found myself being especially nice to them in order to compensate, but I'm not going to go on about it. Three days with some people is more than enough, no matter how nice they are in general.
The flight home was eventful. Well, not the flight itself. Having been told the flight would be delayed, then not, then that it would be, we had no idea when we'd get home. Finally, we got on board and taxied out to the runway. And stopped. After a while, the captain said there was engine trouble and we were being towed back to the gate and that they'd work out what to do with us. Um...let us off? An engineer came on board twice and twice they checked the engine and twice they thought it was working, but it wasn't. The pilot eventually said things were cool and we could take off. Meanwhile, we all just wanted to be let off that plane and be given one that worked. So, we took off and were fine.
Landing was another matter. I kid you not, we hung on like we were on a rollercoaster when we touched the ground. We were going soooo fast - too fast - and the plane actually skidded sideways at one point. Methinks the pilot was so worried about his engine that he forgot which was the brake and which was the accelerator. I thought we'd go off the runway - or hit a building.
We arrived pretty late and C was there to meet me. Even though he was only ten minutes from home, he waited there 2 and a half hours to pick me up. The guy has incredible patience!
My deductions for the weekend were:
1. Sydney sucks. Sorry, but it does and I used to live there, so I can say that. Melbourne rocks!
2. Three days is just long enough not to go nuts when you put five women in two small rooms the size of prison cells.
3. I'm proud (or sad?) to say I was the only gal who did not have something about my guy to complain about.
4. I actually missed Melbourne. I'm glad to be back.
posted by E in Oz at 1:43 pm
these thoughts escaped my brain at 1:43 pm
7 Comments:
"Pleasing five women (including myself) is difficult"
For you, maybe... ; )
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
LOL Ian, I knew you'd make a comment about the number of women, but you surprised me - I thought it'd be about us all sleeping together. :-p
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Holy cow, girl! When you shop, you mean business!!! :)
You know, I think you hit more of Sydney than I ever saw with that stick in the mud of an ex! Even though I know you dislike Sydney, it still sounded like quite the adventure and just right except for the closet for a hotel room. :) Bet C missed you and we won't hear from you for a bit. ;)
CFNG: LOL, well we did all our catching up and things are well and truly back to normal now. :-p No rest, with having to get my car fixed, being back at work, having guests over for dinner and gym - life's completely back to normal already.
But he scored major points, coz when I checked into the hotel there was already a message waiting for me..."missing you already, hope you have a great time, love C".
Post a Comment
<< Home