General Observations about Sydney

Sydney Morning Herald is given out free at the Art Gallery of NSW, which is located within a huge lawn called The Domain. Admission is free for the Art Gallery.

The cheapest spring water is the Coles house brand, which sells as $0.99 compared to the Mount Franklin which retails at $3.50 for 1.5l.

Don't get the travel pass because it is a waste of money, as the buses are constantly full and trains get delayed almost all the time. It's best to walk, and you get to see a lot more too.

Paddy's market is not Paddington's market. But Glebe market is the best, which is held in Glebe Public School on Saturdays. Paddy's market is just a tourist trap, and most locals prefer the Glebe market.

A poncho is very much preferred to an umbrella because of the terribly windy storm. Bring your own poncho, or you can improvise and use a trashbag instead. I used a trashbag (leftovers from the trash party!). Bring your parka if you have one! I left them out when I was packing, big mistake.

Travelling alone and staying in a backpacker's hostel is great. Met great people and have bonded with them. Today I brought Lizzie the American to attend the free Dalai Lama talk with me under the freezing rain and stood there for 2 hours. Yep, it's crazy but she loved it so much that I had to drag her away when the rain wasn't clearing and the Q&A session didn't seem to be ending anytime soon.

Backpackers seem to come from a different world, most of them are dropouts from the rat race, seeking quality experience in life rather than pursuing ambitions like climbing up the corporate ladder. It's been amazing, and the feeling of being independent feels strange yet familiar. I like it this way, doing things my way and yet being able to keep in touch with the family and him through calls and internet. I don't know how I managed to stay out of touch with everyone for several months in the past, it's strange.

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I have been cooking my own breakfast, lunch and dinner. Typical meal consists of this:

Breakfast: Museli, Lowfat milk, Banana
Lunch: 1 boiled egg, museli, yoghurt and kiwi
Tea: Hot Chocolate
Dinner: 1 serving Ramen/Udon, lots of kimchi, earl grey tea

I don't know..I think I'm gaining weight :( I've been walking everywhere hoping the weight will go away but I feel my face getting fatter..I don't know =( Am I paranoid? I don't think I'm eating a lot either. Sigh.

Ok time running out. Left with 3mins. I might be extending my trip to the 24th instead of returning on 19th but I'm not sure yet. Bye!