Merry Xmas to you, too!

I received a blue Xmas card today, posted in Australia, but forgot (or intentionally) to sign their name. They didn't even have a return address! The handwriting looks very familiar but it is not registering.

You know who you are. If you're reading this, please leave me a message. If you're not him/her, don't pretend you are him/her and leaving me a fake message =)

Thanks for the card and hope you have a wonderful Xmas and a safe New Year!!!

How do you spend $120 in 2 seconds?

Try me!

I locked the car keys inside the car on Xmas Eve! I called a few auto specialists and the first quote I got was $180. Why that expensive? Well, everyone was going home early from work for the holidays and I really didn't have a choice as I needed the car during the Xmas weekend. The second quote I got was $120 but they won't be able to do it in the next couple of hours. We even called the police near where we were at the Rocks and they turned us down!!! The next quote I got was $160 then I told him, another company was giving it to me for $120. So he gave it to me and he came in 15 minutes. He took out his metal spleen, pushed it down the car window, and in two seconds...wala! The door opened! I said, "I'm paying you $120 for a two second job? Can you give me more discount? You must make a lot of money." He says, "Sorry, I already gave you a big discount, its the holidays, and no, I don't make a lot of money. My boss does!" What a racket!!!

There you go! How to spend $120 bucks in two seconds. Can you beat that? Let me know if you do!

Government House

Day after my harbour jet cruise, I checked out the Government House at the Botanical Gardens. Another site I haven't checked out since I've been here for 2yrs and 2 months (has it been that long)? Again, I pretended to be a tourist. They asked me where I was from and I answered, "San Francisco!" Hehe! I know, they hate Americans.

The house is located on top of a hill at the Botanical Gardens, overlooking the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. It was situated there to give the appearance to onlookers arriving at Sydney Harbour that someone important lives in this house. The house serves as the Governor's residence (hence, the name). Since 1996, under the direction of the Premier, the house is no longer used as a residence. It was used during the Sep 2007 APEC summit as one of the key meeting venues and still remains as the Governor's official reception space especially for her weekly meetings.

Harbour Jet Cruise

I tried one of those jet boats that goes 75km/h along the Sydney Harbour one Saturday. Its just one of those things that I haven't done as a tourist here in Oz. It was a warm day in Sydney and it was just perfect to get wet. Indeed, I got wet, probably soaked if I didn't wear some protective gear.

You know for sure you're gonna get wet during the ride so the guy next to me had to wear gloves and protect one of his inflamed fingers. During the ride, the poor guy got stung by a bee on his other hand - how did that bee get on the boat that's running at 75km/h? The boat was doing nose dives (to get the people infront wet), doing 280 degree turns (to get me wet who's sitting on the side of the boat), and sudden stops. Now I know what Sydney Harbour water taste like.

Sydney Opera House

Its been a while since I've seen a show at the Opera House. In a span of one week, I went to see three shows. When it rains, it pours!

1. John Williams Movie Soundtracks by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra - compositions for the movies such as Indiana Jones, Jaws, Jurassic Park, Psycho, ET, Schindler's List, Harry Potter, Superman, Close Encounters, LA Olympics theme, and half of the show dedicated to the sounds of the six Star Wars movies.

2. Schubert's Great Symphony - boring!!!!!!!!

3. The Nutcracker - at the opera house forecourt. I've always heard or seen ads about this show but I never knew the story.

Sometimes when you've got nothing else to do, Plan B = Opera House