SYDNEY SO FAR: SANDWICHES, SLOVAKIANS AND SURRY HILLS

As always I seem to open with an apology at the
length of time between posts, although this time you'll get no such thing! Gone are the days of professional loafing, I have been a busy boy since arriving in upside down land, and have now down scaled to semi-professional level.

This is also why I haven't reported on my SBE's on my final day in China, long story short my enthusiasm for a bargain and a lack of taxis when raining sees me lugging my 40kg suitcase up and down huge flights of stairs in central Shanghai by hand, after my only real handle coming off under the weight.

All that could really been seen of me on the 10 minute vertical trek to my hotel was a set of fingertips gripping a large case with some flip flops at the bottom walking down the street. Not a good look to say the least.

When arriving off the metal bird and journeying through the outskirts of Sydney, it all seemed a bit calm and European like after the crazy people fest that became the norm in Shanghai.

It was almost as I felt like I was arriving back in England, but not quite....the array of boardies, sunnies, bottlo's and sunny weather kept my good mood in check and reminded that this was still Australia!

Not learning from my Shanghai bargain experience (or any for that matter) I naturally booked myself into the cheapest single room available in central Sydney, in the charming King's cross area.

This is not a train enthusiasts haven as the name may suggest, but more an area for someone with an alternate, slightly seedier hobby than one would need a flask and rainmac for.

My 'culturally rich' location was probably better described as a 'brothel sandwich' with my hostel being the filling, between 2 classy neon establishments making full use of their building space to advertise exactly what you could buy in their with your dollars.

The area is very much like Soho in London for all it's good points, and the seedier points you could argue are better as well, in that there is no undertone to it all here, with it all being legal by state law, unlike in London.
The seedier side not my cup of (English) tea though it must be said.

So, my mission which I had to accept, for my own finances as well as some decent sleep (you can hear all conversations at all hours from my room, some interesting ones at times!!) was to find a place to call home for the immediate future. Easy peasy, no problemo.
Wrong as usual.

It appears I have arrived here pretty much at peak time, so I find myself competing with all the other 42million English that descend here every year, hunting for anything where cockroaches and spiders aren't tenants as well!!
Have had enough of creepy crawlies after my Asian culinary challenges, and the ones out here bite back as well!

This basically involved sourcing every daily publication and trying to make contact before said place had gone...pretty difficult and at times and a demoralising start to my new life over here.
But in typical style there were a few bizarre places I saw before ending up where I am now.

Perhaps my favourite or the weirdest was viewing a place of a guy called 'Robo' in an area of Sydney I didn't know.

The place was reasonably cheap, had tennis courts gym etc....bingo!!! That's what I'm talking about!!

'Robo' I thought, sounds about as Australian as they come, should be a typical Aussie guy I can sheer a beer or 12 with on weekends. Nice.
So I arranged to meet Robo at the nearest station and take it from there.

Turns out Robo is Slovakian, and about as Australian as Yak meat goulash, but anyway we leave the bizarre ghetto area that is Rockdale (train station is was directed to) and walk about 10 mins FURTHER away from Sydney towards his place. I know Australia is a large land mass but still thought by now I must be closer to Melbourne than Sydney.

On walking through the place it's pretty nice, although it's painfully apparent that Robert (he gave me a weird look when I asked if he was Robo) doesn't partake of any nightlife in Sydney nor anything other than study, which initially surprised me with him at least looking 10 years older than myself.

As the place was advertised as a 2 bedroom place I assumed (foolishly as always) that it would be myself and himself sharing. So imagine my surprise when I get there and there are 3 other people waiting to check me out!!!

Turns out superstud 'Robo' shares his room with 2 other Slovakian girls who also look like they are old enough to teach at University rather than study at it! The remaining guy was a Kiwi who was using the place for 2 weeks whilst backpacking, he said nothing the entire time I was there.

That combined with the several other ominous signs saw me sprint around the apartment and give it the usual "I have other places to see / will call you" type fast exit and off I went, hoping that I don't get so desperate that I have to choose between a brothel sandwich or a Slovakian love nest for somewhere to live!

On reflection maybe 'Robo' was more a Robot reference rather than a shortening of Robert, as in Robo-stud or any other applicable term....either way I didn't want to know for sure and chalked it up as another random and disappointing day of apartment hunting.

As it turned out, like these things do, it came right at the last possible minute, with me viewing a house the night before I had to leave King's cross and the ladies of pleasure, with no idea of where to lug my ridiculously sized bags to next.

I managed to fool the occupants of a house in Surry Hills that I was normal enough to be allowed to stay, and after my Slovakian experience they seemed more than perfectly normal and it went from there. Beers were had that night out with them to seal the deal and all is definitley so far so good!

Pic enclosed of the house and my 2 initial housemates, Lizzy and Lizzie (nice and confusing ay!), as well as one to come with Laura who has now also moved into the last spare room.

Me and 3 girls, and my own bathroom. Nice.

So, with the housing issue sorted it was time to move onto the job hunt. However, this mission is still underway as I type so will have to fill you in on that when I actually get a job. Next post in 6 months time then!!