Based on the post they had thrown up on Gumtree (the Aussie version of Craigslist here), these two guys, aged 26 and 27, stated that they were looking for someone who could "be a part of the home, and not just another person in the house" ...which I thought was spot-on for what I was hoping but not expecting to find, and left me very excited to check the place out. They had a 3-bedroom, 6th story flat on the hill above Bondi Junction, the very last train station between the city and the beach. That means its a 15-minute train ride to work or a 12-minute bus ride to the beach. The perfect medium. I walked in, made some intros, and within a few minutes we were all drinking a beer together in the living room discussing my transition and their experiences living in Sydney. Both guys are native-born Australians from Canberra. That's actually the capital of Australia, half way between Sydney and Melbourne... I had no idea it existed at the time, which gave them both an SMH laugh... Bloody Americans, right?
I felt immediately comfortable hanging out with these two blokes, Cameron and Sanam, both working in the financial sector and, as we discussed our jobs, Cameron told me that he worked for a major beer distributor in Australia and that he had, literally, and UNLIMITED supply of beer on hand at all times. In his words, he explained, "I'm not kidding mate, I bring home more beer here than we could ever realistically be able to drink through..." I had to muster all the strength in my body to contain my excitement at this point (a shitty 6-pack here costs around $24.00) and not immediately burst out, "You wanna bet, my dude?!?" I kept my shit together and made a good impression, nonetheless, over the course of the hour that we all three hung out. But I was the first potential tenant they had shown the place to, so they told me they would need to see the other appointments that had been made on Saturday and let me know the following afternoon. A move I would have probably made myself if I were them, despite the good vibes. I was buzzing when I left, purely on the chance that things might come together and fate would not only let me live in the exact area I targeted, but with two dudes that I could actually be long-term friends with. The beer bonus would just be proof that God loves me and wants me to be happy.
So while sitting on my hands all morning Saturday, I managed to see a few more places, one a 5-bedroom townhouse downtown with ONE bathroom to share - you've got to be kidding me. I looked at my phone every ten minutes until finally, around 3pm, I got a call from Cam saying, "Hey mate, we saw a couple more people today and honestly... no comparison. We'd like you to move in if you're still interested." I involuntarily did a massive Tiger Woods fist pump in the middle of the living room but completely maintained my composure as we discussed dates and details. Less than 72 hours in and I've got an awesome spot to live (told you Dad!) on lock-down. Best part is, I get to move out of this $215/night serviced apartment I've been staying in tomorrow morning and save the $1800 in cash it would have cost me to remain here throughout the week.
In celebration, I decided at about 7pm last night that I needed to close my laptop, get out of this apartment, and go do something fun outside the Junction. I had been discreetly introduced to a few Australian girls via Facebook from my friend Lauren back home and one of them invited me out to the first night of the month-long Sydney Festival, which was a free concert going on in the botanical gardens downtown. I texted her to meet up and, with her phone about to die, she gave me a rough location and, as keenly as Liam Neeson in Taken, I asked her to detail what she and her friend were wearing, confident that my "very particular set of" Festival skills wouldn't let me down. I took the train there (with a pocket full of airplane mini-bottles duh) and managed to track them down within 15 minutes of my arrival.
Paula is a tall blonde from New Zealand, her friend Emma was of similar stature, and finally there was Karen, yet another Kiwi... but this one a short brunette. Those of you that know me well can guess which one I spent most of the evening talking to, yeah? It was a very lively scene in the gardens, very reminiscent of the free shows Centennial Park puts on from time to time. Big screens, live music, everybody jamming out with blankets and coolers in tow. Couldn't have asked for a better first Saturday night in Australia. However, one point I'd like to make is that, despite the stereotype of Australia being a few years behind the spearheading technology and infrastructure of us Americans, they are miles (or maybe I should say kilometers) ahead of us in the Port-a-Potty game. I'm talking toilet trailers with lighting and ventilation, please have a look:
And yes, I WAS the creepy dude snapping a photo of people walking into the bathrooms, but keep in mind people this was a FREE concert. I've paid $400+ dollars for festival tickets and had to sit in plastic poop saunas for years now. Where is this technology back home and why don't we give a shit about improving it? ...pun very intended.
Anyway I digress, I met a lot of cool new friends at Sydney Fest and made it home at a reasonable time... of course wide awake, yet again, at 7AM this morning.
Next issue: my soon-to-be new bedroom isn't furnished. First step: I tracked down a very well-priced mattress today (Sunday) but it was on the other side of town, so I used my power-consumer skills and arranged online for a courier to come pick it up and deliver it with me for only $40. It was a Pakistani guy who didn't wear deodorant but well worth the 20-minute drive breathing out of my mouth. I'd bought linens the evening before so I'm pretty much all set for living at least one step ahead of the common backpacker this week.
I went on a (much flatter this time) run after lunch then headed over to my new crib to watch the end of the Packers/Colts game, attempting to explain to Cam/Sanam how American Football works in the process. Damn you Tom Brady. They repaid the favor when we flipped cricket on and, after somehow connecting our mutual man crushes for Leonardo DiCaprio, decided to watch Blood Diamond tonight after crushing dinner at a Ramen place down the street. I know what you're thinking... yes, they serve Ramen at restaurants here, and it's glorious. If I could take that recipe back home, I'd be the happiest person eating the cheapest meals in Fulton County. I eventually, as in 20 minutes ago, came back to my last night at the Meriton Hotel. Oh how I'll miss this land of fresh towels and made beds.
My first day of work is tomorrow and, as much as I still have to ramble about, need to call it quits for tonight. Furthermore, the Panthers/49ers game airs at 5am tomorrow morning... and I plan on waking up early enough to at least catch the 4th quarter of it before I head to work. In an effort to not create too many enemies, I'll keep quiet about who I'm rooting for. Regardless, I hate both quarterbacks. This also means I'll probably be streaming the Broncos/Chargers game during my first few hours at the office on Monday... so much for a good first impression. More to come.
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