...Clubbing at Wanted Thursdays. Meet-up with Helen & Ged. Melissa's birthday at Bungalow 8. Michael & Rachel's BBQ. Dodgy Kings Cross...

Since the beginning of this week I've been gagging for a dirty, filthy, hard stomp and some PG… I've been on a bit of a mission to find some tunes, a dancefloor and a decent cuppa!

After trawling through clubbing guides I finally found a night that sounded like it'd be pretty good with a mixture of Hard Trance, Hardcore and Hardstyle. All eager and energetic for a stomp I trekked down to the Pavilion Hotel for Wanted Thursdays. However, it wasn't the experience I was hoping for.

The music was really good and fun to dance to but the social interaction wasn't there. I never realised how much meeting and chatting to people was such a key element to my clubbing enjoyment. All smiley, sociable and friendly I attempted to make conversation with a few different people but they were all quite pretentious, stuck up and too consumed with staying in their little groups. Just the complete opposite of what I'm used to back home.

It also didn't help I stood out like a sore thumb because I was the only person who danced with their own style. Everyone else was doing these dance routine things they do over here like the Melbourne Shuffle (as mentioned in my blog entry on 4th November). No ones original and does anything different. They've just got no substance to them. I can't wait to get down to Melbourne where it's rumoured the dance scene its heaps better.

But all was not lost this week as I had some fun nights out. On Monday I got the chance to meet my brother's mates Helen & Ged. Dan met them when he was on one of his travelling stints but I've never had the opportunity to get to know them in England so we decided to catch up whilst they were over the side of the globe on holiday. They're a fantastic couple and we had a lovely evening going for drinks at the Establishment and PJ O'Briens.

After work on Friday we went out to a really cool bar for Melissa's birthday. Bungalow 8 is set in a fantastic location on the waters edge of Darling Harbour with an outside terrace that looks out onto the Star City Casino and Maritime Museum. The views were fantastic and it was a lovely way to finish a buy week at work.

Had a nice day enjoying the sunshine at Bondi Beach on Saturday and in the evening headed up to the idyllic Watsons Bay for a get together at Michael & Rachel's place. It was a lovely night socialising with people from work and getting to know everyone a bit better.

However, the evening didn't end up on a high note as on the way home decided to catch up with a few friends for some drinks in Kings Cross. Met them in the Empire and I was promptly reminded why I avoid backpacker bars. The places are awful with awful music, tons of sleezy blokes and loads of beer heads.

So on Sunday with the wet weather outside I got down to some serious tea drinking (It wasn't like the best of our British but Aussie Tetley can make a fairly good brew.) And without realising it I recreated a typical day at Stash's complete with cricket and a cuppa. Unknowingly I've had a bit of homesickness creeping up on me as my taste buds have been tingling for something home-grown so I treated myself to a bottle of Vimto… its funny the things that become little luxuries when you're travelling.

Photo: Me, Sonja, Melissa & her father celebrating Melissa's birthday at Bungalow 8

[Next blog entry: Sydney Friday December 21st 2007]