Well well well, what a week it's been! To say up and down is a slight understatement, but things are picking up now, and i'll tell you all about it in just a second.

So I got to sydney on saturday morning, wow, it's a big place, but i loved it immediately, it's like a dream. I guess everytime I envisioned Australia, the Opera House and Harbour Bridge were part of that vision, so to see them in front of me, well, it was a special moment I guess. I met up with a girl I met in Airlie Beach who has been here for about a week, and we went to Darling Harbour- possibly one of my favourite places, it's beautiful, big boats, big buildings and interesting places around it. We went back that evening for dinner on the Harbour, we sat outside and drank wine, it was wonderful.

Sunday, I found my way to Circular Quay- home of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, to have a look there. It's busier and there are tourists everywhere of course, but excellent. I was meeting up with Anglea who i met on the beach in Byron Bay and was going to watch the Rugby league semi final with- Australia vs Fiji. We walked over the bridge, which was fun cool, got the ferry back then i wandered around the area a bit more. I ended up having to go back to the hostel to get a jumper and jeans- i was actually cold! The weather has been up and down since i got here- warm and sunny to overcast and drizzling. Yes I know that doesn't compare to the weather in England, I know I can't complain!

the rugby was cool, the fijian supporters were so much fun, and even though they lost abismally, it was still good. I was hoping for some sort of Hakka, but instead we were treated to Fijian dancers, a choir then after the national anthem (which gave me goosebumps and brought a tear to my eye) the players stood in a circle and sang some kind of prayer which was amazing.

on Monday i met up with Lisa, who was on her honeymoon in Cairns and both of us were throwing up on the boat to the Barrier Reef. She took me to the Botanical Gardens which gave me an awesome view of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House together, then we went to the Rocks- an area next to the bridge that is quiet and quirky but very lovely.

Tuesday, I met up with Fizz, a guy from uni i haven't seen in maybe 2 years. it was good to see him, and along with another friend of his, we went to the Aquarium on Darling Harbour. it was great! I have never seen so many different fish! From nurse sharks to unicorn fish, to a cross between a manta ray and a shark (a ray shark, of course) to a big sea turtle, there was everything of every colour. Definitely worth it, and good value for money too.

However, this week hasn't been so good. Last week I started to have tooth ache and certain times of the day and night that i tried to squash with pain killers. By Tuesday I couldn't take any more so found a dentist that could fit me in that day. Now my dentist in England and I have a deal, like a good girl I brush my teeth twice a day and then once a year go to see Mr Pritchard. He uses words like 'excellent', 'fabulous' and then I pay him and don't see him again for another year. I have never had a bad experience at the dentists. Until now. I was nervous, i wanted a good dentist because you see so many horror stories about rubbish dentists, but by Tuesday I was so desperate I didnt care. My dentist was good, but my teeth weren't. I walked away minus a wisdom tooth, and having had the tartar removed from very sensitive and painful teeth- the noise of the instruments was horrendous, like something from a horror movie. I got the anti biotics and more nurofen, then went back to the hostel. Trying not to cry, or trying to cry quietly when you're in a room full of strangers and you don't want to draw attention to yourself is impossible. As kind as they were, and as sympathetic, it wasn't the same as having my friends and family around me. I didn't want to ring mum because i didn't want to upset her, so chey took the brunt of it and tried her best to cheer me up, which worked for about 10 minutes until I got off the phone. I managed 2 hours of sleep before I got up at 5.30 to ring mum, and then cried on the phone to her for 20 minutes. Syndey is a very big and lonely place when you want sympathy, and with your friends and family half way across the world, it made me feel so much worse.

However, now I am feeling a little better, the pain has subsided, and the only thing left, is a little pain every now and then, with swollen chin and cheeks- honestly, my lips are pulled down in to a permenant sad face and i look like marlon brando from the Godfather. Speaking and eating aren't the easiest things which is good in the long run- nice and cheap! But it will subside in the next few days I'm sure. So there we go! I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy, but its getting better, and i'm still in sydney, just have some catching up to do now. this weekend there is something down in Circular Quay- lighting christmas trees and stuff with fireworks to celebrate the end of Australian Pop Idol at the Opera House, going to wander down and see that. It's weird, seeing Christmas trees and decorations when you're in your shorts and t-shirts!

Will speak to you all soon, lots of love. Marlon xxxx