Wow what a week!!!!.... a $100 quiz win, a toga party, dancing in a music video, a black eye and split lip and a date! Guess i best elaborate!

So I left the horrid Jolly Swagman hostel in Kings Cross and ventured to the city centre and the 'Wake-Up' hostel.... love, love, love it! Met some fab people and was lucky enough to share a room (room 506!) with some great people who i'll definitely be staying in contact with.

After the couple of nights in the nice apartment in the city (courtesy of Tracey) was worried what it would be like going back to a hostel, but it was great and completely different to the last one - more my kind of people and a lot more central too, so everything was in walking distance.

That Tuesday night met up with Nat and Tracey and went to a bar in Kings Cross called World Bar. Tracey finished filming the Biggest Loser that night and they had a wrap party for all the contestants which we went along to. Was a pretty cool night, had cocktails out of tea pots... was slightly trollied... and we danced until 4:30am! By the time i got home was dead on my feet, was supposed to phone the girls at 7am as they were all round Kerry's house for Dawns birthday... after only 2hrs sleep (and still a little drunk i think) i made it to the phone and even picked up the receiver would you believe.... but thats as far as it went. A wave of nausea hit me and i had to bolt it to the loo... dont worry i wasnt ill though! Spent majority of the rest of the day in bed - was crackered!

Thursday night I met Nat for dinner after her first day at her new job (she got a 2 month contract at a pharmaceutical company doing admin). It was only supposed to be a quick bite to eat and a gossip, but we ended up staying for the pub quiz (as you do!). The woman doing the quiz asked if we minded if this old lady joined our team ... we couldnt exactly say no as she was right in front of us. Anyway - shouldnt complain as we won!!!! It was most exciting! We won $100 bar tab for the pub we were in, we had a chance to go for the jackpot which we did, but we got the answer wrong. The question was 'In what year was the freemason order founded' - answer 1717.... if we had answered it right, we'd have won $3300 cash! Which would have come in handy...but ah well!

After the quiz, we had a few beers with our new mate Debra (the older lady), who scared us ever so slightly as she kept on showing us pics of her scary looking boyfriend with a tash, who she'd met on the quiz circuit.... untapped resource for men girls... get down your local pub quiz thats what i say!

Anyway talking of boys.... ended up chatting to 3 lads who failed miserably at the quiz, they were from Bakewell, Derbyshire and got on well with one of them called James who I swapped numbers with.

Friday day time I spent in Manly, watching the surfers on the beach as the weather was nice, and then caught the ferry back to Sydney.... could never get tired of that ferry ride as you come across the water and see the opera house and harbour bridge...amazing. Could see the people doing the bridge climb as we pulled into circular quay... think thats something ill definitely do when i come back to Sydney. Spent the rest of the afternoon in the botanical gardens watching the world go by and reading my book.... was a nice chilled day.

Friday night, me and the room 506 lot went and watched a great band in the hostel bar, a French band called Melvil who were really good. Have seen sooo many bands since ive been travelling who id book in an instant for an event.... why can you never find the b*****s when you're looking at home! It was the 2 crazy girls from my rooms last night in Sydney before they headed to Melbourne so we all had a bit of a dance and a boogie which was good.

Saturday, me, Nat and Tracey hit Balmain and Rozelle markets which were nice. Bought a nice old bracelt for $3... last of the big spenders hey! Saturday was also Toga Party day!!! The hostel provided you with the sheets, you just had to tie them and accessorize a bit! ... we all went down to the dollar shop and bought curtain ties to wear as head pieces, glittery leaves and the odd other sparkly bit. A mass goon drinking session then commenced about 8pm in room 506, and half the hostel appeared to join us, luckily for us including a girl who seemed to be an expert in tying toga's! The rest of the night is a bit of a blur to me.... apparently i was fine whilst i was in the room, but the 2cm walk outside and round the corner to the hostel bar must have had the fresh air hit me and i was a gonner.... apparently i slid of a sofa - classy!! Resulted in my friend putting me to bed later in the evening, she said the day after that i would only agree to go to sleep if she promised that she would go straight to sleep to....mature hey!!
Sunday was a bit of a right off to be honest, most energetic thing i did was walk across the road with my room mates for a mcdonalds, which was greatly needed and certianly did the job. We all had a bit of a chill out day.

Monday - Tracey asked me and Nat to come along to the Potbellez music video shoot. They were refilming the video for their single 'Dont hold back' and needed backing dancers. So me and Nat went along and my friend Stacey from room 506 joined us too. Got there and it was a free bar. I was adamant that i didnt want anything to drink as I swear my kidneys were still suffering from Saturday night, we'd been out a fair bit in the last week! Anyway, decided would have 1 champagne as it would be rude not to. Then all of a sudden as we were waiting for our bit to be filmed all these gorgeous skinny girls started to arrive and we started to panic... panic involved more alcohol. Then the worry that as soon as the music started to play we would dance like a dad at a wedding...again led to more alcohol - as everyone knows that the more you drink the better you dance! Finally our bit came on, and some 15 takes later we were done! It was great fun dancing like a maniac whilst the band were up on the stage.... although inbetween takes was the opportunity for yes you guessed it, more drink and also someones cracking idea to give out sambuca's! .... well the rest of it is a bit of a blur... the last thing i really remember was harrassing the rather gorgeous bar man. My friend Tracey told me after that Ilan the lead singer had said how hysterical we were. Apparently we were stood next to him at the bar going on about how fit the lead singer of the band was, then what was worse is that we started up a conversation with him and asked him what he did for a living, to which he replied that he was in a band.... we were like 'Oh cool, which band are you in?" - and he was like "this one, the one you've been dancing to for 15 takes".... ooooops!! Anyway, woke up at 5am to discover i had a black eye and split lip - as you do... and no recollection as to how it happened. Everyone in my room seemed to find this hysterical, they now think im a legend... cheers guys! A week later, still not really sure what happened, but the lads said I must have fallen over as its like a graze and not a punch (thank god!).

Anyway complete with my battle wound on Tuesday morning I heard from James (guy i met at the quiz) who asked if i wanted to go out that night... i decided i would and forewarned him about the eye. Went out that night for chinese food - duck pancakes and special fried rice - YUM! and then afterwards met his 2 friends from the pub quiz, as it was there birthday and my room mates too as it was Leon (one of my room mates) birthday as well. Had a good night, although James was worried that people might think he'd smacked me one! Got talking to his two friends (Joe and Rich) who have hired a campervan for 3 months and are heading up the coast to Cairns. They offered me a lift up to Byron bay, which i have accepted and we departed on Saturday 11!

Last couple of days in Sydney were quite sedate after the hectic party week which we'd had. Spent the day out at Bondi Beach with my friend Ceri on the Thursday just sitting and chatting and then had a couple of quiet nights in the hostel bar. Also saw the French band Melvil again which was good.

Didnt get to see Tracey before I left Sydney as she was in Adelaide with my mates the Potbellez, but saw Nat which was nice. Am really going to miss her, but know that we'll keep in touch and will meet up again further up the coast.

Anyway - Saturday arrived and packed up all my belongings and got in our 3 birth camper van and off we went! Very exciting! ... will update you on my camper van journey shortly!

Much love - Han xx

P.s - Please dont think im an alcoholic - despite all the stories in this particular blog entry seeming to revolve around alcohol, I dont need to be checked into rehab just yet!!