Monday 7th May

I started work this morning - it was really exciting! I'm working in the Central Business District (CBD) which has the same feel as the City financial sector in London. It's really buzzy and everyone looks the part.

There are so many Brits working in my office and apparently that's common everywhere here. Even Vanessa, my Account Manager has lived in London for the last few years. My boss, Liz, is from the UK as is my Art Director, Paul.

HSBC turns out to be pretty much like most other financial clients - same old same old and I'm surprised at how easily I fall back into things. The only plus side are the creatives aren't ''precious" and the Client is actually nice. How refreshing.

I venture out at lunchtime and there is a massive array of asian food. It's fantastic.

In the evening I meet Simon, Kate, Iain and Hayley off the Manly ferry as they've been at the beach all day. We go for drinks in a cool bar near the Opera House and soak up the atmosphere and reminisce about Africa. It's wonderful to see them and we arrange to meet up tomorrow night.

Tuesday 8th May

I go on the leaving lunch of the girl I'm taking over from. We head into Chinatown and have Yum Cha which to us in the UK is Dim Sum. Essentially there are lots of ladies wheeling trolleys around all the tables like they are on a race track. You wouldn't want to get in their way. The trolleys are covered with lots of starter type snacks. They shout the selection available on their trolley and hand over a plateful if you wants it.

Each trolley has something different on it. The food is great and the idea completely novel. I love it! They stamp a sheet when you have something from their trolley and whoosh off. Then you just pay for it all at the end.

Wednesday 9th May

Simon and Kate meet a friend of Kate's from Bermuda today. Hayley's job is taking groups of children around the Royal Botanical Gardens and teaching them about the flora and fauna. There are over 2,000 fruit bats that live in the gardens, eels in the ponds and large groups of spiders too. They had a great time there and in the evening I'm introduced to Hayley and her husband Nick.

We go for drinks in Manly and meet Hayley and Iain. Simon is complaining of stomach ache but takes some indigestion tablets and soldiers on through the evening.

Thursday 10th May

By this morning Simon is in serious pain and I make him promise to go to the doctors. He doesn't need much persuasion and by 11am I've had a text from him saying he's in the hospital and they are giving him all the usual tests for appendicitis. Kate and I head over to Accident and Emergency at St Vincents Hospital in the evening and find him lying on a bed waiting for a CT scan. By 11.30pm he's been told he has to stay in overnight so Kate and I leave.

Friday 11th May

I go to the hospital and they have confirmed it's appendicitis and Simon is going in for his operation this morning. Eeek! By 3pm he's out and in recovery and all has gone well apparently. Phew! Kate goes to see him and says he's very sleepy. She's staying in a hotel this weekend as her friend Charlotte arrives from Bermuda for her birthday so I thank her and we arrange to meet up tomorrow night.

I arrive to find Simon is indeed sleepy but it's great to see that he's ok. So I sit there until 8pm when visiting hours are over reading magazines and occassionally having a brief conversation with him.

Saturday 12th May

I spent most of today in the hospital with Simon. He's sore and groggy still but he manages to get up an walk. Hooray!

In the evening after visiting hours I go out with Hayley, Iain, Kate, Charlotte and Hayley. We have a drink in the Shangri-La which has a fantastic funky bar on the top floor with a gorgeous view over the harbour. We head to King Street Wharf next and settle in a place called Bungalow 8 which is a bar that has a small dancefloor area and a live drummer accompanying the old skool house tunes. We drink and dance and for me it's a great relief after the stress of this week.

Sunday 13th May

I head to the hospital in the morning with a sore head and get no sympathy from Simon. Chris pops in to say hello and the rest of the day is spent chatting and going for the occasional slow walk with Simon. He manages to get outside though so he’s improving hugely by the day. I can’t wait for him to come home tomorrow. 

Monday 14th May 

It’s back to work again and I’m quite excited because this week I’ll be running things as Laura has now left. Things go well and the bonus is Simon is getting out of hospital at 4pm. Hooray! We spend a quiet evening in with Kate as it’s her last day here. Then I take her round to stay with Chris who is kindly putting her up for tonight.

Simon is beginning to feel much better and is a lot more mobile. He even managed to meet me for lunch yesterday which was lovely. We’re heading out to a gallery exhibition launch tonight. One of the creatives at work, her partner paints surfboards and is exhibiting in Surry Hills.

The surfboards are really cool and all individual commissions. People have given Adam (the artist) a list of the most important things in their life and he's produced the works of art from that. It takes him around 2 weeks to paint one. You can commission one for around $3,000 Oz dollars! Hmm - don't think I'll be doing it in a hurry.

Saturday 26th May

In the morning we head over to the fish market where there are all manner of sea creatures for sale. The colours are so vibrant and the noise from the fish sellers is phenominal!. While we're there have fish and chips for lunch. Yum!

In the evening we go and see Wales vs Australia play rugby at the Telstra stadium. I wave my scarf around and shout in what I hope are all the right places. The stadium is huge and holds over 70,000 people!

At half time someone asks me if I'd like to be on the radio - I decline politely! I've paid for this ticket - I'm going to see the game - not spend half of my time in a radio booth! At the end we lost in extra time - we were robbed! But the atmosphere was fantastic.

Sunday 27th May

We go on a gentle stroll and walk from Bondi beach to Bronte which is just beautiful. It's a gorgeous day and everyone else has the same idea. We see the tramp who lives on the cliff face there and look at him pottering around in his home.

There are people playing frizzbee, volleyball, surfing, swimming, running and walking their dogs. You wouldn't believe it's actually winter as it's around 22 degrees! While we're stopped on a bench Simon spots whales in the distance - just amazing. We decide next weekend we'll go whale watching so we can get up close with them. How exciting.