The Cast of Overcast Skies

Darling Wind at Darling Harbor 

#67: [Day 1: Sydney 2005] We Made it Through the Rain

We arrived in Sydney yesterday morning around 7ish. And that was the last time "ish" would mean something. We were to learn that here, (as with all other countries except the Philippines), minutes are actually counted. The train arrives at 7:03 in Mt. Druitt. If you miss it, there's a 7:09 one. Or a 7:27. Wow.

It was pouring when we stepped out of the airport. Sydney was apparently feeling very British yesterday, hence the mad rain and gray skies. The cab driver apologized for the weather and that actually kept me from suing him for the mess. Besides, he was driving us to Darling Harbor in a Silver Cab at white cab fares. I don't know if he wanted us to feel privileged or if it was just his way of letting us know that he's itching to get our wet butts off his seats so businessmen in dark coats and scowls could already pay him what "Silver Cabs" deserve. So the AUD43.00 he charged us was already the proletariat rate? You could send a child to school in the Philippines for a month or two with that money.

In the afternoon, we went to the IMAX Theater to... uhm... sleep. Really. Man, don't ever go there when you're in Sydney. Or if someone insists, at least don't watch "Aliens of the Deep." Believe me. It's not a horror flick. No aliens eating earthling guts in 3D there. It's a documentary... on deep water creatures. Yeesh.

After that, it was off to Sydney Aquarium. I'm not really a fan of fishes but I guess it's better that I see them behind glass than around me while snorkeling/diving. (I promise you, I cannot dive. I will freak out, pass out and eventually die.) Elna loved the whole thing. She actually took videos of fishes... which is pretty weird since they have a real live aquarium at home. They must really love aquatic life. Heck, I would've used the film to create backdrops for videoke songs. Hehe.

At Ian's home, a welcome dinner was waiting for us. Since we missed the Express train that leaves at 7:24pm and were forced to take the Semi-Express one which leaves at 7:29, we held up dinner and came home to a group of people who had probably already started developing ulcers. Eep.

Day 1's cast of characters:
1. Ian: Ex-boss, very, very gracious host, Sydney tourmeister. Has elevated this trip to the level of science. His attention to detail is superb. His precision is bordering on scary. He is singlehandedly threatening the financial viability of publishing the "Offical Guide to Sydney."

2. Carlo: Old lunchmate from Globe who is now based in Melbourne. Refuses to speak in Aussie twang because he can't get "G'Day Mate" right.

3. Andrew: Soft-spoken geography teacher who treated us to coffee that damp afternoon. "Just around the corner" to him is actually 3 major blocks in normal human-speak. He's a dear though. Drove us back to Ian's office so we could make it to the Semi-Express train home. (I mean, who wants to take the "Not-Express-At-All" train? That's like next to the "What-does-Express-Mean? Train.")

4. Lyn: Andrew's girlfriend. Lovely person who allowed us into her apartment for us to have a fabulous view of the city. She doesn't know it yet but we've started selling tickets to her place as part of the Sydney Tour package - right after a visit to the AMP Tower.

5. Sam: Store Attendant who sold me a new pair of shoes. I blame his salesmanship for the expensive purchase. He had me at "Kamusta?" (Come on. Give me a break. My feet were soaked to the core. I NEEDED those new shoes.)

6. Cathy: Old officemate from Globe who used to help me make/remake/then-remake-again business cases for marketing projects. She now makes tuna-mac-&-cheese not with grated cheese but with cheese slices. She can also fry frozen fish fillet and chicken nuggets like a pro. Very accommodating.

7. Cecil: Old officemate from Globe as well whom I never really got to talk to back then. His first word after the first round of "Hi's" - "Seatbelts." Acc. to Ian, he's the one responsible for the monstrous flat-screen TV living in their living room. Nice dude.

8. Monica: Newest addition to Ian's house. No, she's not furniture. But she reads ice cream labels to validate her reaction to the product itself. So cute you'd want to adopt her. By the way, she's 23.

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A stellar cast.
No wonder we made it easily through the rain.
End of Day 1.