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I have been watching in anticipation for this moment all week. The US dollar and the Australian dollar danced back and forth across the line of parity before the US dollar settled on top this evening at 1 USD = 1.003 AUD. While it is nothing too major, it does mark an 8% increase in the value of the US dollar since early March when it was at its lowest (I keep a fancy excel sheet of conversions on the money I spend). My coworkers were even talking about it today as they bemoaned the price of all the things they have been buying online from the US going up as it made the event made the Sydney Morning Herald. The currencies have not been even since December of last year, and that did not last long. The projections by economists today said that the trend is likely to continue - I won't hold my breath. Anyways, it was a small victory for my day and in celebration I paid my rent (saved a few bucks there).
Today at work was productive. In addition to a fair amount of desk work I got to go out in Woolloomooloo for a bit to take some pictures. The trip took me across Hyde Park and through the area of Woolloomooloo I had been with John last week, but going alone gave me the chance to see a few more things.
After walking past the Art Gallery of New South Wales and up toward Hyde Park I took a trip beneath the streets to see a site that John had mentioned when we had wandered by previously - the "travelator". The travelator connects Hyde Park to the Domain car park. Constructed in 1960, the moving sidewalk (just doesn't have the same ring) is 207 meters long and "saves walkers a full three minutes" at its brisk clip of .67m /second. For a long while it was the longest moving sidewalk in the world, hidden from the world underneath the park. It only lost the title recently to Disneyland Paris. While an oddity, it was worth the trip down into the subway (British definition, not American) to see it. One day I will go back and ride it to check out the murals that appear to stretch on.
As I made the last leg of the journey back to work across Hyde Park, drenched in a warming sunlight (it was a crisp day - upper 50s to low 60s with wind), a street performer was playing "What a Wonderful World" - I couldn't help but think how glad I am to be in Sydney! And how much I like my job...
The afternoon was filled with desk work, but a nice lunch helped break up some of the time. I decided to try my hand at a Commonwealth country staple, and think I was pretty successful. I had sausages left over from the red beans and rice and potatoes that needed to be eaten, so bangers and mash was the logical outcome. I even sauteed onions and made a gravy. I was quite proud of the result.
The culinary adventures did not stop at work. Around 6:00 I met a friend at Darling Harbour and had dinner at Grill'd. I had the summer sunset - a fantastic burger topped with avocado, bacon, pineapple, lettuce, relish, and herbed mayo. To wash it all down I decided to try an Australian brew that caught my eye - a White Rabbit dark ale. It was very delicious and a great accompaniment with the sweetness of the burger (thanks to the pineapple).
On the way home I swung by Coles to get a few groceries to have a sit for the guests who will soon be boarding their flights. I am finally cleaning my room and making final preps for their arrival. Lecture in the morning, work in the afternoon, and an early trip to collect the weary travelers on Wednesday morning.
Today at work was productive. In addition to a fair amount of desk work I got to go out in Woolloomooloo for a bit to take some pictures. The trip took me across Hyde Park and through the area of Woolloomooloo I had been with John last week, but going alone gave me the chance to see a few more things.
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| Captain Cook in Hyde Park on the walk to Woolloomooloo. |
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| A pedestrian bridge connecting Woolloomooloo to the Domain and on to the City across the Western Distributor on the walk back to work. |
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Looking back toward Woolloomooloo from the Domain end of the bridge. |
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| The "travelator" connecting Hyde Park to the Domain car park. |
The afternoon was filled with desk work, but a nice lunch helped break up some of the time. I decided to try my hand at a Commonwealth country staple, and think I was pretty successful. I had sausages left over from the red beans and rice and potatoes that needed to be eaten, so bangers and mash was the logical outcome. I even sauteed onions and made a gravy. I was quite proud of the result.
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| Bangers and mash accompanied by tea (with milk, what am I, an American or something?) and the SMH. |
The culinary adventures did not stop at work. Around 6:00 I met a friend at Darling Harbour and had dinner at Grill'd. I had the summer sunset - a fantastic burger topped with avocado, bacon, pineapple, lettuce, relish, and herbed mayo. To wash it all down I decided to try an Australian brew that caught my eye - a White Rabbit dark ale. It was very delicious and a great accompaniment with the sweetness of the burger (thanks to the pineapple).
On the way home I swung by Coles to get a few groceries to have a sit for the guests who will soon be boarding their flights. I am finally cleaning my room and making final preps for their arrival. Lecture in the morning, work in the afternoon, and an early trip to collect the weary travelers on Wednesday morning.
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