Though I’m gradually warming up to the idea of going back to Melbourne prematurely to start summer semester there, I won’t lie and say that I’m happy to be thrown back in Aussieland this soon. I’m bitter, I’m in a little bit of a disarrayed mess and I’m not emotionally ready to leave home once again. When I boarded the plane to come home, I had a 5-week count on my hands. Now I’m left with one and with many many many things I haven’t done and people that I haven’t met. I’m shortchanged; this interval at home isn’t enough to compensate for the times that I will spend away from it in the coming year.

Right now, I want to be away. Away to a place where moments are captured to a still and where the sun falls on my left cheek without fail. I haven’t gone to enough places to be able to rave about a city where time stops moving and the clouds are always a prefect cotton white, but I know a place where I found love. It’s not the most organized city or the cleanest, but in all of its imperfection and shortcomings, I see a beautiful mess.

Yes, I’m talking about Sydney :) Pictures are from when Jwan was here and we made a stopover in Sydney, before returning to Melb. Gold Coast was a huge highlight for us, but I still have a strange affinity for Sydney that I want to share. This trip really opened my eyes to the beauty that the city so willingly offers, if only you let it. It was especially easy for us; that we had Khadine a.k.a. Special K, a good friend of Jwan from uni, who played tourguide and brought us all over town in her zippy yellow VW.

Stupid rocks at Clovelly which we trekked over in order to get to Bronte. The journey was long and hard, though we had to find out later that there was a shorter, more frequently travelled path along the coast.

But you know what they say about the road less taken? You may stumble too close to the edge but you will never fall. The view, I’m sure, was so much better from the altitude that we were at than it would have been at sea level.

I wouldn’t want to be too eager to publish all of the good ones, so after the cut are pictures that best summed up our time in Sydney!

Nathan at Watson Bay – beautiful, beautiful lookout point situated at the Sydney Harbour National Park.

With preppy pretty boy Najib!

German for dinner at the Bavarian Bier Cafe. Lowenbrau isn’t the only good place to go!!

This is what I had – a Wagyu burger. Yum, but there are yummier food on the menu.

This picture was taken at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, which is actually a part of the Royal Botanic Gardens. We were freezing our butts off that night but the panoramic view of the city skyline was a worthy reward!

For some reason, Lindt tastes better in Sdyney than in Melb.

Taking the ferry to Manly beach. The ride itself was magical enough! You gotta get on it yourself!

There is nothing like feeling at home in a foreign city.

Conteng-ed on the picnic mat that we laid out in Tumbalong Park at the fest. :)

Pyrmont, where we stayed. The somewhat archaic stucco buildings that lined the street was an absolute charm.

At the juncture is this quaint cafe that serves good breakfast. We didn’t get to try the breakfast, but we did have coffee and appetizer from their lunch menu that had us licking our fingers.

To quell our curiosity, we bought tickets to go on one of the many ships docked at the National Maritime Museum.

The submarine that came with the package!

Kid playing with the periscope at the Museum.

One of the many provocative quotes at the swimwear exhibition at the Museum.

My favourite architectural marvel in Sydney – the St Mary’s Cathedral, where we made a pitstop inside to say a quick prayer.

At the art gallery.

Making our way back to the CBD by walking through the very well-maintained Hyde Park.

Posing at the Sydney Hospital, the oldest in the city, according to Wikipedia.

At The Ivy at 330 George Street. The address just stuck.

It’s basically a very kitschy-ly-furnished cafe-cum-bar which attracts corporate-type people here for afterwork drinks. Ambience is great, though you may be tempted to behave like you’re one of them yuppies.

We were walking across the harbour when we were abruptly ushered to the other end of the Pyrmont Bridge because it had to be swung open for a passing vessel. Cool stuff!

When Khadine told me about awesome cakes at Bad Manners (sic), I found that it’s actually spelled “Badde Manors” when I got there!

And she’s right; this cafe in Glebe has the best warm brownies with ice-cream that I’ve ever had! The carrot cake was a disappointment though.

Khadine took us on a random drive around the city’s prettiest and swankiest neighbourhoods! This is one random quiet playground that we made a stop at.

Old school love with modern “tin cans” <3

Harry‘s cart of pies! But if you haven’t tried it, you’re not missing much.

We had to rush to Makoto Sushi Bar in the CBD to beat the throng of lunchers but alas we were still put on waiting list. This place is a perpetual crowd pleaser, food is above average.

Cupcakes on Pitt Street. Sadly, they are only good for their variety and value-for-money factors.

Bite Me, on the other hand, is a burger joint with a modern twist! I loved the JD steak (mini)burger!

I know people who dislike Sydney for the very fact that, in comparison to Melbourne, it’s messy, its buildings aren’t in grids and getting around isn’t the easiest thing if you are a first-timer. But I love the haphazard placement of things and buildings; you never know what you are going to run into. We never planned any of the itineraries for our days in the city, yet we could still find plenty of things to do and see. Of course we did the usual musts: visits to the Fish Market, have a batter-coated Mars Bar at Bondi, Hurricanes’ ribs etc., but the real fun came from exploring the city with only a free tourist map procured from the visitors’ booth.

I think I have a new life goal. I want to earn enough money to buy an apartment in Sydney.