Our Whitsundays Beach Holiday may have come to an end, but the travels were just starting. From now on, Sydney is the home base we come back and forth from as we launch off to see different parts of the country. However, before we move on to stories of the next trip, at this point we were back for a few days – enough time to rest for a couple of days and then party for a couple more.
Mark, Elad, Mike, Michelle, and Jonathan
The Friday after we got back, another Diversity Dinner was on the books. This time it was Korean BBQ at Madang Restaurant in the CBD. MMM! Korean BBQ. In addition to all of the tasty meats, this place had some very tasty noodles and pancakes.
Matthias, Laura, and Jein
You would think that after such a huge spread, they would've had to roll us out of there; however, most of the group was still able to move enough to head out dancing. Excellent! My favorite way to work off excess feasting. We went to a place not too far away. I did not get the name, but there are three monkeys above the entrance in 'hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil' formation. It's hard to miss and spans three stories. The dance floor was on the third floor, and while it was almost intolerably hot, we all danced our butts off. G and I debated the merits of the band. He thought they sounded like an American wedding band, albeit a good one. I argued that their American Wedding playlist is precisely what made it so much fun.
Day might've had a little too much fun.
And we might have taken a little too much advantage of his condition.
No worries. He was fine, and it was all in good fun.
The next day I was forced to face the facts that I no longer a spring chicken – my bum was in pain! Apparently, my body no longer wants to spring back right away from a long night of dancing. Nonetheless, I forced myself out the door the next day and to the beach for an afternoon surfing – or attempting to at least.
Prior to this, the last time I'd made it out was a couple of weeks before when I'd met my friend Carla at the beach. My foam board is pretty light, and a lot less stable than the giant yellow boards we used at Huntington Beach. Still I was really thankful for this when I took a knock to the head. It wasn't too bad. I was dizzy for a couple of moments, and then I was fine, but I get a slightly black eye-- although it was fairly easy to cover with makeup. I still have the remnants of the bump weeks later. Given this, I didn't much fancy going out on my own for the next round, so I waited for the next day G was willing to come with me. I'm happy to report that no further bumps have taken place!
While I was out in the ocean wrestling with my board and flopping around like a wet seal, I somehow manage to meet a friendly girl who was happily riding the waves and having a very good day. I thought she was a spunky French teenager, but I later found out that Isabel is German/Spanish and she is just three years younger than I am. She was very excited because she managed some moves she'd never done before. She ended up on the same bus as G and I, and as we chatted she mentioned that she really had been wanting to go dancing but the friends she was staying with were too busy. Some of the AGSM girls were going out again that night, and I'd been debating whether to go tonight – G had definitely hit his dancing quota for the weekend and my bum was still sore. However, I told her of the plan and said she'd be welcome to come with me if she wanted. And so I had a new date to take G's place.
With Isabel at The Rocks
All my dancing girls -- Jen, Carla, Isabel, me, and Alexandra.
Alex and I chased after Xenogene, and she flagged him down.
Carla and Xenogene
That alone would have made the evening sufficiently satisfying, but just as I got off the bus stop for home, my roomies walked by with the band of guests we had staying with us. Our house was pretty much a hostel on this particular weekend. Kate's boyfriend Ryan flew over at the beginning of November to stay a month and a half. Also, two of their lovely friends, Kim and Bryan, had come to visit for the weekend. Day's brother Mark was in town to top it all off. So if everyone went out together, it was basically a moving party. (I should mention that G was holed up in our room working, and while they knocked and I called, he could not be roused.) I was persuaded – go on, twist my arm – to go down to The Regent with them for a drink. We “sang” along with a few of the songs the had playing, but it really couldn't get better than everyone (and by everyone I mean our group, and a few other Americans) screaming along to Livin' on a Prayer, so after that I left my roommates to continue the party and headed for home.
Kate gave Day a demonstration of her punching technique. Luckily, Kim didn't get in the way.
Me and Kate, with Day's Brother Mark.
Kate, Ryan, and Day are Livin on Prayer - hardcore.
