Sydney Life

After a long, long, loooong hiatus, I am finally back in BlogTown. Oh yes, strap yourselves in, wave goodbye, and get set for the the comeback blog of your life...

As you can see, not much has changed. My blogs continue to be self-indulgent and ... well, self-indulgent. Forgive me as we return to where we last saw each other...

I wrote my last post looking out of my hostel on W125th St in New York City. After a lifetime of pining for the city of blinding lights, I actually made it there. I discovered Manhattan is the perfect place to travel alone, simply because you never truly are. There are (friendly!) people everywhere who genuinely want to share their city with you. I'll never forget the Bloomingdale's salesman who told me about the best cupcakes in the world (Magnolia Bakery, W11th and Bleecker in Greenwich Village), or the lady on the bus who spied my Lonely Planet guide and suggested I walk across the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset for the best views of the city, or my hostel roommate who gave me tickets to the Guggenheim for Christmas.

From NYC to LA and then to San Francisco, where I continued my fascination with bridges by walking over the Golden Gate. My bus friend was right - the best views are the cheapest! I sampled clam chowder (one word: ohmygoditwassogoodiwantsomerightnow) and saltwater taffy (San Franciscans are strangely proud of this bland, chewy sweet - there are entire stores devoted to the stuff!), and experienced the hippy neighbourhood of Haight-Ashbury (once home to the Grateful Dead and the birthplace of 1969's summer of love) where people have not yet realised we've long ago left the 1970s. I took the cable cars down to Castro, the heart of San Fran's gay life, and shopped some more. On my last day, I took the train to Berkeley, and pretended I could see Sandy Cohen somewhere in the distance (more on The O.C later). Berkeley, like most American universities, is a wonderland of manicured lawns, lush trees and imposing architecture. It took me about two seconds to whip out my camera and snap to my little heart's content.

And then, back to Sydney. The day after my plane landed (without any celebrities on board, which I must say, was a real oversight of Qantas), I began my new job as a research assistant to a professor at the University of Sydney.

Luckily for me, I get to work in the Quad, with many of my old professors and lecturers, and quite often, I see my old classmates. I am still amazed that I am being paid to do something I'm so fascinated by, and that the job was almost handed to me by my supervisor, without much effort from me. Not everyone is that fortunate!

For those of you who graduate this year, and are planning on beginning work in 2008, graduate recruitment has just begun. The Careers Centre (www.usyd.edu.au/careers) is a geat source of information, and is also running free seminars on job skills, online applications, interview skills and much more. It's really worth checking out.

The first quarter of 2007 has been really exciting so far. I have moved to Surry Hills with two friends, which is tres exciting. I love the idea of having a 'downtown' - from my house, I need only walk a few blocks to get to a bus stop, or to buy a newspaper and coffee, or to order Thai takeaway. It's a very novel feeling that I am absolutely loving.

From my little enclave in the Western Tower, I find myself wistfully wishing I was a student once again, lolling about on the grass and flitting from lecture to tute. So I'd love to hear how all you readers are doing - I know that Asako's got the advice column wrapped up, but I still want to hear from everyone. Write, comment and be merry!