Everything is dead.

Camera? dead.

phone? dead.

ipod? dead.

headphones? dead.

computer? dead.

feet? dead.

This is what happens the zitty teenager at Best Buy sells you a converter that doesn't actually work for the countries you're visiting.  But now, thanks to my many years of experience with malls I have a working converter and all my electronics are recharging, which I too am about to do after two very long days.  Unfortunately, because of said obstacle and unknown battery-zapping plane travel properties I have all of four or five pictures in Sydney before my camera conked out (and yes mother, I made sure it was fully charged before I left).  So even though I swear it to be true, there is no photographic proof of me being on the other side of the world, except that otherwise there would be no way I would be awake at 8am.  So in leiu of far more interesting and easy to peruse picture I must instead give you a thousand words...

Saturday January 22nd: death by plane

Sunday January 23rd: nonexistent 20 and three-quarters birthday

Monday January 24th:  Arrive in Sydney, commandeer a handicap bathroom to take a quick birdbath, change into summer suitable clothes, and apply sunscreen.  After spending about an hour trying to get rid of my luggage for the day, arguing with a wall of lockers, and cajoling some hostel employees I actually ended up keeping it all safe for free.  I spent the rest of the day walking through Chinatown, Darling Harbour, and going to the Sydney Aquarium.  Though the sharks were spectacular, the view of the water beautiful, the fountains for wading were refreshing, my favorite activity was reading the t-shirts with English writing worn by Asians.  My two favorites by the end of the day were “who would want marry butterfly but she would love butterfly” and “the secent of an rose.”  While the day was great the jet lag and inability to feel settled in because I was still lugging around all my luggage made me if not homesick then travelsick and ready to collapse, which I readily did at 9pm and fell asleep more quickly than I have in years.  Stephanie and James are both fantastic, and after a late dinner we all headed to bed early (they had been up quite early, taking a flight at 5am back from Brisbane where they had been helping flooded friends).

Tuesday Januart 25^th: After a glass of wine, 13 hours sleep, and finally being able to camp out and open up my bags, I felt infinitely better this morning (not that jesterday was bad, just groggy and occasionally cranky).  I as already mentioned went to find a converter as well as a couple other essentials (of course one of the wheels broke off my bag, luckily it was as we were walking up to the house so I have time to fix it before it must once again travel)  Then I took the train into the city to enjoy a view of the bridge and the Sydney Opera House, really wishing I had a functioning camera battery.  I managed to squeeze into the Museum of Contemporary Art for the last hour before closing and saw an Annie Leibovits exibit, funny to come all the way to Australia for an American photographer, but it’s apparently one of the best museums in the city and free. No way could I turn that down.  After I took the ferry over to Manly island and took advantage of the view along the way, cheapest harbor cruise you could get with my public transit day pass.  I spent the afternoon lounging in the sun and wading in the surf.  After grabbing some quick dinner I found the most delicious thing ever, some bald man sells chocolate (apparently the fact that he’s bald is important) and I got a cup of fantastic melted chocolate with beautiful strawberries to dip in it.  Tired, feet sore, ready to relax and not looking forward to the train ride ahead and walking home in the dark all disappeared when this chocolately haven arrived, and no that’s not a typo, I would crawl inside that chocolate as a shelter and be shielded from everything bad in the world, though I’m sure it’s pretty close to what heaven is like too.  I’m sure you have all grown bored or tired and I am surely the latter, so hopefully the internet connection lasts long enough for me to post this for all of you who I’m sure are waiting with bated breath!

Happy Australia Day! Google is celebrating it, so should you!