Icebergs at the Beach

The past week was long but great at work. We were delighted to host our Chairman and CEO, Tom, in Australia this week. It was a big signal for my team because this Q2 is as large as our Q4, given that most Australian companies have a FYE on 30 June. Having Tom here was great to give the team an energy boost and help them understand how important they are to the firm's success. We had a great happy hour/karaoke night, and Tom was such a great sport! In all truths, I am lucky to work for a great leader who gave me this unique opportunity down under.


So when the weekend rolled around, I realized that I had a lot of plans - unlike most weekends! :)  I shocked myself with rallying to go out on Friday night for my friend Amanda's birthday party at the Sheif, which many friends call their favorite bar in Sydney. Now I know why....fun music, lots of small outdoor rooms filled with trees and heaters (it is winter here) and friends abound. We had a great time though I was home by 1:00 AM for a skype date with Christian.


Saturday, I slept in and then had a great brunch with Devin, Dawn and Tyler at Cafe Dov in our 'hood. YUM! My chorizo, goat cheese and mushroom omelet hit the spot, as well as my fresh squeezed lemonade, flat white and water. Let's be honest...it's not brunch without at least 3 beverages. Right, Christian? I then experienced a series of miscommunication errors trying to connect with my colleague Nicole, who was in Sydney visiting from her new home in Tokyo. We were unable to connect during the day so while out running errands, I accepted an offer from Leela and Pete to head to Bondi for about 2 hours. I have only been to Bondi Beach for dinner, and it was a gorgeous winter day of clear skies and 65F weather, so off we went!


While Pete surfed, Leela and I visited the famous Icebergs Bondi Beach. It's a health club/pool/restaurant/bar with INCREDIBLE views of the ocean and cliffs. It's apparently called Icebergs because in the summer, it puts huge blocks of ice in its pools to keep the water cool. The pools are awesome...they are right at the ocean's edge (see below) and waves crash into them every 30 seconds. WOW. While Pete surfed, Leela and I had a few cocktails and talked about all the travel we have done and want to do. The pictures here do not even do the views justice. But Leela and I both commented several times that we are just so lucky to be able to spend a Saturday like we were - we watched the waves crash, had great conversation, relaxed after a long week at work, and saw amazing views of the expansive Pacific Ocean. Nothing better.

View of the north side of Bondi from Icebergs

One of the pools at Icebergs and the Pacific Ocean 

View of the expansive Bondi Beach from Icebergs 

Me at Icebergs, overlooking the great Pacific Ocean

Saturday night I met up with Nicole for a drink and dinner. It was wonderful....Nicole and I have a close mutual friend, Maureen Kestly, who is simply the greatest gal. Nicole and I didn't know each other well before this trip she's taken to Sydney for the week. But we could share stories of living in Washington, DC, mutual friends, working for CEB and being a few months into living knee deep in a new culture. Nicole has never been to Sydney, so I wanted to ensure she experienced the beautiful Sydney Harbour views! So we had martinis at Cruise Bar and a delicious churrasco dinner at WIldfire. I really loved getting to know her better.

The enormous light fixtures at Wildfire.

Today was fairly ordinary as I ran errands and cleaned my pad. BUT, I knew I had a BhangLassi show at the Old Fitz tonight and they did not disappoint! I met my friend Jason at LL's for a beer before the show, where we chatted with friends Jake and his brother Grady, whoa re also in a band. Then a group of friends all met at the Old Fitz for the BhangLassi show. We had beers and great music and great fun together.

A cool snap of Alex on the keys

All in all, a terrific weekend. I got the best of Sydney and my friends. Now for the close of Q2, a very important time for this region. So I will be heads down at work...all my team's hard work across the past 3-6 months will be proven this week.


12 days until I fly home to the States for a visit....I can't wait.


Until next time...xoxo

The most remote city on Earth?

There is some debate as to which city is considered to be the most remote on Earth.  Remoteness is measured by both distance from another major city and population. Some say Honolulu (a solid 2,400 miles from San Francisco and a pop. of 900k) or Auckland, NZ (a respectable 1,300 miles from Sydney, AUS and a pop of 1.3M) are the most remote. The author Bill Bryson claimed it to be Perth, the capital of Western Australia, which is 2,000 miles from Sydney and has a pop of 500k. Regardless of which city actually takes the prize,  I can attest that I felt VERY remote from anything while in Perth this past week!


I traveled to Perth with my British colleague Sam Musgrave (Muzza, for short) for a series of business meetings on Friday. Australia is almost as big as America, so flying from Sydney to Perth is like flying from DC to Los Angeles. It took almost 6 hours because of strong head winds. Perth is an up-and coming city that takes advantage of its natural resources and proximity to Asia to export tons of coal and components of steel to China. As a result, it's growing rapidly and many large businesses are establishing headquarters there. Originally, Perth was intended to be a port city and then quickly became known for its Swan River Colony (a penal community of convicts that began arriving from the UK in the 1850's). 


After a long enjoyable Qantas flight, it was all business as Muzza and I traversed greater Perth to visit with Sales and Marketing executives. After a long day of meetings and a few hours of catch-up work, we took the recommendation of another colleague and went to dinner at an adorable restaurant called Must Wine Bar in an area of the city called Highgate. Dinner was great (I had a yummy poached chicken with black truffles) as was the wine (a very dry SSB from Margaret River). But I was exhausted and promptly headed back to the hotel for much-needed shut eye. 


The next day we had a few hours to kill before flying back to Sydney and decided to head to the historical town of Fremantle (Freo, for short). 

Because it was pouring rain when we arrived (which, despite only lasting an hour, was much needed as it only rains a few days a year there and they are in the midst of a 10-year drought!), we went straight to the Little Creatures Brewery, home of the best beer in Australia. 

Little Creatures Brewery

Muzza and I grabbed brekky at the brewery which included probably the best flat white I have had since being here. YUM! 

My yummy brekky - great fuel for beer drinking. 
BTW, that's Aussie bacon.

My delicious flat white

They brew 5 types of beer, one of which - the Bright Ale - has won "Top Beer in Australia" the last 2 years running. After brekky, we decided to try to taste all 5, which we did! They were really yummy, but I liked the Little Creatures Bright Ale the best. Some fun snaps from the brewery:

Our fun waiter Ian, the red nose, the Bright Ale and me

The Little Creatures logo - very famous in Oz

Muzza and me taking the Amber Ale very seriously

I just loved the look and feel of the brewery. A simple way to number the tables!

Then we were off to the airport for a 5-hour flight back to Sydney, and it did not take me long to hop into bed for a much-needed night of sleep back home in my pad.  Perth is a remote, charming, and fairly quiet city; I am very glad I can add it to my list of Oz adventures.


Until next time...xoxo


p.s. The red nose is related to a campaign across Oz to fund cancer research for children. It only costs $2, and really added a nice touch to our photos, I think. :)

A Vivid Weekend

We had a long weekend in honor of the Queen's birthday. I don't think her birthday is a public holiday in the UK, but it is here in Oz and I was glad for it. Last week was really long and exhausting, so I needed sleep, sleep and more sleep. (Actually, I had hoped to whisk away to either New Zealand or Tasmania for the weekend, but never had a chance to make a booking. Good thing too....both were covered by the ash cloud from the Chilean volcano and poor Christchurch had 2 earthquakes today.)


Friday morning I was up at 5 am for a presentation via conference call for work. By the time evening came, I was done. But then I was invited to an impromptu dinner party at my colleagues and friends' new apartment in our 'hood (Potts Point) and am so happy I went. Devin and Dawn were great hosts to Tyler, Tim, Sam, Najir and me. We drank wine, grilled steak, had a delicious salad and just great conversation. Exactly what I needed after a long week.


Saturday I slept in and just relaxed before dinner and drinks with my friend Tyler. As it turns out, we have a lot in common -- Tyler is from Virginia Beach (town next to my hometown of Chesapeake), also went to UVa and she was in my sorority (just a few years behind me)! We work together, and having traveled to Melbourne together last week, decided to have a girls night out. And did we ever! We had a great time at dinner in the 'hood (a place called Gazebo) and then met other friends (Amanda and Carl, and new friends Paul and Paul) out at Paddo Inn in Paddington. A great time was had by all, and it was really nice to go out with friends and just relax. Needless to say, I may or may not have had a hangover the next day - sigh. (As Christian has said MANY MANY times "I am never drinking again.") Luckily, it was cold and pouring rain ALL day so I did not feel one ounce of guilt about staying in all day!


Today I was a bit more active. This afternoon, Tyler, Dawn, Amanda and I saw the movie Bridesmaids. HILARIOUS!! Going to the cinema in Oz is similar to the US, but also a bit different. It's $20 a ticket (even for a matinee!), you are assigned a seat in the theater and they show tons of local commercials before the previews. Otherwise, pretty much the same. The movie was so funny...I highly recommend. When we left the movie, the skies were clear for the first time in days so Tyler and I were finally able to head to the Harbour for Vivid Sydney, a once-a-year light show. It was truly amazing. The pictures do not even do it justice. The downtown buildings, galleries, Customs House and Opera House all have crazy light installations that were breathtaking and awe-inspiring. Definitely a memory-filled night. Please enjoy a few of the snaps I took....I know I will, for years to come.

Pucci-style lights 

Simple yet beautiful lights 

Zebra-style lights 

Missoni-style lights

Jellyfish

Until next time.....xoxo

A Pleasant & Unnerving Flying Experience

Yesterday, I took my first domestic flight in Australia since arriving almost 3 months ago. I am finally starting to hit the road to see clients outside of Sydney; yesterday's trip took me to the lovely city of Melbourne. But this post is not about Melbourne, unfortunately. That's because I saw none of it (but, have been there before). This was a classic taxi-->airport-->taxi-->hotel-->taxi-->airport trip. Anyhoo...

What struck me was the pleasantness of the flying experience as well as how unnerved it left me. Allow me to explain. First, how nice the experience was. Folks in the office said that if I arrived to the airport by 7:15 for a 7:30 flight, that I'd be fine. WHAT!?!?!!? In the States, I would not even think about being at the airport later than 90 minutes before a flight, and that's risking it. Not here, not for domestic flights. My colleagues were right. Here was the experience in brief:

- 5 minutes from taxi to gate. 5 minutes. That includes passing through security.
- Free Sydney Morning Herald newspapers for all guests, and new headphones.
- Free wine after 4 pm on all flights. I enjoyed a lovely pinot gris.
- Personal digital TVs with brand new movies and excellent choices of shows, for free. I watched a fascinating documentary about the quest for and consequences of Michelin star ratings.
- Friendly Qantas staff, who seemed genuinely happy to be of service.
- Full (and free) dinner service on a 1-hour flight....Qantas is known for its good food. It wasn't bad.

Everything from the gate onwards was awesome...the flight was relaxing and quite enjoyable. So why did this unnerve me, you ask? Well, because of the lack of security at the airport, I had a sinking feeling the entire flight. No ID was checked, no shoes removed (nor belts, jewelry, electronics, etc), no liquids sequestered into teeny little bottles in a quart-sized ziploc (I wish I had bought stock in Ziploc). I could have been anyone getting on that plane with anything. And so could any of the other 150 people on my flight. And it made me nervous.

As much as I miss the peacefulness and admittedly naive approach to air travel (and so many other things) we had prior to the 9/11 tragedy and as annoyed as I get with the security situation all flyers encounter in the States, I am glad we have it. Having been in Washington, DC on that fateful day (and having a sister and future brother/family-in-law as well as countless friends in NYC that day), I know that evil people will always look for & find holes in an open society's approach to life. I also know now that I do appreciate the security efforts in place, and I wish some were in place here.

And for the record, I also know (but didn't need to be reminded) that I will never forget that day.

Until next time...xoxo

Food & Wine, and Great Company

I woke up yesterday with a sore throat and runny nose.....yep, ANOTHER cold. What the....? So last night, after the wonderful taste of Mexican food and one small margarita, I went home and slept. Livin' the high life here, folks.


I woke early today (still with the cold) to a beautiful yet chilly day. After a take-away latte (natch) and blueberry muffin (I only ate the top of the muffin, of course) from Room 10, I walked down to Wooloomooloo Wharf to meet my friends Leela and Pete to head to the Manly Beach Food, Wine and Sustainability Festival. After Pete strapped his surf board to the car, off we went on a crystal clear, sunny morning to Manly Beach. We drove through Mosman and Cremoyne, two tiny beachy neighborhoods I hadn't been to yet. We then parked high atop the cliffs above the beach and fairly big waves to visit my boss (and longtime friend) Christy's house. The view from her home is breathtaking!

Like a postcard, but real!

Manly is a great little beach town; it's full of families and people walking dogs, and has a laid-back atmosphere that helps even the most stressed (i.e., moi) relax a bit. The gals walked down to the beach (a 5-minute walk tops) while Pete surfed, and we enjoyed a semillon sauvignon blanc (SSB as it's called here) from Pepper Creek from sitting on the beach steps and enjoying the warm sun. We tasted the yummy wagyu curry from China Beach and then were joined by Christy's husband Todd and Pete to enjoy a glass of bubbly (again, sitting on the beach) from an organic Hunter Valley winery focused on Sustainability called Tambourlaine. On the walk back I met an adorable Cavalier called Charlie, who loved when I pet him and gave me a few kisses. (MISS YOU, Fletcher!)

Food and Australian wine on a gorgeous day? Yes, please!

It was a lovely day....and for winter (today was the equivalent of 5 December in the northern hemisphere), I was pretty pleased with our 70F day spent at the beach. The wine and food were great, but the company was even better.

Leela, Christy and me

Off to bed to sleep away this cold. Until next time...xoxo

It's a small world after all....

It's been proven to me many times over that it is indeed a very small world. And it happened again today.

My favorite story from the past involves my parents and one of my best college girlfriend's, Justine. It goes something like this....Justine is one year older than me, and we are in the same sorority in college (DZ!) and dating football players who happen to be roommates. J and I sign up to be the social chairs of Foxfield (a classic UVa event that involves an open field, a steeplechase horse race, 10,000 college kids and LOTS of alcohol) for our sorority. While setting up, we are chatting and get to know each other better. We learn that our parents all graduated from the University of Connecticut, and both our Dads played basketball there. 

Well, being similar in age, we figured they had to have known each other! I called home and asked my dad if he remembered the name Joe Granski, which he vaguely did. Justine called home, and since her Dad was traveling, asked her mom if the name Ron Ritter meant anything to her. A long pause ensued, and then Justine heard "How do you know that name? I wore his gold basketball around my neck for 8 months and he broke my heart!!"  Yep, my dad - the ladykiller - dated the mom of the gal who ended up being on of my very best friends. (Indeed, I had the privilege of serving as her maid of honor.) Our parents are friends now, and we enjoy reuniting every fall at UVa football games.

Anyway, while not as cool as that story, I did have a "small world" experience tonight. As I may have mentioned at least 62 times, I LOVE Mexican food. At home, I ate it at least 2x a week. Sydney doesn't have much Mexican food joints, and the one I have tried is....well, AWFUL! I have been craving a quesadilla and margarita like I can't even describe.  I was exploting my 'hood a bit tonight, and happened upon a cute little MExican joint playing rock 'n roll and displaying fresh ingredients. Hmm, looks promising, Caro. I enter, order a quesadilla, and the gentleman behind the counter says "ha, I recognize that accent. American, eh?" Well, I get that all the time so I just say "yep, yep. And 1 margarita please, stat."  


Turns out, the dude chatting with me is the owner and hails from just up the road from me in DC - Rockville, MD. He treated me to the margarita and the quesadilla was good! We chatted about restaurants in DC and what brought us to Australia. He was here working with restaurants and nightclubs, and hated that there was no equivalent to Lauriol Plaza (iconic, worshipped Mexican restaurant in DC) here, so opened a place of his own. Great guy (he's called Bill) and I am sure I am will be back. Nice reminder of home, and very good Mexican food!

Yummy quesadilla and a delicious margarita. Oh how I have missed you.

Also, while walking around Sydney today (after spending 4 hours at the office..sigh) I ran into friends not once but twice. The city is starting to feel smaller and not completely full of strangers. 


I am off to the Taste of Manly Beach tomorrow (I actually hear there is a good Mexican restaurant there) and then to watch a game of footie. (I think "soccer" b/c it involves lots of Brits but we shall see...could be one of at least 3 sports really.)

Until next time....xoxo