Quick Update

AHHH I'm running late so here's a quick update of Friday (4 Jan):

• Woke up early for a trip to Kembla Steel Works, an Australian Steel manufacturing company.  SO COOL with all the molten steel etc. I'll post pics later
• Down time at the hotel, then dinner in Chinatown
• Explored Paddy's a little bit (Paddy's is a huge indoor market full of little souvenirs....I bought a boomerang, no biggie)
• $10 jugs (pitchers) of local beer at a small bar on the corner of George St. (this is mega cheap considering how expensive Australia is normally- normal bottled beers are around $8 each!)
• Sydney Opera at the Opera House!!! We (Danielle, Hannah, Greg, and I) got all dressed up and took lots of pics, which are to come soon
• Went to a local bar on The Rocks (an artsy area by the harbor).  My mom would have loved this place.... the DJ played classic rock (American 80s) for the first hour, then 90's pop (Spice Girls, N'Sync, Britney), and then transitioned to American and Australian music that's on the radio today.  When Gangnam Style came on, I started dancing, and EVERYONE cleared the dance floor and was cheering for me! Guess I know how to make friends with Aussies now ;)

Today is the first weekend of the new year!  The city is having a city-wide festival, full of free art galleries, outdoor markets and concerts, and lots of fun events.  Apparently The Big Arrival is a huge event here, and you'd never expect what it is- the delivery of a GIANT rubber ducky via ferry into the harbor! How funny is that? Apparently everyone comes to watch it because it's such an exciting event!  There will also be a man running a marathon on a treadmill, and free "Soul" concerts in the Domain in the evening.  I'll keep you updated!