The first week in Sydney

I can’t believe we landed at Sydney airport last Monday and that we now have been here exactly one week. Time just flies by....We are now staying with some friends in Bellevue Hill only a 10min walk to Bondi Beach. The weather has been great and everyday has been a beach day so far. With that said, we have only been to the beach once because we have been busy opening bank accounts, enrolling Lars at Sydney Uni and looking for apartments on the internet. Looking for apartments and landing one is apparently harder then last time I lived in Sydney and prices are much higher if you want to stay in the central areas. We are looking for a place between the city and Bondi Junction, that of course is a very popular area. Tomorrow we are going to talk to some agencies to see what they can find for us in our price range. We will keep you updated on the apartment hunting. And also, the job hunting starts next week, so cross your fingers.

The first week has been very busy and we have done something every evening. February is a great month in Sydney with lots of stuff happening both during daytime and in the evenings, have a look at what we have done:

Monday: Arrive in Sydney

Tuesday: Open bank account. Drinks with Francine at Darling Harbor

Wednesday: Enrolling Lars at Sydney Uni. Dinner with Leo and Marry (the great friends letting us stay in their studio apartment)

Thursday: Dinner in Darlinghurst. Open-air cinema with views to the opera house

Friday: Twilight sail in Sydney Harbor

Saturday: Bondi Beach

Sunday: Tropfest in the Domain (world largest outdoor short-film festival)

We will leave you with some pictures from the events.

Although we re having a great time so far it is strange to know that we don't have the network of friends and family that we are so used to having at home. But it’s all about learning new stuff and meeting new people and we are looking forward to that. 

As the last words for now we just have to say that we are surprised Australia is so far behind Norway when it comes too high speed Internet and it has been a bit frustrating. At the moment we are at an Internet cafe and it cost us 50 NOK for 2 hours of Internet time on our own computers and the speed is not high. It is very hard to find a cafe with free wireless access like at home. Mobile broadband is also quite expensive here, and it is not that usual to have a wireless connection at home because that is even more expensive. So one plus for Norway there.

But then again, who can complain too much when it’s 27 degrees and the sun is shining. 

Have a great week everyone.

Big hug from Lars and Cecilie

The day of LOVE on a Thai airplane….. The adventure begins.

First, we want to welcome everyone to our blog, we look forward to sharing our time in Australia with you. The blog will be updated at least once a week and we hope to post some great pictures and video clips so you can get some live action as well. Hope you enjoy.
(Kommenter gjerne innleggene våre på norsk selv om vi skriver på engelsk)

So, back to today, Valentines Day 2010, our suitcases are finally packed and ready for the long flight to Sydney. The last few months have been hectic and we feel good about leaving today. The one thing we learned while preparing for this trip is that you don’t think about how many obligations you have at home until you start planning for a year abroad. And you need to plan for someone to take care of these obligations before you leave.

For example, we bought a brand new apartment in Oslo last summer, it is finished in May 2010 and we have too rent it out to someone while we are away. Had it not been for a great mom and dad to take care of the lease and some strong friends to help move our furniture into the apartment, we would be in big trouble. So, thanks to everyone for helping us with our obligations and making this adventure possible.

As for our jobs, Lars got a one year unpaid leave from his job as an investigator, but I had to quit my job and leave my wonderful colleagues at TDC. It was a hard decision.....

But if you think about it, you only get a few chances in life to do something people didn't expect you to do. So, although plenty of our friends are having babies, getting married and settling down, we have decided to take a step outside of our box to see the world one more time alone, together.

There is love in the air today people, and its landing in Sydney tomorrow :-)

Happy Valentines Day everyone

Big hug from Cecilie and Lars