F E L I N E R S

We got back to NY yesterday after a month-long travel in Australia, Malaysia, Thailand & Cambodia. For me personally, it was a mixture of anxiety (meeting the Waldens & spending Christmas with them), excitement + joy (seeing my friends again, going for an island holiday in Samui & visiting Sydney for the first time), and confusion (finding my sense of place, being back in Malaysia).

Sydney

We first flew to Sydney for Christmas and spent the first 3 nights at the Blue Hotel in Woolloomoolloo. Peter's decision to stay in the inner city for a few nights before moving onto his dad's place in the Western suburb turned out to be the greatest idea of all time. Not only it was easier for him to show me around, we also had some time to ourselves before going into family mode full-swing.
The Blue Hotel is a boutique hotel on The Wharf at Woolloomoolloo

Come Christmas Eve, I met the entire Walden clan - sisters, nephews, uncle including the family dog Laika. How did I go on that? Well, Let's just leave it at 'nervewrecking'.

The boys. L-R: Max, Peter, Gilbert. They're very sweet kids.

Peter with Gilbert. Gilbert got accepted into a performing arts high school majoring in drama.

Max with Laika. Max is visiting NY with his mom Inara in April.

Laika wondering if he's ever gonna be let in the house for his share of turkey. He is named after the first dog who set foot (or paw) on the moon.

Peter and daddy dearest. I showed the photo to my mom and she thinks Peter's dad is good-looking. He's 63 and sails twice a week.

All in all, I like Sydney better than Melbourne! Ha! I find the 'all over the place' layout very cute. Most of all probably because there are heaps more beaches within the vicinity of the city ( I am a beach junkie) and it is alot warmer in Sydney than it is in Melbourne.

Bronte Beach. I am esctatic for getting some sun. Peter says to me, "You're back in your habitat."

Sydneysiders have it good, don't they? There are heaps of walks and trails like this within the city its unbelievable.

Bondi Beach from a distance. Peter brought me to Bronte instead of Bondi cause apparently I "don't get impressed by anything too commercialized" and Bondi is exactly that.

Sydney CBD from Botanical Gardens

Peter's place in Balmain. I've never been in a more charming neighbourhood than Balmain - it is so quirky and full of character. So boho, so personalized. It reminds me of being in Sevilla in Spain. Every street I turn into I go, "Oooh, so cute".

This explains my putting on weight when living in Australia before. Yum-yummm.

We ate fish n chips at Watsons Bay.

Glorious summer day. Sydney CBD from Watsons Bay.

We also visited Uncle Greg and took a drive to Leura, a cute town up in the Blue Mountains.