Sydney was all about catching our breath after the craziness in Japan.  We checked into the Shangri-La hotel, where we had the good fortune to be greeted by customer manager extraordinaire Sabina.  She heard the story and promptly upgraded us into their Governor's Suite. This is the size of our Paris apartment, raised to the 34th floor where it commands a gorgeous view of sunny blue Sydney Bay.  Sweet indeed. We enjoyed every minute and thank you Sabina! The biggest tourist attractions here are right on Sydney Bay including archiectural marvels such as the Opera House and Harbor Bridge, the Sydney Zoo, and nearby Manly Beach and Bondi Beach. These are all just minutes away by water ferry service and the main station is right by the Shangri-La hotel, so the location was perfect.

    

We reserved most of the week for doing absolutey nothing - books, games, sleep, haircuts, movies and shopping, walks around town and the bay. The touring schedule was light by design - the insider's tour of the zoo, a guided drive around the bay with fresh fish and chips for lunch, and a sunset boat cruise in the harbor. After a month in Southeast Asia we really enjoyed the accents and being able to chat with everyone we met. Sydney feels somewhere between Boston and London, which is to say oddly familiar even as first time visitors, but now add in plenty of California sunshine and people in beach attire.  Probably the only downside of Sydney is the food prices - literally double those of Boston.  In part it is the price of being on an island nine hours from anywhere.  But one of the major factors driving costs here is the incredible wealth coming into the country from its mining activities (including active gold mines).  Australia sells raw materials to China and Japan and its boat has been lifted alongside theirs.  It is a modern, clean, law-abiding society.  Unlike Singapore there is no compulsory military service and the weather is much more temperate.  With so much beachfront, we saw lots of fit and active people.  Overall, a great mix. The highlight of the week was undoubtedly the dinners we had with friends.  Gina's sectionmate Darin and his wife Allison were kind enough to meet us for dinner twice in one week.  Our families get along like pancakes and syrup - kids the same ages, start-up CEO Dads who love science fiction, and savvy Moms who run the show and once served on Montessori boards.   Freaky, huh?!  Hopefully we will see them somehow before the next reunion finally rolls around. See Carter's surf blog for pictures with the Walters family.

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Then the last night in Sydney we connected with Gina's tennis teammate Selen Hota and her whole family.  Picture us enjoying thick, juicy Australian steaks, al fresco seating by the water's edge, warm breezes past our short sleeves, and lo! the sunset.  It was special fun because we had seen Selen and her daughter Leyla in Istanbul last summer, and now here we could visit together again on the other side of the world!  The kids dove right into puzzles and stories but after a glass or two of Australian reds, the parents just pushed their chairs back a bit and dreamed big about changing the world.  Our verdict on Sydney:  once you get out here, this is a super place to live.