So much to see So little time... Sydney 4th and last day

....Woke up just after 5am and dragged myself out of bed freshened up… grabbed my gear and caught a cab to the opera house… There was loud squawking sounds coming from the trees at the park near the opera house… it sounded like cockatoos… anyway, I walked around to get some nice shots of the opera house but thought that the best view was still near the waterfront restaurant… So I walked all the way around the Circular Quay and got into position…. The opera house is such a beautiful building lah…

(above taken from a cab at around 5am.........)

While looking through the lens of my camera I notice a flock of birds flying around the Opera House… It was what I suspected… Sulfur crested white cockatoos… They were so noisy I could hear them from where I was standing…. The flock broke into two with one bunch flying across the Harbour Bridge and the second bunch flying across to where I was standing… It felt so strange seeing these wild birds in the city… so cool lah… but they are one noisy bunch…. Made my way back to the hotel to meet Fiona for breakfast…. We didn’t have much time because Fabrice wanted to meet us for a debriefing and discussion… So we walked towards Chinatown but didn’t find anything open yet… we walked an extra block and found a crowded café… The food wasn’t good at all …. I guess it was crowded because it was the only one open…… after breakfast we continued our walk and found Chinatown. Most of it was closed but we suspected that it would all slowly open towards lunch time. I witnessed the strangest thing on our walk back to the hotel

Spent about an hour and a half with Fabrice at the hotel lounge ….. then we had the rest of the day to ourselves… It was about 1pm and our flight was at 8.30pm….

So we went back to Chinatown to eat Dim Sum. Yes, you guessed it… I have never eaten Dim Sum before….. and I really liked it. Fiona explained that the shop we were in was very much a Hong Kong style Dim Sum…. But it has been westernized a little cos they were serving fried chicken wings too…. Kekeke.. actually that was so funny… what was funnier was that we found a shop called Mamak… and they were selling typical Mamak food like Roti Canai, Roti Sardin, Roti Telur and other variation of Roti Canai. Of cos Nasi Lemak too and nnot for getting Mamak Mee Goreng…. Ok so it’s a Mamak stall but there wasn’t a single Mamak fellow in there …. The whole place was run by Chinese dudes… It was hilarious seeing a Chinese Dude twirl roti canai…. Fiona and I could stop laughing as I took a few shots of him making roti canai… The shop was pack though and people were queuing up waiting for their food. They were looking at us probably thinking what’s wrong with us… kekeke…

We took a cab to the Opera House because Fiona hasn’t seen it up close …. And I cant get enough exploring the Opera House… The atmosphere at the Circular Quay was so much more different. The place was so lively and buzzling with people. We went inside and visited the gift shop and then walked around looking at this fascinating building…

It was getting cold again so we stopped at a café to get a hot drink and also sit down to rest and take in the scenery around the Harbour…. … After awhile we went back towards the hotel and walked around Pitt Street to get some souvenirs… Standard lah… we are tourist after all…

…. Sigh!!... it was time to go home….Walked back to the hotel and got our bags, then took a cab to the airport... After eating McD’s (yuck!) and visiting the Duty Free shop where I bought perfume for Rose..… Interestingly they asked me to pick it up once I pass security…. Maybe that should have got me thinking hmmm would I get into trouble for the duty free liquor I had in my hand luggage??!... All I can say is I made a mistake of buying duty free liquor coming into Australian then carried it in my hand luggage while getting out of Australia… yes yes im sure u frequent flier people would be slapping your palm on your head… and saying Bodoh punya orang!! (stupid fellow) … made our way to security…..

Well actually I got into trouble even before passing the metal detector. The security guy was like very curt towards me .... TAKE THE LAP TOP OUT!!! …. Then when I passed the metal detector …it beeped!!... GO BACK IN LINE!! ..EMPTY YOUR POCKETS!! TAKE YOUR JACKET OFF!!... then I pass thru and it beeps again!! WHAT ARE YOU CARRYING!! ….I said it might be my belt??!!... GET BACK IN LINE!!... REMOVE YOUR BELT!!... by that time they were announcing last call to board the plane… finally after removing my belt… I passed the metal detector without setting it off… My things where all over the place… my bag was on one end of the line …. WHOSE BAG IS THIS!!! WHOSE BAG IS THIS!!... its mine, I replied… MAY I GO THROUGH IT!! (Said a Security lady like as if I had a choice)…. She takes out the bottle and slams it on the stainless steel counter…. YOU CANT TAKE THIS IN!! YOU HAVE TO CHECK IT IN…!!!... (well its too late now)… I explained that it was duty free and that I had the receipt but to no avail…. Then Fiona gets into the negotiation but I think that kind of pissed her off even more… Then she starts taking everything out of my bag and then shoved it back in… but withheld the bottle… sign!!! Oh well… so much for Bundaberg Rum….

We board the plane and find out that there’s still one more passenger that hasn’t boarded… then as I sat in my seat I suddenly realized that I didn’t pick up the perfume after the security check…. Fiona suggested asking the flight crew if I could go and pick it up… And when I asked them they then asked me to ask the boarding officer… … and when I asked him he tell me that I have 10 seconds to pick it up so run!!... funny chap… When I get to the pick up counter there isn’t anyone there… so I get behind the counter and start looking for it… my taught were racing and thinking what if they arrest me for being behind this counter… … they will interrogate me and will miss my flight … and im going to be jailed … the adrenalin rush was making me giddy….

As I got into the plane the boarding guy shouted CHAMPION!!!... … what an embarrassing night… I just want to go home!!.... but unfortunately it was a transit flight with an hours stop over at Brisbane....

It was turbulence all the way to Brisbane.... and while were landing there... the plane was swinging side to side..... i kid u not!!!.... i swear one set of the plane's tyres touched down before the next set did.... ...arrrggghhh!!...

The flight back to KL wasnt any better either.... turbulence!!! turbulence!!! and more turbulence!!!... i tell you... it was so good getting home.... dumped all my bags and got into bed............... WHAT?? Anwar caught for sodomy? Permatang Pauh? Government take over?... Imigrants??? ISA????... sigh!!!!!!! theres no place like home.........

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view pics HERE
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