eytanz
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Hi all,

Well, I'm back from Australia - had a great, relaxing vacation, and saw my grandmother and cousins and my cousin's adorable children. And now I'm back to work, and I also have to catch up with everything that happened in these forums - way too many new holds came out while I was away...

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Oneiromancer
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YAY!

I was just going to post today in your leaving thread about how we wanted you back, and then you come back! Welcome back! Yay again!

<ahem>

Yeah, good to see you, man. <offers hand for shaking>

Game on,

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eytanz
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Thanks - good to be back!

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The_Red_Hawk
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Welcome back!

eytanz wrote: Well, I'm back from Australia - had a great, relaxing vacation, and saw my grandmother and cousins and my cousin's adorable children.

Any details?

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Mattcrampy
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See the fireworks?

Get caught by any drop bears?

Matt

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Schik
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Feed any crocodiles while holding little babies?


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The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way it treats its animals.
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eytanz
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Well, I did see the fireworks - from the roof of my grandmother's house, which (for those who know Sydney) is in Edgecliff facing the harbor and we could see two and a half of the four loci of fireworks, as well as the bridge (they had four simultanerous sets of identical fireworks going on so that people from different parts of the city could see them). It was impressive, but I was still a bit jetlagged so I went to sleep immediately when they were over.

I spent most of my time wandering around downtown Sydney, eating seafood (which is far cheaper and much much better in Sydney than in New York), reading, and shopping for books. I didn't do any real touristy things this time round, I wasn't in the mood. I did see the Australian version of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), which I've seen before (in the American version), and was a huge amount of fun. I also spent some days at my family's beach house at Macmasters, which was relaxing but uneventful.

Basically, no exciting adventures - just a calm time with family I don't see often, away from my work.

I did want to borrow my cousin's newborn to help me feed a crocodile, but couldn't find the time.

[Edited by eytanz on 01-13-2004 at 08:04 PM GMT]

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Mattcrampy
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I love the headlines from that incident. In New York:

"Steve Irwen - Australian for stupid"

In Wollongong, Australia:

"Americans finally realise that Steve Irwen actually is an idiot"

Glad you enjoyed yourself, or at least saw Sydney. I've always considered downtown Sydney as being outside Central Station, although to be fair it's probably on the other side of Chinatown, where the cinemas and endless restaurants are. And Circular Quay and the Rocks and the harbour and oh heck I'm wrong, aren't I.

Matt

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DiMono
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Remember how Steve Irwin was saying how he felt it was important to teach his children at a young age about wildlife and such? Lewis Black, on The Daily Show, made a very amusing point:

"He's not teaching his son anything! What he's doing is teaching the crocodile to associate babies with feeding time!"

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