Helen and I have just finishing up a two-week trip to Australia. Unfortunately we couldn’t see all the people we wanted to see because it was such a whirlwind trip. We stopped off in Tokyo for a night and went out with our friends for dinner. Tim and Anna showed us a current phenomenon in Tokyo at the tiny expat bars, which is loud 80’s music, photos of posing expats plastered over the walls, and lots of very drunk expats boisterously working their way to horizontal in the bar itself. We adjourned for some very tasty mojito cocktails at the Grand Hyatt in Rapongi. This was actually where we were staying, and very nice it was too! The room had one of those deep Japanese-style baths, and two showers. We certainly felt squeaky clean when we explored Tokyo. When we got to Sydney we took Helen’s mum up to the Blue Mountains for two nights. Unfortunately one of our favourite restaurants – Solitary – turned out to have lost its edge. The days were overcast and a little chilly. Not exactly the weather you want when you are escaping London winter. We hired a nice car for the week though, which we picked up at Sydney airport on arrival. It was a Calais V6. Lots of power, a 6 CD stereo, and rear collision sensors when reversing. The car made the trip up the mountains and back again very comfortable. When we got back to Sydney we checked in to the Medina on Crown Street. It was a great location, and we certainly had plenty of space in the apartment with two bedrooms, but the apartments are starting to feel a little old. While we were in Sydney, we caught up with a few of our friends. Tom and Stephen and Sharon took us out to dinner the day we got back to Sydney at RQ, another of our favourite restaurants. This one at least has stayed consistently great! The Maitre’D was having a night off and had chosen to eat at the restaurant with some of his family. He recognised us though and made a point of coming over to say hello, which was very nice. We ended up having a cocktail at Longrain – another place that’s stayed good. The next day was Friday, and a beautiful day it was! We went to see our friends Char and Antoon’s new apartment over on Coogee beach. I think it will turn out to be a wonderful buy. I spent the afternoon playing pool with the guys at IT&e. We went out to dinner that night at a Thai Restaurant in Surry Hills, and ended up at 2am at the Hollywood Hotel. Next stop was the Gold Coast. It’s a funny old place. It’s so relaxed; the days seem to drift along like fluffy white clouds in the sky. Mum and Dad seem to occupy themselves with the politics of the apartment building they’re living in, like French aristocracy holding court. Dad bought a new computer while we were in the Gold Coast. It is a Apple iMac with a 20 inch screen. He claims that I wore him down like the slow, steady drip of the water torture. I hope he likes the new computer!