Day 223 - Merry Christmas guys

Merry Christmas everyone...



The run up to christmas has been mental. Right, back home I familiarise the final week as being (a) a wind-down at work, (b) lots of christmas parties and (c) a mad rush to buy presents before the shops shut. But christmas when you're backpacking is TOTALLY different. I worked the last couple of days before christmas eve, both hideously late shifts (until 7am) followed by way too many pints with the amazing Georgie from work and rocking up at the hostel drunk af 2pm.

I've bought all my very cheap and rubbish presents and sent them home already. I've not been to any christmas parties because I don't know anyone who can afford to have one. I don't have to travel back home to see my mum, and I don't have to worry about anything. So all of a sudden, totally out of the blue, its christmas eve! I wake up a about 7pm because my body clock is screwed and wander the hostel like a zombie, asking where everyone is. Sam and most of the hostel have gone on a booze cruise around the harbour, so I find out where they are going and head down to Oxford Street to meet them.







And at 6am I slip into my bed, knowing christmas day was right around the corner... well, it was about an hour away. because EVE (from New Zealand) texts me at 7am to say she's arrived at the airport and should be at the hostel any time soon. So bleary eyed, I drag myself out of bed and meet her in reception - its been a long 10 weeks since we saw her last, but its been worth the wait.



And so we drag sam up out of her bed and celebrate christmas day in style - by opening our presents. I got an amazing parcel from my mum - although it had a shed load of Dove products, which means she either has a deal with them or I have a personal hygeine problem. Eve got a LOAD of expensive stuff from her parents (she's such a snob) and Sam got a parcel from Dave (who she loves) and some stuff from me. And amazing Sam also made Eve and I some stockings loaded with wicked presents. It was perfect.









After that, I served champagne to the WHOLE HOSTEL (i'm such a bartender) since it was putting on a champagne breakfast, and I love opening champagne bottles. And then I handed out shortbread christmas trees to everyone, even people on the streets - just to spread some good will. And after that I went to Peach's house, where they were all having christmas dinner, and sat like an idiot at the side because I hadn't paid to be part of the dinner crew. Gutted - it looked well nice as well.



Sam had a christmas dinner to attend to at her Godfather's house, so Eve and I left Sam to go to the beach. there had been reports ALL MONTH that christmas day would be raining, and despite a bit of cloud in the morning, the day was actually SCORCHING. It was great. Bondi Beach was rammed with people - mostly foreigners. Seeing christmas hats in the sea was weird. In fact, the whole thing was weird. It doesn't feel like christmas day AT ALL. All the shops are open, everyone's outdoors. Its like any other day here. Which is nice - its sociable and busy and buzzing. Unlike christmas back home where everyone is indoors watching the queen's speech and moaning about brussel sprouts.





And for christmas dinner, eve and I went to HUNGRY JACKS (a.k.a. Burger King). Not sure why its not been rebranded to be the same as the rest of the world, but yes, I had this for christmas dinner...





...which, I must add, was disgusting. In fact, the whole experience was hideous since I had sand on my hands and nowhere to wash it off. It was RANK. I'm clearly enjoying it in this picture...



And then the rest of the day was spent sleeping (i.e. catching up on lost sleep), eating junk food, drinking vodka and chocolate milk, laughing at drunk people outside the hostel and sitting on the phone to just a handful of people until the phonecard ran dry. It was great. Merry Christmas guys. I hope you all had a good one.