Dec 12 - New Home and Oprah Set

Woke up and checked out of Base this morning much, much too early (at 10 AM which meant I got maybe 5 hours of sleep). Tossed our heavy backpacks on our shoulders and trudged over to YHA Railway Station, which will be our new home for the next 2 weeks, right up until boxing day. So Santa better bring a present for me here or there will be trouble... Then we got to sit and waste time on the internet and lazed around until 2 pm, when we could check in. Got the keys to the new room, which only has 4 beds in it (2 bunks so only us and 2 other people) and dropped the stuff in. Met one of the other room residents, who is a Canadian guy (probably in his 30s) that was born in Kindersley and his parents live in Saskatoon. Small world. Chilled in the room and napped a bit, surfed the web some more and just relaxed. Eventually this got boring and we unloaded our backpacks and did a much needed load of laundry. Once it was finished and the clothes were all lemony fresh again, we packed them in the lockers that are in the room and set out in search of food. Considered a couple Vietnamese places and a pho place, but after the Chinese food debacle, we decided to play it safe and hit up a kebab shop. Yes, twice in one day (well, for Brennan anyway...I had pizza instead). If it ain't broke, don't fix it, as the saying goes.

Fueled up with food again, we walked down to the harbour to the Opera House to see the big set-up for the Oprah show being filmed here tomorrow. They hung a huge red "O" from the Harbour Bridge in honour of Oprah and fenced off the steps of the Opera House and set up a massive stage and a couple thousand plastic chairs for the American audience she brought with her to Australia. Might go peep the commotion tomorrow when she's actually there filming the show. Walked back through a park where we saw a bunch of possums eating buns that had been placed in holes in trees. Quite odd; not sure if the food is maybe poisoned because possums are a pest or if they feed them to keep them around as a tourist attraction or what. Cute little guys though and we saw one with a baby on its back too. Got back to the hostel and Brennan opted for internet time, while I watched the movie Elf, then called it a night. Tomorrow we need to drop off resumes, follow up the ones we sent online and apply to more online agencies. I've also decided I need to learn how to surf, so I may commit to that in the coming days as well.