Flukes vs. Fate

I'm not sure if this happens to everyone in the world, but at least to me, it seems that my life is filled with more crazy coincidences, twists of fate and straight up ironies than the average person. A good example is what happened this weekend. My friend and coworker, Lindsey (who incidentally was the one who recruited me to come to Australia in the first place), invited me to go to the Ranwick races with her. More on the races later. Anyway, a few of Lindsey's friends came and met us. A few girls from San Diego and a few American guys. After chatting with one of the guys, David, for a bit, we discovered that a coworker and friend from San Francisco, JP, was one of his closest friends from home growing up. This didn't seem too strange to me at the time, since I figured Lindsey knew JP in San Francisco and that's how she knew David, but it turned out this wasn't the case. Lindsey didn't even know who JP was and actually had met David through the San Diego girls. She had met the San Diego girls through a girl she met when she was staying at a youth hostel when she first got to Australia. David knew these girls because they are all getting their masters at the same Sydney University. Ironically, JP had told David about me and that I was coming to Sydney so that he should try to meet up with me but never followed through on giving him my contact details. I texted JP when we discovered this and he was blown away that somehow, on the other side of the world, we had somehow managed to meet each other completely independent of his assistance. I have to say, I do love that my life is like this, since even if everything in the world is completely chaotic, it at least creates the semblance of some kind of divine plan or purpose in the world...or at least in my life.

So let me tell you about the Ranwick Horse Races. Australians LOVE to gamble and they also LOVE to dress up, and as I've established previously in the blog, they love, love, LOVE to drink. The Ranwick races allow them to indulge their three major passions all at the same time, so clearly this is big deal. Everyone gets all dressed up, the women wear hats and the men are in seersucker suits. Everyone drinks champagne and bets on horses. It's definitely a step up for me from the dollar days at the dog track in Sarasota. You would think that I'd try to keep my bogan (Australian word for white trash) past at the dog track under wraps amongst all of these fancy people dressed to the nines. I did not. After educating everyone on how to bet a quinella and an exacta, I felt compelled to enlighten everyone that the reason I was so well versed in horse racing was because I had spent many a Friday afternoon surrounded by mullets, gorging myself on $1 hot dogs and beers.

Here are a few pictures of the track and of some of our group






The third picture is an example of some of the crazy head pieces some of the women were wearing. This chick was presumably trying to look like a little Indian. Hers wasn't even half bad compared to some of them. Some of the womens hats looked like dessert.



After the the races, our group continued to explore what Saturday night in Sydney had to offer. We went to dinner and then a few pubs. Near the end of the night we decided to go out in Darling Harbour, since it was close to my corporate housing and shockingly we found that mere steps from my front door, there is a bowling alley. After all of the strange coincidences and twists of fate I've had in my life, I began to wonder if the universe wasn't trying to send me some signs that I am supposed to be a professional bowler. After we played a few games, I decided the universe is definitely NOT sending me that message. I'm going to blame my poor performance on the southern hemisphere. If it makes water go down the drain the opposite direction, I think it's entirely plausible that it could screw up my technique. At least, that's what I'm going to believe for now. Regardless, I'd say my first full Saturday in Sydney was a great success and really a lot of fun.



Today (Sunday) has been absolutely beautiful. My Australian friend, Scott, and I met up today for brunch and then we explored the different neighborhoods of the city. Scott has a car and was driving us for most of the time. I'm either going to have to completely hit the reset button in my head about what should happen when someone is driving or else I need to be blindfolded when I'm riding around with someone in Sydney. It is so strange, first of all sitting in the 'drivers seat' side but not having any controls and secondly, going against every conditioned response I've developed from 10 years of driving (badly) in the states. I mean, doesn't it just look odd to have the driver on the right side?

Hi Scott!


During our journey, we went through Kings Cross, which is generally known as a kind of seedy area at night. There are strip clubs, hookers and brothels. There are also bars and clubs that are open all night. During the day it wasn't so bad, and actually was quite lively with a market that is there every Sunday. When we drove to Wollomolloo (sp?) nearby, Scott pointed out that this is where all of the Navy ships would dock. A fun fact he let me in on is that this is actually why Kings Cross developed as it is today, with the brothels and whores. It was so the sailors could have a 'bit of fun' when they were at port. I thought this was very interesting and made total sense. However it left me wondering what the hell Nevada's excuse is.

So overall good weekend, topped off by finding out that I got the apartment that I really wanted. I'm stoked I'm going to be living in such a nice place and even happier that I'm going to be living with someone who seems so cool (along with a third guy who is Scottish, who I am yet to meet). Everything has been going along really smoothly and falling into place so well. It definitely has helped to ease any fears or reservations I've felt coming to this new place. I'm always a bit terrified when I move somewhere new. I have been so fortunate every time I've moved anywhere as far as the people that I've met and the opportunities that I've had. I always am worried that no one person deserves to be this lucky and that if things aren't predestined and are just based on random chaos and luck that some day my luck will run out. But it hasn't yet...and maybe it won't. Fingers crossed!