Aussie Aussie Aussie... Oi Oi Oi!!

It's true, they do say it here. I asked my friend Felicia upon arrival: "Tell me the Aussie Aussie Aussie thing is real!". As she broke my heart into a thousand pieces with "umm... I've never heard it...", I was redeemed when meeting up with a bunch of her Aussie friends they reaffirmed me. God Bless Australia.

Common American stereotypes of Australia that are (not) true:

-Contrary to popular belief, all of Australia is NOT like Outback Steakhouse (huge disappointment on my part as I was expecting to wow them with my in depth knowledge of "blooming onions" and "Alice Springs chicken"... it was not to be)
-They DO say "mate". IE- "no worries mate"
-They also say "no worries", but I adopted that while I was in the states. Not gonna lie, I'm a fan of the phrase
-Get this, instead of "how you doin'?", here it's "how you goin'?". Seriously. I have no idea how grammatically incorrect that is, but it just doesn't sound right. Probably one saying I will not pick up.
-Instead of "what" or "sorry" when you mishear someone, it's "hey". Not kidding, I was so confused at first, and now I find myself using it.
ex. Me: "I just wrestled a 1 (metric) ton croc!"
(in America) Them "Whaaaaaaa??"
(down under) Them "Hey?"
Does that make sense to you?
-All Australians are ridiculously fit. It's true. They're formidable opponents.
-Apparently not all Australians have pet koalas in their homes. (I AM hoping to sneak a prize fighting kangaroo out of the country somehow, perhaps a baby one)

I've spent the past 5 days mainly wandering around, trying to take in as many "must sees" as possible. Sydney truly is a lovely place, but I didn't realize how much so until this afternoon. After an amazing meal at the fish market (best sashimi EVER, honestly) we walked around the harbor bridge and opera house until sundown. 20 minutes before sunset it seemed like the heavens opened up. A bit dramatic I know, but there we stood with the beautiful city skyline and bridge, set to the backdrop of one of the most pristine skies I've ever seen. I'm hoping my pictures can somewhat do it justice, but I have a feeling they won't. I seriously had a moment where I felt the spirit of Steve Erwin shine down and give me a pat on the back. (ok, a bit of a low blow, but I really did love the guy)

The food thus far has been amazing, and the people super friendly. My only problem so far is... do people realize they're driving on the wrong side of the street here? Maybe someone should report them... or at least let them know...