Settling in!

Here in Sydney it is Friday, December 6th.  Jason has gone to the dentist and then off to work for the day. He is teaching a class and working on choreographing a piece for the Australian summer season of So You Think You Can Dance today. It seems that all the preliminary taping has been done for the shows audition process and the

20 dancers who made it through that competition will begin their live performances sometime in February. (10 of the 20 finalists have trained under Jason...Just a little mom note!!)
Today is the first day I have ventured further than the grocery by myself. After taking Stella to the dog park for her exercise and play time with her friends, I walked to the health food store and back. It took about an hour...but with excellent directions from Jason, I did not get lost!! The area of Sydney where Jason lives has 2 main streets that I have become familiar with, Bourke and Crown. It is a nice mixture of homes, apartments, stores, clubs, restaurants, cafes, bakeries, 'bottle shops' [aka, Wine store!]. The area feels very safe and walking everywhere is customary. I especially love the cafes and have 2 favorites already. Things are a bit different here in that no one minds if you sit for hours reading, writing or working on the computer. No tipping for service is the custom, as the waiters and waitresses are  paid for their work by the establishment. There is no sense of hurrying up, so someone else can take your place. Just chill!! Aaah, that feels nice!
The grocery and chemist (pharmacy) are only a block away and we shop daily for what we plan to do or cook. Obviously, one bag to carry at a time while walking makes that much easier to adjust to!! Something else I noticed in this area is that it is very pet friendly. Most people have dogs who are very socialized. It is not unusual for 8-10 dogs to be running and playing in the dog park. Stopping in for a coffee or a bottle of wine with your pet on a leash is commonplace! Stella is quite well known and gets her treats wherever we go! Of course, one does not leave home without a couple of dogie clean up bags in ones back pocket!! Everyone is respectful in that way!! The entire city that I have seen so far is VERY clean!! No trash or litter anywhere!!!
We ended the day by walking (I sure am getting my exercise!! Yeah!!) to a lovely restaurant for dinner. The picture I am posting is of  Jason and I relaxing with a glass of champagne!! So far we have not stopped reminiscing or finding news to share for a moment. Six years apart has a lot of daily stories we must tell!! and we've only just begun!!!