Barbershops of the world, part 11

I needed to trim my beard so I didn't look like a scruff for Shelley and John's wedding. On Lisa's recommendation I visited an ace little barber shop near Bondi Junction, Sydney.

Check out the faces on my cape! We didn't notice at the time... maybe they weren't there, and it's some sort of religious sign. Who knows?

The old gent who trimmed me had been in the business for 48 years(!) - his long experience resulted in an excellent and thorough job. He even got out the old skool manual clippers to do the tough bits under my nose. Debs was most impressed. Very good!

Cost 6 AUS dollars (EUR3.6)

Cut quality 8/10

Fear factor 0/10

Oh, by the way - in more internet stalking weirdness news, some of my barber shop pictures on Flickr have been favourited by a person/entity calling themself "capelover", check em out... heh!

Ben

I am the sun, I am the New Year, I'm the way home

It's the one they show you on the news - New Year in Sydney. You know - with fireworks and stuff...

We loaded up an Esky with Coopers Green and trundled off to the Harbour for a lengthy evening of snacks, drinks, pyrotechnics and chat with Darren and Lisa.

When we arrived, there was some dude in a plane doing some sky writing. This was the best bit:


Then, before we knew it, everything went black and stuff started blowing up (Debs would like to point out that there was no terrorist attack - it's just Ben flippantly describing the start of the fireworks display).

We stole that photo off Peter Morris (our pictures are all up on Flickr), but this shows pretty much exactly what we were looking at from where we were on Garden Island. Thanks to Lisa for sorting us out with the best seats in the city :-)

Happy New Year everyone!

Love from Ben and Debs

Barbershops of the world, part 10

Statistics fans will be thrilled to learn the following:

It is day 141 of our journey; so far we have visited 7 countries (8 if you count England); this is the 4th full hair and beard combo cut of the trip (1st one in Cuba, 2nd one in Te Rapa, 3rd in Greymouth); a baby can hear tones with oscillations up to approximately 20,000 Hz, but these frequencies become more difficult to hear as people age.

And so to Bronte, a suburb in the east of Sydney. A nice lady who turns out to be from Odessa, Ukraine (where I once got drunk and saw sailors fighting) trims my head and face using clippers, scissors, combs and a cut throat razor! Extra points for that - first one I've seen since Mexico.

Cost 20 AUS dollars (about EUR 12)

Cut quality 8.5/10

Fear factor 2/10 (even though I was able to charm her by speaking Russian, a blade-wielding Ukrainian is nobody's idea of a good time)

This has been my most expensive haircut yet, but get this - it would have cost even more! Me and Debs did our negotiation double act to slash the price from 30 to 20 AUD , then promptly spent the difference on a couple of freshly made beetroot, apple and celery juices from the shop down the road.

Ben

Sydney/Asking strangers to take photos of you

We're in Sydney, staying at Lisa and Darren's house in Bronte. It's hot, and we both have colds.

Central Sydney is just like London - there's a Hyde Park, Liverpool Street, Oxford Street, the cars drive on the left, big concrete buildings, lots of people strutting around in suits etc. The sun is the only exception.

We oriented ourselves by going on a wander around the city, taking in the awesome sight of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge via the Botanical Gardens (*full* of fruit bats - eeew!) and the Hyde Park Barracks.

What is it with peoples inability to take a good photo?! We had to ask three different people to take our pic, in the hope of getting a nice one of us in front of the Royal Opera House, but they're all shit! Why would you take a picture like this?

Or this?

The landmark isn't even in view properly! Tssk.

Anyway. We're still not feeling Christmassey, but the elf dances performed by friends and family are making us smile (thanks everyone!), and we both spoke to our parents and my sister on Skype today, so we're in good spirits. We're looking forward to Christmas in Wangi Wangi, but we miss our families and wish someone would invent a transporter, quick.

Love

Debs, x