Another gorgeous day ... Traveled across the harbor by ferry. Very hilly but the setting is gorgeous. We had a fabulous continental breakfast with freshly squeezed orange juice. I made a ham and Swiss sandwich on a croissant to have for later. Ha! Got to the zoo and took it into my hands and then ... It was gone! A bird must have been watching me ... Just as bad as the seagulls at the beach but totally unexpected.

We went on a special behind the scenes pass where we went to off limit areas with a zookeeper to interact with the animals ... Fabulous! What a treat to be up close and personal with kangaroos, wallabies, platypus, Tasmanian devil and of course, koalas! We got to feed and pet them ... Unbelievable! You know how much I love animals so this was special indeed ...

goofy pictures on the plane ... Sunset from Watsons Bay looking toward Sydney ... Chinese lanterns ... Opera House in Darling
Harbor

Some quick observations: yes, it WAS definitely a grueling flight but we survived. Managed to sleep some off and on. People are so friendly and helpful here. Great transportation from the airport since everything's connected and we managed to ask the right questions. Actually the TSA agent was very helpful. Took a train to circular quay where all the ferries leave from right in the middle of Darling Harbor. Took a ferry to our hotel, dropped off our bags and took another ferry back. Spent all day walking around the city ... Dylan wore me out. Not used to hills in Florida and it was very hot. They must like their water hot ... Ice was nowhere to be seen but we finally got some in a bar!

They are having the Chinese New Year celebration so all around the city were sculptures. We found most of then, and had authentic food in Chinatown. Finally figured out they not only drive on the left side but they also WALK on the left side lol. We kept going against the crowds until we had our light bulb moment!. The. Hotel we booked was Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel which was in a beautiful spot a fair distance from downtown ... we didn't check the ferry schedule carefully enough ... Lesson learned ... So had to take a bus back to the hotel but it worked out fine. Heading to the Taronga Zoo today before flying to Cairns for our dive trip. So excited!

Stunning view of Pacific from high atop Watsons Bay ... Hotel where we stayed right off the ferry ... Chinese New Year celebration ... Chinatown ... Shopping in Sydney ... Year of the monkey tribute

I see that I have not posted in a long while but I am going to try to use this for my Australia / New Zealand trip. Here's a few pictures from my recent cruise. They have changed the features a lot so it will be an experiment for sure. Hopefully I will get the hang of it ... This was our cruise to "nowhere" since the cruise was shortened due to fog. We were supposed to go to Cozumel but just went around in circles and drifted ... Was still fun. Went with 22 people from our MMID meetup group.

My daughter and I took a krav maga self-defense class in the spring and learned some helpful things to protect ourselves, and I encourage other women to do the same.  Sometimes I think I was a ninja in another lifetime which could give me a false sense of security in a dangerous situation, but hopefully I remember enough that instinct will kick in
if I ever need to protect myself.  Plus I don’t think I come across as a victim to random people and think they would probably choose someone else to attack rather than me.  I don’t believe in living in fear, but I do think it is good to be
prepared.

I saw this article today and thought I would share the highlights  because it is a good summary. Read the whole article:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/7-self-protection-tips-for-women.html#ixzz298CU4St1 
 

• Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Be vigilant … avoid distractions and keep your eyes and ears open … be aware of available escape routes. 
• Project an air of confidence.  Walk with purpose … if you feel someone     is following you. turn around and look him in the eye.
• Don’t feel pressure to be nice.  If it doesn’t feel right just keep walking and ignore any requests … trust your instincts and don’t worry about being rude.
• Never carry more than you can afford to lose.   Less is more … and your life is worth   more than your possessions.
• Know the real risks.   Most crimes occur in the dark near the victim’s home.
• Trust your instincts. If your gut or intuition tells you that a situation is unsafe, get out as soon as possible.  
• To Resist, or Not to Resist?  In instances in which the attacker has a  deadly weapon or threatens immediate violence, sometimes the best course of action is to submit and then try to
  escape later, since resisting may only bring on more violence.  Most violent crimes are committed without a weapon. In attacks where no weapon  is present, it may be possible to fight or run away.  
• If you choose to fight, fight as if your life depends on it. Be prepared to do whatever it takes to get away. Even if you’ve never taken a self-defense course, there are maneuvers that can temporarily incapacitate your attacker, making it easier to escape and get help.      These maneuvers might not be fatal, but they could buy you precious seconds in which to flee. The most vulnerable parts of the human body are the eyes, nose, throat, and testicles. Use your thumbs to gouge an attacker’s eyes.  Use the heel of your hand to thrust upward and break an attacker’s nose.  Forming a V with your thumb and fingers, ram your hand      into the attacker’s throat and collapse his windpipe. Kick his testicles as hard as you can.
  Use your elbow—it’s one of the strongest areas of the body—knees, or feet to do damage, rather than trying to land punches.    

As I said, I found this article to be a good summary.  I hope it helps if you are ever in a position to need this information.

From Silva Method:

Tip #1: approach everyone with the attitude of
openness and friendship, and the willingness to start a relationship (whether professional or personal). When you’re interested in someone, you remember more about them.

 Tip #2: Tell yourself that you’re good at remembering names. Remember what you say, is often a self-fulfilling prophecy. You can’t improve  your memory by telling yourself that your memory is good… It already is! The human brain is an amazing data storage facility. Once data is entered, it remains there forever. The problem is retrieval of that data… start reprogramming yourself with positive self-talk.

 Tip #3: Shift the focus from you to the other person.
Focusing on remembering their name, on what they do, what their interests are, etc., takes you out of the spotlight, and quickly begins building a relationship. Don’t worry about making an impression by focusing the attention on yourself. The best first impression you can make is to show the person that
you are interested in them.

 Tip #4: Use tools. Ask for business cards. Write down their name and contact information. You can even do this when you run into someone you’ve already met whose name you can’t recall. People love to give out their business cards and are usually flattered to be included on your contact list.

 Tip #5. If someone’s name is foreign, hard to pronounce or complicated, become fascinated with it. Repeat it, ask for help with pronunciation – put the focus on the person, saying you don’t want to mispronounce their name – and ask about its origins, spelling, etc. People usually love talking about themselves! Make a real effort to pronounce their name correctly. And remember – if you travel to a foreign country, YOUR name may be complicated and foreign to other people!


Tip #7: As you meet people, say their name in your head several times during the conversation. Focus on putting the name to the face. We remember things with a combination of visualization, imagination and associations. Try associating names with something that catches your attention about the person or reminds you of them: their work, their appearance, where they’re from, etc. Rhymes work very well if you want to use word-association.


Tip #8: Introduce yourself first if the other person is hesitating and there’s no one making introductions. Big smile, open handshake, eye contact and “hi, I’m…” shows confidence and openness. Even if you’re not feeling confident, make yourself do it. It’s a few seconds of awkwardness that could result in a lifelong friendship. Go out of your way to establish contact first.


Tip #9: Always remember that the sound of a person’s name is (to them) the sweetest sound on Earth. You create an immediate bond when you address someone by name. The person you’re speaking to will no longer be “that guy who came in and bought my product” – he will be “Joe Smith, my newest customer.”