#146
When I make a fuss about my swollen fingers (because while I’m trying to take a pic of some ducks Kings was feeding from the car as we left Thredbo Rockstar winds the automatic window back up (because the few raindrops getting into the car were bothering him), trapping my already hurting fingers and eliciting my scream at him)
- Him pretending to be one of the bird statues – uh, maybe one of the birds caught my hand in the window too
Rockstar: I fall down too, Mum.
Me: <get even madder at him – my eyes were tearing up, it hurt that much>
Rockstar: <looking quite upset> Okok… Next time, we won’t feed ducks anymore.
(In case you were wondering – yes he knows it’s not the ducks. I call this “typical crime denial that males are known to perform” – by which I mean males like his father :D… I only just got an acknowledgement and apology, like, 2 days after – also like the father haha)
- We had one brunch here – the food’s alright, the view is amazing, the birds have serious gumption – the moment I turn to cut Rockstar’s food, one of the gull-like birds swoops in and takes one of my strips of bacon… And then also some scrambled eggs (in pic). We pack the AUD 12.50 brunch and proceed to the quay where we time how long it takes for the birds to devour the whole box of food – 8 seconds. In the video is also a delighted Putonghua-speaking family right next to us observing with their 10-ish year old daughter)
- Crazy Birds – btw they are seriously good at catching food scraps mid-air ok (well we tried to get our AUD 12.50 worth of entertainment right)
We spend our last day feeding gulls, visiting the Aquatic museum, riding the boat taxi, just chilling – and aware Rockstar will be missing the first day or two of school. Flight booking complications because we planned this trip so late.
We pass a little girl, about 6, with a boy who looks a couple years younger. The girl is on her hands and knees next to one of the fountains along Darling Harbor, trying to fish a purple flower out of the water when her dad yells “Get outta that filthy water!!” in a thick Aussie accent.
Rockstar observes, “In Sydney, there are birds in the fountains.” He means the water isn’t treated, unlike in the Cyberport fountains back home – there are signs repeatedly telling you to keep out of the water as it’s treated. That doesn’t stop quite a few kids from wading in it (tho another mum once told me she’s keeping her baby clear because she actually saw the stuff they put in the water), but I once made the observation to Rockstar that we’d never seen birds in the Cyberport water and that’s how we’d know it probably really is treated.
As we go by in the harbor “train”, Kings puts his arm around me (Rockstar insists on sitting separately from us – and so it begins 
sigh)
“Hey, where’s my hug?”
I turn to see 3 boys on scooters hanging on to the back. “You’ve got a smart mouth.”
“Yeah,” he smiles and shrugs.
“How old are you?”
“14.”
They’re Southasian, smaller than I expected (I thought they were about 12 or 13), speaking with heavy Aussie accents. They hang on, still mouthing off (I don’t find them rude, just gutsy – and Rockstar looks on with interest, which is part of the reason I continue to engage them), til the driver waves them away.
We also took the Boat Taxi (Rockstar insisted) but no one hung on to the back of THAT
#147
At the Four Points Sheraton buffet on our last night (btw it’s seriously good – would you believe people actually queue outside the restaurant area waiting for it to open at 6pm a la Hong Kong?)
Me (to both men): How is it possible that the whole time I was in the buffet line and now I’m back (Rockstar) has not eaten a single bite?? <trying to feed him>
Rockstar: Here we go again.
Random fireworks display we are treated to from the hotel room on our last night... Rockstar came and got me out of the shower (please let me not be reflected in my towel through the window glass haha)
We needed to get up early for our flight home the next day, Rockstar didn’t comply – he KOed right after our Sydney Aquarium visit that afternoon and then was still bouncing off the walls at midnight so instead I switched back to HK time (then he’s only still awake at 10pm instead of midnight! See how well this works? :P) And changed him into his travel clothes before he slept – then peeled layers off in the plane as it got warmer… It’s still boiling HK summer now…)
#148
At the airport cafe in the morning before we board
Rockstar: Mum. Is that fish and chips? <peering at menu>
Me: (Trying to discourage him, we already ordered him poached eggs on toast) Umm.. Maybe it’s just an advertisement for another restaurant…
Rockstar: I’m not going to order it Mum, I was just asking.
Sydney Airport Cafe
Where we have to break out the iPad because we mis-budgetted how much time we would have to eat (forgot our order would not get here at warp speed because we uh, haven't taken the flight home yet?)
Had to take this picture of hair and nail salon right on the way to the gate! It's seriously that open, there are people walking back and forth to their boarding gates not 5 feet away from these chairs
And there's the Rockstar, finishing his baked beans on Kings' shoulders as we speedwalk to the gate (literally had like, 10 minutes to eat something, the rest is in the box Kings is holding)
And we’re home…!
