just when you thought it was safe to go into the water…

shark, originally uploaded by suddenly.

summer in sydney sounds so appealing until you realize that most places don’t have A.C. the high today was 36 degrees celsius which, in fahrenheit, is the equivalent of a constant pool of sweat in your ass crack. this entire week has been hot, hot, hot and we’ve been trying to find relief from the ozone-less stratosphere that hovers over these parts, threatening to sear the first three layers of our epidermis.

we thought one chill place would be the aquarium. ideally, it would’ve been cooler if it weren’t for the hundred or so rugrats violating my personal space and sucking away what faint A.C. was available. still, the aquarium was worth the trip. the best part is the glass tunnel you walk through to see the fish swimming next to, below, and above you. the star attraction is the shark but the stingrays deserve center stage, too. temperature-wise, the aquarium wasn’t so cool but it does have lots of cool stuff. see more photos of aquatic life here.

yesterday, we went to manly beach where the sunbathers are even better-looking than the ones at bondi. the water was ice cold and strongly currented but felt amazing after near broiling in the sun. and if you’re wondering how the soles of my feet are doing after strolling on the sand without flip flops, well, the blisters are healing nicely, thank you.

all i gotta say is, thank god for popsicles.

survival of the sickest

here’s a first on the blog; a special guest post from the S.O. he recently read the book survival of the sickest: the surprising connections between disease and longevity by dr. sharon moalem and jonathan prince.  it rocked his world — and mine too as he relayed to me choice bits from each of the chapters like a personal cliff’s notes reader. the authors explain why we feel like peeing when it’s cold, that reading with sunglasses on is bad for you, and why some ethnic groups are hairier than a grizzly in the winter. so why bother with the book when the S.O. has already done the homework for you? here are his notes that may answer some biological questions you’ve always wondered about or help you procreate superkids:

Why are Europeans bigger drinkers than Asians (and why do so many Asians turn red with one sip of alcohol)?

“Many Asians have a genetic variation (labeled ALDH2*2) that causes them to produce a less powerful form of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase – one that isn’t as effective in converting acetaldehyde, that first by-product of alcohol, into acetate…and one of those reactions is the flushing response…Of course, there’s a side benefit to all this – people who have ALDH2*2 are highly resistant to alcoholism.” So why this genetic variation? It’s all about clean water. It was a real challenge for early civilizations to have access to clean drinking water on a regular basis. “In Europe, they used fermentation – and the resulting alcohol killed microbes, even when, as was often the case, it was mixed with water. On the other side of the world [East Asia, for example], people purified their water by boiling it and making tea. As a result, there was evolutionary pressure in Europe to have the ability to drink, break down and detoxify alcohol, while the pressure in Asia was a lot less.”

Eat more hot food!

“Capsaicin, the hot in hot peppers, stimulates the release of endorphins, which induce feelings of pleasure and reduce feelings of stress. Capsaicin also increases your metabolic rate — something by as much as 25%. Even more, there is a growing body of evidence that capsaicin may be helpful in alleviating pain caused by everything from arthritis and shingles to postoperative discomfort.”

First days of pregnancy may be the most important

People have long known that adequate prenatal care increases the chances of delivering a healthy baby. What we didn’t know until recently is how important the very beginning of a woman’s pregnancy is: “It’s now clear that the first few days after conception – when a mother may not even know she’s pregnant – are even more critical than we’ve understood. That’s when many important genes are switched on or off…In some ways, the womb may be like a tiny evolutionary laboratory, examining new traits to see whether they’ll help the fetus survive and thrive; if they won’t, the mother miscarries.”

Temp Job in Paradise Pays $100,000

hamilton island

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Calling it the “best job in the world,” Australian tourism officials say they are seeking someone to spend six months relaxing on Hamilton Island while promoting the destination on a blog.

thanks to kansas ann for the link

instant dvd

instant dvd, originally uploaded by suddenly.

maybe i’ve been out of the advancements-in-movie-rental scene too long but i’m thrilled to have discovered this instant dvd rental kiosk around sydney. i’m a big fan of cutting out inept human contact whenever possible and this dvd dispensing machine won’t judge me for renting the hottie & the nottie.

you can get your movie in three easy steps:
1. cut a hole in a box — oh, wait, that’s for something else–1. pick a movie
2. swipe your credit card
3. take your dvd home and return it the next day

the titles they have a pretty current and decent. so far we rented:

the savages – luv laura linney and philip seymour hoffman

into the wild – two thumbs way up!

jane austen book club – fell asleep but was shocked to learn that was emily blunt and that she can’t speak french for shit

2 days in paris -  julie delpy rocks my world!

AND currency exchange bonus: $2.99 aussie dollars = 2 bucks U.S. yeah, in your overcharging greedy face blockbuster!

looking for a cocka-two

cocka-two, originally uploaded by suddenly.

we’re in sydney now and man, i am LUVin’ it. i think the sunny skies and warm temps put everyone in a good mood. people are so friendly here — and freakin’ good-looking, too. the women here fall into two camps: the blonde olivia newton-john type or brunette elle mcpherson look. the men look like hugh jackman. in other words…HAWT! it’s kind of insane how people here are so toned. we’ll see guys out and about without shirts, sporting 6-to-8 packs, crazy cut arms and hanging pecs. we’ll walk through a park and see people pilatesizing, stomach crunching, running up stairs – like they were auditioning for australian gladiators or something. moderate exercise is great and all but seriously, what the hell is wrong with these people?

so you know how australia is famous for kangaroos and koalas? did you know that sydney has flocks and flocks of sulphur-crested cockatoos flying around town? we have a few regulars that come to our window to chow down on bird seed. they’re technically wild but tame enough to eat out of our hands. at first glance, they look identical but i can tell them apart by their personalities. there’s the picky eater who pushes the dried corn out of the way and only eats sunflower seeds; the territorial bully who takes food from the others; the gentle one that eats each seed neatly. they’re so goddamn cute with that signature yellow curl on their heads and the way they cock their heads at you, somehow saying, “please luv me.” i miss having a pet and these birds fill the void nicely.  plus sydney doesn’t have any stray cats to feed.

click here to see the weird and wonderful animals in sydney.