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I had a nice weekend and am finally finding the time to relax a bit. On Thursday, I "inspected" an apartment in Leichhardt. It is a small studio with a tiny kitchenette located in a security building. It has a large communal kitchen and lounge area as well as washers and dryers. It is pretty expensive since Sydney real estate is among the highest, but it is the most affordable and decent place I can find. The building is well-kept and secure, and I really like the bathroom in the room. One good thing is that electricity and water are included in the weekly rent. Yes, they pay rent by the week. After I inspected the apartment, I decided to walk to campus to see how far it was. It was a good 30 minute walk. It shouldn't be bad if I can get a bicycle to ride to school. And if it rains, there is a bus stop right outside the apartment building, and it will take me to the front of the school. On Friday morning, I submitted my application for the apartment. While I waited to hear back from them, I decided to go to the movies. I found the nearest movie theater on the internet and ordered tickets to Harry Potter online. With this venture, I discovered another new practice to me. At the theater I visited, the seats are assigned. When you order online, you have the opportunity to pick which seat you want. I was able to reserve a seat in the middle and didn't have to worry about getting a good seat as I do at home. The website, however, still suggested that patrons arrive 30 minutes prior to the listed movie time. Per their instructions, I arrived at 1:30. I'm not sure why they suggest you get there so early. When I arrived, the previous movie was still showing in the theater. They then had to clean it, so I didn't get in the theater until 1:55. I found my seat, and when the movie was supposed to start, they began showing commercials. These lasted for at least 10 minutes, and then they started with the previews. And then some more commercials. The movie finally started at 2:30. It was good. The movie theater is located in a massive mall at Bondi Junction (pronounced "bond-eye" not "bond-ee"). To get there, I rode the subway, which stops right at the mall. The subway here is a double-decker, so there are plenty of seats during the day. I'm sure it gets pretty crowded during rush hour, though. I browsed through the stores and decided I would come back later that weekend to stock up on room furnishings before the sales ended. After I got out of the movie, I received a voice message from the realtor. They had turned my application in to the owner, and I had already been approved. They requested a holding deposit (which is the first week's rent) if I was interested in leasing the property. On Saturday, I delivered my deposit to the realtor and made an appointment to sign the lease on Monday [(today). I am about to leave to meet the agent.] With the deposit turned in, I could breathe a sigh of relief. I decided to visit the Botanic Gardens for the rest of the day. The gardens are absolutely gorgeous. It has many large, old trees that are uniquely Australian. It's a very nice place to spend a Saturday afternoon. While strolling through the gardens, I noticed a flock of cockatoos under one of the large trees. I decided to get closer for a few pictures. While I was getting a close-up of one of the birds, I felt something land on my shoulder. I turned around, and there sat a cockatoo with mischief in its eyes. He excitedly flared his yellow mohawk and examined my hands to see if I had a peanut to spare. I snapped a few pictures, and he flew off once he discovered that I had no food. I took a few more pictures, and then, PLOP! One landed on my head. It was kind of heavy. I of course couldn't see what had landed on me, so I snapped a picture to confirm it was indeed a cockatoo. There were pidgeons and some hook-billed birds in the park, so it could have been anything wanting a bite to eat. I had a time trying to get the cockatoo off of my head, and I wasn't about to blindly put my hands up there. After some bouncing around, he finally flew off. I continued down the garden path and found myself next to the harbour. This was the first time I could actually get a clear view of the iconic opera house and bridge. It's a stunning view. When I began to get closer to the opera house, the buildings began to look a bit like conquistador helmets without the fins on top. I wonder if the architect happened to have a couple on his shelf when he designed the complex. It's really an unusual set of buildings. Once I had my fill of the harbour, I decided to walk back through the gardens. I took a different path and discovered some new sights. While I was walking through, I noticed a sign that mentioned "flying foxes" in the trees. I looked up and saw a hundred HUGE bats hanging upside on the branches. They hung motionless, swaying in the breeze. They almost looked like fruit hanging from the trees. As I walked through the rest of the gardens, I periodically checked the trees and found random clusters of the animals. I would never have noticed them if it weren't for the sign. Thankfully, they're not as social as the cockatoos, and they keep to themselves. I can't imagine feeling a plop on my shoulder and discovering one of those boogers looking at me. The sign said that the bats are damaging the trees, so the gardens are attempting humane ways to keep them away. Apparently, it's not working. Yesterday, I went back to the mall at Bondi Junction and stocked up on bath towels, bed sheets, pillows, and flatware. There's still so much to buy, but I'm going to wait until I get moved in. Speaking of which, I better head over to the realtor and sign the lease now!
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