A Day at the Markets

Apparently 2007 is my year of three Christmases. I was able to celebrate the holiday on December 5th with my family in Seattle, prior to my over-seas departure. And since my friends and I will be on a road trip to the Yarra Valley and Adelaide for December 22–31, we decided today we’d prepare an Aussie Christmas dinner: shrimp and scallops grilled on the barbie! So we headed into Sydney to get ingredients from Paddy’s Markets and the Sydney Fish Market.

It’s invigorating to walk about the many booths and stalls of a market in the city, like Paddy’s Markets, where tropical fruits and unfamiliar vegetables are so fresh and prevalent. “Best deal!” shout the vendors. “Best quality heaya!” People hustle about in a buying frenzy.

The Sydney Fish Market, located near the Anzac Bridge on Sydney Harbour, was more odorous, of course, so I was significantly less enthused than I had been at the produce market. We got our fresh seafood and headed back home, just as an afternoon rainstorm hit.

Back home, we settled in for the afternoon with a Christmas movie, put up lights, and considered turning up the air conditioning to get us in the holiday spirit.

Aussie Word of the Day: doccos = documentary films