I may be in Sydney, but you sure can tell it's Melbourne Gold Cup day.

It's really bizarre but I've been in central Sydney for about the last three hours and oh my gosh, there are SO many women in these dresses with fascinators in their hair and whatnot.  We're not even in Melbourne and yet people seem to think they have to dress up as though they're actually there.  I do so hope that there's some sort of screening event somewhere that I don't know about or they're just idiots.

Also it's uber, uber hot today and really dry heat as well so my eyes are hurting.  Luckily it's only for one day but as it goes I pretty much have to get used to this anyway because it's not even summer yet.  Tomorrow it will rain.  Ah well.

Also a random sighting - walking down George St a few minutes ago and these two ostensibly straight guys walked past me and Guy 1 said to Guy 2, "OK, I'm going back to work, bi-atch.  Be good."  Really?!  Who talks like that outside of the Valley in California?!  Weird.

Oh, another thing about this hotness thing is the fact that I've daily been buying a 1.5 litre bottle of water from either Coles or Woolworths and burning straight through over the course of the day.  This increases my water intake from 0 litres a day to 1.5 litres and I don't even notice when I'm nearly at the end of a bottle.  I don't even like water!  I also want to contend the theory about being hungry and drinking water instead.  Drinking so much water MAKES me hungry and I've been having biggest breakfasts ever and massive meals at all times and wanting to snack on an almost permanent basis, though I've restrained myself and have been going for muesli bars and the like.

I think it's also important to note that I've realised I can't emigrate here permanently.  The reason?  Books are too expensive.  So in England a paperback averages at about 8 pounds, whereas here they're like $25 at least so that, with the weak pound, makes them about 15 pounds each.  So that's that; I'll move back to England.  Eventually.  For now, though, there are loads of secondhand book stores to keep me entertained.  Yay.

Right, I'm off to find me a place to watch the Melbourne Gold Cup from with a nice cold beverage.