Playa_8
19th November, 05, 11:34 AM
My review:
On Wednesday morning I headed of to the airport for the short flight to Sydney for the final instalment of “Destiny 06”. At the airport, there were Green and Gold shirts everywhere, which added to the excitement. Even in Qantas Club Lounge, there were people everywhere with Australian scarves and shirts on.
Arrive in Sydney and head off to the Westin which is pretty much smack bang in the middle of the city. I got into a good conversation with the cab driver who was Serb, and spurred on his road rage when the paying of the tolls stuffed up. If you want to know what he sounded like, think of Tony from the movie “The Castle”.
After a few walks around the city to check out what was going on, everywhere you looked were Australian supporters chanting, soaking up the atmosphere and drinking. I was too tired seeing as a “just finished year 12 student” doesn’t normally wake up at 8 in the morning. I went back to the hotel and slept for a bit.
Because I was staying at the Westin, and in a pretty f***ing sweet arse room, we were also invited to the Executive Lounge of the Hotel, which serves free food all day, and after 6pm free. I had to catch a train at about 6:30, so I ate as much as I could and downed 2 bourbon and cokes and headed off to the train station. For those of you who don’t know trains in Sydney, they are twice the size of Melbourne trains. They are double decker, and the seats in the train are basically like school bus seats. Having said that, it was packed! And we had to wait for the third train to get on because eof the crowd.
We get off at Homebush and it was just amazing. Aussies everywhere with scaves, flags and shirts. Outside a carnival atmosphere was going on, people chanting, bands playing, competitions and promotions. It was all happening. We get into the ground, I was sitting isle 30, smack bang in the middle of the park next to my good afl st Kilda footballer friend(who I cannot name, he was staying with me at the hotel and I went to the game with him) and James Hird and his Nike mate. All game they were just doing round of beer. After downing 4 beers in the first half(watered down MCG type), it was off to the Corporate Box on level 5 – that’s where I met Kazu and Kostya and some wog guy off Blue Heelers – top bloke mind u. They were serving free piss in there, so I enjoyed a beer (finally some full strength!) and another bourbon and coke(my holy water), and by then headed back down to my seat and watched the rest of the game. After downing another 4 beers (watered down beers, still good!)
The game was unbelievable! From the booing of the national anthem, to the whole stadium chanting the Aussies national anthem. There was limited chants, but the chants sung were sung by the whole stadium. The St Kilda footballer and Hirdy both agreed it was louded than any Grand Final they had been to and the atmosphere was awesome! These guys and the corporate people were even chanting for crying out loud! Every time Australia went into there attacking third, the crowd rose to there feet – EVERY TIME! When Australia socred it was just mayhem! People buying beers away from the ground, ran down the isle to see it! Packing out everywhere, mosh pits, flares. 82,000 people going nuts!
During the penalties it was very tense, however most soccer people had faith as they knew how good Shwazer has bene in penalties for Middlesbrough – this year and who can forget last year Vs Manchester City. The first penalty save the crowd was just as loud as the first goal – unbelievable. When Viduka missed many people just sat there scratching there heads, there was a sort of eerie silence. However everyone knew Aloisi’s penalty was the decider and everyone was just lost it when it went in – heaps of people rushed to the very front to congratulate the players in there lap of honour. After the game, it was back up to the Corporate Box, were it was just going off like a party but without music. Imagine all these rich people and celebrities acting like absolute pissed bogans! Very funny and entertaining. They had stopped serving spirits so I just had another full strength beer and then it was off to the city again.
Outside the stadium there was about 300, 400 fans all together just going nuts, drum beat and a continuos mosh pit. The line for the train was huge – at least one hour. And same for the taxi rank. So we had to slip a taxi waiting for a booking a little more money and he took us to the city. In the city, there was a whole block in the city that was just blocked! Pardon the pun. Cars were parked in the middle of the street! As over 1000 people danced up and down chanting in moshpit style to a few bloody good drum beats. People had shirts off, scaling bus shelters, and street poles, it was unbelievable! After watching for a bit, I walked down George St with my footballer mate and we went into one of Sydney’s most exclusive clubs – “The Establishment”. The place was just full of Melbournians – it has a Lotus bar type feel – obviously with hardly any wogs and - there was no dance floor, just the bar smack back in the middle of the place, and the lounge., bar feeding off the centre of the place. It was rocking with chants and the chicks that were there. There were heaps of guys though – but they were all legends. Celebrities and CEO’s and executives – such as FFV head honchos that I spoke to and Dipper, head of Reebok etc etc etc. I kept getting fed bourbon and cokes, getting up to my 7th in the club and losing count. Picked up some 35 year old called Trish lol, and she thought I was 19 or 20 haha. And then at about 4 headed back up George St to the Westin to pass out in my hotel bed.
The whole experience – one of the best in my life only came to a cost of $20. And that was only because of bought 4 beers for the person I was with, James Hird, and Hirdy Nike mate. I didn’t pay for my ticket to the game, and transport was free, I didn’t even pay for my air fare thanks to frequent Flyers.
One of the morals of this story – its not what you know – its who you know.
Day 2:
I woke up at about 9:30 and realised my free breakfast was gonna end in 30 minutes. SO I rushed to breaky where my St Kilda mate was leaving because he had to be back in Melbourne to pack for his trip to St Kilda, Ate breakfast and headed back to the hotel. On the news it said the players will be in Domain Park in the city, so I walked about 20 or so minutes and waited around. All the players were there out on stage and were interviewed. The crowd of over 4000, 5000 was going nuts and loving it – however many people were simply too tired and too hung over. Back in the city met up with some people I knew in Sydney in the city, and then met the LynxJet chicks and got 2 of there numbers.(note, go to lynxjet site and you can see them – they are off the hook!).
On Wednesday morning I headed of to the airport for the short flight to Sydney for the final instalment of “Destiny 06”. At the airport, there were Green and Gold shirts everywhere, which added to the excitement. Even in Qantas Club Lounge, there were people everywhere with Australian scarves and shirts on.
Arrive in Sydney and head off to the Westin which is pretty much smack bang in the middle of the city. I got into a good conversation with the cab driver who was Serb, and spurred on his road rage when the paying of the tolls stuffed up. If you want to know what he sounded like, think of Tony from the movie “The Castle”.
After a few walks around the city to check out what was going on, everywhere you looked were Australian supporters chanting, soaking up the atmosphere and drinking. I was too tired seeing as a “just finished year 12 student” doesn’t normally wake up at 8 in the morning. I went back to the hotel and slept for a bit.
Because I was staying at the Westin, and in a pretty f***ing sweet arse room, we were also invited to the Executive Lounge of the Hotel, which serves free food all day, and after 6pm free. I had to catch a train at about 6:30, so I ate as much as I could and downed 2 bourbon and cokes and headed off to the train station. For those of you who don’t know trains in Sydney, they are twice the size of Melbourne trains. They are double decker, and the seats in the train are basically like school bus seats. Having said that, it was packed! And we had to wait for the third train to get on because eof the crowd.
We get off at Homebush and it was just amazing. Aussies everywhere with scaves, flags and shirts. Outside a carnival atmosphere was going on, people chanting, bands playing, competitions and promotions. It was all happening. We get into the ground, I was sitting isle 30, smack bang in the middle of the park next to my good afl st Kilda footballer friend(who I cannot name, he was staying with me at the hotel and I went to the game with him) and James Hird and his Nike mate. All game they were just doing round of beer. After downing 4 beers in the first half(watered down MCG type), it was off to the Corporate Box on level 5 – that’s where I met Kazu and Kostya and some wog guy off Blue Heelers – top bloke mind u. They were serving free piss in there, so I enjoyed a beer (finally some full strength!) and another bourbon and coke(my holy water), and by then headed back down to my seat and watched the rest of the game. After downing another 4 beers (watered down beers, still good!)
The game was unbelievable! From the booing of the national anthem, to the whole stadium chanting the Aussies national anthem. There was limited chants, but the chants sung were sung by the whole stadium. The St Kilda footballer and Hirdy both agreed it was louded than any Grand Final they had been to and the atmosphere was awesome! These guys and the corporate people were even chanting for crying out loud! Every time Australia went into there attacking third, the crowd rose to there feet – EVERY TIME! When Australia socred it was just mayhem! People buying beers away from the ground, ran down the isle to see it! Packing out everywhere, mosh pits, flares. 82,000 people going nuts!
During the penalties it was very tense, however most soccer people had faith as they knew how good Shwazer has bene in penalties for Middlesbrough – this year and who can forget last year Vs Manchester City. The first penalty save the crowd was just as loud as the first goal – unbelievable. When Viduka missed many people just sat there scratching there heads, there was a sort of eerie silence. However everyone knew Aloisi’s penalty was the decider and everyone was just lost it when it went in – heaps of people rushed to the very front to congratulate the players in there lap of honour. After the game, it was back up to the Corporate Box, were it was just going off like a party but without music. Imagine all these rich people and celebrities acting like absolute pissed bogans! Very funny and entertaining. They had stopped serving spirits so I just had another full strength beer and then it was off to the city again.
Outside the stadium there was about 300, 400 fans all together just going nuts, drum beat and a continuos mosh pit. The line for the train was huge – at least one hour. And same for the taxi rank. So we had to slip a taxi waiting for a booking a little more money and he took us to the city. In the city, there was a whole block in the city that was just blocked! Pardon the pun. Cars were parked in the middle of the street! As over 1000 people danced up and down chanting in moshpit style to a few bloody good drum beats. People had shirts off, scaling bus shelters, and street poles, it was unbelievable! After watching for a bit, I walked down George St with my footballer mate and we went into one of Sydney’s most exclusive clubs – “The Establishment”. The place was just full of Melbournians – it has a Lotus bar type feel – obviously with hardly any wogs and - there was no dance floor, just the bar smack back in the middle of the place, and the lounge., bar feeding off the centre of the place. It was rocking with chants and the chicks that were there. There were heaps of guys though – but they were all legends. Celebrities and CEO’s and executives – such as FFV head honchos that I spoke to and Dipper, head of Reebok etc etc etc. I kept getting fed bourbon and cokes, getting up to my 7th in the club and losing count. Picked up some 35 year old called Trish lol, and she thought I was 19 or 20 haha. And then at about 4 headed back up George St to the Westin to pass out in my hotel bed.
The whole experience – one of the best in my life only came to a cost of $20. And that was only because of bought 4 beers for the person I was with, James Hird, and Hirdy Nike mate. I didn’t pay for my ticket to the game, and transport was free, I didn’t even pay for my air fare thanks to frequent Flyers.
One of the morals of this story – its not what you know – its who you know.
Day 2:
I woke up at about 9:30 and realised my free breakfast was gonna end in 30 minutes. SO I rushed to breaky where my St Kilda mate was leaving because he had to be back in Melbourne to pack for his trip to St Kilda, Ate breakfast and headed back to the hotel. On the news it said the players will be in Domain Park in the city, so I walked about 20 or so minutes and waited around. All the players were there out on stage and were interviewed. The crowd of over 4000, 5000 was going nuts and loving it – however many people were simply too tired and too hung over. Back in the city met up with some people I knew in Sydney in the city, and then met the LynxJet chicks and got 2 of there numbers.(note, go to lynxjet site and you can see them – they are off the hook!).