Boomarang-a-bing bong

Today's the day to find the real Paddy's Market! On my way over, I manage to take a few pictures of the Real World House for posterity. You know you love it. I walk through Chinatown (the real one this time!) and then head down into Paddy's Market. This place is absolutely insane. Hundreds of vendors selling everything from kangaroo aprons (Carissa, I'm sensing the perfect post-baby outfit) to koala keychains, to boomarang EVERY. THING. It's like a bargain-hunter's Vegas. I squeeze my way back to the food stalls and am amazed at what I see. There is SO much food! People are shouting back and forth at each other, and whenever I approach a stall, plastic bags are chucked at me. I take this to mean "BUY". Loading up on different kinds of fruit and vegetables, I get adventurous after I notice a very intense-looking Japanese woman eying the bok choy. She selects three heads from this particular vendor, so of course I buy one too. I also choose some sort of green squash-like mystery (I find out later it is something called chayote) and some Chinese garlic chives. I only want one bunch, but the woman is insistent. "2 bunch for $1.00!" Now I have 5 pounds of chives. Lovely. Afterwards I cave, and head back over to Woolworth's to get a soap dish, scissors, twine (ya know, the necessities). I drop all of my purchases off at our apartment and then head over to Australia Square to do some work and meet Chris. There is a table of completely obnoxious Aussie guys one table over from me. In my peripheral vision, I can sense wild hand gestures, lots of knee slapping and overall general merriment. They are really revving up for something. The place becomes absolutely jammed (apparently Friday nights are always mobbed) and we take in the scene for a while before winding our way back home.