Maribel back in Sydney & Mexico Independence Day

16th Sep, Maribel,my very good friend/colleague, finally touched down in Sydney at 5:07am, flying from Frankfurt to Singapore (12hrs) and Singapore to Sydney (7hrs), after spending 3 months at University of Bayreuth, Germany as an exchange student, between CAMD and Prof. Axel Müller’s group, MC II. I was at the airport to welcome her, and she always being a very nice and helpful girl, was trying to help this 77-year-old lady (Germany) who was alone and lost. Anyway, for details, Maribel agreed to post a blog about the entire event. She stayed on at the airport and helped this old lady until 3pm before coming back to CAMD. What a kind soul! At 4pm, I drove her to Uyen’s place, where she will be putting up for the next few days.

Today is also the Independence Day of Mexico, so we decided to do double celebrations; Maribel coming back to Sydney and Mexico Independence Day. All right! Of course, we decided on a Mexican restaurant. We were in Azteca’s Mexican restaurant along Avoca Street, Randwick, Sydney. Food was authentic Mexican and very delicious, especially the nachos, top with different sauces. Lip-smacking good! I ordered Cochinita Pibil, baked marinated pork in banana leaves, while the rest of the crazy gang (Ricardo, Anna, Simon, Eunhee and Maribel) ordered different dishes and we shared. I must say the company of frivolous friends over good food, chatting, singing, dancing and laughing uncontrollably, was absolutely hilarious but priceless. The owner of the restaurant Mr Jose Cruz, with his huge Mexican hat (Sombrero de Charro) and guitar, came and started singing Mexican songs to all the guests in the restaurant, clueless to me, except La Bamba. However, Ricardo, Anna, and Maribel, fellow Mexicans were singing on top of their voices and got the entire restaurant to sing along too! It was great fun!


Well, good things always comes to an end, only after we had our pictures taken with Mexican hats on our heads, kindly provide by the restaurant.