The Ultimate Sydney Long Weekend

Ever since the lock-out laws came into effect, going out in Sydney has been a bit of a downer. But this long weekend, a mix of Jamaican happenings collided to give me exactly what I needed - a long weekend of fun, frolic and 'getting on bad'.

My ultimate sydney weekend was helped by the fact that one of my good friends from Jamaica, Kim-Marie, was going to be in town. Kim is studying a PhD in Cultural Studies in Canberra and is known as a authority on Jamaican and Dancehall culture. Her main reason for coming to Sydney was to be the MC for the NSW Dancehall King and Queen competition, hanging out with me was the icing on the cake.

I hadn't seen Kim in almost a year, so the frenzy of gossiping kicked off as soon as soon she arrived early Friday evening. We moved the chatter fest from my apartment to Newtown, where we had dinner at the Dumpling House on King Street. Both Kim and I don't eat meat so we were very happy with the vegetarian and seafood selection at this simple Asian. The little restaurant was busy, but we got a got a table without too much of a wait. Kim and I dug into each other's crazy stories about boys, study and work as we dug into the delicious selection of steamed and fried dumplings and Chinese broccoli served up. Everything tasted good and gladly the menu was reasonably priced for our unemployed and student budgets alike.

I'm glad we filled up because it turned out to be a long night!

Next we were off to Jamaica House. Not the official residence of the Prime Minister as Jamaicans know that term to mean, but a new Jamaican bar in Newtown. Owned by a half-Jamaican, the bar is an interesting blend of Newtown edge and Caribbean vibe.

What sold me was the live DJ playing a good Dancehall mix and the fact that they had Red Stripe on tap. The cocktail menu carried the more imaginative concoctions like the toasted banana and chocolate rum old fashioned, while the small bar menu carried staples like Jerk Chicken and rice n peas.

Kim and I's twosome became a sevensome as we met up with and ran into friends of hers. Meeting new friends, a bottle of Jamaica brewed ginger beer in my hands and some old school tunes in my ears...I had found my happy place.

Jamaica House closes at midnight but the night was still young so we rolled on to Websters Bar on King Street. The vibe was different but kicking in its own way. Drunk Aussies flailing their arms and jumping around in an attempt to dance to a random mix of old pop hits. Not Kim and I's flex but it looked like they were having fun, so we joined in dancing until the bar closed at 3am.

The next day was the one all of Sydney was laying in wait for the AFL Grand Final. If you're going to visit Sydney on a weekend, try to schedule it to coincidence with one of these bad boy tournaments. There is something so uniquely Australian about watching a group of short men in shorter shorts running around after a ball and patting each other on the bum that is so uniquely Australian. The outpouring of grit, grr and man love is strangely endearing.

I watched the game with a group of girlfriends at the Beach Road Hotel in Bondi, a revered neighbourhood institution. When it finished we were invited to an impromptu house party by the guys sitting across from us.

And that's where this happened:

But things really took off on Sunday (the next night) at the NSW Dancehall King and Queen competition hosted by Caribbean Sydney. The annual event now in its 2nd year and gets better each time. This year the vibe was mad and the competition was fierce. My favourite part was the breaks between the rounds when the DJs put down a slew of my favourite dancehall songs. The one thing I miss about going out in Jamaica is how the DJs masterfully wield a train of big tunes that flow seamlessly together. The mixing at the NSW Dancehall King and Queen competition wasn't at yard level but it was closer than I had experienced in a long time. Everybody was dancing. Some were following the instructors from the teachers at the front of the crowd, while others were doing there own thing. There was a vibe at this comp and you could feel it.

Here are some snippets from the competition:

My friend Kim acted as MC for the evening and did a fine job of engaging the crowd:

I wish the night could have gone on forever.... good friends and good music ... Could the weekend get any better? Well, the following day was a public holiday so it inherently had potential.

Labor Day Monday was perfect as every single day seems to be in Sydney: cool Spring weather, clear sky and warm sunshine. I met with a friend for a lazy afternoon of strolling around to the bars and coffee shops in Surry Hills. My pretty damned perfect weekend ended with laying on a beach looking out on to Sydney Harbour as the sun set. The sky turned its signature array of orange and purple hues, as the moon danced its silver shimmers along the ocean's ripples. As I lay in the sand and smelt the fresh spring air, memories of the weekend dancing in my mind... I couldn't help but think that I am a traveller at heart but I am so lucky to be able to live in Sydney, the best city in the world.

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