Heat Stroke anyone?

Kelly and I were able to visit Coogie Beach in Sydney yesterday. We checked the weather and there was a reported high of between 31-35 C and a UV index of 10. I made triple sure to ensure my sunscreen was on me at all times! We arrived at the beach in the early afternoon, and set up (aka put down our towels and took out our books). While swimming in the water I asked Kelly about swimming out, everyone on the beach appeared to be staying within twenty feet of the shore. Kelly pointed out one guy who was swimming fairly far out, but my theory was that he happened to be another tourist who also didn't know what was going on. Sure enough within five minutes an announcement came from the lifegaurd stating that there had been three reported Blue bottle stings that morning (these are a type of Jellyfish known as Portugese Man of War in North and South America). Swimmers were advised to take a cold shower and then head to the lifegaurd house (clinic?) to receive ice should they be stung. Everyone swimming near the shore suddenly made more sense...
We stayed in the water a while longer, but didn't go out any further then anyone else. If the Australians aren't playing with the jellyfish then I am definitely not going to try.
Kelly went over to MacDonald's to grab lunch. I wasn't overly hungry because I had just been sitting around all day, but asked for a small McFlurry to cool off. The nice part about the beach, or so I thought, was that there was a constant breeze so you never really feel overheated.
We decided to leave around 4pm. While we were walking to the stairs my vision began to get blotchy, I remember calling Kelly's name and then she was kneeling over me asking me if I was okay. Apparently I had fainted and fallen straight back. Luckily it was on sand so no harm done. We walked to the stairwell to get some shade and Kelly went to grab water out of her bag, or so I'm told. I don't really remember the walk over, but I do remember trying to say Kelly's name again. The next thing I know I was on the stairs with some guy I have never seen holding me down so I don't try to get up. Someone I could hear, but couldn't seem to see is asking for someone to get a lifegaurd. That person I learned later was Kelly. Only slightly embarassing right? Random guy and Kelly got me to move off the stairs to the shade back on the beach but beneath the shade of the wall. I was put beside an elderly woman, who no joke had an expression that said "oh great they put the fainting girl beside me.... just my luck!". The older woman was with three others. One piped in that I was "smart" enough to faint beside two nurses and a surgeon. How smart of me to faint, this is of course what I had just happened to be thinking, what a coincidence!
When the lifeguard appeared he mentioned how pale I was, the women beside me chimed in agreement. I mentioned that I was always pale, just in case they happened to think my natural complexion was a some sign of malady. I had no interest in being diagnosed for something because I happened to be the palest person in Australia. For people who are supposed to be descedents of the English, Irish and Scottish they are awfully tanned.
The lifeguard then went on to point out how much of a dumb tourist I had been by asking what I had eaten for breakfast (a piece of bread), whether or not I had been drinking (I wasn't sure if he was referring to water or alcohol, either way the response was no) and what I had had for lunch (does an M&M McFlurry count? Based on his expression, no it does not).
I would like to state that in Canada, the country where we have an abundance of water, where it's rarely above 30 degrees, where I'm almost always thirsty, I carry a water bottle with me everywhere. But guess what I don't bring to the beach in a country built, almost literally, on a desert? Water..... brilliant tourist move! And somehow I didn't even notice that I was thirsty or warm because of a constant breeze. And of course because I was so preoccupied with sunscreen application to secure my position as the palest person on the continent. I couldn't have some Irish tourist win me out for that position now could I?
Luckily this all adds up to a good story, and I got a couple of scratches and a bump on my forehead as a bonus!

In less interesting news today I was able to complete my RSA (responsible service of alcohol) course. This course is required for anyone looking to work in a venue serving alcohol in the state New South Wales. I don't know if I'll be working in a bar, or a bar in NSW at that, but I figure this cannot hurt.