Kia Ora

Day 1 New Zealand. We got up for breakfast at 8:30 at the Aukland YHA and left by 9:30 for the Aukland Museum. We stayed at the museum—mostly to see the Maori exhibit—for an hour and then hit the road for Whakatane. It was a 4 hour drive and tired as I was, the scenery was incredible and I watched out the window most of the way. Well, that and I really can’t sleep in a bus or any public, moving place. We saw great rolling green hills and plains and even a volcano. We drove past a bay for a stretch and saw these great green islands rising out of the water. It sprinkled on and off and we saw several rainbows when the sun was struggling to shine through the fluffy white clouds.

Now we are at the marae in Whakatane—a Maori meeting place for extended family groups that they use for reunions, weddings, funerals, housing overnight guests etc. Our tour guide for this whole trip is Lyndsay, an Anglo-Saxon Kiwi who is best friends with Matt, the leader of this marae. He is our connection to come here. A special “induction” is required when visiting a Maori marae. When we arrived we were welcomed onto the marae by the local whano, or Maori family. We stood at the gate as a woman sang (a woman is always required to do the opening song) to welcome our group. Then we advanced to the middle of the courtyard to pay our respects, then we all sat down diagonal to the locals with the courtyard between us. A man stood and gave a welcome speech, half in English and half in Maori, and the locals sang in appreciation of him. Then, Lyndsay, David (one of us ASCers) and Matt spoke and we sang for each of them. Every speech in Maori culture is followed by a song as a sign of respect or affirmation of the speaker.

When this whole welcoming ceremony was over, we brought our gear in and set up our beds in the wharenui, the big one-room meeting house. We weren’t allowed to bring any food in, wear our shoes inside, take pictures inside or sit on our pillows as all are customs. It is the mens' job in Maori culture to make the bed, so our guys pulled out a heap of mattresses and set them out. We absolutely fill the place wall to wall and miraculously they had sleeping bags, pillows and sheets for all 40 some of us, plus a family of their relatives who were also visiting.

After we were all situated it was time for dinner. I am so full right now I can’t believe it. We all transferred over to the wharekai, the eating house, where the whano cooked a big dinner of soup with a fried bread roll for the entrée, then spaghetti bolonaisse. There was also a Maori dish—potatoes with watercress and pork ribs. I wasn’t a huge fan of that dish. Dessert was apple pie type stuff with custard and cream. That was delicious. I’m going to gain at least five pounds on this trip. The Maori people are not so thin themselves.

Tonight the locals are going to talk to us about Maori culture here in the wharenui. Most of us are in our pajamas already and we just finished cleaning up from dinner. They cook, we clean is the arrangement. Matt is quite industrious and bossy, as Lyndsay described him. He has us move from place to place like cattle and has an answer for everything. But he’s a nice guy and has been very welcoming, if a little brusque, as are the other locals for the most part. Apparently when the ASC first

started coming they weren’t very comfortable because white people didn’t associate with them much. But this is the fourth semester we’ve come back and they have grown to appreciate us coming here I guess. Tomorrow we’re leaving at 10 am after another big breakfast. Right now we’re just chilling, Greg is playing the guitar and we’re going to get started with the evening activities soon.

All Good Things Must Come to an End

This last week in Sydney we have had some pretty amazing last minute adventures. Early this week a fellow ASCer was preparing to go home early for medical reasons. She’s had some unexplained stomach problems over the course of the semester and during our time in New Zealand she will not have easy access to a doctor. April and I went into the city to explore with her one more time after classes one day. We ended up seeing some places we’d never seen before in the Rocks, including Mike’s old high school, and seeing a beautiful sunset from Observatory Hill looking over the harbour and the Anzac Bridge.

My favorite memory from this whole week was when Mike took us to Bondi Beach. After a number of rainchecks from Mike over the course of the semester to do some insider sightseeing, we finally got a day planned to get up early to go see Bondi Beach and do the Bondi to Coogie cliff walk. At the last minute that morning, Mike ran downstairs and almost bailed on us because he was out of money, but we insisted he wouldn’t need to spend any so he had better pack a lunch and come. It wasn’t hard to convince him. On the way to the Eastern suburbs, we picked up Charlene and Joi on the corner of Lyons and Victoria since they wanted to come along too. When we got to Bondi, it was a cool winter day but the warmest we’d had in weeks, especially after all the rain. The sun was actually shining and we all marveled at how gorgeously aqua the water was, even in winter. Mike had only been to Bondi a couple times even though he’s lived his entire life in Sydney, so it was as much an adventure for him as it was for us. The beach was absolutely deserted at that time of year, which is amazing considering it is arguably the most famous beach in the world. We took off our shoes and walked down to the other end in the waves. Mike and I ran the whole way back because it’s only about a half mile long! At the other end, we accidentally left our shoes too close to the surf and one of mine got drenched by a wave.

When we were all together again we walked for over an hour up on the cliffs along the coast to Coogie. We passed several beaches along the way and saw the most beautiful scenery. At one point we came across a huge cemetery stretching along tops of the cliffs filled with the graves of the earliest settlers. The view from the cemetery, with its bright white monuments practically falling into the water against the blue sky was breathtaking. At Coogie we decided we had to try Bondi burgers (modeled after Portuguese burgers) at Aporto, which is the only real Australian fast food chain, and they were pretty good. Then we did the whole trek back up to Bondi and drove home. Mike dropped us off in the city at Paddy’s Market so we could do some final souvenir shopping and then exhausted we rode the bus back home for tea.

I still had some things to take care of at Wesley on Wednesday and on my walk back home I had to say good-bye to a good friend of mine and April’s. An elderly Hungarian man named Emil, the self-proclaimed “Sheriff of Undine Street,” has stopped us for a number of conversations on our walks to and from Wesley throughout the semester. He lives on Undine Street with his ailing wife, who has Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and a number of other problems, he says. He is her sole caretaker and for a breather he comes out onto the sidewalk to chat with his neighbors. He was a prisoner of war in WWII and was not able to return to his home country after the war. He moved to Australia and has been here for 60 years. He loves to tell us, in his still strong Hungarian accent, what beautiful American granddaughters he has. Often he holds us there on the sidewalk for much longer than we care to listen, but saying good-bye to him was still hard. He asked us to write to him when we reached America again.

On Thursday we took some time out of our sight-seeing to go see the Wesley play, The Good Woman of Setzhuan, since our ASC friend Hannah was in it. To be honest, it was one of the longest, most boring plays I’ve ever seen. The actors did a fine job, but the writing of the play was terrible. We heard later that the Thursday matinée was the worst performance so perhaps that contributed. As a last treat at intermission we walked down to Lyons Road to get some Lashings wedges. At orientation way back at the beginning of the semester we’d had from some catered in and we all fell in love with eating them the Australian way with sour cream and sweet chili sauce. We filled the whole theater with the smell. They made the second half go a little faster.

With the afternoon free, April and I went down to the City again for some pictures that we needed yet. We ended up meeting Pat (a Wesley student) and Ellie (Mike’s friend) on the bus and Pat got off with us in Darling Harbour. He entertained us through a street performance and walked with us through all the set-up for the FIFA Fan Fest that was taking place at midnight in Darling Harbour. After he left we walked through the Chinese Garden of Friendship and then went back to Paddy’s Market for a last minute souvenir run before heading home again.

 Yesterday morning we dropped our luggage off at Wesley so it would all be ready to go to the airport on this morning. It’s part of our “experience” (character building again) to carry all of our luggage ourselves to Wesley, taking it on public transportation etc. instead of having our host families drop it off. We were supposed to reflect on the amount of stuff we have. I am very glad I could fit all my stuff back in my one small suitcase for the half mile walk. I definitely have learned a lot about materialism this semester, through our class discussions and from personal experience. My suitcase must have been half the size of everyone else’s and I’ve been wearing the same clothes week in and week out. It has made my life so much simpler. Strangely, when you stop caring about your own appearance as much, you stop caring about other people’s too. I’ve donated a lot of things to the Salvo’s here so I can take some new things back, but I’m so glad I’m not taking a whole extra suitcase like a lot of other kids must.

After we dropped our stuff off we were free to do whatever we liked before we left this morning. We rode the bus to Burwood and combed every shop looking for the perfect good-bye/thank you gifts for the Jagos. It took us forever to decide, but we knew Mike wanted a scarf so we got him a blue striped scarf and Brian and Sue a display of candles, since Sue loves to light them and Brian likes to play with the melted wax. April knew of this place to get “bubble tea,” which is a kind of drink with bits of fruit floating in it. But then when we tried to get on the bus with our drinks the bus driver yelled at us and we had to wait for the next one.

When we got back we cleaned the whole bathroom that we shared with Mike top to bottom (that doesn’t get done very often) and our room, and packed our carry-ons. Then we spent the evening with the family. This was Mike’s 21st birthday. He and Jonno had a big bash planned for later in the year, but on the actual day of his birthday Brian and Sue invited the whole family over for a baked dinner to celebrate and to say goodbye to us as well. All the immediate family came—Andrew and

Marike, Camille and Andrew, Claire, and Linda came too. Sue made a delicious three course meal with soup, roast lamb, and the family favorite ricotta cheesecake for dessert. Linda, who is an avid cook, made a homemade meatpie. Mike and Sue always raved about her pies, but it never occurred to me that they meant meatpies too! A little later we went out with Mike, Linda and Claire to PJs for a short while. We came back to the house and after Claire went home the rest of us sat up talking until 6 am!

Finally we went to bed for just a couple hours before we had to get up to head back to Wesley. Our little household got up early to take some pictures at home and say good-bye to Lucky and Chili. April and I both cried this morning when we hugged them good-bye at the school. I thought for sure I wasn’t going to make it through three hugs, but I started crying even before the first one. We all promised each other that we would see each other again. Mike vehemently declared that he would come to the States, maybe not to live but he would travel there and maybe study there. I truly hope that is the case.

Tonight we are in New Zealand. I can’t believe it. I’m so excited to visit this place I’ve heard so much about, but leaving the Jagos was the most heart-wrenching thing. This week did not lend itself very well to leaving after all the fun things we did. The house was so quiet and sad last night and

this morning we all got up early to go to Wesley together—for the last time. No more late night Maccas runs. No trips to Forster and Canberra. No tagging along with Mike and his friends to pubs. No more favorite TV shows with Brian and Sue. No more family tea times. No more after-tea tea. No more baked dinners. No more family board games. No more of Sue’s special language. No more Jago jokes.

April and I keep turning to each other and telling something that happens at the Jagos, and we both suddenly remember we’re not going back ever again (for now at least) and we begin to tear up. We were talking to Kimberly earlier about dinner and April suddenly said, “We’re missing tea.” First I just nodded we tried to control our tears but Kimberly caught on to our distress and asked, “Are you having a Jago moment?” Then we just looked at each other and laughed through our tears. I think it’ll be like this until the end of the trip. I’m going to miss living there so much.

June 6

Rain rain and more rain. Will it ever stop? This is the rainiest year that people, even old people, have ever seen. And it’s also cold! And New Zealand will be even colder! I’ve gotta find something warmer to wear. So this weather hasn’t been the greatest for doing lots of things, but we’ve done some fun things anyway that didn’t require going outside too much.

Friday was our final debrief. The ASC spent the whole day in our classroom while it poured buckets outside. We went over all the things we’d done, talked about what we’d learned, and what to expect when we get back home. We also had our ASC showcase and April and I played Amazing Grace on the violin and guitar. After class was over, we all went to a Thai restaurant for dinner.

On the way home, April and I rented The Castle from Blockbuster and watched it with Brian. The Castle is what Brian and a lot of other Australians describe as “really Aussie.” It was a hilarious movie from the 80s about a working class family who fights to keep their home on the edge of an airport when it is about to be claimed by the government. I accidentally left my debit card at Blockbuster and had to go back and get it in the morning, but despite some intense worry, no harm was done.

On Saturday Carrie’s homestay had us all over for a potluck barbecue. Almost everyone came and we played bananagrams. Next week the World Cup begins and the Socceroos are playing Germany. Sue’s church held another barbecue Saturday night and showed a video by Athletes in Action (I found that amusing) about some Christians on world cup teams. Afterwards, our household went over to Andrew and Marike’s to watch Rugby Union, the Wallabies v. the Fijians. I’m never going to enjoy American football (a.k.a. grid iron) again after I’ve seen rugby and AFL. The players don’t wear helmets or pads, play doesn’t stop unless there’s a penalty or the ball goes out of bounds and their jersey numbers actually mean something. Australians of all ages are very passionate about their sports.

There’s a lot of things I’d like to do this week before we leave, but as long as I go to Bondi Beach before I go home, I think I’ll be content not doing anything else. Seeing the amount of work I have to do and the time I have left, there won’t be much that I can plan on doing. We had meant to go into the city with some people last night, but going to Andrew and Marike’s proved to be much more enjoyable. In reality, it’s the people that I’ll miss most when I leave here, and spending time with them is my priority.

Today after church at Sue’s church, we spent the afternoon packing our stuff up, just to make sure it was all going to fit before we do our final souvenir shopping and drop off our old stuff at Salvo’s. I think it’s all going to fit just like it did on my way out here, which is a relief. Hopefully I won’t find too much I want to take back from New Zealand! Strangely, packing up my stuff again gives me this excited sense of adventure. The idea of travelling again has my spirits up as much as they can be in the circumstances of leaving.

I’m so excited to see New Zealand, which sounds like the most beautiful country in the world and the Maori culture we’re going to experience sounds amazing. And I’m excited to be home again and see my family and friends. But there is so much I’m leaving behind here.

Rain rain go away

No blog for two weeks! Shame on me. Nothing hugely exciting has happened, but my time here is really running out, so things are not going to stay that way. Mostly for the last couple weeks it’s been raining. Last weekend it poured so we only went out once on Friday night to Liberty’s homestay to watch Avatar, which I hadn’t seen before then. The rain continued on and off for the rest of the week. On Tuesday I fell sick with some kind of stomach bug and spent the day Wednesday in bed feeling very nauseous. The rain was torrential all day Wednesday as well, with high winds. I guess I was glad I was in bed. On Thursday I felt well enough to get to classes all day. Thursdays are the days I can’t afford to miss because I have class from 9 to 4.

By Friday I felt better and the weather cleared up, so a group of us went into the city to see Vivid Sydney and walk across the Harbour Bridge at night. Vivid Sydney is a citywide event that runs until June when they light up many of the public buildings with colored lights and put on art events. The Opera House was lit up with different artists’ works and was absolutely stunning from the Harbour Bridge. It proved to be well worth our while to go and the city was beautiful at night. I got some gorgeous night shots from the bridge. When we got to the other side we popped in at Luna Park and then took a ferry back across the harbour and got ice cream.

Yesterday Hannah had her 20th birthday party at Max Brenner (a coffee cafe) on George Street so we joined a group of ASCers and a few Australians there for hot chocolate. Afterwards we all walked the length of Macquarie Street to see the rest of the lights at St. Mary’s, the Mint, and the Conservatorium of Music and ended up at the Opera House.

Here’s a quick little Australian economics lesson for you: In Australia, GST or sales tax is included in the sticker price for anything you buy and you never have to pay tips. They also don’t have a 1 cent coin. So what do they do when they charge you, say, $4.06 for a candy bar? They round up the price! Where that extra money goes and what they do with is, I have no idea, but I would really like to know.

I’ve been thinking lately about how I have changed since I’ve been here and a lot of funny little things have popped into my head. For example, we watch a lot of American TV here and every once and a while they’ll show a shot of a car driving down the right (as in the direction) side of the road. A couple times I’ve had an almost visceral reaction because something doesn’t look right to me. I can’t believe that I’ve gotten that used to cars driving on the left side. I think when I go back that driving will be easy to pick back up since I haven’t driven at all since I’ve been here, but it’ll be weird to walk around American streets. It’s probably lots safer though because in New South Wales pedestrians don’t have the right of way and I often feel like that’s the case.

Another funny thing is the words I’ve picked up, like calling dinner tea. I’ve had to stop myself several times from mentioning tea instead of dinner to other American friends, or even Australian friends who don’t call it that. I also say “ages” now, “I haven’t been there in ages!” instead of forever, and I say Maccas instead of MacDonalds. I’m also pretty sure my inflection has changed dramatically but I won’t be sure until I go home and listen to myself talk to other Americans. I think all of us here have picked that up – the kind of lilting up of your voice at the end of your sentences.

A New Australian Hero

This Saturday I was a part of history. Yesterday morning, Jessica Watson sailed into Sydney Harbour on her pink yacht after an almost 7 month solo journey around the world with no stops. At 16, she was attempting to win the record for the youngest ever to sail solo around the world. Unfortunately, the 17 year old boy who currently holds the record gets to keep his title, because Jessica didn’t make her trip up over South America and instead went straight across the bottom of the globe. In her own words, Jessica says if she didn’t just sail around the world, she’s at a loss for what she’s been doing the last 7 months.

So yesterday, Jessica sailed into the Harbour, scheduled to cross the headlands at 11:30 am. I decided to go see what all the fuss was about. The news was forecasting thousands of people and hundreds of boats would be there to greet her. They were absolutely right. Jessica was going to sail past the headlands, which was her official finish line, and then make her way down the harbour to the Opera House, where she would finally step onto land and make a public appearance in front of the crowd at the Opera House.

I went down to the Opera House and found a great spot along the water with a clear view of the wharf she would land at. As it turns out, she was 2 and a half hours late to the headlands and by the time she reached the Opera House is was at least 2:30. Since I was by myself I was quite bored. A huge stage was set up in front of the Opera House where the stairs were turned into a stadium. The media was playing the coverage on a large screen for the crowd to see. From my spot on the wall I could hear what was going on. After she crossed the headlands I decided I’d had enough of standing by the wall, so I gave up my spot and went to take pictures of the hubbub before she sailed in. Seeing all the media and the thousands of people was spectacle enough.

When she finally did arrive it wasn’t too hard to find a good spot on the hill overlooking the wharf to see her take her first step onto land. Hundreds of boats sailed all the way up the harbour with her and a huge boat in front sprayed gallons of water like a fire hose over the whole fleet. I couldn’t see Jessica’s boat until she came right out to the wharf but everyone around me kept insisting they could see her boat amid all the other larger boats. Everyone cheered when she finally came into view and then took her first step onto the wharf. Helicoptors were flying overhead to capture the action. It was quite dramatic. I left right away after that, thinking April and Mike and I were going to do something during the afternoon, which we didn’t end up doing. My patience was about shot though so I beat the crowds out of the city and went home.

On the news later they showed Jessica hugging her family for the first time, making a statement to the crowds and enduring a press conference in the Opera House. Anyway, my waiting paid off and I got to experience a real Aussie event. Jessica Watson is the newest Australian hero, with a book and a documentary already on the way, and rights to a movie about her still pending. And she’s only 16! So I guess I can say my waiting paid off and it was totally worth seeing. Kevin Rudd was there, people watched from atop the Harbour Bridge, it was amazing. I hope you all saw it on TV in the US, because I was there!

Blue Mountains Walkabout

The ASC took our last group trip besides the trip to New Zealand today to the Blue Mountains. Early this morning we met at Central Station at 8am, which means we got out of bed at 6am to take a bus and a train to get there in time. The train ride to the Blue Mountains took about an hour and a half and we got off at a little one platform stop in a very rural area called Falconbridge. Our guide, Evan Yarra Murra, was part aboriginal and was raised in a an aboriginal way,but you never would have guessed it. He looked very Anglo, which is common with Aboriginal people because they are often part something else and the dark skin gene is recessive. He was very in touch with his aboriginal heritage and spirituality.


We hiked down into the bush, all 40 of us, not very far to a place on a large rock where there were some old rock carvings of kangaroos, the rainbow serpent, and a sky god. They were from a traditional dreamtime ceremony. Evan described how the ceremony would go and a bit of the storytelling involved. He taught us things like how the old people used to "feel" the elements of nature - rocks, bushes etc. - and their spirits so that they could stay in touch with their sense and live in the present moment. We all tried it - not sure how I felt about it but it was interesting. He also talked about initiation to adulthood for boys and girls when they reach adolescence. A woman reaches adulthood naturally, but a man must be shaped by culture. The initiations include removing a front tooth, a nose piercing, cuts across the chest and arms, and a journey into the bush for the boys. It sounds quite graphic.

We hiked a bit further down to an amazing sandstone cave. As you can see from the pictures, the stone was all carved out and weathered in these amazing patterns and it was a bright yellow-orange. Evan brought out some rocks to grind into ochre that we used to paint on rocks and bark and then on each others faces. We were there for a long time admiring each others' paint jobs and taking pictures.

We continued on our hike down into the bottom of the valley - the trail was steep and we were climbing all over things and sliding around - through a rainforest area and then came back up a bit to another cave for lunch. We also had the wonderful option of using the woods for our toilet. Evan passed around some artifacts like the skins of a poisonous spider and a fat grub that is a delicacy and showed us how to roll eucalyptus leaves up and stick them in our noses to clear the sinuses. We learned to tea tree oil kills bacteria and germs and can be used for all kinds of toiletries - toothpaste, hair product, deodorant, soap.

Before we headed back to the train station Evan played the bullroarer for us. The bullroarer is a small oblong wooden stick that you swing around on a string to make music. It could only be played or heard by men traditionally, like the didgeridoo.

When we got back to Sydney it was 5pm already and I went with some other girls to Melanie's apartment for pizza and a movie. We watched Bridget Jones Diary and just talked, which was a nice change to the pace of life this week.

Bus Adventures

I mistakenly believed that the worst of the homework was over. This week I can breathe a little easier, but not much. The design projects just keep coming and I have a feeling the last week of the semester, when all of them are due, is going to be insane…lucky me.

On the other side of the coin, I can’t believe I have to leave here in just over a month. That just isn’t enough time to do everything I want to do. Yesterday I got to see a little more of the city. Sam was flying up from New Zealand and we were going to meet at the opera house, but she couldn’t call my number from a pay phone and unfortunately we never got a hold of each other. I had decided just to take the afternoon and go into the city after class anyway so I’d be down there when she called, so I ended up discovering where the government house is and walking along the bay to Mrs. Macquarie’s chair. It is a beautiful walk along the harbour with the Royal Botanic Gardens on one side and the water on the other. Mrs. Macquarie was the wife of a governor of the Sydney colony and her chair is a rock ledge her husband had carved out on a point overlooking the Sydney Harbour. Apparently it was her favorite place to sit and look out over the water. The sign in front of the spot claims it is still one of most beautiful view in Sydney, but from what I could see, you’d be staring at a tree growing out of the side of the cliff in front of you.

There is something strange about me and old people at bus stops. Last week an elderly man came out of Five Dock Club and began to talk to me about how he went back to school when he was 70 and learned to speak Mandarin and his three wives, one of whom was a millionaire, all of whom he has outlived. A week or so before that an old homeless man tapped me on the shoulder and muttered something I couldn’t understand while pointing at another person waiting at the stop. Well this week I was headed to Burwood to buy art supplies and the bus stopped outside Burwood Girls High School, letting a huge mob of girls in plaid skirts on. The older lady sitting next to me “kindly” ordered them to move to the back of the bus so more people could get on. Then she turned to me and began to systematically unburden all of her pet peeves about society, beginning with the bus system and ending with how she didn’t believe women should be allowed maternity leave! She has rung up the transportation department to insist drivers make people move to the back of the bus and that people have their change ready when they get on. She also doesn’t like the way kids are these days and she cited a story she read in the paper about a 17 year old girl who overdosed on 3 drugs and died. Where were this girl’s parents? She may have not have had a wonderful childhood, but at least she knew where she was going at that stage in her life. I carefully pointed out that that is a difficult age to make decisions and she immediately countered the fact by giving me her life’s story, how she got married when she was 18 and a half and they lived off of her salary and her husband worked two jobs. After we got to the maternity leave part and I suggested that women might have to work just to support themselves, I just let her go. There was no changing her mind. Then she abruptly got up at her stop and turned to me and said, “You have a lovely day!” in the nicest way and got off the bus! Who’ll it be next week?

May 2, 2010

I think I've lost my new little Canon camera. The last time I had it was on Monday, when April asked me to take her picture in front of Longview Street (where she is from in Texas). It’s been in my purse in its case all this time, and I usually take the camera out of the case in my bag to take pictures. Strangely the camera and the case are missing, even though I never take the case out of my bag. The only time I’ve lost sight of my purse is at my service placement in Ashfield on Tuesday. We put our bags up behind the stage and leave them there for the 3 hours we’re there. I just can’t believe it could be stolen and nothing else in my purse taken, like my wallet. Anyway, I’m really really hoping it turns up in our room somewhere, even though I’ve searched the place at least 6 times since last night.

Last night April, Mona and I went to Darling Harbour and met Laura and Emily. We had gelato and turns out it was May Day so we saw fireworks lit in the middle of the harbour. That was when I discovered my camera wasn’t in my bag. We took a walk around the harbour, which is beautiful at night, and stopped in a couple of clubs to dance. It was fun to do something with Mona for the first time and get to know her better. 

This morning I got up and went to an Anglican church in Five Dock that has a later service. It was a really nice service, some younger people, a late time, and a convenient walk so I think I’ll go back next week. The rest of my time this weekend I’ve been working on a presentation for Kimberly’s class about American health care reform. Our group met yesterday for a few hours and that’s where I am now. Brian and Sue have been gone the last couple days and are coming home tonight from their Emmaus Walks and conferences.

April 23

I can see the light! The busyness is almost over. Tomorrow is the performance of Seven Deadly Sins and then I have one big paper to research and write this weekend. This weekend is also a long weekend – Sunday is Anzac Day and Australia has adopted Monday as a public holiday. Hopefully I can fit some fun things in over the weekend, or just plain old rest. I’ve been putting in some incredibly long days this week and dragging my violin all over the place. I’ve just returned from the dress rehearsal for the opera and everything went well. The difficult music has gotten much easier, though I only had 2 hours of practice on my own this whole time – hopefully I won’t make any mistakes too loud.

Anzac Day commemorates the triumphant defeat of the Anzac Army at Gallipoli in World War II. Anzac stands for the Australia New Zealand Army Corps. There are going to be memorial services in churches all over the city and a parade through the city on Sunday. I’m going to try to make it down there to see it.

Today in our Indigenous Cultures class we visited the art gallery of NSW and the Australian Museum. The trip opened my eyes to a whole new side of Sydney I’ve been meaning to visit. I’ve been to the Art Gallery before, but all along the street it is on is Hyde Park, which extends over B city blocks with lots of grass, trees, fountains and statues. It’s akin to New York’s Central Park or Chicago’s Millennium Park. Sometime I’m going to have to explore up that side of the city.