The man. The myth. The legend.
I said I was going to put you on my list of 100 people, and here is one better.
Matt is the reason I survived a month in Penrith. Without him, I would have flown home long ago. He's inspired me to learn a second language, he's added more fuel than I could have imagined to my Cotton On addiction, and I honestly think that we've laughed together so many times that my laugh is starting to sound more and more like his. He gave up his room for 3 weeks straight to let me trash with clothes and spend an unhealthy amount of time sleeping. He dragged me out of the house to meet new people and do new things, when all I wanted to do was stay home and watch some movies. He's the reason I've come to actually enjoy watching Glee, which is something I never thought I would say. He kisses girls like nobodys business, and I envy him for that. He makes the best out of any situation he's put in, and I completely understand why he's beloved all over Australia. I hope one day he can make it out to my neck of the woods and I can show him an equally amazing time. I owe him.
Love you, Matt =)
Showing posts with label Robert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Robert. Show all posts
Monday, January 17, 2011
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The Final Countdown
So here we are. We've been as far north on the coast as we (eventually) planned to go, and we've started our slow descent back down to Sydney and beyond. We are currently in Brisbane with the Adams family. Yes, the Adams family. Get it out of your system now...They have been more than hospitable; we really couldn't have asked for better hosts. A few days ago we bought plane tickets down to Sydney. We've been traveling by foot, car, train, and bus so far. Surprisingly this is the first time we've felt a plane ride to be near essential to our travels. We're scheduled to leave at 5 in the morning and to arrive at SYD around 7. The flight is going to be about an hour long but Queensland (current location) doesn't recognize daylight savings time so we are going to lose an hour of our day tomorrow. I'm usually sleeping that early anyway, so an hour lost is no big deal. We will get into Sydney that morning and we will go straight from there out to the Blue Mountains about two hours inland. The plan is to stay with our contact there for a couple of nights then we will head to Canberra, the nation's capital, until Marissa's departure.
Marissa is scheduled to leave this beautiful country in no less than 11 days. I am planning on staying quite a bit longer and hope that the hospitality that the people have shown us so far will continue and enable me to enjoy the rest of my visit.
One thing that we've made a habit of is visiting the library in every city we visit. Surprisingly even the smallest of towns has a library. We were happy to frequent them all: from the cubicle-sized Byron Bay library to the wonderfully diverse Queensland State library. We usually set aside one day to just go to the library and read, write in our journals, blog, or whatever else we deem appropriate to do in a library. With smaller collections like the one they had in Byron, it was quite difficult to find anything that really struck my fancy. Today we had the opportunity to browse the Queensland State library; it was amazing. Out of all the institutions we've visited, this was by far my favourite. I can usually find a book or two that interest me in the first aisle I walk down, and this instance was no different. One of the first books I looked at caught my eye. The title is Consequential Strangers: The Power of People Who Don't Seem to Matter. . . But Really Do. The authors, Blau and Fingerman, delve into detail concerning the importance of relationships that may, superficially, not seem important. One small section of this book mentioned a writer for the NY Times who wrote a personal version of the Top 100 Influential People of 2006. When he read the original version published in TIME, he realized that none of the people on that list seemingly had any direct influence on his life. His list was comprised of relatives, neighbors, close friends, and acquaintances. People from his barber to peers at his child's sporting events made the list. The concept of writing down a list of 100 people seemed a little daunting, but I really wanted to give it a try. I'm not too far into my life so I don't have any mention of the person who led me to a huge break in my career, the doctor who helped deliver my children, or the all-knowing neighbor who helped me fix my house up.
Being with Marissa 24/7 for these past two months really drove this point home. She has been an influence on me throughout my life, but now more than ever. Her views are drastically different than mine on a myriad of subjects, but they have subsequently shaped my views on things to encompass the full subject rather than just my narrow perspective.
This list is a compilation of people who have influenced my life. They have changed my point of view, they have opened up my mind to a different train of thought, and they have shown me that every stereotype can be broken. They have shown me what I, myself, am capable of, and that with hard work and a good attitude truly anything can be achieved. I have been molded by these people in subjects ranging from career to relationships to education. I've been helped to realize more fully what I actually want out of these things and how to better my life in those aspects and, in that same vein, what I strive to avoid in them. I've learned what kind of friend I am, and what kind of friends I want to surround myself with. Everybody is good at something and has more to offer than you think. I've gone through experiences and learned things I never would have without these people leading me to and through those events. This is a list of relatives, classmates, flings, inspirations, best friends, role models, sources of wisdom, teachers, and those who truly make me want to model myself after them and be a better, more caring person. These are those who have shown that you can make the best of any circumstance you're in and really helped me learn about myself and, as a whole, have been imperative in shaping who I am today. Some of these people are on the list for reasons you can't imagine, and many I'm not in contact with on a regular basis, but trust me, they deserve to be there. Ages range from 16-80 and the span of time known anywhere from a few minutes to 20 years. I'll admit I haven't even met all of these people face-to-face.
I do realize that this blog is supposed to be about our travels, but I've had a lot of time to think lately and I think it's good to write down some thoughts every once in awhile instead of just chronicling our journey. If you're curious as to why you did (or did not) make the list, feel free to email me. I'm not going to put every reason on here now, as I'm sure maybe only 10% of the people on the list will actually see it.
weeks.robert.j@gmail.com
-Robert J. Weeks
Marissa is scheduled to leave this beautiful country in no less than 11 days. I am planning on staying quite a bit longer and hope that the hospitality that the people have shown us so far will continue and enable me to enjoy the rest of my visit.
One thing that we've made a habit of is visiting the library in every city we visit. Surprisingly even the smallest of towns has a library. We were happy to frequent them all: from the cubicle-sized Byron Bay library to the wonderfully diverse Queensland State library. We usually set aside one day to just go to the library and read, write in our journals, blog, or whatever else we deem appropriate to do in a library. With smaller collections like the one they had in Byron, it was quite difficult to find anything that really struck my fancy. Today we had the opportunity to browse the Queensland State library; it was amazing. Out of all the institutions we've visited, this was by far my favourite. I can usually find a book or two that interest me in the first aisle I walk down, and this instance was no different. One of the first books I looked at caught my eye. The title is Consequential Strangers: The Power of People Who Don't Seem to Matter. . . But Really Do. The authors, Blau and Fingerman, delve into detail concerning the importance of relationships that may, superficially, not seem important. One small section of this book mentioned a writer for the NY Times who wrote a personal version of the Top 100 Influential People of 2006. When he read the original version published in TIME, he realized that none of the people on that list seemingly had any direct influence on his life. His list was comprised of relatives, neighbors, close friends, and acquaintances. People from his barber to peers at his child's sporting events made the list. The concept of writing down a list of 100 people seemed a little daunting, but I really wanted to give it a try. I'm not too far into my life so I don't have any mention of the person who led me to a huge break in my career, the doctor who helped deliver my children, or the all-knowing neighbor who helped me fix my house up.
Being with Marissa 24/7 for these past two months really drove this point home. She has been an influence on me throughout my life, but now more than ever. Her views are drastically different than mine on a myriad of subjects, but they have subsequently shaped my views on things to encompass the full subject rather than just my narrow perspective.
This list is a compilation of people who have influenced my life. They have changed my point of view, they have opened up my mind to a different train of thought, and they have shown me that every stereotype can be broken. They have shown me what I, myself, am capable of, and that with hard work and a good attitude truly anything can be achieved. I have been molded by these people in subjects ranging from career to relationships to education. I've been helped to realize more fully what I actually want out of these things and how to better my life in those aspects and, in that same vein, what I strive to avoid in them. I've learned what kind of friend I am, and what kind of friends I want to surround myself with. Everybody is good at something and has more to offer than you think. I've gone through experiences and learned things I never would have without these people leading me to and through those events. This is a list of relatives, classmates, flings, inspirations, best friends, role models, sources of wisdom, teachers, and those who truly make me want to model myself after them and be a better, more caring person. These are those who have shown that you can make the best of any circumstance you're in and really helped me learn about myself and, as a whole, have been imperative in shaping who I am today. Some of these people are on the list for reasons you can't imagine, and many I'm not in contact with on a regular basis, but trust me, they deserve to be there. Ages range from 16-80 and the span of time known anywhere from a few minutes to 20 years. I'll admit I haven't even met all of these people face-to-face.
- Katherine Weeks
- Richard Weeks
- Marissa Weeks
- Stephen Weeks
- Laura Weeks
- Emily Weeks
- Clyde Weeks
- Helen Weeks
- Rachel Shupe
- Robert Shupe
- Robert Pennock
- Fay Pennock
- David Pennock
- Gigi Pennock
- John Pennock
- Sean Barlow
- Aaron Lefler
- Jace Mann
- Jake Lloyd
- Chelsea McArthur
- A.J. Nielsen
- Mathew Nielsen
- Jeff Nielsen
- Julie Nielsen
- Christopher Nielsen
- Chase Brauchie
- Marcus Riches
- Michael Fitzgerald
- Darren Webster
- Robert Duncan
- Andrew McLeran
- Leah Tarrant
- Brady Cottam
- Devyn Zbinden
- Ariana Gonzalez
- Casey Cripps
- Xander Gonzalez
- Hilary Hancock
- Ashley Lewter
- Steve Carroll
- Emily Stephens
- Briahna Mounteer
- Jason Liu
- Shaelyn West
- Alex Phillips
- Cameron Faux
- Melanie Lance
- Jon Trevett
- Brett Burt
- Bethany Hess
- Amberly Hess
- Dawn Hess
- Sydney Lowe
- Keely Kirby
- Megan Metcalf
- Chelsey Huntsman
- Karin Ellis
- Rachelle Webb
- Alexis Gosdis
- Ryan Rose
- Matt Duffus
- Christian Inglis
- Alex Von Dust
- Amanda Barlow
- Monica Walker
- Amy Hardesty
- Jesica Wilson Piettress
- Bailey Gray
- Alex Daniels
- Alyssa Shoemaker
- Stephanie Lewis
- Christopher Thatcher
- Janina Liddellidd
- Jess Rancie
- Erik Huynh
- Kellie Shaw
- Ivan Govorovskiy
- Kylie Jacobsen
- Levi Gardner
- James Gardner
- Isaac Gardner
- Zsuzsi Simon
- Tereasa North
- Jentry Nielsen
- Mali Rahimian
- Tyler Wiseman
- Tyler Brown
- Adrienne Davis
- Spencer Porter
- Erin Martin
- Penny Owen
- Michelle Mirci
- Morgan Lail
- Odette Da Silva
- Paul Vowels
- Deanne Vowels
- Rich Littledyke
- Samantha Berg
- Narine Johnson
- The handful of people who picked me up when hitchhiking.
I do realize that this blog is supposed to be about our travels, but I've had a lot of time to think lately and I think it's good to write down some thoughts every once in awhile instead of just chronicling our journey. If you're curious as to why you did (or did not) make the list, feel free to email me. I'm not going to put every reason on here now, as I'm sure maybe only 10% of the people on the list will actually see it.
weeks.robert.j@gmail.com
-Robert J. Weeks
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Hey Old Friend, It's Been Awhile...
I've been slacking. Badly. And by 'I' I really mean 'us.'
We just haven't had much motivation to actually sit down and write anything. I just got a good playlist set up for this very purpose so I'm just going to hunker down and get it done =).
I think we left off with us skydiving and then a little picture blog about our weekend trip to Byron Bay. So I'm going to have to backtrack just a little bit to just before we took our little trip.
So we had been in Byron Bay for about 3 nights and it was time to move on. We had seen pretty much everything the town had to offer and it was time to head out. We woke up that last morning and packed up all of our things and got ready for skydiving. We did that, came back to our hostel, then quickly headed over to the only bus station in town and hopped on to the 'Brisbane to Byron Express.' This was a bit bigger than a van and a little smaller than a bus. Short-bus length, I guess. Once we got all of our belongings packed away into the trailer in tow behind us we got into our coach and got the VIP seats in the back. Luckily it wasn't too crowded, so we didn't have to share our seats with anybody so we had plenty of room for ourselves and our backpacks. The drive was just beautiful. When I thought of Australia before I actually came here I envisioned the outback. This couldn't be further from the truth. Every city/town we go to is more lush and breathtaking then the previous. Being from Utah I'm not really used to such overwhelming flora. The drive went without a hitch and we were dropped off at the central transit station in downtown Brisbane.
We took a train about 25 minutes outside of town and called our contact, Mr. Morales, who picked us up promptly and took us to his car to store our things while he showed us around a bit. He walked us around a bit with his young daughter as we were headed to meet his wife and son about 5 minutes walk away. We met a few of their friends and got to talk to the Morales family for a few minutes before heading to their home for the night. Mrs. Morales took her children home and Andrew decided that he didn't want to head home quite yet. He drove us around the city for a good 45 minutes showing us everything there is to see, where to go, how to get everywhere, and just helping us orient ourselves in the new city. This really did help us a lot and we got to see an amazing view of the city that we never would have been able to see without a car. After our Brisbane orientation was finished we headed 30 minutes out of downtown, into the more country side of the city. Their house was everything a backpacker could ask for. A bed, food, and company. We had a pretty full day and slept great that night.
After a restful night of sleep we woke up and had a quick breakfast before heading down to the train station and leaving the suburb of Mt. Cotton for the city for a day of exploring. Brisbane is a city, definitely, but it is nowhere near the size of Sydney. We walked through nearly the whole downtown area in the afternoon and saw pretty much everything there was to see within a few hours. We saw a few parks, the biggest art gallery we've been to so far, and the largest library we've been in so far. The art gallery and library were part of the Queensland University of Technology and were definitely the best part about the campus. The landscaping was nowhere near what we've seen surrounding other campuses in Oz. After reading for an hour or two in the library we jetted up towards the temple for institute.
See, I've never been to an institute class and never thought I would attend one, but I figured I may as well go with Marissa because we were going to get a ride home from one of the members and I would be less of a bother to the people we were staying with. I usually don't like the atmosphere in churches, and this occasion was no different. I just don't really mesh with the people that go there. I can't really speak for Marissa, but I'm sure she was as comfortable as ever. I went to a class concerning leadership and Marissa, something else that I can't be bothered remembering right now. I sat in the very back corner and whipped out my journal and began writing. We were there a few minutes early so I was getting in a good rhythm before the class started. I kept on going straight through the opening prayer and song. Institute didn't have much of an effect on my concentration. Until the teacher started talking. I have no clue what this guy does for a living, his name, or really anything else about him. Except that he teaches a pretty good lesson. I was surprised how non-gospel oriented it was. There were a few scriptures read, but the whole lesson was pretty much based on good ways to lead people and how different strategies would be better for certain situations than other. The whole experience was much better than I anticipated and it was topped off with two tables covered in after-lesson treats.
We met up with our new contact after our lessons, Ryan Fell, and we were introduced to person after person. He's a really sociable guy. He really is genuine and wanted us to have a great time while we were in his city. We were informed by nearly every person we met that they were going to take a trip down to Byron Bay that weekend and that we just had to accompany them. Of course we're not going to turn down a road trip, even if we were there the prior weekend. Experiences are always different when you're with those who know that they're doing. Our social gathering slowly migrated to the car park where it was decided that we were going to meet back up at South Bank, a nice area in downtown Brisbane that has restaurants, a man-made beach, and, well, nobody watching that beach. The night was great. Once we finally found a parking spot we promptly strolled over to the pseudo beach and stripped down to whatever was comfortable. All the guys ended up in just boxers, and the girls in either big shirts or shorts and tanks or whatever they could find. Sadly, no skivvies for the girls. We all played freeze tag, zoo animals, retarded lion, and had a cartwheel contest. Freeze tag is classic. Zoo animals is a game where as soon as you say 'Go' everyone starts acting like a zoo animal until you've had enough. It sounds really mature, I know. I, in my infinite wisdom, chose to be a shark. It was only after that I was told sharks aren't in zoos. I can remember we had a shark, a hippo, a gorilla, an ape, and an elephant. We looked great. Retarded lion is basically a game that I can't explain, because it will take the fun out of it. We'll play it sometime when I get home =). It ended up with all of us soaking wet with no towels and wet clothes. This group was amazing.
We packed up our things at the Morales' household the next morning and transferred over to the Fell's house with the help of Ryan "Roo" Fell. Their house was about 10-15 minutes away from our current location, but still a ways away from the city. So I thought the last place we were at was nice, but this was just amazing. They had a 46' LCD TV and a PS3 along with a couple of external hard drives chock-full with great movies and shows. Pair this with an overflowing fridge, freezer, and pantry, and you're set. They also had a nice pool in their back yard. The only thing missing, really, was the people. The only one that we really saw those first few days was Roo. His parents and siblings were constantly on the move and were rarely seen in the household. To be honest I kind of enjoyed the temporary solitude. The next few days were constituted of excess media exposure, a few trips into the city with friends, and lots of sleep. It was great to recharge.
The day had finally come. Destination: Byron Bay! Since there were so many people headed down there, people were leaving at different times and we all just figured it would work out in the end. Sure enough, it did. We were almost the last to arrive in the car park to the beach, and were greeted by a dozen or so friends. The night was still young so the crew split; some went out on the town, while others stayed behind and prepped the 'campsite.' Marissa and I were in the latter group; we aren't really ones for partying. Neither of us had ever spent the night on the beach before so we weren't exactly sure what we were supposed to be doing. Luckily, the other people we were with were seasoned vets. They had brought a tarp to lay down and extra sleeping bags for those that were without (us). Once the giant tarp was secured, the second order of business was to get a fire started. There were a few signs warning us that campfires on the beach are illegal, but those were the same signs that said camping was illegal. All or nothing, I guess. Gathering the sticks wasn't a problem, but the wind was. Marissa and I had to dig a little ditch and fill it with kindling in an attempt to get the fire started. It worked beautifully. Within 15 minutes we had a full-on blaze on the beach and the blustering gales couldn't best our flames. Smalltalk by the fire was a nice way to cap off the night before we fell asleep underneath the stars. I've had trouble sleeping this whole trip. It isn't often that I am able to sleep through the whole night without waking up once. This inability to sleep restfully ended up being alright on this occasion. Every time I opened my eyes I was rewarded with the endless expanse of space coupled with the not too distant crashing of the Pacific. Put it on your bucket lists, people. It doesn't have to be Byron, necessarily, just a beach far far away from a big city. The absence of light, and other, pollution made the cosmos infinitely more vivid.
The thing about bucket lists is sometimes you can plan it so you can tick off more than one goal at a time. Waking up on the beach to a beautiful sunrise should also make it on there. Check and check. The fire was still going and everyone was awake and talking by around 5 in the morning. I can't remember the last time that's ever happened to me. I usually curse anyone who wakes my up that early, but cursing the sun seems a little childish, and honestly it was quite refreshing. A short stroll along the coastline was just the ticket to put me in a good mood the entire day. The day consisted of more than a handful of hours on the beach, and mobbing through the small town when the group got hungry. One thing that I LOVED while we were on the beach was that I played my first game of cricket and got a good introduction to the rules and game-play. I am actually horrible at cricket, but I still enjoyed messing around with the guys. By this point there were nearly 20 of us. Shopping, eating, tanning, talking until the sun went down.
Once it got dark it was time to prepare for the night ahead. Everyone got as presentable as possible and headed back into town once more. The guys all wanted to watch 'The Game' at a bar and I was quite keen as well. I assumed Rugby, and I was right. The match was Australia v. New Zealand. I had yet to watch a full match and was excited to see it run its course with the supplemented comments from my knowledgeable new friends. The cheers echoed around the room any time points were scored for either team. I assumed the crowd would be overwhelmingly lopsided towards rooting for the home team, but apparently plenty of Kiwis call Australia home. It was a close game and NZ ended up winning. I didn't really care either way; I was happy to finally understand what was going on and to see the game played at its highest level. The girls had made themselves very scarce through the whole match, but they somehow materialized as soon as it was over, completely ready to go out to the clubs and party the night away.
I've only been out a few times since I've been here and I figured that night was as good as any other to go out again. These people all knew how to have a good time and I wasn't about to stay at the beach two nights in a row. By this point Marissa had left our group and was hanging out with a friend she had made earlier in the week at institute, Blake. She can tell you about her adventures with him later, if she wishes. Our posse slowly made it down the main street and shortly I was introduced to the club they frequent when in town...I really can't remember how it's spelled but it was something similar to Coocamunga? Anyway, we got in after a short wait in line and from the second we walked down those stairs everyone was dancing. I usually feel like an idiot when I dance, and I'm sure I'm not alone, but it was chill. Everyone was just having some good clean fun for a few carefree hours. The group finally dragged themselves out of the music and into the world for one more trip to our sandy beds. We chose a different beach the second night but the crew split in half: those who were worried about rain and those who weren't. I wasn't. Those who were worried stayed and slept in cars. I just threw down a sleeping bag and passed out under the stars again.
The beach we ended up at is oriented differently than the first one, so the sunrise didn't wake anybody up that morning. We all got to sleep in until around 9 and took our time getting ready prior to heading into town once more for a quick breakfast before the two-hour drive back to Brissy.
The next few days we saw a lot more of the Fell family and were introduced to a fantastic TV show: Community. We watched about 24 episodes...nearly the whole first season. We also watched too many movies. We just had to burn a few days before we could head up to the Sunshine Coast, where our next house was. The people there had some scheduling conflicts, so we just had to wait. The short stint at the Fell house with Roo and his family came and went, and we were soon on a train headed north.
A few hours later and we stepped off the car only to be immediately greeted by the friendly face of Liz & Hannah Atkinson, along with their friend, Laura. The drive to their house was pretty quick and, just like every other city in Australia so far, beautiful. Their quaint, country home is nestled about 100 meters from the road in the lush scenery of this coastal town. The family owns a good portion of land and they all live on it. There are six houses here I think...each just a short drive from one another. Since we've been here, we've visited the nearest beach, listened to a rain storm every night, and watched about 20 episodes of the office. We also watched Toy Story 3 last night at a friend's friend's house.
We are planning on making one more trip north before we start our ascension back down to Sydney and beyond. Tomorrow morning we will catch a ride with some friendly LDS members up to Bundaberg and hopefully make it up to the itty bitty town of 'Town of 1770' for some snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. Hopefully we'll have enough motivation to keep writing on here and keep you all updated. Once again, sorry about the serious lapse.
-Baxter
PS. I apologize that this post isn't as compelling, detailed, and as good of a read as previous posts. My brain has just been a little bit broken lately and I've been having a really hard time writing even in my journal. I don't know what the deal is...
We just haven't had much motivation to actually sit down and write anything. I just got a good playlist set up for this very purpose so I'm just going to hunker down and get it done =).
I think we left off with us skydiving and then a little picture blog about our weekend trip to Byron Bay. So I'm going to have to backtrack just a little bit to just before we took our little trip.
So we had been in Byron Bay for about 3 nights and it was time to move on. We had seen pretty much everything the town had to offer and it was time to head out. We woke up that last morning and packed up all of our things and got ready for skydiving. We did that, came back to our hostel, then quickly headed over to the only bus station in town and hopped on to the 'Brisbane to Byron Express.' This was a bit bigger than a van and a little smaller than a bus. Short-bus length, I guess. Once we got all of our belongings packed away into the trailer in tow behind us we got into our coach and got the VIP seats in the back. Luckily it wasn't too crowded, so we didn't have to share our seats with anybody so we had plenty of room for ourselves and our backpacks. The drive was just beautiful. When I thought of Australia before I actually came here I envisioned the outback. This couldn't be further from the truth. Every city/town we go to is more lush and breathtaking then the previous. Being from Utah I'm not really used to such overwhelming flora. The drive went without a hitch and we were dropped off at the central transit station in downtown Brisbane.
We took a train about 25 minutes outside of town and called our contact, Mr. Morales, who picked us up promptly and took us to his car to store our things while he showed us around a bit. He walked us around a bit with his young daughter as we were headed to meet his wife and son about 5 minutes walk away. We met a few of their friends and got to talk to the Morales family for a few minutes before heading to their home for the night. Mrs. Morales took her children home and Andrew decided that he didn't want to head home quite yet. He drove us around the city for a good 45 minutes showing us everything there is to see, where to go, how to get everywhere, and just helping us orient ourselves in the new city. This really did help us a lot and we got to see an amazing view of the city that we never would have been able to see without a car. After our Brisbane orientation was finished we headed 30 minutes out of downtown, into the more country side of the city. Their house was everything a backpacker could ask for. A bed, food, and company. We had a pretty full day and slept great that night.
After a restful night of sleep we woke up and had a quick breakfast before heading down to the train station and leaving the suburb of Mt. Cotton for the city for a day of exploring. Brisbane is a city, definitely, but it is nowhere near the size of Sydney. We walked through nearly the whole downtown area in the afternoon and saw pretty much everything there was to see within a few hours. We saw a few parks, the biggest art gallery we've been to so far, and the largest library we've been in so far. The art gallery and library were part of the Queensland University of Technology and were definitely the best part about the campus. The landscaping was nowhere near what we've seen surrounding other campuses in Oz. After reading for an hour or two in the library we jetted up towards the temple for institute.
See, I've never been to an institute class and never thought I would attend one, but I figured I may as well go with Marissa because we were going to get a ride home from one of the members and I would be less of a bother to the people we were staying with. I usually don't like the atmosphere in churches, and this occasion was no different. I just don't really mesh with the people that go there. I can't really speak for Marissa, but I'm sure she was as comfortable as ever. I went to a class concerning leadership and Marissa, something else that I can't be bothered remembering right now. I sat in the very back corner and whipped out my journal and began writing. We were there a few minutes early so I was getting in a good rhythm before the class started. I kept on going straight through the opening prayer and song. Institute didn't have much of an effect on my concentration. Until the teacher started talking. I have no clue what this guy does for a living, his name, or really anything else about him. Except that he teaches a pretty good lesson. I was surprised how non-gospel oriented it was. There were a few scriptures read, but the whole lesson was pretty much based on good ways to lead people and how different strategies would be better for certain situations than other. The whole experience was much better than I anticipated and it was topped off with two tables covered in after-lesson treats.
We met up with our new contact after our lessons, Ryan Fell, and we were introduced to person after person. He's a really sociable guy. He really is genuine and wanted us to have a great time while we were in his city. We were informed by nearly every person we met that they were going to take a trip down to Byron Bay that weekend and that we just had to accompany them. Of course we're not going to turn down a road trip, even if we were there the prior weekend. Experiences are always different when you're with those who know that they're doing. Our social gathering slowly migrated to the car park where it was decided that we were going to meet back up at South Bank, a nice area in downtown Brisbane that has restaurants, a man-made beach, and, well, nobody watching that beach. The night was great. Once we finally found a parking spot we promptly strolled over to the pseudo beach and stripped down to whatever was comfortable. All the guys ended up in just boxers, and the girls in either big shirts or shorts and tanks or whatever they could find. Sadly, no skivvies for the girls. We all played freeze tag, zoo animals, retarded lion, and had a cartwheel contest. Freeze tag is classic. Zoo animals is a game where as soon as you say 'Go' everyone starts acting like a zoo animal until you've had enough. It sounds really mature, I know. I, in my infinite wisdom, chose to be a shark. It was only after that I was told sharks aren't in zoos. I can remember we had a shark, a hippo, a gorilla, an ape, and an elephant. We looked great. Retarded lion is basically a game that I can't explain, because it will take the fun out of it. We'll play it sometime when I get home =). It ended up with all of us soaking wet with no towels and wet clothes. This group was amazing.
We packed up our things at the Morales' household the next morning and transferred over to the Fell's house with the help of Ryan "Roo" Fell. Their house was about 10-15 minutes away from our current location, but still a ways away from the city. So I thought the last place we were at was nice, but this was just amazing. They had a 46' LCD TV and a PS3 along with a couple of external hard drives chock-full with great movies and shows. Pair this with an overflowing fridge, freezer, and pantry, and you're set. They also had a nice pool in their back yard. The only thing missing, really, was the people. The only one that we really saw those first few days was Roo. His parents and siblings were constantly on the move and were rarely seen in the household. To be honest I kind of enjoyed the temporary solitude. The next few days were constituted of excess media exposure, a few trips into the city with friends, and lots of sleep. It was great to recharge.
The day had finally come. Destination: Byron Bay! Since there were so many people headed down there, people were leaving at different times and we all just figured it would work out in the end. Sure enough, it did. We were almost the last to arrive in the car park to the beach, and were greeted by a dozen or so friends. The night was still young so the crew split; some went out on the town, while others stayed behind and prepped the 'campsite.' Marissa and I were in the latter group; we aren't really ones for partying. Neither of us had ever spent the night on the beach before so we weren't exactly sure what we were supposed to be doing. Luckily, the other people we were with were seasoned vets. They had brought a tarp to lay down and extra sleeping bags for those that were without (us). Once the giant tarp was secured, the second order of business was to get a fire started. There were a few signs warning us that campfires on the beach are illegal, but those were the same signs that said camping was illegal. All or nothing, I guess. Gathering the sticks wasn't a problem, but the wind was. Marissa and I had to dig a little ditch and fill it with kindling in an attempt to get the fire started. It worked beautifully. Within 15 minutes we had a full-on blaze on the beach and the blustering gales couldn't best our flames. Smalltalk by the fire was a nice way to cap off the night before we fell asleep underneath the stars. I've had trouble sleeping this whole trip. It isn't often that I am able to sleep through the whole night without waking up once. This inability to sleep restfully ended up being alright on this occasion. Every time I opened my eyes I was rewarded with the endless expanse of space coupled with the not too distant crashing of the Pacific. Put it on your bucket lists, people. It doesn't have to be Byron, necessarily, just a beach far far away from a big city. The absence of light, and other, pollution made the cosmos infinitely more vivid.
The thing about bucket lists is sometimes you can plan it so you can tick off more than one goal at a time. Waking up on the beach to a beautiful sunrise should also make it on there. Check and check. The fire was still going and everyone was awake and talking by around 5 in the morning. I can't remember the last time that's ever happened to me. I usually curse anyone who wakes my up that early, but cursing the sun seems a little childish, and honestly it was quite refreshing. A short stroll along the coastline was just the ticket to put me in a good mood the entire day. The day consisted of more than a handful of hours on the beach, and mobbing through the small town when the group got hungry. One thing that I LOVED while we were on the beach was that I played my first game of cricket and got a good introduction to the rules and game-play. I am actually horrible at cricket, but I still enjoyed messing around with the guys. By this point there were nearly 20 of us. Shopping, eating, tanning, talking until the sun went down.
Once it got dark it was time to prepare for the night ahead. Everyone got as presentable as possible and headed back into town once more. The guys all wanted to watch 'The Game' at a bar and I was quite keen as well. I assumed Rugby, and I was right. The match was Australia v. New Zealand. I had yet to watch a full match and was excited to see it run its course with the supplemented comments from my knowledgeable new friends. The cheers echoed around the room any time points were scored for either team. I assumed the crowd would be overwhelmingly lopsided towards rooting for the home team, but apparently plenty of Kiwis call Australia home. It was a close game and NZ ended up winning. I didn't really care either way; I was happy to finally understand what was going on and to see the game played at its highest level. The girls had made themselves very scarce through the whole match, but they somehow materialized as soon as it was over, completely ready to go out to the clubs and party the night away.
I've only been out a few times since I've been here and I figured that night was as good as any other to go out again. These people all knew how to have a good time and I wasn't about to stay at the beach two nights in a row. By this point Marissa had left our group and was hanging out with a friend she had made earlier in the week at institute, Blake. She can tell you about her adventures with him later, if she wishes. Our posse slowly made it down the main street and shortly I was introduced to the club they frequent when in town...I really can't remember how it's spelled but it was something similar to Coocamunga? Anyway, we got in after a short wait in line and from the second we walked down those stairs everyone was dancing. I usually feel like an idiot when I dance, and I'm sure I'm not alone, but it was chill. Everyone was just having some good clean fun for a few carefree hours. The group finally dragged themselves out of the music and into the world for one more trip to our sandy beds. We chose a different beach the second night but the crew split in half: those who were worried about rain and those who weren't. I wasn't. Those who were worried stayed and slept in cars. I just threw down a sleeping bag and passed out under the stars again.
The beach we ended up at is oriented differently than the first one, so the sunrise didn't wake anybody up that morning. We all got to sleep in until around 9 and took our time getting ready prior to heading into town once more for a quick breakfast before the two-hour drive back to Brissy.
The next few days we saw a lot more of the Fell family and were introduced to a fantastic TV show: Community. We watched about 24 episodes...nearly the whole first season. We also watched too many movies. We just had to burn a few days before we could head up to the Sunshine Coast, where our next house was. The people there had some scheduling conflicts, so we just had to wait. The short stint at the Fell house with Roo and his family came and went, and we were soon on a train headed north.
A few hours later and we stepped off the car only to be immediately greeted by the friendly face of Liz & Hannah Atkinson, along with their friend, Laura. The drive to their house was pretty quick and, just like every other city in Australia so far, beautiful. Their quaint, country home is nestled about 100 meters from the road in the lush scenery of this coastal town. The family owns a good portion of land and they all live on it. There are six houses here I think...each just a short drive from one another. Since we've been here, we've visited the nearest beach, listened to a rain storm every night, and watched about 20 episodes of the office. We also watched Toy Story 3 last night at a friend's friend's house.
We are planning on making one more trip north before we start our ascension back down to Sydney and beyond. Tomorrow morning we will catch a ride with some friendly LDS members up to Bundaberg and hopefully make it up to the itty bitty town of 'Town of 1770' for some snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. Hopefully we'll have enough motivation to keep writing on here and keep you all updated. Once again, sorry about the serious lapse.
-Baxter
PS. I apologize that this post isn't as compelling, detailed, and as good of a read as previous posts. My brain has just been a little bit broken lately and I've been having a really hard time writing even in my journal. I don't know what the deal is...
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Time to drop some knowledge.
So I was just about to hop into bed tonight when I had an epiphany. I realized that everybody reading this blog doesn't know me. This realization of my egocentricity just dawned on me from nowhere. I figure half of the people that read our posts are friends of Marissa whom I have never met, or have only associated with in passing. So, in an attempt to introduce myself a bit more thoroughly...
Hi! My name is Robert. Here are some fun facts about me:
So, obviously, there is much more to me than this, but I figure 30 things is a good start in getting to know me a little better. I'm sorry if you're here searching for a great new story, but honestly we've been quite boring these past few days and, in my opinion, haven't done anything blog-worthy. This may have been a lame idea, but it's better than nothing. If you have any more fun little facts that you would like to share, please comment, as I'm sure I've left out a lot. =)
So. To be fair to all those that already knew all of these things about me, I am going to write down a quick template for Marissa to continue, when she gets some time, so you can learn a little more about her.
Hey Robert's friends! I know most of you only in name, and haven't had real conversation with many, as I've scarcely been seen in Salt Lake these past two years. Since Robert compiled such a great list, I will try my best to do the same. Here goes nothing!!!
Hi! My name is Robert. Here are some fun facts about me:
- I am in no way a morning person.
- I'm an atheist.
- If I can wear less clothes and get away with it, I will.
- When people can't spell, or blatantly misspell, really basic words it bothers me, e.g., your/you're.
- I've attempted a few semesters at Salt Lake Community College in the past, but I'm not currently enrolled anywhere.
- My most recent job was at Jimmy John's. I was there for a little over a year.
- It's not as much that I'm stuck up as it is that I'm shy. And I am much more shy than I should be.
- I've only had one girlfriend.
- In the past, some have described me as a "player."
- I have an affinity for body modification, but have never, aside from, arguably, body building, modified myself.
- I have played countless rounds of disc golf these past two summers. Great sport.
- You'll have a hard time "Getting my goat."
- Rock Band (drums/vocals), Halo 3, and CoD MW2 are my games of choice. I'm pretty good.
- I don't have much of an imagination.
- For how good I am at video games I'm surprisingly bad at drawing, painting, and handwriting. The fine motor skills apparently don't transfer over.
- I have a poor memory for conversations.
- I have a filthy mouth around some, but clean my act up for most.
- I don't have a favorite food, band, colour, movie, friend, car, or type of girl.
- I've never been in a fight.
- If I say I will do something or be somewhere, I will. But you'll have a hard time getting me to commit.
- This past summer I was a gym rat.
- I can't scream.
- I'm agile and athletic, but not flexible.
- I'm extremely unapologetic.
- I, like many males, don't talk about emotions much.
- I haven't cried in over 4 years.
- Needles puncturing my skin scares me to no end.
- I used to have somewhat of a temper, but now I am extremely laid back.
- I'm not one known for partying. I've never smoked and rarely drink.
- I'm not sure how long I'm going to stay in Australia, and I honestly don't know where I'm going to live when I come back to the states.
So, obviously, there is much more to me than this, but I figure 30 things is a good start in getting to know me a little better. I'm sorry if you're here searching for a great new story, but honestly we've been quite boring these past few days and, in my opinion, haven't done anything blog-worthy. This may have been a lame idea, but it's better than nothing. If you have any more fun little facts that you would like to share, please comment, as I'm sure I've left out a lot. =)
So. To be fair to all those that already knew all of these things about me, I am going to write down a quick template for Marissa to continue, when she gets some time, so you can learn a little more about her.
Hey Robert's friends! I know most of you only in name, and haven't had real conversation with many, as I've scarcely been seen in Salt Lake these past two years. Since Robert compiled such a great list, I will try my best to do the same. Here goes nothing!!!
- I'm sort of an old lady. I knit, I crochet, I read, and my feet are always cold. And don't get my started on my wardrobe. Just accept it. Let it be.
- Music is a really big part of my life. I play the violin and the piano, and I'm a complete music junkie.
- I'm a vocabulary and grammar snob.
- School is the only thing I'm good at in life.
- I do not like to wear make-up. My maximum make-up is the equivalent of most girls make-up minimum.
- I do, however, love to wear dresses. Any day that is nice outside, I will be in anything but jeans.
- I really love reading. But I don't enjoy sci-fi, fantasy, romance, or mystery as much as I enjoy historical fiction, and the classics. My favorite author is Steinbeck.
- I'm not a very good driver, expecially in reverse. I can't drive a stick.
- I'm a country girl. I grew up in the city, but I yearn for mountains and open spaces. I yearn to be surrounded by beauty. The smell of hay and cows makes me feel at home.
- I love to cook. I spent last summer (May-September) in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. They actually paid me to cook for about 35 people every day. It was the best job I've ever had. I'd love to go to culinary school.
- I currently have 2 majors: Nutrition Science (Pre-Med) and Exercise Science (Pre-Physical Therapy). Nutrition and exercise are two things I'm passionate about, so studying the sciences behind them is an obvious direction to take in my life.
- I'm highly religious. I'm a devout Mormon, and plan on spending 18 months of my life serving my God when I turn 21.
- I love the outdoors. I love hiking, trail running, camping, snowboarding, etc. The next thing I want to get into is rock climbing.
- I'm really hard to embarass or offend. I dare you to try and make me feel uncomfortable.
- I'm probably too trusting. I've never had anything really bad happen to me.
- I've been told I'm overly optimistic and happy. I smile and laugh a lot.
- I'm not very good at staying up late at all. It's usually not even an option; I will just fall asleep doing anything if it gets late enough.
- It took me a really long time to catch onto snowboarding, and I'm even worse at surfing.
- I really want to be a mother some day, but the thought of being responsible for children terrifies me. It's the hardest job in the world, but anyone can get it.
- I have very high standards for myself. I do not: smoke, drink, have sex, swear, watch R rated movies, drink coffee/tea/anything carbonated, dye my hair, etc. I'm a social oddity, according to Robert.
- I'm way out of the loop when it comes to popular culture. I don't ever see movies or listen to the radio.
- I come from a large family, and I'm very grateful for that.
- I enjoy public speaking.
- I love the feeling you get in your stomach when you go on a roller coaster or jump off a cliff. I went skydiving for the first time yesterday.
- I prefer the cold. I love the snow. The heat makes me lethargic. I love everything about the winter.
- I'd pick the mountains over the beach any day.
- I'm very puctual. I'm never late.
- I usually eat very healthily. I don't usually like sweets or fast food.
- I think I've kissed too many boys.
- I don't like living out of a suitcase.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
...it's WHO you know.
Hey all. It's been awhile. A week or so if I'm correct? One week much longer than the previous. Well...let's get started.
My attempts at stifling my slight technology addiction have been somewhat successful, but I wouldn't deem this success a complete one. One night I caved and watched Rugby highlights, along with a variety of other various videos, on Youtube. I have talked on the phone with my family and even started texting a little bit two days ago. One thing I have maintained is my abstinence of Facebook, which I strongly intend to continue. This has been, by far, my biggest challenge, but made much easier with the help of Marissa changing the password on my account. But once again, I have been somewhat successful in my eradication of less-than-productive technology in my life and I have since replaced the constant cacophony of clanging keys and cursor clicks with the persistent, paced turning of paperback pages sided with the soothing act of scrawling in my journal. I'm only a week into this, but I'm already feeling like my time is being spent more wisely.
Before I go on about how our adventure has unfolded, I've been thinking this thought, and I figure it's time to just write it all down. I'm seriously contemplating a tattoo. I know this isn't a big deal to many, but I've never dealt with any kind of body modification of my own so it is to me. I've always had an affinity for tattoos, but I've never really thought of anything that I would like permanently imprinted on my body, as many ideas are just fleeting. This changed a few weeks ago. I was just writing in my journal, as usual, one night, and this idea popped into my head and has just stuck. So here it is: I want a tree covering pretty much my whole right side from the hip up to my armpit. I want a vast network of branches and roots sprawling across my chest/back and hip, respectively. No other flora or fauna will be present. I want the branches to have leaves, but not all; somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 would be ideal. The roots will spread out over my hip, so the only people that see them are those I want to, not just anybody at the beach. These roots will all be interconnected, but there will be 4 main roots than stand out from the others. Each of these will have a single word inked into them. The four words are: Family, Friendship, Knowledge, Love. I'm sure it will take quite a bit of research to find an artist who would be able to give me the level of detail that I'm looking for, but I'm sure there are people out there with more than enough talent. I have found a few pictures that show the basic idea of what I'm looking for, but I'll save those for another time. I feel like pictures always dominate blogs. There are a few apparent meanings implied with this tattoo design, but there are more significant meanings that aren't so obvious. I'll let you figure them out for yourself =). Please tell me what you think of the concept. I've told a few people already and the feedback has been resoundingly positive, but I could always go for more. It isn't really significant what other people think about it, as it won't change my mind about getting it, but I like to know what people think.
So. Down to business. I think Marissa left off with us going to sleep for our first night in Port Macquarie...And the sun came up. Since I've arrived in Australia my sleep schedule has changed dramatically. I now go to bed around 9 or 10 o'clock every night and get out of bed between 8 and 9 in the morning. I actually wake up around 6, and continue doing so about every half hour, but don't get up and going until I have to. This morning started like any other, but turned out to be one of my favorite thus far. We woke up around our usual time and grabbed a quick free breakfast before heading down to the beach, escorted by a really nice, friendly older gentleman. He drove us there in his tiny, fuel-efficient car all the while telling us about his life and giving us advice on how to live ours to the fullest. He was very sincere in telling me that the one thing I should take away from his ranting was that I should go to school and get an education if I want to go anywhere in life. Duly noted. Once we got to the beach we were instantly gratified with the sight of five dromedary (one hump) camels kneeling in the sand. After short introductions with the handlers and the quick installation of the proper safety gear (a helmet) on our persons, we were fully prepared to mount our Arabian steeds. They were saddled similarly to a horse, for the exception of the two-seated saddle which had metal bars to hold on to for balance, as opposed to the horn on a regular saddle. Now if you remember, these camels were all kneeling down in the sand while we got on them. I didn't really think about the getting up process. As soon as the trainer said the magic word, my new companion shot up from this position and I nearly fell off because I wasn't expecting it. Since camels really have a mind of their own, they were all tethered together to form one long line, I was 4th and Marissa 5th. Before we started walking I had to deal with #5's grill right next to my head for a bit, which wasn't too comfortable. Once we started our short trot up the coast it was pretty surreal. Riding on a camel is unique enough, but to top it off we were also treated to the sights of multiple whales about .5 km away and then a school(?) of dolphins right next to shore. I really had to focus on drowning out the predictable attempts at comedy by the handlers and just soak everything else in. It was absolutely wonderful. The 'ride' only lasted for about 30 minutes, but it was well worth the $1/minute price.
Our earlier chauffeur was primed and ready to go when we got back to the car, but he apparently had better plans for us than just returning us to the hostel. He took us all around, showing us the highlights of this quaint town and giving insight about what we should see and what isn't worth a second glance. This was really helpful, because it helped us orient ourselves for our later excursions, and I will never turn down a free ride around town. I thought that this was going to be everything but he headed back to the coast and took us up to the highest point in Port Macquarie: the lighthouse. For a chauffeur, this veteran was quite the tour guide. We had a much better view of the coast than anywhere else we had seen so far and once again we saw a school of dolphins playing at the base of the cliffs, and another whale making its way down south. This was possibly the best morning to date.
As soon as we actually returned to home base we rented bikes so we could see everything we wanted to see since we would really only have this once full day here. Our first destination: the art gallery. So far in every city, we have been to the art gallery and the library. This particular exhibit was my favourite thus far. They had a contest recently, which was open to anybody, to see who could take the best photograph of an invertebrate. There were walls lined with National Geographic-caliber photos, which were absolutely stunning. I had a hard time pulling myself away to continue ticking away the bullets on our daily to-do list. Next up was kebabs. Traditionally in the states when we hear kebab we think of shish kebabs, but these are entirely different animals. Basically it is your choice of meat, in this case chicken or lamb, wrapped in a tortilla along with sauce, cheese, lettuce, tomato, carrot, and whatever else you want. Put these all together and then grill it for a minute just to warm everything up. Props to Persia for propagating this particularly palatable dish.
After we sufficiently stuffed ourselves, we headed over to the city library. The Newcastle library was a little disappointing, so I wasn't expecting much from this one. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the size of this literary safe-house. I meandered through a few aisles before finding one with something worth reading. I usually end up looking through the religion section and this instance was no different. The religion section was actually merged with psychology so I got distracted by a book called 'Human Interactions' and for some reason a book by Bill Gates was right by that one, so I grabbed that as well. I read each for about 45 minutes. The Bill Gates one was interesting, because it was outlining how any business can be successful if they follow the guidelines in the book; it convinced me. I wish I had chosen Human Interactions earlier because once I started reading it I was completely engrossed. There haven't been too many subjects in school that interested me, but psychology was one of them. I read about shyness, jealousy, and love and I think it helped me understand my feelings and actions a little more comprehensively... well as much as a quick read of a book can help, anyway. Marissa had to rip me away from my new paper toy because it was time for a visit to the Koala Hospital.
I don't know why, but as Marissa explained earlier, every time I read or hear the phrase "Koala Hospital" I giggle a little bit. I think it's just the thought of those cute lil guys with cute little casts on their legs. But it's not just that. Imagine a full blown hospital... The interior of the building whitewashed from head to toe. Nurses assisting doctors holding important looking clipboards, even assistants wheeling discharged patients back out to their trees. Rooms fully equipped with the most modern lifesaving equipment available. And this...all for koalas!
The Koala Hospital is nothing like this. It's basically multiple pens of imitation forests for rehabilitating injured koalas. Yes, they had an ICU, but it wasn't in use and in reality they only employed one veterinarian, whom was on call, not actually on the premises. It was nice seeing them at such close proximity, but they really aren't a lively bunch; surprisingly the koala that moved the most was the one with only three legs. She climbed up to the very top of one of the tallest trees. Quite impressive. So overall the hospital was lackluster, but still a nice experience; nearly all of the people who work there are volunteers and just from a quick conversation you could tell how passionate they were about helping the local wildlife. I was nearly convinced that I should volunteer there until I reminded myself that I was leaving the next day. Sad face. We had to return our bikes before sundown because they didn't have lights on them, but after visiting the koalas we had about an hour left of sunlight. We wisely decided to spend the remainder of our time bumming around the beach before heading back for the final time.
And the sun comes up again. We started this day just like any other moving day. We quickly packed all of our things after we had our free breakfast and after we made sure everything was in order, we returned our keys to the front desk and officially checked out. The nice thing about this hostel is that they let us leave our luggage in a back room for a few hours until the ride we had arranged earlier arrived. Most other hostels charge for this service, but luckily these people aren't in the ripping off business. So we had a few hours to burn before we were scheduled to head out, and I decided that we should spend them doing something productive, so we went back to the library. I, of course, found the book I had read the previous day and delved right into another chapter that seemed interesting: Communication. Marissa read poetry. We got to read for about two hours before we had to head back. I'm usually not so intent on learning about one subject, but now that I seemingly am, I'm contemplating pursuing an academic career in psychology? Just a thought, really.
Our ride arrived just as we did, so we grabbed our luggage and were on our way. This was the son of a couple that drove us to church last week and he was more than happy to help us out. All we asked for was a ride to the Pacific Highway so we could continue our hitchhiking trend, but he seemed to have other plans for us. He works in the penal system and, on a daily basis, associates with some of the worst criminals in the country. He figured hitchhiking wasn't the safest option for us and he vied for us taking the train instead. He insisted actually. He took us straight to the station and even bought our tickets for us. Mormons are so nice...seriously though. As luck would have it, a torrential downpour started as soon as we got onto the train and throughout the next two hours we overtook the storm and came out on the other side greeted by the pleasant, unhindered rays of the sun. We called our contact in Coff's Harbour and now here we are.
We are about a 3 minute walk from the beach but the landscape directly beyond their fence line is heavily wooded. Woodland jogs in the morning, surfing in the afternoon? Why not? Well that's where we are and where we will be for the next 5 days or so. If more stuff happens, we'll blog.
Back in the game,
Rob.
PS. As always, I apologize for any typos, fragments, or incomplete thoughts in this post. I was writing this in between finding new music to listen to on Youtube so I was switching back and forth a lot.
My attempts at stifling my slight technology addiction have been somewhat successful, but I wouldn't deem this success a complete one. One night I caved and watched Rugby highlights, along with a variety of other various videos, on Youtube. I have talked on the phone with my family and even started texting a little bit two days ago. One thing I have maintained is my abstinence of Facebook, which I strongly intend to continue. This has been, by far, my biggest challenge, but made much easier with the help of Marissa changing the password on my account. But once again, I have been somewhat successful in my eradication of less-than-productive technology in my life and I have since replaced the constant cacophony of clanging keys and cursor clicks with the persistent, paced turning of paperback pages sided with the soothing act of scrawling in my journal. I'm only a week into this, but I'm already feeling like my time is being spent more wisely.
Before I go on about how our adventure has unfolded, I've been thinking this thought, and I figure it's time to just write it all down. I'm seriously contemplating a tattoo. I know this isn't a big deal to many, but I've never dealt with any kind of body modification of my own so it is to me. I've always had an affinity for tattoos, but I've never really thought of anything that I would like permanently imprinted on my body, as many ideas are just fleeting. This changed a few weeks ago. I was just writing in my journal, as usual, one night, and this idea popped into my head and has just stuck. So here it is: I want a tree covering pretty much my whole right side from the hip up to my armpit. I want a vast network of branches and roots sprawling across my chest/back and hip, respectively. No other flora or fauna will be present. I want the branches to have leaves, but not all; somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 would be ideal. The roots will spread out over my hip, so the only people that see them are those I want to, not just anybody at the beach. These roots will all be interconnected, but there will be 4 main roots than stand out from the others. Each of these will have a single word inked into them. The four words are: Family, Friendship, Knowledge, Love. I'm sure it will take quite a bit of research to find an artist who would be able to give me the level of detail that I'm looking for, but I'm sure there are people out there with more than enough talent. I have found a few pictures that show the basic idea of what I'm looking for, but I'll save those for another time. I feel like pictures always dominate blogs. There are a few apparent meanings implied with this tattoo design, but there are more significant meanings that aren't so obvious. I'll let you figure them out for yourself =). Please tell me what you think of the concept. I've told a few people already and the feedback has been resoundingly positive, but I could always go for more. It isn't really significant what other people think about it, as it won't change my mind about getting it, but I like to know what people think.
So. Down to business. I think Marissa left off with us going to sleep for our first night in Port Macquarie...And the sun came up. Since I've arrived in Australia my sleep schedule has changed dramatically. I now go to bed around 9 or 10 o'clock every night and get out of bed between 8 and 9 in the morning. I actually wake up around 6, and continue doing so about every half hour, but don't get up and going until I have to. This morning started like any other, but turned out to be one of my favorite thus far. We woke up around our usual time and grabbed a quick free breakfast before heading down to the beach, escorted by a really nice, friendly older gentleman. He drove us there in his tiny, fuel-efficient car all the while telling us about his life and giving us advice on how to live ours to the fullest. He was very sincere in telling me that the one thing I should take away from his ranting was that I should go to school and get an education if I want to go anywhere in life. Duly noted. Once we got to the beach we were instantly gratified with the sight of five dromedary (one hump) camels kneeling in the sand. After short introductions with the handlers and the quick installation of the proper safety gear (a helmet) on our persons, we were fully prepared to mount our Arabian steeds. They were saddled similarly to a horse, for the exception of the two-seated saddle which had metal bars to hold on to for balance, as opposed to the horn on a regular saddle. Now if you remember, these camels were all kneeling down in the sand while we got on them. I didn't really think about the getting up process. As soon as the trainer said the magic word, my new companion shot up from this position and I nearly fell off because I wasn't expecting it. Since camels really have a mind of their own, they were all tethered together to form one long line, I was 4th and Marissa 5th. Before we started walking I had to deal with #5's grill right next to my head for a bit, which wasn't too comfortable. Once we started our short trot up the coast it was pretty surreal. Riding on a camel is unique enough, but to top it off we were also treated to the sights of multiple whales about .5 km away and then a school(?) of dolphins right next to shore. I really had to focus on drowning out the predictable attempts at comedy by the handlers and just soak everything else in. It was absolutely wonderful. The 'ride' only lasted for about 30 minutes, but it was well worth the $1/minute price.
Our earlier chauffeur was primed and ready to go when we got back to the car, but he apparently had better plans for us than just returning us to the hostel. He took us all around, showing us the highlights of this quaint town and giving insight about what we should see and what isn't worth a second glance. This was really helpful, because it helped us orient ourselves for our later excursions, and I will never turn down a free ride around town. I thought that this was going to be everything but he headed back to the coast and took us up to the highest point in Port Macquarie: the lighthouse. For a chauffeur, this veteran was quite the tour guide. We had a much better view of the coast than anywhere else we had seen so far and once again we saw a school of dolphins playing at the base of the cliffs, and another whale making its way down south. This was possibly the best morning to date.
As soon as we actually returned to home base we rented bikes so we could see everything we wanted to see since we would really only have this once full day here. Our first destination: the art gallery. So far in every city, we have been to the art gallery and the library. This particular exhibit was my favourite thus far. They had a contest recently, which was open to anybody, to see who could take the best photograph of an invertebrate. There were walls lined with National Geographic-caliber photos, which were absolutely stunning. I had a hard time pulling myself away to continue ticking away the bullets on our daily to-do list. Next up was kebabs. Traditionally in the states when we hear kebab we think of shish kebabs, but these are entirely different animals. Basically it is your choice of meat, in this case chicken or lamb, wrapped in a tortilla along with sauce, cheese, lettuce, tomato, carrot, and whatever else you want. Put these all together and then grill it for a minute just to warm everything up. Props to Persia for propagating this particularly palatable dish.
After we sufficiently stuffed ourselves, we headed over to the city library. The Newcastle library was a little disappointing, so I wasn't expecting much from this one. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the size of this literary safe-house. I meandered through a few aisles before finding one with something worth reading. I usually end up looking through the religion section and this instance was no different. The religion section was actually merged with psychology so I got distracted by a book called 'Human Interactions' and for some reason a book by Bill Gates was right by that one, so I grabbed that as well. I read each for about 45 minutes. The Bill Gates one was interesting, because it was outlining how any business can be successful if they follow the guidelines in the book; it convinced me. I wish I had chosen Human Interactions earlier because once I started reading it I was completely engrossed. There haven't been too many subjects in school that interested me, but psychology was one of them. I read about shyness, jealousy, and love and I think it helped me understand my feelings and actions a little more comprehensively... well as much as a quick read of a book can help, anyway. Marissa had to rip me away from my new paper toy because it was time for a visit to the Koala Hospital.
I don't know why, but as Marissa explained earlier, every time I read or hear the phrase "Koala Hospital" I giggle a little bit. I think it's just the thought of those cute lil guys with cute little casts on their legs. But it's not just that. Imagine a full blown hospital... The interior of the building whitewashed from head to toe. Nurses assisting doctors holding important looking clipboards, even assistants wheeling discharged patients back out to their trees. Rooms fully equipped with the most modern lifesaving equipment available. And this...all for koalas!
The Koala Hospital is nothing like this. It's basically multiple pens of imitation forests for rehabilitating injured koalas. Yes, they had an ICU, but it wasn't in use and in reality they only employed one veterinarian, whom was on call, not actually on the premises. It was nice seeing them at such close proximity, but they really aren't a lively bunch; surprisingly the koala that moved the most was the one with only three legs. She climbed up to the very top of one of the tallest trees. Quite impressive. So overall the hospital was lackluster, but still a nice experience; nearly all of the people who work there are volunteers and just from a quick conversation you could tell how passionate they were about helping the local wildlife. I was nearly convinced that I should volunteer there until I reminded myself that I was leaving the next day. Sad face. We had to return our bikes before sundown because they didn't have lights on them, but after visiting the koalas we had about an hour left of sunlight. We wisely decided to spend the remainder of our time bumming around the beach before heading back for the final time.
And the sun comes up again. We started this day just like any other moving day. We quickly packed all of our things after we had our free breakfast and after we made sure everything was in order, we returned our keys to the front desk and officially checked out. The nice thing about this hostel is that they let us leave our luggage in a back room for a few hours until the ride we had arranged earlier arrived. Most other hostels charge for this service, but luckily these people aren't in the ripping off business. So we had a few hours to burn before we were scheduled to head out, and I decided that we should spend them doing something productive, so we went back to the library. I, of course, found the book I had read the previous day and delved right into another chapter that seemed interesting: Communication. Marissa read poetry. We got to read for about two hours before we had to head back. I'm usually not so intent on learning about one subject, but now that I seemingly am, I'm contemplating pursuing an academic career in psychology? Just a thought, really.
Our ride arrived just as we did, so we grabbed our luggage and were on our way. This was the son of a couple that drove us to church last week and he was more than happy to help us out. All we asked for was a ride to the Pacific Highway so we could continue our hitchhiking trend, but he seemed to have other plans for us. He works in the penal system and, on a daily basis, associates with some of the worst criminals in the country. He figured hitchhiking wasn't the safest option for us and he vied for us taking the train instead. He insisted actually. He took us straight to the station and even bought our tickets for us. Mormons are so nice...seriously though. As luck would have it, a torrential downpour started as soon as we got onto the train and throughout the next two hours we overtook the storm and came out on the other side greeted by the pleasant, unhindered rays of the sun. We called our contact in Coff's Harbour and now here we are.
We are about a 3 minute walk from the beach but the landscape directly beyond their fence line is heavily wooded. Woodland jogs in the morning, surfing in the afternoon? Why not? Well that's where we are and where we will be for the next 5 days or so. If more stuff happens, we'll blog.
Back in the game,
Rob.
PS. As always, I apologize for any typos, fragments, or incomplete thoughts in this post. I was writing this in between finding new music to listen to on Youtube so I was switching back and forth a lot.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Just a boy on a cott.
So I'm not sure what originally started this habit, but I've been starting most of my journal entries with song lyrics. I try to choose lyrics that pertain to what I'm going to write about. I figure it just starts everything out on the right note.
"Which way will you run when it's always all around you? And the feeling lost and found you again...the feeling that we have no control." - Jack Johnson
I feel like I have no control. This may come as bad news to some, but will have little to no effect on most, as I've been severely shirking my blogging responsibilities and have pretty much handed the reigns completely over to Marissa. The bad news is that I'm going to continue flying under the radar, but in an even more dramatic fashion. I have this constant urge to find out how everyone is doing back home and I, for some reason, need to be right in the middle of it. This is exactly what I didn't want when I travelled countless miles away from everything I know and love. This may seem like a horribly convoluted way of thinking, but I need to distance myself from 'home' and everything else that's implied with that idea. I am at a point in my life where I need to stop dwelling on the whereabouts and happenings of those across the globe and focus on myself and what I can make of this opportunity. I, as many of us have, have been hopelessly tethered to technology for as long as I can remember and it's finally time to break up with this life-long partner. I need to spend more time enjoying the gratifying feelings of appreciating the beautiful canvas Mother Nature has painted, engaging my brain in a deep conversation with a new friend, or simply reading a new book and letting my imagination stretch his legs.
I need to think about what I really intend to accomplish on this trip and beyond, and certain things are hindering this. I am not going to get on Facebook for at least a month, but hopefully longer; I'm having Marissa change my password for me after I finish today. I don't want to set a schedule for the blog, but it will be at least a week. I will check my email only when I get on here to post. It could be one week, two, or even a month. I'm also giving up skyping for an undetermined amount of time. This is actually one of my favorite things to do, but it always leads to time wasted on other things. I'm also indefinitely quitting texting those not in Australia. My only communication with those back home with be through these intermittent blog postings, along with email replies and the occasional phone call on a rainy day. I know you want to know what is going on, so this is a selfish change of heart, but I'm sure Marissa will continue posting on here and on Facebook. Sorry, avid readers.
Send me an email. I'll be happy to hear from you every once in awhile.
weeks.robert.j@gmail.com
-R.
"Which way will you run when it's always all around you? And the feeling lost and found you again...the feeling that we have no control." - Jack Johnson
I feel like I have no control. This may come as bad news to some, but will have little to no effect on most, as I've been severely shirking my blogging responsibilities and have pretty much handed the reigns completely over to Marissa. The bad news is that I'm going to continue flying under the radar, but in an even more dramatic fashion. I have this constant urge to find out how everyone is doing back home and I, for some reason, need to be right in the middle of it. This is exactly what I didn't want when I travelled countless miles away from everything I know and love. This may seem like a horribly convoluted way of thinking, but I need to distance myself from 'home' and everything else that's implied with that idea. I am at a point in my life where I need to stop dwelling on the whereabouts and happenings of those across the globe and focus on myself and what I can make of this opportunity. I, as many of us have, have been hopelessly tethered to technology for as long as I can remember and it's finally time to break up with this life-long partner. I need to spend more time enjoying the gratifying feelings of appreciating the beautiful canvas Mother Nature has painted, engaging my brain in a deep conversation with a new friend, or simply reading a new book and letting my imagination stretch his legs.
I need to think about what I really intend to accomplish on this trip and beyond, and certain things are hindering this. I am not going to get on Facebook for at least a month, but hopefully longer; I'm having Marissa change my password for me after I finish today. I don't want to set a schedule for the blog, but it will be at least a week. I will check my email only when I get on here to post. It could be one week, two, or even a month. I'm also giving up skyping for an undetermined amount of time. This is actually one of my favorite things to do, but it always leads to time wasted on other things. I'm also indefinitely quitting texting those not in Australia. My only communication with those back home with be through these intermittent blog postings, along with email replies and the occasional phone call on a rainy day. I know you want to know what is going on, so this is a selfish change of heart, but I'm sure Marissa will continue posting on here and on Facebook. Sorry, avid readers.
Send me an email. I'll be happy to hear from you every once in awhile.
weeks.robert.j@gmail.com
-R.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
The Wonderful Weeks's of Oz
We've been in Sydney for over a week now. We've met wonderful people, swam in the Pacific ocean, and learned to throw a boomerang. We became friends with two girls from Alaska, a boy from Canada, and a Kiwi (New Zealander) who worked at our hostel.
I don't really like the city. And Sydney is just like all the other big cities I've been to. It's dirty, and busy. I miss clean air and nice people, and streets that make sense. But it is cool in the fact that it's like a combination on NYC and LA. It's busy like New York, but it's chill like California. It's got beautiful buildings as high as you can see, but you can catch a glimpse of the ocean of you look in the right places. They have a park like Central Park, but it has palm trees. It's very unique, but it's still just a big city. Being here drains me a little bit, and I'm ready to get out and see more of the country. I want to see the outback. I want to cuddle a koala and kick a kangaroo. I want to be somewhere that doesn't smell like cigarettes, and has more to do than go out drinking.
Our first hostel was called Westend. We stayed in the dorm called "The Church." It consisted of 32 beds. So much variety, so many people, and so messy. But it was a lot of fun. There was always someone asleep. There were people like Marissa who slept 9 PM to 7 AM, and people who partied all night, and slept 7 AM to 9 PM. It sounds like an awful set up, but it was actually pretty fun. There was always something going on, either in our room, or down in the common room/kitchen. I was surprised at how many people actually make full out meals here. I've been impressed at the ingenuity of some of the backpackers we've met so far.
After a week, we moved across town to King's Cross. It's the Red Light district of Sydney, yet it's cleaner than the last part of town we stayed in. Apparently at night it's pretty sketch, but let's be serious. How often am I up late enough to deal with that? I've already been told that I act like a mother/grandmother countless times. My reputation will never be the same now that I'm known as an old lady in two hemispheres.
Our new room has 8 beds in it, full of french guys, and a smelly Bangledeshi. We have a bathroom and a fridge in our room though, which is nice. But surprisingly, I miss sharing space with that many people. It was so lively.
I've been getting as involved in church as I can here. I went to the YSA branch on Sunday, and it was wonderful. I went to FHE on Monday as well, and I was the only Caucasian there besides the missionaries. It was all Asians. It was a good experience, though. I went to meet with the sister missionaries on Tuesday to help teach, but their appointment fell through. But they helped me find out how to get to the temple. I went up there on Wednesday for Institute, which is taught in the church office building next to the temple. It took me 2 hours, 2 trains, and a bus to get there. I really enjoyed it. A group of 4 polynesian boys wanted to be friends, and refused to let me go home the same way I came, so they drove me back into the city. They were a lot of fun. I'll be going out again tomorrow to do baptisms. It's a lovely temple.
We're leaving Sydney next Wednesday, heading north to Newcastle. Hopefully, we'll get our first chance to surf, and maybe even an opportunity to work.
I'm having a good time, but I miss Logan. I know how lovely it is there right now, and I miss the mountains.
Signing out,
The Resident Grandmother (Marissa)
And here I come to fill you all in with a few of the details. This city is similar to all other large, tourist cities, yet it's still unique in its own way. It is a pleasant combination of skyscrapers and scenery. You can go shopping within the city to buy a $560,000 Bentley or walk a few minutes to the Royal Botanical Gardens and feed peanuts to cockatoos (We have pictures, but they are on a friend's camera. I will upload them as soon as they do.) There is a huge variety of trees and wildlife in downtown Sydney and I can't wait to get out to the country to see what this continent really has to offer in the form of nature.
So as Marissa mentioned earlier: people like to party. It is exactly what I was expecting, and nobody disappointed. I refrained from going out this whole week except for our very first night here. There is a bus that tours around the city hitting five different pubs, with a free drink at each. The Oz Party Bus. Imagine a dance floor with 2 meter high ceilings, rails bolted the length of that ceiling, gratuitous amounts of lighting, arrhythmia inducing bass, and no capacity limit. Also, no sitting allowed. Now add 60 km/h to the equation and you have the party bus. This is what I boarded after I had been awake since 4 that morning. Lack of sleep and constant over stimulation evened out so I had a pretty decent time without being overwhelmed. The first pub was lame, besides the three flat screens showing rugby replays. Second pub had vibrator races that people bet on. Third pub was just meant for dancing. Dim lighting, social lubricant, and great remixes made for a really fun hour of dancing like an idiot. After three bars, the Alaskans,who I was with all night, and I called it and just walked home. I ended up only having a few drinks, but that's all I've really wanted so far this trip. Pretty good first night in Sydney.
Side note: In the past week here, I have eaten more pasta than I have in the past 8 months. Literally. I was having pasta breakfast lunch and doubled up on dinner. If I decided to buy any food (besides pasta sauce) it was usually rolls and deli meat from the grocery store. It was free at our hostel and since everything else is just so damn expensive, pasta was the meal of choice...every meal. I am eating the highest carb diet possible. I guess I'm making up for these past few months, eh?
Nothing past the first night has been too epic, but there have been a few great times. I have visited two beaches so far: Bondi Beach twice, and Coogee Beach once. These beaches easily have the nicest sand I've encountered and the scenery to match. The sand was flooded with beautiful, young people without a care in the world. I've picked up a liking for gelatto here, and I've gotta say I'm hooked. I've never had the chance to try it back home, and I'm seriously disappointed in Utah for not embracing this Italian treat. Another thing we did was go on a free tour of the city, and it was a great decision. The girl who does the tours is extremely knowledgeable about everything Australia related, and she gave us some really great ideas of what to look at while we were staying here. Other places worth mentioning are
Paddy's Markets: Flea market run by Asians...everything for cheap. In such an expensive city, this was a life saver.
The fish market: some of the most delicious looking seafood dishes to date. Seriously, lobster tails with cheese melted on top?! Get real. I haven't gotten one yet but I will.
The parks: There are so many parks in this city and each one is a joy to just stroll through. They are all unique in their own right, with different trees, water features, and wildlife. There are different birds all over the place. I always feel like I'm walking through an aviary.
Those are a few of the places she mentioned that we went to, and we plan on checking out a few more within these next few days.
Something great that I was planning on doing here actually came to fruition yesterday afternoon: I wanted to take boomerang throwing lessons. We were walking down the street and passed a boomerang shop the day before and there was a note facing the street that said free lessons. We checked it out and sure enough we booked the lesson for the next day. The park we went to was only 10 minute walk from out new hostel and it was right off the harbor so it was one of my favorite parks so far. Our instructor was only a few minutes late, but for free lessons I'm definitely not complaining. She had 2 different types of boomerangs, but different sizes so some were meant to fly farther than others. We started with the shortest distance boomerang and worked our way up from there. By the end of our hour-long lesson we were throwing the longest distance ones 50-60 meters around the park. Catching them was a feat, as I only caught one, but with some practice I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult.
That is all I can really think of off the top of my head right now and I'm tired of typing on this stupid keyboard with the awesome space bar. Free internet at the library FTW. Sorry it has taken us so long to post anything, we will try to be better from now on...but no promises. Oh, and pictures soon! Hopefully. Please comment with any questions because I'm sure we've left some things out.
The mysterious foreigner,
Robert.
I don't really like the city. And Sydney is just like all the other big cities I've been to. It's dirty, and busy. I miss clean air and nice people, and streets that make sense. But it is cool in the fact that it's like a combination on NYC and LA. It's busy like New York, but it's chill like California. It's got beautiful buildings as high as you can see, but you can catch a glimpse of the ocean of you look in the right places. They have a park like Central Park, but it has palm trees. It's very unique, but it's still just a big city. Being here drains me a little bit, and I'm ready to get out and see more of the country. I want to see the outback. I want to cuddle a koala and kick a kangaroo. I want to be somewhere that doesn't smell like cigarettes, and has more to do than go out drinking.
Our first hostel was called Westend. We stayed in the dorm called "The Church." It consisted of 32 beds. So much variety, so many people, and so messy. But it was a lot of fun. There was always someone asleep. There were people like Marissa who slept 9 PM to 7 AM, and people who partied all night, and slept 7 AM to 9 PM. It sounds like an awful set up, but it was actually pretty fun. There was always something going on, either in our room, or down in the common room/kitchen. I was surprised at how many people actually make full out meals here. I've been impressed at the ingenuity of some of the backpackers we've met so far.
After a week, we moved across town to King's Cross. It's the Red Light district of Sydney, yet it's cleaner than the last part of town we stayed in. Apparently at night it's pretty sketch, but let's be serious. How often am I up late enough to deal with that? I've already been told that I act like a mother/grandmother countless times. My reputation will never be the same now that I'm known as an old lady in two hemispheres.
Our new room has 8 beds in it, full of french guys, and a smelly Bangledeshi. We have a bathroom and a fridge in our room though, which is nice. But surprisingly, I miss sharing space with that many people. It was so lively.
I've been getting as involved in church as I can here. I went to the YSA branch on Sunday, and it was wonderful. I went to FHE on Monday as well, and I was the only Caucasian there besides the missionaries. It was all Asians. It was a good experience, though. I went to meet with the sister missionaries on Tuesday to help teach, but their appointment fell through. But they helped me find out how to get to the temple. I went up there on Wednesday for Institute, which is taught in the church office building next to the temple. It took me 2 hours, 2 trains, and a bus to get there. I really enjoyed it. A group of 4 polynesian boys wanted to be friends, and refused to let me go home the same way I came, so they drove me back into the city. They were a lot of fun. I'll be going out again tomorrow to do baptisms. It's a lovely temple.
We're leaving Sydney next Wednesday, heading north to Newcastle. Hopefully, we'll get our first chance to surf, and maybe even an opportunity to work.
I'm having a good time, but I miss Logan. I know how lovely it is there right now, and I miss the mountains.
Signing out,
The Resident Grandmother (Marissa)
And here I come to fill you all in with a few of the details. This city is similar to all other large, tourist cities, yet it's still unique in its own way. It is a pleasant combination of skyscrapers and scenery. You can go shopping within the city to buy a $560,000 Bentley or walk a few minutes to the Royal Botanical Gardens and feed peanuts to cockatoos (We have pictures, but they are on a friend's camera. I will upload them as soon as they do.) There is a huge variety of trees and wildlife in downtown Sydney and I can't wait to get out to the country to see what this continent really has to offer in the form of nature.
So as Marissa mentioned earlier: people like to party. It is exactly what I was expecting, and nobody disappointed. I refrained from going out this whole week except for our very first night here. There is a bus that tours around the city hitting five different pubs, with a free drink at each. The Oz Party Bus. Imagine a dance floor with 2 meter high ceilings, rails bolted the length of that ceiling, gratuitous amounts of lighting, arrhythmia inducing bass, and no capacity limit. Also, no sitting allowed. Now add 60 km/h to the equation and you have the party bus. This is what I boarded after I had been awake since 4 that morning. Lack of sleep and constant over stimulation evened out so I had a pretty decent time without being overwhelmed. The first pub was lame, besides the three flat screens showing rugby replays. Second pub had vibrator races that people bet on. Third pub was just meant for dancing. Dim lighting, social lubricant, and great remixes made for a really fun hour of dancing like an idiot. After three bars, the Alaskans,who I was with all night, and I called it and just walked home. I ended up only having a few drinks, but that's all I've really wanted so far this trip. Pretty good first night in Sydney.
Side note: In the past week here, I have eaten more pasta than I have in the past 8 months. Literally. I was having pasta breakfast lunch and doubled up on dinner. If I decided to buy any food (besides pasta sauce) it was usually rolls and deli meat from the grocery store. It was free at our hostel and since everything else is just so damn expensive, pasta was the meal of choice...every meal. I am eating the highest carb diet possible. I guess I'm making up for these past few months, eh?
Nothing past the first night has been too epic, but there have been a few great times. I have visited two beaches so far: Bondi Beach twice, and Coogee Beach once. These beaches easily have the nicest sand I've encountered and the scenery to match. The sand was flooded with beautiful, young people without a care in the world. I've picked up a liking for gelatto here, and I've gotta say I'm hooked. I've never had the chance to try it back home, and I'm seriously disappointed in Utah for not embracing this Italian treat. Another thing we did was go on a free tour of the city, and it was a great decision. The girl who does the tours is extremely knowledgeable about everything Australia related, and she gave us some really great ideas of what to look at while we were staying here. Other places worth mentioning are
Paddy's Markets: Flea market run by Asians...everything for cheap. In such an expensive city, this was a life saver.
The fish market: some of the most delicious looking seafood dishes to date. Seriously, lobster tails with cheese melted on top?! Get real. I haven't gotten one yet but I will.
The parks: There are so many parks in this city and each one is a joy to just stroll through. They are all unique in their own right, with different trees, water features, and wildlife. There are different birds all over the place. I always feel like I'm walking through an aviary.
Those are a few of the places she mentioned that we went to, and we plan on checking out a few more within these next few days.
Something great that I was planning on doing here actually came to fruition yesterday afternoon: I wanted to take boomerang throwing lessons. We were walking down the street and passed a boomerang shop the day before and there was a note facing the street that said free lessons. We checked it out and sure enough we booked the lesson for the next day. The park we went to was only 10 minute walk from out new hostel and it was right off the harbor so it was one of my favorite parks so far. Our instructor was only a few minutes late, but for free lessons I'm definitely not complaining. She had 2 different types of boomerangs, but different sizes so some were meant to fly farther than others. We started with the shortest distance boomerang and worked our way up from there. By the end of our hour-long lesson we were throwing the longest distance ones 50-60 meters around the park. Catching them was a feat, as I only caught one, but with some practice I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult.
That is all I can really think of off the top of my head right now and I'm tired of typing on this stupid keyboard with the awesome space bar. Free internet at the library FTW. Sorry it has taken us so long to post anything, we will try to be better from now on...but no promises. Oh, and pictures soon! Hopefully. Please comment with any questions because I'm sure we've left some things out.
The mysterious foreigner,
Robert.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
One minute to midnight.
So here we are, on the brink of our adventure. Months of anticipation, waiting, working, wondering, and the day is nearly here. The dream is finally reality. This next day will be full of last goodbyes, careful packing, and an ever-constant imagining of what is in store for us. This journey into the semi-unknown is going to be exciting and we hope to keep all of you as up-to-date as we possibly can with our distant shenanigans. I'm going to cut this off here since this is more of a preemptive strike on this blog, just to get in the habit of blogging, than anything else. Please stay posted, avid readers, for much more is in store within these next few weeks.
Love,
The Twins
Love,
The Twins
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