Movie Moments

Well, I just finished paper number two of the semester and felt it was time for another post.

While I have been here I have realized it is a very, very good thing that I normally go to school in a cold climate where being outside requires a scarf, mittens, hat and about 17 layers of clothing. If I were to go to school here all the time, surrounded by palm trees and tempted by the hot sun to trek over to the beach, I would never get any work done. Today is my evidence. After getting out of class two hours early because my professor had a seminar to go to, I decided to join Maddie in going to Manly Beach for half the day, even though I plan on going tomorrow and went earlier this week. My train of thought: Paper due tomorrow by 2 pm? Only half of it done? Pssssh no worries I'll just stay in tonight and do it.

Actually, I did do just that so I don't really know what I'm talking about. I'd probably be fine even if I normally went to school but that's besides the point. I would probably just be annoyed more often that professors were forcing me to do work when there was quality vitamin D to be taking in all around me.

Anyway. Paper done, beach tomorrow, Melbourne Sunday. Sounds good to me.

I went to Manly for the first time on Tuesday after hearing nothing but good things about this place. Shannon, Brittany and I woke up early, got ready and, as we walked outside, that rain-on-pavement smell hit me like a wave. And, sure enough, the pavement was spotted with darker grey splotches and it had JUST started raining. The sky was some weird rain-sun combination that is so common here. We thought oh crap, we have no plan B. Plan B is to go despite the rain. So that's what we did. And by the time we reached the ferry about a half hour later, the rain was entirely gone. That's Sydney weather for you.

We boarded the ferry and it was beautiful. As Maddie mentioned today, it reminds her of the ferry to Martha's Vineyard which I could absolutely relate to. I haven't been in a while, but it doesn't take much for that feeling to come back to you. We boarded and instantly I knew I wouldn't be able to sit still inside. So I got up with my ipod, told them I'd be outside if they were looking for me and made my way to the front. It's a great feeling being on a boat when the sky is cloudless and warm wind is blowing around. Not to be corny or anything. It was one of those moments where you think, "Quick! Have to put on the most fitting song for the moment. Have to make this moment perfect." Admit it. You've thought that before, deciding that this is a Movie Moment and you have to make it a Movie Moment! We passed the Opera House which never loses its spectacular quality, no matter how many times I pass it. It's simply stunning.

When we got there the area surprised me. It was one of those pictaresque beach towns, with shops and cafes lined up in a straightaway Main Street-type setup leading you straight to a vast stretch of beach surrounded by cliffs with distant beach homes and pine trees all around. We walked through town to get lunch where two outdoor places competed for our service. It was slightly awkward standing there, deciding as they shouted at you, "discount for take-away!" We picked one and ate outside. Afterwards, we laid out for a good three hours or so before we decided it was time to pack up and leave.

On Wednesday, we took a "field trip" for our Aboriginal Australia module class. I say "field trip" because, as educational as it was, it did not feel as though we were on a real field trip. At all. We all met up at Hyde Park to join our teacher, Jennifer, who is half Aboriginal herself and possibly one of the best, most fascinating speakers I have ever been lucky enough to listen to. Her stories are incredible, both of herself and of Aboriginal culture in general. I knew nothing about Aboriginal society when I first arrived in Sydney and I am so grateful I have been lucky enough to be exposed to that aspect of Australian society while I've been here. We walked to the Art Galley of New South Wales from the park and my first thought upon entering was, why on earth have I not come here already? It hit me that I have not gone to any museums since I've been here. None. And you can't go abroad without going to the city's museums! Luckily this trip solved that.

We walked around, looked at many eras and genres, focusing on the Aboriginal exhibit. The art was beautiful. Once I understood that the hundreds of dots that created patterns of circles, lines and direction did not just represent patterns but instead, stories and maps of their country, I realized something significant. Aborigines of the past and today have a remarkable understanding of the land that many have ignored or taken for granted. This knowledge has been passed from generation to generation, and it comes out beautifully through the meticulous artwork of their culture. From a perspective of someone who has only recently begun to understand the extraordinary dimensions of Aboriginal culture, I can only say that I am entirely grateful I was able to go to this gallery and see more than European oil paintings, abstract modern art and photography, as engaging as those exhibits were as well.

After our trip to the art gallery, we walked through the Domain (a breathtaking garden right by the Opera House) to Darling Harbor where we boarded an Aboriginal boat that took us to Clark Island, where we walked around the remote area with an incredible view of Sydney. We walked up uneven stone steps to a raised grassy area where a man decorated with traditional Aboriginal markings talked to us about how to use a Didgeridoo and how to throw a Boomerang (pssh which CLEARLY I'm already a pro at, after my trip to Royal National Park). Unfortunately, during his demonstration he accidentally threw his boomerang into the ocean. I felt bad but he didn't seem incredibly phased. Oh well, small blip I suppose.

That night, Brittany, Sarah, Nicole and I headed back to Newtown for Thai food--finally! Dinner in Newtown! It was on the pricey side but it was fun and the food was good--not to mention how amusing it was to see Sarah and Nicole "releasing the oxygen" from their wine to take mental notes for their Wine Industry class (yes, that is a class here). Still, I have learned a valuable lesson: no matter how open I try to be with trying new food, Pad Thai simply beats any other Thai food, tenfold. Case in point: Spicy Thai Chicken Salad? That's what I ordered, it was good, but it was no Pad Thai.

Which pretty much brings me to today, since yesterday was too boring to post here. Manly Beach this time around was great once again. Maddie and I headed over by ourselves and, even though we left at 2:30 and didn't get there until 3, it was absolutely worth it. We didn't get much time out on the beach because about an hour and a half in, clouds started rolling in. It was actually a spectacular view, with the sun behind us and dark clouds over our heads and ahead of us. We just sat around watching the distant rain and lightning in front of us before we decided to pack up. We didn't want to leave so soon after getting there, though, so we explored the town a little bit before heading out, getting iced coffee and listening to some live music outside.

All in all, a great week. As mentioned before, I'm going to Manly again tomorrow (I still think this name for a beach is hilarious..the shops are all along the lines of "Manly Massages" "Manly Coffee" "Manly Convenience" and my favorite, "ManlyCycles"). Tomorrow night will probably be low key because we leave for Melbourne at 6:30 am on Sunday. I'm not too thrilled about waking up this early, but it will absolutely be worth it.

Before I forget, I didn't mention in a previous post that on the way to Royal National Park the other week, I saw the most fantastic rainbow I have probably ever seen. It was one of those long, bold, picture book type rainbows that you never see in real life. It was just one of those moments that made me really appreciate where I am right now...a Movie Moment!

That's about it. Next update, Melbourne!