just a random day

Not much to report here today as I did very little. The reason behind that is still a mystery…but I could possibly attribute it to my “going out” quite often this past week, and drastically altering my sleep schedule as I have no “wake up” or “dinner” time since I left the Lew house (auntie Nancy and uncle Joey). I’ve been in a more or less free-format since last Monday and have surely returned to the “hostel” lifestyle where I am accountable to noone and solely leaning on my own motivation to get out of my room!

I did find my phone charger today which is at least something…after rushing out of the “posh” hotel on Thurs morning, I realized that I neither had my phone charger…nor my bag of underwear—ha ha (yes, margo, please laugh!! She calls me the “bag lady” as I put everything in separate bags even though they are all ultimately in “one” bag. What can I say? I learned it from my grandmother—and that goes without saying that mother also practiced such strange behaviors of hyper-“compartmentalizing”. Is it an Asian thing? Or a Japanese thing? Hard to say! Hard to say…

As my thoughts drift in and out for the past few day over the subject of “what if I decided to live here permanently”, I keep wondering if this poster really speaks “out-dated” words that still hold some truth in the grand scheme of “life-opportunities” in OZ—or I am just looking for a reason to stay:

the following photo: I have absolutely no idea what this picture captures—it is just from one of my many night-time picture-happy moments. It was taken in front of a smoke-shop, so I am assuming that these are some kind of smoking devices?? Whatever they are, they are awfully cute…(and does anyone know “why” we think bears are so damn cute anyway??????)


speaking of bears: here is one of my favorite koala pictures. I was reminded quite a few times while on the great ocean road trip, that KOALAS are not bears. They are marsupials…and thence have nothing to do with the bear genus—whatever that may be called (I have no idea). We think they are so damn cute, but they are quite aggressive with their long-clawed paws. Perhaps it’s their furriness, their big black eyes, their grossly over-sized-heads compared to their bodies, their massive paws, or just the fact that they sleep so damn much (granted at some points in my life, you could have called me a marsupial of some kind)??? I find it so curious why we have this “strange” instinct to want to just go up to them and cuddle them—as that is not possible unless they are somewhat domesticated. Hmmm…maybe it’s just our secret desire to make everything “domesticated”—including ourselves.

the following two pictures have to be my “favorite” photos so far while in Melbourne. the first is of an emu, looking oh-so-emu-like…with its beady eyes and its long neck—ready to peck your eyes out if you get too close. We were told that they mostly try to peck at your jewelry if you get too close. Smart fellas.

And the second photo i’m not sure why it falls into my one of my favorites. I think it’s the fact that there are two super-imposed limestone images but our eyes tend to try and “make” sense of the different intensity in shadows and automatically interprets the image as an outline in motion rather than two figures in super-imposed alignment:

the GREAT ocean ROAD

[NOTE: This day was filled with over a hundred pictures—many of which are so beautiful and worth a few minutes of your day. Please check out my snapfish account (login: fuji@mizar.lod.com, passwd: fishywara—album: theGreatOceanRoad]

I spent a most fabulous day on this Great Ocean Road that runs along the southern coast, headed west out of Melbourne:

This was my first “tour” since my arrival in OZ…and what a stunning, fabulous and enjoyable day it was!! First of all, I wasn’t sure that I was going to make it to the tour on Thurs morning as I slept though my alarms due to a late night attendance of an Interpol concert on top of an early-morning check-out from my hostel (ie: pack my bags and leave my room!!!) and a ±20-minute public-transport back into the city. But luckily as I have been all along this trip, the tour bus was a bit late so I even managed to squeeze in a quick jaunt to a coffee-shop across the street for some breakfast before the bus arrival.

Our driver and guide “Luke” was fantabulous (props to "GO WEST")!! A “stereotyped” Aussie (it's "my" own little joke): laid-back, friendly, worldly with a great sense of humor, he was simply an encyclopedia of dates, facts and incredible details. And, he certainly managed to make the trip not only a visually stimulating but also intellectually nourishing 12 hours. We started out with a bit of aboriginal cultural enlightenment, followed by a breathtaking drive along the coast with stops at beautiful coastal outlooks (world famous Bell’s beach—surfing mecca of OZ), a national forest for koala photo shooting (they are sooooooooo incredibly cute and furry—though I am sure they “hate” us all as us-chitter-chattery tourists all point fingers and cameras, coo, sigh, ho-hum and disturb their languorous hours of peaceful “rest”):

sightings of “roos” against the rolling green hills of the countryside along with the usual Aussie cows and sheep, a walk through a rain forest, and to finish off an already full day, we were privy to the ocean sculptures known as the famous “apostles” (of which there are only 13 now or one just collapsed but there are more than twelve apparently??—I think we are all somewhat mathematically-challenged or are simply spell-bound by their magical powers, displayed so majestically before our mere human-eyes!!)--here are the "twelve apostles":

the apostles (you can see the one that just fell), at sun set:

COMO CENTER--hotspot to my heart's content

without a doubt, chapel street spanning south yarra to pranhan are the "places" to be. i have had a few entertaining evenings here, just "walking" around...enjoying the sights and sounds, trying as much as i can to "record" my thoughts along the way.

the shops along chapel street never miss a beat...the fashionable and the beautiful...i almost think that there is a place for the "eccentrics" as well...

shop, shops and shops...it is actually a very convenient area as most of the streets are covered--so even in the event of rainy days such as today (and yesterday and perhaps tomorrow), there are plenty of places to seek shelter.
and as always, i am entertained by signs that i see here and there along my treks. last night i saw a few that made me stop for a photo shoot.

and here we are with the trendy spots!!! the shopping opportunities never end!!!BBuddha, i hope that you are taking "notes" about Melbourne and its fashionable streets!! you would be hard pressed to be "beat" on these streets!!!

Melbourne proper—day 5

Here I am in a cozy and posh little backpacker’s inn (direct phone: 011-61-3-986-08-236 until about 7pm Wed evening—US/EST). It’s very exciting to finally soak in the city-central “culture” and “scenery”—starting off in South Yarra for three nights (a posh-posh neighborhood south of the river—RIVE SUD of Melbourne, perhaps??—on the other side of the CBD (central business district) or the downtown area of Melbourne. Can’t stop thinking that Buddha/Alli/Arturo as though would all love this area: style, attitude, STYLE, ATTITUDE and MORE STYLE!!!). In some ways, I think I am even spoiling myself as I have a room all to myself (http://www.hotelclarement.com/) with even a TV!!!—we’ll see if I even bother to turn the damn thing on while I am here. Communal toilet and showering areas, but hell, who really needs those things at your fingertips when you are “out and about” all day-long—most days.
I must confess, I have been ultra-blessed for the past 5 days as my friend Rob’s parents (thank you, thank you, thank you, the “LEWS”—you rock!!!!) who live in the city-limits of Melbourne and have been SUPERB hosts—gracing me with my own room, bathroom and super-tasty home-cooked meals every night!! I was starting to enjoy it a bit too much ^_^ heh heh—can’t get too spoiled or how am I to survive the next parts of my 3-month journey????

I’ve taken a few days off from the wide-world-of-internet and the instantly gratifying blog (with some headaches)…as I have simply become obsessed with typing and uploading photos and almost forgotten that “experiencing the new surroundings” was even more important than up-dating everyone else in the world who grazes through my blog (btw: for those of you who don’t know, you “can” comment at the end of each blog—just click on the “comment” link at the end of each entry. It sure has been a nice surprise when people I call on the phone say: I’ve been following you on your blog!!! I guess in many ways I have been thinking that this blog was only a self-gratifying journaling session on a “public domain”; masterbatory writing in one form or another).

à Iffyu’ re’hhly won’ta noh whoh’ ooooZ’ zzzl’yyyk, com’on ovah’n checkeet’ yyoawt yoh’sehf, mate!! HA! (Man, that was hard to write…but yah, the Aussie accent is something to experience first hand!!!! They like to swallow half their words into one-breath—Rob was telling me that they like to make everything into monosyllables and that’s really not far from the truth. Just pretend you got a big piece of kangaroo meat in your mouth while you’re spitting out a few words and a chunk of food!!!!).

So for the past days, I’ve been “cruising” the streets on average 5-7 hours/day, walking an absurd distance of 5-10 miles a stretch. Without a doubt, my feet are tired at the end of each day but honestly, I can say that I am getting to know the streets, sights and scents (this one is hilarious: I was walking today down the street, minding my own business of “licking-the-store-windows”—“lèche-vitrine” as they say in French—in South Yarra as it is filled with shops, cafés and bars. I came across the most familiar smell of fried chicken and the first thing that came to mind was: KFC. And lo-and-behold, I looked up from my languorous stroll and there it was: SIR COLONEL SANDERS, in his familiar red and white costume and “oh-so-friendly” smile!! So dear friends and family, if there is one thing you can never escape even on the tail-end of the other side of the planet: no matter where you goà KFC smells like KFC! Or rather: corporateAMERICA, well…corporateAMERCA, *sigh* and enough said).

After 4 days of heavy use, I can comfortably claim that I know the Melbourne tram/bus transit-system well enough that I can pretty much find my way to or back anywhere (even when I’m on the wrong bus, going in the completely opposite direction)!! Mostly by series of errors or moments of feeling a sense of intense loss and exasperation, I have managed to arrive in one piece, at least, to most of my destinations. Well, it goes without saying that many of such times, I have had to carry the burden of tardiness—especially when I have had a set-time-of-arrival. But as most things go in my life at the moment, there is no “time” or hard-pressed demands for my punctual attendance—if even my attendance at all; if I don’t make it today to so-and-so-museum or market, there is always tomorrow or next week(??). It is a wonderful feeling…and a remarkable sense of freedom that I cherish every minute of my days.

Today, for the first time, I made the connection with my life-style to my dearest and closest heros: Henry, [henry miller] who lived and wrote while he ex-patriated himself to Paris in the 30’s (and wrote a few of his best works—without the internet!??!! Can one even fathom such times?!!???). Of course, I am mostly traveling and not drinking myself into epiphanic moments of tell-telling inspiration (at some bar or café). But certainly, I have a lot of time to live at my own pace and to meet people at every corner of the street; be they mentally-hiccupping-individuals with more time on their hands than one can desire, or like me: the lonely, adventurous, wanderlustful traveler (looking for a friendly face to perhaps share a meal, a drink or a few good stories).

I am anxiously awaiting my first “Melbourne” meal as it is the south-hemisphere’s mecca of culinary-dégustation; every street is overflowing with restaurants from every ethnic variation one could possibly desire!!! The aromatic temptations lurk at every corner and I am always tickled silly from the tip of my nose all the way up my olfactory nerve endings!!
I have still not changed my mind yet about being “in love at first sight” (or at “first smell”, as it may be). I am truly amazed by everything in Melbourne (Richmond neighborhood with all the Vietnamese groceries and restaurants) and look forward to spending more time here, exploring.

Though, my newest and latest of loves (and there are so many!!!) is for the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Center, where I have found a competition-50-meter pool (with 10 lanes!!!), for the handy-dandy price of A$5.70/entry!!! I can enjoy my needs for a cardiovascular fulfillment as well as a hot-tub, a steam-room and a sauna. What a bargain!!! And my-oh-my what a modern facility it is (it puts so many places I have swum at in the last three months, to utter shame!!!)!! My new secret-plan is to get a job in this athletic facility when I come back (in Oct 2005) so that I can take advantage of all of its incredible amenities (for free perhaps??). Why not? Work for play? What better way to live? ^_^

In any case, to return to my regular blog format…here are some top photo picks (pic.pix) for the past few days:


Not sure that this photo needs too much explanation. There are either a whole lot of diabetic folks that travel around OZ and need use of syringes in public places, or there are a whole hellova lot of heroine/needle-users in this country. This is my third encounter with such a disposal system in a bathroom and though at first I wanted to take a picture in the country-link train, I thought I was demented for wanting to document such a thing!! But now, I can’t help myself—this is in the Queen Victoria Mall…a respectable high-end shopping establishment in downtown Melbourne! “Hooray” to the “safe disposal” of potentially hazardous syringe needles—whatever their use!?







Again, my strange fascinations take me into a bathroom…and once again, i am “stricken” by the aesthetic planning of public bathrooms in OZ. There is an aspect of design that is really unbelievably breath-taking in their public places. And, being the germa-phobe that I am, it is so comforting to experience a well-lit, public-space where you feel that you might have few “private” moments.










Melbourne is most definitely in a “growing” phase of construction with a few examples of their sky-scraping buildings in mid-construction. TBA.










The skyline in the city may not be as stunning as many other
cities in the world…however, they seem to be very busy at work at the moment…

The Royal Botanical Gardens in the Kings Domain of South Melbourne were quite a delight (even on a cloudy day)!! Free and spanning more than a few square miles, I enjoyed a few hours of self-taught lessons in botany, arborology (??—speciality in trees???) and herbology. This is a garden that I will have to revisit again very soon—as I was swept off my miniscule-knowledge-of-plants/trees/vegetation-feet—Brian Carlson, if you are reading this: I will post more picture that I took of this place on my snapfish account (snapfish, login: fuji@mizar.lod.com; passwd: fishywara). I am sure that you will enjoy!!!

ROLLin'THRUoz...

A little bit of OZ countryside here: I took a 9-hour train ride yesterday (Wed) from Sydney to Melly (Melbourne). People thought I was crazy to forgo the 2 hour plan ride, but I really wanted to see a bit of the country side. Honestly, with the little “quiet” time I have been allotted in the hostels in the past week, it was really nice to get a chunk of time to read, write, doze and space out into the wild outdoors of SE-OZ.





I’ve been reading a great book that my cousin Mai gave me for my trip over here: Billy Bryson’s In a sunburned country. If you haven’t read anything by this author, he is a definite riot and a must!!!! He had me rolling in laughter through most of my trainride with his hilarious travel-accounts of OZ. I am pretty certain that most people in the train thought I was off my “rocker”…but he has such a delightful skills with words…and an incredible flair for recounting stories!!






My train ride was filled with beautiful countryside sceneries: herds of sheep, cows and horses scampering away as the train sped past its peaceful pastures at a roaring pace. OZ is certainly full of interesting sounding (aboriginal) names too:








Today is my first day in Melbourne! And what a wonderful city it is already--and I’ve only seen a tiny fraction so far, but I am already “in love”. I can tell. (I felt similar feelings when I first started living in Philadelphia).

First of all, the transit system is AMAZING. You can ride the train, the tram, the bus…all on the “same” ticket—that is true “smart” civil planning or infrastructure, if you ask me.
In Sydney, you had to buy separate tickets for the bus and the subway and every time you got off the train, which I thought was ridiculous! Here, for A$5.90, you can get an all-day pass and you can get on as many rides as you wish to! There simply are no limits to where I can go?!! except perhaps time and energy. <massaged an inflammed L1-L2 disc, snapped me in a couple places--I feel great now!>>




I don’t think I have mentioned so far, that in the past two weeks of having left the US continent, I have had nothing but “dreams” of my friends in the US. Never have I dreamt so much about my friends…but it seems as though my psyche is “working out” something—that though distance has always separated me from my closest friends even on the North-American continent, the fact that everyone is “that much” further away seems to make me feel “alone” for the first time since I arrived to America when I was fifteen.

More to explore!! More to smell, feel, eat, drink and absolutely "adore"!!

This "affair" has only just begun.

By the way, i've been informed that my digits that i gave out the other day were incorrect: dial direct 011-61-4-23-656840 (no "0" in front of the "4"...that's only if you're here which none of you that i know of, are ^_^) CHEEEEEAZ!!!

MANLY--yes i was!!!

A view of the whole MANLY beach area from LongReefVistaPoint: i wanted to explain my last blog title with a few photos but blogspot really hasn’t wanted to cooperate with me in the last few days (in any way that I seem to at least) understand. So I lost a few photos that I wanted to post a few days ago and after spending a couple of hours hitting my head against some cyberspace wall, I just gave up and instead, went on some serious Sydney walkabouts.

so anyway, MANLY is a very popular beach spot on the northside of the harbor. You need to take a fabulously cheap ferry ride across the waters (I’ve already been over there twice this week), to reach this string of beach communities. So, whilst over on “that” side, I got to see a whole mess of beautiful ocean-front stretches (with gorgeous houses--needlesstosay).

Upon reflection, I am actually really glad that I came to Sydney during the winter as I can only imagine what a mad-house this area becomes given the Aussies’ reputation of being beach-mongers. At this time of the year, the weather is still unbelievably pleasant (for my standards of course—everyone else is wrapped up like it’s Chicago around here; yes yes, everyone tells me that my blood will slowly thin out over time and that I soon will think that this weather is cold too), so going to the beach only requires multiple layers as the sun goes down, the temperatures also drop quite drastically. But again, I came prepared for “all” climates (thence my 1 ton of luggage that I need to lug down to Melbourne tomorrow) and so, I have very much enjoyed my last few days.

I have covered all the museums of Sydney as part my “indigenous” arts and culture education. I must say that I really do enjoy their work—though I haven’t been able to photograph many of the pieces (almost had my camera confiscated at the Museum of NSW). I will try to upload the photos that I have taken so far though—if blogspot ever gets itself back “online”.

This photo is of an aboriginal painting representing the dream serpent (and some kind of marsupial)--a very symbolic representation of the "dreamworld" for the aboriginal people. I have spent 2 days in the various museums of Sydney to try and get a grasp on this "aboriginal" culture that Aussies seem to be so protective of these days, and very proud now that they have made their "apologies" for their abberant display of disgraceful yet perfectly human barbaric behavior (of course, they are not alone in these practices!!! even in this day and age--I'll leave it at that!)

I wanted to post this "cats prohibited" picture so badly in my last blog as it had me rolling for hours!! (but blogspot would not have it!!!)

First of all, who brings a cat to the park??? and why can't you bring a cat to the park?? or is that as opposed to a dog? who the hell know with the way that Aussies make sense at times with their signage. If only i took pictures of all the odd things i see ^_^




Here's a picture of me against the Sydney skyline on my second ferry ride over to Manly beach. The irony of this day was that i had met an American at the hostel (did I come half way around the world to hang out with US citizens????), ahh...well, i don't discriminate really. I just thought that by day 10, I would have run across a few more Aussies than I have! C'est la vie though (especially in the hostelling world). I'm sure I will trip over a few of them, if i frequented the pubs a little more (mental note: go to pubs!!)
Speaking of "pubs", I am now certified to "serve alcohol responsibly". In OZ, you must be "certified" to work in any alcohol establishment, and given that I might run out of funds some day, I figured it was at least a good piece of paper to have in hand. A one day course to be "learned" in the "just say: no, mate. you've had enough" as you and your "inebriated" client both get fined A$550 to A$5500 (depending on the circumstances of course)!!! So for A$75 ...I now "know" the difference!!--ha ha. I suppose in some ways, it would be a good practice for some of the bartenders in America to learn?!



...and of course as everyone expects to see a million pictures of the famous SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE (i have taken more than 2 dozen pictures of the structure as it is incredibly mesmerizing) --which by the way is not meant to be a representation of sails or seashells as it is commonly mis-understood.
It is meant to show a series of half-spheres and took over a decade and a half to complete. I wanted to take a tour of the insides, but didn't manage to squeeze it into my time in Syndey. Oh well...I'm sure I will be back on my way up the coast in a few weeks.

Are you MANLY?

Going for a new format to see if this makes the blog-reading any easier...

Left, is the city of SYDNEY...pretty nice skyline from a distance. Took the ferry across the harbor to Manly beach with a rented mountain bike.

Had these grandiose plans to bike up to Palm Beach, about 15 miles up from Manly Beach...but little did I know how hilly these coastal areas were going to be, so, I didn't make it too far before realizing that my legs weren't going to make it back if I made it all the way to my original destination! ha ha--gotta get a "relief" map.

Plus, I had an AussieLeague rubgy game to attend ("footy" they call it). And I was totally wrong when I said that I had an AussieRules game to go to in my last email.

I do get "castigated" by the localfolks when I mis-represent their sports...so "my sincerest of apologies". Brad does all he can to school me in the Aussie-assimilation. He had me try a "meatpie" at the game...and after I started to inquire about what was "in it"...I realized that I was better off not knowing at all ^_^

So of course, as all trips across unfamiliar lands go, you come across some pretty strange sightings...and today's blog pix-picks (as I seem only to be able to upload 5 pictures per blog...does anyone know anything about this? and/or how to include more???) are of:

(a) the most ethereal public bathroom I've ever experienced. Upon opening the door, you are blasted by this un-natural blue light reflecting off of all the tiled-walls and floors and flooding your whole bathroom experience with an off-kilter-sense of having entered some form of the "twilight zone".

from sunrise to sunset. . .SYDNEY

Bondi at sunrise:

First lesson to surviving in Australia:

Always look RIGHT and then LEFT before crossing the street (or your time here will be unfortunately quite short)!! It's amazing how difficult it is to get this simple precaution lodged into your brain!! (and how many times i've nearly become mere Canasian-American road-kill).

Famous SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE:

Downtown Sydney at sunset:

And just in case you didn't really believe that i am actually HERE...

So a few comments so far, other than the crossing of streets, i must confess, the sidewalk traffic etiquette is very confusing. neither aussies nor i, understand which way the traffic flows and on which side...but one would think that since vehicular traffic flows in the "opposite" direction, that such would be the case of the pedestrian walk-ways. if only life could always follow such simple logic!!

This evening, I will be attending my first Aussie Rules rugby game...very excited to soak up some Aussie culture!! They are playing the NZ Auklanders--i am assuming it is some heavy rivalry and since AussieRules is the more brandish of forms of rugby, i imagine there will be a lot of bloodshed and guts!! and a whole lot of be'ah!?!

I watched my first cricket game the other night too--goodgawd, who has the "time" to watch such sporting events??!!? 7 hour games if they are one-day matches??!?! and 5-day games otherwise??

Sealionheads spotted all over the water!!

Friday:

if you haven't been able to tell yet: what really amazes me about OZ so far, is how dedicated the surfers are!!! whether it be dawn, lunch or dusk...there are always, heaps and heaps of little black bodies patiently awaiting their "fix"!!! i guess in some ways, i wish i knew how to enjoy their fascination!! perhaps, perhaps, perhaps!!!

i gave up my beach headquarters today though, so i won't be boring you with photos of the "just" the ocean anymore. and well, i do recognize that the surf-culture probably has only a fraction to do with most of Sydney culture. who knows though? i might just end up back there in my sleep! ^_^

oh and btw, i am back on 21 century technology!! this new hostel has "wireless"!! goodgawd, it's a wonderful thing ^_^

Bondi to Coogee--(Pictures Part 2)

These are photos that i took along my cliffedge walk:

The beach is Coogee Beach--two beach communities down from Bondi-- the "petanque" players were all italian, and the last photo is of a lone-swimmer out in the ocean!!! I want to be "one" of them!!! (but i am still scared to venture out in those waters--"you can do it!!! you can do it!!!)

Bondi to Congee (pictures)

Here are photos from my "walk" along the edgecliff...

can't seem to upload my photos in multiple sessions on one-blog...so pictures are still coming!!!!

oh well.

tomorrow, i am off to explore the city-proper (or the city-center as they call it). surely, i will have much more interesting pictures and stories to tell.

i am still in "relaxation" mode!!!

fuj