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.