To kick off the beginning of spring break, my fellow residents and I decided to take a weekend trip to the Blue Mountains in Katoomba. Since it's only a 2 1/2 hour train ride away, it's the perfect place to escape to if you're in a time crunch (which we were since Sarah and I were headed to Melbourne afterwards). And yet it has all of the spectacular scenery that you'd find further out in the bush.
If a picture is worth a thousand words than a video has to be worth at least two thousand. So instead of attempting to describe to you my entire weekend trip to the Blue Mountains, I've put together a video of our little excursion.
I do want to quickly mention that the area we hiked around is called Echo Point and that it's home to the Three Sisters, a massive rock formation that holds particular significance for the aboriginal peoples that live in the area. (Click here for more info and the aboriginal story of the Three Sisters.) At the point in the film when we are underneath the overhang, we are actually underneath the rock formation!
Anywho, I hope you enjoy my first excursion into the "bush" as much as I did. (And, as always, don't forget to comment!)
Oh, and here's a link to the photos I took: Blue Mountains.
Monday, September 27, 2010
A royally good time
Like most big cities, Sydney, too, has its very own Chinatown. Situated next to Darling Harbour, the area is full of markets, shops, and restaurants where you can buy everything from dumplings to knock-off Dolce and Gabana. It is also home to the Chinese Garden of Friendship. The Garden was designed and built by Chinese landscape architects and gardeners to celebrate Australia's 1988 Bicentenary and is a symbol of the friendship between Sydney and it's sister city Guangzhou in Guangdong Province, China.
Back when I first arrived in Australia, Michelle mentioned that for $10 visitors to the Chinese Garden could dress up in traditional Imperial costumes and take their own pictures all around the garden. It took us nearly two months, but three days ago we finally managed to find a time when we were all available and headed into the city to have a go at being Chinese royalty.
The garden itself is gorgeous. Full of pavilions, waterfalls, and Chinese flora, it's a remarkably serene spot located smack in the middle of the harbour--above its walls, you can see the apartment buildings and highrises towering over it. But within it, its like traveling to a little corner of China. The entire garden is governed by the Taoist principles of 'Yin-Yang' and the five opposite elements--earth, fire, water, metal and wood. So everything in the garden has been hand-picked and placed to "capture" those five elements. The lakes and ponds in the garden are also home to brightly colored koi. Speckled black, orange, and white, they look like little islands of floating marble (and can apparently leap out of the water and scare poor, unsuspecting tourists).
Once we reached the costume hire shop, we were quickly transformed into the royal family. Myself and Kathyrn became Imperial princesses; Sarah, the emperor; and Michelle, the empress. And then we were off, strolling around the gardens, trying our best to look regal, and garnering strange looks from other visitors along the way. We were actually stopped twice by other tourists who asked to have their pictures taken with us.
I've created an album with our costume pictures and scenic shots of the garden so be sure to check it out: Chinese Garden.
And take a peek at this video to see what it was like to be royalty for the day.
Enjoy!
Back when I first arrived in Australia, Michelle mentioned that for $10 visitors to the Chinese Garden could dress up in traditional Imperial costumes and take their own pictures all around the garden. It took us nearly two months, but three days ago we finally managed to find a time when we were all available and headed into the city to have a go at being Chinese royalty.
The garden itself is gorgeous. Full of pavilions, waterfalls, and Chinese flora, it's a remarkably serene spot located smack in the middle of the harbour--above its walls, you can see the apartment buildings and highrises towering over it. But within it, its like traveling to a little corner of China. The entire garden is governed by the Taoist principles of 'Yin-Yang' and the five opposite elements--earth, fire, water, metal and wood. So everything in the garden has been hand-picked and placed to "capture" those five elements. The lakes and ponds in the garden are also home to brightly colored koi. Speckled black, orange, and white, they look like little islands of floating marble (and can apparently leap out of the water and scare poor, unsuspecting tourists).
Once we reached the costume hire shop, we were quickly transformed into the royal family. Myself and Kathyrn became Imperial princesses; Sarah, the emperor; and Michelle, the empress. And then we were off, strolling around the gardens, trying our best to look regal, and garnering strange looks from other visitors along the way. We were actually stopped twice by other tourists who asked to have their pictures taken with us.
I've created an album with our costume pictures and scenic shots of the garden so be sure to check it out: Chinese Garden.
And take a peek at this video to see what it was like to be royalty for the day.
Enjoy!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
The life of a resident
I'm on a bit of a video kick so here's yet another one for your viewing pleasure. If you were curious as to just what I do at McCredie, here's a brief glimpse of where we work and how we entertain ourselves when we're off-duty. There's never more than three residents on duty at a time, but Sarah was visiting from Vindin House (that's where the year 7 girls live) so the office was quite full. We do actually work though.......sometimes. Enjoy!
One hump or two?
I can now add camel riding to my list of odd life experiences. A few days ago, Macquarie University had its annual Open Day where prospective students and their families can visit campus. Though geared towards high school students, Stephanie (another uni student from America) and I could not resist the lure of free stuff and, of course, camel rides!! (We have no shame.) We ended up with heaps of free goodies: thongs (flip flops), cotton candy, slushies, two free bags, and signs with our names written on them in Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Egyptian hieroglyphs. The highlight of the day, however, was the camel ride. After waiting about an hour in line, we had an epic three minute ride on Ruby. I must say camels' backs are pretty narrow and bony which made for rather uncomfortable riding...but it was certainly worth the wait! Below is a short video clip and a few pics of our highly anticipated camel ride.
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| Please note the protective headgear...still not sure how that would have helped in case of a fall. |
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| Ready for the ride... |
Thursday, September 9, 2010
First Vlog Entry Ever! (and celebrating 2 month mark)
Hi!! I wanted to do something a little different and get a few more videos on my blog so I decided to do a vlog entry instead. Nothing too exciting...just a summary of whats new with me but I hope you enjoy!
Also, I realized that I've been asking everyone to comment but discovered that I had my blog set so only registered users could post responses. I've changed it so now anyone can leave a comment on my posts and DON'T need to register first, so there's no excuses now! :)
Also, I realized that I've been asking everyone to comment but discovered that I had my blog set so only registered users could post responses. I've changed it so now anyone can leave a comment on my posts and DON'T need to register first, so there's no excuses now! :)
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
International Scholarship Reception
Last night, I had the awesome opportunity to spend time with a group of fellow students from all over the world: India, Ghana, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Mexico, Sri Lanka, the Phillipines and China, to name a few. As recipients of the Macquarie University International Scholarship, we were all invited to attend a reception celebrating our achievements and acknowleding our benefactors. Out of the 300+ students that applied for the scholarship, only 34 of us were selected to receive the award.
It was absolutely inspiring to be among scholars from every corner of the world who were not only grateful for the opportunity to continue their studies, but also eager to use their successes to better their communities. One of the student speakers, a graduate student from Mexico, told of how he grew up attending a one-room schoolhouse which often had no door and was many times without blackboards or books. His parents were the teachers and their tireless work inspired him to pursue education as well. And his story was only one of many. In fact, one of the international scholars currently studying at the university is a refugee whose acceptance as a scholarship recipient basically rescued him from life at a refugee camp.
More than anything, the reception made me realize again that education should never be taken for granted. So many times we see school simply as something to be endured when, for so much of the world, it is entirely inaccessible. I think it's important for all of us students to remember what a precious gift we've been given in being educated. I know that as I struggle through yet another reading or attempt to outline yet another essay, I will certainly strive to.
Here is a link to the article (with photo - I'm in the back row on the left!) from The Macquarie Globe about the reception.
It was absolutely inspiring to be among scholars from every corner of the world who were not only grateful for the opportunity to continue their studies, but also eager to use their successes to better their communities. One of the student speakers, a graduate student from Mexico, told of how he grew up attending a one-room schoolhouse which often had no door and was many times without blackboards or books. His parents were the teachers and their tireless work inspired him to pursue education as well. And his story was only one of many. In fact, one of the international scholars currently studying at the university is a refugee whose acceptance as a scholarship recipient basically rescued him from life at a refugee camp.
More than anything, the reception made me realize again that education should never be taken for granted. So many times we see school simply as something to be endured when, for so much of the world, it is entirely inaccessible. I think it's important for all of us students to remember what a precious gift we've been given in being educated. I know that as I struggle through yet another reading or attempt to outline yet another essay, I will certainly strive to.
Here is a link to the article (with photo - I'm in the back row on the left!) from The Macquarie Globe about the reception.
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| Angelia Wibawa (she was also a student speaker) and I with one of the professors from the selection committee (he's one of the reasons we're here!) |
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| With the Executive Director of International Programs |
Thursday, September 2, 2010
More pics!
For those of you who don't have a Facebook account and can't access my pictures, below is a link to the album of recent pics I've taken on our ventures into the city. It includes pics from the cruise, the opera house, the boardwalk at Darling Harbour, and random locations around Sydney. Enjoy!
Pictures around Sydney
Pictures around Sydney
A night at the opera...
As promised, I wanted to take a moment and tell you about the show I went to see at the Sydney Opera House last week. In spite of the title, I did not go to see an opera (thank goodness!...apologies to all you opera lovers). Instead, we went to see an Aboriginal dance troupe, the Bangarra Dance Theatre, Australia’s only national premier indigenous performing arts company.
I actually purchased my ticket for the show in my first week here; Michelle had asked me if I was up for seeing a show at the opera house and I immediately said yes. We could have been going to watch singing pumpkins, I just wanted to see a real, live show at the opera house. It's one thing to spend the day gawking at the outside of the building and an entirely different thing to go inside as an audience member. And, of course, I can never get enough of the theatre.
Michelle and I set out from Abbotsleigh around 6:30pm and arrived at Circular Quay (pronounced "key") a little after 7. Since we had ample time before the show began, Michelle decided it was time to introduce me to Copenhagen ice cream. (And since dinner that evening in the dining hall hadn't been particularly satisfying, we were famished.) Now, for those who know me, I'm not a big fan of ice cream. Gelato, yes. Ice cream, not so much. I'm not sure whether it was because I was so hungry or because I was anticipating the show or just because it was really good ice cream...but it was scrumptious! Granted, it was quite blustery on the boardwalk and my fingers were not as appreciative of the ice cream as I was...
I discovered once we arrived at the opera house that since we were seeing a small-scale show we would be in one of the smaller theatres on the first floor instead of the massive opera hall upstairs. I must admit, I was a bit disappointed. But we did only play $49 for the tickets and tickets for the larger theatre are well over double that amount. (You get what you pay for?)
The performance was split into two acts. The first told the story of the Stolen Generation and the second act was an artistic exploration of different elements in nature. It was beautifully done and well worth our time and money. I'm hoping to go back and see another show at some point in the near future. Who knows, maybe I'll save up and actually go to see an opera...(maybe)
In other news, I finally made it over to Darling Harbour this past Saturday. Up to this point, I had really only been to the area around the opera house. I had visited Darling Harbour briefly before since that's where the cruise departed from, but on Saturday I got to do a little exploring. It has a beautiful boardwalk and an entire walkway of fountains and it's also where the Sydney Convention Centre and the world's largest IMAX are located (that'll definitely be a future trip). And to top everything off, we made it there just in time for a spectacular fireworks display over the water! Apparently there's some sort of month long festival going on and they're shooting off fireworks every weekend.
Which is just another thing I love about Sydney. There's ALWAYS something going on. For example, Michelle and I just registered for an event called Breakfast on the Bridge. Every year, the Harbour Bridge is shut down and covered in grass and 6,000 randomly selected indviduals are invited to come and, well, eat a picnic breakfast on the bridge. The event is part of the Crave Sydney International Food Festival which is a month long celebration of Sydney's "food lifestyle." (Check out the photo gallery at http://www.breakfastonthebridge.com/.) Seeing as how I'm never selected for anything, I'm not getting my hopes up...BUT, if I do, I promise to take plenty of pictures.
Apologies for taking FOREVER to post another entry (and that it's so rushed). If there's anything you'd like to know about life down under that I haven't covered in this entry or any of my older ones, please post your questions and I'd be happy to answer them (or at least give it a go)! There's plenty I don't cover here, so if you're curious about something, don't hesistate to ask. I love to hear from you!
Cheers!
I actually purchased my ticket for the show in my first week here; Michelle had asked me if I was up for seeing a show at the opera house and I immediately said yes. We could have been going to watch singing pumpkins, I just wanted to see a real, live show at the opera house. It's one thing to spend the day gawking at the outside of the building and an entirely different thing to go inside as an audience member. And, of course, I can never get enough of the theatre.
Michelle and I set out from Abbotsleigh around 6:30pm and arrived at Circular Quay (pronounced "key") a little after 7. Since we had ample time before the show began, Michelle decided it was time to introduce me to Copenhagen ice cream. (And since dinner that evening in the dining hall hadn't been particularly satisfying, we were famished.) Now, for those who know me, I'm not a big fan of ice cream. Gelato, yes. Ice cream, not so much. I'm not sure whether it was because I was so hungry or because I was anticipating the show or just because it was really good ice cream...but it was scrumptious! Granted, it was quite blustery on the boardwalk and my fingers were not as appreciative of the ice cream as I was...
I discovered once we arrived at the opera house that since we were seeing a small-scale show we would be in one of the smaller theatres on the first floor instead of the massive opera hall upstairs. I must admit, I was a bit disappointed. But we did only play $49 for the tickets and tickets for the larger theatre are well over double that amount. (You get what you pay for?)
The performance was split into two acts. The first told the story of the Stolen Generation and the second act was an artistic exploration of different elements in nature. It was beautifully done and well worth our time and money. I'm hoping to go back and see another show at some point in the near future. Who knows, maybe I'll save up and actually go to see an opera...(maybe)
In other news, I finally made it over to Darling Harbour this past Saturday. Up to this point, I had really only been to the area around the opera house. I had visited Darling Harbour briefly before since that's where the cruise departed from, but on Saturday I got to do a little exploring. It has a beautiful boardwalk and an entire walkway of fountains and it's also where the Sydney Convention Centre and the world's largest IMAX are located (that'll definitely be a future trip). And to top everything off, we made it there just in time for a spectacular fireworks display over the water! Apparently there's some sort of month long festival going on and they're shooting off fireworks every weekend.
Which is just another thing I love about Sydney. There's ALWAYS something going on. For example, Michelle and I just registered for an event called Breakfast on the Bridge. Every year, the Harbour Bridge is shut down and covered in grass and 6,000 randomly selected indviduals are invited to come and, well, eat a picnic breakfast on the bridge. The event is part of the Crave Sydney International Food Festival which is a month long celebration of Sydney's "food lifestyle." (Check out the photo gallery at http://www.breakfastonthebridge.com/.) Seeing as how I'm never selected for anything, I'm not getting my hopes up...BUT, if I do, I promise to take plenty of pictures.
Apologies for taking FOREVER to post another entry (and that it's so rushed). If there's anything you'd like to know about life down under that I haven't covered in this entry or any of my older ones, please post your questions and I'd be happy to answer them (or at least give it a go)! There's plenty I don't cover here, so if you're curious about something, don't hesistate to ask. I love to hear from you!
Cheers!
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