Viva Manly
Tomorrow the movers come to gather up all the things, box them up and ship them to America. Some by air, some by sea. This is a great convience to me as I don't have to pack or move anything but it leaves one little snag; no furniture for the next three days until I go to America with it. So, hotel living, here I come (again).
My last evening in Manly (Sigh).
I was going to try and get on the beach with my wave board one last time but it's been raining this week and it's not so warm.
I really liked it here. I am going to miss it here. You can bet that every little moment I have that grinds on me about living in NYC, I am going to think back to this little oasis in the Southern hemisphere right next to one of the best cities on the planet. Hopefully, NYC is going to be a positive experience.
Tonight, I will say goodbye to my little village of Manly. Tomorrow is a going away party in Sydney where I can say a farewell to the big city.
Monday is the day to say goodbye to Australia all together.
Change is good. Even sometimes when kicking and screaming.
The Simpsons Fanfest
You have to love a country where The Simpson's are running 6 hours a night, everynight for over two weeks!
You'd think you would get tired of them, but no...
So what's your favorite episode?
Sydney to NYC
The last year has seemed like a blur. Everything has gone by a bit fast, sometimes it's hard to appreciate the moments that go by. I have had the opportunity to travel while being here and see as much of this country (and several others) as I can. The time here however, is coming to an end.
In September, the new job and residence will be in New York City in the Manhattan area. And let's face it, as a native Oklahoman, it will be just as foreign to me as living in Sydney.
I will miss my adopted home here, the scenic little area of Manly, the beach down the street, the city night life, the long drives and adventures across the country and most importantly, the people I have met here and now call friends.
It will be sad to leave here, but I'm looking forward to the opportunities and experiences to come. After all, what better time to be in NYC than during the Republican Convention, the third anniversary of 9/11, armed paramilitary guards hover around the Financial District in the only area of the country on heightened alert just in time for a calm and serene typical NYC winter. Yea, who needs a summer surf beach right down the street?
I only hope they don't take the claw marks I leave in the airport personally from me being dragged onto the plane.
A little piece of me will always be an Australian.
We Get Around
Guess who's staying in Manly, Australia, down the street from me right now? Go ahead and guess, I will wait...
Give up? The University of Oklahoma Sooners mens basketball team. Ha. Last year was the Singing Oklahomans and now this.
I think I will wear my Texas Longhorns hat around this week. ;)
Your Life Isn't That Bad.
I have a new hero.
A few weeks ago, on a usual weekend venture for morning breakfast in Manly, I saw a newspaper article about a local family who went through this horrible ordeal.
A car had crashed into a day care center and badly burned these little girls; Molly Wood and Sophie Delezio. Two year old Sophie was burned on over 80% of her body, Her feet and parts of her hands had to be amputated and she has gone through over 15 operations. This happened around Christmas, several times the parents had to make decisions that were critical to ending their daughter’s life. Sophie Didn't have enough skin to graph from so they used a new process to graft in artificial skin.
It was heartbreaking to read. The photo that was on the newspaper of the little girl with her head all in bandages next to her parents was somehow, a happy one. She was beating the odds, she was going to survive, and she was even smiling. She didn't know anything different than to just simply "keep trying, be happy when you can".
Today in the news there was a follow up on Sophie. She is still progressing but her life has a lot of hurdles in front of her. Hard ones that will last a lifetime.
Still, her parents faced the camera's, along with Sophie, and in the aftermath of such a horrible thing to happen, a life changing detriment that would be forever there, these people were showing faces of joy. They were truly grateful to have the hope that they have.
I am in awe of these people. I don't know how I would fare in the same situation. I hope for them all the best.
The Lord of the Rings Symphony
Going again to the Sydney Opera House tonight to see the Lord of the Rings Symphony. The performance is sold out and Howard Shore will be there to conduct. Katie Noonan will be singing "Into the West" originally performed by Annie Lennox in the film.
"...The concert will be accompanied by the stunning imagery of John Howe and Alan Lee, the world’s foremost illustrative interpreters of Tolkien’s work and Conceptual Artists on the films. These beautiful and never-before-seen storyboards and sketches, which were the basis of the design of the films, will be projected onto a giant screen above the orchestra."
Justin and the Angel.
Justin Timberlake was in Manly walking along the beach and acting like a normal tourist. Not that I was all that thrilled to hear about it but I wouldn't have minded seeing Cameron Diaz who is here with him.
Red, Red Wine
So. Out last night, talking, meeting new people, socializing, drinking wine; Shiraz from Pemberton, WA and it was good. I had a few. At least five I think. I ate nothing all day so that didn't really help the situation either.
Once back at the apartment, I was very ill. You know the feeling; room kind of spinning, ceiling keeps rising and lowering. The room was against me. It usually is. Like a stupid college frat boy, I was getting sick in the bathroom.
Wine doesn't look that pretty when you get to review it a second time.
You could have gone without that last line but I love you guys so much, I wanted to share.
So, afterwards, I decide the best thing in the world to do would be to take a warm bath. I crawl in, start the water and immediately pass out.
I wake up again just as the water level is about two seconds away from flowing over the tub edge and about to cover my mouth. I shut off the water and stare at the ceiling for a while until I pass out again.
At about 3:30am, I wake up a human popsicle. The water was freezing and so was I.
In my defense, I was very sober when I chiseled myself out of the tub.
The Thunder Rolls
Thunder, over an ocean sounds a little different than thunder back in Oklahoma. The whole ground can rumble for some time with no sign of lightning and rain still miles away out at sea. A few times I wondered if a mild earthquake was happening. And just when you think you can get used to that, sit on a ferry boat while the loud rumbling is happening with the large tides rocking the boat all over the place. Very weird.
Back to the Future.
Arrived in Sydney again yesterday, I realized it's my sixth time to pass through customs after landing here, my fourth time from the states. It still takes me back when I can mark "Returning Resident" on the form and not just "Visitor".
Hopefully I can adjust to the time soon. Right now it's almost 5am and I have been up for two hours.
So much to do starting this weekend. I's still really nice here during the day but gets a bit cool at night. Was going to go out last night but just felt too tired.
The nice construction crew did welcome me back yesterday at the early morning hour of 7am with the loud noises.
