Viruses, Ventures, and Venting

Friday, noontime, June 11

Slacking off again. Sorry folks, I’ve caught an Australian virus, and all sort of snot is coming out. Plus anyway, I’m on vacation. I’ve decided this is not a serious travel trip, as much as it’s been a vacation from my life that just happens to be in an urban environment rather than a tropical beach. All the better a little culture, and some relaxation is exactly what I was looking for. Next trip, maybe even a back packing one (wink wink hint hint) will be hard work trip, where I actually have to try haha.

So since I’m sneezing and coughing and it’s blustery outside I’ve decided I have no choice but to take easy and write. Anyway, the past couple days have been pretty all over the place for me. Brought back down to depths, to be flung right up to clouds. On I guess Wednesday it must have been (I don’t know I’ve lost track of time and even space down unda) I hopped on the 431 buses alone. Yes my first adventure on another continent unaccompanied by a chaperone. I’m 24, and I can finally say that. The 431 takes you down Glebe Point Road cuts across to George Street and goes back up to the CBD. I got off about 10-20 blocks away from the street I was supposed to get off and basically zigzagged for about an hour until I ended up on the front step of the Museum of Sydney. I had doubts about my sense of direction, and like an ashamed geography I did double-check my map, but I was always going the correct direction! I’ve never spent so much time between skyscrapers, and just like the night Anna and I walked home through the CBD there were people everywhere…going to stop right there Taylor has decided my lap is for cats not computers and fingers are scratchies and not typing and since I was robbed of a kitty recently and don’t see any kitties in my foreseeable future, I cant say no!

And she’s had enough. I am a slave to the feline race I swear. Anyway while I was traipsing through the CBD, I saw from afar someone I knew. A superior from my place of employment, someone I go to questions with everyday at work. Now he was across George and I wasn’t going to risk my life running across the street, but I’m pretty damn sure it was he. I mean our parent company is based in Sydney, in one of the many buildings that I weaved in and out of that day, so it was probably him. Just waiting for confirmation from a coworker. But even so, what are the chances those 7000 miles away you’ll run into someone you know? The world is a small place.
The Museum of Sydney is pretty tiny. I mean it’s not bad, there are things to learn about Sydney but it’s only 3 stories and I’d say less then 10 rooms, with different things. I was most interested in the aboriginal stuff I might find in there, and of course while every other room was dedicated to the first fleet and exhibit on the depression, the building or the Opera House etc., there was only one small cramped room for the aboriginal people their culture, history, and of the what the land called Gadigal was like before Sydney was built on top of it. Very disappointing. There are uncanny similarities between Native American issues and aboriginal one’s here in Australia. And most of those similarities sadly are negative.

After I left the museum I made my way to the bus stop, got off at the bottom of Glebe and marched my way back up to Anna’s house stopping at shops and things on the way. I couldn’t help myself I had to get a bag of Smithies crisps and two Mars bars. But I made it home, and there was Anna waiting like a worried mum. “I feel bad I should have packed you a lunch, were you cold, it was cold today, did you take your coat?”

Yesterday, oh yesterday. I swear this always happens, everyone IMs and emails me within a 20-minute period. This is when my emotional state really deteriorated. Will I go into that here in my Australia posts, no. I suppose I sort of brought it on myself, and I hope my explanation can be understood and respected, but as of now I cannot deal with this till I get back to the States and away from Aussie posting. Needless to say I had a rough morning, and am grumpy about its residual side affects. However there amazing people in my life, and to those people I say thank you. You lifted me back up to the clouds, you know who you are :)

After that, we decided SPA DAY. Having decided not to go to Hunter Valley we decided to spend a chunk of change at Natures Energy. I’ve never been to a day spa before, seemed like exactly what I needed. We spent 30 nude minutes in the Luke warm spa (they call hot tubs, spas here, and apparently like them luke warm) then bundled up in robes and upstairs we went for 60-minute massages. Anna and I later discussed how massages in general should be included in because you really are removed from society. It’s like a rift in the matrix, a place suspended. I’ve never gotten a professional massage before, and it was lovely. Then I got my nail, god knows why, because Caitlin doesn’t do the whole Mani Pedi thing…but yes now I have hot pink toenails people. Afterward we froze our Asses off running home in the cold. I’m sure that didn’t help me, because when I got home the snots started.

So here I am with my roll of toilet paper watching some TV, catching you fine readers up on my blog.

Ps I have hope in people, but my heart knows best. I'm listening to it, and it needs to grow, change and time will tell. At the spa, we were asked to write down a wish and to tie it to their wish tree. I wished for the strength to remain true to myself and what I want for me.

Notes from the journal:
-Burger King is called Hungry Jacks here.
-I must be the only tourist in the world to make a note of the card shop I just saw on George with Magic the Gathering posters in the window.
-Ew. They pronounce Nissan here “niece-en”. What the heck people, learn to speak English! Wait that's Japanese never mind.