Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Howr ya goin Birzzy

Well, I finally made it out of Sydney and am now staying in Brisbane. My last week in Sydney was relatively quiet, doing more odd jobs for Paula's friends and going to the beaches around Sydndey. About 250,000 pilgrims came for World Youth Day, which was surprisingly very interesting. Although I didn't partake in any of the teachings or many group activities, the energy that the entire city possessed during the week was unbelievable. People from all over the world were in the city in a seemingly non-stop celebration of not so much the church but the vast number of cultures represented. It was truely something that I will never forget, especially seeing the 500,000 people that gathered around the harbour line to watch the Pope arrive by boat. I waited and witnessed that happen but by the time it was over, about three, I was ready to have a drink and went to the pub where I met three Irish couples that have been traveling and living in Sydney for some time. We actually took second place in a trivia contest thanks to me for knowing the basics of American history. Other than that things have been pretty usual (except I did eat at an African restaurant which was really different) and I think that I may be lossing my mind reading some Thoreau.

But now I'm in Brisbane with J.P. Patterson, whom I graduated with from Wabash. I'm staying with his aunt and uncle at their place in the country near the city, which I must say definitely rivals Paula's place but without the view. J.P.'s aunt and uncle are mathmatical geniuses both with Ph.D.s and a massive room full or books they've written together over the years, pretty intimidating but they are surprisngly down to Earth and very easy to talk with. Yesterday was my first day at the winery and we just did some pruning work, cutting vines and ripping downs canes. It was not that hard of work but after about eight hours I was ready to be done. The country out here is amazing with mountains and valleys on our way to the winery, which by the way is awesome as well complete with wallybees running around. And once again I witnessed one of the best sunsents that I've even seen on top of a large hill at the winery but unfortunately didn't have my camera but it was made up of the same purples and oranges as the one at Bondi. Today I even saw a koala sitting right near the house when I woke up who even moved around a bit for me between his twenty hour a day slumber. And to get some culture we all went to a Picasso exhibit today which was pretty cool to see Picasso's own art collection alongside some of his works.

All in all, I've got to once again say how lucky I truly have been on this trip. Paula's place and now J.P.'s is simply high class, stunning living and I'm getting a definite experience of a lifetime out here. Tomorrow we're off again at 730 am to go for a long day at the winery but I rest/work easy knowing that these two weeks will be financing my sailing trip around some islands and also my land cruiser adventure on the largest sand island in the world. I'll update some more photos when I get a chance.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

A Quick Turnaround..

Since my last post things have only gotten better down under. I know that I had complained, as I enjoy doing, to some of you about being a tad lonely and sick of the city but that soon changed (in fact the very afternoon after I spoke to most of you). With a little help/advice from a friend I lived with in Greece, I realized that the only reason I was a bit lonely was because I was simply not putting myself out there for a real opportunity to met people but that soon changed. In the last four days or so I've met so many people from all over the globe and surprisingly I've met most of them at a pub in the early afternoon, I know mom just what you wanna hear. The first guy I met was actually wearing a Cubs hat which started a long conversation. He was in town for the night with his girlfriends family from Canada and desperately needed a male companion for the night so I met up with them and partied the night away. I was even inching my way closer to the 27 year old sister when Jay and his girlfriend got in a huge fight and ended that for me.

The next night I went on a pub crawl around Sydney which was an amazing time. Not only did they provide a cool atmosphere but they also had they're own Funky Bus which, I'm sorry to say beat Marty (our short bus) in the whammytown category (the thing had its own dancefloor inside!). And not only that, but some of the dance clubs I went to were so unbelievable; these people were bringing funk that even Kevin Cash couldn't mimic. That night I met people from all over traveling through Australia and have been in steady contact with them since and am hoping to meet up with them again a little further north next week.

Yesterday I met up with Fiona, a woman I met last year through Tom Thrall, for a tour around the stunning Blue Mountains. The trees in the park create a blue haze that was truely amazing, especially as the sun went further down. We hiked for miles and miles and my eyes were witness to some of the most amazing sites I've ever seen. From scaling underneath mamouth waterfalls, seeing wildlife, and the stunning blue haze it is a must see for anyone that will ever go to Sydney. Even the smells of the Mountain and the taste of the air was something I've never experienced before. Luckily for me Fiona knew the area very well and took us to the must see tourist sites and then for a local bushwalking path. Even the tourist parts were amazing (I rode in the steepest railcar in the world down a massive gorge, of which I have a video that I'll try and get up). Either way the pictures are worth a look but really do the Mountains no justice.



Right after my return from hiking I once again got invited to go with Paula and Greg to Bastille day, the day of the French Revolution. We went to an incredible French restaurant with a bunch of our neighbors and friends for some fancy four course French cuisine. Ron and John, our neighbors are some of the funniest characters I've ever seen with our night ending in a paper airplane fight with the unwilling table next to us after what had to be eight bottles of wine.

Earlier tonight after eating breakfast and washing Anne's car (an Irish friend of Paula's) I decided to save what daylight I had left and take a trip alone to Bondi Beach, about an hour on the bus through the city. I got there in plenty of time to soak up the great atmosphere, put my toes in the chilly sand and read a book. But it was when the sun was going down that the show really started. In So. Ill. we have some of the most colourful and breathtaking sunsets I've ever seen and Greece had some that weren't too shabby either, but the sunset at Bondi tonight was the most beautiful and breathtaking one I've seen in my life. The oranges, reds, blues, and purples were awinspiring; a place that I will never forget and will frequent much more. The pictures from the beach, especially the last few almost capture the essence of it's beauty.




The last few days, ever since talking to Johnny, have really turned my trip around as a whole from seeing beautiful sites to meeting new people I feel that I have really began to see Australia and learn Australian culture. I can not say enough how lucky I truely am to be in this position with so many people willing to help me out, whether it's Greg and Craig showing me the beaches, Fiona taking a day out of her busy schedule to take me about the Mountains, Paula's unrivaled hospitality, and the people I've been able to surround myself with; it has truely been an eye opening experience of which I am truely greatful.

Now I'm preparing for World Youth Day; a week full of Catholic propaganda as the Aussies are calling it, where around 500,000 'pilgrims' will descend upon the city. Although I'd rather be heading up north, Paula convinced me to stay for the week and after looking at the events looks like it should be worth-while, even if it is spent with religious zelots from around the world.

I've also started using a different picture website, the link is:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lucas.odom

Sunday, July 6, 2008

The First Days

Well, I finally made it to Sydney after my exhausting day of traveling and my fourteen hour flight over the ocean. Luckily I slept quite a bit of the flight and was sitting next to a girl from St. Louis that had actually studied abroad in Sydney, met an Aussie, married him and now lives here. However, it was disappointing that I didn't have my own TV screen to watch the terrible movies they had playing. But after I touched down it's pretty much been non-stop going and fighting the jet-lag. As soon as I got to Paula's house, about 7:15am, I took the ferry to a place called Circular Quey and walked for hours and hours around the Opera House, Botanical Gardens, and near the Harbour Bridge. For the most part that's how my first two days of being in country went; waking up extremely early and wandering around downtown Sydney for most of the day. The views and sites in the city are amazing and the gardens actually house a huge day flying bat that makes an awful screeching while it flies five feet above your head, pretty scary. Paula's house is unbelievable, or at least the view is. We live in Abbotsford, an inner-west suburb of the city, about a twenty minues ferry ride to downtown, and have the most amazing view of the skyline, bridge, and harbour. Waking up in the morning and sliding the massive glass window out of the way to eat breakfast on the patio was absolutely worth coming all this way. Friday night Paula invited me to tag along to her work friends 50th birthday where I met quite a few interesting people from all over the world. One woman had just gotten back from living with an aboriginal community for seven years in the middle of Australia which was ten hours from the nearest town of 10,000 people. The dinner was nice and the conversation seemed to stay around what I should concentrate on doing in Australia with people offering to show me a side of Sydney most wouldn't get to see. Yesterday I went with Paula and some of her neighbors to an Australian Rules Football game at the olympic park. It was pretty poosh as they say; we had our own corporate box stocked with all the meatpies and beers you could want. Although the Sydney team got the hell beat out of them it was fun and the closest I've ever sat at a real sporting event. After the game we got to go to an after party with more free drinks, the players, and Sydney celebs (who really meant nothing to me). After the game Paula came home and went to bed and I went over to drink more with the neighbors for a while which was interesting to say the least. Today Greg, Paula's roommate, and I took an all day driving trip around the Northern Beaches and into the National Parks. Lucky for me Greg knew the area very well and took me to most of the best lookout spots on the best beaches and also gave a pretty detailed tour of the multi-million dollar homes that overlook the seemingly endless string of beaches. Later tonight I'm planning on going into the city to finally try and find some people my age to party and travel with. Tomorrow I'm meeting up with one of Paula and Greg's friends, Craig, to take his convertible out to some of the beaches and do some bushwalking around the area. Hopefully, tonight I'll find a nice group of travlers or at least a travel buddy to go with around the city to the Blue Mountains and other day trips I plan on taking. Mom, you'll also be happy to know that I may have found some weekend casual work in the city making great money (at least 15/hr just waiting tables/washing dishes) and am waiting to get my instructions on going to the winery.

All in all it's been a very exciting and tiring first couple of days with waking up early, touring the city by foot, and drinking with the older crowd but I'm hoping to keep it going and meeting some new younger people later tonight.

Also, to view pictures from my first few days visit:
http://s312.photobucket.com/albums/ll348/lucasodom/