Sunday, July 27, 2008
the Sydney chapter

i look up and it's skyscrapers i see.
architecture both old and new
consisting of a wide array of brand names.
shopping haven like the ones i'm familiar with back home.
the city life i'm so used to.
the rush of the rat race i observe from aside.
no running to beat the clock,
just a relaxing holiday.

wind's a little chilly but the sun shines bright.
i can finally crawl out of my shell of thick winter clothes
and don outfits with the least material.
to Bondi beach i headed to soak in as much sun as i possibly can.
burying my feet in the sand and splashing about in the water never felt this good.
there's just something about doing it in winter that adds that extra bit of a rush.
i think it's called deprivation.

speaking of deprivation,
my every meal here in Sydney consists of at least one pork ingredient.
pork liver porridge with you char kway.
i never imagined having it in Australia,
but there i sat in the middle of Chinatown
savouring every last bit of it.

i went bonkers at Fish Market with a unlimited choices of fresh seafood.
sashimi galore!
salmon and tuna sashimi, oysters, octopus, fish and chips, calamari rings.
i've been too much of a glutton,
it's starting to show in the photos.
each day, i see myself cover a little bit more space in the photos and less of the background appears.
but heck! i'm on holiday!

made up a little for being a glutton by trekking through mountains a blue.
these days, i can't go on a trip without trekking.
i'll feel incomplete.
trekking with 4 guys, 2 of whom are army regulars,
means lots of detours and adventure.
ironically getting lost but promptly finding our way back.

of course what's Sydney without the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.
touristy shots i can't miss.
mysteriously hiding behind the lights in the evenings
and being overly exposed in the day.
they exude their full glory when the sun's by their side.

whales i wanted to see.
seasickness i risked.
all i got were fins, a little bit of it's back, blowholes, a single glimpse of a tail
and the anticipation of a flip out of the water.
the flipping did not happen
but excited i was nonetheless to have seen those beautiful creatures.

through it all,
a childhood friend i had in tow.
this wonderful trip i have to thank him for.
new friends i've made along the way.
made this holiday one worth keeping in my books.


--- continued from entry typed on 2nd July 2008 before catching flight to Brissy ---