People:
Britt
Caille
Ching
Colby
Dan
Danny
Emily
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Jennifer
Jess
Jodie
Kendra
Kevin
Kieryn
Laura
Lindsay
Lisa
May
Mike
Rachel
Ray
Shannon
Sherlee
Tamica

Request-o-matic:
Josh Woodward
Scott Andrew
Spanners Forums
The Ferrett
The Presurfer

Places:
Lange time
Questionable
Clango

Pictures:
The Zoo
Sydney
Fountains
Dooralong
Blue Mountains
More Mountains
Wild Sydney
Dylan's Party
Wondabyne
Apartment
More Sydney
BME Ball
Festival of Winds
Kayaking One
Kayaking Two
Thanksgiving
Tasmania
Lisa's Birthday
Biofutures
Emmy and Gaby
New Zealand

Things:
Sign Guestbook
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Contact me
Feed me

 
The flight back from Tasmania touched down at almost 8:30 am concluding the 10 day trip. (Pictures and details to come). Joe and I were picked up by Sam who thankfully saved us from waiting for the bus and brought back to our respective apartments where we could both relax from our travels, do our best to scrape off the dirt and mud, and rest our tired bones and sore muscles. A hot shower did a world again, and the early afternoon was spent attempting to return my room to a normal looking state, as it was still filled with my half unpacked bags from my travels back to the US.

At around 5:30, after a quick swapping of pictures from the trip with Joe, I made my way downtown to meet up with Nat and Andrew to attend the Symphony in the Domain. One of several free concerts put on over the summer here, this years theme was a Journey to the Stars with the Sydney Symphony. We arrived there at just before 6:30 for the 8pm program, and were hard pressed to find space to throw our blanket, but eventually we found a spot and settled in to have some cheese and crackers and wine and chicken along with other assorted snack goodies.

We were entertained through the sporadic drizzle that came down by a whole host of events, including a whistling contest (the song was to be Land Down Under by Men at Work) and lots of random trivia about anything even remotely related to the program or any of the sponsors. By 8 o’clock the rain had stopped and the symphony came out and started with the Theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey. This short, recognizable piece was followed by Sculthorpe’s Earth Cry, which featured William Barton on the didgeridoo, who was just amazing. The circular breathing needed to play that instrument consistently leaves me awestruck. Bellini's Norma: Casta Diva was next, followed by the Saturn and Mars movements of Holst’s Planets.

After a short intermission the 2nd half began with the E.T flying theme, which was played just as the half moon broke through the thick clouds for a few minutes to shine down upon us. Stridano lassu from Pagliacci was next, trailed by another movement from Holst’s Planets, Jupiter, which happens to be my favorite. You can just close your eyes, relax, and believe that you are floating through space as the music washes over you. The final piece scheduled was Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overture, a classic piece at any Australian Symphony (it ends the program every year), complete with fireworks and several firing cannons along with thousands of sparkler producing audience members who all conduct it in nearly perfect time. As a special treat they played an encore of the theme from Star Wars, which fit in perfectly with the theme of the night and left everyone humming as we slowly made our way to the exits after the final notes had been played, and the final bows taken.

A quick jaunt down to Circular Quay followed, to see the bridge all lit up with the dancing New Year’s lights and the giant pinwheel globe hanging from its side. Some gelato from a stand at the foot of the Quay and we were off to stroll along the harbour, taking in the buskers, ranging from Spanish music to the ever present steel drums playing Dancing Queen for 2 slightly intoxicated looking women who just couldn’t stop dancing. At that point the rain started to fall a bit harder than before and we parted ways, leaving me free to hop a bus back home where my own bed awaited me for the first time in almost 2 weeks.
11:46 PM