Here's to a Year of Living...

Happy new year everyone! As you could guess arriving in Sydney without a clue felt like... well, arriving in a big city without a clue! I walked around town from one hostel to another quickly realizing that I wasn't the only one who thought it would be fun to spend New Year's Eve here. All the hostels were full, there wasn't any vacancy until after the 2nd of January. I spent the first night at a hotel downtown and went looking for new accommodation first thing in the morning just to find out what I'd already known, everything was booked since before Christmas. Finally I settled into a run-down hostel near Hyde Park. The location was great, but it's what my English friends would call 'a bit dodgy.' There wasn't much security, only one staff member who was really quite cranky most of the time, the kitchen was a breeding ground for various molds and insect cultures and the dishes left a lot to be desired. On the plus side though, the internet was free, the location was good and since it was the last place in town everyone staying there was in the same desperate situation I was.

I had some preconceived notions and expectations of Australia before coming; everyone speaks english, it's very similar to the USA, the girl to guy ratio is nearly 8:1 and Aussies love Americans. The reality I experienced was much different. It seemed like everyone was Asian, even the people who did speak english couldn't be understood, it's a different country than USA, the ratio-although favorable-isn't all that noticeable and as far as friendliness goes, I wouldn't know, I hadn't met any Aussies during my first few days.

I did however meet Germans, Swedes, Chileans, Swiss, Kiwis, Chinese, Japanese and heaps of Brits. I love the conversations you have between travellers. I've never discussed US politics as much as I have in the first week I was in Sydney. I thought it was interesting that the news here has a close eye on US elections. But there are other topics as well like differing accents, where people have been and where they are going and regional idioms (you wait in queues not lines, smoke fags not cigarettes and wear thongs on your feet not under your dress.) It's been a lot of fun.

For the most part I didn't do much on a day-t0-day basis in Sydney because I was trying to stay within my budget. After a couple of days I realized I'd spent my monthly budget in two days and had to reevaluate! Australia is expensive. I still found time to visit the opera house. Oh the opera house. You know I can't think of any building that has taken my breath away. But the first glimpse of the opera house made me jump with excitement. Maybe it's because it's an icon of Australia, maybe it's the location over the harbor or the unique architecture or maybe it was the first familiar thing I'd seen since I'd arrived-whatever it was, it was a nice sight.

A few of us from the hostel banded together and set out to watch the fireworks over the harbor. We left late in the morning and brought a picnic with us. We sat in a park in East Balmain overlooking Darling Harbour opposite the opera house and Harbour Bridge. It was thirteen hours before the fireworks started, but it didn't feel like it. There was a happy energy among the party goers and everyone was having a fun time. The fireworks were just part of the experience.




The next week a couple of us took the ferry to Manly Beach which was closed, but we could still swim at a nearby beach protected from the strong current. It was nice to relax, sit in the sun and have a swim. It was also one of my first outings in Sydney other than New Year's so that was also nice to see a change of scenery.

Saturday was the kick off to the Sydney Festival in Hyde Park. There were six stages set up around downtown and different musical guests were at each stage. My personal favorites were the Spanish Harlem Orchestra and Pink Martini. They played very good music. Salsa dancers were showing their stuff in the street and I made up my mind then and there that I will learn to dance. It was only reinforced a couple minutes later when I went to the next stage and they were playing swing music and entire swing clubs were there getting their dance on. It was impressive and very entertaining to watch people who can actually dance. A big comparison to the foam parties and late night techno rave crap that goes on at most nightclubs.

At the festival I met a couple girls who told me about Hillsong Church. I was looking for a church nearby so I went the following day. I would say it's your typical large, contemporary church. Complete with t-shirt wearing presiders, full band, good music and there's a coffee shop and bookstore in the lobby. I met a few people who were real blessings, Steve, Vicky and Roy. Steve and Vicky were visiting from Tasmania and we sat next to each other. They were extremely nice and generous. I almost wish I was going through Tasmania just so I could stay with them longer. The other was Roy, once he heard I didn't have a place to stay for the night he offered his house. Perfect! It was a great night, after evening service we went to his house and talked about Africa, the USA, church planting and growth and different books we had read. The next morning he showed me where to catch the bus into town. I'm really glad I met him.

This past week I've been near Crescent Head at a surf camp. It was a good time. There were nearly thirty people in the group. We spent our days at the beach trying to catch that perfect wave that would propel our love of surfing to the level of lifetime commitment. I don't know if I ever caught that wave. I did have a couple really good ones, and I won't be giving up any time soon, but I don't think I'll be making a lifestyle out of it. The best thing about the camp was being outside of the city. It was refreshing to see rural Australia. These are my kind of people, this is my kind of landscape. Uncrowded beaches, laid back working people and not a single tie-wearing, brief-case carrying office worker among them! I saw my first kangaroo too! It's weird, I have this urge to shoot one now. I think it's just to be able to see one up close that's fueling this urge. But it'd be nice to eat it too I think. From the sounds of it, I may get my chance while I'm here. The other exciting animal encounter happened during our last night at camp. We had a bonfire on the beach and on my way back to camp I came across a small black snake. It seems like everything in Australia can kill you in one way or another, but that didn't stop me from going Steve Irwin on it. I'm not sure what kind it was, but I wasn't planning on letting it bite me either way.

I am now in Byron Bay. It's popular with backpackers and it shows, the streets are busy and my hostel is packed with people from all over. Mainly Europeans but others as well. I'm anxious to get up to the crocodile farm and get into a routine for awhile. But that's not stopping me from thinking of where the next stamp in my passport will come from. Anyone up for Fiji in April?