Well it's been quite a while since I last wrote and a lot has happened.
I really think I'm feeling at home here.
The past two Shabbats I've been with families again, which honestly makes the experience so much more homelike and comfortable. I know I'm not their real family, but they make me feel loved out here. I'd say they are a huge part of the reason I call Sydney home.
Two weekends ago I was again with the American family for Shabbat, and we played a lot of Mahjong and read. It was a perfect relaxing Shabbat, yet again.
Then Saturday night we celebrated my friend Victoria's 21st birthday in the Rocks, and of course went to pancakes on our way home.
Last Sunday I went with Hanna, Rachel, and Randy to the Museum of Contemporary Art for it's 21st birthday! To celebrate they were doing the Amazing Race within the museum, with 21 teams and for 21 minutes. I was really excited! Unfortunately, when we got there, they told us it was full, but that we should wait until the time and they would call us in case a team didn't show up. In the meantime, none of us had been before and decided we should get a feel for the place so we could do well in the race. I have never been through a museum so quickly, and yet I feel like I saw it all. Sadly, they called us and said it was full but we could wait for the one two hours later, but the Newtown Festival was going on on the other side of the city and we didn't want to have to miss that so we skipped out.
Yes, another festival. It was pretty similar to the others but on a MUCH larger scale. I also loved the music, which when we were there was Irish on the biggest stage (there were 3 stages though I think).
From there we rushed back because Hanna, Alex, Randy, and I were signed up to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge, as in we actually climbed to the top of the arch. (I'll tell you the truth, it's actually not that difficult and sounds a lot harder than it is). It was so beautiful and I loved the view. There were so many bats which were cool to see, and looking over the edge I thought that's what it'll probably look like when I go skydiving! I was really bummed we're not allowed to bring anything up, including cameras. It's understandable because if you drop anything it could seriously injure or kill people below in cars or boats, but I still would've had some great photos from it. Apparently while they were building the bridge there was one guy who fell, but was smart and made sure something he was carrying hit the water first to break the surface tension and he was the only guy to fall and survive. Our leader did take some pictures though which are the ones I have here. On the way back down there were even fireworks far off (they said they think in Parramatta). We have no idea why but it was really pretty to see.
None of them had ever been to Pancakes on the Rocks, so obviously we had to go (though I got eggplant pizza this time which was heavenly! such a great choice) And on the way home we saw them putting up a Christmas tree, though I was surprised since it was very fake and in two halves and hollow inside. It was actually pretty cool to see, and funny to be walking by in summer clothes. It really does not feel like the holiday season is coming up even though there are Christmas lights everywhere, the weather just doesn't fit.
Over the past two weeks at work we've done a variety of projects. That Monday shoot I'd talked about with the famous Australian chef worked out really well. Another day was a bit annoying, where we started driving out to the site and they called while we were driving to say they weren't actually ready for us, so could we postpone. Obviously we said yes, but we still haven't heard back. We did some more portraits, allowing me to see more suburbs of the city. In the other part of our studio, Brett decided he was tired of using the same props as everyone else, so he decided to request some paint for a shoot, and he and Justina painted a white wall brownish (I think it was called camel) and created a cute French bistro scene with some black and white photographs of Brett's from France. It was really cute.
Oh I'm not sure if I already said but we finished going through Brett's old pictures! We also got to keep some so that was a nice little bonus. He also liked my pinhole pictures and made me "business cards" but the size of normal pictures. It's fun to have prints of my photos.
I've also been doing a lot of editing for Tim, and some archiving. He shows me the new processes I need to learn, and then does something else and leaves me to edit the photos and then sends them out. I took the glare out of someone's glasses, and the shine off a lot of faces. The craziest, though, was a woman basically asked to become someone else. She told Tim that she wanted this and that, and if he possibly could, could he make her have a stronger jawline. The woman who passed on the message also said that she knows we're not plastic surgeons so we didn't have to do everything. That's when Tim taught me about Liquify. We made the woman look 10 years younger and like a whole new person. It was a bit outrageous. I also got rid of this other guy's double chin. Oh, the crazy things you can do. Apparently Tim once had a client who he was taking her passport photo and she kept asking for crazy stuff like that and in the end Tim was worried she wouldn't get through security because it definitely did NOT look like her any longer.
We also shot a 15 month old baby, whose parents have brought their previous three kids to Tim for portraits when each of them was that age, so they wanted to add these to their wall. It's funny working with kids who don't talk. His parents kept setting him down in the middle of the paper, and about 5 seconds after they walked off he would come crawling or walking after them. He also had a robotic Buzz Lightyear but was more interested in the paper that we used to wipe our feet on before stepping onto the nice paper, and ended up with his cutest shots holding up and pushing around the dirty white paper, since that's when he appeared the most genuinely happy.
This past weekend I was at the Australian (South African) family's house. They actually had the American over for Friday night dinner which was perfect and gave me another chance to see them. I went to bed quite early, exhausted from the week. When I woke up Saturday morning I was convinced I'd slept late, and when I looked at the time in the room I stay in I saw I was right, yet it was odd since I couldn't hear anyone else. I quickly got ready, went and had breakfast, and then finally looked at the clock in the kitchen and realized I was up incredibly early and everyone must still be asleep. I felt so ridiculous and climbed back into bed all dressed and read until I heard everyone else awake. It appears the working world has trained me to get up way too early.
Saturday was a great day, with a relaxed lunch and then we all went for a walk to the park. Maxy, the dog, got to run around with all the kids, and I hung out with Lisa and the other moms, hearing all about the horrors of being a parent (though they do all love their children).
Sunday morning I actually headed back out to Bondi, and met up with Lisa to go to a synagogue where the Jewish community was holding a rally in support of Israel and peace.
We wore red, representing "Code Red", which is the name of sirens that sound in towns in Israel when a rocket is heading their way from Gaza. Unfortunately, due to the security at the rally itself, they asked that we do the ceremony inside. It was nice hearing the speakers talking about how we hope there will be peace and that the fighting will stop and how Israel has the right to defend herself. My sister is currently living in Tel Aviv, where there was actually a terrorist bus bombing a few hours ago, and I have a lot of other family and friends and friends who I consider family all throughout the country. I also have numerous friends in the army, fighting to keep the citizens of Israel safe. While the message of the rally would have been stronger outside, it was still nice to unite as one community. I also learned that Julia Gillard, the Prime Minister of Australia, has given her support to Israel and said that if anyone was sending rockets into Australia the way Hamas is sending rockets into Israel, they would surely respond similarly, and that they must support the democratic country of Israel. Not having known previously where Australia stood in the conflict, it was reassuring to hear this. While I have attended and heard about many Israel rallies in the US, it was really nice to see the Jewish community here hold one as well, and it was great seeing how many people came out. They kept commenting on how nice it was to have so many young people, but in my experience those are the people who generally attend and often even help organize the rallies.
Due to the numbers not everyone could fit inside, and so people were out holding signs by the street, which made more of an impact on passersby. I am incredibly proud to feel like a part of this community.
Sunday afternoon I went to yet another festival, this time in Glebe! I met up with Kate, Amanda, Alex V (girl Alex who isn't my roommate), Ridge, and George and a few other people. I mostly walked around with Kate and Amanda. There was some cute stuff, some of which I hadn't seen at other festivals, but overall it was pretty much the same, yet I still enjoyed it. The street performers were really good which helped a lot.
On to school, movie's we've watched for class in the past two weeks are: Mary and Max, Two Hands, Look Both Ways, Beneath Clouds... There were more but honestly, I'm done with the class now (except for the final) and don't really feel like thinking about it until I start studying. Though we had a great speaker come in. She's a documentary film maker (doco as they say) and we watched a very interesting one called Maverick Mother about choosing to become a single mother and how people view that and how difficult it is. It was really well made and not the typical documentary, including some dramatized parts and such.
Since it's Thanksgiving tomorrow we class is cancelled so we can have a dinner (even though we still have to go to work during the day). Our final papers were due this week which is such a relief to be done with. The only sad part is it means we're nearing the end...
Oh, so here's a little excitement. Monday I went SKYDIVING! Alex and I woke up at 5:40 and headed out about an hour and a half away from the city. We were skydiving from a helicopter at 14,000 feet. Since helicopters are smaller than planes, less people go in one. It was me and my instructor, Trip, Alex and her instructor, and this other girl Kim who was there on her own and her instructor. There were only two seats, so the other two pairs sat in those, and Trip and I sat next to the pilot on the floor with one leg hanging out the door. Riding in a helicopter has always been a fascination to me, and my dream finally has come true! Thank goodness I was wearing a sweatshirt though, because even in that I was shivering. I think the cold took over my senses because once the helicopter took off I was no longer nervous. From the chopper we could see the Hunter Valley (wine region that I went to toward the beginning of the semester) and Lake Entrance. It was a beautiful view, with the Blue Mountains out to the west.
After flying around a bit, Trip told me to scootch forward and dangle my feet off the edge. Before I knew what was happening, we were flying through the air and then he had me put out my arms. It was so cool! Then suddenly he pulled the parachute and we jerked to more of a standing position and he let me drive the parachute for a while, telling me which way to go. No lies, going in circles like that made me a bit dizzy and queezy at points, but then we'd straighten out and I was fine. Since the helicopter is so small, the diver you go with takes the pictures from a GoPro camera attached to his wrist, instead of having a second person jump with you and take pictures (I think it's semi automatic). Trip's a real pro. I ended up with so many pictures I might make a time lapse video of it. Landing was funny, since you can't land standing up or you'd trip over each other since you're attached, so instead you just lift your legs and land on your butt. My landing wasn't bad though, other people said theirs hurt.
When we finally got down Alex, Kim, and I all wanted to go again (obviously we couldn't but this is another thing on my list of things I will definitely be doing again in the future). I asked Trip how many years he's been doing this and he said 12, and his favorite place so far was Hawaii, so I'd like to try one there. The guys on our bus back told us that from a plane it's more like you're being sucked out of the plane instead of this where you just fall straight down, so I'm curious to try.
What we were about to do
I'm in control!
Coming in for landing
Tomorrow of course is Thanksgiving (well I guess now it's today). It's a bit sad actually, since it means we only have a week left. We're also working today, aka on Thanksgiving, so that's going to be odd, though Justina and I decided we should wear dresses just for fun. It's also going to be my last day with Tim, since he has a job in Perth on Friday. So many endings (though I'm relieved about the end of class).
Anyhoo, I finally finished attempting to make my dad's beef stew, which takes much longer than I had anticipated, and I made it in a pan instead of a big pot so we'll see how it worked out, but I think that means it's bed time.
Fun Facts:
1. You have to call kiwi, kiwi fruit, because a kiwi is what Australians call New Zealanders.
2. I realized that in two of the movies we've watched, Australia and The Proposition, there were guys named Fletcher (if I remember correctly both were bad guys), and I also realized that they were played by the same actor, David Wenham. I looked him up to confirm and discovered he was also Faramir in The Lord of The Rings as well as many other movies I love. So then I decided Fletcher must be their version of Smith, but when I looked it up it turns out Smith is their version of Smith, which is also the same in Britain.
