Last Week Part 1: Sydney

I was browsing the opera house website as going to see a show there was at the top of my Sydney must-do's list and was intrigued by a performance the Australian ballet was to be putting on over the next few weeks. Naturally, I invited Aki to accompany me as he is a former ballet dancer and one of my most favorite people I've met whilst in Sydney. So Monday night we both dressed up and went down to the opera house. This time, instead of simply marveling at it from the outside, we actually got to go inside! It was so exciting! And the interior was very marvelous indeed. We watched a ballet in three parts: the first some odd rendition of old spanish dances with music that came through speakers..., then a full orchestra came out for the second part and this was a comical dance in a more classical style, and the third featured very modern ballet performed by who I like to call "the dot people." They were dancing around on dots and some were wearing dots, hence, the dot people. During the two intermissions we would go out to the windows or balconies overlooking the harbour and drool over the beauty of the city lights reflecting off of it as boats went by. There was a thunderstorm out over the Pacific that was making a beautiful lightening show. After the ballet we took a bus back to Glebe and had desert at the same place ArinMichelle and I went after our Italian adventure to Balmain. The cannoli was once again exquisite. I lamented not spending more time in Glebe. I did a lot of wishing that I would've spent more time in certain quirky neighborhoods or at some of my favorite spots in the city; but I realized that there's no use in doing that. I had the time of my life on this trip these last few months and wouldn't change a thing.

On my very last Tuesday night a whole bunch of us in the village went out to Scruffy's one last time. It was definitely the appropriate thing to do even though we hadn't been going there lately. I danced with all my friends and was having a wonderful time when I realized what I must do: I must close down Scruffy Murphy's on my very last time to ever enter its sketchy doors and dance upon its sticky floors. My friends began to leave, people slowly trickled out, but I kept on dancing and recruited good ol Tom to be my partner in shutting down Scruf's. We danced valiantly all the way until 3:45 or so when the lights finally came on in the bar and we knew we had done it; we closed Scruffy Murphy's. And that's how you make sweet memories. Then Tom and I hit the street and walked back to SUV reminiscing and laughing about good times in Sydney and the good people we've met here.

Wednesday morning I was up bright and early (before everyone else who didn't close down Scruf's) as it was our zoo trip day!! I had to go to Amber's and get her sorry bum out of bed and then we met Tim for a good ol' Hoochie's breakfast. Lindsey got us four free passes to the zoo through her gym which was awesome as tickets to the zoo are really expensive (if you can believe that...). Brett and Ellie joined us and we headed down to Circular Quay to catch the ferry. The Sydney's ferries, which are perhaps the most fabulous of all the world's public transportation methods, offer breathtaking views of all its fantastic landmarks. You can talk to locals about these views and they'll tell you that not even they ever cease to be amazed by them. Its that good. And the Taronga Zoo itself is located on some prime real estate right on the harbour and features incredible breathtaking views. I liked looking at the views just at much as the animals honestly. When you get off the ferry, you walk up to a gondola that takes you up the hillside (yea, more great views) up to the main entrance. We rode the gondola up and then went straight to the bird show, which was a good time, and then we meandered around looking at all the animals. Amber had to leave early so the others went back with her leaving Tim and I behind to keep exploring. We made it over to the Aussie part of the zoo in hopes of seeing the platypus, but the stupid thing wouldn't come out so we could see it! That was the day's only disappointment. But we got to pet kangaroos and run around with them, one of them had a baby in its pouch! SO CUTE! It was an awesome afternoon. Then we went back to the ferry and I tried to drown myself in the skyline and scenes of the opera house, bridge, western suburbs, etc. and take pictures of it all of course. Back at Circular Quay, Tim and I went to Macca's for 50 cent soft serve cones before heading back to the village. Everyone took an early night and packed up to get ready for Thursday.