My second weekend here

The International Party was… well… full of international people. I won a $10 calling card for having the best Australian accent and even though I probably made a fool of myself in front of about 200 people, I now get to talk to David for free! I met a lot more people, but half of whom I won’t be able to remember their names. They played hip hop and reggae which isn’t my thing and hard for me to dance to. Lots of people were really drunk. One even fell down a flight of stairs as we all left after 1am… ended up with a split lip and most likely a concussion. I am really looking forward to meeting and going out with Australians… I’ve had enough of other international students.

Yesterday, I ran into Kristen on her apartment search on my way back from buying a SIM card for my cell phone, so I offered to keep her company. She found a really nice place nearby in Newtown as well and I hope she gets it. Makes me thankful I was able to get a spot at SUV. Later in the evening after she looked at some other places, she invited me to Bondi Beach where she’s staying in a hostel. We went out for dinner on the main road and I had fish and chips for $6. We then went to a bar/pool hall/restaurant which was really nice and casual. A few people from Kristen’s hostel were meeting up there. I met 2 girls traveling from the UK, a girl from Israel starting her 6 month travels (she was doing it on her own), a guy from Germany also traveling on his own and a German girl starting school at another uni. We just had some wine, shot some pool and chatted… it was a nice quiet evening. I really enjoy meeting other people and sharing experiences and hopes and values.

Today, I went to the Sydney Aquarium. It was pretty good. I got to see platypuses, crocodiles, sharks, stingray, seals, and a bunch of fish! I don’t know what specific kind of animals I took pictures or shot videos of, but they were all pretty cool. Watching the coral reef tanks really made me want to go scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef… and I definitely will. So enjoy the pictures and videos.

Open Wide!!

The crayfish said, "What are you lookin' at?"

The little Penguin said, "Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!"

The Aussies have a good sense of humour.

Would not want to find one of these next to me in the ocean...

I then went for a free didgeridoo show at Darling Harbour. The music that comes out of the long hallow eucalyptus shaft is incredible. It’s so rhythmic and soothing. The musician has had quite the fascinating life. He grew up with Sydney with his parents and family. He didn’t know his “father” was really his step-father until he was 14 years old. He noticed that both his mom, and step dad and siblings had blue eyes and light hair and he was the opposite. So he questioned his parents one day and asked, “Where did I come from?” His mother told him his real father was from an aboriginal tribe in Northern Queensland but didn’t know much else. He then started a journey of finding his place in the world and an identity which he struggled with. Before his 16^th birthday, he got into some trouble with the police and landed in a juvenile detention centre for 9 months. An aboriginal liaison at the detention centre asked if he belonged to a tribe because of the way he looked, to which he answered, I don’t know where I come from. He urged his parents to help him search for his father and his family and they traveled up to Queensland and brought his grandfather to Sydney to meet his grandson, who he did not know existed. They made an agreement that he would serve the rest of his detention with the tribe in Queensland. He said it was very difficult to adjust and he soon realized that we take so much for granted. He had to learn to fish for his own food and talk the language of his people and live without electricity or plumbing or any of the modern conveniences. He ended up staying there 2 years and that is where he learned how to play the didgeridoo among other things like finally finding an identity, learning about his family history and culture and putting his life on the straight path. His story was very touching and inspirational… it was about finding oneself and appreciating what we have.

Now I can say I've played the didgeridoo

It made me realize how difficult it would be if I didn’t know where I came from. I know my parents are Portuguese and I’ve met many relatives and share many traditions, the language and the culture with them. Although I was born and raised in Canada, I still feel a sense of connectedness to the Portuguese heritage which I am fortunate to have been raised with. I know where I come from and have an identity and people I can identify with. I can’t imagine what it would be like to live without knowing those critical things that make up your identity.

It also made me think about the journey I’m on. I’m hoping it will make me realize what is most important to me and what kind of person I am. I hope this trip reveals things about me I didn’t know and also helps me grow and develop. Since I’ve been here, I’ve had to do a lot of things on my own. And many times I’ve thought that it’d be nice to have someone with me, even if it was to help me with my groceries… but on the other hand, I’m glad that I am on my own and able to still do the things I’ve been doing. It had forced me to introduce myself to people and to be more outgoing. Again, I think once you step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself to do things you’ve never done before or to do them by yourself, you get to really know yourself and your limits, your likes and dislikes.

It’s hard to find a place for yourself, especially in social circles. That is something I’ve been struggling with. I can’t ever remember a time when I had to put so much effort in making friends and maintaining those connections. It seemed like friends were always around even though they came and went. I can maybe liken this experience to the first time starting university, but even then, there were high school friends to lean on. Now, I’m apart from my friends and family and I now have to find my own family of friends to make my experience fun and enjoyable.

Right now it’s Saturday evening and although I have 2 propositions to go out, I feel quite comfortable being along and reflecting and relaxing for the rest of the evening. Although, this isn’t always the case and sometimes you have to go the extra effort to make connections with people. Otherwise, I’ll find myself here on a Saturday night again wanting to go out and do something, but won’t have anyone to do it with.

I look forward to what the rest of the trip with reveal about myself and the people in my life.

Pictures: http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/lilliandemelo@rogers.com/album?.dir=/193bscd&.src=ph&.tok=phx5LOFBI4HlrQ2L

Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpjD4Kyily0 - Platypus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxp0ML1IoHs – Penguins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiPwCtVsE8I – Jelly Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz3cyQtKwYQ – Seal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gyGrasOB2c – Turtle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJjr8Mu3rUw – Shark and Stingray

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiwUbagvOnI - Didgeridoo Show