Mamalade

I know, I know - I still haven’t finished writing about my trip to San Francisco. Now I’ve been to Sydney!

After I left Ben & Agnieszka in San Francisco in January, they started packing for their return to Australia. They arrived two weeks later, but their furniture took a much slower route by ship and was finally delivered last week - the day before I flew to Sydney to visit them.

“It looks like your room in San Francisco!” I exclaimed, as I stepped into the lounge room. Ben had spent all day unpacking and setting things in place.

That was Tuesday night. By the time we had eaten the pizza Ben had made and caught up on family news it was time for bed. I was so glad the furniture had arrived and I didn’t have to sleep on the floor!

Wednesday 21 May, 2003

Recently, I won “Best Table Topics” at Toastmasters. The topic was, “What is the best Mothers Day present?” I had said the best gift was to spend time with your mother. Well, I have been given the best gift! Ben didn’t have to work while I was staying with them - he was between contracts - and he spent the whole week showing me around.

Our first trip was into the city, in a double-decker train. After exploring the shops, we met Agnieszka (who did have to work) for lunch.

Ben and I set off to the shops again. We were looking for a birthday present for Agnieszka. “Let’s go to the markets,” said Ben.

A gusty wind blew around us as we stood on the railway platform. “That’s the train coming,” explained Ben. “It pushes the air ahead of it as it comes through the tunnel.”

The markets were closed, (they’re not open on Wednesdays) so we walked around Darling Harbour, then caught the Mono Rail back to the city and came back home with Agnieszka when she finished work.

Thursday, 22 May, 2003

Ben and I went to the Writers Festival. We caught the train to Circular Quay, where there was a free shuttle bus to the Festival at Walsh Bay. Some of the sessions were packed out. It was amazing to see so many people who didn’t have to be at work. There were long queues for food and toilets (the seat didn’t have time to get cold.) Because of the crowds, we missed a couple of sessions that we had intended to go to, but made it in to some others that proved to be quite interesting.

We took the shuttle bus back to Circular Quay. (That’s the area near the Harbour Bridge & Opera House, etc.) We slurped on Gelati ice-creams while we took in the sights. I was fascinated by what I thought at first was a statue, but it proved to be a “lady” covered in gold paint and wearing a shiny golden gown and standing motionless until someone dropped a coin into her box. Then she would slowly produce a sweet or a balloon.

On our return home, Ben decided there would be time to go grocery shopping before Agnieszka came home, so we set off in the car for the nearest big shopping centre.

“We’ll go to the Chinese market first,” said Ben. There were so many foods I’ve never seen before, and all cooking instructions were written in Chinese. Maybe someone will tell me one day how to prepare “Instant Jews Ear Fungus!”

“There’s something in here Agnieszka would like for her birthday.” said Ben. I couldn’t see anything that looked like a birthday present among the strange looking foods, but Ben led me to the back of the shop, and pointed out the china teapot, and dishes that Agnieszka had been admiring. “Good, that’s what I’ll get her,” I said.

Friday 23rd May, 2003

Back to the Writers Festival. We just stayed for one session, then walked around the foreshore to Circular Quay. It was a bright sunny day and the scenery was beautiful.

We had lunch at the Bakehouse at “The Rocks” then explored the area. I was intrigued by an old shop museum (closed, unfortunately) that must have been part of the first settlement. Everything we could see in it through the window looked so old, but the window displayed a prominent FAX number. There was a black cat sitting in an upstairs window.

On our return to Circular Quay, we passed a familiar looking figure. It was the “Golden Lady” we had seen the day before. The “lady” was walking away from the area with her golden accessories under her arm. She had removed her headdress and revealed a shock of short black hair… the “lady” was a man!

We took a ferry to Darling Harbour and sat up front. I enjoyed the long ride around the bay and was glad I’d worn my warm jacket.

“How about the slippery slide?” I suggested as we walked through a children’s playground.

“I will if you will!” said Ben.

He went first. “Your turn.”

“Here, hold my bag!”

As I slid down, a couple of teenagers arrived grinning with delight. They started taking photos of one another on the slippery slide.

“Looks like I started something,” I said.

“I should have taken your photo,” said Ben.

“Why do you think I got you to hold my bag?”

It was getting dark. We browsed through the Night Market in China Town, then walked to Central Station. Several street people were bedding down under the stairs in preparation for a cold night.

Saturday 24th May

After all that walking around, it was good to sleep in late. It was a grey drizzly day, so Ben decided to drive to Manly instead of taking the ferry. Just as well, because it would have been a long walk to the National Park where we had magnificent views of Sydney.

The wind was chilly, even through my parka, and tried to blow my umbrella inside out.

“It’s raining up!” said Ben. The drops were blowing up from the sea below.

Later, we walked to Shelley Beach and had lunch. Ben insisted on going Scuba diving and swam back to the Manley Beach while Agnieszka and I walked back along the track.

Sunday 25th May

Some Polish friends of Agnieszka’s invited us to their reunion. The original plan was to meet at their place then take a ferry up the river to Berowra Waters. Heavy rain had caused a landslide which blocked the road, so we made the trip by car. It was a beautiful setting, at the bottom of Galston Gorge. The food was delicious. It rained heavily most of the day.

I knew there wouldn’t be much time next morning before Agnieszka left for work, so after we went home Sunday night, I gave her the birthday presents the rest of the family had sent.

She was delighted with the Chinese crockery I had bought. Ben cooked a meal of noodles and chilli to serve in the new bowls while Agnieszka and I relaxed and talked in the lounge room. The smell of chilli and fish sauce emanating from the kitchen made us cough. The chilli was HOT but we managed to eat it, then Ben brought in a box of tissues and we all sat blowing our noses for a while. Good for clearing the sinuses!

Monday 26th May

One of my favourite books is “The Harp in the South” by Ruth Park. It is about a poor family who lived in Surrey Hills in the 1940s. I had said I would like to see Surrey Hills, so that’s where Ben took me. Plymouth St, Surrey Hills (where the Darcy family lived) doesn’t appear to exist. Maybe the name of the street has been changed. Does anybody know?

But I saw lots of old terrace houses, the type of house they would have lived in. We also looked at some of the shops in the neighbouring suburb, Paddington.

I wanted to walk around the area near Ben & Agnieszka’s house. (It helps me to fix a place more firmly in my mind) so Ben let me out of the car when we were nearly home and I strolled around the block, gathering up coloured autumn leaves. Most of the leaves where I come from stay green all year round.

Agnieszka arrived home from work just before we had to leave for the airport. The week had passed too quickly, but some day, I’ll go again.

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There are some good pictures of Sydney on these sites
http://www.sydneymate.com/travel_sydney_australia/city/CQ_SOH/Circular_Quay.htm
http://www.australianexplorer.com/sydney_the_rocks.htm

There’s been a lot happening. Nothing out of the ordinary, but plenty of normal everyday events that keep me busy.

Like our street stall last week. Our World Vision club holds a stall whenever we think there will be a lot of people out shopping. One of the busiest shopping days is just before Mothers Day. Just a few days before, Mum and I had been talking about the successful stall we’d had last year.

“Of course, we had all that nice china someone had donated,” said Mum. “We won’t have that this year.”

I was thinking about it later that day, when there was a knock on the door. It was the lady who cleans for one of my neighbours.

“I’ve got some stuff for World Vision,” she said. “Where do you want it?”

Somehow I managed to make room in my back shed for all the bags and boxes she had brought. Most of it was clothes for our Jumble Sales.

“There’s some nice bone china in one of those boxes,” she said. “If you don’t mind washing it. It’s pretty dusty. It was my mother’s.”

Wow, bone china! As soon as she left I went through the boxes and picked out all the china. There were some lovely things. I carried it all inside and stacked it on the kitchen bench to wash. It was dark by the time I had finished.

I suddenly remembered the mower man was coming next morning, so I turned on the outside light and quickly raked up the pinecones in the back yard before I went in to get my dinner.

The bench and even the stovetop were covered in china. The was no way I could cook anything, so I grabbed a tin of sardines.

Then I started washing. It was nearly midnight by the time I got to bed. The kitchen was full of crockery, but at least it was clean.

The china sold quickly on our stall. We also had lots of sewing, cakes, plants, and books. And there were plenty of people about. It’s fun to observe the different characters - most of them are good friendly people like you meet anywhere, but there are a few that challenge our patience.

One scarecrow of a woman (I’d love to describe her, but I don’t want to invade her privacy) had me bailed up for ages while she preached about the end of the world and the mark of the beast. She finally selected a plant she wanted to buy, handed over her money, then changed her mind and put the plant back. When I tried to return her money, she hastily pulled a plastic bag out of her pocket and said, “Just drop it in here. You’ve been handling plants!”

A couple of buskers came along with an accordion and trombone and set up alongside us. They serenaded us- off key - for the rest of the morning. A few passers by stopped and joined in some of the songs. It wasn’t very melodious, but they were so jolly. I loved it!

Then the bag lady came along. She’s another of our local eccentrics. She lives on the streets and always wears a plastic bag on her head. As she approached, the mad musicians played “Where did you get that hat?” The bag lady smiled and actually took the bag off her head. It was the first time I’ve seen her without it. She’s really quite attractive.

When we started to pack up to leave, the musicians played “Now is the Hour.”

But the best part of the day was when we counted the money. We’d made over $700 for the Fistula Hospital.