Day Thirty Five: Sydney Symphony

Since I was soooooooooooooooo disappointed at my last experience of the Opera House. I decided that I need another one, so the day has come.

Time: Friday, March 27, 2010 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Opera House
Who: Amy and Kelsey
Attire: Dressed up

I saw the advertisement on campus, and it said they are going to play something by Beethoven. You can't really go wrong with Beethoven's work. Anything with Beethoven is bound to be a grand time *beams*=)

This time it is at the Concert Hall. Our orientation leader told us that if we are going to see a show at the Opera House and is concerned with budget, then we should spend the money on a show in the Concert Hall, the main hall at the Opera House. And it is true...we saw why. We got our $100 worth back =)
Notice, the angle I took this picture from.
Yeap!!! Dead center. Kelsey and I sat next to each other, but on our tickets, we had different entrance numbers because we had to enter on the opposite sides to meet in the middle.

We weren't really suppose to take pictures in the hall. Our usher even warned us that they shoot people who take photography in there..heh heh. He was a funny man. But, I was being nice already. You should see some people..taking pictures with flash...way to be conspicuous >.<". There was one person who even took picture with flash when the symphony was playing, I think he/she got some death glares. *tsk tsk*

Okay the performance titled: The Creative Spirit.

1. Ludwig Van Beethoven: The Creatures of Prometheus: Overture. I am so jealous of the violinists in this one. I think there were maybe 15 of them. During a part of the song, it was straight sixteen notes, and man they are together!!! Every beat, every count. So clean and precise. That is what professional musicians do..precisions.

2. Robert Schumann: Cello Concerto in A Minor, Op. 129 There is a guest cello performer. The piece was about 30 minutes. He memorized the whole thing!!! Not only did he memorized but he also played with elegance, which can be hard to do when under the pressure of "did I remember the notes"..you know. And the rubato....ahh I love =)

3. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, Pathetique Tachaikovsky is an interesting musician, and this piece is very musically and emotionally intriguing, which I will leave you to explore on Youtube.

Professional, dramatic, and awing! that is all I can say =)

You can hear everybody so so so clearly...even it was just a one flute. Being a flutist myself I know that a lot of times, when everybody is blowing into their horns, we are the first ones to be buried, but not these flutists. You can hear them crisp and clean among the strings and low brass. Not just the flutes actually, you can hear every single one of them individually and as well as a whole.

The sound boards are worth mentioning!!! It is excellent!!! Never been to a hall that gives just the right resonance. Not a second too long nor too short. It just ends the music on a good note and makes you wonder a bit as the sound travels through air and disappears into the wall.

You know, this is my kind of night. I am not much of a club, bar drinking person. I am a little dull..books, music, band concerts are more my things. So I really enjoyed the night, and I am glad that I actually had someone to accompany me this time =)

More pictures around the area...but at night this time.

Day Twenty-Nine: Shopping Downtown (CBD)

I have waited for a month...A MONTH...to go shopping. Living next to the second largest mall in Australia hasn't really help..now does it..heh heh.

My roommate, Kelsey, and I were both so pumped about going shopping!! We have planned for 2 weeks and ever since we arrived in Sydney, we have seen so many shops..attractive and luring...we have wanted to do this forever.

So...all bright and early, we waited for our train at platform 2. 5 minutes turned into 10 minutes, then into DELAYED. Something happened down the track. Ambulance, fire trucks, police they all came. We were dismissed from the station. What a great start to our day =S

The bus took about 45 minutes. We first went to get some lunch at Hungry Jack. Hungry Jack is Burger King in the states. They had whoppers...taste of home =). Some observations: Hungry Jack is more popular in Australia than McDonald's. It is cheaper than McDonald's here or rather I think it is reasonable priced for hamburgers.

Okay now the shopping. Queen Victoria Building (http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?ID=s0038551):
yes!! This is a mall. Splendid and elegant! It is built in 1898 as a monument to the long reign monarch. You wouldn't want to buy anything here; it is super duper overpriced. A dress costs AT LEAST $300. You go there for the architecture.

Next we went to Town Hall arcades. Well, what can I say....shopping here is harder than I thought it would be. The stores are usually very small and with one salesperson, maybe two at the most. And..heh heh..most stores don't have customers. We felt intimidated going into those stores. So basically we just walked, walked, and walked some more.

For those stores that we did stop in...it was hard to find something we like or even fashionable. They still have shoulder pads here man!!! SHOULDER PADS...good god >.<. And there is something laces here too....lace here, lace there, lace everywhere and on anything. It was rare to find something that we like from top to bottom, front to back. There was always something (a HUGE flower in the front, fringes from your shoulders, laced back) that made the design unbearable. It seen to me that fashion here is outdated, but then again what do I know about fashion to say so *shrug*. Even if we found something we like (frankly, at this point, we just want something normal), the material that it is made out of makes me feel gross wearing it =(

We shopped for about 5 hours, and I only got a pair of shoes:

And poor Kelsey got nothing =(

We Failed.

Oh yeah, another thing that made it harder to shop is the fact that the stores are unfamiliar. There are no AE, Banana Republic, GAP(or at least I didn't see)..so we didn't know what stores suit our age more, or where stores specializes in what kind of clothing, and of course we don't know the price range of the type of the stores.

Sigh~~

Day Twenty-Five: A Midsummer Night's Dream

I have no intention to leave Sydney without seeing a show at the Opera House. The time has come!!

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play by Shakespeare. It was shown in the Opera Theater at the Opera House. There are many theaters at the Opera House. If you just want the experience, spend the money to see a show in the Concert Hall. It will get your money's worth. But, this particular show was not shown there.

I have to say that I am fairly disappointed about the play for several reasons. One being that it is an opera with an Aussie accent. It was hard to understand and it has been years since I read the play. So for most of the Act I, I didn't understand much. I got a bit sleepy...oops.

Second, the stage, costume, and music weren't spectacular, and in mind I was hoping for something of the same quality as Wicked. When it wasn't, I was bummed. =( Anyway, that was my fault.

Third, and most important of all, I didn't like how they had some sexual remarks/acts in the play which I felt was completely unnecessary. It just made you wonder what play is it? Shakespeare?? really?? It was pretty much a what-the-heck moment. Perhaps it has something to do with me coming from the Midwest, that we don't really publicly express stuff like that. In fact, people are scared to even express out loud, let alone on a stage performing. People here more open to that kind of stuff. It has been more than once that I ran into something like this in Sydney. People here are just not afraid or reserved on stuff like that. I don't know if I could ever open myself with that, but I accept the fact that it happens here.

The stage:
For those who want to know more about the play, here is the synopsis (kind of confusing, and a variation of the original) provided by the Opera House:

Act I:
Oberon and Tytania quarrel over the Indian child. Oberon dispatches Puck to find a magic herb the juice of which will "make man or woman madl dote upon the next live creature that it sees", in order to plague his Queen and possess the child. Lysander and Hermia meet and plan their elopement, to avoid Hermia's betrothal to Demetrius.

Overseen by Oberon, Demetrius enters, pursued by Helena: Helena is in love with Demetrius, while he loves Hermia. Puck returns with the magic herb and Oberon now charges him to use it to make Demetrius enamored of Helena

The mechanicals set about casting their play, "Pyramus and Thisbe". Puck mistakes Lysander and Hermia, sleeping, for Demetrius and Helena. He anoints Lysander with the magic juice, but it is Helena abandoned by Demestrius, who wakes him and as a result of the enchantment Lysander is now utterly in love with Helena. Oberon finds the sleeping Tytania and squeezes the juice on her eyes.

Act II:
The mechanicals' rehearsal goes forward. Puck puts an ass's head upon Bottom. Unaware, Bottom scars away his companions and wakes the enchanted Tytania--who falls in love with him.

Hermia is abandoned by Lysander and pursued by Demetrius. Oberon enchants Demetrius, who wakes to find Helena, who can be forgiven for thinking that both of them and the spurned Hermia are mocking her. Oberon gives Puck another herb to disenchant Lysander.

Act III:
Oberon, satisfied that he has the Indian child, determines to resolve "this hateful imperfection:, disenchants Tytania and promises to see the "pairs of faithful lovers wedded with Theseus all in jollity".

The lovers awake, now tidily paired. Bottom, too, wakes up and, rejoining his crew, makes final preparation for their play.

At Theseus' Palace, Theseus and Hippolyta are joined by the four lovers and a triple wedding is planned. The mechanical present the "lamentable comedy of Pyramus and Thisbe" for the court's entertainment. Festivities are concluded at midnight, the couples retire, and the fairies return to bless the palace and the nuptials.

Day Twenty-Three: Pancakes on the Rock

My roommate and I were suppose to go spectate the Sydney Harbour Swim Classic. It is a day where a ton of people jump into the harbour by the Opera House and swim. Although we weren't going to participate in it, but then how many time can you say that you get to see thousands of people jumping into a harbour and swim. I know for sure not in the Midwest.

But the thing is...we missed it. We arrived around 11am, and it was done. Not a soul in the water. These people are early man!! We were slightly disappointed. So to recoup that disappointment, we headed over to Pancakes on the Rock.

According to my roommate, Kelsey, this place makes the most wonderful pancakes ever. There is always a line going into the restaurant...and indeed:
Menu can be found here: http://pancakesontherocks.com.au/home. Check it out, it has some really wacky pancake creations. I had the macadamia madness. It was excellent and speechless. The pancakes melt in your mouth the minute you close your lips on them. We were talking before it arrives, but after the servers brought us the pancakes, we got quiet and seriously enjoying the delicious food.
This place just makes IHOP look so so so bad and ridiculous. There were some tourists who purposely come here to have a taste of the pancakes. It was well after 12:30pm, but there was still a line waiting to have pancakes. I think that alone says something about these pancakes. Two thumbs up!!

We also went to the Rock Market, around the area. It is one of the better open tent markets in Sydney. The stuff here is not all that cheap, but then it has the quality. This is the place to go if you want to buy something for your mothers.
We found this here:
Kelsey's face says it all....and this one:
Behind it and to the right, it is actually emu jerky. I know right?!!!! I know what you are thinking...I thought of the same thing. Things get pretty crazy here..heh heh

Around Circular Quay, which is where Opera House is located, there were a lot of street artists performing everyday. We happened to see this lady:


She, as she said herself, is the only street contortionist in the world. What was kind of surprising to me is how proactive these street artists are in asking for "donations". She gave a spiel of how much a show like that is worth, and she expect some "donations". No silvers (less than a dollar), she would rather want respect. She is usually around the area on most days and give the same performance. People like it, there is always a huge crowd. I kind of like her upbeat personality and humor.

Day Twenty-one: Hunter Valley Wine Tasting

That is right! Me...wine tasting ;)

Hunter Valley is the home of the vineyards. There were just rows after rows of vineyards. Australians are actually very proud of their winery. They take high prides in your wine, as they often will tell you that they got worldwide awards every year (although some French men would disagree).
The first winery that we stopped by was the Lindeman's. It is the official supplier of the Olympics Games back in the days. It produces wine on an industrial scale...thousands and thousands of barrels every year. And its wine has been showcased in exhibitions worldwide. Its chardonnay has won many titles.

I tasted 5 different wines here. The worst one has to be the Shiraz. Absolutely horrible..nasty...and unpleasant. Here is the list: Moscato, Porphyry Rouge, Shiraz, Semillion, and some Chardonnay. I like the first two =)
I saw this quote on the wall and thought some of you might appreciate it:

Next is the McGuigan Winery.
Walking through the cellar
The German exchange students. I actually had a good conversation with the girl in the red to the left. She is a very hardworking student. She was telling me that Germans used to have a very intense university education as they didn't have a bachelor program, and when students are done with college, they earn what is equivalent to a master in the states. It is only recently that it has changed. She also have a clear vision of her future...so inspiring..really!!
Someone I met on the trip:
I tasted eight different wines here. I enjoyed most of the wines here actually. Different wines go with different food. Wine can really enhance a meal if you choose right. I personally like the dessert wines here. I have lost the sheet that has all the wines I have tasted, so...no list, sorry =(. But I do remember that it is at this place that I had the highest alcohol content all day..at about 18%.

Our last wine tasting experience is at a place called Golden Grape:
My group :)
I didn't quite enjoy this winery. We got plastic little cups, and the server was like in a hurry to get done, which I feel defeats the purpose of wine tasting. But anyhow, of all the selections I had there, there is one that deserve special attention:
This one, my friends, burns you. The server actually asked us to wait until everyone has gotten their drink, and take it as a shot on 3. When I gulped it down, it felt like I was drinking a cup of hot chili oil. It burned from my throat to my stomach and back up, killing every germ that lined my esophagus. It was absolutely shocking and awakening as well. The taste just lingered around forever. Rinsing my mouth didn't work at all. It was indeed: Dragon's Breath. I was on fire!!

After that hot wine, we headed off to a pub in the country side. Hunter valley really gives you a taste of what country life is like in Australia. It was very quiet, green, and simple. Everything I would ask for when I retire. I would totally retire here if that was ever a choice :) So the pub, it was middle of nowhere. It was surrounded by grass fields and next to the highway. I have heard that it is the only pub around the area. People come here to have "Jungle Juice".

Jungle juice is a mix of wine and brandy. I didn't like it...It tasted very much like the Shiraz that I mentioned before. One word.....bad...enough said.
The pub had a really cool backyard...nothing like a pub in the city. It is more of a hanging out place for the locals. People bring their kids and pets here..hehe

At this point, my trip was about to conclude. I tasted 21 different wines and surprisingly, I didn't feel tipsy at all. And you know what, I am kind of curious of my alcohol tolerance level. I would love to test it out and see where I fall, but of course, it has to be within my comfort zone ;). I wonder sometimes.

Group picture:
oh did I mention, the weather was great!!

Day Sixteen: Chinese Garden

Today is the first day where we have majority of the house out and about together.

We head down to the Darling Habour and tour the Chinese Garden. It costs $6.00 (which is not bad). BUT then I see the sign that says if you have a student id, you pay $3.00, and it is in Chinese.....HA!

Here is one of the first views (loved the lighting):
It is called the Chinese Garden of Friendship, and it is designed by Guangzhou, China. Interestingly, Guangzhou is known as the sister city of Sydney. The garden was opened in 1988 and it symbolizes China's friendship with Australia. The garden includes Water Pavilion of Lotus Fragrance, the Twin Pavilion and The Tea House (with refreshments!). Of course, there are also lots of waterfalls, bamboo trees, persimmon trees (surprisingly!), and huge lizards (hahahah...).
And then Shamika and I get into this craziness =P...They actually give us an ice pack to wear so we are not sweating like pigs in the costumes. It was a fun time!!! hahahahaha

Shamika, I have to say you make a great Asian!!! :) (this whole costume thing makes me laugh out loud, hahahahahahaha.......)

We end the tour with this group picture. LOVE IT!
We also go to the New South Wales Art Gallery, but I don't have enough pictures. Maybe next time :)

Day Fifteen: Bondi Beach

Let the pictures tell you...
Don't fall into a rip...
The blue sky of Australia...

Two of my housemates...