Friday, October 2, 2009

So, I'm now in Western Australia starting the second leg of my journey. The last couple of days in Sydney were fantastic. The Calligraphy on Canvas workshop drew to a close, with most people making significant progress towards completed paintings. I hope they will all take the time to finish what they started. All the work was wonderfully varied. At the end, they were kind enough to present me with a beautiful pen which has a little piece of opal embedded in the barrel. It's a beautiful memento and I can't thank Linda and all of the other people in Sydney enough for their wonderful hospitality and generosity. If there will be any regrets about this trip, they will only be that I couldn't spend more time in that phenomenal city, with those great people. Who knows? Perhaps they'll invite me back!!



















Yoko Watterson



















Terri Ortado



















Penny Farrant













Meg Dunworth













Linda Upfold



















Jenny Markey



















Heng Chiew Chiam



















Heather Courtis



















Gabby Toner








I must say that with being worked so hard I'm having trouble remembering which day it is, so if I repeat something, you'll have to forgive me. Some people are telling me that they are having trouble logging on to my blog, and I really do apologize for that. I have no idea what is wrong, and even if I did, there wouldn't be much point putting the answer on here because they couldn't read it anyway. I really don't know what to do. I will try and sort it out, though.

On Wednesday many of the people in the class joined me at Phuong's Vietnamese restaurant in Crow's Nest. We had a wonderful banquet style dinner with lots of varied dishes. Of course, I, in my infinite wisdom, left my camera in my room so there are no photographs to be downloaded of that. However, on Thursday night, I had dinner with four members of the workshop which I taught in Sydney in 1987. It was a wonderful reunion. Those present were: Belinda Pring who organized everything, Sarah Chissick, Catriona Montgomery and Di Kirby. We had a glorious evening of reminiscing about the times I had spent in Sydney on prior visits. It was wonderful to see everyone, all looking so well. Sarah brought an album of photographs which we were able to share.

Then back to my room to complete my packing for the trip out here to Perth.

The airport at Sydney was a bit of an experience. Qantas (my favorite airline, by the way) has this idea that it's much more efficient to have people stand on a huge long line with only four of the bag drop desks open, out of a total of 28. By my estimation, there were close on a thousand people waiting in line, and it took almost half an hour to check our bags. It was a good job that Linda, bless her, got me to the airport in good time!

The trip out here was uneventful and quite comfortable, and I was startled when I walked up the jetway to find Barb and Gus King waiting for me at the gate. Remember when that was standard practice? Apparently one doesn't need a boarding pass to go through security here, and I for one applaud that. It really is much more civilized!!

Upon picking me up Barb proceeded to bombard me with all sorts of possibilities on things to do while here. My head was spinning by the time we arrived at Kings Park, one of the most beautiful and well-used parks, I have ever seen. Part of it is left wild so that people have an idea of what the bush looked like before the area was settled, and the range of flora is simply staggering. The whole area is full of plants which, unless you live here or are visiting, you're unlikely ever to see.

We parked by the DNA tower (a fifty foot tower erected in the sixties shaped like a double helix, which one can walk up and have a view over the park), and then walked down a long broad grass avenue to the Xamia Cafe, to meet the lady who is the president of the Western Australia Calligraphers. After a leisurely cup of tea we walked back to the car and drove round to the tennis club where I was to meet my sister's brother-in-law. We hadn't seen each other in more than thirty years, and I wasn't sure I would recognize him. Sure enough, I didn't, but he figured out who I was. Geoff is a GP here in Perth and was quite interested in hearing about the mess we call a healthcare system in America.

Later, Geoff took me back to his house to meet his wife, Wendy, and then we all went out for dinner inClaremont, a suburb of Perth, to a place called Rudy's. I had a very nice dish of Tasmanian salmon, and it is quite delicious. I believe it is wild caught in fresh water, but I'm sure I'll find out more about when I get to Tazzie.

2 comments:

  1. Wow, ducks! sounds like you are enjoying yourself immensely! I'd bet Linda got you to the airport early because she wanted to get rid of you ;-) i'm chuckling, i hope you know!

    I'm Fully delighted to read your adventures!! - and see pictures! more, more! Even more thrilled that your such a rewarding experience!

    i can query CS about your blog access.. I can log on fine... oh, the joys ;)

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  2. can i correct my grammar, or anything like that?? more JoY! ;)

    ReplyDelete