Perspective

I've been being quite dramatic lately. I had a rough time on the Island, and I am still sore, but recently a few of my friends have separately shared some of the things that they have been going through, and it's put me to shame.

I love my friends, I am humbled and honoured that they feel they can share these intimate aspects of their lives with me. I wish there was something, anything I could do, to alleviate their stress and pain. I listen, I wish, if I was the type that prayed, I would pray, because it's all I can do, and I feel useless the rest of the time.

The one thing I will do more than anything else however, is stop complaining about the comparatively trivial problems in my life. I've been through real tough times before, and this is not it.

I will stop whinging about it.

The Rocks Markets

Well, well, well

Afterwards, we began to make our way down to The Big Dig Archaeology Education Centre, on the way down there I got talking to the CEO, who told me some really interesting stories about the site.

The bit that we were looking at was owned by a dude called Mr Cribb, he was a butcher, and well, well, well, did our dear butcher have some curious things down his well. Firstly he had a still, so our butcher was not only dealing in choice cuts, but also dealing in his own choice (and very illegal) home brew. True, this kind of behaviour is to be expected from a convict, working off his sentence, and his still-in-the-well side business was relatively harmless, his bigamy on the other hand, was a whole different kettle of fishwives.

Mr Cribb had a healthy and living Mrs Cribb, when he was convicted and shipped to his prime piece of real estate in The Rocks. This does not appear to have been enough for our dear butcher however, as after he arrived, and set up shop, he decided to take on yet another Mrs Cribb, and all was going well for him.

That was at least, until the first Mrs Cribb got wind of how well her hubby was doing down under, with his butchery, land ownership, and still-in-the-well side business, and decided to hop on a boat down to Sydney. Now, as Mr Cribb clearly couldn't coexist with two wives, as this is too much to ask of any man outside of Iowa, his wives did this kind of tag-team thing, where Wife #2 left on the same boat that the first Mrs Cribb arrived on.

It is believed though, that Wife #2 was none too happy about the situation, and most especially did not want the first Mrs Cribb being all comfortable in the house that she had set up. More specifically she did not want the first Mrs Cribb to be in possession of her best china, which was discovered many years later cast neatly down Mr Cribbs well.

Well, well, well.

Vivid - Lighting of the Sails

YHA Sydney Harbour

There's a dig site in Sydney at The Rocks, I'd been through it before years ago on a ghost tour. At the time they were constructing something above it at the time, I was told it was apartments and assumed that due to the pristine harbour view that they were likely to have that they would sell for some astronomical price, and therefore it was unlikely that I would ever set foot in them. I then had a little bit of a wistful dream on the subject, sighed, and thought of them no more.

That is, until last Friday, when I found myself walking over the preserved dig site, and into what is now the YHA Sydney Harbour Youth Hostel, and what a hostel it is. Firstly as I mentioned in my previous post (which was written on Saturday morning despite being dated today) the view from the terrace is stunning, but on Friday night we, myself and the other forum attendees, had the added bonus of our welcome drinks coinciding with the Lighting of the Sails for the Vivid festival. So, as we were having our getting to know you chats, which were surprisingly not as awkward as they usually are, the Opera House was being noticeably more spectacular than usual, being dressed, and caressed in projected lights.

After watching the light show, a selection of delicious pastas and salads were served for us, and the group continued to chat easily throughout the meal. Conversation flowed fluidly, I guess that's what happens when you put 7 people who have travel as one very serious common interest together. They all get along famously.

Youth Forum

Presently I'm sitting a little bleary eyed on the terrace of the YHA Sydney Harbour. As a small slice of good luck and good timing that comes from me being somewhat unexpectedly back in Sydney.

I was recently offered the chance to sample this magnificent hostel free of charge in exchange for participating in their youth members forum, they wanted it seems young (well, under 30 anyway), vibrant, opinionated members of the YHA to use as a focus group, so essentially I received a free nights accommodation, dinner, breakfast and lunch, just for being me.

Score.

Flying Out

There's a quote from the BBC television adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, it's the adaptation that contains that lake scene, you know the one I mean, that lake scene where Colin Firth manages to combine period drama and white T-shirt contests, and come off dreamy, but that's slightly off topic.

Long before that scene, there is a quote, spoken by Elizabeth after leaving Netherfield, having stayed there for a few days. She turns to Jane and says "I'm sorry to say it, but notwithstanding your excellent Mr Bingley, I have never been so happy to leave a place in my life". Elizabeth utters this phrase with an expression of such relief and fervour, and with only slight alteration sums up my feelings exactly. My time in the Whitsundays has been such an ordeal, with such a seemingly unnecessary amount of stress, the only redeeming factor being a few friends made. Now, as I fly out and back to Sydney, I have only one thought;

I'm sorry to say it, but notwithstanding the excellent people I have met, I have never been so happy to leave a place in my life.