Boxing Glove

Did the "squeeze" on my hands tonight in sculpture and had time the last half hour to start chipping away at the plaster cast. I managed to get the wrist clear of the female hand and it looks for all the world like a hand wearing a boxing glove. It was hard to put away the tools and say goodnight--there is something magical about the moment when a chunk of plaster falls away cleanly and you see something that is recognizably sculpture underneath.

I like this class, too. The teacher is much better, more sociable, and there were only two other very nice seeming students there, a late 40s-early 50s man and a woman not too far from my age.

Woohoo

Sculpture classes start up again today. Hopefully I'll get to find out over the next week or so whether these babies have survived their transfer to a plaster existence.

Happy Anniverary, Me

I landed at the Sydney International Airport last year today with more bags than I could carry and no clue as to what I was getting myself into.

It has been a year full of travel and beautiful landscapes and new things and wonderful people and intellectual stimulation and personal growth. Lots of loneliness, homesickness, missing of friends and family and normal food and normal English and the comfort that comes from understanding the nuances and unspoken meaning of what is occurring around you, too. I am still astonished that I live in Australia (Australia!). I think the next step of my life here will involve getting over the self-image of a shell-shocked, fresh-off-the-boat new arrival and start to learn what it means to have a life here.

Anyway, it is a quiet celebration here. The Pope is in town and it doesn't seem worth venturing outside and battling pilgrims, so I am huddled in my red blanket and Tasmanian hat trying to stay warm. Have I complained here yet about how the concept of heating seems to have passed by the Antipodes??

Umina Beach

Pelicans!

Woy Woy Tats

The tattoo parlor seemed to be the happenin' place.

Woy Woy, NSW

Went one hour north by train today with friends to Woy Woy. The name may be more interesting than the town, but a very nice day nonetheless.

I know I complained about this before

But can I say again that I hate that I live in a country that follows a different spelling regime???

My spelling skills are just not up to the challenge. I am writing a paper for an American journal and I hate that my Word turns behavior to behaviour. Far worse still, I hate that I cannot tell whether behavior is correct in the American sense or not! Close to 30 years of blood, sweat, and tears on learning to spell reliably are swirling down the toilet as I type.

Sorry, but this is too funny

Child labor heaven or hell?

Another sight outside the cathedral....

Cockatoos!

Bats!

Kookaburra!

Winter flowers should not be this voluptous

Another sad note

There was some sort of Aboriginal pride event in my neighborhood, with this guy performing a sort of under-energized rap. Sadly, the police were the largest group in attendance.

The Pope as marketing opportunity

World Youth Day is happening soon here, with the Pope's visit, and Sydney is gearing up for it. This depressing tent was outside the cathedral.

New camera

Well, it is new for me at least. I'm even reading the instructions, so expect to see the picture quality go up on this site.

Hello Sydney

It seems I've made it back to Sydney in one piece. And despite Sydney life feeling like a dream, my muscles remembered how to get me to work and back, including looking in the proper directions as I cross the street. It was nice to see the usual characters at the grocery and at the fruit and veg. My house seems to have survived tenants, though I still have a load or two of sheets and towels to get through. Fortunately it was a strong sun sort of day today, good for hanging laundry.

I'm looking forward to the clean-slate aspects of starting up normal life again.