I must apologize for the somewhat tardy nature of this latest post. After I returned from Sydney, I had some work to take care of and I've only now managed to sit down and take in the events of the last week. It was mostly calm, but there were some surprises.
I arrived in Sydney the night of Saturday and I was picked up from the bus station at Central Station, by my hosts, Andrew Bilinsky, Sonia Mycak and Polia Bilinsky. Andrew and Sonia both work at the University of Sydney, Sonia as a professor of Canadian studies and Andrew works with her at the institute they set up for Canadian studies. Polia is their 5-year old daughter who started school the Monday after I arrived. She has so much energy but had no problems adapting to school life. Andrew and Sonia, whom I met in Canberra, are both intelligent, interesting and all-around great people.
On Sunday, I was privileged to go with the family to a rugby game in the town of Gosford, about 1 hour north of Sydney. Andrew had won the tickets in a raffle and when I called to see if it was alright for me to travel to Sydney, Sonia suggested that I come along. That day, the Sydney Roosters were playing the Newcastle Knights in a historic game. On that day, April 21st, 1908, the first game of the National Rugby League was played in Sydney. The original teams were the Roosters and the South Sydney Rabittohs, who also still play. Until the 1980s, the league was not professional and players were people who lived in the neighbourhood, hence the teams all had neighbourhood loyalties. Anyway, the Knights proved too much for the Roosters that day. After the game, we all spent a little more time in Gosford and then drove home.
On Monday I took a walk to Coogee Beach, the closest to their home, and began a walk along the coast. From Coogee I walked to the world-famous Bondi Beach, going through a cemetery, and finally to the King's Cross district. Although it might not sound like I did that much, I assure you that the distance I travelled that day was considerable.
The following day, Andrew drove me to the university to show it to me. The University of Sydney is close to the city center and it is the oldest tertiary in Australia being founded in 1850. It is one of the formeost institutions in Australia. I walked around the university before going to Chinatown for lunch. I then walked to the Sydney Fish Market, the largest such enterprise in the Southern Hemisphere. It was significantly smaller than I thought, especially when compareds to San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. There are many seafood restaurants and shops at the Fish Market and it smells of the sea. I'm told the more impressive area is where fishers auction off their catch, but this is closed to the public.
Tuesday was very sedate and I spent the whole day indoors. Unfortunately, it rained virtually the entirety of my time in Sydney. I learned that Sydney actually receives more rain than London, it just happens to be in a very dry country. Also, I watched an Australian classic, Muriel's Wedding, a film which stereotypes early 1990s Australian society. It starred Toni Collette and Rachel Griffiths, two actresses who have since found considerable success in the US.
On Wednesday, I was invited to host, or at least produce, the weekly Ukrainian radio program that Sonia and Andrew run. The plan was to have me talk about Canadian-Ukrainian culture intersperesed with Ukrainian-Canadian music. However, after we left the house, we realized that none of us had taken the CDs I had prepared; Andrew and Sonia thought the other had taken the CDs. All we had was one CD I had in my hand. Quickly improvizing on the way to the station, we decided that the show would be more of an interview of me describing the differences I observed between Ukrainian life, and life in general, in Australia and Canada. We then played songs from the CD I brought at certain intervals. Actually, the show turned out very well, perhaps better than the original plan, and I look forward to once more being a part of the show.
I left Sydney Thursday night after thanking my gracious hosts profusely. I hope to go to Sydney again, as it is quite close.
The morning of Friday the 25th was a very important day on the Australian calendar, ANZAC Day. This is Australia's version of Remembrance Day when Australian's gather to remember those soldiers, sailors and air personnel of the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps who died during the First World War, and all falen Australian soldiers since. I particualry made a point of going to the Dawn Service, which began at 05:30. This commemorates the time that the ANZAC assaulted the beaches of Gallipoli in Turkey during World War One in an unsuccesful attempt, orchestrated by the British, to secure the Dardanelles. Much like Remembrance Day, people gather at the War Memorial, though it is much larger than the one in Ottawa and houses a museum. There are speeches, a minute of silence, bugling of Reveille and Last Post and people even place poppies on the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier. There was even reading of In Flanders Fields. The whole ceremony lasted only half an hour, but it was quite the experience nonetheless.
In a short while, school begins again and there are no further breaks until the end of semester. Although I do not celebrate the return to scholastic life, I am anxious to learn new things.
I arrived in Sydney the night of Saturday and I was picked up from the bus station at Central Station, by my hosts, Andrew Bilinsky, Sonia Mycak and Polia Bilinsky. Andrew and Sonia both work at the University of Sydney, Sonia as a professor of Canadian studies and Andrew works with her at the institute they set up for Canadian studies. Polia is their 5-year old daughter who started school the Monday after I arrived. She has so much energy but had no problems adapting to school life. Andrew and Sonia, whom I met in Canberra, are both intelligent, interesting and all-around great people.
On Sunday, I was privileged to go with the family to a rugby game in the town of Gosford, about 1 hour north of Sydney. Andrew had won the tickets in a raffle and when I called to see if it was alright for me to travel to Sydney, Sonia suggested that I come along. That day, the Sydney Roosters were playing the Newcastle Knights in a historic game. On that day, April 21st, 1908, the first game of the National Rugby League was played in Sydney. The original teams were the Roosters and the South Sydney Rabittohs, who also still play. Until the 1980s, the league was not professional and players were people who lived in the neighbourhood, hence the teams all had neighbourhood loyalties. Anyway, the Knights proved too much for the Roosters that day. After the game, we all spent a little more time in Gosford and then drove home.
On Monday I took a walk to Coogee Beach, the closest to their home, and began a walk along the coast. From Coogee I walked to the world-famous Bondi Beach, going through a cemetery, and finally to the King's Cross district. Although it might not sound like I did that much, I assure you that the distance I travelled that day was considerable.
The following day, Andrew drove me to the university to show it to me. The University of Sydney is close to the city center and it is the oldest tertiary in Australia being founded in 1850. It is one of the formeost institutions in Australia. I walked around the university before going to Chinatown for lunch. I then walked to the Sydney Fish Market, the largest such enterprise in the Southern Hemisphere. It was significantly smaller than I thought, especially when compareds to San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. There are many seafood restaurants and shops at the Fish Market and it smells of the sea. I'm told the more impressive area is where fishers auction off their catch, but this is closed to the public.
Tuesday was very sedate and I spent the whole day indoors. Unfortunately, it rained virtually the entirety of my time in Sydney. I learned that Sydney actually receives more rain than London, it just happens to be in a very dry country. Also, I watched an Australian classic, Muriel's Wedding, a film which stereotypes early 1990s Australian society. It starred Toni Collette and Rachel Griffiths, two actresses who have since found considerable success in the US.
On Wednesday, I was invited to host, or at least produce, the weekly Ukrainian radio program that Sonia and Andrew run. The plan was to have me talk about Canadian-Ukrainian culture intersperesed with Ukrainian-Canadian music. However, after we left the house, we realized that none of us had taken the CDs I had prepared; Andrew and Sonia thought the other had taken the CDs. All we had was one CD I had in my hand. Quickly improvizing on the way to the station, we decided that the show would be more of an interview of me describing the differences I observed between Ukrainian life, and life in general, in Australia and Canada. We then played songs from the CD I brought at certain intervals. Actually, the show turned out very well, perhaps better than the original plan, and I look forward to once more being a part of the show.
I left Sydney Thursday night after thanking my gracious hosts profusely. I hope to go to Sydney again, as it is quite close.
The morning of Friday the 25th was a very important day on the Australian calendar, ANZAC Day. This is Australia's version of Remembrance Day when Australian's gather to remember those soldiers, sailors and air personnel of the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps who died during the First World War, and all falen Australian soldiers since. I particualry made a point of going to the Dawn Service, which began at 05:30. This commemorates the time that the ANZAC assaulted the beaches of Gallipoli in Turkey during World War One in an unsuccesful attempt, orchestrated by the British, to secure the Dardanelles. Much like Remembrance Day, people gather at the War Memorial, though it is much larger than the one in Ottawa and houses a museum. There are speeches, a minute of silence, bugling of Reveille and Last Post and people even place poppies on the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier. There was even reading of In Flanders Fields. The whole ceremony lasted only half an hour, but it was quite the experience nonetheless.
In a short while, school begins again and there are no further breaks until the end of semester. Although I do not celebrate the return to scholastic life, I am anxious to learn new things.
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