Transcending Borders With Seeds in Our Hands

I’m back in Sydney at long last. It is noticeably warmer than I left it, making me break a sweat as I hiked (mostly uphill) from the bus station to Kings Cross with my strangely-getting-heavier backpack. I don’t know how I have accumulated so much stuff and I sometimes wonder if some prankster keeps putting rocks in the bottom of my bag. There are some things that I have had to buy like shampoo and body wash. But it is still a mystery why my two bags are always full…

I got in to Sydney yesterday afternoon and wasn’t in the mood to do much until later that evening. After a while of traveling you just need to take those nice, long breaks. I headed out to town at about 6:00 and went to an area of the city called “The Rocks.” It is the area right between Circular Quay (where the ships and ferries leave) and the Harbor Bridge. It is an upscale part of town with really old but beautiful buildings which house designer stores the likes of Hermes, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci. I was on my way to a Bavarian restaurant that was recommended by my guidebook. I was in the mood for some schnitzel. I got to Lowenbrau and was immediately seated in the outdoor section by a woman wearing the traditional Bavarian dress. I ordered my food and soon an oom-pa-pa band formed in the street and played for about an hour. It was quite a festive atmosphere, especially because it is Oktoberfest right now. I got my chicken schnitzel but, unfortunately, with my cold I couldn’t really taste much. After I finished my meal I wandered around the harbor area. The Harbor Bridge was fully lit, emphasizing its grandeur. I looked up to the top of it because I saw some objects floating around at the top. I watched for a while and realized they were birds. They swarmed around the lights, looking like ashes being carried upward by a fire. It was one of those larger-than-life moments where you are overwhelmed by where you are and you can’t imagine having to leave.

I did leave though in order to walk around the beautifully lit, billowing sails of the opera house. I noticed, however, a ramp that went from one side of the harbor to the other. They were all lit up and I realized that someone was going to do some stunt on television. I read the side of the ramp as I was walking and it said “Monday 7:30” and that’s when I bit it on the steps of the opera house. I had a water in my hands that went flying and some guy stopped to ask me if I was okay and returned my water. I must say that it was a particularly graceful and painless fall. I expected to have a bruised arm or something immediately after I stood up but I really was perfectly fine…just a little embarrassed at all the Asian tourists who were staring at me.

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