SYDNEY

I am just loving my time here in Australia, it is just such a contrast from Vietnam. I went to the Australian museum and saw a fantastic exhibition about the history of the indigenous Australians.


How they have been treated throughout the years, Their children were taken away from them and put with white middle class families, supposedly for their own good.They are called the Forgotten Generation., Thousands of Aboriginal people were just slaughtered to make way for the white settlers .People were not even prosecuted for killing them in the early days, it was done as a kind of sport!!. Only recently the new Prime minister made a public Apology for the way things had been done in the past. Carmel says it was a very emotional day for everyone who watched him making the apology. It was a long time coming!
It also gave you a good insight into a lot of their traditions and how difficult it is for them living in Australia and maintaining their heritage.They pass stories ,or they call them, Dreams, from generation to generation. And when you hear the film clips of them describing the meaning of each story or piece of artwork it is so sad that they are having to struggle to do things that just come so naturally to them. Hopefully that will begin to change.
I then went to the Barracks museum to see the history of criminals who were shipped over here to live. There were a lot of Irish!!It was fascinating to see how the catholics were feared incase they plotted when they got together to pray.
There are lots of rosary beads that were found in wall spaces or under the floorboards.The cathedral in Sydney is getting all spruced up because the pope is due to visit soon.

Then it was onto meet Carmel for the opening of an art exhibition. She has a good life! We had a few free glasses of champagne then headed out in the pouring rain for a Japanese meal.

Carmel got me to eat raw eel, and I have to say it was delicious.
The next day I got the train out of Sydney to meet up with some lovely friends who I have not met for ages. Jake and Annable Lynch and their son Fin. Annable had to work, so Jake, Fin and I went to the beach for the day.


Fin and I had a lovely time getting to know one another. He is great company and so intelligent.He was also a dab hand at hitting the ball for a three and a half year old. Jake also cooked a lovely meal for me on the barbie

I stayed the night at their amazing house.They have their own swimming pool. A long way from the days I got to know them in their little terrace house in Armley in Leeds.They made me feel so welcome and it was great to catch up with Annable when she got home from work.

The next day I got up early with her and planned to chill on the beach all day and meet up later.But I had a very bad tummy bug so retreated to the hostel and slept all day through until the next day.It is ironic I go around south East Asia with only minor tummy bugs and come here and get hit hard. I am hoping to meet up with them again soon.

I then checked into the Bondi hostel for a few days.The weather was not very good.

I got caught in the most horrendous thunder storm, so retreated into a restaurant and had a glass of wine. Eventually I got a taxi to Carmel's(I was too frightened to walk in the thunderstorm!)
And she cooked up a very delicious prawn rissotto

We seem to spend a lot of time eating.It is fortunate that the hostel is literally round the corner from where Carmel lives so we are able to meet up.