JoshuasTravels

Last weekend was the Sydney Gay/Lesbian Mardi Gras. Of course, I had to go. If only to compare it to the San Francisco LGBTQ parade (which has coincided with my Alcatraz swim three times out the four years). This time, the majority of my house elected to tag along. Exploring the city, we hit up the Aquarium, the Opera House, the Rocks, and Manly Beach. The following is photodocumentation thereof.
http://fento.ath.cx/photos/2005/1_winter/syd2_mardi_gras/index.html

The first few pics are of Jen’s (the one in the clam-shell bikini) 21st Birthday. So we went to the local Newcastle pub and had a few root beers. After that, we got on the roof and mucked around. ‘Nuff said.

DSCN3979 http://fento.ath.cx/photos/2005/1_winter/syd2_mardi_gras/dscn3979.jpg
Amanda, Russ, Rob, Gundi, Nikki. Gundi is really Sam, but everybody calls him Gun-dee because he’s from Gundagai, Australia (pop: 2,000). He’s the only Aussie that really hangs out with us. If the others are around, they’ll have some fun with the Americans, but Gundi is the true-blue dude. Plus, he’s incredibly photogenic – look for him in a few of the other pictures.

DSCN4005 http://fento.ath.cx/photos/2005/1_winter/syd2_mardi_gras/dscn4005.jpg
I like this picture because I set it up perfectly, then Clueless Jen walked right into it. Miraculously, it turned out looking pretty planned.

DSCN3997http://fento.ath.cx/photos/2005/1_winter/syd2_mardi_gras/dscn3997.jpg:
This is us, behind the Sydney Opera House. I’m pretty sure I forgot to mention this last time, but House’s architect (Jorn Utzon, with a / through the o) is Danish. I know that’s too much Dane to handle, so I promise I won’t mention the Sovereignty again for a few e-mails. Friday night we just hung out behind the O. House and chewed the fat. A lot of these pictures are a little fuzzy and I don’t know why. I switched the settings on the camera a million times last weekend, but it was still punking out.

DSCN4046 http://fento.ath.cx/photos/2005/1_winter/syd2_mardi_gras/dscn4046.jpg
There is a scene in the first Matrix where Morpheus tells Neo to look at the Lady In Red again. He does, and wham! it’s not the Lady In Red anymore, it’s an agent. All that takes place on a busy sidewalk in front of a fountain. This is us, in front of that fountain. The next picture is from a building down the street or, if you have an active imagination, the building that the Oracle lives in. I took the blue pill.

I like DSCN4053
http://fento.ath.cx/photos/2005/1_winter/syd2_mardi_gras/dscn4053.jpg
because it shows the incredible difference between the New Zealand and Australian flags. One has red stars, one has white stars. Creativity abounds in the Southern Hemisphere.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: A) Josh is reading a biography on Jim Morrison, B) Jim was, for a while, a Mythic Drunk and C) Josh is pretty impressionable. Thus, I reiterate: there is nothing to worry about. I’m already past the point in the book where Mr. Mojo Risin’ has gone from being a Mythic Drunk to just an Everyday Drunk. In these
pictures, you see me holding a bottle or two. In reality, those are pretty much the only bottles I’ve held since the last send-out. I’m trying to puzzle out the formula – it’s something like The Likelihood Of A Picture Being Taken increases if I have a Beverage In My Hand, but I can’t pin down the variable about The Likelihood Of The Picture
Being Important Enough To Post On The Internet exponentially increasing the snaps taken.

That’s all for now (and the next little bit). Due to the unforgiving nature of the Australian Higher Education system, I have a few big projects that need getting done. So I’ll be sacrificing the next two weekends for the “betterment” of my mind. I told my Prof I’d rather be in Perth, looking out at the big, blue ocean and bettering my soul, but he said my soul will just have to wait. But you know what happens that third weekend? Jack Johnson. I’m more excited about that then I should be, but JJ in Australia? Only a Jimmy Buffett appearance could make it more perfect. And, if everything stays jake, I’ll be off to
Hobart immediately after the concert.

J. Kirk Fenton

PS – My new column: http://www.trumanindex.com/news/890195.html I couldn’t get it to say exactly what I wanted, but I think this gets the gist of the message. If you can’t read it, let me know and I’ll send out another version. My school newspaper has just added aregister-for-free-or-you-can’t-read-the-online-edition that may or may not keep everyone from seeing it. And would somebody please clue me to Brad Wheeler’s e-mail address?

Let me welcome you to beautiful Newcastle. First off, I’ve laid out all the Australian loot. I like Aussie coin because it’s smart. Like every other nonAmerican currency, it’s different colors and different sizes (bigger means it’s worth more). This strikes me as just logical. Gundy, one of my house-mates, wouldn’t believe it when I told him the only difference in US bills are the numbers on the corners and the dead white guys in the middle. Also, Australian moola is plastic and untearable (I’ve tried). Legend says that this is so surfers won’t have to leave their wallets on the beach. They even have nifty slang for it: 10 = Blue Swimmer, 20 = Rock Lobster, 50 = Canary. Which is way cooler than 20 = Jackson. If you want some of this killer legal tender, let me know. I’ll even give you the best exchange rate you’ll ever get – a dozen donuts for every 3 dollaridoos. Finally, the guy in the hat on the Blue Swimmer is a world famous poet; the same guy that wrote Waltzing Matilda (roughly the Australian equivalent of Yankee Doodle Dandee).

The rest of Newcastle is pretty sweet, too. Those Jurassic Park looking pictures are my best representations of the Uni. It’s built right in a swamp-jungle. This means it’s always about 8 degrees Celsius hotter than the city proper. It’s the only downside to the place. I love my classes and I think I’ll be able to do okay in all of them, even with all my hiatusing about.

I live in the Hamilton suburb (Silverchair went to high school about three blocks from me), which is about 10 minutes from the beach and about 30 minutes from the Uni. I live about thirty seconds or three minutes from two bus stops, which is how I get around (whenever I can’t bike). It’s a pretty convenient house. I’m living with 5 other Americans (all East Coasters) and 5 Aussies. It’s not the Hilton and I’ve seen a few cockroaches (not too many), but it is AUS$120 cheaper than on-campus housing and I buy my own food, which means I can take it with me when I travel.

That big stack of books? That’s everything I want to read on the trains and planes. That big Australian map? Found it at the Salvation Army for four bucks. The highlighted red is everywhere I’ve been so far. The other markings are from the guy who had it before me.

Two-Fisted Death
http://fento.ath.cx/photos/2005/1_winter/newcastle1/index.html

PS – Got my Jack Johnson tickets. 23rd of March I’ll be rocking it with the locals. That’s the week right after my 20th birthday (I’m planning on spending that in Perth), which makes it even sweeter.

It’s worth noting that Aussies love their Danes. Ever since the crown prince of Hamlet’s Hometown married some off-the-street Australian Shelia, the OzPress has had a field day with the Danish version of Prince William (it’s a loose association – the Dane is twice the athlete, Samaritan and scholar than the British Pom ever could hope to be). I first noticed it in the papers, but Prince Fredrich the Fantastic was in Sydney the same weekend I was. I to buy a bike, he to dominate world-class yacht racing.

Got tucked into the Youth Hostel Association Hostel straight off the train. The YHA is sort of the Ritz of hostelling, so I was overcharged a few bucks, but I figured it was worth it: super-central location and ardi Gras high season evened things out.

Most of the pictures are self-explanatory; here are just a few side-notes. They’re in roughly the same right order (as you read this), but I’m sure you can match up with the right photographs. A last quick aside: there is no 1818 Wallaby Way and I’m not sure I would’ve gone if there had been. Nemo can find himself, eh?

I picked up my two-wheeled, 40 Dollaridoo, pre-loved Hog at a suburban Saturday Market. I actually ran into some people from Parkrose (a sister suburb of Troutdale) there. I would’ve gotten a group picture, but I had a train to catch in three minutes. Small world, eh? I’ve actually been pretty happy with the bike, in the four days that I’ve had it. I got myself a helmet and a rear-carrier (just like the kind grandpa has) with a crate. Its 18-speed and it’ll get me to campus and back, which is all I need. If I ever get around to that triathlon, she’ll (I’ve named her the Millennium Falcon) do me well.

I also hit up the Direct Factory Outlets. The DFO is a pretty sweet place and I picked up two shirts, a pair of shorts, and some surprises for Anna and Emelia there. All on a Traveler’s budget, too. I was looking for some Jimmy Buffett-esqe loafers, but no dice. My old loafers are shot and I feel naked without them. One of my old Truman Pals is named Jacquie, which explains the JACQUI-E picture.

The Opera House wasn’t as impressive as I thought it would be. I don’t really like Opera, though. But it was important to see, so I saw it. And that Palm Groove picture? I took that myself, with the self-timer feature of my little Nikon Coolpix 3500. Which explains the darkish quality, eh?

After some extensive investigating, I’ve verified that the fountain is the same fountain from the Lady In Red scene of Matrix1. This means that I’m going to get a better picture, one with me in front of it. Whoever e-mails in the best pose suggestion before Friday gets a signed copy.

If the Opera House was unclimactic, the Manly and Bondi beaches were a very pleasant surprise. They were both super-cool. I’m a Communications major, so I’m pretty inarticulate. Let’s just say that I’m thinking about skipping my trip to Darwin just to get another weekend there.

If I had one regret about my little weekend excursion, it’s that I didn’t get around to King’s Cross. The slums of Sydney, it was made infamous for it’s Neo-Nazi’s by Russell Crowe in Romper Stomper, a classic Ozziewood production. I would’ve liked to enlighten a few Kiwis’ on the subtler points of American Imperialistic Egalitarianism, eh? In the rough parts of Troutdale, I’m known as two-fisted death.

Not really. But it’s hard to believe I only have four more months here. The Newcastle e-mail is coming (I’ve got a little schoolwork to do before I can knock that one out). But I’m having a great time, rolling with a lot of the “culture shock” and the difficulties of being able to look out at that big blue Pacific and realize that the people you love are big, big ocean away. Life’s a rollercoaster, baby baby. I’ll get by.

Citizen Fenton
http://www.fento.ath.cx/photos/2005/1_winter/syd1/index.html

Those who wish to add or subtract an address to the mass e-mailing list will be required to present a paper cup not filled with cherry pits or gravel at the office of the  ex-administrator of unexpected nasal events. All others will be required to present paper cups NOT filled with cherry pits or gravel at the nose of the official administrator of ex-events. If someone could give me Brad Wheeler’s e-ddress, that’d be great.

In a word, the surf trip was: Awesome. I had a great time, met some great people, surfed some great waves and visited some great parts of Australia.

There were 30 or so surfers-to-be, two instructors, and a cameraman (they sell DVDs of the trip for AUS$50 – I wasn’t really in it, so I didn’t buy it). I was one of two Americans – the other a 28 year old vagabond originally from Chicago. He’s been around, had just spent two years in Japan, some time in South America, etc. We wound up sharing a two-man tent. Politically, we disagreed pretty completely, but we stuck to friendly topics and got along great. He really reminded of a cool version of Kyle Roff, my lame-o frosh roomie. He’s the guy with the goatee in picture “CIMG0259.”

Other than the two Americans, there were a few Canadians and a whole host UKers, with a Swede, Hollander (I hung out with those last two the most), and Korean. The UKers were mostly English, with a Scot and Irishman thrown in for good measure. Of course, the ensuing friendly rivalry was worth keeping an ear open – “that third burrito was tastier than the second – you up for fourth, Scot?” “Ay, if you are.”

For some reason, the Redcoats really liked my accent. They said it was unlike typical US-New York in its slowness, almost like a drawl. They immediate likeness was Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump. Of course, this was probably all during the daily, 10 minute “jerk the American’s chain” session. Still, we swapped – I’d say “Jenny got really sick” or “I just had to run” if they’d say “not bloody likely, you silly Yank.” The surf: I was standing up by second day, and really enjoyed myself the whole week. I know I’m not the next Laird Hamilton, but you sure do feel like Greg Noll, riding those giant two footers. It’s cliché, but true – “catch a wave and you’re sitting on top of the world.” I feel like I can’t explain in to non-surfers (yeah, I said it). If you ever get the chance, try it out. It’s almost better than kissing girls.

The locations: very out of the way, very beautiful. I hope I was able to capture some of that beauty with the ‘ole digital, but I only pulled it out when I was certain that there wasn’t any sand or salt or water to ruin it. I wasn’t about to ruin my camera my first trip out. Still, I took 153 pictures (I’ve whittled them down to the 97 most essential), which may convey the message I’m trying to send. None are of my surfing (risk > benefit), but all are fully downloadable, printable, and framable via any self-service kiosk. May I suggest that DSCN3833 would look wonderful on any wall?

A few explanations:

DSCN3809 – The Arts Factory is the hostel we stayed at Friday to Saturday. It was PDC; clean buy hippy

DSCN3810 – Pretty typical of most Oz-cars. In America, we all have SUVs but use them for freeway driving. In Oz, the only people that have off-road vehicles are the people that use them for off-roading. And they don’t mess around with Chevy Suburbans or H2s. They use Land Rovers, Land Cruisers, or older Jeeps.

DSCN3836 – John Howard is the current Australian PM. Don’t my forearms look incredibly muscular in that picture?

DSCN3848 – Outside the tourist pub in Byron Bay, around 10PM. That’s Johann, my Swedish bud. He’s 30, who had started that evening by downing his flask of Swedish brandy around. As you can see in the photograph, I am in complete control of my facilities and rather enjoying watching this guy try to do, well, anything.

Also – There may be a picture or two in which you may see me holding a bottle of good, old fashioned Australian Root Beer. Oz is a good place to drink Root Beer – there is an easy-going, laid-back, drink as much or as little as you like attitude that is very understanding of new Root Beer drinkers like myself. I assure you, there is nothing; I repeat nothing to worry about. I am fully aware of my inability to out consume any European or Australian (they are pros with the stuff) and the futility of any such efforts. No, I am content to sit and merely enjoy the warm feelings that accompany a belly full of the fizzy from a small number of Root Beers whilst retaining my lucidity.

Besides all that, the trip itself was super-cool. We camped out in true Surfer-style, eating cheap but energizing foods. For brekky, they mixed up this custom dish oatmeal, raisins, nuts, and corn flakes. With a dab of honey and some milk, it was tasty and energizing. The meals were all like that, charming, filling, yet true to wave-rider’s budget. Unbelievable. In a simile, it was cooler than two new Batman comics. Which is saying something.

Josh
http://www.fento.ath.cx/photos/2005/1_winter/surfaris_7_day_surf_camp/surfaris_josh/index.html
(be patient – the pictures are fairly large and we’ve reserved a relatively small piece of the pipe for them)

PS- My Address: Josh Fenton, Room 6 / 321 Parkway Ave / Hamilton, NSW 2303 / Australia. I presume it IS named after Alexander H, which is ironic because he was such a dweeb.

PPS- Coming Soon: pictures of Australian money, my living arrangements, and the one picture I took in the airport (customs restrictions sacred the dickens out of me).