Day 7 / Day 2: capital c


We got up early at around 7am intentionally so we could get out of there before the office opened. It was a great success! Pretty much as soon as we opened our eyes I shuffled into the driver’s seat and drove off into Canberra city. Just in case you were wondering, I had one of the most uncomfortable sleeps of my life.
View from outside Parliament
Parliament was first up (after we stopped for breakfast). Alice and Kate are politics majors so it was really just so they could satisfy their geek needs. We had to wait about 30 minutes for our tour to start so while the girls walked around, I just sat on the comfy couches. I looked around and all I saw were all these power plugs. I could count about 20 just from where I was sitting. I should’ve taken my phone charger! I stewed about this for ages until our tour finally got under way.
Me, Queen, Cherri's finger
I won’t talk about the tour because it was boring. Well, actually it wasn’t too bad but I don’t have much to say about it except that we had an awesome tour guide called Monique who kept making sly, political comments that I don't think she was allowed to.
Mini "Loov" (that's what we're spelling) on Parliament's roof
Pun ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
I was so aggrieved about the power plug situation that when we went to the war memorial, I made sure I took it. The war memorial was actually really fascinating. It was a lot bigger than I’d imagined as it had a museum section to it too. Geoffery was our tour guide and explained many of the atrocities of war from the Australian perspective. So much sacrifice.
View from War Memorial (so opposite end to the first photo)
Korea!
Kate's a South African
From the top of Ainslie hill you get an amazing view. Canberra is set up much like Washington DC. The war memorial, old government house, new parliament are all in a straight line – directly in line with our vantage point from the top of the hill.
Viewpoint from Ainslie hill
I can see why people would call Canberra a hole as there isn’t too much to do, but I found it to be a really neat place. Having said that, we didn’t want to stay another night there so, we headed off towards the east coast. We rolled through to a town called Nowra. We parked up by a remote beach and came to a group decision to have dinner and even stay the night there by the beach. Great decision! The dinner was so great in the sunset. I’ve never cooked such delicious Korean noodles before but I’m pretty sure it was because of the environment and stuff (Polestar also has its own kitchen utilities e.g. cooker, pots and pans etc).
Before heading off to bed we all huddled up to watch a movie (Polestar also has a dvd player!). It was a French movie called ‘I’ve Loved You For So Long.’ The girls fell asleep during the movie but I watched ‘til the end. It was a pretty good watch – not as chick flicky as it sounds – but the twist wasn’t really a twist.

Peak: Family dinner in the sunset by the beach
Pit: Having to be worried about my phone battery all day because of my missed opportunity to charge in the morning
Canberra pidgeons' extreme sleeping

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Notes for 27-years-and-5-months-old Phil

... even if he won't really understand. Dear Phil, Remember: Samos is a beautiful Greek island. With beaches, mountains, history and all the lures of a typical holiday destination from which you might expect. Samos is an inhabited island. It has shops, hospitals, cafes, bars, clubs, ATMs. You're not going there to be marooned. Don't say "I'm hungry" flippantly. Or ever. Don't say "football should be fun and happy" when people start getting competitive. Especially if you're coming from having 'won' the lottery of being from a place with freedom, opportunities, safety. RE: The police. "Serve + Protect." Who? "You and your friends" is not the correct answer. 'All Star' by Smash Mouth is a great boogie / sing along. Leave it at that and don't add it to your karaoke play list. There's a second verse you have no idea about. Your patience will be tested. You will feel like a horrible per...
Read more

Sonnet NoName - (March '17)

Image
Shall I compare you to a Samos day - data attained, analysed, authenticated the world over? You drift, dragging, anchored, seeking your weigh Numberless, stateless, in purgatory hover Lying to sleep, no light to be dimm'd Storm clouds above float free without borders Whilst this bed lifts to reveal the horizon Your eyes see no distance - only rock faces untrimm'd But your open heart and mind has not faded Despite the decisions circumstance has dictated They scoot over helm(et)-less, trampling their grit Whilst yours reinforces like steel bit by bit      So long as you can breathe and your eyes can see      So long lives this - a pledged devotee View over the hotspot, out into Samos town and beyond
Read more

SHARE ۯ FOOD

Image
This child was told 27 years to share food. He did good, read books, but never learned to split bread - spat back at what mum said. Never thought it was selfish 'cos, 'If I bought it and I ordered, then it should be as I wished.' Of course, there were times that I chose to be nice, remorse for the untouched vegetable sides. But inside my mind was a shallow road block. A dam full with still rules withers and rots. Distilled water needed to release the hold, in the form of cabin dwellers hosting NGOs -  made kindness mean money. Now I see my flaws. Tap water, a comb, a blunted shaver. The barber's cape - a poncho pullover. Vigilant flicks adding spritzes of flavour... only to follow with a 'see ya later...' The gap in the teeth is seen in the absurd. Later that night, I'll take flight in a metal bird and he'll  stay days contained, on uneven earth. Asylum sought but still caught where they were thought as not who but store bought h...
Read more