So long Lucie!

Lucie came back to the hostel for one more night before flying out this morning to return to le France. You remember Lucie... Lucie Lucie.... She was in a bunch of photos a while ago from Darling Harbour.... You know Lucie...

Pictured: Lucie

So as a little farewell we went to the Opera Bar for a few drinks and a chat about how crap France is, as well as how good Sydney is, plus I had some honey beer which was rather nice.

It was a bit rainy, but since when did that matter?

The view from the Opera Bar

So afterwards we headed back to the hostel for food and Solo, a good end to a good day. 

So until next time... oh wait! I forgot to mention day 3 of the gym. (Cue music)

Well day 3 was earlier on the same day and after a gruelling 30 minute session I was told it would be a good idea to keep my personal trainer to ensure I improved at what is quite a good rate. I will be honest, I am feeling much better and the 3rd workout seemed less painful than previous days so I must be improving, so to keep my personal trainer is surely a goo... EIGHTY FIVE DOLLARS FOR FORTY FIVE MINUTES?! Screamed my brain as Nathan stated the going rate for a PT at Fitness First. I think I could get a better deal at Kings Cross,

But the chance of contracting syphilis is significantly higher.

So I'll pass for now, although I will be (hopefully) taking on a second job next week as the limited hours at The Bank seem a bit pointless when the only reason I'm staying in Sydney is to work to fund my travels. But more on that later,
TTFN mes amis!

This could be the last time, maybe the last time I don’t know?

Oh no... Tomorrow I have to work, for (in case you haven’t guessed) maybe the last time. But to tell you about that would mean I would be all ‘non-linear’ and annoying. So Friday I was free to walk around and take pictures of parades against communism and get my TFN (finally) and then came Saturday...

FIIIIIIIGHT!

I wasn’t needed for work so I decided to wonder about, like you do. I went to the ‘Centre of Photography’ on Oxford Street (not the gay part, although there was a photo of a man with a full erection dressed as an angel, but I’m sure that was taking with completely heterosexual intentions). I then decided that Paddington Reservoir would be a good place to prove that turgid penises are not what photography is about and took a few snaps. In my pretentiousness I imagined how I would describe my images. 

It 'reflects' the pillars of society that are quite old but re-enforced with modern values

Arches that support nothing are like Greek social workers...

On Renny Lane there is a loser taking photographs, without indigestion.

I went back to the hostel, but not before visiting the NSW Art Gallery where I realised that art can be more than just a pile of bricks or an unmade bed. The sculpture of ‘An Athlete Struggling With A Cobra’ is so ShitBad that words could not describe just how awesome an album cover would be if it was inspired by the Fredric Leighton sculpture.

Pictured: Pure awesomeness

 Art is great sometimes. It can conjure images of childhood, the human psyche and HOLY SHIT WHAT IS THAT?!?!

Great use of colour...

An interesting take on the human form...

WHAT THE PUTAN?!?!

So after running as fast as I could away from the grinning freak child and her companion, I found myself back at the hostel. I had dinner and then after a while decided to go to Darling Harbour with two French people (Alex and Lucie (previously misspelt as Lucy)) But first we bumped into Australia’s most deadly tree climbing furry monstrosity, THE POSSUM! Photos below...

It will kill you...

I'm on a bridge!

Another ShitBad sculpture that looks even cooler at night

Yes that is my Gorrilapod in action helping me take some brilliant night shots!

Impressed? Well good. So back to today. I went to the Rocks market after helping Zoe (the German girl, although there is another German girl called Tabia now) carry some stuff into her new apartment (which is in Darling Harbour). I can’t remember if I mentioned the two Frenchies who were in my room when I began my adventure for reals have left for the Gold Coast (as of tomorrow, Lucie will be going that way too), but that is the way of the hostel, people are constantly on differing paths and although we create bonds as our paths cross we must realise that that bond is temporary. So on a less philosophical note, I, Alex, Zoe and Matteo went to the rocks to see the market, which was actually kind of cool, and we also met up with Lucie and wandered around like the coolest European party ever formed!

Pictured: The European Union of Awesome!

Part of The Rocks market

 Good fun, but then the realisation that working tomorrow may be the most awkward feeling ever seeing as I have already accepted that I won’t be there the day after. Weirder still is that my ‘last day’ will be in Newtown, the lesbian area of Sydney. So not only do I have to get 2 people to sign up but those 2 people will most likely be man haters that will no doubt criticise me for have a ‘bite’. I have been researching lesbian culture via South Park, so as long as I know what scissoring is I can ‘relate’ to lesbian culture.

Scissor Me Timbers

So that's a good run down of my weekend. TTFN! Meanwhile heres some slideshow action!

Photo's of Sydney

After yesterday’s post I decided to take a look upstairs in the library’s gallery. There is currently an exhibition called ‘Sydney Morning Herald Photos 1440’. It’s a collection of award winning photos from the past year (I think), there are some really interesting shots, some inspiring and some harrowing.

After about 30 minutes of walking around looking at a mix of 'impressive' and 'how did that win an award?' images I decided to take out my own 12 mega pixel power house of a compact digital camera and gets some scenic shots of my own.
After a short walk to the waterside I picked a spot nearby a bunch of other photographers with their much bigger, expensive cameras and their bigger and expensive lenses...

Because a big lens makes you a better photographer?

I was not embarrassed by my camera’s size as a quick press of the ‘Menu’ button unleashed a wealth of options for various situations, like ‘Sunset’ and ‘Night’ for longer exposure times and ‘Beach/Snow’ for brightly lit places. Armed with my camera set to ‘Sunset’ I started snapping away...

I like this one, but...

I'd say this is my favourite one.

The sun went down behind the city and the temperature dropped, time to go back to the hostel, which allowed me to take a couple of snaps of less 'touristy' things...

I also realised I should invest in a tripod for those 'long exposure' shots.

Cathedrals are even more Gothic at night.

Hardly an amazing adventure, but what’s the point of walking through a park to take photos if you can’t share them with the world (or the 5 people who read this blog).

I might see if any roommates want to go out tonight, we did suggest it last night but you never know if people are really up for it until they start drinking! This is Ryan The Ginger Lion signing off!
PS. If you ever happen to walk through The Domain at sunset, be prepared for the loudest birds possible. Those Cockatoos are 1000 decibel squawking monstrosities!