Holiday Inn

5.4.2012

Friday. Today we had class in the city. We all had to meet at Archibald fountain just outside of St. James station. Today was Rachel Conway’s birthday, so we sung to her in typical loud American style. From there the group split in two. Half went to the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the other went to another Museum with an aboriginal exhibit. I started at the Art Gallery. The down stairs was full of Aboriginal art work.

There was one work that was this giant typographic representation of a poem that Mr. West used to say to my English class all the time senior year.

“In the desert I saw a creature, naked, bestial, Who, squatting upon the ground, Held his heart in his hands, And ate of it. I said: "Is it good, friend?" "It is bitter - bitter," he answered; "But I like it Because it is bitter, And because it is my heart."

Boy, that brings me back…

I wanted to take pictures of it but we weren’t allowed to.

After that, the group came together and ate lunch in The Domain Park

After lunch, the groups switched and went to the location that they didn’t go to in the morning. So I headed to the museum. When we were done there we were dismissed for the day.

We walked to St. James train station so we could catch a train to New Town. A bunch of us headed to New Town. We were all going out to eat for Mexican food as a surprise for Rachels birthday. But we almost missed the train, and Emily almost died trying to catch it. The train was at the station so we all rushed to get through the turnstiles. The rest of our group had made it but Emily and gotten caught up at the turnstiles. Next thing I know, the train is saying “Doors closing” and Emily is still running down the stairs. Luckily Janae was holding the door open. Emily bounded down the last 4 or 5 stairs and barely made it onto the train before the door pushed Janae out of the way. It was too much excitement for me.

After that adrenaline rush, we made it to New Town. We all got there and Kaela brought Rachel a little bit later. Rachel was very surprised!We ate some Chipotle Chicken Tacos, sang happy birthay, then a little while later my roommates and I went back into the city.

She has no idea.

  We went into The Rocks to visit my Host brother, Kieran, at his work. He works at Holiday Inn. And when I say we went to visit him, I mean we went to use him for the view from the roof of his hotel. So we went there, and got some really sweet pictures of the opera house and the harbour bridge. It was gorgeous and I really could have stayed there for a lot longer. But it had already been a rather long day so we decided to head home.

When we got to strathfield station, we started walking to the exit, and who should be walking the same direction, but Kieran! We were on the same train and didn’t even know it! So we walked home together and when we got home we turned on an AFL game. That is, Australian football league. AFL is nothing like NFL, so get that idea out of your mind right now. Kieran explained the rules to us, which was a really good thing, because we are going to an AFL game tomorrow night. At half time, Carly and I decided that it would be a great night for Magnium Icecream. So we walked to the servo and got some. That was a good end to a great day!