Harping and Fencing: The Arts from the Days of Old

Fri, June 29^th - I took the harp out to Freshwater and recorded a new composition.  It was fun to play on the beach.  Because I played by a hiking trail, several people stopped to listen and help out with the recording.  They were all so friendly.  What a fun outing!

https://vimeo.com/45285999 

When I picked up Stef, we decided we would also make a video together.  She likes to dance while I play the harp, so I set up the camera and filmed her dancing to my music.  She is such a talented and passionate dancer.  It was so fun making a video with her!  I’m so proud J

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzkEK7FtSQ8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skTHlGHs-3I&NR=1&feature=endscreen

The White Horse

Then I took her to dance, made dinner and fed the kids.  Next, I met Amy and we went down town with Mary.  We had girl talk and a drink at The White Horse in Surry Hills, a quaint nearby downtown suburb with pubs and eateries along the street.  Then we took a taxi to the Observer, a pub in the Rocks to watch a friend play.  Alex is a guitarist and singer and he’s one of Su’s friends I met when I first arrived.  We always like talking music, a common bond.  He played some fun crowd pleasers.  

Sat, June 30th- I went with the family to Mark’s fencing competition.  He plays both foil and eppe.  These are the names of two different types of weapons (swords). 

There is a whole underground fencing society that I didn’t even know existed.  The fencers all gather in a large gym and play throughout the day, determining the best competitor.  They connect their weapon to a cord that runs up their arm and down their back to the charger.  Then, they battle on a silver panel runway.  When they hit the opponent a buzz goes off and they receive a point.   Mark won 2 out of 4 bouts (games).  He played very well against the number five fencer under 15 in the world.  The score was 5 v. 4.  We had fun watching him play and talking with the other families of the fencers.  It was freezing in the gym, so I was ready to go after a few hours.  Stef behaved very well.  We played together and took pictures on my phone.

After the competition, we went to Peter Pan’s Italian Pizza.  We enjoyed our food, wine and dessert.  It was nice being out as a family.  And it was nice not to have to cook or do the dishes.  J

I went out with Amy for Canada Day after dinner.  We wore red and white and went to a Canada Day party in the Rocks.  It was fun, but there were definitely some “interesting” people out for the night.  

Hunter Valley

Wednesday, June 20^th- I decided to make a video of my arrangement of Pirates of the Caribbean.  I guess I’ll call it Pirates of the Tasman Sea.  The Tasman is between Australia and New Zealand.  Here’s what I came up with:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ58d2BbwKA

Thursday, June 21- Manly Wine with the girls – always a good healing time when girl talk and sip on a good vino

Friday, June 22- Dinner at Jo’s till 11:30- Again, Jo is amazing.  She had me over with some other young adults and couples from the church.  We were there for several hours, with an assortment of courses.  I loved the conversation and food.  

Sat, June 23- Hunter Valley with Amy

Amy and I drove about an hour and a half north of Sydney to Hunter Valley, the wine country. We visited only 4 of 130 wineries there. :) It was legendary, an explosion of flavor, sweetness, and happiness.  An epic journey of two friends, in Australia, savoring each moment of laughter and goodness.  And how does it get even better?  Kangaroos. Yes, we saw kangaroos! SO COOL. I. LOVE. AUSTRALIA.

 Left: Smooth. I might even say- this girl... she's cool as a cucumber.

So picturesque. 

I clearly like this little pond and plot of land (above). It reminds me of the farm back home, only the grass is injected with eons more chlorophyl...

This was my favorite because of our new friend Bonnie... She enlightened us as she poured several tastes. We bought our favorite two bottles. We'll crack them open for our last day together in Australia... bitter sweet, literally :)

The sunset was gorgeous, so we had to stop and play in the rays. This is what we have to show for ourselves :)

This is a dance move I like to call, "the AWESOME sun dance". It is very difficult to execute, but with practice, patience and perseverance, you can perform this to perfection. If I can do it, so can you! Give it a go the next time you are driving while the sun is setting. Just pull that car over- at that moment when you can't take your eyes off of this illuminating star, even though with each second, your eyes ache just a little bit more, slowly causing tears to inch their way out of the corners of your eyes. With haste, pull the car over, and perform this dance. It will bring joy to your day. If not to you, then to the innocent passers-by on the road...

Utter happiness

Dinner at a Thai BYO place... notice the box wine.. Yeah, that's right, we know how to keep it classy, even after a day of wine tasting. Bonnie wouldn't approve... But we are certainly economically savvy. Free wine tasting and then box wine at the end

We simply LOVED Hunter Valley.  The vineyards and tastings and people.  Each stop was so unique, with a different life and personality specific to its vineyard.  The scenery was exquisite.  We saw kangaroos and horses in the pastures.  We loved taking pictures at sunset.   We learned a lot about wine, especially from our favorite wine seller ever, Bonnie! She was so sweet and gave us several kinds, and taught us the ways of wine tasting and savoring.  Lovely girl. 

Sunday- Jerry had to go to the hospital so I took care of the kids today.  I took Stef to her soccer game.  She was precious. 

Then I treated the kids to KFC.  So weird that they have a ton of KFCs here.  Amy came over- I made breakfast for dinner, omlet style.  We had fun with the kids just enjoying a relaxed Sunday afternoon and evening.  I hope Jerry gets better though.  He’s been on and off sick for awhile.

Those Things Domesticos

Tuesday, June12

Jerry has been sick for the last couple of days, so Emila took him to the hospital to get some fluids back in him. I stayed home and did the laundry.  It was raining all day so I didn’t mind being inside.  Then I drove Stef to ballet and made dinner.

Wednesday, June 13
To Do: 

-Watch this little one :) Love her

-Pick up ring at car dealership- (I left my ring in Amy’s car, and then she sold the car for the family- so I had a panic, then drove to the dealership and luckily they had found it and held it for me.  Close call…)

-10:30-11:30- Pilates

-Make cake balls for Mark’s birthday tomorrow

Thursday, June 14- Mark’s birthday J

I woke up early and made pancakes for Mark.  He was so excited to be treated special for his birthday.  During the day I took care of Ash and Oli.  Then that evening, I made a special dinner for Mark, with cakeballs and candles at the end. Then Amy and I went to the Park hotel in Frenchs Forest and then met up with Mary for wine at her place.  Yay girl time.

Friday, June 15

I had dinner at Jo’s.  She’s so lovely.  She made a flat mushroom dish topped with pumpkin, zucchini and feta cheese.  We always have real conversations and solid encouragement time.  I’m going to miss her when I leave.

Saturday, June 16

It was raining again, but that wasn’t going to stop Amy and me.  We were determined to go to the horse races.  After all, it was on our list. So, we got dressed and then started the long venture.  We made it to our first two trains, but after that, our bus ran late, which meant we missed our last train that only went once every hour.  We made the most of it, talking and giggling in the rain, but we didn’t make it to the races until 3pm… They end at 4:30, so we didn’t have much time.  However, since we were late, we just walked right in without having to pay!  Bonus! Worth being late, for sure!  We are just so economically and environmentally savy: saving money, using the bus and trains… I mean really, it’s sometimes hard being this cool AND thoughtful. Just teasing.

While at the races, we met some cool gents.  We didn’t have hats this go round, but it was still epic.  We’ll have to go again when the weather is better and we actually make a whole day out of it.  Still, overall success. Then we went back into town and met up with some friends.

Sunday, June 17

Church at 2

Died Mary’s hair

Dinner at Ivanhoe- salmon and mash, then church with Mary

Monday, June 18^th- I skyped with Mom and Dad, checked emails, watched the kids in the evening.  Then Amy came over.  She no longer has a car or Internet at her place, so we talked through that and scheduled traveling.  We watched the first part of Tangled with Stef for some girl time too. What a good movie, love the music. Way to go Disney for finally having a good Disney Princess movie again. It’s been awhile.

One of my favorites from the movie: 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_0Y4aSY1hM

Tuesday, June 19^th- I hiked to Curl Curl for a quiet time.  It was refilling as usual.  Then I took a nap- that was a first. Next, I picked up Mark, took Stef to Ballet, made dinner, and watched the 2^nd half of Tangled with Stef while ironing. Nature and domestic days are always good days. I learned that from my mom. 

A Close Call ... then Canberra

Sunday, June 10- Amy and I planned to work out but we were deterred by a catastrophe.  Amy’s host mom opened the gate for us to back out of the car.  Suddenly, the dog, Tex, ran out into the street and got hit by a car.  It was all very sudden and traumatic.  I actually saw it all happen right next to me.  He was hit by a speedy 4Runner.  After the initial impact, he rolled under the car, hitting his hip and head.  All the neighbors heard the thud and screeching breaks and came running outside.  Amy’s host mom ran over, crying. While she got the car, I held the baby and talked soft words to Tex.  A little boy from across the street brought a towel and we held it on the open wound.  Tex was oddly calm, but the incision on his hip was gaping.  Amy and her host mom rushed to the emergency vet.  Tex had to get over 40 stitches and stayed overnight. Luckily, he looks like he's going to be fine.  What a close call!  I'm glad he's okay. 

After all of that, Amy and I ate dinner with my family and then spent the night at my place. 

Monday, June 11- CANBERRA

Our Day off - Amy and I decided if it was raining on the weekends in Sydney, we would just drive somewhere it wasn’t raining.  We wanted to start crossing things off our to-do list.  So- Road trip to the capital city of Australia, Canberra!

We took off at10:00am and drove for 3 ½ hrs.  It was a nice scenic drive.  Our first stop: The Canberra Wartime Museum. 

In a nutshell, I learned about:

Australia in WWI, camels, ANZAC/Gallipoli, diggers, Australia in WWII, the bombing of Darwin.

To expand on my short hand:

Australia’s involvement in the World Wars is not often discussed in U.S. schools, so I had some learning to do.  In terms of human loss, the First World War was the most costly conflict for Australia.  Out of a population of 5 million, an army of 417,000 soldiers was raised.  58,132 of those soldiers were killed. Due to its removed geographic location, I had assumed Australia would have been a peaceful oasis, safe from the Great War.  However, because Australia was still a British colony in 1914, it was under the orders of the “Mother Country” who had just declared war against Germany. 

Australia responded to the declaration of war and need for troops with enthusiasm. A majority of the Australian volunteers were sent to Egypt first, not Europe, to meet the Ottoman Empire, Turkey.  Australia fought for British interests in the Middle East and the Suez Canal.

Fighting ensued in barren regions such as Palestine against the Ottoman Empire.  The soldiers were under extreme conditions. So, both the Commonwealth and Turkish forces acquired unique wartime modes of transportation. Unlike trench warfare in Europe, the fighting in the Middle East was more fluid and mobile. The Australian Light Horse was one example of successful mounted troops. However, what I find intriguing is their use of camels as an essential form of mounted units. Camels were mainly used to transport equipment and supplies.  But they also formed the Camel Corps, used to transport fighting soldiers. 

The Australian Camel Corps

Although their stubborn dispositions were difficult at times, the camels were useful and well built for the task. The Australian Camel Corps were involved in some of the more aggressive fighting, however, when the fighting moved out of the desert area the units were no longer needed. 


Trench Warfare

Enough camel talk.  On to other important facts.  It was Apirl 25^th, 1915.  Members of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) successfully landed on Anzac cove in Gallipoli, the European part of Turkey, along with troops from Britain, New Zealand, and France. This sparked a campaign that ended with the evacuation of troops in December 1915. Following Gallipoli, Australian forces fought on the Western Front and in the Middle East. April 25^th is now known as Anzac Day in remembrance of those who fought and died that day.

The fighting continued through 1916 and 1917, with fewer military gains and more casualties and deaths.  However, Australia took part in many decisive advances in August 1918 until finally on November 11th Germany surrendered.

Diggers, pronounced "diggas" 

ANZAC troops were particularly good at digging tunnels between trenches.  This proved beneficial in battle.  These tunnels were difficult to dig, but militarily beneficial when creating pathways to enemy trenches. When both sides' diggers met in the tunnels, fighting would then ensue. ANZACs believed that it was a compliment to be deemed “diggers”, because it implied that you were good at a very difficult job.

Australian Wartime Museum and Memorial

To commemorate the sacrifices of Aussie soldiers

In the years leading up to the WWII, Australia stood side by side with Britain's policy towards Nazi Germany, by supporting its pacification of Hitler and then its fight for Polish independence. Britain threatened Germany to withdraw from Poland but Germany refused.  Thus, Britain declared war on Germany.  Australia then joined WWII in September 1939.  Due to the Great depression in the 20s and 30s, Australia was not nearly as prepared for war as they in 1914.  However, by the end of the war, almost 1 Million Australians served in the Armed Forces.  They fought in Europe, North Africa and the South West Pacific. 

The Parliament House is directly across the Wartime Memorial
You can see the Parliament House behind us

Point A is Darwin, where Australia was bombed for the first time in history

Australia was directly attacked for the first time in history on Feb 19, 1942 in Darwin. When this occurred, Australia then joined forces with the United States and Britain to fight against Japan.  So essentially, Australia fought two wars between 1939 and 1945- one against Germany as apart of the Commonwealth and another against the Japanese in the Pacific. From 1942 until early 1944, Australian forces played a vital role in the Pacific War.  Australia contributed significantly to the Allies in the South West Pacific until the war ended.

After the Wartime Memorial and Museum, we went to the Bontanic Gardens.  We walked through the lush Rainforest Gully and enjoyed the Rock Garden.  It was peaceful.  On the ride to our next stop, we saw kangaroos hopping in the field!  It was epic to see them in the wild.  They were so fast we didn’t even get a picture of them.  Oh Australia and your wildlife. 

Parliament House

Next up, the History Museum and Parliament House. The history museum was about to close, so we had to rush through it.  But we saw models of the Opera House, stuffed Echidnas and Platypus, documentaries on Aborignials, sheep, Kangaroos, farming, clothing, styles and animal life in Australia.  The Parliament House was very contemporary.  

The sun was setting which was exquisite.  When the Parliament House was originally built, it was the most expensive building in the world, $1.1 billion.  It was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on May 9, 1988.  It is a place of meeting for the Parliament of Australia, appropriately located in Canberra, the capital of Australia.  Like Washington, DC in the States, Canberra is in the Australian Capitol Territory (ACT).  Just like the District of Columbia (DC), the ACT is a territory delegated for the capitol of the country, separate from the states.  So I guess to mimic America, you could say, Canberra, ACT like Washington, DC.  Maybe not…

After the sunset at the Parliament House, we ate dinner at a cute Italian place.  It was quaint and authentic, with outdoor seating under a covering and space heaters.  We split a delectable risotto with spinach and pumpkin and savored our glasses of wine.  Then we stopped by a local hot spot, an Irish Pub in town.  We had some flavored champagne and enjoyed our own “nook” by the fireplace.  It was simply idyllic.

Our "nook" at the Irish Pub

A Glimpse of Heaven Video Shoot

Friday, June 8^th- I woke up at 5:45am to check out the sunrise at Curl Curl.  Since we are going to shoot tomorrow, I want to make sure we can see on the trail that early.  I also wanted to plan out which spots I want to go to and in what order. 

The sun rose at 6:45am.  It was breathtaking.  I cannot wait for tomorrow- provided its good weather.  It’s funny how God takes care of little things that he shouldn’t care about.  For the past week and the upcoming week, every day is forecasted to rain, except for today and tomorrow.  Talk about divine intervention.   Then I rushed back home to help get Stef ready for school.  After that, I went back to Curl Curl to finish the trail to my secret spot.  It wasn’t easy, but I finally paved the way.  I practiced fitting the harp in the car, then I tuned the harp, and practiced my song.  The song I am going to play for my music video is very near and dear to my heart.   I will be playing "A Glimpse of Heaven", an original composition, in memory of Nana, Grandaddy, and Grandmartha.  I wrote it when I was 13 years old, when I learned first hand about aging, life and death. We filmed at Curl Curl, a northern beach in Sydney Australia because it was heaven on earth to me.  It is special and so is my song.  I can’t wait to play in such a magical place.

This evening, I stayed over at Amy’s since she had to babysit.  We thought it’d be easier to get ready at the same place and leave there together.  Amy is getting up early with me to help out with the harp.  She’s AWESOME! 

Now, off to bed, for tomorrow is a big day!

A Glimpse of Heaven 

Saturday, June 9^th- We woke up at 5:00am and scrambled about, getting ready and loading the harp.  Then we picked up Alex and all crammed in the car to Curl Curl.  I carried the harp up the cliffs most of the way while Amy carried the stool and bags.  (This harp is MUCH smaller and lighter than my pedal harp back home.) 

Alex lugged his camera gear.  Once we made it to the narrow bush trail at the end, Amy and I carried the harp together, like hauling a couch.  We must have looked so silly, traipsing through the trees, me in my dress, tennis shoes and North Face jacket, holding for dear life to the celtic harp, winding through the bushes up the cliff… What a sight.  

It was pretty chilly, but it was quite a work out, bringing the harp to the tops of the cliff.  I managed to step on my dress at the very beginning when carrying the harp through the trail I had made the day before... Fortunately, the harp covers up the dark brown spot on the dress, so you can’t see it in the video.

What an amazing opportunity to play at such incredible places in nature. 

When I played on the cliff, with the sunrise as my backdrop, everything faded away.  It was just me and the world.  It was unreal.

My dress got dirty from treking up the cliff

Amy, my helper, all bundled up

Alex filmed from several different angles with a slider and other fancy camera equipment.  I must have played that song a hundred times today.  My fingers started growing numb, but it was worth it!  Amy was so great, taking pictures and holding my jacket or helping me readjust or move the harp to other locations.  We also filmed on the beach once the sun was up.  The surfers didn’t quite know what to think with me sitting on a rock, playing the harp.  It was fun though, that’s for sure! 

The video should be completed and posted in October 2012.  When I return I will professionally record the song.  Right now we are using a lesser quality track I recorded with my own equipment. Once I lay that track, then I’ll have my final product. J

It's amazing to be making my dreams a reality. From the moment I stepped foot on these cliffs, I knew I had to play my heart song here. In this special place, I could see a living painting of what I had been hearing for years as I played the harp. It was out of this world and perfect: it was a glimpse of heaven.