Beach weather
Gearing up for bed after a very nice weekend, which including enjoying the unseasonably beach-worthy weather we have been experiencing.
I spent this morning checking out Mosman—a waterfront suburb* on Sydney's north shore—with a friend. We grabbed brunch along the coast at Balmoral Beach, which was teeming with people enjoying the gorgeous weather.
After brunch, we walked south for a few hours, stopping (along with tons of tourists) at Middle Head and Georges Head. There were hundreds of sailboats, ferries, leisure boats, and even sea planes, out in the harbour; it was really amazing to watch them come and go.
Much of the coast of Sydney Harbour is comprised of sandstone cliffs, offering dramatic vistas of the city and active waterways which hug the city. The headlands of Sydney Harbour create a gateway to the Pacific Ocean, and are visible from a number of inner headlands within the greater metro area, so there's plenty of places I have yet to see. It was nice to check out some new ones today!
This week, I stayed busy with work and school. But in the evenings, I had the chance to check out a few new restaurants in the neighbourhood and catch up with friends. On Thursday evening, a friend (Alex) who I first met at a conference in Gold Coast in 2013, had an exhibition opening at the Sydney Uni architecture school. The exhibit focused on the indigenous conceptualisation of space and land, and its manifestation in the city today—interestingly, similar to my masters thesis.
The exhibition was interesting, though I admittedly spent most of the time catching up with her partner, Jas(on). Alex spent the last few years as a post doc at Sydney Uni, but has now relocated to Melbourne for a permanent position. She and Jas stayed with me in Atlanta a few years ago, and over dinner we decided that a trip for me to visit Melbourne in a few weeks was in order. So, on Friday morning I booked a ticket to go down and see them, and a few other friends, at the end of the month!
On Friday night, I decided to get a bit of culture and went to Sydney's main Broadway-style theatre to catch Mamma Mia. The Capitol Theatre, only a ten-minute walk from my house, was built in the early 1900s within the shell of an old fruit market from the 1800s. Much like the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, it has a "starry night" sky inside, though is themed more along the lines of "classical garden," over the Fox's Egyptian/Moorish Revival stylings. And at half the size of the Fox, it was intimate, and a cool place to catch a show.
Anyways, I had seen the show in Atlanta a few months back at one of the smaller theatres in town, and have to say I wasn't all that impressed with the quality of the Sydney production, in comparison. When I spoke with a Sydneysider friend (yes, that really is the demonym for people who live in Sydney), they said they weren't surprised I felt that way—after all, the most talented people here tend to go pursue careers on Broadway or in London's East End.
Regardless, it was a nice bit of culture, and nice to know that I have a theatre so close by! Though aside from checking out things I really want to see, I probably won't be frequenting it.
Finally, last weekend I finished setting up my room. While it is small, I'm quite content with how everything ended up. I have a desk, plenty of storage, and a nice chair for sitting and reading on the terrace. All in, things have come together. Now, to buckle down.
*The word "suburb" is used differently in Australia than in the US. Here, it stands in for "neighbourhood" or "district," as we would refer to Buckhead or Midtown in Atlanta. Each area in Sydney (and indeed, across Australia), including urban areas, are called "suburbs," with each having its own postal code. For example, the City of Sydney is comprised of 32 suburbs—among them the CBD (Central Business District) and Chippendale (where I live)—many of which were formerly founded as independent municipalities, but that were ultimately consolidated into the single city. Therefore many inner-city suburbs are far from suburban.
I spent this morning checking out Mosman—a waterfront suburb* on Sydney's north shore—with a friend. We grabbed brunch along the coast at Balmoral Beach, which was teeming with people enjoying the gorgeous weather.
 |
| The view of the pier and marina at Balmoral Beach. |
After brunch, we walked south for a few hours, stopping (along with tons of tourists) at Middle Head and Georges Head. There were hundreds of sailboats, ferries, leisure boats, and even sea planes, out in the harbour; it was really amazing to watch them come and go.
 |
| Looking toward the city from Georges Head. While it doesn't look it, the city is on the south (opposite) shore. |
Much of the coast of Sydney Harbour is comprised of sandstone cliffs, offering dramatic vistas of the city and active waterways which hug the city. The headlands of Sydney Harbour create a gateway to the Pacific Ocean, and are visible from a number of inner headlands within the greater metro area, so there's plenty of places I have yet to see. It was nice to check out some new ones today!
 |
| The view towards the main headlands of the harbour, from Georges Head. |
This week, I stayed busy with work and school. But in the evenings, I had the chance to check out a few new restaurants in the neighbourhood and catch up with friends. On Thursday evening, a friend (Alex) who I first met at a conference in Gold Coast in 2013, had an exhibition opening at the Sydney Uni architecture school. The exhibit focused on the indigenous conceptualisation of space and land, and its manifestation in the city today—interestingly, similar to my masters thesis.
The exhibition was interesting, though I admittedly spent most of the time catching up with her partner, Jas(on). Alex spent the last few years as a post doc at Sydney Uni, but has now relocated to Melbourne for a permanent position. She and Jas stayed with me in Atlanta a few years ago, and over dinner we decided that a trip for me to visit Melbourne in a few weeks was in order. So, on Friday morning I booked a ticket to go down and see them, and a few other friends, at the end of the month!
 |
| The exhibit involved burning the exhibit... which was interesting. |
On Friday night, I decided to get a bit of culture and went to Sydney's main Broadway-style theatre to catch Mamma Mia. The Capitol Theatre, only a ten-minute walk from my house, was built in the early 1900s within the shell of an old fruit market from the 1800s. Much like the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, it has a "starry night" sky inside, though is themed more along the lines of "classical garden," over the Fox's Egyptian/Moorish Revival stylings. And at half the size of the Fox, it was intimate, and a cool place to catch a show.
Anyways, I had seen the show in Atlanta a few months back at one of the smaller theatres in town, and have to say I wasn't all that impressed with the quality of the Sydney production, in comparison. When I spoke with a Sydneysider friend (yes, that really is the demonym for people who live in Sydney), they said they weren't surprised I felt that way—after all, the most talented people here tend to go pursue careers on Broadway or in London's East End.
Regardless, it was a nice bit of culture, and nice to know that I have a theatre so close by! Though aside from checking out things I really want to see, I probably won't be frequenting it.
Finally, last weekend I finished setting up my room. While it is small, I'm quite content with how everything ended up. I have a desk, plenty of storage, and a nice chair for sitting and reading on the terrace. All in, things have come together. Now, to buckle down.
 |
| My new, minimalist digs. |
*The word "suburb" is used differently in Australia than in the US. Here, it stands in for "neighbourhood" or "district," as we would refer to Buckhead or Midtown in Atlanta. Each area in Sydney (and indeed, across Australia), including urban areas, are called "suburbs," with each having its own postal code. For example, the City of Sydney is comprised of 32 suburbs—among them the CBD (Central Business District) and Chippendale (where I live)—many of which were formerly founded as independent municipalities, but that were ultimately consolidated into the single city. Therefore many inner-city suburbs are far from suburban.
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