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Published: January 12th 2007
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Sidney Opera House
The iconic landmark sits at the heart of the harbour. When opportunity rises, I am usually the last to know about it. I had been zoning out during our staff meeting when I heard my boss say that she had approval for one occupational therapist to attend an international stroke conference… in Australia. My eyes lit up and I rushed to submit my application before the deadline later that week. As soon as I was granted approval, I teamed up with Haley, my physiotherapist co-worker, to book lodging and coordinate flights. The days preceding my departure were jam-packed culminating to lecturing for an hour and a half on visual perceptual changes post-stroke the morning of my flight.
I arrived solo at the airport in relaxed time, and walked right up to the Air New Zealand check in counter. The travel agent at the hospital had booked my flights on my behalf, and I presented my passport and flight details. Aaron, the airline agent, entered my information and then requested my visa … which I knew nothing about. Internally, I coached myself not to panic. Aaron re-entered my details and we exchanged polite conversation while the computer conducted its search. I asked him for a phone so that I could ring
Care for a walk?
Tourists walk along the top of this bridge... we ran under it in our race to the theatre! the hospital, and he asked what I did for work. Coincidentally, Aaron’s wife is another occupational therapist that I refer clients to for driving assessments. The computer still didn’t budge, but after a pregnant pause, my new-found friend completed the necessary documentation for me. He also proceeded to grant me priority baggage and a “comfort seat”.
A few hours later I joined Haley at the Vibe hotel - our home-base for the next four days. We enjoyed the luxury of the daily newspapers and continental breakfasts, as well as watching sports coverage of Wimbledon (Haley) and the Tour de France (Mindy). Haley, a night owl, took the responsibility of turning the last lights out, while I, the early bird that I am, stole the first shower in the mornings. Haley managed to change her outfit three times, apply make-up to perfection, and control her hair with a plethora of specialty products in the amount of time it took me to read the newspaper. It worked out quite well that way. Between the two of us, we managed to run “just on time” during our entire stay in Sidney. In other words, we didn’t leave a minute to spare and
Seaman
This ship was getting decked out for a party... the seamen were singing and hanging fairy lights on the highest masts. had to run or walk very fast everywhere we went ... but we were never late.
For the first two days, we attended a conference on cutting edge stroke research and current practice schema. The catered food and free gifts from the drug companies were added bonuses to the wealth of knowledge that we gained. I particularly admire the thermometer that I scored during a morning tea break. We also took our networking opportunities seriously, and gussied up for Thursday’s dinner and dancing social. Andrew, our server, kept our glasses full: I would surmise that he was not aware that we had yet another day of the conference to go. By the end of the night, the dance floor was chock-a-block and rosy-cheeked professionals were sending winks to the sax player. There were several empty seats in the auditorium on Friday.
Our experience did not stop with the conference - Haley and I took advantage of the weekend in a foreign city. Friday night we chose to eat at a restaurant on the Harbour with a view of the Sidney Opera House before going to the Sidney Theatre to see a production of “Urinetown”. Our meals were delicious;
Lifeguard?
Bondi Beach serves as Sidney's local spot for soft sand and crashing waves. however, they took over an hour to arrive so we only managed to inhale a few bites before running off to the theatre. The ties on Haley’s shirt unravelled as she ran, but she kept her shirt on while we waited until the “late comers” could enter the theatre (OK, maybe we were late this one time).
On Saturday and Sunday mornings we bounced from shop to shop - from open market to arcade, Sidney is a shopper’s haven. A walk along the sandy beaches and cliffs at Bondi Beach allowed us reprieve during the mid-day. We managed to squeak into the Lindt Chocolate Café just before closing to taste a small slice of heaven. Later that night, we ate out with Haley’s family friends and I got my first crack at kangaroo in bbq sauce. What an Aussie delight! We had to sit on Haley’s suitcase to get it closed. Sadly, our journey was coming to a close, but we brightened as we reminded ourselves that we were getting paid to do the work that we love.
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