Just Darling

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[youtube=Viwd3cxYAVs][youtube=2KzjhhZwwX4][youtube=VXfYY-1Ej3w]

Sydney continues to entertain us.
Got the ferry over to Manly just in time to hear the shark warning, a 4m White had been spotted about 400m offshore.
Australia is in a bit of a shark panic at the moment, or so it seems from the more sensationalist section of the media. Locals that I have spoken to assure me that there actually aren't any more about than there ever are, but you wouldn't take that message from the news. Who's right and who's wrong I have no idea but, cynical as always, I note that the spotter helicopters are from a private contractor. Hmmmm, I wonder what's in it for them?
Anyway, there's a lot of speculation going on regardless of whether there's more of 'em or not. Overfishing so there's less fish, ........cleaner coastal waters so there's more fish close to shore, ......... hot weather so there's more people in the sea....?
Whatever, it's their domain, not ours so we can't really lay the blame on the sharks, strange thing is that apparently they're not too keen on human flesh anyways..... not fatty enough apparently, so they just take a big bite then spit it out. That's not much help if you're the one that gets bitten and bleed out though!

Went to see The Bays play a soundtrack to the film 'Run Lola, Run' last night (as mentioned in the previous entry). It was a really, really good night. I hadn't seen the film before, it's described as a 'modern cult classic' and it deserves to be. A film about choices...... and the consequences of choices that you make........ meaningful, but in a very entertaining, engaging and humorous way. If you see it on DVD I'd reccommend a punt. Be warned though, it's German and is subtitled............ and you won't get The Bays soundtrack which was absolutely perfect.
For anyone who doesn't know, The Bays don't rehearse, don't make recordings and no two performances are the same,... everything is in, and of, the moment. Sublime.

The film was shown on a big screen floating in Darling Harbour, there was a huge crowd there, mostly very appreciative. The film was even punctuated by applause every so often when the band had mapped out the visuals in a particularly special way. A very special evening.

As an aside, the film nights are being sponsored by a company called 'iinet', who are setting up a fibre-optic network around Australia. Their advertising material is pretty much exclusively built round every gripe that I have about internet in Australia. The existing infrastructure is pathetic. Actually, that word doesn't do it justice. It really is that bad. I bought a wireless 'broadband' dongle because I was getting fleeced by hotels, apartments and internet cafes alike. Does it deliver? Does it fuck. During daytime hours (like now) it delivers less than dial-up data transfer, at night (when I'd like to use Skype to, for instance, phone me old mum) I'm lucky to get 0.1 Kb/s. Srsly. How business survives with this level of service I don't know. I have several largish video files that I've tried to upload to YouTube for some friends back home. It's just impossible. At the speeds obtainable, the length of time taken means that you inevitably get a service interruption which takes you back to square one. I can only assume that Oz doesn't have any serious gamers........ AT ALL.

According to the newspaper today 'Sydney Swelters'. It certainly does. It is very, very hot today. No beaching for us. Looks like we're going to have to find some air-conditioned shopping mall to mooch round in till the sun goes down. Shame we haven't got any money to spend in it 😞(

Wow it's hot here, shame we have to go into an a/c mall, how will I cope?! Sydney is just fab, the film and music last night were just amazing. The internet thing is a pain, but as we are 'sharing' my lap top, even with internet I have to fight my turn.

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Photos

Manly beach
fills up as the shark warning is sounded

Sydney Harbour Bridge
Looking towards the city from Kirribilli (where we're staying)

Yacht race
In Sydney harbour

Darling Harbour
as the sun goes down

Comments

[Dani]

Manly
Of course, you would go to a Manly Beach ! Heard familiar female voice on The Sad Song ! Good to hear ! Sydney has a beautiful Harbor. Yes, saw the Cruise Ship, I missed my flight connection.