Traveling Tuesdays: Five Things to Do in Sydney, Australia

Five of my favorite things to do in Sydney Australia: 

Sydney Opera House at night

1. See the Sydney Opera House- 

This is the one place I knew I wanted to visit in Australia. Honestly, I didn't know much else about Sydney before we were there. The Opera House is even more impressive in person than in pictures. Built on a little peninsula surrounded by the Bay, it is Australia's crown jewel. It is hard to understand how big it is until you're standing in front of it. 

Opened in 1973, the Sydney Opera House is not only the symbol of modern Australia but also its premier tourist destination, drawing visitors from all over Australia and the world. It is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and packs its schedule with several productions a year, making it one of the world's busiest performance arts spaces. 

Opera House up close

There are restaurants all around it and a beautiful park nearby, so you can make a day of exploring the area. We tried to have a quick bite to eat at the little bar/cafe under the Opera House but it was packed full an no tables were available, so plan ahead if you want to try it. 

One of the things I loved most about the Opera House was going inside and seeing the Sydney Orchestra perform one of Mozart's symphonies. Live music in general is a gift. I always marvel at how a full orchestra of all these different instruments and people melds into one spectacular unit. 

There are plenty of types of performances you can see. There are tickets to anything from Broadway shows, to important speakers, to orchestra performances. The Opera House also offers many different types of tours throughout the building. If we get back to Sydney I would love to try one of those.

2. Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge

This was so much fun, a little bit scary, but super safe. We purchased tickets for sunset which turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences. They give you all the equipment, windproof suits, headsets, harnesses, and a quick safety training class. Everyone has to leave their phones in the lockers provided for
clothes and belongings. Dropping a phone or something else from the top of the bridge, not only would be terrible for you but could seriously injure anyone on the ground or water below. 

Sydney Bridge Climb guides recount the history of the bridge and other cool facts about Sydney and they take pictures for all the participants which are available for purchase later. Absolutely do this if you get a chance! Almost all the people that were in our group were from Australia, so it's for everyone, not just foreign tourists!

3. Go surfing!

URBNSURF Fun!

If you've followed me for very long, you know that I have an extreme phobia of being in the ocean- well any big water. I love looking at oceans, lakes, and rivers, I just don't like being in them or for that matter on tiny, tippy boats in them. So when
my husband told me he had signed us up for surfing lessons, my stomach dropped. "No you didn't," I said, hoping that he was only joking, even though I knew he wasn't. 

The last time we had a surfing lesson in Hawaii with our son, I was so scared, I always made sure to be closer to shore than them. Of course I didn't want sharks to eat them, but I couldn't help it, I had to have them in between me and the deeper water.😂(yes, I am embarrassed to admit this) This time, my husband had sympathy for me. Our surf lesson was in a giant wave pool at URBNSURF where they have a surfing school. Yay!! I wouldn't be eaten by sharks that day! 

We took an adult beginner level group class. For the first time, I really enjoyed surfing. I could focus on the technique of staying on the board instead of worrying about what was in the water. (Yes I know, thousands of people surf all the time all over the world and never see a shark-I just can't help it.)

This is definitely another activity I would do again! 

4. Take a ferry boat to the beach

Manly Beach

The ferry is such an easy way to get from place to place in Sydney and a great way to snap pics of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Until we were on the water, I hadn't realized how hilly Sydney and its surrounding areas were. Many of the little suburban towns are built on small hill sides overlooking the Bay. 

Our first ferry trip was to Manly Beach.  The town of Manly was a cute little town that kind of reminded me of the smaller California beach towns around San Diego. 

I've always loved beach walks ever since I was a kid. My grandparents would walk with my brothers and I up and down the beach in Naples, Florida, which seemed to go on forever.  

Manly Beach is not very big but its picturesque setting made a lovely place for families to come surf, play beach volleyball, or share a picnic together. There were two things I particularly noticed here that was different from most beaches I'd been to in the U.S. Almost no one had their phones out trying to snap the perfect photo of themselves "enjoying their best life" and almost everyone was involved in physical activity. Hardly anyone was just laying around on a blanket getting sun and drinking.

5. Visit the Taronga Zoo 

We loved riding the ferries around Sydney Harbour and one day we took the ferry to the Taronga Zoo. I couldn't wait to see the koala bears! They were just as adorable as I expected. Big cuddly lumps of fluff just hanging out in the trees. One had a baby on its back trying to grab some leaves but mostly enjoying

snuggling with mama. So cute! I thought seeing koala bears in person would help my husband be able to distinguish between koalas and pandas-he insists (mostly just to annoy me) that they are really the same creature. They both eat leaves and are cute and fluffy. He still thinks they're the same even after seeing them. :)

The zoo had all the major animals you would normally expect and some you wouldn't seen before, like Tasmanian Devils-which look like really fat raccoons with no stripes and platypus who were so elusive we didn't see those even though they were there. We spent a couple hours enjoying everything from the reptile house to the seals. Then it was time to go find some shade and a nice place to eat.  Sydney by the way has some great eats which I will post about another time!  

All in all Sydney was great! Can't wait to get back!

Have you been to Sydney? What are your favorite things. 

Hope your having a great week!

Love, 

Kathy💕💕

 

Book Review: Habits of a Peace Maker

 

I'm a middle child, the only girl surrounded by two brothers whom I love dearly. They are thirteen years apart which caused several misunderstandings and silly sibling squabbles between them. Even as a young kid, I felt it was my duty to smooth things over and keep the peace. It made me sad to see them not get along. 

Luckily for me, they get along much better as adults, but it seems the world around us has become much more adversarial. One group hating on another, whether it's political, religious, racial, or nationality based.

Just like with my brothers, these conflicts and quarrels make me sad. 

When my daughter recently recommended, Habits of a Peace Maker, by Steven T. Collis, I felt compelled to read it right away.  

Mr. Collis's focus is on teaching people to listen to one another with respect and humility. The point isn't that we should all agree, it's more about getting closer to understanding one another. It's a quick read and the strategies are relatively simple and common sense, but I think we need this reminder. I know I have lost sight of it at times.

I read one negative review of the book commenting on how the author doesn't talk enough about global peace initiatives. Personally, I felt the book was written more to give us non-diplomat people some new habits and strategies to be able to better get along with our old Uncle Jerry at Thanksgiving, or our neighbor, or our older parents who we have tendencies to bicker with about politics, etc, maybe we even let some nasty words slip from our mouths. 

I'm guilty of it, and I always regret it afterwards. I deeply love these people, why can't I let these arguments go and simply show them my love for them?

Mr. Collis reminds us that heated arguments don't change people's minds, they usually just make them defend their positions more fervently and nothing is accomplished except creating more anonymity between the people. That doesn't mean don't talk about important subjects. He also demonstrates how to bring up more sensitive topics in ways that help bring us together to work toward solutions instead of tearing people further apart.

One of my favorite quotes in the book is, "For so many of the problems in this world, many of us are not in a position to make any true impact. But making someone else's day just a bit brighter is something we can do everywhere we go." 

This may be the only real way to change the world around us. 

I rate Habits of a Peace Maker 4 out of 5 stars. 

 

Have a wonderful day! 💕💕

Kathy

AI Writing, Art, and IWSG

 

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting!

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

The awesome co-hosts for the September 3 posting of the IWSG are Kim Lajevardi, Natalie Aguirre, Nancy Gideon, and Diedre Knight!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

September 3 question - What are your thoughts on using AI, such as GPChat, Raptor, and others with your writing? Would you use it for research, storybible, or creating outlines\beats?

Perfect question for me this month!  Call me old fashioned or maybe just plain old, but I'm a sceptic of AI. I have never intentionally used it, until this last week. 

I grew up watching all the Terminator movies with my dad and brothers and there is just something uncomfortable about the idea of AI in general and especially projects like Meta's Super Intelligence Lab, which Mark Zuckerberg says will surpass human intelligence in all aspects. I'm not really certain that is what we want. Is it?

That old quote from Jurassic Park, sums up how I feel about AI,"Your scientists were so pre-occupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should." 

But this week my daughter who is also a writer and blogger told me, "Hey mom, you should really give your blog a new look, you haven't updated it since 2015."

I knew she was right. I had been wanting to give it a makeover for a while, but I didn't know how. Then she suggested I use ChatGPT to help. Of course, I needed help from her to even use it. But within twenty minutes, my blog had a whole new, more professional look. 

I had to admit I was impressed. 

I'm still not inclined to use AI to actually write for me, I enjoy the process of writing too much. It is a type of meditation for me. Pouring my thoughts onto a page, refills my cup and heals my soul. That is why I write. Having a computer write for me seems empty. 

Art is special, I think, because it comes from the heart and soul, from a human who has experienced ups and downs, tragedies and love, and everything in between. The artist then  transcends time and space and allows us to feel too.

I especially love seeing live performances of music, concerts, orchestras, musicals, plays etc. Not only do you get to be immersed in the work of the creator of the piece you get to experience the way each actor or singer interprets the story as well and share that experience with everyone else in the theater. I don't think AI could give us an experience like that. 

But now I see maybe there are instances where it can be helpful and not take away from the art itself. I did use AI to make fake picture of me. 

Only sorta looks like me

 I don't think I would want to use it for research...maybe to just do a preliminary search of a subject. But I  enjoy stumbling upon research in a sometimes haphazard way, discovering something accidentally. I might be more open to trying AI for preliminary research and possibly some other small tasks, that I don't know how to do--though I'll probably have to wait for my daughter to be around to help me use it.😂😂

There is a wonderful opinion piece published in the New York Times a few weeks ago, written by a creative writing professor about the use of AI in writing check, it out if you have time. 

What are your thoughts on AI? Should we all start doing our chin-ups Sarah Conner style so we can fight off the Terminator? Or am I way over thinking the power of AI?

Have a great week!!! 

Kathy :)

End the Summer in New York City- A Travel Journal Part 1

 

I think any weekend is a great weekend to be in New York City, but we had exceptional weather this Labor Day. A perfect end to the summer.

We arrived Friday around noon and were lucky to be able to check in to our hotel at Hyatt Place Chelsea. We’d never stayed at this hotel before, but we love the Chelsea area and thought we would check it out.

On the 21st floor, our room had a gorgeous view of the city. The room was small and simple but everything we needed for a weekend trip. The only negative I would say is that the elevator situation was pretty bad. There were 4 elevators but the timing of them was terrible and at least twice we decided to walk down the 21 floors because we were tired of waiting. 

We dropped our stuff in our room and headed out to Chinatown. We got a cheap lunch of crispy duck and pork with rice that fed us both for under $10. Chinatown is a great place for delicious cheap eats, but many of the restaurants are cash only.

My husband also wanted to get a haircut at this little barber shop in Chinatown. He loves the way this barber cuts his hair even though there are only a few words that they are able to use to communicate. The barber speaks primarily Chinese and my husband does not. That doesn’t seem to matter, my husband is happy with his cut every time.

Saturday Church at NYTW

Then we headed down to this cute little wine bar called, Parcelle, to meet one of my husband’s colleagues from a previous job. We sat and drank wine at a little table outside and enjoyed catching up with her for a bit. It was a perfect evening to enjoy chatting and people watching as the sun set.

We ended the night going to see Saturday Church a new musical starring Bryson Battle from the Voice, at the New York Theater Workshop. It tells the story of Ulysses, a young LGBTQ+ youth struggling with his identity, caught between the worlds of his family's church and an LGBTQ+ sanctuary that finally allows him to be himself. It's an excellent show, with great singing, dancing, and music written by Sia.

We had planned this trip in part to celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday and decided to make it a mini-family get together in the city. Both my brothers and their families flew in and we met up with them Saturday morning. The early risers of our group headed out to New York City Bagel and Coffee House to get a quick breakfast before we met everyone else for brunch. I get super hungry in the morning and get a little hangry if I have to wait until everyone else gets up.😂

The birthday girl and the rest of the family joined us for brunch at Maman, where we celebrated with mimosas, great food, and lots of laughs. 

Maman's eggs and farro salad

Next we were off to see a matinee of Heathers The Musical a dark musical comedy based on the 1980's cult classic movie, with Christian Slater and Winona Ryder. 

The theater buzzed with energy from the crowd even before the musical began. The audience screamed and cheered throughout especially when the three Heathers arrived on stage for their popping rendition of Candy Store. Everyone jumped to their feet for a standing ovation at the end. 

If you're in New York, go see this, it's BIG FUN!!!!

How did you celebrate Labor Day? When was the last time you went to NYC?  

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Stay tuned for Part 2 of NYC Labor Day Trip, where our journey takes a dark turn as well. 

Heathers is Big Fun!

Also don't forget to stop by tomorrow for my IWSG post! 

Love, 

Kathy 💕💕