The Climb of Your Life -- I Climbed It!!

Another highlight of the trip was climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge.  I have a great fear of heights so this was a big thing for me to do.  There are 3 climbs to choose from; The Discovery Climb, The Express Climb, and the classic Bridge Climb.  The Discovery takes you along the inner arch of the bridge and you get to wind through the bridge in order to get a more up close look at the bridge itself.  The Express is a faster version of the climb.  We chose to do the classic Bridge  Climb.  Between the prep work, the actual climb, and taking pictures, the climb totals around 3.5 hours.  Melissa and I chose to do this on my second day in Sydney.  We were both excited and I was a little nervous considering my fear of heights.  It was a nice cool day and overcast.  This made for a comfortable, not too blustery climb.

You start out by doing about 45 minutes of prep work.  They put you through a series of tests (including a breathalyzer).  You have to sign forms, meet other members of your group, change into your bridge suits (as seen to the left on Kola the Koala and Jill the Kangaroo), and practice climbing the hard part of the bridge.  Our leader Gil was very nice but kept calling me Renee for some reason.  Once we were all bridge suited up (Barney Stinson would be proud) we started off towards the bridge.  You first have to walk along VERY narrow planks to get out to the bridge.  Then you start climbing up stairs once inside the pylon.  The most intense part of the climb is next.  You have to climb straight up four sets of ladders.  You hit your knees all the way up and having to move your ball that attaches you to the bridge is cumbersome.

Once you are done with the ladders, you are actually on the bridge.  Climbing up the outer arch is probably the least frightening part of the whole experience.  You are attached and you cannot see through the steps.  The steps aren't that high so it doesn't feel like you are climbing at all.  It is a little windy especially when you get to the top but the views are worth it.  You get to the top and when you cross over to come back down, there is a real feeling of accomplishment.  You know that you have done something that not a lot of people get to do and have climbed one of the most iconic and recognizable symbols in the world.

The climb down is a lot less memorable but climbing down the ladders was almost worse then climbing up them.  The ladders on the way down are right next to the subway train that runs across the bridge and there is nothing more terrifying then a speeding train going by you when you are climbing down ladders above the Sydney Harbor.  The one downer on the climb was that there was an annoying little boy with us.  It definitely did not deter from the once in a lifetime experience.

Although a bit pricey, the experience is definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity.  If you find yourself in Sydney this is an attraction not to be missed and certainly one I will not forget anytime soon!

Kangaroos, Koalas, and Gondolas, Oh My!

Day 2 (Tuesday Dec 28) - Bridge Climb, Circular Quay, and Taronga Zoo

On our second day in OZ Melissa and I decided to do the BridgeClimb.  It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience and deserves its own post!

After that we went and explored around Circular Quay some more and headed to the Taronga Zoo.  We took a ferry over there.  The Taronga Zoo is situated on a hill.  You can either walk, take a bus, or take a gondola to the top.  We opted for the bus since the gondola line was long.  Once we got in, we walked around to see the different animals they have in Australia.  We happened across the koalas right when they were doing a feeding demonstration.  We got to listen to the zookeeper talk about the koalas and got to see him feed them.  We learned lots of interesting facts.  Did you know that koalas aren't bears, their closest relatives are kangaroos and wallabies, they don't like being cuddled, and can sleep for up to 20 hours a day!  After saying goodbye to baby Tilly, we headed to other exhibits.

We got to see Taz the Tasmanian devil and Melissa donated some money to help save them since they are endangered.  We also got to see kangaroos and some other animals such as elephants and birds that you can see in Madison at the Henry Vilas Zoo.

After walking halfway down the hill we realized that the zoo was close to closing.  Since Melissa really wanted to ride the gondolas, we walked back to the top in order to ride them down.  We waited in a long line and finally got to ride them.  After getting to the bottom we raced a bunch of other people because everyone was trying to get on the ferries back to the city.

 

That night we ate at one of Adam's favorite restaurants from his last visit in Darling Harbour.  It was an all you can eat ribs place.  After eating, we walked around Harbourside (the mall in Darling Harbour) and then headed back home for the night.

Ferry Boats and Finding Nemo

Day 1 (Monday Dec 27) - Brekkie in Darling Harbour, Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Tower, QVB

The first day mom and I arrived in Sydney, Adam and Melissa had already been there for three days.  We went to the apartment and I took a shower.  After that Dad, Adam, Melissa, and I went for a late breakfast in Darling Harbour.  The whole time we were there a lot of the shops weren't open because they close down for Christmas and New Years.  We went to the Lizard Lounge and got Brekkie.  Because Melissa and I were very hungry, we got eggs, bacon (more like ham), toast, and coffee.  Adam and Dad got toast and flat whites (coffee).  After brekkie we walked around Darling Harbour for a little bit before heading back to the apartment.  We picked up Mom and got our rain gear around since it was looking like it might rain. 

We then headed down to Circular Quay which is the main ferry station for Sydney.  We purchased transportation tickets and took a ferry back to Darling.  We were going to stop at the Aquarium first but there was a very long line to purchase tickets.  We headed up to the Sydney Tower instead.  Since the lines were shorter there we purchased our tourist passes and headed on up.  The Sydney Tower is the tallest building in Sydney and boasts the best views of the city.  We got to see 360 degree views of the entire city!  We also got to see the world's tallest working mailbox.

After the Sydney Tower we headed back to the Aquarium.  The lines were shorter since we now had our passes.  We went to see the famous Shark Tunnel they have.  You walk in a tunnel and the sharks swim all around you.  We also got to see Nemo and Dori!  We touched shark eggs which look a lot like pine cones.  They also have lots of Lego figurines all around the aquarium.

After the aquarium we went to the Queen Victoria Building (QVB).  They have lots of high end shopping in there.  They had a large four story Christmas tree.  The tree was covered in Swarovski crystals!  It was very pretty.  After walking around the QVB we headed home but not before making our first of many stops at Cole's (local grocery store).  It was quite a culture shock seeing this small underground grocery store in the middle of the city.  We picked up stuff for dinner (bruchetta, ravioli, and wine) and some other necessities that we would need for the week before heading home.  After a long day it was nice to relax with a home cooked meal and get to bed early!

Bon Voyage! - My Adventure Down Under

So I LOVE to travel! Over winter break, I was afforded the opportunity to visit one of the place on my bucket list; Australia.  I spent over two weeks in the Sydney area with my family.  My mom and I left on Christmas Day and we were there through the New Year.

Traveling to Sydney was definitely an adventure in itself.  It takes about 24 hours to get there from the time you leave to the time you land (not including the time change).  Mom and I left around 3:00pm from the Madison airport.  We arrived in Chicago with another stop at LAX.  The plane ride to the west coast was relatively uneventful.  I sat between a little girl traveling with her family, also going to Australia although they would end up in Melbourne.  On the other side was a man from Paris! He was traveling to LA.  We watched Charlie St. Cloud, not the best movie ever.  Once we got to LA it was about 9pm Pacific, 11pm Central time.  Our plane was delayed getting out of LA but not by much.  Once on the plane, I sat in my aisle seat next to a couple from Ukraine.  They didn't talk much.  I watched a lot of movies, ate a lot, and got some quality reading in.  Not a whole lot of sleep for me though.  We landed in Sydney about 9am.  We were definitely tired from traveling and all I wanted to do was take a shower.  Dad met us at the airport to escort us to his apartment in Sydney.  It was about a 30 minute train ride into the city.  Melissa and Adam met us at the Wynyard train station, the closest to The Cove (Dad's apartment building).  And so begins our adventure down under!

...That's What Christmas is All About Charlie Brown...

Merry Christmas Eve.

In honor of a Christmas classic, I have posted my two favorite Christmas quotes.  Wishing everybody a happy holiday season!

"Dear, Santa Claus. How have you been? How is your wife? I am not sure what I want for Christmas this year. Sometimes it is very hard to decide. Perhaps you should send me your catalog."

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.  That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown. "

Joyeux Noel!

A tout a l'heure!
Rachel

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

Since I haven't posted in a while and I am in a hurry because I should be studying for exams, here are just a few pictures of the Christmas spirit that I am enjoying around me!

A tout a l'heure!
Rachel

The stereotypical Frenchman appears....he's wearing stripey jumpers (blue and white), talking like Pepe Le Pew, and riding a bicycle.

During my IB (International Business) lecture today our professor talked about intercultural communication and about stereotyping.  He explained that when we try to do business with other cultures a lot of our focus is on how we are different but in actuality we are very similar.  Using the French as an example, we have borrowed a lot from their culture and they from ours.  This post is going to be dedicated to exploring the stereotypical Frenchman and stereotypical American, the similarities in our culture, and our differences.

Stereotypical Frenchman:
You may wonder, where does that image of the stereotypical Frenchman (you know; the one with the striped shirt, curly mustache, carrying a baguette, wearing a beret, with a red scarf tied around his neck, and has a bottle of wine in his hand) come from.  The origin of the typical Frenchman comes from the farmers in Brittany.  They would grow and sell onions (Onion Johnny) and ride bikes. h Other stereotypes of the French is that they are lazy, dirty, arrogant, stuck-up, rude, anti-American, and communists.  My least favorite due to a certain people from my past (aka high school) are that the French give up and are quitters due to the fact that they always surrender.

Stereotypical American:

What is the stereotypical American like??  Other cultures might answer with words like fat, loud, and complain a lot or loves guns, or my personal favorite, says oh myy gooodd all the time.  They might describe us as wearing cowboy hats and cowboy boots, holding a camera and handbag, having messy hair with an extremely wide mouth chewing gum.  They might even go so far as saying we wear safari clothes and Jesus sandals.  They think we eat junk food 24/7 and are lazy, just looking for the quickest way to get things done.  They think we are greedy and power obsessed.

Personally I find this analysis of Americans insulting but that's the way it goes and that's why they call it stereotyping.  People take a small sub sect of the group they are looking at (usually one that represents a negative side) and automatically assume that everyone is like that without even getting to know average every day people.  Personally the French people I have met are not rude, arrogant, or any dirtier than you and me.  They are different from us because of they way they are raised and they way in which they choose to live their lives but we should not look down on them for that.

Moral of the story: Don't just assume what you think you know about a culture is true until you get a chance to know them. In the words of kindergarten teachers everywhere, don't judge a book by its cover!

A tout a l'heure!
Rachel