I know I am going to regret this in, like, a week, when I am in some Phuket hostel, desperate for some random Americanness. But for now, I am kind of over TV.
Not all together, never that. I still miss my TiVo with unnatural fervor. More that I am over foreign hostel television. Aside from some random, serendipitous moments, like when I sit down with dinner the other night right as someone starts Little Miss Sunshine, or the season 9 Friends marathon that happened on Good Friday, most of what people watch in the rest of the world? Is crap.
I'm not even talking in the abstract, with the worldwide popularity of shows like Baywatch and CSI:Miami. I'm talking about what people with the remote - people from Britain, Germany, the Netherlands - choose to land on when flipping through Foxtel or Sky satellite cable. I'll even give a free pass to those who are forced to make a selection when the hostel does not have cable; then you have maybe five options, so you are very limited by whatever is the least offensive. I've been in that boat, and it's forced me into the position of choosing MTV programming. I'm not proud, and I hope it is never used to evaluate my viewing.
(Though, on a side note - the hostel in Mission Beach had Foxtel, but it would never come in due to weather, so we just had free-to-view. The week was saved, though, because one of the other backpackers was just coming from Thailand, where he'd bought an entire CD case worth of bootleg DVDs, so there were many a rainy afternoon that people spent watching Superbad, Blades of Glory, City of God, American Gangster, etc. I can't wait for Thailand...)
No, there is no convenient excuse here. There is no defense when I've witnessed person after person, in assorted cities, with various national backgrounds, SELECT to watch King of Queens. I've watched more of that show (read: any) on this trip than I ever had before. It's not better as you grow familiar with it.
I've watched, or seen other watching and walked away from - lots of everybody Loves Raymond, Yes, Dear, Las Vegas, and The Drew Carey Show. Lots.
And the movies! I've avoided watching Crocodile Dundee 1 AND 2 (while in Australia - the irony), The Time Machine, Picture Perfect, and some Mary Kate & Ashley-as-teenagers reality show movie I didn't even know existed (ah -this one). Every one of those, by the way, was selected. Often from a much better array.
That's the thing - we Americans export our crap as well as the good stuff, so maybe we're partly to blame. Maybe we've done our part to erode foreign tastes by sending over Tru Calling and Help Me Help You in with the Heroes and Pushing Daisies. But I mean, WE had those same suck shows, and WE fought back by not watching them until they got canceled. It's natural selection. What happens to nature when people SELECT the suck?
In Chile, in front of a CSI: Miami, a New Yorker who was on his third year of travel around the world, told me his theory behind the appeal of the show: The rest of the world likes blunt instruments, and David Caruso is a blunt instrument of acting. He is popular precisely because it is his job to state the obvious, and punctuate it by emphatically removing his sunglasses. The same would be true of the Hoff, Jerry Lewis, and all other inexplicably popular figures the world over.
All this TV is really more interesting to talk about than it is to watch, but that doesn't stop people, Lord knows I never look askance at someone for watching too much television, but there are people at each of the hostels I've been to who put me to shame even on my laziest of weekends. The two girls with the penchant for Olsen made-for-tv fare were in the TV room every single time I swung by, for the entire time I was in the Blue Mountains (which is also odd, as my four-day stay there was generally considered quite a long one). And the girl who watched the ENTIRE Friends marathon in Sydney has stuck in for everything that is on - marathons of Will & Grace and Malcolm in the Middle, every episode of Raymond, cricket matches, late-90s cinema; if it flashes color and light from the flatscreen, she will watch, evidently, as she was literally watching television every time I walked in or out all of last weekend. I come back to the hostel on Friday, and sure enough - there in front of an episode of the Simpsons. It makes me wonder - does she have an actual bed there? And do they not have television in England?
What people choose when they have the power of the remote is not necessarily what they most want to watch, because there is some silent peer pressure involved - you don't want to choose something that is going to make everyone else scoff or bolt from the room, or know you are a closet Olsen twin aficionado, so you pick what you like, but what you think others will as well. At least, that's how I justify it. However, while I rarely take remote control power, if I ever were the one choosing, I would NOT flip past The Daily Show when it's on. I don't care that it's really only appealing to Americans (and usually, I am one of the only ones). It breaks my heart when people pass it for Drew Carey, and I don't care if anyone else would like it. If I got to pick, I would watch it, and that's that.
March 31, 2008
March 30, 2008
G'Day
OK, #1, I just now noticed that my location on this blog is listed as New Zealand. Still. How did no one point this out to me before now? I cannt keep track of the little things, clearly. I need some help here, people.
#2, I really could not sleep last night, and not because of my headache that's been plaguing me, or even the normal issues with sleeping in an 8-bed dorm. It's because I knew that the next time I went to bed, it would be in Singapore. SINGAPORE.
#3, It's sad to be leaving Australia, and Sydney in particular. I am pretty sure that the ease and package-perfect everything of here and New Zealand has made me soft, but hopefully I can handle the ultimate foreignness of Asia. But I really like Sydney, something about it really appeals to me. I'm comfortable here, and when traveling for a long time, that feeling is a big deal.
I'll be back here someday, I am sure, since it's too big a country and there's really no way to explore it properly with just one go. But for now, I can't be thinking about where I will be someday, as I am too preoccupied with where I will be later today. Singapore, y'all.
#2, I really could not sleep last night, and not because of my headache that's been plaguing me, or even the normal issues with sleeping in an 8-bed dorm. It's because I knew that the next time I went to bed, it would be in Singapore. SINGAPORE.
#3, It's sad to be leaving Australia, and Sydney in particular. I am pretty sure that the ease and package-perfect everything of here and New Zealand has made me soft, but hopefully I can handle the ultimate foreignness of Asia. But I really like Sydney, something about it really appeals to me. I'm comfortable here, and when traveling for a long time, that feeling is a big deal.
I'll be back here someday, I am sure, since it's too big a country and there's really no way to explore it properly with just one go. But for now, I can't be thinking about where I will be someday, as I am too preoccupied with where I will be later today. Singapore, y'all.
the effects of travel upon the body
I am more tan now than I have been in I don't even know how long. Even last year, when biking outdoors for insane hours, I got patches of very tan - fingertips, calf & shin area, whatever was uncovered - but overall stayed my natural shade of pale. This is far more uniform, considering I am bron(er) most everyplace. Except for the racerback tank line on my back and the flip flop lines on my feet. Sigh. I expect it all to get worse, too. Not only am I entering Southeast Asia, and also (hopefully) some beach time, but all of my current tanning has been through a scrupulous application of SPF 50 spectra 3 uber-sunblock. I am about out. In Australia, all they have to replace with with is factor 30+. At least I have a base not to burn, though, right?
My back hurts. Most of the time. Thin hostel beds + no pillows are not good for a stomach sleeper like me, and I think not having anything to prop my leg on is slowly throwing my back out of alignment. Add carrying my pack, standing and walking for hours a day, and no yoga or stretching for a couple of months now, and my lower back complains a lot more than normal, and my neck cracks astoundingly loudly. As if I need another reason to feel ancient around all of the 19 year old British backpackers...
Evidently, I get hives in foreign countries. It happened twice in Argentina, and then again just last week. It's really awesome, to suddenly be covered in welts. And they itch, and they look like I have the plague on my arms. But I have Benadryl, and after a couple of nights (in which I sleep VERY soundly) dosing with that, they go away. But I guess I am allergic to...traveling? I don't even know.
My hair is so long. And I am not willing to shell out $90 for a haircut, or trust my hair to a Chinatown barber (considering the warnings I've gotten), it's just going to get a lot longer.
In general, any part of my body that requires a mirror to see does not get seen. This is weird, I know, but think about it. Hostel bathrooms are generally shower stalls, toilet stalls, and sinks, where the mirrors are. I get changed in the rooms or after my shower - no mirrors. Today, to check for bites on my back, involved strategy and planning to be in front of a mirror without a shirt on, as it does not happen organically. It's not unusual for me to get random bruises on my body, but now they can come and go without me ever noticing. I have a spectacular scratch on my back that I got three days ago, but only saw for the first time today. I don't even see my face as often as I am used to - a lot of the bathroom mirrors are small or oddly placed, so if you don't look on purpose, you don't see your reflection. I just see myself more at home - driving, at the bank teller, whenever I go to any restroom, around the house. I don't here. Which makes it way easier to not care that I have shaggy hair, hives, and have been rotating the same half dozen shirts for two months.
My back hurts. Most of the time. Thin hostel beds + no pillows are not good for a stomach sleeper like me, and I think not having anything to prop my leg on is slowly throwing my back out of alignment. Add carrying my pack, standing and walking for hours a day, and no yoga or stretching for a couple of months now, and my lower back complains a lot more than normal, and my neck cracks astoundingly loudly. As if I need another reason to feel ancient around all of the 19 year old British backpackers...
Evidently, I get hives in foreign countries. It happened twice in Argentina, and then again just last week. It's really awesome, to suddenly be covered in welts. And they itch, and they look like I have the plague on my arms. But I have Benadryl, and after a couple of nights (in which I sleep VERY soundly) dosing with that, they go away. But I guess I am allergic to...traveling? I don't even know.
My hair is so long. And I am not willing to shell out $90 for a haircut, or trust my hair to a Chinatown barber (considering the warnings I've gotten), it's just going to get a lot longer.
In general, any part of my body that requires a mirror to see does not get seen. This is weird, I know, but think about it. Hostel bathrooms are generally shower stalls, toilet stalls, and sinks, where the mirrors are. I get changed in the rooms or after my shower - no mirrors. Today, to check for bites on my back, involved strategy and planning to be in front of a mirror without a shirt on, as it does not happen organically. It's not unusual for me to get random bruises on my body, but now they can come and go without me ever noticing. I have a spectacular scratch on my back that I got three days ago, but only saw for the first time today. I don't even see my face as often as I am used to - a lot of the bathroom mirrors are small or oddly placed, so if you don't look on purpose, you don't see your reflection. I just see myself more at home - driving, at the bank teller, whenever I go to any restroom, around the house. I don't here. Which makes it way easier to not care that I have shaggy hair, hives, and have been rotating the same half dozen shirts for two months.
Beaches
On Friday, when I got back to Sydney, I had a couple of must-dos before leaving the city for good. One was to go to manly - I had wanted to go last weekend, but the weather was crap. It was nice enough now, though, so I went for the evening.
The last thing I had to do today was the Bondi-Coogee walk, in a different direction from Manly, but on the coast as well. It's not fair to compare them, I now see. Manly is this really nice, quiet, fairly posh suburb. It would be a fantastic place to live and commute to work via the ferry, full of adorable shops and great looking restaurants, not to mention the beach and the coast.
Bondi is the flashy, hotspot beach, and I was assuming it was all glitz, because it's where everyone goes to party, but the beach itself has strong currents, so it's not actually that safe to swim (there is a popular reality show here called Bondi Rescue, about the lifeguards). But go to the beach on a day like today, where it is warm and clear, and the beach is fantastic, with soft white sand and cool, brilliant blue water. The walk down to Coogee (a more southern beach I actually liked better, and has better currants) was spectacular. If I were here longer, or more of a beach nut, I would be there every weekend.
Seriously, look at this coastline:
Besides that, all of the swimming beaches have pools that go right up to the ocean. Great for pictures, but can you imagine swimming your laps THERE?
March 28, 2008
caves & cliffs
Yeah, I liked the Blue Mountains. It was nice to be there for a few days - a lot of people go for a day apparently, and while it it would still be fun and worth it, I liked having the time. The day I got there, when it was cloudy and starting to rain, the Sisters were gorgeous, but if that was my only day there, I would have been annoyed at the clouds. As it was, though, I am glad I got to see the mountains in both kinds of weather.
I'm rambling, aren't I? And it's just the beginning of the entry. So, as you saw, I also went abseiling whilst in the mountains - or rappelling, for those in the States. I had not done anything xxxtreme this whole trip, despite ample opportunity, mostly because nothing appealed to me enough to spend the money. I don't really WANT to bungy jump. But rappelling always looked so cool on Amazing Race, and the girls at my hostel in Sydney raved, so I went for it. So cool. I would do it again in a heartbeat, and highly recommend it.
But backing off a cliff? Not easy.
The next day I went on a day trip out to the Jenolan Caves. My parents went last year and really recommended them, and I am glad I made the schlep out there. The caves are massive - there are 9 separate ones open for tours - and they have been a tourist spot since like, the 1860s. These hige, limestone underground caverns. Can you imagine "touring" them in a skirt and high-necked blouse via candle and rope? That's hard core.
Pictures unfortunately don't work well in the caves, so you may just have to take my word for how big and how cool they are. This might help:
but also imagine that, at the biggest spot, there is an area called the cathedral that houses 90 person opera and symphony concerts, because it has vaulting ceilings and perfect acoustics.
The drive down there is pretty harrowing - it's like 70km from Katoomba, and much of it is along this narrow one-lane, windy road that drops off to nothing on one side. It was a gorgeous drive, but man. It really gave me mad respect for my dad, though - he drove it last year, fresh into their rental car, and didn't kill anyone. I was a little worried, and I was in a bus, with a driver who does this daily, and is used to driving on the left. Wickid driving skillz, dad.
I'm rambling, aren't I? And it's just the beginning of the entry. So, as you saw, I also went abseiling whilst in the mountains - or rappelling, for those in the States. I had not done anything xxxtreme this whole trip, despite ample opportunity, mostly because nothing appealed to me enough to spend the money. I don't really WANT to bungy jump. But rappelling always looked so cool on Amazing Race, and the girls at my hostel in Sydney raved, so I went for it. So cool. I would do it again in a heartbeat, and highly recommend it.
But backing off a cliff? Not easy.
The next day I went on a day trip out to the Jenolan Caves. My parents went last year and really recommended them, and I am glad I made the schlep out there. The caves are massive - there are 9 separate ones open for tours - and they have been a tourist spot since like, the 1860s. These hige, limestone underground caverns. Can you imagine "touring" them in a skirt and high-necked blouse via candle and rope? That's hard core.
Pictures unfortunately don't work well in the caves, so you may just have to take my word for how big and how cool they are. This might help:
but also imagine that, at the biggest spot, there is an area called the cathedral that houses 90 person opera and symphony concerts, because it has vaulting ceilings and perfect acoustics.The drive down there is pretty harrowing - it's like 70km from Katoomba, and much of it is along this narrow one-lane, windy road that drops off to nothing on one side. It was a gorgeous drive, but man. It really gave me mad respect for my dad, though - he drove it last year, fresh into their rental car, and didn't kill anyone. I was a little worried, and I was in a bus, with a driver who does this daily, and is used to driving on the left. Wickid driving skillz, dad.
March 25, 2008
i will spare you all of the terrible punny headlines i came up with for this entry
I am in the Blue Mountains - out of the city and into rustic hikingland once again.
Katoomba is so pretty, y'all. I had a friend who had been all over Australia tell me this was one of her favorite spots, and I can see why. I took the train here yesterday - it only takes about 2 hours, and they leave just about every hour, so it's an easy getaway. It's also apparently a popular spot for Sydneysiders for the Easter holiday, as from the train window I watched the gridlock traffic to get back into town go just about the whole way out.
it was also a lovely day in Sydney, and the further out we got, the more the clouds came in. Sigh. I got the the town, walked to the hostel, and immediately booked it out again- I wanted to see the Three Sisters before they were completely covered by clouds, just in case the weather took a turn for a few days. I got there right as the clouds started coming in, and these rocks? Are gorgeous.
As I was walking back, past all of these twee gingerbread cottages and charming, rustic ye olde shoppes, I thought the town could just not get any cuter. And then I saw a little black bunny munching on a dandelion in an empty field. I mean, really.
Today I went for a hike to see the valley from the other side. It was a little cloudy, but mostly white fluffy ones, with a fair amount of sun. As I walked out of town and got closer to where the land drops off into the mountains and the valley, there was nothing but clouds - they had come to fill in all the spaces, and I literally caught my breath when I saw it. I've seen so many lovely things, and yet I can still find everything shockingly beautiful.
As I hiked, the clouds slowly receded and left the mountains blue and lovely. I walked for a couple of hours and took picture after picture, and then got to get up close to the Sisters before climbing a looooooong way (900 steps!) down to the valley and then back up. I was a tuckered camper when it was done, but totally worth it.
I bopped around town today - it's full of bakeries, upscale outdoorsy clothing stores, and an inexplicable number of used book stores. There are also tours to do, so that's how I plan to fill more time in the next couple of days, but for now I'm enjoying being in just a quiet, kicked-back, stunning town.
It doesn't hurt that this is one of the nicest hostels I've been in. I basically get to sleep in a sunroom. It's swank.
Katoomba is so pretty, y'all. I had a friend who had been all over Australia tell me this was one of her favorite spots, and I can see why. I took the train here yesterday - it only takes about 2 hours, and they leave just about every hour, so it's an easy getaway. It's also apparently a popular spot for Sydneysiders for the Easter holiday, as from the train window I watched the gridlock traffic to get back into town go just about the whole way out.
it was also a lovely day in Sydney, and the further out we got, the more the clouds came in. Sigh. I got the the town, walked to the hostel, and immediately booked it out again- I wanted to see the Three Sisters before they were completely covered by clouds, just in case the weather took a turn for a few days. I got there right as the clouds started coming in, and these rocks? Are gorgeous.
As I was walking back, past all of these twee gingerbread cottages and charming, rustic ye olde shoppes, I thought the town could just not get any cuter. And then I saw a little black bunny munching on a dandelion in an empty field. I mean, really.
Today I went for a hike to see the valley from the other side. It was a little cloudy, but mostly white fluffy ones, with a fair amount of sun. As I walked out of town and got closer to where the land drops off into the mountains and the valley, there was nothing but clouds - they had come to fill in all the spaces, and I literally caught my breath when I saw it. I've seen so many lovely things, and yet I can still find everything shockingly beautiful.
As I hiked, the clouds slowly receded and left the mountains blue and lovely. I walked for a couple of hours and took picture after picture, and then got to get up close to the Sisters before climbing a looooooong way (900 steps!) down to the valley and then back up. I was a tuckered camper when it was done, but totally worth it.I bopped around town today - it's full of bakeries, upscale outdoorsy clothing stores, and an inexplicable number of used book stores. There are also tours to do, so that's how I plan to fill more time in the next couple of days, but for now I'm enjoying being in just a quiet, kicked-back, stunning town.
It doesn't hurt that this is one of the nicest hostels I've been in. I basically get to sleep in a sunroom. It's swank.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)