Australia - The Quiet Continent

It has been a busy week for me since I returned from my trip to Australia. I have been to Togo for a quick assignment and then back to Ghana, where I am based for now. I wanted to leave a narrative of the amazing time I had in Australia during the last three weeks of June 2017. 

Happy reading:

Australia has always been the furthest continent to me. I had never imagined I would ever visit it. East or West Africa, Europe or Asia, wherever I go Australia remains the furthest. It was in the Olympics that I got the idea of it, Melbourne, Sydney, Opera House, and the Kangaroo that was almost all I know about Australia. 

I met friends. They invited us dinner so we get to know each other. It was funny how the moment we meet up the conversation was about kangaroos. I was laughing deep inside. In “normal" conversations I would expect a strong greeting asking everyone how they are doing in their life, the place and work. In Nigeria it will take at least half an hour asking how they are doing. But what I realized that moment was just talk about something with the person to keep them busy and make them laugh if possible; but talk anything. However, unchronologically everything will be addressed at the end, I mean how they are doing, work their life and place will be asked somewhere in the conversation anytime. I observed the same trend when I overheard people talking at sauna; when I ever hear their English. 

I never thought I would be this deaf to the English language, I was really struggling to understand Australian English.  How come the language I thought I have mastered it for 2/3 of my life would betray me? I was called the ferenji/white man in Africa for my capacity; I used to get compliments for my awesome accent. Even in Denmark, a waitress told me she thought I am an Englishman. Hahah.  So what happened to me then in Australia? I give away my hat at a club in Gold Coast, saying Yes Yes without understanding the deal I was affirming. Haha and then when the lady kept my hat, I vividly catch the word swap, and regretfully I said, "Oh sorry the hat is a gift". Oh Australian English. I never understood whenever I install software programs the language option that comes as Australian/American is something that really matters. Yes it indeed it matters now!!!! 

My post is rolling unchronologically like the typical conversation I observed in Australia. 

I have learned the fun in trying something extreme; like trying drugs, heavy alcohol. I am talking about the rollercoaster ride in Gold Coast theme park. I would definitely do it with much excitement if I get the chance to do it again.  I have refrained so much every time before we tried it. It took all the stability away from me; taking me closer to anything possibly scary. 

This is even beyond the kind of scary dreams I have experienced.  I once had fallen from a 50 story building in uni while rushing late to exam. I was taken by a rapid and fed to hungry crocodiles. I saw the sun fallen in midday and every one of us melted like ice. I was in the middle of World War Third, a ball of atomic weapon had fallen on me that tuned me to smoke. The entire milk way has once fallen on me and I was soiled. But none of these were as scary as the rollercoaster ride I had experienced in Gold Coast at Sea World and Movie World. 

Will I even be surprised with death? This is something I will look forward to tell in future. 

I liked how the country is organized, not only in cities where people are living; it's everywhere, even in the forest. The pattern the trees are planted, the location of different types of trees planted following the type of terrain, the way wild animals are protected. Everything wild or domesticated is under a proper control. That's how I know the kangaroos are the dumbest animal even more than the donkeys. I told the story to a friend in Ethiopia and he said next time I met a stupid person I won't say "donkey" but "kangaroo".  Haha. The roads, the traffic and safety management. Australia showed to me how people can achieve great things together and get proper control over nature, how sensitively detailed plans can be applied over a larger scale. It is like the whole country is in control of a professional interior designer.  

However, I was frustrated for the fact that the machines took the jobs and people are no more talking. IT/AI is in full control; from petrol stations to supermarket, from airport checkin to immigration, there are no people. Smart programs are doing the job better than humans. There is no stamp in my passport, entry or exit. 

For me, whenever I get the chance to see people, I see them head to toe and left to right, but Australians didn't see me, no one gave me a conscious sign that I even existed or passing by them. This is so strange about Australians. Australians made me feel that I can be a ghost, which is scary.  

But again if you can break the ghost masking and ask them for help, they are alive; Australians are the most helpful people I encounter. All of a sudden all the frozen consciousness that walk around melt away and I turned from invisible to valuable. Everyone becomes the Good Samaritan. Sometimes I thought I am in some kind of social experiment or taking a part in the Matrix movie. 

Everywhere we travelled we used our phone Google map; the woman will keep taking for days without getting hungry or any coffee. 

I will never forget the trip we made to Philip Island. We drove south bound from Melbourne, passing the mixed old, mixed renovated contemporary typical Melbourne architecture. Avoiding toll ways, we drove over bridges. We had a snack at the farmer’s yard, cow’s picture in the wall and old people watching the cows’ video on television. It looks like the cows take control of the human world. As every time, music from our car, dancing usually with the music and singling along sometimes. And then we head along the coast before finally reached at Philip Island. Very quite like everywhere in Australia, I felt the sea breath. Searching for penguins  I was caught in to a new sightseeing my mind has never experienced. Usually the sea appears after rolling down hills. But this one was on the hill; felt a highland atmosphere mixed with a sea breath. A calm sea splendid over the horizon. Short bush in far left and right hiding baby kangaroos, we drove over a meadow that looks like I saw it in Microsoft Windows desktop background. So refreshing and uplifting, nature at its purest. I was caught in between keeping the memory in my iPhone or in my mind. Every time I focus on my recording I felt like I am missing a heaven-sight-seeing. 

Opening the window, I smell grass and herbs and wet air over my face that gave me a natural face massage with herbs. Parallel to the hill we saw the calm Ocean, my first encounter to Pacific Ocean. It was Ferdinand Magellan who first gave this mighty its name after its  "Peaceful" nature. That was the same experience I had that day at Philip Island, Peaceful Ocean indeed. We drove over irregular routes, and we managed to see kangaroos at their niche. The moment made me to forget what I was looking after all at the island? The penguins. They won't be out before 5:00 pm and we had to return back to Melbourne. However the experience at Philip was worth to anything, I didn't regret missing to see the 'swagger' penguins. 

Not only the oceans and nature, Australia shown me an adventure with food. Did I ever enjoy foods like this? Everything we tasted in the restaurant, the starters, the main dish and the sweets. It took me closer to heaven. Pure Satisfactions!! It was a new adventure in my life. We have tried almost all the world cuisine; Greece, Arabian, Italian, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese ...And I loved everything we chose. Taught me the beautiful taste of nature. 

We had amazing return road trip Melbourne Sydney; an adventure at its best. TCS was my driver and my personal retainer.

I will never forget the route we took on the Melbourne- Sydney trip. After we left Canberra the next morning we drove by the Budawang national park. Taking the quite route through Nerringa, Norwa and to Wollongong before we reach Sydney late evening.  We passed along the typical small towns occupied by scattered farmers that display a milking tank suspended by their gates. We saw horses wearing gowns on their back to keep them warm from the winter. Sparsely grown eucalyptus bush that gets dense at the park, leaving the gas pipeline by the left, dead kangaroos by the road shoulder, typical winter scenery had left a grey looking memory in my mind. Music in the background and with the smile of TCS that was a ride by the Eden. I enjoyed it! What a road trip!!! 

I remember the lunch we had at Tarcutta, truckers stop, a VERY quiet town that looks like just invaded by town robbers and everybody afraid to go out. Some houses from 1960s, only to find an Indian guy at the kibeb restaurant. Then I saw TCS talking with old couples that the man has a diaper on his pants, but strong enough to drive with his crippling wife all the way to see his brother before he passed away. We had our kibeb at the median of the town near the couples. Like stature we were the only ones. I was telling TCS the place looks like a city abandoned after a nuclear radiation threat; frozen in time, the houses and utilities are intact but there are no people. Nice place for a scary movie and a great memory for me. 

In the return trip we arrived late to Wollongong from Sydney. The next morning taking the Hume highway drove for a continuous 900km nonstop to reach Melbourne midnight. On this long way we stopped only to get fuel at truckers-stop; leaving the "Get Rest", "Take Nap" ... traffic safety adds that I think has saved so many lives. Leaving exits that take to Macdonalds, KFC, Hungry Jacks, we refused to stop. TCS doesn’t like their food she prefers drive hungry. It was a very long adventure at its best. We left several New South Wales cities; Canberra to the left, driving through Albury, Wangaratta, and lately to reach Victoria via Seymour and finally to Melbourne to our house.

The trip to Australia wouldn't be perfect without the trip we had to Queensland. Taking the flight from Sydney we arrive early at Brisbane. Little did we know Gold Coast is another far city from Brisbane we would have taken the flight going direct? However, I really enjoyed the train trip from Brisbane to Gold Coast. Sitting by the window I was filming the scenery in my mind. Though the train took hours and was interrupted with buses, it was another way of adventure that I really enjoyed. Brisbane wasn't glowing like Sydney or Melbourne. I enjoyed looking at the life along the one story buildings that made the whole Queensland. TCS said it is because of the flooding risk that the houses were built that way. The exterior isn't that attractive but it seems the people has a fancy life on the top terrace, there is an outdoor chair that people would sit to bask the precious sunshine that's nowhere to be found in winter all over Australia. I understand the settlement is too large; we passed such houses for hours until we finally reached at Surfers Pradise in Gold Coast where I think we had the best time in our vacation. 

Oh Gold Coast what is that I haven't tried? Your cocktails, superb cuisine, the theme parks at Sea World, Movie World, clubs and fun. Above all the weather. Still windy and cold in comparison to Africa, but relatively it is the best to the rest of places we had been in Australia. What a trip!!! Full of memories to remember and smile at!!! This is the kind of night I will tell my grandchildren to spend, this is what I mean by quality time, "one sweet night". Really a paradise at Surfer's Paradise. 

The only disappointment about Australia was for fact that I couldn't see wild animals as I thought I could find. I was told Australia is so wild, venomous snakes, scorpions and other dangerous animals swarm wild, chase you and jump over your car. But nothing like that, we didn't see a single snake. However, we saw several dead kangaroos that has jumped in to vehicles, hurt themselves and died. They mark the body X with red spray paint. Was that a count? In the first few days I saw more dead kangaroos than live ones. I wasn't surprised to see them dying, they are the dumbest wild animals I have ever seen. They run towards danger. Like suicide attackers they crush themselves with vehicles, is that they thought vehicles will die with them? Is this their way of protection of their habitat? 

The dolphins at Sea World in Gold Coast came as a surprise, how could a fish which is the first in the evolutionary succession becomes so intelligent? How come they memorize such complicated trainings and perform it with accuracy? How do they inherit such relationships with humans? We need to research here! These kayak size, adorable, smart sea creatures had entertained me the most. They completed the show with a water splash on everyone around. Wow!! 

The penguins are another disappointment. Why did they look so huge in the tele? They are the size of a small chicken, unintelligent, sluggish and swaggish. The only show they can perform is feeding them. They sound vulnerable and that makes them adorable. 

We had a great time in Sydney too. We take a quick tour around the Opera House, taking pictures and searching for restaurants by the shore. Better than Melbourne still Sydney was cold and windy. We sat at the restaurant near the heater. TCS told me the architecture was inspired by nature, bird wings and clouds. 

Talking about birds, seagulls are all over Australia, they are like the crow of Africa. Their shape and color look lovely like doves but they are nasty and crazy. They fight with each other for left over foods. They have slight color variety that I think determines their sex or age. Usually the different one is the winner; it can chase everyone and take everything for itself. They don't share their food, they keep fighting and make noises that the waitresses think disturb the customers and keep chasing them away. Seagulls are one of the best things I enjoyed to see where ever we go.  

When we drive with our car on the bridge the first day, I didn't feel the full magnitude of the Harbor Bridge. What an engineering marvel when seen closely. 

We take west walking away from the opera house towards the harbor bridge. From the bottom of the abutment on the side of the opera house, leaving CBD behind, we reached the botanic garden. Taking pictures of me with the bridge fully on top of me aligned N-S. We keep climbing and walking on the foot path.

Once we reached top of the bridge, wow! What a view! A chain of heavy steel structure that got Eiffel Tower complexity, is stretched in arch over the full span of the Parramatta river making the bridge.  The Parramatta that made the harbor looks like at its delta, stretched from west to east towards the opera house. The footpath is done on the eastern side so it is easy to see the opera house with its full grace, bunch of wings indeed. The CBD and its giant commercial buildings, hotels and apartments in the south are fully visible in panorama. While we keep walking, the north part of the city appears and we were totally on top of the harbor. We kept snapping. Just before we reached the North side abutment I left an indentation on one of the girders, "YoSi, 21/2017". Forgot the month 06. 

TCS took me to so many places that I might forget to mention here. However a visit to RMIT will always be one of those pockets of memory that will keep floating in my head. Over the longest and furthest LDR we struggled as a team to keep her fit through the challenges RMIT has for her since she started IDD. Can't believe she is now in the last semester and I am going to see her graduated. What a relief for me!! Haha 

Visiting RMIT has caused me all the nostalgia of everything she passed through alone. Visiting her class rooms, the labs/spaces, the gardens. Wandering in the new library that defies gravity, position, color and form. Taking pictures, walking through the future. What an experience!!! 

RMIT doesn't have gates; actually it's like most buildings in Australia. Classrooms are not in one compound. They are scattered in the city. You might need to walk over the street and cross trams to get to the next class. How unique is that! I am happy that TCS is passing through this experience and she will soon graduate. That's why I was saying studying IDD is the best decision she has made in her life, next to choosing me.  Haha

I will keep taking about the adventure I had in this organized and developed country, Australia. A country that has hosted TCS safe for those years she was far from home. A country that has made for me a woman. A modern woman who has taste for herbs, spices and color. A woman who would say if something is not at right angle, that's the wrong angle. I am glad I take a glimpse of this country in the last three weeks of June 2017. We splashd with love and laughter. We travelled and we learn more. Above all, we woke up together. That's our dream that came really true. Still we are dreaming the same dream to not be far apart again. Soon and very soon. For one meal and one bed. And two cups of Ethiopian coffee by our side.