Second chances

12 November 2012

Dear one,

I don't like Sydney - I swear to God I don't. The dirty old trains at the Central station, the hustle and bustle of so many people on the rush; no, I didn't like any of that. What glimpse I had of the Darling Harbour - even that I didn't find charming at all. Only the Sydney Opera House managed to impress me and the warmth of family I had met for the first time.

So I vowed I'd come back to Sydney and give it a second chance. Albeit the limited budget, come back I did. And coming back was a decision I'd never regret.


The Central Station

Old and dirty. There just seems to be no other way to describe the trains in New South Wales (NSW). Certainly, they are, if one compares them to the almost immaculate trains of Singapore. And when one steps into the Central Station, one will surely think it the center of old (It is indeed old; it's more than a hundred years old.).

But there is, in fact, another word to describe Central - romantic. That, I witnessed when I saw this other side of the station.

I don't know if it was the stone walls, the stained glass windows, the bronze overhead timepiece or the combination of all three that had me enthralled of this train station.

No train station in Singapore comes close to the bustle that is Central; not even Dhoby Ghaut's busy interchange of the North-South, North-East and Circle train lines. The Central station has more than 20 train platforms, interconnecting suburb, city and intercity trains. I wonder if the people who have lived their entire lives in NSW could have memorized every existing train line there is or, for that matter, could have memorized the station names in every train line.











A discovery I made was that when one steps out of the station from the Devonshire Cemetery exit, there is a line of stone bust figures of heroes, mostly from Latin America, facing the street. One of the bust figures belonged to our very own national hero, Jose Rizal. Imagine my delight at finding something (or someone) so familiar in unfamiliar territories. (My cousin who has lived in NSW for 12 years didn't even know about this until that day I told her. Haha.)

Breathtaking. Always.

I spent the second day of my trip on a self-guided walking tour of the city. Right before I got off the train at Circular Quay station, I caught a sweeping view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the iconic Sydney Opera House. What a way to start the day!

The sight of the bridge and the Opera House was just breathtaking. Why, just that view could make me fall in love with this place. But I refused to relent to Sydney's charms.

So I went on with my walk under the sweltering heat, from the Royal Botanic Gardens to the Government House grounds. Then I went off in search of Mrs. Macquarie's Chair which was supposed to have the best view of the bridge and the Opera House. And yes, it did not disappoint; for the second time in this trip, the sight of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House took my breath away.

You'd have thought I'd have grown tired of that view after seeing it twice. No. Indeed, three's the charm. By that time, I saw the same breathtaking view at Milsons Point, I knew I was taken. Irrevocably. Without a doubt.


Unveiled

On my first trip to New South Wales last January, I had tried (and failed miserably) to see the famous Three Sisters which, according to aboriginal legends, used to be three daughters who had been turned to stone by their father in order to protect them from the Bunyip. January was the middle of summer in Australia but it was raining that day and hence, the Blue Mountains vicinity was covered in fog, fog and more fog.

This time, though, on a wonderful spring day, with hardly a cloud in the sky, the Three Sisters could not hide anywhere - their magnificence unveiled for everyone to witness. You didn't need to be an artist to appreciate this overwhelming sight. You'd only need a grateful heart to see that this is another one of Mother Nature's poetic masterpieces.

Some hundred steps or so down the man-made staircase at the side of the mountains and I came this close to one of the Three Sisters that I could (almost) kiss it and hug it!

If last January's Blue Mountains trip theme song was Gene Kelly's "Singing in the Rain", this November, it could only be the Carpenters' "Top of the World".

Such a feeling's coming over me;

There is wonder in 'most anything I see.

Not a cloud in the sky, got the sun in my eyes.

And I won't be surprised if it's a dream.

 

 

"Finding God in all things"

Last month, I had been doing a Visita Iglesia of sorts, visiting the churches in Singapore that I have never been to. Save for one, I have already visited all the churches in the city I've called home for the last three years. This Visita Iglesia was one of the things I had promised the Lord I would do. I didn't really make a deal with Him about what I was asking for (Well, He is God so He already knows anyway.). I did it mostly because I wanted to feel a sense of accomplishment, something that's not exactly easy to come by when one is in between jobs.

I did not, however, expect I'd be doing a mini-version of a Visita Iglesia in this trip. Apart from St. Mary's Cathedral which was one of the mainstream tourist destinations, I had only planned to visit Mary Mackillop Chapel and Museum which was a ten-minute walk from North Sydney station. But I suppose it was Divine Intervention that led me to St. Francis Xavier Church which was also near North Sydney. I spent my lunch hour attending the noon mass there.

The following day, I found St. Mary Immaculate Church, a little church located in a quiet corner of Manly not too frequented by tourists. Finally, my last Sunday in NSW found me at the Church of St. Bernadette, attending mass with Tita War, Ate Brenda and Kuya Mike.

Four churches and one chapel - not bad for a nine-day trip.

One thought struck me: "to find God in all things", the primary tenet of Ignatian spirituality. Yes, God is present in every blessing that I receive each day but I think He becomes even more present to me in my travels.

I can never claim to have travelled as a pilgrim in the very sense of the word. I don't travel in style but I prefer to travel in what humble comforts that I can afford. Even then I find God manifested in the warm hotel bed, the delicious local food fare, the safe flights and commutes. In the unique, the iconic, the historical, the romantic and the beautiful sights.

This trip was no different. I found Him in the nostalgia of the antique Central station, the perfect blue of the sea at Manly and Bondi beaches, the apparent elusiveness of the Three Sisters. I found Him, above all, in the generosity of the family who did not just provide me with a bed to sleep on at night and an almost inexhaustible supply of food to nourish me everyday but also made me feel like I was home. I am so grateful for the daily breakfast, baon and dinner that Tita War prepares; I must have gained a few pounds from all that delicious food. I sincerely thank Ate Brenda and Kuya Mike for driving me to the train station everyday - certainly, such a lovely convenience over riding a bus - and of course, for the lunch, dinner and movie treats, for the gym session, for touring me around NSW - to Bondi Beach, Taronga Zoo and Three Sisters. And I also thank Kuya Jhoy, Ate May and their beautiful girls, Yzl and Kty, for welcoming me into their home as well.

"It's more fun in the Philippines," so the slogan says. I say, "It's just as fun in Australia, mate!"

And it feels as much at home here.