Another Long Day

Christmas is just around the corner and the Australian Streets are donning the celebration gown. Christmas trees and eye-captivating colourful decorations are the welcoming sight one can see upon entering Sydney. So, since the weather was permitting, yesterday i went to the city again to say goodbye to some of my favourite places and also to complete my last-minute shopping ( having a friend whose shopping list goes from north pole to south pole certainly doesn't help much). I have always been fascinated by the churches in Oz especially the one above for it's unique structure, carvings and grandeur but never got the chance to enter. But by God's Grace, yesterday i had the chance to enter the church and what do i say? It was breath-takingly beautiful and the church was enfolded in such serenity which is a delight for the senses. Since prayers was going on in the church, i didn't click anything but just stood there capturing them with my naked eyes.

Once we came out, i was helping my friend to take a picture of the church, when a Spanish lady offered to take our picture together. The most striking thing that i have noticed in Oz is that people are so eager to help you even without you asking them. All you have to do is, wear a destitute look and move your camera here and there and i bet there'll be someone offering to take your picture. Sometimes, they do have some selfish reasons, as once they have clicked your picture, they will hand in their cameras to you (Yeah cameraS) and it's your turn to repay their 'gratitude'. But this particular lady just amazed me. I have seen so many tourists who are not fluent in English who just rely heavily on sign languages and limited vocabs such as 'photo' and 'thanks'. But this lady came to us and started speaking in Spanish and took my camera (No she wasn't stealing my camera...she wanted to click us together). And i'm pretty sure i don't look like a Spanish (with my 'pottu' and what-the -hell-are -you-saying look). But she didn't bother about that. So, i just took advantage of the opportunity and posed for a picture. Then, as usual she took out her camera and started saying yadda-yadda and there i was puzzled and wondering whether that was her first day coming out of Spain and that she still believes that every human on earth speaks Spanish or at least understands Spanish. The most hilarious thing was that she had a group of friends and apparently she wanted all of them to pose with her but they were saying something and she looked at me and started explaining the whole situation with her complete facial expressions and gestures and loosely translated "oh, don't worry about this nonsense people. They can't value your photographic skills. Let me be the luckiest one and snap me, gorgeous". And all i could say at the moment was " Oh YEah! Ha..Ha..He..He.. and ( I hope you said something funny)". As i clicked, finally she said "THANK YOU". It's ENGLISH. Hurray!!

Then after hitting each shops and changing rooms, and attacking appetizing pancakes it was time to return home. And the traffic was not being good to us either as there was a horrible accident near the Harbour bridge and we were stuck there for 1 hr. The bus wasn't moving an inch and the bus was dead silent. Have you ever initiated a conversation with your fellow traveller in buses or trains? i have never done that. And as i was sitting in the deadly silent bus, i realised some were pre-occupied with worldly thoughts (i hope), some fidgeting and some were 'i-pod'-ing and some were sleeping (including me). There were only two souls in the bus sitting behind me took advantage of the situation forming a new friendship and sharing thoughts ( yeah i was eaves-dropping with my half-closed eyes..come on that's human nature). Are we so engrossed in our world that we don't have time to foster new friendships? or are we simply ignorants?