The Sydney Wrap Up!

Guess What Movie I Saw in Australia????????

Did you guess that I saw the movie by the same name as the country I was in?  I mean, here I am in Australia, why not learn about the formative years of Australia with the all star cast including Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman?  Bewitched meets Wolverine.  Satine vs. Van Helsing.  How could it go wrong?  Then I thought about it.  There were a thousand ways it could go wrong. So I skipped it and went to see a movie that was getting a lot of buzz on the internet, Slumdog Millionaire.  It was raining and it seemed right to see a movie about India while I was in Australia.  A good move on my part, if I might say so myself. 

I had first heard about the movie after it won the "People's Choice Award" at the Toronto International Film Festival.  Since then It has bagged many awards and was recently nominated for four Golden Globes including Best Picture and Best Director.  I have been a fan of the director, Danny Boyle, ever since Shallow Grave came out in the early 90's.

Though I have only seen a few movies this past year, I can't imagine there is a better movie than Slumdog Millionaire.  The color and vibrancy of the movie will enthrall you. Boyle has unique nature of capturing India for an outsider. I am sure the detractors will object to the unrealistic portrayal of street children in Mumbai but they can get over themselves it is a modern day fairy tale.  I highly recommend that you see it (if you haven't already.)  Here is to them taking the Golden Globes by storm this weekend!

Hitting Bondi Beach
Pictured: Bondi Beach from the walking trails.

Just like every tourist that comes to Sydney, a trip to the beach was on the itinerary.  Luckily, the rain stopped over the weekend and I made my way to Bondi Beach.  A friend of mine that I met in Antarctica introduced me to her friend that lives in Bondi, Holly Enriquez.  Holly was my tour guide for the afternoon.  The beaches are connected by walking paths and so we took a hike to the beaches next to Bondi.  It was beautiful.  Bondi Beach is a great surf town with great little cafes and restaurants.  Holly introduced me to the concept of gourmet fish and chips and her favorite place a few block from the beach.  By far the best fish and chips of the trip!  As I was leaving Australia, a conservative member of the city council was trying to ban topless sunbathing at Bondi Beach.  Ahhh, those pesky city councilmemebers always trying to ruin everyone's fun.  Where have I heard that before?

The Sydney Opera House
Pictured: The Sydney Opera House right before the fireworks.  The firework photos are on the website.

The Sydney Opera House has been on my worldlist and was one of the first things I went to see when I arrived to Sydney.  It is a remarkable architectural marvel that not only symbolizes the city but also the country itself.  You can't think of Australia without the Opera House coming up at some point.

The Sydney Opera House is located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, who in 2003 received the Pritzker Prize, architecture's highest honour. The citation stated:

"There is no doubt that the Sydney Opera House is his masterpiece. It is one of the great iconic buildings of the 20th century, an image of great beauty that has become known throughout the world – a symbol for not only a city, but a whole country and continent."

The Opera House was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 28 June 2007. It is one of the world's most distinctive 20th century buildings, and one of the most famous performing arts centres in the world.

The Sydney Opera House is situated on Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour, close to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Contrary to the implication of the name, it houses a multi-venue performing arts centre, rather than a single Opera theatre. As well as hosting many touring productions in a variety of performance genres, the Sydney Opera House is a major presenting venue for Opera Australia, The Australian Ballet, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony. It is administered by the Sydney Opera House Trust, under the New South Wales Ministry of the Arts. (From Wikipedia)

It is ironic that the city is known for this structure throughout the world but back in 1965, he was fired by the government and the Opera Trust over creative and financial issues.  Mr. Utzon vowed never to return to Sydney to see the finished structure.  Supposedly, over the past few years, the Sydney Opera House Trust made an asserted attempt to mend the relationship with Mr. Utzon but because of health reasons, he didn't make it back before he passed away in November 2008.

Comments

[Robin Lynn]

Did you actually get to attend a performance in the Opera House?

[cathi o]

I agree - Slumdog was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. *LOVE* Danny Boyle, and bringing his kinetic energy to Mumbai? Genius. Further proof that Indians are some of the most beautiful people on the planet.

[Jenna]

LLLLOVVVVEEDDDDDDD Slumdog Millionaire! Best movie I saw all year. Hands down.