This was after the party ended - downstairs at Cruze bar. And that is NOT my half sipped Vancouver Island cocktail there. Ooooohhh nooo.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
All Good Children Go To Heaven
Well it has taken me ages to write about the Sydney reunion. I had a good time, but the weekend was marred by some bitter tastes, and I didn't want to focus on them so I have waited.
It was wonderful to catch up with my 2005 Mitsui friends - Peta and I shared a room in the second night and she enjoyed laughing at my neuroticism in getting ready for the function! I had a good catch up with nearly everyone, a couple of people brought partners which was cool, and I think we all found it a little poignant in a way because it means that almost a year has passed since we took the fateful trip around Japan.
On the first night I shared a room with Danielle who went on the trip the year before me, and we had a good day on the Friday. A spot of shopping, a surf beach and a harbour beach, and some noodles in Hyde Park for Good Food Month all washed down with some lovely white wine at Martin Place Bar (not the classiest establishment of all time might I add, but the best we could do in the absence of a Sydney native to guide us).
On Friday we went to Darling Harbour and checked out the Japanese Matsuri that was on down there - see my photo stream for some cool pics, and Vimeo for a cute video of Japanese dancing girls. (Sorry I don't know the technical term). We had some lunch in the Queen Victoria Bulding and I picked up a nice pair of shoes! ;-) Then we returned to the hotel to prepare for the rather early-starting reunion.
Being an idiot, I didn't pack a hairdryer and having just had my hair lightened about 20 shades (!) was rather frustrated by the fluff effect that the pathetic hotel dryer had on my hair. Thank god for Peta who tamed the mane, crafting it into something moderately acceptable for a cocktail function. Skin moisturised, eyes lined, dresses puffed and lips coloured we cabbed it down to Circular Quay to the Green Room at the Overseas Passenger Terminal.
It was interesting to see the variety of people that Mitsui has afforded the MEF privilege to over the years. I didn't actually talk to anyone pre-2000 unfortunately -but there seemed to be an interesting mix of lawyers, diplomats, business people and academics there. The presentations from the past 4 decades were especially cool.
One guy who went on the tour in the 90's basically told the story of how Mitsui changed his life - he was processing refugees (read "illegal immigrants") on Christmas Island, strangely (or possibly not) decided that he wasn't exactly living a fulfilling existence and decided to quit and pursue his artistic dream. He is now an artist who paints stunning paintings of Geisha and other Japanese icons.
Kinda cool.
Anyway, long story short - Geoff Gallop was there - former Premier of WA and now Head of the School of Government at Sydney Uni - and I happened to mention to him that I used to know his son. He gave me the home number in Perth and told me to call him! Still undecided upon whether that is utterly weird.
After the function something very strange happened. Yogya friends may remember Robert, the bullshit artist masqerading as saviour of the universe with a heart broken by a Finnish girl but never fear he is going to solve homelessness and poverty in Indonesia and has an IT business that has made him very rich, but would never ever buy you a drink. Turns out that pathological liar is a cab driver who happened to pass my group on Macquarie Place with a vacant cab, but baulked when he saw me, saw his fictional universe crash down and made some excuse about having to go to Manly.
People are disappointing. Bitter tastes. I was pretty cut that two (I thought) close friends from Yogya who both live in Sydney didn't make the effort to catch up while I was there. One didn't even return calls or SMSs at all. That's nice.
I think I just expect too much from people.... like reciprocation of friendship. I must be crazy.
Aaarrgh that was the bitter note I promised myself I wouldn't end on.
In other news, I am working over the weekend because of bloody Budget Estimates, I have my exam next Saturday and I have to do well cos I am down to the last cut for one of my scholarships. So thats a happy ending for this post right there.
It was wonderful to catch up with my 2005 Mitsui friends - Peta and I shared a room in the second night and she enjoyed laughing at my neuroticism in getting ready for the function! I had a good catch up with nearly everyone, a couple of people brought partners which was cool, and I think we all found it a little poignant in a way because it means that almost a year has passed since we took the fateful trip around Japan.
On the first night I shared a room with Danielle who went on the trip the year before me, and we had a good day on the Friday. A spot of shopping, a surf beach and a harbour beach, and some noodles in Hyde Park for Good Food Month all washed down with some lovely white wine at Martin Place Bar (not the classiest establishment of all time might I add, but the best we could do in the absence of a Sydney native to guide us).
On Friday we went to Darling Harbour and checked out the Japanese Matsuri that was on down there - see my photo stream for some cool pics, and Vimeo for a cute video of Japanese dancing girls. (Sorry I don't know the technical term). We had some lunch in the Queen Victoria Bulding and I picked up a nice pair of shoes! ;-) Then we returned to the hotel to prepare for the rather early-starting reunion.
Being an idiot, I didn't pack a hairdryer and having just had my hair lightened about 20 shades (!) was rather frustrated by the fluff effect that the pathetic hotel dryer had on my hair. Thank god for Peta who tamed the mane, crafting it into something moderately acceptable for a cocktail function. Skin moisturised, eyes lined, dresses puffed and lips coloured we cabbed it down to Circular Quay to the Green Room at the Overseas Passenger Terminal.
It was interesting to see the variety of people that Mitsui has afforded the MEF privilege to over the years. I didn't actually talk to anyone pre-2000 unfortunately -but there seemed to be an interesting mix of lawyers, diplomats, business people and academics there. The presentations from the past 4 decades were especially cool.
One guy who went on the tour in the 90's basically told the story of how Mitsui changed his life - he was processing refugees (read "illegal immigrants") on Christmas Island, strangely (or possibly not) decided that he wasn't exactly living a fulfilling existence and decided to quit and pursue his artistic dream. He is now an artist who paints stunning paintings of Geisha and other Japanese icons.
Kinda cool.
Anyway, long story short - Geoff Gallop was there - former Premier of WA and now Head of the School of Government at Sydney Uni - and I happened to mention to him that I used to know his son. He gave me the home number in Perth and told me to call him! Still undecided upon whether that is utterly weird.
After the function something very strange happened. Yogya friends may remember Robert, the bullshit artist masqerading as saviour of the universe with a heart broken by a Finnish girl but never fear he is going to solve homelessness and poverty in Indonesia and has an IT business that has made him very rich, but would never ever buy you a drink. Turns out that pathological liar is a cab driver who happened to pass my group on Macquarie Place with a vacant cab, but baulked when he saw me, saw his fictional universe crash down and made some excuse about having to go to Manly.
People are disappointing. Bitter tastes. I was pretty cut that two (I thought) close friends from Yogya who both live in Sydney didn't make the effort to catch up while I was there. One didn't even return calls or SMSs at all. That's nice.
I think I just expect too much from people.... like reciprocation of friendship. I must be crazy.
Aaarrgh that was the bitter note I promised myself I wouldn't end on.
In other news, I am working over the weekend because of bloody Budget Estimates, I have my exam next Saturday and I have to do well cos I am down to the last cut for one of my scholarships. So thats a happy ending for this post right there.
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