SYDNEY!

This post is long. I know everyone is busy, so I’ve formatted this post so you don't have to read everything. You can scroll through and just look at the pictures. The highlights have stars (*** being the most important) before them. Or you can read the entire thing (everything I want to share with you ^_^).

Friday

- At the airport. Keiko and I got back to the airport at 11.30am for our 1pm flight. Security took less than a minute, and no one weighed our carry-on luggage to make sure it was under 7kg. However, due to the windy conditions the previous day (see “This is Magic!” post), our flight was delayed, so we ended up hanging out in the terminal for almost five hours. At first we were estimated for a 3pm departure, but it got pushed back 15 minutes each announcement until departure time because 4pm. It felt like we were never going to make it to Sydney (the announcer started calling us “the patient passengers on flight JQ7409”). Everyone on the flight received an $8 voucher to the cafe as a consolation gift. It was just enough to get a large drink, but better than nothing. We finally left the gate at 4pm and flew to Sydney just as the sun was setting. I even got a glimpse of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge from the plane. Very nice view.

 - *Chinatown Night Market. After we checked into the hotel and dropped off our luggage, Keiko and I walked to the Chinatown Night Market. We were greeted with lots of Asian food stalls and Asian craft stalls, and we excitedly looked for dinner options. My first purchase was a 飯糰 ("fan tuan") a Taiwanese version of sushi burrito (but not fusion and usually a breakfast food). We also got takoyaki, moon cakes, 肉圓 (“ba-wan.” My mom’s favourite!), Emperor’s puff (you know it’s good when there’s a long line), dim sum, and cane juice (juice from freshly pressed sugar cane). We met up with one of Keiko’s friends and cultured her to Asian food. She didn’t do so well, but it’s ok. I didn’t know how much I missed good Taiwanese street food. 

Sydney Chinatown Night Market

After dinner, we walked to the Sydney Harbour and enjoyed the night view. Not much to say here; we were glad to finally be in Sydney, just >24 hours later than anticipated. A show had just ended, so Keiko and I got a sneak peak of one of the smaller theatres. The red inside reminded me of Carnegie Hall. 

Sydney 

Saturday

- I woke up kind of early and wandered around the city alone. I found some cute photo ops and nice Sydney scenes: Hyde Park, QVB (Queen Victoria Building), arcades, and cafes. It was Saturday morning, so it was pretty quiet (which means better pictures! Hehe) and refreshing exploring a new place, not knowing what treasure I would stumble upon next. 

Bits of Sydney

- ***BridgeClimb. This was one of our main activities in Sydney (and my 21st birthday present from Aunty Jenny). Sydney Harbour Bridge is considered the world’s largest steel arch bridge (when considering length, width, and load capacity), and we climbed 134 meters to the very top for a panoramic view of the city. There were strict protocols we had to follow before the BridgeClimb: breathe into a breathalizer (can’t be drunk haha), wear grey jumpers, take off our watches, empty our pockets (no phones or cameras), and clip our glass to our jumpers. But it’s worth it. The view is priceless! 10/10 recommend if you go to Sydney. We did climb on a really, really windy day (Keiko says the windiness was comparable to skydiving), but it was sunny for the entire duration of our 3.5 hour climb. Our guide, David, told us many stories about the bridge’s history and construction. Men with no safety equipment had to catch burning hot rivets in a bucket to hammer parts into place. The first person to cross the bridge when it opened in 1932 was a young boy named Lenny. He had never been in a city and walked from the countryside near Melbourne to Sydney (basically walking from SF to LA and back) for the opening of the bridge. I can’t imagine what kind of experience that would be. Definitely impressive. 

At the Top!

-The Rocks Market. After the climb, we grabbed lunch at a nearby cafe and wandered through the Rocks Market. We also climbed the Pylon Lookout, one of four stone towers that looks like it holds up the bridge (but actually doesn’t). Here, we were able to take as many pictures as we wanted (did I mention that 10 pictures from the BridgeClimb cost $60?). The weather was beautiful! 

Pylon Tower 

-Bondi Beach. Keiko and I took the BigBus Sydney tour bus to Bondi Beach. But because we spent quite some time in the markets and Pylon Lookout, we arrived late in the afternoon. It was still really windy -> COLD!!! (See picture) It’s quite small, but I guess it’s a must visit because it’s so famous. It was cold. For Australia beach experiences, go to Surfer’s Paradise. But I hope to visit again on a warmer and less windy day.

Bondi Beach!

-Evening. We rode the bus back to Chinatown for dinner. By the time we got back, we were so cold and hungry we ate in an Asian food court. I got Soto Ayam (Indonesian noodle soup), and I never order noodle soup! (Yes I was very cold) We got more Emperor’s puffs, and Keiko headed back to the hotel while I wandered the around Sydney a bit more. I was determined to “Enjoy Sydney! Eat! Walk! See… don’t waste time sleeping” (recommendation from Aunty Jenny). I found places that Aunty Jenny told me to see: the Custom House that has the entire map of Sydney underground, dessert shops (that I couldn’t afford, so I got Taiwanese egg puffs instead), and just soaking in the culture of a Saturday night in Sydney. I didn’t really fit in, considering I was in a pink windbreaker and beanie while everyone else was in platform heels, party clothes, and makeup. #NOTW

- *Sunrise in Sydney. I woke up early to see the sunrise! Except I missed it because Google Maps told me to walk through the Botanical Gardens which was not open at 5.30 in the morning. But it was fine, because there were clouds and I wasn’t really there to see the sun rising but to watch the Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, and the rest of the city light up. It was beautiful! And thank God for other tourists. Just as I was about to head back (it was getting cold), a couple came to take pictures, and I asked them to take a few of me (Keiko was still asleep). 

Sunrise in Sydney

-***Hillsong! I hadn’t planned on going (to be honest, our plans this trip were thrown out the window and we just improvised), but Aunty Jenny suggested, and Google Maps said the nearest campus wasn’t far. After talking to Keiko, we checked out and headed our separate ways (she did some souvenir shopping in the meantime). So I walked 40ish minutes to the Waterloo campus, which was a nice way to warm up after a cold morning. When I got there, I took a picture of the sign as proof of my visit and headed inside. As I walked into the sanctuary, I saw the giant “Welcome Home” sign above the entrance, and emotions washed over me. How can I be welcomed home to a place I’ve never been? Tears started rolling down my face. I didn’t even know the song they were singing, but God’s presence was so present. I always hear pastors tell stories of people coming up to them after service and telling the pastor that as soon as they walked into the service, they couldn’t stop crying and they don’t know why. That was me. I cried so much my contacts fell out haha. I wasn’t supposed to be in Sydney, yet God planned the trip so I could be in His presence. I was worshiping with people I had never, ever met and may never, ever meet, yet I felt… at home. Perhaps home is just where God is present, wherever I am, whomever I’m with. 

The sermon was quite different, other than the fact that it was video-streamed from the original Hills campus. Pastor Brian Houston, one of the founders of Hillsong Church,  preached and used a lot of jokes, making his sermon more engaging and memorable. It also felt really short and there was no 3-point outline, which I realise is rooted in a work-oriented culture. The message was simple and easy to understand, yet very convicting. Philippians 3:12-14 came up again, reminding me that, even though I’m away from home, I must still strain forward, press on (sense of urgency) toward the upward call of God.  

Hillsong

-City tour. After service, Keiko and I met up again and hopped back on the BigBus for a tour of the city. But before that, we took a detour to buy souvenirs that Keiko had found in the city. Most Australia souvenir stores sell the same thing, but she had found one that sold better things, so she took me back to the shop. There’s not much to say about the tour, except that you have to take it yourself to learn about Sydney. The waiting time for the bus is a bit long, but worth it. 

-*Sydney Fish Markets. Since Keiko and I both love seafood, we stopped at the Sydney Fish Markets. It is the largest fish market in the Southern Hemisphere (3rd largest in the world), and there was so much beautiful seafood! Again, because it was just the two of us, it took me forever to decide what to eat because I couldn’t buy everything and still finish it all. I  finally decided to get a whole snapper, and it was so good! 

Fish Market

By the time we got back to the city, it was time to head back to the airport. 48 hours pass by really quickly! I hope to visit Sydney in the future; I want to go to Bondi Beach on a better day, walk around Barangaroo and the Chinese Garden, eat at Pancakes on the Rocks, get Meet Fresh, and go to Hillsong on the Hills. But I definitely had a great trip 😃

**Reflection

I had a few mishaps on this trip, actually, but it all the more showed God’s grace and love. I left my phone on the bus (but realised and retrieved it before the bus drove away). I also went down the construction elevator at the other end of the hall (because the usual elevator wasn’t coming up) and walked out, only to find that there were locked wooden construction panels keeping me from getting to the streets. The door also closed behind me (locked), so I had to message Keiko to come rescue me haha. Two is better one. Despite these incidences (they make good stories though), there were so many small things that happened — the weather, souvenirs, people — that showed God’s amazing grace and everlasting love for me. And my two most favourite parts of this trip were gifts I didn’t deserve (James 1:17).

I also had some interesting language experiences. There’s a lot of Asians in Sydney, and people will speak to me in Mandarin or English. I wonder how they decide. The most amusing interaction was at the Fish Market. I was eating my whole fish when two elderly men sat down next to us. They saw me and said something about a young lady and a big fish in Taiwanese, probably not expecting that I’d understand. I looked over and smiled, and I had a brief conversation with them in Mandarin and broken Taiwanese. My food preferences also showed me how much I miss Taiwan ❤️❤️❤️

I’m impatient! All the delays, waiting for buses, and queues showed me that I have little patience. Keiko and I are also used to different paces of life, so we definitely did some compromising. God, help me put on your wardrobe (see Colossians 3:12-14 MSG [the Message]).

If you’ve made it all the way through, congrats! And thank you for praying for me. Keiko and I had an amazing weekend and I definitely experienced more of God. To those starting Santa Clara today (perhaps for the first time!), get ready to do great things through our great God. Enjoy Fall Quarter for me!