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TL2 – Day 1 – The Bridge

On By cjx07sterIn Uncategorized2 Comments

Somehow a journey always starts with a bridge to somewhere. I’ve brushed off the sand and shelved the flip-flops, but packed the waterproof snow boots. Got up early in fact to see if I could get a start on those final emails, before setting of  on the next great cyber-terrestrial journey.  It’ll be around the world and probably take a whole month before getting back home.  Not sure if I would have gained or lost a day on the way north-east and around the outback of the globe to Sydney.  Its all a bridge to somewhere.  People talk about the journey, but I tend to think as before and after the journey – joined by two bridges – one at the beginning – leaving home – and one at the end – arriving and thinking about normal life once more.

Anyway bridge number one being the Sydney Harbour bridge – a well known landmark is always a great physical expression of that journey from the bush down to the airport.  I try to catch a cab or a train over it – probably to say goodbye somehow in my head to all the local domestic things and hello  to the next phase of the journey.  Today however, with the morning light fading to Autumn in a few days time, the radio chimes out about a multi-car pileup on the bridge with delays and cell phone calls hanging in clouds of frustration among the thousands of cars stuck fast on it’s superstructure.

So – backup bridge plan in Sydney is to catch a country train over a smaller bridge, way up river from the harbour and which offers a convenient bypass to all the snarl-ups on the great coat-hanger. Not the bridge I imagined, but a practical one.

Its around a 50 minute train[s] to the International airport, covering most of Sydney from the North to the inner South where the airport is located.  Jutting out into Botany Bay are the two main North South runway’s we’ll be taking off from.  Rain set in just crossing the bridge and now it’s damp, cloudy and otherwise – not pleasant outside.  This seems to be what is left of the tropical cyclones which just devastated Yeppoon and Rockhampton earlier in the week.  A category 5 storm, which by the time it hit’s Sydney is really just rain and cloud swirling down from the north east coast.

Even the barman is not standing around at the Bondi Bar at the International airport terminal.  That’s how deserted it can be on a mid week afternoon.  The flight will leave mid afternoon and arrive in the morning sometime pacific time.

I read my heart a romance stone

On By cjx07sterIn Uncategorized2 Comments
Amethyst Flower
A rose for Valentine’s

You see it was an amethyst stone.  Found fallen from a bangle chain.

It must’be been, lying there on the street.  When I picked it up as you do, it had small writing on it. I showed it to the seller at the packed flower stall nearby.  She took one look at it and said ‘the writing’s too small’ .  I asked did she have a magnifying glass.

“no.. It’s the kind of stone that you have to give, it has a message on it, but it cannot be read unless it connects to the heart of the one it is given to.”  She said.

” How do you know that ? ” I asked.

“I know that because I had one once.  Just like that only bigger.  A young man turned up one day and gave it me just on the street nearby.  I had been alone for the whole day. Standing round the bus stop, waiting for the bus,  he must have been sucked in by the scent of flowers all over me from selling all day.  Pink ones they were.  I’d got away early because we’d run out of ’em.  Tired I was tho. and leaning against the bus stop sign he just walked up and said.  I want to give you this, it shoud cheer you up.”  “I could read the writing on it then, …but not now – I lost that sudden love unfortunately….”

It was small in my hand purple like amethyst.  Perhaps it was, but it had that tiny kind of stone writing on it you know … not in ink, but in different color.  But how does that kind of writing get on it I wondered.  More to the point, how am I to read the one I just found.

“….Give it to the one you love maybe.  Tomorrow would be a good day.” she said.

I didn’t know why tomorrow might be good, but I felt like trying the little rock out.  I gave the purplish thing to her, but she said.  “No — this is not for me — be patient — your heart is just experimenting I can tell.”

“You’re more curious than in love. You always have been.” she said as she put her right hand on my chest. Startled, I looked down as she carefully placed the little rock back in my hand with her left.

I could read though my salt tears, writing close within a red heart set in the darker cross of the stone.. simply ‘Your Valentine’.

Image:flickr – with permission. Tersiiska – Copyright 2014

The Patriot

On By cjx07sterIn Existentialism, Travel, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Foxboro Jan 15White, icy, damp and strong, the snowman appeared in the courtyard as if just visiting.  We fashioned him, or made him into something fashionable with his New England Patriots bling [the week before the superbowl].  If you build a snowman big enough, life-size, you cannot help but want to get a picture with the guy.  He with Clive’s hat keeping his snowy head warm and his glaring orange eyes, spinning around in eye sockets from the wind… and his frozen carrot nose, borrowed from the kitchen in the lobby.  The twig for a mouth made him rather grim so we tried to cheer him up a bit with the Patriot’s bling.

It got colder and wetter as the rain started, and we left for the warmth of the lobby. A short time later we looked out and our poor Patriot, standing there toppled over and became another pile of snow and was no more.  He had lasted less than an hour but in his short snowy life had been kind enough to stand quietly for a snapshot with one of his creators.