Why you should become a Buddhist.

No, I haven't been converted, and no I haven't shaved my head. I spent a brilliant week in the Dandenong ranges at the Kadampa Cetre in Monbulk with beautiful views out over the bushland and the valley.
It didn't really count as work, most of it. Admittedly, the first day we (myself and another working visitor, Rachel) had to clean and wash a garage, but we soon discovered that was so that there could be a garage sale held in it the next weekend. So this Saturday they're holding a big community open day which we helped to get ready for. We spent at least a day and a half playing, I mean working hard at making pinjatas for the Kids' section of the open day. We also made Pass the Parcel parcels and drew elephants and donkeys for Pin the Trunk/Tail on the respective animal. Other jobs including weeding out sycamore saplings - apparently they're a weed over here, and tidying and making up rooms for another event, a Meditation Retreat Weekend, which was held whilst we were there. And as a working visitor, not only was I treated to a bed and 3 delicious meals a day free of charge, I also got to attend any teachings or meditations I liked. Those included a teaching on Phillip Island (I didn't see any penguins) on Emptiness and another at the centre on Love, a meditation and prayer session which I could have attended everyday had I thought my poor behind could cope with it! and the Weekend Meditation Retreat which was incredibly relaxing. Also free of charge I got to have lots of discussions and debates with real live monks, which was great fun. On the subject of monks, they're not at all what you think they'd be like; they know about things like music and windsurfing and use phrases like "she had the hots for him". Plus they're always happy and smiling so they are really very easy to get along with for a week. In fact, by the end of the week i was sad to be leaving - i had definitely become attached to the place and the people. (A little Buddhist humour for you there...)

So then it was back to Melbourne, which incidentally turned out to be quite nice. I should tell you know that when I first arrived in Melbourne after New Zealand I absolutely hated it. The place was horrible, the streets were crowded and dirty and it was the last place in the world I wanted to be. And it smelled funny. The second time I got to Melbourne, after Adelaide, it had changed a little for the better - now it had some nice buildings and parks and the weather had improved. When I arrived back for the third time, I liked it there. I spent three days exploring the free touristy things and taking advantage of the free wine and cheese which my hostel offered on Tuesday night and I even got to meet up with some old faces from NZ. Then I got on a night bus to Sydney, which was an interesting experience. The driver told me he would dance at my wedding for untangling his headphones for him. I took him up on the offer but I think he gave me a false name to send the invitation to...

So now I'm in Sydney. I did lots of walking yesterday along the water's edge around the harbour which is actually quite a long way and ended up hurting my knee somehow. Now I have to walk much slower but thankfully I did all the really difficult bits that first day. I took about a billion pictures of the Sydney Opera House from every single angle, I walked over the Harbour bridge and round to Lavender Bay where I picked some lavender and then walked back round to the bridge and over it. I walked round the botanical gardens and walked to Mrs Macquarie's point where Mrs Macquarie's chair is and I waled back to Hyde park where my hostel is. that is not to mention all the walking I did on arrival from the central station to the hostel with my backpack and also another girl who I think was German who followed me to my hostel then told me that she didn't know where her hostel was. So we walked to find that one then I walked back and checked in. Then I did all the walking I was talking about before. Today I did a bit more of the walking thing, which by now I've got down to a real art, apart from the dodgy knee, and looked in several museums and galleries and cultural type things. Tomorrow I will be heading to Darling Harbour to the National Maritime Museum (they have them everywhere and it's free and my sister's Godmother's husband works for one or something...) and to Paddy's markets and probably back to the botanic gardens for some sunbathing as the weather here at the moment is glorious! :)

Well, you can tell I'm on paid for internet time now can't you?! Hope you appreciate the limited content and forgive the lack of quantity...

Much love,
Em