Lindsey Stirling @ Martin Place

Lindsey Stirling was performing for the Sunrise show for a pre-recorded performance at Martin Place. I am going to her show this coming Wednesday and I am very excited. She was scheduled to perform at 9am so I arrived at 8am, as I wasn't quite sure how famous she was here in Sydney. When I got there, there was quite a crowd. However, it was for Jessie J. Truth be told, I didn't know who Jessie J was - although I later recognised her music- but I definitely didn't know what she looked like.




There were probably around 120 people for Jessie J's performance and for Lindsey, there were a maximum of 30. And I was pretty sure that most weren't sure who she was, but they just wanted to be on tv. Namely all the teens and tweens.

She is amazing. My favourite pieces and covers by her include:

• Crystallize
• Transcendence
• Song of the Caged Bird
• My Immortal (Cover)
• Phantom of the Opera (Medley)

At the end of her performance, I went to the side in the hope of getting a photo with her. I am still quite bummed that I just missed out as the security guard had almost taken my camera, but her tour manager said, "no more photos". I try not to let it bother me, but it still does bother me. I am understanding that they do have a schedule and can't stick around forever. HOWEVER, considering that there were only 10 people waiting at the side (and I am guessing the only fans out of the meesly 30 people who viewed her performance {the channel 7 people tried to squish people together as much as they could, just to give the illusion that there were a lot more people than what the actual situation was}) it really didn't make much sense as to why she couldn't stay for another 3 minutes maximum. Out of the 10 people, she took a photo with 3. I mean really? It honestly still baffles me.


Side note, she is actually quite short. Even shorter than I am, which is surprising because I didn't expect that.


Also, all the teens that were watching her performance were hanging around for this guy. Adam. They were all gushing over him and managed to take a photo with him. I don't even know. Also, some of the girls were there for the drummer who was also Reece Mastin's drummer. Hmm.

Sunset at North Curl Curl

This post is long overdue as these photos were taken on the 2nd August. After a day at university, I decided to head to my nearest beach. More accurately beaches as it is divided into North Curl Curl and South Curl Curl. On the way, I walked by my highschool and it was quite nostalgic.














On an unrelated note. All I can think as of late is this: trust no one.

N2 Extreme Gelato

Haven't posted for a while. I originally had plans to meet a friend who I hadn't seen in over a year for dinner. However, my Saturday class finished early and we ended up meeting for lunch instead for ramen at World's Square. It was both an interesting and awkward experience. What was interesting was sitting in her car that was completely decked out in Hello Kitty gear.

The BeltLine

21st November 2012
There weren't too many people staying in Atlanta for Thanksgiving however Sunbear and I were having a Thanksgiving dinner with a host family. But more on that later. By this stage, the start of Thanksgiving break had already started and I had wanted to explore more of Atlanta.

When googling for things to visit, the Beltline was one of the 'attractions' that attracted my attention. 

The BeltLine is a former railway corridor around the core of Atlanta, Georgia which is under development in stages as a multi-use trail. Some portions are already complete, while others are still in a rough state but hikeable. Using existing rail track easements, it aims to improve not only transportation, but to add green space and promote redevelopment. There are longer term visions for streetcar or light rail lines along all or part of the corridor.

We started the Beltline on the west side with plans to finish on the east and head up north to Piedmont Park. The west side was a little dodgy especially compared to Decatur where we were staying. Decatur is one of the richer areas of Atlanta (and technically its own city) and the typical two storey type mansions were plentiful. Out on the western side, these were considerably smaller dwellings and there is something unsettling when a house needs visible double bolts and sometimes bars around the patio, also with it's own double lock door.









A homeless man's bed underneath the bridge. Impressive although a little scary too.


  This was basically the entire area of the west side. I believe we also walked past some correctional services of some sort too. The Caucasian and the Asian walking around, an odd sight I am sure.




This convenience store had bars on every single window and at the cashier desk, there was a whole window of, what I imagine to be, bullet proof glass.


We headed to the east side (Old Fourth Ward) and the area was vastly different. The houses were a lot prettier and we stumbled upon a home with a puppy! It was originally lying on the patio however it quickly ran down to the gate and we petted it for a while. The puppy was so adorable and so hyper.

The BeltLine is a work in progress, with the east side being predominately a walking trail through cleared bushland. The east side however is completed with bicycle and walkpaths.

One of my favourite shots.


Atlanta doesn't have a Chinatown. However very close to the outskirts of Atlanta in the north, there is a 'Chinatown' which is basically a small shopping area with Asian supermarkets and authentic Asian food places, almost like the food court at Dixon Street in Sydney. There were a lot of Asian-fusion chains such as Tin Drum, however, you can't help but raise your eyebrow when the pad thai has jalapeño on top. Hmm.

We ordered two spicy Szechuan dishes. After a while, I couldn't quite feel my lips anymore, it was a continual burning sensation. However, Sunbear loved it and loved spicy food. Although all the Asians were in total disbelief when we arrived back at Highland Lake.






Overall, it was an interesting day. It was lovely to explore more of Atlanta and to see the 'darker' side of Atlanta. From what I gathered, the wealthier you are, the further north you would live. Conversely, the further south you head, heading to the airport, the more dodgy the areas became.

North Georgia/ South Tennessee

19th December 2012
We wanted one last road trip in Georgia, a farewell to the state that had become our second home. We (by we, I mean Sunbear) drove up to the country city of Dahlonega after my economics final. Georgia is quite pretty; in the south, there are the heartlands, on the east, there are the beaches and the coastline and north, there are the mountains and the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway.








Dahlonega is the epitome of a typical country town (though technically a city). Sunbear had an alleged allergy to chocolate; apparently it gave him a headache. Although I didn't really believe him and I nagged him until he tried chocolate and lo behold, no headache! Ever since this discovery, we consumed chocolate constantly. This strawberry dipped in chocolate was his second taste of chocolate in over 10 years.

We drove off in search of the gold mines, though we couldn't find it. Instead, we stumbled upon a lake.

In the end, we gave up searching for the gold mine, and truth be told, I wasn't particularly keen either. We started part of the Blue Ridge Parkway, driving through the Chattahoochee National Forest.

Love.

It was gorgeous. The roads wound up and down through the mountains and the view was breathtaking. However, after a while it became a little awkward since we weren't entirely sure where we were. Were we in Georgia, Tennessee or South Carolina?! The road was continuous and there weren't any signs or places to turn off onto any highway.

In the end, we managed to find the highway and Sunbear suggested that we drive up to Tennessee to visit Ducktown, a supposed quaint town. I believe it was 4 blocks wide and then the town ended and that was that.

Finally managed to take a photo of the sign. Although, probably the oldest sign in existence; the colours of the peach had completed faded.

GA / TN state line.

An estimate. No idea what happened once we got to the Chattahoochee National Forest.

We ended the night with a romantic dinner in the car eating Maccas. Wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

My Overall Thoughts
It was a lovely final road trip with Sunbear in the US of A. It was really sad though as we had met in Georgia and we were leaving the place that we had grown to love. It didn't help that we played "Georgia on My Mind" by Willie Nelson continuously, a very bittersweet song. It wasn't just the fact that the song was about Georgia, but that Sunbear had driven 14 hours listening to the song on repeat - almost continuously- back to Atlanta from Virginia after a major fight that we had . Looking back, I barely understand the argument; I don't even know why I was so upset. As said previously, we had so many movie worthy moments, but the moment when he arrived back at our apartment was definitely a movie moment. Ah memories.

Would I re-visit?
The towns we visited, no.

On a personal side note, it is a little sad that this will be the last 'travel' post for the actual exchange period. I thought blogging and reliving the days would be enjoyable, but in fact, it just makes me nostalgic and not necessarily in a good way. It is extremely odd to think that almost 12 months ago, I was about to embark on such a wonderful journey. The next few posts will be about Atlanta and the actual university that I attended. I didn't spend every waking moment travelling (although I wish that I did) despite the impression that may be gathered.