Holidaying in Australia, comes to an end

Sydney Suburbs and the way back

Coffee At a Shopping Mall
(L-R) Loku, Mum, Me & Pam Achchi (My Great Aunt)

Continuing towards the end of our holiday in Oz.
On Thursday the 13th, initially I kept it as my day, to travel into the city (Sydney), check out the Art Exhibition ‘Pop to Popism’; featuring some works of the greatest post-modernist artists ever such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, David Hockney, Martin Sharp, Brett Whiteley et al, at the Art Gallery of NSW; and to meet some of my friends from (COFA, UNSW) University days who are still residing Down Under (including Aussies). I had it all planned out, with my busy old friends to meet at various times that day. Then came another good news, the day before, that Pam Achchi (my Great Aunt, my mother’s aunt, Loku’s mother), whose nursing home was under quarantine all this time (see my post Holidaying in Australia (NSW)), though not lifted, she was allowed to go out. So, as I really wanted to see her too, Loku (my mother’s first cousin), mum & I, visited her in Blacktown (a far suburb of Sydney). Thus I changed my plans to leave for the city after having lunch with Pam Achchi & co. But plans never really work out the way you want. We got delayed getting to the nursing home, and then lunch. Some of my friends had dropped out, due to other prior engagements. So ultimately I ditched the rest of my poor friends for my great aunt, as it was absurd going all the way from Blacktown to the city (which could take more than hour by train) and from the city to the Art Gallery, and then to the rest of the places. When I called them up, they were really disappointed. Only other option now left was for them to come to Airport the next afternoon. Anyway, at least we got to speak to each other on the phone. That was a good thing. Some thing’s better than nothing. We even spoke the next day, just as my flight was about to take off.

On the way to Blacktown, we came upon a DELHI ROAD (named after my birth city 😉 )

All the films (DVD’s) and three books, I bought in Australia.

Thus, after a quick lunch, in lieu of the city, ditching my peers, I went to a nearby shopping complex, with the trio of old ladies 😉 (pictured right at the top). As per my luck turned out, there was a DVD sale there. I had already bought a few DVD film’s in Adelaide, and later in Chatswood (a suburb in Sydney’s Northshore), but I went crazy here, and bought around 15 films. Altogether, by the time I reached SL, I had 26 DVD’s with me. It was a day well spent.

Dropping off Pam Achchi
Mum with Pam Achchi, at the Nursing home.

After dropping off Pam Achchi at her nursing home, we went back to Loku’s home, and that evening Carlo (my father’s first cousin) picked us up, and we went to his place for dinner. T’was nice to see his Chinese wife, Chin Chin, after such a long time.

At Loku’s, in Castle Cove, same evening
(L to R) Carlo, Mum & Loku

At Carlo & Chin Chin’s
Mum with Carlo, Chin Chin and their twin daughters.

Next morning, 14th November, 2014, packing, and cleaning up, like crazy. Late morning, close to noon, Dennis (Loku’s husband) and I went for some last minute shopping at Westfield in Chatswood. I ended up buying a few more movies.

Dennis & Loku, with Mum; when they dropped us at the Sydney Kingsford Airport.

Thus came an end to our Australian tour. After a quick lunch, we headed to Sydney’s Kingsford Airport. On the Qantas flight from Sydney to Singapore, I finally watched Magic in the Moonlight (2014), a Woody Allen comedy.

In Transit
At the Singapore Changi International Airport

At the Singapore (Changi International) Airport, Duty Free, I just casually asked at a chocolate stall, whether they had any Neuhaus chocolates, and Voilà!!! they did. It’s been my favourite chocolate, since I tasted Neuhaus chocolates, in Belgium, in 2003, pushing down Ferrero Rocher, my favourite since my early teenage years, to second place. It’s been almost a decade, since I last tasted Neuhaus. I had to buy it. It didn’t last a week though. Anyway, on the Emirates flight from Singapore to Colombo, I watched The Two Faces of January (2014), a movie based on a Patricia Highsmith novel. I didn’t touch Ben Okri’s The Age of Magic during these two flights, and haven’t touched it since my flight from Adelaide to Sydney on the 8th of November (see my post Holidaying in South Australia). I ought to get back to reading Ben Okri. We reached Sri Lanka, on 15th early morning, at 1:40 am. My father came the next day. My sister and her husband on the 19th of November, 2014.

Thus ended our Australian tour.

Nuwan Sen n’ Travel
Nuwan Sen’s Travel Sense

P.S. THIS ALSO HAPPENS TO BE MY 200th POST!!!!!